... In which I attempt to make my friends bond with Sumire and Akechi via playing darts . . . with extra steps. Is my goal of rekindling the intimate bond between our team and making the two of them feel more included attainable?

. . . T-16 days

******************************************

After what must have been at least half an hour of phone calls, I finally slip my phone back into my pocket and let out a long sigh. "Hey, most of your friends agreed to come, yeah? Everyone except Haru and Futaba?"

Morgana perches atop his usual spot in the darts corner of Penguin Sniper, and I throw him a grateful look. I can't say that I'm not a little disappointed that the two of them can't make it—especially since this whole thing was more or less Futaba's idea—but frankly, she's the one I'm worried about least. And Haru . . . Well, I'll have more opportunities like this later, I tell myself. It's not too late. It's not . . .

"It'll be fine, just you see."

I nod energetically, forcing the gloomy thoughts out of my mind. In the two days that have gone by since our date at the aquarium, I've done little else but rack my brain for how to lift everyone's spirits a little—not just Akechi's.

I'm not quite sure why, but ever since Christmas, our team hasn't felt the same to me, and I want to rectify that as soon as possible. It's not just because a part of me fears that all of this is my fault . . . for driving a wedge between myself and my friends by taking Akechi's side. That wedge has been there ever since Dr. Maruki's reality began—even Morgana claims this. And yet, I cannot cease thinking . . . If I hadn't spoken up the way I have, would it still be there?

I shake my head, suppressing a groan. There's no time for self-pity . . . whyever it came to be, I am not letting this rift persist. Now, almost more than ever since we all assembled, I feel that my friends need each other—need the familiarity and security that our circle provides. Should provide. I clench my jaw.

I'm the leader . . . Whether I want to or not—whether I caused this or not—it is my responsibility to fix it. And so I will try . . . More heartfelt promises from my friends—Yusuke and Makoto this time—only solidified that I don't want them to proclaim their loyalty and resolve to just me. We should all proclaim it to each other . . . Everyone on this team should not only be making but also hearing such promises.

We are the Phantom Thieves, it rings in my head over and over. We will take back our reality, where our achievements and losses have shaped us. Where they made us into who we are. Where we are real. We believe . . . do we?

And then . . . apart from our regular nightly phone calls, I haven't seen Akechi for days, which bothers me more than it probably should. Maybe it was something about the way his voice sounded on the phone . . . or the fact that I've seen Sumire engage in our group chat conversations regularly. Akechi only speaks when it's concerning the mission, and . . .

I let out another sigh, finally pulling up a chair and fishing in my bag for my dart set. At this point, I was getting a little desperate. There was nothing I could do . . . or so I thought.

I'm not sure if Morgana told her or if Futaba figured it out by herself, but yesterday she appeared in my room, just after I finished speaking to Akechi. "You want the new people to bond with the old, yes?" she asked. "Worry not. We shall cook up a plan."

. . . And so we did.

"Rin! You've got some team activity planned?" I look up when I recognize the voice and give Ann a smile as she puts her bag down next to mine before proceeding to stretch as if she's about to work out.

"What do we need a team activity for, though?" Ryuji asks, appearing beside her. "We're already a great team."

"To me, she said this was about the new people," Makoto chimes in, appearing behind the two. Despite the casual tone of her voice, she's wearing a frown.

"That, and we . . . haven't really done anything together in a while," Ann says. "Not since New Year's, anyway."

"Good evening, everyone!" I wave at Sumire, who makes her way toward us, seeming a little tense. She looks around, then adjusts her glasses. "I'm not early, am I?"

I shake my head, rising from my seat.

"Oh, am I late?" Yusuke comes up on my other side, and I stifle laughter, shaking my head again.

"Um . . . Might I ask what we are doing?" Sumire carefully sets her bag down. "I've never been to this place before . . . I almost walked past it, honestly."

"I believe Rin means to play darts," Makoto replies. "Although this isn't normally something for so many people at once."

I nod without answering her question yet. Instead, I stand on my tiptoes, looking around for . . . "Oh, you guys," says Morgana next to me. "You're gonna love this one." He looks around at the assembled faces of my friends, then nods, and before I can tell him to wait, he already begins to explain.

"Rin and Futaba figured last night that we were all due for some team building. So they came up with a fun little game to play here . . . We're not playing normal darts tonight. Instead, we're spicing things up with a little competition that mixes darts and questions—you know, the "get to know you" kind—which must be answered truthfully. We'll split the eight of us into two teams of four, and whichever team can reach a high score first wins."

"Hol' up," Ryuji chimes in. "Like . . . "Truth or Dare" type questions?"

"That's up to you," Morgana replies. "You'll be asking them, after all. Although I'm pretty sure Rin and Futaba said we're only doing "yes or no" questions for this—like, making assumptions about each other."

"And . . . when do we do that?" Yusuke stares at the dart board behind me.

"We'll take turns between the teams," Morgana replies. "Each player gets three throws, as per usual. But every time you throw a dart, depending on where it lands, the other team will get to make an assumption about you, which you must confirm or deny."

"Depending on . . . where it lands?" Sumire asks.

"One for bullseye or triple score area, two for double score area, and three for any other," replies Morgana. "Don't worry, I'll be keeping track of all this anyway. Just be sure to try to make your assumptions accurate. Because if it is, the points from their throw will go to your own team's score instead of theirs."

