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Chapter Text

4/6

Makoto Yuki yawned and looked around the train car. The car was empty besides the blue-haired boy, who quickly glanced down at his phone and checked the time. 

Almost noon. The train’s right on time. 

He tucked his phone back into his pocket, reached up to adjust the volume on his Walkman, and shoved his hands into his pockets. The pill-shaped MP3 player dangled from his neck, gently swaying as the train rattled along the track. His school bag sat on the seat behind him. 

He’d been on this train ride before, even if it hadn’t been this exact train going on this exact trip. The trip to a new town, to a new school, was routine for Makoto at this point. He’d been moving around Japan for the last few years, never staying for more than a school year or two.

This time won’t be any different. At most, I only have two more years of school, anyway.

Makoto gazed out the window and propped his head up by putting his index and middle finger to his temple, his thumb sticking out at a right angle. He didn’t want to think about what would come after graduation. It was much easier to simply do what he was told by adults. Finishing high school would mean the end of that. 

The rolling hills of the countryside he had left were long gone, replaced by a grandiose view of the ocean as the train skirted the shore. The train suddenly entered a tunnel, the exterior snapping into blackness. 

He blinked. 

A blue butterfly was outside the window, slowly fluttering its wings, but somehow keeping up with the speeding train. Makoto turned to look closer, blinked again, and it was gone in the same instant that the train exited the tunnel. 

Just a trick of the light, I guess…

He heard the brakes squeal as the train began to slow. The PA system chimed. 

“Next stop, Iwatodai station… next stop, Iwatodai.” 

That was his station. Makoto stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder, reaching above his head to grip a strap as the train briefly threw him forward as it stopped. The doors slid open to allow Makoto to walk onto the train platform. 

The platform was crowded, mostly with families, students, or adults with some reason not to be working in the middle of the day. He spotted a young girl hugging her father and crying while her mother tried to pull her away and allow the father to leave. 

He walked through the exit gates, glancing at the clock above his head as he did. 

“Due to a fatal accident, train services are currently behind schedule,” a voice announced over the speakers. “We apologize for any inconvenience.” 

It was a good thing he’d already arrived. That probably would have held him up all day.

“I heard someone killed themselves,” he heard as he passed a pair of women. 

“Oh, that’s horrible!” The other said, hand covering her mouth in shock.

Makoto felt little sympathy for the deceased. After all, everyone has to die someday. 

It doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

Makoto reached into his bag and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. The move-in guide had instructions on how to find the dorm from the train station, and he smoothed it out as he began to follow the map. 

He walked out of the station and up a flight of stairs. He was now in a strip mall of sorts, with spiral staircases on either end of a three-story shopping complex. His stomach rumbled as the smells of the multiple restaurants mingled in the air, but he ignored it.

I don’t want to be late.

He continued out of the strip mall and turned towards his new dormitory. The street seemed to be an ordinary residential area, different than the other dorms Makoto had stayed in. The previous dorms he’d stayed in were much closer to the actual school, rather than in the middle of a neighborhood. 

The dorm building blended in with the rest of the street, the only differentiating factor being the sign beside the double doors that labeled the building as Makoto’s destination. He walked up the stairs to the tall double doors, pushing his way into the lobby. 

The ground floor seemed cozy, with a nice setup of couches in front of a television to his right, behind which was a large dining table. Immediately to his left was a desk, sectioning off the computer. The floor seemed to be empty.

“Ah, right on time.” Makoto turned to stare at what looked like a ten-year-old boy sitting behind the desk. The boy was wearing a striped black and white shirt, and rested his head on his hands. “But you’re alone…” 

Makoto removed his headphones from his ears, resting them around his neck as the boy snapped his fingers. 

Suddenly, the boy was standing next to Makoto, only as tall as the older boy’s chest. He reached a hand out, indicating the red book resting on the desk. Makoto was pretty sure it hadn’t been there a moment before.

“No matter. Now, if you want to proceed, please sign your name there.” The cover of the book opened as the boy continued. “It’s a contract.” 

Some liability forms, probably.  

Makoto reached for the quill pen next to the book and glanced at the contract. 

“Don’t worry, all it says is that you’ll accept full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff.” 

Makoto shrugged and scanned the text. He caught something about all choices from now on being his own. It seemed like pretty fancy language for a school waiver form, but he shrugged and scrawled his name on one of the lines at the bottom of the page. As soon as he did, the book closed. Makoto turned to the boy, who grinned. The small boy’s differently-colored eyes stared at him, unblinking. Makoto felt almost as if the boy was looking into him rather than at him. 

“No one can escape time,” the boy said, clutching the contract to his chest. “It delivers us all to the same end. You can’t plug your ears and cover your eyes.” The contract disappeared from the young boy’s hands, and the shadows behind him began to grow, almost flowing towards him. 

“And so it begins…” The boy said, reaching a hand out as he disappeared into the shadows. As soon as the strange boy had been fully engulfed in shadows, the light returned, the boy nowhere to be seen. 

That was odd. Maybe this school has some weird initiation ritual.

Makoto unpaused his music and turned to look around the lobby. It was still as empty as when he’d entered. 

Why did they tell me to get here at noon if nobody was going to be here to meet me?

Makoto sat on the couch and closed his eyes. He turned up his music, fully prepared to sit there until someone arrived to show him to his room. 

He wasn’t sure what the current song was about, what with the lyrics being in English. He could only pick out a few words, something about Jesus. He didn’t care much about the exact words; the singer’s wailing above a driving guitar was enough to entertain him. 

After a few minutes, his stomach rumbled again, this time too loud to ignore. He was pretty sure he’d seen a burger joint at the strip mall, which sounded like the best he’d get for lunch nearby. 

He tightened the strap of his bag and returned to the strip mall. The sign above the restaurant at the center of the ground level read Wild Duck Burger . 

The inside of the restaurant was relatively quiet. There were a few occupied tables, but the line was thankfully short. Makoto took his place in line behind a woman holding hands with her young son and scanned the menu. 

“I can help whoever’s next?” the cashier called. Makoto stepped up and moistened his lips. He turned his music down as he spoke. 

“Am I allowed to ask what’s in the Mystery Burger?” he asked. The cashier laughed and shook her head. 

“I don’t know myself,” she said, “but it’s not bad, don’t worry.” Makoto looked at her for a second before nodding.

“Alright, I’ll get one of those to go.” 

“Alright, one Mystery Burger, coming up!” Makoto handed over the money and took a seat in one of the booths. 

Makoto turned his music back up, closing his eyes as the rest of the world faded away. His MP3 player was his most prized possession, a gift from his parents before they passed. 

“Hi, mister!” the kid from the line was standing next to Makoto’s booth, smiling at him. Makoto stared back at the boy.

“Hey,” he said, giving a small smile. He heard the boy’s mother reprimand him beneath his music. 

The current song ended, and in the moment of silence before the next one began, he heard a voice cry out.

“I’ve got order number 305! One mystery burger!” Makoto stood up and gave a polite nod as he took the bag from the cashier’s outstretched hand. Makoto noted the time as he opened the door to head back outside. 

School should be out soon. I’d better go back.

Makoto walked into Iwotadai Dormitory for the second time that day, half expecting the little kid to be waiting for him again. However, this time he was not greeted by a mysterious boy carrying legal documents. 

“You’re here.” At the bottom of the stairs stood a woman wearing a pink cardigan above a short black skirt, with tall black socks reaching to her knees. Her shoulder-length brown hair was parted to the side, the color matching her eyes. “Kirijo-senpai said you’d be here around noon.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearing 1:00.

I was here around noon. Nobody else was, though. Oh, I think she wants me to say something.

“I got hungry,” he held up his take-out bag. 

“I see,” the girl said, “It’s just you?” 

Makoto looked around for the boy he’d seen earlier, but didn’t spot him. 

“Just me, I guess.”

“Well, I’ll show you to your room, if you want to unpack.” Makoto nodded. “Alright, come with me, then.” 

The girl led him up the stairs.

“I’m Takeba, by the way,” she said, “but you can call me Yukari. I’m a second year, so maybe we’ll have class together.”

“Makoto Yuki.” 

Yukari looked at him sideways as they reached the second floor. The pair turned down the hallway.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” she asked. Makoto shrugged. 

“I guess not.” Yukari narrowed her eyes, trying to judge if he was being sarcastic. 

“Alright, well, this is your room,” Yukari said, opening the door to Makoto’s room and standing aside, hands clasped behind her back. The room wasn’t anything special, just a bed, a desk, and a closet on the wall to his right. He dropped his bag and his lunch on the bed and turned around. 

“Thanks,” he said. 

“Y-yeah…” Yukari answered slowly, “No problem.” She turned around and let the door slam shut behind her. 

Makoto put his headphones back on and unpacked his clothes. He didn’t have much, just a few duplicates of his school uniform and his casual clothes. After ensuring his clothes were organized to his preference, he picked up his burger to go back downstairs and find somewhere to eat it. 

He found the lobby empty apart from Yukari, who was now sitting on one of the couches, a TV show blaring in the background. She didn’t seem to be paying much attention. Yukari stared at him as he sat down at the table. She had seemed nice enough, Makoto thought. But this would all be easier if he didn’t make an effort to befriend her. He’d be gone in a year, after all. 

Makoto unwrapped his burger and took a bite. 

Not too bad. I have no idea what is in it, but I guess that’s kind of the point.

After a few bites, he heard the door swing open. He turned to see a tall woman wearing a white blouse and black skirt walk in. Her high-heeled boots clacked on the floor as she brushed her dark-red hair over her shoulder. 

“Oh, Kirijo-senpai,” Yukari said, scrambling to her feet. “You’re back.” 

She seems nervous. This Kirijo-senpai must be important.  

Mitsuru nodded to Yukari and spotted Makoto sitting at the table. 

“Ah, you’re here,” she said, coming to stand beside him. “My apologies, I should have been here to welcome you.” 

Very formal. She certainly talks like she’s important.

“It’s alright,” he said. 

“I trust Takeba-san showed you to your room?” Makoto nodded, “Good. The chairman will be along to explain the ground rules at some point, but I’m sure you can use your best judgment in the meantime. 

Makoto nodded. He wasn’t the type to cause trouble, and he didn’t plan on changing that. His idea of a successful time at Gekkoukan High was one where nobody even noticed when he transferred away in a year or two. 

“Where’s the other transfer student?” Kirijo asked Yukari. Yukari sighed.

“He’s the only one who’s shown up,” she said. Kirijo shook her head, looking vaguely disappointed. Makoto felt a twinge of shame, even knowing he wasn’t the target of the older girl’s exasperation. 

I’d be disappointed to see myself, too.

As he thought, the door opened again. 

“Speaking of transfer students,” Mitsuru began, looking towards the sound. “Oh, it’s you, Akihiko.” 

This time, a silver-haired boy in a red tank top and disturbingly short shorts stepped through the door, breathing heavily. His outfit was drenched with sweat, and his forehead glistened with the stuff as well. 

“Hey, Mitsuru,” he said, nodding as he wiped his face on the bottom of his tank top. “Man, that was a good workout.” he looked exhausted, but his voice sparkled with satisfaction. Makoto had never been much for working out. He never really ate enough to have weight to lose, and he’d never cared enough to get in better shape, for himself or anyone else.

“Akihiko, this is one of the transfer students,” Mitsuru said, gesturing to Makoto. 

“Makoto Yuki,” he said. Akihiko walked over with a smile. 

“Akihiko Sanada,” he said, “It’s good to have another guy in the dorm, finally. Now I won’t be outnumbered.” he shook Makoto’s hand with a bone-crushing grip.

“Akihiko and I are third years,” Mitsuru explained. “So if you have any questions, you can ask us.” 

Makoto only had one.

“Where’d the little kid go?” He’d assumed the kid had something to do with the dorm, maybe he was a student at the school. But he hadn’t seen him since the strange boy had disappeared into the shadows. 

“Little kid?” Akihiko said, confused. He looked at Mitsuru, who looked equally mystified. 

“You know, the kid who was here earlier,” Makoto explained. Mitsuru and Akihiko were silent. Yukari looked at him with concern, as if she thought he might be sick. “Whose contract did I just sign, then?” 

“Contract?” Akihiko sounded even more dumbfounded than before. 

“Never mind,” Makoto said. The others didn’t know about the boy, and continuing to discuss it would make him seem insane. Not that he cared, though. 

Makoto went back to finishing his burger, ignoring the worried stares of the others. “I’m just tired.” 

Hours passed. Makoto moved to the couch after finishing his food, and Akihiko had put the television on. He was excitedly watching a boxing match, shadowboxing along with the fighters on the screen. 

Yukari was quickly working her way through a box of Pocky sticks and seemed deep in thought. She kept glancing over to the fight when Akihiko made a particularly excited noise. 

Mitsuru was sitting at the table, papers scattered around her as she worked. She was the president of Gekkoukan’s student council, Makoto had learned, so she had to manage that along with the regular homework for a third-year student. 

Makoto only vaguely paid attention to this, as he had his headphones on as he lounged on the couch opposite Yukari and Akihiko. He had his eyes closed, allowing himself to fully fade away into the music. Makoto wasn’t sure why he hadn’t gone to his room yet. He had no interest in watching boxing with Akihiko, and he certainly wasn’t doing it to be with the others. 

Definitely not. You know there’s no point in making friends here. You’ll be gone in a year, anyway.

“Hey, what’re you listening to?” Makoto opened his eyes. Yukari was sitting next to him. He hadn’t noticed her getting up. Makoto looked her in the eyes. She was trying to socialize, Makoto could tell. She figured she’d try and reach out to the new kid, make him feel welcome. Makoto had been the subject of these attempts enough times to recognize the pattern. He had been forced to leave any friends he made enough times that he knew it was futile. 

She’s just trying to be nice, Makoto.

“It’s an American band,” Makoto said, taking his headphones off for her to take. The wire forced her to lean closer so she could carefully place the headphones over her ears. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and listened to what Makoto knew to be somber acoustic guitars and quiet drums backing even more melancholic English vocals. “I don’t understand much of what he’s saying.”

“He sounds very sad,” Yukari said. “Even without knowing the words, I can tell.” 

“He died a few years after this,” Makoto said, staring at the heart-shaped choker around her neck. Yukari opened her eyes, realizing how close she was leaning. She quickly took the headphones off and handed them to Makoto, sitting back in her seat at a much more appropriate distance. 

“That doesn’t make it kind of a bummer to listen to?” 

“Maybe,” Makoto said, “I like it.” He put the headphones back over his ears. Yukari looked at him like she wanted to speak, but closed her mouth as Makoto closed his eyes again. He didn’t want to seem rude, but this way was easier. 

“Oh, he dropped him!” Akihiko shouted. He was jumping around in excitement. Makoto could see one of the fighters on TV sprawled out on the canvas, cameras flashing as the victor celebrated, gloves raised in the air. “Man, that was an awesome fight! Did you see that, Makoto?” 

“No,” Makoto answered. Akihiko looked disappointed. 

“Really?” he said, “It was pretty awesome.” Makoto looked around and shrugged. 

“Alright, then it’s probably about time for bed,” Kirijo said, looking pointedly at Makoto. He was tired, now that she had mentioned it. 

“Alright,” Makoto said, sitting up. He walked to the stairs, pressing on his MP3 player until he found a suitable song for sleeping.

“Good night, Yuki-san,” Mitsuru said. “I’ll have Yukari wake you up for school in the morning.” 

Makoto was already up the stairs, digging his room key out of his pocket. He unlocked his room and kicked his indoor shoes off. After flicking off the light, he flopped down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Makoto woke up in a hard wooden chair. In front of him was a round table, and sitting on a wide blue couch on the other side was a bald man in a black suit with the largest nose he had ever seen. 

To the man’s left, a woman with a blue dress was holding a large book. She wore a blue hat on top of her silver hair, which framed a set of unnaturally golden eyes. She looked at Makoto with a thin smile, as if she found something funny and didn’t plan on sharing. 

Opposite the strange woman stood a man with the same golden eyes. He was tall, his head topped with a blue bellboy’s cap. He wore a blue suit jacket over a black shirt and pants, and looked around, confused. He alternated between clasping his hands together and pressing them to his sides. 

“Welcome,” the man with the nose looked up, bulbous eyes staring into Makoto’s. “to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance.” Igor gestured around the room with a white-gloved hand.

The floor was carpeted blue, and the padded walls were the same color. The lone exception was the wall directly behind Igor. That wall looked like an ornately carved cage, behind which he could see constant movement and the occasional flash of white light. A clock with a single warped and crooked hand was in the center of the wall. The hand spun quickly, making a revolution every few seconds. It looked to Makoto like he was in a massive elevator, though this one seemed to operate in near complete silence. 

“Oh,” Igor said, “I didn’t expect you to be alone.” Makoto looked to his left, spotting another chair behind him. The golden chair matched his own silver one, the back looking like a large lyre. Unlike Makoto’s, this chair was unoccupied. 

Igor looked between the two individuals flanking him. They both looked equally confused, though the woman’s smile never disappeared. 

“It seems we were a bit hasty in making contact with you,” Igor said, “I’ll save your introductions for another time.”

Man, this is a weird dream.

A deep crash echoed through the room, causing the occupants to glance around. It repeated a few more times, shaking the entire room as it did. 

“Ah, perfect timing,” Igor said, “it seems your presence is required back in your reality.”

So, I can leave?

Makoto tried to get up, but found his muscles completely unresponsive. 

“We will see you again soon,” Igor said. The room faded to a deep blue, then disappeared into blackness. 

Once again, Makoto woke up. This time, in response to a knock on his door. He struggled to lift his head off the pillow as a voice called out.

“Hey, are you awake?” Makoto groaned as he untangled his headphone wires, which had become wrapped around his arm as he slept. He rolled forward to peek through the shade, but there was no sign of the sun. 

Green?

The view outside his window was bathed in green light. Behind the clouds, the nearly full moon glowed a sickening yellow-green. It was entirely silent besides another set of knocks on his door. 

“Makoto?” Yukari called, “Are you there?” 

Makoto realized at that moment that his music had fallen silent as well. He looked down at his player to see that the screen was off. Pressing the power button had no effect. 

Don’t tell me it’s broken.  

Yukari pounded on the door again. He was half-tempted to ignore the knocking and go back to bed. It was too dark to be morning yet. The clock in his room indicated it was exactly midnight. Whatever she wanted could wait until morning. Better to just lie down and close his eyes. She’d give up eventually. He closed his eyes, trying to go back to sleep.

Sleep, Makoto.

His head suddenly ached. He stood up and opened the door. 

Yukari was standing in the doorway with her hands behind her back. She was wearing the same pink cardigan, so she hadn’t changed to go to bed yet either. The hallway behind her was illuminated in the same eerie green light as the view outside his window. 

“What?” he asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Is it time to leave already?”

Yukari had taken a step back when he’d opened the door. She was now staring at him, wide-eyed. 

“You’re awake?” She looked completely stunned, though he had no idea why. 

“I am now,” Makoto deadpanned. “I was having such a weird dream.” Yukari shook her head. 

“That’s not what I meant,” she started before closing her eyes and sighing. “Oh, never mind. Come on, we’re going downstairs.”

“Why?”

Yukari rolled her eyes. “Because I said so.”

That’s a terrible reason.

“I want to go back to bed.” Makoto yawned and turned to walk back into his bed. Yukari grabbed his arm and refused to let him move.

“I heard something downstairs, Makoto,” she said, her voice trembling slightly with barely-disguised fear. 

“Okay,” Makoto said. “You think it’s a ghost?” Yukari’s eyes narrowed from fear to anger at that comment. 

“Shut up,” she said, “stop trying to scare me.” She gripped his arm tightly and began marching him towards the stairs. Makoto resisted for a moment before giving up and allowing himself to be dragged away. As Yukari pulled his arm, he realized the pain in his head had disappeared. 

This is still very inconvenient.  

“Kirijo-senpai said there was another transfer student, maybe they’re just really late,” Yukari said under her breath. It seemed to Makoto that she was trying to convince herself of that more than speak to him. The ghost thing must have seriously gotten to her. Makoto looked down as they descended that stairs and spotted a glint of metal against her upper leg. 

Is that a gun?

Makoto stared at what seemed to be a holster strapped to Yukari’s thigh. He was pretty sure she had mentioned being in the archery club at the school, but that seemed only tangentially related to guns. 

“Why do you have a gun?” he asked. Yukari looked at him, confused, before following his gaze to her leg and realizing what he meant. She reached down and ran a hand over the handle, as if the weapon’s presence would reassure her.

“Um,” she began, “it’s a hobby of mine.” She didn’t seem any more convinced by that excuse than Makoto felt as she pulled him down the stairs. 

“Ouch,” he muttered. Yukari’s grip had become vice-like, and her nails were digging into his arm. The pair descended to the first floor, where the only light was once again the green glow Makoto had seen everywhere else since being woken up. 

The lobby was empty. Makoto had half-expected to see the young boy he had spotted earlier, but there was no sign of him. 

“See, there’s nothing,” Makoto said. 

Yukari let go of his arm and walked away to look around. Makoto waited for her to round the corner and check the kitchen, then walked towards the desk where he had seen the young boy with the contract. As he did, he heard a faint dog’s barking from outside, but still no sign of anyone except himself and Yukari, who was now standing beside one of the couches. 

Makoto watched as she picked up the TV remote and pressed a few buttons. 

“Kirijo-senpai was right,” she said under her breath. Makoto walked to the window and looked out at the street. It was empty, apart from a few strange and tall black shapes along the sidewalk. 

Yukari set the remote back down, then walked back to the stairs. 

“I guess there’s nothing,” she said, “sorry I woke you up.” 

Makoto followed her, and the pair began walking up the stairs, then heard a voice cry out behind them. Yukari shrieked and grabbed his arm with both hands, clenching her eyes tightly shut. 

“No, no, nononononononono,” she whispered under her breath. She turned around to walk back into the lobby.

Maybe there really is a ghost. 

He chose his words more carefully. 

“Maybe it’s the little kid from before,” he said, trying to reassure Yukari. Not that he particularly cared if she was afraid. 

He reached up with one hand to try and pry her off of him, but it was futile. Whether from her archery training or abject terror, her grip was iron. 

“Who’s there?” she said, voice quivering with fear. 

She slowly led them back down the stairs, releasing one hand from Makoto’s arm to drop her hand to the gun strapped to her thigh. They stepped into the lobby, and Makoto froze. 

Standing in the middle of the lobby was a girl with auburn hair, pulled up into a ponytail and ornamented with silver barrettes. She was wearing the girls’ version of the Gekkoukan uniform, sporting a red bow below the collar. A red MP3 player, otherwise identical to his back one, dangled from her neck. Her matching red eyes grew wide as she spotted Makoto standing in the shadows. 

“Makoto?”

Chapter Text

Kotone Shiomi was going to be late. She was meant to be at the train station; her ride to Tatsumi Port Island should be leaving any minute. Instead, she was stuck in her grandparents’ house, desperately trying to extract herself from her grandmother’s tearful, yet bone-crushing, hug. 

“Alright, alright, grandma,” Kotone choked out, “If you don’t let me go, I’m going to be late.” 

“Oh, but I don’t want you to leave, Koko!” her grandmother cried. 

Alright, seriously. I need to leave twenty minutes ago.

“Come on, guys,” she said. Her grandfather began prying his wife off of Kotone. She could see his eyes growing a bit misty as well. She reached down to her feet and pulled her bag over her shoulder. “I’m going now, for real.” 

Her grandmother grabbed her face and kissed her cheeks. “Oh, you know you don’t have to leave me, Koko.” She turned away, too overwhelmed to even look at her granddaughter.

“Be good, kiddo,” her grandfather said, extending a hand to shake. Kotone looked at the hand with a grin, then wrapped her grandfather in a bear hug of her own. 

“I’ll miss you, grandpa,” Kotone said. As she released the hug, her grandfather surreptitiously wiped at the corner of his eyes. She turned around and walked to the front door, blinking back tears of her own as she did. She turned around to wave before opening the door. “Love you guys!”

Her grandparents waved back, her grandfather’s arm wrapped over his wife’s shoulders. 

Kotone grinned as she skipped down the road. She had her typical upbeat music playing in her headphones, and an exciting year at a prestigious high school in a brand-new city ahead of her. 

Not entirely brand new.

Kotone’s smile slipped for a moment. She had been to Tatsumi Port Island. That was where she’d grown up. That’s where she was when…

Nope! We don’t need to think about that, Kotone!

She turned her music up louder and plastered her smile on her face again. She was at the train station now, the automatic doors sliding to grant her entry. She looked up at the large screen displaying the timetable and searched for her train.

Tatsumi… Tatsumi. Aw, shit.

The 10:00 train to Tatsumi Port Island had already left. She could see by the large clock below the screen that she was ten minutes late. Her procrastination, combined with her grandparents, had completely screwed her. 

She searched the later departures to find a later train, but those were all reading as delayed. 

“Due to a fatal accident, train services are currently behind schedule,” a woman’s voice announced over the PA system. “We apologize for any inconvenience.” 

That’s gonna fuck me over, isn’t it?

She watched as the estimated arrival times of each future train were erased and replaced with an all-red DELAYED. She spotted a ticket counter nearby and went up to purchase her new train ride.

“One for Tatsumi Port Island,” she said, crumpling up her old ticket in frustration. The attendant printed off a new ticket, and Kotone handed her a few bills in exchange. 

“Enjoy your trip!”

“I will,” Kotone said, speaking to herself as much as to the woman at the window. She tried her best to be open-minded about the situation, but it was still nerve-wracking to return home after so long. 

Be quiet, brain. You’ll make new friends, you’ll ace all your classes, it’ll be great!

Kotone sat down at a bench and prepared to wait for her train to arrive. 

Hours later, Kotone was still at her bench, resting a cheek on her hand as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Her train was still delayed, due to a suicide, or so she had heard. She was bored, tired, and above all else, starving. 

There has to be something decent in the station.

She stood up and stretched her arms above her head, feeling a slightly concerning crack as she did. Kotone looked around for any sort of food, spotting a sign for a burger joint across from where she’d gotten her ticket earlier. 

“Am I allowed to ask what’s in the mystery burger?” she joked, approaching the Wild Duck Burger cashier. 

“I don’t know any more than you do,” the cashier said. 

“Alright, well now I have to try it,” Kotone said. “I’ll take one of those, and a fountain drink.” 

Kotone smiled, accepted her empty cup, and walked to the drink machine. 

Fountain Dew? No, I’ll have to pee on the train if I drink that. Moonkist sounds pretty good.

She filled her cup, glancing over her shoulder at the timetable as she did. She had quickly grown tired of seeing her train still read as delayed, and she looked this time with little hope. 

Wait, it’s not delayed! Finally!

She turned back to the cashier, who was looking at her with a bag in hand. 

“Order 305? Mystery Burger?” 

Kotone sped over, accepted the bag with a quick “thank you!” and darted out of the fast food joint to sprint back to the timetable. Her train was arriving in just a few minutes.

She navigated her way to the platform, taking bites from the burger as she went. She arrived right as the train was squealing to a halt. The doors slid open, and a soft voice announced the current location to the occupants. 

Kotone stood aside to allow the passengers leaving to exit the train, then sat down in an available seat. She placed the remaining half of her burger and drink down on the table, released her shoulder from the weight of the bag, and exhaled a deep sigh of relief. 

Just a long-ass train ride and then I’ll finally be there.

She turned to look out the window as the train passed by her house. She had spent hours by the tracks with her grandfather, watching trains speed past, wondering where the people aboard were heading. It had been a long time since she’d been on this side of the equation. 

Kotone turned back to her table and finished the rest of her burger, saving most of the soda for later. She didn’t really want to blow money on overpriced train concessions. 

“Hey, miss!” Kotone heard a high-pitched voice, but couldn’t see the source. She looked around, finally spotting a young boy standing in the aisle, the top of his head barely reaching the table. 

“Um, hello there,” she said. “How are you doing?” She put on a comforting smile. The kid was probably lost.

“I’m exploring!” the boy answered. “What’s your name?” Kotone gave an understanding nod, glancing around the train car for any adults who might be his parents. 

“I’m Kotone,” she said, “what’s your name?” 

“My name’s Akira!” he answered. “Are we friends now?” 

“If you’d like, Akira,” Kotone said, sticking a hand out for Akira to shake. “We can be best friends.” 

Akira took her hand and grinned. “Yay!” he climbed up to sit next to Kotone on the bench. He reached out and grabbed at Kotone’s MP3 player. “What’s that?” 

Kotone lifted the cord the player dangled from over her neck and handed it to him.

“It’s an MP3 player,” she explained, placing the headphones over his ears. “You use it to listen to music.” 

She held out the pill-shaped player and pointed to the pause button. 

“There, press that button.” his small fingers found the button, the player clicking as he unpaused the song. 

Akira’s confused expression slowly shifted to excitement as he listened to the music. “Wow!” he cried, “This is awesome!” 

Kotone laughed; the young boy’s joy was infectious. “Hey, Akira, don’t you think your parents are looking for you?” Akira ignored her, instead choosing to violently headbang along to the music. Kotone reached out and paused the music.

“Hey, I was listening to that!” Akira said. Kotone repeated her question.

The boy looked down, his mood instantly dropping. 

“They’re in another car,” Kotone said, looking at the boy with sympathy.

“I think we should go find your parents, alright?” she said, “they’re probably worried about you.” Akira bit his lip. 

“You can listen to music while we look for them,” Kotone said. Akira looked up at her, his grin returning. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, here, I bet you’d like this song.” Kotone skipped through her playlist for a few seconds before handing the Walkman back to Akira, who placed his ears over the headphone cups and nodded his head to the beat. 

“Wow…” he looked at Kotone with amazement. “This song is cool.” 

“I knew you’d like it,” Kotone said. “Come on, let’s go find your mommy and daddy.” Akira stood up, Kotone followed, and she took his hand in hers as he led her towards the front of the train.

“There they are!” Akira pointed to a couple sitting across from each other in a booth. 

“Oh, Akira, there you are,” a woman, who Kotone assumed was his mother, said. She barely looked up from her laptop. The man was equally unconcerned, his head not budging from the folds of his newspaper. 

Oh, these people suck.

“Mommy, Daddy, I made a friend!” Akira said, plowing through his parents’ ambivalence. 

“That’s nice,” his father said, still not looking up. 

“Uh, you should keep an eye on your son,” Kotone said. “He was just wandering around the train.” 

“Alright, if you say so,” Akira’s mother said, her typing not slowing one bit. Kotone couldn’t tell if she had heard a word she’d said. “Come on, Akira, sit down.” Akira handed Kotone’s headphones back to her and hopped into the seat next to his mother. 

“Bye-bye, Kotone!” Akira said. “Thanks for letting me hear your music!” Kotone turned on her most dazzling smile as she waved goodbye.

“Goodbye, Akira,” she said, turning back towards her car. She waited to shake her head until she was out of sight of the family. 

Not like they’d notice if I straight-up turned around and flipped them off, but still.

Kotone couldn’t believe the way Akira’s parents had been so unconcerned. Their son had been wandering around a train full of strangers for who knows how long, and when a stranger returns you to him, you don’t even thank her? Hell, Akira’s father didn’t even look up! Still, it was better than not having parents at all…

Woah, where’d that come from?

Kotone sat in her seat and turned her headphones back on, drowning out the negative thoughts by sheer force of catchy American alt-rock. 

Kotone rubbed at her eyes, in a semi-stupor as the PA system announced their imminent arrival at Iwotadai Station. She had gotten a short nap in, but she was ready to be in bed an hour ago. Her eyelids were like paperweights, and she had to stifle a yawn as she looked around the train car. She was the only occupant left; nearly everyone else had gotten off when the train passed through Tokyo a few hours earlier. 

She took her phone out to check the time. 

Nearly midnight… This'll be a shitty first impression.

She tucked her phone back into her bag and adjusted the volume on her Walkman. The pill-shaped body gently swayed as the train rattled along the track. 

“We would like to once again apologize for any inconvenience caused by a fatal accident earlier today.” The PA system droned. Kotone had heard this announcement too many times to count. It seemed to happen every thirty minutes or so, just in case a single person who got on or off the train hadn’t heard it yet.

She rested her head against the window, adjusting her barettes in the reflection. It was a clear night, and the nearly full moon reflected off the water. In the distance, a tall suspension bridge rose over the water, bright lights illuminating the twin pillars. The train entered a tunnel, the brilliant view snapping into blackness. 

Kotone blinked. 

A blue butterfly floated outside the window, somehow keeping pace with the train. It flapped its wings slowly, leaving a faint glimmer in its wake. Kotone squinted and leaned closer.

What the…

She blinked again. 

The butterfly disappeared, and at the same moment, the train exited the tunnel.

Just a trick of the light, I guess… 

She leaned back in her seat and took hold of her bag, careful not to let it slide out of her seat as the train began slowing down.

“Now approaching Iwatodai Station,” the loudspeakers blared, “Next stop, Iwatodai. Doors will open on the right.”

The train came to a stop, the motion sliding Kotone forward in her seat. She stood up and stretched her arms high above her head as she walked out the doors onto the platform.

Kotone looked at the clock on the wall as she passed the exit gates, which beeped as she passed through. Only a minute or two until midnight. 

Shit, Kotone, you really fucked this up. You’re gonna be a whole twelve hours late.

Kotone dug through her bag and found the crumpled paper with instructions on how to find the dorm building. She’d looked at this map enough times while trying to pass the time that she had it all but memorized, but she was late enough. If she got lost now, she’d probably just pass out in an alley. 

As Kotone finally oriented her location on the small map, her music cut out. She grabbed the player and held it up so she could read the screen in the dim light. The screen was blank. 

If this thing is dead, I swear…

Kotone was pretty sure she’d charged her player before she’d left. Even if the trip had taken longer than expected, it shouldn’t have died. And that wasn’t all. The small crowd she had exited the train with had disappeared. The entire station looked to be empty, and the train she’d just exited was still waiting, eerily silent. 

And everything is green…

Kotone left the station and was bathed in green light. Every car she could see was parked with its lights off, even the ones in the middle of the road. Looking up, the moon was shining a yellowish-green, and all the streetlamps in sight were dark. 

I must be more tired than I thought. 

Kotone followed the map around the corner to a strip mall, pausing to step over a deep red puddle on the way. She looked up from her map to look around, but stopped in her tracks. 

In the center of the plaza was a tall pillar, red light shining from the bottom. She stepped closer, trying to figure out what it was.

Wait, is that a coffin?

From this distance, it was easy to tell the shape, even if she had to assume this strange object wasn’t actually for storing bodies. 

Okay, this place is fucking weird.

Kotone turned away from the coffin-like object and quickened her pace as she walked towards the Iwotadai dorm. She weaved through a few more coffins on the sidewalk, eventually reaching the bright red “Destination!” arrow indicated by her map. She had made it to the Iwotadai Dormitory. 

She walked up the stairs and pushed open the tall double doors. The ground floor seemed cozy, a few couches were sitting around a table for watching TV, and a dining table behind that. To her left, a counter separated her from what looked like a computer room. 

“You’re late. I’ve been waiting a long time for you.” 

“Oh, fuck!” Kotone jumped, whirling around at the sudden voice. A young boy was sitting on the counter, legs crossed, with his head resting on his hands. He was wearing what looked like a prison uniform, his head resting on his hands. His eyes were different colors, the deep red one far softer looking than the piercing blue. 

Okay, that kid wasn’t there a second ago. I’m not crazy, right?

As Kotone took off her still non-functioning headphones with still-shaking hands, the boy snapped his fingers and disappeared.. Now, he was standing right in front of her. 

“How in the…” 

The boy ignored Kotone’s confusion and shock and pointed to the counter where he had been sitting. Now, a red book sat there. As Kotone stepped closer, the book flipped open. 

“You’ve delayed long enough,” the boy said, a trace of annoyance in his voice. “Sign your name there, if you wish to continue.”

“What is this?” Kotone asked, putting on the voice she had used when speaking to Akira on the train earlier. 

“It’s a contract,” the boy said, not affected at all by her attempts at a motherly tone. 

“What, like liability waivers?” Kotone asked. 

“Something like that,” the boy had a thin smile. “All it says is that you’ll accept full responsibility for your actions. The usual stuff.”

Kotone reached for the quill pen, and the contract book flipped open on its own.

This is creeping me the fuck out.  

She took the pen and quickly scrawled her name, not even bothering to read the contract. She would sign whatever they put in front of her if it meant getting to sleep quicker. 

Wait, what’s that other name?

She leaned down to squint at the other name on the contract, but before she could make out the kanji, the contract slammed shut, nearly hitting her nose. 

“Hey!” Kotone turned to the boy, “What was that other name on the form?” The boy didn’t answer, just kept giving that same faint smile. She turned back to try and open the book, but it was gone. 

“No one can escape time,” the boy said. Kotone turned to see him holding the contract to his chest. He hadn’t moved, that he’d seen. 

I’m just hallucinating. Maybe there was some weird shit in my burger.

“It delivers us all to the same end. You can’t plug your ears and cover your eyes.” The contract disappeared, and the shadows began to grow, expanding to swallow up the young boy. “And so it begins.” 

The boy was engulfed in the shadows, reached a hand out, and then was gone. 

“What the fuck just happened?” Kotone shouted. She looked around for the kid, but there was no trace that he had even been there. 

She heard a faint whimper from upstairs, and then slow footsteps. A pair of what must have been residents of the dorm were slowly walking downstairs, a girl tightly gripping the arm of a boy. 

“Who’s there?” the girl cried, her voice echoing out into the room. The boy stopped in his tracks, his arm slipping from her grip. She stared at Kotone with suspicion. 

Kotone opened her mouth to speak, but her breath caught in her throat as she looked at the boy the pink-clad girl had come down with. 

He was wearing a white button-down, a silver and black Walkman, otherwise identical to her own dangling from his neck. He had tired blue eyes and a blank expression on his face. But most of all, his blue hair made his identity obvious. Even after so many years, she instantly recognized the face of her twin brother.

“Makoto,” Kotone breathed, hardly believing what her eyes were telling her. Her brother looked back at her, recognition finally showing in his eyes. He took a small step forward and opened his mouth.

“Kotone,” his voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. He spoke with little emotion, no shock, or surprise, or even anger. He said her name as if they’d last seen each other ten minutes ago, rather than nearly ten years.

“Woah, you two know each other?” the girl next to Makoto said. She still looked at Kotone with suspicion. Kotone stepped towards her brother. The corners of her mouth began creeping upwards..

“Makoto,” she repeated, her hand quivering as she reached out to touch his face, just to make sure he was really there. She wanted to say something to him other than his name, but her mind was blank. She let out a disbelieving chuckle. She had so many things to say, so many years of feelings about her brother she’d bottled up, but multi-syllable words were simply beyond her. “Fuck.”

Kotone threw her arms around him, pressing her face into his shoulder as tears began to flow. 

After a few seconds, Kotone felt Makoto’s arms wrap around her. It was slightly awkward, like he didn’t quite know how to hug someone. 

“What are you doing here?” Makoto said. Kotone picked her head up off his shoulder to look him in the eyes. She wiped a tear away from her own. Makoto took the opportunity to break the hug, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“What are you doing here?” Kotone said, with half a laugh and half a sob. 

“What are either of you doing here?” the girl Makoto had come down the stairs with said. The twins both looked at her. She was now looking at them with a strange mixture of absolute confusion and fear. One of her hands was fidgeting with a strap on her thigh, and what looked like-

Is that a gun?  

“I mean, how are you awake?” the girl in pink started, “Ugh, never mind. Who are you?” She looked at Kotone, hand still fingering the gun on her leg.

“Takeba, calm down,” another woman shouted, her voice deeper, more mature-sounding. Kotone turned and watched as a tall, red-haired woman descended the stairs, her heels echoing in the silence. 

“But, Kirijo-senpai, they’re both…” Takeba said.

“Don’t worry, they’re ordinary transfer students,” Kirijo said. Takeba turned to look at the clock on the wall. For some reason, it was stuck at midnight. 

“Ordinary?” 

At that moment, the green light disappeared, replaced with the familiar warmth of incandescent bulbs. Kotone could hear her music restarting, and she quickly pressed pause. Makoto put his headphones back on. 

Glancing down, her Walkman display had woken back up. The battery indicated it was half-full, and the clock now showed it was one minute past midnight. The new date was displayed in the corner of the screen.

4/7

“I was expecting you sooner,” the taller woman said, walking towards the twins. “My name is Mitsuru Kirijo, I’m one of the students living here.” 

“But, why did she show up now?” Takeba said, “And why do you know each other?” Kotone threw an arm over her brother’s shoulder, knocking his headphones from his head. 

"She's my little sister," Makoto said. 

“I’m Kotone Shiomi,” she said, grinning, “And we're twins,” she assured the others. Kotone still held that grudge about being eight minutes younger.

“Woah, what?” Takeba said. “You never told me you had a sister.” She glared at Makoto. 

“It never came up,” he responded. “I’m just as surprised as you are.” Kotone looked at her brother’s face, which betrayed about as little emotion as a person could. He never was very expressive when they were little, she remembered. But now it was like he refused to show any feeling at all. 

“They’re only here for a few days,” Mitsuru explained. “Once the regular dorms have openings, they’ll move to the boys’ and girls’ dorms.” 

“We will?” Kotone asked. She stifled back a yawn as she spoke, the shock of seeing her brother again finally fading away to be replaced by exhaustion. 

“Takeba, why don’t you show Shiomi-san to her room?” 

“Huh?” Takeba said, snapping to attention as the older woman addressed her. 

“This is Takeba,” Mitsuru said, finally giving Kotone an introduction to the gun-wielding brunette. “She’s a second year, like you.” 

“Yukari Takeba,” the girl in question said, bowing to Kotone. Makoto was fully zoned out at this point. He’d put his headphones back on, and was staring at the ceiling above Mitsuru’s head. His lips moved to mouth the lyrics of whatever song he was listening to. “Come on, Shiomi-san.” 

She turned to walk upstairs, accepting a key from Kirijo’s outstretched hand. 

She has the keys, and she’s the oldest one here. She must be important somehow.  

“Come on, Takeba, Kotone is just fine,” Kotone said as she followed. Makoto shuffled into motion behind her. “Shiomi-san is my grandmother’s name.” 

Did Grandma know Makoto would be here? No, there’s no chance, neither of them could have kept that secret from me.

“Oh, then, I guess you can just call me Yukari.”

Yukari kept leading her upstairs, stopping to lead them around the corner of the third floor. She pointed to each door as the trio passed it.

“That’s Kirijo-senpai, I’m right here,” she led them to the very end of the short hallway, turning to the right. “And this is you, Shio- I mean, Kotone.”

She pushed the door open and handed Kotone the key. Kotone walked into the room, placing her bag on the table. The room was just a bed, a desk, and a small closet. A downgrade from home, but it wouldn’t matter much if Kirijo was right about the arrangement being temporary. 

“Where’s your room, bro?” she said, turning to look at Makoto. Her brother was still standing outside, looking out the window. His music was so loud that Kotone could hear the faint pounding of drums. It sounded like some sort of hard rock. 

“I’m below you,” he said, not even turning his head. 

“Then why did you come up here?” Kotone asked. Makoto shrugged.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, “just seemed weird to ditch you after we just met again.” 

That’s kind of sweet. I guess it would be awkward. “Hey bro, haven’t seen you in ten years, time for bed!” Not that it’s not awkward right now, he’s barely even paying attention.

Kotone shook her head, clearing the negative thoughts from her mind. It couldn’t have been easy for him to see her after so long, and she had no idea what his life had been like since they’d been split up. 

Yukari was still standing in the doorway, fidgeting with her hands. “Hey, Kotone, when you were walking from the station, you didn’t see anything, ah…” she paused, considering her next words, “...strange?”

You mean the green sky, the yellow moon, the green sky, the puddles of blood, or the giant coffins in the street?

That was what Kotone wanted to say, but the more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. It would be a great way to end her first day, making Yukari think she was insane. Not to mention her brother. 

“Nope,” Kotone shook her head, “everything was normal. Except for that kid, I don’t know what his deal was.”

That got Makoto’s attention. For the first time since they’d gone upstairs, she saw his attention fully focused on something other than his music. His eyes were narrowed, looking at Kotone. 

“Are you two playing a joke on me?” Yukari asked. 

“Well, time for me to go,” Makoto said, quickly changing the subject. Kotone opened her mouth to protest, but he gave a quick shake of his head. Whoever this kid they’d both seen was, he didn’t want to discuss it now. 

“Um, it’s been good to see you,” Kotone forced a smile. How was she supposed to wrap up their reunion? It felt like there was so much they still had to talk about. Ten years of stories, friends, school, and whatever her brother got up to with her other grandparents. 

“Yeah,” Makoto responded. “You too, Kotone.” he looked at her with an odd expression, the faint smile on his lips stopping short of reaching his eyes, hidden behind his bangs.

“Good night, Makoto.” 

“Good night, sis. Yukari.” And her brother turned around and walked away. Kotone stepped out into the hallway and watched his blue hair bobbing as he walked around the corner. And then he disappeared. Kotone kept staring, part of her hoping he would come back just to prove to her that she hadn’t imagined it all. After so long, it was hard to believe he was here. 

“Is he always like that?” Yukari’s voice snapped Kotone out of her reverie. 

“Like what?” Kotone asked. 

“You know, quiet,” Yukari said. “He barely said anything when I tried to talk to him earlier.” Yukari clasped her hands together behind her back, looking concerned as Kotone considered the question.

When they were little, Makoto had been as talkative as any other kid their age. She’d taken her brother’s silence as coming from the shock of seeing his sister, but if he was like that all the time…

“I really don’t know, Yukari,” Kotone said, trying to comfort the girl in front of her. “I haven’t seen him in years. You just have to get to know him.” Yukari nodded, smiling at Kotone.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” she said. “Thanks, Kotone.” 

Kotone smiled and turned into her room. 

“Oh, Kirijo-senpai wants me to give you two a tour of the school tomorrow morning, show you how to get to the station, all that. I’ll come make sure you’re up around 7:30, alright?”

“Sounds good,” Kotone said. “Good night, Yukari.” 

“Yeah, you too,” Yukari said as Kotone swung her door closed. The door swung quickly, then was slowed down to softly click shut. 

At that clicking sound, Kotone finally allowed herself to drop her smile. It had always been easier to smile, even when she didn’t feel particularly happy. It stopped her grandparents from worrying about her. 

It stopped people from thinking she was some depressed kid just because her parents were dead. Which she wasn’t. 

Kotone slid her headphones on and unpaused the song. That was the other habit she’d developed. Nothing kept her from spiraling out of her head than that Walkman and her music. 

Makoto still has his, too.

They’d been birthday presents from their parents. The last birthday they’d celebrated as a family, before… 

She turned the volume up. Kotone was not going to ruin what turned out to be a happy day by thinking about that. She walked to her desk, unzipping her bag with one hand, the other drumming on the desk along with the song. 

Kotone took off her uniform jacket, draping it over her chair. It was shockingly well-made. The school must have some serious dough to shell out on uniforms. She carefully undid the barrettes in her hair, shaking out the shape that the day had created. Then she dropped her skirt in exchange for a pair of well-loved pajama shorts and stuck a finger into the red bow tied tightly at her neck to loosen it. In addition to the bow, she tossed her uniform shirt and bra across the room in favor of an oversized t-shirt. 

It had been her grandfather’s once, a concert souvenir from his youth. She always got a kick out of the four funny-looking guys wearing identical mop-tops on the front. 

Kotone lay down, the bed a little firmer than she preferred, but it would do. She carefully removed her headphones, placing the MP3 player on the ground. One too many times waking up half-strangled to death by wires had put that fear in her permanently. 

Despite her exhaustion, Kotone found it difficult to sleep. 

Can you blame me? I just saw my brother for the first time in a decade. That’s some serious shit to process.

She softly hummed along to her music, thinking back on the conversation she’d just had with Yukari. 

You just have to get to know him, Kotone had said. Thinking back on it, she wasn’t in much of a position to say that. It’s been ten years. I know we’re brother and sister, but it’s been so long. We’re not friends, are we? We don’t even know each other.

She signed, shaking her head in amusement. He had been so energetic when they were children. She was always the one trying to hold him back from doing stupid things, climbing rocks, jumping off bridges into streams. Kotone would tell him it was dangerous, that mom and dad would be angry, and he’d do it anyway. Then he’d reach a hand out for her to follow. 

Now, he barely said anything; he was even more absorbed in his music than she was. And his eyes looked so tired. 

Shit, so am I.

Kotone felt her eyelids grow heavy, as if thinking about the bags under her brother’s eyes reminded her body that she was well past her self-imposed bedtime. 

Whatever you're going through, Makoto. I’ll help you get through it. That’s what a good sister would do.

Chapter Text

Makoto woke up to a silent room, rolling over to turn off his alarm a few minutes before it would have gone off. He had set his alarm just in case, though he rarely needed it. He brushed his hair out of his face as he sat up, but it fell right back over his eyes. His uniform was a little wrinkled, seeing as he’d just slept in it, but it would do nicely for a day. 

A knock on his door jolted him fully awake. Who would be trying to see him, especially so early in the morning? 

“Hey, Makoto. It’s Yukari.” 

Oh yeah.

“Are you ready to leave?” 

Makoto grabbed his school bag and swung open the door to present himself fully prepared for school. He rubbed his forehead. The pain he’d briefly felt last night seemed to have returned.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” 

Yukari looked him up and down, observing his wrinkled school uniform. 

“Did you sleep in that?” she asked, scrunching her nose in mild disgust. 

“Yeah, why?” 

“Just… isn’t that a little gross?” 

Makoto shrugged. “Maybe.”

Yukari was wearing her uniform as well, but she’d foregone the blazer for the pink cardigan she’d had on last night. Probably not the same cardigan, if her disgust at Makoto reusing his clothes was any indication. She certainly had put more effort into her appearance than Makoto, though that wasn’t very hard to do. She sighed and turned to lead Makoto out of his room. “Come on, let’s go wake up your sister.” 

Oh. Yeah. She’s here.

Makoto had almost forgotten about his sister’s arrival, the shock of her appearance, and the late hour it had taken place had nearly convinced him it was a dream.

Makoto followed Yukari up the stairs, looking at the back of her head and decidedly not at her stocking-clad legs. Her hair had been meticulously styled, and Makoto realized she must have been up for a while. 

I should probably get a comb.

He ran a hand through his blue hair, which was a tangled mess. He always let his hair style itself, usually in the form of a curtain covering at least one eye. 

He caught up to Yukari, who was knocking on Kotone’s door. There was no sound of movement inside, only the muffled beep beep beep of an alarm clock and a faintly audible snore. 

“Does she always sleep in like this?” Yukari turned to Makoto, frustrated. Makoto lifted his palms upward in a gesture that said ‘ Who knows?’  

Yukari turned back to the door and slammed her fist against it, shouting as she did. “Hey! Wake up in there!” Makoto turned his music on to drown out the incessant chirping of the alarm, then stuffed his hands into his pockets. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone woke up to two sounds. 

The first was an alarm clock beeping in her ear. She always woke up to that sound. 

The second was a loud pounding on her door. She never woke up to that sound. 

“Kotone! Come on, we need to leave!” Yukari called. Kotone was supposed to be awake so Yukari could give her the tour of her new high school. No, not give her the tour, there was someone else.

Makoto!

Kotone sprang to her feet and threw open the door. There was Yukari, pink cardigan over her school uniform, just as she had worn last night. And behind her was her brother. 

Makoto was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking at her. At least she thought he was looking at her. It was hard to tell with his hair in his eyes. Still, Kotone couldn’t help but grin at the sight of her brother. 

“Good morning, Yukari, Makoto!” Kotone said, rubbing the last traces of sleep from her eyes. Yukari looked Kotone in the eyes. No, not in the eyes, just above her eyes. Kotone realized she had just leapt out of bed with no consideration for her appearance. 

She felt her hair, which was completely out of control without her barettes in. She imagined it looked like a lion's mane, and looking at the mirror on her closet door confirmed it. 

“Shit, sorry,” Kotone said. “Give me a second, alright?” Kotone closed the door with an apologetic smile, then took a sharp breath and began digging through the piles of clothes on the floor she had created last night. 

She eventually dug out a full school uniform and tossed her oversized t-shirt into the pile she’d thrown her clothes from last night. 

One pile for clean clothes, one for dirty clothes. This is definitely not going to work for long.

Kotone didn’t have time for that. Yukari and her brother were waiting for her. Her brother! She couldn’t keep him waiting. 

Kotone quickly put on a fresh set of undergarments, tucked the Gekkoukan-mandated white button-down into the required black skirt, and shrugged on her uniform jacket. She’d at least been smart enough to drape that over her chair last night. 

“Alright, let’s do this!” she said, swinging the door open again. Makoto looked up at her arrival, one eye still hidden behind his hair. Then his gaze fell back down to the floor. Yukari nodded at the now-fully prepared Kotone, then raised a finger. 

“Your bow.” Kotone looked down at her chest, seeing, or rather not seeing, the red bow Yukari was sporting. 

“Dammit,” Kotone wheeled around again, grabbing her bow. “Can you get this for me?” She tossed the bow to Makoto. 

The bow hit Makoto’s chest and fell to the floor. He started at the impact, and bent down to pick it up. Kotone spun around and flipped up the collar of her shirt. 

Makoto stepped behind her and looped the bow over her head. Kotone grabbed it by the tails and centered it at her neck. 

“Is this a clip-on?” Makoto asked. She felt him fumble with the buckle.

“Yeah,” she said, “I don’t have a clue how to tie one of these things. And it’s not like anyone’s gonna know.” 

Makoto finally clicked the bow into place, and Kotone flipped her collar back down.

“Alright, Yukari, now I’m ready,” Kotone wrapped an arm over her brother’s shoulders. He tensed slightly at her touch. “Show us the ways, oh wise master.” 

Yukari gave an exasperated sigh and led the twins to the stairs. “Come on, then.”

Yukari led them down to the empty lobby and out of the dorm. 

Kirijo-senpai and Akihiko must have already left.

Kotone walked beside her brother as Yukari led them towards the train station Kotone had arrived at yesterday. 

“So, are you excited for school?” she asked. Makoto shrugged.

“I don’t know.” He didn’t elaborate.

“Come on, not even a little? Think of all the new people you’ll meet. New friends! And maybe we’ll be in class together! Wouldn’t that be great?”

“I don’t know,” Makoto repeated.

“Are you going to say anything other than ‘I don’t know’?” Kotone said, frustration growing. 

“I don’t know.” Makoto had a small smirk on his face this time. Kotone reached up to smack the back of his head.

“You asshole,” she laughed. 

He rubbed his head where she’d hit him, staring forward. Yukari was walking ahead of them, beckoning them to follow her into the train station. 

At least it’s not green anymore.

They stepped onto a small platform on the opposite side of the station from where Kotone had gotten off her train. 

As they reached the edge of the platform, a monorail pulled in, opening its doors so they could enter. Yukari stepped in and grabbed a strap above her head. 

“This is how we get to school every day,” Yukari said, “it’s pretty cool, huh?” 

Kotone grabbed a strap to stand between Yukari and Makoto, and leaned towards the window, watching as the monorail glided over the water. 

“Wow,” she said, “it’s beautiful!” She turned to spot Makoto’s reaction, which was a small nod as he looked at the water. 

“I honestly love the ride here,” Yukari admitted, “it’s like we’re flying over the ocean.” Her eyes sparkled as they reflected the glimmering sea below. 

Kotone jabbed her brother with an elbow to the side, getting his attention. She gave a significant glance between Makoto and Yukari, the girl still distracted by the view. “She's cute,” Kotone whispered. Makoto looked back at her with confusion, clearly not getting her point. Kotone sighed, shaking her head. 

Maybe he has a girlfriend back home.

She watched as he leaned his head on the window and quietly sang along to whatever he was listening to in broken English. 

Definitely not.

“Our school is at the last stop on the line,” Yukari said, ending Kotone’s deliberations on Makoto’s love life. “It’s called Tatsumi Port Island.” 

Kotone turned to look at the landmass gradually growing larger in the distance. “That’s so cool,” she grinned. “This is totally different than home!”

“The whole thing is man-made,” Yukari said, “our school is smack-dab in the middle.” She pointed at a collection of tall buildings on the island. “There it is, right there.” 

Kotone leaned closer to Yukari to follow her finger. The island was ringed by trees, and a white building rose from the center. Their monorail track curved towards the island and disappeared into the trees. 

“So, Yukari,” Kotone said, “what’s this school like? Anyone I need to watch out for?” 

Yukari thought for a moment. “It’s not the worst school I’ve been to. Just be careful who you hang out with. Some of the guys at this place are stupid.” 

Kotone nodded sagely. “Any not stupid guys I should watch out for?” Yukari looked at her, confused, then flushed red at Kotone’s smirk. 

“Well, um,” Yukari said, flustered, “I don’t know. I mostly just hang out with the archery club.” 

“That sounds fun,” Kotone said. “I tried to join the archery club at my old high school. It did not go well.” 

Yukari slowly nodded, expecting a longer answer. 

“What about you, Makoto?” Kotone turned to her brother. “Were you in any clubs in school?” 

Makoto looked up and removed the headphone from his ear facing Kotone. 

“I asked if you were in any clubs in school,” Kotone said. 

“No,” Makoto said. 

Kotone was now the one hoping for a longer answer, but if by some miracle Makoto had been about to continue, he was interrupted by the monorail squealing into the station. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto stepped off the monorail behind Yukari and his sister. He had to admit to being impressed by the monorail ride, but he wasn’t going to show it. 

His sister was saying something to Yukari, a grin on her face. Yukari was nodding along, and Makoto could see a smile of her own gradually growing on her face. 

Makoto wished he could be like his sister, still happy and lively after everything that had happened to them. He could barely hold half a conversation with Yukari in the dorm, and here was Kotone, befriending the girl already. Makoto had long since given up even making that effort. He’d made friends at his old schools, only to move away and never see them again. 

It hurts less when you have nothing to leave behind.

He winced at the spiking pain in his forehead. 

“Makoto, you coming?” Kotone was ahead of him. He hadn’t even noticed he’d stopped. He caught up to the girls as they turned the corner and the school came into view. 

A large white building made up the majority of the Gekkoukan campus. The walls were made up almost entirely of windows, making the school look almost like a hospital. 

Yukari turned around at the gate, holding her bag in front of her in both hands. 

“Welcome to Gekkoukan High School, you two,” she said. Kotone was looking at the school with a smile, as she seemed to look at just about everything. Makoto tried to smile as she did, but the signal didn’t seem to reach his lips. 

