Blog dedicated to Aikoto (主アイ, 주아이, 主艾) the Persona 3 ship between Makoto Yuki & Aigis.
Other P3MC names: Leader, キタロー (Japanese fandom), Minato Arisato (manga), Sakuya Shiomi (musicals).
It's been nearly 10 years since I started this blog, and even longer than that since I became a P3 fan. In that time, I've seen P3 get turned into movies and musicals, been featured in various collabs and Persona games, and now I even got to see Episode Aigis being remade and regaining its original Japanese name.
As an Aikoto fan, I couldn't be happier with all the love the ship and their characters have gotten through the years (we even got an entire opening! how incredible is that?) ❤️ So since my heart is full (and my free time severely lacking), this feels like the right time for me to conclude this little project of mine.
I started this blog as a personal archive of all things Aikoto, so they could be easily accessible for myself and for everyone who loves the ship as I do (or feels curious about it). With nearly 10 years of content, I'd say I've achieved that objective!
Of course, this doesn't mean I won't update it at all anymore. If something big happens Aikoto-wise and I hear of it, I'll be more than happy to get it on the blog. So please don't hesitate to send me a message if I miss something worth archiving from now on.
In the meantime, I've updated the Moments Masterlists as well as the blog's Tags, so that everything is hopefully as easy as possible to find.
Thanks for your support all these years! Take care everyone and may Atlus give us all even more Aikoto in the years to come ❤️
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My friend @AikotoWeek managed to buy this Voice Card, and they were kind enough to share the dialogues with me. Turns out, they seem to be part of conversations Aigis had with Makoto during their daily-life! Even more interesting is that each dialogue seems to take place during a different stage of Aigis's development.
We start with Aigis waking Makoto up:
"Good morning, it is morning. Please wake up.
'Five minutes early is on time', as they say! Isn't that right?
A little more… you say? I'm afraid I cannot grant that request.
You just can't wake up? Understood.
Persona, engage! Orgia Mode! Fire!
I see you have successfully awakened. Mission complete!"
Sounds familiar? This obscure Voice Card seems to be the inspiration for this Persona Q skit! lol
After that, we get what seems to be Aigis and Makoto spending time together at the dorm:
"Are you not going anywhere today? This is what they call 'recharging your batteries'… I comprehend. In that case, I will be staying here today as well.""
How cute is that? 😭
Lastly, we have a call back to her Social Link:
"What's most important to me right now… is to always be by your side."
And I say that it seems to be a direct call back to her Social Link because in Japanese, that 'right now' is meant as 'to the [Aigis] I am right now', which implies this line takes place in January after Aigis is back from the Kirijo back.
So yeah, thank you to @AikotoWeek for sharing and for allowing me to archive this here!
I love the way the music just stops as Makoto turns to look at Aigis 😭 The best part is that this sequence directly follows a Ryoji voice-over that goes: "Something bad is happening right now. But, for some reason, I feel at peace."
I feel like that, alongside the music stopping, is meant to carry the implication that Makoto felt at peace during that moment where he turned to take one last look at Aigis before going up to fight Nyx.
Speaking about Nyx, there is also this really neat sequence at the very end of the trailer. We hear Pharos say "Let's go", then we see Aigis jumping up to fight, Makoto looking up, and then Nyx is revealed to be up in the sky.
Love the Moonlight Bridge Trio crumbs! The set up also makes me think of Aigis' scene during the final fight, where she tells Makoto that she will fight by his side to the very end.
Coincidentally, Atlus' West seems to have gone for a similar vibe in their tweet lol
Okay so this happened months ago, but I've been saving this post for today because it's officially July 21, the day of Aikoto's fated reunion meeting on that Yakushima pier :') AND it's also the start of this year's Aikoto Week!
So to celebrate, I'm archiving this really touching moment we got during Makoto's banner in P5X:
"Moreover, I had a very important encounter there."
I can't believe we got Makoto calling his encounter with Aigis "very important" and then getting lost in thought reminiscing about it with the cutest smile 😭
Best part is that Aigis did the same thing in P4 Arena!!
This ship truly is the gift that keeps on giving 💙💛 Happy Aikoto Week, everyone!
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I shared the first two in the Aikoto Server last year, but I forgot to archive them here 😭
The Blue Butterfly
In the Persona 3 Club Book, the staff reveals that the blue butterfly is meant to symbolize Aigis' Papillon Heart (which translates to Butterfly Heart).
Knowing this gives a whole new layer of meaning to P3's opening cinematic!
We see the butterfly flapping its wings, almost as if it were waiting, and Makoto seemingly sensing it.
So right from the beginning of the game, the devs teased Aikoto and their connection to each other.
One Single Word
This lovely edit to One Single Word, the insert song used for the moment when Aigis finds Makoto in the 2nd Persona 3 movie, made me realize this should also be considered an Aikoto Song thanks to its lyrics:
A cloudscape of dreams
As you exhale
The cold morning weaves
Mist and old tales
And threads of a new
Hope for love in our world
Rising from your mouth
Into the morning mist
One single word
When Aigis appears during that scene, she starts off by saying one single word before approaching Makoto: 見つけました (I've found you).
