Author's Notes: This chapter is a bit on the longer side. Operations do tend to be long... Ehehe...
~21 JULY 2009~
Fuuka's eyes widened as she stared at the large cryptomeria tree before her. "Ah, the air is so fresh…" she marveled the forest. "I never thought a walk in the woods could be so enjoyable. You can't do this in Iwatodai."
"I agree!" Hamuko smiled as she snapped a few photos with her brother's camera. The two paused as they saw Yukari and Mitsuru silently trailing behind them. Hamuko frowned as Fuuka tried to think of something to say to break the tension.
"Oh, so listen to this…" the normally reserved girl tried to smirk. "Junpei-kun was acting like such a pervert yesterday, and I didn't know how to react… It's probably a good thing we came out here by ourselves…"
Yukari blinked at her in surprise. "Huh? Oh, yeah."
Fuuka gave the brunette a wry smile but paused when a phone rang. She glanced towards Mitsuru who answered the call. "Mitsuru speaking…" The redhead looked towards the other girls. "One moment, let me switch over to speakerphone." She swiftly held out her phone and turned on the speaker. "Please continue."
Hamuko's eyes widened as she heard Ikutsuki on the other line. "Well, I'm at the lab here on the island… And a machine that was considered inoperable suddenly left the facility on its own…"
"A machine…?" Yukari's eyebrows knit together.
"What kind of machine is it?" Fuuka asked. "I need detailed information to locate anything other than Shadows…"
"It's a combat vehicle," Ikutsuki replied. "An anti-Shadow weapon, to be precise."
"A combat vehicle…?" Yukari's eyes widened. "You mean like a tank!? We gotta let the others know!" She checked her pockets. "Where's my cell…?"
"We're not currently with the others," Mitsuru informed the Chairman, "so it might take some time for us all to assemble."
"I see…" Ikutsuki sighed. "Well, regardless, I want you to handle this as soon as possible. I'm on my way there now."
"If the target cannot be captured, do we have permission to destroy it?" Mitsuru asked in concern.
The man just laughed. "I highly doubt you'll be able to destroy it."
"What…?" Fuuka became worried. "Then how are we supposed to stop it…?"
"Just do your best," he reassured the girls. "I'll call you again later."
As the man hung up, Yukari shook her head as none of the boys were picking up. "Great, no one's answering."
Hamuko frowned at her phone when her brother wouldn't answer. "Yeah, that's weird... Nii-san always picks up when I call. Does he not have his phone on him?"
"Don't worry about it," Mitsuru turned to her. "Let's go back and get our equipment. Then we can have Yamagishi's Persona scan the area. Although, this island is quite large…"
"Geez!" Yukari sighed. "Where could they be!?"
Minato yawned and stretched his arms up towards the sky. He was a bit annoyed Junpei and Akihiko woke him up so early to drag him to the beach. The blue-haired boy groaned as he applied sunscreen on his arms and face. "Why am I here again?" he asked as beside him, Junpei was scanning the beach for the others.
"Huh? Are the girls not up yet?" The capped boy scratched his head and fixed his hat. "Man, what lazybones! The ocean's not gonna sit around and wait for us, ya know?"
"It's not going anywhere," Minato grumbled as he sat on a beach chair, hoping to catch some more sleep.
"No, Junpei's right," Akihiko shook his head. "Once the sun sets, the water temperature drops, tiring you out much faster."
"Huh?" Junpei turned to the senior. "Uhh, I guess… Is that what you're worried about…?"
Akihiko remembered something and pulled out a letter. "That reminds me. One of the maids gave me a letter as we were leaving…" Junpei quickly snatched it from the boxer with a smirk. "Whoa, hey, Junpei!"
Minato glanced at the boys but sat up when he recognized the handwriting. Junpei eagerly held the paper before him and smirked at both boys. "No buts! I ain't letting any love letter from a lovely maid slip through my fingers!"
"How dumb can you get?" Akihiko sighed.
Ignoring him, the junior glanced at the letter. "Uhh, let's see here… This says, 'We've gone to see the Jyomon-Cedar Tree'. Huh!?"
"It looks like Fuuka's handwriting," Akihiko frowned.
"It is her handwriting," Minato said, reclining. "Can I go back to the mansion now?"
"Aw man!" Junpei complained. "We're at an island resort in the middle of summer! Why don't they go to the beach!? That's just not right!"
"Well, it is your fault," Akihiko glared at him.
"Whaddya mean?" Junpei blinked back. "I-I just wanted to lighten up the mood… Besides," he smirked at the two boy, "did you see how cute the girls were in their—?"
"I don't want to hear it," Akihiko shook his head.
"Well, it doesn't matter, anyway…" a grim expression appeared on the Magician's face. "We're on our own now, just the guys! If you're outta ammo, you pick it up on the battlefield! That's one of the most basic military tactics! We'll call this Operation Babe Hunt!"
Minato raised an eyebrow at the boy. "You can't be serious," he groaned. There goes his entire day.
Akihiko frowned. "Babe Hunt? You mean, like pick up girls…?"
Junpei crossed his arms and smirked at the boxer. "Whaddya think, Akihiko-san? With you on the squad, we're guaranteed to succeed!"
The white-haired senior looked over towards Minato, hesitation written all over the senior's face. "What do you think about this?"
The blue-haired boy sighed. "Sounds like a hassle."
"You're right," the senior nodded. "It does…"
"Then, what're we gonna do for the rest of the day?" Junpei asked the two. "Come on, guys! It'll be fun!"
"Nah, I'll pass…" Akihiko shook his head.
Junpei gave the older boy a challenging smirk. "Ooh… scared you're gonna lose?"
"Wh-what!?" The boxer felt his pride being attacked.
"Hey, I'm not judging you," Junpei shook his head sympathetically. "Most guys would rather back down than lose."
A competitive spark shone in the senior's grey eyes. "All right… we're doing this!" He quickly pointed at Minato. "Then I'm appointing him our leader, as usual."
The tired junior's face fell as he slipped out of his seat in surprise. "M-me!?"
Junpei was surprised too. "What!? WHY!?"
"You said yourself this is an operation," Akihiko smirked.
"Aw, man, that's bullshit!" Junpei crossed his arms as Akihiko walked away.
