A/N : More like a bonus chapter. Also added some scenes I took out. I put them back in.

Chapter 42

Party

Minato woke up at Evening, now healthy. The typhoon would completely pass tomorrow.

He came downstairs. SEES were all there talking about party. Party… Is there something special about it? At least Shinjiro didn't have to make it a secret anymore.

…

"Tomato pasta."

A mechanical voice rang through the lounge.

"Sweet-and-sour pork. Fried chicken. Potato Salad."

"Um, Aigis..." Fuuka whispered.

"Paella. Stroganoff. Omelette with fried rice-"

"Shut up," Shinjiro said from the kitchen.

Aigis tilted her head. "Koromaru could bark freely, but I do not have the right to narrate?"

"I didn't mean that," he said. "I mean, if you don't shut then how do you eat?"

"That is true." Aigis nodded.

...

SEES came to the kitchen one by one.

Yukari narrowed her eyes. "Move, Junpei."

"Eh? But I wanna sit with Fuuka!" Junpei said.

"Oh, sorry." Fuuka pointed at the opposite seat. "Sorry, Junpei. You can sit beside Ai-chan."

"But I don't wanna sit there with him-"

Shinjiro sent him a deathly glare.

"Er… eh hehe…"

Akihiko stood up. "We could switch seats. I don't mind sitting there."

"Thanks, but I don't wanna be near her-"

Winter hasn't arrived yet, but Junpei could feel the chill from the infamous 'Queen of Ice Generator.'

He sniffed. "Oh, life…"

"You could sit with Koromaru," Ken said.

Minato looked at the kid. "Not helping, Ken."

"Don't you all understand...?" Junpei began. "That I want to sit with beautiful, delicate girls?"

"... Am I not beautiful, Iori?" Mitsuru asked.

"Nah, you're wild and ruthless-"

Mitsuru snapped the chopstick into two.

"Er… I, I'm sorry…"

Akihiko took a seat next to Mitsuru. That calmed her down a little. He changed the subject. "Hey Shinji, you're not… excited?"

Shinjiro knelt down and placed the plate for Koromaru. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this is my first time tasting your food." Akihiko pointed a thumb at himself. "First time!"

"It's not, Aki." Shinjiro went back into the kitchen.

Mitsuru thought for a while. "I am sure no one here has tasted your food before… except for Koromaru and Fuuka, I assume."

"Yeah." Yukari nodded. "I know he could cook, but I never have the chance to taste it."

"... He could cook?" Junpei asked.

"You didn't know?" Akihiko asked and sighed. "But, even though most of us know, we never try it."

Koromaru barked.

Minato chuckled.

Yukari looked around. "What's going on? Anything I don't know?"

"You better not know." Shinjiro carried the last two plates and placed them on the table.

The white dog barked. Aigis nodded. "Koromaru-san said, 'Ken-san is lucky.'"

"I don't get it," Yukari said.

Shinjiro shook his head. "Again, you better not know. Shut up and sit down."

"Woof!"

Aigis nodded. "He said that he is already seated."

"Alright." Shinjiro took a seat himself. "Pick up your chopsticks… And dig in."

...

Is Chidori okay? Junpei kept wondering that every time he put a spoon to his mouth.

Mitsuru didn't let anyone go out when the typhoon came. He knew the hospital was safe. Kirijo made it, after all. But still, he's not worried about her safety, but her well being overall. Is she lonely? Is she sad? Sitting near the window, looking at cars and trees being destroyed in front of her eyes. And the lost… No one takes care of them. Are they being killed by the typhoon? What if she sees it? Is she okay?

Junpei wasn't the type to think much, but lately, he realized. There are things that are impossible not to think about. And there're things that can't be changed, no matter how much you think.

Like the fact that he's worrying about Chidori.

So Junpei looked around. Ken was by himself, thinking about something, as well as Mitsuru. Akihiko too, but he seemed more focus on eating than thinking. Shinjiro and Minato always looked dark like that, and they were always thinking anyway.

Aren't you tired of thinking? Junpei had no right to ask that. Even he himself can't stop thinking about her, and a lot of things.

Yukari grinned. "Oh man, I'm in heaven…"

"You are a girl, Yukari-san. And you are in Iwatodai Dorm."

"Aigis…" Fuuka sighed.

"It's sarcasm," Shinjiro said.

Aigis nodded. "It is sarcasm. What Yukari-san said is a metaphor."

"Eh, is that even called sarcasm?" Junpei asked.

"I've heard someone says," the blonde began. "That sarcasm is a way to insult idiot without them realizing it. I act to be stupid, when the truth is, I am smarter than most of you, who don't understand even the simplest joke."

"... I, I know how you usually feel now, Junpei," Fuuka said. "… Aren't you going to eat, Ken-kun?"

