[ And of course, Akira has to hit him right back with that blind optimism, the hoping against hope that everything will miraculously work out in the end. They truly are polar opposites like that, so different on a fundamental level that Akechi really has to wonder if there's any way for them to sustain that tentative friendship.

... Then again, isn't that how they balance each other out? ]

I don't think Leblanc's attic was in any inhabitable condition when you arrived, yet you've managed to make it your home. I'm fairly certain you can pull it off.

[ There's a beat, and he takes a purposefully timed sip of his coffee to give himself a few extra seconds to consider his next words. ]

... Although I suppose an extra pair of hands would help.

[ Akechi's hands, maybe? ]