Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

She first hears about him through whispers. 

It’s early in the morning and she had walked to school alone. The early chill of winter was starting to pick up and Kotone tugs on her blazer, hoping that it would just keep her a little bit warmer. Somehow she managed to end up going to school alone; everyone had either left the dorm earlier or were still getting ready. She sighs, knowing that Junpei would probably run in at the last minute. She began to take off her headphones, she knew that the security guards would tell her something if she wore them past the front gate. Thankfully, they never said much if they hung around her neck.

As soon as she got to the gate, people were already talking about him. 

“Hey, good news! Wanna hear it? I know you do! I heard the boy transferring here today is a stud!” 

Two girls are walking side by side, one with brown hair tied into a ponytail and another with shoulder length black hair.  

“Really? Are you just messing with me?”

“No! I heard it from someone who saw him filling out the forms.”

“Which class?” 

“Eleventh grade, Classroom F.”

“Oh… Well, that’s disappointing. But I’ll go check him out later!” 

The two girls share a giggle and a pang goes through Kotone’s heart. She had friends, but she wasn’t close with anyone like that. She had her dormmates, but they all had friends of their own. Sometimes she wished she had someone like that. To laugh with, to talk about silly things with. To have a real and solid friend who got her. 

Kotone sighs again and begins to speed walk, moving past the girls. If she listened for longer, she might start thinking sad things. 

Pulling open the door to her classroom, there were already a few people inside. Yukari was sitting on her desk, typing on her phone with a scowl on her face. Aigis was already in her seat, eyes already focused on her. The rest of her classmates were chatting and the atmosphere seemed light. Kotone slips into her seat and gives Aigis a small smile. It was too early in the morning, the sun too bright. All Kotone wanted to do was slump forward in her seat, but she knew if she did that Yukari would see and then say something to Junpei and then Junpei would say something to Fuuka and then it somehow would end up being told to Mitsuru and then she would probably make Kotone take a break which was a bad idea. 

Kotone could not afford to take a break. She was the leader. Leaders should only take breaks when whole teams take breaks. She needed to be strong. Leaders needed to be strong. 

She sighs and closes her eyes just for a second. She feels tired. 

The sound of the door being thrown open forced her to open her eyes and look for the sound. Junpei was a scarlet red, panting. His cap was falling off the back of his head and he was panting. The class was silent for a second, some girls even glared at him, and everyone went back to their conversations. Yukari looked at Junpei and Kotone could almost feel the annoyance on her face. She watched as she nagged at him, most likely for being loud, and Junpei made a face before apologizing. He then said something that made Yuakri’s face change. The two of them looked at Kotone but before either of them said anything, the door opened and Ms.Toriumi walked in, a folder in her hands. 

Classmates scramble to sit down and Kotone begins to pull out her school things. Next to her, Aigis made a face. As much as a disgusted face a robot could do. Kotone tries her hardest not to let out a giggle, she didn’t want to make her dorm mate upset. The chatter in the room picked up when Ms.Toriumi stood at the front. 

“Alright everyone, today we have yet another transfer student…” The chatter from her classmates slightly subsided. Most of the attention went to the front of the room. “As you know, this is our third. That makes it a hat trick.” She smiled, clearly pleased with her joke. 

The class went quiet, clearly unamused. 

Ms.Toriumi cleared her throat and gestured towards the door. A boy walked in, wearing a yellow scarf. The whispers picked up again. The boy stood next to Ms.Toriumi and smiled. 

With an annoyed face, Ms.Toriumi speaks. “…Please introduce yourself.” 

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

Girls behind Kotone begin to whisper. 

“…Hey, he’s kinda cute.” 

“I was thinking the same thing.”

The first girl shushes the second. “Not so loud…”

His eyebrows dip, as if he had heard them from all the way in the front. “…Nice to meet you.” 

Kotone yawns. It’s been less than a minute in class and all she wanted to do was trudge back home and sleep the day away. She opened her eyes once more and saw that he was looking in her direction. 

For a second. 

Kotone feels her face warm a little. Their eyes meet and she stops breathing for a second. She blinks and then he’s looking away. At some other girl. 

Probably. 

“Ryoji lived overseas for a long time because of his parents’ work, so he may not be used to all of our customs. Be sure to explain them to him.” 

Kotone looks down at her desk. She can feel the blood rushing to her face. Boy’s don’t normally affect her. She hears him say something and then Ms.Toriumi continues on. Kotone wants to crawl into Tartarus and stay down there forever. Forget being the leader . 

“Good morning.” Kotone looks up and there he is. Standing next to Aigis. His smile is a bit different now, less polite and more… charming . “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name…” 

Aigis’ nose wrinkles. “…You are dangerous.” 

Kotone’s eyes go wide. Under the desk, her hands start to tremble slightly. 

He gives a little laugh, probably from the shock. A normal girl would not say that. Then again, Aigis was no normal girl. “Dangerous? I haven’t even asked you out on a date yet…” 

Kotone can practically hear the clogs in Aigis head turning. Did she have clogs in her head? “A date…?” 

From the front of the room, Yukari hisses. “Aigis, what’s wrong with you?” Junpei is looking over from his seat, clearly confused. 

Ryoji laughs again, louder this time. “Haha… Rejected from the start. You’re an interesting girl…” He sits down, but continues to stare at her for a while longer. 

Yukari sighs and gives a look to Junpei. He gestures something and she huffs, turning her attention to the front. 

The teacher continues talking. Kotone decides that she is too exhausted to listen. 

When the bell rings, Junpei immediately spins in his seat. “Heeeey, Kotone!” He smiles wildly. She sees that from the corner of her eye, Yukari is also listening. “C’mere, over here!” He’s waving his hands in a “come here” motion. Yukari scoffs and begins to throw her things into her bag. 

Kotone turns and faces him. “What’s up?” A yawn starts to bubble out of her. She’s beyond exhausted. All she wants is to flop on her bed and not move for a day or two.

“You know the new transfer student, right? Has he been introduced to you yet?” Kotone freezes mid-yawn and notices that said transfer student is standing right next to Junpei. He gives her a small wave and she blinks quickly, covering her mouth. “Anyways, this is Kotone Shiomi.” 

“Hello.” He flashes her the same smile he gave Aigis earlier. She feels her cheeks heat up. He’s too charming for his own good. 

“She transferred here earlier this year.” Junpei gives him a nod. The unspoken “ the one I told you about” wasn’t subtle. 

“Oh… I see. I’m Ryoji Mochizuki. Nice to meet you.” 

Kotone gives him a nod. “Nice to meet you, too.” Her voice comes out a bit higher than normal. Junpei snorts and Kotone resists the urge to kick his shin.

It’s quiet for a second. Kotone averts her eyes when she notices that he’s staring at her. A little harder than normal. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Junpei makes a face. “What’re you gaping at?” 

“Huh?” He finally snaps out of whatever he was in. “Oh, um…I just got the strangest feeling when I looked at Kotone-chan…” Kotone makes note of the honorifics. They just met! “It’s like… I don’t know… nostalgia?” He leans a bit forward, nearing her eye level. “Have we met before?”

Junpei burst out laughing. “Haha! Wow, that’s one of the oldest pickup lines in the books!” He continues laughing when he sees Yukari throw him a glare as she exits out of the classroom. 

Ryoji moves back, his face turning pink. “Th-That’s not how I meant it…” He clears his throat as Junpei quiets down. “Anyway, I hope we’ll get along.”

He sticks his hand out gently. Kotone gives him a smile and takes his hand. They shake. “I get the feeling that we’ll become good friends.” They continue to hold hands for a few seconds more. “I’m looking forward to chatting with you more.” 

“You are a threat!” 

The two yank their hands away from each other and turn towards the sound. Aigis is standing in the doorway, looking mad. Very mad . She marches towards the group and Ryoji’s eyes widen. He takes a step back, nearly bumping into the desk in front of Junpei. She stands in front of Kotone’s desk. Kotone leans to the side and Junpei gives her a confused face. 

“Ryoji-san, please step away from Kotone-san!” 

Ryoji gives a nervous laugh and glances at Junpei. “…Oh, um, Aigis-san.” Junpei shrugs and Ryoji’s eyes lift from Junpei. For a split second, his gaze lingers on Kotone, but then he locks eyes with Aigis. He flashes her a smile. “Would it be all right if I stood closer to you, then?” 

Kotone sees Aigis’ fist shake a little. “Absolutely not!” 

“Yikes… What’s all this about…?” Junpei mumbles under his breath and Kotone can’t help but giggle a little. Aigis turns to look at Kotone and she quickly clears her throat. 

“Um, Aigis? Why don’t we walk home together? I’ll treat you to some ice cream.” Kotone plasters a smile on her face that she hopes looks convincing. 

Aigis stares at her for a moment. She looks at Junpei, who gives her a smile and lots of nodding. She looks back at Kotone and bobs her head. Once . 

Kotone claps her hands together and stands up. She grabs her backpack and gently grabs Aigis’ wrist. “Let’s go.” She waves to Junpei and then leads Aigis out of the classroom. 

To her credit, she only looks back briefly. He’s staring back at her, an unreadable face plastered all over his. She looks back, feeling an uncomfortable feeling low in her belly. 

~ 

She doesn’t see him for a couple of days. She hangs out with Bebe and finishes the tennis season with Rio. She walks Koromaru. She chats with her dormmates, attempting to ignore the fact that she has to go to the top of that tower eventually. 

She tries to forget about him. 

She sees him first thing in the morning on a Thursday, falling asleep on the train. She had met with President Tanaka the night before and he bored her to tears over his “interesting encounter” with a young man. While she appreciated the company, sometimes it felt like the only reason she hung out with him was because she gave him ¥40,000. 

She closes her eyes and tries to take a very quick nap. 

“Huh? Kotone-chan?” 

Kotone opens her eyes and there is his. He’s waving at her. She sits up straight and blinks to wake herself up more. 

“G’morning!” He gives her a smile. The sun is shining through the train windows and it makes him look extra handsome. She squints a little. 

“Hi! What a coincidence.” He sits down across the aisle from her and laughs, taking his backpack off and setting it next to him. He’s still wearing that scarf. 

“Some people might call it “destiny.” She snorts. He laughs a little too and continues. “Look… The sun’s shining off the ocean beautifully.” She stops looking at him and looks past his head. The train’s moving along. She can see the ocean and he’s right; it’s very beautiful. “This view really lifts my spirits…” 

She hums. “I think I get what you mean.” She looks back at him and their eyes meet again. 

“Really?” He leans back against the seat, closing his eyes for a moment. “I’m glad to hear that. I thought that the world was being especially dazzling today…” He pauses and opens his eyes again. He flashes her that smile again. “Could that be because you’re standing here with me?” 

