Author's Note: Thank you again for reading my story and continue to read onto Chapter 11! Also, thank you so much for all of your wonderful supports and reviews! I'm so glad and happy! Your reviews and supports are what keep me going and updating at my current speed despite the works and studies at my university. So thank you!
Also, another minor note for all of you, for this story, Character 1 would always be 'Female Protagonist' as labeled by FFnet. However, for Character 2, I would change around between Akihiko and Shinjiro (Or maybe other characters), based on the content in the latest chapter, it has nothing to do with the storyline or the ending. I just want to give you guys a heads up so that you all won't misunderstand that because of me changing the second character labeled at the front of my story, it means that I choose the ending already. And just to be clear, nope, I haven't chosen who Hikaru would end up with in the end, yet.
Now, to brief you on this chapter, firstly this chapter is a little longer than usual, the longest I've ever written for this story, to be precise. The reason behind it is that this is a veryimportant chapter and a very important turn of event. What happened in this chapter is going to have a significant effect on the whole storyline. I spend a long time planning and waiting for a perfect moment to introduce this chapter and twist the current situation, and I think the time is now.
The main character in this chapter is going to be Aki, so 'Yay!' for all your Aki's fans out there; this chapter is for you as I promised in Chapter 10! The story is going to get more and more serious as more drama is going to take place. This chapter is only a start, still a lot more drama to come, so be prepared!
Okay, I think I've tempted all of you enough, so here is Chapter 11! Dramatic and emotional Chapter, I hope you all would enjoy it as much as I did when I was writing it!
As always, thank you for reading. I hope you all enjoy the story/chapter and *please* review so I could improve! ^^
*Important Note regarding how far this story had progressed in terms of the storyline, to be found at the end of the chapter.*

Disclaimer: I do not own Persona

Chapter 11 Angel's Cry

1F Dorm Lounge – Early Evening

The time passed by quickly. Yukari and Junpei finally stopped arguing and fighting as Yukari managed to deliver quite a number of punches and kicks to Junpei, who was holding his hand up in defeat. The four of them then decided to hang out in the lounge, talking.

"So I guess we won't be goin' to Tartarus tonight huh?" Junpei, who, as Hikaru predicted, received a few more bruises all over his body, complained while rubbing his injuries. He sounded quite disappointed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, but I don't think my body is up for it yet." Hikaru said with a dry smile, feeling a bit guilty that she was the reason Junpei didn't get to fight and train in Tartarus.

"Don't listen to him, Hikaru. You just recovered, it's better to rest for another day or two." Noticing their leader expression, Yukari comforted her best friend in a worried voice before turning to Junpei with flaming eyes. "And you! Stop making her feel bad! It won't kill you to keep things to yourself sometimes!"

"Uh…" was all Junpei could respond. He glanced over to Hikaru, giving her an apologetic look. "Sorry, Hika-chan. I didn't mean to.."

"Nah, don't worry about it." She cut him off, waving a hand. "Though I gotta say that I didn't remember much about last night," she paused for a moment, hesitating. "Would you guys mind telling me what happen after I fainted?"

Yukari, Fuuka and Junpei looked at each other awkwardly. They were silent for a moment as if trying to sort out what happened and what they should say first. Yukari was the one who decided to start.

"Well.." She tilted her head to the side, staring out to the air. "We rushed to you as soon as we could and found you lying on the ground. The Dark Hour was ending, so Mitsuru-senpai had Aigis carried you down Tartarus and back to the dorm."

"Ah, so I have Aigis to thank for that," Hikaru noted as to herself. "Then?"

"We got back to the dorm and Aigis examined your condition." Fuuka took over with her usual calm voice and expression. "She said you were exhausted and just need to rest."

"So you guys helped carry me up to my room?" Hikaru questioned, but Yukari just shook her head.

"Sanada-senpai was the one who took care of you." She stated with no hint of teasing or mocking whatsoever.

"Yeah! I was quite surprised by that too!" Junpei added and was immediately forced to remain silent with Yukari's glare.

