7/7 - Dark Hour - Shirakawa Boulevard - Mitsuru
Mitsuru growled as she summoned Penthesilea, freezing some tentacles from the Lovers Arcana Shadow, a heart-shaped Shadow that mainly attacked with its tentacles.
After Fuuka lost contact with the strike team momentarily, she eventually found Junpei and Yukari...in a completely different hotel area. Kotone and Ren were still missing. With their field leader gone, Mitsuru assumed command and ordered all available parties to converge on the Arcana Shadow while Fuuka tried to find the missing members.
Currently, Mitsuru and Akihiko are trying to contain the Arcana Shadow while waiting for backup from Junpei and Yukari, who are being guided by Fuuka. The Shadow had crashed into multiple rooms after teleporting the strike team. Mitsuru planned to make its current location where it would die.
"Still haven't lost your edge, Mitsuru!" Akihiko complimented.
"Is now the time for that?!"
"I'm just saying! I never really saw you fight up close the last time we were in Tartarus!" Akihiko's Evoker rang out and Polydeuces zapped three incoming tentacles. "Seriously, you could loosen up a bit while fighting! A bit of competitiveness might make you even stronger!"
The Shadow began to gather light, obviously charging up for an attack. Mitsuru took a stance, ready to evade or defend, while Akihiko used Tarunda on the Shadow.
Suddenly, the door behind them opened with a bang. At that moment, the Shadow attacked.
"Senpai! We're here to-"
The attack, an arrow of light, didn't hit Akihiko or Mitsuru; its target was behind the two.
Mitsuru whipped her head around to see Junpei stagger back a step after being hit by the attack. He lurched forward, head down, and stayed quiet.
"Junpei!" Yukari began tapping him on the shoulder. "Are you okay? Say something!"
Junpei's shoulders shook as he giggled ominously. His head whipped towards Yukari with a creepy smile. "Yukari!" he shouted before swinging his sword at her. "You're pretty hot!"
Yukari shrieked as she ducked and then took off to get away from the friend-turned-enemy.
"Shit!" Akihiko rushed Junpei to intercept him.
"Fuuka! What's going on?!" Yukari asked, now able to take a quick breather.
"That attack was Holy Arrow! It charms whoever gets hit by it!" Fuuka answered telepathically. "Charmdi should cure it!"
Mitsuru heard movement coming from the Shadow. Sensing the tentacle attacks again, she called out, "Takeba, run!"
"Huh?"
Mitsuru whipped around again, intending to intercept the oncoming onslaught of tentacles. With her whip, she constrained them, then pulled on them, ripping them apart. However, it wasn't enough. More tentacles slipped through, intent on attacking Yukari.
Luckily, Yukari got the message. She was already running when Mitsuru stopped the first wave.
"Dammit! What is it with tentacles?!" Yukari cried out as she dodged each of the tentacles behind the broken furniture as cover.
Penthesilea froze a few more, but it wasn't enough. Mitsuru glanced at Akihiko, who was still holding off Junpei. Behind her, Yukari was running for her life. On the other end of the room, the Shadow floated contently, knowing that it had the flow of battle on its side.
'Akihiko is busy handling a Charmed Iori right now. We need Takeba to use Charmdi on him, but the Shadow knows that, so it's obvious that it would try to get her! What we need now is to create a breathing room for Takeba to heal Iori, but I'm already doing the best I can!' Mitsuru glared at the Shadow, her eyes sharpening at it. 'We need another healer and I'm sure Shiomi has a Persona for it, or someone to distract the Shadow!'
"Yamagishi!" she called as she summoned Penthesilea again. "Where are Shiomi and Amamiya?!"
"Please, I'm almost there! I can feel it! Just a little more!" Fuuka said, her concentration obvious in her reply.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
Somewhere in Champ de Fleur
Light passed through the pink glass-wall that separated the bedroom and the bathroom. The only sound that Kotone could hear was the shower from the bathroom. Soon enough, she heard something squeak, and there was silence.
Kotone stood up, took off her Gekkou High uniform, unbuttoned the top two buttons of her button-down, and untied her hair, ready to proceed to the next part.
'What was the next part?'
'No, that question doesn't matter,' something told her. 'Just enjoy the moment. It will come naturally.'
The bathroom door opened and out came Ren, naked outside of a towel that hid the lower portion of his body.
'Go on,' something urged her. 'You know what to do.'
'"What to do?" What does that-'
Ren was now in front of her, his body glistening from his recent shower.
'Wait, this is-'
She looked up at him and his dark and stormy eyes, almost abyss-like, stared right back. In all honesty, Ren had a very charming face. She heard about how Ren sky-rocketed amongst the girls a few days after transferring in, especially with his killer smile. She frowned at that thought.
'Don't worry about everyone else,' the voice in her head said. 'Only you and he matter right now.''
The pink light shined on his definitions, showing off his lean muscles. His entire upper body was in full view, all for her to see.
Kotone always found it weird that Ren could do what he did during the Dark Hour, all the spins, athleticism, showing-off, and more.
Well, she was staring right at the answer.
Ren's left hand reached for her face, but she stopped him. Instead, she grasped his fingers with her right hand, wrapping her own fingers around his. They were long, yet surprisingly nimble. She remembered how he deftly handled his knife, both in battle and in the kitchen. They weren't smooth either, as his fingers and palms have built some calluses. Compared to hers, his were slightly thicker, proof of his experience in parkour. It seemed like he used some sort of shaver when they got too much.
Honestly, she liked how his hands felt; how it held her own hand, gentle yet firm; how it perfectly held her own hands; how his thumbs were currently slowly rubbing the back of her hands, calming her.
With her left, she reached for his chest. It was hard and dense like iron, yet it wasn't muscular. Rather, it was lean, but Kotone could definitely feel that he trained them hard. His abs were the same too, proof of his core strength.
But, in her addled mind and eyes, something was on his chest, something unclear. She took a step forward to see it clearer. Now they were right in front of each other, and Kotone could feel the heat coming from Ren's body. More importantly, now that she was closer, Kotone saw it clearly now.
A wide, dark red scar ran from Ren's right shoulder all the way to the left side of his chest. It wasn't a clean cut either; Kotone could see the tiny places where skin seemed to be ripped and torn off. Absent-mindedly, Kotone reached for it. Her fingers ran across it, noting the difference in feel between the scar flesh and the rest of his chest.
Ren's breath hitched.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
"All I care about now is killing you... To prove I'm better than you!"
"You're just...pieces of shit...who lick each other's wounds...! Anything goes...if you say you're teammates...!"
"I'll kill you, Joker!"
All Ren could remember at that moment was how clear Queen's horrified face was, eyes wide as Crow rushed her, not Joker. After that... He didn't remember moving, but, somehow, he did. Crow was in front of him and Queen behind him. He could definitely see Crow's sneer underneath his mask. Then the pain came.
Ren staggered back, remembering the searing, hot pain from his memory.
"Ren?" a girl's voice asked in front of him.
He rapidly blinked, clearing the fog in his mind, and he began to remember where he was.
He wasn't inside a twisted ship's engine room; he was in a love hotel.
He wasn't facing the person who betrayed him; he faced a girl his age whose eyes were unfocused and slightly dazed.
He wasn't hurt; all that remained was a scar. And apparently a towel, now that he realized. He was buck naked underneath.
"Ren?" Kotone approached him. "Are you okay?" She reached for his scar, dabbing it. "I'm sorry. Did it hurt? Don't worry, I'll heal it." She tried to get closer, but Ren pushed her away, holding her at arm's length.
"Kotone, snap out of it!"
"Ren?!" another voice rang, though it was in his head this time. "I finally got through!"
"Fuuka? What happened? What's the situation?" he asked, pushing against Kotone as she pushed back, eyes closed with concentration, and tried to get closer to him.
"Everyone is fighting a second Arcana Shadow! Is Kotone with you?"
"She is, but something's wrong with her! I think something caught is, but I got out."
"The Shadow must have charmed her. A good whack should do it! That's how Akihiko-senpai got Junpei back!"
"Understood. We'll be right there, so focus on giving everyone support!" Ren felt his connection with Fuuka cut off. Blue flames surrounded him, and his Phantom Thief attire appeared. "Maria, Salvation!"
A green light surrounded both Ren and Kotone. Ren felt his injuries heal, and Kotone collapsed, falling forward into Ren's arms. His outfit disappeared, and he kneeled down to lower her. She groaned and her eyes fluttered open.
Ren sighed in relief when he saw Kotone's red eyes clear up and focus on him. She inhaled sharply and her eyes roamed his body.
And then she screamed.
"No!" she cried out, pushing Ren away. She scampered backwards to the other side of the room, her eyes never leaving Ren. "What happened?! Where's Yukari?! Why are you naked?!"