Minato stood up and scowled. "Tch, I should have left when I had the chance." The blue-haired boy looked around. In fact… He started off towards the mansion but Junpei pulled him by his shirt. "H-hey!"
"Nuh-uh. You're hanging with us! You better take this seriously… It's an important operation." Junpei let go when they caught up to Akihiko.
Minato groaned in response but carefully fixed his shirt. "Fine. But if I'm going to do this, someone owes me a bowl of ramen."
Akihiko nodded at their leader. "Alright. The loser buys dinner at Hagakure when we get back home! Commence the operation!"
"Loser?" Junpei shook his head. "Whaddya mean loser? Wait, we're gonna go hit on them separately!?"
"Not a chance," Minato sighed. "We're a team so we're staying together. We'll just see who can score a girl to come hang with us."
"Fair enough," Akihiko nodded, seeing how the three of them weren't very good at picking up girls to begin with. He noticed Minato was still wearing his shirt. "Hey, come on. Take that off… You won't get any stronger if you keep hiding from the sun."
Minato grumbled as he obeyed. "You're one to talk, Senpai."
"So you want me to take off my shirt, too?" Akihiko reached for the hem of his shirt.
"No! You're wearing only your Speedo, aren't you?" Minato shook his head as he tossed his shirt towards their stuff. It's bad enough going around shirtless. I don't want to be associated with Senpai's Speedo too. After stuffing a few unopened bottles of sunscreen into his pockets, the boy turned to his friend. "Junpei, you ready?"
Junpei looked around and brightened when he noticed three girls underneath an umbrella. "Oooh! We found some senoritas! Let's go hit on 'em!" They got closer to the girls and the capped boy began shaking with excitement. "Beep… Beep… BEEP! Target confirmed! Let's move in for the kill! This is my area of expertise, so listen up…" He looked at both boys seriously. "First off, think of something to talk about—something they might be interested in. Give them an easy question to get the ball rollin'. That's the golden rule. Somethin' like, 'Where're you from?' or 'Havin' fun?' Pretty soon, you'll be tossin' questions and answers back and forth like you're playin' catch. I'll start things off, and you can ask the questions alright?" He smirked as he confidently approached the umbrella. "Here we go." He smiled brightly at the girls. "Hey, ladies!"
Minato nodded to them in greeting. "Where you from?" he asked. Man, this feels so awkward… "Havin' fun?"
The girl wearing a green bikini looked at the juniors suspiciously. "None of your business."
"Hey," Junpei smirked. "No need to be shy… We don't bite."
"Why should we tell you?" a girl in yellow asked.
"Come on," the capped boy shook his head. "Cut us some slack… We just wanna talk."
"I thought you said you said you were an expert…" Akihiko muttered behind the juniors.
"Hold your horses…" Junpei whispered back. "I'm just getting warmed up. Watch and learn…" He brightly smiled back to the girls. "So, ladies, are you in college?"
The third girl in orange studied the three boys. "Umm… Don't tell me you guys are still in high school…"
Sensing a trap, Minato shook his head. "Nope. Not us."
The girl in green narrowed her eyes on the blue-haired boy. "Seriously? You sure look like high schoolers from here."
Junpei coughed. "S-sorry, that's a lie."
"Oh, really?" she frowned at them. "High school kids vacationing in Yakushima? That kind of pisses me off."
Minato rolled his eyes. Well, there goes our chances.
"Well," Akihiko shrugged, "we were invited to our friend's vacation home… Pretty cool, huh?"
Minato covered his eyes. Please… Just stop talking, Senpai…
The girl in orange glared at the three boys. "Good for your friend. We, on the other hand, have to pay for our vacation with our hard-earned money."
"I guess we're just lucky…" Junpei's smirk was beginning to fade.
"Yeah," the girl in yellow nodded at them. "Lucky you. Whaddya want, anyways?"
Let's see if I can salvage this sinking ship. Minato tilted his head to the side with a small smirk on his face. "We came to hit on you," he honestly replied.
"Huh?" The girl in green looked at him with wide eyes before laughing. "You're pretty bold…"
Her friend in orange shook her head. "Hey, stop giving them compliments and just ignore 'em…"
"W-wait," Junpei shook his head. "Don't do that! How can you blame us for wanting to talk to such beautiful women?"
The girl in yellow sighed. "These guys are full of shit."
The girl in green nodded. "Yeah, let's get outta here."
"Wait…" Minato frowned at the girls. Mm… Maybe I should stop frowning… Eh, to hell with it. It's not like I'm interested in them anyways.
Beside him, his capped friend earnestly tried to get them to stay. "Come on, give us a chance… How 'bout a walk on the beach?"
"You're annoying," the girl in orange turned her head away from them.
"See ya, boys." The girl in yellow took her friends away with her.
Minato waved to them as he gave them a deadpan stare. "Bye."
Akhiko shook his head at Junpei once they were gone. "So much for your 'expertise'."
"Hey, I did my best!" Junpei glared at him. "What about you, Senpai!? You think you can do any better? Come on, show us what you got."
"Wh-why should I?" the boxer frowned.
"Well, you're supposed to be a tactical master, right?" Junpei smirked, challenging the older boy. "And, isn't it our duty to help each other succeed?" He looked at Minato expectantly.
"I guess you have a point there." Akhiko crossed his arms and looked around the beach. "Fine. I'll give it a shot. I'm sure I'll do better than you. Can you give me a hand, Minato? I'll set the pace, of course."
Minato sighed. "Whatever."
Junpei smiled as he pointed towards another umbrella. "Men, we've located a new target!" Akihiko froze up so Junpei pushed him forward. "What are you waiting for, Akihiko-san? Show us how it's done."
"Just keep your mouth shut," the boxer hissed as he pulled whatever confidence he had in him to smile at the girls.
A girl in black pointed over towards the three boys. "Hey, Nobuko. Are they staring at us?"
Nobuko looked over at them and nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Wow, Yoshie, you can see from there?"
"That's my cue," Akihiko said with a smile, signaling for the two others to follow behind him. "H-hi. S-sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask you something…"
Yoshie tilted her head to the side. "Yes?"
"Um…" Akihiko's gaze faltered. "Are you here alone?"
Nobuko giggled at him. "Are you hitting on us?"
"N-no, not at all…" the boxer shook his head. "We just thought that if you're bored, you might wanna talk… We could get to know each other better."
