Summer class was over for that day , and SEES members exhaled exhaustedly . Mitsuru definitely had a point about how difficult it is to balance school and the Dark Hour
" What a relief ... Finally , it's over ... " Minako collapsed on her seat
" You went to such an extreme just to prove that Ken is worthy to be in SEES and ended up worsening your injury " Minato sighed " why are you so determined to have him in the team ? "
" Well , at first I thought he acted so much like you when you were his age , so I wanted to give him a chance , but when I took him in Tartarus I realized that he doesn't only act like you , but also thinks like you "
" Uh huh ... How so ? " Minato yawned , totally unconvinced
" Well , for starters he scolded me just as you would , then he outsmarted the F.O.Es of the second block just as quickly as you figured out their weaknesses . He has more in common with you than you think ... "
" That's all the more reason to keep him away from Tartarus "
" Why ? "
" You might know me more than anyone , but you still don't know me more than myself , and I know what I can and can't take , and what could break me , now and back when I was as young as Ken . I wouldn't let him live through what Tartarus has to offer if I could help it ... "
" Minato ... "
" Anyway , we're not done here , you still have to go to the nurse's office "
" Why ... ? " Minako stuffed her head in her arms and wept , flashbacks of her last visit to the nurse's office began haunting her all over again
Ken was watching the TV , when he heard someone approaching the front door of the dorm . He quickly stammered for the remote to turn the TV off , only to be distraught by it not responding . He fell off the couch in an attempt to reach the TV and turn it off , and he managed to do so just as Minako was entering the dorm .
" h—hey ... Mina—" he started
" oh ! " she exclaimed before he could say anything " was that Phoenix Ranger Featherman Alpha ? "
" actually ... it's Featherman R2 , Alpha was over last year " Ken corrected her , before he realized what he was saying and nervously tried to change it " I mean ... I know that from my classmates ! And ... and from the annoying commercials ! "
" so you were watching it ? " Minako could clearly tell he was
" no ! I wasn't ! " Ken threw a miniature tantrum of denial " it's a stupid show of stupid actors spouting cheesy lines about love and friendship ! And the villains make idiotic choices of monologuing ! And ... and ... ! "
" it's really not that bad " Minako was slightly taken aback by Ken's feverish denial , and tried to calm him down by saying " that's Featherman Tekken with the cheesy stuff , the series is enjoyable and takes itself seriously besides that entry "
" you ... you know about that series , Minako-san? " Ken was a little calmer when he saw Minako wasn't making fun of him for watching it
" actually , I mostly know about it from Minato . He was obsessed with that series when he was your age , even though he used to try and hide it "
" really ?! " Ken's eyes were wide open upon hearing that
" yes ... one time I entered our room when we were kids , and saw him putting a paper mask on and pretending to transform in front of a mirror and ... ouch ! " Minako was interrupted by Minato tackling her head with his school bag
" none of that happened , you had caught a cold and hallucinated the whole thing " Minato said with a clearly irritant tone
" oh , are you sure about that ? " Minako turned to her brother with a teasing tone
" just as I'm sure I was sleepy and dreamt the conversation between you and Sugoi Sakura Hime sama Kawaii desu , or whatever your Mary Sue imaginary friend could have been "
" touché " Minako glared at her brother " they were both our imagination , and they never happened "
" glad to hear that " Minato went to his room .
" on a quick and definitely not intentional change of subject " Minako turned to Ken " are you hungry ? Why don't we go grab a bite together ? "
" huh ?! " Ken was shocked to hear her say that " with me ? "
" well , we still didn't get to talk about last night "
" I'm not sure I want to talk about it ... " Ken started , but his stomach began grumbling , and his face turned red
———————————————
The two went to Iwatodai mall and entered one of the restaurants . Minako seemed to check her purse , before happily declaring that Ken could order whatever he wants and she would pay for it . After they settled down , Minako said she would go and wash her hands before ordering, when she came back , the waitress was approaching Ken who seemed nervous to be asked about what he wanted . She hurried to their table and ordered for herself , before asking Ken what he wanted , and he seemed more comfortable with responding to her . After the waitress left , Ken seemed upset with himself , but he denied it when Minako asked him about it .
