Disclaimer: I don't own Persona.

A/N: Here's the newest chapter, and the longest one yet. More than anything, I hope those reading enjoy it.

Chapter 14: Midterms

"Are you satisfied with these?" Igor asked.

"Yeah." Hamuko nodded, smiling as several newly fused Persona flashed in her mind's eye. She bowed gratefully to Igor. "Thank you so much."

"There's no need to thank me. This is simply my duty. To assist you as you are one of our beloved guests." Igor chuckled. "Nonetheless, your gratitude is appreciated."

"Hah… I'm going to miss you guys." Hamuko said as she glanced around the Velvet Room.

"Oh? Are you going somewhere?" Elizabeth inquired.

"No. It's just that I probably won't visit for a while since midterms start tomorrow. I'll barely have any time to do anything else. We've even decided to take a break from exploring Tartarus. So I won't really have a reason to come by until then."

"That hasn't stopped you before." Theodore pointed out with a smile.

It was true. A little bit after discovering the Velvet Room's alternate entrance at Paulownia Mall, Hamuko had made a point of visiting the residents of the Velvet Room on her own at least twice a week, not including the small detours she and Minato took together in order to fuse more Persona during their exploration of Tartarus. Even if she didn't have any Persona to fuse, Hamuko would take a few minutes to chat with the trio. She talked about what they were going through in Tartarus or responded to questions Theodore or Elizabeth had about her daily life. The two were surprisingly curious about her day to day activities, though asked the oddest questions at times. Igor never did much talking, though always listened to her with a smile on his face. Though, Hamuko had yet to see the old gentleman frown and lately had been wondering if it was possible for him to stop…

"Yeah, well, I'm really gonna buckle down this week. As fun as it is talking with you guys, I've gotta get focused really soon here. I've already spent this weekend studying like crazy, and one of my upperclassmen said she'd give me a reward if I scored well on my tests."

"We wish you luck then." Theodore smiled. "While your journey is of utmost importance, it is still important that you enjoy your daily life as well."

Hamuko smiled at Theodore before suddenly snapping her fingers. "Ah, that's right! There's also something else I came here to do."

Hamuko picked up her bag from where she had set it down and quickly stepped over to Theodore, who blinked curiously at the girl as she stood in front of him. Rummaging around for a couple seconds, her eyes lit up when she managed to retrieve one of the items she'd been looking for.

A few days after the fiasco with the monorail and the Priestess Shadow, during one of Hamuko's visits she had remembered Theodore and Elizabeth's talk about making requests. Remembering their discussion and her prior agreement, she'd asked Theodore if there were any requests he had for her. While he'd been hesitant at first, especially since that time Igor had been around when she asked, Hamuko had eventually coaxed him into sharing his requests. He didn't ask for much, just a few items he was curious about. For Theodore's peace of mind, she'd gotten permission from Igor. To her joy and Theodore's relief, the smiling old man had seemed more amused than anything and told her that if she didn't mind sparing the time, Theo could make as many requests as he wanted. The same went for Elizabeth. Both siblings had be overjoyed, though Theodore stressed that she shouldn't feel the need and only follow through with his requests if she was free.

Rather than deterring her, his words had encouraged Hamuko since she thought it would be fun to surprise him by presenting him with the items he asked for. So, before she buried herself in books and schoolwork, Hamuko decided she'd finish up Theodore's prior requests if she could.

"I believe you requested this, Theo-san?"

"Ah!" Theodore grinned broadly as he accepted the item that was given to him. "Is this Muscle Drink?"

"Yep! I spotted it at the store while I was shopping. Didn't cost me much. The carton seems a little odd looking though."

"It's that oddness that inspires my curiosity. I look forward to tasting it." Theodore smiled. "Thank you very much."

"That's not all. I also have this." Hamuko said, handing over a small jar. "That's pine resin. I got it from my friend Yukari when I mentioned that I needed some. She uses it in her club and she had some to spare, so she gave it to me after I asked."

"Well, that was certainly nice of her." Theodore said as he unscrewed the cap on the small jar and took a small whiff. "It certainly smells like freshly cut pine, though I didn't think that's what it would look like…"

"Are you disappointed?" Hamuko asked, noticing Theodore's expression had suddenly become very strained.

"No, no… it's just…" Theodore muttered, casting a quick glance over at his sister before handing the jar back to Hamuko. "Um, you may keep that. It reminds me of soybean powder, a substance which I have had several platefuls of in the past. I don't wish to recall those times. While I'm grateful for your bringing it here, I'd rather not hold onto it."

"Okay, you don't have to convince me." Hamuko giggled. "And you just had it by itself? Why?"

"It was an… attempt to experience a unique taste. It did not live up to the expectations I had. Even after this revelation, I was forced to continue consuming the powder to try and 'acquire' the taste. That was also a fruitless venture." Theodore shuddered. "Every bite was absolute torture."

"Wow. Who made you do that?"

Again, Hamuko saw Theodore's eyes briefly shift over to his older sister who just smiled at them.

"W-Well, it's of no real importance."

"Okay…" Hamuko gave a slow nod before reaching back into her bag. "Well, I know you'll enjoy this item. Ta-daa!"

"Oh! Is this…!"

"It is! A handheld console!" Hamuko grinned, giggling at Theodore's expression of awe as he happily received it. "Junpei gave it to me as a thank you after I convinced Mitsuru-senpai to give him back his new COMPstation Portable. It's an older version, but it's still got some pretty fun games on it."

"A portable game system…" Theodore murmured. "I hear these special devices have mechanisms that can alter someone's brainwaves and make them forget the passage of time…"

"Er, huh?" Hamuko gave the older man an exasperated smile. She never heard someone describe a video game console like that. "They… don't have anything like that."

"Is that so?" Theodore mused. "Well, I wouldn't want to risk it. You may take it back with you."

"Hey, hey! Don't just give it back without giving it a try! You'll have fun with it!"

"But…"

"Look, I don't know who put the idea of brain altering devices in your head but it really means that you have so much fun playing that you don't pay attention to the time." Hamuko explained as Theodore turned over the device in his hands. "It'd be a waste to return it without playing a few games first. Just give it back to me the next time I come by, okay?"

"…Even so-"

"Brother, you made this request. Surely you're not the least bit curious about these games?" Elizabeth asked. "She's offering you the chance to experience something fun and interesting! What reason have you to refuse?"

"…Very well. If you insist, I'll try playing it sometime." Theodore said tentatively, tucking away the portable console into his coat.

"Good. I hope you enjoy it." Hamuko smiled. "I think you will. Pretty much every guy I ever met loves games.

"Really…?"

"If I may, I want to thank you for indulging my assistant and acquiring these items for him." Igor said. "I honestly can't remember the last time we had a guest so thoughtful or interacted with us residents this much."

"I don't mind running a few errands for you guys, especially since you're helping me and Minato so much." Hamuko smiled. "Do you have any requests you'd like to make, Igor-san?"

"While I appreciate the offer, I think I'll refrain." Igor chuckled. "If there is something I need I'll have Elizabeth or Theodore get it for me."

"Alright. The offer still stands though!"

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Say, Elizabeth… has Minato accepted any requests from you yet?" Hamuko asked.

"He has not." Elizabeth smiled, seemingly unconcerned with that fact. "I've tried asking him to retrieve a few things for me, but he often declines or says he's too busy."

"Busy. Right…" Hamuko muttered skeptically. It was more likely that he thought accepting the requests was too much trouble. Hamuko knew her fellow Wild Card user spent most of his time at the dorm. Other than Kendo Club, there was absolutely nothing he had to do…

"It's fine." Elizabeth assured her. "It is his choice whether or not to accept. I won't force him. Perhaps one day in the future he'll be able to devote some time to completing a quest or two for me."

"What did you ask him? If you want, I could always…"

"We already agreed that you would accept Theo's requests and Minato-san would accept mine. You've already spent plenty of time indulging my brother. I wouldn't feel right adding my requests to his when you're our guest." Elizabeth said. "Please, pay it no mind."