Ren put up his hands. "Kotone, I know it looks bad, but we weren't ourselves. A Shadow's attack hit us."
"A Shadow...?" she asked with a frown before gasping. "The mirror!" She stayed silent for a moment, then her face turned red, and her hands immediately covered her eyes. "Oh, my god! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"I know; it's okay," he interrupted her. "We can talk about this later. Right now, everyone needs help, so we have to leave. I'm going to get changed, so try to get in contact with Fuuka." After Kotone nodded, he got up and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Ren sighed as he leaned back on the door. The situation had become a real mess. It took all his concentration to not look down at Kotone's shirt after the first glance. Ann already gave him a punishment for that, and he wasn't willing to see what a naginata-wielding girl would do to him. His scar stung as memories from that day flooded back in, threatening to him take down memory lane. He heard Oracle's panicked voice, Queen's scream, his gleeful laughter as he dragged his sword across his chest-
His left arm hastily clamped on to Crow's arm, stopping him from retreating to safety with an iron grip.
"Grit your teeth, Crow!" he snarled, his eyes never leaving his enemy's own. He could see the panic set in Crow's eyes as he tried to pull back his arm and sword. Ren pulled back his right arm and his new chest wound hurt like he never felt before. His fist crackled with dark energy as he felt Arsene's rage flow into him.
His punch instantaneously crashed into Crow's red lenses and cracked it. He knew he telegraphed his fist, but it wasn't like Crow could do anything about it, considering he wasn't right of mind. He could feel Crow's cheekbones push back for a moment before he let go with his left arm, and Crow flew to the other side of the engine room. His body crashed into a wall before he slid down to the ground.
Ren steadied himself and tried his best to stay standing up, but his legs were like jelly at this point. His entire body hurt as he crumpled to the ground, his friends shouting as they hurried to his side.
He took a deep breath, finished with his recollection, and stood up straight, his face set with a glare. There was no time for hesitation; his team needed his help right now.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
Not for the first time in the same hour, Mitsuru growled again as she gave ground to a Charmed Akihiko. To her left, Yukari was running from a Charmed Junpei.
She believed the situation was already at its worst when the Shadow initially Charmed Junpei and attacked her and Yukari, but this was even worse. When Akihiko smacked Junpei with his open palm, Mitsuru was too busy helping Yukari to realize that the Shadow had Charmed Akihiko. Her only warning that Akihiko was about to attack her came from Fuuka. While Akihiko distracted Mitsuru, the Shadow charmed Junpei again, so both Yukari and Mitsuru have been fending off their teammates.
However, Fuuka finally got through to Kotone and Ren a few minutes ago and she promised they were coming soon. The other piece of good news was most of the Shadow's tentacles were gone now. Sure, it was still floating smugly where it was from the start, but it allowed Mitsuru and Yukari to focus on defending against Akihiko and Junpei.
"Kotone and Ren are right outside the room!" Fuuka said, just as Akihiko was about to punch Mitsuru.
Mitsuru's eyes glinted, dove under Akihiko's punch, and kicked Akihiko away. Luckily for them, those Charmed didn't have the same skills compared to their usual selves, evident from Junpei's sloppier-than-usual attacks and Akihiko's telegraphed punches.
"Penthesilea!" she called out, and her Persona stabbed the ground, making an ice wall around Yukari, protecting her from Junpei and the Shadow.
With enough room to finally breathe, Yukari pointed her Evoker to herself. "Io, Charmdi!" A light surrounded Akihiko, healing him from the Shadow's charm, though it seemed like he was down for the count.
The door slammed open, and Kotone and Ren came into the room. Mitsuru noticed that both of them were a bit disheveled - some buttons were unbuttoned, Kotone's hair wasn't in her signature ponytail - but were ultimately alright, guessing from Kotone's voice.
"Sorry we're late!" she cried out.
With his target out of reach, Junpei turned towards the newcomers. "Hey, Kotone!" he yelled as he heaved his sword over his shoulder. "You look hot, too!" With a laugh, he ran towards her, his sword ready to swing down on her.
"Sorry, Junpei! I'm done with creepy situations!" With a war cry, she swatted Junpei with the back of her naginata. He crashed to the side, unmoving. With a huff, she surveyed the room, her eyes landing on the Shadow behind Mitsuru. Pointing a finger to it, she said, "And you're going to pay for what you did!"
"It absolutely will!" Yukari cried out, too.
Kotone and Ren rushed forward as Yukari and Mitsuru flanked the Shadow. With its remaining tentacles, the Shadow screeched and began attacking them. However, with stable footing and no one rushing her, Yukari sniped at the incoming tentacles and Mitsuru summoned Penthesilea to freeze any tentacles that got too close.
Ren led the charge and, rather than dodging the incoming tentacles, he opted to hack and slash those that came to him. There was a lull in the waves of tentacles and the Shadow began to gather light again.
"That's the Charm attack!" Mitsuru yelled. "Dodge it!"
Kotone moved to the side while Ren ducked down without losing momentum, stopping right in front of the Shadow. Kotone sped forward and used his back as a springboard, now easily above the Shadow. With another war cry, she slammed her naginata down the Shadow's mask. Underneath her, Ren stabbed the Shadow's belly and, with a roar of his own, dragged his knife upwards, creating a gash on the pink Shadow. With both their attacks, the Shadow shrieked as it split into two, disappearing into familiar motes of black dust.
Ren caught Kotone from the air, and, after a quick glance at each other, he let her down gently and looked away from each other. Mitsuru shot a questioning look, but mentally shrugged.
They had won the fight, and that was one more of her grandfather's sins erased.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
"Think we can get this covered up?" Akihiko asked Mitsuru as everyone began to file out of the love hotel. From Fuuka's watch, there was little time left until the end of the Dark Hour and they all wanted to be out before the people got out of their coffins. "There's a ton of damage this time around."
Mitsuru hummed before responding, "I think so. Some sort of gas leak is a simple answer. I will coordinate with the chairman for this."
Behind the two third-years, Junpei groaned while rubbing the spot where Kotone's naginata hit him. "Man, what happened? Everything was over when I woke up..."
"That's what you get for not controlling yourself!" Yukari said. "Getting charmed like that was a real pain for us!"
"Yukari!" Fuuka called as she ran to Yukari's side. She leaned over and whispered something to Yukari.
Yukari smiled when Fuuka finished. "Seriously? That's great!"
While everyone was on their way out, Kotone couldn't help but grimace as her face began to heat up again, memories of the night's events flowing through her mind.
'I never thought of myself as a touchy person,' she thought. Holding Ren's hands, touching his chest... She never got close to anyone to warrant touching like what she did to Ren. Granted, a Shadow charmed her, but it never forced her to like it. 'I...didn't really mind it.'
She glanced at Ren, who was slightly ahead of her. Ever since they killed the Arcana Shadow, he had been silent and contemplative. He answered when someone talked to him, but never really pushed the conversation. It seemed like he had a lot on his mind.
'There was when he seemed angry at the Shadows tonight.' That side of him was certainly new. He never showed it against the Emperor and Empress Shadows, nor the Shadows in Tartarus.
She power-walked towards Ren and tapped his shoulder. "Is everything okay, Ren?" she asked.
Ren glanced at her before showing a tired smile. "Yep, I'm good. I'm just tired."
"Really?" she asked again, this time with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't seem alright against the Shadows tonight."
Ren perked up his smile, forcing himself to look like he wasn't tired. "I don't know what happened to that one. I'll let you know once I do, though."
Kotone fidgeted as the air between them became awkward. There was Ren again, being dismissive about it. Still, if he didn't know, then there was no reason to push him for it. She felt her face heat up again as she thought about the elephant between the two of them.
"R-Ren..." she said hesitantly. "I-um..."
He tilted his head towards her, and she looked away from him, refusing to let him see the obvious flush of her face. "Yes?"
Pushing beyond the embarrassment, she leaned towards him. "I'm really sorry about what happened back then," she whispered, making sure that the others couldn't hear them. "I touched you when you couldn't say anything."
Ren stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "What's done is done. It wasn't like we could do anything about it. If anything, I think we did pretty well, considering what was going to happen next."
Kotone frowned before sighing. "If that's what you want. Can we also forget what happened? I don't want to make things awkward between us."
Ren raised an eyebrow before smirking. "You're asking me? You're the one who got the most between us two."
"W-what?!" she squeaked before she began punching him, but Ren only laughed at her efforts.
"Alright, alright, I get it. I'm sorry for teasing," he said, catching Kotone's fists. "Nothing happened, okay?"
Honestly, she liked how his hands felt; how it held her own hand, gentle yet firm; how it perfectly held her own hands; how his thumbs were currently slowly rubbing the back of her hands, calming her.
