Howdy folks! How ya been? Work's still crazy for me and my partner Ohta-chan, but we've been doing our best to keep on the fic. Don't fret, it may take us a while, but we won't give up. And to celebrate the launching of Persona Q, here we bring chapter 23!
Questions and Answers time!
Kanjilearner3309: I really didn't know that. Thanks for the info!
KO: I know right. That dude is insane! and I'm really hyped about PQ That will definetely be awesome.
Yoshikunitsu:Thanks for the kind words. I know it takes a while to update this, but at least we hope it's worth the wait. ^^
Blitzshine: He'll appear when ya least expect it D Thanks for the kind words.
Darklight of the 0 arcana: Yep, I saw it. That was unexpected, but awesome. Gotta find a way to include that though.
kitanalao: Thank you. ^^ Don't be shy about reviewing. i love those.
R U Out Lavos: Thanks. We'll keep doing our best =3
A few other warnings:
-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: 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 afterall the two hyperactive cuties of the team X3)
Have fun ya guys. Read and Review :3
Persona series and all its characters (c) Atlus
Pegasus Persona design (c) ladystarwing
Chapter 23: Justice For All.
School days went and passed, and October was looming near. For the Persona-users, it was filled with studying, fighting Shadows, and part-time jobs. For those in the senior year, the studying got more intense as exam week closed in.
Yosuke was the first to bellow out a victorious cry on the final day of mid-terms after the teacher shuffled away with their answered exam papers to be marked. "Whew, what a relief!" He stood up and stretched his sore muscles from sitting still for hours, yawning wide and long. "You know, this day would have been better if it wasn't raining, but I guess beggars can't be choosers."
"You got that right, Partner." Souji said as he cracked his neck. He only had minor headaches during the exam week, so he thanked his lucky stars for being able to focus on his lessons.
Chie was discussing the exam questions with Yukiko. It wasn't long before she started wailing. "What? That's your answer to #25?!" She banged her head on her desk. "I'm doomed!"
"Now now, Chie. Calm down. I'm sure there has to be some of the questions you answered right," her best friend tried to console her.
"That doesn't make me feel any better!"
Minako continued to watch the amusing antics of her friends from her desk. She put her books away in her bag and proceeded to stare out the window, daydreaming about a post-school snack. Her brother already had his MP3 player on full volume, face down supported by his arms as he took a brief nap. At the back of the row, Shinjiro took an example from Minato and pulled down his beanie almost covering his eyes, crossing his arms making him look like he was thinking, when he's actually getting some shut eye.
About 10 minutes later, Kanji, Rise, Naoto and Teddie entered their class. "Hi senpais!" Rise greeted, a little too loudly. Shinjiro let out a snort and recollected himself before he could fall down. The teen idol smirked, probably patting herself on the back for catching him off guard. He narrowed his eyes at her dangerously.
Naoto cleared her throat. "Sorry for intruding you all at such a time. I would like to call an emergency meeting at the special headquarters. There's something that we need to discuss."
Junes food court...
Labrys squeezed between Rise and Naoto, as the rest of the school-going SPIES sat around a shaded long table. Rain splashed on the waterproof canvas, but not too hard that it made hearing impossible.
The android twisted her fingers after she finished shredding a napkin. "Umm...what did you guys want to talk about?"
"Firstly, we would like to congratulate you for your swift recovery," Naoto said, giving her a sincere smile. "How are you enjoying Inaba so far?"
"Thanks. Nobody ever congratulated me for getting back up on my feet before. Inaba's starting to grow on me...and I made such wonderful friends!"
"You should come by my place sometime," Rise offered. "We can go shopping together."
"Anyway, we're not here to talk about all that," Yukiko interjected. "A lot of us noticed during the fight yesterday that you seem to know that mysterious boy. We want to ask you about him."
"Oh yeah. He wore our school uniform, but I've never seen him around before," Yosuke said. The rest vocalized their agreement.
Labrys rolled her eyes. "Oh, him. Name's Sho Minazuki, a senior like us. I'm not sure what's his deal, but he's always ditching class. I try to catch him in the act, but he slips away from me every time. He's slick, I'll give ya that. He's always mentioning about gettin' in trouble with some 'old man' if he doesn't show up for work."
"Where does he work anyway?" Kanji asked. He slammed a fist into his palm. "We might be able to beat some answers out of him if we can find the guy."
"Beats me." Labrys shrugged her shoulders. "He's a complete mystery. But now I know how he managed to get away from me all the time. That guy...he may be human, but he's dangerous."
"Another thing to add into our growing bucket of mysteries," Minato sighed. "I agree with you, though. He was able to hold back three of the best Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons in Orgia Mode all at once. I'm worried that he'll be a hindrance to our investigation."
"I'm grateful that he saved Souji-kun, but..." Minako fidgeted in her seat, trying to find the right words. "He told him that we're 'not allowed to kick the bucket yet'...I get the feeling that he wants something from us."
"He's shady, that's for sure," Shinjiro said. "He reminds me of someone, though I can't put my finger on it."
"Umm...!" Labrys squirmed, cheeks turning pink. "Can I...may I know how the rest...I mean m-my...my..." She lowered her head, bangs covering her eyes. "May I know how my sisters are doing?!" she asked, a little high-pitched.
Everyone chuckled, amused at her eagerness. "They're doing fine. Aigis is fully recovered, but Metis will need some time before she's fit to come to school. Fuuka-san has been tutoring her, and Mitsuru-san pulled some strings that allowed her to take the exam at the dorm," Souji answered. "Why don't you come and visit? She'd love the company."
"There is one more thing..." Minato said. He seemed a little hesitant to continue. "Please don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way. I'd rather you hear it from us first before Mitsuru-senpai gets the chance to ask you."
"Take what the wrong way?" Labrys asked.
"I was wondering about your thoughts on joining our team. We're investigating the cause behind this weird phenomenon, which we have confirmed involves Shadows. However, we haven't discovered why they returned or who or what is behind it all."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Mitsuru-senpai kinda has a way of...coercing people into her plans," Minako said, scratching her right cheek. Shinjiro snorted. "Your reasons for fighting may be different from ours. That's why we'd rather have you go home and think about it before she extends the invitation officially."
