Work Text:
08/30/2009
A brunette was wandering through the halls of Iwatodai Dormitory with a goal in mind.
The dorm was quiet today. It was a Sunday and most residents were out, enjoying the last few days of their summer break.
Yukari stopped in front of a door. The room she stood in front of was the closest to the stairs on the second-floor.
The archer raised her hand and after a moment of hesitation, she started to knock.
“Amada-kun...? Are you there?” she inquired.
No response.
However, she could hear noise from inside, followed by a thump sound.
Yukari's eyes widened slightly. “Are you okay…?” The girl asked slowly. It sounded like something or someone fell down.
“Y-yeah! I'm fine…” She could hear the muffled child voice from inside. ‘What in the world was he doing in there?’ she thought with a quirked eyebrow.
Finally, the door opened, revealing an 11 year old boy. He gripped the side of the door as he peeked out into the hallway. “Yukari-san, how can I help you?” Ken asked, politely as always.
“Hello, Amada-kun,” she greeted him with a soft smile. “Would you be interested in joining me for a cup of coffee today?” Yukari asked. The high schooler saw the younger boy drink plenty of coffee before.
It wasn't rare to see Ken with a cup of coffee in his hands, whenever she passed by the lobby. Yukari didn't know if drinking it was bad for a boy his age but he seemed to like it enough to drink it often.
The archer didn't see anyone else mention it yet either, so it was probably fine.
Whatever the case may be, the girl trusted Ken's judgment and awareness of his coffee consumption enough.
“Uhm, sure…?” Ken accepted, uncertainly. “But why me?”
Yukari shrugged. “Does there always have to be a specific reason?” she retorted, twirling a hair strand around.
Ken blinked a few times. “Hm, I guess not,” the student answered.
Yukari nodded. “I wanted to go and test out a new menu item at the café by Port Island Station,” she explained, “and going alone is kinda boring, isn't it?”
“That's true. Thank you for the invite, Yukari-san,” he responded with a smile.
Yukari returned a smile of her own. “Awesome, let's go!”
The duo took the Monorail to Port Island Station. It didn't take long for them to arrive at their desired destination. They walked towards the stairs leading away from the Station.
As they wandered down the steps, towards the café, they passed by Rafflesia, the florist and Screen Shot, the cinema. Maybe they could visit these places as well sometimes.
Yukari had to do a double take, when she saw Makoto and Mitsuru enter the cinema in the distance. ‘Oh, that's right. The film festival was still going on,’ she realized.
“We're here,” Ken announced, bringing her focus back on the building in front of them.
The café had a wooden outside platform with several small tables scattered around. The archer smiled. ‘Sitting outside in the summer was the best, no doubt about it,’ she thought. Yukari always loved to feel the sunbeams shine onto her skin, when she enjoyed a nice cup of coffee or tea, without a worry in mind.
The high school girl looked around the platform for any free seats. Luckily, Yukari couldn't spot many people sitting outside today. “How about we sit over there?” she asked the younger one, pointing at a table in a corner. “Sure,” Ken responded.
The duo walked up to the table and took a seat. Yukari wasted no time, picking up the menu. The brunette indicated for Ken to do the same.
For a while, the S.E.E.S. members looked over the menu, pondering over what to order.
“I thought you already knew what to get, Yukari-san?” Ken questioned, peeking over his menu.
Yukari looked up from her own to meet the other's eyes. “Their new cake, yup!” she responded, cheerfully. “I'm just thinking about what drink...they have a lot of options.”
Ken nodded. “That's true.”
“Do you already know what to get, Amada-kun?” the high school girl asked.
“Hm, not really,” he replied, “Do you come here often, Yukari-san?”
The archer hummed. “Well, I wouldn't say I'm a regular but I do like to visit whenever I have the time.”
“Do you have any recommendations for me then?” the elementary student inquired with a smile.
The archer put a hand on her chin, pondering. “Hmm. Every time I can't decide, I usually pick something that's cute and pink,” she admitted, sheepishly. “So maybe just pick something that catches your eye,” Yukari suggested.
“Don't overthink it, right?” mused Ken.
“Pretty much.” She nodded.
The elementary student took one more look at the menu. “Ok, I've decided,” he said after a while.
“Same here,” she responded.
The high schooler looked around the area, trying to spot a waiter she could call.
“Excuse me!” Yukari exclaimed, successfully getting the attention of a waitress nearby.
