Ever heard of "The boy who blocked his own shot", by a band called "Brand New"? You should listen to it during this chapter. If you know the song, then you can probably guess what this chapter's gonna be like.
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Angry Mitsuru is scary. Although she let me off as long as I confirmed that I was paying it myself through legal means. Shinji was astonished. I'm just that good.
Things were pretty much quiet on Thursday. I hung out with Bunkichi and Maiko, did a bit of studying, but nothing major.
Friday, after school, I was hanging around with Yuko at Iwatodai station.
"I'm thinking of becoming an athletic trainer."
"Really?" I asked. She nodded.
"I've been thinking really seriously about this… You have to monitor each athlete's diet and help them plan their training schedule. I'll go to professional school once I graduate, and work towards earning my certification. Between the general education requirements and the class for my major, it adds up to over 350 hours."
"Wow, that's a lot."
"Yeah, I know." Yuko smiled. "That's why I'm gonna start studying right away. ...Improving my writing is my first goal. It took me three nights to finish that three page essay."
She leaned back in her bench. "I learned a lot from those kids. When I first started coaching them, I was thinking about how I would teach my own kids one day... and I didn't have the slightest clue. Well, that all changed." She blushed. "If you haven't been there with me, I'm not sure if I would've been able to coach those kids…
"And I would have never thought about my future, either." She looked right at me. "So… Thank you."
SMASH
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Strength Arcana
Oh, I am good.
CRASH! I turned towards the sound.
Chihiro.
"Wh…what's this..?"
"Huh?" Yuko "Who is she?"
"I should be asking that!" Chihiro was approaching hysterical. "Who do you think you are, getting so close to my boyfriend!?"
"YOUR BOYFRIEND!? MINATO KUN IS MY BOYFRIEND!!"
The penny dropped for both of them.
"Minato kun… no… no this can't be right…"
"Minato san… I… I thought I was… I was the only one…"
"Tell me the truth Minato Kun…" Yuko pleaded… "What's happening..?"
"Please, say she's lying Minato San!" Chihiro begged.
"A Broken Social Link is next to irreparable." Igor had told me. "If you made any move to repair one of the Reversed Social Links in your scenario, then the other would inevitably be Broken."
The logical decision would be to drop one and take the other while I could. The awesome decision would be to bluff my way out of it. The tempting decision would be to run like hell.
"I, Minato Arisoto, give my word that I will take full responsibility for the consequences of my decisions."
I did the right decision.
"It's… exactly what it looks like…"
Silence
SLAP! Yuko stormed off. That hurt. It shouldn't have, really, but it hurt.
SMASH
Thou hast reversed the Strength Arcana. Until this wrong is righted, thou shalt not have out blessing
I looked up at Chihiro.
She was crying.
"I…" she ran before I could say a word.
SMASH
Thou hast reversed the Justice Arcana. Until this wrong is righted, thou shalt not have out blessing
I deserve this.
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"Hey, Minato Chan?"
Bunkichi. Say hi.
"H-hey…"
"Whooh, what happened to you?"
Talk to him. You'll feel better.
"…"
"Oh, well, if you want to talk, you know where I'll be…"
You should talk to him
…
It hurts him to see you like this
…
Man, when did you become such an emo pussy?
About the time I began referring to myself in third person.
Okay, head on straight. I always knew this was going to happen. In the same way you know that one day, you're gonna die. Just as much of a shock for it to happen though. Man, I bet Igor's gonna chew my head off for this.
"He did say that he'd support whatever decision you made."
Yeah, but I didn't make this decision.
"You chose not to decide." Pharos told me. "It's still a choice."
Someone dumped a box of Takoyaki into my lap and sat down next to me. "You alright?"
"No." I said.
"Kinda goes without asking I guess." The guy said. "Go on, dig in."
"You sure?"
"Lady at Octopia said you haven't moved for at least three hours."
"Damn, it's that late?"
"Yeah, didn't you notice?"
"I've had a lot on my mind." I took a stick of questionable substance and bit into it. "Thanks. It's as suspicious as ever."
The guy laughed. "You're the first guy I've heard who's said that out loud."
"Trying out a new thing. Radical Honesty."
"That when you say everything you think out loud?"
"Kinda. Just going for telling the plain, honest truth for now."
"Good policy."
"I hope so." I took another bite. "Not being honest got me here."
"I heard that two girls dumped you?"
"Sorta."
"That isn't the plain, honest truth you know."
