Author's Notes: Yo... Not much to say right now... Enjoy the chapter.
~23 JUNE 2009~
Hamuko frowned as she noticed she was spending less time with her brother. It was rather odd that the two of them began increasing the number of friends they didn't share. There were those they were both familiar with, but it wasn't like she could easily go up to Kenji or Kaz and spend time with them the same way Minato could. They were her brother's friends after all, not hers. That sounded strange to her, but she was happy to see him expanding his tiny world.
Of course, there were the Social Links they did share. They both visited Bunkichi and Mitsuko together every once in a while. Hidetoshi sometimes asked them both for help considering there were some jobs that required Hamuko's lighter touch and neither the head of the Disciplinary Committee nor the Hellhound knew how to deal with the finer moments of interrogation. And then there were the new Social Links. At school, the two of them joined the Fashion Club where they met the French transfer student Bebe. The foreign blonde took an immediate liking to them both and the twins found him quite the intriguing character. Outside of Gekkoukan, the twins met the lonely elementary girl Maiko at the shrine and began playing with her whenever they could. At night, Minato introduced her to Mutatsu, a drinking monk who regularly spends his nights wasting away in Escapade. And during a visit to see the old man, they met the clever but very crude businessman Tanaka. It was actually getting difficult for them to plan accordingly to meet with their friends so more often than not, they both took care of the Social Links separately, making sure to keep the other up-to-date with how their friends were doing.
The boy had his own Links to strengthen after all and the red-eyed twin noticed Minato was spending a lot less time in the dorm. She had asked him about what he was doing instead, and the older brother shook his head saying that his friends are silly, but he can't turn his back on them. Kenji was getting involved with the Economy teacher of the school. Kaz apparently has a knee injury that he's hiding. Yuko needs his help in training some elementary kids for a race. Chihiro is having problems with her position as Treasurer. And even when he was in his room, he was online with 'Maya' who oddly reminded the twins of their homeroom teacher Toriumi.
On top of his already hectic schedule, Kenji introduced him to the Gourmet King, Nozomi Suemitsu. Thanks to the third year, Minato had been bringing back very interesting takeout for her. And if he didn't have enough people to hang out with, the older twin was finally able to join the Photography Club where he met its president, Keisuke Hiraga. Hamuko recognized the older boy from when Junpei was investigating a photo of her being spread around in one of her own Social Links.
The Magician practically harassed her brother to keep an eye out for any suspicious photos while he participated in the club and when Minato saw that Junpei was actually being serious for once, the blue-haired boy decided to entrust this matter to him. Junpei was just as surprised as Hamuko, but didn't question their leader when the older twin shrugged it off, saying, "I have enough to deal with in the Student Council, so knock yourself out, Junpei. I trust you."
It was the first time Hamuko saw her brother willingly let her go. If it had been the month before, Minato would have torn through the school himself to find whoever was taking those pictures. The girl was proud of her older brother and two days after he joined the Photography Club, the smirk on his face told her everything when she saw him heading up to the roof with Fuuka. Apparently, the shy girl roped him into being the official taster of the Cooking Club Hamuko and Fuuka started. It was also his turn to start the Priestess Social Link, although given the brown-eyed girl's cooking, Hamuko felt bad when her brother returned to the dorm last night with a dreadful stomachache. Fuuka treated him of course, wondering what had gone wrong since she followed Hamuko's recipe as accurately as she could.
Hamuko felt a bit guilty for leaving her brother in the shy girl's care, but then again, it had always been the younger twin's dream of seeing her brother opening up to others around them. If that meant she would have to set him off on his own path, so be it. She had other Social Links of her own to take care of too, after all.
The outgoing junior was dealing with drama within the Volleyball Team. And with Rio angering the rest of the juniors on the team, the two girls would be practicing alone for a while. It didn't help that Kenji would interrupt their practice sessions every so often. It was obvious to Hamuko that her friend liked the boy, but given what her brother told her about Kenji, things were rather hopeless for the two childhood friends.
And then there was Saori Hasegawa from the Library Committee. The other students in her class would take advantage of her kindness and it enraged Hamuko to see the girls who borrowed and subsequently lost her friend's notes walk away as if they'd done nothing wrong. The red-eyed girl laughed as she was starting to sound like her brother, but that didn't curb her frustration at the situation.
It was a good thing her friends at SEES knew exactly how to cheer her up though. Yukari and Junpei were the two greatest friends she could ever ask for. Sometimes Minato would join the three of them and whenever he did, Hamuko couldn't help but feel the four of them were like siblings. She'd always have her older brother Minato, but Yukari and Junpei were different. They were there for her, but they always left her room to breathe. Of course, this meant that the two would always tease Minato with her and as the "eldest sibling" he put up with them. That is, until they'd return home and he could escape to Mitsuru or Akihiko.
