'Venture life, burn your dread'
"Crazy how time flies…"
The second year muttered to himself as he sat on the stairs leading up to his dorm. It had been… how long since they arrived? What had happened? It was only a few days, right? But those days felt different somehow. They were familiar.
It was such a strange feeling. Nearly everything felt familiar. The layout of the dorm, the school, the city. Even the people seemed vaguely familiar.
'That dream from last night… a strange man and those two in blue… Why was Kotone there?' He thought to himself.
The two had avoided speaking about it. Neither truly believed that the events that had unfolded were any more than a dream. And so, neither thought to even bring it up.
'But aren't you supposed to forget your dreams? Why is it so vivid?'
"Hey, you alright? You've been sitting out here for a while," a voice asked from behind him.
"Huh? Oh, Takeba…" he said as he stood up. "Sorry, I was just thinking…"
"Honestly, I can't believe Kirijo-senpai would let you come out here," she admitted. "Ah! W-with the rules and all… Well don't stay out too long. It's pretty cold out and you wouldn't want to get sick so early in the school year," she said before heading back inside.
What was it? He couldn't seem to recall. A part of him knew something was off, but his mind couldn't. He felt strangely serene. Much more appreciative of the little things.
He took one last look at the full moon before he turned away. He had to go back inside.
"Tired?" Another voice asked. It was his senior, a beautiful girl with red hair. "Your sister already went to sleep. You should follow her example, you know."
"Yeah, actually…" he rubbed his eyes. "Gonna get to bed. Goodnight to you all," he nodded before heading up the stairs.
"Goodnight to you as well," Mitsuru replied. She watched as he slowly ascended the stairs. In the back of her mind, she felt a tinge of guilt. What they were doing wasn't right. But they had to. They needed anyone they could get.
She waited until she heard his door close before making her way up to the command room. She took light steps all the way up to the fourth floor. In the command room, both the Chairman and Yukari sat, watching the monitors.
"Cutting it awfully close. It's nearly time," Ikutsuki said as Mitsuru entered the room. "Any longer and he would've seen more than he had to."
"Well, luckily he fell asleep pretty quickly, huh? But still… I feel bad spying on them like this. Feels icky," Yukari admitted. "I didn't think you'd let him go out this late. You even told him that there were rules."
"I'll admit, I had a lapse in judgment. I'm not sure why either, but it feels as though he's been through a lot these past few days. I couldn't deny him just a few minutes," Mitsuru shook her head.
They waited with bated breath as the clock struck midnight, and the dark hour commenced. Sure enough, both Makoto and Kotone remained sprawled on their respective beds. No coffins in sight.
But before they could make any major observations, a call quickly interrupted them.
"Akihiko? Akihiko, come in," Mitsuru said.
Through their communication device came the feed of one Akihiko Sanada. It was clear from the audio that he was running. From what was a different story.
"We've got a big one! Sorry but I couldn't shake it. Heading back right now. Just wanted to let you know in advance!" He shouted.
"Some timing that is…" Mitsuru sighed. "Mr. Chairman, we don't have time to continue observations. We need to prepare for combat. Akihiko, get here as fast as you can. We'll help out however we can."
It didn't take long before they all heard the door slam open, signaling Akihiko's return. They all rushed out of the room. Based on his earlier communication, he was clearly hurt. As they descended the steps, this assumption became obvious.
The boxer was beaten, clearly wounded, his hand holding his other arm in pain.
"Akihiko!" She called out as they rushed to his aid.
He held a hand out to stop her. "I'm fine. Get ready to be surprised… that thing will be here any second," he laughed.
"This is no time to-"
Before Mitsuru could finish her sentence, the dorm shook as something slammed into it.
"Ahh! What was that? You've gotta be kidding me…" Yukari sighed.
"Chairman, please return to the command room. Takeba, go wake them up and escape out the back. Akihiko and I will deal with whatever is out there," Mitsuru stated confidently.
It was clear on her face that she was beyond nervous. As their newest member, she hadn't ever seen battle. It wasn't something they could feasibly do with just the three of them.
"Keep them safe, will ya?" Akihiko asked her as he stood up. Even if she was unsure of herself, he would be damned if he didn't place his faith in her. Without that trust, there would be no point. At the very least, she would try as hard as she could.
