I can't see the views anymore when I look at the story's properties, so I honestly have no clue if this is being read or not. Like it hasn't changed one bit and every time I click on the views it gives me an error no matter what I'm using to look at them. It's bizarre but I am stubborn so we shall prevail! Now let's make a nice splash into 2021 and make everything a bit brighter yeah? Y'all we're hitting the AU territory now! We changing things, and it's gonna be interesting. This was such a long chapter, so very long. Like 12k long, no wonder it took me forever to get this updated.
18
24, May 2009
Iwatodai, Japan
Tartarus
Rosemary let out a soft sigh as she walked through the corridors of Tartarus's twentieth floor. Minato wanted the clear the new section before the next full moon. She didn't blame him for that, and honestly, this was a faster way to explore. He had them split up, but they would all regroup at the staircase before heading up and doing it all over again. Sometimes Minato would join them and sometimes he would go his own way. He was going his own way and that was fine with her. It allowed her to think and fight on her own terms.
She had gotten a call earlier that day that her lawyer Jackson was starting to make headway into her guardianship of Ken. She trusted the older man to secure her rights. She narrowed her eyes at a shadow and prepared her naginata. This one was a cross with small scales hanging from its sides. The coloring of red and blue keyed her onto the fact that none of her offensive magic would be useful against it. She'd have to try and knock it down or make it dizzy. She wished that Yukari was with her, the other girl would most likely do some damage against it that she couldn't do. She was brought out of those thoughts by fire being sent her way. She ducked under it and rushed forward, the blade of her naginata lightly brushing the floor. The pinkish, almost purple, tiles were similar in design to the ones in the previous section.
She was distracting herself again. She swung the naginata upwards and hit the shadow during the arc. It went flying and she stopped her assault, wanting to see if that was enough to bring it down. Smaller shadows were simple and easier to take down compared to the larger ones that guarded certain rooms or the ones that only appeared during the full moon. She blinked when the shadow was finished off by a fist.
"Don't get distracted," Akihiko chided, and she gave him a slight frown.
Her older brother figure was back in action and he really lived up to his status if senpai. The fact that she had bestowed upon him the nickname of 'protein senpai' was enough for him to be a bit testy at the moment. He knew that she was applying for guardianship over Ken, and was conflicted. It would be nice to look after the kid, but he didn't want him to be in any danger. It was something unexpected and he was trying to wrap his head around it.
"Think there's a larger shadow standing in our way on the next few floors?" She asked him as they grouped together and headed towards a lit-up briefcase.
"I think so," He nodded, "They'll be good practice."
"Just don't push yourself too hard," She sighed.
It was something that Shinjiro would've said to him, but she was much nicer about it. He felt his shoulders slump a little bit before he gave her shoulder a slight bump with his own. He got a small smile out of her. It was easy to make her happy, but getting a smile was difficult. He was used to keeping an eye on her minuscule expressions to gauge her mood. He liked the change.
"We found the stairs," Mitsuru informed them.
Akihiko and Rosemary headed that way after picking up the item from the briefcase. It was a wad of cash, the yen a strange thing to find inside of Tartarus. It really made one wonder how it got there and who put it there. She didn't want to get lost in her thoughts, quite a few of the shadows on this section were immune to her magic. It was quite annoying really. She ran a hand through her hair and wondered what awaited them on the next floor. Nothing but the normal shadows awaited them, yet she couldn't help but feel as though something loomed above them.
"I'm getting a reading of something strong awaiting you on the twenty-fifth floor," Mitsuru warned them, "Stay alert."
"I've been waiting for a good fight," Akihiko stated with a challenging glint in his eyes.
"Of course, you have," Rosemary shook her head.
Yukari couldn't help but agree with the taller girls' sentiments. Akihiko went to the extremes when it came to fighting shadows and no one could come close to him. It was almost terrifying how much energy he put into fighting. He seemed to grow more excited the closer they got to the twenty-fifth floor. He was the only one to truly be excited. Junpei seemed excited but had worry circling his thoughts. He didn't know if they were strong enough to face off against a large shadow. It was that thinking that made Rosemary have hope for him. It showed he could think logically when he needed to. She just wanted him to think before running off into the fray.
"There it is," Junpei shouted as they saw the large shadow in the distance.
"It's a table?" Rosemary asked, her confusion leading her to use her native tongue.
"We don't need seduction right now, May-Chan!" Junpei told her in a teasing tone.
"Seduction?" She muttered, reverting to Japanese upon realizing her switch.
"It's very pleasant," Yukari informed her.
"And yes, it's a table," Akihiko confirmed, his tone showing he was highly amused at her slip up.
"Let's take it down," Minato told them, "May, you have ice magic, right?"
"Yes, you think it might be weak to it?" She asked him as she eyed the red coloring of the table.
"It's a possibility due to the coloration," He nodded his agreement, "It shouldn't be too strong, but let's not underestimate it."
They all nodded at that and they rushed the large shadow. Junpei and Yukari used their weapons as Rosemary used a few well-timed Bufula's. One of them knocked the table down and Akihiko grinned as he pulled his gloves on tighter. He had been waiting for the opportunity to go all out against it. He looked towards their leader and got a nod. All of them rushed forward to attack the table and increased the damage done to it. He ducked under an attack sent his way and slammed his first into the shadows mask. It was thrown back into Junpei's awaiting swing and the table was sent flying. It burst into small particles and everyone seemed to be a bit elated at the victory.
"We still have quite a few floors to go," Minato informed them, "Let's not get too celebratory."
They all sobered up a bit at that before they headed up the stairs. Minato had them split up again to find the stairs and told them that was the plan for every floor. He found himself walking in silence near Rosemary. She and Akihiko split up again and searched in different areas. He paused when she moved down a corridor near him and he watched as she brought a hand up and pushed her hair away from her neck in thought. She may come off as being fond of her long hair, but she was slowly growing to hate it. He could tell just by her body language. She paused for a few seconds and sent a glance his way in thought, the serious nature of it didn't escape his notice. She walked straight into a wall and the illusion of her being somewhat serious was gone when she grabbed onto her nose with a wince. It was oddly hilarious, though he wondered if she had hurt herself in the process.
"I'm all right!" She called out and he frowned in response.
He was sure he hadn't said that out loud. He knew there was a slight possibility that he could've, but it was highly unlikely. She continued her way and he stood there for a few seconds to just think. There were several things about the bluenette that didn't add up, the first of which was the fact that she seemed to know what he was thinking. He'd be working on a plant and wondering where his pruning scissors had gone, and she'd quietly hand them to him from where he had left them. It wasn't the strangest thing she could do, but it was up there.
