Friday, After School
"Yukari-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"Still want to get those matching chokers?"
We had been aimlessly wandering around Paulownia Mall ever since the end of school, and our walk had been punctuated with ellipses and furtive glances at each other when we thought the other wasn't looking. Pointedly, my feet came to a halt in front of the accessory shop Yukari had frequently brought me to, and I pointed to it questioningly. Realization seemed to dawn on her as though she hadn't been paying complete attention to me before.
"O-oh, you still want to?"
I just gave her a small nod before unceremoniously grabbing her hand and dragging her inside. She made a small squeak of protest at the sudden action but recovered soon enough and eventually fell into step next to me, following me as I weaved through the displays of high fashion. Once we were far enough into the shop, I dropped my friend's hand and gestured to the rotating rack with various goods dangling from its hooks.
"I'll pick out yours, and you'll pick out mine, 'kay?"
Yukari gave an uncharacteristically timid nod before turning to the accessories beside us. I smiled despite her hesitation and shifted my attention to the task at hand. After all, if something was bothering her, she would bring it up once she was ready, and I knew better than to pry. My fingers traced the smooth fabrics and materials but nothing seemed to catch my eyes. None of the chokers on the display seemed to suit Yukari more than the one she already had. They were either too loud in color or too bold in design.
I let out a sigh that I didn't realize I was holding and stepped away to explore the store in more detail. After several minutes of searching, I nearly gave up, but something finally caught my eye. The choker was similar in design to Yukari's favorite one that she constantly wore, but the color was a pale pink and the heart buckle was a sterling silver. I could already feel my face flush with happiness and excitement.
"Yukari-chan, I found yours," I called quietly, not wanting to disturb the shop's calm and ambient atmosphere. The girl in question jumped slightly before moving to join me.
"Really?" she whispered back, her hand moving to her neck sheepishly. "Sorry, I still haven't found yours yet…"
"Then… why don't we get the same one? Didn't we want to match anyway?" I asked, holding up two of the chokers that had enchanted me.
"Yeah, you're right…"
We both paid for our goods and finally left the corner of quiet that Paulownia Mall offered. With a shy smile, I pulled my friend to the bench in the middle of all the hustle and bustle by the fountain, pulling out the choker I had bought. I gave her an apologetic look before unclipping the accessory that currently adorned her neck and carefully replaced it with my gift. I didn't miss the way her face flared when I accidentally brushed my fingers against a particular spot on her bare neck.
"Yukari-chan?"
She jumped suddenly, her face bursting to life with color.
My mind repeated my personal policy of not butting my head into matters that weren't my own, but my concern for my best friend immediately overrode it. "Did something happen?"
Without waiting for permission, I removed her new choker and inspected her naked neck once more, listening to my gut feeling. My eyes widened when I saw what I had missed on her neck earlier near her collar bone. Sure enough—
"…I know I said I'd wait on getting a boyfriend, but… but…" Yukari whispered softly with a hint of desperation, suddenly looking absolutely torn and on the verge of tears. I respectfully put her new choker back into place and silently waited for her to continue. "He was… nostalgic. There was just something about him. I know this sounds really dumb and corny, but it's like we met in another life or something. I… I think I might even l-love him."
"Why didn't you tell me before?" I cried out frantically. We were best friends! Heck, when I started going out with Aki, I went to Yukari first, so to learn that she was hiding something big like this really hurt my feelings. I knew that some things just weren't any of my business, but best friends didn't leave each other in the dark when it came to these kinds of things… "I thought we agreed that we wouldn't hide stuff like this from each other!"
"I-I'm sorry, Minako-chan," Yukari apologized immediately. "I didn't want to tell you before because…"
"What excuses this kind of thing?" I interrupted heatedly, my emotions getting the better of me. Part of me wanted to slap her, but another part of me knew that doing so wouldn't erase the sudden feelings of betrayal. Yukari looked equally hurt and clenched her fists angrily.
"Well, just let me finish first!" Realizing that fighting like this wouldn't help anything, I put my hand up to signal a truce. There was nothing I hated more than fighting with the people I cared about the most. Yukari recognized my gesture and sighed to gather her bearings before continuing. "…I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure what kind of relationship we had until recently. It all just kind of… happened. But really, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before…"
"It's…" I trailed off, my anger dissipating until it was pretty much nonexistent. "…okay. I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of the whole thing anyway. So, how long? And… who is he?" I asked cautiously, hoping I wouldn't offend her further, and personally, I was curious about whoever could make Yukari become so vulnerable. As far as I knew, I should've been the only one who was able to remove her mask and reduce her to… this.
"Not that long… And he's… an older man," she said simply, choosing not to elaborate any further.
My eyes narrowed slightly with suspicion. With someone like Yukari, an older man could easily take advantage of her need for a father-like figure. Even more concerned for my friend's safety, I continued my interrogation, "How much older?"
Yukari seemed taken aback at my question. "Just four years… Why do you ask?"
There was a heavy silence as I contemplated the situation and as Yukari anxiously waited for my verdict.
"…You should introduce us sometime…" I finally answered with a sigh after what seemed like an eternity and stared at the suddenly interesting hem of my uniform skirt. Secretly, I was relieved that it wasn't someone significantly older than her. When I looked back at her, Yukari surprised me with the most cheerful thing she'd done all day and smiled genuinely.
"Definitely. I think you two would get along pretty well… You both have this incredible aura about you." Another moment passed before her eyes widened with realization. "Oh yeah! I forgot to give this to you…"
She reached into the bag beside her and produced the twin to her new choker.
"You know, I think this might actually look really cute on you." She fastened it in place and scooted back on the bench to get a better look at her handiwork. "Yep. It looks really cute."
"Yukari?"
We both whirled around at the sound of the deep voice and were face-to-face with a tall man with dark hair. He removed his headphones and flashed us a charming smile, and I didn't miss the way Yukari's eyes lit up at the sight of him.
"Minato-kun? What are you doing here? I thought you had class today…"
"It got cancelled, so I thought…" He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment and glanced around at anything or anyone but her. Finally, his cool grey eyes met with mine. "But anyway, who's this?"
"Oh, her?" Yukari gestured to me with the biggest smile I had seen on her face in ages. "She's my best friend Arisato Minako."
I could feel my own cheeks grow warm from Yukari's fond words.
"Ah, I can tell," Minato commented with a growing grin. "Those are matching chokers, right?"
Yukari shot me a gleeful look as if to tell me, "He noticed!"
"Wow, you have quite the eye, Minato-san," I said with a grin of my own and stood up. With a determined look, I held my hand out for him to shake, which he did with a distinctly gentle yet firm grip. "I should get going, so you two can have some time to yourselves. It was nice meeting you, but… make sure you get Yukari-chan home on time, okay? You don't want to meet with my divine fury anytime soon."
"H-hey! You're not my mother," Yukari cried jokingly from the bench. The corners of his lips turned upward into a smile as he gave me a resolute nod, picking up on my friendly teasing and chuckling just a little.
"Don't worry. You can count on me."
I adjusted the strap of my schoolbag and skipped a couple steps toward one of the many exits before a devious thought struck me. With my leader voice, I glanced back at Yukari and ordered, "You better remember to fill me in on everything I miss once you get back to the dorm! That's an order!"
Yukari stood to protest, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw her boyfriend skillfully lead her away by the small of her back with ringing laughter.
"I'm actually really happy for you, Yukari-chan," I murmured truthfully despite the fact that she wouldn't be able to hear me. One of my hands balled up in front of my chest, and I had to wonder just what that painful feeling was. Shaking the strange thoughts and feelings out of my head, briefly, I wondered if Akihiko would still be hanging around school and willing to hang out with me for a while but decided that he had probably already left. With that in mind, I hesitantly smiled in what I told myself was satisfaction and made my way back to the dorm for the day.
