The Aeon Arcana

Melon Bread

At School

During lunch, Yusuke and Hifumi waited for you to join them outside. Inside a stall, you finally managed to cry after trying to process what Akechi had said to you that morning.

You emerged and splashed water on your face. Your eyes were bleary and red from your tears. You were lucky no one else had come into the bathroom to see you. 

A splash of water lit up your phone's lock screen. You had set a picture of you and Akechi together as your wallpaper. You both were smiling.

You bit your bottom lip, looked around, then opened your phone camera. You lifted your shirt, revealing your bra, and snapped a quick photo of yourself. You quickly dropped your shirt just in time as two girls entered the bathroom.

You fled the bathroom and headed down the hallway. You opened your texting app to Akechi's number.

You

Kind of lonely…

You attached the photo to your text to Akechi and sent it. You tried to keep calm and collected when you sat down next to Yusuke and Hifumi.

"Are you all right?" Yusuke asked. He had no lunch and simply had a single small bag of chips in his hand. "You look as if you've been crying."

You sighed. "A little. But I'm okay."

"I saw the glare Akechi-kun was giving Mamori-kun," Hifumi said. "He must be very upset."

You wanted to change the subject. Luckily, or unluckily, for you, you had forgotten to bring a lunch. You also had forgotten to bring any money for the cafeteria.

"Oh god…" You started crying again.

"Here, you can have some of my lunch," Hifumi offered.

"You barely get any lunch!" You rejected. 

"I pack nutritious meals now," said Hifumi, opening her bento to show off a lot of nice food. "My mother works, so I make my own meals. We've struck a compromise, as she still wants me to be healthy. I've actually started discussing nutrition with her. I've learned she's been struggling with depression since my father passed and it's really affected her relationship with food." She sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to suddenly turn this about me while you're crying."

You sniffed and smiled. "No, Hifumi, I'm really glad. It…it actually makes me feel like I'm at least doing something right when the Thieves can make a difference."

"I agree," said Yusuke, eyeing Hifumi's lunch with longing.

"I can't take it, though," you rejected again. "Your lunch."

"Meow!"

Hands covered your eyes. You yelped and nearly fell off of the table bench you were sitting on. 

"Goro!" You cried, shaking him off of you. "What…you're not supposed to be here during school hours!"

"My kitten was lonely!" Akechi pouted.

Yusuke and Hifumi blinked.

After the initial moment of shock, Hifumi's brows furrowed. "Well, if you're going to be an annoyance, you could at least buy her lunch! You didn't give her any money for food?"

Akechi looked a bit stunned, then embarrassed. "I didn't?"

"That's because I normally pack our lunches," you said. "You didn't think about it."

Akechi pulled his wallet out of the inner pocket of his uniform jacket and opened it. With gloved hands, he pulled out several bills and handed them to you.