"So . . . we'll essentially be gambling with our points?" Makoto concludes. "And we just have to hope that the other team can't make accurate assumptions about us?"

"Precisely." A wave of apprehensive but also excited murmurs run through my friends upon Morgana's confirmation. "Obviously, just "asking" things we've already told each other is not allowed. Be sure to call attention to it if you suspect foul play . . ."

"And in that case, how can we be certain that the one confirming or denying is speaking the truth?" a new voice suddenly chimes in and I pivot around. My face lights up when I spot Akechi on the other side, leaning on one of the tables, arms crossed. Although, apparently, he's been standing there long enough to have heard the rules.

"Well, this game will rely heavily on trusting each other too," Morgana says, and he makes a face. "To play fair and to answer truthfully."

"Terrific."

I have to suppress laughter at the sour tone in his voice, but to my delight, everyone else seems unfazed. Many of my friends even appear eager—Ann and Makoto exchange whispers in the back, while Yusuke diligently scribbles in one of his ever-present notebooks, glancing up at the dart board repeatedly.

"So . . . we're just playing a fancy version of "Truth or Dare" . . . Just like without the darin' part. And with darts." Ryuji laughs.

"And we're going to be punished for throwing badly, through a higher risk of losing our points," Makoto adds with a sigh. "That's . . . honestly quite an ingenious game idea."

"I know, right?" Morgana chimes. "But if you wanna blame someone, blame Futaba too. Half of this, at least, was her scheme. It's a shame that this one video game that she's been anticipating for months was released today; otherwise, she'd be here too. But the way I know her, she won't be moved to leave her room until she's at least played it twice through."

"That sounds about right," Ann mumbles.

"Hm." Akechi finally takes one step forward, halting in front of me. "No, I am only blaming you, Amamiya . . . For not leaving me out of this, more precisely."

I clasp my hands behind my back and smile at him coyly, then look at my friends.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

> "Is everyone ready to play?"

"I-If that's alright, I have a question," Sumire perks up, and I nod encouragingly. "How will the teams be selected?"

"I figured we'd just draw lots," Morgana replies, and my heart sinks. I was hoping we wouldn't leave it to chance . . . I have to be on the same team as Akechi. I throw him a look, and the one he's giving me back confirms that, if he were allowed to make assumptions about me in front of my friends, he'd chew me out without mercy in such a manner that none of them would ever look at me the same way. My face heats at the mere thought.

While Yusuke tears a page out of his notebook to craft lots, I cross my fingers, hoping urgently. I trust Akechi, but . . . I know him well enough not to trust him to play fair in a competitive game like this.

Unfazed, Yusuke makes eight paper strips, drawing a circle on four and a square on the other four. Then he hides the marked ends in his hand and lets us draw. Sumire and Morgana go first, both drawing squares. Then Ryuji, Ann, and Makoto all draw circles, and when Yusuke holds the remaining lots out to me, I find a circle on mine as well.

Only when Yusuke opens his hand, presenting the final two lots to Akechi, does it dawn on me that they have to both be squares for the numbers to add up . . . and I swallow hard.

"Hm . . . We're counting up, not down, yeah? Should we play until one team reaches a specific number, that number would need to be a minimum target rather than a fixed score, as is customary in darts," Akechi says suddenly. "Or else winning the other team's points through making an accurate assumption wouldn't be so attractive as it could mess up your score."

"You're right." Makoto nods. "Rin, did you guys think this through?"

I am too taken up with processing that I am going to have to endure being put on the spot by Akechi after all to reply. He looks at me like he knows . . . and like he has every intention of using this game to punish me for dragging him into it. I swallow hard.

"That's an easy adjustment, yeah," Morgana replies in my stead. "We might as well say that whatever team reaches, let's say, 500 or higher first wins, rather than exactly 500."

While Ann and Akechi rock-paper-scissor out that her team has to go first, and Makoto begins assigning us others an order in which to go, I start to seriously consider what assumptions I might make about the others.

Yet before I can come up with anything good, Akechi cuts into my thoughts. "Oh, no, I'm going last." He retracts his hand and turns away from Ann, whose stone he beat with his paper, looking at Makoto in front of them.

"Yeah, me too." Ann crosses her arms, and I can't help but notice the same kind of smile dashes across both their faces.

"The two of us might as well be given this right, considering we took care of the playing order," Akechi adds, giving her a quick look before facing Makoto again. "Don't you think?"

Makoto's mouth snaps shut. "No! I mean, yes! That's . . . Uh, that's absolutely fine." She retreats one step, and I almost laugh.

"You might go first," Akechi continues without breaking eye contact. "Unless your team had someone else in mind?" he asks Ann, who shrugs.

"You can go first, Makoto. If you don't mind!"

"Oh—no, I don't. I mean, I can! That's no problem." I look at the usually quite intimidating and decisive Makoto, retreating from the two of them and shaking her head, almost . . . bashfully, and stifle another laugh. It seems as though we've got ourselves a couple of team leaders too—without even really meaning to pick any to begin with.

Only then, when I take Akechi in, standing side by side with Ann, exchanging a satisfied look, do I process that it pleasantly tugs at my heartstrings because he actually seems . . . relaxed. More so than I think I've ever seen him around my friends.

