Paradox Arc:
Chapter 34: Rounding Community
Makoto Yuki
Evening - 5/6/2009 – Tatsumi Port Station, Tatsumi Port Island
It's been weeks since he had a long conversation with Hamuko. She must have been extremely busy with her Social Links. Makoto, of course, grew wary of the slow progression he made with her. Fuuka was already in Tartarus for all he know, and SEES are about to save her soon. So today, seeing as Hamuko is going out with her friend, Makoto will become a stalker, again. Right after school ended, he went to 'investigate' two people of interest: Shinjiro Aragaki and finally 'her'.
He saw Shinjiro again today. His routine of lazing around sure was something which defined him as the man he once knew. He never caused any trouble, but sure enough, people are still afraid of a 'delinquent' like him. However, that one gothic girl was never in sight. He was 'too early' again. Disappointed, he took a walk at Tatsumi Port Station while listening to his mp3 player.
"Hey, Yuki." Out of nowhere, a hand clasped his right shoulder. Makoto turned to see Akihiko looking at him with serious eyes, "Fancy seeing you here."
"Akihiko-senpai. I'm just having a short walk." Makoto responded, "Is your arm okay?"
"It's fully healed, not a big problem."
He noticed Akihiko's wandering eyes, "Looking for someone?"
"Just looking for a friend," Akihiko replied, but suddenly his tone shifted, "And… I want to talk to you about something."
"Oh?" Makoto widened his eyes, "Let's hear it."
"Not here, somewhere more private." Akihiko said, pointing to his left, "There's an alley over there, not many walks by."
Hidden Alley
"What do you think of Arisato?" That was the first question asked by Akihiko as they reached the alley where Shinjiro usually hang out.
"…What do you mean, exactly?" Makoto asked for details, curious.
"As a leader, how was she?" Akihiko repeated his question.
"She's responsible, despite being very new to leading people. Caring, gentle… Why do you ask?"
"Like you said, she's new to being a leader. But, no matter what she did, she's still a girl deep down. I know how similar your power to her, so I think she'll listen to you, she seems close to you too." Akihiko's glare suddenly sharpened before he sighed, "In other words, keep an eye on her. She might be fragile and need someone by her side."
"It's unusual for you to worry," Makoto said, shutting Akihiko completely. He then released both hands from his pockets and went straight to the point, "Be honest, why the sudden concern for her?"
"Ugh, well…" Akihiko… flushed?
"Wait a minute…" Makoto widened his eyes, "It can't be that you like her?"
"NO!" He shouted; his face was red.
Makoto was surprised, but as he let it sank in, he was proud of Hamuko's fast progression with her friends. Since he was sure that her social link was different from him, it could only mean she had already established a close bond with Akihiko, which he was never able to.
"Why do you like her?"
"Hey, I didn't say I like her!" Akihiko shouted, "I'm just worried about her!" He desperately tried to hide his expression with his fierce voice, "Look, practice hard! We still got to deal with Yamagishi!"
Makoto watched Akihiko left the place with a small chuckle. "Congratulation, Hamuko. You just found a new social link."
It seemed that his social link with Hamuko will have to wait again.
Hamuko Arisato
Late Night - 7/6/2009 – Iwatodai Dorm, Tatsumi Port Island
Fuuka is still missing. Mitsuru may have a lead to her location, but for now, all she could do is to pray for her safety. There was a lot going on in her head, keeping her awake. Unable to sleep, Hamuko decided to leave her room and proceeded downstairs, only to see Makoto at the second floor, sitting alone while slurping down a can of cola. Makoto immediately noticed her presence and turned his body faced her.
"I see that you're not asleep." Hamuko smiled.
"Just having a drink," Makoto replied in a lazy tone, "Want to join me?"
"I'd love to." Hamuko went to the vending machine nearby and pick a sweet drink before sitting opposite of Makoto.
"It's been a long time since we last interacted personally between us." Makoto suddenly said, trying to start a topic, "I wonder if you can hang out with me after school tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" Hamuko raised her eyebrows, but then she remembered her promise with Rio tomorrow after school for an important meeting, "I'm sorry, but maybe another time?"
"Your Social Link?"
"Ah yes! I've made progress with Rio-chan-" Hamuko immediately shifted her eyes to him in surprise, thinking that she must have misheard what he just said. She was convinced that she was right when Makoto said his next words.
"I mean your friendship with her."
"Oh. Of course, we're doing fine together."
"That's good…" Makoto responded, but his voice was dimmer this time. Then, he stood up, threw his can into the rubbish bin and turned to Hamuko, "Goodnight, Hamuko."
Hamuko watched him entered his room IN confusion, from the way he voiced his thoughts and his tone. She couldn't read him, but as she repeated their conversation in her head, she realized something
"Could it be that he's angry that I'm not spending time with him anymore?" Hamuko wondered, feeling guilty, "Ehehe….he must have missed me… I must make it up to him soon." Then, something was bugging her.
"…Why is it that I can't establish Social Link with him?"
Makoto Yuki
Morning – 13/6/2009 – Front Gate, Gekkoukan High
As he remembered it, Fuuka had been saved. She made up with Natsumi, her bully, and it's been days since SEES defeated Emperor and Empress Arcana Shadow. Fuuka has been released from the hospital and is now in a good condition. Hamuko was focused on maximizing her social links, making him slightly worried about his own bond with her. But everything was mostly calm. Suddenly, he saw Fuuka approaching him.
"Yuki-san, glad to see you." Fuuka blushed with a smile, her small fingers on her school bag.
"You're looking better," Makoto smiled.
