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Makoto learned the tell tale signs of sickness early. She couldn’t admit that it developed as an anxiety after her father’s death, but it was the truth. At times it came in handy, and at other times the victim of the sickness would snarl in their annoyance. She was a nuisance, she learned, after getting so excited about her duties as student council president extending to nurse duties as well. In her darkest hour, she had learned to turn a blind eye to the injuries of the volleyball team, and in turn, filed her resignation of her duties shortly after Kamoshida had been apprehended of such injuries.
Makoto didn’t bother being that annoying friend anymore, going left and right to diagnose students when they didn’t ask. She simply wore her face mask around when she was sick, and hoped others would do the same. It wasn’t meant to be her line of work.
On the fateful day of the school festival, her senses tingled again, but in a strange way.
“I just… really love s-spicy food,” Akechi Goro had stammered.
His face contorted in an unrecognizable way, and Makoto hated to admit that after their few run-ins at cram school - one time especially - she didn’t mind witnessing that perfect aura of his dropping by the second. Blood rushed to his cheeks, and the usual straight and determined brows furrowed in pain. His handsome face was terrorized by the spicy takoyaki and it was obvious.
“I’ll see you all tomorrow,” he attempted to say, shuffling out of the room and leaving Makoto and her friends to eye each other strangely.
The day more or less ended there, but not for the student council president. Preparations were still underway, but the stage that Akechi would take tomorrow was set at the very least. Makoto eyed the council’s handiwork alone, the rest of her group having split off to enjoy the other festivities or head home early. Her brow raised slightly when she eyed the detective from early had stuck around, hiding out in one of the seats in the crowd. What a perfect time to approach him, she thought sarcastically. But she couldn’t help it.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Akechi.
“Still sick, detective?” she asked, from the end of the aisle of chairs.
“A-ah. Not the last person I was hoping to see,” he said, turning in surprise, “I’m not sick, by the way.”
“Your symptoms sure look like it. Red cheeks, your lips look almost swollen, and you’ve been sweating,” she pointed out.
“Spicy food will do that to you-“
“Not unless it’s an allergic reaction. And a bad one at that,” she frowned, “I must say, I’ve never seen someone with such a distinctive response to store-bought spices. You
sure
you don’t have a fever?”
“As much as I appreciate your attempt at
caring,
I’m not sick. I’m not allergic, and I most definitely do not have a fev-“
Makoto leaned down. He was almost a head taller than her, and on her tiptoes, she might have reached his chin. But here in that auditorium, Akechi Goro in his chair and Niijima Makoto respectively standing, she had full reign to press her forehead against his and check for a fever.
Lingering longer than expected, Akechi felt himself heating up at the sensation of her skin against his. It felt as if time had stopped and in that moment, he didn’t don the Black Mask persona he had planned to hide from the world, and she wasn’t the Phantom Thief whose identity he secretly knew of.
“Just as I thought,” she said with the smallest smile, “You’re burning up.”
“Why are you smiling?” he asked, biting his tongue from telling her that he was burning up because of other reasons.
“Because I was right,” she said softly, “Might want to get that checked out Akechi-kun.”
Akechi gave her a perplexed look, one reserved for someone who had just fallen head over heels for the enemy. Her smile was radiant, and it was so strange that she had extended some sort of attempt to gain the upper hand, but inadvertently shown some level of care while doing so. Perplexed, indeed.
“Thank you, by the way,” she said, breaking in through his thoughts, “For agreeing to come.”
He stayed silent, still reeling from what had just happened. Where was that charismatic persona? Where did it go? That’s right, she had texted him out of the blue the other week. Only now, was he realizing his heart had sank ever so slightly when it was business as usual with Makoto.
And that’s why you planned to reveal their identities to them tomorrow, isn’t it?
Loki asked in the back of his mind.
You could save her now. Just her. Let the other thieves rot. They deserve it as much, especially that attic trash.
That’s right, run away, just the two of you. Make her yours.
Robin Hood exclaimed.
Akechi swallowed.
“You’re welcome, Makoto.”
She smiled. He used her name, and she liked the way it rolled off his tongue.
“Fevers make you do weird things,” she said again, “Might want to get that checked out. I don’t want you canceling tomorrow’s assembly.”
