Author's Notes: Another short filler chapter to cover the fellowship and tournament. I wouldn't have made the setting Yasoinaba if it weren't for Yuko and Kaz. But... since a lot of Persona 4 references were added to Portable, I might as well use them. I ended up splitting the Yasoinaba part into two chapters though. That's just how it worked out...

~29 JULY 2009~

Fuuka smiled as Minato returned from Track practice. "Minato-kun! Hi, how was your day?"

"Hey, Fuuka." The boy gave her a smile of his own as he nodded in greeting. "My time is improving, but I think I can do better."

The girl looked at him with encouraging determination. "I'm sure you will do great in your tournament, Minato-kun!"

Hamuko closed the door behind her as she returned at the same time. Fuuka didn't seem to notice her though so the brunette looked between the two teenagers staring at each other. Seriously, if they're dating, they might as well just say so. She smirked though as this gave her a chance to tease her older twin. "Minato, don't just stand there gaping at her. At least go up to her and ask about her day."

The blue-eyed boy blinked at his younger sister as though he just remembered she was there too. "But that's something you normally do," he blankly responded.

The brunette sighed. "You're so hopeless, nii-san." She shook her head as she smirked at the blushing brown-eyed girl. "Fuuka-chan, he's treating you well, right? Just because you're his girl, it doesn't mean you can go easy on him."

"Hamuko-chan…" Fuuka's face became even redder. "Minato-kun and I are just very good friends."

"Uh-huh," the red-eyed girl's smirk grew wider. "In that case, mind explaining to me why you were in nii-san's room all of Saturday night?"

"What are you talking about?" Minato frowned as he thought he covered up all evidence of Fuuka's stay in his room. "I don't like this new rumor…" he shook his head as he took a seat beside Fuuka on the couch.

"It's not a rumor if it's true," Hamuko sternly frowned at them as she sat across from them, quickly becoming serious. She crossed her arms and stared into her brother's blue eyes. "Ai-chan broke into my room Sunday morning asking why it was okay for Fuuka-chan to be in your room and not her."

I should have guessed, Minato inwardly sighed, but he decided to try and distract the girl. "Aigis broke into your room?" He looked around the lounge. "I should find Kirijo-senpai and tell—"

"Tell her and I'll tell, too," Hamuko threatened with a smile on her face.

The boy paused. He considered his options before looking at the girl beside him. He noticed how quiet Fuuka was and immediately frowned in concern. "Fuuka, are you okay? I'm sure Hamuko's just kidding."

"Partially kidding," his twin shook her head with a sigh. She sternly glared at her older brother. "All jokes aside, I sensed what happened to Orpheus. I also know what you did with Black Frost and King Frost." She glanced over towards Fuuka. Knowing the girl wouldn't understand it if she brought up the Velvet Room, Hamuko phrased her next sentence carefully. "I checked with the compendium we use to track our Personas, so don't think you can hide something like this from me."

"That's right…" Minato frowned to himself. He sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "So that night I might have gotten into a little scuffle in the back alley while seeing Shinjiro-san."

"Shadows appeared?" Hamuko blinked in surprise and looked towards their navigator. "Fuuka-chan, did you leave the dorm alone to go find him?"

The teal-haired girl tensed up a little but noticed Minato was remaining calm beside her. She slowly nodded her head. "It was the Dark Hour, but Minato-kun still didn't return to the dorm yet so I got worried."

"But why did you go alone? If you woke me up saying nii-san was in danger, I would have gone with you too, Fuuka-chan," Hamuko sternly frowned at her.

"I'm sorry," Fuuka lowered her gaze. "I didn't think it would be dangerous... I didn't pick up any Shadow signals on my way out. I didn't actually see or sense any when I found Minato-kun either," she realized, looking at the blue-haired boy in confusion.

"Well, I did make short work of it as soon as it appeared," Minato avoided meeting either girl's gaze as he lied to them. "It was the first time I actually used King and I, but it looks like it's a pretty powerful spell." It probably rivals Mitsuru-senpai's execution actually... he involuntarily shuddered at that thought.

"Why'd you pull of something as reckless as a Fusion Spell alone, nii-san?" Hamuko shook her head. "It's already draining enough for the both of us, but for you to do it yourself? What were you thinking?"

"The Shadows would have escaped and attacked the people in the alley if I didn't," Minato shrugged.

"And Orpheus?" Hamuko questioned him.

"I don't really know," Minato frowned. He thought about the unopened bottle of suppression pills in his room. Shinjiro-san… Why did you give them back? Are you testing me? Or is it just a precaution? "That Reaper Persona that came out of Orpheus was too strong for me to handle. I don't even know how I summoned him. By the time Fuuka arrived, the Shadows and Reaper Persona were gone, but I panicked a bit."

"Hamuko-chan," Fuuka looked to the red-eyed girl in concern. "About Minato-kun's Reapers…" Hamuko stared at her with wide eyes. "You don't see them too, do you?"

"You actually told her about your Reapers?" the brunette turned to her brother in surprise.

