Looking at the photo on hand, her heart skipped a beat knowing what the photo might mean. Hamuko pressed down then urge to scream, instead looking to the capped boy that handed the photo. The capped boy Junpei Iori stared at her with widened eyes after seeing no reaction coming from her.
"…Dude, are you okay?" Junpei let out a sigh. "Man…I thought you already know about it…"
Hamuko nodded, not wanting the capped boy worried about her, she inhaled deeply. She was on the way to the Student Council with Minato for activities stuff. Minato went off ahead saying he had something to handle when Junpei called her form behind. Perhaps Minato saw something else on the capped boy's face, or perhaps he did have something important, anyway he wouldn't want to interrupt. To Hamuko, she was glad that Minato was not around.
"Where are you getting these photos?"
The photos were nothing but all her inside with gyms clothes or other outfits, though there were other girls inside, but she was right up in the center and it made clear that the person was aiming specifically at her. It's clearly that the one who took this was out of her knowledge.
Junpei stretched the back of his head. "Well, one of the guys in a different class found it. He came over to me and was like 'Isn't this the girl in your dorm?' I took those copies of them from him, but the originals are still out there…"
Hamuko carefully slipped the photos into her pocket avoiding anyone would find out. She found some of the male students would look at her with weird gaze…she furrowed and glared them back.
What's the intention of the person who took the photos? It pissed me off… Hamuko cursed a bit under her breathe.
"Still, you must really be popular. This kind of thing isn't normal. I wonder if I'll be in danger of having a picture of me taken with you." Junpei tried to make a joke to lighten up the situation. Knowing what the boy was having in his mind, Hamuko smiled.
They hanged out often recently…it's not weird if the person took their photos.
"Yeah, you better be very careful. Or else one day you might screw up." Playing along with the joke, Hamuko made a serious face and nodded hardly. "I think we shouldn't hang out then."
"Hey, that's not what I meant!" Junpei exclaimed. "…Anyway, I'd have to find who it was and kick his ass if that happened. But seriously, be careful, alright? Now, how to go about retrieving those photos…well, I'll think about it. Don't let it bother you too much."
Smiling as Hamuko sensed the concern form the capped boy, she clapped the boy's shoulder showing her encouragement. She never thought Junpei was so worried about her. It warmed her up.
"Thank you Junpei. I'm counting on you!" This time, she really felt like she could rely on him.
"Yeah, I've got your back!" Before he left, he gave her a wave. Hamuko could still hear Junpei mumbled something when he went off. "But man, photos...? What in the world would anyone use that for…"
Chuckling a bit, Hamuko went straight to the Student Council. As she slid opened the door, there were a bunch of students running inside. Some were handling paper works and some were busying on planning activities. She found Minato and Chihiro talking at the corner. It seemed they're doing costing.
He seems getting well with the shy girl… Hamuko and Minato knew Hidetoshi and Chihiro in the first day when Mitsuru invited them to join Student Council. Chihiro was a pretty shy girl and seemed to afraid of man whenever a guy tried to get close to her. Chihiro could talk normally with her, but if Minato was there, she'd start to stammer and finally she'd completely lost in word. But as they got along, Minato could handle her very well from what Hamuko could see.
She looked around; found Hidetoshi was not in the room. Hidetoshi was the Vice President. He was a straight guy and Hamuko had to say, he was stubborn too. Recently, they're bind by a cigarette butt case that was found in the male toilet. Hidetoshi asked them to do some checking to see anyone suspicious. However, Hidetoshi went to interrogate other male students, ended up being punched by them.
Thinking of the case made Hamuko sighed. She closed the door behind and went straight to Minato. On her half way, someone stopped her by calling her name.
"Excuse me Tsukikage, can you help me with something?"
"Yes of course, what is it?" She asked.
"Can you go to look for Hidetoshi? We need him to decide something. Please, it's urgent!" The student made a begging posture. His forehead was all sweat wrapping around.
"Yes no problem…but where is he?" She had no idea where he's gone.
"I saw him headed to Faculty Office when I came here!" Another student shouted from behind the begging student.
"Okay, leave it to me!"
With that, Hamuko went down to first floor and headed to Faculty Office.
When she was about to be there, she heard some voices coming out from it. One of the voices belonged to Hidetoshi, Hamuko recognized it. The other one was…
"Don't be stubborn! Just add his name on the list!"
Um? The PE teacher?
"He is not the good guy you think of. Hitting girls in school and the triangle love rumors…what the hell with the students nowadays? Even that girl Tsukikage…I doubt if she is involved…" What? I was included in this too?