Kotone shook her head and quickly pulled away her hands, hiding them behind her back. After calming herself, she continued, "I'm also sorry about seeing that. Your scar, I mean."
Ren gave her a questioning look. "Why do you feel sorry about that?"
"Because you never told anyone about it," she responded. "And now, someone saw it and you couldn't do anything about it."
"Are we doing this again?" Ren asked with a sigh. "Like I said, it's fine. We couldn't control ourselves and the thing that's at fault paid for it. Now, come on. We have to catch up to the others."
Kotone nodded before they both jogged towards the rest of SEES, intent on catching up. Still, there was something in her mind.
'What caused it? And why did it feel so...angry? Why did Ren react like that?'
-.-Take Your Time-.-
Outside the Champ de Fleur
"Wonderfully done," Takaya said as he looked over Shirakawa Boulevard, his eyes roaming across the wreckage wrought by the Shadow. To his right, Jin nodded as he mulled over what he just saw, such as their attacks, their teamwork, their capabilities, their weaknesses. "What are your thoughts, Jin?"
"Their linchpin is their leader, the red-haired girl," he said. "Without her, they're okay, but her versatility opens up a lot of options."
Takaya agreed. The ability to wield multiple Personas was outstanding, perhaps even Kirijo's best find. Still, the power she wielded, while versatile, did not amount to the same power as he did.
He looked behind him, where Chidori was. While Jin and he surveyed the battlefield, Chidori tracked the Kirijo group while also masking their own signatures. "Chidori, did you find any anomalies?"
Chidori shook her head, her eyes not leaving the group in the distance. "Outside the girl, nothing. No one here had the power that matched Joker's on that day."
Takaya growled. So, nothing he didn't know from watching the battle, then.
Ever since they lost to Joker, Strega had been using the sewers all throughout Tatsumi Port Island to navigate through the city. If anything, it reminded him of his days when they just escaped the Kirijo group. It was humiliating, to say the least. They, who had the most experience among the Persona-users, were simply tossed around like trash in Joker's wake. He knew for a fact that they ran with their tail between their legs that day.
On top of all that, Joker knew their old hideouts, something that even the Kirijo group didn't know, so the number of safe houses they had were effectively slashed in half. However, what hurt was that they lost access to their best ones, forced to hide in their older hideouts.
After much deliberation, they all believed that Joker was a Kirijo weapon, a sort of hybrid of Shadow and human. No other explanation made sense otherwise, especially after the revelations they had after the battle. Jin and Takaya had their memories changed, losing all visual and auditory evidence of Joker, while Chidori sensed a Shadow with a human inside. Takaya could see it; that fucking crazy scientist, experimenting on who knows how many children, finally leaping in joy after their first success in Joker.
And what a success Joker was. He was untraceable, able to come as he pleased, abnormally strong, and could somehow mess with their memories. His existence caused years of work to go in an instant. Chidori couldn't even keep track of him, much to Takaya's annoyance, so they couldn't even prepare for him if he appeared.
The fact that they had to hide also meant they were losing support in their revenge site. More and more were denouncing their existence as the days passed, and the amount of traffic was abysmal compared to before. Their outlet was slowly dwindling by the day.
Still, in a way, as a fellow experimented-with subject, Takaya felt a sort of camaraderie with Joker, though that was the extent of it. He didn't remember what they said that night, as he could only remember static, but he felt unhinged anger against Joker that night. He felt Joker held a set of values anathema to him, one so completely opposite of his that he lost control over himself.
Takaya shook his head. There was time to mull over Joker later. Strega was still working at the moment.
"And you, Jin?" Takaya asked. "What are your thoughts?"
Jin stayed quiet for a moment, gathering his own thoughts. "I don't think Joker was with them. Nothing screamed inhuman tonight. That said, why don't we ask our 'buddy'? We'll be seeing him soon."
"Yes... That's an excellent idea," Takaya said with a smirk. "Considering that he shares our fate, it would be prudent to seek his opinion. We don't have much time left..."
-.-Take Your Time-.-
7/9 - Afternoon - Gekkoukan High School - Kotone
"Huh? Whaddya want?" Junpei asked Kotone. "Don't bug me if it's not important. I'm heading home now."
Kotone sighed as Junpei hurriedly left the classroom. Ever since the last Full Moon Operation, Junpei had been somewhat testy with Kotone, putting some sort of wall around him. However, it was last night when Junpei actively began pushing her away, asking that so long as whatever she wanted to talk about wasn't important, for it to wait.
Pushing someone's boundaries... It wasn't something that she had done before, so all she could now was wait. Just wait and smile like nothing has happened.
"Something wrong between you two?" Ren asked from behind her, causing her to slightly jump from the sudden question.
'I didn't even hear him!'
She turned around and answered, "Something like that. He's pissed like last time again. I tried to talk today, but he didn't want to, so I guess I'll just wait." She laughed awkwardly as she made her way out of the classroom.
"You won't talk to him about it?" Ren asked as he caught up to her.
Kotone shook her head. "No. I'll wait for him to talk. Respect boundaries and all that."
Ren frowned, but then nodded. "Very well, it's your call."
"You have any suggestions?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a surprising bite.
"Sometimes, someone has to be the hammer."
'And it's the one thing I can't do.'
Kotone sighed. "It's fine. He came back last time; he'll do it again. I believe in him," she said as she opened the classroom door.
"Kotone!" Saori called out from the other side of the hallway.
"Oh, Saori! Did you wait long?" Kotone asked as she crossed over to Saori. 'I hope she didn't. People already talk about her all the time.'
Luckily, Saori shook her head. "Not at all. I actually just arrived. Are you ready to go?"
"Already made plans, Kotone?" Ren asked beside her.
"Oh, right, sorry about that, Ren." Kotone stepped aside for a bit so that Saori and Ren had a better look at each other. "This is Amamiya Ren, another transfer student, this time from Tokyo. And this is Hasegawa Saori," she said as she gestured towards the older student. "She's a second-year just like us. We met through the Health Committee."
"Hi there. How do you do?" Saori nodded a bit at Ren before making a confused look. "Are you okay?"
Kotone glanced at Ren. His mouth was slightly agape as he stared at Saori, but then he suddenly blinked.
"Sorry about spacing out. I knew someone with the same last name, so I'm a bit shocked to see someone with the same name here," he said with a smile before bowing. "My name is Amamiya Ren. I'm in the same class as Kotone. Please treat me well."
Saori chuckled. "Of course, no need to worry. Why don't we go to the nurse's room before we talk? We're taking everyone's attention."
Everyone nodded at her suggestion and the little group began making their way towards where the Health Committee meets up. Along the way, Kotone could hear the loud whispers that circulated.
"Saori's going for someone again."
"Or maybe the guy is going for her?"
"Maybe he got hurt? They are the Health Committee."
Kotone glared at the people who badmouthed Saori, and while some began to walk away, some didn't. From behind her, she could tell that Ren was taking in everything quietly.
Finally, they arrived behind the closed doors of the nurse's room.
When everyone was seated, Saori picked up the conversation. "Hasegawa is a common last name, after all. If you don't mind, what was the first name of your Hasegawa?" she asked Ren. "I also have a family member in Tokyo, too."
"... Zenkichi. Hasegawa Zenkichi," he said after a moment of silence.
Saori gasped, daintily covering her mouth in surprise. "My, what a surprise... Can you describe him?"
Ren crossed his arms as he hummed in thought. "He tries to be hip and young. He acts mature but gets very loud when taken in surprise."
There was a moment of silence as Saori stared at Ren with wide eyes. Her shoulders shook and giggles escaped from her mouth. She hid it again behind a hand, but the giggles became small laughs as her other hand held her sides.
"That's him! That really sounds like him!" she said. When she calmed down, she continued, "How has Uncle been?"
Ren blinked at Saori's sudden confession before he grinned at her. "Small world..." he murmured, but then he shook his head. "I think he's fine, though it's been a while since I've met him." Saori sighed happily at that.
Kotone smiled as all this happened in front of her. Barring being ignored at the moment, Saori meeting Ren is a good thing.
'I've never seen Saori smile like that before, nor did she laugh like that. She's so mature in front of me, but in front of Ren...'
"Kotone-chan?" Saori's voice grabbed her attention back to the room. "Is something wrong?"
Kotone shook her head. "Not at all! I was just thinking about the coming finals. It's next week and I'm going to be busy studying."
"Ah, I see. Yes, the finals are coming," Saori said with a nod. "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to help you. I'm a new student too, so I don't know what to expect." She hummed for a moment, looking to the side, away from the two students. "That said, I have heard some rumors that Ekoda-sensei is pretty nasty in what he puts on the exams." Both Kotone and Ren's faces soured at the mention of Ekoda-sensei. "Not a fan?" she asked.
Ren shook his head with a small huff. "I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who is."
