[At first, he just listens to her thoughts, nodding along vaguely, ready to give his own thoughts when she suddenly turns teary. Well, fuck. She must have very low self-esteem. Akechi is quick to shake his head and raises a hand.]

No no! You're not useless. I think those were valid thoughts to have. A hostage situation would explain why everyone suddenly abandoned everything in media res. But you're also right that there are no signs of a struggle. Still, it doesn't eliminate the hostage theory just yet.