Yu Narukami's Uncanny Fable (Persona 4)

[rattatatouille]

Evening came, and Makoto had split off as we Yasogami students headed towards our hotel. Kashiwagi-sensei had picked it out, so alarm bells were already ringing in my head even before we got to the place. Our accommodation was called the Seaside Clamshell Inn, and as I suspected it happened to be a love hotel. Thankfully, Kashiwagi-sensei had the sense to segregate boys from girls, and I'm pretty sure we were all too tired from both the long trip and the tour around Gekkoukan for anyone to try some hanky-panky. (Not that it stopped some more courageous students from trying, mind you.)

I then overheard a rather familiar voice coming from a nearby rooftop, and Yosuke looked around for the source. A bear mascot jumped down from the rooftop, and Teddie was somehow standing right in front of us. Puzzled as to how our ursine friend made it all the way from Inaba to Tatsumi Port Island, we asked him how he got there, then Teddie explained that he stopped buying Topsicles and saved his Junes salary for transportation. As to why he joined us, he was hanging on to the promise of Chie going out on a date with him, which Chie wasn't categorically denying but neither was she confirming it either. Since we were free the next day, Rise and I volunteered to show the gang around the place, and we agreed to take Teddie along, even if he was technically an uninvited guest.

Of course, that left one little problem - Teddie's accommodation. The money he had save was solely for getting to Tatsumi Port Island, so he didn't have a place to stay. Kashiwagi-sensei then saw Teddie as she stepped out of the hotel door, and wondered what he was. I quickly managed to bluff that Teddie was a stuffed toy I had just made, and somehow she bought it. The bear stood as still as a rock, and I realized that him coming all the way to this place was his way of showing his affection for our little group. I felt my bond with the mascot slash golden boy deepen.

The accommodations were indeed what was more apt for a love hotel than a standard hotel, with a water bed and a remote-controlled bed that rotated if you pressed some buttons. Not minding the fact that someone likely used the bed I'd sleep in to conceive a kid, I fell asleep, exhausted after the day's events.

----​

The next day, we spent the morning at Gekkoukan, continuing the school tour, then adjourned right before lunch, where Makoto met us at the school gate and took us to a small eatery that looked cozy and smelled really nice. Makoto then talked to a man in the kitchen who I didn't see right away, but after a while my friend took our food orders and relayed it to the man in the kitchen. After a while, a delicious lunch arrived our way, carried by Makoto and the other man who I could now see. He wore a maroon peacoat even in a warm September, and had shaggy brown hair and a sullen expression that nonetheless betrayed warmth. Makoto introduced the other guy as Shinjiro Aragaki, a friend of his and proprietor of the small place we were in. Shinjiro-san corrected him, saying that he was more of a friend to Makoto's sister Kotone, but with a tone of affection in his voice. Thanking our host for the food, we dug in and had a great time.

Makoto then told me that he DJ'd as a side gig, and invited us to Club Escapade at the Paulownia Mall that evening. I protested that we were underaged, but my friend pointed out that he was only 19 and that he got in there as a high schooler, so maybe it wasn't exactly a seedy place. Even so, since most of my friends were from a sleepy rural town and everyone save Rise hadn't been to one, the club felt rather sophisticated and adult. Another familiar voice greeted us at the club, and we saw Naoto Shirogane standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the private rooms. Naoto asked us if we were allowed to be here, which was rather hypocritical because as a first-year student he was younger than us. Naoto then moved to leave, but we weren't letting the kid detective go without hanging with our team for a bit. Not only were we curious as to how he did detective work at a tender young age, we also got a bit fond of the kid, even if we didn't admit it at that point. Rise then went towards the front desk, wanting to see if she could get a private room reserved for our group. The live band had just finished their set, and I could see Makoto already setting up his turntable and other DJ gear on the stage. With Naoto waiting with us for Rise's results, I could see Kanji off to the side, still finding it awkward spending some time around the kid he was crushing on.

