A/N: To all the lovely people reading. Thank you for the support. There aren't many of you, but know that you are the best, and this subpar writer loves you.

June 6th 8:47PM Waxing Gibbous

She was causing trouble. A week after we'd gone to the arcade, she appeared in my backyard, almost literally. Iori, Takeba, and Arisato stormed in on the gangs who occupied the alley underneath our apartment, asking questions about one of their classmates. I watched them from the kitchen window with Chidori next to me.

"Shouldn't you help her?"

My body wants to move, but logic dictates I should stay. I couldn't help her. Not right then. It would ruin everything. For one thing, it would reveal where I lived. For another, Shinjiro Arigaki would be here any minute, and he might say something necessary should we all run into each other. "She'll be okay. She's a tough girl."

Chidori stares at me for another minute, blinking twice. It's her way of shrugging before turning her eyes back to the scene. Takeba is running her mouth, antagonizing the thugs that surrounded them. The girl sounded brave, but she is standing behind Arisato and Iori. Clearly, she was all bark and no bite. Minako was right. She didn't have friends. Not really.

One of the guys knee Iori, the only male in the group. Minako grabs his shoulder to stop her comrade from falling, but the man is down for the count. She wouldn't be able to take down all of her attackers while protecting the two losers behind her. It was impossible, no matter how strong she was.

Help her!

Don't do it! She's not important.

She's going to get hurt.

Remember the plan!

Thoughts and scenarios run through my mind. The choice is agonizing. Luckily, I am saved from making one when the unlikely hero arrives in an ugly overcoat. Aragraki appears right one time, head-butting one of the thugs in the face. Blood spurts from the guy's nose. It lands on his friends as he falls to the ground. The other thugs pull him up, but they are clearly afraid. Aragaki was trying to send a message and it was working. The party disbands soon afterward. Aragaki stays behind to talk to the trio, but they're speaking too quietly for me to hear.

"Did you catch anything they said?"

"Medea…Medea is telling me one of their friends is missing. A girl named Fuuka."

"Was she on the list of persona users?"

Chidori shakes her head. Useless then. Takaya wouldn't care to know about this. "C'mon, let's get back to work."

After the trio leaves, Aragaki would be coming up here to get his month's supply of drugs. Takaya left the stash in a cupboard in the kitchen. I'd give Aragaki a few extra pills this time. He played a good hero.

June 8th Dark Hour Full Moon

It's the first full moon since our observations first started. Takaya is working on an assassination but Chidori and I are tasked with keeping watch on the Persona Users. The nights just started so we haven't learned much. The classmate that they are looking for had been lured into the Tower of Demise. This was a rescue mission.

"Have they regained connection?"

Medea could use the connections Personas made with one another. See what they saw, sometimes even steal their capabilities. The girl had so many powers, it put me and Takaya to shame. Then again, she'd been using her Persona nearly her whole life.

"No."

We'd lost the ability to track their movements when the Dark Hour started. That meant that they had lost contact too. It looked like Kirijo and Takeba were waiting at the bottom of the Tower of Demise while Arisato and the boys are lost somewhere in the upper levels.

" Can you hone in on any of them?"

Chidori shakes her head and I groan in frustration. This entire mission had been pointless. I hate waiting, but I hate being useless even more. Moros is apt for combat but has no role in reconnaissance. What was happening in there? I say nothing else, simply watching my partner quietly. Something needed to happen soon or I would blow up a building for kicks.

"Jin."

"What?"

"They've found her. The girl. Fuuka. Her persona is amazing. She gives me the clearest picture. Minako Arisato is fine, but Kirijo and Takeba are under attack in the lobby."

"What do you mean they're under attack?!"

"Shadows. Giant ones. They're...shifting. Their abilities keep changing. It's almost as strong as the Arisato girl. "

"Are they winning?"

"Yes. They are winning. It's...amazing. They're stronger than us...So...Much..." Everything was going well until then. Too well. Chidori screams. Medea has her hands wrapped around the girl's throat, effectively shutting her up. My friend had lost control.

"Stop! Chidori stop!" I wrap one arm around her forehead to hold her in place before using a razor blade to cut a deep line along her wrists. The blood is immediate. It comes in rivers, sliding over her wrists and onto her white dress. Chidori snaps out of the trance, and Medea disappears into the depths of her mind. My friend is breathing hard but there are no other signs of the episode. The situation was under control. It would be okay. The wound would heal in a few minutes. It always did.

