A/N: So here's the first of the final four summer chapters. I wanted to cover a lot of things here, including the induction of S.E.E.S.' Hama and Mudo specialists, so that's why it's a bit longer than usual. If you're getting anxious for some Minato and Mitsuru shipping, all I can say we're getting close to the next milestone in their relationship.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
There was nothing better than returning to the comfort of your own bed. It was a topic that had mutual agreement among everyone in S.E.E.S. and the moment Minato plopped onto his bed in the dorm, he fell straight into a dreamless sleep. It wasn't that the beds in the mansion were bad. Plush, wide, and white as a wedding dress, they represented luxury at its highest levels. Such luxury however couldn't compensate for the homely atmosphere provided by the firm mattress of his single bed.
At least, that's what he thought before dawn arrived.
On any other normal day, he would have been roused by the light of the morning sun pouring through his windows, followed by the cheery chirping of the birds outside and then the dreaded ringing of his alarm clock.
Today was different.
Today, he was shaken awake.
Opening his eyes, Minato rolled on his back and found himself inches away from a pair of brilliant blue eyes.
"It is morning," Aigis said. "I would like you to wake up now."
Minato craned his neck to view his alarm clock. "But it's not even half past six yet."
"There's a sign that says 'Do things five minutes earlier.' By that logic, I thought I should wake you up five minutes prior to the triggering of your alarm clock."
Too many big words. Too early.
"It's Friday. That rule doesn't apply."
He pulled his blue and green checked pattern blanket over him (although it was the middle of summer, the air conditioning made it a comfortable twenty-three degrees Centigrade) in the hope of deterring Aigis from shaking him. As he expected, it was to no avail. Aigis continued to shake him, tell him to get up and get ready for a period of time that felt much longer than five minutes. Somewhere along that time-span, there was a knock at his door, followed by said door opening after whoever was behind it didn't receive an answer. Aigis stopped shaking at this and Minato thanked the heavens it was over.
"Aigis!?"
The high voice was all too familiar and Minato suppressed a groan. I was wrong. It isn't over.
Yukari stormed into the room, her sweet scent so strong it made Minato wrinkle his nose under the blanket. "How did you get in here?"
"I can disable a lock on a door like this in less than two minutes," Aigis said. She turned and resumed shaking Minato.
"That's breaking and entering! Didn't we tell you to stay in the command room at night?" When Aigis ignored her, Yukari seized her arm and pulled her back. "Hey listen to me! Senpai was worried when they found you weren't there this morning."
"Is that a problem?"
"Of course it is! If people find out an armed robot is living here, they're gonna freak out." Yukari folded her arms. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"My duty is to be by Minato-san's side. Therefore, I believe that the best place for me to be is right here. Is this acceptable?"
Please say no, Minato thought. Please say no.
"Wh-What? No it's not acceptable! It's against dorm regulations." Yukari looked at Minato, who was now completely hidden under his blanket. "Well don't just lie there, tell her!"
"Tell who what?" another voice asked. It was Junpei, and upon walking over to stand by Minato's doorway, he gasped. "H-Hey dude! Why's Yuka-tan and Ai-chan in your room?"
Minato sighed. First day back and the already the chaos has started. "I don't know! I was just trying to sleep in!"
"Don't get any wrong ideas!" Yukari said, grabbing the android by the arm. "I'm in here because Aigis left the command room last night. And we're about to leave. Aren't we Aigis?"
Aigis looked at Yukari, the figure under the blanket, then back to Yukari. "But Minato-san has not gotten up yet."
"Hey don't worry about it Ai-chan," Junpei said, taking a step into the room. "He'll get up when he gets up. For now, you guys better haul your asses out of here before Mitsu–"
"Iori? What seems to be the matter?"
Junpei spun to see Mitsuru approaching him and he slammed the door shut. "No-Nothing's the matter. Aigis isn't here or anything."
From behind the door: "That is incorrect. I am here in Minato-san's room."
Mitsuru raised an eyebrow at Junpei's lie and gesturing for him to step aside, she opened the door and found Yukari attempting to prevent Aigis from disturbing Minato. It didn't seem the archer was having much success so Mitsuru walked over (click and clack) and broke the two up.
"So this is where you disappeared off to Aigis," Mitsuru said, causing both girls to turn around and face her.
"Good morning Mitsuru-san," Aigis said, paying no attention to Yukari's flustered expression. "Will you assist me in waking up Minato-san?"
Knowing the matter would never be let go and feeling Mitsuru's eye on him, Minato threw the blanket off and sat on the bed upright. He stared at the floor, in no mood to meet anyone's eyes, but also because after spending a few minutes in darkness, the light was a trifle blinding.
"Okay I'm up," he said. "Now can you not shake me anymore Aigis?"
"Of course Minato-san. Mission accomplished."
Yukari shook her head. "You know Minato, you could've saved us both the trouble by getting up earlier."
"Sorry about that," Minato said, looking up in time to see Yukari roll her eyes, turn to Mitsuru, and quickly explain why Aigis had barged in here unannounced. He noticed Mitsuru took the information quite well, and her cursory glances at him didn't have that pained look. While it appeared that she had gotten over whatever jealousy, if there was any to begin with, towards Aigis, Minato thought it could've been yet another display of her usual cool composure.