"Ah- s-sure. I'll do that," she struggled to smile. With a sigh, she rushed up the stairs before knocking on the boy's door first.
-M-
He was dreaming. Right? It was a familiar scene, but for some reason, he didn't recognize it at all. A girl with blond hair, the feeling of a cool breeze, and the sight of the cherry blossoms falling with the wind.
And yet he felt so… tired. But he was dreaming, wasn't he? Everything just felt so… real. As he sat up from the girl's lap, he looked around.
It was the school roof. And as he gazed out toward the city, a voice beside him brought him out of his stupor. It was the boy he had seen before.
"It was such a short time," the boy spoke. "But I thank you all the same. You can't stop death, you know."
As Makoto looked around, everything seemed frozen in place. The breeze disappeared and the flower petals stood still. He could feel his body once more.
"11 months. What will you two do this time, I wonder?" the boy said cryptically.
Makoto didn't understand. But when he tried speaking, no words left his lips.
"I'm rooting for you all. Truly. Can one truly prevent the Fall?" With those words, the boy disappeared in a shroud of black, much like he had the first time he and his sister saw him.
And as the last traces of the boy dissipated, the world around Makoto did as well. And as he found himself falling, a part of his mind was screaming out to him. But he couldn't make anything out. As he continued to fall, he closed his eyes. What more could he do?
He jolted awake and found himself in his dorm once more. His breathing was heavy and sweat poured down his face.
But before he could collect his thoughts, a loud bang followed by a shake throughout the whole building put him on edge. He rubbed his eyes trying to wipe away the fatigue. The eerie green glow from his window reminded him of something. But what was it?
A loud knock on his door brought him back to reality.
"Hey, Makoto? We need to go. Sorry, but I'm coming in!" she said through the door.
Before he had a chance to respond, the door was already opening.
"Thank goodness you're already up. No time to explain. We have to get out of here now!" She told him. "W-wait, here," she said, handing him a weapon. "Come on, let's go get your sister. We can go downstairs and through the back after."
Unbeknownst to him, Kotone had experienced a similar dream. And she was already awake, nearly running into the two as they ran to her.
"Oh, perfect! Sorry, but we've gotta get going! I'll explain everything later, so here, take this!" Yukari gave Kotone a weapon.
She led them down the stairs, passing the kitchen before a rumble outside stopped her in her tracks.
"Takeba, do you read me? Be careful, there's more than one enemy!" Mitsuru warned her through their communicator. "The primary shadow is lurking nearby. Find another place where you three can stay safe."
A slam on the door in front of them quickly backed up Mitsuru's warning.
"U-understood! Hey, c'mon. Ohh think, Yukari! Where could… maybe… the rooftop? Yeah. Hey, let's head to the roof," she turned to them.
With a nod, they complied, following the girl up the steps. But as they ascended, Makoto felt off. He clutched his head as a sharp pain shot through his head. But as quickly as it appeared, it subsided.
"Makoto!" Kotone shouted as she quickly rushed to his aid.
"Are you alright? Hey, we're almost at the roof. We should be safer up there,"
He shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Sorry about all this. I swear, we'll explain everything later," she promised.
It didn't take much longer for them to reach the top of the stairs. And as they exited onto the roof, Yukari locked the door behind them. The chairman would be safe in the command room and Mitsuru and Akihiko could surely handle themselves. What mattered now was that she was with two non-combatants and had a duty to protect them.
But the rumbling continued. And as she looked behind them, it was too late. A writhing mass of hands had made its way up the building. She reached for her Evoker.
'Come on, Yukari… just pull the trigger… you can-'
"Yukari!"
Her thoughts were cut short when her actions were too slow. The shadow had already caught up to them, smacking her aside. And as she fell to the ground, what little hope she had left faded, and a tear began to fall.
While Kotone rushed to her aid, Makoto had other plans.
-M-
In the command room, the two other SEES members had returned, checking in with the Chairman to see what their next move should be. It was through the rooftop cameras that they witnessed the next events.
"Wait," Ikutsuki stopped them. "Let's see if those two are up for the task,"
"You can't be serious," Mitsuru said. "Takeba is already in danger! There's no telling what might happen to them!"
"Trust in him, Kirijo. They made it here on their own during the dark hour, did they not? The shadows only prey on the weak. They have the potential. The more hands we have on board, the easier it will be to stop them."
