AkiHam

AkiHam is the het ship between Akihiko Sanada and Kotone Shiomi from the Persona fandom.

Canon
Kotone officially met Akihiko on April 20th, when she decided to join SEES. She visits the hospital to see Akihiko with Junpei and Yukari on May 1st. She can say, “We came to see you.” Or “I came along with them.” Akihiko’s Social Link opens at the beginning of June, provided the charm stat is high enough. His Social Link focuses on his protectiveness towards Kotone due to reminding her of his deceased sister, Miki. During the June full moon operation, she can choose Akihiko to search for the school gym storage key. During the third, Akihiko can be an option when the Lover’s Shadow attempts to force the two into physical intimacy. The two both struggle and successfully regain their senses. Akihiko becomes confused and has no idea what’s going on. Depending on the choices, Akihiko will either be embarrassed for only wearing a towel or inform him about Shadow’s manipulation until he realizes he needs to get change first. After he gets changed, he awkwardly asks Kotone to keep it a secret from the others. Once the two are reunited with the other party members, it is implied the others went through a similar experience.

During the Kyoto trip in the hot spring, the player has option to either exposed Akihiko and the guys with the girls or let the guys go unknowingly (whether after they become lovers or not).

Social Link
Akihiko’s social link starts when the player has a high enough Charm, and they start normal, although he sometimes gets nervous around her. In the 2nd rank, Kotone and Akihiko did a working out routine at the Naganaki Shrine. At the end of the 3rd rank of his social link, Kotone can ask him what his type is. He thinks it is his favorite type of beef bowl, and then he has some deep thoughts until he finally realizes she is talking about girls. However, he doesn’t want to deal with his kind of things since he’s not strong enough to carry this entire burden. Before he can respond with a proper answer to Kotone, he flutters and refuses to give her his answer because he’s been told that whenever a girl asks that, the correct answer is always “Girls like you.” he’s unable to say it. During 4th rank of the social link, it becomes serious as Akihiko becomes concerned about the rumor that she and Junpei are going out, but she manages to clear up a misunderstanding that they aren’t. Akihiko will express relief about it. In 7th rank, Akihiko becomes concerned for her. He asks her if there’s any way for her to stop fighting. Akihiko’s Social Link freezes and becomes unavailable to go further until after October 4th. In 8th rank, where he reveals his guilt of not saving his only sibling and wonders if it is sin of being alive, Kotone can manages to snap him out of it and says it’s not fault. After Akihiko calm down, he ask her to help him to share his burden with her. He will also admits that he might sees Miki in her. In 9th rank, where Akihiko tells her that he will work what’s precious to him including her.

The player can have a romantic relationship with him, though the player has to make special dialogue choices that are scattered throughout certain ranks of his Social Link. If the player chooses all of the correct dialogue and has accepted the offer to be Akihiko's "girl" at Rank 9, the Lovers Route for this Arcana will be triggered.

At the final rank of his Social Link, Akihiko will requested her to call him “Aki” since he’s curious how it sounds. If Kotone calls him by his nickname, he will look happy.

Dear Girls Comic Anthology
Which non-canon, in the Dear Girls Anthology commissioned by Ichijinsha. In one of the chapters, “For You Who Is So Precious to Me”, she and Akihiko are officially dating. It focuses on Kotone wanting to be a reliable girlfriend to Akihiko, pushing her limits during combat in Tartarus.

Weird Masquerade
Unlike in the game, She and Akihiko rarely interacted with each other. In Act 4, Akihiko stops Junpei from pressuring Kotone after they discover she has been carrying Death inside her for ten years.

Journey

 * During the Yakushima trip, when Junpei asks Akihiko what type of girls he’s into, he whispers to him, which shocks Junpei. Akihiko’s answer is unknown since he doesn’t want anyone to know. It implies his type is Kotone.
 * During the Inaba trip, Yuko asks Kotone if she has someone she likes, if she admits she likes someone, and if the dialogue chooses Akihiko, Yuko reacted in surprised that she’s into the most popular guy. She support Kotone’s choice she has advantage to due to being in the same dormitory.
 * Akihiko is an option for going to the Summer Festival with her. If Kotone decides to wear yukata, Akihiko gets nervous around her since it’s hard to look at her, but he is happy that she looks good.
 * When the Takoyaki Cook mistakes them for a couple, Akihiko denies it.
 * Akihiko is an option for a Christmas Eve date if he becomes Kotone’s lover.
 * In the New Plus Game of the PSP version, a non-canon alternative ending sees Kotone die when the player chooses a love interest. Akihiko is one of the options for this ending, where he tells her from now on, we have each other.

Persona Q2

 * Before starting the "Transcendental Trust" side quest, Kotone mentions Akihiko from her world, saying that it always turns into some training routine whenever he tries to hang out with him. She ends up jogging back to the dorm, drenched in sweat. Akihiko thinks his other self only does it because he cares about her.

Fanon
The ship’s name came from mixing Akihiko Sanada with Hamuko Arisato (Kotone’s fan name before her canon name was changed to Kotone Shiomi was announced). Kotone Shiomi is the name for the female protagonist used in the stage play adaption.

AkiHam is one of the well-liked ship pairings. Some fans consider Akihiko to be Kotone’s canonical love interest since he can take Yukari’s place in the love hotel scene. He is a common choice to be paired with her for good reason. He’s the only guy without tragic consequences. Most of Kotone’s possible love interests end tragically as star-crossed lovers or someone too young for her. Depending on the fans, Akiham is either a brother-and-sister-like relationship because she reminds him of his deceased sister Miki or a lover since they consider him boyfriend material. Some fan art and fanfiction depict them living together without Kotone becoming the Great Seal.

On AO3, AkiHam has over 300 works.

Quotes
"I have to work to protect what's precious to me. And that means everything precious..including you."

- Akihiko, to Kotone, if all lover dialogue flags are found in Persona 3 Portable

"You mean a lot to me... I love you."

- Akihiko confessing his love to Kotone in Persona 3 Portable

"I remember now. Everything that happened, the fighting, Tartarus, all of it...and how I fell in love with you. I'm sorry I forgot it all."

- Akihiko apologizing to Kotone in his ending

"From now on, we have each other."

- Akihiko, Persona 3 Portable

Fandom

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