He didn't mind her, but he knew it scared Junpei. He only knew because he had been told, much to his annoyance. He liked being left alone, he wasn't the biggest fan of the louder boy. He enjoyed the quiet she brought when they worked in the greenhouse together, it was such a pleasant change. He picked up a few yen from the ground, something that had been left over by a few of the newly defeated shadows, and headed down the same corridor. She was a fast walker, then again she did have longer legs than him.
She found the stairs. Rosemary was the first to find them for once and she felt a strange sense of accomplishment. She placed a hand on the railing and gave a quiet sigh. How many floors would they be able to climb up until they reached a blockade? There shouldn't be that many, she doubted that there was that many left.
She found that she really shouldn't bait the universe. It tended to rise to the challenge. They were fighting another large shadow on the thirty-sixth floor. This one wasn't weak to anything and that annoyed the hell out of her. She ducked under an arrow sent her way. She could feel her hair moving due to how close it had been. She swung her Naginata at the shadow with all her strength and clenched her jaw as the attack reverberated through the pole. She felt her muscles straining due to the amount of fighting they were doing. She had to remember whose bright idea it was to get through the section all at once. She sent a half-hearted glare towards Minato as he dodged an arrow.
"Is it almost finished?" She asked as she brought out her evoker and resummoned Icarus to deflect an attack.
She was pushed back by the attack and she sent her persona a slightly worried look. Icarus had an arrow stuck in their shoulder and was grasping at it with a dainty hand. It pulled it out and tossed it to the side. She looked back towards the large shadow and readied herself to attack again. It was sending out wind attacks like they were going out of style. She felt the attacks ruffling her hair as Icarus stopped every one of them.
"It's taking too long," Akihiko stated as he punched the shadow, "One of us needs to get a critical hit."
"Easier said than done," Yukari informed him with a glare as she used her own persona to heal everyone, "I'm starting to run out of energy."
"I'm almost at my limit as well," Rosemary told Minato as she swung her Naginata at the shadow and frowned as she didn't get a critical hit.
"Junpei's on the attack!" Junpei said as he rushed forward and got the critical hit.
She thanked whatever deity was up there for Junpei. They did one of their full out attacks and finally finished off the shadow. They headed up the stairs and continued their exploration. They started to fall back into a rhythm as they reached the fortieth floor. That was when they found a barricade stopping them from going any higher. She knew that meant another full moon fight. She brought a hand up and rubbed the back of her neck in thought. So, Tartarus was involved with the full moon and the dark hour. That brought about more questions than answers. She didn't know anymore.
Minato led them to the small elevator that would take them out of the block and back to the first floor. They all headed back to the dorms and she began to wonder why things seemed to be getting stale. The fact that there was a method to everything wasn't what bothered her, it was the fact that she was starting to get a bit bored and worried. They had nearly run out of energy while running around Tartarus, which would've been dangerous. They wouldn't have been able to summon their persona's and that could've ended up with them dead.
She didn't like that; it didn't sit well with her. She narrowed her eyes at the camera in her room before heading to bed. There wasn't much that she could do but hope that Minato learned from this night. Hopefully, they wouldn't do a block in one go again. Knowing him, they might, he was stubborn. More than she was, it was quite fun to see from the outside.
25, May 2009
Iwatodai, Japan
"Would you like to go to the movies with me?" Yamagishi quietly asked Rosemary that morning.
Rosemary looked at her with wide eyes as she contemplated her answer. She gave a small nod and Yamagishi gave her a tiny smile in response. It was easy to make the other girl happy, but she had to wonder why she was being invited to a movie. She quietly read the girl's surface thoughts and felt her body grow cold. Yamagishi was being treated as if she didn't exist in her own home. The only thing her parents seemed to care about was her grades, and they didn't even seem to care about her. She felt her fingers curl into fists under her desk as she grasped at her skirt.
Of all the people to be abused she was enraged that Yamagishi was thrown into it. She knew that life wasn't fair, otherwise so many things would've been so much better in her life, but someone so genuine in their kindness being treated like they were nothing bothered her. Oh, she knew that with her drive and abilities she'd make a wonderful social worker but the idea of studying persona's and shadows drove her more. She felt as though she was making a horrible choice but didn't really know who to talk to about it. Akihiko would tell her to do what made her happy, though there would be a bit of disappointment in his thoughts that she wasn't going to follow in his steps to become a boxer. Mitsuru was always busy and asked that any questions like that wait, though she felt bad to do so. Yukari was also trying to figure out what she'd like to do as was Junpei. She'd talk to Minato, but she didn't really know him that well and she didn't want to know why he kept wondering why his 'social link' with her wasn't growing. Whatever the hell a 'social link' was.
He couldn't even put an actual arcana to her's like he could others. Yukari was the lovers, and she was the reverse Hermit, but that puzzled the occupants of the velvet room. She knew more about the velvet room and the occupants due to Minato constantly trying to analyze what they told him. She shouldn't know anything about it, yet she couldn't help but think that wasn't true. The man with the long nose seemed familiar, and the older voice struck that same chord. She didn't even want to give any energy to the thought. All that would mean was that her grandmother changed the course of her life just for the best outcome. She was giving energy to the thought; it was even pulling her attention away from their teacher's lectures. Ekoda was one of those teachers that thought about the status quo and not the students.
He allowed the constant harassment of Yamagishi and herself and did nothing to stop it. His thoughts informed her that he believed they should stand up for themselves. She couldn't really stand up for herself when someone leaves red spider lilies on her desk when she wasn't physically there. Yamagishi was too kind to fight back, she believed that Natsuki was her friend and always deterred Rosemary from saying anything or standing up for her. It was slightly irritating, but she'd respect the other girl's wishes. Even though she hated to. Maybe Shinjiro was right about her having a savior complex. Huh, what a weird thing to have.
'The freaks still here? I'm surprised she hadn't offed herself yet.' Natsuki was pleasant as always.
"Miss Hanamura," Ekoda called and she looked up at him, "Instead of staring into space you can answer my question."
She stood up and waited for him to speak. He narrowed his eyes at her and she kept her entire body still and ignored the anxiety bubbling in her stomach. Her throat was growing dry and she was having trouble forming coherent thoughts. He didn't scare or bother her, but the eyes of all her classmates did. She tried to ignore the bad memories, but they started to play before she could stop them. She could hear the ridiculing laughter and the horrible thoughts sent her way.
"What is the world's oldest novel?" He asked her and her mind went blank.
