Summary: The memories they created together were as vivid as the day she died. Ken x Minako/M-she.
Author's Note: Ken has always been my favorite character in the Persona series, even more so when I completed his route in P3P. This oneshot is for him. Enjoy.
Warning: FES spoilers. Angst.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. If I did, Persona 5 would be out already.
Eternal Sunset
By: x-LittleMissAlice-x
xXx
"A day without you is like a day without sunshine."
Unknown
xXx
I.
The first day of many has begun, and I've only just met you.
II.
He could remember the moment he first saw her...
III.
Perhaps, somewhere deep inside, he had known she was coming long before she had even arrived.
It was just a feeling – a small, barely distinguishable tug at his heart. At the time, he hadn't known what to think of it, dismissing it as the beginning of some strange cold. Junpei and Yukari's voice had long since faded, and he shifted uncomfortably, unsettled by the foreign feeling stirring within his chest.
Time seemed to stop the moment he saw her.
Brunnette hair glowing orange in the sunset, a sweet smile on her glossy pink lips, a mysterious girl scaled the steps of the shrine. Ken could have sworn the air had rushed out of his lungs. She was so gorgeous.
"Hey, Mina-tan!" he heard Junpei call, a goofy grin on his face as he waved her over.
She skipped towards them, ponytail bouncing, skirt swaying. She looked even prettier up close.
"What are you up to this evening?" he vaguely heard Yukari asked her.
"I was supposed to meet with a friend today, but I guess Akinari's not here," she murmured thoughtfully, her pretty lips briefly forming a frown that resembled a cute pout. Before he could properly prepare himself, the girl's warm eyes - a lovely mix of chocolate brown and compelling scarlet - turned towards him. Ken couldn't bring himself to move: he was mesmerized.
"Hello, I'm Minako Arisato. What's your name?" she asked casually.
He stood there, silent. Not only could he not move, he couldn't remember how to speak. His cheeks burned brightly. He had been so breath taken, he had actually forgotten his own name.
"I-I'm Ken. Ken Amada," he finally answered, the corners of his lips unconsciously curling into a boyish smile.
It had started with a silly crush. He hadn't thought their relationship would ever be more than that.
IV.
Another day has passed and I'm going to be living with you.
V.
He could remember the day he met her again...
VI.
It was nerve-wracking, the waiting.
Fiddling with his thumbs was not helping his anxiety, either. Would they accept him as part of the team? Would his dorm mates treat him like... family? Should he even care? He didn't know. He just didn't know.
Ken released another shaky exhale, willing to calm his rapidly beating heart and jittery nerves as the door to the command room creaked open. A half-dazed Junpei stumbled in first, a slightly irritated Yukari following closely behind, and then...
His breath hitched.
Minako. She was here. Even with her hair cascading down her shoulders, clad in orange and brown PJs, she looked so beautiful.
"Why did you call us up here in the middle of the night?" Yukari groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Hey, Ken-kun," Minako smiled.
"G-good evening, Minako-san," Ken stammered like a fool. She had actually remembered his name – he couldn't believe it.
Yukari and Junpei turned towards him, blinking owlishly.
"Is that you, Ken-kun? What are you doing here?" Junpei yawned. "It's way past your bed time."
Ken's eyes narrowed slightly at that. He was about to open his mouth to protest, to insist he wasn't a child so he didn't have a bed time, but Mitsuru spoke before he could, getting right to the point;
"I asked you all to come here because I bear splendid news: Amada-kun has the potential, and he will be joining us throughout our expeditions into Tartarus starting tonight."
Yukari's brows furrowed in uncertainty. "A-are you sure that's really okay? I mean, Ken-kun is just..."
A kid.
He knew she was going to say it, and that made Ken's blood boil. Why did everyone look down on him like that? They hadn't even seen what he could do yet. He wasn't going to be a burden. He had chosen a spear to make up for his short height and had trained with it in his room non-stop. He had already agonized over strategies. He had poured over every book he could get his hands on about Shadows. He wouldn't get in the way, yet no one would give him a chance…
One person did, though.
Minako, who had been quietly observing him on the other side of the room, approached. She extended towards him a slender hand. The bright smile she directed towards him was simply radiant. "Welcome to the team!"
"Y-yeah."
The way her eyes looked at him... it was different. She didn't look down on him like a child. She treated him like a person, an equal. He liked that.
VII.
Another day has passed and I'm starting to get to know you.
VIII.
He could remember their first unofficial date...
IX.
His hands fidgeted nervously under the clothed table, unable to avoid Minako's keen gaze. He couldn't bring himself to look at her for more than a few moments; he was afraid if he did, he would start staring. Again.
