"I assumed your mother was dead"
It was a very cold Sunday morning when the two arrived at the facility. The Seven Sisters Refuge House was located atop a mountain in the outskirts of Iwaizumi. The facility looked like a white castle from afar but as they got closer it resembled more of a prison.
Minato was glad he brought his coat with him as it was practically snowing here in the mountains. For once Mitsuru's thick leather biker gear seemed practical.
The heiress noticed her kohai stare at the intimidating front gate "I remember when I first got here" she spoke "I thought of the place as an evil castle holding my mother hostage"
That was when the large gate opened and a young looking nun came out "I presume you must be Kirijo-san" she asked in a perky voice.
Mitsuru did a bow "I apologize for arranging the visit at such a short notice"
"There is no problem with that Kirijo-san" the sister's eyes then turned over to Minato "Will he be accompanying you?"
"I hope there is no problem with that" the red-head clarified.
The nun just gave a gentle smile "None at all, unless he has a weapon with him?"
The younger boy raised his palms "I'm a high schooler, what would I do with a gun?"
Mitsuru couldn't help but smile at his comment.
"Very well" the sister opened the gate "Follow me"
As soon as they passed by the gate they were created by a sight of stoned steps, lot of them.
"Oh look, more climbing" he didn't really mind the extra exercise but it must have been a chore to whoever was the poor sister to answer the door.
Mitsuru was ahead of him and behind the sister "Akihiko would love to train here" she chuckled at the thought "I could imagine him running around here with Koromaru"
Minato looked at the woman walking in front of him. The leather catsuit definitely showed off her curves, she definitely had more going for her than the average girl her age. Her mercury-red hair flowed with the cold breeze making her look like some Viking warrior going into war, especially when paired with her get-up.
And for some reason or another, he found that image quite attracting.
"Oh sister" Minato's thoughts when Mitsuru spoke to the nun as they reached the top of the steps "I failed to catch your name"
"I'm sorry how rude of me" the sister apologized "You may call me Sister Diana"
When they finally reached the end of the stone steps they were greeted by a large courtyard. On the left side, there was a vast garden where a few nuns were tending to, on the ride side there was a tennis court with no one playing.
"Please wait here while I call for Mother Superior" Sister Diana bowed before entering the main building.
Minato eyed the tennis court "Is that one for the patients or the nuns?"
"Hmm, that used to be a greenhouse when I came here" Mitsuru inclined her head to her kohai "To be honest I'm slightly nervous"
"Not to be rude senpai" Minato faced the girl "But what happened to your mother?"
At this, the redhead forced a smile "It's quite a long story"
"I'm willing to listen" he shoved his hands on his pockets.
She held a finger up to her lips "You see my mother was the opposite of my father, while he was strong-willed and independent my mother was fragile and soft-spoken, She was always sick when she was little going in and out of hospitals on the year she was born. My grandparents, her parents, were always busy and due to her condition, she hardly went outside. She was always at home with a few of the servants but generally, she was always alone"
"She lived a sheltered life I see" he gave a half shrug "Much like you"
"Indeed" a sad smile escaped her lips "You see my mother suffered from Osteogenesis Imperfecta, so due to her weak bones, she was chained to her wheelchair. As a result of her illness and her being locked off all the time she never really got used to meeting a lot of people. When she was announced to be wed off to my father she got so nervous that she had a panic attack during their first meeting"
His eyes narrowed "So your mother has a severe case of social anxiety"
Mitsuru hugged herself "My father was worried if the engagement was too much for her and asked my grandfather to delay the wedding so that she would at least get used to him, but the following year they had gotten married and mother had another attack during the ceremony, she was crying so much she couldn't even finish her wedding vows. The minister thought she was crying tears of joy but after that, she ran to the bathroom and locked herself for the entire night, so that left with my father handling the reception" she squeezed her eyes shut "Didn't even cut the wedding cake"
"Good to see you again Mitsuru-san" the two teens turned to see a much older nun come towards them. She was quite short, Minato noted, unlike Sister Diana who was young and cheerful this one was aged and grumpy.
The heiress greeted the sister "Thank you for accommodating us, Sister Frieda"
The Abbess nodded and her eyes glowered to Minato "Who is this young man?" it was a simple question but from the way she said it, it felt like she was accusing him of some heinous crime.
