"Ouch…" Minato winced slightly as the bruise on his stomach shot spasms of pain throughout his body.
"You okay?" Hamuko was near Minato in a flash and placing her hand on his shoulder, her eyes filled with worry for the bluenette.
"I'm okay…" Minato replied, "Just a little banged up from last night." Hamuko's face flashed sorrow as he remembered Minato fighting the Grave Beetle all alone.
"It's all my fault," Hamuko whispered "If I just was strong enough…" She fidgeted with her school bag, her eyes almost beginning to be glazed with tears as she replayed the scene in her head. The two members of SEES were currently alone in the monorail. It was pretty early so nobody else was there, and nobody would be able to hear their conversations. By extension, Minato wouldn't be lashing out on someone anytime soon.
"It's okay," Minato reassured her. It might have been an odd gesture for him before but it eventually became something which he did quite a lot now. "We won and survived in the end right? That's all that matters."
Hamuko smiled brightly at that. "You really cheer me up Minato-kun."
"Uh…N-No problem." Minato stammered, playing around with his headphones. The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence.
The minute that Ekoda even caught a small glimpse of that familiar blue head of hair, he scrambled out of the classroom with the excuse that he had to go to the bathroom.
"Wuss." Minato shook his head. He merely rested his head down on the desk as the class rejoiced about another free period.
"Idiots…" Minato muttered under his breath as he was about to close his eyes and slip into blissful slu-
"Hey!" Junpei's overly cheerful voice nearly made Minato puke. He was about to yell at him to shut up but Hamuko somehow sensed it and grasped his hand.
"Minato-kun…Please be nice…?" She pleaded to him. Minato took a deep breath to try and calm down. This would be extremely trying on his will and patience but he would do it. But only because of Hamuko. He couldn't refuse any of her requests after all if it would make her at least a little bit happier.
Junpei walked towards them waving, "Hey Minato, what's up?" His cheerful voice made Minato cringe slightly. He tried to force an incredibly broken smile, even though he really did not like the situation right now.
"The ceiling Junpei." Minato replied sweetly but through clenched teeth, and perhaps a little shaking in his voice.
Junpei snickered at his unbearably forced joke. "Funny. So last night was really something eh?"
"Yeah." Minato replied absentmindedly before he dropped his head down to the desk, thinking of taking a peaceful nap since Ekoda just tucked his tail between his legs and ran away. From him. Ah well, at least he could get that sleep he so des-
"Hamuko!" Minato cringed once more as he recognised that voice. There was no mistaking it; that 'hell harpy voice' as Minato liked to put it belonged to Yukari Takeba. This was going to be just great, he was sure.
"Bitch…" Minato muttered to himself. He just couldn't stand her. normally he would be able to tolerate annoying people but this woman just put herself on top of his shit list the moment Minato woke up in the hospital. Not only that. What she said basically put her on a pedestal on the huge mountain that he had been piling up over the years. And it was a pretty large mountain.
"Hello Mina-" Yukari tried to greet Minato but was duly cut off.
"Sleep! Goodnight everyone!" With that Minato turned his head to the side and began to finally get that nap he had been waiting on. Yukari sighed. She was always trying to be nice to Minato but that just wasn't working.
"Anyways… Wanna hang out after school?" Yukari asked cheerfully to Hamuko who nodded in response.
"Sure!" Hamuko replied with a chipper expression as she unconsciously placed her hand on Minato's head, petting it gently. "But… no sushi this time." Junpei's eyes opened wide in shock and a drop of jealousy as he watched Hamuko petting Minato. How could she do that?
Minato obviously noticed this and turned his head to face Hamuko. She was talking to Yukari who looked… jealous? And it was all through the time that she was petting his head. Huh.
"H-Hamuko…" Minato choked up, blushing red. Hamuko tilted her head towards him, still not letting go of his head.
"Yes Minato-kun?" She asked with a cute questioning gaze.