The waitress made her way over to their table. “Welcome, what can I get started for you?” she asked with a polite smile. A pen and twist ring notebook were already placed in her hand.
“Hello, I'll take a latte with a slice of your new fruit roll cake,” Yukari ordered. The waitress quickly wrote down Yukari's order. When she was finished, she looked over to the other student.
Ken told her his order as well. “Uhm, I'd like a flat white with a slice of cheesecake, please.”
“Coming right up,” the waitress said, clicking her pen and walking inside the café afterwards.
Yukari, trapped in thought, looked towards the elementary student in front of her. It's been two days since Ken joined and he has already been on his first trip to Tartarus.
The archer wondered how it went, since she was on standby in the main hall for the entirety of that trip. “Say, Amada-kun. How was your first trip to Tartarus?” she started, “I hope Junpei didn't trouble you too much.”
“Oh, it was fine. The Shadow's really weren't all that scary. The leader's instruction's were really helpful too,” Ken started beaming as he went on, “It was also cool seeing Sanada-san in action and Junpei-san was really eager to help as well.”
“Eager to help or eager to show off?” The archer rolled her eyes with a smirk. That earned her a giggle from the S.E.E.S. member. “Maybe both,” the student responded with a smile.
The archer remembered how Ken had told Makoto he wasn't afraid of Tartarus at the entrance. Yukari huffed at that at first. She remembered thinking, how those were some big words for someone as inexperienced as Ken but to her surprise, the young S.E.E.S. member didn't look particularly shaken up, whenever he returned to the entrance with the exploration team.
The high schooler didn't know if she should have been relieved or concerned to see that.
He may have been doing well in Tartarus but he hasn't been through the horrors, the near death experiences, she already went through and that did worry her.
Speaking of near death experiences...
“The evoker bit...Pretty scary at first, huh?” She nervously chuckled.
Ken pondered, “It was eerie...but Mitsuru-san told me you get used to it.”
“I guess you do,” she muttered into the hand that was holding up her chin.
Maybe he was just as good at hiding his real feelings as herself, or he really wasn't bothered much by shooting himself in the head after all. Both options were concerning.
The next full moon operation was close by and they didn't know what would await them this time.
The only thing S.E.E.S. knew, was that the full moon Shadows grew stronger with each passing moon. It always made her nervous thinking about it.
As of now, no full moon Shadow fight ever went completely flawlessly.
S.E.E.S had to fight harder than ever before in these fights.
They had their fair share of close calls in those fights before as well. Like with that monorail incident...Yukari's mind wandered back to it, involuntarily.
It was because of that incident, that whenever she took the monorail to school, she often got the sensation of the monorail speeding up, and felt the dread that was coming with it.
The high schooler knew she was just imagining it.
Yukari hated it.
She never managed to bring up the courage to ask how her classmates felt about it.
Makoto seemed too fearless and Junpei would probably mock her for it.
It doesn't matter, it wasn't a big deal.
She could deal with that alone.
Yukari and Ken continued to sit in shared silence, waiting for their order to arrive. It seems like neither had anything to say.
The archer wished the other would say something, so the girl wasn't trapped with her nagging thoughts. Every time the high schooler tried to think of a topic to talk about, her mind wandered back to the thousand questions in her mind.
What possible reason could there be, to risk your life at such a young age? She wanted to ask for his reason so badly, but she couldn't bring herself to do that either. Yukari felt like she was in no position to ask, to be so noisy, when she herself tried to shield herself from others. The brunette wondered how similar Ken and her truly were.
Makoto mentioned his good support, when they returned from Tartarus.
Ken's powerful healing skills.
Herself and Ken, the two main healers of the team.
Fuuka...she told her Persona's and their abilities reflect the user's self in a way. That conversation couldn't leave her mind, ever since it entered it.
Maybe she could have a talk with Fuuka about the subject again in the future.
Yukari always wondered how the navigator saw everyone's ‘inner self’.
After a few more minutes of waiting, the waitress finally arrived with their orders. She carefully placed it down on the table in front of them and muttered a soft ‘Enjoy’, before she left.
Yukari and Ken put their hands in a prayer, saying their thanks before digging in.
“Mmm, this is so yummy!” Yukari beamed. Good food always had its way to make her worries go away immediately. She couldn't be more happy about that right now.
They ate and drank their coffee in shared company. The brunette saw how Ken's face twisted the first time he took a sip from his coffee but he drank it nonetheless.
Yukari wondered, ‘He doesn't really like coffee after all, does he?’
