CHAPTER 17 / Malice

February 20th, 2010

Dear Yukari,

We had quite a day today. Right after school we headed straight to the movies. Although, I slept through about a quarter of it, much to your dismay. You didn't seem bothered by it considering I was asleep on your shoulder the whole time. You also held my hand the entire length of the movie. I wish my energy level was what it used to be, but it gets harder and harder each day to not just head back home and to bed. I know I don't have time for that. And that in reality there is no reason for me to bother getting that rest. There is no way for me to ever have enough.

After the movie we went to Hakakure and shared an extra-large bowl of ramen together. We got some strange looks eating from the same bowl, and then there was a couple times when we would fight over eating the same noodle. We laughed more today then I think maybe we ever had before. Maybe I'm wrong but its days like today that I cherish the most.

After eating we wasted even more time in the strip mall. We went to the sweet shop and got a wide variety of different snacks. I still think you had a little too much but I know you take good care of your body, but it's still too much fun to tease you. I don't think I could ever grow tired of it.

The final destination was here in the dorm. My room. As a matter of fact you're sound asleep on my bed as I write this. You're so beautiful, Yukari. It makes my heart feel at ease just to be around you. Like nothing matters in the world but just the two of us. And for a brief moment of time I can forget about the fact that I'm leaving you behind. I know I constantly repeat myself in this journal. But knowing that one day you will be reading this, I can't help but want to make sure you know just how much I loved you.

It was you that made me realize I had a reason to move forward. That there was a reason for me to live on. And now it reaffirms to me that the decision I made was the correct one.

Love Always,
Arisato Minato

October 7th, 2009 / After School

"So did you get everything you wanted?" Minato asked as he juggled the three bags in his hands. After taking time to try on clothes and model for him, she had picked out a few things to buy. Then she had gotten some new makeup and various other things. Minato had bought a pink robe for her to have for at night since it was getting colder all the time and the heat in the dorm wasn't functioning at full capacity. He'd mentioned it to his senpai but the technician wasn't going to be by the dorm for a few more days.

"I got a lot more than I wanted actually," she giggled. She looked at him with a smile, "You sure you got those?"

"I'm a guy, isn't it my job to be part pack mule?" he couldn't help but smile and the two of them laughed.

"Alright, I've had my fun. Is there something you want to do, Minato?" Yukari definitely seemed to be enjoying herself today. Minato was glad about this. After Shinjiro's death no one wanted to say or do anything. So Minato was giving them all a break from Tartarus for a while. Neither Minato or Yukari had really known Shinjiro but they had fought next to him in Tartarus, and the bond they had made with their senpai was no less important to them than anyone else in SEES.

"How about some Karaoke? It's been some time since I got to hear you sing," Minato grinned.

"Well we could do that, but you have to sing at least two duets with me," she stepped towards him and gave him the smile that he loved so much. Something about it just put his heart at ease.

"How about three, but I get to pick the first song?" he gave her a wink.

"Alright, deal," Yukari grabbed his shirt, since both his hands were being used and started dragging him along.

"Mommy. Where are you?" a voice entered Minato's ear and he immediately sought out its source. "Mommy!"

Yukari stopped and looked back at Minato. He merely smiled and the two of them walked over to the lost child.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you lost?" Yukari offered a gentle smile to the young boy as she knelt down next to him.

"Mommy told me to wait here," the kid was speaking between sobs. "And…and…she gave me money, but…she's not coming back."

Minato frowned, his own experience had immediately made his mind jump to the worst possible situation. That his parent had abandoned him. He had to shake this off as he knelt down next to the kid too. "Don't worry, kid. We'll help you find your mother."

He sniffed and looked to Minato, "Really?"

"Yep, we'll stay with you," Minato gave him the best smile he could.

"Why don't we go over here to the police station and get some help? I'm sure we'll find your Mom in no time," Yukari added.

"O-okay," the kid said. Yukari offered her hand to the kid and he willingly took it. Standing back up we walked on either side of the child and walked into the police station

Officer Kurosawa was standing there and saw the small child. "How can I help you today?"

"It seems we got a little boy, who can't find his Mother," Minato said.

"What your name?" Kurosawa looked at the little boy. The young boy looked hesitant and looked up at Yukari then Minato.

"You have nothing to worry about," Yukari said in a soothing tone.

"We'll be right here the whole time," Minato added.

"Wanate Yuuto," he said to the officer.

