Asura

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Residential Kyoto T A G S @Hero

Noriaki wasn't entirely sure whether he should have expected Nakano's rebuff or not. Sure, she was renown as something of an ice queen, but shooting down the plea of a lonely child just seemed particularly cruel, especially with how melancholy she had been prior. It was true that trying to maintain a friendship with someone who didn't attend your school was somewhat difficult, especially with the age gap, and that having a thirteen year old trailing after him wasn't exactly the kind of attention he had wanted to cultivate, but there was no need to actually crush her hopes like that. "I'm sure we'll see each other around the neighborhood," He offered the girl in consolation, "We could always talk then." The topic of conversation had abruptly shifted after the trio arrived on Noriaki's street. After his first run in with the shadowy mirror world, he had done all he could to avoid the house on the corner. Unfortunately for him, that place was exactly where his two companions decided to direct their attention. They spoke about how it would soon be reconstructed—all but confirming a suspicion he had done his best to avoid ruminating on too long since that fateful Sunday. The younger of the pair addressed him shortly thereafter, giving him a convenient out to not look the way of the illusionary structure and whatever unwelcome inhabitants it held. "I've heard a little here and there. Pretty sure the real estate agent mentioned rents have been down since the arson. Probably why we could afford to live this close to the school."

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Residential Kyoto T A G S @Hero

It was difficult to talk to this kid, in truth. Noriaki couldn't decide whether it was because his atrophied social skills made the long pauses between her words all the more poignant, or because she had a habit of poking at his wounds with those words when they finally came out. Maybe he was just still raw, but he had spent a long time coming to terms with his flight from Osaka and pushed many of the resulting thoughts on the matter to the side. He had done a great deal to try and clear the slate, but it seemed everyone around him wanted to drudge up that past. Still, he couldn't exactly rebuke the poor girl—she had been on the verge of bawling just ten minutes ago, and he didn't want to see those waterworks any more than he had to. "Yeah, I guess I do," He eventually decided, "But it couldn't be helped. People have to move on. No point in lingering on the past." An ironic thing for him to say, seeing as though he was so wound in a knot over his own history. But, he could at least say with confidence that he had been trying to live up to that principle. Success was another story entirely, but he had been trying.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Residential Kyoto T A G S @Hero

While he couldn't exactly claim that walking home with this kind of company was something he was used to, being the subject of a certain level of curious scrutiny was something Noriaki was rapidly becoming accustomed to. He had hoped that the new school year would make being a transfer student less of a spectacle, but it seemed that even in cosmopolitan Kyoto a new additional to a class was something to buzz about. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not that was a welcome change to being ostracized as he was in Osaka, but there was little he could do about it. The middle schooler who had extended his exposure to the class president seemed chatty enough to fill the void left between her two upperclassmen, and with little else to do, Noriaki listened intently. It seemed the poor girl herself had been made the black sheep of her class. He wasn't entirely sure why—the air around school did have a certain amount of tension, and there seemed to be the occasional reference here or there to some tragic happenstance. If he hadn't been so busy burying his head in the sand and keeping a low profile, he might have learned exactly what it is. For now, he was content to simply assume it wasn't particularly pertinent to his situation. The young girl didn't seem to expect a response regardless, simply venting her frustrations towards her isolation. She did eventually bring up something Noriaki was expected to respond to, though. "I just moved here last week. Didn't have a lot of time to go around introducing myself to the neighbors, so I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting your mother," The teen told her as they walked, "Although, admittedly, it doesn't seem like people around my place are very talkative."

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Residential Kyoto T A G S @Hero

Noriaki's parting shot had been made significantly less cutting by an act of fate—he could hear the idle chatting of the two girls he had left behind trailing behind him for the better part of the journey. No matter which turn he made or street he walked, they seemed to continue following along behind him. He had to catch himself from thinking accusatory thoughts towards the president, overly pushy as she was, but he doubted she would bring a sniffling middle schooler on whatever self-imposed quest she had to live up to her fore-bearer's memory. Which meant that the Natsuhime household was more than likely near his own place of residence. The teen had hoped, very briefly, that the duo wouldn't address the unfortunate happenstance, and he would be free from them for the day. Hell, his legs were a lot longer, and he was probably in better shape. If he just sped up a little bit, then inevitably he would outpace them entirely. Unfortunately, the younger of the two decided to squash those plans with an innocuous request. He had half a mind to deny her outright and save himself the trouble. However, he couldn't help but recall the melancholy look on her face as he stopped. With the tumultuous nature of his prior few days, the last thing he needed on his mind was the guilt of causing a child to cry. Not that he expected his absence to inspire such dramatics. "Well, we've all but been walking together so far. What could making it official hurt?" He asked, turning to face them with his best impression of a smile given the circumstances.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero

