Chapter 10

Reaching Out

When Minato arrived in his class, surprised gasps greeted him. He managed one awkward smile before Kazushi and Kenji surrounded him.

"Hey, is it true that you're abducted by UFO?"

"He must be spirited away by the ghost!"

"Someone said that he left in a soul-searching adventure,"

"No, dammit. This guy said that Minato left to join the military!"

"Him? This scrawny guy?"

"Or did you eloped with your girlfriend?"

"You traitor! I thought that you're my bro" crocodile tears. Minato sighed. Rumors are scary. Junpei and Yukari followed behind him, taking their respective seats "Seriously, dudes. Give him some space," Junpei smacked Kenji's head and he grinned at Minato.

"Well, it's time for Junpei's Believe it or Don't" Junpei extended his arms, getting the attention of their classmates. He rolled his notebook resembling a microphone and stood up in his desk, making Yukari groan in disbelieve. Minato already put on his headphones and ignore the commotion around his desk.

"Good morning and welcome to Junpei's Special, Believe it or Don't!" A few girls laughed at him.

"There are many strange things in this world, including the disappearance of Minato Arisato, one of the rising stars of Gekkoukan High School and the guy behind why I have yet to receive detention from Ms. T, because I always sleep like a log," the class laughed, they didn't notice someone standing in front of the class's door.

"So, one day, according to a story... Someone saw Minato—"

A dull thud of books that hit the desk disrupted Junpei's story, a furious Ms. Toriumi stood in front of the class and the students scrambled to their desks, "...Sleep like a log, huh," signs of annoyance clear on her face. "You sure can use a correct idiom, Iori,"

"W-wait, wait, Miss Toriumi," Junpei plopped down from his desk hurriedly.

"I'm expecting you after school so I can drill more idioms in your empty head," she gritted out with a snide smile.

"...My deepest condolence," Minato whispered to Junpei but he only replied with a sad pout.

Ms. Toriumi noticed Minato's attendance, "Ah, good to have you back, Arisato. I received your sick leave from the Student Council. Now, class, let's begin."


Fuuka sat on her chair, keeping her head low and covered her arms with long-sleeved turtleneck. Buzz of talkings surrounded her.

"Wow, Ekoda got kicked out from Gekkoukan!" a pair of girls talked loudly.

"Good for us, but it's kinda surprising that Moriyama also got caught up," her friend replied.

"What did ya' think?" a boy next to her joined the conversation.

"I don't know, sexual harassment, maybe?" they laughed at the mention.

"Yea, I can totally see that from his face! And about Moriyama, it seems like she joined a bad crowd. It's better if people like them doesn't exist," the group turned their attention to Fuuka. "Hey, Yamagishi, you know something? You were with Moriyama's group, right?" they waited eagerly and Fuuka shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

The door opened, revealing Shinjiro. Disciplinary Committee armband worn in his left sleeve. The juniors froze upon his arrival and he snorted noncommitally. He found Fuuka and signaled for her to follow him outside. Fuuka yelped but followed him soon.

"Dude, Shinjiro-senpai is scary," the boy said quietly.

"You wouldn't want to have a problem with him," a gossiping girl replied.

Outside the class, they talked. "Y-yes, Aragaki-san?" Fuuka asked lamely, ashamed of her quiver. The senior sighed, seemingly used to such reaction. "They're prepping up your room, your parents okay with your move?" he asked quickly.

"Oh, it's alright. Being in a dorm is better," she played with her pinkies and Shinjiro noticed the nervous gesture.

"You haven't tell them, did ya," he correctly guessed.

Fuuka looked away, "It's alright, really. They won't notice, anyway,"

"Tch, I don't care about your shits. But tie your own loose ends," he warned the small girl and walked off.

"Um, can I..." Fuuka's voice bellowed through the hallway. "...Can I call you Shinjiro-san?"

He replied with a shrug.


Minato was the last person to leave the classroom, after he got Junpei a book of idiom he lent from Chihiro. "I don't know dude, books doesn't agree with me. But thanks anyway," Junpei said as he stayed in the classroom against the boy's will. Ms. Toriumi eyed Junpei's so-called 'saviour' like a hawk from the podium and told him to leave. Poor guy.

