Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Minako wiped the sweat off of her brow as she stumbled alone through the Jyomon Sugi forest of Yakushima. She was supposed to be searching for Junpei and Akihiko, but at this point she was more so concerned with simply finding her way out of the forest now that she had been separated from the other girls. Although she knew she had probably only been wandering for a few minutes, the overbearing July heat made her feel as if she had been trekking for hours.

She soon came to a clearing with a massive tree, which she surmised was the same tree that the girls had taken her to see in the first place. Regardless, she was now in an area where she could follow a clear path to the beach. While she was relieved at her discovery, she was also exhausted. Deciding that a quick rest wouldn’t hurt, Minako took a seat on the steps that surrounded the tree, letting out a long sigh.

Why did her vacation have to go like this? She had been so excited to have even a brief escape from the stress of hunting Shadows, to enjoy her summer with the friends she loved so dearly... but now that had to be put on hold for her to hunt some sort of dangerous weapon that had escaped on the island. And that was on top of stress that came from the revelations about Yukari’s dad and the origins of Tartarus that had come the night before.

Not that she minded her lifestyle; she was actually quite fulfilled by the work she was putting in for the sake of humanity, but she at least deserved a normal vacation, right? 

She let out a chuckle at the absurdity of the situation, that even her summer trip to the beach could be turned into a crazy, life-threatening endeavor. She could only hope that the team would be able to deal with it quickly and efficiently enough that they could still have fun for the rest of the time they were there.

Minako’s idle thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a strange, overwhelming sensation in her head. She quickly got up. It hadn’t been the first time she had felt this sensation during the trip; it could only be described as a feeling that she was being watched, and it had never felt as strong as it did right now.

She didn’t have to look around for very long before she found the source of this feeling. A strange blonde girl in a light blue dress was staring at her from the path to the beach, her expression unnervingly blank. Minako tried to calm her nerves as she thought of how best to approach the strange situation at hand.

Apparently, the best her tired head could come up with was an awkward “Hello”.

“Now I am certain…” the girl stated, “I have found you”. She spoke in an unnatural, robotic tone, which did nothing to help Minako’s unease.

However, before she could voice any of her questions about who the girl was or what she was talking about, the girl suddenly ran up to her, wrapping her arms around her waist in a tight embrace. Panicking, Minako began to squirm in an attempt to escape the girl’s arms, only to find that the girl’s hold on her was inhumanly strong.

“I have been searching for you,” the girl spoke, her face only inches away from Minako’s. “My highest priority is to be with you!”

Minako’s thoughts began running at a mile a minute as her brain attempted to process what the hell was going on. Who was this girl? Why had she been stalking her? How was she so strong? Why was she so close? 

Why was she kind of cute, and why was she making what sounded like a love confession?

...And why was she thinking about that right now?

As much as she wanted to speak, only sputtering noises came out of her when she opened her mouth. Luckily, however, Minako was able to let out a sigh of relief as she heard the approaching footsteps of Junpei and Akihiko. The two seemed out of breath as they arrived.

“There she is…” Junpei said, panting. His eyes then widened as he took in the sight before him. “Wait, what!? What’s going on here!?”

“I see, so that’s her preference,” Akihiko stated calmly. “That explains why we got the cold shoulder…”

Minako felt her face become hot in both anger and embarrassment. “W-What are you two on about!?” she yelled. “Do you know this girl?”

Before the boys could respond, the voice of Yukari came from nearby. “There you all are! We’ve been looking all over for you!” The group turned to see Yukari, Fuuka and Mitsuru emerging from the forest, all looking exhausted. 

Yukari’s attention was quickly grabbed by the mysterious girl, who was still hugging Minako. “Wait, Minako, who is this? Why’s she hugging you?” Soon, the entirety of SEES was gawking at the two girls, magnifying Minako’s embarrassment.

“I-I don’t know!” came Minako’s frantic reply. “She says I’m her priority, or something?”

Yukari only made a sound of confusion as Mitsuru sighed and shook her head, focusing on the task at hand. “Listen, we’ve encountered a problem,” she spoke, turning to the boys. “I’m sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I need you all to go back to the house and prepare for battle.”

“That won’t be necessary,” came the voice of Ikutsuki, who suddenly joined the group out of seemingly nowhere ( Great, who was next to the show, Igor? ). “We’ve found what we were looking for.”

Minako’s eyes widened as she connected the dots in her head. Was this girl somehow the weapon that Ikutsuki was talking about earlier?

Minako’s suspicions were soon confirmed as, after some negotiation with the girl in regards to Minako’s release, the party returned to the Kirijo family mansion. Ikutsuki then explained to everyone that the girl, named Aigis, was actually a robot-- an anti-shadow weapon created by the Kirijo group-- and that she would be joining the group as a member of SEES.

As Ikutsuki left the rest of the team in the loungeroom to get to know their newest member, everyone’s eyes were on Aigis.

“So, what are your combat capabilities, Aigis?” Mitsuru inquired, leaning forward in her seat.

“My arms are equipped with various ranged weapons, ranging from standard bullets to explosive launchers. You will also find that my body is exceptionally durable, and my strength is much greater than an average human. You may rest assured that you will find me useful in combat.” Aigis sounded as if she was reading from a manual as she spoke, but her description still drew out sounds of awe from the team.

Akihiko was next to speak up. “So you’re real strong, huh? Maybe I should put that strength to the test in the ring.” He grinned as he challenged Aigis, clearly unable to contain his excitement.

“You would not win,” Aigis responded flatly, her delivery causing some members of the group to giggle.

“We’ll see about that,” declared Akihiko, frowning slightly.

It was then that Fuuka, who had been looking as if she was about to burst, shot up out of her seat and began circling Aigis closely, examining her body. “Your construction is really impressive, Aigis. I can hardly contain my interest!” She eventually began poking at the synthetic skin that made up her torso. “Wow, this material is fascinating!”

“Whoa, hey, Fuuka, quit fondling the robot!” Junpei teased.

“Do not worry. I do not mind being fondled.” Aigis stated. Minako found herself unable to resist a chuckle, while Junpei burst into a laughing fit as Fuuka, now red in the face, retracted from her position.

“Aigis, you can’t say things like that…” sighed Yukari after shooting a nasty look at Junpei.

Aigis blinked. “I apologize. What did I state that was inappropriate?”

Yukari opened her mouth for a moment before shaking her head. “Nevermind, I’ll explain it to you later...”

Junpei, recovering from his laughter, continued his teasing. “Anyway, is there anything under that material, or--” he was quickly interrupted by Yukari jamming her elbow into his ribs. “Ouch! Hey, I’m only joking!”

While the rest of the friends laughed at Junpei’s pain, Minako got up from her seat and approached Aigis.

“Welcome to SEES, Aigis. We’re glad to have you.” She smiled warmly as she welcomed their newest member, extending her arm for a handshake.

For the first time that anyone had seen, Aigis smiled as she took Minako’s hand in hers. Her hands were cold, something that Minako had expected but still found a bit uncanny. Still, Aigis’s smile was enough to make her forget about that. She was already pretty cute before, but now...

“Thank you, Minako-san. I will do my best to protect you all.” Aigis responded. However, much to Minako’s disappointment, her smile soon faded and was replaced with a look of dejectedness. 

“I apologize for my earlier behavior. It is just that…” Everyone gawked as Aigis took her other hand and wrapped it around Minako’s, looking directly into her eyes as she spoke. “I do not know why, but I feel that it is very important for me to be by your side.”

Minako felt her face grow hot as she listened to Aigis’s words, once again finding herself unable to speak. But before long Aigis pulled her hands away, taking away contact that Minako found herself missing much more than she probably should have.

“Ah… I apologize. I have already been told that this kind of behavior is inappropriate,” Aigis said, looking at the floor. “I must be... malfunctioning.”

“O-Oh, don’t worry about it, Aigis! It’s n-no problem at all!” Minako said, waving her hands in front of her face as her friends chuckled awkwardly. 

Honestly, she really hoped that Aigis would malfunction again.

 “Y-Yeah, don’t worry, she was totally into it!” Junpei eventually piped up. “Ow ow ow! Damn it, stop that, Yukari!”

Minako rolled her eyes and sighed, hoping it would be enough to hide her embarrassment at the accuracy of his teasing.

As the night continued on and everyone’s energy gradually faded, one by one the members of SEES left for their rooms. Minako was the last to go other than Aigis; as the two said goodnight to each other and parted ways for the night, she wondered for a moment where the robot girl would be sleeping. However, she was simply too tired to put in the effort of finding out.

Through the night’s events, one thing that had become clear to Minako was that the mechanical maiden wasn’t much of a conversationalist. She clearly lacked anything beyond extremely basic understanding of human interaction, spoke in monotone, had stilted speech, and, aside from that one instance, always wore the same blank expression.

Yet despite all of that, Minako felt as if there was something special about Aigis; something underneath her mechanical exterior that drew her in.

As she settled into bed and closed her eyes, she let out a contented sigh. She had a feeling that her last day of vacation tomorrow would be one to remember.

---

“Come on, what’s taking those two so long!? I’m totally itching to hit the beach again!” Junpei exclaimed, fidgeting around awkwardly. “Do we really have to wait for them?”

Minako, Junpei, Akihiko, Fuuka and Aigis stood gathered in the main hall of the mansion. All were wearing their swimsuits save for Aigis, who instead wore the blue dress that she had been wearing during their encounter in the forest. The friends had decided over breakfast that their final day in Yakushima would best be spent on the beach, and now they were only waiting for Yukari and Mitsuru to arrive so they could begin the day.

“Have some patience, Junpei-kun,” Fuuka replied with a giggle. “We’re a team, right? It’s best if we go together.”

“I must agree with Fuuka-san,” remarked Aigis. “We must all participate in these activities together in order to have an optimal amount of fun.”

“Y-Yes, I suppose you could put it like that…” Fuuka responded meekly, the others exchanging awkward glances. “You know, Aigis, you don’t have to speak so formally.”

“Yeah, loosen up a bit!” Junpei chimed in. “You don’t gotta be so rigid!” 

Aigis tilted her head, blinking. “Would that not be a detriment towards my ability to absorb damage from shadows?”

Junpei threw his head back in frustration. “Ugh, that’s not what I meant!”

Minako couldn’t stop herself from laughing at the situation. She loved her big unconventional group of friends, and seeing it get even bigger and more unconventional warmed her heart and put a smile on her face. She had a lot to look forward to.

Junpei’s frustration didn’t last long, as his attention was soon caught by something else. “Hey, look who’s finally here!” Everyone followed his gaze to see Yukari and Mitsuru arriving in their swimsuits.

“What took you girls so long? Had to make sure you were cute enough in your swimsuits?” Minako teased. “Because I assure you,” she added with a wink, “you have nothing to worry about there.” Her comment earned a blush from the two girls as they looked away sheepishly.

“G-Geez, do you guys have any patience at all?” said Yukari, clearly trying her best to sound annoyed.

“Nope!” Minako chirped, beaming. “So, now that there are no more obstacles in the way of our vacation, we are going to enjoy the hell out of it, and that’s an order!” She began bouncing towards the exit, beckoning the others. “Let’s go already!”

“That’s what I like to hear!” cheered Junpei. “Hey, Akihiko-san! Let’s race to the beach! Loser owes the winner lunch!”

Before Akihiko could object, Junpei had already dashed off. “Hey, that’s not fair! You got a head start!” he complained, sprinting after his competitor.

Minako grinned ear to ear as the boys raced past her. It was gonna be a good day.

---

Junpei and Akihiko were already waiting at the beach when the girls arrived, both of them catching their breath.

Minako giggled. “Nice job losing with a head start, idiot.” 

“It’s not my fault that he’s so stupid fast!” complained Junpei. “Man, I was totally counting on a free lunch…”

“That’s what you get for playing dirty,” Akihiko said with a grin.

“I believe that is what is often referred to as ‘Karma’,” remarked Aigis, drawing a laugh out of Minako.

“Yeah, yeah I get it! But man…” Junpei’s smile returned to him as he took in the sight of the girls. “I really missed this view… shame we couldn’t put Aigis in a swimsuit too.”

Yukari scoffed. “Could you not be a perv for five minutes, Stupei!? We literally just got here!”

“Oh, come on, what the hell!?” Junpei objected, scowling. “When Minako-chan does it, you guys get all blushy, but when I do it, I’m a perv!? What’s the deal with that!?”

Minako shook her head. “You lack class, Junpei. It’s only creepy when you do it.” She bent down, a smug look on her face. “But maybe I can give you lessons later, if you want.”

“Aw, shut up! Don’t patronize me!” Junpei grumbled, his face turning bright red. Minako only smiled warmly in response as Yukari giggled.

“So, uh, anyway, what do you guys wanna do?” said Fuuka, clearly looking for a subject change.

“Oh, I know!” shouted Junpei. “How about a game of beach volleyball? There’s a net right over there!”

“Eh, I’ll pass. I’d rather relax for a bit.” answered Yukari.

“I think I’ll pass too,” Fuuka added. “I’m no good at that kind of stuff. I’d love to watch, though!”

Junpei shrugged. “Well, alright, what about the rest of you?”

“Are you sure you wanna challenge me?” teased Minako. “I’m on the school volleyball team, you know.”

“Someone’s confident!” came Junpei’s smug reply. “I’ve heard that you guys suck, anyway!”

Minako let her competitive side take over, leaning into Junpei’s face with an eyebrow raised. “Wanna find out?”

He gulped.

“I am interested in partaking in this activity,” came the voice of Aigis. “It may be a valuable training and bonding experience.”

Akihiko seemed to perk up after hearing of Aigis’s participation. “I suppose I can play as well,” he proposed.

Minako smiled brightly. “Alright then! As for the teams… how about me and Aigis versus Junpei and Akihiko?”

A confident smile spread across Akihiko’s face, a look of determination in his eye. “That’s perfect.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” objected Junpei, waving his hands. “Isn’t Aigis kind of at an unfair advantage? She’s like, way stronger than any of us!”

“No, Junpei, it’s fine,” spat Akihiko, giving him a dirty look.

“Yeah,” added Minako, “and volleyball isn’t all about strength, anyway.”

Junpei sighed, defeated. “Alright, alright…”

“Before we start…” Minako turned around for a moment to face the only person who hadn’t spoken up yet. “You okay with not playing, Mitsuru-senpai?”

“Oh, yes, I’m perfectly fine with that,” she replied with a smile. “Besides, this seems like it’ll be quite interesting to watch…”

“You bet it will!” cheered Minako. “Let’s get this game started!”

The battle that ensued was fierce; Minako found herself surprised by how agile and coordinated the two boys were, especially considering they had just exhausted themselves from their race. While it did give her a sense of pride in her teammates’ abilities, it also made her all the more determined to win against them. Luckily for her, Aigis rapidly picked up on the strategy of the sport, putting her strength and reflexes on full display. The game raged on, each team scoring points on each other back and forth as the onlooking girls cheered…

And then it was over, with a ferocious spike from Aigis that sent sand flying into the faces of their competitors.

Minako couldn’t contain her excitement for their victory. “We did it, Aigis!” she cheered, throwing her arms around the robot. “You were amazing!”

Aigis seemed unsure of what to do, simply staring down at the girl hugging her for a moment before cautiously wrapping her arms around her in return. “I am… glad that my performance was satisfactory.”

“I’d say it was more than just satisfactory!” came Yukari’s voice. “You were a monster out there, Aigis!”

Pulling away from Aigis, Minako looked up to find the other girls, along with Junpei and Akihiko, gathering around them.

“I must agree,” added Mitsuru with a smile. “If you can perform like that in a simple game of volleyball, I have no doubt you’ll be a great asset to us in Tartarus.”

Worry spread through Minako. “H-Hey, don’t put so much pressure on her...”

“Do not worry, Minako-san.” Aigis interjected. “My purpose is to fight shadows. It is only natural to place such value on my battle prowess.”

Minako frowned. “R-Right, yes…”

Fuuka giggled. “Aren’t you guys taking this a bit too seriously? It’s just a simple game of beach volleyball.”

“I agree. Just because she’s good at volleyball doesn’t mean she’s good at fighting shadows,” said Akihiko, looking annoyed. “It was a close game, anyway…” he grumbled.

“Dude! You were the one taking it the most seriously!” Junpei objected. “You dragged me into this just so you could prove yourself against Aigis!”

Akihiko tensed up, his face turning bright red. “Hey! Th-That’s not true, watch your mouth!” he yelled at Junpei.

“Ugh, will you two stop yelling?” Yukari scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Whatever, I’m gonna go swim. Who wants to join me?”

Junpei lit up. “Oh hell yeah! Let’s do it!” he cheered, darting off. “Come on, everyone!”

As the other girls (and a disgruntled Akihiko) began following after him, Minako’s emotions finally got the better of her.

“Hey, Aigis…”

Aigis stopped to look back, cocking her head. “Is there a problem, Minako-san?” The others continued on ahead, leaving the two to talk alone.

“N-No, it’s just…” Minako clenched her fists as she struggled to find the right words. ”You’re not just a tool… you know that, right?”

Aigis turned to face Minako fully, yet her expression remained blank. “I do not understand. I am a weapon, produced for the sole purpose of fighting shadows.”

“No!” Minako objected. “Stop saying stuff like that. I know I’ve only known you for about a day, but… I can already see there’s much more to you than that. You’re special, Aigis.” She shook her head. “Don’t ask why. It’s just… a feeling. But I trust that feeling.” 