When Yukari finished, Mitsuru turned her attention to Aigis. "Well Takeba is right. You cannot stay here. But since you wish to be…nearer to Arisato, then I can have a room prepared for you on the third floor. Is that okay?"
"Certainly Mitsuru-san," Aigis said with a nod.
Yukari sighed. "Geez. All this talking's tired me out and the day hasn't even started yet." Her eyes drifted towards Minato's alarm clock and she gasped. "Ah! Is that the time?"
"Archery practice?" Minato asked.
"Yeah. I gotta go. See you guys later."
Yukari darted out of the room, seized Junpei's arm (he had been standing by the doorway, puzzled and amused, the whole time), and dragged him down the stairs; their argument over how Junpei should start being punctual for once in his life echoing through the corridor.
"So people go to a place called school in the morning," Aigis said. "I comprehend. In that case, will you two be leaving now?"
"Soon," Mitsuru said. "As time is running short, I'll show you to your room when I get back. In the meantime, please wait in either the foyer or the command room. Oh and don't leave the dorm by yourself."
"I will do as commanded." Aigis took one last look at Minato and then left.
When he could no longer hear her footsteps, Minato yawned and stretched his arms. It was probably something he shouldn't have done in Mitsuru's presence – it made him feel guilty for reasons he couldn't explain – but it was long overdue.
"Hopefully she won't disturb you once she's been allocated her room," Mitsuru said, watching Minato go about his daily wake-up rituals with a smile.
"Hopefully," Minato said. He got up, opened the wooden wardrobe, and took out his uniform. Placing it on his bed, he looked at his clock and frowned. "Wait, isn't it still too early to go?"
"That depends. Remember, now that you're able to resume your duties, there are things that need to be taken care of." She turned, strode to the doorway, and judging Minato was confused, she added, "Check your email when you're ready."
As the sound of her heels disappeared, Minato grabbed his cell phone off the study desk and flipped it open. He smiled once his email loaded.
Things indeed.
The two days following what was known to be the 'trespassing' were not any different. Yukari and Mitsuru's warning apparently meant nothing to Aigis because when Minato woke up, it was to the sight of those blue eyes and not his alarm clock. He tolerated the wake-up call on Saturday – school was still on and he did oversleep – but on Sunday? That was uncalled for. The shaking had stopped, thankfully, and by the time the third and fourth day after the 'trespassing' rolled around, Aigis ceased entering his room.
It didn't cease her excessive attachment though. Although confined to the dorm, Aigis had discovered other ways to keep an eye on Minato and ensured every moment he was present count. In the mornings when he came downstairs, she would greet him (it was more of an obligatory greeting than anything else) and remind him that he needed to this and that by this time. In the evenings when he got back later than usual, she would ask him questions about where he'd gone and what he'd been up to. Whenever a discussion was held, either in the foyer lounge or command room, Aigis would be standing by where Minato sat or sitting beside him.
Though they were little things that meant little, it was enough to transform the dorm into a place Minato dreaded going. Visiting Tartarus didn't bring about any reprieve either; their first venture with her as chaotic as the first time Minato stepped foot into the tower. As Aigis was a ranged fighter, he thought it best for her to accompany Yukari and soften up enemy Shadows from afar. The strategy saw some success – they downed Shadows with ease and efficiency just like any other visit – but more importantly, it gave him the temporary freedom he so needed.
Of course, it was short-lived, and Minato was once more thrust into her clutches when they came into a clearing and Shadows swooped at them from above. The plan of attack here was no different to the last time they were in such a situation: form a ring around Yukari so that she was covered and could freely shoot arrows. Aigis was going to have none of that however, and instead opted to stand beside Minato and fight from there. Being so accustomed to having Mitsuru and Junpei on his flanks taking care of any Shadow that got past him with their blades, the android's erratic movements were quite disruptive and awkward to adapt to. Not to mention she did most of Minato's work for him. He admitted her prowess on the battlefield was unparalleled though, with fights reduced to mere skirmishes that lasted less than twenty seconds.
Minato wished the time she spent hovering around in the dorm lasted that long and on the fifth day after the 'trespassing', he got that wish.
Something close to it anyway.
"…and that concludes the meeting," Mitsuru said, rising from her chair. "If there are any questions, please contact me or Arisato when you're able. Otherwise, enjoy your day and good luck on your exam results."
Sounds of chairs being pushed along the floor filled the air as members of the Student Council Executive got up and left the room. Mitsuru swore she heard mumbles of profanity from one of the boys – Hidetoshi perhaps? – but passed it off. It was a normal occurrence whenever the results of the first semester finals were released and she had come to expect such behavior from students. Even those on the Executive.
"So here are the financial records for the month," Minato said, placing a couple of folders in front of Mitsuru as everyone else departed. "You know, as tough as Hidetoshi makes himself to be, you'd think he wouldn't be afraid of anything. And now he's cursing about getting results back."