Hamuko also noticed how Mitsuru was quite the motherly role model. She treated Minato as an equal and the boy quickly became her confidant. It wasn't quite a Social Link as the senior kept to herself, but whenever she spoke with the twins, Hamuko could feel the amount of faith and trust the senior entrusted to them. The redhead reminded Hamuko so much of their mother that she understood why Minato always kept himself available to deal with whatever Mitsuru asked.
Akihiko was the same way as he filled the fatherly role the twins felt suited him. It took some work but Hamuko managed to get him to open up, establishing the Star Arcana Social Link. Here, she learned Akihiko was actually a capable older brother. Whenever the white-haired boxer wasn't paying attention, Hamuko would share words with the young ghost girl following him.
Miki was quite the adorable younger sister and Hamuko understood the older boy's worries about her. Speaking with Miki cleared up many things about Akihiko's reasons for fighting, but one thing about the boxer constantly remained a mystery to the red-eyed junior.
One afternoon while she was out with Akihiko, she finally decided to ask the senior her question. "Senpai? That boy we met in the hospital, who is he?"
Akihiko shifted in his seat, discomfort apparent on his face. "He's an old friend of mine. Why do you ask?"
"He saved us that night Yukari and nii-san dragged us to those back alleys during our investigation of those ghost rumors. Your friend isn't a delinquent, is he?"
"No," Akihiko quickly answered with a shake of his head. "Shinji's… a bit like your brother, I suppose. He likes to keep to himself, but if there's trouble you know you can count on him to pull through for you." Hamuko nodded to the older boy, but notice that he wasn't smiling. Instead a concerned expression painted over his face as he remained silent. "He's lost his reason to fight, but I'm sure I'll get him to come back one of these days."
"Oh, so he was a part of SEES?" Hamuko was a bit surprised.
"What?" Akihiko forgot the girl was the daughter of detectives. "Never mind," he shook his head again. "Hey, let's just focus on your own wellbeing. You're not feeling sick, are you? Don't worry your brother. He's only just looking out for you." Akihiko looked at her with the same sad eyes Minato would give her whenever he had something on his mind that he wasn't willing to share.
In fact, Akihiko trusted Minato a lot too. It could have been because he didn't want Minato to end up like him, but both boys were the authoritative male figures of the group. If Mitsuru was the mother with absolute control, Akihiko would be the father supporting her with their eldest son Minato right behind them. Hamuko, the favorite child, would be next. But because of her role, Hamuko felt as though she wasn't taken seriously enough so as she went through her own investigations, she finally found something interesting of note.
Rumors were going around regarding a revenge site and Minato immediately took it upon himself to look into it. Hamuko, on the other hand, spotted Akihiko coming off the train at Iwatodai Station. "Akihiko-senpai!" she called out.
Surprised, the boxer turned towards her and frowned. "Hamuko? What are you doing here?"
"Are you busy, Senpai? We could grab a bite before returning to the dorm," she offered, tugging on his sleeve.
"Sorry, but I have plans today. Maybe another time, okay?" Akihiko nodded to her as he took off towards Hagakure Ramen.
"No problem, Senpai," Hamuko hid her sly smirk as she put on her headphones. "I'm sure nii-san won't mind if I borrow some of his equipment for this," she muttered as she turned on the wireless tap she placed on the boxer. Let's see. Senpai tends to go to Hagakure alone for some reason. I offer to go with him but he always turns me down. Last time, I snuck a look and saw Shinjiro-senpai. Akihiko-senpai tried talking to him, but Shinjiro-senpai left afterwards extremely ticked off. This seems like a habitual routine though, but I really wonder what it is they talk about. She stopped fiddling with the frequency when she heard a server speak.
"Hi, how are you today? Just one?"
Akihiko sat next to Shinjiro and pointed at him. "I'll have what he's having." This made the other boy turn to him with a grunt.
"Coming right up!" the server called out. "One house special!"
Akihiko smirked at his old friend. "How can you eat the same thing all the time, without getting sick of it?"
Shinjiro frowned at him. "Shut up. You always eat that protein shit."
"Hmph…" Akihiko watched as the server quickly returned with a bowl.
"Here you go, one house special! Be careful, it's hot!"
Akihiko pulled the bowl closer to him but lightly burned his fingers. "Yow, he wasn't kidding." He began eating before turning his head back towards Shinjiro. "You still haven't made up your mind?"
"Is that what this is about?" the taller boy roughly asked.
"We've got five new members. Things have changed quite a bit since you left. We're more aggressive now."
