It is absolutely Naoto.
(Although I will admit I picked Chie when I played Persona 4, I ended up liking Yu/Naoto fics more.)
I will admit to being more of a sucker for Yu X Chie, but Yu X Naoto is a close second. The latter also tends to provide more variety in terms of story content.
xxxx
Sokila was...pouting?
"You're about to go travelling...?"
She idly drew pictures of the Japanese countryside.
"...I wish I could go with you..."
Crossing her arms, she sat down...looking...thoughtful?
"...I wonder...maybe that would work...?"
The faint haze of blue began to brighten-
xxxx
/Friday: July 31, 2015/
/Courtyards, Outskirts of Hakone Academy/
Shinji Ikari, Kensuke Aida, Toji Suzuhara, and Kaworu Nagisa moved as a pod towards the parking lots at edge of the Academy grounds; only the latter wasn't carrying bags with him. "You are uncertain as to how long you will be travelling?"
"Well...as long as we're back before school starts, does it really matter?" replied Shinji, who was simply wearing his normal summer school uniform, albeit with the white shirt unbuttoned and untucked, allowing the black undershirt to be seen.
His answer elicited a chuckle from the ashen-haired boy. "A fair enough point. I suppose some measure of uncertainty leads to excitement."
"Any idea what vehicle Amamiya-senpai's gonna bring?" asked Kensuke, who looked ready to go hiking through the woods with his get-up: camouflage cargo pants, brown boots, a dark green tee shirt, and a tan vest with a proverbial smorgasboard of pockets.
Shinji hummed. "Well, he knows that there's going to be five of us...so with him as the driver, it would be a six-seat vehicle?"
"Good thing that Sakamoto-sensei's buddies are gonna be bringing their own vehicle then," said Toji with a chuckle. His outfit was far more sporty-looking relative to Shinji's and Kensuke's: black sweatpants rolled up to the knees with white stripes along the sides, a blue athletic shirt that hung loosely to his frame, and a red baseball cap facing backwards. "It'd be a tight fit otherwise."
"You mentioned that Sakamoto-san's presence was non-negotiable, right?" asked Kensuke.
"That's what Katsuragi-san and Niijima-san pretty much said," answered Toji.
Shinji sighed, wishing that something as...
mundane...as a summer road trip didn't have to be so complicated. Then again, given his circumstances, it wasn't that surprising.
I just hope everything goes well...
xxxx
Meanwhile, Misato Katsuragi was driving her Alpine Renault — with uncharacteristic carefulness, as she had yet to fully recover from her wounds — through the streets of Tokyo-3. Mana Kirishima sat in the passenger seat, looking rather...subdued.
Given the suitcase sitting in the backseat alongside LABRYS and AIGIS, the whole situation probably felt odd.
Heck, she's never even BEEN on a vacation before. The very concept must seem bonkers.
"...Katsuragi."
"Yes, Mana-chan?"
The girl — clad in sturdy jeans, a black tee shirt, and a well-worn denim vest — glanced over at her with an uncertain expression in her green eyes. "Am...am I doing the right thing?"
Misato blinked, unsure where this line of questioning was going. "What do you mean?"
"...I
need to find my brothers. But I need to get stronger in order to do so...and Shinji Ikari's the best path to strength for me. But...from what you've been saying...this whole 'road trip' thing is just going to be about...kicking back, and relaxing, right?"
"That's generally what vacations are for."
"...do I even have the
right to do something like this?"
"...it's not about whether you have the
right to do something or not. A vacation doesn't have to be complicated..."
How to put this in a way that she'll understand? "Just think of it is an extended mission with undefined goals. Given Shinji-kun's circumstances...combat at a moment's notice isn't out of the window. So just be prepared for anything, try to have some fun in the meantime...and don't worry: the opportunity to search for your brothers will come. Just have to make sure you won't be in over your head whenever you do."
"How come? I could take my weapons and just...go, now that you no longer lock them up."
"Then what's stopping you?"
Mana went silent at the question, because...really, what
was stopping her, other than her own sense of self-preservation? "...because there's stuff in the Metaverse I can't deal with."
I wonder if she's thinking about the Reaper? "Not yet, anyway...that's why I have to get stronger."
Misato took the opportunity while they were at a red light to ruffle the girl's hair. (By now, the little tyke no longer resisted, which was a minor miracle in and of itself.) "Your time will come...and at least you'll be with people who can hold their own for the most part." Accept for the lone civilian girl...Mayumi Yamagishi, her name was?