"He seemed to be very worried about you, Hikaru-chan." Fuuka agreed, smiling faintly. "When we got back to the dorm, he rushed toward you as soon as he caught a sight of you."

"He did?" Hikaru asked in surprise; she knew that Akihiko was worried about her, but she didn't expect him to be that anxious. Her lips pressed together for an instant, she then turned to the only guy there. "Um.. Junpei, would you mind giving us a minute? I kinda need to talk to Yukari and Fuuka alone."

"Ah, sure…" Though he was still a bit confused, Junpei eventually agreed, scratching his head. "I'll be upstairs then, see ya girls later." And with that, he took off, disappearing onto the second floor.

Now that there were just girls in the lounge, Hikaru focused her full attention toward her best friend.

"Now, it's easier to talk. I never heard your voice so serious, Yukari. What's on your mind?" She threw a question that was at the top of her head for a while. Her crimson eyes never left her friend's face.

"When you were unconscious last night, Fuuka and I noticed something and we had a little talk." Yukari began; flashing a glance toward the girl mentioned and received an assuring nod in return.

"Surprisingly, we came to the same conclusion." Fuuka added, still sounded as calm as usual.

Yukari took a deep breath, looking at Hikaru in the eyes. "I think Sanada-senpai has feelings for you."

Normally, Hikaru would just roll her eyes and shake those words right off; however, the seriousness of the tone was telling her that two of them were not kidding. Even Fuuka was giving her an assuring gaze.

Freezing for a minute, Hikaru blinked once, then twice. "What?" Her voice rose, as well as her brows. "W-What are you guys talking about?" For some reason, Hikaru found herself stutter at the words.

"He really cares about you, Hikaru-chan." Fuuka told her and the calm expression of her made Hikaru unable to say anything back.

"And I'm not kidding this time around, Hikaru." Said Yukari in a very serious voice, once again making the leader of S.E.E.S. remain quiet with the unusual tone of her voice. "Last night, he never left your room, or even your side for that matter. He said that if you were to wake up, at least you'd see that you weren't alone." She took one deep breath and continued. "He had to leave because we had school, or else I don't think he would leave you alone for even a second until you wake up."

"I saw him this morning when he was leaving your room and heading back to his. He looked a bit tired, like he was staying up all night taking care of you." Fuuka provided more information; while Hikaru could only remain silent, totally fazed by what she was hearing. "He said he had boxing practice today, but he'll be back as soon as possible. He told me and Yukari-chan to come back immediately after school and take care of you, to make sure you're alright."

"I'm telling you.." Yukari repeated, eyes never left her best friend's face. "The way he looks at you and the way he cares for you, he doesn't see you as an underclassman or a team member. It's more than that and you know it!"

"N-No, I don't!" Hikaru denied immediately, waving both of her hands about. "You two are mistaken! It's nothing like that!" She stopped for a moment, trying to think of what she should say. "H-He treated me more like a sister. He once told me that he worried about me, but that's all."

"Sister?" Yukari repeated, eying at their leader with suspicious gaze.

"Yes." She insisted, glad that she managed to keep her voice even. "He usually treats me like one, so it may seem to you guys like he's treating me specially."

"Why won't you just admit it?" Yukari said again, sighing. "It's not like I said that you have to like him or anything. I'm just saying that Sanada-senpai's feeling is real, and I thought you should know."

"Just consider it, Hikaru-chan." Fuuka agreed. "He really cares deeply about you."

Hikaru casted her eyes down at the floor, pressing her lips together before letting out a soft sigh and looked up.

"I think I'll be in my room for a while." She finally said, getting up to her feet. "Thanks for telling me though. I'm sorry I made you all worried." With that, she took off without giving her friends a chance to respond. Yukari just shook her head, exchanging a meaningful glance with Fuuka but decided to let their leader leave in silence. They knew that after the conversation, Hikaru had a lot to think right now and she needed some time alone.

Hikaru's room

They were absolutely right. Once Hikaru managed to escape from two of her best friends and made it back to her room, the brunette then let out a long sigh, leaning her back against the door, falling deep in thoughts.

