Warnings: Slight violence. Suicidal implications. Lemon scenes.
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 3 Portable or any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me
Chapter Three: Trouble at the Back Alley
June 06, 2009
Tatsumi Memorial Hospital
There was the sound of the privacy curtains being drawn back as the doctor pulled back the curtains before heading towards his desk, making several notes in a file.
Aragaki Shinjiro slid off the examination bed of the doctor's office where he had been lying on moments prior, putting on his black turtleneck shirt, before pulling on his burgundy pea coat, and putting his beanie back onto his head.
"Well, it looks like your body is slowly getting better, Aragaki-kun." The doctor informed Shinjiro, turning towards the surly teen, looking up every now and then from his clipboard. "I can't fathom just why you want to end your life that way by taking those dangerous drugs." The doctor shook his head and muttered something that sounded like 'kids these days'. "But more importantly, I'm glad that you've stopped taking them and decided to seek medical help before it's too late."
Shinjiro said nothing.
In the future, this doctor had been one that Mitsuru and Akihiko have all but dragged him to see after Yuuki's death, as he might have made it through his coma and his near death experience, but it doesn't mean that he has been fully cured from the side effects of the suppressants supplied by Strega.
Last time, it had been Akihiko and Mitsuru who have dragged him to see the doctor, though it had taken Akihiko every ounce of his persuasion powers to convince his best friend to do that. And even then, he had to be the one to personally drag Shinjiro to see the doctor every week, and to ensure that he had taken his prescribed medication, as at that point in time, Shinjiro didn't really care whether he lives or dies. The silver haired boxer had to practically shove the medication down Shinjiro's throat, even by force if necessary.
"Well, you're lucky that you hadn't been taking those drugs for long, thus, the damage done to your inner system is still reversible." The doctor informed Shinjiro. "Just keep taking the prescribed medication, and the poison in your system will soon dissipate itself within a few months. I'll see you back here next week, Aragaki-kun."
Shinjiro nodded and muttered his thanks before heading out of the doctor's office, and the hospital itself. He then looked up into the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun, smiling a small smile to himself.
He can now admit something to himself that he would never admit last time. His life is not just his own now. Back then, he used to think that if should depart from this world, it isn't anybody's business but his own. How wrong was he… Despite being in a coma, he could hear everything that is going on around him, and many a time, he had heard Yuuki crying her eyes out by his bedside, making him feel ten times worse, and making him wish that Takaya had really killed him that night.
Shinjiro can understand that now. His life isn't just his own. It belongs to everyone that had ever mattered to him…or will matter to him in the near future. Akihiko. Yuuki. And even the other members of SEES, as much as he refused to admit it.
Those guys aren't the annoying people that he had thought them of when he had first joined SEES. He had started to warm up to them after Yuuki had convinced him to cook for them. Sure, he is a great cook and all, but not even Akihiko had ever tasted his cooking, and he had known the guy since early childhood. Yuuki is the first one that had ever eaten his cooking, and it is her look of delight and pleasure that had actually done the convincing back then.
In fact, come to think of it, all the chestnut haired girl would have to do is to just ask him, and he would do it. Probably, by that point in time, he would have done anything for her, even moving the mountains if he could.
Shinjiro sighed before deciding to make his way to Paulownia Mall and buy some dog food. He had an old friend to visit.
Afternoon
Naganaki Shrine
Shinjiro had never told anyone this, not even Yuuki, but way even before he had joined SEES the last time around, and even before Koromaru had joined them, for the longest time, the silver Shiba-Inu had been his closest confidante and friend, sans for perhaps Akihiko. And even then, he didn't really talk to Akihiko about things that he had talked to Koromaru about.
The saying that 'a dog is a man's best friend' probably has some truth to it, now that he thinks about it.
As Shinjiro made his way up the steps of the Naganaki Shrine, a bag of dog food in his hand, he wondered for a moment just why Koromaru had never told Aigis that he had already met Shinjiro before both of them have even joined SEES.
