A/N: Thank you for your patience. I know it has been almost a month since the last update, and as I predicted, work is driving me up a wall… literally, sometimes. Anyhow, this chapter was an exercise in patience for me, as I didn't get as much thinking time for each segment as I usually do. It didn't help that I didn't like the first 2,500 words or so and rewrote that part a week or so ago. Character development is a sticking point for me as an important facet to remember. There is some experimentation on my part because I felt that without taking some risks there wouldn't be an opportunity for improvement. This is particularly true toward the latter half of this chapter as I try to fit the puzzle pieces together into something that makes some kind of remote sense. One example of a piece would be how Ikutsuki seemed to be in a hospital room with a bunch of patient records last chapter. This will make sense once you read this chapter. I made sure to provide the characters' rationale for their thinking and actions… maybe a bit too thoroughly, but I think it is essential in understanding where and why the story is going. Oh, I went a bit nuts on the length of the author's note and reader reviews. I pondered where to cut the chapter off and truncated it a bit shorter than recent chapters because it would be difficult to fit in what I wanted without the chapter ballooning into an unwieldy behemoth. I originally had the part about the suicide mission into the alleyway where Shinjiro rescues the team, but I found that it didn't really add anything of value and cut it out. Things will begin to whirl again next chapter and this chapter was heavily focused on Hamuko and Minato. As I've stated before, I'm not really into statistics, but this story reaching over 100 followers is quite impressive so cheers to you guys and gals who take the time to read this story. Thank you as always!
Final Update: Added in my beta's changes.
Reader Reviews:
Yoshikunitsu: I've always thought that Yukari is a bit one-dimensional early in the game. Of course, that is partly by design and her character develops later on. I think Minato's backstory is a message of hope against all odds, but we aren't even close to it yet. Minato seems to bear his secret without revealing anything too substantial, but as you'll see in this chapter, the stress is starting to get to him. Mitsuru's constant badgering would drive anyone to the edge, so to speak. Still, she's reacting like a normal person would. Questioning of the unknown, but her reaction speaks volumes of her inherent paranoia that Minato is hiding something substantial. Lastly, I think Minato was always a certain archetype of personality (laid-back, quiet) and got pigeonholed a bit in the game and because of that he isn't going to really link well socially with others unless he puts the effort in. Thanks for the encouragement!
rydia3791: Good to see you. This chapter will answer your theory. I hope that it doesn't seem too convoluted and had this planned before I wrote this particular chapter. Yes! That was what I was aiming for with Mitsuru's thoughts. The irony can be a bit over the top, but I think it adds some reality to the situation and S.E.E.S. not just going along for the ride. The consequences of that distrust begin to bloom in this chapter. They are beginning to go on their own divergent paths and it leaves the question of how things can possibly be resolved or if it is already too late. I think Minato's introspection is really what drives his actions in the story, and glad you liked his explanation to Margaret.
Sir-Godot: Hamuko doesn't yet have a social link with Minato. I've been beating around the bush for a while and still haven't cleared it up yet, but I have it in mind. One of the ideas that I had for the card being reversed was that Minato is already using the Personas in that arcana so what would Hamuko use? I actually don't have the answer to that yet, aha. The part about Maiko being the mediator for their social link is really close to the truth because I wrote this chapter like the revival flags that were used in Chidori's link with Junpei during P3FES. The scene at Wild-Duck Burger is its own flag that sets up what will finally break things down… I think. I'm jazzed that you liked the explanation of the Wild Card! I thought about it a lot and really tried to think of an explanation that was both simple and effective. The Wild Card to me almost seemed like a map hack that let Minato choose what outcome he wanted when he talked to people before. Yukari's anger at him will be short-lived I think, and is just because of her own history. On the other hand, Mitsuru seems to be wading into more dangerous waters. I can't answer it more clearly because it is still rolling around in my head. Thanks for the informative review, as usual!
