Author's Notes: Still kinda sick... Oh, but it's one week left until the release of Pokemon Sun and Moon. I'm getting Moon since I usually get the version whose mascot has more of a type advantage over the other. Plus, it's a moon bat! I can't wait to pick out Rowlet and go on an adventure! Hopefully, Decidueye can learn Fly though... I think its Grass/Ghost typing is pretty cool, but the main draw of me picking Rowlet was the fact that it was an owl. My absolute favorite Pokemon is Charizard and one the main reasons is because I love having a starter than can fly...
~27 NOVEMBER 2009~
For next week, the entire dorm committed themselves to the Career Experience program at the high school. The menial work helped to distract them from Chidori's tragedy, but nobody really knew how to help Junpei. The only person who could attempt to try was Hamuko as she understood his pain the best, but even she couldn't get through to her best friend.
"This isn't the same as what happened with Shinjiro-san," Junpei sighed.
"No, but she wouldn't want you moping around, Junpei," Hamuko frowned at him. "I know it hurts… but she loved you…"
"Shinjiro-san loved you too," the capped boy glumly stated. "If they loved us so much, why did they leave us behind?" He didn't even give her a chance to answer as he locked himself away in his room, determined to skip as much of Career Experience as possible.
On the last day though, Hamuko noticed Junpei returning to the dorm alone. She was about to chase after him, but Ryoji urgently invited her out for coffee.
"I'm sorry to call you over without warning," Ryoji began as they took a seat in the café. "Am I interrupting anything important?"
"I'm all right," Hamuko reassured him. "But I can't say the same about Junpei…"
"I see…" the boy sighed. He frowned as he wondered what was wrong with their friend. "I was in the same group as Junpei-kun, but he never showed up at the beginning. He only came on one of the days because the teacher said that he had to… Something seemed really strange about him, though…" His blue eyes shone in worry as he looked up at the girl. "I'd talk to him, but he didn't seem like he was listening at all. He looked like he was about to cry… Did something happen?"
"He lost someone precious…" Hamuko frowned.
"Oh," Ryoji frowned and lowered his head. He was silent for a moment before he shook his head. "People… die," he plainly stated, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "I think that's something you just have to accept." He clenched his fists. "Do you think I'm being too cold?"
"A little," the brunette answered as the boy sadly hung his head. "It's true… but it doesn't stop the pain, Ryoji-kun…"
Ryoji nodded in understanding. "Junpei-kun is someone I care about. That's why I'm worried. I've never seen him this way before… I wonder… if there's anything I can do."
"I'm worried too," the red-eyed girl sighed. "Everyone is… I'm sure we all want to help, but… like you said… People die…" Hamuko clenched her fists.
The boy shook his head at her words. "I don't like hearing you say those words either…" He paused as he had another strange sense of déjà vu. "Huh? 'People die…' I have a feeling like I've heard that somewhere. Wait… Was it something I said before?" Hamuko studied his pained expression. "I think it was to someone very precious to me too…" The two were quiet as they finished their coffee.
~28 NOVEMBER 2009~
Mitsuru called the entire dorm together once they returned from the day's activities. Everybody except Junpei was gathered around the table as she considered what to do with the sketchbook before her. She glanced up when she saw Junpei enter the room. "Iori…"
Akihiko studied the capped boy and stood up. "Cheer up, Junpei…"
"Yeah…" the junior didn't lift his head.
"Junpei," Hamuko pulled on her best friend's arm. "Come over here… We're having a meeting. We can't start without you."
"So, whaddya want?" Junpei asked as he took a seat.
Mitsuru slid the sketchbook towards him. "This came for you," she told him. "It's from the hospital."
"That's…" His eyes widened. "Is this… Chidori's sketchbook?"
"They were going through her items when they found that," the redhead nodded to him.
"Oh… Um…" Junpei gingerly picked it up. "I know I have to snap out of this," he said as he felt the urge to cry, "but it's just so hard…"
"Hang in there, Junpei," Minato sympathetically watched his friend.
"I know how you feel…" Hamuko placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. Junpei lowered his head as he ran his hand over Chidori's last possession.
Yukari frowned as her classmate just stared at the sketchbook. "Hey, Junpei," she began, "can I take a look?"
