The sky shifts to a dirty yellow after lunch and the classroom darkens ominously from the dense overcast, wind gusts ruffling the tree leaves to expose their pale bellies. Most of the students start looking at their phones, quietly gossiping, probably fishing for news about the typhoon since it's becoming evident it's going to hit the city. Weather doesn't concern Akihiko much right now; he's got more important issues to worry about, like his misplaced act of desperation earlier.
That she seemed to enjoy his affectionate insanity doesn't make any of it better; he should really admit why he pounced on her out of the blue, in the council room of all places.
What if that got her in trouble with the other students who came in? Maybe he should've stayed and faced the storm of awkwardness head-on instead of letting her spin this all by herself, but he panicked like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. Confronting shadows is nothing, but this... this is different, and he's a very bad liar too.
At least he finally figured out why he's feeling like an insecure idiot, but reading the label on the container doesn't change its content; he still needs to spoon it down and it tastes vile, like weakness. That pot won't empty itself in a day, too; coming to terms with his creeping anxiety will take some time and a lot of mental slapping. And it might cost him everything.
That's really all I'm good at; breaking things.
The corridors fill with movement, homeroom teachers going back and forth and eventually interrupting their class to make announcements about the cancelled Culture Festival, and would they all please not linger at club activities since the typhoon is expected to hit in the next hours. Maybe Minako still plans to stop by the mall despite the weather, but he pushes that out of his mind before his thoughts steer the wrong way. In the end, it won't change what he did, nor how much he needs to make amends.
The exodus from school is chaotic; everyone's in a hurry to avoid getting wet, since umbrellas won't tolerate this wind. It's only because he needs to figure out how to apologize to her that Akihiko purposefully comes back by himself in a hurry, using the back gate to sneak out and stepping into the dorm before anyone else.
He drops his schoolbag and jacket in his room and his eyes glance at the pin board near his wall calendar. There's a single little note inked with her red handwriting that he won forever ago, hanging in the corner, just teasing him in passing like every other time he looks at it. This makes him recall a conversation they had some time later when he evaded answering what he really wanted to say, unable to articulate what it meant for him back then.
"How come you never used that favor you won?"
I'll never use it, because I don't have the right to impose my wishes on you.
That paper is just a memento now, a reminder of a fun little moment that gave him a window into her soul, and it will remain on that board, unused, until it crumbles to dust. But it's also an unspoken promise he made when he took it in hand, and he likes to keep those no matter what it takes.
An oath to you is… something I'll never break.
That's the crux of it all really; this inner monster that wants to lash out is his problem to deal with, and he's the only one in the wrong. She should enjoy the company she wants, regardless of how it pains him. She gives of herself without counting or complaining to anyone that requests it of her, and he swore to himself that he would never abuse that, he'd rather have it freely given without coaxing. And in no shape or form should she change how she acts or who she talks to just because he's gagging on jealousy just to make him feel better.
Fidgeting, Akihiko spends the next hour trying to find the right words to use, uncomfortably conscious he'll forget most of them the second she's in front of him. He paces a lot, ruffling his hair to dispel the sparks, nervously awaiting her return.
The weather shifts quickly and by the time the heavy gales and rain start, not everyone is back home. Very much aware that she's part of the missing trio, Akihiko keeps hovering nervously near the windows to look outside. His initial dread at speaking with her is now eclipsed by concern; the typhoon is ramping up… quickly.
I thought they'd be here by now, Junpei said he saw them at the shoe locker earlier.
"Akihiko will you please sit down already?"
Mitsuru's looking at him and shaking her head in irritation, but Junpei just chuckles at her comment.
"Senpai is at it again! At least it's not to get to school this time."
Not my fault you need some muscled reminders to get out the door. Often.
The sound of the entrance door opening makes them all turn around. Amada walks in, struggling to close the door against the screeching wind, looking like a drenched kitten. Almost all of SEES is waiting in the lobby for the stragglers, and Fuuka exhales with relief that their youngest member finally made it.
"Ken, you're soaked! Why didn't you come back directly from school?"
Wiping the plastered hair from his forehead and leaving little puddles on the floor, the kid's eyes are bright and his expression pleasant despite his state.
"Oh, I stopped by the shrine on the way back. I barely got rained on, really..."
Dramatic as usual, Junpei eyes him in shock, while Yamagishi relieves Ken of his wet shoes to place them on a rack.
"Dude, there's a hurricane outside!"
"I know, but there's a wish I'd like to have granted very badly…"
Iori shakes his head in disbelief.
