This is definitely not how or where he wanted to spend his Sunday. The barely-a-nap Akihiko took sometimes during the night ended abruptly at dawn as usual, and it felt more like a blink forward that provided no rest after the grueling fight with the full moon shadow.
It doesn't help that he's hanging out in an hospital of all places; he never was and still isn't a fan of medical facilities, especially when it involves babysitting an uncooperative and emotionally unstable member of Strega. He takes turns with Mitsuru to interrogate the strange girl several times throughout the day without success; after hours of rambling about her evoker and Medea, she clams up to sulk in silence.
Junpei barges in forcefully during the afternoon, quickly followed by an apologetic Yukari. Akihiko is not in the mood to get into more verbal sparring with anyone after he and Mitsuru bickered all morning, so he gets up to stand near Takeba by the room's door.
"How are things at the dorm? Is everyone okay?"
They sort of left in a hurry after they secured Chidori and he's been here ever since.
"Yeah, all patched up and we slept late, Minako even made breakfast again. I just couldn't keep this idiot away; he kept trying to sneak out and I know you said not to come here, but…"
"Not your fault."
So maybe there's a slight resentment floating in his skull because of her words; they suggest a fantasy of tangling in sleep with her like the last operation instead of breaking his back napping in a cold plastic chair and wouldn't that be just amazing. He's tired and banged up, everything feels like a mess, and he could use some quiet. Akihiko would like nothing more than to be holding her hand right now at the playground in silence and…
Junpei's irritably loud with his frustration, Yukari bristles when he shouts and Mitsuru's at it, again. Hearing a mention of the evoker they confiscated from their patient makes him growl in frustration and snap around.
"Hey, Mitsuru! I told you not to bring that up again, didn't I?"
Her frosty eyes turn to slits, and she puts her hands on her hips defiantly, biting back.
"Then, what am I supposed to do?"
Mitsuru sighs and pinches her nose, shaking her head to keep her composure. They both need some air, clearly. Their patient starts raving and he can't take it anymore, so Akihiko gets up.
"Takeba, can you call a nurse over? I'll go back and inform Ikutsuki we're having difficulties."
"Uh… okay?"
She doesn't look very impressed with the proceedings, and neither does Iori. Why he cares about his kidnapper is beyond him, but he's always desperate for female attention, so maybe that's what this is. Mitsuru must stay at the hospital to coordinate with the Kirijo medical team, and he's clearly not helping her work on her people skills by being here.
She hates not getting what she wants. And I need to take a shower, inquire about Ken's mess during the fight, check on Shinji…
And see her. Her presence always makes everything better.
Akihiko handles business as soon as he gets to the dorm, going directly to the command room where the chairman is drowning in a pile of paperwork. Ikutsuki clearly wants nothing impeding SEES' progress against the shadows and has ideas to ensure they keep their hostage safe from the rest of Strega.
"Just make sure she stays put; I'll coordinate some Dark Hour guards with Mitsuru, but it might take a while to get them here."
No puns? He must be tired.
That handled, he heads straight down to his room and its shower, running into Shinji coming up the stairs to the boys' floor. With his hands in his pockets, his friend ascends the steps as if he's part of a funeral procession, slowly placing one foot in front of the other until he reaches the threshold.
"You look like shit, Aki."
"Thanks, you too. Where's Ken?"
Akihiko sounds and feels snappy, but he's exhausted, and that picture keeps nagging him since the fight. His words probably tell Shinji about the real unspoken question behind them since he grumbles with his usual scowl of annoyance.
"Don't worry about that… I took care of it with Arisato, right after you left with the girl."
"What do you mean?"
Aragaki looks irritated at his probing for details, barking back.
"He misjudged the situation. We had a talk, it's sorted now. Drop it."
It was hard to see but… was it really bad aim? That's not what it looked like to me.
Clenching his fists, Akihiko is about to give him a piece of his mind when Shinji interrupts him.
"Tch...! He thought Minako was in danger and acted on impulse. Reminds you of anyone?"
"Well… that's…"
A mocking smirk blooms on his friend's face, and he hesitates.
Like I was ever going to take any kind of chance.
Aragaki's lips extend a tad wider at his reaction, ominously, and he takes the opportunity to continue his verbal jabbing.