The boy handed it over to her since it really didn't make a difference if anyone looked through it. "You wouldn't be able to understand her drawings anyways…" he frowned.
The archer opened up the cover and her eyes widened at the first picture she saw. "Wait, is this…?"
Fuuka stood at her side and smiled. "Wow, it's really good..."
Yukari shook her head before looking back at Junpei. "This is amazing… Who wouldn't be able to understand it?"
Junpei knit his eyebrows together as both girls pushed the sketchbook back towards him. He took a closer look at the picture and was surprised at what he saw. "Huh? Is this…!?"
Aigis nodded. "It's a detailed portrait of Junpei-san."
He fervently began flipping through the pages and Yukari smiled at each picture. "The next page… and the next… Every page is devoted to Junpei…"
Hamuko noticed her best friend beginning to shake as he put his head down on the picture. "Junpei!" she worriedly rubbed his back.
"Chidori…" the capped junior began to sob.
"Junpei…" Akihiko frowned as Ken and Koromaru stood at Junpei's side to help cheer him up. Koromaru whimpered and Junpei placed a hand on the dog's head before standing up.
"It's like she's telling me to stop moping around…" Junpei wryly smiled.
Fuuka nodded. "She must be looking out for you…"
"That's right," Minato nodded. "She loved you, Junpei. Her life is yours now and you can't waste it." Koromaru barked in agreement.
Junpei stared at the blue-haired boy for a while before standing up and approaching him. "Hey… Minato…" He put his hand out. "I promise to fight to get rid of the Dark Hour. I'm usually just lookin' out for number one. So it's been hard for me sometimes to accept that you're our leader, but…" he faltered at bit. You were the one who pushed to keep going after her…
"Junpei…" Minato stared at him in mild surprise.
"I'm sorry for all the times I snapped at you…" Junpei told him. "It still bothers me a little… But, I want you to know… that I'm counting on your abilities. I got nothin' but faith in your skills."
The blue-haired boy studied Junpei's face and saw that the junior stared back at him expectantly. Minato put on a small smile before taking Junpei's hand and shaking it. "I'm counting on you, too," he said, "Junpei."
"Glad to hear it." The capped boy smiled. "Let's keep on rocking together… Leader."
Yukari watched the two boys smirk to each other. "Junpei…"
Hamuko glanced at everyone and noticed their smiles. A few had tears in their eyes but it wasn't as though she could tease them. She wiped up her own face before flashing her brother a smile as he nodded to her. They were still a team and no matter what they faced, they'd do it together.
~29 NOVEMBER 2009~
Hamuko answered her phone. "Hello?"
The girl almost mistook the caller for her brother. "Hello, this is Ryoji Mochizuki. This is Hamuko-chan, right?"
"Oh, Ryoji-kun! Sorry… You sounded like someone else," Hamuko frowned to herself. "Um… Never mind that. Did you need something?"
"Do you have some time to spare?" he asked.
She glanced at her calendar and watch. "It's okay."
The boy let out a sigh of relief. "Why don't we go out somewhere? The weather's great."
"Sure," Hamuko smiled.
"That's great!" Ryoji's voice brightened. "Just thinking about seeing you makes me happy. I'll head over immediately."
Ryoji arrived rather quickly and although Hamuko had no idea where they were headed, she was surprised when she found themselves in front of the school gates. She smirked as they climbed over and quietly made their way to the rooftop. The brunette laughed as they enjoyed the view of the city.
"I wonder if we'll get in trouble if someone finds us," Ryoji mused as he looked around the desolate school grounds.
"We'll just have to not be seen," Hamuko smirked. "Although even if we do get caught, I can probably convince Mitsuru-senpai to bail us out," she giggled.
Ryoji laughed at that. "I see. You're an interesting person." The two stared at the cityscape in silence for a while before the charming boy stepped closer to the brunette's side. A sad frown made its way to his face as he felt the urge to voice a fear he had. "When I'm alone… I don't feel right. I think… I'm scared." He hid his expression behind his scarf. "The fact that tomorrow will come… scares me…" He shook his head. "But I can't figure out why…" He urgently turned towards Hamuko. "Hey… I-I… I'm…"
"You're Ryoji," Hamuko calmly stared into his blue eyes and gave him a reassuring smile. She gently took his hand in hers and saw him visibly relax.
