A/N: I'm glad everyone has taken well to my little twist. All will be explained in due time so for now, I hope this chapter provides some insight.
The sun's radiant rays beamed through the windows, casting a cheery brightness throughout the dorm's foyer. Although the weather was as close to perfection as a spring day could be, Mitsuru decided to spend the remainder of the Sunday morning indoors. There was much to be done in regards to the requested modifications of Minato's Evoker and that was not even including all her other duties; tending to the matters of the student council, going through her recent package of college texts and having to edit the latest reports from the Kirijo Group...
It was beginning to pile up. The fact that Akihiko was curious at her past relations with Minato did not help alleviate the situation. Moreover, it made the stack of things to do rise that much higher. Sipping her cup of tea, she watched as Akihiko tossed her brief but detailed history lesson around in his mind.
"Ten years... I'm surprised you never told me about it before," Akihiko said after a few minutes. He was seated across from her on the crimson sofa and had spoken without looking up.
"I've never told anyone this," Mitsuru replied, setting her cup on the coffee table and reaching for her pile of textbooks. She gazed at Akihiko. He seemed to be up to something. "Why does this matter to you anyway?"
"Because I think you should get to know him again," he said, looking up and holding her gaze. "The fact that you two were close makes it easier to get a better idea on what we have on our hands."
Mitsuru pursed her lips and closed her textbook. "Is that an order you're giving me Akihiko?"
A look of shock surged through Akihiko's face and he broke eye contact, realising he went too far. Mitsuru smirked. It was not the first time Akihiko had attempted something like this but she had to admit, he had a point. The more they knew about Minato and his ability, the more well equipped they would be when facing Shadows with a strength similar to that of the one who attacked the dorm.
But could she do it? Unintentionally, her mind brought back memories of the day she saw his accident on that bridge. Of the day he changed. Of the day he no longer remembered anything. It had broken her heart to see the one friend, who could look past her nobility and accept her for who she was, become a shadow of himself.
Mitsuru had promised herself she wouldn't get that close to anyone ever again but now, she questioned that promise. Minato had only been on one outing to Tartarus but had demonstrated a remarkable display of competence in fighting Shadows. If it weren't for him and his leadership, Yukari and Junpei would likely be dead by now.
However, experiencing the pain of losing him was not something she wanted to endure again. Once was more than enough. As she contemplated the idea of 'getting to know him better', trying to ignore the arguing voices of her subconscious, she looked back at Akihiko. I wonder...
"My history with him isn't going to make much of a difference in getting to know him," Mitsuru said. "Especially since he doesn't remember his past."
"I was only suggesting," Akihiko replied, turning to face her once more.
"I'm sure you were. So, what do you think of him?"
Akihiko shrugged. "Well, aside from the fact that he possesses more than one Persona, he's proven to be no stranger to combat. I mean, the way he brought down that Shadow... It's not something I would have expected." He chuckled as a thought struck him. "Maybe I should bring him along to the ring. See how he fares."
"He's not a punching bag Akihiko," Mitsuru replied with a sigh. "Being skilled with the sword does not mean he'll be skilled in boxing."
"Yeah but the two share similar principles. Boxing may improve his footwork which, if I remember correctly, is fundamental in swordsmanship. Or any other form of fighting for that matter."
Mitsuru turned back to her books, not wanting to spur Akihiko on with more talk of fighting. She knew his drive for it bordered on the extremely competitive end of the spectrum and anyone who decided to face him in the ring would not be taken lightly.
Although, she couldn't help but speculate at what might happen if Minato did step into the ring. It was possible that he knew nothing about unarmed fighting (Mitsuru had, in the past, never encouraged him to fight with his fists as it was too barbaric and graceless), but then, it was also possible that they were underestimating his capabilities and that he really knew a thing or two. After not seeing him for a decade, Mitsuru had no idea what he was capable of. But for some reason, the more she thought about it, the more she could picture the mental image of Minato standing over a knocked out Akihiko, whose face was contorted with disbelief. She didn't know how that image came to be or why she found it rather attractive but it was so amusing that she couldn't help but grin.