Rise had managed to reserve a private room on the second floor of the club, and we marveled at the array of finger foods and drinks in front of us. She explained how two years ago, the power at the club was on the fritz, causing Risette's gig to be cancelled, and to make up for it the club allowed her to pull some strings and get our little private party going. The nice thing about the private room was that the music was piped in via the PA system, so we could hear whatever cool beats Makoto had brewing even from upstairs.

So we ate and drank, taking in our fill of Club Escapade's offerings. I could see that some of us were already getting into the spirit after a few drinks, with Teddie being rather handsy with the still embarrassed Kanji and Yukiko now giggling after the bear-in-human-form made a bad pun, their faces clearly flushed. Yosuke wondered if the drinks were spiked - none of us wanted to be nabbed for underaged drinking - and Rise denied it, even as she looked like she was falling under the influence.

The impish part of me had an idea to prove the drinks weren't spiked, however. I drank down a glass of what looked and tasted like soda, and unbuttoned my shirt halfway down to make sure I didn't overheat, and gulped down glass after glass. I wasn't feeling soused yet, so maybe there really wasn't any alcohol in the drinks. However, at least three of my friends were acting like they had drunk a lot already - so was it the atmosphere?

Rise then called for us to start the King's Game, a party game where you draw lots, and whoever gets to be the King can give orders to a person they pick from a set of numbers. (Like a lot of party games, this can get either very horny or very awkward, or even both, pretty quickly.) She told Kanji to get the chopsticks ready, and even as he protested she reminded him that "the King's orders are absolute", so I decided to humor her instead and got Rise the chopsticks instead. One of them was marked with a red marker, meaning whoever got it would be the king, and as Kanji wondered how I got those I reminded him again that the King's orders were absolute.

On our first draw, Teddie drew the marked pair of chopsticks, meaning he'd be the King for the first round. Given how libertine the bear was, I knew it wasn't gonna end well, but we decided to throw caution to the wind anyway. He ordered #3 to "come suck face" with him, and immediately puckered his cheeks in preparation. #3 happened to be Kanji, who was rather reluctant to share a kiss with the pretty boy mascot, but that didn't stop Teddie from practically molesting the guy, sadly.

We all drew chopstick lots again as we considered the round over. This time, I had gotten the marked pair, so that made me King. Right there and then, Makoto switched to a really catchy song, whose lyrics I'll be sharing for posterity as I announced my kingship in style.

BABYBABYBABYBABY
Yeah!

I had brought my pair of TV World glasses, put them on my face, then tossed the pair of chopsticks into the air as my shirt came fully undone, showing something that I'm pretty sure Rise had fantasized for a while now. "I'm the king", I crooned suavely as I showed everyone the marked chopsticks.

Fear's awake, anger beats loud, face reality
Never beat charity
The enemy you're fighting covers all society
(Damn right)
Mommy's not here, gotta fight
(All night)

At this revelation Chie looked rather embarrassed, Yukiko was still giggling at the entire affair, and Rise suggested someone to sit on my lap. The two "drunk" girls began sharing rather saucy suggestions between each other, and I decided to break the deadlock by throwing a dart at the dartboard to call my first order as King. "Number 2", I called as I threw the dart, which landed exactly where I aimed it at.

Right here, Shadow 10 o'clock direction
Seize the moment, destroy the nation
Your rhyme is slow-motion, give me motivation
Freaked out now, and dead on arrival
(What?)

I then told #2 to sit on my lap, who then revealed themselves as Chie Satonaka. Rise and I reminded her that the king's orders were absolute, so even as she was clearly reluctant about the entire affair Chie began sitting on my lap, slowly but surely. (It probably didn't help that I knew she was the one girl in our group who wasn't obviously into me, and that she was sober unlike the other two girls.). She then immediately stood up, still flustered, and Yukiko immediately cradled her arms around my neck and sat in my lap sideways, not minding that I had rejected her some time ago. The inn heiress proceeded to embarrass our tomboy friend even more by hugging me closer, and it was really hard for me to maintain a stoic expression at the fact that a girl was getting really handsy with me.

