Author's Note:

As of today, I have completed my first week of college. And it was… interesting? Ah ha ha, well, it wasn't terrifying as many people had implied it would be, it wasn't too confusing, and it really wasn't all that exciting. I'm kinda just indifferent about it, but it's better than high school. The freedom is nice, and I love that I'm taking the classes I chose, but I, like any other young adult, hate school. So it goes. XD

This chapter is kiiiiind of Minako x Shinjiro, as a request by Hamujiro and for the inner Shinjiro fangirl in me. I'm really too fond of all the kiddies you can date in P3P, and though I'll probably try to integrate them into the drabbles/stories, Aki x Minako will definitely be the main pairing.

Danke Liza Taylor, AKIHIKOMINAKOLOVER, Hamujiro, The Pink Alligator, and jory014 for reviewing the last chapter, as well as all you silent readers/favoriters/alerters. You guys rooooock. Just as a silent nudge, voiced reviews always give me incentive to update fasteeeeer~ :D P.S. HEY LIVEJOURNAL KIDS, hit me up! :D frauleinawesome (lol at my douchebaggery) is the name.

Twenty-Five Hours
a Persona 3/Portable (© ATLUS) fanfiction

The Third Hour

Opening Song: "Her Morning Elegance" - Oren Lavie

Honestly, Aragaki Shinjiro intimidated her.

The way in which he seemed to glare at her simply when looking at her, the rough manner in which he spoke, the way he shielded himself off from the others - it all made him so difficult to approach. Still, he was Akihiko-senpai's best friend, which meant he couldn't have been a bad person, but more over he was now part of the group, and as the leader wasn't it her duty to make sure he was fairing well?

But even getting to know Shinjiro-senpai was intimidating. He wasn't necessarily closed off, and while he was a little rough around the edges it wasn't that that bothered her. The more she talked to him, the more Minako began to like him, and thus, the more she began to worry about him. He was hiding something from her, and that in itself was frightening. When she'd bothered him about it, he didn't blow up at her or curse at her like she had expected (his self expression was still intense even after opening up to her), but simply looked away with a sad smile. She didn't bring it up again after that.

It was the night of October 1, a night that was apparently fairly busy, as only she and her senpai inhabited the lounge. They were both seated on the couch, as they always seemed to do after dining, both holding a steaming cup of liquid, each simply enjoying the other's company.

"So that blond kid's really fond of you," he commented nonchalantly.

"Blond kid?" she reiterated, blinking in confusion. She quickly skimmed through a dossier of her friends in her mind, her internal arrow quickly landing on one flamboyant Frenchman, and she laughed. "Oh, you mean Bebe. That's just the way he is." While living in Europe, she did notice that they were much more affectionate than the Japanese, especially when it came to outward displays.

Shinjiro scoffed. "It's never 'that's just the way it is' when it comes to that." She continued to blink at him owlishly. This time he scowled and flicked her forehead. "Are you really that dense?"

"Oi!" she squeaked, wincing at the contact before reaching over and whacking him, nearly spilling his coffee in the process.

"Hey, watch it!" he berated her, raising his mug and steadying it to prevent burning a hole into his slacks. Sighing, his shoulders drooped against the couch and he threw his arm across the back, lightly nudging her shoulder. They shared a quick, meaningless glare before lapsing into a comfortable silence.

"He's scared of you," she stated off-handedly before sipping at her hot chocolate. He quirked an eyebrow at her statement, to which she merely nodded with a straight face. "It was that one day after school when he was walking with me to the gate. He said something about people saying bad things about you and you having scary eyes." She glanced in their direction, their gazes locking, and a grin broke out across her face.

His reply was simple: "… Oh yeah?"

"Yeaaaah," she drawled, shrugging her shoulders with a bored expression. "'Said you were a gangster would probably maul me when I least expected it and that I should stay away from you." She quickly glanced at him again, and was near certain she saw the corner of his lips twitch. "But I hope you don't mind me telling him the truth; that you're just a big softie with ooey gooey insides," Minako chided, leaning to poke his stomach with a fervent giggle.

He let out a surprised huff of air before smacking her hand away, making sure to give her ponytail a light tug before she retreated. "Cut that out." Even with having to readjust her hair, she was still grinning at him. "Brat," he grumbled, though there was a certain fondness in his voice.

The door quickly opened and closed, ushering in a shivering Akihiko. The silver-haired male cursed under his breath as he rubbed his arms, still unaware of the silently watching duo. "Welcome back, Senpai," Minako spoke up, both alerting and surprising the boxing champion. "Was it raining outside?" she asked, noting the dampness of his hair and shirt.

