[It doesn't really take a genius to figure out that Akira's situation with his parents wasn't great. Or at least that they weren't tight. One instance of trying to help someone out from a really, really bad fucking situation and the next thing he knows... getting shoved off to some place in Tokyo, to a stranger that had no real connection to him to begin with. Yeah, Ryuji's screwed up a lot in his life and his dad might not be in the picture anymore, but when everything went down with Kamoshida, his mom was still there for him.

Everyone deserves that.

Akira especially deserves that.]

Yeah? I'll make sure it happens. Super promise.

[But they can't go back, not yet. Ryuji picks at the fabric of his pants idly for something to do with his hands.]

What was it like? When you went back home? I know you probably didn't get like... a hero's welcome or anything. Even though that's definitely what we were.