She smiled as she pointed to the menu. "What do you want to eat? I'm buying so you can have as much as you want."
"I-is it really okay for you to do this? I could always make something at the dorm. You didn't have to take me out for a late dinner…" he said, feeling a bit guilty.
Minako had insisted this was her idea and her treat, but Ken couldn't help but feel like maybe she was forcing herself. The other dorm members, while nice, mostly kept to themselves. Maybe she had noticed one of his rare, lonely looks that would occasionally slip through. He didn't want her to pity him or feel like she owed him something.
"But I want to take you out," she pressed, and Ken could feel some of his anxiety slip away. "I want to get to know you better, Ken-kun."
"O-okay," he finally agreed, tentatively lifting up the menu to hide his flushed cheeks. He wasn't reading the menu, though; he couldn't concentrate on anything with Minako watching him like that. It made him... nervous. What if she didn't like him? What if she thought he wasn't interesting because he was a kid? He didn't have many stories to tell like Junpei and Yukari did about their school. He didn't know what to talk about. He dreaded the thought of conversation even more when Minako initiated it.
"So, how is school?"
"All right, I guess," he muttered, not knowing what else to say. He didn't like thinking about his selfish classmates. They took so many things for granted, especially when it came to their parents. It was little things, like their father picking them up from school or their mother tucking them in bed at night. Listening to them always made that familiar pang of jealousy wrench itself deep inside his chest.
"How do you like the dorm?" Minako asked quickly. His facial expression must have slipped to something sour, Ken concluded.
"It's... okay."
...Now he really hated himself. He didn't mean seem so anti-social, he just didn't know what to say! Why was his heart racing so quickly? Why was he-
Dun dun dana, dun dun dana, dunn!
A familiar chime rung through the air. Minako jumped and reached into her purse. She pulled out a pink cell phone and turned to him, smiling sheepishly.
"Sorry 'bout that. I just received a text message."
Ken gaped at her openly. "Was that... the Phoenix Ranger Featherman R theme song?"
Minako blinked at him before she grinned widely. "Yeah! I watch it every Sunday morning. Do you watch PR?"
"O-Of course not!" he lied, his cheeks flushing. "Cartoons are childish."
Minako laughed openly. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard.
"Then go ahead and call me a kid. I guess I am one at heart," she grinned. "But if you don't watch the show, how do you know the Featherman theme song?"
Oops. Caught red-handed.
"W-well, a few of my classmates were talking about it at school. They were saying how cool it was when the Red Ranger..."
Before he knew it, he was talking in great detail about a show he wasn't supposed to know. His breath hitched when he noticed Minako watching him, the palm of her hand propping her head up comfortably to gaze at him.
He bit his bottom lip nervously. "I uh... I mean..."
Minako smiled at him. "Do you want to watch it together sometime?"
Ken found himself nodding. "S-sure."
And so their relationship began.
X.
Another day has passed and you're still here, creating memories with me.
XI.
He could remember the first time they held hands...
XII.
The soft brush of her arm against him, rhythmic heels clicking against the empty streets as they strolled side by side... The sound of cicadas chirped into the silence of the night, their cries pounding against his skull and ringing in his ears, trying to drown the selfish thoughts stirring in his mind...
He knew it was wrong, not wanting to go back to the dorm; back to the people that constantly fought for her attention, back to the place where he had to watch her from afar, back to being treated like a child. But still, Ken found himself wanting this moment to last forever.
Was that wrong of him? Was it wrong to wish for just one more second of her time, an extra moment to take in the surreal way her face illuminated in the moonlight, another second to relish in being close enough to take in her sweet scent? All he really wanted was another minute of her attention...
So he devised a plan.
Admittedly, it was rather childish, but he did it anyway – he tripped.
"W-woah!"
She was quick to react (he knew she would be; she wasn't SEES leader for nothing). In seconds her arms wrapped around his waist and he was brought against her chest.
"K-Ken-kun, are you ok?"
Thump thump thump!
He could feel his cheeks heat, as well as his own heart racing at the feeling of her embrace. He wanted to stay like that for a while, wrap his own arms around her, pull her closer...
But he couldn't. She had already pulled away.
Hands resting on his small shoulders she peered down at him, brows furrowed in concern. He loved gazing into her vermilion eyes – the way they reflected the glittering of the stars, the alluring intensity that seemed to see through him… she was so beautiful.
She smiled then a small, knowing smile. "Do you want to hold hands?"
"Y-yes, please..."
With shaky limbs he fumbled before firmly grasping the warm hand held out to him, threading his fingers with hers. Although their destination wasn't one he looked forward to there was a small spring in his step as they continued along. They were together like a couple would, not two friends but a boy and girl that really liked each other. The thought made his nerves jitter with excitement.
