Sea of Soul here! How is everybody? I'm kinda tired but I'm good. Work's been going smoothly but it can be a bit handful sometimes. Anyway, time for an update!
Questions time!
KO: No one likes Kashiwagi that's for sure. And yeah, Ryoji will be in a mess if he gets on Shinji's bad side XD;; Oh, and it was Minako who summoned Chernobog in the battle, not Souji. Since it's a persona of the moon arcana in P3 I decided to keep it that way. Hope that clears things up.
ReachingOutFES: Thank you. Hope this chapter pleases you =3
sketchman64: I didn't get to watch much scenes of it, but it does seem to be an awesome anime.
13TheAce: And yes, Teddie is so gonna get it. Souji's condition will develop in the upcoming chapters. It may show more on some than others.
A few warnings: (Yes, I put those before every chapter to avoid issues)
-There will be spoilers for all games! You've been warned.
-The Main characters from each game in this fanfic are called Minato Arisato (P3:FES), Minako Arisato (P3P) and Souji Seta (P4)
-There'll be some cursing. (Anyone that played any persona games knows that some characters on it curse quite a bit.) as well as some heavy subjects.
-Main Pairings in this fanfic: MinatoxYukari, ShinjiroxMinako, SoujixYukiko, KanjixNaoto, AkihikoxMitsuru, YosukexChie.
-Hinted Pairings(in later chapters): JunpeixChidori. (Hinted because Chidori doesn't appear much on this story) KenxNanako (Ya know those little girl's crushes on older boys? It'll be along those lines) FuukaxKeisuke (Other than Minato and Junpei, Fuuka only displayed some sort of close relationship with Keisuke the club president. I found it kinda cute.) TeddiexRise (Just for giggles. They are after all the two hyperactive cuties of the team X3)
Have fun ya guys. On with the show!
Chapter 17: New Dorm, New Problems
"Wow, it's even prettier than the photos," Minako said as the group arrived at SEES' new home. Today was the day they all gathered early in the morning to clean the new dorm that had just been renovated, which is why all of them were dressed in loose T-shirts and trousers or shorts, something which they were comfortable in and not afraid to get dirty. According to Mitsuru, the reason for this activity was to strengthen their teamwork off the battlefield. They hauled an artillery of cleaning equipment and supplies behind them, which had been purchased from Junes or borrowed from their homes.
The old manor was gorgeous. Behind the intricately carved iron gates was a cobblestone pathway leading straight to the house. According to the locals, the land was once owned by a wealthy traditional family much like the Ichijo clan, but after the last heir died it was sold to an English expatriate, who built the manor for his family. It has changed hands a few times, but abandoned after for years unknown. The building itself was made of sturdy stone of various shades of black, grey and brown, with a patio half-protected by an awning on the left side, surrounded by stone walls and iron fences. The front garden was simple; blanketed entirely by soft grass which had been mowed recently. A few large trees of various species, some in full bloom, stood tall and proud, scattered randomly across the bare garden. A swing was tied to a low branch of a willow tree at the right. It was very peaceful setting.
"Yeah… Hey, look at those flowers!" Yukari pointed to a small tree whose flowers have five white petals with a yellowish center. She stood on her tip-toes to pick one from a low branch and sniffed it. "Hmm… they smell so good," she hummed, and placed it behind her left ear.
"Those flowers are called 'frangipani', mostly found in tropical areas…typically in South East Asian countries," Aigis stated.
"They're so beautiful," Yukari smiled, caressing the flower.
"And they are commonly associated with death because those flowers are mostly planted at graveyards," Aigis continued, not caring for tact. "The locals there say that when you smell the scent of frangipanis when they're not around, the spirits of the dead is thought to be nearby."
Yukari barely held back a startled squeak before backing away from the tree. "Th-that's just some silly ghost folktale…" she said, trying not to sound scared.
Unlike Yukari, Metis looked at her sister with adoration, impressed by her wealth of knowledge.
"How strange…" Mitsuru said thoughtfully. "I don't recall seeing these plants here when I first came to this house to purchase it."
"That's not funny, Mitsuru-senpai!" Yukari half-yelled.
"I'm serious, Yukari. I don't remember those at all…" Mitsuru shook her head, seemingly disturbed by the strange appearance of those flowers.
Now that bothered some of the others. "Another supernatural sign?" Minato wondered out loud.
"Could be…" Souji crossed his arms. "Things remained peaceful here over the past days. The effects of the Dark Hour over this and the other world must be increasing."
"Oh great. Next thing you're gonna tell me is that this house is haunted," Yukari muttered unhappily.
"Well, if this place is as old as Kou-kun's family's estate that Kanji-kun mentioned… I can't rule out the possibility of those spirit lights appearing around the area," Minako stated nonchalantly.
"Minako-chan, you're not helping!" her pink-clad friend whined.
Junpei snickered. "Yuka-tan, you're really afraid of our spooky new house?" he teased, only to get stomped on the foot by his former classmate. "Ow?! What the hell, I was just joking!"
"You know how I hate those lame type of jokes, Stupei!"
Minato quickly stepped in before his girlfriend got physical with the class clown. "Calm down, Yukari. You don't have to worry about anything." He held her hand, squeezing lightly. "I'm here with you. I won't let anything bad happen to you."
Like magic, Yukari forgot her anger towards Junpei. "Thank you, Minato-kun. Unlike somebody," she glared at the culprit, "you know how to treat me right." She smiled with a little blush as they held hands.
Junpei rolled his eyes at the lovey-dovey pair, but thanked his stars for not getting any worse hits.
"Are we going in or what?" Shinjiro asked, growing impatient.
"Ah, yes…" Mitsuru walked up to the front doors, keys in hand. "Before we go in, I must warn you; this place has been closed for quite a while so it is rather dusty inside. The renovations were mostly for the exterior, bathrooms and kitchen, so the rest of the place is relatively untouched."
"That won't be a problem, Mitsuru-san," Souji said, eyeing Teddie who was donning his bear suit on for some reason. "In fact, it'll be just perfect."
Yosuke and Kanji snickered at that. The others seemed confused. "You'll find out real soon," Yosuke grinned mischievously.
"Whatever you guys say..." Minako shrugged. "C'mon, let's see what the inside looks like."
Mitsuru unlocked the door and pushed it wide open, letting the sunlight stream in. Slowly the group walked inside. Indeed there was dust all over the place: some old furniture, framed pictures, windows, doors, all covered by a thick layer of dust. Koromaru sniffed the floor, causing a small dust cloud to fly up. The pooch sneezed and the size of the cloud expanded.
"Bless you, Koro-chan," Fuuka said before sneezing as well. "Achoo…! Oh my… it is quite dusty here…"
"We have a lot of work to get this place cleaned up before moving our things in," Ken pointed out. "When is the truck coming again, Mitsuru-san?"
"The moving truck should arrive after lunch," she replied. "We should start immediately."
"So, which floors are our rooms?" Metis asked.
"The boys' rooms are on the second floor. The girls' are on the third one. The ground floor will double as a lounge and a meeting room," Mitsuru explained. "There are two extra rooms at the back which I intend to convert into a laundry room and a pantry. The washing machines, driers, stove, refrigerator and new furniture should arrive about the same time as the moving truck."
"Teddie will help!" the bear said eagerly. "I'll start cleaning up the girls' rooms!" He was about to make a dash for the stairs when Souji grabbed him by the collar of his suit.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" the girls shouted in unison.
"Aww… Teddie can't help?" he pouted.
"Yes…you will be helping, Teddie," Souji said with a rather evil grin. "You can help by cleaning up the lounge and meeting room."