She was quiet for a bit as she tried to restart her thoughts. The kids around her were starting to whisper to one another and questioning how she was the top student. They were mocking in their thoughts. Some had picked up on her constant use of the winter uniform and long skirt, others her cold attitude. She gave a quiet sigh as the answer came to her.
"…The tale of Genji…" She quietly answered.
"Who wrote it, Hanamura?" He pressed.
"Murasaki Shikibu," She answered, "It was originally published in the eleventh century, thus preceding works such as Robinson Crusoe and La Princesse de Clèves."
He shot her a glare and she quickly sat down. A few of her classmates sent her raised brows at the added facts and wondered if she even had a life outside of studying. She had a life; she just didn't do much with it. Ekoda cleared his throat and got the student's attention. For once he did something to stop the staring.
"Well, you gave the correct answer," He said before narrowing his eyes, "But the additives from England and France were not needed, please keep in mind that this class is about Japanese Classic Literature."
"Yes, Sensei." She quietly agreed.
She could feel the embarrassment rising in her and she ducked her head and started to take notes. It was what he wanted, he wanted his students to know the material and quietly take notes on what they didn't know. She could easily say that she disliked him. She would never say she hated him, no that was an emotion meant for her mother and the actions of her grandmother. She was still conflicted about the old woman's actions. She didn't know what she'd do if her grandfather was thrown into the mix as being complacent in the abuse. She wouldn't be able to function because he was the last of her happy childhood memories that hadn't been tainted or forcibly had the rose-tinted filters removed from them. If she lost those then she…she'd be a completely empty person.
The bell for lunch caught her attention and she quickly grabbed her melon bread before heading out of the room in a hurry. She couldn't help herself she needed to get away from the other students. A wry expression made its way onto her face at that. It wasn't like she could really get away from the other thoughts surrounding her. She reached the roof in record time and hurried to a spot that would keep her out of sight. She put on her headphones and turned on her MP3 player to drown out the thoughts, it didn't work. Not even Dress Down was working.
She pulled her knees up to her chest and slowly ate her lunch. She allowed her own thoughts to run wild and sighed. Her mind just wanted to focus on the aspect of SEES field leader. The velvet room was intriguing, and she wanted to learn more about it, but one couldn't get in without being invited. Yet, she couldn't place why it was familiar to her. The possibility of being like Minato was strong but she wasn't too sure about it. She ran a hand down her face and wondered how everything got so convoluted and so quickly. She felt something move her headphone and she froze.
"Are you hiding?" She flinched at the question.
"…no…" She muttered and she heard the person sigh.
It was Junpei, of all the people to find her it had to be him. He sat down next to her and she drew her knees to her chest and placed her chin down on them. He was struggling to find something to say, but he didn't know what the problem was. Sure, she sometimes freaked him out by seemingly knowing what he was thinking but she wasn't a bad person. She was just…distant. That was the perfect word for her, she kept so many people at arm's length and ignored everyone else. Akihiko was one of the few people he'd seen that she would willingly open up to, and he had heard the two discussing the kid she was taking in as a guardian. She cared a lot about them, it was easy to see by how expressive she could get.
"You're pretty observant when you want to be," She quietly said to him, her voice laced with the slightest hint of amusement.
"Of course, I am the ace detective!" He grinned at her, though he was trying to figure out how she knew that.
"Of course," She quietly agreed, sparing him a look before returning her gaze to the ledge of the roof.
"So, why're you hiding?" He asked in a light tone.
"…Sometimes the number of people get to me," she admitted, "A school is an easier place to manage more than a city, I can always escape to the roof."
"I see," He said, "Did someone say anything mean to you?"
"When don't they?" She sighed, "At this point, I'm used to being disliked, not like I don't bring it about by my charming personality."
He wondered if she knew just how bitter she sounded. It shone through her usual monotone; it was impressive. He gathered she didn't think much of herself and he frowned. He knew what that was like, to feel worthless. He wasn't very smart when it came to his grades or when talking to girls- he'd never admit that out loud- but he knew that he was well-liked. Here was someone that had the smarts he lacked but had no social skills to speak of. She seemed to curl up a bit more into herself and he watched as her sleeved rode up a little. Ah, the scars. He'd caught glimpses of them when they fought shadows, but he never knew just how many she had.
He didn't want to ask; he knew that would be rude. Yet, they told a story. He could tell by the different lengths and thicknesses of the scars he could see. He couldn't tell if they were self-made or not. She moved so that they weren't showing anymore and refused to look in his direction.
"Anxiety, huh?" He muttered, "You don't seem the type."
"I hide it pretty well," She admitted as she flicked a piece of flint off her skirt, "What brought you up here?"
"Ah, leaders eating lunch with Yuka-tan," He said, "I can tell when I'm not wanted."
"Ah, sorry," She quietly apologized.
"Don't worry about it," He gave her a slight grin as he found himself warming up to her, "I found a better lunch buddy."
"Better than Yukari-Chan and Arisato-San?" She asked in mock surprise, "I'm honored."
He let out a snort at that. Her humor was equal parts inappropriately timed questions and self-deprecation. He could get behind that, he nudged her shoulder with his own and watched as she tensed up for a few seconds before giving him a slight nod. Well, he now knew that she didn't like physical contact. Odd, she was usually okay with Akihiko or Yukari. He thought about it a bit and realized that was because they knew something about her and could gauge her reaction better.
"So, what plants are you working on?" He asked her.
"Ah, I got moved to the carnations with Arisato-San," She answered, "If you ever want someone to know they messed up send them a yellow carnation."
"What's it mean?" He asked.
"Disappointment."
He couldn't help his grin at that. He'd have to keep that in mind next time someone messed up. He knew where to go when he needed a wingman, flowers were always the way to go. He gathered he just made friends with the shield of their little group. They sat together in companionable silence, he had been given half of her bread because he forgot to bring something, before heading back to their respective classrooms.
Rosemary sat through her classes and sighed. It was all things she knew, having read ahead to keep her top spot. She tapped her pen against the top of her hand before writing something down. She was glad when classes ended. She was a bit surprised when Yamagishi turned to her with a small smile.
"Would you mind heading to the movies first?" Yamagishi quietly asked her, "I have some papers to turn into the faculty."
Yamagishi watched as Rosemary hesitated for a few seconds. She mentally pleaded with the taller teen and caught the worry in her eyes. It was sweet, but she wanted to finally stand up to Natsuki. The other girl was her friend, and she wanted to know what happened to make everything fall apart.
"Sure," Rosemary nodded as she felt her worry increase.
"I won't be long, promise," Yamagishi said.
"All right, but please be careful," Rosemary asked the smaller teen.
