Persona: After Story by Wordsworthy
Disclaimer: I obviously do not own The Shin Megami Tensei series since obviously Atlas does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.
Chapter 2: Kimiko
"Kimiko-san, shall we have lunch together?"
"I'd love to." replied the brunette cheerfully, already helping the other three girls in joining their tables together.
"Kimiko-san, how was your first week in our school so far?"
"Hmm… it's the first time I've been around so many people near my age in a while, so it's a little dizzying…"
"Maa… you'll get used to it in no time."
"Yeah, that would be great…"
"Are you having a homemade bento again?" asked one of the friendly trio curiously, to which the new girl nodded sheepishly, revealing the pink cloth of her neatly-wrapped lunchbox from her schoolbag.
"That's so nice. My mom hardly has time to cook for me at all, so all I have to make do with are store-bought riceballs."
"Me too. I can't remember the last time I had anything other than melon bread either."
"Isn't that because you have a sweet-tooth?"
"And what's wrong with that? It's not like your jam buns are any better!"
The new girl smiled warmly at her new friends' lunchtime banter before noticing the mostly convenient store fare before them.
"Erm… If you like, please have some of mine."
"Eh? Is that really okay?"
"Score!"
The lid of the pink lunchbox slid off the brunette's lunch, unveiling the contents of the fabled homemade bento to the three tantalized girls.
A chorus of "Ohh!"s went up before toothpicks were gratefully received and utilized.
"Ah, the teriyaki chicken is delish!"
"There are cherry tomatoes too!"
"And this sweet omelet is just hea-ven-ly! It's so creamy!"
"I think I'm gonna cry!"
"Wow, your lunchbox is just amazing! Your mother must be an unbelievable cook!"
The new girl's fond smile faltered a little at that last compliment, becoming a little wistful.
"Actually… it's my Aunt Mari that makes my bento. I don't stay with my mother any more…"
"Eh? Why is tha- Ow!"
Fortunately, the question was left incomplete thanks to a not so discrete pinch by the two more sensible girls.
"Well, then that makes Kimiko's aunt the amazing one."
"Um!" hummed the girl in full agreement, already back in good cheer.
"Tsukimiya Kimiko, age 16. Date of birth: 26 December 1995, Capricorn, type O, height 160cm. A transfer student from many places, most recently Iwatodai, it appears that she had some form of debilitating illness that kept her from going to school until quite recently. Due to similar reasons, she seems to be sitting out on P.E. lessons for a while, indicating very low physical ability. She seems to do okay for her other subjects, but is ultimately below average at best. Hmm… and apparently, she doesn't live with her parents, indicating a possibility that she could be on bad terms with her parents…"
"Naoto-kun, have you ever heard of the term 'privacy'?" chided Rise disparagingly of the other girl's bad habit.
"Like you do with 'modesty' and 'personal space'." deflected the Detective Prince deftly with a wry smile. "It's my way of getting to know our new classmate."
"Good luck with that, bonehead. I think you already scared her half to death with your 'interrogation' the other day." added Kanji of his two-cents worth between bites of his super-sized chilli-dog.
"I did? Hmm, that would explain why she was avoiding me…"
The conversation faded after that observation, with Naoto busy with the notes in his notebook and Kanji ensuring the swift demise of his lunch.
"By the way Rise, why aren't you eating lunch?" asked Naoto in the yet another observation.
"Ugh, I need sleep more than food right now." groaned the former idol, not bothering to raise her head off the table.
"Oh yeah, you've been acting more dopey than usual. What's up, sleeping late?"
"Kinda…" Rise straightened up for a moment before her aching head demanded to be let back down. She eventually settled on leaning on the entirety of her chair and resting her head on Naoto's table behind her. "I've been practicing for my big return to showbiz."
"Practising? In what?" inquired Naoto casually, putting her notebook down on the table to focus on her friend's well-being.
"It's a surprise. It's not presentable yet but I'm kinda in a rut at the moment."
"Hmm… in any case, try to keep your practice in moderation. You're going to be neck up in remediation lessons if your grades slip any further."
"Ugh… way to kill the mood, Naoto-kun."
"Hey Naoto, what did you mean by "cute, in a slightly dimwitted manner"?" asked Kanji all of a sudden. "And who the hell are you calling melodramatic?"
"H-Huh? Kanji! Give my notebook back!"
The day crawled as slowly as it always did after the lunch break, although Kashiwagi did provide a few disdainful distractions by means of her usual chastising antics against the more popular girls. Relief was rife among the members of the class at the dull clang of the school bell signaling the end the day, although they had to dodge a few parting shots by the teacher with perpetual PMS.
"Rise, wanna walk home together?"
"Sorry Naoto-kun, I'm heading over to the jamming- "
The former idol slapped her hand over her mouth just a second too late to reveal that little nugget of information to a small triumphant smile.
"Naoto-kun…" drawled Rise in a half groan. Naoto was annoying this way. "Don't tell any one yet."
"Mum's the word."