"Oh…" Ken nodded. "I'll have something…Thanks for the food…"

"I've never felt like, duh-dud dun dun dunn."

Yukari sighed. "Aigis…"

"I've never felt like duh-dud dun dun dunn."

"She tries to lighten up the mood," Minato said.

"Baby stay with me, du duh-dud dun dun dunn. You gotta tell now duh-dud dun dun dunn…" Aigis looked at Minato. "Has the mood lighten up?"

"All the lights are on," Minato said.

"Some says light could brighten someone's mood."

"Oh, yeah? Enlighten me."

Junpei noticed it, for a brief moment, Aigis's mouth did something he would have never thought of seeing. Smirk? No, more like a…

"Is there something on my face?" Aigis asked.

It disappeared…

"Junpei-san?"

"Oh." The capped teen blinked. "Kinda wish I could look at it longer."

"Look at what?"

"Your smile."

Aigis tilted her head. "Did I?"

"Yeah. Yes, you did."

Fuuka looked at the blonde, then at him. "Um, did you really saw it?"

"I see nothing," Yukari said. "Minato-kun, you saw it?"

"I didn't notice."

Of course, no one's gonna notice it. Junpei sighed. And of course, no one takes him seriously.

"Arf!" Koromaru barked.

"Really?" Aigis asked.

"Woof!"

"I…" Aigis stood up. "In human words, I… Oh, yeah. Du-dud dun dun. Dun-dun-dun dun dun. Baby, baby, du-dun dun dun. Dun-dun-dun dun dun."

"What?" Junpei asked.

"She's happy," Minato said. "... She's happy."

"... Yeah. It's a party after all, and a party should make people happy." Junpei grinned "But with Shinjiro-san here, the atmosphere is so much more serious..."

Aigis nodded. "And with Junpei-san here, the atmosphere is so much more childish."

"Heyy Ai-chan. You're cruel."

"Anyway," Yukari said. "Shinjiro-senpai is pretty dependable, don't ya think? He's physically strong, but he also knows how to keep his cool."

Fuuka nodded. "Yeah... He looks scary, but in reality, he's more like a big brother."

"Bigg brother?"

"Yeah, big brother."

"Nothing less. Nothing more?"

"Nothing less. Nothing more."

"No fun…"

Shinjiro munched on the stroganoff. Maybe they forgot a kitchen table in their dorm wasn't that big, and that everyone could hear everything.

...

A 'happy' party made Junpei sighed.

"Hey Aigis, will you please stop that?" Junpei asked.

"Stop what?" Aigis asked.

"Stop calling me that."

"What that?"

"Stopped calling me Ju-Ju-Junpei."

Aigis looked at him with an innocent face. "Isn't that your name?"

"My name is Junpei."

"You already are Ju-Ju-Junpei. You couldn't have two names."

"My name is Junpei, not Ju-Ju-Junpei."

"You introduce yourself as Ju-Ju-Junpei."

"Then I change my name. It's Junpei."

"Give me the evidence of changing your name."

"My name is already Junpei."

"Then why do you introduce yourself as Ju-Ju-Junpei?"

After some more arguments...

"... It, it was a mistake, okay? I am Junpei, and I tell you to call me Junpei."

"But Minato-san told me to call you Ju-Ju-Junpei."

"Don't you believe me, Aigis?"

"You are not as trustworthy as Minato-san."

"..."

"Junpei is down!" Fuuka said and giggled.

As if tired of humanity, Minato bent down to pet Koromaru.

"Aww he's cute," Yukari said. "Don't you agree, Fuuka?"

"Human and animal being together in peace, it is a beautiful thing," Fuuka said.

"You agree!" Yukari grinned. "Minato-kun's love for animals is heartwarming."

Aigis said, "Minato-san's hatred for fangirls and talkative people is tremendous as well."

Yukari and Junpei wordlessly glanced at each other.

Aigis looked at the blue haired boy and made a thumbs up. "Mission complete."

"Good job," Minato said.

Fuuka clapped. "That's cool, you two."

"You traitor!" Junpei and Yukari shouted.

Junpei took a deep breath. "So… Ai-chan, I thought you are avoiding Minato."

"Am I?"

Yukari nodded. "Yeah."

The blonde thought for a moment. "Even if I really did that, I have stopped doing it. It is childish and stupid… just like you, Stupei."

Junpei was stunned for a moment. "… Is it just me? Or is Aigis a lot more badass?"

Aigis bowed. "Thank you for the compliment, Junpei-san"

Junpei continued, "Really, after Ai-chan joins us, Koro kind of lost his spotlight."

The dog whimpered.

Aigis nodded. "He said, 'Sorry that I am not interesting.'"

"Er…? Koro, I-I didn't mean-"

He could feel the Death God aura from his leader. The true greyness of death.