"I will."
Rosemary gave her one last worried look before heading to the movie theater at the station. She ignored some of the looks sent her way as she sat down on one of the benches and brought out her book to read. She was reading the second book in the Dune series and found that it was a little lackluster compared to the first one. It was still entertaining.
She finished it after an hour and a half. She looked towards the movie times and noticed that the movie was already playing. She'd head in, but something was nagging at her. Something was seriously wrong. Yet, she still gave it another hour. She wanted to show Yamagishi that she trusted her.
"Something happened," She quietly muttered to herself in English.
She was about to go and search for the teal haired girl when her phone went off. She looked up towards the sky and contemplated picking a fight with the universe. She could see why Akihiko was always ready for a fight. She took her phone out of her pocket and answered it.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Rosemary, it's good to hear from you," A familiar male voice said, and her shoulders slumped slightly, "I'm calling about that guardianship your Aunt talked to me about."
She felt her body tense up again. She hoped that he was giving her good news, she really did. It would be in the right step to make sure another kid didn't suffer as she did. She felt her stomach churning as her left hand started twitching. She could feel her heart racing.
"We'll be able to procure your guardianship over him by June fourteenth," He told her.
"You are a godsend, Jackson," She informed him, and she could hear the smirk in his voice, "Have you been able to make a headway with my mother?"
"We're struggling with her," He admitted, "Her lawyer keeps trying to use statements from the nuns and priests at your old school, but they aren't holding up due to what just came to light."
"That's good to hear," She muttered as she looked at the clock, it'd gotten late faster than she thought it would, "And the marriage contract?"
"It's iron-tight, there's nothing we can do to shut it down," He sighed, "You'd have to get married before the end of the semester, and I don't know if you can pull off a miracle like that."
"I don't even know who I would ask," She said with a frown, "The only person I would ask thinks he's going to die soon."
"He'd work," He piped up and he heard her silence that followed, "You must like this guy to not want to use him like this."
"I do," She admitted, "But I thought that the guardianship should've kept that contract from being finalized."
"It should've but your father's money talks louder than the law."
She clenched her jaw in anger. She finally had enough of a use for that man to notice her, huh? She couldn't help but feel resentment towards him. He takes notice of her just to try and sell her off like a piece of livestock? She wouldn't allow it. He seemed to forget that she could still say no at the altar. She would, even if it meant that she could possibly be killed or disowned. She mentally frowned, not like he could disown her. She was the only child left who wasn't born from a different woman than her mother. She wasn't an illegitimate child. It was a horrible thing to think and she felt uncomfortable thinking it, but it was true.
"You still there?" Jackson asked.
"Yes, sorry I was thinking," She said.
"I understand why," He grumbled, "I was able to get you a settlement due to the news showing your picture without your permission, it's sitting in your account awaiting you to use it."
"I'll make an account for the child I'm taking guardianship over," She said, "I'd like him to have some funds for college."
"Someone did right by you," He said after a few seconds, "I don't know who, but they did."
"Thank you?" She was a bit confused.
"It's a good thing."
"If you say so."
"Ah, enough of this I need to get back to work."
"I'll leave you to it, Jackson."
"Keep safe, Rosemary."
She hung up after that and pressed the bottom of the closed phone to her temple as she thought about what happened. Her father was persistent in trying to marry her off. If she was brave enough to ask someone for help she'd ask Shinjiro or Akihiko. Akihiko would be a great idea seeing as they both knew where they stood in each other's eyes, he'd help her out and they'd both "split up" once she turned eighteen, but something didn't sit right with her about asking him. Shinjiro was a toss-up, he might not help her for one. He also believed that he was going to die, and he didn't want to cause her pain. She knew his thoughts, more than he thought she did. Those thoughts were a big reason why she liked him so much, he had a good heart. He had morals and damn if he didn't feel extreme guilt for accidentally killing Ken's mom. She needed the two of them to connect and finally talk. Ken deserved to know the truth and Shinjiro deserved a less fatal chance to repent.
"I need to find Yamagishi." She quietly reminded herself.
She'd have to find Natsuki, and that wasn't going to be hard. Natsuki hung out at Paulownia mall, usually near the back-alleys. It was where Shinjiro stayed so he might be there as well. She wondered just how good he was at moving from back-alley to back-alley. He seemed to have a good system going. She didn't want to know, she gathered there was a bit of fighting involved and that worried her a bit. He was strong, she'd give him that, but she couldn't help but feel worried when he might be in danger. She wasn't giving him enough credit was she? She needed to have more faith in him. She turned a corner and headed into the back alleyway.
"I can't believe she fell for it." She heard Natsuki say.
"How gullible can you get?" A different girl mocked with a slight sneer.
"Oh shit, it's Hanamura," The last girl of the trio hissed.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Natsuki asked Rosemary with a slight sneer.
"Well, I was waiting for Yamagishi, but she didn't show," Rosemary calmly said as she stared the girl down, "I had a hunch you three did something to her, I hate being right about that."
"What's it to you, not like you're her friend," The second girl stated.
"…Still…" Rosemary muttered before giving them a sharp look, "What did you do to her?"
The look she gave them was making them fidget. She heard a quiet murmur rise in the thoughts surrounding her, a few of the drunken men were having thoughts about the group of girls in their uniforms and she felt disgusted at some of the more provocative ones. She heard Shinjiro grumbling in his thoughts at the sudden noise and came to investigate. He was both pleased and annoyed to see her. She didn't even spare him a glance, if she did she might lose the intimidation she had over the three girls.
"We locked her in the gym." The third girl said and the other two glared at her.
"Oh look, one of you actually knows remorse," Rosemary couldn't help but say, she watched them flinch and she stopped the apologetic expression from showing on her face, "Thank you for saying something."
She turned on her heel and hurried from the back alley. If she ran she might make it to the school before the dark hour even had a chance to begin. She stopped when she heard Shinjiro's questioning thoughts. She had the time to answer one or two of his questions, but not too many. She gave him a look over her shoulder and he gave a slight nod.
"The hell was that?" He asked her as they met up at the back-alley's opening.
"Intimidation," She muttered, "I needed information and they would've walked all over me if I hadn't done that."
"You don't like to do it," he pointed out.
"I don't," She confirmed, "But if Yamagishi is inside the gym and the dark hour begins then she might be stuck in there until we can find her."
"And if you get stuck with her?" He asked narrowing his eyes at her.
"Then at least she'll have someone to look after her," She sighed glad that she carried her evoker with her on Mitsuru's request that they never knew when they'd need them, "If I leave now I can make it."
