DISCLAIMER: I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the lyrics included.
Author's Note: I am terribly sorry for the lack of update for so long. orz I crashed against a very huge writer's block and then I got busy drawing this manga project I'm going to submit over at mangamagazine dot net. (I hope you could read it and support me there too. ^_^ lol)
Anyways, I don't think this could suffice for my absence but I'll try my best to make it up to you in the last two chapters. Yes, how sad, only two more chapters. And thank you for all those who reviewed the previous chapter!
Counting Down the Days
Goodbye, goodbye
You never know
5
You never noticed, but this is how she say goodbye…
4
I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
The last chime of the bell had rung a few minutes ago, and Junpei notice that it's just him and Minako that is all but left in the classroom. On most days, he recalls, she usually goes off before the room empties out of students either to club duties, or student council, or committee, or anywhere with anywho on a certain day. Sometimes, if she's free she goes up to him and agrees to walk back to the dorm together and take a bite at Hagakure or Wuck.
Today, she isn't as up and about as she had always been. Minako is as still as a statue on her seat, staring off the window listlessly, a blank expression on her face. There isn't even the slightest sound of unconscious tapping of fingers and feet. And as much as he'd like to bask in her stillness and engrave in his memory the momentary peacefulness that he rarely sees in her, Junpei decides to approach her.
"Hey Mina-tan! S'up? You free or something today?" Junpei asks, stretching his cheeks to a grin in which he knows he's failing.
Minako turns to him slowly, brows furrowed, and then her lips upturns to an easy smile. If she saw how ridiculous his face was with that attempt of a grin she didn't say a thing. However, Junpei notes there is a trace of surprise and confusion in her eyes.
"Yeah. Let's go to Hagakure!" And just like that she's all smiles and laughter again.
Junpei pays much attention to every detail of motion of his best friend on their way to the Strip Mall. He couldn't shake off the fact that there are some things that he's not supposed to find in her. But even if he thinks on what he's suppose to see in her nothing actually comes into mind. She's still Minako, just lacking something. She can still do that 'listening on her blasting earphones all the while talking to someone thing'. She still smiles and laughs on his lame jokes and tales of pointless trivialities. However, he can't help but be aware of how her eyes kept blinking to ward off drowsiness, how she'd suck in a breath that was too deep that Junpei's reminded of drowning, how her cheerfulness is all but strained. There's also that constant worry that never left Junpei, that in just a moment she'd fall and he'd have to act fast enough to catch her. It made him jumpy and somewhat paranoid. She looks so tired.
But he chooses not to comment on it. He attributes it to the nearing stress of being a senior and the fact that Sanada-senpai's moving away, and that probably with the ending of the school year she's become busier with all of her responsibilities. He can't say she's just not the same. Or maybe he's the one that's different. The one that's change. He pushes the thought off when he hears her ask him.
"So, two specials right?"
"Uh…yeah, of course."
She tells the shopkeeper their orders and takes off the headphones from her ears. The music stops as she fiddles with the player on her pocket.
"Don't you have anything to attend today?" Junpei inquires, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"Nope." Minako leans on the counter.
Their orders come shortly. Minako, for all her lethargy that day, suddenly decides to eat by the railings outside. She let her legs dangle in between the bars while Junpei sits with his legs folded comfortably. They eat silently, enjoying the delicious bowl of ramen. Minako tilts her head and smiles softly as she remembers something.
"Have you heard of the rumor about the Hagakure special bowl?" She asks him.
"Huh? What about it?" He hadn't known anything about that until she mentioned it.
"Well, apparently if you eat it with someone you'll be friends forever." They look at each other's eyes with a wide grin on both their faces, and they burst out laughing.
"As if we need more of that." Junpei tells her in between his laughs. Minako's chuckles die down easily and she sighs.
"Hey Junpei, let's go ride a swing today!" It's an out of the blue request, but there's something nagging at the back of his mind that it was him who told Minako that they ride a swing together someday. There's that uneasiness within him again, like there's something he's supposed to know, like his swimming between unconsciousness and reality.
"Okay." He answers, because he doesn't know what else to say. After they deposit their empty bowls back inside Hagakure, Minako leads the way towards the station. Junpei follows still bothered, and then something comes to mind.