She genuinely thought he just liked drinking coffee before but watching him trying to keep a straight face made her opinion waver.
The archer wasn't so sure anymore. After all, it made sense for him to pretend.
It was no secret that Ken tried to act as mature as he could, whenever the opportunity arose, or maybe it was, when you didn't know him better.
Back at the shrine, she thought about him as just naturally mature but living under one roof did wonders in revealing parts about others and getting to know them better, even if it wasn't your intention. Like how he tried to hide his interests in everything that could seem childish even in the slightest.
Ken was still mature but she didn't know about him being so set on making himself appear as grown up as possible prior to living in the same dorm together.
In a way, Yukari could understand why Ken would try everything to make himself seem on par with the other members of S.E.E.S. His age is a disadvantage, no matter how you want to twist it and he tries his best to make up for it.
The high school girl recalled feeling like a dead weight to the team as well, the one that mattered the least, before Fuuka talked some sense into her.
The archer had to admit, she wasn't the strongest or the best fighter but no one matched her, when it came to healing. It resulted in her participation in most Tartarus explorations.
She hoped Ken would see that too someday. That even if he has a disadvantage in an aspect, he still brings his own importance to the team, whatever it may be. Maybe the brunette was worrying for nothing, she didn't even see him in action yet after all.
“Amada-kun, I'm interested in your Persona, can you tell me a bit about it? I wasn't in the exploration team so I haven't seen it in action yet,” the archer asked. She saw Ken's eyes widen at her request. It seems like he didn't expect such a question.
He swallowed the cheesecake he was chewing. “Huh? I mean sure, she's nothing special though,” the student replied.
Yukari waved him off. “Aw come on, don't sell yourself short, Amada-kun. I already heard from Makoto-kun that your Persona focuses on support, so almost like mine.”
“Oh, is that so?” he inquired.
The girl nodded. “Yep, I can tell you about Io as well. That's the name of my Persona,” the high schooler explained, taking a sip from her latte.
Ken nodded eagerly. “I'd love to hear about that.” It seemed like that intrigued him at the very least.
The archer put an elbow on the table. She leaned on it, holding up her head with the palm of her hand. The teenager was mindlessly tapping her cheek a few times. “Ok well, I'm not all-knowing like Fuuka, who can tell you every little detail about Persona's and how they connect to you but I know a little bit. Like how our Persona's are connected to mythology's for example,” she explained.
“I don't know much about mythologies,” Ken admitted, putting another bit of his cheesecake into his mouth.
“Me neither. When Fuuka mentioned it to me, I did some research into my Persona though, since it sparked some interest,” she began. “Supposedly, she's from the Greco-Roman Mythology.”
“What is her story?” the elementary student questioned.
Yukari straightened her back. “Uh- to be honest I'm not entirely sure. It said something about being rescued by Hermes though…”
“Hermes is Junpei-san's Persona, right?” asked Ken with an arched eyebrow.
“Yeah…” she snarled, crossing her arms with a frown. “I stopped reading after that,” the brunette explained. “If someone needs saving it's Stupei, with how many times I have to heal him back up…”
“Junpei-san, can be a bit reckless...but he means well,” Ken added shyly.
The girl paused, letting out a sigh. “I know he does but he's taking important matters too lightly sometimes.” The brunette dismissed the conversation after that. “Ok enough about Io, what about your Persona?”
Ken took a sip before responding, “Her name is Nemesis. I think Yuki-san already told you everything about her skills though, if I understood correctly.”
Nemesis. She should ask Fuuka about her next time. “Only that she excels in support and healing skills. What is her main element?” Yukari asked.
“Light. I can also use electricity attacks,” Ken explained.
The archer nodded along. “I see, we don't have anyone with light attacks yet.”
The duo finished the rest of their cakes and coffee's with mindless chatter.
“That was nice,” chirped the elementary student, putting down his cup with a clink. “Thank you for inviting me today, Yukari-san.”
“It's no biggie.” She giggled. “I'll cover the bill.”
Ken's eyes widened. “Are you sure? I have enough, it's no problem,” he insisted.
The high school girl brushed him off. “I invited you. Of course I pay!”
“O-okay, if you insist.” The student drooped his shoulders in defeat. “Thanks.”
Yukari smiled, then she started to dig through her handbag to get her purse.
Out of nowhere, a shrill voice echoed throughout the area, making both S.E.E.S. members flinch.
“Kyah! I didn't know you had a little brother, Yukari-chan!” A bubbly high school girl ran up to them. She had black hair with a lot of hair clips decorating it.