"You idiot," He hissed, and she looked up at him when she felt the worry in his thoughts, "You are just like Aki."
"Hey, I could be worse." She pointed out.
He had to give her that, she could indeed be worse. She gave his shoulder a slight pat and made to run off, but he stopped her. He raised a brow under his beanie and motioned towards her hair. She gave him a look before untying her bow from around her neck and using it to put her hair in a ponytail. It was advice from him and if it made him worry less she didn't mind doing so.
"I really need to get going," She told him before she started to rush off, "I'll see you around, Shinjiro."
'Idiot.'
He pulled his beanie down a bit more in embarrassment as he made a face when his cheeks warmed. He couldn't believe that she'd run off like that. She must really like this Yamagishi girl. He just hoped that she didn't do anything too stupid, she seemed to have a somewhat good head on her shoulders. He wakes back into the back alley when his cheeks cooled and that embarrassment was gone, he would stay and collect information. He had a feeling it was going to be important soon. He just didn't know how important.
Rosemary easily snuck around the security guards at the school and slowly made her way to the gym. She forgot about the security; it was taking more time than she had. She was lucky to make it with some time to spare. She unlocked the door and saw Yamagishi curled up into a ball next to the door. She felt horrible for not coming sooner.
"Fuuka-Chan?" She quietly said, getting the teal-haired girl's attention.
"Rosemary-San?" Fuuka asked as she blearily looked at her.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Rosemary told her with an apologetic smile.
Fuuka gave her a weak one in response before gasping. Rosemary heard the screaming in her mind and knew immediately what happened. The dark hour had descended upon them. They were stuck until the other members of SEES figure out what happened to them. She didn't even know what floor they were on, and that wasn't even the biggest problem. The elevators that brought them back, those didn't work without a navigator. She couldn't head back with Fuuka even if she wanted to.
"What is this?" Fuuka asked as she slowly got up to her feet.
"This is the dark hour," Rosemary explained, "A hidden hour between midnight and one in the morning, we are currently in a tower created by this time called Tartarus."
"Isn't Tartarus the place where the Titans were imprisoned?" Fuuka quietly asked as she thought back to her limited knowledge of Greek mythology.
"I said the exact thing," Rosemary answered in amusement, "But I don't know if it could be akin to one another, this Tartarus goes up while the mythological one was an abyss in the underworld."
"I see," Fukka muttered before turning towards Rosemary, "How is it you know about the dark hour?"
"That's a long story," Rosemary answered, "And we have plenty of time until the others finally show up."
Rosemary delved into what she knew about the dark hour and personas. Fuuka listened intently and kept her questions until after she was finished. It didn't come as a surprise to the teal haired girl that she had the potential, she gathered she would've been a coffin, or she would've been suffering from paralyzing fear. She stood closer to the taller girl when she felt something coming towards them. It was on the edge of her senses; she'd call it a third eye but didn't know for sure.
"Shadows, great," Rosemary sighed, "I don't think they've really noticed us yet, so let's try to avoid them."
Shadows, that's what she was sensing. She looked up towards Rosemary and watched as the teen winced at something. There had to be something that she sensed when it came to the shadows. She saw the strained smile on her face as they moved to a wall to avoid being detected by a few shadows that slithered by.
"I hear screaming," Rosemary informed them, "The more I explore Tartarus and the dark hour the more I'm able to make out some coherent words in the screams."
Her persona amplified her abilities? That's what Fuuka got out of it. No wonder she seemed distracted during exams. She had to be hearing hundreds of thoughts when she was trying to remember the right answer. She left her train of thought at that and looked around with a worried expression.
It shouldn't take too long for the others to find them, right? Judging by Rosemary's expression she wasn't too sure. That didn't bode well. She felt her worry increase and was glad to have a friend with her.
Minato looked at Elizabeth as he finished fusing personas he had collected during his exploration in Tartarus. She seemed thoughtful as she looked at the cards belonging to his social links. He caught sight of the two Hermit cards, one of which was upside down. It was a literal reversal. She picked up that card and really studied it.
"It seems as though there is more to your reverse hermit than at first glance," She informed him, and she handed the card to the owner of the velvet room.
Igor, or the nose, looked at the card in a calculating manner. He closed his large eyes before letting out a soft sound. It appears they found another wild card, this one was no longer on their path. There was a change in destiny from an outside source, this person would be able to use the velvet room the moment their resolve became strong enough.
"This person had their destiny changed by an outside source," Igor informed him, and he was a bit interested, "They too carry the ability to become a wild card, but only when their resolve is strong enough to show their true arcana."
"True arcana?" He asked.
"A reversed arcana is usually attached to someone who has gone through great pains," Igor explained, "This person lost their path, and is attempting to find it again."
"She seemed put together," He said with the slightest of frowns.
"She is putting on a façade, a mask to make sure no one notices or hears her pain," Elizabeth said, and he looked towards her, "Her card is slowly turning each time you spend time with her, and the longer she fights shadows."
"I wonder what her social links look like," He couldn't help but comment.
"Perhaps one day you will know."
He gave a small nod at that before leaving the velvet room. What awaited him at the dorms surprised him. Akihiko was pacing the foyer. It wasn't unusual for the older teen to burn off energy doing something, but he almost seemed worried. Minato noted that Rosemary wasn't around, or that the smell of flowers was non-existent. She hadn't been through the area either.
"Have you seen, May?" Akihiko asked him.
"Not since school," He answered.
"That's the same answer that Takeba gave me," Akihiko sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "She hasn't come back yet, and her phone is out of range."
"Do you think she ran into problems during the dark hour?" He asked.
"It's possible," Akihiko answered, "There's someone that might know what happened, but it's going to take me some time to track him down…it's harder to do without her."
Minato gave him a slight nod before heading up to his room. He paused when he heard a meowing on the girl's floor. He headed to the room and gently pushed on the door. A grey almost bluish cat was sitting at the door, its tail hitting the ground in a rhythm that showed its irritation. He knelt in front of it and held his hand out. It sniffed his hand before butting its head against it. The cat had soft fur and was obviously well cared for. He hadn't pegged Rosemary as an animal lover. He picked up the cat and it snuggled into his arms. He didn't know that Mochi had been worked with to somewhat trust men, or at least trust the scent of flowers. Minato smelt of flowers due to spending some time in the greenhouse just enjoying the silence. He looked after the cat that night.
