Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Persona 3 or any of its reincarnations. The only characters I own in this fic are the randomly described generics in the story. All creative rights to the characters named in this story belong to Atlus and I certainly do not profit from this story.
Experimenting with a different conversational style. You have been warned.
Slightly tsundere Shinjiro, leaning towards dere. You have been warned.
First time I will be date-skipping. You have been warned.
Essentially a filler chapter. You have been warned.
September 5, 2010
It was already late in the afternoon when Shinjiro exited the laboratory at Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. Once again, he took out the folded sheet of paper from his pocket and peered at his results. As he predicted, the lethal persona suppressant drugs were completely out of his system. However, the doctors wanted him back at least once a month, "to monitor any potential side effects". He grumbled at wasting a perfectly good afternoon in the hospital. He certainly did not miss the cold marble hallways of the institution, the strict doctors and nurses who flipped out every time he made a movement.
A familiar-looking brunette came out of the door across the drug testing laboratory. He did a double-take upon recognizing the girl-or Minako, as Kirijo would have wanted them to think of her as. She was holding a large brown envelope, presumably containing X-rays. Upon seeing him, she grinned. "Good afternoon, Aragaki-san."
He hastily shoved the piece of paper back in his pocket. "Good afternoon, Arisato-san," he replied brusquely, suddenly very interested at the nameplate on the door across him. Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, Neurologist, it read. He should've seen this doctor instead, considering how messed up his mind was. He was tempted to run away at that point, as the sight of her still made him remember how he used to stare into the depths of her ruby eyes, listening to whatever mundane event happened in school. Laughing during those little moments made him feel human, instead of being the murderer that he was.
Talk about delayed reactions. Why was he suddenly this nervous? He had no problems facing her yesterday.
Remembering Kirijo's words, he painfully shrugged off those thoughts and decided to make an effort to be less of a spaz. He smiled at her awkwardly for about a split second. Realizing how weird that must have seemed, he immediately resumed wearing his perennial frown.
She must've noticed it, because she suddenly looked pleasantly surprised. "Aragaki-san, you should smile like that more often." Her cheeks flushed pink for a moment, then she let out a good-natured laugh. "Anyway, what a coincidence! I was just picking up my test results. How about you?" She tilted her head to the right, eyeing him questioningly.
"Drug test," he replied listlessly, barely meeting her eyes. Those eyes. That innocent, wide-eyed gaze that managed to see through his facade. He never revealed to Aki that he dreamt of her every night. He only went as far as to say that she appeared in his dreams often. The marble-tiled corridor suddenly felt very narrow, the bright lighting a little dimmer. He was running several ideas through his head, determining the best way to leave the girl without sounding very rude.
Before he could decide on anything, she spoke once more. "I see," she nodded, deep in thought. "Well, good news! The doctors said that even if I have amnesia, there's nothing wrong with my brain!" She laughed nervously this time. "Hmm, now that I think about it, that makes things more confusing, doesn't it? If I'm not suffering from brain damage, then why did I lose my memories? Ahh! My head aches just thinking about it!" She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off a certain nagging feeling. "At any rate, enough about me. How were your results, Aragaki-san?"
After a long moment of silence, a thought suddenly dawned upon her. She gasped in surprise. "Ah… oh… Sorry for prying!" She bowed deeply in apology.
"…Idiot. It ain't like that, okay?," he protested, suddenly realizing the implications of his silence. Seeing the solemn look on the girl's face, he smiled wryly. Was she seriously thinking he was into drugs? Did he care what she thought of him? "Hahaha. Believe whatever you want to believe, then."
Her serious face immediately relaxed into an amused one. "Just kidding, Aragaki-san!" She laughed merrily.
He clapped a hand to his forehead, hiding his eyes from her. Duped again by that girl. Just like the old times, she really enjoyed making a fool out of him, didn't she? However, her enthusiasm, as always, was infectious. He tried to hide the smile that was forming on his lips.
"You're smiling again!" she exclaimed, grinning widely at him.