But then he really looked at their intertwined fingers and he noticed a fact that made his stomach flop: Her hands were bigger than his. Stronger, wiser, older; so different from his own small, child-like ones...
He didn't want to be a child.
He wanted to be an adult. He wanted to be someone she could rely on.
XIII.
Another day has passed and you're by my side, smiling for me.
XIV.
He could remember their first kiss...
XV.
Dun dun dana, dun dun dana, dunn!
The opening of the Phoenix Ranger Featherman R theme song blared from the small TV. Minako and Ken were on the floor in his room, making themselves comfortable on a pile of pillows like they had so many Sundays before. Throughout the episodes they had seen together, he could tell Minako was far more into Featherman R than he was; he was usually too busy watching her various expressions to pay attention to what was going on in the show.
Her rigid shoulders looked so tense as she hugged her legs against her chest, leaning intently towards the TV screen. She would jump when the battle music started and grin when the Rangers were victorious in their fights. When the villain would appear she would gasp, as if completely taken by surprise. She was so adorable.
But being like this, hanging out with her every Sunday morning – it would all end soon. This was the last aired episode for awhile and after the season finale came to an end, so would their relationship. So he sat there, relishing in her expressions while he could.
Time passed far too quickly. Before he knew it the show was over.
He hadn't even realized it until she turned towards him, waving her hands in the air ecstatically. "Did you see how amazing that was? The bad guy showed up out of no where! I didn't even know the Rangers could lose to Dr. Evil, but it's awesome the Black Ranger swooped in and saved the day. Wow, I can't get over how great that was. I guess we'll have to wait until next season to see if the Phoenix Rangers won or-"
He kissed her then. He didn't exactly know why he did it. Maybe it was because even though Featherman R was over, he didn't want their relationship to be the same. It may have been selfish, but he wanted her to stay.
Although kissing her then may not have been the smartest move, or occurred at the best moment, he had done it anyway. It was impulsive and probably sloppy and inexperienced, but he didn't care. He would never forget the tingle he felt when their lips met or how warm her cheeks felt in the palm of his hands.
The contact was brief.
She was the first to pull away, and she gazed into his eyes for what felt like a long time, searching for something. His palms were sweating, he was so nervous. He expected her to yell at him or maybe look disgusted, but she didn't do any of those things. She laughed.
It wasn't a mean laugh, but a sweet giggle that made his heart skip. She didn't ask any questions, only planted a tender kiss on his flushed cheek.
He didn't have to tell her. She already knew.
XVI
Another day has passed and you're still here, holding me.
XVII.
He could remember the first time he expressed his feelings to her...
XVIII.
He was in her room for the first time.
His eyes swept over the unfamiliar surroundings with wonder, still feeling slightly dazed. He still couldn't believe he was standing inside the room she stayed in, touching the furniture she touched, lying on the bed she slept in.
He couldn't believe she was holding him in her arms.
Was he dreaming? Was he imagining the fingertips softly stroking his hair? Was he pretending to hear her voice talking to him about trivial, light-hearted things; what she did at school, how her day was, the interesting people she encountered, the future events she was excited for?
It didn't matter if it was real or not. He curled into her touch and closed his eyes, content.
She was so kind. So brilliant and sweet and funny and fantastic.
He knew then, listening to her bubbly voice in his ears, he wanted to hear it forever.
"Hey, Minako-san..."
"Hm?" Her fingers stopped. When he opened his eyes those lovely irises were peering into his. A familiar pink hue dusted his cheeks. He had to tell her now, or he would never say it.
"I want you to have this," he murmured and reached into his pocket to grab a small key. The object seemed to weigh more that it really did in his shaky hands as he carefully placed it into her palm. "Even though I no longer have a home, I kept this key with me all this time."
Her eyes narrowed in uncertainty. "Are you sure you want to give this to me?"
He nodded. He had been thinking about it for weeks now and he knew he trusted her more than anyone else. "Yes, I am giving it to you. I remember now, when my mother was still alive, I was happy every day... But I forgot about our memories. I didn't want to remember. I just thought about reasons for being sad, for feeling regret. I thought about what it meant to be 'left behind' for a long time. That key is filled with my thoughts," he murmured, gazing into her eyes seriously. "I don't think I need it anymore, since I... I have you now. You make me happy every day. You make me forget about the bad stuff and focus on the good. That's why I want to give this key to you, who is important to me."
His voice cracked with emotion. His lips trembled. Despite faltering he continued, "I know I'm younger than you. I don't like this but in a way it's a good thing... I won't die before you do. I will always be by your side. I will absolutely never leave you behind. So... smile for me. Please stay alive with me."
Live for me.