“Wow, this place is amazing!” Kotone said. Makoto cringed at her volume. “This is, like, a hundred times bigger than the school back home.” 

That was the big difference between them, Makoto realized. Home. Kotone had a home to look back on fondly, to compare all her experiences to.  Makoto had none of that. 

The closest thing to capital-H Home for him was wherever he charged his Walkman and slept at night, and he didn’t look back most of those places with any particular fondness. He didn’t particularly hate any of them either; he just didn’t think about the foster homes or dirt-cheap apartments he’d spent the better part of a decade bouncing around as Home. He didn’t feel anything about them at all. He didn’t feel much of anything about much of anything at the moment. Except for this stupid headache. 

Yukari was leading them down the path to the front doors, occasionally waving or giving a small acknowledgement to other students. She didn’t seem particularly excited to see any of the students, which he found strange. She seemed like the kind of person who would have friends. 

Kotone was also waving, showing off her smile to everyone she passed. He noticed a few guys staring at her as she passed. Makoto stepped a little closer and glared at them through his bangs. He wasn’t sure why he did it, but it felt like something a brother should do if he sees guys looking at his sister.

They stepped into the lobby, a large atrium that was certainly nicer than any school he’d been to in the past. The pillars holding up the ceiling were too big to wrap his arms around and would have fit in better in a Western-style government building. Yukari led them to a few rows of lockers before stopping. 

“You two can find your way from here, right?” 

Kotone answered in the affirmative, and Makoto simply nodded. 

“Alright, you should probably check in with your homeroom teachers. “They’ll be in the faculty office, down the hall over there.” She pointed down one of the hallways running out of the lobby. 

“Alright, thanks, Yukari,” Kotone said. 

Makoto suddenly felt as if he had to say something. Yukari had been helpful, and it would be a little rude not to say anything to her, right?

“What class are you in?” 

Well, that probably wasn’t the right thing to say. He was out of practice. 

“I dunno,” she said, “I haven’t looked yet, either.” 

She’s been here with us the whole time. She obviously hasn’t looked. Good question, Makoto.

He stood there, waiting for the conversation to end. Kotone, Yukari, and Makoto stood in silence for an awkward few moments. 

“Okay,” Yukari said slowly, before turning to Kotone. “Hey, about last night. Don’t tell anyone what you saw, alright?” Kotone looked confused as Yukari turned on her heel and walked to the bulletin boards.

“What was that about?” Makoto asked. Kotone dismissed his question with a wave of her hand.

“I’ll tell you later. Come on, let’s go to the office.” 

They walked past bulletin boards, pushing through the crowd of students. Makoto overheard a boy with light-brown hair groan as he found his name on the board. 

“Man, I’m in Toriumi’s class,” he complained. “I was hoping for Ms. Kanou. I guess Toriumi is still older than me, though…”

Makoto slowed to catch the rest of the student’s words, curious about where exactly he was going with this train of out-loud thought. Kotone quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the hallway Yukari had pointed them towards, muttering something about weird fetishes under her breath. 

She pulled him past a girl in a cream-colored sweater, looking towards the direction Makoto had been dragged away from, a sad look on her face.

As they passed a boy in a tracksuit being chewed out by a dark-haired girl, Makoto shook Kotone’s arm off and walked into the office behind her. 

The faculty office was a small room, another large window on the wall giving natural light to the rows of desks, many of which were occupied by various teachers. Makoto thought he spotted the crest of a samurai’s kabuto helmet sticking up over a short dividing wall.

Kotone stepped forward to the closest desk to the door, getting the attention of the teacher sitting there. A woman in what looked like her thirties looked up, pushing her shoulder-length brown hair out of her eyes.

Her haircut is just like Yukari’s. Is that the trend here?

“Can I help you?” she said, the fake enthusiasm in her voice not reaching the expression on her face. 

“Yes,” Kotone began, “we’re transfer students, and we were told to come here to speak to our homeroom teachers.” 

“Oh, yeah,” the teacher nodded with recognition. “Let me find your files. They’re here somewhere.” She began digging around in the pile of papers at her desk. “I’m Ms. Toriumi, by the way. I teach composition.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Toriumi-sensei,” Kotone said. 

Ms. Toriumi found the papers and stood up. “Alright, so I’d guess you’re Kotone Shiomi, and that makes you Makoto Yuki.” Makoto nodded. “It says here you’re brother and sister,” she flipped through a few pages, reading to herself. “Shiomi… transferred in from Ehime… and Yuki… wow, a lot of different schools… and you’ve lived separately for the last ten years, since… oh.” 

She covered her mouth with a hand and turned red in embarrassment. 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t get the chance to read through this, I shouldn’t have brought it up.” 

Makoto looked down at his feet, the mention of the accident sending a pang through his chest. 

“It’s alright, sensei,” Kotone said, in a shockingly cheerful voice, “you couldn’t have known.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Makoto said quietly. Ms. Toriumi looked at him with a twinge of concern, before choosing to take the out she’d been given and change the subject. 

“Makoto, you’re in my classroom, 2-F,” she said. “Kotone, you’re with Mr. Ekoda in 2-E.” 

Kotone’s smile slipped as she heard that. Makoto was unsurprised to find he didn’t have much of an opinion on the matter.

“We have to get to the auditorium now,” Toriumi said. “The entrance ceremony starts in a few minutes. Come on, follow me.” She marched out of the office, tucking their files under her arms. 

Kotone walked beside Makoto as they followed Ms. Toriumi. 

“We’re in different classes.” She seemed disappointed. 

“We are,” Makoto said. 

“Are you going to be okay?” 

“I’ll be fine,” he said. 

We’ve been in separate classes for ten years. Why wouldn’t I be okay with it now?

“Are you sure?” Kotone looked at him, her eyes searching his. After a few seconds of eye contact, he looked away.

“Kotone, I haven’t been in your class for a long time.” 

His sister opened her mouth to speak, but closed it and looked away. 

I probably shouldn’t have said that.

He tried to think of something to say, something to make her feel better, but nothing came to mind. Instead, the twins remained silent as Toriumi held the door for them to enter the auditorium.

“Makoto, my class is sitting over there,” he followed Toriumi’s finger and spotted an open chair. Ms. Toriumi walked Kotone to her homeroom as Makoto walked to his seat. He tried searching the auditorium for Yukari, or any of the third-years he’d met at the dorm, but he couldn’t see them from his seat. He sat down and placed his headphones back over his ears.

These assemblies are always boring.

The principal came out from stage left and took his spot behind the podium. He was a chubby man with gray hair and an impressive mustache. 

Makoto turned his music up and prepared to spend the principal’s speech half-asleep. 

“Psst.” Makoto felt a tap on his shoulder. He ignored it. “Hey, dude!” The boy behind him was trying to talk to him. Makoto hung his headphones around his neck and turned around. 

“What?” 

“You came to school with Takeba-san this morning, right?” Makoto nodded. “I saw you walking together. You must be pretty close, huh? What’s the deal with you two?”

“She was showing Kotone and I the way to school,” Makoto said. 

“Oh, first-name basis with the new girl already?” the boy said, his tone and smirk getting across his implication quite clearly. “Leave some for the rest of us, transfer student.”

“She’s my sister.” 

The boy opened his mouth, but no words came out. The smirk had certainly been wiped off his face. “Uh-huh.” The boy sat in silence for a moment. “Does she have a boyfriend?” 

Makoto narrowed his eyes and glared at the boy. Now that he thought about it, he had no idea if his sister was in a relationship, but he had concluded that this was absolutely the right thing to do when someone suggests they want to date your sister. 

“Hey, shhh!” Ms. Toriumi said. “Be quiet before you get me in trouble.” Makoto turned to face front before she could spot him mean-mugging the boy behind him. 

The assembly ended, and Makoto and the rest of class 2-F filed out of the auditorium. He spotted his sister and her class; Kotone was talking with a pair of girls. Kotone pointed at Makoto and waved at him as they passed. 

“Hey, Makoto,” he turned and saw Yukari catch up to walk by his side. “Looks like we’re in the same class.” 

“Cool,” Makoto said. 

“Too bad we’re stuck with all the idiots,” she looked with disdain at the guys who Makoto had spoken to, walking and joking loudly ahead.

They reached the classroom, and Makoto took a seat behind Yukari. At least he’d be near the one person he knew. Not that it made a difference to him, he reminded himself. 

Ms. Toriumi stepped up to the podium and began speaking, first giving a pointed glare to the boys who had been talking in the hallway. 

Makoto quickly zoned out as she began speaking. Class rules, grading, all the usual first-day information. Makoto had always done well enough in school, so none of it was of much concern to him. 

Close your eyes, Makoto. Go to sleep.

His eyes instead shot open. Why was he thinking about sleeping right now? Maybe after a few weeks, but it wouldn’t look very good to fall asleep in his first class period. 

During their lunch break, Makoto tried to eat in silence at his desk and ignore the eyes of his classmates sizing him up. All those eyes watching him, waiting to see what the new kid would do, who he’d become friends with. He wished he were sitting at the back of the room, where nobody could look over his shoulder. 

Makoto heard a loud burst of laughter from the class next door. Probably something his sister had said. He wished he could be like her. He cringed as his headache grew again.

You’ll never be like her.

“Which way to the roof?” he asked, standing up and getting Yukari’s attention. Yukari looked at him with concern before answering.

“Go left out of the room and up the stairs,” she said. “Are you alright, Makoto?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, “I just need some fresh air.” 

Makoto followed her directions and pushed open the door to the roof. The rooftop was empty except for a few benches and plants. He could see a row of wind turbines running across the grounds of the school. 

Seems cozy. Not a bad place for a nap.

He noted that for the future, then spotted the only other person on the roof with him. 

A girl was standing by the railings, holding her bento box in one hand while she ate. She was wearing white tights underneath the standard school uniform, and a teal turtleneck matched her hair. She turned and saw Makoto, giving him a nervous smile. He nodded in return and sat down on one of the benches. 

He wanted to say something, but he elected to simply enjoy his lunch in silence. The girl didn’t seem to mind, as she turned back around and finished her food. She walked back to the stairs, passing Makoto with another small smile on her way back to class. 

Makoto finished the last few bites of his lunch, then returned to his classroom.

The rest of the teachers cycled through the classroom, all giving their introductory spiel. The only reprieve from the boredom was the history teacher, Mr. Ono. He was able to gather that Ono always walked around with a samurai helmet, and his course syllabus seemed entirely designed around discussing his love for their era in history. At least that class would be a breeze. 

At the end of the day, Makoto sat at his desk in silence. Most of the other students would be going home, as clubs weren’t running on the first day of school. Makoto planned to sit for a few minutes to avoid the rush, then find his sister. However, his plans were interrupted.

“Yo, new kid!” a voice called to him. Makoto looked up at a smiling boy in a baseball cap approaching his desk. “What, is there something on my face? Don’t look at me like that.” 

There’s certainly something on your chin. Makoto wanted to say. I can’t tell if he’s genuinely trying to grow a goatee or if he just forgot to shave.

“What do you want?” Makoto asked, standing up. Maybe if he looked like he was leaving, this kid would leave him alone.

“Jeez, man, at least let me introduce myself,” the boy said, “I’m Junpei, Junpei Iori.” 

“Makoto Yuki.” 

“Well, Makoto, I just wanted to say hi,” Junpei said, “I transferred here a few years ago, so I know what it’s like being the new kid. If you need any help, just talk to me, ya hear?” 

Makoto held off on explaining that if anyone knew how to be the new kid, it was him. Junpei seemed nice enough, and he was pretty sure they sat next to each other. It wouldn’t hurt to be on speaking terms with his neighbor. 

Junpei looked past Makoto, a wide grin erupting on his face.

“Hey, Yuka-tan!” He said, “I didn’t think we’d be in the same class again!”

Yukari was walking up to stand beside Makoto, her hands clasped behind her back. She gave an exasperated sigh. “There you go, trying to be everyone’s best friend.” 

“Huh?” Junpei said, “I’m just trying to help the new kid get comfortable.” 

“If you say so.”

“Hey, I heard you two walked to school together,” Junpei said, giving Makoto a proud smile, “come on, give me the dirt!” Yukari looked at him with irritation. Makoto suspected that this wasn’t her first time hearing the question either. 

“We live in the same dorm,” Yukari said. “I was just showing him. Jeez, are people already spreading rumors?” She turned to Makoto. “Hey, speaking of rumors, you didn’t tell anyone about last night, did you?” 

Um, what?

“Woah, last night?” Junpei said, leaning in. “What happened last night?” Yukari looked at Makoto, deadly serious.

“You know,” she dropped her voice, “when I was grabbing onto you? It’s embarrassing, so you better not have told anyone.” 

“Woah, Yuka-tan!” Junpei said, “What exactly did you two do last night?” 

Yukari looked at Junpei with confusion. That turned to a deep red blush, then to narrow-eyed anger. 

“Wait a minute,” she said, “Don’t get the wrong idea! Nothing like that happened!”

Makoto shook his head, unable to resist the slight smirk that grew on his lips. “I won’t tell anyone.” 

Yukari groaned. “Really helpful, Makoto. I have to go take care of some stuff for the archery team. You and Kotone can find your way home, right?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Makoto said. Yukari brushed past him on her way out of the classroom.

“She’s overreacting,” Junpei said, “Nobody takes rumors seriously anyway. Though I did hear you two were walking with the other transfer student this morning, what was her name again?”

“You mean Kotone?” Makoto answered. He was starting to find Junpei reasonably pleasant to be around. He didn’t want to have to give him the stay away from my sister glare. “What about her?”

“Nothing really, I heard she’s been making friends with, like, everyone in her class,” Junpei leaned close, his voice turning to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’ve heard she’s pretty cute, too.” 

“She’s my sister, so…” Makoto clarified for what felt like the hundredth time today, hoping Junpei could surprise him and be reasonably non-creepy. 

Junpei’s eyes grew wide. “Woah, I didn’t know that. But don’t worry, Makoto, the bro code is sacred.”

“Bro code?”

“Ya know, don’t date your bro’s sister,” Junpei ticked rules off on his fingers. “Don’t date your bro’s ex, don’t date your bro’s mom…”

Those last two definitely won’t be a problem.

“These just seem like rules about who you can date,” Makoto said. 

“Yeah, pretty much,” Junpei said, “hey, are you leaving soon? We can walk to the station together if you want.”

Makoto shrugged and swung his backpack over his shoulder. “I have to find my sister.” 

“Oh, cool,” Junpei said, “I’ll come with you!” The pair left the classroom, intending to find Kotone next door. 

Instead, she was in the hallway, walking with a gaggle of other students, all following her as she walked towards Makoto.

“Oh, hey Makoto!” she said, “I was just about to come find you.” 

Makoto scanned the crowd of students walking with his sister, looking somewhat afraid. 

Junpei stepped forward and made a deep bow to Kotone. “How wonderful to meet you, miss. I am Junpei Iori, best friend to our mutual acquaintance, Makoto-san.” 

So much for bro code .

Kotone giggled as Junpei laid it on thick, then returned the bow. “It’s nice to meet you, Junpei-kun.” 

“Are you ready to go?” Makoto was eager to return home, especially now that he saw the eyes of fifteen or so of Kotone’s classmates staring at him. 

“Alright, let’s go!” Kotone turned and waved goodbye to her newfound cult of followers, then walked beside Makoto on the way down the stairs. Junpei walked with them, chatting with Kotone about some video game he was playing. 

“Woah, look at the jocks out on their run,” Junpei said, stopping the trio’s march down the brick walkway to allow a pack of students in tracksuits to run across them. 

“Are you going to join a club, Makoto?” Kotone asked. 

“I don’t know,” Makoto answered honestly. He hadn’t thought about clubs at all; he just wanted to survive the first day. 

“I got invited to the photography club, art club, music club, and the volleyball and tennis teams,” Kotone said, ticking each one on her fingers, “they all sound like fun, but there’s no way I can be in all of them, right?”

“Woah, that’s crazy,” Junpei said, “when I transferred here, nobody even talked to me for the first week.” 

See, it’s easy for her.

Kotone had just met Junpei, and there she was chatting away. Makoto could barely get a word in edgewise when talking to Junpei. Makoto hadn’t even attempted to speak to anyone in his classes. Kotone was probably the most popular girl in school already. At this rate, she’d be the principal by the end of the week.

“Well, I’ve gotta go this way,” Junpei said, stopping at an intersection. “Man, I wish I lived in a dorm.”

“See you, Junpei!” Kotone said. 

“Bye,” Makoto said, belatedly. 

The twins walked into the station and stood on the platform to wait for the monorail.

“So, how was your day, Makoto?” 

“Pretty boring,” he shrugged. “It sounds like your day was more interesting than mine.”

Kotone smiled as they walked onto the monorail.

“Oh, it was awesome,” she said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone watched Makoto walk towards the rest of his class, then turned back to Ms. Toriumi.

“I’ll walk you down to Mr. Ekoda,” she said. Kotone followed Toriumi across the auditorium towards a grumpy-looking teacher. 

“Ah, Toriumi-sensei,” Ekoda said, “you’re late.” he glanced at his watch. Kotone saw Ms. Toriumi’s eye twitch at the reprimand.

“This is Kotone Shiomi,” Toriumi said, “she’s a transfer student assigned to your class.” 

“Ah, yes,” Ekoda said, “you can sit over there,” he gestured to an open seat a few rows in front of them.

“Thank you, Ekoda-sensei,” Kotone said with a polite bow. Mr. Ekoda seemed like the type of teacher who would appreciate a good bow. His grunt seemed to show approval, so Kotone walked to the seat he had indicated for her. 

Kotone was at the end of the row of seats, sitting beside a teal-haired girl with a timid smile. 

“Hi,” Kotone said, “what’s your name?” The girl made a nervous squeaking noise when she realized Kotone was talking to her.

“Um, I’m Fuuka Yamagishi,” she said quietly. Kotone smiled, trying to make the girl feel comfortable.

“My name is Kotone,” she said, “it’s nice to meet you, Fuuka-chan.” 

“I think I saw her on the roof,” Makoto interjected. 

“Oh, did you talk to Fuuka as well?” Kotone asked. Makoto shook his head. 

“No.” Kotone looked disappointed, but quickly resumed her story. 

They both fell quiet as the principal took his place on the stage. Kotone paid close attention to the speech. The principal seemed like he’d have some kind of hidden wisdom, maybe because he looked just like a character from a manga she’d read. 

“I hope you have a great year, and welcome to Gekkoukan High,” the principal finished speaking. The auditorium erupted in noise as the students finally stood up and were free to talk again.

“Slam Dunk!” Kotone said, drawing a few looks from those nearby. “I knew I recognized that principal from something!” Fuuka looked at her, no recognition in her eyes. “Ah, never mind.” 

Kotone followed her classmates out of the auditorium, turning her head back and forth as Mr. Ekoda led the class through the halls. 

“This place is fancy,” Kotone said. Fuuka nodded beside her. 

“Hey, new girl,” Kotone turned to see a trio of girls joining her. “Why don’t you hang with us instead of this loser?” Fuuka looked down and clasped her hands in front of her. 

“Who are you calling a loser?” Kotone asked, her smile turning cold on the orange-haired girl who seemed to be the ringleader. 

“Come on, look at her just stand there,” a second girl laughed. Kotone saw tears beginning to form in Fuuka’s eyes.

“Alright, you all can back the fuck off,” Kotone said, stepping between Fuuka and the bullies. “I think I can decide who I hang out with on my own.” 

The orange-haired girl stared at Kotone for a few seconds, but Kotone didn’t break eye contact. 

“Whatever,” the girl said, “have fun with the nerd, new girl.” She swept away, tossing her hair with a swing of her head. 

“What a bunch of assholes,” Kotone muttered, turning back to Fuuka. 

“Th-thanks, Shiomi-san,” Fuuka said, smiling and wiping her eyes. “You didn’t have to do that.”  

“Yeah, I did,” Kotone said, “you’re not a loser, Fuuka.” 

“Oh, um, thanks,” Fuuka said, “you’re not a loser either, Shiomi-san.” 

“Kotone.”

“Kotone-san.”

“And then I was like, ‘no, stop calling me Kotone-san, we’re friends now,’ and she was like-”

“I get it,” Makoto interjected. 

“Yeah, alright,” Kotone said. “So then, she was like, ‘you’re not a loser, Kotone, and I said…” 

“That’s very nice of you to say, Fuuka.” Mr. Ekoda fiddled with his keys and unlocked his classroom. 

“Seat assignments are on the chalkboard!” Ekoda shouted. Kotone found her name assigned to a desk in the corner. Fuuka’s seat was on the other side of the classroom. Kotone smiled at her new friend as they separated.

Kotone expected to have a long day of boring classes, and the morning certainly delivered. Mr. Ekoda complained about kids these days for his whole period, and once the novelty of the samurai helmet wore off, Mr. Ono’s unenthusiastic droning about pre-samurai Japan was sleep-inducing.

Kotone sighed with relief as lunch finally began. She stood up to find Fuuka and see if she wanted to eat together. Fuuka was gone, but the girl who sat in front of her turned around to speak. 

“You’re the new transfer student, right?” she asked. She was taller than Kotone, her black hair held back in a ponytail. Curiously, she only seemed to be wearing the skirt from her school uniform, instead sporting a cream-colored sweater vest over a white shirt. 

“Yeah, I’m one of them,” Kotone answered. “I’m Kotone Shiomi.”

“Rio Iwasaki. Are you going to get lunch?” Kotone nodded. “I’ll come with you.” 

“Alright,” Kotone nodded. “I don’t know where I’m going, so that’s probably a good idea.” The pair walked out of the classroom, Rio leading Kotone down the hallway to the stairs.

“What was your plan, if you didn’t know where to go?” Rio asked. Kotone laughed and rubbed the back of her head.

“Probably just wander around until I find the store,” Kotone said. Rio smiled at the thought. 

“Hey, Kotone?” Rio asked as they lined up at the school store. “Are you going to join a club?”

“I was in a few clubs at my old school, so probably,” Kotone answered. The two girls got their lunch and began returning to class 2-E

“Have you ever played tennis?” Rio asked. 

“Uh, not even once,” Kotone said. “I played ping pong when I was little, does that count?” 

“Well, if you want to try, you should join the tennis club,” Rio said, “You look like you’re in good shape, and I can teach you how to play.” 

“Oh, I’m definitely in shape,” she crouched and flexed her muscles like a sumo wrestler.

“You know what I mean,” Rio said, stifling a giggle with a hand over her mouth. “Seriously, though, you should join! We need all the help we can get to win nationals.” Kotone raised her eyebrows.

“You’re that good?” 

“Well,” Rio sighed as she sat back in her seat. “No, not really, but if we work hard enough, I know we can do it! Also, if we go far enough, we get to go on a trip for the finals.” 

It would be cool to be on a sports team. And a school trip sounds awesome.

“That sounds fun, Rio,” Kotone said. “I think I can make time. You know, I’ve made a lot of commitments already in only twelve hours in town.” She joked. 

Rio smiled. “We meet by the tennis courts after school,” she said, “come by on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, and we can get you signed up.” 

“Alright, quiet down,” a new teacher walked in, signaling the end of the lunch period. 

“I’ll be there, Rio,” Kotone made up her mind. She had never been much into sports when she was younger, but this was a chance to turn over a new leaf. At the very worst, all the training would get her in real good shape for beach season in a few months. 

Rio smiled at Kotone before turning back to the front to focus on the next lecture. 

Ms. Toriumi’s lecture was last, and she was not interested in teaching. Instead, she mumbled something about Ekoda being an asshole, then told the students to leave her alone for the rest of the period. 

She then sat down at her desk, pulled out her laptop, and chaos reigned. 

“Hey, Shiomi-san, you should join the photography club!” a voice cried. Kotone wasn’t quite sure how her desk had become the center of the conversation, but she simply nodded and went with it. 

“I’ll think about it!” 

Man, everyone here is so nice!

It seemed like every girl wanted to introduce themselves to Kotone, and quite a few of the boys as well. Kotone plastered on her brightest smile and tried to be polite. 

“Kotone, is it true that the other transfer student is your brother?” one girl asked. Kotone nodded.

“Yeah, Makoto’s in 2-F, I think,” Kotone said. 

“Do you think you could introduce us?” 

“Um,” Kotone bit her upper lip.

“Aw, shit!” Kotone said, smacking a fist against her thigh. “I forgot about that.” She looked at Makoto apologetically. “I might have blown that for you. Sorry, bro.” 

Makoto shrugged. “I really don’t care.” 

“She was kind of cute,” Kotone said. “But anyway, that was pretty much it. Class ended, I went to find you, and here we are!” 

The monorail screeched to a stop, and the twins got off. They quickly passed through the strip mall, then back into the dorm. 

“Ah, you’re back,” Mitsuru said, sitting at the table, papers spread around her as she had yesterday. “How was the first day of school?” 

“I can’t wait for tomorrow!” Kotone said, tossing her bag down on the ground and lounging on one of the couches in their dorm. 

I already made friends, and I guess I should see about some of those clubs.

“Me neither,” Makoto said unenthusiastically. “I’m exhausted.” 

Kotone yawned. “Yeah, it was a pretty long day.” 

Makoto still hadn’t sat down, instead choosing to walk upstairs.

“I’m going to bed.” 

Kotone looked out the windows. There was still plenty of daylight. Kotone sat on the couch and turned the TV on. 

As she flipped through the channels, a silver-haired boy walked down the stairs. 

“Mitsuru, the chairman has a message for you,” he said, then stopping when he spotted Kotone. “I haven’t met you yet.”

“Kotone, this is Akihiko Sanada. Akihiko, this is Kotone Shiomi,” Mitsuru explained. “She’s Makoto’s sister.” Akihiko looked at Kotone, then looked up in the vague direction of Makoto’s room. 

“You two are siblings?” he asked. “You don’t look very alike.” 

“I’ve never heard that one before,” Kotone said sarcastically. “It’s good to meet you, Akihiko.” 

Akihiko nodded and stuck a hand out for her to shake. His grip was tight. 

“Ow, jeez,” Kotone said, shaking out her hand. 

“Oh, sorry,” Akihiko said. He turned to the TV, which had finally come out of a commercial break and returned to the news.

“The mysterious condition causes its victims to feel increasing levels of apathy,” the news reporter was explaining, standing next to a chart showing the frequency of cases. The red line was rising over time, and sloping upwards as it did. “Those with Apathy Syndrome gradually disengage with the world around them, becoming entirely indifferent to reality. Eventually, the victim collapses and becomes entirely unable to function, even losing the ability to eat or drink.” 

Increasing levels of apathy?

“Mitsuru, do you think this is caused by…” Akihiko’s face grew stony as he looked at Mitsuru. 

“Yes, it has to be,” Mitsuru said. Kotone wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but she had one other, terrifying idea. An idea that, if true, would explain Makoto’s indifference to just about every situation she’d seen her brother in.

Chapter Text

4/8

Makoto was in the car. He looked to his left to see his sister sitting beside him in the backseat. Outside the window, lights flashed, each followed shortly by loud cracking noises. 

“What are we going to do?” His mother was in the passenger seat. 

“No, no, how is this happening?” he recognized his father’s voice, the familiar shape of the back of his head, the hands gripping the wheel. 

“We have to turn around,” his mother said, rubbing Father’s back to try and calm him down. 

“I can’t,” Father responded. 

What is happening?

“Mom, Dad, what’s going on?” Makoto asked. Kotone looked at him, confused.

“It’s alright, sweetie,” his mother said, “we’re going to figure something out.” 

“Dammit!” his father shouted. “The first fireworks in Iwotadai, and we’re going to miss it!”

Fireworks?

Makoto looked out the window and squinted. The flashes of light were barely recognizable as fireworks, being set off over the water from the roof of the school. They were stuck in traffic, the entire bridge completely deadlocked. 

This isn’t right.

“Hey, Makoto?” his sister said, but he ignored her. 

Something about the situation was wrong, but he couldn’t identify what. He’d been here, on this bridge, with his parents. But something different had happened. 

“It’s alright, Makoto,” his mother said. “We’ll make it to the next festival.” 

Stay here, Makoto. This is where you belong.

“Makoto,” his sister repeated, louder. 

“Huh?” he said. 

“Makoto!” It wasn’t his sister’s voice; it was a boy’s. It wasn’t her face, either; it was faintly goateed, and she wore a baseball cap over her auburn hair. 

“Makoto!” 

He woke up. 

“Makoto, help me out here,” Junpei hissed. “What phrase symbolizes summer?”

What?

“Ummm,” Makoto’s mouth tasted dirty. “Dog days, maybe?” he suggested the first thing that came to mind. 

“What?” Junpei said, “Were you even paying attention, dude?”

The class around them giggled, and Ms. Toriumi sighed at the pair. 

“The answer was ‘vivid carp streamers,’” she said. “Please, try to pay attention, Iori-san. And try to stay awake, Yuki-san.” 

Makoto gave a small nod and sat up straight in his seat and rubbed his eyes. He had gotten plenty of sleep that night, but he was still exhausted for some reason. 

After a few more minutes of class, the bell mercifully signaled the end of the day. Makoto stood up and swung his bag over his shoulder. 

“What’s the plan, Makoto?” Junpei said. “I’m gonna go to the arcade at Paulownia Mall, if you want to come.” 

Makoto shook his head. “I told Kotone I’d meet her in the library.” 

“Alright, then,” Junpei said. “Your loss.” 

Makoto followed Junpei out the door, then they split off as Makoto walked into the library. 

The library was small, and bookshelves lined every wall. In the center, rows of desks were set up for students to study. The room wasn’t very crowded this early in the school year, the only students being a group of five sitting around the central desks. 

Makoto sat in one of the chairs at the end of the table, on the other end of the group. They were discussing something about the library committee, but Makoto quickly drowned them out with his headphones. 

He pulled out one of his textbooks and began idly skimming through it. He didn’t have much to study on the second day, except for whatever he’d missed when he’d fallen asleep during Toriumi’s lecture.

Sleep.

That didn’t seem like a bad idea right now. And it wasn’t like he was going to fail if he slept through one lecture and didn’t catch up.

It doesn’t matter, Makoto.

His eyelids began to grow heavy, and he rested his head on a hand. 

“Hey, Makoto?” He opened his eyes. Makoto didn’t remember closing them.

Standing above him was his sister, her red eyes wide with concern. 

“Huh?” Makoto said. His brain was foggy. His voice sounded like it belonged to someone else. 

“Jeez, you look like shit,” Kotone said. “Do you want to go to the nurse?” Makoto shook his head, clearing some of the haze over his mind.

“I’m alright,” he said. “I just need to sleep more, I guess,” he tried to play it off as a non-issue. 

“Are you sure?” Kotone asked. Her auburn hair was pinned back with that strange arrangement of barrettes and pins. She hadn’t done that when they were kids, that was for sure. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “Are we leaving now?” 

“If you want to. Pretty much everyone’s gone home already. I couldn’t find you anywhere until I checked in here.” 

“Oh.” Makoto searched for something to say. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone was beginning to worry about her brother. He’d gone to bed early last night, but when she’d passed Junpei in the hallway, he’d told her that Makoto had fallen asleep in class. He’d taken another nap in the library after class, and he still seemed to hardly process anything she was saying to him.

“How about we stop at the strip mall before we go home?” she suggested. Maybe there’d be something there that would interest him. 

“Why?” 

“I don’t know, we can get food or something,” Kotone said. “I haven’t gotten to check out the town yet.”

Makoto looked past her, then nodded.

“Alright,” he said, “there’s not much to do, though.” 

“Not with that attitude, there isn’t.”

They rode the monorail in silence. Kotone had to nudge her brother a few times to keep him awake. 

“Are you, you know,” Kotone started, “doing alright?” He looked at her, his eyes unfocused. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen you in a long time,” Kotone said. “And we haven’t gotten the chance to talk about...” 

About the accident? About our parents? About the ten years I spent not knowing where you were?

“About stuff. I don’t know.” 

“What kind of stuff?” Makoto’s face was like stone. 

Okay, start easy.

“What kind of music are you always listening to?”

“You probably wouldn’t know,” he said. They had arrived at the strip mall, and Kotone finally got a chance to see the stores. Last time she’d been here, the signs were all dark.

“Alright, you can tell me anyway,” Kotone said, grasping her MP3 player in one hand. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

“That sounds dirty,” he said, “it’s mostly old stuff. Some foreign bands, too.” 

“Oh,” she said, “neat.” She didn’t know much foreign music, so that wouldn’t help start a conversation.

“I didn’t think you’d still have yours,” he said. 

“Didn’t think I’d have what?”

“Your Walkman,” he said. “You were always losing stuff when we were little.” 

Kotone looked down at the pill-shaped device in her hand. “Mom would always get angry.” 

They were quiet, and Makoto looked away. 

You’re doing so good, Kotone! He doesn’t even want to look at you!

“But this was too important for me to lose,” Kotone pressed on. “I guess having it around my neck helps with that.” 

Makoto was quiet again, his head turned slightly sideways like he was trying to listen to something.

“Ooh, ramen,” Kotone led her brother up the rickety spiral staircase to a store advertising ramen that was supposedly good for your pores. 

The twins sat down and ordered their bowls. Makoto stared forward. 

It’s like he’s barely even aware of his surroundings.

“So, how was your old school, Makoto?” she said. Maybe if he could be reminded of his friends back home, he’d be happier. 

“Which one?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I’ve had a lot of old schools.” 

“Oh,” Kotone said. “Did you have friends?” 

He shrugged. That habit of his was becoming irritating.

“Not really,” he said, “I’d always be moving away anyway.” 

The attendant placed two bowls of ramen in front of the twins. Kotone snapped her chopsticks apart and eagerly dug in. 

“Mmmmm,” she gasped. “This is good!” 

Makoto was picking through his, eating slowly. 

“Do you not like it?” she asked. He stared down at the bowl.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just not hungry.” Kotone scarfed down the rest of her bowl and then grabbed her brother’s. 

“Well, more for me,” she said. 

The victim collapses and becomes entirely unable to function, even losing the ability to eat or drink.

That’s what the reporter had said last night. Makoto was able to eat a little, but the news did say it was gradual. Kotone watched out of the corner of her eye as Makoto’s eyelids drooped over and over again. Every time, he would take a short breath, and his eyes would snap open. 

“Come on,” she said, standing up and giving a polite smile to the staff. Makoto stood up and wiped his eyes. He looked more exhausted than he had before. 

“Can we go back now?” Makoto mumbled. Kotone looked at him. She couldn’t force him to stay out if he didn’t want to, but she had made absolutely no progress in getting him to open up. 

“Alright, fine,” she said, trying to mask her frustration. 

They opened the door and were greeted by both Yukari and Mitsuru in the lobby, plus one more. A man in a tan suit with long brown hair was looking down at a book. He was sitting in one of the loveseats, with Yukari perched on the couch diagonally across from him. Mitsuru was once again going through a mess of papers on the table, though she put her pen down as they walked in. 

“Oh, you’re back,” Yukari said. The man looked up, taking in the twins through his glasses.

“So, these are our new guests,” he said. “Good evening to you both.” 

“Good evening,” Kotone said, eyes darting back and forth between the new guy and her brother, who was swaying back and forth on his feet. She placed a hand on his back to support him just in case he passed out. 

“My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I’m the chairman of the board for your school,” he gestured to the couch across from Yukari. “Please, have a seat.” 

Kotone stepped towards the couch, then turned. Makoto hadn’t moved. She tugged on his arm, and he began walking. 

It’s just like the news. He’s completely disengaged from reality, or whatever it said. 

“I know you two were supposed to be reassigned to the normal dorms, but it may take a little longer to receive your assignments. Events have transpired that are making that…difficult.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kotone asked. She rammed an elbow into Makoto’s stomach to stop him from slouching sideways onto her. 

“All in due time,” Ikutsuki said. “If you have any other questions, I’ll try to answer them.” 

Kotone mulled over the swarms of questions in her brain. She wasn’t sure how trustworthy this guy was, but maybe he knew something about the weird things that she’d seen on her first night. Better to be vague. If he spills, he spills. But don’t let him think she’s crazy.

“The first night I was here, I saw something. It was kind of weird.” 

“Something strange?” Ikutsuki asked. “Like what?”

“I don’t know how to explain it…” 

“You were probably just tired. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Ikutsuki said with finality. Kotone saw Yukari bite her lip and look at her shoes. 

Something’s weird here, but he doesn’t seem to know what it is.

Ikutsuki stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of his jacket. 

“I should be going now,” he said, “You two should think about going to bed early. The early bird catches the bookworm, after all!” 

Kotone stared.

“You know, bookworm,” Ikutsuki said with a smile. “Because you’re students?” 

“Oh,” Kotone said, doing a poor job at faking a laugh. “I get it.” Ikutsuki picked up his briefcase and walked out the door, chuckling to himself as he went. 

“Ha, bookworm,” Kotone heard him say. “Oh, I crack me up.”

“You’ll get used to his jokes,” Yukari said with a sigh. “He’s right, though. You two should get some rest. I’m going to bed soon, too.” She stood up and stretched her arms above her head, creating a few faint popping noises and a satisfying crack. 

At her mention of rest, Makoto stood up. He stared into space for a moment before quickly turning to walk up the stairs. 

“Makoto, wait,” Kotone said. But he ignored Kotone, the only response she got being the sound of his shoes on the stairs. She sighed and sat back down on the couch, sinking into the cushioned red seat. 

“He looks kind of sick,” Yukari said. “Maybe he just wants to go to bed.” 

Kotone looked down at her hands. She hadn’t been able to help. The only time he’d moved with any urgency was to go to bed, and he’d completely ignored her. It was a familiar feeling. 

“I’m worried about him, Yukari,” she said quietly. “He didn’t eat anything when we went to the strip mall.” 

Yukari stood in silence for a moment, then sat down next to Kotone. 

“If he’s sick, maybe he wasn’t hungry,” she reasoned. Kotone kept her head down. 

“I don’t think that’s it,” Kotone said. “The news said something about A-apathy syndrome.” Her voice broke at the idea.

Yukari put an arm around Kotone, rubbing her shoulder gently. 

“Kotone, I don’t think that’s it…” she trailed off. Kotone opened her eyes and saw Yukari’s mouth half-open, her head cocked as she thought about it. 

See? Yukari’s seen him for two minutes, and she thinks he has it. Even if she won’t say it, she knows it’s true. 

“Kirijo-senpai,” Yukari said, looking across the room to the red-haired woman. “You don’t think Makoto has Apathy Syndrome, do you?”

The older woman clicked her pen as she thought. 

“I don’t know,” she said. “It is worrying. He is definitely showing some of the symptoms.” 

Kotone’s breath caught in her throat, tears welling in her eyes. She gritted her teeth and tried to pull them back in. She had to be strong, especially if her brother wasn’t able to.

“Let’s see how tomorrow goes,” Kirijo said. “I’ll talk to the Group’s doctors. We should make sure he doesn’t just have the flu.” 

Kotone nodded, brushing her hair out of her face to hide the tears she wiped from her eyes. 

Mitsuru opened her mouth like she wanted to say more, but decided against it. Instead, she quickly turned and swept up the stairs, her hair flowing behind her. 

“It’ll be alright, Kotone,” Yukari said. 

“You think?” 

“It has to be,” Yukari muttered. Kotone didn’t think she was meant to hear that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Good night, Yukari,” Kotone said as Yukari finally stood up. “Thanks. I guess I feel a little better.” 

Yukari looked at the girl on the couch, who was doing her best to smile. She could see her eyes were slightly red, even if Kotone hadn’t openly cried. 

“It’ll be alright, Kotone,” she repeated. It was really pissing her off that she was this helpless. She had nothing else to say. Nothing else she could do. 

At least, nothing she could tell Kotone about. 

Yukari walked into her room and lay on her bed. She stared at the ceiling, listening for the sound of Kotone going to her room. As she waited, she loosened the bow she wore around her neck, leaving the ends to dangle as she undid the top buttons of her pink cardigan. 

She heard Kotone’s door open and click shut, waited a few extra minutes for good measure, then carefully stood back up and opened one of the drawers of her desk. Hidden beneath a few books and papers was the cold steel of her S.E.E.S.-issued pistol. Not a pistol, she reminded herself. Ikutsuki had called it an Evoker.

She waited for the sky outside to turn green, signalling the start of the Dark Hour. Then she took a deep breath, took the Evoker in both hands, and pressed it to her forehead. 

Come on, Takeba.

She placed a thumb on the trigger and squeezed. 

Or, she tried to squeeze. Her thumb utterly refused to obey, freezing in place as her hands began to shake. 

“Come on,” she muttered to herself. “You can do it.”

She slumped to the ground and closed her eyes. 

Just pull the stupid trigger. Why are you so scared?

That was a silly question. Who wouldn’t be afraid to shoot themselves in the head? Even if the gun wasn’t really a gun, didn’t really shoot bullets, and wouldn’t really kill her, it was still terrifying. 

“You’re pathetic,” she said to herself. Why Kirijo and Ikutsuki had even wanted her, of all people, to join their stupid organization, she didn’t understand. 

She pressed the gun to her forehead again, the cold metal stinging slightly on her skin. 

Again, Yukari failed to pull the trigger. Her hands shook, and her eyes began to burn. 

“Dammit,” she whispered. 

A soft knock came from the door. “Takeba.” It was Kirijo-senpai. “Ikutsuki-san wants us in the command room.” 

Yukari placed the gun down, a wave of relief flowing over her. Any excuse to put that thing down, she would take. 

“Yes,” she said, keeping her voice quiet. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

The clacking of Kirijo’s boots grew quieter as she walked away, then up the stairs. 

Yukari rubbed tears out of her eyes and pushed herself back to her feet. She grabbed the holster she’d been given alongside the gun and strapped it onto her thigh. The other members of SEES had drilled into her the habit of always having her Evoker on hand during the Dark Hour.

She took a few deep breaths to compose herself, brushed her hair into what felt like a presentable shape, and carefully opened her door. She tiptoed to the end of the hallway, skipping the creaky fourth step on the flight of stairs up to the command room.

“I don’t like it,” Kirijo was saying to Ikutsuki as Yukari opened the door. “He’s showing all the symptoms of Apathy Syndrome, and he only arrived a few days ago.” 

“What about his sister?” Ikutsuki said, stroking his chin and giving Yukari a polite nod as she sat down in front of the console. “Is she alright?” 

“She’s fast asleep,” Kirijo said, queueing up the live feed of Kotone’s room. She was lying spread-eagled on top of her bed, wearing a large white T-shirt with a strange-looking sun on it. She was loudly snoring with a lock of her hair in her mouth. As they watched, she reached an arm down to scratch at her stomach. 

Yukari pressed a few keys on the console to display the video from Makoto’s room. His eyes were closed, and he was lying in bed, but that was where the similarities with his sister’s situation ended. Yukari and the others watched as the still fully clothed boy tossed and turned, mumbling and groaning in his sleep. 

I knew he slept in his uniform.

“Well, that is certainly worrying,” Ikutsuki said. 

“What are we going to do about it?” Yukari said. “We have to help him. Especially if he might have…” 

“Ikutsuki-san, if Makoto has the power,” Mitsuru said. Yukari wouldn’t have used that word. Curse seemed more accurate. “If he has the power, we can’t let him fall victim to Apathy Syndrome.”

“Let’s just wait and see for now,” Ikutsuki said, his eyes never moving from the console. “The Dark Hour is approaching.” 

They sat in silence as Makoto continued his fitful sleep. 

“I can’t watch this anymore,” Yukari said. “I’m going to wake him up. He needs help.” 

“Wait, Takeba-kun,” Ikutsuki laid a hand on her shoulder. He was trying to be polite, but his grip was strong enough to send the message that she wasn’t going anywhere. But she had to do something, didn’t she? 

“But, look at him!” She turned to Mitsuru, “Kirijo-senpai…” She gave Mitsuru a pleading look, but she simply shook her head in response. 

“There’s nothing we can do, Takeba.” 

Yukari fingered the red armband on her shoulder, looking between Mitsuru and the ground. 

Then all the lights went out, except the ones from their computer. Somehow, they’d figured out how to keep that running during the Dark Hour. 

“Ah, see?” Ikusuki said, lifting his hand from Yukari’s shoulder. Yukari turned to see Makoto now sleeping perfectly still, a shocking change compared to what he’d been doing only moments before. She stood up and leaned over the console board to get a closer view.

“What happened?” 

He looked so peaceful all of a sudden. The only motion on the entire screen was the faint rise and fall of his chest. She looked at his face, trying to see if he was still mumbling in his sleep. But as far as she could tell, his lips were still, and-

Why are my hands sweaty?

She sat back down to catch the last part of Ikutsuki’s conversation with Kirijo. 

“He’s maintained his body,” he was saying. “Even if he’s sleeping, he’s experiencing the Dark Hour. All that remains to be seen now is if he has the ability.”

“What should we do, sir?” Kirijo said. 

“If he truly has the potential, he shouldn’t have to worry about Apathy Syndrome,” Ikutsuki mused. “We’ll keep monitoring him for the next few days.”

“It seems kind of creepy, watching him like this,” Yukari said. She certainly hoped she wasn’t being watched in her room. 

I probably shouldn’t change in there for the time being.

She studied the sleeping Makoto for a few more seconds, then shook her head and did her best to look disinterested. 

You’re here to find out about your father, Yukari. Do not stalk the transfer student while he sleeps. 

“Get it together, Takeba,” she mumbled under her breath. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone woke up, but not in the room where she was fairly sure she’d fallen asleep. She was back in her uniform and sitting in a hard wooden chair.

Must be a dream.

She looked to her right and saw her brother sitting beside her. His chair was silver, matching her gold one in shape, and he was sitting in his uniform as well. He’d probably fallen asleep in his.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.” In front of them, a table covered by a round tablecloth appeared, behind it sat a demented looking man with a freakishly long nose. “Or should I say, welcome back, to one of you.” He nodded to Makoto. 

One of us? He’s been here before?

Kotone looked to her brother, who was calmly sitting in the chair, hands resting on his legs. He looked better than he had all day, but that was probably because this was obviously a dream.

Makoto looked to his left, and his eyes widened slightly.

“Kotone?” she looked back at him, confused. This wasn’t like any dream she’d ever had. It was like he was really there. 

“This is just a dream, right?” she asked. “You’re not really here.” Makoto closed his eyes and shrugged.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter,” Nose Guy answered, “only those who have signed the contract can enter this place.” 

So Makoto did sign the contract.

Kotone remembered the look she’d gotten from him when she’d asked Yukari about the strange boy. She’d believed it was a look of suspicion that she was crazy. But if Makoto had also signed it, then Kotone wasn’t crazy, that boy had been real, and the form she’d signed was not school paperwork. 

“From now on, you both will be welcome as guests in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique abilities, and you will require my assistance to do so.”

Kotone half-listened to the creepy-ass guy across the table as she looked around the room. She still half-thought this was a dream, but it was becoming harder to deny that something was odd about this place. 

The walls were padded, except for the one she faced. That one was an intricate pattern of metal bars, and light flickered every few seconds as if the entire room was moving upward. Now that the guy with the nose had stopped speaking, she could hear a faint, low rumble not unlike an old-fashioned elevator.

Kotone bit down on her tongue and tasted blood. 

Would I be able to do that in a dream? I don’t know, and now my tongue hurts.

“What the hell is this?” Kotone said, suspicion creeping into her voice. “Who are you?”

“As your brother already knows, my name is Igor,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

“What do you mean, Makoto already knows?” Kotone said. She tried to lift an arm, but she felt a sudden pressure on her entire body. Her muscles were completely unresponsive.

Igor ignored her and kept talking.

“Allow me to introduce Elizabeth and Theodore,” he said, waving his hands to the sides as the two attendants stepped out of the darkness. “They are residents here, like me. And brother and sister, like yourselves.” 

“Pleased to meet you,” Elizabeth said. 

“Um, yes,” Theodore said, “Likewise.” Theodore gave her a relieved smile, his yellow eyes piercing her red ones. He was holding a thick leather book that matched his sister’s, who seemed just as focused on Makoto as Theodore was on Kotone. 

“As I said, you both will require my assistance to reach your full potential,” Igor said, lacing his hands together beneath his chin. “I will only ask for one thing in return. Abide by your contracts, and assume full responsibility for the choices you make.” 

“What’s the deal with that contract, anyway?” Kotone said, frustrated. She had given up on moving.

Elizabeth stepped towards Kotone, her smile now replaced by a grim line. Igor gestured a hand up, and she stopped.

“Now, now, Elizabeth. That one is your brother’s concern,” he looked at Makoto. “Do you agree with my condition?”

Makoto was silent for a moment before answering.  

“Alright,” he said, shrugging. 

Igor smiled and swiveled his head to point his long nose at Kotone. 

“And you?” 

Kotone glanced at Makoto, then tried to tug at the invisible restraints holding her to the chair. 

She stared back at Igor, his massive bloodshot eyes unnervingly refusing to blink. She wet her lips. Strange that she’d have to do that in a dream. But it was becoming harder and harder to tell herself that was all this place was. 

“Fine,” she said. Theodore let out a soft sigh. 

“Good,” Igor said, satisfied. “You will each need to hold onto these.” He waved a hand forward, and a pair of blue keys floated down from the sky. 

Sky? Ceiling? Kotone could only see black when she looked up, so there was no way to know. 

The pressure on her right arm lifted, and she reached up to grab the key. 

“Until we meet again,” Igor said, and Kotone’s vision began to fade. The rumbling sound continued as her vision faded to black. 

Chapter Text

4/9

Makoto woke up slowly, his eyes cringing away from the light. His sheets were twisted around him, and one corner had been pulled off the bed entirely. His hair was sweaty, matted against his forehead. 

He didn’t remember going to sleep, but it had clearly not been a very comfortable night. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t remember much of anything from the day before.

Except that dream…

The image of himself back in that uncomfortable chair in that blue room flooded back, as did the image of the weird-looking guy with the giant nose. 

As did the image of his sister, sitting beside him. If he was having strange visions in his sleep, he could ignore them, pretend they were nothing. But if Kotone had really been there, and had really been present in the dream the same way he was, something really strange was happening.

Makoto pressed a hand to his skull. His head hurt. Ever since he’d stepped off the train in Iwatodai, it had hurt, but it had never been this bad. He squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples.

Just go back to sleep.

That voice in his head. That had been there long before arriving in this city, but it had never been this loud, this constant. 

I can just sleep off this headache…

He shook his head and opened his door. Yukari was standing in the doorway, seemingly about to knock and make sure he was up. She studied his face for a moment, her mouth growing thin with concern.

“Makoto, are you feeling alright?” 

He turned to look at himself in the mirror. He definitely didn’t look alright. His hair was a mess, falling across his eyes in the front and sticking up in the back. He brushed his bangs back to see sunken eyes and dark bags beneath. He let his bangs cover his eyes again. 

“I’m fine,” he lied. There was no reason to concern her when he’d only had a bad night’s rest. Worst case scenario, he’d take Toriumi’s lecture to catch up on sleep. 

“Come on,” he said, picking up his bag and slipping past Yukari. “Let’s get going.” 

Kotone was already downstairs, waiting for them while lying across one of the couches.

“Hey, Makoto,” she said, standing up. “Oh, you look like shit.” 

She shot Yukari a worried look, which Makoto chose to ignore. He walked past his sister to the door, and the two girls fell in behind him. 

The sky was the same blue it had always been, outside of a few recent exceptions. But something about it felt different. It felt like there was a ceiling over his head, crushing down on him. He looked at the ground to avoid the glare from the sun stinging his eyes. 

Let me go back to bed. 

Makoto found himself turning and was met with Kotone’s concerned face. She grabbed his arm and looked him in the eyes. Her mouth was moving, but the ringing in his ears left him struggling to hear her words. 

“Makoto, what’s wrong?” she was asking. Yukari was beside her, hands behind her back. “Did you sleep last night?” 

The voice muttered again at the mention of sleep, but Makoto pushed past it. “Yeah, I slept fine. I had a weird dream, though.” Kotone’s eyes narrowed.

“So did I,” she said. There seemed to be something in her tone, beyond just making idle conversation. 

Makoto took a deep breath and followed as Yukari walked ahead, Kotone walking by his side. 

Each step drove a nail into his skull, and his thoughts grew louder as they walked. 

This doesn’t matter.

His eyelids drooped, and he nearly tripped over his own feet. 

Kotone held the door for him as they walked onto the rail platform. Makoto shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at the track. It was so close he could almost touch it. 

Everything would be over. You wouldn’t have to feel any more pain.

Makoto looked down the track, where the monorail was rumbling towards the station. 

You wouldn’t have to think about your parents ever again. Just one step.

Makoto gritted his teeth and tried to block out the voice. He suddenly felt faint, the edges of his vision growing black, as if he’d stood up too quickly. 

He felt a strange pressure, like a hand was on his shoulder. 

He closed his eyes as images flew through his mind. His parents, smiling back at him in the backseat of their car. His grandparents, pulling him by his arm as he looked back. Each time he’d said goodbye to his friends at whatever school he was leaving. 

He opened his eyes. He was still standing on the platform. The edges of his vision were blurred, and the rail was slowly growing larger.

No, he was getting closer. He looked down and saw his feet moving, walking towards the rails. 

Why am I doing this?

Makoto tried to stop, but his body refused to listen. It was like the Velvet Room, when his body was frozen in place. Only this time he wanted to stop moving. 

One foot reached over the platform, he felt himself begin to tip over. 

“Makoto!” 

He was on his back, a few feet away from the arriving train. Kotone was on her knees behind him, and she was breathing heavily, eyes wide. 

“What the fuck, dude?” Makoto pressed a hand to his head. The people around them murmured and stared as Yukari ran over to stand beside the twins. 

“What happened?” Makoto muttered. 

“You were walking towards the tracks, Makoto,” Yukari looked at him with concern.

I wasn’t. I mean, I was, but I didn’t want to. I tried to stop, didn’t I?

Makoto had no explanation for them. One minute, he had been standing there, the next, he was a passenger in his own body, walking towards an oncoming train. 

He took an outstretched hand from Yukari and stood up. She didn’t let go as they walked on the train. 

“I-I’m just tired,” he said, “I’m fine.” 

“You’re going to the nurse when we get to school,” Yukari said. He opened his mouth to protest. “Don’t tell us you’re fine, Makoto.” 

He looked at his feet and nodded. 

I didn’t mean it. I couldn’t stop.

He tried thinking back, tried to remember the last few minutes. But everything that had happened at the platform was a blur, until he’d started walking. He’d become trapped in his own mind, thoughts spiraling between all the worst moments of his life. But if he’d wanted to stop, he should’ve been able to, right?

What is wrong with me?

The train stopped, and the doors slid open. Yukari sighed and picked up her bag with her free hand. Her other hand still held onto Makoto’s. She hadn’t let go since helping him up on the platform. 

Under different circumstances, this would be exciting . Makoto realized. But she wasn’t holding his hand out of affection. She didn’t trust him not to try something stupid again. He couldn’t blame her. He didn’t trust himself either. 

Students began whispering and staring as Makoto and Yukari walked down the brick path to the front doors. Yukari quickly let go of his hand and gave him a death stare. 

“I’ll take him to the nurse,” Kotone said. “Yukari, you should let your teacher know where he is.” Yukari looked at him, then nodded.

“Yeah, that makes sense.” She turned away from them to walk up the stairs. 

I’m helpless. Makoto thought as he watched Yukari leave. I can’t even go to the nurse without an escort.

Kotone grabbed his arm and pulled him into a walk. 

“Makoto, what was that?” Her face was still a mixture of shock and relief. 

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I’m just exhausted, I think.” 

“Makoto, you almost fell onto the track,” Kotone said, her nails digging into his arm. “How much did you sleep last night?”

He struggled for the words to answer. He hadn’t meant it, had he? The voice in his head had made it seem so simple, and maybe a part of him had agreed. 

“I don’t know,” he said again. 

“If you say ‘I don’t know’ one more fucking time,” Kotone said. “I swear, you better not have been trying to…” she trailed off, her voice breaking. Makoto knew what she was asking, though.

“I wasn’t, Kotone,” he said. “I’m just tired.”

“Yeah,” Kotone said, relief finally winning out over the anger in her expression.  

Don’t worry about me. I don’t deserve it.

The door to the nurse’s office slid open, and a student he didn’t recognize walked out with her head down. Kotone caught the door before it shut and shoved Makoto in. She caught the attention of the nurse immediately, his large glasses flashing in the light as he turned to look at them. 

“My brother has…” she started. 

“I’m tired,” Makoto cut her off. He wasn’t going to be babied by some school nurse just because he’d almost fallen into a train.

“Yeah,” Kotone said. “I think he’s sick. Could you give him a checkup or something?” Her grip finally slackened as the nurse approached. He stuck his glasses close to Makoto’s eyes, grabbed a cheek and stretched it, then nodded to himself.

“Yes, yes,” he said. “Leave him here with me, I’ll have him feeling better in no time.” He gestured for Makoto to sit on one of the beds in the office.

Kotone seemed to release a bit of her tension as the nurse walked to his desk to grab some papers and a seemingly random assortment of pills.

“Makoto,” she said, kneeling to stare into his face. “I’m here for you, you know that?”

She shouldn’t tell me that. She isn’t responsible for me. Look what I’ve done to her.

He nodded. She looked at the ground before standing up. 

“Good,” she turned to leave, wiping her eyes on her sleeve, then sliding the door open and shut and disappearing. 

The nurse came over with a small plastic cup filled with a strange, clear liquid. Makoto took the cup and eyed it with suspicion. 

“It’ll make you feel better,” he said with a small smirk. “My own formula. Guaranteed to keep you up through the school day.” 

Makoto nodded slowly and brought the cup to his nose to smell. There was no discernible odor, only the smell of disinfectant that he’d noticed as soon as he’d entered the nurse’s office. He tossed the cup back and swallowed in one gulp.

He coughed, immediately feeling his eyes water and his throat burn. That liquid may have been odorless, but it certainly wasn’t flavorless. It tasted like a combination of grape cough medicine, ginger, and the last sip of coffee in a cheap cup, where it was just water and grounds.

“I forgot to warn you about the taste,” the nurse said, chuckling to himself.

You don’t say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone crouched down to meet her brother’s eye level. His eyes were slightly closed and were dwarfed by the size of the black bags underneath. 

“Makoto,” she said. “I’m here for you, you know that?”

And she meant it. She wasn’t sure what to tell him, to be honest. When she’d felt down, her grandmother had done that, kneeling to look her in the eyes, and simply offering her support. 

