Chapter 23: Golden Promise
AN: Looking back, I realise I screwed up somewhat with the dates, and didn't realise that Golden Week was April 29th – May 5th. Since I want to be accurate, I'll have to go back to Chapter 22 and adjust some of the dates to match due to this mix up. The scenes on April 29th can still work, since they weren't ~seen~ in school on that date. I'm going to edit May 1st's scenes somewhat, however, and simply move the Geography lecture to a date in which they actually would be at school.
|May 2|Ginumi – Grand Laguna Hotel|14:40|
Still in Golden Week, the team should have been enjoying their time off from school. Yet, here they were discussingtheir eventful encounter with Asami & Keiya the previous evening. Indeed, it had been a rather tense battle that ended with the appearance of Nisa Liat. Her supreme power was enough to destroy much of the moon. It may not have been the true moon, but her power certainly was genuine.
"If Nisa Liat possesses this kind of raw power, why does she even need the Aeon Administrators?" Netuno asked.
"Perhaps it's not so much their skill but what they bring to Bythos as individuals." Novalie said, as she serious considered the question. "Or perhaps she genuinely cares for them in some way."
"Either way, we face an even harder battle than we anticipated." Shigeru said. "We owe it to ourselves to not run away from this challenge."
"Easy for you to say..." Akari said, whimpering.
"What's the alternative?" Shigeru asked. His scowl was fierce, and the animal lover cowered away from him. "Watch as everything you know is irrevocably changed into a hell unlike anything you've ever seen?"
"Whoa!" Reia said, standing up. "You're just as scary as Nisa Liat, you know. We still have one more of the main Cognition Cores than she does."
"Speaking of scary..." Masato said. "Did you see that crowd outside Yuchi's house? They must have broken every single window there!"
"...Yeah." Noburo said, flatly. "The director called me this morning. They just said they didn't think they'd be able to put on the show..."
"Ever again?" Kei asked. Noburo nodded, somewhat tearful. "That's awful..."
"That damn Yuchi!" Noburo shouted, banging his fists against his chair's armrests. "How could he do that? He's ruined the play forever! And killed that poor woman..."
Shintaro shuddered. Since the news broke out, there had been a massive outcry of hate against Yuchi, even from former cast members. So many stories came flooding out that had been suppressed for years. It had been him that made Death By Moonlight so popular. How appropriate that the moon had been the place that made the truth behind the play known. No doubt the police were involved already.
"At least she has justice." Masato said. "Keiya's a piece of shit, but I think I understand how he feels."
"This public outcry is causing a lot of havoc in Tarumi, though. Especially the playhouse. Some of the top brass there are being accused of covering up the scandal. I think it's going to be a while before things can get back to normal." Reia said. "...It's good that Yuchi will get what he deserves, I know. But at what cost?"
"Keeping the public calm is down to us." Shigeru said, with a dour look. "Noburo, I know you're disappointed -"
"Dad, I don't care that much about the play right now. Teruko, she...she's still not talking to me. I don't know what to do. Maybe...it really is over between us."
Masato shook his head, angry. "What, you giving up that easy? You two have been together for a long time! She wouldn't just throw that all away over one argument, would she?"
"...What can I do to make things right?" Noburo said. "She knows I'm up to something. But I can't tell her what. There's no way! If anything were to happen to her, I...I'd never forgive myself."
"But you can't live without her, can you?" Kohaku asked. "Try talking to her, one more time. Tell her how much she means to you. If she really is that special, you can't give up."
"Exactly. You get to spend every day at school with your girl. I've still never met Dorothy face to face. So you better not give up on this – in times like these, you need someone like Teruko by your side."
"...Son." Shigeru said. "Your friends are right. Your love for Teruko is a lot stronger than most grown-ups I know. So please, don't simply let it end. At least try one last time, with all your heart."
"Thanks, Dad...and everyone else, too. I'll do what I can." Noburo said, nodding.
"Atta boy!" Hiroyuki said, admirably. "With the way things are, you can't lose what matters most to you. Me and my wife had a few ups and downs before we finally tied the knot. Course, she doesn't know about any of this. She's worried enough about me over the years I've been a soldier."