RomanceDagger: I did think about that possibility and had some stuff written for it before I had written the previous chapter. Still, I think you'll be satisfied with why there wasn't overt meddling with the explanation that is given in this chapter. Your guess is as good as mine, but yeah, I think you're right, haha.
crymblade: You make a great point. I think this is one of the main existential questions that Minato has to answer for himself because no one will have the answer for him. Well, Hamuko may in the future, but for now he is very much alone in determining whether the relationships that he had built up before were truly genuine or manufactured for gain. The Universe Arcana in the game I thought was always a bit lacking on the explanation. In my opinion, it is a manifest of the relationships that the protagonist built up during the game, but as each character says their bit I thought that it seemed a bit on the shallower side. Minato seemed to be there for each social link, but he was really just a listener with some deeds sprinkled in. The Great Seal may not have been so great because it was the result of bonds that were based on feelings of gratefulness and not because of a deeper connection. And I talked way too much. I blame the Wild Card for being too omniscient in letting people in the game hear what they want and thus making the Great Seal both unnecessary and not nearly strong enough.
Chapter 20: Impulse
May 30th, Saturday (Gekkoukan High, Morning)
Hamuko P.O.V.
Soft whispers from a couple of students filled her ears as Hamuko arrived early to the classroom, put down her schoolbag on her desk, and mentally prepared herself for the daily grind. She had decided to get to school earlier than usual because she wanted to get away from Yukari. Her brunette friend had arrived upset to the dorm last night because of something Minato said, though Hamuko never found out what he said exactly. Consoling Yukari drained Hamuko of her energy and she didn't even know when she had been allowed to go to sleep.
Putting that all aside, Hamuko heard snippets of conversations going on around her and they were all about an unconscious girl found at the gates this morning by one of the security guards. Hamuko felt that Tartarus may be involved, but it wasn't like she knew anything about the girl in question. There really wasn't really much to go on and she decided that the others would probably have a better idea about the whole situation than she did. Soon enough, Junpei sauntered in, took a beady look at Hamuko, and quickly pulled up his desk chair towards her.
"Morning. Hamuko." Without waiting for a response Junpei cupped his hand near Hamuko's ear. "Did you hear about what happened today? They said a girl went missing last night from our school, but that they found her unconscious this morning in front of the school gates."
"Yeah, I heard Junpei. Only the entire student body is talking about it." Hamuko said a bit sardonically, then lowered her voice to an undertone and said, "Do you think Tartarus has anything to do with this?"
"Nah," Junpei said, looking rather sure of himself. "Why would that girl even be around the school during that time? If she went in there I don't think she would've been found alive this morning, if you know what I mean."
"I guess you have a point, Junpei," Hamuko replied darkly, and took a look at her cellphone clock. Class was going to start soon and there was still no sign of Yukari and Minato. She half-wondered if this was really a coincidence or not.
"I'm glad you agree." Junpei said. "Though, this case is even hard for Junpei Iori, Ace Detective."
"More like, Stupei, Ace Defective." Yukari had appeared as if on cue and took her usual seat, all the while giving Junpei a glowering look. There was no doubt that she was still not in a good mood.
"Hey, I resent that, Yuka-tan!" Junpei said looking a bit offended. "Where have you been anyways? And where's Minato, have you seen him anywhere?"
Yukari ignored Junpei's latter question and said, "I've been talking to the unconscious girl's teacher, and she still hasn't woken up. They can't even say what's wrong with her exactly, but it seems like her condition isn't improving. I saw her on my way back from archery practice yesterday and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with her at the time. "
"Whoa, that's really strange." Junpei scratched his goatee and looked bewildered as if he were in the middle of an exam.
"She wasn't doing anything suspicious at the time?" Hamuko asked.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, though I was preoccupied pushing Minato out of the way," Yukari said.
"What were you two lovebirds doing together after school, Yuka-tan?" Junpei teased, and Yukari responded by stomping on his foot, causing him to jump up and down in pain.
Hamuko smirked at the results of Junpei's tactless question, but it did reignite her interest. Just what had happened on the way back to the dorm between Yukari and Minato?