"I see." Labrys took a deep breath. Everyone held theirs, waiting for her answer. After about a minute, she finally replied. "You're right. My original purpose of existence was to defeat Shadows. But now, my duty is to protect my Momma. I don't think she'll approve anyway. Thanks for the offer, but I got other things to worry about. Besides, just because I won't join you, doesn't mean I won't back you up."
"That's understandable," Minato said. "Besides, we'll still be able to see you at school. I just hope Mitsuru-senpai won't be too disappointed."
"Ooohh...I can see it now! Labby-chan the Lone Ranger, fighting for peace and justice. Alone, but undeterred, she slashes through her enemies with her gigantic axe of righteousness!" Teddie exclaimed, pulled in a daydream of his own fantasies. "Oh my savior, please protect me under your soft, downy wings!"
Everyone sweatdropped. Yosuke facepalmed. "And now he's imagining what kind of costume she'll wear." He slapped the blonde's back. "Hey, snap out of it! Your shift is about to start. Go get dressed!"
Labrys giggled. "You never change, do you?" She stood up and gathered her things. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get some shopping done for Momma. Oh, I almost forgot..." She fished a card out of her pocket and handed it to Minato. "This here's our official business card. You can contact us if there's any emergency."
"Will do."
A few days later...
Souji headed up to the dorm for a team meeting first, since he finished up earlier than anyone else. They were going to discuss the latest rumors in town before heading for a training run in the TV World.
He reached the main gate when an agitated Koromaru approached him. "Hey Koro." Souji rubbed his head, frowning when the canine whimpered in response. "What's the matter, boy?"
Koromaru pointed his nose towards the house. Black smoke poured out the windows on the ground floor. "Oh crap!" Without thinking twice, Souji rushed into the house, Koromaru following close behind. Smoke was everywhere, along with an awful burning smell. "Hey! *cough cough* Anyone in here?!" No answer. "Damn… *cough* It's so hard to breath *cough* I should call the fire brigade…"
"Souji-kun...?"
The silverette's ears perked up; the same moment a figure emerged from the smoke. It took some time for his brain to make the connections as vision was still hazy. "Fuuka-san? *cough* Is that you?"
Indeed it was. When the smoke finally cleared, he saw her balancing a rather large fruit cake on a tray. "Oh, I'm so sorry about that. *cough* I was so distracted cooking *cough cough* I didn't hear… *pants* you coming in…"
'How can she be so absorbed cooking with the whole house almost set on fire?!' Souji thought, but said nothing. He noticed that she was struggling to carry the cake, breathing hard. "Here, let me help you with that." He took the tray from her and set it aside. "Let's open the windows."
Fuuka didn't object. "Thank you…" Once they opened all the windows, the smoke and awful smell dissipated, allowing lush, fresh air to blow inside.
"Phew… That's much better…" Souji took a deep breath before looking at Fuuka. "Are you okay?"
"Oh yes. Sorry about worrying you." Fuuka said with a faint blush. She wore an apron stained with milk, cake batter and other things Souji couldn't identify. She also had a bit of flour on her face.
"So, what were you doing again?" Souji asked. He had an idea of what happened, but wanted to be sure.
"Well… I thought that we could all use another group meal," she answered nervously, twiddling her thumbs. "Everybody's been so edgy lately with everything that's happened, and exams to boot. Whenever we're together eating home-made food, we feel closer and more at ease. I couldn't ask the twins or Shinjiro-senpai for help since they've been very busy, so I decided to do it myself."
"That's very thoughtful of you, Fuuka-san." Souji smiled. The cake reminded him of the one his female teammates baked for Nanako last Christmas, though he wasn't sure the taste of this one is as appealing as its appearance.
Fuuka looked like she had an idea. "Oh, I know! You could try out some of the snacks I made before everybody gets here!"
Souji's stomach did a somersault. Based on experience, nothing ended well whenever he was subdued as a test-taster. He wanted to refuse, but Fuuka's shining eyes watching him with so much expectation...there was no way he could say no. 'I'm too nice for my own good.' Koromaru whined beside him, covering his eyes and ears. "Okay. I guess…a bite...won't hurt..."
"Oh thank you, Souji-kun! I'll be right back." She disappeared into the kitchen, returning a minute later with a plate of chocolate truffles. "Here you go. Please try one!"
He inspected the truffles – they looked harmless enough, but experience taught him not to be deceived by appearances. Picking out the smallest one, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and stuffed it in his mouth. Munching on the sweet for show, he anticipated the worst. Instead, a rather unique flavor hit his taste buds. It started bitter at first, but as the chocolate melted, it became sweet with a slight hint of saltiness. He found himself craving more! "Whoa, this is amazing! I've never tasted anything like it. How did you make it?"
"After I mixed in black coffee and heavy cream into the melted chocolate, I was worried it'll taste too bitter, so I added some more sugar and chocolate. I rolled them in cocoa powder mixed with a little salt." Fuuka's eyes were wide in surprise. "They…they really turned out good?"
"Yeah! I would've added some chopped nuts in here for extra texture, but you did a pretty good job." The silverette ate another truffle. Koromaru barked happily. "Aneki and Aneki are gonna love these. They have quite the sweet tooth."
Fuuka giggled at the last part. "Funny you mentioned that. The first time I made chocolate truffles was with Minako-chan in cooking club back when we were in school." She sighed lightly. "I still can't believe I mixed up sake with rice vinegar back then…"
Souji sweatdropped. 'Is this a Priestess Arcana thing?'
"But I've improved since then." Fuuka beamed, sounding confident. "Minato-kun said I'm really good with technology, so I figured that if I took advantage of what I'm good at, I could improve in other areas as well."
"That's an interesting way to look at things. How did you do it?"
"To tell you the truth, cook books and magazines confuse me, so I decided to use my laptop to learn more. I found several cooking tutorials online. Having visual input made it much easier to understand the science behind sorting, mixing and preparing ingredients. Although…."
"What is it?"
"I've made quite a mess in the kitchen…" Her shoulders slumped. "Shinjiro-senpai is going to be so furious when he comes home."
Souji headed into the kitchen. "Oh come on, I bet it's not that… bad…?" He became lost for words at what he saw: blackened pots and pans in the sink; a frying pan was still in the oven, something still charring in it; flour, sugar, milk, batter and unidentifiable stains on the floor and counters. It was like a warzone area. 'He's totally gonna flip out!'
Even Koromaru agreed that the kitchen was in terrible condition, refusing to step a paw in it.
