CHAPTER 7: October 4th
09/07/09
With a faint yet quite hearable moan, Yukimura rubbed his chin on his school desk as Miyuki, Kumiko and the Hiiragi twins approached him. As much as it was true that he had the whole Sunday to rest, he still didn't completely recover from the fatigue his first big battle against the shadows had caused. Miyuki looked at him, her eyes filled with concern. "Really, Yuki-Kun… if you're not feeling well, you shouldn't overexert yourself like this…"
The red-haired boy slowly lifted his head while smiling awry. "…you do this all the times, right? As part of your gang, I need to pick up the pace myself, so to help you in your fight! I just need to… well… adjust myself to the new situation."
Kagami sighed, crossing her arms. "Even so… you don't need to overdo it… you won't be able to put up much of a fight if you fall ill and collapse on us…"
"Now, now… Sanada-Kun was amazing the day before yesterday, don't you think?" Tsukasa asked with a friendly smile.
Kumiko nodded. "Yeah… he was really good for his first time… and he held on the ground quite well."
Akihiko approached them, confused; he thought they all were talking about him, but how could they know about the fight he put up the day before yesterday?
Kagami scratched her head, while pouting: "We gotta find a way to fix the matter of having two boys to call 'Sanada'… and quickly."
"Oh, I know!" Tsukasa said, snapping her finger. "Yukimura-Kun will be Sanada 1, while Akihiko-Kun will be Sanada 2!"
The girl's words caused Akihiko to scowl. "Hey… even though it's just to distinguish us, I don't like being labelled as 'number 2'!" he muttered as he left.
After he left, Kumiko couldn't help but chuckle as Kagami puffed, saying "Figures…"
09/08/09
"You can't be serious!"
"You wanna bet?!"
"Just try and be reasonable for once!"
"I don't care! I'm going, so you'd better not try and stop me!!"
The two voices, a male and female voice, could be heard a few miles away from the school entrance. Finally, the small blue-haired girl couldn't take it anymore and vigorously grabbed her friend's arm. "Geeze, Junpei-Kun! Why don't you understand that the girl is no good? She's our enemy!"
Junpei turned around to look at Konata. The girl winced as she stared into the boy's eyes, so full of grief. Not knowing what to say, she let his arm go.
"I… I know, Kona-Chan… I know… I know she attacked me… I know Strega is bad… but… but… I don't know why, I just can't stop thinking of her!"
Konata felt as if some invisible hand squeezed her heart tightly. It was as clear as the day, he felt something special for Chidori.
"Sorry, Kona-Chan…" he choked as he dashed toward the hospital, leaving her there.
Sighing, Konata walked toward the hotel, not really feeling like doing anything else, not knowing what to do about Junpei's matter.
She was also reminded of a discussion she had with the rest of her team members about Chidori and how she wasn't glad about Junpei visiting her at the hospital over and over. "You said it's OK for me to go and see Stellar! Why couldn't it be the same with Junpei and that girl?!" Shinn snapped at her. Now she really felt like a hypocrite for saying that stuff about Shinn and Stellar. Maybe it's just like Kagami said back then… I'm just jealous…? She mused as she looked at the sky above.
09/10/09
"Hey there! How are you feeling today?"
The hospital's door slid open as Shinn entered inside, a broad smile on his face. As to be expected, Stellar was sitting on her bed, looking at him with the sweetest of smiles. And, as to be expected, Shinjiro was there with her too. For once, though, he wasn't much annoyed about that…
As soon as Shinn approached the bed, Stellar literally glomped him, merrily repeating his name over and over. Once she calmed down a little, he gently pushed her back in a sat position and took out something looking like a packed lunch of sorts. "Took me a while to make this, but… here! I hope you're going to like it!"
Stellar blinked and opened the small box: it was a nice-looking bento packed lunch also including rice, nigiri and ebi tempura, all looking well-made and delicious. "Looks… delicious…! Thanks, Shinn." She smiled at him with a slight blush.
Shinn smiled back. Then, he looked at Shinjiro with a superior smirk, as to say "Take this, you blockhead!". Shinjiro simply looked at him for a few seconds, then he shook his head and stood up to leave the room.
"EEH? Leaving already??" The blond girl asked with sad puppy eyes.
The tall teenager sighed. "Hey, it's not like I'm leaving for good… besides, you've got plenty of company here, so don't be sad, OK? I'll be back." With that, he stepped outside, shutting the room's door.
As Shinjiro's footsteps walked farther, Shinn left out a satisfied cackle and sat on the bedside, right next to Stellar, who kept on staring at the bento he made with sad eyes. "Shinn…" she whispered. "…when is Stellar… going to leave this place?"
Shinn looked at her, blinking. She clenched her grip on the bed sheets. "Stellar… doesn't like it here… it's scary…"
Shinn didn't know what to answer at the time. Rei said that her mind and body still needed some time to fully recover and that he wanted the doctors to check on her even more… or… was she just held captive? Could he really trust the professor? Shaking his head, he put both hands on the girl's shoulder. "You will get out of here pretty soon… but first you need to recover your energy! And to do that, you need plenty of rest and food, OK?"
She looked at the bento again. Then her clear eyes went to Shinn. "If Stellar eats a lot… she can leave?"
He scratched the rear of his head as he left out an awkward laugh. "Something like that, I guess! That is, unless you get a stomachache for overeating!"
The girl quietly nodded as she took out her chopsticks, preparing herself to dig into the food Shinn made for her. Then, she felt a chill running down her spine as she dropped the chopsticks and looked outside, her eyes widened by fear. Before Shinn had the chance to ask her what was wrong, she leaped off the bed, opened the room door and dashed right across the hall. The boy had no choice but following her.
After less than a minute, both arrived at Chidori's room's doorway; Stellar was just there, frozen in shock as Shinn finally caught up with her. Before he had the chance to ask what was happened, his eyes were caught by the shocking image of some sort of red, ethereal woman wearing some sort of fleece, who was towering above Chidori, choking her to death! Even the other people in the room –Junpei and the SEES third year students– were standing there in shock.
"What the… is that… a Persona?!" Shinn stuttered, confused about what was happening.
Shinjiro grimaced and stepped right next to Chidori. Immediately, he took some flacon out of his pocket and fed the girl with some pill he took from it. After a few instant, the Persona disappeared and Chidori could once again breathe normally. As Junpei rushed to her, Shinjiro walked away. "It happens… they're not like us… they can't fully control their potential… that's why they need suppressant in order to prevent their Personae from killing them. I'll be sure to give the doc the right pills… the rest is up to you." he explained before leaving.
Shinn couldn't believe his own ears. The members of Strega had an unstable potential which could kill them… and needed drugs to keep it stable… was Stellar just like them? And how did HE know? Did he just come to bring Stellar food… or… ?
The flow of his thoughts was momentarily interrupted by Akihiko pushing him aside while chasing after Shinjiro.
"Chidori!!" Stellar cried as she rushed to her companion, right next to Junpei.
"Thank God… you're OK now…" Junpei whispered, on the verge of tears.
Chidori, still stunned, looked at both of them, confused. "Why are the two of you so scared? Death us nothing to be afraid of…"
Her words caused Stellar to feel even more lost and to cry even louder as she gripped the girl's cloth.
The red-haired girl graced both of them with an emotionless smile. "Dying only means you don't wake up anymore, that's all."
"NOOO!!" The blond girl sobbed as she rocked her head back and forth. Shinn felt as if his heart just cracked; he walked next to her and helped her back in her room as she kept on weeping.
Chidori blinked as she watched Stellar and Shinn walking away, the first still in a clear shock. "Why is she always like this around me?"
"Can't you tell?!" Junpei cried. "You can't really mean what you just said… if you really died… what about people who care about you… what about me?!"
From outside, the Kagayaku junior could still hear Junpei's voice and somehow felt glad about Konata not being there… she wouldn't have liked what he just heard. Then, his eyes went to Stellar, who was clinging at his school uniform, still quite uneasy. He remembered Shinjiro's words about Strega members' potential and once again renewed his decision to stand by her side. I won't allow you to suffer anymore… I won't let anything to happen to you… I promise!
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Tatsumi Port Island Station square.
The setting sun reflected itself on the surrounding building's windows as people went and came, making the square as bustling as ever. Kumiko and Kagami were both headed to the station in order to go back home. The plastic bags both were carrying hinted they were back from a shopping session… but not the kind of session you'd expect from a girl, no clothes shopping was involved: in fact, the two of them went to buy articles like notebooks, pencils and rubbers. As the two walked together, Kumiko remarked about how she tends to run out of pencils very often because of her so-called side job, which caused Kagami to chuckle. Still, the brunette could feel that her twin-tailed friend's mind was on something else.
"Kumiko-San… what do you think of the current situation?" Kagami asked.
"About what exactly?" Kumiko asked, looking at her.
"I mean… about Chidori-San and Stellar-San… I know Shinn-Kun is doing fine and all, but… Konata-San… I know she doesn't want us to worry, but… I can tell she's upset about Junpei-Kun and Chidori-San… She says she has a bad feeling about the whole thing… I wouldn't want both Shinn-Kun and her to end up heartbroken…"
Kumiko sighed, her eyes unconsciously going to the staircase leading to the back alley. "…even if we worried about it 24/7, what could WE do? That's something only THEY can take care of… and if something should go wrong, we can only be there to support them and cheer them up. At least that's what I think."
Kagami smiled at her. "…I envy you, Kumiko-San… it feels like you can keep cool in every situation."
She shook her head and smiled bitterly. "That's not it… I just don't know how I should REALLY react in front of the whole situation."
With that, both took a few more steps toward the station; it was then that Kumiko noticed two familiar people swiftly walking toward the back alley: Shinjiro and Akihiko. Seeing they both looked upset, the girl stealthily approached in order to overhear (All while Kagami cried about it being impolite and such.)