In the end, Minato managed to make his way into class moments before the final bell rang and he took his usual seat. Hamuko noticed how he seemed to edge his desk as far away from Yukari as possible without drawing too much attention to himself.
(Gekkoukan High Corridor, After School)
Minato P.O.V.
Minato stayed silent the entire day and tried to appear aloof to avoid giving Yukari any opening to ostracize him. Junpei and Hamuko attempted to get him to speak up, but he pretended to not have heard them. Hamuko in particular kept on poking him with her pencil, but he persisted in being unresponsive. Class was now over and Minato wondered how he would spend his time. The next full moon was still over a week away and the team had already reached the checkpoint in the Arqa block. There was no way to get past the barrier that sealed the next floors of Tartarus. As he packed his stuff up everyone around him continued fussing about that unconscious girl and wondering whether the incident was directly related to a ghost story floating around in the rumor mill. Try as he might, the topic couldn't really hold his attention even for a small amount of time. Yukari's outburst toward him last night had him contemplating whether being aware of everything was really a curse or a gift. Feigning ignorance at every turn seemed to test his patience more with each passing day.
As he walked past a crowd of conniving girls that discussed how to best gain Akihiko's attention, Minato felt it was probably a good idea to try to take his mind off of things for a while. The group of girls stopped talking when they noticed him passing by and looked at him all doe-eyed. Dominating his exams had gotten him into good graces with the teaching staff, but at the same time had put him on the radar of a lot of girls that he didn't want to be bothered by. Minato needed some time alone to clear his head and he decided to go and visit the shrine to pray for his soul, what was left of it anyways.
(Naganaki Shrine, After School)
Hamuko P.O.V.
Her black school shoes clicked rhythmically on the sidewalk pavement as Hamuko walked towards the shrine after class. No one really seemed to care about this place since some parts of the shrine were falling apart in places and there were some cracks in the sidewalk as well. Regardless, Hamuko felt she had to come here again after the strange incident here five days ago, and felt a strange pull from this place. Hamuko had been itching to figure out what had happened and why a new social link refused to form in her mind. The Velvet Room had not even provided a cryptic clue to her question, and she felt that she had to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the Hanged Man Arcana. When she reached the zenith of the steps of the shrine it was with some surprise that she saw Maiko wasn't playing alone, but with Minato of all people.
Hamuko's fiery crimson eyes briefly locked with Minato's distant cobalt ones and it was as if they engaged in an impromptu staring contest.
"Wow, do you two know each other?" Maiko looked sweetly between the two of them with her eyebrows arched in curious wonder.
Hamuko tore her gaze away from Minato and said, "Yes, you could say we're acquainted. We both go to the same high school."
"Really? That must be pretty neat," Maiko replied.
Minato didn't say anything in response and must've thought that Hamuko's answer sufficed. That was so typical of him, she thought. After all, Hamuko wasn't feeling particularly enamored with Minato at the moment after he had ignored everyone, herself included, at school. It wasn't Hamuko's fault that Yukari wore her emotions on her sleeve and was prone to going off.
Still, Hamuko couldn't resist from badgering Minato so she sarcastically said, "I see that you still aren't talking with anyone today."
He gave her a blank look and said, "I like talking to Maiko, and what happened with Yukari is her business, I barely did anything."
"It was pretty obvious that she was still mad at you, Minato. What did you say anyways?" Hamuko really wanted to hear firsthand what had happened.
"I just said something out of turn, I suppose. Anyhow, I don't think we should be having this conversation while Maiko is still here. I'll fill you in on the details later if you promise to stop badgering me now."
"I'm starting to get hungry," Maiko interrupted, and looked a bit antsy. "Why don't we all go to Wild-Duck Burger?"
"Sure, let's go," Hamuko replied, which caused Maiko's face to lighten up. "You're coming along too, aren't you, Minato?"
"Yeah, why not?" he replied.
It was an interesting trip to Wild-Duck burger as they picked up a lot of folk glancing at them as they walked by. Hamuko figured it was because of the wild assortment of hair color in their group. After waiting in a busy and loud line, Hamuko ordered Maiko a kids' meal while Minato and Hamuko got the same combo meal.
