2025-12-22: Hope For The Future
- Log: Hope For The Future
- Cast: Ken Amada, Shinjiro Aragaki
- Where: Naganaki Shrine
- OOC Date: December 22, 2025
- IC Date: August 28, 2012
- Summary: Ken invites Shinjiro to a festival, hoping to find a mutual understanding. He agrees, and the two have a good time, winning hamster toys despite Shinjiro's shaky hands. Ken reveals his mother's death to Shinjiro, not knowing he was the true cause of her death, which wracks the latter with guilt, especially as Ken declares that he has gained hope for the future.
(|============================= Naganaki Shrine ==============================|) -================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====- Naganaki Shrine is a piece of tradition in the middle of the city. Long stairs lead up to a stone-pathed pavilion lined with sacred trees; immediately to one's left is a children's playground, with slide, see-saw and a jungle gym. The first part of the shrine proper is the cleansing area, where one washes out one's mouth and hands in order to respectfully meet the Gods. This done, one may approach the shrine. Two lion-dogs fiercely guard the monetary offering booth, where many a student has come praying for academic success. Off to the side, one may receive a relationship fortune and tie it off, in hopes of growing closer to a special someone. To the other side of the shrine are red pillars which lead one to the /Inari/ Shrine, another place for prayer. One may receive items, here, if items are sacrificed in turn. Beside the Inari Shrine is a great sacred tree, protected behind a fence and by a series of tags tied about it from a holy rope; a sign beside it describes the history of this place, going into the sacred tree and the Shrine's deity.
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
"Um... Aragaki-san? If it's not too much trouble, would you mind coming with me to the festival tonight?"
So Ken had asked Shinjiro that morning in the SEES dorm lounge. He hasn't really had a proper chance to thank him for saving his life from that Shadow, and he was awfully upset when Ken asked to join SEES, so... he wants to have a chance for them to... "bond" is probably not the word (or so Ken thinks), but to make sure they've got a mutual understanding.
"I understand if you'd rather not... but I hope you will. U-um, and I'll be paying! It's my way of saying thank you for saving me!"
As intimidating as Shinjiro is at first (and well after then), Ken's developed an understanding of his kindness. He doesn't want to make him worry about him just because he's a kid. Even someone as young as he is can save up to afford paying for a festival outing for two!
(...Not that Shinjiro is likely to accept that.)
~ * ~
The festival at Naganaki Shrine is quite lively. Ken looks around with an excitement that he tries to keep tamped down. It's been a while since he's attended--not in two years. It feels different now, in a good way.
"There's a lot of food booths this year, aren't there, Aragaki-san?" he comments, trying to seem mature as they walk through the lantern-lit festival. "Do you have a festival food you like best?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"..."
Shinjiro was definitely not expecting an invitation. He was also not expecting an invitation from *Ken*. At first, he's trying to figure out what to say, taking a moment. His Resting Brusque Face may make it look like he's upset at times, but Ken has seen him be kind. In the end...
As much as he doesn't deserve to say yes, a no would hurt Ken worse. Besides, he said he'd watch over him...
"Sure. But you don't need to pay for me."
---
Shinjiro is still in his red coat, hands in his pockets, as they reach the festival, and he can imagine Ken's excitement, even if the boy is trying to tamp it down. The way he asks questions, though, tries to be mature...
Shinjiro stole a lot from him, didn't he?
"Looks like it. I'm a fan of the okonomiyaki, but the squid can be good too. Taiyaki, too."
He looks over to Ken at that, considering. "How about you?"
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
It's not like Ken has any friends his own age. Hanging out with someone seven years older is normal for him, really. He lights up when Shinjiro agrees, and doesn't push the matter when he says he doesn't have to pay. (If Ken did pay for someone so much older, it would feel like he was trying to bribe him into hanging out with a kid like him. This feels much better!)
"Whole roasted squid is an interesting food, isn't it? It's not that easy to eat, so you spend a lot of time biting it down piece by piece. I understand it goes well with alcohol--but I won't know that for sure for another nine years," Ken replies, looking back at him. "I'm also a fan of the taiyaki, personally. The specialized waffle irons they make for them are such fascinating pieces of workmanship!"