"Yeah, I didn't get to talk to you much after what happened that night…" Her voice suddenly quiet down. Makoto tilted his head slightly in confusion at her soft tone. Fuuka looked rather nervous, before she said, "I've been meaning to talk to you ever since the first time I saw you, though I'm afraid that I'd became a bother. I just want to say, thank you-"
"Yuki." Out of nowhere, another voice interrupted their conversation, startling the surprised girl. Makoto and Fuuka both turned to the side to see Akihiko approaching them. "Hope I'm not interrupting."
"You just did," Makoto answered with a straight face before he continued, "Just kidding, you need something?"
"Yes, after school, alone," Akihiko said, and without wasting a moment mouthed. ' . .'
"I see," Makoto nodded in understanding before turning to Fuuka, "Maybe we can continue this for another time, Fuuka?"
"Ah!" She exclaimed in surprise with a blush, "You called me by my first name…"
"Oh? My bad," Makoto realized his mistake.
"It's alright. I guess I'll talk to you next time, Yuki-san." Fuuka said in a meek tone before she dashed into the school.
"I'm surprised you're already a close acquaintance with our new member," Akihiko remarked.
"We're already that close," Makoto smirked, before changing the subject. "More importantly, what's going on between you and Hamuko?"
"Not much," Akihiko tried to cover his nervousness, "Listen, I really need your help right now; after school, Tatsumi Port Station, don't be late."
Akihiko walked into the school, leaving Makoto scratching his head.
Hamuko Arisato
Evening – 13/6/2009 – Gekkoukan High
"I haven't seen you with Makoto lately. Usually, you two would walk home and chat together all the time." Yukari said to Hamuko as they walked home together, "Did something happened between you two?"
"Oh." Hamuko responded with a low voice, "Well…even close friend aren't always together. But yeah, maybe I should spend some time with him again."
"So you're really close with Yuki-san?" Fuuka asked out of nowhere.
"Yeah, we're pretty- Eh, Yamagishi-san?" Hamuko saw Yamagishi at the front gate as if waiting for someone. Hamuko, upon seeing her, immediately invited her to walk together, "Let's walk together with us to the dorm! So umm, you were saying?"
"I heard you're pretty close with Yuki-san, is that right?" Fuuka asked as they began to walk, "I mean, I heard the rumors of you being twins, then lovers."
"Ah!" Hamuko panicked as she remembered their action last month, "As you said, it's just a rumor! We're close friends; that is all."
"I'm glad then," Fuuka replied, much to Hamuko and Yukari's surprise.
"What do you mean?" Yukari asked.
"Oh, n-nothing." Fuuka tried to cover it, but Hamuko sensed something in her voice.
"It's okay, you can tell us. I'm really close with Makoto-kun!" Hamuko said, "If there's anything that you want to tell us, just speak right away!"
Fuuka stopped her trail and turned towards Hamuko and Yukari, forcing them to stop as well. "Please don't tell anyone," Fuuka began to whisper as the two girls leaned closer, "I… I like Yuki-san."
Makoto Yuki
Evening – Chagall Café, Paulownia Mall
For a second, Makoto felt a vibration in his pocket, but saw that there's no call from his phone. Akihiko, who was sitting in front of him at the café, noticed this.
"Who is it?" Akihiko asked.
"Nothing, I thought my phone vibrated." Makoto said, before turning to Akihiko with a serious face, "So, say that again."
"Listen," Akihiko looked around nervously before he leaned closer to him, "Remember when you ask me if I like Hamuko?"
"Mhm."
"I admit it, I like her." Akihiko finally confessed, struggling to hold back the redness on his cheeks. Makoto, on the other hand, obviously felt slightly weird out by his senior's confession, since by the way he reacts it seems like Akihiko was confessing to him instead. But as the Wild Card who're used to Social Link, he wasn't surprised if Hamuko was popular with boys.
"I thought so," Makoto replied with a blank face.
"I mean, she's so understanding, and kind, and cheerful. I don't know how to tell her that."
"So…"
Hamuko Arisato
"For real?" Yukari widened her eyes, "You like him? But you barely know him!"
"Umm, I already knew him around the time school started. Although I never know his name, he had always helped me when I'm in trouble. That's why I was happy when I find out he lives in our dorm."
Yukari was extremely surprised by her confession, but Hamuko…She felt conflicted when she heard it. When did Makoto got so close with Yamagishi? Was it during the period of time when she was busy with her social links?
"O-oh, Makoto-kun never said anything about that..." Hamuko said with a slight stutter, "He's always helping people in need..."
"Yeah, Yuki-san is very kind." Fuuka blushed. Hamuko thought deeply for a second before saying.
"I think you should tell him."
Makoto Yuki
"What's the problem? Just tell her." Makoto suggested, 'Plus she can max out her social link with you along the way.'
"Hah, easier said than done…" Akihiko sighed, "The thing is… I've never done this before, talking to girls about… Ugh! This isn't my thing!"
"Approaching them would help; take your time, no rush, but half-assed it either," Makoto advised him with a bored look. Akihiko seemed extremely impressed however.
"I never knew you're that good with girls, Makoto."
"Funny," Makoto chuckled with a sigh. After sharing a laugh, Akihiko's face finally brightened in confidence, a glitter in his eyes.
"Okay, whatever happens, I'll tell her soon."
"Soon?"
"Soon… I think."
"Hmm, good."
Makoto, after checking his watch, finally stood up and picked up his bag, "See, that wasn't so hard."
"Wait," Akihiko stopped him. "You know…"
Hamuko Arisato
"I-I think I should know him better than bluntly saying it to his face." Fuuka said, before shaking her head to avoid speaking more, "Still, thank you for listening, I feel relieved to share this with you two. I've always longed to talk to my female friends about something like this. And thank you for the advice too, Hamuko-san…"
Crash!