It's only when he feels comfortable that he fully leans into his natural inclination towards leadership; he must be able to sense when someone present would perceive it as overbearing or intrusive. And so far, he's always held back when my friends were all together. But now . . .

"Well then, let's start!" Ann exclaims, earning a round of spontaneous cheers. "You're up," she adds in Makoto's direction, who sighs, then takes the spot we cleared in front of the dart board, landing a single 18 on her first throw.

"Three assumptions for that one," Morgana interjects immediately, and Makoto nearly drops her remaining darts.

"I-In the middle of the round?" she asks.

"You . . . have cheated on a test before," Yusuke says earnestly.

"No," Makoto says determinedly, and Yusuke's face falls.

"Go ahead." Akechi nudges Sumire, who looks like she's attempting to hide behind him. "You had a suggestion earlier."

"Uhm . . ." She hesitantly steps forward. "You . . . Makoto-senpai, have never been in love with someone before?"

Makoto stiffens up. ". . . That's correct," she admits, and both Yusuke and Morgana cheer. Akechi merely gives Sumire a satisfied smile, while she can visibly barely contain her own impulse to cheer along.

"I suppose we don't need a third assumption if this one is right?" Makoto asks dejectedly.

Morgana nods. "We'll have mercy on you. 18 for team Square . . . Someone write that down."

"Is that really our official team name?" Yusuke asks, but no one else seems to care, so he whips his notebook out again, noting down the scores. "Could someone else do this counting for me?" he asks immediately. "As soon as the math becomes more complex, I fear I might let you down."

Akechi takes the book from him wordlessly, but all of our eyes are yet again on Makoto, who aims for her second throw. She lands a triple 7 this time, earning "oohs".

"Your braid there is actually a hairband," Morgana says, self-satisfied.

Makoto laughs apprehensively. "That's . . . Is that really something none of you guys knew?" she asks, taking it off and twisting it between her fingers.

"I didn't!" Morgana exclaims. "And I wanted to know anyway."

"That makes 39 total for team . . . Square?" Akechi looks up from Yusuke's notebook. "I suppose any name would serve its purpose."

Makoto has already put her hairband back on and now raises her final dart, landing a triple 2. "You have lied about your grades at least once," Yusuke says immediately, and a smile dashes across Makoto's face.

"I have not."

"Not even once?" Ryuji asks, mouth agape.

"Grades are not something that can easily be lied about," Akechi says, noting her 6 points down. "There is too much evidence. Rankings are made public for a reason."

"Exactly," says Makoto, stepping back and sighing. "Well, at least I've earned us some points . . ."

"You're up." Morgana nods in Sumire's direction, who steps forward, hesitantly collecting the darts from the board. Everything about her posture screams "Please go easy on me", and at that moment I'm glad that at least I might try—if I can think of any assumptions, that is.

Sumire's first throw is a double 11, and Ryuji immediately springs up from the chair where he was loafing. "You've got a secret hobby that no one in this room knows about!" he exclaims, and I almost snort.

Sumire flinches. "I-I . . . Not really, no," she says, and Ryuji groans. "I don't really have time for hobbies," she adds almost apologetically.

"R-Right." Ryuji plops back onto his seat.

"One more, right?" asks Ann before I can open my mouth, and Morgana nods. "Well, let's see . . . You've sent an anonymous love letter before!"

Sumire flinches again. "N-No!" she stammers.

"Are you sure?" Ryuji asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I am." Sumire turns back to the dart board, taking a deep breath.

"22 for us," Akechi tallies, wearing a satisfied smirk.

"Man, we're so behind," grumbles Ryuji, but I'm focusing on Sumire, who seems to gather all her concentration, and with her second dart, hits triple 12.

Before any of my teammates can open their mouths, I take my hands out of my pockets.

"You quite enjoy cooking."

"You've never been out with so many people at once."

> "Your favorite color is not pink or red."

"Oh!" Sumire spins around to me, clutching her final dart. "Y-Yeah. It's blue, actually."

I recall the soft blue shade of her gymnast outfit and smile.

"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheers. "Our points!"

"36 for you," Akechi notes down.

Sumire's last throw is only a double 2, and she makes a disappointed sound.

"You're better at the humanities than science and math," Ann suggests.

"As an honor student, I have to excel in all subjects," Sumire replies with a frown. "But I prefer humanities . . ."

"That still makes Ann's assumption incorrect." Makoto shakes her head.

"I see it this way too," Akechi adds.

"Your penmanship is very neat," Makoto follows up immediately.

Sumire laughs awkwardly. "A-Actually it is quite messy," she admits, hanging her head as if Makoto's assumption being wrong is bad for her team. "I am working on it . . . It used to be neater, but I've stopped caring about it for a while, and it is difficult to relearn writing orderly."

"That's 4 points for us," Akechi concludes, and Sumire retreats, making way for Ryuji to take her place.

"Try not to embarrass us," Ann says lightheartedly before he can step into the middle, and Ryuji groans. His first dart lands on a single 10, and he curses under his breath.

"Before meeting Amamiya and the others, you've never played darts," Akechi says with so much certainty that I nearly laugh.

"Hey, hey!" Ryuji spins around to him, scowling. "Man! Is it that obvious?"

Instead of replying, Akechi merely raises the pen and writes.

