I was wondering about a hypothetical situation. When Sakazaki went to the hospital to rescue Sudou, saw Aki, and told the organization that he was related to Asami, what do you think would have happened if he hadn't done that?
And for some weird reason, Kirishima and Feilong still lost track of Aki (very complicated, but it's a hypothetical situation xd). Since Aki was a sick foreigner, he was sent back to Japan because that's how customs/immigration works. He then rebuilt his life, continued to blossom as a talented photographer, and even got a new boyfriend/girlfriend.
Do you think Asami would react the same way he does in the current volume? If he saw Aki living a more peaceful life, would he just stay in the shadows and leave him alone, or would he try to make Aki remember him?
Idk I'm just rereading everything, and this thought crossed my mind.
First of all this would make an interesting fic 🤭
If Aki recovered and returned to Japan, had all his memories but basically only forgot Asami - what would happen?
I’ll ignore some of the holes to canon in this idea for the sake of fiction. I think you’d have to rearrange some canon to make this work. Maybe something like nobody but Asami knew that Aki was even there and everyone just assumed he was still in the temple until Asami returns from Maxim’s wondering where’s Akihito is - or something of that nature. Akihito also would not have all his memories gone and just have a few years or something that he can’t remember, so he’d still be a photographer, and knew his friends and family and everything. Just a suggestion. I love doing alternative histories 🤭
There’d be a lot of opportunity for aghast on both sides. Akihito feeling incomplete. For me, it only makes sense if he was in a relationship with a women. As before he met Asami I don’t think he ever had feelings for men, and believed he was straight. But it could be something he feels strangely about because being with a women, maybe doesn’t feel the same to him. Like something would feel off but he wouldn’t know what was wrong. Yet he’d still try to make it work. He is an investigative sort - so maybe there could be this element of him trying to solve the mystery of what his old life was? Kou and Takato, can maybe suggest that he was dating someone before, the older mysterious women that neither of them ever got to meet because Aki was too secretive about his relationship. Aki could wonder what happen with that, and that since nobody has come forward they must have broken up before his “accident?”. But whoever they are is still a missing piece of his memory, of what he was doing during that time, so he still wants to find answers. Maybe he even digs and finds some clues related to Asami, but he misunderstands and thinks that he was working on some kind of case involving organized crime before he lost his memories. Which further fuels his desire to find out what happened during the years he’s forgotten. And wanting to find answers about his “accident”, and what was he doing? Maybe he thinks he got injured and lost his memories in the first place because he was investigating something, and ended up in that collapsing building.
Meanwhile. As for Asami. I know maybe the part of this exercise is to debate whether or not Asami would choose to disrupt Akihito’s life after everything he went through and maybe choosing to let him go. Knowing Akihito got injured very seriously and even lost his memories, and basically thinking does Asami want to put Akihito’s life in danger anymore or will he let him go. I definitely think it can be something he debates. But ultimately i think he’d choose pretty handedly that he’d take Akihito back, and honestly I don’t think it’s much of a stretch of the imagination to think he’d do it somewhat forcibly.
The reason is fairly simple. I mean OF COURSE, they have to end up together in the end. But the reason I am justifying it as a simple choice is because.. Well to be honest. Asami has never really once been concerned about how he has put Akihito in danger because of his job… Not that he doesn’t care if Akihito gets hurt or caught in the crossfire. But it’s not as if this is the first time its ever happened.
There has always been this element of —selfishness when it comes to Asami. I dont know how else to put it, but it reminds me of this scene in the Naked Truth arch. (I could write a whole essay about this but ill keep it short)
This is from the scene where Fei Long, Mikhail and Asami are sitting around the poker table talking, while on the cruise. Even tho it is Mikhail talking in this scene, and showing off his scars on his back. I feel it is ultimately a line that is related to Asami — and why he is doing what he is doing in that moment. Why he has chased Akihito down to Hong Kong. He sees no reason for him to quell his desires, and since he has the power to do what he wants, to get what he wants. Why shouldn’t he make it happen. If what he desires is Akihito… then heck anything else. And even the negatives of that desire are just the price he has to pay, and he’s willing and able to pay them.