They both laugh. 

“Oh, we’re almost at school already. That’s a shame…” 

She hums. It’s nice to see him without anyone around to bother them. “Is school fun for you?” She closes her eyes again and leans against the seat. It’s too bright. 

He answers right away. “Yeah, it’s a lot of fun.” She can hear him shuffle around. “You know… It’s probably because I know I can see you there.” 

“Oh really?” 

“Mhm-hm. Everything’s glimmering there, just like this ocean…” He laughs again. 

Kotone likes his laugh. She’s glad he does it often. 

They sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes. She’s glad it’s not awkward. It’s nice to just feel comfortable with someone, even if she had just met him. 

After a while, she feels the train slow down. She takes a deep breath and mentally prepares herself to get up.

“Oh.” She hears him yawn. “We’re here.”

She opens her eyes and he’s stretching. She blinks and yawns too. He sticks his hand out to her. “I hope today turns out to be fun!” 

The train stops and she grabs his hand as he tugs her up. He’s…actually really tall. “Yeah. Me too.” 

They run to school together and she swears the sun has never been so bright. 

~

After class the next day, he’s hanging around. Classmates are leaving quickly since everyone was excited for the group trip next week. Yukari is talking with Aigis and after the two girls leave together, he walks right up to Kotone’s desk. 

“Hey, Kotone-chan.” She looks up from her notes. He’s standing with his hand on his chest. “If you want, we could go somewhere after this. I want to spend time with you.” 

“Oh.” Kotone blinks quickly and tries not to show her surprise with a blush. “Oh, yeah. Of course.” She scrambles out of her seat and throws her school supplies in her backpack as quickly as she can.

“Thanks!” He watches her with a twinkle in his eye. When she finishes, she throws her backpack over her shoulder and smiles. 

“Lead the way!” She gets behind him and gently pushes him out the classroom door. He laughs and they make their way out into the hallway. 

They manage to make it all the way to the gate before they get spotted together. 

A hoard of girls crowd him, mostly underclassmen. They all start speaking at once, high pitched voices making Kotone’s head ache. Ryoji gives a nervous laugh as they try pushing each other to be in the front. The girls ignore Kotone as she takes a step to the side. 

“Ryoji-kun! Are you going home? Maybe we could walk together!” The girl bounces on her feet.

He takes a step back and gives a shy laugh. “Ah, Mikako-chan-” 

“Ooh, it’s Ryoji!” The girl squeals. “Hey, are you going somewhere? Take me with you!” 

Ryoji clears his throat and smiles, his teeth practically blinding. “Sorry, ladies, but I’ve already got plans for today. Maybe next time…” 

The girls all “awww…” collectively. Kotone would have giggled if she was just walking by. One girl whines, “When’s “next time” gonna be?” 

He smirks, happy with the attention. “Tell you what.” All the girls look at him, clearly excited for what he has to say. “I’ll make sure I see you in your dreams tonight.” He winks and the girls all cry excitedly. They all push each other again, wanting to be the closest. He laughs. “Ahaha, please! You’re all so cute; I can’t choose just one of you.” The girls chatter happily, all hoping that he’ll choose one of them. Kotone can’t help but smile; he really is charming. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but I’ve already decided on my princess for today.” 

He grabs Kotone’s hand and gently pulls her to his side. All the girls stare. Most of them are confused on who Kotone is, but some are glaring. Kotone manages a small smile. She hopes it's not as awkward as it looks. She whispers under her breath, “Um, should I go?” 

He shakes his head and begins to pull her away. “A princess needs an escort.” He looks behind them and calls out a goodbye. A lot of girly voices reply back with a few cries and farewells. She also hears “Who is the world is she?” and a few “Lucky” grumbles. 

If she was a weaker woman, she would have turned and smirked in their faces. But, she didn’t. That would be “un-leader like”. 

After being far enough so that the girl’s wouldn’t hear them, Ryoji takes her hand. She turns to look at him and he looks…very sad. 

“Sorry…” 

Kotone feels her heart skip a beat. This is the first time she’s held a boy’s hand. They continue on walking for a few moments before she can speak again. “I’m… I’m not mad.” 

He looks at her and sighs a bit. “It’s just that…I’m sorry. I just… I feel like I shouldn’t be saying things like this to you. It’s…” 

“A bit cheesy?” 

He snorts. “Yeah. Really cheesy.” He takes a deep breath. “I dunno. I think… I want to be more sincere with you.” She feels her face go a bit warm and looks down at the ground. Under his breath, she hears him mumble, “I wonder why…” 

They both look behind and see that the girls have all wandered away. Kotone hums, happy that there aren’t any eyes on them anymore. She looks back at him and he looks her in the eye before squeezing her hand. She gives him a grin and he smiles back. 

“Oh…uh, Aigis-san’s going to get angry again if she sees me holding your hand. I wonder why.” He drops her hand. She stops and turns to face him. 

“Weeellll…she isn’t here right now.” 

“Very true.” He takes her hand again and this time, she squeezes it. They continue walking towards the train station. “It’s just…For some reason, Aigis-san too… I feel like I know her, and it’s on the tip of my brain. I just can’t remember it!” He makes a noise of annoyance and Kotone laughs. 

“I’m sure you’ll remember it soon. I forget everything and remember it at like, the worst times.” He gives her a sad look and she squeezes his hand again. 

They both look and see the train in the distance. The sunshine is beginning to fade slowly and there’s a piece of his hair awkwardly standing out. Kotone smoothes it down and Ryoji looks at her. For a second, she thinks he’s going to do something, but…

“Oh… I shouldn’t let myself get lost in thought while you’re with me. Hey, can you show me around the city? I want to see all the places you like to go to.” 

She stares at him and blushes. She’s pretty sure he does too. “Sure,” she whispers. The train pulls up and the wind makes his scarf flutter. The doors open and somehow they both manage to get inside. They’re still holding hands as they slide into their seats, faces both varying shades of red. 

Kotone takes him to the strip mall. They go visit Bookworms and pick out books for each other. She takes him to Wild-Duck Burger to share a plate of fries. He buys her some candy from the sweet store and they eat it together while watching the sunset. They hold hands the entire time. 

After the sun sets, he walks her to her dorm. He tugs her behind the building before she can reach the front door. “Hey,” he whispers. 

“Hey,” she breathes out. 

“I had a fun time.” 

“Me too. It’s nice being with you.” 

He smiles. “I’ll see you. Okay?” 

“Mhm-hm. See you.”

He squeezes her hand one more time and turns, waving. She stares at him go and sighs a little. I had a great time with him. She starts to walk over to the dorm entrance and giggles a little before pulling the door open.

~ 

It’s when she bumps into a wall for the third time at Tartarus the next day that Ken mumbles a question to Akihiko. 

“What happened to Kotone-san? She keeps… hitting herself.” 

“Huh?” Akihiko shakes his head to stop his zoning out. “Oh…Leader? I’m not sure. Ask her.” 

Ken shakes his head. “N-No way! What if it’s something private?” 

“Then, don’t ask.” 

Ken huffs. He turns to the girl running next to him. Aigis is… like a girl. Maybe she’ll know? “Um, Aigis-san? Is there something wrong with Kotone-san?” 

Aigis looks at Ken for a moment before the two of them turn to see Kotone trip over a treasure. Akihiko looks like he wants to help, but he says nothing. 

“Her vitals are normal.” She states. Ken knew she was a robot and that she was always sure of what to say, but the way Aigis gave her response made him less than sure. 

“Oh. Okay.” The three of them make their way over to the stairs, which Kotone slips on, nearly knocking them all down. 

~

He calls her early in the morning on her day off. 

She hears her ringtone go off, some silly song about stars and messages, and half sleep, answers it. 

“Hello?” 

“Hello, this is Ryoji Mochizuki. This is Kotone-chan’s number, right?” 

Hearing his voice wakes her up quickly. “Oh! Hi.” 

She hears him laugh. “Hi. Do you have some time to spare?” 

“Of course. What’s up?” She sits up straight, rubbing her eyes. She hopes she doesn’t sound as annoying to him as she does to herself. 

“Why don’t we go out somewhere? The weather’s great.” 

“Sure!” 

“Great! Just thinking about seeing you makes me happy.” Kotone feels her face flush. “I’ll head over immediately.” 

“Okay, see you soon.” 

Kotone hangs up the phone, and falls back into bed. It’s early in the morning and she can see the mirror reflecting the light coming from her window. She gives herself a few moments to think, then she gets up. A leader doesn’t waste time. 

She meets him on her steps. Thankfully, Aigis isn’t awake when she slips out as quietly as she can. It’s still early, but people are starting to get up. She heard Yukari shuffle into the bathroom as she made her getaway. 

“Where to?” 

Ryoji gives her an excited smile. 

They end up at the mall. By the time they get there, the sun is up and people are moving all around. A few people from school are hanging around. Ryoji took her hand as soon as they began moving. Ryoji ends up pulling Kotone into Chagall Cafe and Kotone prays that none of her coworkers notice that she’s there. 

After being seated and handed menus, Ryoji began to inspect his intensely. Kotone snorts and follows suit. 

“This place is interesting,” she hears him mumble. From below the table, she feels him readjust his feet and they end up suspiciously close to hers. 

“It's because I'm here with you,” She mumbles back. She taps his foot very lightly, trying to pretend to be focused on the menu. 

She sees him laugh behind the menu. It’s a very happy laugh, she thinks. “You knew what I was going to say.” He glances at her for a second and he gives her a smile while gently hitting her shoe. 

The waiter (who thankfully did not recognize her) comes by to grab their drinks. Kotone orders a coffee (two sugars and two creams) and Ryoji orders an orange soda. The waiter then tells them that he’ll be back in a few for their food. They play footsies for a while more while chatting about school and such. Kotone tries her hardest to win, but they both persist. They order food and when they get it, Ryoji asks for a bit of hers. Kotone allows him, but makes sure to get a bit of his as well. They’re both giggling like children and Kotone is having such a good time. 

Ryoji’s funny. He’s charming and he understands her stupid little references. They both have a good snort about Junpei and discuss school. She just gets to be a teenager for a while. It’s so easy with him. Kotone finds herself wheezing several times and he does too. He gets her.

After a while, Ryoji stops laughing and sighs dreamily. “You know, all these people around us... I'll bet they're all couples.” He has his head in one hand and his eyes are shining at her. 

That gets Kotone’s attention. Now that he’s mentioned it, Kotone could see that there are romantic couples everywhere in the cafe. She huffs a laugh and see’s Ryoji flash her a charming smile. 