"I had to," he frowned. "I was being difficult and Shinjiro-san knocked a bit of sense into me." He placed a hand on his stomach. "Well, he sort of did. I wanted to go off on my own again, but Fuuka wouldn't let me so I tried to deter her with the Reapers. It ended up doing the opposite so we came back to the dorm."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Hamuko shook her head. She turned back towards Fuuka. "Sorry you had to deal with him like that, Fuuka-chan, but I'm grateful you did. I don't have his ability to sense Reapers, but I do see…" Hamuko searched for a simple way to explain things. "Ghosts? I guess you can call them ghosts? Or spirits… Nii-san, which is the better definition?"

"How would I know? I can't see them," Minato crossed his arms.

"Spirits, then," Hamuko decided. "Yeah, I see dead spirits. They're not as serious as nii-san's Reapers though."

Fuuka looked between the twins. "It's rather strange for the two of you to have such unique abilities. Is it due to your Personas?"

"No," Minato shook his head. "I'm sure it has to do with witnessing our parents' car accident." He frowned. "I don't know if I can tie that to the Shadows and Personas." I'm trying to but I can't…

Hamuko must have sensed what he was thinking because she quickly asked her friend a question. "So are you helping nii-san with his investigation, Fuuka-chan?"

"Absolutely not," Minato frowned at his younger sister. "I don't even let you get involved with the details, so why would I let Fuuka? If something important comes up, I'll share it, but for now, I really have nothing to go on. I have officially exhausted all of my low-risk resources." He looked up pensively. "Seeing how the two of you won't let me use my high-risk resources without an explanation, I'm once again suspending my investigation until appropriate."

"Low risk?" Fuuka looked towards Minato in worry. "Minato-kun, if you considered the events of Saturday as being low risk, what would you consider to be high risk?"

The blue-haired boy avoided her gaze. "Um…"

"And this is why the Hellhound needs a handler," Hamuko sighed. She smirked at Fuuka. "So I can trust him with you, right, Fuuka-chan?"

"Huh!?" The shy girl's face began heating up.

Minato smiled to himself as he lifted her hand up. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "I'm counting on you to watch over me," his expression softened, "Fuuka."

"M-minato-kun!?" Fuuka became as red as a tomato, causing Hamuko to laugh.

The blue-haired boy smiled at the brown-eyed girl's reaction. "You're very cute, Fuuka," the boy chuckled to himself before frowning at his sister. "Just so you know, nothing happened, okay?"

"Oh, I know," Hamuko smirked. "You're way too straight-laced to do anything that bold, nii-san."

Fuuka looked between the twins in confusion. "Minato-kun? What is she talking about?"

This time, it was the boy's turn to blush. "N-nothing… Never mind her, Fuuka." He once more relaxed into his seat and rested his head against her shoulder. "So… Since Hamuko didn't ask, I will. How was your day, Fuuka?"

She giggled as she also leaned against him. "It was good. Mitsuru-senpai isn't back yet but she said she'd be here by midnight." She looked out the window and frowned at the waxing moon. "Maybe we shouldn't go to Tartarus tonight."

"That's fine," Minato said. "This gives me a chance to relax after today's practice," he sighed contently as he continued resting against her.

Minato bolted up when the command room alarm began blaring. Trouble!? He quickly jumped out of bed as Fuuka telepathically alerted everyone of what was happening.

"Sorry to wake you!" the girl urgently began. "I detect a Shadow! Please hurry to the 4th floor!"

The blue-haired boy exited his room and knocked on the doors of the other guys as he walked down the hall. "Everybody, up!" he ordered. "We've got a problem!"

Junpei groggily followed after him and gave Fuuka a confused stare. "What's going on!?"

Mitsuru was staring at the command console as she used Fuuka's information to pinpoint their target's location on the map. "There's a Shadow in the city. Yamagishi found it by chance."

Yukari frowned. "But… the moon isn't full yet…"

Fuuka shook her head. "Actually, it seems to be just a normal Shadow. However, it IS outside of Tartarus…" She gave Minato a concerned look.

So even if I did lie, it's possible for Shadows to still be prowling about, the blue-haired boy frowned to himself. He looked around but noticed Akihiko wasn't present. Is he not in the dorm?

Mitsuru frowned as she continued staring at the map. "It's near Naganaki Shrine. Akihiko went ahead since he was in the vicinity. I'm sure he can handle it alone, but let's get ready just in case."

"Gotcha!" Junpei nodded.

"Gear up, everyone!" Hamuko called out to the group as she tossed her brother his sword.

The console began to beep as everyone was preparing themselves, so the SEES navigator quickly replied. "Yes, this is Fuuka."

"I'm here," Akihiko responded. "Sorry, but I think you guys better come, right away."

"What's wrong?" Mitsuru asked in concern. "Is it a powerful one!?'

"No, the Shadow's been defeated." Akihiko paused hesitantly. "In fact, it was already defeated when I got here."

"What happened?" the redhead tried to glean more information from the boxer.

"The little fella's been injured…" There was sadness in Akihiko's voice. "I wanna save him if we can." He quickly cut the transmission to treat the injured victim.

Yukari turned to the rest of the team in confusion. "Little fella? Who's he talking about?"

"Beats me," Junpei shrugged.

Mitsuru motioned for everyone to follow after her. "At any rate, let's go."

