Prompt: Amagi Inn Saga Ch. 2 Redux (Persona)

Summary: A remake of 'Our Dirty Little Secret.' Hifumi and Haru, after having kissed each other just hours ago, spend the night together, and fall into a discussion of evil, movies, and one another. Includes: No Smut and Drama. 

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The Amagi Inn was falling quiet as the moon hung over the large inn. Most of the residents were falling asleep by now, but there were some exceptions to that notion. 

Two particular exceptions were Haru Okumura and Hifumi Togo. The problem was only made worse by the fact that the two girls were sharing a room together. 

It wasn’t anything personal. Neither girl disliked the other, in fact, the two considered the other a good friend. It was just that the two were lost to their own thoughts and worries. Funny enough, they were the same worries. 

Haru and Hifumi had kissed one another on a dare from their mutual friends. It was just a peck on the lips, that would have been easy enough to move on from, but it wasn’t just that. 

Circumstances drove the two into a passionate kiss. The cold water on their breasts, thoughts of a certain boy, and just the softness of each other’s lips escalated things. They made out, tongues wrestling until the other women were finally able to wake them from their stupor.

Haru gulped, swallowing down spit as she opened her mouth. She wanted to say something. Perhaps ask Hifumi about her Shogi career, or even just ask how she was doing. Nothing came out of her mouth, though, and she sighed quietly as her eyes focused on the ground.

Hifumi was equally quiet, and equally aware of the awkward tension between them. She brushed her hair, more out of a need to do something than out of an actual need to brush it. She glanced at Haru once more, before Hifumi finally found her voice once more.

She wished it was something that could have broken the tension. “I’m going to sleep, if that’s okay…” 

Haru pouted, before she stood up from her bed. She spoke, speaking the first thing that came to her mind. “W-wait. Hifumi, I… I wanted to talk to you.” Hifumi froze, blinking in confusion. She waited for Haru to speak, and the auburn-haired woman blushed as she found herself without anything else to add.

“Oh, um… I… I just wanted to ask you about how you feel about… movies?”

“Movies?” Hifumi blinked. 

“Yes, the girls and I have movie nights and I was hoping you’d join us when we return to Tokyo,” Haru explained, and Hifumi raised her brow.

“I think you all mentioned that before. I’m sorry, but I don’t really watch a lot of movies. I think the last one I really paid attention to was a movie my dad made me watch with him.”

“Oh? You watch films with your father? How delightful!” Haru smiled, hoping to delve deeper into the subject, even if Hifumi seemed rather indifferent about the subject. “What movie did you see together?”

“Some old crime thriller. Dad loves that sort of true crime, mystery stuff. Something about trying to outsmart the bad guy. I guess I can see why that would be interesting,” Hifumi explained. 

“That sounds exciting. You should talk to Mako-chan about that! She loves crime movies.” 

Hifumi shrugged her shoulders, her eyes on her pillow as she replied, “I don’t have a particular interest in them. They’re fine, but like I said, I don’t watch a lot of movies. My mother made sure that I was focused on my Shogi playing and modeling than anything else…”

Haru frowned at that. She was well aware of the mother’s treatment of her daughter. It sickened Haru, partly because it reminded her too much of her own parent. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, realizing she had brought these feelings back to the forefront of her friend’s mind. “I didn’t mean to remind you of those times. You’ve suffered enough.”

Hifumi shrugged, finally turning her eyes to Haru. They were talking, but only Haru seemed deeply invested in the topic. Still, Hifumi didn’t want her friend to feel guilty, or for her to think that Hifumi didn’t care about her. 

So she tried keeping the conversation going, just for a few more moments.

“What about you? Have you watched a lot of movies with your parents?” 

Hifumi regretted her words almost as soon as they came out of her mouth. How could she be so stupid? She knew Haru lost her father recently. In fact, Haru didn’t have either of her parents. Haru’s mother, from what Hifumi heard, died when she was very young. Hifumi opened her mouth to apologize, before Haru spoke first.

