Author's Notes: Still no proper gameplay... So slow... I slightly altered a detail during Orpheus' awakening. Okay, maybe I only added two words. It's not a big deal, but I got inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion so the monster Persona pretty much used its hands and teeth to defeat the giant Shadow. Woohoo crazy uncontrollable monsters that should never be invoked! Man, Eva is a huge mess...

~17 APRIL 2009~

Minato slowly opened his eyes and immediately regret doing so. The bright light of the sun reflected off the white curtains, sheets, and pretty much everything else in the room. He turned his head to the right and saw Hamuko was also just waking up. The younger twin slightly tensed up a bit as she gathered her bearings before she spotted the older boy staring at her in concern.

"You're both awake…!" Yukari's voice made the twins turn to look at the brunette sitting in a chair placed between their beds. "Um, how do you feel?" she asked as she stood up to get a better look at them.

Hamuko wore a slight frown as she looked around the white room. "Where are we…?"

"Thank goodness. You finally came to…" Yukari let out a relieved sigh. "How much sleep do you both need!? It's been a whole week!" She paused and sheepishly looked away. "I was so worried about you…" As if suddenly remember Hamuko's question, her eyes scanned the room too. "…Oh yeah, this is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's just a short walk from the station."

Minato tried to his best to stretch out his stiff neck. "Why are you here?"

"You saved my life, you know… so I couldn't just leave you here." Yukari pointed towards the door that was along the wall next to Hamuko's bed. "The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with the two of you. He said you were just exhausted… But, you kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how worried I was?" She paused and gave the twins an apologetic expression. "Um… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything… Even though I was supposed to protect you, I… But, your power… It was amazing."

Slightly embarrassed, Minato turned away. "What'd we do?"

"The power you used… We call it 'Persona'," she explained.

Hamuko thought back to those black creatures. "What were those things?"

"You mean the Shadows? They're what we're fighting against." Yukari shook her head. "We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before… I, uh… I wanted to tell you that… I'm sorta like you."

The red-eyed twin sat up. "What do you mean?"

Her brother on the other hand frowned. "Why're you telling us this?"

Yukari gave them both a small smile. "My dad died in an accident when I was little…" Hamuko's eyes widened as she saw a faint light glow behind her friend. "And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms… You're both alone too, right? To be honest, I already know about your pasts… But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine… It was back in '99… There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened." Minato's frown disappeared as he and Hamuko looked to each other. "He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you." She let out a nervous laugh. "Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help… It was my first time fighting them, too. I'm sorry… You wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward…"

Hamuko shook her head. "It's not your fault!"

Minato nodded in agreement. "We were scared, too."

Yukari smiled at their kindness. "Really…? Thanks… But still," she shook her head. "And here I am telling you all this the minute you wake up. While I was waiting, I thought to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from them… As soon as they wake up, I'll tell them the truth.' So thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time."

Hamuko lightly laughed. "It's fine, Yukari-san."

She looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up." She started for the door before turning back to Hamuko. "Oh, and, uh… You don't have to be formal around me or anything. Us second-year girls gotta stick up for each other, after all." She cast her light brown eyes towards Minato and nodded to him. "Same goes for you too."

"Whatever," the boy shrugged as he smirked, "Yukari."

Relieved the boy wasn't upset with her, Yukari smiled back. "Take it easy, okay? Be a good patient! And don't hesitate to call the nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you." The brunette finally reached the door. "B-bye."

Hamuko waved goodbye and before turning towards her brother. She was about to make a joke, but noticed he was staring at the closed door. "Is something the matter?"

"Hm?" Minato met his sister's gaze. "Sorry. I was just thinking. She said we were just like her, but I don't think that's quite accurate. I've always had you, so I was just thinking," he paused and sheepishly looked away, "if things had went differently back then during the accident, one of us would have really been alone."

"Is that what you're worried about?" Hamuko asked with a frown.

"Among other things," her brother replied, keeping in mind Yukari's story about an explosion ten years ago. That timing can't be a coincidence... Is this related to Mom and Dad's accident somehow?

~18 APRIL 2009~

Hamuko was careful to not get too far ahead from her brother as they returned to campus the following morning. She brightened as Yukari greeted them at the front gate. "Good morning!"

Yukari smiled at the two of them. "Mornin'. You seem to be doin' pretty well."

The red-eyed girl nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright."