"I'm not interested," the boy narrowed his eyes on something hanging off the boxer's sleeve.
Akhiko didn't seem to notice though as he continued to berate the taller boy. "Think about it, Shinji. Don't let your power go to waste."
"My power ain't worth shit," Shinjiro spat out.
"Shinji!" Akihiko gave him a concerned glare.
"I made up my mind a long time ago. I ain't goin' back," he shook his head.
"You have to let the past go," Akihiko tried to convince him. "What's done is done. It's time you moved on."
"Hmph…" Shinjiro studied Akihiko's face. "You should talk."
"What?" Akihiko glared at him again.
"Face it," Shinjiro turned away from the counter. "You're no different than me." As he left, he purposefully brushed Akihiko, removing the bug from the boxer's sleeve.
"Ah…" Akihiko momentarily lost his balance as he tried to go after him. "Hey! Shinji!" He frowned as it was too late. The boxer glumly returned to his ramen as he tried to come up with another way to bring his friend back.
Hamuko quickly looked up as she saw Shinjiro leave the restaurant. Her eyes widened when she saw him holding the recorder to the sunlight. "What the hell is this?" she heard him say.
She quickly shut off her receiver but the boy spotted her. Hamuko thought she could make a run for it but the boy's longer legs caught up to her in no time at all.
"Hey, you come back here," he called for her. "If you don't, I'll tell Aki you bugged him."
Hamuko nervously turned around. "Looks like I've been caught," she lightly giggled.
"Hell yeah," the older boy shook his head. "If you're gonna bug a person, use their collar or somethin'. Aki's a dumbass so of course he didn't notice this hanging off his sleeve." He tossed the wiretap back to the girl. "So the hell do you want?"
"I was just curious about Senpai," she frowned at the older boy.
"Cut the crap," Shinjiro shook his head. "If you were curious, you'd just ask Aki about it. I see you both hangin' out sometimes."
"He won't give me a straight answer," the junior boldly pointed out. "Besides, you've got things you're hiding from him too."
"Yeah, like what?" He challenged her by looking directly into her red eyes.
Hamuko didn't flinch as she's dealt with his personality type before. I don't really have anything on him actually. She decided to bluff as she called him out on his heavy coat. "For one thing you're wearing a heavy jacket and beanie in the middle of summer. What, you're not hot?"
"This doesn't concern you," he scoffed, his eyes turning away from her. "Why don't you go back to the dorm?"
"See? You're dodging my question!" Hamuko smirked when she found she had the slight upper hand. "Even if you don't answer, I can just get my brother to find out for me. He's got a gift for revealing secrets," she shrugged.
Her brother? "Who? That blue-haired dope who looks like he can topple over anytime?"
"Don't insult my brother," Hamuko's face became red with anger.
Bingo… Shinjiro frowned as he didn't want that particular boy involved. Tch, she probably doesn't know then. The kid's smart keeping it to himself. "What? Your bro's gonna rough me up or somethin'? I could probably take him."
Hamuko lightly laughed at that. "Oh, please. I don't need Minato for that. I could take you, no problem."
"You sure?" He approached the girl and towered over her.
She nervously shrunk back. "O-okay, maybe I was bluffing that time." The way she was still smiling at him though made him take a step back.
The hell!? Miki? Shinjiro shook his head as he realized he shouldn't allow himself to get too involved with the brunette. Her cheery attitude was way too reminiscent of someone else he used to know and things did not end up well for him or his best friend. "Well, if you can't convince me to spill, I'm just gonna go then."
"W-wait!" Hamuko reached for his sleeve and pulled. She paused as she really didn't have any business with him. "U-um," she frowned as she found herself at a loss for words. "I-I'm Hamuko Arisato."
"Shinjiro Aragaki," the boy ended up replying, raising an eyebrow at her in confusion.
"A pleasure to meet you!" Hamuko let go of him and bowed. "Thanks again for the other night."
"Whatever," the brown-haired boy looked away, wondering why he was still here. "Don't let me catch you spyin' on Aki and me again."
"Sure thing, Senpai!" Hamuko waved as he left.
"I ain't your senpai either!" the boy gruffly called back as he disappeared into an alley.
He's almost as fun to mess with as nii-san, Hamuko giggled to herself before deciding to head back to the dorm. She smiled as she saw Mitsuru and Junpei already in the lounge. "Hey!"
"Welcome back," Mitsuru nodded at her. "We have two weeks until the moon is full again. Try to increase your strength as much as possible before then."
"Two weeks, huh." Junpei smirked. "I wonder what it'll look like this time… I have to admit, the suspense is killing me…"
"You're starting to sound like Akihiko," Mitsuru shook her head in worry. "Just remember, this is not a joke. That reminds me…" The redhead looked towards the front door. "Why is he not back yet?"