"Please make a promise with me," he murmured, "A promise to be with me... to be with no one else but me. Promise me, right here, right now... so that one day I can give you another key, one that will belong to our own home." His entire body was burning in a flush under her gaze.
He was scared – no, he was terrified. For the briefest of moments he thought she was going to give the key back to him and ask him leave. The words 'get out' rung in his mind, and he mentally prepared himself for the worse. What she actually said took Ken completely by surprise.
"I promise," she replied, holding her pinky out to him. Ken laughed; Minako acted more like a child than he did, but that, he could now openly admit, was one of the many things he loved about her.
He took it without hesitation. "Pinky swear."
Ken was so happy he knew his face had a grin ear to ear. Minako beamed an equally bright smile, and in that moment Ken knew why the sun rose every morning...
It was because of her.
The key may have not been a ring, but it was a promise: a promise to stay by her side, until death did they part.
He never expected death to take her so soon...
XIX.
No matter how many days pass I will never forget the memories, the ones you created with me.
XX.
He could remember Tartarus, the Dark Hour; everything...
XXI.
March 5th, 2009. Graduation Day.
Like a tsunami his memories flooded back to him all at once. He could remember everything: The Dark Hour, Tartarus, how Minako saved this world. He needed to see her. He needed to find her.
"Amada-kun, get back here!"
He didn't listen to his teacher as he darted out of his homeroom class. He didn't pay attention to the civilians he pushed past, sprinting full speed down the road to Gekkoukan High. He didn't spare a glance to the stray teachers and students that were gawking at him, wondering why a middle school student was darting through the halls.
No one else mattered. All he needed to do was find her.
Staircase after staircase he climbed until he forced open the door to the roof.
And just like he knew she would be, there she was.
She was standing by herself, watching the limitless sky stretched before her,. Her long chestnut locks tangled in the wind, the sun's rays shining down on her in the most blinding of light.
Ken understood then that she was an angel.
He had met another angel once before so he knew...
All angels must one day return to Heaven.
XXII.
Another day has passed and you're slipping away from me.
XXIII.
He could remember his first and final confession...
XXIV.
She looked so weak, so tired as she rested her head on his lap. Her cheek felt cold beneath his palm. She was so fragile.
"Are you tired, Minako-san?"
"Mmhm..." She barely had the strength to speak. He forced a (pained) smile.
"We should make another promise," he said.
Minako always kept her promises. She had promised he and everyone else in SEES would defeat Nyx. She had promised they would all remember each other on Graduation Day, and both came true. If he made another promise with her, she would have to keep it, wouldn't she?
"Let's both promise to celebrate this life, from today and every night onward. Let's promise to watch every episode of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R together and to do as much as we can in this life. We should stuff our faces at Wuck every day until we can't eat anymore. We could leave Port Island and travel the world, Minako-san, then maybe one day we could-"
His (desperate) ramble was silenced by a slender finger to his lips. Minako's heavy lids rose, vermilion eyes gazing into his own a final time. "...I love you, Ken."
The beating in his chest skipped. Butterflies fluttered in the pit of his stomach. She told him! She told him she loved him, so why did his stomach flop? Why did the beating of his chest feel almost painful? Why did it feel like... she was saying goodbye?
"Minako-san… I want to be yours and yours only. I want to always stay by your side. I want..." His voice trembled. "Minako Arisato, I want to marry you. I want to become a man that's worthy of you. I want to get a house and live together, and eat dinner with you every night. I want to always be with you! I love you, Minako, I love you!"
The words tumbled out all once. He had just confessed his feelings to her, so why were his eyes stinging? Why could he feel tears rolling down his cheeks?
After a few minutes, he finally understood why.
She hadn't answered. She wasn't breathing.
XXV.
Another day has passed and you're still gone.
XXVI.
He could remember the day she died...
XXVII.
"How could you let her die, Ken?! You were right there! You could have taken her to the hospital! You could have-"
"Enough, Akihiko. It isn't his fault."
"Of course it's his fault, Mitsuru! It's his fault Shinji's dead! It's his fault Minako's dead! It's all his fault!"
"Akihiko!"
"...I'm leaving. I can't stand the sight of you."
SLAM!
Sigh.
"Amada... it's not your fault. You couldn't have known. There's nothing you could have done."
But it was his fault.
He wasn't a man. He couldn't save her.
XXVIII.
Another day has passed and time continues on.
XXIX.
He could remember how she looked in her casket...
XXX.
Death had claimed her.
They had defeated Death itself on Tartarus' peak, so why? Why was she dead? Why did she look so lifeless in that casket? Why wouldn't she smile for him anymore?
He didn't want to cry. Men didn't cry. But he wasn't a man, was he? He couldn't protect her. He couldn't save her.