"Yeah it is." I got my words together. "I never intended to actually get into a relationship with them."
"Were friends, now something more?"
"Was."
"Man." Guy seemed sympathetic. "So if you did have to choose one or the other, what'd you do?"
"Neither. That's the mental part."
"Don't tell me that you're after a third girl!"
"I'd like to be. It's just I'm already a two timing scumbag simply for not making that clear from the beginning."
"Ouch." Guy laughed. "From what I was told, you deserved what you got, but you seriously didn't want to date either of them?"
"I just don't see why that if a guy wants to hang out with a girl, the girl automatically assumes that the guy is attracted to them."
"Are you?"
"I'm a seventeen year old male and they have boobs."
"Fair point. You're not-octopus is getting cold."
"Thanks." I took a large bite from it. "But I never wanted to hurt either of them, which makes me even more of an idiot!"
Guy nodded. "Awkward silence, then awkward laugh, then back to normal, right?"
"Too right. The irony is that that's the relationship I have with the girl I like."
"Sucks to be you."
"You can say that again."
The cardboard box started to get wet. Guy looked up. "Looks like rain. I'd best be off."
"I'll sit here for a while. I like the rain."
"And it hasn't rained a drop all year."
"I know."
"And it decides to rain in July."
"Story of my life."
"Well, later." Guy offered his hand. "I'm Mamoru Hayase, nice meeting you."
"Minato Arisoto." I took the guys hand. "And thanks."
SMASH!
Thou art I… And I am Thou…
Yeah, really not in the mood for this right now.
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Star Arcana…
"Later!" Mamoru said, starting to jog.
Sky got darker and it started to rain.
…
Not proper rain. Japanese clouds have nothing on English ones.
"I'm sure they're all the same…"
I tossed the empty Takoyaki box into the bin. "No, they're not."
Pharos looked up at the sky. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
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"Minato San?"
I looked up. Chihiro?
"What are you doing here? You're getting all wet!"
"Thinking. It's making me feel better."
"Well you're gonna get sick!"
"I'm English, I'll live."
Chihiro sat next to me on the bench, holding her umbrella over us both. "Um… I've been thinking too…"
"I'm sorry…"
"You didn't do anything wrong."
Eh?
"I was the one who fell in love with you. Looking back, I know you cared for me, but… it wasn't the same…"
I looked at the floor. "Sorry for leading you on…"
"I understand…" She said. There was no way in hell that this was happening. "Since we met… you've been helping me get stronger…" Wait, what? "I've overcome my fear of men… I, I've realised that I'm not bound by the rules… I, I can stand up for myself, take action, decide my own life!" There was something in her eyes that wasn't there before. Like, determination, passion, happiness?
"Hey… I hope things work out with that other girl."
I shook my head. "I'm not in love with her."
"Eh?" Chihiro was surprised, then settled, smiling. "Oh… that shouldn't really make me feel better, but… it does… You really are a nice person, Minato."
"Huh?"
"Me, that other girl, Hidetoshi, the old couple at the book store, the little girl from the shrine… you're a really caring person, aren't you?"
"I… I suppose so…"
"And… you didn't defend yourself… You… you made yourself out to be the villain, just so we wouldn't feel bad for hurting you…" Chihiro sighed. "I hurt you… when I doubted you…"
"It's okay, really…"
Chihiro stood up and faced me. Then she slapped me, good and hard. "Ow!"
"There. Now I feel better." She squatted down so she was just in front of me. I'd never been this close to her before, and she really is pretty…"I've decided to do things for myself. I'm going to clear my name, and get the money back, on my own strength…"
She leaned in close to me. "Just let me have this first…"
"Huh?"
She kissed me.
SMASH!
Thou art I… And I am thou…
The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured… The innermost power of the Justice Arcana has been set free…
We bestow upon thee the power to create Melchizedek, the ultimate form of the Justice Arcana…
This bond shall never be broken… even as you part ways…
Chihiro broke off. "Thank you… For Everything… I don't need your help anymore…"
She smiled and stood up. "I want you to have this." She passed me a book.
Pride and Prejudice.
"Remember? You bought me this the day you first saved me. Only… life isn't like it is in books and manga… but it's a nice escape." She smiled. "Goodbye, Minato."
I put the book in my bag, before it got too wet. "Yeah… good luck."
She smiled. "I don't need it." She ran away into the darkness, leaving me alone in the rain.