"It's horrible, isn't it?" Fuuka sighed. "The problem is really not what I cook anymore, but rather the mess I make whenever I try. It looks so terrible that everybody assumes my food is just as bad…"
"Fuuka-san…" Souji placed a hand on her shoulders, picking his words carefully. "Your problem here is focus."
"Focus?"
"You focus so much on getting the dish right, that you forget to plan ahead," he explained, being honest and polite as possible. "You're very good at observing and analyzing things, so cooking for you is like an experiment. But while you're able to keep up with machines and how things work, you have quite the difficulty wrapping your head around the process itself, if you get what I mean. That's why being organized and working with the kitchen is essential so you can create delicious dishes and make people happy."
"I… I see…" Fuuka was surprised at this. "I took all sorts of notes to make sure I get everything right, but I still forget the basics. No wonder Shinjiro-senpai scolds me all the time."
"You just need to work on a system that helps you," Souji said trying to reassure her. "How about this; while we discuss the best way for you to work, I'll help you clean up and get the table set before everybody arrives."
Fuuka smiled brightly at his suggestion. "Really? Oh, Souji-kun, you're so sweet! Thank you!"
Souji was happy to have helped. He felt closer to her, and time seemed to stop.
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 Priestess Arcana.
They started immediately. Souji cleaned the burned utensils and the oven with strong vinegar, seeing as the black residue was especially hard to get rid of, and Fuuka washed and dried the other utensils, putting them back into their place before proceeding to clean the floor. Koromaru kept them company, even if he was still weary of entering the kitchen.
While working, they came up with a plan so Fuuka wouldn't get flustered in the kitchen. The plan was to make a detailed to-do list with everything she needed for each dish she'd like to make; that should help her gather her thoughts before sorting out the ingredients and preparing utensils beforehand. Souji also suggested that she study her tutorial videos before any new attempts so she could get an overall idea of planning, even volunteering to share a few recipes he knew to help her practice. Fuuka of course, was very grateful for all the help.
Thirty minutes later, the front door swung open. "We're home!" Minako announced as she and her brother walked in, followed by the rest, including their college-going friends.
Koromaru pranced up to them, tail wagging in excitement. "Hey Koro." Shinjiro grinned, giving him a back rub. "You look happy today."
The white dog ran around the twins three times before bouncing off into the dining room. "I wonder what got him so excited," Minato wondered.
"I think he wants to show us something." Ken said curiously.
They followed Koromaru into the dining room, and gasped. The table was filled with several plates of sweets and delicacies: chocolate truffles, sugar cookies, sweet fries, banana cupcakes, rice balls and sandwiches, and the main attraction – a decorated fruit cake! Everything looked and smelled delicious.
"Holy crap!" Kanji exclaimed, wide eyed.
Teddie was already drooling. "It's a sweet gold mine!"
"Where did all of this come from?" Mitsuru questioned.
"Hey guys," Souji greeted, stepping out the kitchen carrying teapots of fragrant strawberry tea in each hand. Fuuka followed with the teacups. "You're just in time."
Yosuke was in disbelief. "Dude, you did ALL of this?!" He knew Souji was a great cook, but coming up with a banquet in such a short time was unbelievable.
"Nah, I just helped set the table. Fuuka-san here made everything."
Some of the boys, who greedily reached out to grab the food, stopped halfway. A feeling of dread filled the air. Fuuka tried not to show it, but she was upset at their reaction.
A moment of awkward silence later, Souji decided to speak up. "Look, I know we had bad experiences in the past, but I can assure you won't be regretting this one." Seeing that words weren't convincing enough, he decided to take action and picked a rice ball. "Here, I'll show you."
His courage, or insanity, and/or both, had his friends worried. "Uh, do we have anti-acids or other meds in the house?" Junpei whispered to Minato. "I seriously think he's gonna need those."
Souji took a bite of the rice ball and started chewing. "Yum! The rice is nice and moist, and the tuna filling is delicious." He swallowed the last bit, and licked his fingers.
The others watched with a mix of fear and anticipation. The silence was cut short by a girlish squeal of approval. Everyone turned around to see the twins already helping themselves to cupcakes and fries. "This is so good!" Minato said.
"You put raisins in the cupcake batter? Genius, Fuuka-chan!" Minako praised.
Hesitation forgotten, they decided to join in. Sure enough, the Wild Cards were right: everything was delicious. Even Koromaru got a little treat – his favorite doggie biscuits!
"Wow, Fuuka, I had no idea you've gotten so good at cooking," Yukari praised. "These are amazing!"
"Hell yeah! Sweet dimension time!" Junpei chimed through mouthfuls.
"These are way better than the ones sold in Junes!" Yosuke said as he and Teddie stuffed themselves with cookies.
"Thank you, everyone." Fuuka's face turned a deep shade of pink. "I spent the whole day in the kitchen. I'm just so happy it paid off."
Shinjiro eyes widened in alarm and made a dash for his precious kitchen, concerned about its state. To his surprise, it's just the way he had left it that morning. In fact, it looked even cleaner than he remembered. "Well, I'll be damned…" He gave Fuuka a satisfied smirk. "Yamagishi, I gotta hand it to you. I'm not exactly fond of your menu choice, but you've done well."
"I agree," Mitsuru said, smiling warmly. "Fuuka, this meeting was set with the purpose of discussing the latest supernatural phenomenon related incidents, I believe I speak on behalf of the entire team when I say this surprise you've prepared for us is something we all needed, and we appreciate it. Thank you."
"Senpai… Everybody…"
"Hey, Senpai!" Rise cut in. "I wanna cook like you! Can you teach me? Please please pleeeeaaase?!"
"Me too! I wanna learn too!" Chie said.
"W-what?! B-but I only know how to bake sweets," Fuuka said, becoming flustered at the attention. "I…I haven't tried cooking a decent meal on my own yet!"
"Neither have we!" Yukiko said nonchalantly. "But if you manage to improve so much on your own, then I'm sure all of us could learn a lot from you."
"As long as they don't treat us like guinea pigs again…" Kanji muttered. Naoto nudged him in the sides. "Ow! I wasn't talking about you, y'know…"
Seeing the younger girls looking at her with admiration and respect, Fuuka grew more confident and nodded. "O-okay then. During our free time, we'll hold cooking lessons here." She giggled. "It'll be even better than Cooking Club."