The days passed and soon they were all highly anxious. Rosemary hadn't been seen and neither had one of her classmates. Yukari heard the rumors as did Junpei. People were starting to think that Rosemary had attacked Yamagishi and disappeared to keep the cops off her trail. They credited that to the information about her mother. Yukari was horrified as she caught wind of the article in the school paper that was going around with that information. Junpei got his hands on it and read it. He was horrified at what was reported, and fully understood why she seemed to dislike physical contact.
Minato looked at the president of the newspaper as he stood with Akihiko and Mitsuru. He knew what had happened was going too far, the information was private, and it had been released. Of all the people to do such a thing, it was a first-year female student who was in the Sanada Fanclub. He looked towards the silver-haired teen and noted the stony expression on his face. Akihiko was livid and was doing an excellent job at keeping his calm.
"You are banned from the newspaper and will be facing disciplinary charges," Mitsuru informed the first year, "This paper will be recalled immediately, the information that was published is currently being used in court proceedings and private."
"We'll send our other members right away," The president said, "We'll also get a few of the teachers to help."
"I need you to find a teen named Aragaki Shinjiro," Akihiko told Minato, "He might have information as to where May has gone."
"You won't be joining?" Minato asked.
"No, I need to help Mitsuru with the cleanup here," Akihiko answered with a slight frown, "I can't believe that someone would do such a thing."
"People are cruel," Mitsuru said, her voice strained yet frosty, she turned to Minato, "Please head out to find Aragaki, and take Takeba and Iori with you."
"Right." Minato nodded.
He rounded the two up and they slowly walked over to the back alleys behind the mall. Yukari was on edge due to what had happened and Junpei had a frown on his face. He owed the other girl an apology. He had read the article and had noticed a few things that stood out. Susan Pinefield claimed her daughter could read her mind, which is a logical fallacy seeing as such an occurrence is impossible. He didn't think it was. He'd be angrier at the fact that she hadn't even said anything, but she'd never recover from the rumors that would surround her now. All he knew was that Mitsuru was going to come down hard on bullying.
"Aragaki-san really spends his time here?" Yukari muttered as she eyed the back alley with slight distaste.
"Keep it down Yuka-tan," Junpei warned.
"The hell are you three doing here?" A man asked as he swaggered up to them, "You lost?"
"We were searching-" Junpei started and he started to sweat when he was interrupted.
"We have every right to be here," Yukari stated, she was not in the mood to be pushed around.
That was when things started to escalate. Minato was apathetic to the entire thing and simply looked around, he was trying to figure out who Aragaki might be. He caught sight of a tall teen wearing a burgundy dutch coat and a black beanie. He was hunched over with his hands in his pockets, glaring at people. He met his eyes and silver clashed for a few seconds. That had to be Aragaki.
Shinjiro looked at the three Gekkoukan students and watched as a fight slowly broke out. He sighed; he'd get them to leave. He felt an odd sense of disappointment, these were Rosemary's friends, and she was nowhere to be seen. He might've hurt her feelings the last time they spoke. He ignored his guilt and walked towards the group.
"Leave them be, I'll make sure they leave," He said, and he watched as the adult turned to glare at him.
"Yeah right, I thought you were one of us," The adult informed him before swinging at him.
Shinjiro caught the man's fist with ease and pulled him forward to slam his forehead into his. He got the bridge of his nose and downed the man. He glared at everyone as people began to clear out, one woman leaning down to help the man that he had head-butted. He was getting looks of awe from one of the Gekkoukan students. This one was wearing a ball cap.
"Thank you," Yukari thanked him.
"You three need to leave," He bluntly informed them, "It's not safe here."
"We're here for information," Minato stated, "Sanada-Senpai told us to find you."
"We need to know about the rumors on Yamagishi," Yukari told him, and he eyed her for a few seconds.
"The ghost of Yamagishi Fuuka, huh," He sighed, "Yeah three girls were here for a few nights talking about it, they locked her in the gym and were boasting about it until another student came up."
"Who was the other student?" Yukari asked and he noted the sudden interest from the three.
"Does it matter?" He asked withholding information to her information, it was a good strategy.
"One of our friends has been missing for days," Minato calmly informed him, "She's in the same class as Yamagishi."
Yukari studied the older teen and watched as realization sparked in his eyes before changing to worry and finally slight anger. She noted the hair color and eye color as it dawned on her. This was the guy Rosemary liked? The one who was nicer than he seemed to be? She couldn't read minds but wondered how the taller girl wasn't intimidated by him.
"Hanamura Rosemary ran to the school to help Yamagishi," Shinjiro told them and he was a bit angry at the fact that he didn't make her stay behind to call for backup, "There weren't any rumors about her here, only Yamagishi."
"That's because they started today," Junpei darkly muttered and Shinjiro looked to him.
"Thank you for telling us," Yukari said as she elbowed Junpei, "You really are nicer than you seem."
"Huh?" Shinjiro asked as he allowed his confusion to show on his face.
"Yuka-tan, he just helped us," Junpei hissed at her, "Don't make him mad."
Shinjiro watched as Yukari rolled her eyes in response. The four of them were more connected than he had been with Mitsuru. They were slowly becoming friends, though he knew that their friendships were built around two people. Minato and Rosemary, both had that odd charm to them that either pulled people in or pushed people away.
"You always said that I lived in the past, Aki," Shinjiro couldn't help but mutter out loud, the scene was too familiar to him.
"Did…did May-Chan do anything weird before she ran off?" Junpei asked.
"She seemed the same as usual," Shinjiro answered.
"Same as usual?" Minato quietly asked.
"She knows Aragaki-Senpai," Yukari answered with a slight shrug, "She met him through Akihiko-Senpai."
Shinjiro didn't even react to the information being told. Junpei gave him a slight nod of respect and he didn't even want to know what for. Minato sighed quietly before ushering the other two out of the area after giving him a strange look. Rosemary had some interesting friends, and he was putting that mildly. Then again, she liked him for some odd reason. He narrowed his eyes at that thought. He still needed to give her an answer. He just wasn't ready yet.
"It feels like it's been hours," Rosemary muttered as she pulled the trigger to her evoker for the fifth time in a row, "But that's highly improbable."
"Maybe time works differently?" Fuuka hypothesized.
"I think you are on to something," She answered as she shielded them from a shadow before sending Icarus to attack.
She felt the sweat going down her face and through the dirt from where she had been knocked down in a fight. Apparently, she was weak to wind attacks. She hadn't known that. Shadows didn't typically last long enough for them to attack her with magic or if they did she dodged. She ducked under a gust of wind and rushed forward. She brought her heavily bruised fist back and slammed it into the shadow's mask. It dissolved at her hit. It allowed the two of them to continue walking around.