Hamuko watched as the other juniors left but noticed Minato was staring out the window. "Nii-san?"

Fuuka paused too. "Is something wrong?"

The blue-haired boy frowned. "Looks like we were right about him having the Potential, Fuuka. We'd better hurry and save him. As the Hellhound, I can't just turn my back on him."

Hamuko's eyes widened as she understood exactly what her brother meant. "It can't be… Nii-san! Wait up!"

By the time the team arrived at the shrine, Akihiko was pressing his vest into an open wound of a white dog. Fuuka's eyes widened as Minato's words also began to make sense to her. "Koro-chan! Are you okay, Koro-chan!?"

Hamuko quickly knelt down beside Akihiko, first-aid kit out and ready. "Senpai, please move aside," she ordered as she began treating the injured animal. "Don't worry, Koro-chan! We're here now!"

"You know this dog?" Mitsuru looked at the two girls in confusion.

"Yeah," Yukari nodded. "Everyone around here does… We have to help him!"

"First, we must stop the bleeding," Mitsuru instructed Hamuko.

"I'm on it!" the red-eyed girl nodded as she asked her brother for a tourniquet.

"Man…" Akihiko smiled at Koromaru. "He's one tough fighter. He defeated that Shadow all by himself."

"Wait," Junpei's eyes widened. "Does that mean… this dog's a Persona-user!?"

"That's right," Minato nodded. "Fuuka, you sensed it, right?"

The girl looked at him oddly before remembering the voice she heard all those weeks ago. "Th-that's right."

Aigis stared at Koromaru as he whimpered. "He says, 'This is a place of peace, so I protected it'."

Minato lifted his gaze and he noticed some flowers by the gate. What a good dog. He frowned as Hamuko had him press against the loyal hound's wound. Please… Don't give up on us now, Koromaru!

Fuuka stared at the small garden. "Those flowers… They must be for the priest who died in the accident," she frowned.

"So," Yukari smiled sadly. "He really was guarding this place…"

Junpei stared at Aigis oddly. "Uh, Aigis? Don't tell me you can translate dog language too…"

"Canines do not have their own language," the robot informed him. "However, speech is not the only means of communication."

"This fella really is a rare breed," Akihiko crossed his arms.

"Confirmed," Aigis nodded.

"Alright," Mitsuru nodded. "Let's report to the Chairman, so we can conclude this mission. As for a vet… It may be midnight, but I believe I can arrange for one."

Hamuko sighed in relief at that as she finished applying the tourniquet. "I managed to stop the bleeding, but that's good to hear. Nii-san, here…" She helped her brother carefully lift the dog into his arms.

Koromaru whimpered slightly but Minato adjusted his hold to make him more comfortable. "It's okay, Koro… We're here for you."

Yukari pet the dog's head to comfort him. "Good job, boy. You're one amazing dog…"

~30 JULY 2009~

Hamuko woke up when she sensed Pharos's presence. "Welcome back, Pharos," she smiled at the young boy.

"Good evening," he responded with a smile of his own. "It's becoming quite lively around you. So, how are you and your brother getting along with the others?"

The girl smirked to herself as she thought of their friends. "Perfectly!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Pharos nodded. "It is one week until the next full moon. Are you prepared…?" He put on a knowing smile. "To be honest, I'm not too worried about you… However, you should still remain cautious," he frowned as he considered something. "Your brother has a very important decision to make then."

"What do you mean?" Hamuko frowned at the boy. "What does nii-san have to decide?"

"I don't really know it myself," Pharos shook his head. "But I have faith in him," he smiled as he began fading away. "I'll come to see you again."

"Nii-san?" The red-eyed girl stared at her pink covers, concern written all over her face. "Are you still hiding something from me?"

Downstairs, Minato felt the strange sensation that Pharos had been present. He frowned to himself as he guessed the young boy had visited Hamuko instead of him. It must be because I have this… He absently played with the bloodstained pill bottle in his hand. What do I do with it though? I can't just keep it with me… I don't like the temptation… Stay with SEES or join Strega? Why is it that I feel like no matter what I choose, Ikutsuki will just be waiting at the end of each path with a trap for me?

~1 AUGUST 2009~

"Okay, men, line up!" The coach of the Track Team snapped at the boys to fall into file. "This is the last day for us to get some training in before tomorrow's tournament. That said, I want all of you to get used to the track we'll be running tomorrow. We'll be keeping time so if you can't beat your time from back home, don't expect to get any rest."

"Yes, sir!" The boys called out before jogging towards the track field behind Yasogami High School.

Hamuko watched as her brother followed them before taking some time to take in the scenery around them. When she saw enough, she looked over towards Kanou who was just finishing up speaking with the adviser from their host school. The lady smiled as she returned to the Gekkoukan Volleyball Team. "What a rustic school. There's no convenience stores nearby, and no clubs either. I want all of you to be on your best behavior, okay?"

Hamuko bowed alongside her friends as Kanou introduced them to the other team. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with everyone else as their adviser quickly left to explore the quaint town on her own.

As she got up, the team across from them bowed too. "It's a pleasure for us too!"