Thou art I,
I am thou,
Thou shall establish the power of Priestess Arcana
"…Though, may I ask? You're not angry, are you, Arisato-san?"
"Why would I be?" Hamuko wondered.
"Since the rumors about you two… I hope I'm not making things complicated," Fuuka tried to laugh, but her tone was weak. Hamuko stared quietly for a moment before she said with a smile.
"Don't worry about it, we're just friends…"
Makoto Yuki
"Just wondering… Do you perhaps, feels something for her?" Akihiko asked. Makoto turned to Akihiko with surprised eyes. "With what's happening between you two; that date, twins, lovers… I'm just wondering if you like her too. And I'm speaking as a friend, so I don't want to be the third wheel or anything."
"…Is that why you talked to me?" Makoto raised his eyebrows when he finally understood Akihiko's reason for sharing with him his secret. Akihiko shifted his eyes away, not wanting to make eye contact with him, but still waiting for his honest response. He turned quiet as he thought for a second before he spoke with a smile.
"Don't worry about it, we're just friends…"
There's a forced tone at the end of both of their sentences.
Hamuko Arisato
Late Night – Iwatodai Dorm
She thought a lot about Fuuka's word this evening. Even in the bath, her mind imagined Makoto being his 'ikemen' mode with Fuuka by his side. Eventually, she laughed to herself as she finished her bath and readied to return to her room.
'Makoto sure is pretty charming, it's no wonder that Fuuka likes him.' Hamuko mused as she walked up the stairs. To her surprise, Makoto was using the vending machine on the second floor. Makoto noticed her, and slowly, they stared quietly at each other. They met again, at the same place, alone at night, in front of the vending machine. There's a mysterious force that wanted them to meet, Hamuko subtly thought, but for now, she wasn't sure what to talk about.
"Goodnight, Hamuko-chan," Makoto said, seeing that she's not gonna say anything anytime soon.
"Goodnight, Makoto-kun," Hamuko replied. After the short conversation, she ran to her room and shut the door behind her.
"I don't feel like supporting Fuuka and Makoto-kun, even though they're both my friends." Hamuko sullenly muttered, undoing her ponytail, "I don't like feeling like this…"
Makoto Yuki
Afternoon - 15/6/2009 – Rooftop Area, Gekkoukan High
"Yuki-senpai, I brought you lunch. Umm, mind if we eat together at the rooftop?" Fuuka invited him for lunch at the rooftop. Makoto could remember perfectly his time in SEES in his world, which was why he found it odd that Fuuka was so approachable towards him in this world. After all, his social link with her isn't supposed to start yet. Did his overlapping presence with Hamuko here started to change the people around him? Speaking of her, he didn't see Hamuko when the lunch started. Where did she go?
"Sure," Makoto replied, trying to ignore his thoughts about Hamuko. They both went on ahead to the rooftop, only to see a pair were already there talking.
Hamuko Arisato
Afternoon – 15/6/2009 – Rooftop Area, Gekkoukan High
"Arisato, if you don't mind, would you come to the rooftop with me?" Akihiko offered, but with a voice gentler than his usual fierce tone. Hamuko had thought for a while about inviting Makoto first, but then, in the middle of the hallway, she caught a glimpse of Fuuka entering her classroom while holding a lunchbox…probably to invite a certain someone.
So, the answer is obvious.
"Of course, I'll be happy too!"
The rooftop was empty when they arrived. He was clearly nervous when he looked at her, and Hamuko wasn't that dense to understand the meaning. She smiled, while formulating what to answer in her head. Akihiko coughed, before saying something.
"What I'm trying to say is-"
"Oh, Hamuko-san and Akihiko-senpai? What a coincidence."
Hamuko immediately turned to the voice interrupting them. Fuuka and Makoto just entered the rooftop, side by side, a box of homemade bento in Fuuka's arm. Makoto looked surprised by her presence with Akihiko, prompting him to remove his mp3 player.
"You brought your own bento, Fuuka-chan? It must be delicious!" Hamuko praised, almost forgetting about Akihiko who was watching at the side, "I'm sorry, Akihiko-san, can you please repeat that again?"
"No, never mind. We can talk about it later." Akihiko bluntly said, uncomfortable by the presence of the other two, but Makoto replied immediately.
"Please, don't worry about it," Makoto said with a smile. He sat at the far end of the bench with Fuuka, as if trying not to disturb them. From the moment they both went in, Hamuko knew the atmosphere was awkward, and she needed to think of something fast.
"Akihiko, let's join them." Hamuko finally suggested, dragging the boxer's hand towards the couple.
"Woah, wait! I need to say somethi-" But Hamuko was too determined for even someone like him to stop.
"Don't keep the bento to yourself, let me have a bite!" She surprised the two from the back, just as Fuuka was opening her bento box. Fuuka's giggled when she saw her, as opposed to Makoto's usual blank expression.
"Oh, the bento looks delicious!" She praised the weird-looking food. She never suspected a thing, but as she stole a piece of Tamago roll from the bento, Fuuka and Makoto both looked at her with a pale face. Her intention was to tease them, but how could she know?
"Hamuko-san, wait-" Fuuka wanted to scream to stop her, but the food was already in her mouth.
The moment it touched her tongue, she thought it was odd that the egg seemed bitter. But as she chewed for the second and third time, a mix of mysteries ingredients exploded in her mouth. She described it as a taste of curry, cucumber, black pepper, burned burger patty, jelly, espresso coffee, salt, Satan's first blood child, Cthulhu's favorite menu, and the ashes of all the victims of Shadow Reaper in the world.