Before long they had gotten the boy to calm down significantly and gotten in contact with his Mother when he gave the officer her cell phone number. Only about ten minutes later, a frantic woman came running in and automatically engulfing the boy in a hug. Then her gears changed and got stern. "I told you to go play in the arcade while I got my hair cut. You should have just stayed there."

"But, Mom…I…" The boy looked up at her Mother. Minato knew the look that Yuuto was making.

"You wanted to say with your Mom, didn't you?" Minato said softly. The woman looked to Minato then back to her son, Yuuto.

The boy nodded his head.

"I just didn't want you to be bored Yuuto…I knew it might take a little time and…" but the look on Yuuto's face made her stop. "Next time I'll ask what you want to do. Okay, Yuuto?"

The boy nodded with a smile on his face and took his mother's hand as she got back to her feet. She turned to Minato and Yukari. "Thank you. Both of you for helping my son. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused the two of you."

"It was our pleasure," Yukari smiled.

"You have a good boy, full of heart. You should be very proud," Minato added.

"I am," the woman smiled and then left the police station with her son.

"Thank you for your help, Officer Kurosawa-san" Minato said to the police officer.

He laughed, "Shouldn't I be thanking you two? I wish there was more couples like the two of you. Then maybe this town would be a little bit safer to be in."

"Thank you. Have a good day, Kurosawa-san," Minato bid the officer farewell and led Yukari out of the police station and back into the mall.

"I'm glad we were able to contact his Mother after all. But what was she thinking leaving him alone like that?" Yukari shook her head suddenly irritated.

Minato had to agree with her though. Regardless of a reason she had done so…it didn't mean that she had made the right choice. And obviously she hadn't considering what had transpired. "Relax, Yukari." He said soothingly.

"I know. But I know what it's like. My Mother is really no different," Yukari sighed heavily.

"What do you mean? I rarely ever hear you talk about your Mother," Minato said, his mind just now making the connection. She lived in the dorm because she was part of SEES but it didn't feel to him that had lived a parent beforehand either.

"You really want to know?" she asked glancing over to him.

"Of course," Minato quickly answered. "Shouldn't I want to know everything about you?"

"I should hope so," Yukari said as the two of them sat down on one of the benches. "Well my Mom and I haven't been on good terms since my Father died. She hasn't exactly been my Mother, as she should be, ever since then."

"I'm guessing there is a story behind that statement," Minato could see the pain on Yukari's face. This wasn't an easy topic to talk about. And maybe it was just what had happened with the little boy that had prompted her need to tell him about it.

"There is. We had just got done moving to Kyoto at the time. That was when we learned what happened to my Dad. We got blamed for what happened. My Dad was more or less a scapegoat for the Kirijo Group. My Mom totally changed. She started bringing new guys home all the time. So I moved out, instead moving into the elementary dorms, and I think she even started living with some guy. But honestly I'd rather not know about it," Yukari's voice reflected her disgust with her mother. Minato already could understand what was going on.

Yukari's Mother had not dealt with the death of her husband well. So in an attempt to drown out the sorrow and pain she felt she gave in to satisfying her more primal needs. With that she was given momentarily a release form her current world a place to escape to. Minato figured that even seeing Yukari had become a painful memory of the man she had loved no longer being in the world. But Minato wasn't sure if he could view things the same way if he was in that position. But Minato at the very least could see the appeal in drowning out your sorrow with the most basic of pleasures.

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Yukari let out a long sigh. "You're the only one I've ever told this to."

Minato weighed his options for a long moment. Pursuing the topic wasn't a good option. Yukari had already decided that there was nothing more to say on it. It was a sensitive subject, and even as her boyfriend he wasn't sure if his words would reach her when her opinion was so clear to him. She thought her Mom was a hopeless cause. She thought that her Mother had forsaken her feelings for her Father. Minato knew that she was sadly mistaken. That her Mother had let out her frustration with the only venue she thought she had available to her.

Yukari and her Mother were both suffering to this day over the loss of her Father. And both were still dealing with it. Even if they weren't aware of it. Minato wanted to help mend that relationship if he could. Looking at Yukari he gave her a soothing smile and made a decision. He knew he couldn't be forceful. Instead he would take it slow. He had to give her the confidence she needed to face that part of her life. He felt the familiar indication that the social link with Yukari had improved. That wasn't important though...if she never faced her Mother...Yukari would never get over her Father's death as a result.

"So, you want to grab some dinner before going back to the dorm. I doubt you're in the mood for karaoke," Minato gracefully switched the topics and Yukari seemed to lose some tension with the change of subjects.