"Minato-kun and Hamuko-kun were chosen by the President herself. I believed in them, and they couldn't have done it." Hidetoshi said. Hamuko leaned closer to the door to listen well. "And about the triangle love rumor…that's just a rumor after all."
"I thought you're smarter them that Hidetoshi. Forget our deal. You'll regret this."
"If you'll excuse me then."
Then the door suddenly slid opened. Hamuko jumped out however, couldn't avoid finding out by Hidetoshi. Hidetoshi was shocked to see someone actually outside of the office, and that was no other than Hamuko.
"Oh…ah, hai Hidetoshi." Hamuko chuckled dryly.
"H-Hamuko-kun? Y-You're here all the time?" Hidetoshi couldn't hide how shock he was finding the girl was listening all the time. "…You heard all that?"
Hamuko stretched her head in embarrassment. "Yes…I'm sorry. I-I was looking for you…"
"Is there anything?"
Hamuko secretly stole a glance on the boy. Is he angry with me or something? But it's difficult to see form his face since he was that face all the time. You know the serious and tensed face.
"Oh…well, someone said they need you to decide something and it's urgent!" Now she remembered the begging student's face. She wondered how many times she had wasted here.
"I see…let's get back." On the way backtrack to the Student Council, Hidetoshi coughed a bit a catch her attention. "Hamuko-kun, please keep this as a secret from Minato-kun…you know, what you heard just now."
"If you want me to…but is that regarding the cigarette buts case?" Titling her head, she still wanted to know the whole thing.
Hidetoshi seemed embarrassment to talk about it. He turned away his head avoiding her crimson eyes. "…Well yes. You see, how could Minato-kun involved in this? I mean, I don't believe this. And look, what the teacher said? He even dragged you into this."
"Well, it's not difficult to imagine the teacher think that we're some trouble students with such a rumor going around the school." Though she was sick of it, the three of them had responsibility too. She even hanged out very often with Junpei lately. But she was a girl. How could she leave cigarette butt inside the male toilet? That's insane! "I don't mind though…but why are you defending us?"
A big smile hanged on her face as she beamed down to look at him. Hidetoshi flinched a little and looking away with red face. He easily gets shy... Hamuko chuckled.
"D-Don't take me wrong! It's just that…" Hidetoshi covered his reddened face. "I can't tolerate with that teacher anymore. As a teacher, he should responsible for what he said and what he did. He couldn't have suspected the two of you without any proof. All he wanted is to get this case done and get somebody to bear the responsibility of the cigarette butt. I can't, and I'll not let him do this."
"Wow…I never think you're such a guy…" Giggling, Hamuko felt that she was misunderstanding him. He could be stubborn, but he was caring. He cared about the other who was under suspect in this case, and hoping to get the true culprit. Thinking that she was cared by such a person making her felt warm brushed across her heart.
His face grew redder as Hamuko stared at him with those puppy eyes. Like escaping from embarrassment, he quickened his pace to the Student Council leaving Hamuko behind.
"R-Remember don't tell Minato-kun about this!"
"Hey, I said you can count on me!" What now? Like I'm a big mouth… Hamuko again chuckled at him. He can be so cute sometime…
I am Thou, and thou art I…
Thou hast reforge the bond…
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of Emperor Arcana…
When she steeped into the room, Minato and Chihiro was nowhere to be found. Most of the students also not in the room too, only a group of student…maybe around six to seven people in the room.
"Where are Minato-kun and Chihiro-san? And the others?" Hamuko asked.
"Minato-kun and Chihiro went back already. The works are almost done so we let them go back." The begging student answered her.
She nodded. The two of them went on ahead? Wow…that's rare.
"Hamuko-kun, you can go back first." Hidetoshi added. This was what she wished for!
"Can I?" Hidetoshi nodded again. "Thank you Hidetoshi! See you guys then!"
"See you Hamuko-san!" The other students gave her a wave.
"Um…sorry if I dragged you here…you really don't have to come with me here if you're bored…you can go ahead now." The shy girl said timidly using a book covered her face.
After they had done with their work in Student Council, Minato and Chihiro went off ahead and came to Iwatodai Strip Mall. He brought the girl to Bookworm thinking the girl liked book a lot.
Hearing that from the girl, Minato turned to look at her. She was afraid of male, but she was trying to overcome her fear. Sometimes she would overact when he or the other guys around, making her looked like an idiot. He could imagine that only increased her fear toward male and other boy students also afraid of her in that way.
"No, it's okay." Minato turned and looked to the book on hand. "It's fun to hang with you sometime."
