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Goro’s phone pinged whilst he was stacking shelves at his menial convenience store job. Now, he wasn’t supposed to go on his phone while on duty, but then again he had very few fucks to give these days.
Sakamoto: hey man so yno that new movie that came out
Sakamoto: the one i put on the gc
Sakamoto: dya wanna go see it w me
This was a surprise. He had a decent enough relationship with Sakamoto, but not to the extent that they’d hang out without a third party. It wasn’t an unwelcome surprise, though. Sakamoto wasn’t insufferable.
Goro: Sure, that would be fun.
Sakamoto: thanks dude!!
Sakamoto: u free tonight? Theres a showing at 7:20 at shinjukus cinema
Goro: My shift ends at five and I have no other plans so yes, 7:20PM is fine.
Sakamoto: cool!! Meet ya there at 7? Popcorn lines are longgggggggg
Goro: Seven is good.
So Goro stood outside Shinjuku’s cinema at seven exactly, the cold wind biting his face as he waited for Sakamoto. Irritation started to creep in as the minutes passed, but just as he was about to send him an angry text Sakamoto came running up, thick bomber jacket and all.
“So-sorry,” he said, panting slightly, “the trains were delayed then I was helping this old lady with directions and stuff.”
Goro shrugged. “I was about to rip you a new one for making me freeze but I think helping old ladies absolves you of your crimes.”
Sakamoto grinned. “Now that’s what I’m talking about! Come on, let’s go in so we can get popcorn and good seats – hey, what popcorn d’ya like?”
Goro hummed as they entered the cinema and lined up in the ticket queue. “I’m not sure - I haven’t actually been to the cinema since I was six.”
“You what?!” Ryuji exclaimed, wide-eyed and mouth open.
“Never had the chance to,” he said, immediately regretting bringing it up. He didn’t need to think about his past right now. “I think I had sweet popcorn back then though, so I think I’ll try that again.”
“Nah man,” Ryuji said, “you haven’t been to the cinema in forever . We’re gonna get sweet popcorn, salty popcorn, toffee popcorn, nachos, soda, slushies , everything!”
“That costs far too much!” Goro hissed. He was a cashier now, the pay was abysmal.
“Chill man, we’ll split it!” He clapped Goro’s back jovially. “This cinema’s pretty cheap anyway – why d’ya think I chose it? You’re gettin’ a feast whether you like it or not, and then you can decide what you like for next time!”
They bought their tickets, lined up for the snacks, and Goro almost died when they emerged from the counter juggling about ten million snacks in each of their arms. Goro caught Ryuji’s eye.
“You are insufferable.”
That didn’t stop him from grinning like an idiot, though.
-
They dumped their mound of trash in the bin as they exited the screening hall, and Ryuji gave a contented stretch.
“That was so good! ” He said. “Hey, don’t you think I’m totally like Kazuo?”
“Loud, brazen, with an inability to shut up? Definitely,” he replied, sucking up the remaining dregs of his half-and-half slushie. Sakamoto was apparently the type to talk during a movie. Not at the volume needed to be a public nuisance, but enough to be a nuisance to Goro. He didn’t mind that much, though. Honestly, he was just glad to be spending time with someone , and yes Sakamoto may talk at the cinema and yes Sakamoto may sprawl on his chair but Sakamoto also made sure he was having a good time.
“Hey, you forgot ‘saves the day’!” Ryuji huffed, affronted. “You are totally like that Hakaku guy.”
“How so?”
“Oh come on, that guy literally called the rest of them idiots, he’s totally like you!”
“He was the only character who wasn’t a fool, he was completely justified in calling them all idiots!” Goro argued, then laughed. “Maybe that’s why he was my favourite.”
“Of course he was.”
They made their way to the lobby carrying several half-eaten snacks and dumped them all onto the nearest table. Sakamoto collapsed onto the sofa and Goro sat on the one opposite.
“So, which did ya like?” Sakamoto asked, gesturing to the pile in front of them. “Salty popcorn and nachos are my favourites – oh, and soda!”
Goro took another sip of his slushie. “Obviously I’m fond of the half-and-half slushie-“
“Oh, good choice!”
“But as for the food... I think sweet popcorn is still my favourite.”