"This is my kohai Sister" Mitsuru gestured to the blue-haired boy "He's only accompanying me"
He then bowed his head trying to be polite "I hope I'm not a bother"
"Hmm, not at all" Sister Frieda turned around "Though you do give off an odd feeling"
At this, the redhead jumped "What do you mean sister?"
"It is as though he's had Death inside him" the nun casually said.
The heiress gaped in shock while Minato swayed on his feet.
"Alright come along now" the elderly nun gestured to them "She's in her room right now"
The two looked at each other before following the Mother Superior inside the building; despite looking like an old prison from the outside the interior was quite modern with its glass walls and brightly coloured walls. They were then lead to a pair of double doors on the left which was actually a café, which had an industrial feel with its metal-legged tables and spun-metal lighting. The room had brick walls painted in coral pink, and most of the furniture were either in the same colour or grey, there were dozens of cacti spread throughout the space as well.
"So this is where all the church money goes to?" the wildcard user whispered to his senpai.
The girl pressed her finger to her lips "If Sister Frieda hears you she'll bring out her ruler"
The young teen raised a brow at this "Nun really do that?"
Their conversation was cut by the said nun "My condolences on your father's passing"
"I appreciate it, Sister," Mitsuru said almost too quickly.
"Also" the elder woman's narrowed at Minato "You should leave your friend here, I'm sure you're aware of the rules here"
Mitsuru turned to Minato who just shrugged "Oh of course"
"Not unless" Sister Frieda lifted her chin "He happens to be your fiancé or some other relative"
At this the redhead's face turned to the colour of her hair "Oh no, he's . . . we're not related"
"I'm ok with waiting here" the blue-haired boy gave a dismissive wave of his hand "You can go ahead"
The nun then gave a half smile which still looked uneasy for Minato "Well then shall we go?"
Mitsuru turned from the mother superior to her junior, for a moment she looked unsure "Yes, we shall" she said clutching her chest as she followed the nun to another set of double doors.
At that Minato let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. For a woman who was said to be a representative of the Divine One, she did not appear as comforting as the rest of her peers, in fact, the wildcard persona user felt tense around her for some reason. He was sure Mitsuru would have noticed it, but even if she didn't the nun's obvious distaste for him was quite obvious.
He eyed the chalkboard menu that listed the drinks they served, he half expected to be puns of saints but fortunately, they weren't.
"Hmm, the worst that could happen is my tongue burning because they used Holy Water in the coffee"
Hanae Kirijo was not very fond of being around people, in fact as much as possible she would like to avoid it at all costs, though over the past few years she had learned to interact with others without immediately crying or hyperventilating. That did not mean that she stop feeling her heart racing, her palms sweating and the constant thought of being judged.
This was why she always felt most herself in the comfort of her own room. The room in itself is quite small when compared to her old room in the Kirijo estate it was only the size of her closet (though if an everyman where to measure it, it would be the average size of a 3-star hotel room). The walls were painted white, her bedside tables were white, her bed sheets were white, her curtains were white and her carpet was white. There were non-white things in the room as well: her lampshades were black, her wooden sink was oak and her antique mirror above the sink was baby blue.
As of now, Hanae was out on her balcony wearing an orange strapless dress with white floral designs and sandals, seated in her wheelchair reading Thackeray's The Luck of Barry Lyndon. She didn't know what was odder her choice of clothing (it was the middle of winter) or her choice of literature (she was more fond of horror novels), but at that moment she did not care.
Her peace and solitary were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.
"Mother" came the very familiar sound "Can I come in"
The older woman closed her book and leaned back in her chair "Yes, you may come in"
At that she heard the sound of the door opening followed by footsteps; her daughter must be wearing heels again Hanae assumed. The door to her balcony was already open so she assumed Mitsuru must already be standing right behind her.
There was a moment of silence that passed between the mother and daughter, the two just soaking up in the cold winds of Iwaizumi and each other's company.
Finally, Hanae spoke "I should have worn a jacket" the older woman commented.
Mitsuru swayed on her feet "It is quite . . . cold in here"
"It's freezing in the winter and we're on top of a mountain" Hanae finally turned her head towards her daughter "Of course it is cold here"
"Would you like to come inside?" the heiress held her hand on the hand grips of the wheelchair.
