Author's Note

So I've been playing a lot of Fear and Hunger: Termina and it's awesome, but I'm also suffering. Read the trigger warnings if you want to play the game and if you can, I'd recommend it as the true "Dark Souls" of our generation.


Minako was up bright and early for school, at five o'clock sharp.

Her hair had been properly set into its usual ponytail. The school issued uniform fit well, if not a little wide in her shoulders, crisp and with no thread out of place. Her new shoes, also a gift from the school's uniform department, were snug but not tight. Fresh socks pulled up, just below the knee. And to finish off the look, her signature headphones slung around her neck and her favorite hair pin clipped into place, the only defense against those pesky strands that refused to stay in line.

Minko smiled at her mirror's reflection and did a twirl. Her skirt flared without flying up. She wouldn't have to wear tights or compression shorts everyday, like her last school. The ensemble was cute but she always felt exposed, even with extra clothing. Summertime nearly killed her with the heat.

But that was months ago and now, Minako Arisato was a senior at a new school, with a brand new crest over her heart and bag on her hip.

"Today's gonna be a good day," she said to herself, "One more year and it'll all be over."

A soft knock came at the door. Minako was broken from her concentration but was far from discouraged. "Door's open!" she called.

Putting the final touches of her outfit together by fixing a bright, red ribbon around hair tie. She was careful not to tangle it up with her MP3 and headphones that always remained in the same spot.

In the mirror's reflection, she saw Yukari let herself in. "I didn't know you were an early bird, too."

Minako shrugged, turning around. "Don't wanna be late for my first day. Gotta keep up my near-perfect attendance record."

"I guess I shouldn't worry about you then." Yukari chuckled and pointed to the door. "I'll make sure your brother's up. You're welcome to anything in the kitchen if you want something to eat." She waved as she left. "Just don't drink any of the muscle milk. Trust me, it doesn't taste good."

"Noted, see ya' downstairs." Minako's door closed, leaving her alone once again. She looked back in her mirror one last time.

It all dawned on her at that moment: it was her last year of high school.

Next year, she'd be off at college and living a life of her own. Minato would have to learn to navigate the ins and outs of student life without her pushing him around. The poor boy couldn't even hold a conversation with a girl without having prolonged bouts of silence and awkwardness.

The two had their rough patches, they bickered and argued, but what siblings didn't? Considering the life the two had shared together, they were thick as thieves when it came to most other families.

Especially after all that happened, how could she part with him so soon?

The girl shook off her thoughts. Her mind tended to wonder beyond what she should be focused on. Minako knew that the two would part ways eventually. Minato and her had been independent for some time, and a few miles and a year wouldn't change anything. Besides, he was too clever for his own good and his darling, big sister drilled social skills right through to his skull. Even if he wanted to rely wholly on Minako, she wouldn't allow it.

Adults were right. They grow up too fast.

Minako chuckled and thought, "He's cool as a cucumber. He'll be just fine."

It was time to spring into action. Minako practically skipped over to the door as soon as she double and triple checked she had everything. Just as she turned the knob on the door, all doubts were wiped away.

One more year. Minako Arisato could handle one more year.


The train was on time this morning, much to Minato's delight.

Her brother hated being in tight spaces with strangers, and always said it was because he could taste the idiocy in the air, although Minako knew it was because of the unpredictability said strangers pose. But that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the conveniences of public transportation. And when things were going according to plan and people minded their manners, he got a certain spark in his eye.

"It's going to be a great day," he seemed to say, when the audio system announced that they were running ahead of schedule.

Yukari pointed out prominent buildings as they came up on their route. Minako made a note to visit them after school sometime once she was settled. You never know what kind of trouble you'll find unless you go looking for it.

"And there's the famous Pallawina Mall." the pink-clad junior commentated, pointing to a glass-domed building in the middle of the city. "I recommend checking out Chagall, a coffee shop known for its flavored coffee and pastries. There's also a karaoke bar and arcade if you're into that stuff. I've only been to karaoke myself, but I'm sure the other one's fun too."