"Don't worry about it." A small bit of reassurance was about all Noriaki could offer the young girl. It seemed as though he found himself in the middle of an exchange that he almost certainly did not belong in, considering his own very recent history with both this school and its inhabitants. Through context clues he could ascertain that Nakano's brother had gone on some kind of leave, and it was upsetting this child something severe. He felt rather uncomfortable, being privy to what ostensibly was a very private moment between the two girls, whose familiarity was readily apparent even before introductions. His tag-along had mentioned a Natsuhime just about every time he had heard her speak, although in the context of an upperclassmen, so this young girl was undoubtedly a younger relative. Awkward as his presence was, when offered an opportunity to speak, he kept things relatively short. "I'm Hoshino Noriaki. It's nice to meet you, circumstance aside, Natsuhime-san," He had never been especially good at consoling people, let alone people he had just met seconds beforehand, but the look on the girl's face was pathetic enough that he scrounged up the necessary condolences. The president's little jabs and insistence on taking control of the conversation gave him an out, although he was never one to forego returning fire. Especially against such a very flammable target. "I should hope I don't look like your brother. That would make your little crush a lot more awkward to deal with," He declared nonchalantly, "If you're going to walk her home, then I'll leave you two to talk. I'm sure you'll make a point of seeing me tomorrow. Goodbye, Natsuhime-san, Senpai." With that, he was off.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero

"I'm just making your job easy for you. What kind of senpai would you be if your poor underclassmen go without a homecooked meal?" It wasn't exactly his best banter, but the little huffs and puffs that his words garnered made it clear he was achieving his goal. If he managed to worm his way under Nakano's skin, maybe she would stop showing up to pester him about this and that for her own self-satisfaction. He had enough women to answer to as it was, between the cat-girl and his parole officer, so he certainly didn't have the patience to placate her desire to live up to expectation. His japes must not have been sharp enough to see her off entirely, as he found her trailing after him, although she made some lame excuse as to why she needed to do so. It was almost lame enough as to be believable. The outside world provided a much needed reprieve, thankfully. It was unusually cool for a spring day, an unfortunate affair after the previous day's incessant down-pour. He could at least be grateful that chill of the air helped him clear his head; something Noriaki found himself sorely in need of, his week having been what it was. As the two of them cleared the school's gates, he briefly wondered whether or not they would be walking in the same direction—the absolute last thing he needed was the president tagging along on his daily commute home. It was bad enough that the little white she-devil from the mirror world would inevitably be accosting him on the route more often than not, and he didn't want to explain the cat's strange attachment to him to his huffy upperclassman. In lieu of the cat, it seemed another would be accosting him that particular day. He didn't think too much of the middle schooler until she took to staring at him with wide eyes. Nakano seemed to call out to her, but it fell on deaf ears. Before he knew it, the girl was throwing herself into his chest and squeezing him with all her might. It was certainly a bizarre happening, and the only clue as to why lay in her muffled cries. Nakano-senpai? If she had meant to hug the class president, she had missed by a country mile. Of course, it didn't seem at all like this Himawari was calling out to the irritating girl who had made herself his companion for the afternoon. It stood to reason that she may have mistaken him for another Nakano—a brother, perhaps—but that would mean bearing a familial resemblance to his tag-along, and that was not something he wanted to ponder on for too long. Not with how often people pointed out his grim expressions. But those thoughts were secondary to the situation at hand. The poor girl currently clung to him seemed to exude an awful amount of relief, and while he certainly wasn't the person she was looking for, he couldn't exactly rebuff her immediately. He instead opted to place a hand atop her head, gently patting it as he spoke. "Fond as she is of me, I don't think we're quite ready for marriage yet, kid," He said, if only to earn Sakuya's ire, "I think you've got the wrong guy."

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero

If he received nothing else from this rendezvous, Noriaki at least learned that the president was not entirely imperturbable. He idly wondered whether or not Nakano was used to people challenging her like this, given her reputation. Of course, not many people could remain unflinching when someone got up in their face like that—which was the entire point of the exercise. She would be less likely to lie if she was too concerned with his proximity to come up with a convincing cover. His eyes searched her face once she had given him her motives, as if to seek out traces of the deception he had already deemed her guilty of. With a sigh, he pulled back, returning to his full height and turning to retrieve his bag from where it hung on his locker door. "Don't worry about it." It was a rather dismissive thing to say, considering his own actions only moments prior, but if he was to take her word for it, then she had no knowledge of his circumstances. There was no point in drudging up history he had gone to great lengths to bury, and besides, he had plenty to deal with as it was. Not least of which was Nakano's insistence on being a "good senpai". Even if he buried the hatchet with her over the misunderstanding on the first day, he was unlikely to shed himself of her if she was half as persistent as most overachievers. Still, he could at least try to dissuade her. Given how a little breach of comfort had managed to crack her cool, collected facade, he had just the idea of how. "I'm going now, so unless you intend to treat me to that lunch you owe, I think this is where we part."