"Yeah, sure. You pick," Yukari gave him a small smile.

He knew this look; she wanted him to take control. It was an easy way for her to not have to think about the topic they had just been on. Minato didn't mind, if only for a little bit he could spoil her and make her forget about all the painful things in their lives then it was more than worth it. But Minato couldn't forget.

They had lost a valuable ally and someone that Minato felt might have grown to be a friend. But now he would never have the chance to know the man known as Aragaki Shinjiro. But he made a promise to Shinjiro. That he would find a way to save them all. So that no one else would die. One way or another he would find a way.

March 14th, 2011 / Daytime

Yukari pushed the journal away from her for a moment and looked over at Hamuko. Hamuko was holding Kokoro in her arms and had a smile that made Yukari automatically compare it to Minato's. At first glance it might seem that Hamuko was a polar opposite of Minato. She smiled quite often and overall held a cheerful disposition. Minato barely ever smiled when she first met him and seemingly kept an indifferent attitude towards most things. Except there were some striking similarities in personality.

Both their demeanors were nothing more than fronts they used to keep people at arm's length. Each had a troubled past and no real memory of a time they could say they were happy. Minato played aloof and unsociable as a means to keep people away. Hamuko instead smiled and laughed seeming no different than any normal girl, but her wall was seemingly more intricately fabricated than Minato's was. While Minato kept people away from him, Hamuko had hid in the crowd. However, there was an aspect that neither of them could ever be capable of hiding. And that was their capacity to love.

Maybe it was because of the events that had happened to them. But Yukari felt that she was right. The twins had been scared of getting close to anything because their lives had been so uncertain. When they had finally been given something they could believe in and trust. More than that, people they were friends with and truly were there for them. Both siblings loved wholeheartedly and in a more pure way than Yukari could possibly imagine. Hamuko had Akira and Sayane and seemed to be the only emotional support she had in her life. It was also why she had prioritized their safety far above her own. Risking her life and diving right into danger to go and rescue them. Yukari could compare it right away to Minato...and his reckless actions he did whenever someone was in danger.

"It sounds like my brother wanted to make sure he didn't do anything wrong with you," Hamuko said looking at Yukari. "He must have loved you a lot."

"Apparently I was his first and only girlfriend," Yukari shook her head. It had always been a strange thought to her...but Minato had focused on keeping people away before Iwatodai. But after his death she had seen many of them visit his hospital room...each one giving a wish that he would wake up. Minato had been her boyfriend...but he hadn't been kidding when he said he had a lot of friends that were girls. He probably just didn't realize most of them were completely in love with him. "I don't know how, he was plenty popular in his own right. I know several girls that wanted to be his girlfriend. But he…"

"That shouldn't surprise you," Hamuko stated simply diverting her attention between Kokoro and Yukari.

"No I guess it shouldn't," Yukari giggled. But her thoughts became grim almost a moment after saying it. "I was too worried about my own problems to even notice him. It took something stupid for me to realize my own feelings for him. And I even threw myself at him that night in Yakushima. He knew I was trying to avoid my own feelings, so I wanted him to save me. I wanted him to make me forget about everything at that time. And if it had been any other guy they would have…"

"But Onii-chan isn't just any other guy, right?" Hamuko smiled. "He was always taking your thoughts and feelings into consideration. And he knew that on the night of Yakushima wasn't something you really wanted."

"Well I wouldn't say I didn't want it," Yukari mused with a grin. "I would have regretted it maybe if it was anyone else other than Minato. But looking back I know I was already in love with your brother at that point. I was overwhelmed when he put his arms around me. It was so comforting…a feeling that I'll never forget. For a few brief moments I felt safe. I hadn't felt that way in so long...so I became afraid." Yukari pulled the journal to her chest and hugged it close, "I didn't want to lose that. And so I thought that kissing him was the right thing to do. I could keep him with me…so I could feel that safety. I wanted so much to drag him to my room that night and fall asleep in his arms. It was all I could think about that night."

"You panicked," Hamuko said simply. "I can understand that."

"I was so childish, and selfish," Yukari hung her head. "But he was always there when I needed him. Even if he was mad at me."

"He got mad at you?" Hamuko seemed interested.

"He had every right to be," Yukari said resting the journal back in her lap and opened it to the next entry.

October 17th, 2009 / After School

"So how'd you do on the Exam?" Minato asked walking next to Yukari. The two of them were holding hands and walking off the train onto Iwatodai Station. After a few days of straight testing, it was nice to finally be done with it. And Minato was definitely looking for a chance to relax with his girlfriend.