The brunette young man then shook his head before emerging onto the shrine. He scanned his eyes around the shrine area before spotting the Shiba-Inu sitting in front of the prayer box, staring at it intently with his crimson red eyes, giving the occasional bark. The dog then turned around the moment that Shinjiro had arrived at Naganaki Shrine, and upon seeing him, the silver Shiba-Inu immediately bounded over to him, barking his little head off, and wagging his tail happily.
Shinjiro chuckled and patted Koromaru on the head who barked happily, pulling at Shinjiro's coat sleeve with his teeth. "Hey boy, been waiting long?" Shinjiro asked, and Koromaru barked again. "I know. I know. Let me go and sit down or something, okay? I brought it for you."
Koromaru barked happily and scampered after Shinjiro as he headed to the bench located in a corner of the shrine, situated not too far away from the playground in here where the elementary school children loves to play at during the weekends.
During one of his conversations with Yuuki, Shinjiro remembered her mentioning that she often visited an elementary school girl at the shrine every Saturday, and a rather sickly young man about a year or two older than her who came to the shrine every Sunday after sneaking out of the hospital.
Koromaru's impatient barks shook Shinjiro out of his thoughts just then, and he looked down only to see the silver Shiba-Inu sitting on his haunches and looking up at him impatiently, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
"Sorry boy," said Shinjiro as he took out one of the deluxe dog food tins that he had bought from Paulownia Mall earlier. He then spread out a few pages of the newspaper onto the ground and opened the tin, emptying the contents of the dog food onto the newspaper. Koromaru barked happily and begun to gobble the food, his tail wagging happily. The brunette young man smiled at the dog. "You know something, Koro-chan? I'm starting to wonder just why Yuuki fell for a guy like me in the first place the last time. After all, I'm just a nobody, and from what I've heard from Takeba and Junpei, and even Fuuka, she's pretty popular in Gekkoukan High, and had boys chasing after her everywhere. Even several of the seniors had their eye on her, from what Akihiko had told me."
Of course, she turned them all down politely, as she only had eyes for the idiot that I currently see lying in front of me.
Shinjiro could still remember Akihiko's sarcastic words the day after Christmas Day when he had visited Shinjiro after school. The silver haired boxer had told his best friend of how Yuuki had turned down all the offers for dates that she had been given by probably half of the school's population of boys.
Akihiko didn't want his best friend's girlfriend to spend Christmas Eve alone by herself, and had actually invited her to go with him to Paulownia Mall to see the light decorations there, but she had turned him down as well, saying that she had plans. It is only much later that Akihiko had realised that her 'plans' included Yuuki sneaking into Shinjiro's hospital room to keep him company on Christmas Eve, though she had ended up crying her eyes out.
Shinjiro knew that Yuuki is a popular girl. She is bound to be, being so cheerful and kindhearted, even helping the old couple at the bookstore, and that elementary school kid and even that Akinari guy whom he had heard had passed away from his illness when he was still in that coma. Yuuki even spent her evenings talking to that drunken monk, much to Shinjiro's horror when he found out by accident one night when he had ran into her whilst she's making her way back to the dorm from the Club Escapade.
During her funeral, he had seen that French fellow, Bebe or something, crying his eyes out, having flown in straight from France. He had presented an extremely beautiful kimono as an offering, crying that he had wanted to give that to her once he is able to return to Japan. Shinjiro still didn't understand what he had meant by that. Even the straight-laced Hidetoshi from the Student Council nearly broke down at her funeral, and Mitsuru had to take him away in order to calm him down.
Shinjiro frowned. He didn't exactly spend the longest time together with Yuuki, and he was so preoccupied with other things at that time that he didn't exactly had the time to think of other boys being after his girl. The brunette growled at the thought of it, and he wondered if he should go back to school after 'meeting' the other members of SEES officially just to keep an eye on Yuuki.
It'll be worth it, and he had already pretty much knew all the stuff that they're teaching at school anyway, as Akihiko had made sure to keep him updated, probably in the hopes that he'll go back to school one day.
Koromaru barked just then, and Shinjiro looked down only to see the dog staring at him pleadingly with those red eyes so much like Yuuki's that it nearly pains Shinjiro to look at the dog for long. "What, done already?" Shinjiro smiled before taking out another can of dog food and emptying it out for Koromaru to enjoy. "I swear that you eat as much as Yuuki."
