Hour: 6 - Fuuka
I've been keeping my eyes out for any monsters, including that strong one. If it shows up, we'll run up the stairs. Though, I am starting to grow tired of staying up, but I have to keep watch until he wakes up. Then, as if he read my mind, he moves his head off his shoulder, yawning as he stretches his arms. He turns to me, facing me with a dreary expression.
"Good morning, Kazuki-kun," I greeted him with a pleasant smile.
"I think it's still night."
"How can you tell?"
"I'll explain that in a minute…but…" Kazuki-kun seems to be looking better than he was before; the faint smile on his face proves me right. However, he seems perplexed. "Fuuka, I told you I would tell you why I was being distant, remember?"
"I do."
"Well, to make sense of it all, I kind of need to talk about my childhood… I hope that's okay.."
"I don't mind."
"But before that..." Kazuki-kun puts his hand on mine, stress plastered on his face. "When I'm done explaining everything: will you still look at me as the Kazuki Kei that's in front of you?"
"Of course."
"Thank you…" He takes a deep breath, working up the courage to speak. "Before I started living with Naoya, I lived in an orphanage starting from when I was three until I was six."
"Orphan? But don't you have parents?"
"...My dad left my mom in 1996. The year she died."
Died? So he really is an orphan. But why would he lie about it?
"Naoya told me she died due to an unknown sickness, but that's not what other people thought."
"What do you mean?"
"...Fuuka, did you come across another rumor about Mikage-cho?"
Did I? Hmm, I think I might have.
"I think I have."
"What did it say."
"It said something about demons roaming the town; showing its presence as a human being, why?"
"Because people thought that same monster killed its own mother, devouring her whole while getting away with the crime."
It's mother… Oh, god, it can't be!
"Do you mean...yours?"
"People called me a monster with human skin, saying that I was just an ugly monster that killed his own mother."
"But your not a monster, you're-"
"Tell that to those people! For some goddamn reason, everybody saw me as something to be cautious of. Whenever I was walking down the street, or to class, people would glare at me with cold, but fear-filled eyes that would scorn my very existence. I acted like an idiot most of the time, so I wouldn't notice, but it never worked. Everybody knew what I was by superstition, but they didn't know anything about me, even though I'm a human! I mean, what kind of sick joke is that!? Sometimes I would return home with bruises on my face if someone decided to throw rocks at me, or some garbage at me! I couldn't take it, I just wanted the world, no, those people to disappear, to leave me alone."
He puts his hand to his face, covering it. But even with that, it's plain to see, that tears are rolling down from his eyes.
"I wanted some of them to go away, to stop existing, to just die. Yet, what I really wanted was for them to understand me as a person, as Kazuki Kei. But thinking that way, wanting someone to die, it's terrible, it's selfish, it's awful. I was so selfish that I never wanted you to learn anything about that or the Dark Hour, I wanted everything to stay the way they were."
He takes a moment to wipe the tears on his face even though there's more coming than he's wiping away.
"But when I learned you were going to join SEES, I had no idea what to do. I was scared of that fact, and I took out this fear on my teammates."
"Teammates?"
"When I looked at them, I remembered how 'they' looked at me. I started to think it was gonna be like Mikage-cho all over again... And I...I...I can't go back to that, I don't want to, I never want to."
The tears continue to leak from his eyes as he desperately tries to hide them. I can feel it, the same sadness that was behind his fake smile. Was it always like this? Had I always failed to notice this sadness? Of course, I have, he was able to hide it without any effort, and that's how it's been since we first met. Kazuki Kei has been using the best type of facade to fit in.
"I'm just selfish, I never thought about your feelings, only mine. Haha, I really am a monster, aren't I?"
I can't, there's just no way I can! He's suffered long enough, I don't want him to suffer anymore. I pull his head close to my chest, I start to rub it.
"You are not a monster, you are, Kazuki Kei, a regular and average person... I don't know why everyone saw you as a monster, but I never did, nor will I ever see you as one. Besides, you could've just left me here all by myself but instead, you came to rescue me. Even if no one else can see you as Kazuki Kei. I always will, and Naoya will too. So don't cry anymore."
Tears come from my eyes, the emotionally charged pressure around us is too much for me to handle at this point.
Kazuki Kei wore the facade of someone who enjoys life greatly. It's most likely not how he always is. But even if it is a facade, even if he isn't always happy-go-lucky, that doesn't matter to me, I still love him. I want to learn more about him, even if those sides of him aren't the best. I'll see it for what it is. Above all, I want to see him genuinely smile.
