Chapter 51: Garu´s Traitor
"Akihiko...", he could hear his father´s voice while the baby buggy came to a halt, the rain still crackling down on them. "Take good care of your sister, my boy... Whatever you do, don´t ever let anything happen to her... Otherwise... I..."
His father´s voice slowly died away, swallowed by a thick fog, and the next moment an older Akihiko was standing in front of the burning orphanage of Tatsumi Port Island, screaming for his sister who was still in there, the nursery nurses and Shinjiro trying to hold him back.
"You were a baaad boy~, Aki...", an amused voice chuckled next to the boy who recognized it as Mr. Bagman´s voice. The eyes of the old professor were glowing yellow while he was staring down at Akihiko gloatingly, everything around them giving way to deep darkness. "Children mustn´t play with fire, Aki! You know that exactly!"
"I... It´s not... my fault..."
"Yes, it is. And you know it far too well, my dear. You´re a baaad boy~!"
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"NO!!!", screaming Akihiko awakened from his uneasy slumber and stared into the slightly worried face of Mitsuru, next to her standing Junpei who was looking at him like he had grown a second head.
"... Everything alright, Akihiko-senpai?", he asked, slightly confused about Akihiko´s behaviour in his sleep.
"Yeah. Just a bit jazzed because of my new job and all.", the young police officer and now director said and yawned. "And isn´t it time to stop with that `Senpai´ stuff already?"
"Nope. Old habits die hard, Senpai.", Junpei said with his patented grin.
"Just like I will never really get you."
"Hey, hey! I resent that!"
"Anyway, Iori. My decision won´t change.", Mitsuru butted into the childish argument.
"Decision?", Akihiko asked in confusion and nodded towards one of his colleagues who was about to leave at the same time.
"The reason Iori´s followed me until here.", Mitsuru shortly explained.
"But... Senpai... How am I supposed...", Junpei started, voice sounding strained.
"So you´d rather return to that... that dump?", Mitsuru asked, nose wrinkled as she remembered the old fast-food restaurant Junpei had been working at.
"Of course not!", Junpei said immediately. "'specially not since I might get to kick some Shadow ass if I stay here! But... working as a janitor here... Working under her..."
"Junpei... It was your own decision back then to stay away from Chidori after she had lost her memories.", Akihiko reminded him.
"I know, man! I know...", Junpei said and looked to the side. The next moment a smile started to spread on his face. "But man, did that Chidorita change! I´d nearly not recognized her, wearing all those fancy clothes and all! `Wowy´ 's all I can say to that!"
"Making it possible for her to live this kind of life was my way of making it up to her.", Mitsuru explained and smiled slightly. "So do you really want to refuse the job as a janitor at Tanaba University, Iori? Together with Akihiko and Yamagishi you´d have to familiar faces who could show you around."
"I... I´ll take the job.", Junpei replied hesitantly.
"Good. Then I´ll expect you at work next Monday."
"Just... Just make sure that our paths won´t cross, 'kay?", Junpei pleaded.
"Leave it to me.", Akihiko said and then turned to Mitsuru. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence her, Kirijo-sama?"
"We had planned to dine at that new restaurant tonight.", Mitsuru said with slightly raised eyebrows. "... You forgot."
"I-I... of course not!", Akihiko hurriedly said and jumped up. "J-just let me run back home to dress appropriately, and then we ca--"
"Oh, that won´t be nessecary.", Mitsuru interrupted him, her voice slightly cold now. "That restaurant doesn´t require any special state of dress."
"... It doesn´t?"
"No. But I´ve heard they serve rather delicious hamburgers there.", Mitsuru said enthusiastically and turned towards the door. "I expect you at the limousine in ten minutes. Not a second later!" And with that she left the room.
Junpei threw a meaningful grin at the young director.
"... What?!", said director snapped.
"Trouble in paradise?", Junpei teased.
"Grrr...", Akihiko grumbled, took some of the documents from his working table that were titled `Yosufu Bagman´ and grabbed his jacket. He was already at the door when he stopped dead in his tracks. "... Did she say something about hamburgers?!"
"Uh, yep. I think so.", Junpei replied and scratched his goat beard in thought.
"Since when... No, never mind... I´d rather not know.", Akihiko sighed and finally left the office.