He couldn't have a life with her.
That's why she left: he was weak. That's why she could no longer stay with him...
Even though she no longer smiled, the sun still rose.
XXXI.
Another day has passed and I still love you.
XXXII.
He could remember the twist of guilt and sorrow in his gut...
XXXIII.
Every person he saw was her.
Minako skipping as a child. Minako holding her textbooks to her chest as a teenager. Minako rocking an infant in her arms as an adult. Minako shuffling down the street as an old woman.
Minako, walking forward through life, moving on without him.
It wasn't fair... It wasn't fair!
Why wasn't she here with him? Why did she leave him behind?
He loved her! He wanted to grow old together! He wanted to get married and live together! He was younger than her. He had told her that she wouldn't have to worry about him dying before her, but it wasn't supposed to be this soon. No, not like this.
She was so young... she wasn't suppose to leave him.
...Why did everyone he loved leave him behind?
XXXIV.
Another day has passed and I miss you.
XXXV.
He could remember the day he told them their secrets...
XXXVI.
He couldn't take seeing her anymore. He had to tell someone. He had to tell them.
"We were in a relationship. We loved each other."
They knew. Finally, his dorm mates knew. They knew about the first time they held hands, their first kiss; his first confession, her final moments. Everything.
Some were surprised... Some were angry. He expected them to be.
"Relationship my ass!"
"Senpai, sit down."
"Yukari, don't tell me you believe this bullshit?"
"I mean it is surprising, but that's no reason to yell at him, Akihiko-senpai-"
"Ken, there's no way you two were really in a relationship. You're just a kid. If anything you saw her as a mother figure."
"I did not! We were in love! She... she never treated me like my age mattered. A-and she promised she would wait for me, that she wouldn't be with anyone else but me!"
"Ken-kun..."
"She lied to you."
"W-what?"
"Senpai, don't-"
"We were together the entire time. We even had sex. Were you that close, Ken? Closer than we were?"
"L-liar! You're lying to me! You have to be..."
She couldn't have betrayed him. She had promised. She had loved him and him only, hadn't she?
XXXVII.
Another day has passed and I'm starting to doubt you.
XXXVIII.
He could remember the day he discovered the truth...
XXXIX.
Weeks after weeks passed and he continued to sleep in her room, even though no matter how he curled in her sheets they no longer held her warmth, and her pillow no longer contained her scent.
No matter how he tried he couldn't keep the memories of her alive; her last fingertips on the TV remote were collecting dust, and the imprint of her form was starting to fade in her mattress. He would pretend, sometimes, that she was still there beside him. He would close his eyes and wrap his arm around her old pillow, imagining her talking to him in that voice he had once known so well...
He was beginning to forget what she sounded like - how could he forget the one voice he had looked forward to hearing every day? - as time continued to pass.
(No matter how one tries to conserve their memories, everything will eventually fade if given enough time...)
Her homely presence in the dorm had already faded, as well as in her room; her desk was starting to look shriveled and abandoned, and an inch of dust was forming on her forgotten items. One day, he finally brought himself to clean her room for the first time, and as he did he found something in one of her drawers: A diary.
He knew it was wrong to snoop, but he didn't hesitate to open it. He needed something that was hers, something that made him feel closer to her.
So he flipped to a random page and began to read.
December 28, 2008
I spent time with Ken today.
Instead of eating out I ended up taking him to my room. He looked so awestruck, like he was in a completely different world. Hah, it's not like my room is that interesting!
We talked for a while and he gave me a silver key. He said it belonged to him and his mother when they lived together at their old house. I hadn't expected him to do that. I almost didn't take it. I don't deserve to have it. I don't deserve his trust. I used him.
...I never expected to create such strong bonds. In the beginning, I only created social links to make my personae grow stronger. I didn't know everyone would grow so attached...
Ken said he wants to have a future with me, but he doesn't know what I did with the others. And I don't want him to. He would be crushed.
I only have two weeks left. I shouldn't attach myself to anyone more than I already have. I don't want them to mourn for me when I am gone...
The diary in his hands trembled as he stared at the cursive handwriting (how could such beautiful penmanship contain such dreadful words?)
He didn't understand. How? How had she used him? And what did she do with 'the others'? Was Akihiko telling the truth? Had she really...? No! The Minako he knew wouldn't do that!
He didn't doubt her. He just... had to make sure.
So he flipped through the small notebook and swept his innocent eyes over Akihiko and Shinjiro's journal entries (heck, he had even read Junpei's just to see what she had been doing with all the guy dorm mates) and he couldn't believe it. She had... slept with both of them. She betrayed him.
He no longer knew who Minako Arisato was. She had far too many masks ("personae") to know if she was the girl he had fallen in love with.