"No, I'm not," he hastily denied.
She was about to argue, but after glancing briefly at her wristwatch, she relented. "It's getting late. I need to get going."
She looked at him expectantly. What now? It looked like she wanted him to walk her home.
He pretended not to notice. "Okay, take care on the way home."
She made a face at him. "H-hey! You're supposed to offer to walk me home!"
Annoyed and amused at the same time, he managed to spit out, "Do. You. Want. Me. To. Walk. You. Home." instead of what he initially planned: a string of expletives that would shame the host of Hell's Kitchen.
She smiled at him smugly. "No thanks, Aragaki-san. I don't want to inconvenience you."
Was she playing with him again? Alright, two can play that game. "Sure, you go your way, I'll go mine." He started walking down the corridor.
Something clamped down on his wrist. It was her-Minako's hand. "Hey, you have to at least walk me to the station!" She protested, gripping his arm as if her life depended on it.
He gave up. Raising his free arm in surrender, he said, "…Whatever. It's on the way." Blushing at the contact, he added, still looking away from her, "And if you keep on clinging to me like that, you're going to drop your envelope."
Realizing what she did, Minako suddenly let go of him, turning away in embarrassment, hiding her face with the oversized envelope. "Why… did I do that?" Mortified, she slowly looked back at him, her eyes peeking from the edge of the envelope. "S-sorry if that made you uncomfortable, Aragaki-san. I… didn't know what came over me."
On the contrary, it was refreshing to feel the touch of her hand on his skin. Of course, he wasn't about to say that out loud. Instead, he opted to lie. "Forget it, Arisato-san." Personally, he was going to treasure that moment.
"First, the soy sauce bottle, now this… What in the world am I doing?" she wondered out loud.
At this point he had enough. "Come on, let's walk to the station already," he said, trying to hide his impatience.
"Err… You go on ahead, Aragaki-san," she replied meekly.
He sighed in frustration. "A second ago, you were raring to go."
"Like I said, I didn't know what came over me!" she replied in an unusually cranky voice. A dead silence fell over the two. Some of the people passing through the corridor stared at them in disapproval, whispering among themselves.
"Lover's quarrel?"
"Yeah, probably."
"I wish they wouldn't do it in the corridor, the place is narrow enough as it is."
Shinjiro took a deep breath, at the same time, Minako breathed in some air to regain her composure. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. And then, she broke the tension by laughing out loud. "How silly of me…" Reverting to her usual joyful self, she announced excitedly, "Let's go, Aragaki-san!"
Oh, this girl's mood swings. He missed them so much. Hiding an amused smile, he accompanied Minako to the train station.
~o~
September 6, 2010
Shinjiro was the third person to arrive at Classroom 3-F on Monday. A male classmate seated in front was catching up on sleep, whereas another male classmate seated at near the back door was scribbling furiously on his worksheet. Shinjiro took his seat on the fourth row, brought out a cooking magazine, and started to read while waiting for his classes to start. As he was feigning indifference to the whole world, Minako entered the room, followed by Toriumi.
"Arisato-san, have you joined any clubs yet?" Toriumi asked. The girl shook her head in response. "Each student is required to be part of at least one club. Although you have entered in the middle of the school year, you are still obliged to join one. Ask around, I think there will be clubs willing to take you in."
"Alright, Sensei." Minako noticed Shinjiro staring at her. She smiled brightly at him. Secretly, his heart leapt at the sight of her. He quickly looked away, burying his face in the magazine to hide his embarrassment. Crap. Why was he acting like a lovestruck kindergartener?
"Good morning, Aragaki-san." She made her way to his seat. "I'm really, really sorry about yesterday. That was very disrespectful of me." She bowed at him in apology.
"Like I said, forget about it," he replied, not looking up from his September issue of Family Cooking.
"If you say so…" She scrutinized his magazine curiously. "Is that… a cooking magazine?"
"…Yeah."