"If you say so…" Hamuko said hesitantly. Maybe she should talk with Minato about this…

"Hamuko-san, thank you for accepting my requests and bringing these items to me. I'm very grateful." Theodore smiled. "Now, as per our agreement, I shall give you your reward."

"I get a reward?"

"Of course. Surely you didn't forget? And I would never make these requests if I didn't plan on compensating you for their successful completion."

"Okay then." Hamuko smiled. She wasn't about to turn him down. "So what do I get?"

"Well, you completed all the requests I had for you at once so… I believe this should suffice."

Suddenly, a small buddle appeared in Theodore's hands that Hamuko recognized as a sweater.

"Oh hey, this is cute!" Hamuko said gleefully as she took the sweater and unfolded it to get a better look at the design. "When did you get this?"

"I don't remember when I got it, just that I had it." Theodore said simply. "I'm glad that it appears to be to your liking. While it will get warm soon it's still rather cold out so I hope you'll find some use for it."

"Thank you, Theo-san!"

"I accept your thanks, but one article of clothing is hardly enough to repay you." Theodore said, handing over a small envelope. "I believe this should be a suitable reward."

"Can I open it?" Hamuko asked as she took it.

"Of course."

With an excited smile, Hamuko quickly tore open the envelope and peered inside. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

"T-This is…!"

"Hm? Is there something wrong?" Theodore asked.

"N-No. If you ask me if something wrong, there's definitely nothing wrong." Hamuko said, turning away from the envelope and peeking back into the envelope to confirm what she saw.

Money. An absurd amount of money was in the envelope. Easily four times the monthly allowance her parents sent her, which was already a pretty generous sum. Theodore could've easily gone out and bought his own portable console with the money in the envelope and still have some leftover. She didn't point this out though.

"I-Is it okay to give me this much?" Hamuko asked.

"Of course. Is it not a fair amount? Honestly, I still have somewhat of a difficult time understanding your monetary system." Theodore confessed. "From what I understand, you give the amount equal to the value of the item you wish to purchase or the difficulty of the task. Should I have given more?"

"No, no! This is fine!" Hamuko barely kept herself from shouting. She'd feel guilty if she asked for any more than what she'd already been given. "Um… do you have any other requests?"

"Not at the moment, but I'll be sure to tell you if I think of any." Theodore said.

"O-Okay." Hamuko took a deep breath, finally getting over her shock before smiling at the Velvet Room residents. "Well, I should probably head out now. I'll see you all again in about a week."

"We look forward to it." Elizabeth smiled.

"Good luck with your tests." Theodore said.

"Farewell." Igor smiled, inclining his head slightly as Hamuko left the Velvet Room.

Stepping back into the real world, she briefly turned back toward the blue door before gazing back at the envelope she'd been given.

"Equal to the value of the item or difficulty of the task, huh…" Hamuko muttered, still amazed at her reward. Theodore must've really wanted to see those items she brought.

…Though, if he based her reward on what he thought the difficulty of the request he asked her was, just what would his future requests be like?

Hamuko never really thought there would be a point in her high school life where she possessed so much money. Sure, she saved a little bit of her allowance every month for personal purchases or emergencies, but it would've never amounted to this much. She didn't even have a part-time job, and yet her wallet was bulging with her new funds. While part of her thought about saving her money, a bigger part of her couldn't help but splurge a little.

"Ah…! Delicious…!" Hamuko gave a contented sigh, setting her chopsticks down. "Thanks for the food!"

"W-Will you be wantin' another bowl there, missy?" The chef of Hagakure asked, his expression one of amazement as he eyed the fourth bowl the girl had just finished polishing off. He couldn't believe that a girl, and one as pretty and delicate looking as her, could tackle four bowls of the Hagakure Special in one go!

"Hm… nah, I think I'm good for now." Hamuko decided after a moment's debate. While she felt like she could've gone for another bowl, the Hagakure Special was pricey and she really did want to save her money. Though, the special ramen bowl was delicious and one of the greatest foods she'd discovered upon coming to Iwatodai…

Hamuko shook her head and pushed herself away from the counter with visible effort. She had to resist the temptation.

"Thanks again for the food." Hamuko told the chef as she left her money on the counter. "I'll be back again soon."

"H-Have a nice day." The chef replied with a shaky smile. He watched the girl leave, noticing the looks other patrons were giving her and the jealous whispers of some girls sitting at the booths.

There were some amazing people out there…

After exiting Hagakure Ramen Hamuko made her way back down to the ground floor. She took out her wallet again and peered inside.

"…Yep. It's all still there." Hamuko said, giggling to herself before pocketing it. She glanced around the Strip Mall, trying to decide if there was anything else she could buy.

"Hm… maybe I should get something for the group." Hamuko mused, glancing back up at the floors above. "I remember Junpei saying that Wakatsu had great sushi…"

"Aw… where is it?"

Some commotion near the Octopia stand caught Hamuko's attention. Curiosity getting the better of her, she approached the stand and noticed a kid that looked like she was in grade school making a fuss to the vendor. The lady who ran the stand didn't look annoyed by the child's antics though. She looked more apologetic than anything.

"I know it was here! I had the money!" The child insisted loudly as she searched through her backpack. She glanced up from her back at the vendor, giving the woman a pleading look. "I'm just a few coins short! Please?"

"Sorry, kid. I can't make exceptions even if you ask me nicely. If you can't pay, I can't give you anything." The woman said.

"But I KNOW I had it! I saved up! Really!"

"It's not that I don't believe you, but like I said…"

"Um, hi!" Hamuko announced herself, jumping in between the duo's argument with a friendly greeting. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, um…" The child suddenly shrank back, looking a little nervous. "I'm sorry. Did you want to buy something?"

"Ah, um, maybe." Hamuko said, the smell from the stand starting to rouse her appetite again. "I'm just wondering if there's something wrong?"

"This kid doesn't have enough money to pay." The Octopia vendor explained. "She lost some of her money, or so she says."

"I did! It was all here when… oh…"

The girl suddenly deflated when she turned over her bag. Both Hamuko and the vendor immediately spotted the hole on the underside of her backpack. While it wasn't anywhere near big enough for books or other schools supplies to fall through, it wasn't hard to imagine some coins slipping out while she was walking around.

"…How much are you missing?" Hamuko asked.

"Just eighty yen…" The girl mumbled quietly.

"That's all?" Hamuko smiled. "How about I pay for it?"

"Huh?" The girl's head shot up, eyes wide as she gazed at Hamuko. "R-Really?"

"Yeah! In fact, I'll pay for the whole thing. Keep what you have, I don't mind buying you a snack." Hamuko grinned. She turned back to the vendor. "Two orders of takoyaki please!"

"Coming right up." The vendor smiled in approval, giving Hamuko a thankful look as she filled up two paper boats with takoyaki and handed them over. "There ya go! Hope you enjoy!"

"We will." Hamuko smiled as she handed her second boat to the girl. "Here!"

The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment before she beamed and happily accepted the food. Hamuko's grin broadened when she saw the joy on the kid's face.

"Thank you so much!" The girl said happily.

"Ah, hehe. It's nothing." Hamuko giggled, feeling a little embarrassed but happy at the same time. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Huh?"

"That takoyaki looks kinda hot and it's always good to have a beverage to help wash it down." Hamuko smiled. "So? Water? Juice?"

"Mm… you'll really buy one for me? It's okay?"

"It's totally okay! Truth is, I've got quite a bit of money to burn all of a sudden and I need help spending some of it." Hamuko grinned. "Don't hold back."

"Well… okay!" The child smiled, finally giving in and accepting the offer. "There's a vending machine nearby that has my favorite drink! Can we get some?"

"Sure thing! What drink is it?"

"Mad Bull!"

"Really? That's my favorite too!"

After getting their drinks, Hamuko found herself sitting on one of the benches near the food court, happily chatting with the girl as they ate their food.

"My name's Maiko." The child introduced herself once her takoyaki was all gone.

"Nice to meet you, Maiko-chan." Hamuko smiled. "My name's Hamuko."

"That's a nice name." Maiko smiled. "Thanks again for the food. My parents told me not to talk with strangers since they can be bad people sometimes, but you're really nice! You're not a bad person at all."

"I'd like to think so." Hamuko said with a wry smile.

