Disclaimer: Back from hiding out in the depths of her bedroom, Lieal has come forth to throw out another chapter of a fanfic for which she does not own any of the characters.

Yeah yeah, thanks but no thanks. You're losing your touch you know.

Disclaimer: You're the one who writes me.

You know what? if you cant shut your mouth, then I'm going to replace you with Yukari.

Disclaimer: but you hate her...

Exactly. Now, who's my co-host for this chapter?

Junpei: Never fear, Junpei is here~!

Huzzah! Would you like to make the special thanks for this chapter, Junpei?

Junpei: Sure things, buddy. This chapter is dedicated in thanks to the story's first two official reviewers; Harmony-chan, and Kaguya-hime. You guys totally rock!

They're also fellow Theo fangirls. 8D That poor sexy beast needs more love after all the taunting his sisters put him through - so go you!

Junpei: All right, so without further distractions, let's get this chapter started!


AFTER SCHOOL

After her nap, Minako had felt great. She stretched in her chair a bit, yawn escaping her mouth. Class was over, so she stood and looked around. Junpei was standing over by the window, so she decided to go chat with him for a bit. "Hey, Junpei-kun," she called, waving her hand a bit as she approached him.

"Hey, Minako-chan. Dude, Mitsuru-senpai's speech this morning was crazy," Junpei said. Apparently he was still trying to wrap his mind around what it had all meant, "I heard no one was even close to her in the election. Considering her background, I don't know why they bothered."

"Well, she does seem pretty popular…and you said her family owns the school or something, right?" Minako replied, "Heck, this is the first I'm hearing of it, but that is pretty darn impressive."

"Let's face it," he said with a shrug. "We're all plain ordinary compared to her, man."

"Yeah…hey, you wanna hang out?" Minako asked, "I don't have anything to do today, so…"

"If you don't mind waiting a bit, sure," Junpei answered, "I just gotta use the bathroom and we can go."

Minako laughed, "Well then hurry up, I want to get out of here."

Junpei went to the bathroom and met up with Minako at the shoe lockers. Since there wasn't much to do, they'd decided on just heading home. But on the way out, barely even past the stairs at the doors to the school, they paused. There was a commotion at the front gate that looked like something straight out of a TV drama.

"Look, it's Akihiko-senpai!" one of the girls in the group at the gate shouted, pointing in their general direction.

"Wait for us!" another girl called as they all swarmed around said Senpai, who was just trying to leave the school.

Akihiko sighed, looking slightly…annoyed by the swarm of girls that gathered around him.

"Man, would you look at that?" Junpei seemed to admire the sight with a slight hint of jealousy, "I hear they're always swarming Akihiko-senpai like that. I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but…I mean, come on! You don't even see girls flock like that on TV! I wonder where they're going…"

"I kinda feel bad for him," Minako commented, "It's got to get annoying after a while…don't you think?"

They watched as Akihiko still tried to head for the school gates despite the swarm of girls around him. Just as he was passing by Junpei and Minako, he noticed them standing there and turned to look at them, "Hey, are you guys free this afternoon?" he asked.

"Huh?" Junpei looked a bit surprised, "Who, us! I…I guess so…?"

"I want the two of you to meet me at Paulownia Mall," he explained. "You know where it is right? I'll be at the police station. See ya there."

"Th-The police station?" Junpei echoed like his parrot self. "…Uh, are your friends gonna come along, too?"

Akihiko looked a bit confused, "Who, these girls?" He looked at the swarm of eager fangirls that surrounded him, looking at him with their starry eyes and smiling faces, "I don't even know their names," he answered Junpei, looking back at the second-year male, "They talk so much they give me a headache. Anyway, I'm gonna head out…Don't keep me waiting." Stepping away from the group of fangirls, Akihiko then headed for the school gates once more – this time by himself.

"Awww…" One of Akihiko's fans pouted, "Why can't he be more friendly?" she sighed, looking a bit hurt that he'd brushed them off so easily as they all walked off to the school gates as well.

Minako got the feeling it wasn't the first time this had happened.

"Man, how can he not even know their names!" Junpei asked, shocked. "I mean, seriously! Just look at them!"

"Um…not that I'm interested in girls like that, Junpei," Minako pointed out.

"Oh…right, heh," Junpei laughed a bit, "Well, I guess we gotta go…" he sounded disappointed that none of the Akihiko fanclub wasn't coming along with. "Sheesh, talk about putting a damper on a guy's afternoon."

Well, sorry Minako wasn't a girl – oh wait, she was. Sorry Junpei had to spend time with friends after school rather than being shot down by girls who cant look at him seriously because of the way he acts.

Together the two headed to the Paulownia Mall. It was only slightly crowded today. There were a few students in the arcade, but other than that, the only people around were some gossiping housewives, a few elderly people talking walks, and maybe a few reporters looking for a scoop. The two cut across the Mall and past the fountain to the police station. Stepping inside, they easily spotted Akihiko, who was right at the front desk, speaking with an officer.

"Thank you, Sir," they over heard him say to the man in uniform, "Oh, these are the guys I was talking about earlier," he stated, motioning towards Minako and Junpei when he noticed them enter. The man he was speaking with looked over the two with a serious expression. "This is Officer Kurosawa," Akihiko introduced, "He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And, this is from Ikutsuki-san…" Akihiko pulled out some yen from his pocket, offering some to each of the two.

"R-Really!" Junpei asked, "Sweet!" Nothing was better than free money.

Akihiko gave each of them five-thousand yen….which….wasn't really all that much. "You cant fight empty-handed, so find something you like. Officer Kurosawa has connections…but these things still cost money."

"Of course they do," Officer Kurosawa said, speaking for the first time, "Nothing in life is free."

"I realize that," Akihiko replied. "Well, I'll see you later. Thanks again." Akihiko turned and left the store, off to do whatever it was he was going to do.

Junpei and Minako looked back at the Officer, who had his eye on them as well. "I've been informed about you two," he began, "My job is to maintain peace in the city, regardless of the circumstances. I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right."

"Awesome," Minako commented with a smile, "I think it's great that you're willing to do what ever you can to make sure things say peaceful, it's really respectful. We'll make sure to do our part too."

Though he almost cracked a smile, Officer Kurosawa nodded, "I don't have that much, but you should be able to find what you need. I wont ask what they'll be used for, but I believe that you'll use them for the right reasons."

Helping Minako and Junpei, Kurosawa was able to get them some good weapons for what money they had on them. He said that they could come by the office later when there were less people around to pick them up if they weren't heading back to the dorm – which was actually quite nice. It would make it easier to get them home for their Dark Hour activities if they didn't get caught by another officer because they startled people on the monorail by taking their weapons home with them now.