"Hearing my name from your lips makes it sound so wonderful…" he softly said as he held her hand. "Thank you." He gave her a warm smile before sadly looking at her. "I… don't want to lose you. Because you're important to me…" His eyes shifted to the side, away from her. "That's probably why I'm scared. You're… the only one there is for me. The only one I want… So please, stay with me."
Hamuko felt her heart skip a few beats but she didn't quite understand why. "Ryoji-kun…" She hesitated a bit but noticed she shared his feelings. "Okay," she told him as she hugged him.
"Hamuko-chan…" Ryoji was a bit surprised by her embrace but he wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah… Thanks." He buried his face into her shoulder before whispering into her ear. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me… More precious than my own life."
Hamuko blushed at that as he happily laughed. She paused as this feeling felt strangely familiar. This isn't how I felt when I was with Shinji-kun… It's similar but… Ryoji-kun is a bit like someone else I love… But who…? Minato? She was pulled out of her thoughts when Ryoji let her go and pointed out towards the glittering water.
"Hamuko-chan, look," he happily smiled at her. "The ocean's glimmering." He paused and frowned to himself. "Why does it hurt when I see things that are so beautiful…? It's so strange…"
No… He's not Minato… He's Ryoji… Ryoji Mochizuki… Hamuko leaned against him so that the sensitive junior would be distracted from his fears. But why is that I feel like I'm with my brother…?
~30 NOVEMBER 2009~
Minato and Hamuko stared at the crystal ball as Den Mother began to speak. "The answer and the secret to life are passed on, one life to the next…" Junpei's and Chidori's silhouettes appeared before Chidori faded into Junpei. "Two lights now pierce through the shadow…" The lone boy cast two shadows, one resembling Hermes while the other looked like Medea. "The hour draws near…" The woman looked up at the twins as the visions began to fade away. "How do you fare…?" She smiled at the two as she could sense their resolve.
"The hour draws near," Minato repeated with a frown.
Hamuko noticed her brother's pensive expression and quickly gave the fortune teller a nod. "Thanks for your time," she said, standing up. She lightly pulled on Minato's arm and he followed after her.
"Farewell, then…" the woman waved to them. "May your futures be bright…"
On their way back to the dorm, the brunette eyed her older twin in concern. "Nii-san? Have you been sleeping well lately?" She pointed at the dark rings under his eyes. "You seem tired."
"My insomnia's back," he muttered as he rubbed his tired eyes.
"Really?" Hamuko stared at him. "Do you need me to stay in your room to watch after you? Or maybe you can ask a doctor for some sleeping pills…"
The blue-haired boy shook his head. "Falling asleep isn't hard… It's the staying asleep part that's giving me trouble," he told her. "I've been having nightmares lately… Ever since what happened to Chidori…"
"What are they about?" she asked him.
"It depends…" he scowled. "But most of the time, it's of a Shadow that kind of resembles Thanatos tearing everyone but us apart." The older brother couldn't help but tremble. "There's so much blood and screaming… Even when I wake up, the sensations persist…" He began to hyperventilate.
"Nii-san!" Hamuko reached out towards her brother and firmly held onto his arm. It's been a while since he was this vulnerable, but for some reason, there was something about the boy that wasn't himself and it scared Hamuko to see him this way. "I'm right here, Minato. You're fine. Everyone is safe." The boy clenched his teeth together. "Look at me, Minato." Her older brother slowly raised his head towards her. She took a deep breath before trying to calm him. "It's just a nightmare… Nothing bad will happen. The Reapers are gone and I know you'll find a way to end the Dark Hour. Everybody believes in you and your abilities. I believe in you."
The blue-eyed boy blinked as he managed to calm down. "Thanks, sis… I needed that." He frowned as he considered something else. "You know… I don't really feel like myself…" He placed a hand over his heart. "It's like without the Reapers, a part of me is missing. Am I still me?"
"You're Minato," his younger sister reassuringly told him. She paused as she remembered having to do the same with Ryoji. Why is it that it's getting more difficult to tell them apart? "You're my twin brother…" she softly told him with a smile.
He stopped walking. "Hamuko?"