Wow, you're really bad at this, Senpai, Minato inwardly smirked.
Yoshie shook her head at the white-haired boy. "Um, that's what it means to hit on someone. Don't you know…? It's so lame to hit on girls at the beach…"
Nobuko smiled at the boys. "We were bored anyway, so why don't we just play along? Hey, you guys are kinda cute."
"Nobuko!" Yoshie's face went red.
Her friend ignored her as she turned towards Minato who was just blankly staring at them. "Hey, how old do you think we are?"
Minato shrugged as he put on a charming smile. "Around 20?" Not too old, not too young…
Nobuko's eyes widened at his charm. "Seriously? We look that young? Wow, you made my day… even though I know you're just trying to flatter us. To tell you the truth, we're older than that…"
"Oh, really?" Akihiko frowned. "That's too ba—"
"Dude, wait!" Junpei cut him off as he urgently whispered to the senior. "Don't you know that older women are more experienced!? They're like fine wines!"
Yoshie heard the capped boy's comment and smirked at the two juniors. "You're a pretty smooth talker for someone so young. How old are you guys, anyway?"
I sense another trap… Minato thought, but he kept his small smile on as Junpei answered.
"We're in high school."
Akihiko cleared his throat. "I'll be graduating next year."
Nobuko frowned at that. "That's a bummer… We're not astrologically compatible…"
Yoshie shook her head. "Look, it isn't gonna happen, so just give it up. You don't even seem like you're having fun talking to us."
"Yes we are," Akihiko tried to answer.
"Or so you say," Nobuko frowned at the older boy. "We don't even have anything to talk about… except work… and that's just complaints."
"Well, that might be interesting…" Akihiko put on a weak smirk.
"You're not very good at lying, are you?" Yoshie frowned at him. "You don't have to pretend to be interested."
"Come on, Yoshie, give him a break… He said he's interested, right?"
And I'm bored again… Minato looked away. "No, she's right. It's boring."
"What!?" Yoshie glared at the blue-haired boy. "Boring!?" The girl sighed. "I can't believe you said that…"
"I'm sure he was just joking," Nobuko smiled.
Minato raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. Sure… Let's go with that…
"Why are you being so nice to them, Nobuko!?"
"Are you kidding? When was the last time we were hit on?" She smiled at Minato who tilted his head in response. Nobuko giggled at how cute he was acting.
Yoshie checked the time. "Hey, let's head back… They're waiting for us."
"Th-they?" Junpei's eyes widened. "You mean, you have boyfriends?"
Nobuko looked as though she had forgotten but remembered that fact just now. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Did we forget to mention that? Well, gotta go. We're having a barbeque at the villa. You can come if you want."
Akihiko shook his head. "Uh, n-no thanks."
Yoshie waved to the boys as she pulled her ditzy friend away from them. "See ya."
Again Minato waved goodbye. Well… Good to know I have some charm…
Once they were gone, Junpei frowned at Akihiko. "Senpai! What the heck just happened!? Man, we looked like a bunch of idiots!" The capped boy then turned to Minato when he noticed the blue-eyed boy chuckling. "Dude, you were his wing man! Where was the support? You let them slip through our fingers! Seriously! Get your act together, man! Next time, I want results!"
"Hey, that lady was actually checking me out," Minato said, his face getting red. "Let's just move on."
Junpei noticed a lady underneath an umbrella. "Hey, Commander, look! There's a lady all alone! That means she's waiting for someone to hit on her! We're guaranteed some success with this one!" He pushed their leader forward. "You're in charge this time."
Minato took a deep breath as he approached the woman. He noticed she was older than he first thought, but decided to go for it anyways. "Hey," he coolly said with a nod.
The woman wore a revealing bikini and smiled as Minato approached her. Her smirk grew as she noticed Akihiko and Junpei following him. "Hey, cutie pies…" She giggled. "Can I help you?"
Junpei's smirk fell when he was close enough to see her age. "Uh, he-hello…" He stopped and pulled on his friends' arms. "Excuse us… We're looking for the restroom!" Minato gave him a questioning glance but Junpei leaned forward to whisper to him. "He-hey, Minato… She's pretty… old… up close!"
"It doesn't matter," the blue-haired boy replied, brushing away Junpei's hand. Besides, it's just a game…
The woman of questionable age smiled at Minato. "Hey, what are you whispering about?"
"What!?" Junpei's eyes widened. "Oh, uh…"
"It's nothing important," Minato shook his head. "Anyway, we noticed you were alone, so thought you would like some company. May we join you?" the blue-haired teen politely asked.
The woman tittered at his formal charm. "You guys are in high school, aren't you?"
Minato paused as he swore her smirk was becoming more predatory. I think she's into younger men… Didn't see that coming…
"Ye-yes!" Junpei nervously nodded. "You have a good eye!"
"I can't help it," the woman sighed. "My job—Well, that's not important. You guys wanna have some fun?"
Her job? Don't tell me… She's a high school teacher? Oh, geez… That's weird... Minato suddenly became uncomfortable and regret his decision of not backing out when Junpei gave them the chance.
"Ohh, uhhhh…" Junpei quickly thought up an excuse. "That's not right, is it? I mean, our ages…"
The woman glared at him. "What?"
Junpei pushed Akihiko forward. "A-Akihiko-san! It's your turn! It was your turn anyway, and you're closer in age to her!"
The boxer blinked. "Uh… Oh." He let out an uncomfortable cough. "Well…"
The woman's eyes gleamed as she studied Akihiko. She let out a chuckle before complimenting the white-haired boy. "You have a nice body. You're thin, yet muscular… Mmmm." She glanced over towards Minato and also noticed his figure.
Minato tensed up as the woman eyed the burn marks on his chest. Crap… I wish I still had my shirt on… He sighed in relief though when the lady pointed at Akihiko.
"I choose you! You want to go on a vacation to the world of romance with me?"
Akihiko shifted. "Uh, not reall—"
The woman didn't seem to care for his answer as she cut him off with a light chuckle. "You're gonna have to keep this a secret from everybody else!" She put a hand on Akihiko's chest.
"Hey, don't… Don't touch me!" The boy flinched back.
Minato's eyes widened as he pushed Junpei forward. "Go save him!"
