A/N: Thanks to Picup, lil-creator and PreseatheKitsune for their positive feedback. This chapter was originally intended to be the third instead of second, but I decided that a light-hearted sort of story after the pretty serious first chapter would probably be a better idea. Once again, I've proof-read this but just let me know if there're any errors!
Title: Banana Pancakes (by Jack Johnson)
Summary: Yukari, Fuuka and Mitsuru. Minato, Junpei and Akihiko. Two separate conversations stemmed from the same topic. Yukari is amazed she is able to have a rather normal conversation with Mitsuru, while Minato and Junpei learn something new about the redhead of the team... (Small spoilers for Yakushima.)
"Hey… Akihiko-senpai looks pretty good, doesn't he?"
It had sounded like a harmless and casual remark, but the moment I turned to my two companions, I wished I hadn't said anything at all. Fuuka was staring at me with a strange expression that I could only describe as a mixture of embarrassment and shock. Her cheeks were quickly turning red, almost rivalling Mitsuru-senpai's hair. The senior herself was blinking at me, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Y-Yukari-chan!" Fuuka gasped. I flashed her a sheepish grin. "Sorry," I said apologetically. "That was kinda random, wasn't it? It's just that…" I shifted my attention to the three boys who were further down the beach. Junpei was paddling in the shallow part of the water while Minato and Akihiko-senpai stood by, chatting about something. "It's just that I've never seen him without his shirt before," I pointed out, taking in the long, muscular arms and well-built body of the silver-haired boxer, whose white T was on the sand a foot or so away. "I mean, look at Stupei! You can see he's been having a little too many Cup-o-Ramens. And Minato-kun… well, he looks alright, but Akihiko-senpai can totally take them both on."
"Um… Yukari-chan, don't tell me you…" started Fuuka hesitantly, but I merely laughed. "No!" I said. "I mean, sure, Akihiko-senpai doesn't look bad, and he has that whole mysterious charm thing going on, but he really isn't my type."
"… Mysterious charm?" Fuuka frowned slightly, as if deeply considering my words. She sat up straighter in her seat and shrugged. "I-I don't know about that. To tell the truth, I'm a little afraid of him…"
"Really, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru-senpai spoke up for the first time, her voice almost amused. Then she gave an uncharacteristic chuckle and said, "Why him of all people?"
Truthfully, I couldn't help agreeing with her. After all, Mitsuru-senpai seemed like a scarier person than Akihiko-senpai. I was inevitably reminded of the discussion we all had a few nights ago, or to be more precise, the huge revelation by Mitsuru-senpai. Familiar feelings of bitterness erupted within me at once but I quickly tried my best to squash them down. We were supposed to be on vacation here. Mitsuru-senpai herself was nice enough (dare I say considerate?) to let us stay at her family home. I shouldn't dig up and remember issues I'd rather forget at a time like this.
"Well…" started Fuuka a little nervously. "Akihiko-senpai always seems so confident. I can almost always taste his excitement and certainty when he goes into battle. It's like nothing ever fazes him. I guess maybe I'm just envious of his nature…"
"Come to think of it, I was sort of scared of him too, the first few days I started staying at the dorm," I admitted, casting my mind back a few months. "He never used to say much to me, just grunted or nodded."
"It takes a while for Akihiko to really warm up to someone," Mitsuru-senpai said, looking back at the book she was reading. "I felt the same way you did when I first met him, Takeba."
I took a minute to study her serious face. For some reason, she seemed so much less intimidating without the well-pressed blouse and high-heel boots. Or maybe it had something to do with the way she's just lazing around with those sunglasses on her head…
"How long have you known him? Akihiko-senpai, I mean," I suddenly found myself asking out of curiosity. Her eyes rose to meet mine, eyebrows raised once more. Even Fuuka was looking at her in mild interest. She averted her gaze and frowned, thinking deeply. "… About four and a half years now," she finally answered. "We met in middle school."
"Wow, I had no idea you two have known each other for so long," Fuuka said, her tone a little in awe. "Did you already know he had a Persona?"
"No, he developed the potential a couple of years later. Before we started out as comrades, we were pretty close schoolmates." Mitsuru-senpai paused. She opened her mouth again to continue, but suddenly hesitated and decided not to say anymore. Naturally, her reaction piqued my curiosity again, but before I could inquire any further, Fuuka was already asking the next question, "How did the both of you meet? Were you in the same class as he was?"