With her going-home partner indisposed with whatever practice she was having, the Detective Prince walked down the familiar street with slightly more briskness than usual. As much as she would deigned to admit, she did miss the company of the other girl. Well, not in an overly fond sort of way, but rather as a nice change of pace. However, a few drops of moisture soon gave the girl another reason to pick up her pace further.
"Darn…" cussed the quickly sopping wet girl as she broke into a dash for the nearest shelter, a small ledge that protruded from a store that has yet to open for business. Taking off her peak cap, she wiped her short blue hair as best she could with fast-dampening sleeves. "I hate the rain… Argh!"
A gentle, tentative touch surprised the girl into an atypically girlish scream before she could stop it. She blinked blankly at the pink and white sakura-patterned handkerchief.
"Anou… you can use it if you like…"
"T-Tsukimiya-san… what are you doing here?"
"Erm… taking shelter from the rain?" offered the gentle girl meekly.
Realising how out of character she was becoming, she coughed discretely into a closed fist, her mind already in the process of recovering most of her bearings from the surprise.
"R-Right… that makes perfect sense…" Naoto raised an eyebrow at the gentle dabbing she was currently receiving from the slightly taller girl. "Erm… I can do it myself…"
"Umm…" agreed Kimiko off-handedly, although she did continue fussing about the other girl until the other girl had became mostly dry.
"Thanks…"
The two girls stood under the ledge for a while, watching the rain fall idly into the background, unsure of what else to say to each other.
"Erm…" began Naoto with a start. "I believe I owe you an apology."
"Huh?"
"It was brought to my attention that I might have been a little too… nosey in my curiosity with regards to you." explained the junior detective, choosing her words carefully before she decided to heck with it. "I'm sorry if I scared you."
"Ah… it's alright Shirogane-san. I was just a little taken aback. I'm still not very used to people."
The boyish-looking girl smiled in gratitude for her understanding.
"Please call me Naoto."
"Ah, in that case, please call me Kimiko too."
The untimely shower had eventually let up into a light drizzle before it stopped completely, allowing the two girls to return to their journey home. However, the rain might have been a blessing in disguise, since it gave the two girls the opportunity to get to know each other better, as well as the chance to walk home together.
"Oh, so you are staying at your Aunt's place right now?"
"Yeah, although I hardly see her around at all. She works the night shift so it can't be helped."
"I see. I also heard that you transferred in from Iwatodai."
"That's right."
"What a coincidence, we went on a school trip there last year."
"You don't say."
"Yes. Perhaps we could have passed by each other then as well."
"Hmm… unlikely, unless you stopped by the hospital."
"Oh…" Naoto remained silent for a few pensive moments before continuing. "Erm, I hope you don't find me too forward, but is your illness a taboo subject?"
"Hmm… not really… I had a congenital defect in my heart. Long story short, it was too weak for me to function properly, so I had to spend most of my time in a hospital. Things finally got better after I was granted a transplant from a donor a few years back. I spent the next few years after that in rehab and studying to get back up to speed as a normal highschooler."
"I see… I'm glad you're better now."
"So am I. I'm never going to be a sportswoman or anything, but it feels good to be able to walk without the fear collapsing every few steps."
The two girls continued walking in companionable silence for a while before Naoto made a surprising observation.
"Hmm… no wonder your grades aren't so great… no offense."
"Nyahaha… I'm not that bright to begin with, sadly."
"Well, if you need help, just ask."
"Really? Thanks! That would help me out a lot!" gushed the new girl gratefully before she noticed where she was. "Ah, could we stop by the tofu store for a while?"
"Tofu store? Erm, sure."
"Good afternoon Oba-san!" greeted the cheerful brunette.
"Ah, Kimiko-chan." returned the old woman at the store just as cheerfully. "Are you here for Milk?"
"Yes, thank you for taking care of her while I'm at school."
"Don't mention it Kimiko-chan. Milk was just a darling. She's napping behind the counter right now though, so I think you better take her basket home too."
"Oh, okay. Sure."
The old woman noticed the shorter girl and beamed happily at her as well.
"Naoto-chan! It's nice to see you again."
"You say that even though I pass by the shop on my way home every time, Oba-san." said the boyish-looking girl with a fond smile, tipping her hat in greeting. "Not that I mind it though."
"I see that Rise's not with you today. I guess she's at her practice again… I hope she's not overworking herself."
"I'm sure she will be fine. I gave her a stern warning today too."
"Rise-san?" asked Kimiko hesitantly, having returned with a small picnic basket in her hands.
"Oh, you didn't know? This is Rise's grandmother. She stays just above the shop."
"Oh! What a coincidence!" Her surprise soon melted away into a more pensive smile. "I wonder if we'll become friends too."
"Don' t worry. She'll like you too. We can have study sessions together."
"Gee, that sounds fun." giggled the girl, not meaning a single word she said.
Meanwhile, in a rented studio somewhere, a certain brunette sneezed for no good reason.
The two girls parted ways soon after at the junction just before her apartment complex, after making arrangements to walk to school together in the morning of course. The brunette made her way up the stairs to her Aunt's two bedroom apartment slowly, trying her best not to wake her napping kitten up in the process. A quick turn of the keys and she was finally back in the comfort of her home sweet home of the last week or so.