Eventually the waitress brought the food to them . At first , Ken was eating slowly , but his speed gradually increased as he liked the food more and more . Minako found herself forgetting her food and just staring at Ken eating down his , until she noticed he was feeling uncomfortable swallowing the food and feared he may choke on it , so she offered him a glass of water and told him to slow his pace . Then , as he was beginning to clear his dish more and more , Minako could tell he was pushing aside the peppers and broccoli .
" you shouldn't be a picky eater " Minako remarked in a slightly stern way
" huh ... ?! Oh ... uh ... okay ... " Ken stuttered , then sighed " the way you said it , it reminded me of my mother a lot ... She died when I was little ... "
" oh ... I'm sorry ... "
" that's okay ... it wasn't your fault ... " Ken murmured , and Minako could see a slight hint of anger in his voice
" by the way ... " Minako opted for a change of subject as the she saw Ken becoming more upset " what do your classmate talk about ? When I was your age , Featherman Alpha was all the hype "
" well , they're still talking about it , it's Featherman R2 that's captivating their attention ... " Ken started rather disjointedly , but he seemed to show more interest as he continued to talk about it " last week , Featherman Hawk snuck into the enemy's base and planted a missile guidance system , but he was found and captured ! So Featherwoman Swan had to jump in and save him , but she also got captured ! And ... ! And Hawk was upset by seeing his lover getting captured by the enemies and blamed himself for it ! However , Red came and rescued them all , before telling them that they're a team and must always work together and never stray on their own ! "
" sounds thrilling! " Minako smiled happily as she saw Ken brimming with excitement
" oh ! But this is nothing comparing to next week's episode that marks the beginning of the season finale ! Reverse Red returns and challenges Red to a duel ! However , Red loses the fight and is nearly killed ! And as for his comrades , they're kidnapped by a huge tyrannical demon that wrecks Tokyo to ruins ! And ... ! And ... ! " while Ken's eyes were sparkling from excitement , he suddenly stopped and started looking around embarrassedly before claiming " I mean ... uh ... that's what they said ... "
" sounds exciting ! I've been busy with the Dark Hour and Tartarus for the past several months so I didn't get the chance to watch it , maybe I should catch reruns of this season "
" you like watching these action shows ?! " Ken was shocked to hear that " but you're an adult ... and a girl ... "
" Featherwoman Swan is also a girl , right ? "
" that's ... that's true ... " Ken went back to eating as he tried to avoid answering that , he found himself staring at the rice and mumbling " this rice ... it's a little dry ... even though it's still not too late in the day ... "
" that's true ... they could have also added some honey to make it taste better ... " Minako said as she swallowed another bite of her plate before giving him a sneaky smile " but I don't think the owners would appreciate us trashing their cooking , right ? "
" you're right ... they could kick us out of here " Ken was a little nervous and even started looking around to make sure nobody heard his remark
" but I'm impressed by your sense of taste , Ken . When I was your age I didn't have that much appreciation for varieties in tastes as long as the food was edible "
" but I'm not a kid "
" and neither was I when I was your age , silly "
" r—right ..."
" it's still pretty impressive that you know about that , do they teach you how to cook at school ? "
" well ... yes ... I mean ... no ... " Ken found himself unable to lie to Minako so he admitted " I read that ... in a manga ... "
" ooh ! You read mangas ?" Minako's eyes sparkled " What's your favorite series ?! Mine is Eternal Crusades Untold "
" oh ... that's ... the game you showed me ... but you're an adult ... why would ... ? "
" Ken ... with your perception of adults , are you sure you want to be one ? "
" huh ? What do you mean ? "
" well ... whenever I say I'm doing something fun , you remark that I'm an adult , as if that should prevent me from enjoying it... " Minako said with a compassionate smile " we adults are still allowed to have fun , you know . In fact , this one game , Eternal Crusades , is can be so difficult that not all children can enjoy them , but there are many grownups who liked them , for nostalgia and for a challenge "
" that's ... that's true ... " Ken said hesitantly
" in fact , even Minato enjoys this stuff , he only denied the part about ' transforming ' in front of the mirror, but I can tell you he loved Featherman Alpha so much that when he sees a preview of the upcoming episode he'd write his own version of it , and he even published those as a fanfiction . While he doesn't exactly enjoy the show anymore , he loves to play games based on it "
" I ... I see ... " Ken nodded slowly and dejectedly , it didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it anymore .
