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WHO: Goro + You
WHERE: Nonah, Cafe LeBlanc, and Heropa
WHEN: All through October
WHAT: Catch-All
WARNINGS: Will update if any apply. If you'd like a separate thread with him please let me know and I'd be happy to get it set up.

❮Cafe LeBlanc - Closed to Detective Club

Goro sits in the back of the coffee shop, away from the bar as he spreads his work in front of him. The cipher has him caught up in the mystery and he's curious about what it could mean. He's run the letters through a word generator (with no luck), and now he has handwritten every clue he scavenged off of Futaba's anonymous plea. He cards his fingers through his hair, agitated by what he thinks might be nonsense.

"Eight pieces total..." He looks over the pages, line after line of nonsense spread before him. Was he taking on too much? "Wise... Clockwise is the only thing I can think of, but that means there's an order to this."

He sits back groaning. Why couldn't things be simple? Codebreaking can be fun, but this was proving to be more of a challenge than he had anticipated.

Thankfully, for those Futaba has reached out to, the door to the cafe is unlocked despite the sign being flipped to closed.

❯Nonah

While visiting the cafe, Goro has chosen to frequent a local office supply store. He's recently purchased a corkboard and thumbtacks thinking perhaps taking a step back and looking at the code from a distance would help him. One might see him carrying it to Cafe Leblanc, while others can find him debating on buying more paper than he needs to try and solve this mystery.

//Heropa 001

Goro sits in the kitchen exhausted by trying to deal with the cipher. What if it was nothing? What if this was an elaborate prank to drive them all mad? He sets down his pen, rubbing his face while he waits for the coffee machine to finish. He has words, out of order, but words none-the-less and that's what matters.

This isn't the first time he's taken over the kitchen table to try and solve the mystery. Housemates can find him throughout the day (drinking more coffee than he should) and long into the evening trying to work out the riddle. Friends who drop by can try and pull him away, though he might argue there may be some importance to the nonsense. If everyone got some form of the scrambled message, then there must be some meaning to it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The first cryptic messages had gotten Detective David Loki's mind working, then finding out virtually every imPort had gotten similar messages - and some the exact same - had his mind working overtime. There hadn't been many mysteries to be solved since his arrival in this world and it had all immediately peaked his interest and so when another message arrived, saying to meet up, he went for it.

He gathered up his notebook and headed to Nonah. He noticed the sign said the cafe was closed but he immediately tried the door, glancing around cautiously as he entered. This could be a trap and he was prepared for anything.

Pikachu is not deterred by locked doors and, in fact, arrived just a few moments earlier, but he's in the process of utilizing his small size to case the joint, check for exits or possibly even bugs if this is a legit opportunity that could be spied on.

It's probably unnecessary, but it means as Loki cautiously approaches the bar, Pikachu is already climbing up onto one of the stools, finishing Goro's rhetorical thought.

"I got an idea. What if it is a clock?"

Edited 2019-10-06 22:18 (UTC)

"What--"

He looks up, eyes going wide as he stares at the mouse(?) clambering up the barstool. He rubs his eyes, thinking maybe he's seeing things but no. No, there before him was a talking mouse. Goro tilts his head confused at first when it dawns on him that he must be talking about what he said.

"No, no. I don't think that's it." Goro says slowly, making sure he wasn't hallucinating. Was it too much coffee? "I think it means we follow the clues in a certain direction. However, we need a starting point."

He glances towards Loki, before sighing. "Did Oracle send you?"

"Oh, c'mon Goro-kun."

Adachi was making his way in as Akechi attempted to not freak out over the talking mouse critter, a grin working its way onto his face. Did he really blame him for that reaction? No, not really. Was he going to be nice and not tease him about it? Also no.

"All the weird stuff we've seen, and a talking mouse makes you freak out?" he continued, sliding onto a stool by the little guy, tossing him a lopsided grin. "Nice hat, by the way."