"I love going out to eat! This is yummy!" Maiko exclaimed as she eagerly ate her food with both hands. "It even comes with a free toy!" The toy was a turquoise and white colored duck, wearing red overalls with the Wild-Duck logo on it, and when Maiko pressed a pulled the string out of the duck's back it walked about their tabletop, making an obnoxious quacking noise.
After laughing a good deal at the toy's antics her throat felt dry, so Hamuko sipped on her soda and was disappointed with how watered down it tasted. She opened the lid on her drink and saw there were barely any carbonated bubbles. She decided to peel open the wrapper on her burger, but it was so tightly wrapped that she had to pry open the foil using the tips of her fingernails. Then, she proceeded to open a slew of condiments, drawing a smiley face on the beef patty which drew a smile out of Maiko. That's when Hamuko noticed that Minato hadn't touched his food.
"Minato, aren't you going to eat anything?" she asked, giving him a quizzical look just before she took her first bite.
"I'm not that hungry," he replied.
"Hmph, I bet it's because you're too embarrassed to ask for help with your food because of your arm." Hamuko scowled and reached over for his burger. Just before her hand was about to reach his food, Minato palmed her hand with his left hand and she pulled back abruptly. To hide her embarrassment she took a vicious chomp of her fries, even though she felt an unpleasant heat creeping into her face.
Maiko noticed the awkward tension in the air as she stopped playing with her new toy. The incessant quacking from its mouth stopped and the small girl looked disappointed as she gazed at their faces. "Are you guys fighting?"
"Of course not, Maiko," Hamuko quickly interjected. "What makes you think we're fighting? Minato is just being a bit stubborn and not asking for help when he obviously needs it."
"I don't need help, Hamuko, especially coming from you." The way Minato said this forced Hamuko to practice some serious self-control. He was definitely trying to goad her, but it wasn't going to work this time. She had learned from before.
"You see?" Hamuko put on a false cheery air and gestured towards Minato. "All boys are like this. They're afraid to ask girls for help. Isn't that so silly?" There was no way that Hamuko was going to lose this battle of wills so easily. Instead of getting baited by his charade Hamuko wanted to see what would happen when she could keep a level head.
However, Maiko threw a wrench in her plan as she said, "Is that why my parents want to get a divorce? Is it because my dad won't listen?"
Hamuko tried to dig herself out of her own hole, but Minato was the one to answer.
"It isn't that simple, Maiko," Minato replied in a kind and understanding tone that Hamuko had a hard time processing was coming from him. "No one except your parents know why exactly they want to divorce. They have their reasons, but in no way is it your fault."
"Thanks!" Maiko seemed to cheer up greatly at Minato's words. "You really know a lot about this stuff!"
The hours seemed to pass quickly at Wild-Duck Burger after a rocky start. Maiko genuinely enjoyed their company and Hamuko couldn't help but feel the positive energy that radiated from her. It was worth spending time with her, social link or no social link, that much was for certain. Hamuko and Minato walked with Maiko and saw her off before the sun had set, standing side by side, waving to the little girl.
"Let's get back to the dorm, Minato. And on the way, tell me what happened with Yukari."
Minato nodded grimly, and on the way back he told her of how he and Yukari had witnessed two girls at the school discussing how they had bullied someone. Hamuko learned that Minato merely stated that running away may not be the best solution and that had apparently set off Yukari. "We overheard someone talking about bullying someone and I said that us running away isn't going to do anything. I guess it must've been a sensitive issue for her."
"Hmm, I guess she has a lot of issues. Then again, all of us have things we would rather keep quiet, you know?" Hamuko intoned. "Though, in your case you act like a jerk most of the time so I'm reluctant to ask you stuff. Like, how are you able to summon a second Persona? It seems like everyone else can only summon one except for me."
"That's not completely true," Minato mumbled and looking a bit perturbed. "I can't summon Inugami anymore no matter how much I try."
"When did you do that?" Hamuko asked. She knew that he hadn't been in battle at all.