Her ruby-like eyes caught a sight of the chair near her desk and Fuuka's voice suddenly rang through her mind once again, bringing back the curiosity she had when she woke up.

'I saw him this morning when he was leaving your room and heading back to his. He looked a bit tired, like he was staying up all night taking care of you.'

Her eyes widened as she came across the fact. Earlier, when she woke up, she found that chair right beside her bed. So it's true… She thought to herself. Everything added up now, Akihiko was here with her all night. He never leaves her side, that chair was the proof and evidence of his action.

All the information she received from Fuuka and Yukari earlier then repeated in her head. She tried to shake them off, but there was no luck. It brought back the same question that was in her mind a long time ago, about why Akihiko was being so nice to her. The feelings contradicted within her mind. The truth was, she knew that Akihiko always treated her differently, but she never know why. Somehow, there were times that she thought she understood him, but as it turned out, she didn't.

Hikaru put one hand on her forehead, looking up at the white ceiling. There were so many things she needed to sort out right now. In the mist of thoughts, she felt like she forgot something, something very important. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall what it was about, and that was what frustrated her the most.

The girl pressed her lips together. Despite what was going on right now, she still needed to thank Akihiko for taking care of her last night. She still wasn't sure how he felt about her and she didn't need to know that right now. What important was that last night, he was worried about her and he was the one who stayed up and took care of her all night, so at least she had to show him her gratitude.

Once she finally came to the conclusion of what she should do, Hikaru then sighed deeply before heading straight to her bed and threw her body on the soft material, snuggling to the fluffy pillow.

I'll just sleep until Akihiko-senpai is back. At least I don't have to deal with any of this until then… And with that, her consciousness slowly faded into darkness as she fell into a peaceful slumber.

Hikaru woke up after a long while, it wasn't her best nap, but she managed to get some sleep to calm herself down. The leader of S.E.E.S. took only a few breathing before standing up and exited the room. She made her way down the hall only to find Aigis, Koromaru, Yukari and Fuuka sitting on the couch of the living area of 3rd floor. She gave a smile as a greeting.

"Hikaru-san, I am glad to see that you're awake." Aigis was the first one to respond, causing the others to turn their attentions to her as well.

"Hey Aigis, I'm all good now. Sorry to made you worried and thanks for carrying me down Tartarus last night." She gave another bright smile to show her appreciation.

"I'm glad to be able to help you, Hikaru-san." Aigis bowed lightly and also received a light bow from Hikaru as well.

"I think I'll go for a walk, I need some fresh air." She told her teammates, gaining several nods as a reply. "And about the talk we had before," Hikaru said as she turned to face Fuuka and Yukari, a gentle smile appeared on her lips. "Thanks. At least I know who to turn to if I ever have problems about that." She gave one last grin before disappearing downstairs, but she could tell that two of them were smiling back as she left.

1F Dorm Lounge - Evening

Hikaru reached the first floor in no time. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she caught a sight of a silver haired man sitting on the couch, alone. She approached him, causing Akihiko to turn to her, his face lit up as soon as he saw her face.

"Akane! You're awake! How are you feeling?" He rose to his feet, walking to her. "When I came back I wanted to go and check on you, but Takeba and Yamagishi said that you went back to your room, so I thought you might be asleep. I don't want to bother you, so…" Hikaru couldn't help but smile lightly at his pouring words. Fuuka was right; he really was worried about her.

"I'm all good now, senpai." Akihiko let out a relieved sigh upon hearing that. This only made Hikaru smiled wider. She could feel his worry even with him saying nothing. "I'm going to get some fresh air. Want to come with me?"

"Uh.. Y-Yes! Of course!" Knowing full well what his answer would be, Hikaru headed to the front door and left it open for him. He was blushing lightly as the two of them exited the dorm together.

Naganaki Shrine

There was an awkward silence between them as they wandered along the empty street. Hikaru had no destination in mind and somehow her feet led her and Akihiko to the usual place they took Koromaru for a walk. The silenced continued as they climbed up the flight of stairs and stepped into the shrine area.