"That's good." Yukari looked at the boy trudging behind Hamuko. "How about you, Minato? Are you doing better than yesterday?"

Minato opened his mouth to answer but a sudden rush of dizziness overcame him and he staggered. Hamuko quickly reached a hand out to catch her brother before he could fall over. "Whoa! I've got you, nii-san."

"Thanks," the older boy muttered as he used his sister's shoulder for support. He lifted his gaze towards Yukari and shook his head. "Does that answer your question?"

Yukari worriedly frowned back at him, but tried to lift his spirits with a mild joke. "Wow, even after all that rest," she wryly chuckled. "Is it difficult to walk?"

"Aside from the occasional vertigo, I'll be alright," he replied as he managed to take a few steps on his own without trouble.

Although he was doing his best to pull away from her, Hamuko adamantly held onto her brother's arm. "Still, you should take it easy..."

"Yeah, no need for you to rush things," Yukari nodded in agreement. She paused for a moment as she soon remembered something. "Hey, sorry to add this to your worries, but... Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to the two of you today. Come to the 4th floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget."

"Whatever," Minato sighed as they slowly made their way to class.

By lunch, Minato regained most of his strength, and seeing how he needed to stretch his legs, he decided to head over to the Nurse's Office for a quick check-up. "Should I come with you?" Hamuko glanced up at him.

"No, it's okay. I can handle myself," he reassured her. He noticed Yukari's dubious expression before subtly nodding over to Junpei who was coming over.

Catching the hint, Yukari immediately sided with the blue-haired boy. "Yeah, he's getting better. Besides, now we can have a girls-only talk."

"Uh, what?" Junpei's face fell. "Well, never mind then!" He turned to Minato with a smile. "Wanna have lunch with me, dude?"

Minato shook his head. "Sorry, I need some air."

"Right, you just got out of the hospital," Junpei gave him a sympathetic nod. "Well, if you need anything, just call your man Junpei."

"Whatever," the blue-haired boy shrugged as he exited the classroom.

Not having a clear idea of where the Nurse's Office was , Minato slowly started towards the water fountains. He kept a hand on the wall for support and managed to get to his first objective without much trouble. Instead of taking a drink however, he stared at the stairs going up. Without thinking, the boy's foot went forward and pretty soon, he found himself on the roof.

Although slightly confused as to how he ended up here, he soon became distracted by the refreshing wind. He closed his eyes to better enjoy the fresh air. There's a nice breeze today, he absently thought as he let himself relax. The reprieve was rather short-lived though since he wasn't the only one on the roof.

"Ugh! What even is this?" a girl jeered.

Another girl grunted in annoyance. "We asked you to get us lunch, not garbage!"

Minato turned his head to look at the source of the noise and saw a small crowd of girls gathered in a rather tight circle. Curious but annoyed, he tried to see what they were surrounding before he barely made out a meek voice trying to speak up over the mob's din. "B-but this was what the student store had in s-stock today... I-I..."

The quiet voice quickly drowned in the chaos that was beginning to give Minato a headache. Without thinking, he called out to the group of girls in an irritated tone. "Hey, knock it off."

One of the girls, a brunette with tan skin, turned towards him with a scowl on her face. "Huh? Who the hell are you?"

"What does it matter to you?" Minato glared back at her and her friends, causing them to visibly flinch from his gaze. Slightly paralyzed with fear, none of them dared to speak up to answer him so the tired boy started walking towards them. "If you don't mind, I'd like to spend a calm lunch up here in quiet. You're all so noisy..."

The brunette scoffed before looking towards her friends. "Let's just go."

Another girl looked at the quiet student they had been surrounding. "But what about...?"

"Might as well just leave her for now," the brunette shrugged and made her way past Minato, roughly pushing him back as she did so. "All because this guy wants to play hero—"

Minato's eyes widened as he was quickly thrown off balance. "W-whoa—" His vision blurred and the world began to spin around him. It wasn't long after that everything went black.

"Ngh..." Minato groaned as he slowly regained his bearings. He opened his eyes and repeatedly blinked them when he found himself looking up at the infirmary's ceiling. Alarmed, his body naturally bolted up into a sitting position, but a gentle hand landed on his shoulder made him pause.

"You shouldn't get up so quickly!" Minato barely registered the soft voice speaking to him as he looked around in confusion.