Saturday, Evening
"Arisato…"
"Minako," I corrected without missing a beat and threw my pillows and blankets onto the large bed in the corner. Mitsuru cleared her throat with a flushed face and gestured to her bed that was now cluttered with our combined bedding.
"What exactly are we doing?"
"We're having a sleepover, remember?"
"What is a…" Mitsuru struggled for a moment with the unfamiliar term, "…sleepover?"
"It's just as the name suggests. I'm sleeping over here with you tonight." An exhausted breath escaped my lips as I wiped the sweat off my brow. It was tough work trying to carry so much stuff down the hall in one shot.
"In the same bed?"
My eyebrow twitched at her tone, and a slight smirk came to life on my face. I could have a little fun with this… "Yeah, that's how it works. Is something the matter?"
"N-no, it's just that… I've never done anything like this before and…"
"Don't worry! I was just like you until Yukari-chan taught me, but now we do this all the time."
"All the… time?"
"Yep, and I do it with Fuuka-chan sometimes, too. She doesn't have as much experience as Yukari-chan does, though, so it gets kind of awkward with her after a while… But it's always fun when Yukari-chan and I do it!"
"Err…" Mitsuru's cheeks darkened considerably, and I couldn't help the small giggle that broke free for a moment. "I-I'm not sure I quite understand…"
"It's easier than you think. I'll even teach you everything you need to know!" I sidled up to the flustered senior and leaned toward her, my eyes twinkling with mischief.
"A-ah, um… that is… I mean—" I cut her off by abruptly throwing my arms around her in a tight hug, and only a small, out of character squeak left her before we haphazardly tumbled backward onto her messy but cushioned bed.
"Mitsuru-senpai!" I whined playfully between my bouts of laughter, rolling off of her with a sidelong glance. "You weren't supposed to fall over! I just wanted to give you a hug."
"E-eh? But Minako, you—"
"It's a sleepover, Senpai. We stay up late into the night, watch movies, have girl talk, do fun things… then we go to sleep." I moved onto my side to face her completely and rewarded her with an impish grin. "What did you think we were going to do?"
She stubbornly turned away from me very red-faced and crossed her arms. "Don't tease me so much, Minako."
"But it's too much fun, Mitsuru-senpai," I shot back with a wink. My fingers inched across the folds of fabric until they brushed against the silky material of Mitsuru's uniform shirt. That was when I realized that I was already in my plaid pajamas, but she hadn't even changed out of her school uniform yet. "You know, the fun doesn't start till you're dressed for it."
"O-oh…" The senior stood up awkwardly and raised her hands to remove her blouse, but she stopped abruptly. "Do you have to watch?"
I raised an eyebrow at her skeptically. "We're both girls. What do you have that I haven't seen before?" I asked teasingly.
"I-I see. Well, then…" Mitsuru walked over to her dresser and pulled out a silky nightgown, and I couldn't help but drop my jaw at the modesty of it. It was as though Mitsuru was from a previous generation or something…
Respectfully, I took my curious eyes off of her unsurprisingly voluptuous figure and settled for staring at the cover of the horror DVD I brought in with me. The plan was to have a fun sleepover together on the weekend and watch a horror movie all the way through unlike the last time we had watched one… I remembered the first time we watched a scary movie in her room and her vice-like grip on my hand as well as her poorly disguised excuse to stop watching. She suggested that we stop watching when it got to the gruesome part, and her reason was that we had school the next day and that we shouldn't stay up too late…
Yeah, we stay up much later on exploration days. Nice try, Senpai.
Slyly, I slipped the disc into the player and grinned expectantly when the movie's eerie menu music started playing. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught my upperclassman flinch in surprise.
"You're not getting out of it this time, Senpai," I warned teasingly and dramatically hit the "Play" button on the remote. "And if you get scared, that's what I'll be here for… Now that I think about it, that's the kind of thing you normally expect with a couple."
"Minako, what did I tell you about the teasing?" Mitsuru reminded me in a stern, yet soft voice, the corners of her lips curling upward anyway.
"Well, I'm not really teasing you this time, Mitsuru-senpai." I glanced away from her and allowed my eyes to rest on the remote in my hand. "What ever happened after… you know… the whole fiancé thing? I thought that the Nanjo Group had better people in it than that guy…"
"Actually, I've heard that they are already trying to set me up with someone else from the Nanjo Group," she replied with lowered eyes. I took her hand in mine and smiled, my grip tightening.
"I know I can't really relate to everything in your life, but… if you ever need to run away again, you know who to go to. Well, I know you said that you wouldn't run away anymore, but just in case…"
"I'm… Thank you, Minako." Suddenly, the senior didn't seem so old and worn, and it was as though she had a great weight lifted from her chest. She could actually breathe as she wanted and needed.
"Just make sure they set you up with a better match, Senpai. You deserve better than that disrespectful scumbag!"
"I'll keep your opinion in mind…"
"Now… time for the horror movie!"
"Eh? N-no, wait, Minako, I—"
"No excuses! We're watching it from start to finish this time!"
I found out later that night that sleeping was a hard feat when Kirijo Mitsuru was desperately clinging to you for dear life… I was definitely going to feel that in the morning…
Sunday, Daytime
"Junpei-kun? Hello? Are you in there?"
"…Huh? O-oh, wait just a sec!" came the muffled answer from the other side of the wooden barrier, and a couple of crashing noises and curses from within made me wince slightly. What was he doing?
The door finally opened, and Junpei greeted me, making a point to shoo me away from the door and further into the spacious, empty hallway. I could only raise an eyebrow and put my free hand on my hip at his behavior. He shut the door behind him and rubbed the back of his head as though my presence made him flustered. The recording I had seen several months ago in the Command Room abruptly came back to me, and it was suddenly obvious why he wasn't letting me peek into his room.
"Are you doing anything right now? Everyone else is out, and I have nothing to do today…"
"Ah, well…" Junpei glanced up and down the hall suspiciously before releasing a sigh of defeat. "I guess not. Did you have anything you wanted to do? Like go out for ramen?"
"Actually, I just got a laptop and was wondering if you'd install something for me…" I held up the object in question with a sheepish smile. Junpei seemed to brighten considerably at the prospect of being able to help me with something.
"Sure thing, but… wouldn't you rather talk to Fuuka about computers and stuff?"
I laughed slightly, pushing past him before he could protest and invited myself into his room. His face paled considerably in the span of only a few seconds, and he reached out to futilely stop me. "Don't mind me, Junpei-kun. It's not like I haven't seen a dirty room before."
"B-bu—!"
"Anyway, I heard you talking about Innocent Sin Online once… Would you mind helping set me up? I'd like to try playing." I stepped over a bin of dirty laundry and made my way over to his cluttered desk and messy bed. A stray sock innocently stared up at me from his mattress, and with a grimace, I delicately plucked it and flung it across the room to join the rest of his laundry. "Maybe I should help you clean up first…"
"N-nah, you don't have to go that far…" Junpei appeared to be genuinely embarrassed with the situation but moved to sit at his desk anyway. "So what's with the sudden interest in Innocent Sin Online? You didn't seem that interested when I first mentioned it…"
"That's because I didn't have a computer to play it on before. Ever since then, I've been working part-time to save up enough to buy a laptop, which brings us to today."
"Well, let good ol' Junpei see it."
A little over an hour had passed before the laptop computer was completely set up and ready to run the game I had suddenly become so excited about. I rubbed my hands together anxiously, anticipating the new experience ahead of me. Ready to finally get started, I crossed my legs on Junpei's bed, balancing the laptop on my knees and gave him a thumb up. He grinned and swiveled in his chair back to his own computer.
I finally logged in to my newly created account and nearly squealed in excitement when the game started loading. A moment later, text began floating onto the screen to signal that the opening sequence had begun.
Spring, the year 20XX...
You have 1 message.
From: "Phil."
Reality is just a series of events and players acting out what they believe is real. When we accept that fact, our world becomes "reality." Reality is but a reflection of our thoughts and expectations. ...But, what if we were merely reflections in another's mirror? Are you prepared to look through that mirror to discover the truth?
