Author's Notes: So and update about my game progress... I finally finished maxing Minato's stats with like 3 weeks to spare... Phew... I was getting worried for no reason.


~20 AUGUST 2009~

Junpei wiped the sweat off his forehead and fixed his cap. "Man, it's scorching hot out here." He reached for his phone and frowned at the date. "Shoot, it's already the 20th. Summer break's almost over…" he sighed. "Too bad there's nothin' to do. This place is so boring." He passed by the flower shop of Port Island Station but paused when he saw a girl with red hair sitting at a bench, sketching.

The girl looked up and glared at him when she noticed him staring. "Get out of my way. I can't see… Move."

Junpei looked around but did as she said. "Uh… Sorry."

He continued to stare so she frowned at him. "What do you want?"

"Uh, nothing," Junpei shrugged. "My bad." He frowned as he decided to go. "Dude, what's with that outfit…? And, what the hell is she drawing…?" He had caught a glimpse of the scribbles she was etching into her sketchbook. "Well, I'll never understand art. Oh, well…" He brightened up when he saw Minato coming out of the theater. "Yo, dude! What's up?"

Minato looked up at him and waved. "Nothing much," he responded. "The movie marathons are continuing so I thought I'd drop by."

"What was on today?" Junpei smirked.

"Orchestral masterpieces," the blue-haired boy replied, humming what he could remember. He covered his mouth with a hand as he yawned. "That was the best nap I've had in a while," he absently muttered. "What have you been up to?"

The capped boy pointed over his shoulder at the girl on the bench. "Lookin' at art," he smirked.

Minato's blue eyes flashed as he recognized the girl and the Reaper behind her. "Junpei… I didn't take you as one to go for the gothic Lolita type."

The boy blinked at him. "N-no, I wasn't hitting on her!" He paused. "She was just sitting alone drawing."

The leader paused when the Reaper turned its head towards Junpei. "I don't think you should get involved with her, Junpei," he warned his friend. "She looks like trouble."

"H-huh?" Junpei studied his friend's serious face. "What do you mean?"

Minato tried to come up with a way to explain it, but he shook his head. "Never mind. I'm just trying to look out for you, man."

"Hey, I can handle myself," Junpei smirked at him. "Besides, you're right in that I'm not that into her type."

"Well, at least I don't have to worry," the shorter boy shrugged. "I'm heading back to the dorm after stopping by Hagakure's. Wanna come?"

Junpei laughed. "You know it, man!"

The leader started towards the train station but looked back at the girl from Strega. As they waited for the next shuttle, he scanned the entire station but didn't sense any other Reapers. Minato frowned to himself as the Reaper behind the girl continued to stare up towards Junpei. It's attracted to him for some reason, but I don't see a Reaper on Junpei. The blue-haired boy decided he would have to keep a careful eye on his friend from now on. I don't sense danger, but it's not like I can just turn my back on this. I should ask Hamuko for her opinion.


~24 AUGUST 2009~

Ken paused when he heard a grumpy boy barking at someone on the floor beneath him. "Dammit, I'm tired of your nagging."

"I'm sorry," a familiar voice responded, "but I won't take no for an answer." Curious, Ken stepped closer to the railing to see what was going on.

"Huh?" The young boy spotted Akihiko. "Oh, it's Sanada-san. Who's he talking to? I guess it'd be rude to butt in…" he frowned to himself as he studied the tall boy wearing a beanie. Isn't he hot in that? Wait, he looks kinda familiar…

Shinjiro glared at Akihiko. "Well, the answer's still the same: I'm not coming back."

"You know," Akihiko crossed his arms. "Another new Persona-user joined us… and he's not human."

Shinjiro's eyes widened. "What?"

"It's a dog," the white-haired boy explained. "He lost his master six months ago because of the Shadows. He's incredibly loyal… Up 'til now, he's been guarding the spot where his master was killed… despite the bad memories." He pushed the taller boy with a glare.

Shinjiro didn't respond as he remembered the dog following Hamuko during the festival. So Koro-chan's fightin' too.

Akihiko tried to get his childhood friend to change his mind. "We saw someone die right before our eyes, too…" he said sadly. "But, it's been two years since then… How long do you plan to beat yourself up over it?" he asked. "You're always at that spot behind the station, even though you don't hang out with the crowd there."

"It doesn't matter," Shinjiro shook his head, pulling his beanie down. "It was my fault, and it can't be erased. What difference does it make if I come to terms with it? It won't change anything. This isn't the same as what happened to Miki."

"Shinji…" Akihiko's expression softened as he thought of his younger sister.

"That's enough, already," Shinjiro said, pushing himself past the boxer. "I just want to forget it ever happened."

Ken watched as the jacketed boy left. "Two years ago…" His eyes widened as he finally remembered where he had seen him before. "It can't be… So his name is Shinji, huh…?" He frowned as he put his hands into his pockets and slowly walked down the stairs, careful to avoid Akihiko's notice. The elementary school student was startled though when he nearly bumped into a blue-haired boy exiting the bookstore on the first floor of the strip mall. "Y-yuki-san!"