"Not the same, huh? He got a lecture, and you got a nice scar for it. She's safe, and I'm all mended, so forget it. Shit happens sometimes, I know. You got stuff to take care off, so get to it."
Passing a hand over his face, Akihiko just sighs. Maybe… Maybe Shinji is right. Ken might be powerful, and he's fiercely protective of Minako, but he hasn't been a member of SEES for long and they kept him on the sidelines for his safety. Sometimes, you act before you think, he's a prime example of that.
I'm too tired to think straight. Maybe it is just an honest mistake. If he says so…
"Listen, I don't know how long we need to... Can you keep an eye on things here?"
"Yeah. I'll brief the twins when they get back. Go drown yourself already, you smell like death."
The Strega girl will talk soon, and I'll be back tonight when Minako is, too.
Unfortunately, events don't always go the way Akihiko would like them to. For the rest of the week, all his days are spent attending classes and staying at the hospital, and he barely steps foot in the dorm. Just enough to crash when he can, late at night, get a shower, and do it all over again the day after.
He's got too much time to think, not enough to move and get the buzzing tension out of his system, he's jittery because of it all and it's starting to drive him up the wall. He's always surrounded by redheads too, and it just reminds him how much none of them are the one he wants to see.
No running or moments with her, no boxing club, no training to clear my mind, no Tartarus, just school and… this.
He brings his homework along for his sanity, but it's early September and there's not much to keep his mind occupied. They do discover, thanks to Yamagishi's probing, that Chidori can mask her presence and probably her companions' too. It explains how Strega got the jump on them at the military facility, but at least they won't be able to pull that trick again.
We still learned very little else though.
They keep pestering her with questions and she keeps her silence, pencil scratching her sketchbook. Every night Akihiko plays enforcer in the hospital corridor and Mitsuru does the same from the room in case Strega shows up during the Dark Hour, or she tries to sneak out. It wouldn't do to have her flee and expose the team to another ambush, she could find another evoker too, and avoiding motionless coffins when you have a secret extra hour is easy.
Where did she even get one in the first place?
They banned the rest of SEES from coming here as much as possible, but Iori doesn't listen; he keeps trying to spend time with Chidori and surprisingly she speaks to him and him only.
Not that she says anything relevant about Strega, but it's a start.
By Friday he's starting to get an idea why Junpei keeps showing up, he recalls some tidbits of conversation about the girl at the station he was obsessed with, but it's mostly all in his eyes. What he finds dancing in them looks like an enamored concern of some sort. That's what makes Akihiko accept his visits despite Mitsuru's reticence, because he can't be such a hypocrite.
His gaze is like mine, when we board the monorail each morning, and go our separate ways at the school gate.
Thinking about Minako brings up the weird worry he's been mulling over all week to the forefront. He's pretty sure she saw what he thinks she did at the end of the fight, yet she never even asked. He wouldn't lie to her, but he's rather not revisit the past when Ken is a part of SEES now, it's not something he really wants to explain. He should perhaps stop worrying about that fleeting expression on her face, he's having doubts he even saw it now; overthinking can mess perception.
Not that they even had a chance to talk much about anything since the operation, with that schedule. He has no free time, and she's keeping busy, patiently waiting for this to blow over like the rest of them. They texted often during the week though, and that made it slightly more bearable, especially when she mentioned how she missed him. Sometimes she makes it worse though, like Wednesday night just before the Dark Hour.
Still no sign of Strega on camera during the Dark Hour. We'll keep at it tonight too.
He quickly answers back.
Well, that's something at least. Maybe they're clueless without Chidori.
It takes not even 5 seconds before his phone dings again.
You know this would be much more fun if you were standing near the window with me :D XX
That one makes Akihiko blush furiously, enough to require a walk or three around the patient block before Mitsuru catches a glimpse of his face. At least he's very much awake for his rounds that night.
Thursday night reminds him that Shinji barely leverages his kitchen talent for anyone except the dog, but he's nice enough for once to treat the twins.
Wow Aragaki-senpai knows how to cook! That katsudon he made with Min was a-ma-zing :D XX
He did say he owed her a meal at some point.
It's nice to hear he's getting along with the others, getting out of his grumpy shell, he's been quite distant.