They were all brought to the Yasogami gym and as both teams began stretching, Rio immediately paired up with Hamuko with a smile on her face. "Let's start off with basic drills. Might as well try going all the way to the mountains for our runs. Our region's pretty flat, so this'll be good practice."

One of the Yasogami students looked to her in surprise before whispering to the group around her. "Aren't we supposed to like, bond in a fellowship? Why's she bringing up stuff like basic drills…?"

A member of the Gekkoukan team frowned. "Who's the liar who said that this'd be a paradise with hot springs…?"

Either Rio didn't hear or care because she continued to eagerly speak with Hamuko. "Afterwards, let's do a couple sets of muscle training, and then a match."

A voice Hamuko recognized well spoke up from behind them. "How about… the losing side cleans up afterwards?"

Rio turned and her eyes grew. "Whoa, Yuko!? What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be watching the boys prepare for tomorrow's big competition?"

"I've got my reasons," Yuko smiled. "Anyways, wouldn't you guys take the challenge more seriously if there was something at stake?"

"That's true," Hamuko smirked, eager to spark some competition.

"It's not like you guys usually care about winning anyways, so why not?" Yuko smiled, comparing them to the Track Team.

Rio crossed her arms as she sensed a challenge. "Are you saying that's how our team is? Well, maybe you're right." She turned towards the rest of the girls. "Alright, then not only will the losing school have to clean up… let's add 10 wind sprints to the bet!"

"It's up to 10…!?" A girl from their team cried out.

The Yasogami team immediately became fired up. "We can't lose…!"

Hamuko laughed but enjoyed the match. She did her best to save the ball, but her last dive didn't make it in time. In the end, the Gekkoukan team wound up cleaning the gym, but it was pretty fun to work with the other girls.

Yuko sighed in exhaustion. "We're finally finished cleaning up…"

"Okay," Rio nodded in determination. "Time for the sprints, then!"

Yuko's face fell. "Me too?"

"Of course," the volleyball player nodded. "This was your idea."

"Yes, Ma'am…" Yuko sighed.

Hamuko giggled. "It'll be fine! Besides, we can check out the boys' training while we're there!"

The entire team of girls quickly completed their runs. Not wanting to lose in their training, some of the Yasogami students joined them. After everyone was done, they all watched as the Gekkoukan boys complete the cross-country route Minato devised for the Track Team.

Yuko shook her head as Minato was the last to finish. She turned towards Hamuko with a sigh. "It was Kaz's idea for the mountain run, but I'm pretty sure your brother came up with the most grueling route possible." Yuko called out to Kazushi who was supervising the training. "Kaz, how did practice go?"

"Oh, hey, Yuko," the runner nodded to her. "It wasn't so bad. Minato's first lap was hell considering he got lost halfway through, but his second and third laps went a lot smoother. I'd say he's just about ready for tomorrow."

Rio blinked at the blue-haired boy wiping himself off with a towel. "Wait, he ran it more than once!?"

"Elevation running is kind of his specialty," Hamuko informed her friends, thinking of all the long nights they usually spend in Tartarus.

The coach of the Track Team laughed as he dismissed the boys. "Now we have a good chance of beating Hayase! I'm counting on you tomorrow, Yuki!"

"Yes, sir!" Minato called out before he noticed the girls watching him. The Yasogami girls fawned over him and the SEES leader paused when he realized he was the only one left of the team on the field, meaning he was the only one attracting their attention. Um…

Hamuko smirked as this was the perfect opportunity to tease him. "Mina-chan!" She stood up and waved her arms. "You were great out there! Your girlfriend at home would be so proud!"

"Hamuko! Cut it out!" The boy yelled from where he was before turning around to head to the boys' locker room.

"Aw… He's already taken?" A girl sadly sighed. The crowd slowly dispersed until only Yuko, Rio, and Hamuko remained.

Rio looked to Hamuko in confusion. "I didn't know Minato-san was going out with someone."

Yuko tilted her head to the side. "You weren't just messing with him, were you, Hamuko-san?"

"Hm, I wonder," the brunette responded with a smirk.

"Well, now that Minato's back, I guess I'm done for the day," Yuko smiled. "Let's head to the inn."

One they reached the school's gate, Rio paused as she suddenly remembered something. "Did you hear they have a natural hot spring there? Wanna wash each other's backs later?"

"Sounds like fun," Hamuko smiled.

"This is so fun!" Rio laughed. "Last year's fellowship wasn't too far from our school. This place is so laid back… I love it. That shopping district seems pretty lively, though. What a peaceful town… It'd be nice to live here."

"Hamuko!" A voice made the girls stop.

Hamuko smiled as her brother caught up to them. "Nii-san! You looked great in practice."

"Next time, don't do anything unnecessary like that ever again," the boy scolded her. "I told you before to not give Fuuka any… trouble…" He paused as he noticed Rio and Yuko staring at him. "Oh… Um… Hello, Yuko, Rio-san," he kindly smiled as he gave the volleyball player a short bow. "I hope my sister hasn't been giving you trouble."

Rio stared at him with wide eyes. "You're dating Fuuka-san from Class 2-E?"