Yukari's eyes shot wide open. “H-huh?! What? N-no you misunderstand, Mina-chan. We're not related.” She wildly waved her hand in front of her. The archer's face was flustered.
“Aw, what? You look so similar though,” the girl pouted.
Then, Mina turned to face Ken. She arched her back, to lean down towards Ken's height. “Is Yukari-nee taking care of you today?” She asked him with a smile.
Ken furrowed his brows. “She invited me,” he clarified.
Yukari's friend straightened up. She waved him off. “Same thing, same thing,” the high schooler snickered. Suddenly, her phone rang. “Oh crap, that's my mom calling. See you at school, Yukari-chan.” The black haired girl rushed off as fast as she came. An awkward silence followed.
Sweat ran down the archer's temple. “Ehe...Sorry about that.”
The elementary student hummed. “I guess it is pretty weird seeing a high schooler and an elementary kid hang out together, huh?” he muttered, fidgeting.
“Are you worried about that?” Yukari inquired, “We hung out plenty before we became teammates, didn't we?”
“That's true…” The brown-haired boy mumbled,
“Don't you start thinking I only invited you because I felt obligated to,” she insisted, crossing her arms.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything bad,” Ken responded, wide-eyed.
Yukari nodded. “I know. Just know I didn't invite you out of pity.”
“Got it.”
When that was settled, Yukari looked around for a waiter to call, her purse already in hand.
“The next full moon operation is soon right?” Ken suddenly spoke up. “Ikutsuki told me a bit about it but how is it compared to normal Shadows in Tartarus from your experience?”
Yukari's attention focused back on the other. “Oh yeah,” she started, “these battles are far more dangerous than the normal Tartarus runs. When it was only Makoto-kun, Junpei and I, we almost crashed against another monorail train, when a full moon Shadow took possession of the one we were in.”
Ken's eyes shot open. “R-Really? How did you stop it.”
“Makoto-kun found the right lever to pull, making the monorail stop at the last second,” she explained.
“Yuki-san always knows what to do.” Ken smiled.
The archer scratched her temple. “Uhm, to be honest, he said it was a lucky guess but don't worry. You'll probably be able to watch the power of the next full moon Shadow for yourself. Normally, we don't let recently joined members do the big battles. Enjoy that luxury.”
“Oh, I see. Hopefully everything will go well,” Ken responded.
‘It never does,’ Yukari thought. The high schooler bit her lip. “Y-yeah, we have experience and our group is the biggest it ever was. We'll be just fine.” The archer hoped that would really be the case.
09/05/2009
“Today's team will consist out of Sanada, Aragaki and Amada,” Makoto announced, after they found the location of the full moon Shadow of the Hermit Arcana.
It was positioned in a basement under Club Escapade. The selected group readied themselves for the battle, checking their weapons and equipment.
Yukari walked over to Makoto and pulled him aside. “Makoto-kun, are you absolutely sure about this? I mean Aragaki-senpai and Amada-kun just joined I-”
“We need a heavy hitter,” the blue-haired boy interrupted her, “and Aragaki showed his expertise in Tartarus already, even if he is more often than not careless with his own health.”
The archer paused. “And Amada-kun? Why him?”
“Well, normally I wouldn't,” he started, “but it's pretty obvious that the full moon Shadow will use electric attacks and you're weak to them. Ken is the next best healer.”
Yukari frowned, averting her eyes.
Makoto put a hand on the girl's shoulder. “Don't worry, everything will work out,” he assured her.
The archer sighed, she hated his logical approach sometimes but even she can admit that she would only be a burden to the team. “Okay, I trust you Makoto,” the brunette said earnestly, placing her hand over his own.
Mitsuru and Koromaru were assigned to patrol the tunnels leading to Club Escapade's basement, in case of any Shadows intruding and for emergency backup.
Meanwhile, Aigis and Yukari were positioned by Fuuka, furthest away from the action because of their electric weaknesses. Yukari hated sitting around and just twiddling her thumbs.
For her, being awake in the Dark Hour was like trading your innocence for power and now she couldn't even use it.
The high school girl overheard Fuuka's call-outs, but her mind faded them out after a while.
The navigator would tell her if something happened, so Yukari started to stroll around the mall a bit, just to do something. In the course of this, the brunette made sure not to step away from their navigator too far.
“You are nervous, Yukari-san,” the android girl stated plainly. Aigis' voice spooked her out of her thoughts. It seems like she followed her. “Is it about Junpei-san missing?” The robot asked with a tilt of her head.
