Author's Note:

I'm in a kind of foul mood and I'm planning spending my Memorial Day sitting around playing video games to attempt to get myself out of this foul mood, but I won't take it out on you guys because I love you and you make my days brighter.

Here's a request from bishounens, who asked for jealous moments of Minako. I've been making Akihiko the ambivalent jealous boyfriend throughout this series, so I figured it was time she had her share, ha ha.

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

The Twenty-Third Hour

Opening Song: "Her Morning Elegance" - Oren Lavie

Minako was definitely not jealous of Mitsuru.

Yes, the upperclassman was beautiful, intelligent, popular, had super smooth skin. powerful ice skills, and a sophisticated wardrobe — but there was definitely nothing to be jealous about. Mitsuru was her fellow SEES member and a friend, and harboring feelings of jealousy wouldn't help anyone. So what if she and Akihiko were pretty close, and so what if she seemed to know Minako's boyfriend better than she did? Whatever. No big deal. Definitely not a problem.

One night, when they were in the lounge, Yukari asked her, "Is something bugging you?"

Minako's reply was a quick and snippy, "No."

Yukari and Junpei exchanged a look of disbelief (and amusement). "Are you sure, Mina-tan?" Junpei asked carefully. "You've been kinda... uh, on edge lately." Minako threw a heart-pounding glare in his direction, sending him flying over the couch for safety. "N-nevermind!"

While Minako directed her heated glower to the magazine in her hands, Yukari couldn't help but snicker. "I'm not sure what's up, but whatever it is, it's got you pretty bad."

Minako fiddled with the edges of the pages, debating on whether or not she should face the problem head on. On one hand, it'd probably be a lot healthier to just get it out in the open rather than dealing with her suppressed frustration. On the other hand, that would mean having to admit that she had a problem, and Minako was still strongly embedded in that stage of denial. Back to the other hand, Yukari used to be super suspicious of Mitsuru, so she would be a good ally. (And Junpei was morally obligated, as her best friend and right hand man, to be on Minako's side no matter what.)

After interally debating for a couple moments, Minako shyly raised her eyes and said, "Okay." Yukari looked incredibly pleased with herself, whereas Junpei (with good reason) only poked his head over the head of the couch. She quickly scanned the lounge, making sure that it was just the three of them, before continuing. "So... What do you guys know about Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai? I mean, like, beyond their past and stuff."

The way Yukari lifted one eybrow told Minako that her fellow female already knew where this conversation was going. Minako ducked her head, feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. "All I really know is that they were the first members of SEES," Yukari answered. "So obviously they've known each other for a pretty long time."

Junpei (bless his heart), was as oblivious as ever. "Y'know, I always thought they had a thing. I mean, not now 'cause he's dating you," (he laughed awkwardly while she deadpanned), "but back before I had a Persona and the first couple of months after I joined. They just looked super close."

"Well duh they're close," Yukari replied. "It was just the two of them and Shinjiro-senpai before the rest of us came along. And then Shinjiro-senpai left, so it was just the two of them in this dorm for a while." This conversation was definitely doing the opposite of making Minako feel better about her situation. Sensing that this was the case (and the fact that her face was absolutely sullen), Yukari patted her reassuringly on the shoulder. "B-but you don't have to worry or anything! I mean, he's dating you, right? If the two of them wanted to date, they probably would have done it a long time ago, don't you think?"

Junpei stroked his goatee thoughtfully. "I dunno, Yuka-tan. Mitsuru-senpai doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd admit she likes someone... And Akihiko-senpai is socially awkward, so there's no way he'd talk to her first. If they did like each other, I doubt they'd ever bring it up 'cause— OW!" Tearfully, he tended to spot where the edge of the book hit him, then glared at Yukari. "What the heck? What was that for!?" Her gaze was sharp as it shifted to Minako, who'd sunk further into her seat. Finally realizing his blunder and the situation at hand, Junpei winced. "I mean, yeah. But that was definitely in the past. There's nothing going on between them now."

"Nice cover up, Stupei," Yukari remarked. "Anyway, it doesn't matter what they were in the past. I mean, if they were anything, even. 'Cause you guys are together now, and Mitsuru-senpai definitely isn't the kind of person to hit on another girl's guy."

"Yeah, can you really see Mitsuru-senpai being 'the other woman'? She's every guy's first pick— OW! Sorry..."

"I guess," Minako acquiesced. She looked far from convinced or reassured, though. "They have known each other for a long time... But for some reason, I always thought that if she needed something, Akihiko-senpai would drop everything for her, you know? That's cool because they're best friends, but I'm still kind of stupidly jealous about it? I don't know."

"That's understandable," Yukari agreed. "Jealousy doesn't always make sense. Besides, do you think he'd drop everything for you if you needed him?"

"Yes," she answered without a hitch.

Yukari looked genuinely impressed. "Well, then you shouldn't be worried."

"Though," Junpei cut in, "if he's treating a friend the same way he's treating his girlfriend, maybe you should— OW! Dammit, Yuka-tan, you're gonna give me a concussion!"

"Then stop talking!" Yukari slapped a hand to her forehead, reminded herself to give Junpei a lesson in how to talk to girls (because Minako was ultimately a girl, no matter how many Hagakure bowls she could eat in one sitting, and Junpei tended to forget this fact), and clamped a hand on Minako's shoulder. "Look, Minako, we can't really tell you what to do. I mean, I'm single by choice and Junpei's single because... look at him," (his jaw hung open, offended), "but Akihiko-senpai's a case on his own. Just talk to him. And if it's really bothering you that much, you should talk to Mitsuru-senpai."

Minako grimaced at the mental image of confronting Mitsuru about anything, let alone her jealousy. She couldn't imagine the entire thing working out well; for good reason, Mitsuru would probably be really offended. "Ehh..."