"Hey, there aren't any swings on the shrine. How are we supposed to…"
"Uhuh" Minako nods. "We aren't going to Naganaki Shrine." She gives him that mischievous smile of hers.
"So…" He still doesn't get it though. The only play set Port Island has is at the shrine. And it doesn't have any swings.
"There's a public park at the next town. And they have a swing set. So we've got to ride the train."
So that's probably why they're heading to the station. He could hear from Minako's voice that she's really looking forward to it. Who knew that riding on a swing together could make Minako excited? Then again the girl does have tendencies to get childish.
Minako tells him that she found out about the park when she decided to go on touring outside Port Island. Not that she was particularly looking for a swing set but she just wanted to see new places. And he believes her (even though he knew she was just giving an alibi), because for some reason he knows that it's only to him that Minako says ridiculous things, and only with her he feels comfortable and understood.
The wind gushing against him feels nice. Thrusting the swing upwards with his legs and the exhilaration makes him giddy. As if some sort of energy stored for too long has finally been set free. The view from the top isn't as promising as he had wanted. The horizon beyond the park is only filled with lines of apartments, but with Minako laughing on the seat below and the setting sun piercing through them he feels it too surreal yet contented all at the same time.
Despite the fact that darkness had set in Minako insists they stay awhile longer. They sit back to back on a single swing with Minako resting her head on his. He guesses this is fine; nevertheless it isn't often that he gets to take away Minako from spending most of her free days with Sanada-senpai. And it's alright even if said senpai gets mad at him for stealing his precious girlfriend's time. This is all worth it. After all he's the best friend.
Finally Minako speaks, breaking the peaceful silence between them.
"I wish we could do this again…some more…" Something in Junpei could tell melancholy drapes her.
"Yeah, of course." And he wonders if it really is her he's reassuring or himself.
3
You and the end of summer and the dreams of the future
And our big hope, I won't forget them.
Shinjiro grips the steel bars that supports him too sternly, not out of anger and not out of irritation either. He tries to shift his footing, even though he knows it's an incredible feat that he won't be able to do until a three weeks worth of therapy, but he still does just so he could shake off a little bit of the uncomfortableness of her heavy gaze.
He has no idea why she's here, or under what good reason could she possibly have to see him. Truthfully he never thought he'd see her again after that stunt he pulled and the thing with Aki. Hell, even Aki haven't had the nerve to visit. Not yet at least. So it's such a wonder to Shinjiro to see the girl he tried not to imagine standing in front of him.
It was a good couple of minutes of anxious sighing and awkward glances that she finally speaks.
"I came because...I just…wanted to say…" she pauses to heave a breath so deep that Shinjiro thinks she's drowning. "…please come to the graduation ceremony."
He looks at her incredulously. "I don't have a reason to go. I don't even attend school anymore."
"But you do! I mean, you have a reason…and your Aki's friend." She hangs her head, as if saying Aki's name in his presence is a crime.
"It wouldn't be a loss to Aki if I weren't there. If that's all…you can go now."
"Please come." She bows so low that it attracts the attention of the therapy attendants and other patients. However Shinjiro doesn't notice them for he was straining to hear what she's murmuring in a voice audible just to herself.
"…for me and for the promise."
But he hears it. And it's like that day again. Although this time he is washed down with sorrow, he doesn't know why. She straightens up and gives him a smile that he knows would haunt him in both his awake and asleep moments.
"You haven't called me by my name yet, as I recall senpai."
"Does it matter?"
She flinches from his question and he wishes he shouldn't have said it. The guilt eats him away immediately. She looks down and gives her attention to her shuffling feet.
"It matters to me."
Shinjiro never was a good conversationalist; he's rough, tacky, and cold. He doesn't spill out the crap that Aki does but right now he'd give his pea coat away even just for an ounce of his best friend's sentimentality.
And maybe that's why she's with Aki.
Her chin snaps back up to gaze into his eyes, her red orbs shining with soft moist. He is suddenly worried she might cry.
"Before I go…I hope you'll forgive me for this."