Narumi's eyes twinkled as she looked at her beautiful girl "That would be lovely of course"
So far the only person Hanae had ever felt at total ease with was her own daughter. She was a part of her after all; she had carried this beautiful girl for those long eight months. While the pregnancy was one of the most traumatizing things that had happened to her as soon as she saw baby Mitsuru's crying face as she entered the world, she finally understood what love at first sight was.
The two were pretty much carbon copies of each other, the same face, the same eyes, even the way they talk was identical. The only difference between them is that while Mitsuru had long curled up hair Hanae preferred a sleek crop hairstyle.
"So," Hanae said as Mitsuru closed the sliding doors and wheeled her wheelchair into the middle of the room "What brings you here?"
"I . . . just wanted to see you" the younger girl sat on the edge of her mother's bed "When I heard you weren't going back to Luxembourg I decided to use my free time to see you"
Hanae took a close look at her daughter; she was seated at a proper lady: knees together, hands on lap and head looking down. "While I don't mind your sudden visit, I believe you have something else on your mind"
Mitsuru balled her hands into a fist "I . . . admittedly have a lot on my mind lately"
"I can see that" Hanae observed "Despite your father's precautions the Group seems to find ways to put their burdens on you"
"I guess it can't be helped" the heiress' forehead puckered "Things have just happened so fast, I don't know if I can handle them all"
Hanae controlled her chair to come closer to her daughter "I'm sorry I can't protect you" she stroked the young woman's hair "There are days in which I wish I were strong enough to take the burdens you and your father had suffered"
Mitsuru lifted her chin "When you married Father . . . how did you" she paused for a moment ". . . Fall in love?"
At this, a small smile formed on the older woman's lips "It's hard to explain really. You know it was very difficult for me to form relationships let alone a marriage . . . but eventually, I learned to love your father" her thoughts then went away for a while "He was a very kind man indeed, he was always patient with me. Despite the fact that I wasn't an easy person he was stubborn enough to prove that he would make me a happy woman, and he did"
"Father is just a man you can't help but love" Mitsuru held her chest "I don't know if I could feel the same way for my fiancé . . ."
Hanae's smile faltered "So they actually used you as a bargaining chip"
Mitsuru shook her head "I guess I should have expected it to happen, but when it did, I realized I wasn't ready as I thought I was"
"Thought you were?" Hanae inquired.
"I already had this mental vision of what would happen to my future" Mitsuru faced the floral painting above her mother's bed "I knew that with father dead or alive I would eventually get married off, I thought I was going to have a love story like you and father. But even though I wouldn't I knew that love was simply a price to pay for the family"
Hanae lowered her hand to her daughter's cheek "But it seems you have doubts about that as well"
A bittersweet smile formed on Mitsuru's face "I didn't think I accounted for me . . . catching feelings"
"Fallen in love?" Hanae's eyes twinkled "I wonder what Kikuno would say about that"
"No no, nothing of that sort," Mitsuru said almost immediately "Umm . . . it's . . . where is Kikuno anyway?" she said trying to divert the topic.
"She told me that she had an errand to attend to" Hanae's eyes flickered with mischief.
"I see" Mitsuru's mouth twisted "I'm still unsure with what to do mother, I have met with the man they arranged for me while he is indeed an intelligent and more experienced person . . . I just don't feel alright with him"
Hanae pulled out her hand from Mitsuru's face "How do you feel when you're with this other person then"
Mitsuru looked confused "Other person"
"The person whom you've fallen in love with"
At this a blush formed on the SEES leader's cheeks "I'm not in love with him"
Hanae gave her a look.
"I . . . uh . . . well . . . he's very easy to talk to. I feel like I can confide in him, he makes me feel at ease and he gives me confidence and strength when I need to" she later admitted.
"This person sounds like a very nice young man" Hanae couldn't help but smile "And the fact that he makes you flustered must mean he must be good looking as well"
"Good-looking?" Mitsuru's face almost matched her hair "Umm . . . well from what I heard he's quite popular . . . but . . ." she closed her eyes trying to calm down only for her to remember the image of him being fresh from the shower, this made not only her face turn into a deep shade of red but even her ears changed colour.
And this made her mother very very amused "My, it looks like my Mitsuru has indeed fallen in love" she placed a hand on her face "I wonder how your father would react if he saw you like this"
At this Mitsuru's eyes opened "He would probably hunt him down" her face then went serious "And its worst that he actually knows him . . . oh dear . . ."