Minato was barely paying attention to the tour up until now, pretending to listen to his music. As soon as Yukari mentioned the arcade, there was a spark of childish curiosity in his eyes. "There's an arcade?"

Yukari nodded. "At the mall, but I've never been to it. It's not really something I like."

Minato glanced over at Minako and gave her his ' Sounds like an oppurtunity' face.

One hobby they both shared was beating carnival style games wherever they went. Arcades were no different, just fancier machines with a less than cheerful staff. Together, they could clean out all of the top tier prizes and sell them online. It was a perfect and legal way to make some extra cash.

All they needed was some seed money and they were set for life, or at least a few weeks.

Yukari let out a tiny gasp and pointed to the horizon. "Looks like we're almost there. Check it out."

Of all the high schools they attended, of all the places they traveled, Minako could count on one hand how many of those schools could compete for "best looking". This one took the cake, no questions asked.

The entire campus looked more like a classy art gallery than a school. Glass rooftops to let in natural light, glittering white stone that hurt the eyes, and what looked to be a row of trees leading to the entrance. There was even an outdoor swimming pool and what looked to be a planetarium. To top it all off, it resided on an island that had an excellent view of the sea, and you just can't beat a school with an ocean view.

"Can this train go any faster?" Minako asked, bouncing on her toes. "I've got some major exploring to do!"

Minato just hummed and checked the time on his phone, "Nice school."


"Well, this is it." Yukari walked the two down the rows of trees towards the shoe lockers. She motioned to the entire front entrance. "Welcome to Gekkoukan High. Hope you like it!"

Minako couldn't help but try to take it all in with one look. "Oh, hell yeah I'm gonna like it here!" she exclaimed, almost bumping into a group of other students. Minato had to grab and tow her by the collar of her uniform blazer.

"Watch where you're going, idiot." he warned, letting her go once she was facing straight ahead.

Yukari giggled. "I'll be honest, I thought Minako would be the serious one, but I guess I was wrong." she inquired. "How do you two stand each other?"

Minako picked herself back up and recomposed her dignity. "I don't know," she shrugged, "He needs me because he sucks at literature and history, and I need him for math and science. That, and we like playing video games together."

Yukari led them through the shoe lockers. "I wish I had an older sibling. I'm an only child."

"Take her, she's free of charge." Minato grumbled.

Minako gasped in mock horror. "You would so easily sell your sister's love to some stranger? I feel betrayed!" She quickly cleared the distance between them and ruffled his hair. "Traitors deserve to be punished via The Hair Destroyer !"

Minato smacked her hand away and put Yukari between them. The girl sighed at their antics before giving them their final instructions. "You guys are okay from here, right? You should go see your homeroom teachers first." She pointed to a hallway branching off the main area. "The faculty office is right there, to the left."

Minako gave her a thumbs up. "Don't worry about us. We've got the whole spiel down to a science at this point. You just go and get yourself settled." She put her hands on her hips while Minato nodded in agreement. "Thanks again for your help!"

Yukari smiled at them. "Alright, see ya around."

The siblings immediately set off on their journey to the faculty office. Minato was still trying to fix his hair from his sister's assault. While Minako simply hummed to herself, proud of her handiwork.

"Did you have to do that on my first day?" he complained, finally satisfied with himself. "What if she's in my class and tells people about it?"

Minako rolled her eyes, seeing the sign hanging over the faculty office growing closer. "Relax, she doesn't seem like the type."

Minato clicked his tongue, "We'll see."

When they reached the office, Minako let herself in with Minato following behind. Rows of cluttered desks, occupied and not, filled the room. Cork boards were plastered with notices and announcements. One corner of the room seemed to be a dedicated coffee and water station, complete with the old looking machines known to man.

A female teacher noticed them from her desk and waved them inside. Minako noticed her peach and white outfit right out of the gate, giving her a warm presence. Her brown hair was fluffed and winged out at the sides. She reminded the eldest Arisato of Yukari when she looked hard enough.

"Are you two new students?" the teacher asked, "I recognized one of you from my class roster-" she looked at Minato, "-Minato Arisato?"

In reply, the junior gave a curt bow and a quick, "Yes ma'am."