"Cool." She took a seat on an adjacent chair. "That's nice… Honestly, I'm kinda jealous that you can put your heart into something like that." Noticing the strange look he was giving her, she quickly added, "I mean, I wish I had something I was passionate about… I totally have no idea what club I should join…" She sighed in frustration. "Wait… you're part of the Cooking Club, right? Are there any vacancies?" she asked in desperation. "I've done some cooking before, although I'm no expert at it, but I'm a fast learner!"
He sighed. Still gazing intently at his magazine, he replied, "You'd have to ask Yamagishi-san about that. In my opinion, though, you shouldn't force yourself into something just because you have to. Do something you are passionate about, so that when shit happens, you'll be able to weather it." He paused to steal a look at the girl. Seeing that she was deep in thought, he continued, "It's not like I don't want you to join, but it doesn't seem fair to you, or to us if you were going to apply just because you're being pressured by Toriumi."
She pondered on his advice for a bit. "You have a point… I suppose I'll give my club more thought." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Aragaki-san. You're a really nice person, you know?"
"…W-Whatever." He looked pointedly away from her, watching his classmates that were starting to trickle in the classroom, among them a few familiar faces.
"Yo, Senpai!" Iori entered through the back door, greeting Shinjiro before proceeding to his seat in the second row.
"Good morning, Shinjiro-senpai!" Takeba entered the room, followed by Aigis.
"Good morning, Aragaki-san." Aigis greeted him.
"G-good morning, Aragaki-senpai..." Yamagishi said timidly.
"Ne, Aragaki-san, why does everyone call you 'Senpai'?" Minako asked, a little confused. "We're all in the same level, aren't we?"
He was saved from further conversation when the owner of the seat next to him, the guy with the taper cut.
"A-Arisato-san… If you don't mind…" Taper Cut looked at her uncomfortably. As an afterthought, he added, "Hey, Aragaki-senpai."
"Ah! Sorry, Morimoto-san…" She stood up, grabbed her backpack and moved to make way for the owner of the seat. Before hurrying back to her seat, she smirked at Shinjiro, as if to say, 'You owe me an answer!'.
"…And the seat stealer strikes again." He muttered to himself, letting out a small amused smile as the bell rang.
~o~
"Go on ahead with lunch, I need to discuss something with Shinjiro-senpai." Takeba signaled to Yamagishi and Aigis, who waved back and left the classroom together.
"Senpai!" Takeba approached Shinjiro. Lowering her voice, she whispered, "Fuuka and I are planning a surprise party for Aigis. Her birthday is on the 10th. Well technically it's not her birthday, it's her manufacture date, but you get my point, right?"
"So, what does this have to do with me?" He felt that he knew what she was going to ask, but he decided to raise the question anyway.
"We were wondering if you could cook some pasta for the occasion."
He groaned. "Can't Yamagishi-san do it?"
"She says you're better at it."
"…Where's the party going to be held?"
"In our dorm." Seeing the alarmed look on Shinjiro's face, she quickly added, "I already asked the matron for permission, she'll let you in. In fact, you could even use the kitchen." She smiled triumphantly; knowing that it was a matter of seconds before her senior finally relented.
"…Whatever, Takeba." He rolled his eyes.
She took that to mean as a yes. "Thanks, Senpai! See you on Friday! And, keep the receipts, so I can reimburse you for the ingredients."
"No need, it's a special occasion, after all."
"Okay then. I gotta go, can't keep Aigis and Fuuka waiting."
Takeba was about to leave when he suddenly said, "Wait. Is…" he swallowed, then continued, "Arisato coming to the celebration?"
"Actually, I haven't asked her. To be honest, I'm still waiting for the right time to approach her, and possibly rekindle our friendship. It would seem awkward if I threw an invite at her out of the blue." Yukari laughed apprehensively. "Anyway, thanks, Senpai!" She waved goodbye to him, and exited the classroom.
He didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved that she wasn't coming. Part of him wished that she would be there, enjoying the feast and laughing with them as Aigis went through her first "birthday" celebration. The other half told him that this was for the best, as he'd be able to take a break from seeing her. Shaking those thoughts off his mind, Shinjiro took out his bento box and left the classroom, heading out for lunch.
~o~
"Good news, everyone! Remember our cultural festival proposal, the butler café? The school approved it." Yamagishi announced to her club mates gathered inside the Home Economics Room. She had a contented look on her face as she spoke those words. However, her giddiness quickly faded when she saw Shinjiro's extremely displeased expression.
"Yamagishi-san, do you have any idea how stupid that idea is? As you can see, there's only one guy in this club." Shinjiro pointed out.
"Well, that's the idea that won. We were choosing between a maid cafe and a butler cafe. It was a unanimous decision. Anyway, we'll work in cooperation with another club, since we lack manpower." she replied defensively. "Besides, we'll be able to maximize our profit margin by appealing to the female population, which comprises majority of the school."
He rolled his eyes. That's what she claimed, but it's pretty clear that none of the girls in the club were eager to dress up in maid costumes. "So, what happens if you can't find another club to help you out? Am I going to parade around in some penguin suit trying to impress the ladies?" he asked sarcastically.
"Well, Aragaki-san, if you came to the meeting last Saturday, you could've raised these matters then," she shot back, her tone unusually cold. "I'll definitely find a club that will be willing to work with us. Besides, since you're part of the Cooking Club, you will be busy making food in the kitchen."
Shinjiro and Yamagishi were staring each other down, making the tension in the air overbearing. Realizing the pointlessness of the staring match, Yamagishi tore her eyes off him. Flustered, she continued, speaking to the club, "Okay everyone, first order of business, we have to decide on the menu, and then build our decorations around that. That way, we know what goes on the list of things we have to buy for the festival."
The whole meeting continued in that vein, with different members calling out their suggestions. For the rest of the period, Yamagishi ignored him. During the times their eyes accidentally met, her lips pursed, as if trying to hold back from saying something.
~o~
September 7, 2010
Shinjiro was relaxing at the living room of the Kitamura Residence, after another boring day at school. He was watching the latest episode of Family Cooking when he heard the front door slam.
"Of all the -" This was one of the rare times he heard the normally calm and collected Aki swear even more colorfully than him. He looked totally pissed off, almost as angry as the time he discovered that Shinjiro has been spiking his protein supplements with powdered vegetable fiber supplement pills. No wonder Aki had to keep on visiting the bathroom that week.
He can't help but let out an amused smile at his friend's direction. "Aki, spit out whatever's bugging you."
The two friends stared at each other for a long time, in silence. Finally, Aki spoke. "Do you know anything about this?" Still glaring at his friend, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and shoved it towards Shinjiro.
He took the white sheet from him and proceeded to straighten it out. He quickly scanned the contents of the paper. The keywords were Cooking Club, Culture Festival, and Butler Cafe.
Looking up from the paper, he said, "Go ask Yamagishi-san."
"They want me to be the freaking poster boy of the café!"
"You didn't seem to mind when Arisato used to make us parade in those outfits back in Tartarus."
"It was just us and the shadows!"
"Then imagine that the students are just shadows. Better-looking shadows."
"The shadows didn't give a damn what I was wearing!"
"Most of the female students don't, either. I think they'd prefer if you didn't-"
"Don't finish that thought, Shinji!" Aki slammed his fist on the wall, startling Shinjiro. "And besides, I was totally worried about the seams ripping apart in the middle of battle!"
"They'd love that," he replied flatly.
Akihiko eyed him suspiciously. "You seem to be awfully calm about this, Aragaki Shinjiro. Is there something you're not telling me?"
"…"
"You're exempted from this, aren't you?"
"…Cooking Club privileges."
"Damn it! I'm supposed to have graduated from these silly Culture Festival stuff already!" He punched the wall in frustration once more.