"Oh, sure Sensei. Just let me take my suit off and –"
Souji cut him off and shook his head. "No, Teddie. You'll clean up the entire first floor…with your bear suit on."
Teddie's eyes widened. His teammates smirked devilishly. They knew how much Teddie treasured his bear outfit and now understood why Souji insisted he brought it along to the new dorm. "B-b-but this has gotta be the dustiest place in the house! My precious suit will be ruined!" he cried, flailing his arms in dismay.
"Consider this your punishment for your poor behavior during our trip at Yakushima," Souji declared, crossing his arms against his chest. "I'm sorry, but this time you deserve it."
Teddie stared at Souji with his biggest, teary eyes yet, but the silverette was unmoved. "Woe is me…"
"Senpai, aren't ya forgetting something?" Kanji asked, hiding something behind his back with a lopsided smirk.
"Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me, Kanji." Souji nodded to him. "You brought it, right?"
"Sure!" Kanji's grin got broader as he revealed what he was holding: the pinkest, frilliest, kitchen apron ever, adorned with red hearts and lace. "Here ya go! Tatsumi Textile's top selling item. Made it myself. Custom sized, just for Teddie!"
"That way you won't get too dirty while cleaning up here and doing overtime duty at Junes," Yosuke snickered.
Teddie was horror-struck. "WHAT?!"
"Yosuke and I agreed that you only cleaning up won't be enough punishment," Souji explained, forcing the apron on Teddie. "So for the next few weeks you'll be working extra night duties at Junes along with your normal shifts; three times a week and on weekends."
That was the icing on the cake. Yukiko burst into laughing fits at the sight of Teddie wearing the apron. "O-Oho… S-Souji-kun…. Ahahaha…. that's… that's… Perfect!" she giggled, not able to catch her breath.
"Yeah, a fitting punishment for that rascal, alright!" Akihiko chuckled.
"This'll teach him from pulling something like that ever again," Chie grinned. Oh, she will be enjoying every second of this!
By now almost everybody was laughing at Teddie's predicament, some of them snapping a photo with their phones. Junpei was struggling not to guffaw at his buddy, his cheeks puffing up with glee, since he did have fun with the King's Game. But the sight of the bear in an apron – where the pink really clashed with his blue fur, and the look on his face – was simply priceless.
"While Teddie cleans up here, we'll assist our senpais with their rooms and hallways on the upper floors," Naoto said. She pulled out a little cubic-looking device from her pocket and placed it on a dusty end table. "This is a special security alarm. If Teddie dares to leave the house without permission, it'll go off."
"So I advise you to behave and do your chores as told Teddie, or your punishment will be worse." Souji gave him a flat stare as he handed him a few rags, a broom, a mop, bucket and some cleaning solution. "I'll come down to check on you later." They walked away, leaving him to wallow in misery.
"I gotta hand it to you guys, you really planned this out," Shinjiro grinned, impressed.
Minako knelt down to face Koromaru. "Koro-chan, why don't you keep Teddie-kun company down here? If he starts to boss you around, come upstairs and tell me, okay?" She rubbed the dog's head, promising a treat for him later.
"Alright, so what are we waiting for? Let's get this cleaning started!" Chie announced vigorously.
As the group headed upstairs, Minato approached Naoto. "Did you really make an alarm to prevent Teddie from escaping his punishment?"
"Not really. It's just a camouflaged camera recording his every move," Naoto answered with a small grin. "Nothing like a little mind trick to help him focus. Rise made the suggestion and I must say, it was a brilliant idea."
Rise giggled. "Serves him right for taking advantage of us like that!"
The others couldn't agree more.
Second floor…
When the boys reached the second floor, they were greeted by the same view as the one below; there was a small coffee table and a few moldy couches and carpets on the floor, which was once polished parquet, where everything was coated with years' worth of dust. The windows were grimy, giving the atmosphere a sense of gloom. The girls didn't bother to stop as they were more focused on getting ahead to the floor above.
Akihiko looked around. "Wow, looking at all of this is rather overwhelming. I wonder where we should start."
"Mitsuru-senpai said that the bathrooms were the only place that has been renovated, so I guess we can leave that place out," Junpei said. "But man, I'll be sooooo glad when this is over! At least I know I don't have to do it again…" he drawled lazily. Cleaning stuff up wasn't really his forte.
"Let's look around to see how much we have to work with, yeah?" Minato suggested. The others nodded and separated, half of them went to the left wing while the other half went to the right. There were two bathrooms, one at each end of the hallway. In the left wing, the guys noticed that there was a room larger than the rest, with its own private bathroom, which they guessed to be the master bedroom. The other five rooms were about the same size. They re-gathered in the middle to discuss their findings.
Souji observed the couches and carpet. "From the condition of the stuff in here, I don't think anything could be salvaged anymore. Kanji, Yosuke and I will throw them out while you guys decide your rooms."
"Good idea, Souji-san," Ken agreed. "By the way, the layout on this floor reminds me of the one in Iwatodai dorm. Convenient, huh?"
"Mitsuru told me that the big room is off limits," Shinjiro told them. "I'm guessing she has plans for it, not that I care."
"Okay, here's the game plan," Minato said. "Each of us will choose our own room to clean up. Souji-kun, Yosuke and Kanji will haul out the old stuff and clean the master bedroom. Once everyone is done, we'll gather back here and clear out the hallway. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good," Kanji grunted, followed by the rest voicing their agreement.
"Oh right, I almost forgot….Shinjiro-senpai, Mitsuru-senpai has put you in charge of the kitchen. After we're done here, you can head there and start cleaning while we do the other rooms," Minato told the tall teen.
Shinjiro nodded. He headed straight for the room at the end of the right wing, the one beside the bathroom. "I'll be taking this one. We should get started if we wanna finish early."
Junpei chose the room at the end of the left wing, opposite the master bedroom. Ken's room was between his and Akihiko's. Minato settled for the one opposite to Shinjiro's.
They cleaned in silence. The only noise that could be heard was Souji, Yosuke and Kanji breaking up the rotten furniture to make it easier to carry out. That wasn't the case for Junpei though; he kept whining about the amount of chores he had to do for his room without actually being productive, so much so that Shinjiro stormed out of his own room and threatened Junpei to "Shut the hell up!" or else he'd stuff his mouth with moldy carpet and slap duct tape over it so he couldn't spit it out.
Kanji, who wasn't the most patient person in the world, groaned. "Damn, I never thought that someone more annoying than Yosuke-senpai actually exists."
"Hey, I take offense to that…but I have to agree with you," Yosuke muttered while washing the windows.
Souji silently chuckled. 'That's the Magician for ya…'
Unlike the silence below, the girls were multitasking by gossiping and cleaning. Just like the guys, they cleaned up their own rooms before starting on the hallways. Aigis and Metis took the rooms in the left wing while Fuuka and Yukari took the ones in the right. Minako took the room that was located above her brother's. Looks like some things will never change.
It was with mutual agreement on the girls' part that Mitsuru should take the big bedroom, since she's the owner and technically the matron of the dorm. Yukiko and Rise assisted her as it was too much work for a single person to clean such a large room. Chie and Naoto hauled the old furniture, which wasn't much, to the second floor in hopes that the boys would dispose of it for them before helping the other girls.
Squeals and giggles were heard throughout, making the ones downstairs curious. Most of the SEES guys finished with their rooms and just started on the miniature lounge, paused in the middle of their tasks, wondering what the commotion was all about. They pricked their ears to listen better.
"Minako-senpai ~ I bet that living with a bunch of guys in the same dorm, you'd have the privilege of going into their rooms, right? Being the Leader and all…" came Rise's voice, using that sweet, sing-song tone which Shinjiro hated so much.