He nodded slightly, never meeting her eyes.

“Good,” she said, hiding her clenched fists within the folds of her skirt. 

She swept out of the room, hardly noticing as she slammed the door shut. 

Honestly, who does he think he is?

He might be able to pass it off as exhaustion to the nurse, but she knew it was bullshit. It may have been ten years, but she knew her brother well enough to know that. 

And sure, she could recognize the feeling he probably had. On plenty of days, she’d felt down, or gotten too caught up in thinking of her parents, the accident, the burning car on the bridge. But she’d always told herself that there was hope. She hadn’t always believed it, but the thought was always enough for her. 

He must have it so much worse. And what did I do? Talk to him a few times on the way to school? I could’ve helped him. 

She closed her eyes and fought back tears. She hadn’t done any good. He probably felt the same way she did, deep down. But where she’d had friends and family, he had nobody. And when he’d seen his sister after so long, she’d just tried to act like nothing had changed. 

Just… don’t think about it, Kotone.

“Oh, Kotone,” a voice said. Kotone looked around. She’d hardly noticed where she was going, much less the approaching Rio Iwasaki. “What are you doing?” Kotone realized why the halls were so empty. She must not have noticed the bell, and now she was late. 

“I had to bring Makoto to the nurse,” she said. Rio’s eyes grew worried.

“Oh, no!” she said. “Is he alright?”

“Yeah,” Kotone said. “Just tired.” 

“That’s not so bad,” Rio said with a comforting smile. She turned to walk back towards class with Kotone, her long black hair flowing as they moved. 

“What are you doing?” Kotone said, turning the question from earlier around. 

“Oh, you know,” she said. “I just get so bored during Ekoda’s lectures.” Kotone giggled. She could relate. 

“I didn’t think Miss Tennis Team would be cutting class.” 

“I’m not cutting class,” Rio said. “Just showing up a little late. But that reminds me, the tennis team is having our first meeting after school today, out on the courts.” 

“I thought you met on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday?” Kotone said. 

“We didn’t have a Monday meeting since the first day was Tuesday,” Rio explained. “We have to make that up somehow if we want a chance at winning any tournaments this year.” 

“Oh,” Kotone said. “I’ll be there, Rio.” 

The black-haired girl smiled and stopped in front of the door to their classroom. 

“Great,” she said. “I’ll see you after school, then.” 

Kotone slid open the door and entered the classroom. Ekoda’s lecture screeched to a halt as the two girls entered his classroom. 

“And where were you two?” he said, his look a mask of anger and disappointment.

“Ah,” Kotone said as she made her way to her desk. “I had to take my brother to the nurse. He was sick at the train station.” She allowed a hint of the worry she truly felt to creep into her voice, and Ekoda seemed satisfied with the answer.

“That doesn’t excuse you, Iwasaki-san,” Ekoda said. The girl made a small eep sound. She had tried to sneak over to her desk in the corner as Kotone was being interrogated.

“Um, I had some stuff to do,” Rio said. “Tennis team stuff! Yeah.” 

“Tennis team stuff?” Ekoda said, eyes narrowed. 

“Yeah, you know… gotta make sure the balls have air then them before the club meeting, right?” Rio said, smiling innocently. The class laughed at that, though Kotone had no idea why. 

“Sure,” Ekoda said, shaking his head and turning back to the blackboard. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yukari sighed as the final bell rang and Mr. Ono’s lecture concluded. 

“Ugh, still no samurai,” their teacher muttered to himself as he wiped off the blackboard.

Yukari could not understand how this guy had become a teacher. He wasn’t interested in talking about anything but samurai. It made it very difficult to pay attention in his class, which wasn’t helped by her mind constantly returning to Makoto in the nurse’s office. She’d expected him to walk through the door any minute, but that hope had diminished over the course of the day.

She stood up, planning to find him and walk him back to the dorm. She’d met Kotone at lunch, and she’d told Yukari she had to stay after school for a club meeting. Yukari had volunteered to walk Makoto home, as her archery club didn’t start meeting until next week.

“Yo, Yuka-tan!” She stopped and looked up at Junpei Iori. Of all the times to see him, now was not a very good one. 

“What do you want, Iori?” Yukari said, giving him her dirtiest look. 

“Just wondering if you wanted to stop by the mall with me,” he said. “I was gonna ask Makoto, but he’s nowhere to be found.” 

“He’s at the nurse’s,” Yukari said. “And I have to walk him home, so no. I do not want to go to the mall. Not with you.” 

It was a convenient excuse, she had to say. Junpei would do nothing but irritate her anyway, not to mention the rumors that she’d end up having to deal with. She typically ignored most rumors about herself, only overhearing what the other members of the archery club gossiped about during practice. 

The mall doesn’t sound bad, though.

Maybe she could bring Makoto on their way back. It wouldn’t be that awkward if Junpei saw them after she’d declined his invite, would it? And she wouldn’t mind rumors about her and Makoto nearly as much. 

Junpei was saying something, but Yukari hadn’t paid attention.

“I have to go,” she said, brushing past Junpei on her way out the door. 

She made her way to the nurse’s office, ignoring the calls of other students who wanted to talk to her for some reason. She threw open the door to the nurse’s office and threw back the curtain blocking Makoto’s bed from view. 

“Oh,” she said, coming to a halt. He was lying in bed, the sheets pulled up to his waist. His chest was exposed, and his uniform jacket and shirt were laid across a chair nearby. His eyes slowly opened as she entered.

“Yukari?” he whispered. He looked down at his situation, looked back at Yukari, who was covering her eyes with a hand, and slowly reached towards the chair for his shirt. 

“I got it,” she said, covering her eyes with one hand and passing him his shirt with the other. 

He pulled the button-up shirt from her grasp and quickly threw it on. She finally felt comfortable looking after he had buttoned the bottom half.

“So, how do you feel?” she said, trying to keep the situation casual. 

“I slept,” he said. “It still hurts.” 

“What still hurts?” he finished buttoning his shirt and stood up to grab his jacket. 

“My head,” he said. “Everything, but mostly my head.” He looked at her. His one visible eye was dim. 

The nurse came around the corner as Makoto put on his jacket, holding a clipboard and a plastic cup. 

“Here,” the nurse said. “Last dose. Then you can leave.” Makoto grimaced, the first change from his default blank expression since Yukari had arrived. 

He closed his eyes and swallowed the entire thing in one gulp, shuddered, then looked to Yukari.

Yukari sighed and led the way out of the office. 

Makoto cringed and shaded his eyes when they stepped out into the sunlight. Yukari felt the eyes of the students on them both, and wished that they weren’t looking. 

Yukari finally opened her mouth as they walked down the brick path to the station.

“Makoto,” she said. “Whatever that was, this morning. Please, don’t do it again.” 

He kept looking forward, barely acknowledging her words. 

“I was just tired,” he said. “I feel better now that I rested.” 

“Makoto,” Yukari repeated. “Do you think I’m stupid?” 

That got his attention. He turned to look at her this time.

“What?” 

Yukari stared up at him, the hand that wasn’t holding her bag clenched in a fist. 

“You might be able to fool your sister,” she said, trying to keep her voice quiet enough not to draw the attention of the other people waiting for the monorail. “But I’m not stupid. I saw what you tried to do.” 

“I didn’t,” Makoto started, stopped, then took a deep breath. “I just… blacked out, I think. I’m fine now. Really.”

Yukari glared at him. She didn’t believe that for a second. 

“It’s just…” Yukari considered her next words carefully. From what she’d seen in the monitoring room, there was a good chance Makoto had the same curse she did. “You’re important, Makoto. You might not understand why, but you are. You can’t hurt yourself, alright?” 

He looked taken aback, his eyes growing wide at her words.

“Yukari,” he said slowly. “I don’t think this is the time for—” 

“What? No!” She felt her cheeks flush. “That’s not what I meant! I-it’ll make sense soon, I promise.” He looked at her and slowly nodded. “I’m serious!” 

At that moment, the train mercifully pulled into the station, forcing them to pause their conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they sat on the train, they were quiet again. Yukari looked at her hands. Makoto stared out the window, eyelids drooping. He would occasionally feel himself slumping to the side, and he would sit back up at the last second. 

I just want to go to sleep. But how did that go for you last time, Makoto?

“Makoto,” she said. “Are you okay?” He looked at her and ran a hand through his hair. That wasn’t a question he was currently equipped to answer. To be honest, he didn’t know what ‘okay’ felt like. 

Was he happy? Not really. 

But he wasn’t sad, either. 

He didn’t feel anything. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I don’t know, you keep almost falling asleep,” she said. He relaxed as she clarified her question. 

“I’m going to bed as soon as we get back to the dorm,” he said. “That nurse gave me something weird.” Yukari made a face.

“Yeah, he creeps me out.” 

They took the train to the end of the line and got off into a crowd. There was a surprising number of Gekkoukan students, perhaps going to the strip mall. 

Makoto felt their eyes on his back as he walked beside Yukari. He slowed down, trying to increase the distance between them.

She doesn’t want to be seen with me.

But she slowed down as well, looking at him concerned. 

“You better not pass out here,” she muttered. “I’m not carrying you if you do.” 

Makoto shook his head to try and wake up. It was becoming a struggle. 

“Just go ahead,” he said. “I’ll be alright by myself.” 

Yukari shook her head. 

“Not gonna happen,” she said. “You can be by yourself in your room.” 

He looked at her as she walked alongside him, slowing her pace to what must have been an excruciating degree. He did his best to speed up. If she was going to walk with him, the least he could do was go faster. He didn’t want to be a burden. 

“See, we’re here already.” Makoto looked up, and sure enough, they were in front of their dorm. Yukari opened the door, and they walked into an empty lobby. 

Makoto winced as his head broke out in pain again. The nurse’s concoction had eased the pain enough for him to fall asleep at school, but it must’ve worn off already. 

Go upstairs. She doesn’t want to deal with you. She deserves better.

“I’ll be fine from here,” he said. 

“It’s alright,” Yukari said. “I’m going upstairs anyway.” 

He considered arguing, but conceded quickly. Let her waste her time on him if she wants. She walked him upstairs, and he opened the door to his room. Here, at least, he felt comfortable. Away from anyone else. Nobody could hurt him; he couldn’t hurt anyone else. 

Something made him turn around.

“Yukari,” he said. She was looking at him, her hands behind her back. “Thanks. For walking me back, and all that.” 

“Oh, um. Anytime.” She looked uncomfortable with the conversation, and Makoto couldn’t blame her. He wasn’t used to this any more than she appeared to be.

“I didn’t deserve it,” he whispered. “Not after what I did this morning.” 

“Makoto—” 

He reached out and slammed the door shut before she could answer. He slumped down to sit against the door, his head tilted to the ceiling. 

“That’s not true, Makoto,” Yukari said, barely audible through the door. He reached into his backpack and put his headphones on. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone stood up at the bell and grinned. She had confirmed with Rio that she would be at the tennis club’s meeting after Yukari volunteered to walk Makoto home. To be honest, Kotone didn’t think that was necessary. He’d been at the nurse’s all day. What were the odds he passed out again?

She walked to the tennis courts, taking her time to admire the view on the walk. It was a nice day, the clear blue sky a welcome sight after three nights’ worth of creepy green moonlight. The school’s wind turbines slowly turned, sunlight reflecting off the blades. 

“Come on, Aiko!” a voice cried, stopping Kotone in her tracks. “You have to get around the ball!” Someone seemed quite angry on the court. 

Kotone slowly opened the fence gate leading to the courts and peeked her head through. She walked around to a bench against the wall where a collection of bags and water bottles sat. There were two rows of three tennis courts at Gekkoukan, and the club was gathered at the farthest one in this row. 

“Oh, Kotone!” Rio said, running up from the far court.” You made it!” Kotone looked at her outfit, then at Rio’s gym uniform. 

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m here!” 

“Alright, we’re running some basic drills right now,” Rio explained. “Just to give me an idea of everyone’s ability.” 

Kotone scratched the back of her head. “So, about that…” she licked her lips. “I do not have any ability. Or a racket.” Kotone gave an apologetic smile as Rio’s slipped.

“Oh,” she said. “Well, you can borrow one of my extras. And you can learn how to play, I guess.” She unzipped one of the bags on the ground. “To be honest, you probably won’t be the worst player on the team.” 

“Thanks,” Kotone accepted a racket from Rio and gave it a few swings. “I kind of thought this was more of a ‘let’s have fun’ club.” Rio gave a sour expression as they jogged back to the rest of the club. 

“For some people it is,” she said. “But if we work hard, we can be competitive in the national tournament.” She pointed Kotone to stand in the group of club members, then hopped over the net where a basket of balls waited. “Come help me out, Natsu.” One girl stepped from the group to join Rio on the other side of the net. 

Kotone watched as Rio began the drill. The club lined up on the left side of the court, received a ball from Rio, then ran to the right side to receive from Natsu. After that, they’d sprint around the entire court and rejoin the line. 

Kotone waited for her turn, nervously spinning the racket in her hand, nearly dropping it multiple times. She stepped up, followed Rio’s feed, reached back, and swung. 

“Good try, Kotone,” Rio called. Kotone turned to see the ball bouncing off the wall behind her. She had completely missed it. 

“Shit!” 

This is harder than I thought.

She ran to the other side of the court, determined to at least make contact with the next ball. She kept an eye on the ball, reached back, and hit a glancing blow off the frame of the racket. The ball flew up in the air, landing a few feet in front of her and rolling into the net. 

You’ve gotta be kidding me!

Kotone gritted her teeth and smacked the racket against her hand as she jogged around the net, studying the other players as she did. Mishits like her second shot were frequent, but complete whiffs were rare to see. Rio never missed a feed, her swing sweeping low and perfectly sending the ball to the waiting player in line. Kotone hadn’t thought much about her form, but she knew it was far sloppier. 

She rejoined the line and began rehearsing her swing. If she was going to be in this club, she was damn sure she wouldn’t be this terrible. 

“Alright, I think that’s enough for today,” Rio said, bringing practice to a close. The rest of the team scattered across the court to pick up the balls. Kotone walked to Rio to hand back her borrowed racket. 

She waved Kotone away. “Keep the racket, Kotone. I don’t need it.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah,” she said. She unzipped her bag and let Kotone see the three identical rackets inside. “See? I’ve got plenty.” 

“Wow,” Kotone didn’t know you needed that many rackets. “Thanks, Rio.” Rio looked frustrated, but Kotone didn’t have anything to say. She had only been the subject of Rio’s dissatisfaction a couple of times, and she couldn’t say it wasn’t deserved. Kotone was easily the worst player on the team, though the better players weren’t safe from her less-than-constructive criticism either.

Kotone picked up a few balls nearby, then joined the rest of the team in a circle once they’d finished. 

Natsu, who was clearly the second-best player on the team and something of a second in command to Rio during the drills, stepped forward. “Good first practice, guys. We have a few weeks until the first match, and we’re all going to get better. Right, Rio?”

Rio cleared her throat. Kotone listened intently, expecting a rousing speech from their player-coach. 

“There’s a lot of work to do. We all need to be better if we want a chance at competing with the big schools this summer.” The grins that had formed from Natsu’s speech quickly faded. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.” 

Kotone shuffled out of the courts with the rest of the team. 

“Ugh, does Iwasaki-san have to be such a hard-ass?” 

The students around her were grumbling to each other as they walked, complaining about the difficulty of the training regimen. Kotone didn’t have much experience with sports, so she wasn’t sure if the soreness she was beginning to feel was particularly unusual. 

What she was sure of was that she didn’t like the way they were talking about her friend. 

She was also sure of a third thing, which she realized when she pulled her phone out. She had to get moving, or else she’d miss the next train. She shot the shit-talking members of the team a dirty look as she jogged ahead of them to the train station. 

The train screeched to a stop, and the doors slid open. She stepped out on the platform. The platform where Makoto…

The platform where he got very tired and passed out. That’s what happened.

Kotone flopped down onto her bed, not even bothering to change. She was completely exhausted after all that running she’d done at practice. Nobody had been on the ground floor, and the crack under her brother’s door had been dark. She didn’t think waking him up would be smart. 

Kotone yawned and raised a hand to her temple to unclip her barrettes. She really should have showered before she lay down. She probably stank of sweat, and knowing her, she wasn’t going to be awake with time to shower before school in the morning. 

Her hand lowered, and she was no longer lying down. 

She was standing back on the monorail platform, looking at her brother’s back. Yukari stood beside her. Makoto began to sway slightly, and this time she recognized what was happening. 

She dashed forward, arm outstretched, but his legs crumpled before she could reach him. He tipped forward, just as the train suddenly appeared around the bend. 

Her brother fell in slow motion, turning towards her, eyes hidden by his mop of blue hair. The train rocketed towards him. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto was awake. He’d been so exhausted going up the stairs, but now that he was lying in bed, he just couldn’t sleep. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling for what must have been hours. 

When he closed his eyes, he couldn’t find sleep. Instead, his mind wandered back to his conversation with Yukari. He’d probably been rude to her, slamming the door in her face. But he had been so tired. Surely, she would understand if he explained himself to her. 

And that idea was enough to keep him awake. He had never been good at explaining himself to anybody. He would probably end up making her angrier than she already was. That was what always happened. 

His brooding was interrupted by sudden silence, the humming of the ventilation cutting off, and the clock in his room ground to a halt. The light filtering through the blinds turned a sickly green. 

Makoto reached behind him and flipped his pillow over. He lay his head down on the cold side, but was immediately prevented from sleeping by a knock on the door. 

You’ve got to be kidding me.

He slowly sat up, and the knock sounded again, more urgent this time. He stood up and tried to slip his shoes on, falling back to his bed when his head ached and his feet became tangled. 

“Makoto?” Yukari’s voice called. 

“Dammit, just open the door!” Kotone loudly announced her presence in the hallway. 

“But what if he’s…”

“Seriously?” Kotone said. “Cover up if it’s hanging out, Makoto!” she shouted before throwing open the door. Makoto was sitting on his bed, putting on his shoes. “See? He’s not naked. He probably sleeps in his uniform.”

Yukari lowered her hand from her eyes and shot Kotone a dirty look. 

“Get up,” Yukari said, grabbing his arm and hauling him to his feet. “We need to go downstairs, right now. And take this.” 

Yukari took a silver longsword from Kotone and handed it to Makoto. “Just in case,” she said. Makoto looked at Kotone, who he now noticed was holding a naginata, the long pole tipped with a wicked-looking curved blade. 

Surely these aren't real?

He ran his finger across the blade of his sword, and immediately winced and stuck his finger in his mouth. He had learned two things. That the blade was real, and testing it in that way looked a lot less painful in the movies. 

“Come on, we’re going to go out the back door,” Yukari said. She ran out of the room. Makoto looked at Kotone for an explanation, but his sister simply shrugged and followed. They stormed down the stairs and caught up to Yukari, who led them to the bottom floor. 

As they hit the bottom of the stairs, the door slammed shut. Akihiko was slumped on the floor against the front door, breathing heavily. Yukari gasped and ran over to him. The twins followed. 

“Sanada-senpai!” Yukari said. “Are you alright?” He winced and gave a small chuckle.

“Get ready to be surprised,” he said. “It’ll be here any second.” Yukari’s face turned white. 

“Seriously?” she said. Akihiko tried to stand, but fell back to the ground.  

“Didn’t Kirijo tell you to get to the back door?” he said. Yukari was nervously clenching and unclenching her fists. 

“Yeah, but-”

“Then go,” Akihiko said. “I’ll be fine.” A loud rumble echoed from outside, and the room shook. 

Earthquake?

Makoto once again looked to his sister, but she seemed just as confused as he was. Yukari turned to the twins. 

“Follow me,” she said, and she turned to run towards the other end of the floor. 

Makoto followed her, then looked back towards his sister. She knelt in front of Akihiko, leaning on her naginata. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he saw him pass her something that glinted in the green light. 

She quickly rejoined Makoto and Yukari at the back door, but Yukari didn’t move to open it. Instead, she had her head cocked to the side, and she looked up at the ceiling. 

“Y-yes! I hear you!” Makoto looked at her. Was she talking to him? She was silent, as if she were listening to someone. “Woah, it’s at the front door?”  

She turned towards the twins. “We have to go upstairs for now.” The building shook yet again. 

That is not what you do in an earthquake.

Yukari and Kotone ran up the stairs, and Makoto quickly followed. He held the sword out to the side, carefully keeping the blade far away from hitting his body. 

As they created the first flight of stairs, the rumbling repeated, louder this time. “Calm down, Yukari,” she muttered to herself. “It’s going to be okay.” They kept running, Makoto dodging the swinging butt end of Kotone’s naginata a few times as they ran. The rumbling became more frequent and louder. 

“It’s getting closer, it’s getting closer, it’s getting closer,” Yukari began repeating, growing more panicked every time the building shook. “Oh, don’t tell me it’s gotten inside.” 

They finally reached the top floor, and Yukari threw open the door. Kotone and Makoto followed her outside, and Yukari breathed a loud sigh of relief. 

“What’s going on?” Makoto asked. Before he could hear Yukari’s answer, his headache doubled. He dropped to one knee, and a hand clapped against his temple. 

It hurts…

“Woah, are you alright?” Kotone knelt beside him. “Yukari!” But Yukari wasn’t looking. Makoto saw her looking away from him, silhouetted against the green moon. Then he saw movement from the edge of the roof behind him. A dark shape was emerging onto the roof. Hands, he realized. Dozens of inky black hands were pulling themselves onto the roof, pulling a larger black shape behind them. 

Makoto watched through blurry, tear-filled eyes as a hand in the middle of the mass held up a blue mask of a human face. Its eyes were black pits, and a Roman numeral I was etched into the forehead. The hand twitched the mask back and forth, before its empty-eyed gaze settled on Makoto. 

Then, a dozen hands sprang up from behind, each one wielding a sword that pointed at the three students. The other hands smacked to the ground, and the creature began skittering towards them. The arms were a whirlwind pattering across the rooftop. 

Makoto’s head exploded in pain, and he clutched his head in both hands. 

“Join us, Makoto,” he heard the same voice, the one from the library. The one from the train station. The one that was always with him. 

It echoed in his skull, though it seemed nobody else could hear it. “Just give up. It’s easy.” 

He felt a scream rip itself from his throat. Kotone turned to look at him, her naginata clattering to the ground. 

“Makoto, shit,” She knelt next to him and put a hand on his back. Her eyes were wide with terror. He hadn’t seen her this scared in… probably ever. “holyshitholyshitholyshit.” She began repeating, looking between the Shadow, Makoto, and Yukari, who stood facing the monster, legs wide and stance determined. 

“That’s one of the monsters that attacked us,” Yukari said, almost in disbelief. Makoto’s skull felt like it was splitting, the echoing voice pounding in his head. 

“You are weak. You cannot win. You will watch them die. Just like you watched your parents die.” 

He managed to raise his head. He felt tears run down his cheeks. 

“It’s a Shadow,” Yukari said. She dropped her hand to her thigh and grabbed her pistol. Makoto watched dumbly as she turned it not towards the monster, but to her forehead. Makoto saw her grit her teeth, saw her grip on the handle tighten, saw her thumb twitch on the trigger. 

Then she was gone, yelping as the Shadow reached a bare hand out and slapped her across the rooftop. The gun slipped from her grip and fell at Makoto’s feet. The Shadow froze, staring at him, then turned towards Yukari, lying prone on the ground. Her chest rose and fell slightly.

She’s still alive.

When the Shadow turned away, he felt the pain in his head ebb slightly. He managed to stand up, gripping the sword in his hand. 

“Makoto,” Kotone breathed. “What do we do?” She bent down to pick up her naginata, holding it in quivering hands in front of her. 

She still cares.

“Let her care,” the voice repeated. “You don’t have to. All it brings is pain.” 

The Shadow continued moving towards Yukari, but the hand holding the mask turned back to him. His head still ached. He looked down at the pistol on the ground. 

She was going to shoot herself before that thing hit her. 

“It doesn’t sound so bad, does it?” the voice spoke. “An easy end to all the pain.” 

He fingered the engraved barrel of the gun. Letters were stamped across it. 

S.E.E.S. 

He looked back at Kotone behind him, terror in her eyes. She was frozen with her weapon in a defensive stance.

This can’t be real, can it?

Makoto pressed the gun to the side of his head, the cold steel momentarily biting against his skull, but nothing compared to the ache within. 

“Makoto!” his sister cried. He came to a sudden realization.

This is it. 

This was the decision. The action that Igor had spoken of. The choice everything had been leading towards. Since he’d come to this city. Since he’d run away from his last foster home. Since his parents died. 

He suddenly found his hand shaking. Some part of him, buried deep down, still wanted to live. That small part of him didn’t want to pull the trigger. 

He saw a glimpse of the boy from his first night, smiling. “Go on…” 

If this is all some joke. I’m dead. The pain will be gone.  

That didn’t sound so bad. He grinned.

“Per…” 

And if this is real, I’ll have something. Something to live for. 

He didn’t know what that something was, or why he knew it. But he did. The only way to find meaning in his life was to end it. Pull the trigger. 

“…so…”

He shut his eyes. 

Pull the trigger.

Squeeze.

“…na!”

Bang.

His vision erupted in brilliant white, despite his closed eyes. Shock ran through his body.

Of course. You just shot yourself.

But rather than pain, he felt the exact opposite. Euphoria. 

He was somehow aware of a hole in his head. Something was leaking out. Not blood, or his brains, but something both more and less material. His pain, his anger, his very being were flowing out the side of his skull. 

He opened his eyes wide as a voice spoke. 

“I am thou… Thou art I…” beside him, where the bullet would have exited if he’d shot himself with a real pistol, a blue trail of light was flowing. It pooled together in the air, and a deep voice called from it, and he knew it spoke only to him. “From the sea of thy soul, I cometh.” 

The light began to coalesce, pulling into something with more substance. 

“I am Orpheus, master of strings…” And it solidified. 

Makoto saw a humanoid figure, though it looked almost mechanical. Its white legs had no feet and connected via ball joints to wide hips attached to an aqua-blue torso. Similarly wide hands connected to spindly upper arms and angular shoulders, with a red bandana around its neck. Its face was black, with glowing red eyes and pale white hair. On its back was a massive lyre. 

It opened its mouth with a triumphant roar. Makoto saw Yukari stir, then raise a hand to her mouth in shock as she took in the scene. Kotone stepped away from the thing, eyes wide.

Makoto watched the shadow scuttle towards him and saw Orpheus grasp its lyre, throw its head back, and strum a chord. A burst of fire flew from the instrument, blasting a hole in the shadow’s form. But it quickly reformed. 

Makoto threw an arm up as the shadow delivered a blow to his chest. He barely managed to keep hold of the gun. His sword slipped from his hands and disappeared into the shadows. 

“Makoto!” his sister cried as he stumbled back to his feet. She watched the shadow turn its gaze to her, and she dropped her naginata.

Instead, she reached to her side and slipped a silver pistol from a holster. 

Where’d she get that?

Makoto was half-dazed as Kotone pressed the gun to her head. She yelled something he couldn’t make out through his ringing ears, and pulled the trigger. A blue trail of light flowed from her head. It coalesced just as his had done, into a similar figure.

This one was easily identifiable as some variation on his Orpheus, simple with a more female figure. Its torso was a soft, gleaming gold, and its auburn hair flowed out wildly. Its lyre was wider, shaped like a heart. It roared out and sent its own blast of fire, but the Shadow recovered just as quickly as it had from Makoto’s attack. 

Then, Makoto’s head split open. This pain was worse than anything before. He doubled over in pain, dropping to his knees. Beside him, he saw his sister fall to the ground. They both screamed and saw the glowing figures in front of them mirror their poses and unleash inhuman cries of their own. This time, it was not screaming out in triumph, but a wail of pain that echoed Makoto’s.  

Makoto threw his head to the sky, and saw his Orpheus do the same, before suddenly shooting towards Kotone’s. Like magnets, the strange ball-shaped protrusions at their navels slammed together, and their heads suddenly jerked sideways. Hands reached from each one’s neck, grabbing onto their hair and pulling them together. Suddenly, the Orpheus’s limbs began to crumple and jerk wildly, and Makoto felt a powerful tug in his chest. As if something was trying to claw its way out. 

Then, something did come out. Not from his chest, from the Orpheuses, whose limbs were flailing wildly and tangling together. Bursting forth from the point where they both met, and tossing its arms wide, another humanoid figure erupted. 

This one had slim, pointed legs that disappeared under a wide black skirt, which split in the middle. Its hunched torso was cinched tight by a thick belt, a long sword sheath jutting out longer than the thing’s legs. Its head was almost dog-like, but it gleamed silver with jagged teeth. It had black pits for eyes, and eight floating coffins were chained to its shoulders like angel’s wings. 

But this was no angel. It was something far more horrifying. It threw its head back and screamed a deep, bone-chilling cry. It reached a hand to its hip and pulled out a gleaming sword. It looked almost like a steak knife, but with an eight-foot blade that seemed to suck in the green moonlight. 

Makoto and Kotone watched in awe and horror as it flew forward, slashing off a dozen or so of the Shadow’s hands with one swipe of the sword. One dropped near Yukari, who sat up and shrank back in fear as it twitched on the ground. It grabbed one of the remaining hands to hold the Shadow still, reached its blade back, and sliced straight through the Shadow’s mask, lopping off another group of hands in the process. 

The Shadow’s mask melted away into a pool of black ooze, and the victorious monster floated in midair, holding a still-moving arm in one hand. It took a massive bite from the arm, splattering blood across itself and the ground. 

Makoto’s breathing finally calmed as the Shadow’s entire form melted away. The monster floating in the air stared at him with empty eyes, and he had a strange thought.

I almost preferred the Shadow.

The beast silhouetted itself against the glowing green moon, and then was gone, replaced by the far less terrifying form of the twin Orpheus’s. They then faded away, and Makoto looked to his sister.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Her eyes became unfocused, and she fell forward onto the ground. Makoto looked down at her, then felt himself suddenly grow lightheaded. 

He slumped to the ground beside his sister, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

Chapter Text

4/17

“Yo, Yuka-tan!” Yukari closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning to look at Junpei. 

“What do you want?” Junpei was wearing his stupid-looking baseball cap, as always. “And stop calling me that.” 

“Whatever you say, Yuka-tan,” he said, grinning. He knew that name irritated her. Even Junpei wasn’t that dumb. “Hey, where’s Makoto?” he nodded his head towards their classmate’s empty seat. “He’s been gone all week.”

“He’s sick,” Yukari said calmly, her answer already rehearsed with the upperclassmen in the dorm. “I haven’t seen Makoto at the dorm all week, and I live there.” Technically, that wasn’t a lie. 

Junpei rubbed his stubble, trying to appear deep in thought. “You know, he’s probably missing a lot of classwork. I could bring it to him.” 

“It’s all been taken care of, Junpei,” Yukari said, gathering up her bag. “Now, I need to get to archery practice.” 

“Good luck with that,” Junpei said, sounding strangely sincere. It must have been sarcastic, Yukari thought. “Tell Makoto I hope he feels better!” Yukari nodded as she walked towards the door. 

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

If he’s awake to hear it.

She left the classroom and headed through the hallways towards the gym building. Entering the girls’ locker room, she walked past a crowd of students changing as they prepared for their clubs. Her locker was in the back corner, and she had to squeeze past a large group of girls all standing and chatting by their lockers. 

She took a few tries to open her locker, though she was certain she was putting the combination in correctly. Some days, the thing just refused to open. 

She stuffed her school bag in the locker and yanked off her bow. She took off her cardigan and white uniform shirt, carefully folding and placing them on the top shelf in her locker. Yukari liked her cardigans, but the weather was becoming too hot for winter uniforms. 

She bent down to grab the scent-proof bag she stored her archery uniform in. 

She stood up and felt her hand gripping cold steel. Her finger began shaking on the trigger. She’d been too afraid that night. That was the reason Makoto and Kotone weren’t at school. If she hadn’t been so scared…

She looked down. She wasn’t holding her Evoker, just the bag with her uniform. Her bare arms rippled with goosebumps.

“... right, Yukari?” She looked to her side. The girls she’d walked past earlier were in various states of undressing and dressing for different sports, all looking at her intently. She couldn’t remember their names.

“Um,” she said, realizing she had completely zoned out of a conversation she hadn’t realized included her. “Yeah, sure. I guess.” 

The girls giggled and resumed their conversation. Yukari turned back to her locker and took her gi out of its bag. Whatever those girls were laughing about, it was of no interest to her. She caught the names of boys being whispered, and rolled her eyes. As she pulled on her gi, she overheard a girl dressing for tennis mention Kotone’s absences. 

Yukari shut her locker and turned around, tying her cloth belt around her waist and pulling a three-fingered glove onto her right hand.

At the archery range, she collected her bow from storage and selected a quiver of arrows. She half-listened to the coach’s instructions, then took her place in the center stall. 

Yukari took an arrow in her hand, knocked it to the string, and raised her elbow high to bring the arrow to her eye level. She took a deep breath and glanced at the flag above the target. The flag is blowing slightly to the right, so she adjusts her aim to the left to compensate. 

Yukari stared at the target and pulled the arrow back. She blinked.

The Shadow is approaching her, a dozen arms skittering across the ground. It raises another dozen arms, a dozen hands holding a dozen swords, and its eyeless mask stares her down. 

She fired. Her arrow sailed wide, embedding itself in the ground beyond the target.

“Come on, Takeba,” she muttered. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled another arrow. 

She raised this one to her chin and pulled it back with a practiced motion. She stared down the arrow shaft, aiming it just inside the leftmost edge of the target. 

She’s standing on the roof, the gun pressed to her face. Makoto and Kotone are behind her, that stupid Shadow in front of her. Her hands shake on the grip.

This arrow at least hits the target. Her jittering hands started the arrow at the bullseye, but the wind, acting exactly as she expected, pushed it to the right edge of the board. 

She pushed an exhale through gritted teeth and smacked a fist against her leg in frustration. The girl standing next to her glances over, looking mildly curious. 

Get out of your head, dammit, Yukari berated herself. She selected her third shaft. She took a deep, calming breath and stared down the target. She felt her heart rate slow. 

The wind had died down, the flag now hanging limp just above the bullseye. She has shot from this distance hundreds, if not thousands, of times. When there’s no wind, just aim at the tip of the flag, and the arrow will fall perfectly to the bullseye.

She pulled the arrow back to her ear, closed her eyes, and inhaled. 

She sees Makoto lying in the hospital. His eyes are closed, blue hair lying flat across his pale face. She is sitting in a chair pulled up next to him. A monitor on the other side of the bed beeps regularly, behind that a curtain divides his bed from his sister’s. 

He opens his eyes. 

They glow, the same brilliant electric blue she’d seen when he’d picked up her Evoker and shot himself, doing in an instant what she had tried and failed to do for days.

Her hand released the arrow, and a stinging pain struck her ear. She’d let her hands slacken, and the bowstring had snapped across her earlobe. 

“Ow!” she cried. 

“Takeba!” her coach said, “Are you alright?” Yukari rubbed at her ear as tears welled in her eyes. 

“Yeah,” she snapped. “I’m fine.” 

Coach Inoue stepped into the stall, his face sympathetic. 

“Takeba, why don’t you take the rest of practice off?” he suggested. “Everybody has an off day.” 

No, I can’t leave now. Then I’ll have to go to the hospital and face them.

“I’m alright,” she said, snatching another arrow from the quiver. She nocks this one quickly, but can barely see the target through her watery eyes. 

This shot was the worst of all, and she didn’t have to look to know. She slammed her bow to the ground. She watched Coach wince. 

“It’s alright to take a break,” he says. “Relax, get your mind straightened out. There’s nothing wrong with that.” 

She felt comforted by his words, but it still frustrated her. She looked around. The entire team was staring at her. 

“Fine,” she said, whirling out of the stall. Inoue walked beside her after picking up the bow she’d tossed. 

“Takeba, if there’s any way I can help,” he says, “just let me know, alright?” 

Coach Inoue had always been kind to her, probably the closest thing to an adult she could trust at Gekkoukan. If she could explain her problems to him, he would likely try to help. But that was the worst part about her situation. Nobody outside of SEES could understand what she was going through, much less hope to help. 

“It’s alright,” she said. She walked back towards the school and into the locker room. 

Yukari slumped down on the bench across from her locker and put her head in her hands. She could feel the puffy bags under her eyes, even if she’d covered them up with makeup before leaving the dorm. Ever since that night, she’d been struggling to sleep. 

She sighed and stood up to open her locker. She changed back into her school uniform and slammed the door shut. Her stomach grumbled as she left the building, but she ignored it. 

She was still half-dreaded going to the hospital, but she had to be there when Makoto and Kotone woke up. She owed the pair her life. The least she could do was be there to thank them when they awoke. 

That doesn’t make it any easier to see them like this.

She was sitting beside Makoto’s hospital bed, watching him sleep. 

“You didn’t hear any of that, did you?” she asked rhetorically. Kotone’s bed was behind her, and she slept just as peacefully. 

She studied Makoto’s face. His eyes were closed, but that was the only difference from the blank expression he typically had when awake. 

His eyes had shone so brightly on the rooftop. His hair usually covered his eyes, which was kind of a shame. There had been something scary about his electric blue eyes quite literally glowing, but on that night, she hadn’t been able to look away.

Yukari stood up, frustrated. That was what she focused on? She left the room, hoping to find a vending machine she could buy dinner from. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone watched, frozen in horror, as her brother shot himself in the head. But instead of crimson-red blood, it was blue wisps of…something that shot from his skull. It formed into a silver and blue figure, which roared and shot fire at the Shadow approaching them. 

The monster roared in pain, but the hole that thing floating in the air had blasted in it was gone in seconds. The Shadow didn’t slow, rearing back and slamming a hand into her brother. 

“Makoto!” she shouted, watching as he struggled to his feet. He began dragging himself towards her, his visible eye wide on something behind her. She turned and was faced with the monster’s many arms and blankly staring mask now focused on her. 

Then, she remembered. She reached to her hip and gripped the pistol Akihiko had given her downstairs. You’ll get more use out of it than I can , he’d said. 

She raised it to her head. She’d watched on in horror as Makoto had done the same, but now she found it a strangely comforting feeling. 

“Persona!” 

She pulled the trigger and screamed as a strange figure of her own ripped itself from her head. 

“I am thou, thou art I,” it said, voice booming in her head. “I am Orpheus, master of strings. From the sea of thy soul, I cometh.” It looked similar to Makoto’s… spirit thing, but hers had a more female figure, and her hair flowed in a wind that didn’t exist. 

Then, her skull erupted in pain, and she fell to her knees. She saw her brother collapse beside her through tear-stained eyes. Her Orpheus suddenly shot towards Makoto’s, and something horrifying clawed its way out from the point where the two forms met. 

It looked at her, silver dog’s head grinning with pointed teeth. She screamed and was awake.

Her head hurt. She was lying down in the darkness. 

Where am I?

She realized her eyes were closed and opened them. She was in a white-walled hospital room. To her left, her brother was lying in an identical bed to her own. She tried to sit up, but found the effort difficult. Her arm was strapped against the railing of the bed, tubes and wires taped to the inside of her arm. 

Everything flooded back to her. The rooftop, the Shadow, her brother picking up the gun. 

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Makoto was stirring as well, groaning slightly as his eyes fluttered open. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Her throat was too dry. 

The door swung open, and her neck cracked as she struggled to turn to the side to look. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Yukari said, walking towards them, a bowl of instant ramen in her hand. 

“Hey, Yukari,” Kotone’s voice cracked as she spoke. 

Yukari walked towards Makoto’s bed and saw him awake as well. 

“How long was I out?” Makoto croaked. Kotone was wondering the same thing herself. Judging by how much she’d struggled to speak, it had to have been a few days. 

“Today’s Friday,” Yukari said. 

Oh. Only a day.

“So it’s been a week and a day.” Yukari finished. 

“What?” Kotone struggled to sit up. She had to lean her torso to the left to keep the tubes in her arm. 

“I should let Kirijo-senpai know you’re awake,” Yukari said to herself, reaching into her bag for her phone. 

As she dialed Mitsuru’s number, the door opened again. A nurse walked into the room, pulling a cart beside her. 

“Oh, you’re awake!” the nurse said, noticing Kotone. “And your brother.” The nurse abandoned the cart and began removing the IVs and monitors from Kotone’s arm. “How do you two feel?”

“Like shit,” Kotone answered, wincing as she stretched her arm out.

“Tired,” Makoto said. 

Yukari was in the corner of the room, talking on her phone. The nurse moved on to free Makoto from the wires and tubes he’d been stuck with. 

“The doctor didn’t find anything wrong with either of you,” she said, “He said you were just exhausted." She stepped away from Makoto, whose arm cracked as he spun it around. “I’ll go let him know you’re awake.” She left the room just as Yukari flipped her phone closed. 

Yukari sat down in a chair between the beds and turned it so she could see them both. It had been tilted towards Makoto before. 

“So,” Yukari said, biting her lip. “That was some crazy stuff you two did.” 

“That’s one way to put it,” Makoto said. 

“Yeah, what the fuck was that?” Kotone asked. Yukari looked at the door to make sure it was closed before answering.

“We call it 'Persona.’ That thing you killed was a Shadow,” Yukari fell silent as the nurse returned, a tall doctor alongside her. “Kirijo-senpai and the others will explain the rest later.”

The doctor crouched over Kotone to examine her first. She lay back in bed and followed his instructions to follow his finger with only her eyes, stick out her tongue so he could stick a depressor into her mouth, or to deeply breathe while he listened with a stethoscope.

The doctor nodded, seeming satisfied with her condition, and moved on to Makoto, leaving her with her thoughts.

Persona.  

She had hardly believed it when she’d woken up, but if Yukari and Makoto both remembered it, it must’ve happened. She’d shot herself with the gun Akihiko had given her and summoned Orpheus. 

“You both seem to be in good condition,” the doctor said. “Kirijo-senpai wanted me to send you two home as soon as possible, so I’ll take care of the paperwork.” He whisked out of the room, his coat flapping behind him. 

“Hey, I wanted to tell you guys something,” Yukari said, looking at her hands. 

“What’s that?” Kotone said. 

“I wasn’t much help the other night, was I?” she sighed. “I guess I just want to thank you both for saving me. And I’m sorry I was such a coward.” 

“I didn’t know what I was doing would save anyone,” Makoto shrugged. “So I don’t think it counts.” 

Yukari looked up, a faint smile on her lips. She seemed to sit up taller, like she’d been carrying something heavy and finally put it down. 

Kotone stumbled into the dorm, Makoto and Yukari walking behind her. She lay down across one of the couches, far more exhausted than she would’ve thought, considering how long she’d been resting in the hospital. Yukari had said something about being unconscious not counting as sleep, but Kotone hadn’t paid much attention. 

“Ah, you’re back,” Mitsuru said as she descended the stairs. Kotone sat up. It seemed wise to look at least vaguely dignified in front of Mitsuru. 

Even the doctor called her Senpai.

Her foot bounced on the floor despite her efforts to sit still. Makoto sat on the couch, Yukari beside him. Akihiko came out from the kitchen, wearing a pink apron and holding a smoothie that looked to have the color and consistency of mud. His other arm was in a cast and wrapped in a sling, and he walked with a slight limp. 

“What happened to you?” Kotone asked. Akihiko took a sip from his smoothie and grimaced.

“That Shadow kicked my ass before I made it inside,” he said. “I told you my Evoker would be of more use with you.” 

“It was,” Kotone assured him. “It would’ve been nice of you to explain what the thing did, though.” Akihiko laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I want answers,” Makoto cut in. He was looking at Mitsuru, his face determined. Something seemed different about him since they’d woken up. He looked more alive, somehow. At the very least, his hair was now only obscuring one eye. Kirijo, for her part, looked surprised for once. She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and cleared her throat.

“Ikutsuki is out of town right now,” she said, “he’ll explain everything tomorrow.” 

Makoto stared at Mitsuru, his one visible eye narrowed. But she wasn’t backing down. He shook his head and stood up. 

“I’m going to sleep,” he muttered, obviously frustrated. Mitsuru and Akihiko looked at each other, seeming slightly perturbed. 

“I’ll go check on him,” Kotone decided. Mitsuru nodded to her, which Kotone took as permission to leave the room. Not that she needed permission, but Kirijo intimidated her somewhat. 

Kotone marched up the stairs and knocked on Makoto’s door. “Hey, Makoto?” 

Nothing. 

“Are you awake, Makoto?” 

She waited, but no response came. It made sense. Why would he want to talk to her? She raised a hand to knock again, but paused. 

At this point she was hoping he wouldn’t open the door. Then she’d have to think of something to say to him, and what would that be? Sorry I kind of ignored you trying to jump in front of a train, it was just a little too heavy for me to think about. I had tennis practice later, I couldn’t let you distract me from that, oh no!

Kotone clenched her hands into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. 

He’s probably asleep. Leave him alone. 

Kotone sighed and walked to her room. 

Someone had done her laundry while she slept. Her clean clothes were all organized in her closet and dresser, and all the dirty clothes she’d piled up had been washed. Her Walkman and headphones had even been laid out on her desk.

Kotone decided to ignore the fact that this meant someone had been in her room without permission, and instead took it as a gift. She never would have put her clothes away on her own, and she hated doing laundry. 

She exchanged her skirt for a pair of shorts and took out a fresh t-shirt, tossing her dirty clothes into the laundry basket that had been placed in the corner. 

She laid down and stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting down to her brother. 

At least he’s honest with himself .

He didn’t care if people liked him or not. In fact, it seemed that half the time he was trying to make people dislike him. But she’d never been able to do that. She always had to pin on a smile and make her stupid jokes, because if she didn’t like being by herself, well, she couldn’t let herself be alone. If she couldn’t like how she really felt, the least she could do was find a way to be liked by others. 

She clutched her blanket to herself, shutting her eyes against the darkness pressing in on her. 

Kotone woke up quickly, but not in her bed. She was back in that strange place with the long-nosed man. What had he called it? 

Velvet Room, that was it.

She was sitting in her chair with the lyre-shaped back. Was that because of the lyre Orpheus carried? 

Makoto was sitting next to her, looking blankly in front of him.

“Makoto,” Kotone whispered. “What was that about back there?” Her brother looked at her, seeming irritated. “Come on, man, don’t be like that.”

“Ahem,” Igor cleared his throat, and Kotone fell silent. Elizabeth looked at her with narrowed eyes. Theodore appeared to be somewhat disappointed in her. “I’m glad we finally have this chance to speak again. You both lost consciousness after awaking to your powers. And it was Orpheus who heeded both your calls. How curious…”

Kotone glanced at Makoto. 

“Is that strange?” she asked. 

“Quite,” Igor answered. “The power of Persona is an extension of a person’s psyche. For two individuals to manifest the same Persona…” he looked down his nose, his eyebrows knit in thought.

“I don’t understand,” Makoto said. “How did I summon that…thing?”

“It may take some time to fully comprehend,” Igor said. “Your Persona is a facet of your personality which surfaces as a reaction to external stimuli. Think of it as a mask that protects you, as you brave many hardships.” 

“But, if it’s a facet of our personality,” Kotone said. “Why did we summon the same one?” 

Igor grinned, his wide mouth curling in an almost grotesque manner. 

“I must admit I do not know for certain,” he said. “It certainly goes beyond the fact that you two are twins. I suspect it stems from the reasons you both have the ability to use the power of Persona. Your Personas being identical suggests that the event that granted you the ability was identical for you both.” 

He seemed to leave the sentence open-ended, as if he wanted one of them to suggest what that event could be. 

Kotone looked to her brother. If there was one event that linked them both, it seemed obvious to her what it was. 

“I have no idea,” Kotone said. This guy didn’t need to know what had happened. She didn’t want to think about it, let alone explain it to a strange man in her dream.

“Something to consider,” Igor said, moving on. “The power of Persona is the power of one’s soul. When you use your Persona, you channel the inner strength of your soul. Your soul’s strength is fueled not only by your own convictions and desires, but the strength of your connections to others as well. Please, remember this.” 

Kotone nodded. This philosophical stuff wasn’t really up her alley, but she thought she followed him so far. 

“Time marches on in your world,” Igor said. “I shouldn’t keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, both of you will come here of your own accord.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kotone said, feeling her vision begin to darken. She had more questions to ask, but her body began to slip from the control of her mind. “Dammit!”

“Farewell,” Igor said, chuckling as Kotone fell back into a normal state of rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4/18

“Woah, Makoto! You’re finally back!” Junpei said, swinging an arm over Makoto’s shoulders. Yukari saw his shoulders shrink slightly at the contact, but held her tongue. “What happened? Were you, like, crazy sick or something?”

“Or something,” Makoto answered. Junpei nodded and took his arm off Makoto to point at the approaching Kotone with both hands. 

“Kotone!” 

“Junpei!” Kotone grinned, pointing back at him. “What’s goin’ on?” 

“Nothing really,” Junpei’s smile slipped. “School’s been pretty boring, but that’s the same as always.” 

“Tell me about it,” Kotone said. “Kirijo-senpai told me I’m going to have to catch up at the dorm. How fucked up is that?” 

“Dude, that’s not cool,” Junpei agreed. 

“That reminds me,” Yukari cut in, “the chairman wants to talk to you two at the dorm when school ends.” 

Makoto nodded. Kotone was talking with Junpei about some sports team. Baseball, maybe? 

“Will you make sure she remembers?” Yukari asked Makoto, who nodded in response. 

“What’re you two whispering about?” Junpei said. Kotone smirked at the pair. 

This guy…

“We aren’t whispering,” Yukari cried, “And I’m telling him to make sure Kotone comes straight back to the dorm after school, like the chairman asked.”

“I’m supposed to go straight to the dorm after school?” Kotone asked.

“Exactly,” Yukari said, crossing her arms. 

The group walked into school, Kotone saying goodbye and splitting off to enter her classroom. Yukari took her seat in the front row, Makoto behind her, and Junpei to his right. 

The day passed quickly, though Yukari had to turn around to help Makoto with a few topics he’d missed over the last week. He picked them up quickly, at least. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone stumbled out of the classroom, holding a hand to her head. It was exhausting to be back in school, and it was even more exhausting to be a week behind in all her classes. She’d tried her best to keep up with the lessons she only halfway understood, but all she’d gotten out of it was a splitting headache. 

“Kotone!” a voice called. She turned around to see Rio walking towards her, a smile on her face. “You’re back!” 

“I am,” Kotone agreed. Rio fell in beside her as they walked down the stairs.

“Are you coming to practice?” Rio asked. 

“Um,” Kotone said. She was pretty sure she was forgetting something. She looked across the entrance hall and saw Makoto learning against one of the pillars. He caught her eye and nodded his head towards the door. That reminded her.

“Shit, I can’t,” Kotone said. “I have to go to some meeting at the dorm. I thought practice was Monday, Wednesday, Friday?” 

“That’s the official practice days,” Rio said, her jaw twitching. “But we practice after school pretty much every day. It’s the only way to improve.”

Kotone gave an apologetic smile. She could understand her annoyance, but it wasn’t that serious, was it?

“I know,” she said. “I’ll be there on Monday, I promise. This meeting sounded important.” 

Rio nodded, still seeming irritated, and walked towards the gym building. Kotone watched her leave, then walked over to Makoto. 

“I guess we’d better get going,” Kotone said. Makoto nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked. 

They arrived at the train station with perfect timing, right as a monorail pulled in. They stepped on and secured two seats beside each other. Kotone turned to look out the window. 

“That was pretty weird, huh?” Kotone said as the train soared over the water. Makoto glanced up at her. 

“You’re gonna have to be more specific than that,” he said. “A lot of weird things have happened.” 

“Alright, how about the weird guy with the nose?” Kotone said. “I’ve had that dream twice; that can’t be a coincidence.” 

“I’ve had it three times,” Makoto said. “And the first time, Igor kicked me out because you weren’t here yet.” 

“So it’s real,” Kotone said. “Even though it doesn’t make any sense.” 

“Doesn’t make any less sense than shooting yourself in the face to summon a monster,” Makoto said. 

“That’s true,” Kotone said, laughing. “Hopefully they’re going to explain it all when we get back.” 

“Hopefully,” Makoto leaned his head back on the window and closed his eyes. He was done with the conversation. Still, that was progress.

That was more words than he’s said to me in the last ten years combined.

Kotone held the door for Makoto as they walked into their dorm building. Yukari was the only one in the lobby, and she stood up at their entrance. 

“Where is everyone?” Kotone said. “I thought we were having a meeting.” 

“We are,” Yukari answered. “Come on, they’re on the fourth floor.” 

“Okay,” Kotone said slowly, following Yukari up the stairs. 

“You’ll understand why,” Yukari said. “It’s easier if you just let the chairman explain it all.” 

Makoto walked silently behind Kotone, his headphones around his neck. He was interested enough in this to give it his full attention. 

“Ah, there you are,” Ikutsuki said as they entered. The room was sparsely decorated, with a few seats and a couch around a table, similar to the lobby. One wall was dominated by a massive computer setup, with a console system that looked like it would be more at home commanding a rocket launch than in a high school dormitory. 

Akihiko and Mitsuru sat opposite each other around the table, and the chairman was perched on a large chair at the head. A small briefcase was on top of the table. Kotone had a pretty good guess at what was inside. 

“It looks like you’ve recovered well,” the chairman continued. “There are a few things I believe I need to discuss with you two. That’s why I arranged for our meeting. Have a seat.” 

He gestured at the empty spots on the furniture. Makoto took a seat on a cushioned box next to Akihiko, and Kotone sat on the couch with Mitsuru, Yukari sitting between the two. 

“I guess I should begin with this,” the chairman said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. “Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than twenty-four hours?” 

“Uh, no?” Kotone said. It sounded like a trick question. “That’s ridiculous.” Across from her, Makoto looked at the man with narrowed eyes through his mop of hair. 

“That’s a reasonable reaction,” Kirijo said. “But you’ve already experienced the truth firsthand. On the night you first got here. The streetlights that went out, electronics stopped working, and the coffins appeared in the streets. Didn’t it feel like you’d stepped into a different time?” 

“More like I’d stepped into a weird dream,” Kotone admitted. 

“That’s the Dark Hour,” Mitsuru said. “A time period hidden between one day and the next.” 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Makoto spoke up. “How does nobody know about it?” 

“People simply aren’t cognizant of it,” Ikutsuki answered. “But the Dark Hour does exist, and it occurs every night at midnight. It’ll happen tonight, and every night to come.” 

“Normal people don’t realize it,” Akihiko said. “They’re all asleep in their coffins. But that’s not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting. It’s those creatures you two fought. Shadows. They appear during the Dark Hour and try to kill anyone who isn’t in a coffin. And it’s our job to defeat them. Pretty exciting, huh?” Akihiko grinned. 

That does sound pretty badass. Kotone felt her lips curling upwards. The city was a lot more interesting than she’d expected, that was for sure. 

“Akihiko, why are you always like this?” Mitsuru looked annoyed. “You just got hurt the other day.” 

“I’ll cut to the chase,” Ikutsuki interjected, shutting down what Kotone could tell was a brewing argument. “We are the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES for short. On paper, we’re classified as a school club. But in reality, we’re a group dedicated to defeating the Shadows.”

“A club,” Kotone laughed. That seemed too ridiculous to be true. 

“Yes,” Ikutsuki continued. “Mitsuru Kirijo-kun is the leader, and I’m the club advisor. The school doesn’t have any idea what we really do.” 

Kotone was silent. She looked at Makoto, who seemed equally confused as he processed the information.

“The Shadows feed on the minds of their prey,” Kirijo said. “The victims become living corpses.” 

“Apathy Syndrome,” Ikutsuki took over the explanation. “Its victims are responsible for most of the incidents on the news.” 

Kotone looked at Makoto. She’d suspected something similar was happening to him for a while. For his part, her brother was looking at his feet, his blue hair obscuring his eyes. 

“So, how do we stop them?” Kotone asked. If there was any way to help her brother, she’d take it. 

“There are rare individuals who can function during the Dark Hour,” Ikutsuki said. “Some awaken to a power that lets them fight Shadows.”

“Persona,” Makoto whispered. Ikutsuki’s brow furrowed.

“You’re familiar?” he asked. Makoto shrugged.

“That’s what Kotone and I said when we made those things appear.” 

“Indeed,” Ikutsuki said. “That 'thing’ is a Persona. Only those who wield the power of Persona can defeat Shadows.” 

“Just six of us?” Kotone said, counting the people in the room. 

“Five, actually,” Ikutsuki said. “I’m merely an advisor. I cannot use a Persona myself.” 

“What the chairman means to say is we want you two to join us,” Mitsuru said, opening the briefcase on the table. Inside, a pair of silver pistols was placed in foam inserts. Two red armbands were laid out beneath the guns. “We’ve prepared Evokers for both of you. We want you to lend us your strength and join S.E.E.S.” 

“No more borrowing mine,” Akihiko said. Kotone stood up and reached into the case to grasp the familiar weapon. 

If I’m one of the only ones who can help, it would be pretty fucked up to say no. And besides…

“Sounds badass,” she said. The gun felt good in her hand. As if she were meant to use it. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

The group turned to Makoto. He was still looking down, hair obscuring his face. 

“I heard them,” Makoto said, his voice deathly quiet. 

“You heard who?” Ikutsuki asked. 

“Shadows.” Makoto looked up. “You guys didn’t?”  

“What? No, I didn’t,” Kotone looked her brother in the eyes. He looked confused. 

“I kept hearing voices, telling me to sleep,” he said in a low voice. “And that nothing I did mattered. And then, on the platform, I just blacked out. That’s when I fell…” 

He fell silent. The room was silent. Kotone’s mind was not. If Shadows had been talking to Makoto, influencing his mind, that would explain why he’d been so quiet. It would mean it wasn’t his fault, when he almost fell. 

“Something told me to do it, and I couldn’t stop myself from walking,” he continued. “I didn’t know what happened.” 

“A voice was talking to you?” Ikutsuki asked. His hand was rubbing his chin. He looked fascinated.

“And then, when the Shadow attacked, it talked to me,” Makoto continued. “It was the same voice.” 

“It’s possible you were suffering from the beginnings of Apathy Syndrome,” Ikutsuki said. “Perhaps the Shadows tried to influence your body. Though it does seem to have progressed awfully fast. We haven’t been able to learn much about Apathy Syndrome. Everyone who has it ends up too, well, apathetic to answer our questions.” 

“Then why is Makoto not a zombie-person?” Kotone asked. 

