Chapter 24: Brother's Tail

7/15/09-Wednesday

"Crimson huh? Tch. Her name's as weird as she was... but I admit, she was pretty tough" the beanied teenager muttered before he turned to the steaming bowl of ramen.

His silver-haired friend nodded in reply, "yeah, her Persona's really strong. It's such a shame that she rejected our invitation to join" and then he raised his fist, looking determined "... but I won't give up!"

Shinjiro just chuckled, "is that really all that you can think about? Heh, you're really nothing but a knucklehead aren't you?"

"O-of course not...!" Akihiko blushed, annoyed by the comment. He paused for a moment while he occupied himself with mixing his noodles around using chopsticks, "anyway, about what happened back there..."

"I told you. It was just that damned Shadow's fault. Now shut up and eat your meal." he tried to hide his face that was colored with a tinge of red, "and I don't want to hear about that incident again, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah I know. You've said it a hundred times. I was just messing with you" his friend chuckled. Akihiko then lifted a whole bundle of noodles with his chopsticks, making a pause midway as he looked up, "so if I got that right, your meeting with her was really just a coincidence then? And here I was hoping you knew her somehow. To think you even worked with her to fight that Full Moon Shadow..."

"Full Moon Shadow... destroying them ends the Dark Hour, yeah?" the brunette muttered, "you guys sure have your hands full. Listen, you'd better not act rashly just because your numbers have doubled. You never know what'll happen in the battlefield."

"I know, I know, geez... you worry too much sometimes" Akihiko looked a bit dejected, remembering his blunder that night. If only he had not rushed in and waited for Fuuka, then maybe, they wouldn't have to have gone through such... painful experience. Once more, he involuntarily shuddered at the memory.

Shinjiro watched his friend's expression, making him sigh deeply. Judging from what he had seen, somehow he just hit the mark. "Sometimes, it makes me wonder if it's alright to leave you alone like that..." he said thoughtlessly.

Akihiko blinked upon hearing his friend's comment, making him stifle a light chuckle, "in that case, why don't you re-join us? My invitation still holds you know. I'm sure everyone will welcome you. Junpei was even ecstatic when he found out you were a Persona-user, and wouldn't stop going on on how cool it'd be if you joined us."

"Tch. Seriously? You're bringing that up again?" the teenager rolled his eyes under the beanie, "the answer is still no. All I'm saying is- you're not a kid anymore Aki, so act like it-" suddenly, he halted and looked around the establishment. "Hey, by the way... what... day is it...?"

"Hm? It's Wednesday, why'd you ask?" Akihiko furrowed his brows, worried about his companion's sudden change in composure.

"Shit- I forgot- today she...!"

"Onii-saaaan~" it was an ever so familiar voice he knew so well, "sorry to keep you waiting!"

He was quite surprised, and very stumped with how to feel.

There in front of him, was his best friend and the sister of their field leader, being all familiar with each other. All he could really ask was- "you two knew each other?"

The younger girl finally seemed to have noticed him. For a moment there, she froze, like a child who did something wrong. That didn't last long though; she immediately showed him a bright smile, "Akiii-hiko-senpai! I wasn't expecting to see you!".

"Uh. Yeah..." his beanied friend was a bit reluctant to make the reply.

Akihiko looked around, and it seemed that for the staff at that shop, the sight of those two being that friendly with each other was an ordinary thing. Shinjiro often ate there so he was well known around that place.

His underclassman, Minako Arisato, on the other hand, was an unforgettable one. There was one time that he treated her there, and she managed to finish off three whole deluxe bowls of ramen. It was quite impressive, that he decided to train just so he could finish off five, and beat her the next time.

As he pondered on their possible relationship, the two seemed to have entered their own world. Their exchange baffled him.

"Oh c'mon Onii-san! That reply feels lacking, can't you say: "Yeah, we knew each other for a while now. Her food is great!", something like that?"

"I ain't sayin' that. You're just trying to show off."

"Am not! But hey, you're smiling now, so my mission for the day has been accomplished!"