"Tell me about it," Kotone said. "He makes himself sound like he's the most important teacher here, but after what he did to Fuuka..." she murmured
Saori tilted her head at the mention of a new name. "Fuuka?"
Kotone jerked her head, surprised that Saori heard her. "Oh, don't-"
A knock suddenly rang out from the door. "Excuse me!" a boy's voice yelled before the doors opened. "Is Hasegawa-san here?"
'He's familiar...' Kotone thought. 'But I don't know where I saw him before.'
"Yes," Saori answered. "Um... Takaoka-kun? Is there something you need? Are you not feeling-"
"Uh, would you be interested in going out for karaoke?" he asked, interrupting her.
"... Okay?" she half-said, half-asked.
"Seriously?" the boy said with an obvious smirk and glee. "Then-"
"Hold on," Ren said as he narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you can ask that?"
"H-huh? What do you mean?"
"Don't you have a girlfriend?" Ren asked, and Kotone's eyes widened in realization.
'I saw him with a girl just yesterday!'
"Hell no!"
"Then what about that girl from yesterday?" Kotone asked, pushing through the boy's denial. "I saw you with a girl in Paulownia Mall yesterday."
"She was just a friend! Anyway, this is a conversation between us, so don't butt in," the boy said to them both before looking back at Saori. "Then, how about today?"
"I still have some things to do here today, so..." Saori answered.
"Aww, I'll wait around, then. Let's go once you're free. I'll wait in the classroom." The boy didn't wait for Saori's response and left the room.
"Oh, okay then..." Saori muttered. "That was sudden. It surprised me."
"Do you get along with him?" Kotone asked.
Saori shook her head. "... I don't really know him. But, if he really wants to go out with me, then..."
"Aren't you being a doormat?"
Saori giggled as if she heard a funny joke. "Maybe I am!" Kotone could only nervously smile at Saori. "I don't really have any opinions of my own. If there's someone willing to take the lead, I'll gladly follow... I don't need someone... I just want to be needed by someone else. If I can find someone who needs me, I'd love that person with every fiber of my being. Do you think it's wrong to think that way, Kotone-chan?"
Kotone froze momentarily at her question. It was unnerving how Saori hit home with her question.
'Doing only because someone else is relying on me... I...'
With a sigh, she said, "Yeah, I can understand that."
"And you, Ren-kun?" Saori asked.
Kotone glanced at the other person in the room, but she was surprised to see that Ren was fiddling with his phone beforehand.
"Yeah, I get it, too," he answered, pocketing away his phone. "I get being needed by someone and wanting to live up to their expectations."
"Really?" Saori giggled. "I'm happy to hear that from the both of you."
In her heart, Kotone felt she understood Saori more than before.
"Anyway, we should get started with our duties," Saori said. "I did promise, after all."
"Let me help, Hasegawa-san," Ren said. "I took a lot of time from both of you today. Let me make up for that."
"Well, if you're offering, thank you," Saori said. "And there's no need to be formal with me, so call me Saori."
With a nod, the three cleaned up the room. With an extra person, the clean-up took a lot less time than normal.
"Well, I better get going. Goodbye, everyone!" Saori said with a wave and closed the door behind her.
Ren hummed as he stared at the door, though his eyes seemed like it was staring past it.
"Is something wrong, Ren?" Kotone asked.
Ren jolted out of his trance. "Not sure, in all honesty." Kotone shot a raised eyebrow, prompting him to explain. "I just have a pit in my stomach. Hopefully, it's nothing in the end." Ren slung his bag over his shoulders. "Anyway, you ready? I'm planning to go back to the dorms. What about you?"
Kotone hummed in thought for a moment. "I think I'll visit Bunkichi and Mitsuko before going back."
"Who are they?"
"They're the owners of the second-hand bookstore in the Iwatodai Strip Mall. I know them pretty well. They're both adorable!"
Ren chuckled. "Sounds good. I'll walk you there, then. I'll check out the store, too."
Kotone, smiling at the sudden hang out with Ren, left the school for the day with him.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
7/11 - Evening - Iwatodai Dorms [Command Room] - Kotone
Kotone didn't know why, but the tension in the Command Room was palpable. Akihiko texted that there was going to be a meeting and Ikutsuki had something to tell them, most likely Shadow-related stuff and any effects regarding the last Full Moon Operation.
She was the second-to-the-last to arrive and sat next to Akihiko. Only Junpei was left. Ikutsuki, Mitsuru, and Akihiko were sitting quietly, minding their own business. However, something was up with Yukari. She sat on the other side of the table from Mitsuru, openly glaring at her senior or looking anywhere but her. On Yukari's right was Fuuka, who sat nervously, though she did her best to hide it. Her eyes flitted between Yukari and Mitsuru every so often, and her mouth would squirm when she met Yukari's eyes. On the other end of the table, opposite of Ikutsuki, who sat at the head of the table, was Ren, who was busy on his phone. It seemed like he was playing a game, based on how concentrated he was. Once in a while, he would sigh so quietly that Kotone could barely hear it, and he would glance at Yukari and Mitsuru before going back to his game. With how tense the room was, Kotone felt awkward about saying anything, which led to her current situation: sitting quietly and taking in the entire atmosphere of the room.
The Command Room door creaked open and Junpei entered.
"Sorry about being late," he said. "Had something to do."
Ikutsuki shook his head. "Not to worry, Junpei," he said with a smile. "I dropped this out of the hat. Please, get seated. We have much to discuss."
Junpei nodded and took a seat at Fuuka's right and, coincidentally, right in front of Kotone. She smiled at him, though he ignored her.
"Now, before I tell you what I found," Ikutsuki began, "why don't you tell me what happened in the last operation?"
Mitsuru nodded. "We encountered two Arcana Shadows yesterday, which we identified as the Hierophant and Lovers Shadows. While the former was no problem and was dealt with quickly, the latter took longer to fight. It had the power to teleport and charm people. It separated the field team into pairs and teleported them away into different rooms in Champ de Fleur.
"Akihiko and I felt we could not allow the Shadow to escape, so we intercepted it while Yamagishi used her Persona to locate and gather the field team. The first pair to arrive was Iori and Takeba, while Amamiya and Shiomi arrived shortly after. The Shadow charmed Akihiko and Iori and used them to fight against Takeba and me, making it hard for us to destroy it. We had no choice but to wait and stall until Amamiya and Shiomi arrived to exterminate it."
Mitsuru sighed before continuing, "So, that's what happened on the night of the seventh. It was a difficult operation."
"I see. They're getting tougher..." he murmured with a nod. "But, it's not all bad news... I called today's meeting because-"
"I'm sorry," Yukari suddenly interrupted. "Before we go on, I'd like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something."
Mitsuru looked at Yukari with a quizzical look. "Me...?"
"Since I joined, so many things have happened..." Yukari began. "I went along with it, without really understanding what was going on... But now, I need to know." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she glared intensely at Mitsuru. Beside her, Fuuka dipped her head down, as if trying to hide from an incoming battle.
"I'm gonna ask you straight out... You've been hiding something from us, haven't you, senpai?" she asked. "You act like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus... But they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"
'Huh? Ten years ago...?'
The reactions throughout the room differed. Mitsuru, though she said nothing, glared back at Yukari. Akihiko looked at Yukari in surprise. Ikutsuki was also surprised, though it seemed like he knew it was coming. Junpei kept glancing back and forth between Mitsuru and Yukari. Fuuka, on the other hand, seemed horrified about what was coming. Ren kept a stoic face as he watched the events unfold.
"W-what accident...?" Junpei asked.
"There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died..." Yukari answered, though her focus on Mitsuru didn't waver. "It must've been big news back then. You know about it, don't you?"
"... Yes," Mitsuru said, not wavering in front of Yukari.
"Luckily, no students were injured. But, around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent," Yukari pushed on. "... Seems like more than just a coincidence."
"What do you mean?"
"I dug up some old school records and newspapers and found something interesting. The students who were absent... They all collapsed suddenly and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar?" Yukari narrowed her eyes. "You know, like the girls who bullied Fuuka..."
Mitsuru couldn't hold her stare and looked away in silence as she held her arms.
"There has to be an explanation!" Yukari said as she stood up and placed her hands on the table. Her glare only intensified as she pressed her advantage. "What really happened on the day of that accident? The Kirijo Group built our school, so you must know something! Tell me the truth!"
Mitsuru stayed quiet for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked back at Yukari with her usual composure. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. It just never seemed relevant. But, if you must blame someone, then-"
"It's okay. It is not your fault, Mitsuru," Ikutsuki stopped her. Mitsuru looked back at the chairman in surprise before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened them again, she looked back at Yukari.
"Alright, I'll tell you the whole story," Mitsuru began and took everyone's attention. "The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space. We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They would be a source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?"