"Jin. We need to leave. Now. We need to tell Takaya everything."

June 13th 11:52PM Waning Gibbous

Minako's eyes drift to her phone. She'd left him several messages but she hadn't heard from him since the full moon. Her subconscious told her this wasn't a coincidence. He knew something. She sighs, putting her pencil down not to her unfinished homework. There was no point working right now. She was too distracted.

She opens her computer, signing onto Hemlin. She hadn't touch the game in over a month. After she'd met ShiroiTobira in real life, she hadn't seen the point. He isn't on, unfortunately, but she plays a few games in arena to occupy her time. The match ends in her favor, and she goes into another one, challenging everyone in sight. Her mind drifts while she plays.

ShiroiTobira. His messages are floating like puzzle pieces in her mind. He was such a strange man. The things he did and said, were almost contradictory to one another: pushing and pulling her away all at once. Even this bout of silence was odd. Nothing preceded it. They didn't have any argument. He didn't say he would be busy. He just stopped answering one night, and that was it. The most obvious solution was that he was connected to the Dark Hour in some manner. Perhaps he's woken up during the Dark Hour, and had been eaten by shadows. She knew nothing about him. Not his address or where he worked. She couldn't look for him to confirm that theory though she doubted its plausibility.

There was also a chance he was an enemy. Perhaps he'd been spying on her and the lack of contact was because his superior ordered him to stop, but what where the chances of that? She'd been watching too many movies.

The girl finishes her match before checking her friend list one more time. He's not online, and Hemlin holds no value to her without him on it.

Minako finds a blank spot on the wall, trying to fit the pieces together in her mind. She'd met a stranger on the internet. She had known close to nothing about him before their meeting. The first attempt at contact had been a failure. He had been nearby, watching her, but failed to show. That was already suspicious, but there were several logical, normal reasons why he didn't come out to meet her. The fact that she'd beat up two grown men in front of him was more than enough reason not to meet her. He responded well to her flirtations, but there always seemed to be hesitation to make any real progress. Another suspicious sign. He ceased contact on the night of the full moon before a giant shadow fight. The pieces were slowly falling into place, and the picture it was painting of him was ugly.

She blinks again to clear away the mental image she'd drawn. This was why she didn't have friends. She didn't trust anyone. Everyone had an ulterior motive. Minako found those too. It didn't take her long. Everyone in the dorm held their secrets close to their hearts. Mitsuru Kirijo wasn't a bad person, but she was willing to put alltheir lives on the line for her own selfish reasons. Junpei didn't care for anyone here. He was using SEEs as a means of avoiding his alcoholic father. Akihiko is like her. He lives in the past. He'd failed to save his little sister when they were younger. He fights now to appease that misplaced sense of guilt. Miki, her name was.

Yukari was a mystery for now, but Minako was sure that her reasons for fighting would come up in conversation at some point. Selfish reasons. No one in this dorm lived for others. They would cry. Mourn. Maybe some of them would even miss her, but their lives were not intertwined. The bonds here are flimsy. They'll break at the slightest touch.

Once they graduated or defeated all of the shadows, SEEs would be finished. Their little group would disappear. They would leave for their own path, and she would be alone again. They weren't friends. Comrades. Partners, maybe. But they weren't friends.

Minako shakes her head. It was happening again. Her emotions are getting to her. She would try not to think of her situation too often, but it rarely worked. Everyone had an ulterior motive, some of them were just easier to see than others. The hardest one to figure out was probably the man named Shirato. He wasn't part of SEEs. He wasn't someone from school. He was just someone she had met by accident. That was the story anyway.

The stickers that they'd made at the arcade are now scattered inside various notebooks. Minako looks at them fondly, rubbing her thumb over her favorite one. He is looking at her, his orange-tinted glasses hiding his eyes. There is a blush on his cheeks. The two of them hadn't been forced together. A coincidence. Was he like her? A man without a future?

There was no way he was an enemy. Their encounter had been a coincidence. After all, the first time they'd met was because he offered to help her study. But the real root was Hemelin, a game that she didn't even buy; Minako would need to thank Junpei for the gift when she got the chance.