"He's prolly eating or somethin'," Junpei shrugged.
"Yeah, I saw him go to Hagakure's," Hamuko notified the senior. "Is Minato back?"
"No, but he already informed me he'll be out late investigating the new rumors on campus." Mitsuru picked up the book in her lap. "He asked me to give you a message actually. It doesn't make much sense to me, but he says it's a code only you'd understand."
"What is it?" Hamuko was surprised her brother didn't text this to her, but he must have been too busy.
"If I recall, he specifically said 'The Reaper is ferrying the Dead away'," Mitsuru frowned. "A rather morbid code, but that's it word for word."
Hamuko's eyes went wide with concern. "I see. Thank you for telling me, Senpai."
Minato frowned as he rewound the footage of the street camera. "Are you sure this is all that was recorded, Officer Kurosawa?"
The man gravely nodded to the boy. "Yeah. Weird, isn't it? One minute, the kid's standing, the next he'd on the ground, bleeding out."
"Can I get a copy of this?"
"No problem. Anything for Takuto's son," Officer Kurosawa smirked at him. "You know you look like him?"
Minato shrugged. "I do take after my dad, but I have—"
"Your mom's face," the policeman nodded at him as he burned a CD for the boy. "Well, here you go. Pleasure doing business with you, Yuki." He slipped the wrapped disc carefully into a bag of weapons and armor.
"Thanks, Officer," the boy took the bag and waved goodbye.
"Tell the dorm I said hi," he smirked.
"Will do." Minato departed from the station and checked the time. He had some a few extra minutes to spare so headed straight towards Escapade.
The bouncer quickly unlocked the door for him when he recognized the boy approaching the club. "Mama's been expecting you, kid."
"Thanks," the boy nodded as he descended into the club. He smiled at the fortune teller. "Sorry I haven't been visiting lately. I had a lot to deal with."
"It seems you have two fortunes today," the lady smiled. "Would you like to hear them?"
"Of course," Minato said, taking his usual seat.
"Your first fortune is very light," the lady nodded as her crystal ball flashed in a bright light. "It seems you have made another friend… A late-night affair, unseen by all…" Pharos's shape took form. "A bond made in the darkness, where the shadows lurk… The result of this bond is too distant to be seen…" Pharos cast two shadows, one of a phantom-like Reaper and the other of a boy that Minato thought looked like him but with a long trailing scarf. The image slowly faded away. "You seem confused."
"It's the uncertainty of the future," Minato wryly smiled.
"Yes, fate is always changing. So long as you take responsibility for your actions, it seems you will do well, wherever you end up."
"Yes," Minato nodded, remembering his contract. "There are things I must do and I cannot hesitate when the time comes."
"Well said, bearer of light and shadow," Mama smiled at him. "Now for your second fortune. This one is darker, but I'm sure you'll be alright." Her crystal ball became shrouded in black mist. "Shadows within shadows… Many shadows crawl amidst the immense shadow… Twelve shadows, feasting upon the heart of man…" The smoke took the form of multiple Shadows gathered in a circle. Minato recognized the four he had already seen, but he couldn't study the other eight as all twelve pulled apart a figure in the center of the orb. "Monstrous, yet dignified… They gather around you…" When the Shadows finished, Minato saw himself in the center. The Shadows bowed to him, but Minato couldn't tell if it was out of reverence or defeat. "Beware…" The fortune teller gave him a grave frown as she prayed for his safety. "May your future be bright…"
Minato bowed as he stood up. On his way back to the dorm, he stared at his free hand. Me… The Master of Shadow? Am I Death? Or am I the reverse of Death? I'm not a Reaper. I'm the Fool, right? I am Orpheus and Orpheus is me… I'm the Fool…
~29 JUNE 2009~
Yukari carefully closed the door to the command room before turning to face the girl she invited up here. "Sorry to bother you, Fuuka…"
The teal-haired junior shook her head as she gave the brunette a reassuring smile. "It's okay… What's on your mind?"
"Well, um…" Yukari looked around the room. "I was hoping you could do me a favor, with your skill… Minato told me you were really good with computers and I know he is too, but I can't ask this from him since he's busy with his investigation. I was doing some research on our school, and I came across something strange… Ten years ago, a lot of students missed school for some reason. They were reported as absent, but I found some records that suggest it was something serious. Do you know anything about it, Fuuka?"
"Me?" Fuuka was surprised but shook her head. "Um, not really…"
"I know it was a long time ago, but…" Yukari looked at the girl seriously. "Doesn't it seem suspicious to you? From what I've heard, this isn't the first time Shadows have appeared…"
"Wait, are you saying…?" Fuuka's eyes grew wide.
