Author's Notes: So I'm nearly finished with the rest of the story, just working on the ending. And then I need to hurry up and finish my Journey in FES so I can start on the Answer. I don't know if I'm going to type up my own version of Answer considering I have an idea of what I want to do, but I don't know if it's going to be executed well considering I'm not familiar with it at all. I at least want to play through all of the Answer before making my final decision, but with November coming up, I'll probably be distracted by Pokemon Moon so it'll take a while. Same thing goes for Persona 4, since I've played through the PS2 version but I haven't even touched Golden. And Q is another mess altogether since I'd have to combine both the P3 and P4 scripts... Ahaha... I might be getting ahead of myself though so these are merely possibilities for now...
~5 NOVEMBER 2009~
Fuuka looked around the meeting room and frowned when Aigis and Mitsuru weren't present. She stared at the opened door leading to Ikutsuki's office. "The Chairman's room has been cleared out…" she mused as she took a seat beside Minato.
"Well," Akihiko crossed his arms, "that's no surprise, considering what he did."
"Aigis isn't here either…" Hamuko worriedly frowned.
"She's undergoing maintenance," Minato stated with a shrug. "It makes sense after that stunt she pulled—"
"It wasn't her fault," the brunette glared at him. "She saved us in the end, didn't she?"
Her brother blinked at her in mild surprise before putting on an apologetic frown. "She did…"
"She's still an important member of this team," Hamuko sternly reminded him. "That said," she looked over the rest of the team, "it's times like these we need to stick together. So, let's go over the situation again."
Yukari sighed as they didn't really know where to begin. "I just can't believe all this…"
"It's in the papers, too…" Ken frowned, putting down the current periodical. "They titled it 'Sudden Death of Kirijo Group's CEO'. They blame it on illness, though." He clenched his fists as once again the public would never know what had truly transpired.
"Yeah…" Akihiko lowered his gaze. "It's never the truth."
"Nope," the elementary school student glumly muttered.
"Mitsuru-senpai's not here, huh…?" Junpei pulled his cap down.
Akihiko sighed. "She's an only child, so there's a lot of matters to be settled, including the funeral and the family business. I'm sure she'll be busy for at least a week."
"That sounds rough…" Yukari frowned. "I hope she'll be okay…"
"So," Junpei looked towards the only senior in the room, "what're we supposed to do now…?" He frowned as he thought of his regular hospital visits. "What'll happen to Chidori?"
"No word yet," Akihiko shook his head. "They're probably too busy to be thinking about that. In fact, the entire Kirijo Group must be in a state of shock."
"I hope Aigis is alright…" Fuuka frowned.
"Yeah…" the boxer nodded.
"What the hell…?" Junpei shook his head. "Am I just supposed to wait for them to get their act together?"
"Mitsuru is meeting with the Board of Directors," the senior explained. "That might explain the delay."
"I see…" Yukari nodded. "But still, what are we going to do? We have no idea how to get rid of the Dark Hour… We don't even know what we're fighting against."
Ken crossed his arms. "What was that he said about 'the Fall'? What would've happened if we had been sacrificed?" He looked towards Minato, hoping he could figure something out.
The blue-haired boy looked up from one of the former Chairman's folders he was skimming through as he felt everyone's expectant stares. "It'll take a while, but no worries. I'm on it…" He frowned though as none of the research made any sense. Even more, he couldn't figure out why his Reapers had completely vanished yet the Dark Hour still persisted.
Fuuka noticed her boyfriend's uncertain expression. "There are so many unanswered questions," she sighed.
"Let's take our time," Hamuko spoke up. Her brother looked up at her and noticed she was giving him an encouraging smile. "That's all we can do for now."
"True," Akihiko smiled. He sternly looked over the team and nodded. "But, there is one thing we know… Tartarus is still around, and there's a bunch of Shadows inside it. We should train, so we're ready for whatever it is we might have to face."
"I agree," Ken said with a determined smile with Koromaru barking in support.
"All right," Akihiko said, standing up. "Let's break for tonight. Rest yourselves well… even if you can't sleep."
"Got it…" Yukari nodded.
"I hear ya…" Junpei pulled his cap down as he followed the senior out.
Ken and Koromaru were the next ones out the door, but Yukari remained in place as she looked over to the twins with a frown. "So what now?"