The boy knit his eyes together as he stared at the teal-haired girl standing at his bedside. Her voice was oddly familiar and it took him a moment to remember that she had been the one trying to speak up on the rooftop. Minato couldn't see her clearly then, but now, he was staring directly into her concerned brown eyes. Seeing himself reflected in them, he immediately softened the usual scowl on his face as a strange sense of calm washed over him.

She's... cute, he thought to himself as he got lost in the strange girl's gentle gaze.

As the boy continued to space out, the girl suddenly became nervous and brought an apprehensive hand up towards his face. She stopped though before touching his forehead and asked if he was alright. "Are you still feeling sick? Can I... S-should I check for a fever?"

"Huh?" Finally snapping out of his reverie, Minato felt his face burn up in embarrassment at the direction his thoughts were headed in addition to that of a stranger touching him so familiarly. "N-no, I'll be fine," he quickly answered. He took her earlier advice and slowly eased his body upright before bringing his own hand to his head. He wasn't feeling dizzy anymore and his forehead felt lukewarm to the touch. Overall, he felt better than before if not a bit disoriented. "How did I get here?" he absently asked aloud. "I mean," he lifted his gaze back towards the girl, "Did you bring me here from the roof yourself?"

The girl lowered her gaze and frowned to herself. "Y-you suddenly collapsed and the other girls didn't know what to do so quickly left. Since you were unconscious, I couldn't just leave you there so I brought you to Mr. Edogawa."

"Where is Edogawa anyway?" Minato frowned as he noticed the school nurse wasn't present.

"He left to check on another student, but he did look you over," she told him with a nod. "He said your fall wasn't anything serious, but if you're still feeling dizzy," she nervously pointed at the medicine laid out on the bed tray before the boy, "you should take that." Minato obediently lifted the small cup and brought it up to his lips, causing the girl to tense up in surprise. "W-wait! You're not really going to, are you!?" she asked in alarm.

"If Edogawa says so, I should," the boy shrugged. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Um..." the girl bit her lip as she figured out a way to explain it to the transfer student. "Well... It's just... I don't think I've ever seen or heard of anyone who would take some of Mr. Edogawa's homemade medicine before."

"That explains the smell," Minato mused as he scrunched his nose up in mild distaste. "But medicine is medicine," he pointed out before swallowing the dubious concoction in a single gulp. He felt his gag reflex trying to kick in but quickly brought a hand up to his mouth and took deep slow breaths until the medicine settled in his stomach.

The girl continued watching the boy and smiled at him in impress when it seemed he managed to conquer the brew. "You're very brave," she complimented him with a light giggle.

"I-it's just medicine..." Minato muttered, not used to the admiring gaze she was giving him. He could feel himself blushing again so quickly averted his gaze. "A-anyway," the blue-haired teen shook his head, "shouldn't you head back to class? I'm sorry to have taken so much of your time."

"Oh, no, it's fine," she reassured him. "It's actually still lunch."

"Really?" Minato glanced at the wall clock and noticed she was right. "Oh wow... we actually still have fifteen minutes left?" He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Well, then I'm sorry for pulling you away from your friends then."

The small smile on the girl's face quickly disappeared. "Oh, no… It's completely okay, really…"

Sensing he said something wrong, Minato looked towards her in concern. She seemed down for some reason and the boy wondered what was the best way to cheer her up. He mentally smacked himself though when he realized he had forgotten his most basic manners. "Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed while straightening up his posture. "I need to repay you for your help."

"Huh?" The girl's depression was quickly replaced with confusion as she looked up at him.

Minato wore a stern frown as he crossed his arms. "After all you did for me just now, I have to thank you somehow. Oh, and I have to apologize too, for disturbing your lunch and all."

The girl's face went red as she noticed he was completely serious. "N-no, y-you don't have to," she stammered. "I-it's fine...!"

"But I insist," the boy firmly nodded. "I can't let a debt go unpaid."

"N-no," she shook her head, "y-you actually already helped me—"

"Minato Yuki!" an angry voice suddenly cried out when the infirmary door violently burst open. Both students in the room flinched as a girl with light brown hair quickly stormed in all the while glaring at the boy sitting in the bed. "You idiot! How could you collapse again?"

The serene peace Minato had been enjoying up until now slowly dissipated as he gave his younger sister a mild frown. "How'd you know I was here?" he asked.