"I don't know," Yukari shook her head. "But, I wonder… And I'm not trying to make trouble, but… Mitsuru-senpai acts kinda weird whenever someone asks questions about Tartarus."
"Does she...?" Fuuka didn't notice, but of course, she was often more concerned with making sure everyone was in good condition to explore the strange tower than anything else.
"I just wanna know what happened back then," Yukari seriously stated. "If it doesn't have anything to do with the Shadows, then fine."
Fuuka slowly nodded. "I understand. Okay, I'll see what I can do."
Downstairs, Minato wiped his hands dry as he finished the dishes. "Finally free, Hamuko?" he asked the girl eating ice cream straight out of the carton.
"Yeah," Hamuko nodded as she put the lid back on the carton and put it back in the fridge. She quickly rinsed her spoon and looked around the lounge. Junpei was currently watching TV there so she kept her voice low. "Mind explaining the 'coded message' to me, nii-san?"
"Like I told Senpai," the boy seriously began, "the Reaper is ferrying the dead. On nights we haven't been going to Tartarus, I've been up, watching the town. That message I left Senpai was to tell you what I've been seeing lately." Minato tilted his head towards the stairs. "I'll tell you the results up in the command room. We're not going to Tartarus tonight so brush your teeth, use the bathroom, whatever. The two of us will be there for the rest of the night."
"Got it!" Hamuko brightly smiled as it would mean a joint investigation.
Minato followed her up the stairs. He was already prepared for the night so went straight to the command room. Out of habit, he knocked on the door. Not thinking anyone was inside, he quickly entered to see a startled Fuuka and Yukari staring at him in surprise. "Hm?" He looked at the two girls suspiciously. "What's going on?"
"Relax," Yukari tried to smile at him. "We're just chit-chatting. What's with that look…?" The frown didn't disappear off the blue-haired boy's face. "Don't you trust me?"
The question made the boy's frown deepen. "If you're going to ask me that, no, I don't."
"I told you," the brunette tried to stare him down. "We're just talking. Ask Fuuka if you don't believe me… It's nothing, right Fuuka?"
Minato looked over to the quiet girl and she slightly tensed up before answering. "Um…" Her face slightly went pink. "It's just an ordinary conversation, really…" She gave the boy her best smile. "So, don't worry."
He shift his blue eyes between the two before letting it drop. With a sigh and a shrug, he went to the control panel. "Fine. I trust you."
Yukari smirked at him. "You better. Like I said, we were just talking."
"Then let me join in," the boy bluntly replied as a joke.
"Wh-what!?" Yukari hadn't expected that from him. "It's girl talk! Sorry, no boys… Now, go away!"
"Sorry, but I'm using the panel today," Minato shook his head. "And if it's girl talk, Hamuko will be up soon."
As if on cue, Hamuko came in. "I heard 'girl talk'!" She brightly beamed at the other two juniors. "Can I join in?"
"N-never mind," Yukari groaned.
Fuuka curiously stood at the boy's side as he pulled out a disc from his bag. "Do you mind if I stay, Minato-kun?"
"If you want to help me with this investigation, I don't mind." Minato looked towards Yukari. "Otherwise, as Yukari put it, go away."
"Nii-san," Hamuko sternly looked at him. "You're being short."
"I'm being serious," he retorted as he pulled out a few papers from his bag, handing them to Fuuka. "Those are all the murder reports from the past few days. I cross-referenced them to the time that revenge site started up and the surge of reports coincides with the spread of the rumors so sorry for 'being short'." The boy's frown became a scowl as he wondered why the console wasn't booting up as quickly as he'd like. "I don't have time to deal with nonsense right now." Minato turned his attention back to the console and frowned as he had to recalibrate the machine. "Damn, I missed a few weeks worth of checks, didn't I?" He pointed to the toolbox sitting on the bookshelf besides his twin. "Hamuko, my tools."
Hamuko wordlessly handed the kit to his brother and noticed how grave his expression was. "Sorry," she ended up saying to him as he pulled out a few tools. "I didn't think things would be that serious." She knit her eyebrows together as she realized something though. "Wait, you normally don't take murder cases."
"No, but these stood out," the boy replied as be pried open the cover of the console.
"You're right, Minato-kun." Fuuka quickly flipped through the reports and frowned. "This is strange. All of the victims died in the same way."
"Really?" Yukari looked over the girls shoulder to see what she was pointing to. "Wait, it just says the cause of death is from loss of blood due to gunshot wound. How is that weird?"
"Witness testimony says a gun was never fired at every crime scene," Fuuka showed the brunette the rest of the report. "It says on all of these that when the clock struck midnight, the victims would immediately be on the ground, dead. Witnesses around the victim say they heard no gunshot nor did they see the victim fall. The victims just immediately died in front of them, already bleeding out."
