Inside the velvet room , Elizabeth and Theodore were by themselves as Igor wasn't in the room . They were both busy studying the compendiums of the twins , as they had unlocked new possibilities ever since they overcame Philemon's trial and were allowed to summon multiple Personas .
" their growth in energy has been most definitely fascinating , wouldn't you agree , Theo ? "
" indeed ... " Theodore nodded absentmindedly
" my heart is charged with emotions as I watch my master grow in strength ! " Elizabeth held the compendium close to her chest and said dreamily " his power is enchanting ! Oh , how I wish I could get a taste of it ! "
" craving so much sweets could have serious consequences on one's health , sister " Theodore remarked
" Theo ! " Elizabeth angrily exclaimed " you are ignoring me ! Since when have you been so rebellious ?! "
" Ack ! I ... uh ... actually ... " Theodore grew flustered " I was just so focused on studying my mistress's compendium ! "
" oh , so you're just as excited to face her as I am for my master ? "
" well ... I am more concerned ... than excited " Theodore glared at the compendium in his hand " if this phenomenon continues , then ... "
" can I take look ? " Elizabeth snatched the compendium from Theodore's hand , and her eyes were widely open with shock " oh ... no , this can't be good ... "
Several days had passed since the full moon operation , the members of SEES were slowly recovering from the shock of losing a member , but the world wasn't waiting for them . The exams were upon them , and school demanded their undivided attention . Yukari , Fuuka , Junpei and Minato were slowly regaining their focus on their life , albeit still traumatized by what transpired . Mitsuru was inspired by Akihiko's recovery and his resolution after what happened , and how he firmly believed in Shinjiro and wanted to continue what he had been fighting for , that she regained her composure in time .
As for Minako , no one could really tell for sure . She seemed as bubbly and cheerful as ever , but her comrades were still treating her like a water bubble that they didn't want to pop . Especially Ken , who was still haunted by Minato's fierce scolding , and what Minako was thinking of him , specifically the part about how Minato could tell that she was feeling even more remorse toward him than Minato himself . Was Minato's assumption that his sister was now despising Ken true ? Even if it were , would that change anything ? Nevertheless , Minako continued her life as normal , and her classmates treated her just as they would do every day . The only difference was that she would disappear anytime between sunset and before midnight and sometimes she wouldn't come until after midnight . Of course , her dorm mates never had it in them to ask her where she was going .
They had just finished their exams , and were going to school to see the results . When they arrived at the school , there was a huge crowd on the bulletin board . The twins approached the board to see their scores . Minato looked for the sheet on which the scores of his class were published , and when he found it , he began scanning it for his score .
" highest score , huh ? " he murmured with a satisfied smile on his face " guess that summer school torture course wasn't a waste of time after all , wouldn't you say ? "
However , when he turned to Minako , he saw her making her way to the classroom . He realized something was wrong , and decided to look for her scores . When he found it , he was utterly shocked to see she had failed every subject . His dorm mates noticed the situation as well , and they were just as anxious as he was .
" Minako's scores ... " Fuuka gasped
" quiet ! " Minato sternly said " the last thing she wants is public attention to her failing "
" but man ... " Junpei scratched his head in disbelief " and here I thought my scores were bad , what happened ? "
" you don't think Minako's ... " Yukari started " that can't be , right ? "
" such a critical drop in Minako-san's performance is an alarming sign of mental distress " Aigis remarked
" thanks , captain obvious ! " Minato glared at Aigis for a second , before turning to them " anyway , I don't think she would like you asking and worrying about her scores . I'll go talk with her myself "
The situation was worse than Minato had anticipated , as when he made his way to the class , he was stopped by Yuko and Rio who were also thinking the same thing as him . They wanted to know what Minako had been doing and if something had changed in her life since a few days ago .