"Your father knows him?" Hanae leaned against her chair "Does that mean this person . . ."
"Is a persona user" Mitsuru loosened her palms "He's quite a strong one as well, and he's also a good leader which is why I let him handle field operations"
"Hmm . . ." Hanae thought "Then that means he could protect you"
Mitsuru looked up "In a sense . . . but . . ."
"Listen to me" the older woman grabbed her daughter's hands "Everything your father did, whether it may be sinful or not, was all for you. He made all of those sacrifices in order for you to be happy"
The younger girl just stared at her "Mother . . ."
Water was starting to form on Hanae's eyes "You are the greatest gift me and your father have ever received, which is why no matter what you decided to do in life we will support your decision in any way. We just want you to live a life in which you have chosen on your own, may it be with the Group or without the Group"
Mitsuru didn't know what to say so instead of using words she stood up from her spot and gave the older woman an overdue loving embrace.
The coffee they served wasn't half bad Minato though. While it did have a particularly strong smell for something of light colour it tasted quite sweet and not bitter at all, though after sipping two cups of it he was starting to get a little woozy for some reason.
Which was why he did not notice the formally dressed young woman with short blue hair suddenly came up to him "You are Madam Mitsuru's companion, are you not?"
Taking another sip of his drink "Yes, yes I am"
"May I take a seat then?" the young woman pulled out the chair then sat on it when Minato nodded. "If I am correct you work with the young Madam?"
"Yes, yes I do" why was he repeating 'yes' a lot? "So yeah"
The young woman kept a passive face, and for some reason, the girl reminded Minato of that one chick from the Matrix was Serenity or Fidelity? "You seem to be in close relations with her," she said.
"I guess . . ." he took another sip only to realize he had run out "We do work together and live in the same dorm and we do get along in other aspects"
"Do you always go on outings with the young madam?"
This girl really asks too many questions, then again why the hell does he keep answering them "We do go out for lunch and dinner, and the occasional movie, and we did spend Christmas together"
At this, the woman's brow rose "You spent Christmas with her?"
"I did" he nodded "Why are you asking these questions?"
"Why are you answering these questions" she countered.
"Because it seemed rude not to" he then had an afterthought "Heck I could be lying right now"
At this, the woman paused but then replied: "You're how old again?"
"Oh something about me this time"
"This question may be for your own good"
"I dunno, a lot of things seem to be for my own good" he waved a dismissive hand "Well the only good I've received so far is lack of sleep, constant muscle pain and the ever occasional stab wound"
"Strange" the woman rubbed the bottom of her chin, "The madam said you weren't a talkative sort of person"
At this, the blue-haired boy groaned "This stereotype has to stop, look I talk I'm not mute, I just think it's a waste of time to explain a point to people who won't listen"
The woman nodded in agreement "That is true"
"See" Minato then stood up "Excuse me I'm gonna order another drink"
"Another drink of what?" the woman said looking up at him.
He finger gunned the menu (Junpei must rubbing off him) "Café Mendoza, it won't take long"
At this, the woman stood up "I believe that's enough of that Arisato-san"
Minato blinked "And why is that?"
"Because that coffee has Tia Maria mixed in" for once there was an actual show of emotion on her face, one of concern "I suggest you sit down sir"
The boy just stared at her "Are you sure you're not messing with me?"
"Sir, I am in no way trying to mess with you" her face then went back to neutral "But I believe the young madam would not be pleased when she sees you in a drunken state"
"Huh" never did Minato think of himself as a tipsy guy, then again he never drunk alcohol, his mother had made sure of that "So what do you suggest I do"
"Sit down sir"
"I don't feel like sitting down"
"Please do not be difficult"
"You sound like this friend of mine, by the way, she's a robot"
"You really must sit down"
"I'm not causing any ruckus"
"You might as well be causing one" the woman sighed, "I think I'm starting to crave for a drink" she muttered to herself.
"Oh good, I'll get one for the both of us" Minato then headed for the counter.