Akihiko was the one who sounded more upset of the two. "I've heard about those pills… but the side effects… don't tell me you…?!"
Shinjiro didn't reply, while Kumiko wondered about what pills they were talking about.
The silver-haired one raised his voice: "Answer me!!"
"I don't owe you anything." The shifty teenager said, not looking at his friend.
Akihiko grimaced. "Tch. The same as always…"
Finally, a reaction from the tall, coated one, who, for once, seemed a little upset. "Save it! I have already heard that." with that, he swayed his gaze once again. "You think I'm wasting my power, but you're just too thick-headed… I'm tired of all of your preaching!"
What came next was utterly unexpected: Akihiko punched Shinjiro, right in the face! Even the two girls were quite dumbfounded by it. A few second elapsed as the tall one rubbed his mouth.
"Don't you get it?!" Akihiko spat. "You know the reason… ten years ago… my sister… the fire… I couldn't do anything to help her… they held me back while she was…"
Kagami stepped backward. Her mind went back to the time she was stuck inside Tartarus with him as they tried to rescue Fuuka; he told her about someone he deeply cared for dying and his incapacity to do anything to help her… but she could have never guessed it was his sister… not when he was just a child…
"That's why I'm trying so hard… remember? We promised to become strong enough to prevent anything like that from happening again…" the boxer said, his voice getting softer. "So… why the drugs? Why didn't you ever talk to me?"
Is the reason he couldn't talk to anyone about it… this?! Shinji-Kun… on drugs?! Kumiko shakily thought as her hand clenched her shirt right on her chest.
"I'm back in the fight, so let it go." Shinjiro said as he turned around to walk away.
Akihiko sighed. "…What about the side effects?"
"That's something I must take care of… you don't worry about me. Just do what you think is right… same goes for Kumi, of course."
Akihiko looked away while frowning: "Does Fukuyama know about…?"
Shinjiro shook his head. "I doubt she has realized anything yet… and I want things to stay the way they are… that's also for her sake… she'd be off better without knowing."
With that he walked away as Akihiko stood there and sighed. While all of this, the two girls stood speechless, the news they both heard quite shocking for various reasons. Of course, Kagami could tell Kumiko was the most shocked, since she was clenching her chest and biting her lower lip, her face as white as a sheet.
"… I… I never knew… why… what's gotten into you… Shinji…?" she breathed as she tried to collect herself once more yet unable to.
"Kumiko…?" Kagami looked at her friend with growing worry.
"… I'm fine, Kagami…" she weakly said with a concerned smile. "I just felt light-headed for a moment… come, let's go home."
Kagami stood there as Kumiko dashed toward the train station without looking at her. The twin-tailed teenager couldn't help but puff; things were really going out of hand, sentimental-wise…
09/16/09
"Can I have your attention please?" A pretty-looking female student with ladle-shaped twin tails, Miho, clapped her hands. After she got the attention from the other students in the classroom, she stood up on her chair, looking self-righteous and serious, placing a fan right at the tip of her chin.
"Now, you all know what this is about: in a few more days we'll have the Culture Festival. And Almost all of the other classes already decided what to pull for it… by far, the most enjoyed project for the festival is the maid café organized by the 2nd year students…" she said, solemnly.
Konata puffed, both hands on her side. "Figures… I guess guys are REALLY looking forward to see Yukari Takebaka wearing a maid suit…"
"Right!!" Miho continued. "This is exactly why we must thing of something SUPERIOR to their idea… something GRAND, something APPEALING! So… what are your proposals?"
Most of the students started proposing stuff to do for the festival; even Konata, who proposed to counter the maid café with a cosplay café.
Then, one of the male students, Tsuyoshi, made this proposal: "What about an idol-like performance? I'm sure other students would appreciate it…"
"You mean like an idol contest?" Kagami asked, unsure.
Tsuyoshi shook his head with a naughty smile. "No, just one single person to come and sing on the stage, that's all!"
Another student, Takuma, asked. "Like hiring an idol like Risette? Won't that be quite hard… and EXPENSIVE?"
"We can have someone who LOOKS like a real pop star to sing like her." He answered. He then glanced at Miyuki with a satisfied smile. "Takara… maybe you don't realize it, but you resemble a lot to that foreigner idol who's pretty hip lately, Lacus Clyne."
Miyuki was dumbfounded and looked at Tsuyoshi with a slight blush as the rest of the classroom agreed with that claim. "Me…? I look like an idol…? But… but I'm not sure about my singing… I don't think I can sing in front of everyone…"
Takuma looked at her and nodded. "Say… aren't you friends with Fukuyama? She's a very good singer… she might help you if you ask her… right Fukuyama?"
Kumiko scratched her cheek and blinked. "Um… I'm not much into this stuff, actually…"
That caused quite an uproar inside the classroom, most of students cried about Kumiko being a spoilsports and such, causing her to reluctantly accept to help out.
Yukimura stepped next to Miyuki, annoyed. "Hey, waitaminit… Miyuki didn't agree to do anything yet! We can't force her into doing this if she doesn't want to!"
The pink-haired girl squeezed his arm. "No, it's alright… everyone seem to really care about this matter… and I want to help as much as I can…"
Kagami shook her head in disbelief. "You know what… the truth is you can never say no, Miyuki… are you even SURE you can do it?"
"I… I can't be sure until I actually try…" Miyuki shyly nodded.
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Athrun casually stepped inside the hotel lobby as he spotted Miyuki and the others and approached. The girl with glasses looked pretty down and tired. The womanizing teenager placed a hand on the back of her chair and smiled. "So… I've heard the rumor… you'll perform as an idol for the Culture Festival, hmm? How goes it?"
Miyuki sighed. "I didn't think it was so hard… I though that as long as I heard her songs and watched her in TV, it would have been fine… but there's no way I can act like that…"
As she heard that, Tsukasa took the CD Miyuki had on her lap and took a look at it: the young woman on the cover sure was similar to Miyuki in many ways, with her graceful appearance, sweet face and long pink hair. Athrun moved to check it himself and was quite surprised. "Ah! It's a small world, isn't it?"
"Do you know Lacus, Athrun-Kun?" Konata asked.
The blue-haired boy laughed sheepishly. "Well… how to put it…? She was… something like… my very first fiancée. Actually, it was something my old man arranged but… that's ancient history."
The girls glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. Just HOW MANY GIRLFRIENDS did he had?
"You know…" Konata said "I noticed something when I watched her performance on TV… she looked a little different from the girl on the record covers… she even wears a different hairpin… it's not just the TV making people look fatter, right? I mean, she IS bigger… in more than one way."
Athrun crossed his arms and nodded.. "You've got a keen eyesight. Yes … that's because that girl you see on TV is actually her double…"
Yukimura pierced him with his stare. "And NATURALLY… lemme guess… she's one of your 'acquaintances' herself, am I right?"
As if his chest was just stricken by an arrow, he winced. Then he left out a nervous cackle. Then, his mind snapped as he came with an idea. He swiftly excused himself as he rushed outside while all the other people present blinked.
Less than one hour elapsed as he went back to the hotel. He wasn't alone this time, a girl was with him: she was a curvy one with long pink hair, wearing some skimpy-looking clothes and a star-shaped hairpin. "Is Miyuki still here?" he asked.
Konata went to meet them. "She's in her room rehearsing with Kumiko." She then noticed the girl with him and turned around her to analyze her under every aspect.
The new girl looked at the small one with a satisfied smile. "Let me guess… you are astonished to see a real, living star in front of your eyes?"
Before she had the chance to reply, Athrun asked her to go fetch Miyuki. After a few minutes, her, Kumiko and Yukimura approached the doorway, where Athrun and the "idol" were.
As soon as the girl with glasses arrived, the new girl examined her features thoroughly as she nodded, causing Miyuki to blink. "Um… are you…?"
The other pink-haired girl nodded with a cheerful smile. "Exactly. My name is Lacus. Lacus Clyne. I'm sure you've heard of me…"
"Oh, we did…" Konata crossed her arms and closed her eyes with a smirk before fingering the girl. "Cept you no Lacus! You can't be: she's smaller than you!"
"Lacus" jolted as she placed both hands on her chest. "Oh no… no, no, no! I AM Lacus!!" she cried.
Athrun put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "Forget it… Konata figured it out already… (In her usual, tactless fashion, I must say…)"
"Lacus" paused for a moment. She then sighed and started to tap her index fingers together. "Alright… I admit… my real name is not Lacus Clyne… it's Meer Campbell… but please, can you call me Lacus anyway?"
"Why?" Miyuki asked. "Your name is quite pretty itself. You don't need to use a different name."
Meer didn't know how to react, but she felt very flattered for once: never she would have expected that someone would have told her real name was actually good… well, aside Athrun.
Athrun put his arm around Meer shoulder with a satisfied smile. "When I heard your dilemma, Miyuki dear, I had the idea… I was lucky when I came to know she was here in this city by my… er, friends at school… so I went see her and… we talked… in the end she agreed to help in these few days."
Yukimura left out a hoarse cackle and cleared his voice. "Yeah… right… you 'TALKED' to her… I think I know what your 'topics' were…"
Athrun turned as red as a tomato as he took Yukimura aside and whispered in his ear. "Look, I have done nothing to her, OK? SHE was the one who wanted to… you know what I'm talking about… which I refused!"