It's really sweet that the song that properly introduces Aigis into Makoto's world talks about there now being "hope for love in our world" 😭
Never-Ending Night
Speaking about songs, someone recently translated the song used for the old Persona 3 Pachinko Game in Japan. Turns out that the lyrics are pretty Aikoto-coded! What's more, the song seems to include quite a few references to Memories of You.
The best part is that since the song is sung using Makoto's pronoun, boku, it could be seen as his reply to Aigis.
Never-Ending Night:
Even if time passes by, I will find you
Memories of You:
Even if I lose you, I will find you again
Never-Ending Night:
Ah, don't forget
You're not alone
Memories of You:
I remember you were at my side at that moment
You were always, always, always there, smiling right next tome
I will never leave you
(This part of the song is in English, but we can hear the Japanese translation in Aigis S-Link: 一人にわしません, its literal translation being I won't leave you all alone.)
Never-Ending Night:
The stars in the moonlight are calling you
I'm sure my voice will reach you, would you notice it?
Memories of You:
At a crosswalk, I heard a voice much like yours
I turned around, then looked up at the sky to hold back my tears
Never-Ending Night:
Ah, we'll meet again (in Japanese: Ah, meguri aeru yo)
Memories of You:
In my dreams (when I wake up),
I'll see you again (in Japanese: Mata aeru yo)
There are also some bits that seem to reference the aftermath of the fight against Nyx and the rooftop scene. Namely "You can't see me with your tear-stained eyes" and "My hands are there to wipe away your tears".
Lastly, just like Memories of You talks about "eternity", Never-Ending Night uses "everlasting" and "never-ending".
While these could all be dismissed as coincidences, it so happens that the lyricist who wrote Memories of You is the same who wrote Never-Ending Night. So if you ask me, it is pretty likely that both songs are meant to be connected.
Source
Speaking about Memories of You...
Extra: Famitsu
I've been meaning to archive this since March, but I keep forgetting. Famitsu always writes an article to celebrate March 5, and this year Aikoto & Memories of You got a paragraph!
As some of you may know, I'm taking a step back from fandom and as such will no longer be hosting Aikoto events, including Aikoto Week.
From now on, Aikoto Week will be hosted at Twitter, @AikotoWeek. It will take place yearly from July 21 to July 27, so make sure to follow that account to keep up with the event and its updates!
Here are this year's prompts:
There will also be a give away for those who participate! So if you want one of the wonderful prizes, trying to participate every day will increase your chances of winning one.
If you enjoy Aikoto, I hope you consider participating. Have fun!
The collab between P5X and P3R started a couple of days ago, and Aikoto got a really cool sequence in its opening / PV.
I've made an edit with the Aikoto-relevant bits for archiving purposes, but the full Opening can be watched here.
To follow the tradition, let's break it down!
First thing of notice is that Makoto turns and looks up right in the direction where Aigis eventually appears later in the opening. This feels pretty deliberate to me, because it happens right as we hear the lyrics: "Til you see me on the other side of stars".
And what do we see reflected in Aigis' eyes?
Makoto, alone during the Dark Hour.
It's also worth noting that when Aigis first appears, she takes a battle stance, almost as if she's getting ready to shoot an enemy. It's only a couple of frames later that we see her expression change to one of realization and worry, and her stance shifts into reaching out for Makoto.
This contrast between Aigis' nature as a weapon and her growing humanity is also shown in the way her eyes are drawn.
While the P3R opening focuses on the machinery inside her eyes, in this new opening we focus on the emotions reflected in her eyes and in the object of said emotions: Makoto.
During this sequence, we hear these lyrics: "No matter how far (no matter how far), How you go (how you go)" which perfectly fit the visuals of Aigis reaching out for Makoto.
Lastly, once we pan to Makoto, we hear: "How long it may last." He is on his own and when he summons his Persona, the one to come is Thanatos, symbolizing that he is getting closer and closer to Death.
So through the lyrics and the visuals, the opening not only seems to perfectly showcase Makoto's and Aigis' connection, but also foreshadows Aigis being able to sense that she will lose Makoto and being terrified of it 😭
The P5X stream included a trailer for the release of the Persona 2024 Concert. Since the trailer was pretty much dedicated to Aikoto, I figured it was worth archiving!
Breaking my hiatus again because a couple of days ago Atlus JP launched a recruitment website that unexpectedly delivered some pretty nice Aikoto!
We start with the homepage, where the Aikoto Key Visual for Episode Aigis is featured front and center as the cover image of the "Value" section.
It's even cuter because the way they word it it's like they're referencing Aigis, who always refers to Makoto (and to being by his side) as her 大切な (what she values most/is most important to her). So it looks like choosing the Aikoto Key Visual for that particular section may have been pretty deliberate on their end!