She was conflicted. On one hand, she knew the boy deserved to live a normal life. On the other, if they truly had the ability to fight, SEES could save so many more people. Did the needs of one truly outweigh the safety of the masses?
"Take a look."
The actions shown on the screen stopped her in her tracks. She couldn't finish her thoughts.
-Y-
She had failed. Yet again, she couldn't summon her persona the one time that it mattered. She tried to reason with herself. Who could blame her? It was crazy. Putting a gun up to your own head and pulling the trigger? That was insanity.
But her final thoughts turned to the two siblings she was supposed to protect. It was her fault. She turned to face them, afraid of what she would see. But what she saw was hope.
"Per… so… na!" Makoto said as he pulled the trigger.
All eyes watched in awe as the boy summoned his persona with no hesitation.
But as his Persona materialized before him, pain shot through his whole body. And as he screamed out in pain, both his sister and his Persona followed suit. Their pain disappeared as something emerged from Orpheus. And he felt better than ever.
Thanatos slayed the shadow in record time. And so a series of events had been set in motion. One that only their Chairman understood.
As they watched from the command room, they looked in confusion as the monster that had emerged from Makoto's initial persona flickered, disappearing back into its initial form.
But as his persona too disappeared, so did his consciousness. He fell to the ground, the evoker dropping by his side.
"Makoto!" Kotone rushed to his side. "Hey, Makoto, are you okay?" She asked as she shook him desperately. Tears began to flow as thoughts of losing the last of her family began to flood her mind.
But the battle wasn't over. While they weren't quite the same level as the first shadow, they still proved a threat to them without any help.
Kotone suddenly knew what she had to do. Without a thought, without any hesitation, she grabbed the evoker that had fallen out of her brother's hands.
"Come, Orpheus!" she shouted. And from behind her, a gout of fire flew past, directly towards one of the shadows. She deftly stepped to the side to avoid a swing from the other one before slashing back with her naginata.
It didn't take long for the fight to come to an end. And by the time she realized something was wrong, it was too late. She too collapsed, falling backwards onto the ground beneath her. She was exhausted.
But as she stared into the sky, a single name came to mind as her eyes grew heavy, and her consciousness faded.
"Ai…gis?"
"Hey!" Yukari shouted as she rushed to their side. "Hey are you guys alright? Oh no… no no no…"
The sound of the door opening startled her. To her relief, it was just her fellow SEES members. As Mitsuru and Akihiko ran over, she profusely apologized.
"Don't," Mitsuru shook her head. "You're still new. If you want to blame yourself, see to it that you learn from this moment rather than beat yourself up over it."
"But-" Yukari tried to argue. She knew it was her fault. They trusted her.
"Listen to her, Takeba. There's no use wallowing in misery. If it's really bothering you, just… apologize when they get up. Who knows how long they'll be out," Akihiko sighed. "Here," he said, passing her Evoker back.
"I know, I- I will…"
It was late, but they knew they had some work to do. The Dark Hour would be ending soon and there was no telling how long Makoto would be out. For now, they would bring them to the lounge. As soon as the Dark Hour was over, they'd bring them to a hospital.
The SEES members sat anxiously as they waited for the hour to pass. Surely that was the last of the shadows for today, right?
Their worries were alleviated when the lights turned back on. Akihiko stood up and grabbed the boy first. The chairman would bring his car around and he would be ready to load both siblings into it.
"Get some sleep, you two. I'll go with him to make sure they're alright," Ikutsuki told the others. It was time for them to leave. "Great work today."
"Yes, Chairman," Mitsuru nodded. "Takeba, remember what both Akihiko and I said. Don't beat yourself up over what happened today. Using an Evoker is never an easy thing to do. Your mind screams out. Every instinct tells you not to pull the trigger. But it's the only way we've found to safely summon a persona."
"Trust me, when Mitsuru handed me one of those back then, I nearly lost it," Akihiko added as he began walking to the door. "It's hard. But when you know what's on the line, you'll get why you have to do it."
"Thanks, you two. I'm… gonna go think for a bit. And when they wake up, I'll be there. Promise," she offered a weak smile. She was exhausted. Even though she wasn't the one that fought, the adrenaline was wearing off.