"What...?" Yukari muttered.
"Fourteen years ago, one man pursued that line of thinking," Mitsuru continued her story. "He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group, Kouetsu Kirijo." Kotone saw Mitsuru clench her fist as she grabbed onto her skirt. "... My grandfather." Momentarily, her face warped into anger, but it was gone as if Kotone imagined it. Despite Mitsuru's calm demeanor as she talked, there was hostility in her words when she said her relationship with Kouetsu. "My grandfather was obsessed with the Shadows... He wanted to harness their power for something extraordinary."
Fuuka muttered, "'Harness their power'?"
"He assembled a team of top scientists," Mitsuru said, "and over several years, he put together a disgusting collection of Shadows."
"He what!?" Junpei yelled. "Damn, that's freakin' crazy!"
Mitsuru nodded at Junpei's words and resumed, "However... ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. And, in the process, the very nature of the world was altered." She glanced around at her underclassmen as the implications hit them. "Yes, Tartarus and the Dark Hour were born.
"By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones that then dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering on nights when the moon is full."
"Is that why they've appeared in different places?" Fuuka murmured.
Yukari frowned in thought as she sat back. "Wait a minute... If what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" she asked before gasping. "Don't tell me... That's where they conducted the experiment!?"
Mitsuru shifted her eyes away before blinking them back on Yukari. "Yes."
"Then those students who were hospitalized..."
Mitsuru nodded. "I'm afraid it's just as you're thinking. Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased... As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."
"... Does that mean all we've been doing is cleaning up their mess?!" Yukari yelled as she banged her fist on the table, but Mitsuru kept quiet. Yukari whipped her head towards Akihiko. "You knew too, didn't you senpai!? They've just been using us! Or, do you not care as long as you get to fight?"
"I never said anything like that!" Akihiko answered, but then sighed before calming himself. "I have my reasons..."
Mitsuru glanced at Akihiko before looking back at Yukari. "Think what you'd like... It was my decision not to share that information. I'm sorry. I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we - with our Personas - can fight the Shadows."
"How could you...!?" Yukari growled.
"Besides... Some of us were never given a choice. I..."
Akihiko shook his head as he gripped Mitsuru's shoulder. "Mitsuru, don't."
"Yukari," Ikutsuki said, giving Mitsuru a reprieve from Yukari. "It's those in the past who are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did. We're all in the same boat, here; none of us deserve the burden that's been thrust upon us."
"But-!"
"Is it right to punish someone based on the actions of their parents?" Ren suddenly asked in a steady voice, surprising Kotone.
Yukari looked back at Ren. "What do you mean?"
"This entire situation is because of Mitsuru-senpai's grandfather and his team. They've paid for their mistake already," Ren said as he stared at Yukari. "Personally, I think the only actions that someone is responsible for are their own and the effects of said actions. I don't think it's right to blame someone for what their grandparents did when they weren't even ten years old."
Ren closed his eyes and sighed as he scratched his chest for a moment. "We were dealt a shitty hand, Yukari, and the only thing we can do is use it to the best we can. And right now, I think those Shadows are a threat to everyone."
"Then she should have said something!" Yukari said. "We are risking our lives here! We should know more than nothing."
"It's been ten years since that incident," Ikutsuki interrupted. "While regular Shadows have appeared before, the Arcana Shadows only recently suddenly returned. But, since they're active, at least we can find and destroy them. Do you realize what this means? What if I told you that those twelve Shadows are the cause of everything?"
Akihiko's eyes widened. "Then, if we defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear...?"
Ikutsuki smiled with a nod. "Exactly! That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it's good news, isn't it?"
"Is that true!?" Fuuka asked.
"There's evidence to support it," Ikutsuki answered. "Now, our true battle begins."
"Hold on," Ren said. "What evidence?"
"Well, we know the Arcana Shadows created the Dark Hour and Tartarus when they separated, correct?" With Ren's nod, Ikutsuki continued, "That means that the Arcana Shadows are what keep the Dark Hour and Tartarus alive. If we kill these Shadows, then wouldn't that mean that the Dark Hour and Tartarus would disappear?"
"I see..." Yukari muttered.
"Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people," Ikutsuki said. "The Shadows are gaining strength. We can't afford to just wait for them.
"And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answer must lie within it. That is why we must continue to explore it.
"Now, you are right, Yukari, that we kept many things from you. I am very sorry about that. Ask me your questions and I will try to answer as best I can."
"Are you sure, chairman?" Mitsuru asked.
Ikutsuki nodded. "A team cannot function if there is mistrust. I hope that, by answering your questions, I can assuage your anger."
"I want to learn more about the twelve Arcana Shadows," Yukari asked.
"Of course," Ikutsuki said. "Ten years ago, a substantial number of Shadows were consolidated into a single entity. Its power was immense, far greater than any of the Shadows we've seen, both amongst the Arcana Shadows and the ones currently inside Tartarus.
"Experiments were performed on it, and an unfortunate accident took place, dividing the entity into twelve Shadows. It is these twelve Shadows that we have exterminated during the full moon, recently named the Arcana Shadows."
"And these two?" Yukari asked as she glared at Mitsuru and Akihiko.
"Yukari-" Fuuka said before being interrupted by Ikutsuki.
"It's okay, Fuuka; I said I will answer the best I can," Ikutsuki reminded her. "Starting with Mitsuru, under the pretense that she was assisting the Kirijo Group, she was subjected to the experiment for many years. And so, Mitsuru wasn't born with the ability to summon a Persona; she was forced to learn how."
'That's pretty similar to what happened to me,' Kotone thought. 'Though, I had to learn mine right in front of an Arcana Shadow.'
"Were there more that were experimented on?" Ren asked.
"No," Mitsuru answered. "I was the only one that was ever experimented on."
"How did you come up with that question?" Ikutsuki asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It's only natural to think that if Mitsuru-senpai could summon a Persona, then there should be more that could. SEES now is proof of that," Ren answered with a light voice. "If anything, it's surprising that it's only us, considering that it's been ten years since the accident, especially when four people joined in less than half a year."
"Indeed, it is quite strange," Ikutsuki agreed with a nod. "However, even if we have a decade of information on the Shadows, it was only recently that the Arcana Shadows, the one responsible for the Dark Hour and Tartarus, came back. The sudden rise in the number of Persona users could be humanity's answer to their return, similar to your way of summoning. Does that answer your question?"
Ren nodded.
"Then let me continue with Akihiko. I've known him and Mitsuru for a very long time. In fact, Akihiko joined us when he was in middle school," Ikutsuki said.
"So, you've been part of SEES for at least three years, senpai?" Fuuka asked.
Akihiko nodded with a reminiscing smile. "This would be my fifth year since Mitsuru approached me in my second year of middle school."
"I remember when you were so reckless," Ikutsuki said with a laugh. "At that time, we had a third member as well." He glanced at Akihiko, noticing that his smile had soured. "But, I digress."
"Third member...?" Yukari murmured. "Was it Shinjiro-san?"
While Mitsuru stayed quiet, Akihiko nodded.
"Then why isn't he here?" Yukari asked. "Shouldn't he be here, fighting with us instead of whatever it is in Port Island?"
Despite Yukari's aggressiveness, Akihiko stayed quiet, taking a deep breath.
"Akihiko-senpai," Yukari pushed on, "why is he out there, not here?"
"He has his reasons," Akihiko finally answered. "He's not here, and that's that."
"What?!"
"Yukari," Ren interrupted her, causing her to glare at him. "Whatever reason Shinjiro-san has for leaving, it's his story to tell, no one else's."
"But aren't you curious why he isn't here? Again, we're risking our lives while he's out there living his life!"
"I won't deny that I am curious," Ren answered back. "However, imagine someone spilling your secrets without you knowing. Wouldn't you be mad about it?"
Yukari grit her teeth before taking a deep breath of her own. "You're right. Sorry."
Ren kept his stare on Yukari before moving on to Ikutsuki again. "Ikutsuki-san, how did the public react?"
"My, what a curious child, ever worried about the people," Ikutsuki chuckled. "In the end, over fifty people were injured in the accident and the media placed full blame on the Kirijo Group for the tragedy.
"They singled out one researcher in particular, declaring him the main culprit behind it all. Whether this was actually true or not was not the issue; the public was looking for someone to vent their hurt and anger on. And so, they chose him, even though he was a victim himself.
"Their wrath was unparalleled. The darker side of mankind was most certainly on display during that time."
Kotone heard Mitsuru shift, her hand on her arm once again. In front of her, Yukari's eyes widened at Ikutsuki's words.
She glanced around the room. Ren took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. Junpei and Fuuka's surprise were visible on their faces, wide-eyed with a slightly open mouth throughout the meeting. Akihiko hung his head, clenching his fists together.