"Aki, quit taking it out on the wall, Mitsuko's going to have a heart attack if she sees what you've been doing to her precious wallpaper," drawled Shinjiro. "Anyway, why don't you point that out to them, if you're so worked up over it? It's not like they can hold that over your head, considering that you're a coach now, instead of a player."
The silver haired man placed a hand over his chin in contemplation. "Hmm. That's a good idea, Shinji. I'll give that a try."
"I hear one of your fan girls crying in the distance."
Aki plopped on the sofa next to Shinjiro. "Honestly, I don't really care about what they think."
"Why don't you humor them for a bit? It's for the good of your club too, is it not?"
"Eh, Shinji!" his friend protested.
"Mull on it, Aki. Think of it as a training ground. It's a great opportunity to practice your pickup lines."
"Huh?" Aki gave his friend a confused look.
"It's all in the past, but I heard all about Yakushima from Iori." Shinjiro looked at his friend sternly. "That kid really needs to learn how to shut up. Tch, Operation Babe Hunt?"
The last three words rendered Aki speechless, leaving the two of them to listen to the cooking show host's closing remarks. As the credits rolled, Shinjiro reached for the remote control and shut off the TV. He stood up, tossed the remote on the sofa, and headed for the stairs, leaving Aki to his thoughts.
~o~
September 10, 2010
"Welcome back, Yukari-chan!" An elderly woman wearing a simple blue kimono welcomed Shinjiro and Takeba into the latter's dormitory. "And this must be… Shinji-chan?" She looked inquiringly at Shinjiro, who was carrying two plastic bags. "You're the friend that was going to cook for Aigis-chan's birthday?"
And he thought it was bad enough when Mitsuko used to call him Shinji-chan. What's up with old ladies and their obsession with that goddamned nickname?
Remembering what Takeba drilled into him the other day, he forced himself to say, "Yes, Ma'am. Pleased to meet you, Miyano-san." He bowed deeply, amidst Takeba's stifled giggles.
Apparently, this was the right thing to do. The matron's smile reached up to her ears, delighted that he knew her name. "Shinji-chan, you're so polite! It's so rare to find well-mannered lads nowadays."
If only she knew how he dissed his teachers on a daily basis.
Takeba, at this point, had to excuse herself. "Excuse me, Miyano-san, I have to go fetch the drinks, and make sure that Aigis is still occupied with the video game Junpei showed her." She quickly left the pair and Shinjiro could've sworn he heard her howling outside. Miyano-san must be hard of hearing, because she didn't flinch at the laughter.
The elderly woman led him to the kitchen. The kitchen, by his standards, was modest. Too modest, actually. The refrigerator, the sink, and the stove were laid out neatly in a row, with a little space in between the sink and stove for food preparation. Upon inspection of the cabinets, the bare essentials were there: various knives, some spatulas, measuring cups and spoons, pots and pans.
"I'll leave you in charge of the kitchen, then. If you run into any problems, feel free to call me, I'll be at my room in the second floor." She bowed lightly at him, and left.
Upon the exit of the matron, he placed the two plastic bags on the wooden table at the center of the room. He took out his white apron from one of the plastic bags. After wearing it over his black turtleneck and black pants, he fished around for his bandanna and tied it around his head. It was fortunate that he had ample time to run back to their dormitory and change out of his stuffy school uniform.
He was ready to proceed with the fettuccine alfredo he planned for the occasion. Flour, check. Eggs, check. Salt, check. Bringing out the said ingredients from the other bag, he started with making the pasta dough.
~o~
He was sitting on one of the stools, an elbow on the table, waiting for the gluten to relax when Yamagishi entered the kitchen, carrying a box of cake. Their eyes met briefly, with Yamagishi looking away almost immediately. Looking away from him, she placed the box on the wooden table, unaware that Shinjiro was watching her from the corner of his eye.
