05/01/2012, Kuoh Town, Day.
"You are welcome, Miss. See you".
Irumi sticks to her usual routine amidst the festivities. She wanders through the bustling streets, stopping by local shops to check if they need any assistance.
'I love Golden Week so much! I don't have to go to school and I can roam around town whenever I want' she shouts internally.
'I see you recovered easily from all the chaos that occured yesterday' points out Ddraig. 'I thought you would have been a bit too collected now'.
'What do you mean partner? Everything turned perfectly, no? The President is free, no one is hurt and Senpai won' replies Irumi before she facepalms herself. 'I totally forgot to seek for Master. After the Rating Game and all!'.
The Red Dragon Empress takes her phone and dials Makoto's number. She waits for a couple of rings, but no answer comes.
'Easy there partner. It will be for the next time' says Ddraig. 'No, no! I have to tell Master Kohryu everything'.
Adamant on her decision Irumi heads towards the last place she saw the door of the Velvet Room: near the Mall.
"Be there, be there" says to herself the girl as he gets closer to the Mall. However the blue door isn't there. 'Just my luck...'.
'Where could Senpai be?'. Irumi reflects for a couple of seconds with her eyes closed until an idea strikes her mind as she snaps her fingers. "The music shop".
And just like Irumi thought the girl finds Makoto going out of the Music shop after finishing buying a couple of CDs. "Senpai!".
"Ito, are you good? Sorry if I didn't look after you yesterday. After all that happened I soent the rest pf the day trying to calm down Zekram" sighs Makoto.
'That boy was too fanatical for my likings, Lucifer what have you told him?' asks Kohryu. 'Nothing, I just ordered him to follow every order of the Universe' confesses the Morning Star.
"Oh I'm more than fine! Surely it would have been nice if you showed up yourself. We had a huge party last evening to celebrate the President freedom from her engagement. But it wasn't the same without you Senpai" pouts Irumi.
"I'll make up for it, promised" says Makoto sighing.
"I count on it. Oh, I totally forgot. Have you done anything for the Music Club? I didn't even speak with the others since we departed for Mount Fuji! It's been two weeks they will probably think we disappeared!" says Irumi, remembering her obligations with the Music Club.
"Right...". Makoto, too, had forgotten about it, and the realization causes him to avert his gaze, a faint flush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks as he awkwardly looks away. "I completely forgot about it and I even agreed to be the Club's responsible".
A laugh is heard from Messiah, followed by Kohryu and Cendrillon. 'Oh Universe! Your face right now is hilarious!' chuckles the Ash Princess.
"Senpai? Your face is red are you feeling sick?" asks Irumi, oblivious. Makoto shakes his head, as if dispelling the lingering awkwardness along with the thoughts of his Personas, and slips his earphones back on.
"N-no. We will figure something out when the Golden Week will end and we will return to school" says Makoto sending back the due date of this problem.
"Yes you are right! Meanwhile we can take a stroll around town. We can even visit a client of mine, he asks me to be the tester of his dishes for his future restaurant" says Irumi leading the way.
Makoto nods his head and decides to follow Irumi.
As the two of them walk side by side, Irumi's thoughts spill out in a lively stream, her mind leaping from one topic to the next with unrestrained enthusiasm. Makoto listens patiently, his quiet presence acting as a sponge as her words fill the air between them.
'The Magician looks like a child speaking like this, hee hoo' points out Jack Frost. The Demon Doll chimes softly, its presence attuned to Irumi's seemingly aimless chatter as though her every word carried the weight of profound wisdom.
"Senpai? Are you listening? Oh... sorry. I must be boring you. I used to do this with my dad, he always listened... but" Irumi's voice falters, trailing off as she quickly shifts to a new subject.
"It completely slipped out of my mind! I wanted to ask Master Kohryu what are his thoughts on the Rating Game?" asks the girl, dismissing the topic of her parents as soon as she mentioned it.
Kohryu sighs. 'This girl really is inveterate, she's neglecting her feelings. However, truth must be told. Universe, say her I couldn't have expected better from her' says the Huanglong.
"He tells he's proud. You did good, really" says Makoto, he too complimenting Irumi.
Despite the response, the Red Dragon Empress remains displeased. Her forehead creases with a frown, and the soft click of her tongue is heard.:
"B-but I still failed... We lost, and then we had to rely on you! Again! Just like when I lost my parents... I don't want to be powerless. I hate being a puppet at the mercy of fate!" Irumi's voice cracks, tears starting to well up in her eyes.
'Partne-' Ddraig tries to say something, but he too is silenced by the girl. 'Shut up you too Ddraig! You are always so distant with my problems! You are not being of help, ok? Just leave me alone for some time'.
When she notices her unfitting behaviour in public and in front of Makoto she gulps her sorrow and fakes a smile.
"Sorry Senpai, I don't know what got to me" chuckles Irumi. "I just need some time, sorry for wasting your time".