Minato shushed her as his face went red. "Don't tell Kenji!" He shook his head. "Don't tell anyone for that matter! Besides," he looked away as he put his hands in his pockets, "we're not really dating. It's more like we enjoy hanging out together… Alone…"

"That's what dating is, nii-san," Hamuko giggled.

"No, I get it," Rio nodded, crossing her arms. "It's the same with Kenji."

Yuko smiled. "I won't tell Kaz or anyone else either. Besides, the dunce probably wouldn't even get it."

"See?" Minato raised an eyebrow at his sister. "They're being considerate about it." He paused when he noticed a young girl staring at them from a short distance away. "Um… Can we help you?"

The girl wore a black school uniform and had short black hair, bound back by a white hair band. She shyly tensed up when the older boy directly called out to her but continued to stare at Minato oddly. "Um…"

Minato blinked at her and noticed an extremely faint Reaper cloud. Well, it's more like mist than a cloud. She doesn't seem to have the Potential, but she's got the faintest traces of a Persona on her. It feels like… the Priestess? Oh, just like Fuuka's… He cleared his throat before he'd become distracted. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Are you the club members from Gekkoukan High School?" The girl looked towards Rio and Hamuko. "The Amagi Inn sent me to get you."

"Huh?" Rio tilted her head to the side before realizing the name of the inn they were told to go to. "Oh, th-thank you very much." She looked at the girl oddly. "Um… You don't work there, do you?"

"No, I'm just helping out," the girl softly smiled. "I'm Yukiko Amagi, the daughter of the hostess at the Amagi Inn."

Hamuko picked up something strange in the young girl's tone and looked to her brother. She noticed that he was also slightly frowning. The boy put his hands in his pockets as he blinked at Yukiko. How interesting… It's not quite a Persona related to Death… but more of one related to Truth… The courage to face one's self… That'll come to her one day…

Yuko looked at Yukiko in admiration. "The hostess's daughter… So does that make you a junior hostess? Cool!" She paused as she studied the girl a bit more. "Oh, are you in high school?"

"No…" Yukiko shook her head. "I'm still in middle school."

"You're in middle school and you're already helping with the family business…? Man, talk about responsible…" Yuko tilted her head to the side. "So are you going to inherit the business?"

"That…" Yukiko looked away from them. "I don't know yet."

Minato frowned in understanding. "I know the feeling," he said, mostly to himself.

Rio shook her head at Yuko. "Hey, don't stick your nose in other people's business!"

"Yes, Ma'am…" Yuko gave the young girl an apologetic smile. "Sorry. People are always telling me I'm nosy…"

"Oh, that's all right…" Yukiko reassured her. "It's fun chatting with people from outside town…"

Hamuko frowned at her brother. She's like a trapped bird, nii-san…

He nodded to his younger sister but said nothing in response. A voice behind him caught his attention though. "Ah, Yuki-chan!"

Thinking someone was addressing him, he turned around in confusion. "Um… Yuki-chan?"

Yukiko looked up too and brightened up at the sight of the woman coming towards them. "Oh, Kasai-san."

Kasai looked at the girl urgently. "Did you take the car keys?"

"Car keys…?" Yukiko reached into her pocket. "Why would I… Huh? What's this?" She handed them to the lady. "I-I'm sorry. I must've mistaken them for my house keys…"

"No worries. Well, I'm heading out to get some groceries."

"Oh, do you want me to go instead?" Yukiko asked her.

"N-no, that's fine!" The lady in the kimono shook her head. "No need to send you on that kind of errand, Yuki-chan! Plus, they'd be too heavy for you… By the way, Chie-chan stopped by. She said she needed help with her homework."

"Oh, okay," Yukiko smiled.

Kasai turned to the Gekkoukan students in surprise. "Oh, are you all guests? Forgive me for rambling on like that," she bowed to them. "I'm a waitress at the Amagi Inn. I hope you enjoy your stay tonight." The lady left with a smile.

"I'm sorry about the wait," Yukiko bowed to them. "Shall we go? This way please."

Minato and Hamuko shot each other a glance. The older twin sighed as he nodded for her to speak with the young girl. Hamuko, excited for the chance to speak with Yukiko, quickly struck up conversation. Minato silently watched from behind as he, Yuko, and Rio had their own conversation about tomorrow's events.

Yuko collapsed onto a futon with a relaxed sigh. "So huge… So luxurious… Is it really okay for people like us to stay here? Won't we get a scolding?"

"From who?" Hamuko smirked.

"Huh? Um… The government?"

"What're you talking about…?" Rio asked with a smirk before laying out her own futon. She frowned at Yuko when she realized something. "And hey, this isn't your room, Yuko."

"Yeah, about that!" Yuko quickly sat up. "You gotta hear this! There was some mistake, and I got stuck in the same room as Kaz!"

"Kaz…" Rio paused. "You mean Kazushi? Wait, he's here too?" She knit her eyebrows as she thought the runner was injured. "Huh? Isn't Kazushi supposed to sit out during this year's tournament?"

"I was supposed to stay behind… to sort of look after him at home, but since the tournament was here anyways, we're trying a hot-springs cure! I'm gonna get the most out of this trip by clearing up my skin, too!"

"Huh…" Rio thought it made sense. "Wait. Did you say you were in the same room? Kazushi… is a guy, right?"