"You're like a little old man, you can always go any other day where the wind won't yank you off your feet, what's the big deal?"
That doesn't phase Ken one bit; he smiles slightly as he looks in the vague.
"Prayers only work if you're very diligent, and… I made a promise."
It's the glacial tone at the end of his sentence that makes Akihiko stare at his face, and for a second it seems like his upturned lips have a sinister twist to them, but it disappears so fast it must have been a trick of the wetness rolling down his cheeks. Shinji comes downstairs with Koromaru on his heels and drops a pile of towels on the bar, taking the one on top with him.
"Here... Dry yourself before you start shivering. You'll catch a cold."
Dismissively, Amada pushes the offering aside like it burns and looks away.
"Forget it. I'll just go change in my room instead."
He certainly holds grudges... Ever since that talk after the full moon, he's been acting this way with Shinji.
"Tch…"
Aragaki remains stoic but mumbles under his breath about ungrateful little brats, watching Ken climb up the stairs in a hurry before they hear his door close shut with a bang. Yamagishi smiles hesitantly at her senior to reassure him, rattled by the sudden noise.
"Don't take it badly, senpai, he's just a little shy around you... I'm sure he appreciates the gesture."
I'm not so sure of that. Ken's been acting weird; he barely comes downstairs to mingle anymore.
Akihiko tries to catch Shinji's eye, but his friend ignores him to brood in the reception area, staring through the window at the rain-slicked street. The banter continues as everyone exchanges on their plans for break with the typhoon.
The darkness outside deepens as the storm intensifies severely; even Koromaru looks perturbed and keeps flicking his ears at the raindrops hammering the windows, whining. Yukari is starting to get nervous too, eying the wall clock often.
"Where are they? It's getting late. They should be here by now..."
Expecting the twins to come back in a sorry state, Mitsuru gets up to make some tea in the kitchen while Junpei rummages for snacks. Takeba keeps fidgeting and Akihiko goes upstairs, taking his cell out to text Minako out of sight of the dorm population.
Where are you? Are you both okay?
Pacing for a while, he gets no answer and considers contacting her brother too, but the front door slams open and shuts with a resounding clack, then there's the squeaking of wet shoes and Minako's voice.
"Ah, finally! It's horrible out there!"
Junpei starts laughing in nervous relief.
"Wow, the sky dumped on you both hardcore! You sure you didn't take a dip in the ocean on the way?"
By the time he makes his way back downstairs, everyone is crowding the twins to give them a hand; they look like two drowned rats with their clothes sticking to them like second skins. Judging by the leaking all over the floor, you could probably fill a pond if you wrung them once or twice.
Aigis starts fretting over Minato, asking him quiet questions about his well being. Takeba keeps giggling excitedly as she handles their bags, probably because Shinji is helping Minako sponge off the worst of the water in her hair while she tries to unglue her waterlogged shoes off her feet. Akihiko's ribs feel tight at the sight, but he tries to clamp it down while joining the crowd, crinkling his eyes despite all his efforts.
He's just being helpful, you don't get to barge in just because he's touching her, don't be stupid.
"Thanks, I got it!"
Minako chuckles in good fun and takes over the drying operation herself, mopping her face. There's a sea gray glint of an eye Akihiko's way, and when Shinji extends a second one to her twin, Minato asks him in a deadpan voice.
"You going to dry my hair, too?"
Wait, did he just...?
Shinji just stares at his junior in disbelief for a solid second and rolls his eyes, exhausted.
"…Don't be a moron, Arisato. Ask Takeba instead."
The comeback is whispered through the flimsiest of smirks, but the girl in question hears it and startles. Her voice is shrill and too loud when she speaks, causing the lobby to fall silent.
"Me? Why me?"
Surprised at her own outburst, Yukari blushes furiously and turns sideways to look busy with the shoes, not meeting anyone's gaze. Junpei snorts hard at her discomfiture and Minato towels himself with a weird shyness, Shinji staring his way in almost malicious satisfaction.
He did that on purpose, too.
Akihiko uses the commotion to approach Minako without being too obvious with his focus; she's trying to remove her wet uniform jacket and not having much success.
"Do you need some help?"
"Actually, yes, it's stuck on."
She's not mad…
He's been dreading her disposition since lunch, in case there were... repercussions. The heavy black fabric is gorged with water, and cold. He pulls on the sleeves delicately by the cuffs while she yanks her shoulders the other way until it slides off, charring his fingertips on her frigid hands in passing.