"Two completely different personalities...", Junpei mumbled. "But for some perverted reason they fit together rather nicely."
"Who exactly is a pervert?", someone suddenly asked. Startled, Junpei looked up and spotted Chidori Yoshino in horror who had just now entered Akihiko´s office in search of the silver-haired man.
"Uh... Hi..."
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Souji sighed deeply once he´d left the Tajibayaki´s house where he´d just now learned about something rather unexpected...
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It all has started with Souji arriving on time in front of the big family house, raising an eyebrow at the Tajibayaki´s neighbour who - as Souji had found out the last time when he´d been here babysitting - apparently did some rather weird things at night hurriedly threw his lawn mower to the side when he´d spotted the silver-haired man, and ran inside his house, as if he´d been scared that Souji would shout out his dark secret the next moment.
Souji wasn´t really bothered about the man´s fetishes, but he wasn´t really sure if that man would be good for the Tajibayaki´s son Shinji. But he thought about it some more and decided that that little devil couldn´t get any worse just because of some transvestite.
After a few seconds of staring after the neighbour he knocked at the door, hoping that the parents would return a bit sooner today so that he´d have enough time to log onto that one site and find out who that Grau´s Traitorwas exactly. The name totally spelled `Yosuke´ to him. The only problem would be that he wouldn´t be able to chat with the user while being in the same room, should the music-loving man really be said user. The only way to accomplish that was to access the site from a cyber café and hope that Yosuke was online at that time.
He didn´t really know what he was hoping to accomplish by that, but it was worth a try. Yosuke was acting rather strange and nowhere to be found sometimes, also when Patty had been kidnapped. He could only hope that his guess was wrong...
The door was opened and he stared into the slightly confused face of Hisano.
"Good evening, Hisano-san.", Souji greeted the old lady who was still staring at him in confusion for a few seconds before her facial expression finally changed.
"Ooh, Souji-chan!", the old woman said happily, stepped aside and let the young man in. "Come in, my dear. My son and his wife are already away."
Souji stared at her, puzzled. Son?
She led the silver-haired one into the living-room where Mrs. Tajibayaki was sleeping on the couch, Shinji sleeping next to her in his crib.
"But, Hisano-san...", Souji started, not understanding anything anymore. Hadn´t Hisano just said that both Tajibayaki´s were already away?
"Isn´t she just the sweetest thing?", Hisano said absentmindedly while staring at the sleeping Mrs. Tajibayaki. "My sweet little granddaughter. She´s got the same eyes as my husband..."
"Wh-wha...?!"
"Hnn...", Mrs. Tajibayaki, woken up by the other two people in the room, slowly sat up and looked around in the room. "... Oh, Souji-san!", she said when she noticed Souji, hurriedly re-arranging her hair. "I must have fallen asleep! I´m sorry!"
"You don´t need to apologize.", Souji hurriedly said, the woman seemingly embarrassed over having been seen sleeping.
"You´ve slept so nicely, little one. I just coudn´t get myself to wake you up.", Hisano said and sat down on the couch, gently caressing Shinji´s cheek. "Just as cute as Keitaro." She looked at Mrs. Tajibayaki, gaze glassy. "Dear, when is Keitaro coming back home? It´s been so long."
"Grandma, do you really have to...", Mrs. Tajibayaki said with a choked voice, tears in her eyes.
Souji was staring at both women in total confusion. What was going on here?
Hisano had turned away from her grandson - or was it great-grandson? - and was looking at a magazine that was lying on the table. "Now where did I leave those reading glasses...", she mumbled.
"You´ve never had reading glasses, grandma.", Mrs. Tajibayaki reminded her.
"Oh, right!", Hisano agreed and started browsing through the magazine.
Mrs. Tajibayaki sighed when she noticed how confused Souji was, and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen.
Having reached it, the young woman - about Souji´s age, maybe a bit older - closed the door behind her and sat down on one of the chairs, motioning for Souji to do so as well.
"I guess you´ve realized it now, haven´t you, Souji-san?", she asked him.
"Does she... have Alzheimer´s disease?", Souji asked.
Mrs. Tajibayaki nodded. "Yes, very much so. It had all that started when my parents had died back then, and it had gotten worse after my grandfather had died."
"So you´re her granddaughter?", Souji asked.