"Well, I only had free access to Aniki's room, since he did give me a spare key to it," Minako answered. "But other than that, I've only been inside the other guys' room once when they invited me. Mitsuru-senpai imposes strict rules for that kind of thing."
A collective of insinuating Oooohhhh's followed. "H-hey, don't get the wrong idea!" she cried. "I was invited to play video games in Junpei-kun's room, but I couldn't stand being in there for more than 10 minutes because it smelled real bad!"
The eavesdroppers downstairs lightly snickered at that. Junpei looked offended, but didn't say anything.
"So what about those other rooms?" asked Chie.
"I helped Ken-kun with his crafts project one time. He didn't want to take it out of his room because he thought it was embarrassing. Akihiko-senpai dragged me to his and requested for a private conversation. Turns out he wanted to ask for some girl advice, specifically on how to ask one out."
Yukari spoke up next. "Let me guess…Mitsuru-senpai, right?"
"Bingo!" As the girls giggled at Mitsuru's likely red face for that revelation, Akihiko could feel his own cheeks heating up, earning a snort from his childhood friend.
"And what abouuuuut...Shinjiro-senpaiiii~?!" Rise sang, dragging the words out like a quiz show host. Her voice was dripping with mirth, clearly enjoying playing interrogator.
Minako started to stutter, incoherent sentences sputtering out of her mouth. Shinjiro almost choked on his spit, and started sweating when he felt Minato glaring at him.
"What's that? I can't hear youuuuuuu~"
"Rise, enough!" Naoto's stern voice commanded, using the masculine tone during the murder investigations. "If she doesn't want to talk about it, she has the right to remain silent."
"Don't tell me you've been in Kanji's room as –"
Naoto cut her off, shrieking "No I haven't! Stop making such ridiculous presumptions!"
"It's no secret that Yukiko had been in Souji-kun's room a few times. She even lied to her parents about spending Christmas Eve at my house when she was actually spending it with him," Chie supplied, laughing at Yukiko's wails of "Shut up, Chie!"
Fuuka hummed thoughtfully before speaking her mind. "You know…there were actually a few times where I could have sworn I saw Mitsuru-senpai exit Akihiko-senpai's room at night…"
"What are you guys doing?" Souji asked, startling the eavesdropping guys who were gathered close to the stairs. He just emerged from the big room, holding a few rags and a bucket, looking at them with a puzzled expression. Yosuke and Kanji were behind him, raising an eyebrow at their conspicuous behavior.
"N-Nothing! Nothing at all!" Akihiko quickly replied, thankful for Souji's well-timed intervention. 'If Junpei or Shinji finds out about our 'night dates'… I'll never hear the end of it…'
Shinjiro was also relieved, as it distracted Minato from questioning about him and his sister. 'I'm dead meat if he finds out she slept on the same bed with me that one time…' He suppressed a shudder. 'It's not like we did anything naughty. Thank God he was out on one of his part-time jobs…he's too damn protective…'
Souji shrugged it off, until they heard Minako's voice again. "But it wasn't just me. Aniki has been into every SEES girl's room!" she blurted out.
Upon hearing that, the guys quieted down and listened with wide eyes. The blue-haired twin had an 'Oh crap!' look on his face.
"Minako-chan!" Yukari shrieked. "Don't you dare….!"
"Hey, let her talk Senpai!" Rise quickly interrupted. "I'm curious now!"
"W-well… A-Aniki and I tell each other pretty much everything…" Minako's voice stammered. "W-when he and Yukari-chan and became a c-couple, she snuck him into her room and they spent a really nice evening together talking and listening to music…th-that's what he told me anyway…"
The other girls started giggling. Minato was blushing, and he could imagine Yukari's face turning pinker than her cardigan right now.
"Tell us more! Tell us more!" Rise squealed, enjoying herself way too much with all the gossip.
"Umm… there's nothing much really… Fuuka-chan invited both of us to eat some cake she baked during Cooking Club. And it was rather tasty."
"Too bad I couldn't bake another one like that again…" Fuuka sighed. "Nobody wants to try out my cooking…"
The SEES guys shivered. Last time any of them agreed to taste-test Fuuka's cooking, the outcome wasn't pretty. Yosuke and Kanji shivered too as they recalled their own similar mishaps.
"What about Mitsuru-senpai?" Rise asked in a sickly sweet tone, sparing none of the SEES girls.
"Mitsuru-senpai wanted to watch a DVD with us so we picked out a horror movie. We watched it in her room since she has the biggest TV screen," Minako giggled. "She was scared so badly, she kept holding our hands throughout the whole show."
Akihiko threw Minato a dirty look, which he replied with a nonchalant shrug. 'Ain't my fault you and Senpai were in denial of your feelings for each other back then,' he thought.
"Minato-san and Minako-san had also been to my room at my request," Aigis said suddenly, surprising everybody. "They've taught me so much about Life and what it means to be alive… I wanted to do something for them…something to prove that I would never forget and will always be with them."
Everybody became awkwardly silent at that. As human as Aigis had become over the past two years, she still lacked a social tact when it came to sharing certain bits of information.
"What? I just gave each of them a charred screw from my body as a token of my appreciation."
"That's really nice, Sister," Metis said soothingly, trying to comfort her. "When I get my own room ready, I'll ask them to come visit me. Maybe I should ask Souji-san too…"
"Metis! It doesn't work like that!" Mitsuru snapped, causing the other girls to laugh.
On the lower floor, the guys sweatdropped at how things turned out. Junpei gawked. "Man, do you and Souji have to be such a huge hit with the ladies?"
"Why? You jealous, Iori? Don't you already have Yoshino to worry about?" Shinjiro snorted at the class clown.
"Speaking of worries, Senpai, about you and my sister…" Minato started with a sinister tone. Shinjiro gulped.
"Hey guys, we still need to finish cleaning here," Souji interrupted, ignoring his psuedo brother glaring at Shinjiro. "We'll get scolded if we don't finish this soon."
"Yeah! What Souji said!" The tall brunette hastily turned and went back to cleaning.
Minato rolled his eyes and decided to get back to work, the others following his example.
While quiet the entire time, Ken heard everything and shook his head. "Grown-ups can be so immature…" he muttered, continuing his work.
Ground floor…
Teddie jumped up and down trying to reach one of the several cobwebs adorning the walls with a feather duster, with very little success. "Oh…! This is not work for a bear of my quality!" he huffed in indignation before looking at the floor hopelessly. "But if I don't get this place spotless, Sensei and Yosuke will give me even worse punishment…"
Trying one last time, Teddie jumped as high as he could, trying to reach the spider web only to trip over the bucket and falling face first onto the dusty floor, causing a huge dust cloud to cover the room. "AAAAACCCCHHHHHOOOOOO!" he sneezed loudly, resulting in the airborne dust scattering everywhere. "It's no use… I'll never get this place cleaned on time!"
Panic gripped the bear's being as he imagined the angry look on Souji's face upon seeing that he had failed his task. To Teddie, failing his sensei was a thousand times worse than having all the girls mad at him at the same time.
Koromaru sneezed again. He started to whine, clearly unhappy about being attacked by an army of dust bunnies before making his way out through the front door which was left open.
"Even you're abandoning me, Koro-chan?" With a sigh, Teddie plopped on the floor, a depressed aura surrounding him. "Could this get any worse…?"
"Teddie! I don't hear you doing any cleaning down there!" Yosuke's voice boomed from upstairs. "Move your lazy butt or Souji and I will be coming down!"
Quickly Teddie got back to his feet again. "Everything is under control! This place will be super spotless in no time!" he shouted back, faking enthusiasm.
