(-- --)

Chapter 10

DEREDEDEDEDE! Junpei has Leveled Up!

As Minato looked around the lounge of the dorm, he couldn't help but think that he didn't really know everyone. They had been living together under the same roof for a little while now, but when did they actually sit down and get to really know each other? He knew they were all hiding behind their own persona, their own mask – even Minato was doing so as well. They all knew he was an orphan, but did they know about the hell he went through after his parents' death? They didn't know that he was passed around his relatives, suffering each one's contempt for him. He wasn't a very likeable boy to them – emotionless, quiet, apathetic, and always listening to that his music of his. Each relative said the same thing: "Why did we have to take him in? He was forced on us! He's such a burden."

No one spoke more than what was needed. Akihiko never spoke of why he was so keen for power. (Minato had an inkling it was about that girl in the photo he found before.) Minato could not understand at the moment why Shinjiro and Akihiko accused each other for not being able to let go of the past. Yukari never spoke of the status of her broken family. Ken would not reveal why he was always locked up in his room or stared enigmatically at Shinjiro. Fuuka never really explained why she did accept the invitation to join SEES so quickly. Mitsuru revealed more about the past of her family, but nothing more than that. Aegis did not (or could not?) reveal the details of her life when she was first activated, and Koromaru couldn't be understood by anyone except by Aegis. She wasn't saying anything either. Junpei was the most talkative out of the group, and yet, he was keeping his previous life before SEES under wraps.

They were all chained – not only to their obligation of fighting the Shadows, but to their own secretive past and the persona they wore to hide it.

That day in class, Minato laid his head down to rest. He looked at Junpei for a moment before looking away. Junpei was always laughing, cracking jokes, acting like the class clown…but what was behind that façade?

(-- --)

-January 16, 2007, Tuesday

Palownia Mall, Game Panic

After School

Chatter and the music of various games filled the arcade. Amidst the various kids and students, were Minato and his friends: Junpei, Yukari, Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro. Minako, Maiko, and Miki were also with them, but they were playing DDR instead. Today is Junpei's birthday, so he got to choose the place to hang out. Yukari protested going to Game Panic, asking why they had to do something so common on a special occasion.

"Crap…" Junpei muttered, violently hitting the buttons of the game. Opposite him was Akihiko, who in reverse was hitting the buttons rather calmly.

"KO!" The game stated. "Player 2 wins!"

"Dammit!!" Junpei yelled, slamming his fists on the game panel. "I let my guard down and lost!"

Yukari snickered and said, "Or maybe you just suck, Junpei."

"Hey, shut up! I resent that!"

Akihiko stood up and said, "Normally, since Junpei lost, he would be buying us food—"

"Ramen." Shinjiro coughed.

"It's his birthday. You can't make him buy us food." Minato cut in. "We'll play another game and the loser will be paying."

The group walked around the arcade, looking for another game to decide the fate of the loser. Yukari spotted the classic Whack-a-Mole game. Dragging Mitsuru with her, they both began playing. "Whoever hits less moles will be buying food for us all!" Junpei yelled over their shoulders.

"Shut up, Stupei!" Yukari yelled back, smacking the moles furiously. The game became faster, with more moles popping up to say hello and only to escape or be hit with a plastic hammer.

For fun, Minato and Junpei crowded around Yukari, helping her hit moles that popped up. Their hands were starting to hurt. Minato even suggested taking off a shoe and use it as a substitute hammer. Seeing the unfair advantage, Akihiko went to Mitsuru, helping her out the way the other two boys were doing. Shinjiro watched them all, hitting moles like idiots, and sighed. He walked over to Mitsuru's side with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He still didn't like her too much, but he could at least make an effort to start. He ripped the plastic hammer away from Mitsuru and mercilessly smashed every mole in sight. Akihiko was careful not to have his hands get in the way. With even one hand smashed, he wouldn't be able to box for a while.

The music ended and the group looked at the score. In a twist of fate or just plain coincidence, it was a tie. Curses were muttered the group moved on through the arcade. They even passed by the DDR machine where Minako and Maiko were facing off and Miki was watching. Junpei looked around and spotted a particular game.

"Hey look! It's the classic Line to Hell! And it is the Maniacs version too!" He said.

"Wow, they still have those?" Yukari asked.

"It's a waste of time. You'll never beat it." Shinjiro replied. "Line to Hell has always been impossible to beat."

"It's that hard?" Mitsuru asked.

"I'll try my luck at it." Minato offered. He sat down at the game, inserted money, and the game started. The game did not begin right away. Music could be heard as Minato's friends crowded in a little closer to him.

"So what does EPMS mean?" Junpei asked.

"Excessively powered mach speed." Minato said absentmindedly. Honestly, he didn't know what it meant, but Junpei was bound to believe it if it sounded intelligent.

"It actually means electrically powered multiple stops." Mitsuru corrected.

"And what about DPMS?"

"Debilitating parietal melting speed."

"It actually means diesel powered multiple stops."

"Go!" The game cried.

