A/n: In this chapter, I had planned for Akira to confess to Mikono, but it didn't feel right. I had to rewrite half the chapter and hopefully I covered up all the details about the confession. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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|| 4/24 Sunday ||
|| Daytime ||

"So," Ichika looked at her daughter eagerly as she enjoyed breakfast. "What're your plans for today, Sweetie?"

"Since I don't have to work today, I was planning on going to the bookstore. Is there anything you need me to pick up while I'm out?" Mikono asked.

"Hmm... I can't think of anything at the moment. If there is, I'll text you."

The young girl shifted her gaze to Isaac. "What about you, Dad? Need anything?"

"Not that I'm aware," he responded, staring down at his plate.

Mikono always knew something was wrong with her parents when they acted certain ways. Her mother was more open with her feelings while her father was more reserved. He never was one to spill his feelings like Ichika, but there were rare moments where he would speak the truth without trying to conceal it. By the way he didn't make eye contact and the annoyance in his tone spoke volumes about his mood. The girl put down her chopsticks and gave her full attention to Isaac. "Dad, what's wrong?"

The man looked up and met his daughter's gaze. "Will you be seeing that boy again today?"

"You mean Akira?" Her father nodded and she continued. "I hadn't planned on seeing him today. My plans only involve going to the bookstore and maybe heading to the park to read for a few hours."

"Good..." Isaac exhaled in relief.

The inky-haired girl sighed, crossing her arms. "Okay, what exactly do you have against Akira? You've only met him once and it wasn't even a proper introduction. You acted the same way around Ryuji, but you're fine with him now. Why can't you give Akira a chance like you did with Ryuji? I haven't known him for long, but..." Her voice trailed off. She couldn't mention the abuse at school or the time she's spent in the Metaverse. She remembered all the times Akira has come to her rescue and how close they've grown in such a short amount of time. "He's done a lot for me and doesn't try to use me. He actually cares about me. I thought Ryuji would be the only friend who would care about me, but Akira proved me wrong."

Ichika smiled at her husband. "I think he sounds wonderful, Dear. We should have him over for dinner this week!"

"What?!" Isaac shrieked, dropping his chopsticks.

"It'll give us the perfect chance to get to know Kurusu," she explained.

"We are NOT having him over for dinner!"

"Oh, come now, Isaac," Ichika sighed at her husband's stubbornness and overprotective nature. "You know how difficult it's been for Mikono to make friends ever since we arrived in Japan. I understand you want to protect her, but you also want her to have friends, right? I think you owe her this much. Give the boy a chance before jumping to conclusions. You did the same with Ryuji and look how much you like him."

Isaac leaned back in his chair before picking up his chopsticks with a grumpy expression. "You're right..." He fiddled with a grain of rice before looking toward Mikono. "How does Tuesday night sound?"

The girl smiled brightly. "I'll ask him on Monday."

"I'll...do my best, for you."

"Thank you, Dad."

<---------<<<<<

After a fifteen minute walk to Central Street, Mikono stood in front of Taiheido Bookstore. Before she could take another step toward the front door, she quickly spun around when she heard someone greet her. When she saw who it was, her eyes widen in shock. "Theodore? How...?"

Theodore bowed politely with his hand over his chest. "My apologies for startling you, Lady Mikono."

The girl looked up and down the street before speaking. "You can just call me Mikono, Theodore."

"Then I must insist you call me Theo," he smiled sweetly at her.

"All right, Theo," she tried out the nickname. "What brings you here?"

"My master wishes to see you." He held out his hand. "I shall be your escort."

"There has been something I've been meaning to discuss with Igor..." Mikono looked down at Theodore's hand before accepting it. "Lead the way, Theo." She placed her hand in his. She couldn't help but blush when he gently held her hand.

Theodore guided the girl down the street a little ways before turning down an alley. He came to a halt when they stood in front of a familiar ornate door. Without him touching it, the door opened. They stepped through the threshold and entered the Velvet Room. Mikono's dress was replaced with a beautiful white one and the hat on her head vanished. Her beige flats and black stockings disappeared, leaving her feet bare.

Inside the Velvet Room, Theodore didn't let go of Mikono's hand until she was comfortably sitting on the couch across from Igor. The snowy-haired attendant bowed before moving to stand behind the plush sofa.

"It seems your heart has been in turmoil due to recent events," Igor said. "Is there anything I can shed light upon, Puppeteer?"

"There has been one thing on my mind since destroying the Palace," Mikono stated. "While we were fighting against Kamoshida, his cognition of myself appeared and fought against him. She was made from his own twisted desires. If he controls his cognitions, how did he lose control of her?"

"You have yet to comprehend the gift you've been blessed with," he began. "While the Eye of Horus is able to see human desires in the real world, it also connects you to the Metaverse. Your rebellious cry against this man stretched from one reality to another-an echo across dimensions."

Mikono leaned back as she fell into deep thought. "If I'm understanding what you're saying...that means I was able to alter Kamoshida's cognition of myself because of the Eye. My will to stop him corrupted his image of me and that's why she attacked him."