"I'm home!"
The girl called out to no one in particular, although she did not really expect a response either. It just did not feel right not to begin things with that.
Setting down the picnic basket at the base of her bed, she removed the lid to reveal the small white kitten, still curled up cutely in the midst of her evening nap.
"Aww…" cooed the girl as she smiled warmly at the sight.
Leaving the furry snowball to her feline dreams, Kimiko made her way to kitchen where she found her dinner already prepared as usual, the dishes wrapped with polyethylene, together with a black book and the instructions on how to use the microwave to heat it stuck on the table. Rolling her eyes at the lack of confidence her Aunt had with regards to her ability to use the microwave, the girl placed the dishes into the oven before punching the familiar settings into the control panel.
Seating herself down on the dining table, she opened the black leather-bound book and read the latest entry by her Aunt.
"Dear Kimiko,
I will be on night duty tonight as usual. Dinner's already prepared, so remember to heat it up in the microwave. How are things at school? Did anything interesting happen? Any requests for what you would like for your bento tomorrow? … Sorry for always not being around much… I guess I'm not really doing a good job with the parenting, but please do let me know if you need anything or have any troubles fitting in.
Yours,
A. M."
The girl smiled at her Aunt's awkward approach to parenting before writing her own entry into the book. She was about done reassuring her Aunt how she's fine and understands the difficulties she has when a sudden whim struck her. Grinning impishly, she penned down it down quickly before the distinct "ding" of the microwave rang out.
Removing the dishes from the microwave, she clapped her hands twice to give thanks for the meal before digging in, marveling at how fast her Aunt's skills were improving from the previously burnt mess she presented. After her meal, the girl brought the dishes to the basin and washed them. She also managed to do a bit of dusting and cleaning before sorting out the combustible trash from the incombustible ones. Knowing how her Aunt would like to have at least some contribution in maintaining the cleanliness of the place, she mercifully left the trash bags by the entrance for her to help out. Thereafter, the girl went to take a nice, long and well-deserved soak in the bath before working on her homework. By the time it was ten, she was already tucked in her futon, fast asleep.
Nothing else stirred in the apartment other than the gentle rustle of cotton on cloth… that was until the luminous hands on the alarm clock struck twelve. The ears of the white kitten pricked up as the small feline roused from her slumber, her irises shining like green beacons in the non-light. A gentle pat on her little head caused her to mew out softly before leaning unto the slender hand, earning herself a few comforting strokes on her back.
The lights to the dining room lit up after a flick of the switch. Soft footsteps padded lightly towards the basin and back to the dining table, before the pages of the black book were flipped to the latest entry.
"Unagi?"
A soft sigh sounded in the room, followed by the quiet rustle of clothes and soft click of the door.
A/N: Still in the expository stage. Hope it still piques your interest. If not, check back again after a few chapters. I'm sure the story will pick up then.
Omake 1: Midnight Cravings
A soft "ding dong" chimed as the automatic doors slid open, revealing a tall burly young man with an ice-cream stick in his mouth and a plastic bag, startling the next random customer that was about to enter the twenty-four hour super mart. The much shorter salaryman looked at the imposing white-haired boy for a while before cowering somewhat, backing slowly away from him, as though afraid of startling some savage animal. The tall boy raised a white eyebrow at the stranger in front of him, before noticing something amiss.
"Oh… sorry." uttered Kanji earnestly as he moved his body gingerly to one side, giving the older man more space to move past him.
The older man gave a crooked smile of gratitude before quickly stepping into the super mart with rickety steps. Fortunately, Kanji took the odd behavior as part of the norm with regards to his usual interaction with others. Shrugging his shoulders, he took out the spent ice-cream stick and replaced it with another Popsicle from the plastic bag.
These things are strangely addictive. mulled the delinquent inwardly, having gotten a good dozen or so of them at one shot just to satisfy a sudden craving.
As he set off on his way home though, he heard faint grunts, yelling and the sound of clashing and metallic things falling to the ground coming from a nearby alley.
Thinking it could be some poor guy getting picked upon by one of the random biker gangs again, Kanji sighed before going to check it out, taking up the role of the thankless, biker gang crushing Samaritan again.
When he got to the alley though, all he could do was to blink blankly at the scene. Several bodies were strewn all about the narrow alleyway, although thankfully, they were still able to groan or roll about in the dirt. There was also less blood than he had expected, which made him just a little bit disappointed. Given the tailflags of a bunch of crushed motorbikes a little way off and a few familiar battered mugs, it became obvious that the Inaba Skulls just got owned again.
"Well, I'll be…"
He toed the nearest groaning mess of a gangster wanna-be.
"Yo bonehead, who did this?"
"R-Red… Red! Red! RED!"
A solid thunk kept the beat up guy from becoming hysterical on the white-haired boy, although it did involve yet another bruise on his face.
"Well, whoever it is, he's got balls."
As Kanji turned to leave the scene, in case he got pinned for this one as well, he spotted a small plastic bag hung upon a small nook on the nearby lamppost.
"What the… unagi?"