Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!
June 10, 2009, Wednesday, After School
Seth was walking through the streets of Tatsumi Port Island, on his way back to the dorm, when he saw Tsubaki sitting on a bench and take notice of him.
"Oh, Mr. Carter." She said.
"Tsubaki, glad to see you not in a frenzy." Seth jokingly said.
"Jerk!" She pouted. "And here I was about to thank you."
"Well, glad you realized the consequences if you actually went through with it."
"I… I work at a business firm… Or… used to… They laid me and several others off. And to make matters worse, my house was destroyed in a fire, my boyfriend was cheating on me and my car got impounded."
"No wonder you went loco. All that crap happening would make anyone snap."
"My… my parents allowed me to stay at their place until I get back on my feet. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have seen that small light of hope. Thank you very much."
"Good to see you finally smile. It looks cute on you."
"Please, don't flatter me." She mildly blushed while scoffing. "I've got to be ten years older than you."
"Yeah, wouldn't want people thinking you're a pedophile." Seth chuckled.
"Heheh… Please don't say that out loud… People might actually THINK that if you keep saying it…" She said the last statement with gnashed teeth.
June 11, 2009, Thursday, Lunchtime
The lunch period was almost over and Seth was in the restroom, hoping to avoid Homura from scolding him for not having a proper lunch again, when he suddenly got a text message from Akihiko.
Fuuka will be let out of the hospital today. We're going to talk to her this evening. She said she wanted you to be there as well. Meet us in the command room later tonight.
*Looks I I've got my plans for tonight.* Seth thought. *… Shit! Lunch's almost over!*
June 11, 2009, Thursday, After School
With some time to kill before his meeting with S.E.E.S. in the evening, Seth decided to tutor Leliana in understanding Japanese better. Once they were done, he started packing up his things until she spoke up.
"By the way, Seth." Leliana said. "I'm curious as to how come an American like you is at Gekkoukan."
Seth needed to think of something that wasn't technically lying, but not tell her the whole truth. If he lied to her, he would feel guilty about it and think that it was unbecoming of a role model to his younger brother.
"Parents here on business, too?" She guessed.
"… My parents are in the U.S. Army."
"Huh?"
"That's all there is to it."
Grrrrrrr…
Both of their stomachs were growling like dying animals.
"How about we continue this conversation at Wild Duck Burger?" She suggested.
"Agreed."
After ordering their food at Wild Duck Burger, Leliana took a big bite of her cheeseburger.
"Nothing like some good old-fashioned American food!" She signed in content. "I'm still not used to that takoyaki and all those other Japanese dishes."
"I'm already used to it." Seth said. "Considering I've been here for the last few years."
"You said your parents were in the Army. No relatives to take care of you?"
"There's our grandfather… But I'm more or less here for a foreign exchange program."
"Thankfully I'm only here for a year. After that, it's back to home sweet home. Back to regular food, regular bath, showers, all of it. Oh, and I won't have to take the train again! It's so packed in there I think someone tried to grope me on several occasions."
"Sounds like you're having a rough time here."
"But enough about that. Our food's getting cold."
June 11, 2009, Thursday, Evening
In the command room at the S.E.E.S. dorm, Seth was leaning against a wall while everyone else was sitting down since all of the seats were taken.
"Fuuka Yamasgishi, I presume?" Ikutsuki asked her.
"Y-yes." Fuuka answered as she stood up.
"Why are you so nervous, Fuuka?" Seth asked. "We're all friends here."
Fuuka's body relaxed after Seth's assurance and sat back down.
"Anyway, both of your groups did an excellent job of uncovering the truth of the Gekkoukan ghost." Ikutsuki continued.
*How long did it take him to come up with that?* Seth winced from the lame name.
"In other news, the three girls who were found unconscious at the school gates have woken up." Ikutsuki stated.
Fuuka breathed a sigh of relief.
"I knew it was all just a stupid rumor." Yukari said.
"Then why were ya scared, huh Yuka-tan?" Junpei playfully nudged her arm.
Yukari punched Junpei in the arm.
"It's all my fault…" Fuuka muttered.
"No, Fuuka." Seth said. "You, and eventually those girls, were victims. The only thing those girls are to blame for is you getting locked up in the gym. They had no idea you'd get lost in Tartarus."
"But… I made everyone worry…" Fuuka said.
"Hey, don't think like that." Yukari tried to comfort her.
Mitsuru stood up and walked up to Fuuka. "Some of us wouldn't be here were it not for your assistance. At the very least, you should feel good about that. Like us, you have special powers that can help others."
"You mean… what we all did the other night?" Fuuka inquired.
"We call it 'Persona'." Mitsuru clarified. "You would be a tremendous help in our fight. Will you join us?"
"Mitsuru-senpai…" Fuuka mumbled before being lost in thought for a moment.