"That, or you can just bottle it up and wait for it to explode," Yukari reasoned. "That could be fun for the rest of us."

Minako legitimately contemplated it (confrontation just required so much work), but remembered that the last time that happened one of Akihiko's fangirls was sent to the nurse and she got a detention. "Okay, you have a point," she muttered.

"... It's just that I've known him for such a long time... Perhaps he's just maturing."

"Does that make you happy?"

"Of course that makes me happy. With all we've been through, it can be difficult to get over our pasts. However, Akihiko is trying to learn from his experiences. I'm very impressed by him. When I look at Akihiko, I'm reminded of so many things about myself. I can't explain why, though..."

"Are you in love with him?"

"In love...?"

Okay, maybe she should have come up with a more strategic way to tackle this problem, but Yukari was helpless, Junpei just floundered around, and Minako was running low on time (and patience). She and Mitsuru had been spending more time together outside of Student Council and Tartarus, so Minako figured, "Sure, why not?" What better time to talk about boys (one boy) than girl time? Of course, she could have also phrased the inquiry to be a little more inconspicuous, but...

Mitsuru smiled mirthfully. "No, it's not that." When Mitsuru looked at her, she jumped in her skin. "Does it appear that way to you, Arisato?"

It almost sounded like a challenge, the way she asked it, but Minako attributed it to her subconscious trying to paint Mitsuru as the villain. She shook her head, not wanting to make an enemy out of the Kirijo heiress. "Ah..."

"You can be honest with me," Mitsuru said, hiding her chuckle behind a perfectly manicured hand. "I do not wish to come off as a threat, and I certainly have no intentions in doing so. Akihiko and I are close, yes, and we do have history, but as friends. Or should I say teammate? I can't seem to find the correct way to describe him. In any event, that is the extent of our relationship. No less, and certainly no more."

Maybe, Minako thought, it wasn't Mitsuru she didn't trust, but her own feelings of insecurity. Mitsuru was earnest enough, and Minako didn't expect the redhead to lie to her, especially not over something like romance. Realizing this, she couldn't help but blush. "Sorry, Senpai."

"Please, don't apologize. I'm glad I could clear up any doubts. I will admit that I can be protective of Akihiko, but that's because, as you know, he can be rather reckless and I am fond of him. I believe..." She trailed off, contemplating which words to piece together. "I believe that the two of you make a good couple. Not that you need it, but you have my approval."

"T-thanks," Minako replied, unsure of how else to respond. The goal had been to corner Mitsuru and demand that she keep her paws off Akihiko, but in the end Minako wasa the one who felt like a fool. "Damn jealousy. ... I'm gonna blame this on Yukari and Junpei. I knew I should have just kept it to myself." Sighing, she prodded at the leftover takoyaki in her lap. She was a firm believer in the power of food, so she handed it to Mitsuru as a peace offering. "Here, have another one."

"O-oh! Um, thank you, Arisato... I'm not sure if I can finish this, but if you insist..." Admittedly, it was fun watching her always put together upperclassman nearly choke on a steaming piece of takoyaki, and Minako felt a little better about herself afterwards. They headed separate ways, with Mitsuru needing to tend company matters, so Minako returned to the dorm. For once pleased to see that the lounge was empty, she fell back on the couch and closed her eyes.

Several hours later, the sound of the door opening and closing drew her out of her deep sleep. "Good morning, beautiful," Akihiko teased as she was still groggily sitting up. He pressed a chaste kiss against her forehead after taking a seat on the arm of the couch. "How long have you been out here?"

"No idea," she mumbled, absentmindedly wiping at the drool on the corner of her mouth. (If Akihiko saw, he pretended not to notice, which she appreciated after she realized what she'd done.) "Did you just get back?"

"Yeah. Practice went a little longer than usual..." He trailed off, and she leaned her head back to see what was bothering him. He didn't look perturbed or thoughtful; contrarily, he wore what she'd identify as a smarmy smirk. "By the way, I ran into Mitsuru on the way back here."

"Oh shit." Her body froze, but she quickly recovered with an innocent smile. "Yeah?"

"Mhm." He slid down so that he was sitting right next to her. For once, she did not get the warm and fuzzies from him being so close to her; she felt unease. "You know, Minako..." Though she tried to scramble away, he was quick, and one arm was around her shoulders while his hand tilted her face towards him. "From what I hear, most guys aren't into girlfriends who get jealous, but I'd say..." His lips moved towards hers, so that they hovered only an inch away. "It's cute on you."

God, he was using her own words against her. "Senpai!" she shrieked, smacking him in the chest.

Akihiko couldn't help but laugh, even if his girlfriend was glaring at him. "Come on, Minako, me and Mitsuru?"

"Oh sure, when you say it like that, it sounds crazy," she muttered, embarrassed and ashamed all at once. "Can we please just forget about this?"

He moved towards her again, cornering her between himself and the couch's arm. "Well, now you know what it's like."

"Uggh, I won't ever make fun of you for being jealous again," she whined, squirming underneath him.

"Promise?" he asked with a grin. Though it was with a pout, she nodded. "Alright, promise."

He swooped down to seal the deal with a swift kiss that apparently wasn't swift enough, because the door opened and Mitsuru passed by with a, "Not on the couch, Akihiko." Though she continued up the stairs without a second glance their way, the couple sat on opposite sides of the couch, both red in the face and heads lowered in shame. Minako inwardly sobbed over the power of Kirijo.

Closing Song: "Fairytale" - Alexander Rybak

I just finished my 58495 playthrough of P3P, which still made me sad even though hello I know what's going to happen and who's going to say what. Gaaah maybe I'll go replay P4... Or just some more FIFA.

xx, der kapitan