"What are you grinning at?" Akihiko asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh nothing," Mitsuru replied, still smiling. "You did however bring up a good point about possibly taking Arisato to train with you. As you said, it will allow us to understand what we have on our hands."
She continued to smile as she watched Akihiko fight back a grimace. He was obviously irritated that his little plan had backfired.
"I'll...think about it," Akihiko said, giving her that hard look of his she had seen many times over the years. She could tell he was mulling over the idea and if that idea had something to do with training or fighting, Mitsuru knew he wouldn't rule it out. "But, you could also benefit from training with him. I know you trained with him before but you should know that his style is very similar to yours. Almost identical."
"Is that so?" Mitsuru asked, leaning forward. It wasn't a surprise to hear that his style paralleled hers. She and Minato had been sparring partners when they were younger, and trained together quite extensively. But to hear that his style was almost identical? Her interest was piqued.
Akihiko nodded. "If you sparred with him, it'd be like facing yourself. You'll be able to see where your weaknesses lie, as well as your strengths. Besides, when was the last time you've had a serious fencing partner?"
Mitsuru bit her lip. He wasn't wrong. With all her other commitments, she hadn't the time to attend the fencing club as of late. Starting up training with Minato would definitely bring her back into the swing of combat. And give a chance to reacquaint herself with him. Fighting, after all, was just another language. What could be said translated into a flurry of actions that spoke and meant ten thousand times more. Mitsuru knew there was a sense of appeal in the idea but she also knew that there had to be other ways of getting to know him better. Ways that did not include scarring his pride.
Before she could reply, she heard footsteps. She directed her gaze from Akihiko to see Minato, who was dressed in a casual combination of a white-blue t-shirt and jeans with his clip-on headphones hanging around his neck. He walked over to the arrangement of sofas and bowed.
"Akihiko-senpai, Mitsuru-senpai," he greeted.
Akihiko inclined his head in return and Mitsuru placed her textbook down on the table and stood up.
"Done your study for today?" she asked.
"More or less," he replied, nodding. "There's only so much study one can do before you start yelling at how you didn't notice something earlier. I think I'll go for a walk. Need some fresh air."
From the corner of her eye, Mitsuru caught Akihiko light up instantly and tried not to smile. Some things never change.
"A walk eh?" Akihiko said with a wide grin. "How about we go for a jog? I've been meaning to find a jogging partner and if you need some exercise, it'll help you stay in shape for training in Tartarus."
"That...sounds good," Minato responded. He was taken aback at Akihiko's sudden enthusiasm.
"Alright then, let's go," Akihiko said, leading Minato to the front door. "We'll see you later Mitsuru."
"Make sure you don't tire yourselves out," Mitsuru said, folding her arms. "We can't explore Tartarus if both of you are out of action. Especially you Akihiko. You still need to recover."
"There's no need to worry," Akihiko said, waving off her concerns before winking at Minato. Before leaving, he looked back at Mitsuru. "By the way, think on it will you?"
Knowing exactly what he meant, Mitsuru nodded in understanding, being left in silence as the door closed behind them. She sat back down and picked up her books, crossing her legs. Boys will be boys. Once an idea popped into Akihiko's head, especially one that was physically oriented, there was no stopping him. He would see that idea through no matter what.
At the very least, sparring with Minato was no longer something she had to worry about. Maybe in the future, but certainly not now. Building a relationship through physical activities wasn't something she was comfortable with at the moment and if it came to it, she felt that it would lead to more of a rivalry than a lasting friendship. Perhaps even worse, depending on his ego. No, there was a better way to get to know the new him. There had to be a way.
Hearing the sudden chime of her cell phone, Mitsuru leaned forward to inspect the message. As she read it, an idea began to form in her mind.
Now that was convenient.