A/N: I have no excuse for the amount of dialogues.

Chapter 50

Childish Last Excitement

Three days before the full moon. The exam was in the middle of this month and they should be focusing on that, but SEES couldn't focus this close to the full moon. School passed by in a flash.

Instead of Wakatsu, Minato led Ken to the shrine to have a small picnic after school. Ken had mentioned that the shrine at night was peaceful, but he never expected his leader to actually bring him here and picnic here too. Ken placed the blanket on the playground while Minato attached a lantern on the jungle gym. They sat on the cloth and opened the picnic basket. There were bread, salad, omelet…

Ken picked the paper plate and started eating. Everything tasted good, especially the omelet. It was his favorite.

"Didn't expect you to like them so much," Minato said and chewed a piece of bread.

"It's really good. Where did you buy these? Did you cook them?" Ken asked.

"I did. Some of them." Minato shrugged. "Though what you're eating, I'm surprised you like them so much. You didn't eat this quick back at the party."

Ken stopped and looked at him. He looked at his plate again. "Oh."

"He's a good cook," Minato said.

"He is," Ken said.

They kept eating their meals and soon finished. Ken liked it here. The shrine was peaceful. It was quiet. Ken could imagine Koromaru running around the shrine. Maybe next time he would walk Koromaru here. If there was a next time.

"You seem close to Aigis lately," Minato said.

Ken narrowed his eyes. "I won't use the word close. She's an android."

"You do like walking Koromaru though."

"Well," Ken said. "I like him."

"At least that's what we have in common." Minato looked at the empty area in front of the shrine. "There, Koromaru would run in circles." He pointed at the trees. "And there, Aigis would climb the trees."

"... Why would she?"

"I guess she wants to see the world."

Ken tried to imagine Aigis climbing trees. It was likely. "Aigis and Koromaru. They're the same as us, but also different. I don't know how to say it."

"They're obviously not humans," Minato said. "But I do consider them people."

Ken nodded. "I guess that's it."

"Consider her a she now?" Minato asked. "I thought you hate her."

"Huh, no!" Ken fidgeted. "I mean I did. Not really. She does nothing wrong."

"She's innocent," Minato said.

"Huh."

The moon was almost full. It made the Naganaki Shrine a little brighter than usual.

"I hope Shinjiro wouldn't be angry at me," Minato said. "But he said he's leaving."

"Leaving?"

"After full moon."

Ken nodded.

"You're not happy?" Minato asked. That came out wrong. "I mean, do you feel anything?"

"It's complicated," Ken said and hugged his knees.

Minato glanced at him. "Most of us feel sad, or annoyed or disappointed."

"Complicated," Ken repeated.

Minato shrugged. "Fine."

"And don't call me vague. I didn't want this!"

"Defensive."

Ken scowled. Minato sure was good at cornering him. "I wish this world is simple," Ken said. "Black and white. Right and wrong. Why do things like grey have to exist?"

"A simple world is that of ideal. No such thing like pure black or pure white exist in this world, only some subtle shades of grey," Minato said.

"There are things that could only exist in dreams, huh?"

"Would sound nicer if you said, 'there are things that could only be felt by heart.'"

"Sappy." Ken stretched his legs. "I want a chair."

Minato shrugged. "Define complicated, if you feel like it." Ken outright hated that guy. That was clear. Ken usually didn't talk about himself, or his feeling. Only when he asked or when Ken was eating.

"Well." Ken thought for a moment. "It wasn't..." Ken looked down. "It wasn't, you know? It was simple. But now… I'm not so certain anymore."

Minato gave him a look. He wasn't sure what this kid was talking about anymore. Ken was always distant to a certain degree.

"I wish it's easy. Now I know it's never easy…"

It was hard to know Ken.

"I didn't want it to change." Ken kept whispering to himself. "But, it did. Nothing I can do."

"Is it better?" Minato asked.

"... Define better." Ken noticed him now. "It's tiring."

"Changes?"

"Everything."

"You're afraid of changes."

"Aghh you said the same thing as Aigis..." Ken paused and looked at him.

Minato waited for him.

"... I once thought you never care about other people," Ken said. "Kinda like Aigis."

"Am I?"

"I don't know?" Ken shrugged. "But actually, I was very childish thinking that. Just like Aigis, you are… an honest person. Too honest. A bit offensive, but… it's nice to know someone as honest as you exist."

"I will consider it a compliment." Minato shrugged. "Maybe you should stop being a tsun too."

"Hey!" Ken said. "Yeah… I won't try to be someone else anymore. I am me. right."

Shinjiro was standing in the kitchen hoping people would leave him alone. Most people leave him alone.

"Can't you leave me alone?" Shinjiro groaned.

"I did take care of Ken," Minato said.

