Marionette(My Strings Are Titanium, You Cannot Cut Them)

Maybe Akira was freaking out a tiny bit. Goro had confessed to having something he wanted to tell him, something that he'd thought might be the same as what Akira had in mind. That obviously wasn't the case, considering that Akira planned to admit he was a Phantom Thief(so long as things went well, he had no doubt a lot of the questions students would ask Goro would be about the case). He had high hopes, though, due to recent interviews he'd seen on TV. Goro didn't seem to think the Thieves had killed Okumura, even if he still didn't consider them just.

That was nice to know on its own, honestly. Having Goro's faith boosted his confidence in himself. Akira understood now that the chances of them being to blame was actually rather slim; more likely it was the other Metaverse user. It was still only a small reassurance, but one nonetheless. 

Right now, Akira was more occupied with whatever Goro had to tell him. He knew it was frankly immature of him to be getting so excited, though. After all, on the chance that Goro was intending to ask him out, Akira didn't know if that would remain the same after he discovered who Akira was.

He knew Goro liked him. He didn't even need Ann's insistence on it! Yes, he'd been on the fence at first, but now he held no doubt. Between almost dates and interactions that tested the line between friendship and romance, Akira knew his feelings were mutual. If it weren't for his secrets, Akira would've confessed already. Maybe if Goro took the reveal well, he could soon.

Even if the previous day hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped, Akira was glad that his friends didn't seem to mind Goro. Futaba approved of him, Ann was on board from the start(she was just glad to see him opening up), and the others were coming around at the least. Granted, he could live without the teasing and being called gross by Futaba, but it was worth it. He felt like a teen, and it was really nice.

The interview passed without a hitch. Akira hated seeing Goro's TV mask, but he wasn't complaining. It only made him feel more special to know the more real version of him. 

His friends had been frightened by Goro's admission to having a hunch as to the Phantom Thieves' identities, but Akira saw through it from the start. It was just a ploy for audience enjoyment, proven by the "phone call" he got just before he could reveal the names. It was an alarm, more likely. Akira had to admit, it was clever.

However, he wasn't anticipating Goro calling not just him but all his friends to speak with him somewhere private. Based on his serious expression, Akira doubted the conversation would be a happy one.

"What did you want to talk about?" Makoto was the first to speak up, stern and on guard. She knew something was up, too.

Goro's focus wasn't on her, or the rest of the group. He was only looking at Akira. "I know you're the Phantom Thieves. That's why I have no doubt the responsibility for Okumura's death falls to someone else." He stated, not with anger but simply as fact.

"What? How?" Ann gasped. Was it really so shocking? They weren't actually that good at keeping it a secret, hence why there were so many in their group to start.

With a sigh, Goro crossed his arms. "It was on accident, but I'd seen all of you and simply wanted to say hello. Before I realized what was going on, however, the scenery had changed entirely, as had your outfits. By the time I'd gotten my bearings, all of you had vanished. I was terrified, but I realized it must have something to do with the Phantom Thieves. I'll admit, I had my suspicions already."

Yusuke nodded in understanding. "It is a rather frightening experience to enter a Palace unaware. I first was dragged in by Ann, right in the center, while she was pulling me away from Madarame."

"So you unwillingly followed us into a Palace, why not say something sooner?" Makoto asked, still somewhat suspicious.

"It's not exactly an easy subject, and it seemed one all of you should hear at once. This was the first opportunity I had. There was also a lot to think about first." Goro paused before continuing. "That's not all, either. I was confused and afraid, yes, but I also was determined not to let it stop me from discovering the truth. I decided that, no matter what, I had to learn the truth about both the changes of heart and the mental shutdowns. I believe even more strongly that they have a connection, but I'm positive you aren't the culprits."