XXXX.
Several years have passed and I've begun to hate you.
XXXXI.
He could remember how alone he felt...
XXXXII.
Growing up, he had felt alone without a father figure.
The movies he watched always had fathers that played ball with their children, always providing and protecting their family. He may not have had a father, but he did have his mother. He didn't mind only having a mom; she tried her best to take care of him and provided enough love for two parents.
But his mother didn't have a husband - a man -- to protect her. That's why she died.
As he grew older, he felt alone without a mother.
He grew to hate how oblivious children were, how they took their lives for granted. He began to hate laughter. People didn't deserve to be happy when he was so miserable...
But then he met Minako.
She lit up his world. She made him smile again – a real smile - and made him realize revenge and hatred wasn't the answer. She had promised him trust, security, and happiness...
She had lied.
What she wanted - what everyone wanted - was a man. That's why she betrayed him.
Shinjiro was a man. Akihiko was a man. At the time he had only been a kid...
No matter how he tried to forget about her, he couldn't. It was her fault his chest tightened at every couple he saw holding hands. It was her fault he had nightmares every night- nightmares of the smile he would never see. It was her fault his heart felt more heavy and broken every day...
So he did the only thing he could do to dull the pain. By leaning his head back and tossing a few pain killers in his mouth, he could shut his eyes and cover his ears to the world around him.
XXXXIII.
Several years have passed and I can't feel anything.
XXXXIV.
He could remember how numb he felt...
XXXXV.
"What are these? How long have you been taking these pills?"
"Who cares... it's not like you don't want me dead anyway, Akihiko."
"W-what happened to 'Sanada-san'?"
"You lost my respect when I found out you fucked my girlfriend. Now if you don't mind, I have to be somewhere."
"Stop."
"Move out of my way."
"Not until you hand me the pills, Ken. If you continue to take them like you're now, you're only going to continue to hurt your body. You might even overdose one of these days."
He didn't care if he died - he almost hoped he did. Maybe then he would be able to see her again.
XXXXVI.
Several years have passed and I still see you.
XXXXVII.
He could remember the moment he saw her...
XXXXVIII.
"I love you, Ken-kun. I have loved you since sixth grade."
A confession.
The girl looked so much like her. Her shining chestnut hair and striking dark eyes, the curve of her nose and slim legs... even the soft dip in her lip.
He was tempted to agree, just so she could feel his pain, just so she would suffer like he had all these years...
But this girl and her weren't the same. Their smile wasn't the same.
She wasn't Minako.
XXXXIX.
Several years have passed and I've gotten over you.
XXXXX.
He could remember the day he graduated high school.
XXXXXI.
Five years had passed- five long, excruciating years.
He had survived middle school by himself, and today he had finally graduated from the hell known as high school.
He was a man now. He was free: free of school and free of her.
He could go anywhere he wanted. He could finally leave the ghosts of his past behind. They lurked within every inch of Port Island. Everywhere he went, everything he saw; it was all so nostalgic.
Walking down the steps of Gekkoukan High he could see his younger self frantically running up them to see her. On the way to the dorm he passed the restaurant he and she (he wouldn't dare say her name anymore; he didn't even want to remember it) used to eat at. He could see the ghosts at the Naganaki Shrine in the places where they had first met, on the sidewalk where they first held hands…
The ghosts haunted him, reminding him of memories he wanted to forget. They continued to stalk him until he arrived at the cursed dorm, and it was there he saw her form.
But what he saw wasn't a ghost - it was the real thing.
There, standing outside his dorm, was her.
"Minako-san...?"
For the first time in years her name left his lips. She turned on the edge of her heel towards him in what seemed like slow motion; the skirt of her old school uniform twirled with her moving form, and he met those vermilion eyes that were all-too familiar to him. The smile he had missed in his life for so many years beamed at him.
"Ken-kun!" she grinned and ran full-speed towards him.
It was really her. She was really... alive. How? How was she alive? She didn't look any older than the day she died. He was taller than her now, older, in yet he felt more like a kid than ever.
His knees felt weak as she stopped in front of him, a Phoenix Ranger Featherman R DVD case in hand.
"Finally, I found you! I've been looking everywhere for you," she said, panting lightly as she placed a hand to her chest. "My heart is racing."
Mine too, he thought.
Perhaps he had hoped, somewhere deep inside, that if he stayed in the same dorm she would come back to him one day. And by some miracle here she was right in front of him, and he didn't even know what to say. A swirl of emotions stirred inside him. Anger. Betrayal. Relief. Giddiness. Happiness.
He had thought - even hoped - he had grown to hate her. But he was wrong.
Even after all this time he still loved her.
XXXXXII.
