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Arisato Minako was an enigma. Sure, she was a girl and that already made her difficult to understand, but Akihiko could not for the life of him figure her out. She seemed to have endless energy, bouncing off to school early in the morning and not returning to the dorm until the dark hour approached every night.
He had once asked Junpei about it, knowing that the two were close. His junior had just shrugged and told him that’s just what Mina-tan was like. Always had to have something going on. Someone to help.
Maybe that made her happy?
The most difficult thing to wrap his head around was how their fearless leader never got tired. Even when their exploration of Tartarus finished for the night, she was still bright eyed with that spring in her step while the rest of them dragged their feet and sported bags underneath their eyes. He just could not figure out how Minako was handling everything on her plate and still had energy to spare.
At least, he thought she was handling it all. Until one day, he noticed her falter.
It was so small Akihiko almost thought he imagined it. But no, Minako did trip over her feet as the transporter spat them out into the darkness of Tartarus. She didn’t bring any attention to it, so he only thought it was an accident and pushed it to the back of his mind, focusing on the task at hand.
Until she faltered again, and this time it was definitely noticeable.
Minako swung with her naginata, but the arc was too wide and missed the shadow completely. She slipped and lost footing, falling right to the ground.
“Minako!” Akihiko called, moving to shield his leader as the shadow swooped in at the opportunity. “You okay?”
She laughed her usual laugh, as if it was all a game and nothing more. “Of course, I was just making sure you were paying attention.” The sentence was accompanied by a wink.
Normally this would’ve flustered him, but Akihiko’s mind was focused on the battle. He gave her a curt nod and spun just in time to watch Yukari skewer the shadow with an arrow.
Minako rose to stand and spun the long weapon around before trying again, swinging the blade into the final shadow. The hit connected, but her follow through looked awkward. She stumbled over her feet again and landed heavily on one knee with a grunt.
Luckily, the hit did enough damage that Akihiko only needed one right hook to get the job done. After the shadow dissolved, he turned to their leader. Minako was still kneeling, panting heavily as Yukari hovered over her, worried.
“Yukari-chan, I’m fine” She waved the archer away as she was preparing a Diarama. “Seriously, there’s no need to worry about me.”
Akihiko exchanged glances with Junpei. Minako was no stranger to taking hits while fighting, but this time it seemed like she had little control over her movements. She was stumbling and missing attacks, which was very unlike her. Even if things went wrong during the Dark Hour, Minako usually had a smile on her face and a plan to act upon.
Tonight, she just seemed…lost.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Mina-tan?” Junpei asked, moving forward to help her stand up. She waved him away too.
“Seriously, guys. I appreciate you’re worried about me but I’m fine.” As if to prove her point, Minako hauled herself to her feet and made her way to the transporter. “Though I think we’ve had enough for tonight. We’re growing teenagers that need our rest and all that!”
More glances were exchanged as their leader bounced away. That had never stopped them before; they all knew the risks when they accepted their roles in SEES. It just came with the job.
With a sigh, Yukari was the first to follow her. Without their leader or their healer, Akihiko resigned to the fact that their expedition tonight was over. While both him and Junpei were strong enough to continue on their own for a few more floors, it would’ve been unwise without a full team.
When the green glare opened up to the first floor of Tartarus, Akihiko’s eyes immediately sought out Minako. She was there by the stairs, conferring with both Fuuka and Mitsuru. At first glance, she really didn’t look like anything was wrong; her ponytail swung as she described tonight’s expedition, and she hopped from foot to foot like usual.
But somehow, Akihiko noticed that something was off. He couldn’t explain it, but exhaustion seemed to radiate from her slightly hunched shoulders, and when she glanced at the rest of the team her ruby eyes lacked their normal brightness.
He blinked as she turned to face the rest of them, clapping her hands together. The tired expression had disappeared from her face, almost like he had imagined it. “Alright guys! Great job today. Let’s go home, you all earned a good night’s sleep.”
Back at the dorm, almost all of them immediately headed upstairs, with Yukari loudly proclaiming that she needed a long, hot shower.
“I’m covered in sweat. It’s disgusting.”