Speaking about deliberate, the "Licence Business" interview with one of their staff explains some of Atlus' process when it comes to merchandise, collaborations and the likes. In particular, this part stood out to me:
"We want to respect the creator's intentions and thoughts." In light of this, the way Aikoto have been usually paired together in collabs and merchandise throughout the P3R run stands out even more. Just to show a few:
As if on cue, the "Music Business" features an interview with the staff who was in charge of the Aikoto Soundtrack Box for Episode Aigis, and her comment is just lovely!
The "mechanism to tickle the hearts of fans" is, as Lotus Juice put it:
Lotus Juice: “In the cover, you see P3HERO and Aigis looking at each other… if you open it, they’ll be separated… like they’re almost within reach of each other, but aren’t. I wonder if that feeling gets across to fans as well? It’s very beautifully done.”
Translation by: kitaroai
According to what she says here, it seems like the reaction surpassed her expectations, which is great!
Lastly, the "Sound Creator" interview describes how careful the team was about the hospital scene between Chidori and Junpei. However, there is a part in there that can very clearly be applied to the scene where Aigis is shown for the first time in Yakushima:
"I tried various sounds, such as the sparkling sound of a wind chime and the glittering sound of electronic sounds, to express the "shine" of a lovable woman." That's exactly the kind of sound we hear when we see Aigis for the first time, so they must've also been trying to "express the shine of a lovable woman."
I thought all of this was pretty interesting, so I figured it was worth archiving!
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Breaking my hiatus again because yesterday was a Valentine's to remember for us Aikoto fans!
Earlier this week, the official PlayStation account asked their followers to share "romantic moments from the game of your choice" for a chance to see their favorite couples featured during Valentine's Day.
Out of all those couples and all those screenshots submitted, only 6 were chosen by PlayStation to represent the "Romance" theme, and Aikoto was one of them!
We love to see it!
Next we had Atlus West sharing some Valentine's Day cards, and Aigis was chosen for Persona 3 Reload! It's also interesting how she was chosen alongside Eupha, who is pretty Aigis-coded considered by many to have an implied romance going on with the Metaphor Protagonist.
Not bad for official acknowledgement, right? Lastly, from a fandom standpoint, Aikoto also made the Top 100 Couples in all of Fiction of popular streamer ARUUU.
I wanted to gather everything in one place for easy access and easier archiving!
Two Aikoto Comments Chosen
A couple of weeks ago, the Atlus JP Account asked us to send comments that we'd like Lotus Juice, Wada and Yamaguchi to reply to during the radio show. Seven comments were hand-picked, and two of them were my Aikoto comments!
They were used to introduce the discussion about Disconnected & Don't. Here is what Lotus Juice had to say about both songs:
Disconnected
"What we wanted to represent with that is Aigis' feelings. After what happened with the Protagonist, she was left behind." He also reveals that during the rap, Aigis is meant to be talking to Makoto, wondering what would he do if he were in her place.
Don't
Lotus Juice confirms the chorus is meant to be about Aigis' feelings for Makoto 😭
The last thing he saw
They got a question about this scene! Yamaguchi revealed that scene was something he really wanted to add, so he was the one who suggested it. "The final view... I wanted the players, who are his alter-ego, to see that final view too. So that's why I added that scene, and it was a cut that we paid a lot of attention to."
The scene received high praise from Wada and Lotus Juice, which made Yamaguchi happy that people were paying attention to it. He went on to add: "That's right. That part is the end, the last view he sees at the moment when his life truly ends, and I added it because I really wanted everyone to see it, so I'm glad that it has reached the players."
The rooftop scene
Lastly, they briefly discussed the rooftop scene before playing Memories of You. Wada commented that the rooftop scene was so carefully crafted that he was amazed when he first saw it, which prompted Yamaguchi to confirm it was the scene they put the most effort into. "I believe that everyone spent 100 hours playing the game in order to see that scene, so we were absolutely determined to create the best thing we could, with absolutely no compromises."
As far as Wada is concerned, the rooftop scene was so amazing that it raised the overall quality of the game by at least one level (I agree) 😂
Extra
The Aikoto + Koro illustration was used as cover for the radio show! Also, out of the 5 songs played, 3 were Aikoto (Disconnected, Don't and Memories of You).
So as you may know, in December Atlus ran a survey in Twitter where we could vote for our favorite songs. Along with our votes, we could leave a comment explaining why we love the song we chose. Some of these comments would be featured alongside the results in a special video narrated by "DJ Aigis".
Well, that very special video was released today and... the funniest thing just happened.
Needless to say, Memories of You won 1st Place. But, surprise! My Aikoto comment was one of the ones featured!
Hearing this song makes me want to cry. Seriously, Aigis' bond with the Protagonist is the best!
It was so unexpected that I almost paused the video out of sheer shock. I wasn't even sure if it was indeed mine or if someone else just said something very similar, good thing I still had the tweet😂
Aside from that, Aigis got a special sad sprite when announcing Memories of You.
The First Place goes to Memories of You. This one is a very special song for us as well...
Koromaru: Bark!
Aigis: That's right, we wouldn't dare to say more than that.