Minato paused when he noticed Ken. He blinked when a Reaper he hasn't seen in a while appeared behind the young boy. Huh? A retribution Reaper? That's rare… But for it to come from Ken… "Amada," he nodded in greeting. "Is something going on?" he frowned.

Ken shook his head. "N-nothing. I just didn't expect to bump into you here, Yuki-san."

The blue-eyed boy scanned the area around them, but didn't notice anyone with a matching Reaper. "Are you returning to the dorm?" the teen asked as he went over the streets again.

"Y-yes," the boy nodded to him.

"How about I accompany you? I was heading back too."

"S-sure," Ken gave the high school student a smile.

You're awfully bad at hiding your intentions, Ken… Minato thought as he wondered who the boy wanted vengeance on. "Ken," he sternly began, prompting the younger boy to cautiously look up at him. "I know you're hiding something from me. It has to do with your mom, right?"

"Yuki-san?" The boy looked at the junior in awe. "So it's true about your Hellhound abilities…"

"I suppose," Minato smirked at him. "I won't push you about what's bothering you, but keep what I say in mind. I'm only telling you this because I can probably relate to you. Hamuko and I lost our parents too when we were seven. I know it still hurts sometimes, but you shouldn't focus too much on the past, okay? It only takes away from your present and future."

"O-okay," Ken's smile faltered as he didn't expect to be discussing such a heavy issue with the older boy. Still, he felt a bit glad Minato wasn't downplaying his emotions like a lot other people he's met in the past.

"Good," the blue-haired boy nodded, satisfied the young boy seemed to be taking his words to heart.

"Yuki-san?" The elementary school stared at the collected teenager, amazed by how strong he was despite being an orphan too. "I've been told by Ikutsuki-san about the activities of everyone in the dorm. I… I want to be like you and Sanada-san. Would that be okay?"

Minato paused as he studied the younger boy's serious expression. "It's your decision to make, Ken. No one else can make it for you."

"I see," Ken looked towards the ground.

"There really is no right or wrong, but you need to be able to live with your choice," Minato added, hoping to make it easier for the boy. "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will. So long as you accept the responsibilities and consequences resulting from the path you end up choosing, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Yuki-san." Ken's smile returned.

The blue-haired boy noticed the Reaper behind him fading away. "Change is coming," he smiled to himself. "For better or worse, it's my job to protect everyone. But that doesn't mean I'm using my own strength. I'm also borrowing everyone else's power, but this means I'm borrowing everyone else's weaknesses too. Keep that in mind if you ever need someone to talk to. I don't mind listening," he shook his head.

"I understand," the boy nodded.

Ken's Reaper fully disappeared and Minato felt himself relax. He inwardly frowned as he considered the number of Reapers haunting him lately. Something really is coming… I can feel it.


~28 AUGUST 2009~

Hamuko looked up from her summer homework when someone knocked on her door. Mitsuru called out to her. "It's me. I apologize for the interruption, but do you have a moment?"

"Coming…" the red-eyed girl responded, opening the door.

"Good morning." Mitsuru looked around her room but frowned. "It seems that your brother is out today. The Chairman will be here tonight. We'll meet on the 4th floor as usual. Can you let your brother know too? That's all."

"Of course, Senpai," Hamuko nodded as the senior returned to her room. The brunette blinked as she hadn't seen her brother in a while. She closed her door and pulled out her phone.


"Back so soon, bearer of light and shadow?"

Minato nodded gravely as he took a seat. "I sense something is happening. I just want to make certain my intuition isn't completely unfounded."

"These fortunes aren't meant to be followed," the lady reminded him.

"No, but they help guide the direction of my investigations," the boy said. "There's something I know I'm overlooking, but I can't seem to figure out what."

"You falter between the light and shadow," Den Mother frowned. "Perhaps that is where you are meant to be."

"Perhaps," Minato replied with a shrug. "I have no qualms about that, but the others… I would prefer it if they remained in the light."

"Well spoken, bearer of light and shadow." She prepared her crystal ball. "Very well… I have one such fortune prepared for you that I hope will aid you."

"Thank you," the boy nodded.

"A dark past, sinking into the deep shadow… It enfolds the people who are involved, and captures them…" Minato made out a young boy and a taller teen. "Who are the ones that are trapped…? Hard though I try to see them, my vision blurs, and everything becomes obscure…" Darkness wrapped around the two. "Can you see…? Farewell, then… May your future be bright…"

Minato stood from his seat, a frown on his face. So Ken really does have a retribution Reaper… I need to figure out who he's after… I can't let him throw his life away like that.

The boy slowly walked home as he collected his thoughts. His phone suddenly rang so he answered. "Minato?" Hamuko's voice asked.

"Oh, hey. Sorry, I was a bit busy. I'm returning to the dorm now."

"Mitsuru-senpai says Ikutsuki is coming over tonight."

"Oh, Ken must have come to a decision then," the boy absently said.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Minato stopped walking. "Huh? Oh… Ken told me Ikutsuki told him about SEES. He wants to join."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Hamuko frowned. "He's a bit too young for the Dark Hour, isn't he?"

