Every member of SEES was tired after last night , so they remained asleep until about 10:00 . Minako was the first to wake up , and about half an hour later her brother woke up . When he descended to the lounge he saw Minako preparing to leave the dorm with Koromaru . He asked if she was going to take him for a walk , to which she responded casually with " I'm actually taking Koro-chan to see a movie ! "
" uh huh ... cool " Minato was still half asleep at first so the situation only hammered him two seconds later " wait ! Hold on ! You're taking Koromaru to the cinema ?! "
" yup . When I was combing Koro-chan's fur , Ai-san told me he wants to go see a movie titled Trial Of The Dragon Fist Of Fire . So I decided to take him there ! "
" I ... I don't even know where to begin with this ... how did Koromaru learn about any movie at all ? How did he know it was on display today ? And why would Aigis .... ? "
" details , bro bro , details ... you just take it easy and rest up , like Junpei and our upperclassmen , since the paralysis poison had a crippling effect on you " Minako opened the door and proceeded to leave
" wait ! You're actually serious ?! "
" c'mon ! I'm only going for a movie ! What could possibly go wrong ? "
" I'm sorry , miss " the receptionist said " you can't bring a dog into the cinema "
" what ?! Why can't I bring my dog—! " Minako was distraught to hear that
" can you hurry up up , girl ! " a costumer behind Minako groaned
" move it , bitch ! " another cussed
" TRIAL OF THE DRAGON !!! TRIAL OF THE DRAGON !!! " the other costumers in line were repeating as if they were out in a revolution
" can it ! There's still an hour until the movie—! " Minako started
" TRIAL OF THE DRAGOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNN !!!!!!! " everyone behind her screamed in unison which caused her to flinch
Minako looked nervously at the line behind her and at the place around her . It was a movie festival , and a movie genre was shown each day . Today was dedicated to martial arts movies , and Minako didn't particularly like that genre . What she hated the most about it was the entitled fandom , specifically Trial Of The Dragon . She felt so weak in front of them she feared that if she angered them they would take her down with a chop attack or by throwing her on the ground . Her eyes wandered toward Koromaru who was nudging himself at her leg and looking worried . She quickly racked her mind for answers , and then came with a half-backed plan .
" this ... ! This isn't a dog ! " Minako lifted Koromaru up to show it to the receptionist " it's a doll from America ! My uncle shipped it to me from overseas ! "
" just now you said it was a dog ... "
" you misheard me because of the crowd ! See ? If you touch the left paw he barks ! And if you touch the right paw he licks the closest thing in front of him ! "
Minako demonstrated , and the adorable dog followed along as if he understood what Minako was trying to do . Unfortunately , he licked the receptionist face , who was already looking bored and impatient .
" miss , I'm going to have to ask you to leave ... " the receptionist groaned as he wiped his face after being licked
" okay ! That's it ! " Minako placed Koromaru back on the ground and huffed at the receptionist
" miss ... please ... "
" if you're not gonna let me and my dog ... uh ... doll in there , I'm gonna have to ask to speak with your—!" but Minako was overcome by a fit of laughter before she could finish her sentence " pfft ! Hahaha ! Okay ! I can't even say that with a straight face ! You have to be delusional to ... "
" miss ... if you're not gonna leave , I'm gonna have to call security ... " the receptionist's patience was over long ago
" TRIAL OF THE DRAGON !!! " the cheering and protests continued .
Under all that pressure , Minako had no choice but to withdraw . She sat on the stairs in front of the train station with her face buried in her kneecaps . She felt Koromaru brushing himself against her , and she gently placed her hand on his head . She looked at Koromaru with a defeated expression . It was hard to tell with dogs , but she felt that Koromaru's eyes were ready to burst into tears at any second .
" so ... " she sighed " I was ...defeated ... huh ? "
Koromaru walked slightly away toward a movie poster and sat there staring at it . Minako wished she could get him inside somehow , but she was at a loss of what to do . While she looked at the poor dog with sad eyes , her expression quickly beamed with surprise and curiosity when she saw a man wearing a red coat in the heat of the summer approach him . He crouched before the dog and petted him .