"HAMUKO-SAN! Oh, I'm so sorry!" Fuuka panicked as Hamuko fainted on the ground. Akihiko too was in a panic. As she lost consciousness, she heard Makoto calling her name, but it's all black afterward.
Makoto Yuki
Afterschool – Nursery, Gekkoukan High
There was nothing much for him to do besides watching over the sleeping Hamuko on the bed next to him in the nursery room. Fuuka and Akihiko had returned to their respective class, and as a fellow classmate, Makoto was more than willing to send her to the nursery room. After all, he felt responsible for not warning her beforehand about the poisonous bento box of Fuuka. Curiously, although the food was bad, he never thought that it could make anyone faint. Since he only knew the ranking of his social link with Hamuko, the rest were never revealed to him.
As Makoto was listening to his mp3 player as usual, he felt a tug on his right arm, so he turned to his right to see Hamuko staring at him.
"You alright?" Makoto removed his earphone as he asked. Hamuko didn't look so well, but he could see her resilience as she forced herself to sit upright.
"I never want to taste anything like that again…" Hamuko sweat-dropped, but quickly took back her words, "Please don't tell Fuuka I said that! I guess that's my punishment for taking her food without so suddenly!"
"That surprised me too. I thought you were busy with Akihiko, then suddenly you came to us out of nowhere."
He noticed Hamuko's face darkened.
"Ehehe, I just thought you'll be lonely without me, so I thought you'll be happy to see me," Hamuko said teasingly, although with a forced tone.
"It's fine. Fuuka was there, and I don't want to bother whatever you and Akihiko were doing. You're always busy anyways."
He might be a bit harsh with his last statement, he thought. As he tried to change the topic, he noticed that Hamuko seemed hurt by those words, when she suddenly lay back to her bed and faced away from him.
"Just because I can't spend time with you, doesn't mean I don't want to… And here I am worried that you'll feel lonely…"
'No…' In the midst of ceiling fan's sound, Makoto could hear a faint crack at the back of his head, which he remembered as something he wished he never heard again, 'REVERSE SOCIAL LINK.'
"Hold it." From his chair, Makoto stood up and raised his tone, finally grasping the situation, "That's not what I mean. I know that you have a lot of things going on around you; you're a charming, wonderful girl. Lots of people wanna be around you; and that's fine. I don't want you to feel obligated to hang out with me, I know you're busy."
He revealed a small frown, "I don't mind that much…"
"...Really?" Hamuko responded without a glance at him. Then, Makoto grabbed her by the shoulder and shifted her front to him. He could see her being shocked, but that didn't stop him.
"Hamuko, listen. It doesn't matter when, after you're done with whatever you're doing, come find me. I'm always waiting for you."
"O-Okay..." Hamuko stuttered, seeing his serious face up close. Then, her cheeks reddened before she gently pushed him away, "I'm sorry, but please don't lean too close, or we'll start another rumor."
"I know." Makoto finally breathed a sigh of ease, just as the school bell rang fiercely above them.
Hamuko Arisato
Evening – 16/6/2009 – Iwatodai Station, Tatsumi Port Island
After the incident yesterday, Hamuko promised Fuuka to shop at Iwatodai Station today for something about finding a cookbook. It was a bit difficult since Hamuko has never cooked in her whole life and Fuuka… well…
"I want to apologize again for yesterday."
"It's fine now, don't worry!"
"So, what food does Makoto love to eat?" Fuuka asked when they're inside Bookworm searching for a book in the corner of the shop.
"Melon bread, that's for sure," Hamuko replied.
"Huh? No, I mean Makoto's favorite food, not yours." Fuuka remembered Hamuko revealing her favorite food to her days ago.
"Exactly, we love the same food. Though, I'm sure he can buy it at the cafeteria at school. Maybe you can try baking some cake." She took out a book from the shelf and lent it to her. Fuuka looked convinced and agreed right away.
"I'm not really good at this, but I hope Makoto-san like it." Fuuka clenched the book timidly before bowing to Hamuko in gratitude, "Thank you, Hamuko-san. I'll do my best."
"You're welcome." Hamuko laughed awkwardly, remembering the taste of her food, "Do you need my help?"
"It's fine, thank you, but I wish to give Makoto-san a food I made by myself." Fuuka gently refused the offer. Then, she seemed to rethink her thought of buying the book, "You know, I'm actually more into technology than making this stuff, so I know my cooking is terrible."
"If you don't like it, then why do you insist on making it for him?" Hamuko asked.
"Will he ever like a nerdy girl like me.." Fuuka said, looking down. Hamuko stood quietly before holding her by the hands.
"Doing what you love is the greatest charm for you, Fuuka-chan." Hamuko gave her the advice.
"R-Really?" Fuuka stuttered, but clearly happy to hear the compliment, "Then..."
Fuuka canceled the purchase, and they both returned to the dorm.
Makoto Yuki
Afterschool – 20/6/2009 – Iwatodai Dorm
Mitsuru came into class today, informing about the meeting at the dorm. But he knew what's about to be discussed by Ikutsuki, it was the number of Arcana Shadow's left to fight. Seeing Ikutsuki's face later will just make his blood boils, but he couldn't escape the meeting.
Finally, there was something that could ease his anger. In front of the dorm, Hamuko, Yukari, and Fuuka were petting a familiar Inu dog.
"Ah, Makoto-kun. Look!" Hamuko showed him the dog, "His name is-"
"Koromaru, the deceased priest's dog from the shrine," Makoto answered immediately. The three girls seemed surprised at his statement.
"How did you know that?" Yukari asked, still petting Koromaru on his head when suddenly Koromaru broke free and ran towards Makoto and jumped into his open arm.