"We've been living in the Dark Hour since we were his age," Minato pointed out.

"That's not what I meant," the younger twin sighed.

"No, I know what you're getting at. To be honest, I don't feel comfortable either. I saw a retribution Reaper on him."

"Eh!? Is he after someone? Do you know who?"

"If I knew, then I'd probably be hounding Ken right now," Minato frowned.

"Any other Reapers, nii-san?"

Minato thought about the Strega girl. "No, not really," he lied. "I thought one was appearing on Junpei, but I was wrong. It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Hamuko asked dubiously.

"I'm sure," the older brother nodded. "It was really minor so I wouldn't worry too much about him. Keep an eye on Ken though, okay? He's a lot closer to you than he is to me."

"He admires you though, nii-san," Hamuko pointed out.

"That means he'll try to emulate me," Minato frowned. "You know nothing good will come from that if he does."

"You've got a point. Okay, I'll do my best then."

"Thanks," he sighed in relief. "Hey, you hungry? Since I'm out, I'll get you something."

"Sure, I don't mind what. I'll see you later then."

"Right. Later, Hamuko." Minato hung up and stopped walking. I'm being tied down by SEES… I've made them my biggest weakness and Ikutsuki is taking advantage of that… I should have acted sooner, but it wasn't as though I could have done much. In fact, I can do as much now as I could then. Nothing's changed. I should have… No… I have to take responsibility for staying with SEES. Strega isn't an option now. I have to do what I can from where I currently stand. Even if it does mean playing along.


Ikutsuki nodded in satisfaction as the entire team waited for him to begin the meeting. "Good, you're all here." He noticed as Minato carefully watched him as he turned towards the door. "Please come in."

"Sorry to interrupt," Ken smiled as he entered.

"You must be kidding…" Akihiko frowned.

Ikutsuki smiled as Minato didn't seem surprised. "After running several tests, we've learnt that he has more than adequate potential. I called this meeting so that I could introduce him, since he'll be joining our squad."

Mitsuru looked to the man in surprise. "B-but Mr. Chairman, he's still in elementary school." The senior frowned as she considered something. "Besides…"

"Besides… what?" Ikutsuki gave her a reassuring smile. "His ability is quite promising. With the proper training, he could be a big help."

"But," Akihiko shook his head, "is HE okay with it?"

"Actually," Ken smiled at the boxer, "I asked to join. I believe I can be of some assistance… Now, I finally know why I was given this power."

Minato tensed as the Reaper returned. Ken, he thought with a frown. That's not what that power is meant for. In fact, I'm still not certain about my own reason to fight. The blue-haired boy glared at Ikutsuki.

My, such obvious scorn… The man smirked at the SEES field leader. "So, as you can see, it was his own decision."

"Nice to meet you all," Ken bowed. "I'll try not to get in anyone's way."

Hamuko noticed her brother and Ikutsuki staring at each other, but decided to leave it alone. No point in making myself a target for him, she thought as she smirked at Ken. "Ready for the wringer?" she winked.

The elementary schoolboy straightened up nervously. "Y-yep! Please don't hold back!"

Akihiko only frowned but Junpei smirked at the young boy. "Hey, don't worry kid. We got your back. It may be hard at times, but stick with it."

"Yes, got it!" Ken nodded.

The rest of the team welcomed the young boy, but Minato remained in his seat. Ikutsuki approached his side and watched everybody else with him. "Is something on your mind, Minato?"

"I don't think this is a good idea," he plainly responded.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust you," the boy outright answered.

"You really are a Shirogane," Ikutsuki sighed. "You know, it's a shame about your parents. You wouldn't want to meet their fate, would you?" he darkly joked.

"You won't do anything to me," Minato knowingly said. "Nothing you directly do means much to me after all. That's why you had Aigis, Koro, and Ken join."

"Smart boy," the man complimented him. "Your caution tells me a lot, you know? You have nothing on me."

The junior tensed up as laughter echoed within his ears. "No, I don't."

"The end is nigh," Ikutsuki nodded. "Perhaps you'll be there to see it."

The end? Minato paused as the man inadvertently gave him a clue. Not revealing his newfound hand, the blue-eyed boy glared up at the Chairman. "I don't know what you're after, but I'll keep going for now."

"That's right," the Chairman lightly laughed. "There are still Shadows to face and you wouldn't want to let the entire team down now, would you, Leader?"

Minato said nothing as he looked back to his team. Hamuko noticed the two by themselves and smiled at them. "Nii-san, shouldn't you be welcoming Ken-kun, too?"

Ikutsuki nodded. "Well, it's about time I left. Please look after them well, Leader," he smirked as he exited the command room.

You snake, the blue-haired boy thought as he stood up. He sternly looked towards Ken. "If you're sure about joining, then I don't see any reason for us to remain here. We're heading to Tartarus tonight, everyone. Get ready."

"Y-yes, sir!" Ken nodded at the older boy in determination. "I'll do my best!"