Round up around, spit out
All over
Rhyme like a rolling stone
Comin' a crowd
Watch out, they move, they diss you loud
Guess what this sound, it bombs whole ground
(So round up)

Of course, Rise who definitely had the biggest crush on me of the three wasn't gonna take this lying down, so she booted Yukiko off my lap with her hips, then rested her head on my lap while Yukiko hugged me again from the other side, while a miffed Chie watched from beside us.

Don't ease your pace, 'cuz enemy's brutal
Moment of truth, There ain't no truce
You're the only one, one world, one love
But the battle goes on, Shadows of mass destruction

Yosuke predictably complained at me hogging the girls of the group, but I was still fully in-character and reminded him I was the king.

Ooh yeah,
Dada-dada, dada-dada,
Baby, baby,
Da-dada-dada, dada-dada

----​

The next round had Yukiko as King (or shall we say, Queen), and this time her dare was for us to share an embarrassing secret. She called in the previously reticent Naoto, and the kid detective was taken aback at being called on the spot. He agreed, in exchange for us telling him our own embarrassing story, and he then confessed that he couldn't think of an embarrassing tale. Naoto then told us his family's history, with him being a fifth-generation detective, the Shirogane clan having been in the business for over a century. That reminded Chie of a detective she saw in the movies whose name escapes me at the moment (Kindaichi? Kuzunoha?). Yeah, that wasn't embarrassing at all. But Yukiko found it A-OK, so instead she shared an embarrassing secret of her own, by confessing to Naoto our whole Investigation Team business, clearly addled by her drunken state, and even telling the detective our Persona powers. (Thankfully these weren't the kind of superpowers that go away if you tell someone your secret). Naturally, Naoto found it hard to believe, and pointed out that the drinks really weren't spiked, or couldn't have been alcoholic to begin with. He let us know that Club Escapade hadn't served alcohol since the past year due to a spate of drunk driving incidents, so that meant that Teddie, Rise and Yukiko all got drunk on the atmosphere of the place. I mean, I had downed my fair share of drinks and I didn't even so much feel a buzz.

The girls were still rather soused on our way out of the club, and Makoto nodded at me as we escorted them back to our hotel.

----​

The third and last day of our school trip came, and by the afternoon we would be on our way back to Inaba. We spent the morning at a gift shop looking for souvenirs (I got a lamp for Nanako and some mochi for Marie), and then spent lunch at Hagakure Ramen at the shopping district near Iwatodai Station, and enjoyed the great ramen the place served. I had of course eaten there a few times as a kid, and Rise also frequented the place while she was shooting some TV ads. She also pointed out her autograph on the signing board, but given that Risette was still on hiatus she did like how nobody noticed her that much.

As we moved to leave the place, Teddie somehow froze in place, but it turned out his stomach was just unsettled from eating too much (including taking Yukiko's bowl without her consent). We then headed back to the rendezvous point, even after jokingly threatening to leave Teddie behind (I loaned him money for a return ticket, just to be sure), and we made our way back to Inaba safely.

After getting home, I gave Nanako the lamp, which made her really happy, and my uncle talked to me about Naoto, telling me that the police wasn't happy with the young detective's stubbornness regarding the case.

After a bath to clean myself up from the trip, I then unpacked my luggage and headed to bed, having enjoyed seeing old friends and had fun with my new ones.

 

[rattatatouille]

Sunday arrived, a brief respite sandwiched between our school trip and our return to regular school life. Tanaka was still broadcasting his questionable TV shopping show, but I nonetheless checked what he had in store - surprisingly he had some fresh fish in stock that I bought. (Might have been better to catch some from the Samegawa, but a deal's a deal.) With that, I was free to use my day, and since it was a Sunday I felt it was time to catch up with my favorite senior citizen.