"Don't stay up too late now, Takeba. Get some rest. Akihiko and the Chairman will make sure they get to the hospital," Mitsuru reassured her.
It was strange. Yukari had never seen this side of Mitsuru before. Usually, the leader of SEES was not this talkative. The way Yukari saw it, it was strictly business when talking with Mitsuru. She thought back to what had happened in the days leading up to then. Was it Makoto's influence?
-M-
As he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar room.
"Thank goodness you're awake!" Yukari said as she saw him begin to stir.
Much to his surprise, Makoto found himself with arms around him, holding him tightly. It was something he only usually felt with his sister. But this time, it felt different. It was comforting. And as Yukari pulled away, she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. But they wouldn't stop.
"S-sorry, I don't- I don't know why I'm crying so much," she tried to muster a smile. "It just feels like it's been forever since I last saw you awake," she explained.
"Takeba… Where's Kotone? Is she alright? And how long was I out?" He asked. His voice was like heaven to her. When was the last time she had heard him so clearly?
"She's right beside you, actually," Yukari said, pointing to the only other hospital bed in the room. "You were out for a little over a week? Eight days," she said as she managed to stop her tears. "Gosh, why am I-" she sighed. "I'm alright. It's just- I get the feeling that… I owe so much to you. I'm just- so happy that you're awake. Maybe that's what the adrenaline does to you or something," she tried to laugh it off.
But just as he was about to say something, a short yet sharp pain shot through his head. He flinched at the pain.
"Hey, are you alright? Don't push yourself! Kirijo-senpai was able to pull some strings and explained that you two would be out for a bit so don't feel obligated to get up now. Just because you're awake doesn't mean you're 100 percent," she lectured him.
He smiled. And that smile turned into a small chuckle. It was strange seeing her like this. Just a few days ago—or rather, nearly two weeks at this point—she had nearly mistaken him for a shadow. Yet now…
"Thank you, Yukari. It means a lot having you here by my side…" He looked out the window of his hospital room. From the look of it, it was getting late. Just how long had she been waiting for him? "Um, where are we?"
"Oh, right! This is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. We're not too far from the station. They couldn't find anything wrong with either of you. Just said you guys were exhausted," she explained. But it was clear she was still nervous about something.
"You alright?" Makoto asked.
"Yeah, it's just… I wanted to say sorry. Really. I've been thinking about what happened that day. I wasn't any help at all. But you? Man you and Kotone were able to take action no problem. That power of yours sure was something," she complimented.
"Personas…"
"Yeah, and those monsters? We call them shadows," Yukari said. "Dang, you catch on quick."
"Io, right?" He suddenly asked, looking up at her.
"Huh?"
"Your Persona. And the shadows… they- Why do I know this?" He tried to reason it out, but nothing came to mind. "Is she gonna be alright?" He asked, referring to his sister.
"Well, considering you two underwent the same thing, I'm sure she'll be fine. She had to fight off a few more shadows after you passed out, so she might be out a bit longer than you."
The two made small talk while they waited. Makoto had never been this talkative. But luckily, it didn't take much time before Kotone woke up as well.
"Welcome back," Makoto said.
"Hmm?" she mumbled as she stretched.
"Thank goodness you two are alright…" Yukari said. "Whenever you feel like you're okay to walk, I think we should get out of here. I'm sure you'd rather be in a place a bit more familiar especially with how long you guys have been out. And don't worry about any sort of bill. The Kirijo Group has most of our expenses paid for since we're working under them," she explained.
"Damn, how long-"
"Eight days," Makoto answered before she even had a chance to finish her sentence. "I've been up for maybe half an hour at this point."
"Huh, so I was out longer? Guess I did more work than you," Kotone teased, sticking her tongue out to rub it in.
But Makoto didn't bite. "Yeah, you did," he smiled at her. "I was knocked out just after summoning my persona once. I heard you went out to battle right after."
"Of course! I couldn't let anyone hurt my baby brother. Only I'm allowed to do that," she nodded. "I think we're just about ready to leave then, Yukari."
"Sure thing!" She said before standing up from her chair.
She helped them both out of bed. Having been asleep for over a week clearly put a toll on their bodies.
"Here, give me your arms. I'll lend you both a shoulder and we can make our way back to the dorm," Yukari told them. "We can ask Kirijo-senpai about any questions when we get back."