"Thank you, Senpai!" the three girls chorused.
And so the team spent the afternoon enjoying each other's company and eating sweets. If only for a short while, they left their concerns aside to enjoy some of life's little pleasures.
The former Investigation Team started to notice some changes in their city friends. Some of the signs were subtle: they looked a lot more withdrawn, but it was more pronounced in Ken and Shinjiro. Minako's change was a lot more noticeable: her smile wasn't as bright, and normally she'd be playfully pouncing on her boyfriend to get his attention, but she wasn't. She'd shrug off anyone who asked her if she's alright.
But the Inaba Persona-users had more important things in mind: Nanako's birthday was approaching. And that's why they're at Junes food court after school – to discuss the details of her surprise birthday party.
In the middle of the discussion, the topic that's been bothering them came up.
"I wonder why Shinjiro-san just stormed out of class after the bell rang," Yukiko mused to herself.
"They're not the only ones acting like that. Minato-san has been really edgy lately, but he won't spill," Chie sighed. "I tried asking him about it, but he changed the topic so suddenly."
"We gotta respect their privacy, I guess..." Kanji said, scratching his head. "Until they come to us and want to talk about it, it's best we just leave them alone."
"You're right. Hey Partner, do you know what's wrong with them?" Yosuke asked his best friend. "It's like they're hiding something."
"I may have an idea. But I'm not going to ask them. Just like Kanji said, it's best to leave it alone until they're ready to open up about it. For now, let's just get into perspective and plan this out, okay?" Souji told them. Rise pouted, unable to get any gossip.
Naoto exhaled loudly through her nose. "You're right, Senpai. About the venue, has Dojima-san decided where the party is going to be held?"
"Uncle wants to hold it at our house, no question about that. The party will be a simple one, just family and close friends so it won't be too big. Nanako's friends are planning a separate party for her at school, so we don't need to worry about anyone being left out. He's just worried because he's working that day. No supervision."
"Just hold it at the dorm then, Sensei." Teddie suggested. "That place is huge. And it'll be just us so Pops won't need to worry about supervision. Metty-chan will love the company!"
"That's...actually not a bad idea. Let's go there right now and get Mitsuru-san's permission."
Back at the dorm, the mood was in stark contrast. Everyone was treading on eggshells and avoided talking to each other. Junpei, unable to take the hostile environment much longer, locked himself in his room and played video games. Koromaru had more luck getting attention from Metis and spent the whole day with her in her room. The rest made it a point to avoid Shinjiro, Ken and Minako.
In the lounge, Minako distracted herself on the piano, playing nothing but low key melodies. The rest were in the meeting room or dining room, finishing up their homework. Shinjiro isolated himself in the kitchen, staring at the back garden.
"Honey, we're home!" Teddie announced their arrival in his flamboyant fashion. "I can't wait for October 4th!"
The piano stopped playing, the final notes tapped rather harshly. Minako turned around and glared, her eyes turning redder (if possible) at the mention of the accursed date. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
Teddie's voice died in his throat. "Umm...October 4th?" he squeaked, scared to see this other side of the usually smiley female leader.
Those in the meeting room flocked into the lounge. "Minako, what's the matter?" Minato asked, concerned at seeing his sister's facial expression.
"Don't you EVER mention that date again, you hear me?!" she snapped, approaching Teddie to grab his shirt collar.
"Eeeekk! Sensei, help!" The blonde squealed and hid behind Souji. His hometown friends followed his example and shielded themselves behind their leader as well.
Souji held his surrogate sister's shoulders, preventing her from moving forward. "Aneki, what's gotten into you?"
Chie's temper was getting the best of her. "What's your problem?!"
"Chie..." Yosuke warned, too scared of getting kicked to hold her back.
"What the hell is so wrong with October 4th?" She continued, blunt as ever. "And it's not just you. All of you..." She stepped forward, pointing a finger at the former SEES. "You guys have some serious issues. You've been acting very weird lately, as if everything's fine and dandy when it's so obvious that it's not!"
"That's none of your concern. What I decide to keep secret is my own business!" Minako argued back, pushing Souji aside.
"That's exactly the problem!"
Minato ran forward and put himself between them before further argument could ensue. "That's enough. Both of you calm down!" he ordered.
Shinjiro, Junpei, Koromaru and Metis, having heard the commotion, rushed into the lounge to see what it was about. Minako and Chie continued to growl at each other.
Mitsuru stepped up to control the situation. "What are you all doing here?" she asked the Inaba team. "We're not due for another meeting or training run."
"That's not what we're here about," Souji said, holding Chie back with an extended arm. "I'm here to request permission so we can use this dorm as a venue for a birthday party. Nanako's birthday party."
The ex-SEES were taken aback, some of them flinching. "You mean...Nanako-chan's birthday is on October the 4th?" Yukari asked.
"That's right," Naoto answered. "But you seem apprehensive about it. Clearly something traumatic happened on that day." Her dark blue eyes shifted to each of their city-born friends, and took notice of Ken's, Akihiko's and Shinjiro's expressions. She raised an eyebrow at them. "Care to share?"
Mitsuru sighed. "I guess it couldn't be helped. We skipped that part of the story because the memories were too painful for us." She gestured to the meeting room. "Sit yourselves down. This might take a while."
Mitsuru started from the beginning – the time she recruited Akihiko back in middle school, how Shinjiro forced them to take him in, and the accident with Ken's mother. She also told them about the Full Moon operation which ended in Takaya shooting Shinjiro, causing him to end up in a coma.
Akihiko clenched his fists on the table. "His wounds were so severe that our powers and healing items didn't work."
Yukiko looked at Minako, who was on the verge of tears. 'I can't imagine how she must have felt back then. To see the man she loves dying right before her eyes, powerless to do anything. I...I don't think I can ever be that strong...' she thought, tightening her hold on Souji's hand.
The happiness that the former Investigation Team felt before arriving at the dorm was slowly diminishing. They looked at the floor instead of each other.
Souji had about enough. He wouldn't let the past ruin one of the most important occasions for his family. However, he had to do it subtly in order not to offend anyone, and get punched in the face for it. He remembered what Igor told him about the Fates at work. "So you think that this is all just a weird coincidence?" Everyone raised their bowed heads. "About Nanako's birthday being on October 4th, perhaps...it's a blessing in disguise," he told them.