My blank character appeared on the screen in an area labeled "Lunarvale Hospital," and I frowned once the character creation window popped up. "What type of character should I play?"
"Uh…" Junpei pushed away from his desk to peer over the top of my laptop at my screen. "Maybe a support type? My character's really physical, so I get my butt kicked a lot."
"Mmm, okay. That sounds good enough…" I set to work compiling my avatar, and several minutes later, I was thoroughly satisfied with my work. "Now for a name…"
"Ooh ooh! Since my character's name is Naoya, yours should be Maki!"
"…Maki?" I burst into a fit of giggles once realization had dawned on me. "So you want us to have matching handles? Okay, then…"
With a satisfied nod, my finger dramatically tapped the enter key.
"Okay! Now make sure you don't fall behind!"
"Hmm?" My fingers set to work rotating the camera, revealing just how empty the server was. There weren't any signs of life around us save for two figures on the edge of the map and the global chat box was eerily empty. "Where is everyone?"
"No one really plays this game anymore, so it's kind of like a ghost town on most days." Junpei turned back to his own character and smiled at the sight of the only other player characters in the area. "Hey! It's Maya and Tatsuya! Lovey-dovey as always, I see."
Junpei began typing frantically to alert the two players of our presence. "yo! wassup gais? ^_^"
"oh! lookie tatsu! its nao! yahooo~ ;D" The female character began to jump wildly on screen and ran over to join us. Her companion, whose name I realized hung above his head, followed after her.
"It looks like there's finally another new player, too." My eyes brightened at the fact that Tatsuya actually took the time to type properly.
"I'm Maki, Naoya's friend. Nice to meet you guys. :)" I frowned when I realized that I didn't know how to make my avatar bow, but when I looked up to ask Junpei about it, he seemed to already understand my dilemma, beat me to the punch, and tapped a combination of the keys in front of me. My eyes glittered in amazement when my character actually bowed like I wanted her to.
"OH! maki's so cute an polite! she reminds me of sumone i know… ._."
"wanna kill mobs wit us? maki-chan's kinda a nub so we gotta lvl her b4 she can go were we play" Well, thanks a lot, Junpei.
"yea yea! let's plvl maki! ^^"
"Hey, I'm just a newbie at this game. :O I've played other mmos before… when I lived with my cousins anyway…" …Back when we all had to take turns playing on one computer, anyway. The other player who had been rather silent through most of the conversation finally spoke again.
"Here, you can have some drops I found earlier. They're much better than the starting equipment." I smiled when I got the item trading notification and clicked to confirm. My smile grew even larger when I saw the stats on the offered equipment. These guys definitely trained in some high level areas.
"Thanks a ton, Tatsuya! :D"
"…Now that I think about it… Naoya, Maki… Don't your names match?" Aha, so he was a closet fan, too…
"ooohh, i get it! u guys r so sly tryin to copy us… jkjk ;P"
"aaah dont tease us so much maya-san!" My eyes shot to Junpei's profile once I had read his reply, and to my amusement, there was a hint of pink dusting his cheeks. I quickly turned back to the game and typed my contribution to the conversation.
"Don't worry so much, guys. It's not like I'm going to destroy the city or anything… :)"
"LOL maki made a funny! xD"
"Is it just me, or is this a gathering of nerds with a common interest?"
"awww come on tatsu! its all good fun! ^_^"
"yea man, were all good friends here rite? ;P"
"sooo liek, what's the story between u 2? r u guys goin out or something? :O"
"nah, maki-tan has an irl bf already. i missed my chance lol xD" Once again, my gaze immediately flew to Junpei, who was giving me a mischievous grin and thumb up. I could only shake my head in disbelief at him, a small heat creeping into my normally pale cheeks. If what he said just now wasn't true, I almost could've fallen for that smile of his just then. Almost.
"So what about you and Tatsuya? :3" I typed to counter. Maya's character made an embarrassed-looking face coupled with a bashful motion, and I made a mental note to look up how to use the various emotes later.
"err… im actually single irl -_- sad huh? orz"
I winced slightly at her reply and hurriedly typed a response to rectify my mistake. "Wah! I'm sorry, Maya! I'm sure you'll find someone soon enough…"
"so do u have an irl gf tatsuya? come on, u can tell us~ 8D" Typical Junpei.
"…Yeah."
I nearly dropped my laptop in surprise and hastily requested further details.
"Well, tell us how you met her! Please please please?"
"yea! story time~"
"If you guys insist…"
We all waited patiently with bated breath.
"About a month or so ago… I met this girl on my way home from university classes as I was passing a dorm building. Well, actually, I always passed that area on the way home, and I usually saw the same girl but never talked to her. Anyway, I don't know why, but something compelled me to stop that day. So I did."
"And? :D"
"She accused me of being a stalker, tossed her schoolbag at me, and ran inside."
"eh? D: whats up wit dat? LAME"
"stfu nao! :O let tatsu finish"
"Naturally, I was confused, so I waited outside the building until she came back out, realizing she tossed her bag at me. I apologized to her, told her that I just took that route home every day, and handed her bag back. When I was about to leave, she asked what my name was, and we ended up introducing ourselves formally."
"Where's the romance?" I typed before I could stop myself. Junpei snickered from his chair in front of me, and I just huffed at him in response.
"It just happened one day. We were sitting on the steps of her dorm talking, and I suddenly leaned over and kissed her. We've been going out ever since."
"…Wow, Tatsuya… You're surprisingly…"
"BOLD!11! :DDD"
"._."
"maya-san?"
My brows furrowed at her sudden silence.
"T^T"
"…tatsu r u an maya fallin out?"
"…Let's think positive?"
"tttaaatttssssuuuuuu! U MEANIE! DX"
"Maya has logged out."
"Err…"
"hmmm… trouble in paradise? 8D"
"…"
"Tatsuya has logged out."
I looked up at Junpei with a puzzled expression. "I guess I'm not getting p-leveled today, huh?
He just laughed.
Monday, Evening
"So why exactly are we all going to a bathhouse?"
"Well, that's because…" I trailed off hesitantly, Fuuka's eyes meeting with mine for a brief moment. "Something about the hot water heater bursting or something…? Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it too much Yukari-chan. Mitsuru-senpai said she made arrangements for the repairs already."
I groaned slightly at the way Fuuka diverted her gaze, so I shifted my bath supplies to my other arm to put a hand on her shoulder. She was being way too hard on herself. Sure, not many people manage to make explosions in the kitchen quite like the one she made earlier, but no amount of reassuring her that she was already forgiven (hell, we weren't even mad in the first place!) would console her.
"Fuuka-chan," I called out to her quietly, and she flinched under my touch. "Relax. No one's angry with you. See, Mitsuru-senpai's even still smiling about it…"
Strangely enough, the senior had been amused by the whole scene more than anything. Going back to the incident in question… when I had arrived back at the dorm earlier from school, Fuuka was in the kitchen, busily preparing a meal for everyone. The only other person present at the time was none other than Kirijo Mitsuru herself. But anyway, it wasn't long after I had walked in that there was a big explosion in the kitchen. I had no idea what Fuuka had done (and thank heavens she was unharmed!), but in the process, some vital pipes were damaged. At a loss for words, I stood in place speechless, while Mitsuru burst into hysterics. Either she had finally lost it, or she hadn't seen a good action movie in ages.
"Don't look so glum, Yamagishi," the upperclassman in question finally added. "No one was hurt, the repairs will be done by the end of the week, and you actually managed to give me a thrill."
"What exactly happened?" Yukari raised an eyebrow at the exchange, not quite understanding what we were talking about. "Don't tell me—"
"No, it's not Fuuka-chan's fault. Anyway, let's all enjoy this rare opportunity! It's not every day that we go to bathhouses…"
"…I've never been to one before."
