Author's note: Oh, Junpei, you're a great guy. Thank you for inspiring me to embarrass Akihiko! You don't belong to me --sadly, neither does Akihiko-- or any of the characters. They're all Atlus's.

Spoilers up to New Year's.

The Pretty Girls

It was all that moron Junpei's fault. If it weren't for his lewd idea, Akihiko would've had productive thoughts. Fighting tactics and glove upgrades; those were the things he should've been focused on. Instead, indecent ponderings of loose satin on the bodies of the girls got his brain in a tizzy.

He was at the Naganaki shrine with the others, celebrating the new year with festivities. The special occasion meant people dressing up, most notably the girls. They were swathed in vibrant kimonos and their hair was adorned with shiny accessories.

Jolly Junpei sidled next to Akihiko who stood by himself, a toothy grin showing his happiness. "Hey, man. What's up?"

What was up? Well, Akihiko could identify something in his lower regions which felt like doing just that. "You're an idiot." His answer was curt.

Junpei looked shocked. "Whoa, what's with the hostility?"

Akihiko gritted his teeth. He dropped his voice so anyone else wouldn't overhear. "Your idea you planted in Ken's mind. It's foolish."

A knowing smile started becoming a lecherous one as Junpei watched him. "The ladies and underwear thing is in your mind? That's unexpected from someone as devoted like you."

Devoted? This was a strange word coming out of his friend's mouth. To describe him, no less. "What do you mean?"

The teen wearing the cap scratched the back of his head self-consciously. "Y'know, you think of nothing else except your training. Every other word I hear from you is about finding a place to train or some technique to better yourself."

A flicker of annoyance sparked in Akihiko. He raised a brow. "Oh? What's wrong with being better than before?"

"Nothin'. I'm saying girls are part of guy's life. We gotta think about them or we get bored. Unless you're gay." Junpei nudged him. "You'd tell me if you are, right? I mean, I'd be wasting my time with the girl talk if you're immune to them."

Akihiko tried hard not to growl. If he did, he'd be more inclined to punch something. Punching was a skill he would not miss with.

Junpei, thoroughly enjoying himself, kept going. "C'mon, Akihiko-san, entertain those brain wanderings. Enjoy yourself. It's not like you haven't had that fantasy before. Girls with nothing on beneath those silky kimonos? It's a classic. Girls in towels are another classic. Remember that time? Ooh." He eyes glazed over slightly as he gave in to reminiscing about the latter.

Akihiko wanted to retort no thanks to Junpei, he was indulging in his inappropriate thoughts too much. Junpei had to bring up the hot springs incident too? Akihiko chose to remain quiet.

As wordless as he, Minato approached them. His hands stuffed his pockets, he seemed unfazed by the bustle around him, as usual. "What's up?" he questioned them curiously, completely unaware of their private conversation.

Junpei cracked up and clutched his stomach. The boxer's face flushed. Was this going to happen every time the subject of women was broached today?

Taking the initiative, Iori barreled on. "It seems the almighty Senpai here is transforming into a real man because of my brilliant insights on the ladies."

Comprehension made Minato nod. He turned his head of navy hair to Akihiko. "Have you considered Mitsuru that way? You've known her longer than anyone else."

A choke clutched Akihiko's esophagus. Empress of pain in lingerie? In his mind, Mitsuru was already beating him up with a very large and heavy stick for contemplating such a notion. "God, no! She's more than that." She was important, not a slab of meat.

"More than what?" Junpei asked.

Detailing Mitsuru's positive side was not what Akihiko intended to do tonight. "M-more than what your hormones shout. 'Mitsuru, you look hot.' Remember you said it when we arrived?" Embarrassment burned his face like fire when he heard his uncouth words. Did he really say what he said?

Minato lightly punched Junpei on the arm. "Yeah, why did you say it? You may as well have groped her for all the staring you did. Not that I find the idea offensive."

"Minato!" Akihiko stared at the guy. He wasn't becoming a girl crazy Junpei clone, was he? Minato did have on a quirky smile.

Junpei looked deep in thought at his friend's comment. "Ya think a hug for them would be crossing the line? Fuuka probably would be ok with one. Aegis will be cool with it. Maybe Mitsuru since today is a special day, but Yuka-tan? She might step on my foot again! Sandals or not, when she steps, look out!"

Akihiko had enough. He abruptly moved away to find a space of his own. Junpei called after him disappointingly and a bit whiny to guilt him into coming back. He wasn't giving in. He traveled across the shrine grounds and searched for some place to sit.

To the side of one of the long game stands, Yukari and Fuuka were chatting in that girly ways that girls have. Leaning forward conspiratorially, hands over the mouth when laughing. Mitsuru was further away, deep in conversation with an older couple. Aegis was with her too, but she seemed more interested in observing their behavior than talking. Ken was stooped low next to a small goldfish pond, admiring the water.