"He likes you!" Hamuko said cheerfully, "Perhaps this isn't your first time meeting him?"
"I met him a few times at the shrine. Asked people around about him and found out about his name."
"I see. You're so kind," Fuuka chuckled, before she added, "By the way, are you free tomorrow on Sunday?"
"Maybe…" Makoto answered, wondering.
"Will you stay for the evening? I have something to show you; tomorrow, I mean."
"…Alright."
Hamuko and Yukari stared at them both awkwardly before Yukari coughed. "Okay, that's enough. Mitsuru-senpai is going to scold us."
Hamuko Arisato
Late Evening – 20/6/2009 – Iwatodai Dorm
There are eight more shadows.
That's what Ikutsuki said in the meeting. There are eight more arcana shadows that need to be defeated, with the possibility to end the Dark Hour. She had a long way to go, it seemed, but for now, she wanted to rest.
"Arisato," Immediately after the meeting, Akihiko approached her at the stairs. "Do you have free time for tomorrow?"
"Oh. Hmmm…" Hamuko glanced at Makoto who was descending the stairs. Makoto returned the glance, but quickly turned away and continued to descend to the lounge. Hesitating, she remembered Makoto promising to meet Fuuka tomorrow. Since she was free tomorrow, the answer was obvious, "Of course!"
"Great! I wait at the front door at 9!" Akihiko seemed really happy.
Makoto Yuki
Morning – 21/6/2009 – Iwatodai Dorm
"I know I said that, but…" Makoto mused when he saw Hamuko descended the stairs in her beautiful dress. He knew being a Wild Card had a lot to do, but he had no time either. His world is at risk and here he was sitting on the couch, listening to his mp3 player. Still, forcing a bond was forbidden, he did learn much as a Wild Card user. All he had to do was spend time with her and wait for the opportunity to come itself. But, it's been too long…
Then, the door was shut when he was lost in his thoughts. Hamuko had left, leaving him all alone on the couch. He promised Fuuka, after all, to stay for the evening. What he didn't expect was Fuuka came down a moment later, looking at him with a surprised expression.
"Makoto-senpai, why are you still here?"
"What do you mean? I don't know where to go, so I stayed at home. By the way, what was it you said yesterday about-"
"No, you can't be here yet." Fuuka replied, sounding panicked, "You need to go out and come back later."
"But you said-"
"Only in the evening! So please, go out for the day and be back soon." Fuuka used both arms to pull Makoto from the couch by the arm. Unfortunately, she was too small and frail to budge him. He felt sympathy for her, after which he willingly stood up. Fuuka almost lost her footing from the sudden move.
"Okay, when should I come back?" Makoto reached for his jacket and stood at the front door, while Fuuka still trying to push him to the point it looked comical.
"When I said so! So please, go!" Fuuka pleaded, desperately trying to cast him outside. Finally, he was out, and he heard Fuuka storming the floor with her feet. Makoto peeked at his phone, trying to find a companion to hang out with when suddenly his phone received a message.
"Come to the Velvet Room now."
"Great," Makoto said, wasting no time and walked away from the dorm.
Hamuko Arisato
Afternoon – 21/6/2009 – Beef Bowl Shop, Iwatodai Station
She saw him in his own world on that couch this morning. She had no idea why, but that image was glued to her mind the entire walk with Akihiko by her side. What was he thinking? Was he still angry that she didn't spend time with him? But he promised to wait for her, and he had Fuuka for today to keep him company.
"I'm planning on showing him something, what do you think?"
She still remembered Fuuka asking her last night, she could only pray for the best for Makoto. She found herself laughing at the thought of him fainting by her poisonous food.
"What's so funny?" Akihiko asked when he noticed her small giggle.
"Nothing, I just thought of something funny."
"Oh, I see. You look cute when you smile like that." Akihiko complimented but flushed when he realized he said it. He quickly changed the topic when Hamuko stared at him, "Uh, uh… Hey, there's the Beef Bowl Shop! The beef bowl here is blessed. Have you tried it?"
"Of course, I've been here with Makoto…" Hamuko paused when Makoto came out of her mouth. She's been thinking a lot about Makoto these days. Akihiko looked concern when she suddenly looked down but tried not to delve into it.
"You want to go in?" Akihiko asked.
"Oh, of course!" Hamuko smiled with her face brightened again.
There weren't many customers inside, but there were no two empty seats to fit them both. Akihiko grew worried, but luckily, there were two empty seats at the far end corner over the long table. He allowed her to have the end seat, while he sat between her and a 'stranger', completely not noticing the identity of the man next to him.
"What do you want?" Akihiko asked. Hamuko was busy looking at the menu, but since Akihiko promised to pay for the food, she felt guilty to eat more than she needed. She turned to Akihiko to ask.
"I'm not sure, what do you-" The moment she turned to him, it was then she finally took notice of the man next to Akihiko, which she knew she met once before Yamagishi was saved.
"Aren't you…"
"!" Akihiko turned to where Hamuko landed her eyes and was shocked, "Shinji! I didn't notice you were eating."
"Too busy looking at your girlfriend? Don't worry, enjoy your date. I'm just here for food." The man said.
"H-Hey, I never said she was my… girlfriend…" Akihiko denied it with a slight blush, "After everything she did as our leader, I just want to repay the favor by taking her out for a lunch."
"Oh? I see," He then stood up along with his half-full bowl, "I guess I'll sit somewhere else, not gonna bother you."
She knew he was someone Akihiko recognized well. In fact, they seemed very close… having him there made her curious about the interaction between those two.