“My father and I used to watch movies together. We always loved scifi films,” she admitted. 

“Oh. I’m sorry. I thought-” Hifumi wasn’t sure what to say. Was this the same father who wanted to practically sell Haru out ot another man? Haru seemed to notice Hifumi’s confusion, and she gave a small smile to the brunette. 

“I assume you’ve heard stories from how bad my father was. He was featured in many rumors, and in the media’s spotlight. His business prowess was renowned, but… in his own words, kindness and virtue did not belong in the business world.”

“I’ve heard stories,” Hifumi admitted. Even someone like her, who didn’t put much thought into what the news was reporting, had heard the horror stories of Okumura Foods. “But, Haru, you don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s alright. I promise.” She took a deep breath, before smiling. “My father wasn’t always the man the media presented him as. He did… terrible, awful things to innocent people in the past. He even tried selling me away, like I was just another possession, but I remember when I was young, and how he’d be there for me.”

Haru closed her eyes, smiling at the memories. They seemed like forever ago. “My father would watch science fiction movies with me. Classic stories of good and evil. He showed me all sorts of classic scifi movies, like ‘The H-Man,’ and ‘The Mysterians.’ We loved watching those old monster movies.”

Memories of her father sitting with her, watching those old movies brought a wide, joyous smile to Haru’s lips. “He even bought foreign films from America for us to watch together. ‘The Thing from Another World,’ ‘Fiend Without a Face,’ and ‘The Crawling Eyes...’ My favorites were always the scary ones with cute monsters,” Haru giggled.

“They sound… really cute,” Hifumi replied, with an amused smile on her face. 

“They were. Sometimes my father would have to translate the films if they didn’t have a Japanese dub or subtitles. That did nothing to ruin my fun, though,” Haru grinned. She blinked, before staring into the distance as she muttered something. “I think my father never liked them as much as me. He always seemed more scared of them than I did.”

She laughed, and Hifumi laughed with her. It was nice seeing the other woman being so happy. Some of the happiness seemed to rub off on Hifumi as the two looked at one another. 

“H-he would always look away when the movies got quiet, because he didn’t want to be caught by surprise by the jump scares. And whenever I marveled at the designs and practical effects of the monsters, he was always trying not to look. I think my father had a weak stomach for horror movies. He never let me watch outright horror movies, so we compromised with scifi horror. Futaba is much the same way,” Haru smiled, reminiscing about the good times, both old and relatively new. 

“You and Futaba seem to get along well,” Hifumi commented.

“She’s like the little sister I never had,” Haru added. “Though…” The auburn-haired woman glanced away, and even in the dim light of the room, Hifumi could see the other girl blushing. “She’s a bit more… uhh, handsy than most sisters are, I imagine.”

“Huh? What do you-?” Hifumi blinked, before she blushed just as red as Haru. “Oh. Right.” Images of Futaba groping the other girls’ bodies, stealing glances at them, and more went through her mind. “Is Futaba… um, is she…?” Hifumi wasn’t sure how to word the question, and that just made her own cheeks burn a brighter shade of red. 

“Does Futaba… play for both teams?” Was that how people their age said it? Hifumi wasn’t sure. She wasn’t even sure if they should talk about this, yet Hifumi was now lost to the simple bliss of talking to Haru. 

It was much preferred over any more of that awkward silence that hung over the two earlier. 

“Hm? I don’t believe Futaba plays any sports, team based or otherwise.” Hifumi wanted to palm her forehead, but she said nothing as her face continued to feel warm. Suddenly Haru giggled, and Hifumi blinked dumbly as Haru placed a hand to her lips. 

“I-I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist. I know exactly what you mean. I just couldn’t resist joking around. I never got to until I met the other Phantom Thieves, and even then, I’ve never been very good at it,” she admitted. 