"He's a big ol' girl on the inside," Yuko smirked, "but on the outside, yeah, he's a guy. Ms. Kanou assigned the rooms, right? What the hell was she thinking?"

"It was probably on purpose," Hamuko laughed.

"Ugh, I can just see her raving about summer romances and all that crap!" Yuko groaned. "Kaz is just a big kid to me…"

"By the way," Rio frowned, "is he okay?"

"No, it's pretty bad," Yuko sadly sighed. "That's why we're relying on the hot-springs cure…" She shook her head in frustration. "Ugh, and that idiot didn't say anything about it for the longest time. He even roped Minato into hiding it from me and the team. Thanks to that, it's gotten even worse! He's such an idiot! A total dumbass! He got me so worried!"

"Sounds like you two are perfect for each other," Rio smirked.

"What?" Yuko's face fell. "You gotta be jok—Wait, what time is it?" Yuko glanced around for a clock. "Oops, it's time for Kaz's medication." She quickly got up. "Well, see you later!"

Rio crossed her arms and smirked to Hamuko. "She can say whatever she wants, but she's taking pretty good care of him. She's kinda like…" Rio tried to come up with a good description for their friend, "a mom. Though I know she'd hate it if I told her so."

"I don't know why she didn't leave it to Minato," Hamuko shrugged. "I'm pretty sure Kaz would be rooming with him anyways." The red-eyed girl glanced at the clock. "Oh, it's almost our turn to be in the bath! Let's get going!"

Minato felt himself getting dizzy from being in the bath for too long. "Hey, I'm going to go now, Kaz. I'll see you back in the room."

"Yeah, okay, man," Kaz smirked to him. "I'll be out in a little bit. Yuko says I need to dip my knee in for as long as possible."

"You'll recover fine," the blue-haired boy reassured him as he stood up. He kept a hand on the towel around his waist as he waved to the other boys on the team. Apparently, one lap of Minato's death march had left them all sore. The blue-eyed boy shrugged it off though as he dried himself and put on the yukata provided to him by the hotel. Nice and comfy, he contently thought to himself as he tightened the belt around his waist.

On his way back to his room, he paused as he noticed Yukiko sitting with another girl in the lobby. The two looked busy working on an assignment but the stumped look on their faces made the high school boy wonder what was wrong. As he approached them, Yukiko looked up. "Oh, Yuki-san. You finished earlier than I expected. Did you not enjoy the bath?"

"I did," Minato nodded. "I'm just sensitive to hot springs. The better the water, the less I can spend time in the bath, I'm afraid," the boy wryly smiled. "That said, the Amagi Inn has a very relaxing bath."

The brunette beside Yukiko brightly smiled. "It is the pride of Inaba, after all. Right, Yukiko?"

"Chie…" Yukiko looked away, a blush on her face. She sat up straight as she realized she was being rude. "Oh, that's right. Um… Yuki-san, this is my best friend, Chie Satonaka."

Chie smiled up at the older boy. "H-hi. I'm Chie. Yukiko told me you're here for the Track Tournament tomorrow."

"That's right," Minato nodded, extending a hand to the middle school student. "Minato Yuki. I'm a junior from Gekkoukan High School."

"Wow," the girl's eyes widened as she shook her head. "That fancy private school by the coast?"

"Well, I suppose it is fancy," the boy lightly laughed as he felt a strange sensation in the back of his mind when Chie shook his head. This girl is the same… The hints of a Persona… The Chariot? "Well, Gekkoukan is great, but I like the atmosphere of Yasogami High. It has a rather comforting vibe to it."

"We'll be attending Yasogami next year," Yukiko smiled at him.

"Really?" Minato crossed his arms. "Well, I hope you look forward to it. You meet a lot of people in high school. Some of those you meet might become very important friends to you," he said, thinking of all of SEES. "Take it from me, you really do find your true self in high school. So long as you have good friends beside you, you'll never be lost or alone."

"That's kind of a strange thing to say," Chie looked at the blue-haired boy oddly. "But I think I see what you mean. What do you think, Yukiko?"

"Um… I don't quite get it," the hostess-in-training frowned.

Minato chuckled at the two girls. "Never mind what I'm saying then. I'm probably just rambling anyways. It's just that I sensed something about you two that made me think." He looked up towards the clock behind the reception desk. "Well, I should probably retire for the night. Thank you for your time," he bowed. He pointed at the homework problem they had been stuck on. "By the way, the answer is that Orpheus, master of strings, is representative of human folly and sacrifice. He doubted his wife's, Eurydice's, return so lost her forever, but he committed himself to her, resulting in his death." Minato gave the two girls a wistful smile. "It's a rather difficult question, but the answer is clear if you understand Orpheus's character."

"Oh, wow…" Chie quickly jotted it down and opened her textbook for the mythological lyrist's story. "It makes sense. Thanks a lot!"

"Yes, thank you very much," Yukiko bowed her head.

"No, it's fine," Minato smiled at them. "Just consider it thanks for clearing something up for me." He shook his head as he turned towards the hall. "Good night." The older boy chuckled to himself as he whispered under his breath. "Orpheus… Master of Strings… I am thou… Thou art I… From the sea of my soul, you emerged before me. I think I understand you better now, my dear Orpheus."