"Yesterday, yeah, and now you come nagging me again." Shinjiro sighed. "You're a leader for God's sake. Ain't you busy?"

Minato shrugged. "You're a dear friend. I can find time for you."

"Tch." Shinjiro fixed his beanie. "Can't I be in peace? I want to relax."

"Go to your room then."

"Don't feel like it."

"There's the alley. You are not at that alley today," Minato said. "That's unusual of you."

"Is being there my identity already? Must've been there too long," Shinjiro said.

"Everyday, all day."

"Then maybe Aki was right."

"Huh?" Minato glanced at him.

"If I already have a foot in, might as well go all in," Shinjiro said. "I have been trying not to set foot here in the first place, but… It's not so bad, now that I'm here. I'm here now." Shinjiro looked at the exit. "How about we get out of here. Come to think of it, you haven't been to that place."

The walk to the back alley was familiar and short. Shinjiro continued walking for a little while and they were in front of a door. Shinjiro opened the door of an abandoned house near the back alley. The inside was not the same as the outside at all. It was clean and cozy.

"Come in, and welcome, I guess." Shinjiro walked into the house.

Wait…

"Yeah. This is my house," Shinjiro said. "I have some help with this place, but that doesn't matter."

Minato looked around. It looked like an apartment room, a small but efficient place. It was bare. There was a box of his belonging on his desk and his bed was in the corner. There was a table, a refrigerator, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

"… So? Happy now?" Shinjiro closed the door.

"Nice place," Minato said. He saw a pocketwatch on the table.

Shinjiro sat on one of the chairs. "You're the third person that has come here."

"Third?"

"I guess you can know," Shinjiro said. "The first and second were Chidori and Fuuka."

Minato blinked. Fuuka, understandable. Chidori? Do they know each other?

"Chidori was a nice person Helped me on the streets."

Minato couldn't believe Shinjiro lived here. It was cool, sure, but it was unusual. Why live so close to the back alley? Even when you have a nice dorm to go back to?

"I wish everyone disappeared," Shinjiro said. "I wish I disappeared. I think that when I am here. I think that I accomplished that by staying here, then I got dragged back into SEES, and everything changed. You guys just won't let me go."

"You do talk like it's a good thing," Minato said.

"It's certainly not bad." Shinjiro smiled. "Not bad at all… But I have my own responsibilities. Minato, look after Ken."

Minato nodded.

"That was easy," Shinjiro said. "Look after Aki."

He nodded.

"And take care of yourself."

Minato blinked. He nodded. "I will."

"Good." Shinjiro fixed his beanie. "I have things to do, and I won't return, so… live normally. Take care of each other, and don't do things you'll regret. Just... live."

Minato nodded.

Everyone was excited. It might have gotten to Aigis.

"The Lost seem to be growing in number," Aigis said as they entered the school. "Our highest priority should be eliminating the remaining arcana Shadows. I shall accompany you in battle."

"Excited, hm?" Minato asked.

"I… do not have emotions," Aigis said. "Though my body is automatically preparing itself for the upcoming battle."

The next day, SEES stayed in the dorm to conserve energy.

"Minato-san," Aigis called him. "Could we talk outside? It is Sunday today. We are free."

"Today is full moon," Minato said. "We shouldn't head outside. You should know."

"Please."

Minato looked at her. Aigis saying please was one of the rarest things. She had requested things before by stating the reason behind each request, but never a please. "Fine."

Minato followed her. At first, he thought she was heading to the shrine, but then she started heading toward the school. He could guess it now.

"Sometimes, something happens inside of me. I could not explain." Aigis looked over the Moonlight Bridge. She seemed to like this place. "I do not know if it is a good thing or not, but it is not supposed to happen."

"Tell me," Minato said.

"When the operation is about to start, I think I am 'excited', in human terms." Aigis looked at her hands. "My power increases. My guns seem to unlock itself. I am preparing to... destroy. It's… weird. What is happening to me?"

"It's not a bad thing if you can feel. Once, you asked what feeling is."

Aigis nodded. "You told me that you could not define it. You could only feel."

"Do you feel it now?" Minato asked.

Aigis thought for a moment. "… I don't know." She looked down. "An android is… a machine pretending to be a human. That is what I am. I do not know if I am 'feeling'."

"You have all the time in the world, Aigis."

"That might be true. I am a machine, after all," Aigis said. "What if I never figure it out?"

"You are special, Aigis," Minato said. "I'm sure you will."

Aigis looked at him. "You are special to me too."

Minato smiled. "Thanks."

"So I will believe in your words." Aigis looked at the view again. Sometimes Minato wondered if she really was a weapon, though he himself didn't consider her just a machine.

"You're not weird at all. You're special," Minato said. "And you will figure it out."

Aigis nodded. "I believe in you."