She sat down on the bench, facing downward while Akihiko just took a seat beside her, still in silence as well. A gentle breeze gently brushed against their skins and ran through their bodies. Hikaru closed her eyes for a second, absorbing the gentle wind blowing pass her hair. It helped her calm down.

"About last night…" She finally broke the silence, glancing up so that she could meet his gaze, only to see him looking at her in wonder. "I heard that you were the one who took care of me, carrying me back to my room, treating my wound…" She paused, breaking the eye contact. "Staying up and being with me all night.."

"A-about that-! I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable, I-"

"Thank you…" Hikaru cut him off, meeting his eyes once again. This time, she was wearing a warm smile. "I don't know how to repay you enough, but thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me."

Akihiko could only stare into her eyes, amazed by her words. "Y-You're welcome… I'm..glad that you're alright now…" He blushed light red, looking away to hide his embarrassment. Seeing that, Hikaru just gave him another warm smile.

"I think I also owe you an apology," she smiled shyly, scratching her chin with one finger. "I'm sorry for making you worried, even though you told me to take care of myself." A dry chuckle left her throat. "I guess I'm always causing you more troubles, huh?"

"I don't mind." His sudden reply made Hikaru looked at him, curious. Akihiko met her gaze, his face was serious. "I told you before didn't I? That I am here for you, and I mean it." He took a deep breath, though his eyes never left hers. "Because you're important to me…"

A silence followed after he said those words. Hikaru could feel her own face heating up and was grateful that it was getting dark, so the person in front of her wouldn't see that she was blushing like mad. However, despite what she thought, he could still tell that her face was red.

"Ah.." was all Hikaru managed to reply before turning away from him, embarrassed. "W-We should head back! The others would be worried if we stay out too late!" with that, she got up and tried to make her escape by heading toward the stairs.

"Wait-!" Akihiko was quick enough to respond and reached out to grab her hand. However, the moment his hand touched her, Hikaru felt like all the time around her suddenly halted.

It was the first time she felt the warmth of Akihiko's hand, for every time their hands had touched, Akihiko always had his black leather gloves on. She just noticed it now that he wasn't wearing them tonight. This was the first time she could actually feel the warmth of his palm, or so she thought.

The memories of what she had forgotten suddenly flooded into her mind and she came to realize that she was wrong; it wasn't the first time she had felt the warmth of his hand. She had felt this warmth before, last night, in her dream, or what she thought was a dream. This familiar warmth, holding her hand so firmly, but ever so gently and never let go. She was longing for this, to feel this warmth, this touch. It was this feeling that filled the emptiness in her heart. How could she ever forget this? It's what she was looking for; it was here, all along.

'Don't worry… I won't go anywhere… I'll be here..with you…'

'I'll protect you… I'd do anything for you… and only for you…

…my Hikaru… my Light…'

That warm voices rang through her mind once again. She finally recognized that voice, that tone. Indeed, she actually knew that voice. It was Akihiko's; she was so sure of it this time. The reason she tried to deny his feelings, it was so clear to her now. She kept denying, not him, but herself, realizing that it was wrong to feel this way. That's why she refused to admit her own feelings, and refused to believe that Akihiko thought of her that way.

"Hikaru…" She turned around at the sound of her name, to meet Akihiko's gaze. Her ruby eyes, shimmering upon the starlight were drawing him in. Akihiko froze as he noticed that her gaze toward him had changed. She never looks at him this way before. Inside those eyes, there was one thing, the one and only thing he spent countless nights wishing to see it from her, knowing full well that it would never happened. However, there it was, shining across her eyes so clearly.

"Aki-" Before she knew it, his lips were already on hers. She tried to resist at first, but as soon as she felt that familiar warmth and gentleness of his touch, she couldn't bring herself to deny him any further. His feelings, all the feelings and emotions he had kept inside him all this time transferred to her through this one kiss, one moment they ever connected so strongly.

Just one kiss, one moment, as if everything else around them suddenly came to a pause, such a delight, but it was painful, deep in one heart. Without knowing it, silent tears slowly streaming down her face.