Minako followed up with purpose in her voice. It was one of her rules: give a nice hello with a little spirit behind it. This woman probably doesn't get many nice students during her office hours. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm his older sister, Minako Arisato. Class 3-B."

The teacher in pink brightened, "You're too sweet. And I can really see the resemblance between you two," she motioned to herself. "My name is Miss Toriumi and I teach composition here. Mr. Ekoda doesn't like to do intakes so I took the liberty of grabbing both of your files. Give me a moment to pull them and we can get you squirt away."

Miss Toriumi pulled two thick folders out of an organizer under her desk, labeled with their last and first names. She was obviously a neat person; someone that Minako could respect.

The women flipped open the top file. The teacher looked impressed. "My, my, you've both traveled quite a bit. Your grades are nothing to shake a stick at as either."

Minato whispered under his breath. "Mine are better."

Minako elbowed him in the stomach. "Can it."

"1999..." Miss Toriumi's smile evaporated, "Ten years ago your parents-oh no..."

Minako steeled her expression. The realization and reaction from teachers lost its sting over the years, but when someone was visibly perturbed by their file, she couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

"Sorry if that threw you off," she chuckled, "It happens more often than you think."

"No, I'm sorry..." Miss Toriumi set the file aside and bowed, "I've been so busy that I haven't been able to read over your files. I shouldn't have read that aloud."

Minato nodded to her, "It's fine. We're used to it."

Miss Toriumi, cleared her throat and picked up Minato's file. "Well, let's continue. Minato Arisato," She grinned at the quiet boy who spoke up to reassure her, "I look forward to being your teacher this year."

Back to business as usual. Minato offered his own bow. "I look forward to your class, Miss Toriumi."

His teacher stood up, dusting imaginary muck off her smart pencil skirt. "I apologize our first meeting was a bit off-kilter, but I'm glad I could meet the both of you personally," she stood and gave one last bow, "If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask me. My door is always open."

Minako let herself relax and put her regular smile back on. "Thank you, I'll be sure to take you up on the offer if I need it." She gave her a bow. "Take care of him. He's a bit of a space cadet sometimes, but he'll turn things in on time."

Minato shot her a harsh glare. "You're determined to ruin my day."

Miss Toriumi laughed at the two. "I will certainly keep an eye on him for you, but I don't think I have anything to worry about. You both are so well mannered." She motioned for Minato and Minako to follow, "Now we have to go to the welcome ceremony. I'll walk the both of you to the auditorium."


"As you begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember the proverb, 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.' When applied to student life, this means..."

Minako sat quietly, doing her best to stay still during the principal's winded welcome speech. She was unable to find a chair with the rest of her class, so she opted for an empty aisle spot towards the back of the auditorium.

Just as she suspected, the speech was horrible. The usual "another great year" and "strive for success " were all in the speech as expected, adding to the layers of intolerance she was building up.

Minako wondered if Minato was just as bored with this ceremony as she was. After all, they had both sat through the same speeches before, and it seemed like all school principals took a page from the same book on public speaking. She could make a game out of counting repeated tropes. The only thing that really interested her was when someone in Minato's class started talking and got caught by a teacher nearby. Everyone started whispering back and forth before being called back to attention. After that debacle, the principal slogged on.

The girl couldn't help but yawn. She did her best to stretch without disturbing her neighbor who seemed quite enraptured with the speech. To each his own, even if that meant his tastes were trash.

Minako inwardly groaned and let her mind wander. Unintentionally, her thoughts led her to the previous day's events. She closed her eyes, trying to process all the information bit by bit. Unlike her brother, she couldn't keep her mind in one place at any given time.

Why could Minato and her see the phenomenon they experienced last night? What about the others they lived with? Mitsuru mentioned that the dorm was special. Could it be connected to what was going on?

Something about the dorm got under her skin. Even Yukari's warning from before seemed out of place.

Even Mitsuru, who promised to explain everything failed to so much as reach out since last night. Minako knew that she must be busy, but she could have given a message through Yukari.

What could possibly be so bad about what they saw?