Minato got what Souji was hinting at, and smiled. "Souji-kun's right. I understand that we went through some tough times because of what happened, but we shouldn't let that stop us from moving forward." He stood up, blue-grey eyes shining with mirth. "Alright, we'll make that birthday party happen! Ken, I'm appointing you to keep Nanako-chan distracted while we make last minute preparations. And then you're gonna bring her here so we can surprise her."
Ken nearly fell off his chair. "EHHH?!" he shouted. "Why me?"
Souji smiled softly at him. "I agree with him. Ken, of all people who understands the sudden loss of a mother, it's Nanako. Not only will you make her happy, but it'll lessen your loneliness as well."
"Nanako-chan..." Minako muttered, wiping her eyes. "You're right, Banchou-kun. We should look at this as a blessing. Maybe it's what we needed all along, to make someone else happy instead of dwelling in our sadness." Her bright smile returned. "I'll bake the best cake Nanako-chan has ever tasted!"
"I'll work on the other sweet treats!" Fuuka volunteered. "Yukari-chan, will you help me?"
"We'll help too!" Chie, Rise and Yukiko offered simultaneously.
"Hell no!" Kanji interjected. "Just because the Christmas cake was fine doesn't mean – Mppphh!"
Yosuke clamped his underclassman's mouth shut. "What he means to say is you guys should focus on the decorations instead. You know the saying 'Too many cooks spoil the broth', right?"
"What an unusual proverb..." Metis commented. "Koromaru-san, do you know what it means?" Koromaru barked his answer. "I see..."
Mitsuru chuckled lightly. "Of course I'll let you have the party here. It is for Nanako-chan after all."
The gloomy mood lifted, and everyone happily chose their assignments – Souji and Shinjiro will work on the food; Minako was in charge of desserts, with Fuuka, Yukari and Metis as her assistants; Yosuke, Junpei and Teddie were in charge of entertainment, with Kanji working on the banners; so that left the rest working on layout and decorations, supervised by Minato.
"We must start planning immediately," Aigis suggested. "We only have about 67 hours, 23 minutes and 18 seconds left until Nanako-chan's birthday."
Junpei sweatdropped. "Ai-chan, you didn't have to include the seconds..."
Despite their heavy school work, the Persona-users managed to make time for Nanako's party preparations. Souji and Shinjiro have already decided what to cook for the main course and finished up their grocery shopping. The same goes for Minako and her small team, where the female leader will bake the cake the night before and finish the final touches at the last minute. As far as entertainment was concerned, Yosuke and Junpei had a huge argument over the appropriateness of Teddie's choices. Luckily, Minato had it resolved by a simple solution – scrap all of the bear's ideas and replace it with something more child-friendly. In short, the dorm was noisier than usual. They made sure to cancel any plans they had on the tragic-turned-special day.
On the big day...
Ken made his way to Yasoinaba Elementary School. He was told by Souji that Nanako would be late because it was her turn on the duty roster today.
"Why me of all people? I know what Souji-san said, but couldn't he send Minako-san or any of the girls instead?" the pre-teen grumbled as he made his way to the front school gate. "I hope it's not the 'adult stuff' crap that grown-ups keep spouting..."
Just then, the school bell rang, and the courtyard became filled with a mass of noisy children. Some of them had their parents pick them up, while the rest walked home, most of them in groups. Ken waited patiently, but began feeling uncomfortable as girls from his school who were passing by, giggled and pointed at him. He tried turning his back to them, but it only made him look weird and suspicious. Even from afar, he could hear them whispering his name, fawning over him with hearts in their eyes (not that he noticed). Some of them swooned when he accidentally made eye contact. He sighed. 'So this is what Akihiko-san goes through every day. Junpei-san says that he's lucky to have girls pay attention to him all the time...it's nothing but a huge headache...'
A girl wearing his school's uniform, whom he didn't recognize, approached him. "You're Amada-kun, right?" she asked.
"Yes. What of it?"
"I saw you during soccer practice the other day. You're so cool and awesome!" she squealed.
"It was nothing special..." Ken mumbled. As she started to shower him with praise, more girls surrounded him. He felt extremely uncomfortable that tuning out their high-pitched voices became more and more difficult.
"Ah! It's Ken-kun!"
Recognizing the voice, the young brunette pushed his way out of the crowd, coming face-to-face with the girl he was waiting for. "Nanako-chan!"
"What are you doing here?" Nanako asked curiously. She noticed the group of middle school girls. "Are they your friends?" she asked, oblivious to the jealousy building up inside them.
"I don't know their names, but never mind them," he said, brushing them off. "Anyway, your brother asked me to pick you up today. Want to stop by somewhere?"
"Amada-kun, who's this?!" one of the fangirls demanded.
"Hi, I'm Nanako Dojima! Nice to meet you!" The little girl held out her hand for a handshake. She deflated when it wasn't returned, only to be met with audible whispers.
"Dojima...isn't that the detective's daughter?" a girl from the back sneered.
"That's right. Her dad worked on the mysterious serial killings last year..."
"So this is the brat who got the award from that visiting politician..." another girl sniffed.
"Haven't you heard? She's the one who infected everyone in the hospital with that nasty fog disease..."
Ken clenched his fists, especially at the last part. 'Even though these people don't know the real story behind Nanako-chan's sickness, it doesn't give them the right to spread rumors like that!' he thought angrily.
Nanako pulled on his jacket sleeve. "Ken-kun, let's go..." she whimpered softly.
"You're right. We have better things to do than spread false rumors," he said the final part a little too sharply, clearly aiming at the gossiping girls. He gave them one last glare before heading off.
They made a quick stop at Madam Shiroku's shop for before Ken suggested they stop by the shrine, to buy more time for the others at the dorm. They sat together in front of the offertory box to enjoy their snacks.
Ken scratched the back of his head apologetically, still feeling guilty. "I'm really sorry about those girls back there..."
Nanako shook her head. "It's okay. People say mean things all the time. I try to not let it get to me." She handed him half of her sweet bun. "The shrine is so peaceful today. Usually it's filled with boys trying to catch bugs."
"Bugs? Aren't girls usually afraid of bugs?"
"I think they're cute! Don't you?"
"Yeah...if you say so..." was all he could say. 'This is so awkward...why must talking with girls be so difficult?'