Minako walks as quietly as possible to the bathroom to wash her face. This train of thought was getting her nowhere. No matter how many times she told herself that it was a coincidence, the questions nagged at her. The man didn't want to be her friend but every time she saw him, it looked like he was forcing himself to make conversation. What was his motive? Why was he trying to befriend her while simultaneously keeping her at arm's length? What was his endgame?

June 21st 4:52 PM Waning Crescent

Takaya gathers us in the kitchen. He is examining my work. I'd made three Evokers just like the ones SEEs carried. It had taken me a week to analyze the hard data that I'd stolen and another week to make them.

"Do they work?"

"Yeah. Chidori tested them the other day since she's the only one whose off the pills. Works like a charm."

"And our Personas?"

"As strong as before, but you know the risks."

He nods. We all knew the risks. We weren't real persona-users. Not like the people we'd seen. Not taking the pills could kill us, but if we were all together, we could stop it from happening. At least we could postpone it a little. We would keep each other alive, like we've always done.

"The next full moon is July 7th. They're sure to have another fight. I'll join the two of you for the observation. For now, keep your eye on them. Don't engage."

At that, he leaves me and Chidori alone. I immediately pull out my phone. I hadn't checked any of my mail while I'd been working but Minako had sent me three messages. The first was a snippet of her day from weeks before, the other two are questions asking me when I have free time.

Chidori doesn't hesitate to pull me into my room again, locking the door behind her. "You shouldn't go."

I turn my head to face her, putting my response on hold. "Why not? You heard Takaya. We're supposed to be watching them."

"He won't be happy, knowing what you're doing."

"It's for the mission. He'll understand."

"Really?" She stares at me from my bed. Her arms are folded defiantly. "Jin, do you know what you're doing?"

I did. Of course, I did. She was, is the enemy, but she was clearly special. If I could understand why, then maybe we could beat them. As of now, it would be tough. There were more of them, and they could control their personas better. I tell her as much.

"Everything I do is for Takaya."

She lets go of my arm and nods. Her eyes tell me she doesn't believe me, but she'll play along for now. I give Minako a call as I run out the door.

Rank 4

"Hello?" Minako doesn't bother to look at the caller ID. Her hands are already busy helping Fuuka make sweets.

"It's me." There is a pause, "Jin. Shirato."

As if she could forget. Thoughts of him are frequent. "Ah, Shirato-san. It's been so long. How are you?"

"Yeah. It has. Do you want to meet up? The docks behind Port Island Station. 6 O'clock?"

Minako looks at the clock hanging above her head. That gave her roughly a half hour. She could make it if she ran. "Sure. I'll see you there."

She throws off her apron, screaming an apology to the blue-haired girl as she takes off. No time to change. Luckily, she generally wore outdoor clothes around the dorm. It wasn't safe wearing pajamas with the guys around.

The docks are situated behind Iwatodai Station. There are several ways to get there, but the most direct is going through a rough alleyway. She'd only been there once to get information when Fuuka had been missing. Now, she runs through it again, ignoring the odd looks the occupants give her. When the walls of surrounding buildings open up, all she can see is water. The line of abandoned warehouses to her right don't even give her pause.

The man she is looking for stands at the end of the pier when she arrives, out of breath. He looks surprised to see her. "Are you okay?"

She is gasping, pushing out her words between breaths. "Yeah...Just...fine...Had...to run..." When she can properly breathe again, she pulls a clear plastic baggie filled with a few pieces of chocolate out of the purse she has slung over one shoulder. "These are for you."

His eyes seem to grow even wider under his glasses, and she has a sudden interest in knowing how he looks without them. The urge to grab them is there, but she hold backs. That move would be too brash right now. Maybe next time.

"Why...Why would you get me chocolate?"

"I made them in the cooking club with a friend." The word sounds foreign on her lips, but the lie slips out easily enough. Friends. Everyone used it so loosely.

He doesn't take them. His expression is a mixture of what looks like suspicion and curiosity. The face intrigues her. Why is he suspicious? What does he want to know? Why can't he just ask? These thoughts were frequent, but she never voiced them. He isn't aware that his face always gives him away. "You...don't like chocolate?"

He seems to blush, turning his face away from her. "I'm, uh...allergic, to chocolate."