"Me!?" Junpei's eyes shone in fear. "Oh, uhhh… G… g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g…"
The lady looked at the shirtless junior expectantly. "Guh?"
"G-grandma!" Junpei shut his eyes as he called out. He opened one eye and noticed the woman was trembling in fury. "R… Ruuun!" Minato pulled Akihiko behind him as they retreated. When she was out of sight, Junpei sighed in relief. "That was close…"
Akihiko groaned as he had almost been taken away. "No one mentions a word of this to anyone!" He spotted another girl by herself and nudged Minato with his elbow. "There's a woman all alone. I hope we don't have an experience like last time…"
Junpei laughed. "It's okay. What are the odds of it happening again? And I feel success in the air this time!"
Akihiko frowned as he noticed it was strange for someone as beautiful as this lady to be on her own. "Kind of strange, don't you think?" he asked Minato.
The boy's blue eyes narrowed. "Yeah…"
Junpei didn't seem to notice though as he smirked at the two boys. "Well, what are we waiting for? Excuse me, miss!" He started towards the lady.
The beautiful lady turned towards them and smiled. "Yes?"
Junpei pushed Minato forward and the blue-haired boy put on a charming smile. "Are you busy?" he asked with a slight bow.
"Busy? Not at all," the woman smiled at him. "In fact, I could use some company."
"Oh, are you alone?" Minato asked, with genuine surprise.
"Yes," she continued to smile back at him. "I'm completely alone. By 'alone' I mean 'single'." Minato tilted his head to the side as she giggled. "Incidentally, I saw you hitting on those girls. How'd it go?"
"We were close," Minato shrugged. Or at least I was… And Akihiko-senpai was almost kidnapped right in front of us.
"Oh, really?" The beautiful lady nodded at the three students. "Don't give up, boys. You have to be persistent. Have you considered any… alternative approaches?"
Junpei sighed. "We tried to be heroes, but ended up zeroes."
"Do you have to say it like that?" Akihiko groaned.
The lady laughed at the two of them. "That's so stupid it's funny!"
"H-hey," Junpei smirked. "That's not my 'A' material…"
The lady shook her head at them. "How do you expect to get a girl with that kind of attitude? You boys have no balls."
Minato furrowed his brows. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," the lady nodded as she smirked at him. "Don't be shy. Embrace the unknown… Be open to the possibilities… Especially, you," she pointed to Junpei. "You cute young thing…"
Junpei froze. "M-me?"
"Yes, you. I can tell you lack experience. You're way too wrapped up in yourself. You don't think about doing anything for the GIRL to make HER feel special."
The capped boy lowered his head. "Yes, ma'am."
She turned towards Akihiko next. "And you… You're a handsome fella… but even more timid. You're the stoic type, but not very experienced around girls."
"Y-you may be right," Akihiko nodded.
"Or, rather, you seem like someone who's too much of a hassle to be with," the lady shrugged. "Like, you're super-logical about everything."
Akihiko's gaze lowered too. "Well…"
"And finally you," the lady looked back towards Minato. "I'm not sure about you."
The boy tilted his head to the side and smirked. "Hey, don't hold back."
She laughed at the boy's straightforwardness. "I mean, you're mysterious. The way you hold yourself. Those burn marks on your chests. You've even got that whole 'androgeny' thing going on. You know what I mean?"
Minato felt his cheeks burn. "N-no..!" Dammit…
"Wow, you're pretty innocent," the lady continued to smirk at his flustered reaction. "Mm-hmm, I think you're my type."
Junpei lifted his head. "H-hey, wait a second…"
"Juust joking…" the lady giggled at the three boys. She winked at Junpei. "I like you a lot too." She looked between the three boys. "Well, if you'd like… I'd be happy to show you a thing or two…"
"S-seriously!?" Junpei felt his hopes rising.
"I'll teach you how to treat a lady right…" She chuckled.
"I'm in!" Junpei jumped.
"But…" she frowned. "I don't know if I can handle all three of you, so… Who will it be?"
Akihiko and Junpei looked to Minato expectantly. The blue-haired leader considered his options. She's not my type… Akihiko keeps giving her an odd look. That just leaves… "Junpei can go," Minato shrugged.
"That's right," Junpei triumphantly stepped forward. "I'm the only one who's worthy! I'll show you that I've got balls!"
The lady chuckled. "Then I'm sure we'll have fun."
Akihiko pulled Junpei back. "Hey, wait…"
"Whaaat!?" Junpei groaned. "Are you trying to ruin my summer of love!?"
The boxer ignored him and looked to the lady. "Uh, isn't that hair on your chin?"
The lady tensed up as a hand went up to her face. "I-I missed a spot!?"
"Uh…" Akihiko's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you a…?"
The person before them sighed. "There goes my chance… I was so close to snagging myself a little boy-toy."
Junpei's eyes widened. "Y-ya mean, SHE's a HE!?"
"I guess you fellas aren't quite ready for a woman like me…" she said, preparing to leave. "If you decide you want to try something a little spicier, then you know where to find me." The woman giggled as she brushed her hand past Minato's cheek.
Once she was gone, the blue-haired boy rubbed his face as if he were trying to get rid of germs. I barely like it when girls hit on me… I definitely don't like it if a guy hits on me the same way. A more suave approach would have been nice… The boy blinked at his own thoughts. Well, hypothetically, I suppose. "Well… That was a complete bust. Can we leave yet?"
Junpei responded with a groan as he tried to look for other girls on the beach. In the end, nobody else was there and the three boys glumly stared at the ocean. Junpei shook his head. "This sucks… We're 0 for 4…" Akihiko sighed in agreement. "What's wrong?" Junpei looked towards him. "I thought you weren't interested in picking up chicks."
"If I'm in a match, I want to win." Akihiko stared at the waves before frowning at Junpei. "I know what our problem is… You can't control yourself."
"What!?" Junpei glared at him. "Don't blame this on me!"
"I'm just stating the obvious."
"B-but, you haven't scored either!"
"What did you just say…?" Akihko brought a fist up.
Minato ignored them as he reapplied his sunscreen for the tenth time that day. He paused when he heard the two boys stop scuffling. "Hm?"
Akihiko turned to him expectantly. "Enough already! Leader, whose fault do you think it is?"
"As far as I'm concerned?" Minato twisted his torso to get a better look at his own back. "It's both your fault. I didn't want to do this in the first place."