Hisano-san waited as usual at the riverbank, where she asked me if she still smelled of incense, given that it was her husband's death anniversary. She continued to muse about death being what takes people to the gods, and that it could be an ally for those bereaved seeking a greater connection to the divine. Of course, it was more of a coping mechanism for those left behind, being that people, of course, feel great pain and ask why their loved one had to die. I felt like I understood what she was getting at, and I felt that I understood how Hisano-san felt a little better.

That evening I found my uncle doing something, and as I approached him he thought for a moment, then asked me to call Nanako down from her room. So of course I did, and it turned out Uncle Ryotaro had a cake ready, which made my little sis curious as to what we were celebrating. My uncle just mentioned it was something special, leaving it rather vague, but nonetheless we all had a splendid time together.

After Nanako went back to bed, Uncle Ryotaro apologized for roping me into his little scheme. It turned out that the celebration was a way for him to spend time with his young daughter, and how he felt proud of Nanako as she grew up. He had realized that it was better for him to stop running away from the fact that he had a daughter, and that it was time for him to remember that he was a father, not just a crusading widower bent on solving the case that took his beloved wife from him.

----​

Sadly, the next day was Monday, and back to the grind it was. Kashiwagi-sensei mentioned Teddie during her lecture, which then tied into her lecture about the old Japanese word for a panda. That was the only lesson that stuck itself into my head, however, and the rest of the school day passed by relatively quickly.

What I hadn't foreseen, however, was how I was coming to a big realization. A certain someone had gone into my thoughts more and more often as of late, and the things I learned during the school trip like Kotone's untimely demise making me believe that a Wild Card's life was perilous made that realization even more important. As the poet Horace said, "carpe diem", and I would seize my next opportunity to tell how much Rise Kujikawa meant to me.

That opportunity wouldn't be too far off. Rise had invited me to Souzai Daigaku after school for snacks, and while sampling the wares she idly thought of making Marukyu sell tofu-based street food. While we were enjoying our food the deputy mayor dropped by, and told us about an upcoming film that was going to film in Inaba. The film was apparently gonna star Kanamin, and the deputy mayor fretted about where to accommodate the cast and crew, before realizing he could have them booked at the Amagi Inn. Of course, Inoue-san, Rise's manager, came along and greeted us, as he was scouting locations for a film. He also wanted to hear one last time what Rise's decision regarding her career was, and my friend was still adamant about staying away from the limelight. Inoue-san then dropped a bombshell, revealing how he now managed Kanamin and that he had more of a challenge with the younger idol, as Rise was apparently a natural at adapting to many kinds of situations (which may have been why she had the potential to acquire a Persona), and that he regretted that he couldn't be around to witness her blossom to superstardom. As Inoue-san left, Rise began to realize what she truly left behind when she turned her back on her career as Risette, and started to weep in front of Souzai Daigaku, unmindful of what scene she was making.

The sight of the girl I had grown increasingly fond of being driven to tears was frankly too much for me, and time began to slow again to a crawl not unlike when Yukiko had confessed her feelings for me. This time around, however, I realized I liked Rise just as she liked me, and I had to be true to my feelings for her.

So as she bawled her eyes out I embraced her (keeping in mind that PDAs like these are often reserved for lovers in Japan), and telling her "I'm here for you, don't worry", I hugged her close to me, not minding that her tears were getting my shirt wet.

Rise was no longer just a friend to me; she was now the person who had stolen my heart.

As she finished crying Rise looked at me, whispering "Senpai?" in her sweet voice, and I looked her in the eyes and nodded at her, wanting to show my new love that I would be her rock in her turbulent life. I then escorted her back to Marukyu, holding her hand tight as we walked to her home.

----​

The high of reciprocating Rise's feelings for me proved to be a bit short-lived, however, as that evening while Nanako and I were watching the news a familiar face graced the TV on a report regarding Kubo's arrest. Naoto Shirogane had appeared for an exclusive interview, wherein the Detective Prince laid out his speculation that something was amiss regarding the whole situation.