It didn't take long for them to leave the hospital. Just as Yukari said, there were no problems with them just getting up and leaving. One train ride away and they'd almost be at their dorm.
"Thanks for helping us out. Ever since coming here, you all have been so kind to us. Helping us out and stuff," He smiled at her.
"Oh, about that… I probably shouldn't be the one saying this, but I'd like to come clean and just say that this whole time… we've been monitoring you two. Ever since you got here, the Chairman insisted that we keep an eye on you guys to make sure you had the potential. So, even if no one else might acknowledge it, please accept my apology," Yukari admitted.
"Monitoring? I mean, yeah, I'll admit it is strange, but considering what just happened, I'm not surprised. If you all have to deal with something like the shadows, I'd be wary of someone that just shows up during the Dark Hour as well," Makoto reasoned.
"Hey, can I tell you something?" Yukari asked as they found seats on the train. Considering how late it was, it was no surprise to find an empty train car.
"What is it?" He looked at her.
"I can kinda relate to you guys. See, my dad died in an accident when I was little. And I know it's not really the same, but my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms. I… heard about your past in detail. I know that it's just you two. It didn't seem fair for me to know about you while you didn't know about me, so I said I was going to tell you as soon as you got up," she sighed.
They appreciated her words. Even if their situations weren't identical, the two siblings still appreciated her efforts to connect with them. Something about it seemed so natural.
"Thanks for telling us all of that. You know, I get the feeling like I've known you for a while. Something just feels right talking with you," he told her.
"Maybe we were friends in another life?" She joked. "Nah, but seriously, I'm glad we can be friends. It was a bit lonely being the only second year in the dorm. Not to mention, there were only three of us anyway and the other two already know each other. Kirijo-senpai is pretty intimidating and Sanada-senpai is always busy whether it be school work or working out."
"I'm sure they'll open up," Kotone said. "You know, there's so much more to a person than the initial impression you get by just seeing them. If you talk to them, really talk to them, I'm sure you'd find a lot more common ground. And for what it's worth, I'm happy we're friends already too."
They continued chatting before their stop finally came. But as they stepped off the platform, Yukari had an idea.
"Hey, why don't we stop somewhere to eat? You've been cooped up for a week, so maybe you want to get something? My treat. Of course, it's no proper way of paying you back for saving me, but we'll get there," she smiled at them.
"Sure," he shrugged. "Where do you want to go?"
"Shouldn't you pick?" Yukari asked.
He shook his head. "Your money. You should at least enjoy something as well."
"Hm, well how about Hagakure? We're already in the area. Up for a bowl?" She nudged his shoulder.
The three made their way out of the station and to the Iwatodai Strip Mall. Considering the time, it was no surprise how busy the place was. But as they found their seats, they kept talking.
Makoto was surprised. Of course, he didn't show it, but when was the last time he had a conversation like this with someone that wasn't his sister? Ever since the death of his parents, he and Kotone had been floating around without much care for those around them. But something shifted.
Ever since he stepped foot in Iwatodai dorm, he felt as though his life had taken a leap in the right direction. He still remembered how he felt on the night of that full moon. As he gazed into the beautiful light that lit up the night, he felt a strange calmness that he hadn't felt before.
And now, talking with Kotone and Yukari? He found himself smiling, laughing, and talking far more in a few hours than he had in a few years.
The other girl in question had similar thoughts. Ever since her father's death, she had roamed around looking for answers. And all of that led up to her placement in Iwatodai Dorm as a part of SEES.
To her, much of her life was the same old, same old. Sure she was content with her school life and the friends she had made, but sitting at the ramen bar beside two people who had been complete strangers just over a week ago was oddly serene.
She found herself comfortable with being herself. Never forcing a laugh, a smile, or a compliment. It felt as though their bonds were strong as ever. It must have been because they had saved her, she might tell herself. But a part of her mind knew.
As they left the restaurant, the sun was already setting. Makoto stopped momentarily and basked in the fading sunlight. The sight of Yukari in the sunset made his heart skip a beat. Why was he feeling like this?
"What's wrong?" She asked, noticing his sudden pause.
"It's nothing," he smiled gently at her. "Just… good to be back. Sorry."
"C'mon! I'm sure they'll be glad to see you guys all well," Yukari smiled back.