Several years have passed and you're still breathing.
XXXXXIII.
He could remember her smile.
XXXXXIV.
"Wow, Ken! You've grown so tall! Ha, you're taller than me now," she grinned.
Of course he was. Five years had passed since he'd last seen her; five years of crying himself to sleep; five years without hearing her voice or seeing her face; five years of emptiness.
How could she stand in front of him as if nothing had happened?
"Oh yeah! I rented the latest seasons of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. I was hoping that we could watch it together, since I never got to see anything after season four-"
Stop.
"-And maybe after that we could go eat at Wild Duck Burger. I hear Wuck's menus have changed quite a bit and the food is really-"
Stop smiling like that. Stop acting like nothing has changed. Stop making me want to forgive you.
"-Do you know where the other members of SEES went? Do they still live at the dorm? How are they doing? Are you all still-"
"Stop it!"
With a hitch of breath her body froze. Vermilion eyes widened up at him.
Everything he had locked up tightly inside for five years poured out of his mouth at once.
"Do you know how I felt when you died? Do you know how much I cried at your funeral? Do you know how often I wished you were by my side every day you were gone? How can you stand here after five years and pretend nothing happened?"
Minako pursed her lips. She remained silent for a long time.
"I know it wasn't fair. I'm sorry," she murmured, her gaze dropping to the ground. And it felt good. Seeing her in pain felt good, but there was still this unsettling feeling, this awful twist in his gut. He hated it. He hated feeling. He hated the pain. His hands itched. He wanted nothing more than to reach into his backpack for a few pills and forget this meeting had ever happened. He wanted to forget her newly reminded face. He wanted to forget her voice. He wanted to forget her and move on in his life, away from Port Island, from the damned dorm - away from all the memories, away from her.
Yet, he couldn't bring himself to move from where he stood.
"How… how are you even here?" he finally whispered, unsure if he was shaking from anger, happiness, or something else entirely.
She didn't answer. Wordlessly, she took his hand and pulled him along like nothing had ever happened. He didn't know where she was taking him, and he didn't care to know; his mind felt numb with the realization that she was really here. She wasn't just another illusion, a ghost of his past. He could feel her. He could feel touch her, he could feel her warmth.
Her hands seemed so much smaller than he remembered; so fragile, so slender. He couldn't bring himself to pull away.
When he snapped out of his daze he noticed they were at the shrine. Ken didn't want to break the comfortable silence, but he felt he had to ask anyway:
"Why did you decide to take me here, of all places?"
"Because this is where we first met," she said, like it was the most obvious answer in the world. She smiled sweetly at him.
"I will explain everything. Please, sit."
He complied. She sat next to him on the nearby park bench. Her hand still hadn't let go of his.
She began to tell him a story. In it she had existed in a world between life and death, acting as a great seal holding back Death from wrecking havoc on the world and making every person on Earth one of The Lost. A friend of hers named Elizabeth released her soul by switching places with her, becoming the great seal instead, insisting she still had a life to live. Had Ken not experienced The Dark Hour or Tartarus, he probably wouldn't have believed her.
"I accepted Elizabeth's offer because I wanted to come back to the real world and live a normal life, and I want to live that life with you, Ken-kun," she murmured.
He wanted to be angry at her offer (how could she say that after dragging him along for five years?). He wanted to convince himself she had purposefully abandoned him, but how could he blame her for choosing death – for choosing to save the world – over him? She hadn't left him on purpose. She hadn't betrayed him…
But she had.
He could remember the lies she had told him when he was a naive child. The remembrance of it all – the longing, the hating, the betrayal – started building inside him until the feeling became so overwhelming it exploded.
"Are you only telling me all this because you happened to find me first? If it had been Akihiko or Shinjiro, would you have wanted to live your life with them?"
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion (probably partly for hearing Ken call Akihiko and Shinjiro by their first name and not 'Sanada-san' or 'Aragaki-san').
"I don't understand."
"I found your old diary." Ken growled at the memory.
Minako froze. "You… You didn't…"
It was true, then. Minako never had any intention of him finding out. She had lied to him. She had betrayed him.
"Were you going to throw me away when you had your way with me too? Was any of it real or were you just using me for your 'social links'?"
She bit her lip. "Ken-kun, you don't understand. I needed social links to grow stronger. Beating Death would have been impossible without them."
"Oh no, I understand," Ken said, the volume of his voice rising, "You were just using me and you're still doing it even now, aren't you? I'm not a child anymore! You can't manipulate me! Go find Akihiko and Shinjiro if they're so great because I don't care anymore!"