Determined not to meet his eyes, the girl edged away from the room. In the process, the hem of her jade sundress snagged on the edge of the table. She lost her balance, and had to grab on the wooden table for support. This almost caused the dough, which was resting on the table, to fall. Fortunately, Shinjiro was able to steady the table before anything else could happen. Looking at her straight in the eyes, he said, "Idiot. Be careful. Slipping like that in a kitchen is very dangerous. Good thing there were no knives around…"
"…" Yamagishi continued staring at him, biting her lip apprehensively, making no other movement. She still clung unto the table as if her life depended on it, stuck in an awkward half-standing, half-kneeling position.
Noticing this, he groaned. "You hurt yourself, didn't you?" He stood up and approached the girl, who was whimpering a little, trying to hide her pain. He bent down and proceeded to inspect her left leg, ignoring the reddening cheeks of the girl in front of him. "Damn, you sprained your ankle," he muttered. Sighing, he got up, pulled out a nearby stool, and let out an arm towards the girl.
She accepted his arm reluctantly, moaning as she let go of the table and stepped towards the chair. Tightening her grip on his arm, she managed to make her way to the stool and sit on it, an arm on the table for support.
Once the girl was properly settled, he pulled out another chair, for elevating the sprained part. Then, he opened the refrigerator, taking an ice cube tray and a pitcher of water. Fishing a face towel out of his plastic bags, he proceeded with creating the makeshift cold compress. He crouched once more and was about to apply the compress to her ankle when Yamagishi said quietly, "I can manage. Thanks." She took the towel from him and held it next to her left ankle, wincing a bit at the cold. Nonetheless, she exhaled in relief.
It was about time the dough was ready for processing. He stared at the wrapped dough, suddenly realizing that the dorm's kitchen did not have a pasta dough machine. Oh, crap. He ran his hands through his shaggy hair, wondering how he'll be able to cut and cook the dough on time.
"Um… If you need help with cutting-" Yamagishi offered, sensing his concern.
"No." Shinjiro interrupted her. "Tend to your ankle first." Sighing, he began to unwrap the dough on the prep table and started to flatten it into a shape fit for slicing.
An awkward silence fell over the kitchen, accented occasionally by the sound of the knife hitting the table. "Aragaki-senpai…" Yamagishi broke the silence, still studying her foot. "Sorry about what happened last Monday…" She added meekly.
"…Forget about it." He replied, not looking up from his work.
"I was a bi-, I mean, I was rude that day," she corrected herself midsentence. "It would be improper for me not to apologize for that." This time, she looked up from her ankle, setting aside the compress and stared at her senpai's back. "I must've been the reason why you skipped the meeting yesterday."
Which was true, but he wasn't about to say that out loud. He wanted to give her some space, after all.
"Whew! That felt good, letting it out!" She stretched out her arms, wincing a bit at her sprained ankle. "Whoa."
"Careful, Tiger, you don't want to fall off that chair." He stopped cutting the dough and started opening the ceiling cabinets, hoping he'd come across a first aid kit. Luckily, there was one in the third cabinet he opened. Placing the kit on the table, he took out some bandages.
"Senpai! I think I can manage…" she protested.
"It's better if someone else applies it."
"Ehh…"
"Why didn't you take off your sandals?" He grumbled. Yamagishi's choice of footwear for that day was a pair of aquamarine strappy sandals, thankfully without heels. Nonetheless, it looked difficult to remove.
"Oh yeah." Blushing, she fiddled with the straps of her left sandal and pulled it out. "Are you sure about this, Aragaki-senpai?"
He chose not to comment on that. Kneeling down, he concentrated on securing Yamagishi's ankle.
"Senpai! I heard you were-" Iori, carrying a plastic bag full of drinks, stopped dead on his tracks when he saw the pair by the table, where Shinjiro was applying some finishing touches on the bandage on Yamagishi's ankle. "Uhh… okay. I just ran into Yukari, and she told me to bring the drinks here. Yeah, sorry for interrupting." He quickly placed the bag on the table and was about to make his getaway when Shinjiro stopped him by grabbing his shoulder firmly.