"What?" She paused as she continued to stare at him.
"Do you remember our conversation from before? How you said you'd date me if we weren't twins?"
"Yeah," Hamuko nodded, "but that was just a silly conversation we were having."
"It's not silly," Minato frowned, "if I feel the same way…"
"Nii-san?" The red-eyed girl blinked at him in surprise.
"I'm sorry…" he sighed. "We're twins. We've always been twins… The love between us could never amount to anything more than that, but it hurts, Hamuko…" He placed a hand over his heart. "I know I also have Fuuka and I love her so much… But… I don't feel this pain around her… So why is it that I'm only worried about you…?" Minato clenched his fists. "This feels wrong…"
"Nii-san…" Hamuko gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay… I understand. You're the most important guy in my life after all, even if I'm not the most important girl in your life."
"Hamuko…?" Minato stared at her with wide blue eyes.
The brunette wryly smiled. "This doesn't change anything between us. We were both born together and that's miracle enough, isn't it?"
"A miracle?" her brother smirked at that. "I guess that makes it a little better." He blinked as he didn't think Hamuko could come up with that on her own. "So who gave you an idea like that?"
"Ryoji-kun," Hamuko blushed. "He's a lot like you, but less problematic. He's also a bit of a romantic."
"Huh…" Minato frowned.
"Nii-san, you said you'd accept anyone I go out with," she sternly reminded him.
"I know, I know," he rolled his eyes. "I just didn't think he'd be your type." He crossed his arms. "Actually, do you even have a type?"
The brunette ended up laughing. "I guess I'm attracted to lonely guys…" she said, shaking her head. "Shinji-kun, Ryoji-kun, and you… You're all so kind… but very lonely… I could never leave you alone…"
"So I had nothing to worry about after all," Minato sighed to himself. "I entrust you to Ryoji then." He made a face. "That's weird to say…"
"It's only because you have attachment and abandonment issues," Hamuko dryly quipped.
"I guess that's what makes me so problematic," he shrugged. "Given our history, it's not like I can help it…"
"Well, you should at least try," Hamuko pouted. "Fuuka-chan loves you too. You shouldn't make her worry so much."
"Problematic or not, she'd worry about me anyways," Minato smirked. "And I am trying! It's just…" he chuckled, "old habits die hard…"
"I noticed," she sighed as they finally arrived back at the dorm. As she opened the door, she paused when she heard a laugh come from inside that resembled her brother's. "Ryoji-kun?"
Fuuka smiled at the twins as they came inside. "Oh, welcome back."
"Hey, Fuuka," Minato nodded to her with a smile. "What's going on?" He looked around the lounge to see Ryoji getting up from the dining table.
"You're late," his girlfriend giggled to the blue-haired junior. "Ryoji-kun was just leaving."
Junpei waved goodbye to the raven-haired boy. "See ya later, Ryoji! And hey," he winked, "stop freaking out about your exams. I didn't study either."
Yukari sighed and shook her head at the simpleton. "But then again, you never do…"
Minato laughed and Hamuko paused as she thought it came from Ryoji. She turned towards her brother to see him smirking at the juniors in the dining area. Minato shrugged at the junior coming towards him. "I'm sure you'll do better than Junpei, Ryoji."
Finally noticing that Minato returned, Ryoji smiled back at him. "Oh, hi. What's up? Studying?"
Minato shrugged. "I just got back."
"You know," Ryoji tilted his head to the side, "I'm here a lot, but I hardly ever run into you. Strange, huh?"
"Not really," Minato replied. "You know how I have a bunch of extracurriculars."
"Oh, that's right," the blue-eyed boy nodded. "Oh well, I'm outta here. See ya later." As he passed the older twin, the scarf-wearing boy brightened as he saw his friend's younger sister in the lounge. "Hamuko-chan!" He politely bowed to her as if she were a princess. "Welcome back. Shame you weren't here," he frowned as he got back up. "I was hoping I'd be able to see you."
Startled from her comparison of her brother and friend, Hamuko blinked at Ryoji. "O-oh… Um… Sorry. I was out with my brother," she absently pointed at Minato.
"Yeah…" Ryoji gently smiled at her in understanding. "I'm sorry, but I gotta get going…" He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'll come see you again."