...Also they're sweet and delicious. But that's the kind of answer a little kid would give.
As the two walk through, Ken notes there's a lot of other members of SEES around, walking around with each other but also with other kids he doesn't know. Minako's walking with a frizzy-haired boy, and Ririka, Moriko, and Hitomi are at the shooting gallery with a BIG muscular boy. And there's Koh, just coming from...
%T"Oh! A booth about hamsters!" Ken says, brightening. "That's so unusual--I don't think I've ever seen something like that before! Would you like to take a closer look at that one, Aragaki-san?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro tilts his head when Ken starts talking about the food in a... well, he's not sure it's mature when it's put-upon, but a detailed way. "It's kinda a time-waster, but it tastes good," he says, paradoxically *sounding less* 'mature' than Ken.
Though, the thing about Taiyaki... "When I was younger, I really wanted a taiyaki iron. I didn't get one, but probably for the better... I wouldn't use it often enough. It's sweet, but not a year-round type of thing for me."
Shinjiro notices the various other SEES they see, but Ken would have invited them if he wanted to go with them, so he doesn't flag them. Instead, as they see the hamster booth...
"Sounds good. You have a hamster, don't you? Maybe they'll have something for 'em."
He'll lead the way. He doesn't have a hamster, but he likes animals... and Ken's brightening shows it's the right path to take, anyways.
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
This is how grown-ups talk about food, right? About how much depth or history it has instead of how good it tastes? That's Ken's impression anyway. When Shinjiro responds the way he does, he thus pauses for an awkward moment.
Thankfully, he moves on from squid to the taiyaki iron. "Oh?" he prompts. Shades of sympathy settle on his expression as he realizes... That's right, Shinjiro also grew up an orphan. (Ken, you're still growing.) Of course he wouldn't have been able to get such a specialized cooking tool... "Maybe you can get one now. There's a lot of people in the dorm who'd like a treat like that, I'm sure," he offers. With a little laugh, he adds, "Do you think Junpei-san would get excited for them, or do you think he's not the type to have a sweet tooth?"
Maybe later they can hang out with the other SEES members! Fuuka seems to be by herself over by the shaved ice booth--oh, no, there's an older lady with her, and Koh seems to be heading her way too? Yes, they can catch her later. For now, Ken blinks owlishly when Shinjiro comments on him having a hamster.
"Y-yes, I do!" Under his breath, he adds, "You remembered that...?" Then, at normal volume, he says, "Yes, Hamburger could use some new toys."
The hamster booth... is actually a game booth with prizes! Specifically, it's Whack-A-Ham--whack-a-mole, but with hamsters. The pop-up hamsters have cute faces that stick out their tongues when struck, so it isn't upsetting when they're hit, and there's a ton of hamster-related prizes, like toys, beds, treats, and accessories--such as a tiny hat.
"This game seems hard," Ken observes as he watches someone ahead of them play. "The hamsters pop up and go away really quickly, so you'd need lightning reflexes to get them..." Is he quick enough for that? Shinjiro can practically see him weighing that in his mind.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Ken is sympathetic... that causes a pang in Shinjiro's heart of guilt, but he doesn't show it on his face. Instead, the older teen tilts his head. "I'll think about it. It might be nice to make some for all of you," he says, including Ken in there.
But, Junpei... "I have *no* idea what goes on inside his head," he jokes.
"Hamburger's a cute name," Shinjiro says, being the last guy you'd expect to call a hamster 'cute'. But once they reach the booth and it's Whack-A-Ham... Ken isn't sure he could do it.
"I'll give it a try. I probably can't beat it, but it'll let you figure out the timings for if you try. Worst case, we did something worth experiencing, and best case, Hamburger gets something," he says seriously.
If he gets a chance to go up to the booth... Shinjiro's play is Not Bad, but Not Great. The problem, if Ken is watching Shinjiro instead of the hamsters, are that his hand seems to shake a lot, and it's slowing him down. Is that... normal?