Yukiko's eyes widened as she caught the blue-haired boy's words. "I am thou…" she absently repeated.

"Yukiko?" Chie frowned at her friend. "Is something the matter?"

"N-no, it's nothing." The girl returned to their homework. "He was very interesting, wasn't he, Chie?" She smiled.

Yuko frowned as the girls' conversation lulled a bit. "Hey, isn't there something more appropriate to talk about at times like these?"

"What," Hamuko smirked. "Like boyfriends?"

"Yep, exactly!" Yuko nodded. "Well… I'd be confessing my love if there was anyone I really liked. I'd prefer a thin guy, but he'd have to be athletic… And there's no one at our school who fits that description."

"Minato does," Hamuko thought.

"But he's got a brotherly vibe to him," Yuko pointed out. "I'm actually surprised he's going out with Fuuka-san."

"Then what about Kazushi?" Rio suggested with a smirk.

"No way," Yuko shook her head. "Uhh, but I do have this feeling… This is just an if, okay? If Kaz and me don't end up finding someone for a long time… I get this feeling I might end up getting married to him…" She put her hands over her face. "Ack, what should I do!?"

"What kind of premonition is that…?" Rio turned to their friend.

"I mean, he's completely useless without me," Yuko sighed. "There's no way he'll even remember where he keeps his underwear. Imagine him getting old all alone and eating nasty convenience store food every day! It's just so sad!"

"So marry him," Hamuko smirked.

"Nooo!" Yuko let out a frustrated groan. "I've gotta fight it!" She turned to Hamuko. "So, what about you, Hamuko-san? You've got someone you like, right?"

"Not yet," Hamuko frowned as she thought of Shinjiro.

"So, you're in the same boat as us," Yuko sighed. "Does that mean the guys at our school just don't meet our standards?"

"You two seem like you're having fun…" Rio frowned. "I really don't get that sort of thing…" She noticed Hamuko raising an eyebrow at her. The volleyball player blushed as she began thinking about Kenji.

"Ugh," Yuko shook her head. "I don't want to think any more about a future with Kaz. How about we tell some ghost stories?"

"Hmm," Rio considered it for a moment. "That's fine with me, but I don't scare easily. I do know a lot of stories, though."

"Let's hear 'em…" Yuko straightened up. "Although the way you say that is already giving me goosebumps. O-one sec!" She quickly left and dragged Kaz back with her.

"Wh-what do you want?" he groaned. "I was gonna go to sleep… Why not get Minato?"

"Just shut it!" Yuko glared at him. "He's got the tournament tomorrow." She turned back to the girls. "Hey guys, I brought him!"

"Hey, this is a girl's room," Kaz frowned. "I'm not allowed to be here!"

"It's okay," Yuko reassured him. "Just stay here, all right?" She looked back to Rio. "Okay, Rio. Do your worst."

"Is he your good luck charm?" Rio smirked.

"N-no!" Yuko blushed. "I just… wanted him here."

"A future with Kaz, eh?" Hamuko teased as Kaz looked at her in confusion.

"No no, I never said that!" Yuko shook her head. "You're supposed to tell scary stories with four people! That's the rules! C'mon… Hurry up and let's go in order!"

"Alright, I'll go first," Rio nodded. "This story's about the tunnel we passed through today…"

All of a sudden the lights went out, causing Yuko to scream. "A blackout!?"

Kaz let out a strangled yelp. "Ack, don't choke me! Get off! You're stepping on my foot, too!"

The lights suddenly came back on and Yuko sighed in relief. She let go of Kaz and looked around. "The lights are back… Wh-where's the phone!?" She quickly dialed a number. "Hello, front desk? Um, about the blackout just now… There…" Her face slightly fell. "Was no blackout?" She nodded as she finished the call. "Oh, thanks…" She hung up the phone and frowned to the girls. "What're we gonna do!? That was a real supernatural phenomenon…"

"Lights always turn on and off, though," Kaz rolled his eyes.

"Are you an idiot!?" Yuko turned to him. "The fact that they went out without anyone touching them mean…!" She shook her head. "Ughhh, let's just stop talking about it! I'm pretending that never happened!"

Hamuko looked down and noticed the remote for the lights were near her. Oh… Whoops… I'll just keep that a secret for now… she nervously smiled to herself as Rio and Kaz did their best to calm Yuko down enough to sit through their ghost stories.

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"Am I supposed to turn here?" Minato frowned to himself as he jogged through the unfamiliar streets of the town. He slowed down when he had no idea where to go next but after a few more minutes of wandering around, he spotted a few runners from his team ahead of him. "Oh, hey, there they are."

He tried to catch up to them but noticed they were caught in some sort of trouble. He covered the sun's glare that was coming down on him and frowned when he saw a tall boy wearing a black tank top glowering at the runners. "Hey, keep it quiet! How am I supposed to work with all the noise?"

"Hey, we've got an important competition tomorrow and we're just trying to raise our energy!" A runner glared at the local. He flinched when the younger boy grabbed him.

"Well, raise your energy somewhere else! You're botherin' my ma!"

