Night, 9:53 pm, Dormitory Lounge.
Mitsuru Kirijo spent the better part of that night composing herself. Naturally, Akihiko Sanada noticed it.
"Something on your mind?" he asked.
Answering "Nothing" will not work against him and they both knew it. It was never nothing.
"I'm just worried about how to welcome our new resident," Mitsuru said, showing that elegant, secretive, I-know-more-than-you smile. Akihiko knew that was as far as he could get.
But maybe he could go further. "Why? Is he... different from the others?" She was never like this with Takeba, their first new member; or Iori, the fresh recruit who should have made Mitsuru raise an eyebrow but didn't.
"I'll explain it to you with the others," Mitsuru said. She never turned from her book, but she also never turned the pages or moved her eyes. Her hair obscured whatever emotion she had on her face, if there were any.
Akihiko left it at that. To kill time, he reached for a sports magazine despite knowing that there won't be many useful articles. Too much news, not enough techniques.
"Yo, Senpais. Waiting for the new guy?" Junpei greeted as he came down the stairs followed by Yukari.
They all sat on the lounge and made some small talk. As it turned out, Akhiko wasn't the only one who noticed Mitsuru's condition.
"What's up, Mitsuru-senpai? You're kinda quiet," Junpei said.
"You look like you have some bad news to tell us," Yukari added.
On that cue, the front door opened.
It was Chairman Ikutsuki, accompanied by a blue-haired teenage boy in a butler's uniform.
Wait.
"Good evening, everyone," Ikutsuki said cheerfully, stepping inside, followed by the boy butler. "Let me introduce you to the newest member of SEES. This young man is Minato Arisato, and he'll be staying in this dorm from now on. Arisato-kun's had a lot of experience handling Personas, so I hope you can get along well and learn from him."
Silent incomprehension.
Minato moved to give them a firm handshake, one by one, smiling in spite of their confusion as he did so-until he reached Mitsuru.
The two shared eye contact. Minato's face was stoic, Mitsuru's was an odd combination of apprehensive and happy.
Then the butler kneeled, took Mitsuru's hand and kissed it.
No one dared to voice their utter shock.
"I haven't seen you for too long, Ojou-sama," Minato said. His voice was deep and gentle.
Jaws dropped to various degrees. Eyes widened as saucers. Junpei's hat fell despite the total absence of wind.
Mitsuru sighed. "You are doing this on purpose, aren't you," she said to her long-time servant.
Night, 10:05 pm, dorm lounge.
A succinct and eloquent explanation from Minato began.
The Kirijo group picked him up after his parents died and promptly discovered that he could experience the Dark Hour. And not only that, he repeatedly fought Shadows that appeared out of nowhere with his Personas. Yes, not Persona. Personas.
Long story short, he was recruited and trained to specialize in fighting Shadows, and when he was not doing so he became a personal assistant to Mitsuru-ojousama. It was the natural choice; Mitsuru-ojousama did not have many peers, and so his humble presence allowed Mitsuru-ojousama to share in her worries and consult him about Young People Problems. Alas, however, this happy period was cut short by Mitsuru-ojousama's blossoming into a very fine, mature, curvaceous woman and-
"That information is unnecessary!" Mitsuru interjected over Junpei and Yukari's stifled giggles.
And them being opposite genders, they were forced to maintain a certain distance. However, they still share a professional relationship and he personally trained her in using Persona. That is, until Mitsuru-ojousama regrettably decided to leave her nest behind to spread her wings in this town. The day she awakened to independence was truly a joyous one within the Kirijo household, but it had also left the house depressingly empty of her glorious presence-
"Stop exaggerating things!" Mitsuru interjected, again.
And thus Minato tended the house and assisted the Kirijo Group in various matters. But after so long, everyone couldn't help to worry about Mitsuru-ojousama's condition. How is she doing? Will she be alright in this dangerous town, fighting Shadows, no less? What if she gets swindled? What if, god forbid, Mitsuru-ojousama has been taken captive by a womanizer and has had her heart broken-
"That will never happen!"