"HAH! Listen here, ASS-run! If ya think I'm gonna believe such a bullshit forget it…
Meer Campbell: A girl who works as double for the mass idol, Lacus Clyne but who's still different in many ways (Like body-wise and personality-wise). She doesn't like being called with her real named, preferring to be called "Lacus" even when off-stage. She also has a thing for Athrun, even though she's probably the only girl he doesn't want to have anything to do with. Not a bad girl but some of her ways are a little… questionable…
09/18/09
"Wow… it sure is raining hard…" Shinn said as he looked outside the lobby window: a very violent storm was raging outside, the trees bending under the wind, on the verge of breaking in twain. "Guess the media were right… a typhoon WAS on the way…"
"And not just an ordinary typhoon… according to the news, it's the biggest around." Kagami added, upset.
Konata placed both hands behind her head as she leaned on the couch. "Right… you know how exaggerated news bulletins always are… they prolly made the whole matter bigger than it is…"
"I hope Kumi-Chan is alright…" Tsukasa mumbled, placing a finger over her mouth.
Rei shrugged. "I would be more worried about her shrine… looks pretty old… still, should water rise drastically, she has two valuable airbags!"
A silence fell upon the lobby as the professor looked around and sighed. His jokes weren't as effective when Kumiko wasn't around.
"I just feel bad about your school festival being cancelled because of it…" Meer said as she rocked her legs back and forth. "We worked so hard for it… and Miyuki won't get to wear that cute hairpin Yukki provided."
Miyuki took out the pin Meer was talking about: it was a pretty, golden, puzzle piece-shaped hairpin; Yukimura provided her just for the festival, although at first he was against the idea (Also due to the fact Meer wanted her to wear outfits that looked WAY too skimpy…); it was her perseverance in working hard for it that changed his mind. Noticing how she was passing her fingers on the hairpin, Yukimura smiled slightly.
"Yeah, though luck, eh?" Athrun shrugged with a satisfied smile. "I guess you have no other reason to stay in this hotel any longer, Meer…"
Lacus' double leaned toward Athrun, looking at him with a smooth smile. "Ooh? You want me to go away? Are you chasing poor little me away… out… in the cold… and the rain… with the typhoon?"
Shinn nodded while smirking. "Aw, that's too cruel… you have no heart? Ashame!"
"Really…" Yukimura nodded. "To think I have nothing against you flirting with THIS pink-haired curvy girl... how can you be so cold?"
Athrun grumbled and forced Meer in a normal, sitting position.
"Anyway" Konata said. "At least we get to enjoy some forced break from classes… so what if we're stuck indoors? I know plenty of ways to spend time indoors."
"Let me guess… watching anime and playing games… and such?" Kagami asked.
"Straight as an arrow!" The small girl pointed a finger upwards with a pleased smile. "What about you, Kagamin? Don't tell me you'll spend your time studying?"
"Haven't decided yet, actually…" Her friend replied. "But I'm pretty sure I know what Shinn-Kun is going to do… right, Shinn-Kun?"
Shinn nodded. "Oh, Rei-Sensei… about that matter…"
Rei nodded. "I know what you're about to ask… I'm sorry, but we can't release her yet."
He rose up on his feet. "Why?!"
"There are still some… matters… about her body and her potential we need to investigate on… and… don't forget she's actually our prisoner… don't worry, though… I'll make sure she's treated well. I know how much you care about her."
He sat back again, wondering if it had something to do with the unstable potential the Strega members had… and the suppressants. "I only hope it won't take too long… she hates it there…"
Seeing how the mood went down as Shinn talked and how a grim silence filled the lobby, Meer looked around and left out an awkward giggle while looking at Yukimura and Miyuki. "Ah… anyway… I think I know JUST well what Yukki and Miyuki will do…"
Both the red-haired punk-ish boy and the pretty young woman with glasses winced as they heard her voice, blushed and while Miyuki looked away with an embarrassed smile, Yukimura looked at her, opening the mouth to talk as only a stuttering moan came out if it.
The pink-haired singer shrugged. "Oh come on… you're a big, strong boy… asking the girl you like to have some adult fun should be a chinch for someone like you… you should be more outgoing and less timid. Don't worry, big sister Meer gives you her approval!"
The poor boy couldn't take it any longer: his head actually started to steam and the blush he had was so violent his face became one with his hair as he felt light-headed and fainted on the couch, limp. Looking at him, Meer chuckled, remarking about how cute he was right then as Athrun scolded her and Tsukasa tried hard to revive him. Lacus' double then suggested Miyuki to be his Princess Charming and kiss him in order to wake him up, causing her to feel flustered and run upstairs in her room. Konata watched the whole scene and couldn't stop snickering.
09/22/09
Being national holiday, everyone decided to take a small break from both studying and Tartarus to have some relax and fun without any care. Everyone but Kagami and Miyuki who, knowing that the midterm exams would have been the first days of October, decided to take advantage of the off day to study a little bit more; Shinn went see Stellar to the hospital after practicing some more cooking with Yukimura's help and was able to make some pretty good omelettes; Athrun was trying hard to avoid Meer, who runned around the hotel pestering him and Konata invited Kumiko over for an anime and gaming marathon.
When the evening came, Tsukasa – who tried hard studying but failed for many reason which caused her distraction –, having known about the movie marathon which would have took place the next day, finally managed to find the heart to call Kenji and ask him to go see the marathon with her. He was way busy with many other girls lately, and she felt something growing inside her as the phone rang; although smiling, the surrounding members of the team could see something dark in her face, which gave them the creeps.
Finally, Kenji's voice came from the other side of the call.
"Um… Hi, Kenji-Kun… it's me… Tsukasa… I was wondering… if you could came see the movie marathon with me tomorrow… if you're not busy, that is…"
Her last sentence has a completely different tune from the rest of the things she said, something that made the others shiver once again. Even Kenji hesitated for a moment before talking again. A few seconds later, the girl resumed to talk on the phone. "So no one in your group is free to come… oh?... Only Shinjiro-Kun?... I see…"
Almost as her ear suddenly grew bigger as she heard her friend's voice, Konata jumped on her, took the cell phone from her hand and told Kenji she wanted to talk with Shinjiro. Then, as he was off, she dashed toward Kumiko – who was sketching – and gave the phone to her. "Come on: do it!"
Kumiko blinked, not really understanding what she meant.
The tiny girl pouted. "Didn't you hear that phone call right now? Shinjiro-Kun is available to go see the movies…"
Finally starting to realize what was transpiring, the dark-haired girl jolted, her cheeks starting to blush.
Konata smiled, satisfied. "Do it! Tell him you want to go with him!"
"W…w-w-w-w-w-wait a second, Konata! I can't do it! It's not like we're actually dating each other… he might misunderstand and think…!!" Kumiko stammered as she grabbed Tsukasa's cell phone, a smile on her face.
Meer looked at her and smirked. "You know… your voice doesn't exactly speaks for your body…"
The scarlet-eyed girl hesitated, being at loss of words. Her "trance" was interrupted when she heard Shinjiro's deep voice on the phone and her heart skipped a beat. At first she left out a shriek as she answered, then she cleared her voice and shakily said: "Shinji-Kun… ah… err… big typhoon the other day, wasn't it? I hope you didn't have any… problem… you know… being on the streets and such… oh right, you live in the dorm now… sorry, my bad… soooooo… " as she looked at Konata, who silently intimated her to tell him. She put the phone away from her face and took a very deep breath. Once she was calm enough to talk, she finally resumed her conversation. "So, uh… you know how there's this movie marathon tomorrow… right? Yes well… I was wondering if… well… always if you're not… say… busy… could you… you know… uh… come and see it… with… with… with m…m… (No good, I can't say it! My throat is like paralyzed…)"
"…me?" he asked. "You want ME to come and see the marathon with you? Why…?"
Kumiko winced. What was she going to tell him?! The voice refused to come out as she stood there, completely at loss.
Before she had the chance to find something to say, Shinjiro said: "Hmph… you're weird… you really are a weird girl…"
"Um… you still haven't answered my question…" she replied under her breath.
After a sigh, he said. "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do, so whatever…"
As soon as she heard it, Kumiko raised her thumb toward Konata who replied with a bunny ears pose.
09/23/09
"Kumiko, stay still!" Meer said as she helped the girl to get dressed.
"I can't help it! It's way too tight! It hurts…!" She cried.
"Nonsense! It will look great on you once I'm done… JUST… STAY… STILL!"
A few minutes later, as the rest of the group was waiting outside Kumiko's room, the door opened as she appeared in a very tight and skimpy purple dress which was clenched on his body in an almost excessive way.
"Well? Isn't she a beauty?" Meer asked, satisfied.
"I… can't… breathe…" Kumiko choked. The girl clearly had trouble moving around with that dress which almost suffocated her.
Kagami cried. "There's no way she could hold up wearing such a dress! Besides, it's way TOO skimpy!"
Meer shook her head, confident. "Hey, dates are made to wear skimpy clothes! Men love to see womanly flesh coming out of those, you know…"
"It… it's… not… a… date…" Kumiko moaned, the dress preventing her from breathing normally and wobbled in her room once again, followed by Meer. Clearly, she needed to wear something else.
A few minutes later, they came out once again: this time, Kumiko was wearing something cuter and less on the skimpy side: a pretty-looking pale blue sleeveless shirt with a frilly collar, a blue mid-length skirt with side pleats, frilly white socks and her usual ballerina-like shoes.
"Ah, much better!" Kagami nodded.
"Yes, you look so cute, Kumi-Chan!" Tsukasa added.
"He'll fall over for you… go get'im, tigress!" Konata remarked as she winked.
Kumiko blushed once more as she took her purse. "…I think I told you… it's not a date." Then, with a deep breath, she went outside after saying goodbye to her grandmother.
Konata walked on the doorway and looked at her friend walking rapidly toward the street leading to the station. Once she was just a speck fading in the horizon, she put both hands on her sides and graced everyone with a smirk. "Let's follow'em!" she said, causing everyone to be surprised.
"Konata, there are things you simply CAN'T do." Kagami said in a stern tone.
