"Oh, I hate math..." Kako said unhappily, looking at how much work we had to do. Mr. Kaneshiro looked at us.
"Can you answer my question, Kako?" Mr. Kaneshiro asked, annoyed.
"Um...what was the question?" Kako whispered to me. I'm good at math while she isn't.
"Number 6 on the rotation worksheet." I whispered back.
"Good...the one thing I can do...thanks." She cleared her throat. "Um, the answer is that x is y, then x is the opposite of y."
"Good." Mr. Kaneshiro said, a bit annoyed. "That's all for the easy review."
"And I thought the easy review was hard..." She sighed in disappointment.
"You need a tutor." I laughed.
We talked more about tutors. I mentioned that Souji tutored for a part-time job once.
"That ends math for today..." Mr. Kaneshiro said, walking out of the room as Ms. Hayashi entered.
"Who wants to go first? Duets are allowed." Ms. Hayashi asked.
Kako raised her hand boldly. I don't know how she can sing in front of people. "Duet or solo?" she asked.
"Solo!" She shouted.
"What song?"
"Signs of love!" she answered.
She turned on the music, and she sang beautifully."Signs of love overshadowed by dreams, baby, don't worry cause you ain't alone. All the time, running days without nights, tears pass through. He said I'm the one who has got to leave, I said nobody's really got to leave. I don't hear an explanation, all I need is admiration. Frustration. Life we gave a shot. I didn't work, honey cause, we had a whole lot going on and on and on. Signs of love, overshadowed by dreams, baby, don't worry cause you ain't alone. All the time running days without nights, tears pass through. Every time look at the picture in the frame, gaze in fascination so hard. You still think it is nothing but love, rain still falls." I was thinking of Minato the whole time.
Mitsuru told me we were going to Tartarus today. I managed to get to the dorm before Kako even though I walked with Minato. I greeted her as she entered.
"Oh, yeah. We have to go to Tartarus," I remembered. "I'll get Minato!" I ran upstairs and got him.
"Okay, we'll go as soon as everyone is here." he said.
"Cool..." I stared at him.
"Oka..." he said. "Wanna see a movie? We have a long time before midnight..." He whispered in my ear and I giggled. "Sure." I whispered back.
At a movie theater...
"So...I actually wanted to tell you...I feel different around you...I always want to hang out and talk to you. When we hold hands, I never want to let go...I never felt this way, not even with Yukari...I...I love you." Minato said, tears in his eyes. His eyes still sparkled beautifully.
"A-are you crying?" I asked blushing from his words.
"I never noticed...I was staring at you, admiring your beauty..." I blushed looking down.
"Minato...I love you, too..." I replied looking up at him.
Minato was silent for a moment, then I broke the silence, "Actually, about that...I kinda wanted to talk to you..."
"Go ahead." He replied calmly.
"How long will this last?"
"What last?"
"Nyx...us...Tartarus?"
"Who knows?"
"When I saw you go to Tartarus, I worried about you...what if I return to the dorm without you?" I felt a tear fall from my eye.
"Oka..." Minato looked at my eyes.
"Yes?"
"Now you're crying..." Minato said, wiping a tear from my cheek. "I feel the same way...but I know I can...no, will...protect you."
"Minato...I'll prote-"
He quickly grabbed part of my face so I wasn't looking down and leaned in quickly. My eyes were open in shock. He backed away slowly and my face was red. He smiled. We both leaned in this time and I felt sparks. When we stopped we were both smiling.
"You know...this was my first kiss..." He stated.
"Mine, too..." I blushed.
"So...how did I do?"
"Sparks flew, Minato...amazing sparks..."
"I love you..." he said.
"I love you, too..." We headed back to the dorm and Minato walked upstairs.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" I shouted to Kako. "Minato kissed me!"
"Aww, cool. I knew he wanted to. It was so obvious." Really? He's so calm all the time it's hard to tell what he's thinking about. But that doesn't matter! He kissed me! I skipped around happily.
"Hey, Oka." Minato saw me skipping and I stopped immediantly. He's still calm.
"Hi, Minato!" I jumped into his arms and kissed him until we heard footsteps.
"Let's go to Tartarus. Everyone's here now," Minato said after Mitsuru and Akihiko came downstairs.
We eventually got to Tartarus, where I heard a voice that was loud enough just to hear.
"Nanako?" Ken whispered.
"Huh?" Akihiko asked him.
"N-nothing." He looked away.
"Ken...? What...?" the voice said again, Its starting to creep me out. If something flies across the room I'm running.
"Nanako?" he whispered again.
"L-let's go...I'm getting freaked out." Yukari said more scared than I was.
"Crybaby!" Junpei shouted.
"Stupei!" she shouted back.
We ventured into Tartarus, the voice following us. Ken looked funny every time he heard the voice. Really worried.
"Big bro...Ken..." the voice whispered.
Ken looked back. Nothing was there. He was so worried.
"Okay, let's train." I said as Minato took us into a place called Monad. I was regaining my courage. We looked for shadows to kill. Then, a shadow came toward us. It made a weird noise and attacked us.
Minato commanded Kako to cast Morning Star, because it was her most effective almighty attack. She nodded.
"Helel!" Sje shouted, pulling the trigge on the evoker. An angel-like figure attacked with a bright flash of light. Two enemies died.
"Wow, two enemies. Good job!" Fuuka encouraged.
"Jack Frost!" I shouted, pulling the trigger of her evoker. I was completely focused and cast Bufudyne.
"No more enemies! Good job!" encouraged Rise.
Eventually, we leveled up to 99, then we got an emergency call from Rise and Fuuka.
"In Tartarus...block six..." Fuuka said.
"A little girl! Nanako! Save her! She's on the 208th floor!" Rise shouted. "Hurry!"
Everyone ran to the teleporter, Ken up in front, running.
"Nanako!" he shouted, running to the body laying on the floor.
"Nanako!" shouted Teddie, running with Ken.
"Please...wake up Nanako...please...I...I..." Ken sobbed. "Nanako...I knew she was here...I couldn't protect her..." he said, a faint whisper.
"Nanako, please wake up!" Teddie said.
"We've gotta take her to the hospital!" Ken shouted. "Hurry!"
"It may be midnight, but I believe I can arrange for an ambulance." Mitsuru said.
"Good..." Ken said, grasping Nanako's hand. "Let's go."