"Well, don't keep me waiting for too long," Hamuko laughed, causing Minato to sigh. She paused when Ryoji whispered into her ear as he walked past her.
"Could I go to your room next time?" he asked. "I'll be looking forward to it…"
Hamuko felt her face grow warm at the unexpected question as the boy finally left. Fuuka stared at her worriedly and approached her. "Hamuko-chan…" the teal-haired girl placed a hand on her friend's forehead. "Your face looks a little flushed…"
Minato straightened up at that. "Are you feeling sick?"
"N-no, I'm fine," she smiled at the two.
Minato studied her face for a while longer before he sensed someone staring at them. He turned towards the stairs. "Aigis, you can come down," he called out.
The blonde robot nodded as she came down the hall. "Was that Ryoji-san?" she asked the others.
Yukari nodded. "Yeah, he said he was going home."
"What was he doing here?" the mechanical maiden stared at them in confusion.
"He's been coming here a lot," the archer shrugged, "ever since he started hanging around with Junpei."
"But," the blonde frowned, "visitors aren't allowed here…"
"Yeah," Junpei shrugged, "but Mitsuru-senpai said that it's okay during the day."
"I don't think we need to worry about Ryoji-kun," Fuuka told the robot.
Aigis tensed up at that. "He's… dangerous…" she frowned as she stared at Minato and Hamuko.
"Who?" Fuuka gave the robot a confused look. "Ryoji-kun?"
"Come to think of it," Yukari crossed her arms, "he WAS hitting on Mitsuru-senpai the first time he met her."
"But," the teal-haired girl frowned, "having him around has really cheered up Junpei-kun." She glanced at the capped junior in concern.
Junpei shrugged. "Well, it's not like moping around's gonna bring her back…" he said, pulling down his cap.
"That's true…" Aigis lowered her gaze.
"Hm…?" Junpei looked over to the blonde. "What's the matter, Ai-chan?"
"I envy you, Junpei-san…" the robot told him. "I'm a machine, so I cannot understand how it feels to 'live'."
"But, you don't seem that different," the junior blinked at her.
She shook her head. "However, it is more accurate to say that I am 'functioning' as opposed to living. There are times when I malfunction, but I can always be repaired…"
"Like when Ikutsuki high-jacked you…" Hamuko murmured, "and ordered you to attack us…"
Aigis shot her head up towards the brunette and frowned. "Yes…"
Junpei shook his head. "So if we were all like you… we wouldn't have to worry about dying…" He paused as everyone turned to look at him. "Uh, sorry…" He frowned to himself. "Hey, I don't have time to talk. I seriously gotta go study…" He looked up at the others. "Hey, shouldn't you guys be studying too? I heard math's gonna be a killer."
"You wait until NOW to tell us that!?" Yukari groaned. "Well, I guess we should call it a night then…"
Minato watched as Yukari, Fuuka, and Junpei went upstairs. He looked back at his sister and saw her shrugging at him. The two decided to go too, but Aigis began absently speaking to herself. "I should not possess the gift of 'life'…" she dejectedly stated. "A 'living' weapon is difficult to operate… However, I believe I understand the concept of loss…" She looked up at the twins. "Hamuko-san… Minato-san… Should you ever be harmed, I…"
Hamuko shook her head. "Don't worry about us."
"I'll try not to," Aigis nodded with a frown.
Minato studied the robot's expression. "Aigis… I think you're overanalyzing things," he told her.
"I'm sorry," the blonde turned to him. "I'm just… concerned."
"Aigis?" the blue-haired boy frowned at her as she turned away from them to face the stairs.
"You both are very special to me… I do not know why, but I always want to be by your sides… I want to protect you… I apologize for interrupting you… I will leave you to your studies. Good night."
"Aigis!" the twins called out to her but the robot didn't respond, prompting the siblings to look at each other in concern.