“Being lovers means that there's nobody else in the world that you care more for, right?” He looks towards the window that faces the fountain, a bit to the left and behind her. Kotone takes a long sip of her coffee, making sure that her eyes stay on his face. He stares off for a little while more before he sighs again and turns to look her straight in the eyes. “That'd be wonderful, if it were really true.” 

Kotone makes sure to meet his eyes when she gives him her answer. “I think it really happens.” 

Ryoji flushes pink and looks down at the table. Kotone takes another sip in an attempt to hide her satisfied smirk. Eventually, Ryoji gives a small laugh. He covers his mouth with his hand before mumbling back, “I see”. 

They settle into quiet for a few moments, both eating the food that had been left alone for a while. The nice ambience of the restaurant relaxes her thoughts and she makes sure to “accidently” tap his foot a few times. 

Before long, he speaks up again. “You know, sometimes I think…” His voice cracks a little and Kotone shoots him a smirk. He gives her a look before clearing his throat. “I…I would still like you, no matter if you were a guy or a girl.” 

Kotone, mid-chew, stares at him for a second. She swallows and blinks. She can feel her face turn red as she stutters out her response. “W-why 'would'?”

Ryoji laughs, not unkindly, and tucks a piece of his hair out of his face. “Haha... Well, we did just meet fairly recently, after all.” He smiles gently at her and swirls the straw in his drink. “Actually, I'm lying,” he lightly grazes her ankle with his. “I'm positive that I've seen you somewhere before.”

Kotone snorts. “Pretty sure that’s a pickup line, Ryoji-kun.” 

Ryoji snorts as his face turns pink. He manages to quiet himself before speaking again. “When I'm with you, I just get this feeling that I'll find out how I know you, and we'll become closer…” Kotone brushes her leg against his and he shoots her a smile as he copies her. After a few seconds, he looks down at his plate and mumbles, “But... For some reason, that makes me want to cry.” 

Kotone looks at him. His eyes are all sad now and his scarf is hiding his mouth. Kotone reaches over to take his hand. Thankfully, the table is small enough to do so without it being weird. Ryoji smiles at her but it doesn’t reach his eyes. They interlock fingers before he murmurs, “...I've never cried before.”

They kind of just stare at each other for a few moments. Kotone can feel her heartbeat and she’s a bit scared he can feel her hand start to get sweaty. She gulps and tries to gently rub Ryoji’s hand with her thumb. His hand is cold. 

“I... want to spend time with you alone like this. If I'm not bothering you... would it be all right if I asked you out again?” Ryoji copies her and now they are both rubbing each other’s hand with their thumbs. Kotone would laugh if he hadn’t said that so…sadly. 

As gently as she can, Kotone smiles at him. “You're not a bother at all.” 

He hums as he lets go of her hand. “I see... I'm happy to hear that.” He takes the final sip of his drink as Kotone begins to pull out her money from her wallet. They had promised to split the bill, although Kotone secretly wanted to pay. She had way too much money from Tartarus and she needed to spend it on something . They both stand and walk towards the cashier. Kotone hands the cashier the money and Ryoji follows.

They walk outside and Kotone shields her eyes for a second. It was now the middle of the day and the sun is shining. “Oh, that reminds me.” Ryoji grabs her hand and she turns to give him her attention. “That school trip is coming up soon, right?” Kotone nods. “Let's find some time to go somewhere together while we're there.” 

“Sure. It’ll be fun.” She nudges him to start moving and they begin to walk hand in hand. 

He laughs and elbows her back. “Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it…” 

They spend the rest of the afternoon walking around the mall. He wins the both of them Jack Frost keychains and he dramatically claims he’ll treasure it forever. They both spend an hour at karaoke and make eachother laugh with the songs they chose. They end the day right as the sun sets. He squeezes her hand again as a goodbye and she nearly tugs him back for a hug. She doesn’t, but she almost does. 

When she gets back to the dorm, she quickly looks around, hoping no one would stop her. She takes a moment before the sound of a cough forces her to whip her head around. 

Mitsuru is standing in front of the bookshelf and Fuuka is sitting on the couch, laptop in lap. Koromaru is scratching himself by the TV and barks when he sees Kotone. Yukari and Aigis are in the kitchen, and Yukari is twisting to the side, her face scrunched up cutely. 

“...Oh, hey.” Yukari sends a smile Kotone’s way. 

Kotone tries to sound as normal as possible. “Hey.” Her voice comes out a bit squeaky and she can see Aigis stare at her from across the way. Kotone prays to any god that would listen that Aigis doesn’t ask her what she did today. She can’t lie to Aigis. 

Fuuka, thankfully, begins to ask her if she’d pack for the trip yet. When she admits she hasn't, Mitsuru tells her to make sure she does it before it’s too late. Yukari admits she hasn’t either and when Fuuka exclaims she’s almost done, Kotone knows it’s her shot to get out of there. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Koromaru whine as he’s scratching himself. 

Kotone moves towards Koromaru and loudly asks if Koro-chan wants to be brushed. The other girls stare at her as she brushes Koromaru while loudly talking about what a “cutie-patootie” he is. Fuuka giggles, Yukari sighs as she moves away, Mitsuru holds back a snort, and Aigis stares. It takes a while but when Koromaru is thoroughly brushed, Kotone declares that she is tired and that she’s going to get ready for bed. After a round of goodnights, Kotone manages to escape up the stairs and into the quietness of her room. No questions were asked about her day and she wanted it to stay that way. 

~ 

The next day is filled with the scramblings of attempting to pack. At school, Kotone had fallen asleep and woke to Yukari and Fuuka gently waking her up, asking if she wanted to go with them to buy last minute supplies. Kotone spends her afternoon shopping for last minute supplies with Fuuka and Yuakri. The three of them end the day by bringing in all of their finds into the dorm. Front across the lounge, Junpei looked up from his magazine and welcomed the girls. Ken, Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Koromaru were there as well, all doing their own things. Ken was sitting on the couch, homework in a pile on the side table next to him. Mitsuru was typing away on her phone by the entrance and Akihiko was cleaning his boxing gloves. Again .

“...It kinda sucks that we’re only going to Kyoto, though.” Yukari hums and throws herself onto the loveseat, bags being dropped to her feet. Fuuka and Kotone follow and sit on the couch across from Junpei and Ken. Both gently place their bags on the ground.

“Hm, Junpei-kun seems to have his energy back,” Ken pipes up. “I guess there was no reason to worry about him.” Yukari waves her hand and takes the magazine out of Junpei’s hand to cover her eyes. Junpei shoots her a look, but then directs his attention to Ken. 

“Huh? What’re ya talkin’ about? I’m always energetic!” Junpei leans back in his seat. “By the way, you better behave while we’re gone. Don’t go throwin’ any parties, got it?”

Ken nods slowly. “I won’t.” He jumps off the couch and begins to walk to where Koromaru is, reaching over to pet him. “Oh, and please don’t worry about bringing me back a souvenir.” He flashes Junpei a thumbs up.  

Junpei raises his eyebrow. “...Hey, are ya tryin’ to use reverse psychosis on me or something?” 

Ken flashes Junpei a smile. “No, of course not.” He pauses for a second before looking to the side and fiddling with his hands. “...It’s just that Kyoto has a lot of great tasting snacks.” Fuuka giggles as Junpei groans, grumbling about how he barely has any money for snacks that he wants. 

From under the magazine Yukari mumbles, “I’ll buy you some snacks, Ken-kun. Just tell me what you want.” 

“Me too! Just let us know!” Fuuka gives Ken a shaky double thumbs up. 

Kotone sighs. She had money to spend… “Me as well. I’ll make sure to grab something for Koro-chan too.” Koromaru barks and abandons Ken as he moves towards Kotone, rubbing his face on her leg. She scratches behind his ears as Ken shoots them all a happy smile. 

Kotone spends a few more minutes with her doormates before Fuuka announces that she has to start packing. Yukari, Junpei, and Kotone follow, looking away from Mitsuru who sends them off with a “I told you to pack yesterday”. 

It takes Kotone a while to gather all that she intends to take, but soon the sun dips down and Kotone finds herself falling asleep quickly. She’s excited to spend a few days with her classmates and friends away from school. 

~

It’s daytime when Kotone steps off the bullet train with one hand on her suitcase and the other shielding her eyes. Kyoto station is busy and her classmates are all gathering in a line. In front of her, Junpei and Yukari are bickering over the fact that Junpei ate some of her snacks while on the train. Kenji, Rio, and Kazushi are in the line already, passing a bag of food to each other. Fuuka is behind Kotone and Kotone moves out of the way before Fuuka crashes into her. 

During the ride, Kotone and Yukari sat next to each other, with Junpei and Ryoji in front of them. Yukari had fallen asleep halfway and that’s when Junpei had eaten some of her food. Kotone had managed to take a short nap, but woke up when she heard Yukari find out some of her food was missing. The students across from them stared as Yukari and Junpei began to squabble and Kotone made a point to raise the volume on her music player. As she stared out the window, she happened to glance to her left and saw the reflection of Ryoji on the window from his seat. She turned to her side, a bit embarrassed. He was looking out the window and he had a very fond smile. It made Kotone feel a strange feeling at the bottom of her stomach, almost embarrassed. 

As Kotone waits in line, Yukari huffs and stands in line in front of her. Junpei and Ryoji follow and both stand behind Kotone. From the corner of her eye, Aigis turns around from the beginning of the line and frowns. Kotone sends her a smile and she see’s Aigis face the front again. 

“Kyoto, huh...? Talk about a cliched place to go on a school trip.” Junpei groans. He shifts his backpack and looks back to talk to Ryoji. Kotone tugs on her suitcase and looks down the aisle. Ms. Toriumi is walking down, clipboard in hand, making sure everyone is where they need to be. 

“Huh? Don't you like it?” Ryoji pauses for a second. “I think it's a beautiful place to have some good memories of while we're still young.” 

Junpei scoffs. “Is that so...?” He then snorts. “Ya know, every now and then, you sound like an old man.” 

“Really?” Kotone can hear the disturbance in Ryoji’s voice. 

In front of her, Yukari sticks her head out to the side for a moment. After a few moments, Kotone hears her sigh and stands up straight again. “She came... Thank goodness.” 

Kotone is about to ask her who she's talking about when Ms. Toriumi walks up to Yuakri and begins to speak to her. Kotone tells herself to file away that question for later. 

After everyone is checked off, the students are herded into buses that then take them to the inn. By the time they reach the inn, the sun is setting and everyone looks exhausted. The students crowd the first floor of the inn as the staff start checking in. 

 “We're finally here! Whoa, nice place!” Junpei stretches as students walk towards their friends. People are beginning to mingle and the noise level rises a bit. 

Yukari huffs. “It IS an expensive area, after all.” She crosses her arms and makes a face as Junpei blows a raspberry at her. She moves towards him to kick at his shin, which he avoids at the last second. 