"So it was him. I knew I heard something." She paused. "Was it really that bad?"
"The exams? I thought it was fairly straightforward. Nothing surprising at least." He gathered his things and crossed to the exit. Then he turned around. "By the way, I had a quick look at the balance sheets and I think Chihiro forgot to account for the money that'll be used to sponsor the Cultural Festival."
"Did she?"
"Uh-huh. So I made some corrections. Just thought I'd let you know before you went to her and asked why there's all these markings everywhere."
Mitsuru opened the top folder and scanned through the file, noting the several notes in red Minato had written along the margins of the page. "Thanks for doing that."
"No problem. See you later." He slid the door open and was about to leave when Akihiko appeared in front of him. "Hey senpai."
His greeting caused Mitsuru to look up from reviewing the balance sheet and onto the documents the boxer was carrying.
"Ah so you guys are finally done," Akihiko said, entering the room. "I was wondering why I didn't see you come out with everyone else."
"There was something I needed to let Mitsuru-senpai know," Minato said. He gestured at the documents. "What's that supposed to be?"
"A profile of someone we believe has the potential," Mitsuru answered, turning both boys' attention to her. "I haven't had the chance to go through it myself so I had Akihiko bring the documents here. Is it alright if we give you the details later?"
Minato nodded. "Sure. Don't forget to let the others know as well." With that, he raised a hand at both his senpai and left.
Once he was gone, Akihiko closed the door to lower the crescendoing chatter of students in the outside corridor, walked over to Mitsuru, and handed her the documents. "So, you two seem to be on better terms."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the way you two act around each other. It seems less awkward than before we left for Yakushima."
"Oh. Well, I suppose it is."
Mitsuru shifted her eyes to the profile and began reading. While the layout of information was neat and organised, she found herself unable to concentrate on the words; Akihiko's remarks triggering her mind into thinking about Kikuno's suggestion on what she should do regarding her situation with Minato. If he's attempting to find out where you stand, then I think you had better find that out soon, Kikuno had said. You'd want to be able to answer him right? Mitsuru creased her brow. It had been a little over a week since that conversation and she still hadn't decided where she was on the relationship spectrum. She supposed her indecision was due to the responsibility she had to uphold for the Group but even then, choosing between 'Yes, I like you' or 'No, I don't think this is going to work out' should have been easy.
"Hey are you alright?"
She glanced up from the profile in an effort to refresh her mind and met Akihiko's concerned gaze. It was one she'd seen on his face whenever he could tell something troubled her and at that moment, it struck her that perhaps telling him about her dilemma was worthwhile. Her father did say to place more trust in others and Akihiko was someone she had absolute faith in. There's no downside to it. Yet…
"I'm fine," Mitsuru said. "I was just thinking about the first time we spoke about this. When you told me to befriend him again."
"It worked out pretty well didn't it? I've never seen you happier."
"That may be true. It's just…"
She trailed off and looked at the windows which showed a pleasant view of Gekkoukan's vast front lawn.
"You're worried about how you're going to tell him about that aren't you?" Akihiko asked. When she didn't answer, he continued, "I think you should do it while the team's morale is still high. Better sooner than later right?"
Mitsuru agreed and left the matter there. It was unnecessary to elaborate any further and there was business to be done. She focused her attention on the documents and skimmed through it, flipping the pages as she went. When she reached the comments written by Ikutsuki on the last page, her eyes widened.
"He's been wandering around during the Dark Hour?" she said, placing the documents on the desk. It was the first time she'd heard of people walking about during the Dark Hour on purpose and the fact that it had been an occurrence over the last three weeks made her worry for the boy, and wonder at how he hadn't been attacked yet.
"Yeah. He got caught out when we were at Yakushima," Akihiko said. "I guess it's a good thing that Shinji found him before the Shadows did but…" A hard look crossed his face and he left the statement hanging.
Mitsuru didn't blame him. The catalyst for the first breaking of S.E.E.S. was something they both remembered very well and promised not to speak of. Imagining such a thing was inconceivable back then and now that it reappeared in their lives, Mitsuru took it as an omen for a similar happening in the near future. Her hunch that S.E.E.S. would be broken a second time frightened her and although she found some solace in learning from past mistakes, she knew no matter what precautions were set, it was impossible to cover every contingency. Minato's incident proved that.
"Well if it'll make you worry less, we could invite him to stay with us at the dorm," she said.
Akihiko folded his arms. "I don't know about that. What if he gets interested and decides to join? He's only in grade school Mitsuru."
"I'm aware of that. But if he's going to be wandering around this much, surely we should keep a watch on him."
"So what are you saying? He needs a bodyguard? I'll have you know I'm not up for babysitting."
Mitsuru chuckled. "Don't worry, you won't be doing it alone."
The exam results were posted on the large noticeboard in the main lobby. There were three sets – one for each grade of senior school – and within each set was a list of names starting with the student who had scored the highest. Naturally, this meant everyone's score was on display for the whole school to see and it became something of a tradition for hordes of students to gather round the board, admire and complement those who did well, and laugh at those who ended up failing. Because the revels could be as raucous as a Friday night fraternity party, the Student Council had allocated specific times for each grade to view their scores.