"Back to work as usual," Minato sighed as he stared at the massive amount of files he would have to sort through. "Hamuko, a hand?"
The brunette smirked at him as she grabbed a few binders. "Wow… All of this on top of the new block in Tartarus? You sure have your hands full, don't you, nii-san?"
"Are you kidding me?" her brother frowned. "You're helping me go through all this crap." He stifled a yawn. "Huh… some coffee sounds great right now though."
Hamuko flipped through a folder to preview what they would be reading but after the first few pages, her red eyes completely glossed over. "Yeah, this looks like a job for your special brew..."
Minato clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Damn, I don't think I have any of that roast left..."
The twins remained silent for a while before simultaneously straightening up and smiling at each other. "Café Chagall," they nodded before quickly abandoning their work.
Yukari smirked at the siblings as they immediately raced downstairs. "Well, good luck then," she called out after them.
The archer was about to leave too, but Fuuka called out to her. "Yukari-chan…"
"Hm?" Yukari turned towards the navigator in surprise as Fuuka handed her something. "What's this? A disc…?"
"Um…" Fuuka sheepishly smiled. "There were traces of a video on the Chairman's hard drive… Most of it was deleted, but I was able to restore some of it. I thought you might like to see it."
"Thanks, Fuuka…" Yukari smiled at her. "I'll watch it later."
"Uh-huh," the teal-haired junior nodded. "Make sure that you do!"
Yukari paused as she noticed the usually quiet girl's tone was uncharacteristically urgent. "O-okay, sure."
Before stopping by Café Chagall, Minato dragged Hamuko along with him into Escapade for another fortune telling. The brunette blinked at him and sighed. "Nii-san, do you really have time for this?"
"I just need to check something," the older twin stated with a nod. "Who knows? This might just help somehow. Besides," he frowned back at her, "do you really want to hurry back to the dorm and look through Ikutsuki's shit?"
"I suppose not," the brunette smirked at her brother as he dragged her across the club's dance floor.
"Welcome back," the Den Mother smiled at the twins, "masters of light and shadow."
"Masters?" Minato blinked in surprise. "Not bearers?"
"It seems as though a change has occurred within you," the woman told him. "Would you like to hear your fortune?"
"Yes, please," the boy bowed his head.
"Very well…" the woman nodded as smoke shrouded the ball. "Under the fat crescent moon… A feeble light at the hollow tower…" The twins saw the observatory. "A gunshot rings out, shattering my vision into a thousand pieces…" The entire image cracked like a broken mirror and the Den Mother frowned. "I am sorry… I can see no further… But I can say this…" The woman looked up at the siblings. "The shadow yet remains…"
Hamuko knit her eyebrows together as she saw the silhouette of a boy standing in the darkness in the orb. At first she mistook it for her brother before the boy slightly turned his head towards her, his long trailing scarf fluttering in the wind. The orb soon cleared and the girl blinked at what she saw. "The shadow yet remains?"
"How interesting…" Minato muttered. After taking a few minutes to let the fortune sink in, he bowed to the fortune teller and smiled. "Thank you for your time."
"Farewell, then…" the woman smiled at them. "May your future be bright…"
Hamuko followed her brother out of the nightclub and frowned at him. "Nii-san… What do you think she means by 'the shadow yet remains'? Is there another Shadow we need to face?"
"Probably," her brother shrugged. "I had suspicions of a thirteenth Shadow…" He remembered what Ikutsuki had said about the Fall. "Death the almighty…"
The brunette blinked at that. "Do you think something is going to happen?" She looked up at the mall's skylight and glanced at the waning moon. "The next full moon… Another operation?"
"Who knows?" Minato frowned. "But Akihiko-san is right. We have to keep fighting." He knit his eyebrows together as he felt Thanatos stir within their shared sea of souls. What I don't understand is that Death is supposed to form from the combination of those twelve Shadows. We defeated them so why…? He opened the door into the café for his sister and frowned. And our memories… They still haven't returned despite the Reapers being completely gone. Just what is going on here?
As soon as Yukari returned to her room, she blankly stared at her posters. Mitsuru-senpai… She frowned as she could relate to what the older girl was going through. It's just like when Dad died… The archer absently stared at the disk Fuuka had given to her. Curious, the brunette pulled out her laptop and put the disc in. "So it's just a normal DVD?" She watched as the computer loaded the contents. "All right, let's see what's on here…" A video player suddenly popped up on her screen. "Oh, there we go."