This is because they were careful not to spoil the end of the game and the last battle. The other songs that Aigis considered "special" were Burn my Dread - Last Battle - and The Battle for Everyone's Souls.
It's 2025 and not one, but two of my Aikoto comments were miraculously chosen again! 😂
This time, Lotus Juice himself read them during his Persona 3 Reload 1st Anniversary Radio Show alongside Wada and the P3R Director! Both of my comments were used to introduce Disconnected & Don't, my happiness knows no bounds omg
I sent my comments in Japanese, so here is the translation!
I'm so so happy they hand-picked by Aikoto comments again 😭 Thank you so much to the staff and everyone involved!
Note: Written for the 2024 Secret Santa at the Aikoto Discord I run! The prompt requested was: “Makoto does his best to make Aigis’ first Christmas the best it can be.” Here’s my best attempt at it!
Title: Oh, look how they shine for you
Word Count: 3940 words
.
.
.
“Makoto-san, I know this may seem sudden, but did you have a nice Christmas?”
Aigis must notice his confusion because she smiles, a pang of sadness in her eyes.
“I recently read that here in Japan, Christmas is to be spent with friends and with… someone special to you,” she explains, gaze darting to her hands. “I know the circumstances were not ideal, but it’d mean a lot to me to know you were able to make precious memories despite… well, everything.”
Makoto stares at her, thoughts going back to December. It wasn’t a joyous month, that’s for sure, but that’s not really the reason why he didn’t do anything for Christmas.
That reason is sitting before him now, self-consciously rearranging her bangs while she waits for him to reply.
Makoto swallows, sticking his hands inside his pockets to fight off the sudden urge to touch her.
“You’ve never celebrated Christmas, have you, Aigis?” He asks instead.
She blinks her pretty eyes at him, looking more at ease.
“I can’t say that I have. But I’m sure I will be able to do so this year, once we have secured our future.”
Aigis smiles brightly at him, encouraging and full of hope. Makoto finds that same hope blooming in his heart, and he makes up his mind right then and there.
He doesn’t want to wait that long.
Not if it means seeing her smile like that.
The next day, he borrows a few Christmas-themed magazines from Bunkichi and Mitsuko. He doesn’t know what he should go for, so he decides to go for a little bit of everything.
And so, Makoto gets to work.
First, he enlists the help of the most reliable person he knows.
“Christmas, you say?”
Makoto nods, reaching for his cup of tea.
“Yeah. I thought it’d be nice to do something together before the fight, and since Christmas kind of flew under-the-radar, why not do it right?”
“I see. It’s true we were all too preoccupied to think much of it, and it would be a nice change of pace,” Mitsuru agrees, thoughtful. Her eyes meet his over the border of her teacup, a smile playing on her lips. “I must say, you never cease to surprise me, Yuki. I never took you for the kind to care about Christmas.”
He looks away.
“I’m not.”
Mitsuru arches an eyebrow at that. “Oh?”
“…Aigis told me she has never celebrated Christmas before. That’s where I got the idea,” he admits, hoping it sounds less revealing than it does in his head.
“How thoughtful of you, Yuki. C’est magnifique!” Mitsuru chuckles, setting her teacup back on the table. “Very well, leave it to me. I’ll secure the tree and the decorations, as well as an appropriate menu. It may be late, but let’s make this an unforgettable Christmas for Aigis and for all of us, shall we?”
Makoto smiles back, relaxing. Now that Mitsuru is on his side, his plan suddenly seems more attainable.
“Let’s.”
Next, he recruits some partners-in-crime.
“Dude?! Who are you and what have you done with Makoto?”
“Junpei-san…” Ken mutters, shaking his head.
“Christmas, huh? And Mitsuru agreed to it?” Akihiko ponders, crossing his arms over his chest. “Alright, count me in.”
“I’m in as well,” Ken says, sheepishly scratching his cheek. “I’ve kind of missed it. Celebrating Christmas, I mean.”
Junpei pumps his fist up in the air, looking more excited than Makoto has seen him in a while.
“This is gonna be the best Christmas ever! Leave the decorating to Santa Junpei and his Reindeers, Makoto!”
Akihiko and Ken looks less than impressed at that.
“…His reindeers?”
“Please tell me he doesn’t mean us…”
With a chuckle, Makoto leaves them to it, shoulders considerably lighter now that he has their help.
By the time he sets-out to recruit his assistants, both of them already know all about it.
“We’ve been wondering what you’d like us to help with, Yuki-kun,” Fuuka tells him.
“If you want us to keep an eye on the guys, just say the word. Who knows what the dorm will end up looking like if you leave all the decorations to them,” Yukari adds with a playful eye roll.
“Actually,” Makoto starts, taking a hand to the back of his neck despite himself, “I had something different in mind.”
“Now I’m even more curious!” Fuuka giggles. “What is it, Yuki-kun?”
Truth be told, Makoto has kind of been dreading this moment. He knows there’s no way that what he’s about to say will sound like a normal, friendly gesture, but he has gotten this far and he can’t afford to get cold-feet now.