They hadn't anticipated students lingering around however, so when Minato left his homeroom with his classmates (Junpei, Yukari, a self-proclaimed ladies' man known as Tomochika Kenji, and a sports freak known as Miyamoto Kazushi), and headed for the lobby, little did he know getting there would take almost a quarter of the time allowed for lunch.
"Man, at this rate, we're never gonna be back in time for lunch," Junpei said as they trudged down the staircase, following the traffic of students.
"At least it's not as bad as last year," Kenji said. He was roughly the same height as Junpei, with ordinary light brown hair and equally ordinary features.
"How bad was last year?" Minato asked.
"Pretty terrible. We were held up so long cos of that prank a couple of seniors pulled." Kenji shook his head. "I think everyone was late for class."
Kazushi chortled. He was taller than Kenji, with short, spiky black hair, and skin that had seen too much sunlight. "Not me. I was out on the field."
"Well of course you were," Kenji said. "Speaking of that, when are you gonna come to school not wearing your gym clothes? You don't even have P.E. today."
"I've training after school. Besides, the less time I spend changing, the more time I can spend practicing."
Minato couldn't help smiling at that; it reminded him of a certain boxer. Looks like Akihiko's reached a lot more people than the girls that follow him. "There was a prank?"
"Yeah," Yukari answered. "Can we not talk about it?"
"Oh c'mon Yuka-tan," Junpei said, grinning. "Be a good sport."
Yukari glared at him and glanced at Minato nervously. "Promise you won't laugh or get creepy like Stupei here."
"I won't," Minato said. That, of course, was a lie.
"Well, once there were enough people in the lobby, about fifteen to twenty seniors started throwing water-bombs at everyone. It was way uncalled for but I guess they were happy half the year was over. Anyway, after a few minutes, everyone was soaked. The worst part was–"
"Don't you mean the best part?" Junpei interrupted.
Yukari ignored him. "I think you can kinda see where this is going right?"
Minato looked at Junpei, who was having difficulties in stifling whatever he wanted to say, and sighed. He did know where this was going and if he hadn't become smitten by Mitsuru, it was likely that he too would have shared Junpei's perspective and be resisting a snicker. "Wet blouses?"
"Dammit you took the fun out of it!" Junpei said. He shook his head and composed himself. "Ah well. It's too bad stuff like that ain't happenin' again. Mitsuru-senpai pretty much killed off any hope of pulling pranks."
"And for a good reason. You know, I'm actually glad that she's the Student Council President this year," Yukari said, a small smile forming. Minato noticed it and wondered if she and Mitsuru had mended their relationship. It certainly looked that way on their last day at Yakushima, where the two had interacted without any resentment whatsoever.
Junpei turned to Minato. "If only you were there man. It was heaven."
Minato was about to say his version of heaven was something else entirely when they arrived at the lobby. As expected, it was jam packed with students. Groups of them were scattered all around the lobby floor – some happy, some sad – but the majority had crowded around the noticeboard. That mass was like a hydra; for every student that broke off, two more came to take his or her place. He wondered how they would ever have a clean view of the scores when he saw Fuuka and Natsuki, standing by the shoe lockers and waving at him to come over. He led Yukari (Junpei, Kazushi and Kenji had decided to join the crowd) through the masses of white and black uniforms towards them, unaware of the looks he was being given by the students around him.
"Looks like you two got here before the crowd showed up," Minato said.
"Class for us finished early so we made sure to leave as soon as possible," Fuuka said. "I managed to find your name Yukari and you did pretty well."
"Really?" Yukari said. "I was expecting something bad. Guess I don't have to bother with," she pointed at the crowd, "that anymore. How about you guys?"
"I scored above average," Natsuki said. "But Fuuka did really well. She scored in the top twenty."
"Wow Fuuka, that's amazing."
Fuuka blushed. "Not really. I thought I messed up the history paper."
"You're being too modest Fuuka," Natsuki said, giving her a playful punch. "Show a little pride."
"Did you manage to see what Minato got?" Yukari asked.
Fuuka and Natsuki exchanged a glance. They looked reluctant to share.
"We…did but I think it's something you should see for yourself Minato," Fuuka said. She kept her voice neutral; there was no change in pitch due to excitement or disappointment.
Way to make me even more anxious, Minato thought."Alright then."
As he turned and prepared to head into the monochrome mass, he noticed Junpei, Kazushi and Kenji striding out of it. The latter looked devastated, as if he'd been rejected by the young attractive teacher whom he had a crush on.
"What happened to you Kenji?" Minato asked as he approached them.
Kazushi looked at Kenji and placed a hand on his shoulder. "This guy flunked hard. I told you not to spend so much time with Kanou-sensei."
"I know that," Kenji said, "but…but…why are you so happy Junpei?"
"I'm just stoked that I did better than ya and I didn't even study," Junpei said, smiling. He turned to Minato and leaned closer. "By the way dude, you should really see your score. And keep your eye out for those Mitsuru-senpai followers. After what you got, I don't think they're gonna be happy."