It's Friday now, and they still made no notable progress with their hostage. Iori brought her a new sketchpad and this time Shinjiro tags along with him to get some news in person.
If you came to school, you'd know. Or if you answered your phone sometimes.
"…Any luck?"
Mitsuru nods, less guarded around him for once. Some distance from each other since the shadow fight seems to have helped on her end.
"She finally started talking. But she hasn't said anything useful so far."
The hazel glare takes in Iori and briefly glances at Akihiko as if he knows why the junior is really allowed in the room when everyone else isn't, but he doesn't thankfully comment on it. Chidori suddenly holds her hands to her throat in pain, her voice barely a strangled whisper, startling everyone except Aragaki. Junpei looks panicked and keeps looking at their captive for the cause of her squeaky scream.
"Chidori?! What's wrong?"
And then something red, gold and aglow appears above her, choking the poor girl with monstrous claws.
Is that…? But it can't be!
Before any of them can react, Shinji takes an injector out of his pocket and plants it in her neck, making the apparition flicker like a crumbling mirage. The Strega girl gasps in relief and instantly calms down, her arms limp with trembling fatigue. Not discomfited in the least, his brother looks sideways and murmurs.
"No need to worry. Her Persona went berserk, it happens, but she'll be okay now. These guys can't fully control them like us, that's why they need to take suppressants. To keep their Personas from killing them…"
Wait a second…
"Shinji, do you know something about Strega?"
You kept watching for them during the operation too. I saw it.
Aragaki's eyes have a distant look, fixed on a spot between the door and the wall, and he murmurs very softly.
"Some things you only pick up stepping off the straight and narrow."
Taking his hands to his coat again, he hands a paper bag vaguely in the direction of a shocked Mitsuru, who takes it in apparent confusion.
"That's all the meds I have… Give them to the doc, the rest is up to you."
And on that note, he quickly exits with heavy steps, not looking back. Akihiko runs after him to catch up, panicking at the implications of what he said.
It can't… no…
"Shinji, wait!"
He finally catches up to him outside the hospital; his brother can be quick when he wants to, and he had to sprint down the stairs to get to him.
"Hey, wait! Shinji!"
At least the tall figure does stop when he almost screams, but he stands like a statue, not even turning around to face him.
"…Can you fucking keep your voice down Aki?"
It was such a low murmur Akihiko barely heard it, but he does as he asks. If that keeps him in place to talk, he'd do a lot more than that.
"What the hell is going on…? Why did you have those suppressants?"
Tell me you got them on the streets, that they're not for you.
And still, Aragaki just offers his wide back to him, not acknowledging his panicked questions in the slightest. His hands won't stop trembling and he can't stand to look at his coat, fixing the floor instead.
"I've heard about what they do… They're taken to rein in a Persona when the user can't control it. But the side effects…"
They eventually kill you. You can't… you can't tell me you...
This time Shinji turns around, looking at the people sitting on a nearby bench instead of him, his lips just a grim straight line. It takes Akihiko a few breaths to even dare ask the question he was building up to, and his voice comes out somewhat broken.
"You're not taking them… are you?"
Tell me you aren't. Tell me, please.
Aragaki barely blinks, motionless, and that makes him clench his fist, shaking in anger.
Why are you ignoring me all the time? Why won't you just answer me, damnit Shinji!
This time, Akihiko screams in his face in despaired anger to provoke him, just wanting an answer. A reaction. A fight. Something.
"ANSWER ME!"
It's just a dismissive murmur that echoes back.
"…I don't have to tell you shit."
"Why are you always like this Shinji?"
You're always pushing me away. I thought we were…
Now Aragaki growls in anger and almost shouts himself, eyes blazing hard.
"Save it and stop preaching Aki! You think I'm wasting away but deep down… You can't stand the fact that I have the kind of power you always wanted, but I won't use it the way you want me to! I'm sick of hearing about it!"
That makes him snap, hard, and his glove connects with his jaw in an angle that won't do him any good tomorrow. Aragaki stumbles back, spitting out blood while looking at him but he doesn't even try to strike back. Breathing hard and holding the pummeling he feels like giving him, Akihiko flexes his knuckles a few times to calm down.