"It better be, or I'll have Dad give you even more night shifts!"
Once he was sure Yosuke wasn't listening, Teddie sulked. "How un-bear-able…" he whimpered. "What am I gonna do?"
The sound of shuffling and something being dropped next to him caught his attention. Looking to his right, Koromaru was staring at him with a rather long tree branch on the floor. "Huh? What's this, Koro-chan?" Teddie looked at the item and frowned. "Sorry, I can't play fetch now…"
Koromaru shook his head and pointed a paw to the feather duster. Teddie looked at the utensil before looking back at the branch. He repeated that movement several times before something finally clicked in his brain. "That's it! If I tie the feather duster to this branch with a rag, then I can get those webs off the walls!"
Koromaru barked in approval when Teddie hugged him. "Oh, Koro-chan, I knew you'd never abandon me! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he cried in joy. "You're so loyal! Man's best friend indeed. And now I know you're a bear's best friend too. I promise to give you a nice bath after I'm done cleaning!"
Hearing that, Koromaru nuzzled against Teddie's face, making the human Shadow giggle. "Hehe, let's keep going!" he exclaimed with renewed resolve.
The ceiling and walls were cleared without much trouble. "Phew… This place is looking better already!" Teddie smiled as he adjusted his apron. "Remind me to thank Kanji for the apron later. Despite its garish design, it does a great job of protecting my suit from the evil dust!"
Koromaru barked in agreement, pointing his nose to the direction of a window. "You're right, Koro-chan! Time to wash those windows!"
Teddie grabbed the bucket, filled it with water from the kitchen sink and then mixed in some cleaning solution. Once it was ready, he started washing the windows one by one. Koromaru helped by keeping the rags at hand so Teddie could easily change them once one was too filthy to be used.
Once he was done wiping off dust and grime, Teddie panted. The job was tiring and he was frying inside his suit due to the summer heat. "It's so hot…" He wobbled a bit before steadying himself. "No, I can't stop now!"
Koromaru panted and wagged his tail as if encouraging him. "You're right Koro-chan. There's one more thing to do before this place is finally clean!" Teddie grabbed the mop and bucket. "Time to clean the floor!"
Teddie swept furiously before proceeding to mop the floor. He swung and twirled back and forth as if he was in a ballroom, and the mop was a pretty girl dancing with him. Koromaru, being a dog, didn't really understand this behavior, but as long as the job was done and the mood was happy he didn't mind.
Finally, when the floor was clean and dry, Teddie had completed his tasks. "Yay! This place is super clean now! Sensei will be so proud of me!" Teddie cheered. Without warning, he plopped on the floor, exhausted. "I'm so tired…" He unzipped his suit so his blonde head could pop out, placing the bear-head aside. "Sensei won't mind if I open my suit. I finished after all."
Seeing that, Koromaru walked up to Teddie and hopped inside. Teddie was surprised, but he was grateful for the Shiba Inu's company and too tired to mind. "You're fuzzy…like me, Koro-chan!" he smiled, hugging Koromaru. "Let's take a nap before Sensei comes back, okay?"
After Teddie fell asleep in record time, the others were just about finished. It was hard work, so they decided to take a little break before resuming. They chatted while heading downstairs, only to be greeted by a cute scene: Teddie and Koromaru snuggled up together in the bear suit. Thankfully he wore clothes on the inside this time. The short blonde was snoring, audible enough for everyone to hear. Despite his flirtatious tendencies and sparkly 'charm', at that moment he looked like an innocent child hugging a favorite toy.
"Oh my goodness, isn't that the sweetest thing!" Fuuka cooed softly, not wanting the pair to wake up.
Kanji blushed at the cuteness of it all. In his mind, a design for a new doll popped up and he made a mental note to sketch it at home later. The other girls took out their phones to capture a picture.
Souji looked around and was mildly surprised. 'Looks like I underestimated him. He did a pretty good job…' he thought, pleased with the sparkling clean surfaces of the lounge, hallways and meeting room. The light scent of citrus was a pleasant change compared to the previous musty smell of dust and mould.
"Come on guys, let's get out of here and leave them be. They deserve it," he told his friends.
"But we're not telling that to his face. Remember the last time he got a compliment and it went straight to his head?" Yosuke smirked. The others got the hint and left the bear and the pooch to snooze away.
After a short break, Souji helped Shinjiro with the kitchen while the rest divided themselves between the pantry, laundry room, porch, and storage room. By the time they finished, it was almost lunch time.
"I'm too tired to go out, but I'm so hungry~" Chie whined in a very unlady-like manner, her stomach grumbling loudly. Everybody sweatdropped.
Kanji took out his cellphone. "I'm ordering some take-out from old man Aiya. You guys want anything?"
Taking advantage of that, the others gave him their order. Teddie woke up just in time to add in his. Too dizzy to remember everything, Kanji told the person on the other line that they'll be having the party special of Chinese fried rice, sweet and sour shrimp, vegetable tempura, and a special meat platter for Koromaru. Chie and Akihiko insisted on an extra side order of beef bowls, which they agreed to pay for themselves. After hanging up, he gave his friends a glare which meant 'You guys better pony up on the bill!'
An hour later, as they were waiting in the dining room, the tell-tale sounds of a delivery scooter was heard in the distance. Aika Nakamura had arrived with their lunch. She was greeted warmly by her schoolmates.
"Hey Aika. Long time no see," Souji said.
"Seta-kun, welcome back." Aika gave him a small smile. "I already heard from Ichijo-kun and Nagase-kun. Every time they came in, the only thing they could talk about was you. Are you really staying for good this time?"
"Yeah…" he said softly. Quickly enough, he changed the topic as he took the order from her hands and handed them to Minato. "Thanks for the food. Why don't you come in and meet my other friends? Some of them will be transferring to our school next week." He ushered her in and introduced her to the rest.
"Hey there, Aika-chan! I'm Minako, and this is my older twin brother Minato!" the red-eyed girl greeted boisterously. "Souji-kun told me a little about you. You're Inaba's legendary delivery girl who delivers any order, anytime, anywhere. That's so awesome!"
Aika blushed. "That's…I'm just doing my job…" she answered softly, looking at her shoes. Minako and Souji continued with the small talk, the latter asking her about any updates in her life.
Some were already digging in, sitting on the floor of the dining room while the girls sat at the porch. Mitsuru was appalled at the lack of manners the guys were showing, particularly Junpei and Teddie. Akihiko and Chie were no better, and she could have sworn those two were siblings if it weren't for the lack of family resemblance. However, there was still much to do and she wanted to conserve her energy.
Aika silently approached Kanji, tapping his shoulder and scaring him out of his skin. "Don't do that!" he scolded her, lightly punching his chest to calm his beating heart, simultaneously coughing up some rice he choked on.
"Have you thought about Mr. Aiya's offer, Tatsumi-kun?" she asked, brown eyes wide with anticipation that it was starting to creep him out.
"How many times do I have to tell the old man I ain't got the time for that?!" Kanji mumbled under his breath. "Sorry Nakamura-senpai, it's just not happening. I got too much going on at Ma's shop to be workin' for him."
"Okay, I'll tell the boss that. Sorry to bother you. That'll be 6,870 yen." She made a hand gesture to demand the payment. Everyone took out their wallets or purses and pooled their money in. Chie's mood turned sour when Akihiko reminded her of their little bet back in Yakushima, resulting her having to fork out another 500 yen for his beef bowl.
"It was nice meeting you, Aika-chan!" Minako waved the girl goodbye as she left on her scooter.
Souji sat down beside Kanji and opened his container of food. "What was that about?" he asked his tall kouhai.