Hifumi found herself smiling, before she began to laugh with her friend. In that moment, even though she didn’t think about it outright, Hifumi’s subconscious realized they were almost like normal girls.

Just two girls, gossiping, laughing together… It was nice. 

“Futaba’s sexual orientation is a mystery to me. I doubt it matters, though. She probably just likes what she likes,” Haru shrugged. 

“And that’s fine, it’s just… she got pretty handsy earlier.”

Haru nodded her head in agreement, remembering her ‘little sister’s’ antics. A moment later and the young woman’s face began to turn red, remembering her own antics by the spa. 

How Haru and Hifumi held each other in their arms. How soft Hifumi’s lips felt against her own. The way they kissed one another, the way they held one another, and the way they… kissed. 

Haru could still feel the spark that Hifumi gave her. It made her body burn and her legs press together. Butterflies swirled in her stomach as she wondered what this meant. 

Did she like Hifumi? Did she love her? Haru never considered herself that type of girl, but what else could this have meant? Then she thought of Ren, reminding herself of who she was thinking of when she kissed Hifumi. 

Maybe it wasn’t the other girl that was bringing these feelings of Haru’s to the surface. Maybe it was her dear friend. The one that got away…

Haru sat in silence as Hifumi had her own thoughts. The Shogi player looked out a nearby window, staring at the moon hanging over this small town. She thought of Haru’s father, and her own mother, wondering what through their heads as they signed their children’s futures away…?

None of the other Phantom Thieves had parents like the girls. Ann’s parents were distant, but neutral at worst. Ryuji’s mother was good to him, while his father simply wasn’t there. Futaba and Yusuke lost theirs, while Makoto was practically raised by her sister. Ren… Hifumi wasn’t sure about Ren’s relationship to his parents.

But Haru’s father was willing to give her away to another man, just to secure power. Hifumi’s mother was willing to throw Hifumi out into the world, used her like a pawn in a game of wealth and fame. If Hifumi lost, it was only her lost, but the young girl’s victories were also her mother’s.

It just… it just didn’t make sense to Hifumi. Why do this? To their own children? 

Hifumi shook her head, sighing as she muttered, “I don’t get it.”

“I’m sorry?”

The brunette hesitated. She considered saying nothing, to disregard her own thoughts, but she didn’t. She spoke to Haru like she would a dear friend, because that’s who Haru was. “Why did they do it? Why did our parents… How could they betray us like this?” she sighed. 

“Parents are supposed to love their kids, to want what’s best for them! Not… not use them as pawns for whatever it is they want. We’re not their slaves. We’re their kids.” Hifumi sighed. “You and Ren changed my mother’s heart, right? You fixed her, helped her realize what she did wrong, but I still haven’t asked her… Why?” Hifumi scoffed, falling down onto her bed, resting her head on her pillow.

“I guess I’m scared of the answer.” 

Silence filled the room once again, and Hifumi closed her eyes. She had messed up again. She had scared Haru away, made the situation too awkward to speak anymore. She ruined the conversation, but Hifumi couldn’t shake this feeling off. She really just didn’t get it. 

Why? 

“No one is born evil.” Hifumi blinked, and she lifted her head as she watched Haru walking towards her. The auburn-haired woman’s figure moved swiftly through the dark room, before sitting at the foot of Hifumi’s futon. “I truly believe that.”

“What… what do you mean?”

“I mean, no one wakes up one day and just decides, ‘I’m going to do the worst, most cruel thing I can. I’m going to be a bad person, and abuse the children I brought into this world. No one just wakes up and decides to do that,” Haru explained. “I refuse to believe such a thing is possible…”

Hifumi was quiet, before she sat up, rubbing the back of her neck with a sigh. “Then why?”

“I wrestled with that question myself. I think it’s just circumstances lead people to apathy. They look for the quick solution, the easier one, the one that will get them what they want most. Whether it’s power, or relief, or safety. If you make people feel like they’re desperate, or if you make people feel like it’s the easy way out, they can do almost anything.”

