Dark Half {Persona 5}

Chapter 5 - Realizations

Akira tapped his fingers on the table of the cafe as his friends talked around him.

He had finally been well enough to get out of bed recently, so Sojiro had closed LeBlanc for this day so he could have some feeling of normalcy despite the fact he was still supposed to be "dead". Sojiro had made the group coffee and then left to buy cigarettes so they could use the cafe as they pleased. The conversation was rather lively, but for Akira, the dull ache where his ribs were still broken was the only thing keeping him grounded as his thoughts floated away.

"You've been awfully quiet, Akira," Yusuke finally addressed him, "is something on your mind?"

"Well.. yeah, actually," Akira sat up straighter, ignoring the sharp pain it caused his ribs, "do you think we could go to Mementos tomorrow?"

The gasps of shock were matched only by the disbelieving glare Akira received from the entire group.

"Are you mad? There's no way you're in any condition for such a thing," Yusuke scolded.

"That's gotta be the dumbest thing I ever heard!" Ryuji spat.

"I know you're feeling a lot better now, but I still don't think you're quite well enough for such ventures," Haru spoke, voice barely above a whisper.

"Did you hit your head before you went to the hospital last time?" the majority of the group visibly recoiled at Morgana's response.

"Haru's right, we know you're anxious to get out again, but you shouldn't do so at the risk of your own health," Makoto reasoned.

"You must be pretty thick, Akira Kurusu, if you think I'm going to let you go to the Metaverse while you're still recovering!" Ann hissed, pointing a finger in his face.

Akira sat stunned for a moment, before looking to Futaba, who glanced back at him over her laptop screen.

"Got anything else to add to that?"

"Nah, I think they got you pretty good," Futaba replied, "Ann even used your full name."

Ann went a little red at this, then shook her head and grabbed his forearm.

"Akira, please. What do you need to go there for, anyway?"

Akira pondered a moment, once again fighting back the anxiety of his revelation.

"Just for training, that's all. Light training, not even far down. Just the top levels or something, so I can learn to move properly again, that's all."

"I still don't think it's a good idea.. just give yourself a little more time," Makoto begged, "just a week more, that's all. Then we'll all go in."

The whole group could feel Akira's sadness as his head dropped, though they didn't know the real reason for his despair.

But I only have three days from today...

~~

Akira lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. As he often did these days. Since he was let out of the hospital he hadn't been able to sleep. Partially because there was too much going through his head and partially because he was afraid Igor would call him back to the Velvet Room again. Though he had proved now he can just kill him on a whim to do so, he no longer had to just fall asleep.

The boy's insides constantly felt like they were twisting, and he was sure his teeth were almost ground down to the gums. Yet he was still able to convince everyone that he was just anxious about the arrest, the torture, the whole temporarily dying thing. Strangely enough to Akira, none of that seemed to worry him now.