Something I Love About Akeshu Is The "i Know You Know" Of It All. Them Being Rivals Makes Very Little

something i love about akeshu is the "i know you know" of it all. them being rivals makes very little sense outside of the context of joker being the leader of the phantom thieves, and yet he is the one who proposed that they be rivals. because akechi already knows, and joker knows he knows. their "rivalry" is a game, they're friends hanging out but they're playing a game, how much can they dance around the issue, how much can they say, how blatant can they be without losing that veneer of plausible deniability. but it's not just that, because joker, who is observant enough to notice the discrepancy between what hand akechi shook with and what hand he played pool with, definitely noticed that akechi heard morgana. so akechi thinks he's winning because his secrets aren't part of their game, but they are, because joker knows. he knows what akechi means when he says, "if i'm going to take you out." it's their game. he never tells his other friends, because this is about them. they're friends. akechi talks about murdering him over the phone and they still hang out. they duel in memetos with apparent lethal intent, akechi confesses his hatred to joker, then invites him to jazz jin a week later. he doesn't want to kill his friend, his rival in this game, but a couple days later, he puts a bullet through joker's head anyway.

i know you know, but you don't know i know.

when did it stop being a game, i wonder? did it ever?