Mitsuru-senpai nodded her head. "Yes. He was sitting at the desk next to me. I helped him out with some homework in the first week, and he brought me some melonpan as thanks. It was the first time I'd ever tasted such a delicious snack!"
… You've never had melonpan before? I stopped myself just in time from blurting out that rather rude question. I noticed Fuuka's astonishment at the redhead's words as well. How could she not have tried something as common as melonpan before? And was it just me, or was Mitsuru-senpai pretty talkative now? I'd never have thought that we could have such a normal conversation with her. Maybe she's been in the sun too long…
"Four and a half years, huh?" I repeated thoughtfully, suddenly feeling bolder and cheeky (Maybe I was the one soaking too much of the sun…). "So, have the two of you ever gone out?" From the corner of my eyes, I saw Fuuka's rather alarmed expression.
Mitsuru-senpai blinked. "Gone out? Do you mean like shopping? No, I don't really like going to malls."
"No, I meant dates," I giggled. "Have the two of you ever dated before?"
Senpai blinked again, and she stared at me so intently that I was beginning to wonder if she really understood the question at all. On the other hand, she also looked as if she had never considered such a possibility before. After a few seconds, she shifted her attention back to her book. Perhaps I went a little too far…
"Of course not," responded Mitsuru-senpai in a neutral tone. She kept her eyes on the pages before her. "Akihiko's a good friend. He's almost like a brother to me. We don't… we never had that sort of romantic relationship. Things between us go deeper than that… and they're more complex than they seem…" Her last sentence was said under her breath—I didn't know if she had even intended for us to hear it. Fuuka and I exchanged glances, suddenly a little uncomfortable. Somehow, the light-hearted conversation had turned rather sombre.
I cleared my throat awkwardly and got up from the deckchair, my feet sinking into the lovely, warm sand. "Wanna go for a swim?" I asked as amicably as I could.
"Okay." Fuuka jumped up.
"You two go on ahead," Mitsuru-senpai said, her gaze still on her book. "I'll join you later."
As Fuuka and I headed down to the boys, I found myself taking a glimpse at the redheaded senior behind us. I felt a little annoyed. The questions I asked weren't offensive or anything. Why did she have to act that way?
Honestly, sometimes I didn't get Mitsuru Kirijo at all.
"… I think I can use that little rock there as the starting point, and I'll swim all the way over to that other rock. I'll do about ten laps… or maybe even fifteen…" I touched my chin thoughtfully, frowning as I pointed to the dark-grey stones that were jutting out of the sea. Minato followed my gaze, his hands deep in his pockets, his back slightly hunched. "That's pretty far, Senpai," he said. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
I grinned good-humouredly at him. "Of course. Back in school, I do more intense training than that. I'll be alright," I confidently said.
"Senpai!" came Junpei's rather irritated voice. "We're supposed to be on vacation! Why are you doing laps? You should be splashing around in the water or at least sunbathing or somethin'…"
Sunbathing? I couldn't help feeling a little horrified at such a notion.
"And what's Yuka-tan doing there with Fuuka and Mitsuru-senpai? They shouldn't just lie there; they should come over and join me!" I got the feeling Junpei took this whole Yakushima thing too seriously. He acted as if the beach was going to melt away if no one swam around with him. And I knew the other reason he wanted the girls around him…
Ugh, that brought a bad aftertaste in my mouth…
"Why is Mitsuru-senpai reading?" Junpei's eyes grew as wide as saucers as he stared, agape. Minato and I turned to look at the girls. True enough, Mitsuru was holding a hardcover in her hands. She was talking to Yukari and Fuuka and they were all oblivious to our stares.
"It's her family's vacation home." I shrugged. "She's probably been here thousands of times already. Let her do what she wants."
"I hope her Dad doesn't suddenly kick us out. He didn't look like he was in a good mood just now…" Junpei shuddered but I just laughed.
"Don't worry about it! He may seem scary at first but he's actually quite a nice guy," I explained with a smile.
"You've met him before, Senpai?" Minato questioned, eyebrows arched up. I nodded. "Yeah, loads of times," I said. "I've known Mitsuru for a while now. Her father used to visit us at the dorm once a month." A small part of me wanted to mention Shinji as well, but I knew the two juniors would want to know more if I did, and I wasn't in the mood to tell them about our past.