" a collar... and a shirt ... huh ... cute ... a new owner then ... I'm glad you have one , Koro-chan " He said with a small smile on his face
" Aragaki-san! " Minako called him
" ack ! You ?! " Shinjiro was startled by Minako calling him " where did you come from ?!! "
" I'm the one who brought Koro-chan here ! " she said " we've been looking after him in the dorm ! "
" wait ... so the Koro-cha—I mean ... Koromaru ... he can summon a Persona ?! "
" yup ! " Minako nodded " that collar is an evoker ! "
" Uh huh ... well ... see you later ... "
" wait ! Aragaki-san! " Minako tugged at his coat
" what ? " he turned and looked at her , which immediately startled her and had her feeling flustered and fidgety
" uh ... well ... that is to say ... your ... coat ... "
" what about it ? "
" you're wearing this thick coat in this blazing heat .... "
" it's none of your business ! " he yelled at her before preparing to walk away
" yup ... that's right ... it'll be prefect ! "
Minako said with satisfaction which made Shinjiro stop in place . She immediately lifted Koromaru as high as she was physically capable of , and presented him to Shinjiro , trying to keep her face away from him and having him facing the eyes of the dog instead .
" what I'm about to ask you sounds crazy , but I need you to hide Koro-chan in your coat so I could get him inside to watch a movie"
" you're ... what ?! "
" he wants to watch Trial Of The Dragon but the cinema won't allow dogs in there ! I tried to sneak him in as a doll , but the receptionist didn't buy it , even after I pretended to make him bark by touching his paw ! "
" .... you .... you lost me ... "
" just hide him in your coat ! I'll make it worth it for you , I promise ! Look , I'm usually not the kind of person to assertively force you to do stuff , okay ? Remember how I didn't pressure you to join ? However , this is important ! " she held Koromaru higher so his eyes could meet Shinjiro better " you have no idea how soul crushing it for me to see this adorable fluff disappointed ! I'm sure it's the same for you ! So please ! I ... "
" can I talk now ? "
" y—yes ? "
" why are you so flustered that you're talking at three words per second ? You're trying to convince me to agree to it as if I refused even though I ... "
" so you agreed ?! "
" answer the question ... and try to be calm about it "
" okay ... " Minako spoke in a calmer tone , though still nervous " well ... I'm afraid you'd say no . If you did , I don't think I could even bring myself to try and change your mind ... "
" you're weird ... give him here . It's not like I have anything else to do , anyway"
Shinjiro took the dog from Minako's hands and began stuffing him in his jacket . He was still working on it when he noticed Minako looking overjoyed just from him agreeing to it , so he reminded her that there was a chance they would still be detected after that , and it was way too early to celebrate . Nevertheless the two made their way back to the reception desk . The line had mostly cleared off of obsessive fans , but the employee's attitude didn't change .
" miss ... I told you that bringing a dog here is ... "
" oh no ! I'm just here with my boyfriend to watch the new Trial Of The Dragon! " Minako waved her hand around in denial before turning to Shinjiro , and she was met with an intense glare from him as he clearly didn't like that lie she declared , to which she responded with an awkward laugh
" the dog is in his coat , isn't it ? " the receptionist yawned with boredom
" wh—what ?! No ! " Minako screamed
" nobody wears a coat during summer unless ... "
" here ... " Shinjiro unbuttoned his coat . Minako felt time around her slow to a crawl as she saw him unbuttoning it , but the unbuttoned coat revealed a shirt and nothing else . No dogs were around .
" what ?! Where did ... ?! I ... I mean ... see ?! " Minako hastily brushed her confusion " no dogs are around ! Can we go in now ?"