"Junpei told me someone in class saw you being carried to the infirmary. I hope you thanked that person properly." The red-eyed girl paused when she noticed her brother's deadpan stare. He shifted his blue eyes towards her left and Hamuko followed his gaze until she noticed the brown-eyed girl in the room. A friendly smile grew on the younger twin's face as she grabbed the other girl's hands in gratitude. "Oh! You must have been the one to help him. Thank you so much! I was beginning to get worried. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

The girl seemed uncomfortable with Hamuko's actions. "Oh, no. He wasn't—um, it wasn't any trouble!" She looked over towards the clock and tried to excuse herself. "I should return to class now." She gave Minato one last smile as she turned to leave. "I hope you get better soon." After a quick bow, she hastily exited the room.

Hamuko stared after the girl in confusion. "Huh… Was it something I said?"

Minato let out a disgruntled sigh. "It was something you did. In particular, you scared her off the moment you came in." The older twin shook his head. "I didn't even get her name," he said, voice laden with regret.

The red-eyed girl smirked mischievously. "Did she catch your fancy, nii-san?"

"No," the boy bluntly snapped before becoming thoughtful. "I just... didn't thank her properly..."

Hamuko tilted her head to the side as she noticed something was different about her brother. It was very slight but he seemed a bit more relaxed than usual. At the very least, he wasn't as tense as he normally was. Even his regular scowl had lightened up somewhat. "You seem to be doing a lot better than before," the brunette noted aloud with a smile on her face.

"Huh?" Minato looked at his sister in surprise. "I guess," he shrugged while frowning.

"Did something happen?"

"I don't think so," he responded while climbing out of the bed. Once he was on his feet, he paused to stretch his arms. "Well... I did take some medicine Edogawa brewed himself. That might have helped? It was disgusting though."

Not the answer I was looking for, but okay, Hamuko mentally sighed to herself. Still, she was glad her brother was in better mood and health. "Well, don't push yourself too hard," she lightly scolded him as she turned her head towards the exit. "And as for that girl..."

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to repay her," Minato nodded.

"No, I just wanted to ask... Who was she?"

"No idea," her brother shook his head. He knit his eyebrows together as he thought back to how relaxing her presence had been.

"She seemed nice," Hamuko smiled.

"She was nice," Minato nodded in confirmation as he exited the room before his sister.

The younger twin stared at her brother from behind as she followed after him. I should repay her somehow too if I get the chance, she thought to herself.

After school ended, Minato and Hamuko made their way to the fourth floor of their dorm as asked. They saw Yukari waiting for them already and the girl smiled.

"Oh! There you are!" She worriedly examined Minato. "You're okay, right?"

"I'm fine," Minato huffily responded. "I'm still standing, aren't I?"

"If you say so…" Yukari was still dubious, but Hamuko shook her head and simply beamed at her brother. I guess I don't need to worry then, the junior thought as she led them into the control room.

Ikutsuki smiled when he saw the twins, sending a chill through Minato. "Ah, there you are. I'm glad that you're okay. The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you. Please, have a seat." The three sat down and Hamuko noticed her brother was a bit too close for her liking but immediately sensed his discomfort. "Oh, before that. I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." Ikutsuki gestured to the white-haired boy standing beside Mitsuru.

"How ya doin'?" The older boy smirked at them.

"Okay," Ikutsuki turned back to the twins, "let me start off by asking you this… Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?"

Minato and Hamuko looked towards each other. Of course they knew that, but how much were they willing to reveal? Minato frowned a bit. Okay, I'll bite. "No," he replied plainly.

Hamuko's eyebrows scrunched together as she played along with her brother. "…Excuse me?"

Mitsuru lightly chuckled. "I'm not surprised by your reaction. However, you've already experienced this truth firsthand." She levelly stared at them as she continued. "Do you remember the night you came here? You had to have noticed the signs… The streetlights went out… Nothing was working… There were coffins everywhere… Didn't it feel like you were in a different time…? That's the Dark Hour—a time period hidden between one day and the next."

Dark Hour, Minato thought. So that's what it's called. He continued to feign ignorance however. "Hidden?" He shook his head. "I don't get it."

Ikutsuki nodded in understanding. "I know how you feel. Who would believe such a story? But I guess it's more like something people aren't aware of. But, the Dark Hour does exist. It occurs each night, as the clock strikes twelve. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come."

