A/n: thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited. From the comments, it looks like most reviewers have found this story as cute as I intended it to be (or maybe even more than I intended! :D). Much more cuteness is yet to come, though. And some of it comes... now!
Guiding Star
Written by Aiyumi
Disclaimer: Persona and all related characters are property of Atlus. Any trademarks that may be referenced in this fan fiction are properties of their respective owners. I am just a fan and do not have any relations to said people/companies.
Chapter 4: Present
The full moon came. Minako, Yukari and Junpei entered the monorail that the Priestess Arcana Shadow had hijacked. A Shadow appeared with the intent of luring them into an ambush. Minako insisted that they shouldn't run the risk of getting separated. She did what she could in attempts to avoid what had happened last time, but it was no use. Exactly like before, Junpei ran off by himself, because he had wanted to prove that he had what it took to become the group's leader. But in the end, after they had defeated the Arcana Shadow, Minako was the only one brave enough to attempt to find the brake lever and stop the train.
The following day, which was a Sunday, everyone was exhausted. The SEES members were lazily sitting in the lounge, except for Mitsuru who had been locked in her room. No one wanted to go outside even to buy food.
"Ugh." Yukari grimaced. "Don't tell me we'll be having instant noodles again! I'm sick of those!"
"Yeah, me too." Junpei agreed. The brand of instant noodles Akihiko had always bought was horrible, but no one was bold enough to tell him that. "I wish the instant noodles would magically turn into Hagakure ramen..."
"This won't happen in a million years, Stupei." Yukari needlessly remarked.
"If only Mitsuru would do as she does sometimes and ordered something at a restaurant... but she doesn't seem to have left her room at all today." Akihiko lamented.
Junpei looked at Minako. "Hey, Mina-tan, you should do something!"
"Huh? Why me?"
"What do you mean by 'why?' You're the leader!" Junpei snapped. "You're leaving your group to starve! Are you okay with this!?" He said dramatically.
"Why are you snapping at her!?" Yukari glared at him. "It's not her fault, Stupei!"
"Argh! I know!" Then, Junpei turned to Akihiko, and... "You could've at least chosen a better brand of noodles, Sanada-san! The one you always get is horrible!" ... did what no one had been bold enough to do until now.
"What!? Now it's my fault?!" Akihiko exploded. "I had thought about everyone's well-being when I chose that brand! It's the one with more protein out of the options I found! How come it's my fault now!?" He sighed. "You know what? I'm going to my room." He stood up and left.
"Me too." Junpei did the same.
Minako was also tired, but what Junpei had said got her thinking.
Yukari put a hand on Minako's shoulder. "Minako-chan, don't mind what Junpei said."
"It's fine." Minako smiled. "Yukari-chan, I know you're tired, but are you up for another adventure in the kitchen?"
"Huh?" Yukari seemed curious.
"You can just watch. You don't need to do anything if you don't want to. I just hoped I'd have someone to keep me company. Messing around in the kitchen alone is tedious. This is why I don't do it unless I really need to... like right now."
"I see what you mean. Cooking really gets tedious." A faint smile appeared on Yukari's face. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to, you know. Again, you don't need to be bothered by what Junpei says. I'd suggest we order some food at a restaurant and split the costs between everyone, since Kirijo-senpai doesn't seem willing to buy us food." Yukari sighed. "But I'm bored, you seem willing enough to cook, and you got me curious. Alright, I'll come along. What will you make this time?"
"I don't know. It depends on what's in the fridge."
"Hmm, I think we still have tomatoes," Yukari said.
"Oh." Minako nodded. Just like in the previous timeline, Yukari sometimes bought fruit and vegetables, because it bothered her that they constantly had convenience store bento or instant noodles with nothing healthy to balance their diet. Yukari was actually decent at cooking, but she was often lazy to cook to so many people at once. Minako made her decision and stood up. "Then, I think I know what it'll be. Come on."
Minako wasn't an expert by any means, but she still remembered a few tips she had gotten from Shinjiro in the previous timeline, and that had certainly improved her cooking a bit. This, as well as her experiences from her attempts at helping Fuuka cook in the other timeline, gave her the confidence that her improvised lunch would at least be decent. Minako used the tomatoes to prepare sauce, cooked the noodles without the condiments and mixed them into the sauce. An hour later, lunch was almost ready, and an aroma reminiscent of spaghetti had filled the dorm.
