Author's Note: Hi, welcome to Chapter 3! As of 6/4/15, this story has 19 favorites and 31 followers. I can't thank you all enough and I'm thankful for all the support. Chapter 3 has, so far, been my favorite chapter to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I have.

6/4/15 11:50: Fixed some mistakes and added some parts to better the flow of the story.

Chapter 3: Want To Be Close

"Where am I?"

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room," a female voice greeted.

Velvet Room. That must make her... what's her name again? Is it Marie... no. Margaret? Probably not. That's right! Elizabeth.

"Hi there, Elizabeth?" I said questioningly.

"Ahh, you've remembered my name!" she replied in absolute glee.

"Yeah... right," I agreed. "So what am I doing here?"

"You're currently in a coma back in your reality," Elizabeth told me.

How can she say that so nonchalantly?

"But why am I here?" I questioned.

"You're here because you willed yourself here," a voice in the back called out.

And that's... Igor. The guy with the really sharp nose.

"I willed myself here?"

"Yes, you came here because you have questions. Now what questions do you have?" Igor replied.

"I have questions?"

"Isn't it redundant in your world to answer a question with another question?" Elizabeth wondered aloud.

"Yes, but in this case I didn't even know I had questions," I replied honestly.

Then it hit me.

The Entity. That... that thing that tore out of my Persona.

"What happened the other night?" I asked quickly.

"I presume you're referring to the night you first summoned your Persona? If that's the case, I can't give you any information regarding the instance," Igor proclaimed.

"Then why'd you offer to answer my questions?"

"I never agreed to answer them. I merely agreed to hear your questions."

I don't understand the logic of these people.

"I can, however, tell you that you are a very special young man." Igor spoke up.

"Huh?"

"In terms of the Arcana, you are the Fool."

"Did you just-" I was cut off.

"The Fool is zero. Zero holds an infinite amount of possibilities. You are a Wild Card. Aside from other Persona users, you have the potential to hold more Personas' within you," he explained.

Other Persona users? I only know one other person, but there's more?

"Now if that's all, I bid you farewell."

I can hear the slow pinging of the medical machines around me. It's slow and melodic; making a noise every two seconds. With that, I easily conclude that I'm in a hospital.

There's something soft and warm on my left arm. It feels as though I've grown a lot of hair on that arm alone, until I notice short, warm breaths brushing against it.

I try to open my eyes, but crust that has formed over my eyes prevents that. I quickly remove it and slowly my vision returns to me. I look to my left to see Mitsuru laying her head on my arm, peacefully sleeping with hair draped over my arm.

I hear a series of knocks on the door, and quickly close my eyes. The door opens and footsteps begin to approach the bed.

"Ah, Kirijo-San! How much times must we tell you? Please refrain from sleeping on the patient."

"Ugh...?" Mitsuru groaned as I felt her slowly lift her head.

Gross, I could feel a pool of drool being left behind as she got up.

"I apologize, it's just..." she said.

I'm sure I could feel her gaze upon my face.

"Well in any case, you can return home at any time. He's in great care here, you have no worri-"

"I can't just leave him! It's my fault, my fault..."

I could hear the nurse sigh, "Very well, call the doctor if you have notice any updates on his condition."

After that I could hear receding footsteps and a closing door. Mitsuru had begun to move her chair closer towards the head of the bed, evident with the annoying screech as she dragged it across the floor.

The area to the left of my head depressed downward as Mitsuru proped her elbows onto the bed. She closed the gap between her and I, her warm breath on my cheek.

Turning my head, I opened my eyes towards hers. We looked into each others eyes, noses in direct contact, faces perfectly aligned.

Just like when we were kids, I thought.

"How often are we going to meet like this?" I asked.

All Mitsuru could do was gasp as she fell back into her seat, face red with embarrassment. Just as quickly as she fell, she leapt back up and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Oh, Makoto... I was so worried about you." I could feel tears running down her face.

"Don't worry, I'm okay now. Please don't cry."

She held me there for awhile, scared that'd I'd slip through her helpless grasp once again. I didn't intend to worry her, but that's how she was. She worried over every little thing, even when we were children.

She's the best, isn't she?

"Right, yes," she straightened her self out. "I'm going to inform the doctor that you're awake. Do you need anything in the meantime?"

She had wiped the tears from her face and had put on a sincere smile. She stood awkwardly at my side, probably wondering how long I'd been awake.

