Chapter Text
October 5th, 2009.
Shinjiro Aragaki killed by Takaya, the Strega Leader, his funeral was held in Gekkoukan's morning assembly
The room is somewhat loud, not in a good way of course, people shit talking Shinjiro, not caring about the man he was. Makoto was perplexed, he was remarkably silent, though he wasn't the most talkative. His eyes were widened and still couldn't believe it, the SEES team was also silent but not in the way Makoto was. Junpei was the first one to talk when he heard the student infront of him, disrespecting Shinjiro
- "Shut up." Junpei said somewhat quietly
- "What was that?" The student replied
- "I SAID SHUT UP!" Junpei angrily repeated
- "Junpei!" Toriumi quickly interrupted to what could be an ugly argument
Junpei quietly sat back down on his seat, he sulked, feeling offended by the student's remark about his deceased friend who sacrificed his life to save Ken from ruining his own life. Yukari looked at Junpei in a way that signalized that it wasn't worth doing all of that, they wouldn't understand after all. Junpei sighed and gave up trying to defend Shinjiro, she suddenly notices that Akihiko isn't there, she decides to also alert Mitsuru about it.
- "Mitsuru-senpai, where's Akihiko? He should be here." Yukari looked confused and a little bit sad too.
- "I'm sure he'll come, we'll have to wait." Mitsuru looks around for a second
Akihiko was currently in the dormitory, punching his punching bag, letting out all of his anger and frustration, he punched it one last time before panting loudly
- "What the hell..." His jaw clenches and he grips his fingers tightly
He tries to stay calm but he couldn't admit that Shinjiro was dead, he had to see him in person, there's no way his childhood friend died just like that, after what they all went through, he thought that maybe there was a chance that Shinjiro could've lived if it wasn't for his weakness.
- "I'll go now..." He takes off his gloves and decides to go to the funeral after everyone's gone, he wants his alone time with Shinji
Meanwhile, at the funeral, Makoto was still quieter than usual, he can't accept that he actually hesitated and because of that, Shinjiro is gone, if only he was less hesitant, whatever light festered in his eyes had left, the guilt was almost swallowing him whole.
Yukari looks at him, trying to check how he's handling it. It was obvious that he wasn't handling it well at all, she tries to say something but no words come out of her mouth.
After everyone left, Akihiko walks in, he walks up to Shinjiro's casket and stares at his picture.
- "Hey, I had the usual for lunch..." He scratches the back of his head.
- "I was wondering what ramen tastes like when you skip class, it tastes surprisingly good... You could've invited me at least once you jerk."
- "Come on, say something. You're always like this, going ahead without saying a word, put yourself in my shoes for once, damn it."
- "You probably think it's the other way around, you're not wrong, I was too obsessed with strength, It's all I've thought about since losing Miki..." He looks at the ground and touches his face, sighing in frustration, there's nothing he could do after all.
- "Look at what this obsession got me to, It doesn't matter how strong I get!" His knees buckle and he supports himself on Shinjiro's casket, his hands tighten and he lets everything out.
- "Aaaaaaghh...!" He howls loudly, not censoring any of his grief.
After class, Makoto was nowhere to be seen, usually you'd find him in the classroom sleeping or looking at the window, not even Aigis knew where he was and she constantly checked and made sure that he was safe, Yukari asked around the clubs that he was in, Student Council, Fashion, Track and Team and no answers from any of them. She decided to check the dormitory, maybe he was there in the longue or his room, she went in and no signs from him in the longue, she saw Koromaru and stroked his fur, smiling gently and then she went back to her search. Yukari knocked in Makoto's room.
- "Yuuki-kun? Are you there?" Yukari said in an almost desperate way
- "Hm?" Makoto answered quietly
- "Thank god you're here, I thought you ran away or something like that." She let out a sigh of relief and a big smile
She tried to open the door but it was unfornately locked, she immediately got a bit confused, usually he lets her in all the time.
- "Hey Yuuki-kun, could you help the door here?" She tried to open it again but to no avail
No answer, that was weird, maybe he's not in the mood to talk today, Shinjiro's funeral was very frustrating, can't really blame him, can she?
- "If you don't wanna talk, that's okay." She respects his wish and decides to walk away
Makoto lays down in bed, looking at the celling, his hair a bit messy. He stays silent the whole time, not talking, it's like he still hasn't accepted that his friend is actually dead, he wonders if there's any way of bringing him back but no solution comes to mind. He failed his team, it reminds him on how he feels like it's also his fault that his parents died 10 years ago, he goes to sleep, not wanting to think about it.
It was a Tuesday, Makoto hasn't left his room, worried, Yukari knocks on the door together with Aigis
- "Yuuki-kun... " Yukari knocks on the door in an almost timid way
- "Makoto-san, we wish for you to walk with you to school." Aigis stares at the door
No answer, once again.
