Work Text:
[March 5th, 2010]
Close your eyes? <———
…
[March 6th, 2010]
The members of SEES had never felt such joy after they carried their leader back to the dorm in his slumbering state. No one truly understood the miracle he performed that day; however, it didn’t matter to them. He fulfilled his end of the promise and made it to their meeting spot on time.
Aigis stood near the table next to the dorm kitchen. To celebrate their fulfilled promise, Akihiko decided to cook pancakes again for everyone. Junpei was watching TV while Yukari was on her cell phone texting her friends. Mitsuru was still in her room, working on packing her belongings to move out. Today would be their last actual day in the dorm.
Their former navigator, Fuuka, stopped typing on her laptop when a frown appeared on her face. Despite the disappearance of the dark hour, she still felt Juno’s presence deep within herself. Faint as it may be, it still had its uses.
“Y-Yukari, Junpei…have either of you seen Makoto?” her words came out in a slightly frantic manner despite the overall relaxed way she was seated. Just as Yukari’s mouth opened, Aigis quickly responded in her stead.
“No, Makoto-san should still be asleep. I did not notice or hear the door to his room leave at all during the night nor upon activation” Aigis finished her quick report with a curt nod. Koromaru, perched up in Ken’s lap, jumped to the ground before rushing up the stairs. Fuuka gently set down her laptop before making her way towards the stairs.
“I…I don’t like this. I noticed his complexion has gotten rather pale over the last few months” She was cut off by a chuckle escaping Junpei’s lips. He cocked his hat down a bit as he spoke up.
“Hasn’t that guy always been pale? C’mon, lighten up; the guy was just tired, right?” The smirk on his face quickly disappeared upon receiving a slap to the back of his head from Yukari’s hand.
“That wasn’t the time for a joke, Stupei ugh ” she then turned to Fuuka, nodding for her to continue.
“I know he’s probably fine. I'm just a bit worried…“ She briefly pauses after feeling Koromaru wagging his tail against her leg. She lets out a small chuckle despite her growing fear.
“It's not just me; it seems Koro-chan is, too. Hey, Aigis, can you please come with us? We’re gonna go wake him up real quick” explained Fuuka as the two started up the stairs. Aigis quickly got up from her chair at the table and rushed towards the staircase, while Junpei and Yukari looked at one another.
“Should we go with them?”
“No, he’d go back to sleep if you were the first thing he had to see in the morning” said Yukari, rolling her eyes before looking back at her on her cellphone. Junpei just shrugged before going back to his show.
[Makoto’s Room]
A slight creak echoed throughout the room as a dim light from the aperture in the door seeped into the blue-haired teen’s room. Koromaru looked up at the two people beside him, sneakily trying to peer into the room. He let out a pout before getting shushed by Fuuka.
“Yes, please stay back, Koromaru. You will only serve to wake him up abruptly. We must ease him awake gently, given his current condition” explained Aigis in a hushed tone as she kneeled before the dog.
After a few more nudges, the door was open enough for all three to enter. Fuuka stared at the items boarded on the shelf on the right side of his room. Her hand moved to the kaleidoscope he had won at the Summer festival the year before. Seeing it brought back memories of their time as a group over the past year.
His jacket for operations was on a hanger on the wall like a retired jersey, getting a giggle out of her. She knew he was attached to the jacket since he would get a bit annoyed whenever someone tried to touch it.
Aigis moved close to their leader’s bed and touched his cheek. Koromaru’s tail stopped wagging as he leaped onto the bed, licking Makoto’s hand. His whimpering caught the two off guard.
“Koro-chan?! What’s wrong?” asked Fuuka in a panic as she rushed over to Makoto. Aigis started to scan Makoto before realization struck her. She stared in confusion as she couldn’t fathom what she was reading.
“This…this can’t be” The shadow weapon looked in disbelief at the sleeping blue-haired teen. Fuuka grabbed Makoto’s free hand as she pleaded for him to wake up.
“Makoto? Please wake up. It’s morning. Please…no” Tears fell in droves down Fuuka’s cheeks. The boy's hands were limp and utterly cold. Despite having passed, he still had the resting smile from the day.