It finally hit Nanako that she was alone...with her crush. She quickly turned away so Ken couldn't see her red face. Awkward indeed. "Umm... Ken-kun?"
"Yes, Nanako-chan?"
"Ah...umm...how...h-how did you get so t-tall?" she blurted out of the blue. She turned a little so she could see his reaction.
Ken stared at her. 'Cute...' He blinked, cheeks heating up. 'Huh? Where did that come from?!' He looked in another direction, scratching the back of his head. "W-Well...I did drink a lot of milk when I was in elementary school..."
Nanako's expression brightened up. "Really? So, if I drink milk every day I'll be big and strong like you and Big Bro?"
"Just don't drink too much at once. Trust me, it can give you one bad tummy ache." He forced out a small laugh, recalling the upset stomachs just so he could (what he believed back then) grow taller in a short time span. Nanako giggled, her laughter echoing through the empty shrine. However, it didn't last long when the awkward silence befell them once again. Ken groaned inwardly. 'Ugh...why didn't I bring Koromaru with me? He's always helped me with this kind of situation.' The Shiba Inu always knew what to do to liven up conversations. 'Talking to a girl younger than me...feels really weird...'
A soft thug on his sleeve snapped him out of his thoughts. "Ken-kun? You okay?" Nanako asked, confused. "You've been really quiet..."
"I-I'm okay! Really!" Ken flustered. "It's just..." He then let out a huge sigh. "I'm sorry, Nanako-chan. I just got a lot on my mind lately."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked softly. "Sometimes it helps."
"Can I...can I tell you something?" The older brunette twiddled his thumbs. "The guys at the dorm already know this, but...can you keep it a secret from everyone else?"
At Nanako's nod. Ken continued. "Today...is my mom's death anniversary. I just found out from Souji-san that today is also your birthday. I feel confused...on how to feel about it."
"Oh...umm..." Not knowing what to say, Nanako munched on her bun.
"I was eight when my mom was killed. The police reports said that it was an accident, but I witnessed the whole thing. They didn't believe my story. By luck, two years later I found out who the culprit was...I was so mad...mad enough that I wanted to kill him just as he killed her. I wanted justice for Mom, so she could finally rest in peace." He clenched his fists. "But it didn't go as planned. Shinjiro-san ended up in a coma because of my mistake...I made Minako-san cry...Minato-san looked like he wanted to kick me off the team...I screwed up big time." He covered his face, arms on his knees.
"You...you sounded a lot like my dad," Nanako said sadly.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
A downcast frown formed on her lips. "When my mom died, I thought that it was my fault because she got hit by a car while picking me up from school. Dad really wanted to catch the guy who did it. Even when he got home, he would work. He never spent any time with me, always coming back late. I felt that he cared more about his work than me, and he never talked about her. Big Bro said that he's just protecting me, but it didn't feel that way. They even fought about it. If it wasn't for Big Bro, I think I might have hated my dad forever."
"I see. You're very lucky to have a brother like Souji-san, Nanako-chan."
"Mhm! Even if I'm sad that my mom is gone, I still have Dad. And I'm not lonely anymore because I got a big brother and lots of friends." She looked up at Ken with shining eyes. "I think you're lucky, too. You still have a family, even if they're not related by blood. Big Bro taught me that even if you're not related by blood doesn't mean that you can't become a 'real' family. Isn't that a reason not to be sad anymore?"
"You're right..." For the first time in a while, Ken smiled. "I think...I think my mom can finally rest in peace, knowing that I finally realized her death was just an accident, and it was no one's fault. I feel happy as well, knowing that there are still people who care about me, supporting me no matter what. They're my family now." He thought about the twin leaders, Yukari, Junpei and Fuuka, the siblings he never had; Mitsuru, the matronly sister who worries about everything; Shinjiro and Akihiko, who will always have his back and interests at heart; Aigis and Metis, the girls he could confide in; and Koromaru, his partner and companion. Not to forget the friends he made here in Inaba, the new additions to his family.
"Dad is still trying to catch the bad guy that hit my mom. Not just because that's his job, it's also because he's my dad. Someday, he's gonna catch them. And when he does, we'll be able to gain more peace than what we already have," Nanako concluded.
Just then, Ken realized something. 'Souji-san, I understand now. It's not just about remembering our losses. It's also about cherishing what we have, and what we gained. I can still be sad that Mom isn't with me anymore, because if it wasn't for her I'd have never awoken to my Persona.' A ruby red dragonfly flew past them got Nanako excited and gave chase. 'But I can't grieve forever. I have things to do, and people I want to protect.' He looked up to the sky. 'Mom, don't worry. I'll definitely be a man that you can be proud of. Just you watch.' His heart felt light, as if the emotional burden leftover from his past has been lifted off his shoulders, and smiled as he watched Nanako run around the shrine, trying to catch the flying insect. 'And maybe...take some time to be happy in the process.'
Suddenly, he remembered what he was supposed to do and glanced at his watch. 'Oh no! The party is supposed to start soon. I should bring her to the dorm ASAP!'
Meanwhile back at the dorm, everyone scrambled to finish wrapping their presents at the last minute. Koromaru hid under the dining table to prevent his tail from getting stepped on as the others piled their gifts on the coffee table.
Teddie was assigned as lookout, vigilantly watching the horizon for any signs of brown hair. When he finally sees them, he ran to the dining room, flailing his arms. "They're here! They're here!"
"Quick, everyone hide!" Minato ordered. Some dived under the tables, hid in the utility closet, under the stairs, and any nook and cranny they could fit themselves into.
Everything was silent until the door creaked open, revealing their youngest member and the birthday girl.
"SURPRISE!"
Party whistles blew and poppers exploded, showering the two with confetti and streamers. Nanako was shocked at first, but then squealed with laughter.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NANAKO-CHAN!" everyone chorused.
The little girl's eyes shined as she took in her surroundings. Her cousin, his surrogate siblings and friends were all wearing party hats and huge smiles. The walls and ceiling were decorated with streamers, balloons and bright-colored paper cut into various shapes, and a banner hung from the lounge ceiling that read: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANAKO!" in glitter and gold. The table was laden with onigiri, dumplings, all sorts of sweets, a three-tiered decorated chocolate cake and her favourite – omelette fried rice! Each platter had everyone's name written in ketchup.