"Hmm, what a delicious smell..." Junpei came mumbling to himself. "Too bad it must be just the neighbors' cooking... if only we had some food other than instant noodles... Huh? Wait, it's coming from here..." He entered the kitchen. "Mina-tan! What are you doing here?"
"Hi, Junpei. I was trying to make a magic potion, to see if the instant noodles turned into Hagakure ramen, but they didn't. Sorry." Minako joked as she mixed the noodles with the sauce in a pan.
"It looks like they turned into something else, though." Yukari played along.
Junpei's eyes wandered between Minako and the pan. "M-Mina-tan, I didn't mean... you didn't actually have to..."
Yukari smirked. "If you agree to be our test subject, I'll forgive you for what you said to Minako-chan earlier."
"W-what is that smirk supposed to mean!?" Junpei asked warily.
The smirk remained plastered on Yukari's face. "It means that you'll be the first ever person to try it."
"Huh? ... Does it mean that you don't know how it tastes, either?"
"That's right," Minako said. "In other words, it could be good, or it could be terrible. We have no idea." She didn't think the food had turned out that bad, but the horrified face Junpei made was amusing to see.
"So?" Yukari glared and demanded an answer out of him.
Junpei gulped. "Uh, sure. Here goes nothing..." He reluctantly took a spoonful of it, and... it surprisingly tasted good! "Whoa! Wh-what is this!? It tastes great! Are you sure these are really those instant noodles? You've really pulled off some magic, Mina-tan!"
"Hahahahaha!" Minako laughed.
"I guess it's safe, then," Yukari said before tasting it herself.
"Better than nothing, I guess." Minako gave her opinion. It may not have been as great as Junpei had made it sound, but at least the instant noodles were disguised enough. Minako believed the group deserved better food after that battle against a big Shadow inside a moving train, but no one was in the mood to go out and buy better ingredients, and the result was what it was.
"What are you talking about, Mina-tan?! It tastes great!" Junpei repeated his opinion.
"At least one person likes it enough. That should be a good thing, right?" Yukari began walking towards the door. "I'll tell the others that lunch is ready."
Yukari knocked on the door to Akihiko's room, and he told her he would get Mitsuru. Soon, everyone had assembled in the lounge, where Minako had set the table. From what she could notice, Akihiko had had a hard time dragging Mitsuru out of her room.
Mitsuru's gaze wandered among everyone. "I apologize. I should at least have ordered some food, should I not? I had been so focused on my support abilities' mediocre performance that improving today's menu did not even cross my mind."
"It's fine, senpai." Minako assured her.
"This tastes better than I expected." Akihiko commented. "Come on, Mitsuru. Try it."
"It's Minako-chan who prepared it." Yukari gave credit where credit was due.
"Yeah, did anyone know Mina-tan could cook? I didn't."
Akihiko looked at Minako. "I'd never seen you cook."
"I don't like cooking much, but I do it if I really need to. I had to cook when I lived with my uncle, because he couldn't do it." Minako turned to Mitsuru. "The lunch is nothing fancy, but it's not dull like the instant noodles usually taste, either. I think it's safe enough, at least." She encouraged.
Mitsuru tentatively took a bite of the improvised spaghetti. She slowly chewed it and swallowed. "You have made a surprisingly good job of disguising the instant noodles, Arisato."
"Hahaha, thanks. I did what I could."
"You did what you could..." Mitsuru began to mumble. "Yes, all of us are doing what we can. As that saying goes, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or rather, in this case, if life gives you noodles, make spaghetti... ah, I apologize. I must have sounded like the chairman there... anyway, you took the initiative to prepare this lunch. Taking the initiative is an important quality for a leader. Each day that passes, I am more convinced that we could not have chosen a better leader for our team, Arisato."
"... Yeah." Junpei had to agree. "Mina-tan, I'm... uh, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. You didn't need to have gone to all this trouble."
"It was no trouble." Minako assured him. "Besides, I don't think I'd have decided to disguise the noodles if you hadn't asked me to do something about lunch. It's always good to get ideas from other people in the group."
"If you say so... but yeah, seriously, I don't think I'd have fared this well if I were the leader." Junpei admitted.
"Arisato." It was Akihiko. "This is why, even after I come back to the front lines, we'd still like you to keep leading the team." Akihiko traded glances with Mitsuru and got a nod from her. "I'd rather fight and leave strategy to someone else."
"Is that so?" Minako nodded with determination. "... Alright. I'll do my best."
They talked animatedly while they finished their lunch.
"Remember. Exams start next week." Mitsuru just had to ruin the mood.