“I don’t understand. I promised to protect him, but the readings show his heart has completely stopped. There’s no brain activity either…I failed” the blonde robot muttered to herself. All three in the room were devastated, and their heartfelt cries filled the dorm.
[March 19, 2010]
Makoto Yuki, born in 1992 and died March 6th, 2010. A group of teenagers dressed in all-black attire sat in front of a rare picture of the usually blank-faced, apathetic teen. It was a picture taken by Aigis one afternoon upon returning to the dorm after a walk around the town, having felt fed up with the lack of progress on why Ryoji Mochizuki had made her feel such disdain.
The one whose side she swore to always remain beside was chatting with the rest of the members of SEES. This is a common occurrence after the boy comes back from his daily escapades of the day. What was new was the smile on his face.
Aigis was taken aback. She quickly took a picture from her cell phone to preserve the rare moment, but it came out blurry. Fuuka turned her head to notice that Aigis had returned to the dorm.
“Oh…hi, Aigis-chan! A-Are you still upset?” Fuuka asked, giving her a curious look and raising one eyebrow. Aigis silently nodded as she approached Makoto. She stood beside his chair and looked down at him.
“Makoto-san, I would like to make a request. This goes for all of you, too” said Aigis, abruptly interrupting the ongoing conversation. With all eyes on her, she then proposed a group photo.
“Eh, screw it, you only live once!” exclaimed Junpei excitedly as he got up. Mitsuru sighed as she set down her tea cup.
“I’ll go get my camera from my room, stay here” said Mitsuru as she hastily walked up the stairs. Now intrigued, Makoto stared at Aigis with a raised eyebrow.
“Why the sudden interest in a group photo, Aigis?” asked the boy in his usual detached tone. She looked at the ground for a second in thought.
“Well, we should have a picture of us together that we can all remember fondly. I know you are all struggling to find a purpose for going on…but I don’t think we can’t give up hope. This photo…can be a reminder of the day we decided to keep moving no matter what till we get rid of the dark hour” explained Aigis with a small smile as she clenched her hand.
Makoto nodded and got up as Mitsuru returned downstairs with her camera and the stand. There were issues like the previous time when Junpei ruined the picture. It was simply a photo of a group of friends who had decided to let go of their doubts and live with determination for the future. Alongside their leader’s genuine smile, properly captured in a photo for the first time.
The former SEES members were astonished by how many people came to Makoto’s memorial service. None of them could hold it together witnessing his cremation but decided to smile as they wanted despite the tears rolling out. It was amazing to see just how many lives were touched by the boy.
Mitsuru took a deep breath as she approached his portrait. The decided flower arrangement fit Makoto perfectly, making this more complicated than expected. Steeling her emotions, she smiled bittersweetly before turning to everyone in attendance.
‘Damn, Yamagishi truly is a master in regards to all things floral. An ocean represented by various blue flowers was creative and worked well..’
“…When we first met, it was the middle of the night. He has just transferred to the dorms, but unbeknownst to the current students in the dorm so, a friend of mine nearly attacked him, mistaking him for an intruder” reminisced Mitsuru as she stared amongst the attendees.
A good few chuckled as she finished recounting her first encounter with Makoto. A lone tear trickled down her cheek as she felt the warm presence of a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head and continued looking back at the crowd, having steeled her nerves.
“He didn’t spend his days lazing the dorm as all of you can attest to. He spent his time talking to & establishing unforgettable bonds with the members of this community, forever leaving his mark in the hearts of those around him. I am sure each of you here can speak of encounters with him in which he lent an ear or gave wise advice to a situation you were dealing with. He wasn’t without his own flaws, of course, his level of blunt honesty could come off as rude, or his apathetic attitude towards handling things. Yet...he never let these stop him from doing what needed to be done for others or himself. He was truly…”
After Mitsuru wrapped up her brief eulogy, next to step up was Akihiko. The silver haired teen stared at Makoto’s photo for a while before a weak chuckle escaped his lips.