Minako looked into Aigis’s eyes, a warm smile on her face. “You’re not a tool, or a weapon, Aigis. You’re a friend. Remember that.”

Aigis looked troubled for a moment. “I… I’m not sure I fully understand. But…” Once again, her lips formed a smile, and she took both of Minako’s hands in hers. “Thank you, Minako-san. I will take your words to heart.”

Minako could swear her heart skipped a beat. Of course there was something special about Aigis. What else could possibly explain this adorable robot’s incredible talent for leaving her at a complete loss for words?

Aigis’s smile was soon replaced with a look of concern. “Minako-san? Is something wrong?”

“Ah! N-No, I’m doing great, actually!” Minako replied frantically, scrambling to regain her composure.

Much to her relief, Aigis began smiling again. “I see. That is good to hear.”

As she silently vowed to protect Aigis’s smile at all costs, Minako suddenly remembered that her other friends were still waiting for them in the water. “Come on, let’s go join the others now!” she said with glee, holding hands with Aigis as they walked to the sea.

“By the way, you really are good at volleyball. You should join the team back at Gekkoukan,” Minako teased.

“I would gladly do anything if it allowed me to be closer to you.”

Minako nearly tripped and fell when she heard that line. 

Well, maybe she had already fallen.

---

That night, Minako was alone. Most of her friends had already gone to their rooms, but she didn’t feel like turning in for the night just yet; and so she laid back on one of the Kirijo mansion’s fancy couches, relaxing.

Minako smiled; it really had been a wonderful vacation. Today alone had given her many memories that she would surely keep close to her heart forever; she and her friends had spent the entire day on the beach, swimming, playing games, and laughing. And after that, as the sun set, they had all returned to the mansion to partake in the most delightfully fancy dinner she had ever had.

And on top of all of that, her family had once again gotten bigger with the addition of Aigis, someone that she found herself greatly drawn to. The robot seemed to feel the same as well, having done her best to stay close to Minako the whole day. 

And yet… even though Minako greatly appreciated the attention, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it. What exactly made Aigis so drawn to her specifically? When they had first met in the forest, Aigis mentioned that she had been “searching” for Minako. What did that mean?

And perhaps most confusingly… why did she feel like she had seen Aigis somewhere before?

While these questions certainly bothered her, she found herself averse to the idea of actually bringing them up to Aigis; she didn’t want to trouble her with such things, especially after they had only just met. Maybe once their relationship developed further…

“Yo!”

Minako nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice from behind her. When she turned around, Junpei was looking back at her, grinning. “Ah, Junpei, you scared the crap outta me…”

“Heh, sorry about that...” he replied sheepishly.

“No worries.” Minako sat up and moved over to make room. “Here, wanna sit?”

“Sure.”

“So, what are you doing here?” asked Minako as he took his seat.

“Ehhh, I didn’t feel like sleeping. Thought I’d just walk around the mansion for a while. Then I found you,” he answered. “What about you, then? You looked pretty deep in thought.” A mischievous smirk spread across his face. “Were you thinking about Aigis?”

“W-What? No… well, kind of, I guess…” she stammered. “I was just… thinking about how fun this vacation has been.” Well, she wasn’t really lying, right?

Junpei’s smirk only grew wider. “Man, you’re so easy to read.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Nothing, nothing!” he replied, putting his hands up in defense.

The two looked at each other, Minako making an over-exaggerated pouty face, only for both of them to burst into laughter. They could always count on each other for a good laugh.

“Man, you’re real lucky, though…” Junpei continued, stretching. “She was all over you today.”

Minako looked away, flustered. “Y-Yeah, I guess she was…”

The two sat in an awkward silence for a bit before Junpei finally spoke up.

“Do you… like girls?”

“Huh?” exclaimed Minako, taken aback. “Um… yeah, I think so, why?”

“N-No reason, just curious…” Junpei mumbled in response.

Immediately sensing that something was wrong, Minako began frantically thinking of what to do to cheer him up; she couldn’t stand seeing her friends down, no matter the reason. 

“H-Hey, that doesn’t mean I don’t like boys too! Don’t worry, you’re not out of the running just yet!”

Junpei turned bright red. “What!? Th-That’s not why I was asking!” 

Minako giggled. “Who’s easy to read now?”

“Aw, shut up…” Junpei pulled his hat over his face, only to join Minako in laughter soon after.

“Oh, uh, by the way, while we’re here together…” stammered Junpei, looking embarrassed. “Earlier today, were you serious about those… uh... lessons?”

Minako’s eyes widened at the unexpected request, but she grinned. “I would be honored to pass on my wisdom to you, Iori-san,” she teased.

And so the two friends spent the rest of their night discussing the best techniques for flirting with girls, eventually saying goodnight as they made their way to their rooms to sleep.

The next day, the time came for SEES to say goodbye to Yakushima and return to their normal routine on Tatsumi Port Island; now with new revelations, new memories, and most importantly, a new friend.

Chapter Text

It was the beginning of another day of summer, and Minako was making her way down the stairs to the dorm’s ground floor. As was the case most mornings, the dorm’s residents sat scattered about the lounge, going about their business; Junpei and Akihiko slurped on instant noodles at the dining table, Ken read quietly on a chair while Koromaru snoozed at his feet, and Yukari, Mitsuru, and Fuuka chatted amongst each other on the couches near the entrance.

Aigis, on the other hand, simply stood near the stairs, greeting Minako with a smile. “Good morning, Minako-san.”

Akihiko looked at Aigis, smirking. “It seems that your arrival has finally activated Aigis. She’s been waiting for you all morning.”

“You were asleep for longer than normal, so I became concerned.” Aigis remarked, frowning.

“Be grateful that I stopped her from breaking into your room again!” shouted Yukari from across the room.

“Haha, yeah…” Minako chuckled awkwardly. She recalled when she had woken up next to Aigis after the Yakushima trip, a result of the robot’s insistence on being as close to her as possible. She also recalled how suspiciously fast she had accepted the idea of sharing her room with Aigis. 

A blush crept across her face before she continued.

“I’m fine, though. I just overslept a bit,” she reassured. “Don’t worry about me so much, okay?.”

After a bit of hesitation, Aigis nodded. “Understood. I will do my best.”

“Good girl.”

After making sure to say hello to Ken and give Koromaru a quick head rub, Minako made her way to the couches, Aigis following closely behind. “So, what have you girls been up to?”

“We were just talking about our plans for the summer festival," answered Yukari. “You’re coming too, right?”

“Oh, that’s tonight?” Minako exclaimed. “Of course I’ll come! I'll wear a yukata!”

“Yeah, we’re all gonna wear them too," said Fuuka, smiling softly. "I’m glad that you can join us, Minako-chan.”

"Oh man, I gotta see this…" came the voice of Junpei, who had now finished his breakfast and joined the girls. "A bunch of cuties in yukatas? Sign me up!"

"Uh, who invited you, exactly?" said Yukari, using that annoyed tone reserved exclusively for Junpei.

"Aw, come on, he can come too!" objected Minako. "The more the merrier!"

Yukari sighed, giving in. "Alright, whatever, I guess it's fine…"

While Junpei celebrated his acceptance, Aigis was looking very lost. “What is this ‘summer festival’?” she inquired.

“Oh, it’s just a celebration at the Naganaki shrine that happens near the end of the summer,” answered Yukari. “There’s food and games and stuff, and lots of people wear a yukata. It’s fun, especially with friends!”

“May I participate as well?”

The girls exchanged worried glances. Aigis had barely any experience being out in public, let alone a crowded festival; and while she had improved since Yakushima, her behavior was still far too strange to fully pass as human.

Eventually, all eyes fell on Mitsuru to make the decision.

After a moment of consideration, she sighed. “I suppose it would be okay. But you must stay under my or Arisato’s supervision at all times.”

Aigis smiled brightly. “Thank you, Mitsuru-senpai. I will not let you down.” 

“Ooh, this is gonna be great!” said Yukari excitedly. “I can’t wait for you to come out with us, Aigis!” 

“Does Aigis have a yukata to wear?” Fuuka asked.

“Oh!” exclaimed Yukari, jumping out of her seat. “I’ll go shopping for a yukata that’ll look super cute on her!”

“I would like to be super cute,” Aigis interjected.

Yukari was already on the way to get her things, clearly excited to get going. “Oh, you will be! Just leave it to me!”

Surrounded by the smiles and laughter of her friends, Minako could feel her heart swelling. Tonight was shaping up to be another night that she wouldn’t forget.

---

Later that night, while Yukari helped Aigis get ready upstairs, the rest of SEES gathered on the ground floor. The girls already wore their yukatas, ready to head to the festival.

“I wonder what Aigis looks like in a yukata." Fuuka said, fidgeting. "She’s already so beautiful...”

Junpei grinned. “I know, right? But hey, you're looking really beautiful yourself, Fuuka-chan," he added with a wink. "That yukata really suits you."

“O-Oh, um, th-thank you, Junpei-kun…” Fuuka stammered, blushing hard.

Minako giggled as Fuuka shuffled off sheepishly. “Nice one, Junpei. Glad to see you’re taking my lessons to heart.”

Junpei bowed. “Of course, Sensei,” he joked, sending both of them into a laughing fit. 

It was short-lived, however, as Junpei’s attention was soon stolen by something behind Minako. “Hey, look who’s here!”

Minako’s breath hitched when she turned around. Aigis was coming down the stairs in her yukata-- blue and white, with a floral pattern similar to the other girls-- followed closely by Yukari.

Fuuka was right; Aigis was already beautiful, but seeing her in such an outfit only amplified her cuteness and sent Minako to cloud nine. She simply couldn’t help herself, throwing her arms around the robot and hugging her tightly. “Aigis… you’re… so cute…”

Aigis smiled. “Then I have succeeded in my mission.”

“Of course you did!” Yukari interrupted cheerfully. “I picked it out for you, after all.”

Internally, Minako expressed her eternal gratitude to Yukari for her gift of yukata Aigis. She would have to make it up to her later somehow.

“Well, now that we’re all ready…” Mitsuru spoke, “Shall we go?”

---

Minako stood in awe at the sight before her. The normally quiet Naganaki shrine was now occupied by various stalls and decorated with bright, colorful lights. People bustled about between the stalls, chatting amongst themselves, many of them wearing beautiful yukatas much like her and her friends. Sure, it wasn’t incredibly extravagant, but it was enough for her.

While Minako was content with letting everything sink in, Yukari was clearly excited to jump right things. “Come on, let’s go, Fuuka-chan!” she shouted, dragging the smaller girl further into the shrine.

“Hey, wait for me!” exclaimed Junpei, scrambling after the two.

“Can I trust you to keep a close eye on Aigis?” Mitsuru asked, turning to Minako.

Minako saluted. “Yes Ma’am! You can always count on me!”

“Thank you, Arisato.” Mitsuru replied with a smile. “Well then, I will meet up with you later. Enjoy the festival.” With that, she turned to follow the others, leaving Minako and Aigis to themselves.

“Well, Aigis,” she said, “What do you think?”

Aigis stared forward, hypnotized by the festival’s lights. “It is… beautiful,” she muttered. “May we go further in?”

“Of course! Just stay close to me, alright?” Before Minako ran off, though, an idea popped into her head. “Let’s hold hands. That way you can’t stray too far.”

Aigis nodded, taking Minako’s hand. “Understood. I will remain as close as possible.”

Yeah, this was a good idea.

The two entered the heart of the shrine, bouncing around between stalls, taking in everything that the event had to offer. Aigis had several questions about various aspects of the festival, all of which Minako was happy to answer for her; it was her first big day out, after all.

“What is this activity, Minako-san?”

Aigis had her eyes on a stall that seemed to have some sort of game set up in it. Several blocks were stacked against the back wall, and plush prizes lined the edges of the stall.

“Oh, it’s like a carnival game,” she responded. “My guess is that if you can knock over those blocks in the back, you win a prize.”

“That’s exactly right!” interjected the overenthusiastic man running the stall. “Would you beautiful ladies care to give it a shot? It’s just 500 yen for three shots!”

“Ooh, look at that huge Jack Frost plushie!” Minako exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “Sure, I’ll play!”

The man smiled wide, hastily taking the money. “Thank you, thank you! Step right up!”

Aigis watched on as Minako set her focus on the middle stack of blocks, lining up her shot, and throwing it with all of her might… but while the balls hit their target all three times, the blocks didn’t budge an inch.

The man’s smile twisted into a shit-eating grin. “Aw, that’s too bad! Better luck next time!”

“Ugh, I should’ve expected as much…” Minako grumbled, returning to her companion’s side.

“I don’t understand,” spoke Aigis. “Why did the blocks not fall over, even when you struck them perfectly?”

“It’s rigged. That asshole is just scamming people for easy money.” She sighed, lowering her head in defeat. “And I totally fell for it…”

Aigis fell silent for a moment, pondering. “I would like to try.”

“What? Aigis, I already told you, it’s rigged. You can’t win.”

Aigis placed her hands on Minako’s shoulders, looking into her eyes with resolve. “Please trust me, Minako-san.”

Minako’s objections quickly melted away, flustered by Aigis’s gesture. “O-Okay…” she stammered, handing her the money she needed to play.

The man smirked obnoxiously as Aigis approached. “Hungry for more? Alright, let’s see what you got.”

Aigis didn’t even bother to look at him as she gave him the money. She calmly lined up her shot as Minako watched on with anticipation… and just like that, in three swift motions, all three stacks of blocks were completely knocked over.

Sometimes, Minako got so caught up in things that she forgot about Aigis’s abilities. This was one of those times.

The man’s smug disposition immediately evaporated. “What the--? How did you--” he stammered, seemingly at a loss for words.

“I would like that one, please,” Aigis interrupted dryly, pointing to the Jack Frost plushie.

After the man begrudgingly gave up the prize, Aigis returned to her companion. 

Minako clapped in celebration. “You did it, Aigis! You’re unstoppable!” she cheered.

In response, Aigis simply held out the plushie to Minako. “Here you go.”

“Oh, no-no-no, you don’t need to give it to me!” Minako objected, frantically waving her hands. “You’re the one who won it, so you should keep it!”

Aigis tilted her head in confusion, frowning slightly. “I have no use for it. I won it for you, so please take it.”

Minako let out a long sigh. “Alright…” she grumbled, reluctantly taking the plushie. “You shouldn’t have done it for me, though…”

She couldn’t pout long, however, as Aigis smiled contentedly upon her acceptance of the gift. A smile slowly crept onto Minako’s face as well; how was she supposed to resist?

“Oh, hey, Min-- Whoa!” exclaimed Junpei, who had now suddenly joined the girls. “Where’d you get that!?”

Minako chuckled awkwardly. “This thing? Well, I, um--”

“I won it from that game,” Aigis stated proudly, pointing at the stall with the now dejected-looking man.

“Ooh, nice one, Ai-chan!” Junpei praised. “Those games are always rigged, too!”

“Yeah, I could tell…” Minako mumbled wryly.

The conversation was once again interrupted by a voice, this time Yukari’s. “There you guys are, we’ve been looking for-- Ooh, cute plushie!” Mitsuru and Fuuka were with her as well, making everyone accounted for.

Minako waved. “Hey, girls! What’s up?”

“The fireworks are about to start, and I thought we should all be together for that,” answered Mitsuru. She then turned to Aigis. “Have you been enjoying the festival, Aigis?”

“Yes, I have,” Aigis replied cheerfully. “Thank you for allowing me to participate, Mitsuru-senpai.”

Mitsuru smiled softly. “Of course. I am glad that you have been having fun.”

Suddenly, the lights of the festival went dim, leaving the group in darkness.

“What is happening?” asked Aigis, looking wary. “Has something gone wrong?”

Minako found Aigis’s hand in the darkness, squeezing it gently. “It’s okay, Aigis. It just means the fireworks are about to start.”

“Here they come!” exclaimed Fuuka.

The fireworks show began, and the spectators fell silent. It was a beautiful sight, and one that Minako had never before experienced in person. Unfortunately, when she snuck a glance at the girl beside her, her attention was stolen away completely.

Maybe she was just too caught up in the excitement of the festival to notice before. Maybe she just wasn’t paying enough attention. Or, maybe it was the way that she looked on with wonder at the display with a bright smile on her face, the way she looked in her yukata, the way she was periodically illuminated by the colorful lights of the fireworks, the way their flashes reflected a beautiful sparkle in her eyes, the way her hand actually felt warm for some reason...

All that mattered in that moment was that Aigis was absolutely radiant, and Minako couldn’t look away. While the others looked up at the fireworks, Minako simply stared open-mouthed at Aigis, bathing in the atmosphere of the moment.

By the time she was able to tear her eyes away, the fireworks had already ended.

“They were… beautiful.” Aigis spoke softly. She then suddenly turned to Minako. “Wouldn’t you agree, Minako-san?”

“Huh?” Minako shook her head in an attempt to regain her bearings. “Oh, yeah, they, uh, really were something!” she stammered. That’s what she would have said if she was actually watching them, right?

Aigis cocked her head in confusion. “Why are you red?”

“What!?” shouted Minako, perhaps a bit too loudly. She quickly covered up her face with the Jack Frost plushie. “I mean, uh, I don’t know, maybe I’m getting sick or something…”

“Then we must return to the dorm as soon as possible,” Aigis responded, looking serious.

“That’s fine,” added Yukari. “The festival is basically over anyway, so we were already gonna head back.”