Riza, the shiny Poochyena, was trailing behind her human dad as always. Instead of curling up by his feet when he sat down, she curiously started nosing at Pikachu's stool, before standing up on her hind legs so she could get her nose closer to him, sniffing at him curiously.

Clock. That wasn't a bad assumption. Rotating letters and all the different messages. Were there enough for a clock face? He'd have to check his notes again.

But for now, Loki silently walked closer and eyed the group that was forming. He wasn't startled by Pikachu, having already spoken to him on the network. Although seeing him in person was a little surreal. He gives Detective Pikachu a nod before looking over at Goro's question.

"Yes. I got a message. Said to meet here."

He also took a seat and glanced at Adachi, who he'd also briefly spoken to on the network, before introducing himself.

"I'm Detective Loki. Seems we may have something in common."

Being detectives. At least he knew a couple of them were.

"Oracle's got a great sense of humor. Love the ransom note style of that letter she sent us. Very classy." He looks down at the sniffing Poochyena. "Oh hey there, fella. Looks like I missed one of the trainers in this joint, after all."

“So we do.”

He inhales, taking a deep breath as he slides out of the booth. Futaba must have a plan if they were all summoned here. The two heads are better than one idea may benefit them and their task. He stretches his arms before grabbing an apron off the wall by the coffee bar and heading behind it.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Goro Akechi. I’m a detective with the Heropa Police Department.” He pauses for a moment, turning on the small gas burners to heat up some water. “Does anyone want coffee?”

"Please," Adachi replied, reaching over to pet Riza's head (who was quite content with keeping her nose near something she recognized as vaguely familiar), before nodding to the others.

"Tohru Adachi; private investigator here, detective back home," he introduced himself, before waving to Akechi. "Goro-kun and I are from the same world, though from different points in time."

"Sure," Loki said to the offer of coffee.

Hm. Heropa PD. He may have to ask about that later. He was still trying to find the best place to resume his detective work.

But to the business at hand.

"So what do we all have so far?"

He opens his notebook, where hastily drawn notes from all the codes were on view. Many things were crossed off and had extra notations. Nothing concrete.

"Pikachu, detective from Ryme City." He adjusts his deerstalker hat. "And I want that coffee black as night, thank you kindly."

He climbs up onto the counter from the stool so he can be at head height to the majority of the group and possibly get away from the sniffing of the Poochyena. "We've got directional symbols... Or a clock facing. Either way, our shadowy benefactor doesn't want this read in a traditional up-and-down fashion."

"Hello, sirs!"

Angus, who had arrived a bit late and hid outside the cafe just long enough to be case the joint and make certain that this meeting was legit, steps inside and tips his hat to the others. His posture is ramrod straight, he's wearing his nicest sweatervest, and he's doing his absolute best to look professional, since this is the first time in a while that he's been around other detectives (although he does recognize a few familiar faces).

"Sorry I'm a bit late - am I right in thinking that we're all here for the same reason? Also, if it's being offered, I'd like some coffee too, please!"

"We've barely started. You're fine." He smiles softly. "Another coffee, does anyone else want one?"

Despite asking he has five mugs ready and he's reaching behind him to grab a bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee to share. Futaba can't be too mad if he uses the imported coffee when she decided this was a good idea. Together they could try and puzzle out this mystery and hopefully it wouldn't be a waste of time. He starts getting the pour over filters filled as he considers his words carefully.

"I have possibly found a few words but I am unsure how they connect or if I am on the right track: Summon, Host, and Spider." He says grabbing the hot water pitcher. "If they are, Spider might be a clue. Spiders typically spin their webs starting south and going clockwise in it's steps to build the web."

Summon must be the first word if that's the case. If they were looking at directions, the v indicates south.

Pikachu takes his coffee as his phone begins to buzz and he drops out of the conversation to look at the message, suddenly blurting out, "'Dot marks an end. Clock.' Did anyone get anything like that? I KNEW IT WAS A CLOCK."

This is how the entire meeting is going to be. "It can be a web and a clock. They're the same shape. Ish... Or it just means clockwise, sure."