"Mm… you're the first big person I've really talked to other than my parents." Maiko mused, kicking her legs against the bench. "I was supposed to meet with my friends near the station, but they never showed up. We were gonna eat together. I got tired of waiting, so I came here by myself."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay now though." Maiko smiled. "I got to meet you, so everything worked out."

"Well, I'm happy I was able to keep you company, Maiko-chan." Hamuko smiled back.

The girl nodded happily before suddenly growing shy. Hamuko watched as Maiko fiddled with her empty paper boat before the child spoke up again.

"…Hamuko?"

"Yes?" Hamuko leaned down so she could hear her better.

"Um… I like talking with you. Since my friends didn't come like they said… do you think we could play together for a while?"

"Oh! Um…" Hamuko was a little surprised by her request, checking her phone for the time before giving Maiko an apologetic look. "…I'd like to, but my school has these really important tests I have to study for. My friends and I were planning to have a study group today see, and I've really gotta get home soon. I can't keep them waiting."

"Oh… okay."

Seeing the girl look so dejected, Hamuko quickly amended her statement.

"B-But that's only this time! After this week, I'm completely free! If you still want to play I can make it next Saturday!" Hamuko said, trying to cheer her up.

"Next Saturday?" Maiko said. "We can play then?"

"If you want to. I'll come to meet you right after my exams finish." Hamuko promised.

"…Okay!" Maiko nodded, giving Hamuko a bright smile. "Yeah! Next Saturday! It's a promise!"

Hamuko returned her smile, glad that she had managed to cheer Maiko up.

*SMASH*

"Oh! This is…!

Thou art I… and I am thou… thou hast established a new bond…

Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hanged Man Arcana…

Hamuko Runako has established the Social Link: Hanged Man with the Young Child…

"Young child… these voices aren't very good at giving proper descriptions or using someone's actual name." Hamuko thought to herself. It wasn't any better than Bunkichi and Mitsuko being referred to as the "Old Couple".

Regardless, Hamuko was happy for the new bond she'd created.

"Where do you want to meet up, Maiko-chan?" Hamuko asked as the voices in her head faded away.

"Um… do you know where the shrine is?" Maiko asked.

"I do."

"Then that's where we'll meet!" Maiko smiled. She gave Hamuko an earnest look. "You will come, right?"

"Of course. I said so, didn't I?" Hamuko said, smirking a little when Maiko still looked a little uncertain. "I see you still have doubts…"

"Well… my friends already promised to meet with me today, but they didn't show up."

"They're just kids. They probably forgot. I'm older and more responsible, so I don't forget things easily."

"Mm…"

"Here, we'll do a pinky swear." Hamuko offered, extending her pinky toward Maiko.

"Oh! I've heard of these! I've never actually done one though." Maiko smiled excitedly. "They're supposed to be even more serious than a regular promise since you have swallow a thousand needles if you break it."

"That's right." Hamuko smiled as Maiko intertwined her pinky with hers. Hamuko raised her hand up and down, keeping their pinkies together as they made the promise. "I promise to meet with you at the shrine next Saturday after my class gets out or else swallow a thousand needles. There!"

Looking very satisfied as she separated her finger from Hamuko's, Maiko got off the bench and threw her empty boat and soda can into the trash bin next to the bench they were sitting on. She picked up her bag and waved to Hamuko.

"I'll see you soon!" Maiko smiled.

With that, the small girl took off. Hamuko watched her go, chuckling to herself as she threw away her own boat and can. Little kids like that were always so excitable, and even though they'd only talked for a bit Hamuko had really taken a liking to the girl.

"Next Saturday…" Hamuko said softly, fully intent on fulfilling the promise she'd made to Maiko.

Not that she'd been planning of forgetting, but they had a bond now didn't they? That made fulfilling the promise that much more important.

"I can't let my new friend down, can I?" Hamuko grinned to herself.

Minato frowned as he removed his headphones, glaring at the door over his shoulder as someone knocked against it in a steady rhythm. Sighing tiredly to himself, he pushed himself away from his desk and lifted himself out of his chair before slowly making his way over to the door. Even after he opened the door, the girl he was facing still felt the need to make a few more knocks against the doorframe, apparently unsatisfied until she ended on a proper beat.

"…What do you want?" Minato asked.

"Well, I wanted to ask if you wanted to come down and study with us." Hamuko answered with an upbeat smile, brushing off her fellow guest's apathy as she usually did. "Midterms start tomorrow so we're having a big study session in the common room downstairs to help prepare."

"I'll pass, thanks."

"C'mon!" Hamuko pouted. "Yukari and I even gotJunpei to join in. Don't be the only one left out. We're helping each other this way."

"I'm comfortable studying by myself." Minato said. "Besides, I don't want my study time to be cut in half by Junpei constantly asking for help."

"It won't be cut in half. You'll just lose an… hour. At least." Hamuko said, smiling awkwardly to herself. Junpei had been asking a lot of questions…

"Why don't you ask one of our senpai instead?" Minato suggested.

"They're seniors, Minato. They're not studying the same stuff we are."

"I'm sure Mitsuru-senpai remembers everything from her second year. She'd make a great tutor."

"…That might be the case, but I don't want to bother asking for help when she'd probably busy with her own studies."

"And yet you have no problem asking me."

"That's because we're actually studying the same stuff! Besides, studying together is way more fun than studying alone."

"Studying isn't fun."

"I'm saying it CAN be when you're with other people." Hamuko huffed, getting a little frustrated. She glared at Minato when she noticed the smirk on his face. He was teasing her. "Look, are you coming down or not?"

"…I really prefer studying alone." Minato replied. "I have an easier time focusing when there aren't any other distractions. Maybe some other time."

Before she had a chance to respond, Minato shut the door in front of her. Hamuko stared at it for a few seconds, glaring up at the nameplate before giving the door a light kick with her foot.

"Jerk." Hamuko muttered.

Sighing to herself and shaking off Minato's rebuttal, Hamuko made her way back downstairs where Junpei and Yukari were studying. Hamuko managed a chuckle when the sounds of Junpei's piteous whines and Yukari's irritated remarks made their way to her ears. As she stepped into the common room area, she spied Yukari jabbing her finger at the notes in front of her while Junpei was slouching over so far that the tip of his hat was nearly touching the table.

"This is the third time I;ve had to explain it! I shouldn't even have to! The formula you need to remember is written right there!" Yukari said impatiently.

"All I see are a bunch of symbols and numbers stacked on top of each other. It doesn't tell me how it works." Junpei moaned.

"Well maybe you'd understand what's written down if you actually paid attention in class." Yukari said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Seriously, all you do is sleep or doodle in your notebook when you should be taking these notes yourself."

"Hey, what I do aren't doodles. It's art!"

"What Minato draws is art." Hamuko announced herself, leaning over Junpei shoulder and glancing down at his notebook. "This isn't art. Even calling them doodles is a bit too gracious."

"That hurts, Hamu-tan. Way to make a guy feel inadequate." Junpei moaned, though his tone was playful. "So, couldn't get Leader to come out of his burrow, huh?"

"I tried and failed. He said he was more comfortable studying alone." Hamuko said.

"…To be honest, I'm starting to see the benefit of studying alone." Yukari muttered, giving the only boy between them a pointed look. "I've barely gotten any reading done because he keeps asking me to explain every formula."

"It's not my fault I suck at math!"

"Again, if you paid attention in class you might be a little better at math. So yes, it completely your fault that you suck at math." Yukari retorted.

Junpei frowned, the girl's biting comments beginning to get on his nerves. "You don't have to help me if it's too much of a chore."

"You're asking me to help you!"

"How about I help you?" Hamuko cut in quickly. She gave her two fellow juniors a placating smile. "Yukari, you can study by yourself. I'll help Junpei memorize some digits and formulas then we can all work on history and composition together, okay?"

"…Yeah, that sounds fine." Yukari nodded, giving a tired sigh as she took a seat and opened her notebook.

"So, what exactly do you need help with?" Hamuko asked, hoping her cheer would help elevate Junpei's mood.

"Ah… everything?" Junpei admitted sheepishly. He was surprised and glad when instead of getting mad at him, Hamuko just smiled instead.

