Hey there! Here I am again with my next one-shot! Thanks, by the way to Kaze Mirai for reviewing the previous one. I greatly appreciate it! Her review motivated me to write this one immediately. Her request will be my 4th one-shot. Once again, please leave reviews so I can improve on my writing and I can know your thoughts. Now, on to the story!
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own the Persona 3 series. If I did, this could happen in-game.
Summary: Minako's life is like living in a dream: She has amazing friends, an exciting secret life, and the perfect boyfriend. Only one thing could spoil all this, though...
#2 - What if?
"Minako-chan, look out!"
The girl who was called suddenly came back to reality, and the next moment she was thrown sideward by some unknown force. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ryoji's face. He must've been the unknown force that pushed her. But why?
"Are you okay?" he worriedly asked. "You almost got hit back there. Is there something wrong? This is the first time I've seen you space out while we're in Tartarus."
Tartarus?
Oh yeah, they were inside the Tower of Demise, trying to reach the next barricade before the Dark Hour ended.
"Oh, sorry," Minako said apologetically. The boy's red armband with the initials of S.E.E.S. caught her eye while he was trying to help her up.
"It's okay," he replied. "Just...please, be careful next time. I don't know what I'd do if something happens to you."
His concerned voice made her blush a little. He seemed worried about her.
"Hey! Would you two lovebirds try to help us out here! We really need Mediarahan right now!" Junpei exclaimed, interrupting Minako's train of thought. He blocked the attack of a shadow with his sword.
"Oh, right!" the two said in unison.
Minako aimed her evoker at her head and called, "Hariti!" pulling the trigger. The motherly persona emerged, and healed the team.
Ryoji did the same thing, although he called out "Thanatos!" who casted Mahamaon. Luckily, the attack immediately defeated the five shadows pestering them.
Yukari sighed in relief. "That was a close call!" she said, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"Are you guys okay?" Fuuka's concerned voice said. "I was really worried."
"Y-yeah, we're fine, Fuuka-chan! Sorry to have worried you," Minako answered, feeling guilty to have spaced out. Why was she out of it that time anyway?
"Good thing your boyfriend saved you back there, Mina-tan! That was quick thinking!" the capped boy exclaimed, having a teasing look.
Boyfriend?
Ryoji scratched the back of his head, feeling embarassed. He chuckled. "Of course! I should be taking care of my princess, shouldn't I?"
Was Minako forgetting something?
Yukari laughed. "Stop it, you two! Can't you see you're making my best friend blush?"
The auburn-haired girl was feeling her cheeks grow hot. "Ah, err, Fuuka-chan! How much longer 'till we reach barricade?" She had the need to ask, since she wanted to get back to the dorm A.S.A.P. She was feeling a bit confused.
"Wait, let me check." There was a short moment of silence before her voice emerged again. "It's on the next floor! I think you'll easily find the stairs now since I don't sense any more shadows."
The leader sighed in relief. "Great! Let's split up, then!"
"Okay! Everyone, please split up and find the stairs!"
The next morning, Minako was woken up by a knock on her door. "Good morning, Minako-chan! It's me, Ryoji! Can I accompany you to school today?"
"Sure! I'll be right down!" she answered after stretching and yawning.
"Really? Thanks! I'll be waiting for you there!" He sounded really happy.
She got up from her bed and realized that her head had finally cleared up. Maybe being knocked down last night had an effect on her. She could finally remember how she and Ryoji ended up as a couple.
After he transferred to Gekkoukan and joined S.E.E.S. last November, the two immediately became close, even though the boy had hundreds of fan girls, and he was such a flirt. But she eventually noticed this trait of him disappear, and also noticed him turn down lots of invitations from girls. She soon found out the reason for his sudden change when he told her she was the only one he wanted, when he confessed his true feelings. She happily accepted after realizing she had feelings for him as well. They've been together ever since.
She mentally kicked herself for forgetting one of the happiest moments of her life. Then, she proceeded to getting dressed.
When she got down to the lounge, almost everybody was gone, except for Koromaru, of course, who was sleeping on the couch. She bent down and gently stroked his fur. His left ear twitched when she did this, and it made her giggle. She stood up and noticed a small Christmas tree on the counter. She went near it and marveled at the thing.
"Fuuka-san put it there. You like it?" a voice behind her said, which made her jump.
"Ryoji-kun, you startled me!" she protested, having realized who spoke.
The boy looked panicked. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you."
Knowing he'd immediately feel awful for something as small as that, she assured him it was okay. At that, he sighed in relief.
"Anyway, here." He handed her some waffle rolls. "I made them myself."
"Wow, really? Thanks, Ryoji-kun. You're so sweet."
The boy chuckled, and then sighed. "It's almost Christmas, huh? It'll be my first time celebrating it in Japan, and without my parents." His girlfriend suddenly looked somewhat worried at what he said, so he told her, "Don't worry, I'm not sad! I'm actually okay with it, 'cause I'll be spending it with you guys, especially you." He shot her a smile, which made her brighten up. Oh, how she loved the way he smiled.
