[ Akechi offers a small laugh at Minato's initial response, then takes a closer look at the bundle of fabric. ]

Really? That was rather fortunate, to have found it all in a single place! [ WELL. As fortunate as it gets, probably, to find a bunch of moldy, colorless fabric... ] I thought we would have to scavenge quite a bit for materials, so I was pleasantly surprised when you told me you had it all readily available.

[ Ah... Teasing... Who does that remind him of, again...? ]

Or, we could leave that up to any new members we can recruit. That kind of task is usually handled by the rookies, correct?

[ Is he teasing back? Is he being absolutely serious? Who knows! But that's what Futaba says, anyway!! ]

I'm not sure I would call it a club, exactly. [ Since, you know, they're not at school? ]

But, in order to make this project a reality, we are probably going to need more hands. There is only so much the two of us can do, I'm afraid.

[ But he wouldn't be opposed to a club, either... He's never been in any... ]

[ It's not wrong per se, but it makes it sound like an after school activity!

On the other hand, he wasn't particularly against the term, either, so the random offer to name their project does catch him off guard. ]

What I would call it? [ A moment to consider this, then he tries: ] Hmm... How about a secret society?

[ A secret society of Manly Men who exchange tips on sewing and possibly other domestic affairs, yes. It sounds like a plan.

(He's paying back teasing with teasing, but if Minato takes it seriously, well...) ]

[ Now, wait a minute!! ]

President? This project was your idea, in the first place, so wouldn't it make more sense for you to be the leader...?

[ Plus, he doesn't really know much about sewing...!! ]

Ah... [ SIGH. ] Very well. If there is no other way, I will take charge.

[ Even if it's something as ridiculous as a secret sewing society. ]

And, in that case, I suppose our first order of the day would be to get you started on hand sewing, wouldn't you agree?

[ Good thing it seems like they're finally approaching the gardens, then. ]

[ It's his goddamn need to please people. This is how hey got himself into this mess. ]

Hmm, it does. [ He nods, though in truth, it doesn't make a difference to him. But, if it makes Minato happy... ] If you like it, perhaps we could make it our headquarters.

[ ... maybe he should be careful with the kind of jokes he makes around this guy, but what's done is done. Still, he looks around, picks what seems like a good spot to sit and waits for Minato to join him. ]

So. Shall we get started?

[ ... ah, yes. He'll make a mental note not to joke so much around Minato, lest he wants to keep playing along with progressively more ridiculous ideas. ]

Very well. Let's see...

[ That said, he dives through the pile of fabric, instinctively sorts each piece into three piles: tops, bottoms and potential scrap material - aka whatever is too worn out or torn to even be recognizable. At one point, he ends up with a shirt in hands and, after a quick inspection, decides to show it to Minato. ]

Oh, look at this one-- the sleeves are tearing off at the seams, but this should be easy enough to fix. And-- [ A quick tug, then another. ] --it looks like the fabric is still in relatively good condition. It should be a good place to start.

[ Well, when you've spent most of your life in orphanages, you kind of learn to dig through donation piles and stake your claim before anyone else does. That is one useful skill right now. ]

If we sew it up, the shirt will either fit too loosely or not at all. Since it doesn't have any buttons, the strings on top need to be loosened before slipping it on-- and this fabric doesn't have any elasticity in it, so if you force it in, it might rip.

[ Are you impressed yet, Minato? This boy has a wealth of random information. ]

But, we can worry about that later. For now, we should get started on your lessons, correct?

[ One day, yes. Akechi is given to some oversharing, so that shouldn't be hard at all to accomplish, especially for a Persona Protag. ]

The basics and manual sewing are all I know, yes. [ Said as he threads the needle and picks up the shirt, flips it inside out and lays it on his lap. ]

It may sound obvious, but unlike you do with machines, you need to knot the thread at the start, and then-- [ And he sets off to sew the left sleeve back in; it's a very basic stitch, and he definitely doesn't know what it's called, but he gives minor instructions as he goes.

He is pretty swift with it, though, and the end result, while nothing like a professional job, is far superior than what one might expect from someone who's only ever done this out of necessity. ]

Do you have any questions, or would you rather try the hands-on approach now?

[ Akechi overlooks Minato's work from up close, ready to chime in if he goes off track or needs a little help-- which, surprisingly, he doesn't. He didn't think someone who's only used to machine stitching could pick up on it so easily, but on the other hand, he had been in a sewing club before, so it makes sense.

But that question... ah. ]

I had someone instruct me at first, but I'm mostly self-taught. There are plenty of tutorials and blogs online that can teach you. It's really not that hard, as you can see for yourself.

[ That's a satisfying answer, isn't it? No need to overshare so soon! ]

[ WELL. To be fair, Akechi would probably be also really bad at video games, unless it's like. Professor Layton or strategy stuff. Guess they have more in common than they know?

But boy! This kid sure is very nosy, isn't he? There's only so much Akechi can reveal without going into personal territory, but: ]

Ah, mostly out of necessity, I suppose. There wasn't anyone I could keep asking to do minor repairs for me, so I decided to learn how to do it, myself.

[ It's important to look good! People will pay even less attention to you if you're an orphan and looking raggedy! ]