He met Bebe when he pushed open the door of his class, tired and sleepy. He wished he could modify his desk into a pillow. But seeing flowers and glitters literally sparkled around the French boy, Minato put a hand in front of Bebe's face.

"Tired, wanna sleep," he said shortly. Bebe made a confused frown, as if losing in translation. But then he smiled, an idea forming in his head. "You can sleep in ze sewing room! Ze breeze eez good." The exchange student nodded fervently, fanning himself while Minato was ready to lean his head on the door.

The idea sounds appealing. And Bebe didn't make a lot of noise when he sew. Minato was going to agree when his eyes found Mitsuru and Shinjiro appeared from the 3rd Year floor's staircase. Oh, council day. He sighed. Maybe no rest today, too. He propelled himself against the wall, glancing at the red-haired President and the prefect, getting ready to follow them into the Student Council Room.

Mitsuru regarded him in a disapproving way, even Shinjiro clicked his tongue at him. Does he really look that tired? "You're exhausted, Arisato. I excuse you from the meeting," said the President with a rare mercy. Shinjiro stared down at Bebe, while Bebe strangely didn't seem to be intimidated. He even smiled at the prefect.

Minato clapped for Bebe's bravery inwardly. Outward appearance-wise, nobody would believe that the guy had it in him. No one had managed that far. "Fuck off, dumbasses. Don't come today," the two entered the council room and left their juniors in the hallway. For all he knew, that's his senior's way to say "Take it easy".

And here he thought that Shinjiro and kindness didn't belong to the same sentence.

"..." Minato stared at Bebe. He came into a realization.

Come to think of it, Bebe did came from a foreign country. Alone. On exchange program. And he even returned Bunkichi's wallet the first time Minato saw him. A lesser man would've stole it and nobody would know or care. The whole school mocked him as a sissy, but he may be smarter than what they think...

"Minato-sama? Ooiii," Bebe called out to him. His fan hit Minato's head repeatedly. The third hit did the trick and Bebe laughed at Minato's scowl. It doesn't hurt, though.

They walked to the Home Ec Room. "You know Shinjiro-san?" Minato decided to ask.

Surprisingly, Bebe nodded happily. "Oui! Shinjiro-sama eez one of ze kindest person I 'ave ever met, he eez actually ze one who gave me ze correct direction to Gekkoukan! Yasashii,"

Correct... direction?

"Ah, gomen ne, I was testing you when I asked 'ow to bid farewell in Nihongo- Japanese," Minato was reminded of how the foreigner asked him about such simple greeting. It was weird how someone partially fluent enough to carry on a conversation didn't know about that.

"...I was relieved when Minato-sama answered 'onestly," Bebe hid a portion of his face behind his fan, "I know I look like a stupid gaijin, Minato-sama, but I' 'ave been studying Japanese before I came 'ere." he looked sad. "But, zere are still kind person like you and Shinjiro-sama 'ere," Bebe seated himself in front of the sewing machine. Minato sighed. Japan.

He sat directly opposite of Bebe, propping his chin on the cool desk. So sleepy... "Maa, I guess that's how Japanese people generally treats foreigner,"

He switched to English. "Because we're not English-speaking country, not many can speak English," his tongue didn't agree with the 'L' pronunciation and he slurred. The accent was off and funny in his ears, even Bebe was suppressing himself from laughing out loud.

"See?" he pointed out. Bebe finally calmed down enough to nod.

"Also, Japan isolated itself years ago. On the bright side, you can see the result of that movement in the current development and life-style. But the downturn is that it's still difficult to accept foreigner. Most of them would just stare at you or avoid you when you ask them or point at your hair," as he said that, Bebe fingered a strand of his blonde hair and tilted his neck. "But maybe you've met some who pranks,"

Bebe was put out, "So different in France," he said and continued to sew. Minato just observed him, "You won't pester me to help you sew, right?" he asked.