He steels himself, holding back a sigh.
“…This is going to be Aigis’ first Christmas, so I was wondering if you could help her find something appropriate to wear. I’ll pay for it.”
As expected, the girls don’t seem to miss it. Yukari’s eyebrows shoot up so high that they almost disappear into her hairline. Meanwhile, Fuuka just stands there gaping at him, her mouth forming a perfect o.
Makoto thinks nothing could possibly be worse than this.
Well, except maybe Nyx.
Maybe.
Yukari seems to get over it first. She clears her throat, shifting her weight from one foot to another.
“Y—you mean, you want us to take Aigis shopping?”
“…Yeah.”
“W—we’d be happy to! Right, Yukari-chan?” Fuuka chimes in, clasping her hands.
“…Duh!” Yukari gives him a thumbs-up. “You’ve come to the right place, Mister! We’ll find Aigis the cutest clothes.”
They—thankfully—leave it at that, but Makoto can practically feel the knowing look they exchange as soon as he turns his back on them.
…Oh, well.
He guesses there is no avoiding it, either way. After seeing him go through all this trouble, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that he—
“Woof!”
With a start, Makoto raises his face to find Koromaru trotting towards him.
“Woof, woof!”
He kneels down, smiling.
“Hey, there. I haven’t forgotten you, if that’s what you think.” He scratches Koromaru behind the ear, right in the spot he knows he likes. “…I have a special mission for you.”
“Woof?”
Makoto’s smile widens.
“Something only you can do, Koromaru.”
They only have a week to prepare, and they do so quietly and discretely.
Or, well, as discretely as they can muster.
Somehow, the only blunder happens one afternoon when Makoto and Aigis come back from school and run into Junpei messing around with a Santa hat and its matching beard.
It is entirely to Junpei’s credit that Aigis doesn’t seem to find this weird at all.
When January 30 finally rolls around, Makoto does his part, making sure to stall Aigis to give everyone enough time to prepare the dorm.
“Aigis, would you mind giving us a hand with the Student Council today?”
The Student Council never meets on Saturdays, but Odagiri and Chihiro were happy at the idea of getting more work done—especially if it meant doing him a service.
“I’d love to, Makoto-san,” Aigis says, just like he was hoping she would. “Please, lead the way.”
“Oh, Yuki-kun, Aigis-san. Come on in, we've been expecting you,” Odagiri welcomes them. As per usual, he is standing at the front of the classroom, arms crossed across his chest.
Aigis politely bows as Makoto closes the door behind them.
“Thank you for having me.”
“We're the ones who should be thanking you, Aigis-san. We appreciate you being willing to help us,” Chihiro says, standing up to properly return Aigis' bow. “Please, take a seat.”
As Chihiro guides Aigis through the different tasks, Makoto walks over to Odagiri.
“I owe you one,” he whispers, smiling at his friend.
Odagiri grins.
“Don't even mention it.”
The sun has just begun to set when they start towards the dorm. As if on cue, his phone vibrates with an e-mail from Yukari.
‘Everything’s all set! You two can come home now :)’
‘Thanks. We’re on our way.’
Makoto breathes a sigh of relief, pocketing back his phone. He risks a look at Aigis, deliberately schooling his expression to not give anything away. Luckily, Aigis isn’t looking at him; her stare is set on the ground, her lips curled up in a smile filled with contentment.
The same smile she tends to wear every time they walk home together, Makoto notices, his chest swelling with fondness.
“Surprise!”
When Makoto opens the door to the dorm, a mix of greens and reds greets them; their friends gathered at the centre of it, dressed in their best clothes.
Brightly coloured lights hang on the walls and garlands on the counter; the glass-panes are decorated with wreaths and stockings, and both the dining and coffee tables are covered in various dishes.
A big Christmas tree wraps up the scene. It stands proud and tall before the bulletin board, a Jack Frost doll at the top in place of the usual star.
“Everyone…!” Aigis gasps, her face lit up in surprise. “This is…”
“Absolutely amazing, ain’t it?” Junpei grins, gesturing around them. “I swear we’ve put the Paulownia Mall to shame right here!”
“Someone told us you’ve never celebrated Christmas before, Aigis…” Mitsuru starts with a chuckle and a meaningful glance at Makoto.
“…So we all figured there was no time like the present,” Akihiko continues, nodding so enthusiastically that his Christmas hat almost slips off his head.
“It’s a good chance for us, too,” Ken adds, eyeing Akihiko with amusement.
Fuuka giggles. “That’s right! We didn’t get to celebrate Christmas together last year, after all.”
“Woof, woof!”
“Merry January Christmas, Aigis!” Yukari cheers, walking towards them to link her arm with Aigis’. “Let’s get you all dolled up now, yeah? You come with us, too, Mitsuru-senpai, Fuuka!”
“You should go get changed too, dude!” Junpei tells Makoto, handing him a Christmas hat. “And you better put this on, you hear me? I even got Kirijo-senpai to wear one, so no buts!”