"Wow, everything looks so good!" Nanako exclaimed, clapping her hands. She looked up at Souji. "Big Bro, you remembered!"
He knelt down to her level. "How could I forget?" he said, ruffling her hair. "I wanted to make it extra special, since we didn't celebrate last year."
Nanako made a beeline to the table. "Cake, cake!" she exclaimed, admiring the rainbow frosting.
"For a special occasion such as this, I'd say it's fair to start with desserts, don'tcha think?" Yosuke said, pulling out small, pink candles from his pocket. He handed them to Souji, who stuck the candles on top of the cake and lit them. Minato lifted Nanako onto a chair, so she was high enough to reach the candles.
"Take your time and make a wish, Nanako-chan," Minako told her after they finished singing her the birthday song.
Nanako closed her eyes, her face scrunching adorably. When she finally made up her mind, she opened her eyes and blew out the candles in one go.
The sounds of cheers, poppers and plastic whistles filled the air once more.
"Let's eat!" Junpei exclaimed.
After the meal, it was time for fun. They played word games given weird twists by Junpei and Teddie, and Nanako's favourite quiz game complete with electronic buzzers, courtesy of Naoto. They had a blast with the three-legged race combined with egg-in-a-spoon. Minato didn't miss any embarrassing moments to be caught on photo.
When it was time to open presents, Nanako got even more excited. She humored Koromaru by letting him sniff the packages and envelopes she was about to open. Story books, board games, a flashing detective badge, Junes shopping vouchers, fashion accessories, a bottle of perfume, a few dresses and a fairy princess doll. She read through every card attached with the gift (a few of them were joint presents) and had trouble choosing a favourite. "I love them all!"
"The best is yet to come," Minako said, hiding something behind her back. "Aniki, Souji-kun and I had a real tough time choosing your present, Nanako-chan. But we finally came up with a good one." She handed her a pink envelope. "Go on, open it."
Nanako carefully opened the envelope, and pulled out an invitation card. She opened it and read its content. "Supplementary piano lessons by Minako Arisato. Instrumental coaching by Minato Arisato and Souji Seta. Classes will be held during Nanako Dojima's free time. Membership: For life." At the bottom left were the Wild Cards' signatures. Her eyes shined with excitement. "How did you know?"
"Souji-kun told us. It was his idea," Minato said, pleased with her reaction. "Your dad also said your mom was a piano teacher, and you're taking lessons so you can be just like her."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Nanako glomped all three of them. At that moment, the front door opened, revealing Dojima with a gift box in his hand. "Dad?!"
"Sorry I'm late. Damn rookies made me run around in circles finding files when it's right under their damn noses..." the older man grumbled as Nanako hugged him tightly. "I hope I didn't miss anything."
"Not a lot," Souji chuckled. "Just the embarrassing parts. We're about to get to the good stuff."
"Nanako-chan's mini-concert is just starting. It's only fair we play something for you before lessons can start, right?" Minako grinned. She took the little girl's hand and headed for the piano. "Aniki and I will play a song just for you."
"YAY!"
The party was finally over. Dojima took a sleeping Nanako (full of happiness and satisfaction) home. Everyone helped with the cleaning before the Inaba team left for their own houses.
After the dorm residents went to their rooms, Minako crept downstairs in her pyjamas and turned on the lounge lights. After getting herself a glass of water, she waited patiently at the piano, fingers gently tapping on the keys without pressing them.
Her patience paid off as she heard the shuffling of footsteps descending the stairs.
"The heck did you want me to come down at this hour anyway?" the gruff voice of Shinjiro grumbled.
"Sorry, Shinji. I know there's school tomorrow, but I have something I wanted to give you before I forget again." She patted the seat beside her, silently asking him to join her at the piano.
He complied. "So, what is it?" Minako only gave him a sweet smile. His heart beat picked up the pace. 'Damn...she's looks so cute right now...' he thought.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I just wanted some time alone with you," she said, lacing their fingers together, "and to give you a present."
"A present? What for?"
"Celebrating Nanako-chan's birthday today reminded me that we didn't celebrate yours yet."
Shinjiro snorted. "It's already passed."
"I know," Minako said, snuggling closer to him. "We didn't celebrate it back then too, before..." A few stray tears escaped her eyelids, soaking his t-shirt sleeve.
"Hey..." He gently held her chin, tilting her face upwards. "What did I say about crying?"
"Sorry. You're here now..." But the tears still fell. "It's not easy to forget something like that."
Shinjiro tightened his grip on her hand. "I know. I still have the proof." He touched his chest with the other hand, feeling the bumps of scar tissue under his thin shirt. "Ken may have forgiven me...doesn't mean I forgive myself yet..."
"Then I want to make a promise."
"What kind of promise?"
"Every year, on this day, I'll play a song just for you."
He shyly scratched his beanie-less head. "I'd...love that."
"Oh, and Shinji..." Minako lurched upwards, and gave him a kiss. "Happy belated birthday."
Shinjiro blushed. He may have gotten used to her pouncing on him and showing public displays of affection, but random kissing was still something new.
She giggled at his embarrassment. "I've been practicing this one for a while now. I hope you like it." She started to play, pressing the piano keys in rhythmic succession.
The tall brunette watched her slim fingers dance gracefully on the keys. As she played, the soft light reflecting in her eyes mesmerized him. Despite not being partial to music, it was a lovely song. His heart overflowed with love for her.
When she was done, he pulled her into a hug, tucking her head under his chin. "Thank you," he whispered. He finally found the answer to his earlier dilemma. "I love you."
Minako inhaled his natural scent, which she loved very much; a masculine woodsy smell, mixed with warm spices and smoke. "I love you too."
Yasogami High...
Early Monday morning, the headmaster announced through the P.A. system that all students were to gather in the gym for an assembly. The reason wasn't mentioned. After a brief reminder of the final exam and culture festival dates by the secretary, the headmaster took the stage for one final announcement. "I'm afraid that due to unprecedented circumstances, the school trip will be postponed to the following week of the original date. Further details will be provided by your homeroom teachers by the end of the month. That is all. Assembly dismissed."
"All rise!" Sofue commanded from the stage. "And bow. Thank you very much!"
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" the students chorused and bowed to the headmaster.
There was a mix of excited chatter and dissatisfied grunts from the students as they exited, heading to class. The transfer students however, had something else in mind.