"There isn't exactly much to do when you guys are exploring Tartarus," Minato mused. "Mitsuru is too preoccupied with her limited support abilities so I just try to keep myself distracted."
"Hey, there's no need to belittle her, Minato," she said, "Mitsuru-senpai is doing the best that she can."
"That doesn't mean that it's good enough. We need better support if we want to get to the top of Tartarus."
"You know, this is why everyone thinks you're a jerk, Minato," Hamuko said. "What you say a lot of the time may be true, but the way you say it doesn't exactly endear you to anyone."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Hamuko," he replied.
"I saw how you acted around Maiko," she scolded him. "Why can't you be like that all the time? It's a lot better than the sullen and sarcastic persona that you constantly wear."
"Is that so?" He gave her a hardened look and said, "Well, you could be more grateful for all the times I've saved your butt out of the fire. Not only you, but everyone else as well. It's like everyone in the dorm seems to forget that and just complain that I'm not looking after myself. Are you really that different though, Hamuko? No. You go around listening to people, help them deal with all of their problems, and always act like nothing is ever wrong in your world. How ridiculous."
Hamuko felt his words sting as he once again turned her word against her. His tone had been morose and his choice of words unduly harsh. Before she could respond he stalked off and pushed open the door to the dorm's lobby.
(Iwatodai Dormitory, Evening)
Hamuko P.O.V.
As Hamuko caught up to Minato she saw that everyone was present with Yukari, Junpei, and Akihiko sitting on the sofa while Mitsuru sat alone opposite them. No one really seemed comfortable, as there were a lot of awkward glances at each other and a general tenseness in the air.
"Welcome back, you two," Mitsuru greeted. Her tone was strictly business and it became clear to Hamuko that something important had happened.
"Hi, senpai," Hamuko answered. "Uh, why is everyone sitting together like this? I don't remember you saying that we would have a meeting today. Unless I forgot?"
"That is correct," Mitsuru said. "However, I wanted everyone here so that I could make an announcement; a decision that I made regarding the group."
"Yeah, Hamuko," Junpei added a bit unconvincingly. "We're just as much in the dark as you guys are. This is cutting into my gaming time, what a pain."
"You spend too much time on games anyways, Junpei," Yukari chided him, but she also didn't seem to have her heart in it.
Akihiko didn't say anything and just had a glazed expression as if he was only here in body.
At last, Mitsuru stood up with a stern look in her eyes and said, "It is my decision to suspend Arisato-kun from all further S.E.E.S. operations until he is fully healed. This is for his own safety more than anything else. Please understand."
There was silence in the lobby despite the fact that every S.E.E.S. member was present. It almost seemed like there was an undercurrent of emotions that was invisible to the naked eye, but everyone no doubt could feel it churning and come closer to bursting.
"I see. I'll be in my room," Minato said and left without another word.
Hamuko wanted to say something to him, but couldn't really think of anything. She was still paralyzed by what he had said moments before and her mind flubbed. Honestly, what could she say? She didn't really have enough courage to confront Mitsuru here and now, so she just had to stay silent.
"Is this really the right choice, Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked, scratching the back of his head clearly troubled by what had just transpired. "He didn't show it, but that look in his eye."
"What else could I have done, Akihiko? He clearly is someone who cannot be trusted not to act on his own, and utilizing his injury will buy us some time to discover if he can become a competent team member."
Junpei spoke up and said, "That's not exactly fair, Mitsuru-senpai. I don't really like the guy, but I respect the fact that he's worked his tail off to save our butts out there. You're punishing him for doing the right thing? That's nuts!"
Hamuko couldn't have articulated that sentiment any better, the only surprise was that Junpei had mentioned something so eloquently.
"I have to agree with Junpei," Yukari said. "I don't think he completely trusts us yet and tend to think that he's off in his own world a lot of the time. That doesn't mean that he isn't a good person, just a bit impulsive. Doing this might cause him to leave the group, and that's something I don't want. I think that at least letting him stay with us during the next mission would be good for both him and the team. Hamuko, what do you think?"