"Wait!" Hamuko stopped him from walking away, "Since you're Akihiko's friend, how about you just sit with us? The more the merrier."
"Arisato, you're sure?" Akihiko asked, surprised by her suggestion. Shinjiro, although he seemed annoyed, agreed to her offer.
"Well, if you insist." He sat down, continued to slurp his noodle. Akihiko awkwardly glanced at both of them from side to side before fake-coughing to break the silence.
Their orders came afterward, with Hamuko eagerly slurping down her udon.
"*cough* Uh, this is Shinjiro Aragaki, my childhood friend. I'm sure you both have already met…" Shinjiro took no heed to his introduction.
"Hello, Aragaki-san, I'm Hamuko Arisato. Nice to meet you," Hamuko happily introduced herself.
"Yeah," Shinjiro responded lazily, while still quietly slurping his bowl. Akihiko rest his forehead on his palm in distress, seeing as his date wasn't the way he planned it. She wasn't offended, however.
"How long have you two known each other?" Hamuko began her conversation.
"Since we were kids. We both grew up in the same orphanage together," Akihiko replied before he turned to Shinjiro, "Hey, Shinji, do you remember how we used to get into fights? Heh, we two were the troublemakers at the time."
"Do we? I guess it does seem so long ago…" Shinjiro responded.
"So, if you two are such good friends, why is it that I never seen you two together?" Hamuko asked, "Why didn't you stay with us at the dorm?"
"That's, uh…" Akihiko peeked at Shinjiro's annoyed face, "How about you ask him?"
She stared at him, waiting for his answer. Shinjiro remained quiet, before he suddenly stopped eating his lunch. He finally answered, "That's none of your business."
Shinjiro threw his money on the table without waiting for his changes. She could see he just wanted to leave the shop, but Akihiko stopped him.
"Shinji!" Akihiko said, "She's right. Why don't you come back?"
Shinjiro sighed hard, before he turned to face Akihiko, "I'm not sure you're listening, but I'm not coming back, and I don't need your concern. Do you understand?"
The moment she saw Akihiko's dejected face, Hamuko knew that the situation was bad. As a friend, she knew what had to be done.
"Stop it, you two," Hamuko wedged herself between the two men who were taller and bigger than her to push them aside, "Don't be like this, you two are friends. I'm not sure what happened between you two, but Shinjiro surely has his reason, but he still cares about you."
"Not really," Shinjiro finalized, "I don't mind that much..."
"I don't mind that much…"
Makoto's words echoed inside her. Something was cracking inside her from those words.
"Come with me." Hamuko, all of a sudden firmly grabbed Shinjiro's jacket and began to pull him outside. Akihiko, shocked by her sudden action, quickly threw the money on the table and chased after them.
Makoto Yuki
Afternoon – Velvet Room
"What do you feel to be in this world?" Igor asked, accompanied by Theodore by his side.
"My loneliness was cured, but not fully until I return to my true world. I want to go back, but I know it won't be easy."
"Hmmm, I see. Do you feel anything strange when you were here?"
"Other than Hamuko, the day goes by just the same."
"Not even your friends?" Igor asked, narrowing his questions. Makoto realized that he intend to reveal something, just as Igor continued.
"Allow me to be straight. The past you had and the past of this world is, slowly, diverging. Though I believe this is but a minor change, so I assure you there was nothing to be worried about. However, I expect you to keep your promise to not change any major event. I believe you understand me, do you not?"
Makoto nodded weakly.
"Good, and mind not the weak progression you have with your counterpart. It is a norm that the most difficult bond to establish is within yourself."
"…How long will this take me?"
"I do not guarantee."
Makoto, although seemed dissatisfied, turned away towards the door, before gave a side look at Igor, "Igor, let me be honest. How do you expect me to keep everything unchanged in a world that's not even mine?"
Theodore shifted towards Igor in fear that he will be angry. Not a bit. Rather, he appeared speechless and bowed down his head. Makoto, knowing that he will not get the answer, finally left the room.
Hamuko Arisato
Afternoon – Iwatodai Dorm
"Kirijo-san can be quite scary when she's angry, but she takes care of all of us." Hamuko began as she dragged Shinjiro across the street, followed by Akihiko at the back, "Yukari is an admirable and amazing girl to talk to, but she had it tough, so don't push her too much."
"Why are you telling me this?" Shinjiro asked in confusion, but couldn't be hard enough to push her hand away. Akihiko too was confused, periodically slipping into their conversation.
"Hamuko, where are you taking him anyway- Wait, this road…"
Until finally, Shinjiro finally let go of her hand when she seemed to stop somewhere, "Let go!"
"We're here." Hamuko said softly, "At our dorm."
The three of them stood in front of their dorm. Shinjiro and Akihiko stood in surprised.
"Junpei is a little stupid, but he's a nice and funny guy, always trying to make us laugh. Then there's Fuuka-chan, our new member. She's shy and has low confidence, but she's gentle and believes in what she does. Then, there's Makoto-kun…" She seemed to bite her tongue for a moment before she continued, "He's someone you just can't forget the moment you saw him."
Akihiko and Shinjiro turned towards each other before returning their eyes on Hamuko.
"Don't bottle everything inside you. You're more than welcome to be here and share with us your trouble. Don't say you don't mind, because someone cares about you."
"That's… it!" Shinjiro shouted, almost ready to burst, "You can say that because you had no idea about my issues, you don't know anything!"
"Shinji, that's enough!" Akihiko stopped him, "She just want to help! She just wants to help…"
Shinjiro finally calmed down after a few persuasions by Akihiko. Hamuko decided to add.
"We care about you because you're Akihiko-san's friend. I care about you, so come and visit us later."