"Shut it. And what mission?"

The two continued their playful(?) banter. He couldn't believe what he was saw, or what he heard; Shinjiro was casually joking around Minako, and he was smiling to boot.

How close were they?

In the end, the senior just couldn't help but chuckle "haha, what the hell Shinji? You should have told me you knew each other!".

"How should I know you knew each other?" he replied nonchalantly, "... how do you know each other? You're not a part of that fanclub, are you?" his question was pointed at the girl.

"Huh? Oh, Akihiko-senpai and I are dormmates, I guess...?" Minako replied, tapping her cheek with a finger.

"Yeah, she's been with us since this April." Akihiko added, "Minako, why don't you take a seat? I'll treat you to something."

The girl shook her head, "thanks, but I can't. I just passed by to say hello to Onii-san! We've still got exams, so I gotta hurry home. Hey, you better study too! Mitsuru-senpai will execute you if you fail, y'know!"

"Y-yeah, I know that!" the senior sweatdropped at the thought.

With that, she waved her hand, "see you later at the dorm!".

And she left.

A moment of silence.

"..."

"Heh. 'Onii-san' huh?" the boxer eyed his friend teasingly.

"Don't push it. I can't make her stop, and I ain't gonna waste any more energy trying to" Shinjiro sounded a bit irritated, seeing that his friend had the upper hand. He cleared his throat before getting up, "guess we're done here."

"Huh? Oh. Yeah." Akihiko followed.

They weren't very far out of the shop when his companion suddenly stopped on his tracks.

"Didn't think she'd be a Persona-user..."

The comment probably wasn't directed at him, but just his friend pondering, but Akihiko decided to clear up any misunderstanding, "she's not one."

"... What?" Shinjiro turned to his friend. His expression seemed to have stiffened.

"She's doesn't have a Persona, and she doesn't know about the Dark Hour. She's just staying with us right now and-"

Before he finished, Shinjiro marched toward him, almost an inch away, "what the hell is Kirijo and Ikutsuki thinking?! She could get involved with all this...!"

"Whoa, calm down Shinji!" the senior backed away, "we were against it too, but her brother, our current field leader, insisted. Looks like they have something complicated going on and they hadn't seen each other for years. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her, I guess... well, the chairman agreed with it too."

"Tch. Are you that desperate for new recruits?" he seemed to have cooled down a bit, but he still looked uneasy.

"You have nothing to worry, she's just staying with us. Her brother's also strong" Akihiko tried to assure him, "I promise to protect her too, if needed."

He didn't hear much of what his friend mumbled. His mood still wasn't too good when he looked up, "I guess I'm not one to talk. Hey Aki."

"Yeah?" he braced himself.

"... Nevermind." he pulled his hat to fix its position before walking off.

Akihiko blinked. What was that about?

7/14/09-Tuesday (Previous Day)

She was scribbling on her notebook, with a very serious expression.

To him, it was almost cute, if only she was listening to what he was saying.

"Minako, did you hear me?" he kept a calm demeanor, the one he had worn 99% of the time.

"Huh? Oh, sorry... I was just er..." she suddenly snapped her notebook shut and forced a smile, "you were talking about vacation, right?"

"... Yes, since you'll be staying alone, I've made sure everything is in check at the dorm." he eyed her actions, and as curious as he was, he didn't really want to pry into her private affairs, even if he had wanted to. For her own safety, of course.

"Huh?" she blinked, "oh, can you repeat then?"

So, she really wasn't listening, huh? He felt a bit disappointed, but he could never find himself to get angry at his sister, "never mind it then. I've made a list anyway, you can just look it over later" he paused. Her earlier actions really did worry him; it wasn't like her to ignore others. Sure she often dozes off, but she always made sure to try and look interested when someone's talking. "Are you alright? If there's anything bothering you, then you should tell me. I'd do anything for you."

His words were quite grand, and normally, she'd laugh off such remark or tease him, but she simply nodded, "sure."