The dark hour truly felt like it had been going on for hours. Rosemary didn't even know if it was the same day or not. She didn't want to know. Everything she knew about the dark hour was being tested, and there was a strange feeling in the back of her thoughts.
She couldn't place them, but Icarus could feel them as well. She stared at the spot where the shadow had been and quietly contemplated what was in the back of her mind. They were thoughts, but not ones she could hear. They were more like feelings if she wanted to be technical. Yet, they weren't hers. It was like something was waiting for her, but she didn't know what. It was almost like she wasn't ready yet. If she wanted to be technical or even mythical about it, she could say that she was still on her journey.
"Rosemary-Chan, are you all right?" Fuuka asked her, her eyes showing her worry.
"Yes, sorry I got a bit lost in thought," Rosemary said with a small, apologetic smile.
Fuuka understood and they both walked down a corridor to hide when a few more shadows showed up. She looked towards her friend and noticed how exhausted she was, the constant fighting and usage of her persona was catching up with her. She couldn't even unbend her fingers due to how much damage she had done to them. The appendages were deep blues and purples and slightly crooked. It was easy to see that she had broken a finger or two.
"Does your hand hurt?" Fuuka softly asked as she looked at the curled fingers as Rosemary winced when trying to unfurl them.
"Very much," Rosemary answered with a bigger wince as she got some of her fingers to unfurl, "There's not much I can do about it until we're helped by the others…I do wish they'd hurry up."
"You have a lot of faith in them," Fuuka commented and she got a nod out of her, "I'm glad, you seemed lonely when you first came here."
"…I was…" Rosemary softly admitted, "I didn't have any friends until I came here, everyone means a lot to me."
Fuuka smiled at that and nodded her agreement. It was easy to see what her friends meant to her; she would lay down her life for them. Even if they didn't want her to. It was a quiet part of her that didn't show up that often or was even thought about. She watched as the taller girl froze for a few seconds before a relieved expression appeared on her face.
"Let's go, someone just arrived on this floor," She explained, and she held out one of her bruised hands to the shorter girl.
"Right." Fuuka nodded as she took the offered hand.
She trusted Rosemary to get them both out of danger. The other girl was maneuvering around the corridors with ease and soon she saw Sanada Akihiko and Arisato Minato. Akihiko seemed to relax a bit upon seeing them.
"Why didn't you call for backup?" Akihiko asked Rosemary as the two girls ran up to them.
"Because I thought I had more time," She answered, "By the time I realized I was already in the school and at the gym, it's better to have someone with Fuuka-Chan than leave her to possibly get hurt."
Akihiko hated when she used logic like that. She had put herself in danger to make sure a classmate was safe, someone who didn't know her. He watched as the teal haired girl slightly hid behind the taller girl. He felt his anger leave him at the sight of her unharmed. Well, she had done a decent job. He just didn't want her to do something like this again.
"I won't," She muttered as Minato walked forward and motioned for Fuuka to follow him, "Besides, I might be out of commission for physical fighting for a while."
"What happened?" He asked in a serious tone.
"I might have a few broken fingers," She answered in a blank tone, he couldn't tell if she was distancing herself from the problem, "I was fighting the shadows with my fists for the most part."
'Ah, that explains why she's suddenly a lot stronger than everyone else.' Minato's thought almost amused her, but also worried her.
She didn't want to be stronger than anyone else, she liked being on even ground with the others. She followed behind the others as they headed towards one of the exits. It was working due to Mitsuru. She was thankful for that and welcomed the sight of the working elevator. She finally allowed herself to feel her fatigue. All she wanted now was a shower and a good night's sleep.
"How long were we missing?" She quietly asked Akihiko as they walked up to the elevator.
"It's now June eighth," He answered, and she made a face at that, "Ekoda-Sensei was given a talking to by Mitsuru."
"She probably did more than that," She quietly said, "…I don't feel bad for him."
He knew why, after years of being bullied and having it ignored she lost sympathy towards those that turned a blind eye. She didn't have much sympathy for herself either because she hadn't wanted to be a part of it. She rubbed the back of her neck in thought. It was with one of her better-looking hands, the fingers weren't as crooked, but the bruises were worse. He didn't have anything to help wrap them up.
"Hey, you found them," Junpei commented as they met up with him, "Wow you look beat up, May-Chan."
"Leave it to Iori to comment on that," Akihiko muttered.
"Why don't we head back to the first floor," Rosemary sighed, "I think we all need some sleep."
Everyone agreed with that and soon they were exiting the second floor of Tartarus. The first floor was normal, and Rosemary was relieved to see the doors that led outside. She didn't care if she had to fight more shadows, she was glad to have escaped. She looked towards Fuuka and felt all tension leave her body. She was also happy she could do something to help her friend, even if it wasn't much.
'It was much to her…you are finally learning.'
She welcomed Icarus's words but couldn't help but ponder them. What was she supposed to be learning? Did this have something to do with her future? She closed her eyes for a few seconds and ignored that train of thought, it didn't matter, not really. She'd deal with it when she reached that point.
"Hanamura, you of all people should know to think before acting," Mitsuru didn't even wait till she was standing in front of her to tear into her.
The redhead was worried and angry at her for taking such a gamble, yet there was some respect and understanding. Mitsuru was slightly proud of her for being able to keep Fuuka safe, but angry that she hadn't even called for backup. Rosemary wasn't used to having backup and made a mental note to say something to Shinjiro in the future.
"What the hell?" Junpei asked when they noticed something lumbering towards them.
It was the full moon shadows; Rosemary knew that much due to the screaming that came from them. It was different than the usual shadows, more coherent. She couldn't understand them, but it sounded more like a language. She blinked when someone tugged on the back of her vest and pulled her out of the way of an attack by one of the large shadows. They looked alike, though one reminded her of a caricature of an empress and the other an emperor.
"Can you still fight?" Minato asked Rosemary.
"I may not have a physical weapon, but I can still use Icarus for a little longer," She said, "I'll see what I can do."
He gave her a curt nod and got ready to summon his persona. Akihiko pulled his gloves on tighter and got into a fighting stance. Rosemary moved to the back to give support. She brought out her evoker and pressed it underneath her jaw in preparation to block an attack from either shadow. Minato looked at everyone and gave a signal for them to start their attacks.
Nothing seemed to work. The emperor shadow seemed impervious to their physical attacks and the empress was impervious to their magic. Rosemary called on Icarus when the emperor swung his sword at them. Icarus caught the sword with some difficulty and was thrown back. The attack never landed on them but Rosemary felt the pain that Icarus felt from the rebound. It wasn't physical, but she'd be damned if it didn't hurt like it was. She made a face when the empress attacked with a garula and sent Icarus and her down to the ground. She gained a pain in her side and clenched her teeth together. She held onto her side in an attempt to feel a bit better, but the pain seemed to get worse.