*Remember what I said, Fuuka.* Seth thought. *Don't feel like you have no choice.*
Fuuka stood up resolutely. "I'll do it! I'll help!"
"A-are you sure?!" Yukari questioned. "If you join us, you'll have to live here."
"That's fine." Fuuka replied. "I'd rather live here than at the dorm anyway…"
That last comment made Seth really curious.
"We appreciate it." Mitsuru said. "In a few days we'll have the issues with your living arrangements discussed with your parents and resolved."
"Thank you." Fuuka said. "By the way, Mitsuru-senpai, what did Ikutsuki-san mean by 'both of your groups'?"
"We're actually two different groups with the same goal." Mitsuru answered. "I lead everyone here, except for Seth, to make up S.E.E.S. Seth leads the other group, called Heiwa."
"We alternate nights when exploring that tower we were in the other night." Seth said. "In special cases, we join forces."
"Mitsuru-senpai, if I were to join, would that mean I won't be able to help Seth-kun?" Fuuka asked.
"Hm?" Mitsuru was a little surprised by her question. "I hadn't taken that into consideration…"
"Do you want to help us, too, Fuuka?" Seth asked.
Fuuka turned around to Seth and nodded.
"… Mitsuru, do you think it's possible for Fuuka to help both teams on their excursions?" Seth asked. "If she's simply support, she shouldn't get nearly as tired as the rest of us. There'd be little to no hazard to her health."
"That would work well." Mitsuru replied. "You think quickly, Mr. Carter."
*I told you to call me 'Seth', but no point in arguing, is there?* He thought.
"Now onto the topic of the special Shadows." Ikutsuki interrupted. "We still don't know where they came from, but at the very least we know their appearances coincide with the full moon."
"So they're like werewolves?" Junpei asked.
"Now we know when to expect them." Akihiko stood up. "Gives us time to train up and prepare for the next one."
June 12, 2009, Friday, After School
The whole day, Seth was concerned about how Fuuka was doing on her first day of school since winding up in Tartarus. Just as he got up from his desk, he got a text message from Kaito.
Meet me in front of the fountain at Paulownia Mall. I need to talk to you.
As soon as Seth entered Paulownia Mall, he saw Kaito standing in front of the fountain at the center of the mall and walked over to him.
"There you are." Kaito said.
"What did you want t-" Seth was about to say until Kaito placed his hand over his mouth.
"Shh…" Kaito hushed and whispered. "Keep your voice down."
"What's this about?" Seth asked while whispering.
"I wasn't sure of it until now, but it's become more apparent over the last few weeks. Someone's been spying on me whenever I'm not in school or at my dorm."
"Want me to take care of them?"
"If you find them, yes, please. There's a tournament coming up. Perhaps they're trying to analyze my tech game and formulate a plan around it."
"That's not very honorable. And what makes you think I'm not the spy? I'm practically your sparring partner."
"Your name's not on the current roster, the spy is keeping themselves in the shadows and I trust you."
"You trust me?"
"I trust you more than anyone with this." After that, Kaito resumed speaking in a normal tone. "Anyway, do want to have some snacks in the food court?"
"Sure." Seth nodded and also spoke in his regular voice.
After they got to the food court, Kaito had to use the restroom so Seth waited in line to order. It was at that moment he saw a girl with long dark hair and wearing a Gekkoukan uniform running out of the food court in a hurry.
*Could that… be the spy?* Seth thought. *It'd make a bit of sense. No one would suspect a girl to know anything about video games, damn stereotyping… Now that I know what she looks like, I'll confront her next time I see her.*
June 13, 2009, Saturday, Early Morning
Seth was walking toward campus looking incredibly tired.
"That homework took a hell of a lot longer than I thought…" He yawned and mumbled to himself. "Did the teacher HAVE to make it so damn long and due within a day?"
In an instant, he noticed a familiar set of dark locks passing by him. Before he could properly observe, it was as if she had blended into the crowd like a chameleon.
*She's pretty damn good at hiding, that's for sure.* He thought.
June 13, 2009, Saturday, After School
If the girl was going to Paulownia Mall where Kaito would be, Seth knew he had to wait near the entrance and act casual until she showed up. To do so, he simply pretended to read one of his textbooks on the bench near the fountain. As soon as she entered and was about to walk past Seth, he quickly grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"C-could you let me go, please?" She asked.
"You've been following around a certain someone I know." Seth said. "Leave him alone before I call the cops on you."
"P-please don't!" She panicked. "I'm not doing anything wrong!"
"Except for cheating!"
"What?!"
"I know you're spying on my friend to give your clients an edge in the upcoming tournaments!"
"I would never do that to Kaito-kun!"
"So you admit to spying on him?"
"O-okay, yes. I was watching him from a distance, but I'd never wish for him to fail in something he loves!"
He still didn't believe her and wasn't sure how to get a genuine confession out of her. However, whatever he had to do, it had to be quiet since some people were starting to stare and wonder if they should call the police on him.
