A/N: The twenty-fifth chapter; hooray! Thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed the story so far. Let's keep this fanfic going until the very end! (Hopefully, that won't be for a while.) Ladies and gentlemen; enjoy.

7/18 Sa, Gekkoukan high, class: 2-E, Afterschool

After passing the finals, (hopefully) I was resting off the stress… I was in a great position on my chair; just right for the best amount of sleep.

"Kazuki-kun, wake up…" I was awoken by a low pitch voice I'm oh-so-very fond of. "Sup…" "You sound depressed, what happened?" "...Well, I think I failed." "It'll be fine. You probably did okay." "Easy for you to say, you still had time to study! Wait, when did you study…?" "The day before we started cooking for everyone."

Yeah, I see how she would be able to study without me noticing; I was asleep for most of that day.

"Welp, that doesn't matter. At this point, all that matters is one thing: Yakushima!" "I see you're excited about the trip tomorrow." "Of course!"

I looked over at the door that slides open… It was Natsuki. "Hey, Fuuka, Kazuki." "Yo." "Hello, Moriyama." "Fuuka, can I borrow you for a minute?" "What for?" "I need your help on a subject." "Oh, okay, but..." Fuuka looked over at me. "It's okay, I need to see something anyway." "Thanks, Kazuki." "No prob."

I got out of my seat and I patted, Fu-chan on the head. "I guess I'll see you at the dorm," Fuuka said, knowing the answer to that question "I guess you will-" "Is something the matter?" "No, not at all."

I walked over to the door and I slide it wide-open. "See ya." "Bye, Kazuki." "I'll see you later, Kazuki-kun."

I closed the door behind me... I put my hand over my heart to see how fast it was going; it felt like it was gonna come bursting out. I saw blood on her head, but I know it was just my mind playing tricks on me. "This is ridiculous! I need to see go see her!

Gekkoukan high, Class: 2-F, Afterschool

I went inside of the classroom. I was looking for, Minako... I saw her with, Jun and Yuka-chan; she seems happy talking to them, but it's just an act!

I went over to them. "Yo, Kazu, what up, man!" "Nothing." Jun seems to be excited. "I'm so excited for the trip! I wish tomorrow was today already!" "I know what you mean." "Yeah, if two perverts were told that they would be going to an island with some girls on there, of course, they would be excited ." I look at Minako after her comment. "I mean, aren't you a perv too, Kazuki?" "Hell no!" "How do I know you aren't lying?" "Because I don't care what you think!" "...Last time I checked: people referred to me as Minako - the queen bee of Gekkou high. So you have to care." "...And did you hear I didn't care, nor heard a single person call you that; because that would require you to pay someone to say that about you." "You're such a meanie head!"

The childish innocent act is starting to get to me. It was unnerving how easy she was able to act like she didn't try to spill my blood.

"Come on, Kazuki-kun, give her a break," Yukari told me, laughing a bit from the situation. I guess I need to put up an act of my own as well. I put my hand on the back of my head and gave them a big smiled. "Okay~" I didn't feel right with pretending that we were friends, but it needed to be done I suppose

7/19 Sun, outside Iwatodai dormitory, Morning

It was the day of the trip, and I was so hyped for this!

When I got out of the dorm with Fu-chan, we saw something weird. "What the hell," I said as I saw a duffel bag in the middle of the sidewalk. "Kazuki-kun, there's something on the bag." I pick up the piece of paper on it. It says: "Take me along..." I turned it around, there was more writing on there too saying: "Do not open until on boat!"

I look over to Fu-chan, to see what she thinks about this... She was just as confused as I am. "Well, I might as well..." I pick up the bag, it was heavy! What's in here...? "Let's get going, Fu-chan" "Um, okay, but are you okay...? You seem like you're struggling." "No problem! I got this!" I don't get it...

On route to Yakushima, Morning,

It's been a couple of minutes since we boarded the boat. I looked over at the bag I been lugging around with me.

"Time see what's inside..." Opening the zipper, I was able to get a look at what was inside. "What the shit!" There were equipment and some weapons inside the bag! "Thanks for bringing my things." M.G. said as she came from behind me.