Adachi cringed at the sound of a familiar voice, trying to hide his face. He hadn't seen Angus since around the time he first appeared in this world, and... well, he was still a massive ass back then. He was busy quietly hoping he didn't get noticed, though that quickly disappeared when the little Pikachu started shouting about clocks.

...that seemed so easy. It should have been obvious.

"Hang on, so... that first symbol indicates the order then?" he asked, reaching for the sheets of paper Goro had written, and helping arrange them by the first symbol in a circle like a clock.

Loki was often more an observer than a talker and so he didn't contribute more just yet to the clues and conversation but he turned over a page in his notebook and started drawing a clock-face shape and writing extra notes down as people talked about them.

He was one that sometimes took a little longer for things to click into place but he was persistent and determined to get this solved.

Angus nods along with the others, and since he's a shorty, has to stand on his tiptoes to see the papers on the counter properly. Man, sometimes he really dislikes being twelve. Adachi gets a polite nod; Angus had gotten caught up in his own stuff shortly after meeting the man for the first time, but he'd never formed a bad impression of him.

"... None of those words sound particularly good, especially not the 'summon' part. Do you think the spiders could have something to do with that Jeopardy place? They have that big spider church, right?"

"...A big spider church?" Pikachu looks around at the rest of the assembled group. "Why's there a big spider church? Bug Pokemon don't tend to get religions started about them. I'm just saying."

"People are weird," Adachi replied. "Jeopardy is like... weird city."

He finally took a step back when everything was arranged in what he hoped looked like it would be on a clock, going by the first symbol in their coded sets.

"Okay... so now what?

[ It's been a long day. Iris hasn't spent as much time deciphering as she might like, given her day job, but she had promised Haru she would drop by with some roasted coffee beans.

(They're nothing fancy, really; just a roast from a local place in De Chima that Iris adored.) Thing is, she might've forgotten to set an actual time, and she's only just realizing this as she rings the doorbell.

Oh, well. Hopefully someone'll be home to let her in... ]

[ He looks up from his work, wondering for a moment if someone (see Futaba) ordered food and didn't warn him. Was it for him? Goro pushes back, walking to the front door to greet whoever was on the other side. ]

Oh. Iris? What brings you here today?

Hey, Goro. [ she brightens, holding up the (rather nondescript) paper bag, ] I brought something for Haru - or well, I was going to surprise her with it. Is she in right now?

She's not, but please come inside. I can't imagine she will be long.

[ He turns, motioning for her to follow him inside. He hides his yawn behind his hand, making his way down the hall back to the kitchen. ]

Please excuse the mess. This cipher has been... interesting. Perhaps I am going a little overboard.

[ He states, moving to at least organize the scattered papers on the table. ]

[ She walks in, taking her shoes off as she follows him into the kitchen and sets the bag down. ]

No worries. Tohru and I spent too much time going over it ourselves, with very little luck beyond a word or two...

[ she glances down, peering at some of these scattered papers, ]

Hey, I think the first word over there says 'summon.'

Haru has been dreaming of freshly brewed coffee for some reason.

The wafting scent rouses her from her sleep at some ungodly hour, leaving her in a temporary state of confusion as she looks at her alarm clock that reads it's far past her bedtime. Marcel, at the end of the bed, chirps quietly in his sleep, an eye opening to peek at Haru before he curls up in a tighter ball. She smiles at him, reaching over to pet his head gently and then slides out of her bed.

She can hear the coffee machine going. Who's making coffee at this time?

As she drapes her long robe over her nightie and pulls at the sash, it dawns on her that the last she saw, Goro had been in the kitchen. Is he still up? She quietly makes her way out of the room as to not disturb her other housemates, leaving the lights off as she wanders down the hall and into the kitchen.

There he is, all his paperwork still surrounding him. Haru stills at the entrance of the kitchen, but knocks on the wall to announce herself.

"You're still up? That's no good... you really ought to try and get some sleep."