- "We could eat breakfast together too, if you want, although Aigis wouldn't really be able to eat too." She tries to lighten up the mood
Mitsuru saw the scene and goes to check what is going on.
- "Is there something wrong, Takeba?" She looks at the two girls with little bit of concern
- "Me and Aigis are just trying to talk to Yuuki-kun, he hasn't been answering us though..." She tries to sound like she's not too worried
- " Yukari-san, should I perhaps break through this door, it would be quite effective. " Aigis says calmly like it's something normal to do
- "There's no need for that Aigis, we should leave him be, everyone deals with grief differently." Mitsuru grabs Aigis's hand to stop her from shooting it down
The girls walk away, they do need to go to school today.
As the day passed, the team feels awkward to even speak, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife
- "The sea is so beautiful at this time of the year, isn't that right guys?" Fuuka says awkwardly trying to make the situation better
Everyone stared coldly at her, she seemingly made it worse, making Fuuka look down and pout, feeling like her mission definitely failed, holding her bag tighter against her stomach.
- "I guess that's true... " Yukari says before letting out a sigh
- "Ever thought about swimming in that ocean, Yuka-tan?" Junpei smiles
- "No way in hell." Yukari scoffs thinking about it
- "It'd be a good training regime though." Akihiko notes to Junpei
- "I can already imagine senpai swimming through all of that ocean." He chuckles
- "Maybe i'll join the swimming club." Akihiko smirks almost like a little kid
- "Actually, I was wondering where's Mitsuru-senpai." Fuuka wondered
- "Oh, she went ahead of us, she has to deal with Student Council business." Akihiko replies
- "She's a really busy girl, huh?" The blue haired lemon girl thinks to herself
At class, Yukari constantly looks at Makoto's empty seat, god, she hates how mad he can get her, maybe she's overthinking, maybe she isn't, it's what bugs her out, she groans quietly, trying to forget about that but she really can't.
- "Hey, Yuka-tan, Having trouble there?" Junpei whispers to her
- "Yeah but no need to worry about it, it's archery stuff, you wouldn't understand." She retorts
- "Aham, whatever you say..." He murmured teasingly, knowing her intentions
The first thing that she decides is, the moment classes end, she will talk to him and that is final, it'll probably be the first time she'll skip Archery club but it's for a greater good, well, her greater good, Makoto is probably the only one who can relate to her and vice versa.
The teacher dismisses class, Yukari gets up unexpectedly, she starts walking towards the door but is met with one of the Archery club members.
- "Hey Yukari, do you wanna walk together?"
- "Oh, I can't, I gotta deal with something, could you keep everything in order for me?" She quicky laid her off
She walks away, not even waiting for an answer from her fellow club member, she awaits for the train to show up and gets in.
- "I hope everything is alright..." She mutters to herself before getting off the train and rushing to the dormitory
Yukari enters and finds Ken and Koromaru watching TV together, he holds Koromaru like he's some kind of big plushie, the dog doesn't mind one bit, he is a bit needy when it comes to affection.
- " Hmmm, this question is hard..."
Koromaru barks, looking at Yukari, it was his way of welcoming her back.
- "Oh hey Yukari-san, I didn't think you'd come back this early." Ken looks at her with eyes filled with curiosity, it reminded her on how he's still in elementary school.
- "Sorry Ken-kun, i'm kinda busy right now..." She smiles nervously, she's not very good at hiding her emotions.
- "Right..." He simply nods and focuses back on the quiz show going on.
Yukari quickly climbs up the stairs and to Makoto's room, she gently opens the door.
- "I'm coming in, alright?" She tries to warn him in case he's doing something.
When the door fully opens, she sees nobody in the room, only his messy sheets on the bed and his turned off laptop on the table.
- " Huh...? Where is he?" Her eyes widen She starts to slowly panic, looking around in the 2nd floor and 3rd, even the kitchen, yet, he wasn't there.
She remembers one place that she didn't check, it was the rooftop, she rushes there and finds Makoto resting against the bulkhead, listening to his music like always.
- "You're so stupid, y'know that?!" She yells in a angry and worried tone, even whimpering quietly with tears in her eyes
- "I am..." He replies calmly
Yukari sits down next to him, wiping her tears as she does it but he scoots away, he looked at her like he didn't deserve her, she was beyond him in his vision.
- "Too close." He says quietly
- "Hey, are you alright?" She asks with concern
- "Don't cry over someone like me."
- "I'm worried about you." She leans closer
- "Don't..." He speaks coldly
Makoto gets up and walks away, not saying a word, leaving Yukari with only her thoughts.