Satisfied with his calibrations, Minato stood back up. "Right. Now anyone have any guesses as to what might have happened?"
The three girls looked to each other as it was somewhat obvious. "The Dark Hour," Hamuko replied.
"Correct," the boy pointed at her. "It's not a huge leap from there to where we can connect this to the Shadows. But, there's something wrong with that line of reasoning. And that's because…?" Minato waited for someone to answer as he took the disc he received from Officer Kurosawa out from its case. When no one replied, he looked at Fuuka expectantly.
The girl's brown eyes widened as she realized she herself was the answer. "I have the ability to sense Shadows. I would have known if a Shadow escaped Tartarus. And if the Shadow didn't come from Tartarus, it would have been another one of those special Full Moon Shadows. This doesn't match our previously established pattern though."
"And Fuuka gets my last ice cream bar in the freezer," Minato nodded at her. "Another thing worthy of note is the gunshot itself. Shadows tear their victims apart." He frowned to himself as he tried to dismiss his memories of all of the Shadows and Reapers he's witnessed attacking people around him in the past. "And even if some of those normal Shadows we've faced were armed," he forced himself to continue, "those Shadows only use simple swords or arrows."
"So if it's not a Shadow, then what is it?" Yukari asked.
"We're probably dealing with other people with the Potential," Minato crossed his arms. "But again, Fuuka is proof that I'm wrong."
"What if I'm just not strong enough to scan outside of Tartarus, Minato-kun?" Fuuka suggested. "Just like Mitsuru-senpai."
"I don't think that'll be an issue here," the boy shook his head. "The nature of your scans is much different from Senpai's. I can vouch that you have a keener sense than her."
"What do you mean?" Hamuko looked at her brother oddly.
The blue-haired twin looked up at her and tapped the side of his forehead thoughtfully. Hamuko's eyes grew wide as she understood his message. Fuuka is slightly sensitive to some of the things I see. Out loud however, he nodded to the brown-eyed girl. "Fuuka, ever since your awakening, you've been more in tune with feeling the things around you, correct?"
The girl considered his words and thought back to the past couple of weeks. "That's right. It's like all of my senses have been altered a bit."
"I think that's attributed to Lucia's power. It's much the same way Hamuko and I have become much more flexible in thought through our repeated Persona changes. Of course, we're still defaulted to Orpheus, but as we grow, Orpheus' powers grow."
Hamuko smirked at how easily her brother skirted away from revealing their personal secret. "So if that's the case, something must be jamming Fuuka-chan's power. Do you have anything for that?"
Yukari crossed her arms. "The only thing that would be able to do that would have to be another Persona. But we're the only Persona-users."
"Don't be so sure about that," Minato said, pulling up files dating back to 1996. "The idea of Personas as a mask for life's hardships isn't anything new. It's hard to separate fact from fiction and I don't have anything definitive, but you can't say 'other Persona-users' isn't a possibility." He turned around to face the console. "Which is why I prepared this. It's footage of one of the incidents. A street camera recorded a victim as he was killed by the revenge site."
The three girls watched as a group of teenagers were smoking and drinking behind Port Island Station. On the bottom right hand corner of the screen was a clock, displaying the time for them. As soon as the timer hit midnight, one of the boys was on the ground, blood pouring from the wound that suddenly appeared on his chest. One of the other boys rushed to check a pulse, but it was too late. The victim was already gone.
Minato stopped the video and pulled it back. He fiddled with the console as he played it again. "Let's see if I can slow this down." He paused it before the midnight mark and zoomed in so he could get a better look. He pressed play once more and again, the boy went from standing to on the ground in an instant. It was as if the video cut the motion of him falling altogether. "As I thought…"
"He died during the Dark Hour," Yukari quietly said.
"The street cameras don't operate during the Dark Hour so it's not as if I can alter the video to show us what exactly happened," Minato shook his head as he replayed it in slow motion once more. He kept a careful eye on the Reaper that suddenly appeared at the second before midnight. The second after, the Reaper took the boy's soul away.
"H-hey, I think that's enough. Re-watching it won't change anything." Yukari was beginning to grow uncomfortable.
"This is an investigation. If you can't stomach it, you can leave," Minato said, annoyance evident in his voice. "Like I said before, I don't have time to deal with nonsense."
Yukari kept her mouth shut as she noticed how cold he was acting. Wow, it's like he's become a different person.