“I don’t know Yuka-tan, I think grime is a good look for you!” Junpei called cheerfully as he made his way to his room.
Yukari shot him a withering glare, obviously too tired to retort with her usual vitriol.
Akihiko had caught Minako by the elbow as she passed him on her way up the stairs. The sounds faded as the rest of the team retired for the night, and then it was just the two of them left in the lounge.
“Minako, hold on a second.”
She paused, tilting her head with a question, “What’s up, senpai?” Her red eyes, usually sparkling, were darker than normal in the low kitchen light.
“Are you absolutely sure you’re okay? You weren’t fighting like you usually do tonight.”
“Jeez Senpai,” Minako laughed softly. This laugh was different than her typical one and weirdly enough his stomach twisted in response. “I appreciate your concern, but I wish all of you weren’t such worrywarts. I’m just having an off day. I think I’m allowed one of those once and a while.”
Akihiko swallowed. He hoped he didn’t insult her. “I-I didn’t mean to….anyway, I just don’t want you getting seriously hurt.”
“Don’t worry, no shadow could ever beat me!” She brought her arm up and flexed, her teeth flashing in a wide grin
He crackled a small smile at the display, “Right.”
Her smile dropped for moment and her face turned serious. “Thank you though, Akihiko-senpai. For worrying about me. I’ve just got a lot on my plate right now, but I promise I’ll be okay. No more screw ups tomorrow!”
“I’m counting on you, Minako.”
She smiled again, and it was back to sunshine. “I won’t let you down. Well, I think we should both get some rest. Goodnight, senpai!” Minako turned away from him and headed up the stairs, her footsteps fading away.
Akihiko looked up at the spot she disappeared, strangely disappointed that she had left. With a shake of his head, he finally made his way to his room, grateful for the moment his head hit the pillow.
When Akihiko returned to the dorm, the lounge was dark. Either everyone was out or had already settled in for the night. It was one of those rare nights where they weren’t going to Tartarus nor needed to study for exams, and they were all taking full advantage of the time off.
He had gone straight to the kitchen, not bothering to even turn on the light. The small one that was above the sink provided just enough for him to see where he was going. He grabbed a glass from one cabinet and a protein bar from another, completely wiped out from practicing so late.
Akihiko filled the glass, drained it in one gulp and refilled it again, ready to head upstairs and collapse into bed. He made it as far as the bottom of the steps when a noise in the darkness of the lounge startled him with a jolt.
In the dim light, he peered into the darkness. As his eyes adjusted, Akihiko could make out a form on one of the couches and the faint sound of breathing. Curious as to who fell asleep down here, he tip-toed over.
Gray eyes had to blink several times to register what, or rather who, was curled up on the couch. It turned out to be no other than Arisato Minako, completely out cold on the leather cushions. His heart gave a twinge of sympathy, as he knew all too well how uncomfortable it was to sleep on the lounge couches. Wealthy Corporation or not, the Kirijo Group could’ve spent a bit more on the furnishings.
Akihiko didn’t know exactly why, but he stood there staring at her sleeping form for longer than what was probably appropriate. He was captured by how peaceful her face looked, how her hair was ponytail free and curled around her shoulder. Minako never let herself be so…soft while she was awake, and Akihiko felt almost scandalized while he witnessed this moment of vulnerability. It’s not like the leader of SEES was cold or anything (far from it, actually), but she never seemed to let anything slip through her mask of optimism. It probably was exhausting, acting that happy all the time.
Realizing he probably looked like a creep, Akihiko turned to once again head to his room. He had only lifted his foot when a noise had him pivoting again to the couch. The noise had come from Minako, who no longer looked so peaceful in sleep. In fact, she looked downright troubled, with brow furrowed and body twitching underneath the blanket.
He watched in alarm as her sides heaved with labored breaths and painful groans made past her lips.
“….No, please-“ The words were hissed out quietly, but in the silence of the room Akihiko caught them clearly. Whatever she was dreaming of, Akihiko was sure it was nothing good.
He set his glass on the table and crouched to her level. Tentatively he reached out and gently shook her shoulder, “Minako?” he whispered.