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
"Maybe we can make a taiyaki party out of it. It makes the expense feel a lot more worth it if you can make something with everyone with it, right?" Ken suggests. "We can try a bunch of different fillings, not just the traditional red bean paste."
He laughs a little at the crack on Junpei. "It's mostly about trying to impress girls, I think," Ken jokes back. "Even though, judging by Yukari-san, I don't think he has good ideas on how to do it."
It's a good thing Junpei's not here right now. He'd be shot down in one strike--and thanks to a grade-schooler, no less.
It is a surprise to hear Shinjiro call anything 'cute.' Ken gives him another wide-eyed look before offering a small smile. "Thank you. I though so too," he admits.
Shinjiro offers to play first. "Really? Thank you very much," Ken says. "I'm rooting for you, Aragaki-san!" Fists clench in support! "Go get 'em!"
He does watch the hamsters at first--but it isn't look before he's watching Shinjiro instead. He's got strong, decisive blows--a good way to make sure any hamster he hits really counts--but... Ken furrows his brows as he looks closer. Yes, it does seem like his hand is shaking... It's easier to tell in between blows, when his hand has a chance to be still for a second or two. Does he... have low blood sugar? Maybe they should've gotten something to eat first...
For now, though, he continues to cheer Shinjiro on. Even if he's paying closer attention to him than the hamsters, it does still help Ken get a sense of the rhythm of the game. It's tough, but not impossible--and when he listens closely, he can hear a good audio cue of the hamster gears turning just before they pop up. "There! Over there!"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"...that might be fun," Shinjiro agrees. He doesn't dig too much into Junpei, but he does smile at the crackshot kill that Junpei probably sneezed at a mile away.
Once it's time to play, though... Shinjiro's keeping himself going by knowing it's not about winning, but about the experience he won't be able to have again. This is living, right? Ken's callouts help, and even though his hand shakes without control, he's able to be more accurate with that, instead of it making him lose concentration.
Win or lose, prize or no prize, Shinjiro comes out of it with a light grin. "Poor hamsters," he jokes. "Did you want to try?"
Either way... this experience is more for Ken than it is for him. He's not going to be pushy.
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
Shinjiro does win... a small prize! He just ekes enough hamster hits to win a little ball of woven rope and hay--perfect for a hamster to chew on. Ken beams at him at the end. "You did it!" he says. Does he want to try too, though? ...He hesitates, then nods. "I'll do my best!"
He needs to challenge himself if he wants to grow stronger, right? He can't just rely on grown-ups to take care of him anymore. That's the meaning of Persona... right?
Ken is enthusiastic about hitting the poor hamsters, too, shouting defiantly with every swing. He needs to swing with both hands to have enough force, but his hands are steadier than Shinjiro's and he has that audio cue he picked up while watching Shinjiro play. He doesn't make enough hits for a grand prize--a giant stuffed hamster--but he does get enough to get a silky new bed for Hamburger! (But no tiny hat. That prize is one Koh will have to claim later.)
"He's gonna be so happy when he gets these!" Ken enthuses, holding both bed and toy now--assuming Shinjiro handed his winnings over. "Thanks so much for helping me, Aragaki-san!" He pauses, looking at his hands, and adds, "But that really worked up an appetite. How about we head to the okonomiyaki stand? I'm starving," he quasi-lies. He is getting hungry, but this is more for Shinjiro's benefit than his own. (At least, that's the intent.)
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro definitely hands over the hamster toy, because he does not own a hamster. When Ken plays, though, Shinjiro's cheering him on in the only way he knows how. "Come on! Over there!" He's not as supportive openly... but he's rooting for the kid.
And then he gets the bed! That's nice. "I'm glad," Shinjiro says earnestly. But when he offers okonomiyaki stand as the next destination...
Well, Shinjiro's not in his head, so he assumes that he really is hungry as a first priority. It's impossible to imagine someone doing it just for his sake.
"Let's do it. The toppings are the fun part, right? Every time I make it, I make sure to have it all available."