"Mr. Aiya's been buggin' me about working part-time as a cook at his place," Kanji explained through mouthfuls of shrimp. "One of his cooks quit and moved to another town, so he's understaffed at the moment. Since I live just across the street, he figured I could give him a hand. The thing is, I'm already helping Ma with the shop, the dolls and classes so I ain't got the time. I feel sorry for the dude, but my hands are tied." He opened another container of rice and heaped more shrimp and crispy vegetables onto it.
Shinjiro's ears twitched, which didn't go unnoticed by Minato. "Shinjiro-senpai could do it," he supplied, politely eating his food. "It's the perfect job for him. He can handle working in the pressures of the kitchen better than anyone I know."
"Then I'll tell Mr. Aiya that after I get home. I'm pretty sure you'll be hired immediately," Kanji told Shinjiro, looking relieved. "Just come by the diner and tell him when you want to start."
"Speaking of part-time jobs, there should be new job postings on the bulletin board. I should check it out soon," Souji mused, munching on a tempura capsicum. "I hope the daycare is hiring again…"
"And Junes is looking for more part-timers if any of you are interested," Yosuke informed. "Although I think you guys should wait until after Teddie finishes his punishment. I don't want him slacking off thinking that more workers are willing to cover his hide." He smirked when Teddie muttered a quick curse before wolfing down his meal.
Yukiko and Minako made some tea to accompany their lunch. Teddie excused himself, mentioning Koromaru over. "Sorry guys. I promised to give Koro-chan a bath after we're done cleaning. See you in a bit." The white dog followed him out, wagging his tail excitedly. He loved baths!
"That was pretty sweet of Teddie-kun," Minako giggled.
"When it comes to a promise, Teddie always goes an extra mile to keep his," Souji said, smiling when a squeal from the blonde was heard.
The others cleared their mess and threw out the garbage once they ended eating. They continued to rest and chat with each other, talking about all sorts of trivial things. Outside in the front yard, Teddie's laughter and Koromaru's barks were heard.
"Those two are having a good time alright," Minato chuckled. "I wonder who is having more fun?"
Soon enough, Teddie and Koromaru came back, with the blonde soaking wet, but looking rather satisfied at his work and went to change into dry clothing. Good thing Yosuke had insisted that they brought a spare set. Koromaru on the other hand, looked like a puffed up cotton ball. Minako giggled, taking out a brush from her bag, and started to brush his soft, doggy fur. If the Shiba Inu was a cat, he would be purring loudly in pleasure right now. After everything had settled down, the Persona-users decided to wait for the moving trucks which should be arriving any minute now when something unusual happened; Koromaru started growling out of nowhere.
"Hey, what's the matter Koro-chan?" Teddie asked, confused at the dog's sudden change in mood.
"Uh-oh… I know that look." Minako stood up, looking defensive. "Koro-chan was just like that before the Shadows attacked me and Kanji-kun at Tatsuhime Shrine…"
Upon hearing that, the gang tensed up. "I swear if those Shadows mess up all the hard work to get this place clean, I'm whooping their asses!" Junpei exclaimed angrily.
"On guard, everybody!" Souji ordered, readying his fighting stance.
The group braced itself for the worst. The Wild Cards could barely repress a shiver, feeling as if several sets of eyes were watching them, although there was nothing and no one in sight other than their friends.
Then it happened. Out of nowhere they emerged: several giant floating balls of fire, glowing in amber, pale blue and even yellow like the full moon, appeared all over the room. Some were even dragging long flickering tails behind them.
Surprised at the sight, no one was able to move or speak as the spirit lights harmlessly floated around the place, moving around almost in a playful manner, as if enjoying the shocked expressions stamped on the Persona-users' faces. They twirled in the air and danced around in glee.
Yukari clutched onto Minato's arm, trying really hard not to shriek at the freaky sight before her. 'Don't scream… don't scream… don't scream…!' she chanted to herself.
However, not even all of her willpower was enough as one of the floating balls appeared before her and touched her face. "EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKK!" Yukari yelled as the ball left some sort of slimy residue on her cheek. Without thinking she latched onto Minato's neck, hugging him as if her life depended on it.
"Y-Yu…ka….ri….too… tight…C-can't…breathe…." Minato choked, his face turning blue like his hair.
Before anyone could help him, the spirit lights suddenly started flying around erratically in an aggressive manner. Apparently their frenzy was triggered by Yukari's scream.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Another high pitched (and rather girly) yelp escaped Kanji's throat, scaring pretty much everybody else in the room.
All hell broke loose from there. Sobbing hysterically, Minako buried her face in Shinjiro's chest when a ball of ghost fire phased through her head. Mitsuru lost her cool and screamed when a fireball took shape of a flaming skull and chased her. She ended up in Akihiko's arms, who took her to a secluded corner to shield her from the sight. Chie was frightened in the same manner and hugged her boyfriend, who tried to calm her down while swatting the floating lights away with little success. In her panicked state, Chie wrapped her arms around Yosuke's middle and squeezed him like the Heimlich maneuver, causing him to choke breathlessly.
Souji stood in front of Yukiko, shielding her from the floating fireballs in case the really did cause harm. Unlike Chie, Yukiko bravely stared at the dancing lights, their hypnotizing rhythm putting her in a trance. Souji had to shake her a few times to snap her out of it.
Acting on instinct, Fuuka embraced Ken, trying to protect him from the rampaging ectoplasms. Ken on the other hand, didn't know how to react to the chaos before him. Koromaru tried to chase the ghost lights, but they either faded away or phased into the floor whenever the dog was close to catching them. At a last attempt, the Shiba Inu ended up crashing into Junpei, sending the capped jokester to the ground in an unceremonious heap.
Kanji wasn't as freaked out as his initial scream made him sound to be, but he hugged the closest person next to him, tightly. Said person was Naoto, who blushed a deep red while blankly staring at the ghost fire along with Aigis and Metis, the latter attempting to touch them. Her mouth hung open in awe, like a curious little baby as she jumped up and down to reach them.
Teddie and Rise were both frightened so badly they hugged each other out of fear. Teddie didn't even have the time to enjoy his situation when Rise glared at him, as if saying "Do anything funny and I'll kill you!" Another spirit dashed by, causing her to shriek and hug/shake him so aggressively until swirlies appeared in his eyes.
It felt like forever until the ghost lights finally disappeared, leaving almost all of them in rather compromising positions: Minato, having passed out from the lack of oxygen, fell to the ground with Yukari on top of him. She ended up straddling him when she tried to get up.
In their corner, Akihiko tried to calm Mitsuru down by embracing her possessively. He thanked his lucky stars that Junpei was out cold (Koromaru tried to wake him up by licking his face) and Shinjiro was busy trying to calm Minako as both were on the ground, with the auburn-haired girl holding onto him tightly, hiding her face in the crook of his shoulder and too scared to realize the position they were in.
Chie, in her panicked state, accidentally head butted Yosuke, knocking him out and sending both sprawled on the floor. Once she regained her bearings, she started shaking her boyfriend in a rather violent manner, trying to wake him up. "C'mon, Yosuke! This is no time to be lazy!"
Kanji held on to Naoto like a frightened kid would hug a stuffed animal during a thunderstorm. The young detective tried in vain to get him to release her from his vice-like grip.
Teddie and Rise still cowered in another corner, their eyes tightly shut and holding onto each other too afraid to see if things were okay. The bear might have had a slight concussion after all that shaking since he didn't try to grope Rise despite his advantageous position.
Yukiko and Souji were the only couple still standing on their feet, the raven-haired girl looking rather dazed as Souji whispered soothing words, trying to get her back to normal.