“Maaaaaan what’s taking them so long!”
Akihiko shrugs. “Beats me.”
“I guess it would be nice if they could be a little faster,” Ken mutters, “Yuki-san didn’t even take ten minutes.”
Junpei jumps to his feet, marching towards the stairs.
“I’m gonna go get them! We… can’t just…”
Hearing him trail of, Makoto looks up just in time to see Yukari and Fuuka walking down the stairs with Mitsuru in tow.
“Sorry for the wait, everyone!” Yukari grins, turning back to call over her shoulder, “Come on, don’t be shy, Aigis!”
“Um, r—right…”
Makoto’s heart gives a start. Before he even knows what he’s doing, he’s getting up, his feet carrying him towards the sound of her voice.
When his eyes land on her, that very same heart suddenly starts pounding.
Aigis is beautiful, he has always known that. But tonight, dressed in a long-sleeved gold dress that brings out the striking blue in her eyes, she is so ethereal that it’s almost painful.
“Whoa, Ai-chan…” Junpei manages, just barely. Makoto can empathize.
“When Yukari-san and Fuuka-san insisted we went shopping, I wasn’t expecting this,” Aigis admits, flustered. “Don't I look… odd?”
“Of course not, silly! You look beautiful. Right, Yuki-kun?”
“…Yeah.” It comes out sounding a little choked, a little breathless. So Makoto clears his throat and tries again, eyes locked with Aigis’. “…You look beautiful, Aigis.”
Her face brightens, a rosy hue taking to her cheeks.
“Well, then… I’m glad you think so, Makoto-san.”
Junpei looks from one to the other with raised brows.
“Uh, did I miss something or…?”
Yukari promptly elbows him in the side.
“Hey, are you all done over there?” Akihiko calls back from the couch, clueless. “I thought we were supposed to take a picture together!”
“Huh? Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!” Junpei snaps to attention, a grin quickly spreading across his lips. “Since Ai-chan wasn’t there for the last one, I thought it’d be cool to take another group picture!”
“That’s a great idea, Iori,” Mitsuru approves, walking to Yukari’s side. “A lot has changed since then. It’d be good to have a picture of us as we are now.”
“Senpai…” Yukari perks up, smiling up at her.
“In that case, I’ll print a copy for each of us,” Fuuka offers, adjusting her Santa hat.
Together, the five of them walk towards the Christmas tree, where they’re joined by Akihiko, Ken and Koromaru.
This time, when the timer goes off, they’re all looking at the camera—genuine happiness on their faces.
The rest of the night is a blur of laughter and great food, courtesy of the Kirijo Group.
Everyone seems determined to make the night last for as long as possible, but after the second Christmas cake, things naturally start to quiet down.
Mitsuru, Yukari and Fuuka are sharing a cup of green tea, while Akihiko, Ken and Junpei passionately discuss which Christmas-cake flavour deserves to be number one in the hearts of the Japanese population.
Meanwhile, Makoto and Aigis are sitting together with Koromaru, just enjoying each other’s company.
Wise beyond his years, their loyal companion chooses that very moment to spring to action.
“Woof, woof!” He barks at Aigis’ feet.
“Oh! It seems Koromaru-san wants to go for a walk.”
“I’ll join you, Aigis,” Makoto says, sending Koromaru a grateful glance that earns him another bark.
No one seems to suspect anything and, luckily, they all seem too cosy to volunteer to join them, so the three of them set out into the cold January night.
“Woof, woof!”
“Koromaru-san says that he would like to take a different route tonight,” Aigis translates. At Makoto’s nod, she chuckles and bends down to scratch Koromaru behind the ears. “Lead the way, Koromaru-san!”
“Woof!”
“Koromaru-san seems more motivated than usual tonight,” Aigis muses. “I wonder if the belated holiday cheer has gotten to him as well.”
“…Perhaps,” Makoto agrees, holding back a smile.
He knows exactly where Koromaru is taking them and why, of course, but he is not about to tell her that he has one more surprise in store for her.
He wants to see the look in her eyes when she sees it.
If the dorm took Aigis aback, Paulownia Mall positively leaves her awestruck.
She rushes forward, looking around her to take it all in. The snow-patterned banners and yellow lights hanging from the ceiling; the snowflake lights dancing across the walls and floor.
From what Makoto can remember, the only things missing are the Christmas trees and the ‘Christmas’ sign above the fountain, but the latter has been replaced by a ‘Welcome’ that does the job just as well.
“This is beautiful…! I didn’t know the mall could be decorated like this,” Aigis marvels. “I wonder what the occasion is.”
Makoto knows the answer to that, too. While Tanaka refused at first, muttering something about foolish, sentimental boys and ridiculous ideas that would only waste money, Makoto knew that he would get it done—if only to show that he could.
He keeps that to himself, a half-smile tugging at his lips.
“…Who knows?”
Aigis giggles and takes a hand to her heart, gaze darting around them.
“…Whatever it may be, I’m deeply grateful for it.”