Yukari stopped chewing on the nails, that she didn't even realize she was chewing on. ‘Was my nervousness so obvious? Or was it just because Aigis is too good at reading body language?’ she couldn't help but ask herself.
The high school girl spoke up, “Oh, I mean, I can't deny that...as much of an idiot as Stupei is, it is out of character for him to be missing on a full moon mission.”
Aigis nodded. “Agreed. I am not pleased by the aspect of having to be on standby. I would rather be in battle or searching for our missing teammate.”
Yukari started her walk back towards the teal-haired girl, Aigis followed at her side.
“I know how you feel Aigis, but we can't leave Fuuka alone,” she argued.
The android agreed, “Yes. Fuuka-san's protection is our number one priority.”
“Sorry, that you have to watch over me Yukari-chan, Aigis,” Fuuka interrupted them, having caught wind of their conversation as they walked back.
The archer's eyes shot open. “Huh? Oh, no, no! Don't feel like a bother, Fuuka!”
“You're always so nice, Yukari-chan.” The teal-haired girl giggled in return.
“Fuuka-san, shouldn't you be focusing on support?” Aigis asked.
“They successfully defeated the enemy and I found Junpei-kun too. He's back at the dorm,” the navigator informed them, “I already told the others, they are heading back here as we speak.”
On cue, they saw the party erupting from Club Escapade's door. Yukari's eyes were scanning for one member in particular in the group.
Ken.
Compared to when she first saw him return from Tartarus, he looked much worse for wear this time around. His hair was sticking in all directions and there was a bloodstain on his orange hoodie, either from an old injury or... someone else. She couldn't see his expression.
Yukari also quickly checked the other members, everyone was still standing, everyone was fine. Did she just worry for nothing after all?
Before she could dive deeper into that thought, the archer got interrupted by the other's practically dragging her back to the dorm.
Right, they needed to get Junpei. He'd better be well. Then she can talk his ear off for worrying her like that.
The group arrived at the dormitory and rushed up the stairs to the roof.
To their surprise, they saw Junpei tied up. A gothic lolita was standing above him. ‘Who the hell is that!?’ Yukari screamed in her head.
“Junpei!” she called out to him.
“They're back already!?” the brunette heard her say. Then, the red-haired girl pulled out an evoker and placed it under her chin.
“An Evoker!? She's a Persona-user!?” Mitsuru exclaimed.
The girl muttered, “Medea, come…”
“Chidori, no!”
Suddenly, Junpei rammed into her. The action knocked her to the ground with Junpei's weight pushing her down. Her evoker slithered over to Akihiko's feet.
“Senpai, her evoker!” The second-year shouted. The white-haired teen bowed down to pick it up without hesitation.
“No! Give it back!” Chidori screamed, desperately. ‘Was the evoker of such importance to her?’ Yukari wondered.
“Sorry, but we can't let you use this,” the boxer responded.
The door to the rooftop behind them opened and out of it, the chairman came. “What's all the fuss ab- Wha!? When did she-!?” he exclaimed. It seems like Ikutsuki was as clueless as the rest of them.
“Aigis, restrain her,” Mitsuru commanded.
“Understood.” Aigis went over to tear off Junpei's ropes. “Medea!” Chidori shouted out once again. Junpei stood up and the android pulled Chidori up as well, putting the girl's hands behind her back.
“I...I didn't even sense her until now...This is the only thing I can do, and yet…” Fuuka stuttered.
“Even we couldn't sense her...She must have the ability to conceal her presence…” Ikutsuki chimed in, “I certainly didn't have the slightest clue she was here…”
Mitsuru faced the girl. “I have a number of questions for you. Are you a member of that group called Strega?”
“...I-I'm not...afraid...of...dying…” she stuttered, out of breath.
“Ch-Chidori…!?” Junpei exclaimed. Yukari has never seen him so broken down and in utter disbelief before.
“M-Medea- I'm…!”
The club leader brushed a hair strand aside. “It looks like she's too emotionally unstable for an interrogation. Let's check in on her later, after she's had some time to calm down,” Mitsuru explained with a frown.
“I'll go ahead and arrange a hospital room for her. She'll have to be placed under watch, but I'm sure she understands,” The chairman told the group.
“Chidori…” She could hear Junpei mumble beside her.
