To be completely honest, Junpei probably could've lived without the discovery. It wasn't like it made him think any differently of either of his senpai, but the shock was enough to throw him even further out of commission after an already very rough day following Chidori's ultimate sacrifice.
He was even a bit surprised he was able to figure it out, given the circumstances. He was trapped in an endless slideshow of Takaya's shot, Junpei's death, Chidori's love, Chidori's death, over and over and over until he was sure he would soon drown in his own despair.
Mitsuru came to him first, but she was barred from the room soon after. Though she had felt the deep sorrow of untimely death, her communication skills had not improved in the slightest, and the only result of her visit had been a shout and the slam of the door behind her. At least now she knew that telling someone to just "get over it and come back to help the group" was not the right choice.
Yukari and Minato were next, visiting together. They were better, but Junpei believed it would've been more helpful had Minato come by himself. After all the insults Yukari had shot at him in the past with no regards at all for his feelings, it was difficult for him to let her in. They were soon sent out as well and replaced by sweet little Fuuka. She couldn't understand his sorrow in the least, but her silent presence and loving hug was enough to show Junpei that she cared.
Akihiko was the next and final visitor before Mitsuru put up the order that Junpei was to be left alone until he felt ready to approach them all. He came at midnight, during the Dark Hour itself, on a day when all the others were, presumably, fast asleep. The older male didn't say a word as he tiptoed in, sitting on the edge of Junpei's bed and simply existing until Junpei could not handle the suspense any longer.
"Senpai?"
"I know how you feel," was his only answer.
"... You came in here to say that? That you know how I feel?" No one else had had the gall, the utter nerve...
"I'm sorry, please let me explain." And it was then that Akihiko leaned forward just enough for the slat in Junpei's curtains to direct the light of the moon directly onto Akihiko's face. It was then that this light revealed the streaks of liquid leaking from his light brown eyes, and the slight flush that often accompanied tears.
"You … Senpai …"
"...I know how you feel, Junpei," Akihiko repeated, this time in a stronger voice, though Junpei could hear the tremors now. He could feel the emotions rolling off of his elder, begging for Junpei to understand without him having to speak.
"You know how I feel."
Though they'd never discuss it afterward, the time they spent crying together and just holding each other during the Dark Hour that night would be more help to Junpei than anything the others did for him.
Akihiko knew how he felt.
While Junpei had lost Chidori, Akihiko had lost Shinjiro.
And that was how Junpei knew.
A/N: I feel like this chapter would be a good time to mention that in my sole playthrough of FES, I never finished any of the female team members' social links, and never even started Mitsuru's, so if the girls seem ooc at all in terms of their development through those links, that would be why. I will stick by my opinion though that in terms of the game itself (ignoring social link development, I mean), I do believe they're all ic.