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Day 1: Hanahaki - Akechi/Sumire .
He hated Joker.
His silent yet always focused demeanor, which made him fly under the radar easily. His slyness, that helped him snake out of any situation (mostly unharmed). His overflowing charisma that charmed everyone around him and helped him get the group of misfits he managed to form.
That got the attention of her .
It was no secret that Yoshizawa Sumire had an infatuation with Kurusu Akira since day one. And who could blame her? Despite the rumors surrounding him like a mist, there’s still people thinking that Kurusu was attractive.
And that made Akechi seethe with blood-boiling anger .
He hated that Kurusu had a support system in the form of his rat-tag group of also infuriating teenagers, his guardian who basically adopted him like a son and even other people around him completely unrelated to his group. How he managed to surpass Akechi in every way possible despite being equal.
How he got Yoshizawa’s attention all the time.
The brunet felt his throat burn, clenching painfully and the rise of something that wasn’t bile or even remotely part of his body. He still tried to swallow it down, uncomfortably sitting there.
“We cannot waste more time” he choked, looking at the other two behind him. He could see Yoshizawa smile at her dear
Senpai
with a glint of her eyes.
It sickened him.
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Akechi’s relationships were oftenly in the professional realm. Everyone from the SUI, Sae Niijima herself, so on. He didn’t have time for meaningless recreations or making lasting bonds with people. He had a mission and only one goal, and he didn’t care if he died while doing so.
But of course , Kurusu had to stick his nose into this business and now he had to eliminate him ASAP if he wanted his plan to succeed.
That was, of course, until the new First Year came into the picture.
Yoshizawa Sumire was way too energetic for Goro. Her preppiness, always striking a conversation about anything and everything, drained him out sometimes. She reminded him of that obnoxious Sakamoto from Kurusu’s group. But he also enjoyed her presence. It was a breath of fresh air, something new and different for the detective. Sumire took him around places she knew, like the sweet shop in Kichijoji and some stores around Shibuya.
It was just the two of them this round. Last time they hung out, they had Kurusu with them, crossing paths near the Central Street’s subway entrance. They’re back at the crêpe shop near Penguin Sniper, enjoying a cup of coffee and hot cocoa together, since the temperatures are quickly dropping. Akechi looked into his cup, the reddish-brown liquid reflecting his equally red mahogany eyes.
“Akechi-Senpai?” he heard Sumire’s call, she sounded concerned but still upbeat, her expression denoting curiosity.
“Oh? Did I spaced out for a moment? My apologies, Yoshizawa-san, that was very disrespectful from my part” he immediately recovered, slapping that fake smile he always had during his interviews. It was easy for him to slip into his celebrity façade, to fool the ones who just didn’t know better, even if it was a year after all of that Metaverse debacle. The redhead’s frown deepened, her red scarlet eyes bore into him, even behind her thick framed glasses. She sighed.
“If you say so…” she mumbled, taking a sip of her cocoa. Akechi looked at her, noticing how her slim fingers wrapped around the mug, the sleeves of her long, almost oversized sweater causing her frame to take an innocent appearance.
His throat twitched.
“So, Yoshizawa-san…” he spoke after a while, making the girl peek over the frame of her glasses. Another twitch. “I have heard news of your career as a professional gymnast. How's that been going?”
She took another drink of her mug, the vapor wafting around her face and making her glasses fog a little. “Well… coach has been such an amazing help for me, she keeps reminding me that I have to be myself and follow my own style.” her face turned a shade of pink, looking away embarrassed. “And… Senpai has been cheering on me too. I can’t wait to be back in Tokyo so he can see me compete.”
Goro got that wrenching feeling surge towards his throat once more, and he was sure he was going to throw up. Still, he drowned it before it could spill. “Oh. I’m sure Kurusu will be ecstatic to see you, too” he said, but every word made the knot tug and rise by the moment. He tried to be reassuring towards Sumire, even if it literally made him sick .
The gymnast looked up, her eyes shining and a smile slowly appearing in her features “Yeah. I know he will”
Akechi took a sip from his now tepid beverage, trying to stop the choking.
It didn’t work.
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Akechi wasn’t worried about the loneliness of his apartment. He was always alone ever since his mom took her own life, and that bastard Shido left them. The cold, empty walls gave him peace sometimes.
“Ah!... Fuck ..”
It’s not like the ex-detective never got sick in his life. He knows. But whatever the hell is happening with him now is mildly concerning.
Especially when he’s wheezing and heaving over the toilet, and he’s vomiting and coughing blood and petals .
He was expecting bile and whatever disgusting mix of the contents on his stomach to come out, not blood, and not definitely flower petals.
After the pain lifted and the flower petals stopped rising, The ex-detective stood up in shaky legs, revising the damage around him. A tired sigh and he proceeded to clean up the blood stains and flowers.
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Even after all the shit they went through with Maruki and the Fake Perfect World, he’s still tired.
The fake persona he emulated while being a well-known celebrity was taxing at best, and being his regular self also didn’t thrilled Akechi. He knows he has issues, and the weird decision of destiny of him being alive and thus, being given a second chance was the best moment to work on those problems.