The small girl with long blue hair faced her with a mock-innocent face. "Hey, it's their chance to finally go out together, just the two of them… what if something bad happened to them and ruined the romance of it all? Oooh, I'm just so worried about Kumi-Chan… We must make sure her date goes well!"
Kagami stared in her friend's eyes with an annoyed expression. "Yeah, right… how noble…"
"Well, you could always go and watch movies… I mean, wasn't Tsukasa-San going anyway? You could simply accompany her." Shinn asked, searching for some interesting books on a shelf.
Kagami looked at Tsukasa, who was looking around confused, not really understanding why they were all suddenly talking about her. Seeing that the twins weren't moving, Konata puffed. "Oh well, have it your way. I'm going, no matter what you say!" She declared and grabbed Shinn's arm, dragging him along as he whined about not wanting to come and having to go to the hospital, which caused her to remind him that the hospital was right in the same area the movie theather was.
As they walked outside, Tsukasa looked into Kagami's eyes and pleaded her to follow them, clearly worried about him. "Geeze… uh… what was the theme of the marathon again?"
"Oh, right. I think today's marathon is about pets and other animals-related movies." Miyuki said. "Some of them are pretty intense and touching, so I've heard… I have to admit I am a little curious."
Yukimura looked at her, unsure, then cleared his voice. "Well… umm… I'm mostly into samurai and American movies, but… oh, darn… what's wrong in watching something else for a change?"
Meer clasped her hands together merrily. "It's settled then! Let's go!"
Kagami stepped in front of her, stretching her arms onward. "Um… you shouldn't come with us, Meer-San! Don't forget that, although you're a double, you still ARE an idol! It would attract too much of attention…"
At first, the idol seemed disappointed of not being able to come; then, she thought about it and could see Kagami had a point. "Oh well, I'll just wait here while… having a good time with Athrun here." She said, causing Athrun to jolt and refuse to do it.
Yukimura took him and both walked farther so to not be heard. "Hey, ASS-run! You should be glad I EVEN allow you to spend your dirty time like this… if it was ANOTHER curvy pink-haired girl, I would have bitten your head off… but it's Meer, so stop whining your ass off about the matter and just enjoy it!"
Before Athrun had the time to talk back to him, Meer literally yanked his arm and dragged him outside while humming cheerfully.
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People kept on pouring inside the movie theater, mostly young couple and children who talked in a lively fashion as they entered. Right at the side of the entrance, a lone, slim and tall figure wearing a red coat was standing, a clear contrast with the end-summer people wearing light clothes. A dark-haired girl slowly approached him and both started talking.
"I still can't believe you accepted to come see the movies with me…" She quietly said.
"Same here… guess you ain't worried about what people'll think about you hangin'around with a dreg, huh…?" He replies in a low, sardonic tune as he avoids her gaze.
Little did the two of them know two teenagers were hiding on the ledge leading toward the station, observing the whole scene. "Oooh, I see… they're acting casual here to play lovey-dovey as they watch the movies… interesting!" The small girl with long blue hair smirked.
Next to her, a younger boy with jet-black hair and vivid scarlet eyes crossed both arms on the railing and puffed, annoyed. "Regardless, it's none of our business… let's just go and leave'em be, Konata! Darn, I have better things to do!"
"No one is forcing you to come along, Shinn…" she sighed as she looked at him.
Shinn smiled and started to walk away, but Konata just held his arm and prevented him from leaving. Soon, they noticed another pack of teenagers approaching: Miyuki, Yukimura and the Hiiragi sisters. When Konata asked Kagami what she was doing there, she pointed they all were there just to watch movies, although the smallest girl didn't believe it at all.
"Sorry to break your bubble, Konata, but… your target is getting out of your sight…" Shinn chuckled as he noticed how Kumiko and Shinjiro just went inside the movie theater. Then, he took advantage of the whole situation to sneak away, but Konata, who rushed downstairs, once again grabbed his arm and dragged him with her, their other friends in their tow.
Once inside, they all took their seats a few rows away from where they spotted the two of them. Konata insisted she wanted to sit next to Miyuki, who was sitting between her and Yukimura. Shinn, who was checking the time on his clock, left out a flustered sigh. "I only hope this is worthwhile."
Hours passed by as a total of three movies played: the first movie was about a mischievous, troublemaker lamb who ran away from home and befriended the forest inhabitants and lived a series of adventures; the other two were about kids and their four-legged friends, with the third being especially moving due to the dog sacrificing his life to save his young master who fell into a raging river. Kumiko felt something blocking her throat and couldn't help but crying a bit as her mind went back to Koromaru. She then looked at Shinjiro, who was watching the whole scene intensly.
"That dog…washed away from the river…" he whispered, water-eyed.
Kumiko wiped her eyes off and blinked with a confused smile. "Shinji-Kun… are you…?"
He passed a hand over his eyes and shook his head. "It…it's nothing… it's really nothing Kumi."
She once again looked at him and smiled as her eyes went back to the big screen.
Even the girl's comrades were pretty moved by the whole scene: Shinn, for one, who sunk his face in his tissue as he bawled like a baby. Kagami, who watched the whole scene trying hard to not cry, was patting Tsukasa's head, since she couldn't stop weeping. Her eyes then went to Konata, who was watching next to herself. "Aren't you watching? It's a really touching flick."
"Oh? Ah… yeah, yeah… pretty nice… but I have a better show right next to me." Konata whispered.
In fact, next to her, a teary-eyed Miyuki was busy cleaning the misted lens of her glasses as she remarked about how intense the bound of real friendship is. Yukimura, next to her, nodded and, at first watery-eyed, he closed and rubbed them while sighing.
"Oooh? Sanada-Kun… are you by chance…moved?" Konata asked with a kitty-like smile.
"…I just have something stuck in my eye…" he replied; his voice sounded quivering for some reason, which caused the girl's smile to broaden.
Then, finally, the marathon was over. Kumiko and Shinjiro both came out of the theater, both looking awkward.
"I'm sorry, Shinji-Kun… I usually don't cry that way when I watch movies… but the final part of that last movie was just too much." Kumiko said with an embarrassed chuckle.
"Can't really blame ya… it WAS sad…especially for those who love their pets, I s'pose…" he replied as he pulled his beanie over his eyes.
The girl looked at him and chuckled. "But you sure surprised me… I didn't think you were the kind of guy who gets moved by that kind of movies… I guess you can't really judge a book by its cover."
He placed a finger right in front of her face. "…Don't you try and bring it up with anyone, or else..."
"Here's another surprise" she looked at him with a smirk. "Mr. 'I-don't-give-a-shit-about-what-you-think' is worried about his tough guy reputation? It doesn't make much sense."
He scratched his head for a moment and grimaced. "…touché… but I didn't expect Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes Kumi to use the word 'shit' in the open…"
"Guess we both are full of surprises."
Then, they looked at each other and chuckled. A cackle which went on for a few seconds, until Shinjiro stopped, as if his mind snapped and he suddenly fell silent. Noticing it, Kumiko looked at him and thought back of the conversation she overheard between him and Akihiko a few days earlier. The shell was cracking, one more push and she could have reached him. It was a perfect chance to talk to him. "Say, all this time cooped in that dark theater really got me… how about getting something to eat somewhere?"
He didn't reply. He just seemed like lost in his thought.
"Uh… look, if you don't want to, I don't want to force you…" she stuttered, embarrassed.
He thought for a few more seconds then stared at her, serious. "…I didn't say that."
With that, they both agreed to go get some ramen at Hagakure in the Iwatodai station, since it was on the way home for both of us. As they walked toward the station, Konata and the others silently observed them. "Hagakure, hm? I hope you guys feel like eating ramen for lunch!" the small girl mused.
Shinn blew his own nose after he finally stopped crying. "Huh? You're not done yet?"
"Shinn is right, Konata…" Kagami said. "You trailed them enough… and things are proceeding so smoothly… you don't need to worry any further."
"That reaction he had just now… I have a bad feeling about this…" a low male voice said right behind the group of teenagers caused them all to jump aside. The were all surprised to see it actually was their mentor and supervisor Rei, who was crouched behind them while fixing his glasses with a frown.
Kagami looked at him with narrow eyes. "Um… WHERE did you come from? And what are you doing here?" she asked.
The man shrugged and sighed with a smile. "Oh? I couldn't miss this chance to pry into Kumiko-Kun's private moment…"
His remark made everyone look at him without saying a word while Konata thought he just sounded like Jade from Tales of the Abyss. Ignoring their reaction, he stepped onward, serious. "Shinjiro-Kun's reaction… it felt as if he was feeling guilty for feeling a momentary gladness… I don't like the feel of the whole situation, not one bit."
"Are you saying that it might not end well for Fukuyama-San?" Miyuki asked.
He shook his head. "I'm just saying she need to be ready for anything…"
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The server quickly walked around the tables to deliver the two pork bone ramen bowls, being extra careful to not spill any of the broth on the floor. He reached the table he was supposed to serve and perfectly placed the two bowls on it. Satisfied, Kumiko detached the two chopsticks and started to eat. The soup was perfectly married with the texture of the noodles, which gave a delicious feeling in her mouth. After a few more mouthfuls, she lifted her eyes to look at Shinjiro, who didn't even start to dig in his soup. "Shinji-Kun… I thought you loved ramen they serve in this restaurant… and yet, you haven't even started to eat…"
He kept on staring at his bowl as if he was in some sort of trance, chopsticks in his hand, not saying a word.
She stared at him, thoughtful, then put down her chopsticks. "Is something bothering you? You look like you have something big on your mind…"
Once again, no response. Shinjiro's chopsticks slipped off his hand and fell inside the bowl, snapping the young man's mind out of seemingly absent-minded attitude.
