Friday, July 25, 2009, 12:52PM

Gekkoukan High School, Class 2-F

"Yo." Kotone greeted him as he returned to class.

"Sup." As Makoto sat down in his seat, he could see Kotone's bright red eyes staring at him, as she rested her chin on her palms. "I don't have any food left if that's what you're hoping."

Kotone snorted. "It's not that." She clapped her hands together. "Sorry to bother you, but is there any way you can meet me after school in the auditorium? I need a favor done."

"Sure." Makoto said. "What do you need?"

She shrugged. "Well it's not for me, it's Rio. She asked me to ask you for help with something."

"I...see?"

"No, you're SEES." She said with a grin.

Makoto shook his head.

As Makoto slipped into the auditorium, he could overhear the two talking.

"I mean we liked this kind of stuff as kids." Rio said. "I think he'll say yes."

"I mean, sure, I guess." Kotone turned to Makoto. "Yo." Her eyes were narrowed, and the edges of her lips were millimeters above what could legally be considered a frown.

"Sup." Makoto greeted them. "You needed me for something, Iwasaki-san?" He asked Rio. An unusually nervous-looking Rio at that.

Rio stood a bit straighter and breathed in. "You've become pretty good friends with Kenji, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Do you guys talk about stuff like, you know," she hesitated, "girls?"

"Well, yeah-"

She abruptly leaned in. "So you'd know if he's dating anyone, right?"

Makoto took a hesitant step backwards. "...I would. I'm pretty sure he's not."

"Pretty sure?"

"I doubt Kenji would ever shut up if he had a girlfriend."

Her eyes flickered down and she stepped back. "Y-Yeah, fair enough."

"...wait, is that what you called me out here for? You want me to help you hook up with Kenji?" Makoto asked. "Really?"

Rio blushed. "W-We're childhood friends is all. It's not like I like him or anything." She crossed her arms. "I'm just looking out for him is all."

That confirms it. "Look, I love Kenji and all, he's my friend, I'd give him the shirt off my back and all the yen in my wallet if he needed it, but he's a solid three out of ten. Maybe a four on a good day. I think you can do...a lot better than him."

"Makoto's right!" Kotone yelled. "Kenji is just some dumbass loser stupid idiot dumbass! You can do a lot better!"

Rio looked away, embarrassed. "P-Please stop."

"Although if you want, I can try and help."

She slowly turned her head back. "Really?"

"Really."

"Don't encourage her!" Kotone snapped at him, eyes almost bursting out of her head. "That's the last thing you should be doing, you moron!"

"What were you hoping to do?" Makoto asked, ignoring his dorm-mate.

"There's a movie that's playing on Sunday." She clapped her hands together. "I was thinking I would show up with Kotone, and you with Kenji, and it would be a convenient way for us to hang out together." She paused. "I'll even buy your tickets."

Makoto whipped out his phone. "Deal. Sunday is actually perfect timing."

"This is stupid." Kotone muttered.

"Please Kotone." Rio pleaded. "Just this once?"

Kotone turned away. "Fine." She mumbled.

"Wassup Makoto?" A voice came out through his phone's speaker. "Where'd you go dude?"

"I had to step outside to take care of something." Makoto responded. "I just wanted to know if you're doing anything Sunday."

"Nah I'm free the whole day."

"I wanted to go to see a screening of..." he paused and looked at Rio. She hurriedly pulled out the flier. "Winter Wars. You interested?"

They heard him chuckle condescendingly. "An anime movie? What are you a kid?"

"I'm a kid at heart." Makoto drolly replied.

"Yeah, me too. Sure man. Is it playing at the one by the station?"

Rio nodded her head vigorously. "You know it."

"Cool. Also why are you on speaker?" He asked.

"I fell down the stairs and broke my arms again." Makoto said.

"Ha! Nice. See you soon dude." Kenji said as he hung up. Rio and Kotone both looked at him, confusion etched into their eyebrows.

"Inside joke." Makoto shut his phone off and put it away. "Anyways, do you want us to stick around for the movie, or just make ourselves scarce after it starts?"

Rio shook her head. "No, I wouldn't ask that of you." She smiled. "Thank you though."

"This is bullshit." Kotone muttered under her breath.

"Why?" Junpei asked. "You're getting a free movie out of it."

Kotone slammed her hand on the table. "Because Kenji is a stupid dumbass, and Rio is too good for him!"

Junpei blinked. "But you're getting a free movie out of it."