~29 AUGUST 2009~

Junpei sighed as he stared at his phone. "Man, this year's going fast. It's already second semester. Next year, I'll be a senior…" He paused when he noticed someone familiar sitting on the bench. "Huh? That girl…" He absently approached her and watched as she glared up at him.

"You again?"

The capped junior nervously smiled. "Uh, w-well… I mean, I'm surprised you remember me."

"Same here…" she frowned.

"Well, you kinda stand out in that dress…" Junpei pointed at her white ruffled dress. She ignored him and went back to her sketchbook. "So… What are you drawing?"

"Nothing," she answered, trying her best to ignore him. Seeing as he wasn't leaving, she curiously glanced up at the boy. "Why?"

"Uhh, no reason…" Junpei shrugged. "I was just thinking, it must be nice to have something you're really into."

"It's no big deal…" the girl looked back down at her current project. "I only draw because I like to."

"Oh, yeah?" the boy's eyes widened in curiosity. He smiled as he decided to leave her alone. "Still, I'd like to see it when you're done, okay?" He smirked to himself when the girl didn't raise any objection to his last request. Wait until I tell… He paused when he remembered Minato's stern worry. Nah… He wouldn't get it… It's not like he's interested in… He paused when he noticed his blue-haired friend heading into the movie theater with Fuuka. Huh… I guess he would.


Fuuka's eyes shone in awe as she left the theater with Minato. "Wow… That was amazing… I wonder if our civilization will ever advance that far…" She smiled at the blue-haired boy. "Did you see that iron!? It got rid of wrinkles on their clothes in half a second…" She paused to consider the actual science behind it. "To get that much heat out of an iron so quickly, you'd probably have to keep it charged… Though it wouldn't have to be with electricity… It could be a gas hybrid…" She frowned. "Or maybe they have a totally new energy source… but how would they power the iron with it?" She stopped talking for a while and let out a gasp, before a blush appeared on her face. "S-sorry! The movie got me all excited, so… I got carried away thinking about it. Let's see another movie together sometime, Minato-kun." She waited for the boy to respond, but noticed he was lost in thought. "Minato-kun?" Worried he wasn't having fun, she reached for his hand. "Did you not enjoy the movie?"

Minato blinked. "Oh… Sorry about that." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I really enjoyed the movies. The automated homes were really cool." He brought his free hand to his mouth as he considered something. "I appreciate the world they were trying to portray but the plot itself wasn't very good. It was too predictable since the way they set up the reactors in each home weren't regulated well. Also, they never did explain what powered the entire city, did they? That was a major plot hole they left out…" he lightly chuckled. "A shame too considering a power source like that would be amazing if it really could exist."

The teal-haired girl immediately recognized that he was distracting her from something on his mind. "Minato-kun, is something bothering you?"

The boy blinked a few times before sighing. "Sorry… I really did enjoy watching the movies with you, but I was thinking about something else as we came out."

"Does it have to do with your Reapers?" Fuuka asked in concern.

Minato smiled at her. "A little," he nodded. "I'm worried about Ken joining. The team keeps getting bigger and I'm a bit scared I won't be able to protect everyone."

"Minato-kun, you're doing fine," the girl reassured him. "I'm always watching you, so I know. We only have four Shadows left. I'm sure we'll succeed."

"About that…" Minato frowned. With each Full Moon we face, I feel more and more uneasy… Why is that? It feels like a trap, but by who? It can't be the Shadows… Strega? Ikutsuki? Everyone expects me to be in charge but can I really live up to their expectations as leader?

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka studied his expression. She wanted to say something to put him at ease, but she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Fuuka?"

The brown-eyed girl turned and noticed her father frowning at her. "Father?" Realizing she was still holding Minato's hand, she quickly let go.

It took the boy a few seconds to realize what was going on, but he quickly faced the man. "Yamagishi-san," he bowed.

The brown-haired man ignored the boy as he sternly frowned at his daughter. "It's almost the end of summer vacation, isn't it?"

"Yes," Fuuka nodded.

"You haven't been visiting your mother at all this break. Are your studies going well?"

"I'm sorry," the girl lowered her head. "I've been busy. My test results are good. I went up a few places," she said, hoping it would reassure the man of her progress.

"I hardly think going up from 15th in the junior class to 10th is an accomplishment," her father sternly said. "You should be doing better considering there should be fewer distractions at the dorm. Unless," he eyed the blue-haired boy beside her, "you've been wasting your time doing things other than studying…"

Fuuka quickly shook her head. "N-no, it's nothing like that!" She looked towards her friend standing beside her. "Minato-kun has been helping me. He's scored the top score on the exams twice now!" She remembered she was speaking to her father and frowned. "H-he's also been helping me with cooking, photography and even tinkering…"

"So have you gotten any better at those skills then?" her father asked.

"N-not really…"

"Fuuka, you're doing great," Minato finally spoke up. "You're fine as you are. You're giving everything your best shot, after all."

"That's not good enough to produce respectable results," Mr. Yamagishi crossed his arms. "And you," he looked towards Minato. "You're the 'field leader' of SEES?"

"That's right," the blue-haired boy nodded.