The woman chased after him "Sir please"
"You know I'm starting to have a totally different perspective about nuns," Minato said eying the board "At first I thought there were these creepy women who whipped good Christian boys and girls with a ruler in order to go to the path of the Lord"
"And what do you think of them now"
"Still creepy old women, an exception for the young smiley one a while back maybe a few years in a place like this her soul would be sucked eventually, but instead of whipping us with the holy ruler of purity we are quenched by the waters of the truth. The bitter and regretful taste of the truth"
The woman seemed to want to say something but thought better of it when she decided to say something else instead "You really aren't what I expected you to be"
Minato just shrugged "Don't worry, by the time you meet me around this time tomorrow I'll just be on the floor slowing dying"
"I don't think the young lady would like to deal with that"
"I rather she not" he shoved his hands in his pockets "Might as well get another room for myself then, me and her in the same room is not a good idea at this point"
At this, the woman's eyes widened "You've been sleeping in the same room as the young madam!"
"Yeah should have shut up"
"Oh please" the woman was giving the most passive-aggressive leer he has ever witnessed "Tell me more"
"I rather not" he backed away.
"There was a reason as to why I wanted to speak to you without the young madam" the woman seemed serious "I wanted to see myself on what sort of man-made her so conflicted about her emotions"
This was definitely news for Minato, news in which he could best comprehend with an intelligent "Ha?"
"The young madam is going through rough times now, so it pains me to see her being so pressured and conflicted on what to do with her life" the woman pulled away "Then again, I have never seen this carefree in a long while either"
"Carefree?" damn alcohol was making him dumb.
"When I observed you coming up here, she seemed relaxed and comfortable in your presence" she placed a finger under her chin "You have some sort of effect on her"
The boy just blinked "I . . . don't think I know why I do though" then again as he thought of it he probably saw sides to Mitsuru that she only brought out whenever she was with him.
"Hmm, you're sober enough to give a straight answer and drunk enough, to tell the truth," the suited woman noted "I want you to answer me this one last question, after that, I won't bother you"
A part of his mouth twisted "Even if I give an answer you wouldn't like?"
The woman kept her passive face "We won't know if I like it if you won't tell me"
"Fine" Minato sighed "Fire away I guess"
"What do feel about Mitsuru-sama?"
Minato was taken aback by the question; he should have expected it seeing as this strange woman's (probably maid) number one priority seems to involve Mitsuru. But ask him how he felt about her? Well, it was true that it might seem strange for her to bring a boy to the secret mental facility her mother was in, that must mean something in some books.
And sure he would be to first to admit that he found the older girl very attractive, but it was an undeniable fact, she would catch the eye of even a blind man. Yes, he admired her leadership very much; in fact, the moment they met she had an air of authority most drill sergeants could only dream of. But underneath that tough exterior and ice queen persona that she had put up was a caring friend who regarded her comrades, not as pawns but actual people.
And yes he did enjoy her company, in fact, he looked forward to their 'restaurant dates' whenever he had a rough day. He found her naivety towards working-class culture quite adorable and during that week where left SEES after her father's death he never felt so worried.
So what does that all mean?
The maid noticed his deep thought "I'm sorry if the question is sudden, but I would like to hear an answer"
"I . . . I'm not sure" Minato replied "I value her as a person and admire her but . . . I don't think she would want to pursue anything else with me"
"So you do harbour feelings for the young mistress"
"I . . ." before he could say anything the woman whom they were just talking about appeared.
"Kikuno!" the redhead went over to her old-friend "I was . . ." she realized who the maid was talking to "Umm . . . what are you doing with Arisato?"
The blue-haired maid gave her mistress a smile "I was simply having conversation with him madam"
Mitsuru did not seem convinced "Did she give you a drink by any chance? She loves to put sleeping pills in drinks"
"She did not of that" Minato then later admitted "Though . . . I may have had a few drinks"
The heiress cocked her head "Of what"
"For some reason, the nuns serve alcohol here" at that moment he hiccupped "They probably have a saint who loves drinking"
The two teens later left the facility after saying their goodbyes to Kikuno (who was still giving Minato weird looks) and some of the nuns. As they walked down the steps Mitsuru looked up to see that her mother was watching them go.
"My mother is waving at us," the redhead said waving back.
Minato faced his senior "Probably at you"
"She was actually curious as to what you looked like" Mitsuru admitted.
"Is that so" he then turned to look at the older red-headed woman who was on the balcony "She really does look like you?" he said giving a small wave.