"Don't worry, Mitsuru-senpai. It's kind of like… a hot spring! Yeah, something like that…"
Mitsuru was immediately skeptical, memories of the last time we were in a hot spring obviously coming back to her. "…I suddenly don't want to go."
"Ah! Mitsuru-senpai, wait!" I quickly removed my hand from Fuuka's shoulder and reached out to grab Mitsuru's arm, stopping her from stomping back the way we came. "The guys won't peep on us this time! …Or rather, they won't be able to… That's why it's called a 'bathhouse.'"
"Yeah, Mitsuru-senpai. It's only like a hot spring because we'll be bathing together," Yukari added.
"The sections for males and females are completely separated, so you have nothing to worry about," I clarified even further. The empress finally seemed to relax at that piece of information.
"Alright then. Just this once…"
I released the reluctant senior and turned back to Fuuka.
"I hope you realize what this means, Fuuka…"
"Ehh? What…?"
I decided not to answer her right away and instead continued toward our destination. It wasn't until we were finally undressed and stepping into the shower area that I graced her with an answer. "Skinship grope!"
"Ehhh?" she barely squeaked out before I pounced. Mitsuru looked slightly mortified while Yukari could only shake her head in disbelief.
"Typical Minako…"
"M-Minako-chan? What are you doing?" Fuuka demanded between squeals, and I finally released her with a satisfied grin.
"Sorry, sorry. It's a bad habit from when I lived with my cousins…" I adjusted my towel over my chest and pulled a stool out for me to sit on while I washed my hair. Fuuka and Yukari joined me on either side with Mitsuru next to Yukari.
"Now that you mention it, you've never really told us a lot about yourself," Fuuka commented timidly, turning the water on and flinching away when it was too cold.
"…I guess I haven't, huh?" I let the water in front of me run until I was completely satisfied with the temperature. "After my parents died, I just kind of got shuffled from house to house until my auntie finally took me in. She had several kids of her own, so she was more sympathetic toward me than the rest of the family."
"Oh, I'm sorry…"
"Don't be," I reassured Fuuka with a cheerful smile. "It was always lively around the house… There were more boys than girls, so I just became one of the guys through the years. We always beat each other up with sticks and played in the mud… My auntie just about had a heart attack when she saw this gash in my knee once! Those were really good times…"
"I guess that explains some of your weirdness then," Yukari teased, lathering her hair up with shampoo. I just laughed in response.
"It's because of those guys that I can tolerate Junpei," I admitted through my laughter. "I'd take Stupei over those guys any day."
"…How did you come to love music so much?"
My eyes shot open at the question, and I winced when the runoff from the rinse ran into my eyes. Fuuka quickly handed me a small towel and bowed her head apologetically, but I just waved it off, my smile cracking just slightly. Once I had properly rinsed the soap and conditioner away, I padded over to the tub and slid in with a sigh. Shortly after, Fuuka, Yukari, and Mitsuru joined me.
"It was because of my parents." Fuuka jumped slightly at the answer. "My mother was an idol back in the day, but she gave it all up because of me. My father… he was a professor. Yeah, I know it sounds kind of silly, but that's who they were. It's a shame I never got to hear how they met because I'm sure it would've been a fun story… But anyway, my mother came to appreciate classical music because of my father, and soon enough, they were teaching me how to play the piano."
"You can play the piano?" Fuuka asked with shining eyes. Even Mitsuru's interest seemed piqued.
"Yeah," I replied, sinking further into the warm water until my shoulders were submerged. "It was mostly because of my father that I can play. Apparently, I got my skills from him because he was a genius back in his day. Of course, I only know as much as I've heard my relatives whisper about in the halls, so…"
My eyes locked with Fuuka's, and something just seemed to click. "We're actually really similar, don't you think? Wasn't it because of your father that you got so interested in technology?"
"Ah!" Fuuka's eyes widened ever so slightly. "You remembered that?"
"Eh?" I tilted my head in her direction, confused by her words. "Of course I do. How could I forget something like that?"
"Hey, you never told me anything like that, Fuuka-chan," Yukari piped in with a pout, and Mitsuru was quietly nodding her head in agreement.
"Well, Fuuka-chan," I started, moving closer to her and placing my hands on her shoulders. "I think it's about time we broke down all the barriers between us and got everything out in the open. We're all friends here, right?"
"…Eh? Ehhh?"
"Wait, what?" I dumbly blinked at her reaction before my eyes widened in realization. "…H-hey! Don't be like Senpai and get the wrong idea! Wait! Fuuka-chan!"
Tuesday, Morning
"A-ah, I'm running late, running late!" I hastily shoved a slice of toast in my mouth, attempting to force my shoes on and fix my messy hair into a ponytail at the same time. There was something bothering me though… I stopped for a moment, taking the time to chew on my sad excuse for a breakfast while I mulled over whatever it was that was keeping me from bolting straight out the door.
Ken's coffee mug hadn't been in the sink like it normally was every morning. It was just a small detail that most people would ignore, but…
I slipped out of my shoes, carelessly threw my bag on the counter, and lazily walked back to the stairs. Everyone else had already left while Koro-chan was peacefully napping on the sofa, which was routine, but a certain someone obviously hadn't come down all morning. My feet began to grow heavier with each step I ascended, and a nagging feeling was clawing at my stomach. Hesitantly, I stood outside the boy's door, my hands drawn into fists at my chest like the times I summoned my personas, and I knocked.
"Ken-kun?" There was no response, but instead of assuming I was wrong, I threw caution to the wind and opened the door just enough to peek inside. The room was dark, the curtains drawn, and the oddly familiar form in the bed in the corner shuddered slightly. "Are you okay?"
"…Minako…-san?" I could see him struggle to pull himself into a sitting position, and with wide eyes, I rushed forward to gently stop him.
"No, no, no. If you're not feeling well, you should rest." For good measure, I put the back of my hand against his forehead then cheeks and gasped, recoiling from the heat. "You're burning up!"
"…Don't you… have school, Minako-san…?"
"Oh no, you don't! Don't you dare worry about me… and just look at yourself! I'm not leaving you here without anyone to take care of you!" Before Ken could force himself into an upright position again, I pushed him back into the mattress and tucked the edges of his covers securely under his sides, so he couldn't escape. "Just wait a bit. I'll go get you some medicine and something to eat…"
I quietly shut the door behind me and nearly ran down the stairs, bursting into the kitchen with a specific mission: make porridge for Amada Ken. With a resolute nod, I washed my hands, put on my apron, and gathered all of the necessary ingredients just as Shinji would have instructed, making all of the proper measurements as I collected what I needed. I set to work cooking the rice and cutting vegetables, a pot of water making its way to boiling as I toiled away. One glance at the clock told me that I had already missed the first class of the morning, but I didn't mind. Taking care of Ken when no one else could be there for him was much more important to me.
The porridge finally looked ready, and one quick taste confirmed it. I was confident that the taste would meet my patient's standards, so I made sure to put everything I had used away before gathering up the food and medicine I found in the cabinet. The dishes could be washed later after Ken was taken care of.
"Ken-kun?" I pushed his door open again, carefully balancing the tray as I made my way over to his bedside. "I brought you medicine and something to eat…"
I set the tray on his lap and helped the boy sit up enough to take what I brought him. Gingerly, I opened his mouth enough to pop in two pills and grabbed the glass of water I left on the tray. He bravely swallowed the medicine and grimaced as a coughing fit erupted in mid-swallow. My brows knitted in concern, and my hand darted to his back to rub soothing circles.
"You took a cold shower last night, didn't you? Even though you could've come to the bathhouse with us…" It wasn't a question so much as it was a statement. Ken lowered his eyes shamefully, most likely realizing that he had been caught, but I just smiled and giggled, which seemed to confuse him.
"M-Minako-san…?"
"I'm sorry, Ken-kun. You're just too cute for your own good." My hand flew to the top of his head, and absentmindedly, I smoothed out his messy bed head. It was a sisterly, almost motherly, act of affection, and I couldn't help the growing smile on my face. "I hope you're hungry. I brought you some porridge…"
I didn't miss the way his eyes lit up.