"Other than that, what else have you accomplished?"

"What!?" Minato's blue eyes flickered in annoyance.

"Minato-kun is the best investigator in the Student Council," Fuuka quickly said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder in hopes he'd calm down. "He also placed second in the Regional Track Tournament earlier this summer." The girl paused as she tried to recall all of his extracurricular activities. "SEES, Student Council, Track Team, Fashion Club, Photography Club, and Cooking Club… Minato-kun sure is amazing to be able to score so high on the exams on top of all his activities."

"Fuuka," Minato turned his head away, uncomfortable with the attention.

"And he has time to be helping you with your little hobbies?"

The girl paused in hesitation while Minato glared at the man. "She's doing her best!" he cried out. "What's wrong with you? You're her father, right? Can't you see she's trying her hardest to live up to your unreasonable expectations?"

"Minato-kun?" Fuuka didn't expect the boy to become so angry.

Minato paused and relaxed his clenched fists. "S-sorry," he said after a deep breath. "I was out of place…" He lowered his head. "Fuuka… I should go…" Deciding he needed time to clear his head, he looked towards the direction of Paulownia Mall. "I'm heading to Moonlight Bridge, but I'll see you back at the dorm." He bowed to his friend's father. "Please excuse me."

"Respectful brat," the brown-eyed man shook his head. "His parents should do a better job of making sure he watches his temper."

"He doesn't have parents," Fuuka said, upset her father would say such a thing when he knew nothing about the blue-haired boy.

"I'm surprised that he's so well put together then," the man grumbled, "especially when compared to you. Your mother and I didn't invest so much time and money in getting you into Gekkoukan to let you waste time. If you don't start improving your results, we'll have to reconsider your stay at the dorm. SEES might not have been the best decision after all, considering you don't seem to have changed."

"You're wrong," the girl defiantly shook her head, surprising the man. "And I won't leave SEES. They need me." Minato-kun needs me, she thought to herself. "Minato-kun might have been right," she quietly continued. "I… I might be a disappointment to you, but I'm trying my hardest at what I can do!"

"You can't score in the top five on exams. You're barely even capable of supporting yourself in the dorm without your mother and me to care for you. The only talent you have is light tinkering but that won't get you very far in life." Her father scolded her. "You have your future to consider and I have still yet to understand the importance of what you do at SEES. What exactly is the purpose of this group? Your activities aren't recorded in the news or any public records. This is just a waste of time and I have half a mind to withdraw you from this so-called club."

"You can't!" Fuuka cried out. "There are things only I can do for the team. I'm not allowed to say what, but if I leave, the entire club won't be able to continue its activities." She quickly tried to come up with something to dissuade her father. "We've done a lot to help the city. We're not in the news because our job is to operate from within the shadows. Even if you don't understand, I intend to stay." She looked towards the direction Minato walked off in. "In fact, I need to find Minato-kun and apologize. I made a promise to never leave him alone…"

"Fuuka!" Her father watched as she took off. He paused when he notice her running with her head up, instead of facing towards the ground. I've never seen her so determined before… He remembered back to Minato's fiery gaze. Minato Yuki… Because of him and SEES, did Fuuka…? He shook his head as he decided to return home. A promise to never leave him alone…?


Minato heard someone out of breath approach him as he stared out over the ocean. He slowly turned to see Fuuka. "H-hey, are you okay?" He grabbed the cold bottle of water he had set on the ground and handed it to her. "Drink this." Fuuka gave him a grateful smile as she accepted the bottle. "Did you run here all the way from Iwatodai Station?" the boy asked with a frown.

The girl blushed as she nodded. "I'm sorry if my father said something that upset you, Minato-kun."

"No, I'm sorry," he lowered his gaze. "I didn't like how he couldn't recognize your efforts. You're important to the team and I don't want you to doubt your position! I'm counting on you after all," he gave the girl a determined expression. He paused when it didn't sound right in his ears. "Er… Sorry… I'm probably only just using you in the end…"

"I don't think so," Fuuka said as she stood at his side. The two looked out towards the water. "I want to do whatever I can to help you."

"But I feel like I'm taking advantage of your kindness," Minato sighed.

"If that's the case, then I'm taking advantage of your kindness, too," Fuuka reassured him with a smile. "I'm always asking you for assistance after all."

"I barely do a thing though," Minato raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"You're by my side and that's enough," Fuuka blushed, resting her head against his arm.

"I guess I understand how you feel," the boy smiled, letting his head rest against hers. "With you always watching me, I feel more at ease."

"Minato-kun?" The teal-haired girl slightly frowned. "What you said to my father… Are you feeling burdened by SEES?"

"I don't want to let anyone down…" the boy muttered quietly.

"But you're doing your best too."

"It's not enough…"

"Minato-kun, you're expecting too much from yourself," Fuuka gently scolded him. "I know you want to keep things to yourself, but is there anything you're willing to share with me?"