"What do you think, Makoto?" Yukari asked. "You think they'd make a good couple?"

Makoto shrugged. "Not really. I don't think he'd gel well with someone as serious as Iwasaki-san, at least like that. Maybe he could surprise us though."

"Kenji's a good dude, but," Junpei paused to shove his mouth fill of chips, "yeah, it'll never happen. That relationship was doomed from day one."

Makoto turned his head. "What do you mean?"

Junpei shook his head. "Come on dude, have you never read a romance manga? The childhood friend never wins, it's always the more interesting chick who shows up in the first or second chapter that steals the guy away from her."

"Junpei," Yukari said, voice dripping with disgust, "I think your brain is even more fried than the food you eat."

"What!" He protested. "It's true!"

Kotone nodded. "It is true, and it should be."

"You really don't like Kenji, huh?" Makoto asked her.

Kotone grumbled under her breath.

"Has he ever even talked about her in a romantic way?" Yukari asked.

Makoto shook his head. "I know his type, and she isn't quite what he's looking for."

"So, what," Kotone glared at him, "she's not good enough for him? Is that what you're saying?" She slammed her hand on the table. "Well come tomorrow I'll show you just who is too good for who!"

As she stormed off, the only sounds in the dining room were the crunching of chips. "What's her deal?" Junpei asked as he finished his bag.

Makoto shrugged. "I think she's probably still a bit protective of everyone in her club after the whole Tartarus thing."

"Oh yeah." Yukari bristled. "The more I think about that, the more I'm amazed things didn't go even worse than they did."

"We have to count the small blessings in life." Makoto said.

Saturday, July 26, 2009, 3:35PM

Gekkoukan High School, entrance

"Freedom at last!" Junpei exclaimed as they left school. "Woo-hoo!"

Yukari rolled her eyes. "Geez, can you tone it down a notch?"

"Not while I have my whole summer in front of me." He retorted.

Makoto sighed. "I don't, starting Monday I have a full week training with the track team."

"Yeah, but that's a you problem, not a me problem." Makoto glared at him, only biting his tongue because Mitsuru stood waiting for them in the courtyard.

"Remember that we have a Full Moon Operation on the sixth, Iori." Mitsuru said. "We will also be inducting another member before then."

Junpei scratched his chin. "But Ai-chan's already showed us what she can do."

Mitsuru sighed. "No, not her." She peered over her shoulder. "Perfect timing, Mr. Chair...man."

Ikutsuki walked up to them with a young boy by his side. Reaching up to Ikutsuki's chest, the boy had brown hair, a white shirt underneath an orange jacket, black shorts, and a pair of white socks to go with his white sneakers.

The sounds of Mitsuru inhaling sharply drew Makoto's eye for a second before turning back to the two.

"Good day everyone," Ikutsuki removed his hat with his free hand and put it over his chest, "excited for summer vacation?"

"Some more so than others." Makoto said as he met the young boy eye to eye. The boy smiled and nodded. "Mr. Chairman, is this...?"

He nodded. "I see young Mitsuru has filled you in." He turned to the boy. "If you would."

"Hello. My name is Ken Amada." He bowed. "I'll be staying with you all for a while. I'll try to stay out of everyone's way, so please don't mind me."

"Young Amada here is a member of Gekkoukan Elementary School. He is also," he grinned, "someone with the Potential."

"No way!" Junpei yelled. Yukari slapped him as people walking around them began to stare.

"You're kidding, right?" Yukari asked him.

Ikutsuki put his hat back on. "Not at all."

"Amada-kun," Yukari asked gently, "does that mean you know about...?"

"The Dark Hour and Personas and Shadows and all that stuff?" He asked. "Yeah, Ikutsuki-san explained everything to me a couple of weeks back when he was helping me with some stuff."

As the high schoolers all turned to him, Ikutsuki began to explain. "I was contacted by one of the teachers from our elementary branch, asking me for advice about some health issues young Amada was facing. Headaches, insomnia, and nightmares to be specific." Ikutsuki said as students passed around them, some occasionally staring at them, none close enough to hear. "Some of what he told me was similar to what others in SEES had faced before they awoke their Personas. I checked it out and, well, my suspicions were confirmed."

Ken nodded. "Mom was really happy to have someone reach out and help me with this stuff."

"I'll be honest," Makoto said as he shifted from one leg to another, "I didn't even realize we had an elementary school branch."