“We believe the act of summoning a Persona is enough to ward off Shadows,” Kirijo said. “We don’t know enough to draw real conclusions. The sample size of Persona-users is just too small.” 

“Have you been hearing that voice since that night?” Ikutsuki asked. Makoto shook his head. Ikutsuki frowned. He seemed almost disappointed. 

Kotone breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever he’d been going through, it was over now. The Shadows had been trying to kill him, but they’d failed. 

“If a Persona is what I need to stop those things talking to me,” Makoto said, standing up. “Then count me in.” 

“Good,” Yukari said. “I was worried you’d say no.” 

Makoto reached into the case and picked up the remaining Evoker. 

“Good,” Ikutsuki smiled. “Then I believe that is all I wanted to discuss. I’m sorry for taking up part of your weekend.” 

Kotone realized she was still holding her gun, and she tucked it into her blazer’s pocket. 

“Shall week-end this meeting?” Ikutsuki said, grinning. “Come on, ‘week-end?’ Like weekend?” 

“Oh, I get it,” Yukari said, forcing a chuckle. “Good one.” 

The third-years stood up to leave, and Ikutsuki followed them. Kotone looked at Makoto, who was back in his seat, fingering the engraved letters on the barrel of his Evoker. He still looked tired. Ikutsuki said he should be fine now, so maybe this was just what he was like now. 

Quiet. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto traced each letter on the barrel of his new gun. 

S.E.E.S.

It seemed impossible to believe. He was somehow now a part of a team of high school students dedicated to exterminating monsters that turned people into walking zombies. The same monsters that had tried to throw him into an oncoming train. 

“I’m going out for dinner,” Kotone said, “You should come with me.” 

“I’ll pass,” Yukari said. “But thanks, Kotone.” Makoto hadn’t realized Yukari was still here.

“Makoto?” he shook his head and turned the gun to stare down the barrel. It looked like any other gun, though he didn’t know exactly what a real gun should look like. His only experience had been from the movies.

“Alright,” Kotone said. She stood there for another few seconds before leaving. 

Makoto glanced at Yukari, who still sat on the couch. Her lips were pursed, as if she wanted to say something. But she was silent, so Makoto stood up. 

As he pushed the door open, Yukari finally spoke up. 

“You know, I can sort of relate to you,” she said. Makoto turned to look at her. She was looking at the ground, not wanting to meet his eyes. 

“What do you mean?”  

“When you were in the hospital, the nurse told me about your parents.” 

Makoto looked down. What did she know?

“My dad died in an accident when I was little,” she said. “And my mom, well…” She let out a sarcastic chuckle. “The less I say about my mother, the better.”

Makoto considered for a moment before sitting down next to her. She looked up at him with surprise before turning back to look at her feet.

Makoto wanted to say something, that he was sorry to hear about it, but he didn’t. He had heard so many people’s apologies and condolences about his parents, and he knew it all meant nothing.

“Your sister had her grandparents as her emergency contact,” Yukari continued, her voice shaky. “But you didn’t have anyone listed.” 

That was true. Makoto hadn’t wanted to speak to his most recent foster family since he’d left, and the ones previous hadn’t wanted to speak to him. 

“You’re all alone, too, aren’t you?” Makoto didn’t need to respond. She had pretty much hit the nail on the head.

“I don’t mind,” he lied. “It was so long ago.” 

“My dad died ten years ago, and it still hurts,” Yukari said. “It’s okay if you’re sad about it.” 

“Why are you telling me this, Yukari?” 

She looked hurt for a moment. He regretted his words instantly.

“I just wanted you to know that… I get it,” she said. “We both went through the same thing. And we don’t have to be alone, you know?” 

Makoto considered his next words carefully. He wanted to brush her off, to tell her he didn’t care if he was alone. He would be alone again when he left this town, and he wouldn’t feel all that bad about it. 

He wanted to push away from yet another possible friendship, just to avoid the pain it would cause. It was so much easier to keep all his pain buried and ignore it all. 

But it felt good to hear someone tell him they were with him. 

That he wasn’t alone. 

“I want to believe things will be better,” he said. 

He took a deep breath and looked at Yukari. 

“My head doesn’t hurt anymore, and Shadows can’t talk to me anymore. I should be better, now that I have a Persona, right?”

Yukari looked at him, and he brushed his hair out of his eyes to see her face. She was listening with genuine concern on her face.

“I still feel the same way, Yukari,” he stammered as he searched for the right words. “Deep down, I think I knew the Shadows weren’t the reason I feel like this. They can’t talk to me anymore, and I still wake up, and wish I was somebody else.” 

He looked down, waiting for Yukari to answer. But she didn’t say anything. It wasn’t fair of him to expect her to have something to say. It wasn’t fair of him to put that on her and expect her to have some way to fix his problems. 

“Sorry,” he whispered, and he left the room.

Chapter Text

Makoto stared at the ceiling. The last words he’d said to Yukari were echoing through his head. He hadn’t sat and told somebody else how he felt in years. But he’d just… dumped it all on her and left. That wasn’t fair to her, was it?

The hum of the air conditioning stopped, and his Walkman shut off to indicate the beginning of the Dark Hour. The silence only made his thoughts seem louder. 

He laid a hand over his eyes and sighed. “That was stupid, Makoto.”

“I’d ask how you were, but you seem to have answered that for me.” 

Makoto shot to a sitting position, snapping his head to the source of the voice.

The kid was back, staring at him with his different-colored eyes from beside his bed. 

“What the—” 

The boy giggled at Makoto’s reaction. Even such a childish sound felt strange coming from him. His laugh felt off, like he didn’t quite remember how to express that he felt something was funny. 

“What are you doing here?” Makoto asked. 

“I’m always by your side,” the kid softly smiled.

What is that supposed to mean?

“Soon, the end will come,” the boy said, matter-of-factly. “I just remembered, so I thought I should tell you.”

“Huh?” 

“But to be honest, I don’t really know much about it…” the boy continued. “More importantly, it seems like you’ve awakened to your power. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none. It may even prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up.” The kid suddenly turned his head to the side, eyes narrowing in anger. “Would you please stop doing that?” 

Makoto followed the boy’s gaze, but nothing was there. 

“Who are you talking to?” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone knelt down and plunged a finger into the boy’s blue eye, but found her hand went straight through. She felt a slight coldness as she waved her arm around inside the strange boy’s face. 

“Would you please stop doing that?” the boy said, looking irritated. 

“Sorry,” Kotone said, stifling a laugh as she sat back on her bed. “Continue, please.” She gave the boy an exaggerated hand wave. The kid sighed. 

“Do you remember when we first met?” 

“When I moved in?” Kotone asked. “And you made me sign some weird forms?” 

The boy’s smile returned. 

“I expect you to honor your commitment,” the boy said. “I’m always watching you… even if you forget about me.” 

I don’t think I’ll be forgetting about the boy in pajamas that randomly appears in the middle of the night anytime soon.

“Okay then, see you later,” the boy said, his tone concluding the conversation. He disappeared into black shadows again, just for good measure.

Kotone sat up for a few minutes, watching the smoke dissipate. 

“Creeps me the fuck out…” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4/19

“Makotoooooooooooo,” someone was pounding on his door. “Wake up, Makotoooooooooooo.” He sighed and stood up, swinging the door open before Kotone could continue her ghastly wailing. 

“Hey,” he said. 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” she looked out of his window at the pitch-black night. “Or, I guess I should say good night.”

“I didn’t fall asleep until late,” he said. “Some weird stuff was going on last night.” 

Kotone nodded, seeming to understand what he was referring to. 

So the kid visited her as well…

“We can worry about that later,” she said. “Yukari sent me to wake you up. Akihiko wants to show us something downstairs.” 

Makoto wasn’t surprised to hear Yukari hadn’t come to wake him up herself. He wouldn’t want to talk to him if he was her, not after last night. 

Makoto yawned and followed his sister down the stairs. Yukari looked up, then quickly back down at the ground as they entered the lobby. Makoto couldn’t bring himself to look at her as he took a seat on the couch opposite her. 

Yeah, I screwed up last night.

The awkward moment was mercifully interrupted by Akihiko walking in, unwrapping his red scarf from around his neck. 

“Ah, perfect timing,” he said. “There’s someone I want to introduce.” He turned towards the front door, which remained shut. 

“Um, Sanada-senpai,” Kotone said, raising a tentative hand. “There’s nobody there.” 

“Yes, I can see that,” Akihiko sighed and opened the door. “Hey, hurry up.” 

“Gimme a sec, man,” a boy’s strained voice called from outside. “This thing is freakin’ heavy!” 

Makoto narrowed his eyes. That voice sounded familiar. 

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.

“Junpei?” Yukari sputtered in shock, jumping to her feet with instant rage. “What are you doing here?” 

“Junpei!” Kotone yelled excitedly, jumping to her feet with instant joy. “What are you doing here?” 

Makoto simply blinked, slowly standing up with no particular emotion. The goateed boy in the baseball cap dropped the four suitcases he had somehow carried in and grinned at the group.

“Ah, so you know each other," Akihiko said. “That makes this easier. Junpei is going to be living with us from now on.” 

“This has to be a mistake,” Yukari said, barely keeping her rising fury at bay. 

“Junpei!” Kotone shouted, darting forwards to perform a strange handshake with the new arrival. “Oh, this is gonna be awesome.” 

“Hey,” Makoto said, indifferently stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

“‘Sup?” Junpei said. 

“I bumped into him the other night,” Akihiko explained. “I told him about our club, and he agreed to join.”

But that means…

“Really?” Yukari raised an eyebrow. “ You have the potential?” She voiced Makoto’s thoughts quite succinctly, if a bit rudely.

“Don’t laugh at my boy!” Kotone said, swinging an arm over Junpei’s shoulder.

“This guy found me cryin’ like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins,” Junpei explained proudly. “I don’t remember much, but it was pretty embarrassing!” 

Kotone turned to look at him. 

“Okay, you can laugh at my boy,” she said, snorting with laughter. 

“But, Akihiko said that was normal,” Junpei said, looking at Makoto for help. “You’re supposed to be confused, and not remember anything, right?” 

Makoto shook his head. 

“Didn’t happen to me.” 

“Right,” Junpei said, looking slightly crestfallen. “Man, I had no idea you guys had all this crazy stuff goin’ on! But it’s a good thing I’m not the only one. I’ll need all the help I can get to take care of business!” 

Akihiko nodded along with Junpei, his expression growing more bemused with each sentence. 

“It’s gonna be great, now that I’ve joined, right?” 

“Uh, sure,” Yukari said. 

“Oh, definitely!” Kotone exclaimed.

Makoto shrugged.

“With this many people, we can start checking out the tower,” Akihiko explained. “So we’d better get you unpacked. The chairman will explain tomorrow.” He picked up a suitcase in each hand and marched towards the stairs. Junpei and Kotone picked up the remaining two and followed, chatting loudly as they went about some nonsense Makoto didn’t want to understand. 

That left just him and Yukari. Makoto looked at her, hoping to find something to say. 

“Yukari, about last night,” he started. “I mean, what I said…” 

“Don’t apologize, Makoto,” Yukari said, cutting him off. “You can talk to me. We’re friends.” 

Whatever words Makoto would’ve said next fled his brain at that last word. He heard a strange sort of grunting noise come from his lips. 

He hadn’t had friends in a long time. He’d told himself he wouldn’t have friends anymore. 

“I— I’m going to bed now,” he muttered, pushing past Yukari and escaping up the stairs. 

That was a terrible excuse.

He’d just woken up, after all. If anything, he was going to have to do the exact opposite of going to bed, and stay up all night in order to fix his completely reversed sleep schedule.

He flipped the lights on in his room, determined to keep himself awake through to the next day. Sitting at his desk, Makoto opened his laptop. 

I guess I could play Innocent Sin… no, who am I kidding? Nobody plays that game anymore. 

Makoto spent the next thirty minutes aimlessly searching for an interesting video to watch, but nothing caught his eye. He just wanted to do nothing, skip to the start of the next day, and pretend that he hadn’t just looked like an idiot in front of the closest thing to a friend he had for the second time in the last 24 hours. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4/20 

“You guys ready to kick some ass?” Junpei asked as the group of second years disembarked the train. Kotone grinned at his excitement.

“It’s gonna be awesome,” she said, “it’ll be just like a video game!” 

“And oh, boy, the dorm is comfy,” Junpei raved. “I haven’t slept like that in forever!” Kotone was a little confused by that. The dorm wasn’t that great, at least compared to her grandparents’ place. Maybe Junpei’s house wasn’t great. “And we’re the only ones who can fight the Shad— enemies!” 

“It is pretty cool,” Kotone admitted. “It’s like we’re fighting for justice, or something.” 

“Hey, keep it down,” Makoto whispered from behind. They were nearing the entrance to Gekkoukan, and were starting to draw strange looks. 

“Do you have, like, any idea what we’re gonna be doing?” Junpei whispered. Or, Junpei attempted to whisper. Really, he just leaned close to Kotone’s ear and spoke at his normal volume, which was still quite loud. 

“Probably something badass,” Kotone said. “Oh, man, wait till you see the guns, dude.” 

“We get guns?”

“I guess they’re not really guns. The other weapons are real, though. Wait ‘till you see my naginata!” 

The group had reached their floor, and Kotone said goodbye before entering her classroom. She took her seat and faced the front, her leg bouncing with excitement. 

I can’t wait for school to be over!

“Ughhhhhhhhhh,” Kotone groaned, laying her head on her arms. This had been the longest school day of her life. And it was only lunchtime. 

“Are you alright?” Rio leaned over. 

“No,” Kotone said, her voice muffled against her sleeve. “I want to go hooooooome.” 

“Don’t forget, we have practice,” Rio said. 

Kotone took a long inhale. “Yeah, I don’t know if I can make it,” she said, opening an eye to see the captain’s reaction. 

Rio’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but her calm expression quickly returned. 

“Shiomi-san,” a new voice spoke from above. Kotone looked up to see Mitsuru looking down at her. She momentarily stared, trying to process why a tall older woman was towering over her, and pondering ways to put herself in this position more often. She quickly sat up and shook her head. 

“Hey, Kirijo-senpai,” Kotone said. “What’s up?” Mitsuru seemed momentarily confused by the phrase, but quickly recovered her composure. 

“Come back to the room on the fourth floor after school ends,” she said, her voice dripping with natural authority. “I have something to tell you. I’ve already informed the others.” 

Kirijo turned on her unfathomably high heel and left the classroom. “Man, she doesn’t waste time, does she?” 

Rio shrugged. “She’s the student council president for a reason.” 

“Does that get me a pass to miss practice?” 

Kotone leapt out of her seat at the first chime of the bell. She was out of the classroom before Mr. Ekoda had time to unleash another sigh and half-rant about the lack of samurai in today’s lecture. She slid open the door to class 2-F before any of the students inside got to it, and she quickly spotted Junpei and Yukari standing around Makoto’s desk. 

“Come on, come on, come on,” Kotone said. “We gotta go!” She grabbed Makoto’s arm and hauled him to his feet. 

“Alright, calm down,” Yukari said. “There’s no point rushing. It’s not like we can do anything until the Dark Hour.” 

“I’ve been waiting all day for this, now come on,” Kotone dashed out of the room as fast as she felt she could get away with in school. Junpei quickly joined her.

“So, I was thinking about my weapon,” he said, thankfully waiting until they were outside before bringing it up. “I want a giant sword.” 

“That’s badass,” Kotone said. “Makoto has a sword too.” 

“Well, mine will be bigger,” Junpei said. “I want to swing that thing like a baseball bat!” 

“What?”

“I used to play baseball, so I figure if we’re fighting monsters, my training could come in handy!” 

“That sounds awesome,” Kotone said. “You can just walk up to a shadow and pow!” she mimed an exaggerated home run swing, spinning in a circle with her hands high, then fell into a pose with an arm on her hip

“Woah,” Junpei said. “That was awesome.” 

“What, the baseball swing?” 

“No, the pose,” Junpei looked deadly serious all of a sudden. “I need a cool victory pose. Every hero has one!” 

He began experimenting with different poses as they walked to the station, Kotone giving her thoughts on each one. 

“I think I saw that in an anime.” Junpei frowned, then threw up a peace sign and a grin. “I definitely saw that in an anime.” 

As they entered the train station, Junpei mimed pulling invisible gloves up on his wrists. “What if I get batting gloves?” 

“That’s not bad,” she said. “But I think I saw that one in a record store.” 

“Dammit,” Junpei said. 

“It’s okay,” Kotone consoled him. “You’ll think of something.” 

“No, not that,” Junpei pointed at the timetable. “That.”

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” 

Every train was delayed. Kotone was having flashbacks to the day she’d moved in. She turned around to see Makoto and Yukari finally catch up. 

“Bad news, guys,” Kotone said. “Trains are delayed!”  

“No way,” Yukari said, reading the board for herself. “What happened?” 

Kotone looked around for any indication of the cause, but there were no obvious clues. Just a mass of bodies crowding the train platforms. 

“I’m goin’ in,” Junpei said, shoving his baseball cap lower on his head. “This is a job for an Ace Detective.” 

“A job for what?” Yukari grumbled. 

Junpei dove into the crowd, drawing irritated glances as he pushed people aside. He quickly disappeared, leaving the others to wait for his return. 

“So,” Kotone turned to Makoto, “how was your day, bro?” 

“Fine.” 

“That’s… good, I guess.” 

Makoto shrugged. Kotone had a sudden urge to reach out and grab onto his shoulders so he couldn’t do that anymore. 

“What about you, Yukari?” 

“Same as always,” the pink-clad girl answered. “I’m missing archery practice right now, though. If I knew the trains weren’t running, I could’ve gone.” 

“I skipped tennis,” Kotone sympathized. “But I’m pretty terrible, they won’t miss me much.” 

After a few more minutes, Junpei burst out of the crowd and stumbled towards them, grinning.

“Detective Iori, has solved the case,” he threw a thumbs up sign, glancing at Kotone for her thoughts on his new pose. She shook her head. A little too generic for her taste. “The journey may have been long and hard.” Kotone snickered into her hand. “But the dangers were no match for—” 

“Just spit it out,” Yukari said. 

“So impatient, Yuka-tan!” Junpei began speaking in a demented British accent, puffing his chest out, “the answer is elementary, my dea—”

“Junpei!” 

“Oh, fine,” he dropped the strange accent, as well as his smile. “The station attendant said a guy jumped at Iwatodai Station, so we aren’t going anywhere for a while.” 

Kotone couldn’t help but glance at Makoto after hearing that. He was looking at the ground, as usual, and his hair covered his eyes, also as usual. 

“You alright, Makoto?” 

“Yeah,” he looked up, suddenly staring directly at her. “Why wouldn’t I be?” 

Just drop it.

“Alright, then what do we do now?” Kotone asked. “We can’t exactly walk back, can we?” 

“It’s pretty far,” Yukari said. “We’d be better off waiting.” 

“If we’re gonna be stranded, I need some food,” Junpei said. “We can walk to Paulownia, right?” 

“Do they even have food there?” Yukari asked. 

“There’s a coffee place,” Junpei answered. “And vending machines, I guess.” 

“There’s vending machines here,” Yukari said. It was becoming clear to Kotone that this was a pair that did not get along. 

“Let’s just go,” Kotone said. “Anything is better than standing here. Right, Makoto?” 

“I don’t care.” 

Kotone sighed. “Let’s go to the mall, then!”

She led the others out of the station and towards the mall. At least, she thought she led them towards the mall. 

“Kotone, do you know where you’re going?” 

“No, no I do not.” 

“I told you we had to take the left back there,” Yukari snapped. “Why would we ever listen to your directions?”

“We would’ve gotten there eventually!” Junpei held his hands up in defense. 

Their bickering had gone on for the entire walk, beginning when Junpei had insisted on continuing through an intersection Yukari had insisted they turn at. They’d eventually had to backtrack and find a map of the area just to settle the dispute. 

Kotone had no idea where to go, so her part in the discussion was trying to keep the pair from clawing each other’s faces off. There had been a few close calls.

“Would you two relax?” Kotone said. “We’re all just a little hangry.” 

Yukari and Junpei huffed as they sat down on opposite sides of their table at Chagall Cafe. Kotone looked at Makoto with a ‘can you believe this?’ expression. His blank face seemed to indicate that yes, he could in fact believe this.

“I’m gonna need help carrying everything,” Kotone walked to the counter, then turned around. “I was talking to you, Makoto.” Her brother slid out of the booth and stood beside her. 

Kotone ordered coffee for everyone, as well as some pastries for the group to share. Makoto took the first two cups, and Kotone balanced the others on the tray of food.

They set the food and drinks down, and Yukari and Junpei broke their standoff to claim their coffees. 

“I don’t know what you guys wanted, so they’re…” Yukari and Junpei gagged and spit out the large sips they’d each taken. “...black.” Kotone took a long sip from her cup, and she saw Makoto do the same. 

“Cream and sugar is on the counter,” Kotone said. She enjoyed her coffee and watched as the two bickered over who had reached for the sugar first. “Are you alright, Makoto?”

He was staring at his half-empty cup, but looked up at her voice. “Yeah. Why?”

“I don’t know, just,” Kotone took a sip of her coffee to consider her words. “The trains are delayed because some guy jumped, and, you know…” 

“I’m fine, Kotone,” he said. “Stop worrying about me.”  

“You’re my brother, how am I supposed to stop worrying about you?” Makoto downed the rest of his coffee in one long gulp. 

“If I’m your brother, then you should trust me. I’m fine. I don’t need you to worry about me.” 

He stood up and walked away. Yukari and Junpei returned a second later, looking at the blue-haired boy as he went to the counter. 

“You good?” Junpei asked. Kotone realized she was frowning. She quickly corrected that.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said. “Man, this coffee is good, huh?” 

They drank another cup of coffee each, then returned to the station. The crowd was finally moving, and they could hear the squeal and hiss of moving trains. Junpei had become a minor agent of chaos on the walk back, bouncing off walls and loudly talking to whoever would listen. 

“Remind me never to give you caffeine again,” Kotone said, as they boarded the train. 

“There was caffeine in that?” Junpei cried. 

“Um, yeah. It’s coffee.” 

“Oh.” 

Junpei sat down, his leg twitching and bouncing on the floor as the train began moving.

“Ugh, finally,” Kotone sighed as she walked into the dorm building. She swung her bag off her shoulder and onto a couch, shortly followed by herself flopping down next to it. 

“Don’t get comfortable,” Yukari said. “Kirijo wants us in the command room, remember?”

“Ah, dammit,” Kotone grumbled, standing back up and smiling. “Alright, let’s go!” 

The group walked to the command room, finding it occupied just as it was the other night. Kotone took her seat next to Yukari as before, and Junpei took the last available seat beside Makoto. 

“Alright, everyone’s here,” Ikutsuki pushed his glasses up on his nose. “I have a lot to explain, so I’d like your undivided attention.” 

He leaned forwards, a small grin growing on his lips.

“For a long time, the only Persona users in SEES were Kirijo-kun and Sanada-kun. But we now have six.” 

Kotone saw Junpei glance around the room, counting the students at the table, just to make sure the chairman’s math was correct. 

“So, starting tonight, I’d like us to finally begin exploring Tartarus.” 

Exploring what?

“Uh, what exactly is this Tartar thing?” Junpei asked before Kotone could open her mouth. Yukari rolled her eyes. 

“It’s Tartarus,” she explained, a noticeable edge in her voice as she spoke to Junpei. “You seriously haven’t seen it?”

“Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour,” Ikutsuki explained. “So it’s not surprising that he hasn’t seen it.” 

“Only during the Dark Hour?” Kotone asked. “How is that possible?” 

“It’s just like the Shadows,” Akihiko said. 

“The goal of SEES is to exterminate the Shadows, but it’s not so simple,” the chairman said. “We need to solve the problem at its root. We need to destroy the Dark Hour itself.”

“And to do that, we need to go to this tartar sauce place?” Junpei said. He smirked as Yukari glared at him. Kotone suspected that the mispronunciation had been intentional that time. 

“We don’t know for sure,” Ikutsuki admitted. “That’s part of our job. We need to understand the mysteries of the tower.” 

“We need information to work with,” Kirijo said, her voice cold and determined. “Anything we learn in the tower could be the key to ending the Dark Hour and defeating the Shadows.” 

“The exploration of Tartarus is our top priority,” Ikutsuki said. “The Shadows’ ability to influence human minds is slowly causing society itself to crumble.” 

Makoto leaned back in his chair, and Kotone stared at him. The chairman’s words about the Shadows seemed to back up what he’d said, that he wasn’t in control of himself on the train platform. But even if his Persona meant he wasn’t vulnerable to Shadows anymore, it didn’t change the fact that he had already been in a position where he could easily be influenced.

“If we don’t stop the Shadows here, their influence will spread beyond the city, beyond Japan, and to the entire world. The fate of humanity rests on the shoulders of you six Persona-users.” 

“That’s one hell of a responsibility,” Junpei said, standing up. “But the heroes of justice will prevail!”

Kotone may not have worded it that way, but similar ideas were floating around her head. If SEES saved the world, she’d be a hero. Then everyone would have to like her.

“That place is like a nest of Shadows,” Akihiko said, snapping her out of her thoughts. “It’s the perfect place to improve our skills.” He punched a fist into his open palm, then winced. 

“What about your injury, Akihiko?” Kotone couldn’t see a way for him to fight with his arm still in a cast. 

“Akihiko’s still recovering from his wounds,” Kirijo said. He’ll accompany us, but he won’t be participating in exploration until he’s healed.” Akihiko’s jaw twitched. 

“Yeah, I know,” he said through gritted teeth. He was clearly frustrated. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Junpei grinned and puffed out his chest. “Junpei’s got your backs!” 

“Sure…” Yukari said, shaking her head at Junpei’s antics. Kotone couldn’t help but think Junpei wasn’t taking this seriously enough. But then, wasn’t it better to go through this kind of thing with a smile? 

“I’ll have to remain here,” the chairman said. “There’s not much I can do without a Persona.” 

“Should we move out?” Mitsuru suggested, glancing at the clock on the wall. It had just passed 11:00. 

“You absolutely should,” the chairman smacked his hands on his knees and stood up. “You don’t want to be stuck on the train when the Dark Hour hits.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto was the last one to leave the train, following behind Akihiko. He adjusted the red armband he wore on his right arm, and double checked that his Evoker was still there. 

“What do you think of all this?” Kotone dropped back to walk at his side. 

“I don’t know,” Makoto said. 

“You have no opinions on fighting monsters for the fate of the world?”

Is it weird to say I don’t really care?

“I’ll do what I have to do,” he shrugged. He looked around, recognizing the buildings they were walking past. A motorcycle roared behind them, and Mitsuru shot past, red hair flowing beneath her helmet.

“So cool,” Kotone said, staring after the fading noise of the engine. Mitsuru had elected to take her bike to their destination, as she had to carry something they wouldn’t be allowed to carry on the subway. She refused to elaborate on what, but Akihiko had promised it would be worth the wait. 

“Wait, why are we at school?” Junpei said, as they stopped in front of the gate. Mitsuru was leaning against her bike, checking her phone.  

“Just wait,” Akihiko pulled out his phone and flipped it open, tilting it so the others could see the time. 

Makoto took off his headphones as the final seconds to midnight, no, the final seconds to the Dark Hour, counted down. His Walkman wouldn’t work during the Dark Hour, and the wires would only get in the way if he had to fight. 

In an instant, the moon became a sickening shade of yellow-green, and the clear night sky shifted to a deep green blanketed by clouds. And in front of them, the school began to change. 

The building shot into the air, pushed upwards by an uncountable number of identical floors. Windows began stretching, then splitting down the middle, reminding Makoto of his biology textbook’s diagrams of cell division. The walls pushed outwards to accommodate the increasing numbers of windows. Pillars and strange towers began sprouting from the building, and as the tower stretched taller and taller, the laws of physics seemed to apply less and less. 

Rooms began protruding from the edges at impossible angles, entire buildings looking like they’d been slammed into the tower and stuck there, and staircases winded their way up the sides. Near the top, a large analog clock gleamed in the green moonlight, then split down the middle, one half sliding down the face of the tower. The two small, glowing faces formed a kind of split yin-yang symbol.

Makoto took an instinctive step back as a sudden sense of vertigo hit him. The tower was standing free, but the strange proportions and mind-boggling height caused his brain to scream at him to run before it collapsed on him. 

“Woah,” Kotone breathed from beside him. Junpei’s jaw was practically on the floor as he stared up in awe. The two third-years simply looked on with determination. They’d seen this before. 

“This is Tartarus,” Mitsuru said. “The labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour.”

“Labyrinth?” Junpei laughed nervously, “You mean, like a maze? Then  where’d our school go?” 

“Once the Dark Hour passes, it’ll return to normal,” Mitsuru said. 

“So this is the nest of Shadows you were talking about,” Junpei said. 

“Why is our school a nest of Shadows?” Kotone asked. “That doesn’t make any sense!”

Nobody answered. Mitsuru picked at her armband. She seemed like the type of person used to having answers, and it was really bugging her to not have one right now. 

“You mean you don’t know?” Junpei asked. 

“No,” Kirijo said quietly. 

“I’m sure it’s complicated,” Yukari offered. 

“If we don’t know, we just have to find out,” Akihiko said. “Mitsuru and I have gone in to take a peek, but this will be the first time anyone really explores the place. There has to be some sort of clue about the Dark Hour in there.” 

He cracked his knuckles and turned towards the door, prepared to lead the others inside. 

“Akihiko, we already discussed this,” Kirijo’s voice stopped him short. “You aren’t going in until your injuries have healed.” 

Akihiko turned around, a pained smile on his face. “Oh, yeah. I forgot,” he was clearly lying. “Silly me.” 

Mitsuru sighed and stepped to the school’s front gate. She took a key from her pocket and reached through the bars, fiddling with something unseen until they heard a metallic clink . She tucked the padlock and key into a pocket and slid open one half of the gate. 

She led the assembled members of SEES down the path, enlisting Akihiko’s aid to push open one of the tall metal front doors and grant them entry to Tartarus. 

The ground floor was a massive circle, tiled in a checkerboard pattern of blue and white. Large pillars reminiscent of the ones in the school’s lobby rose up to the high ceiling. A blue carpet led from the entrance directly to the middle of the room, where a wide flight of stairs rose to a gleaming golden clock. 

“Holy shit,” Kotone said, spinning in a slow circle and looking around. Makoto held himself back from such a reaction. He wasn’t here to look at the architecture.

“Echo!” Junpei shouted, his voice bouncing around the cavernous chamber. “Echo… echo… echo… echo… echo…”

“This is just the ground floor,” Mitsuru said. “The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs.” Makoto followed her gaze to the massive clock, realizing it was not just a clock. The middle face was missing, opening to allow a green light to leak through. 

“The four of you should have a look around,” Akihiko said. 

“What? By ourselves?” Yukari yelped. Makoto couldn’t blame her. It did seem a bit irresponsible to send in four children who had a combined zero hours of experience with the dangers they’d be facing. Even if Akihiko couldn’t fight, Mitsuru at least knew what to expect. 

“We’re not asking you to go far,” Mitsuru said. “I’ll give you navigational information from here. If it comes down to it, Akihiko or I could come in after you.” 

“We won’t need that,” Junpei said. “We’re gonna kick some major ass!” 

“Uh-huh,” Akihiko said, before continuing as if Junpei hadn’t spoken. “Mitsuru can’t help you with everything from out here, so  we’re going to need to appoint a leader to make major decisions.”

Akihiko looked at Mitsuru, the pair seeming to communicate with only a  glance. Junpei stepped forward, placing a hand on his chest.

“I think we all know the obvious choice here,” he said. “Of course, I accept—”

“Yuki, Shiomi, you’re in charge,” Akihiko said. 

“Huh?” Makoto said. “Why me?” 

Nobody’s going to listen to me.

“What, why them?” Junpei shouted. 

“Uh, yeah,” Kotone said. “I don’t know if that’s really my jam. Yukari’s been in SEES longer than either of us, she has more experience.” 

Makoto saw Yukari’s eyes grow wide and she shook her head. 

“Aside from myself and Akihiko, you two are the only ones who’ve successfully summoned your Personas,” Mitsuru explained. “As far as we’re concerned, that’s the only experience that matters.” 

Makoto didn’t exactly like the idea of being looked to in a crisis. He was quite good at taking instructions, but getting people to listen to him wasn’t his strong suit. 

Something gleamed in the corner of his eyes. A glowing blue door suddenly appeared to his left. Makoto looked back and forth between the door and SEES, then realized he was the only one who could see it. 

It’s the same color as that room from my dreams. Which means…

He reached out with a foot and tapped Kotone on the leg. She looked at him, confused, then followed his gaze. She looked at the door, even more confused. 

Makoto and Kotone walked to the door, ignoring Junpei’s complaints about not being given command. The edges of the door faintly glowed, and he suddenly felt a piece of cold metal in his pocket. 

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Kotone muttered. Makoto pulled his hand from his pocket, and was unsurprised to see the key Igor had given him in his dream. He ignored Yukari and Junpei walking towards him and held the key up for his sister to see. She held up her own key, and stepped aside. “After you, leader.” She smirked. 

Makoto sighed and put the key in the lock. He turned it. 

He felt as if he was falling into the door, the blue color growing until it filled his entire field of view. Then, when it seemed that he was going to slam his nose into the wood, the plane of blue that had been the door began to bend around him. He tried to move and spot his sister beside him, but his body was unresponsive. 

The sensation of moving without moving was nauseating, and then it was over. He was back in the Velvet Room, sitting in the hard wooden chair, staring at Igor’s giant nose and the two attendants at his shoulders. 

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Igor said. “The time has come for you to wield your power.” 

Makoto looked to his left, seeing his sister. So they’d both been transported here, despite himself being the one to turn the key. 

“The tower you are about to venture into,” Igor mused. “How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?”

Makoto had no idea. He opened his mouth to tell Igor this, but the old man continued speaking.

“You are not yet capable of answering these questions. This is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power, which may allow you to discover these answers.” 

“You already told us about our Personas,” Kotone said. 

“Your power is unique to the two of you,” Igor said, pointing his long nose towards Makoto, then Kotone. “It is like the number zero, empty, and yet holding infinite possibilities. The both of you are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them at will.” 

“But that makes no sense,” Kotone said. “You told us a Persona is a part of our personality, how can we have more than one?” 

“You each signed a contract, did you not?” 

“Well, yeah,” Kotone said. Makoto nodded. Makoto didn’t see how that contract could explain this new power, but Igor did not elaborate. 

“As you defeat your enemies, you will have the chance to claim their power for yourselves,” Igor said. “And your strength will grow accordingly.” 

“If it makes fighting easier,” Kotone whispered to Makoto. “It can’t be a bad thing, right?” 

“Now, it seems you are needed back in reality,” Igor said. “Next time, you may use the key to open the door of your own accord. I will explain to you my true role, and the manner in which I will assist your journey.” 

“Wait, why can’t you tell us now?” Kotone said.

“Farewell,” Igor said, then waved his hand. 

Makoto flew backwards without flying backwards, the sensation the exact opposite to his arrival. Yukari and Junpei walked over, looking confused. 

It’s like they didn’t move at all while we were in there…

“What are you two doing?” Yukari asked. “We have to get going.” 

Makoto hopelessly gestured at the door behind him, but Yukari and Junpei’s eyes looked right through it. 

“The door,” Kotone said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which to himself and his sister, Makoto figured, it was. 

“What door?” Junpei said. “Are you feeling alright?” 

“Forget about it,” Makoto said, walking back to the third-years standing by the stairs. 

“We have some weapons for you,” Akihiko said, “They’re not the best quality, but I think you’ll find something you like.” 

Akihiko took the sheet off the package Mitsuru had carried on her bike, revealing a collection of glittering weapons. 

The shortsword and naginata he and Kotone had used were there, as well as a set of brass knuckles Akihiko quickly scooped up. 

“I’ve got dibs on these babies,” he said. “The others are fair game.” 

Makoto’s gaze fell across a thin rapier, a long spear with a t-shaped head, a heavy axe, and an impossibly long katana. A bow and quiver of arrows was quickly claimed by Yukari.

“Nobody else will know how to use it,” she explained. 

None of the options particularly called to him, so he reached down and picked up the sword from the rooftop. He had at least a few seconds experience with it, which was more than he could say for the other options. 

“I’m sticking with this thing,” Kotone said, stooping to claim back her naginata.

Junpei grinned and pounced on the huge katana, hoisting it over his shoulder like a baseball bat. 

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” he cried, testing it with a few practice swings. Makoto had to duck into a crouch to avoid decapitation.

“It’s very cool, Junpei,” Kotone said. “So how about you swing it somewhere else?” 

Makoto stood out of his crouch and found a hand gripping his shoulder. Akihiko’s other hand grabbed Kotone’s shoulder and pushed them both towards the stairs. 

“Alright, leaders,” he said proudly, “Let’s see what you’ve got!” Junpei and Yukari fell in behind them as the twins walked up the stairs to the door. 

They stepped through, and found themselves in a dark corridor only lit by green light from windows far above their heads. Dark stone walls rose to a high ceiling, and the tiled floors gave no indication of a direction to move in.

“So, it’s the real deal from here on, huh?” Junpei said. 

“Awesome,” Kotone twirled her blade and looked around. 

“It’s gonna be easy to get lost here,” Yukari said. Makoto nodded. There didn’t seem to be any immediate danger, but he gripped his sword tight nonetheless. 

“Can you hear me?” Mitsuru spoke. Makoto looked around, but she was nowhere to be found. 

“Woah! Is that you, Senpai?” Junpei said, whirling in a circle as he looked for the source of the voice. 

“I can provide audio backup from here,” Kirijo explained. Now that he was expecting it, Makoto was able to recognize the voice coming from some place in the back of his mind. 

“Wait, you can see this place from out there?” Kotone shouted. 

“It’s one of my Persona’s abilities,” Mitsuru said. “And you don’t need to yell.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“The structure of Tartarus changes every night. I’d be up there with you, but someone will need to provide support. I’ll map each floor as you move around, so you won’t get lost.” 

“That’s somewhat comforting,” Yukari said. “Still, it’s creepy in here.” 

“Should we get going?” Kotone asked in a more appropriate volume. 

“Just be on your toes,” Mitsuru said. 

Kotone looked at Makoto, and he nodded. They walked side by side down the corridor, carefully keeping an eye out for anything unusual.

“Right, you should be coming up on a Shadow now,” Mitsuru said. At the end of the hallway, Makoto could spot a black pool of shadow moving around, with a pair of glowing red eyes. “Try to sneak up on it, and hit it.” 

“Alright, let’s do this!” Kotone slowly walked towards the Shadow, waited for the glowing red eyes to turn away, then dashed towards it, bringing her naginata down on its back with a yell. 

The Shadow cried out, and the pool of shadow collapsed. Out of the puddle, a crown emerged. What looked like flowing black hair and a mask made up the rest of the Shadow’s form. It had no face, only the surrounding features that suggested a head. 

“Alright, you’ve got two options here: your weapon, and your Persona.” Kirijo said. “Experiment with different Persona and weapon attacks to find what the Shadows are weak to, then go in for the kill when they’re stunned.” 

“That seems easy enough,” Kotone said. The Shadow floated in place, rotating slowly as it sized up its four opponents. “So, who wants to take the first crack?”

“Persona!” Makoto pulled the trigger, summoning Orpheus. His Persona appeared and blasted the Shadow with fire, singing its hair. 

“Nice!” Kotone said. “I think?” To Makoto’s left, Yukari pressed her pistol to her head. 

“Watch and learn!” Junpei said. Yukari looked up as Junpei cried out. “Persona!” 

He Persona’s body was black, with a sleek golden helmet sporting golden fins. Attached to its feet were wide golden wings, and it wielded a similarly golden sword. 

“Get ‘em, Hermes!” Junpei yelled, and a blast of fire shot at the Shadow. The Shadow fell back into a puddle, which faded away.

“Did we win?” Makoto asked. 

“Yes, good job,” Mitsuru said. “Though it won’t always be that easy.”

“Aw, yeah!” Junpei shouted, jumping in the air and pumping his fist. 

“That was awesome!” Kotone whooped, meeting him for a high five. 

“Did you see that?” Junpei turned to Makoto. 

“Stay focused,” Mitsuru’s voice sounded. Junpei quickly stopped his antics. “And Takeba, don’t be afraid to show what you can do.” 

“I was going to, but…” she trailed off, looking at Junpei. Makoto did his best to give her a sympathetic look. She looked down at the Evoker still in her hand, then looked up. Makoto could see a glint of determination in her eye. “Right.” 

Makoto turned down the next hallway, and the others followed. They spotted another Shadow, and he plunged his sword into its form. 

This time, there wasn’t just one. One of the crowned ones from before was flanked by a pair of blue-masked shadows, thankfully these ones being far smaller and fewer-armed than the one from the rooftop. 

“Alright, it’s Junpei time!” Junpei pulled his Evoker from its holster.

“No!” Yukari shouted, freezing even Junpei in his tracks. “Let me handle this one.” 

She pressed her Evoker to her head, gripping it in both hands. Makoto saw her mouth moving, her quiet words barely audible. 

“Just point it to my head, and pull the trigger,” she whispered. 

She did, a beam of white light firing out the back of her head as she cried out. 

“Persona!”

Her Persona manifested, a silver and black bull’s head with long horns. Makoto saw at an angle a thin woman with pitch-black skin and golden hair seated where the bull’s snout would be. A gust of wind shredded through the crown-wearing Shadow, the air itself cutting across its form. It fell to the floor, crown skewed on its head.

Yukari quickly holstered her Evoker and grabbed an arrow, firing the shaft directly into the Shadow’s masked forehead. It melted away. 

“Yes!” Yukari cried, turning to Makoto. “I did it!” Makoto nodded, confused as to why she was looking at him off all people.

“Yeah, good job,” he said. One of the other Shadows chose that moment to dash forwards, an arm smacking him in the chest before he could react. “Ow.” 

Kotone summoned her Persona, blasting fire that washed over the offending Shadow, and Junpei dashed in to drop a sword blow, splitting the remaining one’s mask down the middle. The Shadows melted away. 

Makoto rubbed his chest where the Shadow had hit him. Yukari dashed over. 

“Shoot, sorry,” she said. “I totally distracted you. That’s all my fault.” 

“It’s not so bad,” Makoto said. But Yukari was insistent. She took her Evoker out and muttered.

“Io,” her Persona reappeared, and a cold sensation washed over Makoto. He shivered for a second, but when the cold disappeared, he realized the pain had gone with it. “I don’t know why I did that,” Yukari said, half to herself. “How did I know that would work?”

Makoto shook his head. “Same way I know I can shoot fire, I guess.” 

“Woah, that was great,” Junpei said. “Did you just heal him?” 

“I think so,” she said. Makoto nodded, and she grinned. 

“Guys, I found the stairs!” Kotone called from around the corner. Makoto turned to join her, and the group walked up the dark staircase to the next floor.

It was laid out differently, but the construction was otherwise identical. 

“I can see how you’d get lost in here,” Kotone said as they hunted for more Shadows. They turned a corner, Makoto’s hand tense on his sword, and spotted a roaming Shadow down the hall. 

Before either Makoto or Kotone could take charge, Junpei was sprinting towards the Shadow, walking sideways to load his sword over his shoulder for a baseball swing. He stepped to the side of the Shadow and swung through, totally whiffing. 

“I think that’s strike one, Junpei!” Kotone said, giggling. Junpei scrambled to recover his dropped sword, but the Shadow struck before he could. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Yukari said, preparing an arrow as the Shadow melted and split into a group of four, two of the crowned ones, and two with masks. 

“Okay, this isn’t good,” the humor was gone from Kotone’s voice. Makoto watched the Shadows surround Junpei, who was fumbling to pick up his inconveniently large sword. 

Yukari loosed an arrow, the shaft sprouting from the center of one of the Shadows’ masks, melting it away. Makoto gripped his Evoker and fired. Orpheus materialized, strummed his lyre, and blasted fire, scorching two of the Shadows that were about to attack Junpei. 

Junpei finally had the presence of mind to snatch his Evoker and summon Hermes, who handled the final Shadow. 

“Whew,” Junpei said, standing up and dusting himself off. “Man, that was awesome! You totally saved me, it was like some action movie!” 

“Sure,” Makoto said, stowing his Evoker back in its holster.

“Come on, you gotta drop a line or something when you do something like that,” Junpei said. “Say ‘come with me if you want to live,’ Makoto!” 

“I’m not gonna do that.”

“Lame,” Junpei muttered, moving to stand with Kotone, who would appreciate his horrible accent more than Makoto. 

Makoto felt a sudden twinge in his head, and a voice spoke. “I am thou, thou art I…”

That was what Orpheus had said when he’d first appeared. But if he was hearing it again, and from a different voice, did that mean Igor was right?

“Come on, let’s find another Shadow,” Makoto said, “I want to try something.” 

They found their next victim quickly, and Makoto took the lead. He pressed his Evoker to his temple, and focused on the other voice he’d heard. 

“Apsaras!” he cried, and a new Persona appeared. A woman with pale-white skin and blue hair floated ahead of him, and fired a ball of ice at the Shadow. When the ball struck, it exploded, sending a wave of cold air that stung Makoto’s face, and completely shattered the Shadow, concluding the fight. 

“Woah,” Yukari said, looking at him with wide eyes. 

“That Persona,” Kirijo said in his head, her voice quiet, “that was a different Persona… But how?” 

Makoto was tempted to explain the door only himself and his sister could see, and the man with the long nose and creepy eyes who had told him he would be able to hold multiple Personas. Then he thought better of it. Nobody would believe him, and he wouldn’t blame them. They couldn’t even see the door to the Velvet Room. 

“We suspected something after the other night,” Kirijo said, “I didn’t expect this.” 

“Um,” Kotone spoke up, raising a hand as if she was in school. “I think I can do it too.” 

“What?” Junpei cried. “Seriously?” 

“I mean, I think I heard another Persona talking to me just now, so…” 

“Incredible,” Mitsuru said, as they searched out the next flight of stairs. “If you both can wield multiple Personas, then we have a real chance to defeat the Shadows.” 

They found the next flight of stairs, Kirijo’s voice echoing faintly in their heads as she discussed the twin’s newfound ability with Akihiko. 

“Ah, Kirijo-senpai,” Kotone cleared her throat, “I think your mic is on.” 

“Should we keep going?” Yukari asked. 

“I would’ve recommended coming back,” she said. “But with the four of you, and Yuki and Shiomi’s new abilities, I think you can continue on.” 

“Dope,” Junpei said, springing up the stairs, Kotone behind him. Yukari gave an exasperated look to Makoto before following the others, and Makoto brought up the rear. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They made quick work of the next few floors, with Makoto and Kotone gaining a few other Personas as they went. With Yukari’s healing and Junpei’s… enthusiasm, they made quick work of a pair of lantern-carrying birds, which had been remarkably vulnerable to Hermes and the twin Orpheus’s flames. 

Now, however, they’d hit their first real roadblock.

They’d been able to handle the two hands with ease, but the remaining Shadow wasn’t so simple. It was a giant tire, with a long spiked axle and all the ferocity its lion’s head suggested. Yukari stood beside Makoto at the back of the room, gripping one of her last two arrows. Her palms were sweaty, and her eyes tracked the Shadow as it wheeled around. 

“I’ve got this!” Junpei yelled, as the Shadow skidded around the room, sweeping in towards him. He waited for the last second, then side-stepped to deliver a home run swing. But before he could connect, the Shadow’s spike made contact, sweeping him off his feet. 

“Nice one!” Kotone doubled over with laughter. Junpei grumbled as he got to his feet. 

“Makoto, what do we do?” Yukari said, firing her Evoker and healing Junpei’s wounds. Makoto was staring at the Shadow, his hand hovering over his Evoker. “Makoto!” 

Kotone leapt over the Shadow’s axle, whooping with glee. Was she going to take any of this seriously?

“I don’t know how many more heals I can do, Makoto,” Yukari said. That seemed to dampen the moods of Junpei and Kotone, who quickly stepped away from their absurd game. “Tell me you have a plan.” 

Did they seriously think I could heal them forever?

“Angel!” Makoto shouted, and a gust of wind knocked into the Shadow. Its spike clipped the ground, and it pitched over into a spin that crashed it into a wall.

Yukari drew her bow and planted a shaft in the Shadow’s face before it could recover, then quickly fired her last arrow. The Shadow managed to get back on its wheel, dodging this shot. 

His wind attack worked…

“Io!” Yukari pulled the trigger, which had grown much easier as the night wore on. Her Persona ( her Persona! ) appeared, and she grinned. It had felt good to finally summon Io, and now the sight of the elegant woman sitting on a bull’s head filled her with strength. If she’d overcome her fear and summoned her Persona, didn’t need to be afraid of anything, right?

Yukari yelped as the wheel rocketed towards her, the lion’s fangs bared. 

Okay, maybe not anything.

Io blasted a gust of wind, and the Shadow was pushed off course, rocketing past Yukari and careening into the wall behind her. 

“Get it now!” Kotone cried, and her and Junpei dashed in. Makoto leapt in with his blade, and Yukari grasped for an arrow. But her quiver was still empty. She couldn’t risk using Io’s attacks for fear of hitting her teammates, so she stayed back and watched the others pummel the Shadow until it melted away into the ground. 

“Alright,” Kotone said, breathing heavily. “I’m beat.” 

“There should be a machine on that floor,” Mitsuru said. They searched around for a moment, spotting a pad on the ground with some strange electrical attachments. Arcs of blindingly bright lightning buzzed between two pairs of poles in each corner. “That should bring you back to the entrance.” 

“Are you sure?” Yukari asked. 

“You’re telling me this is a teleporter?” Junpei ran in to stand on the pad. The others joined him, Yukari only briefly hesitating to stand so close to the lightning. 

Makoto pressed a button, and they were back at the entrance. 

“How was it?” Mitsuru asked, as they stepped off the faintly smoking platform. Yukari noticed the scent of burned hair, and noticed the ends of her companion's hair was slightly singed. 

“It was awesome!” Kotone said.

“I’m tired,” Makoto said. “The Shadows were manageable up until the end.” 

“Yes,” Kirijo said. “I saw that. Once you all get more comfortable working as a team, even powerful Shadows like that should be easy to defeat.” 

Junpei yawned, throwing a hand over his head to exaggerate the sound. 

“I think we can finish this discussion on the train ride back,” Akihiko suggested. 

They wrapped their weapons back up and gave the bundle to Mitsuru, who led them out of Tartarus, pushing her bike. 

As they left, the Dark Hour ended, the green sky returned to a dark black, and the Moon shone in its normal color. 

After a silent train ride, Yukari and the rest of SEES arrived at the dorm. Ikutsuki stood up at their arrival, and went upstairs with Kirijo, likely to the command room so he could be updated on their progress. 

Junpei stumbled up the stairs, his energy finally sapped from their time in Tartarus. Kotone and Akihiko were next up the stairs, leaving Yukari and Makoto. 

“Hey,” Makoto said. “Thanks for healing us back there.” Yukari looked at him. 

“Yeah, uh, no problem.”

They stared at each other for a moment, then Makoto nodded and walked up the stairs. 

That was good.

Yukari went to her room and unstrapped her Evoker from her leg. She brushed a bit of dust from the barrel and hit it at the bottom of one of her desk drawers. She closed her blinds and began preparing for bed.

She took off her cardigan and went to remove her now sweat-stained white shirt. As she did, she felt something in her hair. She reached up and pulled a black feather that had tangled itself in her hair. 

“What the…” she muttered, and tossed the feather in the trash.

Chapter Text

4/21 

Kotone woke up slowly, stretching her arms over her head. She winced at the sharp pain that came with the extension, then realized the pain wasn’t just in her arms. Her entire body ached.

Man, last night wore me out.

She slid out of bed, snickering at her internal monologue’s particular choice of phrasing as she knelt down to slip on her shoes. 

Kotone considered the events of the expedition into Tartarus. It hadn’t gone as smoothly as she’d hoped, but they’d all made it out in one piece. That fucking half-lion half-unicycle sucked, though. 

But looking back, she could only come to one conclusion.

That was fun.

It was amazing to tear through Shadows, naginata whirling like some anime hero. If only it didn’t come with the mother of all mornings-after. 

“Kotone, we’ve gotta go,” Yukari said, knocking on her door. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” she replied, shrugging her uniform jacket on. As she did, she checked her arms for bruises or scrapes from Tartarus, but her skin was unmarred. It seemed that Yukari’s healing was sufficient to erase any evidence of wounds from battling Shadows, just not the pain afterwards. 

“You look tired,” Yukari said when Kotone opened her door. 

“I feel tired,” Kotone stifled a yawn. “Do we really have to go to school today?” 

“Unless you want to get chewed out by Kirijo-senpai, I wouldn’t risk it,” Yukari responded. 

“That’s not on my bucket list,” Kotone said. 

Makoto and Junpei were already on the ground floor, and Junpei was already talking Makoto’s ear off. Makoto glanced up with glassy eyes, his expression begging for someone to save him from the conversation. 

“Let’s roll, guys,” Kotone said. 

“Crap, we’re leaving now?” Junpei stood up and bolted upstairs. “I gotta grab my bag!” he shouted as his footsteps pounded on the stairs. 

Yukari and Makoto walked out, and Kotone hesitated for a moment before following them. Junpei would catch up. 

“So,” Kotone said, joining the others on the sidewalk. “Last night was something, huh?” 

“That’s one way to put it,” Yukari said. “It was kind of terrifying.” 

“Yeah, but we were all like ‘bang, bang,’ and our Personas were blowing shit up,” Kotone pressed a finger gun to her head for emphasis. “And you were sniping Shadows with that bow, and Makoto and Junpei were slicin’ and dicin’!”

“You weren’t slicin’ and dicin’?” Yukari asked. 

“Look, the less we say about my skills with the blade, the better,” Kotone said. She was walking with a slight limp, her shins not bruised, but aching nonetheless from the many times she’d whirled the butt of her weapon directly into them. “Your healing kicked ass, Yukari. We would’ve died like, five times without you!” 

Kotone grinned. Yukari looked somewhat sick. 

Junpei caught up to them on the train platform, huffing and puffing something about his bag being totally missing. He was carrying all the contents in his arms, which begged the question of how exactly he’d managed to lose the bag without losing everything inside. 

“I don’t know!” he insisted, “I didn’t dump everything out, why would I ever do that?” 

“You tell me,” Kotone laughed. 

“How dumb do you think I am?” Junpei asked. Kotone raised an eyebrow.

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

The pair burst out laughing, drawing the eyes of a few students as they walked towards the front doors of the school. 

As they walked, a brown-haired boy sidled up alongside them. Yukari took one glance and immediately quickened her pace, grabbing Makoto by the arm and pulling him away. Kotone heard her tell him something about people you just didn’t want to associate with. 

“Hey, Iori!” the kid said. Junpei smiled, recognizing the boy. 

“Yo, what’s up, Kenji!” He turned to Kotone. “This is Kenji Tomochika. He’s in my class.” 

“Oh,” Kotone bowed politely. “Kotone Shiomi. It’s nice to meet you.” 

Kenji smirked. “Rumor has it the transfer student has been hanging out with Takeba-san a lot lately.” 

Kotone narrowed her eyes. “Uh, yeah,” she said, “we live in the same dorm, so it makes sense they’d be friends.” 

“Yeah, what are you, jealous?” Junpei said, swinging an arm over Kenji’s shoulder. 

“Me? No way,” Kenji said. “No offense, Shiomi-san, but I’m after a girl with a little more experience.” 

“I—” Kotone’s mouth moved, but it took a moment for her brain to keep up. “None taken. I’m all set, thank you.” 

“Crap, I’m gonna be late,” Kenji said, “See ya around!” he jogged off ahead of them. 

“Did he say what I think he said?” Kotone asked when he was out of earshot. 

“Yeah, he’s kind of a weirdo,” Junpei said. “He’s a good guy, as long as you don’t start talking about girls.” 

“I think women are the topic to avoid there, not girls,” Kotone said. 

“Yeah, probably,” Junpei agreed. “Hey, you wanna come to the mall with me later so I can get a new backpack?” 

If this was a different guy, Kotone thought, she might think twice about accepting such an invite. But Junpei had made it quite clear that she was “one of the boys,” and she was quite alright with that. He could be a bit of a dumbass sometimes, but he really was a good guy. Even if Yukari seemed to hate his guts for some reason. 

“Alright,” Kotone said. “But are you sure you didn’t just lose your bag?” 

“I’m telling you, it’s gone,” he insisted. “Once something goes missing in my bedroom, it never comes back.” 

They walked into the lobby to see a stream of students all walking in one direction. She looked at Junpei, who looked just as confused.

“You think there’s an assembly?” he asked. “Everyone’s going to the auditorium.” 

“I guess we should follow,” Kotone said. 

They joined the last few students trickling down the hall and followed to the auditorium. They split up to join their classes, Kotone promising to find Junpei at the end of the day. 

Kotone found her seat seconds before the lights dimmed. 

The principal stood at the lectern to begin his speech. It was something about watching out for other students, working hard, basically the same thing as the first day, really. Kotone quickly tuned him out with her Walkman. 

After a mind-numbing twenty minutes, the principal finally stepped down and a student stepped to the mic. Kotone took off one headphone to catch her words.

“...Next, we’ll hear a word from the student council,” the student was saying. “Please welcome the new president, Mitsuru Kirijo, from Class 3-D.”

That got Kotone’s attention. She took her headphones fully off to listen. 

“Do you know her?” Fuuka asked from beside her. 

“She lives in the dorm,” Kotone said. Mitsuru was beginning her speech. 

“It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school,” she was saying, “However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives in order to rise to this challenge.” 

Did she look at me when she said that? Kotone thought. I have lots of commitment. I restructured my whole life around going out at night to kill monsters with a magic gun.  

“I’d like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions.” 

Okay, she definitely looked at me. Kotone rose slightly in her seat to peek at Makoto and the other SEES members in his class. They were all listening respectfully. She isn’t talking to us, is she?

“Strive to imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. My own ideas are but one person’s vision. For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, opinions, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you.” 

The audience murmured for a moment before bursting into applause. 

“Wow,” Fuuka whispered, “that was a great speech.” 

“Yeah,” Kotone said. “I can see why she’s the president.” Kotone dropped her voice as the students began filing out of the auditorium. “Hey, what do you think she was talking about?” 

Fuuka looked at her, confused. “I mean… wasn’t it about shared responsibility, working to make the school a better place?” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Kotone said. “That’s what I figured.” 