"Yeah, uhm... Would you mind wiping your drool off my arm?"

With a red face, she threw a pillow at my face and proceeded to exit the room.

"It's not nice to assault a patient!" I call out to her.

Mitsuru's Point of View: A Week Later

"Yuki," I call to him.

He doesn't respond.

"Yuki..." I say again.

No response.

Seriously, Makoto... It's the end of the day and I wanna go home.

"Yuki," I said, somewhat agitated, "if you don't-" but I was cut off.

"Oh, Mitsuru... I'm sorry," he apologized.

He'd been staring out the window the entire class and continued even after the final bell.

"What are you apologizing for?" I said as I nudged him playfully on the shoulder.

"It's... nothing," he solemnly replied.

"Makoto, what's wrong?" I asked.

He sighs, "That night, it keeps bothering me. That... Entity keeps haunting me. I don't know why nor do I know the significance of it."

I hugged him from behind, my chin resting on his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll understand one day, you always do," I whisper in his ear.

"M-Mitsuru..." he stuttered.

I could feel his body getting warmer. I released him from the embrace, giving him a warm smile as he'd turned around to face me.

"Let's go!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm and yanking him up.

"W-where to?" he asked, shakily.

"Iwatodai Strip Mall, of course!"

Makoto's Point of View

Though Mitsuru clung to me all the way here, the second our direction shifted to Bookworms (the book store) she let go and said she'd find us some food and that I could enjoy myself.

Pshh, you just hate the smell of old books, don't you?

I walked in and was greeted by an old man behind the counter, "If you need any help, I'm right here."

"Alright, thanks," I replied.

He gave me a warm smile as I turned around and... Wait, is he already asleep?

The old man was indeed sleeping, standing up no less.

Impressive, is all I could think.

I began going through the aisles of books, not looking for anything in particular. Most books I'd passed, I've already read.

"Maybe I should've gone to Book On... Mitsuru would've loved it there," I thought aloud, thinking I'd been alone.

That is until I heard feminine grunts coming from the other side of the bookshelf.

"Stupid, tall bookshelves! Is this even standard size for a shelf!" the voice muttered, clearly angry.

I'd turned the corner into the voices aisle and saw a girl of short stature trying to reach a book on the top shelf. She had short, teal hair and had an annoyed look on her face. She was also wearing a Gekkoukan Junior High uniform, but I'd never seen her around.

I came up behind her, too busy struggling to notice me, and grabbed the book for her.

"Eeeek!" she exclaimed, bumping into the shelf, almost knocking it over.

"Here," I said holding the book out to her, a small smile forming on my face.

She was breathing fast, but soon slowed down.

"Thanks," she said as she took the book from my hands. "You didn't hear anything I said, did you?"

"Of course not," I lied. "Besides, its not your fault these shelves are tall."

She gasps aloud, face turning red, " You're really not funny, really..." she says with a red tinge across her cheek.

" I'm sure, I'm sure," I reply taking a glance at the book. " Ahh, Dearest of the Night. Good book."

"Yes, I've heard," she says, looking down. "I've been wanting to read this for such a long time."

"They both die in a house fire," I tell her.

"Excuse me?" she asks, utterly confused.

"The book... it ends with the two characters dying in each others arms in a house fire," I clarify.

The girl's eyes widen and I can sense an aura of pure hatred from her.

"You idiot!" she exclaims, as she hits me in the chest with the book. "Why, why, why, why would you do that?!"

"Well I was going to suggest you read another book, that one seems to mature for you. I mean there's sex, tons of sex," I can see her face getting very, very red.

"Still, I don't even know your name and you're already ruining my life!" she exclaims.

"I don't even know your name and you're already assaulting me with books," I retort.

She gasps again and withdraws the book. She begins trying to calm herself down.

"Makoto Yuki," I say, sticking my hand out.

"Fuuka... Fuuka Yamagishi," she replies, taking my hand and shaking it.

"You go to Gekkoukan Junior High, right? I haven't seen you around," I asked.

"I'm in class 3-B, so that's probably why. Or maybe it's because I'm a little shy..." she answered, almost disappointingly.

"I see. Well I'm in class 3-A-" I was saying before I was cut off.

"I know who you are. All the girls are always talking about how 'hot' you are or how 'cool' you are. I've never seen you and I actually believ-" she quickly covered her mouth with her hands, turning all kinds of red.

I laugh almost uncontrollably. Fuuka regains her composure and gives me a light punch to the shoulder.

