Captain Blues: No time for a clever intro. Let's get into the thick of it: the seas are wild with angst. You have been warned. Time to set sail!
Persona 5: The Darkest Hour
Heartbeat, Heartbreak
[Opening Scene: Café LeBlanch (Evening)
Theme of Café LeBlanc: Beneath the Mask from Persona 5]
"How is she doing, Doc?" Sumire asked as Tae came into view.
"Her body shut down due to her grief," Tae explained as she took off her gloves. "She needs rest. That's all."
The Phantom Thieves nodded at this.
Sumire knew from first-hand experience how deep grief could cut into one's soul. If it were up to her, she would never wish that type of sorrow on anyone. "We learned a lot of new information today," Makoto said. "Somehow, she was transported from the year 2009 to 2017, but for what reason, we do not know."
"Not only that, this Dark Hour and Tartarus arrived around the same time she did," Ren said with narrowed eyes. "It must be connected somehow."
"Not only that, she went to Gekkoukan in 2009. How curious," Tae said with crossed arms.
"Why does the concern you, Tae?" Sae questioned.
"The only Arisato I knew was Arisato Minato," Tae said as she leaned back in her chair. "And the only reason I know that is because I was in my third year at Gekkokukan around that time."
"You were?!" The group yelled.
Tae pulled out her wallet and pulled out an ID, and held it up. Sumire reached for it and gazed at it. "She's telling the truth," Sumire said as she handed the ID to Makoto, who glanced at it before handing it off to Ren.
"But it doesn't make sense," Futaba muttered. "I'm pretty good at spotting truth from lies. She was one-hundred percent honest."
Tae stood up from her seat and said, "Tell you what? I know a few people who went to that school and knew Arisato personally. I can see if they have more info about this girl."
"That would be amaze-balls, Tae. Thank you," Futaba said.
"Thank me when I have some information," Tae said as she walked to the door before she paused and glanced at Sae. "You mind driving me home again, Prosecutor?"
"I don't mind. I do have to get to work anyways. Might as well take you on the way," Sae said as she stood up from her chair. She then turned back to Makoto and asked, "Keep me posted on whatever happens. Understood?"
"Understood," Makoto replied with a nod.
Sae nodded and walked out of the room together with Tae.
Once they were gone, Ryuji asked, "So, who wants to bet on them hooking up soon?"
"I give it two weeks," Futaba said.
"Oh, this is fun. I give it a week," Haru chirped.
"I give it three days," Ann countered.
Makoto stammered in shock.
"Hmm, what are we betting?" Yusuke asked. "If it is money, I am afraid I have overspent again on new art supplies."
"Yusuke has a point. I'm pretty tight on funds, too," Sumire said.
"Ditto," Ren said.
"A-Are you guys seriously betting on my sister's relationship?!" Makoto explained.
"I mean, knowing Tae as well as I do," Ren said. "She's pretty aloof about things. The fact she asked Sae to drive her home was pretty telling."
"And how well do you know Tae?" Futaba asked with a lecherous look, which Ryuji joined in with a perverted leer towards Ren.
Ann and Makoto stiffened at this and slowly turned to Ren. "H-Hey, when did I go back to court all of a sudden?!" Ren exclaimed.
Haru chuckled with Yusuke looked confused.
While everyone was ragging on Ren's suspicious knowledge about Sae, Sumire glanced at the stairs with a frown.
[Scene Change: Gekkoukan High Rooftop (Flashback - Daytime)
Theme of a Broken Heart: Aoba Park from Persona 2: Eternal Punishment]]
"I wonder if we'll get in trouble if someone finds us up here," a pale-skinned boy with black, swept-back hair, blue eyes, and a beauty mark under his left eye said as he opened the door to the roof.
The boy wore the school uniform of Gekkoukan High School, with the added detail of folded black sleeves. He also had on black suspenders, a watch with crossed straps on his left wrist, and a yellow scarf.
This boy was Mochizuki Ryōji, and he was the charming doofus that had taken Minako's heart.
She didn't even know how it happened. Her Best friend, Iori Junpei, had introduced them, and from the moment her eyes locked with his, she felt something familiar about him. He was a flirt and tended to enjoy riling up Aigis, but something was warming about him beneath the flirty, carefree air that surrounded him.
"We'll just not have to be seen," Minako replied with a teasing smile, which caused Ryōji to blink before pink streaked across his face.
"I see," Ryōji replied with a gentle laugh that made Minako's heart skip a beat. "You are an interesting person," he added as the two of them walked to the edge of the roof and stared out at the city of Iwatodai through the bars that lined the roof's edge.
Minako watched as Ryōji ducked his head, causing the bottom half of his face to hide in his yellow scarf. "When I'm alone, I don't feel right," he began. "I think I'm scared."
"Scared? You?" Minako asked. "And here I thought a prince like yourself would laugh in the face of fear."