"Teruko would go crazy if I told her I was joining the JSDF..." Noburo said, smirking. "I'll stick to acting. Maybe it'll take me a bit longer to get into a big production than I realised, but if she's with me all the way, I don't mind."
The night continued, yet try as he might, Shintaro couldn't quite get comfortable. After all, Nisa Liat had appeared in his dream before she emerged in the Theio Kosmos. Who was she, really? Why was she in Kei's place in both dreams? The bookish teenager desperately wanted to know. But until he did, this feeling of unease would not end.
May 5th|Tarumi – Aoi Recording Studio|12:15 pm|
It was the early afternoon, and the Electric Sea group were hard at work in their own small private studio. With high-tech recording equipment, and a good environment to create music without outside distractions, Netuno and his three bandmates were hard at work creating the title track for their next album, Nós já fomos como um – 'We Once Were As One'.
"Nice work, Netuno." Elzira Abrantes, the band's drummer, said. Her blonde hair had dyed dark blue tips, tying in somewhat with the band's colours of sea blue and sandy yellow. Somewhat of a tomboy, she was usually dressed in a green t-shirt and ripped denim shorts. "Man, living in Japan is a lot harder than I thought. How are you coping, Heliodoro?"
"I'm actually adjusting rather nicely. People here seem to love us a lot more than back in Portugal. But I must admit, there are times where I get homesick."
Heliodoro Anaquim, the band's bassist, tended to dress in smart clothing, yet he had an unkempt look as part of his image, with a loose tie, crumpled shirt, and unbuttoned blue jacket. With hair of red in a short cut and a rather thick bushy beard, he was actually the eldest member of the band at 29, and the most muscular. He was known for scaring even the security team at their concerts.
"I never thought you'd all agree to moving thousands of miles away..." Netuno said, as the band moved into their rest area, and Elzira immediately got to work on brewing everyone some of her favourite coffee blend. "But as long as we're all together, we can make anything happen."
"True. Living here has been a beautiful experience. Despite everything..."
The vocalist of the band, Lenore La Lacerda, was a statesque starlet, her low, haunting vocals lending beautifully with the music the others provided. Her long curly hair was naturally black, but she had purple streaks in it, to match her sleeveless satin shirt and flowing dark skirt. Very much the opposite of Elzira, she tended to be the face of the band, even if Netuno was their leader.
"I'm so sorry, Lacerda."
"Don't be, Elzira. I'm fine, honestly. Besides, rather than sit at home and dwelling on what has happened, I'd rather sing. I...I can't express my feelings any other way." Lenore said. "Bythos...I wish them a fiery death. A raging flame that consumes all in its path, engulfing every one of its group."
"You really loved him, didn't you?" Heliodoro asked.
"Hachiro was a wonderful person." Lenore said, wistfully. "You remember the day we first met, don't you?"
"How could we forget? It was when we got off the plane to Japan, and he crashed into you. Then, before you got mad, he started apologising a thousand times, getting all flustered..." Elzira said. "He was a dork, yeah, but a cool dork."
"We all saw how happy you were with him." Netuno said, nostalgic of those times. "He always hated having to work long hours and being late for you dates, and he kept finding ways to make it up to you."
Lenore nodded, then turned away, to avoid the others seeing her face – and most likely, her tears. Heliodoro and Netuno looked on, protectively, while Elzira sat there in glum silence.
The first time Netuno saw Hachiro Fukuyama, a salaryman for a technology firm, the guitarist couldn't understand what Lenore saw in him. He was an older man in his mid thirties, and while not exactly ugly, he was plain and somewhat portly. Yet when Lenore and him were together, love seemed to blossom, and their laughing, smiling faces, slowly made Netuno realise something.
It didn't matter what Hachiro was on the surface. Deep down, he cared for Lenore's heart – the same heart heard in all of her music.
Then came the phone call from the police, while the band were at Netuno's apartment celebrating the digital release of their new song.
The building Hachiro worked at had gone up in flames, and he had been consumed by the fire before he could reach for the fire exit. He had saved plenty of his co-workers by leading the fire escape, but in the chaos of the blaze, he ran back to save one of his friends. The police were only able to give Lenore one of his belongings, a golden ring with a sapphire in it. An engagement ring.