Minako inwardly groaned. She decided that she would sleep on the issue or ask Mitsuru when she got back to the dorms.


"My name is Minako Arisato. It's a pleasure to meet you all." She bowed to the class as they all started to whisper to one another. Minako ignored them and waited for the teacher to quiet everyone down.

"Alright, alright. Arisato, you can take the empty desk by the window."

Minako strode to her seat, keeping her smile on. Her new teacher gave the other students a dirty glare. "As for the rest of the class, be quiet. You're getting on my nerves and it's just the first day."

The class gave a well rehearsed "yes, sir" and it was off to the races.

Rules were reviewed, expectations set, then came time to dig in their heels and start course material.

Minako paid close attention to each of the lectures, taking her notes and nodding along to show she was paying attention. Occasionally, others would stare at her to see if she would do something odd, but she would have to disappoint them. It wasn't as if she was going to grow a third arm and destroy her desk.

It would be funny though.

The end of the day came along faster than she expected. Soon, most of the students had sprinted out the door to meet up with friends or head home. A few stragglers remained behind to catch up and chat with their fellow classmates.

No one paid her any mind as Minako packed away her materials. Once she had everything, Minako turned to leave the room, with a skip in her step and hopes high. There was an arcade that was waiting to be legally robbed of its prizes.

Before she could even make it halfway to the stairs, she was pounced on by a group of girls who weren't in her class. Each one was grinning wildly while squealing their words out.

"Are you the new girl who lives in the same dorm as Akihiko Sanada?!"

"She has to be, she came to school with Yukari Takeba! I heard about it this morning!"

"No fair, she has him all to herself!"

"Has he ever tried to make a move on you?"

"Can you invite us over to your dorm? Pretty please?"

One after another, they threw questions at her as if it were some sort of game-show. They didn't even pause for a response.

Minako had never met anyone named Akihiko at the dorm and she didn't want to ask. If comic books had taught her anything, it's that you never ask crazy fangirls what they are fangirling about.

All it does is make them want to kill you and your entire family.

Never in her seventeen years had Minako been so confused, but she knew what it felt like to be smothered. And the girls were between her and a date with a crane game.

"Pardon me, ladies-"

One of the girls stepped forward and grabbed Minako's arm, presumably the leader of the group. "You're not going anywhere until you answer our questions! Yukari Takeba never answers us, but we saw you walking into school with her. That could only mean that the two of you live in the same dorm," She narrowed gaze, a hawk about to attack. "We won't ask again: do you live in the same dorm as Akihiko Sanada?"

Minako blinked. "I don't know?"

The group went dead silent.

Not even the manliest of men could tame the indomitable force that is a group of fangirls. There's just no coming between them and what they worshiped so dearly. And Minako had just committed a cardinal sin, not answering their question.

All one could do was pray for their mortal soul and let Jesus take the wheel.

"Well," Minako gently removed the leader's hand, "I've gotta go. Have a good day."

The leader's hand was back on Minako's arm in an instant. "You didn't answer my question!"

Minako contemplated shoving the girl to make a run for it, but she wasn't about to lose her scholarship because someone else got on her case.

"Time to call for backup," she decided and fished for her phone with her free hand, "Minato's gonna hate me."

Someone bumped into her from behind and the leader lost her grip. Minako's phone clattered to the floor. She didn't dare try to reach for it.

With the group of girls blocking the door, she had to shimmy around to apologize to the person who was just trying to leave. "Sorry about that-"

The girls screeched and backed away.

"It's Sanada-senpai!"

"Oh. My. Gawd! He's sooo cute today!"

"Please elope with me!"

Minako glanced at the person she collided with. It was a boy, a good few centimeters taller than her and stone faced. He was all angles with hazel eyes that could captivate anyone in a second. There was a bandaid just above his right eye that definitely had a good story behind it. Despite how revved the group was, he remained relaxed. His shoulders sloped and his posture was proud.

The boy gave a hefty sigh and jabbed a thumb to the stairs down the hall. "Don't you guys meet up in one of the study rooms after school? You're gonna lose it if you don't get moving."

