[Ao]
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona Series copyright goes to their respective awesome owner/s. This AU comes from the depth of our sea of imagination.
"Aiko-chan~!"
The cheerful tune grabbed my attention from my soft fantasy. With the little attention I could muster from my physique; I turn to see my childhood friend's kind smile.
"Ryo-chan…"baffled. It is not lunch time yet. Why is he here in my class?
He chuckles good-heartedly; it was the sole reason the class in uproar of girly swoons and shrieks. The charm still remains intact with him ever since he transferred. On second thought, why did he transfer here to Gekkoukan High?
"You seemed surprised to see me." For once he looked amused. "Is it because of my charismatic presence that made you baffled~?" Then again, he is dubbed as the 'Romeo' of Gekkoukan. Maybe the female populace is attracted to his very carefree and friendly attitude.
Even so, I cannot keep myself from giggling at his antique. For me, Ryoji Mochizuki is my precious childhood friend that was once lost and now managed to track me down here to Port Island. I cannot be more than happier to be reunited with him, even how outgoing he is.
"Lunch time is not here yet so yes, I am a bit surprised." I gave Ryoji a small smile with a brave heart, dismissing the part where the female classmates (and neighboring classmates) shot me hurtful and burning glares. I wonder how I survived this long.
"Yes, it is really interesting that you visit Aiko at this part of the day." The famous monotonous blond speaks up with his hand still scribbling into his mysterious book. Though, his emerald eyes gaze upon Ryoji, blankly assessing him. I sigh lightly at Takumi Usui's attitude. It is not over-bearing but at some part of the day, I wish he would not be this weird.
"Is it~?" Ryoji cracks a smile to Takumi and continues after a nod from the named blond. "I am here to invite Aiko-chan to lunch later." Now, the cheery navy orbs lay upon me hopefully.
Another degree burned my back. I swear I can hear the fire cracking closer than before. Are there any angry mobs complete with pitchforks and torches behind me?
Hesitantly, I came up with my choice of words carefully. "I am not so sure, Ryo-chan…" Relieved that he looked calm with my answer, "…I'll inform you later, if I can." The second sentence sounds more like a question instead of a statement.
"Okay~" He grinned. That is never a good sign. "I will pick you up later, then~" Without missing a beat, Ryoji give me a wink that I have not used to as of yet and ambles out happily from my class.
The heat of the glares continued to rise.
I sigh at this. Have I not explained that Ryoji and I are only childhood friends? The hardship of the girls in love has never really that far from jealousy. Another point is Ryoji has always been that kind of guy.
A light pressure presses my head down a bit. Slightly glaring the emerald classmate besides me, annoyed and questioning look send to his direction.
Takumi still with his expressionless visage pats my head gently. Oh, now I understand. He is comforting me. I giggled a bit at him, the feeling of secure washed over my body. As alien as Takumi is, he is the one who ward off the fanatics away and saving me from the traps and tricks created just for me. A light tired sigh escapes my lips, reminiscing the unfortunate times.
Footsteps of Miss Toriumi reverberating through the classroom along with her voice ushering us to our seats. The fifth period on Wednesday is always English. 'This would be fun' chimes their way around my head.
Bells ringing through the P.A system and finally the class are over for the day. Stretching the numb hands and legs and sighs happily, I wondered if there are any more assignments the next day. The week has been chaotic and full of works, I fear if I won't finish them in time.
Laying my head to the cool tabletop, I notice there are shuffling footsteps approaching my seat. I sigh again. This all feels like déjà vu.
"Hey, Aiko". The voice was filled with hatred and envy. "Why you of all people Ryoji asked to have lunch with?" My eyes shifted to the clear glass window and from the reflection there are about six of my classmates bounding me to my seat. Takumi is out from the class helping Miss Toriumi carrying the books back to the library and now I am almost defenseless. Almost.
It took much of my effort to slide off the table and meet their fuming gazes. Do I really need to repeat again my reason to them, or should I just say something to make them annoyed? Not that they are not furious enough.
"Ryo-chan is childhood friend. Maybe he has something to say…" The timid voice of mine barely crossed their human-barrier wall. I doubt anyone would help me against these wrathful fans.
Another pillar of the human wall scoffs, disbelief of what I have stated. It is true, I am Ryoji's childhood friend back in the countryside however, and we lost contact with each other after I moved here, Port Island.
"Do you really think that is enough as an excuse?" The same pillar gives her input. "I mean, look at you!" Now, she is assessing me. Her eyes trail up and down of my features with almost a disgusted look. "You don't even know how to use make up and dress yourself properly." This time her voice seethes with fury and poison.
Wait. Is it really bad for someone not wearing make-up? And this is a school so I don't want to make the teachers reprimanding me about my uniform. I mean, I do dress up when it is outside of the school.