Yukari had put Hamuko on the spot and everyone turned to look at her expectantly. She didn't really have an answer prepared, as she had been merely following the conversation. Hamuko opened her mouth and nothing came out and took a moment to add a cough to buy her some time.
"I think both sides have good points," she said diplomatically. "Yukari's suggestion is good, but we've seen before that Minato would still intervene regardless of his physical state. It's important to point out though that he only does this because we were in severe amounts of danger. I honestly don't know and think part of it is up to him."
"Well said and spoken like a leader," Mitsuru replied, which from her was a shower of praise for Hamuko. "I think it will be beneficial for him to get some rest and avoid having to worry about the health of the team. Regardless, he will be able to participate fully near the middle of next month so this discussion is a moot point."
Would it really end up being an issue that just passed by? Hamuko sincerely doubted it.
June 1st, Monday (After School, Gekkoukan High)
Minato P.O.V.
The calendar had finally turned to a balmy June, and most of the Gekkoukan students had switched their uniforms to their summer versions. As a result, much of the school seemed to be suffering from an advanced case of raging hormones with predictable results. Even Minato wasn't immune to the effects, as he was nearly caught staring at Hamuko's arms during one of the lectures, but he was able to pass it off by deliberately dropping his pencil off his desk and looking away to retrieve it. Minato had to admit that it was nice to see her not completely covered up, and needed to remind himself that it was impolite to stare.
It was odd that he was experiencing these kinds of things, but there wasn't much he could do now since he was a normal student until Mitsuru deemed it otherwise. That wasn't to say that his initial anger at his suspension had died down completely, just that he had put it in the back of his mind where it festered like an old wound. What he wouldn't do now to have avoided injury in the first place. His actions until now were all predicated on helping his teammates, but for what? Maybe he had gotten caught up in the notion of being the savior too much, which was quite ironic, considering one of his strongest Persona had been quite literally a savior. The last time through he always had the answer, even in the last fight when no one else could stand. It wasn't that he craved the need for recognition like Junpei did, but someone who just took his actions at face value for what they were worth. The truth was something that no one would never believe anyways.
Minato got off the train at the station in hopes of finding a girl with a sketchpad. To be frank, he really had no idea what he wanted to say, but talking with Chidori just seemed the right thing for the moment. They were hardly friends, but she was someone who held the key to him getting out of this self-inflicted situation. He hadn't checked here recently, but he saw her sitting in her usual spot with the same expressionless eyes staring out from her face. It was with some trepidation that he gave her a small wave in hopes of breaking the ice.
"It's you," she said without preamble, "I thought that you had stopped coming here."
"Well, I've been pretty busy, Chidori," Minato replied.
"I didn't ask you why," she said.
Minato sighed inwardly and gingerly sat down next to her, but not too close, as she didn't really seem too excited to see him. The prospects of asking her to fix his arm seemed rather bleak at this point. It was some time before she said anything else, and Minato kept his silence, hoping for her to restart the conversation.
"You've changed since the last time we've met," she began, not taking her eyes off her drawing for a second. It was not a question, but a proclamation.
"What do you mean?" Minato asked. She didn't answer and he wondered if she meant how his Persona had changed since the monorail incident. Did Medea really have that kind of ability?
His train of thought broke when Chidori said, "Hey, Minato… Why is it that you continue to wear that sling on your arm?"
"Uh, because my arm hasn't healed yet," he said, a bit confused at the sudden change of topic. "The doctor said that I won't be healed for a couple of more weeks."
Chidori stopped drawing for a second and turned to face him and said in an apathetic tone, "Your arm has already healed. So then, whoever told you otherwise lied to you."
Minato was momentarily stunned and tried to say something. The ramifications of what she said caused his brains to whirl in a multitude of different directions, the most concerning of which was that he had been deliberately mislead. A dull and burning anger replaced the feelings of confusion. After a pause he said, "But, how do you know? I don't feel any pain in my arm, but it isn't like you've checked, have you?"