She sighed and looked away, feeling her cheeks blushing. "Um… I don't know of how much help I might be but… if you have something you want to get out of your chest, I'm ready and willing to help… and listen if you want to talk…"
At last he reacted. "Dammit, why won't you just shut the hell up for a change?!" Slamming both hands on the table he got up, causing all the other customers to turn around and look. He felt guilt crushing him inside, but, for an instant, it felt better than the girl trying to dig her way in his privacy.
Kumiko looked at him, dazed as he stared down to her, his eyes burning with uneasiness and anger. "You think I'm an idiot? Think I didn't figure out your real goal? You girls are all the same, actin' all nice and shameless to force those jackass guys to tell you how crappy they feel! Well, my life ain't your fucking business, so stop breathing on my neck once and for all! You, Aki, everyone… Why don't you understand I want to handle things MY own way?! Why won't you just leave me alone?!"
She was speechless. She didn't know him as much as Akihiko, but never she saw him that angry, that upset. "Shinji-Kun… it's because we see you struggling on your own and think… we want to support you so you won't have to handle everything on your own… I mean, isn't that what friends do…?"
He closed his eyes and left out a bitter cackle. "Friends? Tch… that's something only YOU think about us… I never once considered you as a friend… that's just in your head!"
The words he said hurt her more than any attack she suffered in her battle against the shadows. She shut gripped her hands into tiny balls and looked at her. "W…why are you …"
"Because I had of you and your nagging. You and your mania into seeing things that aren't there!" he then looked away. "Besides, how do you expect me to help me getting outta my shit when you can't find a way outta YOUR problems? You just being presumptuous!"
Time felt like stopping or slowing down for a moment as the she felt a throbbing pain in her heart which increased as it raced. After a long hesitation, she got up from her seat and looked at him, tears stinging her eyes. "Heh… yeah… you're right… I can't fix my own mess and I assume I can help others… I'm such a fool… I just thought I could help… sorry… sorry for bugging you… I… won't do it again…"
Finally he looked at her, his gaze softening. He opened his mouth to say something but she apologized once again and ran outside the restaurant. Once she was out, Shinjiro noticed that the other customers left as well, probably for not wanting to get involved in their argument; he rested his head on his hand, biting his lower lip. As much as it hurt him, he couldn't let Kumiko or anyone approach him. I'm sorry, Kumi! Sorry for telling you all this bullshit! But I can't stand watching you suffer like this for someone like me… you're so pure and good-natured… while my hands are too dirty to even grace someone like you… I don't deserve your affection… or the care of friends… I only deserve hatred for what I did!
He then felt a dull pain across his body making him hard to breathe. He placed a hand over his mouth and coughed hard for more than a minute. Once the coughing and the pain finally gave him some break, he gasped and looked at his hand: it was smeared with some red, which caused him to smile grimly. Soon… everything will be over soon…
As for Konata and the others, they approached the restaurant right when Kumiko rushed outside, flustered, almost knocking Tsukasa down. Dumbfounded, they glimpsed around to see Shinjiro on a table alone.
"Uh-oh… looks like Kuro-Sensei was right…it didn't turn out well…" Kagami mused
Tsukasa looked at her with sad puppy eyes. "What can we do for Kumi-Chan?"
"Arguments are something normal in a relationship… maybe we should let her be for the time being and see how things turn out… the truth is they both are inexpert when it comes to love matters, they'll find a way for things to work out…" Konata frowned, trailing Kumiko with her eyes.
Shinn and Yukimura both kept their eyes on the lone figure in the restaurant, who seemed like hiding some grief deep inside. The former frowned as he looked at him. Shinjiro…what are you thinking?!
10/04/09
Things progressed uneventful for the last eleven days. Even Kumiko, who was pretty down for a few days after going out with Shinjiro, was finally starting to be her usual self again, all thanks to the support of Konata and the others.
It was a full moon night, thus all of the Kagayaku members gathered in Rei's room to hear his briefing about that night's operation. Yukimura was especially pumped since it was his first, official mission since joining the group. As always, Rei asked Miyuki to use Personomicon to analyze the whole picture. "I see… there are two shadows by the Iwatodai strip mall… and SEES is already on the move…"
"Two shadows… sounds tricky… should we go help'em?" Yukimura asked.
"No need… they can fetch themselves quite well." Rei said. Then, to the girl with glasses. "Can you sense anything out of the ordinary? Is Strega on the move?"
After a few seconds, she talked as she focused more. "Oh? There's a reading I've never experienced before… but I'm pretty sure it's from a Persona-user…"
Konata punched the palm of her other hand. "Another Persona-user? If it's Strega, I'll show'em no mercy!"
Shinn nodded. "Where does the reading come from?!"
"It's… the stadium… the stadium southwest from the station!" Miyuki proclaimed snapping her eyes open.
Rei nodded. "Very well… we don't know this one is either related to Strega or the project who brought the Dark Hour here… all we can do is check ourselves… What's your opinion as the leader, Kumiko-Kun?"
Kumiko's mind seemed like lying elsewhere; it took a while for the girl to pay attention to Rei's words.
Shinn frowned. "Great, she's still down…"
Rei mused for a moment, concerned, then sighed, both hands on his sides. "I guess it can't be helped… maybe I should tag along for today. Haven't done it in a while…"
As they all started to leave, the professor noticed that the Kagayaku leader seemed thinking of something and asked what was wrong. "I don't know…" she whispered, gripping her blue sweater right on her chest. "I don't understand why… for some reason, my heart won't stop pounding… I have the feeling something terrible is going to happen…"
The professor looked at her with concern, as if he already figured out what was going to happen. "I think I understand… but don't forget you're the team leader, so you must be decisive and quick in your decisions… that's the only way for you to be able to change fate itself."
She looked at him. "…Fate?"
"No… nevermind… we'd better get going now, there's not much time…" he said as he exited the room. Kumiko didn't know how to react. Was he trying to cheer her up or to make her feel even more uneasy?
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As the nine people reached the stadium, they could clearly see a lone figure in the middle of the arena: a short, brown-haired teenager wearing black clothes, his violet eyes staring at the moon as if he was waiting for something… or someone. Feeling the newcomers' presence close to him, he turned around to face them: his was a mild-looking, calm face. "So you came… looks like I was right… about you."
Athrun's heart skipped a beat when he saw the person and heard his young and sweet-sounding voice. "…Kira?"
The young man in black looked at him with an awkward expression as he took a step toward him. "…Athrun."
"Friend of yours, Zala-San?" Miyuki asked while cupping her chin.
The blue-haired young man smiled at them. "Yeah. He's the one I was looking for before joining the team. Man, I half given up hope about finding him, since I haven't found any clue all these months!" he then addressed to the boy, Kira. "But tell me, what are you doing in a place like this?"
Kira stood silent for a few seconds before talking. "…I needed to meet you all. So I figured you would have spotted me if I were in an unusual place during the Dark Hour and all. There's someone in your group whose Persona can detect other life forms, right?"
"You know about the Dark Hour and Personae??" Tsukasa asked, surprised.
Athrun nodded. "So you ARE a Persona-user as well… this is turning just great! Now listen, Kira… I'd like to-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kira took out a sword and put himself in a battle stance. He then looked toward Rei. "You are the one who assembled this group, right? Do you have a purpose for being here?"
Rei stared at the black-dressed youth for a while, then he crossed his arms and said: "I assume you are suspicious of my intentions? Mind you, I am nothing more than a supervisor."
He shook his head. Then, he said to the rest of the group: "You know about it, don't you… about SEES and the Kirijo Group… the one supervising the whole SEES project is a loony scientist who used to work for the group until the incident that triggered this situation. He's been researching on the 'potential' for quite a while… using kids for his own account like tools… or even worse, samples. And now he's doing it again with SEES. Of course, the kids don't know anything about the whole matter, for Ikutsuki keeps it all hidden from them."
Kira's words made everyone except Rei wince. A new, shocking piece of information was coming to light… one that could possibly shed some light on Strega and why there were info about the Kirijo Group in their database… but could this boy really be right about Ikutsuki using the SEES kids as tools or, even worse, samples? And now, he was implying that Rei could be the same… true, the man was a professor who knew pretty much about many things they all ignored and often seemed like hiding something about him on purpose… but was that enough to label him as a bad guy?
Rei chuckled. "…I see your point, boy. I really do. But think about it: what would I gain by tricking kids into doing as my bidding? True, I might interfere with the order of things in this world but it's not like I have an actual obligation to."
Kumiko looked at him, blinking. Rei-Sensei?! You're talking as if what happens in this world is actually irrelevant to you… it's almost as if you… DIDN'T BELONG in this world! Just… WHO are you?!
"Now I see… this man, he too is from another world… like us…" Shinn whispered to Athrun. "I know it sounds crazy, but that possibility explains how he's strangely knowledgeable about many things people of this world ignore!"
Rei continued. This time, his face turned very serious. "…besides, I didn't force anyone to join in a group I created: these kids here created the group on their own; I only agreed to help because one of them works under me."
Kira's eyes became more determined as he took something out of his black jacket: an Evoker. "If that's so, their resolution must be strong enough to fight any opponent… I really don't want to do it but there's no other way… let me see if they're determined enough to see it all through the end… if they don't, then this group is just a bunch of pawns whose resolution isn't enough to save themselves, let alone the whole world."
With that, he grabbed the gun with both hands and placed the tip to his right temple. Then, he shot as blue energy gathered around him, taking the shape of a big, mainly white and blue mech similar to Shinn and Athrun's Personae.
Shinn suddenly paled and grew tense as he looked at it. "That…that machine… it's… Freedom… but then, this boy… he is…"
"…what's wrong, Shinn-Kun?" Yukimura asked as he readied his cross-shaped lance.
The younger male Kagayaku member's body was quivering violently, his eyes concealed by his jet black hair. Tsukasa tried to place a hand on his shoulder but a strong source of energy went through her body. "You… it was you… my parents…! And Mayu!"