Mrs. Tajibayaki stared at him. "Of course! What in the world did that woman tell you?"
"That you´re her daughter."
Mrs. Tajibayaki shook her head, looking desperate. "She always does things like that. And she´s always asking where Keitaro is, her son - my father..." She looked up at Souji. "This is the real reason why I had wanted a babysitter, Souji-san: Not only so that someone could look after Shinji, but also to look after my grandmother who I´m even more worried to leave alone than my little son." She started to look for her purse rather hectically. "Of course, that means you deserve more money. Now where did I...?"
"No, you don´t have to!", Souji hurriedly said.
"... Are you sure? It´s no problem to raise your pay.", Mrs. Tajibayaki said. "You have to know, I don´t really like owing people something. It´s just against my nature."
"No, really, it´s okay.", Souji refused. And then: "So it was you she had visited in Inaba´s hospital?"
"... Huh? Oh, yes! I had visited her back then when I had fallen down the stairs in her house. I had to spent several weeks in the hospital...", Mrs. Tajibayaki remembered, but then stared at Souji in confusion. "But how do you know about that?!"
"I already know Hisano-san from Inaba. I´d worked in that hospital as a janitor for a while.", Souji explained.
"Oh? So that´s why my grandmother´s taken such a liking to you." Mrs. Tajibayaki looked at the clock. "Oh shoot! It´s already so late!" She jumped up. "I´m sorry I have to end our conversation just like that, but I have an important meeting soon! Please take care of Shinji and my grandmother, alright?"
"Of course.", Souji promised, feeling an inner warmth that announced to him that worrying together with her granddaughter over Hisano had just now strengthened the Temperance Social Link.
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The silver-haired threw a last glance towards the Tajibayaki´s house and then to their neighbour, noticing with a certain annoyance that the transvestite was spying on him through a curtain. Did that man really think that Souji was out to ruin his reputation that much?
The silver-haired only shook his had and continued to walk towards a cyber café.
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`Welcome to Ai Shiteru!Souji was greeted in sparkling letters on that chat site. Out of pure randomness he chose the user name he had used back then to annoy Yosuke when they had first configured their laptops when they´d arrived at Tanaba University (KnuddelsForever) and started searching for the user Garu´s Traitor. He found the user a few seconds later and was delighted to see that they were online.
"Hope it´s not Teddie playing around on Yosuke´s laptop again, though...", Souji mumbled, but then winced when he remembered that he´d just done so yesterday himself. But now that he wasn´t in any danger of Yosuke walking in on him he took his time to browse through the user´s profile.
- Favourite colour: pink
`Uh... Pink and Yosuke?! Not that I´m aware of...´, Souji thought.
- Sex: female
`Oh...´And just like that Souji felt really stupid all of a sudden.
- Garu´s Traitor: U checkin´ out my profile, lol? (Author´s note: Garu´s Traitor is writing this in English. Normally they would write this in Japanese since they live in Japan.)
Souji stared at the computer screen. So the users got a message when someone was checking their profile?
- KnuddelsForever: Yes. Hi! =) (Author´s note: Souji´s writing in Japanese here.)
- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, a Japanese one! There are usually only Americans on this site. LMAONADE! (Author´s note: From now on both of them are writing in Japanese.)
- KnuddelsForever: Even though this site has a Japanese name?
- Garu´s Traitor: 'specially becausethe name´s Japanese! Those Americans looooove Japan!
- Garu´s Traitor: Been there for a short while! Those horrible little teenagers!
*Notice: Garu´s Traitor is checking your profile*
- Garu´s Traitor: Those teenagers squealing `Kawaaaaaiiiii Desuuuu!´ are everywhere there! Inb4 vomiting!
- KnuddelsForever: I had no idea...
- Garu´s Traitor: Welp, doesn´t pay to always walk around the world with your eyes closed. I had to experience myself already, sweety!
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- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, no fair! U don´t have any information about urself on ur profile! U´ve stalked me, and now I don´t get to pay you back?! :/
- KnuddelsForever: I wouldn´t call it exactly stalking.
- Garu´s Traitor: Whatevar!
- KnuddelsForever: And I´ve just now created my account.
- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, so then u´re a total N00B at this site! XD
- Garu´s Traitor: Okay, let mommy Garu take you under her wings, my little sweety! xo~
`Okaaay, that woman´s a little bit strange...´, Souji thought.
- Garu´s Traitor: But first tell me something about u, already! I´m so fuckin´ bored here I could just tear down this whole freakin´ room! Entertain me already!
- KnuddelsForever: Well, I´m male.
- Garu´s Traitor: And u use that as a user name?! 0.o Lol! Gay?
- KnuddelsForever: Nope. I´d annoyed a friend of mine back then with that name. I´d just remembered it.
- Garu´s Traitor: Ur boyfriend? Oooh, do tell me more about ur stories with him! Does it involve a bed and huge amounts of whipped cream? :3
- KnuddelsForever: Friend, not boyfriend.
- Garu´s Traitor: Spoilsport! :/
- Garu´s Traitor: At least tell me what u look like! Am I chatting with a hot surfer right nao? XD~~
- KnuddelsForever: I´m afraid not.
- Garu´s Traitor: T-T
- KnuddelsForever: I´m rather tall, with dark silver hair, athletic.
- Garu´s Traitor: Athletic~! Tell me more, Stud Muffin!
- KnuddelsForever: Well, there´s really nothing more to tell.
- Garu´s Traitor: How endowed is your `plumbing´?
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KnuddelsForever: ???????
- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, come on now! Don´t be shy nao, sweety! :3
- KnuddelsForever: Sorry, but that´s something only me and my future girlfriend have to know.
- Garu´s Traitor: So u´re available! How old are? Where do u live? I´ll come over right nao~!
- KnuddelsForever: 21. Tanaba University. That´s more than enough information.
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- KnuddelsForever: You still there?
- Garu´s Traitor: Yes, yes, of course! I´m just trying to imagine you in my head! Rrr, nice view~!
- Garu´s Traitor: And how´s ur boyfriend look like? Just as sexy as u are?
- KnuddelsForever: Friend, not boyfriend.
- Garu´s Traitor: Yeah, yeah! Gimme details already! .
- KnuddelsForever: Well, he´s smaller and I´d say weaker than me, with red-brown spiky hair.
- KnuddelsForever: And he always wears those trademark headphones of his.
- Garu´s Traitor: Hmm...
- KnuddelsForever: Hmm?
- Garu´s Traitor: *is imagining Knuddels and his boyfriend doing the naughty in bed*
- KnuddelsForever: ......................
- Garu´s Traitor: Sorry! ^.^ Us girls just looooove yaoi! X3
- KnuddelsForever: You really sound like one of my female friends, you know.
- Garu´s Traitor: Who knows! Maybe I am her! Here in this chat room you could meet anyone! Ur best friend
- KnuddelsForever: No, I don´t think you´re her.
- Garu´s Traitor: or your worst enemy...
- KnuddelsForever: Huh?
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- Garu´s Traitor: Kiddin´! XD Don´t take everything so serious all the time, kiddo! ^.^
- KnuddelsForever: Okaaay...
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- Garu´s Traitor: Oh welp! Same time again?
- KnuddelsForever: Huh?
- Garu´s Traitor: Oh, come on! Us meeting like that´s gotta be destiny, Hot Stuff! We really have to chat again some time! But next time longer than that! Just don´t have any time anymore right nao! Pretty please??? T-T
- KnuddelsForever: Of course!
- Garu´s Traitor: YAY! LOVE U, HOT STUFF! xo bye-bye!
*Garu´s Traitor went offline*
- KnuddelsForever: Bye...
*off*
"Thou art I... And I am thou...", the voice in Souji´s head suddenly began talking after he´d logged out. "Thou has established a new bond... It brings thee closer to the truth behind truths... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of the Hermit Arcana..." Seconds later the Arcana appeared before his eyes while a gentle warmth began spreading through his body.
"Well, I don´t think I´ll have any other choice but to chat with you again now...", Souji mumbled, smirking, and left the cyber café. "But she´s really a strange person, that Garu´s Traitor... Really strange..."
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Author´s note: The author would like you to know that Garu´s Traitor´s opinions do not represent her own opinions.
.......... Except maybe a liiiiiittle bit of those yaoi ones........
And yes, it´s Social Link Time at the moment, meaning not really any action. ;)