Bythos had publicly criticised the same firm, Soul Tech Inc., for 'blatant corruption' the day before. Yet this was little known to the public, due to the tech firm being rather small to begin with. Hachiro had told Lenore about his fears, but she had largely dismissed them. Had she acknowledged that Bythos was truly as dangerous as he suspected, would he have been able to propose? She didn't know for sure. All she did know was that her answer would have been 'yes', without a moment's hesistation. A happy day that would never come. No one would ever love her as deeply as Hachiro Fukuyama.
"...Lenore." Netuno said, after a long silence.
"I'm alright, Netuno. You don't have to worry about me so much."
"Sure we do! We're not just a band. We're family. You hurt, we hurt with you." Elzira said, strongly. "You don't have to hide your feelings from us."
Lenore finally turned around, and while she wiped her tears away, her eyes were still red from crying. Netuno's own eyes began to water, but he kept his cool, and drank from the coffee his tomboyish drummer friend poured.
Lenore, don't worry. I'll tear down everyone in Bythos for you. It might not be with the flames you want, but all of them are gonna suffer for what they did. I don't care if it was that dipshit Kaii, that brat Asami, that smug Keiya, or that drunkard waste of space Toki. Or any of the other five. I'll kill whoever it was that started that fire. Maybe...I'll kill them all.
"Hey, don't get so angry." Lenore said. "I don't want you getting into any trouble, do you hear me? You and Heliodoro need to stay calm."
"...I'll try." Both Heliodoro and Netuno said. Elzira laughed slightly, as she put on the radio, drumming her fingers on the table. Hachiro's death had at least made Electric Sea stronger. Yet what Netuno wanted most was to bring back Lenore's sound of joy, not her dirge of despair.
|Mizuho – Reverie|13:00 pm|
Novalie and Reia had met up, both of them on a day off from either studying or work. Thus, the Norwegian belle had treated her friend to some delicious strawberry cheesecake and some aromatic coffee.
"We don't get together that often, do we?" Reia asked. "It's either working all day at the store or fighting some weird demon...thing with five hundred eyes."
"At least you haven't been hit on by an Incubus." Novalie said.
"True, but the Succubus was surprisingly forward before I killed her..." Reia said, amused. "So, what's new with college?"
"I aced the last exam. Top of the class, actually." Novalie said, beaming. "Mother was so proud when I called her over the internet last night. Although the time difference made it hard to find the right moment to contact her. Norway and Japan, eight hours between them."
"I studied abroad too, remember. I know all about that." Reia said, smirking. "Course...I didn't have anyone back home who wanted to take my calls. But hey, I'm a tough girl. You've seen me in battle enough times to know that. It's how I got through those years of education."
Novalie grinned. Ever since the two of them met via Shigeru, the girls had discovered just how powerful they could be. Reia didn't seem to have any family, or many friends, but she excuded confidence and resilience regardless. No wonder Netuno liked her so much, Novalie thought. Yet the fashion designer didn't let on how she felt.
"By the way, if things go well, I might take some time off in the summer. I'm thinking of going back to London for a bit." Reia said.
"Oh, really?" Novalie asked. "But I thought there wasn't anything there you wanted to come back to?"
"Well..." Reia said, looking somewhat troubled. "With everything going on between Shigeru's boy and that Toki guy, it's got be making about the people I met back then. We made a lot of promises to stay in touch, but even with modern technology, it's been hard. Besides, I'm struggling to come up with new designs."
"And you think going down to the UK will stir up some inspiration?" Novalie asked. "...Then you should go. If you get to meet up with that huge group you studied with, even better."
Reia smiled, and finished her coffee. "What about you, Novalie? How are you coping with student life in Japan? Your grades obviously are second to none. I bet you'd beat that know-it-all Shintaro. The amount of random book trivia he peppers his conversations with..."
"I don't mind. Books are part of what helped humanity create society and culture." Novalie said, happily. "To tell the truth, I'm afraid. I love college, and all my classmates. Yet at the same time, I'm fighting bloodthirsty Shadows almost every other day, not to mention those hellions in Bythos. All I wanted was a peaceful life, not fighting a criminal group like Bythos. But that's selfish, isn't it?"