“Stop, please…Don’t!” In her unconscious panic, Minako’s voice rose.
“Minako? Minako!” Akihiko tried again, this time saying her name louder and shaking her shoulder more. It was no good, it was like she was trapped a nightmare and nothing he was doing got through to her.
Her small body thrashed harder, almost like she was fighting shadows in her nightmare. The blanket was kicked off the couch, and Akihiko had to get both hands to her shoulders to shake her vigorously.
“Minako! Wake up! Minako!! MINAKO!!”
With a pained cry, Minako surged up suddenly, her hands fisting in his shirt. Her red eyes were wild and darted all over as her chest rose and fell quickly in terror.
“Woah, hey…hey!” Caught off guard by her sudden movement, Akihiko almost lost his balance. He tightened his hold on her shoulders to steady both himself and her. He watched in concern as her eyes finally focused on his face and her breathing slowed to something akin to normal.
“Akihiko….?” Minako asked in a small voice, clearly confused.
“Hey.” He repeated calmly in an attempt to soothe her, “Are you alright? That looked like quite the nightmare.”
There was a pause as Minako took deep breaths, and Akihiko was suddenly aware of how close she was and how tightly she was clinging to his shirt. Even though it wasn’t the time, he was grateful for the darkness to hide the slight redness of his cheeks.
As if she came to the same conclusion, Minako released his shirt as if it burned her. She raised a hand to smooth down her hair, and Akihiko tried not to notice how it stuck up in the back like a duck tail.
“Akihiko-senpai…what are you doing here?” She asked, dodging his question with one of her own.
“You were thrashing on the couch when I came in. I tried to wake you up, but you were out cold.”
“Ah.” Her gaze fell to her lap.
An awkward silence fell between them. Akihiko cleared his throat and asked again, “Are you okay?” A beat. “D-Do you want to talk about it?” He did not want to pry too much, and he wasn’t really good at helping with personal problems, but this Minako was not what was he was used to. He had never seen her so quiet and downtrodden, and it worried him.
“I’m fine.” The answer was soft but short and invited no further discussion. Minako still wasn’t looking at his face.
“R-Right.” Realizing that he wasn’t getting anything else from her, Akihiko rose from his crouch.
Minako took a moment, but then stood up from the couch as well. She was wearing pink pajamas with white bunnies on them, and Akihiko would’ve teased her for them if her face didn’t look like someone had just died.
“You should go to bed,” He ordered as gently as possible, “Sleeping in your own bed is much better than sleeping on these awful things.”
Red eyes flickered to his own, and his breath caught in his chest. Somehow he didn’t catch it before, but the bags under Minako’s eyes were dark and a stark contrast to her pale skin. They told him that this wasn’t her first restless sleep. He was no stranger to them and looking at her reminded him of how he felt back when Miki….
No.
He dared not go down that line of thinking right now.
Minako ran another hand through her hair and seemed to come back to herself. “You’re right, senpai. At least in my own bed I won’t wake up with a stiff neck.” Taking a shaky breath, Minako shuffled towards the staircase, slippers barely lifting from the floor. She had climbed a few stairs before stopping and Akihiko regarded her back curiously.
“Akihiko.” She was still facing the top of the stairs, head bowed and shoulders drooped like they felt heavy. “…Thank you.” After that, Minako once again climbed up back to the girl’s floor.
Once again, Akihiko was left staring after her, concern for his leader and for his friend making him want to chase after her and make her tell him everything. But he knew all too well that was not the way to get answers. With a heavy thud, he sat on the couch in the spot Minako occupied just minutes earlier, running his hands through his hair and wondering what the heck to do.
It was funny, in a weird ironic sort of way. Akihiko was not great when it came to talking to girls, and frequently found himself either annoyed or flustered when dealing with them. Mitsuru, on the other hand, was in a category of her own. In his mind, she didn’t even really register as a girl in that sense. She was his best friend in some ways, a confidant in others, and even his boss on yet other occasions.