Thankfully, for the late hour, Goro is at least dressed down in his pajamas. He is hunched over the table, slowly petting Caroline who has taken up residence in his lap. Perhaps it was a sign for him to to to bed if she was here, but this was important. If it wasn't just a distraction, it could mean something was coming. Either someone was very dedicated to pushing them in the right direction, or trying to pull them towards another fate. All in all, he's pieced some of the clues together--

A few words here and there. Nothing too concrete even though he's starting to go down the right path.

He happens to glance towards the coffee maker, hoping it was done so he could pour himself his third (fourth? oh no he's losing count) cup of the evening when he spots her as she raps her knuckles against the wall. He sits up, straightening out his spine, stretching his arms with a slight cringe before he greets her.

"I'll sleep soon don't worry." He chuckles. "I'm sorry if I woke you, however. It's rather late."

Haru wraps her arms around herself to secure her robe before stepping into the kitchen fully. Her curls hang a little low than normal and naturally she's wiped off all her makeup for the night, just a gentle moisturizer to help keep a healthy glow about her face. It always feels a bit strange to be seen without her makeup or hair perfectly curled, but for now her main focus is checking in on Goro, making sure he's actually alright.

"That's okay, I don't have class this morning." She paces toward the table, concern etching into her groggy face. "You've been at this all day... even Futaba-chan will worry if you don't take care of yourself."

Her eye catches Caroline, comfortably laid out on Goro's lap.

"... did you find out anything about those strange messages we got?"

“A few words? It doesn’t make sense currently.”

He scratches the top of Caroline’s head, smiling slightly as she chirps at him and curls back in his lap. There may not be a lot of time to solve this mystery and every step forward felt like two steps back. He rubs his eyes before he motions over to a free chair that hasn’t been taken over by paper.

“Summon, spider, and mother. Host is another one but I can’t find how they’re connected yet. I’m almost certain the dot here—“ he points, “Is either a stop to a word or sentence. I’m leaning towards words, but I could be wrong.”

Especially since things were blurring together. Should he even drink this pot of coffee?

She repeats the words slowly in her head: summon, spider, mother. A group of seemingly random words that bear no meaning to Haru and so far, to Goro as well, but she doesn't doubt he'll draw a theory or conclusion given his intelligence. He is the Detective Prince, after all.

Haru glances toward the free chair, her stomach queasy suddenly as she takes a seat upon it beside Goro. She's not sure why she feels nausea washing over her, though she chalks it up to being up so late (or early, depending on how one views it) that her body isn't accustomed to it.

Her voice is a bit heavy when she speaks, a touch drowsy. "You'll figure it out. I'm certain of it. At least, once you've had rest," she offers him a reassuring smile, her eyes lingering on him before they slide over the cipher. "So many other imPorts are also working together to try and figure this out. I wonder... if it does mean anything and who sent it."

"It could all be a wild goose chase. That this is simply just to keep us busy until something happens and we have to act. If it's not...then I hope we can solve it before it comes to that."

He sets down his pencil, the ends of his fingers covered in graphite as he tried to trace out each word of phrase. Some were nonsense (bears? What did this have to do with bears?), but others.. others had him worried. He leans lightly on the palm of his hand as he smiles at her.

"I don't know how much of the cipher anyone else has figured out, which is frustrating." He continues to pet Caroline. "I don't know if I could sleep." He admits. "Either too much coffee or too much frustration."

He was good at puzzles, this shouldn't be giving him so much trouble.

Maybe she was right and he should try and sleep.

Her eyes trail to the side momentarily, ruminating over the possibility which in all honesty is something she's started to suspect. Given how abuzz the Network is about these ciphers, what they could mean, who they could be from... everyone's attention has collectively shifted.

"Too much caffeine isn't good for you either."

Haru looks back at him, her expression sheepish if not still coloured by concern.

"I can understand the frustration, however," she adds, lifting her hand and tracing her finger along the papers idly. "Have you consulted with anyone else about this? Futaba-chan sent out that invitation to those other detectives, didn't she?"