"I think I did okay, how about you?" Yukari redirected his question.

"I feel good about it. I'm pretty sure I can get close to the top this time," Minato smiled. He'd done pretty good his first time too but the curriculum was slightly different than his last school, so it took him a bit longer to adjust. He definitely felt a top score was in his future for this exam. And he had more time to study since SEES hadn't been as pro-active in going to Tartarus. Not that he blamed any of them. Shinjiro's death still lingered in all of their minds.

"Maybe you should get a reward," Yukari bit her bottom lip which caused Minato to raise an eyebrow.

"That sounds awfully tempting," Minato was never sure what to do when Yukari got into one of these moods, which seemed to be an ongoing thing over the last couple weeks. She had kissed him numerous times when she thought she could get away with it. It wasn't like he didn't mind it, he enjoyed the part of Yukari that craved him in such a manner. But he also realized that each time Yukari was pushing for more and more, and a few times Minato had felt saved by a sudden text message from his phone or even Yukari's herself. But it didn't feel right to him, something about her sudden need for physical contact had something else to it.

Just the other day Yukari had gotten a call from her Mother. A topic that still sat in the "don't approach zone". Yukari claimed she would never be as weak as her Mother and that running away to forget your problems was the worst thing you could do. Except Minato realized that it was exactly what Yukari was doing. Yukari had never dated anyone before, which was honestly the most surprising thing he had learned about her. Considering her popularity he didn't expect her to be so new to relationships. But he knew the reason without having to be told based on what he heard about her Mother.

In her attempts to not be like her Mother, she avoided relationships like it was some sort of disease that could corrupt her. And maybe she was right. Any other guy in his position would have taken advantage of Yukari's current desires and slept with her. Minato, however, almost felt insulted. No he felt like he was nothing more than an object at those times. And he hated it. Because when she had that look in her eyes it felt like she was looking right through him and no longer seeing him.

"Want to go somewhere since we're free from finals?" Yukari asked, still giving him a look like she wanted to drag him off and kiss him. Well at least it was the look that Minato had recently associated with that action.

Not wanting to go to a place where she might turn it into a prolonged make out session he thought for a moment, "How about Bookworms?" he finally said.

"Going to a bookstore is kinda lame. Let's go somewhere else," Yukari frowned.

"Hey now, I happen to love reading, thank you very much," Minato sighed. She really was looking for someplace she could be alone with him. He had to wager that she would want to go to Karaoke or something where they could have privacy. Although he wanted to unwind with Yukari after the exams, staying perpetually lip locked wasn't actually that high of a priority for him. It wasn't that he didn't like kissing her, quite the opposite. Except he felt that sometimes she lost herself too much into it and often times he felt like he was just the venue for her to forget about her own problems. Even though she claimed to hate people that did that.

"Well, let me see how much money I have," Yukari stopped and reached for her pocket but then her eyes got big for a moment. "Wait, my wallet. Did I drop it?"

"You had it when we got on the monorail. I saw you pull your ticket out from it," Minato started to think if anything had happened if she had dropped it. But he certainly remembered her putting it back in her pocket.

Yukari said something to herself but Minato couldn't hear her. She then looked over to Minato, "Sorry, I'm going to go back and look around. It'll just take a minute so why don't you wait here?"

"You sure? I don't mind going back…"

"I'll be fine, so don't come after me. I'll be right back," Yukari was gone, running back towards the station.

Minato sighed and took a seat on a nearby bench. "She picks the stupidest things to be stubborn about." He looked around and saw a few people looking at him. Probably because they had heard a portion of the conversation the two of them had. Then he remembered something. As they were getting off the monorail a guy had bumped into her...but a common tactic of a thief was to...This had Minato on his feet. No wonder Yukari wanted to go alone. He shook his head and ran off in the direction she had gone. "Dammit Yukari. These are the parts you're supposed to ask for my help on."

He found her easy enough, but she was cornered by two guys, including the one that had bumped into her earlier.

"What the hell did you say?" One of the guys stepped forward to intimidate her but Yukari just glared back. "You better keep your mouth shut, bitch."

"Settle down, we can have some fun with this one. What do you say?" the other one grinned.

Minato was already behind them, "I'd say it be the last mistake you'd ever make."

"What the…" the punk turned and was met with a right hook from Minato and sent to the ground and grabbing his face.

"Who the fuck are you?" the other said. Minato glared over at him.

