Hi everyone, here is a new chapter for you all to read! ^^
Consider it a early Christmas present!
I shouldn't keep you from reading, without further ado . . .
Enjoy! Please R&R!
-kintara5

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Persona 3, I'm just some person sitting here in front of a computer typing away.

If I did own it, I'd probably sneak into Akihiko's room! w)=b

I laid there on my head, staring up at the ceiling . . .

Today I had officially returned to S.E.E.S. When I arrived back to the dorm there were quick introductions and right away I was taken upstairs to the Command Room where Mitsuru and Akihiko told me everything that had happened up till now.

" What the hell man . . . " I growled out.

For some reason I couldn't get any shut eye. Whenever I would try to close my eyes to sleep a bit right away they'd open. I sat up and slid off my beanie . . .

I scanned the room, there was nothing much really. They asked if I needed anything to make myself feel comfortable, but I declined everything. All I had in here was a bed to sleep on, a drawer to put my clothes in, and a desk.

I didn't need all that other crap that everyone else has in their room . . .

" God, it's burning hot . . . " I stood up and decided to head to the kitchen and grab something to drink.

As I made my way downstairs and started making my way I saw that the light in the kitchen was on.

Who in their right mind would be up this late?

I walked inside and spoke, " Who's there? "

I heard a faint squeal, for a moment I thought a rat was in here, but then out of the corner of my eye I saw what was the top of a head hiding behind the counter.

" I can see you, there's no point in hiding. " I announced.

Just then she peeked out to see who it was that spotted them.

It was you . . . Minako.

"S-Shinjiro-senpai . . . What are you doing up this late? " she mumbled from behind the counter.

I looked away scratching my head, " Shouldn't I be asking you the same? "

She brought herself up so she was standing up, " I couldn't sleep so I came to get some juice. "

" I see. " I looked back at Minako and realized what she was wearing right there.

She had a pink tank top with pink pants on, if you asked me she looked like—" A kid . . . "

Minako's eyes grew wide, " Eh! "

My face turned red from what I had just said, I need to clear this up somehow, " Y-You look like a kid in those clothes . . . "

Minako's face began to turn red, and she pointed at me, " W-Well you look different with your beanie off! "

" W-What! " I yelled back, Minako and I were obviously in a awkward situation so she took the initiative and grabbed something from the fridge and ran out the room. I however was still frozen from what had just happened . . .

I shook my head and sighed, " What the hell did I do? "

My eyes scanned the kitchen, tch . . . I forgot why I came here now.

I scratched my head and left the kitchen.

When I walked back upstairs I found Minako sitting at the table facing the machine dispenser that resided against the wall . . .

" I thought you went back to your room. "

She jumped up a bit and looked at me. " I wanted to talk to you . . . " She patted the space next to her on the bench where she was sitting at.

I raised an eyebrow towards her, " Why the hell would I do that? "

She waved a bottle of water towards me, " I'll trade you this for your thoughts. "

The moment I saw the bottle my mouth turned dry . . .

Oh-yeah, now I remember why I went downstairs.

I brushed my hair back and sighed, " Fine, you win . . . Toss me that will ya? "

She smiled and tossed the bottle, " Thank you Senpai! "

" Shh! " I said as she covered her mouth. " Keep your voice down, Aki and the others might wake. "

She bowed her head down, " I-I'm sorry about that . . .! "

Seeing her like this . . .

This is the exact same girl that would stand tall and seemed to be afraid of nothing. And now—

" You look so vulnerable. " I bluntly blurted out.

Me and Minako looked at each other with horror in our eyes. What the hell did I just say!

Minako's face was flushed and she brought her knees up to her chest to hide her face. After a few seconds she spoke . . . " Senpai, why did you leave? "

" Some months back Ikutsuki-san told there was a third member . . . " She looked up to me her face back to normal, " And from everything Akihiko-senpai told me, I now know that it was you. "

I opened the bottle of water and drank some water while I gathered my thoughts. I'm guessing this was her way of changing the subject . . .

Tch, now I wish I could change the subject right about now.

When I finished drinking I closed the bottle, the whole room was silent the only thing making noise was the screwing noise of the cap sliding down till it was tightly secure. Once that was down, I made my way to sit down. Not beside her but across on the other bench . . .