Terrible noises came from the game. Rattles and violent screeches grew louder. Yukari flinched at the sound, and even the normally collected Mitsuru was hanging onto Akihiko, trying to shirk away from the sounds and sight of this game. Akihiko was growing horrified and embarrassed, not because of the graphic game, but because the most popular girl in Konata Middle School was hanging onto his arm with no intention of letting go. Shinjiro showed mild amusement at Minato's progress, and Junpei had absolute fear written all over his face.

"Game Over" flashed across the screen, mocking Minato. He turned around and with a sheepish smile, he said, "Whoops. Looks like I lost. You're right, Shinjiro. This is a hard game."

Junpei exploded. "'Whoops' is all you have to say?! You can't say that you're not scarred from those graphics!"

The navy haired boy turned back to the game then to his friends. He shrugged with a casual, "Meh." This earned him another yell from Junpei.

"Dude, being a train conductor should never be one of your career options!" Junpei replied, slapping Minato on the back and shaking his head.

"Minato, if you do decide to become a train conductor, you will have to know the real meaning of EPMS and DPMS." Mitsuru commented with a laugh.

They all started wandering around again. They all grew bored with Game Panic shortly afterwards. They still had a couple more hours before it would start to get dark. Junpei proposed that they play baseball for the rest of the afternoon, and Akihiko pointed out they needed a full roster of nine players.

"Hopefully no one will object, but if we add in my sister, your sister, and Maiko, we will have all our players." Minato answered.

"Well, that's settled!" Junpei exclaimed. "Let's stop at my house first so we can get the baseball stuff."

(-- --)

-January 16, 2007, Tuesday

Iori Residence

After School

Junpei and all his friends stepped inside the Iori household. It was a small two-story house, enough for only Junpei and his mom. He didn't mention his family often. He only stated before that his mom was working two jobs to support only two people. Junpei didn't have any other siblings either. Minato presumed that with Mrs. Iori working so hard, her son didn't see too much of her. That must be why the only son hung out with his friends often – their warmth was the closest thing to a real family.

"You guys can wander around a little bit if you want. There isn't much to see though. I'll just run upstairs to get all my baseball gear." Junpei replied.

"Hey, I'll help." Minato offered.

Shinjiro sniffed the air, his scowl deepening. "Does anyone in your family drink a lot, Junpei?" he asked.

"Uh…"

Shinjiro's face became darker than usual. "I know this smell…how could I ever forget it?"

Junpei's normally cheerful, upbeat face turned dark as well. "I honestly don't know where it is coming from. He shouldn't even be here right now."

Everyone looked from Shinjiro to Junpei, wondering at what they were talking about. Perhaps the only two who had almost a clear idea was Akihiko and Miki. The latter gently tugged at Shinjiro's sleeve and said, "Shinji-san, is it the same as your dad?" He looked down on her, and she didn't flinch under his gaze. She and her brother knew him better than anyone else, and he didn't mean any hostility towards her. He was just hardened by what had happened to him in his childhood.

Junpei moved further into his home, trying to find the source of the alcoholic smell. The source was found just upstairs. There, on the floor, was a man in his late forties. He was unshaven and unkempt – several bottles of hard liquor surrounding him. Some were empty; others were opened and spilled on the floor. Junpei grimaced at the sight.

"What is he doing here?" He asked aloud.

"We should be asking you that, Junpei." Yukari replied. "Who is that man?" Mitsuru pursed her lips together. She began pulling Maiko and Minako with her downstairs. She knew what was going on and the sight was not for a pair of seven-year olds.

"That old man…is my dad." He said with disgust.

The man opened his eyes, trying to focus on the faces above him. The only one he recognized was his son's. His face made a drunken grin, and he attempted to sit up. "Ju-Ju-Junpei!" He called, slurring his son's name. As he spoke, everyone could smell that Mr. Iori's breath heavily reeked with alcohol. "H-h-how are you m'boy?!"

"I'm fine. What are you doing here? You shouldn't even be here, especially with the restraining order still active." Junpei asked, taking one step back, almost pushing his friends down the stairs.

"I c-came to try and s-s-speak with your mother abou-ut coming back."

"She won't be back until late tonight."

"Oh really?" Mr. Iori looked at his son as thoroughly as he could. Minato could imagine that his eyesight was spinning right now. "You look m-m-more grown up, boy! Give your papa a hug!" Junpei threw him a disgusted look. He continued pressing his friends down the stairs as he vehemently refused. "I said, give me a hug!" Minato was starting to get very worried. It looked like he was starting to get angry, and even violent.

"No!"

"You punk!"

Mr. Iori moved to hit his son with a bottle in his hand. Junpei shut his eyes, bracing for the blow, but it never came. There was a shatter of glass, and the sound of liquid hitting the hardwood floor with a splash. Junpei opened his eyes to see Shinjiro in front of him, his now bloody arms raised up. Shinjiro had defended him?

"Shinji!" Akihiko yelled.

"I…really hate…drunken bastards like you!!" Shinjiro yelled. He pushed back Mr. Iori, punching him in the face with a heavy blow. Bone collided with bone, creating a revolting crunch.

"Shinji!"