"M.G, why are there weapons in here, and why did you have me drag it all the way here?" "I came down to the docks earlier than you all, I saw the security. They would've searched me for weapons, and I needed to bring my equipment to the island, so I had you bring it here."

She zipped up the bag and picked it up like it was nothing. "I'll be going off to my own devices, so see you until we reach the island."

She walked off with the bag in hand, not struggling with it whatsoever. It took all I had just to lift it from the dorm to here; how strong is she?

"Kazuki-kun," Fu-chan called me as she showed herself. "What's up?" "Do you want to go watch the sea from the deck? It's my first time at sea and I wanted to watch as we sailed along the ocean," "Now that you mention it, this is my first time too. Sure, let's go." We went off toward to the docks to enjoy some sea sightseeing. Through the whole voyage, we were watching the waves move back and forth. Shizuka was nowhere to be seen during the whole ride to Yakushima though. Shame, she's missing out on quite a view.

Yakushima, Kirijo vacation house, afternoon

I walked in the Kirijo vacation; it was bright with all the white all over the place.

"Wow, this like an episode of - The rich and fabulous!" "Yeah, it's kinda bright in here." "You want to wear my mask?" "You brought it!?" "I bring it wherever I go." "You're weird..."

I saw a man with an eye patch on the right-side of his eye... Yikes, how many people do I know have eye patches? Wait no, that's insensitive to me.

Mitsuru was having a conversation with that guy... "Oi, M.G., who is that?" "Do you not know anything about the city you live in?" "Umm... Sorta."

M.G. gave out a tired sigh... "He's Takeharu Kirijo: the current CEO of the Kirijo group." "Oh... WAIT, THAT'S MITSU-CHAN'S OLD MAN!" "Quiet, you fool!" M.G. slaps me over the head. Crap! I said that out loud. "...And I assume you are referring to me." "Heh heh, Umm..." I looked at the man standing in front of me. "Am I correct?" "Y-Yes, sir..."

I'm so gonna be walking the plank today! "You're, Kazuki Kei, right." "Yes...sir." I was scared shitless right now!

"I heard a great deal about you." "R-really?" He looks over to M.G. for a moment... "We'll discuss it later. For now, I need you to do something..." "Like what?

Kirijo vacation house, Kitchen, evening

"This sucks!" Mr. Kirijo told me to come here after everybody ate before they went out to the beach. I was left with cleaning after everyone else.

"I didn't think he was so sensitive about his age! ...Then again, I did call him an old man... *Sigh* This really does suck..." "Kazuki-kun..." "Huh?" I stopped mopping the floor for a minute, and I turn around to see who's behind me. "Fu-chan, what are you doing here?" "I came to help." "Well, um... There isn't much to help with." "Then you take a break and I'll mop instead." "That's a no-go..." "I don't mind mopping the floor!"

I was too tired to put up an argument. "Fine, you win." I pass the mop off to her...

"So, did you have fun?" "Fun?" "Fun on the beach, dummy." "I actually didn't go." "Why not?" "Because I felt bad that you were on clean-up duty." "Oh..." Fuuka rests the mop against a counter, and she presses her back against me. "I also wanted you to be there to see me in a swimsuit, for the first time." "Oh...!"

I wrap my arms around her shoulders... I began to squeeze her just a bit. "Kazuki-kun, that hurts!" "Oh, sorry." I loosen my grip on her.

"Are you okay Kazuki-kun?" "Yeah, I'm fine." I still thinking about the fake world I was in; I kept remembering the pain in my knuckles when I punched the floor; I remembered the pain of losing her. Every time I look at her face for more than a second, I see blood appear out of nowhere on her face. My mothers grave.

"Fu-chan... You know what." "What?" "Someday, I'm gonna go back to see my mother's gravestone. ...I want you to come along." "You want me to go with you?" "You don't need to." Fuuka looks at me and nods her head. "It's okay, I want to..." "Cool..."

I was about to let her go, but she wouldn't let that happen. I just let us stay like this for a while... "Fu-chan..." "Hmm." "I'm glad I saved you." "I know you are, but I like that you told me."

I was trying not to say anything about the other world thing, but I couldn't resist, it felt too much for me to handle alone. I was about to tell her about it, but we were interrupted...