"Oh..." Minako tries not to let the disappointment show on her face before putting the chocolate back in her bag. "I'll make you something else next time. Is there anything you like to eat?"

He doesn't answer her, sitting down on the edge of the dock. Shirato pats the seat next to him, motioning for her to sit down. "Anything is fine."

She's moves as close to him as possible, so their legs can touch during the movement. This was deceptive, she knew that. Using the fact that she was a woman to charm him into talking about himself was morally wrong, but she feels no guilt. People are easy to manipulate. It's not hard to elicit certain reactions when you wanted something. "So where have you been these past few weeks?"

He stares at her for a few minutes, as if he is deciding how to best answer her. He did this often. Shirato didn't know how to stall for time. If he didn't know what to say, then he said nothing. He kept a lot from her, that was obvious. But he probably didn't know how transparent he was. The man was a horrible spy.

"Working. My. Friend. Needed me to do something for him." Minako couldn't help but wonder if this is the same friend that he loved and would die for. Was this friend trying to use Shirato in some way? That would explain his strange behavior. "Did you miss me or something?"

"Yes." She doesn't hesitate in her response and his eyes grow wide, most likely in shock. She can't help but smile. He liked to keep his secrets but the boy didn't really know how to fish for answers. Or communicate properly. She'd made the deduction weeks ago that he probably didn't have much in the way of social interaction. She knew how to act to keep his attention, to make him surprised. To make him want to come back. "I thought maybe you didn't want to talk to me anymore."

There is a brief look of pain on his face, but it disappears as quickly as it had come. What was that?

"I like talking to you."

"Me too." She reaches for his hand. He flinches but lets her take it. He's done that before too. Did he know? Did he realize how obvious he was? None of his reactions made sense in a logical way, but the picture in her mind was still coming together. Minako wanted nothing more than to rip open his head and steal all his secrets.

They sit in silence watching the sun set, each lost in thoughts of the other. He is the one who breaks the peace.

"I hate people, you know."

"What?" Where did that come from?

"People are greedy and selfish. They'll all lie to you to get what they want. You probably shouldn't trust them."

Minako didn't trust people. She didn't trust him at all, but those words put a chink in that disbelief. Why would he say that to her? She knew she shouldn't trust people. Him especially, so what was the point of him telling her that? What was he trying to do? "Does that include you?" Her eyes watch his face, searching for a reason. She was generally pretty good at reading people, but there are a few exceptions. He is one of them. Guilt and sorrow are etched into his features. He seemed to age into someone much older under her scrutiny.

"Yes."

Minako decides to stand up, pulling him with her. They start walking home in silence, but she is completely lost in her thoughts. Was this another ploy or had he been honest? Did he mean it this time? What was he trying to tell her?

Shirato stops in front of a dark apartment building behind Port Island Station, his face emptied of all the emotion it held earlier. "It's time for me to go."

Minako watches him for another minute. Her eyes take in all of his features. He's pale, like someone who rarely left the house. His blue hair is cut strangely, like someone who doesn't know what looks good. He has a dorky smile, and ugly glasses that cover pretty eyes. He looks cute when he blushes. She could list a million things about him that contradicted; didn't make any sense. There are hundreds of truths she wants to tell him; questions she wants to ask him. But she could only find one sentence that mattered. One lie. Three words: "I trust you."

He takes a step back, his eyes searching her face for a motive, or a deception, she isn't sure which. He would find neither. He wasn't a good liar, but she was.

"You shouldn't."

Who do you trust when everyone has secrets to hide? Everyone lives a separate life. To be devoid of secrets means to be complete with someone else. She did not trust Jin Shirato. There were too many questions in her mind. Too many coincidences and suspicions. No. She didn't trust him at all, but she wanted to. Oh how badly, she wanted to. If only to make the mad questions go away. "I know."

A thousand emotions seem to move through his face. The man really did wear his heart on his sleeve, no matter how sneaky he thought he was. "You..." He stopps abruptly, rubbing the bridge of his nose under his glasses. He sighs before looking her directly in the face, a smile forming on his lips. Genuine and sweet, it once again transforms him into someone different. Here was another part of him, she wanted to understand. "Fries. I like potato fries."

Next Chapter: 10/24 Rank 5