Author notes : This is the third version of chapter one. I've re-read it and decided to make some changes in it (since I've began to figure out the plot), hope you enjoy it! Please R&R!
Disclaimer : Persona and related characters are not mine. I wish I can have it…
"Ma-ya!"
"Huh?" She snapped out from her daydreaming and looked into her friend.
"Ma-ya! I've spend some 5 minutes to lecture and you sleep?!" Ulala, her friend, crossed her arms.
"Well, I don't have enough sleep these days. Ya know, Mizuno is giving me many difficult works these days." She grinned sheepishly.
Ulala sigh. Maya has been getting like this since then. She still acts normally, cheerful and but some of her smiles are forced. But she knew that she still thinks about that boy, he who had left her to the other side, that Déjà vu-kun. Maya, not wanting for her friends to worry, said that she's alright and blahblahblah, but everyone knew the truth. She pushed herself hard by burying herself in her job, that she often came home late, and she still acted as nothing happened. Ulala noticed that, by the frequent of her daydreaming that's increased, and not rare, when she woke up at the middle of the night, she heard some soft whisper coming from Maya from the next door. Ulala couldn't stand to look her best friend becoming like that, so she always tried her best to cheer her up and doing stuff like that.
"Ma-ya, if you keep getting to work like hell, your body won't be able to take it any longer. You should take a break. You never ever use your vacation days, aren't you? Why don't you use it now? Well, like having a picnic with me. We can ask Suou and Bao – I'm sure Bao wouldn't mind…Ah! "
Maya noticed her pause, but decided not to mention it. "Well, Ulala, I never feel tired with this job – err, Mizuno sure does give me a lot of scoops to do recently, but isn't it a good thing? I might as well get a promotion!" she paused, before gave her a knowing grin, "and I don't want to disturb your valuable time with Baofu," only to received a glare with slight blush from Ulala, that Ma-ya countered it with her expression, 'What?' , "And besides, Katsuya must have a lot of jobs. He's the one that been working really hard – and also the matter of Tatsuya for him." She smiled a little.
Ulala, who finally realize the bitter tones at that, suddenly felt bad, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.."
"No, it's okay." She let out a sigh. "I have learnt to accept about it. This Tatsuya isn't the same, more being a contradictory to the Tatsuya I knew. It's…it's just like to see him, but more like a dummy… It's a pain to see it, that he did forget about all things, all the experiences…and what a hero he was. But…somehow it's the best after all, that he had forgotten all the matters, that he won't suffer…he won't feel the pain like him anymore. Just let's positive thinking, right?" She smiled. "And besides…the one that's much more concerned is Katsuya. He has to work hard to build the bond between him and Tatsuya again…it's not easy for him."
Ulala observed her friend. She tried to look strong, but she knew from her bitter tones that she still missed him, that she slowly got it in the hard way. She always smiles, and cheerful, 'cause it's the good nature of her, which Ulala would never has.
The barmaid came and served the meals, a pair of hamburgers and set.
She quickly changed the topic, "Well, here it is. Let's dig in!" She said with enthusiasm.
Without any hesitation, they ate the hamburgers in two or three bites, which were finished completely in no more than five minutes, all of it. Ulala suddenly got an idea.
"Ma-ya, I've been thinking about it for awhile, do you have any work today?
"Hmm? Let's see…its Saturday right? Well, I've got to do some paperwork this afternoon, but I think I'll be free at noon. Oh, I think I will go somewhere tonight, so I might be home really late. Why do you ask?"
…Will she go to that place again? Ulalapondered. Recently, Maya sometimes left a note at the desk when Ulala's got home at night – when she's not drinking with Bao after work – with a message that she's going out for some fresh air, bla bla bla. When she asked her where she went, she lightly said that she's just strolling a bit, and changed the subject. She couldn't quite figure it out yet, but once, when she was doing their laundries, she smelled a faint scene of the ocean.
Ocean? Why will she go there?
And there's also the matter of Suou-nii. She somehow thinks that Katsuya can fill the voids in Ma-ya's heart, but it looks like Maya simply didn't want to get involved in those kind of matter sh. She couldn't help to feel pity with him. It seems – that every time happiness seemed in his achievement, it has just to be gone from his sight – leaving him to start completely from the beginning. Katsuya is such a great guy- she understood- He always gave in for the other happiness, and mostly at his brother sake, Tatsuya, and also…Maya. He didn't deserve to keep sacrificing himself like that, and she hoped that they actually can accept each other and move on, but it seemed impossible on Maya right now. She needed more time. After all, it hasn't even been half year since then.