“What are you saying?” 

Haru’s smile was clear to Hifumi, even in the dark room. The smile was one of regret, of guilt, and of acceptance. One that reminded Hifumi of the struggles and pain Haru had gone through. There was wisdom to that smile. Wisdom and experience.

“Make people think they’re doing the right thing, whether it's for them or the ones they care about, and people are capable of anything… I guess, in some way, your mother thought she was doing the right thing for you and her. And my father… Maybe he felt like he was out of options, or that the world owed him more power. That’s what led them to their choices.”

Hifumi wasn’t sure what to say. She never considered herself a philosopher. Never an expert on human nature. But she did listen, and the words made her wonder. She took a deep breath, before sighing. 

“Did you ever forgive him…?” she whispered, and Haru took a moment to contemplate the question. Her smile was gone again, replaced with a small, almost invisible frown. 

“My father apologized to me when we had finally stole his treasure.” Haru lifted her legs up, hugging her knees against her chest as she sighed. “And I wanted to forgive him, but wanting something, and achieving it are very different things. I thought, after he returned to the man he once was, after he talked to me, and really acknowledged all his mistakes, that I could, but… but then he died.”

“Haru, I’m sorry.” Hifumi felt guilt biting at her heart. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“No. It’s alright… I… I actually haven’t told anyone about this. After my father died, I thought about his last words to me. How scared he was when he thought Ren might take his life… I wanted to take that last apology and make it worth all of the abuse he threw at me, but that felt impossible...” 

Hifumi had always seen Haru as a kind and sweet young woman. In all honesty, she might have been the sweetest of the Phantom Thieves. There was barely a mischievous bone in her body, and she didn’t seem to have the fiery will that Makoto did. Haru seemed so soft and easy going, eager to please others, eager to be kind.

In that moment, Hifumi heard anger in Haru’s voice. 

“When my father passed away, I felt angry. I cried, and I cursed the person who took him away from me. I wish it was because I loved my father… Hifumi, please don’t misunderstand, I didn’t hate my father. Not entirely. I knew the good man he used to be, and I truly believe that if he had the chance, we could have lived a wonderful life together, but… but I wish he lived, just so I could hear him admit what he did was wrong, and really tell me he was sorry.”

“So how did you forgive him? H-have you forgiven him?” Hifumi asked.

Haru smiled, subtly nodding her head. “I think I have. At least, I’ve made peace with it. With him, and with what could have been…”

“But how do you do that?” Hifumi replied. 

“That’s not something I can really answer, Hifumi. It’s your choice, after all. Just remember this. Forgiveness is not something that is needed. It’s something that’s earned.” Haru placed a hand on Hifumi’s shoulder, squeezing it. “Your mother will fight to earn your forgiveness. It’s up to you to decide if she’s earned it.” 

Hifumi nodded her head, taking the advice to heart. She’d consider the words deeper when she saw her mother again, but for now, Hifumi considered herself on vacation. Besides, something else entered Hifumi’s mind as she looked at Haru.

Haru was a kind, sweet, and wise young woman. Hifumi was honestly impressed by the young woman’s brilliance. And maybe a little intimidated. Haru hugged Hifumi, bringing the other girl closer, and letting Hifumi feel Haru’s breasts against her body.

The brunette’s face burned as thoughts of their kiss filled her mind again. Did Hifumi have a crush on Haru? Yes, the woman was beautiful, with soft breasts and beautiful hair, and a cute forehead, b-but Hifumi wasn’t into girls!

Was she?

She burned red as she shook her face side to side. “Um, H-Haru, why don’t we change the subject? Perhaps something on a lighter note?” 

“Oh, of course, but are you sure? I don’t mean to keep you up.” Haru released the other woman, and Hifumi smiled as she shook her head. 

“I’m sure. I like this. It’s…”

“Nice?” Haru suggested, with a subtle blush.