Yuuki always had a healthy appetite, and Shinjiro was pleased to see that for the first time in a girl. Most girls that he knew were always worrying about their diets and their waistline, and barely ate anything at all. Takeba could work up a pretty decent appetite, but even still, she never ate much unless it's on nights when they have to go to Tartarus.
"I wonder…when did I even start to fall for her…?" Shinjiro whispered, staring up at the blue sky with those fluffy white clouds. He then started to laugh. "Damn… This isn't like me at all. Thinking about the past. Thinking about all the 'what ifs'. I'm not some old man! I can change things." The brunette touched his chest where Takaya had shot him back then. "Aki, I suppose that you're right all along. I was just scared back then because of what had happened with Amada. I have something to live for now, knowing that my life is not just my own. Knowing what I have to do. Knowing all these, and living on for the future… Castor…isn't such a pain in the ass anymore." Shinjiro ignored the growl from the Persona in his head. "My power… I no longer have to fear it."
Koromaru barked again, and Shinjiro looked down only to see Koromaru lying down on the ground by his feet. The brunette smirked and scratched the dog behind the ears that he seemed to enjoy. He then reached into his pocket and drew out a small black notebook and a pen.
'If I can change things like what Theodore had told me, then I can prevent more than Yuuki's death. I can save Kirijo's father from dying. And lots of other things. And if so, I have to plan things out properly.' Shinjiro thought to himself furiously as he started to write out everything that had happened the last time in the book, even the timelines. He wasn't awake for about half of them naturally, but Akihiko had told him everything after his coma, and he had a vague guess as to when and where those events had actually happened.
Shinjiro reached into his pocket and drew out the leather watch that he had given Yuuki the last time around, and smiled a small smile. "I will save you this time. I will not let you die." He whispered.
XXXXXX
Evening
Iwatodai Dorm Lounge
"Alright, let's get going." Takeba Yukari said, all pumped up.
It had been decided a few nights ago that the three juniors of SEES would be heading to the back alley of Tatsumi Port Island to investigate more about the rumoured ghost story circulating around after the mysterious disappearance of Yamagishi Fuuka, also a potential Persona user.
Junpei looks as if he was about to head to the executioner's, judging by the look on his face. In fact, he would probably rather do his homework and study than head to the back alley. "What's your hurry?" he nearly whined, obviously reluctant to go through with Yukari's crazy idea. "I still think that this is a bad idea." He glanced at Yuuki beside him, obviously hoping that she will agree with him. "I mean, bringing two girls THERE is like wandering into a lion's den with steaks strapped to my face. How can you be afraid of ghosts, but not be scared of this?"
Yukari huffed, obviously not wanting to be reminded of her fear of ghosts. "It's easy to get freaked out by something that you can't see, don'tcha think?"
Junpei slumped over, obviously thinking that this is a very bad idea. How bad exactly however, he had no idea. "Actually, I'm more worried about things I can see, like bats and knives!"
Yukari sighed. "Big deal, so it's a little 'dangerous'," she said. "Come on, it'll be an adventure!" And she headed out of the dorm building.
Junpei groaned. "More like a suicide mission," he muttered.
Yuuki glanced nervously at Junpei, with his apprehension making her nervous as well. She suddenly thinks that this is not such a good idea after all. "You'll protect us, right?" she asked nervously.
"H-Huh?" Junpei was taken aback by this comment, before he grinned. "Hey, you know it! Leave it to me! C'mon, let's go!" And he then jogged out of the dorm after Yukari, before being followed by Yuuki.
It was nearly seven in the evening when Shinjiro's stomach decided to sound it's displeasure, and the brunette sighed, pulling out his pocket watch and reading the time on it by the light from the light post that he is currently seated under. He had spent all day at the Naganaki Shrine just noting down every single thing that he could remember from the last time.
"Ah man, it's this late already?" he muttered, before taking a quick glance down the notebook where he had been writing in for nearly the entire day, scanning the contents during the month of June. "So they're going to meet Fuuka soon, huh?" He mused. Shinjiro then frowned. 'Wait. Didn't they do something else before going to rescue Fuuka? What was it again?' Shinjiro tried hard to remember before his memory came back to him, and his eyes widened in horror. 'Shit!'