She looked at the clock. "Oh, we'd better get going, or we'll be late!" Minako exclaimed, grabbing Ryoji's hand and rushing out the door.
The train ride, Minako thought, was lovely. First off, they were fortunate enough to have gotten seats, even though it was already a bit late. Normally, people flooded the train during that time. Second, after talking about their adventure last night, and getting reprimanded by her boyfriend for spacing out, Minako still felt a bit sleepy. Ryoji noticed this so he offered his shoulder for her to lean on. She felt flattered and accepted the offer. He put his other arm around her while she napped, making her feel protected. She had to admit, she could be a bit vulnerable sometimes. That was one of those times, since the boy who often made her feel vulnerable was there.
She once again thought they were blessed when they got to school in the nick of time. The moment they entered the classroom, the bell rang
"Wow, just in time, huh?" Ryoji chirped, accompanying Minako to her seat.
"Yeah!" she replied, beaming at him.
Before going over to his seat, he bowed a bit, kissed her hand that he was holding, and said, "Until later, my princess!"
This made the girl's face turn red, and earned her death glares from his fangirls inside the classroom, who still couldn't accept the fact that he was taken.
Yukari, on the other hand, looked at her and smiled. "I'm still amazed you got him to change, Minako-chan! I'm really happy for you."
"Thanks, Yukari-chan!"
"Yeah, who would've known that?" Junpei said, agreeing with Yukari, which was rare. "Now, all that's left is you, eh, Yuka-tan?" he teased.
"What? Ugh, at least I have lots of admirers, unlike you, Stupei!"
"No problem! This hunk of burning love's already taken by Chidori anyway!"
"Hunk of what?"
Minako had to smile at her friends' antics.
"You seem really happy, Minako-san," her seatmate, Aigis, said, smiling. "I'm happy for you as well."
"Thanks, Aigis!" she cheerfully replied. Then, she looked at the scarf-wearing boy she loved, who was sitting second nearest the window. He was looking at the cold environment outside the window, seeming to be lost in thought.
The bell for lunch rang, and the four friends went to fetch Fuuka from her classroom. Scratch that. They kidnapped the petite girl from her classroom. It was all Ryoji's idea.
"Ah, w-wait! Where are we going?" she asked, shocked at her friends' kidnapping her.
"We're going to eat at the rooftop!" Ryoji said, who was hastily pushing her forward.
"H-huh? B-but I left my lunch inside the classroom!"
"Don't worry! We've got it covered!"
At the back keeping up with the two, Yukari complained. "What is he up to now? And where's Junpei?"
"I have no idea," Minako said nonchalantly. She was used to it. Ever since they became a couple, Ryoji often had tricks up his sleeve to surprise her. He was probably the one who hatched this plan, too.
"Whatever this is," Aigis said, "we had better stop. Fuuka-san is showing signs of exhaustion."
Finally, they reached the rooftop. Fuuka immediately sat on the nearest bench, catching her breath.
"Are you okay, Fuuka-san?" Aigis asked, looking down at her.
"*pant* I-I'm fine! J-Just need to rest, that's all."
Yukari put her hands on her hips and looked suspiciously at the culprit. "Okay, Ryoji-kun, what's the big deal?"
The boy in question shot her a confused smile. "Like I said, we're eating lunch here."
"Okay. So where's the lunch?"
"Junpei-kun has them."
At that moment, the door opened and in came his best friend, carrying a bunch of plastic bags. "Make way! Hot stuff coming through!" He went to a spot near them, sat down on the floor, and took out the items one by one: six large bowls with lids, six cold cans of cola, and chopsticks.
Minako's jaw slightly dropped. "What's all this?"
Junpei jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the guy behind him. "Ask Ryoji. I just went along with his idea since it seemed awesome, and there's free food involved."
The girl could swear she saw Yukari face palm behind her. But never mind that. What was Junpei talking about? She looked at the guy behind him.
"I just thought that we'd eat together during lunch for a change, since we often just eat after school," Ryoji explained. "Unfortunately, I couldn't bring Akihiko-san and Mitsuru-san here since they said last night that they were busy."
Junpei opened the lid of each bowl.
"Ramen? Do they sell ramen at the cafeteria?" Fuuka asked, finally seeming fine.
"Those must have been expensive," Aigis added.
"Nah! I ordered it this morning at Hagakure and got them to deliver these here at lunch. But don't worry! Ryoji-kun got everything covered."
Everybody looked at the pale boy, who was trying not to meet their eyes. "Well, I wanted to thank you guys for being my friends."
"So, what're we waiting for? Let's dig in!" Junpei invited, grabbing his chopsticks.
They all thanked their sponsor for the food, and enjoyed the meal while chatting happily: Junpei and Yukari were, once again, bickering, Fuuka was trying to guess the secret ingredient, and Ryoji was asking Minako to feed him a bite with Aigis telling him he was dangerous in the background. They were indeed having fun.
The bell rang once again, signalling the start of afternoon classes. As they were getting down the stairs, Minako, who was holding Ryoji's hand, ushered him to lower his head to her level. She kissed him on the cheek, which made him shocked. "Thanks for the food, and for being with me," she softly said, so that the others in front of them wouldn't hear.