" what exactly happened ? " Minato pretended he didn't what was going on so that he could learn more of the situation
" during our practice with Sevens , Minako was distracted by something " Rio started " her shots were flimsy and inaccurate , and she was basically a toy in her opponent's hand . I've seen her play in Inaba and I know her skill level , and that definitely wasn't Minako playing ! "
" then there was her scores for the exam—! " Yuko cried
" keep your voice down ! " Rio hissed at her
" right , sorry " Yuko continued in a lower voice " I was schooling Kaz for his lack of concentration and his low scores , and he replied by saying that his was higher than Minako's ! I slapped him at first , but when I looked at board I was SLAPPED by the scores she had got in the exams ! "
" what exactly happened to her ? "
" I could tell you know something ! "
" well ... " Minato knew it was written all over his face , so he decided to yield to it and reveal what he believed the problem was " Minako is ... "
" what're you all talking about ? " Minako interrupted with a questioning stare
" Minako , what happened ?! " Yuko shoved Minato aside and rushed at Minako " you're getting bullied , aren't you ?! "
" what ... ? "
" I can't believe bullies still exist in this school !!! " Yuko's rant was triggered " after all that trouble that Yamagishi had went through because of them ! Where is the student council when you need them ?! Where's the faculty office when you need them ?! Is there no reliable figure in this stupid school ?!! "
" Yuko ... I don't think ... " Rio started
" well , don't worry ! " there was no stopping Yuko " if you can't stand up for yourself , I'll stand up for you to anyone who messes with you ! Why , I'll send the entire Kendo team after them ! No , I'll have my father deal with him , he's a truck driver and he'll run them over ! They won't get away with this , I tell you !!! "
" I would've dealt with any bullies before the situation got this bad , Yuko " Minato sighed
" oh ... right ... "
" everyone , I don't see why you're so worried , I mean ... See ? I'm fine " Minako gave the three of them a carefree smile
" stop lying , you're not your normal self ! " Yuko insisted " even that yellowish fake smile you're showing is nowhere near your usual cheerful attitude ! "
" F—fake ? "
" are you Minako Arisato ? " a senior from the student council approached Minako
" ... yes ? "
" Miss Toriumi wants to see you in the faculty office "
" oh , okay " Minako nodded to her friends " we'll continue our conversation later "
" you'd like that , wouldn't you " Minato interrupted , then he spoke with the senior " can I come with her ? I'm her brother "
" oh , so you are Minato Arisato ? " the student nodded " actually , the teacher wants to see both of you "
" then , we'll see you later " Rio said reluctantly
" Minako , Kaz is in the same class as you , and I'll specifically ask him to look after you " Yuko said firmly
" I really appreciate it , but I don't think it's necessary to trouble Kaz for anything . It was just one bad day where everything went wrong , that's all "
" Yup , that's pretty accurate ... except it was probably a night in which everything went wrong " Minato nodded , and Minako looked at him with a fearful look in her eyes
" well , see you later " hesitantly , Rio and Yuko left the twins by themselves
" alright , let's go "
" wait " Minako stopped her brother and glared at him " you're planning on telling the teacher about what had happened ? I know because you were a second away from telling the two girls about it ... "
" yes " Minato said without blinking
" if you ... if you tell her ... I'll tell her Tatsuya is you ! " Minako threatened him " I'll tell her the person she confessed to about her love to a student is the very student she had a crush on ! "
" you don't get it , do you ? " Minato stared at his sister with a sorrowful look " this is no longer about me , tell her whatever you want , I'll still tell her all about what you've been living through for the past week "
" Minato ... then go meet her by yourself ... " Minako quickly averted her eyes from her brother's gaze furiously , before running away
Minako was feeling a maelstrom of conflicting emotions , and she found herself charging into the restroom and washing her face fervently . Then she glared at herself in the window for a solid minute , before drawing a smile on her face using her index fingers . She then left the restroom just as quickly as she had entered , and continued to walk as she found herself dealing with conflicting emotions yet again , and found herself directing her frustration at her brother .
" that's it ! I'm never sharing a secret with that Shadow the hedgehog wannabe ! If he's gonna wave my secrets around like a flag , he can—aah! "
She suddenly bumped into someone , and as it happened to be next to the stairway she then found herself tumbling down the stairs . Between the pain of falling down a few steps of stairs , the shock , the anger she was feeling , she found herself furiously yelling " AND WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING !!! "
" ack ! Komenesai ! " Minako found Bebe helping her back up " dajibuka, Minako-san?! "
" Huh ?! What ?! " Minako's mind was racing to catch up with the situation " oh ! Uh ... yes ! I'm ... I'm fine ! A-okay ! "
" yokata , thank goodness " Bebe breathed a sigh of relief " I'm sorry I wasn't looking where I was going , sumimasen "
" no ... no ... that was me ... that was all on me ! " Minako was so embarrassed that she had lashed out on a foreigner of all people and had taken her anger on him even though he had nothing to do with her problems
" anyway, Minako-san " Bebe started " there iz something I wanted to talk wiz you about . As I had mentioned before , I want to start a fashion club , a place for sewing and knitting cultural clothes . I feel like I would learn more of the culture of Nihon if I do that "
" that's ... that's a great idea ! "
" honto-desuka?! " Bebe exclaimed excitedly " I knew you would say that ! It would be great if you joined , too ! You're and Minato-san are ze two people I'm acquainted with ze most ! "
" oh ... my brother doesn't care much for fashion " Minako laughed awkwardly " his fashion sense circles around fifty shades of blue and nothing more "
" I could see zat you prefer shades of red more "
" haha ... yeah ... " Minako realized she was in no position to criticize Minato for his fashion choices , as she was epically roasted for her choices of color by Bebe who most likely did it unintentionally " still , he isn't into sewing much "
" what about Minako-san? Are you interested ? "
" I am ... " Minako said eagerly , before timidly admitting " but I have zero experience sewing ... "
" iikera , no problem ! I'll teach you all you need to know and walk you through it step by step ! "
" really ?! Thank you ! "
After school , Minako spent her day in the fashion club with Bebe , and she felt a sense of relief as she did so . Bebe had no idea of her behavior from before a few months ago since they only spoke a handful of times to him . No one could bother her with their questions of why she was acting strangely . Also , her participation in the fashion club activities wasn't like the tennis or the cooking club , or any of the lessons . She had no experience sewing , so she was prone to making obvious mistakes . Bebe was also quiet the patient instructor , and he had no problem walking her through each step . By the end of the day , he had helped her sew a tiny red coat and a tiny black beanie . She stared at them for a while , wondering what brought her into thinking about them .