Which is why he stood there in her room long past the end of the Dark Hour. It was something normal to him, like going to school or the boxing ring. Simply just another place to converse with her, and it was no more complicated than that. Junpei would whine sometimes about how he couldn’t bring a girl up to his room after hours (“As if you could get a girl, Stupei.” Yukari would snort from her place at the table) but really, visiting Mitsuru when it got dark was much different than, say, visiting Fuuka or Minako.
“So even a dog can have a persona” He shook his head. “I know everything we do sounds like fiction but even I have a hard time believing that one, even after seeing him fight.”
Mitsuru leaned back into the couch cushion, chin braced with one hand, “He is a loyal dog with a just cause to fight for, and I am not one to deny help from a worthy ally. I think it will be good to keep him around.”
“If you say so.” With a yawn, Akihiko stretched his arms up, feeling the exhaustion from the night’s exploration creep into his bones.
“Go to bed,” She told him, holding back a yawn herself, “We can continue this discussion in the morning.”
He agreed and, not needing to be told twice, said goodnight to Mitsuru and closed her door quietly. The whole dorm was silent, and he stood still for a minute, relishing in the peacefulness. Ever since the juniors had joined SEES, the dorm was much livelier than it was with the three of them, and even more so when it was just him and Mitsuru. Moments of quiet like this were few and far between anymore, and sometimes he missed when there weren’t so many noisy teenagers (and a robot. And now a dog) running around.
Of course, the silence did not last long. In the still hallway of the girls’ floor, he heard a voice call out, coming from what he thought was Minako’s room at the end of the hallway. The first thing to cross his tired mind was annoyance; she knew better than to have anyone in her room this late on a school night, and after going to Tartarus. He marched over to her door, prepared to knock and tell her what she was doing was very irresponsible, she had school tomorrow, she should be taking better care of herself-
Akihiko stopped his hand from tapping on her door when he noticed that there was no light coming from underneath. Minako had to be asleep, right? Then what was that he heard?
Wait.
The image of the brunette girl with dark circles under her eyes flashed in his mind, and Akihiko’s exhaustion was quickly replaced with worry. What if Minako was having a nightmare right now?
Taking no time to contemplate, he muttered a quick apology before opening the door. He stepped into Minako’s room, blinking to let his eyes adjust to the darkness inside. He had never been inside her room and was taken aback of how much stuff she had in there. Papers littered her desk, painting easels were all in the one corner that didn’t have furniture, plushies and pillows were on the floor next to the bed, as if they were thrown off…
Gray eyes trailed from the floor to the bed in the back of the room. His suspicions were confirmed when the lump of blankets started moving, just like she had the other night. Just as violent too, if the abandoned plushies were anything to go off of.
“This isn’t-“ A sob came from the blankets. Minako’s harrowed face appeared from the blankets, looking just as tortured as before. She sat upright, hands fisting the pink comforter “Please, I don’t want-“ She choked off another sob.
Akihiko picked his way over to her bed, and gingerly sat down next to her sleeping form. He was at a loss of what to do since it seemed like calling her name and shaking didn’t really help wake her up. He racked his head of things to try, but most of his ideas were the violent ways he used to wake Shinji up for school, like pulling his hair and pinching his arm. Well, there was that one thing he used to do when Miki had a nightmare…
Suddenly nervous, Akihiko reached out his arm, but then quickly retracted it. Would she think he was being perverted and trying to do something? He didn’t want to give off the wrong idea. But he looked at the terror in her face and decided that he at least had to try, and smoothed his hand down her back. She happened to be wearing a tank top this time, and he went red when his palm met the bare skin at her shoulders, but he swallowed and continued to caress his hand up and down her spine. This seemed to help somewhat, as her wild breathing started to slow down.
“Minako, wake up,” He pleaded softly, “You’re having a nightmare. Please, wake up.” He murmured over and over, not even sure his junior could even hear him.
What felt like an eternity, Minako finally woke up with a gasp of air, eyes opening to the dim of her own room. She sat there, deep breaths causing her chest to heave. Though, this time seemed less violent than the last time, like instead of being torn from her nightmare, she exited slowly from it. She blinked her eyes, and Akihiko tired not to watch too closely as the tears fell from her long eyelashes.