"So you're the one who took my girlfriends wallet. You get one chance to return it and then you and your friend can walk away," Minato said as he saw the one he hit getting back to his feet.

"Fuck you," the punk spat.

Minato took a step and the punk had no time to react as he was kicked hard in the abdomen. Lurching over, his friend tried to take advantage of it and punch Minato but he simply side stepped and delivered a powerful punch to the guys gut. The two guys on the ground, Minato reached down and forcefully took back Yukari's wallet which he had noticed was in the guy's hoodie pocket.

"Now get the hell out of here before I report you to the police," Minato's voice came out as a growl and the two guys didn't need to be told twice and ran off. "Tch."

All the experience from fighting Shadows had definitely made him tougher, although he was honestly pretty tough and capable based on just his experience with Kendo. That didn't mean he liked situations like this where he was forced to use it for one reason or another. And he looked over at Yukari who approached him with her eyes casted downward.

"Thanks," Yukari said softly. However that quickly changed and it caught Minato off guard. "Why did you come after me? Didn't I say to wait? Do you think it's funny? I could have gotten my wallet on my own. I didn't need your help!"

Minato wasn't an idiot; he saw how bad she was shaking. But all it did was serve to piss him off. "Excuse me?" he stepped towards her with an air of hostility he had never shown towards her before. But he was irritated partly because of the adrenaline and because of Yukari's stubbornness that for whatever damn reason she was exhibiting right now. "I came here because I know that your wallet was stolen from you. Is there something wrong with me coming to help you? Or would you rather have taken your chances on being raped instead?"

"You don't know that! I could have handled them just fine! You're not the only one who can defend themselves," Yukari screamed back, but she was trembling worse than before.

"I'm your goddamned boyfriend, Yukari! What makes you think I want to let you face shit like that alone? Don't you even understand how worried I was? Do my feelings even mean a goddamn thing to you? Or am I just a fucking tool to make yourself feel better?" Minato turned away and felt his temper at a level it had never been at before. He needed to leave.

"Why the hell do you even care what happens to me?" Yukari spat back.

"Because I love you, damn it," Minato yelled angrily. Yukari said nothing after that. "I'm heading to the dorm."

Minato walked off without looking back. His temper still flaring even after he arrived at the dormitory, so he went to the one place he felt he could think. The roof. Stepping outside he sat along the wall by the door and looked up into the sky. "Damn it."

March 14th, 2011 / Daytime

"It was also the first time he said he loved me," Yukari closed her eyes for a moment remembering all the emotions she felt at the time. "But he was right. Not once did I consider how he felt. I was only thinking of myself. I had this stupid idea in my head. I wanted to be self-sufficient so I wanted to take care of any problems I had by myself."

"Except he thought you were blocking him out," Hamuko shook her head. "You really had no experience with relationships huh?"

"Hey now," Yukari laughed. "But you're right. I thought I had to be strong and independent for him. If I could handle my own problems he would never have to worry. Turns out it was just the opposite. Because of me I ruined what should have been a good memory for us. Up to that point I had no idea he felt so strongly for me. And up to that point I hadn't even thought of my own feelings for him. The truth of it was even harder for me to face."

Hamuko was holding Kokoro still, the baby girl fast asleep in her aunt's arms. It seemed Hamuko already knew what Yukari was talking about. "You were using him."

Yukari nodded those self-loathing feelings she had then crept up into her heart. "I wanted someone to pamper me, to make me feel good. Someone I could escape to, but I was contradicting myself. I said I hated people that ran from their problems, but that was exactly what I was doing. I used Minato to hide from the truth about my own heart. The real truth is that I had been no better than my Mom. Minato was mad at me…because I was lying to myself. I was lying to him. And he knew it."

"So what happened after that?" Hamuko asked her voice softer than before.

"We fought, a lot. And Minato he yelled at me. He forced me to look at what I was doing to myself. And how I was hurting the both of us," Yukari wiped a tear away. "I can never forget the way he looked when he yelled at me. I was so terrified. This guy, who I was still not sure how I felt about him, had never displayed this much emotion in anything before then. He told me how easy it could have been for him to walk away from me. To give up on me. It scared me so much I started crying, more than I think I had in a long time. The thought that I could have driven him away that far. That I could lose the one person in the world that cared about me…that loved me. I was devastated."

"But he never gave up on you, Yukari-san. That's why he said those things to you," Hamuko looked glum but held a smile on her face.