With that, the group began the short walk back to the dorm, chatting amongst themselves about the various things they did at the festival.

“Hey, did you guys do that lucky fortune thing?” Junpei asked excitedly. “Mine said that I would find my true love soon!”

Yukari rolled her eyes. “Yeah, as if.”

“Hey, shut up!” he objected. “You don’t know what could happen!”

Minako giggled. “Don’t worry, Junpei. With my teachings, you’ll be getting a girlfriend in no time!”

“Speaking of, Minako-san…” remarked Fuuka teasingly, “People might suspect that you’re a couple if you keep holding hands like that.”

“Huh?” Minako exclaimed, her face going red once again. She hadn’t thought about it, but she was indeed still holding hands with Aigis, even though there was no longer any practical excuse for it. “Oh, haha, yeah, that could happen, I guess...”

“What does it mean to be a ‘couple’?” Aigis asked, looking to Fuuka.

“Oh, um…” Fuuka pondered for a moment. “Like, being boyfriend and girlfriend, and being in love with each other,” she answered. “A-Although, I guess there wouldn’t be a boyfriend in this case...”

“I see...” For some reason, Aigis seemed discouraged by that answer. Abruptly, she pulled her hand away from Minako’s.

“H-Huh?” Minako stammered, panic quickly setting in. “I-Is something wrong, Aigis?”

Aigis looked back at her, frowning. “We… cannot be a couple.”

Minako couldn’t respond.

What did that mean?

Did Aigis not feel the same way?

...Of course she didn't. She's a machine.

And even if she wasn't...

Why would she love her, anyway?

She should have seen this coming.

What was she ever getting her hopes up for?

How stupid of her.

She forced a smile.

“Y-Yeah, you’re right… that’s just impossible…”

...Why did it hurt so much?

It took all of her energy to try to hold back the tears.

Aigis didn’t respond. She simply turned her gaze to the ground.

The rest of the walk home was quiet after that.

Chapter Text

Minako’s room was dark and quiet. All was still, and the only sounds that could be heard were of the pouring rain from outside... and Minako’s gentle breathing as she slept. 

Aigis paid close attention to that sound as she stood at the SEES leader’s bedside, guarding her while she rested.

This had been the norm for the past few days. A typhoon had hit Tatsumi Port Island earlier that week, and Minako had fallen terribly ill just as it began. Since then, she had been completely bedridden, and Aigis had been coming into her room every night to watch over her.

She knew she shouldn’t be there. Yukari had already lectured her about how inappropriate it was to be breaking into Minako’s room. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop herself. It felt wrong to leave her alone. Much more wrong than it felt to disobey orders.

Either way, she preferred it in Minako’s room. Lately, the differences between her room and the rooms of her friends were becoming more and more clear. When she compared them, her room only seemed uninviting in comparison. While all the others had decorations and soft beds, her room only had… metal. And ammunition. That wasn’t normal.

As she bent over Minako to check her vitals, Aigis relaxed a bit. It seemed that she was on the road to recovery. It would only be a matter of time until she was back to full strength.

She felt relieved, knowing that. She didn’t like it when Minako was hurt, or sick, or in danger. It made her feel… scared. More scared than she was by any shadow.

...Morning would be soon. She knew that she should leave…

But gazing at Minako’s sleeping form, she couldn’t find it in herself to go.

These kinds of feelings weren’t new to her. When she was with Minako, her body felt lighter, and she felt at ease. She supposed that it was natural to feel that way. After all, Minako was her priority, her mission… even if she wasn’t entirely sure why. It was “just a feeling”, she supposed; she had heard her teammates use that phrase a few times in the past.

Tonight, though, things felt a bit... different. When she looked at Minako, she found herself focusing on certain things; her serene expression, her clear skin, and her soft lips...

For some reason, she felt a strange urge to know what they felt like.

For a brief moment, her thoughts went to what Fuuka had described at the summer festival last month. From what she could gather, these kinds of feelings fell in line with what “couples” feel for each other.

...No, that was illogical. Couples involved a boy and a girl. And even if she was male, she was still a machine. She could not feel “love” for someone. 

It was simply an impossibility. Even Minako had said it herself.

No, this was surely some sort of odd malfunction. It seemed she was overheating as well, considering how hot her body felt. Perhaps it was a consequence of staying activated and fully processing for long periods.

Perhaps getting some rest in her room would take care of the problem...

“Aigis...?”

Apparently, Aigis had been so caught up in herself that she failed to notice Minako flutter her eyes open. 

“Ah… I apologize, Minako-san. I did not mean to wake you.” 

“It’s okay…” she replied, her voice tired and weak. “You didn’t wake me…”

“Do not speak too much. It is best for you to go back to sleep."

If Minako registered what Aigis said, she ignored it. "Hey… why are you here...?"

Aigis only looked away in shame, unsure of how to answer.

Minako pouted. "You were worried about me, weren't you…"

Once again, Aigis didn't answer. 

Minako sighed. "I'm sorry… For always making you worry..." she murmured sadly. "I'll be okay on my own, so please don't waste any more energy on me…"

Aigis blinked in confusion. Minako was sick… surely, taking care of her could not be considered a waste of energy. Plus, why was she apologizing to her? Wasn't she the one who did something she wasn't supposed to?

Even so, with Minako in such a state, it was not the time to ask her about such things. It was time for her to make her exit.

"...Very well, Minako-san. I will return to my room." Opening the door to leave, she looked back one more time. "Please get some more rest."

She nodded. “Mhm. Thanks, Aigis.”

As she closed the door behind her, Aigis was sure that she saw Minako frowning.

Chapter Text

Minako woke with a start at the sound of her alarm clock. After hastily turning it off, she sat up and stared forward, blinking rapidly as her eyes focused. Bright light streamed through her blinds.

She glanced at the calendar. November 9, 2009. Monday. Time to go to school.

So, she slipped into her uniform, ate a quick breakfast, and began her commute, just like any other day.

...Was it really November already?

Over the past few months, Minako had experienced things that no high schooler-- or rather, no person in general-- should ever have to experience. Dangerous encounters, close calls… and the death of a friend.

Just a few days ago, she was betrayed by someone she thought she could trust, chained to a cross, and forced to watch as her closest friend was controlled against her will into nearly killing her and her friends. But even when they overcame all of that… they still couldn’t prevent another death from happening.

...She still hadn’t talked to Mitsuru since then.

And yet, here she was, still walking to school like everything was normal. 

She knew what she was getting into when she joined the fight against the shadows, but she didn’t know that it would be so… painful.

But she couldn’t walk away. If she did, things would only become worse for everyone. She would endure any suffering to protect the friends she cared so deeply for. 

She just had to get stronger, so she could make sure that such things would never happen again. She would not allow death to become a normal part of her life.

As she approached the school gate, she couldn’t help overhearing the gossiping of some nearby girls.

“I heard the boy who’s transferring here today is a stud!”

“Really!? What class!?”

“11th grade, Classroom F.”

Hearing her class, Minako perked up a bit. Another transfer student… that was sure to be interesting.

---

As Minako entered the classroom, she noticed that she was one of the last ones to class, as usual; it wouldn’t be long until the school day started. However, her focus was mostly on a certain robot sitting in the middle of the room. 

Aigis had been attending Gekkoukan with the rest of the team for a few months now; while she still had a ways to go, she was becoming expressive enough to pass as human, so she was allowed to start going to school.Even better, Aigis was given a seat right next to Minako, a stroke of luck that Minako had endless gratitude for. Knowing that she was able to spend the school day so close to Aigis gave Minako something to look forward to when she woke up.

...It didn’t matter that it also hurt a bit, knowing that they wouldn’t ever be closer...

Regardless, at the moment, her neighbor was gazing forward idly, not seeming to notice Minako’s arrival.

“Good morning, Aigis!” Minako exclaimed as she slid into her seat.

“Ah…” Aigis awoke from her trance with a start. “Good morning, Minako-san.”

“What’cha thinkin about? You looked pretty deep in thought,” Minako asked. “Something on your mind?”

Aigis looked down. “...No, it is nothing. Do not concern yourself.”

Minako frowned. She had a bad feeling that things might still be this way. 

Aigis had been acting distant lately, ever since her forced reprogramming at the hands of Ikutsuki. Not that Minako blamed her; she couldn’t imagine what the poor girl was going through after such trauma, especially when she was so inexperienced with emotions...

She winced. Just thinking about that day made those terrible negative thoughts come rushing in again.

Things couldn’t stay like this. Minako needed Aigis back, just as much for her own sake as Aigis’s. Without her smile, it became harder and harder each day for Minako to keep up her positive attitude. She had already found it difficult to do so after what happened at the summer festival, and with all of the suffering the team had gone through lately it had only gotten worse.

She had been giving Aigis some distance, since she obviously wasn’t qualified to help her with such things, but she was starting to not care about that; perhaps she should ask to talk to her after class…

“Alright, everyone, settle down now..”

Minako’s thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Ms. Toriumi.

“Today, we have yet another transfer student,” she continued. “Please, introduce yourself.”

At the front of the classroom stood a boy. His slick hairstyle, pale skin, and yellow scarf gave him a striking appearance that immediately made him stand out from the crowd.

“My name is Ryoji Mochizuki. I would be grateful if you could show me the ropes.”

The new transfer student flashed a charming smile, earning scandalous whispers from some of the girls in the class.

For some reason, Minako felt as if he was smiling at her…

On his way to his new seat, he stopped in front of Aigis’s desk. “Good morning,” he said, smiling gently.

Aigis seemed tense. “You are... dangerous.”

“Whoa, h-hey, Aigis, you can’t just say that out of nowhere…” Minako stammered.

“Dangerous?” Ryoji was taken aback, but didn’t seem offended. “I haven’t even asked you out on a date yet.”

“A… date?” Aigis mumbled. She looked down in silence.

Ryoji tilted his head. “Are you alright?”

“D-Don’t worry about her, she’s just feeling a bit under the weather at the moment,” Minako interjected, desperate to divert the conversation.

Lucky for her, Ms. Toriumi simply put an end to it altogether. “Alright, enough chit chat. Let’s get class started.”

With that, Ryoji took his seat, and the school day began. 

Normally, Minako felt like school went by fast; but today, she felt every hour slowly drag by, hardly paying attention as her thoughts festered. It certainly didn’t help that Aigis didn’t speak a word to her the whole time, only looking forward and taking notes robotically. Ironically enough, that sort of behavior from Aigis filled Minako with unease. 

When the final bell rang, Minako was restless. She needed to talk to Aigis. Hopefully, she could sort everything out, and things would return to normal... 

“A-Aigis, I--”

“Minako-san… if it isn’t too much trouble, can we go to the rooftop? There is… something I would like to discuss.”

Well, that was convenient.

She breathed a sigh of relief. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

Aigis frowned. “Ah… I apologize...”

“No, no, it’s okay!” Minako replied frantically. “There’s no need to apologize! Let’s just go, alright?”

Aigis simply nodded in response.

As the duo made their way out of the classroom and up the stairs, Minako had a realization. Aigis had asked her out to the rooftop, alone… maybe the reason she was acting so strange was because she was having “troubles of the heart”...

When the girls arrived at their destination, they turned to face each other, their hair flowing in the light breeze.

“Minako-san, I…” Aigis looked terribly troubled. “I am scared. I don’t know what to do…”

Minako felt her heartbeat pick up. Was her body shaking? 

“W-What are you scared of?”

“I am… scared of myself…”

Minako wanted to hit herself. To think that her closest friend and ally was confiding in her about her problems, and she was just fixated on her stupid unrequited crush… something must be wrong with her to be like this.

“Why do you feel that way?”

Aigis looked away. “In our battle with Ikutsuki-san… he controlled me. I came so close… to killing everyone. To killing you...” She sounded pained as she spoke. “The possibility of me hurting you... that thought fills me with fear.”

Minako could feel tears forming in her eyes. This was what was bothering Aigis? She was worried that she would hurt her? All this time, it was because of her? 

She really was a terrible friend...

“Oh, Aigis…” she sniffled, wrapping her arms around the robot. “Please don’t worry. I promise that nothing like that will ever happen again. I’ll make sure of it.”

Aigis didn’t move an inch as she was hugged, her arms limp at her sides. “If only… I wasn’t a machine.” she mourned. “I am truly worthless.”

Minako abruptly pulled away. “Aigis. Don’t ever say anything like that again.”

Aigis shook her head sadly. “But… it is true. I was manipulated so easily…”

“But you weren’t.”

“Huh?”

Minako looked sternly at her companion. “You broke out of Ikutsuki’s control, and you attacked him. If you hadn’t done that, we would all be dead right now. You saved us, Aigis.”

Aigis was looking down, conflicted. “I…”

“The fact that you were able to fight it… Doesn’t that prove that you’re more than just a machine? A machine would have simply followed orders without question.” Minako looked into Aigis’s eyes with determination as she delivered her speech. 

“But you didn’t do that... because you’re not just a machine. You did what was right. That’s what people do.”

Aigis held out her hands, staring down at them. “I’m… more than a machine…”

“Of course you are. I always knew that.” Minako smiled warmly, taking Aigis’s hands in hers. “I’m glad you’re realizing it now, too.”

The blonde girl looked into her friend’s eyes with renewed light. “Thank you for your kindness, Minako-san…” she said, bringing her in for a hug. “I will keep fighting for you.”

Minako chuckled softly. “Hey, you shouldn’t just be doing it for me. Do it for everyone.”

“Still… Even if I am more than a machine as you say, I cannot change this body,” Aigis spoke sadly, pulling away to face Minako again. “I find that… frustrating.”

“Huh? What’s wrong with your body?” Minako asked. “Think of all the things that you can do that we can’t!”

“It is true that I have many capabilities that surpass those of humans. But…” she continued somewhat awkwardly, “Such a body is not ideal for… touching.” 

Minako’s face suddenly felt hot. “O-Oh, well, um, I--”

“Oh! Good afternoon, ladies.”

The two girls snapped around to see the new transfer student, Ryoji, on the rooftop with them. Immediately, the girls jumped out of their embrace.

“W-Where did you come from!?” Minako yelled. “A-And how long have you been there!?”

“I just got here,” he answered. “Sorry, am I… interrupting something?”

Minako could feel her face getting even hotter with both embarrassment and anger. “Yes! W-Wait, I mean, it’s nothing like that--”

“Ah, just stop there.” Ryoji interrupted, waving his hands. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” he said with a wink.

“...Alright, I won’t,” Minako grumbled, regaining her composure.

“Say,” he continued, “aren’t you two the girls that I talked to this morning?”

“Yep, that’s us.”

He looked at Aigis. “You’re the one who rejected me as soon as I talked to you.” He chuckled. “You’re an interesting girl.”

Aigis squinted suspiciously, her stance oddly protective. “Why are you here?”

“So harsh! You wound me!” Ryoji teased. “Well, I heard from someone that the view from up here was beautiful, so I wanted to see for myself.” He eyed up the girls, winking. “It seems they were right. This is quite the beautiful view.”

Minako laughed, both appreciative of the comment and impressed at his smoothness. “You seem like a fun guy, Mochizuki-san.” She held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Welcome to Gekkoukan!”

Ryoji smiled warmly, shaking her hand. Out of the corner of her eye, Minako saw Aigis stir a bit, her stance widening.

“Thank you, um…” He seemed lost for a moment. “I'm sorry, but I don’t think I ever caught your names.”

“A-Ah, right...” Minako stammered. “I’m Minako Arisato, and this is Aigis.”

“Nice to meet you, Arisato-san. And it’s nice to meet you too, Aigis.” Ryoji held out his hand to the other girl, but she didn’t move; she only eyed him warily.

Minako let out an awkward chuckle. “Come on, Aigis, don’t just ignore him…”

“You are dangerous,” Aigis repeated.

“Ouch, there it is again…” Ryoji winced. “Not that you’re wrong for thinking that way. I have been known to steal hearts,” he added with a wink.

Minako would have laughed at the smooth joke, but her mind was elsewhere. Why was Aigis acting this way? Ryoji had done nothing to warrant such behavior, but surely she had some reason… Did she see something in him that she didn’t?

When she thought about it more, she did feel that something was different about Ryoji. It wasn’t dissimilar to the feelings she had gotten from Aigis when they first met; a feeling that they were important somehow… as well as a strange sense of familiarity. For some reason, it gave her an urge to become closer to him.

“Well, I should get going now.” Ryoji sighed. “Say, Arisato-san… Would you like to grab some coffee with me at Chagall Cafe sometime?” He placed his hand on his chest proudly. “My treat, of course.”

“Sure, that sounds fun!” Minako replied. “By the way, you can just call me Minako.”

Ryoji smiled. “Sure thing; you can call me Ryoji, too.”

“You got it!”

Suddenly, Ryoji’s expression became strangely serious. “You know… for some reason, I already feel a strong connection to you, Minako. I wonder why that is…” He almost seemed sad as he spoke.

“Ah, sorry about that. Didn’t mean to get so serious. Maybe it means that we’re fated to be together!” Just like that, he was back to his normal, bright self. “Anyway, I’ll leave now. I look forward to seeing you again soon!”

With that, he was gone, leaving only the two girls on the rooftop once again. As soon as he disappeared behind the door, Minako could see the tension release from Aigis’s body.

Minako was quick to ask what was on her mind. “Aigis, what was bothering you about him? Why do you keep calling him dangerous?”