Makoto’s smile broadens, warmth spreading across his chest.
“Do you want to take a look around, Aigis?”
“I’d love to!”
“Woof, woof!”
Both of them turn to find Koromaru hanging back. Three other dogs have come to join him, and they’re all excitedly wagging their tails.
“You can go play with your friends, Koromaru,” Makoto tells him, and Koromaru gives another bark before the pack heads towards the back of the mall.
“I wonder if Koromaru-san brought us here so we could look at the lights,” Aigis wonders, looking after him.
Together, they walk by the shops, stopping here and there to see the different shapes projected by the lights. When they get to the Crane Machine, Makoto wins Aigis a Jack Frost doll. So intrigued is she by the mechanism and its odds that she insists to try it herself, and they walk away with five more dolls to their name. Makoto can only hope that Elizabeth may have some obscure use for them.
Through it all, Makoto has to make a conscious effort to keep himself from staring too long at Aigis and the emotions flitting across her face; the curiosity, the joy, the wonder. They all tell a different story, and he finds them all just as captivating.
It seems unthinkable that Aigis would have once looked at all of this with a blank face, and not for the first time, Makoto is grateful for the change.
She looks so much happier now, and that alone makes him happy in turn.
Once Aigis is satisfied, they sit down on one of the benches by the ‘Welcome’ sign. An amiable silence wraps over them like a blanket, and Makoto would’ve closed his eyes in contentment, if it weren’t because he catches a glimpse of Aigis’ hands—one laying on her lap, the other on the bench right between them.
Within his reach.
Makoto swallows, shifting slightly. The temperature has dropped and he forgot his gloves, but he still takes his hand out of his pocket.
He rests it on his leg, aimless—hesitant.
Tomorrow, they may face the end of the world as they know it. Somehow, the thought of that seems far less scary than the possibility of ruining this.
Of ruining them.
Before Makoto can make up his mind, Aigis breaks the silence, raising her head to look up at the ceiling.
“I… am glad that we got to spend time like this before tomorrow, Makoto-san,” she says, almost like she can read his mind. “Now more than ever, I am certain that I want to do my best. I want to see a future where you are all smiling like you did today.”
Makoto smiles, leaning forward to get a better look at her face.
“What about you, Aigis? Did you have fun today?”
“Yes! It was wonderful.”
He allows himself to relax, then. If Aigis enjoyed herself, then the day was a success.
“I’m glad. I had fun, too.”
Aigis’ expression softens.
“I wish… I could always… with you...”
He blinks, his heart stuttering.
“Aigis…?”
She locks her gaze on him.
“Makoto-san… There’s something I want you to have. A gift, if you may.”
His brows furrow lightly and Aigis hurries to shake her head.
“It’s nothing much, really! But still, I’d… I’d like you to have it. Please.”
She is looking at him with an intensity that leaves him caught in her eyes, unable to do anything but nod dumbly at her. At his agreement, relief seems to wash away the nervousness on her face.
“Thank you!”
Aigis reaches inside her pocket. Then, she gently takes his hand in hers, dropping something inside it and wrapping his fingers around it. When she lets his hand go, Makoto takes a look and finds a screw sitting on his palm.
A charred screw.
His eyes widen.
“That’s one of my parts that had to be replaced after I collapsed at the Moonlight Bridge. I asked Mitsuru-san to have it sent to me,” Aigis explains, confirming his suspicions. “I… have grown since then. I’m not afraid, and I won’t give up… I’ll get up back up, no matter how many times it takes. I’ll fight by your side and protect you. This is the proof of my resolve, and I want you to have it… It’s… It’s a part of me.”
Makoto can only stare at her—at the way a blush takes to her cheeks; the way she absent-mindedly tucks her bangs away from her eyes, suddenly unable to meet his.
That is just fine with Makoto, because he is finding it increasingly hard to school his expression into something less, well, this.
Into something that won’t spell out to her that he is more than a little in love with her.
He looks down at the screw resting on his palm, floored and aching.
Truth is, Makoto has been wondering about it for a while now.
Ever since he met her, Aigis has helped Makoto discover so many wonderful things; about the world, and especially about himself. She has made him feel so many things he didn’t even know he was capable of feeling.
That’s why he poured his heart into offering her the best Christmas he possibly could. For once, there was something tangible that he could do for her, and he jumped at the chance to do it.
He meant to thank her for everything she has done for him.
But this…
Makoto closes his fingers around the charred screw.
Somehow, Aigis keeps giving him more and more of herself, without ever asking for anything in turn.
He has been trying to follow her example. He really has.
But, the truth is—
…There is something I want more than anything.
“O-oh yes… Umm…” Aigis fidgets a little in her seat, still not meeting his eyes. “Of course, if I had known we were celebrating Christmas today, I’d have gifted you something more useful, Makoto-san.”
“No!”
She snaps her head to look at him, startled by his outburst. He is surprised, too, but for once, Makoto doesn’t try to hold himself back.
“Makoto…san…?”