Hamuko revealed a weak smile to him. Shinjiro went silent before he faced away, not before a quick look at her and the dorm.
"…Tch." Shinjiro hissed before he walked away. Akihiko and Hamuko stared in silence at the young man. Then, Akihiko faced Hamuko.
"You okay? Did he hurt you? I'm so sorry about what happen."
"No, don't worry."
"Still, that was crazy, what you said to him. But I think that guy needs some time alone. Though, I appreciate what you did for him." Akihiko praised her proudly before asking her, "Why did you go that far for him?"
"For a moment in the shop, he's kind of reminded me of Makoto…" Hamuko replied, "I feel that they're hiding something bad deep down, and I want to help him…"
"Okay?" Akihiko dimmed out on her respond. All of a sudden, he faced the dorm, smelling something in the air, "Wait, did you smell that?"
She smelled it too, and the first thought came into her mind was Fuuka-chan cooking something. She remembered her mentioning about showing something to Makoto, and the aroma of death raised her fear, which she quickly rushed inside, "Fuuka-chan!"
"Oh crap, Hamu-chan?! Help me, the microwave is on fire!" In the longue, however, was Junpei with a bucket of water in hand, next to the burning microwave in the kitchen. Hamuko and Akihiko stared in shock over the fire that was spreading rapidly over the kitchen.
"Junpei, what happened?!" Akihiko screamed.
"I don't know! I was heating my leftover hotdog yesterday, but the microwave seems to be not working, so I tried to put the plug in another socket-"
"Put out the fire first!" Akihiko scolded. After a few buckets of water, the fire was extinguished, leaving a black spot on the table.
"Mitsuru's gonna kill me…" Junpei said, clutching his head in panic. Akihiko and Hamuko turned to each other with a blank face, unable to imagine the punishment Mitsuru will give him.
"I honestly thought Fuuka-chan was cooking." Hamuko laughed.
"Fuuka-chan? She's upstairs, taking some wires with her into her room." Junpei replied while removing his hat and dropped himself on the couch, fanning his shirt over the heated air from the smokes. Hamuko began to wonder the 'thing' Fuuka was making for Makoto.
"Where are the rest?" Akihiko wondered.
"Probably outside, dealing with their stuff; I don't know." Junpei weakly said.
Hamuko ascended the stairs to the third floor before she began to hear a faint sound of music from one of the rooms; Fuuka's. She approached the door and knocked it gently twice, and there she was holding wires in her hand.
"Hamuko-san? What brought you here?" Fuuka asked in surprise. Hamuko took a quick peek inside her room and saw that she was indeed making something.
"Junpei burned the microwaves, so I come to check if you're okay." Hamuko answered, "So what are you making for Makoto-kun?"
"Actually…" Fuuka shyly revealed her creation.
Makoto Yuki
Evening – Iwatodai Dorm
Makoto Yuki felt like it was the right time to return to the dorm and see the surprise Fuuka had for him. The dorm wasn't that far from where he was, but the conversation he had with Igor a while ago kept him busy. Despite the prophecy, he had that strange feeling as if Igor was hiding something from him, or maybe it was his guts.
His anxiety was erased when he saw someone he knew so well standing not far from the dorm, staring at the door. It was Shinjiro with both hands inside his inner pockets, desperate whether to enter or to walk away. It was after a few steps that the old friend noticed his presence, and he hurriedly walked past Makoto to avoid any conversation.
"You're welcome to come in, Shinji." Makoto said with a spontaneous smile, just as he walked past, "We'll always welcome you."
"Tch, why do you have to sound like her?" Shinjiro responded, "You don't have to tell me, I know."
"?" He had no idea what he was talking about. Shinjiro began to part away from him before Igor's words echoed inside him.
For a moment, he saw a glimpse of the past. Shinjiro's back was facing him, blood was dripping onto the ground, Takaya was seen over his shoulder…
"Shinji."
"Huh?" Shinjiro turned to him.
"Put something rigid inside your chest pocket, just in case something happened."
"…What?"
Makoto approached the dorm without waiting for Shinjiro's reaction.
"Makoto-senpai, you're back!" Fuuka was waiting at the lounge while hiding something behind her. He stood still and waited for Fuuka to give him the 'surprise'.
"Here you go!"
"…Oh, this is…"
It was a small portable speaker in black with a blue palette, "…This is beautiful."
"Thank you, I wanted to tinker something, so I thought of making something for you."
"No more homemade food?" Makoto teased with a small smile. Fuuka gave a gentle laugh at his tease.
"I'm giving up on it, and I decided to do what I really want and love."
"Though… I don't think I want to use it too much, or someone next door is going to complain. Thank you."
"Oh, I see. Silly me… But I'm still happy."
"That's right, doing what you love is great, that's what makes you charming, Fuuka."
Fuuka gave him the exact same stare Shinjiro gave him a while ago, albeit happier, "Hamuko-san said the same thing."
"Oh? Is that so… Wait, is something burning?"
Late Evening – 22/6/2009 – Iwatodai Dorm
The time has come, he thought. As he returned home from school, he saw Akihiko talking with Hamuko, and they later ascended the stairs together and disappeared on the second floor. He was happy that Hamuko actually did extremely well with her Social Links, but was slightly distressed by it.
"Makoto-san," Fuuka, who returned early to the dorm, was sitting at the lounge's couch as if waiting for him. She suddenly approached him at the lounge, "I know I'm being weird and all, but I would like to invite you to my room."
Fuuka confessed an almost identical confession when he maximized his relationship with her. Though it was far too quick and her sentence was slightly different, or maybe Makoto remembered it vaguely.
