Thursday 23:54

Thursday 23:54 is a short story included in Devil Survivor 2 the Animation Character Archives. Just like the name indicates, the story takes place at the night before the battle against Mizar.

Summary
Daichi is restless on his bed, unable to sleep because of Yamato’s sudden declaration of creating the world based on merit system. Feeling stressed out, Daichi decides to visit Hibiki’s room. Arriving in Hibiki’s room, he finds Hibiki cheerfully talking with Alcor and expresses his surprise that Alcor is there and how he gets along well with Hibiki. Daichi then asks Alcor does he planning to stay forever, though Hibiki answers that it would only for two more days, reminding that the fate of the world will be decided at that time. This caused the atmosphere to turn depressing, so Daichi quickly changed the subject by asking what Alcor has done while Hibiki was asleep, something that also made Hibiki curious. Before Alcor could answer, Daichi’s stomach growled, interrupting the conversation.

At JP’s kitchen, Airi was waiting for Jungo to finish making chawanmushi for both of them, since they hadn’t eaten anything during the feast and only ate the snacks that they managed to bring. After finished eating, they were about to go back to their room, but encounter Hinako, who is also hungry and greets her. Airi gives Hinako a miso chocolate to eat and decides to share it with the rest before sleeping. While Airi and Jungo goes to Hibiki’s room, Hinako stays in the kitchen to cook something and surprised to find a takoyaki plate and realized that someone was just using it. Checking the refrigerator, she decides to make takoyaki for everyone.

Back at Hibiki’s room, Hibiki, Alcor, and Daichi drinks a lot of coffee to ease Daichi’s hunger as they continue to talk. However, they are interrupted by a knock from Airi, who started to open the door by using the code that distributed among the summoners. Daichi quickly tries to close the door in attempt to hide Alcor and accidently let it slip that he and Hibiki are hiding someone, much to Airi’s suspicion who tries to open the door forcefully even more. As they’re struggling, Airi tricks Daichi to let his guard down by pretending that Io is with them. She successfully fooled Daichi and enters the room, only to see Hibiki half-naked, in the middle of changing, which embarrassed her. Hibiki signals Daichi that it was a part of the plan and tells Airi to turn back until he’s done changing. Once Hibiki is done changing, Airi gives him the miso chocolate and also offered one to Daichi. Exhausted, Daichi says he will eat it later and lays on Hibiki’s bed. When looking up to the ceiling, he is shocked to see Alcor casually floating through the ceiling as he smiles in amusement of their current situation. To make it worse, Hibiki suddenly puts a miso chocolate into his mouth, causing Daichi to almost choke, but he forced himself to swallow the chocolate and remain not moving on the bed, distracting Airi and Jungo from the ceiling until they left.

On their way to Io’s room, Airi and Jungo once again meet Hinako and were informed that Io won’t answer when she calls her out, concluding that she’s already asleep. Hinako then gives the two takoyaki that she made. As token of gratitude, Airi tells Hinako of her suspicion that Hibiki and Daichi are hiding something. Hearing this, Hinako agrees to aid Airi on finding out what they are hiding and Airi quickly gives her instructions. Jungo, who’s already tired, goes back to his room.

Back at Hibiki’s room, Hibiki apologizes to Daichi and remain by his side until he composed himself. Daichi assures Hibiki that he is all right and offers Alcor a miso chocolate to try since he has a sense of taste. Before Alcor could accept it, Hinako suddenly barges into the room to give them her takoyaki, causing Hibiki and Daichi to froze on their spot. To their surprise, however, Alcor already disappeared, leaving Hinako wondering since she thought she heard someone else’s voice. Noticing Daichi’s strange gesture, Hinako demands Daichi to tell her, but Hibiki quickly distracts her by asking for takoyaki. He then wonders that JP’s has takoyaki plates and ingredients to make one, which Hinako agrees. This makes Hibiki questions that someone in JP’s perhaps likes takoyaki very much. The moment he brought up the question, however, he comes to realization that there’s one person that fit the description. As Hibiki and Hinako continue to converse about takoyaki, Daichi carefully looks up the ceiling and once again sees Alcor floating. Hinako, noticing Daichi’s stare, quickly looks up the ceiling before Hibiki could stop her, but found nothing up there.

