Chapter 3
Kotone and Shin meet with the others and on the way to do karaoke they end up stopping for dinner first, much to Takuro's nervousness and Megumi's delight. They all take their seats at a nice round booth, steering away from the crowded atmosphere. Takuro and Kanaru on one side with Megumi placed towards the middle and Shin and Kotone on the other side.
Megumi decides to break the silence of everyone deciding what to order and says, "How was your first day you two?" looking to Shin and Kotone.
"Eventful..." Shin says looking down thoughtfully.
"When you finally woke up huh?" Kotone teases.
Shin gapes and tries to bury his face in his menu having been reminded of his embarrassing first impression at the new school.
This gets the other members of the table to laugh quietly amongst themselves.
"And you, Kotone?" Megumi asks after calming down a bit from her laugh.
"I like it there, just it's a lot bigger than I had expected"
A pause happens until Megumi places a finger to her chin and speaks up again saying, "You know, it's kind of like I'm third wheeling on a double date" she teases with a smile at the four others on either side of her.
Everyone else seems to startle for a moment. Takuro turns to Shin and Kotone, an idea coming to him.
"So" Takuro says giving Shin and Kotone a smirk "You two a thing?"
The two pause and turn at each other and appear momentarily stunned.
"N-no" Shin says avoiding eye contact with Kotone.
"No... we're not" Kotone says also keeping her gaze anywhere but Shin.
Megumi turns to Takuro and says, "Should you really be asking that question? You don't even admit when you are dating someone" she smiles towards him and Kanaru.
Kanaru blushes slightly and Takuro looks annoyed and says "Megumi, I already told you to stop getting the wrong idea on stuff!"
"Oh, the food has arrived!" Megumi says not paying any mind to Takuro's outburst.
Sure enough the food is all there. Shin, Takuro, and Kanaru all receive their small dishes while Kotone and Megumi are given something a little larger. Shin and Takuro both look intimidated at the sight of the two plates and watch as the girls smile brightly and prepare to dig in.
"You're really going to eat all that...?" Takuro says with a gulp leaning towards Megumi.
"Of course"
"You too, Kotone...?" Shin asks also gulping
"Piece of cake" she says with a wave of her hand.
Time passes, and just as they said both Kotone and Megumi manage to eat all their food. The two smile triumphantly at the two boys who both shrug to each other. They go to head out with Shin paying for Kotone's food.
Kotone pauses and Shin says "Don't worry about it, it's on me"
She smiles at him and says "What a gentleman"
The group now heads outside and moves towards the karaoke place.
"That was delicious" Kanaru says a content smile on her face.
"You two really ate a lot..." Shin says still a bit shaken up.
"Why do you sound so surprised by that? High schoolers don't have a limit" Megumi says.
Kotone nods silently with a smile.
"Oh, is that so?" Shin says with a small smile on his face.
They enter the place marked Karaoke Invitation and are immediately met with colorfully decorated walls, many lights, booths, and spiraling stairs.
"You guys have to try the honey tosses here. They are the best!" Megumi says walking happily into the room.
"Really? I would like to try some too" Kotone says
"You guys are really still hungry?" Takuro sighs with his slouched posture and hands tucked into the pockets of his pants.
They pass a small group of people at a booth, one guy with short mustard blonde hair ends up having a stare down with Megumi who doesn't look happy.
They move on to the stairs with Shin explaining how he saw her and that guy fighting before, that was where he had recognized her from. He apologizes for suddenly bringing it up and especially in front of everybody. Megumi says how that guy had hurt one of her friends and she decided to confront him. In the end though, she didn't do anything about it.
"You are...a guy, right?" Takuro asks Megumi slightly wide eyed.
"I am a woman" she says and turns her head back forward.
"No, that's not what I meant" Takuro says looking suddenly exasperated.
Not long after, everyone is sitting in one of the rooms where Megumi had just finished a song. She receives applause from the others with Kanaru complimenting her amazing performance. Megumi excuses herself to the restroom with Megumi going too. The others are left alone with Takuro pausing with a dumbfounded look and slowly lowering the mic he was holding. Kotone notes the background music to be a remix of a song she used to listen to on her music player, though she never heard the specific version and wonders now if it's the same for other songs she loved hearing.
Kotone eyes the song book while Takuro slumps back into his seat and Shin finishes his drink now sitting once again in the middle of Kotone and Takuro.
Takuro turns to the two and says "let's do a shadow extraction" then he focuses his attention on Shin and says "I wonder what that thing from before was, you summoned one too"
They all sit in silence with Shin now looking focused. The silence hangs for a few more moments before Shin finally speaks.