“Hey, what's that umbrella for?” Ryoji appears behind her and points to an umbrella a few feet away. He gently rests his other hand on her shoulder and she tries her best to not curl into his touch. 

“Wanna get under it?” Kotone tries her best to say her stupid remark as smoothly as possible and it works; Ryoji turns a bit pink as he laughs and Junpei and Yuakri make faces in their direction. 

“Doing anything together with you would be my pleasure.” His voice is pure charm as he gives her a wink. Kotone surprises a giggle as Junpei makes a gagging noise. “Say, why don't we go hang out somewhere together after this?”

Yukari makes a disgusted noise as she moves in front of Kotone. “What kind of reasoning is that!? Watch yourself around this guy, okay, leader? He'll go after any girl with a pulse.” She points her thumb in his direction as Ryoji wiggles his eyebrows at her. She gags as Junpei and Ryoji laugh. 

Ryoji shuffles slightly closer to Kotone as he puts his raised hand on Kotone’s other shoulder. “Leader? That's no way to refer to someone with so cute a name as Kotone-chan.” Kotone resists the urge to flush red. “Oh, and I don't just go for anyone. I want to get to know you better

because... you're you.” Ryoji locks eyes with Kotone for a moment before he sends a smirk in Yukari’s direction. “...Though I must say, we're getting along pretty well already,” he says with a chuckle. 

Yukari’s shocked face almost makes Kotone burst out into laughter. “Huh? What's with that chuckle?” Yukari looks between the two of them in quick succession and uses her pointer finger to make a circle around the two of them. “Wait, don't tell me, are you two...?” Her eyes widen more and even Junpei raises his eyebrows. 

“You are a problem!” 

The four of them look to the side and Aigis stands there, Fuuka peeking out behind her. Ryoji lets go of Kotone’s shoulders and takes a step to stand next to Kotone. Aigis looks angry. 

“Ugh, sheesh…” Yukari sends a look Aigis’ way. “Aigis, it’s fine. He wasn’t even doing anything.” 

Junpei nods quickly as Aigi shifts her focus onto him. Aigis stares at him for a few moments more and Kotone feels her hands start to warm up with sweat. She finally moves her gaze off of him as she starts a conversation with Yukari. Fuuka follows and shoots Kotone an apologetic glance. 

“Soooo…” Junpei looks at Ryoji as he takes a step towards him and Kotone. “Where were you guys gonna go at your old school, Ryoji?” He pauses, looking around the room. “Somewhere interesting, I bet. Kyoto's so typical, don't ya think?” He nudges Ryoji as Ryoji hums, thinking. 

“Hmm...I don't really remember,” Ryoji admits. Junpei gives a funny gasp and Kotone makes a confused face. 

“...Are you serious? That's the highlight of the year!” Yukari butts into the conversation, leaving Fuuka and Aigis to stare at Ryoji. 

Ryoji gives a nervous laugh as he glances at Kotone. “Really?” 

Junpei and Yukari start a conversation with Ryoji about school trips and how they were important to “the high school experience”. Kotone steps out of the way and moves towards Fuuka and Aigis. Aigis is looking to the left and Kotone follows her line of sight to… the pond in the courtyard? 

“...Is this one of the open-air hot springs I have heard about?” Aigis glances towards Kotone, eyes focused on her and then back to the pond. 

Kotone feels her lips twitch and she has to remind herself that laughing at Aigis isn’t nice. “Wanna try going in it?” 

Fuuka makes a funny noise as she waves her hands in an “x” motion to Aigis. “N-No! Aigis, you can't go in there! A bath wouldn't be so out in the open like this!” When Kotone starts to giggle, Fuuka gives her a pleading look. “Come on, don't lie to her!” 

Someone clears their throat and the group of teenagers turn to see Ms. Toriumi standing there. She claps her hands twice and begins to hurdle the group down the hallway. “Come on, you can talk later. You're blocking the hallway. Girls, your rooms are that way. Why don't you go get unpacked?” She points in the direction and shoos them with a wave of her hand. 

Junpei flashes the girls a grin as he waves a hand. “...You heard her.” 

Yukari groans as Fuuka and Kotone giggle. Fuuka removes her hand from her mouth as she waves to the boys. “We'll see you later then. This way, Kotone-chan.” She tugs on Kotone’s sleeve as she starts to lead her to the staircase. 

“This way, Kotone-chan.” Kotone looks back and Junpei is wiggling his fingers in the boy’s direction. Kotone snorts, then quiets down after Yukari shoots her a look. Fuuka pauses, clearly confused. 

Ryoji chuckles as Junpei starts to wiggle all of his fingers. “I'm looking forward to seeing the rooms, Kotone-chan.” He winks at her and Kotone wiggles her fingers back at him. 

Aigis, looking as confused as a robot can, announces “...Well, I will see you later.” She stands in place as the group stares at her. Junpei snorts and covers his mouth quickly. 

Yukari scowls and she begins pulling Aigis. “All right, this has gone far enough! Junpei and Ryoji-kun, guy's room! Aigis, girl's room! You're coming with us!” She sticks her tongue out at Junpei and growls when he does the same. Ryoji starts pouting and Kotone smiles as she lets Fuuka pull her away. She can hear both Ryoji and Junpei “aww” at the same time and that’s when she lets herself laugh. 

After finding her room and putting her stuff down, Kotone spends the rest of her night greeting classmates and friends. She see’s Rio hanging out with Kenji and Kazushi and she laughs when they tell her their plans. She runs into Bebe and they have a quick conversation. She see’s Mitsuru and she looks awful. More than once, Ryoji catches her eye while she’s running around and saying hello to her friends. He winks at her once and she gives him her most dazzling smile. He stumbles mid-conversation with Junpei and she quietly laughs as she sees her next target for conversation. 

Kotone ends the day in bed, asleep. It’s nice being able to fall asleep after being exhausted. 

At breakfast the next day, a paper went around that read: “Today's Itinerary: Visiting historical sites”. All the students excitedly chatted as Kotone nearly fell asleep in her breakfast. She woke up exhausted, even though she went to bed exhausted. Both Yukari and Fuuka gave her weird looks as she yawned multiple times in a row. Rio gave her a BauerBar after she saw Kotone and said that she probably hadn’t slept well in a while so her body was sucking up all the good sleep. Kotone thought that made zero sense, but was too tired to do anything but drink it. 

The students went sightseeing around Kyoto aboard a tour bus and Kotone tried her best to stay awake through it all. Everything blurs together as Kotone tries her best to stay awake, even with the help of the energy drink. She see’s Junpei, Ryoji, and Akihiko looking at a building and the tree’s around it are very red. At another point, she see’s Fuuka and Yukari praying in front of a shrine. She basically leans on Rio the whole day, who takes good care of her. She see’s Ryoji stare at her multiple times, but she manages to give him sleepy smiles and small waves so that he’s not too concerned. By the time dinner ends, Kotone ends up collapsing into bed before everyone else does. 

When she wakes up, it’s the next day and she feels way more refreshed . She makes sure to eat a good breakfast and feels excited when she’s informed that the tour for today is a walking tour. She spends the day exploring, chatting, buying souvenirs and trying her best to make up for her sleepiness yesterday. At one point, she spots Mitsuru hanging out with Yukari and thinks to herself, In contrast to yesterday, Mitsuru looks to be enjoying herself. Today, She's being friendly with her classmates, and Yukari. It makes her happy that Mitsuru was looking better than she did the other day, but the nosy part of her wonders what happened. 

It all ends on a good note when Ryoji privately asks her to walk around the river with him. She agrees and that’s how she finds herself sitting with him along the bank of the Kamogawa river. She buys herself a crepe from a nearby stand and gives him a few bites. 

He chews for a bit, clearly thinking about it, then swallows. “A green tea crepe... That color's a little off-putting.” He grins, taking another bite. “Oh, but it's delicious.” 

Kotone hums, taking a bite for herself. They sit in comfortable silence, passing the crepe between them. The whole thing is making Kotone feel warm and happy. It makes her want to snuggle up next to Ryoji. 

“You can't find this in Iwatodai.” Ryoji chuckles, wiping a bit of crepe off of Kotone’s lip with his sleeve. “It makes me kind of happy.” 

Kotone chews the last of the crepe and crumbles up the wrapper in her hands. “What makes you happy?” She stares at his face for a moment, studying him. His eyelashes are so long , her brain supplies as she stares at him a bit more. 

He hums. “I'm having new experiences, and I get to share them with you.” He gently tugs her hand into his and wraps their fingers together. “That's what I enjoy so much.” Kotone turns pink as she averts his eyes. He laughs and pulls her a bit closer. 

“Hey, here's something I didn't know,” he whispers. He points to the river and both of them turn to look. “The light reflects off the river in a different way than it shines off of the ocean…” 

Kotone suppresses the urge to yawn as she nods. “Is it because it's flowing?” 

“Oh, that might be it.” He pauses for a second, then looks at her. “The water's on a journey, too. I bet that must be fun.” He gives her a serene smile as he leans his head on her shoulder. 

Kotone rubs his hand with her thumb as they just exist for a bit. Behind them, people walk by and more than a few times she hears the chatter of high school students. She sort of hopes that people don’t recognize the two of them. She likes the fact that they can be like this, just Kotone and Ryoji. It’s not the most popular guy at school and the leader of S.E.E.S. It really is just Ryoji and Kotone. She closes her eyes for a moment, savoring the sounds of the water.

“...That reminds me.” Kotone opens her eyes and glances at him. “This place is filled with couples, too.” 

Kotone looks up and he’s right. Suddenly, there are couples everywhere. Mostly people a bit older than them, but a few students from their school litter the far end. Thankfully, the two of them are in a spot that is very empty and everyone seems to walk on by. “They all look like they're having fun,” he speaks up again. “Hey...what kind of things do lovers talk about?” 

Kotone makes a face as she turns towards him. He gives her an innocent smile as he fixes his posture. She sighs and thinks about it for a second. She decides to be honest, as he’d probably prefer that the most. “...No clue.” 

Ryoji lets out a little gasp as she grumbles. “Is that so?” He gives her a very smug grin as she glares at him. “Does that mean you've never had a boyfriend?” He laughs as she pushes him slightly. He wobbles and then Kotone starts to laugh too. They quiet down after a while. He lays his head on her shoulder again as he mumbles “I see…”. 

He seems cheered about that, for some reason . Kotone huffs as she leans her check into his head. She glances down and finds him gazing intently at her. “What's the matter?”, she whispers. 