"He made me face myself. Realize I was doing exactly what I said I would never do," Yukari let out a long sigh and wiped away another tear. "And I knew then that I could never let Minato go. This man who fought so hard to make me see the truth. Who cared so much that he was willing to sacrifice our relationship if I didn't listen. But he never walked away…he stayed with me."

"And all this happened while you were still going to Tartarus and dealing with the Shadows? It must have been really hard to deal with," Hamuko shook her head. "It sounds like it was a really hard time for both of you."

"It was, but we were so much stronger after all of that," Yukari stopped when she heard someone enter the room. Turning they saw Mitsuru and the maid Kaede following her. "Did you find out something?"

"Yes," Mitsuru nodded. "We found records of an underground facility under the hospital where we initially met Takahashi. They were buried incredibly well. Rather it was deleted. Yamagishi was able to piece it back together. From what we were able to decipher it seems like there are records kept off the system at the facility itself."

"And it's related to the Arisato's?" Hamuko asked grimly.

"Yes. But exactly what the correlation is between the Arisato family line and the research that was done…I'm afraid we're still in the dark about that," Mitsuru frowned. "However, this gives us enough to investigate. But before that I'd like to have a meeting with everyone tonight. Concerning Takahashi's involvement in this."

"When?" Yukari asked.

"We'll start the meeting at seven, after dinner. So please take time to relax and rest. I intend for us to investigate the Hospital again tonight," Mitsuru turned and walked out. Kaede gave a deep bow before turning and leaving as well.

"She is certainly all business," Hamuko furrowed her eyebrows before turning her attention back to Kokoro who had awoken during the conversation.

"It's just how she deals with things. It makes it easier for her, and honestly we need someone that can keep their head despite the circumstances," Yukari's eyes seemed to want to say more. She could easily add how Minato had often been the voice of reason. He had been the groups anchor before, but no one could really fill that place anymore. Mitsuru had grown as a leader since then...she deliberately had taken on more characteristics of Minato's so that she wouldn't let her emotions get the better of her in critical situations. Without Minato...somebody had to.

"I hope she knows that I'm going no matter what. This concerns me," Hamuko said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that it's the complete opposite of what you're thinking," Yukari looked down at the journal in her lap. "Minato, there is too much you don't know…"

Author's Note:

Shorter Chapter today, but a beginning look to the troubled times in Minato and Yukari's relationship. And a hint of more coming in present story line. But honestly...

I've always had a problem with the way some of the social links have played out, and maybe its just because as the protagonist you don't get many chances to make decisions. One glaring one that always bugged me was when Yukari tries to retrieve her stolen wallet alone. Without a guide most people ended up reversing her link at this time, because what you think is the correct answer and has worked before is not viable here. And honestly it made me so mad that she felt so damned selfish here and just shows a whole different problem that I don't think is ever properly addressed in the game. So screw that, Minato is the one that gets mad here, and damn rightfully so. Yukari is still my favorite character for a lot of reasons, but there is a lot of details that are omitted that make her come off as something different. And I think that is why a lot of people don't like her. They don't have all the information, and the game doesn't provide it.

A good relationship is defined by its low points, not its high ones. Everyone can have a great relationships...but true long lasting relationships are about it deals through the worst of the worst, and pushing through even if it could break the relationship. I'm hoping to show this as we get to the breaking point and true turning point in their relationship in the coming chapters.

- seiryux - Koromaru obviously isn't with them at the moment. This has more to do with me just not mentioning him rather than intentionally left out. He does get brought in eventually, but not till nearly the end of the fan fiction. The main reason for this was because originally this was just going to be a short story with Yukari re-living some of the moments of the game through the journal. And either way the main focus has always been Yukari. Although Hamuko and her story is a part of this almost everything is in support of the story of Minato and Yukari, and how they are dealing with what is left behind. If I went back and added him, it would simply be a few sentences here and there, so I just didn't think it was worth doing.

I apologize if anyone doesn't care for that, but this is just something I do for a hobby. I don't have a crazy amount of time to perfect my prose but I do go through a rather extensive editing, but when you look at something for a long time, you lose the ability to see issues with it such as spelling and grammar. Although this is like my 4th time revising this...there is always going to be things I miss. But I'm okay with that. I never sought out to be perfect. I just wanted to write this story and hope that maybe someone would want to read my mess of a story. I know it isn't for everyone...after all most people that don't like Yukari can't be convinced otherwise, but that's okay, this story isn't for them.

Thank you for everyone that continues to stay with me as we go deeper into the rabbit hole of Hamuko's past starting next chapter. I hope you look forward to it.