The video began playing and people screamed in the background. Yukari's eyes widened as her father appeared on the screen. "I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…" the man said with a frown.
"That video!?" Yukari quickly sat up.
"My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea," Eiichiro shook his head. "This experiment should have never even been conceived… That's why I had to interrupt it. However, in doing so, I set free a number of Shadows that are certain to torment future generations." A pained expression appeared on his face, but he continued. "But if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price… Please, listen carefully…" He seriously looked into the camera. "I cannot stress this enough… You must not hunt the Shadows that have dispersed!"
"Huh…?" Yukari knit her eyebrows together. "This part's…"
"I wasn't able to stop this madness…" Eiichiro shook his head. "He won't listen, no matter what I say… He's under the devil's spell… Now, the Shadows are trying to eat one another… But if they're reunited, then we are all doomed! I'll say this once more… Leave the Shadows be!"
"This is the original video…" Yukari pieced together, "before Ikutsuki changed it. Dad tried to stop the experiment…"
"There's not much hope for me now," the scientist sadly said. "I have just one favor to ask… Whoever finds this… Please… Give my daughter Yukari this message…" The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "I know I promised I'd be home soon… and I'm sorry to break that promise… but, I want you to know…" He put on the biggest smile he could. "Daddy was the happiest man on earth when he was with you."
"Dad…" Yukari could feel tears welling up in her eyes.
"I love you, Yukari," Eiichiro said with a nod. "Please take care of yourself…" An explosion sounded as the video suddenly cut off.
"Dad!?" Yukari grabbed the screen. "Daddy!" The brunette fell over her laptop and began sobbing. "I know one thing for sure now… I was right to believe in him." She eventually managed to stop her tears and lifted her head. "Are you listening, Dad? I'm doing okay. It took a while, but I finally got your message." She closed her eyes as Io emerged before her, turning into a new Persona.
"Thou art I, and I am thou," the Persona introduced itself to her. "From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. I am Isis, mother of Egypt." Isis returned into the archer. "Whenever you have doubt, please know that I will forever be at your side."
Yukari nodded as she smiled at Isis within her. "I'll fight for what I believe in… That's what you would have wanted… Right, Dad?"
Hamuko's opened her eyes and noticed she was in the Velvet Room. She immediately looked to her right and spotted her brother sleeping in his seat. "Nii-san?" she called out.
Minato stirred slightly and blinked when he realized he wasn't in his room. "Huh? The Velvet Room again?" He straightened up as Igor appeared before them.
The long-nosed man gave them both a reassuring smile. "Welcome," he greeted his guests. "As I'm sure you are aware, you are currently in a dream." The twins looked at each other and relaxed. "Now, then… There has been a change in you recently. Have you noticed?"
"A change?" Hamuko repeated in confusion.
Igor chuckled at them. "I am not referring to your change in circumstances. I am referring to the change in your mentalities. That is why I have summoned you here tonight. Going forward, there is one thing you mustn't forget." He swiped his hand over the table and two folders appeared. With another wave of his hand, it opened, revealing their signatures of their original contracts. Minato calmly stared at it before focusing his gaze on the Velvet Room resident. "I see you recognize it…" Igor stated in satisfaction. "Shall I remind you of your commitments? 'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will'. There is no need to worry… Whichever path you choose, I shall respect your decisions. However, only you will bear the responsibility for your actions… no matter what end they may bring about. Please remember that."
Hamuko and Minato exchanged nods before speaking at once. "We understand."
Satisfied with their answer, Igor waved his hand again, causing their contracts to disappear. "Well then, I bid you farewell."
~6 NOVEMBER 2009~
Junpei wore a smirk as he let himself into the hospital room. "Yo, Chidori." He slightly faltered when the redhead didn't look up as she usually did whenever he came in. Crap… Is she upset that it's been a while since my last visit? "Sorry 'bout not being able to come lately…" he lowered his head. "A lot's been going on lately." Chidori didn't respond, but she did stop drawing. "Hey, what's wrong?" Junpei stood at her side. "So, you heard about Takaya and Jin, huh?" he frowned as he noticed the scribbled out doodles of Strega on various napkins strewn over the untouched food. "I was planning on telling you… They were your friends, after all." Chidori shook her head at him. "What, that's not it?"
