I present to all of you another chapter. I have a lot of free time. Yeah...
Thank you readers. Thank you nanasarpong30655, AitsukaMeimi for following/favoriting. Thank you Rosalinda Lancaster Leonhart for the review.
"Yu Narukami is like our leader," Teddie said enthusiastically. It was the start of classes. The seven of them were on their way to Gekkoukan High School. During their walk to the station, Teddie decided to describe what the Investigation Team was like. She smiled at how much their group reminded her of her own. "Sensei is really cool! Just like you Mina-chan."
"You think, I'm cool?" Minako asked, tilting her head the side.
Teddie nodded eagerly and said, "You're beary awesome!" Minako blushed and thanked him meekly. She tried to think of what she did that made her "cool" in someone's eyes. But all she remembers were the time she cried or collapsed from exhaustion. Maybe it's my appetite, she thought. Yeah, that's gotta be it.
When the monorail arrived, Minako was still deep in thought. She failed to hear the light bickering of Ryoji and Teddie.
"Stop flirting with Minako," Ryoji whispered indignantly.
"I wasn't flirting with her!" Teddie refuted quietly.
"Stop fighting you two," Shinjiro said as he passed by them. "You already lost to her." He pointed at Aigis.
"Please watch your step, Minako-san," Aigis said, offering a hand to the girl. Minako absently took it and let the the blonde guide her. They sat down, followed by Ken and Labrys.
Ryoji and Teddie stared at Aigis with disbelief before rushing inside. They stood in front of the crimson-eyed girl when they saw that the seat on both her sides were occupied. Aigis glared at them and placed an arm in front of the girl. Minako failed to notice what was happening because she was still in trapped in her own world.
"I will protect Minako-san from the likes of perverts such as you," Aigis said.
"Ai-chan," The incredulity on Teddie's face grew. "Why are you talking like that?"
"I'm not a pervert," Ryoji said defensively.
Aigis stared at him blankly before saying, "Kyoto." This shut Ryoji up.
Labrys, smiled proudly at her sister. I taught you well, she thought.
"You guys should go to the teachers' faculty room. We'll just meet at the rooftop later during the break."
"Sure thing, Ken," Labrys waved and followed Aigis and Teddie.
Ken turned to the trio behind him. Minako looked like she was back to her usual self. "Let's see which class we're in," he said, hiding his excitement.
"I hope we're in the same class," Minako said putting her hands together, praying to the gods that her wish would come true. She closed her eyes and muttered something before opening it again and making her way through the crowd, to the board. After a few minutes she was pushed out. She stood and pouted.
"Can't get through..." Moments later she tiptoed to see the board. After few second she decided to give up. Her shoulder slumped as she kept cursing her short height.
She turned to her side and saw Ken trying to find their names. For the first time, she realized that Ken was the taller than Shinjiro. He must be about five centimeters taller than Shinji...
Then it hit Minako that she was the shortest out of all of them. Shinjiro and Ken, to her, are giants. Ryoji and Aigis may not be as tall as them but they are still taller than her. Teddie is as tall as Ryoji, and Labrys is as tall as Aigis. "Life is such a poop."
"Did you say something?" Shinjiro looked down at her. She shook her head and decided to let it go.
It doesn't matter anyway, she thought. She wasn't trying to convince herself. That is what she really thinks. She glanced at Ken again before looking away. He's grown so much...
Ken moved on with his life just like everyone else. Meanwhile, here she was, still the same - not moving forward. Ryoji may be on the same boat as her but he has a can to live a normal life here with everyone if he wants to; there is a seal, after all preventing the fall. Shinjiro, on the other hand, surely changed, though it was barely noticeable. Wherever he came from, before all of this, he had a life.
Whatever... I'll just enjoy the time I have now.
"We're on the same class!" Ken exclaimed. Ryoji and Minako rejoiced at the news, while Shinjiro just smirked and watched the two. "Well let's go?"
"Yes sir!"
The whole class, especially Ken, Minako, Ryoji and Shinjiro, were astonished. They stared at the three eccentric-looking transfers students.
"Wow, they look so gorgeous!" a girl whispered to the other beside her.
"I know right? That blond guy looks so cute!"
"Man those two girls are hot!"
"Shut up man. They're way out of your league."
"We have all six transfer students!"
"Oh yeah, Arisato-san and those two guys transferred here before the finals."