As they reached the dorm, the sun had finally set.
"Huh. No one's around," Yukari noticed. "Oh, Kirijo-senpai left us a note. Says they'll be late. Well, I guess it's just us. I don't have any way of contacting them right now so I guess they'll learn about you whenever they get back," Yukari shrugged.
"I'm gonna go up to my room and maybe get to bed. I'm honestly still kind of tired," Kotone admitted. "Ate too much food," she laughed.
"Goodnight," Makoto and Yukari said.
"G'night," Kotone replied before walking upstairs.
After she was gone, Yukari watched as Makoto walked to the back. It wasn't until she heard a few clangs and clatters that she got curious.
"What're you up to?" She said as she poked her head into the kitchen.
"Cleaning," he curtly replied.
"Need help?"
"If you'd like."
The two worked in a strange silence as the messy kitchen was slowly transformed into a usable workspace.
"What made you want to clean this place up? We just ate. Also, it's not like we have anything to cook with anyway," she questioned.
"I'm not sure," Makoto admitted. "But I felt like we'd like to use this at some point."
"Well, I do want to learn how to cook eventually… Maybe we can ask Kirijo or Sanada-senpai about it? Though, I doubt they'd want to," she sighed.
As she looked at the time, she was surprised. It had taken no time at all. She decided to take a few steps towards getting to know him more.
"C'mon," she told him. "Wanna watch TV or something? We've still got plenty of time before either of us should be heading to bed for school."
With no reason to reject her offer, Makoto shrugged. "Sure," he said.
Once more, they found themselves lost in conversation. Yukari talked about what school life was like for her. The two compared how different their lines were despite coming from similar circumstances.
While he shut the world out, she found herself getting involved. While he found himself at peace with his past, she clung on to hope of uncovering the truth surrounding her father. They both had different ways of coping. Nothing wrong with that. And above all else, they could agree, meeting one another seemed to have had a positive impact on their lives.
But their talking had gone on far longer than they realized. As the clock struck midnight, the Dark Hour commenced. And with a bit of unfortunate timing, the door opened just as all the lights went out.
A shrill scream filled the room. To say Yukari was scared was an understatement. She clung for dear life to the boy beside her.
"My, you two are awfully close," Mitsuru noticed as she stepped inside. The moonlight illuminated the two teenagers sitting on the couch. "Good to see you well, Makoto."
"Welcome back," he said. "And thank you."
"W-wait! It's not what it looks like!" A flustered Yukari shouted. "He- I- it's- I was just scared, okay?! You surprised me when you opened the door a-and the lights went out!"
"Well, I'll overlook this. Just- see to it that you two aren't breaking any rules," Mitsuru teased.
Yukari could only groan. "I'm never living this down, am I?"
"It's just us that saw," Makoto shrugged. "Not like I'll be telling anyone."
"Correct. Whatever business occurs either during the Dark Hour or in this dorm, stays there," Mitsuru nodded.
"Wait, what about Sanada-senpai? Was he not with you?" Yukari asked.
The girl shook her head. "No. I ended up telling him to stay here to get some rest. As you saw, he was fairly injured during the last… incident, and as such, needs time to recover. He should be in his room."
"Wait, then…" Yukari's eyes widened as her face flushed red. "He… He heard everything? We weren't too loud, were we?"
"Oh? And what might this everything be?" Mitsuru's eyes narrowed. "You two didn't actually-"
"Nope! No no no, there is nothing like that going on! Absolutely not! And even if there were, I absolutely wouldn't be doing anything in a shared space! Not to mention, his sister is upstairs!" Yukari desperately tried to clear up any misunderstandings.
Mitsuru laughed. It was a rare sight, but the student council president, heiress to the Kirijo group, and leader of SEES actually laughed.
"I'm only joking, Takeba. No need to get up in arms. Plus, I'm sure Akihiko would uphold some semblance of order if he had heard anything."
Before anyone could respond, the boy in question's voice was heard from the stairs.
"Absolutely not," Akihiko said as he made his way down. Kotone followed suit behind him. "If I hear someone doing that down here, there's no way I'm going to be the one to confront them," he stated.
"I wouldn't either, for the record," Kotone added. "Well, maybe I would. But for you, Yukari? I approve," she nodded, giving the girl a thumbs up.