Minato frowned. He felt uneasy over the way she acted, but as he was about to open his mouth, a girl from another class suddenly called out his sister's name; she looked familiar- a member of her tennis club, if he wasn't mistaken.

"Sorry about this Minato-nii, looks like I have to go for a bit. Let's continue later."

With that, she left with the girl.

Minato sighed and slumped into his own table, eye-ing her now empty seat. He wished she'd rely on him more, but it seemed like her trust for him was still...

Well, he never really expected much in the first place. In his mind, asking for more would be selfish of him, and even just having her live in the dorm with everyone was a result of his own selfishness. In the first place, the current relationship he had with her was more than anything he had ever hoped anyway; reuniting with her was in itself, already a miracle for him.

Just then, an arm wrapped around his shoulders, "hey, if it bothers you so much, then why not check it out?".

He blinked at Junpei's smiling face, "are you saying we peek at her notebook?" Minato frowned, "I can't do that, and you know what'll happen to you if you do that."

"I guess she'll kill me?" he laughed jokingly.

"No, you'll go through my hands first." He monotonous voice made him sound so serious, regardless of his intentions.

Junpei gulped.

"Okay, okay- I'm sorry! I was just kidding!" the cap-wearing boy cried, "but I'm worried bout' her too ya know? Like- what if she's being bullied or something. Oh, but I doubt that, I mean it's Minako we're talking abou- HEY-."

Almost as if he didn't hear that last remark, Minato suddenly stood up from his seat and marched toward his sister's. Junpei's words triggered something in him- what if she really was being bullied? He had been too busy with SEES and his other activities that he hadn't had much chance to spend time with her. There were even certain days when she regularly stays out, Wednesdays for example; she almost always returned home late on those days.

He thought to himself- what he would be doing was for her own good. If she wasn't being bullied, then good, just pretend he never touched that notebook. If she really was being bullied, or something of the like, then at least he learned of it, and he could do something about it. He could protect her! That's good, right?

With such thoughts in his head, the boy's hands landed on her writing pad and flipped it open.

"Oi, hey- that's-" Junpei was about to stop him, when he also found himself staring at the page Minako had been writing on before.

It was a doodle.

"Oh, so that's what she was drawin'. Haha, they're so bad!" the other boy laughed teasingly, "huh, doesn't that one look kinda like Shinjiro-senpai?" he pointed out, "what's with those other things though? 'Post Office'? And that heart-thing with wings?"

Minato did not respond. He simply closed the notebook and carefully returned it to her desk.

Once more, Junpei frowned, looking quite unsure with what to say, "Er... you know, you should-"

"Hey, do you think she's still seeing him?"

7/15/09-Wednesday

He had always wondered where she wandered off to during Wednesdays. Minato had always worried for her safety, but he also understood that she had to have freedom, and her alone time, so he never pried into it, but if it was as he had expected...

"Hey man, we really shouldn't be doing this!"

His friend cried from behind. Somehow, Minato managed to make him wear something unlike his usual get up, but whether or not it was inconspicuous was another story. Junpei wasn't wearing his usual trademark cap. Instead, he was wearing a black hoodie with its hood pulled over his semi-shaven head. He was also forced to put on a medical mask, hiding his face.

"Then care to explain that time you and Yukari tailed us that other time?" Minato's voice was cold.

He was wearing a black cap and a plain, black, long-sleeved shirt, coupled with navy blue jeans. Like Junpei, it wasn't something Minato would normally wear. The cap even helped hide his facial features, as long as he kept his head down.

"W-what- y-you knew?" Junpei tensed up, probably recalling that time he and Yukari tailed the twins.

"Yeah, you made it obvious with your smile. Your obvious comment the next day didn't help. I doubt you'd work on your own, so I assumed Yukari would be the most likely to drag you into it?" he shrugged, "I only suspected it, but you just confirmed it."

"..." Junpei was speechless.

Would Yukari kill him if she knew he accidentally ratted them out? In any case, he managed to shut his friend up for the time being.

