Persona 3: Never To Leave

The Best Gift

After School

“Mitsuru? What’s up?” I asked with as cheerful a voice as possible. She would usually at least regard me, even if it was slight. I could tell. Something was going on.

Moments of silence passed, only the light whisper of the wind in my ear. Things would have seemed at least cordial to passer by people, but there was something else that I could tell was steadily freezing the situation’s atmosphere. Something that gave me the chills, and I knew that it was at least familiar, similar to when Shinjiro was talking down to me in that alley.

The next words that I saw come from her mouth sent my mind reeling, almost unable to comprehend what she said. But, I did. And I didn’t want it that way. It wasn’t something that I was able to stop, and the words that pierced my heart were unlike anything that I had heard before. They were… they were so cold… Devoid of all warmth that I could at least tell.

I sighed and said goodbye to Mitsuru before walking off, those same words ringing in my head the same way that Death lingered on my doorstep before; haunting, and perpetually just behind me, over my shoulder.

If only happiness could last for a bit longer…

Keeping up a cheerful façade until I had reached my room at home I buried my face in my pillow, mentally cursing myself for the things that I had missed. I slipped my earphones onto my ears, blocking out everything that was happening around me.

There was a reason why I wore my headphones before that wasn’t for listening to music. Sometimes I would just leave them on without switching any music on, and they would just stay on my ears. It was me saying to the world that I wanted everything blocked out.

And yet, whenever I had them on, all they did was amplify the thoughts in my head, rising on volume and in quantity. When that happened, I could almost swear that I was going mad from all of my darker thoughts…

And my memories…

Why am I not telling Minako anyways? I should tell her this stuff… but… Why not? Just why?

I said that I would tell her, and she would at least try to help me. But it was the words again… I never thought that I could really be affected by words like this before now. Normally I just took them in stride.

I sighed and closed my eyes, my earphones still hanging on my ears, no music playing… at all.

Morning

“Minato? Minato…” Huh? That sounded like Nyx…

I opened my eyes to see… Holy fuck. “What are you doing here?”

Nyx was right here. In front of me. Why? And… how? “I want you to take me out on a date. You can do that much, right Minato-kun?” she replied with a smile. A date? I hadn’t taken anyone out on a date for a while… Not even Nyx… this’ll actually be her first time if I said ‘yes’. Though, I would pretty much be a total jerk to say no to Nyx of all people.

“I suppose… But why now?” I asked.

“I can’t stand seeing you like this… come on. You need a change of pace, obviously,” she smiled slightly. “And before you ask how I’m here right now… well it just takes a lot of power for me to do this. It’s just for one day. Anymore and I wouldn’t be able to take you to that other dimension.”

Just for today? Well… it is Christmas eve I guess. “I… I see. Then, just let me get ready,” I replied wearily. Nyx nodded and went outside. Or at least… I think she went outside. I don’t know.