Yukari didn't know what to think or say to Junpei. The teen looked like he wasn't in the mood to talk anyway. He followed Ikutsuki, Aigis and Mitsuru to the hospital. Mitsuru didn't want him coming with them at first, saying he should rest but he insisted. She wondered what bond Junpei and Chidori shared.
Now that she thought about it, she did hear him talking nonsense about a Chidori girl prior. Well...it turned out it wasn't nonsensical after all. Yukari released a breath she didn't know she was holding, she needed some sleep.
The high schooler went to her room to grab her sponge bag with everything inside for her nightly routine. Then, she headed up to the nearest bathroom, which was on the fourth floor.
Just as she was about to step inside, the girl heard a high pitched, pained groan coming from the male's bathroom.
Yukari stopped in her tracks, pondering. That voice pitch was similar to Ken's. If she remembered correctly, he went into the bathroom as soon as they all came down from the roof. 'Is he still in there?' The brunette asked herself. It didn't make sense for him to be still inside but she decided to investigate nonetheless. “Is that you, Amada-kun...?” she slowly inquired.
No answer. The only response was another groan.
He wasn't trying to pull a prank on her, was he? Yukari raised an eyebrow.
The high schooler didn't know what she should do.
“Amada, if you don't say anything, I'm coming in!” she exclaimed, raising her voice.
“I-I'm coming,” she heard Ken's stammering voice from inside. ‘So it was him.’
The archer crossed her arms and leaned by the girl's bathroom entrance, waiting for the youngest S.E.E.S. member to emerge. After a few minutes of waiting, Ken finally stood in front of her.
For being so long in the bathroom, he didn't seem like he freshened himself up at all.
His hair was still in disarray, as were his clothes. The blood stain on his hoodie was still the same intensity as it was before as well. If it wasn't washed soon, the stain would be really painful to get rid of. She had plenty of experience with that with her own sweater.
Luckily, the Chairman and the Kirijo group could easily replace their school uniforms, if they ever tore or were damaged in battle. With personal belongings like her sweater, the Chairman offered them an allowance as well. She didn't want to take it at first but over time, the amount of new sweaters she needed stacked up.
In the end, she gave in and accepted the money reluctantly. She just couldn't bring herself to take off her pink sweater, it became a comfort for her. Ken's hoodie didn't look torn up, so no new clothing was needed, if they could get rid of the stain.
If there is a way for her to fix her own problems, she will always do that first.
“Do you need help?” Yukari asked after scanning him with her eyes.
“Oh, no. It's fine,” the other muttered, shifting on his feet.
The archer raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? If you don't clean that blood stain on your hoodie soon enough, it will be a real pain to get rid of later on,” she pressed. The brunette could see Ken pondering his answer.
‘I can clean it for you,’ was sitting at the top of her tongue but she knew better.
“I can teach you how to remove blood stains, so you can do it yourself next time, how does that sound?” Yukari offered.
Ken looked up. “Oh, sure. I would appreciate that,” he responded with a polite smile.
The high school girl nodded. “Just wait here, while I get the cleaning materials,” she informed him, making her way downstairs.
Yukari tried to be as quiet as she could, while she tiptoed down the stairs. It was already late and she didn't want to disturb any of the residents.
The girl arrived at the lobby. She had to walk all the way over to the storage room, next to their shared PC.
The high schooler grabbed a blue bucket and put all the cleaning products inside that she would need.
Over time, Yukari found the best products for the removal of blood stains.
The brunette didn't know if that was something to be proud of or not but she considered herself an expert in that regard after months of experience.
Having gathered the needed products, she hurried back up at a stealthy pace.
When she returned, she could see Ken sitting at one of the benches near the bathrooms. He wasn't wearing his orange hoodie anymore. Instead, it was laying on the bench next to him, along with his S.E.E.S. jacket, revealing the white shirt of his school uniform. There were no bloodstains on it.
“Ok, I have everything,” Yukari announced with the bucket in her hands.
“Thank you for making such an effort,” the elementary student said, “I hope I'm not keeping you awake.”
The high school girl shook her head. “It's no problem. I wouldn't have offered, if I wasn't willing to help.” She showed him a soft smile. “Come, we'll use the sink in the girl's bathroom. I'm sure no one will mind you being there for a short while.” Yukari motioned for him to follow.
Just as Ken stood up to follow her, he suddenly let out a painful yelp. “Amada!?” The high school girl turned around immediately upon hearing it.
The student was kneeling on the ground, clutching one of his ankles in pain. “Amada-kun, what happened?! Are you hurt?” Yukari rushed to his side and helped him back onto the bench.