"Then we'll start with everything."

The next hour passed by in companionable silence as Hamuko briefly summarized and went over every math lesson their class had since the school year started while Yukari studied at her own pace.

"See, this part's kinda tricky. You have to be careful and always remember to do this step or else you'll get it wrong." Hamuko explained. "Now, you try solving it."

"Ah… okay. Let's see…" Junpei nodded before slowly working through the problem. "Er, is that right?"

"It is, actually." Hamuko grinned. "Good job."

"Whoa, seriously?" Junpei exclaimed, matching her grin with one of his own.

"You actually got a problem right?" Yukari asked, looking up from her notes and raising a skeptic eyebrow at Junpei.

"I'm surprised too." Junpei chuckled. "Hamu-tan's not a bad tutor. I actually got almost half of them right!"

"Almost half?" Yukari smirked. "You sure sound happy about that."

"Hey, half is better than none." Junpei smirked back. "I'll still probably get a bad grade on the math portion, but now there's a chance I won't totally bomb it!"

"Well… that's good to hear, I guess?" Yukari muttered, not quite sure how to respond.

"Thanks for the help, Hamu-tan." Junpei said sincerely. "If it wasn't for you, I still wouldn't know a thing about any of this stuff."

"Happy to help." Hamuko chirped. "If you need me to explain anything else, just ask. I'm always available."

"If you say that, I'll probably be coming to you after every lesson." Junpei joked.

"Or you could try paying attention in class every so often." Hamuko suggested.

"Aw, now don't you start…" Junpei chuckled. "Y'know, I was reluctant at first, but I'm glad we're having this little study group. It's actually kinda nice to have someone who's willing to teach me one on one like this. Though I'm afraid some of the guys might call me out for being a traitor when I actually get an average score on the midterms."

"Only hoping for an average score? Isn't that aiming a little low?" Hamuko asked.

"Nah, that's aiming high." Junpei grinned. "You might be a pretty good teacher, but you're no miracle worker, Hamu-tan."

Despite his words, Hamuko could tell that Junpei was really grateful for her help. It was a little odd to see him expressing this much gratitude, but Hamuko was glad he benefited from her teaching and was appreciative of her efforts to teach him. That was reward in itself.

*SMASH*

"Oh…!"

Thou art I… and I am thou…

Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Magician Arcana.

"That's also pretty rewarding." Hamuko thought as she smiled giddily to herself.

"I wouldn't get too ahead of yourself. Math is only one of the subjects we have to study." Yukari pointed out.

"Man, don't go ruining my mood by saying that…" Junpei whined.

"I'm not trying to ruin it. We've just got a lot left to study for." Yukari said. "I'm about done reviewing my notes for math. You guys wanna review composition and history now?"

"Hey, uh, can we do physics instead?" Junpei asked. "I'm not so hot on that subject either. Composition's actually the one thing I'm pretty okay with…"

"I don't mind. Yukari?"

"That's fine. I'm actually pretty worried about physics myself." Yukari confessed.

"Well then, fear not my friends!" Hamuko announced with a large grin as she held up her notebook. "For this book contains many facts and notes that will surely help you during next week's tests!"

"Hope you're not planning to keep it to yourself then." Junpei grinned. "C'mon! Share with the rest of the group."

"I jotted down a few things that'll help too." Yukari said, opening up her notebook and sliding it to the center of the table. "Though I don't know if everyone here will understand it."

"C'mon, Yuka-tan. Totally uncalled for."

"I gotta agree with Junpei, Yukari. Don't needlessly antagonize him."

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just… nervous about the exams. I really didn't have as much time to study as I would've liked." Yukari sighed. "I'm frustrated. I really want a good grade."

"Yeah, me too. I really want to know what Mitsuru-senpai will get us if we score well." Hamuko said.

"I don't really care about whatever Senpai promised us. I just want to pass with a high grade." Yukari sighed.

"Well… it's not like this is gonna be our only chance to study." Hamuko said.

"Huh?"

"Well, I asked Toriumi-sensei about what testing would be like since I'm a transfer and she said that we focused on one or two subjects per test day." Hamuko said. "Tomorrow it's Composition, then the next day it's Foreign Language and Economics, then Wednesday is Math and Physics, then Thursday is Science, Friday is History, and finally Classical Literature and whatever Edogawa taught us thrown in on Saturday."

"So what're you saying?"

"I'm saying that all we really have to worry about tomorrow is Composition." Hamuko smiled. "If you guys want, we can do this every night until midterms are over. We'll spend each night reviewing the basics of everything, but focus on the subjects that we'd be tested on the following day."

"Hey, you're right! I didn't think about that…" Yukari realized, becoming much more relaxed when she thought about it. "Yeah, it's not like we need to study everything all at once. We'll review little by little as we go along."

"So is that a yes to having a study group every day for just this week?" Hamuko asked.

"Yeah! We'll get together every night to review notes and brush up before we take the tests. We'll be as prepared as can be that way." Yukari smiled. "How about you, Junpei? Up for it?"

"Ahaha… well, maybe not every night." Junpei chuckled weakly, though held up his hands in surrender when both girls gave him stern looks. "But who am I to turn down two pretty ladies when they request my presence? I'd be happy to join you guys."

"Hm… on second thought, feel free to skip out. Hamuko and I could probably get more done without you around." Yukari said.

Hamuko couldn't help but giggle a little at that, laughing as Junpei's head sank down to rest on the table.

"So mean…" Junpei mumbled before his head shot up. "Ah, that's right! Hamu-tan, you said that the exams for math and physics were on Wednesday?"

"I did."

"Really? Man…!"

"What's with you?" Yukari asked.

"I just spent the last hour having Hamuko teach me math when we're not even taking that exam tomorrow!" Junpei groaned. "I'm probably gonna end up forgetting…"

"You better not." Hamuko said seriously. "Otherwise it'll be like I wasted that hour trying to teach you all that. Retain those lessons, Junpei!"

"I-I'll try my best." Junpei said quickly. "Y'know, since composition is what tomorrow's exam is on why don't we just hold off on physics and focus on that?"

"You sure you just don't want to put off more studying?" Yukari asked.

"I'm not gonna deny that, but I really think it's better to study what we're going to be tested on tomorrow rather than what we'll be tested on in a few days."

"…I'd have to agree with that." Yukari said. "Hamuko?"

"That's fine with me. I've got notes for composition in here too." Hamuko said as she placed her notebook on the table. "Maybe one of these days I can convince Minato to join us too."

"Good luck with that."

Hamuko blinked at Yukari's bitter reply. "Yukari?"

"Ah, no, I… didn't mean to say that out loud." Yukari explained, embarrassed that she'd accidently voiced her private thoughts.

Hamuko frowned, remembering Yukari's comment about Mitsuru as well. She liked Yukari as a friend, but sometimes the girl could be a little harsh. "Do you not like Minato?"

"It's not that. It's just…" Yukari paused, trying to think about the best way to explain herself. He's nice and polite, but he's just a bit… distant, it seems like. Just with the way he is, it's hard for me to really see him joining in. Even though it's been a while since he moved here, I haven't exactly gotten many chances to talk with him. I talk more with our Senpai than I do with him."

"You get along fine when we're in Tartarus and you said you didn't mind him being our leader." Hamuko pointed out.

"That's different. When we're exploring Tartarus, it's not like we're talking about our hobbies or what we did at school. It's mostly just him giving orders and we follow them. That's not really getting along the way friends would. It's like… it's like working with classmates on a group project. You don't know the people in your group, and they're not your friends, but you get along and work together in order to get a good grade."

"That's an interesting way to put it." Hamuko said, quirking a small smile at the way Yukari's description.

"It's the best I could come up with." Yukari muttered. "I'm just saying that I don't really know him. We live in the same dorm, we have the same goal, but I can't really call him a friend when we barely talk outside of our SEES operations."

"That's…"

"I kinda get where Yuka-tan's coming from."

Hamuko turned towards the other junior, a little surprised by his proclamation. "Junpei?"

