partyofthree | [Closed] This is the noise that keeps me awake...

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[Closed] This is the noise that keeps me awake...

Who: Akihiko Sanada (

emperor_with_no_groove) and Minako Arisato (

hasthepotential)
When: Saturday night, late
Where: Cabin 1
What: After finding out about Shinji’s arrival, Akihiko decides to tell Minako.
Warnings: None so far.

Akihiko felt like he was off to one hell of a start in this strange new realm.

The return of his deceased best friend was the last thing he foresaw. It brought back all of the anguish he suffered through when Shinji first died. At the same time, he was happy, and even relieved, to have this amazing chance to see him again. How and why it happened, he wanted to know too, but the most important thing was having Shinji back.

He wondered if Minako knew yet. Shinji had deliberately sought solitude, so not likely. If that was the case, then Akihiko felt like he had a responsibility to tell her. She was their leader, after all.

Muttering the necessary phrase, he decided to send her a simple message using the necklace.

Shinji is here. He arrived today. I just thought you should know.

As Akihiko heavily sank down into an empty seat, he was grateful for the empty cabin. Back at the dorm, he could easily hide in his room until he felt normal again, but there wasn’t the same type of privacy here. For now, he had to wrestle with his demons while he was still able to handle it alone.

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Sadly, he didn’t even know that most girls would take his comment as an insult. He was just that bad with them. Teasing was not his forte, unlike Junpei.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, “Don’t worry about it. You didn’t hit me that hard… I’m just a little sore from earlier, that’s all.”

He retracted his arm and instead, cupped his forehead within his hands. He was careful to angle his head down to conceal his jaw from her.

'Earlier'...?

Suddenly Minako's expression took on a concerned tone. "Did you and Shinjiro-senpai get into a fight?"

THERE ARE REASONS she guessed this right away, you know!

“Kind of…” he muttered sheepishly in reply. “He called me an idiot for wanting to look out for him. Then I yelled back at him.” He released a harsh sigh under his breath. “Probably shouldn’t have done that…”

After another minute or so, Akihiko lifted his head and let his clasped hands dangle between his legs. “I don’t think he gets it… I have to protect people that are precious to me. If I can’t do that, then… I’m no good to any of you.” He closed his eyes and sighed again. “I should have done more to help him… Maybe I could’ve stopped that bastard from pulling the trigger…”

"...there's no way you could have." Minako was loathe to be blunt with him, but when you've been dead for a while, you play through things in your head, time and time again. "Not without hurting Ken-kun."

And they both knew that would've been worse, in the long run. "Shinjiro-senpai...he said it's what was right."

Minako reached across, firmly placing a hand on his knee. He was the type to communicate his feelings with action, so maybe that was the only way she could reach him, right now. "You're plenty good for us. More than good. You'll just end up hurting the people that love you if you don't start seeing that for yourself."

“Hmph…” A wry smile twisted his lips. “Maybe. Or maybe neither one of them would’ve gotten hurt…”

His implication was fairly clear. Though, considering Shinji’s reaction earlier, Akihiko thought it would be better not to state it outright. His honesty apparently caused others to become angry with him. But he would be lying if he claimed not to have run that alternate scenario through his head, over and over.

He blinked in surprise at Minako, but didn’t move away from her hand. “I’m done wasting my time on tears, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to get stronger. I’ll stay with you guys till the end, and we’re not there yet. Don’t worry about me. I’m not needed as much as the others, like you, Mitsuru, or Fuuka.”

Minako shakes her head. There was no way. Someday perhaps Akihiko would come to understand that. But she knew it was too soon for him to be completely done with his grief.

...it's just...a real pity he's having to rush the process, seeing as Shinjiro was back, in the flesh.

They'd work things out. They'd have to, somehow. One way or another.

Minako smiled over the fact that they could still have talks like this, even when they weren't on the same page, exactly. However...she knew that, at least for a little while, they wouldn't always see eye to eye.

Case in point.