As if to spite him, Ryuji's next dart miraculously lands on triple 18, and he cheers, throwing his hands up. "Don't celebrate yet," Ann interjects. "Your points are still on the line."

"Yeah, yeah." Ryuji glares. "Can I be proud of throwin' well, at least?"

Before Ann can reply, Sumire asks tentatively, "You've never been abroad?"

Ryuji immediately breaks with a wide grin. "Been to Hawaii with our class!" he exclaims. "That's our points!"

"54 for you," Akechi tallies up, and Ann, Makoto, and I high-five each other ecstatically.

Ryuji's last dart lands on single 20, and Morgana says immediately, "You've never been on a date before."

Ryuji shoots him a death glare. "You knew that one!"

"Not any more certainly than we knew the authenticity of Makoto's braid hairband," Morgana retorts, and Ryuji groans as his points are tallied to the opposite team yet again.

Next up is Yusuke, who hits a triple 20 on his first try.

"You have never kissed anyone!" Ann exclaims with so much confidence that I almost break into laughter.

Yusuke whips around to him, his mouth opening and closing again. "Actually . . ." he begins, and the entire room immediately grows deathly silent. "So, uh . . ." He swallows hard, then sighs. "I have been a part of something in middle school," he says, and I practically hear my friends all hold their breaths. "She asked me out, and I don't think I even comprehended at the time that she must have been madly in love with me. I thought she was fascinating, but . . ." He trails off, then scowls. "Wait, do we have to elaborate on our answers?"

"We do not," Morgana says, but he's staring at Yusuke as aghast as the rest of us. I never would have guessed that he would be the one in this room with dating experience.

"60 for us," Akechi tallies up, and Yusuke pivots back to the dart board.

Next, he hits a double 15, and I blurt out the first assumption that comes to mind before anyone can beat me to it.

"You prefer being outside to indoors."

> "You have a diary."

"You have art that you've never shown anyone."

But to my astonishment, Yusuke shakes his head. "I don't need a diary, only my sketchbooks."

"You have a painting of me somewhere in your room," Ann beside me says with a slightly sour face.

Yusuke immediately tenses up. "Well . . . several, actually," he admits.

Ann groans. "I knew it."

"You are an exquisite motif!" he retorts, yet most of us still laugh.

Akechi merely raises his pen, and Yusuke lifts his final dart. When it hits the bullseye, everyone cheers—even I clap, despite not being on his team.

"You are nowhere near the top of your class in school," Makoto says.

Yusuke makes a face. "You know that I struggle with studying," he tries.

"But not how much," Makoto retorts.

Yusuke hangs his head. "Fine. You are correct."

As he leaves the center, Akechi notes down the points. "176 for us, versus 155 for you, as of now," he announces after tallying it all up. "Decently even."

I smile, basking in the fact that everyone really seems to be having fun, until I realize that all eyes are on me. "Are you not up next, Amamiya?" Akechi waves his pen. "Don't keep us waiting."

I try to carry myself as confidently as I can when I step up and collect the darts, pondering how to play this the safest. I could go for fewer points so that we'll have less to lose . . . but that also entails more assumptions. So, my first dart lands square in the bullseye, eliciting cheers.

"You've organized this little activity here because you feel guilty for all the speaking of your mind you've been doing recently," Akechi says without missing a beat and my heart plummets into the pit of my stomach. Why did I even consider for a second that he—

"Wait, is that true?" Ann perks up, and I sigh, then nod.

> "A little bit . . ."

"I also wanted to foster teamwork."

"Oh, Rin . . ."

"Our points," Akechi says without an ounce of relent.

"Dude . . ." Ryuji shakes his head.

"I'm honestly glad we are no longer on your bad side," Yusuke remarks, and Akechi merely smirks back.

I stare intensely at the dart board, realizing that I might want to switch strategies. With Akechi on the opposite team, I am almost certain to lose all the points I'm throwing for . . . Then again, do I care more about revealing potentially mortifying things or winning this? We haven't even determined a prize!

I suppress a groan, and out of sheer frustration, throw my dart practically randomly. It hits double 10, and all I can think is that it could've been worse.

"You have thought about marriage before," Sumire whispers, and I freeze, nearly dropping my final dart. Out of everyone on that team, she's the one I have least expected to put me on the spot. And technically, it'd be an innocent enough question . . . I imagine most kids our age do consider these things occasionally—in a hypothetical sense. Answering this in front of my very real boyfriend, who is . . . bound to read something into whatever I have to say now, is very different.

I swallow hard a few times, and when I open my mouth, I'm still staring down at my clenched hands as opposed to any of my friends.

> "That's true . . ."

"I have . . ."

My response elicits a round of gasps, which I try my hardest to ignore. I pray that no one will read too much into this reply—or even better, forget about it altogether once this game is done—and raise my final dart. My last throw is a double 8, and I barely have the mental capacity to care that it was rather sloppy.

"You had phases of obsession with fairytales and shoujo," Yusuke says, and when I look over at him, I see him exchange a glance with Akechi. When the latter catches me staring, he locks his gaze on me, conveying undeniably that he will really not let me have a single peaceful round in this entire game.

"Oh my god, don't tell me!" Ann exclaims.