"Thank you Officer Kurosawa, we'll be by later tonight to pick them up," Minako said as she bit the officer farewell, leaving the station with Junpei.

"Pshh, only five-thousand yen…" Junpei complained, looking at what he had. He hadn't bought a single thing, though Minako managed to help him find something nice with the extra money she had on her person. "I'm gonna take off, since I'm in a bad mood now…Later." With a wave over his shoulder, Junpei walked off, disappearing beyond a crowd of students that passed by.

Looking around the mall, Minako decided she might as well do something while she was there. Wandering around a bit, she found the Changall Café. She remembered that Yukari had mentioned there was a great café in the mall, she wondered if this was it. An advertising sign in the window said; "Pheromone Coffee – 500 yen. A Charming flavor that will turn on your charm." The ad made Minako giggle. Did drinking their 'Pheromone Coffee' really make one more attractive? It seemed pretty silly. Since there wasn't much of anything else to do, she decided she might as well try it out.

Taking a seat at one of the café tables, Minako ordered one of the advertised coffees. It didn't take all that long for it to be brought to her. She blew lightly at it's surface to disperse the steam before taking a small sip. It was actually a very nice coffee. The flavor was rich and smooth, and she could feel it warm her from the inside out even though she wasn't cold. As she drank her coffee, she felt like there were people staring at her and began to wonder if it actually was the coffee's doing. She left after finishing her coffee with a red face and headed back to the dorm.

EVENING

Mitsuru welcomed Minako back upon her entrance to the dorm. The brunette smiled, thanking the redhead. It would take her a while to get used to it, but she enjoyed being greeted upon returning. It had been a long time without such a thing.

"Perfect timing…" Mitsuru announced, "I'd like to speak to you for a moment." She waited for Minako to come closer so she wouldn't have to speak so loudly. "Regarding our exploration of Tartrus… Akihiko is still on the mend, so for now, I'd like you to lead the team."

Minako was a bit surprised that they were still willing to have her lead the team. Of course…she wasn't complaining about it or anything. "Me? Um, sure, I don't mind."

"You never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one you faced the other day," Mitsuru pointed out, "It's best to be prepared or else you may find yourself in a difficult situation. So, whenever you'd like to explore Tartrus, just let me know, and I'll gather everyone there. Also, since I'm sure there are other things you will need to take care of, you may go out at night if you need to. Well, that's it. Keep up the good work."

"Right, can do, Senpai," Minako answered with a smile. "If it's all right, I would like to head back to Tartrus again tonight. I want to get past that second floor and see how far we can get before we run out of time."

"Very well. We'll meet at Tartrus around midnight. Don't be late," she answered, "And also…I know exploring Tartrus is important, but be sure to mind your health.

"I will, Senpai, thank you," Minako answered before heading off to her room. Since she had to kill time until Midnight, it would be better to get to work on her homework. She could probably finish it before she had to head out to the school grounds.

THE DARK HOUR

"As we explore Tartrus, this will be our temporary base of operations," Mitsuru explained to Minako as they entered the tower that night. "I'm counting on you."

"Right, no worries," the brunette answered. Before calling the other two over to get started on exploring, she decided it would be best to visit the Velvet room first. She may as well see Igor again to learn how he'll be able to assist her before things got too complicated. Heading over to the odd glowing door that only she seemed able to see, she opened it and walked inside the room, taking a seat at her usual chair.

"Ah, there you are," Igor greeted, Theo standing just off to the side of his couch. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. Well…I suppose it's time for me to explain what I really do here."

Minako was almost afraid to know what he really did there that he told no 'guests' about.

"It is my job to create new Personas."

Come again?

"But in order to do so, I must fuse your persona cards together…In other words, I shall merge them into a single Persona," the creepy old man explained, "The number of Personas you have buried within you is approximately one-hundred-and-seventy. We've never seen a visitor with this many possibilities before. If you establish Social Links, you may be able to create even stronger Personas, too." Igor chuckled to himself – which actually sounded very, very creepy. "This could prove veeeery interesting. So, as you accumulate cards, please bring them to me. If you wish to learn about fusing Personas in more detail…then talk to me so that I may give you some hints."

Theodore stepped forward again, and how happy Minako was to see that beautiful face again. He placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly, as he did when he had first met her, "How may I help you?" he asked kindly, his lips curling into the polite smile of his.

"Oh, I just came to see what Igor can do to assist me…as he had said before," Minako answered. She then smiled at Theodore, "It was nice to see you again Theo. I'll come back soon."

"Well then…" He replied in that smooth deep voice of his, "I look forward to your next visit."

Minako was then leaving the room, heading over to Yukari and Junpei the second she was back at the base of Tartrus. "All right guys, who's ready to head out?" she asked.

"Oh, I am!" Junpei cheered.

"Sure, I'm ready," Yukari answered with a smile.

"Right, let's go!" Up the stairs and to the door.

Just as they reached the door, however, Mitsuru asked them to stop to inform Minako about something, "I just noticed something when I was scanning the upcoming floors. A few floors up, there's a barricade preventing you from going any higher. The tower seems to have a number of these interspersed amongst its floors. I know I told you the layout changes each day, but these barriers seem to be in fixed locations. Therefore, I'd like you to try and reach the first barricade, but don't push yourself too hard."

"All right," Minako answered, "We'll do our best, Senpai."

And off they went.

The fighting was pretty tough, and the halls seemed to go on forever before they'd find the stairs. With each level they progressed, Mitsuru would warn them of a strong presence she could feel somewhere on a nearby floor above them. Minako insisted that they give it a shot, and headed up to the fifth floor, where Mitsuru said the strong presence was. As they snuck around to go and find the Shadows just to take a peek, they found a machine that looked just like one that was at their base on the bottom floor. Mitsuru asked them to try it out, to the three went over and tinkered with the strange device.

In the end, it turned out to be some weird elevator-type of machine, and it transported the three of them back to the first floor much like the access points would, only it also gave them the option to go to the fifth floor where the twin machine still sat. "Neat!" Minako chirped. "Well, we're gonna go up and try to take on that shadow you were telling us about. We'll be back once the battle's done."

"Just be careful," Mitsuru insisted.

"Yes ma'am!"

The battle had been an easy one. Though at first it had been something of a pain. Flying shadows were hard to get at with swords and naginatas. Yukari used her bow to pierce their wings and get them down on the ground where the three could attack easier, and the battle was over before they knew it.