"You made something for me?"
"Of course!" I pulled away from him and pushed the tray closer to him. When he didn't move, I grabbed the spoon and scooped up the warm mush up to feed him myself. I blew on it to cool it before holding it out to his lips.
"I-I can feed myself, you know!" To prove his point, he futilely tried to lift his arm, but it wouldn't go high enough to reach the tray in his lap.
"Don't worry so much, Ken-kun," I assured him a tilt of my head. "Now say, 'aahhh.'"
He was definitely embarrassed, but he still opened his mouth to take a bite. I nearly leapt off the edge of his bed to jump and sing in victory. The next half hour flew by in a similar fashion: I would beg Ken to let me feed him, he would grudgingly open his mouth and take the bite, and I would resist the urge to celebrate each and every success. Finally, he polished off the rest of the meal and was stifling a yawn. It seemed like the medicine was starting to kick in.
"…That was just like my mom used to do…"
I stopped in place, his words sinking in and blood rushing to my cheeks. "Your mother used to take care of you just like this when you got sick, huh?"
"Yeah," he affirmed with a slow nod. "She always made porridge… yours tastes exactly like Mom's. And she would always stroke my hair, and… and…" Ken's words were interrupted by a loud yawn, and soon enough, he was out like a light.
I collected the dishes I brought up to his room and prepared to leave with them, but I stopped several feet away from his bed, a thought tugging at me like a stubborn child and his mother's skirt. With a sigh, I gave in and tip-toed back to his bedside, brushing the stray hairs out of the feverish boy's face. If he noticed what I was doing, he showed no sign of it.
I left a feather light kiss on his warm forehead and smiled down at him.
"Get better, my little soldier."
He made an unintelligible response before turning slightly and snuggling into his covers.
Satisfied, I finally took everything downstairs with me and was reminded the moment I set foot in the kitchen that I had dishes to wash. I sighed at the prospect of completing the chore, but I sucked it up and did it anyway. Any excuse to keep me from running to the school this late in the day was good enough for me. Several hours later, Yukari walked through the door and shot a worried glance in my direction. I gave her a motherly smile in return.
"Where were you today?"
"Taking care of my little boy."
Wednesday, After School
"Koro-chan!" I set my schoolbag down on the coffee table in the lounge before bending over to affectionately ruffle the dog's fur, and he gave a bark of appreciation. "Is no one else back yet?"
"Woof!" My eyelids abruptly drooped, and I found myself stifling a yawn. Koromaru nudged me towards the sofa, so I complied and fell back onto the cushioned seat.
"Now that you mention it…" Another yawn interrupted me midsentence. "I am suddenly feeling tired. Maybe I'll take a nap… Wanna take a nap with me, Koro-chan?"
The eager hound didn't even bother replying and just hopped up next to me, his head immediately diving to rest on my lap. I couldn't help but smile and absentmindedly scratch at a particular spot behind his ear. Yet another yawn reminded me of just how tired I was, so with Koromaru beside me, I finally let my eyes fall shut.
My eyes suddenly snapped open, and I realized that I wasn't in Iwatodai anymore.
"Koro-chan?" I called out and nearly screamed in alarm when something bumped against the back of my leg. Frantically, I whirled around and was met with a familiar, furry mound of white. "Oh! Koro-chan… I don't think we're in Iwatodai anymore… Do you have any idea where we are?"
The dog just shook his head and whimpered in confusion.
"Well," I trailed off, taking in our surroundings for the first time. It was eerie and gloomy like the Dark Hour, but it didn't have quite the same feel of danger to it. Plus, there wasn't a tall tower like Tartarus to be seen for— oh, that tall tower.
Koromaru barked and pointed his snout at the looming structure in the distance.
"Eh? You think we should go over there?" He just growled and shook his head in response. I crossed my arms apprehensively and realized that I wasn't wearing what I last remembered wearing. "And why does what I'm wearing remind me of one of my personas…? But which one was it?"
"Woof!"
"You know, I can't really understand you as well as I'd like, Koro-chan… I wish Aigis was here…" I resumed my task of inspecting the oddly familiar dress, but I was so caught up in what I was doing that I didn't notice the ground beneath my feet crumbling until it was too late for me to react. "Oh, what the—?"
"Do not worry, Minako-san! I will rescue you!" My eyes widened in surprise at the sound of the unfamiliar male voice. Not deep enough to be Shinji… Too serious to be Junpei… Too deep to be Ken… Not quite the same as Aki… Definitely not Theo or Ryoji… Just who was that?
I twisted my falling body enough to catch a glimpse of black and a speck of red. Oh, and a tuft of blonde hair, and… "Aigis! Is that you?"
The hardened yet somehow warm arms that caught me in midair were enough to answer my question. I knew that feeling… Quickly enough, we were back on solid ground with Koromaru happily barking at us, his tail wagging in excitement. It was at that time that I took the chance to get a good look at Aigis.
She—no, he was just the same as ever from what I could tell minus the whole gender swapped issue, anyway. His frame was tall and slender, a medium between Aki and Ryoji, his facial features were broader and more pronounced, and his hair was chopped just a little shorter than normal. Instead of the usual female school uniform, he wore, obviously, the male version. I suddenly felt the corners of my mouth fall.
Why the hell wasn't I wearing my uniform anymore?
Or, more importantly, why the hell was Aigis a man?
"Aigis… why exactly are you a… g-guy?"
Aigis, however, didn't seem the least bit fazed, but he still skillfully avoided my question. "It is my duty to protect you, Princess, and ensure your safe return to the castle. The Queen of Ice had you trapped in the Tower of Demise all this time, and you just recently escaped. Don't you remember?"
I blinked dumbly. Queen of Ice…? "Mitsuru?"
"That is correct. In the meantime, we must attend Shinjiro-san's tea party. After all, it's in honor of your newfound freedom."
"Wait, Shinji's having a tea par—?" Aigis firmly grabbed my hand and led me along, Koromaru hopping behind us on our heels.
"Come along, Princess. We must go before the Queen of Ice realizes that you are missing."
I shot Koromaru a distressed look, and he countered with a baffled expression of his own. "If we're going to be pursued, then why bother going to a party?"
"Don't question it, Minako-san. Now let us be off…"
Out of nowhere, there was suddenly a forest all around us, and we were casually strolling through it. I didn't know whether to feel frightened or slightly insane at the revelation. Regardless, Aigis's grip on my hand tightened in reassurance. The walk was relatively uneventful, and I had to wonder if the "Queen of Ice" would even find out I was missing from the tower anytime soon. Koromaru's barking immediately broke my train of thought, and I reached for my weapon that I realized I didn't actually have on me.
Great.
"Stupei! If it weren't for you, then we wouldn't be in this situation!"
"Well, geez, sorry, Yukaricchi!"
"'Sorry' doesn't cut it! You sold our last cow for a stupid 'magical bean!' And what did it do? It grew into a giant vine that attracted rats and destroyed the village! Now what are we going to eat? Where are we going to live?"
"Junpei-kun! Yukari-chan!" I wriggled out of Aigis's vice-like grip and embraced my two best friends. Finally, a sense of normal—
"Dude! The freaking princess is hugging us! Sweet!"
"Ehh?"
I pulled away at their words and realized that they must've been in fairy tale mode. Ah well. At least Koromaru was still normal… I cleared my throat before going back to playing along. "Err, never mind that. Hey, um, if you guys need food, you can tag along with us. We're on our way to Shinji's tea party."
"Ooh ooh! Can we?" Junpei's grin was contagious no matter what world it was in.
"Of course. Now let's go." I held my hand out for Aigis to take once more, and we resumed our journey through the darkening forest with two more party members. After several more minutes of uneventful walking, minus Junpei and Yukari's bickering and Koromaru's whimpers, I finally stopped in my tracks. "What's wrong, guys? We're going to a tea party. You'd think you'd be a little more cheerful at the prospect…"
"Woof! Aroo…"
"Koromaru-san says that there is a mysterious smell in the air that is bothering him."