Occasionally.
Hey~! They are casual clothes and it is very comforting.
Casual is not the same as dressing up. I would call you dressing up if you wear a dress like Mirai or formal clothes like Shizuko.
Hey~! Stop degrading me, brain~!
Since I am you that means you are degrading yourself.
…Touché.
"Honestly, you are clumsy and always cause a disaster to other people!" The pillar at the furthest left side gives her opinion to the group. "What if it was Akihiko-sama got into the accident instead of you?!"
Ouch.
I agree with you, brain.
Her words slapped me by the cheek and my heart suddenly feels heavy as I avert my gaze to the empty space infront. Tears began to well up with guilt, resentment and above all, pain. Is that what these girls think? That my life is insignificant and miniscule that it should be ripped away at any time?
"What are you girls doing?"
My eyes widen at the interrupting yet familiar voice. His voice is slightly deep with a faint husk tailing at the end of the sentence, with a dab of mystified tone.
The human wall next to me freezes for a second before one of the pillar stuttering, "A-akihiko-sama…!" The next thing I heard is the swoons and shrieks of the same fans, delighted to have given the opportunity to gawk at their sporty idol.
"U-umm…" hesitation seams along his voice, clueless on how to respond to the situation.
"What can I help you, Akihiko-sama?" The leader of the human wall asks giddily, unaware of the uncomfortable look on the named person. Shifting his weight to his left feet and out of the blue, the popular student calls out for me.
"Aiko-san…" the gentle voice uttered.
Light and loathing gasps fill the room. The fanatics began to mutter under their breath but it was loud enough for me to hear.
"Her, again?" Detest.
"Why is it had to be that girl again?" Repulsed.
"She was the one who broke off the relationship." Hatred.
"Akihiko-sama was even colder than before after that." Abhorrence.
"It was all her fault…!" Loathe.
In the midst of the muttering crowd, my hand was captured to my surprise. Dragging my being away from the hurtful situation was the man the girls chattered about, the one that I left behind once upon a time.
Keeping my head down to the floor and slumping both of my shoulders and the light varies in this brightness. The sudden clank of the doorknob and a brilliant light escapes from the open door. I was pulled into the light and squinted to its intensity. The sound of the door closes with a small click.
The rooftop is barren only accompanied the voices of the students downstairs at the field, training for their next competition. The soft breeze plays along the tan-coloured strands of my hair with my bang hiding the onyx eyes under its shadow.
Slowly and steadily, footsteps began to closing in. I am still frozen with my feet glued to the pavement, unmoving due to the pain I feel stabbing in my heart.
Then, there it was, a pair of warm arms encircling my tiny frame while gently stroking my head, calming and easing my aching heart away.
"It has been hard for you," the soothing tone of his has not faded since the day we first met.
"…Aiko." As he continues addressing me without the formality, tears begin to trail down my pale cheeks. The way he expressed my name is filled with love and longing clenches my heart, throwing all of my guilt to the world.
He stiffened to my involuntary action and pulls away with a gap wide enough to see my vulnerable state.
"A-am I hurting you?" the concerned and slow-witted of his caused me release some of my hidden laugh. Albeit this he become more concern of my current state and closing the former gap he made few minutes ago. "Hey, are you feeling okay?"
"I am…f-fine," I managed out between of the suppressed weeps. "You are still the same as ever…" a hiccup vibrates through me signalling that I cried too much. "You worry too much…"
If I imagined correctly, Akihiko Sanada would smiles faintly at my response. "You too are the same since I met you." His hold becomes tighter yet gentler at the same time, the feeling of anxious seeps through his hold not wanting to lose his precious ones.
"…I am sorry."
"...I'm the one who's wrong, Aki…"
Akihiko pulls away slightly again, only to sweep the fringe away to the side. Our gaze met after so long avoiding each other, the warm grey-coloured iris still holds the fond look that I never should have got.
He is too nice for me.
"It is been a while since I heard you calling me that," slowly his free hand caress the pink-tinted cheek of mine.
Holding out from pushing him away as I used to, I could only blush under his hold as well lost into his warm eyes. He suffered enough already and I do not want to keep doing it. He stated boldly that he would wait for me even though I was the one who part away from him.
With a light squeeze on my left shoulder, the grey-haired boxer reluctantly parts away but again his hand captured mine without knowing. My concentration is getting worst by the day, I told myself.
The sudden rap of the knocking sound brings us back out from our quiet reverie.
"Hey, are you two done yet?"
My face suddenly flushed bright red hearing those words. Does that mean someone saw me and Akihiko here? And moreover, why does it have to be this pervert?!
The door opens before either of us got to say anything. With his perverted grin, Junpei Iori saunters to our direction. "So, how far did you go, Akihiko-senpai?"