The older girl grinned "Who can you tell? She's far away now"
"I doubt your beauty came from your dad" he cocked his head "No offence"
"Umm, none took," she said lowering her hand.
"Hey do you wanna go someplace before we eat?" the blue-haired boy asked when they reached their bike at the bottom of the mountain.
She was busy putting on her helmet "And where might that be"
"I'll tell you as we drive"
And that was how they ended up in Ryusendo Cave.
"This . . . is beautiful" Mitsuru couldn't help but just stare in awe at the stalactites that formed around the limestone cave.
Minato looked down at the water below "Wow you could actually see the bottom of the cave"
"You're right the water is quite clear" the redhead then closed her eyes "It's also quiet in here, the sound of the springs is quite calming"
The teen turned to the upcoming tourists behind them "Not for long, you'll start hearing the concert of camera shutters and screaming children"
"We better get ahead then" in her Mitsuru grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him to follow her. "Come on let's go enjoy the rest of the cave"
Eyes blinking "umm . . . sure" he was thankful for the dim lights in the cave as he wasn't sure he had a cool explanation for his blush.
So throughout their thirty-minute walk, the two teens had been holding hands as they enjoyed the beauty and splendour of their cave walk.
Every so often Mitsuru would check if her kohai was being uncomfortable with her sudden aggressiveness but he seemed to be fine. She really didn't know what came to her when she grabbed him like that but it just seemed natural.
"Is there something wrong senpai?" Minato asked as they reached the end of the cave.
"Uhh . . ." the girl shook her head "Nothing, quite the opposite actually," she said giving a genuine smile.
He gave a smile of his own "I'm glad"
Mitsuru took a deep breath "Remember that time when I said I was hesitant about this trip?"
"You mean back at the hotel in Tokyo?" he nodded "Yes"
"Well could you forget that ever happened?" she said smiling awkwardly "I mean, we've already come this far. And to be honest I've enjoyed myself a lot during this trip"
While most of the other tourists were pointing out pretty spots on the cave Minato couldn't help but just stare at his senpai, the lighting in the cave made her look quite appealing "Again, I'm glad. That was the whole point of the trip"
"Thank you for doing this" her eyes sparkled with joy "This may sound weird but if someone else had suggested this trip to me I would have refused. There's just something about you that makes me feel that I could go anywhere, as long as you're there with me"
Yep he was definitely thankful for the timing of the lights in this place as the moment he blushed pink lights started to cover the cave "To be honest, I wouldn't have run around Japan with anyone else either"
Mitsuru fidgeted "Well, we've got one more day together. Let's make more memories that will last forever"
It's not like he could say no to that.
It was around two in the afternoon and the two were in a gas station in the middle of Maesawaku. Mitsuru was busy filling the tank of her motorcycle while Minato sitting at one of the chairs outside the convenience store wearing shades and eating a cherry flavoured ice cream.
He was enjoying his frozen treat when he felt a vibration on his brown cargo pants; he then brought out his flip phone and gave a nonchalant hello.
"Oho! He finally picked up the phone!" shit it was Junpei. "So Leader how was Mitsuru-senpai ahh. You spent two nights together so you must be quite tired am I right?
Still chewing the ice cream "Pffup"
"What is that?" the eager boy asked "You're still up? Leader I know that's she's a beauty but please give her some time to rest"
Swallowing his ice cream this time "I said fuck off"
"Ooohhh, a rude one aren't you HAHAHAAH. That's our Leader always an eager man . . . ah... .oi oi . . . THIS IS MY PHONE HANDS OFF . . . YUKA-TAN!"
Minato took a moment to stare at the phone before putting it back on his ear "Uhm . . . if you're not gonna say . . ."
"Minato-kun" came the familiar tone of Yukari Takeba "I'm sorry for all the random things Stupei said, he clearly isn't thinking"
The blue-haired boy sighed "It can't be helped; even brainwashing won't work on him" on second thought maybe he should think about doing that when he gets back.
The girl chuckled "You got that right, anyway . . ." the girl went to a more serious tone "How are you doing?"
"Mitsuru's filling up the gas at the moment, we managed to get proper bills instead of the coins Akihiko placed and so far the bike hasn't broken down, which is a miracle cause I dunno if we have money for another repair job"
"Oh, that's nice . . ."