Ryoji makes a strange noise for a second, before sighing. “Why you, I wonder?”, he mumbles. His scarf muffles his words so Kotone has to really strain her ears to make sure she hears everything. “Sure, you're nice, and pretty, but... I don't think it's that. It's just... you…”. He starts to mumble even more quietly and Kotone is hit with the fact that Ryoji may think dearly of her. She turns red as she covers her mouth before she says anything embarrassing. 

“...Hey…” Ryoji is almost as red as she is when he speaks up. “Would you be willing to see me like this after we get back from the trip? Um... The day after we get back is the 22nd. It's a Sunday.” Kotone feels her cheeks burn as she sees him being just as effected as she is. Even his ears are red . “I'd like to spend some more time with you…”, he trails off, looking to his side. 

Kotone has to force herself to say something normal. “O-okay,” she manages to get out without squeaking. This is so embarrassing…, she thinks. She swallows as Ryoji blinks at her for a few seconds, clearly processing what she said. 

“Oh!” Ryoji scrambles as he sits up straight, letting go of Kotone’s hand to bury his face in his. “I'm so glad!” He gives Kotone an embarrassed smile as he looks up at her. “I was getting anxious about what I was going to do if you'd said no.” He clears his throat, then properly looks her in the eye. “Then, the 22nd it is! Don't forget.” 

Kotone nods, unsure of what to say. They sit in silence for a moment, red as the leaves that fall around them. Kotone shivers and Ryoji grabs her hands. 

“It's starting to get a little chilly. I wonder if winter's just around the corner.” Ryoji starts to gently rub her hands, warming them up. “Should we get going?” Kotone gives him a smile and he pulls her up. They begin walking, hand in hand. They browse the gift shops that litter the street before they separate. 

In the evening, Kotone decides to join the hot springs bath with her female teammates after Fuuka asks. Kotone was excited, as a hot bath sounded perfect before leaving. She gathered up all she needed and met them at the changing area. They all walk to the door together, excitedly chattering. 

Yukari pulls the door open and exclaims, “Wow! This hot spring is huge!” 

Behind her, Fuuka pokes her head out and her eyes begin to sparkle. “Oh, you’re right! It’s the size of a swimming pool.” 

“So, this is an outdoor hot spring. Unfortunately, its therapeutic healing benefits will not help me,” Aigis says.

Kotone has to stop herself from giggling louder than she does. The hot springs are really big and there are large rocks around the area. It’s warm and Kotone begins to walk towards the water, ready to relax. 

Suddenly, splashing from the hot spring makes Yukari and Kotone jump. Kotone’s hair on the back of her neck rises as all the girls quickly face towards where the sound sounded the loudest. Yukari’s voice speaks first, hands shaking as she yells out, “Who's that!? Is someone there!?”

Nothing answers them back. Mitsuru takes a few steps towards Yukari as she clutches her towel tighter. “What's the matter, Yukari? Did you see something?” 

Yukari gulps. “..Yeah, I think I heard something. Did you... hear that just now?” 

“Hear what...?” 

“What about you, Kotone-chan? Did you hear something...?” Fuuka is looking around nervously. 

Kotone can feel her heart begin to pound. “I heard it too!” Her voice comes out higher than she expected and she winces when she hears it. 

“You did, huh?” The girls all glance at each other, clearly unsure of what to do. After a quick second, Yukari speaks up. “Fuuka, could you check over there? I-It could be a ghost…” Yukari points to the left with a still shaking hand. 

“Um... but... I, uh…” Yukari gives Fuuka a pleading look. “Okay…”

The girls decide that together, they are all going to find out what the sounds from the hot spring are. Fuuka stands to the left, looking very worried while Yukari is shaking like a leaf on the right. “Okay, I'll go around from the left,” Fuuka says. 

“O-Okay. Then I'll head right…” Yukari whimpers as she tugs Kotone’s hand. “Come with me, Kotone…”

The girls wade in the water, hand in hand. Yukari’s hand is cold and clammy. After a second, Yukari pauses and turns towards Kotone. “Oh, wait! Could there be other guests in the bath, too?” Kotone thinks about it for a second and nods. “If that's the case, would we be causing trouble, walking around like this...?” 

“Yeah... Let's stop.” Kotone glances around and then gently tugs Yukari forward. 

“Y-Yeah, I'm with you.” Yukari lets Kotone pull her towards the beginning of the hot springs, where Mitsuru, Fuuka and Aigis are waiting. “...There's nothing there. Sorry, it must have been my imagination.” Yukari gives a shy smile. “C'mon, guys, let's stop poking around and just enjoy the water!”

After a while, Fuuka sighs. “Doesn't the water seem a little hot?” She lifts her palm up to her forehead, checking her temperature. “I'm beginning to feel faint…” 

Mitsuru laughs out loud. “It appears that Yamagishi's ability is ineffective when she's without clothing.” 

“W-Well, of course it is,” Fuuka stammers. Her face turns a bright red as she covers her face with her hands. 

“To be honest, I am rather surprised by the difference between human bodies,” pipes up Aigis. “More specifically-” 

“Ookkaay, that's enough, Aigis.” Yukari grabs Aigis’ wrist and begins to walk out of the hot spring. “Let's go. I'll treat you to some ice cream.” 

Mitsuru watches them go and sighs. “I suppose we should get going as well. It is late…”

Kotone nods and the three girls get out as well. As she’s entering the changing room, Kotone gives one last glance to the hot spring. She can barely see but everything seems to look the same. She closes the door and starts getting ready for bed. 

The next morning is a blur. Kotone gets up, does her morning routine, eats breakfast quickly, packs her stuff and meets her classmates on the inn’s first floor. The students are being grouped up into their classes for last minute announcements. Ms. Toriumi gathers the class around her as she makes final checks for the trip. “Everyone remembers what time we're meeting at Kyoto Station, yes?” The students in Kotone’s class nod. Ms. Toriumi suddenly makes a very annoyed face as she looks up from her clipboard. “Then, please be on time. If any of you are late, I'm the one who will be blamed.” She swiftly walks away and the students around Kotone disperse, going towards their friends. 

Fuuka and Aigis walk up to her, Fuuka with her suitcase in hand. Standing next to Kotone, Yukari yawns, covering her mouth with the back of her palm. Aigis stands quietly as Kotone gives her a smile. 

“Well... Let's go.” Fuuka shuffles in place for a moment as she makes sure she has everything. “Junpei-kun and the others are... Oh, there they are!” Fuuka points to the right and Kotone can see Junpei, Ryoji, and Akihiko are sitting on a bench. Both Akihiko and Junpei look incredibly uncomfortable, but Ryoji is looking extremely cheerful. They’re discussing something but they become quiet as the girls walk up to them. 

“Morning. Hm? What's wrong? What's going on, guys?” Fuuka has a worried look on her face as she inspects the boys. 

“Oh, g-good morning, ladies,” Junpei’s voice shakes. “U-Um, we're just having a, um... a reflection meeting.” He smiles awkwardly and Kotone nearly bursts out laughing. She manages to only snicker. He gives her a strange look before returning his shaky smile to Yukari. 

“...Why're you being so formal?” Yukari raises an eyebrow at Junpei. “And what're you reflecting on?” She crosses her arms. 

Junpei starts to laugh, glancing at Akihiko. It’s extremely clear that the laugh is a nervous one. He opens his mouth but Fuuka speaks first. “Akihiko-sempai and Ryoji-kun don't look well either.” 

Akihiko makes a funny noise before attempting to look Fuuka in the eyes. He does not succeed. “Oh, no…” 

“We spent a little too much time in the bath yesterday,” pipes up Ryoji. He flashes his charming smile at Fuuka who blinks at him. Kotone raises an eyebrow. 

“You idiot...!” Akihiko glares at Ryoji. Ryoji simply turns his smile to him. 

Fuuka scrunches her face in confusion. “Did the heat get to you?” 

“Heheh…”, Ryoji chuckles as Akihiko and Junpei glare at him. He turns to look at Kotone and his eyes practically sparkle. “Well, I guess you could put it that way. I didn't think it would be so amaz--” 

Junpei covers Ryoji’s mouth with his hand quickly. “Quiet, you!” Ryoji makes a noise but keeps eye contact with Kotone. She has to force herself not to giggle. 

Fuuka takes a step back as she sighs. “You're so weird.” She looks at Akihiko and Junpei as her face morphes into a worried look again. 

Yukari scoffs as she uncrosses her arms. “Well... whatever.” She delivers one last glare at Junpei as she picks up her suitcase back up. “C'mon, Kotone, let's go.” She walks off to the entrance and Kotone gives a small wave to all the boys as she walks off. 

Before she leaves the building, she can faintly hear Junpei say something about a grave. 

~

The next day, Ms. Toriumi announces that career week starts next week. Kotone see’s Junpei slump in his seat when the news is announced. She hears Ryoji laugh at him and a small part of Kotone wants to laugh with Ryoji. 

When she comes home after having much needed alone time, Fuuka tells her that Junpei invited Ryoji over and he just left. All of her roommates stare at her and Kotone wonders why they think that she needed to know. 

Then she realizes she does, indeed, care that Ryoji came over and that he didn’t see her. 

~

Kotone wakes up on Sunday, completely out of it. Her suitcase is still on the floor, clothes slipping out of it. It takes her a few minutes to get up, but when she does, she starts to get herself ready for the day. It takes her until she’s brushing her teeth before she remembers that she’s meeting Ryoji today. She scrambles through her morning routine, runs down the stairs and as she’s about to run out the door, she see’s Junpei in the kitchen. He’s eating a bowl of cereal and she gives him a wave. He waves back with a weird look on his face and Kotone takes that as her sign to leave.

Kotone meets Ryoji at the mall. He’s sitting on the fountain and jumps up when he sees her. There isn’t much sun today and Kotone is glad she decided to wear her leggings today. They excitedly exchange greetings and move into the Chagall Cafe. Kotone gets coffee again, but this time Ryoji gets a cup of green tea. Kotone asks him for a sip and he obliges with a smile. 

“Going to Kyoto was fun.” Ryoji takes a sip of his tea, the shiny cup reflecting Kotone’s face.

“Going out with everyone, seeing and eating so many different things. Then we'd go to bed and wake up and do it all over again the next day. It was amazing. It was a lot of fun…” He sighs dreamily, resting his cheek on his palm. 

Kotone hums and leans back in her seat. “I had fun too,” she says simply. Because that’s the truth. She really did have lots of fun with her classmates in Kyoto. 

Ryoji smiles at her. “Yeah, you were laughing a lot,” he chuckles. Suddenly, he places his hand on the table, in front of Kotone’s cup. “Did you see this? I bought it at one of the souvenir shops,” he says, suddenly bashful. Kotone can see his ears turn pink. When she looks down, she sees it. Ryoji’s wearing a thin ring on his finger. It’s silver, very thin, and it fits very well on his slim finger. 