"I won't accept a stalemate!" Akihiko glared at Junpei. "It's either him or me!"
"Yeah!" Junpei nodded. "This is serious… now, tell us… who's…" The capped boy faltered as he spotted someone in the distance.
"What's the matter?" Akihiko asked. "You see something?"
Minato turned too and noticed a girl standing on the dock. Huh? How long has she been there? I didn't sense anyone's presence coming to the beach… He stared for a while until Junpei and Akihiko pulled him behind a rock.
"Whoa…" Junpei's smile returned. "Talk about saving the best for last…! Now that's what I'm talking about! Man, she's cute…"
Akihiko nodded. "I agree…"
Minato frowned at them both before peering at the girl again. Um… I don't quite see it… Fuuka's a lot cuter… He said nothing though as he turned to look at his two friends.
Junpei nodded as he psyched himself up. "This is our last chance to make up for failures… But this time we should try one-by-one instead of all together. We'll have a better shot that way."
"Sounds like a good plan," Akihiko nodded.
"Alright, then let's decide the order!" Junpei smirked. "We'll go clockwise, starting with the winner. Ready…? Rock, paper scissors!" Junpei and Akihiko put on a knowing smirk as they both shot paper. They both knew their leader was too lazy to open his hand and his apathy towards the situation meant he wouldn't care if he lost.
Minato blankly stared at his fist as he shrugged. "Whatever." He leaned against the rock and closed his eyes, hoping to get some rest.
"Yeah, I win!" Junpei smirked as he beat Akihiko. "Okay, I'll go first, Akihiko-san will go second, and you'll go last. I'm up! Wish me luck!" Junpei slowly walked towards the girl on the dock. "H-hey, h-how's it going?" he nervously asked. "I noticed you've been, uh, staring at the ocean. So, um… do you come here often? My name's Ju-Ju-Junpei."
The girl turned towards him. "Ju-Ju-Junpei?"
"Don't worry," he gave her a reassuring smile. "I-I just want to talk. I mean, it's more fun than standing here all by yourself, isn't it?"
"I am looking for a human," the girl responded mechanically.
Junpei looked around. "O-oh yeah…?"
"You are not the one," the girl returned to staring out the dock.
Akihiko winced as the capped boy made his way back towards them. The boxer gave him a sympathetic frown. "Wow, he got shot down faster than I expected…"
"Sh-she's a tough one, Senpai…" Junpei sighed.
"Heh…" Akihiko smirked as he shadowboxed for a few seconds to get his energy up. "Don't worry about me." He walked over to the girl and gave her a smile. "Well, hello there. Say, do you like the ocean?"
"Is your question directed at me?" the girl turned to look at him.
"Oh, um, yeah, I like the ocean, too," Akihiko didn't seem to notice her answer. "Hey, I heard that triathletes who train at the beach perform better than those who practice indoors. Makes sense, doesn't it?"
"Wow," Junpei muttered to Minato as they watched. "He's actually having a conversation with her! Although, something's not right…" The boy beside him just shrugged.
"That type of information is irrelevant to me," the girl turned back towards the ocean, leaving Akihiko to return to them with his head down.
When he got back to the guys though, Akihiko smirked at Junpei. "Heh, I won… I talked to her longer than you did."
"It doesn't matter how long you talked to her!" Junpei sighed. "This sucks," he said with a sob.
"Hey, stop crying! You're making me feel bad…" Akihiko frowned.
Junpei looked towards Minato. "So, that's our status. If you can't pull this off, I'm gonna be traumatized for the rest of my life."
Akihiko nodded as he gave Minato a seriously determined expression. "We're on the ropes, but it's not over yet… It's all up to you now."
They shoved Minato towards the girl before he could say anything. Gee, thanks, guys. He let out a heavy sigh as he tried to come up with something to say. To hell with it… Minato took a deep bereath and studied the ocean waters before going about this in a way he was most comfortable with. "The tide is high..." he absently noted with a gentle smile as he tried to get the girl's attention in a way that wouldn't scare her off. He was startled when she suddenly turned to look at him. The girl's blue eyes studied him and Minato noticed right away she wasn't quite human. What the…?
From the rocks, Junpei shook his head. "I couldn't hear what he said… But she looks surprised… We should go over there."
The girl's eyes widened in realization as she studied Minato. "You are…" She quickly noticed the two boys coming out from behind the rocks. "Initiating evasive maneuver. Confirmation must be made at a secure location…"
Minato watched with wide eyes as she quickly disappeared into the forest. What was that!?
"Hey," Junpei frowned at him. "What did you say to make her run away like that? Well, what're you waiting for? Go after her!"
Minato frowned. "But, it wasn't my fault. You two came out and she noticed."
"Go tell her you're sorry!" Junpei shook his head. "If you don't, we'll all be in trouble! Go on, man. You can catch her if you hurry!"
The blue-haired boy let out a frustrated groan. I really wanted to spend today taking pictures, but nope. I had to get myself dragged into this mess…
Hamuko looked around the forest as she became separated from the other girls. "Huh?" She studied her surroundings and frowned, putting down the camera she was holding. "Maybe I shouldn't have gone after that butterfly…" She paused when she heard someone running through the woods. The brunette turned her body towards the sound and caught a glimpse of blonde hair disappearing in the thick woods.
"Wait!" A familiar voice called out. Minato entered the clearing, wearing only his swim trunks.
His younger sister stared at him in surprise. "Nii-san!?"
"Hamuko?" Minato frowned at her before deciding to reach her side. "What are you doing here by yourself?"
"I was with the girls, but got separated. Nii-san—"
Minato shushed her when he felt someone watching them. He turned around and called out towards the mysterious girl from the dock. "I know you're there! You've been the one watching me since yesterday, right? Come on out!"
Hamuko spotted her too and gave the girl a smile. "Hello," she kindly nodded to her before holding out her hand to invite the other girl to join them. "It's okay. We won't bite."
The blonde girl stepped out from behind the tree and studied the two twins. She approached the twins slowly as she spoke. "Now I am certain… I was correct… I have found you." She ran towards them and hugged the two tightly. "I have been searching for you. My highest priority is to be with you!"
Minato heard Junpei and Akihiko catch up to him. Junpei's jaw dropped. "WHAT!? I can't believe this!"