"He's a quiet guy, that much is true, but he does kinda go out of his way to maintain his distance." Junpei said thoughtfully. "Sometimes I catch him in the hallway at school or after classes. Not often, but sometimes. Whenever I ask him if he wants to grab a bite to eat in the cafeteria during lunch period or if he wants to hang out somewhere after school he usually has some excuse and just kinda leaves. I mean, he doesn't refuse all the time, but I can count on one hand the number of times we've hung out and still have fingers left over."

"But you guys get along at least, right?" Hamuko asked. After all, since that incident with the Priestess Shadow she had thought that the two boys had bonded…

"If you ask if we get along, I'd say we do, but thinking about it we really haven't spent a lot of time hanging out recently." Junpei said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "I mean, I think he's a good guy. After that whole fiasco on the monorail I consider him a pal, but I don't know if he feels the same way."

"Is that so…"

"I mean, I make an effort to talk with him, but he brushes me off more often than not. He's not bein' antagonizing or anything, but it's a little discouraging getting constantly turned down." Junpei's expression twisted. "Ugh. I made that sound pretty weird. Like I should care if another guy doesn't want to hang out with me!"

Hamuko cracked a smile at Junpei's words, but sighed to herself as she thought about her fellow Wild Card user. She couldn't really ignore what Yukari and Junpei were saying. After all, she'd been actively reaching out him only to get constantly rebuffed. She could identify with Junpei's discouragement and understand why Yukari thought he was distant. Minato had been a great leader so far, but he really hadn't acted anything like a friend.

"There's… also another thing that kinda bothers me about Minato." Yukari admitted.

"Eh?"

"Well… do guys ever notice how he looks when he fights?" Yukari asked.

"When he fights?"

"Yeah. It's just… he's always so calm and collected. Even when Shadows are attacking or when they're shooting lightning or fire as us he never seems to get scared." Yukari said.

"I don't know. I remember him being pretty shaken up when we thought we were gonna crash into the other train on the night we fought that big Shadow." Junpei said.

"E-Even still! He recovered pretty fast. And while we were all panicking he had enough sense to pull the lever that saved us!"

"I guess I see your point…"

"It's the same when he's using his Evoker. There's no hesitation or pause before he shoots. He just does it. I mean, he's putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger and he does it so easily!" Yukari said, looking disturbed at the very idea. "I-I mean, I know the Evokers aren't real guns, but… but I still haven't gotten used to using one. There's a reason I hold onto it with both hands when I summon Io. I wouldn't be able to hold the gun properly if I didn't."

"…I have a pretty easy time with it." Hamuko said.

"Maybe. But again it's because I don't really know Minato that I feel this way. I know you, Hamuko. You're my friend. I'm actually jealous that you have such an easy time using your Persona. But I just don't know what Minato's thinking. It's strange." Yukari said. "Plus, there was that first night when that one Shadow attacked the dorm. The way he looked when he summoned that… thing…"

Hamuko's eyes widened when she remembered the thing that had torn its way out of Minato's Orpheus and completely destroyed the Magician Shadow. She had almost forgotten about it…

"I just can't help but wonder, you know? What was it? Did it come from Minato, or is it something else…"

The trio lapsed into silence, suddenly feeling very tense as they mulled over the archer's words.

"…Sorry." Yukari eventually spoke up. "I kinda killed the mood."

"That's one way of putting it." Junpei muttered.

"Yukari, Minato is…" Hamuko began before Yukari hastily interrupted her.

"Ah, just forget it!" Yukari said forcefully. "I don't want to make things any more uncomfortable than they already are. I just… I was just venting. Truth be told, I'm actually a little envious of how easily Minato accepts and does everything sometimes. It's because I can't imagine myself doing it, and I guess I'm just find him strange because I don't know him that well. If he was as friendly as you, Hamuko, I don't think I'd be as uncomfortable.

"Yukari…"

"Please don't get the wrong idea." Yukari said with a pleading look. "Despite how he acts I… I don't think he's a bad person. He wouldn't be helping us if he was. I just wish I understood him a little better."

"And I wish he'd be a little more social." Hamuko said with a dry smile. "I'm with you guys. He does seem to go out of his way to avoid others unless he really has to."

"Eh, maybe he'll come around one day. His social skills aside, he's still a solid leader." Junpei said with a grin. "Let's just keep supporting him. He'll come around eventually."

Hamuko smiled, happy that Junpei was sticking up for Minato when the two boys had been at odds for a while. Still, Yukari's words had really struck a chord with her. While she'd been making an effort to interact with Minato, it clearly wasn't enough as he was still just as introverted as the day he arrived at the dorm according to Yukari and Junpei's accounts. And she never really noticed before, but did Minato really look that odd when using his Evoker? She always thought of him as a pretty calm guy, but maybe it was a little strange…

"Okay, enough of this talk." Yukari said, clapping her hands as she smiled at her two fellow juniors. "Let's just get back to studying! Exams still start tomorrow!"

Well, she'd think about that stuff later. Though she would certainly have to have a talk with Minato at some point in the future…

The lunch bell rang, and Hamuko gave a happy smile when she heard it.

"Finally!" Hamuko grinned, stretching her arms over her head as she tried to get rid of the stiffens in her limbs. She'd finished her test a bit early and had done nothing but sit and stare into space for the past half hour. Sure, she'd had the other half of the test to take once lunch was over, but she could ignore that fact for the time being. Finally being able to move around felt great.

Getting some food in her stomach after spending her entire morning taking a test would feel even better.

"Yo, Hamu-tan. You plan on eating lunch?"

Hamuko turned to find Junpei grinning at her. Another boy who she recognized as Kenji stood next to her fellow SEES member. She gave him a friendly smile to which he returned.

"I plan to." Hamuko replied, only to blink when Junpei and Kenji started laughing to themselves. "What's so funny?"

"Ah, well, it's just… you didn't bring your own lunch?" Junpei asked.

"I don't usually pack my own lunch. I just get food from the cafeteria or the student store."

"Oh, you poor soul. You don't know do you?" Kenji laughed. "Though you did just transfer in month ago so I guess it's expected?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, I probably should've told you this earlier but trying to get food from the cafeteria or vendor during testing week is nearly impossible for a newbie." Junpei said.

"Excuse me? Newbie?" Hamuko said, growing more confused by the minute. "What are you two talking about?"

"Well, you wouldn't know this, but during testing week there's a discount on food at the cafeteria and the student store. Not only that, there's even a few new items to buy all for the same discount." Junpei said, looking more serious than Hamuko had ever seen him look before. "Students crowd those places trying to take advantage of the bargain, and it can get pretty hectic. I heard one student broke his wrist last year trying to fight the crowd."

"You sure you're not just exaggerating?" Hamuko asked incredulously.

"Hey, I'm speaking from experience. The first year I transfered here I was almost trampled alive trying to fight my way to the front." Junpei said. "I don't blame you for not believing me though. It's really something that has to be seen to be believed."

"…Did a student really break their wrist?"

"Aw, that's just a rumor." Kenji said dismissively before suddenly looking thoughtful. "Then again, there is some truth in every rumor…"

"W-Well then, what about you two?" Hamuko asked, pointing an accusing finger at the both of them. "I don't see you two carrying around any lunches."

"I actually bought some bread at the convenience store before coming to school." Junpei confessed, pulling out said bread from his uniform's pocket.

"And I already begged Rio to share her lunch with me beforehand!" Kenji grinned, giving Hamuko a thumbs up.

"You sound pretty proud about that."

"Yeah, well, she gets something out of it too. I gotta be her packing mule when she goes shopping this weekend." Kenji sighed. He clenched his fist dramatically. "But if it means I don't have to go hungry, I'll carry as many bags as she needs me to!"

"You could always just buy food beforehand like Junpei." Hamuko suggested.

"Heh… please don't say that to someone as penniless as I."

"Sorry." Hamuko giggled at Kenji's dejected expression before she adopted a similar look. "Still, fighting a crowd doesn't sound fun. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Hey, never fear! Your pal Junpei is here!" Junpei suddenly announced, pulling a second package of bread out from his pocket and dropping it on the desk in front of Hamuko. "Ta-daa! Food for you!"

"You bought me some too?" Hamuko asked, surprised.