"I'm scared," Chidori said, placing her hands on her chest. "It hurts. Junpei…" she looked up at the capped boy. "What will you be doing in two years…?"
"Two years?" Junpei tilted his head to the side. "I dunno. I really haven't thought about it… Why do you ask?" He stared at her for a while before noticing her arms weren't covered in bandages today. "Hey, um… I noticed you stopped…" He lowered his gaze. "Y'know, hurting yourself."
"Oh…" Chidori looked down at her hands. "I guess…"
The boy quickly took her hand into his. "That's good. I mean, you have such beautiful hands…" he said with a soft smile.
The girl's eyes widened as she quickly pulled her hand away. "Don't touch me!"
"Oh, sorry," Junpei was a bit surprised by her reaction but he respected her wishes so kept his hands to himself. "I didn't mean to…"
"This is too painful," Chidori told him, turning her head away from him. "It used to be fun when you came to visit…" Her fingers curled as she stared at them. "But… it's different now."
"Huh!?" The junior didn't understand.
"It hurts inside…" The girl began gasping for air. "I can't breathe… I…" She shook her head before screaming. "I can't take this anymore!"
"Wh-whaddya mean!?" Junpei asked. "I don't understand!" He desperately tried to get her to talk to him. "Did I do something wrong? Tell me what it is!"
"Junpei…" Chidori refused to look at him. "Don't come here anymore!"
"But…" the capped boy felt his heart shatter. "Chidori…"
"Just go!" The girl shouted.
The tall junior backed away from her and hung his head. He still didn't budge but he was forced to when he saw Chidori reaching for the 'call' button for a nurse. "Chidori… Why…?" He left the room and closed the door behind him. Not wanting anyone to see his expression, the boy tugged his cap down over his eyes to cover his face. Chidori, is something wrong?
"Hey, Junpei," Minato noticed the junior sitting on the second floor by himself as he was returning to his room. "Is everything alright?"
"Huh?" The capped boy looked over towards the blue-haired boy. "Yeah… I'm fine…"
"You don't sound fine," Minato frowned at him. He looked around and decided to approach the taller junior. "Anything I can do to help?"
"N-nah, it's nothing," Junpei shook his head as he blankly stared at his half-empty can of Mad Bull.
The SEES leader crossed his arms as he studied Junpei's demeanor. Let's see… Junpei was okay in class. After school, he… The boy's blue eyes widened as he went out on a limb and guessed what was bothering his friend. "Girl problems?" Minato asked.
The boy looked up at him in surprise. "W-what? H-how did you…?" He wryly smirked to himself as he should have known better than to hide things from the junior investigator. "Yeah…" Junpei nodded. "I went to visit Chidori at the hospital today but she said she didn't want to see me anymore."
"Did she give a reason why?" Minato asked as he put in a few coins into the vending machine.
"Not really…" Junpei shook his head. "She said that me being there was too painful for her or something."
Minato blinked at that and frowned. "She said that?" He took a seat and drank from the can of Cielo Mist.
Junpei pulled down his cap. "Did I hurt her or something?" He groaned as he tried to think back to his previous visits. "I don't remember doing anything wrong…"
"Hmm…" The blue-haired boy remembered the Reaper constantly standing at her side. The thin swordsman lowered his gaze. "She must be afraid…"
"What do you mean?" Junpei looked towards him.
"Try to consider what Chidori's feeling, Junpei. She's not like us… She's the same as Strega."
"Dude! She's not—"
"Junpei," the serious leader kept his gaze steady. "I don't mean that she's like Takaya and Jin. I'm only saying that her power is different from ours. It's not stable…" Minato sadly frowned. "She's afraid, but not for herself. It's for you, Junpei."
"W-what?" Junpei frowned down at himself. "For me?"
Minato nodded as a hand went up to fiddle with his special headphones. "I understand what you're feeling, Junpei, because I have someone really important to me too." The leader studied the special engravings Fuuka etched into the metal casing. "But I also get where Chidori is coming from… It's hard for people like us to get close to others because we never know if we'll end up hurting the people around us. That's why it's hard for her to be with you right now. It's easier to push others away and hurt ourselves than to risk the pain we might bring to those we genuinely care about."
