CHAPTER ONE: The Day We Met

'Cause everything, everything ends at the start

I'm healing and feeling all of my scars, yeah

Say goodbye, say goodbye to the way I was before

Say hello, say hello to a new way

I was lost, but I found was I was looking for

Waking up, waking up to a new day

NEW DAY (Tamar Kaprelian)

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Minako sat down in her seat, relaxed, in Classroom 2-F just as lunch started. Once she sat, her phone beeped in her pocket and she quickly slipped it out of her pocket and looked at the text.

It was from Akihiko.

"I have something important to take care of after school. I want you to come."
"I'll be waiting by the gate. Meet me there."

Short and sweet, Minako grumbled in her head.

After School

Minako made her way to the school gates, running off to meet up with Rio at the Wild Duck Burger, but an annoyed Akihiko was waiting by the gates. "…Oh, there you are." She stopped in her tracks, obviously surprised that Akihiko was waiting for her even though she got a text message earlier. "There's something I have to do, and I want you to come with me." Akihiko grabbed her wrist and held it firmly.

"But I had plans," Minako whined, pulling on his iron grip.

"Well, this is more important," Akihiko replied in a bitter tone.

The SEES leader eyed Akihiko's suitcase. Where could he be taking me? Minako thought. What if he's going to…Oh my God, oh my God, oh my –

Akihiko led Minako to the Iwatodai strip mall, at Hagakure Ramen. Oh my God, oh my – It's just Hagakure… The dirty thoughts in her mind instantly evaporated. This is where he wanted to go?

"You're getting on my nerves!" Shinjiro exclaimed coolly. Minako cocked her head to the side, faintly remembering the face and eyes of that dark and mysterious person at the hospital.

"The situation has changed," Akihiko told him firmly. "Sorry, but this time, I'm not asking."

"What?" Shinjiro looked completely shocked and he squeezed the insides of his pockets, gripping his pocket watch tightly, obviously pissed off.

Akihiko thrust the suitcase he was holding to Shinjiro, making sure he held it. "This belongs to you." It was the case that held his SEES Evoker, untouched for two years.

"Ahh…" He grabbed it roughly, and kept glaring at Akihiko, not noticing Minako standing there in confusion.

"We have a new enemy," Akihiko explained, getting down to business. "They're Persona-users, like us."

"…" Shinjiro looked away, biting his lip. He knew exactly who Akihiko was talking about. "Yeah, so what?" he muttered gruffly, trying to hide his annoyance and hidden feelings.

Akihiko shook his head. "There's more. Ken Amada has joined our team." He knew that Shinjiro would react to that, and that's exactly what happened.

"What?" he cried in surprise, standing up straighter and looking at Akihiko as if he was crazy. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"He has the potential, and Ikutsuki-san has okayed it. He's now a Persona-user," Akihiko told him smugly, trying to hide a grin.

Shinjiro shook his head and took down his slumped form, over the whole ordeal. "You've gotta be kidding me." He bit his lip. "Let me ask you one thing. Was it his decision to join SEES?"

Akihiko nodded. "Yeah. He volunteered."

"…I see."

The air was tense with silence for a good three minutes.

"Then, count me in." Shinjiro turned to Minako, who jumped in surprise from his steely glare. "So, you're the one leading the operations now huh?" A nod. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you fighting for?" He sounded tense, but said it very coolly.

"To protect someone," she replied with the same tone.

"Is that so?" Shinjiro forced himself to keep a straight face, a smile just waiting to appear on his face. "Well, you do your thing; I'll do mine." He shrugged and turned back to Akihiko. Minako kept staring intensely at Shinjiro, his mysteriousness drawing her in. "Is my room still vacant?"

"Yeah."

"Sheesh… Another girl?" Shinjiro grumbled to Akihiko, fully aware of Minako watching him. "First Mitsuru and now her…" He shook his head, running his hand against his forehead to flip the stray hairs away from his beanie-tucked hair.

"So what?" Akihiko rebutted, not noticing his point. "She might be a girl, but she's one hell of a –"

"That ain't my point, numbskull," Shinjiro cut in, rolling his eyes. "I'm saying you gotta keep an eye out for her. Honestly…" Minako's eyes widened in surprise. That was the thing she least expected him to say and something clicked in her head. This guy wasn't as bad as she thought. He had a heart down there and she wanted to find it…

[end of chapter one]