A disturbing thought came to my mind. If Naoto was on a TV show, and if the culprit was still at large, then that meant he was in danger of being thrown into the TV. Still another thought came to me - since Naoto was a detective with several solved cases under his belt, then he must have come to similar conclusions as we did, that people who appeared on the TV news would be likely targets, and combining that with his theory that the killer was still on the loose, and the fact that he might have assumed Yukiko wasn't just joking around when it came to the TV, made me come to a startling conclusion.

Was Naoto Shirogane trying to get himself thrown into the TV to get closer to the killer?

----​

The next morning the rest of the Investigation Team had approached me on our way to school. I gave Rise a rather long look, and she smiled at me; thankfully nobody seemed to have noticed a change in our dynamic yet. Predictably our topic turned to Naoto's appearance on the TV, with Yosuke scoffing that it was us who actually apprehended Kubo, and Yukiko pointing out that it was the cops who ID'd him and that Naoto was likely helping them out on that end. Chie found his sudden turn to the spotlight rather suspicious, too, and if she only trusted her gut more she'd make an amazing sleuth. (That's partly why my uncle took her under his wing when she joined the police force.) Naoto then found us, with him wearing his usual attire rather than the Yasogami uniform, and wanted to discuss the case with our group. The detective then explained his understanding of the situation thus far:

• All of the victims were kidnapped before they were murdered
• The victims were all people from Inaba who were the focus of recent media attention, that is, they had been featured on TV prior to their demise
• There was nothing intrinsically special about the victims, save the previous point

He then asked us if we had come to the same conclusion, which I admitted to (note: pleading the fifth only works in the USA), and then asked us to admit that a fair number of our group (Yukiko, Kanji, and Rise) fit the same description as well, minus the whole being dead thing of course. He pointed out that there was a short interval between Yamano and Saki-senpai's deaths, but that there was a long interval of months between Saki-senpai and King Moron dying. Naoto also pointed out that the three aforementioned members of the IT were also likely kidnapped in a similar manner, but reappeared, either by escaping death or faking their disappearances. (Yeah, this kid's good.)

As Chie protested our innocence Naoto reassured us, telling us that he didn't consider us the culprits, and on the contrary acknowledged we might be the only one able to stop the killer. That definitely meant he took Yukiko's confession to heart, even if the detective considered it a bit far-fetched. Naoto continued, pointing out that the pattern he had established didn't account for Morooka's death, since King Moron wasn't ever on TV, nor was he ever kidnapped. The Detective Prince then revealed that unlike Yamano and Saki-senpai, whose cause of death was listed as "unknown causes", Morooka was killed by blunt force trauna to the occipital cranium, meaning that whoever killed him hit him hard on the back of the head, then likely strung his body up to make it appear like the previous two murders. In other words, my theory of Kubo being a copycat killer had another champion. I could tell Naoto was frustrated by the police considering the case good as solved, and resolved to take further action to corroborate his hypothesis, which left Chie puzzled. As Naoto left, he then said that this investigation wasn't a game for him either, which called to mind Rise's words from way back in July.

----​

The rest of the school day passed with little fanfare, save for lunchtime, where Rise and I spent our first school lunch together as a couple by giving her some onigiri I had prepared the night before (I had also made some for Nanako and Uncle Ryotaro, of course), and in turn she shared with me some mapo tofu that not only she made herself, but surprisingly was rather good. It then dawned on me that I, a relatively ordinary kid (outside of the whole Wild Card business), was dating Risette, of all people, and I tried to force that prideful bit of myself down so I could focus more on the fact that I was going out with the girl behind that façade.

That day being Tuesday meant time with the basketball team, and Daisuke had managed to make good on his plan to cheer Kou up by scheduling a scrimmage against another team. Kou was shocked, especially since Daisuke had inserted himself into our lineup in spite of the fact that I never saw my football-playing friend play basketball, but played along anyway. So the five-on-five began, and soon Kou was back into his element, crossing over defenders and nailing tough shots, to the point where his energy became infectious. It was clear however that the other guys were more cohesive as a team, and so we were lagging behind as the clock ran out. Down two, Kou had the ball, then passed it to me at my favorite spot behind the three point line for the game winning shot.