The girls and Yukimura were at lost, not really understanding what was happening right now. Then, Kumiko remembered the conversation she had with Shinn at Yakushima about him losing his family because of a war and wanting revenge.
He then lifted his head and rushed towards Kira with a primal scream, his weapon tightly in his hands. He was so quick that no one of the girls was able to stop him. He moved to stab Kira, stopping as Athrun stepped right in front of him.
"Move aside!! I… I'm gonna…!!!" Shinn wailed.
Athrun shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint you, but… please, let me handle it…" he then faced Kira as the rest of the group had to work really hard to restrain a wild Shinn. "That's quite enough! The situation is different this time: there's no reason for us to fight!"
"There is a reason… compared to me, the hardship you will face are much worse… I'm nothing compared… if you can't even fight me with all of your might, you have no chance." a new source of energy seemed like gushing out of Kira's body; when the young man lifted his head to look at them, they could see his eyes having no light or expression, as if he were in some sort of trance. "…Now show me… show me you have what it takes to erase the Dark Hour and save the world…!"
Athrun looked at him, amazed. One thing was sure to him: Kira wasn't playing around, not if he was ALSO using his original potential… and he was real deadly when it did; he knew it so well. After focusing for a while, he took out his gun and Evoker and then rushed to him, his eyes devoid of any expression too. When Kumiko tried to stop him, he told her to let him be, because it was their problem.
With that, he shot a few times with his gun, but his bullet simply stopped a few inches away from Kira's body, falling on the ground after floating midair for a while. Taking advantage of the situation, the brown-haired one moved onward to slash at Athrun, which promptly dodged.
Miyuki gasped as she examined the battle through Personomicon's eyes. "It can't possibly be real! That boy… his Persona's data are simply insane!"
Kumiko, who was helping Rei to tranquilize Shinn, asked: "What do you mean 'insane?"
"W…well, he seems to have some sort of hyper mode… plus, he's strong against all the kind of elemental skills… and physical attacks are completely nullified by some sort of barrier!"
"What the… that cheating bastard!!" Yukimura cried, next to her.
Rei shook his head. "Can't be helped, I guess… he's a Coordinator with superior skills… and yes, he's a cheating bastard alright."
"Coordinator? What is a Coordinator, Sensei?" Kagami asked, confused.
The professor nodded. "Genetically superior humans possessing a special ability called… the SEED mode… but I think we have someone here who knows it better than any of us…"
Shinn, who was finally a little calmer, looked at him with growing worry. "Kuro-Sensei, I'm not…!"
"Don't worry, kid… you're among friends who possess a special power themselves… they won't think ill or discriminate you… they never did so far, there's no point in worrying."
Their conversation was interrupted by Tsukasa pointing at the battle. The two young men stopped fighting hand-to-hand and their duel became some sort of mental fight of Persona versus Persona. The two robotic beings locked themselves into clash, then jumped back and started using their skills one against the other. Athrun's Saviour could somehow manage to breach through his opponent's defenses with his special skills, but Kira's Freedom had superior abilities and the damage amount the latter received was quite inferior to the one he delivered to the former.
Kira swung his sword at his friend and rival. "What is it? We have fought plenty of times already, I know you're capable of much more… please, stop holding back."
Athrun knew he had to gamble it all. He once again summoned his Persona and send it to attack Kira with his most powerful physical skill. Kira saw it and he, too, summoned his to counterattack. The two ethereal humanoids clashed one last time, causing a small explosion of light.
When the dazzling light faded away, it was all frozen; Freedom and Saviour towering above their users, the former's blade stabbing the latter's chest, the tip appearing from the back. A few seconds of silence followed. Then the red mechanic Persona started to literally pulverize, its fragments flying away as sand in the wind, until it completely disappeared. Athrun didn't even had the chance to react to what was happening as his mind blacked out and he collapses limp on the stadium's floor, his eyes glassy and dilated. Concerned, the other Kagayaku members rushed to him as they all feared the worst while Kira's Persona vanished and his eyes become normal, human again. They all felt relieved after Miyuki, checking Athrun's body, sighed in relief and said: "His heart is still beating. He's just unconscious, fortunately… but… for some reason, I can no longer sense his potential at all."
They all turned around to Kira, who was putting away his Evoker, a mix of sadness and determination on his face. "Of course, never once I intended to assassinate Athrun… regardless of all, he's still my close childhood friend."
"You think I'm gonna buy that?!" Shinn spat.
Yukimura places a hand on his shoulder. "Kira… isn't it? What happened to him? You've got some explaining to do, pretty boy."
He nodded and looked at Athrun, who almost looked asleep. "That skill I just used… it's a skill only I –or rather, my Persona– possess… a skill named Canceller: as its name states, it ERASES a Persona-user's potential… of course, it's far from perfect: for one, I can't use it on those whose willpower is too strong…" his eyes softened. "But… I would have never guessed it would have erased HIS potential… maybe his will to fight wasn't strong enough in the end."
Kumiko shook his head. "I don't understand… why are you doing this?"
Kira lifted his head to look at the moon. "This world is plagued by a terrible crisis… and events will only grow worse and worse as time passes by… and yet, Persona-users waste their time splitting themselves into different factions, each one working its own way… SEES, the pawns of the Kirijo Group; Strega, who work to preserve the Dark Hour and will do whatever it takes… and then you… You can be able to do something… but that's only possible if you're mentally strong enough to handle this whole situation and take care of the differences splitting these groups… and in order to be like that, you must act and think on your own, without anyone forcing you to follow their ideas… fighting one another won't achieve anything, that's for sure."
Rei shrugged. "In other words you've been acting as an observer all this time… well, sorry but like I said, the group was formed by these kids' own will. But you're right… something's fishy about the Kirijo Group's activities… and we just want to see the truth behind their cloak of lies."
Shinn spat on the ground. "'Fighting one another won't achieve anything' … that's pretty weird coming from you since you just attacked us!"
Kira shook his head, saddened. "I know… but there was no other way… but believe me when I tell you this: I want the Dark Hour to disappear as much as you do… I won't allow it to keep on causing suffering… I just want to prevent it to cause more victims… for both the Lost and persona-users."
After saying those words, Kira started to leave while Shinn, held back by Kumiko, tried to go after him, telling him to come back there. Meanwhile, Tsukasa, being reminded of SEES' operation, asked Miyuki how it was going; after focusing for a while, the girl with glasses said. "Oh, looks like the shadows were both defeated already!" she then tilted her head in an interrogative way. "Strange though… looks like SEES has been splitting itself for this mission… it's not like anyone is concealing his or her presence either, but there's no trace of Strega around… and the shadows both appeared in Iwatodai… so what are they doing in a completely different location?"
Konata looked at her and crossed her arms. "Hmmm… what do you mean, they split?"
The navigator put a finger on her mouth, uncertain. "Well… I could clearly sense all of the SEES members leaving the Iwatodai station area… but for some reason, I just sensed Amada-Kun and Aragaki-San around the Port Island station…"
As he heard her words, Kira stopped on his tracks, his eyes widening in shock. Immediately he rushed closer to the group. "A, are you sure?! Shinjiro and that little boy?!" he asked, all jumpy.
Miyuki blinked. "Um… yes, that's what I just sensed… but there's no Strega member around this time, I double-checked… are you by chance an acquaintance of Aragaki-San?"
Instead of answering his question, he placed a hand over his mouth, his eyes filled with fear. "Oh no… how could I forget it?! Today is October 4th… That fool is going to…!!" he chocked before running off, fretful.
Kira's words caused Kumiko to feel the same uneasiness she felt before, but much, much stronger, her heart aching and racing madly. It couldn't be a good omen! "Hey, wait! What are you talking about?! What about Shinji-Kun?!" She asked to the running teenager. Seeing that he was way too far by now, her eyes went to Rei, who was picking up Athrun from the ground.
"Everyone, you should follow him. Something big is cooking and I don't like its smell at all. As for Athrun, don't worry about him. I'll make sure to bring him to the hospital." He said, more serious than usual.
The five girls and Yukimura nodded and rushed after Kira. Shinn was still uncertain and unwilling to cooperate with his family's murder… but soon, he didn't want to be left behind and after crying: "HEY! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE YOU GUYS!!", he ran after them. Rei silently trailed them all as his expression grew sadder and sadder.
Kumiko… fate has set itself in motion… will you be able to change it… or will it refuse to be changed?…regardless of fate's decision, you must be very strong…
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The back alley behind Port Island Station was covered by darkness and silence. The only light around was the moon's pale green glare. Alone in the alley, a single figure stood: a small child carrying a spear which was simply too big for him: wearing a Gekkoukan High School jacket over his orange hoody and the SEES armband on his left arm, his serious eyes looked around as if he was waiting for something… or someone… Mom… it's time… you'll see… and don't worry, it will be over soon… the little boy, Ken, thought.
A new figure approached him: a tall teenager with a red coat and a dark beanie; he too, was wearing the same armband the child wore. The child recognized him immediately: Shinjiro Aragaki… how could he forget?
"You came… I didn't expect you to abandon the operation…" Ken said.
Shinjiro didn't answer.
"You know why I asked you to meet here? Two years ago, this very same day… October 4th… my mother died here… they reported it as an accident, but I know the truth…!" with that he readied his spear. "…YOU're the one who murdered her!"
Seeing that Shinjiro wasn't saying a word, he continued while looking at the ground. "Ever since that day, it was one bad thing after another… and people only gave me sympathy… what's the point of living that way…? I even considered killing myself but that's not the way… Mom wouldn't have wanted it… that's why I knew… I knew I had to find her real killer –you–!" he then looked at him, his eyes sparkling with hatred. "I've heard you wanted to forget what happened…when I knew it was a full moon today, I knew I had to confront you…! Tonight, Mom is watching over me! I'll make you remember what happened back then! I'm definitely going to kill you!!"