"And there's this really weird trail of batteries on the ground."
"Huh… That can't be good…" I commented, crossing my arms. Junpei, on the other hand, threw his arms into the air and cheered.
"It's gotta be here for a reason! Let's follow it!" Before any of us could protest, the fool ran ahead of us into the darkness of the trees, following the suspicious trail of… energy? I ran my hand through my hair with a groan.
"Stupid Junpei…" I blinked in realization and lowered my eyes back down to the dark material of my Western dress. "Oh yeah! This is Alice's outfit!"
"That's nice, Princess, but…" Yukari coughed into her hand uncomfortably. "Stupei just ran off. Shouldn't we go after him?"
I shrugged, not too concerned about this dream world anymore. "Sure, why not?" There was no way it could get more bizarre than it already was…
I take those words back.
We finally caught up to Junpei who was being assailed by Jack Frosts and Pyro Jacks, but that wasn't what troubled us. Just in front of him, there stood a strange house that seemed edible… if you had a death wish. The odor that wafted from the dubious structure was nauseating, and I found that not even covering my mouth and nose would lessen the smell's effects. My eyes widened when Junpei bravely took a step forward, the magical creatures frantically letting him go. He wouldn't… Would he?
"Aww man! I'm so hungry! I don't care anymore! I'm going to do it!"
"Junpei-kun! Don't!"
He took a handful of the questionable material (it jiggled!) and shoved it into his mouth. Yukari and I screamed at him in sheer horror, while Aigis and Koromaru watched on nonplussed. Suddenly, the owner of the house burst out the door and pulled his hand away from his mouth.
"Don't eat it!" she urged, her pointed black hat slipping off her head just slightly from the struggle. "You don't have to eat it! I've renounced my witchy ways of eating unsuspecting travelers… Now spit it out!"
"Fuuka?" Wow, Fuuka was a mystical witch? Fun.
"Fuuka-san," Aigis spoke, moving forward and paying no mind to the choking Junpei. "Do you wish to accompany us on our journey to Shinjiro-san's tea party?"
"Oh! Shinjiro-san is having a tea party? I'd like to come! Maybe I could even bring some cookies…"
If this Fuuka was anything like the real one… well, hell. Her house nearly incapacitated Junpei. Of course letting her bring food to a tea party was a bad idea.
"Don't worry about that too much, Fuuka-chan," I cut in, sweat beading on my brow. "Shinji would probably get mad if anyone brought food to his party. You know how much he loves to cook…"
"Oh, you're right! I can't believe I didn't think of that…" Everyone released sighs of relief with the exception of Junpei, who was still on the ground recovering from earlier.
"Well, then…" I looked over all of my expectant companions and smiled, grabbing Aigis's hand. "Let's get going!"
A flash of white suddenly caught my attention. Aki?
I tugged on Aigis's hand and ran in the direction I saw it disappear in, much to Aigis's chagrin. Koromaru was hot on our heels, but Junpei, Yukari, and Fuuka had fallen behind to the point that I could no longer see them. It didn't really matter; since this was obviously a dream, they would manage to make it to Shinji's tea party.
"Minako-san! What are you doing? Stop this at once," came Aigis's deep voice, and it took all I had to not shiver at the delightful sound of it.
"Woof!"
"Koromaru-san also wishes to know what exactly you are doing."
We came to a stop in front of a rather large rabbit hole, and I had to wonder why exactly this scenario sounded so familiar…
"Minako-san?"
I stepped forward with a mind to carefully climb through the entrance, but my foot slipped on the slippery grass at the last moment. Before I could blink, I was falling through the hole, my hand still firmly held within Aigis's and Koromaru accompanying us through a mouthful of Aigis's other arm. The tunnel appeared to be a peculiar mash-up of the various blocks of Tartarus minus the oppressive atmosphere of said tower. Belatedly, I noticed my puffy skirt flying upward to reveal…
Hey! I did not wear bunny-printed underwear!
"Minako-san, what seems to be the mat—?"
"Don't look, Aigis!" I hissed in warning, pushing his face away. This was too messed up to be just a simple dream!
Before we could make what should have been our hard landing on the ground, Aigis made sure to grab both me and Koromaru securely and take the brunt of the fall. Once the aftershock had worn off, he gently let the two of us down and surveyed our surroundings. I shrugged and continued walking, Koromaru hurriedly running to trot beside me. It still didn't look too different from the Dark Hour, so I wasn't too concerned…
Oh, hey! Some conveniently placed drinks on a random table in the middle of nowhere!
…Like I was going to fall for that.
I was about to bypass the table entirely until I saw him. Little Ken (and I mean little) was barely noticeable on the ground, staring up at the table despondently and trying in vain to reach one of the suspicious vials. Part of me argued that I should scold him for wanting to drink something that he didn't know what it was, but the other part of me pointed out that the bottles were conveniently labeled "Shrinking Potion" and "Growth Serum" respectively. Knowing Ken, he'd most likely want the "Growth Serum."
"Hey, Ken-kun!" I called out quietly. The boy glanced up at me with his large eyes and tilted his head in curiosity. "You want the 'Growth Serum,' right?"
"Ah, Princess Minako!" He gave a hurried bow before nodding in excitement. "Yes, please!"
I carefully lifted the supposed growth-inducing drink off of the table and poured a small drop for the boy below. Ken greedily drank up whatever fell his way, and soon enough, the bottle was completely empty. I bent over to get a good look at him and frowned when I saw nothing happen.
"Is it working?"
"…I'm not sure."
There was a burst of light, and I found myself stumbling backward in surprise. Koromaru was barking in the distance, and Aigis was suddenly next to me, an arm held out protectively in front of me. When I looked up, I nearly sputtered at what I saw.
"K-Ken-kun?" He wasn't as little as I last saw him. In fact, he wasn't as young as he should've been, and the drink most likely caused growth in another sense as well.
"Princess…" Ken was down on one knee and gently kissing the top of my hand, much to Aigis's obvious annoyance. "Please allow me to accompany you to the tea party as well."
"No," Aigis immediately answered with a pout. "It is my duty to escort the princess."
Little Ken-kun was now a tall, grown-up Ken-kun, complete with a deeper voice and butler uniform. What a lovely dream this was turning out to be…
"Woof!"
"You know, Koromaru is right. We should get going!" I chimed, standing up before either boy could begin fighting. Aigis sent me a puzzled glance.
"But Koromaru-san said—"
"Come on! You're coming too, Ken-kun!"
"—he is your number one companion."
What, really? Aww…
"…You're so sweet, Koro-chan." I stopped in mid-step and made sure to pet Koromaru's fur before continuing on.
"Aroo!"
The four of us followed a random trail, and after what felt like an eternity of walking, I could finally see a garden up ahead. I glanced up at Aigis expectantly and was met with his warm smile. The older Ken tightened his grip on my hand and allowed me to take the lead while Koromaru excitedly ran alongside us, also happy to see a definite destination.
"Is that where Shinji's tea party is supposed to be?" I asked quietly. Aigis nodded and pointed to the opening in the hedges.
"We just need to go in through there."
"…Why are you guys so late?" I glanced to my left and saw Akihiko in a tuxedo and glasses with… bunny ears?
"A-Aki?" I pulled my hands away from the boys on either side of me and rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Oh, there was no way I'd ever get Akihiko to wear those in real life…
Must save image to brain…!
"Ah, you're finally here, Princess…" He practically hopped over and bent down to kiss my hand just as Ken had earlier. "I trust your guards kept you safe in my stead?"
I glanced at Aigis, then Ken, then Koromaru and nodded. "There wasn't a lot of danger to protect me from in the first place…"
"Arisato!" The new voice sent chills down my spine, and I almost didn't turn to look. Of course, curiosity got the better of me, so I did anyway.