Hamuko gave her friend an apologetic expression but she watched the screen again as he played it once more. She frowned as the victim's spirit left him as his life was taken. So nii-san must have seen a lot more Reapers about lately, she thought. I wonder who the culprit could be and why... She glanced over at her scowling brother before feeling a bit angry. No, it doesn't matter why they're doing it. What they're doing is indirectly hurting nii-san. She clenched her fists and turned her attention back to the screen. It looks like I'll have to do a little digging myself I want to help lighten nii-san's load.
After playing it for a fifth time, Minato stopped and ejected the disc from the console. He stared at it for a while as he collected his thoughts. "It's most likely another Persona-user, but I can't see how they've avoided detection for so long. Fuuka's abilities should be more than enough to track them. And there's the point of their awakening to a Persona's power. They wouldn't even have Evokers. They could be summoning their Persona in a way completely different from us, but how did they escape our notice before they awoke? Kirijo-senpai's search network is near flawless when it comes to those with the Potential. After all, that's how Hamuko and I were found. I need someone with more information, but I've pretty much exhausted all of my resources." Well, not all of them, Minato mused. I could always ask Ikutsuki but that laughing Reaper…
"Why not ask Shinjiro-senpai?" Hamuko finally spoke up.
"Shinjiro-senpai?" Minato slowly turned his seat to face her.
"You know, Shinjiro Aragaki!" The girl's face brightened. "He's friends with Akihiko-senpai."
Yukari smiled too. "Oh yeah! He helped us out when we were at Port Island Station."
"Aragaki?" Minato shook his head as he didn't even want to know how Hamuko learned the boy's full name. "I know who you're talking about. I just want to know why."
"He should know something considering he helped us with Fuuka-chan's case," Hamuko shrugged.
The teal-haired girl looked at them in surprise. "If he does, then why don't we—?"
"Out of the question," Minato shook his head. "That alleyway behind Tatsumi Port Island is dangerous," he explained to Fuuka. "The last time we were there Junpei took a beating and Aragaki-senpai had to fetch us out of danger. You saw the video. Those are the types of people that hang around in that area."
Hamuko shook her head. "But what if—?"
"No," Minato sternly cut her off.
"Or how about—?"
"No!" The older twin gave her a glare. "No one in this dorm is to go to Port Island Station at night, understood? I'll be updating Kirijo-senpai with that order too so don't even try to worm your way around this, Hamuko."
Hamuko looked down in disappointment. "F-fine."
Relieved she wasn't being as stubborn as she could have, Minato relaxed in his seat. "Good. Now I guess that's all I have on this case for now." He looked to Yukari and Fuuka and bowed his head to them in thanks. "Thank you for your cooperation and assistance."
"I have a question before we turn in," Yukari spoke up. "Does this case actually have anything to do with the next operation coming up?"
"Nope," the blue-haired boy replied. "This was something I found noteworthy to look into. There is a new rumor I want to look into that might have to deal with the next operation, but I can't be too sure yet. I'll let the rumor mill run a little longer before sorting through that mess. Anything else you want to ask?"
"No, I'm good," Yukari shook her head. She gave the boy an impressed smirk. "You really are Gekkoukan's Hellhound."
"I hardly think this is anything to be impressed at," Minato gave the archer a deadpanned stare.
"You're a very good detective, Minato-kun," Fuuka smiled at him as her eyes glowed in admiration. "Now I see how you all found me."
"H-hey, I think you two are starting to get carried away," the junior shifted his eyes to the side. "Honestly… This is really nothing."
"And nii-san's back," Hamuko smirked as she ruffled his hair.
"Ah, knock it off," the boy shook his head to fix his hair before slowly packing away his things.
Yukari and Fuuka chuckled at the twins before Yukari glanced up at the wall clock. "Well, it's getting late. Good night, everyone."
Fuuka nodded as she followed the brunette out. "This was actually quite fun, Minato-kun. Have a nice night."
Hamuko waited until the two girls were completely gone before worriedly frowning at her brother. "So Fuuka-chan sensed your Reapers?"
"Not really..." Minato lowered his gaze. "Do you remember that day we saw Koromaru?" Hamuko nodded as Minato put his toolbox back onto the shelf. "I saw a Reaper cloud. It was the same as the ones I saw back when we awakened. I think Koromaru has the Potential."
"What does that have to do with Fuuka-chan?" The younger twin crossed her arms.
"She sensed Koromaru's budding Persona," Minato said, blue eyes shining. They became dull again as he frowned to himself. "At least, I think she did. It's either that or Lucia is reacting a bit to my own 'power'." He quickly shook his head as he couldn't say for sure. "We'll see what comes of this eventually. For now, I need to sleep on what we just went over." His frown deepened into a scowl. "I don't want to ask Ikutsuki because I feel this investigation involves him somehow. I have a theory, but I couldn't bring it up while Yukari and Fuuka were here. If an Evoker is needed to summon a Persona, Ikutsuki could easily provide one, but I lack motive. What does he gain from having a renegade Persona-user?"