Reia shook her head. "No. It's normal. I'd rather I never had that Gnosis in the first place. Even if it meant meaning you and everybody else, the Gnosis has just brought me a lot of stress. And made me aware of how powerful Bythos really is. What if it never ends? Or someone else shows up that I have to fend off with Eunomia?"
"...There must be a way to defeat Nisa Liat and her Aeon Administrators." Novalie said, trying to put on a brave face. "I'll do what I can to help everyone else find it."
"Same. I don't like have a Persona, but I ended up with one anyway. So I'm gonna use it the best I can." Reia said. "Right now, we're just two friends having some great cake. Let's keep it that way, just for today. We can worry about Bythos tomorrow."
"Good thinking. I hope everyone else is enjoying Golden Week, too. Especially the ones from Kansei and Chieki." Novalie said. "...So when are you giving me a free dress? With all the free cake I've brought in for you guys, it seems fair!"
The two laughed out loud, and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon shopping in the busy streets of Shinshuto.
|Ginumi – Golden Harbour Alley|13:30 pm|
As it was Golden Week, Hiroyuki finally had some time to spend with his family. Whatever his wife and daughter wanted to do, he would go along with, just to enjoy a few peaceful moments. Here he was, already struggling to carry most of Kaori's shopping bags.
"Dad, c'mon! You're supposed to be a big and strong soldier!"
"Yes, m'aam." Hiroyuki said, smirking.
Kaori was already fourteen, and looked much like her mother with her dark blue hair, cut rather short and spiky. Even so, he couldn't stop thinking of his her as his little bundle of joy. When she was born, he had been away as part of his duties, and he had never quite forgiven himself for not being there.
"Well...fine, I'll carry a few." Kaori said, as her mother Miori laughed. "It'll be good exercise. You really okay with me doing Judo, Dad?"
"Course I am. It's how me and your mother met." Hiroyuki said, smiling fondly back on those days.
"I was the sensei's favourite student, by the way." Miori said, flexing her bicep. She was a strong woman, even if she outwardly seemed quite feminine. Made her a force to be reckoned with, alongside her stubborn will.
"Oh, here!" Kaori said, pointing happily at a huge cafe. "I'll treat you to some shaved ice! Rum & Raisin sound good?"
"Perfect." Hiroyuki said – although he was more grateful for the chance to drop the heavy bags. Perhaps he was too much of a pushover at home. Even being a military man, he couldn't quite say no to his two favourite women in the world.
As he and his wife sat down, he looked at all the clothes and other items his daughter had purchased – or rather, got her parents to buy for her. It had been some time since he had bought her something nice, so he didn't mind too much. It was far more tolerable than some of the vicious Shadows that crossed his path.
I never thought things like those actually existed. Even if it's in another dimension. Wonder how Noburo's getting on with his girlfriend? He better work things out with her. He'd be a fool to let everything go to waste.
While Miori went over to help Kaori with the order, Hiroyuki looked over to the front door. He saw a young woman, in her twenties, that he vaguely remembered seeing before. Yet that was when she was a child.
"Rinaka Tamura?"
The woman looked over, and from the look of fright in her eyes, it was indeed that same child from that fiery night. Her long mulberry hair, her deep blue eyes, and even the small beauty mark near her lips.
"...You're the man from the Ground Forces." Rinaka said, slowly. "The one from so long ago. I didn't think I'd ever see you again."
"You look well. Nice tattoos, by the way. They suit you." Hiroyuki said, kindly. Her purple vest exposed her long, somewhat muscular arms, that had tribal-like stripes tattooed over them.
"Thanks." Rinaka said, but she remained stoi and somewhat uneasy. Perhaps being reminded of that day was still painful for her.
"What are you doing these days?" Hiroyuki asked.
"Private security work." Rinaka replied, still terse. No further details were forthcoming. Then again, if she was willing to chat idly about her clients, she wouldn't be very good at the private security thing.
"Wow, who's this?" Kaori asked, coming over. "She in the Forces? She looks pretty badass."
"Badass...?" Rinaka said, laughing slightly to herself. "No, nothing like that. This man saved my life fifteen years ago, actually."
