A/N: This chapter continues where the previous one left off. There's a bit more interaction here with Aki and Shinji, which resulted in more dialogue than I wanted. Nevertheless, I decided it should be a bit shorter since I wanna continue trying to explore what I can do with the summer festival.

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Persona 3/FES/Portable and all related stuff (c) Atlus.

Chapter 4
Sneaking Out

Orphanage, 2nd Floor, Boys' Bedroom - Late Night

A pair of brown eyes opened as soon as the door closed. Suoh's usual check didn't take as long today, but he could tell by the shuffling of her footsteps that she wasn't feeling to energetic.

Shinjiro slowly sat up, taking care that the old bed he slept in didn't squeak. His eyes were already used to the darkness, so he could easily see the other boys were already settled in for the night.

Now was a good a time as any. But there was one thing he forgot to take into account as he climbed out of bed and started towards the door- the occupant of the bed that was closest to the entryway to the hall.

As soon as he turned the knob and opened the door, the voice stopped him right in his tracks.

"What are you doing, Shinji?"

Great. Of all people, it just had to be him. The silver-haired boy had sat up and was looking right at him in the darkness. His hair was a bit messed up, but he seemed wide awake.

"None of your business. Go back to sleep, Aki."

Akihiko's brows knitted together; the brunette figured it had to be either because of the nickname (it was stuck at this point, much to the other boy's chagrin) or at his own rudeness-not that he cared.

"You can't go out. You're gonna get in trouble."

"Whatcha gonna do? Stand there like an idiot like when you made your sister cry?" Shinjiro opened the door wider, hoping his insult would silence this kid.

"Sh-shut up!" Nope, didn't work. Akihiko sounded more flustered than anything, in fact.

Satisfied that the silver-haired boy would remain silent, Shinjiro stepped out the door and closed it behind him. Hopefully, no one would follow.

… Apparently not, because not even five seconds later, the door opened again. When he turned around to look, his eyes slightly widened when he saw Akihiko standing there.

"What do you want now?" he asked, his irritation getting the better of him. This kid was either very stupid or just plain weird. Either way, he was going to worm his way around him. "Go back."

"Not until you do."

"And if I say no?"

"I'm gonna tell Suoh-san and Reiko-san." Akihiko crossed his arms. He sounded serious.

Shinjiro scoffed, "Right, so you're gonna wake up the grownups just so you could tattle on me and get yourself in trouble, too? You dummy."

While the other boy's mouth flapped about like a fish, either unable to speak or trying to keep himself from yelling, he started down the hall again. Surely, Aki would get the point and go back.

… Unfortunately, the sound of footsteps behind him told otherwise.

His frustration building, the brunette waited until he reached the first floor and paused. Not too far behind him, the other pair of feet stopped as well.

"You're gonna follow me everywhere I go, huh?" He said this while turning to face the silver-haired youth, who he could've sworn had the nerve to look smug. Maybe calling him stupid all the time was coming back to haunt him, but he didn't care about that now. "Don't you get it? I want you to leave me alone!"

By this point, most others would have run back upstairs. But not Akihiko; he just stood there, looking him right in the eyes, arms crossed over his chest, as though he were trying to be some authority figure. "I'm not going back until you do."

There was a tense moment of silence. Despite how menacing Shinjiro was trying to make himself look, he probably looked more uncomfortable than anything. Even in the dark hall, the other boy seemed to notice this.

The "wall" he had kept up for the longest time around the other kids was fast collapsing because of this kid.

Shinjiro looked down at his feet, biting his lower lip. His fists were still clenched. "Fine. Do what you want, just… stay outta my way and don't talk to me." He turned and stalked through the hall, and, when he reached the end, pulled open the door that led to the backyard.

… That Aki kid was a total pain.

Orphanage Backyard - Late Night

The backyard was always different at night, especially when it was dimly illuminated by the moonlight. For Shinjiro, it was a sight that made him feel at piece since as far back as he can remember. Unfortunately, his unwanted companion seemed far more wary.

The brunette descended the stairs and sat in the grass. He didn't really care if his shorts got dirty; he had always changed them when he went back inside. Looking behind him, Akihiko had remained standing on the stairs, looking slightly confused, but he stayed silent.

Good. Maybe he could get a moment of peace.

After a few minutes, however, it started to feel awkward knowing that this kid was standing behind him, looking at him like was crazy for sneaking out of bed to look at the moon. Of course, this was the same kid who got mad at him for giving his little sister back her favorite toy. Come to think of it, he did apologize after Shinjiro got in trouble a week after he got here.

Back then, however, the Aragaki boy didn't know that this silver-haired youth was such an idiot.

He brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping is arms around them, and then rested his chin on his knees. He knew he couldn't stay out here much longer; it would only be a matter of time before one of the women went to the boys' and girls' rooms to make sure everyone was asleep for one last time.

"You come outside by yourself all the time?" Akihiko's voice grated its way to his ears.

"None of your business," came his annoyed reply. "S'why I told you not to talk to me." He had to suppress his urge to call him stupid again, that's why he was out here now.

He looked back again momentarily to see that the other boy had sat down on the steps, although he was shifting uncomfortably. "It's cold," he complained, adjusting his oversized t-shirt so that they covered his shorts and legs.

"Then don't sit on them."

"Shut up!"

If this kid's glare was supposed to intimidate him, it wasn't working. Shinjiro simply looked him in the eye, his expression unreadable. After a moment, the silver-haired boy decided to look at his feet.

"… I thought… that you were nicer… 'cause you gave Usa-kun back to Miki."

Usa-kun? Oh, the toy rabbit Aki so graciously knocked out of the toddler's hands. Nice.

The brunette shifted uncomfortably, averting his gaze. "So what?"

"So what are you mean to ev'rybody for, Shinji?" That failed attempt at an insulting nickname seemed to stick to him now; not that he cared.

"'Cause you keep askin' me stuff that's none of your business. What do you want, Aki?"

"…" Oh, NOW he wanted to stop talking. Whoop-de-doo. Out the corner of his eye the silver-haired boy seemed to be staring at his feet even harder now.

… He had enough of this. The Aragaki boy stood up and turned to face him so that he could see his annoyed grimace. "So what? You're not gonna answer me? You ain't have a problem askin' me stuff. Or are you that dumb on purpose?"

Akihiko stared at him, dumbstruck. He recovered quickly, though, and his face contorted- well, more like his eyebrows knitted together- with anger. His head seemed to inflate a little like Mai's.

"… I was gonna say sorry… for before," he said after a moment of trying to control himself. "… Masaru took Usa-kun from Miki and wouldn't give it back. Then he tripped me and I fell."

Well, that explained the bandages on his face. At least he wasn't stopping mid-sentence to whine about whatever hurt anymore.

"What, so you thought I was gonna take the rabbit? What do I look like playin' with a girl's doll?" Shinjiro crossed his arms, as though it would make him appear more intimidating. Not that it'd work on someone like Akihiko, anyway.

"I was mad, okay?" He sure flipped a lot between quiet and half-loud.

"… Whatever." Shinjiro started for the stairs, causing the boy to move aside. He paused as he reached for the doorknob.

"I'm not a bad big brother, Shinji," Akihiko spoke up.

There was a moment of silence. Why he even bothered to mention that, the brunette didn't even care to know. He simply shrugged it off. "… Let's go back."

"Eh?"

"Stupid, you don't wanna get in trouble, do you?"

"No way!"

Thankfully, the trip back to the room was silent.