Asami has rather selfishly made that choice for Akihito time and time again. He has known from the start that the price he pays to have Akihito near him is — Akihito being in constant danger. And never once has he indicated that it was something he feared or even really thought about…. In fact, he’s said multiple times that he’s gonna drag Akihito down with him. His mentality has always been if Akihito is in danger, he’ll just come and get him. (His rather bold confidence that it will work out in the end is the only thing keeping it together!) He’s been pretty unrelenting about it. He’s always accepted that truth. He’s never once said anything about it. He implicitly knows that desiring Akihito is selfish. But he doesn’t care! Because he wants it! And he will do anything to make it happen.
The only time I can think of when, it maybe came close that he considered Akihito’s safety above his own desire, was when he left Akihito in the temple. In that instance he did believe that it would be too dangerous to have Akihito around, and for his safety they were better off separating. But I think that argument, feels a little flimsy. When it feels like he made that decision partially for Akihito’s sake, but also for his own — so that he could focus solely on this war with Chernobog. Plus we all know he must have been going crazy, and deeply regretted it, and spent the whole time yearning!! The whole Island arch was a confirmation of that. Before Akihito lost his memories, Asami was just beginning to accept that he’d never be able to handle being separated from Akihito. Not to mention the fact that Asami finally confessed, right after they both got injured.
So yes I can’t see a world in which he would hold back or something, and try to spare Akihito from the continued dangers of being near him. I think he has already long ago accepted that. Not to mention Akihito clearly has too, and has never once expressed wanting to leave Asami because of the danger. Akihito’s hesitation with this relationship has mostly only been about their differences in morals. And he’s obviously been fairly clear eyed about the fact that it’s dangerous being near Asami — and Akihito too has never questioned if being in danger/being targeted is worth being in this relationship. Up until the injury, and now into this new arch too, Akihito has always wanted to face these dangers together.
It’s true that Asami has changed and gotten softer, as he’s already admitted as much. So perhaps that means he is thinking bigger picture, changing his ways, etc etc. Attempting to be a better man. So yes this scenario is truly a fascinating dilemma. A good guy would let Akihito go. To keep him safe. But… let’s be real. Asami’s not a good guy 😈 Period. I mean it in the sense that he would make the selfish choice. What would be the point of being a better man - if he couldn’t have Akihito. It would mean nothing. The progress he’s made, everything he’s already done for Akihito’s sake. He’s already declared he’d take Akihito down to the Abyss - so why in the hell would he stop short! Especially in this scenario where there are presumably, Dr. Simon isn’t around and Chernobog don’t seem to be interfering in this alternative timeline. So if there aren’t any dangers…why hold back?
Ultimately, I think Asami would make that decision in a heart beat. And feel no regret about absolutely demolishing any sense of normalcy Akihito managed to gain after the half a year they were separated while Asami was recovering and stuck in Maxim’s house. I think the bigger and more interesting dynamic to explore would be this — How would Asami go about doing it? Since it’s basically guaranteed he’d go after Akihito again — How would he get Akihito back? Would he do so forcibly? Or… Would he actually try to win Akihito over?
Think about this rare opportunity he gets to re-introduce himself to Akihito. Having a new start, and not there (cough cough highly problematic but really hot) start. I like to think he’d be a bit more gentle, and try to win Akihito over. Like he’d maybe gently tell him that they were lovers, and he was with him the night he got hurt. That way he could kinda spark Akihito’s curiosity about how he got injured in the first place. Or he’d actually try to charm him, and talk things over carefully, and share details to convince Aki that what he is saying is true, and try to find solutions to slowly get his memory back bit by bit. As nice as that sounds, another side of me, is like damn but yknow they still suck at communicating. So its more then likely, what will actually happen is that Asami will probably get super jealous if he hears Akihito has a girlfriend or something, and spring into action — and bulldoze everything. Insert meme- RIGHT TO JAIL. (Aka the punishment room 🤭)
Maybe a little mixture of both 🤭🤭