Chihiro buried her face into the book deeper once heard that from Minato. Her face burned in red. To avoid any more embarrassment, she looked at the bookshelves to find books however, it turned to be she rummaged the them at the end. She scurried off with the books, causing them to topple over. The sound made Minato turned his head to her.
"I-I'm sorry…! W-What am I doing…!?" Gasping, Chihiro knelt down and picked the books up. Minato walked to her and offered his help.
When they picked up the books, Chihiro suddenly found something. Her eyes widened when she looked at the books on hand.
"O-Oh my…this is…"
"Chihiro-san?" Minato couldn't find any special with the books she held on hand.
"I've been dying to read this! This is a collection of illustrations from the shoujo manga I read! It even has short stories inside! I would never have expected this to be here!" Chihiro kept talking, completely like a different person Minato knew. Her eyes shined in light when she turning the books around and around. "Each volume is 6000 yen, so that mean…18000 yen in total!? What should I do…?"
"…Um, Chihiro-san, are you okay?" Minato asked. The girl's face turned from red to pale white when she found the total price she had to pay for the books. Minato could understand. As a high school student, they didn't have extra money for something like that, though they could have worked part time job, but Minato doubted Chihiro could do that.
Ah…that's the good way to cure her fear…maybe.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry…I-I was too excited…" Still holding the books on hand as if the books would have gone once she let go of them, Minato looked to the old couple.
"Bunkichi-san, can you please keep these books for my friend?"
The old man smiled. "Why not? I can even give her some discount if she wants."
The old man's words immediately wiped off the spectacle girl's worry.
"R-Really!? T-Thank you!" She carefully put the remaining books back to the bookshelves with Minato helping her along. "O-Oh my…it's been this late. T-Thank you Minato-san…and thanks for coming with me today…"
"Don't mention it. I'm glad to be able to help out."
Chihiro's face burned again. She lowered her head and ran out of the shop almost in fluster. She even bumped into the door before she opened it. Minato and the old couple chuckled at that, making the shy girl even embarrassed.
I am Thou, and thou art I…
Thou hast reforge the bond…
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Persona of Justice Arcana…
"You have such a cute girlfriend, Minato-chan." Bunkichi laughed.
"She is a friend." Minato quickly made it clear. However, the old couple didn't seem to listen to him. "…Thanks for helping, Bunkichi-san."
"It's just a small matter, my dear." Mitsuko said with a small smile hanged on her face. "By the way, where is Hamuko-chan?"
"She's still in school…" Probably… Minato added. She was not around when he and Chihiro went back. She wouldn't angry with him…right?
"Ta-da, Bunkichi-san, Mitsuko-san!" The door pushed opened, revealing the auburn haired girl stretched out her hand to the old couple.
"Speak of the devil…" Minato mumbled seeing the girl walked into the shop.
"Eh? Minato-kun?" Winking, Hamuko was surprised to find Minato in the shop too. "Why are you here? I thought you're in the dorm."
"I…"
"Hoho…Minato-chan brought his little girlfriend here." Bunkichi broke the cool boy, earning a glare form him.
"Girlfriend?" Hamuko thought of Chihiro. The guys in club told her Minato was with Chihiro when they went back. "Oh~ I see. Dating, huh?"
"…It's not like that." Minato shot her a glare. You know about it.
Yeah yeah, you don't have to tell me…I just want to tease you.
Exchanging the message using eyes contact, Hamuko let out a chuckle. She walked to the old couple while dragging the cool boy with her. They spent a little time chatting with them. The old couple talked about their son, bringing up the sad memories of them. Minato and Hamuko first met this old couple upon a request of bringing the leaf of the persimmon tree in their school. Apparently, the tree was about to be cut down by the school however, it's just a rumor for the time being. The tree was something to remember their deceased son, so the old couple couldn't bear to have it cut down. Now, Minato and Hamuko were trying to dig out the truth behind the rumor. Talking the death about someone bringing up some strange emotion in them, Hamuko and Minato felt the urge to lend this old couple their help, to what they could do for them.
Leaving Bookworm, Hamuko felt her stomach was starving.
"Hey Minato-kun, let's go to grab some foods!"
"Are you that starving?" But still, Minato followed behind her though he protested a little. "I thought you have things to do with Hidetoshi and the others."
"Well, I'm not that a big help to them. The others were all gone when I found Hidetoshi." Turning around, she poked the cool boy. "You, what a friend you call yourself as? How can you leave without telling me?"
She is mad… "I'm sorry...you mind it?"
"N-No! Of course I'm not!" Flustering, Hamuko quickly looked away. Ignoring the cool boy, she took the stair up the second floor. "Don't you dare to peek!"