"She did." He chuckles to himself as he passes over the calling card that Futaba had walked into his room earlier in the evening. "I'm looking forward to meeting whoever she's sending but... who knows if collectively we'll be able to solve this riddle."

He runs his fingers through his hair, taking a moment to look away from the ciphers. If they weren't able to solve the cipher, and it meant something? It could be catastrophic. He's starting to hope that this was just a massive prank gearing up to Halloween. Goro gives Haru a tired smile, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How has school been?" He changes the topic, hoping focusing on something else so he wouldn't keep thinking in circles. "Are you enjoying your classes so far?"

For all the coffee he's apparently ingested, Haru can make out the signs of exhaustion on Goro. She would like for him to put his health first and head to bed, but Haru knows she can't forcibly get him to do so, so all she can do is hope his body will eventually cue itself for a long night's sleep.

(Although another glance at the cipher almost has her trying to make sense of the letters. It's a tantalizing puzzle, that's for certain.)

"School?" Oh, she can see what Goro is doing. She almost wants to shake her head at his inquiry coming left field, but she's far too polite to not answer it. "Yes, it's been great. It was kind of stressful at first, being a week behind, but I've caught up with my workload."

The downside is that she registered for one last class late and had a fee to pay. She hasn't voice her dismay about that, instead picking up extra hours at work to cover the costs.

"Do you ever think about school here? Or are you happy with your police work instead?"

"I enjoy being a detective though, I've been considering going to university here." He finds himself yawning, covering his mouth a little dismay. "But I'm not sure what I would even go to school for."

Earlier he had political aspirations, taking a deep dive into what he would need to do to obtain a degree. He had considered running for ambassador but it feels like that has fallen to the wayside lately with the more recent temporal distortions the government was worried about.

Being a detective was hard work at times -- but he enjoyed it. What else could he do?

"I'm still trying to find hobbies I enjoy."

Memory spans back to the hobbies she overheard the famous Goro Akechi enjoyed back home. When browsing social media or watching programs he was interviewed on, Haru swears she remembers something about cycling or rock climbing. Perhaps both.

That may have been a different Goro, too. She understands the façade he put up when dealing with adults, so who knows if he genuinely enjoyed those activities, but he always did seem particularly fit in comparison to the other boys (besides Ryuji, in all honesty)...

"What about gardening?" she giggles quietly, remembering how she happened upon him in her garden overlooking her vegetables and flowers. When she had gone over her garden to harvest the vegetables, she found that in her absence they were still well cared for. It might not have been easy, but Goro managed that on his own apparently.

"My plants were still quite healthy and I was able to harvest quite a lot this week thanks to that. Perhaps you've got more of a green thumb than I gave you credit for." Her expression softens as she gazes back at Goro. "I never said thank you for that, did I? I'm glad someone took care of my garden while I was away."

"It's calming."

He can't stop smiling as she talks about how her garden had fared. Perhaps he was a better gardener than he gave himself credit for as well, but he was grateful to hear it. He shakes his head, reaching to carefully lay his hand on hers.

"You don't have to thank me for that. I was more than happy to take care of the garden."

Honestly he was grateful that it gave him something to focus on, something to know that she left a positive mark on this strange world he considered purgatory. It was a calming, grounding presence that she would never really leave even as they grow and change over time. He wasn't going to let it die simply because he missed her presence.

Oh boy.

Like a hare spotted by a predator, Haru freezes the moment Goro's hand lays atop of hers. While she manages not to shy away by pulling her hand into her lap, the feeling of his hand on hers sends a rush of heat to her face, so distracting she nearly forgets what she's going to say in response to him.

She's never been gladder for the dim lighting of the kitchen, the soft light only barely illuminating their faces so Goro can't see how red her cheeks are. Her stomach tightens again as it did earlier, nausea kicking in once more. Her heart is so loud against the ambiance of the kitchen, she's half-convinced Goro can hear it himself.

