A/N: Forget what I said about Yukari. Mitsuru is so much harder to write. Sorry for the delay, personal drama impeded me. That and playing Nocturne without losing my mind.

Again, thanks for all the reviews. I already have various parts (including the ending) planned out, but the reviews really help speed up my writing process!


There's a certain charm in Arisato's behavior. For all his aloof tendencies, the boy had a way around people. Mitsuru liked that in him, for both professional purposes and her own personal reasons. She wouldn't be the first to say that he was someone special, for everyone could already see that.

She sifted through portfolios of stocks and yearly evaluations as well as research progress from the Kirijo labs. This came second nature to her, which led to her wandering mind.

Terrible habit, but then again she needed one every once in a while. An ounce of personal desire for every ton of responsibility. That being said, these papers really needed to be finished soon. Father needed them back as soon as possible and she'd be damned if she ended up disappointing him.

"Mitsuru-senpai?" The soft tenor of Arisato snapped her attention to him.

"Yes?" She continued trying to read through her files, unsure of whether or not the lab was doing anything remarkable with their latest attempts at data in the Dark Hour. "Do you want to go to Tartarus already?"

She heard a quiet scoff beside her, so unlike his normally frosty demeanor, that it brought her full attention to him. Arisato still looked like the distant boy she'd come to know, but a small glint in his eyes portrayed amusement at something she couldn't quite catch.

"It's 4."

Well. Mitsuru felt hot embarrassment creeping onto her face, now noticing the light from outside. How she didn't notice it before, especially when that same light framed the leader in front of her, she couldn't explain.

"Do you want to come with me somewhere?" He asked, interrupting her cycle of thoughts currently focusing on her embarrassment. "I remember you wanting more experience."

Slightly thankful for his quiet nature and merciful conversation topic, Mitsuru regained her composure and hummed in agreement. "Of course. Do you happen to have any place in particular?"

"Maybe." He said noncommittally, though Mitsuru could clearly see the enthusiasm in his body language. Pleased at the notion of more information on acting normal, Mitsuru closed her laptop – she'd get back to it later tonight; after all, her father needed this – and put on what she hoped was a placating smile.

"Then let us go."

The train ride to Paulownia Mall was a rather quiet trip, though Mitsuru didn't really mind it too much. A few of her father's associates called her during the train ride, asking for various forms that they needed to obtain some classified data, but nothing much came from it. It was a rather strange sensation to go somewhere for her entertainment when she had work needing to be done.

Arisato guided her through the mall, making sure to keep her close by so she wouldn't be lost in the large throngs of teenagers. When he stood in front of a small record store, she stopped to bring her gaze up.

"Power…Records?"

"A new album came out and I wanted to get it." He opened the door and held it for her. "It'd be a nice experience for you."

Feeling disastrously unprepared for this, Mitsuru hesitated just a bit. Just as quickly though, she steeled herself for this. I asked to be shown the ways of regular society. I will not submit.

She strolled in, taken aback at the full shelves of music. Arisato took the lead yet again, guiding the both of them to the back of the store, and flitted though about three shelves. Mitsuru looked around, trying to ponder just how many albums were here and just how many songs there were.

"Are you interested?" She flinched at his voice and turned around to find him holding a CD.

"Interested in…?"

He carefully slid the CD into the stereo system and flipped through tracks. "In any music?"

Mitsuru looked down, trying to hold back the look of dismay she had. The life of being a Kirijo heir held no place for certain frivolities like this. She hoped that he wouldn't press her any further. Arisato still noticed though.

"You haven't done this before?" He sounded a bit confused, but his face betrayed nothing. "What do you like to listen to?"

Mitsuru hesitantly flipped through albums, unsure of all these names and genres. "I have a liking for classical music, but I'm sure that's not what you're referring to."

He had a fond smile on his face, an expression that made her blush at the fact that she caused it. "It helps. Is that all?"

She nodded in affirmation, trying to rein in her fluster. Eager to do so, Mitsuru pulled out a random album and held it out to him like a dog would to its owner. "What about this?"

He chuckled softly to himself - which did not help her composure- and took it from her. "I'm not sure this would be your thing."

The sight of skulls surrounded by fire was mildly alarming, she would admit. If she wasn't so used to the Dark Hour, she'd probably have a stronger reaction. Regardless, she gave a tense shrug and felt like she had messed something up.

"I'm sorry, Arisato." She couldn't help the disappointment from slipping into her words. "I'm not…entirely used to this."

He shook his head as he sifted through the reams of music in the store. "It's nice to introduce music to someone. The expression is limitless."

Before she could ask about that comment, Arisato held a pair of headphones out to her. With great reluctance, Mitsuru slowly took the headphones and wore them. Again, she was out of her comfort zone, feeling like her age for once in her life. Then again, I did ask Arisato to help me with this.

"This isn't the type of music I listen to, so we'll both be experiencing something new." She turned to see another matching pair on him as well. "I'm about to turn it on."

And after a few seconds, he did. She was expecting the noise that Takeba listened to on occasion or one of Akihiko's training songs. Instead of that, she heard a combination of lilting piano and the wailing of a guitar. There were no lyrics, but the melody carried the song through. Mitsuru wasn't sure how to regard this song, but the piano helped formulate her opinion and observation.

The two instruments played in sync, the piano carrying a lighter and more peaceful serenity and the guitar adding a…twist, for lack of a better word. All she knew was that the overall listening experience was something different for her and that she enjoyed it.

When the song ended, Arisato had already hung his headphones back on the hook. Mitsuru followed his actions, unsure of what to do now. It wasn't every day that she had a friendly excursion like this without some ulterior motive.

"Did you like it?" Arisato had a neutral expression as always, but his voice carried a hint of emotion she couldn't quite name.

"I suppose so." Mitsuru replied honestly. It was a first for her to hear such music. "Is this what constitutes for music nowadays?"

To her surprise, he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It was a soundtrack from a video game that Junpei lent me."

Mitsuru was speechless. Music like that came from what she thought was a distraction? She felt baffled. Meanwhile, Minato picked out an album from the pile and gave it to her.

"Here, this is the one." She numbly took it, still lost in her confusion.

By the time she came to, she realized that she had bought the album he gave her and were already leaving for the dorms together. A strange sensation came over Mitsuru, unsure of everything at that moment. Feelings of confusion at this whole day, happiness at merely being able to act like her age, and discomfort at leaving behind work for something like this were very strong.

Arisato had a serene look on his face, a sign that he had detached himself from this world again. Mitsuru let him have his moment, finally getting to understand the boy in front of her just a little bit more.

Music was the freedom to hear whatever she wanted to hear without the opinion of another person. It was the pleasant sensation in her ears that relaxed her entire body. She let herself have this moment to herself, remembering all that she could of today's excursion.

At that moment, she felt like a young girl simply enjoying what a nice moment she had with this charming boy.