Minato nodded and leaving them to escort Kenji back to the homeroom, he pushed past several random onlookers and tried to get a good view of the noticeboard. It was hard; the students in front of him were constantly moving; the students who left the crowd brushed his shoulders as they passed him, making him lose his vantage point; and the students who were a head taller or a tad wider than he was just ate up the noticeboard. After a few minutes of this, he finally caught a glimpse. He thought it would take longer to search for his name among the hundred or so in his grade but a glimpse was all he needed.
Because his name was at the top of the list.
Now I see why Junpei said be on the lookout. It was an ongoing rumor that Mitsuru would only date academically proficient boys and given his score, Minato thought he probably should have made some errors. From his peripheral vision, he noticed that more and more students – some of them he recognized from his makeshift psychiatrist sessions – were staring at him. As per usual. There appeared to be more looks of admiration and respect this time round though Minato could feel an equal amount of spiteful ones aimed at his back. He was sure three of them came from that bespectacled idiot and his posse of goons that had assaulted him a few months ago, and as soon as he caught eye of them, his phone chimed. He thanked whoever decided to contact him and excusing himself out of the crowd, he ascended the stairs to the first floor. It was empty, save for the occasional student passing by. He flipped opened his cell and found a new message. From Mitsuru.
Congratulations on topping the grade. I'm very proud of you. By the way, do you mind coming to the Student Council room now? There's something I'd like to discuss.
Discuss eh? Minato, for a moment, wondered if she this time she meant discussing their 'moment' in the hospital ward. Then he dismissed the thought. There was no way she would risk speaking about something so intimate in a public space, especially one where rumors amassed like pigeons in Trafalgar Square. After texting he'd be there in the next minute, he closed his cell, put it back in his pocket, went up another flight of stairs to the second floor and walked to the room opposite Class 2-E.
Minato slid the door open and entered. Mitsuru was, as usual, standing by the arrangement of desks in front of the blackboard. Beside her was Akihiko. The boxer's presence was unexpected and seeing him and the various documents spread out before him told Minato that this was not some celebratory moment. Or about that, he thought. Keeping his prior hopes down, he approached and greeted them both.
"Ah Arisato, there you are," Mitsuru said. "Once again, well done on your result. Now I know you probably have things to do so I'll keep this as brief as possible." She handed Minato a single document.
"Amada Ken? Isn't this that kid Junpei and Yukari occasionally hang out with at the shrine?" Minato asked once he finished reading through the boy's profile.
"Yeah," Akihiko said. "We think he's got the potential cos Shinji found him wandering about during the Dark Hour." His face darkened slightly when he mentioned Shinjiro.
"I see. So you're debating whether or not to recruit him right?"
Mitsuru nodded. "I would have done it straight away but he's still only in grade school. Not to mention there are other aspects I've now learned to consider." She paused. "In any case, the main problem is that he's still wandering about, which makes him highly vulnerable to attacks from Shadows."
"Why would he wander around like that in the first place?" Minato asked.
"It's hard to say. Although, ever since he lost his mother, his only blood relative, he's been acting quite recklessly. Since you come from a similar background, I thought you would be the best choice for what I'd like to do with him."
"And that is…"
"To act as his bodyguard."
Minato folded his arms and considered her idea. It was, in his opinion, a good one, and much better than her previous tactic of simply requesting with no questions asked. But… "What's the catch?"
"Two things," Mitsuru said with a smile. "Firstly, you'll be staying at his dorm for a few days. It's just to see if anything happens and to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. I've spoken with Amada about this earlier today and he doesn't mind."
"Okay. And the other?"
Mitsuru gestured at Akihiko, who had a subtle sullen look.
"I'll be going with you," he said.
It was late in the afternoon when Minato and Akihiko headed for Ken's dormitory. Once school was over, signalling the beginning of summer break, the two had rushed back to their dorm and packed enough clothing to last the visit. As well as their Evokers of course. Carrying his shoulder bag and walking along the streets of Iwatodai was reminiscent of the day he arrived here, and Minato couldn't help musing about how he had come down this way with nothing but coffins and puddles of blood for company, following that strange blue butterfly as if it was the magical fairy that knew the way along a not so yellow brick road.
"Y'know I'm glad you're here," Akihiko said as they passed a small, suspicious side street. "Mitsuru was really keen on sending me alone."
"Didn't you try to talk her out of it?"
Akihiko shook his head. "No way. One thing about Mitsuru you gotta know is that when she's made up her mind about something, don't even bother trying to argue. She'll win every time. I'm actually a bit surprised you agreed so easily, since you haven't met him before. Why's that?"
Minato took a few moments to respond. He had asked himself the same question during the last lesson of the day and had spent said lesson thinking of an answer. He knew quite well why Mitsuru hadn't gone to Junpei or Yukari – the former was certain to leave a bad influence and the latter would find it weird to hang out with a kid almost half her age – and was prudent in not asking her that. He supposed it could be another case of not wanting to disappoint Mitsuru though to think that made him feel desperate and moronic. So what else could it be? I know Fuuka's not the best people person and Aigis is even worse…
Aigis.
That was it.