"Iori, make yourself useful and carry Yamagishi to the lounge. She can't rest properly here." The boy was still frozen in place even after he let go of his shoulder. Frowning, Shinjiro's eyes narrowed at Iori. "Now. I still have some pasta to cook and a sauce to make, so if you don't get out of my sight now…" His voice took on a warning tone.
"R-Roger, Senpai!" He saluted at him nervously, and approached the seated girl cautiously. She eyed him anxiously as he gingerly scooped her up.
"Don't drop her." Shinjiro quipped, resuming his work on the pasta.
Unbeknownst to him, Yamagishi was smiling inwardly as Iori carried her to the lounge. For the first time in many weeks, he finally dropped the honorific when addressing her.
~o~
By some miracle of God, Shinjiro managed to finish the pasta just on time for the gathering that evening. Bringing out the freshly-cooked dish, he exited the kitchen and made his way to the lounge.
The lounge of Takeba and Aigis's dormitory was surprisingly familiar, as it resembled the lounge back in the Iwatodai Dorm, down to the circular arrangement of the sofa, television, and position of the stairs.
Iori was standing next to the TV, chatting with Amada about the newly released video game of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. Yamagishi was reclining on the sofa, her left ankle propped up on some pillows. Koromaru was watching over the food on the table, tongue out, his tail wagging frantically. Aki was sitting on the sofa opposite Yamagishi, fiddling with his gloves in anxiety, wary of the girl on the opposite side.
The table was groaning under the weight of the food. Aside from the pasta he cooked, there were doughnuts, brought by Amada, bags of chips, bought by Iori, cheeseburger pizza, courtesy of Aki, sushi platter, delivered by one of Kirijo's lackeys, and of course, chocolate cake, baked by Yamagishi. He grimaced at the sight of all the junk food, wondering if this was a habit carried over from their days in the Minatodai Dormitory. The only healthy food in sight was the sushi, and the pasta he was holding. After making some space for the pasta, he laid it carefully on the already bursting table and sat on the individual couch near the television, folding his arms and crossing his legs. Aki managed to smile at him tersely, relieved that he wasn't alone with the juniors-so to speak-anymore.
"So, it looks like the only people missing, discounting Mitsuru-senpai, who couldn't make it because of a meeting, are Yuka-tan and the guest of honor, Ai-chan!" Iori said. Way to go, Captain Obvious. You're giving Yamagishi a run for her money as Queen of Exposition.
"Everyone, I just got a message from Yukari." Yamagishi announced in her mission control voice. "'Aigis and I will be there in three minutes.'"
"Quick, switch the lights off!" Iori said excitedly. And with that, Amada dived for the light switch near the entrance of the dorm, plunging the lounge into darkness.
~o~
"…Wow. It certainly is dark here," Iori spoke after moments of silence. "Maybe I should sit down… Creepy…"
"Oww… Junpei, that's my foot!"
"Oops, sorry Fuuka…"
"…Iori, if you don't get off my lap now, I swear I'm going to post that picture of you making out with that antennae-haired kid."
"S-sorry, Senpai... W-wait, how did you know about that? We were-" A loud crash sounded through the lounge.
"No! The food!" Amada cried out, with Koromaru whimpering in agreement.
"Will you guys shut up? At this rate they'll hear us a mile away!" At Aki's words, everyone clammed up. The only sound they can hear were the rapid pounding of their hearts, the deep breaths being taken by a certain person on the floor, and the crickets chirping outside.
"Yukari-san, are you sure that we don't have anything to worry about? I heard some voices coming from the lounge."
"It's okay, Aigis! Come on!"
"I feel uneasy."
Takeba giggled. "You worry too much." Shinjiro heard the sound of the lock being turned. Something crawled on Yamagishi's leg, causing her to let out a muffled shriek. A delicate pause followed, punctuated by someone's breathing-albeit held. If the lights were on, they would have been staring at each other in panic.
"Stay back, Yukari-san." At the unmistakable clicking sound of Aigis's finger cannons flipping open, Shinjiro gripped his armrest tightly, wondering if Miyano-san wouldn't mind him using the coat stand he sighted earlier as a possible weapon. In his defense, and the others as well, he wouldn't have things end this way. Damn it. "I sense some intruders inside."