With that, she turned her heel and walked away. In her mind, she had won an unanticipated battle. In his mind, well. In his stomach, butterflies, in his heart, a storm was coming. They were alone after all.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, loud enough for him to hear once she reached the end of the aisle of chairs.
Business as usual.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“You’re Niijima Sae’s little sister, aren’t you?” came the voice from behind.
Without hesitation - because, after all, that was who Niijima Makoto was - she turned around to the sound of the stranger’s voice.
He wasn’t exactly a stranger, but Makoto wouldn’t indicate that Akechi Goro and she were friends. She couldn’t particularly pinpoint them as acquaintances either because to be
acquainted,
would imply many things. Most of them made Makoto uncomfortable.
Makoto squinted when he started speaking, and she realized she hadn’t processed his question whatsoever. Her actions going forward were unnatural for her.
“No,” she said.
“... Sorry?” he asked with the slightest laugh, clearly caught off guard.
“I’m not her sister,” she told him, completing her inconsequential reply prior.
It’s his turn to squint in return.
“Sorry,” he said slowly, “It’s not like me to get the wrong person.”
“It’s not like you?” she asked incredulously, “You have the wrong person.”
Akechi didn’t mean to offend her, but inside, he felt something brewing. It was a game of some sort, and he was going to play it.
“You’re not a very good liar,” he assured her with a smirk, “Though I suppose if I truly do have you pegged as the wrong person, I apologize. Regardless, it was information on the Phantom Thieves and I would see that it’s delivered to the rightful person.”
Obviously, Makoto was intrigued, and her stature showed it. Her body flinched ever so slightly at the mention of the Phantom Thieves, and it was clear that Akechi had been watching this motion travel through her body. His lips curled up ever so slightly as he peered at her with his deep mahogany eyes.
“Changed your mind?” he asked softly.
“About who I am?” she shot back just as softly, “If you’d like me to pretend to be someone I’m not, then by all means. I’m just as good of a liar as any.”
It was an interesting choice of words, but Makoto forced every fiber in her body to keep up with the lie she had planted in the detective’s brain - supposedly - and went with it. Unfortunately for her, as socially awkward as she was, there was something unredeemable about Akechi’s appearance, making it all the more awkward for her to continue said interaction. Still, she peered just as relentlessly in return, hoping that he would at the very least reveal the information about the Phantom Thieves to her.
It wasn’t like her to be conniving, but she liked to think she was full of surprises. Akechi wasn’t at all discouraged by her attempt to lie to him. After all, he was fond of mind games himself.
“Then you’ve been certainly keeping up with news about them, I presume. If you’re fond of lies, that is,” he prodded.
“I watched your little segment on television, if you must know,” she said with a smirk, “You hold an interesting opinion albeit a flawed one.”
“Flawed? I’m hoping you’ll tell me what part of my deduction was flawed,” he pressed on.
He had caught her in her own trap. She clearly knew who he was, and yet again, who didn’t? Akechi Goro. At the end of it all, it wasn’t a sound enough reason to use as evidence that she was lying about being Sae’s younger sister, and so he pressed on.
“Maybe some other time,” she said airily, “I have somewhere I need to be.”
It was his turn to be astounded, although he held his composure much better than she. They stood like this in the hallway of their cram school for a few seconds. Those few seconds turned into long minutes, both analyzing one another deeply internally with no show of who might make the next move. In the end, Akechi allowed her leave.
“Where do you need to be that’s so urgent?” he asked.
“None of your business,” she replied quickly.
“Can I make it my business?” he asked.
If Makoto wasn’t such an expert in internalizing her emotions, she might have gone right over to him and slapped him across the face. There was something strange about the turn of events, and yet, she couldn’t quite understand the point of the conversation they were having. He should have left her alone when he realized she wasn’t Niijima Makoto. She felt the slightest shiver trail down her stomach, wondering if he was simply calling her bluff now. Without thinking, Makoto channeled whatever resilience she had left and asked an equally insane question.
“Are you flirting with me?” she asked simply.
And like all strange things in this equation, he called her bluff just as equally.
“Is it working?”
Without another word, Makoto felt her cheeks flush red and she allowed him the last word. There was no proper response to that question - no question for that question - and so she left it as is. She took small steps instead of scuttling off quickly. After all, she wasn’t Niijima Makoto, and she had no reason to be afraid of him.
“I’ll see you in class, Makoto,” he called after all.