"Ugh, Senpai, why did you had to remind us about that!?" Junpei complained.
"Just because we completed a mission successfully yesterday, we do not have an excuse for laziness. We are Persona users, but above all, we are students. We must conduct our school life properly in order to guarantee success in our studies once this is over."
"Okay, okay. I get it." Junpei lazily waved her explanation off. "But today I'm tired. I'll go to my room."
Junpei stood up and left. Akihiko did the same.
"I'll wash the dishes." Yukari volunteered, since it seemed that no one else would.
Yukari retrieved the dishes and left for the kitchen. Only Minako and Mitsuru remained in the lounge.
Minako had known that the dorm had some pieces of special equipment that worked during the Dark Hour. It bothered her that it was too dark during the only time she was able to interact with Pharos, and she couldn't even see him properly. After she had found out - too late - that he had spilled hot chocolate on her blanket, she thought it was about time to find a solution to the darkness problem. Minako had been meaning to ask Mitsuru to get something for her, but she had no acceptable excuse to give. Now that Mitsuru had mentioned exams, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity.
"Senpai, may I ask a favor?"
"What is it?"
"You mentioned exams, and this occurred to me. Since I'm too busy balancing homework, Student Council and Tartarus expeditions, and now I also have to study for exams, I might need to use the Dark Hour to study. So, do you think you could get me a lamp that works during the Dark Hour?"
"Yes, I understand. I will make the necessary provisions. The lamp will be ready in two days." Mitsuru seemed a bit concerned. "I hope I have not burdened you too much with SEES leadership and Student Council. Please, do not push yourself too hard."
"Thanks, senpai. And don't worry. I'm fine." Minako also stood up. "I'll help Yukari-chan with the dishes."
... ... ... ... ...
In two days, the special lamp was ready, just like Mitsuru had promised. Even though Minako had taken those exams in the previous timeline, there were many things she had forgotten, and besides, there was no guarantee that the questions wouldn't change.
Minako had intended to study during the whole week. However, things didn't go the way she had planned. The first day was eaten by homework, as well as some unexpected tasks in Student Council. Minako couldn't study properly on the second day either, because she offered to help Junpei with his studies, and much to her dismay, she soon found out he hadn't grasped basic concepts. She had to go over the basics with him, and this took up her whole afternoon. In the end, Minako found herself really using the Dark Hour to study. Thankfully, at least the lamp worked.
After the creature from the latest full moon was defeated, Pharos felt a bit stronger. A small portion of his memories returned as well, although he still couldn't remember anything about himself. Most of his recovered memories concerned humans. At least now he knew how to emulate the human body a little better, and found out how to deal with his temperature issue. He had been very excited to test his new discoveries, but the problem was that he couldn't find a good opportunity to visit Minako. She had been too busy with school and preparation for exams. So busy that she had to study even during the Dark Hour, and had gone as far as to get some special equipment for that.
Even though Minako had told him he could stay with her and not worry, Pharos didn't want to bother her and interrupt her studies. Minako seemed to be pushing herself too much. He wished he could help her in some way, but there was nothing he could do.
Exams came. Even on the day of the actual exams, after Minako came back from school, she would lock herself in her room and stay late to study for the remaining tests. Pharos wished Minako didn't need to study so much. If he could, he would have tried to whisper the exams' answers to her. No one else would have noticed anyway. But even with his latest increase in power, he couldn't reach her outside of the Dark Hour. To tell the truth, he didn't know how much he would have been able to help, either. The images he saw of Minako's daily life weren't detailed enough for him to see what she was studying. For the same reason, he had been unable to see what the teachers had written on the blackboard. If the question were about something a teacher had spoken during class, he probably knew the answer, since he had listened to many of the lectures out of interest. But for questions about something available only on a book - as was the case with most lessons from Teacher Samurai, who skipped nearly everything and often told the students to consult the textbooks -, Pharos had no way to know the answer. Not to mention that he couldn't see what question Minako was reading, either. On further thought, perhaps he wouldn't have been of much help at all...
... ... ... ... ...
It was Thursday, and it was Dark Hour. Minako was asleep like she had been all previous Dark Hours of that week. Pharos couldn't contain himself. Every day, he had one whole precious hour in which he could leave his prison and interact with the outside world, and he didn't want to waste it. He only needed to be quiet so that Minako wouldn't wake up.
Pharos did what he learned to regulate his temperature and appeared in the room near the bedside table. The first thing he did was bring his hand to his own face. At least to him, the temperature seemed okay. He grinned in satisfaction. He felt he was ready for whenever he had to interact with Minako again.