Wordlessly, he reaches out and wraps her in his arms. Aigis gasps against the crook of his neck and his heart starts beating so fast that he can barely hear himself think, but he figures that’s just fine.
He doesn’t want to think. He just wants to be here, in this moment.
With her.
“…Thank you, Aigis,” he says once he finds his voice. “I’ll treasure this. I promise.”
Slowly, timidly, she hugs him back.
“I… Okay,” she whispers, melting into him.
She holds him just as fiercely as he is holding her, nuzzling her face in his neck, and it occurs to Makoto that perhaps he isn’t the only one who has been holding back.
“You know, Aigis…” He leans back to look at her, lips curling up. “I’ve been thinking a lot, lately… about what I’d like to do once we’ve beat Nyx.”
She tilts her head to the side in that endearing way of hers, and his smile widens.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Honestly, I’ve never really given the future a lot of thought, but… I think there’s one thing I’m sure of.”
He lets his forehead rest against hers.
“…I want to be by your side, Aigis.”
He has known it for a while now. Ever since the raw panic he felt when they found her broken on the Moonlight Bridge, without any means to know if she would be fine. Maybe since even before then.
Maybe since his eyes met hers on that pier and his heart seemed to set itself in motion.
“M—Makoto-san…?” Aigis whispers with a thread of a voice, and Makoto chuckles, feeling impossibly light.
“…I want to be with you. Always.”
And just so his intentions are clear, he ducks his head and kisses her.
It’s his first time kissing anyone and he doesn’t really know what he’s doing, but he doesn’t let that deter him.
More than anything, he’s just glad it’s with her.
When they break apart, Makoto finds Aigis looking at him in a daze.
“…Merry Christmas, Aigis,” he whispers, voice warm with joy.
Aigis reaches out, lovingly brushing the bangs away from his eyes as a smile blooms across her face, brightest than any Christmas light could ever hope to be.
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In the Drama CDs Daylight & Moonlight, the original P3 devs define "Happiness" as follows:
Still, if 'happiness’ had a definite form… I guess it would be in meeting with someone very dear to you, maybe?
Translation by: imaginary-numbers
Aigis wants to know what "Happiness" looks like, so she and Makoto accompany Junpei when he goes to see Chidori, and we get the following exchange:
Chidori: "That aside, tell me more about what you were talking about the other day."
Junpei: "The other day?"
Chidori: "Your dream... The one where you wanted to become a major leaguer."
Junpei: "Ah... Oh yeah, that's right. To start with, I never did explain to you what a 'major leaguer' is, did I?"
Chidori: (Voice trailing off into the background) "I know. MLB is..."
Leader: (whispering) "Let's go, Aigis."
Aigis: (whispering) "Yes. It seems that Junpei-san and Chidori-san are no longer aware of our presence. Is this the state known as 'happiness'? The principle composition seems to be comprised primarily of carbolic acid and ethonol."
Leader: (whispering) "That's... not quite it."
- SFX: [Aigis and Leader leave the hospital room, with Junpei and Chidori talking in the background]
Translation by: imaginary-numbers
At the end of Moonlight, we get the exact same thing, but this time with Aikoto.
Just like Chidori wants to know Junpei's dreams, Makoto wants to know what Aigis wants to do:
Leader: “What about you, Aigis?”
Aigis: “I…”[...]
Leader: “What’s important here is what you want to do, Aigis.”
Aigis: “What I want…? The one… The one that’s most important to me is…”
Junpei: “STOP RIGHT THERE!! Don’t just create a weird atmosphere on your own, you two!!”
Translation by: imaginary-numbers || AUDIO HERE
And just like Chidori and Junpei got lost in their own little world and forgot they had an audience, so do Makoto and Aigis:
Aigis: “Happiness… I, made a promise… that I would find happiness.”
Leader: “Eh? With who?”
Aigis: “I don’t remember. Perhaps, rather than with someone else, within myself… No, perhaps it’s a promise I made with myself.”
Leader: “… You’ll definitely find it. Your happiness, that is.”
Aigis: “Yes!”
Junpei: “I’M BEGGING YOU, ENOUGH WITH THE WEIRD ATMOSPHERE ALREADY!”
Translation by: imaginary-numbers || AUDIO HERE
The way the P3 devs paralleled both scenes is so touching. The state known as "happiness", the fact of being with those dear to you, and it's shown through Aikoto & Jundori getting lost in their own little worlds when they're together 😭
The cherry on-top is Makoto softly telling her that she will definitely find her happiness, because... meeting him was Aigis' happiness 😭
The merch line-up of the Sea Paradise event was just revealed, and it's filled with Aikoto!
First, we have Atlus' commentary on the matching Aikoto illustrations.
(What all sorts of things, Atlus? How beautiful and tragic Aikoto are?)
There's also a whole array of Aikoto merch! In order, we have: face towels, desk mats, tote bags, acrylic keychains and they even designed two matching armbands that are meant to be Aigis' (red) and Makoto's (blue).
Lastly, the collaboration also features an Aikoto Hotel Room and its assorted merch!