Slowly coming back to consciousness, Minako lifted a hand and rubbed at her cheeks, wiping away the tears. It was here that she sensed a presence beside her, and she slowly turned her head to face Akihiko sitting beside her, warm hand on the middle of her back. To her credit and his relief, she didn’t scream or hit him like he was bracing for, just stared at him with bewilderment in her red eyes.
“Akihiko-senpai,” she said hoarsely, and then cleared her throat, “Why are you in my room?”
Akihiko leaned away from her, swiftly removing his hand from her person, “U-Um, you see… I heardsomethingfromyourroomandcametocheckonyouand-“
“I was having another nightmare, and you wanted to help me?” She thankfully finished for him. “I guess I can allow that.” There was a slight humor to her voice that he was relieved to hear. “But how did you hear me from a floor away?”
“Oh…I was in Mitsuru’s room,” His cheeks flushed at her stare. “I-It’s not like that! We were discussing Koromaru!”
Minako just hummed in response, and drew her knees to her chest, laying her chin on top of it. She stared at the foot of her bed as they sat in silence, and she looked so burdened and somber that it felt like his heart was being stabbed. He didn’t know why seeing her sad hurt him so much, he’s seen many girls cry before at school and it never had this much of an effect on him.
“Was I…” He perked up again when she spoke, “Was I saying anything? While I was asleep.”
“Not really. The only thing I caught sounded like you were pleading with something.”
She hummed again, but she didn’t seem surprised at the news. Akihiko really wanted to ask her what her nightmares have been about, how he could help her sleep better. He hated that she was suffering like this.
“You know, this isn’t new for me,” Minako again broke the silence, and he was glad she was talking to him still. “I’ve had bad nightmares before.”
“You have?”
She nodded, eyes still focused on her bed, “I used to have them a lot when my parents died. I’d see the crash over and over again and I’d scream at them to move, to do something. But it never worked. I eventually became afraid to sleep because I didn’t want to see them die again and again.”
Akihiko stared at her, eyes wide in astonishment. Minako has never shared something so personal with him before. With anyone, if he had to guess. Not only that, but it was something that he knew with such familiarity too.
Minako chose this time to look back at his face, red eyes peering into his gray, “What is it?”
“Nothing!” He blinked away his surprise, “I’m just shocked you’d admit something like that so openly. You’re always so..”
“Closed off?” Minako offered, but Akihiko shook his head.
“No. Almost like you don’t want anyone to know you get sad like the rest of us.”
“Oh.” There was a pause as she drew in a breath. “I don’t really. I like when people can rely on me and ease their burdens, so I have to be strong for them.”
“You know that goes both ways, right?” He told her seriously, “You don’t have to shoulder it all alone. Your friends won’t think less of you just because you show them you’re not always a ray of sunshine.”
“A ray of sunshine, huh?” She gave him a small grin.
Akihiko felt his ears go red, “W-Well, yeah. You make everyone happy.”
Minako closed her eyes again, “Then that’s all I need. I hate feeling upset, hate seeing others upset, so that’s why I’m always optimistic. There’s no room for sadness here.”
He frowned at her but decided not to lecture on how dangerous that line of thinking could eventually become. He never got to see this side of Minako, and he didn’t want her to stop because he was nagging her.
“You know,” Akihiko began, surprising the both of them. “I used to get nightmares too. Especially after my sister died. All I could see was her face, crying out for me to save her. It was a long time before I could sleep somewhat normally again.” It was something he never told anyone, something Mitsuru nor even Shinji knew, how many times he saw her scream his name before being swallowed up by the fire. But if Minako felt she could be this open with him, it was only fair he placed that same trust in her.
Minako’s voice was barely above a whisper, “How did you get through it?”
“I pushed myself to my limit every day so that I was too exhausted to even dream.”
Her brows pulled into a frown, “I thought that would work, but here I am. Some days I can barely move but it keeps haunting me.”
His heart ached, “What haunts you, Minako?”
Ruby eyes stared into gray before she slid her gaze away from him. He almost panicked that he crossed a line before she took a deep breath.