‘I know you two would be laughing your asses off at me choking up right now. Can’t even catch a break eh, Shinji...Makoto’ He coughed as he turned to face the attendees, mind now relaxed. Akihiko knew the challenge before him would be tough, but he was never one to back down from one.
“Let’s see, my first encounter with Makoto was back in spring. I saw him face a tough situation with nothing but the calmest expression you’d ever see. He was always like that, last to show any real fear or hesitation regardless of the situation. Heh, I remember when we got into a scuffle with some gangsters. I offered to handle them but he just shook his head and squared up. Lest to say we went home with a few bruises but I didn’t see him show any signs of exhaustion. I was his senpai, but I looked up to him, he was definitely…”
Yukari stared at his photo with a frown as she got up from her chair. Fuuka gave her a pat on the shoulder before she made her way up to the photo. She still couldn’t believe he was gone. They’d even made plans to go with the group to go camping sometime after their final mission.
‘Why…it still doesn’t feel real. Just a few weeks ago, he was here. Going in and out of the dorm like he usually does. He even helped me reconnect with mom..’
“Makoto Yuki, huh , he was my best friend and definitely a bit of a fool. I don’t need to tell you all how much of a jerk he can be; the guy seriously had no filter. But…he had this presence to him, like if he wasn’t in the room, yeah, you wouldn’t notice. However, if he came in and then left, you’d feel it greatly. What else can I say, I’m always gonna miss him but he’d want me to keep living my life. God, he was so…”
Junpei frowned, eyes solemn, having anticipated this day after witnessing his best friend’s cremation. The two were thick as thieves despite the blue-haired teen’s repeated verbal disagreement to the statement; hanging out with one another always brought out a smile on the boy's face in the later months of their friendship.
‘
To think I was such a dick to you in the beginning…now I owe so much to you man. Why’d you have to go first, huh? It ain’t fair to leave us behind to pick ourselves up but…I guess we all have to suck it up especially, her..’ Junpei fixed his cap as he slapped his cheeks and turned to face everyone.
“So uh, this guy. He never wanted to be my friend actually. He told me this back at the shrine in January. I felt like such a prick for bugging him till he smiled and told me that he was forever grateful I decided to budge my way into his life. The sappy jerk, now I get to say the same to him. I always wanted to be as cool as him, he was perfect on the outside but there were plenty of times things got to him. He was hella just good at hiding it. I know he’s helped everyone here in one way or another but just know you all helped him just as much, shoot he told me so himself. I mean without him I would’ve lost someone so dear to me…damn that guy really was..”
Ken ran up to the photo with a somber face. Koromaru was beside him for emotional support as he rubbed his head against Ken’s leg. Fuuka managed to find some dog suits online and even dressed up Koromaru for the occasion. The white, Shiba Inu stared at the photo of Makoto, letting out a soft whimper as Ken knelt down, rubbing his fur.
“I know, boy, I miss him too” said Ken as he sighed while standing. He turned to face the crowd of people and got overwhelmed.
He was happy to see the boy he looked up to. Their fearless leader had touched so many hearts. At the same time, the 11 year old wasn’t used to talking to so many people. He then saw Yukari & Fuuka mouthing something to him with their fingers slightly pointed up. A smile quickly appeared on his face as he understood, taking a deep breath with his eyes looking more so towards the sky then the crowd.
“ Hey senpai, I…I know you probably don’t want me crying. And I haven’t! Well, I try at least, but we can talk later ” A good majority of the crowd seemed perplexed by what he was doing. Ken then looked down from the sky towards everyone, Koromaru shouting into the sky as his tail wagged back and forth.
“Makoto-san was like the big brother I never had. He was so calm and cool all the time. He always looked out for me and made sure I was doing good even when everyone was busy having fun. I was so confused as to why he’d care so much for someone like me till I realized just how much his friends meant to him. He was ready to give his all for the people he knew even when things seemed impossible! I aspire to be like that one day, though I don’t think I’ll ever be as…”
After a few other eulogies were given by many acquaintances of Makoto, it was Aigis’s turn to deliver. She stood up in a rather mechanical fashion; despite how far she’d come to passing as a human some things never changed. Her hand gently touched the photo frame of Makoto.