"I don't want to see you cry. So please, know that I'm always here for you, just like you were for me."
He finally stops holding back and lets out the tears he wanted to unleash for a while.
"It's okay...just let it all out."
He screams out all the pain that has been building up until now. It's not beautiful, but raw in emotion. It's fine though, I don't mind that; he's been keeping this in for far too long, he has every right to this. Kazuki-kun wraps his arms around me, gripping the back of my uniform, but I don't mind it. I'll sit here for as long as it takes until he finally lets it all out.
Eventually, after he dies down, he looks up at me with puffy eyes.
"Fuuka, I didn't get to tell you this before you did, but I wanna say it now."
He takes my hands into him, gripping them tightly.
"...I love you too."
I hug him. We stay like this for a while. Kazuki-kun has been through so much, I won't allow him to proceed like that anymore. I'll be there to help him.
hour: 9 - Kazuki
It felt like hours had passed since we've been in Tartarus. I should be ready and alert for anything to come at us, but I can't bring myself to. Not because I'm incompetent, because I can shake off this constant joy inside me.
A radiant sense of joy blankets me as I'm sitting next to Fuu-chan, who has her head against my shoulder.
Her head up against my shoulder… This is so awesome!
"I'm so lucky," I mutter, thinking Fuu-chan didn't hear me.
"You say something, Kazuki-kun?"
"I just said I'm lucky. There's someone, other than Naoya, who understands me. Honestly, what else can a guy ask for!"
"In that case, then I'm feeling lucky as well."
Yep, yep, yep, this is turning out great! Seriously, I never thought we would start dating, but now that we are, things can only get better. Still, I wish the way she confessed wasn't so dangerous. Now that I think about it, what she said during it, "Kazuki-kun, you're the nicest person I have ever met, and the only one to have ever cared about me".
She can't have actually meant it. I mean, she has parents, doesn't she?
"Yo, Fuu-chan, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"You said that I was the only one who ever cared about you. What was your life like, before we met?"
Her body stiffens from the question. Don't tell me I stepped on a landmine.
"Y-you don't need to answer, if you don't want to."
"It's all right, I was just surprised, is all... I'll tell you."
Her hand leaves mine, hugging her legs with them.
"My life was normal and everything was just that 'normal'..." Seeing how she's focusing on normal, that's a good thing, right? "But I never really liked being at home."
"Why not?"
"Because no one there cares about what I think, or about me at all. Whenever I was there, it never really felt like home; like I never belonged there at all. My mother makes me feel like an inconvenience to her, and my father and I rarely speak alone with each other anymore, only doing it out of formality and nothing more. It's like that every day, ever since I was a child... But it's nothing compared to what you went through."
"But that's still bad."
"Huh?"
"Even if my thing was on a bigger scale, you were dejected by your own parents. If Naoya ever did that to me, I don't think I would be the person I am today, and the same applies if I hadn't met you."
"Really?"
"Of course you did…"
If Naoya never came to get me, then I don't know what would become of me. So the fact that she didn't have anyone like that. I want to be that someone, and I want to show i0t.
"Hey, when we get out of here, let's go on a date," I shout the last part, kind of embarrassed to keep it straight.
Fuu-chan recoils from the idea, putting up her hands for some reason. "Seriously!?"
"What's the matter, I thought we're dating now?"
"We are, it's just I need time to adjust first!"
"Then I think a date would be good. I mean, we already spent time with each other outside of school before, so how hard can it be?"
I know it won't be, but why is there a feeling in me saying, "yeah, right".
In the corner of my eye, my jackets lie on the ground. I grab my black jacket, leaving my gekkoukan jacket on the ground. There are small, but noticeable tears in my jacket thanks to my Gekkougan uniform taking most of the damage. Should've taken this thing off before fighting, but now look at it, messed up.
"Man, it's a mess.."
Fuu-chan pats my shoulder, trying to cheer me up with the light pats. "It's okay, Kazuki-kun. Maybe you could find someone who can stitch it together?"
"Can you stich?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know how to."
I slump my shoulders in defeat. "Yeah, I thought so."
But I need someone to fix this thing up when we get out of here.
"...Though, maybe I should take it up. After all, it does require good hands."
"Cause you mess around with machines?"