“You caned that stuff, we haven’t even got any left over!”
Goro shrugged. “Be glad, we’ve got enough leftovers as it is.”
“You’ve got a point,” Sakamoto said, casting an annoyed glare to the people around them. Their pile was attracting quite a lot of attention from passers-by, judgemental stares sometimes followed by judgemental whispers. Goro glanced at Sakamoto; for someone so brazen he seemed awfully bothered by these strangers. Fists clenched, jaw set, he looked two seconds away from having an outburst.
A couple walked by and they weren’t very good at keeping their judgemental opinions quiet, seeing as how Goro heard one of them whisper, “Wow, do their parents not feed them?’.
“Hey,” Goro said loudly, standing up and marching up to them. They turned around, looking like a pair of deer in the headlights.
“Keep your shit to yourselves, no one else wants to hear you talk shit about strangers,” he spat.
“Excuse me?” The man said, lip curling.
“You heard me,” Goro sneered. “If you want to make stupid comments like that then say it to my face.”
The man looked like he wanted to fight (which would have been terrible because Goro was on probation and getting into fights was a bad idea), but thankfully his partner wasn’t on board with it.
“Look, we’re sorry, okay? It won’t happen again,” she apologised, looking less sorry and more like she just wanted it to be over. Goro didn’t mind that.
“It better not,” he said, then went back to his sofa to see Sakamoto looking at him all agog, like he had just sprouted a new head or something.
“Dude ,” he said, sounding slightly in awe, “what was that?!
“A lesson in social etiquette.”
“Yeah , but why?!”
Goro shrugged, busying himself with the blueberry slushie (his half-and-half had run out). How was he supposed to say he did it because Sakamoto hadn’t? How was he supposed to tell Sakamoto that he’d berated someone because Sakamoto had been bothered by their comments? If it was him on his own he wouldn’t have bothered, but they’d been insulting Sakamoto too – the same Sakamoto who had included him in the Phantom Thieves back in the fake reality, who had invited him out to the cinema and shared far too many snacks with him.
Who had treated him like a friend.
“They pissed me off,” he said finally. “You understand.”
Sakamoto bounced his leg, still looking vaguely baffled.
“Yeah, but still . That’s more my thing to do.”
Goro gave a wry smile. “I’m usurping your position. Soon enough Goro Akechi will replace Ryuji Sakamoto as the brash loudmouth. Any final words before I delete your existence?”
Sakamoto laughed – a loud, happy sound that used to grate on his ears, but now he found himself quite liking it.
“You really are like that Hakaku dude!” He said, then his expression turned softer. “Thanks though. I’ve been trying to keep myself more under control, and... it’s hard, but I’m getting there, aren’t I?”
“You didn’t yell at those bastards, or any other of these assholes. If that’s not self-control then I don’t know what is.”
“Thanks, man,” Sakamoto said with a smile as bright as his hair. “Oh, and d’ya wanna stay here and finish all these for dinner? We can’t just let all this go to waste!”
“I’m fine with that,” Goro said, and without further ado they worked at the pile even though their stomachs were so very close to bursting. It was stupid and silly and to the public they were very obviously two stupid teenagers, but as he chatted with Sakamoto about the movie after chugging a warm, diluted cola, he found it didn’t matter to him anymore.
-
Whilst he was walking back to the apartment his phone buzzed, repeatedly.
Sakamoto: hey man
Sakamoto: Now youve experienced the cinema
Sakamoto: u wanna go again w me sometime????
Goro: Why not? I’ll be on the lookout for any good ones.
Sakamoto: nICE !!!!!
Sakamoto: oh also
Sakamoto: u can call me ryuji
Sakamoto: cos were friends yeah?
Sakamoto: i mean i consider you a friend
Sakamoto: i dont want u thinkin ur not my friend
Sakamoto: cos you are !!!!
Goro: I appreciate it. And, for what it’s worth, you can call me Goro.
Sakamoto: :DDD hey goro!!!
Sakamoto: whats up goro!!!!
Sakamoto: suck a dick goro!!!!
Goro: Are you done?
Sakamoto: goro i will n e v e r be done
Despite himself, Goro couldn’t help but smile as he changed the contact name from ‘Sakamoto’ to ‘Ryuji’.