"Weren't you listening?" she said, annoyed. "You don't need to know how, but now that you know that maybe you can stop coming here."
"Do you really mean that?" Minato replied. "The part about not having these talks anymore?"
"Y-yes," she stuttered and turned away. "I don't want to grow attached to having these conversations with you. My drawings are enough."
"If that's what you really want, Chidori," Minato said. "Thank you for letting me know, and I really appreciate it. I'll still come by here from time to time even though you told me not to."
"You're as stubborn as ever," she said, shaking her head.
(Iwatodai Dormitory, Late Night)
Hamuko P.O.V.
Junpei's stupid ghost story was still rattling inside Hamuko's head. She hadn't thought much of the story, but the way Junpei had presented it caused her to be a bit wary tonight, especially with the Dark Hour only a few minutes away. Of course, her reaction was nothing compared to Yukari's, who had sweaty palms after Junpei's story and constantly told him to shut up. Akihiko and Mitsuru were pretty evil as well, since not only had they egged on Junpei to go on with his story, but also assigned the investigation of the ghost story to Yukari and the rest of the junior members. On the other hand, Minato seemed completely uninterested and Hamuko couldn't really blame him with recent events. She wanted to reach out to him, but he had resisted all overtures. He seemed to be drifting further away from the group and Hamuko was concerned, not only as the field leader, but also as a friend. What would it take through to cleanly break through the barrier he always seemed to have up around himself?
Hamuko twisted and turned in her bed, trying to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. She could still imagine Yukari feverishly typing next door on her laptop, looking for ways to disprove the ghost story. It seemed like that was her way of coping with her extreme fear of ghosts. Hamuko thought it was a bit cute to be honest. Her alarm clock read 11:59 a.m., and she prepared for the inevitable coming of the Dark Hour. Indeed, her entire room became tinged with that repugnant dark green hue. The only surprise was that the mysterious boy in jail clothes materialized from thin air on the end of her bed, greeting her with a wan smile.
"Good evening. It has been some time since we've last talked," he said.
"Why are you here again?" Hamuko mumbled underneath her plethora of blankets. This was partly because she had been afraid that Junpei's warnings about ghosts had suddenly come true. It was only now that her heartbeat had started to calm down.
"Don't you remember? I promised you that I would come see you again," the boy said and sounded a bit disappointed. "How are you? Not that you need to answer that because I know all about you."
This was rather creepy, but Hamuko said, "Lemme sleep, it's getting late."
"But I came to warn you," he said and seemed a bit affronted at her lack of enthusiasm. "In another week, the moon will be full again and a great ordeal will await you. Be careful."
Rather ominous choice of words,she thought. It wasn't just her imagination that the full moon signified another battle against those large Shadows that the team always struggled with no matter how much they prepared beforehand. At least, Hamuko felt some vindication that these did seem to only appear during the full moon and she should take up the issue with Mitsuru or Akihiko before the next major operation just in case.
"Thanks for the warning," Hamuko said at last. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?"
"Now that you mention it, there is one thing," the boy said. "A flower hides itself in your presence, its existence a mystery, yet it feels so familiar."
"Okay?" Hamuko replied in bewilderment and wondering if the boy had lost it.
"I have to go now, but I'll be sure to come by again," he said and once again disappeared as quickly as he came.
The disappearance of the mysterious boy was something to be expected. Hamuko, had gotten used to this, but the last thing he told her about a flower was no doubt a metaphor, at least she hoped it was. Her last thought before falling asleep was that she really needed to get better at unraveling all of these riddles that the Velvet Room and this mysterious boy kept feeding her.
June 4th, Thursday (Gekkoukan High Library, After School)
Hamuko P.O.V.
The library committee meeting was dull as usual, and sorting through the catalogue of overdue books made Hamuko's eyes want to glaze over. She had exchanged awkward greetings with Saori at the start of their shift and hadn't said anything since then. Hamuko's mind wandered about the strange relationship that Kenji and Rio had. It wasn't really her place to play matchmaker for the two as she didn't feel comfortable enough to do such a thing. Kenji, in her opinion was a clueless dolt who had a fetish for old hags and Rio deserved better, but they had this brother and sister thing going on, so Hamuko just let it be for now.