He then quickly got to his feet and started to run as fast as he could towards Tatsumi Port Island, praying that he'll make it in time before something bad happens. 'Let me make it in time! And if those punks dares to touch even one hair on Yuuki's head, there'll be Hell to pay!'
XXXXXX
"Urgh!" Junpei let out a grunt of pain as one of the punks that hang around the back alley of Tatsumi Port Island punched him in the stomach, and he crumpled to the ground, cradling his stomach.
"Junpei!" Yukari cried out, falling to her knees beside Junpei to help him.
The other punks then begun walking towards the downed Junpei and Yukari, and upon seeing this, Yuuki immediately stood in between her friends and the punks, intent on protecting her friends, a stubborn look on her face.
"Get outta the way, girlie, and we won't hurt you." One of the punks sneered.
Still, Yuuki didn't budge. "You, hurt me? I doubt that you could even hurt a fly."
"Yuuki, stop agitating them!" Yukari groaned. Her eyes then widened in shock when she saw that same punk from before stepping up close to her friend. "Hey! Get away from Yuuki!"
The punk swung one fist at Yuuki who dodged it with ease, and she kneed the same punk in the stomach whilst avoiding another swing of the fist from the punk's friend. 'Thank you, Tartarus,' she thought as she kicked the legs out from beneath the second punk, sending him to the ground.
However, the odds are at eight to one, with her seriously outnumbered. Yukari could probably help to even the odds here, but seriously, Junpei? Okay, maybe she is a little cruel here.
Yuuki dodged out of the way of another swipe, only to have another one of those punks grabbing her from behind by the arms, with another one grabbing hold of her chin. "You know, now that I look up close at you, you're pretty hot," he sneered, his strong cigarette breath nearly suffocating Yuuki and causing her to choke on it. "Tell you what, babe, I'll let your friends walk out of here unscathed, if you just—"
He never completed his sentence, as Yuuki raised one leg and kneed him in between his legs hard, sending him crumpling to the ground like a sack of potatoes. "Sorry pal, I'm not that desperate for a guy." Yuuki spat, a disgusted look on her face, trying to get out of the hold of the guy who is currently grabbing her. "Let go of me!"
"You sure got some fire in you." The first punk from before stepped up to her. He sneered at Yuuki. "I like women with fire." And he then ripped apart Yuuki's shirt collar, causing the top two buttons to rip and give way, revealing her white lace bra beneath. Junpei who is still reeling from the pain of that punch felt his eyes widening, and felt something dripping from his nose before he quickly looked away.
"Yuuki!" Yukari screamed in horror, knowing what is on the minds of those guys now. "Leave her alone!"
"You bastards, what are you doing to her?" Junpei yelled, still not looking at his best friend.
The punk leered lecherously at Yuuki's defiant face, stroking her chin. "You've got a pretty nice body. How about I show you some fun?" He moved his hand down to the rest of the buttons on Yuuki's shirt.
Yukari's eyes widened in horror. "Yuuki!"
There was a dark blur just then, and Yukari turned just in time only to see a dark figure coming out of nowhere and punching the punk that had held Yuuki in the face. There was the sound of a loud crack as everyone present heard the sound of his nose breaking, and Yuuki nearly stumbled and fell to the ground had her saviour not held her in one arm. A swing of a leg at the punk that had full intention to raping her, and he was down for the count.
Yuuki blinked in slight confusion as there was a swish of fabric, and she then realised that someone had put their coat on over her, covering her up. Aragaki Shinjiro was standing there, a particularly dangerous look on his face.
"I didn't know that you people are so desperate for a girl that you'll take to trying to rape one now." Shinjiro hissed, a look of pure anger and hatred on his face. "If you're so desperate for some, go to a brothel or something. They'll happily indulge you, I'm sure."
Yukari and Yuuki both blushed heavily at Shinjiro's words, with the latter tightening Shinjiro's coat around herself. The punks on the other hand looked half-embarrassed half-furious at Shinjiro's words.