Ikutsuki chuckled. "I suppose as a transfer student you wouldn't have any need of this knowledge, but our elementary and middle school branches are on the east of the mainland. Both the dorm and young Amada's school are about equal distance from the bridge, if that puts it into context."

Makoto silently nodded as his eyes flickered downward.

"Mom wasn't too keen on letting me live away from home," Ken said, "but the commute to cram school being shorter and Ikutsuki-san vouching that it would be good for me helped convince her."

"That was, of course, the cover we gave her." Ikutsuki said. "The real reason we are taking in young Amada is that as someone with the Potential, he is at a much higher risk of being preyed upon by Shadows. It only makes sense to put him in with people who could both protect and train him."

"Makes sense to me." Makoto said tonelessly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kirijo quietly fidgeting as sweat trickled down her pale face.

"Well, nice to meet ya, kid." Junpei said with a grin. "I'm Junpei Iori."

"Yukari Takeba."

"Makoto Yuki."

For a moment, she hesitated. "Mitsuru Kirijo." Her voice came out softly, almost a whisper, as she completely failed to look in Ken's direction.

"So when will you be moving in?" Junpei asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon." Ken said. "I'll be moving all my stuff to the spare room on the..." he paused, "second floor was it?" Ikutsuki nodded.

Yukari clapped her hands. "We can introduce you to everyone over dinner tomorrow."

As his two classmates talked with Ken, Makoto walked over to Ikutsuki. "You know, I thought this whole time you were only the chairman for Gekkoukan High School." Makoto said. "Don't tell me even you have to deal with coworkers pushing extra work on you."

Ikutsuki burst out in laughter. "Oh no, no, it's not like that at all. I'm always glad to help our sister schools. Children are our most precious resource after all."

Sunday, July 27, 2009, 1:12PM

Screen Shot Theater

"So it's third through the ninth, and then the twenty-fifth onward?" Kenji asked.

"Yep." Makoto sighed. "I would have figured summer vacation meant more free time, not less."

The brown-haired boy shook his head. "I never would have imagined you'd be such a busy bee when I met you."

Makoto shrugged. "It is what it is." He lazily looked around as they entered the theater. "Hey, is that...?"

Kenji looked in the direction Makoto was pointing. "Rio and Shiomi?" He waved at them. "Yo! Rio! Over here!"

Rio looked over and waved back. "What are you guys doing here?" She said stiffly.

Kenji scratched his chin. "Well, we're here to see Winter Wars."

"Oh. Really?" Kotone silently cringed at her friend's poor attempt to sound surprised. Even Makoto struggled not to. "What a coincidence. We were going to as well."

Kenji grinned, completely oblivious. "Cool. You guys wanna sit together and watch it?"

"Sounds good to me." Makoto said. Kotone and Rio nodded.

"Tell you what," she held open her hand, "give me the cash and I'll get the tickets for all of us."

"For real?" She nodded. "Thanks Rio." Kenji said as he and Makoto pulled out their wallets.

As the two girls went to buy the tickets, Makoto turned to Kenji. "So, Rio."

Kenji turned to Makoto, eyebrow cocked upwards. "Yeah? What about her?"

"She single?"

Kenji frowned. "Don't even think about it dude."

"Just asking for a friend." Makoto said as he put his hands.

Crossing his arms, Kenji asked him, "what friend? Better not be Junpei."

"Can't say, they don't go to this school." Makoto casually lied.

"Bullshit." Kenji immediately responded. "Don't you already have Kotone and Yuko? Wait a minute." He narrowed his eyes. "Is that your type?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Makoto said quickly.

"You like the sportsy kind of girls, don't you?" He crossed his arms. "I mean, I'm not judging, I get the appeal, it's just not my thing. Although," he put his hand on his chin, "someone like Emi in spats...yowza."

"...I''m sorry, did you just say yowza?" Makoto asked in disbelief. "Have you actually been eighty years old this whole time?"

Kenji shrugged. "What can I say? I'm an old soul." He looked away and closed his eyes, striking a pose.

"Yeah, because I don't ever see you achieving enlightenment."

"Shut up." Kenji said quickly. "I understand the more sophisticated things in life."

"Uh-huh."

"Here you are." Akihiko said as he dropped the last box on the floor. "That should be everything."

"Thanks again Sanada-san." Ken said. "You too Aragaki-san."

Akihiko smiled and nodded, as Shinjiro grunted. A sharp squeak coming the table captured their attention. As they turned to the source, they saw it was Ken's hamster. "What the little fella's name?"