That was when this grotesque and burly girl with arms thicker than Hamuko's thighs stomped into the library. One look at her and Hamuko could tell she was on the warpath and the only question was where she was headed. Unfortunately, the uncouth monster approached the desk and it was all Hamuko could do not to make a snide comment. What transpired was a misunderstanding perpetuated by some guy named Ma-kun and the end results was Saori getting slapped on the face with full force. Hamuko watched all of the events unfold and didn't say anything to let Saori save some face. Although, that seemed like a level of pun that Ikutsuki would make. Saori grabbed the side of her face with her hand and Hamuko saw a nasty hand print.
"Um, are you okay, Saori?" Hamuko asked gently. "I don't really know what's going on, but that looked like it really hurt."
"I-I'm fine, Hamuko," she said weakly. "I didn't expect this to happen, but that girl is really protective of Ma-kun, so I guess I got what I deserved."
"Didn't you say that he asked you out in the first place?" Hamuko replied, a bit in disbelief. "He deserves most of the blame."
"Haha… do you really think so?" Saori seemed to be on the verge of tears. Hamuko could see the droplets already forming on the bottom of her eyelids. "I guess, we should pack up and go home early."
"Don't get too down. I don't think you did anything wrong," Hamuko told her. It seemed like whenever she met Saori, one thing or another happened to her older friend and she always ended up crying. At least they started to get along with each other again. Saori needed all the support from Hamuko she could get.
"T-thank you for believing me," she replied, and together they packed up and walked out of the school, ignoring the glances of anyone else they saw along the way.
Once outside and out of view of the school Hamuko said, "I wish you weren't always treated so badly by everyone. It seems like every time we see each other bad things happen. I want to say I can relate since I'm a transfer student, but it can't really compare the crap you have to put up with."
"You don't have to worry about me…" Saori's voice trailed off, and the two girls soon said goodbye to each other.
June 6th, Saturday (Gekkoukan High, After School)
Minato P.O.V.
He walked up to Mitsuru to deliver his message, disregarding the fact that she seemed preoccupied with a bulletin board in the hallway.
"Mitsuru-senpai, I'm going to be staying over at a friend's house for all of tomorrow. I think I need to spend some time away from the dormitory for a while and wanted to get your permission." Minato tried not to say his practiced lie too quickly.
Mitsuru merely nodded, her gaze not moving from whatever she was looking at. "I expect you back in school on Monday."
She had no questions or concerns, it seemed. Minato would've left either way, but it was good that he officially had permission to leave the dorm for an entire day. Over the course of the last couple of days he had concluded that Mitsuru's meddling was getting out of hand. He didn't have any proof that she was the one that had instructed the doctor to lie to him, but since he went to a Kirijo-operated hospital, there wasn't much more to deduce. If she didn't want him to participate in the next full moon mission with the rest of the team then he would grant her wish.
Instead, he would do something far more reckless and attempt to save Fuuka by himself. The opportunity to fight alone in Tartarus would truly be a trial by fire, but he wouldn't have it any other way. No one would be there to bother him, aside from the Shadows trying to kill him, which he strangely seemed to relish. He didn't want to be hamstrung by teammates that thought he should stay at the dorm and be useless like Ikutsuki. This was his chance to prove to himself that he still could get things done without the Wild Card.
Gaining Fuuka's trust meant a lot this time around because the stakes seemed higher. Rescuing her before the others did would prevent their opinions from tainting what she may think of him. Having Fuuka as an ally would be invaluable as her computer skills and battle support abilities were unmatched, though she was too modest to ever say such a thing. And more importantly, he couldn't forget Fuuka was always supportive of him even in embarrassing situations. More than he would like to admit, Minato craved that type of unquestioning support. What he was planning was selfish no matter what the outcome, but that suited him just fine. He wouldn't have this chance again and he would take full advantage of it.