In their line of sight was Minako, walking along the familiar streets. The two boys stealthily followed her from behind. The doodles and writings on her notebook still very much disturbed him- there was the doodle of their upperclassman, a doodle of a heart with wings, then at the bottom there were some incomprehensible writings: 'post office', 'letters', 'ask him', 'forget that night!'.

He had hoped Junpei just misinterpreted the drawing, but as... artistic as it looked, the beanie on the thing made it a clear giveaway. What was the heart thing though? It would have been easy to understand, but what was the deal with those wings? Ah, Minako's aesthetics was beyond his comprehension, he mustn't be very well-studied in the field of arts.

But then, what about those string of words? Could it be that... she wanted to confess? Was she mulling over whether she should send her feelings through mail or ask him out directly? But what about the last one: 'forget that night!'? What night? Did something even more happen to them already?! No way, that's impossible, right? He shouldn't imagine the worst!

Minato bit his lips as he continued trailing her, leading them to the ever so familiar Hagakure. They followed her inside, only to find Minako, Akihiko, and Shinjiro inside, and they... seemed very close? The boy clenched his fist as he got them a seat a little behind Minako's group.

"Oh c'mon Onii-san! That reply feels lacking, can't you say: "Yeah, we knew each other for a while now. Her food is great!", something like that?"

"I ain't sayin' that. You're just trying to show off."

"Am not! But hey, you're smiling now, so my mission for the day has been accomplished!"

"Shut it. And what mission?"

His hands shook as he listened to their conversation. If Junpei wasn't there, discreetly holding onto him, he probably would have walked over to them, and had done something. He felt his stomach turn upside-down, it was the same feeling he had back when they were at the back alleys when they were saved by Shinjiro. However, regardless of how he felt, there was one thing that ran inside his mind: 'just how close were they?'.

Back when he first saw them together, he figured that they were quite close, and admittedly he probably overreacted. After thinking it over, he figured that Shinjiro was just an unfortunate target of her teasing. He seemed like the type who'd be fun to mess with, after all. After seeing those notes, and more of their interaction, could there be more? No, never mind that- hadn't she been going out almost every Wednesday? Did that mean that she had been meeting with him all along? Regularly, even?

Minato trembled. He thought to himself, that he had hoped that he wasn't too late.

Minako didn't really stay around for long. Judging from what they talked about, it seemed that she didn't really expect Akihiko to be there as well.

Minato then got up as soon as the two seniors paid their tabs.

"Hey, I know what you feel but..." Junpei sounded like he was holding back, "you really should leave Mi-chan alone on this one..."

But his comment was ignored. Minato's attention seemed to be fully focused on the two seniors.

Junpei sighed, "I can't convince you on this one, huh? Look, I'm going. I don't wanna be part of this, but if I were you, I'd leave her be."

"Yeah, I guess this is best." he suddenly spoke.

"Huh?" his friend blinked.

"Oh. Yeah, you can go. We're done anyway, she already left."

"What about you?"

"I'm... gonna stay around."

Junpei cocked his head, looking quite puzzled. He seemed as though he hesitated to leave, as if worried of what Minato would do.

Sure the boy always threw around threats, but he never really harmed anyone. Honestly, it was his own way of teasing others, and most were empty threats for his own amusement. Most.

... Well, there was that thing with the PE teacher, but that was a different story.

"Maybe I should stick around after all-"

"No, you should go. Watch over Minako for me."

If he'd put it that way, Junpei would find it hard to refuse.

"Hey, don't do anything stupid, okay?" Junpei gave him a stern look.

"I won't."

He spared Minato one final glance before leaving.

He sighed, followed by a smile "that Junpei."

Just then, as he was exiting Hagakure, he saw the seniors stop, and then started an argument.

"What the hell is Kirijo and Ikutsuki thinking?! She could get involved with all this...!"

"Whoa, calm down Shinji! We were against it too, but her brother, our current field leader, insisted. Looks like they have something complicated going on and they hadn't seen each other for years. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her, I guess... well, the chairman agreed with it too."

"Tch. Are you that desperate for new recruits?"

"You have nothing to worry, she's just staying with us. Her brother's also strong. I promise to protect her too, if needed."