"Who the hell do you think you are, dumbass? Stay out of our business!" The punk whom Shinjiro had kicked to the ground lunged a punch at him that was easily dodged, and he head butted the punk, knocking him backwards.
The punk breathed heavily, already nursing several bruises. "Shit…" He spat out a single tooth. "You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive?"
"Say that again to my face, I dare you." Shinjiro threatened, cracking his knuckles together.
The punks looked hesitant. They apparently didn't want to mess with an angry Shinjiro who currently looked mad enough to kill.
Unknown to them however, Shinjiro is mad enough to just let Castor out and let his Persona have his way with them. He had prayed the entire way here that Yuuki will be all right, and when he had heard Takeba's scream not even half a mile away from the back alley, he had put on an extra burst of speed, and arrived only to see the punk from earlier attempting to force himself on his girl.
Very few things can make Shinjiro very furious, and that guy had just made it to his list. And before the brunette even knew what he is doing, he had found himself practically knocking all these guys to the ground.
"Uh… S-Screw this!"
The punk with the broken nose cradled his face, glaring at Shinjiro. "Damn you, Aragaki…" he snarled, sounding a little funny because of his broken nose. "Aragaki Shinjiro! That's right… You're from Gekkou High too, aren't ya?"
"I'll remember this! You had better grow eyes in the back of your head!" One of the other punks howled before all of them ran away, leaving the three SEES juniors and Shinjiro behind in the back alley.
A very long silence fell before Shinjiro turned towards a pale faced Yuuki. "Are you alright?" he asked gently, and Yuuki looked up at him and nodded.
"Thank you for helping us," said Yukari gratefully, putting one arm around a shaking Yuuki.
Shinjiro then frowned at them. "What do you idiots think that you're doing here in the first place? This place isn't for you! Get out of here! What do you think would have happened if I hadn't came by?"
"We came here for a reason!" Yukari blurted out.
Shinjiro stared at Yukari for such a long time that she felt uncomfortable. "For that ghost story business?" he asked at long last.
Yukari looked surprised and hesitant at that. "Um, yeah…" she said, nodding her head. "How'd you know about that?"
Shinjiro sighed, scratching his hair beneath his beanie with one hand. "It's a rumour," he explained. "Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night about all the things that they'd done to some girl called Fuuka."
"Fuuka?" Junpei echoed. "You mean Yamagishi Fuuka from 2-E? They were picking on her?"
"That's why people are saying that it's Fuuka's spirit that did it." Shinjiro said.
"Fuuka's spirit?" Yukari echoed in confusion, her head cocked to one side. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"
Shinjiro raised a brow. "You mean you guys didn't know?" he questioned, though he already knew that they didn't know. "This Fuuka girl might be dead. She hasn't been home in over a week."
"Are you serious?" Junpei gaped in disbelief. "I thought that she was out sick. But she's missing?"
Yuuki turned towards Yukari, a frown on her face, seemingly having slowly gotten over her fright from earlier. "Yukari, the homeroom teacher for 2-E is Ekoda-sensei, right? Does he know about this?"
"I don't know," said Yukari, a confused look on her face.
Shinjiro sighed. "Anyway, that's all I know. Satisfied?" he asked.
Yuuki bowed to Shinjiro. "Thank you very much," she said, and Shinjiro felt butterflies in his stomach at that, and blushed slightly. Thankfully, due to the dim light in the back alley, none of the three juniors saw that. "This…" She tugged at the coat wrapped around her, and Shinjiro placed one hand on Yuuki's hand.
All three juniors stared at Shinjiro at that, and he quickly drew his hand back from Yuuki. "Sorry." Shinjiro coughed nervously. "You can keep it for now. A girl shouldn't be walking back at night with a torn shirt after all. You can give it back to me whenever you see me." He turned a stern glare at Yukari and Junpei who both 'eeped'. "Just don't come back here again, you hear me?" He ordered.
He then left.
A/N: So anyway, do you wish for Shinjiro to return to Gekkoukan High after rejoining SEES? And to answer a few questions, yes, he will be joining them on their trip to Yakushima. I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!