"Yeah, it just started up," he replied begrudgingly, internally wishing he had brought a jacket. "I tried to catch Officer Kurosawa before he went on duty, but I barely missed him." He sighed irritably as he fell back into the couch adjacent to Shinjiro, allowing his head to droop against it.

"I'll make you some coffee," Minako offered, already standing up before he could protest.

"What are you two still doing up?" he asked, looking between Shinjiro, who was sipping his coffee, and Minako, who was pouring an unhealthy amount of creamer into his red mug. "It's already ten thirty."

"Just talking," she answered. After stirring the mixture, which she couldn't help but note was almost white (especially in comparison to Shinjiro's black coffee), she walked over to her senpai and handed him the mug, which he accepted with a mumbled 'thank you.' "I was actually trying to figure out the lineup for tomorrow's party since we couldn't go today, but Shinjiro-senpai's never any help with that," she sighed hopelessly. The mentioned senior merely rolled his eyes as Akihiko chuckled. "How was your day, Akihiko-senpai? I didn't see you today."

She noticed him wincing after sipping his coffee. Too much sugar? "Yeah, sorry about that," he apologized with an impish grin. "I tried to tell Junpei to let you know I couldn't meet up with you, but he ran off to the hospital before I could say anything. I had a couple errands to run for Mitsuru."

"Oh, that's fine, I didn't really mind. I know you're busy, and…"

The silent teenager's eyes darted between Akihiko and Minako, silently observing them as they exchanged pleasantries. His smirk went unnoticed, and he shook his head as he stood up, mug in hand. "I'm going to bed," he explained shortly as he walked around the couch, making sure to wash out the rest of the coffee before returning to his room.

"G'night, Shinjiro-senpai!" Minako called after him, trying to control the volume of her voice as to not wake the others.

"You guys are getting along." It wasn't a question, and on top of that, he was smiling. Minako tilted her head to the side, wordlessly expressing her confusion. "I don't think ever seen Shinji open up to someone like that. I'm glad. I mean… Well, you know, he's not really the friendly type." Both of them snickered at the truth of this statement. "He needs a good friend."

"You're his friend," she said immediately.

He dwelled on the thought for a moment. "Yeah… But there are things you can help him with that he'd never confide in me. That's just the way our relationship is," he elaborated with a slight shrug. "And I'm not sure 'good' friend really applies to me."

"Well, you did punch him in the face," she murmured jokingly, and he laughed lightly. "I think you're a good person, Senpai."

Akihiko looked at her, noticing that she didn't bear a smile. There was something almost sorrowful in her expression, and she quickly averted her eyes to the empty pink mug in her hands. He'd bought that mug for her for her birthday and had her name written on it; she'd been so ecstatic upon receiving it that she insisted everyone in the dorm get their own. "That doesn't necessarily make me a good friend," he said, and she noticed there wasn't anything reproachful in how he said it. He ran his thumb over his name, which was written in cursive in black sharpie (Minako had stereotypically feminine handwriting, he noted). "But thanks."

"You're too hard on yourself, Senpai." She was smiling again. "Hey, you're shivering," she pointed out in concern, her brow denting downward. "Do you want me to grab you a towel so you can dry off?"

"Oh, no, that's fine. I'm gonna head up to bed anyways, so I'll just change." He stood up, conspicuously shaking from the cold air in the room, and smiled impishly. "I'm fine," he reassured when she gave him that look.

"You need to take care of yourself, Senpai," she scolded lightly.

He laughed, making sure to ruffle her hair on his way to the sink. "Hey, that's my line." He quickly rinsed off and dried the red mug before placing it back in the cupboard beside Shinjiro's. "Don't stay up too late. You know what Mitsuru will say if she hears you fell asleep during class again." Akihiko grinned when the brunette stuck her tongue out at him, then proceeded up the stairs. "Goodnight."

"G'night, Senpai." She watched his form until he completely disappeared up the steps, then released a heavy sigh. She looked down into her empty mug, ran a thumb over its rim, and leaned her head back before closing her eyes.

Closing Song: "Fairytale" - Alexander Rybak

This was oddly difficult to write in the beginning, though I'm guessing it's because I haven't really written anything all week. I've been trying to write between classes (or even during class if it's boring enough), but I get distracted too easily and am rarely happy with the final result.

But, honestly, I'm content with how this came out and I love Shinjiro's guts. And I really want a mug with my name on it.

Avec amour,

Renoh.