Once she was in the privacy of her own room, Aigis blankly stared at her charging station. "Ryoji Mochizuki is dangerous… What is this uneasiness…?" She frowned to herself. "I am a machine… I cannot die, so they won't have to grieve for me. I must do something…" She clenched her fists as she remembered what she had almost done to the twins on top of the observatory. "I don't want them to suffer anymore…"
Mitsuru sat in the dormitory command room, alone. She stared at her cell phone with a troubled look on her face. After a minute of further deliberation, she sighed before dialing a number. She stood up as the dull tone of the phone rang in her ear. The redhead straightened her posture as the recipient on the other line picked up. "Hello? It's me. I'm sorry for calling so late." She frowned as she made sure she kept her voice level and professional. "As for what to do with the new arrival…" she took a deep breath. "I would like to ask… that you perform a full autopsy. If we find any distinguishing features, we may be able to locate her family, and…" She faltered a bit. "I can't shake my suspicion that the Kirijo Group is tied to Strega in some way. Because of this…" she clenched her fist, "I think it would be disrespectful to the deceased to cover up her death… I will, of course take full responsibility—" she was cut off as the other caller interrupted her and told her some startling news. "Huh…? What did you say?"
Mitsuru blinked as she had absently wandered to the window. She stared out at the dimly lit streets as the entirety of the current situation was explained to her.
"Transmogrified!?" the redhead exclaimed in surprise. "Y-you mean the corpse—!?" She paused as the other party continued. "But judging by the postmortem, we were certain she was…" She knit her eyebrows together. "Understood," she finally stated with a nod. A question was asked and Mitsuru hesitated a bit before coming up with an answer. "I'm sorry, but this must be kept strictly confidential until we know more. If there are any other changes…" She nodded. "Yes, absolutely. Well then…" She ended the call and let out a heavy sigh as she took a seat to mull things over. "What's going on…?"
She blankly stared at her phone as she considered the unusual change. The news had certainly been shocking and it didn't make any sense, but for some reason, the Student Council President found herself wearing a small smile. As lost as SEES was, perhaps a bit of hope was necessary to keep going. She'd keep this bit of information private for now as it was too soon to jump to conclusions, but when the time properly presented itself, she'd tell the others.
"We'll just have to wait and see what happens for now…" she told herself with crossed arms.
~1 DECEMBER 2009~
Hamuko nervously opened the door to her bedroom. "Well," she invited Ryoji in, "this is my room. Other than my brother, you're the first boy to ever come inside," she shakily laughed.
Ryoji curiously glanced around her room and studied every corner of it. "I think this is…" he frowned to himself in confusion, "my first time."
"Really?" Hamuko oddly looked at him as she didn't quite understand what he meant.
"Huh? Isn't it?" he turned towards her as she closed the door behind her. "I mean," he lowered his gaze, "I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've been in your room…" He stared at the pink calendar and stared at the markings she made to notify when there would be a full moon. "It just feels familiar for some reason…" he told her. "I wonder if it's just something that I've dreamed about. Or if I wanted to see it so much that it came to me in a vision…"
"Smooth line, Romeo," Hamuko smirked at him.
"Ha…" Ryoji smiled at her. "I'm being serious." He merrily laughed. "I think that I did come to see you," he nodded. "Probably to become friends with you…" He paused. "Ha… But I got it all wrong."
"Got what wrong?" the red-eyed girl asked him.
"I think what we have is different from just being friends," he seriously looked into her eyes. "I think of people like Junpei-kun and Yukari-san as your friends too, right?" He shook his head. "But I can't imagine thinking of them in the same way I see you…" He smiled at her as he took a step closer to her. "You have such a kind heart… You shouldn't give so much of yourself to me. I'll…" he lowered his gaze, "probably make you sad. It's just a feeling I get… Even though you're so precious to me…"
"Really?" Hamuko frowned. "You know… Shinji-kun was the same way…" She glanced over at Pyro Shinji sitting on her bed. "He loved me so much that it hurt for him to be with me because he knew he didn't have long. I selfishly pursued him though… because I loved him too." She wryly laughed. "Are you telling me that loving you is like loving Shinji?"
"Yes… I care about you a lot, but I know I'm going to hurt you in the end… I'm being so selfish with you…" Ryoji longingly stared at her. "So much that it's probably wrong of me to feel this way…" He hesitated a bit. "It's like… a forbidden love." His voice trembled as his body began to shake in heart-rending sorrow. "Hamuko-chan… Please touch me… Make sure that I exist. Feel for yourself that I'm actually here."