"What? He did?" Kaori asked. "I knew Dad saved a lot of people, but -"
"He told me the day it happened." Miori said. "There was a huge fire in a neighbourhood in Totsuka. Your father only managed to save a girl as old as you are now."
"...Yes." Rinaka said. "I never did catch your name. I need to thank you properly."
"Hiroyuki Kita. Still in the JSDF."
"Glad to hear it. You look like you've done well for yourself." Rinaka said. "...Sorry, I need to go. I'm already late as it is. Take care of yourself, Kita-san."
She left briskly, and Hiroyuki watched as she faded from view. He still remembered that burning house he pulled her from, her hysterical sobbing, crying out for her parents. But he only knew her name, and nothing of what happened to her after that.
Her story didn't even that day, like the sixty others who were living in that area. I managed to save at least one person. I wonder, has time been kind to Rinaka? No, I can't worry about that now. I'm here with my family. This is precious time I cannot waste.
|Mizuho – Baseball Field|15:00 pm|
Masato and Eiji were practicing baseball in their favourite field – even in Golden Week, they weren't going to slack off. They had become stars of Chieki, and both had a shot of making it into the professional league after school.
"Here we GO!" Eiji roared, hurling the ball. It flew faster than he had managed ever before, but even this wasn't enough to stop Masato. He swang his favourite bat at the ball, sending it skyrocketing quite some distance.
"Alright! That's my best swing ever!" Masato said. "And I didn't even break a car window last time!"
"Way to go, bud!" Eiji said. He was rather prone to slacking off in class, often getting yelled at by Mr. Koyanagi. But, when it came to baseball, Eiji was truly able to focus with all his mind. He and Masato were two peas in a pod, ever since they started school at Chieki.
I feel bad for Natsumi. She and Asami aren't friends, but me and Eiji are still cool. Wonder what I can do to help sis?
The two finally finished up, and sat on the white bench for a moment to rest. Gulping down his energy drink of choice, a Cielo Mist, Masato let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey Masato, you're hanging out with the Kansei crowd a lot these days. You know anything about their baseball team?" Eiji asked.
The redhead gulped, trying to think. "Not a whole lot. Their best player's called Hidetoshi Nagasawa, but that's about all I know about him. Relax, we'll thrash them. It's their track star we ought to worry about."
"Ah, the legendary Katashi Yamaguchi..." Eiji said. "No one's ever seen anyone run as fast as him in Shinshuto. Course, he's never gone head-to-head with our man Toshiaki."
"He's unstoppable when he gets going. Maybe I ought to go running with him sometime?" Masato said, thinking about it. "Nah, I gotta do what works for me."
Just then, he saw someone coming up to him, wearing much more casual clothes than he was used to seeing him in. A plain blue t-shirt, a silver chain necklace, and dark jeans.
"Shintaro-kun? Good to see ya!" Masato said, excitedly. He got up, and waved at his studious friend to come over.
"Ah, this the guy you were tellin' me about?" Eiji asked.
"Yup. Shintaro, this is Eiji Fujino. He's in Chieki too. Tell your baseball team to watch out for him. And me too." Masato grinning, devilishly.
"Oh, I will." Shintaro said, smugly. "If only our schools had a book reading contest. I'd win hands down. Forty books in one month!"
"Did he just say forty?!" Eiji exclaimed. "Man, that's scary. He superhuman?"
"Eiji, buddy, his brain can't be beat. That's why he's gonna help me with some study notes." Masato said, smiling. "I might even impress Koyanagi-sensei!"
Eiji burst out laughing. "Yeah right! Ever single class we've had with him, he's called us out on being 'lazy', 'apathetic', and 'unenthused'. The worst students he's ever had the pleasure of teaching! If he wasn't such a miserable bastard all the time, we might bother to learn something from him!"
"Ouch." Shintaro said. "Looks like I lucked out by getting into Kansei, then. Course, some of our teachers are weird."
"Anyway, we better get going! Wait a minute. Eiji, you wanna tag along? He might help both of us ace the mid-terms!"
"...Ah, what the hell." Eiji said, packing up his belongings. "It's a good chance to get top secret information about the competition too. Shintaro, you seem like a good guy, but we're still gonna thrash your school this summer!"