"Wait, Aigis!"
Shinjiro got to his feet, albeit unsteadily as he slowly made his way through the dark.
"I'll take care of this, there's too many of them," Aigis said.
Nearing the coat stand, Shinjiro sighted someone shifting by the doorway. Amada. He, who was nearest to the door, switched the lights on as the door flew open, bracing himself as Aigis moved forward, guns out, blue eyes blazing with ferocity.
"Happy Birthday, Aigis!"
"Happy Bithday, Ai-chan!"
"Happy Birthday, Aigis-san."
"'Py Birthday, Aigis."
"Woof!"
Takeba sighed in relief as Aigis lowered her arms, bewildered. Taking charge after locking the door, she shouted at them. "What the heck? I told you guys, we have to do it at the same time. AGAIN!"
They chorused, "Happy Birthday, Aigis!" Koromaru even managed a bark that sounded like that.
"I am a robot, I don't have a birthday." Aigis protested in confusion, eyes darting to each one of them. "I don't understand." Frowning, she then looked down at the floor sadly.
"Nonsense!" Takeba held the girl by her hands. Raising the metallic hands to her chest, she said, "It's the day you were made, and born into this world, so that makes it your birthday!" She grinned widely at her.
"If you insist, Yukari-san." The blonde smiled back uncertainly.
Takeba pouted. "Aigis! How many times do I have to tell you, drop the honorific already!"
"Sorry, Yukari-s-," Aigis stopped herself, "Old habits are hard to break. I may need some reprogramming in order to change my mannerisms."
Takeba clapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh yeah, never mind, then. Anyway, let's all dig in!" She grabbed the stack of paper plates on one of the small desks and started handing them out.
"Too bad Mitsuru-senpai's not here, Shinjiro-senpai's pasta sures tastes awesome!" exclaimed Iori, while spooning a mouthful of pasta in his mouth. Shinjiro decided against correcting his manner of eating, and proceeded to pick on his sushi.
"My sensors confirm Junpei-san's proclamation," said Aigis.
To everyone's surprise, the doorbell rang. "Who could this be?" Takeba said, puzzled. "The rest of our dorm mates are doing Karaoke at Paulownia Mall." She approached the door cautiously and peeked through the eyehole. "Oh!" Her eyes lit up in recognition and remembrance. "I almost forgot about our other guest." She beamed and unlocked the door.
It was Theodore. "I wish you a very happy birthday, Aigis-sama." He walked up to Aigis and bowed deeply at her. "It's not much, but here's a little something for you." He presented a small package to her, which she accepted with a smile.
Shinjiro thought it was a really smart move. What in the world was Takeba thinking, asking all of them to bring food as presents to a robot's birthday party?
"Ah, and I see that we have a feast fit for the gods," Theodore said, shifting his attention to the food.
Fit for the gods of debauchery, Shinjiro thought, cringing at the way Iori and Amada were devouring the food, as if they haven't eaten in days.
"Hmm, I sense a dish created by Chef Aragaki," Theodore continued in a tone of undisguised incredulity. "Is this what they call divine providence?"
"No, it's called fettuccine alfredo," snapped Shinjiro in annoyance, his blood boiling. Oh, how he longed to wipe the smirk off that blond's face.
Sorry if Junpei's a bit of an idiot.
I also apologize for the "late" release. I had to rewrite some parts to accommodate certain feedback I have been getting. xD
Alright, the next chapter might take longer now, work is piling up. I do promise it will be worth the wait.
Thanks to Elleon Stormwrath for beta-reading this chapter!
OhtaSuzuke, thanks for the feedback. I have received similar feedback from my betas, and I'll do my best to remedy that. :3 I hope I did a better job this time around.
Random: Checking the Shinjiro recording on Youtube, I suddenly realized that it falls on my birthday. LOL. xD