He doesn't get to ask what she meant nor to react fast enough on her action, all Shinjiro managed to do is to gape astonished as she embraces him tightly. Her arms wound around his waist and her head resting on his chest. He tries not to stumble as he adjusts himself to not fall with her weight suddenly against him. Shinjiro mulls over on what to do, he deliberates on whether to put his arms around her or to get out of her hold as fast as he can. He doesn't get to do anything though because his hands are stuck to the steel bars that help him to be upright and because all too suddenly she retracts herself off of him. Shinjiro wanting to preserve his semblance hides his blushing face from the embarrassment of getting seen by the other people in the room.
She doesn't even give him a second to recover, unfair as always. She's already bidding her farewell.
"I'll be waiting for you Shinji, on graduation day. You know where to find me."
He is left to stare at the image of her leaving again.
She called him Shinji without formality, and it sounds familiar like a music he's heard before. He wishes he could have said it for her too.
"Minako…"
2
Why don't you hear me when I'm calling out to you?
Why don't you listen when I've tried to make it through?
The door of his room creaks open in the middle of the night and Akihiko instantly knew that it's one of those nights that Minako decides to secretly sneak into his room. Instead of welcoming her he pretends to be asleep with his back on her. The bed dips behind him and a pair of pale arms and cold legs wraps around him. Minako kisses his bare back. The lines she's tracing with her hand on his abdomen makes him tickle that he finds it hard to keep still. Akihiko chuckles and grabs her hand. He shifts to face her.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Minako smiles and gives him a chaste kiss on the lips. And then another one. And another one. And another one. And another one. It seems like she's bent on showering him pecks on the lips that he takes her face to stop her, for a while of course.
"Hey...what is that?"
Minako gifts him with a timid smile.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Akihiko still not letting go of her face leans in to kiss her but not with small smacks like the ones she gave him but with a full deep kiss. Minako opens her mouth voluntarily and Akihiko happily explores her. Akihiko's hands crawls down to caress her thigh while another works to push her chemise up her stomach. Minako moans appreciatively, making her hands busy as well by sliding them down his sides and unto the edges of his boxers.
They touch each other with utmost fancy, stroking the fire within the other into smoldering conflagration of desire. They dance in the rhythm of flames and as their movements die down they turn into embers glowing bright and dim, panting for breath and writhing in pleasure.
Hanging on the peeling moment of euphoria Minako brings her lips on the slit in between Akihiko's ear and neck.
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
She buries herself on the crook of space she loved to hide.
Akihiko releases a chuckle that ruins the words as he starts to speak.
"Don't worry. I'll call often and even visit whenever I get the time. I'll give you my schedule so you can visit me too."
He nudges her to look up. When she stubbornly doesn't, he cups her face and kisses her cheekbone. Akihiko blushes (an action he regularly does whenever he's going to say something that he thinks would embarrass him) and looks down to somewhat avoid her gaze, which is a bad move since Minako's breasts are barely covered with his blanket in their current position. He stares back up into her eyes again.
"Uhm, next year…ah, a-after you…graduate, move in with me. What I mean is I want to live with you like this. I'll rent an apartment for the both of us, not as nifty as this one but I'll get a decent part-time job and work hard so we can at least find some place nice. You can enroll at the nearby colleges and then…we could…always be together."
The sides of Minako's lips turn up a bit and her eyes crinkle with a mist glossing over its redness.
"I'd like that too." She whispers and it means so much more than it sounds.
Minako nestles herself closer to him with her hands interlaced at his nape that Akihiko has to shift to lay on his side. Minako mumbles against his skin and it causes a shiver down his spine.
"I want to be with Aki more."
Akihiko smiles and the warmth in his chest blooms further.
"It'll be alright. It's not like a year would last forever."
1
A goodbye when you hold back your tears and smile is lonely, isn't it?
Author's Note: I know this was too short. Originally all SEES members should have been included, I've already written something for everyone, however for the life of me they can't cooperate so it came out really bland so I had to cut those parts out. And as you can see only Junpei's survived, which I've written way before this whole fanfic got started.
Also, I've started writing some kind of sequel for this fic and it's still on deliberation whether it'll be multi-chaptered or a oneshot.
Just so you know it would be my take on The Answer, but a different version. No Metis, no Aigis inheriting power, no Time of Abyss (I think? I might twist this one.), and very very different. It's not like The Answer at all actually, as if I'd put it in place of The Answer.