“I…” Aigis clutched her chest, her eyes down. “I’m not sure... it’s... just a feeling.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I look at him, I get the same feeling that I was just telling you about… fear,” she answered slowly. “Fear... of you being hurt.”

Minako felt uneasy. Why was Ryoji giving both of them such strange feelings, and why were those feelings so different from each other? What was there to the new transfer student that they couldn’t yet see? 

Aigis turned to Minako, her eyes worried. “Please, just promise me… that you’ll be careful around him.”

“Of course, Aigis,” Minako reassured her. “Geez, you really do worry about me too much. You think I can’t handle him? He’s just another overconfident flirty guy,” she added playfully. “Now come on, let’s head home. I think we both need some rest.”

After a bit of hesitation, Aigis nodded. “Yes… let us return.”

---

“Ah! Minako-san!”

Walking past the school gate, Minako stopped and turned to see Ryoji jogging towards her. 

“Oh, good morning, Ryoji!”

He smiled as he caught up to her. “I’m glad I saw you. Are you excited for the trip?”

“Hell yeah I am!” she replied, beaming. “It’s gonna be fun!”

Today was the day of the class field trip; soon, everyone--  even Akihiko and Mitsuru-- would be on their way to Kyoto.

“Your enthusiasm is as infectious as always,” Ryoji chuckled. “If you’ve decided that it will be fun, I have no doubts that you’ll make it so.”

“Hehe… you know me well.”

It had only been about a week since she had met Ryoji, but the two had already managed to form a bond over several days out together. It was somewhat strange; Minako had always prided herself on her ability to make friends quickly, but something about Ryoji made her feel as if she had known him for much longer than she actually had.

“Still, we shouldn’t be late,” she continued. “Let’s get going.”

After the two made their way to the classroom, it wasn’t long before they were boarding the train to Kyoto. While Akihiko and Mitsuru were unfortunately seated in a different car, the second-year students chatted it up together on the way.

“Man, why do we have to go to Kyoto?” Junpei groaned. “This is supposed to be the highlight of the year!”

“Oh, come on, Junpei, quit your whining,” Minako chided. “I promise it’ll be fun!”

“Personally, I’m glad we’re going to Kyoto. I think it’s a beautiful place,” remarked Ryoji. “And, even if you think it’s lame, Junpei-kun; at least we still get a few days off of school, right?”

“Yeah, I guess I can’t argue with that…” Junpei sighed. “But still, couldn’t they have picked somewhere a bit more fun?”

“Well, I did some research, and it at least looks like the place we’re staying is really nice,” Fuuka chimed in. “There’s even a hot spring!”

That certainly piqued Junpei’s interest. “Whoa… do you think they’re co-ed?”

“What kind of place do you think we’re going, Stupei!?” yelled Yukari.

As everyone laughed, Minako turned to Aigis, who was sitting beside her. “How about you, Aigis? Are you excited for Kyoto?”

“Ah…” Aigis seemed startled, as if she had been woken up. “Yes... I am quite looking forward to the new experience.”

Minako’s smile faded. “Is something on your mind?” she asked, her voice lowered. “You know you can tell me about anything.”

“No, I am fine,” she assured, her expression blank. “Do not concern yourself, Minako-san.”

While Minako wasn’t entirely convinced, she decided not to probe any further. “Alright… but if anything bothers you, promise you’ll tell me, alright?”

Aigis nodded, smiling softly. Minako would simply have to trust her.

“Hey, why are you smiling now, Junpei?” came Yukari’s voice. “Whatever you’re thinking about, stop it!”

Minako chuckled. This trip was certainly looking to be lively.

---

“Mmm… This is delicious!”

“I agree. The color is a bit off-putting, though...”

Minako and Ryoji sat together at the bank of the Kamogawa river, snacking on green tea crepes that they had bought from a nearby stand. 

“It doesn’t matter as long as they’re good!” Minako replied enthusiastically.

“Haha, you’re right.”

The two shared a moment of silence, Minako looking into the afternoon sky as she munched on her crepe, while Ryoji stared into the rushing water of the river.

“Thank you… for coming here with me, Minako-san.”

“No problem! This is really nice.”

“You can’t find this in Iwatodai.” He chuckled. “It makes me kind of happy.”

Minako turned to Ryoji, hastily swallowing the last of her crepe. “What do you mean?”

“I’m having new experiences, and I get to share them with you. That’s what I enjoy so much.”

“Oh… I see.” Minako found herself a bit flustered at Ryoji’s words.

“This place is filled with couples,” he observed. Looking around, Minako could see that he was right; pairs of people dotted the bank of the river.

She over-exaggerated her surprise. “W-Wow, you’re right!” 

“Hey, what kinds of things do lovers talk about?”

“W-What? I mean, I-I wouldn’t know…”

“Is that so?” Ryoji tilted his head curiously. “Does that mean you’ve never had a boyfriend?”

She looked away. “Y-Yeah, I guess so…”

“I see…” Ryoji smiled contentedly.

Minako’s mind was a mess. Sure, her and Ryoji were pretty close, but they hadn’t known each other for very long at all! Why the hell was he saying these kinds of things!? Even worse, why was she actually getting flustered over them!? Her heart belonged to someone else…!

...But that someone didn’t want it... right?

What should she do…?

“Hey…” Ryoji suddenly spoke. “Would you be willing to see me again like this after the trip? I’d like to spend more time with you.”

Minako answered without thinking. “S-Sure, that sounds nice.”

“How does this Sunday sound? The 22nd.”

“Alright.”

Ryoji beamed. “Excellent! Honestly, I was anxious to ask.” He stood up, reaching out his hand. “Now, shall we head back? I’d say it’s about that time.”

Hesitantly, Minako took his hand and stood up. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

This was okay. She had time to think about this; at the very least, until Sunday. Surely, by then, she would be able to sort out her feelings…

---

At last, evening had fallen, and all of the students had arrived back at the hotel for the night. Tomorrow morning, they would leave Kyoto; but there was still one more thing left to do.

“Ah….” Minako sighed deeply as she slid into the relaxing waters of the hotel’s outdoor hot spring. “I’ve been waiting for this…”

“Hehe, you sound like Akihiko-senpai!” Fuuka giggled.

“This is excellent…” Mitsuru sighed contentedly. “It’s as if the tension in my body is simply melting away…”

“Yeah, this feels great…” Yukari echoed, closing her eyes in relaxation.

“It’s too bad that Aigis can’t really get the same experience,” Fuuka added.

Minako frowned. Knowing of Aigis’s insecurities, she worried about her reaction to the comment. However, turning to look at her, she seemed completely unphased. In fact, her attention seemed to be fixated on something on Minako’s body…

“Aigis...?”

She quickly snapped her eyes back up, looking startled.

“Are you okay?” Minako continued.

“Ah… Yes, I apologize. Perhaps the heat of the water is getting to me…”

Minako narrowed her eyes. Was Aigis… blushing? No, maybe it was just some side effect of the heat on her body… or maybe she was just seeing things.

Suddenly, Mitsuru let out a laugh. “You two make quite the pair!.”

For a moment, Minako looked at Mitsuru in surprise; but quickly, a smile crept across her face. “You know, Mitsuru… you’ve seemed a lot more cheerful lately,” she said. “I’m really glad. I was worried about you.”

Mitsuru, at least, was definitely blushing. “Oh… is that so? Well, I’m glad that it seems that way.” She seemed to glance in Yukari’s direction, earning a grin from her in response.

Minako squinted in confusion. What exactly went on between those two? Well, not that it mattered. Mitsuru was okay, and that’s what was important. Whatever had led that to happen could remain between them.

After the girls relaxed in silence for a few moments, Minako spoke up again. “Well, while we’re here, what do you guys wanna talk about?”

Yukari sat up. “Actually, I have something in mind,” she said mischievously. “Since the boys are gone… who do you all like?”

“H-Huh?” Fuuka exclaimed. “W-Why do we have to talk about that?”

Mitsuru looked away, flustered. “I-I’m not sure that this type of discussion is for me.”

Minako’s face was feeling hot, and she didn’t think it was from the hot springs. “Y-Yeah, let’s talk about something else. I-I don’t really have anyone I like anyway, so…”

“Really, Minako-chan? It’s just, you’ve been spending a lot of time with Ryoji-kun lately.” Yukari teased. “Some people even said they saw you two together at the riverbank today.”

“W-What!? That was just…!” Minako tried frantically to find words to excuse herself, but found herself at a loss. What was she supposed to say…?

Suddenly, a loud splash came from elsewhere in the hot spring.

“U-Um, guys? D-Did you hear that?” Fuuka asked, her voice trembling.

“W-What was that? I-Is there something here?” Yukari stammered.

While Minako was grateful for the change in subject, this situation was still far from ideal. “I don’t know,” she replied. “I’m sure it was nothing. I’ll go look around…”

She circled around the hot spring, checking for any signs of anything that could have caused the noise. She rounded the edge of the rock that acted as a centerpiece, peeking into the hollow area there, afraid of what she might find…

Minako let out a sigh of relief at what she saw. “Hah… phew, it was just Junpei…”

“...Wait, it was Junpei!?”

As she looked further into the hollow area, she saw that he wasn’t alone; Akihiko and Ryoji were also hiding behind him.

“Um, uh, ah…” Junpei stuttered, his eyes wide with fear.

By this time, the other girls had come to see what was going on.

“What the hell are you doing here!?” Yukari shrieked.

“This is a misunderstanding!!” Akihiko shouted frantically.

“Silence!” yelled Mitsuru. “I’m going to execute you all!”

The look on Mitsuru’s face was more fierce than Minako had ever seen before…

---

Later that night, after the boys had finally been defrosted, Minako rested in her shared room with Yukari, Fuuka, and Aigis. Thoughts danced in her head as she laid her bed.

The trip was finally over. Even with what had happened in the hot spring, Minako had made plenty of memories with her friends that she wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. She couldn’t be anything but grateful for that. Even the hot spring incident was something she was sure she could look back on and laugh.

Just as sleep was about to overtake her, she heard a voice.

“Minako-san…”

She opened her eyes to find Aigis looming over her… surprisingly, a sight that wasn’t too out of the ordinary at that point.

“Aigis…? What’s up?” she muttered, blinking her tiredness away.

“May I talk to you? I have already assured that the others are asleep.”

Minako sat up. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

Aigis hesitated, glancing away for a moment. “You... told me earlier to let you know if something was bothering me.”

“What’s bothering you?”

“Are you... and Ryoji-san… a couple?”

Minako suddenly felt a bit sick to her stomach. “N-No, we aren’t.”

“I see.” Aigis paused, her expression unchanging. “Is it true... that you’ve been spending a lot of time with him?”

Minako winced. “Y-Yeah, I guess so…”

“I see…” Aigis repeated, sounding disappointed.

“I’m--”

“Will you stop seeing him?”

“H-Huh?” Minako laughed awkwardly. “After the stunt he just pulled, maybe so, haha...”

“Minako-san...”

Minako shut her mouth, looking at Aigis’s face. Her eyes were far more expressive than she had ever seen… they looked terrified.

“Please… I’m scared.”

“D-Don’t you think that’s a lot to ask…?”

“If you continue to see him, you will surely be hurt. Please…” She shut her eyes tightly, as if in pain. “I cannot let that happen...”

Silence filled the room.

Minako felt like she could throw up.

But when Aigis was pleading so desperately before her, with such a pained expression... what other choice did she have?

“...Okay.”

“Huh?” Aigis’s eyes shot open.

“I’ll keep my distance,” Minako murmured. “I don’t understand why you feel like this, or how you can be so sure, but…” She took Aigis’s hand in hers. “I trust you.”

Suddenly, Aigis threw her arms around her. “Thank you, Minako-san…”

“Y-You’re welcome, but... can you let me sleep now?” she pleaded. “I feel like this could’ve waited until morning...”

“Ah… I apologize.” Aigis looked ashamed as she released her.

“It’s okay... don’t worry about it,” Minako reassured softly. “Goodnight, Aigis.”

“Goodnight, Minako-san.”

---

Minako rubbed her eyes, sitting up slowly as she stirred awake. Light from the window illuminated her dorm room. Once her eyes had fully focused, she glanced at the calendar.

Sunday… no school today. What should she do? Perhaps she could go see that boy at the shrine...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of her cell phone. She flipped it open to see the name of the caller; Ryoji Mochizuki.

Shit. It was Sunday. She had totally forgotten about her plans with Ryoji…

She stared at the phone screen, frantically racking her brain for options. She could simply ignore the call… no, that was a bad idea. Should she make up some sort of an excuse about why she couldn’t come? It would be rude to cancel, especially when he was so excited about it… but she had to keep her promise to Aigis, right…?

It had been so easy, that night, to make that promise… but was it really the right choice? In hindsight, she was tired, she let her feelings for Aigis get the better of her, and she agreed to something ridiculous. How could she be expected to completely cut ties with someone just because Aigis had a bad feeling?

Even so, she hadn’t been lying that night. She truly did trust Aigis, and she surely must have good reason for asking such a thing of her…

She answered the phone.

“Good morning, Minako!” Ryoji’s cheery voice came through the speaker. “Our plans are still on for today, correct?”

Minako gulped. “Y-Yeah.”

There was a pause. “Are you alright, Minako?”

“S-Sorry, yeah. I’m just still waking up…”

“Well, alright,” Ryoji responded. “Then can you meet up with me at Paulownia Mall in about an hour?”

“Sure, works for me.”

“Excellent! I’ll see you then.”

With that, the call ended, and Minako let out a deep sigh. There was no turning back now.

This was fine. It was just one day of hanging out. She had already made the plans, anyway, and Aigis wouldn’t find out about it regardless. If Ryoji asked her out again at the end of the day, she would just say that she was busy, and everything would be over.

Nothing left to do but get ready for her date.

---

Minako fidgeted nervously, sitting on a bench near the edge of the fountain in Paulownia Mall. She glanced at the time on her phone; Ryoji would be arriving soon. 

She took a deep breath, trying her best to compose herself. If Ryoji saw her acting strangely, things would only get worse. This was just a normal outing with her friend, just like any other day; there was nothing to be nervous about...

“Ah, Minako-san.”

Minako tensed up. That wasn’t Ryoji’s voice.

She looked up to see Aigis standing before her, wearing her school uniform.

“A-Aigis!? What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you. Ken-kun said you went out this morning, so I checked here,” she replied. “There is something I would like to talk to you about.”

Minako’s eyes darted around, trying desperately to think of a way to get out of the situation. “A-Alright! Can we talk somewhere else, though?” She shot up out of her seat and took Aigis’s hand. “Th-This place is kinda crowded, so…”

Aigis blinked in confusion as she was dragged away. “...Alright, as you wish…”

“Minako! Hey!”

Minako froze in fear. Please, not now… this was the worst possible timing...

“A-Ah! Ryoji! It’s nice seeing you here!”

Ryoji cocked his head. “Huh? Were we not supposed to meet up here?”

“Oh, um…”

Aigis pulled her hand away.

“Aigis, I--…”

“It is fine,” she interrupted, her expression terrifyingly blank. She turned around. “I... hope you enjoy your time.”

She left. Just like that, Aigis was gone.

“Is she okay?” Ryoji asked. “Did something happen. And... why was she wearing her school uniform?”

“I don’t really feel like hanging out anymore,” Minako muttered.

Ryoji opened his mouth to say something, but closed it shortly after. “I-I see. I understand,” he said sadly.

That was all Minako needed to hear before she walked off, not looking back.

She didn’t know where she would go; she just knew she needed to be alone.

She really hoped that nobody saw her tears.

Chapter Text

It was the Dark Hour.

A suffocating aura of green filled the control room of the dorm. In it, Fuuka stood inside of Juno, scanning the city.

It was a full moon; none of them had known what to expect after they had already defeated the 12 Shadows, but nobody was prepared for Aigis to go missing.

Minako paced back and forth in a panic, worst-case scenarios running through her head at a rapid rate. Had Aigis been captured? Was she in danger? Had she simply left on her own? Maybe she was already dead, and that was why Fuuka couldn’t sense her…

The rest of SEES looked on nervously. None of them had ever seen their leader this worked up; she had always seemed able to face any challenge, yet she seemed as if she would crack at any moment now. Koromaru whimpered, no doubt sensing Minako’s intense anxiety. Silently, Ken bent down to pat his head in a weak effort to comfort him.

Just as Minako felt as if she was going to break down, Fuuka spoke up.

“I’ve confirmed Aigis’s location! She’s on the Moonlight Bridge!”

Minako immediately jumped into action. “Everyone, move! We have to find her, now!” she commanded. Drawing her evoker, she rushed for the door.

Not having the courage to object against their leader in her current state, the rest of SEES followed after her, evokers in hand.

---

Koromaru was the first to spot her. He dashed towards her, circling and barking wildly.

Minako’s stomach dropped as she saw Aigis slumped over on the ground, sparking and smoking.

“AIGIS!!”

She sprinted to her side, throwing down her evoker to cradle Aigis’s body. Weak jolts of electricity were sent up her arms, but she couldn’t care less.

“Are you okay!? What happened to you!?” Minako shouted frantically, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

“I’m sorry… I…” Aigis responded weakly. “I… remember everything…”

“What? What do you mean? What happened, Aigis?”

“Who I am… Who… you are…”

Aigis slowly extended her hand to Minako, who took it tightly in hers in an instant.

