After Their Eyes Met
At first glance, Seta Souji's presence wasn't recorded in her mind as anything other than a simple teenager who's enjoy being around his friends after school. Yes, she had her suspicion when his friends began asking questions in relevant to what she asked earlier to the shop's owner. But other than that, he was as harmless as a gawking bystander, idly waiting for the problem to solve itself. She was about to leave him at that if he hadn't approached her that afternoon inside Junes Lobby.
What ticked on her curiosity was his lone appearance without his little posse on his tail. She masked her excitement with a stoic face as he bluntly told her his purpose when she prompted. That was the first time she heard that calming voice of his, asking her if she knew anything about Tatsumi Kanji.
Seta Souji didn't appear to be perturbed at all by the coldest glare she had. Her attempt to intimidate him or the least to make him reacted at all was evidently pointless. He kept his gaze steady and his face unanimated, causing her to question her own judgment of his involvement in this case.
The fact that he's interested in Tatsumi Kanji- regardless of his reasons, and how he's acquainted with Amagi Yukiko- who's recently missing, began to wander inside her mind. Several what-if scenarios came and went while she was telling him any information in related to Tatsumi.
His reaction after that was not of satisfied nor disappointed. He merely nodded, voicing a simple 'I see' before bowing his head slightly to show his gratitude. And she could only watch his broad back disappeared from her sight as he strolled out of the lobby.
It was not long after that encounter news of Tatsumi Kanji went missing reached her ears. It's quite vexing when she got that essential piece of information from the local news, not from her superior nor her colleagues at the force. But she digressed, eager to find out what really was Seta Souji's role in this case.
She is dangerous. After their last encounter at Marukyu, dangerous was a proper word to describe Shirogane Naoto. Initially, he couldn't see her as other than 'the boy in blue' in which she was probably had deduced Kanji was going to be the next victim. However, the boy in blue evolved into a smart girl who had outwit him in his investigation without harboring the knowledge about Midnight Channel as much as he was. Also she was clear to state that she knew he and his friends were investigating the case. Therefore, she's a danger, to him and to herself.
His brows slightly furrowed when he saw her petite figure stood by the school gate. Apparently, she was enrolled at Yasogami High as the first year. She moved down the brim of her cap, smiling. Her cordial greetings implied she was directly challenging him. Interesting. He almost found himself grinning at the thought, if not for his controlled composure. Still, he played the fool, returning the gesture with a nod and warmly welcoming her to the campus. A question dangled in his mind as she left for class. Why is she wearing a guy's uniform?
He was not expecting her to come during the Investigation Team's meeting regarding Kubo Mitsuo, believing she would find a better lead with the homicide division. She came with that usual cap of hers over her blue hair, callously claiming that their 'playing-detectives' was a mere game and it was about to be over. Her words inferred she had found the culprit behind Morooka's death. And if his hunch was right, the culprit was Kubo.
A Teenager Claimed all the Three Murders, was the headline of today's local newspaper. His uncle seemed to lose some tension, listening to the newspaper he read out. A thought flashed on his mind. His uncle had mentioned of a 'kid they sent from the upper-up' during one of his drunken fiascos. No doubt that 'kid' was Shirogane. And so he asked him how she's doing now the case was closed.
A smile crept on his face. The answer he was looking for turned out to be a dump of information regarding the 'Detective Prince' he's interested in. He found out that she was shunned by her colleagues- because she's acting all bratty and pompous, like uncle would prefer to describe it. The result was clear after recalling how many times they had intertwined during investigation, she worked alone. His smile grew even wider when uncle said she clearly unconvinced that the case was over. She truly is dangerous.
Amagi Yukiko, Tatsumi Kanji, Kujikawa Rise. Those three names should be enough to convince her Seta was not the person she thought he was. And yet she pulled this reckless stunt. If they really was trying to solve the case, then they would save her from this unknown world she's trapped in. He would save her from her demise eventually. At least that's what she convinced herself to believe before agreeing for this interview.
Idiot. He bashed open the final doors with an explosion from Megido spell, finding his way to Shirogane- who's taken hostage by her own shadow. She refused to comfort her shadow. Pshh... He then switched his persona to Izanagi, didn't expect much of her in the first place. Overall, her shadow proved to be quite a hassle but they prevailed in the end. He looked down at her fragile figure as she was freed from her captive.
His gray eyes were cold, as if he was slapping her across the face for what she had done. Glimpsing back, she was still there, her shadow self. His stern face told her what must be done and deep inside, she already knew that. I have to accept her. Her dark-blue eyes softened as her shadow evolved to a being they called persona. I am Sukuna-Hikona, the persona greeted her with a soothing voice. She finally understand what he and his friends were trying to do and completely understand her own self.
He figured taking her to the hospital would cause a commotion- something he would rather not have. Carrying her over his back, he walked toward the residential area after convincing her friends he would take care of her. Kanji wouldn't listen, much to his annoyance. He knew how much the bleach haired boy cared for her but that guy were taking the most damage during the fight.