With that, Ken put himself in a battle stance, the tip of his spear a few inches away from Shinjiro's face. The punk-looking teenager didn't flinch.
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"Wait! WAIT, I say! How about explaining stuff for a change!!" Kagami huffed as she ran after Kira alongside the rest of the group. The black-dressed teenager was running madly towards the railroad bridge leading to Port Island Station.
"How could I be so foolish?!" Kira whimpered as he kept on running. "Letting myself carry away with the fight and forgetting about today… if it's too late, I'll never forgive myself…!!"
"Hey!" Yukimura finally caught up with him. "Save the sappy existential drama for later… can you explain what the hell is going on here?!"
"Yeah… what's so special about Shinjiro-Kun and October 4th?" Konata asked, running incredibly fast for one having legs that short.
Kira choked, without slowing down. "So he DID never tell anyone about it…!" he then paused for a moment, closed his eyes and reopened, still looking at the road ahead. "October 4th… is the day that boy's mother… Ken Amada's mother was killed…"
Shinn arrived to a realization. "Wait a minute… by the stuff the kid said I could figure out his mother was murdered… wait, you don't mean…?!"
The young man in black nodded. "…two years ago, SEES, who back then was composed by only three members, was after a stray shadow which escaped in a residential area… it was then that…" he choked for a moment before continuing, squeezing his eyes shut. "Shinjiro-San's Persona went out of control and even killed one person… as you can easily guess, the boy's mother…!"
Kumiko's eyes widened in shock as the pieces in her mind finally started to be put together: Shinjiro's sudden change, his disappearance in the last two years and the reason he kept her and everyone at distance. Then it hit her. "Wait… if Shinji-Kun and Ken-Kun are there… it means…!"
"I'm afraid so, Kumiko…" Shinn grimaced. "I could read it in the kid's eyes: he only thinks about revenge…" I did think Ken was like me… looks like I was ultimately right… and that stupid Shinjiro… what is he thinking?!
The girl in blue felt a chill running down her spine as the pain in her thumping heart increased more and more. Immediately she accelerated her pace, dashing over Kira and the rest of the group, running as fast as she could. Shinji-Kun… was this your intention when you rejoined SEES?! The way you talked to me back then… was it because you knew what was going to happen?! Please, don't do this to me, Shinji-Kun…!!
"Wow, she sure is fast!! How are we going to catch up with her?!" Tsukasa cried since she was having a hard time running as she was.
As they kept on running, Miyuki was trying to focus on Personomicon. Yukimura had to hold her hand to let her keep up the pace. The girl suddenly gasped.
"What's wrong, Yuki-Chan?! Are you exhausted?!" The red-haired boy asked.
She looked at him, wide-eyed. "I… I sensed another Persona-user in the same area Aragaki-San and Amada-San are!… it…it's not a member of SEES… it's an aura… of pure evil…!!"
Kira frowned. "Shoot! I'm afraid Strega is anticipating us…!" he cursed as he accelerated. "Come on, we need to hurry!"
"Don't order me around you!!" Shinn cried.
"Now it's not the time for that you dolt!" Kagami yelled. "Man, can things get even worse…?!"
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Shinjiro looked at the spear tip a few inches away from his face, his eyes showing no fear whatsoever. He then glanced at the kid and nodded. "Do it."
Ken looked at him, perplexed. He expected at least some resistance.
"I won't stop you." The teenager nodded once again and looked at the horizon. "You're right… I wanted to forget everything… that's why I left the group, quit the school and tried to suppress my power… but nothing could erase the memory of that day… and now here I am, in the last place I want to be in."
Ken didn't say a word, he simply looked at him, still in his battle stance.
"It was all my fault… this is what I deserve… but let me at least give you a warning: if you take my life, you'll end up like me. Just remember that…"
"Is that supposed to change my mind?!" Ken sneered.
He shook his head. "Even if everything you have now is hatred, you'll end up regretting it someday."
"Shut up!" Ken spat "That's a load of crap!!"
"He's correct…" a ghost-like, hissing voice said at Shinjiro's back. Both him and Ken faced in the direction the voice came from: a shirtless, extremely think young man with long platinum hair and very pale skin, wearing only a pair of tattered jeans and a red strip of cloth as a belt greeted them with a cold, piercing stare from his golden eyes. "There is no reason for him to feel regret… Isn't killing those who are themselves killers permissible? After all, that is the nature of revenge…"
Shinjiro grimaced as he looked at the man. Of course he recognized him: it was Takaya, leader of the group of Persona-users known as Strega. He met him a good deal of times.
Takaya continued. "The loss of Chidori and Stellar has posed quite a threat to us… but we can no longer simply ignore your meddling… neither yours, neither that other group's…" he thus took out his revolver, causing the other two to brace themselves. "Fear not… life is nothing but a stepping stone… soon, you shall receive salvation…"
Shinjiro moved in front of Ken, as to protect him. Takaya looked at him and smirked. "You cannot oppose fate… and yours is to die… whether by hand of this child or not…"
The red-coated young man just set his jaw.
The thin man talked again. "You've been taking those pills for quite a while now, haven't you? That means you don't have much longer…"
Ken looked at Shinjiro, his eyes widening in shock. "T…that's bullshit!" The shifty teenager spat.
The half-naked man smirked again. "Listen to your body, you know it to be true."
The child took a step backward, shaking his head. "W…what?! You're going to die… no matter what I do?!" he shook his head more violently as if he tried to deny the truth in front of him. "It's not fair!! All this time! I've been waiting for this!!"
"The cause of death is of no importance…" Takaya replied. "…and besides, the breath of life is faint in you as well, child… after killing him, you were planning to join him, weren't you?"
Shinjiro looked at him in awe. He couldn't believe what he just heard nor he could grasp how such a young child could even take such a delicate matter in consideration.
The newcomer readied his revolver with a smirk. "Since you're both destined to perish… allow me to do the honors… a slight change in timing should not matter much…"
"Go to hell!" Shinjiro spat as he rushed toward him, taking a gun out of his coat. Unfortunately, Takaya was quicker than him and shot him right into his right thigh. The teenager wobbled for a moment, then he knelt down, clutching his injured leg. Ken watched the whole scene as dread took over his small body, preventing him from moving.
Piercing him with his cold golden eyes, Takaya pointed his revolver to Shinjiro's head. "Now… with that little amount of life you have left, answer this: both your group and the other group have one like Chidori, am I right? That is how you were able to locate and destroy the ones we wish to protect… tell me… who is it?"
Shinjiro kept on clenching his leg, both hands pressed on the wound so to stop the bleeding as every thought he had went to the pain. "T…there's… no one…"
"Wait, it's me! That's the only reason they let me join!" Ken cried, taking a step forward. The shifty young man tried to stop him, but Takaya kicked him in his mid-section, causing him to fall on his back, hard. Ken shook his head, on the verge of tears. "It doesn't matter anymore… I will never have my revenge!"
"I see… so you have achieved resolution…" Takaya coldly said as he pointed his revolver at Ken. "How enviable… then, you shall be first… rest peacefully…"
A loud bang covered the silence of the night.
Takaya: The foreboding leader of the group of Persona-users known as Strega. Everything about this man, from his true reasons to his origins, is crowded in mystery… the only thing known for sure is that he seems like living on a completely different plane than ordinary humans. He sees the Dark Hour as a frontier to explore and doesn't hesitate to kill for his goals… rather, he sees death as some form of ultimate salvation…
Kumiko, who freshly arrived by the station, was startled as soon as she heard that noise, her heart almost stopping. Although exhausted, she put all of her energies to reach the back alley. As soon as she was there, she stopped on her tracks as shock and dread paralyzed her… just like it did with Ken. Shinjiro was kneeling down right in front of the child, blood streaming from the deep wound on his back, shaping a small pool at his feet. He took the bullet at Ken's place, saving the boy's life.
"What's the meaning of this?!" Takaya said, sounding upset for a change. "Why did you risk your life to save this child?!"
Shinjiro didn't answer, he simply turned around to look at him. More voices calling his name could be heard from the opposite side. The SEES members were all coming that way. Noticing, Takaya took his leave and disappeared in the shadows of the night.
As soon as they all arrived there, Fuuka knelt down next to Shinjiro, trying to support him. The wounded young man lifted his head to look at Ken, whose eyes were lost in shock. "What's with the long face…? Isn't that what you wanted…?" he asked before an excruciating pain caused him to cough. Kumiko too, watched the whole scene, which felt so close yet so far to her… almost unreal, as a big hole of emptiness craved its way in her soul.
"It's alright…" Shinjiro shrugged himself off of Fuuka's grip and smiled at Ken. "Give yourself time… make your anger be your strength… Come on, Ken, you're just a kid… you have your whole life ahead of you… so don't waste it… make it your own… Okay…?" he said as he could feel the strength abandoning his body and his eyesight blurring. Nevertheless, he got up on his feet.
On his hand, Ken wanted to talk, to protest, but couldn't do it; he could only stutter a few words.
Shinjiro's blurred sight went to the speechless Kumiko, causing his smile to soften. He then could see more people coming behind her, her group. Slowly, he walked toward them. Immediately, Miyuki analyzed his wounds, choking when she realized how deep they were and how much blood he was losing. She tried to stop him, telling him he wasn't supposed to stand up, but he simply shrugged her off "…Is Kira here…?" he asked.
Immediately, the mild-looking young man approached him. "I… I'm here!"
The badly wounded young man tilted his head to stare into Kira's eyes, trying hard to focus his blurry eyesight on his face. "There's no turning back…Kira… this is the only chance you've got… you always refused but now… now it's different… the Canceller…!"