"Mainly to get away from Aigis," Minato said. "I don't know if you've noticed but she's really clingy."
"Oh I've noticed. And I gotta say, I've nev–"
He stopped when he saw a familiar figure up ahead. Minato looked in that direction and searched for the person who made Akihiko cut off. It didn't take long; the person was irrationally dressed in a maroon pea coat and black pants, wore a black beanie on his head, and was coming their way.
"Of all the times I choose to walk this way," Shinjiro muttered before looking up at Akihiko and Minato. "What're you two doing?"
"I could ask you the same thing Shinji," Akihiko said.
"Cut to the chase."
"We're on our way to Ken's dorm," Minato said.
Shinjiro regarded him with rather cold eyes and gestured at the bags they were carrying. "You're going to bring him food or something?"
"Not exactly. Uh…"
"Mitsuru's decided we should start keeping a watch on him," Akihiko said, taking a step forward, "and she's asked me and Minato here to do that."
"Is that so?" Shinjiro asked. "Well whatever. It's none of my business anyway." He proceeded to walk past them, hands in his coat pockets.
"Thanks by the way, for finding the kid," Akihiko said before Shinjiro was out of earshot.
"Hmph. Don't thank me yet."
They watched him go (Minato could not figure out for the life of him how Shinjiro wasn't drowning in his own sweat) and once he was a turned into a side street, they continued on to Ken's dorm without speaking much. Minato was curious at how Akihiko and Shinjiro's friendship had degenerated into no more than common pleasantries though he refrained from asking. He'd likely get onto the boxer's bad side and that was something he didn't need right now.
When they arrived at Ken's dorm, the boy was already waiting outside for them, standing by the couple of steps leading to the door. He was pretty short for a ten year old, roughly reaching Minato's elbow, had short brown hair, and was wearing an orange-black jersey and black shorts. He looked to be one of those players in junior football – he'd be the striker that zips pass the defense, Minato thought – and he eyed them with anticipation.
"Hello. You must be Sanada-san and Arisato-san," Ken said. He bowed. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Minato said with a smile. He noticed a flicker of pain on Akihiko's face and gave him a slight nudge, to which the boxer grunted for a greeting.
"Come on in, I'll show you to your rooms."
Minato half expected to see an arrangement of sofas on his right, the reception desk on his left, and maybe a dining table up ahead when he entered. The dorm on the outside looked remarkably similar to his own, and if the Kirijo Group had commissioned it as he so thought, then it would made sense for all the dorms to be standardized. He was partially correct. The reception desk was at the far end, with a door to its left presumably leading to some storage area; a set of sofas to his left were facing a TV that had multiple game consoles attached; and there wasn't a dining table or kitchen area.
Ken led them past all this to the hallway down the far right, up two flights of stairs and into a corridor with doors to rooms on either side. This looks the same, Minato thought. Once they reached the third door on the left, Ken stopped, opened it, and walked in.
Seeing that the room could fit two people, Minato wondered if he would have to share with Akihiko. On each side of the center window, there were two single beds and two study desks. The right desk was void of books, the left completely stacked with them. Minato looked pass this in favor of the black and white football sitting on Ken's desk. And smiled to himself. So he does play.
"So this is my room," Ken said, sitting on his bed. "You guys can take any room you want. They're all vacant."
Akihiko nodded, inspecting the room. "It's pretty quiet. Not like our place."
"That's because I'm the only one here. Everyone else has gone home." He lowered his head and clasped his hands. "To be honest, I don't need a bodyguard. N-Not that it means I don't want you guys here. I could use the company." He then looked at Akihiko the way a child looks up to their idol. "You know Sanada-senpai, I've heard a lot about you."
"You have?"
"Yeah. You haven't lost a boxing match yet. What's your secret?"
Minato saw the biggest grin appear on Akihiko's face and sighed. It was going to be a long week.
The first two nights went by eventless. That was good – they didn't want Ken to be wandering around the Dark Hour – but boring. The last time Minato saw any action was back when they took Aigis to Tartarus about a week ago and he was itching to let his Personas loose, if only to have something to break up the monotony of lying awake for the entire Dark Hour and listening for Ken leaving his room. Minato initially thought he'd be able to return to the dorm, his dorm, during the day and get something done now that summer break had started. Chat with Maya on Innocent Sin Online perhaps, or maybe see what kind of quarrel Junpei and Yukari were up to this time. But when he called Mitsuru to update her on how they were going, and asked to clarify whether he could return, she had politely told him no.
"I need you to be watching him," she said while he was watching Akihiko and Ken play on the local football field. "It's only for a couple more days so you should be okay right?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"How are you all getting along by the way?"
"Pretty well. He likes Akihiko-senpai more than me though."
"Really? In that case, make sure Akihiko doesn't go off on his protein tangent. I don't want any more boys taking after him."
Minato chuckled, imagining the sly smile that Mitsuru always had when they spoke of this.
"Don't worry I will."