“I don’t know how to go on. I don’t want to go on in a world without you…it all feels meaningless. Why is this world so cruel! It takes you away from me just as I found my meaning…” shouted the android.
Her friends stared with sympathy, knowing how dedicated she was to her goal of being by his side. They’d never forget the breakdown she had in response to learning of his death.
“ LET ME GO! I-I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT! How? How could he have died? I know he was getting paler but I didn’t think…it’s all my fault” The endless stream of tears continued to fall onto their former leader's bed.
“ Aigis! Calm down. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I didn’t notice the obvious signs…” Mitsuru tried to grab the blonde android’s shoulders but her hand was slapped away.
The girl's Papillion Heart was irreversibly shattered. The best SEES could do was give her time to recover, though it was still a work in progress.
Aigis turned with a bittersweet smile to everyone in attendance. She surveyed each and every face, even the man in the gray suit watching from behind a tree. She wiped a tear as she began her eulogy proper.
“I caused him so much pain and despair yet he still treated me with the kindness he would show everyone. When he declared me his best friend, I’d never felt such joy before. I know how much he cared for you all; the bonds between you all and him will never break even in passing. His last words were to ‘live’…I thought I had found my answer to living, but I'm still searching for it. You all feel the same sadness I feel. I know he’d want us all to live our lives to the best of our abilities. He truly is someone unforgettable. Once you’ve met him then you can’t picture your world without him. He was in his own right what one would call…”
Fuuka was nervous. She was the final member of SEES to go up and the final of the service to deliver a eulogy. She had written out her thoughts about what he meant to her, even jotting down various funny moments but it was too hard to read. And scripting it just felt wrong. After seeing how her friends did it, she decided she’ll speak from the heart. Leaving her folded script in Mitsuru’s lap.
“Fuuka! You forgot your-“
“I-I don’t need it, Mitsuru–senpai, I know what I wanna say” explained the teal-haired girl with a small smile. Mitsuru simply nodded and let her continue.
Each step was heavier than the last as she saw the photo of the most important person in her life. She froze, a tear rolling down her cheek as she held her breath. The calm expression on his face was one she’d grown a custom to seeing over the past year, the difference was his lips curled up in a genuine smile though it could borderline count as a smirk.
‘That’s just like him. Always confident…why did it have to be him. It hurts so much, Mako…’ she mumbled to herself as she nearly touched the port. She gripped the mp3 player around her neck as she took a deep breath before looking at the crowd of people.
“Chance encounters. That's the only thing that could describe my first interaction with Mako-….I mean Makoto!” she squeaks out as the crowd fills with slight laughter. Her friends all give her reassuring smiles. She takes it in stride as she continues.
“It was the fourth day of school, April 4th last year. I was getting picked on by some classmates of mine as they dropped my books onto the ground and walked away. I won’t forget it, he just appeared beside me. I almost shrieked but he kneeled down and picked up my books with me and handed me the ones he picked up. I tried asking for his name but I presume he continued walking on his way, guess he couldn’t hear me with his headphones in” Fuuka chuckled as she reminisced on the memory with a small smile. The members of SEES were shocked as they’d never known that the two had an encounter before they rescued Fuuka in Tartarus.
“Makoto was always there when I needed help, I know I probably was such a bother but he never cared and helped me to the best of his ability. Being by his side was so amazing and…I’ll miss that feeling. When I heard his last words, I had just thought he was sleepy, not knowing just how important they’d be. I’ll keep marching towards my dreams and goals like he would’ve wanted. I hope that you all will do the same. I’d say the impact he had on others was kind of…”
legendary
Wrapping up her eulogy with a small smile, she walked back towards the members of SEES as the group gave their final respects to their fallen leader before leaving.
[March 6, 2012]
The sound of boots filled the quiet graveyard as they reached their destination, stopping before a certain grave. Braided teal hair waved in the air as she knelt down and placed a wreath composed of white carnations onto the grave. The woman smiled as she sat down before the grave, humming peacefully for a few minutes. After a while, she removed her headphones, and with the click of a button on her mp3 player, the sounds of the outside world returned to her.