"You can try your best, anyway. But I have faith in Kansei!" Shintaro said. "...It's hard to believe it all started with our principals."
"What do you mean?" Masato said.
"Well...our Bunko Hashimoto was in love with Chieki's Principal, Hiroshi Wakazono. But he turned her down, she got offended, and turned our school against yours." Shintaro said, laughing. "That was sixty years ago now..."
"Now that's one hell of a grudge." Eiji said, impressed. "I think you and I are gonna learn a lot from this boy, Masato-kun..."
|Hiyashi – Keyaki Hills|15:30 pm|
Natsumi, keen to do some research and shopping – or 'reshopping', as she called it – had been through most of the fashion boutiques of Hiyashi, and finally had reached the Keyaki Hills. With Kohaku, Akari and Kei, she had quite a few fellow 'researchers' to assist her with her hypothesis.
"So what have we gathered from our case studies?" The fiery haired girl asked.
"Um..." Akari said, adjusting her glasses, as she peered into her bag. "I buy a lot of white clothes?"
"I knew that already!" Natsumi said, laughing. "What I mean is, current fashion trends! If I'm going to be any kind of successful designer, I need to keep up with what's popular. Let's move away from these stores and onto the streets. See what the other girls our age are wearing."
"Sounds good to me. I was getting tired of all the snooty shop assistants giving me dirty looks. I can't help it if I've got such style." Kei said slyly.
"Confident as always, Kei-chan." Kohaku said, laughing somewhat. The girls moved away from the Radiant Dresser shop, and were about to cross the road, when they heard some rather catchy R&B music.
Huh? What's going on?
Curious, Kohaku and the girls walked towards the music, and saw a small crowd clapping along to the beat. There, dancing in perfect sync with the rhythm and somewhat digitised vocals was a girl from Kansei's third year. While there were other girls dancing, none quite had the natural flair of the one taking centre stage.
Huh? No way! She's really dancing?!
Indeed, this blue-haired young lady was nothing short of majestic, moving like a blur through the air. Her long white lace gloves, her starry-patterned leggings, black tap shoes, and airy lilac vest were nothing like the uniform she was usually seen in, and no one would expect her to be this agile – particularly her final move, a huge backflip, in which she landed perfectly on one feet.
"Impressive." Kei said. "Impromptu dance routines aren't common in Shinshuto, are they?"
"Not really...we do get some cool street performers, but..." Natsumi said, astounded.
The girls joined in with the crowd and clapped, while the dancer bowed politely.
"Thank you everyone!" She said. "For those of you that just got here, we're dancing for Kujou Dance School! Our big recital is coming up in June, so please come and see us!"
After some more pleasantries, the rest of the crowd and the other dancing girls left, leaving just the leader of the dance group. When she saw Kohaku, she gulped.
"Um...you're our senpai, right?" Kohaku said, unsure of herself. "I'm Kohaku, from the year below. I didn't expect you to be such a great dancer."
"I...I have many talents. That's all." The girl, now shy, said. "...I'm Manami Inoue. Pleased to meet you."
"No way! You're part of the Inoue Bank family?" Akari exclaimed, without thinking. The Inoue Bank Tower was her first foray into the Theio Kosmos, and for a moment, Kohaku panicked that she'd blab. "That place is huge! You must be loaded!"
"...Yes. I suppose so." Manami said, raising an eyebrow.
"Forgive our friend Akari. She's been shopping all day, which can be quite draining." Kei said, dryly. "I'm Kei. I've not had a chance to speak to any of the senpai at Kansei yet, and I wasn't quite expecting to meet one of them like this."
"I'm not comfortable with doing what's expected, to be honest..." Manami said, glumly. She didn't quite seem like the energetic, confident and sassy girl that had been dancing moments ago. "Are you in Kansei too?"
"Nope! I'm a Chieki girl, and proud!" Natsumi said, proud.
"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you. Unfortunately, I really need to get going. I'll see you at school, I suppose." Manami said, briskly walking away.
