After the end comes the beginning. Phoenix never thought he’d return to Ivy University, but he had to regain his badge somehow after being rehabilitated as a lawyer. He had to take the bar exam again… but without any of the student preparations. Edgeworth helped him get organized and get used to his old profession, but it was still very difficult for him, perhaps even more difficult than the first time.
Clearly, after answering the questions of the professors, professors that in some cases he already met; Phoenix was exhausted. He walked calmly down the hallway on the third floor of the university, feeling nostalgic but not enough to deviate from his path to the cafeteria.
…The cafeteria. The image of Dollie, or rather Iris, popped into his mind for a few moments. But it wasn’t time to think about that, it was time to buy himself a good lunch as a reward for his good or bad work: he wouldn’t know the result of the exam for another month.
When he arrived, he walked over to the vending machine that was there, and just seeing the images next to the glass made him hungry. He chose his meal: A coffee and a few muffins. However, seeing the prices, seeing his lonely wallet, he couldn’t help but complain under his breath… His financial situation was as bad as always, as he was still just an untalented pianist. He sighed, scratching his forehead, which was sweaty from all the anxiety he went through.
Then, he heard someone approaching, the sound of boots and chains moving. Phoenix froze because it could only be one person. He knew that Klavier was going to give a seminar at that same university, that same week… but he didn’t think he’d actually cross paths with him at some point.
“Mr. Wright…?” Klavier asked uncertainly.
“Oh, hey, man,” Phoenix said quietly, not turning to look at him.
“Hi. I wasn’t sure if it was you. You finally gave up that old dress style, huh?”
Phoenix could practically hear a smile in his tone of voice, and suddenly, he felt embarrassed of whatever Klavier might be looking at. He turned towards him.
“It was about time... Maybe you should do the same thing, you know,” he said, raising an eyebrow, “But you left that accent of yours, from what I can see?”
“Ah,” Klavier murmured, taken by surprise, “Ah, ahahaha. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Klavier bought a chocolate.
“By the way, what were you trying to get?” Klavier asked simply.
“I was gonna buy some muffins and maybe some coffee, but…”
Before Phoenix could finish the sentence, he heard the sound of something falling; Klavier had bought him the former.
“Here,” he said with a smile, handing him the package.
“Oh... thank you, Mr. Gavin!” Phoenix smiled too, surprised, and took the package.
“Now... the coffee!”
Klavier put his arm around his, telling him to stay with him for a little while. Phoenix stood still.
“I-I think I can buy myself a coffee...” He scratched his cheek, hoping it didn’t look as warm as it felt. “Or is this a special occasion?”
“Of course it is. I know from Mr. Edgeworth that you fought your final battle to become a lawyer again today, didn’t you? You have to tell me how it went!”
Mister, mister, didn’t you. Phoenix had never heard him say those words so much; Klavier usually replaced them with German words. However, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time, had Klavier stopped talking that way?
But when they bought their coffees, Klavier said to the worker, “ Guten Tag, Herr Barista, I want to order a… ” and then, the unnecessarily complicated name of a drink.
“What will you order, Mr. Wright?” Klavier asked.
“A latte, Bitte ,” Phoenix said, only to see Klavier’s reaction. Please was one of the few things he knew how to say in German because of the mandatory classes he took in college.
Klavier’s eyes widened, and for the tiniest instant, he seemed embarrassed as he touched one of his rings.
“Alright, wait a bit and we’ll call your names,” the barista said with boredom.
And that’s what they did. The students at the university didn’t look as energetic and happy as in the photos; everyone sitting around them looked as if the exams were as traumatic as… being arrested when you’re innocent, which, honestly, was just as common as having a big, red, terrible bad grade.
Then, Klavier listened closely as Phoenix narrated every moment of the exam as if it were a movie: I dropped my pencil there; I didn’t know what to answer there… I stuttered there, I think I used the wrong terminology there… The teacher was smiling at me when I finished speaking, I don’t know if she was surprised because of my skill or my stupidity!
And before Phoenix realized, more than an hour had passed.
“Um, I gotta go. Thanks for cheering me on, I really appreciate it!”
“Don’t mention it, Herr—I mean, Mr. Wright.”
Phoenix tilted his head.
“...Why do you always avoid saying German words to me? Do you think I don’t understand them?”
Klavier shrugged.
“No! It’s just… You don’t like my accent, do you?”
“When did I say that?”
“Um… well, when we met.”
Phoenix was silent for a moment as he thought about that trial.
“Oh… I made fun of your accent or something back then, didn’t I?” He chuckled. “Klavier! That was seven years ago! I don’t care anymore, obviously.”
“Really?”
“Of course,” he replied, still laughing, “Have you been thinking about that all this time? No way… Are you gonna tell me you think I’m still mad about all that stuff, or something silly like that, now?”
Klavier stared at him for a second.
“N-no. That would be silly… very silly. Heh… well, uh, see you, Herr Wright.”
Later, Phoenix slowed down his bike while waiting for a person to pass the street.
“Wait… He doesn’t really think I resent him, does he?” he thought.
“…Nah.”