The other boy's grey eyes widened as what his friend said made sense. Still, it only made him even more concerned about the hospitalized girl. "Chidori…"
The SEES leader studied the Magician's expression carefully before standing up. "You both look like you need some time," Minato stated with a sigh. "Personally, I don't think you should give up on her." The boy finished his drink and tossed the can into the recycling bin. "She's important to you after all."
"What if I'm afraid too?" Junpei asked. "It's easy for you considering you already have a girlfriend."
"That doesn't stop me from being terrified for her," Minato admitted as he put on his headphones. "Even so, I want to be brave. For her sake…" He smirked to himself as he returned to his room.
Junpei stared down the empty hallway and sighed. "Dude… I'm not like you…" He shook his head as he was having negative thoughts again.
"Junpei…" a voice from the stairwell made him jump.
"W-what?" The capped boy turned and noticed his best friend was frowning at him. "Oh… Hey, Hamuko."
"Guy talk with Minato?" she smirked.
"How much of that were you listening in on?" Junpei asked.
"Enough…" the brunette smiled as she stared at the door leading to Shinjiro's old bedroom. "He might be a complete dunce when it comes to relationships, but he's right, you know…"
"Oh, yeah?" the capped boy frowned. "You have anything to add?"
Hamuko paused for a moment to find the right words to say before smiling at her best friend. "I believe in you, Junpei! So don't give up!"
Junpei chuckled at that. "Thanks…"
~9 NOVEMBER 2009~
"So how's your relationship with Fuuka-chan going?" Hamuko asked her brother as they walked to school together.
"Where did that come from?" Minato asked her back.
"I'm curious," the brunette shrugged. "I heard you talking to Junpei a few nights ago… I didn't expect for you to actually support him, nii-san."
"To be honest with you," Minato frowned, "I didn't think I would either…" He stared at the street ahead of them and focused on the school's gate. "Chidori has a Reaper. It's the same as the one on Shinji-nii and the rest of Strega."
"From their suppression pills, right?" Hamuko sadly frowned as her brother nodded. "Do you really think you should be encouraging him then?"
"That's a hard question, Hamuko," the blue-haired boy sighed. "We can't stop the inevitable, but it wouldn't feel right for me to crush his spirit, especially when I completely get how he feels…" Minato looked down at his headphones. "If I had decided to leave SEES and still ended up falling in love with Fuuka… the two of you would have still gone after me, right?"
"Of course," the brunette smiled at him. "You're important to us after all." She looked down at her wristwatch. "I guess you did the right thing then."
Minato stared at her as she studied the pattern on the clock's face. "Do you miss him?"
"So much…" Hamuko's voice was quiet.
"I do too…" her brother sighed. "If there's anything I can do, just let me know. I feel guilty spending so much time with Fuuka when I know you might need me. And I owe it to you for pushing me in pursuing her. I'm your older brother and it's my job to keep you happy."
"Nii-san, you don't have to worry so much about me," the younger twin shook her head. "I want you to be happy too. I'm glad you have Fuuka-chan and it's not a matter of you picking her over me. I know you, Minato." She tried her best to give her brother her brightest smile. "Even though it hurts sometimes, Shinji-kun would want me to move on." Her grin slightly faltered when she realized it was a lot easier said than done. "He never said I couldn't take my time though so I intend to cherish his memory for as long as I can."
"And you complain that I'm dramatic," Minato rolled his eyes.
"You are!" Hamuko pouted. She paused as they finally reached the school gate. The atmosphere on the campus seemed different somehow. "Is something going on?"
The blue-haired boy looked around and frowned. "All of the girls seemed worked up over something," he pointed out as he could feel a headache coming on.
A girl they passed perked up as she spoke with her friend. "Hey, good news! Wanna hear it?" Her eyes glowed in excitement. "I know you do! I heard the boy who's transferring here today is a stud!"
"Really?" her friend looked at her dubiously. "Are you just messing with me?"
"No! I heard it from someone who saw him filling out the forms."
"Which class!?"
"11th grade, Classroom F."
"Oh…" the girl frowned as they were both seniors. "Well, that's disappointing. But I'll go check him out later!"
"Another transfer?" Minato tilted his head to the side. "And so late into the year too…"
"So we'll be getting a new classmate then," Hamuko shrugged. "I wonder what he's like…"
"Don't tell me you're going to go after him too," her brother blinked at her.
