Chapter Text
Akihiko was waiting outside Hagakure with Arisato. He knew his timing was right; his timing was always right. School had only just gotten out, after all. So, it was only a matter of time…
Finally, the brunette he had been waiting for walked out of the shop, and Akihiko was ready to jump into action. He stood up straight and approached him, Arisato following close behind.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes when he noticed them. “You’re getting on my nerves.”
“The situation has changed,” Akihiko said. “Sorry, but this time, I’m not asking.”
“What?”
He held up the briefcase he’d been carrying. “This belongs to you. We have a new enemy. They’re Persona-users, like us.”
“Yeah, so what?” He turned to walk away.
“There’s more,” he said, stopping him. “Ken Amada has joined our team.”
That caught Shinjiro’s attention. As he figured it would. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“He has the potential, and Ikutsuki-san has okayed it. He’s now a Persona-user.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” He sighed, considering this new information. “Let me ask you one thing…” Another pause. “Was it his decision to join SEES?”
“Yeah. He volunteered.”
“I see.” He let out another sigh, shaking his head. “Then count me in.” He turned towards Arisato. “So, you’re the one leading the operations now, huh?” Arisato nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly are you fighting for?”
Now Arisato shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know yet.”
“Is that so? Well, you do your thing and I’ll do mine.” He walked back over to Akihiko to take the briefcase from him. “Is my room still vacant?”
Akihiko nodded. “Of course it is.”
The brunette nodded in return. The three of them then made their way back to the dorm. Once they arrived, Shinjiro was sure to head straight up to his old room. Akihiko kept on his tail, but they both stopped short on the second-floor landing when they bumped into Mitsuru, who seemed to have been on her way down from the third floor.
“Shinjiro,” she said, her eyes wide. She glanced down at the briefcase in his hand. “Does this mean what I think it means?”
“Tch.” The brunette rolled his shoulders. “Don’t go throwing a welcoming party or some shit.” And he retreated to his room.
Mitsuru looked to Akihiko. “You got him to come back.” She shook her head, searching for the right words. “H-how did you—?” The brunette exited his room and rejoined the other two. “I suppose we should get you caught up,” she said, forgetting about the rest of her question.
With that, the three of them sat down around the table. Mitsuru informed Shinjiro about everything the group had gone through since April, plus the information they had found out when they visited her father in July. He took in all the information in stride, which Akihiko was almost surprised by. He knew Shinjiro better than that, though. He looked cool and collected on the outside, but half the time, the brunette’s mind was in a frenzy. Hell, Akihiko couldn’t say any better about himself, though. It was part of why he and the brunette clicked so well…
And part of why they didn’t.
“I am truly glad to have you back, Shinjiro,” Mitsuru said once they had finished their discussion. “But I can’t help wondering what motivated you to pick up your Evoker once again. Something must have affected you profoundly.” She paused, looking between the two old friends. “I won’t ask you now, though.”
“I appreciate that,” Shinjiro said. “Maybe someday I’ll be in the mood to tell you.”
“I’ve been waiting for this day, too, Shinji,” Akihiko spoke up. “I’m ready for battle right now, in fact.”
“Tch. You’re as hot-headed as always.”
He grinned in response. “C’mon, it’ll be just like old times.”
“Well, you better not fall behind like old times.”
That wiped the smugness right off his face. “Shut up. I would never.”
Mitsuru chuckled at the two of them. “Well, if that’s all, I think I’ll turn in for the night.” She rose to her feet and headed up to the third floor.
“Let’s sneak out to Tartarus tonight. Just you and me,” Akihiko said once she was out of sight.
“You’re just as hot-headed, but you’re an even bigger moron.”
“You say that like we never used to sneak out before.”
“Yeah, and two of those times we had to call Kirijo to bail our asses out of trouble due to your recklessness.” He rose to his feet as well. “Stop being so childish.”
Akihiko followed the other as he made his way back to his room. “What better way to get back into the swing of things, though?”
“I’ll get practice in when we go to Tartarus as a group. It’s always disastrous when it’s only you and me.”
“You say that like we’re bad karma.”
“Maybe we are.”
“Tch.” He threw a few punches to the air, bouncing his weight back and forth. “C’mon, lighten up.”
“Grow up.”
Now he stopped all his actions. “Shinji—”
“Keep in mind that I ain’t here for you,” he said. “So, I don’t have time to deal with your bad habits.”
“Well…maybe I don’t have time to deal with your bad attitude.”
“Whatever. Then get out of my room.”
Akihiko didn’t need to be told twice. He left the brunette’s room and made his way to his own. Whatever. He hated when Shinjiro would say that; it never failed to piss him off. And he was pretty sure the other knew that. He was pretty sure that was why the other always said it. That was the way for him to get the final word.
It had always been like that. Ever since they were kids. They had always been best friends, but they also had always been stubborn. Fighters. And as soon as they learned they could do more harm with their fists than with their words, they practically stopped speaking to one another. All arguments started with whatever and ended with a bruised lip or a black eye. Or both.
They weren’t kids anymore, though. Yet, they still didn’t know how to settle things with words. Akihiko didn’t know if that would ever change. Neither of them had ever been very good with expressing themselves with things other than actions. Or fists, at least. It was all they knew. It was what they were familiar with. It was what they had conditioned themselves to. It was almost the only way they could understand each other. A punch to the gut meant one thing, while a punch to the jaw meant another thing. And Shinjiro’s headbutts… Well shit, those were a whole language in themselves.
This was their relationship. Akihiko wasn’t sure if it would ever change. He wasn’t sure if he ever wanted it to change. Because fighting with Shinjiro—as childish as it may have been—was probably the closest he would ever get to be with him.