"Precisely. You are more powerful than you could imagine. While the Eye is only able to see the desires in this world, its power is incomprehensible in the Metaverse. But such powers have limitations."

"What do you mean?" Mikono's eyes narrow.

"The Eye acts as a catalyst to keep your heart beating, but it is not stable. Do not abuse its power. If you do, the effects will be reversed and your body will become corrupted. You will not survive."

She placed a hand over her left eye. "Is there a way I can stabilize the Eye and not worry about abusing its power?"

"With every fragment of your heart you recover, the Eye of Horus' limit will be extended. Once you find the last fragment, you will no longer have to fear corruption."

"And now we're back to that..." She sighed. "Let me guess...you're still not gonna tell me where to find the four other fragments?"

"That is your role, not mine. Remember, the Eye of Horus will lead you to the four remaining fragments."

Mikono stated down at the coffee table. "Thank you for answering my questions, Igor. I should leave."

"Of course," he responded. "You're always welcome in the Velvet Room, Puppeteer."

The girl left, walking out the same door she entered. Her clothes changed back and she adjusted the hat on her head. "What a strange man..." She headed back to the bookstore and entered, hunting down the book she was looking for. As she was searching, she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, how about that one?"

Mikono paused her search and walked around the bookshelf. On the other side, she saw Akira and Morgana perusing a selection of books. Watching closely, she saw the boy pick out a book titled "Playing the Game".

Akira opened to the first page and read the title of the chapter. "The ABCs of picking up ladies...?"

"Hey, maybe you could try one of these methods on you-know-who!" Morgana exclaimed excitedly.

Mikono couldn't stop grinning after hearing what Akira read. She approached him, her hands clasped behind her back. "Are you having trouble talking to girls?"

Akira was startled by her voice and promptly shut the book, hiding it from her view. "M-Mikono, what're you doing here?"

"I was looking for a book when I heard Morgana's voice," she explained before trying to peep at the book behind his back. "So, who's the lucky lady? You plan on asking her out, right?"

"How did you...?"

"When we were studying at the diner, I overheard you talking to Morgana after finishing chatting to my dad. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but..." She smiled at him. "It's Ann, isn't it?"

"What?" Akira's eye's widen at her question. He was aware of how many times he'd become embarrassed around her, but he didn't make any advances or give her any clear signs of his affection. He wasn't surprised she didn't know, but he was shocked to learn she thought it was Ann. "Why would you think that?"

"You said you haven't known her for very long. I immediately thought of Ann." The only reasons she believed it was the blonde was she didn't want to get her hopes up and felt her classmate was superior to her in more ways than one. She felt her mood being brought down by her negative thoughts and changed the subject. "A-Anyway, I wasn't expecting to run into you today. I was going to tell you tomorrow, but I guess I could tell now."

Akira wanted to go back to the previous subject and tell her she was the one he liked, not Ann. However, he realized telling her his true feelings in a crowded bookstore wouldn't be the best place. "What is it?"

"This morning, my mom had the bright idea of inviting you over for dinner on Tuesday. You don't have to give me an answer now, but let me know before Tuesday afternoon so my mom knows what to prepare and how much."

"You should do it, Akira," Morgana spoke after a long silence. "It's the perfect opportunity for you to get on her parents' good sides! Then again, it's only her father that's hostile toward you."

"I can hear you, Morgana," Mikono groaned before staring into Akira's eyes. "Why do you need to be on my parents' good sides anyway?"

The boy saw his chance and took it. "It has to do with -"

Out of the blue, Mikono's phone rang. She apologized before accepting the call, turning her back to him.

Akira's heart was pounding rapidly due to how close he was confessing his feelings. He was eagerly awaiting for her to return so he could tell her.

When she finished her call, a grave expression appeared on her. "I'm sorry, Akira. I have to go. There's been an emergency at the museum."

"A-All right," Akira responded with a forced smile.

"I'm really sorry about this. I'll see you tomorrow!" She rushed out of the bookstore, leaving behind a distraught Akira and a melancholic Morgana.

The cat glanced toward the boy when Mikono was out of sight. "Well, you tried. It wasn't the best attempt, but all that matters is you had the guts to do it."

The frizzy-haired teen nodded, feeling a sense of hope blossoming. "You're right. Let's head back to Leblanc."

"Already? It isn't even 12 yet."

"Yeah, but I promised Boss to work the afternoon shift."

Akira shoved his hands into his pocket and left the bookstore. He boarded the train and headed back to Yongen-Jaya to begin his shift at Leblanc an hour early.

Sojiro was surprised to see him back earlier than planned, but he didn't question it. He handed Akira his apron before leaving the store to restock on a few items.

A few hours passed and the boy only had served a handful of customers. He was cleaning the dishes when he tuned in to the news. When hearing what story they were covering, he gasped and almost dropped a plate.

"Isaac Blackwell and Ichika Tsutsui, the owners of the Museum of Ancient History in Shibuya, were robbed at gunpoint earlier today. A man entered the museum, concealing a pistol under his coat, and threatened the couple, demanding three million yen. Thanks to Daisuke Amano, the head of security at the museum, both Dr. Blackwell and Dr. Tsutsui are unharmed and the assailant is in police custody."