The teacher cleared her throat, effectively silencing everyone. "All of you probably know who I am, but for those who don't, I am Isako Toriumi, your homeroom teacher for this year. I'll also be teaching you composition." She turned to the three and told then to introduce themselves.
Aigis was first. "I am Aigis and this is my sister Labrys. I hope we get along." Then she bowed. Labrys followed suit.
Now all eyes were on Teddie. "I am Teddie. Please take care of me." He winked, making all girls, except for the two mechanical maidens and Minako, to swoon. Shinjiro lets out an exasperated sigh while Ryoji glared at his rival. Teddie gave the raven-haired boy a smug smile in return.
Miss Toriumi clapped her hands, making them stop. She assigned where the three would sit. Ken, Minako, Shinjiro, and Ryoji were still on the same sitting arrangement. Aigis sat beside Minako. Labrys, directly in front of Minako. And Teddie, directly in front of Ryoji, on Labrys' left.
For the whole day, people kept glancing them. The six transfers students and the school's "prince" all on the same spot.
Amazing, thought some of the students.
"Well, we're stuck together. Forever," Shinjiro groaned.
Minako turned to look at him. "You say it as if it were a bad thing, Shinji."
"Minako!" She turned abruptly to see Ms. Toriumi looking her way. "Eyes here."
Akihiko sat at the dorm's footsteps. He came too early so he decided to wait outside. He wanted to talk to his best friend about the girl who kept giving him the recurring feeling of something.
"Akihiko-senpai?" He looked up and saw Junpei walking up to him. Behind him was Yukari. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to ask Shinji something. How about you two?"
Yukari and Junpei looked at each other. Yukari nodded at Junpei, gesturing for him to answer. "We met along the way and found out that the both of us wanted to apologize to that Arisato girl."
"I see... You guys wanna go somewhere?" Akihiko suggested. "We can always come back later."
"Sure, why not? What about you Yuka-tan?"
"I don't mind. Do you guys have a place in mind?" Akihiko shrugged.
"I know a place," Junpei said. He moved and the two followed him. They looked at him curiously when they noticed that he was heading for the flower shop, Rafflesia.
"Uh Junpei," Akihiko called out. He looked at the shop uneasily. "Why here?"
"To buy some flowers," Junpei said.
"Okay... But why?"
"Well..." Junpei looked at the around. Nostalgia swept over him. His eyes softened as he smiled. "I wanted to buy some for Chidori... Also I forgot to visit Makoto on his anniversary."
Yukari guiltily looked away. "I was so caught up on things that I forgot..." Akihiko nodded, feeling the same way.
"Well," Junpei heaved the two bouquets up. "This is our chance to make up to him."
"Makoto, guess what! All of us in the dorm are in the same class! Isn't that great!?" She stared at the headstone. Her beaming face did not falter when no one answered. She already expected that to happen.
"Oh yeah, Ms. Toriumi is my homeroom teacher again. She still the same as before. I heard she has a boyfriend now." She kneeled down. "Do you think she'll get married soon?" Makoto's spirit chuckled at her behavior.
Minako's phone suddenly rang. She took her crimson phone out from her pocket and checked who was calling before answering. "Hello... Okay I'll be back soon, Ken-kun." The call ended. "I almost forgot. They gave me this phone for my birthday." She smiled at it before pocketing it. She gazed at the stone before taking a deep breath.
The air around her suddenly became sober. "I'm still confused though. So many things are happening now. And no matter how much I think about it, so many things just don't add up."
Minako sat on the ground and crossed her legs. "Why was Shinji in that tower? Why does he remember me? And Ryoji. Was he here because of me? Were they here because I wanted them to be here? And how the heck did all those people got stuck in that tower!?" Silence.
"Why do they have to forget me?" she whispered. Makoto looked at her sadly. Looking at Minako now, she looked like a pouting child complaining about her food having vegetables. But inside she was confused and lost.
"I don't even know where to begin investigating. All I know is that those shadows maybe related to it... Do you know something about this? If you do please give me a sign, if you can. Alright?"
She checked her watch for the time. She gave one last smile before leaving. "I have to go now. Bye, Mako-chan." She stopped by the cemetery's exit. "I'll wait for you guys by the playground. Go do what you came for now."
Bewildered, Akihiko, Junpei, and Yukari came out from their hiding place. They wondered how the girl knew. Maybe it's because of one of her personas, Akihiko thought, recalling the time he first saw her.
Minako glanced over her shoulder to look at them. "You guys grew up so much too..."