He broke the connection and watched as Ken kicked the football straight into the back of the net. It was true that the boy admired Akihiko and it was apparent from the moment they met. He wondered if Mitsuru was wrong in sending him here, that their similarity of having lost their parents in accidents had done more to push them apart than bring them together. He shook his head. No matter how mature they seemed or acted out to be, little boys always looked up to their role models and Akihiko's famed status as a champion boxer did well serve as one.
Minato thought that the day would end as the last two had, eventless, but when the Dark Hour struck that night, he heard the soft click of a door closing. Grabbing the Evoker that he hid underneath his pillow (a habit that he continued to do despite Pharos' criticism), he leapt to his feet, slowly crossed to his door, and gently pushed it open. He poked his head out and his heart pounded with a mixture of fear and excitement when he saw Ken's fleeting silhouette disappear down the stairs. He went to the door opposite him where Akihiko was sleeping and was about to knock when it opened.
"So you heard it too huh?" Akihiko asked, Evoker in hand, and not looking surprised. "Wonder why he waited till today to do it."
"Maybe he thought we'd slack off after the first few days."
"Maybe. C'mon, let's go."
The two of them descended the stairs, exited the dorm and out into the familiar green tinge of the Dark Hour. Even though the afternoon had been warm and humid, it wasn't enough to stop the coldness from sucking all the moisture out of the air. The smell of blood and decay were there as well, making Minato wrinkle his nose as they began searching the vicinity. They decided against splitting up to cover more ground because as confident as they were in downing Shadows, having only their Personas for weapons sapped their energy much quicker. And they couldn't have that. Not when there wasn't any backup at the ready.
Just as they finished searching one of the streets two blocks away from the dorm, a series of shouts penetrated the silence. One was definitely a human crying out in terror. The other was…barking? Yelping? Either way, it was more animal than human and they ran to where the shouts emanated from.
Naganaki Shrine.
Once there, Minato froze. At the foot of the stairs leading up to the shrine was Ken. The boy was on his backside, crawling backwards and away from the ring of Shadows that had boxed him in. In front of him, was a growling white Shiba Inu with eyes as red as Mitsuru's hair. What the hell? How is a dog still active at this time? Before his mind took off in brainstorming how a dog was able to function, blue lightning bolts descended from above and zapped a Shadow that leapt at Ken to nothingness. Minato turned to his right and saw Akihiko lowering his Evoker.
"Are you gonna help me or what?" Akihiko asked.
Minato responded by raising his Evoker and pulling the trigger. Orpheus materialized and strummed his harp. Bursts of flame erupted forth, singeing two Shadows that had broken off from the main group. "That's two for me."
"You wanna keep score now do you? You're on."
The two then began plowing their way through the Shadows. As he commanded Orpheus to strike down one that had attempted a poorly timed strike, Minato noticed that Ken and the dog had retreated up the stairs. He thought that was a wise thing to do but then another thought struck him. What if there were more Shadows up there? What if they were unknowingly running into an even greater danger? Fearing the worst, Minato dismissed Orpheus, signaled Akihiko to clean up, and took to the stairs two steps at a time.
Upon reaching the shrine, his heart sank as he saw Ken and Koromaru backing away from a gargantuan Shadow. It was a very muscular humanoid, and apart from the blue mask and golden brief that it wore, it was naked. Minato smirked. The Shadow wouldn't know what hit him. He caught Ken's eye as he raised his Evoker. Relief on the boy's face turned to shock and Ken opened his mouth to scream. Minato didn't register that, only a heavy blow that sent him hurtling into the wooden safety rail, his Evoker flying out of his hand and towards the small playground. He cursed as his bad shoulder slammed into it and the pain that sprung to life felt as if his whole left arm was burning. He looked up at his assailant and grimaced.
The humanoid Shadow's brother had arrived.
Ken saw the second humanoid Shadow materialize out of thin air as he backed away from the one advancing towards him. Saw it bring its arm backwards, ready to punch. Saw the punch connecting with its target. Saw Minato colliding against the railing and grunting in pain. It was all too unreal. Ken had heard of these so-called Shadows from Shinjiro and Mitsuru but he never thought he'd be attacked by them. Out of all the times he had wandered around during the Dark Hour it hadn't happened.
Ever.
Looking up at the Shadow now, he noticed there was something familiar about it. A bulky, humanoid shape? Shoulder-length hair?
It was like the one that had killed his mother two years ago.
No, it's definitely the one that killed her. A surge of rage coursed through Ken as he came to this realization and he clenched his fists. He would kill this Shadow. Make it feel the pain he had felt when he saw his mother sacrifice herself. But how? He looked at Koromaru, who was ready to pounce, and then at his empty hands. It was pointless. There was no way either of them could do anything remotely dangerous and with Minato down and Akihiko busy clearing out the Shadows below, their chances of survival were dwindling.
Ken lowered his head, preparing to brace himself when something glinted in the yellow moonlight. He shifted his gaze to the glinting and saw Minato's Evoker. It was lying in the sandbox, about a five second dash away. Ken looked at the Shadow, then at the Evoker, and back to the Shadow again. He could get there in time. It'd be like sprinting towards the goal after receiving a well-timed pass from a teammate. He'd just needed a dis–
Koromaru leaped at the Shadow. As his fangs sunk into the Shadow's leg, Ken seized the opening and ran to the sandbox. He heard a yelp, followed by a thud and felt the Shadow's shadow enveloping him. He yanked the Evoker out of the sand, turned around to face the enemy who had drawn its arm back, and breathing heavily, placed the barrel against his forehead.
