A/N: For people who don't know, this story follows the game closely in term of plots. Characterization and other minor things? maybe not so much. I change what I want to change, duh. This work could be called self-indulgant, an experimentation of myself as a writer. I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time. The theme and plot were all over the places... if you don't mind that, hope you enjoy.

Minato here is not interested in romantic social links at all. His Strength social link is Koromaru instead of the track team girl! That speaks something, and is the reason behind the title name. I'm sorry, any characters who is pining on Minato, he doesn't care and wouldn't notice.

So, I like writing dialog. You're going to see a lot of them. A LOT. Warned you.

If you want a shorter version, head to ao3. The one there has 10 less chapters. I've cut some earlier chapters and combined some chapters.

Chapter 1

Meeting

The birds and butterflies flew above the floor of Naganaki Shrine.

Minato was sitting on a bench watching those creatures. His earphones were playing music. The quality of sound was questioning. Minato adjusted his earphones. There was static and they screeched at times. Maybe he should get them fixed.

The birds were chirping. He thought about the latest fortune he was told.

'Three blades close in on you, tearing the shadow apart. A brave howl confronts them…'

Minato didn't believe in superstitions, but the fortune that weird woman told was always true. It was hard not to believe her. Personas and Shadows are also hard to believe, after all.

Minato clenched his hand and realized he was holding the bag. Inside was the girls' dinner. When has he become their servant? Minato sighed.

Yukari and Fuuka kept talking about how hot the weather was, how it made them so tired, how the train station felt so far from the dorm. And this is how it ended up, him being sent on a mission to buy some food for them.

He was too lazy to refuse. Refusing means argument, and argument means trouble, and trouble means losing, and losing means to do as they say. It would all end up the same.

'Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end.' Pharos whispered in his ear, more like in his head. 'Accept your fate as a slave to the undesirable.'

"Shut up…" Minato whispered back.

Pharos liked to bother him when he was thinking. Women too, they always bothered him when he was thinking. He just wanted to be alone but they didn't bother to care.

Ah, women are annoying.

"Woof."

It's a bark. The sharp bark stopped everything, stopped his heavy breathing, stopped his messy thought, stopped his swinging legs, and it made him stopped the music and turned his full attention on the dog.

A white Shiba Inu walked toward him. His red eyes were sparkling. His paws touched the ground and his steps were steady. The dog walked in straight line with his head held high. Minato could feel a noble air from this dog, like a prince walking in a castle hall.

Calm down. This is just a dog.

Minato didn't normally talk to animals, but this dog looked so… honest. "Are you hungry?"

"Arf!" The white dog wagged his tail. Sounds like a yes.

I must be crazy, Minato thought as he untied the bag in his hand and pulled the boxes of food out. The wrath of Kirijo seemed insignificant in the moment.

He opened the lid. Dogs come first. Girls can wait.

"Woof!" The dog's eyes lit up, his nose twitching by the smell of food. Minato laid the boxes down on the floor and straightened back up.

The dog buried his face into the box and swallowed down human food. There goes the girls' dinner.

Minato found himself staring at the dog. He blinked. He'd watched a lot of birds out the windows. He'd watched butterflies fluttering their wings. Maybe he should start watching dogs. He could start watching dogs like that guy in the alley or something.

"Arf…" The Shiba Inu has finished eating. He looked at the blue haired boy and barked again. It probably was a thank you.

Minato couldn't resist the dog's good manner. He stood up from the bench and knelt down. He extended his hand toward the Shiba Inu. "I am Minato Arisato, the field leader of SEES. Nice to meet you."

"Arf arf." The white dog raised his paw.

Sorry that I can't understand your name, Minato thought and shook hand with paw with the white dog. He collected the empty boxes and stood up.

"You've fed him?" A voice asked.

Minato didn't know someone was there. He turned around to see a tall man in maroon peacoat standing near him, two hands in pockets. This guy was the same guy at the hospital when he visited Akihiko, the guy that scared everyone at the back alley, the guy that was a regular at Hagakure. His name was... Let's just call him the beanie guy.

'That was not creative...' Pharos whispered somewhere in the back of his mind.

"Arf!" The dog ran to the tall man and cuddled his leg.

The beanie guy bent down and patted the dog. "Minato, was it? You talked like he's your friend."

"He's my friend," Minato said. No thought. No regret. No reputation left to keep. If people think befriending a dog is wrong, they are sick. He would choose a dog over a handful of fangirls any day.

"... Heh." That beanie guy flashed a smile, but it was gone as fast as it came. "Here." He handed him two boxes of food. "You were buying food for some people, right?"

Minato looked at the boxes. Convenient. He could give these to the girls later. But the beanie guy did ask him about feeding the dog. Does that mean... "Is this dog food?"

"Food is food, and it makes you survive," the guy said. "Take it or leave it. It's better than whatever your group eats."

"My group..." Right. He knew, and he knew SEES eats microwave food and instant noodle. The boxes of food would be an upgrade to their usual meal.

The real question is whether he took the boxes of food made for dogs or not. Should he risk angering the girls forever? Will they feel ashamed eating this food if they knew the intention of the cook? Is risking his life worth it?

Oh. Minato realized. He never cared.

Minato took the boxes of food from the beanie guy's hand, sealing his fate as the girls' traitor.

The beanie guy turned around and headed to the stairs. Minato glanced at the dog. He wagged his tail and bark. He was barking goodbye to the beanie guy. What a happy dog.

"Koromaru."

Minato blinked. He looked up at the beanie guy. "Excuse me?"

That guy pulled his beanie down. "That dog is Koromaru."

Quoted from the first version: Right. He knew, and he knew SEES eats like shit.