She was crying…

P.S. *Important Note regarding the storyline* After long time of thinking and hesitating, I decided to let you guys know about how far my story is now (compare to the whole storyline) and how I progressed with it so far. Up to this point, 11 Chapters, this story had progressed to about half of the whole storyline. (Or so I think, I'm still not sure how long this story is going to be exactly, so I'm just giving you an approximated length.) As I told many of you before, I haven't made my final decision about the ending yet. Yesterday, I spent the whole day planning out how this story will go and which direction should I take. After a long thinking process and a lot of screaming alone+hitting myself, I've got roughly about 3/4 of the whole story planned out and ready to be written into chapters. I'm not going to spoil you, so I'll leave it there. I really enjoy writing this story, that's why I also don't want it to end too fast. I estimated the length of the story to be around 20 chapters or so, but it could be more, I'm still not sure.

So yeah, the main thing is that now this story has progressed (approximately) to about half of the whole storyline/plot. I've got it planned out to 3/4 and the 1/4 leftover is still undecided. I'll keep you guys up to date about how the planning and plotting progress coming along. I promise I'll inform all of you immediately once there is any change or update related to the plot. Thank you for reading my rambling note.

*Personal Note: If you have the song Heartful Cry (Persona 3 FES Soundtrack), play the beginning of the song (just the soft melody part) at the scene/moment where Aki grabbed Hikaru's hand and around 1:28 at the kissing scene. It fits the scene perfectly! (Yup, this chapter's name is slightly inspired by the song's name/melody. I love Persona 3 OST! And Heartful Cry is one of my favorites.)

Now, enough of me rambling, onto answering reviews! =w=

jory014: Ah, I'm glad you didn't hate the last Chapter and I know I'm going to sound evil if I said this, but I'm soooo glad you said you hate Akixothers XD! I hate that too! Oh well, if you prefer Aki, then this Chapter is for you! I hope that you'd like it! I spent a lot of time thinking and planning for this chapter, and I think this is the perfect moment to bring forth this scene. (Finally Aki could have the major role! It was all Shinjiro's who get the major actions in previous chapters, but here it is!)

Yeah, I'm glad that you like Chapter 10, I don't have much chance to give Shinji some actions before the 'incident' happen, so I tried to give him as much as I could right now. And also thank you for your support! Second year is definitely harder and more difficult than first year. It's more time consuming and it leaves me with less time to work on my story. But you're right; I'm still hanging in there x3 Well, once again, this Chapter is for Aki's fan so I'm hoping that you'd like it and find it enjoyable. I'll try to update ASAP!

pchan: Lols, yeah, I guess it's turning into a pattern or some kind of a routine isn't it? And yet, I'm still following the pattern, hahah. I told you before that I'm trying to keep my current speed, so here I am! I hope that you'd appreciate it x3 Though, I know that you're Shinji's fan right? (Judging from the reaction you told me when you read Chapter 10 and Shinji got some actions.) I'm glad you like it though, it's kind of hard for me to write a passionate scene. Lols, so yeah, I'm happy to see that you enjoyed it. (And let it out, squealing is good, I did it a lot when I was playing through Aki's and Shinji's Social Link!) This Chapter is a major twist on the whole storyline and it'll have a major effect to the future chapters as well. (I'm sure it'll provide a lot more drama to the story than it already is.)

Also, I'm still trying to catch up on my studies and keeping my current update speed. Thank you for your understanding; I'll do my best as always!

Moonlight and Music: Thank you for your review! I'm glad to know that you also sense Shinji's love and kindness through his words, that's what I'm trying to do! So glad that I somehow succeeded in doing so. Yeah, I just love drama, maybe that's why I could convey them better than other scenes (not that I'm saying it's that good or something, but better than other kind of scenes, lols.) Though I gotta say I kinda envy you for being able to add humor to your story. I've been trying to do that every now and then but I guess I'm just not good at it. Yeah, so I threw in even more drama in this chapter! Lols.