After everyone regained consciousness, the loud sound of a horn could be heard honking at the front of the dorm, nearly giving them a heart attack.
"What, the trucks are here already?" Mitsuru gasped, gently pushing herself away from Akihiko. "How come nobody heard them coming?"
"Beats me, but they sound pretty pissed," Shinjiro grunted. "Great, more work…"
Minako giggled. "You're starting to sound like Junpei, Shinji-kun."
"How can you guys be so calm?!" Yukari shrilled. "Did you just not witness that? This house is haunted!" She was hyperventilating after her rant.
Minato pulled his girlfriend in a hug to calm her down. "I don't think they were actual ghosts, Yukari. Minako and Souji-kun felt it too. They were definitely connected to the Shadows."
"How come the Dark Hour didn't appear this time?" Yukiko wondered.
"Hmm…perhaps this supernatural phenomenon isn't an indicator of the arrival of the random Dark Hour," Souji answered, deep in thought. "It was…how can I put this…it felt like a playful type of warning."
Naoto spoke next. "So the next question remains: A warning from whom?"
Another loud honk broke them from their reverie. Mitsuru sighed. "At least we have some extra help this time. Come on, we have to finish loading everything in before sunset. We can arrange the furniture tomorrow. Worry about those ghost lights later."
The others nodded and headed off to the front door (although Yukari wasn't really pleased), where a moving truck carrying all their stuff from Iwatodai was parked in the driveway. Behind it was a giant Junes delivery truck with their new furniture. Mitsuru didn't waste any time giving out orders to the moving men and the placement of the new equipment inside the house. Shinjiro supervised the kitchen while the rest of the guys and Chie helped the moving men carry the heavier items and placed them in their respective areas. The girls on the other hand helped carry the lighter stuff such as clothes bags and boxes, mattresses and pillows for the rooms.
It soon got a little crowded and noisy, mostly due to the teenagers shouting at each other.
"Damn it Tatsumi, stop stepping on my foot!"
"Teddie, quit throwing your sparkles at Fuuka and help me carry this bed frame upstairs!"
"Watch where you're going, dumbass!"
"Get out of my way!"
"Rise-chan, don't you dare look into those boxes!"
"When the heck did we get a piano?! It sure looks old and expensive…Hey Mitsuru-senpai, where is this thing supposed to go?"
Despite the chaos, they managed to finish loading everything into the dorm in under three hours. The moving and delivery men were slightly traumatized, but other than that, nothing was broken. Mitsuru tipped them generously, causing the men to forget their troubles and left with smiles on their faces.
With the strength they had left, they arranged the furniture in the lounge and reception area. Rise dictated the guys around for a bit, only to be sent to a corner by a combination of Kanji's and Shinjiro's infamous death glares. After that was done, they plopped on the floor or sofas, exhausted and out of breath.
Yet another honking was heard outside. This time however, only the Arisato twins and Souji seemed excited about it. The three of them dashed out of there before anybody could comment on it.
"It's finally here!" Minato exclaimed when he and his siblings returned to the lounge. In his hands was a guitar case.
"Definitely worth the wait," Souji added, carrying in a rectangular one.
"And it was a buy-two-free-one deal too," Minako chirped, jingling a tambourine. "And good thing Mitsuru-senpai placed the piano between the reception area and the lounge. We can really relax here!"
Shinjiro took off his beanie and ruffled his hair. "Okay, I'm lost here. What the hell are you guys talking about?"
The trio grinned. "We ordered these musical instruments from Tanaka's Amazing Commodities last Sunday," Souji told them. "Since I knew they'd arrive today, I told them to deliver it to this address."
"So what did you buy, Sensei?" Teddie asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
Souji placed his case on the coffee table and opened it. Inside was a finely polished brass saxophone. "I've been meaning to get one of these for a while now, but we were too busy with Shadows and I couldn't afford to splurge since most of our money went to purchasing armors and weapons." He placed the strap over his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he blew into the mouthpiece and started to play a short little jazz number.
Yosuke was impressed. "Dude, I didn't know you could play the sax as well."
"I've been practicing since I was away," Souji grinned. "You guys shouldn't be so surprised. It's not that different from the trumpet."
Minato took out his acoustic guitar and strummed a sweet little tune. "I don't think I ever told you guys this, but my dad was a middle-school music teacher. He was the one who taught us how to play and appreciate music."
"Aniki always had an affinity for stringed instruments. But he likes guitars the best since they're much more convenient to play," Minako said, and then pouted. "On the other hand, I could never graduate from the piano…"
"Maybe that's why your Persona is Eurydice, Minako-senpai," Rise said. "The piano has a wider range of melodies and sounds compared to any other instrument. It's quite versatile if you ask me."
"So you guys are gonna put up a little concert for us?" Junpei said, a wide grin on his face egging them on.
Minako blushed when she caught Shinjiro staring at her. "Umm…uh…I never played for a bunch of people before…" she stammered. "What do you think, Aniki? Souji-kun?"
Souji smirked. "I think we should go for it."
"Well, we do qualify for a jazz triplet," Minato said, stroking his chin. "Okay, why don't we play one song? I want to test how well we work together."
"Whoa, you guys are doing it? I was just kidding…" Junpei said, rubbing the back of his head.
Minako smiled at him assuringly. "Don't worry Junpei-kun. We want to play. It'll be fun!"
"Then what song will you guys be playing?" Ken asked. By now they had gained attention from all their friends.
Souji pondered for a while, before snapping his fingers. "Classics never go out of style. How about Fly Me to the Moon? That was your mother's favorite, wasn't it?"
"Just like old times," Minato whispered, a nostalgic look on his face. "Mom really loved that song…"
His sister took her place by the piano. "I haven't played that in a long time..." She pressed a few keys in a light rhythm, testing out the pitch and played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star before she was satisfied.
"Hold on…" Minato told them as he adjusted the tightness of the strings. "Okay guys, ready when you are. One…and a two…and a three…"
Not even half-way through their mini-concert, their audience was blown away. It felt like their leaders were trying to show a new side of themselves; the melodies of the individual instruments blending together to create perfect harmony, the combined sounds was like flowing water; relaxing and uplifting at the same time.
Koromaru was wagging his tail to the beat as the others were tapping their feet or drumming their fingers. Even the usually stiff Shinjiro started to smile.
When the Wild Cards finished playing, their friends gave the loudest encore they could muster, leaving them speechless. Seeing them so happy caused the trio to smile as well, and gave their audience a dramatic bow.
Yukari couldn't believe her eyes or ears. Even back when they were living in the dorm together, Minato never mentioned that he could play an instrument. Perhaps it was still a painful subject for him back then, having it to remind him of his parents. She knew the feeling all too well. Seeing him and Minako open up like this was a good sign.
Yukiko was blushing, imaginary steam blowing out of her ears. If Souji looked cool playing the trumpet before, playing the saxophone made him a hell of a lot sexier! "Better be careful, Yukiko," Chie said in a teasing tone, elbowing her friend. "I'm sure Souji-kun will be even more popular if the other students in school find out about this."
"I'm pretty sure Teddie already stole the hearts of most of his fans," Yosuke grinned, "although Naoto's fan girls are still going strong."
"Don't remind me of that…" Naoto muttered darkly.
Rise had hearts in her eyes. "Kyaaa~ you guys look so cool together! Encore, encore!"
Shinjiro could only roll his eyes at that, but silently admitted that he wouldn't mind listening to Minako playing the piano in the future, all the better if it was for him and him alone.
Mitsuru suddenly stood up. "Speaking of school…" she said. "I have yet to order your school uniforms." She looked at the twins, Metis, Ken and Shinjiro. "But aside from that, I have an important announcement. Would all of you please come join me in the meeting room?"