“Very nice,” Hifumi replied with a grin. “So, anything you want to talk about?” 

Haru pondered the question before smiling with a shrug. “How do you feel about cooking?”

“I’ve never really given it much thought, but it’s a fine skill to learn. Why?”

“Oh, well, I like to cook is all, and I was just wondering… um,” Haru blushed as Hifumi chuckled. 

“Tell me all about it, Haru.” The Shogi player’s hand found hers, gently squeezing it as the two girls smiled at one another. 

---

Hifumi felt relaxed. She felt happy. She listened to Haru talk as Hifumi hugged a pillow against her chest. They were just like regular girls, in that moment, and it eased the brunette’s heart to know that she could just be… normal with someone. 

Even her bond with Ren at times felt strange, considering he spoke to her at first, only with the desire to learn from her. They were good friends now, but it just felt nice to talk to another girl about all the silly things girls their age did.

At least, Hifumi assumed she was doing this right. 

“How many stuffed animals do you own?” Haru asked. The two had been taking turns, asking one another question after question as they talked into the night.

“Just one. This Narwhal toy my dad got me when I was younger. I still have it in my closet, though, I don’t let anyone see it.”

“Could I see it?” Haru inquired, and Hifumi chuckled as she nodded her head. 

“Sure. Why not? What about you? Any stuffed animals?”

“I have a few,” Haru muttered, causing Hifumi to raise her brow. “Only eight… Okay, nine, but one of them doubles as a pillow!” The two girls giggled, laughing together as Haru blushed. “My favorite is one of a space alien from one of my favorite magical girl series, Pretty Cure Star Twinkle!” 

Hifumi nodded her head, before blinking. “Wait, isn’t that show recent?”

Haru’s blush only intensified as she looked away. “T-there’s nothing wrong with enjoying magical girls at my age. I-I might be going into college, but Pretty Cure still teaches important lessons about justice a-and friendship!” 

Hifumi laughed, louder this time as Haru pouted, before soon joining in. The two friends laughed together, before they sat in a relaxed silence with one another. They enjoyed the peace with content grins as they both looked out the nearby window and into the starlight above. 

That’s when Haru decided to finally speak about the elephant in the room. She bit the bullet again, and took her chance with a quiet whisper. “Hifumi?”

“Hm?”

“Did you… Did you feel anything when we kissed?” Hifumi’s eyes widened, and her cheeks turned as scarlet as a tomato as Haru gulped. “I-it’s alright if you did. It’s alright if you didn’t. You just… W-we should figure out where we stand, shouldn’t we?”

“Well, d-do you feel ‘that’ way about me?” Hifumi slowly inquired.

Haru didn’t answer back. The two sat in silence, waiting and hoping the other would say something, but nothing came out. They just sat there in silence, letting the seconds tick by. 

“I don’t know,” she finally answered. “And I think I speak for both of us when I say, that that’s the worst possible answer here.”

“I don’t know either,” Hifumi huffed. She stroked a cold hand against her warm forehead, sighing. “This is all so confusing…”

“It is, but-” Haru bit her lower lip, nibbling on it as she debated even saying those words. They could change everything, but it had to have been better than sitting in this awkward silence, right? “But we can try to find out t-together…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we can kiss again.” The room was so quiet, the two could hear a pin drop. 

Hifumi felt shame and embarrassment drown her as she tried to think of something to say. She opened her mouth, before closing it, before opening it again. She held back a groan as a shiver of mortification ran down her spine… and a spark of excitement hit her heart.

Haru was right, though. This might be the simplest way to work out these feelings in her heart. So she looked at Haru, nodding her head, a gesture that was barely seen in the dark. 

Silently, both girls leaned forward, pressing their lips against one another. Neither did anything beyond that, though. They just leaned towards one another, letting their lips touch for a few seconds, before they both pulled away.

“Anything?” Haru asked, and Hifumi shook her head.

