chapter 2 : // checkmate
i'm only going to be posting this chapter, as well as my other post on my fic, to attract readers! the other 23 chapters (they get longer and better i PROMISE) are up on my ao3, quotev, and i am WORKING on making a wattpad;
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
> This fanfiction will contain major Persona 5 / Persona 5 Royal Spoilers. > If you are yet to play either game, or plan to play one in a
Every conversation is somewhat akin to a game of chess.
Every move made can either bring an advantage or a disadvantage. Even doing things like acting upon one's wisest, most well-planned decision could potentially bring a negative outcome. You can always say the wrong thing, lose the wrong person; lose the game.
Even so, Ren Amamiya already knew how this game would go.
...He just couldn't bring himself to focus on the game sitting on the table.
"...The Phantom Theives are making bad people pay for their crimes. Why does it matter how they got there?"
He remarked as he moved his piece across the board, his gaze locked on his opponent all the while.
"...Well, that is an interesting way to think about it, to be certain...If only you put as much thought into where you move your king, hm? Checkmate."
Goro Akechi commented with a wry smile- he had won yet another game.
A single move, no matter how much thought is put behind it could cost the whole game.
"...You can do that?"
Remarked Ren, looking up at the boy in front of him.
Akechi had made another nighttime visit to Leblanc. He sat casually, and always said he was merely be playing for fun. But the bitter determination in his eyes said otherwise. How many times had he won at this point? Ren never kept track. How many times did Akechi need to win to be satisfied? He looked silently pleased with himself every time he triumphed, never seeming to grow tired of it. Maybe that was good enough.
"Ah, I thought you knew," He smiled slightly, propping his arms up to rest his chin on his gloved hands.
"I don't fault you, though- you did say you were new to chess. You must just have good luck.. And that was a hard move to pull off, you see,"
The detective's eyes flicked from Ren to the chessboard.
"Any chess piece can strike a decisive blow on the king, really. In the case of a pawn, it has to be nearest to the rival king to corner it. Does that make sense?"
He asked, undoubtedly pleased to some degree to have won against Ren- yet again.
Ren didn't respond right away- though, silence was typically expected of him.
In truth, he could easily beat his rival in a game of chess. He didn't have to strategically pick the worst moves, like he'd been doing- But this time around, he didn't want to. If he didn't win against Akechi every time, would it satisfy him? If Akechi could be better than Ren, would it be enough?
The two fell briefly into a comfortable silence as Akechi set the pieces up again for another round.
Ren eyed Akechi's briefcase, which sat idly by his chair. He subconsciously wondered f he always kept his gun safely tucked inside of it. He frowned at the thought.
No matter what he did, could he truly stop his rival in the long run? Ren knew he couldn't redeem him, but he needed to stop him before he did anything worse. November would come in only two months. Getting back to the point he's at currently had been torturous. Ren had sped through the first few palaces and levels of Mementos, and re-familiarized himself to all the mechanics and techniques needed in the Metaverse fast enough to make Morgana's head spin. Despite his having done this before, he was still slightly paranoid. Little could be done about Igor. So he had chosen to focus his efforts on Akechi.
Despite it all, he needed to fix things with Akechi. He was nervous, sure, but he felt ready this time. He could tell him the truth about Shido's plans, and convince Akechi to stop while he could. Though he knew in advance what would happen, Ren still couldn't shake the feeling that he might not be able to prevent it in the end.
But for now...
He looked back up at Akechi, who had long since finished setting up the board. The detective had simply been observing Ren with interest as he was lost in his thoughts.
Ren met his eyes.
"...How about that game? I've got a good feeling about this one."
(a/n:: this chapter is really short, because it was mostly for me to get a feel for it. i promise the next ome will have more story, and be longer.)
