He found a weather-beaten bench nearby and gladly sat. He was there for a minute when he heard a bark. He scanned around but didn't see the dog the bark belonged to. Two more dog calls followed and Akihiko strained his ears. Wait, the sound was coming from below? As soon as he checked down and saw Koromaru's head peeking out from under the seat, the canine came out from hiding. His tail wagged excitedly.

"Hi, boy. No girl troubles for you, hmm? Lucky dog, you." He affectionately rubbed Koromaru's fuzzy head. The dog jumped up on the bench beside him and laid his head right down on Akihiko's lap. He laughed. "Hey, you're kissing up for more beef bowl leftovers. I know you like when I give you those."

Koromaru whined, earning him a sympathetic rub behind the ears. Akihiko went on. "Beef bowl is tasty stuff. Hot sauce is good on top but I can't let you have it." From the distance, he saw Fuuka walking toward him. She held a drawstring pouch filled with something mysterious.

She tugged on the sash on her kimono, trying to adjust it, though with the amount her arms moved it was almost as though she wanted to pull it off. He glanced away and down at the friendly dog who was shooting him liquid eyes as if that would cause him to promise to give leftovers later. Again, he wasn't going to give in. It was bad enough Akihiko surrendered to lustful thoughts. Where had his self-control flown to?

Fuuka stopped in front of him. He let his eyes linger on her sleeve before looking straight at her. She greeted him and he responded in kind.

"How are you doing?" Fuuka asked amiably.

"Fine." Akihiko smiled. It wasn't fake. He liked seeing the activities happening at the shrine.

The short-haired girl held her bag tightly. "You're up for a challenge, aren't you?"

Her question intrigued him. "You have something in mind?"

Her grin wavered a tad. "Um, yes. I made cookies for everyone. I've been practicing and I think I've gotten better. Please have one." She opened up the sachet.

Akihiko kept his face neutral as he eyed the offered untied bag. He couldn't prevent the gulp from coming. Minato had confided in him once that Fuuka had made him a bento box for lunch. The food tasted mediocre but he had eaten worse from her so he ate. A quarter of the way through eating he was forced to stop because he felt woozy. He went to class then but before he could sit down his stomach caught up with him. He dashed to the nearest bathroom and unloaded his meal into the toilet.

Minato didn't want to shatter Fuuka's hopes of edible home cooking so he never told her about getting sick. Akihiko had to face the same dilemma now. "How... how long have you practiced for?" He attempted to stall.

"About a week. Not everyday, though, since I have classes. Maybe more like four. I restarted on some days because of burned batches." She blushed at her confession.

Practicing was a step forward. Everybody got skilled at whatever they worked on with practice. Still, when it came down to his health, he was picky. He avoided junk food. He drank protein shakes on a regular basis. Nobody else went near the stuff.

He breathed deeply and took the plunge. He reached inside the sack and pulled out a cookie. Upon a subtle, quick inspection there weren't scorch marks on the bottom. That was a plus. The snack didn't feel rock hard, either. He bit into the cookie. Soft and sweet, it was just right. His eyes must've given away his approval because Fuuka grinned wider.

Akihiko complimented her. "This is great. Your practice truly paid off."

"I had help. Shinjiro-san showed me."

His heart swooped at hearing the name of his late friend. He tensed, causing the canine pal on his lap to raise his head fretfully and sit up. "S-Shinji? When?"

Fuuka must've seen the disruption of serenity on his face because she paused, unsure how to answer. "It- it was just before October before his accident. I talked to Yukari about troubles I had with recipes I experimented with. Shinjiro-san overheard me and gave me tips."

"He was a nice guy." A softness held Akihiko's tone. He could imagine Shinji saying to him how stupid it was to get all flustered around girls. To suck up the embarrassment and live. Life was too short to be self-conscious!

As much as Akihiko hated to admit it, maybe Junpei did have a point about enjoying himself with silly female ponderings. Fantasies were a luxury now, what with the world possibly ending at the end of the month. Fantasies didn't seem at all important, but here, in this moment with everyone truly not knowing what lay ahead, they were crucially essential. There may not be another time to dream in the end.

Akihiko felt his pocket buzz. His cell phone. He flipped it open. There was a text message from Minato. Akihiko was the one always sending messages to him, so being on the receiving end was a change. Akihiko could see where he was standing at the opposite side of the shrine, phone in hand, an eccentric smile on his face.

The owner of the phone glanced at the message.

Are you a survivor of Fuuka's cookies? If you are, Junpei says to let your imagination rip!

A laugh came from Akihiko before he knew it. Fuuka looked curiously at him. "What's so funny?"

"A New Year's wish from a friend." Akihiko closed his phone and pocketed it. His eyes appraised the girl. When he thought of how nicely the smooth fabric fit her frame and how petite her feet looked in her wooden sandals, his mind did not shy away.

Tonight, Akihiko will secretly accept Junpei's suggestion.

-- THE END --