Hamuko gingerly held his hand. "Ryoji-kun… You are here…"
Ryoji tried to smile as his blue eyes gleamed. "Your hand is so warm…" he noticed. "It brings tears to my eyes…" He tried to wipe them away. "Why is that? Please, tell me…" He shook his head. "It's painful deep inside…"
Hamuko hugged him as they spent the afternoon together. By the time evening rolled around, Ryoji decided it would be best to leave so that he wouldn't get her in trouble for having him over so late. The brunette quietly saw him off at the intersection as she wondered why the two of them found it so painful to be together despite how they felt towards each other.
~B*O*N*U*S~S*C*E*N*E~
Minato flinched as a large group of girls squealed in the cramped hallway. Ah, jeez. So noisy… He looked around for Akihiko or Ryoji, but didn't notice either popular boy around. The hell!?
"Ryoji-kun!" A girl ran towards the blue-haired boy but paused when she realized it was just Minato. "Aw…" She turned back towards the crowd. "It's just the Hellhound!"
"Well, yeah…" Minato growled. "How can you mistake me for him?"
"Such a grump…" another girl muttered from the mob.
"No wonder he can't get a girlfriend…"
"I'm surprised he's even friends with Ryoji-kun and Akihiko-senpai!"
The blue-eyed boy could feel his patience wearing thin. "If you don't clear the halls, I'm going to have to write up citations," he threatened them. "This is a fire hazard…" They all scattered and Minato let out a sigh of relief when the incessant chattering disappeared with them. "Finally… some quiet…"
He returned to his classroom and spotted Mitsuru inside. The senior put on a satisfied smile as she called out towards Ryoji. "Yuki! There you are!"
Ryoji blinked as he turned towards the beautiful redhead. "Mitsuru-san! Have you come here to reconsider my offer for a date?"
"Mochizuki?" Mitsuru blinked as she realized her mistake. "Um… No…" she frowned. "I was looking for…"
"Senpai, I'm right here," Minato sighed.
"Oh, there you are!" Mitsuru looked between both juniors. "How could I have mistaken the two of you?"
"It happens a lot," Ryoji chuckled. "You'd be surprised. Just the other day, I thought Fuuka-san was asking me out to dinner."
"What!?" Minato turned to his friend in alarm.
"I accepted but she slapped me when she realized I wasn't Minato-kun," Ryoji frowned. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought up that restaurant around Shirakawa Boulevard…"
"You…!?" The Hellhound was about to strangle his friend, but Mitsuru sharply pulled on his jacket.
She sighed as she didn't have time for this. "Let's get going, Yuki. There's a problem with the PA system again. You can deal with your relationship with Yamagishi later."
"W-wait! What!?"
"What is it?" Mitsuru looked at the blue-haired boy in confusion. "It's common knowledge in the dorm that you and Yamagishi are seeing each other. That is true, correct?"
"Y-yes…"
"So long as you don't do anything unscrupulous in the dormitory, it should be fine," the senior nodded.
"J-just what is that supposed to mean!?"
"You know what she means, Minato-kun," Ryoji smiled. "You're lucky to get to live with such beautiful girls…" He paused as he considered the other residents of the dorm. "Junpei-kun and Akihiko-san are lucky too… For Akihiko-san, it must be a dream come true to be able to bask in Mitsuru-san's beauty every day and night…"
"Mochizuki, I recommend you leave before another Execution is imminent…" Mitsuru sternly told him.
"Senpai?" Minato looked up at the redhead in confusion. "Are you and Akihiko-san…?"
"Just get going to the Announcement Room," the senior scolded the Hellhound.
"Y-yes, ma'am!" Minato shook off the cold chill running down his spine before disappearing from the classroom.
Final Notes: I'm pretty sure Hamuko and Ryoji's relationship would be a lot less complicated if Minato were dead... Because really... She fell in love with a person who is kinda technically also her brother... Maybe I'm overthinking it and this isn't complicated at all... Maybe this all just happened because Hamuko and Minato are kinda messed up in the head and this was the only way they could fulfill a deeply subconscious wish they had in the dark recesses of their perturbed minds. Either way, I kinda feel bad for setting up Hamuko's love life so poorly. She won't ever be able to catch a break... And here I thought Minato was the one suffering more in life... Sorry, Hamuko... You're so strong...