"If there are no more questions, I believe that we should end today's meeting here," Ikutsuki said. "That was a lot of information to take in; please take your time to sort through them. If you have any more questions, contact me."
The tension in the room never left them, even when they separated inside the dorm.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
7/11 - Evening - Iwatodai Dorm [Kitchen] - Ren
Ren stewed in his own thoughts as he prepared dinner for the night. The atmosphere felt oppressive after the meeting, even when everyone had split afterwards.
Akihiko left the dorm, something about doing a run to clear his head. Mitsuru and Yukari had separated into their rooms while Kotone went to check up on them. At the lounge, Ikutsuki and Fuuka sat with Junpei to summarize the meeting and help him understand what happened. In the corner of his eyes, he could see the frustration build up on Junpei's face as the weight of the meeting set in.
'Something light with the marinated tuna... Maybe miso?' Ren contemplated, hoping to at least give everyone something while they thought to themselves. 'Or maybe tuna and a small side of crunchy salad?'
Ren was happy that the meeting happened, especially with the info dump that Ikutsuki gave. They finally had an end goal, even if the process didn't change at all. They also learned what began the Dark Hour and Tartarus. Contrary to the Metaverse, it seemed like the Dark Hour was half man-made, half Shadow-related.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something else was there. Based on experience, the Palace Owners ended back in the Depths of Mementos after being released from their various Palaces, Okumura notwithstanding. The only ones that were different were Sae, Mishima, and the Jail Owners. In that same line of thinking, did the Arcana Shadows go to the top of Tartarus? It wasn't like these Shadows had a being to return to.
'No, they did: the Shadow the Kirijo had created.'
Ren frowned at that thought as he took out the various ingredients from the fridge he needed for dinner. From prior experience, the Phantom Thieves always had to face a god in the end: Yaldabaoth, then Azathoth and Adam Kadmon, then Demiurge. If that was the case, then the combined Shadow might become a god when every Arcana Shadow was defeated.
'I wonder what kind of god it will be this time.' He gave a sigh as he chopped the cabbages and grated the carrots. Afterwards, he turned on the stove and heated the oil. 'I can't believe I'm already thinking about it like it's destined to happen.' An irritating part of him thought it was, given what happened to him the past year and a half. He sighed again, not staying in that line of thought.
Ikutsuki was right that they should still kill the Arcana Shadows. The Lost was evidence of their effects on the real world and their deaths were the only thing that gave any sort of positive effects. At the very least, it meant that people went back to their original lives. Compared to the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns, it didn't mean the person was a complete invalid when they recovered, both physically and socially.
'Gramps did mention that some people ran around meetings in the nude when affected by EMMA,' Ren thought with a smile as he began to fry the salmon fillet. Zenkichi gave them free rein to whatever info related to the new psychotic breakdowns he could get from Public Security. Futaba had fun that day, finding all the embarrassing information that didn't reach the news.
Ren mirthfully shook his head to focus back on the new information, taking out a head of cabbage. There were a couple of things that made little sense to Ren.
The first was the story of Kirijo Kouetsu. From Mitsuru and Ikutsuki's story, the Arcana Shadows were born after splitting from the Shadow that the Kirijo created. The Dark Hour and Tartarus were created right after. The Dark Hour differed from the Metaverse because it physically affected the real world. Their last operation in Shirakawa Boulevard and the news about the property damage were hard evidence of that. However, the Dark Hour had to be connected to the Sea of Souls, just like the Metaverse. There was no way to access the Shadows without it.
'On that thought, how did the Kirijo Group gain access to the Shadows without a connection to the Sea of Souls? There has to be a missing link here. Ikutsuki-san said that the Shadows already existed before the split and they managed to, one, collect enough to create a collection, and, two, consolidate said collection into one super-Shadow. Moreover, the Sea of Souls always exists, it just comes in many forms. There was the Metaverse, and now the Dark Hour. If what we do during the Dark Hour has physical effects on the world, it's just like on the Day of Reckoning, when the Metaverse and the real world merged together.' He shivered at the thought. It was what Yaldabaoth and Maruki managed to do without using the Will of Humanity. 'If that's the case... How strong was that Shadow to begin with?'
"Hey, what smells good, chef?" a familiar voice asked behind him, taking him away from his thoughts. Ren glanced back and saw that Kotone took a seat by the counter. He smiled back, but he noticed the weariness in her eyes.
"Salmon with a bit of slaw on the side. I hope you like it," he replied as he flipped the salmon upside-down. "How are Mitsuru-senpai and Yukari?"
"Affected, but they told me they'll be okay," she said. "They just want to be alone for now."
'Yeah, sounds about right. How do I get her to talk with them again?' "Alright, but do you mind if you give them their shares?" he asked, glancing again at Kotone. When Kotone looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he continued, "I think they would prefer it if it was you that gave them their dinner."
She stared for a second before shrugging. "If you say so. What about you, though? Are you okay?"
Ren nodded. "I already had my own thoughts on all this. Remember, I was looking into Apathy Syndrome and the Kirijo Group beforehand."
"So, on top of being a super spy, you're a detective?" Kotone asked, causing Ren to scoff as his scar began to burn again.
"Definitely not a detective. I'm not cut out for that kind of work."
Kotone giggled. "Still thinking you're a spy. I'll go on and check on the others; I hope Fuuka and Junpei are taking it easier."
Ren nodded. Though, before she left, he asked, "What about you?"
"Huh?" she said in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"You hide it well, but I can see you're getting tired, too." He took off all eight salmon filets off the stove and placed them on a wire rack before looking back at Kotone. "Make sure to take care of yourself and don't stretch yourself thin."
Kotone eyed Ren for a moment before breaking into a small smile. "I'll be fine, Ren. I'm the leader, you know."
"And who said that leaders can't rest?" Ren asked. "You don't notice it, but your cheer helps everyone, Kotone. However, keep some for yourself. I'd hate it if you lost that smile of yours."
Kotone quickly turned around. "Sure, sure. I'll keep an eye out," she said as she sauntered towards the lounge with a bit of a hop.
Back in his own mind, the second thing that made little sense were Mitsuru and Ikutsuki's answers to the other experimented people. It seemed like Mitsuru truly believed she was the only person experimented on.
'For all her calm and composure, she was very easy to read when someone took the control from her,' Ren thought. 'Her reactions during the meeting looked genuine. Still, she kept secrets before, and I don't think it will be the last.'
However, compared to Mitsuru, Ikutsuki asked him how he got to his question rather than actually answering or giving more information about it. As a Kirijo scientist, he should have more information to elaborate on, at least more than Mitsuru saying she was the only one experimented on. While his reasoning made sense, it was all hypothetical.
'I'm inclined to believe the ones whose backs were against a wall. Strega told some truth before they escaped; their Evoker is proof of that. On top of that, actually calling me a Kirijo superweapon...' He frowned at the memory. 'It's troubling that their first thought at seeing me was a weapon, as if they were experimented on to become weapons to fight the Shadows.'
Ren's face relaxed and let out a tiny smile as he finished plating everyone's share.
'Thoughts for later. Right now...'
"Kotone, Junpei, Fuuka, Ikutsuki-san! Dinner is ready!"
-.-Take Your Time-.-
7/12 - Morning - Iwatodai Dorm - Yukari
Yukari took a look at her clock. It's been about an hour since she heard Mitsuru left her room and hasn't heard since. Yukari still felt charged from last night's meeting and barely sleeping overnight did not help at all. She didn't know what she'd do in front of Mitsuru and would rather avoid her than make the entire situation worse.
Yukari peeked out of her room and saw no one in the hallway. It sounded like no one was coming up from the staircase, either. Sighing in relief, she left her room for the first time today. The carpet dampened whatever noise her footsteps made as she descended the staircase, and the entire door was quiet otherwise.
As she reached the second floor, she faintly heard calm scribbling and the occasional page flip.
'Was someone studying in the boy's common area?'
The only person who would do that was...
"Hey, Ren," Yukari greeted.
Ren looked up from his notes and smiled. "Good morning, Yukari. Today's breakfast is pancakes with chopped strawberries and blueberries."
Yukari blinked, surprised that he bothered making breakfast. Usually, it was a free-for-all since everyone woke up at wildly different times. "Uh... Thanks." Yukari's initial plan was to get whatever was available in the fridge, but this worked out too. "Still, sweets for the morning?"
Ren nodded. "Well, I thought that maybe something like that would help with picking up everyone's day. It worked for someone else, and it always made her day," Ren said with a reminiscing look.
"Her? Did that girl you like have a sweet tooth?" Yukari asked while taking a seat on the table Ren studied, remembering how he left someone in Tokyo before coming to Tatsumi Port Island.
