You Were The Path I Chose | A Goro Akechi Romance

#RANK 7: Fated Overture

... In which Akechi, after striking a deal with the Phantom Thieves, does what I hoped he would and asks me out again—to a billiards rematch. But the questions he poses in the aftermath shake the already rocky foundation of my trust in him.

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It wasn't supposed to be like this.

The words race through my mind as I stare at the new group chat icon; its colors are fittingly inverted. But strangely, the longer I look, the less can I stand the sight of it. A daunting feeling that none of this is happening the way it was supposed to consumes me. I have barely been able to think of anything else since we returned from our first trip to Sae's palace yesterday.

When, moments later, the new group chat lights up, I automatically click on it.

FUTABA: Heya all Real And True Phantom Thieves, I welcome you to our new digital headquarters. Guaranteed to be encrypted and safe, and suspicious-faker-free.

> Y'all here?

RYUJI: Hell yeah!

ANN: So, we use this chat to discuss anything related to the Akechi issue, right?

FUTABA: Yup. Anything he isn't supposed to know goes here.

MAKOTO: Thank you. This will make things a lot easier.

> By the way, I meant to ask . . . how did the listening app installation go? Any results yet?

I back out of the chat and try to ascertain why I suddenly feel sick. Who would have thought that the festival we ourselves invited Akechi to would kickstart all of this? I thought I was prepared for him to surprise me there . . . but nothing could have prepared me for what he revealed and proposed on that fateful second day.

Before the school festival, I never really allowed myself to indulge in the thought that Akechi's having been to the Metaverse before would ever matter . . . Or maybe I just didn't want it to matter. I bite my lip and stare into the black depths of the coffee in front of me for a moment before I reluctantly open the new group chat again.

It matters now.

FUTABA: It went well. He didn't suspect a thing.

> No results yet, but this could take a while.

> We'll just have to play along for now.

RYUJI: You mean we actually have to pretend to be teammates with that asshole?

> He could be that Black Mask guy, for all we know!

HARU: He said he was investigating the true culprit, but . . .

YUSUKE: His mask was not black.

FUTABA: Yeah, that's interesting.

Still. Sus.

MAKOTO: I don't like having to work with him any more than all of you, but we hardly have a choice.

HARU: Yes. We have to play along with his deal to cooperate for the duration of this palace, and we mustn't let him find out that we suspect him.

> It's unfortunate that it has come to this, but we must stay strong.

RYUJI: Ugh. I hate that we have to do this, but you're right.