A/N: I decided to remove the first part of this chapter and published as a one-shot instead, called Expectation.

"Um, wake up, Minato-kun..."

Bagahi Laca Bachabe…

"Minato-kun. Lunchtime."

Hermetica...

"Fangirls are coming!"

"... Huh!? What? Where!?" Minato shot up and looked around. An almost empty classroom, with a giggling teal haired girl in front of his desk. "Fuuka..."

"Oh, haha. S-Sorry. Hehehe... You won't wake up, and-Hahaha!" She took a deep breath to calm down. "Haha... Well, it's lunch break."

The boy nodded. "And?"

"It… I want to—No... Uhh, let's. That, that..." She waved her hand around. "I thought I was ready! I, I..."

Fuuka is a second Chihiro, confirmed.

The timid girl remained that Christ-crucified posture. "Here! Can't you see? I brought one for you."

"What?"

"Bento...!" Seeing the confused face, she checked the content in her hand. "Oh wait, it's tea bag? I thought I grabbed bento for sure!" Her face turned pale. "Uhh, wait here. I'll be right back!" Fuuka ran to the exit.

Minato blinked.

Yukari sighed, disappointed.

"A half-Tsun-half-Hime like you won't understand." Junpei walked to them. "That's the beauty of Dandere. Heheh..."

The brunette snickered. "What about your Chidorita? She'll turn to a Yandere."

Fuuka came back panting. She raised the box in her hand. "Sorry for the wait. I... got it..."

Yukari smiled. "Good job, Fuuka." She then whispered, "... Use the technique I taught you. Okay?"

Junpei gave her a thumbs up. "Go, go, girl! Your curves are a lot nicer that Yuka-tan-" His foot was stomped by the archer. "Ow!"

"Um, I think you're misunderstanding something..." The teal haired girl turned to look at her leader, who had the most bored face ever. "L-Let's go to the rooftop!"

They walked down the hallway. She didn't hear his footsteps, so she looked back. Minato was standing behind her.

Fuuka continued walking. Again, she didn't hear the footsteps. She stopped, turned around, and saw the boy standing behind her in the exact manner, two meters away from her.

She took a step. He followed. She stopped. He stopped.

Fuuka finally realized he was mimicking her.

Why does he look so… empty.

She shrugged off the awkward feeling and ran up the stairs.

At the rooftop, they sat on the same bench they always did. The sky was in shades of gray and faintly green.

"Probably less than fifty…" Fuuka mumbled to herself. They're no birds in the sky. It was supposed to be fresh and cheerful up here, but the coming typhoon ruined it.

Minato was looking deep into the sea. Who knows what he was thinking. Fuuka thought he would decline when she asked him to taste another rice ball. It's becoming awkward.

This silence was suffocating.

"E-Edogawa really is weird, right?" Fuuka asked, handing him the box. "Who cares about the magic of the Renaissance...?"

Minato took it and removed the bento's lid.

"Junpei-kun could make Chidori-san talk. He really takes good care of her. He's such a gentleman."

He grabbed the chopsticks.

"Mmhm and Shinjiro-senpai is really cool!"

He ate the rice ball.

The teal haired girl waited in anticipation.

He stared at the rice ball for a long time. "It's quite good."

"Really?" Fuuka beamed. "Teehee."

"You sure smile a lot."

"Oh, well. I'm happy! That's why."

"Doesn't it tire you?"

"Huh?"

Minato looked away. "I guess that's just who you are."

Silence again. Fuuka couldn't figure it out what's wrong with him. He's usually quiet, but not like this.

"Why are you here?" Minato asked.

"I want you to taste the rice balls I made."

"I already did, so what's your business remaining here?"

"I'm enjoying the nice view here."

"Even though the sky is not beautiful?"

"Even though the sky is not beautiful."

Minato didn't ask more. He turned back to the sea.

Minato was a confident guy, basically good at everything. There're things he lacked as well, but he never asked for it. That's why she was here. That's why she was doing something that's not her duty.

Fuuka looked at the sky. She didn't like how gray made people depressed. Fuuka glanced at Minato to see him already staring at her. His eyes were grey, but they were kind.

When Fuuka had to talk to Mitsuru, she always tried to step into her domain or touch the doorknob to check if it was unusually cold or not. The habit stuck to her until now, so she knew Minato didn't have that death god aura on.

Great. Fuuka hoped she would understand him a little better. When you want something, first give that something away, right...