Of course, after that, they were exhausted. Using the strange elevator, the three headed back down once more, and told Mitsuru they were done for the day. So after Mitsuru packed up the equipment, the four of them headed back to the dorm, where Akihiko was probably asleep, having been asked to stay behind that day.

(4/23)EARLY MORNING

Junpei caught up to Minako that morning before school just as she was about to pass the gates to the school grounds. "Morning," they greeted each other, Minako more energetically than Junpei.

The hatted teen sighed heavily, "Man, I'm so tired…" he complained, "Coming to school's a job by itself. Things got so busy all of a sudden. Well, I do feel a lot more satisfied though."

Minako could see where he was coming from. After all that exploring and fighting in Tartrus the night before, she would rather be in bed sleeping in – but the whole fighting thing itself was pretty cool., "Yeah, I agree."

A grin spread on Junpei's face, "Having somethin' that only we can do… It just feels great." He paused to yawn, covering his mouth with a hand, "Oh man, I'm getting teary eyes now…Goin' to class is a pain…The only think I look forward to is after school. How will I kill time…?"

The first bell rang, calling the students in to start their lessons for the day. For once, class actually passed quickly and quietly without much distractions. Minako took her notes, listened to the lecture, and helped a few students with answering some questions.

AFTER SCHOOL

The moment class ended, Junpei was up and out of his seat and walked over to Minako's desk. "Yo," he called, "Mind hanging out with me after this? I know someplace that's really good! It'll be my treat! C'mon, let's go!"

Well at least now Minako didn't have to worry about what she was going to do to pass the time before heading back to the dorm. "Sweet, let's go!" It also helped that she was going to get a free meal out of it.

"All right, now you're talkin'," Junpei replied energetically.

Together, the two headed out of the classroom and to the shoe lockers to switch out their shoes before leaving campus. They hopped on the monorail and got off at Iwatodai station. From there they crossed the street to get to the strip mall and headed upstairs to Hagakure Ramen. It was crowded inside, but they were able to get in and get a seat at the bar without too much waiting.

"Umm…Alright! We'll have two house specials!" Junpei called to the man as he asked for their order from behind the counter.

"Oh, that sounds good," Minako mused. 'House Special' was normally the best thing they made. Which was obviously why they called it the 'Special'.

"Well…" Junpei grinned, "I'm sure it'll be better than you're expecting."

After a moment, the waiter brought two large bowls of ramen to them. The fragrant smell rising from the bowls made Minako's stomach growl rather loudly. She placed a hand over her stomach and laughed a bit when Junpei turned to look at her, having heard her stomach demand food.

"Well, c'mon, try it," he insisted.

Picking up some of the noodles with her chopsticks, Minako tried a bite of the ramen. The distinct taste of the soup blended well with the thick noodles. It was really quite delicious – Minako was surprised. "I've never had anything like this," she commented with a smile.

Junpei laughed, "Good, right? Well, then, I'm digging in too. Chow time!" He pulled up quite a decent bundle of the noodles to his mouth, only to pull them away a second later, "Ah, hot, hot, hot," he complained, blowing on them a second before trying again. Finishing his mouthful and swallowing, he grinned, "Man, this is great!"

The two took some time in silence to eat their ramen. Well, if by silence it meant the unavoidable slurping sounds one made when eating ramen that was just that good. But after a moment, Junpei stopped eating and looked at Minako, "Hey…Do you feel okay now?"

Minako paused, half of the noodles she'd picked up sticking out of her mouth. She hurriedly finished her bite and cleared her mouth to speak. "What do you mean?"

"I heard that while you were out for a while, you were in the hospital," Junpei admitted, "You seemed full of energy at school…but I was kind of worried."

So that was why he'd invited her out? Junpei had been worried about how she was doing, and wanted to use the opportunity to check up on her and make sure she was doing fine. Now that was something only a true friend would do. The thought made Minako smile, "Thanks…"

"Huh?" Junpei's face flushed a bit, his cheeks taking on a light blush, "Oh, um… No need to thank me…I had some problems myself when I transferred here, too." That embarrassed smile managed to leave his face, the light blush fading. "In your case," he added, becoming a bit more serious with his words, "You've got all the fighting stuff on top of that…I was wondering if you weren't accustomed to the school or whatever…Then again, I think you'll do just fine." Though it was easy to see he was still a bit embarrassed, he just laughed it off. "Still… Girls and guys livin' in the same dorm, huh? That cant be good."

Minako raised a brow at him, not sure if she liked what that line could be implying. "What are you thinking about?" she challenged.

Junpei sighed, "Oh, don't worry 'bout me. I don't drag love into my work." But then a grin came to his face once again, "Then again, I can't guarantee that I won't fall for somebody," he commented with something akin to what should be an evil laugh.

They two shared a laugh then, and then went back to eating their ramen. Junpei finished first, and was paying for the ramen while Minako was munching on the last of her narturo cakes. She sat back a bit with a sigh, feeling stuffed from all the ramen. Taking a glance around, she noticed someone walk in, looking for a seat. Hagakure was still rather crowded, so every seat was filled at the moment. The guy scoffed, grumbling about something and turned to leave.

"Um, excuse me?" Minako called to the guy, hopping off her chair to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. The man in the long burgundy coat stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. "My friend and I are just about to leave if you were looking for a seat."

The guy looked at her, and then to the empty seat she had left behind, as well as her 'friend' that soon left his seat behind to, to announce that he'd finished paying if she was ready to go. "All right, thanks," he said with a nod.

Minako smiled and scooted to the side to let him pass. "Okay Junpei, let's head back."

"Who was that guy?" Junpei asked

Minako shrugged, "Just someone looking for a seat."

EVENING

Back at the dorm, Minako wandered over to the dining room to talk to Yukari. She was at the table, reading a magazine as usual. Apparently she was into fashion…which would explain why she , you know, only wore half the proper uniform. Minako could understand if she wanted to stand out, but why didn't she get in trouble for it? Taking a seat next to the other brunette, they began chatting about Tartrus and the way they fought. She pretty much had guessed Junpei's strategy, since he was an easy guy to read. If she was going to be a good leader, Minako needed to know everyone's strengths and weaknesses, and work with them.

"Well, I prefer a bow and arrow, probably because I'm in the archery club," Yukari said.

"Yeah, I can imagine that you'd feel more comfortable fighting with something you're already accustomed to," Minako agreed with a nod.

