A/N: Hey all, back with another chapter. I know it's a little shorter than usual but hopefully it'll be enough till the next update, which will be based on a scene from The Answer.

A hangover was something Minato had yet to experience but with no energy, a churning stomach and a migraine, he was sure that he was quite close to having one. Although how he obtained it in the first place still puzzled him. He had only turned Yukari's gun on himself and pulled the trigger to summon that thing that went on to destroy the other things. So how did all these symptoms pop up? It made no sense.

He opened his eyes slightly to see the spinning blades of the ceiling fan. Even though its rotations were slow, the motion was enough to make him dizzy. He then closed his eyes, trying to settle in that bubble of tranquility. It was much harder than he thought and the fact that his senses were still very sensitive did nothing to alleviate the situation. Whispers outside sounded like shouts, and the chemicals from some antiseptic were so pungent that inhaling only added to the discomfort in his stomach.

There was also perfume in the air.

That was strange. Why would there be perfume in a hospital? Maybe it belonged to one of the nurses that had been assigned to him. Yes, it had to be.

"You're awake!"

The voice was so loud it made Minato's ears rings and he turned to his left to see Yukari sitting beside him. So that was the source of the perfume. He would have glared at her for startling him but decided it was not worth the effort. And here I thought it was some nurse.

"Do...you mind...just...speaking softer?" Minato said, propping himself up to lean against the pillows.

"Oh sorry," she replied, hushing her tone. "Is this better?"

Minato nodded and she sighed.

"It's so good to see you come around," she said. "The doctor said you were just exhausted but you kept sleeping and sleeping."

"Really? How long have I been asleep?" Minato asked.

"A whole week! We were worried you weren't going to wake. I guess you're still feeling the after effects."

"You could say that I suppose. By the way, did you happen to write down the name of that cocktail I ordered? Because I won't be drinking that again."

Yukari gave him an odd look and raised an eyebrow.

"Cocktail?" she said. "You do remember what happened that night don't you?"

"Of course I do. I was just trying not to," he replied. Why does she have to be such a killjoy?

"Okay..." Yukari said. She was not amused at all. "Anyway, I just came to check up on you because Mitsuru-senpai and the Chairman couldn't make it. They want to know if you remember what happened."

Minato shifted to a more comfortable position and felt some of his energy return.

"Well, I recall that those things in the masks – you called them 'Shadows' – were attacking us and knocked you unconscious," he said. "I then picked up your gun and pulled the trigger. But instead of killing myself, I summon this weird thing that went on a rampage and destroyed all the Shadows. Was that supposed to happen?"

Yukari opened her mouth, then closed it. She was surprised at the clarity of his memory. "Yeah, that's about right," she said. "And as to your question, I'm not too sure. I mean, it's normal to summon a Persona when you use an Evoker, but I'm not sure if that deal with another Persona ripping apart the first was 'normal'."

Minato shot her a questioning look. Persona? Evoker?

"Don't worry if you don't understand," Yukari continued. "We'll explain everything later when you're fully recovered. Speaking of that, how are you feeling?"

Minato took a breath before answering. His stomach had settled somewhat and his head felt clearer. He could have sworn it was Yukari's perfume that was easing his grogginess.

"Let's just say I feel like I've had way too much to drink. Alcohol, that is," Minato replied.

"Still going with the hangover analogies? Have you even been hung-over before?" Yukari asked.

"Not at all."

Yukari suppressed a smile and sighed. "You're pretty weird, you know that? I didn't think you'd have the guts to joke about something this serious."

Minato shrugged.

"Well, thanks for being there," Yukari said. She chuckled. "So much for me trying to protect you. I completely messed up."

"You did what you could. And honestly, it's not your fault," Minato replied.

"But–"

"It's not your fault. Don't worry about it."

He gazed into her auburn eyes and after a while, she looked away, tinges of pink on her cheeks.

"O-Okay. But I owe you one," she said, standing up. "Anyway, I should get going. I'll go let the others know you're awake."

Minato nodded and with a yawn, he lay back onto the pillows. As she strode over to the doorway, she turned on her heel and faced him again.

"Hey, can I confess something?" she asked. She sounded serious.

Not wanting to risk tripping the wire that would ignite the torrent of discomfort, Minato remained still and just gestured for her to continue.

"I'm sorry I didn't mention it before but I... I wanted to tell you that, I'm like you," she said.

"What do you mean?" Minato asked.

"I had a...peek at your profile and, I already know about your past. About how your...parents died in that car accident on Moonlight Bridge."

Minato leaned forward again and tensed a little as he waited for any signs of discomfort to come springing to life. There was none. Lucky.

"Oh you don't have to be shy about that," he said. "It happened a long time ago and I don't remember much of it. So if you're thinking that it's going to rile me up, trust me, it's not. I'm guessing you're alone too?"

"Kind of. My mother is still alive but we aren't on good terms," Yukari replied. "And my father... Well, he died in an accident when I was little. I'm sure you heard of the big explosion in Tatsumi Port Island back in '99. Supposedly, my father died in the blast but nobody really knows what happened. He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. Since the Group took you in after your parents' accident, I was wondering if you know anything about them that might help me find out something. Like maybe, you knew Mitsuru-senpai before now."

A memory raced across Minato's mind as Yukari spoke those words. It was so fast and before he knew it, it was gone. Was what Yukari said the truth? That he had some past acquaintance with Mitsuru?

Minato frowned. He had only met Mitsuru the other week. So it couldn't be. Yet why did he get the feeling he had known her before? He shook his head and filed the thought away. He would deal with it later. It hurt too much to think.

"I'm pretty sure I've never met Mitsuru-senpai before," he said. "From what I can remember, the only exposure to the Group I've had were some medical check-ups, a transfer to a school – not Gekkoukan – and them giving me accommodation. I haven't the faintest idea of what their plans were, or are now."

"I see. Well, thanks for answering. Take it easy okay? I'll see you later," Yukari replied, leaving before Minato could utter another word.

Her hasty departure signaled that she was not at all satisfied with his answers. Well that's what she gets when she asks someone with a hangover. As he watched the fan's blades continue their endless loop, he pondered on why Yukari would ask such a thing. She obviously had some suspicions about the Kirijo Group and the fact that her father had died working for them reassured those suspicions. After all, it seemed that she was rather reluctant to check up on him. It felt...forced.

Minato closed his eyes. Until he received some solid answers as to what this return to Iwatodai was for, he would take everything with a grain of salt. His last thought before a nurse opened his door was whether or not coming home was worth it.