The strong aroma of coffee slowly wafted up the staircase into the attic of LeBlanc, mingling with the cologne that Akira had hastily sprayed on himself. Today was to be his final day in Tokyo, and he wanted to feel and look his best. He took a long look around the room, admiring the place he had come to call home. A handful of gifts adorned a shelf against one wall, mementos of the memories he shared with his friends. A healthy looking plant stood high and mighty next to it, daring to push through and protrude through the roof. Across the room was a shabby television, with a barely functioning DVD player sat under it. He had spent many a night with Morgana watching movies, bonding over the many categories they had grown to love. To the right was a desk, scraps of odd looking metal scattered about. A lone lock pick tilted on its side, a reminder of the adventures he shared in. Behind him, a soft black clump of fur lay on his bed fast asleep.

Morgana had only returned a month ago and settled back in almost as if he had never left. Akira had never told him explicitly how happy he was to have him back. After all, Morgana was just as overjoyed to be back, even if he couldn't announce it aloud either. Neither were capable of telling the other in explicit detail just how happy they were to have returned in each other's lives, but the deep connection the two shared spoke louder than any words could.

A muffled vibration sounded from his left front pocket, breaking him from his trance. Akira slid his hand inside and fished out his phone. The silver casing around it had become dented and scratched, etched with the reminders of how valuable it had been for the Phantom Thieves cause. He unlocked his phone and opened up his most recent message. Ryuji sent a reminder for the going away party the team was throwing for him, letting him know the team would be arriving at LeBlanc at noon.

Akira sighed heavily. He had long since grown accustomed to his new way of life. The attic had become a cozy abode, initially giving him solitude from the tenuous grasp he held on the world. The conflict with Shido has shattered his life, propelling him into starting a life he wasn't quite ready to live, nor knew he was capable of living; one where he became a Phantom Thief. One that allotted him the opportunity to form bonds with new friends, fall in love with a girl he cared deeply about, and to reside in a new home while forming what felt like a new family. Not only that, but he had defeated a God and saved humanity from the shackles of their own warped desires. He was about to leave this new life behind, returning to a former life he could barely remember, nothing more than echo of his past.

Akira forced himself to shrug off these thoughts. He wanted to enjoy his last day in Tokyo.

Akira sauntered down the staircase, drifting into the cafe of LeBlanc. Downstairs, the aroma of coffee had a more robust power that almost pummeled him with its incredible smell. Mixed alongside it was a nearly overpowering scent of curry that suddenly washed over him like a waterfall, drenching him with the fragrance of herbs and spices he had come to know all too well.

Sojiro was leaning over the counter, pouring coffee into a small cup that rested near a mousey-looking redhead. Her head was shoved deep into a magazine, her glasses sliding down her face. Akira absent-mindedly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Morning, you two."

"Ah, you're awake," Sojiro replied. "I didn't hear you coming downstairs."

Akira took up a seat next to the redhead.

"How are you, Futaba?"

Futaba lifted her head out of her magazine, a wide smile creeping along her face. "Great! Sojiro is going to take me to Akihibara so I can pick up a new video game."

Akira chuckled alongside himself. "That's great, Futaba. You're welcome to help yourself to my game collection when I leave tomorrow."

Her smiled faded as quickly as it came. "I still can't believe you have to leave tomorrow," she lamented.

Akira scolded himself. He shouldn't ruin his friends moods too with his lamentations from earlier still in control of his thoughts.

He relaxed in his seat. "Lets just enjoy today, and worry about tomorrow when it comes. Besides, we have the party in a few hours, don't we?"

Futaba couldn't help but admire how calm Akira could be in the face of adversity. He had always been level-headed when it came to solving problems, never letting his emotions take the best of him. Futaba nodded her head and buried her face back into the magazine, beginning to mumble to herself about the latest game releases.

Sojiro placed both a cup of coffee and plate of curry before Akira. This breakfast ritual had become familiar ever since they had rescued Futaba from her palace. She would arrive at LeBlanc every morning with Sojiro long before he would wake up for school, her face always inside of a manga or magazine. Sojiro would hover around the counter, filling up their mugs with coffee and placing the curry before them.

Akira delved into his curry and ate it voraciously, almost as if it were going to be his last meal. The spices burned his throat, but he endured it while savoring every bite. Between pauses of shoveling food down his throat and trying to survive the intense burning sensation his stomach was currently experiencing, he would sip from his coffee. Sojiro watched with enthusiasm as Akira gulped down his food.

"Hey, slow down there," Sojiro chucked, trying to hide the endearment in his voice, "you're going to choke if you eat it at that pace."