"Yeah. While I was buying my own food I remembered that you usually got yours from the school. So, I shelled out a little extra so you wouldn't have to face the horde." Junpei grinned. "Ain't I a thoughtful guy? It's just melon bread though…"

"I'll take it!" Hamuko smiled, snatching the bread and cradling it to her chest. "Thanks, Junpei!"

"Hehe, no problem." Junpei smiled, rubbing the back of his neck in a slightly embarrassed gesture. "It's the least I could do. Think of it as a sort of thank you for helping me study."

"Can I count on you for the rest of the week then?"

"Ah… ahaha… well, t-that's-"

"Relax, I'm just joking." Hamuko chuckled. "Now that I know I can think of something for the other days."

"Yeah, with the amount of money I have buying you bread everyday would be a little too hurtful for my wallet." Junpei said with a light snort. "Now, we just gotta find a place to eat…"

"Let's just go to the gymnasium. A lot of clubs eat around there and that's where I need to pick up my food from Rio anyway." Kenji said. "I'm sure I can convince her to let us stick around. Being friends with the team captain has gotta count for something, right?"

"If it's not enough, I'll put in a good word for you two." Hamuko said, arching an eyebrow when the two boys gave her a curious look. "Did you two forget? I'm part of the Tennis Club like Rio."

"Oh yeah! Heck, that's how I met you! Can't believe I almost forgot." Kenji laughed.

"Hey, with two members vouching for us we might actually get to eat lunch surrounded by girls!" Junpei said with a wide grin. "Say, Hamu-tan, do you know which members of your club have boyfriends? If you could put in a good word for me there's a few cute ones that I think-"

"I'm not gonna do that."

"Aw…"

Minato had heard the fuss his classmates had been making over the lunch menu discount and new items for sale during test week. While he had also overheard various things other things about the menu and what people did to get the food, he assumed they'd been exaggerations. Still, he hadn't brought his own lunch and he usually just bought from the student store so he went about his business as usual and headed down to the lobby area once the lunch bell had rang.

Still, this was outside his expectations.

"Okay, I'm going in! Back me up guys!"

"Out of the way!"

"Stop pushing, geez!"

"My hunger gives me strength! Make way!"

"A man's hunger is no match for his fighting spirit!"

Minato stared at the sea of crowded around the student store in mild awe. The lobby area was completely congested with dozens and dozens of students surrounding the vendor, shouting orders. There was more than just the single woman at the counter this time, with three other people wearing similar uniforms also handing out bread and sandwiches. Minato just stood back spectating for a bit, fascinated by the sight. Minato let out a chuckle when he saw one student actually jump from the first two steps of the stairs into the mass of hungry students. Several students made several protesting shouts, and many were ejected from the crowd. It was crazy how much effort these people were putting into getting a few snacks.

"…Maybe I should just skip out for today." Minato muttered thoughtfully to himself, not quite willing to risk his body the same way some of these people were.

"Ah… excuse me…!"

Minato blinked when he spotted someone who didn't quite fit in this chaotic scene.

Fuuka Yamagishi was skirting just on the outside of the massive crowd, trying to find a way to squeeze in but flinched back every time the crowd moved. Compared to all the other students who were pushing and shoving each other out of the way, there wasn't any place for her to go.

Even still, she tried to give her orders over the din of the crowd.

"I just need two cutlet sandwiches, a meat bun, and… um…!"

It was all in vain though. Minato just barely heard her over the shouts and grunts of the other students.

Fuuka eyed the crowd worriedly before her eyebrows knitted together as she adopted a determined expression. The girl seemed to take several deep breaths before she took a step towards the mass of students and disappeared into it.

…And a second later she was promptly ejected from the crowd and onto her rear.

"Ow…" Fuuka moaned as she sat there, completely ignored by the students fighting desperately for their own lunches.

The scene looked so comical that Minato couldn't help but give a snort of amusement at the girl's efforts. Why someone like her was trying so hard to get food was beyond him.

"…Hm?"

Minato bent down and plucked a small notepad from the ground.

"Two cutlet sandwiches, one meat bun, yakisoba bread, three Dr. Salts, one Mad Bull…" Minato read off, mildly surprised at the number of items listed.

"Ah…!"

Minato glanced up to see Fuuka staring at him, or rather at the notepad in his hand.

"This yours?" Minato asked, gesturing to the notepad.

"Y-Yes." Fuuka nodded as she hastily got to her feet and approached him. "Could I have it back, please?"

"Sure." Minato handed it over, to which the girl smiled gratefully in return. "I didn't think you were such a big eater, Yamagishi-san."

The girl's eyes widened in surprise before she gave him an exasperated smile and shook her head. "Oh, t-these aren't for me. I'm buying them for some other people."

Minato arched an eyebrow at her. "Who?"

"For Moriyama-san and the others."

"Them?" Minato asked, quite surprised. "But aren't they the ones who…"

Minato trailed off, biting his tongue when the girl's expression turned downcast. There was no need to continue. He didn't have to remind her of her relationship with Moriyama and her gang. But that still begged the question of why she was even bothering to buy food for them.

"They couldn't come buy food themselves?" Minato asked, a bit curious.

"W-Well, it's easier if it's just one person. I usually get our lunches anyway."

Minato scoffed a bit at that. More likely was that they forced her to get their lunches for them. Anything to avoid a crowd like this.

Still, what she said at the end caught his attention.

"You eat lunch with them too?"

"Yes. We all usually eat together." Fuuka smiled.

Minato was flabbergasted by that. And she said it with a smile on her face. Did she really enjoy eating with the same people who picked on her all the time?

"Oh, um, excuse me. I have to get their food before lunch period ends." Fuuka said, giving him a small bow. "Thank you for picking up my notepad."

After abruptly thanking him, to Minato's further amazement the girl rejoined the fray and disappeared into the sea of people. That she was willing to go this far…

Minato sighed and leaned back against one of the pillars as the swarm of students continued to push and shove around in front of him. He checked his phone, noting that there were still about twenty minutes left in the lunch period. He'd wait for a little while longer and if the crowd didn't thin at all during that time he'd just have to settle for getting some juice from one of the vending machines.

The young man spent several minutes watching the students in front of him like a spectator at a sports game. He bobbed his head lightly as he listened to his mp3 player, having turned up the volume so high that it almost completely muted the sounds of the crowd in front of him. After about ten minutes had passed Minato paused his music when he saw something interesting.

Yamagishi had made it out of the crowd, and in her arms were several packages of bread and beverages. The girl looked a little frazzled, but relieved that she'd managed to get what she needed. Minato was actually a little impressed that she managed to…

…Wait.

"Yamagishi-san!"

He suddenly found himself calling out to her. The girl jumped a little when she heard her name, giving him a perplexed look.

"Yes…?" Fuuka answered hesitantly.

Minato paused, quickly counting the items in her hands before frowning. So he hadn't just miscounted. She was missing something from the list. Still, should he even tell her? It really wasn't his business.

…Then again, he couldn't just leave it alone.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Minato asked flatly.

The girl looked puzzled before looking down at the food in her arms. She stared for a few seconds before her eyes widened in surprise.

"Ah! The yakisoba bread!" Fuuka gasped. "You're right. How… how could I forget that?"

"…Wow. She turned pale fast." Minato noted with a grimace as he watched the girl shudder.

"Oh… that's what Moriyama-san asked for. If I'd forgotten that… oooh…"

Clutching what she had already bought tightly to her chest, Fuuka turned back toward the swarm. Despite the shaky way she stood, it looked like she was preparing to go back to acquire the forgotten bread.

Minato sighed to himself, giving a small shake of his head as he pushed himself off the pillar. He opened his phone, noticing that only ten minutes were left before class resumed. Seeing as how the crowd had barely reduced in size in the past fifteen minutes, he decided to forsake a proper meal and just get something to drink from the vending machines.

"Um, excuse me…!"

Just as he headed back toward the hallway, Minato heard a voice behind him. He turned and found that the Yamagishi girl was facing him. Minato stared at her from over his shoulder, observing the girl as she shuffled her feet and looked around nervously. She almost looked afraid to stand close to him. Minato wondered how often she talked to others since she looked so uncomfortable.