"You know, Mitsuru-senpai acts a little weird with her father," Junpei bluntly pointed out. "I'd never have guessed they were father and daughter! She talked to him like she was talking to a friend she just bumped into."
Minato had on an agreeing expression. I rested my hands on my hips and turned to stare out at the sea. Mitsuru did have a strange relationship with her father; one that had initially puzzled me as well. I knew it wasn't that she didn't love him—far from that. After all, it was her love for him that gave birth to her Persona. But still, the both of them didn't usually act like a parent and his child. Maybe it was all a façade?
"Hey, Akihiko-senpai!" Junpei's voice burst my bubbles of thoughts. I faced him just in time to see him wearing a rather sly look on his face. Nearby, Minato merely blinked at him emotionlessly. I grew wary at once. Junpei was acting suspicious—what was he up to?
"… What?" I dared to ask.
"So you've known Mitsuru-senpai for a long time, huh?" I nodded at his inquiry. "So… have you ever asked her out?"
I stared at him, once more slightly horrified, and repeated, "… What?"
"You know!" Junpei exploded into laughter, unable to contain his mirth. For some reason, I suddenly had the urge to choke him. "The both of you—dating!"
A small smile touched Minato's lips and he gave a soft chuckle as well. I, on the other hand, simply stood there and stared at the two of them.
"Well?" egged Junpei in between his guffaws. I found myself frowning and turning away from him. "Don't be ridiculous," I almost barked, annoyed. "Mitsuru and I are just friends—have been and always will be. Go ask her yourself if you don't believe me." It was true. Sure, I cared about her, but in the same way I cared about Shinji. Mitsuru was beautiful, intelligent, confident—all attractive qualities, but over the last few years, there hadn't been a hint of romance at all between us. We were good friends who knew each other inside and out; good friends who were there for each other no matter what.
"Uhh… I'll pass…" Junpei said, scratching his short-cropped hair.
"For a second there, Senpai, you looked a little freaked out," Minato shrewdly observed, his voice amused.
"Of course I was freaked out," I said. "The idea of asking Mitsuru Kirijo out makes every guy pee in his pants. I thought it's common knowledge in school. Don't you guys know?" I involuntarily shuddered, remembering a couple of incidents involving male students (usually new), pick-up lines and Mitsuru's icy glare. I caught sight of the wide-eyed looks belonging to both Junpei and Minato and decided to share a little information that was pretty well known among the senior students.
"Mitsuru absolutely hates guys hitting on her," I said patiently, almost as if I was teaching a child to go potty. "She hates people staring at her, she hates people worshipping her, and she hates lewd behaviour, especially towards her." I noticed Junpei immediately freezing up at my words. I inwardly smiled. It would do him good to behave himself in front of our redheaded hostess during the course of this vacation. "I've personally seen her reduce a guy to shivers and shakes and close to tears when he asked her if she wanted to 'get down' with him." I couldn't help sniggering. "Man, what a corny line... Anyway, what I'm trying to say is... you two should keep yourselves in check when you're around her. Trust me, all the other seniors do—the guys, I mean."
Junpei and Minato remained shell-shocked even after I had completed my lecture. I badly wanted to laugh at their expressions.
"… I had no idea Mitsuru-senpai could be so…" Minato trailed off, thinking of the right word to use. "… scary."
After a while, Junpei shook his head and gave me a nervous grin. "Heh, Senpai, it almost seems like you're afraid of her," he said jokingly.
"I am afraid of her," I shamelessly admitted. Once again, that brought about two petrified stares from my companions. I understood Junpei's shock, but why was Minato so surprised? Hadn't I told him about Polydeuces' weakness to ice, and how Mitsuru's Persona was ice based? I had thought that he was able to see the connection there, but perhaps I should have been more specific… "And I think you guys should, too," I added.
"Uh…" Junpei started, but appeared to falter.
"… Yukari and Fuuka are coming over," Minato remarked, catching sight of the two girls who were approaching us. I turned to look at them, noticing that Mitsuru had stayed behind to do some reading, which was actually quite a good thing, in my case. I wasn't used to seeing her in so little clothing.
"Well, I'm off to start my training. That was an educational session, wasn't it? Better keep everything I said in mind now." I brightly chirped, beginning to wade through the waves.
I got no response at all. Oh well…