Ryōji laughed again. "Well, this prince faces his fears often," Ryōji said before his smile died away."I wish this fear I have would go away."
Sensing this conversation was serious to him, Minako put away her carefree tone and asked him, "What is it that you fear?"
Ryōji grew quiet for a moment, allowing the sounds of seagulls and the calming waves of the ocean below to fill the air. "The fact tomorrow will come scares me," Ryōji told her.
"Tomorrow?" Minako questioned. "Why would you fear tomorrow?"
"I don't know. I can't figure it out myself," Ryōji answered before she watched him look down at her and asked, "Minako-chan…Am I…I'm really here, right?"
Minako was alarmed at this question, which seemed to cause Ryōji to flinch before he looked away from her sadly and murmured, "Oh, sorry. What am I saying….?"
Minako took Ryōji's face into her hands and gingerly lifted it back up so she could look into his eyes and whispered, "Ryōji, talk to me. What's on your mind?"
Minako could see the conflict in Ryōji's eyes at her words before he shut them and whispered, "I…don't want to lose you."
His words rocked Minako.
"Ryōji?" Minako questioned.
"I fear tomorrow because you're important to me…That's why I'm scared…" Ryōji continued before he opened his eyes and looked at her. "You're…the only one there is for me. The only one I want…So please, stay with me."
This was really happening.
The moment Minako had thought about since their last outing together was coming true, but it was different somehow in her fantasy.
She always imagined that when Ryoji would admit his feelings for her, he would do it under a moon-lit sky, and there would be fireworks and loud declarations of love.
An admission fit for a princess, as he would say.
Instead, this admission was a quiet affair tinged in sadness and intimacy, yet, considering how she danced with Death every day by fighting Shadows, it felt right.
This felt right to her.
But despite this feeling right, she still didn't have the words to return his feelings. She was unsure of what to say. So, Minako decided to tell him differently, and that was by smiling at him, leaning in close, and giving him a tender kiss to his lips.
She felt Ryōji tense up from the sudden contact before his arms found themselves around her body and bought her close as he returned her kiss.
His kiss held fear, sadness, affection, desire, and tenderness. It was everything that reminded her of the yellow-scarfed boy.
Slowly, Minako pulled away and stared at the gray eyes of the teen before her and said, "You are the most confusing person I ever met."
"How so, Minako-chan?" Ryōji softly asked her.
"When we first met, you were such a flirt and cocky boy, and yet, when we're alone, you turn into this sweet, charming person that I can't get enough of," Minako said, trying to steady her fast-beating heart. "You don't have to worry about tomorrow, Ryōji-kun, because no matter what happens, I will never leave you."
Ryōji was surprised by her words before that surprise melted away with the most breathtaking smile she had ever seen him give to anyone. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me…More precious than my own life."
Minako blushed before she said, "I love you too, Ryōji," before her lips found his in another gentle kiss.
[Scene Change: Ren's Room (Present time - Evening)
Theme of a Broken Heart: Aoba Park from Persona 2: Eternal Punishment]
Minako laid on Ren's bed, curled up into a ball as she sobbed openly, her hands gripping at her chest.
It hurt so badly.
Why did this hurt so much?
"Ryōji," she gasped out as hot tears fell down her face, the image of his smiling face appearing in her mind, accompanied by the beautiful clear-blue sky of Iwatodai.
He was gone.
The love of her life.
The person she swore to save was gone.
She didn't understand before how Ryōji could be afraid of tomorrow, but now she understood. He was scared of waking up and finding her gone. She had experienced his worse fear of waking up without the person she loves.
She was without her friends.
She was without him.
"…You shouldn't give so much of yourself to me," She heard his voice inside of her head. "I'll probably make you sad…"
Ryōji had been right, but not for the reasons he thought.
She had given all of herself to him and was left grieving for him, for her friends, and herself.
What was she going to do?
"Minako-san?" a soft voice questioned, which caused Minako to open her eyes to see the newcomer.
It was that girl, Sumire.
"O-Oh," Minako whimpered out, trying to sport a smile. "H-Hey, Sumire-san…W-What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to check on you and see how you were…." Sumire answered.
"Never…" Minako began before she stopped, a small sob rippling through her poorly made facade. "N-Never," she tried again as tears continued to fall. Finally, the pain became too much to bear, and she began to cry again.
Minako didn't react when she heard Sumire's footsteps, nor did she react when she saw Sumire in front of herMinako reacted when Sumire laid beside her, held her close against her body, and whispered, "It'll be okay. Just let it all out."
Once those words were whispered into her ears, Minako felt herself dive into the deep end of her grief, and with Sumire's arms around her, she allowed herself to break.
Captain Blues: This was a short chapter, I know and I apologize but this chapter is an important one to have as it revealed a few things, Until the next chapter!