And it was in that spirit that Minato is sent after Mitsuru-ojousama. Not that Takeharu Kirijo would doubt her daughter's capabilities. Heavens, no. It was simply to ensure, beyond 100%, that no preventable misfortune ever inflicts permanent damage to his beloved daughter.
The explanation ended up less than succinct, but still eloquent. Especially so with Minato's vocabulary to describe his Mistress; he had probably exhausted the thesaurus for flowery adjectives at this point.
Mitsuru herself suddenly looked very, very tired. Akihiko could now appreciate why she was so worried.
"Whoa. I knew the Kirijo Group was something else, but to have your own personal butler? Man!" Junpei chuckled.
"I bet you're just imagining about having your own maid," Yukari called him out.
"Aw C'mon, Yuka-tan! Don't tell me you wouldn't want your own butler!"
"That's-" Yukari found herself tongue-tied, because it was true that she definitely wouldn't mind having someone like Minato (or maybe Akihiko) serve her every whim and treat her like a princess.
"See?"
Minato laughed warmly. "I am glad to see that Ojou-sama's friends are so lively."
"So am I. Now, Minato, if you're done embarrassing me, you can start moving to your room and call off that limousine. It's blocking the road," Mitsuru said, bearing the expression of an incoming headache.
"Not just yet, Ojou-sama. The limo holds important supplies for you, too."
Horror flashed over Mitsuru's eyes.
"If I am not mistaken, Ojou-sama's room is on the second floor, second from on the right side of the hallway."
"HALT!" But she was too late, as Minato already went up the stairs with a speed that did not plan on being caught. Sure enough, even though Mitsuru ran after him faster than anyone had seen her run before, the sound of a door opening echoed from above. She had failed to stop him.
And soon after, "MINATO! STOP LOOKING THROUGH MY TOILETRIES THIS INSTANT OR I WILL EXECUTE YOU!"
Everyone on the bottom floor sweatdropped.
"I think... it's not all sunshine and roses after all," Akihiko grimaced.
"Yeah, imagine your maid looking at your porn and then arranging them neatly under your bed, and then buying them for you, and then looking at you with judgmental eyes..." Yukari smirked pointedly.
"Yuka-tan, please, don't destroy my fantasy any further than this," Junpei cried.
Ikutsuki simply laughed.
Night, 10:44 pm, outside.
Finally, after asserting that the shower was indeed in working order, and refilling her supply of aromatic candles, and asserting that all intruder alarms within Mitsuru-ojousama's room were operating properly, and checking that absolutely no cameras intruded her privacy, Minato relented and let Mitsuru buy her own...personal effects.
She wanted to die. No, she wanted to kill him, and then die.
"Have you acquired your pads, Ojou-sama? Perhaps-"
One hiss and a glare shut him up. For goodness' sake, he has not changed one bit.
She hooked her arms around his waist and he took it as a signal to go. Their motorbike roared to life, much too loud and too booming to be a normal motorbike, and they took off.
"Shall I take a scenic route to the dorm, Ojou-sama?" Minato asked.
"You're already taking it, are you not?" Mitsuru deadpanned.
"As can be expected from Ojou-sama. Nothing escapes your attention," Minato happily said, taking them through a hill with a clear view of the city.
It was as a sea of light among the dark. It was a constellation of stars, blue and yellow and sparkling more beautifully that anything man-made ought to be. The Kirijo Group had created something beautiful. They had done many things wrong, but they also had done some things right.
It was hard to speak of this over the engine's noise and against the wind. But the tightness of her hold against him, the way her head rested against his back; that was conversation enough. Mitsuru closed her eyes and took in the rushing air, their buffeting jackets, his firm body.
Minato wanted to smile in happiness, but couldn't.
The full moon watched over them without judgment.
12:00 pm.
The Magician awoke.