"M-Mitsuru-senpai!" Something told me that Mitsuru was very pissed in this dream… either that or sorely misunderstood. Determined to find out which of the two she was, I stared the ice queen down to break into her thought process, and after several minutes of heated glares and intense glowers, she finally broke.
"…Why wasn't I invited to the tea party?" she asked quietly, twiddling her fingers nervously.
"Wait, weren't you the one who apparently locked me in a tower?" I fired back incredulously and put a hand to my hip, expecting an answer out of the stuttering empress.
"Ehh? What?" She seemed bewildered at my question. "Oh, I thought we were going to have tea together…"
Confused didn't even begin to cover what I felt at the moment…
But when you're living in a dream like this, there's no point in crying over spilt milk… or something like that.
"Well, let's just put all of that behind us, and go to the party together then. Okay?"
Junpei, Yukari, and Fuuka poked their heads out of the garden's entrance and brightened considerably at the sight of me. "Princess! Over here!"
My legs moved to join them, but Aigis's unyielding grip stopped me.
"Princess… there is something I must tell you."
"Aigis?" I turned to him fully and waited anxiously for whatever it was he needed to say.
"I am… in love with you."
"Really?" Before I could say anything else, he leaned forward and planted a quick, chaste kiss on my lips. I was pretty sure everyone's jaws dropped… I know mine did. When he pulled away, a swirl of light surrounded him, and when it dissipated, there was no longer a robot standing in front of me… Aigis was a full-fledged man.
I smiled and gripped his hand, intending to lead him to where everyone else was waiting. Koromaru was barking eagerly for us to join them, but before we could reach the garden's opening…
My eyes snapped open, and I was suddenly aware of the weight against my head and on my shoulder. Curiously, I turned just slightly and saw Aigis's peaceful face, her eyes closed and a timid smile stretching from cheek to cheek. It was reassuring to see her back to normal, but finding her so close to me after waking up brought a peculiar thought to mind.
I raised my eyes to the sofas in front of me and found the rest of SEES napping peacefully around me. Yukari and Fuuka's heads were propped up on Junpei's shoulders across from me, Mitsuru was lightly snoring in an armchair to my left, and Akihiko and Ken were collapsed on the floor next to the couches. I couldn't help the giggle that left my lips at the endearing sight and lowered my gaze to the snoozing pooch in my lap. Absentmindedly, I softly stroked his white fur and grinned.
What a perfect afternoon.
…Wait. I never did make it to that tea party.
Thursday, After School
I couldn't believe what I thought I was doing. In my bag, as I nervously navigated the halls of Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, there was a thermos of tea. Now, any normal person would question why I was at the hospital, still in my school uniform, and searching anxiously for a person I never visited before today with tea of all the things I could have brought. It was silly, really.
So why was I at Tatsumi Memorial Hospital today?
I stopped outside a certain door and gulped even though there was no reason to be nervous.
"Shinji, I'm coming in…" I called out of courtesy, even though I knew I wouldn't receive an answer. The closest I got to a reply was the constant blip of his heart monitor, which was actually the most comforting sound in the room because it meant he was still here. Quietly, I shut the door behind me and pulled a chair up to his bedside.
"Hey, it's been a while, hasn't it?" That was an understatement, of course. Prior this afternoon, I hadn't visited him in the hospital even once. No one ever blamed me for it, but it still didn't stop the guilt that ate away at my very core. The haunting words, "You could have prevented it. He was reaching out for your help the entire time. You didn't do nearly enough for him…" just made the whole prospect of seeing him on the verge of death all the more painful…
"I see you've been doing the same as always…" Keeping everything to himself. That was the only thing truly the same as always. His limp, comatose body was a heartbreaking reminder that everything else would never be the same. "You were always scolding us to eat properly, but look at you. You're in a rather sorry state yourself," I chided in an effort to fill the stifling silence, but my misty eyes made everything that much worse.
"You were such an idiot, you know?" I told him, hesitantly gripping one of his rough, large hands in my own smaller ones, my heart breaking for him all over again. Part of me regretted my decision to come by today, but the other part of me still stubbornly clung to the hope that he could somehow hear my mindless babble deep down. "You tried to shoulder such a large burden by yourself when you should have come to us… You could have at least come to me. That's what teammates are for, right?"
I wanted so badly for him to answer me in that usual gruff grunt of his or to ruffle my hair the way I always hated, but instead, he did what he did best: do everything I didn't like including staying silent.
"You know," I started once again, wanting to carry my one-sided conversation on a lighter note. "I found out last week that Yukari-chan finally found a boyfriend. I was kind of surprised since she never told me anything, but after everything she's gone through, she needs someone who can support her. Her boyfriend… Minato-san? That's what I think his name was… he's really familiar for some reason just like Yukari-chan insisted, but I can't figure out what it is. Maybe I'll find out why if I hang out with him and Yukari-chan later.
"And Junpei-kun… Well, he's been doing a lot better with just about everything lately: his studies, fighting in Tartarus, keeping the mood up... Ever since what happened to Chidori…" I paused, realizing that I didn't exactly want to tell an entire anecdote on that particular event, and quickly moved on, "But anyway, he's back to smiles and more. Though, there's something genuine about those grins of his now. Like he doesn't have to hold anything back anymore.
"Mitsuru-senpai is moving forward, too, you know? You should've seen her just the other day. It was really funny watching the normally fearless and cold Mitsuru squeak and squeal while watching horror movies. I know she would kill me if she ever found out I used this word to describe her, but she was just so cute. I wonder… did you ever get to see that side of her before everyone else joined SEES?
"Fuuka-chan… She's getting better in the kitchen. Slowly, but surely. I just thought you'd like to hear that we're keeping your domain intact. Hopefully, you won't notice the few repairs we had to make on everything here and there… Oh, wait, I shouldn't be telling you that," I trailed off, wiping at my watery eyes, and made the realization that I was rambling much like I had that last night with him. Determined to get the most out of this visit, I continued on, tears now steadily running down my flushed cheeks.
"Um, Aigis and Koro-chan are the same as always… Actually, Aigis is becoming more and more like a normal human every day. I'm sure that if you saw her now, you wouldn't believe that she is the same robot you met just months ago. And I've been making sure to feed Koro-chan the good stuff when no one's looking. He really loves that recipe you left, so I had to learn how to make it just for him.
"Oh! Ken-kun caught a horrible fever just the other day… But that porridge recipe that you taught me how to make after I got sick did just the trick, so thank you. I've never had to care for anyone when they were sick, so that whole thing was a new experience for me. Mitsuru-senpai was so mad when she found out that I skipped an entire day of school just to take care of him, but that's not really fair when you think about it. She never yelled at you for skipping all the time for no real good reason…" I chuckled just a little despite the steady stream of tears.
"And Aki…" My voice cracked even more, and I found that I didn't have the strength to just carry on with that forced smile of mine anymore. I finally broke down in a shuddering, sobbing mess, my grip on that lifeless hand of his tightening. "…Why? Why am I crying so much? I…
"Shinji, we all miss you so much, and…" There was a sharp clatter as the thermos of cold tea hit the hard tile just to the right on my feet. I blinked in surprise, startled by the sudden, loud noise and bent over to retrieve the container. Memories of my dream yesterday came flooding back, and through the hiccups and subsiding sobs, I giggled just a little.
"You know, we all had a dream yesterday." The metal of the cold thermos was somehow comforting because through it, I realized just how alive both Shinji and I still were. Warm blood still pumped through our veins. "I was a princess—
"Hey, I know you want to laugh at that, but don't you dare. Anyway, Koro-chan was my trusty companion, and Aigis was… a man. We were supposed to go to your tea party, though I thought it was funny that even though everyone was there, it was still all about me somehow. There's no way I can be that important to everyone. But anyway, we ran into Junpei-kun, Yukari-chan, and Fuuka-chan in the woods, and then we got separated from each other.