Kira nodded as a single teardrop rolled down his right cheek. He then asked everyone to stay back as he took out his Evoker and summoned Freedom once again. The robotic-shaped Persona pointed his blade at Shinjiro and rushed toward him, causing a small explosion of light. What everyone knew next was Freedom stabbing Shinjiro's Persona, Castor. Before the dark-looking Persona started fading, Shinjiro threw a last glance at Ken and smiled through his bloody lips. "Aki… take care of him…"
"I will…" Akihiko shakily answered.
Shinjiro's eyes then went to Kumiko's face one last time as Castor pulverized above his head. "…this is how it should be…" he sighed. He took a few more steps beyond the newcomers, then left out a moan before collapsing on the floor to never stand up again, right under everyone's eyes. A serene smile crossed his face as life abandoned his body.
Ken finally snapped out of his paralysis and collapsed on his floor, sobbing as he pounded the floor over and over, really not knowing what to do with the grief he was bearing as he left out all of his pent up feelings of hatred, anger and sadness in a sharp scream.
As for Kumiko, she sunk on the floor, sitting right next to Shinjiro. Stretching a hand to his peaceful face, she could finally feel tears coming down: shyly at first, they streamed when the girl noticed how cold he felt. He was dead and no amount of prayers would have brought him back. In the end, she could do absolutely nothing to help him. The sensation of loss and emptiness dug an ever-deeper hole in her soul, making her unable to perceive anything else, not even her teammates trying to comfort her. She, too, wanted to scream like Ken did, but the voice refused to come out; even breathing was almost impossible, she could only leave out faint and short sobs.
NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW!!
Konata: Next, on PeruSuri…
Yukimura: Crap… I can't believe what happened in this chapter…
Shinn: And you're not the only one… poor Kumiko-San… and Ken-Kun…
Akihiko: Hey! What about me? I'm hurting too, you know… (Sniffles)
Tsukasa: Kumi-Chan… you're acting very strange lately…
Kumiko: Um… y…yeah, right… (Embarrassed laugh) Ugh…
Miyuki: Please… pull yourself together, Fukuyama-San! Acting all punk-like and using colorful language is not the answer!
Kumiko: I did… WHAT?!
Kagami: Regardless, this tragic occurring will cause some people to have a spiritual growth!
Junpei: And as if it wasn't enough, there are midterms to worry about…
Mitsuru: All of this while our fight against the shadows finally arrives to an end.
Fuuka: Wait… does it mean the next will be the last chapter?
Kenji: …BUT! A dark hand threatens to strike down both groups…
Yukari: Not just Strega's last stand and a stunt against Kagayaku: a shocking truth will be revealed!
Ken: We'll be in serious trouble! And rescuing us will be up to Kagayaku!
Konata: (Impersonating Akihiko) Kagamin! Kagamin! Please, save me, Kagamin!!
Kagami/Akihiko: H…hey! Stop it!!
Aigis: Shin Megami Tensei: PeruSuri, chapter 8.
Rei: "Operation P3".
Athrun: What's P3 supposed to mean?
Junpei: It'll prolly be explained in the next chapter.
Fuuka: Be sure to read and review, there will be some interesting twists!
Shinn: Just don't flame if you don't like those twists, will ya?! And don't you dare miss the next chapter!
Junpei: (Ala Ganon from Zelda: Faces of Evil) …Or else you will DIE!
BLUE VELVET: The Peru*Suri trivia channel: Ep.7
Elizabeth: Greetings and welcome back to Blue Velvet… I am Elizabeth, the elevator operator within this Velvet Room and this one next to me is Max…well…? (Looks at Maxwell who's bawling next to her) Er… Maxwell?
Maxwell: (Sobbing with both tears and snot streaming) I didn't cry when Old Yellow died… I didn't cry when Hinawa died in Mother 3… but I'll cry for this!
Elizabeth: Oh, dear… looks like the mood is pretty down for this episode…
Maxwell: How could I watch outtakes and other funny stuff in a moment like this?!
Elizabeth: (Pats his shoulder) Now, now… Maxwell… I have something that will make you a little cheerier for this episode… a special guest. You like special guests, right? Now calm down and HAVE A TISSUE, for crying out loud!
Maxwell: (Leaves out some unintelligible sobbing and nods)
Elizabeth: Kind readers from all around the world, here he is! Don't let his ghostly appearance scare you, for he's THE jerk with the heart of gold… ladies and genteelmen… Directly from the great beyond… MISTEEEEERRRRR SHIIIINJIROOOOO… ARAGAAAAKIIIIIIII!!!
A black halo appears between Elizabeth and Maxwell, surrounded by will-of-wisps as a distant howl is heard. After a few seconds, Shinji appears instead of the halo.
Maxwell: YIPES! Don't do it again! Ugh, ghosts give me the creeps!
Shinjiro: What if I'm a ghost? Don't be such a chicken…Hey, what is this place? Oh I see… it's some sort of Hell-evator? (… ACK! I can't believe I just said that… screw Ikutsuki and his lame-ass puns!)
Elizabeth: This is the Velvet Room… and yes, it's an elevator. It exists between mind and matter, time and space, life and death.
Shinjiro: I don't get it but whatever… what am I doing here?
Maxwell: You're on Blue Velvet, the corner about this fic's trivia, outtakes and stuff… we sometimes have special guests… and this chapter's special guest is YOU!
Elizabeth: We get to interview you, one of the fans' top favourites. After all, we can say YOU are this chapter's starring.
Shinjiro: Some starring… I end up dead… but… one of the top favourites? Me?
Maxwell: Of course, you're tough, powerful and way cool! So, how does it feel?
Shinjiro: How does it feel? Strange… I can't believe people like someone like me… (Suspicious) It's not just yaoi fangirls, right?
Maxwell: Of course not! The authoress is no yaoi fangirl and she likes you the most!
Shinjiro: Good to know… yaoi fangirls… I don't understand those… cuz I mean, just because you've got a friendly/brotherly relationship with some other guy, you gotta be queer… well they can kiss my ghostly ass! (On Maxwell's ear) Can you say "ass" on TV?
Maxwell: You can on THIS program.
Shinjiro: Ah. OK then.
Elizabeth: Aside this… how does it feel being in this fic?
Shinjiro: Not half bad, I suppose. I don't know the new characters well… and I guess I'll never know now… but at least I had more "screen time" than in the game. I don't appear much in that one.
Elizabeth: (Under her breath) You might be surprised…
Maxwell: What are your impression about the ones you got to know a little more so far?
Shinjiro: Hmm… there's Kira… he'd be a decent kid… if he weren't such a whiner who's sucked in his sappy little war drama, always sulking about how bad fighting is and keeping on fighting regardless. Dammit, shut up! Then we have Shinn, who keeps on thinking I have a thing for that Stellar girl. I'm not in love with her at all. I just want to stand by her because she's like a fish outside her pond. And then there's Kumi…
Elizabeth: Oh, her… she's your true love, right?
Shinjiro: (Has a slight blush) …hey, don't misunderstand. Kumi is… she's… uh… pretty… what is the opposite of annoying? But it doesn't change facts: girls are nothing but trouble! Just look at the wild cats I have here!
Maxwell: You mean Kumiko and Stellar? I see two nice, very well-endowed girls…
Shinjiro: Yeah, and they're as troublesome as the come.
Maxwell: But still… poor Kumiko… she… you… don't you feel bad about her? The final bit of the chapter was really, really, really heartbreaking… (Sniffles)
Elizabeth: Talking about the final bit of the chapter, we have an outtake of it here which should lighten the mood just a little.
Maxwell: Eliz, you're cruel… how can you show something funny in such a situation?!
Shinjiro: Well I want to watch it… who knows, maybe it could make us feel a little better…
Elizabeth: Say, I like your line of thought. How about working under me in Maxwell's place? I can reward you.
Maxwell: E…ELIZ!!
Shinjiro: …I can't draw… I don't think I'd be a good Demon Artist… besides, Max here seems like a good second banana here.
Elizabeth: I see… too bad.
Elizabeth presses a button in her book while Shinjiro pats a sobbing Maxwell's shoulder. Something appears from a big screen
Chapter 7 Outtake – Persona May Cry
Kumiko slowly walks over Shinjiro's body and kneels down next to him, gently putting his head on her lap while looking at him. "I've lost my father and grandfather to the Dark Hour… and now you're gone too…" she says as she studies his pale features, almost wishing for life to come back in them. How peaceful he looked.
"I should have saved you…"
She kept on looking at him as she felt tears forming in her eyes.
"I should have been the one to fill your dark soul with LIIIIIGHT!!!" she screams, her voice echoing in the dark alley.
She freezes as she hears someone chuckling at her back. Looking backwards, she sees Konata who's trying really hard stifling a laugh. Rei's there with her too.
"…Knock it off already, will you…"
Maxwell: I don't get it… is this supposed to be funny?
Elizabeth: It is, if you know the reference.
Shinjiro: I know the reference, but I'm even sadder now.
Elizabeth: Would you have laughed if the authoress slipped a MegaMan X4 death scene reference in it?
Maxwell/Shinjiro: No.
Elizabeth: …Anyway, the time at our disposal is running out. I wish to bid farewell to Mr. Aragaki here. Have a nice eternity!
Shinjiro: …If anyone wants me I'll be… in the next dimension… or shadow realm, or whatever… (Disappears)
Elizabeth: I wish to thank you all for coming again. Have fun and please be here for the next instalment of Blue Velvet. Later days!
Maxwell: Eliz, I've been wondering… if time doesn't matter in the Velvet Room… why do you keep saying our time runs out?
Elizabeth: Maxwell, don't bother with details. Now hurry up and bring your mistress a drama CD. I always wondered what it is…
Maxwell: (Groans) I'm off.