Honestly, he was quite baffled by Shinjiro's reaction. He felt a pang in his chest. Minato clenched his fists as he watched the two on their separate ways.

He took in a sharp breath, and then exhaled, as if getting himself ready for something. His eyes were on the back of the beanied young man.

Minato steeled himself and ran up to him.

"Shinjiro-senpai-" he called out.

The older teen turned around toward him.

"... Can we talk?"

They moved to a quieter area- Naganaki shrine. It was evening, and the surrounding was covered in orange hue. The shrine was pretty empty, so they had the place all to themselves. Shinjiro sat on a bench by the playground, while he waited for Minato.

"Here." he politely handed his senior the takoyaki he had bought, and then sat next to him.

"Thanks." the senior replied as he accepted the snack he was offered with, "so, you were her brother?".

"Yeah." Minato replied immediately before plopping an octopus ball into his mouth, "I ruled out that you'd be a Persona-user since you weren't working with SEES, so I was surprised to see you during our operation."

Shinjiro almost choked, "gh- I'd prefer if you don't talk about that..."

He looked flustered. With the state of how they found him at the love hotel that night, it's not wonder he reacted as such.

"Don't worry, I won't judge you." Minato's voice was calm, too calm, "I won't ask you why you left SEES either."

"... yeah, thanks." he replied quietly, "so, why'd you bring me here?"

His eyes which were at the sky, landed on his companion, "I know Akihiko-senpai explained a bit about our circumstances. Minako is staying with us, but she isn't a Persona-user."

"Yeah, I got that."

"Then, you're probably aware that being with you could be dangerous for her?"

There was no response. Shinjiro pursed his lips. Minato didn't blame him though, he was pretty sure that it was his sister who got close to him, and not the other way around.

He closed his eyes for a moment, gave out a sigh which grabbed the other older teen's attention. The boy then got up from his seat, leaving his remaining takoyaki down, and then he stood in front of the senior.

Minato was face to face with the older boy who was sitting on the bench.

"I have a request-" he bowed his head as low as he could, "please, severe your ties with Minako."

As promised, here's the next chapter!

Honestly, this chapter was one of the reasons the updates took so long... I wasn't sure when in the timeline I was supposed to put this. Like- should I place it before 'Who is Minako?' or after their beach vacation? Or maybe in between? Consequently, this had to be place earlier than a *certain* date in-story wise. So yeah, unless this chapter got finished, the others just can't be released just yet, even if I did finish the others.

Well, that's one reason, the other was writing it. I had trouble trying to not make Minato sound too villainous ^^". I mean, that's not my intention, but if that's how he ends up being perceived here, that's fine too, I guess? All I actually had in mind for this scene back then was the last part, like literally the last line where Minato bows. I guess I had a writer's block with what how it leads to well... the conclusion of this chapter. The only prompts I had back then was- Minako doodling Shinjiro, Minato sees it, he drags Junpei to tail her, and then... yeah.

And yes, this fic has quite a number of... 'tailing' events, huh? XD

Speaking of tailing, why did he bring Junpei? I don't really know if I could insert the reason somewhere in future chapters, so I'll just explain here- basically, he wanted someone to hold him back. Yeah, he trusts Junpei more than he lets on. We'll have a chapter or two about that (his friendship with Junpei, I mean) ;D

Well, that, and he wouldn't be alone in case they get caught. Maybe. Whichever one's the real reason, only Minato knows.

That said, I'm looking forward to writing *that certain part* of the arc that results from this OwO.

No wait, scratch that- *those parts* that result from this. 8D

Oh, and just for fun-I mentioned in the previous chapter that this will be one of the longest arcs in the fic, but can you guess up until when this arc ends?

Oh, and wanna guess what we're having next chapter? ;D

Welp, that's all for now!

Wait, actually, one more thing- still looking for a beta reader. That's it.

That's really all for now!

Lemo - Yes I am, but for how long though? :P

AtsushiLiezl - You're welcome. I hope you enjoyed this one ;D