“I’m not sure how to explain it into words. Each time I have the same nightmare. I’m in a dark void, and there’s this giant, monstrous creature with me. Almost like one of the Full Moon Shadows. And it shows me….I don’t know, flashes? Visions of the earth being destroyed and everyone dying. And it speaks to me with a voice that sounds like several people talking all at once.” A pause. “It tells me, the Fall has come and I am the one to blame.”
“The fall? What is that?”
“I don’t know!” Minako cried helplessly, and her voice shook. “I can’t help but feel like this is trying to tell me something. That something big is going to happen and if I don’t figure it out…” Her shoulders hunched over like the weight of the world was on them.
Akihiko had enough common sense to know that dismissing her fears as just a production of exhaustion was not the way to go. The SEES leader was smart, had guided them through many battles with expertise, and if she had a gut feeling they’d be stupid to ignore it.
“Well, whatever it is you think may happen, we’ll face it together as a team.” He told her earnestly. “We survived this long, right? Maybe defeating the Full Moon Shadows will help make this go away.”
“Maybe,” Minako echoed, not convinced. She then shivered and brought her hands up to rub warmth into her skin.
“I know it’s hard, but you should try to go back to sleep. It’s pretty late out and we have school tomorrow.”
Akihiko prepared to stand when her hand caught the sleeve of his shirt, halting him.
“Senpai?” She asked timidly. It was dark, but in the moonlight filtering through the window, her cheeks almost looked pink.
“What is it?”
“Will you…stay with me?”
Akihiko was pretty sure he felt his brain stop working. He stared at her, red faced and jaw slightly dropped.
“Just until I fall asleep!” She added hastily. “I don’t know why, but I feel safe with you. You stop the nightmares.”
That made his ears grow hotter. “You want me to sleep with you?” He asked dumbly.
Minako hit him with her pillow, “Don’t say it like that!! If you could just stick around until I go to sleep, I’d really appreciate it.”
“Oh.” He looked into her pleading eyes and found it hard to deny her. “Sure.”
She smiled softly then, and he knew that if she had asked for the moon instead, he would’ve found a way to get it for her. She scooted over to make more room for him on the bed, and he felt a flash of nervousness. He never really hugged a girl before (not counting Miki), much less slept in one’s bed…
“You can make yourself comfortable.” Minako told him kindly, before pulling the blankets around her shoulders and settling in on the pillow. She curled up facing away from him, and somehow it did not surprise him that she slept on her side.
She murmured sleepily, “Goodnight Akihiko.” And soon enough, her breathing slowed as she fell asleep. Akihiko took a moment to settle in as well, propping himself against her headboard to keep vigil while she slept. He kept an eye on her for a while, waiting for signs that another nightmare was occurring, but none came. Satisfied that she was sleeping peacefully, he resisted the urge the brush her bangs away from her eyes and decided that he needed to return to his room before he did something stupid.
Just as he was about to rise from the bed, Minako shifted. In her sleep, she rolled so that she was on her other side facing him and moved closer, curling so that she was tucked into his side. Akihiko froze in shock, afraid to move a muscle and shatter the peaceful rest she was finally getting. His mind, however, was racing. Minako was basically cuddling him, and he didn’t know how to react. Should he just sit here? Be an asshole and leave? Cuddle her back?
That last thought made him pause. It would be easy to just wrap his arm around her, scootch down and have her lay her head on his chest…
He shook his head to banish the thought, and the movement caused Minako next to him to stir. Frantic, Akihiko stilled as best as he could, holding his breath. He felt his heart pound in his chest as he waited for her to settle down again. Finally, she did, returning to the tranquil lull of sleep.
It was so calm, so peaceful, and for moment Akihiko could almost close his eyes and imagine that the horrors they faced on a daily basis didn’t exist. He did just that as sleep’s siren song seemed to call to him as well. Against his better judgement (and deciding it was worth the potential execution waiting for him in the morning), Akihiko decided to stay with Minako, keeping guard over this girl that desperately needed rest. He let his eyes grow heavy, and eventually nodded off as well, lured by the sound of her breathing.
It was the best sleep either of them had gotten in months.