Maybe I’m just imagining it.

“Man, she’s smart, huh?” Rio sidled up alongside Kotone and Fuuka. 

“Tell me about it,” Kotone said. “It’s kinda hard to believe we go to the same school.” 

They arrived in their classroom, and Kotone took her seat. 

She slumped into her desk, her aching body not helped by the uncomfortably hard chair. She stifled another yawn, stretching her arms behind her back. 

Mr. Ekoda entered the classroom, quieting down the gossiping students. 

“Good morning class,” he said in his monotone voice, “if you could all open your textbooks to page…” 

Kotone pulled her textbook from her bag, then placed her head on top, cushioning it with her arms. 

Just a little nap…

“Kotone, you need to get up,” a soft voice said. Someone was poking at her. 

Her eyes fluttered open, the bright sunlight now shining directly through the blinds into her face. Her eyes watered, and she ducked her head to see Fuuka standing over her. 

The teal-haired girl wore a scowl, her thin-lipped frown looking foreign on her usually calm face. 

“Fuuka?” Kotone muttered.

“Jeez, what an idiot,” Fuuka said, sweeping away to take her seat. 

What the fuck?

Kotone turned to look at Rio, hopefully for an explanation.

“Hey, Rio,” the black-haired girl didn’t look at her. “You too?” 

She turned fully around to look behind her. The entire class was staring at her, eyes burning with distaste. 

“Uh, guys?” she said. “What’s going on?” 

Kotone looked back forwards, where Mr. Ekoda was writing on the blackboard. The chalk ceased tapping and he stood beside his message to stare at her. 

WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

“What?” Kotone’s stomach dropped. What could that mean? 

“Kotone, you have to wake up,” Fuuka had turned back to stare at her. “Get up, Kotone.” Fuuka reached out to poke Kotone’s cheek.

“Ugh,” Kotone blinked, the sun shining through the blinds into her eyes. Fuuka was lightly poking her cheek. 

“Kotone, it’s time for lunch,” Fuuka said. 

“Oh, shit,” Kotone said, spitting a lock of hair from her mouth. She’d slept through the whole morning. 

Kotone stood up and left the classroom. As she walked down the hallway, she half-expected everyone she passed to stop and stare at her. 

She bought lunch from the school store, the hair on her neck pricking as she resisted the urge to turn and glare at the people in line behind her.

Don’t be crazy. It was just a dream.

She took a deep breath as she sat back in her seat. A group of girls was crowded around, mostly to talk to Rio. Kotone turned to join the conversation. She laughed and smiled along, but she couldn’t get the dream out of her head. None of these people knew the real her. They wouldn’t want to know the real her. 

One of the girls said something that caused the group to burst into laughter. Kotone quickly joined them, though she wasn’t sure what was so funny. 

The final bell rang, and Kotone stood up slowly. Her knee made an uncomfortable cracking sound as she stood, another souvenir from Tartarus. 

She said goodbye to Rio, Fuuka, and the rest of the class, then stepped into the hallway and walked to 2-F. She slid the door open to look for Junpei. The remaining students in this classroom didn’t take more than a glance at her. 

“Where’s Makoto?” she asked, approaching Junpei. 

“I dunno,” he said. “He left right at the bell. Why are you looking for him?” 

“I was gonna see if he wanted to come to the mall,” Kotone said. “Did Makoto tell you where he was going, Yukari?” 

Yukari was standing up, and turned around at Kotone’s voice.

“He said something about track, I think,” she said. “I’m not sure.” 

“No way,” Kotone said. “He’s going to run right now?” 

“Man, I could barely get up the stairs,” Junpei said. “I feel like I got hit by a truck.” 

“Tell me about it,” Kotone said. 

Makoto’s joining the track team… 

“I’ve got to see this for myself,” Kotone decided. “I’ll meet you at the mall, Junpei.” 

“I’ll probably be in the arcade,” Junpei said. “You wanna come, Yuka-tan?” 

“Yeah, I’m all set,” Yukari said. “I’ve got practice anyways.” 

Kotone left the classroom and made her way to the track. There were a few dozen students stretching out or running laps around the track. She waited for a group of a few girls running together to pass, then dashed across the track to the infield. 

She walked beneath a white canopy tent where a folding table was set up.

A tan-skinned girl with short black hair was sitting at the table, looking over a stack of paper. 

“Are you here to sign up?” the girl looked up at Kotone’s arrival. 

Kotone shook her head, “Oh, no. I’m just here to watch.” 

Kotone slowly turned in a circle, trying to spot Makoto’s blue hair. She had no idea what events he’d be practicing, frankly, she still didn’t believe he was even here. 

Wait, who’s that?

On the far side of the track, beyond a few students running long jumps in the infield, a group of boys were running in a pack. At the back of the pack, a head of blue hair bobbed along as her brother brought up the rear. 

“Oh my god,” Kotone said, breaking into laughter. “I can’t believe he’s running.”

As she watched, the group rounded the far curve. As soon as they hit the straightaway, Kotone saw Makoto pull out from behind and speed up. 

The group was running towards her now, Makoto now at a full sprint, passing the others one by one. He crossed the finish line in front of Kotone, nearly side-by-side with a boy with tan skin and spiked brown hair. The rest of the pack stumbled to catch up. Makoto slowed to a walk, hardly looking as if he’d just been running all out. 

Holy shit, is he actually good at this?

“The new kid’s fast,” the girl she’d spoken to was now standing beside her. “We thought we lucked out with Kaz, there,” she pointed to the boy with the spiky hair, who was excitedly patting Makoto on the back. “But with two great second years, we have a chance in the national meets this year.” 

“Really?” Kotone asked. She had no concept of what was fast for a runner, but this girl seemed impressed. “Who knew Makoto was fast?” 

“You know him?”

“Yeah,” Kotone said, “he’s my brother.” 

“Oh, well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Yuko.”

Kotone bowed, “Kotone Shiomi. Are you, like, the captain?” 

Yuko looked momentarily confused, likely at Kotone and Makoto’s differing surnames, then smiled. “No, I’m just the team manager.” 

“And you’re sure you don’t want to join the team?” she asked. 

“I’m too busy to be on two teams,” Kotone said. “I was just here to talk to Makoto.” 

As she spoke, Makoto was once again rounding the final corner. In a near carbon copy of the previous lap, he once again moved outside and breezed past most of the group. This time, Kaz crossed the finish line first.  

“Nice job, Kaz!” Yuko shouted. The boy turned and waved, grinning. Yuko and Kotone waved back. 

“Does your brother ever get tired?” Yuko asked. “I’ve had the distance runners doing laps for twenty minutes and he’s barely broken a sweat.” 

“I don’t think I’ve met anyone more tired than Makoto,” Kotone said. “It’s kind of disturbing how much he sleeps.”

“Well, all that rest has been coming in handy here,” Yuko said, writing on her clipboard. “You said you had to talk to him, right?” 

“I was hoping to, yeah,” Kotone said. “I can wait.” 

“It’s alright,” Yuko said. “I’m going to end practice soon anyways. Everyone else is getting too tired to keep going.” 

A group of sprinters pounded down the track in front of them, clearing the front straight in a blink of an eye. 

“Alright, that’s it!” Yuko shouted. The team completed whatever run they were on, then returned to the canopy tent. Kotone walked away to wait by the fence. 

The club members gathered under the canopy, where Yuko said something Kotone couldn’t catch. Then they all walked away, most in small groups of friends. 

“What are you doing here?” Makoto approached her, the first one to reach the gate. 

“I was going to see if you wanted to come to the mall with Junpei and I,” Kotone said. “And Yukari said you were down here, so I had to come find out for myself.” 

“Well, you found me.”

The twins walked back to the school building. Makoto was wearing a black and red tank top and short black shorts, matching the rest of the team walking behind them. The shorts were not a good look, Kotone thought. 

“So, do you want to come?” Kotone asked. 

Makoto was quiet for a moment before answering. “Sure, I guess. I have to go change first,” Makoto said, stopping beside the door to the boys’ locker room. “I don’t think they’ll let you in the locker room.” 

“Man, that was the only reason I came out here,” Kotone said with an exaggerated groan. 

Makoto rolled his eyes and walked into the locker room.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Man, you’re fast!” 

A boy with spiked brown hair and angled eyebrows was grinning at Makoto as he approached his locker. Kazushi, Makoto thought his name was. 

“The new kid’s gonna give you a run for your money, Kaz!” a tall third-year crowed. “Takashi, you looked like you were having a hard time keeping up!” 

Another third year threw a towel at the tall one. “I’m just glad the team’s gonna be in good hands for next year.” 

“Next year?” The tall one balled the towel up and threw it back, “We’re going all the way this year!” 

Makoto ignored the joyful predictions of the team’s fortunes for the upcoming season and quickly changed back into his school uniform. 

“Hey, who was that girl talking to Yuko while we were running?” Kaz leaned down to ask as Makoto tied his shoes. 

“You mean Kotone?” Makoto said.

“You know her?” Kaz asked. “You should introduce us sometime.”

Makoto shrugged and grabbed his bag.

“Tell her I say hi?” Kaz called after him. “Is that a yes?”

Makoto pushed open the door and was momentarily blinded by the sunlight. 

Kotone was standing beside the door, whirling around a tree branch. Makoto stared for a few seconds before speaking.

“What are you doing?” 

Kotone tossed the branch aside and grinned. “Just practicing for next time we’re in Tartarus.” 

“Oh,” Makoto said. 

“Yuko said you were fast,” Kotone said. “She said you and that kid Kaz were both really good for second years.” 

“The captains were pretty excited in the locker room,” Makoto said. “Kaz says hi, by the way.” 

“Cool,” Kotone said. “Tell him he’s not my type.” 

“Is that why he wanted me to introduce you two?”

“Why else would he?” 

What is it with guys at this school?

“Ever since I got here, guys keep asking me about you and Yukari,” Makoto said. 

“Well, that’s no surprise,” Kotone flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Who wouldn’t want to go out with me?” 

“It’s still creepy.” 

“Can you blame them?” Kotone said, “You’re telling me you wouldn’t go out with Yukari?” 

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Makoto said.

“Not with that attitude,” Kotone said. Makoto shrugged. 

If there ever was a chance of that, I blew it the other night. She probably thinks I’m pathetic.

“Last night was crazy,” Kotone said. Makoto was glad for the change of subject. 

“That’s one way to put it.” 

“That Igor guy was right,” Kotone said. “Everything he’s told us has been true.” 

“I assumed he was connected in some way,” Makoto said. He certainly hadn’t dreamt of the Velvet Room or the creepy looking man with the long nose before he’d come to the city. He hadn’t summoned a Persona before that either. “The timing can’t have been a coincidence.” 

“Right,” Kotone said. “Do you think he’s the reason we can summon Personas?” 

“I don’t know,” Makoto admitted. “The others couldn’t see the door last night, so I don’t think they know about the Velvet Room.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Kotone said, frowning. “But we are the only ones who can hold multiple Personas. Maybe he’s the reason we can do that.” 

“That makes sense,” Makoto said. Kotone was quiet for a moment. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, turning the sky a deep purple. 

“Hey, when we were in the tower,” Kotone spoke softly, “were you scared?” 

Makoto narrowed his eyes and looked at his sister. She hadn’t spoken to him like this before. 

“No,” he answered, “not really.” 

Death is nothing to fear. 

“No, obviously,” Kotone said, a little too quickly. “I wasn’t scared either. Obviously.” 

“Obviously.” 

“It was kind of fun, wasn’t it?” Kotone was back to her usual cheery self. “We were kicking ass up until the lion wheel thing.” 

“Maybe,” Makoto answered. He hadn’t thought of exploring Tartarus as something to enjoy. It was just what he had to do. It was satisfying to slice a Shadow into goo, however. And the rush of firing his Evoker was… not fun, exactly. Exhilarating, maybe?

“Oh, we’re here!” Kotone said. They were standing in front of the massive dome of Paulownia Mall, lit up brightly now that the sun had set. 

Inside, the mall was much more crowded than it had been yesterday, with groups of adults and students milling about the stores. They saw a few Gekkoukan uniforms, though they didn’t recognize the owners. 

Makoto stuffed his hands deeper in his pockets and scanned the area for Junpei. As he did, Kotone made a beeline to the left, to stare at a shop marked Escapade . A metal screen was pulled down over the door, and the sign didn’t help Makoto identify what the business was. 

“I think it’s a club, Makoto,” Kotone said, pointing out the velvet-roped stanchions set up to organize a line out the door. “We should go.” 

That sounds miserable.

“It’s not even open,” Makoto said. “And they’re definitely not going to let you in wearing your school uniform.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Kotone shrugged. “Next time!” 

God, no.

“Where’s Junpei?” Makoto asked. He still had seen no sign of the boy, or heard his voice, which would probably be the easiest way to find him. 

“He said he’d be at the arcade,” Kotone answered. 

Kotone’s attention finally shifted from the club and they walked to the arcade. Upon entering, they were immediately assaulted by flashing lights and pounding music. The bass rattled Makoto’s teeth as he stood on his tiptoes to try and spot Junpei. 

“It’s loud in here,” Makoto said. 

“What?” Kotone shouted.

“I said it’s loud in here!” he shouted back. 

“What?” Kotone shouted.

“Never mind,” he shook his head. 

“What?” Kotone shouted, giggling. 

They slowly walked between the rows of arcade games and retro gaming cabinets, having to dodge through gaggles of small children chasing each other around. 

Kotone tugged his shoulder and pointed. He leaned in to catch her words. “I found him!” she yelled. Makoto flinched away from her volume. 

They approached Junpei, who was laser-focused, standing unusually still at a pinball table. On the floor beside him was a brand-new backpack, tags still attached. The twins stood behind him, not daring to speak and break his focus. 

“Dammit!” Junpei cried, punching the cabinet as he missed the ball and the game played a sad little jingle. “Oh, you’re here!” 

“Took a little longer than I thought,” Kotone yelled. “Turns out Makoto really did join the track team, so we had to wait for his practice to end.” 

“Really?” Junpei said, looking at Makoto. “That’s awesome, dude!” 

Makoto shrugged. 

“What’re you playing?” Kotone asked. 

“This stupid freakin’ pinball table,” Junpei said. “This game is such crap!” 

He dug into his pocket and pulled out a ziploc bag full of coins. 

“Here, you try,” he counted out four coins and handed them to Kotone. 

“Uh, alright,” Kotone said, inserting the coins and cracking her knuckles. She placed her hands on the side of the table, testing the flippers. 

She lasted a few minutes, pulling off a few impressive shots before failing. 

“Not bad, not bad,” Junpei said, nodding with respect. “I see you still have much to learn.” 

“Shut up,” Kotone said with a smile. “I’m better than you.” 

“Can I try?” Makoto asked. Junpei looked at him, surprised. 

“If you want,” Junpei said, counting another four coins for Makoto. 

Makoto pushed in the coins and rested his hands on the flipper buttons. He leaned forwards as the game began, and he was off. 

The ball pinged around the table, which lit up as he hit combination shots. The ball rode up railways and dropped right to his paddle, firing it back to the top of the board. He aimed for the left corner, where bumpers sent the ball bouncing wildly, racking up points that sent his score skyrocketing. 

“Holy crap,” Junpei said, awed. “How are you doing this?” 

“Lots of practice,” he said, not daring to take his eyes off the table. “I played a bit when I was younger.” 

That was a slight downplaying of the truth. Makoto had practically lived in arcades as a kid. There weren’t many other places that would let a kid hang out for hours without asking questions. Cheap food and employees who didn’t care how many times you refilled your soda made it the best place to stay when he didn’t want to be around whichever foster parents he was living with at the time.

And as a byproduct, he got really good at games. 

After about ten minutes, he took a quick glance back to see Junpei staring at the score display with his mouth open. Behind him, Kotone had her phone to her ear, shouting and covering the other ear with a hand. 

“Yeah, we’re already here,” Kotone said. The rest of her words were drowned out by the blasting music as he returned to see his ball still bouncing through the bumper section. 

He continued for another few minutes, feeling his breath begin to slow. He was in the zone, his eyes flickering across the table to follow the ball, and his hands hitting the paddles by instinct. This was something he was good at. Even if it was only a silly arcade game, he was proud of that. 

“Makoto, we gotta go,” Kotone said from beside him. He nearly missed the next shot, startled by someone suddenly speaking to him. 

“Right now?” he said, not looking up from the table, where he was now managing three balls simultaneously. 

“Yeah,” she said. “Akihiko wants us to meet him at the police station.”

“Why does he want us to do that?” 

“Not sure,” she said. “But he said it was important that the leaders knew about something.” 

Junpei grumbled audibly.

“Alright,” Makoto said. He gave one ball a last shot to the top of the table, then stepped away from the table. The ball pinged around the bumpers for a few more seconds before dropping out, ending his game. The machine played a victorious song nonetheless, and informed him that he’d set the high score. 

“Dude,” Junpei said, looking at Makoto with respect. “That was awesome.” 

“You coming, Junpei?” Kotone asked. 

“Nah, I’m gonna keep playing,” he answered. “Enjoy that highscore while you can, Makoto.” 

Makoto followed his sister out of the arcade. The mall seemed eerily quiet compared to the volume in the arcade. 

“This is what he was talking about, right?” Kotone said as they stood in front of the store marked Police .

“The sign says it’s the police station,” Makoto pointed out. 

“Why is there a police station inside the mall?”

“You should ask.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akihiko turned around at the sound of the door opening. Makoto and Kotone had arrived. He waved, his cast-laden arm slightly difficult to move. Not being able to lift with that arm really sucked.  

“There you are,” he said. “Officer Kurosawa, these are the two I was telling you about.” 

The officer grunted a greeting, his grim face seeming carved out of stone. His hat was pulled down, obscuring his eyes in shadow. Akihiko knew his grim exterior was just that. Kurosawa had helped Akihiko out of more than one tight spot, and usually looked the other way if he had to fight his way out of a jam. 

“Officer Kurosawa keeps the squad equipped with weapons and gear,” Akihiko explained. “You can trust him.” 

Makoto looked at the officer with narrowed eyes. Kotone smiled and looked around the station. Akihiko picked up the briefcase Kurosawa had laid on the counter, thanking the officer. 

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Akihiko dug into his pocket to hand Makoto a wad of cash. “This is from the chairman.”

Makoto looked confused. 

“Kurosawa’s connections help us get weapons, but they still cost us money,” Akihiko said.

“Nothing in life ever comes free,” Kurosawa said. His voice was deep and gravely. 

He’s a little weird when he gets philosophical.

“Uh, yeah,” Akihiko said. “Mitsuru and I figured if you two are the leaders, you should know about it. Feel free to look around, buy something if you want.” 

Kurosawa took a key and led them into the evidence room, Kotone eagerly following the officer. Akihiko stood in the doorway, keeping a lookout. 

Kurosawa knelt down to take a bundle off the bottom of an evidence rack. He unwrapped it to reveal a collection of glimmering weapons and body armor. These had been out of Akihiko’s price range when he’d come here, and Mitsuru had conveniently forgotten to bring any of her bottomless Kirijo Group cash. 

“Woah,” Kotone said, eyes glimmering. “These are awesome.” 

“How did you get these?” Makoto asked. 

“I take a lot of weapons off the streets,” Kurosawa said. 

“And then you give them to us?” 

“It doesn’t take a genius to realize something’s going on here,” the officer said. “If you can put these to use figuring out whatever that is, it’s better than sticking them in a lockup forever.”

“You’re not worried you’ll get caught?” Makoto asked. 

“I’m only doing what I think is right.” 

Kotone held up a naginata, its blade glimmering with golden trim. “How much?” 

“3500 yen,” Kurosawa said. “And that’s a discount.” 

“How much do we have?” Kotone asked. Makoto began counting the banknotes.

“It’s five thousand,” Akihiko said. 

“That’s it?” Kotone said. “Aren’t we saving the world?

Akihiko heard the door creak open, and he caught Kurosawa’s eye. The officer stepped out and Akihiko closed the door behind him. 

“Buy it, if you want,” Makoto counted and handed her the necessary money.

“Are you sure?” Kotone said. “You won’t be able to get anything.”  

“It’s not my money,” Makoto shrugged. “And I like my sword.” 

Kotone grinned and stepped towards Makoto to hug him.

“Woah, be careful,” Akihiko quickly stepped forwards to steer the blade of the naginata away before Kotone could skewer her brother. 

“Oh, good thinking,” Kotone said, leaning the weapon against the wall, then wrapping Makoto in a bear hug. 

Makoto looked very uncomfortable. Akihiko looked at Kotone as the twins separated, suddenly feeling a pang in his stomach. 

The way Kotone smiled at Makoto reminded him of his own sister. Those two didn’t realize how fortunate they were. 

Akihiko took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do him any good to dwell on that right now. 

Kurosawa opened the door, coming back into the evidence room. Kotone handed him the money for her new naginata, which the officer discreetly tucked into his back pocket. 

“I’ll leave it in the usual spot,” Kurosawa said. 

“We’re not bringing it back?” 

Akihiko shook his head. “We can’t carry that on the subway. Kurosawa will leave it out back and I’ll come pick it up on my run tonight.” 

He would probably have to wait for that until the Dark Hour, when nobody was aware. Mitsuru wouldn’t be happy about that. 

Akihiko thanked Kurosawa and they left. 

Kotone led them back to the arcade, where they found Junpei. He was still hunched over the pinball table, growling as he played. 

“You’re still at it?” Kotone asked. Junpei looked up, frustrated. 

“I hate pinball.” 

“Then why are you playing?” Akihiko asked.

“I need to beat Makoto.” 

“Good luck with that,” Kotone laughed. Akihiko watched Junpei take more coins from his dwindling supply and angrily shove them into the machine. 

Akihiko half-paid attention to Junpei’s playing. After a few minutes, Kotone got his attention. 

“Ooh, a punching machine,” she pointed to the corner. “Come on, let’s try it.” 

“Alright,” Akihiko said. “I can’t use my good arm, though.” It felt a little beneath his actual boxing training to play this game, but this would be the closest thing to training he’d gotten since the Shadow attack. 

Kotone reached into Junpei’s pocket and removed the bag of coins. Akihiko sized up the bag, miming jabs with his left hand. 

“Alright, let’s do this,” Kotone said, inserting the coins and pressing the button. The bag dropped down and Akihiko stared it down. 

I can’t go all out.

He gave a few testing taps to find his range, then swung his arm. Even as he restrained himself from putting his full strength into the punch, his fist blurred as it flew into the bag. The slam was audible even above the blaring music. 

The score began flying up from zero, slowing and eventually stopping at 758. 

“Damn,” Kotone said. Akihiko grinned. It felt good to hit something again, even if he couldn’t go all-out. “Alright, my turn.” Kotone put more of Junpei’s coins into the machine and stepped up. 

She impersonated Akhiko, tapping the bag with her fist before punching. 

Her form was terrible, looking closer to a flailing slap than a real punch. But then, she didn’t know what she was doing. 

“Three hundred?” she cried, disappointed. “Seriously?”

Akihiko had to bite his lip to suppress a grin. “That wasn’t terrible!” 

“I’m going again,” Kotone huffed in frustration and slammed the button again. 

Akihiko stood beside her and stepped into a fighting stance. “Here, you need to get more sideways.” She stepped one foot back, imitating him. “And when you hit it, you have to turn your hips into it.”

She took a few practice swings and he nodded. Kotone stepped up and swung, this punch looking much better. 

“Hey, that was better!” Kotone said. “Five hundred and eight? Seriously?” She looked disappointed. 

“Try and power it through your legs,” Akihiko said. “Think about it like you’re pushing into the floor with your toes.” He stepped up to demonstrate. “See, watch this.”

He pressed the button and the bag dropped. He gritted his teeth and swung another left. 

“Ow, son of a—!” he yelped, pain shooting up his right arm. He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, clutching his injured arm. “Oh, that was stupid.” 

Kotone’s voice cut through the blood pumping in his ears. “Holy shit, are you alright?” 

Akihiko took a few deep breaths and laughed. Throwing that punch hurt more than any blow he’d taken in the ring. 

“Forgot about my arm for a second there,” he said. He opened his eyes, the ground blurry through the tears that had formed. 

He looked up to see Junpei and Makoto had joined them. Makoto looked slightly concerned, which was that one’s equivalent of falling to his knees and begging god to help Akihiko pull through. 

“Woah,” Junpei’s eyes were wide as he stared at the punching machine. Akihiko’s score was flashing on the screen. 

999.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone walked through the cool night air, leaving the bustle of Paulownia Mall behind. After Akihiko’s incident, they’d decided it was about time to leave. He was walking beside her, with Junpei leading them away. 

“See, most Japanese boxers aren’t as big as fighters from other countries,” They’d decided to walk back rather than take the train, and Akihiko had been talking about boxing since they’d left. 

She wasn’t sure how much of it was his brain trying to ignore the pain and how much was Junpei’s fascination with the topic. After seeing that 999 on the machine, Junpei looked at Akihiko like a god. 

“So, it’s harder for us to compete in the big fights, since most of the other fighters are physically stronger.” 

“Yeah, but you’re going to be the best, right?” Junpei said. 

“That’s the goal,” Akihiko said. “I just need this stupid arm to heal so I can get back into Tartarus. That’s the best training I can get.” 

Kotone looked behind her. Makoto was walking a few steps behind everyone else, looking to the sky with his headphones in. 

She sort of felt bad for him, but he looked content. She’d tried to talk to him earlier, but he didn’t seem interested in conversation at the moment. Or at any moment, really, but that went without saying. 

If he doesn't want to talk, he doesn’t want to talk.

They entered the dorm shortly after, flipping the lights on. The Dark Hour was twenty minutes away, and the rest of the ground floor was empty. Junpei sat at the table and began biting through the plastic attaching the tags to his backpack. 

“That’s gross,” Akihiko said. 

“Well, do you have scissors?” 

“Probably in the kitchen,” Akihiko responded.

Kotone was exhausted from the walk, and she walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. “I’ll get them.” 

Kotone filled her glass and placed it down next to a backpack on the counter. She began opening the drawers, searching for a pair of—

You’ve got to be shitting me.

“Junpei!” she screamed, leaving the kitchen. 

“What?” he shouted back.

She tossed the backpack onto the table, where it slid to a rest in front of him. Junpei slumped over, and spit out the last tag from his new backpack. 

“I can’t still return this, can I?”

Chapter Text

4/23

“So I said, look, I know the tags aren’t attached, but I have them right here,” Junpei said. “And I took them out of my pocket, but she said it didn’t matter if I had them.” 

“Oh, the horror!” Kotone cried out. 

Makoto was half-listening to Junpei’s story, his focus mostly on the pile of homework in front of him. He was hoping he could finish this math worksheet before leaving for the day. Then he’d be nearly caught up from his week in the hospital. 

“I was talking to the same exact cashier who sold me the thing, and she said she didn’t remember me!” 

“I can’t believe it,” Yukari said, her tone showing that she could, in fact, believe it. 

“I know,” Junpei said, ignoring her sarcasm. “What a pain in the ass.”

“I meant that I can’t believe you couldn’t find your bag,” Yukari said. “It was seriously right there in the kitchen?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” 

Makoto shook his head and focused on the next math problem. Kotone had come to his classroom to hang out with the others, and she’d taken the liberty of sitting on his desk while she did. 

“So now you have two backpacks?” Kotone asked.

“Yes.”

“Can I have one?”

“What? No, I’m getting my money's worth!” 

“Okay, jeez,”

She’s better friends with my classmates than I am. 

Makoto had to admit that he hadn’t made much of an effort. Intentionally, he reminded himself. It was obviously on purpose. That didn’t make it any easier to watch the others. 

“Makoto, we need to get going if we want to catch the train,” Kotone said. Makoto glanced up at the clock, then back at his paper. He only had a few more problems.

“I’ll catch the next one,” he said. “I want to hand this in before I leave.” 

“You sure?” Junpei asked. “We’re going to the mall.” 

Makoto nodded. They’d have a better time without him, anyway. 

“Alright, then,” Kotone said, finally standing up from Makoto’s desk. “See you back at the dorm.” 

Makoto was back to focusing on his homework, and didn’t respond. 

Makoto walked the mostly-empty halls to the faculty office. He imagined Kotone, Junpei, and Yukari were having fun at the mall right about then. 

Makoto told himself he had to finish his work, but he didn’t really believe it. 

I should’ve gone with them.

He slid open the door and held the papers out for Ms. Toriumi.

“Thank you, Yuki-kun,” Ms. Toriumi accepted his worksheet and tucked it into a pile on her desk. 

“No problem,” Makoto said. “I’ll try to have the rest done by next week.” 

“There’s no rush. Though, could you do me a favor?” Toriumi sighed and rubbed her temples. “Could you tell your sister to hand hers in sooner rather than later?” 

“I’ll let her know,” Makoto said. 

I don’t think she’s actually done any of her make-up work. 

He left the faculty office and slid the door shut. 

“Yo, Yuki!” 

A boy was standing in the hallway, looking at him with a smile on his face. He had brown hair, and wore the standard school uniform. 

“Oh, hey…” Makoto was pretty sure this kid was in his class, but he had no idea what his name was. 

“Come on, don’t tell me you forgot my name,” the boy said. “I sit in the corner in front of you.” 

“Uhhhhh...” 

“Kenji, dude.” 

“Oh, yeah. I knew it was something like that.” 

“So, are you hungry?” Kenji started walking to the station, and Makoto felt like he had no choice but to join him. “I was thinking about getting some ramen. You should join me!” 

I really don’t want to do that.

Makoto searched his brain for an adequate excuse, but was interrupted by his stomach grumbling. He hadn’t eaten much for lunch. Besides, hadn’t he just been wishing he’d gone with Kotone and the others? 

“Fine.” 

“This place is great,” Kenji said, opening the door to the Hagakure Ramen shop at the strip mall. “It’s the best ramen in the city as far as I’m concerned.” 

Makoto sat down and the pair ordered. He had a faint recollection of coming here a while ago, but the memory was hazy. 

“There’s got to be a special ingredient,” Kenji said, through a mouthful of steaming hot noodles. “Maybe there’s a hint in the name, or something.” 

Makoto was more polite eating his food, despite the ache that formed in his empty stomach as soon as he smelled it. 

“What do you think, dude?” Kenji said. Makoto looked up at him. 

Just be quiet and let me eat.

“It’s good,” he said, turning back to his bowl. 

They finished quickly, and Makoto had to admit it was a pretty great bowl of ramen. 

“Hey, I’ve heard you and Takeba-san are pretty close,” Kenji said. 

Makoto held back a sigh. 

How many times is someone gonna ask me that?

“Yeah, what about it?” 

“Just sayin’, you just transferred here,” Kenji said, with a hint of admiration in his voice. “She’s a bit of a tough nut to crack, if you get my drift.” 

“Sure.” 

I really wish I didn’t.

“Hey, you don’t have to get defensive about her with me,” Kenji held his hands up in a mock surrender. “I’m not into girls like her anyway.” 

That’s probably a good thing for him. She’d have smacked him by now.

“I like ‘em a little older, ya know?” Kenji said. 

Makoto choked on his water, coughing violently and drawing a few looks. 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“Come on, you get it,” Kenji said, grinning. “Girls with a little more… experience.”

“Uh, alright.” 

“I was thinking about asking out someone,” Kenji said. “One of the teachers at our school. What do you think?” 

Makoto thought for a moment. There was no way he was being serious. This guy didn’t seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, but still, nobody could be that stupid.

“Go for it, man,” Makoto said. 

“You really think so?” Kenji seemed surprised. “I was expecting you to talk me out of it.” 

“Wait, what?” 

Oh. He means it. Uh-oh.

“I wasn’t being serious,” Makoto said, but Kenji didn’t seem to register the words. 

“Hell yeah, man,” he clapped Makoto on the back. “Oh, shit, I’m gonna miss my shows!” 

Kenji bolted to his feet and slapped down a few bills. 

“Sorry, dude, I gotta go,” he muttered. “I’ll let you know how that thing goes, alright?” 

“Uh, I don’t really think you should…” Makoto trailed off as Kenji bolted out the door. The chef reached over to count the money Kenji had left. 

“You know this isn’t enough, right?” 

Makoto sighed and pulled out his wallet. 

“Dude, that claw machine was bullshit.” 

“It’s a claw machine, what did you expect?” 

“I don’t know, for it to be fair, I guess?” 

Makoto took his headphones off to spot Kotone, Junpei, and Yukari entering the dorm. The drums were still audible, even with them around his neck. 

“Oh, man, Makoto, you missed out,” Kotone plopped down in a seat across from Makoto. “Junpei spent, like, a whole hour on that pinball game you played the other day, and I lost all my money on the claw machines!”

“That sounds… fun?”

“I just wanted one Jack Frost,” Kotone sighed. 

Makoto nodded sympathetically. Hearing about what they’d gotten up to made him regret not going all over again. But at least he’d gotten something out of his trip with Kenji. 

“Hey, you know the guy who sits right next to the door in my class?” 

Kotone shook her head. “I do not.” 

“You mean Tomochika?” Junpei asked. 

“Yeah, that was it,” Makoto said. “So, he invited me to get ramen with him after I finished my work.” 

“Wait, you went out with him and not with us?” Kotone crossed her arms and looked mildly irritated. 

“That’s not important,” Makoto said. “I think I might have encouraged him to ask out one of our teachers.” 

He surveyed the reactions of the trio before him. Yukari crinkled her nose in disgust. Kotone’s eyes were wide, and she was biting her lower lip to stop from laughing. Junpei was grinning and shaking, equally trying not to laugh. 

Then Kotone and Junpei looked at each other, and they broke. They burst into laughter, the sound echoing around the lobby. 

“That’s disgusting,” Yukari said. 

“Dude, no way,” Junpei said, tears in his eyes. “Why would you do that?” 

“I didn’t think he was serious!” Makoto said. 

“He’s absolutely serious, he’s always talking about it!” Junpei said. “Holy crap, maybe he’s gonna ask out Toriumi!”

“She’s probably desperate enough,” Kotone mused. 

Makoto was desperate to change the subject. 

“Speaking of teachers,” he began. Kotone stifled a laugh. “Kotone, Ms. Toriumi wants you to hand in your make-up work soon.” 

“Ugh, seriously?”

“It’s really not that difficult,” Makoto said. “As long as you pay attention in class.”

“Yeah, the thing about that is, I don’t pay attention in class,” Kotone rubbed the back of her head and chuckled. “Can’t you just give me the answers?”

“I can help you,” Makoto suggested. 

“Really?” 

“I don’t see why not.” 

“Aw, thanks, Makoto!” 

Kotone pinned his arms to his sides with a hug. He quickly realized there wasn’t any getting out of it, so he rigidly stood and waited for it to end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4/24

“Yuki-san,” a voice called. “Ah, Shiomi-san, you’re here too.” Kotone looked towards the voice. 

It was Kirijo, standing in the door of the classroom. The rest of the room quieted at her appearance. 

“What’s up?” Kotone picked her feet up and swiveled to face the door, her legs pushing a few of Makoto’s papers into his lap.

“I want to see both of you in the student council room at the end of the day,” Kirijo said. 

She slid the door shut, and the conversation in the room resumed, not without a few glances in Makoto and Kotone’s direction. Kotone licked her lips nervously. 

“Did we do something wrong?” Kotone asked. 

“I guess we’ll find out,” Makoto shrugged. 

“Man, she’s scary,” Junpei said. 

You don’t have to tell me twice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the final bell, Makoto stood in front of the student council room, Kotone beside him. She gave him a nervous look before sliding the door open. The eyes of the student council shifted to them, their conversation quieting. 

“Good, you’re here,” Kirijo said. “Everyone, these are the two I was talking about. They’ll both be joining us in the student council.” 

Uh, what? Why?

“Uh, what?” Kotone said. “Why?”

“We need more people to help with operations,” Kirijo said. “And the experience will be valuable to you as well.” 

Makoto looked around the room. At the center, there was a table covered in papers. It seemed what Mitsuru took home was only a fraction of the work the council did. 

Makoto really didn’t want to be involved in that work. He was still catching up on the work he’d missed while in the hospital. 

And, I don’t care about this place.

Didn’t it take some sense of duty, or drive to improve the school for someone to be on the student council? Makoto had none of those. 

A tall boy with slicked-back black hair stepped forwards and offered a hand for Makoto to shake. 

“Hidetoshi Odagiri,” he said, his expression stoic. “I supervise the disciplinary committee.” 

Makoto nodded and looked at the other person in the room, a short girl with straight brown hair and glasses. She took a moment to realize that everyone was expecting her to introduce herself next.

“Oh, I’m Chihiro Fushimi,” she said. Her voice was quiet, and she didn’t make eye contact with Makoto. “I’m the treasurer. I’m a first-year, so I’m still learning the ropes.” 

There were an awkward few moments as Chihiro fell silent and looked at the ground. Odagiri’s eyes were narrowed as he looked at Makoto. Makoto felt like he was being judged. 

“You must be talented if the president selected you,” he said. 

Is it really that deep?

Makoto didn’t answer. 

“Yuki-san, I want you to work with Fushimi-san,” Kirijo said. “We have to approve club budgets for the year.” 

Makoto nodded. That didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. And he would rather be working with Chihiro than Odagiri. He seemed like a bit of a douche.

“Shiomi-san, you’re with Odagiri,” Mitsuru continued. Kotone eyed up the third-year.

“Are you sure you want me on the disciplinary committee?” Kotone said. Odagiri didn’t look happy about the arrangement either, but, to be fair, he hadn’t looked happy about anything so far. 

“I’m sure,” Mitsuru said. Kotone had raised an eyebrow, and looked like she wanted to continue her protests. 

Makoto tried to catch Chihiro’s eye, but she was focused quite intently on the ground. 

“I have a meeting,” Mitsuru said, sweeping out of the room. Makoto tried to smile as he took a seat next to Chihiro, though by her reaction it wasn’t a very good one. 

“Um, hello,” she said quietly. 

“Hi,” Makoto responded. “What do you want me to do?” 

Kotone and Odagiri were leaving the room, the third-year saying something about needing to patrol the hallways. Kotone was surprisingly quiet, looking almost intimidated by the boy. 

“I have some forms,” Chihiro said, reaching out to pick up a stack of papers. Her elbow clattered the table, causing her to drop papers across the floor. “Oh, no!” She scrambled out of her seat to pick them up. 

Makoto knelt down to help her, catching brief snippets of the content of each page. They were club registration and budget forms, where each club would show they had sufficient membership to continue operating, and request money from the school for operations. 

Man, there’s a kendo club? I fight with a sword, why didn’t I join that?

Makoto handed his stack of papers to Chihiro, who quietly thanked him. 

“We need to go through each one and make sure they have at least four members,” she explained. “And then we note down what they’re requesting money for, and write a summary for Kirijo-senpai so she can approve or deny the request.” 

Makoto followed along on a page as she pointed out each section. It seemed simple enough. 

“Makes sense,” he said. Chihiro nodded quickly and took a page off the pile. 

They worked in silence for the next half-hour, the only sounds the rustling of paper and scratching of pencils as the two gradually whittled the pile down. 

She’s quiet. 

Makoto didn’t mind the silence. In fact, it was kind of nice. A good change of pace from Kotone’s manic energy. 

I could get used to this.

The pile was about halfway finished when Makoto sat back in his chair for a break. His hand was beginning to cramp, and he opened and closed it to stretch it out. He’d always held his pencils wrong, and the efforts of no less than a dozen teachers had all failed to correct it.

Noticing a lack of noise from his left, he glanced over at Chihiro. She was looking at him. Makoto blinked and she quickly looked down, returning to her work. 

A few minutes later, the door slammed open.

“You can’t just go around accusing people!” Kotone was shouting. Odagiri carefully closed the door before holding something small up to Kotone’s face.

“Do you see this?” he said, voice quiet, yet dripping with anger. “This is an insult to this school. An insult to every rule-abiding student at Gekkoukan.” 

“It is not that serious, dude,” Kotone stood tall under Odagiri’s gaze, giving back a glare of her own. 

“Not serious?” Odgiri snapped. “Shiomi-san, I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that you would defend such delinquent behavior.” 

What is this guy even talking about?

“The fuck’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You think I don’t know about you skipping class?” Odagiri said. “Wandering around late at night?” 

“So what if I go out at night?” Kotone glanced at Makoto, who was frozen in his seat. He probably should do something, right? But he still didn’t know what was even happening. He didn’t particularly want to stand in front of Odagiri’s withering gaze, either. 

“You are a representative of this school,” Odagiri was turning red with anger. “When you goof around, wearing our uniform, it reflects poorly on all of us.” 

“Your creepy ass committee keeping tabs on everyone reflects pretty poorly too,” Kotone was gripping the bottom of her skirt in both hands. Makoto was glad she was doing that. He had a sneaking suspicion that if she wasn’t, she would’ve punched the taller boy by now. 

“I would recommend that you consider your next words carefully,” Odagiri said. “Otherwise I might have another name to add to my list of suspects."

Makoto looked at Chihiro, hoping she’d have some idea what was happening. But the first-year student was staring at the exchange with wide eyes and quivering hands. 

“Oh, I dare you,” Kotone growled, red eyes narrowed. Makoto squinted at the thing in Odagiri’s hand. 

Is that a cigarette butt?

That couldn’t be what this was about. He stood up slowly, preparing to separate the two. 

At that moment, the door slid open. Mitsuru Kirijo stood in the doorway, silencing the argument with her mere presence.

“What is all this about?” 

“Kirijo-san,” Odagiri turned to face the president, all aggression in his posture instantly disappearing. “While on patrol, we discovered this outside one of the bathrooms.” 

He held up the cigarette butt for Mitsuru to see. Makoto sat back down. Now that Kirijo was here, she’d handle the situation.   

“I see,” she responded. 

“So I approached students I suspected may have been involved, and informed them of the potential repercussions for their offense.” 

“He went up to random people and told them they’d be expelled,” Kotone said. 

“And you were just so helpful,” Odagiri said. “I never should have let you touch it.”

“Oh, sorry I ruined your DNA evidence, detective,” Kotone snapped. 

“If you took any of this seriously, we could have found the culprit—”

“Alright, let’s all calm down,” Mitsuru commanded with an exasperated sigh. “Shiomi, I thought perhaps working with Odagiri would teach you some responsibility, but it seems I was incorrect.” 

“Are you kidding me?” Kotone cried.

“Odagiri, I hoped you would be a positive example, but it appears I was wrong about that as well.” 

Odagiri bowed his head, looking ashamed. “Kirijo-san, I—”

“I hope you were more productive, Fushimi-san?” Odagiri fell silent as Mitsuru changed the subject. 

“Oh, um, yes,” Chihiro finally looked up from the table to answer. “We made it through a good amount of the budget requests.” 

“Good,” Mitsuru said. “This meeting is over.” 

Odagiri stood still for a moment, then stormed out of the room. 

Chihiro was next, quickly gathering her things and squeaking out a quiet goodbye as she left. Once it was just her and the twins, Mitsuru sighed.

“That wasn’t great,” she said, rubbing her forehead with a hand. 

“What is that guy’s problem?” Kotone asked. 

“He means well,” Mitsuru said. “He just goes a little far sometimes.”

Makoto stood up, and there was an awkward few moments before Mitsuru waved him off. “You two can go. I have a few things to finish up.” 

Makoto nodded and led Kotone out the door. 

“Thanks for the help back there, bro,” Kotone said, once they were out of the school building. 

“What?” Makoto thought she was joking, but her face didn’t seem to show that. 

“I mean, you could have backed me up, you know?” 

Makoto didn’t answer. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The train ride and subsequent walk back to the dorm was silent. She didn’t want to talk to Makoto any more than he wanted to talk to her at the moment, so she didn’t mind. He’d really just sat there and watched that prick Odagiri threaten her. 

I know he isn’t the most assertive, but still.  

Kotone opened the door to the dorm and was greeted by Yukari and Junpei. The former was sitting on one of the couches, the latter at a table with his head in his hands. 

“What’d Kirijo want?” Yukari asked. 

“Invited us to join the student council,” Kotone answered. “For some reason, she thought it would do us some good.” 

“No way,” Junpei said, perking up from whatever homework he was supposed to be doing. “What was it like?” 

“Pretty shitty,” Kotone said. “The disciplinary committee head is kind of a psycho.” 

“I’ve heard some crazy stories,” Yukari said. “You should’ve seen him last year. He wasn’t even on the council, and he chewed out some poor girl for suggesting we didn’t need uniforms.” 

“You should’ve seen him today,” Kotone said. “I’m surprised he didn’t call the cops over a cigarette butt.” 

Kotone quickly relayed the story, glaring at Makoto as she told the others how he’d just sat there. For his part, he looked somewhat ashamed.

“Man, what a jerk,” Junpei said, at her conclusion. 

“How was your first day on the council, Makoto?” Yukari asked, turning to her brother, who, surprise, surprise, shrugged.

“Fine, I guess,” he said. “Just going through some club forms.” 

“What’s the treasurer like?” Junpei leaned in. “I’ve heard she’s pretty cute.” 

“She seems nice, I guess,” Makoto answered, skating past the second part of Junpei’s question. “She didn’t talk much, which was alright.”

“Was it?” Yukari asked, a sudden bit of bite to her words. 

“Yeah,” Makoto answered, “She wasn’t insane, at least.” 

Either he’s deliberately ignoring that glare, or he’s a moron.

Yukari nodded slowly, and Kotone thought she saw a hint of red tint in her cheeks. Nobody else noticed, however, even as Yukari got up and huffed on her way to her room. 

The conversation over, Junpei went back to his homework, scribbling out a chunk of work. 

“Man, I don’t know what I’m doing,” he muttered. Junpei clutched at his head. 

Kotone sat down next to him and took out her own math homework. She leaned over and scanned over Junpei’s work.

“I think you’re supposed to carry the one right there,” she pointed at a part of the paper. “Wait, maybe not?” 

“See?” Junpei said. “I need to pay more attention in class.” 

“Alright, skip that one,” Kotone suggested. “Question 2.” 

She stared at the equation for a solid minute.

“Nope. Question 3.” 

“Hey! I think I know this one,” Junpei scribbled rapidly, before the speed of his pencil slowed, then stopped entirely. “No, I guess not.” 

Kotone turned around to see Makoto inching towards the stairs. 

“Woah, hold up,” she said. “Makoto, you know how to do this, right?” 

Her brother sighed as he took a seat beside her. She slid him her paper, and he looked at the first problem. 

Then he looked at her, then back at the paper, then at her, then back to the paper. 

“You really can’t figure this out?” 

“Don’t be like that,” Kotone said, rolling her eyes. “Just show me how to do it.” 

Makoto plucked the pencil from her hand and quickly worked out the exercise. He set the pencil down and leaned back. 

“What?” Kotone took the paper back and leaned close to make out his tiny handwriting. “How did you do that?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I thought you were gonna, like, explain it to me,” Kotone said, trying and failing to follow his work. 

“I don’t know,” Makoto said. “It just makes sense.” 

“I don’t care if it makes sense, just give it here,” Junpei grabbed the paper and began copying Makoto's answer. 

“How am I gonna do it on the test?” Kotone said. “Come on, do the second one. Slowly.” 

Makoto took the paper back from Junpei and began working the second exercise. 

“Alright, so you chain rule there, and then that’s a product,” he scribbled more inhumanly tiny numbers and letters on the page. “Now you have to make sure you don’t miss the second part there…” 

Kotone leaned in to try and understand what he was writing, but it was impossible. He brought up each concept as if she’d been paying attention every day in class, and therefore would know what he was talking about. 

He began trailing off as he worked, until finishing the problem in complete silence. 

“Seriously, dude?” 

Junpei grabbed the paper and started to copy that answer as well. Kotone snatched the page back. 

“Hey, I was reading that!” Junpei tried to take it back, but Kotone smacked his hand away with her pencil. 

“Explain it,” Kotone said. 

“It makes sense to me,” Makoto said. “How can you not understand it?” 

“How can I not understand it?” Kotone’s vision was red. First Odagiri’s bullshit, now this? “Because you aren’t making any fucking sense!” 

“I don’t know what to tell you!” 

“Dammit, just, whatever,” Kotone stuffed her homework back into her bag and marched upstairs. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Junpei listened to Kotone’s stomping feet ascend the stairs, then winced at the loud slam of the door. She’d been kind of pissed off since coming back, probably because of that thing with the student council. 

She’ll be alright in a little bit. In the meantime…

“Hey, Makoto,” Junpei shifted to take Kotone’s seat beside him. “You wanna give me the rest of the answers?” 

Makoto sighed, and took Junpei’s paper. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4/27

Monday came quickly, and the school day passed even faster. Makoto had spent most of Sunday in his room, hoping to avoid another argument with Kotone. He’d been successful, though the morning train ride to school had been an awkwardly silent affair. Makoto did not miss the irony of himself finding any situation to be awkwardly quiet. 

Mr. Ono’s lecture dragged on for what felt like hours. He seemed to have a truly unhealthy obsession with samurai. He’d spent the final ten minutes of class complaining about mammoths, or as he called them, “just huge elephants.” 

At least Makoto was at track practice now. He hadn’t expected to actually enjoy it when he joined. He’d figured he should probably join a club, and how hard could running be?

Incredibly hard, actually. Maybe you should focus.

Makoto panted as he ran around the curve, his lungs burning from the effort. He was lagging behind the group he was running with, though he was still a ways from the finish line. 

Upping his cardio would be good for Tartarus, Makoto thought to himself. For most of their first visit, he hadn’t had much of an issue with the Shadows. It had really been a test of endurance until they’d fought that lion thing. 

“Come on, guys, you’ve got it!” Yuko was shouting encouragement from her position at the finish line. “Dig deep!” 

Makoto glanced at the runners ahead of him, then put his head down and sped up. He pulled alongside, then past the pack, to the cheers of a few spectating teammates. 

Ahead of him, there was a large gap to Kaz. The finish line was approaching quickly. Makoto started closing that gap, pouring what remained of his stamina into his final push. 

Not gonna make it…

Makoto was still a few lengths behind Kaz, speeding towards the finish line. 

Then Kaz stumbled. 

Makoto swerved past the slowing boy, passing him right before the finish line. He slowed down and turned around.

What was that?

Kaz was still on his feet, limping to the finish. He was wincing as he favored his right leg. 

“Kaz, are you alright?” Yuko cried.

Makoto jogged over and joined the concerned circle that was forming around their star runner. For his part, Kaz was denying any issue.

“I’m fine, guys, I’m fine,” he insisted. He hopped up on his right leg, then half-collapsed to sit on the ground. “Dammit.” 

“Jeez, Kaz,” one of the third-years said. The older members of the club were silent, grave expressions on their faces. Makoto couldn’t blame them. 

“I’m fine,” Kaz repeated. He was obviously in pain, however. “Just give me a minute.” 

“Yeah, whatever you say,” Yuko said, clearly not convinced. She reached down and helped him to his feet. “Yuki, could you bring him to the nurse?” 

Man, this really sucks. All the third-years had big expectations for this year. If Kaz is injured, that’ll totally—

“Oh, yeah,” Makoto snapped back to focus. “I can do that.” 

Makoto stepped over and helped Kaz throw an arm over his shoulder. They made their way off the track surface and slowly hobbled towards the school. 

“Hey, I can walk, man,” Kaz said. Makoto allowed him to test the strength of his leg. He seemed able to support his weight, so Makoto let him walk on his own. “See, I’m fine.” 

“Are you sure you’re fine?” Makoto asked. Kaz was slightly limping, but it seemed to become less and less pronounced as they went on. 

“See?” 

They had made it to the door of the school, but Kaz didn’t go in when Makoto opened it. 

“Look, why don’t we go somewhere else?” Kaz said. 

“Yuko told me to take you to the nurse.” 

“Anything but the nurse,” Kaz said. “I’ll buy you food. Just don’t take me to the nurse.” 

Makoto looked at Kaz with narrowed eyes. He seemed desperate to avoid the nurse, though for what reason, he couldn’t begin to guess. 

“I’ll tell you everything,” Kaz said. Makoto nodded slowly. 

“Fine,” he said. 

Kaz sat down across from Makoto and eagerly accepted his bowl of ramen. He took a long bite, then glanced up at Makoto, who looked down at him expectantly. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you,” Kaz said. Satisfied, Makoto snapped his chopsticks apart and began eating. “But you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone. Not even Nishiwaki-san, or the captains.” 

What did he do, kill someone? 

“Okay,” Makoto nodded. 

“My knee,” Kazushi said. “It’s been messed up for a while. Ever since the season started. I’ve tried a bunch of different medicines, and wrapped it up, but nothing works.” 

“Sounds like you should go to the doctor,” Makoto said. 

“I can’t do that,” Kaz said. “The doctors will tell me to stop running, and I can’t do that. I need to keep training, or else I’ll let everyone down.” 

Kaz looked at Makoto with desperation in his eyes. 

“That’s why you can’t tell anyone. If the doctors, or even Yuko find out, they’ll stop me from running.” 

This seemed stupid. Really, really stupid. If Kaz injured his leg for real, who knew what could happen? But Makoto couldn’t deny the fire in Kazushi’s eyes. He didn’t want to be the one to deny Kaz his chance. 

“I won’t tell anyone,” Makoto promised. Kaz’s face lit up. 

“Thanks, man,” he said. 

“I still think you’re being stupid,” Makoto continued. “If it gets worse, you should go to the doctor.” 

“I’ll think about it,” Kaz said. “I’m glad you understand. I’ve got your back, alright? I owe you now.” 

He extended a hand for Makoto to shake. Makoto hesitated for a moment, considering abandoning the whole idea, leaving, and informing Yuko as soon as possible. 

You did make a promise.

Makoto shook Kaz’s hand, and the two returned to their bowls. 

Makoto said goodbye and watched Kaz jog out of the strip mall. He’d told Makoto he was going to run home, and hadn’t listened to any warning against it. 

Makoto stuffed his hands in his pockets and began his own walk home. 

Makoto had spent the rest of the meal coming up with ideas for getting Kaz’s knee checked out, even the ones that would hopefully avoid anyone at Gekkoukan finding out. But every one of them had been shot down. Kaz refused any plan that could potentially stop him from running. 

He cares so much about it. How could I take that away from him?

Makoto looked at the sky, where a thin sliver of moon was rising. The Dark Hour was approaching, though he’d be home long before it fell. 

Is there anything that I care about that much? So much that I’d ignore something like that to keep going? 

Probably not, Makoto thought. Maybe the whole operation with SEES. But he didn’t really care about it because he enjoyed it. It was just logical. Makoto was one of the only people who could, so he had to. Kaz didn’t have to run, his body was actively telling him not to run, but he couldn’t stop because of how much he loved it. 

Makoto entered the dorm and found the lounge occupied. Everyone in SEES bar Ikutsuki was present, and seemed to be debating something loudly. 

“We really should wait until he comes back, Kotone,” Yukari was saying. 

“You know Makoto won’t care,” Kotone said. “He’ll just grumble a little and then go along with it.” 

Yukari looked over Kotone’s shoulder and spotted Makoto. “Hey there, Makoto!” She spoke loud enough to drown out Kotone’s continuing rant, which fell silent when she realized the subject was present. 

“Oh, hi,” Kotone said, looking somewhat guilty. 

“Hey,” Makoto said. He didn’t really want to start another fight with his sister. Since she’d stormed out of their study session, she’d seemed cold towards him. He couldn’t blame her for what she was saying now, though. Whatever she was saying he wouldn’t care about, she was probably right. 

“Shiomi-san wants to go to Tartarus tonight,” Mitsuru said. She’d been standing off to the side of the argument, looking vaguely disappointed in the entire affair. “What are your thoughts?” 

I don’t care. But I am pretty exhausted. 

Mostly, he didn’t want Kotone to be proven right after what she’d been saying. Maybe he cared a little. 

“I’m tired,” he said, stifling a very real yawn. “Can we go tomorrow?” 

Kotone looked disappointed, but shrugged. “Fine with me.” 

She turned around and marched upstairs. 

Makoto stared after the sound of her footsteps until they disappeared with a slam of a door. 

I’ve got a bad feeling about this.  

Chapter Text

4/28

Makoto was dreaming. It was a strange dream, a new twist on the usual “forgot to put clothes on” nightmare. This time, he was in front of a stadium full of people, fully clothed, though he almost wished he wasn’t. He was wearing some horrible graphic tee, and sneakers with a paint-splattered design that hurt his eyes. 

In the wings, Kotone was shouting encouragement, and he looked at a crowd all wearing Yukari’s face and staring at him. The idea of that many people looking, simply perceiving him, shook him. 

Then he turned around, and Junpei was behind him, poking at his head with a pencil. He was back in the classroom, picking his head up off the desk and blinking away the small amount of sleep he’d been able to get during Edo-sensei’s lecture. 

“He’s awake, Junpei, you don’t have to keep doing that,” Yukari said. The pencil gave him a few more taps before stopping. 

“I’m just makin’ sure,” Junpei said. “It’s lunchtime, Makoto.” 

“I figured.” 

“You gotta fuel up for tonight, bro.” 

“I know.” 

Makoto felt the eyes of the class on him, standing his hair on end. 

Makoto reached into his bag for his lunch. “I’m gonna go eat on the roof.” 

It was warm out, and Makoto rolled up his sleeves as he pushed open the door to the roof. 

I’ll take my usual bench and be back in class with plenty of time.

“Makoto!” 

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Kotone was sitting on his bench, a teal-haired girl beside her. She seemed vaguely familiar, though he couldn’t place her face. 

“Come sit with us,” Kotone called. She slid over to give Makoto a seat on the edge of the bench. Makoto sighed and accepted the offer. “Makoto, this is Fuuka Yamagishi. She’s in my class.” 

Makoto gave his best polite nod. 

“Fuuka, this is my brother, Makoto.” 

“Hello,” Fuuka said in a small voice. “Um, it’s nice to meet you.” 

Makoto opened his lunch and began eating. Fuuka was quiet as well, though Kotone didn’t seem to be happy about it.

“Come on, you don’t have anything to say?” she said. “Fuuka, you should tell Makoto about your club.” 

“It’s not really my club,” the blue-haired girl responded. 

“She’s in the photography club,” Kotone answered for her, clearly trying to start something of a conversation. “Isn’t that cool?” 

“Sure,” Makoto said, trying to sound interested. 

I just wanted to eat in peace.

“I might join,” Kotone said. “I’ll have to see if I have enough time, with tennis and everything.” 

“Really, it’s okay if you’re too busy,” Fuuka said. “You don’t have to—”

“It sounds fun, Fuuka,” Kotone said. “Goin’ around with my camera, catching big scoops on all the drama.”