Eventually, her lips twitched upward and she gave him a small smile.

"Um… thank you for telling me."

She said it so quietly that Minato barely heard her. She looked so nervous and hesitant while saying it too.

"Don't worry about it." Minato replied after a moment.

The girl nodded, turning away from him and heading back toward crowd of students. Minato watched her go before letting out another sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading back toward the hallway.

"…I hope she gets something for herself too." Minato muttered quietly.

"Okay, made it through the first day." Hamuko said to herself as she picked her drink out of the vending machine.

While she wasn't completely starving thanks to Junpei's thoughtfulness, the bread hadn't been filling enough to satisfy her hunger. The juice helped her a little bit, but it still wasn't enough.

Well, nothing a trip to Hagakure's wouldn't fix!

"Oh, Mitsuru-senpai!" Hamuko smiled when she saw the Kirijo heiress coming out of the student council room as she was walking down the hallway.

"Ah, Runako. How are you?" Mitsuru smiled at the girl as she stepped out into the hallway.

"I'm happy that the first day is done." Hamuko said. "What were you doing in the student council room? I thought there weren't any meetings since we had midterms this week."

"There aren't, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any work to do. Even during this time, there are still certain things that require my attention as the president of the student council."

"You're so diligent."

"What are you talking about? This much is normal."

"Not for everyone." Hamuko replied cheekily.

"Hm…" Mitsuru looked thoughtful for a moment, but eventually let the issue drop without comment. What she did take notice of was that the girl was by herself. Since joining SEES, Mitsuru had gotten used to seeing the girl with one of her fellow juniors accompanying her. She was rarely by herself. "Where are Iori and Takeba? Don't you usually go home with them?"

"I was planning to, but Yukari went to a friend's house to pick up some notes she'd lent her. The girl she lent them to planned to return them today, but forgot them at her place so Yukari tagged along to get them. Junpei got together with a bunch of other guys from class and headed off to the arcade. They wanted to have some fun and try to forget we've still got five more days of exams left." Hamuko giggled. "So today I'm all by myself."

"I see."

"…Say, Mitsuru-senpai." Hamuko began as an idea popped into her head. "You don't have anything else to do, do you?"

"Not at the moment. Fencing Club is also taking a break for exams and since I've suspended council activities for the moment there's little else I can do besides study. Although there are a few documents I was planning to look over…"

"But it's not anything urgent, right? You don't have to take a look immediately."

"No… but I'd prefer to look at them sooner rather than later."

"It's okay to take a break once and a while." Hamuko insisted. "After spending an entire day cooped up in a classroom taking tests, wouldn't you rather do something that doesn't require work?"

Mitsuru folded her arms across her chest, lips quirking upward in an amused smile. "Well then, what you suggest I do?"

Hamuko smirked. "We-e-ell, since you asked…"

"My, it's quite crowded here."

Hamuko was a little surprised by the hesitance in her usually self-assured senpai's tone as the two of them stepped into Hagakure. It also felt a little odd being the one leading Mitsuru around when it was often the other way around. Regardless, Hamuko smiled at the older girl as she claimed two stools at the counter so they could sit down.

"It's expected. This place is popular and it's right after school. A lot of people come here." Hamuko said as she and Mitsuru took their seats.

"Indeed." Mitsuru nodded in agreement, looking around and spotting several Gekkoukan students sitting at various booths in the restaurant. "It seems to be quite popular with our own students. I had no idea…"

"Really? Have you ever been to Hagakure's before?" Hamuko asked.

"No. I've passed by this place many times, but I've never gone in myself. This is my first time here." Mitsuru confessed, much to Hamuko's surprise.

"Seriously? Akihiko-senpai never invited you? Or what about your friends at school? I mean, I guess this isn't really the place most girls would choose to eat at but still…"

"Akihiko never has and I'm… not really well acquainted enough with anyone at school to ask if they wanted to come with me to a place like this." Mitsuru said, much to Hamuko's shock.

"But what about your club? Or the council? You don't have any friends in either of them?"

"Well, I get along with everyone certainly. As for friends… I can't really say I have much." Mitsuru said simply.

"T-That's insane! You're so popular! I can't imagine that you…"

Hamuko trailed off, holding her chin thoughtfully as she really pondered the issue. Then it suddenly hit her. While Mitsuru was undoubtedly popular and most of the student body looked up to her, Hamuko realized that might actually be the reason for her lack of companionship. After all, she was Mitsuru Kirijo! One of the most popular and smartest students in Gekkoukan, Captain of the Fencing Club, President of the Student Council, and daughter of the head of the Kirijo Group, the organization the created and funded their school! While it was no question that she was respected, perhaps it was that she was too respected to be so casually approached. Hamuko remembered what Junpei said about Mitsuru during her first week at school and how there was this aura about her that made everyone respect her. Everyone put Mitsuru up on a pedestal and really admired her, but how many of those people actually took the time to approach her?

Hamuko began to wonder if Mitsuru ever felt lonely during her time at school.

"A-Anyway, there's no point in being here if we're not going to order anything!" Hamuko smiled, quickly raising her hand to get the chef's attention. "Two of the Hagakure Specials over here!"

"You got it!" The chef called back.

"Since it's apparently your first time coming here, I'm buying!" Hamuko grinned.

"Are you sure? Looking at the menu this Hagakure Special Ramen Bowl is rather expensive for a regular student. I'm fine paying for myself." Mitsuru said.

"It's fine, it's fine! An underclassman treating her senpai to a meal isn't that unusual, right?" Hamuko smiled.

"Ha ha… if you insist." Mitsuru chuckled. "Thank you, Runako."

"No problem." Hamuko waved her off. "So, um, while we wait for our food… how do think you did on today's exam?"

"I was adequately prepared so I have confidence in my score. I devoted most of my time the week prior to studying, after all." Mitsuru smirked. "I'm aiming to have the best scores in my year, so no matter the outcome I'm sure my results will be favorable."

"Wow, I wish I had your certainty." Hamuko chuckled.

"Are you not confident? I thought you, Takeba and Iori were going to study together."

"Oh, you know about… well, even if I study I can never shake the nervousness I get before a test starts. I never really know how I'm gonna do until I see the questions in front of me." Hamuko said.

"If you've spent an ample amount of time studying there's no need for you to stress out over it. Have some confidence. I'm sure that will make you less anxious before the exams."

"Coming from you, I think I can believe that." Hamuko smiled.

"You ladies ordered the specials, right?"

"Oh wow, that was fast!" Hamuko exclaimed as two large ramen bowls were placed in front of her and Mitsuru. She smiled at the chef. "Thanks!"

"Don't mention it. My policy is to treat those who might become regulars well!"

"Regulars?"

The chef gave Hamuko light smirk. "Hard to forget a petite girl like you going through four special bowls in one go."

"Oh, um, that was…"

"Hey, don't worry about it! I was surprised, but for someone who enjoys my food that much I'll always make sure they feel welcome! Eat up!"

"You come here to eat often, Runako?" Mitsuru asked as the chef moved away.

"I guess more often than I thought if I'm becoming a regular." Hamuko mused. She smiled as she picked up her chopsticks. "But I'm okay with that! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't planning to dropping by plenty of more times in the near future!"

After muttering a quick prayer of thanks, Hamuko dove into her meal. Her taste buds sang as she slurped up the noodles. It was still as good as the first time she had it when Junpei first took her to the place.

"Ah…! This is the best!" Hamuko sighed contentedly before turning to Mitsuru. "So, what do you think of…"

Hamuko trailed off when she noticed Mitsuru's bowl was still untouched. Mitsuru was staring at it with a difficult expression on her face.

"Um… Mitsuru-senpai?" Hamuko ventured. "Why aren't you eating? Are you not hungry?"

"Eh? Oh no, that's not it." Mitsuru replied, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. "It's just that… I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with etiquette here. Are there any customs I need to follow?"

"…What?"

"How am I supposed to eat this?" Mitsuru asked, gesturing to the ramen bowl in front of her.

Hamuko was silent, completely nonplussed as she stared at Mitsuru. Was she seriously asking her how to eat ramen?