The boy remained silent as he considered the things on his mind. "I don't want to fight the Shadows anymore, but I know I have to. They're the cause of The Lost and Apathy Syndrome, but I feel something unsettling within me whenever I defeat a Shadow. The more powerful the Shadow, the more agitated I become." Minato shifted a bit so that Fuuka was resting against his chest as his arm wrapped around her shoulder. "Fuuka… You said that Persona I summoned that night felt like a Shadow… I'm scared of using Orpheus… I don't want to see that Reaper Persona again…"

"I've been wondering why I haven't seen Orpheus in a while," Fuuka said as she hugged him. "Minato, you shouldn't be afraid. You told me a Persona is a manifestation of your psyche."

"I don't want to have a Reaper represent me," the boy sullenly stated.

"But it would suit you," the girl softly smiled. "You're the Hellhound of Gekkoukan, after all."

"Fuuka… Koromaru's Persona is Cerberus," he lifted his head and stared at her with a deadpan frown on his face.

The brown-eyed girl giggled. "Maybe you can be Hades?"

"Lord of the Underworld?" Minato considered it before shaking his head. "Hey… I don't want to be connected to the Reapers and Death in any way. It's unsettling…"

"But they're a part of you," Fuuka pointed out. "That Persona you have… We might not know its name, but it's a part of who you are. Even if you turn out to be a Reaper, you're still you. You told me so yourself during the festival."

"You're not scared to be around me?" he asked.

"No," the girl shook her head. "You're still very important to me, Minato-kun. And I'll always be by your side. I made a promise after all."

"I'm glad," Minato let out a relieved sigh. He let her go and stared towards the ocean once more. "Pretty soon, the second semester will start. We won't be able to spend a lot of time together then, but that's okay, right? You're always with me." Fuuka watched him as he placed a hand over his heart. "That goes for you too. I'll always be with you, Fuuka." Minato tilted his head to the side and gave her a gentle smile. "My dearest…"

Fuuka blushed at his words and actions. "M-minato-kun?" The boy was acting strangely, but it was rather cute.

Minato felt his cheeks burn up so he quickly shook his head. "S-sorry… I didn't know where that came from." I sounded a bit like Pharos… I couldn't help it though. Fuuka really means a lot to me.

The girl giggled and shook her head. "No, I didn't mind. You were very charming, Minato-kun. It's a different side to you that I didn't expect."

The boy smiled at that. "Yeah…" He noticed the sun was beginning to set over the water. "We should return to the dorm. Fuuka, thanks for today. I had a lot of fun going to the movies and just talking with you."


Hamuko lightly laughed as she pulled on Shinjiro's arm. "Thanks for inviting me out today," she told him. She paused as she noticed it was beginning to get late. "Hey, can we stop by somewhere before I have to go back to the dorm?"

Shinjiro looked at the girl curiously. "Sure. Where are we goin'?"

"It's a place special to me and I wanted to share it with you," the girl blushed as she lowered her gaze. She said nothing more as they left Paulownia Mall.

The older boy watched her carefully and noticed she wasn't brightly smiling. She suddenly stopped walking in the middle of Moonlight Bridge and began wordlessly staring out over the water at the sun that already more than halfway set. Shinjiro leaned over the railing beside her. "So this is the place?"

"You must pass by here a lot without thinking much about it," Hamuko softly smiled. "I admit it's not very impressive but it's still a very important place to me."

"Is that so?" Shinjiro asked as he gazed out over the ocean too.

Hamuko nodded before continuing. "Minato and I lost our parents here," she began. Shinjiro shifted his gaze towards her and patiently listened as she told him about her past. "The four of us were caught in a car accident about ten years back. I can't remember the details, but I do remember it being a huge wreck. Miraculously, nii-san came out without so much as a scratch on him, but I had been in critical for a long time. Of course I got better, but I guess the trauma of losing our parents never really left. For Minato, it was even worse because he nearly lost me too..."

"I see..." Shinjiro lowered his gaze as he thought back to his days at the orphanage with Akihiko and Miki. "What happened after that?"

"A lot," the girl wryly smiled as she thought back to her childhood. "We began experiencing the Dark Hour around that time. Minato used to freak out every night and was pretty much diagnosed with clinical depression on top of his sickly body. Because of his health, our family shuffled him around from place to place while I had been given a choice to stay with our gramps." She clenched her fists. "But even if I was always offered a choice, I could never bear to leave nii-san's side. After all... my biggest fear is that he'll leave me, just like our parents." The girl frowned as she lifted her head to look up at Shinjiro. "No… My biggest fear might be that everyone will leave me… And I don't want that." She shook her head as she leaned against the boy beside her. "That's why I can't leave others alone when I can help it. It hurts…"

"Oh…" Shinjiro frowned. "Is that why you've been trying to spend time with me?"

"A little," the girl began blushing, "My main reason might just be that I like you though…"

"You're very forward," the brunet smirked at her.

"I have to be," Hamuko said, wrapped her arms around him. "I just told you I don't like being alone… This way, I'm being honest about how I feel. Am I being selfish? If you don't want me here, I can go…"

"No, it's completely fine," Shinjiro put an arm around her. "I want to know something though. Why tell me this? Shouldn't this be something you should be sharing with your brother instead?"