Just like on his previous visit, Minako's MP3 player was on the bedside table. Despite having given up on examining it the other time, Pharos was still curious about it. He took the small device, and felt its surface and its few buttons. Pharos awkwardly tried to put the earphones on. He had known the MP3 wouldn't work during the Dark Hour, but he refused to discard the small fragment of hope he had, and pressed the buttons out of stubbornness. Of course, nothing happened, and all he could do was set the player aside.
And Pharos found himself staring at the new addition to the room, also on the bedside table. Minako's special lamp. He tilted his head to the side to look at the object from a different angle. Then, his eyes stopped on the switch. His hand reached for it. He pressed it... And the lamp lit up! Finally something reacted to his button press! He pressed it again, and the lamp turned off. And again. And once more. On, off, on, off...
Satisfied, Pharos decided he had already had enough fun for today. He let the lamp be, and quietly returned to his prison. During all this time, Minako didn't wake up.
... ... ... ... ...
On Saturday, exams were finally over. Minako's boxer senpai got the OK from the hospital and could finally rejoin the front lines. Even though everyone was tired after the exams, they still went to the big tower, and managed to reach one of the rooms with an elevator they could use as a shortcut.
The following day, despite being very tired after so many exams and the latest trip to the tower, Minako still went with her friend in pink to Paulownia Mall. It was always too boring to watch her pink-wearing friend drag Minako into her shopping affairs. So, Pharos tuned everything out and went to "sleep." When he came to his senses again, Minako was still in the mall, but alone. She made her way home, and the rest of the day proceeded as normal.
That night's Dark Hour came, but it was strange. Like the previous days, the special lamp was on the bedside table and was turned on. Minako sat at the desk, even though the exams were already over. Minako shouldn't have to study anymore. What was she doing? She had her eyes closed and seemed lost in thought.
Minutes passed. Around one quarter of the Dark Hour was gone, and Minako was still in the same position. Pharos wondered what she was doing. He was tempted to come out only to ask her directly, but he decided against it. He didn't want to interrupt anything important. It was better to only watch like usual, and...
"Pharos-kun?"
Wait, did he hear it right? Had Minako just uttered his name? Was she really calling out to him?!
"Hey, Pharos-kun, you there?"
Yes, she was! Unable to contain his excitement, Pharos prepared to visit Minako. He took care to regulate his temperature when he materialized. He appeared in the middle of the room.
Minako felt the familiar shift in the room, and her eyes shot open. There Pharos was. Thanks to the special lamp Mitsuru had given her, she was able to see him clearly. Pale almost like a ghost, with those huge blue eyes staring intently at her.
"You remember my name!" He said cheerfully, and his blue eyes lit up.
"Of course I remember!" Minako found herself smiling at his happy expression. She couldn't recall if he had ever acted that way in the previous timeline, partly because she had been too scared to pay attention to anything, and partly because, that time, she didn't have a special lamp to be able to see his facial expressions.
"I thought more about it after that day. It's not a common name, is it? It isn't even Japanese to begin with. This is why I'm surprised you still remember it. I'm glad you do, though! Honestly, I was afraid of you forgetting my name. I'd be a little disappointed if you had forgotten it."
"Don't worry. I won't forget."
"Okay!" Pharos nodded happily, and Minako saw a few imaginary music notes above his head. She had seen those appear when she talked to her other Social Links, too, but she couldn't tell whether those notes were an actual effect to indicate progress on the Social Links, or just another game element hallucination like the message box from the other day. It just seemed like the mood called for them whenever her Social Links were happy. However, Minako didn't get the chance to continue thinking about that, because Pharos suddenly startled her by disappearing and reappearing closer to her desk. It was even creepier to see him do that in the lamp's light.
"Ah!" Minako startled when he reappeared. "Uh, Pharos-kun, would you stop doing that, please?"
"Huh?" He recoiled and his gaze dropped guiltily to the ground as though he were caught doing something wrong. "... Stop doing what?"
"I mean the disappearing thing. Can't you simply walk to move from one spot to another? It's a bit... unsettling to see you disappear and reappear like that."
"Oh... i-is it?" He seemed perplexed. "I didn't know. Sorry. I hadn't thought about it before, b-but... yeah, I can walk. It's what I'll do, i-if this is what you prefer..." Pharos took a few steps closer to the desk and inched his head forward curiously. "So, what are you doing? Why are you still awake at this hour? I'd thought you didn't need to study today..."