"No, I'm just curious," the brunette put her hands at her hips. "I'm still in mourning, remember?" she lightly joked. After a while she groaned. "Great… I'm picking up your dreadful sense of humor."
Minato chuckled. "That was pretty good actually…" He continued to laugh as Hamuko lightly punched his arm.
As they reached their homeroom, Hamuko noticed girls were lining up by the classroom door to get a glimpse at the mysterious new transfer student. She tried to squeeze her way past them but failed. Beside her, she sensed her brother's growing irritation.
"Hey, clear the doorway!" he sternly called out. "This is a fire hazard!" The crowd of girls tensed up but a path suddenly opened up for the twins. "Honestly, it's not fun having to write up so many citations so early in the day," Minato grumbled as he finally managed to make it into the classroom.
"Ah, knock it off, Hellhound," a girl frowned at him. "We want a glimpse of the hot new transfer joining our class." She smirked at the blue-haired boy. "Now that I think about it, you were a transfer too, right?" The Hellhound gave the girl a deadpan stare and she shook her head at him. "You know, you could have been popular too thanks to your looks, but your personality is kind of a bummer."
"Does it look like I care?" Minato frowned. He fondly played with his headphones as he smirked to himself. "You're all so noisy anyways…"
Their classmate gave Hamuko a sympathetic expression. "I'm sorry you're related to him, Hamuko-san."
Hamuko frowned at her as she defended her brother. "Nii-san's fine just the way he is." She smiled up at Minato who was staring at her in mild surprise. "If we weren't twins, I'd definitely go out with him," she teased as she pulled on his cheek.
"H-hamuko!" Minato pulled himself away from his sister as his face turned completely red. "Don't make jokes like that!" He sighed as the brunette continued to laugh at his expense. He smiled though when he noticed it managed to cheer her up, even if just a little.
Toriumi sighed before rounding everyone up. "Alright, everyone, settle down!" She glanced at the clock as the bell rang, signaling the start of class. The woman waited for everyone to take their seats before holding up a new file. "Today we have yet another transfer student. As you all know, this is the 3rd time this year. That makes it a hat trick." Hamuko grinned at the joke while the rest of the class groaned. Mildly disappointed her students didn't think it was funny, Toriumi shook her head at them before continuing. "Please introduce yourself," she called out to the young man coming into the room.
Hamuko cast her eyes towards the new student but paused when she noticed how blue his eyes were. The boy locked eyes with her, resulting in him putting on a small smile. The red-eyed girl quickly broke eye contact as her heart rapidly began to beat. Those eyes… I've seen them somewhere before…
The boy slowly sauntered to the front of the class, his long yellow scarf trailing behind him. He tilted his head to the side as he introduced himself to them. "My name is Ryoji Mochizuki," he smiled. "I would be grateful if you could show me the ropes." He scanned the classroom before focusing on Minato and Hamuko.
A girl near the back of the class giggled. "Hey, he's kinda cute," she whispered.
Her friend smiled. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Not so loud…" the first girl shushed her.
Ryoji's smirk grew as he never took his eyes off Hamuko. "Nice to meet you," he said, giving the class a short bow. Hamuko frowned as it seemed that he was mainly directing that towards her.
Minato noticed too and glanced at his sister sitting in the row behind him. Do you know him? He seemed to ask. He frowned at her in the way only an overprotective brother could. I think he's interested in you…
Hamuko blushed. So I admit he is a bit cute… She blinked a few times before casting her brother a stern glare. Hey! Don't take me for some generic schoolgirl!
I'm just looking out for you! Her brother glared back. He paused though as he decided he was jumping to conclusions. Minato focused his attention back on the files Toriumi had about the new boy.
"Ryoji lived overseas for a long time because of his parents' work, so he may not be used to all of our customs," the adult told the class. "Be sure to explain them to him."
Ryoji nodded in thanks. "I'd be grateful."
"Now then," she looked at the various desks, "you need a seat. Let's see…" She spotted the empty desk next to Minato. "That one's open. Second from the left, in the front."
Yukari raised her hand. "Um… Ms. Toriumi? Technically, that seat's taken…"
"You must be present to be a member of this class," the teacher shook her head, "so as far as I'm concerned, that seat is available. Life is nothing but a game of musical chairs. The rest of you should be careful, too."