All the while Yukari was fuming. Why wasn't he snapping at her? But why do I care? He's just a jerk. Despite all the thoughts that were whirling through her head she could only stare in shock at the scene and jealousy.
"Y-You can stop p-petting me now…" Minato mumbled. Despite how embarrassing it was… He still liked it a lot although he would never admit it aloud.
"Geez, I didn't know you were so shy Minato-kun." Hamuko giggled earning her a glare from Minato.
"I am not!" He replied while small bits of fury were building up within him.
"Yes you are!" Hamuko responded with a sing-song voice.
"I'm not." Minato retorted.
"You are." Hamuko fought back.
Minato was feeling pissed now. He wanted to call her a bitch or even push and shove her, but all that stopped instantly when he gazed into those red orbs. He just couldn't do it… This kind of thing usually just came naturally to him, but in front of her it became nigh impossible.
"Well…" Minato trailed off, "I guess a little bit…" He finally admitted and was welcomed by a warm smile that made him… strangely happy. That impulse… it was something he had yet to figure out why.
"Hamuko has won." The auburn hair girl cheered and Minato shook his head, a small smile on his lips.
"Crazy woman." He muttered.
They're like a married couple… Junpei couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous as he mused that point.
Hamuko's got him wrapped around her finger… Yukari thought, and it was making her feel that more envy was building up within her.
"I'll have to pass," Yukari spoke suddenly. "I got a message that the archery club want's to meet up… So sorry. With that she quickly walked off. Although she would never admit it, watching Hamuko and Minato made her jealous and angry. Yukari was boiling with anger as she thought about the reasons why Hamuko was able to calm Minato down. Was it because she was more popular and prettier than she was?
"I better get something to eat since it's almost lunchbreak." Junpei walked off.
Hamuko sighed. "What a bummer…I wanted to hang out."
"You've got an entire fanclub here. Go ask some of them." Minato replied.
Hamuko sighed again. "NO! I wanna hang out with real friends…" She smiled, pointing at Minato. "Like you…"
Minato's eyes opened wide in shock. "F-friend? Me?" He just didn't get it. Shouldn't a cheerful and bright girl like her stay away from someone like him?
"Yes friendly friend," Hamuko giggled. "Wanna hang out with me today then?"
Minato froze at her words. "Hang out?" He asked, as if he didn't really register what she said, and it was sinking in only now.
"Aw Minato-kun, you're blushing." Hamuko giggled again. "Don't worry. I won't be taking you into some crazy love hotel or something."
Minato gulped at that as he mused on the boldness of that move.
"So…" Hamuko smiled, extending her hand. "Wanna be my date for the day?"
Minato weakly nodded and took her hand "O-Okay… After school then."
"Yay!" Hamuko cheered, bounding out of the classroom. "You want something to eat?"
Minato shook his head. "Nah I'm alright." Hamuko nodded with a smile and ran off on her quest for food.
"Damn, she's like a ball…" Minato mused as he sat on his desk "But why is she so nice to me?" Minato shook his head. No, he didn't care about that! Just as Hamuko left, Minato's shy and less raged attitude returned to his usual one. "Fucking school… Why the hell are the periods so long here?"
"Hey Minato-kun!" Hamuko was near his desk as soon as school ended. "Ready
"I'll show you how awesome the ramen is here." Minato nodded feeling a lot peaceful than before.
"You can't beat me in ramen." Minato smirked as he walked out of school.
"Is that so?" Hamuko replied with a competitive grin. "I can challenge you to an ALL YOU CAN EAT!"
Minato smiled. "Alright but you're gonna lose badly."
She laughed before replying, "Keep talking emo boy." Hamuko taunted and Minato chuckled. Once he ripped a girl's hair out when she called him an emo. Minato had definitely changed… But only in front of Hamuko.
Stepping inside Hagakure, the teens stared at each other with their eyes blazing with confidence and their stomachs growling for food.