“No. I-I mean, it wasn’t anything like the last kiss…” Hifumi found herself licking her lips, tasting nothing as she struggled to speak. “S-should we… W-we should do it again, right?” She leaned forward quickly, nervous as Haru answered after Hifumi leaned in to kiss her.

“R-righ-mmph.” The two kissed again, and this time Hifumi’s tongue pushed into Haru’s open, waiting mouth. Their tongues met, and Hifumi was the one to lead them at first, gently poking and licking Haru’s tongue.

Hifumi didn’t know what to do with her hands. She lifted them up and held Haru’s head, stroking her hair, before moving them around, stroking the girl’s back. Questions ran through her mind as she tried repeating what she did hours ago, and her breasts pushed against Haru’s as Hifumi slipped a hand down to squeeze the auburn-haired girl’s butt.

That got a reaction out of her. Haru moaned, shuddering as her tongue began to play with Hifumi’s. Their tongues danced together now, wrestling as Haru began to lean back, falling onto Hifumi’s bed as the two continued to kiss.

Hifumi groped her friend’s butt as Haru’s hands slipped between them and began to play with Hifumi’s breasts. The brunette moaned, shuddering as Haru’s soft hands pushed against her nipples through her clothes. 

The brunette returned the favor, moving her hands to play with Haru’s breasts, pressing down on them, even finding her nipples through the clothes she wore. Hifumi wrapped her fingers around them, gently pinching them as Haru’s body trembles. 

No matter what Hifumi’s feelings for Haru were, she couldn’t help but be impressed by the woman’s sheer breast size…

The two continued to kiss, tongues moving along one another, hands groping and squeezing one another, and… and it was starting to feel… weird. 

The pure euphoria of being kissed, of thinking you’ve found the one, of feeling the pleasure of the human body, all of that was a fire, and love was the gasoline. 

The two did care about one another, but not like this. Not even to keep the fire going. The kiss became awkward, and Hifumi’s thrill from touching her tongue against Haru’s became… a little gross. Haru felt the same when Hifumi’s hands pushed down on her breasts. It was nice, but… weird.

They pulled away at the same time, blushing, out of breath, and yet strangely… calm?  

“So…” Hifumi smacked her lips together, finding the taste of Haru on her lips to be… weird.

“That… didn’t feel like last time,” Haru mumbled. “I-it did at first, but as it kept going, it… didn’t.”

“Yeah. I know how you feel,” Hifumi sighed. “H-Haru, you should know that I, uh… I find you beautiful, and you’re amazing! You’re kind, and great, and sweet, but uh…”

“You’re not attracted to girls?” 

“Y-yeah. Sorry,” Hifumi winced, flinching, as if expecting Haru to cry. Instead the auburn-haired woman chuckled.

“Neither am I. I mean, I thought maybe if it was you, but no. I’m not physically attracted to you either, Hifumi.”

“So… Are we okay?” Hifumi asked, motioning to the two. 

Haru smiled, almost laughing as she let out a sigh of relief. “If you’re okay with me, I’m more than okay with you. You’re still my friend, Hifumi.”

“But we’re just friends. I can live with that.” Haru stood up and began walking back to her bed as Hifumi spoke both their minds. “I’m glad we did it, though. Even if it was… awkward. Better than just letting it hang over our heads.”

“Agreed. Now we can move on, and enjoy our vacation,” Haru agreed. 

“That sounds like a nice change of pace.” Hifumi stretched her arms to the ceiling, sighing as she fell onto her bed. “Hey, Haru?”

“Yes?” 

“I really want to see a movie with you sometime. Maybe one of those older movies?”

Haru smiled, almost beaming at the idea. She pulled the blanket over her and laid her body down with a smile. 

“That sounds great, Hifumi.”

And so the two friends fell asleep, resting under their blankets as the stars hung over them. The two had peaceful nights of rest, dreaming of good times and a hopeful future.