"Oh. Yeah, I don't need to study today. It's just that when I had looked at the clock, it was almost Dark Hour. So, I began wondering if you'd show up, and decided to wait."
Pharos' eyes widened in surprise. "Y-you were waiting for me!?"
"I was. You had said you'd come again after the full moon. It's been two weeks since the full moon already."
Pharos seemed at a loss for words. "You... I... um... ... I-I'm sorry. I'd wanted to come a few days earlier, but you looked so busy with your studies..."
"Don't worry. I'm fine, but thanks. You're very considerate."
He chuckled and began hopping on his feet, seemingly glad to hear the compliment. "Anyway, there's something I wanted to tell you. You remember I had that problem about my temperature, right? Not anymore! I've been doing much better since then. I feel a lot warmer today!"
Pharos extended his hand and looked at Minako expectantly. She stood up from her chair and turned to face him fully. She tentatively reached for it and touched it. To her surprise, it was indeed warm.
Before Minako had time to retract her hand, Pharos held her hand and squeezed it. Then, a creepy grin appeared on his face. Minako resisted the urge to back away, and kept mentally telling herself that Pharos didn't mean her any harm, and that the grin on his face was just his natural way of expressing himself.
"It's okay this time, right? Right?" Pharos' eyes glistened with expectation. He continued to grin eerily after he spoke, but the innocent way in which he asked for her confirmation reduced the effect of his creepiness and made Minako lower her guard a bit.
"Uh, um..." Minako hesitantly reached for his face with her free hand and gently touched his cheek. Thankfully, nothing unusual, and his cheek wasn't cold, either. Even though her touch had lasted only a second, it caused Pharos to blush slightly, and his creepy grin melted into a normal smile. Minako sighed in relief, both because his face wasn't cold, and because his weird grin had subsided. "Yeah, it's okay now." She finally answered.
Pharos chuckled, apparently satisfied with her confirmation. "It's because you've taught me that keeping warm is important. I feel much better now!"
Minako couldn't help but become wary when Pharos reached his free hand out. She held her breath as his hand slowly crept towards her face. Pharos' fingers met her cheek. Minako relaxed and smiled, surprised at how warm, careful and gentle his touch was. It looked like he was trying to imitate what she did when she had touched his face seconds ago. Minako had to admit that his action was cute.
Pharos' hand left her cheek and made its way to her hair. He seemed to be marveling at the touch as he curiously played with a few locks of her hair while his huge eyes stared at her face in wonder. Pharos got on his tiptoes and tried to reach the top of Minako's head.
"All of this is new to you, isn't it?" Minako asked. "I mean, you act as though everything were new to you. Like the mug from the other day. You had held it as though you had never seen a mug before..."
"... H-huh? Um..." Pharos suddenly seemed self-conscious and removed his hand from Minako's hair. "I... I've seen mugs before," he said in his defense. "I've seen a lot of everyday objects..." Even though he tried to justify himself, his excuse fell flat, and both his voice and his gaze lowered in embarrassment as he admitted, "But only in images. I've never touched then. Or at least, not as far as I remember..."
"It's okay." With a smile, Minako lowered her head a bit and allowed Pharos to reach the top of her head more easily.
Pharos hesitated, but reached his hand out again and continued what he had been doing. His hand navigated Minako's head for a while until it reached one of the barrettes on her hair. He was curiously fiddling with it when it accidentally came off.
Pharos gasped. "Ah! S-sorry...!" He looked at Minako apologetically as he held the detached barrette in his hand, seemingly unsure how to clip it back.
Minako raised her head and looked at Pharos. A bit more at ease, she patted his head to try to comfort him. It was curious how both his skin and his hair felt exactly as they should. Minako wondered how he managed to create his human form and still make it feel right to the touch even though he had never touched anything before... but that wasn't what she should be worrying about. She should be thinking about comforting him. Minako smiled calmly and said, "It's no problem. I meant to take them off before going to sleep anyway. Here. Hand it to me." She extended her free hand, and Pharos wordlessly placed the barrette on her palm.
Pharos still looked apologetic. It would probably be better to get his focus away from the barrettes. Only then Minako remembered what she had gotten in Paulownia Mall that afternoon. How could she have forgotten?
"Ah, Pharos-kun, today I went to Paulownia Mall and bought a present for you."
Pharos' gaze shot up immediately. "A p-present... for me?"
"Yeah. I'll get it. So, um... would you let go of my hand, please?"