"I'm going somewhere with this, so just be patient and bear with me. I ran into Ken-kun who grew older and taller after drinking some weird… I don't even know what it was. Then Aki comes onto the scene with rabbit ears, and Mitsuru-senpai is suddenly there and furious that she didn't get invited to your party and…
"In the end, I never got to go to your party because I woke up." I had to stop for a moment, so my body would remember to breathe and the tears would let up just enough for me to continue. "I don't know why, but it feels like some part of me expected to see you. Is it selfish of me to think that any you would be good enough?" Finally, I opened the container of tea I had brought and poured just a little because my hand was too shaky and unsteady to pour a full lid.
"I guess I just wanted to see this part to fruition. A tea party with Shinji. Unbelievable, isn't it?" Regardless, I drank the cold, bitter brew and almost choked because I knew I'd never be able to make it like he did. After several more minutes of crying and forcing down disgusting tea, I threw myself onto the edge of his bed, wishing I hadn't come up with the stupid idea to drink tea with him in the first place.
My perfectly placed mask had fallen off, and the tears made the surface too wet to glue it back into place.
"You should really stop listening to my idiotic rambling. It's bad for you," I scolded him even though there was no reason to chide him in the first place. Everything was my fault anyway. Finally, I gathered up my things to leave, the atmosphere of his silent room too much for me to bear.
I planted a chaste, feather-light kiss on his brow and left the room without looking back.
Friday, Evening
"—ako. Minako!"
I snapped to attention in time for my body to get acquainted with the ground in an intimate fashion via a lovely entity known as gravity. That matchmaker was a bitch, by the way. Oh, and hello there, stairs. I totally didn't see you—
"…Oww…" I hissed, rolling over onto my back, so I could sit up. Akihiko came running down the shrine steps with furrowed eyebrows and stopped me before I could stand.
"We should get that cleaned up," he said, gesturing to my scraped and bloody knees, and I could only acquiesce with a resigned sigh.
"Woof!"
"Okay, okay, Koro-chan. I'll listen to Aki." I tried to stand but fell back with a wince. My knees weren't the only things I messed up just now. Gingerly, I touched my already swelling ankle and flinched away from the spark of pain.
Akihiko just watched me with a pensive expression before reaching out to me.
"Come on. I'll carry you." I wanted to protest that I was perfectly fine, but Koromaru stopped me with a sharp bark (he was a pretty smart dog, after all.) Instead of offering me his shoulder like I expected him to, Akihiko snaked an arm under my knees and used his other to support my back. A princess cradle!
"A-Aki? What are you doing?" I could already feel my cheeks burning in embarrassment. This kind of thing was new to me because in no way was I a princess or a cutie girlfriend type of girl.
He seemed confused by my question. "Carrying you, of course. Is something wrong?"
"…I…" I buried my flushed face into his chest and shook my head. "Never mind."
With a grunt, he carried me the couple blocks back to the dorm, Koromaru hot on his heels. Once the three of us entered the lounge of the dorm, we were greeted by silence. Everyone must have headed off to their rooms for the night before we got back. Akihiko carefully and gently set me down on the kitchen countertop and set about rummaging through the cabinets for the first aid kit. Several minutes passed, and he still hadn't found it. Smiling from cheek to cheek despite the throbbing pain, I decided to give him a little help from my spot on the counter.
"Second from the left, Aki," I called out quietly and giggled slightly at the look he made when I was right.
"Sounds like you and the first aid kit are pretty close," he muttered just loud enough for me to hear. "Should I be jealous?"
Playing along, I replied, "Very."
He opened the white box and pulled out several ointments and bandages before continuing, "Then again, I don't think I can envy it after all…"
"Hmm?" Akihiko grabbed a clean, damp cloth from the sink to clean the scrapes, and my foot twitched slightly when he started washing the blood away from my legs. "And why is that?"
Akihiko dawned a smug grin before tugging slightly at the edge of my skirt. "I doubt the first aid kit has seen what's under here."
My face immediately flared to life at his suggestion, and the room was suddenly unbearably warm. "Y-you perv! I swear Junpei's rubbing off on you…" Of course, I didn't really mean it. The senior was just getting better at making innuendoes from all of our "free time" together.
Several minutes passed in comfortable silence, but as time wore on, Akihiko's grip on my calf tightened. Something was obviously on his mind, and the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable the atmosphere grew. Once my knees were cleaned, treated, and patched up, Akihiko grabbed a roll of bandages to wrap my swollen ankle. The moment his fingers made contact, I broke the silence once more.
"What's wrong, Aki?" He pulled his hands away and clenched them like he always did when he was frustrated. I was secretly glad my ankle was no longer near his destructive grip.
"I should be the one asking that," he grumbled irritably, facing away from me. "You're never that distracted… What happened?"
I drew in a sharp breath and swallowed the uncomfortable lump in my throat. How could I answer that?
"Where were you yesterday?" he tried again, desperation bleeding into his voice. "No one saw you all afternoon after school, and when you got back to the dorm, your eyes were puffy and red. You had been crying."
"I… Yesterday, I…" My voice wavered and cracked with uncertainty. If I said it out loud, it would become all too real all over again…
A lone tear slid down my face.
"Minako, what's wrong?" Akihiko's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just tell me who it was that made you cry, and I'll—"
"I went and saw Shinji yesterday," I blurted out all at once. Seconds later, I had to wonder if I had actually forced it out, but the shock I saw on my upperclassman's face confirmed it.
"…I-I see…" At a loss for words, he finally went back to the task of wrapping my injured ankle and reassured me that he'd have Yukari look at it tomorrow. While he did that, I slipped back into silence and wiped at the traitorous tears in my eyes. Once my ankle was carefully bandaged, Akihiko wordlessly scooped me into his arms. "I'll take you up for the night…"
But once we had made it to the second floor, I stopped him with a small tug on his sleeve. "I don't want to be by myself."
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"I… Can I go to your room?" I want you to hold me. He understood the underlying message and walked past the stairs and straight across the hall to his room. Silently, we both slipped under the covers of his bed and snuggled up together, relishing in the comfort that the warmth of being together brought.
"It just hurts so much," I mumbled into the darkness, and his arms tightened around me in response. "Everyone is so dear to me, so nearly losing him…"
"He felt the same, you know," Akihiko murmured into my hair. "That's why he—"
"I know. It's just… I wish he could've relied on all of us a little more. Right until the very end he was worrying about others." I nuzzled into his chest for the comfort I knew was there. "He wanted me to look after you, but it's obvious who's looking after whom. I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for all the times you saved me…"
"It's only because of you that I can smile now." I felt his lips and warm breath against my brow and resisted the urge to crane my neck just enough for our mouths to meet. "You helped me look away from the past and to the future. It's because of you that I have the power to protect what's important to me now."
There was only one thing I could say to him in return that had enough emotion to compete. "I love you, Aki."
"I love you, too, Minako."
Another week with my dear friends came to a peaceful close.
A/N: This is the part where I put an author note to explain myself, isn't it? Erm…
First, some trivia!
Kudos to those who…
Understand the significance of the four year age difference between Minato and Minako,
Know what upcoming story of mine I'm referencing when Mitsuru says, "…I've heard that they are already trying to set me up with someone else from the Nanjo Group,"
Get what I'm referencing when I gave Minako the handle "Maki" and Junpei the handle "Naoya,"
Know who "Tatsuya" and who his real life girlfriend are,
Recognize what trope I blatantly used at the bathhouse,
Notice the parallel of Junpei running ahead in the dream sequence, getting beat on, and meeting Fuuka with another event in the game,
And
Know where "…because in no way was I a princess or a cutie girlfriend type of girl." came from.
Other than that, I just wanted to write this for some original interaction between FeMC and all of SEES (with the assumption that all of their S-Links have been maxed.) I've been writing this for approximately… ah, I forget! It's been several weeks since I started. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading this obscenely long one-shot as much as I enjoyed writing it… which was a lot, just so you know!