Kotone stays quiet for a moment, mostly because of confusion and shock. “I didn't notice at all,” she utters honestly. 

Ryoji catches Kotone’s eye and holds her gaze for a moment. “I guess... it's proof of the fun memories I've made. I felt like I wanted a reminder of those times. And then I saw this in the store…” He tenderly caresses the ring with his other hand. “Rings are mysterious… When you get used to wearing one, it's as natural as if you were born with it. At the same time, it feels constricting.” He pauses to look up to Kotone and smile. “But when I look at it, it reminds me of the good times I had. I think that rings are things that bind memories to the people who wear them.” By this point, his cheeks are blushing pink. 

“I think I get it.” 

That causes Ryoji to chuckle. She can see it in his face that he was surprised with her answer. Then he starts to laugh, which then causes her to start giggling. They laugh peacefully for a while. 

“This is my treasure.” Kotone tries to stop laughing to focus on his words. He gives her a look as she giggles once more and she gives him one back. He grins before continuing his thoughts. “I hope I'll get more and more treasures as life goes on. I'm sure that that will be the case...if I'm with you.” Ryoji smiles happily at Kotone and that’s when she turns red. 

Kotone stares at her coffee to avoid looking him in the eye. She feels, deep in her heart, that her relationship with Ryoji has gotten a little closer. 

After a few moments of no words, Ryoji mumbles something. “Are you the one I've been waiting for all this time...?” Kotone looks up and sees that he’s talking into his scarf. “I know you...I feel like I've known you for a very long time…” 

Kotone grabs his hand and interlocks her fingers with his. He looks up at her and his mouth falls open. She grabs his other hand and does the same. Kotone’s brain is in scrambles and her mouth fails her for a few moments. So she says nothing, but she holds his hand tighter. He looks from her hands to his and then Ryoji closes his mouth, and does the same. 

Kotone spends the rest of her time that afternoon quietly talking to him. 

~

That night, they face Strega. 

Kotone sees Junpei grieve for the very first time.

The walk back to the dorm together was silent. 

No one could find the right words to say to Junpei…

~

Career week is boring. 

Kotone gets to clean and occasionally hear fun facts about Wild-Duck Burger. 

She decides to never eat there again. 

After she finishes her final shift, she stops by the Chagall Cafe for some non-fast food. Before she can enter, someone calls out her name and she blushes as she recognizes who it is. Ryoji takes her into the cafe and they order just drinks this time. Kotone asks for coffee and Ryoji gets a hot chocolate. As soon as they finish ordering, Ryoji begins to talk. 

“I'm sorry to call you over without warning. Am I interrupting anything important?” 

Kotone gives him a tiny smile. “I'm all right.” 

“I see…” Kotone can see the relief in Ryoji’s face as he slumps into his seat. “I was in the same group as Junpei-kun, but he never showed up at the beginning. He only came on one of the days because the teacher said that he had to. Something seemed really strange about him, though…” The waiter places down their orders and for a moment, the two of them just stare at their drinks. “I'd talk to him, but he didn't seem like he was listening at all. He looked like he was about to cry. Did something happen?”

Kotone doesn’t answer him for a few moments. Fresh memories pop up into her brain and she shakes her head, wishing they weren’t true. After a deep breath, Kotone whispers, “He lost someone precious…” 

“...I see. People... die. I think that's something you just have to accept.” Kotone looks up at him and she sees his normally bright eyes are darkened. “...Do you think I'm being too cold?” 

Kotone takes a second to think about what she should say. She opens her mouth but no words come out. She shakes her head once as Ryoji just stares at her. After a quiet few minutes with only the sounds of the other people in the cafe, he reaches over to grab her hand. He holds it tight and just that one touch makes Kotone want to be alone with him. He looks down at their intertwined hands sadly and takes a deep breath. 

“Junpei-kun is someone I care about. That's why I'm worried. I've never seen him this way before. I wonder... if there's anything I can do.” 

Kotone makes a funny noise and Ryoji looks up at her, his face going from sad to concerned. It takes Kotone to realize it was a sob. With her free hand, she covers her mouth, closing her eyes and making sure to breathe . He’s concerned about his friend , Kotone thinks. I get it . 

"People die...", she hears him murmur.  “I have a feeling like I've heard that somewhere. Wait… Was it something I said before? I think it was to someone very precious to me too…”. 

They spend the whole day together, but they don’t say much. 

Their drinks ended up being untouched. 

~ 

She spends her night in Tartarus, trying her best to clear out what needs to be cleared. She hasn’t been in nearly two weeks. 

She gives it her all. 

They end up at one of the path blocking sections. It takes Koromaru’s whining to force her to admit she’s tired. She doesn’t want to give up, but a look from Mitsuru forces her to turn in for the night. 

~ 

She spends the next day relaxing, per Fuuka's pleas and Mitsuru’s request. She hangs out with Meiko until she decides to run away. Then she helps Meiko’s parents find her, which takes up most of her afternoon. When she returns home, Mitsuru tells her to wait in the kitchen and she sees Ahhiko sitting down, with Fuuka, Yuakri, and Aigis standing by. Mitsuru comes two seconds after Kotone does and sits across from Akihiko, her arms crossed and a worried look on her face. 

When Junpei walks in, Kotone can see the pain in his face as Mitsuru calls him over. Everyone just looks at him and his lips quiver, but Junpei sniffs and stands there. 

“Cheer up, Junpei…” 

Junpei scoffs. “Yeah… So, whaddya want?” 

Mitsuru’s face becomes calm and collected as she gently hands Junpei something. “This came for you. It's from the hospital.” 

“Is this... Chidori's sketchbook?” His face changes into surprise quickly, causing Kotone’s heart to squeeze. 

“They were going through her items when they found that.” 

“Oh...Um...I know I have to snap outta this, but it's just so hard…” 

Yukari gently places a hand on Junpei’s shoulder. Junpei lets out a full body shudder as he just stares at the sketchbook below him. 

Kotone decides then to speak up, as gently and quietly as she could muster. “I know how you feel…”. Everyone turns to glance at Kotone and she focuses her attention on Junpei. 

“Hey, Junpei, can I take a look?” 

Junpei scoffs again and looks to the floor. “You wouldn't be able to understand her drawings anyways…” 

Yukari makes a face as she takes a step towards the notebook. She regains her composure after a second and slowly opens the sketchbook. Her face twists into a shocked look before Kotone can hear her utter, “Wait, is this...?”

Fuuka walks over and looks over Yukari’s shoulder. Her face similarly turns into a shocked one, but her eyes sparkle. “Wow, it's really good…”

“This is amazing... Who wouldn't be able to understand it?” 

Junpei looks up at Yukari, his confusion clear on his face. Yukari and Fuuka take a step back and Junpei takes a step forward. He grabs the sketchbook with both hands and his hands shake when he sees what’s drawn. “Huh? Is this...!?” 

“...It's a detailed portrait of Junpei-san”, Aigis says simply. 

“The next page... and the next... Every page is devoted to Junpei…”. Everyone exchanges glances with each other. 

“Chidori…”. Junpei lets out a sob as he falls down to his knees. Everyone jumps when his knees slam into the floor as he presses his face into the sketchbook. 

“Junpei…” 

Kotone can see Koromaru and Ken walk into the kitchen from the corner of her eye. Ken looks extremely nervous, but Koromaru walks right up to Junpei, paws at his leg, and begins to whimper. Kotone reaches down to pat him on the head a few times. After a few seconds, Junpei stands up and wipes his eyes. “It's like she's telling me to stop moping around…” 

Fuuka claps her hands as she whispers, “She must be looking out for you…” 

Koromaru barks and Fuuka reaches down to gently rub his ears. Suddenly, Junpei jumps up and marches a few steps towards Kotone. This causes everyone to jump as well. Junpei sticks his hand out, his eyes wild with emotion. 

“Hey... Kotone… I promised to fight to get rid of the Dark Hour. I'm usually just lookin' out for number one. So it's been hard for me sometimes to accept that you're our leader, but…” He pauses, averting his eyes. After a few seconds, he looks Kotone straight in the eye. “I'm sorry.

I want you to know... I got nothin' but faith in your skills.” 

Kotone flashes him a smile. “I'm counting on you too.” She can see the relief in him as his posture relaxes. 

“Hehe, glad to hear it. Let's keep on rocking together... Leader.” Junpei gives her a smile back. Kotone sticks out her hand and the two of them firmly shake. 

Kotone can hear Yukari whisper Junpei’s name and that shakes her out of the moment. She looks around at everyone and they’re all smiling, some with tears in their eyes. Kotone gives a happy sigh as she gently lets go of Junpei’s hand. Kotone senses a strong bond with them during this moment and it makes her want to start tearing up as well.

~

The next morning, Kotone wakes up to a phone call. “He…hello?” She yawns halfway through her hello. 

“Kotone-chan!” A cheerful voice rings out from her phone. “Do you have some time to spare?” 

“I do.” Kotone sits up and yawns again. 

Through the phone, she can hear Ryoji chuckle quietly. “Great. Why don't we go out somewhere? The weather's great.” 

“Sure.” Kotone starts to get off her bed as Ryoji continues talking. 

“That's great! Just thinking about seeing you makes me happy. I'll head over immediately.” 

Kotone huffs a laugh as she tells him she’ll be ready as soon as she can. She thinks about how happy she is to see him too, even if they saw each other a few days ago. 

After she gets ready, she meets him on the steps of her dorm again. They chatter for a while as they walk to their destination. Ryoji had grabbed her hand immediately and she squeezed his hand as a way to convey her feelings. Before long, the pair end up in front of the school gate. Ryoji lets go of her hand for a moment to test the gates. They are locked shut. Kotone flashes him a grin as she takes a few steps back. He gives her a confused look that flickers into something else when she begins a running start. At the last second, she leaps. 

The gate is still taller than she is able to jump, so she manages to get halfway up. As quickly as she can, she climbs to the top and swings her body to the other side. She drops down as gracefully as she can. 

Ryoji stares at her from the other size. His eyes are all sparkly. “Wow.” He grabs one of the bars from the gate, puts his face near the bars, and gives Kotone a dazzling smile. “Where did you learn to do that?” 

From fighting in Tartarus. “I used to go to gymnastics when I was younger,” she laughs quietly, hoping her lie seems truthful. “It's your turn.” 

Ryoji scrambles up and down the gate. He nearly falls off at one point and Kotone giggles into her hand. He lands on his feet, but he wobbles. Kotone grabs his hand to straighten him out and he gives her a soft look. Together, they quietly made their way to the school’s rooftop. 