Confused yet curious, the group followed Mitsuru to the meeting room. Once there, the group sat around the huge table, most of them were still chatting and overall being noisy until Mitsuru gave a glare which got them to quiet down, and cleared her throat. "Thank you for coming," she started. "I apologize for calling you so suddenly, but there are some pressing matters we have not discussed in the previous meeting and it requires our attention."
Minato and Minako exchanged glances. "It's about the chairman, isn't it Senpai?" they asked in unison.
Everybody looked at the twins and then back at Mitsuru, who sighed. "Yes, Arisato. It is regarding that man…" She looked down for a minute before facing the Investigation Team.
"So, what can you tell us about that guy?" Yosuke asked. "From what you mentioned, he seems even worse of a manipulator than Adachi."
"As you must be aware by now, Shuji Ikutsuki, also known as the Chairman, had a pivotal role in the Port Island Incident and the threat of The Fall," Mitsuru began. She needed to come clean with the younger group even if the subject was rather painful for her. "He was among the highest ranked scientists in the Kirijo Group, which was run by my late grandfather Koetsu Kirijo at that time, and was involved in the research of Shadows and their power. Originally, they intended to harness the Shadows' power as a means of time manipulation."
Chie blinked, surprised. "Time manipulation? As in a time machine?"
"Correct, Satonaka. However, in his later years, my grandfather seemed to have only nihilism in his heart. And the Shadow research deviated from its original goal. Through the experiments with Shadows, the lead scientists came to know about The Fall and nearly all of them embraced it, gathering a large mass of Shadows in hopes of resurrecting Death and bringing forth The Fall. Only one of the head scientists opposed to that." Mitsuru took a deep breath and glanced at Yukari, who nodded in understanding. "That man was Eiichiro Takeba, Yukari's late father."
The Investigation Team gasped glances and turned to look at Yukari. "My father prevented Death from being completed and left a video warning about how to avoid The Fall from happening." She closed her eyes, shoulders shaking slightly in anger. Minato immediately held her hand to comfort her. "But the chairman… He altered the video and used it to trick us into doing the opposite of what my father wanted… and when we finally found out he'd been using us all along, he tried to kill us as sacrifices for Nyx."
"He reprogrammed me to do his bidding, but fortunately, my bond with Minato-san and Minako-san was stronger and released me from his control," Aigis continued with a bitter expression. Metis placed a hand on her shoulder. "But…"
"The damage caused by him was already done…" Mitsuru was trying her hardest to keep a neutral face. "He murdered my father and then committed suicide after being wounded in the stomach by a bullet. His mission to revive Death was long completed by the time he jumped to his death."
All that information shocked the younger teens, including Souji. He was aware of the story his surrogate siblings already told them, but had no idea of what sort of hell Ikutsuki had put not only the twins but all of their friends through. It also brought up another question.
"Assuming this 'chairman' that attacked our leaders using The Reaper is the same one that nearly brought the end of the world in the past, how could he know Souji-senpai or his parents for that matter?" Naoto questioned, earning murmurs of agreement from her teammates.
"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that at the moment, Shirogane," Mitsuru said. "During our trip to Yakushima, I took the liberty of going to the Kirijo Group labs located on the island with Fuuka, Aigis and Metis to see if any of the equipment there had been tampered with, and to find any possible information regarding Seta's family."
"We did find some data, but it's heavily coded. Decoding it all will take some time. But as soon as I uncover something, I promise to let you all know," Fuuka said.
"Don't forget guys; the chairman's not above using others for his own goals," Minato said. "For all we know, he could simply be lying about knowing Souji-kun and his family to try and mess with our heads like he did with me and my sister to bring out our Shadows."
"Since he doesn't have a Persona, it'll be extremely difficult for Fuuka-chan and Rise-chan to track him down, not to mention he also has The Reaper to do the dirty work for him. So yes, he's even more dangerous than Adachi," Minako added. "This means we'll have to be extra careful during our expeditions to the other side."
"Which brings us to the other reason for this meeting," Mitsuru continued from where the twins left off. "This dorm will act as our official venue for discussing any Shadow-related findings while the 'Special Headquarters' at Junes will be our meeting place for training and investigations to the other side. Our activities cannot be openly discussed at school or workplaces so they must be addressed in a more confidential manner."
Souji had an idea what Mitsuru was proposing. "Mitsuru-san, are you suggesting that…"
The red-head nodded with a small smile. "Correct, Seta. While we have already joined forces, I'd like to make it official. Henceforth, a new team will be formed and for that, a new name is needed."
As soon as Mitsuru finished that sentence, the room became noisy again. Everybody was talking at the same time trying to voice out their opinions and suggestions, followed by Koromaru's incessant barking. Only Shinjiro remained silent, preferring to observe.
Junpei shot up from his seat and waved an arm in the air like an overexcited child. "Oh, oh, me, me, me! Let me make up a name for our new team!"
The former juniors of Gekkoukan rolled their eyes at this. It was expected of Junpei after all. Minako, being nice and decided to humor him, asked "So what do you have in mind, Junpei-kun? I bet it sounds awesome."
"Cuz it is!" Junpei gave her a flirtatious wink. "We'll call our team The Super Shadow Destroyers!" He made a superhero pose to add more effect.
Everyone sweatdropped. Honestly, how childish could he get?
"Junpei, that's the most ridiculous name I've ever heard," Yukari deadpanned.
"Since our former secret club was called S.E.E.S, how about P.E.E.P?" the capped teed suggested again, ignoring Yukari's comment. "Ya know, since the S stands for 'Shadow', then the P can be 'Persona'!"
The girls blushed at that. Was the idiot even aware of what he just said?
"Oh yeah, and what does the E's in between stand for?" Akihiko questioned, not impressed whatsoever.
"Uhhh…." was his intelligent reply.
Minato sighed. "You really didn't think about it, did you?"
"What a moron…" Shinjiro scoffed.
"Oh! Oh! I've got one!" Teddie exclaimed, flailing his arms. "Bear-sona Rangers Association!"
The girls, minus Yukiko, glared daggers at him for the suggestion while the guys face-palmed. Koromaru seemed indifferent about it, silently wagging his tail.
Teddie blinked owlishly, clueless as to why they were mad at him. "What? It does sound pretty cool…"
Yukiko cocked her head in confusion. "Huh? I don't get it. Bear-sona…Rangers…Association…? B…R…A…" Once she finally understood, her cheeks flushed red and glowered furiously at Teddie, who sat next to her and Souji. "Haven't you learned your lesson already!?" Without warning, she slapped him so hard that his eyes were spinning in their sockets.
"Ouch… that's gonna leave a mark…" Kanji winced. He knew firsthand how hard Yukiko could slap a guy; must be all those heavy trays she had to carry while working at the Inn.
"Wheee ~ I'm seeing stars all over the place ~ " Teddie sang dizzily.
"Any other ideas?" Naoto exasperatedly asked. "And please, one without an inappropriate meaning hidden within the acronym?"
"What's so hard about combining the two former names to make a new one?" Yosuke said, leaning back in his chair. He closed his eyes and thought really hard. "Hmm…Persona Investigation and Execution Squad…" His eyes opened and he looked pleased. "Hey, I like the sound of that!"
"Th-that does sound good…" Fuuka agreed softly.
"Are you kidding me?!" Chie got up from her seat and hit her boyfriend on the head. "Yosuke, you just called our new team P.I.E.S. Pies! That a food! People won't take us seriously when we sound like food!"
Yosuke rubbed his head and glared back in return. "Oh yeah, why don't you come up with something then?!" And from there the two went at it, arguing like a married couple.