Yukari smiled, glad that Minako seemed to understand, "What's great about a bow is you don't fall down if an enemy dodges one of your arrows. Although…" she sighed, "A bow doesn't do very much damage, and it misses a lot. But, you can always balance those negatives with your Persona," she added at the end, trying to make herself feel better. "So, no worries."

"Yeah, but I'm sure the more you use it in battle the better you'll get," Minako replied. "So, do you think you're up for Tartrus today?"

Yukari made a face, "Not really…" she admitted, "I'm still kinda tired from yesterday. Do you think I can skip out?"

Minako smiled and patted her shoulder, "No worries, I'm just checking to see who's up for going tonight. Since you're not feeling well we'll all just stay home and rest tonight."

She looked relieved then. Yukari smiled, and it was then that Minako could see the bags under her eyes, and just how tired she really was, "That sounds great, thanks, Minako-chan."

"No worries," Minako answered, "Make sure you get to bed early, I think I'll be doing the same soon." Leaving Yukari to her magazine, she headed over to talk to Junpei, who was over by one of the glass cabinets by the couch in the lounge. She informed him that they wouldn't be going to Tartrus that night since Yukari wasn't feeling well. He seemed fine with it, so they chatted a bit about Personas.

"Your Persona is like a part of you…" Junpei mused. "That's why mine only learns physical skills," he grinned then, "…Because dudes are supposed to fight with their fists! Mano a mano!" Suddenly what he was saying seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks, "Oh, that's right…I use a sword."

Minako laughed, "Oh man, Junpei, I think you need some sleep too."

Junpei grinned, "Naaah, I'm fine. You know me; I'm always like this."

"All right, well I'm heading off to bed. Make sure you're rested enough for tomorrow in case Yukari's up for Tartrus then," Minako informed, "G'night." She turned and headed through the lounge and towards the stairs.

"Night," Junpei called after her.

(4/24) EARLY MORNING

On her way into school, Minako over heard a few students gossiping just inside the gates to school. Her curiosity was pulled, and she stopped off to the side to listen in.

"Is it just me, or have there been more weird people around lately?" one girl asked.

"You're talking about the Apathy Syndrome, right?" a male student replied, "My neighbor has that…He grosses me out. Sometimes I think I might have it too, and it depresses me."

"Maybe you just need some exercise," the girl suggested, "Hey, the athletic teams are accepting new members. Maybe I should join!"

Minako ignored the chatter about Apathy Syndrome then. She recalled Junpei talking about the sports clubs to her on the first day of school. Maybe she'd join one, it would give her something to do after school and keep her in shape for the Dark Hour adventures. Her thoughts were interrupted by the first bell. For fear of being late to class, Minako hurried inside to change her shoes and get to her classroom.

AFTERNOON

Classes passed quickly once again, and as soon as the last bell rang, Minako was packing her things to go look for a sports club to join. After asking a few students about where to look, they pointed her to the stairs to the right of the classroom doors, and told her to go down to the first floor, and through the corridor to the right of that. She walked through the corridor and to the door at the other end. Taking a look at the signs on two of the doors, it seemed that only Tennis and Volleyball were available for girls to join. After observing both teams practice for a bit, Minako decided she wanted to try the Tennis team.

Walking out to the field, Minako met up with Ms. Kanou, the team advisor and told her she'd like to join. She was a pretty woman, short brown hair, dressed in calm pastel colors, and wore her make-up well. With a slight smile, Ms. Kanou then turned to the rest of the tennis team, brushing some hair over her ear. "So, you all have a new teammate," she announced to everyone, "She's Minako Arisato from class 2-F. Everybody be nice to her, okay?"

"Nice to meet you all," Minako said with a bright smile.

"Nice to meet you too!" the members of the club answered back, all smiling as well. They all seemed rather friendly, which was great. It meant it would be easier to make friends with the girls on the team. They welcomed Minako easily, so she'd have no problem fitting in with the girls.

"Um, who was the leader for the juniors?" Ms. Kanou asked.

"That would be me," one of the girls answered, stepping forward. She had long black hair tied back in a pony tail, and dark brown eyes that looked almost black.

"Oh, good. I'll leave the rest to you. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do here anyway," the teacher said with a giggle.

"…All right," the girl answered, watching Ms. Kanou leave soon after that.

"'I don't really know anything! Tee-hee!'" one of the short-haired girls said, imitating Ms. Kanou while flicking her hair back over her ear.

The other team members laughed. "Haaa! That sounds exactly like her. She's too old to try and act cute like that!" a tanned member laughed.

The junior leader turned back to the team then, "…C'mon, let's get back to practice!" She turned to look at Minako, "You're Minako-san, right? I'm Rio Iwasaki, a junior just like you. I'm in charge of the juniors in the club, so don't hesitate to ask me anything. This club meets on Mondays, Wednesday s, and Fridays. We don't meet for a few days before the exams, so keep that in mind.

"I'll do my best," Minako replied with a smile.

"Well then, we're gonna concentrate on doing basic exercises today, so come on and join in," she offered, "Just keep up as much as you can."

"The basics again…?" the short haired girl complained.

"I keep telling you all that the fundamentals are important!" Rio scolded, "Now, let's start off with some running."

"All right…" the other club members groaned.

The girls formed lines for their sprints across the court, Rio at the front of one of them. "Minako-san, you stand in this line," she instructed, pointing to the line to her right. "If you start getting worn our, just keep your mind focused and you'll be able to pull through."

Minako jogged over to the line Rio had pointed to, getting in back of the other members. "I'll be all right!" she cheered, ready to start her first practice.

Rio laughed, a smile coming to her face, "You sound promising." On Rio's call the sprints started, "Well, let's go. Front row, start us off!"

"One, two…" After running laps around the tennis courts, Rio lead the team through a series of muscle exercises. The club then went through basic drills in serving and using different strokes. Practice was tiring, but Minako really enjoyed herself, working up a sweat like that. Though her muscles were sore after practice was over and they all left to change, she felt better than ever – that natural high one got after a great work out.

Afterwards, Minako decided to head back to the dorm.

EVENING

"…Oh, hey," Yukari called, welcoming Minako back when she entered through the front door. Minako smiled and waved, and Yukari smiled back. "Oh, that reminds me," she began, "Have you joined any clubs yet?"

"Yep," Minako answered, "I had my first practice today."

"Oh, yeah? That's cool," Yukari complimented. "…You seem pretty talented, so I'm not surprised. Oh, by the way, maybe we should go to Tartrus tonight…With all The Lost, I think we should do anything we can to help…Plus, I didn't have practice today, so I could use the exercise…"

"Just don't take it lightly, okay?" Mitsuru warned, jumping into the conversation as she looked up from the book she'd been reading, "It's dangerous there."