The next morning was odd. Minako went to school by herself, a bit disappointed that she couldn't go to school with Ryoji. She just tried to understand the situation and looked forward to seeing him at school. When she got there, though, he was nowhere to be found. This made her worried, so she decided to ask his best friend.
"Sorry, Mina-tan. I don't know where he is. Maybe he woke up late."
"I knocked on his door, but he wasn't there anymore."
"Well, maybe he went somewhere else before going here."
After a while, class started and the boy still wasn't there, but five minutes later he came in, looking a bit disorganized. He apologized to their teacher and went to his seat, looking at all their fellow S.E.E.S. members, all except her.
This made the girl even more disappointed than this morning.
"Hello, princess!" Ryoji greeted her when lunch time came.
No response.
"I want to ask you something."
"Can I ask first?" she interrupted, having a worried, annoyed and disappointed look on her face. "Is something wrong? You've been acting strange since this morning. Whenever I looked at you, you shifted your eyes to avoid looking at me. You were late this morning, too. Did something happen?"
He immediately looked guilty. "Well..."
She held his hand. "Don't worry. I'm not mad at you or anything. Just tell me what's wrong, please?"
There was a slight moment of pause, before he explained. "You see, I was rushing to school when I realized that you may already have planned something for tonight. I felt guilty of only thinking of myself, that's why I couldn't look at you."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"It's Christmas Eve today, isn't it? I was actually planning since yesterday to ask you to spend it with me, but I failed to realize that you may already have something else in mind, like spending it with Yukari-san and Fuuka-san."
Oh yeah, it was December 24.
Minako chuckled. She had to. This boy she loved so much was indeed sincere and self-less, even too much for his own good. "You got worked up over that? To tell you the truth, I actually forgot the date today, so I can assure you that I have no plans whatsoever."
His face immediately lit up. "Really?"
She nodded.
"Then," he bowed slightly, and held her hand, "May I have the honor of spending Christmas Eve with her highness?"
"I'd be delighted!"
They went to Paulownia Mall after school. Minako was amazed at the many lights that decorated the whole place, and the tall Christmas trees. But the one who enjoyed the scenery more than her was her date.
"Don't they look beautiful? I've seen people decorate here this morning, but I didn't expect the place to look this beautiful tonight!" he marveled like a little kid.
"You went here this morning? Is that why you were late?" Minako asked, looking up curiously at him.
"Yeah. I dropped by a shop to buy you my Christmas present." He reached into his bag, without letting go of her hand, and took out a beautifully wrapped box. "Merry Christmas!"
She took the gift with her free hand. "Wow! This is for me?"
"Yes! Come; let's go sit there so you can open it."
He led her to a bench by the fountain, and they both sat down. She carefully opened the gift. In it was a beautiful hair clip, which was designed as a pink and silver butterfly, shining brightly as light hit it.
"Oh my! Thank you! It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, flattered at his thoughtfulness.
Ryoji took the gift and clipped in on to her hair. She felt goose bumps when his hands gently touched her head. "It suits you! Do you like it?"
"Thank you so much, Ryoji-kun! I love it! But not as much I love you." At this, she leaned forward and kissed him sweetly, her lips meeting with his.
When they parted, he replied, "You're welcome. I love you, too, my dearest." He shot her one of the warmest smiles he'd given her.
Suddenly, Minako noticed that everything was fading, the mall, the decorations, and Ryoji. The next thing she knew was that she was staring at the ceiling of her dark room.
"Wha-what?"
Dazed, she sat up and looked at her alarm clock. It read "2:46am, December 24, 2009."
It was still the 24th? But didn't she and Ryoji-?
Was it all just a…dream?
Just then, she remembered everything that have truly happened in the past few days. Ryoji was not a part of S.E.E.S.; he was "The Appriser", according to him. And he was the reason Aigis was in the lab getting repairs, because of their fight more than 20 days ago.
Is that how badly she wanted to be with him?
The girl clasped her head with her trembling hand, and sadly sighed.
"So, it was impossible from the start."
A/N: Aaah! I'm sorry for having ended it that way! Actually, I was planning it to be like that from the start. But when I got to writing it, I was having second thoughts, since I loved how it was moving. I just forced myself to go with my original plan 'cause it was part of the story, and I wanted to imply the bitter truth of their situation. *evades bricks*
A bit of clarification: in the dream, Junpei and Chidori are together. She didn't die. Probably deep inside, Minako wanted Junpei to be happy. And oh yeah, at first, I wanted the persona Minako summons to be Messiah, but I remembered that you couldn't get him until January. :(
So, anyway, the things that made me write this story were the questions 1) what if Ryoji was a member of S.E.E.S.? and 2) what if you could spend Christmas Eve with him like in the other social links? (thus the title "What if?") Oh how badly I wanted to spend Christmas with him!
Once again, please do leave reviews! And I'm still accepting requests! Thanks for reading and God bless!
P.S: Minato will be in the next fanfic :D