"Well, we can always ask Shinjiro-senpai," Hamuko tried once more.
"No," her brother rolled her eyes. "No more Port Island Station at night." The boy picked up his bag and started for his room.
Fine, Hamuko wore a determined frown as she closed the door to the command room and followed him down. I won't go at night.
~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~
Hamuko spiked the ball over the net and smirked. "Sweet!"
Rio smiled at her brightly. "You did great today, Hamuko. Let's get cleaned up and head to Wuck's."
"Alright!" The red-eyed girl began picking up the scattered volleyballs. "You were amazing today, too, Rio! You should show me how you can jump so high."
"Okay, maybe next—"
"RIO!" A voice called out towards them from the gym door. "I need to borrow your notes!" A brown-haired boy quickly jogged towards them, in a panic.
"Hey, Kenji. Volleyball practice is still in session!" Minato sternly scolded him as he carefully looked around the gym before entering. "You can't just barge in!"
"Hi, Minato-san." Rio waved at the blue-haired boy before glaring at Kenji. "Why do you need them this time?"
"Ms. Kanou wants to take me out for some ramen, but Toriumi's keeping me on campus until I finish yesterday's assignment. Yours isn't due until tomorrow, right? Let me see your notes!"
"Why don't you ask nii-san for his?" Hamuko looked over at his brother.
"I sleep in class, remember?" Minato shrugged.
"Come on, Rio! I'll make it up to you!" Kenji got down to his knees and begged the volleyball player.
Rio looked away, annoyance evident on her face. "Fine! But I'd better have them back tonight! Otherwise, I'm going to visit your house and tell your mom."
"Thanks, you're a lifesaver!" Kenji quickly grabbed the papers she handed to him and ran. "Sorry to leave you hanging, Minato, but Emiri's waiting for me."
"H-hey!" Minato watched the boy run past him and sighed. "I'm telling you to be careful!" The brunet didn't seem to care as he was already gone. "That idiot. How does he think this will end?"
"He's lost in his own world," Hamuko shrugged.
Rio shook her head. "I wish he'd realize she's just using him though," she sighed.
Minato studied the dark-haired girl's face and frowned. "Honestly, he has someone who cares about him right in front of him and he doesn't even notice. What an idiot."
Rio's face went red. "H-huh? What do you mean?"
The boy blinked at her. "Hm?"
Hamuko laughed at the two. "You're one to talk, nii-san." She smirked at her older brother. "Hey, after we clean up, want to grab a burger with us?"
Minato smoothly kicked a nearby volleyball into the air and caught it. "Sure."
"Hey, you don't have to help," Rio pointed out as she gathered the other volleyballs.
"I might as well seeing how I have nothing else to do. Kenji and I were supposed to get some ramen before Kanou invited him out. I swear you're too easy on him, Iwasaki." Minato rolled the basket of volleyballs towards them. "If you like him, just tell him."
"Wh-what?" Rio's face went red again. "I-I don't like Kenji!"
Hamuko giggled as she lightly hit her brother's head. "He's just teasing, Rio. After all, nii-san isn't the brightest when it comes to dating and relationships."
"O-okay," Rio frowned at the twins. "You're right, Hamuko!" She finally became fired up. "B-besides, it's not like I'm jealous of Ms. Kanou! What do I care if Kenji's dating her?"
"I'm pretty sure Kenji isn't actually dating Kanou," Minato sighed. Really… Dating is so complicated. Good thing I keep out of stuff like this. He watched as the taller volleyball player wandered to the basket of volleyballs. "Hey, will she be okay?" he murmured to his sister.
"Rio's fine!" Hamuko smirked, only to see her friend absently crash into the pole holding up the volleyball net. "I think…"
Final Notes: I really liked hanging out with Rio. The same cannot be said for Kenji... I wouldn't mind Junpei being a Social Link. It might have made me like him more, but nope. I still also wish Shinjiro was made more available but... he's a thing... He's definitely a lot better than Nozomi though. Did anyone genuinely enjoy Minato's Moon Link? A lot of the Social Links for Minato are questionable actually... There were very few I really, really liked. Using the above Links I listed, I really enjoy Hidetoshi, Mutatsu, and Toriumi. Fuuka's Social Link is so boring... I still love her though. I have to wonder though... Why did they reuse the 'I can't cook' thing for Yukiko? Is being a horrible cook a Priestess thing? And you know what else? Is making toxic friendships also a Priestess thing? I still don't quite understand Fuuka's friendship with Natsuki. But that's a rant for another time, I suppose...