“I know why I wanted to be by your side…” she continued. “I’m sorry… I failed…”

Minako brought Aigis closer to her. “It’s okay, Aigis… It’s going to be okay, I promise…” she whimpered through her tears.

“There’s no need for you to apologize.”

Minako froze, her eyes widening. That voice…

She turned around to see her suspicions confirmed; Ryoji was standing there, a pained look on his face.

“Ryoji-kun!?” Yukari exclaimed. “Wait, what are you doing here?”

Before Ryoji could answer that question, Minako suddenly felt Aigis go limp in her arms. She looked back to find that Aigis’s eyes were shut tightly.

“Aigis…?” She shook her body slightly, getting no response. “AIGIS!?”

“I’m sorry…” Ryoji spoke sadly. “It’s all my fault…”

Minako rose slowly, setting Aigis down lightly on the ground. She turned to face Ryoji, her fists clenched so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms. “You…”

“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO HER, YOU BASTARD!?”

“Wait, Arisato!” shouted Mitsuru. “He’s not showing any signs of aggression!”

Minako’s entire body was tense with rage, but she managed to hold herself back. “You better have a damn good explanation for this…” she growled.

He took a deep breath in before he spoke. “I… am the same as the beings you call ‘Shadows’.”

Everyone was stunned. “You’re a Shadow!?” exclaimed Junpei in shock.

“The Appriser… born from the union of the 12 Arcana,” Ryoji responded

The 12 Arcana… did he mean the 12 Shadows?

“10 years ago, I was awoken in an incomplete state,” he continued. “Shortly after, I fought with Aigis, on this very bridge…”

Minako’s rage faded, replaced with bewilderment. “You… fought with Aigis…?” 

10 years ago… on the Moonlight Bridge... 

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as the realization hit her. That horrible night when her parents died… the reason she had felt like she had seen Aigis before...

“She couldn’t defeat me, so she made the decision to seal me inside of a suitable vessel…” Ryoji looked at Minako, pain in his eyes. “A child... that happened to be standing nearby…”

Yukari followed his gaze, stepping back in shock. “Y-You mean…”

“...Me.” interrupted Minako.

The rest of SEES made noises of surprise at the revelation before Ryoji continued.

“I lived on inside of you... until the 12 Arcana were reunited, and I could take on my true form… Death.”

“Th-Then… Pharos…” Minako stammered.

Ryoji nodded sadly. “Yes… that was a form I took on when I was within you. Now I know why I felt such a connection to you when we met at school…”

Minako felt like she was going to throw up. The boy that had visited her so often in her dreams was none other than Ryoji, sealed inside of her by Aigis. Everything was starting to become clear. The origin of her unique power… The reason she had felt like she knew Ryoji… As well as the reason Aigis had felt so scared of him.

“I’m… sorry…” Ryoji’s voice was desperate. “There’s more… I need… to tell you…” Suddenly, his knees buckled, sending him tumbling to the ground.

“Ryoji-kun!” exclaimed Fuuka, rushing to his side. Crouching over him for a moment, she looked back up at the rest of the group. “He’s unconscious…”

Minako rubbed a hand on her forehead. “God damn it… What the hell is going on…?”

Mitsuru sighed deeply. “It seems we’ll have to let him rest. We can get more information from him later,” she said. “For now, we have to tend to Aigis.”

Minako turned to Aigis’s limp body, tears forming in her eyes once again. She was completely powerless. There was nothing she could do in this situation… she could only wait and hope that things would turn out okay, as unlikely as that seemed.

In time, the team gathered Ryoji and Aigis and returned to the dorm. Luckily, Aigis’s damage wasn’t lethal, but it would apparently take her several weeks worth of repairs at the lab to fully function properly again. While it was still painful news, Minako could only be relieved that Aigis was going to be okay.

But even so, Minako’s anxiety ate away at her like a parasite. This whole time, the Appriser had been living inside of her… did that mean that she was the reason that the 12 Shadows had attacked? Had she been putting her friends in danger, simply by existing?

Even worse, Aigis had sensed that something was wrong about Ryoji, and had even warned her about it… but she didn’t listen. She broke her promise, and soured her relationship with Aigis. Maybe if she had listened to her, Aigis wouldn’t have gone out alone… then she wouldn’t have gotten hurt. 

For the past month, Aigis had been worried about Minako getting hurt. Now, since Minako didn’t listen to her, she ended up getting Aigis hurt. What kind of friend was she…?

But the thing that bothered Minako most, even though she hated herself for it, was something that Aigis had said before she had passed out. That she knew why she wanted to be close to her… 

There was nothing special about her that made Aigis drawn to her. It was just because she was carrying the Appriser, which Aigis had sealed inside of her. It could have been anyone. There was nothing more to it than that. 

She had never stood a chance.

---

By the day after the full moon, Ryoji had recovered. That night, the team gathered in the control room, and Ryoji explained everything.

The true nature of Shadows… the sign of the Appriser… the coming of Nyx...

By the end of the year, all of humanity would be functionally wiped out in the Fall, all turned into the lost. The only choice they were given was how they would die; if they killed Ryoji, then the Fall would be delayed; but they would lose their memories of the Dark Hour, Shadows, Personas… everything.

It had been weeks since that night, and while death loomed over them, everyone was just going to school and living their lives like they always had. Even Christmas had passed, just like any other year. After all, it wasn’t like anything could be done.

Minako had always believed that if she just kept her head up and persevered, she would be able to overcome anything. But now, staring death in the face, she was completely powerless. She was a failure. She couldn’t even turn to Aigis for strength; that was her fault, too.

She wished she would just drop dead.

Tonight, SEES sat together in the lounge of the dorm, called there by Mitsuru. It had been almost a month since Ryoji gave them their choice. In two days, on New Year’s Eve, he would return, and they would have to make their choice...

“So…” she began, “Have you all arrived at a decision?”

Akihiko was the first to speak up. “I have. I’m going to fight against the Fall,” he declared triumphantly. “Even if it is hopeless, I’m not just going to go out without a fight. What’s there to be accomplished by just lying down and waiting to die?”

“I agree with Akihiko-senpai.” Surprisingly, Fuuka was next. “We’ve all been through so much together… I can’t throw that away. And besides…” she added, “I don’t want to kill Ryoji-kun…”

“Yeah, we have to fight,” interjected Yukari. “I mean, we’ve won every battle so far, so we’ll just take care of Nyx like we always do, right?”

Minako watched in awe as one by one all of the members of SEES pledged their support. Did they not understand what was happening…?

Mitsuru smirked. “I see. I’m glad you all feel the same. We’ll fight Nyx, and we will win. We cannot let the Fall come to pass.”

“How can you all be so confident?” Minako spat. “Did you not hear what Ryoji said? Nyx is undefeatable. This isn’t just something you can solve by fighting.” She looked down, her words becoming weaker. “Maybe… it would be better if we just… forgot about all this.”

The rest of SEES looked at their leader in shock, seemingly unable to believe the words coming out of her mouth.

Fuuka’s eyes were wide. “Minako-chan…?”

“This isn’t like you…” Junpei murmured with fear.

“Arisato…” It was a rare sight to see Mitsuru so shaken up. “I know you’ve been going through a lot, what with Aigis being gone…”

The mention of Aigis sent Minako shooting up out of her seat. “Don’t you bring her into this,” she growled. “Do any of you even care that she’s not here right now? Hell, you all seem more concerned about fucking Ryoji .”

“Arisato, calm down!” Mitsuru barked. “Of course we care that she’s gone! She was an incredibly valuable asset to all of us. Without her, we wouldn’t have ever gotten this far.”

Minako’s rage flared. “Are you fucking serious? An ‘asset’? That’s what she was to you?” she spat. “You really don’t have any emotions.”

She regretted that comment as soon as it came out of her mouth. Mitsuru recoiled, a look of betrayal on her face. The onlooking team members were equally shocked, all staring at Minako with fear.

Furious at herself, Minako clenched her fists. “God damn it… Aigis could be dead right now, and it’s my fault, do you all understand that!?” She did her best to hold back her tears as she continued. “I’m a failure of a leader, so why do you all even care what I say about this!?”

Before anyone could answer her, Minako reached her breaking point. “I’m sorry… I-I should go...”

With that, Minako dashed up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her, not even bothering to turn on the lights. Flopping onto her bed, she buried her face in her pillow and screamed as hard as she could, her emotions flowing out of her uncontrollably as she cried.

She couldn’t take this. It was too much. Everything was falling apart, and it was all her fault. Everyone was counting on her, and she failed them. She had tried so hard, for so long, to put on a brave face for her friends… to be their strength, their fearless leader who was capable of anything... but that wasn’t what she was. She was nothing but a useless, vulnerable mess, and now they had all just seen that for themselves.

A knock on her door momentarily brought her out of her head.

“Arisato? Can I come in?”

It was Mitsuru’s voice… no doubt, she was here to scold her for losing herself earlier. Whatever. If this was her punishment, then so be it. She deserved it.

“Yeah, come in…” she answered weakly, her face still in her pillow.

The door opened. “Can we talk for a bit?”

Minako sat up, bracing herself to be yelled at… but when she looked up at Mitsuru’s face, she saw not anger, but sorrow.

“May I sit?”

Minako nodded, and Mitsuru took a seat beside her on the bed.

Mitsuru fidgeted before continuing. “I’d… like to apologize.”

“Huh...? What do you have to apologize for?”

“My behavior regarding Aigis was... inappropriate, to say the least. It’s no secret that you’re much closer to her than any of us. With all the pressure you surely must be under at the moment, it was no wonder you reacted the way you did,” Mitsuru spoke. “I must admit, I’m still… not very good at taking the emotions of others into account before speaking. So… I’m sorry.”

Minako blinked. This was pretty much the complete opposite of how she thought this was going to go. Shouldn’t she be the one doing the apologizing?

“It’s okay, Mitsuru… you didn't do anything wrong. It's my fault for freaking out like I did..." She sighed, her head low. "I really am a terrible leader, aren't I…?

Mitsuru's eyes widened. "What? Arisato, you--"

"Aigis warned me about Ryoji. She sensed how dangerous he was, and warned me to stay away from him. I promised her that I would, but…” She gritted her teeth. “I broke that promise… I betrayed her trust. Maybe, If I hadn’t done that, she wouldn’t have gone to fight him alone and gotten hurt…”

“Arisato…”

“I don’t deserve to be the leader… I can’t do anything…” Minako’s body began to tremble as she went on. “I couldn’t help Aigis, I couldn’t save Shinjiro,  or your dad, and now, I don’t even have the courage to stand up when you need me most…” By this time, tears were freely flowing down her face. “What’s wrong with me...?”

“Minako!”

Minako’s head shot up in surprise. Mitsuru almost never called her by her first name…

“Minako,” Mitsuru repeated assertedly. “Just because you’re our leader does not mean you need to be perfect. And it especially does not mean that every bad thing that happens is your fault!” She stood up, continuing her speech with confidence. “I will not allow you to shoulder so many burdens on your own. We are your teammates and your friends! We’re here for you for a reason, so stop trying to take on all of your troubles alone!”

“Mitsuru…” Minako found herself tearing up now for a different reason. Without warning, she threw her arms around the redhead, hugging her tightly.

“Wha-- Arisato, please!” Mitsuru objected.

Minako pulled away, smiling. “Sorry, sorry, you’re just too cute…”

“Th-Thank you, I suppose…” Mitsuru stammered, blushing.

“Thank you for the uplifting speech,” Minako echoed. “It was just what I needed, and you’re right. I don’t have to take on these things alone.” She grinned. “I guess I need to start relying on you guys more, huh?”

“Of course. Please, if something is troubling you, let us be your strength,” Mitsuru replied. “Now, let’s go downstairs, shall we? The others are waiting for their leader.”

Minako nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

But as the two entered the hallway, they were surprised to find that said others were closer than they thought.

Seeing Minako, Koromaru’s tail began wagging. “Arf, arf!” 

“Uh… hey! We were just… ah…” Junpei’s eyes frantically darted around, clearly trying to think of an excuse, eventually giving up. “...We were listening in on you guys.”

“We’re sorry!!” shouted Fuuka.

“I-I tried to stop them, I swear!” stammered Ken.

“What the hell are you talking about!?” Objected Junpei. “You were the one who suggested it in the first place!”

Mitsuru sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “This is giving me a terrible sense of déjà vu … ”

Minako, on the other hand, couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing, garnering some strange looks from her friends.

“You guys… I love you all so much!”

As Minako came down from her laughter, the other members of SEES smiled, happy to see their leader in high spirits once again.

“You know what? We’re not gonna let anyone else suffer!” Minako declared loudly. “We’re all gonna go kick Nyx’s ass!”

The friends all cheered triumphantly, and Minako beamed. If she was to be honest with herself, deep down, she was still filled with fear and uncertainty; but with such incredible friends at her side, how could she let that stop her?

---

The next morning, as Minako exited her room, she found Mitsuru in the dorm hallway

“Ah, Arisato, excellent timing! I have news that I believe you’ll be very happy to hear.”

Minako, who was previously still not completely awake, perked up after hearing that. “I’m listening...”

“I just received a report from the Kirijo lab,” Mitsuru declared. “It appears that Aigis has been fully repaired, and will be returning to the dorm today!”

Minako’s face lit up in an instant, “That’s…” she breathed a quick sigh of relief. “That’s great! That’s great news!”

Quickly, though, Minako’s anxieties took hold of her once again, her smile fading. Would Aigis even be happy to see her? Not only could she still be upset about the incident with Ryoji, but…

Mitsuru was quick to pick up that something was wrong, raising an eyebrow. “Arisato? This isn’t quite the reaction I expected…”

“Ah, sorry!” Minako quickly forced a smile. “I’m just a little nervous, you know? Nothing to worry about, I promise.”

Mitsuru’s eyes narrowed. “Arisato. We just talked about this.”

“Ah…” Minako looked away in shame, scratching the back of her head. “Sorry, you’re right… I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”

“What’s on your mind? Please, tell me.” Mitsuru smiled warmly. “I’m here for you.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll spill,” Minako sighed. “I’m just… worried about Aigis.”

“Arisato, I’m sure she’s totally fine. The scientists--”

Minako waved her hands. “No, that’s not it! It’s… W-Well, it’s really selfish, okay? I-I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine. Just tell me.” Mitsuru seemed to be growing impatient.

“I-I’m worried that she might not… be as close to me anymore.”

Mitsuru cocked her head. “Why is that?”

“W-Well, the reason she wanted to be so close to me in the first place was probably because Ryoji was living inside me, right?” Minako’s face reddened as she spoke. “S-So, now that he’s not there anymore, maybe she won’t care about me anymore…”

Mitsuru began chuckling. “Oh, Arisato...”

Minako’s face became bright red, her cheeks puffing up. “W-What!? Why are you laughing!? You told me to tell you!”

“No, it’s just…” Mitsuru grinned. “You’re quite silly, you know that?”

“Huh?”

“If that were true, then why would Aigis have been so worried about you getting close to Ryoji? He obviously wasn’t within you at that point.”

“I… Oh. Yeah. That’s… right.”

Mitsuru chuckled again, louder this time. “Were you so wrapped up in your self-pity that you happened to overlook that detail?”

“H-Hey, I get it, I’m stupid, okay!?” Minako shouted, her face still red. “You don't have to rub it in…”

“Haha, come on, I think it’s only fair that I get to tease you a little bit,” Mitsuru replied.

With that, Minako couldn’t help but laugh at herself, and soon the two girls were laughing together in the hallway.

“Thanks, Mitsuru-senpai,” said Minako as she came down from her laughter. “I sure am glad I told you.”

“I hope you now see the value of a second opinion, Arisato.” She raised a finger. “Consider this a lesson.”

Minako saluted jokingly. “Yes, ma’am! Lesson learned”

“Haha, good,” she chuckled. “Anyway, Aigis will be here sometime this evening. Be sure to be here by then.”

Minako nodded. “Gotcha. Thanks for the heads up, Mitsuru-senpai.”

“Anytime. I'll see you tonight.”

---

The moment Aigis entered the dorm, Minako had already thrown herself onto her, holding her tightly in her arms.

“Aigis… I’m so glad you’re back…” she murmured, barely holding back tears.

Aigis didn’t move at all in response. “I am… glad to be back as well.”

Minako pulled away. Something was wrong. Were her fears coming true…?

“We were really worried about you, you know,” remarked Junpei.

Aigis’s gaze fell. “I am… a machine. I can always be rebuilt,” she stated. “There was never any need to be worried about me.”

Minako winced. “Aigis, don’t talk like that…”

Aigis looked up, a pained expression on her face. “Minako-san... I’m… sorry.”

This again? How come every time she feels like she needs to apologize to someone, they apologize to her instead?

“What reason do you have to be sorry?”

“Mitsuru-senpai told me… everything. About Ryoji…” She paused, looking around at the other members. “You are all suffering because of my actions…”

Minako took a step back, confused. “Huh? What are you talking about, Aigis?”

“I was the one who sealed Ryoji inside of you all those years ago…” Aigis answered. “If I had not done that, you would all not be faced with such a difficult decision.”

“Aigis, no…” Minako shook her head sadly. “You did what you had to do. It wasn’t your fault…”

Aigis didn’t respond, her gaze downcast once again.

“And besides… we aren’t suffering.”

“What?”

Minako glanced around at the rest of the group, who all smiled knowingly in response. “We’ve all already made our decision. We’re going to fight Nyx.”