"Damn it," She hissed out as she slowly picked herself up.
"I got you," Yukari softly told her as she held out a hand to help her up.
"Thank you," Rosemary said as she accepted the help up.
"Moriyama-San?" Fuuka quietly asked in surprise when she saw the ganguro girl stumbling into Tartarus, "Moriyama-San!"
Fuuka ran forward to stop the other girl from going any further. Rosemary reached out to try and stop her before the shadows noticed either of them. She blinked when Fuuka maneuvered her way through the attacks by the shadows and reached Natsuki. She looked down at her evoker before looking up towards Icarus.
"Can you deliver this to her?" She quietly asked, "Just throw it to her."
'This will almost use up the rest of your energy.' Icarus informed her and Rosemary didn't even think about the fact that her persona was becoming more talkative.
"That's all right," She quietly consented.
Icarus took the evoker and easily tossed it near Fuuka. Fuuka picked it up with a surprised look on her face as she understood why Rosemary had tossed it to her. She looked towards Natsuki and gently pressed her forehead against the other girls.
"I'm so sorry, Fuuka," Natsuki apologized as tears slowly ran down her face.
"I forgive you," Fuuka softly told her.
Natsuki closed her eyes at that as more tears went down her face. She didn't believe she deserved forgiveness. She opened her eyes as Fuuka turned the evoker to her forehead and summoned her persona. It engulfed the two of them in a sphere filled with water. She could still breath, but the water whipped her short strands of hair around her head. The awakening of her persona allowed her to sense the shadows around them, something about Tartarus didn't feel right but she didn't have time to ponder that.
"Everyone, the empress is weak to physical attacks while the emperor is weak to magic," Fuuka informed them, as she deflected an attack from the emperor.
The empress was about to attack on her when Icarus came out of nowhere and slammed its fist into the shadow. Rosemary was spent and was on the floor trying to catch her breath. She had done some damage to the shadow, but she was useless now. She saw dark spots in her vision and started to slow her breathing to calm herself down. She had to breath through the pain that was starting to burn through her body.
"Guys, kick their ass." Sue told the other with a serious expression.
"It would be our pleasure, May-Chan!" Junpei grinned as he and Akihiko took on the empress while Minato, Mitsuru, and Yukari attacked the emperor with spells. She slowly moved to where she was sitting on her heels and looked at her side. It had the most of her pain, though her hands were slowly moving up that list. There wasn't any blood so she gathered it was just some heavy bruising. She looked up when the room quaked. The two shadows were down and she felt proud of her friends as they all attacked at once. The shadows dissolved and she felt her shoulders slump. It was over, another full moon was finally over.
"Let's all return," Mitsuru told everyone, "Yamagishi and Hanamura need to be checked for any injuries and be informed of everything that has happened in their absence."
Akihiko was in charge of telling Rosemary what had happened. He waited outside of the hospital room where she was being checked on by a female doctor. He was told to come in and saw her sitting in a bed with a contemplative look. Her hands were bandaged and he saw a few splints on five of the fingers, one even covered the knuckle of one finger. She had damaged her hands pretty good then. She wouldn't be able to go to boxing for a while.
"So, what happened when I was gone?" She quietly asked him as he sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Someone posted your information in the school newspaper," He decided to tell her immediately, he believed the bandaid method would work best for this, "The person responsible is being charged, your lawyer caught wind of what happened."
"Of course he did," She muttered and he watched as she put her head in her hands, "It didn't take long…I don't know what I was expecting really."
He gave her a look at that. She had expected something like this to happen? He knew it had been bad at her old school, but for her to expect the same behavior at Gekkoukan was worrying. He brought a hand up and placed it on her shoulder in a quiet attempt at giving her support. She didn't look up or even react. He didn't know what else to do, he almost felt responsible for it.
"You can't control other people, Aki," She informed him, "We've been over this."
He gave her a slight smile at that, at least she was still there. He removed his hand from her shoulder and she slowly brought her head up. That contemplative look was replaced with a weary one. She looked stressed about something.
"This doesn't help my problems," She informed him, "My parents meddling in my life is already enough to worry about."
"What'd they do?" He frowned.
His expression darkened when she explained. She even brought up the idea of asking for help, but didn't want to force anyone into anything. When he asked who she had originally thought of asking, he was touched that his name came up first. He was surprised when she said Shinjiro as the second name. Those two did connect after Shinji learned what it was she could do, he wasn't stupid he had noticed.
"He'd probably help," Akihiko said, "He's that kind of guy."
"He's the kind to gripe about something but be a genuine nice guy," Sue agreed, "I just don't like the idea of using someone… and there's the issue with Ken."
"Ken's aware that it was Shinji?" He asked.
"Yes, he's a sharper kid than people give him credit for," She said in a sharp tone, "He's aware of what happened that night, but he isn't a hundred percent sure it's Shinjiro yet he's following a gut feeling that it is."
"The kids got one hell of a gut," He muttered, "Why not say that the arrangement was made before you knew?"
"Ken knows about my ability," She pointed out, "He thinks about his mom a lot."
Akihiko still thought they should go for it. It would make sure she was safe, while bringing Shinjiro back to the dorms. Mitsuru had told him to bring the taller boy back into the team, and even Ikutsuki was pushing him to do so. He watched as Rosemary made a slight expression of distaste at that train of thought, he agreed with her there. As long as Shinji was safe he didn't want to bother the teen. Shinji could take care of himself.
"He'll say no," She muttered and he didn't know what she was referring to was it the marriage contract to get her out of her parents grasp or him coming back to the dorms, "…Yes to all of those."
"We can figure something out." He sighed.
"All right, but I need to make sure that Ken knows when he needs to pack up his things," She said as she sat back in the hospital bed, "I don't want to run into his uncle."
"He's moving into the dorm?" He asked with raised brows.
"Ikutsuki allowed it," She said and he noted her expression, "Sometimes he reminds me of my mother."
That was worrying. He gave her knee a pat before getting up from the bed. She looked half asleep and he didn't want to keep her up any longer than he had to. She was out like a light before he even left the room. He was impressed. He turned to Mitsuru and noted her thoughtful expression.
"You heard the entire thing," He said.
"Yes, her parents behavior is worrying," Mitsuru confirmed, "You might be right that Aragaki could help, but she is also right that it might cause tension between him and Amada."
"It's never easy," He sighed.
"No, it's not." She agreed.