Akihiko stared at them with determined grey eyes. "Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins. But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting." He nodded towards Minato. "You saw those creatures. We call them 'Shadows'. They only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. Sound exciting, huh?" The boy's smirk grew as his eyes gleamed in anticipation.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru snapped at him. "Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!"

Ikutsuki calmed the two. "Now, now. He does his work well." He looked over toward the twins. "Long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club adviser."

Mitsuru stopped glaring at Akihiko for the moment as she too faced the twins. "A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them."

Minato felt dread build up within him. I see where this is going… "How do you fight them? What about the police?"

The redhead frowned sadly. "Unfortunately, the police can't do anything during the Dark Hour…"

Ikutsuki nodded. "Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour. Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's 'Persona'—the power you both used the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means," he extended both his arms to gesture to the entire group, "it's all up to you guys."

"I see," Minato said, taking it all in.

"I'm glad you're quick to understand," Ikutsuki smiled. It did nothing to dispel the image of a skull from the boy's mind though.

Not noticing the boy's suspicious gaze on the man, Mitsuru and Akihiko approached the two briefcases on the table. Mitsuru nodded towards the other senior and they both opened the cases to reveal the guns the twins had used previously. "What he's trying to say is," she began, "we want you to join us. We've prepared Evokers for the both of you. We'd like you to lend us your strength."

Minato stared at the Evoker before him. A part of him refused to accept the offering, but another part knew it was necessary. While he chose to remain still, to his left, Hamuko reached out for her Evoker. He fully turned his head towards her and saw her red eyes fill with determination. It was the same expression Akihiko just wore.

"Alright," the girl responded with a nod.

Yukari let out the breath she had been holding. "Welcome aboard!" She turned towards Minato expectantly and her smile slightly faltered.

Minato lowered his gaze back to the Evoker. "I'm not sure I'm ready," he honestly revealed.

"Don't think too much," Akihiko advised. "Just hang out with us for a while."

Mitsuru shook her head at the boy's words but looked at Minato pleadingly. "Please, we need your help."

"Wait," Yukari was beginning to worry, "you can't ask him like that! Who could say no…? I mean, it'd be nice if he joined, but…"

Minato was grateful for his friend's concern. He finally made his choice as he lifted the cold metal contraption from its case. "Whatever." He absentmindedly pressed the gun to the side of his head. "I don't mind."

Yukari looked at him with confusion. "Does that mean you accept?" She let out a sigh of relief. "I was afraid you'd say no… I feel much better now."

Mitsuru nodded in agreement to the junior's words. "I really appreciate it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Satisfied, Ikutsuki sank into his seat. "Thank you so much. I'm really glad. Oh, I almost forgot." The twins looked towards him. "About your room assignments… Why don't you just stay here, in your current rooms? I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end." He chuckled to himself as if he had just told a joke.

Yukari knit her eyebrows together. "Holdup? But wasn't that—Oh, never mind… It doesn't matter anymore…"

Minato raised an eyebrow, but soon he heard a mysterious ring in his head. The image of a tarot card flashed before his eyes and he made out the number zero. Fool?

A voice echoed within his mind from the card. "Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana."

"A Social Link," Hamuko absently muttered.

The only one to hear her, Minato stared at the Evoker in his hand. So Hamuko felt it too. His hand tightened around the gun-shaped machine. I made a promise, I guess. We'll definitely see this through.

That night, Minato laid awake in his bed as the Dark Hour arrived. He wasn't particularly hungry given all the new information he had been told that day. No, it was best if he just slowly took it all in. Maybe he could get closer to the answer he was looking for.

The voice of a young boy quickly snapped him out of his reverie though. "Hi, how are you?"

Minato darted up in his bed, resulting in the boy chuckling. The older boy responded with a suspicious glare. "And you are…?"

"We've met before," the boy smiled back at him.

"How'd you get in here?"

The dark-haired boy placed a hand over his own heart. "I'm always with you…" His smile never wavered as he stared deeply into Minato's eyes. "Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."

"The end?"

The boy nodded. "The end of everything." He furrowed his eyebrows. "But to be honest, I don't really know what it is."

That's not very helpful, Minato thought but he felt himself speak. "Well, thanks anyways." The teen was surprised by his own words.

Whatever Minato thought didn't stop the boy from laughing though. "I wasn't expecting you to thank me. But you're welcome." He paused and tilted his head to the side. "That… is what I'm supposed to say, right?"