"Lately, I keep remembering what Strega said to us," Fuuka began. "That thanks to the Dark Hour, we might be leading more fulfilling lives."

Minato kept eating the rice ball.

"I… don't fit in at home. In my family, almost everyone is doctors. Only I am not interested in being one. My parents aren't interested in anything but my grades… But now, I have something only I can do and people who need me, so my life is really full. Just like the Strega people said." Fuuka sighed. "It could be that I don't want the Dark Hour to end, even though it brings a lot of bad things. I think I want to be free, like a bird. I hate that I'm trying to be happy, but... I don't know."

"... I don't want it to exist in the first place," Minato said. "It may make us Persona-users feel special, but a lot of things are messed up because of it. There're people who suffer because of it." He paused. "There're people who… deserve better."

"Right." Fuuka nodded. "You really are kind."

"Why are you here..." Minato stared at the rice balls, not wanting to eat anymore. "Why me...?"

Fuuka quietly listened.

"My best conversation was with a dog, you know… because I was being selfish, because it was about me, because I didn't have to be someone I didn't want to be. People are selfish and they selfishly want attention, like me," Minato said. "What am I doing? Why am I here? No one cares, or is it me that never care about others? It might have been both ways all this time. It always have been, so no one says sorry. So we ignore. So we forget."

Did he think about that all night? Or every day? How could I help? What to do if I wish to reduce his burden?

Minato sighed. "And you have to listen to me rambling without a filter on. Sorry."

"You're the most selfless person I've ever known," Fuuka said.

Minato looked down. "Why do you even stay here?"

"I could leave if you want me too."

"No, you don't have to," Minato said. "Stay if you want. I'm glad you are here."

Wind blew a little too strong to Fuuka's liking. Minato fiddled with his mp3, just then that she noticed he's not wearing his earphones today. He's... really quiet, since yesterday.

"Just so you know, I'm a bad storyteller," Minato said. "Do you know what happens the first day I arrived here?"

Fuuka didn't, so her leader began to tell her a story.

…

It was April 6,

The train was delayed, so I arrived at the station when it's almost midnight.

The Dark Hour happened. I already knew about it though.

By the time I entered Iwatodai Dorm, the Dark Hour was about to end.

I stepped in, and I met Pharos. He handed me a contract. I signed it, and then he disappeared. I thought he was just playing around.

Then, Yukari came down the stairs.

She probably didn't know about the Shadow that much. She didn't even know if a Shadow look like a human or not.

She grabbed her Evoker...

…

"And…?"

"I punched her."

"..."

"..."

"What?" Fuuka shrieked.

"I thought it was a real gun..." Minato coughed into his fist. "Let's continue."

…

After Yukari fell to the ground unconscious, Akihiko came down the stairs. He punched me. I punched him. It's a fistfight. The boxer probably didn't care who I was. I hurt a girl, and he wouldn't listen to me. Well, I didn't say a thing, and he didn't say a thing. Fair-fair.

I thought they were some kind of scientists. That would explain why they weren't in the coffins. I fought him without holding back. Akihiko didn't aim to kill and I respected that.

Two minutes later, or was it three, Mitsuru came down. The light turned back on.

Burn… my dread…

Then I realized they were just students.

…

"It's a school dorm, after all," Fuuka said.

"Don't judge me, okay? I know, I was paranoid. But in a space-time where Shadows roam around and all you see is blood, what are you expecting?"

"Right… Please continue."

…

I ran away from the dorm. I didn't care where I would end up. It was dark, and I hated it. Something about Iwatodai was driving me crazy so my legs wouldn't stop.

I was finally tired when I found myself at the dark and empty back alley, except for another person. I met Shinjiro.

At that time I didn't see his face. But now, I'm quite sure it's him. He gave me a chocolate bar. It seemed to be homemade. I wondered if it had poison or not so I didn't eat it.

After sitting there motionless for a few minutes, Shinjiro asked me of my circumstance. I told him I got into a freak dorm

'Iwatodai dorm?' he asked. I nodded. Then he asked why I said they were freaks.

I said, 'One of them was holding a gun and the other tried to uppercut me.'

It's a weird feeling. I didn't feel like he was messing with my personal business at all. He was more like a… diary, where you could write anything down.

Shinjiro asked me why I entered that place. I told him I was transferred to Gekkoukan. We talked about some little things I couldn't remember. Oh, he ate a chocolate bar too. No poison, confirmed. I decided to take a bite. It was great.