Thankfully for them, the school’s open and so is the door to the rooftop. Ryoji leads her through the open door. The wind is calm and the sun shines so brightly, Kotone covers her eyes for a moment. It's nice outside today, a rare case for early winter. Ryoji pulls her to sit down on one of the benches that line the rooftop. 

“I wonder if we'll get in trouble if someone finds us.” 

Kotone hums. She snuggles into Ryoji’s side, gets as close as she can and closes her eyes. “We'll just have to not be seen.”

Ryoji chuckles quietly above her. “I see.” Kotone can feel his heart beating. She can smell his cologne. It’s something delicate, refreshing even. She can’t exactly put a name on what it is. “You're an interesting person.” He laughs gently as Kotone pulls his hand to her lips. She doesn’t kiss it, but she gently lets the side of his hand rest against her lips. 

They sit in silence for a while. Kotone feels comfort in the quiet. It’s just the two of them, no one else. She likes being able to feel comfortable with Ryoji. For a while, they just enjoy the breeze and the sun. 

“When I'm alone…,” Ryoji pauses. He clutches Kotone’s hand tighter. “I don't feel right. I think... I'm scared.” Kotone opens her eyes and finds him staring down at her. His eyes are swimming with emotions. “Thinking about you... it scares me. The fact that tomorrow will come... scares me… But I can't figure out why…” Kotone gently peels away from Ryoji and sits up straight. Using her unoccupied hand, Kotone cups Ryoji’s cheek. He leans into her touch and lets out a little sigh. “Hey...I-I...I'm…” 

“You're Ryoji.” 

Ryoji blinks once. Kotone doesn’t break eye contact with him. Ryoji blinks again and looks down at their intertwined hands. “....Hearing my name from your lips makes it sound so wonderful.” He looks back up at Kotone and gives her a warm smile. “Thank you.” 

I…”, Ryoji continues. “...don't want to lose you. Because you're important to me... that's probably why I'm scared. You're... the only one there is for me. The only one I want… So please, stay with me.” 

Kotone lets go of his cheek out of shock. She can see him waiting, waiting for her response. Is Ryoji confessing his love for me...? I feel that I need to respond carefully to this…  

“Okay.” Her voice is breathless and she says it so quickly, she fears that he will not hear her. But he does. He pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her middle. She, in turn, wraps hers around his neck. 

“Kotone-chan,” He whispers in her ear. Kotone shivers as his lips come close to touching said ear. “Yeah... Thanks. You're the most precious thing in the world to me... More precious

than my own life.” He gently pecks the skin under her ear. Kotone lets a tiny gasp out and Ryoji laughs happily. 

They sit like that for a while, until Ryoji lets go of her to point off into the distance, making sure to use his free hand to grab one of hers. “Kotone-chan, look. The ocean's glimmering.” Kotone looks off and sees the sunlight reflecting on the ocean waves. She takes a deep breath as she rests her head on Ryoji’s shoulder. He gently rubs her hand with his thumb and quietly begins to speak again. “Why does it hurt when I see things that are so beautiful...? It's so strange…” 

They spend a few hours together. They mostly sit in silence, enjoying each other’s company. Occasionally they speak and a few times they end up blushing. They decide to leave mid-day, before anyone could catch them. When Kotone walks back to the dorm, Ryoji holds her hands the whole time. Before she walks up the steps, he tugs her behind the building and hugs her. 

They hold each other for a few seconds. Kotone feels the urge to collapse in his arms, but she doesn't. Ryoji takes a deep breath before letting her go. He kisses her hand and Kotone gazes into his eyes. She takes a second to collect herself before standing on her tippy toes. She presses a small kiss to his forehead and strokes his cheek. He turns red and pulls away with the softest ‘see you to tomorrow’ that Kotone has ever heard. She lets out a little laugh as she watches him scurry away. 

Kotone enters the dormitory, trying her hardest to keep a big smile off her face. 

~

The next day, Kotone ended up running into Akihiko while wandering around for a bit after school. They walked home, chatting about random topics. By the time that they reached the dorm, Akihiko began to be completely quiet. 

“Are you feeling sick?” 

She can see Akihiko snap back into focus. His eyes widen and he turns to face her. “Huh...?

...Oh, right. Sorry.” He turns his focus on the floor. Kotone can practically see the wheels in his brain turning. He faces her once more and his gaze turns apologetic. “Look, if you don't want to tell me, then you don't have to. It's just...Is it true you're going out with Junpei?” 

Kotone feels her jaw drop. Junpei?? Her good pal Junpei?????? The Junpei that’s still mourning Junpei?????!!!??? “What? No!” She shrieks. Her brain is going a mile a minute. 

“I see,” Akihiko hums. At her shocked face, he begins to explain. “Oh, no, it was just a rumor I heard. Sorry.” 

SORRY??????? “Don't get the wrong idea, Senpai!” Kotone squeaks out. Junpei was her friend. One of her best friends! Who in the world would think that they were dating?!!??!

Akihiko gives her a confused look. “I-I see. Anyway, I'm sorry.” Weakly smiling, he continues. “It's bad enough that I listened to a rumor, but then I confronted you about it... It was incredibly rude of me. If I hear anyone say that again, I'll tell them it's not true.” 

She nods rapidly, her face flushing. “Please do! I promise, he’s just a friend.” 

“Yeah, I don't like rumors either.” Akihiko nods seriously. “Umm... Should we go get something on our way home?” Kotone points to the front of the dorms and she can see Akihiko’s awkward smile flash upon his face. “Oh, we're already all the way back at the dorm. Um... Do you want anything to eat?” 

Kotone can feel her face relax. She smiles brightly back at him. “Hmm…Something sweet!”

“Yeah... That might be nice for a change.” Akihiko brightens up, as if a major weight has been lifted from his shoulders. The two of them share a quiet laugh. “I’m sure we have something sweet inside. Well then, shall we?” He points to the door and the two of them walk up the steps. She can faintly hear Junepi and Yuakri saying something as she pushes the door open.

Immediately, Kotone sees Koromaru trot over to greet the two of them. She reaches down to scratch his ear when she hears a few voices. She looks up and locks eyes with Ryoji. Kotone nearly falls over and her face quickly flushes. 

“Oh, welcome back,” Fuuka waves from the love seat. Kotone gives her a shy smile as Akihiko walks over and plops down next to Fuuka. “You're late. Ryoji-kun was just leaving.” 

“Kotone-chan!” Ryoji wiggles his eyebrows at her. She shoots him a glare as she stands up, his eyes shining. “Welcome back. Shame you weren't here. I was hoping I'd be able to see you.” Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Junpei start to snicker as Yukari sends a look in Fukka’s direction. “I'm sorry, but I gotta get going... I'll come see you again.” 

Somewhere in the distance, she can hear Junpei cheerfully wish Ryojo goodbye. She directs her glare to Junpei as he wiggles his fingers at her. Ryoji gives everyone in the dorm living room a polite goodbye before walking towards the door. As he walks up to Kotone, he does a whole show of holding his hand near his mouth. From across the room, Fuuka giggles as Junpei wiggles his fingers in her direction. Ryoji quickly whispers in Kotone’s ear as he walks past. 

“...Could I go to your room next time?” Kotone manages to nod as calmly as she could, but she’s sure she makes a tiny noise. “I'll be looking forward to it. See ya.” She hears the smile in his voice as Ryoji pulls away. She turns to the side and watches him slip through the door. 

“Kotone-chan...Are you all right? Your face looks a little flushed.” Kotone blinks and gives a little laugh. Fuuka sighs, seeming unsatisfied, as she turns her focus to the hallway. 

Kotone hears heavy footsteps and sees Aigis walking down the hall, holding her left wrist. “...Was that Ryoji-san?” 

“Yeah, he said he was going home,” answers Yukari. 

“What was he doing here?” 

Yukari tilts her head slightly. “Well, he's been coming here a lot, ever since he started hanging around with Junpei.” 

“But, visitors aren't allowed here…” 

Yukari makes a face as Junpei quickly jumps in to answer Aigis. “Yeah, but Mitsuru-sempai said that it's okay during the day.” 

From her seat, Fuuka points out, “I don't think we need to worry about Ryoji-kun.” 

“He's... dangerous…” Aigis looks Kotone in the eye as she speaks, her blue eyes lifeless. Kotone moves her gaze to the floor. 

“Who? Ryoji-kun?” 

Yukari hums as she leans back, her head touching the sofa’s cushion. “Come to think of it, he WAS hitting on Mitsuru-senpai the first time he met her.” 

“...But, having him around has really cheered up Junpei-kun.” Kotone can see Fuuka shuffle in her seat unconformably. 

“Well, it's not like moping around's gonna bring her back,” Junpei sighs and leans back into his chair. Yukari shoots him a sympathetic look from her seat. 

“That's true…” 

Everyone’s gaze turns to look at Aigis. “Hm...? What's the matter, Ai-chan?” 

“I envy you, Junpei. I'm a machine, so I cannot understand how it feels to ‘live’.” Aigis looks down at the floor, her lifeless eyes flickering with an emotion that Kotone can’t place. 

“...But, you don't seem that different.” Junpei offers Aigis a smile, one that she doesn’t return. 

“However, it is more accurate to say that I am "functioning" as opposed to living.There are times when I malfunction, but I can always be repaired…” 

The heavy words of Aigis hang around the room. Fuuka and Yukari exchange glances as Koromaru whines. 

“So if we were all like you... we wouldn't have to worry about dying.” Junpei’s voice lowers for a moment before he shakes his head. “Uh, sorry... Hey, I don't have time to talk. I seriously gotta go study.” Everyone gives Junpei looks, Yukari’s being the most surprised. “Hey, shouldn't you guys be studying too? I heard math's gonna be a killer.” 

“You wait until NOW to tell us that!?” Yukari whines, standing up. “Well, I guess we should call

it a night then…” 

Everyone gets up and moves towards the stairs, with Yukari and Junpei beginning to bicker. Kotone begins to follow when she hears Aigis speak quietly. “I should not possess the gift of "life". A "living" weapon is difficult to operate. However, I believe I understand the concept of loss. Kotone-san...Should you ever be harmed, I..”

Kotone turns around and gives Aigis a smile. “Don't worry about me.” She reaches over, grabs Aigis’ hand, and pats it twice. 

Aigis’ lips robotically twitch. “I'll try not to. You are very special to me. I do not know why, but I always want to be by your side. I want to protect you.” Aigis interlocks her fingers as she takes a step back. “I apologize for interrupting you. I will leave you to your studies...Good night”. 

Kotone watches as Aigis leaves, her footsteps sounding loud. 

~

The next day, she seeks him out after class. He kept giving her looks during class time and she nearly sends him a note to get him to focus on the lesson. She doesn’t, but only because he keeps wiggling his eyebrows at her and it makes her smile. 