I let out a long sigh, then simply nod. This is something I used to be embarrassed about, but ever since my own life took a turn for the supernatural, I've been feeling less and less like that's something worth hiding. I am exactly what I've always wanted to be . . . Sometimes I feel like making myself aware of this is the only way to cope with the very real and very frightening responsibility that is actually being a magical heroine.

"Oh, me too!" Sumire exclaims, and I give her a smile.

"Yeah, that checks out," Ryuji snickers, and I almost laugh along.

"Many thanks for the plentiful points." With his pen, Akechi indicates a salute, and I suppress the urge to hide my face as I stagger out of the middle and back to my team.

"You're actually enjoying yourself, aren't you?" Morgana asks Akechi, who shrugs.

"I'll admit that some entertainment can be found in this activity."

Well—I smile softly as I watch him—if he has to torment me like this in order to have some fun, that's a sacrifice I'll gladly make. "Is he . . . teasing you on purpose?" Ann whispers to me, apparently having caught on, yet before I can bring myself to reply, Morgana saves me by demanding that his elevated perch be moved to the correct spot.

"Um . . . Morgana-senpai, you can play darts?" Sumire asks with wide eyes.

"This is something I advise you not to question," Akechi replies, and we all watch him hit a perfect triple 19 on his first shot, earning cheers.

"You enjoy being a car far more than you let on," Ann says.

Morgana's tail shoots up. "Uh . . . well, who wouldn't enjoy being able to drive around and run over Shadows like that? It's pretty impressive if I do say so myself."

"It's mostly 57 points wasted," Akechi replies sourly, noting it down.

Morgana huffs, turning back to the dart board. "My throw was perfect. It's not my fault if they can guess so accurately." His next dart lands only on single 12, and he huffs again. "I wasn't focusing!"

"You enjoy being a cat more than you let on too."

> "You secretly wish you were the team leader."

Morgana spins around to me, and I give him a sly smile, hopefully conveying that this wasn't meant to be an accusation. On the contrary . . . I sometimes wish he were too.

"Uh . . . um, well . . ." Morgana makes a face. "I . . . guess. You don't mind that, do you?"

I shake my head firmly, but Ryuji next to me scoffs. "Havin' a cat as a leader . . . At that rate, we'd be caught up on chasin' after shiny treasures the whole time instead of getting anything done. Or catnip."

Morgana lets out an offended hiss, and I open my mouth to defend him, but someone else is faster. "Is he not the only reason you know about stealing hearts?" Akechi says, and for one moment, we're all speechless.

"He is," I add firmly as soon as I've gathered myself again. "He's got much more experience than I do."

"Uh . . ." Ryuji scratches his head. "I guess that's true."

"Morgana is our most experienced team member," Makoto adds. "Are you saying we should appreciate him more for it?"

I nod firmly again, at the same time stealing a glimpse at Akechi, who stands with his arms crossed, watching the scene with an unreadable expression. Then he flips the notebook open to write down the points without saying anything else.

Morgana might be the most experienced when it comes to changing hearts, but the Metaverse itself? I flash back to what Akechi told me about his awakening . . . He's been coming there since he's been thirteen.

Before I can overthink this further, Morgana turns back to fire his last dart. It lands on double 4, and he groans. "Are you secretly reading Rin's diary?" Makoto asks, and a bolt of panic strikes me. He couldn't be . . .

"No!" Morgana exclaims. "Tsk. I would never stoop so low!"

Immediately, I breathe out in relief. "You're actually really kind and caring," Ann says with a smirk, and I suppress the urge to high-five her. Why haven't I thought of that?

"I—" Morgana looks up in alarm. "Oh . . . Oh, fine. I am."

"Wow, that was far less dramatic than I expected for it to go," Yusuke says.

Morgana exchanges a significant look with me. "Rin's been having a good influence on me, I guess." I think back to our personal conversation and his promise to be more forthcoming about his kindness and smile softly.

"8 points for you," Akechi counts as Ann carries Morgana's perch out of the middle to take that place herself. Her first dart almost misses the board, barely landing on double 6.

"You thought I was at least attractive in my human form," Morgana says without hesitation, and I almost snort with laughter.

"Uh . . ." Ann visibly clenches her jaw. "I mean, you weren't ugly. But you were still Morgana, so . . . no."

"Huh?" he asks, scowling.

"Well, you said "attractive", not "good-looking"," Ann elaborates. "Attractive means someone who's making you attracted to them. I was never attracted to you."

"B-But I meant—!"

"Dude, she's not interested," Ryuji snickers, and Morgana sighs.

"You don't actually consider yourself so beautiful," Yusuke says.

"Uh—no." Ann shakes her head, surprising not only him. "I am beautiful. Not, like, the most beautiful woman in the world or anything, but, I mean . . . I'm not gonna sell myself short."

Sumire clasps her hands together, sighing. "I wish I were this confident."

I give Ann a big thumbs up and a grin, which she promptly returns. "I used to be more insecure," she adds after a pause. "But if you can't see your own worth, you'll just end up accommodating people who don't deserve you. I'm not gonna do that anymore."

"Wise decision," Akechi says, and I notice a faint smile flashing across his face. Then, "Congratulations, that's 12 points."

Ann's second dart lands on triple 20, and—forgetting that she could still lose the points—she cheers. "You feel apprehensive about your Metaverse attire because it reveals a side of yourself that you'd have rather kept hidden," Akechi says without batting an eye, and Ann whips around to him, wide-eyed.