"I'm aware of that," Yukari retorted.

Well, since Yukari said she was in the mood to go, and Junpei didn't seem like he was about to fall asleep, Minako decided it would be good to visit Tartrus. Walking up to Mitsuru, she suggested they all go that night. Mitsuru didn't seem to argue much on it since they had all taken the previous night off, so she said she would inform the others to meet at the school at Midnight.

Minako headed up to her room once again to work on her homework until it was time to go.

Later, during the Dark Hour, Minako, Junpei, and Yukari used the strange device off to the right of the entrance to go up to the fifth floor, where they'd fought the strong Shadows the night before. They ran down the now empty hall and up the stairs. Mitsuru had them wait a second as she scanned the up coming floors.

"The Shadows on this floor are a bit different than the ones you've faced thus far," she informed, "Proceed with caution."

"Understood," Minako replied, "Let's go, team."

They ran around the floors looking for shadows and items. As Minako had promised, she'd brought a bag to carry found items in. Unlike the night before when they'd first explored, they didn't get all that far. Minako was tired from tennis practice already, so she didn't end up lasting very long that night. They'd only gone up three floors before they had to find an access point.

Minako sighed when they reached the bottom floor, "I'm sorry guys… I should have thought this through before calling everyone here."

Junpei patted her on the shoulder, "No worries, Minako-chan. Like I said before, I've got your back. We can always come back tomorrow."

"Yeah, no need to push yourself. We've all got to work together anyway," Yukari added.

"Thanks, guys," Minako said with a smile. After informing Mitsuru that they were done exploring for the day, they headed back to the dorm.

(4/25) EARLY MORNING

Again on the way into school, Minako heard a couple of student talking rather loudly. This time it was as she was switching out her shoes at the lockers. She took her time so she could listen in – who cares if eavesdropping was rude?

"Oh hey, you know the bookstore at the strip mall?" the guy she'd overhead yesterday asked, "Isnt their grand reopening today?"

"Huh? A bookstore?" the girl with him asked.

"Yeah, leave Iwatodai Station, go straight for a while, and it's after you cross the crosswalk," the guy explained, "We've been at this school for a while…You should explore more often!"

Laughing a bit as the conversation went off topic, Minako picked up her bag and headed to the stairs. She greeted those who said good morning to her, and reached the classroom just as the first bell rang, several other students starting to file in behind her.

AFTER SCHOOL

After school, Minako was packing up her things when she remembered the students talking about a bookstore that was reopening. It seemed like an interesting enough idea. Minako decided she should go check it out, maybe she'd find something interesting to read there.

Heading out of the school, Minako walked to Port Island Station and boarded the monorail. Since her stop was the next station over, there was not real wait before she was getting off the train. If she remembered what the boy had said, she just had to cross the street to the Strip Mall to find it. It turned out to be pretty easy to find. It was right there on the ground floor next to Wild Duck Burger.

A charming green sign hung over the door to the store with the name 'Bookworms Used Books' on it. It looked like a nice little shop, so Minako decided to go inside. Books upon books were stacked everywhere. They were stuffed in the shelves, sitting on the counters and desks. There was certainly a variety to choose from. An old man and woman were behind the counter when she entered, both looking up from whatever it was they were doing when she came in.

"…Welcome," the old man greeted, "What would you like today? We have fresh mackerel…!"

"…Sorry, as you can see, we don't sell fish here," the old woman apologized.

A look of recognition crossed the old man's face, "Hey, you're a student, aren't you? You must be from Gekkoukan High, right?" He smiled, "That means you've probably seen the persimmon tree there…"

Minako cocked her head to the side, "Persimmon tree?" she asked.

"Do you think I'm making this up?" the old man asked. "I'm serious!"

Well yeah, but you were serious a second ago too when you were trying to sell me fish… Minako mused to herself.

"It was planted right beside a walkway in a courtyard at the school," the old man said matter-o-factly.

"I'm sorry," the old lady apologized again, "He's rambling on like an old man…Just ignore him."

After taking a look around the store a moment, Minako purchased a short novel to read and was on her way out with a smile. Looking around, there was still way too much time before she had to head back to the dorm. The old man had mentioned a tree at the school…Minako decided she might as well see if he was telling the truth since she had time to spare. Walking back across to the station, she boarded the monorail once more and headed back to Gekkoukan.

The old man has spoken of a courtyard, so she decided to check out the one by the walkway outside the first floor laboratory hallway. Poking her head out of the door, she spotted a single tree sitting off to the side of the walkway, sitting separate from the rest of the plant life there.

It was, in fact, a persimmon tree.

It looked like a healthy tree, maybe a five years old or so. Its leaves were bright and green, radiating with life. Minako wondered if it held some sort of special meaning to the old couple at the bookstore. Maybe she should go ask them about it now that her curiosity was sparked. Finding a freshly fallen leaf on the ground, Minako tucked it inside her book and headed out the school once again, headed to the same place as last time.

This time when she entered the bookstore, she waved hello to the old couple behind the counter. "…Welcome to Bookworms," the old man greeted, "How many guests? Smoking or non-smoking?" Before his wife could apologize for his words, the old man seemed to have spotted the leaf peeking out of Minako's book in her hands. "Excuse me, but may I see that leaf in your hand…"

"Sure," Minako opened the book she was keeping it in and handed over the leaf to the old man.

"Oh!" His lips curled into a smile, looking the leaf over, "Is this a leaf from that persimmon tree? It must have grown quite a bit to produce such splendid leaves…Wait, do you didn't come here to buy books?" the old man asked after his musings, "Did you come here just to show us this?"

Minako had already bought a book from the store, so she didn't see what the problem was in stopping by for a chat…"Yes, I did," she answered.

"I knew it!" the old man cheered happily. "I knew right from the start that you're a kind young lady!"

Minako felt her cheeks heat a bit at suck a kind hearted compliment.

"I've been meaning to go see that tree for a while now," the old man said, his eyes alight from the delight of seeing the leaf, "but I'm not sure if these stumpy old legs will make it that far…That wasn't meant to be a pun. You know, 'stumpy,' 'tree stump.' Catch my drift?"

"Very clever, dear," the old lady chimed in, a smile on her wrinkled old face.

Smiling back at the old lady, the old man turned his eyes to Minako, "Allow me to introduce my wife Mitsuko. I'm Bunkichi. If you don't mind, would you tell us your name?"