Minato took another bite off his ice cream "Mitsuru-senpai is fine, sure we've had our moments but I think she's handling things well now. She's actually enjoying herself to the point that she wants us to go golfing"
"How about you then? Are you having fun there?" she then paused "Um, I mean it's not that I'm saying you won't have fun with her it's just that . . . well . . . I was really surprised when Akihiko-senpai said you ran off together. It just seems . . . out of character for you"
"Hmm" the ice cream was already gone leaving just a sticky cone "What exactly is in my character?"
"I uh . . ." he could imagine her scratching her nose "Well . . . I know you're a nice guy and are willing to help others but I didn't know you'd go to such extremes"
Playing with the cone in his fingers "She's just got out of dark place, losing a loved one isn't easy you and I both know that. But unlike us, however, Mitsuru didn't have time to let it out; she had neither the time nor the outlet to let her grieve. If I just let her do it on her own terms she might not be able to recover, sure she's strong and independent but she has her limits. I'm not going to just sit back and watch her breakdown"
Yukari went silent after that.
The boy slouched "I think I said too much"
"You really care about her huh?"
"Well she is our leader and she's a good friend"
"No . . . I have a feeling it goes deeper than that"
Minato sat up straight "What are you . . ."
"AHHHHHH GIVE ME MY PHONE!"
"STUPEI DON'T DO THAT"
"YOU VIOLATED MY PROPERTY"
"IF THERE'S ANYONE VIOLATING SOMETHING IT'S YOU!"
And from a distance, Fuuka's voice could be heard, though what she actually says could not be clear.
Not wanting to have his ears bleed from another Takeba-Iori civil war he hung up "Something deeper huh"
"How rude you didn't even buy me one" Minato looked up to see a pouting Mitsuru "You have no idea how to treat a lady"
The blue-haired boy offered the cone "Want some?"
The woman smiled "If you insist" she quickly took the cone from his hand and took a bite "Hmm I didn't know you liked cherry"
Ignoring the signals that were going off in his head "So you're serious about that golf thing?" he asked.
"Of course," she said finishing the cone and licking the remnants off her fingertips, "I think it's only fair I show you something this time"
"Oh joy"
"I thought you had never played before" they were currently walking to their sixth hole.
"I guess its beginner's luck?" Minato shrugged.
"You've had had three eagle shots, two birdies and a hole in one" the heiress shook her head "If you keep this up I might actually lose"
He put down both his and Mitsuru's golf clubs "That's because you're going easy on me" he then leered "And didn't you say this was 18 holes?"
Mitsuru did a playful smile "Backing down from the challenge?"
"My luck could only take me so far" the blue-haired boy closed his eyes.
As they neared a lake in the course Mitsuru suddenly spoke "Actually, there's something that I would like to ask you"
Clasping his hands behind his neck "Sure go ahead"
The girl was looking away from him staring at the grass "Hypothetically, what would you think if I told you I was interested in someone?"
At this, he opened his eyes.
"And even though I could never be with him, I can't stop thinking about him" she was thankful her hair was covering her face as she was now blushing mad "Would that be wrong . . . hypothetically?"
Minato turned to her but he could exactly see her, her damn hair was in the way. Did she just admit she liked someone? Well, it was normal for a girl to feel that way it's not like he could stop her from liking someone but . . . who the heck is this guy? Was it her fiancé? Was it some other dude he wasn't aware of? Was it Akihiko, they were childhood friends long before he showed up . . . maybe it was Koromaru.
Shit. He better say something before he sounds rude "No, I don't think it is"
"Oh . . ." Mitsuru said sounding disappointed, she then faced him "Arisato . . . you see . . ."
"Mitsuru is that you?" at once the two teens turned and saw three men approach them. One was a balding man wearing white golf clothes, the one next to him was a younger one with an obnoxious slicked back purple hair and was wearing black golf clothes the extremely younger man behind them carrying their golf clubs must be the caddie.
When Mitsuru recognized one of them her faced hardened "Masakado-san"
The purple-haired man went over to the girl completely ignoring Minato "Why I didn't think I would see you here" he touched her shoulders.
Mitsuru seemed uncomfortable and held on tightly to her golf club "You seem to be busy . . ."