"Let him go," Minato sternly said when he was close enough. "I'll take care of it."

The blond released the runner and studied the blue-haired boy. "What? They your friends or somethin'?"

"They're my responsibility," the junior simply answered as he tilted his head to the side.

"Oh shit…" One of the boys on the ground began shaking. "He's got that look again."

The blonde paused when he noticed the guys he just beat up began to tremble in fear. What the…?

"I-I thought you said the Hellhound was ahead of us!?" A brunet gulped.

"Never mind that," Minato sheepishly grumbled. "Were you guys disturbing the locals?"

"We weren't!" A boy shook his head. "W-we were training!"

"Like hell you were," the blonde crossed his arms. "With all the hollerin' you guys were doin', I don't think so."

"I see," Minato sternly frowned. After a few seconds of silence, he turned his back on the team. "I'll give you all ten minutes to get as far as you can. If I out lap any of you, you're taking another round of Yasoinaba with me."

They stiffened as they quickly got back up. "We're sorry! We're going!"

"Dammit, how are we gonna outrun the Hellhound!?"

As the other runners hectically made their escape, the middle school boy looked up at the blue-haired boy with wide eyes. "Whoa…"

"Sorry about them. It looks like practice is killing them today," Minato sighed. "Although, I should really have a word with your mother for assaulting them."

"N-no… You don't have to," the younger boy shook his head, nervous about what might happen if he let the intimidating runner into his home.

"Kanji? Is someone at the door?" A lady came out of the textile shop. "Oh, I'm sorry, young man. Is my son bothering you?"

"Not at all," Minato politely smiled. "I heard a few of my team members were causing trouble, so I decided to defuse the situation before it escalated."

Kanji knit his brows together. "Uh…"

"Oh… That's very responsible of you. I was worried Kanji would get into trouble with them. As a thank you, would you like come inside for a drink?"

"Thank you very much for your offer, ma'am," Minato bowed to the kind woman. He might as well go in since he had time to kill. If he stayed longer than the allotted ten minutes, then good for his team. "I'm sorry for imposing."

"My, aren't you polite?" Kanji's mother chuckled, "But it's not trouble at all. Please make yourself at home while I prepare you a cup of tea."

"Ma! You don't need to…" Kanji let it go when the blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side. A shiver went down the blonde's back. What's with that blank look? It's actually kinda… scary…

The older boy slowly sipped his tea as the lady returned to the back of the store. Minato silently stared at Kanji as he noticed a strange wisp surround the boy. That's not a Reaper cloud, is it? Minato frowned. A peaceful town like this… Hm…

It suddenly disappeared when Kanji noticed the boy's frown. "What you lookin' at, huh, punk?"

"You don't have to act tough," Minato simply said, lifting his cup to his lips. "And I was just looking at you. You've got a problem with that?"

"Y-yeah," Kanji glared at him. "You can look somewhere else."

"And if I don't?" The older boy tilted his head again.

"I'll… Uh…" The blonde didn't really know.

"I'm a guest of your home," Minato pointed out. "I've done nothing wrong." He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"So you really gonna wait here 'til the ten minutes are over?" Kanji asked, hoping the boy would leave soon.

"I tend to honor my word, especially if they're threats," Minato chuckled to himself. "I might be known as the Hellhound where I'm from, but I'm very fair to my so-called victims." He paused when he considered something. "You're pretty tall for a middle school student. Are you a third year?"

"Second," Kanji turned away, his face slightly red.

"Oh? I have a younger sister who's the same age as you then," Minato nodded. "Her name's Nao-kun." The older brother smiled as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. "This is her, right here." He pointed to the most recent photo he had of her.

Kanji paused when he saw the picture of the girl with layered blue hair that nearly went to her waist. She's pretty cute… "Uh…" He glanced back up at the boy. "She looks a lot like you," Kanji ended up saying.

Minato blinked at the boy before fondly smiling at the picture of his sister. "Yeah, she does," the boy nodded as he finished his tea. "Well, this was fun, but I'd better get back to training too." After putting his picture and wallet away, the boy stood, lifting the cup.

"Here, I'll take that," Kanji said as he brought the cup to the sink.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Minato bowed to the younger boy.

"N-nah… You should be thanking my ma…" Kanji blushed, surprised the older boy was thanking despite the blond's earlier rudeness.

"Such a considerate son," the blue-haired boy smirked. "Well, give her my thanks as well then."

"S-sure," Kanji nodded as Minato exited the store. He watched the blue-haired boy stretch his legs before jogging after the rest of his team. W-wow… He was pretty cool… And his sister… Uh… Kanji felt his face go red. "Well, it ain't like I'm ever gonna meet her…" he huffed as he went back to tending the store.

Final Notes: I had to put Kanji in somewhere. He's pretty cool. I imagine younger Naoto to have longer hair thanks to Hamuko's influence. Then she eventually gets into the family business and decides to cut her own hair to be taken more seriously as a detective. That and she wants to be closer to Minato... You know, it's too bad Hamuko isn't playable in Persona Q... I would have liked to have her interact with the Investigation Team... Pretty sure she'd make things even more hectic, but that'd be fun.