"Kazuki, Yamagishi, Mr. Kirijo wants to see you." "RIN-CHAN!" Fuuka moved off of me. She was blushing furiously. Oh come on, M.G.! Why you do this to me?

"Why us?" Fuuka asked, in an embarrassed tone. "Not only you two but all of SEES. Except me of course; they don't know I have a Persona. (And I'm not even apart of the team.)" "I see, but I have a different idea." "What is it," Fuuka asked with a raised eyebrow. "Tell him I don't feel too good..." "That'll never work, you fool." "Sure it won't... Can you do that for me, M.G.?" "I might as well." "Good."

I started walking away from the kitchen... "Where are you going," Fu-chan asked. "To the beach." "Are you serious, Kazuki?" "I am..." "Why are you going?" "Because I want to see you outside after the meeting." "Huh, why...!?" "Do I have to tell you everything. You'll know why, and besides, I was kept busy in here, so I didn't get to see a single bathing suit today."

I left the kitchen, heading towards the exit. "Kazuki..." "Yeah, M.G." "Careful out there." "Why, the Dark Hour isn't arriving anytime soon." "I know, but that isn't what I was referring to." "What then?" "I felt something in the forest as if we were being watched." "I see, okay, I'll be careful then."

Someone's watching us, huh? I better be on my guard.

Yakushima, beach, evening

I was waiting outside for Fu-chan... I was making puns about things I saw on my way here to pass the time

"Huh...?" I heard someone coming; it must be Fu-chan!

I looked over to where the footsteps are coming from. It wasn't Fu-chan... "Hey, Yuka-chan, how did you find me?" "What the hell do you want!?" "Whoa, why are you so hostile." "..." "Yuka-chan?" "...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that." "It's alright."

Yuka-chan looks like she was ready to start crying. What happened? "Are you alright?" "No, not really." "You wanna talk about it...?" "Fine..."

Yukari began to unload everything that happened in the meeting; her father was a researcher, who was assigned to investigate more about the shadows. But something happened during the final stages of the research. In a nutshell: he sabotaged the final stage on purpose, for some reason.

"All of that happened." "Yeah, that's what happened." "Shit..." I went quiet for a moment... "All this time, I believed in him, but faith was just worthless wasn't it." "No it wasn't, it never is." "How do you know that?" "Huh?" "What do you know anyway!"

She then grabs me by the collar... "How would you know anything about my pain!?" "I know a lot..." "...!" " You might think of me as some carefree guy, but I'm not! I have problems, too. I'm not an idiot, Yukari, I felt pain too. You don't even need me to tell you that life is painful..."

Little-by-little, Yukari is loosening her grip. "...But if you give up, that's it; you won't have anything left." "Then tell me, what should I do then!? Please, tell me!" "I don't know what you should do. But I think you should keep that faith for your dad, alive."

Altogether, she lets me go from her grasp. "Do you really think I should do that?" "Yeah. It's the only thing I could tell you to help you."

Yukari didn't move at all... I was sort of nervous about what her reaction was gonna be. "Kei-kun..." "Sup." "Thanks, for everything." Yukari looked at me with gratitude. "No problem." I smiled at her.

"You're right, you might act like Junpei sometimes, but there's something different about you." "That would be?" "You can relate to someone like me." "Well, we gonna look out for people like us..."

Yuka-chan seems to be feeling better. "So~, why are you out here? aren't you Cough, Cough?" "Oh, you want an explanation. Well, I'll have you know I am waiting for someone." "It wouldn't happen to be a certain dark-teal haired girl, would it?" "As a matter of fact, yes, it would be a teal haired girl."

Yukari began to walk away from me. "It's alright, I won't tell anybody that you aren't really sick." "Thanks." "...Although, in return, you need to do something for me." "That would be..." "You have to do something humiliating for me." "If you won't tell on me, then fine." Yuka-chan giggles with excitement; me on the other hand... "Okay, I'm gonna get going now. Don't you dare do anything...dirty to her." "O-OF COURSE I WOULDN'T!" " Hehe, I know you wouldn't. She's very lucky to have you." "...And I'm very lucky to have her." "Welp, see ya..."