Ryoji inwardly chuckled at his interesting new teacher as he approached his assigned seat. He smiled at Hamuko, who was to be sitting directly behind him. Next to the brunette, Aigis glared at him. Ryoji paused and noticed her hostile gaze. "Good morning," he greeted her with a nod. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name…"
Aigis tensed up. "You are dangerous."
Minato and Hamuko turned towards the disguised robot in surprise. Minato tilted his head to the side in confusion as he studied Ryoji for a bit. He didn't notice anything amiss though so simply frowned to himself. Well… I can't even see Reapers anymore… but he seems completely normal to me. His eyes are a bit familiar though…
Ryoji also tilted his head to the side as he frowned at Aigis. "Dangerous? I haven't even asked you out on a date yet…"
Oh, wow… he's a huge flirt, Hamuko thought with a smirk. Nii-san will definitely not like him…
"A date…?" Aigis looked at the new student in confusion.
Behind the robot, Yukari leaned forward. "Aigis, what's wrong with you?"
Ryoji shook his head as he cheerfully laughed. "Rejected from the start. You're an interesting girl…"
Yukari sighed as the new student was just as simple-minded as someone else she knew. That's just great… Another Junpei to deal with.
Beside her, the capped boy frowned as he noticed the archer frowning at him. "W-what?"
"Nothing…" the brunette rolled her eyes.
Toriumi gave Aigis a sympathetic nod. "Your teacher understands, Aigis… You haven't had very long to be the 'new student', and already you have to share the spotlight." The woman sighed as she returned to the podium. "I wish your classmates would pay attention to me for a change…" She snapped at the back half of the class as they began chattering about Ryoji. "Hey, are any of you even listening?"
Hamuko stared at the back of Ryoji's head before frowning to herself. That's strange… From behind, he looks a bit like nii-san. She looked over towards her brother and blinked at how similar they appeared. The red-eyed girl paused as she remembered his blue eyes looking straight into her soul.
"Heeeey, Hamuko!" Junpei waved both his arms in the air to catch her attention. "C'mere, over here!"
Hamuko noticed her best friend was standing with Ryoji at the back of the classroom. "What's the matter?" she asked them.
"You know the new transfer student, right?" Junpei pointed at Ryoji. "Has he been introduced to you yet?" She shook her head and the capped boy nodded to the black-haired boy. "Anyways, this is Hamuko."
"Hello," Ryoji slightly bowed to her.
"She transferred here earlier this year with her brother Minato," Junpei explained. "You know, the guy you sit next to?"
"Oh… I see." Ryoji tilted his head to the side as the twins looked nothing alike. "I'm Ryoji Mochizuki. Nice to meet you." He gave her a small smile.
"Nice to meet you, too," Hamuko smiled back. She made the mistake of looking into his blue eyes and became entranced by them. He has the same eyes as nii-san… She found that she couldn't look away as the boy stared back at her. This is the first time we've met… but why is it that he feels so familiar?
Junpei noticed his new friend was quiet. "Hey, what's wrong?" He waved his hand in front of Ryoji's face. "What're you gaping at?"
"Huh?" Ryoji blinked.
Hamuko shook herself out of her daze too. "Um… Is something wrong?" she asked him.
"Oh, um…" The new boy shook his head. "I just got the strangest feeling when I looked at Hamuko-chan…" He lowered his gaze as his eyes filled with sadness, longing, and confusion. "It's like… I don't know… nostalgia?" He glanced back towards Hamuko. "Have we met before?"
"Huh?" Hamuko blinked at him in surprise. So he thinks so too?
Junpei laughed. "Wow, that's one of the oldest pickup lines in the book!"
"Th-that's not how I meant it…" Ryoji said with a frown.
Hamuko quickly shook her head. "N-no… don't worry about it. I… was thinking the same thing. It's weird though. I don't think we've met before," she said with a frown of her own. "Ryoji Mochizuki, right?"
"That's right, but please call me Ryoji-kun, Hamuko-chan," Ryoji boldly told her. He offered out his hand to the brunette. "Anyway, I hope we'll get along."
Hamuko took it and paused as the Fortune Arcana flashed in her mind. "Me too."