"Shinji, you… you don't understand at all. I lost what was most precious to me once, I felt powerless… And I vowed never to be again! That's why I try so hard… I thought you felt the same way, I know you did back then! We promised each other to become strong enough to do what we think is right."
Does that mean nothing to you anymore? It's what kept us going, together.
"So why… Why did you start taking those drugs without telling me?!"
Calm and breathing steadily despite everything, Shinji keeps a level voice and looks him in the eye, expression blank.
"Listen Aki… I'm back now, and I'm fighting with you again, I have no reason to suppress my Persona anymore. So just… let it go, okay?"
Like that's going to be easy.
"There's something I need to take care of, and I'm the only one who can do it. I gotta take responsibility, you get that… right?"
Ken.
"You mean Amada?"
His face looks almost indulgent, his only reply a soft sigh. Turning to leave, Aragaki just speaks over his shoulder with no emotion as he walks away, his steps heavy and slow.
"…Just quit worrying about me already. Follow your path, and I'll do the same, okay?"
Shinji…
It takes him a long walk around the hospital to clear his head, and he's not sure how much that helps in the end. For all his talks of self-discipline and obsession with self-control, Akihiko sure lost his composure fast and he's feeling out of sorts, perturbed in fact. His ears won't stop ringing, replaying the conversation over and over like a broken record.
At least he stopped taking them. He doesn't look sick, he's probably fine. He must be.
If anything, Shinji is as strong as he was back then, and has no issue controlling Castor. It's clear he came back for Ken, and perhaps he never even came back for him as well, but in time, maybe…
You're a liar. If you didn't care at all, you wouldn't have hanged around me still.
The streets must have messed him more than he thought. Surely Shinji will change his tune with some time, he's already starting to. He's seen the concern and the looks around the dorm, although he spends time outside it quite a bit. Must be hard to get used to his old life back, perhaps, but he's trying in his own way.
You're starting to talk to the others too, I'm not blind.
The altercation is still on his mind when he wanders toward home after the Kirijo personnel takes over for night security, finally. He keeps mulling arguments against what Shinji said, and he's self-decomposing in hunger, so Akihiko makes a stop to grab a beef bowl at the strip mall.
I can't think straight on an empty stomach anyways.
The stairs he used to climb to the second floor are now crammed with students, so he makes his way toward the other end of the walkway when he exits the restaurant an hour later. It's already dark and eating helped somewhat, so he keeps looking at the store fronts, drowning his worries in distraction.
I just need to sleep on it. He's back, he stopped the meds, he's fighting, that's what matters. He'll come around.
His eyes skim over the decorated glass front of Wakatsu and his gaze stops when he spots familiar hairpins. She's here right now, wolfing down an impressive platter of assorted seafood and veggies, with Shinji of all people.
He doesn't remember the last time he saw Aragaki smile gently like that, perhaps it dates to Miki even. His brother's expression is not full of teeth nor wide, it's faint, but it's still joy and such a sharp contrast with his behavior earlier that it hits him hard.
Did she decide to cheer him up? That would be so like her.
Shinji looked very somber when he left the hospital, disconnected… He didn't take the punch bait and just stood his ground like he was made of stone, and he never acts that way. Minako must have picked up on his mood and made it her personal quest to drown him in her sunlight.
It's good if they become friends, and I shouldn't be spying on them like this. I'm not like that.
Except he can't stop looking at them for some reason and it's twisting something inside him in a vice. Shinji is talking to her. Not just one or two choice words like he often does with the others, not gruff one-liners crafted to make you growl back in anger as he does with him, he's actually carrying quite the conversation from the look of things, and she's laughing.
What gives?
Maybe it's just because Akihiko was really looking forward to spending time with her tonight that it makes him feel... weird, seeing her around someone else having so much fun. It's stupid, she does the same with Iori, Takeba, her twin, everyone really, all the time. She does this when they go to Tartarus, with every member of the team. So, she's busy tonight, big deal, he was stuck all week, what's one more evening?
I'm just tired, that's it.
Akihiko doesn't notice he's clenching his fists so tightly that his fingers go numb until he leaves the plaza. Even when he finally does, he's unsure why he's doing it, but he can't seem to stop.