A look of shock and fear quickly came to Aigis’s face. “No… no, you can’t! You’ll all die! I… I can’t let that happen!”

“No, we’re not,” interjected Akihiko. “Because we’re going to win.”

“Besides, even if we do die, it’s better than the alternative,” added Junpei. “Losing all of our memories of each other? What kind of ending is that?”

Aigis shook her head in disbelief. “No… I don’t understand…”

“As long as we have the ability to fight, we’re going to fight to the end,” Minako declared. “So we can keep on living.”

Suddenly, Aigis paused, as if she had a revelation. “Living… I see…”

Minako tilted her head. “Hm?”

“I cannot understand… because I do not know what it means to ‘live’.”

“What?” Yukari exclaimed. “Of course you do, Aigis, you--”

“No,” Aigis interrupted. “I am a machine… I am not ‘living’. It is more accurate to say that I am ‘functioning’...” She paused. “No... I cannot even do that…”

“What do you mean?” asked Ken.

“I was created for the purpose of defeating Shadows. But I could not defeat Ryoji…” She fell onto her knees. “I’m a failure. I have no purpose.”

“Aigis, no!” Minako objected. “Just because you couldn’t defeat one Shadow by yourself doesn’t mean that you have no purpose. Besides, I don’t think that that should be your purpose anyway.”

Aigis looked up in confusion. “I don’t understand...”

“Just because you were created for that purpose doesn’t mean that it’s your purpose in life .” Minako crouched down to Aigis’s level, taking her hand like she had many times before. “That’s for you to decide, Aigis.”

“Purpose… in life…” Aigis repeated. “But… I’m a machine…”

“Oh, come on, Aigis,” Minako sighed. “I’ve told you so many times how much more you are than that.”

“Yeah! You mean a lot to us, Aigis!” Junpei exclaimed.

“We love you, Aigis!” added Fuuka. “You’re our friend, not a machine!”

As more and more of the members of SEES joined in to encourage Aigis, a smile began to form on her face.

“I see…” she said. “Thank you all so much….” She stood up, bringing Minako up with her. 

Aigis looked around the room with newfound resolve in her eyes. “I want to become more… I want to ‘live’. So… I’ll do my best to ‘live’, for all of you… my friends.” She put her hand over her chest. “If I do that, then maybe one day… I can find my true purpose.”

As the friends cheered in support of Aigis, Minako felt her heart flutter. She didn’t know what it was, but something about Aigis suddenly seemed a lot more… human. Deep within her, she could feel her love and admiration for the girl growing even deeper...

That couldn’t be good for her heart…

But she could worry about that later, surely… there were more important things to be thinking about right now. Tomorrow was December 31st, New Year’s Eve; the day when Ryoji would return, and the day when the members of SEES would make their choice.

“So, does that mean you’ll join us in our fight?” inquired Mitsuru.

“Yes,” Aigis answered with triumph. I will fight with you all to the end.”

“Tomorrow is the day, huh…” said Fuuka. 

“Yep,” answered Akihiko. “I’m not scared, though. We’ve all made our choice.”

“Arf!” agreed Koromaru.

“Hell yeah!” cheered Junpei, pumping his fist in the air. “This year, our resolution is to save the freakin’ world!”

“Are you sure yours shouldn’t be to get your grades up?” Yukari teased.

“Hey, shut up, I’m working on it!” Junpei yelled in reply. “Maybe yours should be to lay off the sweets!”

“What!? What the hell do you mean by that!?”

The rest of the team laughed at the banter; even Aigis couldn’t seem to help but smile. Seeing them all in such high spirits, Minako smiled. Even in the face of death, they were all somehow still smiling. There was no way that she would ever want to forget those smiles.

She really was lucky to have such precious friends.

Chapter Text

“Thank you for spending the afternoon with me, Minako-san.”

“No problem!” Minako replied cheerfully. “Spending time with friends always helps me to take my mind off of things.”

“I see…” Aigis paused for a moment before smiling softly in response. “I am glad to hear that.” 

Take her mind off of things… As the two walked together around Paulownia Mall, Aigis took a moment to think about that statement.

It had been a bit over a week since the start of the year. In that time, SEES had been fighting harder than ever in Tartarus, working to climb to its peak; after all, Ryoji had warned them that that was where Nyx was most likely to appear.

Unfortunately, just because they were fighting harder didn’t mean that the work was any less difficult; in fact, it was the opposite. The Shadows they fought just kept on getting stronger and stronger, leading to many dangerous incidents that Aigis didn’t particularly like recalling.

Even outside of Tartarus, it wasn’t easy to stay motivated. Somehow, a cult of some sorts had begun to form around Nyx, and everyone seemed to be buying into it. Everywhere you turn, people would be spouting something about accepting “Nyx-sama”. With all of that in mind, it’s no wonder that Minako would say such a thing.

But despite all of that, Minako was still smiling before her. Seeing Minako smile made Aigis want to smile, as well; something that she had found herself doing a lot more often recently. In fact, she had found that simply being in the presence of Minako was enough to uplift her. It was quite advantageous; no matter what she was facing, simply knowing that she was alive and nearby always gave her the strength to keep on fighting. Even now, actively thinking about all of the terrible things that they had been going through lately, Aigis did not feel down in the slightest.

It made sense for things to be this way-- Minako had always been her top priority, after all-- but there was still something that Aigis didn’t understand.

Up until relatively recently, Aigis wasn’t able to pinpoint her reason for wanting to be close to Minako; it was always just a vague feeling that it was what she was supposed to be doing. Now, she knew that that feeling was because of the being living within her, Ryoji, sealed there by her own hands. 

However, when that being left Minako, that feeling did not go away; if anything, it had gotten stronger. She found herself with the desire to become even closer than before, to become the one who Minako relied on the most… so much so that she had begun to invite her out on these excursions, something she hadn’t had any particular drive to do before.

Yes, it had changed into something else… similar, yet distinct. But while it was distinct, it wasn’t a new feeling either, as if it had been a part of her for quite some time. Considering the timing, perhaps it was correlated with her desire to start ‘living’...

“Aigis?” Suddenly, Minako was waving her hand in front of Aigis’s face. “Are you there?”

“Huh?”

Minako gave a worried smile. “You were doing the thing again. The thing where you think too much and completely zone out.”

“Ah, yes…” Aigis sighed dejectedly. “The thing...”

“What were you thinking about?”

“I was thinking about many things, but none were particularly significant.” Seeing Minako’s narrowed eyes, Aigis continued reluctantly. “Please trust me, Minako-san…”

“Alright, alright,” Minako said, letting up. “Well, anyway, I was asking you if you wanted some ice cream. I’m gonna get some.”

Aigis shook her head. “No, thank you. It would be wasted on me.”

Minako made a concerned face, but didn’t say anything. “Well, alright. I’ll be back soon, wait here.”

“Affirmative.”

Doing as she was told, Aigis found a seat on a nearby bench, left once again with her thoughts while Minako retrieved her ice cream.

It truly would be a waste to purchase for her, since her sense of taste doesn’t go beyond anything extremely basic such as knowing whether something is salty or sweet.

She stared into the pavement. Even though it was something so mundane, why was it so painful to think about?

Before long, Minako returned, an ice cream cone in her hand and a smile on her face. “Hey, I’m back!”

“Ah… welcome back, Minako-san.”

Minako’s smile disappeared as she plopped down next to Aigis. “Okay, there’s something wrong, tell me right now. That’s an order.”

Aigis couldn’t help but crack a smile at her delivery. “Is it truly so easy for you to tell?”

“Yep,” she replied, licking her ice cream. “I know all your little signs, you know.”

“Well then… I suppose I must speak my mind,” Aigis spoke reluctantly. “I… don’t know if I’m doing a good job at ‘living’.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“While it is true that I may be becoming more human-like, the fact remains that my body is mechanical,” Aigis clarified. “That will always be true, no matter how much my heart changes. With the limitations that come with this body… can I truly be considered ‘living’?”

“Aigis… your body has nothing to do with that kind of stuff,” responded Minako, frowning. “Haven’t you ever heard the saying ‘it’s what’s on the inside that counts’?”

Aigis lowered her head sadly. “Even when you say that, I still cannot help but feel dissatisfied…”

“Aigis…”

“Why must I be stuck with this body…?”

Suddenly, Minako took a tight hold of Aigis’s hand, looking into her eyes with a determined look on her face.

“Aigis,” Minako repeated. “I think that you’re perfect exactly how you are, okay?” Her face softened. “So please, don’t beat yourself up so much...”

Aigis found herself unable to respond for a few moments. Was it just her, or had Minako gotten closer…?

“I-I... Y-Yes,” she stuttered out. “Th-Thank you, Minako-san.”

“Of course, Aigis,” Minako replied, and returned to licking her ice cream… although her hand remained right where it was.

But even with Minako’s words and comforting touch, Aigis found herself no less dissatisfied. Her body tensed in frustration while she interrogated herself internally. Why, even now, was she still not happy? Why did she still want more, even when the person most precious to her had just assured her that everything was okay? That had always seemed to help her in the past, so what was she missing now?

Aigis wasn’t sure how much time passed as the two sat there, holding hands… but it was enough time for her to come to a realization. When she truly thought about why she wanted to be human, it became clear why Minako’s affirmations hadn’t been enough. Sitting there with her fingers intertwined with Minako’s, feeling the warmth from her skin, the gentle pulse of her heartbeat… No amount of words would change the fact that she would never be able to return that warmth that she felt.

No, no… it was more than that. Something more… selfish. She wanted to be able to touch Minako with soft fingers, for Minako to touch her, for her to feel that same comforting softness that she so often felt from Minako’s body... 

She wanted to feel Minako with the full capability of human senses, to touch her, to smell her, to taste her...

If she had a human body, then maybe they could become as close as she wanted...

Aigis was pulled out of her own head when she noticed that her internal temperature had skyrocketed. She frantically shook her head, attempting to banish the strange and intrusive thoughts.

“Aigis? You’re holding my hand really tight…”

Quickly, Aigis ripped her hand away. “I-I apologize! I must have… lost focus for a moment.”

“Is something still bothering you?”

“N-No, I was simply…” Aigis wracked her brain for some sort of explanation. “I was thinking about what you said.”

“Oh, I see. Well, do you feel better?”

Aigis nodded. “Yes, I do. Thank you, Minako-san.”

Minako’s face lit up. “I’m glad I could help! I always hate seeing you put yourself down like that. Anyway,” she continued nonchalantly, “I’m almost done with this ice cream. Wanna head home for now?”

“Yes, that is fine by me.”

As the two got up and began their walk back to the dorm, Aigis felt herself relax a bit knowing that she had managed to dodge suspicion from Minako.

What was wrong with her…? Was this come kind of malfunction? She would have to tell someone about this… but not Minako, not yet at least. Before she could even consider doing that, she needed to figure out what was causing such dangerous desires in the first place.

---

“Fuuka-san? Are you there?” Aigis knocked on the door gently.

She heard a muffled “One second!”, and Fuuka opened the door soon after.

“What’s up, Aigis?”

“I have something I would like to discuss with you.”

Fuuka’s gaze went up in confusion. “Um… I’m not sure what help I’ll be, but I’ll do my best!”

“That is good to hear. But…” Aigis glanced down the hall before continuing in a hushed tone. “May we discuss this in the privacy of your room?”

Fuuka’s eyes widened a bit. “Um… s-sure, I guess…” she mumbled, moving aside to allow Aigis inside.

“Thank you, Fuuka-san.”

Fuuka closed the door behind her, going to sit down on the side of her bed before continuing. “So, um… what did you want to talk about?”

Aigis blinked, taking note of Fuuka’s slight blush but deciding not to mention it. “You are good with machines, yes?”

“Um… yeah, I think so?”

“That is why I came to you,” Aigis stated. “I believe I may be malfunctioning, and I would like your input on what the cause is.”

Fuuka tilted her head. “Why do you think you’re malfunctioning?”

“It is…” Aigis hesitated, looking away sheepishly. “It is regarding Minako-san.”

“What about her?”

“I have recently been having… strange urges in regards to her.” Aigis thought for a moment on how she could word it in the least incriminating way possible. “I have begun to desire... a greater level of physical contact with her. And whenever I have such desires, I often overheat.”

Aigis sighed. “What is… wrong with me?”

Fuuka’s face had turned a bright shade of red as she listened. She swallowed hard before speaking. “U-Um… I-I don’t think that you’re malfunctioning,” she stammered.

Aigis cocked her head. “What is it, then?”

“W-Well, um…” Fuuka paused for a moment, thinking. “What are your… thoughts… on Minako-chan? Besides wanting to, um… touch her…”

“What do you mean?”

“I-I mean, how do you feel about her?”

Aigis searched herself for a moment. How did she feel about Minako…?

“I… I want to protect her. I want to make sure that she feels safe, and is always smiling. Knowing that she is happy makes me feel happy as well.” The words began to come to her more naturally as she went on. “I want to remain by her side. I want her to rely on me. I want her to rely on me more than anyone else... I want to be the one she is closest to, the one most important to her… because she is the most important to me.”

Fuuka’s eyes were wide in awe as Aigis finished her speech. “Aigis, it sounds to me like… y-you might be in love…?”

“In love...” Aigis echoed, the phrase bouncing through her head.

“Um… do you remember that one time, after the summer festival? I-I had talked about couples.”

Aigis did remember. Truth be told, in the back of her mind, she had suspected something like this from the start; she had simply written it off for so long, but now her suspicions were being confirmed.

“Yes, I see…” Aigis murmured idly to herself. “So this is… love.”

“P-Probably, yeah…”

A moment of silence ensued, where Fuuka shifted awkwardly on her bed, unsure of what to say next.

“Fuuka-san…” Aigis brought herself closer to the small girl, fear in her eyes. “What should I do?”

“Huh? I--” Fuuka stumbled over her words for a moment before regaining her composure and interrupting herself. “Well, um, I-I think you should just tell Minako-chan about it.”

“Are you certain that would be wise?” Aigis retorted, bringing her face even closer in her desperation. “Is it not true that couples are between a male and female? I am not male.”

“W-Well, yes, usually! B-But that doesn’t mean that it’s a requirement or anything…”

“Even so!” Aigis continued frantically. “My body is mechanical… would that not be a barrier? What if Minako does not accept me? What if she does not feel the same way?”

For once, Fuuka didn’t match her panicked speech, instead huffing sardonically. “Yeah, no, I don’t think you have to worry about that…”

Fuuka sighed in relief as Aigis finally backed away. “If I tell Minako-san about my feelings, then… will I become her… girlfriend?”

“Um, yeah, that’s usually how it works.”

Aigis pondered for a moment, and a small smile crept across her face. “I… I think I would like that.”

Fuuka chuckled. “Haha, that’s the spirit.”

Suddenly, Fuuka gasped as the wind was squeezed out of her by Aigis. “Thank you, Fuuka-san!”

“Urk-- no problem, Aigis, but… I can’t breathe…”

“Oh!” Aigis released Fuuka as quickly as she had hugged her, leaving the navigator gasping for air. “I apologize! I must have lost myself in my excitement!”

“It’s okay, I’m fine, I think.” Once Fuuka’s breathing returned to normal, she smiled warmly up at Aigis. “You know, Aigis… you really have changed a lot.”

“Have I really?”

Fuuka nodded. “Yeah. In a good way, of course. You seem so much more… human.”

Aigis’s face lit up when she heard those words. “I seem… human?”

“Yeah. I like it,” Fuuka replied. “Oh, and, um… I-I’m sure Minako-chan does as well.”

Aigis couldn’t help but smile. “I think I may love you too now, Fuuka-san.”

“H-Huh!?” Just like that, Fuuka was right back to being flustered again… but before she could respond further, Aigis was already opening the door to leave.

“I am only teasing! I do not love you,” Aigis clarified gleefully. “Thank you for your help, Fuuka-san!”

And with that, Aigis left Fuuka’s room with a new goal. All she had to do now was simply tell Minako-san about her feelings.

It couldn’t be that difficult, could it?

---

It was going to be difficult.

Every time Aigis wanted to open her mouth and say it, the words would die in her throat. It was never the right time, never the right place, and what if she didn’t react in the way she wanted? What if she was hoping for too much? What if she ended up flying too close to the sun, and losing everything?

It felt as if there was a war raging inside of her, and it was exhausting. She had never felt such a lack of control… was this simply a consequence of living?

Today, the two were walking home together; the usual, as of recently. Perhaps, Aigis thought, she should simply ask a different kind of question…

“Minako-san, do you... have a boyfriend?”

Minako stopped in her tracks, nearly tripping. “What? Um, n-no…”

“I see.” Aigis hoped she was doing a good job at masking her excitement.

“Why do you ask?”

Aigis thought for a moment of how to respond. “I suppose… I wanted to make sure that my spending time with you is not getting in the way of someone more important.”

“N-No, you don’t need to worry about that! Because, well, um…” Minako brought herself closer to Aigis, looking into her eyes. “Th-there’s no one more important to me than you, Aigis…”

Aigis could swear she was going to break. The way Minako was looking at her... the pinkness of her cheeks, her warm smile, her soft and inviting eyes… it was truly astounding how much power that this girl had over her. It felt as if every circuit in Aigis’s brain was shorting out from overstimulation, and her internal temperature was rising at a rapid rate.

“A-Anyway!” Minako exclaimed, suddenly pushing herself away from Aigis. “W-We’re almost home, so let’s keep going!”