Akihiko frowned. "What's going on…!? He didn't even say anything to her!" He noticed Hamuko was there too so nudged Junpei. "Actually, now I see. So that's her preference. That explains why we got the cold shoulder…"
Junpei smirked. "Oh, yeah… Minato does have that whole 'androgeny' thing… She must have mistaken him for a girl too." He paused when he heard someone running towards them.
"Hamuko!" Yukari smiled when she found the co-leader. "Thank goodness I found you." She blinked when she saw the guys were there too. "There you guys are! What are you doing here!? We've been looking all over for you!" she scolded Akihiko and Junpei.
Joining them, Fuuka frowned as she noticed Minato shirtless. Her face grew pink. "Um… What're you doing in the middle of the woods, in your swimsuits…?"
Hamuko raised an eyebrow at her older brother. "Yeah, explain that for us, nii-san."
Minato frowned. "It's a long story…" He knit his eyebrows together as he watched Yukari continue lecturing the other boys.
"You have no idea what we've—Huh!?" The archer stopped ranting when she finally noticed the strange girl hugging Minato and Hamuko. "Who's this? Why's she hugging you?"
"I wonder why…" Hamuko smirked. "I think she likes us."
"W-what?" Fuuka frowned. She looked towards Minato in worry, but saw him shaking his head.
The blue-haired boy sighed. "Like I said, it's a long story..." He awkwardly looked away from the navigator and spotted Mitsuru catching up to them.
The Kirijo heiress nodded as she noticed the entire team was present and accounted for. "Listen, we've encountered a problem," she notified the boys, "I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation," she raised an eyebrow at the girl hugging her field leaders, "but I need you all to go back to the house and prepare for battle."
Ikutsuki suddenly came out of the forest too. He smiled at the girl tightly holding onto the twins. "That won't be necessary… We've found what we were looking for."
Yukari frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ikutsuki didn't answer her as he helped free Minato and Hamuko from the blonde's embrace with a simple smile on his face. "You had me worried. You don't have permission to leave the lab on your own, Aigis," he addressed the stranger.
"I know," the girl answered with a nod.
Minato let out a sigh of relief and Fuuka checked to make sure he was okay. He paused as he realized something though. "Wait... Lab?"
Minato finally allowed himself to relax once they returned to the house. He straightened out his shirt as he pretty much pieced together what the girls had been doing all day. The boy watched as the team took a seat and they all looked towards Ikutsuki expectantly. The man gave them all an apologetic smile. "I apologize for all the trouble. Everything is under control now."
"So," Fuuka tilted her head, "what happened to capturing the tank?"
"Oh, that's been taken care of." Ikutsuki motioned over towards the blonde girl staring at Minato and Hamuko. "Come here, Aigis."
"Coming." The girl stood before them.
Minato's eyes widened. Wow, a fully operational android…
"This is Aigis," Ikutsuki introduced her to them. "As you can see, she's a 'mechanical maiden'."
"I am Aigis," the girl spoke mechanically. "My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."
"No way…" Yukari breathed. "It's like she's… alive."
"This is unbelievable," Akihiko shook his head.
Junpei couldn't help but stare with wide eyes. "She's so cute, but… she's a robot…"
Ikutsuki smiled proudly at Aigis. "Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows. Aigis was the last to be made… and she's the only one that still remains today."
"An Anti-Shadow weapon…" Mitsuru's eyes widened in realization. "Does that mean she…?"
"Yes," Aigis nodded. "I am capable of operating the Persona 'Palladion'."
"She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since." Ikutsuki's expression turned to one of worry and confusion. "It's still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning…"
Minato felt a chill run down his spine as the image of a fire flashed before him. Huh? A silhouette was in the flames, but the vision disappeared, leaving him out of breath and sweating. What!? He calmed himself the best he could.
Beside him, Hamuko glanced at him with worry. Nii-san?
Nobody else noticed the boy though as Ikutsuki continued. "Well, I hope you will all get along."
Fuuka smiled as she examined the android. "An Anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own… This is amazing!"
"Um…" Yukari had her doubts as she looked between Aigis and the twins. "By the way… When I saw you earlier, it seemed like you knew them…"
Minato tensed up and Hamuko placed a hand on his leg. Calm down, nii-san.
Aigis stared at the two before focusing on Minato. "Yes, it is very important for me to be by his side."
The boy gulped. Is Ikutsuki onto me? Shit, shit, shit…
Fuuka noticed his face growing pale and looked towards Hamuko. The red-eyed girl gave her a worried frown, but the two said nothing as Ikutsuki examined Aigis. "Hmm…" The man couldn't find anything wrong so shook his head. "Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning… Or maybe she's still half-asleep… This is quite interesting…" He glanced over to Minato who glared back at him. Ikutsuki only smiled at the boy. Very interesting… "Hmm…"
"I don't think it's that…" Yukari sighed.
I don't think Ikutsuki believes that either… Minato and Ikutsuki continued to stare at each other. I'll have to be careful around Aigis…
Ikutsuki shrugged as he broke eye contact with Minato. "Well, I can ponder this later. Oh, I forgot to tell you all… You can participate in a wide range of recreational activities here. There's a tennis court, a pool table… even a karaoke machine. Would you care to hear me sing?"
Junpei looked away from the man. "Uh…"
Minato stood up from the couch. "Sorry, but I'm a bit hungry. Hamuko, did you eat yet?"
The girl shook her head as she picked up his need to speak to her in private. "Not yet. I'll come with you."
Minato turned towards the rest of SEES. "Anyone want anything? I don't mind cooking for everyone."
"Just make us anything," Akihiko shrugged.
Minato nodded before bowing towards Mitsuru. "We'll be borrowing the kitchen for a while."
"Of course. If you need anything, just let me know," Mitsuru nodded to him.
Ikutsuki shook his head at the leaving twins. "Sorry you'll be missing out on my wonderful performance."
"Yeah, what a shame," Minato frowned as he passed the man.
Hamuko quickly pushed her brother forward though as she chuckled at the Chairman. "We'll try to catch you on stage another time, Ikutsuki-san!"
"I hope so, Hamuko." Ikutsuki cheerily smiled at the brunette before narrowing his eyes on the blue-haired boy as both juniors walked away. He's just like his parents, or rather his mother… I wonder how much he knows about that case… I guess it won't hurt having Aigis by his side then. What a lucky break.