I missed.

Our sixty combined points between Kou and I weren't enough to carry the day, but it wasn't surprising given that Daisuke acted more like a goalkeeper than a center the entire game. Nonetheless, Kou smiled, realizing that we did the scrimmage for his sake as our friend, and he reflected on his family life again, noting how as an adopted child he felt useless. Daisuke rebutted, pointing out that Kou's parents didn't dislike him, so why should they be less of a family to him, blood relation or not? Apparently, what had brought these feelings along was the news that his folks had hired a tutor for his two-year-old younger sibling, which made Kou feel less appreciated now that they had a child of their own body. Kou then told us he had plans to ask around his orphanage about his real parents, then thanked Daisuke and me again for helping him to clear his head.

----​

That evening, I sat outside of our house, enjoying the cool breeze. I then saw Ren-kun walking alone, which was odd because something was up if he was alone at night. Not wanting him to fall victim to any untoward incidents, I walked up to him, and he explained to me he was on his way to Shiroku for medicines as his mother was taking care of his father, who had apparently gotten injured due to his work. Ren-kun managed to blurt out that his dad worked with a security firm, and that this was part of the hazards of his work, but it was nothing too serious to require a visit to the hospital. Nonetheless, my young friend hoped there would come a time when his dad wouldn't have to sacrifice his health, or even his life, for their family's welfare. (Amamiya-san being part of said security firm did pay off big time when his son got into some trouble years later, however, but that's a story for another day.) We eventually found ourselves at his house, and I bade Ren-kun goodbye for the night.

The last few days were certainly a handful, between returning from Tatsumi Port Island, falling in love again, and the Detective Prince re-opening the case. It would seem that the world still had need of the Investigation Team, and I vowed to make sure we would get to the bottom of this case, working alongside Naoto if need be.

 

[rattatatouille]

The next day, Wednesday, was a rainy day, and I overheard students talking about Naoto's appearance on the TV as of late. If the weather continued being this inclement, then that meant checking the Midnight Channel was my top priority, especially if my interpretation of Naoto's "further investigation" was correct and the kid detective was baiting himself to be thrown into the TV. A risky plan, I had to admit, but I think Naoto fully trusted us to be able to get him out in case something happened.

That afternoon I introduced Rise to the fox at the shrine, and while she was tentative about it at first they warmed up to each other after a while. I peeked into the collections box and if my assessment was correct, then there would soon be more than enough money to pay for the renovation of Tatsuhime Shrine.

That evening, with the rainy weather continuing, I went on to check the Midnight Channel to see if someone would come up on the screen. An image appeared, for the first time in over a month, but it was rather faint. I did have a good idea on who it could be, however, and right on cue Yosuke called me, worried that even with Kubo caught that the Midnight Channel was still gonna be a concern. He did, however, note that a blurry image meant that it was more of an advance notice (just like how Yukiko's, Kanji's, and Rise's kidnappings were all prefigured by their blurry image on the TV), so this meant we still had time to figure out who it was, then act from there.

The next day after school, the Yasogami members of the IT convened at Class 2-2's classroom, ready to discuss our next move. Yukiko wondered who the person could be, while Kanji downplayed our concerns, pointing out that with Kubo behind bars then there was no need for us to worry, and that Naoto's concerns might have been unfounded. Yukiko looked like she had a bit of an epiphany, and Kanji got rather flustered as Yosuke then said that my kohai's mind might have been distracted by the kid detective. Kanji wasn't amused, however, and stormed off, lest he get into a fight with his senpai. Chie and I reminded Yosuke that ribbing Kanji about his sexuality was a big no-no, and Yosuke promptly apologized. Rise was rather confused, strangely enough, given her ability to seemingly be in the thick of social interactions, but I'm guessing she was distracted herself by a certain someone. Yukiko and Rise then made some remarks about the gossip mill which may have exacerbated the situation, and as I adjourned the meeting, we all resolved to check the TV again that midnight to be sure of what was happening.