"…I'm not interested…don't make me sound like Junpei…ouch!" Hugging his poor head, Minato looked at the auburn haired girl clenched her fist in furious. Sometime he really didn't know what the girls had in their mind. Was I saying something wrong?
"Hmph!" She huffed. "Um?"
Her attention was caught by some crying tones at downstairs. The both of them looked down in unison.
"H-Hey…what are you doing? Let me go!" A blue haired boy with spectacle on his face was tackled by a little girl. The girl was crying, and seemed she won't let the boy go easily.
"Mama…waaaahhhh!" The girl kept crying. "Mama!"
"I'm not your mama…hey, stop crying!" Feeling the people were looking at them, the boy lost his cool already. "Okay, what do you want now?"
"Mama…I want mama…" Sobbing, the girl seemed calm down a bit.
Sighing, the boy face palmed. What the hell he had to do this?
"Do you need help?"
Turning his head around, he saw two Gekkoukan High students asking him question. Narrowing his eyes feeling disgusted to look at that uniform, the boy snorted.
"Leave me will you?"
"But you seem you're in trouble." The auburn haired girl walked near to the girl. The boy stepped back a little and glared at the two of them. "Are you separated with your mama?" Obviously, the auburn haired girl was talking to the little girl.
"I want mama…mama…!" The girl started to cry again.
"Hey, stop crying!" The boy growled.
"I think we better take her to Kurosawa-san." Minato suggested, barely ignored the boy. Minato patted the girl's head to calm her down.
"Yeah, I think so." Hamuko looked to the boy. "Let's go to Police Station. We have someone we know there. He can help us!"
Talking about the Police Station, the boy choked. "What!? Police Station?" The hell! "I'll pass…you can take the girl…"
"How can you say such a cold thing!?" Hamuko cut him down forcefully. "She is begging for your help! How can you leave her alone!?"
"You two are together with her…"
"No way! You must come!" Didn't let the boy run away from this, Minato tugged him along no matter how he protested.
"H-Heyyyyyyyyy!"
…
"Leave the girl to me." Kurosawa said coolly.
"Thank you Kurosawa-san!" Hamuko could talk with Kurosawa after a few times she came here and bought equipments, though she had to drag Minato along. But at least she could talk normally with him.
"Stay here and you can find your mama soon." Rubbing the girl's head, Minato told the girl. "Don't worry; though he looks scary, he is a good guy."
"Really…?" Minato nodded again. Then, a kick hit his leg as he looked to Hamuko. Following the gaze of the auburn haired girl, he found Kurosawa's face had covered in dark shade.
"…Am I really that scary…?"
Walking out from the Police Station, Hamuko and Minato met up with the boy again. On the way here, the boy introduced himself as Jin (though he was forced by Hamuko). Jin waited them outside since he didn't want to get into Police Station.
"Sorry for the wait! Let's go!"
"Yeah finally. Bye." Thinking he was finally free from the annoying girl, Jin intended to walk away. The two of them didn't say anything. However, Jin found that the two of them followed behind him. "Hey, why are you following me?"
"Following you? Do we?" Tilting her head, Hamuko looked to Minato and threw the ball to him.
"…We're in the same direction…" Sighing in laziness, Minato pointed the station up ahead.
Jin cursed and spoke nothing more. The three of them walked to the station together (Jin at front and Hamuko and Minato at the back). Hamuko and Minato chatted something along the way making a little noise...you know Hamuko. Jin would glare at them with annoyance for dragging attention.
Down to the station in Iwatodai, they exited the train together. Hamuko still babbling something about her tummy was starving and wanting to have her favorite ramen. Minato protested a bit but followed her at last. Knowing the two were still behind him, Jin felt his anger had reached its limit.
"I have enough of this!" He turned to the two Gekkoukan students. "I told you not to follow me!"
"I said we're not following you!" Hamuko jumped up. "We're not interested in you at all!"
Jin's face burned red. "T-That's not what I meant!"
"…I'm not gay…" Minato narrowed his eyes to him.
"Are you even hearing!?" Jin felt he was going to die talking to these two. Letting out a sigh, he decided not to bother with these two anymore, or else he would definitely die because of heart attack!
He took the stair up to second floor and went straight to Hagakure. He was planning to come here in the first place. Look, how many times he had wasted because of the little damn girl…and the two behind him!
They're still following me…what the hell? Narrowing his eyes, he doubted if these two were doing this in purpose. Anyway…I have to be very careful…
"Ooi Jin!" Upon stepping into the shop, he was greeted by Izumi, his old friend. "Man, I never think you'll come here!"
"…Special please." Sighing in laziness, Jin felt he lost strength to say anything more after such a torture. He sat down on the table in front of the counter.