“M-my ankle..” he stuttered out.
Yukari's eyes shot wide open, when she pulled down the white stocking, to reveal a deep burn mark. “You didn't heal it in the Dark Hour?!” She stared at him but he averted his eyes. The girl bit her lip. Ken didn't answer.
Yukari took a closer look at the gruesome burn mark. His skin was reddened and he had blisters.
“Why? What happened…?” The high schooler mumbled, furrowing her brows.
It took awhile for Ken to find his voice again, all the while the brunette had stared helplessly at the wound, fighting with the thousand thoughts that nagged at her mind.
“...The fight earlier...One of the electric cables grabbed at my ankle. It- it wasn't hurting that bad! And I didn't have enough energy for another heal,” she paused, rubbing his arm. “Everyone was in such a hurry, we rushed back to the dorm and the Dark Hour was already over.”
“You could have asked me…” she muttered.
The elementary student snorted. “There wasn't really time and...I- I thought it wasn't that bad…”
Yukari pondered.After the rush of adrenaline was over for Ken, all the pain must have come crashing down.
Was there really not enough time for any heals, though? He could have easily pulled her aside to ask. What was the real reason for him to be so reluctant to ask for help?
“It could...leave a scar,” Yukari mumbled under her breath. She didn't know how deep the burn mark went into his skin tissue but it didn't look harmless, she hoped it would heal up with no problems.
The archer stood up. She hated the Dark Hour, it was a curse, nothing more.
Ken blinked. “B-but it will heal until the next full moon, right?”
‘Why was he being so specific?’ Yukari thought, quirking an eyebrow. “You know it's okay to ask for help right?” Well wasn't she just the biggest hypocrite of them all. It was almost funny if it wasn't so sad. “It doesn't make you a kid or Junpei would be like...6. With all the help he needs,” the high school girl teased.
“That's mean, Yukari-san,” he retorted slyly.
“I don't really mean it. Point is, ask next time, ok? Promise me,” she pressed.
Ken nodded. “...I promise.”
“Good, good...You don't want to make us worry but you do exactly that by not treating your injuries right,” Yukari explained. His head hung low.
The archer pondered, “Hey, I understand...having the urge to be self-reliant.”
And she did understand. Her strained relationship with her mother resulted in Yukari deciding to live alone, become independent and rely on herself. The brunette lived like this for three years before moving to Iwatodai Dormitory.
Ken didn't respond.
“...I'll show you how to wash blood stains next time, ok? I'll take care of it later,” she tried. Ken had nothing to retort.
“Sorry, enough talking. Let's take care of the wound as best as we can,” she started wandering back over to the stairs leading down. They kept all of the medicine and first aid kits in the bottom bathrooms, which meant just another trip down the stairs. “I'll get you some painkillers too but you still need to get a check up, no way around it. I'll inform Sanada-senpai on the way down…” the brunette informed him.
She looked back one more time. “...I'll be back in a bit, alright?”
No answer.
As Yukari walked down, she took a moment to lean on the railing, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding. ‘Who am I to lecture him,’ she thought. Yukari shook away that thought, so she could focus back on getting Ken medical help, he must be hurting pretty bad.
When she reached the second floor, she saw Aigis standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“Greetings, Yukari-san. Is there a reason as to why you keep wandering up and down the stairs?” the android inquired.
“Oh, hi Aigis,” the archer greeted, “Don't worry, I'm just getting some stuff. What are you doing on the second-floor?”
“I was executing my daily night check-up on Makoto-san,” the robot explained.
Yukari furrowed her brows at that. The high schooler hoped Aigis kept her word and wouldn't sneak into Makoto's room anymore, like she promised.
It seems like the android girl sensed her wariness. “Do not worry. This is the last check up of the night for me,” Aigis answered her unasked question.
Yukari sighed. “Glad to hear that you've learned Aigis…”
After that, the girl made a move to continue her way downstairs. However, just as she passed Aigis, she stopped mid-step, turning back around to face the android.
The robot girl tilted her head. “Is there something you need, Yukari-san?”
“Do you know if Sanada-senpai is still awake?” The brunette inquired.
“Yes. I perceived footsteps coming from his room, when passing by,” Aigis replied.
“Can you tell him to meet me downstairs, if it's no trouble?”
“Understood.”
Downstairs, Yukari went into the girl's bathroom to grab a first aid kit and some painkillers. When she came out, she saw Akihiko already waiting by the stairs.