"So why were you stalking him?"
She seemed incredibly hesitant to answer.
"Answer to me or the police."
"I… I like him okay?"
"… Eh?"
"You know those girls in manga who always sneak around the guys they like?"
"So… you're not a spy plotting against Kaito… You're just a yandere?" He said before thinking to himself. *I'm not sure whether this is unexpected or painfully predictable…*
"… Are you still taking me to the police?"
"Did you break into Kaito's house?"
"No."
"Have you killed anyone?"
"Oh God, no."
"Then you're free. Word of advice: You might not want to stalk Kaito while he's in the arcade. He's gotten pretty suspicious and asked me to handle it."
"I… guess it's my own fault… Karma was just getting back at me for skulking around someone's private business like that."
"Why don't you actually talk to him?"
"Wha?!"
"You won't get anywhere in a relationship keeping quiet. Try to become his friend first."
"Er, that's… kind of difficult…"
"Why?"
"Well, I'm… kinda shy… No, REALLY shy. You're the longest conversation I've had with a…"
"… With a boy?"
She sucked in and bit on her lips while nodding profusely.
"Would you like to overcome your shyness?"
She nodded harder and faster than before.
"I'm Seth. Can you at least tell me your name?"
She still couldn't speak to him. Despite groaning in his head, Seth took out a pencil and a piece of paper and handed it to her.
"Wait, how come you had no problem talking to me a moment ago?"
Her only response at the moment was lifting up a finger to signal that she would be a minute, handing him the paper when she was done.
"'My name Hotaru Katsuki (Age 16) and I was so scared of getting molested that I completely forgot about my shyness.' A bit too convenient, but whatever. Next time we meet let's try to get over that problem."
June 14, 2009, Sunday, Daytime
With nothing better to do today, Seth just decided to walk around town aimlessly until something came to him. It was incredibly boring, especially since practically everyone was off doing their own things. However, a possible candidate came to his mind and he went to the cemetery to see Makoto just sitting on a bench near his father's grave.
"Nothing better to do?" Seth asked as he approached Makoto.
"Heh, that's supposed to be my question." Makoto replied. "At least you have a social life."
"Ugh…" Seth groaned. "Time for the clichéd 'what do you mean'…"
"My father never allowed me to interact with other children. I was always encouraged to study and live up to his expectations. Though make no mistake, he cared for me very much. He only did it so I would know how to handle myself in the future."
"So you had no friends growing up?"
"Not even acquaintances or siblings."
"Wow, you REALLY lack social skills."
"What about you? You seem like you have many friends."
"I do. And a kid brother, only two years younger than me, but the way he acts make him seem ten. Though I'm joking about him now, he really means everything to me."
"Has anyone ever told you how lucky you are?"
"I really am, aren't I?"
"I'm jealous, actually…"
"Not for much longer, I hope. How about you start with me?"
"Hm?"
"I can be your first friend."
"Tch… Hehahahaha! Never thought I'd have the day! Or are you just taking pity on me?"
"Can't I have more than one reason?"
"So you DO pity me…"
"More than that, you already became my friend when we first met. Pity had nothing to do with it… at least at that time."
"Heh… You REALLY are strange… At least to me…"
Seth and Makoto spent the rest of the day talking about various topics.
June 14, 2009, Sunday, Evening
While working on his homework in his dorm room, Seth's phone started going off and he answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Mr. Seth Carter." Theo's voice spoke through the phone. "I am calling to inform you of another change in Tartarus."
"The second barrier's been lifted? That's great! My friends and I can resume our excursions tomorrow!"
"Why not tonight?"
"After taking on those Full Moon Shadows, I prefer my team to take a break for at least a week. We all deserve it considering how taxing of a fight it was."
"I understand."
"Thanks for calling. Otherwise, we wouldn't know about it… except maybe from S.E.E.S."
When their call ended, Seth resumed his homework, but didn't write down anything for a few seconds.
"… Dammit! Lost my concentration!"
He looked over it all again for a few seconds.
"It's no use… I almost had it, too…"
A/N: This chapter's taken me long enough to write, so I'm just going to end it here. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Stay tuned for next time! Here are the current Social Link ranks:
Heiwa (Fool) – Rank 4
Junpei (Magician) – Rank 4
Fuuka (Priestess) – Rank 1
Mitsuru (Empress) - Rank 2
Akihiko (Emperor) – Rank 2
Homura (Lovers) – Rank 4
Theodore (Hermit) – Rank 2
Nobuo (Fortune) – Rank 2
Daichi (Strength) – Rank 2
Makoto (Death) - Rank 3
Hardcore Gamer (Temperance) - Rank 3
Emi (Devil) – Rank 2
Troubled Woman (Tower) – Rank 2
Leliana (Star) - Rank 2
Shy Stalker (Sun) – Rank 1