Yukari buried her face in her hands. "I am not doing anything like that with your brother! And I sure as hell wouldn't be doing it if his own sister was still in the same building!"
Luckily for her, Akihiko diverted the conversation, looking over to Makoto. "Looks like you're doing better than me!"
"Well, I'm not the one that was chased by a shadow. I only summoned my persona once and passed out," Makoto shook his head. "You look like you've seen better days though."
"Heh, yeah you could say that. Everyday that I spend recovering is a day I miss getting stronger. So, in the meantime, I think I might've found a way to get around that," he nodded, looking satisfied with himself.
"Akihiko…" Mitsuru glared at him.
"Ahem, uh, anyway, it's good to see you back, Yuki!" He said, trying to change the subject. "Looks like you're doing better than me!"
"Um, you already said that," Kotone noted.
"Enough about me, hey, Mitsuru, when are we gonna have the conversation with them? The chairman isn't around but I think we can explain it clearly enough," he continued trying to steer the conversation.
And to his surprise, it actually worked.
"Hmm, yes. I believe it would be wise to clue them in while it's still fresh on their minds. No point in delaying it any further," she said.
The five students sat around in the dark. It was clear something was weighing on Mitsuru's mind.
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," she told the twins, shocking the other two SEES members. "It's dangerous work as you can probably tell," she said, motioning towards Akihiko.
"Mitsuru?" Akihiko began before seeing Mitsuru raise a finger.
"I want to apologize to you two as well," she said. "These past few days have been a blur, but… for some reason, seeing you here, Makoto, Kotone? I feel like I've known you for some time. It's strange. And I feel guilty for having you two help me," she said referring to Akihiko and Yukari.
Kotone shot Yukari an "I told you so" look. Just as she had predicted: get them to talk and they'd open right up.
"Don't worry about it," Yukari shook her head. "I… want to find out the truth behind what happened with my father. It doesn't matter how dangerous it is. I want to know what happened. Everything."
"You know I'm with you until we see this through," Akihiko told her. "There's no way I'm giving up on you."
"I'd… like to help as well," Makoto told them. "I just think it would be the right thing to do."
Kotone nodded. "I'm with my brother on this. If we can be of use to you, please tell us where we need to be."
"Are you sure? The work we do is dangerous. Fighting against shadows is a constant battle to keep the people safe. You saw what we had to deal with the other week," Mitsuru explained.
"I'll do it. If I can help in any way to keep everyone safe, I'll do it," Makoto nodded. "I won't wait around for people to get hurt."
"Thank you," Mitsuru smiled. "All of you. I'm incredibly grateful for all you've done. Not just on my behalf, but on behalf of the entirety of the Kirijo Group."
"Don't thank us just yet," Makoto shook his head. "I haven't done anything for you yet."
"Don't discredit yourself like that," Mitsuru shot back. "You two have already saved Takeba once. Not to mention taking care of the shadow that nearly took out Akihiko."
"Yeah, you really saved us back there," Akihiko admitted. "Honestly, I'm not sure how we would have handled that thing."
"There's so much I have to tell you all. But… I'm not sure when the right time would be. Perhaps… My father may be able to help. I'll plan a trip to Yakushima during one of our breaks if you all are okay with that?" Mitsuru asked.
They all nodded. It wasn't like they had many plans anyway. Not to mention, they were curious about Mitsuru's family.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to tell the Chairman about our decision. I'll ask that he prepares an armband and an Evoker for you both. You're all free to go. Akihiko, no training until you recover. Don't think I won't know," Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "And you two. Try to keep it clean around here, alright?" She said with a grin.
"Wha- Hey we didn't do anything!" Yukari cried out in embarrassment. But her words fell on deaf ears as Mitsuru was already walking away.
"I'm only teasing, Takeba," Mitsuru said as she walked up the stairs. "Get some sleep, everybody. Oh, and you two?" She said, poking her head back downstairs, "Welcome back."
The dorm grew silent as Mitsuru's steps faded up the stairs. It was Akihiko that broke the silence.
"So you two weren't actually…"
"No! Oh my- You know what? Nevermind… I don't have the energy for this," she admitted defeat. She followed Mitsuru's example and simply went to her room.
It didn't take long for the rest of them to do so as well.