"Er, bro, I wasn't trying to-"

"Shut up." The blue haired boy reminded him of something scary in Tartarus.

"Mina-"

"Shut. Up."

Junpei gulped and nodded.

…

"Unfair," Akihiko muttered, adding more protein powder to his plate. "Only you, Minato, Shinjiro could use Persona aura? Why..."

"Even I do not know the reason," Mitsuru said. "In my opinion, it... depends on how you awakened."

"Seem like it." Akihiko crossed his arms.

"Us three first use Persona in a fight, on the risk of life and death. I couldn't think of any other reason."

"Really unfair."

"Jealous, Akihiko?

"No."

"You hate losing to Shinjiro, right?"

"No!"

Mitsuru chuckled.

...

"To live is to die, but is that truly the purpose of living?"

"Eh, Minato-kun? Why talk about something like that?" Yukari asked.

"I… I am actually thinking about it too."

"Fuuka?"

The teal haired girl nodded. "I feel like… There's something, someone, I should never forget. It's so sad..."

Yukari looked down. "Now that you say it, I think so too."

Shinjiro stared at his plate.

"I think I made a friend," Akihiko said. "But… Where did we meet? I can't think of anything."

Mitsuru pondered. "I am certain I have learned something new from somewhere…"

Aigis stood still. "I met someone that is similar to him. Who is he? Who is the person being surrounded by his friends?"

"I met cute girls," Junpei said.

The brunette sighed. "Junpei…"

"Hey, I mean it. Those girls are really cool. And one of them… one of them… She is so cute!"

"Ok, ok, enough-" Yukari blinked. "... Actually, yeah. There's a cute girl with red eyes. Really cute."

Junpei grinned. "You agree with me! She's the complete-"

"She is like, the-"

"Opposite/Exact."

"... Huh?" Junpei shook his head. "No, no, no. She's from the other world! Nothing like Minato. At all."

"Are you crazy?" Yukari asked. "She's like his sister or something. They're the same. So alike."

"Hngmmmm." Yukari rubbed her chin.

"Hngggreennnnn" Junpei scratched the back of his neck.

"No need to argue." Aigis raised her hand. "Both are correct." Koromaru barked. "Koromaru-san agreed with me."

…

"... Dude? Minato…?" Junpei called the blue haired boy who was unusually quiet, not even eating, or moving. "You okay?"

"Isn't he always quiet like…" Yukari looked at him. "Hey, Minato-kun? Anything in mind?"

Minato, Junpei and Yukari, they were together for almost five months. It's not hard to know what each other was thinking, or at least if they were thinking or not.

So they knew, their secretly childish blue haired friend was not simply thinking, but was trying to find an answer.

"What would happen if I disappear?"

That kind of sentence had to come out of his mouth when his friends were worried about him.

"No. no. No no no!" Yukari said. "You're the one giving me hope and you say that?"

"Don't give up!" Fuuka shouted. "The way you care for me, you make me happy. You can't simply disappear!"

"Yeah, dude. Don't say stuff like that!" Junpei said. "You made Yukari stopped calling me Stupei. I really am grateful for that, you know."

"Define the word 'disappear'," Akihiko said. "But, in any case, I'm sure I don't want you to disappear."

"You are a remarkable underclassmate," Mitsuru said. "I will not let you go that easily."

Koromaru barked.

"Minato-san," Aigis said. "We all wish you are here."

Minato looked at all of them. "You act like I will commit suicide."

"We thought you would!" They shouted.

After a moment, Minato chuckled. "I think I won't. Don't worry."

"... Ken...?" Junpei called the quiet kid. "Don't be another Minato."

"I don't care if he disappears, actually," Ken said.

"No Ken how could you say that?" Yukari asked.

Shinjiro looked away.

"But I would prefer him being alive. I mean, I can't imagine a life without him."

Shinjiro blinked.

"Wait…" Yukari said. "Are we talking about the same person?"

…

"Why?" Aigis tilted her head. "The atmosphere has changed."

"I heard someone said," Junpei began. "That when the party starts, we would wear masks and pretend to be happy and all, but when the party is about to end, our real selves will surface."

Aigis asked, "Does this mean, the real Junpei is actually smart?"

Junpei grinned. "Well, maybe. Ahaha..."

..

Everyone helped cleaned up. Minato talked with Shinjiro a bit.

Because it's simple, you don't want to do it. Because you could do it any time, you decide to do it next time. People are like that, thinking they have all the time in the world. Who knows, maybe we won't wake up tomorrow.

Minato was always amazed by how Shinjiro see things. One of the most interesting people he had met in his life.

He went back to his room. Aigis was already asleep on the floor.

A lot of things happened between them, him, Aigis, Koromaru, all his dorm mates.

He dared say, this year alone was more full than the last ten years.

In a good way.

He hoped.