"You are needed." She squeezed his knee before she'd even realized it. An accident, though it was better than having that uncomfortable swell in her chest again. "Don't worry about being stronger senpai--"

She had to stop. She needed to stop right there, when her voice started to crack, when her eyes threatened to water up. But, God help her--gods help her, she supposed--she couldn't help herself.

"Worry about being happy. Please."

His smile faded, but he nodded at her with a serious expression. “I know you guys need me. I’m still a part of SEES, even here.”

His gaze dropped for a minute, looking down when she squeezed his knee. The contact didn’t bother him. He knew Minako was the affectionate type, from watching her interactions with others. She was trying to make him feel better. It was selfish of him to place all of this unnecessary burden on her.

He had to find a way to deal with it himself.

“Happy…” he repeated softly, the word sounding foreign on his tongue in reference to himself, “I wonder… what it even means.”

Akihiko exhaled evenly and unclasped his hands to place one over the back of hers in a comforting gesture. “I’m sorry, Minako. You don’t need to hear all of this. Heh… If only you weren’t such a good listener.”

He wasn’t used to droning on like this, but Minako was always so patient with him, even when he asked her strange questions out of the blue, or misunderstood some of the things she said. She didn’t get angry or frustrated with him, when she should have, many times over. He didn’t doubt that she helped their other teammates in similar ways as well.

Her blank face remained still as Akihiko agreed with her. That wasn't it. Wait. That was true, but--it was more than just SEES...which was disbanded, anyway, wasn't it? Not that he knew, but...

She tried not to admit it to herself, but she'd never been all that good at lying, either. She needed him to be happy. To see joy on his face, to see that in spite of everything that happened, and has yet to happen - that it was all worth something, in the end.

She couldn't admit to it. That would be selfish of her, and...The Seal couldn't be selfish.

Could she? In this world? She hadn't wanted to consider it, the risk being too dire. Any moment now, the other shoe could drop.

"It means..." Minako mulled over her answer for a moment, her smile finally returning as she straightened up, letting her hand reluctantly drop back into her own lap. "Eating all the beef bowls you can manage before you make yourself sick!"

“Sheesh… They don’t even have ramen here, let alone a good beef bowl. How am I supposed to get enough protein?” The tease was weak, but he somewhat managed a smile this time, for her sake. He didn’t want her to try so hard and see no results from all her efforts.

Akihiko’s eyes flitted up to the ceiling when another clap of thunder suddenly rang above their heads. He had completely lost track of time while they were talking, something easy to do whenever he and Minako hung out together. He considered asking her to stay longer, but the thought gave him pause. Hadn’t he already taken up enough of her time? Maybe Minako had other things to do.

“Hey… It’s getting late,” he remarked quietly, “Do you need to go back and sleep?”

"Maybe you can get Shinjiro-senpai to fix you up something. Like an olive branch or something." Because you two are still friends, right? Fist fights are no big with boys?

The sound of thunder cuts off any further conversation in that vein, and Minako stands from her seat, straightening her skirt with her flattened palms. "I guess it is. We've had a long day."

She looks to Akihiko, her jovial face cooling. "Are you going to be able to sleep alright?" Sure there was the thunder, but...the other things are what she really thinks is going to keep him up.

“Yeah… I’ll think about it.” He honestly wasn’t sure where he and Shinji stood, at this point. He would never think of breaking ties with his old friend, despite the words that they had exchanged. But what he had just learned about Shinji wasn’t exactly easy to take in, either. He needed time to sort it all out – they both did.

Akihiko shook his head dismissively. “Don’t worry about me.” He rose from his seat and headed toward the front door. “Want me to walk you back to your cabin?”

Minako cracks him a wry smile. "After all this, do you really think you can tell me not to worry even a little?" She followed him to the front door, stopping to let him open it, if he would.

...not because she expected him to (though he'd always been the type), but if she could put off parting ways for just a few seconds, you can bet your bottom-dollar that she would.

“You’ve got a lot on your mind right now, Minako,” he chided in a gentle tone. “You need to take care of those things.” Like the stranger that shared her last name, who was supposedly the leader of SEES in some alternate realm. Yeah… that was definitely something Akihiko had a great deal of difficulty wrapping his head around.