The two had mostly finished their food by then . Minako told Ken to go and wash his hands while she pays for the food , and she went to the counter to pay for it . There , she saw Fuuka at the counter , too . The two talked together for a while , and apparently , Fuuka is trying to come up with ideas to cook something .
" you can cook , Fuuka ? " Minako said excitedly
" well ... not ... really ... " Fuuka stuttered with embarrassment " I want to learn , though "
" that's alright , I'm sure you can do it ! I used to be a killer chief , myself ! And yet now I can cook more than a handful of dishes ! I can teach you if you want "
" well ... summer vacation is almost over , so when school starts I'm gonna start a cooking club . If it's alright with you , I'd like you to join , too "
" of course ! I'd love to ! "
" anyway , what were you doing here ? "
" well , after last night , I thought I'd bring Ken here for a little celebration over his success in Tartarus last night . I'm worried that he's overwhelmed to live in a dorm with high school students who're at least six years older than him " Ken was close enough to hear Minako say that , and he was a little upset to hear it , but as he was about to leave her alone and go by himself , he heard her say " I wish I could convince Minato that he's ready for Tartarus , I know he's worried about him , but I think Ken has what it takes to handle the Dark Hour ... no , I know he does . I saw him fight in there by himself and protect me at the same time , and he's definitely going to be a great addition to the team "
" well , Minato-san agreed to have you look after Ken instead so that's good , right ? "
" yeah ... I still hope they would get along better "
" anyway , I was planning to go to the bookstore today , do you want come , too ? "
" thanks , but I'll pass . I'm full and I don't think I'm in the mood to read . Maybe next time "
Ken was happy to hear Minako talk well about him in front of Fuuka behind his back , but he was a little depressed to know that she was still considering the age gap between them . The two returned to the dorm .
" hey , Ken " Minako started as they walked back " do you have a crush on someone ? "
" wh—what ?! " Ken felt electrified by that question
" I mean ... is there a girl that you like , in school , maybe ? "
" n—no ... " Ken stuttered
" aw ... what a waste , you'd make a great boyfriend ! "
" is ... is that why you're ... " Ken started , but he changed his question to " I mean ... don't you think Sanada-san is better ... ? "
" Akihiko senpai ? I mean ... he's a great role model and all , but ... he's more focused on bigger problems and goals than love and stuff like that . I don't think this comparison is really fair , you have your own skills that Akihiko senpai can't replicate , and vise versa "
" like ... like what ? "
" well ... uh ... " Minako really hated that question " I'll have to stick with the Dark Hour on this , but Akihiko senpai charges at the enemy without a thought , and usually me or Minato have to command him , while you plan your actions and fight cautiously . In fact , in everything you try to stay composed and serious , it's actually charming ! "
" it's ... it's really ... nothing ... I mean ... uh ... " Ken was blushing and stuttering so much he could barely talk " are you ... are you charmed by serious ... and ... composed ... attitude ? "
" well ... yes . Serious people can be a brick and stiff to deal with , but it's reassuring to know that they act based on logic and wisdom even in the most intense situations , they make you feel like they know what their doing and you're in safe hands . That's my opinion , at least "
" I ... I see ... " at this point , Ken was turning red
" oh ! You're blushing ! So you do have a crush on someone ! "
At this point , they were already in the dorm . Ken was still trying to gather his courage to answer , when Mitsuru interfered and told Minako that the main computer is malfunctioning again . Minako smiled and told her she'd go and check it right away , before turning to Ken and saying " I know what I said about how seriousness sounds cool , but do try to let loose and live a little , serious people and grownups are allowed to have fun , too , you know "
" r—right ..."