He'll pay for his own, and let Ken pay for his - anything else would make the kid feel like he's being coddled... and it'll let Ken have some measure of responsibility that's important.
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
"They are," Ken agrees, and not just to look good. Okonomiyaki is as it says--a fried piece of whatever you like. Putting on the toppings you want, in any quantity and arrangement you want, is built right into the name. Shinjiro saying as much just makes it okay for Ken to say so too. "I usually like a seafood mix since they say it's good for your brain, but you like to mix in everything, Aragaki-san?"
That's precisely what Ken will buy too--though it's actually a lot for him and he'll have trouble putting it all away. Maybe Shinjiro will have the leftovers too... He appreciates that Shinjiro lets him pay for himself, though. It would feel like coddling if Shinjiro paid after Ken said he would. It's... nice, to have a grown-up who takes him seriously.
The size of the okonomiyaki portion will at least give them both an excuse to find somewhere to sit down--not an easy task with the crowds, but they luck out. As they're eating, Ken looks up at Shinjiro.
"...Thank you for coming out with me today," he says quietly. "I know you aren't happy about me joining SEES, so I was worried you wouldn't want to..."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Yeah. I have trouble with food waste. If there's a lot of toppings available, they should be eaten, right?" Shinjiro admits.
But when they get their food and move to sit down, he's enjoying what he eats. It's when Ken thanks him that Shinjiro looks over, considering his words between bites. When he finally has a chance to speak...
"It's not that I dislike you or anything like that," he says. "This is just... I wouldn't be a part of it myself, if I didn't feel like I had a responsibility to. It's not something I'd wish on anyone, having a Persona."
A pause, as he realizes he might be getting heavy with the eleven-year-old he's sworn himself to protect.
"...I'm enjoying myself today, anyways. You don't get many opportunities to do things like this when you're someone like me."
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
"That makes sense," Ken says. "It *is* better not to waste food, and it's not good to be a picky eater either. At a big festival like this, though, I don't think you need to worry about anything going to waste. As long as it's tasty, it'll get eaten up sooner or later."
...This might be a naive optimism, though. Ken might be an orphan, but he's never lived in an orphanage. He got passed around relatives just long enough for someone to decide to take enough responsibility to pay for his schooling and send him to live at Gekkoukan. Unlike some other orphans, Ken got the hang of being a Good Little Boy very quickly.
That's then and this is now, though. Ken looks uncertain at Shinjiro when he admits he wouldn't be doing this. "I... suppose I wouldn't be either, normally," he admits. "I'm not doing this for fun. I also feel like I have a responsibility to." He looks down at his okonomiyaki. There's still a lot left. "Two years ago... my mother was killed during the Dark Hour. I saw it happen, but I was so messed up afterwards the psychologists convinced me my mind was playing tricks on me. Even now, my memories of it are a little hazy. But... that night you rescued me... I remembered."
His small fist closes around his disposable wooden chopsticks, bending them almost to the point of breaking, as his eyes grow distant and intense. "That Shadow that you were grappling with your Persona... I saw it that night. It crushed my mom to death...!" He sucks in a breath through his teeth. "When I realized that, I was so overwhelmed with hate... I couldn't let it live even a second longer. That's why I awakened... I wanted to punish it more than anything."
Tension rides in his slim frame a moment later; then it lets out all at once, leaving him sagging. "...But even though it's dead now, I don't feel satisfied. Mom can rest in peace now, so why doesn't it feel like it's over? ...I thought about it afterwards, and I concluded that--there's still a lot of Shadows out there in the world, right? Normal people don't know about the Dark Hour, and they get victimized because of it, just like Mom and I did."
He looks up at Shinjiro. "Knowing that there's people fighting to protect people from them... I can't pretend it's got nothing to do with me. I want to fight and help keep anyone else from ending up like me. I mean... what else am I supposed to use this power for?"
You were saying something about getting heavy, Shinjiro?
Ken offers him a smile, though. "I'm glad to hear that. You saved my life, and I realize it'll be a long time before I can return the favor, but I wanted to do something to express my gratitude."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro shrugs about the food waste. "True, but it's just something I've adapted to," he says.