"I'm Minako Arisato," She answered happily, "It's nice to meet you two."

"So, your name is Minako Arisato…" Bunkichi mused, "Then, we'll call you Minako-chan from now on!" The kind old couple seemed to be in such high spirits. They were so happy that Minako had told them about the persimmon tree.

"We're open every day except Monday," Mitsuko said, "Come visit us if you get bored.

After spending a few hours in the book store talking to the old couple, Minako decided that she'd better start heading back to the dorm. She bit farewell to Mitsuko and Bunkichi, and headed out the door and back to the dorm.

EVENING

Akihiko was the one to welcome Minako back when she returned to the dorm. He was on the couch, stringing his boxing gloves, "Where have you been?" he asked.

"Oh, I was just checking out the book store that just reopened," Minako explained.

"Ah," Akihiko nodded. It seemed he knew about the store too. "…Y'know, you better be training while I'm out," he warned, "If anything happens, it'll be you guys who have to deal with it."

Minako nodded, "Yeah, I know. Though it'll be nice to have you on the team once your injuries are healed, Senpai."

Apparently Akihiko was still bored out of his mind with not being able to train because of his injuries, "Yeah, I cant wait to get back on the team. But if I try to get involved before I'm fully recovered Mitsuru will have my head."

"Don't think of it in a bad way," Minako suggested, "She's just looking out for you is all."

"I know," Akihiko retorted with a sigh.

Looking around, the first floor looked pretty empty. Only Akihiko was there, sitting on the couch, off in his own little task. "Senpai… where's everyone else?" she asked.

"I saw Yukari and Junpei on the second floor if you need to talk to them," he answered, focusing once again on lacing up and taking care of his boxing gloves.

Leaving him to his task, Minako trotted off to the stairs and went up a floor. Yukari and Junpei were sitting around the little table in front of the hallway by the vending machines. Yukari had her magazine again, and Junpei was reading a manga.

As soon as she saw Minako, Yukari lowered her magazine, "Mitsuru-senpai should be in the meeting room. She said she was gonna do some training."

"Training?" Minako echoed.

Yukari nodded, "Oh, but if you wanna go to Tartrus, she said it was all right."

"You guys want to go tonight?" Minako asked, wanting to make sure they were feeling well enough to go.

"Sure, I'll go," Yukari answered with a smile, "I had practice today, but it's not as much of a work out as Tennis can be, so I'll be fine."

"You know my answer," Junpei replied with a grin.

"All right, I'll go tell Mitsuru then," Minako said happily with a smile. She climbed two more flights of stairs and headed to the double doors off to the right of the stairs. Mitsuru was inside, seated in the arm chair at the head of the coffee table in the room. She had a radio out and a book open.

Minako had no idea how that was training.

"…Hm? Is something the matter?" She asked, looking up from her reading material.

"Junpei, Yukari and I all agreed that we'd like to go to Tartrus tonight," Minako informed.

Mitsuru nodded, "Very well. We'll meet at Tartrus around midnight. Don't be late."

Again, Minako headed back to her room to do her homework until it was time to head out to reach the school on time. It was strange how quickly Minako got used to seeing her school transform into such a foreboding looking tower in the dead of night when people all turn into coffins. Gathering up their supplies, and carrying the bag with the items they'd found last time in Tartrus, Minako and the other two headed to the elevator device, heading up to the last floor they'd been on.

This time they managed to make it to the tenth floor. They moved carefully and silently to get the upper hand on the three strong shadows Mitsuru warned them about. They looked like giant gloved hands with heads ontop. "All right, Yukari, try hitting them with your arrows like last time. If that doesn't work then Junpei, I want you to try Agi. If it still doesn't work, I'll try a bash attack using Orpheus."

"And what if that still doesn't work?" Yukari asked.

"The we're just gonna have to hang in there until we can get them down," Minako answered. "If it comes to that, Yukair, I want you to focus on using Dia, keep everyone up and running. Junpei, I want you to use whatever you think is most effective on them, I'll do the same. Got it?"

The other two nodded, "Got it," they answered together.

"All right, let's go!" Turning the corner, the three of them charged into battle. Yukari shot with her bow, but it did little to stun the enemy. Junpei was up next using Agi on the closest shadow with Hermes – but it was no good. Finally it was the last shot; Minako summoned Orpheus and commanded a bash attack. As the harp connected with the Shadow, it was knocked off balance. The three of them cheered as Minako ordered Orpheus to do the same to the other two shadows by use of her Evoker.

"Here's our chance! Let's do it!" Junpei grinned. The three of them charged in, attacking wildly and taking advantage of the fallen enemy. It was an easy win after that.

Afterwards, the three fell to their bums and sighed. "Man, that was one heck of a fight," Minako complained.

"Tell me about it," Junpei added, "We had to do an all out attack like…. Five times…"

Yukari looked ready to give up, "It's hard to keep track of healing when they kept dishing out those spell attacks. They knocked me down three times…"

"Don't worry Yukari," Minako insisted, "You did a great job, we'd be toast if you hadn't been with us for this battle."

Yukari smiled a bit, "Thanks…"

Junpei stood up then, adjusting his hat to fit better, "Well, who's ready to head back to the base and call it a night?"

Minako and Yukari both raised their hands.

Taking each of their hands, Junpei helped them up. The three of them walked together back to the elevator device and used it to jump back to the first floor, where Mitsuru greeted them. She was rather impressed that they'd been able to defeat the guardian. Yukari informed the redhead that they were done for the night, so the four of them headed back to the dorm to get some well-earned sleep.

(4/26) EARLY MORNING

Minako woke the next morning to the sunlight streaming through her window, and the birds chattering and chirping in the trees outside their dorm. It was a Sunday morning, so there was no school. Wondering what she should do for the day, Minako climbed out of bed and stretched. She took her time in lazily wandering around her room to pick out an outfit to wear. Since she wore uniforms six days out of the week, she didn't bring much for casual clothing. She put on a stripped sweater, a pleat skirt, some black tights, boots, and a red scarf. Pausing to wash her face in the sink, Minako then brushed her hair and put it up, using the Mirror to help her.

Leaving her room behind, Minako walked down the hall and to the stairs, heading down to the first floor lounge. The only two down there was Akihiko and Mitsuru, both of them reading their own material. "Good morning, Senpai," Minako greeted as she reached the back of the couch by the door. "Any plans for today that I need to be aware of before I head out?"

Mitsuru looked up from her book, "Generally speaking, you may do whatever you like on your days off," she informed. "You can study, or go out. It's up to you."