Alcor, who manages to escape from Hibiki’s room, ends up in front of Yamato’s bedroom. Sensing Alcor’s presence, Yamato tells him to get out, but Alcor simply ignores it. Recognizing the smell on Yamato’s room is similar with the takoyaki from Hibiki’s room, Alcor realizes that he and Hibiki just ate the same food at the same time and points this out, surprising Yamato. Yamato turns to Alcor and simply replies that there’s no need for him to pay no heed over the trivial things since the destiny of the world will be decided in two more days, which Alcor retorts that Yamato enjoys the food in the very situation he spoke of. Yamato explains that he’s eating because he needs energies to achieve his goal. He then remembers one particular memory after the battle against Megrez.

After returning from Osaka, Hibiki, Daichi, and Io snuck a food wagon into JP’s base since the foods provided by JP’s are far from enjoyable to eat. Yamato is slightly taken aback when he saw the three of them eating near the entrance of JP’s base. At first, he merely sneered at them, until he saw the takoyaki that Hibiki was holding, reminding him of his childhood when he saw children around his age gathering around food vendor, stuffing themselves with takoyaki. Hibiki noticed Yamato’s presence and much to the latter’s shock, offered him to try one.

Back to the present, Yamato explains to Alcor that fast food of civilian is suitable for meal when one is short of time and Hibiki just coincidently doing the same thing. Alcor comments that Yamato was influenced by Hibiki, but Yamato just brush it off. After several moments, Yamato tells him to leave, and this time, Alcor does so, leaving Yamato to think through the outcome of the trial.

On the hallway, Alcor observes Hinako and Airi arguing over the failure of finding out Hibiki and Daichi’s secret. Airi questions Hinako had she checked every corner of the room, which Hinako answers that she did and even checked the bedroom and under the bed. Frustrated and tired already, Airi decides to go back to sleep, but not before offering Hinako to do this again together, which Hinako happily agrees. Once both of them left, Alcor is astonished that they able to catch on to his existence, and while he personally didn’t care, he already promised not to reveal himself, so he couldn't affor to be found out.

Alcor reappears in Hibiki’s room, much Hibiki and Daichi’s surprise. Alcor explains that he went to Yamato’s room and asks Hibiki was he the one who recommended takoyaki to him. This makes Hibiki remembers when he offered a takoyaki to Yamato. While Yamato’s face is unwelcoming as always, he felt he could discern something from Yamato’s expression at that time. Hearing that Yamato has taken quite a liking to it, Hibiki feels at ease since they seemed to have at least one thing in common, and hopes that this small connection between them might turn to slightest hint of hope for them to understand one another in the future. Feeling sleepy, Daichi decides to return to his room, reminding Hibiki of their previous conversation. Alcor explains that he does not require sleep, so he’s watching Hibiki sleeping the whole night until he awakes. Feeling uneasly, Hibiki asks Daichi to replace him, but Daichi immediately refuses and leaves them, much to Hibiki’s dismay. This confuses Alcor, since he didn’t see any harm from him watching over while he’s sleeping. Hibiki interjects that it causes a mental harm to him since he feels that he’s being guarded by most advanced security system. Understanding what Hibiki meant and sensing his discomfort, Alcor offers Hibiki that he could close his eyes to ease his mind, something that Hibiki appreciates.

As Hibiki drifts to sleep, Alcor is fascinated that humans able to fall asleep with promises of meeting again tomorrow and the very fact that he finds them is proof that he himself is moved by their state of being. Letting his thought to dwell on what he should make for breakfast tomorrow, Alcor waits for the passing of his sleepless night.