But then Ken is admitting why he's fighting. Hazy memories... he believes the Shadow killed his mother, and he got his revenge. Shinjiro takes to eating during this, letting it prevent Ken from really noticing any facial expressions, and the tension in his own body can be written off as 'this is a pretty sad story actually'. But internally, the guilt overwhelms. He is the sole cause of all of this, of Ken Amada's childhood being stolen away.
As he finishes eating...
"...if that's how you feel, then I can't fault you. When we destroy the Dark Hour..."
"The dead can truly rest."
Shinjiro then looks over to Ken, tilting his head. "You really don't need to do that." A moment later, though, he realizes that will probably make Ken feel weird.
"...but if you do, thanks."
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
With blurred memories, and with the way the Shadow and Castor had been in close proximity, it's easy to see how Ken might have seen the two fighting and gotten it mixed up in his head. He's already been gaslit this long, however unintentionally; what's a little longer of living a deception?
"Yes," Ken agrees. That's the belief that he's wrapped himself up in now.
It is awkward when Shinjiro tells him he doesn't need to repay him. Not wanting to argue with him about it and having plenty of food left besides, Ken only eats. Shinjiro's follow-up gets him a smile, though. "Mmm," he says around his mouthful.
For a time, there is a peaceful silence. At least, it's peaceful for one of them. When Ken manages to polish off his meal, he wipes his mouth with a paper napkin and hops up from the bench. Fortunately, there's a trash can nearby, and he carefully puts his trash away.
"The fireworks show is going to be starting soon," he notes, listening to the change in cadence to the taiko drums. "Aragaki-san, would you come with me? There's a special spot I know with a great view."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro would tell Ken if he thought it'd help him. But all he can see is more harm, more hurt, Ken never trusting again. Because he likely wouldn't, either. So if he can keep this secret to his grave...
Well, that's better. It won't be too long, either.
But when they're done eating, Shinjiro snaps himself out of his rumination he certainly was going through, and puts his own trash away.
"... a special spot, huh? Let's see what you've got," he says, following after Ken. Fireworks...!
<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
It's not like Shinjiro's the only one keeping that secret, either.
Besides, he's right; it won't be too long. Whether he realizes or not, Ken will get his justice.
Right now, though, he smiles innocently at Shinjiro, then leads him out of Naganaki Shrine, down the street, around, up some stairs, and...
It's an overhang above the shrine area, woodsy and hard to spot from below--but with a great view of the festival, and more importantly, of the skies above it. The two of them make it just in time. The music below has just stopped, and they reach the fenced edge just in time to see the first of the fireworks whistle up into the air and explode with festive color.
Ken only watches at first, smiling at the display. There's an irony similar to his situation with Shinjiro in them: something that can be so frightening and destructive can also be so heart-warming and beautiful.
"This used to be me and my mom's secret spot. We'd come here every year to watch the fireworks away from the crowds," he says quietly as the show continues. "After she died, I thought, 'Ah, that's it. Nothing good or fun will ever happen to me again.' But I had a lot of fun today. Lots of good things happened today." His hand curls around the bag where the Whack-A-Ham prizes rest. "It gives me hope for the future... Maybe it's worth living in a world without my mom after all.
"Thank you, Aragaki-san. For helping me see that."
Pow. A particularly brilliant burst of scarlet explodes, then showers down glittering sparkles that soon reduce to nothing.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As they make it up the stairs, to the overhang... the first firework detonates. Shinjiro's watching them with focused eyes... though as Ken addresses him, he tilts his head down to him.
His expression is solid for a long second... before he looks back up, and smiles bittersweetly. In some ways, this is a dark irony, a bitter taste in the mouth. In others...
If the boy can have hope, that's all Shinjiro wanted. Even on false pretenses.
"Don't mention it. I'm glad you can come to that realization... we'll support everyone going forward so that future can come true."
Ken's in SEES now... Shinjiro can't deny he'll be relying on him, even if he doesn't explicitly say that. No...
Creating a future for everyone... that's what life is.