Once he was certain they were alone, Minato put his hands on the counter and leaned forward. He took a deep breath before letting out a heavy sigh. "Hamuko… I don't know how much more of this I can take… I can't go against him… He's too powerful."
"You're talking about Ikutsuki, right?" Hamuko frowned as she opened the large refrigerator and began searching its contents. Seeing how her brother had a lot on his mind, she'd take up most of the cooking.
"You dropped the honorific," her brother noticed. "Does that mean…?"
"Yeah… Something about the video Kirijo-san showed us didn't sit well with me," Hamuko explained. "I saw Takeba-san and he wanted to explain something to me, but I couldn't hear him over a lot of laughing."
"A laughing Reaper interfered, huh?"
"And you said Ikutsuki is the only one with that type of Reaper," the younger twin nodded.
"He's beginning to suspect me," Minato told her. "Not you though, so try to keep out of my investigations from now on. I don't quite know what he's capable of, but it must be a lot considering Kirijo-san and Senpai don't suspect anything. I'm going to have to dig back further into the files. All the way back to the Nanjo Group."
"Those old files?" Hamuko tilted her head to the side. "What do you need them for?"
"The Kirijo Group used to be a part of the Nanjo Group," Minato revealed to her. "And if you look at public trading agreements, both companies are actually very close to each other still."
"So…?" Hamuko set a few ingredients on the counter and Minato stepped aside as he moved to a remote corner of the kitchen.
"Kei Nanjo, current head of the Nanjo Group, hired Mom and Dad to look into Kouetsu Kirijo," he frowned. "Of course, back then, Kei Nanjo wasn't in charge, but it brings up a lot of questions."
"Oh, that's pretty suspicious. If they're so close, why hire investigators to look into his future business partner?"
"Exactly," Minato nodded. "Interesting thing I'd also like to point out. How was it that we got into Gekkoukan High School so easily? With my grades last year, there should have been no way the two of us would have gotten scholarships."
"Right," Hamuko frowned. "I'm still not sure how that happened."
"I think I have a theory," Minato smirked at her. "Do you remember my therapist last year?"
"Well, yeah. I wanted to make sure the treatment was working so I interned there. I liked working with Dr. Sonomura."
Minato smiled. "Well, did you know Dr. Sonomura used to be classmates with Kei Nanjo?"
"No, I didn't actually," Hamuko frowned.
"A lot of people in Sumaru City are connected to each other, apparently," Minato noted. "I was introduced to Dr. Sonomura by Mrs. Saeko."
"Our homeroom teacher at Seven Sister's High?" Hamuko's eyes widened. "Wait, I remember. She said a lot of students from her previous school moved to Sumaru. Even Mayuzumi-san was her student."
"That's right," Minato nodded as he remembered the woman who introduced him to photography. "Apparently, Mrs. Saeko asked her to speak with me because Mayuzumi-san used to be a delinquent and since I was rather difficult…" He shook his head. "Well, never mind that. Point is, I got really close to Mayuzumi-san and she mentioned that Dr. Sonomura was an old friend of hers. I questioned Mrs. Saeko about it and she told me that those two, along with some other students from that particular class, were very close. I think it was something about the group saving St. Hermelin High from the Snow Queen and the city of Mikage-cho from demons. I questioned her some more, but she didn't know anything else. So I asked Dr. Sonomura."
"What'd she tell you?" Hamuko asked, done with prepping the vegetables.
"She wouldn't tell me anything until I told her about my 'schizophrenic' episodes." Minato looked around the kitchen for a pan and handed it to his sister. "Once I told her about the Reapers and Dark Hour though, she seemed to understand something. She told me that she had a friend, I'm guessing it was Kei Nanjo, who knew something about what I was going through and there was a better hospital in Tatsumi Port Island that could treat me."
"Hence the sudden transfer," Hamuko nodded. "That also explains who sponsored us since the entire family was surprised by the move too."
"That's not all," Minato said as he watched the girl stir-fry vegetables. "Remember during that night in the command room, we were talking about other Persona-users? Some of those files I dug up back then seemed to be about Mikage-cho. Igor also mentioned that it's been years since the Velvet Room has had guests. What if they were the previous guests before us?"
"Persona-users outside of SEES," Hamuko said to herself.
"I'm sure they're trustworthy enough. Besides, I doubt they're murdering random delinquents in Iwatodai," Minato crossed his arms. "The deeper I get into this case, the more it doesn't make sense. Ikustuki controls the information we get so I have to find another source. I can't ask Kirijo-senpai because I'm technically looking into her family too. I'm out of options and I regret to say that I might need to visit Aragaki-san."
"Really?" Hamuko looked up towards him.
"I have no other choice," the boy shook his head. "When we get back, I'll find him. He'll probably be difficult to work with, but who else can I turn to?"
"What if I went with you?" Hamuko asked.
"Are you kidding? It's bad enough I have to go there. I'm not bringing you into danger with me." The older brother shook his head. "No, you're not going."
"But what if I can make Shinjiro-san cooperate?" The girl smirked.
Minato paused as he considered something. "You've been visiting him," he stated. "Despite me telling you not to, you went to the back alley anyways."
"You said not to go at night," Hamuko frowned. "It's much safer during the day," she looked away from her brother, "sort of."
"And what did you manage to get from him?"
"Nothing," Hamuko lowered her head. "He really is a hard one to crack."
"I'll speak to him alone then. There are things I can do but I can't let you be around for them," Minato nodded.
"Nii-san, you can't rough him up," she gave him a serious look. "He'd throttle you before you'd even know what happened."
"Hey, I have other methods of extracting information out of people," the boy shrugged.
"Personas won't work, by the way," Hamuko informed him. "He used to be a part of SEES."
"Really?" The boy looked down. "Huh…" He frowned. "I thought you said you couldn't get anything from him."
"I pieced that one together myself. He's pretty close to Akihiko-senpai, did you know?"
"Yeah, I had a feeling… And you have been hanging out with Senpai." Minato considered his options before mulling over the strange Reaper he saw on Shinjiro. "Okay, I think I have a way to get him to speak with me. I'm still going alone though, so don't even bother trying to ask. There's something I want to confirm for myself."
"Alright," Hamuko said with a frown.