"…You just eat it." Hamuko said dumbly, not really sure what else she could say.

"I'm sorry, I seem to have asked something odd." Mitsuru sighed after getting a look at the junior's expression. "I just didn't want to offend the chef by eating improperly so I asked you."

"Oh, er, that's… thoughtful." Hamuko said. It seemed like Mitsuru wouldn't be satisfied unless she gave her a real answer. She thought hard for a moment before smiling at the red haired girl. "You just have to make sure you finish all of it. Make sure you drink any soup that's leftover. Oh, and make lots of noise while you eat!"

"Make lots of noise?" Mitsuru asked, looking surprised. "That seems so… primitive. Are you sure that wouldn't be rude?"

"No, it's really polite. It, uh… lets the chef and those around you know that you really enjoy the food!"

"…Very well then." Mitsuru nodded, looking so serious that Hamuko gave a light snort of laughter at her expression. "Bon appetite."

Suddenly very curious, Hamuko let her meal sit for a moment while she watched as Mitsuru carefully picked up her chopsticks. Hamuko continued to watch, mildly surprised how neat Mitsuru looked even as she nosily slurped up some noodles from the bowl. Mitsuru's eyes widened as she swallowed, staring down at her bowl in fascination.

"This taste… it's very interesting." Mitsuru said softly before taking a few more bites. "I thought it was a little strange at first, but as I kept eating I slowly realized that it has quite a charm to it. I've never had anything like this before."

"It's good though, right?" Hamuko asked, giving an amused smile in response to Mitsuru's critique.

"Yes. It's quite delicious." Mitsuru answered with a satisfied smile. "My highest compliments to the chef."

"I'm glad you like it." Hamuko smiled.

"Indeed. Excuse me!" Mitsuru said, suddenly calling out to the chef.

"Hm? What can I do for ya?" The chef asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that this ramen tastes absolutely wonderful. I can't remember the last time I complimented a chef for the food he made, but I wanted to let you know I really enjoy this."

"Oh. Uh… I'm happy to hear that."

Hamuko giggled as the Hagakure chef's face pinked at little at such blatant praise. He probably wasn't used to someone thanking him in such a respectful way before.

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you use for bouillon?"

Now the chef just looked confused. "Bouillon? The hell is that?"

Hamuko shared the chef's confusion. She'd never heard of the word either.

"I mean the broth." Mitsuru clarified. "It has such a unique texture and taste."

"Oh, that. Well, I can't tell you that, young lady." The chef smirked. "The noodles, the broth, everything is all a part of our secret recipe. I can't tell anyone or else I'd be out of business."

"Ah, you own this establishment as well? Impressive." Mitsuru smiled. "Forget my asking then. I understand the necessity of keeping the recipe a secret. Still, if you don't mind my suggesting I think you should patent the recipe if you wish to properly safeguard it."

"Er, patent? Safeguard?"

"Yes. By doing so you would deter those wishing to steal it and if you ever did decide to sell the recipe you could make quite a bit of money as well."

"Um, Mitsuru-senpai, I don't think he has to worry about something like that happening." Hamuko cut in with an exasperated smile.

"Oh. Well, I was merely thinking aloud." Mitsuru smiled. "Sometimes I let my imagination get the better of me."

"Um… well, enjoy your meal." The chef said awkwardly before hurrying away.

"…I probably shouldn't have distracted him. He must be quite busy." Mitsuru mused as she watched the chef go.

"It's fine, Senpai. " Hamuko assured her. "So this might be a weird question, but have you ever had ramen before?"

"I haven't. Though I've wanted to for the longest time."

"…Wow." Hamuko sighed, giving a small laugh at how incredible that was. In Japan you could find ramen shops almost anywhere you went, and she'd never had any until today?

Just what kind of life did the Kirijo Group head's daughter live?

"…Sorry." Mitsuru suddenly apologized, earning a confused look from Hamuko. "I suppose that makes me a little strange."

"I wouldn't say that makes you strange… but it is a little odd." Hamuko smiled. "What did you eat growing up?"

"A large variety of things. The cooks employed at the Kirijo manor made all sorts of food."

"You had your own cooks? Oh… I bet you got to eat all sorts of fancy foods every day, huh?"

"I don't know if I would call the dishes fancy or anything of the sort, but they were all exceptionally made. My father made sure that I had the proper nutrition growing up."

"Did he ever take you out to eat?"

"…No, not really. I almost always ate at home." Mitsuru said, briefly looking down at her ramen bowl. "I never had a chance to eat foods like this."

"What about now? What do you do for lunch or when we're at the dorm?"

"My lunch is delivered to me at school, and most of the food I eat at the dorm is prepared beforehand. A lot of the foods can be preserved and saved for later, so I usually just check my fridge and heat up whatever is inside."

Hamuko stared at Mitsuru for several seconds before sighing and leaning her cheek against her hand. "I think I've just gotten a small peak into the life of the Kirijo heiress… and now I'm wondering if I really should've offered to pay for you."

"I admit, the way I grew up and how I live my life today is different from the norm. I have more provided to me than most. I acknowledge that, and although sometimes I worry about it, it's something I've come to accept." Mitsuru said, sounding a little amused with herself. "And even though I'm the daughter of Takeharu Kirijo, there's still much I need to do myself."

"…Not all by yourself."

"Oh?"

"You're talking about SEES and Tartarus, right? Well, you're not doing it alone. You have me, Minato, Akihiko-senpai, Yukari and Junpei to help you out." Hamuko smiled. "Don't be afraid to lean on us every once in a while, Senpai. We're here for you, whether it's fighting against Shadows or grabbing a bite to eat."

"Ha! I suppose you're right." Mitsuru chuckled. "Thank you, Runako. I appreciate it."

"Don't sweat it. If you ever need help with anything, just give me a shout. Or if you just wanna talk, that's fine too."

"…Yes. How long has it been since I've talked with someone my own age like this? Sitting here, eating food together, making small talk… it's all rather unique for me." Mitsuru said, with a melancholy expression. "I wonder if this is what normal girls do every day…"

"Hehe… I guess our esteemed student council president and Kirijo heiress doesn't have a many opportunities to feel normal?" Hamuko asked cheekily.

"Not as many as you'd think." Mitsuru smirked. "Which, again, is why I appreciate you asking me out here today. If I had come here alone, I think I would've enjoyed it far less."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?" Hamuko smiled.

Mitsuru returned it, and in that moment Hamuko thought she looked dazzling. It was no wonder everyone respected her so much. Earning this person's gratitude… Hamuko felt pretty good about herself.

*SMASH*

Thou art I… and I am thou… thou hast established a new bond…

"Yes!" Hamuko cheered in her head when she heard the familiar voices speak up from within her mind.

Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Empress Arcana…

Hamuko Runako has established the Social Link: Empress with Mitsuru Kirijo…

"The Empress link, huh?" Hamuko thought to herself with a smile as the voices faded. "How fitting for Mitsuru-senpai."

"Oh, we should probably finish these up." Mitsuru said as she gestured back to their ramen bowls.

"You're right about that. Ramen's no good when the noodles are soggy!" Hamuko grinned.

"And Runako?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm still… unfamiliar with this kind of restaurant." Mitsuru said, giving the younger girl an embarrassed look. "So, if you wouldn't mind… could we come again sometime?"

Hamuko beamed at the older girl.

"Definitely!"

A/N: You know, in retrospect the title of this chapter actually really fits. It's midterms week for me as well. Anyway, a big thanks to The Infamous Man for once again devoting some of his time to looking over the chapter before its posting.

Most of the focus was on Hamuko this chapter since it was mostly Minato for the past few, but it should return to a balance in the coming chapters. I'm just happy to get some Social Links done. They're always such fun to write. And for those who have played P3, you'll notice I am NOT going to wait until the endgame to establish Mitsuru's Social Link. Ah, the liberties of not having to worry about gameplay and story segregation!

Hope those reading enjoyed the chapter and please, post some feedback if you wouldn't mind. Sharing thoughts and criticisms helps me and improves the story, so it's always appreciated. As always, thanks for reading. Have a good one.

Kiiam