Now it's Bebe's turn to sigh, "Iie, iie. You broke down ze sewing machine ze last day you're 'ere. You are 'opeless, Minato-sama," the machine worked, sending easy comfort of constancy.


Waking up is difficult. Minato felt his stiff back protested with his movement and stretched out. That was painful. His unfocused eyes zooming in on Bebe's patchwork, half-finished. Sunset dawned upon the windows, casting its glow around the room and brought forth the warm breeze of summer. Nigi Mitama stirred peacefully within his sea of soul.

"Hmm, I still zink zat something eez missing, but our work today eez finished! Owari," Bebe said as he inspected his work. "Ah, you 'ave woken up, Minato-sama. You zlept zo deeply I didn't dare to wake you up," Now Bebe seems excited, something must be up.

"Let's go to ze Sweet Shop!" he was so exicted that he threw his fan across the room and knocked down a mannequin. Bebe gasped and ran off to put the mannequin in standing position.

Junpei would've say "Hoome run!"

Minato cringed, "...Now?" he didn't really liked the sweet-smelling air that permeated there.

"Oui!" said Bebe who busily reattached the mannequin's left arm. The mannequin's eery eyes stared back at Minato. He sweatdropped.

"Zis eez my first time going to a snack shop in Japan, will you go wiz me?" Bebe asked hopefully. Minato scratched his cheek, unsure, "I don't really like the smell."

Bebe's face fallen. That manipulative bastard.

Minato groaned, "Fine, okay. Don't make that kind of face to me. You have to experience anything you can while you're here, I guess. But there's nothing to teach," Minato rose from the stool and tidy up his bag.

"Yatta!" that fake sad face disappeared in a second and the exchange student hurried up to leave the school.


When they arrived in the Iwatodai Strip Mall, they met a small girl. Maiko shouted at Minato and ran up to him, hugging his leg in the process. She stared at the blonde next to Minato's side curiously, braided ponytails tied together cutely. A store owner chuckled at the ruckus and Mitsuko who swept in front of her store smiled and waved at them. The owner of Hagakure Ramen came from the second floor carrying trash, he slapped Minato's shoulder heartily and after a few words he left to take out the trash.

"Minato nii-saaann," the small girl took Minato by the hand and dragged him to the store she stood in front of. Bebe watched with astonishment. Minato talked with an easy acquaintanceship with the store owner, handed her a few hundred Yen and got three boxes. They sat in the bench directly in front of the store, Minato gave him a box.

"Takoyaki," he said quietly to Bebe as he gave it.

"I miss you! Where did you go?" said the small girl as her cheeks puffed out with the ball-shaped snack. Bebe imitated her movement and tried a bite.

...T-This is heavenly! Japan is the best!

Minato gave his reply, "I was in a hospital outside the town," he said as he scooped a mouthful, hot cloud of air smoked out from his mouth like a dragon and the girl laughed at him. Soon, Minato finished first with breakneck speed and he stood up to introduce them to each other.

"Bebe, Maiko. Maiko, Bebe" Minato introduced them shortly.

"Konnichiwa, 'ello Maiko-chan," Bebe outstretched his hand.

"Wow, you can speak in Japanese!" Maiko stood up and bow at him, "I'm Oohashi Maiko, nice to meet you!"

They talked a bit and Minato said his farewell to Maiko, patting her head twice that made the small girl blushed. Of course, with a promise to meet later in the park next to Naganaki Shrine. He guided Bebe to the Sweet Shop, treading the rusty flight of stairs that creaked with each steps and tasting a few delicacies, being surprised to find that Bebe knew more than half of the sweets' names.

"zank you for bringing me 'ere, even though you didn't 'ave to, Minato-sama" Bebe smiled genuinely. "I 'ave an aunt who supported me to come 'ere, I 'ave to tell 'er zat I 'ave a wonderful tomodachi!" Gratefulness sparked within his eyes.

"I wiz I could do zomething to repay you," Bebe's eyebrows scrunched up, furrowed while he was thinking.

Minato already had something in his mind, "Hmm... Teach me French, then," he said as he crossed his arms.

