You had once been fond of Goro Akechi, the Detective Prince, but that was before he made his feelings about the Phantom Thieves clear on live TV. The audacity of him to show up at your school, claiming to know your identities and blackmailing you with a photo from the Metaverse to force a deal. He’d supposedly been attacked by the man with the black mask. And supposedly, he’d awakened to his own persona—Robin Hood, he called it. How fitting.

But why was his ‘view of rebellion’ a literal prince? When the Thieves entered Sae’s palace, you couldn’t tear your eyes away from his outfit. Unlike everyone else’s dark attire, Crow’s princely garb was white—eye-catching to the point of being obnoxious. There was no way you could sneak around the palace with him in tow. And don’t even get started on that absurdly bright Lumina Saber of his. Was he trying to help, or begging to get you all caught?

You did your best to ignore how much his presence grated on your nerves, but Goro made it impossible. Every chance he got, he was there, showing off how ‘useful’ he was to the team. “I’ve figured out how to win the games,” he declared politely to Ren, who stood behind you. You were close enough that when you stretched, his mask nearly jabbed your arm. “We can use the equipment here to rig the game.” You scoffed when he finished, muttering something about his ridiculous mask as the rest of the Thieves moved on.

As sharp as he was, Goro caught your words right away. Instead of following the others, he stayed behind, crossing his arms and sizing you up. Then, he spoke, letting a glimpse of his real self shine through. “It bothers you that much?” He stepped closer, forcing you back against the table. He placed his hands on the surface, caging you in. The nose of his mask grazed your cheek as he leaned in so only you could hear, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Would you rather I take my mask off for you?”

Goro was fully aware of how much he irked you—and it amused him more than anything. “Trust me, you’ll regret it.”