Akira slowed his pace. He took more time to enjoy his breakfast reminding himself of how he likely wouldn't get to taste Sojiro's coffee or curry for a very long time. He had learned to make it, but it somehow had never quite came out like it did when Sojiro made it.

"I'm gonna miss your help around here," he remarked. "Thanks to you, though, Futaba has been able to break from her shell more, and wants to take a more hands-on approach to the business." Sojiro was beaming, glancing over to Futaba. Her head was still pushed deep into her magazine. If she had heard what Sojiro said, she made no motion to acknowledge it. Sojiro shook his head, a smile still plastered on his face. "Honestly, I'll never truly understand that girl." Sojiro turned the television on and leaned back into the wall of beans, crossing his arms, transfixing his gaze on it intently.

Akira felt another soft vibration coming from his pocket and pulled it out. Seeing a text from Makoto was enough to send his heart fluttering, causing him to soar and feel as if he was on cloud nine. It had been just a simple text, asking if they could meet before the party, but it was more than enough to lift his spirits. He replied hastily and settled his phone back in his pocket before leaning over the counter, lost in thought about the girl he loved. If anyone could save him from despair, if anyone could take him by the hand and save him from himself, it was her.

Makoto flattened out her jacket and adjusted her headband in the mirror. Akira was leaving tomorrow, and the team was going to be throwing him a party later that day. Ryuji and Ann were tasked with food, while Yusuke and Haru decided to take care of decor. Makoto told them she was staying behind to take care of a few last minute things at home, but in truth she wanted to be alone with Akira before the team congregated at LeBlanc to throw his party.

Her phone rattled in her hand. Looking down, she noticed a text from Akira. Her heart fluttered as she swiftly opened the message.

I'd love to see you.

She couldn't help herself from closing her eyes, a smile sweeping across her face. Her cheeks went hot and turned a bright shade of pink. She could already smell the soft scent of coffee intertwining with his cologne as she leans into him. His hot breath against her cheek before he leans in for a kiss. She shivered. They had only been dating for six months, but she felt happier around him than she had since her father passed away. Akira was always gentle with her, quietly listening to her qualms about her future while he held her to his chest, calmly rubbing her back. She would often look up into his dark eyes, absorbing the pure love he beamed into her. She couldn't help but blush each time, nuzzling further into his chest while wrapping her arms around him tightly, closing her eyes so she could get drunk off of his presence.

Reality is rarely as pleasing as one could dream it to be. Her fantasy came crashing down around her, severing her from the pleasantries she was reveling in. Akira was leaving, and she was unsure of where their relationship would go. Valentine's Day had come and gone. She didn't want to succumb to her fears on such an important day. Akira had told her that nothing was going to change, that they'd remain together and they'd find a way to make it work. Makoto had to squeeze her eyes tight to stop tears from streaming down her face. Akira moving away was hard enough, but she couldn't fathom how they would manage to make their relationship work. Panic began to build up inside her when thoughts of Akira ghosting her came to mind. Akira finding new love when he returned home and forgetting all about her. Worst of all, she was scared that she was good enough for Akira, that she wasn't anything special.

Makoto shifted her head back and took a long look at herself in the mirror. She needed to be strong, for her own sake. So much had changed for her in the last year. She had made real friends, joined the Phantom Thieves, met Akira, and found a new purpose in her life. No longer was she the meek Student Council president, nor was she being thrust into an uncertain and borderline unfair future. She had managed to rebel against the expectation's of society, her sister, and even herself, becoming a far more strong-willed individual.

Akira had been her rock, listening to her form machinations of how she wanted to integrate herself into society more; to understand her fellow peers especially. He would listen as she spoke about her fears, holding her close as she cried when discussing her fathers passing. Akira would always sit so stoic, reassuring her when she fretted, and calming her when she was afraid. Love would pour from his eyes whenever theirs would lock, but otherwise he had always seemed so cool and confidant, as if nothing could ever scare him. She hadn't had anyone to lean on quite like him before, not even Sae. Since her father had died, Sae had ever increasingly grown more distant and cold. Their bond had slipped, only recovering over the last few months. She would often bottle her emotions inside, sorting through them at home, lying in her bed alone.

Makoto looked up at the clock. There was only an hour left before the party would start. She stared at it, aghast. Time had almost stood still it seemed, with only ten minutes having passed by since she received the text from Akira. She was going to find out what would come next soon, pleading silently that everything would work out easily, and that their life ahead could come without turmoil.

Reality is often a harsh mistress, cracking a whip and shaping the world around it. We're often left to wander, left to discover and weed through it's many visages, hoping that buried deep inside is one that our hearts yearn for. Rarely do we find such happiness, but a glimmer in a sea of darkness often is enough to give us any semblance of hope. Makoto and Akira had found their glimmer, and they refused to let go.