"H-How do you—?"

"You don't have to be ashamed, you know?" he says conversationally. "With friends like these, I doubt that you will be judged either way."

Ann's mouth snaps shut, and we all stare at the two of them facing each other, exchanging . . . silent communication? It almost looks like it. Only then do I comprehend that they might be in the process of realizing that they share the same preferences in this regard and swallow hard. Is Ann . . . ?

"Ugh . . . fine," she presses out after a long pause. "But you're not allowed to ask anything else about that."

"We wouldn't dream of it," Akechi says, smirking.

"Wait, about what?" Yusuke asks.

"L-Lady Ann?!" Morgana exclaims, his tail shooting up.

"No!" she calls, raising her hands. "I mean, I'm . . . It's not that much—I just . . ." She breaks off, whipping away. "Just leave me alone!"

"We are not here to judge you, Ann," Makoto says gingerly. "You don't have to feel apprehensive about your outfit if that's the only reason."

"Wait, is this about—!" Ryuji suddenly leans forward in his seat. "Are you for real?!"

I clasp my hands behind my back, trying not to stare too obviously at Akechi, who taps his chin with his pen. "That makes 60 points for us, by the way," he remarks, and it suddenly dawns on me that he withheld this assumption—which he must have been certain was true—until Ann hit a greater number of points. Did he—

"Oh, man . . ." Ann groans, and I see that her last dart hit triple 1.

"You don't want to pursue a professional career in modeling," Sumire suggests.

Ann shakes her head. "No, I honestly think I actually do. I wasn't sure for a while . . ." She trails off, then shrugs. "I mean, I might change my mind, but right now I can totally see myself sticking with that."

"That's 3 points," Akechi adds, and only when Ann steps close to him, tapping his shoulder, does he look up. I could swear that he subtly recoils at her touch.

"It's your turn," she says, pointing at the notebook. "You can give that to me for the time being, if you want."

One moment of silence goes by, then Akechi presents the notebook to her. He holds on for a heartbeat longer before she can pull it away, then steps past her, collecting the darts. "Let's make this quick."

As expected, he immediately lands a bullseye, earning a wave of "oohs". Only then do I process that now I'm the one who could be making potentially uncomfortable assumptions about him . . . But do I want to? I stare at the back of his head, feeling my mind go blank.

"You like your black Metaverse outfit much more than your other one," Ryuji blurts out immediately.

Akechi smirks. "Incorrect," he says, then lands his second dart inches next to his first.

"Wait . . . wait, you don't?!" Ryuji exclaims. "But—"

"Your next assumption?" Akechi turns to face us, and momentarily, we're all too stunned to speak. "As we established earlier, I am not required to elaborate." He deftly twists his remaining darts between the fingers of his left hand. "Anyway . . . you were saying?"

"Uh . . . there is no one you're comfortable with using your first name?" Makoto tries.

"Also incorrect," Akechi says; his eyes meet mine so briefly that none of my friends notice, but I still understand the implication: If I didn't exist, this would be true.

"Huh?" Ann lowers the notebook where she has been scribbling. "But who—?"

Before she can finish, Akechi's last dart lands right beside the other two—this time even inside the inner bullseye. "You're up," he says, and there is one moment of unbroken, stunned silence. I throw a quick glimpse at my teammates; if we don't make at least one correct assumption, his team earns 150 points . . . My mouth opens—

"—Y-You're still a virgin!" Ann blurts out, then immediately slams her palm into her mouth, her face flushing.

Ryuji's and Makoto's jaws drop, and Morgana's tail shoots into the air. Sumire mirrors Ann, clasping her hands in front of her mouth, and Yusuke freezes in the middle of playing with one of his spare pens. I merely stare at Akechi, trying to ascertain whether Ann's forsaking of decency has at least earned us 50 points.

An agonizing moment of anticipation later, Akechi finally gives us a smirk. "Also incorrect," he says, shocking my friends with this response more than Ann did with the question.

"Wait, wha—" Ryuji freezes with his mouth hanging open.

"Are you for real?" Ann whispers with her hand still in front of her mouth.

"I am," Akechi says, far too unfazed considering what has just transpired. "Might I have that book back now, or have you already tallied up all 150 points?"

She lets him take it out of her hand wordlessly, and only when I tear my gaze away from him do I realize that my friends are all staring at me now. I tense up and open my mouth . . . then close it. Then open it again. I am . . .

"268 for you, versus 451 for us," Akechi cuts in before I have the chance to crumble under the silent pressure to make a statement about this unexpected reveal. "It's not looking so good for you." He smirks at me like nothing substantial happened at all. "Although since we're now out of players, it seems like we will be requiring another round . . . At least start one."

"Ahem . . ." After an indeterminate pause, Morgana clears his throat. "W-What if we each nominate players to go for it, disregarding our previous playing order?" he suggests. "Since it's likely we'll only need one or maybe two more go's."

Our team quickly picks out Ann to go again, and I'm just glad that it's not me. She actually lands a bullseye on her first shot as well, earning cheers.

"You don't actually care so much about winning this," Akechi says, twirling his pen.

Ann's mouth falls open. "No way!" she blurts out after a brief moment of hesitation. "I mean, that's how I felt at first. But if you're gonna be playing like that, I will too!"