Faking your identity was easier when nobody remembers you existed.
His daily routine consisted in getting up, taking a cup of coffee and working on his college work. He still works under the detective agency, this time only by Sae’s wing, who kept his past a secret.
While typing on his laptop, his phone buzzed at his side. A quick glance showed that he had a notification from Kurusu. Akechi frowned, but picked his phone anyway.
Kurusu Akira
Listen, I know you’re busy and all but, I was thinking maybe we can meet at Leblanc next Monday? I’m coming to Tokyo for the Holidays and I want to spend time with you all.
Akechi Goro
Why me? Don’t you have your team to hang out? What about your little boy toy?
Kurusu Akira
Why the hostility? I’m just offering you a hang out evening.
Akechi sighed. He was right, his rudeness was unjustified when the ex-Thief just asked for a friendly meeting. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a breath.
Akechi Goro
You’re right, sorry. I have been... stressed for a while now.
Kurusu Akira
More reason to go out, Goro Dearest~
Akechi Goro
Call me that again and I will make you suffer, Kurusu.
Kurusu Akira
Jk Jk… So next Monday, right? Don’t be late!
Akechi rolled his eyes to none in particular. He can hear the saccharine smirk on the raven’s features while typing that. The two of them, while still considering themselves as rivals, have created a small bond of friendship that while he wanted to deny it, still shook him to his very core.
A small smile played on his lips, his hand hovering over Yoshizawa’s contact.
Maybe… just a little maybe…
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The brunet fixed the scarf around his neck before going inside Leblanc, the warm temperatures and the pleasant smell of coffee grinds and spices made the area really homey and perfect to be. He genuinely enjoyed going inside the establishment.
He saw the familiar mop of jet black hair behind the counter and sat on the bar. Akira smiled towards his rival, getting a tiny, unsure one in return. “So? The usual?”
“Please”
The two of them stood in comfortable silence, enjoying the mindless buzzing from the TV as it transmitted some news program. When the raven was done with his cup of coffee, he took a mug of his own and served himself too, crossing his arms over the bar. “And? How’s life treating you now that you’re a dead man walking?”
Akechi looked up, mahogany eyes tracing the rim of his cup silently.
“I’m not saying it’s worse than what I had while being a detective, but it’s rather boring now”
“Yeah…” mumbled Akira, grabbing the mug with two hands and looking away. It was weird seeing him without his glasses on. Another silence sat between them before the raven broke it again.
“By the way, Sumire texted me earlier and told me she wanted me to see her practice. She’s dropping by Shibuya too and I was wondering if you wanted to see her too”
Akechi almost choked on the coffee he was busy drinking, setting it down gently without any suspicion.
“And… Senpai has been cheering on me too. I can’t wait to be back in Tokyo so he can see me compete.”
The knot was back and Akechi cursed all the gods he knew because of it. Remembering Sumire’s words back at the crêpe shop made him nauseous, a pit on his stomach hollower than before. Akechi had an idea of what was happening, but refused to address it.
“It’s fine, thanks for the offer Kurusu, but I’ll have to decline it..”
‘She wants to see you , not me .’
Akira frowned. “Come on, I’m sure she won’t mind if you come along. She likes you too”
‘And keep seeing how she gushes at you for hours? No thanks’
“I have things to take care of. I don’t mind” he lied, the knot pushing up the more he spoke about this. He just wanted Akira to drop the subject and keep doing what they had before.
“Oh. I’m sure Kurusu will be ecstatic to see you, too”
“If you say so…” he said, picking up the phone and typing away --possibly Sumire-- with a sigh “I just thought that she would be happy to see you check her new techniques. She has been working really hard to impress me and her coach that maybe you-”
The conversation was prematurely cut when Akechi bolted to the cafe’s bathroom, barely missing the toilet and immediately expelled whatever wanted to leave his body at that moment. He heaved and choked around the massive knot on his throat, blood painfully dripping from his lips. His eyes pricked with tears, the hot pain of something tearing at his windpipe while pushing and struggling to go out whenever he liked it or not.
The door of the bathroom opened behind him, but he didn’t even care who it was, as he kept contracting the foreign object through his mouth. His throat ached, probably raw and damaged, and his jaw burned from the object painfully stretching out his mouth.
After finally, finally what felt like eons of pure agony, the thing slid out and dropped inside the toilet. The ex-detective shook with exhaustion and pain, closing his eyes and taking steady, deep breaths with his nose. He heard a gasp, and slowly looked behind him, recognizing the blurry figure of Akira with a distressed expression slapped on his face.
“Akechi..”
He would have laughed at his expression if he didn’t notice the massive flower in front of him.
There, sitting in the stained water, floated a huge red rose, fully blooming and totally impeccable. That came out of Goro’s throat!?
Akira seemed to put two and two together, and he looked at his rival with concern and astonishment.