Kohaku didn't quite understand. She seemed so alive when she was dancing in perfect beat to the music. Did she not want her status as a dancer known to the rest of the student body? She was amazing, the music-lover thought. Someone with that kind of talent should show it for the whole world, just like Aika Makino.
"Hmm..." Kei said. "Manami-senpai seems like a quiet girl."
"I've never really heard her speak before, but..." Akari began. "Her grades are the highest Kansei have ever seen, apparently. I'm not even sure you and Shintaro could beat her."
"It's not a competition...Kansei should be proud to have such gifted students. And yes, that included you, Akari-chan."
"You think so?" Akari said, surprised. "You do realise earlier, I thought that shop assistant was a mannequin?"
"She was as lifeless as one, anyway." Kei said, amused. "But I think you and Kohaku are both a credit to Kansei. Likewise, I'm sure Chieki is lucky to have Natsumi and her brother."
"You know just how to warm a girl's heart!" Natsumi said. "Alright, I'll get us all some ice cream. It's pretty warm for May, you know."
Sounds good to me. I wonder how the boys are doing? Shintaro and Masato were hanging out in Mizuho, and Noburo...well, I'm sure he's doing just fine. He'll probably tell us all about it soon, no doubt.
|Asakita – Eien Kofuku Theme Park – Stellar Wheel|19:30 pm|
Earlier that day, Noburo sent Teruko a simple text message, to meet him here in Asakita. He stood there for some time, and wondered if perhaps she'd come at all. Then, he finally saw her walking towards him, in her sparkly white t-shirt and black skirt. He had dressed nicely for the occasion too, in a new white shirt and black trousers.
They didn't talk, but she smiled – albeit briefly – as she grabbed his hand, and they walked into the park. Before long, they reached the venue's most romantic ride, the Stellar Wheel. Weirdly, it seemed like no one else was using it, so they had it all to themselves.
"I'm glad you came with me, Teruko-chan." Noburo said. "I couldn't leave things the way they are."
"No, I..." Teruko began, as the ride finally became to ascend. "I'm sorry for what happened. Whatever's going on with you, I don't want to lose you. It took me a while to realise it, though."
As they began to rise higher and higher, they felt the breeze touch them both. Teruko's beautiful hair swayed, almost hypnotically. If only he could just gaze into her eyes for the whole evening, Noburo thought. Esepcially with the clear night sky showing the stars.
"Do you know how many years it takes for each star to shine enough to be visible from the Earth?" Teruko suddenly said. "...It's longer than a thousand of our lifetimes. Yet still, once they do, we never forget them."
"Yeah. The stars are so beautiful, especially from up here. And this is one of the best places to enjoy them." Noburo said. "Teruko, there's something I need to tell you."
"About the Gnosis, right?" Teruko asked.
"What? Y-Yeah..." Noburo, slightly bewildered. Suddenly, she reached into her pink handbag, to pull out none other than a Gnosis. And it was black. "Oh my god! How?"
"Well..." Teruko said. "It was in my shoe locker this morning at school. No one puts anything in my locker, so I have no idea who did it. Noburo, what are these phones? They're connected to Bythos, aren't they?"
"...Bythos have them, yes. But not just them. The group opposing them use them too. Leading them is my dad. Shigeru." Noburo began. "...It's a crazy story, but it's all true. I'm helping the others – our senpai in Kansei, and the two in Chieki – fight Bythos."
"Fight...?!" Teruko said, aghast. "How the hell did you get involved with this?"
And so Noburo finally poured his heart out, going into how he met Kaii in the cinema, and his painful reunion with his biological father. Rather than side with Toki, he had used his Persona to fight back, and since then, had been on Shigeru's team. Or rather, under Kei's guidance.
"I'm still new to having a Persona, but I know I can handle it. I've beaten every enemy I've come across. Bythos act all high and mighty, but in their quest for the supposed truth, they're ruining our city's prosperity. They even killed Mayura and the Chief of Police." Noburo said. The ride seemed to have frozen in time, as he spoke. It was as if he and Teruko were the only two people in the city. "I can't just run away and leave the fighting to everyone else. We're all valuable members of our group."