Suddenly she blurted out her idea. "How about going to Konan? We haven't met Suou-nii for a while!"
Maya seemed a little surprised, "…But..what about your job? Won't Baofu be mad if you leave your work?"
She waved her hand, "Aaah, don't worry about that guy. I'll make him to nag with us - It's been quite some time since we last met together. How 'bout it?"
When she saw Maya still making her decision, she quickly persuaded her.
" Ow, it won't hurt a bit to loosen up from work just for awhile!" When she saw that it's kinda work, she added more lines to convince her. Goodness. Dear God, her workaholic trait is gonna eating her soon.
"Ma-ya, it's Saturday, for goodness! Just make your 'Work is my Lover' motto of the day leave your mind for a bit!" She add a little line, "I heard there's a new shop at there! Pleasseeeee????" Ow c'mon or else I'll drag you together with Bao, ne?
Maya stared at her, after some thought for at it, she laughed and nodded. "Well, fine. It's been a long time since I last met Katsuya."
"Woo-hoo! Great, let's meet at Parabellum at 5 o'clock. You just go on ahead, since it definitely takes hell of time to drag Baofu." They both rose from their seat, "Oh!" Ulala exclaimed. "Could you do me a favor? Please contact Suou-nii about our visit, OK?"
She smiled at her and nodded, paid the bill, and left after said a goodbye to Ulala. She went out to finish some of her work first..
It's going to be a long day.
Katsuya was terribly worn out. He managed to take a break after so many problems trailing him with no end. He succeeded in persuading Tatsuya to live with him – and it's not easy. To start with – his built relationship with his otouto has been reset , but that at least has gave him a more understanding of his brother. They have been through a long long discussion for this though – which was at first never been easy – but finally they reached an understanding and Tatsuya agreed to live with him which Katsuya reacted so happily by hugging him and messing with his brother hair – the successfully made Tatsuya embarrassed .
This, he exclaimed, is the beginning.
And just right then, cases seemed to flood his desk one by one. This time Katsuya had to solve a case about a mysterious destruction a kilo from the Club Zodiac. He eyed the file with his tired eyes – after all, he has been working nonstop while balancing with his private life.
"So, the destruction radius is 50 meters long, which destroyed the street near it into a big crack and affected other buildings. The victims counted are 2; both of them got some light wounds, no one killed." Strange, he thought, this pile of information seemed not to have any connection with each other. "The event occurred at 12.00 PM, and no gunpowder and any destructive elements for bombs are detected." No bombs detected? How could it be? The victims are Tatsunosuke Shin and Kuroki Jin, both are seniors at Seven Sister High School.
"Sevens?
He put back the pile of file, with questions whirled at his head. No bombs or any gunpowder detected, so what things can explode with that amount of power?
Just when it hit his thought.
Persona user?
He shook his head. It's just too good for coincidence.
After some arguments in his head and he didn't find any red strings, he decided to go home and relax.
Tatsuya didn't say anything about his 'forced' move to his apartment, but Katsuya knew well that he's still not comfortable with it. He still spends most of his time for his part-time jobs or the clubs – but it's better then before. Sometimes Katsuya –after returning from work- can found him sitting in the sofa, acting like nothing happened. Their conversations still a bit stiff though, but it's going better and better, for which he was truly glad.
Katsuya packed his things in 3 minutes and went off to his car, riding it to his apartment, but something changed his mind that he decided to go to Parabellum for a while.
A drink after a long-day of work…
Maya let out a sigh and stretched out her body. So it's already four thirty. She looked at her favorite watch, a cute-cute pink watch with a bunny at the center of it. I wonder what they are doing now.
She quickly packed her belongings, not caring too much if it's tidy or not. She took out her cellphone and pushed some numbers.
"Hello? Ulala? It's me, Maya. So how it is? …You say that you are going to a bit late? Why? Oh, Baofu. …Yep, I remember. So I go ahead then? Well OK, I'll go to Parabellum first? Ok, see you." She dropped the line, just when she remembered to call Katsuya. Is he at work now?
She took some time to search Katsuya numbers and dialed it, but no answer. What, he gotten off of Batteries? She decided to leave a short message, and then pushed it off. She went out to stop a cab to Parabellum, and then she looked off to the windows.
Glossary :
-nii : Means big brother, but can be used to address older man, with a more casual meaning then –san. Ulala used it for the former meaning, though.
Otouto : little brother