With the way she'd said it, it sounded like Mitsuru would prefer to see the other residents of the dorm indoors on Sunday, studying their school material and working on homework. "Well, what do you do, Senpai?" Minako asked.

"Oh, I prefer to stay in and read," she answered, nodding toward the book sitting in her lap now.

"Ah… well…." Minako did have a book she could read later when she got back since she had nothing else to do. "I'll leave you to your reading then." Turning away from her Senpai, Minako headed out the front door of the dorm.

Outside it was bright and sunny. However, no matter how brightly the sun decided to shine, there was still the cold chill of the lingering winter season. The weather promised to change to the hotter seasons in due time, but for now there was still the slight cold Minako had to be aware of – it would do the team no good if she were to get sick. Walking down the steps in front of the dorm, Minako wandered off, wondering what she should do to spend the day. There really wasn't much, so maybe she'd go visit the old couple at the bookstore. Mitsuko had said that she could come over if she were ever bored.

On the way to the bookstore – or more like just out front of it – Minako ran into Junpei. "Hey, Minako-chan! What's up?" He called, grinning. He seemed in a good mood. It must have something to do with the fact that there was no school that day.

"Nothing really," Minako replied, stopping to chat with him a bit, "What's up?"

"I just ate, man," he answered. That might have been the other reason why he seemed so happy. "All the exercising in Tartrus makes me hungry."

Minako laughed, "Way to go. Just make sure not to get fat, Junpei."

"Me? Fat? Come on, Minako-chan, not me," he chuckled. "You heading somewhere, or just wandering around?"

"Oh, well I was thinking of heading into the bookstore, there," she answered, pointing at the 'Bookworms Used Books' that was just off to the side and behind him. "The old couple inside are really nice."

Junpei looked over his shoulder at the store, "Ah, I see. You know what, next time you're bored and I'm not doing anything, let's go to the manga café – you read manga don't you?" he offered.

"Yeah, I read it," Minako answered, "I'll hit you up next time then. I'm gonna pop in and say 'hi' to the old couple in there, I'll catch you later."

"Later," he called, already turning to walk off to do something else.

Minako headed into 'Bookworms Used Books,' it looked the same as it has last time.

"Oh, you came back!" Bunkichi said happily when he spotted her enter the store, "Welcome, um…What was your name again?"

Minako was somewhat at a loss, "I'm from Gekkoukan…" she began, hoping to jog his memory.

Bunkichi chucked, "I'm just joking. I know who you are. I'm not that old." He gave her a pat on the shoulder and lead her further into the store, "My wife and I were just talking about you, Minako-chan."

"Y-You were?" she asked, a little embarrassed, as well as a little nervous to know what they were saying about her.

"Ah, right. Minako-chan, do you like Melon Bread?" Bunkichi asked.

Minako's ears perked, "Melon bread?" she echoed.

Bunkichi nodded, "Someone gave them to me, but I have more than enough. Go ahead, take one."

A bright smile hopped onto Minako's face, "Thank you!"

"Don't worry about it; It's just melon bread. There's no need to thank me," Bunkichi laughed. He seemed tickled pink by her words as he handed her a Melon Bread. Amusement played on his face as she immediately bit into it, her cheeks rosy and a smile on her lips. "Minako-chan, you're so polite. I wish he had been that way…" He seemed impressed with her manners, "Do you want one for a friend too? Because it'll take us forever to finish them all."

Minako felt like she'd just been told she won the lottery, "Sure, I'll take some," she answered energetically. She opened the bag at her hip. She'd decided to bring one with her that day to get into the habit for Tartrus.

"All right, here ya go. Um…uh…er…" Bunkichi seemed to be struggling, "What was your name again?"

"Remember, dear?" Mitsuko spoke up, "This is Minako-chan." She seemed to be the less talkative of the two. "I'm sorry Minako-chan. He's been terribly forgetful lately," she laughed a bit, a smile on her face. "Here you go," she said, giving Minako some more melon bread, which Minako put in the bag before closing it up and returning to eating her melon bread.

"…Where did he run off to, dear?" Bunkichi asked, "He should be here helping customers…I'm sorry Minako-chan."

Minako blinked, looking at the old man rather confused, "Who are you talking about?" she asked curiously.

"Our spoiled son," Bunkichi replied, looking somewhat lonely, "He hasn't been back in a while. Where did he go, dear?"

Mitsuko looked even sadder than Bunkichi, "Must you dear…?"

"What are you talking about?" Minako asked, having stopped munching on her melon bread.

It seemed to have hit Binkichi then, "Our son…Passed away before us…" he answered, "I'm so sorry, Minako-chan. I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable…"

Minako shook her head, "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have pried."

"It's all right, Minako-chan," Mitsuko answered with a sad smile, "You didn't know."

"H-hey, hey, why the gloomy faces? It's dark outside. I don't need it to be dark in here too," Bunkichi pointed out, looking out the window. "…Please come again. We'll be waiting for you, Minako-chan."

Minako nodded. "I'll come visit again," she replied, "Have a nice evening."

"Have a safe trip home," the two replied, seeing her off.

EVENING

Mitsuru welcomed Minako back when she returned, and Minako smiled and thanked her. Heading to the dining room, Minako decided to check up on Junpei and Yukari. "Hey guys," she called, walking up to one of the empty chairs between the two. "How's it going?"

"Hey Minako-chan," Yukari greeted.

"'Sup, Minako-chan," Junpei replied.

Minako smiled, "Either of you up for Tartrus tonight?"

Junpei actually looked reluctant at the mention of Tartrus. "Nah man, I think I ate too much today. I'm getting one heck of a stomachache. I think I'll skip out tonight – I'm still tired and everything."

"No problem," Minako replied, "I'll tell Mitsuru-senpai that we wont be going tonight so you can get some rest."

"Cool, thanks, Minako-chan," Junpei replied, smiling at her.

Walking back to the lounge, Minako relayed the message to Mitsuru that they were taking that night off too. She didn't seem to upset about it, so Minako headed up to her room. Since there was no homework left to do, she curled up on her bed and read the book she'd bought the other day for a few hours before deciding to turn in for the night.

(4/27) EARLY MORNING

Minako was just passing the school gates when again she over heard the guy and girl from the other day talking again. They were really in the loop of gossip, so maybe Minako would listen in again…as well as any other time she heard them talking.

"Morning…" the girl yawned, "Ugh, I'm so drowsy on Mondays…"

"Didn't you say the same thing last week?" the boy asked. "Oh yeah. Is that special morning assembly today? How some we're having one? We just had one last week…"

The girl seemed to laugh a bit. "Remember hoe great Kirijo-senpai's speech was last week?"