Ah, Birth By Sleep I have is the Japanese version. My friend went to Japan and bought it back for me as a birthday gift. I haven't finished it yet (because it's in Japanese and I know nothing about Japanese, lols., but it makes a good collection.) So I'm also waiting for the US version to be released! I'm not sure when it'll come out in Thailand though, maybe I need to wait longer than you, lols. And I wanna let you know that I don't mind a rambling review! I hope you won't mind my rambling answer as well xD Thank you for your support, I'll update as soon as I can!

TifaStrifeinlove: Ah, welcome new reader! I'm glad that more people is enjoying my story now! And welcome yet another Shinji's fan, lols. I'm not sure if you'll find this Chapter as great as the previous one or not (since it's Aki who got all the attention.) Thank you for your idea, I'm still in deciding mode but I've planned out around ¾ of my story now. The drama and twists are just starting. This chapter is a major twist to the whole storyline as well, so I hope that you'll enjoy it as much as the last one! Thank you for your support and review! I'm really glad to see new reader ^^

P.S. Thank you for looking forward to my update, here it is! And I'll try to update again ASAP!

P.S.S. Aww… Thank you so much for your comment! I hope you'll comment/review this chapter too x3

Akihikou: Hello! Welcome! Well, it's good that you're fan of both Aki and Shinji. (But I guess you love Aki a little more right? According to your username xD) Well, if you're leaning toward Aki, then this chapter is for you! Aki finally got a major role and action! About the ending decision, I still haven't decided yet, but I'm working on it. I have my story planned out to around ¾ of the whole story, which I have to say that at this current point, it's nearly half of the storyline. Well, I hope that you'll like this chapter too! Thank you for your support!

Deidara'sgirl19: Lols, I did give you that idea in Chapter 10 didn't I? (I guess when I said I was torturing Shinjiro a bit, I'm also torturing some of my readers along the way too huh?) Well, you are a Shinjiro fan, so maybe you won't like this chapter as much as Chapter 10. But I still hope that you would find it enjoyable since it's a very significant event to the whole storyline. Don't worry though, I also love Shinji, so he'll get his roles and actions eventually. (Though I'm still sad that I had to write that 'incident' and Shinji's roles would be reduced dramatically.) Oh well, but I did give Shinji a lot of love in past chapters, so I hope that'll make up for this as well!

Ah, I understand your feelings, but this story is a love triangle and drama, so yeah, Aki is one of my favorite characters so I have to give him major actions as well. I do hate Aki and Mitsuru, so I just cut that link out of my story. Also I don't really like Ken, so yeah… as you can see, Aki and Shinji are the major contestants here. Lols.

Mihaellawliet: Ah, I didn't know that you don't like the fact that his eyes match his hair. Sorry again if it bothers you though, I'll try to use lower the mentioning of his eyes color to the minimum then xD Thank you for your opinion, I don't mind it at all. Lols, the love scene is coming up, I can't tell you which chapter it's going to be but according to the storyline I've planned out, I guess it won't be so long (I think?). So yeah, I'll do my best and try not to let you down! I promise :3

xAvaAdore: Wow, you read them all in one shot? Thank you for your support and review! It made me so glad to know that you like my story. Also I'm happy to see that you're interested in drama as well. Oh well, then I think you'll find this chapter quite enjoyable since I threw in another drama scene. This chapter contains a significant drama that'll affect the whole story as well, I hope that you'll like it! Thank you again for your review and support!

Whiteheaven: *Evil laughs* My my, you sure have sharp eyes indeed. (I thought people usually skipped or overlook that part and the fact that Hikaru called herself and Aki as lovers in first chapter since it's a very minor detail, but it's good to see that someone caught that hint as well.) You're absolutely right, more drama is coming, and this chapter is also one of them! I gotta tell you that what happened in this chapter is going to have major effect/twists on future chapters and the whole storyline. You could look forward to it! (I'm actually looking forward to see if you'll notice/catch any other hints I hide later on as well, lols, this is going to be fun.) As always, thank you for your review and support!

anonymous: Oh, so you finish playing P3P already! Great! At least you won't have to worry about getting spoiled from reading my story, lols. I'm glad. Also I'm happy to know that you like my story! Thank you for your review and support. I'll try to update as quick as possible! I hope you'll enjoy this dramatic chapter as well!