And just like that, it was gone. After such a rush, Aigis was left feeling dull and empty in comparison.

“Y-Yes, let’s.”

---

Aigis ended up spending the larger part of that evening pacing around the lounge, the moment she had shared with Minako earlier still lingering in her mind. 

She had come to somewhat of a realization when she had returned to the dorm afterwards. 

The feeling that she had experienced in that moment was the greatest feeling she had ever felt... and she needed more .

That knowledge was all the motivation that she needed to confess to Minako. However, she also came to a more unfortunate realization not soon after the first; she had no idea how to confess to Minako.

Sure, she knew what she was feeling, but she was doubtful that Minako would if she simply states them plainly. Even if she could, Aigis wanted to make sure that the moment was special; something that she was not confident she could do considering her inexperience with emotions.

As she was lost in her thoughts, Aigis suddenly felt a scratching sensation on her leg. She looked down to find Koromaru pawing at her.

"Koromaru-san. Is there something you need?"

Koromaru squirmed around a bit, whining, before motioning with his head to the door.

"I see. You require a walk…" Aigis glanced around the lounge, finding that it was still empty. "I suppose the responsibility falls to me, then."

"Arf!" Koromaru's ears perked up, his tail wagging.

Aigis sighed as she headed for the door with Koromaru in tow. Perhaps putting her mind at ease with a relaxing evening walk was what she needed to sort out her feelings...

---

Aigis followed Koromaru closely as he trotted about, sniffing at various things in his path and doing his business as he needed. It was certainly a nice change in scenery; the cool night air relaxed her as it caressed her overstressed body. 

As she took in the feeling, an interesting realization came to her. Despite the fact that she had taken Koromaru on evening walks before, she now found herself pleasantly surprised by what she was experiencing. Had her decision to live made her more receptive of ‘little details’ such as these? Was she really so withdrawn before that she didn’t even notice? 

She frowned a bit as she thought further. Just how many other feelings had she been missing out on in her past…?

“Arf!”

Aigis looked up to see Koromaru a few meters ahead of her, looking back at her inquisitively.

“Ah, I apologize, Koromaru-san.” Aigis quickly caught up to Koromaru, giving him a quick head rub as she arrived. “I was lost in thought for a moment, and must have stopped walking.”

Koromaru sat down, his eyes closed in pleasure at the touch. “Arf.”

Aigis shook her head. “No, it’s nothing to worry about.” Suddenly, an idea crossed her mind. Koromaru was always able to express himself effortlessly, even though he lacked the ability to speak human language. Perhaps she could learn from him…

“While we’re here… may I ask you something, Koromaru-san?”

“Arf!”

“What is the most effective way to express one’s feelings?”

Koromaru paused, his ears twitching as he pondered. “Arf! Arf, arf!”

“Hmmm… showing one’s stomach, or wagging one’s tail... I see,” Aigis replied, nodding her head in understanding. “Thank you, Koromaru-san, but while such techniques are certainly valuable, I am not sure that they are applicable to my situation. I do not even have a tail to wag, regrettably."

Koromaru lowered his head in disappointment before letting out a confused whine.

“Ah… well...” Aigis thought for a moment. Considering that she was the only one who could communicate with Koromaru and vice versa, she saw no reason to hide her intentions from him. He wouldn’t be the first to know of it, anyway.

“You see… I believe that I am in love with Minako-san. I would like to tell her about my feelings, but I have been struggling to do so. That is why I asked for your advice.”

Koromaru tilted his head. “Arf… arf?”

“What!?” Aigis recoiled in surprise. “You thought we were already lovers!?”

“Arf,” he replied, nonchalantly scratching his ear.

“I… I see...”

Thoughts and connections began rushing through Aigis’s head at a mile a minute. Had she overthinking things all this time? If Koromaru, who she knew to be wise, had such a perception of her and Minako, perhaps this whole ordeal was a lot less complicated than she had thought. 

This revelation left her questioning her preconceptions of the gap between friends and lovers. She had always assumed that she was on the other side of that gap, the crossing of which seemed an insurmountable challenge with only words as her tools.

If they already seemed to be lovers, then perhaps that gap had already been crossed, and all that remained was the acceptance of the new status. In simpler terms, perhaps expressing her feelings to Minako was as easy as simply… telling her.

“Thank you, Koromaru-san! Good boy!” She reached out to him with both hands, scratching behind his ears.

Koromaru began panting in excitement, wagging his tail. “Arf, arf!”

He was happy to receive the affection, even if he likely didn’t understand why exactly he was receiving it. Regardless, Aigis was happy to dole it out; even if she had figured things out mostly by herself, Koromaru was still the catalyst.

“Let’s return to the dorm now, shall we?”

“Arf!”

Aigis made her way back home, Koromaru bounding alongside her, with new resolve. She knew what to do now; all she had to do was wait for the right opportunity to do it.

---

Tomorrow… it would happen tomorrow.

By the time she had returned from her walk, it was late. Minako might have already been asleep, and doing it right before bed wasn’t ideal anyway.

Aigis had a plan. After school tomorrow, she would ask Minako to meet her on the roof of the school. That’s when she would tell her about her feelings... and Minako would accept them, confessing her love as well, and they would become lovers.

...Well, that’s how she hoped it would go, anyway. But, for now, all she could do was power off for the night and wait for tomorrow to arrive.

As she walked down the hall to her room, Aigis picked up a strange sound coming from nearby. Backpedaling to pinpoint the source, she quickly found it to be Minako’s room.

Unable to curb her curiosity and concern, she brought her head closer to the door to hear more clearly. What she heard was unmistakable… it was the sound of crying.

Her eyes widened; she couldn’t ignore this. Cautiously, Aigis gently knocked on the door. 

“Minako-san…? Are you alright?”

Suddenly, the crying sound immediately ceased, and a moment of silence followed.

“Aigis…? Um, j-just give me a second…” Minako’s voice was noticeably shaky as she answered.

Another pause followed, and Aigis waited nervously, hearing some faint shuffling sounds from inside before the door opened.

“Um… what’s up?”

Minako stood before Aigis with a tired look on her face, and a tired tone to match. Aigis took note that while she was not crying at the moment, her eyes were noticeably red.

“May I come in? I would like to make sure you’re okay.”

Minako exhaled deeply, glancing back into her room for a moment. “Yeah, sure, I guess…”

Once they were inside, neither said anything for a bit, Aigis simply standing awkwardly and Minako staring into the floor from the edge of her bed.

Aigis decided to break the silence. “Have you been… crying?”

“Um…”

Minako swallowed. She sat in silence for what felt like a long time, unmoving, not even looking up.

“Y-Yeah.”

“Why have you been crying?”

“I… I’m scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

No response.

“...Minako-san?”

“I… I don’t want... to die…”

A drop of liquid fell onto Minako’s lap… then another, then another.

Aigis didn’t know what to say.

Minako finally raised her head, revealing the tears that were shamelessly streaming down her face.

“I don’t want to die, Aigis…”

Words still escaped Aigis. She didn’t exactly know what was going on, but one thought overwhelmed her; she needed to hold Minako, right now .

She did just that, sitting on the bed next to Minako and enveloping her. Minako didn’t object, burying her face in Aigis’s chest as she sobbed.

“I don’t want to die,” she repeated hysterically.

Aigis brought a hand to Minako’s head, gently stroking it in an attempt to calm her. She said nothing; sure, she had questions, but they could wait. Right now, Minako’s comfort was her top priority.

“I don’t want anyone to die…”

“Please relax, Minako-san,” Aigis interrupted. “You are not dying. Nobody is dying.”

“If we can’t…” Minako’s words were muffled.

“Hm?”

“If we can’t win… everyone will die… I’m so scared, Aigis…”

Aigis froze up as she realized what was going on. Their upcoming battle with Nyx, the battle that would decide humanity’s fate, the battle that decided whether they lived or died... Truthfully, she hadn’t been giving it much thought lately, since her mind was occupied with… other matters. 

But hearing it now, from her leader and her love, seeing her so broken… Aigis felt scared too.

Even more than that though, Aigis felt angry; angry at herself, for letting this happen. She cursed herself. Not only was she unable to protect Minako physically, but she wasn’t able to protect her emotionally either. Had she been so preoccupied with her own feelings that she had neglected to see Minako’s?

In that moment, Aigis came to yet another realization. This whole month, she had only allowed herself to see Minako how she wished to see her; the cheerful, lovable, fearless leader of SEES that always comforted her; the girl that made her feel love. She had never bothered to look for anything else; perhaps if she had, Minako wouldn’t be breaking down in her arms right now.

...But she could fix this. She may not have seen this Minako before, but she did now; she could still make things right. 

This Minako was weak, sad, and scared; but she was still Minako. The same Minako that was so strong, that made her feel so happy... the same Minako that she loved. She would accept her just the same.

So she did the only thing she could, and what Minako had done for her so many times before; she stayed there for her, holding her, listening to her, and comforting her. Aigis wasn’t sure if she couldn’t forgive herself for her negligence… but maybe Minako could.

As Minako continued sobbing and mumbling, Aigis continued stroking her head gently, never letting go of her. For a long time, the two stayed like that; and as Minako’s sobbing eventually became softer and her mumbling stopped, Aigis said what she needed to say.

“Minako-san… I am afraid I cannot do much to help you. I cannot guarantee victory, and I cannot make your fears go away,” she stated softly. “But even so... I will always be by your side, Minako-san. I will always be there for you.”

“Even if I…” Aigis stopped, wincing as the words left her mouth. “Even if I... cannot protect you, or bear your burdens for you… I hope that I can at least make things a bit easier for you. I hope that I can make you feel happy. That is what I want.” She smiled in slight embarrassment. “After all… you have made me so happy, it is only right that I do the same for you…”

Minako looked up at Aigis with wide eyes. For a while, nothing happened… but soon, Minako’s eyes began watering once again, her lips trembling.

“Oh, Aigis…” she wiped the tears that were beginning to form. “You’re so…”

Aigis panicked at the sight of Minako crying again. “Huh? What is wrong?”

Minako responded by smiling and throwing her arms around Aigis, hugging her tightly. “Nothing… these are happy tears, silly…”

Aigis’s body relaxed. “Ah… I see,” she sighed in relief, hugging her back. “I apologize for not noticing your pain, Minako-san…”

Minako pulled away, rubbing her eyes with a smile on her face. “No, no… it’s not your fault. I was hiding it on purpose. I just know that everyone is probably already scared, and I didn’t want to bring anyone down…” She sighed, shaking her head. “Heh, even though I promised Mitsuru...”

“Do not feel like you must be alone, Minako-san. In fact, I will not allow it.” Aigis took Minako’s hand, holding it between hers. “We will get through this. Together.”

Minako’s eyes widened at the gesture, blushing slightly. “A-Aigis, I…” she stammered. “Um, you’re… you’re really amazing.”

“I… I am glad you think so…” Aigis replied awkwardly, now somewhat flustered by the physical contact she initiated.

A long period of silence came afterwards. Neither of the two moved, simply looking into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity.

Aigis felt something well up inside her. It was that feeling again. Her whole body was trembling, everything feeling overloaded, everything becoming hot.

The plan was being thrown out. It was welling up inside her, too powerful to control.

She was going to say it.

“M-Minako-san, I…”

“I love you, Aigis.”

Aigis’s mind went blank.

“W-What?”

“I-I really, really, love you.” Aigis could now see that Minako was trembling just as much as she was, her cheeks bright red. “L-Like, um, love love.”

“I… I see…”

Suddenly, Minako covered her face with her hands. “A-Ah! I’m s-sorry! That just c-came out!” she stuttered out rapidly. “I-It’s totally fine if you don’t feel the same way, I don’t want this to get in the way of our friendship, you can just forget I said anything!”

“I love you too, Minako-san.”

“What?!” Minako’s face shot back up, her eyes bulging. “Um, y-you mean it? Like, r-romantically? Like... g-girlfriend love?”

“Yes."

“O-Oh…!”

A long, awkward pause followed. Neither girl made eye contact.

“D-Do you wanna... be my girlfriend, then?”

“Yes,” Aigis replied hastily. “I would like that.”

“Um, yeah, m-me too…”

Yet another awkward silence.

This was not at all what Aigis planned. Minako’s sudden confession completely threw her off, and now she had no idea what to do. Before this happened, everything was happening so naturally, so what was going on now?

“What do we do now?” Aigis asked.

“Oh, um…” Minako glanced around before sighing, bringing a hand to her face in frustration. “Ugh, sorry this is so awkward… this isn’t how I pictured this going,” she grumbled. “I-I mean, I didn’t even expect you to say yes, so I hadn’t really planned this far…”

Aigis couldn’t help but smile. It seemed as if Minako already needed her help. Once again, she took Minako’s hands in hers, rubbing them reassuringly with her thumbs.

“It is okay, Minako-san. I am here for you, just as I said.”

Minako gave an appreciative smile. “You’re so good to me, Aigis…”

“That is what I am here for.”

“Thanks, Aigis. Well then, um…" Minako glanced around awkwardly. "I-Is there anything you wanna do?”

Aigis's head lowered in shame. “Regrettably, I have... little knowledge on this sort of thing. What sorts of things do couples do to become closer?”

“Um…” Minako’s blush deepened. “We could… k-kiss…”

Aigis cocked her head in confusion. “How does one ‘kiss’?”

“Um, It’s like, when you, uh…” Minako shook her head. “N-Nevermind, It’ll be easier to just, um… show you...”

Aigis watched in awe as Minako shut her eyes tightly, slowly bringing her face closer to Aigis’s, until only a small gap remained between them… and then closed the gap, bringing their lips together. 

Aigis’s eyes widened as she took in the new sensation. Unsure of how she should reciprocate, she didn’t move as Minako held her lips against hers. The warmth of Minako’s lips, as well as her staggered breaths against her face, overwhelmed her mind. She found her body going limp as she drank it in further, reveling in the incredible feeling of closeness. It was a more potent feeling that she had ever felt before, and she loved it.

After a few seconds, Minako pulled away, and it was over.

“W-Well? Um, d-did you like it?”

Aigis brought her fingers to her lips, where a tingling sensation lingered. In contrast to how she felt during the kiss, she now felt on edge, her senses heightened.

“I liked it a lot,” Aigis answered. “I... would like to do it again. May I try this time?”

Minako nodded sheepishly. “Y-Yes, please…”

Aigis mirrored what Minako had done, and soon their lips were connected once again. However, unlike Aigis, Minako was active in her reciprocation. She brought her hands behind Aigis’s head, clutching her hair, pulling her even closer, making their lips interlace rather than simply touch against each other like previously. Aigis did the same in response, wrapping one arm around her back and one behind her head.

It felt surprisingly natural, like this is how she was supposed to be. It was incredible. She didn’t want it to end.

Minako was the one to push away, exhaling sharply as she did. Her eyes were soft as she gazed back at Aigis, as if she was hypnotized, and her cheeks were flushed. “Damn… that was great,” she said breathily.

“...Again?” was all that Aigis replied.

Minako opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself, regaining her composure. “Um, actually, as much as I’d like to spend the whole night kissing you, it’s really late, and school is tomorrow…”

“Ah… I see,” Aigis murmured, her eyes downcast.

“H-Hey, wait, don’t get all sad! We can kiss more tomorrow!” Minako exclaimed.

“I suppose you are correct,” Aigis conceded. Even though she was disappointed, she knew it was for the best; if she kept up Minako any longer with her selfish desires, it would only have a negative effect on her the next day. If only Minako didn’t have to sleep either, she thought…

“I will see you tomorrow then, Minako-san,” Aigis stated, standing up from the bed. “We will kiss more.”

Minako took a moment to respond. “Oh, um, actually, Aigis, I have an idea that might cheer you up a bit…”

Aigis turned around, her interest piqued. “What is it?”

“Well, um… what if you spend the night with me tonight?”

Aigis thought for a moment. It did sound preferable to being in her room, and it was unlikely to cause any problems, considering how many times she had spent the night in Minako’s room before now.

“I would like that,” she replied with a smile.

Minako lit up, blushing. “C-Cool! Me too!”

As Minako hastily got under the covers, Aigis turned off the lights and moved to her usual place standing next to the bed.

“Goodnight, Minako-san.”

Minako looked up at Aigis with concern. “Um, Aigis? Y-You can get in the bed too, you know…”

Aigis tilted her head. “Is that what I am supposed to do?”

“Um, y-yeah… at least that’s what I was thinking of when I suggested it…”

It did certainly sound nicer than standing next to the bed. Aigis was surprised she hadn’t thought of it sooner.

“Okay, then. I will get in the bed.”

She did so, lying down next to Minako under the covers. She had never actually been in a bed like this before, Aigis realized; she found it infinitely more pleasant than the metal chair that she normally spent her nights in.

"W-Wow. I can't believe this is really happening..." Minako muttered beside her.

"I am glad it is happening."

"Yeah... me too."

Aigis felt Minako take a hold of her hand under the covers, squeezing it tightly.

“Goodnight, Aigis.”

“Goodnight, Minako-san.”

“...I love you, Aigis.”

“...I love you too, Minako-san.”

Aigis couldn’t help but smile as the words left her mouth. Nothing had ever felt so satisfying to say out loud.

As she lay there in Minako’s soft bed, holding her hand, and listening to the relaxing sound of her breathing as she drifted off to sleep, Aigis felt happier than she ever had before.