" I guess so ... "
Minako entered the hall with a sense of victory , but that still didn't stop Shinjiro from scolding her in a low ( albeit stern ) voice , for claiming they were in a relationship . He threatened her and said had many people been around when she pulled that stunt he would have exposed her and let her deal with the mess alone . Nevertheless , he wasn't actually intending on doing it , and the two were just glad they got in without any trouble . Koromaru was hiding in the back side of Shinjiro's coat . It seemed he secretly moved him to that direction to avoid exposure , and after they went in , Koromaru was back at the front . Just seeing Koromaru's face inside Shinjiro's coat made Minako's heart melt with joy . She was mostly focused on Koromaru than on the film . Nevertheless , Shinjiro didn't bother by that much and was just glad she enjoyed her time .
The two left the cinema and made their way back until eventually Shinjiro seemed to be going his separate way . It was then that Minako called him again as she shuffled through her purse .
" I still haven't thanked you for helping me out in the cinema "
" it was nothing ... and I don't need money "
" it's not money . Something like that deserves something sentimental in return ! " Minako took out a box of rice crackers and gave it to Shinjiro " it's my cooking . Can you try one ? "
" okay ? "
Shinjiro took one cracker out of the box and took a bite from it . While the taste was on point , the bite was needless crunchy and it hurt a little to chew . Nevertheless he thanked her for it .
" I was actually planning to treat you to a ramen bowl , but I discovered I wasn't carrying too much money ! " Minako laughed sheepishly , before looking at Shinjiro with a sincerely appreciative smile " these crackers probably don't convey it very well , but I'm really grateful for everything you've done for me ... ever since I stepped in this city "
" it's nothing special " Shinjiro brushed it off " as I said , I'm just in the right place at the right time "
" well , I'll be going now , bye "
Shinjiro found himself standing in the same spot and watching her walk away instead of going his way , she looked satisfied , with Koromaru by her side . Shinjiro found himself torn between calling her back , or just leaving her be . Being torn between inner arguments like her going back by herself , or him interfering too much and that he shouldn't really care . In the end , he reluctantly turned and walked away .
However , his pace slowed to a halt when he heard Koromaru barking anxiously . He turned and saw Minako ( with her back to him ) standing by the wall and supporting herself on it with her hand . Even though her back was to him , he could tell she was wobbly and shaky , and her steps were slow , weak and forced . Something was not right , and that thought was hammered in his mind when he saw her collapsing on the floor before his eyes .
" hey ! What happened?! Hey !!! "
Shinjiro hurriedly ran toward Minako . She was lying on the ground , with Koromaru by her side licking her and whimpering . She looked so weak she was struggling just to breath . Her cheeks were flushed and she had large droplets of cold sweat on her forehead , sure enough , she was extremely feverish. Shinjiro was appalled . This girl was exploding with life and health a second ago , was now perspiring as if she was breathing her last .
" a clinic ! " Shinjiro hurriedly lifted her and ran toward a clinic .
He could feel her slow heartbeat against his body , and he was too scared to look at her as he ran toward the clinic , which wasn't far away but still felt like it was infinitely far . Koromaru followed him eagerly until they arrived at the clinic . However , at the door , when Shinjiro looked at Minako , he saw that her condition had stabilized . Her temperature was back to normal and so was her breathing , and her eyes began to flutter open before him .
" mmh ... huh ....? Eh ?!! " Minako was startled to see Shinjiro carrying " wh—what was ... ?! What happened ?! "
" you collapsed on the street ! I'm taking you to a doctor ! " Shinjiro was too anxious to notice her embarrassment
However , when the doctor examined Minako , he found nothing wrong with her . Frankly , he told Shinjiro that Minako was perfectly healthy and even asked him if she really was sick . Shinjiro angrily told him that she wasn't just sick , she was dying ! He even described in detail how it happened . The doctor was confused , but he chose to believe Shinjiro and prescribed a few drugs and painkillers to Minako , who just sat there , afraid Shinjiro would notice how flustered she was .
Shinjiro was still not convinced that Minako was healthy , and insisted that he walked her back to the dorm . Minako couldn't bring herself to refuse . Shinjiro repeated to her that she was fine but suddenly collapsed out of nowhere , and Koromaru was whining and whimpering beside her . Minako tried to brush it off , but Shinjiro insisted and asked her if she had ever felt any health issues of any kind before , and insisted that the Dark Hour had never caused any similar conditions when she wanted to blame it on the Dark Hour . Minako didn't know with what she could respond , she found herself unable to talk her way out of it , . She hated herself for making them worry about her like that , but she didn't know how to make them feel that nothing was wrong at all , and the only thing that ended the conversation was her arrival at the dorm .