The girls gave one last group squeal before saying their goodbyes. Minako watched in amazement as they retreated to the stairwell, giggling up a storm and fidgeting with their hair.

Her attention returned to her phone, but the boy had already picked up, offering it to her. His hands were gloved and wore a red vest with the standard boy's uniform. A black jacket was carried over his shoulder with a school bag underneath (and admittedly it looked pretty cool). Even his short, gray hair seemed to command attention, looking sharp and tough.

"Sorry about that," he said, "This happens all the time."

Minako accepted his gesture and inspected the phone's screen. Not a crack. It paid to have a decent phone case, sometimes. "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault," she chuckled, "I'm just glad my phone's okay! Getting it repaired would cost an arm and a leg, these days."

"Good. I'm glad."

Minako offered him a gracious nod. "Thanks for the assist. I'm guessing you're the mythical Akihiko Sanada?"

The boy, Akihiko, returned the nod. "I don't know about mythical , but you've got the right guy. We live in the same dorm but I was asleep when you arrived, so I'm not surprised you didn't know I was there."

"It's all good," she joked, "I'm Minako Arisato. I'm not an honorific Nazi, so call me whatever works for you - within reason."

"Likewise-" Akihiko glanced at his watch, "I wish I could stay and chat, but I gotta get to practice. Can't let my team give me crap again about being late."

Minako stepped aside and motioned to the door. "Don't let me stop you. It was nice to meet you, Sanada!"

He threw her a wave and with that, Minako watched as her new dorm mate jogged away towards what she assumed was the gym. She smiled and went back towards the main entrance. Though the end of her day was a bit chaotic, her plans to raid the arcade remained unchanged.

She quickly flipped open her phone and texted Minato.

.

.

.

Me: Wanna go 2 the arcade? I got $$$

EmoBro: Meet me the gates.


Mitsuru balanced a book on her lap. Candles lit the lobby as she enjoyed the momentary peace that was the Dark Hour. Between getting the new transfers situated, attending to the student council, and preparing for the Chairman's to visit, it was high time for relaxation.

Though, it was short lived. Someone came lumbering down the stairs.

At least she had finished one page without being disturbed.

Low and behold, it was Akihiko. He had his brass knuckles on and a jacket slung over his shoulder. Although she could only see a belt, there was no doubt he was going to Tartarus for a short hunt.

"I'm going out for a bit." he said, as if he needed her permission.

Mitsuru refused to set her book aside. "Hm?"

A newspaper he must have stuffed in his back pockets was thrown onto the table in front of her. She peaked over her book, but didn't need to read the title on the front page to know what he was implying.

Still, Akihiko huffed in his usual cocky way, as if she was oblivious. "Didn't you see the newspaper? There's lots going on."

"I know," Mitsuru finally set her book aside, "I know, people who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. I've seen it in the news quite often lately. They say it's due to stress, but…"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked to the door. For a moment, Mitsuru wondered if they would be smart enough to locate and attack their dorm.

Akihiko quickly cut her off. "Yeah right, it has to be them. Otherwise, it's not worth my time." He walked right past her and to the door.

"Will you be okay on your own?" Mitsuru asked, "The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can. . ."

He paused but refused to turn around when he answered the question. "Don't worry, it's just a little bit of practice."

Without another word, the door shut softly behind him. Mitsuru sighed and picked up her book again. Although she tried to focus on the words in front of her, there were far more daunting things on her mind. She finally gave up and left the lobby for the fourth floor.

"This isn't a game..." she thought aloud.


April 7th, 2009

I met the last member of the Port Island dorm today. We're actually in the same class.

His name is Akihiko Sanada. He was not what I expected. Everyone at the dorm so far have been pretty nice and not terrifying to be around. Sanada-san could probably throw me across the school and put a nice spiral on it, just for bumping into him. But he helped get me out a a tight spot and honestly, I don't get the vibe that he blows up that easily.

I'm probably being judgmental. It's not every day you live in a co-ed dorm. I'm probably on high alert.

I was going to say something else, but I started nodding off and left a giant ink stain on the page! I should catch some z's before I fall asleep on my desk (although it's a little too late for that).

Until next time,

Minako Arisato