When Minako entered the computer room , she saw Minato smirking at the screen . She started to tell him about her day with Ken , but he interrupted her by saying " get a load of this , sister ! "
In the screen , Akihiko's room was being displayed , he looked very upset as he was frantically wailing on a punching bag . In fact , Minako was astonished at how many sports equipments were in his room . He stopped to catch his breath , before rubbing his neck and sighing .
" dammit ! " he exhaled " I'm still not over what happened in Yakushima ! Am I really lamer than Junpei of all people ?! "
Minato exploded with laughter , while Minako was confused . Her brother began telling her about Junpei's babe hunt and what happened there , and Minako realized that was how they met Aigis . The two noticed Akihiko approaching his desk and taking out a book .
" can you make others laugh with a well-timed joke ? " Akihiko read and thought he could do it , but then he continued " keep in mind that making others laugh with a joke doesn't mean turning yourself into the joke they laugh at ... are you kidding me ?!"
" what a loser ! " Minato laughed at him
" hey ! He's your upperclassman , and he actually has a lot going for him than you think ! " Minako defended him
" uh huh... like—?"
" don't ask that , I'm sick of coming up with examples to prove my point! "
" sheesh , you'd think I insulted your boyfriend or something "
" very funny ... "
" when starting or resuming a conversation , do you speak in pure logic and reason ? " Akihiko continued to read " this is a common mistake in men , try to consider what the other party is feeling ... yeah , I heard that before alright ... "
" he did it at the beach " Minato commented with a sarcastic grin " he actually tried to woo the girls by talking about the benefits of swimming "
" I'm gonna delete this ... "
" wait , there's still more I've yet to watch ! "
" Minato ! " Minako was starting to get impatient
" don't tell me you have a thing for him ?! "
" that's not true , I ... ! "
" yeah , well you had me sit through Fuuka talking about her body while wearing a goddamn swimsuit , so sit tight and let me have my fun ! "
" try to test yourself by roleplaying a conversation between you and an imaginary girl , as if you're asking her to your favorite store or restaurant , and remember to smile and have a good sense of humor " Akihiko read , before looking at the mirror and starting " h—hey there ... I was gonna go to Umiushi's beef bowl place , wanna come along .... " he then stopped to think of a good punchline " you know ... so we could meat there ... g—get it ? "
" that's cringy ... " Minato commented " now I feel like the entire fun was spoiled , time to delete ... "
" you're horrible ! " Minako scolded him
" argh ! Now I feel like the chairman ! " Akihiko slammed the book on the ground , but then he stopped and thought loudly " logic and reason are a flaw ... huh ... " looking at his hand , he wondered " back in the summer festival , when she asked that we hold hands , did Minako ... "
It was at that moment that the video was deleted , Minako was wondering what Akihiko was about to say , but her attention was shifted to her brother . He was rubbing his head and thinking of a way he could ' cleanse the cringe left by the video ' . She reached out and pinched him , and he softly pushed her aside and groaned " I get it ! I won't make fun of other people ! "
************************************
FBI , I CAN EXPLAIN ! I SWEAR I CAN EXPLAIN !!!
Remember how I said Minako's lover was already decided ? Well , I don't care if this is a spoiler , Ken is not her lover , for obvious reasons .
So why did I push them this close to each other , to the point where Minako actually said Ken is ' charming ' ? Well , firstly , because it's still a social link , and secondly because I have a comedic plan for it , and I'm trying to set the stage for it . Okay ? Just so we're on even footing here .
Anyway , I hope you enjoyed this part , if you did please consider voting and commen on it , and remember to comment who you want Minato to be in love with , and I'll see you in the next part . Stay safe
************************
The debate is closed , read the part about the results to find out who won