"Right away! Special one!" After ordering at the kitchen, Izumi went back to Jin. "What's wrong? You look dead."
"…I don't want to talk about it now…"
"Special two please!" Another voice broke in, making Jin jumped up at its familiarity. Tossing his head to the voice, he found Hamuko and Minato were right behind him.
"Ooi Hamuko-chan and Minato-kun! Coming right away!" Izumi offered his hand to the seat beside Jin to the two. Jin widened his eyes finding they're actually knew each other as the two of them took their seat.
"What now…Izumi, you know them?" Taking his spectacle down and rubbing his nose bridge, Jin really felt like today was not his lucky day.
"Urgh…there's a story behind this." Stretching the back of his head, Izumi could only chuckle dryly. He told Jin how they know each other because to a bowl of ramen and Minato seemed still pretty pissed with him. He didn't give him any credit since that day. But well, he would come here whenever his little cute couple dragged him to.
"We're not couple." Minato gritted his teeth as he repeated the god only knew how many times to the damn guy. If not because of the ramen here, he would never step into this shop again!
"Just ignore him Minato-kun." Rolling her eyes, Hamuko rested her chin on her palm. She was lazy in repeating the same thing over and over.
Raising his brows as Jin looked at the scene in front; he turned to his friend again. He wondered what this guy had done making this two getting annoying like this. But whatever, he felt his own annoyance had lifted a bit.
"Serve you guy right…" He muttered softly. Of course, he won't let the two, especially Hamuko heard it, or else he wouldn't hear the end of it.
As the ramen served on their table, the three of them quickly took the chopstick and dug in. The pleasant fragrance and the good taste temporarily shut any noise in between them when they concentrating in enjoying the foods.
"What's brought you here Jin?" Izumi broke in a question.
"Nothing…since you brought the ramen to our place, Chidori and Takaya wanted to eat it again so much." Smiling as Jin recalling the day Izumi brought ramen to their place. It even woke the lazy sleeping beauty. Since that day, Chidori kept telling him to bring some back…more like forcing me, I have to say. He grimaced thinking about his companion.
"Really? Wow… I'll bring some to them again. Just tells them to wait!"
They continued to chat something normal about Izumi's 'girlfriend' which happen to be his house owner, and something blank, but avoiding talking about their past. It's not something good to bring up in the public and in front of other people.
After having the foods, Hamuko and Minato bid them goodbye and went back to dorm. Seeing them went off, only Jin asked Izumi.
"Who are they?"
"They're students living in the dorm around here. Their dorm is just behind." Izumi answered him while serving the other customers.
"…They're Gekkoukan High students." Jin narrowed his eyes as he thought about the thing ten years ago.
Izumi seemed knew what's in his mind. "Are you talking about Kirijo Group?" He sighed. "I know what you mean, but Jin, they're innocent. We can't let off our furious on them."
"Tch…I know." But still, the name of Kirijo kept reminding what they did to them ten years ago. What they had done didn't deserve any forgiveness. I won't forgive them…ever. I'll live till my last breathe with Takaya.
However, he failed to aware the change in Izumi's eyes and expression.
"I don't like him." On the way back, Minato suddenly spoke out of the blue.
"Huh?" Hamuko completely blinked.
"I mean that Izumi guy…" Furrowing his brows when he talked about Izumi, Minato shoved his hand into the pocket. He had no idea why he was so pissed with the guy. He couldn't tell a reason, but everytime when he looked at him, he only felt disgusted.
Lifting her head in pondering while clapping her finger on her chin, Hamuko then put her hands on her hip. "…Well, considering what he had done last time…"
"No, that's not what I mean." Shaking his head, Minato stretched his head in frustration. "I don't know…but he's definitely not good."
Looking at him tried to find anything on his face; Hamuko only frowned. She didn't understand what he was meant to, but she did feel something wrong with the Izumi guy too. Recently, the Apathy Syndrome seemed to increase a little. But that should consider normal in Mitsuru's point of view compared to the days near to Full Moon. So they didn't take much concern with that.
But…something still seemed wrong to them. However, they couldn't tell what was wrong. Hamuko took a glance at Minato, thinking maybe he was the same as her.
Lowering her gaze, she only hoped nothing would happen after this.
Now now here, Hamuko and Minato meet with Jin! And Izumi becomes a bridge in their first meet.
In original, Izumi and Jin shouldn't meet this fast. They should probably meet after the Chariot and Justice, but I change it a bit so it will fit the story progress. I still have no idea whether to have SEES confront Izumi or just skip it as in the original Strega take him down. But there's still some time until then, so I'll try to think about it.
Later until next chapter then!