“That’s more the newspaper club…” Fuuka said shyly. Kotone swung her legs and leapt to her feet. 

“Speaking of everything,” she said, looking at Makoto, “are you ready for tonight?” 

Makoto gave his best glare, trying to keep her off the subject. “Uh, yeah, I guess.” 

“I’m going to the ladies’ room,” she announced. Makoto wasn’t sure why she did that, nor was she sure why she was looking at Fuuka when she said it. “I said, I’m going to the ladies’ room.” 

“Okay,” Fuuka said. “Um, have fun?” 

Kotone frowned and left the rooftop. Makoto was left sitting next to Fuuka, who was looking down as she ate the last few bites of her lunch. He should probably say something. 

“She’s a bit much sometimes,” he said. 

Fuuka’s head shot up, her eyes wide. “No, no, it’s alright. She’s nice to me.” 

Well, what was he supposed to say to that? Kotone was definitely nicer than he was. She didn’t care what people thought of her, and they still liked her. Maybe he should try and say something nice. 

“Your club sounds cool,” Makoto offered. 

“Oh, I think so,” Fuuka said. She was smiling now, at least. “It’s not mine, though. I’m just a member.” 

“So if you don’t go around spying on people, what do you do?” 

“Um, we mostly just take pictures,” Fuuka said. “But I guess you knew that, huh?”

“I figured that part out, yeah,” Makoto said. “Maybe I’ll join.” 

“Alright, bitches!” Kotone cried from behind them. It seemed she had returned. She sat back down between them. “Man, it’s nice out, huh?” 

Makoto walked back to class, making a mental note to sign up for the photography club. Fuuka had done a pretty good job selling it to him, and he’d at least know her. She was easy to talk to, for some reason. Certainly a better listener than Kotone. Or just about anyone else he’d met in the hallways of Gekkoukan High. 

Speaking of hallways, these were entirely empty. He reached down to check the time. 

Shit.

He was late. Class was already back in session, and he was fairly certain it was Ekoda’s block. He wouldn’t be getting away with sneaking in under Ekoda’s nose. 

He turned the doorknob and walked into the classroom. Mr. Ekoda fell silent as Makoto walked to his desk. He did his best to ignore the stares of the class, though Junpei’s grin was hard to miss. 

“Ah, how nice of you to join us, Yuki-san,” Ekoda snarled. 

Just ignore him. You don’t care.

Makoto took his seat and silently pulled his textbook from his bag. Ekoda was looking at him, arms crossed, but Makoto didn’t speak. 

“Young people today,” Ekoda said, half to himself. “Theey have no sense of responsibility.” 

“Hey, let’s stop by the mall on the way home,” Yukari turned around and said to Makoto. “I have an idea.” 

She didn’t elaborate on what that idea might be. 

“Uh, alright,” Makoto said. 

“I’m comin’ too!” Junpei said, turning to face the other two. “Someone needs to keep an eye on you two.” 

“Why?” Makoto raised an eyebrow. 

“And why would that be you?” Yukari said. “If anything, we’re both gonna have to keep an eye on you.” 

“I disagree,” Junpei crossed his arms. “Come on, let’s go.” 

Makoto rubbed his eyes and shrugged. There wasn’t much point in fighting this, was there? 

“Alright, what are we doing here?” Makoto said, standing in the middle of Paulownia Mall. 

“I was thinking,” Yukari led them to the right, “We could probably use some first-aid stuff in Tartarus.” 

The trio walked into Aohige Pharmacy. The white walls and shelves were stacked with different-colored bottles and boxes. A few people were milling around the store. 

“What do we need meds for?” Junpei said. “You can just heal us up with some magic!” 

Makoto glanced around the pharmacy, but it didn’t seem like anyone had been listening to Junpei. If anyone was, they’d probably think he was insane. They definitely wouldn’t figure out what he was talking about, but still, better to be safe than sorry. 

“I can’t do it forever,” Yukari said. “If I’m too exhausted to heal you, some pain medicine could help us out.” 

“Seems like a good idea,” Makoto said. He picked up a basket and followed Yukari down the aisle, scanning the bottles for painkillers. 

Makoto and Yukari spent the next few minutes going up and down the store, dumping whatever medicine caught their eyes in the basket. Painkillers, cold medicine, a few first-aid kits, even some ointment that was supposed to treat burns. 

“Where’d Junpei go?” Makoto realized they hadn’t seen the other boy for a while. He hadn’t followed them 

Yukari shook her head. “Do I look like I pay attention to where that idiot goes?”

“I guess not,” Makoto said. He dropped the subject with that. He’d hoped to keep Yukari and Junpei away from each other’s throats for a while longer, but that was obviously not going to happen. 

This is a great way to start the operation.

“I think that’s enough,” Yukari said. Makoto looked down at the basket on his arm. There were a solid dozen bottles of various medicines, causing a rattling of pills with every step. 

“Seems like more than enough,” Makoto responded. The two stood in line, and Junpei joined them. 

“Here, get these too,” he said. He was holding a pile of small bottles under his arms, and he dropped them into Makoto’s basket. One tumbled to the ground, and he bent down to pick it up. 

“What are those?” Makoto asked. 

“Energy shots,” Junpei said, holding up the red and green bottle. “If we start getting tired, pop a couple of these, and we’ll be back in business.” 

“That sounds like a terrible idea,” Yukari snatched the bottle from Junpei and read the back. “Junpei, there’s so much caffeine in these.” 

“That’s the point!”

“Like, three of these could kill a horse, Junpei!” 

Makoto closed his eyes and tuned out the bickering. Yukari and Junpei, he realized, were more like brother and sister than him and Kotone. At least, they argued like brother and sister.

“Next!” A gruff voice snapped him back to focus. He stepped forward and placed his basket in front of an old man with a thick beard and ponytail. His facial hair was a deep gray-blue, which explained the pharmacy’s name.

The man raised an eyebrow at Makoto and his basket full of medicine and caffeine shots. It probably did look suspicious to anyone who didn’t know their real purpose. Which meant basically everyone in the world. The pharmacist shook his head and began ringing up the items. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone ran across the court and flung her arm out desperately. Her racket barely reached the ball, which flew wide and out of the court. 

“Dammit,” she muttered.

“Hey, that wasn’t bad, Kotone,” Rio said, from the other side of the net. “You’re getting better.” 

That was true, though she was still pretty terrible. She could get the ball over the net consistently, but hitting it where she wanted was still a skill that eluded her. 

“Fourty-love!” Rio called, as Kotone returned to her place. Rio tossed the ball above her head and leapt into the serve, crushing the ball towards Kotone. 

“Gah!” Kotone flinched backwards and swung her racket, popping the ball high in the air. 

Following Rio’s instructions, Kotone ran towards the center of the baseline and held the racket with both hands in front of her. For her part, Rio was casually moving towards the center of the court, racket primed behind her head. 

Kotone cringed backwards. She’d taken a few of Rio’s serves straight to the body, and now she’d set the team captain up to hammer one from even closer. 

As Kotone’s shot fell towards the ground, Rio’s arm blurred. With a grunt of effort and a loud pop, the ball flew towards Kotone. She dodged out of the way, and the ball clanged against the fence behind her, before bouncing harmlessly to the ground. 

Wait, did I just…?

“I won!” Kotone cried, “I won a point! I beat you! Haha!” 

Rio grinned and tapped her racket on the outside of her foot. “I think that was more me losing than you winning.”

“Don’t ruin this for me!” 

“Fourty,” Rio sighed, “Fourty-fifteen.” She served this shot even harder than the last, curving it in midair and completely evading Kotone’s outstretched racket. 

“Well, shit,” Kotone said. “That wasn’t very nice, Rio.” 

“I did it! I won a point!” Rio cried, imitating Kotone. Kotone laughed and stuck her tongue out. “Alright, I think that’s enough of that.” Rio yelled out across the courts. “Come on everyone, circle up over here.” 

The rest of the team gathered together and Rio began explaining the next drills she wanted to run. Kotone tried to pay attention, but found it hard. She was pretty sure she was forgetting something important. 

“Shit, what time is it?” Kotone looked around at the group. 

One girl looked at her watch and informed her that it was half past five. 

“Oh,” Kotone said. She looked at Rio with a guilty half-smile. “I’ve got to go, actually.” 

“What?” Rio said. 

“I should’ve left fifteen minutes ago, actually,” Kotone said, walking backwards towards the exit. Rio swiftly caught up to her. 

“Kotone, you can’t just leave,” she said. “We’re in the middle of practice.” 

“I know, but I have to…” Kotone searched for the right word, “I have to take care of something. Kirijo-senpai wants to see me back at the dorm and, you know, I can’t really disobey her, can I?” 

Rio licked her lips and sighed. “I guess not.” 

“Sorry I’m late, guys,” Kotone took the steps two at a time and swung open the door to the dormitory. “I got held up at tennis, and— Oh.” 

Mitsuru and Akihiko were sitting across from each other on the couches, and the others were nowhere to be found. 

“Sorry we’re late,” the door opened again to reveal Yukari storming in, Makoto and Junpei behind her. “We were at the mall, and—”

“It’s alright,” Kirijo said. “Shiomi-san just got here as well.” 

“Oh.” 

Junpei was holding multiple plastic bags on his arms, and he set them down on the table. 

“What’s that?” Kotone asked. 

“Drugs,” Junpei said. “Lots of drugs.” 

Kotone darted forward to look into one of the bags.

“What?” Mitsuru said. She was glaring at Junpei, who wilted under her gaze.

“It’s just medicine,” he said. “We thought maybe it could help in Tartarus.” 

“That’s boring,” Kotone said with mock disappointment. She glanced at Makoto, but he didn’t seem to notice her joke. She frowned. 

“Let’s just get going,” Mitsuru said. She shot Akihiko a nervous glance. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yukari watched the twins walk to the side of the room, stand still for a moment, then turn back around. 

“Alright, let’s do this!” Kotone cried. The last time they were in Tartarus, they’d done the same thing, walking to that point on the side of the room, then turning around immediately. Makoto had said there was no point in him explaining. 

Kotone bounded up and down on her feet, stretching her arms over her head. Junpei was taking practice swings with his sword, thankfully doing it far away from the others. 

Yukari made a third or fourth check of her quiver, making sure it was stuffed with as many arrows as she could fit. 

I should really buy a bigger one.

“Be careful,” Mitsuru said. “I’ll be listening in, but it’s still up to you on the ground.” 

Makoto nodded. Kotone was whirling her naginata around, too busy to answer. 

“Good luck, guys,” Akihiko said. He was out of his cast, but Mitsuru had been clear that he wasn’t joining them until the doctors signed off on his rehab. 

Yukari and the others stepped onto the teleporter. Makoto shouldered the backpack they’d stuffed with their pharmacy haul as Kotone pressed a few buttons.

The teleporter sparked, lightning flashed, and they were back in Tartarus. 

“Can you all hear me?” Mitsuru’s voice spoke in Yukari’s head. Yukari nodded, then realized that Mitsuru couldn’t see that.

“Loud and clear,” Kotone answered. “Let’s get this show on the road!” 

Kotone bounded up the stairs to the next floor, Junpei hot on his heels. Makoto and Yukari followed, emerging onto the next floor of the tower. 

There were the same dark stone walls and eerie green light from too-high windows, and the area was quiet. There weren’t any shadows in sight, though that was bound to change soon. 

Yukari ran a finger over the cold steel strapped to her thigh, the presence of her Evoker reassuring her. Funny, that she should find such confidence in the same object that had terrified her a few weeks ago. 

“You coming, Yuka-tan?” Junpei called from down the hall. Yukari hadn’t been paying attention. Kotone was already around the corner, but the boys had at least waited. 

“Sorry,” she muttered, jogging to catch up. 

“Hiya!” Kotone cried as Yukari turned the corner. She was driving her blade into a Shadow, which melted into a small baby flying on black wings and staring at them with a blank pink face. It wielded a bow, and fired a shot that Makoto ducked easily. 

“I haven’t seen this one before,” Kirijo’s voice crackled in Yukari’s skull. “You’ll have to experiment.” 

“I’ll handle this one!” Kotone raised her Evoker and Orpheus blasted fire. The Shadow was singed by the blow, but stayed in the air. 

The Shadow quickly fired a pair of arrows, the first one skidding across Junpei’s shoulder. He flinched back in pain, the movement enough to inadvertently dodge the second one. 

“Apsaras!” Makoto shouted from Yukari’s other side. She whirled around in time to see the pale-white woman blast ice which knocked the Shadow from the air. Yukari quickly nocked an arrow and planted it between the Shadow’s eyes. 

It melted back into black goo, then away into the floor. 

“How’s your arm, Junpei?” Kotone asked. Junpei was holding a small flap of fabric the arrow had sliced and frowning. 

“I really like this jacket,” he said. 

“Do you need Yukari to heal you?” Kotone asked. 

“No, I’ve got it under control,” Junpei grinned and pulled a bottle of pills from Makoto’s backpack. He undid the cap, poured a few capsules into his mouth, and held out his arm for the others to see. Yukari watched the blood oozing from his wound begin flowing backwards as the cut began closing. He wiped away a last drop of blood, revealing a pale scar. “All better!” 

“I can’t believe that worked,” Mitsuru sighed in Yukari’s ear. Kotone grinned and skipped down the hall. Junpei grumbled to himself and followed. Yukari looked at Makoto, who so far seemed to be taking a more hands-off approach to his role as co-leader. He shrugged and followed Kotone. 

The rest of the floor was easily cleared, with little damage sustained by the squad. In fact, the biggest hit Yukari had been called on to heal was a particularly bad whack Kotone had taken at the hands of her own weapon, when she’d whirled it a little too close to the wall and deflected the butt end into her ankle. 

“You’re lucky you didn’t hit yourself with the other end,” Yukari said as she summoned Io. “You should really be more careful with that thing.” 

“I just need to practice more,” Kotone winced as her bruise faded, then she smiled. “Thanks, Yukari.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Yukari said. 

They joined Makoto and Junpei at the stairs, where Junpei was tossing back another dose of pills. 

“Junpei, you should really lay off those,” Yukari said. 

“They work, Yuka-tan!” he said. “Look, that arrow shot is totally healed!” 

He pulled the collar of his shirt to the side to reveal his shoulder, unmarred despite the arrow that had drawn blood only minutes earlier. 

“I think you should get moving,” Mitsuru said. 

“What’s going on?” Yukari asked, staring at the ceiling. It didn’t make sense to look that way, considering Kirijo was downstairs. But it did feel natural. 

“Something’s approaching you,” she said, “I’m not sure what it is, but I think you don’t want to mess with it.” 

“Come on, we can take it!” Kotone said. 

“No, you can’t.” Mitsuru said. There was no “I think” in her voice anymore. This was an order.

“Alright, fine,” Kotone said. She led them up the stairs to the next floor. 

“What do ya think that was?” Junpei asked. “It had Kirijo-senpai pretty scared.” 

They were walking through the halls, Kotone in the front, and Makoto trailing behind. 

“I don’t know,” Kotone said. “Probably something awesome. I wish she’d let us fight it.” 

“I trust her,” Makoto said. “She’s the one who felt whatever it was.” 

“That’s boring, Makoto,” Kotone said, turning to walk backwards. “I mean, what’s the worst that could hap—”

As they neared a corner, something dashed in from out of view and slammed into Kotone. 

“Gah!” she flew back into the wall and stumbled back to her feet.

“Kotone!” Yukari cried. The others ran to her side, where they were faced with a group of Shadows. 

There were three, or six of them? Human figures wearing brown robes and blue masks for faces. Each set of two figures was shackled together, three spikes reminiscent of telephone poles turned horizontally impaled through each pairs’ neck, wrists, and hands. 

Junpei shot a blast of fire, the white-hot flame washing over one of the Shadows and heating its spikes red. Yukari followed with a volley of arrows, sticking one into each body. 

“This isn’t working!” she shouted, looking at Makoto behind her. He didn’t answer, instead staring intently at the Shadows. He seemed to be thinking about something, but he wasn’t sharing what that was. 

“Just hit it!” Kotone said. “Nekomata!” Kotone’s yell interrupted his train of thought, and he was forced to duck as the oddly lewd catgirl formed in the air. 

A blast of fire flew where Makoto’s head had been seconds ago and poured over another Shadow, though it wasn’t much more effective than Junpei’s flames. 

“That’s not working,” Yukari repeated. “What do we do?” One of the Shadows dashed towards her, and she yelped and raised her bow in what she knew was a pitiful defense. 

She closed her eyes in anticipation of a blow that never came.

She opened them slowly to see that Makoto had stepped in front of her and parried the blow. He swung his sword in response, but the Shadow raised its hands and caught his blade on its spike. It swung back, and he ducked out of the way. The spike dragged along his side, drawing blood and a grunt of pain. 

Yukari watched him place his Evoker to his temple, but before he could blast away, a blade appeared in one of the Shadow’s chests. It slumped forwards and off the end of Kotone’s naginata. 

Yukari saw Makoto’s mouth twitch. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They marched through another few floors, and Makoto grew more and more irritated as they did. He wanted to help, but with the way Kotone ran in, he couldn’t use his blasts without risking hitting her. 

“Would you stay back this time?” Makoto said, as they encountered another group.

“You’re no fun!” Kotone sprinted in again. She’d been popping Junpei’s energy shots frequently, which at least explained how she was able to keep the irritating practice going. 

He scowled at her, but something stopped him from repeating his suggestion. Maybe it was that he’d only just found her again. Some part of him didn’t want to make her mad. And it wasn’t really hurting anybody but herself. 

Makoto waited, as usual, until Kotone had exhausted herself or been knocked onto her butt, then blasted away with his Personas. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Fucky-fuck-fuck!” Kotone yelped. She ducked below a burst of fire, only to have her feet swept out from her by a gust of wind. 

Junpei dove in with his sword, but the Shadows were too quick for him. 

“Io!” Yukari called her Persona to heal Kotone once again. They’d been making slow but steady progress, though Kotone and Junpei had taken a few hits. 

She was growing exhausted, the constant need for healing draining her energy quickly. Kotone and Junpei just kept running in, blasting away and getting themselves hurt. 

Makoto, on the other hand…

“Ara Mitama!” a red teardrop shape formed above his head, spun around, and blasted the enemies with fire. He seemed stronger, with his upgraded rotation of Personas. 

He was standing back while the others rushed in, seeming almost statue-like before blasting away with well-planned attacks from his arsenal. 

Kotone and Junpei still seemed to do the bulk of the damage, though it was mostly reckless abandon that contributed to that. Yukari had been relegated to healing duty. Makoto had pulled her aside a few minutes into their ascent and suggested she conserve her energy for that.

“If they want to be idiots and get hurt,” he’d told her, “you’ll have to be the one to keep them on their feet.” 

She hadn’t argued, though she’d wanted to suggest he tell them what to do the same way he’d ordered her. Maybe if he tried, they’d listen.

The Shadows melted away, and Makoto nodded to her. She felt a flush of pride, even if she hadn’t contributed much to the actual attack. Maybe a flush of something else as well—

No! Focus!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s not fire,” Makoto said, watching his sister try it for the fourth time against this type of Shadow. 

Kotone ignored him again, instead electing to plant her naginata on the ground and attempt some sort of combination pole dance/spinning kick maneuver. The butt of the weapon slipped out from under her, and she sprawled out on her back. 

“Io,” Yukari said, not as loud or forceful as she’d been earlier. Makoto looked over to her, seeing her eyes half-lidded. She was exhausted. 

He was exhausted as well, though not in the physical sense. He was tired of Kotone and Junpei, running in like morons and getting themselves hurt. Was he the only one thinking about this tactically? 

“Thanks, Yukari!” Kotone cried, leaping to her feet. She was still full of energy. That didn’t seem fair, that she could take damage, get it healed, and be back in the fight like it was nothing. She wasn’t even learning from her mistakes, as she proved by once again blasting fire. 

“You need to tell her,” Yukari said. “You know what they’re weak to, don’t you?” 

“I’ve figured most of them out,” he responded. 

“Then tell them.” 

Makoto opened his mouth to yell, but not to command the others. It wasn’t as easy as Yukari made it sound, or Kotone demonstrated every time she ordered Junpei around. “Persona!” 

Apsaras formed in the air and blasted ice, destroying one Shadow. It was a lot easier to take it into his own hands.

“Makoto, coming at ya!” Kotone shouted. He whirled around in time to see her sprint towards him, one of those two-bodied Shadows hot on her heels. 

“Wha—” he exhaled, before Kotone ducked out of the way and the Shadow continued running, slamming directly into him. He quickly threw it off, though pain spiked through his arm. He thought maybe he’d broken it.

Oh. That’s not good.

He looked down to see one of the Shadow’s spikes embedded in his arm, the blood-soaked tip sticking out the other side. He gripped the end and saw stars as he yanked it out. Blood flowed from between his fingers as he tried to stop the bleeding. Junpei brought his sword down on the Shadow’s head, executioner style, though the tip of his katana got a little too close to Makoto for comfort. 

“Io!” Yukari sprang towards him, directing her healing magic towards him. She watched Io form above her head, then she was flying sideways. Something had hit her while she was distracted. She automatically flung an arm out to catch herself, and her bow made a loud snap as it hit the floor. 

Yukari scrambled to a sitting position and pushed herself back against the wall. Her bowstring had snapped, and while she had brought an extra, it would take time to restring. More time than she had right now. 

She looked up just in time to see a bright spark flash in front of her, and something hit her entire body at once. She felt a loud crackle in her ears as another of the Shadows blasted her with lightning. She stared forwards, seeing spots in her eyes. 

Oh, man that hurts.

She blinked the stars out of her eyes as Junpei flew in with a swing that dissolved one Shadow. Kotone and Makoto summoned a pair of Personas and finished off the other two. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Damn, that was wicked!” Kotone said.

Whatever you say.

“You guys ready to roll?” Kotone asked. 

Yukari shook her head and raised her bow. “I need a couple minutes to re-string.”

Kotone shrugged and turned to Junpei. “Come on, let's clear the next floor for these lollygaggers,” Kotone said. 

Makoto looked at her, gauging if she actually meant it. 

“That’s not a good idea,” he said. 

“Don’t worry so much, bro,” Kotone said, “We’ll be right up those stairs.” 

Makoto’s continued protests fell short of actually reaching his lips. He wasn’t going to get through to her anyways. What was the point?

Junpei shrugged to Makoto as they climbed the stairs. At least she wouldn’t be alone. 

“How’re you feeling?” Yukari asked. She was standing on something attached to her bowstring, pulling on the bow itself to string it. 

“Right now? Pissed.”

“I meant if you wanted me to heal you,” she said. 

“I’m fine,” he said, reaching into his backpack. He pulled out a pair of the energy shots Junpei had bought and tossed one to Yukari. 

It struck her in the chest and fell into her hand. She unscrewed the cap and shrugged. 

“Cheers,” she tapped her bottle against Makoto’s and tossed it back. 

“That was really stupid,” Yukari said. “We need to catch up.” 

Makoto was still looking at the stairs where Junpei and Kotone had disappeared. His hand opened and closed on his holstered Evoker, gripping so tight his knuckles turned white, then releasing. Yukari was making some final checks to her bow, and she still seemed exhausted, even if she’d said the medicine had been enough. 

“We can’t go anywhere until your bow is ready,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.” 

“I’m working on it,” she said. “How’s your arm?” 

Makoto looked at his wrist. The Shadow’s spike had gone fully through his wrist and out the other end, but adrenaline combined with Yukari’s quick healing had stopped it from hurting too badly. 

“It’s fine,” he said. “The blood went away when you healed it.” 

Makoto took the opportunity to take stock of their supplies. They had two more bottles of the painkillers, and a few energy shots somewhere at the bottom of the bag. Kotone and Junpei didn’t have anything. 

Why didn’t I stop them?

“Alright, let’s go.” Yukari’s bow was apparently good to go, and she was on her feet and ready to move. 

Makoto nodded and the pair walked up the stairs. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, um, Kirijo-senpai?” Kotone said, clearly using the honorific to try and get Mitsuru in a good mood. It did not work.

“What?” Mitsuru said. She was sitting beside Akihiko, hands pressed to her temples and eyes closed. She had developed a splitting headache from the effort of maintaining her Persona’s link to the others. 

“So, I think we found another of those rooms with the strong Shadows,” Kotone said. “Just thought I should let you know.” 

Mitsuru could feel it, and knew it was true. Something was up there, something stronger than the regular Shadows, which they were starting to struggle with. 

“Uh, yeah,” Junpei said. “I found it.” 

She heard a crash, and a yelp from Junpei. 

“I’ve gotta go,” Kotone said, as if this was all a phone call. She was still taking this so lightly. It was like she saw this as some game. “Junpei’s getting his ass kicked.” 

Mitsuru took a deep breath. This was all going wrong. Her father was trusting her with this mission, and it was all falling apart after less than a month. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!” Kotone yelped as she ran around the room. She looked over her shoulder to see the Shadow chasing her down and getting closer. It ran on metal feet that clanged on the ground, and its spiked clubs for arms whirred like her grandfather’s electric screwdriver. 

“Lead him over here!” Junpei cried. His hat was knocked sideways, and the tear in his jacket was nothing compared to the damage done in this fight. His blazer was barely in one piece, and deep scrapes oozed blood on his arms. 

Kotone cut towards him, the Shadow clomping along behind her. At the last second, she dodged to the side, putting the monster perfectly in the strike zone for Junpei’s katana. 

“Boom!” Junpei shouted as he delivered a home-run swing. The Shadow fell off-balance and into the wall. 

“Yes!” Kotone exclaimed. 

However, unlike the last of the boss Shadows, this one wasn’t so easily defeated. It spun around at the torso and began walking towards Junpei. 

“Ah, dammit,” Junpei said. He tried to dodge, but the Shadow’s gust of wind sent him off-balance and tumbling across the floor and down the stairs they’d climbed up. 

Kotone’s hand shot to her Evoker, but her finger froze on the trigger. What Persona did she even have to use? She’d tried each and every one, and nothing had worked yet. 

I’m in over my head. Oh, you fucked up, Kotone. 

“Uh, Orpheus?” she whimpered. The Persona sprung forth, but its flame blast was only effective at directing its attention onto her rather than Junpei. 

The Shadow bore down on her, and Kotone’s grip on her naginata slipped. Her hands were sweating, and her eyes were wide with terror. 

Then, an arrow sprouted from where the Shadow’s ear should’ve been, followed by a bolt of lightning from the same direction. 

“Hey, Makoto! Yuka-tan!” Junpei cried. How they’d joined them, Kotone couldn’t know. The stairs in Tartarus hadn’t let them go down, as if they were blocked by some invisible wall. Apparently a one-way invisible wall. 

“Where is she?” Makoto snarled. 

“Kotone?” Junpei sounded dazed. “She’s up there.” 

Makoto and Yukari emerged into the arena. Makoto’s face was stone, his eyes narrowing as they fell on her. Yukari looked terrified, and not entirely because of the monster stomping across the floor. 

“Catch,” Makoto said. He tossed a bottle to Kotone. She quickly uncapped it and chugged, feeling a surge of energy as it hit the back of her throat. 

“Pixie!” he shouted. A Persona Kotone had never seen appeared beside him, a blue-clad fairy. It shot lightning that sparked through the air and hammered the Shadow. 

Kotone watched the Shadow slump to the ground, its spinning club arms grinding to a halt. 

Makoto slowly stepped up and brought his sword down on the Shadow’s head. His grunts of effort as he battered the monster soon turned to screams as the monster finally dissolved back to black sludge. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Holy shit!” Kotone said. “That was awesome!” 

Makoto whirled towards her, a part of him wanting to continue the beatdown on her. 

“Thanks for the save, Makoto!” Junpei said. Yukari knelt down beside him and summoned Io. 

Makoto took a deep breath and walked over to his sister. Her hair had been knocked out of order, and a number of her barrettes were nowhere to be seen. It made him surprisingly happy to see that. Her bullshit had seemingly come back to bite her. 

“We’re leaving,” he growled, grabbing her arm. “Let’s go.” 

“Woah, Makoto,” she stammered. “It’s alright, man.” 

Makoto ignored her excuses and hauled her to her feet. “I said, we’re leaving.” 

He dragged her to the teleporter and waited for Yukari and Junpei to join. As soon as they did, he slammed the button, sending them back to the ground floor. 

Kirijo stood up at the flash of light and stormed over to them, face nearly as red as her hair. Makoto ignored her and marched to the exit, her furious words fading into the background. He wasn’t the one she was mad at. 

Yukari walked behind him, and the rest of the group followed him out of Tartarus and into the green-hued night.

Chapter Text

4/29

Mitsuru stepped out of Tartarus and into the night. The air was still, as if the wind was frozen in a coffin of its own, unable to act during the Dark Hour. She was pushing her motorbike, the rear wheel creaking slightly as it rolled. 

What in the world was she supposed to do now? Her team was already cracking at the seams, and the fault was in the twin leaders. Yuki looked furious, and she couldn’t blame him. 

Mitsuru snapped her chinstrap on, tightening the helmet and roaring her bike to life. She twisted the throttle and rocketed off ahead of the others. This was something that couldn’t be screwed up for her. Her hair flew behind her, and the wail of her engine helped to calm her slightly. 

She wasn’t totally being fair to Shiomi. She was the only one formulating any sort of plan, or at least the only one expressing one. Sure, she probably should be a little more calculating, but it wasn’t like Yuki was taking the reins at any point. 

Then there was that little incident where she’d left Makoto and Yukari and led Iori directly into one of those extra-powerful Shadows.

It was reckless, it was stupid, it was—

She took a deep breath as she approached the dorm. This wasn’t a productive way to think. What would her father tell her? 

That what had happened was in the past, and the only thing she could do now was to find a way forward. 

Mitsuru locked her motorcycle around the back of the building. The Dark Hour had ended during her ride, and the lights they’d left on were visible through the windows. She unlocked the door and tossed her helmet on the top of the coat rack.

Her head still ached. She’d originally thought it was a side effect of maintaining a connection to the others through her Persona for so long. She was starting to think the problem was less about holding the connection, and more about what she was listening to over that connection. 

She found her medical supplies in her closet and took out a bottle of extra-strength aspirin. The instructions said to take two pills. Mitsuru swallowed four with a sip of water. 

She went back downstairs and took a seat on one of the couches to wait for the others. She closed her eyes and reviewed the night’s events in her mind.

Clearly, something was off with Yuki and Shiomi. They weren’t working together the way she’d hoped. Kotone was enthusiastic to a fault, and she’d hoped to temper that with Makoto’s calmness. It was seeming more like Kotone was utterly unpredictable, and Makoto either didn’t care to, or was incapable of asserting himself enough to stop her from doing something stupid. 

She heard quiet voices from outside, and the door swung open. Makoto looked even more angry than Mitsuru felt, while Kotone stayed towards the back of the group, hiding behind Akihiko. 

At least she understands what she did.

Junpei was scratching his stubbled chin, the normally upbeat boy looking as uncomfortable as Mitsuru had ever seen him. And Takeba looked absolutely exhausted, her half-lidded eyes flitting between the two twins. Akihiko stepped over to Mitsuru with an expectant look. Despite her naming Kotone and Makoto as field leaders, SEES still looked to her for direction. 

She opened her mouth, but no words came to mind. She took a deep breath and hid her clenched fists in her skirt. 

“We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” she said, fixing each member of the group with a glare that would’ve made her father proud. 

Makoto nodded, his scowl loosening somewhat. The rest of the group followed him upstairs, though Kotone paused in front of Mitsuru.

“Kirijo-senpai, I—” 

“Tomorrow.” Mitsuru commanded. 

Mitsuru woke to her alarm blaring. That was unusual. Her alarm was only set as a precaution against sleeping in, but she was typically awake at least ten minutes early. 

She stepped out of her room, finding the hallway still silent. Even when she woke up late by her standards, she was still up before everyone else. She was careful to keep quiet as she entered the bathroom and prepared herself for the day. 

She’d been taught many things from a young age, as preparation for her future role as head of the Kirijo Group. One of those things was how to maintain her appearance. The first step in controlling the world around you is to control how people see you. Especially for a woman. 

Her father had taught her that. Then he handed Mitsuru off to her mother to demonstrate how to perfectly place every strand of hair, how to perfectly apply every little dusting of makeup. If you look like you’re in charge, people follow your lead regardless of whether you deserve it. 

Do I deserve it?

Mitsuru was feeling something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Doubt. Her father trusted her to make up for the Kirijo family’s mistakes, and she was letting him, and herself, down. 

She looked at herself in the mirror, and wiped away a small blotch of red lipstick below her mouth. She dressed in her typical outfit, her white blouse and black skirt with high black boots. No matter what was happening with SEES, she was still the student council president at Gekkoukan. That responsibility was nearly as important. 

Mitsuru’s pen slipped across the page, leaving a mark that appeared to cross out a neatly-written paragraph of notes. She gritted her teeth and continued writing. She’d been unable to focus all day, her thoughts always drifting to Kotone and the rest of the squad. She had to find a way to help the twins work together, but what would that take? 

“Alright, I think that’s about all for today,” Ms. Kanou said, standing back from the blackboard. Mitsuru quickly scribbled down her last few notes as the class around her began to pack their things. 

“Hey, you wanna hang out tonight?” a boy in front of her asked his neighbor. “I need a break from schoolwork.” 

That’s not a bad idea. Maybe they’re under too much pressure. 

Mitsuru then realized that she had no idea what people her age do for fun. She’d been groomed to one day lead the Kirijo Group for as long as she could remember. She’d never had time for the activities her peers enjoyed. 

“I could go for karaoke,” another boy joined the pair in front of her. 

Karaoke? Is that what people do to relax?

She carefully placed her notebook and pen in her bag and swept from the room. She filed the thought in the back of her head. She had student council business to attend to. SEES business would have to wait. 

Mitsuru struggled to focus on Chihiro’s report. She was flipping through a stack of papers, quietly relaying the different school clubs budgets and expenses. 

“So, um, that’s it,” she said. Chihiro looked at her expectantly, biting her lip nervously. “K-Kirijo-senpai?” 

“Sorry, Fushimi-san,” Mitsuru blinked, “I’ll get on that.” 

She shook her head to herself. She could hardly focus in class, now at the student council. This issue with SEES was threatening to devour her entirely. She had to do something. 

She stood up, drawing a faint squeak of surprise from Chihiro, and a judgemental eyebrow from Odagiri.

“I’m ending this meeting,” she said. “I trust you all to do your jobs.” 

Mitsuru left the room and made her way to the gym. She needed to discuss this with someone she could trust. Her father was off on some business trip, Shinji was off doing who knows what, and that only left Akihiko. 

She slid open the door and stepped into a room filled with noise. Loud smacks of gloves on mitts and bags, grunts as the club members threw punches at those targets, or each other. 

She quickly marched to the back corner, where Akihiko was whaling on a punching bag. He’d begged her doctors for permission to start practicing again, but the doctors had taken one look at their clipboards and told him anything that involved him getting hit was out of the question. 

She waited patiently for him to finish his set, then joined him when he sat down. He struggled to pick up his water bottle through his gloves, so he stuck an arm towards her. She reached over and began working through the knot. 

“Hey, Mitsuru,” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead with his other arm. “What brings you down here?” 

He was still breathing heavily. There was a reason he wasn’t allowed into Tartarus quite yet.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said. “About last night.” 

“Ah,” he said. “It didn’t go well, did it?” 

“No,” she agreed. “I have an idea.” 

“Let’s hear it,” Akihiko said. 

“Yuki and Shiomi can’t seem to work together,” she said. “Even the first time, Shiomi simply barged ahead and gave the others no choice but to follow. I believe the only way to fix it is to help fix their relationship.” 

“Okay,” Akihiko seemed to follow. By this point, he was only there for her to bounce ideas off. Explaining herself out loud helped her organize her thoughts. 

“They’ve been separated for so long, they aren’t comfortable enough with each other to make a real team. I had hoped their sibling connection would help them work through that, but it seems I was wrong.” 

“Siblings aren’t so simple,” Akihiko said. Mitsuru felt a twinge of shame. She knew what Akihiko had been through with regards to his sister. She should’ve known better than to bring the topic up to him.

Focus, Kirijo. Don’t get distracted.

She took a deep breath and felt her emotions calm. She couldn’t let the pressure get to her. Not any more than it already had. 

“I was thinking of taking them to karaoke,” she said. Akihiko was no longer a sounding board after hearing that. His eyebrows shot up, and his jaw opened slightly. 

“You were thinking of going to karaoke?” 

“It seems to be an activity enjoyed by our peers,” she said. 

“Have you ever been to karaoke?” 

“No,” she crossed her arms with disapproval. Who was he to judge her like that? Okay, maybe she hadn’t gone to karaoke, or to the mall, or to the entire shopping district before. “I think it could be productive,” Mitsuru said. “A bonding experience could help them work through their relationship.” 

Akihiko nodded to himself. “You talk all formal when you get annoyed, you know.” 

“That is categorically false!” she snapped. Akihiko raised an eyebrow. “Okay, maybe you have a point.” 

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea, Mitsuru,” he said. “I trust you. You’ve gotten us this far, haven’t you?” 

She smiled, his confidence helping inflate hers slightly. 

“Thank you, Akihiko,” she said, standing to go. 

“Hey, Mitsuru?” he said. She paused and turned around. He was standing up, pulling the laces on the glove she’d undone back tight with his teeth. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, okay? I’m here to help. ” 

She nodded and left the gym. She felt a little better now, at least. Akihiko was certainly more in touch with the youth—he would never use that expression, for example—than she was, and if he thought the karaoke could work, she trusted him. 

She thought for a moment about what the other member of their original trio would say. 

There’s no point in that. He ran away from his problems. I won’t do the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yukari stared at Makoto. His jaw was set, a scowl fixed on his face. It had been there since last night, when Kotone and Junpei had left them to fend for themselves in Tartarus. He’d been different today, like something different was driving him.

He’s probably pissed off.

He glanced towards her, and gave her a confused look. She quickly looked away, not wanting him to think she was staring. She had been. But, you know not in that way. 

Their lesson finally ended, and she gathered her things. 

“I’m supposed to let you all know that sports practice is being moved inside," Mr. Ono said. “Track and soccer are cancelled, everything else will be taking place in the practice building.” 

Students around her groaned. She’d expected this to happen after it began raining just after lunch. 

“Seems unnecessary to me,” Ono muttered to himself. “Samurai didn’t move their battles inside just for a bit of rain.” 

Makoto was rooting through his bag, his eyes narrowing as whatever he was searching for eluded him. 

“Are you looking for something?” she asked. 

His response was too quiet for her to hear, as the rain pattering on the rooftop drowned out his voice. 

“What’s that?” she stepped closer.

“Do you have an umbrella?” he asked. “I didn’t bring mine.” 

“I think so,” Yukari said. “I don’t take mine out, so it should be here…” she placed her bag on her desk and dug out a pink umbrella. “Sorry about the color.” 

Makoto shrugged. “I don’t mind.” 

She held out the umbrella to him, but he didn’t take it. “Don’t you have practice?” 

“Yeah, but, I’ll be alright without it.” 

Makoto shook his head. “I’ll wait in the library. You don’t need to get soaked because I forgot mine.” 

“Are you sure?” Yukari looked at him a little sideways. This was oddly nice of him. Not that he wasn’t nice, but this was definitely an inconvenience he didn’t have to put himself through. 

“Yeah,” he said. “I don’t want to go home yet anyways.” His eyes flitted towards the wall, through which lay class 2-E, and his sister. 

I can understand that.

“Alright,” Yukari said. “I’ll meet you there, then?” 

Makoto nodded. Yukari hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder and walked out the door, surprisingly aware of the blue-haired boy behind her. 

Yukari fired an arrow, which whistled across the makeshift range and embedded itself in the bullseye. She’d been hitting her targets even more often than usual today, though it probably had to be chalked up to the lack of wind in the indoor setting. 

She took a deep breath and fired the second. A nearly identical shot, landing in the bullseye beside the first. Maybe it wasn’t all the still air. After only two visits to Tartarus, she’d noticeably improved. Shooting at inanimate objects that didn’t threaten to hurt her in any way whatsoever was much easier than firing at Shadows that would gladly take her life. 

“Great shot, Takeba,” Coach Inoue called. “Alright, everyone, last rounds, it’s almost time to wrap things up.” 

Yukari selected her final arrow and eyed the target. She glanced around, feeling the eyes of much of the club on her. She was glad that her coach was noticing her progress, though she could do without the other attention that seemed to come with it. 

She released this arrow, which flew slightly off target. It struck just outside the bullseye, the shaft vibrating back and forth after impact. 

Yukari noticed a few of her teammates looking disappointed that the show hadn’t quite lived up to their expectations. Still, she was happy with her performance.

“That’s it, girls,” Coach called. “Let’s clear this stuff out of the way, and then you can get out of here.” 

Yukari helped carry the targets back to their closet, and stowed her bow away in the locker. She joined her teammates in the locker room and began changing out of her gi. 

She spotted the umbrella sticking from her bag, which reminded her of her promise to Makoto. 

Suddenly, Yukari felt a pit in her stomach, and she found herself slowing down. 

“Are you alright, Takeba?” a girl beside her said. Yukari tried to remember her name. Minami? Nanami? Something with a -nami, she was fairy confident. “You don’t look so good.” 

“Huh?” Yukari looked down to her hands, surprised to see them slick with sweat and clutching her bare stomach. “Yes, I’m alright. I’m just hungry, I guess.” 

She attempted to laugh off the incident, and it appeared to work. 

“Hey, you were pretty awesome out there,” whats-her-face-ami said. 

“Thanks,” Yukari said, shrugging on her white button-down. “I’m just trying my best.” 

She finished buttoning her shirt and tied her cardigan around her waist as she began walking towards the library. 

Yukari reached the door in a time that felt far too fast. Her stomach had settled itself, at least, though her hands were still slightly damp. 

Just be normal, Takeba. What is wrong with you?

She slid open the door to find Makoto at a table, a girl with gray hair so dark it appeared almost black beside him. 

Who the hell is that?

She set her jaw and swept into the room. Makoto looked up and said something to the girl beside him, who smiled at Yukari. 

“Hey, Makoto,” Yukari said, perhaps a little snappier than she’d wanted. “Ready to go?” 

“Just one second,” Makoto said. “We’re almost done with this problem.” 

He directed his focus to a sheet of paper between him and the girl, which they seemed to be working on together. “Sit down, if you want.” 

Yukari scowled as she took a seat across from the two. 

“Are you going to introduce me to your friend?” she said. 

“Oh,” he scratched his chin. “Yukari, this is Saori Hasegawa, Hasegawa-san, this is Yukari.” 

“Nice to meet you,” the girl nodded and gave a sort of soft smile that didn’t quite reach her large gray eyes. “And no “-san,” alright? You don’t need to treat me like your elder?” 

“Nice to meet you, too,” Yukari said, in a tone that probably didn’t sound like she meant it. 

She’d heard rumors about this girl, and most of them weren’t very good. Something about spending a long time in America, she thought. 

Makoto and Saori went back to their paper, Makoto trying to explain some math concepts to the girl beside him. He didn’t seem to be doing a great job, though Saori was polite in her attempts to explain her struggles. 

Something about the way she was looking at him still bugged her. Yukari tried to remember exactly what she’d heard whispered in the hallways. 

Saori was supposedly old enough to be in college, but her time abroad had resulted in her being placed with the second years. She’d also heard that she was taking advantage of that fact to sleep around with the third-years. 

Yukari’s eyes narrowed. Her first impressions didn’t seem to support that rumor, though she didn’t dismiss it entirely. Saori better not be trying to take advantage of Makoto. 

“Are you almost finished?” Yukari said, after a few minutes of aimlessly looking around the library. It was empty, as anyone who might have normally stayed was trying to get home in case the rain worsened. 

“Yeah, I think so,” Makoto said. He pointed out something to Saori, before saying goodbye. Yukari waited by the door for him, then shut it with a little more force than normal. 

“So, how was studying?” Yukari asked. 

“Fine, I guess,” Makoto responded. “How was practice?” 

“Fine, I guess,” Yukari responded. 

The hallways were empty, thankfully. Nobody would see them walking together and start some stupid rumors. She could sympathize with Saori on that front. 

That is, if those rumors were false. 

They reached the front door and Yukari took her umbrella out. She opened it as they stepped through. She didn’t really believe the whole superstition, but she wasn’t going to tempt fate by opening it inside. 

“Sorry about this,” Makoto sheepishly spoke as he moved under the umbrella. 

“About what?” Yukari asked. 

“Making you walk with me,” he said. “I shouldn’t have forgotten mine.” 

Yukari shook her head. She was only getting a little water on her far shoulder, which she didn’t mind. Of course, if they stood a little closer together, she wouldn’t have to get wet. 

“I don’t mind,” she said. “I wasn’t the one who had to wait.” 

“Still,” Makoto said. “I was too busy thinking about last night to remember to check the forecast.” 

They were nearly at the train station. Yukari was surprised it took this long for the topic of the previous night’s disaster to come up. Junpei had been quiet all day, probably feeling bad about what had happened. Yukari didn’t really blame him, though. The situation probably would’ve been even worse if Kotone had been alone. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” she said, closing the umbrella as they walked into the station. 

“About the weather forecast?” 

“No,” Yukari said. “About last night.” 

Makoto was silent as they found seats on the train, which had conveniently arrived right on time. 

“I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t really explain it.” 

“What do you mean?” Yukari looked at him, though his hair was now falling into his eyes, so she couldn’t see whether he was looking back. 

“I don’t know why the whole thing is getting to me,” he said. “I just wish she’d listen to me a little more, you know?” 

“It’s not your fault, Makoto,” Yukari said. 

“It sort of is. I don’t know why it’s so hard to talk to her,” he rubbed at his forehead, revealing a pained eye. “I don’t want to be angry at her.” 

“I’m angry at her. She ditched us.” 

“I know she means well,” Makoto said. “I don’t know… I think I just need some time.” 

He laid back in his seat, his body language making clear that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Yukari didn’t push the issue. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto and Yukari disembarked the train, and he ducked under her umbrella once again. He felt bad for making her walk with him, so he tried to position himself so he would be the only one with a shoulder sticking into the downpour. 

He tried to work through what he’d told her about Kotone. He was mad about her going ahead, but that wasn’t the crux of the issue. They just weren’t communicating, and he had no idea how to improve that. 

I’ll get over it. 

They arrived at the dorm, and Makoto stepped up the stairs quickly. He held the door for Yukari as she entered. 

For the second night in a row, all of SEES was sitting downstairs. This time, however, the mood was significantly dampened. Mitsuru and Akihiko wore serious expressions, and Kotone and Junpei’s goofing around was quieter than usual. 

“Good, you’re all back,” Kirijo said. 

Makoto sat down. 

“Go get changed, you two,” Mitsuru said. “We’re going out.” 

“Why?” Makoto asked. “Where are we going?” 

“You’ll see,” Akihiko said. 

Makoto stood there for a moment before shrugging and following Yukari upstairs. He quickly changed out of his uniform and into a turtleneck sweater and jacket. He left the room, then turned back around to grab his umbrella. 

Not forgetting this time.

Back downstairs, the others were standing by the door. Yukari came down after him, and Akihiko opened the door for the group to leave.

Parked outside was a sleek black limousine, long gull-wing doors open on one side. Makoto stopped in his tracks as Kotone and Junpei ahead of him gaped in awe. Mitsuru walked to the nearly completely black-tinted passenger window, which rolled down. She said something to the driver before turning around.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked, as if rides in what looked like bulletproof limousines were an everyday occurrence. 

“Man, Kirijo money gets you some nice stuff,” Junpei said, as he bounded to the curb. Kotone dove in after him. Makoto took a seat towards the front, as far from those two as possible. Akihiko and Yukari boarded, followed by Mitsuru, who pressed a button on the ceiling to shut the doors. 

“Does this have a hot tub?” Kotone asked. “I’ve heard they make limos with hot tubs.” 

“Water in a limousine is more trouble than it’s worth, according to my father,” Mitsuru said. “Our boat has one, though.” 

“Woah,” Kotone began pressing buttons on her armrest, turning on glowing lights and popping a TV screen down from the roof. 

“So, Kirijo-senpai,” Yukari began, “why are we in a limo?” 

Mitsuru looked to Akihiko, who nodded. Kotone retracted her TV screen, though it looked like she’d discovered the massage button. Her entire body was vibrating, and she had a slightly deranged grin on her face. 

“We’ve placed the four of you under a lot of pressure,” she said. “Especially Yuki and Shiomi-san. What happened last night was… less optimal,” she looked at Makoto and Kotone as she named them. 

That’s one way to put it.

“So, I think if we have some time to enjoy ourselves, maybe you’ll be able to work together easier.” 

“Meaning what?” Yukari voiced the same concern Makoto was thinking. 

“I have been led to believe people our age enjoy karaoke,” Mitsuru said. 

I don’t. I don’t think I’ve ever been. 

Not having friends would do that to you. 

“Oh, awesome!” Kotone said. 

Makoto crossed his arms. He really didn’t see how singing and dancing around would make them a better team, or make Kotone a better listener. But it appeared the doors were locked, so he had no choice in the matter. 

Kotone and Junpei kept talking, experimenting with the different buttons on their seats. Makoto elected to lay his head back and close his eyes. Something gave him the feeling that this was going to be painful. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yukari held the door for the others to enter the Karaoke bar. Kotone grinned as she passed by, and Makoto flashed her a slightly panicked expression. He’d remembered his umbrella this time, so they didn’t get to share hers on the short walk. 

Get to? 

They didn’t have to share her umbrella, that’s what she meant. 

Junpei brought up the rear, and Yukari let the door swing shut behind him. 

“I made a reservation,” Mitsuru was saying to the receptionist. “Under the name Kirijo?” 

“Let’s see,” the receptionist appeared to be around their age, though Yukari didn’t recognize her from Gekkoukan. She lazily scrolled on the computer. “Kirijo… Kirijo…” 

The receptionist looked up at Mitsuru, back at her screen, then her eyes grew wide. 

“O-Oh, yes,” she stammered, “right this way, Kirijo-san.” She stood up and led them down the hall to a large karaoke room.

The walls were lined with blue, and soft blue couches were placed around the perimeter of the room. A large flatscreen TV was on the wall, and a disco ball was anchored to the ceiling. 

“Use the tablets to select your song,” the receptionist said, now with much more energy. “And you can order food or drinks as well.” 

Yukari sat down beside the TV, not paying much attention to the worker’s instructions. She’d been here enough times. Makoto sat down across from her, looking around the room with a strange expression on his face. 

“It’s not that bad, Makoto,” she said, trying to calm him down. This was supposed to be fun, but his expression was something between recognition and fear. 

“This place looks familiar,” he said. 

“Have you been here before?” 

“No.” 

Yukari nodded and sat back to observe Kotone and Junpei wrestling for one of the tablets. She wondered how long it would take them to realize there were multiple. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto sat in the corner, watching the others take their turns to sing. He’d waved away the tablet when Yukari had offered it to him, of course. 

Junpei concluded his stupid joke song, barely making it through most of the lyrics without breaking down with laughter. Kotone stepped up next, and the vaguely familiar drums of something he heard frequently in public began blasting from the sound system. 

By the door, Mitsuru stood against the wall, observing the group. She looked frustrated, the disco ball reflecting light off her scowling face. 

Makoto leaned back and stared at Kotone, who was singing quite horribly, but with enthusiasm nonetheless. She began throwing in some dance moves, also horrible but enthusiastic. 

Something just felt so strange to him, seeing her up there. His twin sister was the person in the world he should be the most like, and they couldn’t be further apart. She could just sing and dance around with no care in the world. Not that he cared, either, of course. But he didn’t care enough to want to get up there. She didn’t care what people thought of her to the point where she actually wanted to. 

It’s probably her grandparents.

They were his grandparents too, he knew, but over time he’d come to only associate them with Kotone. She’d ended up with their mother’s side of the family, and him with their father’s. If that decision had gone the other way, would he be the one dancing around up there? Would he be the one without a care in the world, singing karaoke with friends?

Probably not. This was just who he was.

What am I doing here?

He covered his ears and narrowed his eyes against the pounding music and flashing lights. Kotone was enjoying herself, as usual. Junpei was waving a lighter in the air as Kotone was singing some power ballad in an arena. Why Junpei even had that lighter, Makoto had no idea. 

Beside him, Yukari seemed to be having a good time, tapping her foot to the music. 

The third-years stood in the back, Akihiko nodding along beside Mitsuru, whose arms were crossed. She was looking between Makoto and Kotone, scowl deepening. If she’d expected this to help Makoto and Kotone grow closer, she had been entirely incorrect. 

All he’d realized was how far apart they really were. 

I don’t belong here.

Makoto stood up and walked towards the door. 

“Makotooooooo,” Kotone sang, in time with the song. “Come baaaack, Makotoooooo!” 

He didn’t turn back, instead slipping past Mitsuru and out the door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone watched her brother leave, then shrugged and returned to her song. If he wanted to be a buzzkill, let him. He already did that in Tartarus, trying to order her around like some video game. 

She didn’t have to listen to him. She’d done that enough as a kid, but they were basically grown up by now. She didn’t have to be his little sister anymore. Even if she desperately wanted things to be that way again. 

Her smile slipped and she stumbled over the next lyric. Junpei gave an encouraging whoop, and she grinned. At least Junpei was nice to her. He wasn’t exactly a serious person, but he was easy to talk to. She needed someone like that, especially when Makoto frustrated her attempts to talk.

It’s like we aren’t even siblings.

At the back of the door, Mitsuru was talking to Akihiko. She looked annoyed, probably at Makoto leaving. Kotone didn’t know what else she should’ve expected. He wasn’t exactly the type of person who enjoyed fun. 

Even in Tartarus, he was always giving her looks when she tried to entertain herself and the group. Sure, the swinging kicks and whirling naginata tricks didn’t always go as planned, but what was she supposed to do? How else was anyone supposed to get through Tartarus? If she didn’t mess around, didn’t try to amuse herself, she’d realize that what she was doing was positively insane, terrifying, and that she was entirely insane to put herself through it. 

Not everyone could be like Makoto, just totally uncaring about his problems, his fears (if they existed), or what anybody else thought of him. 

Kotone’s song ended, though she was barely paying attention, singing entirely on autopilot as her mind wandered. 

“Who’s next?” she asked, trying to look as if she hadn’t been ranting to herself about Makoto for the last couple minutes. “Yukari?” 

She offered the mic to the pink-clad girl, but she waved it away.

“I’m gonna go look for Makoto,” she said. 

“He’s probably just in the bathroom,” Junpei said.

Kotone knew that wasn’t it. She could tell exactly what he was thinking when he’d left. That he didn’t want to sit and watch his stupid sister sing stupid songs anymore. 

“He took his bag,” Yukari said, standing up.

Kotone watched another member of SEES leave. It wasn’t lost on her that it was Yukari who went. Of course she did, she was always sticking by Makoto in Tartarus. 

Kotone shook her head and tossed the mic to Junpei. So what if Makoto wanted to leave? She didn’t need him to be here to have a good time. She’d had fun for years without even knowing where he was. Maybe they were meant to be apart. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yukari ducked out of the room, spotting Makoto’s umbrella hung on a coathook. She reached back in and grabbed it. Now that she was in the hallway, she could hear rain on the roof, though the sudden lack of blasting music made it feel like she’d ducked her head underwater. 

She left the building and stood under the awning, keeping out of the rain while she considered her options. He’d probably gone back to the dorm. But it had only been a few minutes, and the train wouldn’t be arriving for another ten. If she hustled, she could catch him on the platform. 

Yukari opened her umbrella and jogged through the rain, heedless of her socks and shoes growing wet as she splashed through puddles.

She reached the subway platform with a few minutes to spare before the 8:30 train arrived. She scanned the area for Makoto, catching her breath as she did.

Archery doesn’t do much for your cardio, does it? Maybe Makoto had the right idea joining the track team. 

More importantly, where was Makoto? She didn’t see blue hair anywhere, and the station platform wasn’t very big. Yukari couldn’t imagine he was down below shopping, especially in the rain. Then again, that hadn’t stopped him from leaving without his umbrella.

Yukari watched the train squeal to a stop in front of her, keeping an eye on the doors to see if Makoto emerged from somewhere she couldn’t see and boarded. 

She didn’t spot him. The train lurched out of the station, and Yukari was left alone. 

Yukari pinched her lower lip between two fingers and thought. The entire shopping district was within walking distance. She didn’t have time to check every store in every plaza and mall, though. 

I have his number, don’t I?

She pulled out her flip-phone and searched her contact list. At the very bottom, was the name Yuki, Makoto.

Yukari’s finger hesitated on the call button, her stomach making a quick turn. She’d never called him, would he even answer? What if her calling gave him some weird idea? 

Don’t be stupid.

She hit the little green button and held the phone to her ear, the quick beeps of the speed dial giving way to slow rings. A long number of slow rings, as the call continued dialing and went to voicemail. 

“I’m sorry, the number you’re trying to reach—” the robotic voice of an answering machine’s default message spoke, “Six. One. Three—”

Yukari snapped her phone shut and held back a groan. He wasn’t picking up. Either he was somewhere without reception, or he wasn’t answering. 

Why in the world had she run out here? What did she expect to happen? Did she think he’d be standing out in the rain, and she’d convince him to return to the group, take the mic, and dance around with a grin on his face? 

Stupid.

Her phone was ringing, the light pop tune echoing around the empty station. She didn’t look at the caller ID, immediately accepting the call. Maybe Makoto was calling her back.

“Takeba, where are you?” Or not. Mitsuru’s voice sounded tinny through the phone speaker, but was undeniably hers. “We’re returning to the dorm now. I can hold the car here, if you’re returning soon.” 

“I’m at the station,” Yukari said. “I’ll just meet you there.” 

Mitsuru said something not meant for Yukari, probably instructing the driver to take them back to the dorm. Yukari listened to the silence on the other end for a few moments before speaking.

“Did Makoto come back?” 

“No,” Mitsuru said. “He isn’t answering our calls.” 

“Mine neither,” Yukari said. “I’m worried about him.”

Mitsuru sighed, the exhaling of breath sounding like a gust of wind in Yukari’s ear. “As am I. I wanted this night to help them grow closer, and I fear that the opposite has happened.” 

Yukari didn’t quite know what to say. Mitsuru always seemed in command of the situation, and she sounded far from happy at her failure. 

“Maybe they just need space,” Yukari said. “We can’t force it.” 