" I'm sorry for making you worry about me "
Minako apologized one last time before entering the dorm , feeling a rollercoaster of emotions , from happiness to embarrassment to fear to confusion to sadness . Nevertheless , when she entered the dorm , she replaced all that with her usual smile .she told everyone how fun it was to take Koromaru to the cinema , who was the only crack in her facade as he kept nudging itself against her leg anxiously , which Minako explained as the film having a sad ending .
" Koromaru-san says that ... " Aigis started
" oh ! Ai-san! I'd love to take you to a movie , too ! You really need to watch one sometime ! " Minako quickly interrupted " what kind of movies are you interested in ? "
" I am an anti shadow weapon ... I have no movie preferences ... "
" well , we could watch a sci fi action movie , like The Obliterator " Minako was successful in veering the subject away
" oh ! The Obliterator ! " Ken joined in , further distancing the subject " it's the one where robots take over the world so they send a human to the past to change the future , right ? "
" yup ! That's the one ! "
" I comprehend " Aigis nodded " watching a movie about fighting robots will help me improve my skills . I will comply at the earliest convenience "
After the commotion had calmed down and Koromaru had slept , Minako made her way to her brother's room . She entered the room and saw her brother playing Eternal Punishment Online with an irritant look on his face . He stopped playing once he noticed her presence , so he logged off and looked at her with a bored expression .
" so ... you've been trying for four hours to get Koromaru to watch a two hour movie ... talk about dedication ... " Minato said , but then he noticed the anxious look on Minako's face , and his tone changed accordingly " what happened ?"
" don't freak out ... okay ... " Minako exclaimed , before saying in a low voice " on my way back , I suddenly felt a severe headache and pain in my chest , as if my heart was going to burst , and when I tried to force myself to walk , I collapsed on the ground and couldn't move ... I think I lost consciousness at that time "
" what ... ? " Minato stood up slowly as he felt the words hammer him
" ack ! Don't freak out , okay ?! Aragaki-san was around and took me to the clinic , and they found that nothing was wrong with me ... but ... uh ... "
" so ... it happened to you , too ? " Minato asked anxiously
" wh—what do you ... mean ... ? " Minako found herself freaking out instead
" I was playing Eternal Punishment Online when my vision started to blur and I felt a piercing pain in my chest , then everything went black . I woke up to a game over screen . I didn't think much of it at first , but if it had happened to you , too ... then ... "
" Minato ... this isn't normal , is it ? I don't think I can say the Dark Hour is the reason , we've been exhausted before by the Dark Hour but not this much ... this is a hunch ... but ... what if the Dark Hour had been affecting our health on the long run ?! "
" I ... I think ... " Minato didn't know how to respond to that question , instead he asked " does anyone else know about this ? "
" just us , Aragaki-san, and Koromaru , and maybe Aigis since she understood Koromaru , but I managed to distract her from saying anything , and hopefully Koromaru forgets soon enough ... I didn't want our friends to grow anxious about us any more . I mean there's only four shadows left in the game so we just have to hang in there , right ? "
" you know ... " Minato seemed to think deeply about the situation , before deciding " we're over glorifying the situation . I think it's the Dark Hour's effect as usual , it's just that we've never been pushed that far before so the effect is more severe ... "
" yeah ... you're right ... hopefully ... "
" let's take it easy for the next two weeks and not go to Tartarus so we could get a chance to freshen up . It's a movie festival this week so let's take it easy "
They both were scared , they didn't know what was happening , but they decided to stuff this problem away and hope it solves itself . After all , their quest was nearing its end , and they just had to endure a little more before they see the fruit of their struggle .
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If you enjoyed this part , please consider voting for it and feel free to comment your thoughts about it . Also remember to comment who you want Minato to be in love with , and I'll see you in the next part . Stay safe .
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