A punch landed right onto his face, courtesy of the undefeatable boxing champion himself.
While the two banters (more like Akihiko threatening Junpei), another familiar person voices up. "…What happened?"
To other people, they would interpret his tone filled with void (or to the fanatics, cool) and straight-forward. To me, I can still hear his concern tone lacing around his voice. The eminent cool blunette, Minato Arisato steps up to me while staring with his cobalt eyes.
Shaking the painful event from my mind, I smile lightly. "Just the usual ones."
"…Where was Usui-san?"
"He went to the library, helping Miss Toriumi carrying some books."
Silence fills the rooftop excluding the noises of Akihiko intimidating Junpei though the subtle concern of his cobalt eyes continues to search the words in mine. Warm bloods rush to my cheeks, threatening to paint them to pinkish palettes.
"…Okay." Minato finally utters but from his lack of tone, I do think he knows what happened. I sigh again; he never seems to pass this one up too, does he? In any case, there is nothing that escapes his scrutinizing blank gaze.
"…But, you should have called someone for help. Me for instance." he mutters quietly but above my hearing range. A small smile passes through my lips; it is true that he is worried about me. He is my best friend after all, he knows me and I know him.
I wave my hand to him, my awkward gesture signalling 'Ah-you-worry-too-much-it-is-nothing-really' response with a light smile. I hope he would buy this one.
"…"
Ah, he didn't buy my excuse.
Who would? We keep saying that to almost everyone.
Shut it, brain.
Your loss.
Why is it my loss?
…Because it is.
…Why are you my brain again?
Back from the short disputable trance with my other self (she sounds so much like Aiden), Minato keeps hold of his gaze onto me. Does this mean I have to say it out loud? I don't really want to bother him, especially on this little thing.
"…"
After a good few seconds and a sigh as the opening, words come pouring out from my throat creating sentences of the previous events that happened. Minato quietly listens to the story only nodding few times showing that he understood the storyline. Finally finishing the tale without adding the rooftop incident, I clamp my lips close hoping for him to notice that is as far I would talk.
The glint of concern reflects under the summer day, the warmth of his demeanour sailing across the warm, humid air and the sound of the irritating cicadas are hush by his unspoken words.
"…Have you had your lunch, Aiko?" I smile at his unrelated question. Minato-kun always know how keep me sunny-side-up, no matter in what occasion, no matter in what time of the day. Whenever I feel down or upset, this navy-haired friend has always been there to keep me company.
"Not yet", I replied chirpily, hoping to make his concern fade away. "Ah", I continue, starting to recall Ryoji's invitation. I was supposed to duck away from him. His fans do not appreciate me to be so close with their 'Romeo'.
"There you are, Aiko-chan~"
I drop my head while sighing tiredly. Ryoji could always find me no matter where I am which always cost me to lose our hide-and-seek game when we were little.
"I was looking for you at class but you weren't there~ I thought someone had kidnapped my adorable princess away~", he continues to step aloofly towards us.
"Oh, Aiko-tan was kidnapped earlier~", Junpei's mocking voice suddenly turns up. I didn't realised Akihiko and Junpei had stopped arguing. Scratch that, Akihiko was castigating Junpei. The capped guy was too intimidated to fight back. "That is how she ended here, on this very rooftop~", Junpei beams with mischief while casting brief glances towards me and Akihiko.
Akihiko send a left hook to the capped guy causing Junpei to flinch away, ultimately saving him body from another obvious bruise. The boxer on the other hand, is giving him an overwhelming glare which could maybe tears into tiny little shreds.
"I was helping Aiko-san", Akihiko manage to control his outburst from raging the rooftop again while Junpei scoots away to Ryoji's side.
"Helping her…", the confuse tone of 'Romeo' reverberating across the light breeze, unaware that he was (yet again) the cause of the previous event.
"…Melon bread", the blue-haired states out of nowhere.
The rest of the group direct their gaze towards Minato, wondering of what he meant. Why melon bread? There is no connection between those two.
"…It would be sold out by now", the rumble of the said male enlightens us. Minato must be starving right now. He has never been away this long from food during lunch time. A small laugh slips through my lips.
"We should go now then", said myself with a smile.
Agreeing with my suggestion and concern about the famished navy-haired student's consciousness, all of us steps out from the rooftop into the school's building only to be welcomed by a bloodcurdling scream.
[Aoki]
Umm, hello...
*awkward aura*
...This is my first ever formal fanfic so constructing criticisms are welcome...
*again awkward*
Oh, about Usui Takumi. He is my cameo in my fanfic because I love this weird alien. Hehehe, he is like a brother to me.
[Ao]
*sighs* This girl... This is our first time publishing our work so please help us out (her, especially). We would really appreciate it. *bows*