"Oh yeah, that speech was awesome!" the guy cheered, "Although, I didn't understand most of it."

So he was just like Junpei then.

"What I heard was, the Principal got jealous, so he scheduled his own speech to compete with her," the girl explained.

"Seriously?" the guy looked like it meant the end of the world, "What's up with that? Why do we have to suffer because of his ego!"

The first bell then rang, and the two – plus Minako – sighed. None of them were looking forward to the speech. Minako had only heard him once, but she'd rather not listen to him drone on and on in that dreary tone of his. Heading inside, all the students headed in and went to the auditorium to sit down.

The teacher at the podium then asked all the students to quiet down, "We'll now begin this morning's assembly." The man cleared his throat, "First, out principal has some words he'd like to share with you. Please give him a warm welcome."

No one clapped.

"…Thank you," the chubby gray-haired man said.

"What's the deal with this assembly?" Yukari whispered. "…You think it's about the recent incidents?"

"Who cares?" Junpei replied, "The principal doesn't know anything about the Shadows anyway. I just hope this doesn't take too long…" Junpei sighed, already looking like he was ready to fall asleep.

"I know," Yukari groaned in agreement, "His speeches always drag."

"Ahem," the chubby Principal cleared his throat before speaking further, "Today, I'd like to tell you about my, um, vision for this school year. As you are aware, strange incidents have been reported on the news lately. It is my firm belief that none of you are involved. However, if we want to better our school, then we all need to accept responsibility for change. Dig deep down inside, and tap into your imaginations. …But don't lose touch with reality. As they say, 'There's not use crying over spilt milk.'" He paused to chucked a bit as if he found the phrase amusing in some way, "This is the key to reaping all the rewards school has to offer…"

As the principal droned on his is speech, Minako allowed herself to tune him out and looked over at Yukari when she tapped her shoulder. "Wait a minuet…Doesn't this remind you of Mitsuru-senpai's speech?"

"Yeah, you're right…" Junpei agreed.

"He probably just ripped off the whole thing and added his own words in to make it sound like he wrote it," Minako pointed out, "Like a kid when they copy someone's essay or homework."

Junpei groaned, "What's up with that!"

LUNCHTIME

Minako some how managed to make it through the speech without wanting to shoot herself with her Evoker and kill the Principal. Class was so enjoyable in comparison that it passed right by. The next thing she knew it was lunchtime. Mitsuru walked into the room and approached Minako's desk. "Arisato…" she called, making the brunette look up from her lunch. "I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you after school. I have a special request for you."

"For me?" she asked, rather surprised. She could feel all eyes in the classroom on her. After all, she was talking to the student body president in a second-year classroom.

"I apologize for being in a rush, but I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else," she explained, "I'll tell you more about it after school, okay? Au revior." She turned to leave, off to do whatever it was she was in a hurry to do.

AFTERNOON

After lunch, it was time to get crackin' on math problems with Ms. Miyajara. It was weird to see a woman with an afro…even if she looked tan enough to pull it off. "…Then round up, so…The answer is x=1," she explained, working on a problem on the board. Pausing, she looked back at the open text book on the podium when a student raised his hand and corrected the teacher on the answer she'd gotten. "Hmm? It isnt? Oh, I see, this becomes 11, so…I'm sorry, you're right, X=2. Wait…is that right? Okay, uh, your assignment is to figure this out."

The class exchanged nervous looks.

"Anyway…wasn't that incredible?" She smiled, playing around with her triangular ruler she kept on her for good luck, "Even with a difficult problem like this one, once you solve it, X still equals 1. Or maybe 2. What I'm getting at is, math is fun! Don't you think so? Civilization owes its very existence to math!" Looking around the classroom she mused to herself a bit, "All right…Today is the 27th, so that works out to… your turn, Minako."

Minako looked at her classmates before standing. What the hell kinda equation did she do wrong to work out that it was Minako's turn to be picked on? "Y-yes?"

"Do you know when numbers were invented?" Ms. Miyahara asked.

That…was not something a normal person would know. But Minako had done so well in helping the other students with answering questions that if she got it wrong she'd probably look like an idiot. It was worth a guess, "Six-thousand years ago…?" she asked hesitantly, trying to sound confidant in her answer.

"You got it!" The class all looked at Minako in surprised and in awe. "The Sumerians invented numbers six-thousand years ago. Later, Arabic numerals were invented in India, which brought us the number zero and countless equations!" The teacher seemed to be in heaven, teaching about numbers and their origin, "Ahh… the beauty and wonder of it all! Math is magnificent!"

AFTER SCHOOL

After School as Minako was packing her things up, Mitsuru entered the classroom again and approached her desk like she had at lunch. This time she was ready for the redhead's appearance. She'd been lazing about after class waiting for her to show up to discuss that 'request' she seemed to have.

"I apologize for making you wait," Mitsuru said, "To make a long story short, I want you to join Student Council."

Minako stared at Mitsuru for a moment. Like, really? She was already in a sports team, and then they were all in SEES – she wanted to add Student Council on top? Well she knew who to blame if her grades started to drop now. "Why so sudden?" she asked.

Mitsuru looked like she could read Minako's mind, "Well, it's not like you'd have to participate in every activity. Just come to the Student Council room when you have the time," she insisted.

"Is that all?" she asked. If it was just a bit here and there it seemed like it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

"Yes, that's it. I just want you to join," she answered. "Being President is very time-consuming. I'd like to have additional help available in the event of an emergency. You understand my situation…I'm asking you since you know what it's like to be a leader."

Okay, so it seemed to make a bit more sense then. "Roger!" she replied with a smile, "That wont be a problem."

"I knew I could count on you," Mitsuru answered with a smile, "…I've already made an appointment for you with the faculty advisor. But you'll have to go to the Faculty Office on your own." She hesitated for only a second, "I'm sorry I made the arrangements without your permission, but I hope you understand the position I'm in. Please go to the Faculty Office, Arisato. I'll be waiting for you in the Student Council Room," she said, then turning and leaving the classroom.

Oh boy, Student Council huh…? Well, Minako was sure hoping that there wasn't going to be any snobs in there who were going to give her a hard time. Heading out of the classroom, Minako headed down to the first floor and entered the Faculty Office. She came upon Ms. Toriumi, who looked like surprised to see her.

"Oh, Minako. Can I help you?" She asked, looking up from the papers at her desk.

"About Student Council…" Minako began hesitantly.