Ren chuckled. "No, no, I'm talking about someone else."
"Oh? Close to a lot of girls, are we? Did you use your Shinjuku skills to woo her?" Yukari asked with a smirk.
"Please, we were just friends," Ren said. "She was going for someone else, though he never really got it."
There was a moment of a comfortable silence after that. Ren continued to study in front of Yukari while she absentmindedly stared at his neat handwriting.
"Thanks for helping me out," Yukari blurted out.
Ren nodded. "Not a problem. I was already looking into the Kirijo Group, so helping you out was a cinch. How have you been?"
"Fine," she lied, though she said it a bit too quickly.
Ren stopped working on his notes and looked at her with kind eyes. "C'mon, it's easy to see you're lying. You've been in your room since the meeting last night and I had to ask Kotone to send your dinner up."
Yukari frowned; being called out when her attitude was this bad wasn't doing wonders for her.
"What's it to you?"
"You're a friend, Yukari," Ren simply answered. "And I'd be an awful friend if I didn't look out for my own friends."
She kept her stare for a second, scanning for any lies on Ren's face, but she could only find sincere worry. She closed her eyes and sighed. He did help her out; maybe it's time to open up a bit.
"I was just thinking about everything. I... It feels like everything makes little sense anymore and what I believed in wasn't matching the reality in front of me," Yukari confessed as she hung her head. "I thought that Mitsuru-senpai was evil, but it turned out that she was just trying to fix something. You were right last night, that she wasn't at fault; the Dark Hour and Tartarus were her grandfather's fault. If she could be blamed for anything, it was that she didn't tell us anything. But, after last night, I feel that I can't be mad at her anymore. She's a pragmatic person at heart and her actions reflected that. And now, I'm not sure what to believe in."
Ren's only response was a nod, urging her to continue whatever else she wanted to talk about, and Yukari appreciated the gesture.
"I asked this question to Kotone before, but I want to ask you too," Yukari said as she looked Ren straight in his eyes. "Is there something you truly believe in? So much so that, even if the world and everything around you betrayed you, you would still believe in it?"
Ren's eyes widened at her question. It seemed like it surprised him, too, just like Kotone. He shifted his eyes away, deep in his own thoughts.
After a few seconds, he spoke up. "Yes. There was a time when I believed that something would be at my side, but it wasn't the case. I was thrown under the bus and the world around me crumbled. I still remember everyone's eyes; eyes that looked at me with expectation, as if I did the one thing they knew I would end up doing," he said with a noticeable edge in his voice. Was that...contempt?
"For a time, I was under the dumps, essentially. I had no one to look up to, nor for help. I didn't have the healthiest of mindsets," he confessed.
Suddenly, a small smile crept up his face. "However, someone asked me if I regretted my actions. I said no; I realized what I did wasn't wrong, but that the system was at fault. After that, the only thing I could believe in was what I thought was right.
"That said, I also understand that people have different senses of right and wrong. The same thing I do could apply to someone else's belief. Facing those kinds of people only strengthened my resolve."
He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about the long story, but I felt that I couldn't answer your question without it."
Yukari shook her head. "No, I think it's fine. It's nice that you have something to hold on to. But to believe what you think is right... That's really selfish, isn't it?"
Ren's only response was a nod and a small smile.
To believe what he did was right is selfish; it meant he would fight against everything that was wrong to him, even if the entire world saw that he was wrong. It meant that he believed he was morally right and would always act on that.
Yukari scoffed at the thought. "I get it, though. It's the same with me." Yukari stood up, her back straighter than when she sat down. "Thanks for the talk, Ren. I think it helped clear my mind. I'll go get breakfast downstairs." She waved him goodbye as she approached the stairs. "Good luck studying."
"A word of advice, Yukari," Ren suddenly said, causing Yukari to turn around. "There was a time when someone showed me a different path, one that fought against what I believed in. Everyone reacts to a situation like that differently. If something like that comes for you, I hope you think hard and make sure you don't regret your decisions. I almost took that path, even if it would make me regret it, now that I look back."
Yukari tilted her head in confusion, but she nodded to tell him she got it. She heard, but not understood, not even after jumbling it in her head while eating breakfast.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
7/13 - Evening - Iwatodai Dorm - Junpei
He couldn't keep his excitement down. His energy was through the roof, and he couldn't even keep his foot steady as he sat in the second-floor common area. Screw the exams; the beach was calling to him! It was time to let loose!
Not even the constant thought that he was basically mind-controlled for the last half of the operation could keep him down. Not even the constant reminder that Kotone always did better than him could keep him down.
Let all those problems come at him! The southern beaches of Yakushima were going to make him forget all that!
"You okay there, Junpei?" a voice behind him asked. "You're like a kid that drank coffee and got dropped in a toy store."
"Ren!" he exclaimed in surprise. In all of his excitement and thoughts of the beach, he didn't even realize someone was nearby.
"Yes, yes, it's me, Ren."
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, considering that the chairman ordered some takeout as a celebration for us going to Yakushima and as a good-luck charm for tomorrow's exams, I thought I'd check up on everyone," Ren said as he took a seat next to him.
"Aren't you excited?!" Junpei asked. "We're going to Yakushima! Clear waters! Sun all day long! Girls in bikinis!"
"I'd be lying if I said if I wasn't," Ren replied with a shrug. "Still, we have the finals to contend with."
Junpei scoffed. "Screw the finals! I'm done thinking about them!"
"Are you sure?" he asked. "I thought maybe I could tutor you, if you want."
Junpei looked at him with a frown. Help him? There was no use helping him. He was useless with the books. All he has is-
"I'm fine! I've been studying on my own."
Ren kept his gaze on Junpei. "Are you sure? Don't you think you could surprise everyone if you did better than they thought? Imagine Yukari's face. It would certainly shut her up, right?"
Junpei's eyebrow twitched at that thought. Now that was good. Maybe it would stop her from calling him Stupei. He hated that name, but it was true, so he couldn't really do much but play it off. Still... Sixteen years of mediocre grades...
"You think it's possible?" Junpei asked with his head down, a twinge of hope somewhere in his voice.
"It absolutely is," Ren said, latching on to that slight chance of hope. "I do think you can do better. It'll be tough work, but with constant dedication, you can do it."
"I..."
"Look, if you still think otherwise, why don't we make a bet?" Junpei looked at him. "If you don't do any better than before, I owe you two bowls of ramen of any size, with any toppings you want. Otherwise, you owe me a bowl," he said with a smirk.
"Seriously? I'm going to win this! The finals start tomorrow!" Junpei scoffed. There was no point; he could do everything he could, but nothing would get better.
"You never know until you try. Now, why don't we start for tomorrow's finals?"
-.-
And so, for the next five days, from the 14th to the 18th, whenever they came back to the dorm, Ren tutored Junpei for everything they learned, all to prepare him for the next exam. Throughout the entire time, Junpei's attention would always wander, but Ren somehow always got him to pay attention to their lessons. It was like he already knew how to guide Junpei, as if he did this before.
And yes, while Junpei always lost focus, the fact Ren was with him all throughout to help him… It was new, having someone believe in him in something he already showed he was bad with. Everyone already didn't believe in his grades, but having someone there… It felt good.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
7/18 - Afternoon - Gekkoukan High School - Kotone
Kotone put her hands over her head and reached for the skies, stretching her entire body after what seemed to be endless waves of questions and answers. Still, after all the cramming she did in-between exams, she felt confident she did well, hopefully near the top of the year.
She glanced at the other SEES members. Yukari and Ren seemed to be confident too, with their little smiles as they cleaned up their tables. Junpei, on the other hand, was...confused? He seemed to be out of it. Maybe the exams and studying got to him?
"Junpei," she called out, "is everything okay? How was the exam? I know that Ren was tutoring you..."
"Huh?" Junpei blinked blearily, looking for the source of the question. "Oh, hey, Kotone." He shook his head. "I'm not sure..."
"Oh? That's new." Yukari said with a curious look. "And here I was, thinking that you won't think about it right after the exams."
"Hey! I am thinking about that! A real man doesn't dwell on the past," Junpei exclaimed before making a fist in the air. "The dark days of testing are finally over! The sun is shinin' bright! Yakushima, here I come!"
Yukari glanced at Ren. "You're not going to say anything? Like, 'the fight isn't over!'"
Ren shook his head as he stood away from his desk. "Not at all. The exams are over and there's nothing we can do now. And now, we wait."
"Well, alright," Yukari said with a shrug. "That said, Yakushima is coming up. Kotone, are ya ready?"
Kotone grinned and held her fingers in a V. "Totally! I'm pretty confident with the exams and I already have a swimsuit ready!"
"... I guess I should start getting ready too," Yukari said with a sigh. "I don't have practice today, so do you guys wanna do something? What do you say?"