Both teens smiled at each other as Ryoji nodded his head at her. "I get the feeling that we'll become good friends," he continued. "I'm looking forward to chatting with you more."
"I look forward to that too—"
Aigis suddenly appeared and pulled Hamuko away from the boy. "You are a threat!" the robot frowned at the transfer student.
"Ai-chan!?" Hamuko stared at the android in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"Ryoji-san," the blonde ignored the co-leader as she stood between them, "Please stay away from Hamuko-san!"
Ryoji tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Oh, um, Aigis-san," he smiled as he took a step towards the blonde girl. "Would it be all right if I stood closer to you, then?"
"Absolutely not!" the robot glared at him.
"Yikes…" Junpei backed away from them. "What's all this about…?"
Hamuko sighed as she didn't really get it either.
~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~
Ryoji smoothly took the blushing girl's hand and bowed. "You're very much like a beautiful delicate flower… Might we go out for dinner sometime?" he asked her.
Fuuka quickly pulled her hand back before he could press it against his lips. "S-sorry, but… Who are you?"
"Oh, that's right!" Ryoji stood up. "How rude of me! I'm Ryoji Mochizuki from Class 2-F. And you are?"
"Fuuka!" Minato finally came out of his classroom and called out towards her. "Sorry to make you wait…" he paused as he noticed Ryoji present. "Hm?"
"Minato-kun!" Fuuka looked at her boyfriend in worry as both boys stared at each other silently. "U-um…" She looked between the two before suddenly slapping Ryoji.
"Fuuka?" Minato blinked at her. "Why did you…?"
Ryoji easily laughed it off. "Ah… I see… My apologies, Fuuka-san. I didn't know you already had a boyfriend."
"Huh!?" The blue-haired boy stared at him.
"Such a cute girl too," the transfer student sighed. He quickly cheered himself up though as he smiled to his friend. "Oh well. There's always next time."
A first year student walked past them and waved towards Minato. "Hello, Senpai."
Minato nodded to her in acknowledgement. "Chihiro…"
"Ah! Another cute one!" Ryoji quickly approached the younger girl and took her hand. "Hello," he said with a charming smile. "I'm Ryoji of Class 2-F. A beautiful angel such as yourself deserves to be treated to dinner…"
Chihiro let out a squeak before slapping the boy. "O-oh, um… I-I'm sorry!" she cried before running away.
Minato shook his head and sighed. "Why do I feel that you're going to be problematic to be around?"
Ryoji rubbed his cheek and cheerfully laughed as he dismissed his classmate's words. "My, this school is filled with so many pretty girls…" He noticed Yukari leaving the classroom and started towards the brunette. "Ah! Yukari-chan! Please wait!"
As his new classmate and seating partner ran off, Minato looked over at Fuuka in concern. "He didn't give you any trouble, did he?"
"No… but… when I saw you, I felt the urge to slap him…" They watched as Yukari shot Ryoji's advances down and slapped the boy across the face. Fuuka wore a nervous smile as she looked up at her wondeful boyfriend. "You don't have to worry though, Minato-kun! You're the only one I could ever go out with," she reassured him.
"Hrm," the blue-haired boy smiled as he leaned his face forward so that their foreheads were touching. "I wasn't worried." He wore a smirk as his eyes glowed mischievously. "You're my precious little wind flower after all…"
"Eep!" Fuuka suddenly slapped him.
The boy put a hand on where she had hit him. "Sorry… I was being too aggressive, wasn't I?"
"N-no… it's not that…" The girl placed a hand on his face and soothingly rubbed his red cheek. "I didn't mind what you said, but we're at school, Minato-kun…" she blushed at him.
The blue-haired junior quickly straightened up. "Right… Um…" He quickly grabbed her hand. "Let's just get going Photography Club… Afterwards, as an apology, we can grab dinner together."
"I'm okay with it being a date, Minato-kun…" Fuuka giggled at him. Her smile only grew as she noticed his ears turning red too.
Final Notes: And the game becomes fun again with Ryoji being introduced. So in line with my original plans, I was gonna have Hamuko pissed off at Minato, Aigis, and by extension the team, and Ryoji would have been the one to help repair their relationship. I like the way I actually did it better. It's finally time for me to not focus on Minato as much! So expect a lot of Hamuko and Ryoji shenanigans. Of course, that also means grief for both Minato and Aigis, but oh well!