"Nii-san already knows about my fears," she said, burying her face into his warm jacket. "And even if he is my most important person in the world, I can't count on him forever. Even if I end up alone, I want him to find his own happiness and not be worried about mine." She bitterly smiled as she thought of her selfless big brother. "I doubt he would ever leave me anyways, but I really want him to live his own life while doing the same myself." She looked up at the stoic teenager staring down at her. "It just so happened to turn out that my happiness involved meeting and spending time with you... It figures though," the girl wryly smirked. "I ended up going for someone that's just like him…"

"I ain't like your brother," Shinjiro shook his head. "In fact, you're pretty insane to try and even come to me like this. I'm dangerous, you know?"

Hamuko studied his serious expression for a while before a sad smile appeared on her face. "Yeah... You're just like Minato... You both use harsh words to hide your pain..."

"And you don't do the same thing with that goddamn cheery smile of yours?" he countered. "It pisses me off sometimes, you know."

Hamuko lightly laughed at that but Shinjiro frowned at how hollow it sounded to his ears. "I thought you like it when I smile."

"I do," the older boy stated, turning his head away to hide his red face. "It's just... that smile of yours... Even if you're in pain, you're still happy... I just... don't get it."

"You want to know why I'm always happy?" Hamuko tightly gripped his jacket. "I'm happy because everyone else is alive with me. Even if it hurts to live sometimes, I'm still alive." She pulled herself closer to Shinjiro and the boy could feel her trembling. Whether it was out of fear, sadness, or something else, he didn't know. "People like you and Minato who only care about others... Who never care about themselves..." She was beginning to cry now, but Shinjiro let her be. "Of course you don't understand, but that's why I try so hard... I want you to understand... I want you both to be happy too! I want you both to live!"

Shinjiro watched her cry into him in silence. Seeing her like this hurt him and he knew it was his fault. There was so much she still didn't understand about him, yet despite that, Shinjiro felt as though she could see right through him. The tall teenager had worked so hard to shut everything, including his best friend, out and yet this one persistent girl wouldn't leave him alone because it hurt her to just let him be. As much as Shinjiro had trained himself to keep everyone at a distance, he couldn't do that with Hamuko. To do so would probably break her already fragile smile and he didn't want that. But he also knew he couldn't keep letting her wasting her time on him.

"Goddamn it, Arisato," he growled as he wrapped his arms around her. "I ain't your brother." Because if I was, I would have listened to his advice on not letting you get so close to me. "You don't have to go so far for me," he sternly told her. "I appreciate it, but..." I really want to return your feelings but... "I'll only hurt you in the end..." his voice broke into a rough whisper as he tightly held Hamuko close to his chest.

Hamuko managed to stop sobbing as she clung to him just a moment longer. She firmly pressed her head against him so she could listen to his heart beating. So used to listening to her brother's weak rhythm, she found Shinjiro's to be louder and faster. "You really are kind, Shinjiro-san," she finally spoke up, "but you have to already know that I still won't give up on you..."

"God...damn it... Hamuko..." Shinjiro felt his resistance against her weakening even further, but he stubbornly held on.

Hamuko could sense he was reaching his limit and decided she shouldn't push him any more. Years of experience with dealing with Minato taught her that sometimes she had to let things go. Too much would just hurt them both in the end and she wanted Shinjiro to open up to her on his own accord. She had already told the older boy everything she wanted him to hear and he had listened, taking it all in. He neither accepted nor denied her rather blunt confession but that was enough for now. There was nothing else she could do besides wait.

Still, that didn't stop her from lightly prodding him towards the outcome she wanted. "You might feel like I'm pushing you around, but I know deep down, you like my company," she teasingly stated, hearing his heart beating even faster. "That's why you've been calling me for the past few days, right?"

The brunet felt his face burn as he sensed she was getting back to her upbeat self. "I'm just worried about the dorm, that's all," he tried to say as an excuse.

"If that's true, you could always return to SEES," the red-eyed girl pointed out, finally letting go of him. She didn't move though since Shinjiro was still holding onto her. She could feel his body tense up as he considered how to respond.

"I can't," the boy hesitantly stated. "I ain't ever going back…"

"You won't tell me why," Hamuko frowned.

"Sorry, but it's not something I can simply share," Shinjiro sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, it has nothing to do with you. It's just that getting you involved would just make things even more complicated. That's why I'm tellin' you to leave me be." He reluctantly let go of her and took a step back. "Your second semester is starting soon anyways."

Hamuko looked down, disappointment on her face, but she had already anticipated his rejection. "Yeah… I won't have a lot of time to harass you once classes start." She studied the shadows growing on the ground. "I'd better get going…"

"Yeah…" Shinjiro frowned.

"I really would like it if you were a part of SEES," Hamuko told him as she turned towards the dormitory. "I'm not asking for Akihiko-senpai. I know I'm being selfish, but I really do like you."

The tall boy wore a small smile. "I do too…" he finally admitted to her. "But I can't afford to be selfish…" Not after what happened back then…

"I understand," the girl said as she began walking. "Well, goodbye, Shinjiro-san…" She did her best to not look back at the older boy.