"Yes... it's calming!" she manages to squeak out, unable to hold her gaze anymore. She looks away, doing everything in her power not to stare at their hands on the table. Thankfully, she has the ciphers to put all her energy into instead. "I'm just glad you had something like that to focus on. I know it's been difficult with... with Akira-kun being gone again."

It comes out shakily and Haru immediately winces at her delivery, with that not being the intended manner. She had wanted to ease into it more gently.

With Akira-kun being gone again.

His heart skipped a bit, his hand wavering when the words stumbled out of her mouth. He's hardly thought about the loss as much this time (not because he didn't miss him, he did most dearly) but if he thought about it too much the world feels suffocating. He pulls his hand back, not wanting her to see him shake more than she has. Goro inhales shakily, folding his hands in his lap as he tries to regain some composure.

"I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up." He's quiet. "Knowing that any day everyone can be ripped from your life her? I should have kept my emotions a little more close to my chest."

He should have done a lot of things, he thinks, but that wasn't here nor there. Every day was a challenge to recover from Akira's loss, and Haru disappearing? If Futaba left he wasn't sure what he would do.

Guilt strikes her chest when Goro's hand lifts away, tightening a little and making her voice sound small when she speaks up to try and soothe over her mistake.

"I'm sorry, that was a callous way to bring it up..." Haru sighs, looking at her lone hand on the table. Her heart hasn't stopped thundering, going off like drums deep in her ears. She gulps quietly, drawing it back to her chest to nurse it closely.

"No, you're fine. I miss him, too. You don't have to bottle that up. I know how special he is to you and... how you both are to each other."

It stings her chest to say it aloud and she anxiously rubs at her hand, avoiding Goro's gaze altogether then. Her guilt filters in through her own body language, shoulders pinching and her legs pressed closely together.

She had carried it for so long, even till now; a mixture of happiness and jealousy for the two of them. Happy Akira and Goro had found something special between each other, but the more time passed and Haru watched them on the fringes, the stronger her ugly jealousy grew. Utterly shameful, she thinks, and not like her at all.

But after all these months and spending time with Goro, getting to know the side of him he didn't dare show back home, she would be a fool to not recognize what stirred in her heart.

"It's certainly frightening how the people you care about can disappear, but I think it's important to be honest with your feelings while they're around. It makes it all the more precious."

She continues to avoid his gaze, wringing her hands while her throat feels parched. The air in the room feels dry and humid, or at least it does to her. Another rush of heat hits her, settling in her chest.

Edited 2019-10-10 19:21 (UTC)

"You know I never thought I'd care for someone." He admits carefully, keeping his hands folded tight in his lap. "I never expected anything to happen between Akira and I. He's just...got something about him."

He's different. Not the same person he had come to despise during the rise of the Phantom Thieves. He smiles a little, actually quite fond of the memories he's created with his friends here. He's going to hate losing them. Even as he sits here, hands a little clammy, mind racing in wonder at the weight of her words -- he's grateful that it's Haru who is here with him.

Haru who he's gotten to know as as strong, competent young woman who does not forgive easily, but fierce with her loyalty. He's come to adore her compassion, her kindness, how she's always genuine when it comes to the people she meets. Knowing her has helped make him a better person.

Goro dares to reach out, dares to slowly lift her chin to look at him. He's nervous, the way his hand shakes, the worry in his eyes but she was right -- he should be honest.

What does he have to lose?

"He's not the only person I care about."

She startles lightly at his touch, having not anticipated the gesture at all, but apprehensively meets Goro's gaze anyway, her own a mixture of nervousness and confusion -- with a glint of hope reflecting back. Her skin tingles with delight as his fingers brush her chin delicately, each and every sensation sending her heart aflutter all over. Oh, she feels dizzy, so much that her hand immediately grabs onto the side of her stool for support.

"What do you mean?" she asks in a hushed voice, as if afraid to disturb those sound asleep in the house.

Haru doesn't want to assume, lest she allow herself to look like a fool.

And there's always been the matter of Akira. Even now, as she sits practically all twitterpated staring into dark eyes she once couldn't bear to, she thinks about Akira having once been in her seat, the longing in his own eyes, and there's a part of her that begins to inch slowly toward an internal panic.