Without further words Irumi says goodbye to Makoto which decides to give her space. When she's gone he scrolls his head. 'Figures, she saw her parents die... it's a miracle she is so optimistic' thinks Makoto.
'It is simply a coping mechanism, hee hoo' says Jack Frost. 'Inwardly the Magician fears to lose the few people she has left and by forcing herself she hopes to not being left behind or that no one takes them away from her' explains the Demon Doll.
'Should I speak with Rias about this?' questions himself Makoto, but he finally decides to not to as it would only worse the situation.
'Talking about it won't help, Makoto' says Messiah. 'She needs to be proven wrong with facts, for now you can only support her'.
'I suggest you listen to her unlike you did before, while I'd gladly do it, hee hoo, I am sure she would prefer you doing it, hee hoo' says Jack Frost.
05/01/2012, Kuoh Town, Late Afternoon.
Makoto and Elizabeth are in the Mall, much to the latter's insistence.
"Liz why are we here?" asks Makoto looking around himself, Elizabeth took him where the souvenir shops are located an area made for the rare tourists coming to Kuoh Town.
"I want to search for the statues of the gods of Takamagahara" says the Attendant swooping in the first of the shops.
'Izanagi what happened during your visit to the shinto gods of this world with the Attendant?' asks Apollo. 'Nothing out of the ordinary, apart from the Attendant being her usual self' explains Izanagi.
"Any reason for that?" asks Makoto looking at the shelves of the shops they walk by.
"The Tower says that humans build personal shrines in their homes by placing the miniatures of the gods. I find it a perfect way to mix with human culture" says Elizabeth.
"You aren't going to turn the Velvet Room in one big shrine, aren't you?" asks Makoto.
"I'll choose a place in Tartarus for that. I am sure Death won't mind".
The two of them spend a couple of minutes going from shop to shop, but Elizabeth isn't satisfied with any of the items sold. "Human way of depicting the divinity is completely different from their real aspect".
"Usually people don't see gods everyday... or ever if that's the matter" points out Makoto.
"Is that the Magician?". Elizabeth points her finger to Irumi who is currently sitting on a table with a brown haired boy of medium height while drinking a cup of coffee with her usual carefree expression, only that this time it seems less forced.
Makoto takes Elizabeth's arm and lowers it. "It's rude to point at people in public, Liz" he says. "Oh sorry. Shall we go greet her and her brown haired friend?" she asks.
Makoto scrolls his head. "No, let her be".
'Conversing with someone entirely unacquainted with the complexities of the... more tumultuous side of lf her life can prove remarkably therapeutic' observes Kohryu gaining an 'hee hoo' of approval from Jack Frost.
'A girl needs her space after all! Now avoid the Attendant from ruining it all!' beams Cendrillon. Elizabeth immediately turns around with a clear frown on her eyebrows.
"Did someone, maybe known by most as Cinderella or Cendrillon say something about me?" Elizabeth voice is barely above a whisper.
'The Attendant is just jealous of me!' childishly remarks Cendrillon. Makoto shakes his head. "I said let it be Liz. Maybe Mr. Kegawa has something more similar to your expectations" says Makoto diverting the conversation back to its original topic.
Elizabeth smiles. "Oh Death's tanuki friend, you are completely right. Let's go".
Issei Hyoudou is living what he considers the pinnacle of his existence. Typically, he is either ignored or outright scorned by everyone, save for his two equally perverted friends: Matsuda and Motohama. But now, the self-proclaimed 'Harem King' finds himself in a peculiar situation, he is at a restaurant? café? whatever this place should be, with a girl.
Ito Irumi, the bespectacled girl of the Music Club with whom he didn't speak very often despite sharing the same classroom. 'She still is the only girl who ever... spoke to me without disgust' thinks the teenager.
"Hyoudou?" Her voice cuts through his thoughts, and as he looks up, he meets her inquisitive gaze. "Y-yes!? I was, uh... thinking! Yes, just thinking!" Issei stammers, his words tumbling out in a flustered rush as he tries to regain his composure.
She laughs off Issei's clear embarrassment as she returns to drink her cup of coffee. "I'm quite enjoying this Hyoudou you know" she say now with a sadder tone.
Issei's eyes flicker with uncertainty. "Ito... why are you doing this? Don't get me wrong. I'm enjoying myself, but... why me?" he asks, a faint spark of doubt threading through his voice as he searches for answers. Come on, he is Issei Hyoudou he is a nobody. He isn't someone like that annoying Kiba Yuuto or that new Mochizuki Ryoji.
"You know, Hyoudou... I think people have been taking your actions too seriously. Everyone treats you like some kind of dangerous maniac. I won't lie, I used to think the same. But lately, I've been rethinking a lot of things. So... take this as my way of saying I'm sorry" admits Irumi. The words hit Issei hard, causing him to tear up a little. However, he quickly wipes away his tears and, with newfound courage, meets her gaze.
"I-I really appreciate it Ito, thank you" replies Issei.