“I’m beginning to believe you’re right, Takeba,” Mitsuru said. “I’ll see you back at the dorm.” 

“Bye.” 

Mitsuru hung up, the line clicking before falling dead. She looked up at the timetable. Another twenty minutes to the next train. She’d have a quick look around the strip mall, then return to the dorm. 

Yukari shut her umbrella and shook raindrops out of the plastic. Her trip to the strip mall had been in vain, as it was practically deserted in the rain. She’d gotten a few strange looks from shop owners when she’d peeked through their windows, but it had quickly become clear Makoto was not there. 

Mitsuru would’ve called if he was at the dorm.

She’d briefly considered continuing the search, but the rain was continuing to worsen, and she had no other ideas for where he could be. Mitsuru and Akihiko were in the lounge, while Junpei and Kotone were nowhere to be seen. 

“No sign of him?” Yukari asked. 

Mitsuru shook her head.

Yukari sat down across from Akihiko and dialed his phone again. Again, voicemail. 

“He’ll be back soon,” Akihiko said, trying to comfort her. 

As if waiting for that exact line to make his entrance, the door opened and Makoto Yuki stepped in. Yukari and the others whirled around to see him slip his shoes off casually. His head was down, his blue hair so wet it appeared almost black. He looked up, his one visible eye seemed shocked at their presence. 

“Makoto!” Yukari leapt out of her seat and to his side, propelled by a strangely powerful flood of relief. “Where’d you go?” 

He looked down, mouth half open. His eyes around the room. Mitsuru looked annoyed, while Akihiko was grinning at the situation. 

“We were looking for you,” Yukari said. Why wasn’t he answering? “I called you, you know.”

Makoto reached towards Yukari’s hand, grabbing the umbrella she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

“You forgot that,” Yukari explained. He nodded vaguely. “Are you okay? I looked all over for you, where’d you go?” 

Makoto finally looked at her, seeming to suddenly comprehend her presence. “I went for a walk.” 

He went for another walk, this time to the stairs, where he disappeared. Yukari stared dumbfounded at his back, which dripped water along his path. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone laid in darkness, listening in on the conversation downstairs. Not really a conversation. Yukari was speaking to Makoto, who wasn’t answering. 

Some part of her was still waiting for something. Maybe for Makoto to come knock on her door, maybe for herself to stop being such a wimp, get up, and go down to talk to him. Maybe for any reason to feel better about the whole situation. 

He hated her, obviously. Why else would he leave, why else would he never talk to her? Why had he gone out in a downpour just to get away from her? 

She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes as tight as she could. She should’ve expected this. If he’d wanted a sister, he could’ve reached out, or answered her letters, or visited any time in the last decade. 

Kotone had tried, really tried, to get him to like her. She’d made her stupid jokes, and goofed around at school, all the things that had gotten everyone but him to like her. 

Some part of her was still his little (by a few minutes) sister. And that part desperately wanted to fix their relationship.

Another part of her wasn’t so stupid. She’d tried to get closer to him, and it had gone horribly. The right thing to do would be to leave him alone and not make it any worse than she already had. 

She heard footsteps ascending the stairs. It had to be Makoto. Even after so long she recognized the cadence of his footsteps. The steps stopped below her, and his door swung open and shut. 

That small part of her that had foolishly hoped he would come to her room was silent. 

Kotone flipped over and muffled her sobs in her pillow.

Chapter Text

5/1

Makoto walked out of school, hands in his pockets and headphones on his ears. The past few days had been calm. He’d spent them at school or in his room, so there wasn’t much of a chance for anything exciting to happen. But after back to back disasters in Tartarus and the karaoke box, he welcomed the peace and quiet. 

Makoto looked vaguely at the ground as he walked, mentally planning out how he’d be spending his weekend. 

Straight to his room to finish his homework, go to sleep early, wake up late. Then spend his Saturday just… sort of existing, he guessed. Maybe he could go to the arcade for old times’ sake. He was feeling nostalgic for those long days under neon lights for some reason. 

A part of him missed the six-day school he’d been at in the past. Back then, he’d only had to entertain himself one day a week. 

Makoto arrived at the platform just as the train arrived, and squeezed through the crowd to board. He gazed out the window as the monorail flew over the glittering water. 

The train shuddered and Makoto swayed back and forth, his hand gripping a strap above his head. Something beside him slammed into him, and he looked down. A student with his back to him must’ve bumped him. Makoto shrugged and turned away, then his gaze shot back to the right. 

Is that…?

He squinted and stared through the glass separating him from the car behind. She hadn’t spotted him, but Kotone was standing there, talking with one of the girls in her class. Makoto couldn’t remember her name. 

She looked up after a few seconds, her grin fading. If he’d been smiling, the same would’ve happened to him. Makoto turned back to the window. 

At least she has friends to talk to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kotone, are you alright?” 

Kotone stared at Makoto as he turned away to stare out the window. He hadn’t reacted when he’d spotted her, of course. She wasn’t sure what else she’d expected, but it was still somehow a disappointment. 

“Kotone?” 

“Oh, uh,” she tore her eyes off of her brother and looked at Rio, who was looking concerned at her shoulder. “Sorry.”

Kotone tried to pay attention to Rio, but her thoughts were simply louder in her head. Makoto was lucky, he was used to not talking to anybody. She briefly considered speaking to him when they got off the train, but her stomach churned at the very idea. If he didn’t want to talk to her, she wouldn’t talk to him. 

Sure, it didn’t feel very good at the moment, but she’d gone ten whole years without a peep from Makoto. She could do it again. 

“But then my mom said they’d be out for another couple weeks,” Rio said. “So that’s nice!” 

Kotone looked at Rio, confused. “That’s a good thing?” 

“Well, duh,” Rio said. “If they’re not home, then I can do whatever I want.” 

“I guess,” Kotone said quietly. Kotone certainly wasn’t getting to do whatever she wanted. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Makoto waited for an extra moment when the train reached the station, hoping to let Kotone get ahead of him. That would prevent them running into each other without glass between them, which would be awkward, and all just a lot simpler if avoided entirely. 

He slipped sideways between the closing doors, stepping onto the platform at the same time that everyone else disembarking was already leaving the building. Kotone was ahead, far enough in front that he could only identify her by the color of her hair. 

Makoto walked slowly out of the station, not wanting to catch up to the crowd ahead. He maintained his distance as they approached the strip mall. He considered stopping for food, but he wasn’t all that hungry yet. Maybe in a few hours he could come back. He didn’t want to be in the lounge if Kotone was down there. 

Speaking of Kotone, she seemed to have stopped. Her friend, the black-haired girl, had stopped at the intersection, and Kotone had turned to continue speaking to her. All his sister had to do was turn a little further to her right, and she’d see him. 

Makoto glanced around, then darted into the first door he could find. He watched out the window for Kotone’s friend to leave, after which his sister resumed her journey. 

“Are you waiting for a table, sonny?” Makoto turned around and saw nothing. Then he looked down and saw an old man with wild gray hair, hunched over and squinting up at him. 

“Um, what?” Judging by the surroundings, he was in a bookstore, not a restaurant. 

“The special today is fresh mackerel!” the man continued. 

I see what’s going on here.

Makoto gave a polite smile and tried to play along. 

“I’m sorry, sir,” he said. “I didn’t mean to come in here, I think I’m in the wrong place.” 

Makoto began slowly backing out of the store. 

“Oh, dear, is he going on about the restaurant again?” an elderly woman emerged from behind a shelf, shaking her head towards the man with a kind expression that made it clear she wasn’t actually angry. 

“I’m just messing with you, son,” the old man said. “Welcome to Bookworms!”

“Uh-huh,” Makoto said slowly. He was quite dumbfounded at the whole situation. 

“Oh, you’re a student!” the old man said. “What uniform is that? I can’t find my glasses…” he patted his pockets and began lifting up books on the counter, searching for them. 

“They’re right here, dear,” the old woman said, producing a set of eyeglasses from the front pocket of her dark green apron. The man accepted them and placed them on his face, the lenses magnifying the fond look he gave what could only be his wife.

“I go to Gekkoukan, sir,” Makoto said. He hadn’t moved from the door, not wanting to be rude, but still hoping to leave sooner rather than later. 

“Oh! Gekkoukan, huh?” the old man said. “You must know about the persimmon tree, then?”

Makoto considered just walking out, sensing that there was a long story coming if he did. He couldn’t bring himself that far, though. 

“I don’t think so,” Makoto said. “I’ve only been going there for a few weeks, though.”

And a good chunk of that time was spent in the hospital.

“There’s an open courtyard at the school,” the old man said, beginning the story Makoto had expected. “There’s a persimmon tree growing by a walkway there.” 

Makoto nodded along, slowly inching towards the door. It seemed the woman sensed his desire to leave. 

“Please, excuse my husband,” she said. “He does ramble on sometimes. Don’t worry yourself with that, young man.” 

“Uh, alright,” Makoto said. He gave a slightly strained smile and opened the door, bells ringing behind him as the door swung closed behind him.

That was strange.

Though it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Out of all the elderly couples who’d referred to him as ‘son’ in the past ten years, this was easily his favorite. The bar there was so low it was a tripping hazard in hell, however. 

He arrived at the dorm, and saw Kotone talking with Junpei and Yukari in the lounge. Makoto couldn’t hear what they were saying through his headphones. 

“Hey, Makoto,” Kotone said. She shook her head immediately after, then went back to her conversation. Makoto ducked his head and went upstairs quickly. 

He didn’t want to make the whole situation awkward. He was perfectly alright avoiding the others as well if it meant preventing more problems with his sister. He didn’t care, obviously. Why would he?

See, that’s the way to get through this.

Makoto sat at his desk and dug out his homework. The desk was a smaller area than he was used to, but he’d manage. 

He turned his music up after a particularly loud burst of laughter from downstairs. He didn’t care if they wanted to laugh. But he didn’t want to hear it. That made it easier to not care. Which he didn’t. Obviously, he didn’t. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mitsuru sighed as she entered the dorm. Akihiko looked up from his homework, checking the time. 

She’s back late.

“Hey, Mitsuru.”

She nodded, barely glancing up with half-lidded eyes underscored by dark bags. She looked even more stressed and exhausted than usual, which was certainly saying something. 

“You alright?” She stopped walking and sat down beside him. “You’re back pretty late.” 

Mitsuru pinched the bridge of her nose and let out another sigh. “It was a long day.” 

She took a deep breath. Akihiko nodded as if that was a sufficient explanation, then went back to his homework. If she wanted to talk to him, she would. 

To be honest, the first time she’d approached him, he’d thought she was another admirer who only saw the boxer named Akihiko Sanada. He’d been quite wrong about that. She’d certainly been more mature than his other classmates back then, and over the past three years, she’d seemed to grow into a world-weary thirty-something in a high-schooler’s body. 

Akihiko didn’t fully understand the source of the weight she carried on her shoulders, but it had only grown heavier as they’d grown up. 

“It’s been hard to focus, the last couple days,” she said, breaking the silence. “Ever since Thursday night.” 

That disaster in Tartarus was still getting to her. Mitsuru leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. 

“And it seems like last night backfired completely,” Mitsuru said. 

“It wasn’t a bad idea,” Akihiko said, trying to comfort her. “I go out with the boxing team all the time.” 

Mitsuru was a lot smarter than he was, he wasn’t afraid to admit that. But even when she was wrong, he knew he probably wouldn’t have much to add. What she really needed was someone to verbalize her thoughts to. 

“Takeba-san suggested that perhaps they need space. I can’t imagine what it’s like for Yuki-san and Shiomi-san, finding each other after so long. I don’t have any siblings. How could I know what they’re going through?” 

“I don’t know what I would do if…” Akihiko cracked his knuckles and trailed off. Mitsuru looked up with concern, realizing the topic she’d unintentionally broached. Akihiko didn’t want her to beat up on herself any more than she clearly already was. He quickly changed the subject. “Shinji’s going to be at the hospital tomorrow.” 

Mitsuru looked at him sideways, confused. 

“I could take them with me,” he suggested. “Maybe if they saw what happened to him, they’d realize how much is at stake.” 

Mitsuru pursed her lips. “It can’t be any worse than my idea.” 

Akihiko nodded. He wasn’t sure how Shinji would react to the new members of SEES, but maybe seeing what he went through would give said members the kick in the ass they so desperately needed. It had certainly changed him, seeing his friend—he hoped they were still friends—suffer the way he had. A small part of him hoped that meeting their new leaders would give Shinji the kick in the ass he so desperately needed. 

“I’ll take them after school,” Akihiko said. “And if that doesn’t help, I have a few other tricks up my sleeve.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5/2

Makoto lifted his head off his desk just as the final bell rang. He saw Toriumi shake her head at the front of class, frowning. For some reason, she never seemed to mind if he took a nap during her lectures. 

Yukari stood up and looked at him, a similar look of disappointment on her face. She really did have incredibly similar hair to their teacher. 

“Sanada-san wants to see you by the entrance,” she said. 

“Alright,” Makoto said. Packing his things required all of his attention, and happened to be a convenient excuse not to engage with her. It would be easier this way. 

“Do you know why?” Yukari asked, locking her hands together behind her back. 

“No.”  

Yukari was quiet for a moment. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine,” Makoto answered, probably a little too quickly. He zipped his bag and left before Yukari could press him. He walked through the hallway, ignoring the students he passed. He turned the corner and spotted exactly the person he did not want to see. 

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Kotone looked at him from her place beside Akihiko, this time without the smile she usually wore. At least she seemed equally disappointed to see him. 

“Hey, Makoto,” Akihiko said, as he joined the others. “We’re going for a little field trip.” He had a smile on his face, but his tone was not reflective of that fact. 

“Where?” Kotone asked. 

“You’ll see,” Akihiko said. “It’s important, so don’t try and get out of this.” He gave Makoto a look. Makoto had been seconds from seeking out an alternate exit. He let out a quiet sigh and shrugged. 

Just go with it. You’re used to that, remember?

After a quiet train ride, Makoto and the others arrived at their destination. For some reason, they were at the hospital Makoto and Kotone had woken up in after the Shadow attack. Akihiko led them into the lobby and they stepped to the front desk. 

Makoto stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at the high ceilings. The hospital seemed very new, the white walls spotless and gleaming in the sunlight from the skylight. Kotone was beside him, but quickly turned back around when he glanced at her. 

“Let’s go, you two,” Akihiko said. He gestured them towards a flight of stairs. Makoto let Kotone build a few step gap between them before following her. 

Akihiko led them through the hallways, clearly knowing exactly where he was headed. As he passed, a few of the doctors and nurses greeted him. 

“Right here,” Akihiko said, stopping at the door at the end of the hallway. “There’s someone I want you to meet.” 

Akihiko held the door for the twins to enter. The room was smaller than the one Makoto had been in, only holding one bed and a few chairs by the window. And in one of those chairs was the person Makoto assumed they were intended to meet. 

He looked to be about Akihiko’s age, if not older. A black beanie failed to contain long, unkempt hair, though it did cast his eyes in a deep shadow. He wore a large maroon coat, despite the heat in the building and outside. 

“What’s this, Aki?” he grumbled. His voice was deep, and he looked at Akihiko with suspicion.

“Just some new students I thought you should meet,” Akihiko said. “They just moved into the dorm.” 

Akihiko seemed to say that last part with a little extra implication, one that the other boy immediately realized. He stood up, unfolding himself to tower over Makoto and Kotone, and proving to be slightly taller than even Akihiko. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the boy said. “Don’t tell me they’re both…”

“Makoto, Kotone, this is Shinji,” Akihiko said. “If you couldn’t tell, he’s—well, he used to be—a part of our club.” 

“Used to?” Kotone asked. She was looking at Shinji with her head slightly inclined in curiosity. Makoto couldn’t blame her. If this guy had left SEES, there must have been a good reason for it. “Why did you leave?” 

“Why did you bring them here?” Shinji ignored Kotone, choosing instead to glower at Akihiko. 

“I just wanted them to meet you,” Akihiko said. He seemed suddenly frantic. It seemed things were not going the way he’d hoped. “I thought if they maybe they’d understand the stakes if they saw—”

“I told you,” Shinji said, stepping closer to Akihiko. “I’m not getting involved again.” 

“I’m not asking you to get involved again,” Akihiko said. 

Makoto looked at the two older boys, who now seemed locked in a battle of wills, glaring at each other. That battle was interrupted by the opening of the door. A doctor entered, holding a clipboard. 

“Shinjiro Aragaki-san?” the doctor said. 

“That’s me.” 

“I have your medicine,” the doctor said. She handed over an orange bottle, the pills inside rattling as Shinjiro stuffed them into his jacket. “The Kirijo Group has taken care of the paperwork, as always.” 

Shinjiro looked mildly irritated at that, if it was possible to look more mildly irritated than he already did. “Thanks,” he grunted. 

The doctor left, and Akihiko was the first to speak. “Shinji, if you could just help—”

“I left for a reason,” Shinji interrupted. He turned to Makoto and Kotone. “If Aki thinks you need to get your shit together, he’s right. You don’t want to end up like me.” He held up his pill bottle and shook it. “Now, I don’t have any more time for this shit.” 

Shinjiro stalked out of the room, leaving a dumbfounded Akihiko in his wake. Kotone stared after him, brow knitted. 

“What was the point of that?” Kotone asked. Akihiko sighed. 

“I thought maybe he’d talk some sense into you two.” 

“Why would we need that?” Kotone said. “We’re fine.” 

Akihiko looked at Makoto, floundering for some support. Makoto shrugged. He wouldn’t say they were fine, but they weren’t exactly at each other’s throats at the moment. 

“Alright, fine,” Akihiko said. “I have another idea.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kotone’s nose wrinkled as Akihiko led them into the gym. The smell of sweat was intense. A dozen or so boxers were scattered around the gym, a few of them sparring in the ring, others battering speed bags, and the others lying on the mats, resting. 

She looked at Makoto, who was behind her. He didn’t seem interested in talking to her, and she’d tried to tell herself that she felt the same way. She really didn’t feel good about this, deep down. 

She wanted to be friends with her brother, but it felt like the harder she tried to do that, the more she screwed up. 

“I don’t know what’s got you two all screwed up,” Akihiko said, putting a large hand on each of the twins’ shoulders. “But when I’m going through it, I come here and punch some stuff. Coach sends the boxing team here all the time for team bonding sessions.” 

Kotone looked at her brother. He was looking around nervously, the idea clearly not appealing to him. But maybe Akihiko was right. A small part of her was hoping she and Makoto would somehow figure their shit out if they suffered together. 

And suffering did seem like the right word for it. Kotone flinched as if she was the one being hit as she watched one of the boxers in the ring unleash a combination, the smack of the punch echoing around the gym. 

“Hey, Sanada!” one of the boxers resting on the mats raised a hand in greeting. Akihiko smiled and walked over, the two performing a complicated handshake.

Kotone glanced at Makoto and followed. 

“So, when’re you gonna be back in the ring for real?” the boy asked Akihiko. 

“Soon, hopefully,” he said. “The doctors still have to sign off on it. But I feel fine.” 

The bell rang behind them and Akihiko’s friend stood up. “My turn now.” 

Akihiko held the ropes for his friend to step in, and the smacking of gloves on skin began again. 

“Alright, why don’t we go hit the bags?” Akihiko led them to the side, where a row of punching bags hung from a steel bar. 

“Seriously?” Makoto muttered. Kotone probably wasn’t meant to hear that. 

“It’ll be fun,” she said. Makoto looked at her without speaking. He really was a lot better at this whole “not caring what my sibling thinks of me” thing. 

Akihiko helped Kotone strap on boxing gloves, the weight of which made it slightly difficult and awkward to lift her arms. She’d removed her jacket beforehand, and it only took a quick glance to see how much thicker Akihiko’s arms were than hers. 

Makoto had somehow gotten his gloves on by himself, and while still wearing his blazer. His arms hung idly by his side. 

“Isn’t it cool?” she said, trying to encourage a smile. “Look!” She stepped up to the punching bag and began shuffling her feet back and forth. She’d seen that move in one of Akihiko’s old boxing tapes. 

She punched the bag, but the sound was nothing like the violent thwaps Akihiko was creating at his bag. 

“I don’t think I’m doing this right,” she said. Akihiko turned and gestured a more rotation-based movement. She didn’t really get it, but she wasn’t paying much attention to Akihiko. Behind her, the sound of velcro tearing caught her focus. “What are you doing?” 

Makoto looked up at her as he pulled off his gloves. 

Seriously?

“Where are you doing, Makoto?” 

He dropped the gloves on the floor and began walking to the door. 

“What the fuck, dude?” Kotone’s vision turned the same red as the gloves Makoto had dropped. “Makoto!” 

She scrambled towards him and grabbed his hand. Tried to, at least. Her gloved fists couldn’t open. 

“What is wrong with you, dude?” Kotone said, heedless of the increasing volume of her voice. “Are you seriously leaving?” 

Makoto looked back, his expression that disgusting blank one that set Kotone’s blood on fire. He shrugged. “I’m going back to the dorm.” 

“What, do you not fucking care?” Kotone shouted. She wasn’t stupid enough to not notice what was going on here. Akihiko was trying to get them to hang out together, somehow become friends. And as much as she had tried to give up on that, she’d still let herself hope. 

“No, not really.” Makoto opened the door and it swung shut. She watched him leave, and she suddenly noticed she was breathing heavily. The gym was quiet, and she felt the eyes of everyone in attendance on her. 

This wasn’t fair. Makoto was the one who walked out, and she was the one everyone stared at. She was the one everyone was silently judging. 

Not that Makoto would care what they thought. He didn’t even care what his own sister thought of him. Kotone just couldn’t understand that. And oh, how she’d tried these last couple days.

Maybe she cared too much about what he thought. She wanted him to like her, she wanted everyone to like her. That was why she went so out of her way to talk to people, to tell jokes, to be the loudest person in the room. That had made her plenty of friends back home, and plenty more at Gekkoukan. 

Makoto was the exception. 

The one person she truly, desperately wanted to be close to was the one person her usual charade didn’t work on. 

“Kotone?” Akihiko said quietly. His eyes were wide, concern written across his face. Kotone turned around and glared at the boxers who still stared at her.

“The fuck are you looking at?” she snapped. Kotone rubbed her eyes with the back of her gloved hand, accidentally rubbing sweat into her eyeballs. She blinked furiously, cheeks heating up. Now everyone was gonna think she was crying. 

This certainly wasn’t the kind of attention she liked. She slammed her gloves together and let out a seething breath. 

“You alright?” Akihiko said. She turned on him, her red eyes flaring. Of course she wasn’t alright. Akihiko stepped aside and gestured for her to hit the hanging bag. 

That sounds fucking fantastic right now.

Kotone pushed out a sharp breath through gritted teeth and unleashed onto the bag. The bag flew up and swung back towards her. It hit her shoulder and brushed her aside easily. Just the way Makoto had brushed her away ten years ago, just the way he’d brushed her away ten seconds ago. 

That was the last straw. She whirled around and began pummelling the bag, unable to tell if the tears in her eyes were from sweat, frustration, rage, or some new combination of emotions she’d never quite felt before. 

“Feel any better?” Akihiko said. Kotone was panting heavily, gloves on her knees as she looked at herself in the mirror that took up the entire wall. She’d worked up quite the sweat, her collared shirt was totally drenched. A few of her barrettes had fallen out during her training/venting/temper-tantrum, and her auburn hair was wild where it wasn’t plastered to her face by sweat. 

“Maybe a little,” Kotone said. To be honest, she wanted to keep going, but her arms felt like jelly. 

The gym had returned to regular activity, the sounds of other members working out or sparring echoing around. At least nobody was staring at her. She was especially happy about that since she’d been forced to undo the top few buttons of her uniform shirt. A bit of skin was visible there, as well as in a few spots her shirt was particularly damp. 

“Are you ready to leave?” Akihiko said. He didn’t deserve to be stuck with her right now. He’d probably never show his face in this gym again. Everyone would know him as the kid who brought the psycho chick. 

“Yeah,” Kotone said. “Thanks for dealing with that, Akihiko.” She tried to smile up at him. The fluorescent lights were slightly blurred, and she wiped her eyes for a final time, disguising the motion by wiping her face with the towel Akihiko extended to her. 

Kotone picked up her barrettes and pinned her hair back in place. She laid her blazer over her shoulder as they left the gym, Kotone’s shaky breathing slowly stabilizing. 

“That could’ve gone better, huh?” she said, trying to inject some humor into the situation. Akihiko looked at her and gave a half-chuckle, seeming unsure of whether she was ready to laugh about the situation. 

That’s about all I can do at this point.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he said. “We were hoping you two would get along, but...” 

“I don’t know, man,” Kotone threw her hands in the air. “Things are weird now. It’s been too long, I guess.” 

“Ten years is a long time,” Akihiko said. Kotone’s eyes narrowed for a second. She was fairly certain she hadn’t told him how long it had been. And Makoto definitely didn’t share.

He probably found out from Mitsuru. She probably knows all sorts of things about us just by being Mitsuru.

“I just thought it would be easy. I thought it would be like we had never been separated, and we’d be back to the way we got along when we were little.”

“Siblings are weird,” Akihiko said. His mouth twitched slightly. “You know, I thought that seeing Shinji would help you two figure something out,” Akihiko said, awfully quick to change the subject. “So much for that, huh?” 

“I sort of figured there was an ulterior motive,” Kotone said. “Is he, like, your friend?” 

Akihiko was quiet for a long moment. He seemed to be considering his next words carefully.

“He lived in the dorm with Mitsuru and I,” Akihiko said. “But things went wrong a couple of years back. Some things that shouldn’t have happened happened, and he left.” 

“He seemed pissed to see you,” Kotone said. Akihiko barked out a dry laugh.

“Well, you know how brothers can be.” 

His eyes were downcast now, pain brimming beneath his calm exterior. Kotone bit her lip and stayed silent. 

“Don’t give up on making it work with Makoto,” Akihiko said. He looked into the distance, eyes misty. “You’re only ever gonna have the one brother.”

Chapter Text

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009

Kotone woke up late the next day. She wiped a bit of crusty gunk from her eyes, but as she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t quite summon a smile. She knew why, at least. 

Kotone was feeling guilty. She hadn’t meant to blow up on her brother like that. But after the… incident in the student council, and after his seemingly determined effort to be as unhelpful as possible with her homework, and then the whole shitshow in Tartarus, she’d had enough. Add on Makoto’s ditching karaoke and the boxing gym yesterday, it was no wonder she’d blown up on him. 

Still, Akihiko’s words had rung in her head for the rest of the previous day and well into the beginning of this one. 

I should apologize.

Kotone stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked tired. She grabbed a handful of barrettes and stuck a few in to keep her hair constrained. Now just a smile, and… That was better. 

She left her room and went down the stairs, hesitating as she hit the second floor. 

Kotone would have to talk to her brother eventually, but that didn’t have to be now, did it? She could just do what Makoto always seemed to do, and pretend nothing had happened. Face the problem another time. 

No, Kotone. Fucking grow a pair, would you?

Kotone walked to Makoto’s door and knocked. 

“Makoto?” 

No answer. 

“Makoto, I know you’re in there.” 

No answer. 

Kotone bit her lip and took a deep breath through her nose. Fine. That’s fine. If Makoto didn’t want to talk to her, he didn’t have to. She didn’t have to answer either, when he inevitably came to talk to her. 

Who am I kidding? That’s never gonna happen.

Makoto listened to Kotone’s footsteps fade away. He was laying in his bed, MP3 player resting on his chest, wires tangled around an arm that rested behind his head. 

He just couldn’t talk to Kotone right now. The last few attempts had gone horribly. Sure, he probably shouldn’t have walked out on the boxing gym, but he just had to get out of there. Boxing and him didn’t get along already, and adding in Akihiko’s obvious intention to somehow fix Makoto and Kotone’s relationship was just too much. At this point, their relationship was worse than it had been for the decade they hadn’t so much as seen each other. Things would be easier if he just left her alone, for both of them.

It was easier when people didn’t see you.

He’d spent so many years running away, avoiding people and relationships, that he’d forgotten how much this sort of feeling hurt. It was a lot more difficult when someone was mad at him, and he couldn’t just skip town at the end of the school year. 

SEES was really what he couldn’t bring himself to leave behind. He might not belong with the other members, but ever since he’d pulled that trigger, it had been obvious that he belonged on the front lines of this secret fight. He couldn’t help but feel a little bit responsible for that.

Nobody else can do what we do. I can’t run away from that.

What didn’t make sense was sitting in his room all day. He had to do something, anything to keep himself occupied. Makoto had made it through years by himself by finding any reason to ignore just how alone he was. 

Makoto found himself on the train, headed towards Paulownia Mall. He’d simply walked out the door of the dorm and let his feet take him wherever they wanted. 

Makoto swayed forwards, then back as the train stopped. He released the handle above his head, adjusted the volume on his Walkman and stuffed his hands deep in his pockets. 

The mall was crowded today, which made sense for a Sunday. Makoto let himself be swept into the crowd, becoming a small part of the larger form slithering towards the shopping district. 

The snake of people deposited Makoto in front of the fountain in Paulownia Mall. He stared at the flowing water for a few minutes, watching a few people toss coins in for luck. Makoto didn’t have any change on him. If he did he wouldn’t be tossing it away for no reason. 

“Hey, kid,” Makoto ignored the voice coming from behind him. “You. Kid, over here.”

Makoto slowly turned to behold the source of the calls. A middle aged man in a full business suit was looking at him with heavily lidded eyes and a sly smirk. He was rubbing his hands together slowly, looking at Makoto in an almost hungry way.

“Hey, you wanna make some money, kid?” 

Absolutely not.

Makoto spun and quickly walked away, ducking into the arcade before the strange man could talk to him again. He let the door swing shut behind him, then walked to the token machines. This was familiar territory for Makoto. All he had to do was get a few tokens, sit down in front of a machine, and the day would pass in no time.

He placed a few bills in the token machine and collected the tokens it spit out. He stuffed them into his pocket, and fidgeted with the ridged disks of metal as he selected a game. A brightly flashing Star Infiltrators cabinet caught Makoto’s eye, so he put a few tokens in and leaned onto the controls, settling in for a long session. 

Makoto brushed hair out of his face as he completed level 14. This wasn’t difficult, at least, not gameplay-wise. What was difficult was keeping his attention on the machine. 

This isn’t doing it for me.

Makoto allowed himself to die, a sad jingle beeping from the machine. He just wasn’t feeling Star Infiltrators at the moment. Maybe that Madam Pac-Boy he’d seen near the entrance would be better. 

Tokens jingled in his pocket as he fished out the four necessary, and the game began. He knew a few of the strategies for this one, and he expertly worked the joystick back and forth, up and down, back and forth, up and down, back and forth, up and down, back and forth…

Makoto looked up after who knows how long, his final life expended. Not his best performance, but he was a little rusty. But, he found himself surprised to realize that he didn’t want to keep going. 

Makoto ordered a soda, and filled it at the machine against the wall. That would probably help. Maybe he just needed to get some sugar in him. 

Makoto spent a while on an old Luigi Bros. game, but after a short time stomping turtles, the fun wore off. Donkey King was boring as well. He spent a while on Street Brawler, before giving up on arcade games entirely. His real love was pinball, anyways. He refilled his pockets with tokens before firing up the first table that caught his eye. 

Makoto’s whole body twitched side to side with every press of the buttons. He was actually shaking the table slightly with each hit. The gleaming silver ball rocketed around the board, lighting up a few bonuses before falling perfectly between his desperately flailing paddles. 

Automatically, he raised a fist to slam the glass with frustration. But he found that he wasn’t all that annoyed. That was strange. If there was one thing that did get his blood pumping, it was pinball. 

He wasn’t feeling frustrated. This was a different emotion. His mind was sluggish, eyelids drooping. When he rubbed his hands together, it took a moment for his brain to recognize the sensation. 

Oh. Am I bored?

Arcades had never made Makoto bored. Even when he wasn’t locked in on a game, the flashing lights and sounds kept his brain from slipping into boredom. Now, he was barely registering the neon lights, which, if anything, just got on his nerves, forcing him to squint slightly to not be blinded. 

Makoto refilled his drink again, then left the arcade. He still had a few tokens left. That never used to happen. He walked out of Paulownia Mall in a daze, tossing his remaining tokens into the fountain as he passed. 

Makoto disembarked the train at Iwatodai Station. The sky was darkening, now in that brief period between night and day, where the sun was gone but the sky wasn’t yet dark. 

By the time he got back to the dorm, it would be late enough for him to sleep, at least. He didn’t go to sleep early out of some idea of being healthy, or well-rested for school. It was just the easiest way to pass time, and he’d had to do a lot of that in the past few years. 

“Yo, Yuki!” Makoto glanced behind him, but nobody was near him. The crowd that had exited the train with him was still well behind, and he couldn’t make out any faces in the dark. He recognized that voice, though. Makoto kept walking, with one eye looking out behind him. Out of the dim twilight and into the humming yellow streetlight emerged a boy with light brown hair and—

Oh, not this guy.

Makoto quickened his pace and quickly searched for an escape. He was almost at the strip mall. If he could get into one of the stores quickly enough, he’d just have to wait a few minutes for Tomochika to leave. 

He climbed the spiral staircase at the end of the strip mall two at a time, metal clanging with each footfall. The crowd was close. He ducked into the first store on the top floor, hoping that would be far enough for teacher-fetish down there to spot. 

“Hey, kid,” a voice said from behind him. He licked his lips and slowly spun around. How many times were people going to try to talk to him today? “You wanna buy some URLs?”

“What?” Makoto sized up the man who’d spoken to him. He was wearing dark sunglasses and a gray hoodie. It was a very similar getup to one he’d seen in a documentary about some American serial killer. 

“URLs, man,” the guy said. “I’ve got one for a forum full of rumors about Iwatodai, one about the secret menu at the garden shop. Oh, and a few about how to kill people with one strike!” 

How many times are random people gonna try to scam me today?

Makoto opened his mouth and tried to look around the store for an attendant. “Uh, I’m all set.”

‘You sure?” the guy said. “I’ll give ‘em to you for cheap!” 

“Yeah, I’m good,” Makoto said, grabbing the first box off the shelf his hand touched. He just wanted to get away from this creep. Makoto pushed past him to the front desk of what was apparently an internet cafe. That explained why a weirdo was sitting around hawking dark web sites, at least. 

Makoto handed over a few bills and took his package, then left the cafe. The man in the hoodie was nowhere to be seen. 

Upon returning to the dorm, Makoto found himself the only one in the lounge. That was good. He pulled the small box he’d purchased at the cafe out of his pocket and read the label. 

Animal Othello?

The box featured brightly colored cartoon animals grinning, and a small age rating in the corner that indicated he was way too old for this game. That explained the look he’d gotten from the clerk. 

Dammit, Makoto.

He looked to the corner of the room, where an off-white desktop PC sat. Makoto glanced between the game in his hand, and the PC. He should at least get his money's worth, right?

Makoto sat down in front of the PC, double-checked that the lounge was empty, and slotted the disc into the drive. The game booted up, bright music blasted from the speakers, which he scrambled to mute. 

Makoto rested a cheek on his hand and began playing a simplified version of othello, which he easily won, much to the delight of the friendly animal audience. 

Wow, this is pathetic.

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Makoto cracked his knuckles and rested back in his seat as the bell indicating the end of morning classes finally rang. He was on his feet and out the door quickly, and well before Yukari could turn around and try to speak to him. 

He turned towards the stairs, but a glimpse of auburn hair threatened to sink his plans of eating on the rooftop. Makoto ducked into the bathroom, hoping Kotone hadn’t seen him. 

After a few minutes, he emerged into a busy hallway. A number of students were wandering around, searching out friends or taking the stairs down to the lobby, where they could buy food from the store. Makoto pushed his way to the stairs, then pushed against traffic to climb up to the roof. 

Shoot, she might be there.

Makoto opened the door and scanned the roof, but there was no sign of Kotone. He sighed with relief and took a seat on the bench. He still didn’t want to deal with his sister. Things had been easier yesterday, when he hadn’t seen or heard from her beyond her knocking on his door in the morning. 

It didn’t always feel great, that his sister and him only avoided clashing when they avoided each other altogether. But it was better than the alternative. He was somewhat disappointed not to see Fuuka, however. The teal-haired girl had been much easier to get along with than his sister, but she was nowhere to be seen. 

Makoto opened his bag and took out his boxed lunch. He watched the slowly whirling wind turbines as he ate.

His meal finished, Makoto took his seat back in the classroom, this time with time to spare. Yukari spun backwards and looked at him. 

“Are you alright?” she said. She asked him that a lot. It was kind of irritating. At the very least, it made it harder to keep to himself. 

“Yeah,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Fine.” 

“You sure?” 

Makoto nodded and faced forward as Toriumi began her lecture. He ignored Yukari’s narrowed eyes, which remained on him for a few more seconds before she too began listening to their lesson. 

Makoto looked around as class finally ended. Most of his classmates were packing up, though Junpei was scrambling to complete his notes before everything was erased from the blackboard. 

He’d been awfully quiet these last few days, perhaps fearing that Makoto was angry at him as well for his antics in Tartarus. Makoto wasn’t, but he couldn’t say he minded the quiet.

Junpei had been close with Kotone from the start, their chaotic energies amplifying each other every time they were together. Makoto wasn’t trying to make friends, so even trying to hang out with Junpei one-on-one was out of the question. 

“Excuse me, Yuki-senpai?” a soft voice said from beside him. Makoto looked to see Chihiro, the quiet student council treasurer, standing beside him. She was clutching a pile of books to her chest, her eyes flitted nervously around the room. She seemed even more uncomfortable than usual. Maybe being in a class full of older students was scaring her. 

“Hi,” Makoto turned, trying to put her at ease with what must have been a grotesque smile, considering the way she refused to look at him. “What’s up, Fushimi-san?” 

“K-Kirijo-senpai wants you to come to the student council meeting today,” she stammered. 

“Okay,” Makoto said slowly. He knew the obligation was more like a suggestion, but maybe Kirijo had a lot of work for him to help with. 

“Um, she also wanted me to tell you that Shiomi-senpai won’t be there,” Chihiro continued. 

That made Makoto feel a little better. At least he knew this wasn’t some attempt on Mitsuru’s part to force him and Kotone to make up. 

“I’ll be there,” Makoto said, standing up. He began packing his bag, and Chihiro scrambled out of the room. 

“What do you think that’s about?” Yukari said. He shrugged his shoulders, then shrugged his bag onto his shoulders. 

Makoto made his way to the student council room, and cautiously slid the door open. The student council, minus Kotone, turned to look at him as he entered. Mitsuru nodded and stepped to the front of the room as Makoto took a seat. 

“Good, we’re all here,” she said. Odagiri opened his mouth, probably to ask where Kotone was, but a glance from Kirijo was enough to prevent that. “We’ve got a lot of work to do today. Yuki-san, you’ll work on this cigarette… investigation with Odagiri.” She waved a hand at the word investigation, clearly showing she didn’t view the matter as seriously as her fellow third-year did. “Fushimi-san, you and I will work through those forms I gave you over the weekend.” 

Makoto glanced at Odagiri, who was staring at him with a stony expression. The black-haired boy was deadly serious about this whole business, to a point that sort of scared Makoto. 

“Come on, Yuki,” Odagiri said, standing up. Makoto looked at Mitsuru, but she was already flipping through sheets of paper beside Chihiro. 

I guess this is what I’m doing for the afternoon.

“Alright,” he said, catching up to Odagiri’s long strides halfway down the hallway. “What are we gonna do?” 

“We’re going to stake out the bathroom,” Odagiri said. “Whoever did this will return to the scene of the crime.”

“He will?” 

“Of course,” Odagiri said. “It happens all the time with murderers.”

Makoto fell silent. He didn’t really believe Odagiri, but he figured arguing would make the taller boy's mood worse. 

“Right in here,” Odagiri said. “This is where the crime took place.” 

Makoto watched as Odagiri stepped into the bathroom, then turned around. 

“You coming?” 

Makoto’s mouth half-opened. He didn’t think that things would go this far. Though he should’ve guessed, when he’d heard “stake out the bathroom.” Makoto followed Odagiri in. 

He was staring at the ground. Makoto stepped closer to see a thin white outline of chalk in the rough shape of a crushed-up cigarette butt. 

“Did you draw this outline?” 

“Come on, Yuki,” Odagiri ignored what Makoto thought was a perfectly reasonable question. “Into a stall.” 

Makoto stared blankly. This was going way too far for something so simple. 

“Are you serious?” 

Odagiri stepped closer, making full use of the extra few inches of height he had on Makoto. 

“Yes, I’m serious,” he growled. “Now, get in a stall, and wait.” 

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Makoto said, refusing to back down. He’d stared down Shadows twice the size. 

“Don’t think I don’t know about you wandering around at night, too, Yuki.” Odagiri grabbed Makoto’s collar and his face drew closer. “How do you think the principal would react if I told him about your little adventures after dark?” 

Makoto stared back, but didn’t retort. Even if Odagiri did tell the faculty, they couldn’t really punish him. Right? 

That’s not a risk I can afford to take.

“That’s what I thought,” Odagiri released him. “Now get in a stall.” 

Makoto straightened out his collar and stepped into the stall beside Odagiri’s. 

“Sit down, Yuki. I can see your feet.” 

This guy is nuts. Absolutely nuts.

Makoto put the lid down and crouched on top. He wasn’t going to humiliate himself by actually sitting. 

The pair waited silently for what had to be at least thirty minutes. Makoto had to stand up on the seat a few times, and twist back and forth to avoid his back cramping up. Each time, Odagiri whispered angrily at him to stay quiet. Makoto responded by putting his headphones on and focusing on his music. 

However, after nearly an hour, Makoto snapped out of the buddha-esque state he’d achieved to cope with his boredom and physical pain. He smelled something. Something slightly sweet, but mainly acrid and smoky. 

No way this actually worked. 

Makoto was certain now. Someone was in this bathroom smoking. He considered saying something, but that responsibility should really go to the head of the Disciplinary Committee, right? 

Makoto waited for a few minutes, but Odagiri was silent. He didn’t seem able to smell it. Maybe the scent wasn’t drifting all the way across the bathroom. Either way, Makoto’s mind was made up.

Screw this guy. I’m not helping.

Makoto waited for Odagiri to notice, but he never did. After a few more minutes, he heard the stomp and scrape of someone putting out a cigarette with their foot. Odagiri then made his move. 

He made a loud noise, like he’d half-fallen off the toilet, then flung open the stall door with a shout. “Stop, criminal!” 

Makoto sighed and opened his stall, seeing Odagiri intensely staring at the still smoking butt on the ground. 

“Man, we almost had him,” Makoto said, not feeling bad in the slightest. 

“There’s still a chance!” Odagiri sprang into action, dashing out of the bathroom. Makoto followed behind, but the culprit was nowhere to be found. “Dammit!” Odagiri seethed. “How did he escape?”

“He must’ve ran away,” Makoto said. Odagiri was hunched over, massaging feeling back into legs which had definitely fallen asleep during their wait. “I guess we should go back to the student council room.” 

Odagiri glared at Makoto, then nodded. “I suppose our investigation is over for today.” 

Odagiri led Makoto back to the student council room. When he slid open the door Mitsuru looked up from her piles of papers. Chihiro was laughing about something, but quickly fell silent at the sight of the two boys. 

“How did the investigation go, Odagiri-san?” Mitsuru said, a faint smile playing on her lips. She definitely didn’t take Odagiri’s antics seriously. Maybe Makoto should tell her about his threats. 

It’s not that big of a deal. Makoto decided. He wasn’t really afraid of some trumped-up third-year with a big head and too much authority.

“We staked out the bathroom where the first incident occurred," Odagiri said, reporting in a professional manner Makoto had to assume came from television. 

“You what?” Mitsuru’s eyes narrowed. Odagiri was unfazed. 

“After about an hour, we heard a foot stamp out a cigarette, and I leapt into action. Alas, the culprit had escaped by the time I was able to exit the stall, and there was no sign of him.” 

“I see,” Mitsuru said thoughtfully. “I don’t think you’re allowed to hide in the bathrooms, Odagiri-san.” She was enjoying this, Makoto realized. She may have been doing a good job hiding it, but Mitsuru Kirijo was undeniably displaying a thin smile, which, as far as Makoto could tell, was her equivalent of rolling on the floor with laughter. 

“That’s not important,” Odagiri snapped. “We allowed a criminal to escape. If only Yuki had been quicker, he was closer to the scene than I was.” 

Okay, let’s not blame it all on me.

“I’ll be sure to reprimand him accordingly,” Mitsuru said. Makoto’s heart rate must’ve tripled at that. She wasn’t really going to chew him out, was she?

Odagiri stood, blinking and looking between Makoto and Mitsuru. “Oh, you thought I’d do it here?” 

Makoto looked at Mitsuru, who now had a thin vein popping in her neck. She was struggling not to laugh.

“No, I’ll handle Yuki-san after you’ve left,” she said. “He doesn’t need to be embarrassed further.” 

Odagiri gave Makoto a parting glare, then exited, Chihiro following him shortly after. Makoto looked at Mitsuru, half-expecting her to follow through on her promise. 

Instead, she snorted and covered her mouth with her hand. Makoto watched as she began quietly chuckling, then full-on chortling, then laughing out loud, entire body shaking in a sort of seizure-like convulsion. 

What is happening?

Makoto looked on in wonder as Mitsuru wiped tears from her eyes, gasping for air. 

“Oh, I needed a good laugh,” she said. She looked at Makoto, her eyes alight with glee. “Did he really make you hide in the bathroom for an hour?” 

Makoto found words failing him, the shock of seeing the prim and proper class president and heiress completely break down still setting in. 

“Uh, yeah,” he said. “I think he fell off the seat when he tried to catch the guy.” 

“O-oh,” Mitsuru said, a smile growing on her lips again. “That’s… I hope he’s alright.” 

“You do?” 

Mitsuru snorted again, and her laughter redoubled, even louder this time. 

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Kotone was summoned out of a dreamless sleep by the light beeping of her alarm clock. She blinked a few times until the glowing digits focused.

Just a little more sleep…

She reached out and hit the snooze button, closed her eyes, and was back asleep.

Shit.

Kotone rubbed her eyes, just making sure the time she was now reading was accurate. She had to hurry or she was gonna be late. 

Kotone sat in the middle of a crowd of her classmates as she ate her lunch. Rio was holding court, telling everyone about some party she wanted to throw soon. Kotone wasn’t paying much attention. 

She was looking towards the door, foolishly waiting for a head of blue hair to enter. Kotone knew her brother wouldn’t be coming into her classroom, though there was still a small part of her that hoped. The larger part of her didn’t want to bother with him. 

In fact, speaking of blue hair…

Kotone spun to look behind her, but Fuuka was nowhere to be found. Maybe she was on the roof. Kotone stood up and grabbed her bento box. She could use some fresh air. 

As Kotone stepped into the hallway, she saw her brother whisk past. He was walking towards the stairs. He hadn’t seen her, or maybe he was acting like he hadn’t seen her. Kotone wasn’t sure which one made her less angry. 

She watched him climb up the stairs, and sighed. She couldn’t follow him, and she couldn’t just turn around and pretend nothing had happened. Someone might ask her why she’d come back so quickly. 

Kotone stepped into the bathroom, prepared to wait a few minutes before returning. She set her lunch down on top of the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. 

She looked exhausted, staring at herself through black-rimmed red eyes. Kotone tried to rub the bags away, to no avail. 

Smile, Kotone.

She took a slow breath and broke into a grin. Kotone had practiced this enough that it was automatic, though her eyes didn’t have the same spark as they usually did, when she actually meant the smile. 

This would have to do. 

She left the bathroom and returned to her classroom, sitting down to eat her lunch, scarfing down bites of rice and trading conversation with the girls sitting around her. 

“Oh, Fuuka,” Kotone turned around to speak to the girl behind her as the final bell began chiming. “Did you eat on the roof again?”

“I did,” Fuuka said. “Your brother was there, I thought you’d come too.” 

“Yeah…” Kotone trailed off. “Maybe next time.” 

“He seems a little down,” Fuuka said. “Is he doing alright?” Kotone bit her lip and considered.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “He’s not exactly the sharing type.”

“I see,” Fuuka frowned slightly, then looked at something over Kotone’s shoulder. “Um, can we help you?”

Kotone turned to see Chihiro, the other quietest girl she knew, standing in front of her, hands clutched close to her chest. 

Maybe I should introduce these two. They’d probably get along. Or they’d sit in silence all day.

“Shiomi-senpai, Kirijo-senpai wants you to come to the student council meeting today.” Chihiro stammered. She focused quite intently on Kotone’s face, blinking quickly and nervously. 

“Oh, alright,” Kotone said. “Right now?” 

Chihiro nodded. “It starts in a few minutes, so…” 

Kotone turned back to Fuuka with a smile. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

Fuuka gave a soft smile in return as she stood up to leave. Kotone tossed her notebook and array of colored pens—she really only used them for doodles in the margins—into her bag and followed Chihiro out of the classroom. 

“Kirijo-senpai said your brother wouldn’t be there,” Chihiro said. “I don’t know why she told me-”

“What, not gonna say anything?” a girl’s voice echoed from the opposite direction. “Jeez, Yamagishi, you’re pathetic!” 

Kotone turned around to see a tan-skinned girl with orange hair walking away, an arm slung tightly around Fuuka’s shoulders. Fuuka looked uncomfortable, her shoulders tight as she cringed away. Kotone gave Chihiro a look, and set off in pursuit.

“Hey, Fuuka!” Kotone said. The pair turned around, and Kotone recognized the other girl as one of those she’d seen harassing Fuuka on the first day. “How’s it going?” She spoke with a bright tone, but her glare never left the taller girl, just as the taller girl’s arm never left Fuuka’s shoulder. 

“Oh, um,” Fuuka’s voice was shaky, “Good?”

“Sure,” Kotone said. Looking from close, the other girl was clearly spray-tanned, and Kotone suspected her long eyelashes were artificial as well. All in all, she looked like the typical gyaru. “So, what’s your deal?” 

The girl smirked at Kotone, crossing her arms. At least she wasn’t grabbing Fuuka anymore. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Moriyama-san,” Fuuka desperately cut in, trying to ease the tension. “This is my friend-”

“Alright, Moriyama,” Kotone interrupted. “I think you should leave my friend the fuck alone, you hear?” 

“Kotone…” Fuuka pleaded. But Kotone was on a roll now. She’d been bottling up a little more anger than she’d realized, and this was as productive an outlet as any. 

“I’ve got this under control, Fuuka,” Kotone said, still staring Moriyama down. “Right, Moriyama-san?” Fuuka glanced between the two, then checked her watch. 

“Um, I’ve gotta go to my club,” Fuuka said quietly. The other girls didn’t move as Fuuka brushed past them and descended the stairs. 

Moriyama was taller than Kotone, but Kotone wasn’t backing down. This was nothing compared to a Shadow, anyways. “Whatever.” Moriyama shook her head and spun on a heel, tossing her hair in Kotone’s face as she did.

Kotone watched her go, a satisfied smile on her face. Then, she turned back to Chihiro, who was standing at the other end of the hallway. 

“That was amazing, Shiomi-senpai,” the younger girl said, her apparent awe showing in her voice. 

“You don’t have to call me senpai, Chihiro,” Kotone said, as the two resumed their walk to the student council room. “We’re friends, alright?”

“Um, okay,” Chihiro said.  

Kotone flipped through forms silently, Chihiro beside her doing the same. Every once in a while, one of them would scribble something down on a page, placing that one in a separate pile. 

Man, this sucks.

Mitsuru had assigned her to work with Fushimi, reviewing whatever series of forms needed reviewing this time. Kotone had been grateful for the assignment, mostly because it didn’t involve that nutjob Odagiri. 

However, sitting in silence like this was a different kind of torture. Chihiro had given her a few instructions, then been quiet for what was going on an hour since. 

“So, Chihiro,” Kotone searched for something to discuss. “How’s high school going so far?” 

“It’s good,” Chihiro said, only briefly pausing her shuffling of papers. “It’s kind of scary, coming to such a big school.” 

“Tell me about it,” Kotone agreed. “My old school had, like, twenty kids total in my whole year, and now there’s that many just in my class.”

Chihiro was quiet again, and Kotone thought she’d lost the brief spark of conversation she’d managed to strike. 

But after a few minutes, Chihiro spoke. “Um, do you know why Yuki-senpai couldn’t come to the meeting today? Kirijo-senpai had him come yesterday instead.” 

Kotone bit her lip. She’d wished for something to talk about, but not this. 

“First of all, Yuki-senpai is my father, not my brother,” Kotone said. Chihiro’s eyes narrowed as she briefly considered the possible implications of the discrepancy in last names between Kotone and Makoto. “But, I don’t know. We haven’t really gotten along recently. Maybe Mitsuru didn’t want us to get into another fight.”

“Oh,” Chihiro said. “That’s sad.” 

“Yeah,” Kotone found herself agreeing. She let out a slow breath and turned back to her papers. It was sad. She wanted to be friends with her brother, even as she tried to distance herself. 

Maybe I should try and talk to him again.

The last time she’d knocked on his door, he’d ignored her. But he couldn’t do that forever, could he? 

As she pondered, the door slid open. Mitsuru entered, and Chihiro and Kotone stopped their work. 

“I think that’s enough for today,” she said. “Thank you both for coming in on a Wednesday. I know it’s not the usual day, but with the holiday observance, we had to get our Friday meeting in somehow.” 

Kotone cocked her head. She hadn’t heard about a holiday. 

“They give us the Friday after Children’s Day, at this school,” Chihiro clarified, seeing Kotone’s confusion. 

Kotone nodded, a small plan growing in her head. They didn’t have school on Friday. That would be her chance to talk to Makoto. 

Kotone packed her bag and left the student council room, spotting a familiar head of blue hair exiting the library ahead of her. She immediately slowed her pace. 

She walked well behind him towards Port Island Station. He never so much as glanced backwards, instead his head was angled slightly upwards, headphones over his ears. 

At the station, their paths split. Makoto walked past the entrance and towards the mall. Kotone was briefly tempted to follow, but decided against it. She was going to speak to Makoto soon. Not today, though. She wasn’t prepared for that yet.

Kotone finally let out a deep yawn and stretched her arms over her head. She’d spent hours catching up on homework. Maybe she would’ve gotten it done quicker if she’d asked Makoto for help, but, well…

It went so well last time.

She spent extra time in the bathroom scrubbing off the gray patch of pencil lead that her constant erasing and corrections had left on the outside of her hand, then laid down in her bed. Kotone quickly drifted close to sleep, but was jolted out of semi-slumber by the sudden silence of the Dark Hour. Kotone preferred to get to bed before midnight for this exact reason. The silence was unnerving, compared to the constant hum of the A/C. 

Even more unnerving was the sudden chuckle she heard from the foot of her bed. Kotone’s head shot off the pillow, and she scrambled her legs towards herself in fear. 

“Holy shit,” she yelped. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the green glow, and she then recognized the source of the laughter. That boy was back. “How did you get in here?”

“It’s been a while,” the boy completely ignored her question. Though it was probably a rhetorical one, seeing as this kid was clearly somewhat magical. “Are you well?”

“Uh, sure, I guess,” Kotone answered. 

“Just days from now, there will be a full moon,” the child said, his heterochromatic eyes unblinking and focused on her face. “Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you.”

“An ordeal?” Kotone asked. “What kind of ordeal?” 

“You will encounter one of Them,” the boy said, as if Them was something Kotone would recognize. “You must prepare for the ordeal, but time is of the essence. I’m sure you’re aware of that, of course.” 

“How am I supposed to prepare when you won’t even tell me what I’m preparing for?” Kotone demanded. “You’re not being very helpful here, kid.”

The boy merely smiled and began to fade away. “Nice shirt, by the way.” Kotone glanced down at her t-shirt, a white one with a skull centered in a half-blue, half-red circle. In the cranium, a lightning bolt split another red and blue circle in two. 

Red and blue. Just like his eyes.

“Wait!” Kotone to the end of her bed on all fours and tried to grab the boy’s arm. Her hand passed right through, of course. The boy frowned and returned to his fully opaque state. “Did you tell Makoto this, too?” 

“I think you should find that out for yourself, don’t you?” The child laughed again, a serene smile dancing on his lips. “I’ll come see you again when it’s over. Goodbye for now.” 

And with that, the boy disappeared. Kotone fell back into a sitting position. 

Even the creepy-ass kid wants us to make up.

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Makoto yawned and laid his head on his desk. He’d gone to bed late last night, his brain wired from staring down LCD screens at the arcade all day. Then, he’d been woken up by that creepy looking kid. He was apparently supposed to be preparing for some ordeal, whatever that meant. 

“Yuki-san?” someone said. “Yuki-san!” 

Makoto snapped back awake to the sound of Ms. Ounishi’s voice, calling him awake. He didn’t even remember falling asleep. His teacher let out a frustrated sigh before pointing at the diagram on the board. 

“What is this device called, Yuki-san?” Ounishi repeated. Makoto squinted up at the board and the diamond-shaped object the teacher tapped a fingernail on. 

“Ah,” Makoto wracked his brain. “Um, a piston?”

“No, Yuki-san, that’s a pantogram,” Ounishi pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Try to stay with us, would you?” 

Makoto nodded and sat up straighter. He probably should be paying more attention, though why exactly his science teacher was explaining how trains work was lost on him. Gekkoukan was a pretty prestigious school, though. Maybe they were using some modern teaching methods. 

Makoto flipped open his notebook and clicked his mechanical pencil, determined to at least stay awake until the end of the school day. 

With a few minutes left in the school day, Toriumi ended her lecture, saying something about her head still aching from the night before. 

Makoto put the finishing touches on his notes and began packing his things to leave. His classmates began to talk, and Makoto ignored them as usual. This ordeal he was meant to be preparing for was occupying his mind. That child had to have something to do with the whole Dark Hour situation, but he didn’t have the knowledge to begin thinking of what the connection could be. 

“You got any plans for tomorrow?” Junpei said from beside Makoto. 

“Tomorrow?” Makoto raised an eyebrow. 

“We don’t have school tomorrow,” Yukari turned around to join the discussion.

“Oh,” Makoto hadn’t heard that. He’d probably slept through that announcement, to be honest. Maybe he could sleep through tomorrow as well. He was probably the only one disappointed for an extra day without school. He’d have to spend the whole day by himself, and that wasn’t as easy as it had been in the past. 

The bell sounded over the intercom, summoning the scrape of chairs as the class stood up. Makoto added to that chorus as he stood and pulled his bag over his shoulder. 