“ You like her… ”
“You speak a fucking word of this, Kurusu and I swear to my bones I will rip your head with my own two fucking hands” the brunet hissed, voice raw and uncanny, filled with venom and efficiently breaking the princely personality he adorned like a badge every day. He knew the bespectacled teen was unfazed, he already had seen this side of him, but he still resorted to unhinged violence and threatening in hopes to silence him.
Some habits never die, one would guess.
Akira frowned, his piercing grey eyes chastising the brunet, as he left the small cramped room, only to come back with his phone in hand.
“What--” croaked the older of the two, standing shakily. Akira raised his hand in a ‘silence’ gesture.
“We’re fixing this, Goro”
Akechi looked down to the floating flower. A rose…
Fixing...
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“It’s ok Sumire, you can do it” Coach Hiraguchi, as she knelt near a slumped Sumire, extended her hand. The teen looked up with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, taking the hand of the woman and standing up.
“Sorry for that. I lost my balance for a second” she whispered, looking down. The woman looked up and behind Sumire, her eyes wide but a smile still on her face. “Maybe take a break. Clear your mind right now. You need it” she patted Sumire’s shoulder and walked away.
The redhead sighed, turning around with a dejected stare. That expression didn’t last soon, when she audibly gasped at the sight in front of her.
“A-Akechi-senpai!” she called, seeing the tall figure of the ex-detective.
“Hi, Yoshizawa”
“Are you ok? You look pale… hold on, let me..” she walked towards a bench with her duffel bag, leaving her ribbon and taking a water bottle. She went back to Akechi and guided both of them into a sitting area right at the entrance of the gymnasium. The redhead handed the bottle to the ex-detective, who took it gingerly.
“I assume you knew I was coming?”
“I had an idea, when Kurusu texted me, but I was still surprised” she confessed, her hands folded in front of her in her lap. “And he told me you wanted to talk?”
There it is… Akechi looked to the floor, thinking on how to approach the subject with utmost care possible to not freak her out. ‘So I have feelings for you and I’m coughing flowers everytime I think of you daydreaming about my rival!’
“Do you… know about the Hanahaki Disease?”
Sumire looked shocked, but nodded, still looking at Goro attently. “Yes… it’s when someone coughs flowers due to unrequited love… why so?”
No more running around. Akechi dug his hand inside the pocket of his jacket and retrieved the rose he vomited back at Leblanc, showing it to Sumire. The gymnast gasped, hands flying to her mouth. “Akechi-senpai… is that--”
“Yes…” he left the rose in the gap between them, sitting idly. “Truth is… I was jealous of Kurusu, not only because of the different outcomes of our circumstances. I-”
He cut himself mid-sentence, reaching one of his hands to hold Sumire’s smaller one, removing it from her mouth. He circled his hands around the redhead’s giving them a squeeze. “I... was also jealous of how he managed to capture your heart. How you looked at him, you speaking wonders of him. I felt sick. This is what happened because of my repression”
He looked at the rose, making eye contact with Sumire. The teen had a rosy tint on her cheeks, her red eyes focused on Akechi. “I might understand if you don’t feel the same. I have done many things that...I’m sure you will despise me for. And I still get you’re still in love with Kurusu”
A long pause was the only thing between them, the wind and some birds chirping filled the silence for them. Akechi was ready to accept the rejection.
“I don’t… I don’t love Senpai…” she said, making Akechi look up at her with wide eyes. “I mean, yeah I had a crush on him. But I realized that it was just superficial... I thought what I felt was love, but it was just me being attached to him because he was the first person being nice to me. He supported me and helped me realize that I needed to be myself, not my sister Kasumi…
“I owe him a lot. I am here now because of him… but…” she blushed, her face softening towards Akechi, her hands shifting to hold Akechi’s instead. “You were also there, even if it was in a different circumstance. You cared about me, even when you said you didn’t at all, and it was only to get back at Maruki-sensei.
Akira told me. He told me how angry you got when Maruki-sensei held me hostage, how you didn’t want me near him in fear he would hurt me once again…” she confessed softly. Akechi’s heart thumped against his chest painfully, the small chuckle from Hereward rumbled deep inside him. “Besides, I knew Akira wasn’t going to reciprocate my feelings anyways, he doesn’t even like women!” she giggled.
“What I’m trying to say is… I might not be in the best place now, and neither do you. But, I am willing to try… for us. I want to give it a chance because… I think I like you too, Goro-senpai”
The ex-detective didn’t answer, only pulling the gymnast against his chest and kissing her deeply. After a while, they broke the kiss, Akechi holding the redhead tenderly, a genuinely smile on his face.
“That sounds fine by me…”
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Sumire sat on her desk, a book open in front of her from one of her assignments. She has been working since she arrived home from the practice.
Her heart fluttered at the thought of the many things that are going to happen from now on. Maybe she should talk to Akira about it…
A new notification came in on her phone, startling her from her daydreaming.
Akechi 💖
I was thinking… maybe we can go to Dome Town together when you’re done with practice.
How about this Sunday?
Sumire blushed at the text, her eyes falling on the huge rose sitting on her desk, atop of a vase. She smiled.
Yoshizawa Sumire
I will love to…