It was a lie. He didn't want to see Minako with Shinjiro (he had awoken from his coma shortly after Minako had died). He could imagine them now; Minako would work as a waitress at Shinjiro's new restaurant, and during closing he would spoon feed her his professionally cooked meals. His food would taste so delicious she'd practically melt, then after a kiss tell him she loved him.
Ken especially didn't want to see her with Akihiko. Minako would play the role of a trophy wife, flaunted off during his boxing tournaments, traveling the world with her to find stronger opponents. Perhaps Minako, being the strong girl she is, would box a round or two on par with Akihiko (she was SEES leader, after all) and then take him surprise. She would jump on top of him and they would roll on the ground and kiss.
No, he didn't want to think about those things. It hurt. Ken silently wished had forgotten her. He wished he had never met her. He wished she had never come back, at least then he could hate a phantom.
"Don't try to find me. I don't want to see you again."
He stood then, a heavy feeling in his chest as he turned to walk away. A desperate hand clamped on his arm before he could.
"Wait, Ken-kun-"
"I don't want to hear your excuses!" he yelled, jerking his arm out of her grasp. Minako was relentless; she grabbed him again.
"I told you I don't—"
Before he could finish his sentence Minako's lips were against his own.
Ken froze, stiffening before his body relaxed. Her lips felt so soft and warm, so sweet. He hadn't been kissed since… well, since his first ever one, back when they were watching the season finale of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. He could feel her step forward, her body pressing against his taller frame, standing on her tiptoes. The hand on his arm kept him still, her other hand reaching up to cup his flushed cheek as those familiar fingers tangled in his brown hair. When she pulled away he gazed at her, panting somewhat breathlessly, his eyes slightly glazed over. The taste of strawberry lingered on his lips.
"Why did you just…?" he asked, still dazed. Those beautiful scarlet eyes burned into his.
"I have something I want to show you," she said and hesitantly released his arm before moving her hand to her neck. She pulled on a silver chain, and on the end of the necklace was…
"Is that…?"
She nodded. "The key you gave me what seems like only yesterday. I kept it with me all this time."
Ken couldn't believe it but sure enough there, in the palm of her hand, was the key that he had given her. If she had kept it, did that mean she still remembered the vow he had made to her? Did that mean she…?
"I've been dreaming about you for five years, Ken. I dreamed about watching episodes of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R on Sunday mornings. I dreamed about eating dinners together every night. I dreamed about stroking your hair when you were upset or frustrated," she murmured. The beginning of tears stung Ken's eyes as she pet his hair lovingly. "I dreamed about our wedding day and how great of a father you were to our children, and I dreamed about getting a house to grow old together in."
Ken nearly whimpered when she removed her hand from his hair, reaching down into the metal ring looped to her high school skirt and placing it into his hand.
"What is this?" he asked in uncertainty. In his hand was a key he didn't recognize, attached to it a key chain of the White Phoenix Ranger.
"The key to our home," she smiled. Ken melted as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It was always you, Ken," she whispered in his ear. "You were always the one I truly cared for. You were by my side at the end, and now that I'm here I can finally fulfill the promise you wanted me to make that day on the rooftop. I love you, Ken."
I promise I'm not going to leave you alone ever again.
Shakily, hr wrapped his own arms around her waist and pulled her close. Even though he was now a man, he buried his face in her shoulder and cried for all the years he could not.
"I love you, Ken. Only you," she whispered once again.
"I-I…" Ken's voice cracked with emotion.
Minako pulled away and gazed at him, brushing the tears from his eyes. She smiled then that soft, all-knowing smile.
"Do you want to hold hands?" she asked.
Familiar butterflies fluttered in the pit of his stomach at her smile, at her lovely scarlet eyes, at everything that was Minako. The feeling wasn't painful like it had been before. This time, he knew, she was here to stay.
So he took her hand, the other tightly holding the key to his future. They walked towards the steadily streaming sunset, and Ken took comfort knowing Minako's smile would make the sun continue to rise tomorrow, the next day, and all those days afterward, for the rest of his life.
XXXXXV.
Several years have passed and I still haven't forgotten; the first time we held hands, our first kiss, how you lived and how you died, or how you created another miracle and appeared before me again. I will forever remember the promise I made to grow old together, and the memories of how happy I was and will continue to be. With your smile the sun will continue to rise, for all eternity.
HAPPY END.
For those who care (I don't know why you would. I mean, you probably searched Ken x Female Protagonist in the first place so you should know have known what you were getting yourself into..) Ken is about twelve, almost thirteen in the beginning, Minako seventeen. At the end Ken is about eighteen and Minako is still seventeen (I guess? I don't know how time works when you're the barrier between Death and the physical world!).
If you enjoyed or experienced any thoughts or feelings during this oneshot, please leave a review.
That's all then. Have a lovely evening.
xLMAx