"Uh, well," Ken looked away, blushing as he opened the cage, "it's um, Hamburger."

Shinjiro blinked a few times. "Hamburger? Like the food?"

Ken nodded as he began to feed Hamburger. "The night he came home with me, mom and I had hamburgers for dinner." Having turned his back to the two, Ken missed Shinjiro flinching back and gritting his teeth, as Akihiko uncomfortably looked on. "I know it's kind of a silly name, but he's been with me this whole time, so I couldn't leave him."

"Yeah," Shinjiro said, throat parched, "of course."

"It's a good name." Akihiko said. "Very masculine."

Ken turned, delight clearly written on his face. "Really?"

"Really?" Akihiko said as Shinjiro excused himself.

"In a word," Kenji said as they left the theater, "dope. In two words, pretty dope."

"Not gonna lie," Kotone said, "I was hesitant on checking it out, but you were right to suggest this, Rio. That wasn't bad at all."

Makoto shrugged. "Meh. I liked it better when it was called The War Games."

Kenji rolled his eyes. "Ah shaddup, you just like it because you were a kid when you saw it."

"Counterpoint," Makoto said as he pointed at him, "nuh-uh."

Rio chuckled. "I like both. Probably this one a little more."

"At least someone here has taste." Kotone stuck her tongue out at him. "You guys doing anything else today? I'm still in the mood to do something."

Makoto walked over towards Kotone. "We have a new arrival coming to the dorms, and we're supposed to help with dinner tonight." She said.

"It's probably best if we head out a bit early." Makoto said. "Sorry."

Kenji shook his head. "Nah dude, I gotcha, things happen." He turned to Rio. "You?"

"I'm free." She said with a smile. "You want to go to the mall?"

He grinned back at her. "Heck yeah, we can hang out like old times."

Her smile faltered. "R-Right." As he turned she called out to him. "Kenji wait." He turned back. "I...I know this is kind of weird to ask but, h-how much do you like me?" Rio asked, voice trembling.

Kenji closed his eyes and put his hand on his chin. "How much I like you?" He opened his eyes and smiled. "Probably as much as ramen."

For the briefest of moments, Makoto could have sworn he went deaf. Only the sounds of Kotone choking on air confirmed to him he had not.

"...ramen?"

"Yeah." Kenji said, still smiling.

For a moment, Rio looked down, before she closed her eyes and started chuckling. Eventually she started laughing. "Alright then." She turned to Kotone, a twinkle in her eyes. "This was fun. Let's all do this again sometimes."

"...y-yeah." Kotone muttered as the two left. "Ramen?"

Makoto pinched the bridge of his nose. "Next time we go to Hagakure, I'm throwing him off the railing."

"That son of a bitch." Shinjiro snarled. "I'm going to break his other leg for this."

"Calm down Shinji."

Shinjiro swung around and glared at him. "You're telling me you're alright with this, Aki!?"

"I didn't say that!" He huffed. "The chairman might have gone around us, but it's not like bringing the kid here was wrong."

"It is fundamentally more dangerous to keep Amada out than in." Mitsuru said plainly. "As much as I loathe him not conferring with us, he is safer with us tha-"

"We're hoooooome!" Kotone yelled from across the hall.

Mitsuru sighed and composed herself. "Welcome back." She said, a strained smile on her face. "Did you two enjoy the movie?"

"There was romance, intrigue, and suspense." Makoto said stoically. "And that was before we even got our tickets."

Akihiko grinned. "Did your attempt to hook your friends up work?"

Kotone glanced at Makoto for a second. "Well, she asked him how much he liked her, and he said he liked her as much as ramen. That's a good thing, apparently."

"Makes sense to me." Akihiko said innocently. Shinjiro rolled his eyes as Mitsuru silently shook her head.

"Did you guys finish setting up Amada's room?" Makoto asked.

Shinjiro tensed up as Mitsuru nodded. "He only brought a few boxes worth of things." Akihiko said. "It was a much easier experience than helping Aigis move in, I'll say that much."

Makoto rubbed his back. "I'm still aching from that, you know." He eyed Mitsuru.

"You know where the ice packs are." Mitsuru said drolly as Makoto pouted.

"I haven't had a chance to meet the little guy." Kotone said. "Is he upstairs?"

Akihiko shook his head. "You just barely missed him, he went to go play soccer with his friends just a couple minutes before you guys arrived. He'll probably be back by the time dinner is done."

