Chapter 37

Fool

Junpei scratched his head. "So… Is the Fool…. a fool?"

"The Fool represents a new beginning and an end to something in your old life," Akihiko said.

Chidori nodded. "Someone who know when to change, I don't think he is a fool."

Mitsuru stood at the door with her arm crossed. It was clear that the redhead Strega girl didn't like the Kirijo redhead. This hospital being Kirijo's might be the reason Chidori tensed so much around her. That was from Mitsuru's viewpoint, anyway.

The door opened, and a man with a beanie walked in. Chidori immediately recognized him, a young man who used drugs even though it was not needed. It had not been needed. They stared at each other.

Shinjiro broke the eye contact and looked at his friends. "Any luck?"

"She finally started talking," Mitsuru said. "But, nothing useful yet."

Akihiko turned to look at him. "Well, that's a start. It's not that bad, you why are you here?"

The sketchpad dropped down to the floor. Chidori was clawing at her own neck.

Junpei was allowed to take care of Chidori. Whatever happened there, Minato didn't know. Before the boy could walk away, Mitsuru told him to meet her on the fourth floor.

The command room door felt a little heavier, and the temperature was colder than it should. Mitsuru was sitting at one of the chairs. Minato sat across her.

"Shinjiro's suppressant… Akihiko's expression…" Mitsuru sighed.

If it's about them, Minato wanted to know. "What happened?"

"…Because you are trustworthy, I guess I could tell you." Mitsuru looked down. "The girl, Chidori, takes suppressant, so I think Strega is a group of artificial Persona-users who are not in full control of their Personas. The only problem is, where do they get the drugs? The scientist who make experiment on them? But Who…?"

Minato was confused.

"The suppressant is medicine or drugs. Its common function is to keep unruly Personas from killing their hosts, but it has lethal side-effects. Ironic, isn't it?"

"Chidori's Persona tried to kill her?" Minato asked.

Mitsuru nodded.

Sounds bad. If Thanatos tries to kill him… He didn't want to imagine that. "And its side-effects?"

"It slowly kills the body and shorten the lifespan."

Minato sighed. Junpei… "I assume Kirijo made it, right?"

"Yes…"

Mitsuru was never like this before. As the original leader, her words are their laws. She always tell them that school is as important as training in Tartarus, practice makes perfect, and a lot of things.

As the Kirijo heiress, she never relaxes, always tell them they are not good enough or something is not right yet.

As the school council president, she never overlooks mistakes. No, this is wrong. Yes, this is right. All they could do is stay in the box and be obedient.

But right now in front of Minato, she was just a senior who wanted companies.

"Minato… don't tell anyone else."

It was supposed to be a nice walk with the dog...

Minato wished the already max volume music could be louder, because this woman, this annoying woman, who told him about Koromaru's tragic past, was standing right in front of him, telling the same story in the same annoying voice again.

Yes, I know his owner was a priest. I know that priest died six months ago—seven and a half now, because he was hit by a car. I know Koromaru sat by the site of the accident. I know Koromaru walked the same way his owner walked him, until SEES took the dog in… and I don't care if you want to buy miso.

She left. Finally.

Koromaru whined. He was sitting at the steps of the shrine the whole time waiting for him.

Minato stared at the dog.

"Arf?"

Minato didn't know what the right thing to say was, but he felt like anything would be fine. "We're with you."

Koromaru barked softly. "Woof." He headed to the shrine. Minato followed him.

It's quiet. There's a lantern on the jungle gym, but overall the Naganaki Shrine was dark. This whole area was dark, probably because there weren't any houses near the shrine. Even the lampposts were far from each other. Maybe that's the reason Koromaru liked it here.

Koromaru was facing the shrine building. He remained silent as he looked down for a long time.

Minato had to accepted, he didn't observe people around him well enough. He didn't know them as much as he should. The plain thought of socializing made him sick, but maybe Pharos was right… He didn't understand it yet because he didn't know them enough. He didn't try to talk to them. He didn't try to understand them. He didn't try to know them.

He never do a thing.

Waiting for this. Waiting for that… What does it do when there's nothing to wait for? What should he do when 'it is as it is' is not good enough…? It might as well be too late. He never cared so it was okay before, but...

He never answers a thing, no matter how much he thinks, because that's the only thing he does, thinking, still... He doesn't know… a lot of things he should. And he had just realized it now.

Minato Arisato… Aren't I a fool?

"Awoooo..." The white dog howled towards the shrine. No one answered, only the quiet night sky.

Koromaru seemed happier? Relieved?

"Are you saying hi to the priest?" Minato asked.

Koromaru barked, and his eyes became bright again. He ran off behind the shrine.

Minato waited. That bark, I think... it was a yes. Yes to whatever the dog had question for a long time. Whatever it was, he'd got his answer.

Koromaru trotted back with a collar in his mouth. The dog looked up at him, the way he went to fetch the ball and came back.

Minato took it and held it in his hand. It was a… dirty collar. "Is this yours?"

"Arf." Koromaru wagged his tail and stared at him.

"You want me to keep this?"

The Shiba Inu nodded.

The boy observed the collar. It was torn apart and old. There's a name tag on it… 'Koromaru.' Huh… This must be Koromaru's old collar, the one the priest bought for him. Giving things like this to someone...

"Thank you, Koromaru."

"Arf."

"The priest's your master, right?"

"Woof!"

"And I… I am your friend."

The dog nodded.

Minato tightened his fist that was holding the collar. "So, I can hold on to this, for the priest, for you, right...?"

"Woof!" Koromaru barked.

"Thanks for trusting me." Minato nodded. "I'll keep this safe..."