"You're freezing!"
Now that he sees her from up close, her lips are discolored and she looks haggard from too much time in the storm. No apology speeches tonight for sure; she needs a bath, a warm blanket and a dry set of clothes before anything else.
"Tell me about it... I just want a shower to warm my bones right now!"
Mitsuru approaches the twins with two steaming cups of tea.
"Here, this might help... What took you two so long? We were all very worried."
Exchanging a long look with her brother, who barely nods in reply, Minako takes a sip from the hot beverage before answering.
"Thank you senpai! We're late because we… ran into Takaya."
Multiple voices exclaim at once with shock.
"What?!"
Undeterred, she just shrugs like it's no big deal, but Akihiko can see her knuckles whiten when she balls a fist in the folds of her skirt almost out of sight.
She doesn't want to worry anyone with this.
"He wanted to have a little chat, and we didn't want to provoke him, gun and all... By the time we were done humoring his questions, it started pouring buckets, and..."
Mitsuru purses her lips, exchanging a glance with him that's full of concern and unspoken questions.
I know… Random opportunity or...?
"Let's get you into a warm bath, you're shivering, the details can wait after."
Draping a fresh dry towel around their leader's shoulders and then her arm, Mitsuru escorts her upstairs, causing the rest of the group to turn to her twin with inquiring glances. Junpei looks jittery and eyes him with a nervous glance.
"What did shirtless guy want from you two exactly?"
"He thought we killed Chidori, since she never returned."
"What?! Like we'd do that!"
Blinking, Minato pushes his dewing hair out of his face and slicks it back, suddenly looking much younger.
"I know… The way he spoke though, we think he has no clue where she is."
Yukari frowns and ponders out loud.
"That's good, right? They're down to two."
Crossing his arms and staring at the wall in thought, Akihiko nods.
"It's more than good. They lost their eyes and their cloaking. We have the advantage now."
Somber, Shinji interjects in a low voice, staring at Minato.
"Something else happened though… right?"
"Takaya wanted us to join him, he was very insistent, called us blessed by the Dark Hour… We told him where to shove it, and now he wants to fight."
He stalked them specifically because of their powers, this was deliberate.
Aigis, who has been standing quietly in Minato's shadow, suddenly grabs his shoulders when he tries to repress shivers and turns him around to assess his state.
"You are starting to show signs of hypothermia. I strongly advise you to change your clothes immediately and warm up to avoid sickness."
Amused, Aragaki mumbles while shaking his head side to side.
"The Kirijo anti-Shadow weapon is a nurse, too. I've fucking seen everything..."
Said robot maiden starts pushing her charge toward the stairs despite his mumbled protests, to the mirth of the juniors.
"You are my priority, and it is important that you remain safe and healthy. Please do not resist, and get your butt in gear, as they say."
Junpei gets some stares at that one and he laughs nervously.
"Why y'all looking at me like that?"
The twins are getting forcefully manhandled into feeling human again under Mitsuru and Aigis's insistent attention, so the rest of them disperse to grab something to eat. Supper is a dour individual affair, the roar of the rain blanketing the dorm in a cocoon of white noise that seems to dampen the desire for conversation. Shinji left to his own room soon after Aigis and Minato without lingering, and Ken never came out of his, despite Fuuka trying to coax him out with some store-bought soba.
Mind full of Strega's menaces and everything else that happened, Akihiko retreats upstairs to pass both his time and worries by training. He keeps his door open, alert for sounds in the stairs and eventually hears soft and slow footsteps in the corridor.
Fiddling with his hand wraps, he quickly pokes his head out and blinks. Minako is standing mid knock near his doorframe, eyes glazed, her face so pale she could be sculpted out of snow.
"Are you okay?"
She passes a hand across her eyes in reply, sighing.
"I figured you might have questions about that... confrontation with Takaya, but can it wait? I'm just going to check on Min and go to bed, I don't feel so good..."
You got a chill from the rain alright.
"Of course not, Minato filled us in a bit already. You should rest, everything else can wait."
She nods tiredly and goes on toward her twin's room, entering without knocking. Worried, Akihiko keeps his door ajar, wanting to check on her when she returns to the girls' floor, because he's never seen her like this.
Exhausted yes, but she looked like a forlorn ghost right now and really all he'd want is to cradle her to him until she feels well. He eventually calls off his vigil after the Dark Hour; she probably fell asleep with her twin as they often do, since she never left his room.
As long as she feels better, it's all that matters for now.