Ryuji pumps his fist. "Yeah, show 'em!"

"That's fair," Akechi concedes. "As you were."

Her second dart, which I'm pretty sure she wanted to land on triple 16, lands on triple 8 instead. "You are not a virgin either," Yusuke says earnestly, and I clamp my hand over my mouth so as not to break into laughter.

Ann whips around to him, her face flaring. "I am! I haven't even—" Then she freezes. "I don't have to explain." She huffs, then aims her final dart. It lands square on triple 20, and we all cheer.

"You would not go on a date with anyone currently present," Morgana says dejectedly, but to our surprise, Ann tenses up.

"W-Well . . . I mean . . . If it's just one date . . . ?" She looks around, then her gaze meets the tips of her shoes. "Why not?"

Morgana's tail shoots in the air, and his eyes widen.

"Not with you, though," Ann amends, and his face falls again.

"Congratulations," Akechi says, lifting his gaze from the notebook. "That raises your score to 402. If we don't win this round, you still stand a chance."

"You better win this round!" Morgana exclaims.

Akechi's eyes widen. "Me?"

"You're by far the best player among us," Yusuke says. "And it is only thanks to you that we're in the lead."

"We're counting on you, Akechi-senpai!" Sumire clasps her hands together.

"Oh, he's got this." Morgana nods. "I don't have a single doubt about it."

One moment of stunned silence goes by, then Akechi shuts the notebook. "If you all say so, I must have it, no?"

While I'm still trying to ascertain whether I've ever heard this particular tone in his voice, he has already taken position. As expected, he hits his bullseye, and only then do I process that if we don't make an accurate assumption now, we lose immediately.

He turns to us expectantly, but when I look around, I realize that my teammates are all looking at me. I haven't said anything to him yet, I think, swallowing. If anyone here can save this round, it should be me . . . I know him better than anyone here. But what could I even . . .

Briefly, I wonder if I should just go for one of the things he's told me or hinted at when no one else was around. But I'm not going to cheat . . . I clench my hands into fists. And suddenly, it dawns on me that I don't have to. Not if I . . . "You're fighting Dr. Maruki because the fate of the world matters to you!" I blurt out, and the room falls into a hush.

If looks could kill, I would be dead, I think, averting my eyes after less than a second of holding his burning glare.

". . . Fine," Akechi presses out. "You can have these 50 points. But they're not going to save you," he promises, his voice laced with ice. "Very soon, you are going to wish you never went there."

He pivots back around, and I can barely process that he didn't lie, even though he could have easily, before he hits another easy bullseye. My teammates look at me again, but this time I only shrug. It's not been explicitly established, but so far, we've never let the same person make two assumptions per shot.

"There's at least one subject you suck at," Ryuji exclaims, and I almost face-palm. Has he forgotten that—

"I'm an honor student too," Akechi says, looking bemused. "Did you happen to forget that?"

"Oh!" Ryuji exclaims. "Wait—!"

"Nothing to wait for," Akechi cuts him off. "We win . . . by 501."

No one argues with him. To my delight, no one even snaps at Ryuji for . . . more or less throwing the game. On the contrary, after only a brief pause, we celebrate along with the others, thrilled that the match ended up being so heated. No one brings up a prize for the winners either, but I wouldn't put it past Akechi to dig this up at a later point.

"We should do this again, sometime," Makoto suggests, and from the looks of it, everyone seems to be on board. Our chatter does not subside, even when we eventually make our way toward the exit and disassemble.

Most of my friends leave in the direction of the subway, including Sumire, who makes certain to give me a respectful bow, thanking me for the fun evening. Only Ann remains with me at the entrance of "Penguin Sniper".

Just as I'm looking around for Morgana, whom I can't spot, she says into my thoughts, "This was lots of fun, but you don't have to try so hard to make it up to us. You don't have to feel guilty for speaking up. I just wanted you to know that."

I give her a grateful smile, yet before I can reply, another unexpected voice cuts in from behind: "I've told you ample times that your guilt is unwarranted," Akechi says, coming up beside me. "At least if all you do is tell the truth."

I nod vehemently, and he shrugs. "That's what I keep telling her," he says to Ann. "And yet she refuses to listen. Y'know, no one of significance will think any less of you if you don't comply with everyone's expectations every once in a while," he says to me.

I blow out a breath, clenching my hands together and trying not to let it show that he's just casually struck at one of my most prominent shortcomings. Then I slowly force myself to nod.

"Oh!" Ann exclaims. "Yeah, he's right, Rin." As the three of us reach the subway station, I notice that she continues to look back and forth between the two of us. Suddenly, Ann stops, compelling us to do the same. "Uhm . . ." She gives Akechi a smile. "No offense, but ever since she spoke up for you so passionately, I was kinda wondering why exactly Rin likes you so much." She pauses. "You act all aloof, and you can be so ruthless. But you're actually also really . . . kind, aren't you?"

My heart skips an excited beat. Is there finally someone else noticing . . . ? I steal a glimpse at Ann and realize I am not surprised that, out of all my friends, it's her.

Akechi rolls his eyes, and I worry that he might deny it as he usually does. But then he shrugs, surprising us all. "It is not so difficult when kindness is actually rewarded."