"Oh, and another thing," Minato straightened up as he reached for a pot to start on making rice. "Be careful around Ikutsuki. If he does anything, let me know. And watch your back around Aigis. I don't understand her fascination with us, but it can't be good." He suddenly became silent as he remembered the burning car he saw.
Hamuko noticed his change in demeanor. "Nii-san? Did you sense something?"
"Aigis brought back an unpleasant memory," he said with a sad frown. "My memory of the accident that killed Mom and Dad doesn't sit well with me. I remember the burning car… and our screams… But why can't I remember the accident itself?"
"I can't remember either," Hamuko sadly frowned. "Maybe it's just a coping mechanism?"
"I can't accept that as an answer," Minato said, pouring out the water from his pot. "There's something more to it…"
~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~
"Hang on, Fuuka. I need to change the film," Minato frowned as Hamuko used up an entire roll earlier that day.
"Maybe we should put this off until tomorrow," Fuuka suggested.
"It's still light out though," the boy looked up at the evening sky. "It won't get dark until late anyways. Besides, I want to try to capture the sunset. The beach faces west so it should be a fantastic shot."
"Oh, that's right!" The teal-haired girl smiled at him. "We should hurry to the beach then."
"Alright," Minato nodded his head and followed her through the woods.
When they finally arrived to the oceanfront, Fuuka looked around for a good vantage point to watch the setting sun. "Hmm, that dock looks like a nice spot to take pictures from," she mused aloud before making her way there.
Minato moved to follow her, but the image of her on the dock alone with the ocean glimmering behind her stunned him. He simply stared at her for a good minute until she turned around and smiled at him. Minato could only smile back before he noticed the sun behind her beginning to set. "Fuuka, it's starting to go down!" he called out.
Surprised, the girl turned back towards the sunset and began snapping her camera at the sight. "You were right, Minato-kun! The scene is amazing!"
Minato however just continued to stare. Amazing, huh? He quickly but carefully climbed up the nearby rocks and got into a position where he'd be able to see the dock and the sunset perfectly. Minato then carefully framed his next shot to even include the mountainous forest that coasted the waters. The boy patiently focused his camera and waited for Fuuka to put her camera down. As soon as she did, he called out to her. "Fuuka, can you turn this way?"
The girl smiled and brought a hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The breeze picked up a bit as she turned to face her friend. She heard a click as Minato lowered his camera, smiling softly at her. Realizing he had just taken a picture of her, the shy girl's face went red. "M-minato-kun?"
The boy blushed too as he slid down from his post. "S-sorry… You looked so pretty in the sunset… I kinda had to." He looked away from her and murmured something to himself. "A flower drifting on the breeze of a mountainous shore..."
"What was that, Minato-kun?" Fuuka walked towards him and noticed his face was extremely pink.
"N-no, it's nothing," he quickly shook his head, but it only made the girl more confused as to why he couldn't look directly at her. "It was just a thought I had, Fuuka," he tried to reassure her while gazing out towards the glimmering ocean. "I don't think I can properly explain it to you with words, but you'll understand once I develop the photo, so can you please wait until then?"
Fuuka nodded as she returned to his side to watch the remainder of the sunset with him. "Alright, Minato-kun," she gently smiled at him.
Minato flashed her a grateful grin as they fell into a comfortable silence. The sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon and the boy found himself glad to have actually come on this trip, despite his initial misgivings. His navy blue eyes wandered to the ocean waters where he fixedly watched the waves crash against the rocks. "The tide is high..." he absently noted with a wistful smile on his face.
"Eh?" Fuuka looked at the taller boy at her side and noticed the serene expression he wore. Seeing him completely at ease made her heart skip a beat and she was glad he was able to genuinely enjoy himself on this vacation. "Yeah," she agreed with him while gently slipping her hand into his. "Just watching the waves climb higher and higher is relaxing, isn't it, Minato-kun?"
The usually stoic teen nodded his head before lifting his gaze up at the sky. "Oh... it's getting dark... I didn't even notice how quickly time passed," he sheepishly smirked.
"Neither did I," Fuuka lightly giggled. "We should head back before the others worry about us."
"Yeah," Minato nodded and led the way back. "Here, the rocks are hard to navigate in the dark, so don't let go of me, okay, Fuuka?" he told her while squeezing her hand in his.
Fuuka blushed as she tightly held onto him. "I won't, Minato-kun."
From the forest, Junpei frowned as he watched the two return to the mansion together. "That's it?" He turned towards Yukari and Hamuko. "That's all they're gonna do?"
Yukari sighed at the boy. "It was romantic, Junpei."
"I wonder how that last shot nii-san took turned out," Hamuko said out loud. "He seems pretty happy with it."
"Seriously though," Junpei shook his head, "he asked Fuuka into the forest just to take pictures? I thought it was gonna be something more scandalous! I mean, just last night, I saw Akihiko-san and Mitsuru-s—" he paused as he heard some rustling.
The three juniors remained silent as they heard someone grunting. "H-hey," a tired Akihiko called out. "Is it any further? It's getting hard to see and this is a lot of stuff I'm carrying for you."
"Not much farther, Akihiko, I promise," Mitsuru smiled at him. "Once we arrive at the clearing, I'll set up my telescope while you can explain to me what you did on the beach today with Iori and Yuki."
"I think I'd rather not tell you," Akihiko groaned. "It was a complete disaster today. Another day I could have spent training, gone to waste."
Hamuko waited until she was sure the seniors were gone. "Let's get going," she ordered.
"H-hey, aren't we gonna follow them?" Junpei asked.
"Do you want to be executed?" Hamuko asked back.
"I can't believe the two of them are…" Yukari shook her head.
"Yeah, well apparently they are," Junpei said.
"Wow, tonight's been interesting," Hamuko giggled. She evilly glanced at her capped friend. "So what did happen on the beach today, Junpei?"
"Don't ask," the boy groaned.
Final Notes: Woohoo... My shot at making somewhat romantic fluff. It might not be romantic really, but I think it is... I'm actually very simple and cheesy sometimes... Or at least my preferences are... But anyways, Persona 1 and 2 references. I dunno... It makes sense in my head... Plus, it works out in the long run for what I might have in mind for the future. Of course, that's me being optimistic about coming up with a story beyond Persona 3 later on.