His cellphone rang. From the way he spoke on the phone, that person seemed like someone close to him. He said things like 'What a bother' and 'Hell no' and 'Tch.'

Shinjiro put his phone away in one of his pea coat pockets. He turned around to glare at me. The way his eyes reflected moonlight was creepy, more like scary, with two dogs and a cat howling and meowing in the background.

He asked me if I have blue hair. I said yes. He asked if I was Minato. I nodded.

He told me to go back to the dorm. I was reluctant, but I didn't want to share an apartment with a guy. We walked to Iwatodai Dorm together. Mitsuru explained what happened. I went to sleep.

And, just like that, my most interesting night ever, ended.

…

Fuuka nodded while munching the rice ball.

"Soon, it's full moon." Minato thought for a moment. "You could ask Yukari for the details. Okay. Time skip."

"Whaa?" The teal haired girl pouted. "No, tell me first!"

"About what?"

Fuuka raised her hand. "That night… I heard you got mauled by a bear. Is it true?"

"... Where did you get that kind of information?"

"I don't know."

"Junpei and Kenji."

"H-How did you know!?"

Minato decided to ignore that. "After I came back to school, Junpei joined SEES. Full moon again. We defeated the boss. And… The rumors about you started to spread. Next full moon, we rescued you. You know the rest."

"Oh…" Fuuka nodded. "You're so nice."

Minato groaned. "Again?"

"You thought we were annoying, but you didn't say that in your story. You never show it, only a blank face. You put up with us through bad times. You never use force when it's not necessary. I've heard some bad rumors about you, but I've also heard from Yukari and Junpei-kun. You are kind."

"Except for that one night..."

Fuuka frowned. "No one could oppose fear and charm, you know. Maybe you're the type that hates injustice and unreasonable violence, but you're not guilty. And you already apologized. Right…" She forced a laugh.

She shouldn't have done that, but she didn't want him to know…

"What did I say to you?" Minato asked.

"Huh?" She didn't want him to feel bad because of her.

"What did I told you that night?"

"Nothing." She's not that important anyway.

The blue haired boy moved closer to her. His eyes were ash blue, almost silver. From the way he looked at her, he was serious, and she better not lie. "Tell me."

"Umm…" Fuuka looked down. "I… I never realized it before until you said it… I depend on others too much. Never do a thing on my own. My happiness, my pride, my motivation… I put it on others. I want people to be happy. I want my parents to be proud… But in the end, I'm a burden who doesn't have a brain of her own. I'm really… weak."

"I said that, huh…"

"Sit down, close your eyes, and hope you would disappear... I once had that thought, but not anymore." She stood up. "And that's the reason why I'm here!" No chicken out. No stutter. "These rice balls, I made it myself. It's a proof, not to anyone but me, that I could stand on my own. And… it's a gift. Thank you, Minato-kun, for everything."

Fuuka bowed. Minato felt like he didn't deserve it at all. "I never do a thing for you-"

"You did!" Fuuka said with determined face. "You show me, that humans are not one-sided. How Natsuki-chan actually care for me… How you are really kind on the inside… You are amazing, and I admire you. Please remember that."

"I didn't finish my sentence."

Fuuka raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"I never really do a thing for you, but you… taught me something."

"Me…?"

"Your cooking skill was terrible," Minato began. "So you ask for my help, and Shinjiro's help, and Yukari's help. Yeah, at first I thought it was a sign of the weak, but no… It's me, who never understand the simplest things. I thought you were stupid, carrying all the burden and being kind to every single person you meet… It is me who never try to learn new things. It's a bother, to accept new things in life, but, it's me. Too weak and afraid for changes, I push people away and care only for myself... I'm selfish, aren't I?"

"You were," Fuuka smiled at him. "Now, you're the most selfless person I've ever known. You are the best leader… You are really interesting."

Minato froze. That was the most unexpected answer ever. "I'm just… a boring guy."

Fuuka shook her head. "You're really interesting."

"Plain."

"You're so amazing."

"Cold hearted."

"Kind and caring."

"There're no reasons for anyone to spend time with me..."

"I'm glad I met you."

It's a weird feeling, almost alien to him, because he didn't feel it for a long, long time. Minato looked away and took a deep breath. He was dragged back, no, dragged out of it, that stupid well he had fallen into.

"Minato-kun, are you okay. Something wrong?"

"... Nah. I'm just being emotional."

Thanks.