"Hai! Good idea," his face took an amused expression and Bebe ran downstair. "Let's get you French books!" Bebe's voice resounded from downstair and Minato followed suit.


When Minato pushed open the door, Bebe was talking with Bunkichi and Mitsuko with a set of polite bows and graceful words, the elderly figures seemed interested in the foreigner. Miki peeked around the corner, dusting the shelves with a cloth covered her nose and mouth. Her eyes crinkled shut in resemblance of a smile and Minato waved at her. She left her hiding spot in a second.

"Minato-chan, you came today! We haven't seen you so long, we asked about you to your friend with goatee," Oh, Junpei then. Mitsuko turned to Bebe, gesturing towards Miki.

"Bebe-chan, this is Miki-chan, she works part-time here since today," Mitsuko said with clear joviality. Well, Miki had 'said' that she worked part-time since today when they had breakfast, anyway. What's surprising was that Akihiko actually supported her.

Miki bowed at Bebe. "Uwah, I meet a lot of people today," Bebe seemed happy that people talked to him. Miki shook his hand and motioned to her throat. Bebe understood the universal gesture of speech problem and nodded with easy dismissal. Miki searched her bag and found her usual notebook. "Nice to meet you, Bebe-senpai," Miki wrote in hiragana, to which Bebe reads slowly, missing a few spelling and Minato had to read it for him.

"Ooh, that's how you read it, ne. Hajimemashite, Miki-chan," Bebe fanned himself, embarassed of his lack of practice. Bunkichi laughed, "This is surprising, you all go to the same school! So what do you need today?"

Bebe mentioned a few books in French, including practice books and a dictionary. "Huh? What books? Do we have those books, dear?" Bunkichi seemed forgetful and his old eyes weren't helping. Everyone eventually decided to spread out and ventured the high shelves. With their luck, they only found three books in French.

"The Little Prince!" Bebe exclaimed happily, the old book had collected dusts by the time they found it and he wiped the cover with his handkerchief. A young blonde child appeared in the cover, standing in a sphere-like object.

Minato mused, "He looked like you," and everyone chuckled, in which Bebe said that everyone is either blonde or redhead back home.

The softening crease at the corners of Minato's eyes accompanied the genial laughters in a peaceful afternoon, like a trick of time that won't return. A tremble within his soul, so different from the fear and survival he had became accustomed to. He felt detached from the outside world, as if Tartarus and Dark Hour doesn't exist. As if he could live without the weights of his responsibility. As if he could create a wall of illusion that these people, whom he created false connections with, had started to become truly important to him.

Since when do these people had started to become more precious to him?


"I really enjoy myself today, Minato-sama" Bebe said as they exited the bookstore, Miki stayed a bit later to help closing the store. Minato put the books they found in his bag, intended to study for later.

"Yeah, thank you too, I guess. I'll study these later," Minato looked up, a sea gull flew above them.

Bebe opened The Little Prince book he had in his hands, scanned the pages quickly with his eyes and marked a page by folding a small part of the sheet. He gave it to Minato.

"When you can read French, read zis book too, okay?" Bebe said as he bid his goodbye and ran to the Iwatodai Station.

"Go 'ome safely, my tomodachi!" Bebe yelled as he waved enthusiastically before he disappeared in the sea of people.

Minato stood there, unmoving.

Friend. The word seemed heavier now that he realized it could compromise his self-dependency.


"He was only a fox, like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique to me in all the world."


"Hey bro!" Junpei said as he carried a few boxes and disappeared upstair. Akihiko also seemed busy counting the boxes while Yukari and Mitsuru weren't in the common room and it's normal for Shinjiro to go out at this time. Minato put his heavier bag in the sofa and pulled up his sleeves, getting ready to help Junpei.

"Carry these to the third floor, the girls are preparing Fuuka's room." Akihiko instructed and Minato hefted the boxes, wobbled a bit but didn't complain.

"Oh, did you see Miki?" Akihiko asked behind him.

"Yes, in the used bookstore" Minato replied and he sensed worry oozed out from the Golden Boy.