Yuka-chan then walked away from me and went back to the vacation house. I hope she's okay now.

It's been about a couple of minutes after Yuka-chan returned to the house.

"Man, it sure is nice out here," I said out loud while I heard footsteps approaching towards me. "If only, if only a cute girl were to show up." "W-Will I do...? I look over my shoulder to find Fu-chan in a bathing suit. "...!" "Is there something wrong? Do I not look good in this?" She was wearing a teal colored swimsuit. I think a one-piece...?

"I'm sorry!" "For what?" "You don't seem to like this." "No, no, that's not it." I was blushing like crazy; it was just too much skin for me to handle, and...

"You look amazing." "Really, than-thank you." "You seriously look great."

I sat down on the floor, and in turn, she sat next to me... "I know it's night, but the sea still looks nice." "You look nice too, ya know." Fu-chan pressed her shoulder against mine. "But, yeah, the sea does look nice..."

It went quiet for a minute until...

"Kazuki-kun, I have a question." "Go ahead." "When we defeat all of those full-moon shadows, what about 'us'?" "What do you mean?" "After we defeat them, they'll disband SEES; then after that, the dorm will probably close down, and then..."

I went over to the water... I grab a hand-full of it and I fling it at Fu-chan. "Ahh! That's cold, why did you do that!?" "Because you worry too much." "What!" "Come on, you aren't gonna take that, are you?" "N-No!" "Come on, use your lungs!" "NO!" "Nice!"

She then charged at me with some water in her hand. "At least water isn't my weakness." I dodge out of the incoming attack. "Gonna have to move faster than-" *Splash* "*Cough* *Cough* *Cough* That was a low-blow," I said in a not-so-serious way. "I might be slower than you, but I can think a bit faster." "Oh, I see how it is. I guess I better amp my game, then." I move forward towards her, while I scooped up some water in my hand. "Take it!" I threw the water at her... "Ahh, I'll get you for that!" I slipped behind her, and I wrap my arms around her. "Gotcha!" "Ahh, let me go!" "I can't do that, Ms. Yamagishi."

In a last-ditch effort, she turned around and jumped off the ground. "Whoa!" *Splash* "Did you really need to do that?" "You left me no option." I see a smile form on her face. It made me forget about all the pain that was coursing through my back go.

"Fu-chan, even if the dorm shuts-down, there will still be you and me; I promise." "But, you don't know anyone that lives in Port island, besides me and everyone else." "You're right. ...But~, that doesn't mean I don't have a method for that situation when the time comes." "You do?" "Yep."

She rested her head on my chest... I'm still scared that I might not be able to protect her. But I need to push past that and do it anyway... "Hey, we should come here again." "How would we? We might not be able to get Mitsuru-senpai to bring us here again." "We can always get jobs." "I guess you're right. And I would love to come here with you again."

It's getting late, we should probably start heading back to the vacation house. "Kazuki-kun, we should probably get going, the Dark Hour is gonna arrive soon" "You're right, let's get back." I got off the floor/sea and I pull Fu-chan up and we began walking out of the sea.

"Hmm?" "What is it, Kazuki-kun...?" "Nothing." That's strange, I thought I saw someone in the forest; someone watching us from the distance. "..."

Kirijo vacation house, Kei Kazuki's room, early in the morning

I was sleeping peacefully next to Fuuka until I was awakened by a voice.

"Kazuki, wake up!" "Mmm... M.G., why are you in my room!?" "Why is she then?" "You got me there..." "Anyway, put some better clothes on." "Why, I wanna stay in my PJ's...?" M.G. lifts up a duffel bag on top of the bed. "We're going hunting..."

Okay, now all I need to do before they leave Yakushima, is... M.G. in her bathing suit! Oh, crap! Hello everybody, Proxy's saga here. I have only a few things to say, really. One would be that the next chapter will be sort-of a "How in the hell!?" You know what, you'll see what I mean next week. And lastly (there wasn't much to say, was there) please follow, and, or like the story. Even leaving a comment about the story helps; it acts as greater motivation to know when someone leaves a positive comment, and to leave criticism is a great way for me to improve with the writing of this story, and it's characters. So until the next chapter; see ya.