"Yes. Though, sowing requires another set of skills, but I'm sure I can do it."
Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm kinda curious how she got into working with machines.
"How did you get into working on machines?"
"When I was younger, my dad would work on music equipment, headphones, amplifiers, anything that wasn't working, he'd fix it with little issue." She puts on a gentle, yet somewhat somber smile. "I loved watching him work, I could feel the passion he had for them, the hours he spent with them captivated me."
"You must really like your dad."
Her smile fades into a sorrowful expression.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just… I don't have a great relationship with him right now."
"Oh...sorry."
"It's alright. It's just a bit depressing, that's all."
We should probably get away from this depressing subject. Maybe I should talk about Tartarus, as weird a topic swap as it is.
"Getting away from that, Fuu-chan, since you know about Tartarus, I might as well tell you about The Dark Hour."
"The Dark Hour?"
"Yeah, so I need you to listen to me very carefully because this might be a bit complicated."
"Okay."
Using my knowledge, I explain what the Dark Hour is to the best of my ability. Once I was done explaining everything, I lay on my back.
"So those monsters you were fighting are called shadows?"
"Yep."
"And those arms you summoned were a part of your Persona?"
"Yep."
"But now you can fully materialize it?"
"Yep."
"And its name is Janus?"
"Yep, yep, yep."
"I get it, the Dark Hour is an hour hidden between 11 and 12."
"Exactly."
"...But during this time period, any type of machinery is unable to function."
"That's the basics of the Dark Hour."
Wow, she's actually able to wrap her head around all that after my explanation? It tired me out when I got all that explained to me.
"Wait, you mentioned something about a transporter!"
"Yes, but it won't work without someone working the other end."
"How come."
"From what I've been told, the main transporter locks on to the other transporter in this place, but it needs to be manually handled so said person can lock on to the other transporter in this place."
Thank goodness I remembered this from Kirijo-senpai's explanation of it.
"What about the transporter in Tartarus?"
"No, it wouldn't work, they intercept the command signals from the main transporter, but can't issue commands from these.."
Fuu-chan puts her hand under her chin, letting out a low, yet audible sign of hesitation. "Hmm... What if I rework it?"
"I don't think we would be able to do it."
"Are you sure, maybe if I tried?"
"Nah, who knows what can happen. Besides, I'm sure that stuff that teleports people isn't something we should be messing with."
"You're right. Then it looks like all we can do is wait."
"Yeah, let's just hope we get out of this."
We still have some food left and some medical supplies. But it can't last us forever; we need to get out of here soon, or else...
Hour: 10
Fuu-chan is sleeping, tucked under my jacket. I wanted to join her but I needed to keep watch just in case any shadows came by. The dark hallway has my undivided attention. This whole floor has an isolating feeling that engraves terror into you the more you ascend. If Fuu-chan was in here by herself, she'd probably be scared of that, hell, I would be too.
A yawn erupts from my mouth. I close my eyes while letting it out. Hmm!? There's something at the other end of the hall. I only closed my eyes for a second.
It's all black, pockets on the biceps of its arms, and its thighs. Is it a skin-tight bodysuit? But more importantly, it looks humanoid. I can't tell since their face is hidden behind a mask. It's just pitch black, as if it's an endless casam that goes deeper the longer you look into it.
I bust out my sword. "Who's there!?"
"Kazuki Kei, correct?" A cold, menacing, somewhat deep, and detached voice asks me.
"Who are you!?"
"I asked you a question first, I suggest you answer it."
"I'm Kei, now who the hell are you!"
"I never said I would tell you my name."
"Then what do you want?"
"Let's fight. I would like to test your strength."
"My strength?"
"Yes."
"Why should I!?"
"If you were to prove strong, then I can get you two out of here."
Time freezes for a moment as I go breathless. If this person is telling the truth, then we can get out of here, and all I need to do is win!
"Fine, I'll fight you!"
"Then follow me..."
The unknown person turns around and begins to lead the way away from the stairs. I look back at Fuu-chan, who is still asleep. Good, it's better if she gets a moment of peace.
"Are you coming?" the masked guy asks to hurry me along.
"Don't worry, I'm coming!"
I turn around to follow the unknown person to our fighting ground. My heart is pumping as my brain races at the prospect of fighting a human. This will be my first time, so I need to steel myself, or else I'll get myself hurt. Even though I say this, I can't shake this uneasy feeling that I'm about to fight a monster.