A sigh. "Shinji was right, I've started to become too protective of her,"

"...Is that why you agreed to let her work part-time alone?" Minato pointed out and he got a nod from Akihiko. "Partially yes, but it's her own request... Sometimes I don't know what she's thinking,"

Minato rolled his eyes, "You can't expect to know everything, even I didn't know what my own twin was thinking,"

Akihiko was startled, that's unexpected, "Ah, yes... I-I'm sorry, about your twin,"

Minato already walked to the stairs, "...Well, maybe you'll like her if you ever met Minako. She was a bit wild, but you can't help but to like her. I guarantee that." He chuckled, it's a possibility.

Minato arrived in the third floor, with Yukari and Mitsuru clustered around the door, strictly prohibiting them too see the interior of the room. Junpei's sweaty form doubled over in the hallway. Minato dropped the last of the boxes and the girls thanked them. "Man, the stairs are evil. EVIL," Junpei moved to sat in front of the vending machine, leaning his cheeks to the cool glass and sighed in bliss. Minato sat next to him in the floor and stretched out his legs.

"Good thing Tartarus makes us walk all the way, huh" Junpei snorted comically at Minato's words and dug his pocket, the cring-crang of coins in his hands as he inserted them to the vending machine. "Which one do you want?" Junpei asked. Wow, that's rare.

Minato looked at him, amused, "You're buying me a drink?"

"Nah, just think of it as your reward for surviving Tartarus,"

"I survived Tartarus for two weeks and all I get is a drink? Junpei, seriously?" Minato mimicked Junpei's talk. The goatee laughed, "Take it or leave it, dude,"

They decided on two cans of Cielo Mist and they tossed,

"Welcome back... Leader,"


A faint wave of otherwordly power touched his room. His curtains opened suddenly, bringing warm but damp air to his hair and he shivered. Minato opened his eyes to a creak on the edge of his bed. A prisoner sat there, coldly human but vastly different. His returning strength crept up to his veins and he regarded the boy silently. The boy stood, his feet didn't touch the ground and smiled at him.

"You've conquered your enemies again," the nameless being touched Minato's cheeks with cold, superficially human hands.

"Something has changed, but how... Peculiar it is, the origin of your power and the potential it awakens to. What is the origin of such power?" Minato sat up, his back supported by the pillows. "Isn't it because of the contract?"

The being laughed quietly, "I don't know. I don't remember. Just like you. I don't understand how similar we are sometimes," the hands moved, outstretched in front of him.

"I'm very curious about you, and maybe... I can recover my memories, together with you," Minato shook the being's hand and the detached feeling returned, stronger than ever. The Dark Hour accentuated the being's eyes, clarity seemed vague and far-fetched. By the time he knew it, his breathing laboured and the painful pang in his head made him clutched his head. With a silent scream, pale-coloured cards appeared and became a barrier between them.

"...You reject me again, even though it'll be easier for you to accept me," the boy said forlornly, his figure had started to disappear.

"I am... Pharos, that's the name I decided upon." The aching twinge disappeared and a gist of familiar loneliness etched in Pharos's eyes.

"I will stay with you, because that's the only thing I can do," Pharos nodded cheerfully and smiled at Minato.

Before his form disappeared along with the Dark Hour.


Author Note: A breather chapter, I enjoyed writing about Bebe. He seemed like a sissy in-game but when I think about it, being an exchange student in a country so very different than yours is difficult. I know that feeling. The Little Prince is a book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, although I neither own the copy nor I can speak French. I love literatures and old books. Well, I know that I'm a boring person, hehe.

The story is about a pilot who crashed into an asteroid and met a little boy called Prince in a sahara where only Prince and his rose lived. He and the pilot traveled through many asteroids in concise with human nature but eventually he wanted to return to his rose and let himself bitten by a snake. The fox they met in one of the asteroids taught them that by being friends, they've became unique to each other.

So... what I want to say is that a friend is a unique part of your soul, keeping it intact and sane without being detached from the world.

Thanks for reading :)