Mitsuru grew impatient after hearing all of the ridiculous and immature ideas, and the couple's arguing didn't help on the matter. More than annoyed, she slammed the table with a fist. "You two! Stop that childish banter this instant!"
Everyone was surprised by her reaction, effectively shutting them up. 'Looks like Akihiko-senpai / Aki rubbed off on her…' the twins and Shinjiro thought.
The Kirijo heiress sighed and ran a hand through her hair to try and regain her composure. "I already thought of a name, though I admit Hanamura almost got it right."
"For real?" Yosuke blinked in surprise before he smirked at Chie, pointing to her face. "Ha!"
"Do you want a kick in the face or below the belt?" she growled warningly. Yosuke quickly shut up.
Mitsuru ignored the duo and continued. "For now on, our group will be known as Specialized Paranormal Investigation and Execution Squad or simply S.P.I.E.S for short."
"SPIES…" Rise smiled. "Sounds like something out of an action series, huh Naoto-kun?"
Naoto smiled. "I admit it's got a nice ring to it."
"Yeah, it sounds really cool without being silly," Ken supplied, trying to hide his enthusiasm about it.
Everybody else agreed, including Koromaru who barked happily. "Very well then. It's settled." Minato stood up, followed by Minako and Souji. "Today SPIES is officially formed."
"Together we'll find the culprit behind the Fog and the Dark Hour," Souji added.
"And kick the ass of whoever tries to stop us!" Minako concluded. "You guys with us?"
"YEAH!" The team joined in the cheer, determination shining brightly in their eyes.
The Wild Cards smiled at their friends when a card flashed in their minds. A card they knew very well, followed by the familiar voice saying:
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It brings thee closer to the truth…
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…
They exchanged secret smiles.
Souji checked his watch. "Oh wow, it's getting late. I promised Nanako I'd be home early to help with her homework."
"That's right! Summer break is just about over," Yukiko said. "Thank goodness I already finished more than half of my assignments."
"What?!" Chie gasped. "Oh crap, I totally forgot about that! Yukiko, please help me…I-I haven't even touched that thing!"
Kanji cursed. "Of all the things to remember, it had to be that…"
"Don't worry, Kanji-kun. If you ever need help, you can always call me," Naoto consoled her boyfriend, not able to hide her blush.
Yosuke looked like the world was about to end. "Noooo! Queen Tut will punish me even worse if I don't complete her assignments!" he wailed, but then perked up. "Wait a minute…Souji's here. Partner, let me copy yours!"
Yukiko sweatdropped. "Yosuke-kun, he just transferred here…have you forgotten already?"
"Yosuke is dimwitted as always," Teddie teased.
"Shut up, you stupid bear! You didn't even touch yours as far as I'm concerned!"
Yukari turned to Fuuka who was sitting beside her. "I'm glad we finished our assignments early, or else we'd be cramming just before the classes start."
"Yeah, I'd hate for that to happen. The first week is always the stressful part," Fuuka said.
Junpei had the same expression as Yosuke's. "You guys finished already?! B-but…that's not fair! You started without me!" he accused.
Red tick marks appeared all over Yukari's forehead. "What's not fair, Junpei? I lost count on how many times Fuuka and I had to remind you of that!"
Minato chuckled. "Jeez, you never change, do you?"
Souji laughed at their antics. "Come on guys…even if I just transferred, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting some extra credit assignments to make up for the summer homework, if that makes you feel any better. I guess I'll just be reviewing the materials while I'm helping Nanako."
"Looks like we're in the same boat, Senpai," Rise piped in earning glances from everybody. "I guess I forgot to tell you after all the excitement that's happened. I'll be taking an even longer hiatus to finish school like a normal student."
That information surprised her Inaba friends. "But what did your family say to that?" Souji asked. He knew how much she enjoyed showbiz, despite the harshness that comes with being a starlet. "What about your manager?"
Rise smiled a bit sadly. "Grandma and Inoue-san already approved of my decision. My parents already moved back here to help me with anything I need." She quickly changed her tone to a more cheerful one. "Sorry I didn't tell you guys earlier. Shouldn't you be heading home now, Senpai? Nanako-chan is gonna get worried."
"Does that mean I have to do extra-credit assignments too?" Metis asked, sounding anxious.
"Most likely," Minako answered. "And we also have to work extra hard to make up for classes before the summer break. I'm just curious how the teachers would grade us…"
"And we should be heading back to the Inn," Mitsuru interjected. "We'll be back here tomorrow to arrange all the furniture, and after that discuss any school-related issues that might come up. Akihiko and I understand how hard it is to balance school and Shadow activities, especially when you're a senior." She glared threateningly at Shinjiro. "I expect you to participate, or else…"
Shinjiro waved her off. "Yeah, yeah…college entry exams and all that shit."
"Then I better get going," Souji said, standing up. "And don't worry, if you guys need any help tomorrow, we'd be happy to stop by. I might even bring Nanako with me."
"I'll go with you," Minako offered. "I wanna help Nanako-chan with her homework!"
"Then I might as well come along to keep her company," her twin added, putting his blue earphones on and pumping up the volume.
"Very well. This meeting is adjourned," Mitsuru said with finality. "We'll see you tomorrow."
Shopping District…
Kanji walked Rise and Naoto back to their homes. Due to all the weird stuff happening, Souji had advised them to always walk together, especially after the sun was down.
Rise was chattering as usual, commenting about all the gossip the girls had talked about while getting the rooms cleaned up. She was about to tease Kanji and question Naoto about her being on his room when she spotted a moving truck in front of one of the previously closed shops. "Hey, check that out. Never thought I'd see two moving trucks in one day…"
Kanji raised an eyebrow. "A shop? Didn't think any would open up here after Junes."
As they walked past it, they spotted a sign. "Shinshoudo Antiques. Grand Opening soon!" Naoto read it out loud. "An antiques shop…How peculiar…"
"Why would anyone open an antiques shop here?" Kanji wondered.
Rise shrugged. "Beats me, Kanji." Her attention was diverted to people coming out of the truck. "Hey, look!"
A middle-aged woman with tanned skin and black hair wearing casual beige clothing and glasses walked into the front door, carrying a box filled with terracotta vases. She was soon followed by a girl around their age, or perhaps a bit older. She had pale skin, blueish-gray hair and piercing red eyes, dressed in a long, grey summer dress. Both women stared at the trio with unreadable expressions before they entered the shop, not bothering to say hi.
Kanji was confused. "What the hell was that all about?"
"Judging from their body language, they must be mother and daughter," Naoto deduced. "That girl could be an adopted child, or maybe raised by a single mother."
"Alright, a new girl in town! Now I'll have someone else to talk to and hang out with while doing errands for Grandma!" Rise cheered.
"That won't stop you from pestering me time to time though…" the former delinquent muttered.
"Aw, c'mon Kanji, I know you enjoy my company." Rise winked at him, giggling as he groaned in return.
"Come on, you two, we should be going," Naoto reminded them. "It's getting late."
"Fine…" Rise pouted, and smiled again. "We'll probably meet her when school starts. I hope she attends Yasogami too. She looked like she could use some friends."
As they walked away, none of them noticed the girl sneaking a peek from the door. "Yasogami… School… Friends…" she murmured, smiling excitedly. "I can't wait!"
Fly me to the moon was Ohta-chan's idea. I loved it so much x3 You can find it here: youtube-dot-com/watch?v=P0B4kyWtYkU Enjoy =3
I'm sure you all know who's the girl Kanji, Rise and Naoto met, but I'm not saying anything for now. Also, if you find an important clue on this chapter for future ones, you deserve a cookie. X3
Have fun and don't forget to Read and Review!