The senior SPIES were hanging out in their class during self-study period, gathering around Souji and Chie's desks. It was supposed to be English period, but Kondo-sensei had a fever that day and was not available to teach.
"So, you guys are going back to Port Island next week?" Yosuke asked, a pocky stick hanging out of his mouth. "What for?"
"It's Mitsuru-senpai's dad's death anniversary," Minato answered solemnly, looking out the window. "We kinda owe him big time, so we're going to pay our respects and give her our support."
Minako looked at the ground, the cheerfulness not in her eyes today. "I'm sure Ken-kun will want to visit his mother's grave as well. It's been ages since we visited ours."
"And I want to visit Miki," Shinjiro said. When the Inaba Persona-users looked at him with a questioning stare, he sighed. "She's Aki's little sister. During the night of the explosion, the orphanage we were living in got destroyed. She was the only casualty of the fire."
That only worsened the depressing mood. The rain made the temperature colder, and the sun was sure not to come out on such a gloomy day.
"And I'll be going with them," Souji told his friends. "I want to collect some of my belongings at my parents' apartment. Besides…" he trailed off with some hesitance, "I want to see for myself the place where we had our accident. That whole thing started this chain of events, and I want to find any clues there, something which was overlooked by the police."
"We can help," Chie offered. "I'm sure Mitsuru-san can write a perfectly good excuse letter for all of us to go. I mean, twenty heads are better than one…right?" She looked around nervously, hoping her little joke would lighten up the mood.
Souji shook his head. "As much as I'd like to take you guys with us, you need to stay here and keep an eye on the town and the TV World. If we all go, there won't be anyone left to fight Shadows when the Dark Hour hits."
Yukiko looked at her boyfriend uneasily, but she agreed to what he said. 'He needs this,' she thought to herself. 'If he could stop blaming himself for the accident, then he should go.'
"We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, so I'm putting Yosuke in charge of the team for a while," Souji said. "Don't hesitate to contact me if you guys notice something amiss. If Rise has any trouble with Shadow analysis, she can contact Fuuka-san. We'll be returning the day after tomorrow."
They continued to talk about trivialities after Chie changed the topic. When Nakamura-sensei, their math teacher, entered the class, the students went back to their seats and the lessons continued.
Rain continued to pour outside.
It was still raining and a bit misty when they boarded the train at Yasoinaba Station the next morning. It was so cold that anyone who needed to head outside had to bundle up.
The Inaba Persona-users, Dojima and Nanako waved them goodbye from the platform. They couldn't help but feel worried that something bad will happen to Souji when he's there, but comforted knowing that he was in good hands. Unknown to seven of them, they were being watched.
The trip to Port Island was uneventful, and they reached their destination at noon. Despite the reason of their return, all of them were happy to be home. They stopped by Iwatodai dorm to drop off their stuff and take a short break. They took some time to wonder around Iwatodai and Port Island, revisiting old memories.
For Souji and the twins, they stopped by the apartment that the silverette lived with his parents before their disappearance.
"Ever since we started moving around, we only owned a minimum amount of stuff," Souji told them as they entered the apartment. Everything was neatly organized and proper, except for a thin layer of dust that settled.
Minako was surprised at the lack of personal touches, such as family photos and mementos. 'Perhaps they never had time to properly settle in?' she thought.
"Do you think your parents would mind if we went through some of this stuff?" Minato asked, pointing at the storage closet.
"Since they're not here, I don't think it'll matter," Souji said. "Besides, we're looking for clues so we're gonna have to do it anyway."
After Souji put aside the stuff he wanted to take back to Inaba, the trio went through every nook and cranny inside the small apartment, looking for anything out of the ordinary. They were surprised to find boxes that looked like it hadn't been opened for a very long time, containing items which held a lot of memories.
"I had no idea they still kept these..." Souji said as he flipped the old photo books open; their parents in their youth, baby pictures and holiday photos spent together being the most prominent.
"Look, they even kept their old music collection in here!" Minako said, taking out tape casings and vinyl discs. "Even Mom's piano recordings and composition sheets...I thought I'd never see them again..."
Minato dug deep into the closet, and took out another box. What he found inside wrapped in a bunch of newspapers caused him to tear up. "I can't believe it..." He opened the casing. "Dad's violin..."
They decided they would take the boxes back to Inaba after the service tomorrow, and made their way to the Moonlight Bridge while there was still daylight. A short bus ride later, they finally made it. Luckily, there wasn't a lot of foot traffic around with exception of a few cyclists, so they could look around without being bothered.
"It looks different in the day..." Minako commented. "It's weird that we also had an accident here so many years ago..."
Souji led them to the area where he and his parents had their accident. "This is it..." he told them. "The police told me this is where I was found, and our car hit that barricade over there." He pointed to a concrete border five feet away. "They concluded that my parents were thrown into the sea, but found no evidence."
They poked around every crevice, even any sidewalk cracks they could find, but got nothing. They searched until it was dark, and finally gave up for the day. Feeling parched, they rested and ordered drinks at a nearby cafe.
"I'm beat..." Minako whined, pressing her cheek against her glass of iced lemon tea.
Souji stared at his reflection in his cup of coffee. "And we still got nothing. I called Officer Kurosawa earlier, and he said there wasn't any progress."
Minato said nothing, staring out at the sky, his juice untouched. "Hmmm..."
"What is it, Aniki?" Souji asked.
"Perhaps we're looking at this from the wrong angle. It's not what the police found...it's what they don't see that we should be focusing on."
"Like what?" Minako wondered. They discussed a little more before calling it a night. They needed to get back or face Mitsuru-senpai's punishment.
The Wild Cards looked at the bridge one last time. The night was still early, but the sky was darker and cloudier than usual. It wasn't until some of the clouds dispersed, that had them gasping.
Hanging in the sky like an ominous orb, was the moon. But it was glowing a murderous red, tainting the clouds like red dye seeping through cotton.
A Blood Moon...
Oh, so many mysterious, so little answers XD I know we're evil. Stay tuned folks!
A few author's notes from Ohta-chan:
The quiz game in Nanako's party: think of it Midnight Trivia Miracle Quiz style from Persona 4 The Golden.
The music Minako is playing for Shinjiro was inspired by John Legend's "All of Me" in piano instrumental. You can find it on Youtube.
Read and Review. :3