He rested his hand on the doorknob, paused, and then turned back to face Minako. “You can talk to me, you know. If there’s ever anything you need to get out. You don’t always have to bear all of the weight by yourself.”

Minako smiled brightly at the offer. He was always so earnest, even if still a little shaky about it. "I know!"

But he had plenty on his mind to deal with, with Shinjiro being alive again, and by appearances, something of a rocky start again...

"I appreciate it. You telling me what happened." She felt insistent with her gratitude, but she was happy with this. She wanted more of this.

Then maybe things could go back to something like what they used to be.

"Well, it helps that you're easy to talk to..." a small smile touched his own lips as he murmured thoughtfully, "Qui se ressemble s'assemble. His... death affected all of us. That idiot..."

Gloved fingers curled around the knob and pulled the door open. He felt reluctant to see Minako leave, but she needed to get a good night's rest. There was a bit of flush on his cheeks as he invited, "Hey, uh... you can come visit again, anytime. I mean... it's not like anyone else is here."

"Some of us more than others." Meaning you, Akihiko. She lightly pinches a fold of his shirt sleeve and tugs on it in a playfully scolding manner, giving him a 'look' that seemed to implore him to be more honest with himself.

But she knows he's still got a bit to work out...and she can be patient this time.

"Mmn. I will." If only to make sure you're doing okay. "It's probably a better option than you coming to my cabin, after all." Because face it, Akihiko's the type to attract all kinds of attention, for one reason or another.

“Isn’t that obvious?” He stated matter-of-factly. “Shinji’s my best friend.” That wasn’t something he said out loud too often. He and Shinji had their ups and downs, especially ever since the incident two years ago, but they were still childhood friends, through thick and thin. His tone was wistful as he mused aloud, “But… if it happened to anyone else on our team… it’d hit me just as hard.”

Miki and Shinji, both gone… at least, in their original world. Mitsuru, Minako, and all the others… Akihiko sorely hoped they wouldn’t suffer the same fate.

“Heh, your cabin’s a little too crowded,” he remarked sheepishly, “It’s not the same as being in the dorm back in Iwatodai… you know?”

~~He would probably break a banister or something, to further develop his muscles.~~

"Yeah--it's more like Gekkoukan, if I had to draw the comparison. Or maybe that trip to Kyoto." Minako agreed, though. It was definitely different, especially with Shinjiro still alive--and her, but Akihiko didn't realize anything off about that, which is probably just as well.

She smiles slightly. "I dunno. I like it. It'll never get lonely, that's for sure."

He gave her a curious look. "Kyoto? The school trip in November?"

She mentioned it as if the trip had already taken place... But then again, maybe she had gone herself before. Yukari had lived in Kyoto, after all.

He nodded in agreement. Fitting for Minako, whose energy thrived off of those around her. Akihiko had no qualms with living in a crowded dorm, but he appreciated quiet times on occasion.

"I don't think you'll have that problem here, but if you ever want company..." his smile was hesitant, almost shy, "Well, you know how to reach me."

"Oh." That's right. The trip was in November. Ryoji was from November. Akihiko didn't know Ryoji - he's from October. Right...

Not about to draw further attention to their memories not lining up (she was not in the mood to catch him to speed, especially after today), she smiles, resting her shoulder against the door to budge it open. "I do. And I will." She relies on you just as much as you her, you know.

...or...you probably don't know...

She didn't need to. He already knew there was something off about his memories, compared to both her and Ryoji. He just didn't let her see how much it really bothered him.

The senior slipped on his customary mask of calmness and attempted to lightly tease her, "Your cabin mates are gonna think you got kidnapped, you know..."

The denial came at a subconscious level. It would be dangerous to get too accustomed to her company, his mind chimed in helpfully. Attachments had to be avoided, or blood from old wounds would be drawn yet again. It was only a matter of time.

"...Sleep well, Minako."

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[Closed] This is the noise that keeps me awake...

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