One moment of stunned silence goes by. "Oh . . ." Ann clasps her hands together, visibly struggling with this sincere response that I can see she didn't expect either. "Yeah," she finally says, looking away. "I guess no one's really been doing that so far, hm? I'm sorry if we ever hurt your feelings or anything." She looks up again, her eyes filled with fresh fire. "I didn't mean to. It's just hard not to be defensive sometimes. I know that doesn't really fix anything, but I understand how you're feeling . . . Why you feel so strongly about not changing for others' sake or catering to expectations, especially." She glances at me before turning back to Akechi. "I know what it's like to be judged for superficial things. Being expected to . . . be a certain way just because of your image."

"The masses are superficial, with little interest in genuinely exploring what lies beneath the surface." Akechi shrugs. "On one hand, this may be used to your advantage. Yet on the other hand . . . it can lead to gross misunderstandings."

"Ugh, I know, right?" Ann exclaims. "There's nothing wrong with being appreciated for the way you appear. But I sometimes wish that all of these shallow things weren't all people ever saw in me."

"Change your presentation then," Akechi suggests, and Ann perks up. "As frustrating as it may be that you have to do this at all, you have the power to appear the way that you want to be perceived."

"Huh?" Ann's eyes widen. "I guess . . . Wait, is that why you act so unlikable now? And why you reacted that way when Rin . . . You don't actually want people to see your kindness. Or that you . . ." She glances at me. ". . . care."

Akechi scowls. "I believe we were just talking about you."

"But—" Ann breaks off, then laughs. "Right. I . . . guess I can try that. Although I'd have to think about what exactly I actually want people to see in me."

"The best of luck," Akechi says, and I look back and forth between the two of them. I'm not quite sure what exactly they're talking about . . . Maybe that has to do with how I always bother to dig deeper. What shallow people think has never concerned me. But as long as they're bonding . . . I smile brightly, suppressing the urge to do a little fist pump.

"Oh, I should probably head home now," Ann says suddenly, looking toward the station entrance. "But today was a lot of fun. I'm really glad we're all getting along a bit better now. And Rin, promise me you will try not to feel bad for speaking your mind. No one here judges you."

She smiles, and I give her a long sigh, then nod.

> "Oh, alright . . . Thank you so much."

"I'll try my best . . ."

"Don't mention it. See you!" Ann gives us one final wave, then she disappears into the station.

For one moment, Akechi and I stand there, in front of the entrance. No one else is in sight, and when he looks back at me, there's an odd glint in his eyes that I'm not sure where it's coming from. But suddenly I'm hit with the realization that he'll leave as well now if I don't do something about it.

Before he can turn, I grab onto his sleeve.

> "You could come back to Leblanc with me."

"Why do you have to leave?"

"Oh, there you guys are!" Morgana suddenly rounds the corner. "What are you waiting for here?"

I only throw him a quick glance, then look back at Akechi, silently pleading.

"Hm." Akechi looks me over, then smirks. "If things like that assumption earlier leave your mouth, I don't think so."

My face falls, yet I immediately recompose myself, stepping closer and putting my hands on my hips. "If you think I misbehaved," I whisper breathlessly, "then come back and . . . punish me."

As soon as the words slip out, my mouth snaps shut, and I almost bite down on my tongue. Morgana behind me lets out a howl, yet I barely hear it over the frantic hammering of my heart. What am I even saying? A voice in my head cries. Words like this have never . . . don't normally enter my thoughts, let alone leave my mouth. And yet, when I lift my gaze to meet Akechi's, I don't take it back. On the contrary, I find myself hoping fervently that he will take me at my word.

For one moment, Akechi stares down at me, and my guts knot together pleasantly when I catch sight of that feral edge flashing across his face. Then he steps forward, giving me little choice but to move backward until my back hits a wall. His hands come down hard on each side of me.

"You want punishment?" he asks, the impossibly composed tone of his voice starkly contrasting with the gleam that has yet to leave his eyes. "Fine." My breath catches when he removes one hand from the wall to trace a line up my chest, along my neck, and finally rests his finger on my lower lip. "I'm afraid all I have for you is karma." He leans closer, dragging the word out, then smirks. "And that entails going back into your room, lying on your bed, and imagining all the things you may or may not have persuaded me to do to you tonight if you hadn't been so bad."

One final time, his finger presses into my lip, then Akechi disconnects from me and strides toward the station entrance. When he reaches the stairs, he momentarily pivots back. "Be not so careless next time, and karma might even be kind to you," he says, tipping forward and indicating a gallant bow, all without ceasing to smirk like the prick he is.

One heartbeat later, he's gone. Only then do I release the breath I've been holding, yet my heart's still pounding hard in my ears. My palms press into the wall as I try my hardest to steady my breathing.

"Woah." I can barely look at Morgana as he comes up beside me. "That was . . . ruthless."

I make a face. "I know."

"So . . . that's what you're into?" Morgana asks sourly.

I jerk my hands up to bury my hot face, whining, "Leave me alone!"

Morgana laughs, although I cannot overlook the concerned undertone in his voice when he then says, "Oh, fine. Just . . . Uh, let's just get you home."

I don't protest. Yet when I lie in bed that night, with the lights out and Morgana soundly sleeping beside me, I cannot help but do exactly what Akechi told me to. And it's every bit as anguishing as he likely meant for it to be.