" sugoi desu ! " Bebe congratulated Minako " you are a quick learner , Minako-san! "
" thanks ... um ... " Minako replied dazedly " can you give me that toy figurine ? "
" oh , zis ? " Bebe gave her a hand sized , human shaped figurine with no facial features in them " I see you like dressing toys "
" well , yes ... " Minako dressed the small figurine in the red jacket and put the beanie on its head " it looks ... good ... I think ..."
" oh ! Doshta-no , Minako-san?! "
" what ... ? " Minako looked at Bebe who staring at her with a confused and concerned look
" you're crying ! "
" I am ?! " Minako immediately began wiping her eyes " that was ... that was nothing ! "
" hontoni dajibuka ? If there iz something you want to talk about , I would be glad to listen . We're tomidachi , after all "
" I ... I ... fine ... I'm fine ... " Minako raced for excuses as she felt tears filling her eyes " something must've triggered my allergy !"
" allergy ? " Bebe didn't seem convinced
" maybe the material of the cloth or something ? Anyway , I should get going before it gets worse ! Don't worry , I'm definitely coming back to the club ! "
" no , that won't do . You should tell me later what are you allergic to , so I wouldn't use it in the club "
" of ... of course ! Anyway , see you later ! "
———————————
Later that evening , Minako made her way to the hospital , and specifically to Shinjiro's room . He was still just as lifeless-looking as ever . It was already evening , so the light of the room along with it screaming white color meant that Minako couldn't hide anywhere . She sat by his side , and began talking .
" I think everyone is recovering from the shock , Shin-chan . Specifically Akihiko senpai , you would be so proud of him if you could see him , it almost makes our conversation about him being a crybaby seem obsolete . The others are getting inspired by him . For some reason , though , they won't get off my back . They keep watching me , looking for every eye twitch or blink, every breath , every occasion of spacing out . It's almost suffocating ! "
Minako took out a bouquet of carnations and placed it in a watered vase , and let the doll sit besides it , then she looked at Shinjiro . Just then , the beeping of the machines began accelerating again . She found herself nervously reaching out to the bell in the room and pressing the button to call the doctor . After she finished informing a doctor of the situation , she looked at Shinjiro , and his condition seemed to have stabilized .
" can you quit pranking me like this ?! " she wept " it stopped being funny the fifth time ! I'm trying to keep my promise here , and you're not making this any easier for me ! Please , just stay still , okay ?! "
" what ?! Why is there a visitor in this room ?! And where is the nurse ?!! " the doctor who entered the room angrily exclaimed " visitors aren't—! "
" oh , so if I hadn't been here who would've warned you that this patient's condition has worsened ?! "
" I'm right here , doctor ! " A nurse hastily followed
" don't ' right here ' me ! " the doctor yelled at her " this patient requires direct observation "
" but his condition is hopeless as you ... " the nurse started
" hopeless ?!! " Minako felt that word skewering her like a blade
" first , such things are not to be stated in front of the visitors ! Secondly , I'm the one to decide that , and thirdly , as long as the patient is alive , there is no excuse for neglecting him . I'll personally see to it that you're punished ! "
" ... okay ... ? " Minako felt relieved that the doctor was just as worried about Shinjiro as she was
" also , from now on , I want this young miss to be authorized to visit him , she clearly cares about him more than you do , that's for sure ! "
" I ... of course ... "
" th—thank you very much "
When Minako left the hospital , she was a wreck , and she could barely stop herself from crying . Just then , she felt her cellphone ringing . She took it out to see a text message from Minato , which read ' still where I think you are ? I'm planning to have the team go to Tartarus tonight , what do you think ? " . She wiped her eyes before typing " we'll go to Tartarus tomorrow , I'm busy today " , and received a thumbs-up in response .
" just one more battle ... "
*****************
Howdy , everyone .
As you probably have guess from the title card and the flow of events in this part , the upcoming parts will cover up Minako and her life after ... You know what ... Happened . Since this part is directly related to the ongoing debate we have at the moment , I just want to clear out the fact that the events here are going to happen the same way regardless of which opinion is dominant at the moment , and they should not affect your opinions in any way .
And while we're talking about this subject , remember to comment on who you want Minato to ... My God !!! I'm still used to type this using auto fill on my tablet ! Sheesh ! I mean comment in your opinions about Shinjiro's fate , and please consider voting for this part if you enjoyed it , and I'll see you in the next part . Stay safe .