"Persona"
This made Kotone widen her eyes in surprise. She wonders now, how did Shin know that? Igor visited him she knows that much, but if he isn't a Wild Card that means that Shin hasn't been to the velvet room which explains why he didn't even know Igor's name. Still, this only makes her more curious as to Shin's role. She will have to question Shin some more later.
"Persona?" Takuro asked.
"It seems like I have known this for a long time" Shin adds thoughtfully.
"Really? Me too" Takuro says then pauses.
Hearing this Shin now looks to Takuro and says "Huh?"
Kotone decides to keep her silence and listen in, this new piece of information seems to create more questions for her to find the answers too.
"Yeah...it was two years ago, some old man with a long nose..." Takuro continues.
Shin quickly raises his head, his eyes not hiding the surprise at all.
She definitely needs to talk to Igor about this. He visited Takuro as well? Now what does this mean...? All she can do now is wait and hope her next visit to the velvet room will help shine some light on this.
Shin pauses then turns to Kotone and says, "Are you ok?"
She freezes for a moment but says "I'm fine, why?"
He looks her in the eyes holding a concerned gaze "It's just, you've been really quiet like how you were with shadow extraction. You were there earlier with me and Takuro and you didn't seem freaked out really, do you know anything about it?"
She isn't sure how to respond to that, so she tries her hardest to remain quiet though she finds herself unable to look away from Shin's face. She opens her mouth to speak.
A loud crash is heard that shakes all three in their seats. Opening the door there is smoke lingering in the air.
"It's coming from the restrooms" Takuro says rushing ahead down the hall calling out to Megumi and Kanaru.
Shin and Kotone follow him into a room where the glass door is partially broken which Takuro kicks it the rest of the way apart. The three now can spot the forms of Megumi and Kanaru laying across a seat. Blood is visible on the seats as well. Takuro runs ahead and trips falling over something partially covered in the shadows of the dark room. Though, looking closer all three begin to take notice of the sight in from of them to its fullest. A figure lies dead in a mess of blood, but the strangest thing is how contorted its body looks. Shin freaks out as well as Takuro who quickly scoots away from the body. Kotone moves closer and notes something that should be impossible, yet she's looking at it with her own two eyes. The figure appears to have been turned inside out. Now looking at the rest of the room the three can make out several dead bodies lying around though they don't appear mangled like the first. Kanaru sits up, as Megumi is seemingly unconscious, and blood is visible on her face as she looks dazed.
The police soon arrive and begin to talk to the group at the station. One seems older with lines on his face, and another taller officer who appears younger. Shin goes off to call Jun and let him know him and Kotone will be coming home late with Jun already knowing the cops were there somehow.
Kotone stays silent as two police officers talk of shadow extraction, specifically how there are people using it to commit crimes. The officers talk of methods being done using pills and magic and how the waiter was in with those guys who attacked Megumi and Kanaru and was the one who planted to pills in their drinks. It seems Kanaru wasn't affected by the pills, which leads to further questioning from the police especially due to her waking up when she did which Takuro isn't very pleased about.
Though, all this does drive more questions still. These people who use shadow extraction must know about personas, from what she can gather it seems to cause a person's awakening. But then that begs the question of what they are after? What are they possibly trying to gain with such information? She sighs. Another piece of a puzzle and she has no idea what it is supposed to look like.
Shin returns and is asked to sit down where he is questioned if he saw anything of use to them, but he stutters out a no. The group is told to keep the case a secret, that it's the chief's orders.
The four walk off now left to ponder this new information.
"Do you guys feel like we are being suspected of something?" Takuro asks "There's just no way a human could be capable of doing that"
Shin stays looking downward and seems to be lost in thought. Kotone lightly places a hand to his arm making him look up to her instantly.
"What's wrong?" Kotone asks.
Shin opens his mouth, but no words come out and he closes it back.
Kotone continues to look at him her crimson eyes never leaving his.
"I'm sorry..." Kanaru spoke from her place a few paces behind the others "If only I had ignored them"
Takuro jumps in saying "You didn't do anything wrong, besides ignoring them wouldn't have done much" he rubs his afro seeing her expression not lighten up at all.
"You know, we could go to the hospital Megumi got taken to" Shin offers.
Across the way the two cops call out to them, with good news. Megumi is doing well and should be up by the next morning. Which makes everyone's mood rise.
Kotone could sense something coming. She turns from where the others are facing and sees a tall figure in blue walking up next to Shin. She opens her mouth to warn him, but he is already met with a hand gripping his shoulder, courtesy of his older brother Ryo. Shin turns and seeing who it is immediately lets out a gasp.
Ryo is far from pleased, "Why were you here?" he says to Shin his voice sterner than before.
"I was just telling the police all that I knew..." he says.
"And you, what were you doing here as well?" Ryo says now looking to Kotone.