"Goro-kun?"

This was his chance to back out. To remind himself that he didn't deserve happiness with her. To change the subject and remind himself that he was making a mistake, that this was a bad decision -- but he looks in her eyes and steels himself. Even if she told him this was never going to work? At least he was honest. He carefully moves his hand to cup her cheek, hesitating only briefly before he found the courage to talk.

"I like--" love "you, Haru."

Was that cruel? Something he should have kept close to his chest and never told anyone? Every wait if scenario raced through his mind. What would she say? What would she do? What was she thinking? His hands shook, his stomach fluttered (was it nervousness or illness? He wasn't sure), dizzy at his own confession to her. It was just the tip of the iceberg with his feelings and it's terrifying in it's own right that he was capable of being here in this moment.

"I've come to care for you... a great deal." He starts to ramble a bit, losing his words, his courage. "You're an amazing woman."

It's hideously loud now, the hammering of her heart. Haru's caught frozen in her seat, Goro's voice sounding strangely distant, like he's in the opposite room as the words roll off his tongue. It's only when he begins his tangent she finally startles back to life, ducking her heated face out of that uneasiness that's been building in her stomach.

"I..."

She starts to say something, it sounds like gibberish, then she realizes she can't think of her response or what she should be saying to him. Her mind's going one hundred a minute and she can't keep up, struggling to string together a sentence and what she wants to say to him.

It's not at all what she expected, though in all this time there had never been a clear picture of what she could have. Her chest swells, light and full of butterflies, but the feeling quickly dissipates as she churns it over in her head.

"I feel a little dizzy... I'm sorry," she shies away from his hand again, but gently takes it in hers, staring at their fingers rather than Goro's face. It's much easier, she finds. "I think there are butterflies flapping around in my stomach. I feel so... so strange."

Haru's eyes shut. Her head dips.

"... all this time I've tried to push aside these feelings. I keep feeling horribly guilty because..." Because of everything. Her father, Akira, Sae's Palace, Shido's Palace and everything that's happened in between. There's always been that voice in the back of her head warning her against it, but here she is in the dead of night practically laid bare before Goro, unable to mask her own confusing feelings anymore.

"But I feel... the same. I can't pretend my heart isn't saying otherwise anymore."

"Guilt?"

Was this a mistake? His mind suddenly racing with all of the what ifs. Would she despise him for his feelings? Would she let him down gently? He tries not to squeeze her hand, heart pounding in his ears while he attempts to talk himself down.

He's never been in a position to express his feelings, previously having been on the receiving end. Was this how they all felt when he gently told his fans he was not interested in dating? Nausea settling in his stomach, in his throat as he waits for her to explain.

When it finally comes? Goro blinks, a little stunned.

"You... Really?" He doesn't mean to sound so surprised, but he smiles more. "I'm glad... relieved actually. I was worried this was inappropriate or--" He shakes his head. "Sorry-- I'm just honestly thankful you feel the same."

He squeezes her hand, mostly to try and steady himself.

"Why would you feel guilty?"

She almost jokes that for a detective, he's certainly oblivious to the feelings of those around him.

But then it hits that perhaps he doesn't realize what Haru is alluding to. She fidgets in her spot, her grip on his hand still light. She swallows nervously while trying to gather herself, gather the courage to say the name caught in her throat.

"Akira-kun," she answers quietly, her hand finally slipping away from Goro's. Instead, she covers her face, shoulders tightening as she hunches over slightly in her shame. "I never wanted to hurt him."

Even if it meant sitting in silence for months, watching the two from afar as the longing in her very own heart grew. She would have chosen her own suffering over hurting the boy who helped rescue her from what was practically a life imprisonment sentence for her back home.

"Don't you still have feelings for him?"

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❮Cafe LeBlanc - Closed to Detective Club

❯Nonah

//Heropa 001

Detective Club

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heropa #001

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( heropa 001, sometime in the dead am )

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