"I'm still here."
"Thanks Pharos."
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I was just getting ready to leave, when something unbelievable happened.
"Hey."
"Yuko?"
"You been sitting here the whole time?"
"Only started raining about…" I checked my watch, "A couple of hours ago."
"Idiot!" She sat next to me on the bench and threw a towel on me. Very handy things to carry, towels. I'm gonna have to get one.
We sat in silence under her umbrella for a few moments, then Yuko said "I want to hear your side of the story."
"What side?"
"I talked to Yukari."
Oh.
"She had no idea you were cheating on me. She still defended you." Seriously? Yukari did that? "Apparently you've got a thing for helping people."
"Really?"
"Makes sense. I mean, look at Fuuka!" What about her? "She's just moved into your dorm, and she's already best friends with the girl who used to bully her all the time!"
"Natsuki?"
"You know her?"
"I spoke to her once in the teachers lounge when I was trying to figure out what happened to Fuuka."
"That proves it. She isn't an absolute bitch anymore." Well, if you knew what she'd been like when I spoke to her then you wouldn't be surprised, "But already she's someone you can stand being around." She thought for a moment. "Then there's Kaz, you've been helping him all this time, right?" I nodded. "Then there's me. I mean, before we met I had no idea where I was going in life, and now I'm studying to get into a high ranked professional school so I can become an Athletic Trainer!" she smiled. "You've really helped me out, you know?"
"Apparently I have a tendency to do that." I stood up. "I'm sorry for leading you on, but to be cowardly and blame shifting, there was never a gaping obvious opportunity to clear this whole mess up."
"You okay? You look completely dead."
"Yeah, I'm just tired." I sighed. I'm already lying again. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."
"Me neither."
"Just promise me something." I said.
"What?"
"Take care of Kazushi. He's an idiot." I walked into the busy train station.
SMASH!
Thou art I… And I am thou…
The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured… The innermost power of the Strength Arcana has been set free…
We bestow upon thee the power to create Siegfried, the ultimate form of the Strength Arcana…
This bond shall never be broken… even as you part ways…
"Minato Kun!" Yuko called after me as I slipped into the crowd. "WAIT!"
DONG
Dark Hour already huh? I jumped and clambered on top of the coffins. It was still raining, now a red rain, not unlike blood. I walked back to the bench for my bag. There was an envelope on the bench as well.
"To Coach and Her Boyfriend…"
I smiled at took the letter. It'd just get covered in blood if I left it.
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"There you are!"
There was Yukari, standing on the street during the Dark Hour, holding a closed umbrella. What is it with girls and their umbrellas? "I've been looking all over for you! Yuko wants to-"
"I know. We broke up."
"What!?" She seemed angry. "Okay, I defended you, since I believed you when you said that you cared for her, and that the other girl was some social link, but you just broke up with her with that bored face? Does nothing faze you?"
That did. Sighing, I leant against a tree. "My uncle taught me never to put a price on my honesty. Until recently, I though that meant being open and honest with everyone, but now I just realised that my honesty was never for sale in the first place."
"What? So you were lying to Yuko? You were lying to me?"
"I've been lying to everyone for the past ten years and I never even thought about it."
"Huh?"
"I went to the hospital about a month ago." I said, deciding to clear something up for once. "Turns out I have brain damage."
"…w-what..?"
"Nothing life threatening." I replied. "Ten years ago, when my parents died, I smacked my head against the back of Dad's chair." I lifted up my fringe to show her the scar. "Doctors diagnosed my loss of emotion as Trauma, but turns out that the lobe that links emotion to facial expression," I tapped the scar. "Dead. This is my fazed face."
"…You… you serious..?"
"And my overjoyed face, and my outraged face, any other facial expression I make other than boredom is fake." I let my hair fall down. "It might be how I genuinely feel, but it's like shooting arrows without a bow. I can't just let myself go of my emotions and express myself like an arrow. I need to throw an expression on purpose, so it's more like darts."
"I… I'm sorry…"
"It's fine. I've gotten over it." I should be smiling right now. So I did. "Anyway, I'm off to bed. I'm gonna get hell at school tomorrow."
"You're smiling."
"I feel like smiling. I haven't smiled enough today."
Yukari laughed slightly. "So, what're you gonna do?"
"Honestly? I have no idea."
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Short chapter this time, but some pretty good work, if I do say so myself.
Don't worry, Minato will make a complete recovery in time for Yakushima.