Kotone nodded before letting out a big yawn. "Mmm, cool. Imma go take a nap upstairs. Call me when the food is ready."

"Peace." Makoto waved her off as she walked upstairs. "So," his eyes scanned over all three seniors, Shinjiro on the right, Akihiko in the middle, and Mitsuru on the right, "what's going on with you guys?"

Mitsuru's teeth clamped shut. "Whatever do you mean?"

Makoto crossed his arms. "Please don't insult my intelligence. I'm a member of this group just as much as any of you. If there's an issue, I'd like to know."

All three remained silent for several seconds, before Shinjiro sighed and lowered his head. "You remember what I told you near the beginning of June? After the Full Moon Op?"

"Shinji-"

"It's fine Aki."

Makoto met him eye to eye. "I do."

Shinjiro tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes. "Amada...is that woman's kid."

"...ah."

Mitsuru crossed her arms. "The Chairman was responsible for helping her and Amada out after the incident two years back. Despite that he sprung this up on us at the last minute. He undoubtedly knew that if he told us ahead of time, there would have been some opposition. As it stands, it is fait accompli."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Makoto looked at all three of them. "I...can see how that would be a problem. I'm assuming Amada doesn't know?"

"If he does, the kid's a great actor." Akihiko said.

"It ain't right." Shinjiro mumbled. "He's a kid, he shouldn't have to know about this stuff, let alone be involved in it."

Mitsuru crossed her arms. "Amada does know of the Dark Hour, of Shadows, and of Personas. We cannot remove that knowledge from him. Given his capabilities, becoming a member of SEES and fighting Shadows is likely the best case scenario for all of us."

Makoto eyes went wide. "Excuse me?"

She narrowed her eyes. "We can never have too many Persona users. Every additional member is a valuable asset to us. I understand it may be...unseemly, but he is willing to fight, and is capable of fighting. That is all I require."

The two stared at one another, neither blinking or looking away.

"What do you think, Shinjiro?" Makoto asked, refusing to break eye-contact with her. "Are you comfortable with this?"

"This is not Shinjiro's choice to make." Mitsuru shot back, voice raising every so slightly.

Akihiko glanced his oldest friend, who had turned away from the others. "Shinji?"

"I-" Shinjiro sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't do this." He walked over to Makoto and stood next to him.

Mitsuru hesitated for a moment before asking, "Shinjiro?"

"It ain't right." He said to Mitsuru, head and eyes tilted downward. "I can't accept this."

Kirijo crossed her arms. "I am not having this debate with you. I am not asking either of you for your permission. Amada is joining SEES as a member, that is final."

"So be it." Makoto walked off.

"Grr." Shinjiro snarled. "That's low, Mitsuru. I already crippled this kid's mother. I can't have his life on me."

She looked away, biting her lip.

Breaking the silence was the sounds of Makoto's footsteps. "Here." Makoto offered her his red-armband the moment he arrived.

"W-What is this?" Kirijo asked him.

"I quit."

"WHAT!?" The two upperclassmen yelled at him.

Makoto remained stone-faced and calm. "It's not right." He said as he walked back over to Shinjiro. "Ken is a child. Potential or no potential, he shouldn't be in our war. The rest of us...we're adults, or almost adults. We can make our own decisions. I chose to fight alongside you for my own reasons. We shouldn't be placing it on his shoulders just because we can't carry the slack. It's not the right thing to do."

Shinjiro nodded. "Yeah." He lifted his head, and proudly stood side by side with him. "I'm with Makoto on this. If Amada is in, we're out."

"Shinji!" Akihiko yelled at him.

"I'm fine with teaching him how to use his Persona," Shinjiro offered, "so he doesn't lose control, and how to protect himself, but no more than that."

It felt like he was at the bottom of the ocean. But Makoto refused to look weak in front of them. "Well?"

"Fine." Kirijo spat out as she turned and stomped off. Akihiko hesitated for a moment, before sighing and following Mitsuru up the stairs.

Makoto exhaled and leaned against the well. "Geez." He muttered. "Thought I was going to have a heart attack there."

"Hey." Shinjiro put his hand on Makoto's shoulder. "Thanks." He gave the younger boy a crooked grin. "I'm surprised you had the cojones to stand up to Mitsuru like that."

Makoto shook his head. "I didn't actually expect her to want him to fight."

"You don't know her the way I do. She ain't all business, but sometimes she can be a little too calculating and ice cold for her own good."

"Yeah." Makoto turned back to the staircase. "I can imagine."