"What?!" Morgana shrieked. It hopped up on the counter and stared at Akira, calming itself down. "This must've been the emergency Lady Mikono spoke of."

Akira places the plate back in the warm, soapy water before drying his hands off. "I'm going to text her and see if she's okay." He grabbed his phone and promptly messaged Mikono.

Akira: I heard what happened. Are you okay?

A few minutes ticked by before she responded.

Mikono: I'm fine. Dad's okay, but Mom's still a little shaken. If Amano hadn't been there...

Mikono: I don't even want to think about what could've happened if he wasn't.

Akira: I'm glad you and your parents are okay. I was worried after hearing what happened on the news.

Mikono: Thank you for checking up on me. I also want to apologize again for running off so suddenly.

Akira: You don't have to apologize. What happened was out of your control.

Mikono: Yeah...

Mikono: Anyway, I've gotta go. I'm taking over dinner duty tonight. I'll see you tomorrow, Akira.

Akira: All right. Bye.

Mikono: Bye.

The conversation ended and a sigh of relief came from Akira. He placed his phone back in his pocket and returned to cleaning the dishes.

|| 4/25 Monday ||
|| After School ||

On the rooftop, the group of friends was gathered. Everyone decided to gather at the hideout to talk.

"I can't believe someone tried to rob your parents," Ann frowned. "How are they?"

"They're fine," Mikono said. "Mom's still a little shaken up, but Dad's fine. She was so frightened from yesterday's incident that she decided to stay home today."

The blonde girl sighed in relief. "That's good to hear. I hope your mom recovers soon."

"Yeah," Ryuji said. "That guy had some guts tryna rob your parents in a crowded museum."

"Thanks to Amano, they're both safe and the robber is in police custody," Mikono said.

"I'm relieved you didn't have to work yesterday when that happened," Morgana stated.

"Speaking of yesterday..." The inky-haired girl stood up. "I learned what happened in the Palace with Kamoshida's cognition of myself."

"Really?" Akira asked after a long silence.

"Yeah. Apparently, it has to do with the Eye."

"Why am I not surprised," Ryuji sighed. "So, what exactly happened?"

Mikono told them everything Igor shared with her yesterday. She watched as her friends' faces showcased their bewilderment. Even Morgana was flabbergasted at the revelation.

"An echo across dimensions..." Ann hummed in curiosity. "Well, I'm not complaining. Thanks to this so-called "echo", we were able to steal the treasure."

"How did you figure all this out, Lady Mikono?" Morgana pried.

"W-Well..." Mikono looked around until she managed to brew up a lie. "With the Eye, I can sometimes see my Persona. She appeared before me yesterday and explained what happened in the Palace."

Akira was the only one able to tell she was lying. One of the nervous ticks she did when she was lying was tugging on the hem of her skirt which is exactly what she was doing at the moment. He would ask her for the truth later when they were alone.

"Weird..." Ryuji mumbled. "But like Ann said, I ain't complainin'."

Ann's phone went off and she groaned. "I've got to head home. See you guys later."

"Bye, Ann," Mikono waved farewell to the girl as she left. Once the blonde left the rooftop, she met Akira's gaze. "So, about dinner tomorrow night..."

Ryuji leaned too far back in the seat and began falling backward. He quickly latched on to the desk beside him and kept himself from falling. "The hell is this 'bout dinner?"

"My parents invited Akira over for dinner tomorrow night," Mikono exclaimed.

Ryuji's eyes widen as he gasped, looking toward the boy. "Dude! It's happenin' to you too, huh?"

"What?" Akira's brows knitted together, displaying his confusion.

"When I first became friends with Mikky, her old man hated me. He also kinda scared me with how he glared at me from time to time. Then her mom invited me over to dinner one night and now he likes me!"

"You've already gone through this?"

"Hell yeah! By the way, her mom's a great cook. You should go."

"I'm standing right here!" Mikono shouted, crossing her arms. She glowered at Ryuji before her gaze softened and she looked at the bespectacled boy. "Listen, Akira, if you're not comfortable with the idea, you don't have to come. I'm not going to force you to go. Yes, my dad is scary when he's overprotective, but what father isn't?"

Akira fell silent, pondering if he should go or not. After a few seconds, he finally made his choice. "I'll go."

A smile blossomed on the girl's face. "R-Really?"

"Yeah."

She placed a hand over her racing heart. "I'm so happy..."

"Why's that?" Ryuji asked.

"I want my dad to like all my friends. Since he thinks all boys are demons in disguise, you two have it worse. You've already proven yourself to my dad, Ryuji, but now it's Akira's turn. You guys and Ann are the only people who actually care about me in this school." She gave her full attention to Akira. "I don't want my dad to be the reason you avoid me, so I'm grateful you'll be joining us for dinner tomorrow."

"Should I bring something fancy to change into?" He smirked.

"No," she giggled. "Your school uniform will be fine. We'll head to my house after school tomorrow. My parents won't be home until a little later, but we can chat in the meantime. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Good!" Mikono grabbed her bag and waved at the two boys. "I'm gonna head home to see how my mom is doing. See ya!"