"Noburo, I..." Teruko said. "I understand. Why you couldn't tell me any of this. You didn't want me worrying about you, right? But...even if you weren't part of some secret government group with supernatural abilities, I still worry about you. When I heard Death By Moonlight could never be on stage again...yes, I felt awful for that poor woman Yuchi murdered. But I felt terrible about you, too. Something you put your heart and soul into, only to disappear forever..."
"If you have a Gnosis..." Noburo said, gazing at the phone in her hand. "Maybe you don't have to worry so much. Yours isn't red or blue like the weak ones. Yours is already pure black. Like mine and the others. You can be a natural Persona user!"
"I can? But...I've never felt like I had any power like that." Teruko said. "Neither did any of you guys, though. If I were to come with you, then maybe, just maybe, I can awaken this Persona thing. I'll be the best out of all the girls! I'll make sure no one hurts you. And that's a promise!"
"But Teruko, are you sure you want to do this?" Noburo said. "Fighting Bythos isn't a hobby, even if most of our fighting is after school. Nisa Liat is a lot more powerful than you realise."
"Weren't you listening? I promised!" Teruko said, her tearful eyes twinkling with devotion, more than any of the stars above them. "...I'll be nicer to the other girls, okay? The other guys too."
"You know that you're the only girl I love, don't you? They understand that." Noburo said. "But don't get upset. There are some special moments that are just between us. Like this. There's noone else I wanted to come with me tonight...but you, Teruko-chan. You shine brighter than the entire galaxy."
Teruko reached forward with her hands, tightly holding Noburo's. They were now as one, and no more words needed to be said. Slowly, they moved in closer, and their lips embraced. Both shut their eyes, lost in each other's warmth and souls.
Thank you, Teruko. With you by my side, I know Bythos will fall. Even if we must fight Toki and my brother.
"...Part of me wants this ride to stay up here forever." Teruko said, giggling. "A world reaching for the stars, with just you and me. That's what I'd like."
"That'd be perfect." Noburo said. "Some day, when we're done with school, college, etc...we'll have all the time in the world together."
"I know." Teruko said. "There's no better moment. Noburo. Will you..."
"Yes?" Noburo asked, excitedly.
"...Marry me?"
Both were silent, as Noburo sat there, stunned. A marriage proposal? She was only fifteen, like him. It wasn't like her to be this forward. Yet, her love for him was stronger than ever, he knew.
"...Of course I will."
Teruko gasped with joy, wiping her eyes. "Mrs Komatsu. I'd love nothing more. Unless you want to take my name?"
"I don't care what name we use! I'm just..." Noburo said, his heart beating rapidly. "...I'm so happy! We're going to fight Shadows together. We'll take down Nisa Liat, stop her evil scheme, and then one day, after we've finished school, we'll be..."
"I can't wait!" Teruko said. "But you better not tell anyone, okay? Not until the time is right. That means not even your dad can know, or he'll go mad and give you a lecture. To everyone else, we're still just dating. But you and I, we're engaged. I don't need a flashy ring to prove it."
"I'll need to get you one at some point, though. One that shines like you." Noburo said. "...Cheesy, I know."
Finally, the wheel began to return to the surface. As it did, however, Noburo and Teruko began laughing with sheer happiness, and joyously skipped out of the ride, and out of the park.
"Young love, huh?" One of the ride operators said. "Hope it works out for those kids."
However, another witness wasn't quite as enthralled. Rather, he had a look of absolute sadness.
"What's up?" The operator said, to the bearded onlooker.
"Nothing. Just brought back a lot of memories. Of happier times." Toki said.
"Wait a second. Your face reminds me of something. Aren't you -"
"I need to go." Toki said, hurriedly leaving. The operator stared in confusion, and shrugged and went back to his duties.
While Noburo hadn't noticed his father, Toki had heard everything, thanks to Shuten Doji's 'Silent Witness' ability – which enabled it to act as a microphone of sorts, and play audio on the user's Gnosis. Keeping out of sight, the former Black Condor had pretended to be on a call. Spying on his son wasn't something he wanted to make a habit of, but when he heard the news about the play being cancelled, he wanted to see how Noburo was coping.
"...My son's going to be alright." Toki said. "He doesn't need me anymore...neither does Kaii. I guess there's nothing left for me here, huh?"