Minato and Akihiko threw themselves onto Shinjiro, trying their best to apprehend him from his motive of causing Junpei's father any more harm. Shinjiro was buff and quite strong. There was almost no way they could hold him back from committing a terrible crime. Junpei was shaken up, and he leaned on Yukari for support.

"It's not worth it, Shinji! Just let it go!" Akihiko replied.

"Get off, both of you! Do you know how much misery assholes like him can cause?!"

"Aragaki, that's enough." Mitsuru commanded as she came back up from downstairs.

"Yes, Shinji. It's not worth it. If you kill him, you won't be any better than your own dad." Miki replied quietly.

Shinjiro shrugged off Akihiko and Minato. He huffed and went downstairs. They all followed afterwards. No one was in the mood to play baseball anymore, and Shinjiro's cuts needed to be treated as soon as possible.

(-- --)

-January 16, 2007, Tuesday

Palownia Mall, Outside of the Pharmacy

After School

They bought bandages and an antibiotic at the pharmacy, enduring the curious glances from the storeowner. Junpei called his mom and told her that her husband was waiting for her at the house. Shinjiro, Junpei, and Miki sat down on the fountain edge. Yukari was bandaging up Shinjiro's cuts on his arms, as everyone else was crowded around them.

"This is nothing." Shinjiro huffed. "I've endured far worse than this."

"Do you mean that your father beat you as a child?" Mitsuru asked. This was the first she ever heard of it.

He made a slight nod. "Why do you think I'm an orphan?" He didn't have to go any farther than that. Mitsuru was a smart girl. She could figure out what had happened to him.

Junpei began fidgeting. "…my dad wasn't always a dunk." He said quietly. All attention turned to him. "He only started when he was tricked into giving away his life savings to some scam. Afterwards, he hated himself enough to drink into oblivion.

"My mom said that it would be okay. We just had to earn enough money to get by and then go from there. My old man's constant drinking caused us to be in debt further. Mom got fed up with having a passed out husband who was starting to have violent tendencies. She got a restraining order against him and with the help of her parents, we both moved here. She got new jobs and transferred me into Adachi."

Shinjiro scoffed. "At least you and your mom were able to get away." He said. "My mom had chances to get away, and yet she stayed with him. She wanted to support him during his dark days…"

Minako looked at everyone's sullen faces and frowned. "Hey! Today is Junpei's birthday! We shouldn't be sad! So, we should continue celebrating, right?" she asked.

"Haha, thanks Mina-tan." Junpei replied with a half-hearted grin.

Minato agreed with his little sister and said, "If I call my mom now, I can get her started on a cake." Yukari perked up and added that if she called now, her mom could help with cooking and baking, and her father could join in on the party after work.

"Ha. Birthdays at the Arisato household sound like fun."

"Everyone is welcome to come as well." Minato added with a nod.

"A party doesn't sound so bad, but it's a weekday. Will it be all right?" Mitsuru asked. She frowned and added, "I don't want to neglect my studies.

Akihiko smirked. "Oh, it's fine. It's only for one day. You are the smartest girl in the school, you'll survive one night without studying." Mitsuru pressed her lips together in thought. She then mirrored Minato by shrugging with a casual, "Meh."

Junpei grabbed Minato's jacket and whispered to him, "Minato, you're a bad influence on Mitsuru! She's starting to pick up your bad habits!"

"Oh, and you aren't? You got her hooked on chocolate cornet bread!" Minato shot back with a grin.

The mood lightened up again. Petty arguments were dispute, jokes were made, laughs chorused through them. This afternoon made Minato realize that everyone was there for each other. No matter how different they were – no matter what secret they were chained to – the fact remained that they were going to support one another. Whether it will be by taking a bullet for a friend, fighting for another, no longer running away, keeping others connected, believing in a hero, never looking back, healing a loved one's wounds, finding the meaning of life, or just wishing to protect those you with your very life and soul – they all had ways of supporting each other. These were their resolutions.

And by these resolutions, they were chained to each other.

My first intention was to make this chapter very light-hearted, especially since it was subject to Junpei's birthday. But as I was writing the introduction, it became more serious, and I began making it darker as I wrote on. If you have read the scanlations for the Persona 3 manga, then you must have passed Piece 6.5. If you read that piece, then I'm sure you picked out that the first part mirrored that piece only with no Aegis and Ryoji, but those two will make their appearance way later in the story. Then the story got darker afterwards. If you recall from the chapter that introduced the Sanadas and Shinjiro, (for this story) Shinjiro became an orphan because his dad was a drunk. And if you recall from the game, the only insight to Junpei's family life was that his dad was an alcoholic. I brought these two things together, and I was surprised that Shinjiro gained a much bigger role in this chapter, and that made me very happy. I didn't write an epilogue to this chapter since I couldn't find the right words or scene for when Minato woke up during class. I think the ending line is good enough. My final note will be on the ways to support each other - the words in the second to last paragraph. If you've played the game, you would probably understand it. That's right, each one is their resolution that each character comes to after the death of Shinjiro.

Well, that's enough of that. I'm off to work on this P3 one-shot I have in mind, but I'm still far from done. I shall also start working on the next chapter. No, it won't be Fuuka. She won't make her debut until the next school year. I have reasons for doing this. Until then, bye!