"Hmm..." Contrary to what Minako had thought, Pharos seemed very aware that he had still been holding her hand. "Okay." He didn't seem willing to comply, but slowly let go.
First, Minako set the detached barrette on her desk. She went over to the foot of her bed, and retrieved a paper bag that had been on the ground. "Here. I hope you'll like it." She handed it to him. "They were out of paper and couldn't wrap it, but I hope you don't mind."
Pharos' hands shook as he took the paper bag. He turned the bag over a few times and examined it thoroughly before opening it. Inside was a new set of clothes. His already big eyes grew even bigger. "Of course I like it! Thank you!"
"You're welcome. I hope they're the right size."
Pharos took the clothes and let the empty bag fall to the ground. "... Um, you've just said you don't like when I do the disappearing thing, but to put then on, I'll have to be away for a bit."
"Ah, okay." Minako was actually relieved that she wouldn't need to help him change clothes.
"W-wait here. I'll go put them on."
Pharos scurried off to somewhere out of Minako's sight, and she felt his presence disappear from the room. Minako retrieved the empty paper bag from the ground and put it away. One minute or so later, Pharos returned, no longer in stripped pajamas. Now he wore white socks, black tennis shoes, light-blue pants, and a navy-blue shirt. His hair was a bit disheveled. It looked as though he had shoved the clothes on and forgotten to pay attention to his hair. Aside from that small detail, Minako thought his new look was much better.
"Nice!" Minako nodded. "Did I get the sizes right? Are the clothes comfortable?"
"Yeah, very comfortable. They're perfect!" Pharos spoke as he played with the collar of his new shirt.
Pharos felt happy. He had been sleeping while Minako was at Paulownia Mall. He hadn't seen her buy those clothes, so he was very surprised when she gave them to him. Of course he liked them. He didn't think he had ever gotten a present before. He didn't have words to describe how happy he felt. But of course there had to be a problem.
"Your hair is a mess, though." Minako noted.
"Huh? Um..." Pharos immediately stopped playing with his shirt's collar and looked downwards. That was embarrassing. One more detail he had forgotten to take into account. He had been so excited to try his new clothes on. He had dematerialized the clothes along with himself, and soon realized he had a problem. Unlike his stripped pajamas, those clothes weren't items created by him, and he was unsure about how he should put them on. After some struggling, he succeeded, but he hadn't noticed how his hair had become a mess in the process. It didn't even occur to him that he had to fix it afterward.
"Let me fix it for you." Minako took a comb and began tidying his hair up.
It was frustrating. Even though he didn't know what creature he was, Pharos had always been very well aware that he wasn't human, that he wasn't normal. From the time he had idealized his humanoid form, he had known his ability to emulate the human body was far from perfect. His knowledge about human behavior was also very limited. He wouldn't look like or act like a normal person no matter how hard he tried. Deep down, he had known that he would always end up saying things that a human kid wouldn't say, or behave in a way that a normal person wouldn't behave. It was still a wonder that he had managed not to put on his clothes backward or anything like that, but he would always forget some obvious detail like the issue with his temperature the last time, or the fact that he had to check the state of his hair once he had put his clothes on.
This was the reason he had always feared Minako would reject him. There was no doubt that she found him weird already. She must have found it strange that he had never touched a lot of common objects, like the mug from the other day. Before she had pointed it out, he had never thought that his habit of disappearing and appearing was a problem, either. He probably did many other things that bothered her, too, but he couldn't even begin to imagine what or why. As much as he was always eager to visit her, he was sure that the more he interacted with her, the more mess-ups he would make. Her opinion of him would change for worse, and that would drastically reduce his chances of becoming her friend. But again, if he were not to interact with her, then he would throw away the slim chances he had. This was why he had been taking risks. As slim as his chances were, they were greater than none, and he refused to give up. This time, he was lucky that Minako didn't seem to think any less of him because he messed up his hair. However, deep down he feared that, at any moment, Minako would realize he was weirder than she had ever imagined and reject him.
"Okay. Fixed!" Minako's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Come on. Check yourself in the mirror."
Pharos opened his eyes and slowly walked over to the mirror. When he stared at his own reflection, he nearly didn't recognize himself. He had to move and see if the image in the mirror would mimic him, to make sure it was really his reflection. The wonder on his mirror image's face reminded him of the expression he had seen on one of Minako's childhood friends' faces years ago. He looked expressive. More alive. Even somewhat... "human." Or at least, more "human" than he had ever thought he could look. Maybe he would be able to fit in if he tried hard enough. If he managed to recover more of his memories and remember more about human behavior, he might be able to avoid many slip ups in the future. This thought gave him hope, which temporarily overshadowed his doubts. A new glint appeared in his eyes, and a radiant smile made its way to his face, as well as his mirror image's.