Then again, it might do her some good to hang out with a girl that has no powers...damn it, there should have been more planning that went into this! Why the hell would the Commander sign off on this without any oversight? It was like the man didn't care about his son's wellbeing at all. "...also, just remember that although the boys are able to fight in the Metaverse...the girl you'll be traveling with
won't be. So try to be gentle with her, okay?"
"If she can't fight, why would I fight her? There'd be no point."
Misato couldn't help but smirk at that: sometimes, Mana's straightforward bluntness was so damn
refreshing. "Just giving you a reminder, that's all."
And so they puttered on through morning rush hour traffic towards Hakone Academy.
xxxx
Speaking of Mayumi Yamagishi, the Class Representative of class 2-A had taken it upon herself to escort the girl to the rendezvous point at the Academy's parking lots. To Hikari Horaki's surprise, the bookish president of the Literature Club also lived off-campus for the most part, in an apartment complex not too far from her own. "I'm surprised you got permission to do so," she admitted.
Mayumi, pulling a rolling suitcase behind her, and with a heavy rucksack on her back, simply smiled in return. "My parents were persuasive, I guess. I...don't do well around other people when sleeping."
"...and yet you agreed to go along with Ikari-san on this road trip?" In which Yamagishi would be rooming with a girl that was a practical stranger?
The girl adjusted her glasses and the straw sun hat resting on her head, electing not to answer. Her outfit was rather conservative: a pink button-up with loose sleeves, and a long skirt the color of burnt orange that went down to the calves. It was rather demure, which was in keeping with Yamagishi's personality as far as Hikari was aware.
Hence why this whole turn of events seemed...odd.
Come to think of it...that's right! "How exactly
did Ikari-san have your number anyhow?" Mayumi's answer was to blush slightly. "...are you two... secretly
dating?"
"N-no, not at all," muttered Mayumi.
"So why does he have your number?"
"...because he gave me his number first," she admitted with a red face.
Hikari's eyebrows shot up with surprise. "
Really? Wow...I didn't realize Ikari-san was a
player...he doesn't seem the type."
Yamagishi sputtered in protest. "H-Horaki-san, it's not like that! I...honestly don't think he sees me that way...he actually offered his contact information as an
apology for missing our club meetings so often."
Hikari blinked dumbly. "He
what?!"
"Yeah...I don't think it occurred to him what exactly he was giving me, at the time."
"...okay, so not a player. He's just
dense."
"...I believe so, yes," she admitted.
Hikari sighed; that was a relief! At least the likelihood of shenanigans was reduced on Ikari's end...and from what little she had seen, Mana Kirishima was intimidating enough on her own that Aida and Suzuhara wouldn't try anything funny. Combined with their high school chaperone and the three adults accompanying them, this road trip looked like it was going to be free of stereotypical teenage follies. "That's good to hear..."
"Why?" Yamagishi stared shrewdly at her. "Are you...
interested in Ikari-san?"
"Not at all, no," she freely admitted. Ikari was nice and understanding enough...but he just wasn't vibrant enough for her, lacking a certain
vigor. (Which a certain someone else
did have, but there was no way she was going to say that aloud.) "Feel free to go for him."
Mayumi flushed prettily, her eyes narrowing with irritation at the blunt and open talk. "...you're mean. I guess I won't ensure Toji Suzuhara stays out of trouble, then..."
Hikari's insides suddenly froze. "...I don't know what you're talking about." In contrast, her face felt warm.
"Horaki-san, I may not be in your class, but you are
not as subtle as you think you are."
Oh no her face felt hot. "...how many people know?"
"...I can't help but overhear what other people say. The girls tend to keep it quiet whenever the Class Representatives are around, but gossips will gossip."
Oh
gods. "...what do they say?"
"There's actually a few who rate what they call your
Wistful Stares...and at least one girl in 2-A who times them, I think? Honestly, most of the conversations I hear are chiding you for having a thing for Suzuhara. They think you could do better."
Oh
GODS. "...I'm going to have to restore order once classes resume," she grumbled.
"Do as you please; it's none of my business...just so long as you return the same courtesy to me."
"Deal."
The two girls continued on towards the Academy, consciously deciding to talk about other matters that were farther away from the proximity of emotional peril.
