I'm glad I bought P5R. Really getting the ideas flowing here. Look forward to them!

ADD: Kinda lame of me, but I got goosebumps during Makoto's Persona awakening speech. Forgot she does that cool little spin when it's her turn, too. Real stylish.

ADD-2: I managed to max out her Confidant before that point in Futaba's Palace where Joker saves her from the falling pillar. Had to give myself a pat on the back for that one.

...Leveling Charm took a while.

ADD-3: Crap, I forgot about Makoto's birthday.

Makoto Niijima stood outside the door to the student council room, hand poised against the wood to knock. Her fingers were trembling from the cold, but it wasn't her fault.

Really, it wasn't.

It had been quite some time since she was able to free herself from her studies, so she was hoping to surprise Akira with a visit. She had waited outside the school gate for quite some time before concern overcame her. What could possibly have been keeping him at school for so long?

So here she was, and thus came the next step.

Tap tap tap.

"Who is it? Sorry, I'm a little busy right now."

"Akira, open the door."

"...Makoto?"

She heard the telltale sound of scrambling, followed by papers being tossed about, and capped off by the sound of what was surely a chair falling over. The next moment, the door was open. Akira's hair managed to look a little more disheveled than usual, and there were some dark marks under his eyes, but Makoto still found he looked rather handsome. She'd dwell on that later, though. He looked about as happy to see her as she was to see him. "Uh...hi."

"Hey. Staying late?"

"Yeah, um...just have some paperwork to take care of."

"Where are the other council members?"

"I sent them home. If it's just this, I can handle it myself."

Makoto was beginning to see some uncomfortable parallels in how Akira was tackling his work. "Can you put it off for a day?"

"Hm? Sure, I guess, but…"

"Would you mind coming with me, then? It's been a while since we got to spend time together, after all."

Akira looked surprised for a moment, but recovered quickly with a small smile and a nod. "Yeah. Yeah, of course, just give me a minute to get my stuff together."

"Sure. And no papers."

"Sure thing, Queen."

"Hey!"

[- - -]

"I'm using the kitchen for a bit."

Leblanc was empty, given that Sojiro had taken Futaba to Akihabara for shopping. As such, the store was closed for the day and free for Akira to use as he wished. Makoto had made him sit in one of the booths as she tied on an apron. "The spices are-"

"Nope."

"I can-"

"Denied."

"Makoto-"

"Akira, don't make me pull rank."

"What...rank? We're not an organization."

"I will make one and make sure you're a lower rank than I am."

Akira laughed and shook his head, choosing to scour about for the TV remote rather than risk her ire. Makoto smiled and turned her attention back to cooking. "Council work's been keeping you busy, huh?"

He looked up from the channel guide and cocked his head that didn't really confirm or deny her remark. "I guess…"

Steam bubbled gently from the pot as Makoto looked it over and sprinkled in a bit more salt. "I believe we had a talk last year about how I was working myself too hard."

"I think I know where this is going."

"I'm glad you do!"

Preparations were complete. Now all they needed to do was wait for the curry to be ready. As such, Makoto cheerily put a lid on the pot and skirted around the counter to sit down next to Akira. She smoothed out the fabric of her pants and gave him a pointed look. "I hope I don't have to give you a lecture about pacing yourself after your shenanigans."

"I'm starting to think you were mad at me because of that."

"Oh, shut up. C'mon, here."

Makoto put a hand on Akira's shoulder and guided him to lay on her lap. He complied far more easily than she was expecting him to, drumming his fingers lightly on her knee. "You've been working hard."

Her tone was gentle. "..."

She brushed his hair gently and raised her arms a bit when he turned over to nestle his face in her stomach. She felt a soft smile cross her face at the gesture. "You have, haven't you?"

His reply was muffled a bit, but she heard it clearly. "...Yeah."

"I'm proud of you."

Akira wrapped his arms around her waist, and the sigh that he let go of was indicative of just how tired he was. "...Thanks."

"Mhm. Now close those eyes and rest for a bit."

"Okay."

He looked up at her and muttered, "But I'm doing this because I want to."

"Of course you are. I'll wake you up later to eat something."

[- - -]

"Ah~, that was super fun."

"Glad you thought so."

"We should go again sometime."

"Sure...Just not soon, alright? My poor wallet is still crying."

"Oh, it's fine."

"...Hm?"

"What?"

"The lights are still on. Is he still up?"

"He hasn't been texting, I dunno."

"Hmm...wait here."

"No."

Sojiro strolled over to the cafe entrance and looked at the door. The sign was flipped to "Closed", but the lights were definitely on. A quick look inside gave him all the answers he was looking for. "Oh."

"What's up?"

"Eh, he's fine. C'mon, let's head back."

The lights were on because the cafe was open, in its own way, for a particular purpose. If a curious soul were to chance a look inside, they would be privy to a sight that was presumably not out of the ordinary for the couple inside. A boy was sleeping peacefully in one of the booths, a heavy-looking blanket covering most of his body. A girl was in the kitchen, quietly watching the TV as her hands stayed busy putting away the last of the dishes. It was a peaceful scene, one that would continue until the lights turned off for the night.

This month's chapter was a little late. I apologize. I'm a little iffy on this chapter, quality and word count-wise. I'll have something better out soon.

I'm counting on you to stay safe. Till next time.