"Bye…" Shinjiro sadly watched her leave. I'm sorry, Hamuko…


"Hello," Pharos smiled.

Minato opened his eyes and slowly sat up. "It's been a while, Pharos."

"I'm sorry if I haven't been visiting you," the boy chuckled. "You seemed busy. I'm glad to see you doing well though." He sat by Minato's side. "I thought I'd remind you… The next full moon will be in one week. Are you ready…? Only a few trials remain… So, be careful."

The blue-haired boy nodded. "So I have to keep fighting until the end," he said. The teenager felt relief fill his body.

Pharos only gave him a smile as he disappeared. "I look forward to seeing you again."


~31 AUGUST 2009~

Junpei smiled when he spotted the girl in the white dress again. "So, we meet again, huh?"

"That's because you keep coming back," the girl frowned at him.

"I'm Junpei," he introduced himself, used to her tone of voice. "What's your name? You live around here?" The girl ignored him and finished her drawing. Closing her sketchbook, she got up to leave, but the capped boy's eyes widened when he saw blood dripping down her arm. "Hey, wait! Your hand…" She continued to ignore him so Junpei purposefully stood in her way. "I said, 'Wait'! You're hurt!"

The girl looked up at him as if he were crazy. "What is it with you!? Why don't you mind your own business!?"

"But, you're bleeding, for cryin' out loud!" Junpei grabbed her hand. "C'mon, show me your hand. You need to put some pressure on it." He recalled the various first aid tips Hamuko told him whenever they were injured in Tartarus.

"Why are you in such a panic?" the girl asked him, confused.

"Are you crazy?" Junpei shook his head. "Anyone would freak out over this. You need to see a doctor." He paused as he looked up at her. "You want me to go with you?"

She stared at his face before simply saying, "You're weird." She took her hand back from the capped boy and began to leave again. She stopped as she considered something. "Chidori," she said to him.

"Huh?"

"That's my name. You asked, right, Junpei?" She looked down at her sketchpad. "I'm almost done with the picture. I doubt you'll understand it, but if you want to see it, then you know where to find me."

Junpei crossed his arms when she was gone. "I'm the weird one?" he asked himself. He wore a soft smile though. I know you're just looking out for me, Minato, but I can't just leave her alone. Chidori, huh?


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

Minato looked up from his extra credit novel when Junpei let out a cry of despair. "I completely forgot about my homework!" the capped boy yelled as he collapsed to his knees.

The blue-eyed boy apathetically stared at him before returning to his book. "We've been reminding you twice a day. I don't think you forgot. It's more like you purposefully neglected it," he said.

"There's still time to finish," Hamuko smiled at her friend. "If you start right now and stay up all night, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Really?" Junpei looked up at the girl hopefully.

"Maybe," the red-eyed girl shrugged. "I began mine yesterday and I'm already halfway done."

Her older brother frowned at the girl. "You procrastinated too?"

"I work well under pressure," she smiled at him.

Yukari sighed. "I don't know how you do it, Hamuko…" She shook her head at the desperate boy on the ground. "If you're gonna complain, you might as well start on your assignments."

"We can help if you like," Fuuka offered.

Junpei brightened up at that. "Three cute girls helping me on my homework?"

"Four," Hamuko stuck her tongue out at her brother. "You forgot to count Minato."

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't want my help," Minato said, turning a page. "Although at this point, Fuuka and I are the only ones available to help him."

Junpei smirked as he got up. He stood behind their leader and pulled his cheeks. "Psst, dude. Lemme copy your answers."

Minato considered it. "500 yen per page," he said, swatting the other boy's hands away from his face.

"What!?" The capped boy shook his head.

"Take it or leave it," the blue-haired boy sighed, turning another page.

"Dude, I'm broke," Junpei sighed. "Fine, I'll just do it myself."

"Good," Minato nodded. "By the way, if you slack off, I'm not letting you up Tartarus."

"Come on!"

"It's called incentive," the leader frowned as he glanced up at Yukari and Hamuko too. "That goes for you two as well. Now get to work."

"Wow… So strict," Yukari nervously chuckled.


Final Notes: My work ethic is very weird. I tend to do things early, but because I finish sooner, I get bored afterwards because there's nothing left for me to do. But I don't like to procrastinate because there's no reason for me to stall out the inevitable. I procrastinate sometimes, but due to my natural luck, things more or less work out in my favor. It's mainly just a timing problem I have since I tend to overestimate how much time I need to work on something, hence me being bored when I have lots of free time for finishing things early... But anyways, Junpei and Chidori's romance thing. The setup of it was really bad in the movie... And even in the game, I didn't think it was romantic overall... It gave me a 'Romeo and Juliet' sort of vibe and I guess objectively that's romantic, but personally... I don't really like tragedies... Well... that's sort of a lie since I'm a masochist... I guess that's why I went for Shinjiro too... Um... By the way, publishing might be weird for tomorrow and Thursday since I'll be busy with some life stuff. If I don't put up a new chapter on those days, expect up to three chapters on Friday.