“See you, Makoto.”

“Bye, Takeba-san,” Makoto stepped away, then cringed internally. 

I should not have said that.

“Excuse me?” Yukari said, her voice thin. 

Makoto ducked his head and accelerated away from a hiss of “what did he just call me?” 

He did not need to experience Yukari’s wrath. Makoto didn’t look back until he was down the stairs and leaving the building. 

As he left, he could hear the pop of tennis rackets hitting balls, along with the vaguely suggestive grunts that seemed to be a requirement for tennis players. Makoto took a few steps off the path and watched through the fence.

On the near court, he could see Kotone running back and forth, intently locked in a rally with a girl Makoto had seen a few times in the third-year hallways. Kotone missed a hard-hit ball, which clattered into the fence a few feet to Makoto’s left. 

Kotone jogged back to pick it up, either not noticing or not acknowledging Makoto nearby. She had a smile on her face, despite the lost point. Makoto’s mouth twitched as she turned around and began play again.

She’s having fun. Maybe I should’ve gone to track practice.

Makoto shook his head and kept walking to the train station. He didn’t really want to bother with the track team, at this point. It was just easier to go home, sit around, and go to class. Yuko and the rest of the track team was so excited for him and Kaz to lead the team next year, but Makoto doubted he’d still be around for that. It would be easier to leave when he wasn’t committed to something like that. 

Makoto found himself at the train station, arriving only seconds after the train pulled out. He looked up at the timetable, which indicated he’d be waiting a few minutes for the next one. 

He stood in front of the track, toes just behind the yellow DO NOT CROSS line. 

It would be even easier to leave right now. Just ride this next train a little longer, let it take him away from Port Island, away from Gekkoukan, SEES, everyone in the dorm. He wouldn’t miss it. He’d been here for less than a month, and he’d already been temporarily comatose, beaten and bloodied by Shadows, and firmly screwed up any hope at a relationship with his sister at the first chance he’d gotten in a decade. 

He could easily make a fresh start somewhere else. He’d never been to Kyoto. That was supposed to be a nice city. 

Makoto looked at his shoes, his hands deep in his pockets. He’d been on this edge before, only a few weeks ago. He hadn’t understood what was happening that time. Now he was fully aware of the temptation to step off the platform, not onto the tracks, but into a train that could carry him somewhere new. 

And really, who would miss him? Kotone already wanted nothing to do with him. Yukari would forget about Makoto in a week, if he was lucky. Junpei probably wouldn’t even notice. 

“Yo, Makoto!”

Speak of the devil…

Junpei came running onto the platform, his entirely unnecessary replacement bag bouncing on his back as he drew closer to Makoto. 

“Hey,” Makoto said. 

“I made it!” Junpei exclaimed. A light began growing down the tunnel, and a train slowed to a stop in front of them. “Hey, you wanna go get some food on the way back?” 

Makoto looked at Junpei. The boy seemed very invested in the idea for some reason. Makoto didn’t have much of an opinion on Junpei. He seemed pretty goofy overall, like he lacked the capacity to take anything seriously. 

“Alright,” Makoto said, grabbing hold of a strap as the subway lurched into motion. 

They rode the subway in silence. Or, more accurately, Makoto rode the subway in silence. Junpei talked his ear off about some manga he’d just read, or a big baseball game he’d just watched. Maybe it was the same thing? Makoto didn’t really pay much attention, but he was hungry. 

“Alright, two specials!” Junpei said, as they entered Hagakure Ramen in the strip mall. It wasn’t too crowded, and the chef appeared to take note of Junpei’s random exclamation. 

The chef placed a pair of bowls in front of them, and Makoto’s stomach grumbled as he dug in. 

“What do you think?” Junpei asked. “Good, right?”

“I’ve been here before,” Makoto said. 

“Oh, yeah,” Junpei said. “I guess that’s true.” 

The pair ate their meals quickly, only slowed down slightly by the near-scalding heat, indicated by plumes of steam rising from their noodles. Makoto placed his chopsticks on top of the bowl and sat back.

“Hey, are you doing alright?” Junpei said. Makoto looked at the boy, whose typical slightly dumb-looking smile was gone. 

“What do you mean?” Makoto asked. Did he not seem alright?

“I don’t know, you’ve been real quiet lately,” Junpei said. Makoto was fairly certain he had been real quiet not-lately as well. “And you keep sleeping in class.” 

He might have a point there.

“Not that I don’t like to catch a few Z’s during Ekoda’s lectures,” Junpei was back to smiling now, as he laughed a little at his joke. “But, seriously, I had some problems when I transferred here, too. And you’ve got all this fighting stuff to worry about.”

Makoto didn’t know what to say. Junpei certainly was revealing a new side of himself. It was nice of him to be worried, he supposed. But he was fine, and he told Junpei as much. 

“Hey, isn’t it kinda crazy they let us stay in the same dorm as the girls?” Junpei leaned in conspiratorially. “That could end pretty badly, huh?” 

There was the Junpei that Makoto had expected. “I don’t know.” 

“Hey, you don’t have to worry about me,” Junpei said. “Bros before hos, you know?” 

“Uh-huh,” Makoto decided that just agreeing was his best option. 

“But, really, dude,” Junpei was suddenly serious again. “You should really try and figure out whatever’s goin’ on with you and Kotone.” 

It must be pretty bad if Junpei’s telling me to figure my shit out.

“It’s gettin’ real awkward around the dorm, man,” Junpei continued. 

“I think it’s better if I give her some space,” Makoto said, honestly. 

“Well, if that’s what you think…” Junpei didn’t seem totally convinced, but Makoto was glad to see him decline to push the issue. “Two more bowls, chef!”

Chapter Text

5/8

Kotone felt a pit in her stomach as soon as she woke up. Today was the day. She was going down to Makoto’s room, knocking on his door, and not letting him ignore her this time. 

Shit, do I have to?

She looked at herself in the mirror, noting her slightly pale face. A crack in the mirror split one of her eyes in two, then branched into a Y-shape starting at her eyebrow. As much as the idea of confronting her brother scared her, it was still vastly preferable to the alternative. 

Kotone had tried, really tried, to ignore Makoto, and it just didn’t work. She wanted to be friends with him, or at least be on speaking terms. 

She’d planned out exactly how this would go last night. She’d knock, he’d ignore her, she’d keep knocking, he’d open the door, then she’d drag him out for breakfast and they’d hash things out. Give or take an hour, and they’d be all better.

Just don’t fuck this up.

Kotone stepped to the door, feeling a sudden sense of apprehension, and just as suddenly shoving it away. This was going to go well.

She stilled a quivering fist and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, she knocked again, louder. Kotone could hear Makoto rustling around inside. 

The door clicked and swung open. Makoto stood in front of her, bleary-eyed and still wearing his uniform.

“What?”

“Uh…” Kotone’s perfect plan, the entire script she’d rehearsed, suddenly fled her mind. “You wanna go get food?” 

“Not really.” 

“Ok,” Kotone said, not sure how to go from there. “Are you mad at me?”

“No.” 

“But you don’t want to get breakfast.”

“No.” 

Kotone considered her next words. He had to be angry, right? 

“Come on, Makoto,” she said. Come get breakfast, or something.” 

“Do I have to?” 

Fuck it.

Kotone grabbed his arm. 

“Yes, you do,” she pulled him out of the room. “Come on, let’s go.” 

They arrived at the strip mall, and Kotone stopped to stand and look at her brother. 

“What do you want to eat?” 

“I don’t care.”

“Seriously, what do you want to eat?”

“I don’t care.” 

Kotone took a deep breath. He was going to be like this, huh?

“Alright, come on, then.” 

She led them into Wild Duck and into line. Makoto had his headphones on, and his hands were in his pockets as he looked up at the ceiling. 

They ordered, collected their food, and sat down. Kotone tried to smile at her brother. She should feel happy, right? It was still strange to see Makoto after so long, but wasn’t this what she’d hoped for? 

“So, how’s school going?” She felt stupid asking, but this had to start somewhere, right?

“Fine.” 

“Are you making friends?” 

He shrugged. 

“Good talk,” Kotone muttered. She shoved another bite of her sandwich into her mouth and eyed him. “Are you ignoring me, Makoto?"

“No,” Makoto said. 

“Really?” Kotone answered. “Because it feels like you don’t want to talk to me.” 

“Maybe.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You made me come here.” 

Kotone glared at him. “I’m trying to talk to you, Makoto. And ever since we came here, you refuse to talk to me.” 

Makoto took a deep breath. He opened his mouth, but didn’t speak. Kotone slammed a hand on the table. This was not how things were supposed to go. She just couldn’t get through to him, and now she could barely see him through her rapidly moistening eyes. 

“Seriously, what the fuck is your problem?” Makoto didn’t even look at her. “Are you mad at me or something?” 

Kotone felt the stares of everyone in the restaurant. She stood up and clenched her hands into fists. She’d put everything on this stupid ficking breakfast, and he just had to be an asshole about it. 

“I’d really like to know if I did something, Makoto. I don’t want you to hate me.” 

She stormed out of the restaurant, eyes blurry with tears. 

Makoto sat dumbfounded at the table. Kotone was mad at him, obviously. But he couldn’t have made her think he hated her. Did she think they’d be getting along like when they were kids? After a decade, Makoto wouldn’t really call them friends. They were only brother and sister through blood. After so long, of course little remained of their sibling relationship. 

She just didn’t understand how hard it was to see her. He’d had ten years for a scab to form over the wound of his parents' deaths, and just by being here, Kotone was picking at them. Every time he looked at her, smiling, he just felt… well, whatever it was, it wasn’t a good feeling.

Makoto took another bite of his breakfast sandwich, but it tasted like dirt. He washed the rest of it down with his soda and left the restaurant. 

He could’ve spoken to her a little more, but it didn’t feel right. He didn’t want to pretend nothing had happened and smile about everything, not the way she did. 

He wanted to walk back to the dorm, but the threat of facing Kotone warded him away. Instead, he went the other direction. 

Makoto wandered through the streets, the pit in his stomach slowly growing. 

He’d told himself he didn’t care so many times. Why would he? He shouldn’t. He didn’t.

He pushed people away, on instinct by now, and had never felt bad about it before. 

But this is different.

This was his sister. No matter how he treated her, they were family. 

“Excuse me, young man,” a voice stopped him in his tracks. “You seem troubled.” 

Makoto looked up to find himself in front of a shrine. The voice speaking to him belonged to a bald man in black and white robes. The monk had his arms crossed and hands hidden in the folds of his robes, and his brow knitted with worry. 

“I’m fine,” Makoto said. 

“Ah, you’ll have to forgive me, young man,” the monk replied, “but I don’t believe that.”

I don’t believe it either.

Makoto gazed up at the green building behind the monk. It had all the usual features of every shrine in every town he’d been in, and none of them had ever helped him out. 

Still, maybe a quiet spot would help him think straight. It certainly couldn’t make things any worse. He shrugged and followed the monk into the shrine. 

“Peaceful, isn’t it?” the monk said. Makoto nodded. They walked side-by-side across the yard. Makoto watched birds flutter to and from the trees, and listened to the tinkle of bells in the building. 

“It’s my sister,” Makoto said. The monk looked at him. It was hard to tell his age. His bald head made him seem older, but his wrinkle-free face made him seem younger at the same time. “When you said I looked troubled. It’s about my sister.” 

“I see,” the monk said. “She’s not in trouble, is she?” 

“No, it’s…” Makoto took a deep breath. “It’s hard to explain.” 

The monk was quiet, allowing Makoto to find the words. 

“We haven’t seen each other in a long time,” he said. “And now it’s weird. We’re totally different people now, and—” 

Makoto was cut off by a sudden thud, followed by the wail of a young child. It seemed the little girl who had been climbing on the jungle gym had fallen.

“Oh, goodness, not again.” The monk quickly excused himself to calm the young girl, leaving Makoto to occupy himself. 

What am I supposed to do?

He wandered through the orange gates to stand in front of the Inari shrine. He’d seen people praying at altars like this before, but he wasn’t tempted to emulate. If that dog was going to give him a hand, or a paw, Makoto figured, it would’ve happened years ago. 

After a few minutes, the little girl stopped crying, and the monk returned to his side. 

“I’m an only child, so I don’t know if I can give you much advice,” the monk said with a wry smile. “If I were to say one thing, it is that you should speak to someone you’re close to.”

Makoto gestured to the dog. “He isn’t listening.” 

The monk chuckled. “It doesn’t have to be someone so… spiritual. There is someone in your life who cares about you. Parents, friends, a teacher.” 

I don’t know about that.

“It will feel better to speak about this to someone like that.” 

“You don’t count as someone who cares about me?” 

“You know what I mean,” the monk laughed. 

“I do,” Makoto said. 

He stared at the stone-carved fox statue. 

He surprised even himself by doing what the monk said, and trying to think of anyone who would actually care to hear his whining. 

Parents were a no-go, obviously. The teachers at Gekkoukan were somehow an even worse option. 

Then it came down to friends. Makoto laughed to himself as he realized the closest thing to friends he had were the other members of the borderline-paramilitary organization he had stumbled his way into. 

The third-years seemed nice enough, but he wasn’t close enough with either of them. Junpei would probably say something stupid, and he was friends with Kotone already. 

And then Yukari. She’d listened to him the other night, but after that? If he was in her shoes, he wouldn’t want to hear another sob story from someone he’d just met. 

Maybe he could just ignore it. Pretend nothing had happened, and Kotone would forget all about it in a few days, right? 

Probably not. But we don’t need to be friends, do we? That would be easier.

“Thank you,” Makoto said. The monk beside him looked up and smiled. 

“I hope you find a solution,” the monk said. 

Makoto pulled his MP3 player out and put his headphones on as he left the shrine. He felt a little better, but that pit in his stomach and weight on his shoulders was still there. 

Makoto took a deep breath in front of the dorm. 

“Hello, Kotone, can we talk?” he muttered to himself. 

Too formal. And that’s what people say when they’re gonna dump somebody. She’s gonna think I don’t want to talk to her.

“Yo, sis, can we—” he cringed immediately. “I don’t talk like that, do I?” 

He sighed. For all the divine wisdom that monk had imparted, he still wasn’t ready to face his sister. He pressed an ear to the door, but he couldn’t hear anyone. 

Makoto swung the door open, ready to dash across the room. Thankfully, the lobby was empty aside from Junpei. 

“Hey, dude!” Junpei greeted him. Makoto ignored him, and was quick to cross the room. He only fully relaxed once he was lying on his bed

Kotone stomped out of the restaurant, fists clenched and nails digging into her palms. 

Why? Why was she so angry at Makoto?

Because he doesn't pretend to be somebody else.

She shook her head and wiped her tears. 

It wasn’t stupid of her to be kind to people. So what if she wasn’t entirely honest around her friends? It was better than being alone.

Kotone began walking back to the dormitory, only half paying attention to her surroundings. Her mind was racing through more than enough thoughts. 

She’d done the right thing, trying to talk to Makoto. Hadn’t she? And if he wanted to be an asshole about it, that was his problem. She tried to be friends with him, and he wasn’t interested. 

That didn’t make it feel any better. 

I need to talk to somebody.

Kotone sat on a bench outside the dorm and took her phone out. She navigated to her recent calls and began to scroll through the names. 

Junpei… no, he’s not gonna take this seriously…

Fuuka… She's nice. But I need someone to talk to me straight, you know?

“Yes, Kotone, I’m your brain. You don’t need to talk to me like that,” she muttered to herself. She really was losing it over this whole mess.

Kotone made a mental note to herself to talk to Fuuka on Monday. The girl seemed lonely, and Kotone did genuinely like her. She just wasn’t the right person to solve this problem. 

Mitsuru would definitely talk straight to me. Probably too straight. There’s no way she’d want to sit down and listen to me bitch about Makoto, anyway.

She scrolled down to the next entry, which read Home. A pang went through her stomach. 

Shit, how can I talk to my grandparents about this? I haven’t even spoken to them since I left! 

Kotone immediately ruled that option out. She’d have to explain how Makoto was here, and how she hadn’t told them, and how she’d been in the hospital for a week, and it would just turn into a whole thing she couldn’t deal with right now. 

Yukari. I can’t talk to her about this. She’s gonna take Makoto’s side the whole time. He might be too dumb to see it, but I’m not. 

That left only the last entry. 

Rio… you know, she seems like she’d understand this sort of drama. 

Kotone pressed the speed dial and held her phone to her ear. She took a stabilizing breath as the phone rang. 

“Kotone!” Rio answered after a few rings. “What’s up?” Rio was breathing heavily, the sound coming through tinny.

“Uh, not much,” Kotone suddenly realized she didn’t know exactly what she wanted to say. Back home, she was always the one people invited out, not the other way around. “What are you up to?” 

“I’m just getting out from tennis practice,” Rio answered. That explained the heavy breathing. 

“Oh, cool,” Kotone said. “Um, do you want to hang out later?”

Hang out? Who am I, Junpei?

“Sure!” Rio said. Kotone let out a relieved exhale. “What were you thinking?” 

Kotone frowned. “Um, I didn’t really think that far ahead.” 

“I was thinking of going to the mall,” Rio said. “We could go to the sports shop and find a tennis racket you like.” 

Kotone liked the racket Rio had given her enough. But that seemed like as good a suggestion as any. 

“Sounds good to me,” Kotone said. “Should I meet you there, or…?” 

“It’ll take me a while to get ready,” Rio replied. “I can meet you at, what time is it… how about 2:00?” 

“Alright, I can do that,” Kotone said. “I’ll see you then.”

Rio said goodbye and hung up. Kotone flipped her phone shut and slumped back on the bench. 

“I think that went alright,” she said to herself. 

Shit, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. 

Kotone thought back to the times she’d gone out with friends back home. Usually, her part was to show up, say some stupid things, and enjoy everybody’s laughs. That had been a lot easier than being emotionally vulnerable and having actually meaningful conversations. 

Yukari stretched her arms over her head and yawned. She’d gotten up early and headed to the practice range. If she was going to wield her bow in Tartarus, no amount of practice could be too much. And as she’d learned on their first visit, her arrows were limited. Every shot she missed was one less chance to contribute to the group’s effort. 

Maybe this was a bit too much practice.

She shook out her hand, which refused to open all the way. It had become stiff and cramped from the hundreds of shots she’d taken. 

She walked into the dorm building lounge, and found it strangely quiet. That quiet was even stranger because Junpei was sitting on a couch, not making a sound. He didn’t look up from the television as she entered, the blue screen flickering on his enraptured face. 

Yukari stood beside him and glanced at the screen. He was watching what looked like basketball highlights, though the commentators' seemed to be talking about beef. Yukari did not understand American sports.

“Where’s Makoto?” she asked, trying to seem casual.

“He left with Kotone a few hours ago,” Junpei said, still not taking his eyes off the TV. 

That’s good. Maybe they worked their issues out?

“Then he came back in and went straight up to his room.” 

That’s not good. Maybe they got into a fight?

“Did he say anything?” 

“Nope, but he looked pretty pissed,” Junpei looked concerned at this, and he muted the television. “You think something happened when they were out?”

Yukari looked at Junpei with a sudden lack of irritation. He seemed to be genuinely concerned, which surprised her. 

“Maybe,” she said, half to herself. “I’ll go try and talk to him.” 

“Good luck,” Junpei said. “He walked right past me when he came in.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Yukari walked to the stairs and Junpei turned the volume up on the TV again. She suddenly realized that she’d just had a whole conversation with Junpei that hadn’t pissed her off in some way. 

I’ll unpack that later.

Yukari stepped up to Makoto’s door and prepared to knock. Then, she hesitated. She stepped up to the window beside his door and checked her reflection. 

“Why are you doing this, Yukari?” she muttered. 

Good question, Takeba.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and stepped back to Makoto’s door. She took a deep breath and knocked. 

“Makoto, are you there?” 

“Kotone!” Rio called. Kotone scanned the crowd until she spotted the familiar black ponytail bobbing towards her. 

Kotone waved as her friend drew nearer. 

“Hey, Rio,” she said. “How was tennis?” 

“Tiring,” Rio answered. “But it’ll be worth it. How’s your day been?” 

“It’s been…” Kotone didn’t really know how to answer that. “Interesting?” 

“Uh-huh,” Rio looked slightly confused, but it soon passed. “So, where do you want to go first?” 

Kotone looked around the shopping district. There were what looked like dozens of small shopping complexes in sight, though Paulownia was the only one she had ever been inside. 

“I don’t really know what my options are,” Kotone said. “It’s up to you.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Rio said, “I keep forgetting you only just moved here.” 

I guess that’s a good thing?

“Come on, let’s hit the sports shop first,” Rio said. “I broke one of my rackets earlier, so I need to get a new one.” 

Kotone followed beside her friend as they made their way through the crowd. “How’d that happen?” 

“I got pissed.” 

“Wait, you smashed your tennis racket?” Kotone wasn’t sure how expensive tennis gear usually was, but she was sure Rio had the top of the line model. And to break it? 

She’s pretty hardcore about this.

“It happens,” Rio shrugged. 

Kotone let out a disbelieving laugh. “You take this pretty seriously, huh?” 

“You could say that,” Rio grinned and held the door for Kotone to enter the sports store. Kotone slowed down in the entrance to allow the air conditioning to wash over her. 

“Oh, that feels good.” Rio giggled and they made their way through the store. 

“So, what’s it like living in a dorm?” 

“It’s not bad,” Kotone said. “It’s mostly empty, there’s only six of us.”

“Wow, that’s weird,” Rio said. “I wonder why.” 

Because it’s actually the secret headquarters of a secret organization dedicated to secretly destroying the secret shadow monsters that are secretly destroying society. And we do it during the secret 25th hour of the day that secretly exists. Did I mention it’s a secret?

“Yeah, it seems like a waste of space,” Kotone agreed. “You live with your parents, I assume?” 

“I live in my parents house, not with my parents,” Rio corrected. “They’re always out of the country on business, so I get the place to myself.” 

“That’s awesome,” Kotone said. “I have my dorm room to myself, but that’s not really the same.” 

“Where’d you live before you came here?”

“I was in the countryside up north,” Kotone said. “The high school there wasn’t great, and Gekkoukan gave me a scholarship, so I came here.” 

“Were you with your parents?” 

“My grandparents.” 

Rio seemed to get the hint, if not from Kotone’s tone, from the disappearance of her smile. Kotone realized they’d reached the tennis section, and quickly grabbed a racket off a shelf.

“Hey, look at this one!” she swung it around, “It feels good. I think?” 

Kotone still had no idea what she was doing with a tennis racket, but she needed the distraction. 

“That’s a badminton racket,” Rio said, gently removing it from Kotone’s hand. “Here, try this one.” 

Kotone spun this one in her hand, at the very least appreciating the red and black colors on the frame. 

“That’s the same model the pros are using,” Rio said. She was fiddling with the strings on an identical racket, for a reason Kotone couldn’t even begin to guess.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, Rio,” Kotone said. “I’m really only looking at the colors.” 

Makoto was lying on his bed when he heard the knock. He took one headphone off his ear, but didn’t hear another. 

Instead, he heard a voice.

“Makoto, are you in there?” it called. “It’s Yukari.” 

He slowly sat up.

“I just wanted to see if you’re alright,” Yukari said. “Junpei said—”

Makoto opened the door, cutting her off mid-sentence. She was wearing her weird off the shoulder sweater/dress looking thing. Makoto didn’t know the first thing about women’s clothes, and this didn’t seem like the time to ask what the correct term for her top was. 

“I’m fine,” he said. Yukari looked at his face and seemed to doubt that. He glanced into his mirror and had to agree with her. 

He looked exhausted. He was exhausted. 

“Junpei said you went out with Kotone, and you didn’t say anything when you came back,” Yukari looked concerned now, and Makoto didn’t want to meet her eyes.

“I’m fine,” he lied. 

“Uh-huh,” Yukari clearly didn’t believe him. “I don’t know what happened, but… do you want to talk about it?” 

“Not really,” Makoto automatically replied. He half-regretted it. 

She just wants to help you, Makoto. Why do you have to be like this?

“Okay,” Yukari said, sighing and clapping her hands against her legs. Makoto stared at her, waiting for her to leave. Her mouth was closed, but moving, as if she was chewing on something. Then, she reached out and grabbed his arm. 

Makoto blinked. 

“Let’s go get some food,” she said, pulling him into the hallway. He knew from his first night, when she’d dragged him downstairs to investigate the strange noise downstairs, that fighting against her calloused and archery-trained grip was futile. 

“I’m not—”

“You’re hungry,” Yukari said matter-of-factly. “You don’t have to talk about whatever went down with Kotone, but you need to eat.” 

Makoto shook her arm off, but didn’t return to his room as he’d expected. Something stopped him. 

“Fine,” he said, and he followed her to the stairs. Instead of going down, however, Yukari started climbing up the stairs. Makoto stopped on the landing and cleared his throat. “Why are you going upstairs?” 

“I have to stop at my room,” Yukari said. “Come on, it’s fine.” 

“Um, alright,” Makoto said, and he followed her up the stairs. Yukari was unlocking her door, and Makoto walked in after her. 

Yukari’s room was, well, it was definitely Yukari’s room. The pink bedsheets, tiny pink makeup—he was pretty sure it was for makeup—table, pink floor cushions, and the pink posters for various boy bands made Makoto certain of that. 

“Sorry it’s such a mess,” Yukari said, rummaging through her closet. It wasn’t really all that messy, though if she was comparing it to Makoto’s it would be a fair assessment. 

Makoto stood in the center of the room, feeling extremely awkward. He had never been in a girl’s room before under any circumstances, though he was quite sure that he wasn't in that kind of situation. 

Yukari turned around and looked at him, holding some other pink thing she’d dug out of her closet. He looked back, confused. 

“Are you gonna turn around, or what?” 

“Oh,” Makoto quickly turned around and squeezed his eyes shut. “Sorry.” 

Oh, you moron. You are an idiot of titanic proportions. Now she thinks you’re a creep. 

He waited with his eyes closed for what felt like more than the appropriate amount of time. 

Do girls take longer to change than guys? Probably?

“Alright, you’re good,” Yukari said. 

Makoto slowly spun back around, exhaling a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Yukari had changed into a pink tanktop, the straps of which she was adjusting in her mirror. 

“It’s too hot to keep wearing that sweater,” she said. Makoto tilted his head and looked curiously at the jeans she was now wearing. It seemed to him that those would be warmer than the high socks she’d had on earlier. 

Once again, I know nothing about women’s clothes. For all I know those jeans are air-conditioned. 

“You better not have looked,” Yukari said, narrowing her eyes. Makoto shook his head quickly.

“I didn’t,” he said truthfully.

“Oh,” Yukari nodded slowly. “Alright. Good. That’s good.” 

She pulled on a pair of white sandals and left the room. Makoto carefully closed the door behind him, nearly shuddering at his backwards glance. 

I’ll go to Tartarus a hundred times before I go through that again. 

“What do you think of this one, Kotone?” Rio turned and held up a red and black plaid skirt. 

“I don’t know,” Kotone said. “I don’t really do plaid.” 

“Come on,” Rio said. “It matches your eyes.” 

Kotone shrugged, “eh, throw it in the cart.” She reached behind herself and pulled their shopping cart towards Rio. Though, at this point, it just looked like a mountain of clothes on wheels. 

Rio looked at the wobbling pile of clothes with wide eyes. “I think we have too much stuff.” 

“I think you might be right,” Kotone said, pushing the cart towards the changing rooms. “You know, I’ve never seen so many clothes in one place.” 

“They don’t have shops like this in the countryside?” 

“Not in any countryside I’ve been to,” Kotone said. 

Kotone pushed the cart behind Rio, looking around the pile of clothes to avoid crashing. She chewed her lip nervously. 

She’d hoped to get Rio’s advice, or something, by now. But she couldn’t bring herself to start talking about her problems, not when they were having such a good time just goofing around. 

Maybe this is better.

“Hey, Rio, look.” 

Rio turned around and giggled. They’d reached the underwear section, and Kotone had stopped the cart to squeeze the cups on one of the bras on the wall.

“Hehe.” 

“What are you, my eight-year-old cousin?” Rio laughed and shook her head. 

“Rio, look. Boobies.” 

See? Wasn’t this easier? Just crack a few dumb jokes, make people laugh. Rio didn’t want to hear her complain about her brother. 

“Come on, help me separate this out,” Rio said. Kotone dug into their haul and began claiming the items she wanted to try on. 

Kotone gathered her pile of clothes and walked into a changing room. She tried on the skirt Rio had found. It actually looked pretty good on her. 

“That was a good call on the skirt,” Kotone called. “I like it.” 

“I told you,” Rio responded. “Come on, let me see.” 

Kotone continued searching through the pile. “Let me find a top.” 

“I think I have one of your sweaters,” Kotone held up a beige sweater and laid it over herself in the mirror. The mirror was cracked, a line running down her face from eye to chin. 

“Toss it over,” Rio said. Kotone shook her head and threw it on. She opened the door to show Rio. 

“I kinda fuck with it,” Kotone said. She tossed her hair back and struck her best impression of a model pose. 

“I really fuck with it,” Rio said. “You’ve gotta buy that.” 

“You think?” 

“Wait, wait,” Rio ducked into her changing room and returned with a red scarf. She wrapped it around Kotone and stood back to observe. “There we go.”

Kotone looked in the mirror and grinned. 

“Hell yeah.” 

“That was fun,” Rio said, as they walked out with bags full of clothes. 

“Yeah,” Kotone agreed. Rio’s bag was significantly larger than her own, and she’d handed over a credit card with no hesitation at the register. Kotone had nearly had a heart attack when she’d seen how much her one outfit would set her back. Prices in Tokyo were something else. 

Rio’s parents must be loaded for her to buy all this.

From there, Kotone’s thoughts ran to her own parents, to Makoto, and to the whole reason she’d asked Rio to hang out in the first place. 

“Where should we go now?” Rio asked. 

“Uh, I don’t know,” Kotone admitted. 

“Are you hungry?” 

“I could eat.” 

There we go, that’s my chance. I’ll tell her about Makoto while we eat. 

“There’s a nice diner a few blocks down,” Rio suggested. 

“Sounds good to me.” Kotone shouldered her bag of clothes and followed Rio’s lead, nervously tapping her fingers on her leg. 

Makoto disembarked the train, having to hurry to keep up with Yukari. Her long legs were propelling her with a purpose. 

“Where are we going?” 

“There’s a diner just past Paulownia,” Yukari said. “You’ll like it.” 

“If you say so,” Makoto grumbled. His headphone wires bounced across his chest as he hustled after Yukari. 

He ducked and weaved through the crowd, doing his best to stay in Yukari’s wake. The crowds seemed to part before her, then crowd back in around Makoto as if he was invisible. 

A pair of bells jingled as Yukari opened the door to a quiet restaurant. 

“You can sit anywhere,” a voice said. Makoto looked up to see a waitress swept past them carrying a plate. 

“Thanks.” Yukari responded, then looked at Makoto. “Where do you want to sit?” 

“I don’t care.” Yukari led him to a booth towards the back and sat down. Makoto slid in opposite her.

The waitress dropped them a pair of menus and smiled. Makoto glanced down at his, then looked up at Yukari. She hadn’t looked at hers, but if she’d been here, he supposed that made sense. 

Is she going to say something?

It had been her idea to do this. Makoto really didn’t know what he was supposed to think of the whole situation. 

“So, how’s school going?” 

That wasn’t how Makoto expected things to start. 

“Uh, it’s fine, I guess.” 

“That’s good.” 

Makoto tapped his foot on the floor. This was becoming incredibly awkward. Situations like this were not exactly his strong suit. Out of practice, maybe. 

“When do you think we’ll go back to Tartarus?” 

“No idea,” Makoto said. “It’s up to Kotone too.” 

Yukari bit her tongue on responding. It seemed she remembered her promise not to talk about Kotone. 

“Hey, this place is pretty nice,” Kotone exclaimed as she swung open the door. She took a seat in the first available booth, and Rio took the other side. 

A waitress dropped a pair of menus in front of them, and Kotone scanned hers. 

Crêpes. Makoto likes crêpes.

Kotone corrected herself. He had liked crêpes when they were little. He probably did still like them, but how was she supposed to know? These were the type of things she really should know about her brother. 

“Kotone, are you alright?” 

Kotone blinked and looked up at Rio. Her friend was looking at her with concern.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” 

No, you’re not.

“Are you sure?” Rio asked. “You’ve been kind of quiet.” 

“I think I’m just tired,” Kotone lied. 

Tired of Makoto being such an ass.

“Alright,” Rio said. “You know, you can tell me if something’s wrong.” 

Kotone forced a smile. She was good at that, at least. “Yeah, thanks, Rio.” 

Sure, I’d love to talk. Hey, did you know my brother and I watched our parents die? Wanna talk about that over some delicious pancakes?

“Hey, what do you think of Yukari?” 

“Takeba-san?” Rio shrugged. “She seems nice, I guess. She only transferred here last year, so I don’t know her that well.” 

“Hm,” Kotone grunted. “She lives in the dorm. She’s been hanging out with my brother a lot.” 

“That’s interesting.” Kotone realized she’d probably just started another rumor about Yukari. Rio, however, wasn’t paying much attention. The raven-haired girl was leaning to the side to stare at something over Kotone’s shoulder. 

The waitress mercifully interrupted the awkwardness between Yukari and Makoto. Yukari watched as she walked to the kitchen. She really wasn’t sure how to make this easier. She wanted to help Makoto, whatever he said. She hardly even recognized why. 

He understands what you went through.

Yukari looked over the rest of the restaurant as she mulled over her next words. Makoto seemed content to sit and stare into space. 

Wait, is that—?

Yukari spotted a head of auburn hair facing away from her at the front of the restaurant. The head turned, and something in the hair glinted in the light. And behind her, it looked like she was with Iwasaki. They were both on the tennis team, maybe they’d become friends.

Oh, shoot.

Rio had spotted Yukari. She looked around Kotone’s head and they locked eyes. 

“What are you doing?” Kotone said. Rio didn’t look away. She was locked in what had accidentally become an awkwardly-long staring contest with, speak of the devil, Yukari Takeba. And sitting with her, was, speaking of the devil again, Kotone’s brother. 

What the hell was his name? Minato? No, that doesn’t sound right. She never really talks about him. Maybe that’s why she’s so bummed. Man, I’ve been staring at her for a really long time. I should ask her where she got that choker. It’s cute.

“What are you doing?” Kotone repeated. “Are you staring at someone?”

“Yeah, dude,” Rio answered. 

“Stop it,” Kotone snorted a laugh. “Rio, stop it!” 

Rio and Yukari seemed to come to an understanding. They each looked away simultaneously. Rio grinned at the now-laughing out loud Kotone. 

“Who was that?” Kotone asked. 

“Uh, no one,” Rio said. “Just my friend Roger.” 

Kotone slowly nodded, but she seemed to buy it. 

“Okay...” 

“Speaking of your brother,” Rio said. “What’s he like?” 

Kotone’s smile slipped for an instant as she shrugged. “He’s quiet, I guess. I don’t really know how else to put it. Why?”

“I hear things,” Rio said with a sly smile. Of course, Kotone probably wouldn’t want to hear some of the things she’d heard her girlfriends say about the kid. It was starting to really bug Rio. Not the rumors as much as the fact that she couldn’t remember his name. 

The waitress arrived with their food, and Rio dug in. Kotone groaned as she dug in. “Oh, this is delicious.” 

“Told you,” Rio said. “I’ve been coming here with my parents ever since I was little.” 

“What do they do?” Kotone asked around a full mouth. 

“Oh, they’re in some crazy finance thing,” Rio said. “I don’t really understand it, but they spend a lot of time in America.” 

Kotone nodded and stuffed her face again. “That sounds cool.” 

“What about your parents?” Rio asked. 

Kotone’s eyes seemed to defocus for a moment, it seemed like she was having difficulty thinking of an answer. 

“Science, I think,” Kotone’s voice seemed thin. Rio hadn’t seen her friend like this. She suddenly seemed exhausted, and only moments from breaking down.

“Hey, remember how my parents are out of the country right now?” Rio said, hoping to change the subject. She’d been meaning to bring this up, actually. “I’m gonna have a big party tomorrow night, you should come!” 

The change of subject seemed to help Kotone, and her smile returned. “Yeah, that sounds awesome!” 

“I’m gonna invite a bunch of people from school,” Rio said. “And mom and dad do not care if I raid the liquor cabinet.” 

Kotone laughed.

“Have you been avoiding me, Makoto?” Yukari asked. 

Makoto took a long sip of his water and gathered his thoughts. 

“No,” he finally answered. It was only half a lie. He hadn’t been avoiding her. He’d been avoiding everybody. There was a very important distinction there. It was nothing personal. 

“So what happened this morning?” 

Makoto sighed. He didn’t want to get into this with Yukari. He didn’t want to get into this with anyone. 

“Nothing happened.” 

“I’m not stupid, Makoto,” Yukari said, crossing her arms. “You don’t have to talk to me, but you don’t have to lie to me either.” 

Makoto wanted to deny the truth again, but something stopped him. What had that guy said at the shrine? He needed to talk to someone. 

I guess this is as good a time as any.

“Kotone’s pissed at me,” he said. Yukari nodded.

“I gathered that much,” she said. “What’s she mad about?” 

“She thinks I don’t talk to her,” he said. “I don’t know, maybe she’s right.” 

“Do you try to talk to her?” 

Makoto tried to think back. “I guess she doesn’t think so. It’s just, everything is weird now.” 

“What do you mean, weird?” Yukari said. 

Makoto realized what was happening. Yukari was trying to get him to open up, bear his feelings, so she could try and fix him up. He also realized that he was okay with it. 

“We didn’t see each other for so long,” he said. “But it’s like she never grew up, you know?” 

He looked at her, hoping she’d agree. 

“I just don’t get how she can be so happy,” Makoto continued. “It’s like nothing ever happened.” Makoto looked down at his hands. “And now I’m telling you all this, you shouldn’t have to listen to me complain.” 

“No, it’s fine,” Yukari quickly answered. “It’s good that you’re talking to someone, Makoto.” 

“She’s just…” he struggled to find the right words. “When we got split up, she got to live with our mother’s side of the family,” he said. “And I—”

“I know,” Yukari said. 

“I didn’t get to go with her, and now we’re totally different people.” Makoto said. “She just smiles and gets everyone to like her. I can’t do that, Yukari. I’m not her.” 

“You don’t have to be like Kotone,” Yukari said. Her hand had slid conspicuously close to his side of the table. 

“I wish I was,” Makoto said. “People want to be friends with her, they want to hang out with her. My own grandparents didn’t want me, and I don’t blame them.”

Makoto spoke quietly. He was afraid his voice would break if he raised it. 

“Makoto, that’s not true,” Yukari said. 

She’s just trying to make you feel better.

“You don’t know what it was like, Yukari,” he said. “They hated me, and why wouldn’t they? I can’t make friends, I don’t talk to people. I don’t do anything, really. You’re wasting your time, trying to help me.” 

Yukari looked at him, eyes wide with hurt. He regretted that last part instantly. But that didn’t make it any less true.

“You know, I don’t talk to my mother anymore,” she said. “Not more than once or twice a year.” 

Makoto stared back at her, confused about the change of subject. 

“We haven’t gotten along for years, not since dad died,” she said. “Things are better now that we don’t live together. We still don’t get along, but we aren’t causing each other pain all the time. Maybe it’s alright for you and Kotone not to get along.” 

“How am I supposed to do that?” Makoto said. “I don’t want to keep ignoring her, she’s my sister.” 

He could tell himself that all he wanted. Ignoring her was exactly what he’d done, and deep down he knew it was exactly what he was going to keep doing. He was going to keep taking the easy way out.

“I don’t know,” Yukari said. “But if she’s going to be angry at you for who you are, I don’t think forcing yourself to try and fix it is going to help. I tried it with my mom, and it didn’t help.” 

Makoto studied the grain of the table. He had something to think about, at least. He had just been himself, and Kotone had gotten mad. Sure, the himself he was choosing to be wasn’t exactly helping matters, but still. Maybe it wasn’t his fault. Maybe Kotone should be the one to fix things. 

Easy way out again, Makoto. You’re such a coward.

Kotone walked down the sidewalk, Rio a few feet ahead of her. She was singing out loud, swinging around her bag as she led them to the train station. 

Kotone looked down.

You were supposed to talk to her. 

She gritted her teeth and shook her head. She hadn’t said anything about Makoto during the whole afternoon she’d spent with Rio. They’d been having a good time, and she couldn’t bring herself to ruin it. 

Wow, Rio, that food was great! Hey, you wanna hear about how I screamed at my brother in public because he wasn’t talking to me enough?

The moment just never felt right. Or maybe she needed to talk to someone else. 

Rio spun around to look at Kotone. She smiled, her face illuminated by the streetlights. She continued singing, now belting out the chorus. 

Kotone grinned and joined her. 

Maybe this is enough for now.

Chapter Text

5/9

Makoto was slow to wake. He’d stayed up late the night before, and not entirely because of his late dinner with Yukari. Mostly, it was the thoughts that dinner had left him with that kept him up, laying in bed far into the night trying to decide how to handle the… situation with his sister. 

He would try to be civil. That was the conclusion he came to. It probably wasn’t cool of him to ditch her at breakfast, but what was he supposed to do when she dragged him out of bed and started interrogating him? He hadn’t been particularly mad at her before that, but he definitely was after that. He wasn’t even mad at her, mostly. It was just… hard for him to talk to her, for some reason. Just seeing her face reminded him of the past he’d tried to leave behind. 

Maybe I should’ve told her that.

But what would Kotone do if he told her that he didn’t want to—couldn’t—face her?

Makoto sat up on his bed and leaned over to open the shade. The sun was shining brightly through his window, and he squinted at the sudden glare. Makoto pulled his uniform blazer off the back of his chair, then thought twice. It was probably a little strange to wear his school uniform on a Saturday. Instead, he changed into a white and blue t-shirt, pulling the sleeves as far down as possible to hide his upper arms, where his tan disappeared, turning to blindingly-pale skin that hadn’t seen the sun in years.

Makoto went downstairs to see the lounge empty. That seemed strange, considering the time of day. Maybe everyone else had gone out. He searched the fridge for something to eat, but it had been picked clean. All that remained was a takoyaki he’d put in there a few days ago. He scarfed it down and went back upstairs, planning on getting ahead on his homework. 

After a few minutes reading his history textbook and taking notes, Makoto set his pencil down. His leg was constantly bouncing on the ground, and he was finding it impossible to concentrate. For some reason, he just couldn’t focus. 

Maybe because of what that kid told me the other night.

The air felt slightly hot, almost charged with energy. Makoto had the same feeling he did in the hours preceding a thunderstorm. As if the world was waiting for something violent and powerful that was just out of sight over the horizon. 

Makoto dug through his desk drawers and found the remote for the old TV in the corner of his room. The old CRT ticked a few times, then the screen blinked into black and white static. From here, it almost looked like fog. 

Makoto pressed a few buttons on the remote, but nothing seemed to fix it. He dug a pair of antennas out of the cabinet the television sat on. 

After a few seconds fiddling with the ears, he finally got the picture working, a replay of last night’s baseball game. Makoto watched Hokkaido’s freakishly tall pitcher for a minute, trying to remember his name. One of his foster fathers had been a big fan of the Buffalos, and had tried desperately to inject the same love into Makoto’s veins. 

That had failed, and Makoto switched the channel to the weather. There wasn’t a storm coming, so why did he feel this tension? 

Makoto needed to clear his head, he decided. He had all weekend to get his work done, and it wasn’t going to happen any time soon at this rate. 

Kotone muttered to herself and picked at her fries. She’d ordered a combo meal, but the burger tasted like ash. She’d been too exhausted to unpack the previous day’s events, and woken up with a hole in her stomach. After all that buildup, she’d completely blown her chance to get through to her brother. And then, she couldn’t even explain herself to Rio. 

Something was just… wrong with her. She could talk all day about absolutely anything, as long as that thing was completely insignificant. As soon as she had to be honest with herself about anything, she clammed up. 

If only she was like Makoto. 

She finished her tasteless burger, which at least filled her up. The rest of the fries went into the trash. 

Even with her hunger now satisfied, Kotone felt like something was wrong. She was tense, for some reason. Some part of her was on edge, the same feeling she got the day before a big exam was coursing through her tenfold. 

Though for what reason, she couldn’t tell.

Yukari laid in bed, clutching her stomach. She had a strange feeling there, had had it since she’d taken the train back from the restaurant with Makoto. 

She’d felt warm, sitting on the train and looking up at him. As always, he’d grabbed a handle and stood, and she’d sat and watched the moonlight reflect off his face for far longer than she wanted to admit. 

So what if I was looking at him? 

He’d seemed to actually open up to her, and she had to look at something. There really wasn’t anything else she could’ve done. She was worried about Makoto, that was all. 

Yukari frowned and sat up. She couldn’t rot in bed all day. She didn’t have any plans for the day, though. 

Maybe she could find Makoto, see what he was doing. They could… study together, or something. 

Makoto wandered vaguely towards Paulownia, tapping a hand on his thigh to the beat of his music. He still felt that sense of foreboding, and it had taken him here. He entered the mall and took a careful look around. That creepy businessman wasn’t there, at least. 

He stepped into the police station and received a nod from Officer Kurosawa. He was talking to an elderly woman, his deep voice nothing but a dull rumble from this distance. Makoto waited with his hands in his pockets for the woman to leave, then stepped up to the desk. “Are you here to see the stockroom?” Kurosawa grumbled. Makoto nodded. 

Kurosawa walked around the counter to the door, pulling the shade and locking it with a sharp click. The officer led Makoto into the back, taking a key from his pocket and opening the evidence locker. 

“Got some new stuff in these past few weeks,” Kurosawa said. Makoto watched as the officer spread out an array of new weapons. Each blade gleamed in the dim light, and Makoto found it hard to believe they had ever been taken out of the wrapping, or whatever the equivalent was for weapons. 

Makoto’s eyes scanned across the implements of carnage before him. That shortsword looked nice, and he figured Junpei would enjoy using the two-hander beside it. And after the poorly-timed string snap last time in Tartarus, Yukari would likely appreciate the sturdier looking bow. Whatever dastardly villain was using a bow to commit crimes, Makoto didn’t want to imagine.   

Makoto dug a few bills from his wallet. “I’ll take the two swords.” 

Kurosawa nodded and picked them up and placed them on a second table. 

“And the bow,” Kurosawa said, removing that from the pile as well. 

I guess I can’t leave Kotone out, either.

“And the naginata.” 

Kurosawa looked at the bills in Makoto’s outstretched hand. 

“You’re gonna need more than that, kid.” 

Mitsuru sat in her room, watching the moon rise in her window as she worked. It had been a long day of homework, but she was nearly finished. She’d probably head to the kitchen for a late dinner, then spend the Dark Hour in the command room before going to sleep. 

She was nearly finished with her essay when her phone began ringing. Mitsuru always turned the ringer off while she worked, so it took a few seconds for the faint buzz to register. 

Ikutsuki-san?

She flipped the phone open and held it to her ear. 

“Hello?” 

“Ah, Kirijo-senpai,” Ikutsuki said. “How kind of you not to leave me hanging.” 

Mitsuru rolled her eyes. “Very funny, Ikutsuki-san.” 

“I always do dial up the best jokes,” Ikutsuki said. He waited, as he always did, for a response. 

Mitsuru felt it was best not to encourage him. 

“I want you to pay close attention during the Dark Hour tonight,” Ikutsuki continued. 

Mitsuru checked her clock. That time was only seconds away. 

“Do you have any particular reason for this?”

“Our research has indicated—” 

Ikutsuki’s voice cut out as the Dark Hour commenced. The light through her shade shifted to green and her laptop switched to battery power. She quickly saved her essay and left the room. 

She got halfway to the stairs before doubling back. She lifted up the textbooks stacked in one of her desk drawers and grabbed her Evoker.

Just in case.

“Makoto.”

What?

Makoto was drifting in murky, green water. He tried to paddle, but his arms were caught in seaweed. He tried yanking at the grasping weeds to no avail.

“Makoto!”

Makoto blinked, and reality sharpened. The seaweed was, in fact, the bedsheets, wrapping around his body tightly. That green glow was filtering through his drawn shades, not murky water.

“Makoto, you’ve got to get up!” 

Someone was calling him. He untangled himself from the sheets and opened the door. 

“Kirijo-senpai wants us in the command room,” Yukari was speaking frantically, the words spilling out before his half-asleep brain even recognized her. “She seems pretty worried.” 

Sounds like the kid was right.

“Alright,” Makoto took a deep breath. “I’ll be there in a minute.” 

Yukari nodded and ran away, the door swinging shut behind her. Makoto quickly dug his Evoker out of his sock drawer. He shrugged on his black blazer and buckled his belt and holster. 

Next was the bundle under his bed. He’d carried his haul back from the police station on a nearly-empty train after sunset, and hadn’t known exactly what to do with them. It seemed like that issue was going to resolve itself shortly, he thought to himself as he placed it on his bed. 

Makoto slid his red S.E.E.S. armband on and swung the bundle of weapons over his shoulder. He opened his door and nearly slammed into a speeding Junpei.

“Woah, what’s that?” the other boy exclaimed. Makoto let Junpei lead the way up the stairs.

“New gear,” he answered. 

“Hell yeah, man!” Junpei grinned. “What do you think we’re gonna be up against?”

Makoto had no idea, but he definitely felt the tension in the air, even thicker than it had been in the morning. 

“I can’t wait, dude!” Junpei continued his excited rambling. He only stopped when they reached the command room, opening the door and holding it for Makoto to enter. 

Mitsuru was sitting in front of the comically large console, tapping at the various buttons and dials. Akihiko leaned against the back wall, looking at  his fists and frowning at Mitsuru’s back, or more likely at the screens she sat in front of. 

“Dammit, this one’s massive…” Mitsuru was muttering to herself. Yukari was beside her, looking at the numbers streaming across the screen with a befuddled expression.

“Like the Shadow from last month?” Yukari asked. 

“It certainly seems similar in strength,” Mitsuru said. “We need to move out. People may not be aware of the Dark Hour, but if the city is destroyed when they wake up ....”

“We won’t let that happen,” Kotone said. She was standing in the shadows behind the couch in the center of the room. Makoto hadn’t even noticed her until she spoke up. 

“Right!” Junpei cried. “Time to kick some ass!”

Yukari rolled her eyes and grumbled something to herself that Makoto couldn’t make out. 

“Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the chairman,” Mitsuru said, swiveling her chair to face him. 

“Seriously?” Akihiko said, incredulous. “I’m going, Mitsuru!”

“Until you fully recover, you’ll only get in the way,” Mitsuru was unfazed by the silver-haired boy towering over her. “What’d you just say?” Akihiko fumed. 

“Those four have seen battle, Akihiko, they made more progress through Tartarus in a month than we managed in a year.” 

Akihiko clenched a fist tightly, then released it. “Fine.” 

Makoto wasn’t sure if he agreed with Kirijo on that. They could probably use Akihiko’s help, even if he wasn’t at 100%. But he wasn’t going to try and overrule her. Makoto figured the only person more intimidating than a pissed-off Akihiko was probably Mitsuru in general.  

“Don’t worry, senpai,” Junpei said. “We’ve got this in the bag!” 

Akihiko still looked frustrated, but he’d clearly given up. 

“Yuki, Shiomi, you’re in charge,” he said. “And remember what I told you.”  He looked at Kotone for that last part, which was clearly not intended for Makoto. Kotone stood tall and nodded, and Makoto could sense a determination in her he hadn’t before. 

“For real?” Junpei sighed. “When’s it gonna be my turn?” 

Makoto chose to ignore him, and so did the others. Mitsuru stood up and looked at his bundle of weapons quizzically. He stepped forward and laid it on the coffee table, carefully opening the black sheet. 

“Woah,” Junpei gasped. “Dude, this is sick!”

Junpei picked up the two-handed sword and ran a finger along the blade. He quickly winced and stuck the finger in his mouth. 

I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.

Makoto picked up the bow and handed it to Yukari, who accepted it with a grateful smile. He hefted the naginata he’d picked out for Kotone and turned towards her. She took a moment to realize what he was doing, then her eyes grew wide. 

“I—” she reached out, then drew her hand back. “Are you sure?” Makoto pushed the weapon closer, and she finally took it. “Thanks, Makoto.” 

She examined her new blade, stepping back and giving it a few twirls. 

“I have to get a few things together,” Mitsuru said. “I’ll meet you all in front of the train station.” 

Kotone led the others into the train platform. It was eerily silent, not only their surroundings, but the group was also quiet. She felt a pit in her chest, like her heart wanted to burst from her chest and run away down the track. 

Just calm down, Kotone. You fought off one of these things before, and you’re stronger now.

“Where is she?” Yukari said from behind her. Kotone turned to see Yukari standing beside Makoto, nervously glancing around for any sign of Mitsuru. Her hands were behind her back, but Kotone could see her fidgeting, grabbing each finger on her right hand with the left, then switching. 

“She’ll be here soon,” Kotone reassured. 

“Woah, look at the moon…” Junpei’s neck was craned back, and Kotone followed his gaze to the glowing yellow-green moon, which took up a much larger piece of the sky than it was supposed to. 

“It looks creepy during the Dark Hour,” Yukari said. Kotone did not disagree. Each scar and crater was easily visible with the naked eye. Staring up at it, it felt as if the moon was slowly falling down onto them. 

Her musing was interrupted by a roaring engine, and the sound of squealing rubber as Mitsuru arrived. 

“See, I told you she’d be here,” Kotone said. Mitsuru hopped off her motorbike, shaking her hair out as she removed her helmet. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said, tapping her kickstand down with a boot and joining them by the stairs. “I’m going to be providing you support from here. The rest of the operation will be the same as Tartarus, only this time we have a set goal.” 

Mitsuru began unpacking a few electronic gizmos Kotone didn’t recognize. Whatever they were, they must’ve been specially built to function in the Dark Hour. 

“The Shadow is located on a monorail not far from the station,” Mitsuru continued. “You’ll have to walk on the tracks and board the train that way.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Junpei said. 

“Electronics are inoperable during the Dark Hour, Iori-san. With a few exceptions, of course,” she confirmed Kotone’s suspicions by gesturing to the equipment she was setting up. “But the trains aren’t one of them. Now, I think that’s all. Let’s get started.”

Kotone nodded. Makoto twirled his sword and patted his Evoker. 

Dammit, I don’t get it.

He’d gone so out of his way to annoy her, to the point where Kotone had made up her mind to avoid him, but now? Now he decided to buy her a new weapon, and they’d been civil enough for the last thirty minutes. That was probably a new record. 

“Let’s do this!” Junpei cried, bounding up the stairs. Kotone ran after him, and the pair had to wait for Makoto and Yukari to catch up. The group stood at the edge of the platform, gazing down at the drop to the tracks below. 

“This feels wrong,” Kotone said. “I know the trains aren’t running, but still…” 

Kotone jumped down, and Junpei joined her, striking a superhero pose as he landed. Yukari looked nervously at the rails, then sat down with her legs hanging off the edge. Kotone offered a hand, which the other girl accepted, and Yukari slid down onto the tracks. As Yukari contorted herself to brush the dirt off her back, Kotone turned and offered the same hand to Makoto.

Her brother was staring at the tracks, fingering his Evoker. He had a thin smile—if you could call any expression Makoto showed a smile—as if he was the only one privy to some hilarious joke. He shook his head and leapt down, brushing his hair out of one eye as he stood tall. His half-shadowed face betrayed no emotion besides cool determination.

“I guess we should get moving,” Kotone said. Makoto turned away and led the way out of the station, hands in his pockets as always. 

It was strange to view the scenery from this perspective, where she could make out every detail. Who knew the tunnel walls were all built from smooth gray bricks of stone? Usually, it appeared as nothing but a slate-colored blur. 

“Holy hell,” Junpei gasped. “We’re really high up.” Kotone looked to see a strangely pale Junpei place a hand against his mouth. “I think I’m gonna hurl….” 

“Seriously?” Yukari turned her nose up and grimaced at Junpei. 

“You’re almost there,” Mitsuru’s voice crackled in their skulls. “Hold it together a little longer, Iori.” 

“Yeah,” he whimpered. Kotone had to suppress a laugh at the sudden smallness of his voice. 

Makoto had continued walking, and the others had to hustle to catch up to him. Kotone finally got the chance to catch her breath when they paused for Mitsuru to give further instructions. 

“The monorail should be about 200 meters ahead, just continue around this curve.” 

“Alright,” Junpei swallowed audibly. “Bring on the big one!” 

“You sure you’re ready for that?” Kotone said. Frankly, she could no longer blame Junpei for his queasiness about the height. The walls had initially kept the view of the ground hidden, but as they’d gotten farther from the station, they’d ended, revealing a stomach-churning drop to the blood-red water below. 

“I don’t care how big it is, it’s goin’ down!” Junpei said, sounding more confident in the strength of his stomach. 

“Just don’t do anything stupid,” Yukari said, more than a hint of pleading in her voice. 

They arrived at the monorail, which sat eerily dark in the middle of the track. Across the harbor, the oversized green moon hung over the city, silhouetting the towering physical impossibility of Tartarus; the tower rose many times higher than the rest of the skyline to split the moon down the center. 

The squad stood at the side of the nearest car, looking up at a rusty ladder. The train was a lot taller than Kotone had realized from her usual perspective inside the cars. 

“This is it, right?” Yukari asked. “I don’t see anything unusual.” Kotone jumped in place a few times, trying to peek through the windows. 

“My readings are definitely coming from that monorail,” Mitsuru said. “Proceed carefully. And please, please, stay together.” 

“Got it,” Yukari responded. 

“I’m itchin’ for a fight,” Junpei said, removing his Evoker and stretching out his gun arm. 

Yukari slung her bow over her shoulder and grabbed a rung of the ladder. She took a few steps up before she looked down and pulled her skirt tighter.

“You two had better not look,” she snapped, shooting daggers at the boys. 

“Hey, don’t blame me if I happen to catch a glimpse,” Junpei said. Kotone gave him a jab with the butt of her naginata. 

“Don’t worry, Yukari,” Kotone called. “I’ll keep an eye on them!” 

Yukari resumed her clambering up the ladder, the sound of her boots on metal ringing out into the silent night. 

Kotone and the others joined Yukari on top of the train, then used the flat of Junpei’s sword to pry open the sliding doors. Junpei insisted on being the first to enter. He proudly turned around and winced as his massive blade swung into and shattered one of the windows.