Fuuka was waiting for his response patiently as he thought. He did not belong to this world, his friends from the original world is waiting for him. This world belonged to Hamuko, his place was Hamuko's, and he had to go back.
"Y-You don't have to give your answer right away. It is too sudden, after all." Fuuka nervously said when Makoto's face faded into sadness. Makoto knew his answer right away.
"I'm sorry, but I only see you as a close friend," Makoto said with his gentlest voice, "But I'm happy you feel that way."
"I see." Fuuka's heart was shattering apart, but she struggled to put her best face. "I'm sure you will find someone good enough for you."
Makoto left Fuuka's room and slowly went to his own room. When he thought about it hard, Hamuko was far friendlier than he ever was in him to his friend. He realized now more than ever she belonged to this world more than he ever will, and he had no place in this world. Of course, she deserved better than him, who was he other than her alternate self?
'Hmmm?' Makoto noticed that sudden thoughts in his mind before laughing at himself, 'Did I actually thought of Hamuko being my lover?' He entered his room and entered, 'Doesn't matter, she can find plenty of man in this world, Akihiko for example…'
Hamuko Arisato
Late Evening – 22/6/2009 - Iwatodai Dorm
She was nervous as to what to say or to do at this moment. Just a while ago, Akihiko invited her to his room, his face was red from something. She wasn't surprised, considering that her bond with him was almost at its peak, but to enter a man's room was an entirely new experience for her. Akihiko's room was messily arranged, lacks space, plus there was the punching bag hanging near the end of the corner of the room, which explained the smelly and hot atmosphere. Akihiko apologized about it, before nervously offering a drink.
"Never had a girl in your room?" Hamuko asked.
"O-Of course not!" Akihiko replied in a state so restless and nervous that it surprised her. Then, he began to talk about his sister, Miki, and then how Hamuko changed everything for him, and how he will always by her side.
"I-I hope you don't mind I'm saying this, but… Hamuko… You mean a lot to me." Akihiko gave a smile never before seen to her, "I love you."
Crash!
The sound of Star Arcana echoed in her mind. For the first time, she maxed out a social link with a boy which ended up in a confession of love. To be honest, Akihiko was surprisingly too adorable, asking her to call him "Aki" when alone. She was nervous, but happy about their strong bond. They spent a bit of time, but the night quickly arrived which forced her to return to her room.
'Akihiko is so nice.' Hamuko mused, 'I wonder if I'm qualified at all to be his 'girl'.' She entered her room and shut the door before dropping herself to the bed. "Ah! Today sure is tiring, but everything ends well. I hope Fuuka and Makoto-kun too…"
Her face suddenly darkened, which she sat on her bed and thought. Her memory with Makoto during the Golden Week was fresh like it was yesterday. Then, she remembered the small speaker Fuuka made for Makoto days ago...
She admitted it, she's jealous. She finally understood the uneasiness inside her, in which she sullenly mumbled.
"I guess in the end, I was afraid of losing someone too, like Aki. To meet a boy who understands me so much like Makoto-kun is a miracle. To see him slowly drifting away from me will be painful." Hamuko smiled and shook her head, "But it's alright, because it doesn't matter who are close to him, our bond will remain strong, I believe it so much."
Hamuko regained her composure and sighed. Then, she heard someone talking at her door.
Makoto Yuki
Late Night - Iwatodai Dorm
'When I think about it, maybe I shouldn't get too attached to anyone here, since I'll be 'leaving' once this is over," Makoto was changing his clothes in his room when that thought occurred to him, "Hamuko already thought of me as a good friend, no reason to make anyone else miss me when I'm gone-"
Crash!
Universe Arcana Social Link:
Rank 3
"What the…?" Makoto responded in a flash to the glass shattering in his mind, "How did my social link with Hamuko suddenly…"
Makoto, without a second thought, made a decision of going to Hamuko's room. He quickly walked out of his room, ascending the stairs to the third floor and went straight to the door at the end of the corridor. But before he could knock on her door, Makoto rethink his rash decision of going to her room. How would she respond to it? What if Akihiko was in her room? Did her social link with him was truly over?
"Maybe I should talk to her later…" Before he walked away, Hamuko suddenly opened the door much to his surprise.
"I heard someone talking at the door, so…" Hamuko explained, "Why are you here?"
"…Just checking on you." Makoto thought for a while for the best excuse, but couldn't. There's a pause for a moment.
"Congratulation, by the way," Hamuko finally spoke, "About you and Fuuka."
"There's nothing to be congratulated," Makoto replied, "It was only a confession, and I rejected her."
"Eh?" Hamuko widened her eyes, shocked by his answer. Still, she knew it wasn't right to pry too much into it, "I see."
"What about you and Akihiko?" Makoto asked with a serious tone.
"He confessed, but..." Hamuko spoke honestly, then backed away in realization, "Wait, why am I telling you all this? This is weird."
"It's okay, I understand," Makoto smiled, suddenly remembered Yukari, Fuuka, Mitsuru and Aigis from his world. There's an awkward silence in between afterward, before Hamuko stretched out her arms and hugged him tight.
"Let's hang out again."
"Sure."
Without they noticing, the conversation continued for half an hour or so, with their uneasiness washed away as they shared together whatever they can about their days.
Meanwhile, in Makoto's room inside the table's drawer, a card was vibrating as it glowed, although weak and dimly. The Contact Card was resonating…
A/N: How long has it been? About a year since I last update? Hello, my readers, for I have returned. There're a lot of reasons for my sudden hiatus, though to put it short last year was not going so well for me. Sorry if I made you wait for me this long, but I promise myself I will never abandon this story, no matter how long it takes.
I ask my reader to be patient with my slow update and enjoy the story...