"The same as Shin" she responds, not at all intimidated by Ryo's gaze.
Ryo grabs Shin's arm "Follow me, you too" he says to Kotone.
Ryo walks away dragging Shin who awkwardly tells Takuro and Kanaru they should head back with Kotone walking behind them.
Shin now is against a wall where Kotone decides to stand next to him as they both are under Ryo's gaze.
"You are leaving this town immediately, I will find a place for you" he says to Shin, then turns to Kotone "I can try to make arrangements for you somewhere but that is the best I can do"
Kotone says nothing keeping her expression blank while Shin looks hurt at his brother's words.
Kotone and Shin walk out of the police station alone after hearing Ryo give the older officer named Ito orders to send him the case info and not to share it with anyone else.
They walk through the doors in silence, Shin still processing what Ryo told him and Kotone worrying about Shin but decides to give him time to think.
"Shin! Kotone!" a familiar voice calls out to them.
They look and see a car parked outside with Jun waving to them. Then another person comes out from the driver's side, someone Kotone doesn't recognize. She seems around the same age as Ryo and has shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. Upon seeing her Shin gapes.
The four now drive through Ayanagi, with Jun and the woman in the front and Shin and Kotone sitting in back.
"How are you doing Shin?" the woman asks "Even though you are in high school now you haven't changed at all"
Shin gives a small nod
The woman now looks to Kotone and catches the crimson eyed girl lost in thought before bringing her back to reality with a greeting.
"I don't believe we've ever met, I'm Eiko Nikaido" Eiko says to Kotone.
"Kotone Shiomi"
Eiko smiles fondly to Kotone and says "So, you're the one Jun has told me so much about?" she then softly adds "I've heard how Shin has been taking care of you and how you have been taking care of everyone. You have a good heart. I'm sorry you have to be caught in the middle of all this"
Kotone says nothing but offers a kind smile.
Shin turns and looks at Kotone and holds his gaze for a while. She turns to face him, and he immediately turns to look out the window again. This gets a laugh out of Jun.
"What's so funny?" Shin asks.
"Not a thing" Jun says leaning back in his seat to be closer.
"It kind of brings back memories, how Jun would tease you even though you were the older brother" Eiko reminisces.
"Yeah, even after 10 years?" Shin says now looking downcast as Jun leans forward again also holding the same expression as Shin.
The rest of the trip was in silence.
The next morning, Shin and Kotone meet with Takuro and Kanaru to see Megumi in the hospital. Thankfully she is alright, though she expresses guilt to Kanaru for putting her in that situation. The group is introduced to Megumi's senpai from dance club, though something seems off about her. It does not sit well with Kotone but at the time she has no idea what's wrong. Her expression almost reminds Kotone of those with apathy syndrome but given her short time with her Kotone is unable to come to any accurate conclusion.
Kotone and Shin get off a train later in the day until they are stopped by Ito who had apparently been waiting for them. They take a booth in the nearby restaurant with Itou on one side and Shin and Kotone on the other.
"You two can relax, neither of you are being treated as suspects" Ito says to break the silence.
"Then what is this about?" Kotone asks.
"It's about Chief Kanzato"
Shin now looks on guard.
"I know you are his brother" he says to Shin then looks at Kotone "I am not yet sure who you are exactly, but I do know you have some relation to Kanzato"
A pause, neither Shin nor Kotone says anything.
"I wanted to keep this just between us" Ito continues "He is hiding something very important"
Later that night Shin and Kotone are walking through the neighborhood on their way to the house. Shin pulls out the slip of paper Ito gave him and looks it over again.
"What are you going to do?" Kotone asks.
"I'm not sure yet..."
They pause as from the darkness emerges two mysterious figures that are approaching them. Kotone, recalling Shin's story from earlier recognizes the one as someone who attacked Shin not long after he had his awakening, the girl with the wild green hair. Though the other she had no idea of, he was a boy in a green and yellow jacket zipped up.
Shin turns to Kotone and says "You should get out of here"
The two immediately summon their personas that charge at Shin who summons his own. The girl's persona swings it's multi bladed arm and Shin's blocks it with its sword creating a red energy clash. Shin has a look of total focus that is broken by a sudden look of pain. Kotone turns to see the boy's persona releasing yellow tendril looking things that are going inside Shin's back. Kotone reaches to her waist and sighs wishing it was there. Shin is being lifted off the ground. Kotone closes her eyes and tries to focus but nothing is happening. She feels something inside, she feels its power but it's just out of reach.
Shin's persona is still in a blade lock with the girl's when she stops all of a sudden. This moment is all that was needed as Shin's persona breaks free and quickly flies to him and cuts the yellow tendrils making Shin fall onto his knees. The girl's persona starts emitting a strange red aura that seems to burst and fire all around, this causes the boy to change his focus from Shin to the girl. The boy grabs her persona with the tendrils, and it disappears leaving the boy now in what looks like a lot of pain.