“Oh, that was quick. Hello Sanada-senpai,” she greeted him.
The white-haired teen nodded in acknowledgment. “What's up, Takeba? Aigis told me you wanted to talk to me?”
“Oh yeah...It's about Amada-kun,” she began. “He got an injury from the fight today that wasn't treated.”
If Akihiko's surprised expression was anything to go by, then it was news to him too. “He did?” The boxer asked, wide-eyed.
“Yeah, he did. Can you ask the Chairman to make him an appointment for tomorrow?” the archer asked.
Akihiko nodded. “I'll call Ikutsuki right away. Will he be alright until then?”
“I believe so,” she responded, “I'll take care of his injury for now, don't worry.”
“Do you need me to help, Takeba?” the boxer asked.
She shook her head. “I think it's best if he doesn't get overwhelmed right now,” the brunette explained.
Akihiko huffed, “Hm, makes sense. Let me know if that changes.”
Yukari nodded. “I will.”
After that, Yukari quickly went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water as well. Then she headed back up the stairs with full hands. Luckily, tomorrow was a Sunday, so Ken didn't have to worry about missing school.
Yukari arrived back on the fourth-floor. Ken didn't move an inch, since she left.
“I'm back,” the high schooler announced.
The brown-haired boy looked up at her. “Sorry,” he muttered.
Yukari placed down the first aid kit next to him. She continued to hand him the glass of water. “Don't beat yourself up over it now,” she tried to ease him. The archer reached for Ken's free hand, dropping some painkillers into it. He eagerly put them into his mouth, washing them down with water.
The high school girl emptied the blue bucket with the cleaning products in it. “I already put it under running water,” Ken informed her.
“What temperature?” the girl asked.
“I didn't use cold water,” the student replied. She was surprised that he knew not to use cold water on his burn.
Yukari nodded. The brunette walked into the bathroom to fill the bucket up with cool water, she mixed in some mild-soap with it. Then, the girl went over to a cabinet to pull out two small towels. When she was finished, she made sure to wash her own hands as well.
The high schooler walked back over to the elementary student. “Can you take off your shoe and place your ankle over this?” She pointed to the bucket. “Don't put it inside.”
Ken did as he was ordered to. He removed his shoe and pulled off the white stocking with it.
The elementary student placed his ankle over the bucket. Yukari started to take a cloth and carefully cleaned the burn. Some of the burned skin came off with the washing, falling into the bucket below. When the brunette was finished, she patted the area dry with a clean cloth.
Yukari opened the first aid kit next. She took out an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and keep the burn moist. The girl carefully spread the antibiotic ointment over a non-stick dressing and placed it on the damaged skin. The archer backed away, looking at her finished work.
Ken looked at his now neatly wrapped ankle, as well. “It was dumb of me,” he spoke in a quiet voice. “I-...my mind's all over the place recently, not that that should be an excuse.” The elementary student rubbed his arm, nervously.
Yukari blinked. “Is it because of Tartarus?” She took a guess.
He shook his head. “No...it's something personal.”
Something personal, huh?
“Do you need help to get back to your room, Amada-kun?” she offered.
He didn't answer, instead he stood up. He tested out his footing by putting some pressure on it and walking a few steps. “The painkillers helped, I'll manage,” he finally answered.
Yukari nodded. “I'll take care of the rest then, get some sleep.”
Ken looked over to his bloodied hoodie, he seemed like he wanted to say something but ultimately decided not to. “Okay,” he responded, “thank you for everything and...sorry for worrying you, Yukari-san.”
“No problem, Amada-kun. Good night.”
“Good night, Yukari-san.”
The elementary student tiptoed down the stairs with a hand on the railing. Yukari's gaze lingered on the departing boy for a few minutes longer. She released a heavy sigh before turning towards the orange hoodie, that she still had to take care of.
The blood stain was pretty dried up at this point. ‘Great,’ she thought. This will be a pain to remove now.
Ever since their Yakushima trip, her biggest reason for fighting was being robbed away. Yet, she still kept going. It's not like she would be able to look away, even if she quit.
She awakened to her Persona, she remembers the Dark Hour.
Yukari can't look away now. If there was nothing else, at least she will fight for the people in S.E.E.S. The one's, who she started to feel a connection to. She knew that deep down, even if she didn't want to admit that.
Both Ken and herself...They were pretty cheerful on the outside but deep down...They were scared to connect with others and form meaningful, deep bonds.
They were both lonely, weren't they?