I can do this. I have to do this. For mom!
With a cry of vengeance, Ken squeezed the trigger.
The Shadow recoiled from the crackling energy brought forth by the invocation and when Ken looked up, his Persona, Nemesis, was floating before him. The Persona was less humanoid than Orpheus or Polydeuces, with red eyes, a wide comical grin, and a jagged, charcoal grey ring that went around itself. The ring then began to glow electric blue and a circle of light formed around the Shadow's feet. Rectangular pieces of Japanese joss paper spiraled upwards from the light, attached themselves to the Shadow and detonated. As Shadow muck began to rain down, Ken focused his attention on the second Shadow that was approaching. He commanded Nemesis to cast the same spell but by the time he could think it, the Shadow had smacked his Persona into blue shards. The broken connection pushed Ken onto his backside and the Evoker slid out of reach. From where he was, he espied Minato still winded by the railing, and heard Akihiko's grunts from down below.
Ken scrambled as far back as he could while the second Shadow advanced towards him. There was going to be no help this time. He would die the same way his mother did. But just when he thought it was all over, something white darted past to stand in front of him once again.
"Koromaru, no!" Ken shouted.
The dog ignored his plea and howled. Ken thought it was a battle cry until he felt gusts of wind swirling in the space above Koromaru. He watched as something black, canine, and three-headed materialized. He has one too!? Koromaru's Persona, Cerberus, roared and created a purple seal on the Shadow's chest. The seal slowly rotated at first, then picked up its tempo until it was spinning like the propeller of a plane at full throttle and sucked the Shadow into its vortex. A trickle of muck, which was all that remained of the Shadow, splashed onto the floor. After that, there was nothing in the air but footsteps and heavy breathing.
"He can summon a Persona!?"
Akihiko looked at the befuddled faces of Yukari, Junpei and Fuuka, who had all simultaneously asked that question and nodded. It was well into the early hours of the morning when he had returned to the dorm with Minato, Ken and Koromaru, and now everyone was gathered in the foyer lounge.
"I'm not sure how it works but he can. Minato and Ken saw it happen," Akihiko said, looking down at Koromaru. The dog had attracted much attention – equally due to his adorability and bravery – and barked in agreement.
"Koromaru-san wishes to fight with us it seems," Aigis said.
Everyone looked to her.
"You can talk to dogs?" Minato asked, holding a pack of ice against his injury.
"Yes. Koromaru-san says 'I will repay you for helping me.' At least that is what he seems to be saying."
Yukari smiled, bent down and stroked his fur. "Oh you're such a good dog."
"But how is he going to fight?" Fuuka asked as she checked to ensure the bandages on Koromaru were properly put on. "I'm sure his awakening was only because of the situation. Unless you plan on making a special Evoker for him?"
"I think it should be feasible," Mitsuru said, crossing her legs and glancing at Ken, who was sitting opposite her on the sofas with his head lowered. "The fact that he was somehow able to interact with the Shadows demonstrate that Koromaru has the potential to be a consistent Persona-user."
"Seriously?" Junpei said. "That's pretty awesome. Guess he'll be the one taking care of Fuuka in the lobby from now on."
Akihiko folded his arms. "I don't think we're going to delegate Koromaru to that role just yet. He needs to be trained. And who knows? He might turn out to be a better warrior than you Junpei."
Mitsuru sighed. "Anyway, I'll inform the Chairman about Koromaru and arrange for a vet to give him a check-up. Other than that, he's all your responsibility to feed and care for. Understood?"
Everyone agreed.
"Um, I'd like to be trained too," Ken mumbled. When he saw no one took notice, he spoke louder. "Please allow me to fight too!"
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Why all of a sudden?" Minato asked.
"You guys are all fighting those monsters…those Shadows right? It's really vague and all but I remembered something. Two years ago, it was…it was them that killed my mom." His voice wavered a little. "So please! Let me fight with you all."
Akihiko looked at Mitsuru, who returned his stare with a pensive gaze. They both knew Ken's claim was wrong. That it wasn't really a Shadow that did the evil deed. But he doesn't have to know that just yet.
"I'm moved," Junpei said, smiling. "Wanting to avenge your mom at your age, you're gonna make me cry. Hey senpai, you don't have a problem with him joining do you?"
Mitsuru avoided Junpei's eyes. "Well…"
"He can join," Akihiko finished for her after a few moments. Ken beamed at this but Akihiko held up a hand and looked at him. "But if you're going to fight, then you have to start taking responsibility for your own safety. That means no more walking around during the Dark Hour alone. You got that?"
"Yes sir!" Ken said, bowing his head.
Akihiko continued to smile as they made arrangements for Ken and Koromaru's formal induction and training. In his heart however, there was no smile. Only the thought of what Shinjiro would do if he learned of this.
I just hope I didn't make the wrong decision.