Somehow, Minato was beginning to feel more at ease. Whoever this boy was, despite his creepiness, his presence was calming and it was much better than dealing with the discomfort Ikutsuki had given him earlier. "That's right," Minato nodded.

The boy seemed happy with Minato's answer before he noticed something about the older teen. "Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power… and an unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none… It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up. Do you remember when we first met?" Minato nodded. "I expect you to honor your commitment. I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me…" The older boy frowned at this. "Okay then, see you later."

As quickly as he had appeared, the boy was suddenly gone as was the Dark Hour, leaving Minato within the darkness of his room. He slowly reclined back into his bed and stared at the ceiling for a while longer. And the questions continue to build… I guess I should leave them for another day. With that, he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~

"You know, I'm actually a bit jealous," Yukari frowned at Hamuko as they ate their lunch together. "I wish I had an older brother to look after me. You're lucky to have him."

"Yeah," Hamuko smiled softly to herself. "He's the best anyone could ever ask for. I just wish he'd take better care of himself rather than focus all his energy on me. There are times when I feel like I'm the older twin because he doesn't take care of himself enough."

At that moment, Junpei violently slid the classroom door open. "Hamuko!"

As she turned to look at him, she saw that he was slightly disheveled from running through the halls. "Is something wrong, Junpei?"

"It's your brother! Kaz told me he saw a girl helping him to the infirmary!"

Hamuko was immediately on her feet. She shook her head as she gave Yukari an apologetic smile. "Yeah, definitely times like these." She quickly followed Junpei out into the hall.

Seeing as her friends were leaving without her, Yukari decided to pursue them. Junpei nervously put distance between himself and Hamuko the closer they got to the infirmary and Yukari noticed this. She could sense the angry worry her red-eyed friend exuded so decided to stay back with Junpei.

"Man, she's steamed," Junpei nervously chuckled.

"Yeah. I almost feel bad for Minato," Yukari nodded. The two jumped when Hamuko exploded into the infirmary, yelling Minato's full name for the entire campus to hear. Yukari nervously chuckled to herself as she heard the younger twin berate her older brother. On the other hand, maybe being an only child isn't so bad after all. She motioned over to Junpei. "We should let them be."

"Yeah," Junpei shivered. "I really do feel bad, but I was worried." The boy didn't let it get him down though. "Man, Minato's lucky to have such a cute little sister to look after him."

"They both are," Yukari smiled. "But I don't think I could put up with the nonsense of having a brother, especially when I already have you to deal with during school hours."

The capped boy pretended as if Yukari had shot his heart with an arrow. "Oh, I'm hurt! Is that how you see me, Yuka-tan? I'll have you know I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Sure you are, Stupei," Yukari rolled her eyes. She was about to say something but paused when Hamuko reappeared, dragging her brother behind her.

Junpei gave the red-eyed girl a confused look as she stormed past them. "Is everything okay?"

Hamuko didn't seem to notice them as she continued towards their classroom. "I swear one of these days I'll get you to eat proper meals during the day. And I packed you a lunch today and everything!"

Minato groaned as he tried to pull her arm free from the younger girl's grip. "A-alright, I'm sorry. I won't skip out on eating anymore if you're just going to get this upset. Let go already! I can go up the stairs myself." He finally managed to get out of her grasp but once he was halfway up the steps, he tripped over his footing and began to stumble. "Grk!"

"N-nii-san!" Hamuko cried out in surprise as she tried to grab him, but it was too late.

"I'm fine..." the older twin weakly called up to her when he found himself somehow unscathed.

"We're not..." Yukari groaned as she pushed the taller teen off of her.

"D-dude, you're crushing us!" Junpei complained.

Final Notes: Not much to say about this chapter... Well, I do have some complaints... I think my major gripe against Yukari is that the game forces her down your throat. If it was a bit more subtle or ambiguous, I'd be fine. It's not so much as a problem with her character, but rather the timing of it all. I know it doesn't fit anywhere else in the game her telling the protagonists about the accident from now until the summer portion, but seriously, after a long sleep in the hospital, who wants to be bombarded by tragic backstory? I think she'd make an awesome friend though. Her usefulness in Tartarus is a different story... I have mixed feelings about her overall... She's either a very useful healer or she's very good at suicide... It's sad, really...