Pharos turned back and took a few steps toward Minako. "I... I'm so happy... I don't even know what to say! I like these clothes so much! Thank you!"
"I hadn't imagined you'd like them so much. They're not fancy or anything. Actually, they're so simple that I had wondered if I should have gotten something else instead."
He found her statement absurd. "No. I don't think anyone ever gave me a present before. The one you gave me is probably my first, and is very special! I'll make good use of it!"
"Okay, I have to admit. I prefer the way you look now," Minako said. "No offense, but I thought those other clothes made you look like a prisoner."
Pharos didn't feel offended. In fact, it was his perfect opportunity to convince her that defeating those strong creatures was the way to help him. "Actually, you could say that I'm a prisoner. I'm trapped, and can come out only during the Dark Hour. Outside the Dark Hour, I can't even move. All I can do to distract myself is watch images of what's going on around you. Well, not really 'images.' They're moving images, like a... movie, I guess. It looks like you're always having so much fun... I wish I could run around outside the Dark Hour too. I want to visit the mall, the game center, the karaoke... Octopia, the other food places... and the shrine. It looks like a relaxing place. and I want to study, too. To learn more about things." It took him a while until he realized he had lost his focus and had begun to ramble. "Uh, anyway... I don't remember why I was trapped. But, um, you know those big creatures that appear during the full moon. All I'm sure about is that if they're defeated, I'll be freed."
"Oh. So, that's why you've been coming to warn me about the full moon. You want me to help you."
It was the opportunity Pharos had been waiting for, but he felt uneasy when Minako uttered her conclusion. He didn't want her to think that he was only talking to her because he wanted to manipulate her to his own gain. Sure, he wanted to convince her to help him, but it wasn't like that! He didn't want to manipulate her. He wanted to become her friend, and once he had been freed, he wished she would hang out with him like she did with her other friends. But how would he explain that? She hadn't even accepted him as her friend yet! He began nervously picking at one of the buttons on his new shirt. "Uh, I... I..."
Minako nodded assuringly. "Don't worry. My friends and I will defeat the Shadows. Then, let's meet outside the Dark Hour and visit all those places you said."
Pharos' eyes lit up. "... R-really? Y-you really mean it?"
"Yeah, of course I do!"
"... Thank you, thank you!" Even before Pharos had realized what he was doing, he had already tackled Minako in a hug. She gasped in surprise, and he thought he had done something wrong again. So much for trying to avoid mess-ups... he was about to pull away, but Minako unexpectedly hugged him back.
"It's a promise."
Pharos felt really relieved. It sounded like Minako hadn't misinterpreted what he had said. And she was making a promise. "... Okay!" He said cheerfully, then closed his eyes and let Minako's embrace soothe him. "I've been thinking..." He began after a moment of silence.
"Huh?"
He kept speaking, still with his eyes closed. "I was trying to find an answer to what you had asked, about what I like to do, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to answer that. Like I said before, I can't even move outside the Dark Hour. It means I can't do anything, and have no way to try new things and find out what I like to do... I have no one to talk to, either, because I'm always alone. So, when you talked to me for the first time, I was so happy!" He smiled at the recollection. "So yeah, I guess I can say that I like to talk to you... does this even count?" His voice lowered to a near whisper at the last part.
Minako chuckled. For a moment, he thought she would begin laughing at him, which was a sign that he had probably said something weird again... but it didn't happen. Her chuckle was followed by, "Of course it counts. I like to talk to you too. You should visit me more often."
Pharos' eyes shot open. "Y-you really like to talk to me?"
"Yeah, , I do."
Pharos wasn't convinced yet. "You might say this now, but you may change your mind in no time. I mean, I don't remember anything about myself, and can't even answer what you ask! I don't have anything interesting to tell you, because I have nothing to do most of the time. Soon we'll run out of stuff to talk about!"
Minako laughed, but didn't give him time to speculate why. "Don't worry about that. There's so much we can discuss. You might comment about what you saw in those moving images, or I might ask your opinion on something. You don't need to remember about your past to say what's currently on your mind. We'll come up with a lot of things to talk about, you'll see."
That sounded actually plausible, at least in theory. There was still the chance Minako wouldn't find his comments interesting or wouldn't like his opinions, but he figured he might give it a try. "Okay. I-if you say so..."