“It’s been awhile, Makoto” She smiled brightly as she touched the top of the gravestone fondly. A wave of memories flashed in her head, sceneries changing rapidly from their theater dates to the summer festival, their many rooftop meetings, and then the top of Tartarus. That one gave her the biggest scare. Followed memories of March 5th & 6th of two springs prior came flooding back.
“I’ve been holding up well. College has been surprisingly fun! I made some friends, passed my classes and even set up the first-ever tech club there. Hehe, I wish you had seen all the crazy things we did at the club. The pie machine was surprisingly hectic… oh! Everyone has been doing well, too; Ken is finally acting like a kid even joining his middle school’s student council. I think you & Mitsuru-senpai may have spurred his interest in that case. Koromaru is happy with Ken. I know that must make you really happy to hear, given how close you were with him. Yukari has also gotten into modeling while managing her college courses. She really is remarkable in the way she's making strides in building a career for herself. What else…” She taps her chin, as her hand runs through the grass beside her. A chuckle escaped her lips as she remembered what else the other members of SEES were up to.
“Akihiko started college and continued boxing of course. But then he just up and decided to leave to face greater opponents, or so he said. I know you’d probably have some words to tell him, but it was his choice. He is involved with this big thing Mitsuru is spearheading at the moment, and so am I, but that’s not important right now. Junpei got into baseball again, even coaching the little league. I was pretty shocked, but as I told you earlier, everyone is moving forward” A frown appeared on her face before she continued.
“Aigis…she is doing better. I know she still misses you dearly, but she has decided to keep moving forward. She went through a lot after you passed, we all did, but it made us stronger. As for Mitsuru, she took to being CEO of the Kirijo Group well. Of course, the board tried to test her, but she showed them up numerous times, irrefutably proving that her role as leader of the group was the best way to move forward. She’s still as strong-willed as always” The woman gets up, dusting off her tights. The warmth of the afternoon sunlight shone on her face.
“Till next time, Makoto. I’ll bring even more updates and stories to tell you. I promise” She touched the gravestone one last time before adjusting the wreath. She noticed little trinkets adorned around the grave she hadn’t seen the entire time. A small baseball was behind the grave, a small pink featherman badge on the right side, and a burned-out incense beside the gravestone. A warm smile appeared as she dug into her purse, pulled out a wrapped onigiri, and placed it in front of the gravestone.
As she walked out of the graveyard, she checked her phone. Her train would arrive in fifteen minutes, so she began heading back to the exit. She felt a bump to her shoulder as someone brushed past her. The person spoke out to her as she paused her music yet again and turned to face them. It startled her how similar this person looked to Makoto.
“Pardon me. I wasn’t watching where I was going, but I do have a question” said the teen.
“Oh, no, really, it's okay. Go on”
“Were you just visiting the grave of Makoto Yuki?” asked the teen as they adjusted their cap. She took notice of the unique detective-like attire they were wearing.
“Um, yes. Did you need something?” The air around them filled with slight awkwardness as the teen went quiet, clearly lost in thought. Before she could repeat her question, the teen spoke up.
“What is your relation to him? I'm just curious; this is my third time seeing someone else here paying respects to him” A small smile crept onto their face. The teal-haired woman chuckled as she extended her hand.
“He was very special to me; he was my boyfriend and closest friend. How did you know him?” said the woman with a smile. The teen looked shocked but shook her hand nonetheless.
“He was my cousin. He never told me he was seeing someone, though I guess all his letters were pretty brief that entire year. Him not disclosing the fact he found a partner is certainly in character for him though” The teen chuckled bittersweetly. The woman had a shocked look on her face but a warm smile then appeared on her face.
“I’ve never met anyone in his family, but meeting you was nice. I’ve gotta go, but take care.” She gave a quick nod before running to catch her train. The teen nodded back before continuing on to the grave. As the teal-haired woman boarded her train, she smiled. Come another year's time, she’d have plenty more stories to tell him, and she couldn’t wait.