Chapter Text

Minako’s eyes slowly blinked awake, adjusting to the sunlight that now filled her room. She let out a yawn as she sat up from her bed.

What a shame, waking up now... She was having the most wonderful dream…

Oh well, she thought. It couldn’t be helped. She might as well start getting ready for school.

“Good morning!”

Minako nearly jumped out of her skin, her head whipping around to find Aigis’s smiling face staring right back at her… and then it started to come back to her.

Holy shit. The dream was real.

“G-Good morning…”

Aigis immediately noticed her tone. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, sorry! It’s just… weird.”

“What is weird?”

“That this is actually… real. That you’re my… girlfriend now, that we kissed, and spent the night together…” She shivered. She never thought she would be able to say those things outside of fantasies, and god damn did they feel good to say.

“My love for you is very much real.”

“I know! And I like it! It’s just… I think it’ll be some time before my brain registers it as ‘normal’, y’know?”

“Would kissing help?” Aigis asked, all too casually. “I would like to kiss you.”

Hearing those words, from that voice, sent Minako’s head spinning. What had she possibly done to earn such a blessing upon her ears?

“Y-Yeah... me too.”

With that, Minako wrapped her arms around Aigis, bringing the two together in an embrace that left their faces only a few inches apart. She lingered there for a moment… frustratingly, she found herself hesitant to continue, despite the fact that she was doing just fine last night. Fortunately, her frustration didn’t last long, since Aigis eagerly lunged her lips forward into hers, much to her surprise.

Minako hadn’t ever kissed anyone who wasn’t an anti-shadow suppression weapon, but she could imagine that it would be a lot different than what kissing Aigis felt like. While her lips felt natural enough to the touch, they lacked any warmth or wetness. Not that she minded, of course. All that mattered was that those lips belonged to Aigis… and to be honest, the slight coolness of Aigis’s lips against hers was enough to send shivers all through her body. 

God, it was nice. This was really real, huh? 

Maybe... she could take this a bit further.

Melting further into the kiss, slowly, Minako extended her tongue, slipping it past Aigis’s lips. 

However, Aigis suddenly pulled away, leaving the two separated once again.

“Ah! Sorry, sorry!” Minako covered her face in embarrassment. “I took it too far!”

“No, please, Minako-san! You did nothing wrong!” Aigis reassured her, taking her hands. “My response was not one of distaste. I was simply startled by the new sensation.”

“Oh… I see.”

“Would you… continue?” Aigis muttered sheepishly. “Please. I would like… to experience it.”

Minako felt butterflies in her stomach. Aigis was begging her to kiss her with her tongue... She still couldn’t quite believe it was happening, but hell if she wasn’t happy to oblige.

Without a word, Minako yanked Aigis against her, sending their lips crashing together. Immediately, she pushed her tongue past her lips, earnestly exploring Aigis’s mouth. Aigis soon reciprocated, albeit somewhat awkwardly, almost completely filling Minako’s mouth with the artificial organ. It wasn’t long, though, before they each found their pace, their tongues brushing against each other as they made out.

If Minako wasn’t overwhelmed before, she definitely was now. Here she was, french kissing the girl that she had been crushing on for half a year, and it was the best goddamn feeling in the world. She could probably do this all day if she didn’t have to go to school…

Her eyes shot open. Shit. She still had to go to school.

“Agh, wait!” Abruptly, she pushed herself away from Aigis, leaving her blinking in confusion. “We can’t be doing this right now, we have to get ready for class…”

“Ah… you are correct.” Aigis’s gaze lowered. “It seems I became a bit caught up in myself…”

Minako chuckled wryly. “Haha, yeah, me too…”

“Was my performance… adequate?”

“I’d say it was way more than adequate! It was amazing, Aigis." She caressed Aigis’s cheek, smiling warmly. "Like, really, really amazing.”

“I-I am glad that you feel that way,” she murmured. “I feel the same.”

Seeing the way Aigis curled up and tried to hide her giddy smile made Minako’s heart skip a beat. It also gave her an inexplicable urge to tease her.

“Well, there’s more where that came from, cutie~” she said in an overly seductive tone, playfully pinching at Aigis’s cheek where her hand was. “Unfortunately, for now, we must get ready for school.”

Aigis was left looking dumbstruck at the gesture, her mouth hanging open for a moment. “Y-Yes.”

Minako was sure to make note of just how adorable Aigis was when she was flustered. It was a beautiful sight indeed; in the past, her flirting would have simply gone right over the robot’s head. Seeing the effect that her words had on her now was more than fulfilling.

“Alrighty then!” Minako bounced gleefully to her closet, the reality of her new relationship fueling her with excitement. “I gotta get dressed.”

“I understand.”

Aigis simply stared at her blankly, and Minako could feel her face getting hotter every second that she did. Did Aigis intend to watch her change…?

“Um, I-I appreciate your enthusiasm, Aigis, but… I’m not sure I’m ready to, um…” She looked away in embarrassment. “Could you just look away for now?”

“Oh!” Aigis exclaimed in realization. “I-I apologize! That was not my intention! I must have lost myself in the moment.”

“Hehe, it’s okay, don’t worry about it…” Minako replied awkwardly. Much to her surprise, she found herself a bit disappointed by the fact that Aigis wasn’t trying to see her with her clothes off.

“I will return to my room for now and make my own preparations,” Aigis continued hastily. “It is best that I do not stay in here for too long, lest I be scolded by Yukari-san again…”

Minako nodded. “Meet me in the lounge when you’re ready. We can walk to school together.”

Aigis gave an affirmative nod before exiting, leaving Minako alone in her room.

As she got dressed, Minako couldn’t help but smile to herself with glee. After all, what she had only dreamed of for so long had finally come to fruition. Aigis was her girlfriend now.

Said girlfriend was waiting patiently for her in the lounge when she finished up. Minako practically threw herself at her partner with open arms the moment she saw her, hugging her tightly.

Aigis’s eyes widened in surprise, but she smiled. “Welcome back, Minako-san.”

“Mm,” Minako hummed in response. “Sorry to startle you. It’s hard to resist hugging you!”

“It is okay. I am more than content with this.”

“Good, because I’m probably gonna do it a lot.” She pulled off, looking up at Aigis with bright eyes. “Wanna get going?”

Aigis nodded, but her attention was soon grabbed by something behind Minako.

“Ah! Fuuka-san!” she exclaimed, waving happily. “I have done it! We are a couple now!”

“Wha--” Minako’s mouth fell open, her face turning beet red. Why would Aigis go and give that information away so suddenly!? She could only imagine what kind of reaction they were in for...

“O-Oh! That’s good!” came Fuuka’s innocent response. “I’m happy for you two!”

“Aigis!” Minako whispered manically. “Why does she sound so unsurprised!?”

“Ah, I apologize, Minako-san,” Aigis answered calmly. “I regretted to inform you of my previous conversation with Fuuka-san.”

“What previous conversation!? What did you talk about!?”

“Fuuka-san helped me to embrace my feelings for you.” She beamed at Minako. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

Minako’s panic vanished for a moment, her breath taken away for by Aigis’s smile. “I-I see.” After regaining her composure, she looked away in embarrassment. “I-I suppose that explains it, then…”

“Honestly, even if she didn’t come to me, I don’t think my reaction would have changed,” Fuuka interjected with a chuckle. “Everyone sees how close you two are, after all.”

“O-Oh. I… I see.” Damn, was she really that obvious…?

“Anyway, I’m gonna get going to school,” Fuuka said, making her way to the door. “I’ll see you two later!”

As Fuuka shut the door, Aigis turned to Minako. “We should get going as well, Minako-san. Shall we?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.”

Aigis frowned. “You are troubled. What is wrong?”

“Sorry! N-Nothing is wrong!” Minako assured. “It’s just… it’s weird to think that you talked to Fuuka about that kind of thing.”

“Should I not have done so?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. I guess what I mean is that... it’s weird to realize that you had the same feelings for me that I did for you.” A deep blush spread across her face. “It… it makes me happy to know that you did.”

“Of course I did,” Aigis replied, her smile returning. “I love you, Minako-san.”

Minako giggled. “I love you too, Aigis. Now let’s get going, shall we?” With a grin, she offered her hand gracefully, as if she was asking for a dance at a ball. 

“Yes!” Aigis shivered with glee as she took Minako’s hand, and the two began their commute.

“Ah, that reminds me,” Aigis mused as they made their way out. “Perhaps I should follow-up with Koromaru-san as well…”

“Just how many did you tell!?”

---

Minako didn’t end up paying much attention in class that day. Not that she had ever paid that much attention in the past, but when Aigis was occupying every corner of her mind, there wasn’t much space in there for learning. 

Having to act normal when her new girlfriend was sitting next to her was a challenge in its own right. After having to suppress her feelings for so long, to her, every moment spent not throwing herself at Aigis were moments not well spent. It didn’t help that Aigis kept on looking over to flash that adorable smile at her. 

The two had made plans on their way to school to meet on the rooftop after class. Aigis had suggested it, and fantasizing about what her intentions may be sent shivers down Minako’s spine. They would be all alone up there… maybe, Aigis would caress her chin, pulling her into a kiss… or maybe she would be pinned against a wall… or maybe...

RRRIINNNGGGG

Minako was suddenly yanked out of her daydreams by the sound of the bell, taking a few seconds to gain her bearings.

“Minako-san?”

She turned to see Aigis standing above her, looking at her expectantly as the other students packed up and left.

Minako was unable to hide her goofy smile. “Y-Yeah, let’s go.”

Her heart felt as if it was beating out of her chest the entire way up to the rooftop, her fantasies of what may happen becoming wilder with every step. 

When they did arrive, she watched breathlessly as Aigis made her way to a bench, sat down, and… nothing else.

Aigis looked up at her innocently before patting the space next to her. “Sit with me?”

“A-Alright.”

Minako fidgeted restlessly beside Aigis, unsure of what to do.

“So, uh, what did you wanna do?”

“Oh, I did not have any specific plans.” She frowned slightly. “Should I have...?”

Minako blinked. Okay, maybe her expectations had gotten a little bit out of hand. 

“O-Oh, no, that’s fine! This is nice, I think.”

“Yes, I…” She paused, sounding hesitant. “I enjoy being close to you.”

“Well... we can be closer,” Minako muttered, scooting closer to Aigis and resting her head on her shoulder. “L-Like this.”

“That is… nice.”

“Yeah…”

Silence followed, and Minako found herself in a bit of a panic. She had made out with Aigis just this morning, so why was this feeling so embarrassing and difficult!? Something about this soft and wholesome intimacy was just so much more overwhelming! If only she had just pushed her against a wall like she had imagined, that would have been way easier!

“I have always liked this place,” Aigis suddenly spoke. “The way you can be above everything, viewing the entire town… it feels meaningful to me.”

“Y-Yeah, I think I get that…”

“You know…” she continued, “I had planned to confess to you today, in this same place.”

“Oh! Wow…”

“I did not expect for those plans to have to be discarded.”

“Hehe, yeah, I didn’t either… but this can still be special!” she declared. “This is our first date!”

“First date…” Aigis thought for a moment. “I like that.”

Minako hummed triumphantly in response. The awkwardness was already starting to melt away… she just couldn’t stay stiff around Aigis.

“I love you, Aigis.”

“I love you too... Minako.”

“Whoa, wait.” Minako sat up, turning to Aigis in disbelief. “Did I just hear that correctly? Just Minako? Not Minako- san ?”

Panic quickly spread across Aigis’s face. “I-I apologize, Minako-san, I--”

“Wait, no, stop!” Minako interrupted. “I’m just teasing, I’m not mad!”

“Ah… I see.” Aigis’s body relaxed in relief.

“But still… Why the change?”

“Well, since we are now a couple, I figured that I should probably refer to you in a more comfortable manner.” She turned to Minako, an adorably flustered look on her face. “I-Is that okay… Minako?”

Minako gulped, blood rushing to her face. “U-Um… yeah, I-I like it…”

Aigis smiled brightly “I do too.”

Silence followed as the two leaned against each other, taking in the cool breeze and the beautiful view as they basked in each other’s presence.

But even as they relaxed, something ate away at the back of Minako’s head. Something that threatened to topple her emotional high, to tarnish what was possibly one of the happiest moments of her life. She knew what it was, and so did Aigis, and it was becoming harder and harder to pretend like she didn’t.

Maybe she could just change the subject.

“Hey Aigis… you wanna know something?”

“I am here to listen.”

“I think that you and I are actually pretty similar.”

“How so?”

“The Minako you know…” She reclined, gazing idly at the sky. “I wasn’t always like this.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Well… I was kind of a weird kid. I didn’t really have any friends, or even any particular interests. I just did as I was told, and got by just fine. It didn’t feel like I had any purpose. I was just… existing.”

Her voice became more hollow as she went on. Aigis said nothing, simply staring at Minako with an unreadable expression. 

“That’s how I felt... until I transferred here, and I met SEES. They all showed me so much kindness, and made me feel so special.” A smile slowly formed as the memories flowed through her. “For the first time, it felt like… I really belonged somewhere. I think that’s when I really started living .” 

“So… yeah.” Finished with her ramble, she sat up, turning to Aigis. “Do you get it now?”

“Ah... I see.” Minako could practically see the gears turning in her head. “Yes, I believe I understand.”

“I think that maybe that’s why I felt such a connection to you when we met in Yakushima,” Minako mused. She then smirked mischievously, seeing an opportunity to tease Aigis a bit. “Perhaps... it was fate that I would fall for you.”

Aigis brought a hand to her mouth, clearly flustered. “A-Ah… perhaps, yes...”

Mission accomplished. But maybe she could push it a bit further...

“Or maybe it was just because you were so cute and charming. You’re just so irresistible!”

“I… Th-That’s....” Aigis seemed to almost shrink in embarrassment at the praise, and Minako swore she even saw her get a bit red in the face.

Such a display was pushing Minako’s limits. How could she just keep teasing her adorable girlfriend when she could be giving her the love that she deserves?

“Oh, Aigis…” Minako pounced on Aigis, hugging her affectionately. “You’re so cute… how could anyone not fall for you?”

“Y-You are too kind to me, Minako… I hope that I can make you feel even a fraction of the happiness that you give me.”

“Of course you do! Do you have any idea how happy it makes me just to be able to call you my girlfriend after so long?" She paused for a moment, her smile becoming weaker. "It makes me wish that… we could have been like this sooner.”

Oh, no. It was coming back.

Aigis seemed to notice the shift, her happy expression fading, although not saying anything.

The energy in Minako's tone was gone, the darkness in her mind slowly crawling its way into focus once more. “Maybe, if I had had the guts to confess earlier, we would have… more time…”

“...Minako?”

“This is the happiest I’ve ever felt in my life... but in a week, it might all be over…” Tears began forming in her eyes as she continued, her voice becoming more and more broken. “I really hope… that this doesn’t have to end…”

"Minako."

She was interrupted when Aigis placed her hands on her shoulders firmly, looking her dead in the eye. "Whatever happens, you need not worry, because we will take it on together. I promise.” Aigis then pulled her girlfriend into an ever so gentle hug, rubbing her back softly. “Please, do not let the time that we do have be tainted by these negative thoughts.”

“Aigis…” Minako had to stop herself from crying from the gentle treatment. “Y-Yeah,” she said, rubbing away the tears. “You’re right... sorry about that.”

“I promise you that together, we will make the very most out of every moment of this week.” She pulled away, looking away wistfully. “Besides… I don’t think it will be the end.”

“I hate to ask, but… what makes you say that?”

“I cannot say for sure. It is just… a feeling.” Aigis closed her eyes, putting a hand to her chest. “A feeling deep within me… inside of my heart. A feeling that we will survive.”

Minako giggled. “You know, I’m not entirely sure why, but… hearing you say that… it gives me a lot of hope.” Her mind clearing, she nodded to herself with determination. “You’re right. We’re not gonna let it end like this. We have a whole lot of life left to live… together.”

Aigis hummed in approval, smiling warmly. “I love you, Minako.”

“I love you too, Aigis.”

The two gazed at each other lovingly, their lips gravitating together almost automatically. Minako was left with a wide grin afterwards, still reveling in the idea that she could kiss Aigis whenever she wanted.

After a few more moments, Minako’s thoughts drifted back to something that Aigis had said earlier.

“So, um, anyway…” she began, “What did you have in mind for this week? Y’know, to make it really count?”

Aigis’s eyes widened before she suddenly averted her gaze in embarrassment. “Ah, yes, about that… I-I have something to ask of you.”

Minako suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach, her heart pounding. What was Aigis thinking of that could possibly cause that kind of embarrassed reaction? 

“Wh-What is it?”

“I…” Aigis opened her mouth but closed it a moment later, hesitating. “I... will tell you tonight.”

Minako let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in, her body tensing in frustration. How could she leave her hanging like that!? Without knowing, her mind would be left to run rampant thinking of all the possibilities! She needed to know now!

But… she didn’t want to force Aigis to say anything. That wouldn’t be good of her...

Maybe this was okay? The anticipation would just make it more exciting, right? Besides… she would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy indulging herself with the ideas that her mind would come up with in the meantime.

She could only hope that Aigis was thinking what she was thinking.

“A-Alright. I can wait.”

“Thank you, Minako,” Aigis replied with a satisfied smile. “For now… let us continue relaxing together.

“Y-Yeah.”

Minako definitely wasn’t going to be able to relax. 

She let out a long sigh as she laid back. She was truly hopeless when it came to this girl, wasn’t she?