Minako still had her arms wrapped around him. Her touch was comforting. Pharos was glad to have learned the importance of warmth. If he hadn't regulated his temperature, he and Minako would never have been able to hug. Pharos felt peace. For a moment, he forgot all his doubts. However, Minako seemed about to pull away, and he remembered all his doubts again. Pharos feared everything would come crashing down full force the moment she let go. He didn't want that. "Um... can we stay like this a bit more... p-please?" The question inadvertently escaped his mouth and, even to him, it was surprising how insecure his voice had sounded.
Minako didn't answer, but didn't object, either. She tightened her hold on him a bit, and kept holding him silently for a while. But no one could escape time, and in the end, Pharos was the one forced to break the hug.
"The Dark Hour is about to end. I have to go." He begrudgingly let go of her. "But I'll come again soon."
Minako smiled. "I'll be waiting, just like I did today."
Pharos nodded and smiled back, very pleased. That encounter couldn't have gone better.
"Good night, Pharos-kun."
"Good night, Minako." Pharos answered. Since now he knew Minako disliked to see him disappear, he chose to do it somewhere out of her sight.
"Thou art I, and I am thou..."
Minako heard the sound of shattering glass and time seemed to freeze. The Death Tarot card appeared and indicated that the Social Link had gone up to level 2. When her vision returned to normal, Pharos was no longer there.
Minako walked over to the bedside table and turned the special lamp off. She silently thanked Mitsuru for having gotten that lamp for her. It had worked wonders tonight. Minako had been surprised to see all those expressions displayed on Pharos' face. So many small details she wouldn't have caught if she had not been able to see him, and which she would never have thought to pay attention to in the previous timeline. She had just realized how nervous and insecure he could get while talking to her. He had desperately clung to her in that hug, like a small child who had just woken up from a nightmare. That made her realize how lonely he had been, and she felt really bad about not having so much as noticed his presence during the span of ten whole years.
"I have no one to talk to, either, because I'm always alone," He had said. "So, when you talked to me for the first time, I was so happy!"
Those words hit her hard. They reminded her that when she had met Pharos for the first time, in the first timeline, she hadn't said a single word to him. Actually, Minako had rarely talked to him afterward, too, because she had thought he was creepy, and she freaked out nearly every time he showed up. What had he felt? Sad? Disappointed? Her reaction - or lack of it - surely had had an impact on him, because he had often seemed a bit down. He had tried to act cheerful at times, but it was obvious that he didn't manage to do a great job of it. Pharos had tried to spark conversation with her, but the mysterious way in which he talked and his strange choice of words only made him stand out as not normal. Now Minako understood why. Pharos had been sealed off for ten long years, with no memories of anything. Of course he wouldn't have known how to interact with others. He had tried to do what he could,, yet she had practically ignored him. Even with images of her daily life as distraction, being shut off from the world for ten years with no one to talk to and absolutely nothing to do would drive anyone crazy. He could have chosen to hate how unfair it was, how others could enjoy living outside the Dark Hour and he couldn't. He could have chosen to hate everyone for having everything he couldn't have, but instead, he seemed eager to visit all those places Minako had been to, and even to study, something many people disliked to do. And from what Ryoji had showed in the previous timeline, Minako was sure it was true. Despite their lack of interaction and the short time he had spent with them, he proved that he truly enjoyed life. Even after he had remembered everything about his true identity and his role, he hadn't shown to have hard feelings toward anyone, not even toward Aigis who had trapped him. The only thing it was clear he didn't like was the fact that his own purpose was, ironically, to put an end to all that he enjoyed, to put an end to all life. Yet, it was a wonder that, despite their lack of interaction, Ryoji had still thanked her for having shown him the human world and, had gone as far as to say that he had a lot of fun. This just proved how good a person he was. If only he hadn't been so stubborn about his belief that the Fall couldn't be avoided, things could have turned out much better. But this time, Minako was already sure she would be able to change his mind. Her encounters with Pharos had already been playing out much differently. Her level 2 Death Social Link was one proof of that. Previously, his Social Link had skipped level 2, and also a few other levels, for some unexplainable reason. Maybe Pharos had been so lonely that the Link skipped two levels at a time whenever she said anything to him. This time, Minako would make sure to do whatever she could to make up to him, both for having practically ignored him in the previous timeline, as well as for not having noticed him during those ten years.
A/n: I changed Pharos' outfit! o_O He should look a bit more "normal" now. :D
Also, cuteness rank up! :3