"Shut up..." she replies timidly.

"I'm sorry I should probably get going now, it's getting late. " I apologize. "Hey! We should hang out sometime."

"W-with you? As if," she replies, looking away.

"You're still gonna buy that book?" I inquire.

"Of course! But wait, is that really how the book ends?"

"Would I lie to you?" I say smugly as I slide out the door.

"Yuki, you sonaof-"

As I walk outside, I notice how cold it really is.

Man, it's really gotten chilly out here. Wait, where's Mitsuru?

I look around until I notice the red haired girl sitting... not sitting, rather sleeping, on the bench.

Idiot.

"Mitsuru!" I call to her.

She lifts her head slowly and squints her eyes a little. She begins looking around her until she notices me, that's when a tired smile spreads across her face.

That smile is short-lived after I flick her in the forehead.

"Oww!" she whines.

"Idiot," is all I could say.

"What was that for?" she continues, looking at me with sad eyes.

"It's cold, the suns nearly down, and there's a beautiful girl sitting on a bench, not to add that she's asleep. You know this city is full of freaks and weirdos..." I reply.

"He thinks I'm beautiful," she whispers loudly with a tint of rose on her cheeks.

Did she hear anything else I said?

I flick her on the forehead again.

"Oww! What was that for?" she cried.

"You were supposed to buy us food! I'm starving!" I reminded her.

"Yeah... I forgot," she said suddenly gripping a bag. A bag with the Book On logo plastered across it.

I knew it.

When we made it back to the dorm, we were greeted by a spectacled man with long, dark brown hair.

"Who are you?" asked Mitsuru, eyeing the man in front of us.

"Hello, my name is Shuji Ikutsuki and I'll be overseeing this dorm starting next year. Kirijo-San has asked me to stop by and introduce myself," the man replied.

Mitsuru and I looked at each other until we both decided it was ok to trust him.

"You must be Mitsuru," he points to her,"-and you must be Makoto," finally pointing to me.

"Indeed," she replied.

"Yes," I added.

"Good. Now that introductions are over I'd like to show you these," with that he pulled out three, manila files and put them on the table.

"What are these?" I asked.

"Those contain the files of students who are to move into this dorm starting next school year. They, too, have the potential," Ikutsuki explained.

Akihiko Sanada, Shinjiro Aragaki, and Yukari Takeba... So they're the same as us?

As Mitsuru shuffled through the files, she suddenly froze up. There was a slight shake in her hand as she, nearly, inaudibly whispered, "Takeba..."

"Mitsuru? Are you alright?" I asked.

She cleared her throat, "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

"I hope you all get along. Well, I should get going. I hope to see more of you two later," he smiled before getting up and exiting.

We were left alone in the lounge. We both sat on the sofa as I rummaged through the files.

"More people, huh," Mitsuru said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yep," was all I said.

"So no more alone time for the two of us..." she added.

"Mitsuru, we've had plenty of time together growing up. Don't you think new people is a nice change of pace?"

"It's not the people I'm upset about. I'm just going to miss it being just you and me," she admitted.

"Nobody could ever replace you, Mitsuru. Besides, we're practically together all the time," I told her.

That seemed to comfort her, as she suddenly wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her head into my chest.

I looked into her eyes, which gazed up towards mine. I could see tears manifesting in the corner of her eyes, a small frown forming, and that little nose scrunch she does before bawling her eyes out.

I could never stand to see her cry, so I'd always try to cheer up somehow. I slowly placed one of my headphones into her ear and the other into mine.

"W-what're you doing?" she asked.

All I did was give her a smile, as I changed the song on my MP3 player to a slow song.

"Here," I said as I stood up and extended my hand out to her.

I could see her gulp as she slowly took my hand and stood up, facing me. I moved my hands down to her hips, while she wrapped her arms around my neck.

Slowly we both began to move in unison as we danced to the music coming out of the headphones.

"What is this?" she asked softly.

"I think it's Vespertine Bloom," I answered.

"Not the song... I mean this," she clarified.

"Well we never got to dance, right?"

"Right..." she said as she lowered her head onto my shoulder.

We danced for what seemed like an eternity. Though we'd enjoyed each others company that night, we knew it would soon come to an end. But in that moment, all that mattered was her and I.

Author's Note: Hi again. I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. I apologize for any spelling/grammatical errors (if any) and for any inconsistencies in the writing. I hope you'll stick around for the next chapter.