"Ah yes I was having a simple game with Osamu-san" he gestured towards the balding man "This young lady over here is my fiancé, Mitsuru Kirijo"
The older man rubbed his chin "Ah, of the Kirijo Group" he gave Mitsuru a small bow "Condolence for your father's passing"
The redhead gave a small nod "Thank you . . ."
Masakado rolled his eyes "She's probably glad that old man is dead already, I know I'm relieved that person has done nothing but cause trouble for everyone"
At this Mitsuru untangled herself from him "How dare you!" she raised her voice at him "How could you say something like that!?"
Minato could tell that his senpai was currently seething with anger if things were to escalate it wouldn't be good for the bastard or for Mitsuru.
So he might as well take the hit for her sake "You have no right to say such things regarding Kirijo-san"
"Oh, and why is that?" Masakado looked at him with disdain.
Keeping a passive face "Because that man has more honour and dignity than you have fashion sense, seriously with all your money you couldn't even afford to acquire some sense of taste"
This riled up the man "How dare you to speak like that to me!" he shrieked "Do you know who I am!? Do you know how much I'm worth? I can buy you right now!"
"Umm . . . Masakado-san please calm down" the balding man said.
"Shut up you geezer!" the purple-haired man went up to Minato "Listen here punk; this is none of your business so you better get off my face!"
Minato snorted "You know now that I see you up close I can say that your hair is the least of your problems, have you considered plastic surgery? Or was your nose job botched?"
The purple-haired man's nostrils flared and he turned to Mitsuru "Mitsuru you better come with me now, this punk you're with is nothing but trouble for you!"
"But he's my friend" Mitsuru clenched unto her golf club. "I can't just abandon him here"
At this Masakado groaned "What is wrong with you! I'm already doing your damn company a favour! If it weren't for me the Kirijo Group will be six feet under the ground just like your father. So would you be a grateful woman for once and just follow my orders!"
"Don't you even dare boss her around" Minato gritted his teeth.
"What have I told you little piece of trash!" Masakado yelled "Get lost and die rotting with you underprivileged kind"
"ENOUGH!" Mitsuru yelled so loud that the poor caddie dropped the bags he was holding and dropped to the floor. "YOU!" she pointed her finger at Masakado "Don't you even dare speak to him like that, I swear on my father's grave that if you insult him one more time I'll have your head"
The purple-haired man gasped in shock "What. . . Mitsuru . . . are you defending him!?"
"OF COURSE I AM!" she stomped her foot.
"Mitsuru" Masakado tried to regain control of the situation "You have to calm down, we're engaged you can't just defend this random lowlife. What will happen to our image?"
The redhead growled at him which caused Masakado to jerk back "That so-called low life happens to be the man that I love, and I don't care about you and your money! I'm a Kirijo I don't need another man to carry the burden of my problems! I will take control of the company and turn it around without your help. If there is anyone who's a scum on this soil it's you!"
"Are you even . . ." before he could say anything Mitsuru raised her golf club "Ok you know what fine whatever!" he removed his gloves and turned to Osamu "And you know what your golf course is just sub-par in standards, the only reason I'm playing with you is because of the upcoming merger"
Osamu-san rubbed his beard "Well if you say so, you may leave my property"
"I will gladly leave your property!" he then turned around and ran off only for him to stumble on one of the sand dunes and get covered in sand and chased off by the caddie who was now driving a golf cart.
Osamu-san then faced Mitsuru "I apologize for what just occurred Kirijo-san, your afternoon game might have been ruined by that man"
The redhead tried breathing to calm herself down "Its fine, I think I should be the one apologizing for my misconduct"
"It's fine" the old man chuckled "You were just defending your boyfriend's honour, and he was doing the same for you"
"Umm . . ." Mitsuru blinked "Boyfriend?"
Osamu-san nodded "Yes, didn't you just call this young man the one you love?"
Immediately she turned to Minato who was now facing another direction not looking at her but there was an extreme shade of pink in his cheek.
"Oh no . . ." Mitsuru herself went red "I just screamed that out loud didn't I?"
This was supposed to be longer but this will have to do.
Thank you to Shiranai Atsune for following this story and tuniejr, soemitro212, Blue Cipher, that1filipino, RelentlessDarkness, Quazurak, ShadowMart for adding this story to their favorites.
DarkRai99: While the writers would probably have a fun time writing the stories the programmers will have a hard time making animations or special locations for each date XD