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero

The class president seemed surprisingly emotive, all sighs and exasperated gestures. It didn't seem to match up with the calm, composed ice queen that rumor would have one think of her. Not that the rumors had done much to impact his own opinion. She was a thorough pain in his ass, regardless of what the idle gossip had declared. As she seemed to work through exactly what she had to say to him, he caught sight of a familiar shock of red in his peripheral vision. One which made a hasty getaway before he could do much to follow after it. As he watched Hinari disappear into the crowds of students, he scowled just a tad more noticeably—it seemed as though his plans had taken care of themselves. Not that it mattered especially much; he could always pester him on LINE later, and if that failed, well, they did share a classroom. With that matter settled in his mind he had little reason to argue when the president decided they would settle their business while walking together. "Lead the way." Their journey to the stairs saw them passing by a scene at least one of the duo found interesting, though Noriaki couldn't bring himself to care much for it. Apparently the one being scolded by the Vice Principal had a reputation for harassment, dweeby looking shit that he was. As they wandered down the stairs, he idly wondered whether or not he felt a sense of kinship with the unnamed second year. He was quickly becoming familiar with an upperclassman's overly pushy conduct himself, after all. He was not given the mercy of lingering on that thought for long. Once his escort had reached the first floor, she turned to him and began that awful habit she had. The one where her lips moved and words that pissed him off came out. To her credit, her brief explanation had managed to deflect the lion's share of his ire away from herself. As she made a retreat to the lockers, he ruminated on the knowledge recently provided. His initial indignation towards her wasn't necessarily misplaced, just misdirected. The Vice Principal had put her up to her thinly veiled threat. Tightly wound as he was, he almost skipped over a vital point—that she looked to be playing innocent with him, as if he himself wasn't a 'delinquent' yet, like the Ito she seemed so displeased with. By the time he had hastily thrown on his sneakers, the source of his vexation returned to his side with an idle shrug. What she said following that didn't matter much to him. What did matter was finally getting a question of his own out. Noriaki leaned down, moving just a little closer than was considered comfortable so he could lock eyes with his Senpai. "Just to get this straight; the Vice Principle told you to watch me because I'm new here. That's it. No other reasons why. That's all he told you?"

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero

It took a great deal of willpower on Noriaki's part not to scowl. She had sought him out after yesterday, when she decided to all but threaten him and his chance at a new start, and she had the nerve to sigh at him? She had nobody to blame for this situation but her own ego. He didn't doubt that her appearance now was just an excuse to start things all over again, seeing as though he had rebuffed her little power move and gotten the last word in the day prior. It would almost be respectable, if she didn't try disguising her intentions in that honor student act. The previous urge to blow her off and go about his day almost won out when she opened her mouth again and started speaking in the faux apologies. But she pointed out something he already knew—if he didn't humor her, she would just keep showing up again and again, so it was best to suffer through her presence now for peace later. "You already went through the trouble of coming all this way and delaying me," he pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning up against the wall, "So say what you need to say. If you make a habit of coming to my classroom every day, people will start talking."

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 11th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero

Another unproductive day was drawn to a close by the bell, the chiming bringing a welcome respite from the toils of academia. Not that Noriaki had managed to get all that much work done. The youth had spent most of the afternoon zoning out and ruminating on the events of the day prior. He couldn't exactly pretend Sunday's events were just a 'stress-induced nightmare' when several of his classmates had also been roped whatever bullshit was going down. He would have to broach the topic with them eventually, seeing as though he couldn't even escape the folks lurking behind it all even outside of his waking hours. The teen closed up his notebooks and swept the contents of his desktop into his bag with all the haphazard care he could must. With a brief scan of the room, he checked for any fellows who hadn't bum-rushed the door the second Momoji-sensei had dismissed them. Hinari, Sasaki and Mori seemed present enough. He only had the contact information of the ginger among them, and frankly, Daigo was the only one among their number he especially wanted to talk to, foul as his mood was. Asakura too, but he had mercifully been spared the fate he and the others had, and he didn't want to let that little white devil get her paws on someone else—he had caught sight of a fluffy tail in his peripherals more than once during the day, so she was assuredly lurking around, waiting for him to be indisposed. He would have to take some evasive maneuvers once he was on the first floor to ensure that wouldn't happen. "Busy today. Can't stick around." With a parting few words to Kazuyoshi, he slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way out into the hallway. A poor choice, he soon realized, as it appeared he had multiple she-devils waiting for the opportunity to catch him alone. He quirked a brow, tilting his head over his shoulder at the student council president that had gone to such lengths to grab his attention. He had half a mind to ignore her, his tolerance for stand-offs being what it was, but he was sure she would just continue to pester him if he did that. She seemed the persistent type. So, instead, he stepped off to the side, allowing the foot traffic out of class to flow unimpeded. "Not really," He answered, "But something tells me you don't really care about my schedule. What do you want?"