"Winner gets…" Hamuko asked.
"A lap dance." Minato answered.
"Alrig—WAIT WHAT!?" She nearly shouted, blushing profusely "No way you pervert."
Minato only laughed. Just because he could be nice around her didn't mean that he couldn't tease her as well. "I was just kidding… Bragging rights."
Hamuko nodded, her cheeks still tinged pink. "Alright emo you're on."
"Hahahahaha!" Some few minutes later, Minato was laughing his way to the dorm while Hamuko sulked sourly behind.
"I'm just THIS close from strangling you." Hamuko warned Minato as they both walked up the stairs.
"You lost fair and square." Minato replied simply as he stood in front of his door.
"HOW THE HELL CAN YOU EAT TWENTY BOWLS OF RAMEN!?" Hamuko yelled, "That's just… It's practically impossible!"
"Not for me," Minato chuckled in amusement. "But man the ramen here is really good. Definitely better than home made."
Hamuko smiled. "You should have tried the ramen my mom…" She looked down, "Used to make…"
Minato's eyebrow rose. "Used to? What do you mean?" He was actually surprised at himself for asking her.
"I don't know if you heard this yet… But my parents died years ago," Hamuko began tearing up. "…Leaving me alone." Hamuko silently cried. Minato felt a sword being stabbed into his heart.
Normally he wouldn't give a shit about someone's life. He openly told a guy that his dead parents could burn in hell for all he cared. He was that kind of guy, but as he looked at Hamuko who was crying her eyes out, Minato felt so weak. "I wish I could help her." He whispered as he put his arms around Hamuko's shoulder, slowly pulling her into a hug. Hamuko didn't object and she calmed down a little.
"It's alright… It's alright to cry." Minato patted her back as Hamuko continued sobbing into his shoulder.
'It hurts so fucking much." She sobbed.
Minato nodded. "I know it does…"
I lost them too… was what Minato thought. After a while Hamuko calmed down and Minato felt it would be a good idea to release her.
"I'm sorry, I know that was embarrassing …but I just couldn't help it." Hamuko looked down but Minato shook his head in disagreement.
"We all cry, there's nothing to be ashamed about it." He replied.
Hamuko smiled, and leaning forward she pecked Minato's cheek, making the blood rush to his face. "Thank you Minato-kun. Sweet dreams." Not too long after that she walked back into her room.
Minato stood there for a few seconds, and placed a hand on his cheek. He smiled to himself. "Cute…Too cute." Laughing softly, he walked into his room changed into his PJs, laid on his bed and slept; only bringing himself ever closer into Hypnos' clutches and into the realms of slumber.
Minato found himself standing on the Moonlight Bridge. "The fuck?" He shouted out loud "Why does this dream feel so weird?"
"Let it go…" A soft voice spoke making Minato turn around. Silver eyes widened as he saw the person who called out. This person was exactly the same as Minato, matching him with every single feature.
"Stop it." The enigmatic boy said as Minato walked towards him.
"What do you mean?" Minato asked, a slight glare playing in his gaze.
"Walk along the straight path. Let go of the evil." The boy spoke making Minato's blood boil. Why was he telling him what to do? No-one could do that, even if it was an exact copy of himself!
"Shut the fuck up!" Minato yelled, bashing him in the face. The boy staggered back with a broken nose which was leaking blood, but his face showed no pain at all.
"I'm telling you, let it go." The boy continued.
"Shut up!" Minato yelled and tackled him to the ground. Digging out his knife from his pocket, Minato stabbed his copy in the stomach with no remorse, blood starting to spill and flow out uncontrollably before removing the blade and splattering more blood around. His scream was the last thing he heard.
"Fuck!" Minato woke up. "What the hell was that?" He asked. Minato's eyes widened as he looked down. His PJs had a small blood stain.
"But how?" Minato asked utterly confused by the dream. "What did he mean?"