"It would be a pleasant way of rewarding ourselves right after exams," Ren agreed. "You guys have any ideas?"
"Sounds good! Where we goin'?" Junpei asked. "If you need to buy a swimsuit, I'd be happy to help!"
Yukari scoffed and said, "As if."
Kotone quickly raised her hand. "What about a pork bowl?" she suggested.
"A good preposition, Kotone," Ren said with a finger pointed at her before pointing to both Yukari and Junpei. "And you guys?"
"I want to save that ramen for when I win my bet," Junpei said, "so I could use some meat in me. I'm starving!"
"That works out fine for me," Yukari said. "I'll go get my stuff and invite Fuuka, too."
"You should get your stuff, Yukari. I can go get Fuuka," Ren said. "She shouldn't have any managerial work for Akihiko-senpai's club, so she should be in her classroom."
Yukari nodded. "Sounds good. Kotone, Junpei, wait for us by the school gates." With a wave, Yukari and Ren left the classroom together.
"Hey, Kotone," Junpei suddenly said with a heavy tone, catching Kotone by surprise. "Um... I'm sorry about the way I've been acting... I was just in a bad mood and I took it all out on you. It was unfair of me and it wasn't too cool of me."
Kotone shook her head with a smile. "That's alright, so don't worry too much about it!"
Junpei looked at her with a stunned face for a moment before breaking into a small smile. "Alright... Thanks. Let's go back to how things used to be between us, okay?"
Kotone's smile grew. "You got it!"
'Told you, Ren; he just needed time and space.'
-.-
The gang spent their afternoon in the beef bowl shop before going back to the dorm.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
7/19 - Morning - Paulownia Mall - Kotone
Kotone hummed as she walked into the main entrance of Paulownia Mall. She received a text from Junpei about hanging out in the arcade with Ren. Considering that everyone was out - even Fuuka, who was with Yukari at Port Island Station - Kotone decided to kill some time with the guys for a bit.
It was weird seeing Junpei hang out with Ren, considering that it was rare for them. They never really hung out like this. Sure, they did side with each other once in a while, but it was mostly when everyone was together. They didn't really make plans or anything like this. At least, until Ren tutored Junpei.
Everyone had already written off Junpei's grades before. Even Mitsuru asked to make sure he's not failing. And yet, Ren didn't give up on him. Considering Junpei's reaction yesterday, it would be nice to see Junpei improve. He already had confidence issues, but if he saw he can improve his grades, which was something he saw as hopeless, it might help give him a boost.
Still... To think that Ren would actually do something about it rather than just give words...
'He and I are really different, huh?' Kotone thought.
"What?" Kotone heard Junpei's boisterous voice and walked towards the source. "You bought that? Isn't it kinda... Vanilla? Boring? Normal?"
"I think it's fine," Ren said. "Not like I want to stand out too much."
Finally, Kotone saw Junpei's cap, which made him very easy to identify.
"Hey, you guys!" she called out as she jogged towards them. "I'm here! What are you guys talking about?"
Junpei waved at her. "Heyo! You're finally here!"
"Hey, Kotone," Ren greeted back with a smile and she felt butterflies in her stomach. "We're looking for swimsuits."
"Get this," Junpei interrupted, "Ren wants to get this!" he said as he presented a pair of shorts with a blue gradient, getting darker as it reached the knees. "Look! It's so plain!"
"And like I said, I don't want to stand out too much. I honestly think this is fine," Ren repeated.
Kotone hummed as she took the pair of shorts and held it in the air to make Ren look like he wore it. "I think it's fine, if that's what Ren wants. I can't exactly force someone to wear what they don't want to the beach."
"Then any suggestions for me?" Junpei asked. "I asked Akihiko-senpai, but he doesn't give a rip about fashion. It's always best to ask girls this stuff, so just name it!"
She hummed again as she gave Ren his shorts back and studied Junpei.
'He doesn't like Ren's style, so that's out. It's got to have an impact, so...'
"What about a speedo?"
"Eh. It ain't my thing. I don't have the body for it, y'know?"
Kotone nodded in understanding. Junpei was right; he didn't exercise enough to wear a speedo. Ren though...
She rapidly shook her head to put the thought away.
"How about a fig leaf?" she blurted, part in jest and part her mind giving another idea that she couldn't shake away fast enough.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "A fig leaf? Are you into eco-friendly stuff?" he teased with a small smirk. She blushed, now that her mind was catching up and her idea was sounding worse by the second.
Junpei nodded slowly with a smile. "Well, I do like savin' the earth... Perfect for a guy like me!"
"And I'd have to arrest you for public indecency," a deep voice behind Junpei.
Junpei would later argue that he did not jump and scream in public.
On the other hand, Ren's smirk grew at what apparently did not happen. "Afternoon to you, Kurosawa-san. How's the day going on?"
"Not too bad," Kurosawa-san said with a nod to greet back. "Thanks for finding the missing people. They have rewards, so do take them later, yeah?
"Also, thanks to your suggestion, Amamiya-kun, petty crime has gone down, now that there are fewer victims of Apathy Syndrome on the streets. That said, some officers are complaining about the increased hours, but with the people thanking them, it's hard to stop."
Ren smiled. "That's good news. Thanks for the support."
"Not a problem," Kurosawa said. "I'll get off your hairs. Enjoy the rest of your day. And let's try to be decent. Got it, Iori-kun? I don't want misunderstandings like last time."
"L-l-like I said, that was an accident!" Junpei claimed. "Plus, it wasn't my fault!"
'Ah... That time...'
"Am I missing something?" Ren asked.
"Nothing at all, man!" Junpei denied.
Kotone saw a sliver of a smile appear on Kurosawa's face before tugging his police cap down. "Well, I'll get going now; I'm technically on break." With a nod, he left.
"Argh, whatever!" Junpei yelled. "With Kotone finally, let's get going to the arcade! I wanna bust something down!"
Ren and Kotone laughed at Junpei's reactions but ultimately followed along, content with letting go of the matter.
-.-Take Your Time-.-
Activities:
7/7 – Dark Hour – Full Moon Operation
7/8 – Afternoon – Temperance 7
7/8 – Night – Café Work
7/9 – Afternoon – Hermit 4
7/9 – Night – Print Club
7/10 – Afternoon – Lovers 6
7/10 – Night – Horror House
7/11 – Afternoon – Hanged Man 4
7/11 – Night – Quiz Game
7/12 – Afternoon – Hierophant 9
7/12 – Night – Academics
7/12 – Dark Hour – Death 3
7/13 – Afternoon – Hanged Man 5
7/13 – Night – Karaoke
7/14 – Afternoon – Exam
7/15 – Afternoon – Exam
7/16 – Afternoon – Exam
7/17 – Afternoon – Exam
7/18 – Afternoon – Exam
7/18 – Night – Quiz Game
-.-Take Your Time-.-
Social Links:
Fool – SEES – 4
Magician – Junpei Iori – 7
Priestess – Fuuka Yamagishi – 4
Emperor – Student Council – 6
Hierophant – Old Couple – 9
Lovers – Yukari Takeba – 6
Chariot – Volleyball – 9
Hermit – Health Committee – 4
Hanged Man – Girl at the Shrine – 5
Death – Mysterious Boy – 3
Temperance – Transfer Student – 7
Devil – Businessman – 5
Star – Akihiko Sanada – 4
Fortitude – Ren Amamiya – 3
-.-Take Your Time-.-
Author's Notes:
Hello there. Sorry for the very late update, but the chapter became much heftier than I thought, becoming the largest chapter before the extra notes. There were also IRL as before. I'm now back to where I was and currently looking for work. I'm also practicing Java and trying to find time to study Python on the side.
Due to the increasing size, what do you guys feel about the extra content like Activities and Social Links?
On to the story. Lovers Operation, Joker's effect on Strega, Hermit 4, and more stuff on Junpei and Yukari. I also added Ren's thoughts on the 7/11 meeting. I hope that, right after such a dialogue-heavy section, Ren's thoughts are little break.
I also hope to do some changes to Hermit's SL. I really hate how it goes. I've already drafted to around Rank 9 for it. Not sure how prevalent it will be, story-wise, but I do want to show the changes.
Honestly, I had some trouble writing that Kotone and Ren scene in Shirakawa Boulevard. Btw, did you know that the hotel's name is called Champ de Fleur? The TV has a segment the next day about the damages. Back to Kotone and Ren. As a guy, it was hard to write a horny scene in the POV of the girl, especially when I'm older than the two. Thank you to everyone that helped give me ideas.
Any thoughts on Ren's reflection on the meeting and his answer to Yukari's question? What about what I did to Yukari and Junpei?
See you all next time. I hope to cover both the Yakushima arc and Kotone's visit to Yasoinaba. Maybe Ren will join her?