“Hey.” 

“Kotone-chan.” He wiggles his eyebrows at her and this time she laughs. They chat for a few minutes, but he keeps looking at her lips. She snorts the first time she realizes, but soon she starts glancing at his lips too. It’s when the last person leaves the room when he gently grabs her hand. “Hey, if it’s alright…Could I come to your room?” Kotone must make some sort of face because his cheeks turn pink. “T-there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.” 

Kotone snorts, trying to shove down the flush that desperately wants to show up on her cheeks. “Hm…” She taps her chin and pauses for a second. “I don’t knooow…I might have plans today.”

He huffs. “Come on, please! Don’t make me beg you.” 

She raises an eyebrow and he instantly turns red. Kotone laughs. “Yeah, sure.” 

Ryoji lets out a sigh of relief. “Okay, thanks.” He interlocks his fingers with hers. “Shall we get going?” 

She takes his hand, stomach buzzing with nervousness. 

By the time they reach her room, all the nervousness is gone. Kotone decides that Ryoji is good at making her nervous and making her comfortable. She opens the door, after telling him that it’s a bit messy and to please not judge her for it. 

His eyebrows raise when he steps in. She gives him an embarrassed look before moving to open her windows to distract herself. “I think this is... my first time.” 

She snorts as she closes her curtains. “Really?” 

“Huh? Isn't it?” He sounds pretty flustered. “I mean, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've been in your room…” 

“It is.” She moves towards her bed and quickly makes it. Ryoji awkwardly shifts behind her and she can practically hear him thinking. After fixing the last pillow on her bed, she moves back to sit on her bed. 

“It just feels familiar for some reason. I wonder if it's just something that I've dreamed about. Or if I wanted to see it so much that it came to me in a vision…” 

Kotone laughs. “Smooth line, Romeo.” She pats the spot next to her and she can see Ryoji’s eyes widen. 

He laughs, nervously. “Haha. I'm being serious.” Kotone grabs his hand and tugs him down. He laughs again, more merrily this time. They both end up laying down, backs on the bed. Kotone offers him a pillow, but he declines. He simply uses his arm as a pillow. She can see him go slightly pink when she scoots a bit closer to him. 

After a while of chatting about random things (they speak for five minutes about Junpei’s and Yukari’s friendship and how they ARE totally best friends), he brings up the topic of her room again. “I think that I did come to see you. Probably to become friends with you. Ha ... But I got it all wrong.” 

Kotone hums, the breeze from her open windows is starting to feel colder than before. “Got what wrong?”

“I think what we have is different from just being friends.” Ryoji pauses and Kotone feels her cheeks start to warm up. “I think of people like Junpei-kun and Yukari-san as your friends

too, right? But I can't imagine thinking of them in the same way I see you…” 

Kotone nods and once again moves a bit closer to Ryoji. He smiles. For a moment, they sit in silence. Kotone can faintly make out her reflection in Ryoji’s eyes and she can see his pupils dilate. 

“You have such a kind heart. You shouldn't give so much of yourself to me. I'll... probably make you sad.” 

Kotone blinks. “You’d never make me sad,” she whispers. She gently reaches over to swipe at his cheek, where a long eyelash sat. He leans into her touch and closes his eyes. 

“It's just a feeling I get. Even though you're so precious to me...It's probably wrong of me to feel this way. It's like... a forbidden love.” His voice trembles when he gets to the end of his sentence. 

Kotone lets go of his cheek in surprise. His eyes open and they swim with sadness. 

“Kotone-chan, please touch me. Make sure that I exist. Feel for yourself that I'm actually here.” 

She grabs his hand as gently as she could. He smiles again, his eyes welling up. 

“Your hand is so warm,” he whispers. “It brings tears to my eyes. Why is that?” He pulls Kotone closer, gently. “Please, tell me… It's painful deep inside…” 

Kotone stares into his eyes, takes a moment to smile at him, and leans in. 

They spend a long time in her room and when it’s time for him to leave, she walks him to the intersection. They kiss as they bid each other goodnight. 

~

It’s the middle of the night when Kotone gets a harsh knock on her door. She opens it, half-asleep, and Yukari is there, eyes wild. She instructs Kotone to get ready as quickly as she can. After Kotone gives her a nod, she runs off. Kotone pulls on her uniform as quickly as she can, running down the stairs with her shoe’s in her hand. The group is downstairs, sans Ken and Koromaru, who are right behind her. After a few quick words from Misturu, the group rushes out, eventually ending up at Moonlight bridge. 

Koromaru barks loudly and the group follows the noise to Aigis. Kotone gasps as she see’s Aigis’ body: it’s heavily damaged and parts of it are strewn everywhere. Yukari yells out Aigis’ name as the group reaches their friend. Kotone immediately drops to her knees next to Aigis, panic sitting in her stomach. The rest of the group follow, standing all around her. There is a harsh buzz coming from Aigis, which everyone winces at. 

Aigis looks at Kotone in her eye, sparks making her eyes look brighter than before. “I'm sorry... I...I... remember everything...Who I am... Who "he" is”. Her voice is robotic as ever, but hearing her in this state makes her seem more human than ever. Aigis stretches out her worn hand and Kotone takes it, with her own hand shaking. “Kotone-san…I know why I wanted to be by your side,” Aigis continues. “I'm sorry... I failed..” 

Kotone can feel her stomach drop. She grips Aigis’ hand harder as her eyes blur. “D-don’t say that. It's going to be okay!” 

Aigis’ eyes lose that robotic shine. “I'm... sorry…” 

“There's no need for you to apologize,” a soft voice says. 

Kotone feels all her emotions fade into pure shock. She sees everyone’s eyes widen and if it weren’t for the fact that she was already close to the ground, she would have dropped to her knees. Kotone can hear her own labored breath as she turns her head and locks eyes with Ryoji. He gives her a sad smile. 

“You...!?” Junpei’s voice jumps a few octaves. 

“Ryoji-kun...?” Yukari seems incredibly shocked as well. “Wait, what're you doing here!?” 

“Aigis!?” Fuuka cries. The group turn their attention to Aigis as she slumps over, her hand letting go of Kotone’s. She stops moving after a second, the buzz quieting. Kotone lets out a horrified squeak. She gently shakes Aigis’ shoulder and repeats the action after no response. After a few moments pass, Mitsuru reaches over to stop Kotone. She gently pulls Kotone up, her eyes stoney. 

“What's going on...?” Akihiko barks. 

Ryoji looks down at the ground, his scarf hiding his lower face. “It's all my fault…”

“Wha... You did this!?” The confusion is clear in Akihiko’s voice. His face scrunches up, as his eyes widen. 

Akihiko begins to step forward, but Mitsuru juts her left arm out, stopping him in his tracks. He makes a noise of protest. “Akihiko, wait. He's not showing any signs of aggression.” She pauses and Kotone can see her swallow. “Tell us… Who are you? ...WHAT are you?” 

“I'm the same as the beings you call Shadows,” Ryoji says simply. His gaze seems far off when he looks up. 

Kotone feels her jaw drop.

“You're a Shadow!?” The whole group reacts with even more shock. 

“I'm the embodiment of all Shadows...The Appriser, born from the union of the 12 Arcana.” 

“The Appriser...?” 

“I remember everything now.” Ryoji’s knees begin to shake as he once again looks down. “The frightening truth about myself... and Shadows. It's all so hard to believe”. Following his sentence, he falls to his knees. 

Kotone gasps sharply as she reaches a hand towards him. She is quickly pulled back by Fuuka, who shakes her head. She retracts her hand and notices how his fists are tightened. Kotone takes a shaky breath. 

“...You know the "truth" about Shadows?” Mitsuru’s voice is leveled, but the way she clenches her fist betrays her cold facade. 

Ryoji nods, slowly. “I do…” 

“What!?” 

Ryoji quietly takes a breath. “The Shadows are here to facilitate the rebirth of the maternal being. The maternal being will begin to awaken as she is drawn to me...The Appriser.” 

“You? You're The Appriser?” 

“That's right…” 

“What is this "maternal being"...?” Fuuka’s voice is low and she’s clutching her wrist. 

“She is a great entity... There is no comparable word in your language for her. Ten years ago, a man collected a great number of Shadows and contained them in a laboratory… That's where I was born. But the unification was interrupted, and I awoke in an incomplete state. Not long after, I fell to Aigis... as she did to me.” 

From the corner of her eye, Kotone can see Junpei snap his attention towards their friend. “Aigis!?” After a moment, he returns his attention back to the scene in front of him. “Is that true!? Ryoji?” 

“She knew she could not defeat me...So in an act of desperation, she sealed me within a child who happened to be standing nearby. That child grew up, carrying me inside her. And by a twist of fate, she later returned here...as a transfer student.” 

“You mean…” 

Kotone’s blood goes cold and she stumbles a bit. Everyone is looking at her and she can see the complicated looks on all of their faces. 

Ryoji locks eyes with her once again. “ Yes. "Kotone". I lived inside her.” 

Ryoji was... inside of me...? Kotone wants nothing more for this to be some weird dream. This situation is hurting her head and is making her stomach squeeze. She blinks a few times, trying to process it all. 

“Inside her?” Yukari’s voice is lower than Kotone has ever heard it. 

“Her special Persona awakened...as did the 12 Shadows, all in order to become one with me.” 

“Ryoji's the Appriser? A-And he was inside her body...!?” Junpei’s voice is so scandalized that Kotone would have laughed if they weren’t in the situation they are currently in. “None of this makes sense!” 

“It's all my fault…” Ryoji’s voice is low as he coughs. “I'm sorry. There's more I need... to tell you..” 

With that, he collapses on the ground. 

“Ryoji!” Kotone scrambles over to him, mind racing. He fell face first, so she rolls him over. He’s surprisingly light for a boy, her mind quips as she tries her hardest to not think the worst. She inspects him quickly and she can feel his pulse. Kotone lets out a deep sigh. His hand is warm . 

“He appears to be exhausted.” Mitsuru rests her hand on Kotone’s shoulder. Kotone looks up at her and nods, numbly. “Let's let him rest. We have Aigis to attend to as well. We'll continue our talk later.”

Her friends all start to work on grabbing the two on the floor. Junpei and Akihiko both try their best to carry Aigis, but it takes most of their group to successfully lift her. Ryoji is left to slump against Kotone, with Ken at her side. 

Kotone’s shock must be clear in her face as the group exchange glances with each other. What I just heard…Ryoji lived inside me for ten years, waiting to make contact with the 12 Shadows… And the boy named Pharos was actually Ryoji… So many questions remained unanswered. Ryoji is unconscious...

The group takes Ryoji and Aigis home and Kotone can feel her heart hurt deep in her chest.