Shin takes Kotone's hand seeing her staring at the two and starts running through the woods dragging her along all while he wonders out loud what is going on, the panic evident in his voice.
They reach the house eventually and immediately go up to Shin's room and shut the door. They sit next to each other on the bed in silence, Kotone looking down and Shin turns towards her.
"Kotone, what do you know about personas?" Shin asks.
She looks up at him but says nothing.
"I'm sure you know something, this is the second time I have seen you act so calm around personas, it's like you have seen this kind of thing before"
She takes a deep breath. It's time she reveals more to him.
"I also possess a persona. I can feel it, but it's dormant right now and I'm not sure how to awaken it" Kotone says meeting his curious gaze "I have something to ask you"
"Sure, go ahead"
Kotone walks over to the shelf housing the clay sculptures and picks up the one of Igor and brings it over to Shin.
"Do you know who this is?"
"I saw him before, but I don't really know anything about him"
"Ok, then by any chance have you heard of a place called The Velvet Room?"
"Velvet Room...?" Shin repeats "No, that doesn't sound familiar at all"
Kotone places the sculpture back and rejoins Shin.
"What did the man say to you when you saw him?"
"Oh, he said something about my mind and body being offered before and that I have already awakened..." he looks down.
Kotone says nothing, only taking in every detail she can get.
"Have you seen him before Kotone?"
"I have many times, in The Velvet Room"
A long silence falls between them. Kotone thinks back to the scene of those two persona users and notes how they remind her of something, then she immediately tries to shake that thought away as she doesn't want to think about all of that right now.
She lays her head against Shin's shoulder and sighs. They remain like that for a while until Kotone has an idea, it's crazy but it's the only thing she can think of.
"Shin?"
"Yeah?"
"Please do a shadow extraction on me"
"W-What?!" Shin gapes pulling away from Kotone to look her in the eyes "But, it's dangerous to do!"
"I know, but there is something I want to find out"
"What is it?"
"I want to see if my persona awakens"
Shin pauses and looks at her but says nothing, the determination clear on her face.
They walk outside in the backyard. Kotone stands facing away from Shin and closes her eyes.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Shin asks quietly.
"Yes, I want to be able to help"
"Kotone..."
"I saw you back there, you may have been able to hold them off, but I should have done something to help you"
He takes a step closer to her and takes in how calm she looks. He places his hands on her shoulder and closes his eyes as well. Moments pass and it seems like nothing is happening. A familiar voice sounds in Kotone's head, 'I am thou, thou art I', and with the voice comes a rushing feeling of power. She opens her eyes as a wave of force blasts out all around her. She hears Shin yelp and turns to see he was thrown back onto the ground. He looks up at her and seems at a loss for words at first then finds his voice.
"Kotone, your eyes..." Shin says, a blue glow covers her eyes.
Not long after a familiar sight appeared next to Kotone. Long hair, a robotic body, and finally a large harp on its back. This was her initial persona. Orpheus.
Shin looks at the persona and smiles towards Kotone, who returns it.
Kotone falls onto the ground now a sudden pain taking her over. Shin rushes over to her and calls out to her.
"Kotone, what's wrong?!"
Orpheus starts distorting and turns into a new sight. One she didn't expect to see so soon. A skull head, long coat, carrying a sword with coffins attached to its back. Thanatos.
Thanatos looks to Shin and lets out a roar. Shin keeps holding Kotone despite his fear telling him to move. His persona reappears and engages Thanatos in a sword fight. Kotone looks up to the fighting personas and notices something she had never seen before. Thanatos had slashed Shin's persona making a visible wound and at the same time she hears Shin gasp and clutch his chest in the exact same spot. She yells out and after a moment Thanatos stops and turns back into Orpheus then vanishes. Kotone falls to the ground as Shin's persona returns. She feels very sleepy. And everything around her grows fuzzy.
"Kotone...! Kotone...!" She barely makes out Shin's voice as the last thing she hears before she once again enters The Velvet Room.
"Well, it seems you have finally reawakened your persona. With this reawakening your Wild Card has also returned to you and with it your ability to enter The Velvet Room on your own accord. Your gift has come back to you, now you must use it as you have before. I look forward to seeing what you do this time. Until our paths cross again" Igor trails off as she reawakens.
She is in Shin's bed, and he is nowhere in sight. She shakes her head, she has regained her Wild Card that's good, but something was very wrong earlier. Why did Thanatos attack Shin? Another mystery she will have to solve, but at another time. She has the tools she needs and with Shin by her side she is ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.