Minako watched me as I sat down and sit the bottle down on the table, I looked at her and our eyes met. Her eyes had turn to the eyes she would wear in front of others, strong and determined.

" You don't need to know a thing . . . What's my business is not yours. " I told her as I yawned aloud.

Before I could say another word she said, " I lost my parents. "

I looked at her bewildered as to why she would say that . . .

" Ten years ago I lost my parents, my only family is my aunt who lived overseas . . . "

The girl sitting in front of me became the girl I first met at the hospital and at the alley . . .

She looked at me straight in the eyes and began, " My name is Minako Arisato, I am 16-years-old, my blood type is ' O. ' I have no siblings whatsoever. "

There was no chance for me to speak, she' pause in between sentences but not long enough for me to say a single word.

" Ten years ago I lost my parents in a car accident, ever since I lived back in America with my aunt. "

I've had enough of this . . .

" ENOUGH! "

I glared straight at Minako and she had no expression, she simply looked at me.

" Why are you telling me all this crap? "

" Ever since I've moved here, I've felt like an open book. " She responded.

Curiosity got the best of me, " What do you mean? " I asked.

She scoffed at me, " Why do you get to ask all the questions? "

She's right. I refused to another one question she asked and I here I am asking her . . . This isn't fair.

She lowered her legs, grabbed a lock of her hair and began to stroke it slowly . . .

" Even before I learned about S.E.E.S and the Dark Hour, they all knew who I was . . . " She gripped her hair, " They knew of my past . . .! "

Something about her changed at that moment . . .

Her voice sounded so pained, as though listening to a frightened child . . .

" I do not know a thing about them . . . I cannot ask them because I'm afraid they might get mad or sad from it, and yet— " She cut herself off and let go of her hair. " They know me . . . "

I felt so horrible right there, it was true . . . Everything she was saying was true.

I remembered when I first became a member of S.E.E.S, they all dug up whatever they could find of me . . .

We all are open books to each other once you think about it . . .

The whole world was silent . . . You'd expect this kind of silence during the Dark Hour, but that time had already passed. Not even a car drove by or a howl in the night, there was only silence.

I looked at Minako who was looking down at her knees, I noticed that she was shaking, either from the cold or—

" I'm sorry . . . "

Minako shot her head up and looked at me, my head was lowered so she couldn't see my face past the bangs that feel down over my eyes, someone had to apologize for everything, right?

" S-Senpai . . . You did nothing wrong, we all decided to come here . . . " She stood up and walked over to my side, I didn't move anything. I sat there like a statue . . .

" If anyone should apologize, it should be me. "

I looked up confusion showing on my face, " What the hell— "

" I kind of forced you into this conversation, you must be tired so let's go back to bed. " She said smiling down at me.

I felt my cheeks beginning to burn that I stood up and put my hand on her head, " Shut up, you're not making any sense. "

She moved my hand out of the way and pouted, " How am I not making sense! "

" Shh! " Again she covered her mouth, " Sorry . . .! " She bowed forward and looked up at me when she rose up, " I'll feel so bad if I wake anyone up . . . I should head off to bed now. " She made her way to the stairs leading to the 3rd floor and looked back at me.

My heart skipped a beat at what I saw at that moment . . .

With the biggest smile on her face even bigger than the ones she had done in front of me the times before, with eyes shut so tenderly, as soft as a whisper she said . . .

" Goodnight Senpai, sweet dreams. "

I didn't say a word, not because I didn't want to, but I was left speechless . . . Minako kinda sensed I wasn't going to say anything so she went upstairs.

Honestly I don't know how long I stood there, hearing the world silent it felt like forever . . .

I slumped back down onto the bench in defeat, there was something about her I couldn't forget about.

Something that you had a hold on me.

Just what the hell is it?

I don't know, but . . .

Something inside me, is feeling weird . . .

Chapter 3 complete!
And right before the 25th, oh how this week is supposed to be wonderful and stuff.
Sadly it's all horrible, family fighting, PS3 dying, yadda yadda.
All I have here to enjoy is my PSP and my new P2. Forever alone as they say. TTATT
Anyway, Merry Early Christmas to you all, may Santa bring you all wonderful gifts! ^^)/
Until then, bye-bye!