Trust me. Those words seemed enough for Kanji as he was staring down. He asked Yosuke to see him home, ensuring the bleach haired boy didn't collapse during his journey.
Shirogane was still unconscious. He could feel her steady, yet slow breath on his neck. Then he grimaced as the chilling wind blew. He raised his pace, thinking the cold would worsen her condition. According to his uncle she lived somewhere in the next block but it was luck that helped him the most. Shirogane. The name plate was the first thing he saw when he reached the block.
He figured she was living alone in a small apartment as she had only been in Inaba for a few months. Apparently, he was wrong. A tall man with a black suit appeared after he pressed the doorbell. He couldn't see the man's eyes behind the thick sunglasses he wore. It's trivial, but he actually asked the man why he wore sunglasses after the sun went down.
The man didn't answer of course, demanding to know what happened to Naoto-kun. Huh, Naoto-kun. He calmly told the man she was feeling sick and resting in the school infirmary the whole afternoon, also he was asked by the teacher to take her home. The man bought it, thankfully. He took a glance at the man's anxious face before walking past him to Naoto-kun's room as asked.
Sunlight shone down through the blue curtain, waking her from her slumber. She found herself still in her uniform with her hat was rested on the end table beside her. She didn't remember much about what happened but the dizziness in her head inquired enough information she needed to know. They saved her.
Yakushiji-san briefed her about what happened last night as she took a bite off her sandwich. Seta evidently was a decent liar, being able to fool Yakushiji—who was overly protective of her well-being. Not to mention Yakushiji worked directly as Grampa's assistant. Regardless, she was glad he lied. Who knew what Grampa would do if he grasped the slightest mention of her being was involved in life-threatening situation.
She once again convinced Yakushiji that she would be fine on her own, telling him to go to work. Her voice was weak, she knew that. But a small smile from her face evidently able to soften him.
A slender hand grabbed a cup of hot tea from the table. Her mind was trying to recollect of what exactly happened to her. As prepared as she was, she felt fear that time and that's interrupting her memory. Although, she remembered the culprit was ringing the doorbell first before poisoned her unconscious- an odd MO, she would say.
She sighed, failing to remember any more than that. Walking toward the bed, she began to feel how feeble her body was. As she let her body fell onto it, she began thinking about Seta and his group and what they thought of her. If possible, she would want to join them now that she knew what they were trying to do. The thought escaped her mind when she felt an ache on her shoulder. It's vexing, but she's aware she needed to rest. And so she closed her eyes.
He had never been bothered about Yukiko, Kanji, and even Rise's well-being when they were still in the process of recovery. They needed time, that's all. But not Shirogane. It's still bothered him how she was ready to use herself as a bait just so she could prove her conclusion. Didn't she know the consequence if they failed to save her? It bothered him so much that he decided to pay her a visit afterschool and—for the first time in years, he felt the blood rushing up into his head.
A lone shadow cast out on the sidewalk under the twilight sky. He didn't bring his friends with him, simply because he thought this was his personal problem. Besides, he didn't want everyone to make a ruckus and made her recovery later than it should be. Yes, he's sure they would make a ruckus, especially the boys plus Rise with Kanji being the center of attention because of his obvious crush on her.
Vibrating noises abruptly woke her up. She sluggishly reached out a hand, grabbing her cell phone on the table. She was surprised by the familiar voice over the phone. It was Seta, asking her if it was okay for him to visit. Slowly, she pushed up her body, sitting down on the bedside. After hanging him for several seconds, she said no, telling him she's not in the state to see anyone. The simple 'oh' he gave her annoyed her a bit. Then he hung up.
She gazed out at the sunset through the window as she put down the cell phone. Seta's sudden call concern her. What does he want? She could assume he wanted her side of a story as the victim and that's why she refuse his visit. She didn't want to disappoint him, telling him the information he already knew.
She let out a relieved sigh as the doorbell rang. Yakushiji-san is finally return. She didn't show it outright—and did not plan to, but she needed to depend on him if she wanted to recover fast. Her head was too dizzy to cook and she probably got scolded by Yakushiji if she ate the cup noodle. Moreover, she's unsure if he could trust a stranger delivering her food. The last time she opened the door for a stranger she was kidnapped.
A pair of dark blue eyes went wide when she pulled the doorknob. A gray haired boy was standing nonchalantly in front of her, one hand buried deep inside his pocket. He wore the familiar shirt and a pair of black pants, those of Yasogami High summer uniform. His lean figure towering her as she looked up to meet his gaze. Instead of those cold gray eyes like the last time, his eyes were lenient. He also wore a mischief smile on his face- something she would never expected of him.
"Hello, Naoto-kun."
A/N : Um, confusing POV? Thanks for reading anyway. Have a nice day.
Disclaimer : I don't own persona