I then checked the TV that night, hoping that we still had some time before the killer struck, but as a clearer image came on the television, it seemed that our victim was now thrown into the TV.

I watched as what appeared to be some sort of laboratory slash operating room came on the screen, and what looked like the Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane, entered my field of view, dressed in the kid detective's everyday fashion but with the addition of a lab coat. Naoto (or more accurately, his Shadow) then described how he would perform a grand experiment on himself, involving some sort of radical body alteration process, and be reborn anew, which would be broadcast live on the Midnight Channel.

Theories began to form in my mind. If Yukiko's Bachelorette re-enactment was a reflection of her then-desire to leave Inaba, Kanji's bathhouse denizen roleplay reflected his inability to reconcile his macho front and his feminine pursuits, Rise's striptease reflected her desire to show her true self instead of her manufactured idol self, and Kubo's video game castle his nihilistic view of life as a mere game, then Naoto's self-experimentation then reflected his desire to change something about himself. The most obvious thing that came to mind was his youth and small frame, since the police wouldn't be so willing to work with a youngster playing at detective, as I remembered my uncle lament one night. But that, and his lack of height could be remedied by him growing older as well as a possible growth spurt.

But another theory came to my mind, one a bit far-fetched but still possible. Between Naoto's lack of height, small frame, rather high-pitched voice, and androgynous features, could it be...? I decided to shelve the idea for later, wanting to make sure I didn't make a big assumption and turn out to be mistaken. Plus, if it was the detective's true secret, it wasn't mine to tell.

Kanji then called, angry that Naoto had been thrown into the TV and miffed that whoever was behind the murders was still at large. I was surprised at my kohai's sudden burst of initiative, but I agreed all the same to his suggestion for the Investigation Team to meet and discuss what to do next.

----​

The next day, I overheard from other Yasogami students that the weather would finally clear up that afternoon, meaning that we'd have a bit of a cushion when it came to rescuing Naoto from the TV.

We then met up at the Junes food court after school, ready to discuss our next move. Even Teddie and Marie were there, so we had complete attendance that day. Teddie reported that he smelled someone within the TV, while Marie made a flippant remark about replacing his nose with that of Igor's, so that the bear could sniff out people within the TV better. Yukiko and Yosuke came to the realization that Naoto could be using himself as bait, which I corroborated, while Chie worried about the detective risking himself. Yosuke and I reassured her that this also meant that the Detective Prince trusted us to rescue him while he presumably gathered information on whoever the killer would be. My tomboy friend also confirmed with me that King Moron's death was at Kubo's hands, which was readily apparent, and that the former's murder was a copycat crime and a red herring in terms of who killed Yamano and Saki-senpai, and kidnapped most of the Investigation Team. (Yeah, her intuition combined with her determination's why she flourishes in the police force, honestly.) Kanji still urged us to find Naoto within the TV, clearly worried about the detective who I was sure he had feelings for at this point.

We then entered the TV, and after whispering a word of encouragement I had Rise try and look for Naoto using Himiko. Just as with Mitsuo, however, she could sense that Naoto was indeed within the TV, but she couldn't pinpoint the detective's location. That meant we needed clues, something to give us a direction towards where Naoto could be. That would be the hard part - once that was done, all we needed to do was to traverse his dungeon, beat up Shadows en route, then rescue the poor kid. Rise apologized for not being able to find Naoto, and as we split up we lingered a bit behind, and I placed my arm around her to reassure her she was doing well.

So on we went, asking around for clues as to what Naoto Shirogane's biggest psychological issue was. Chie had found out from a fellow Yasogami student that he had dropped something that belonged to him, which led to Yukiko finding out from another student that Naoto was meeting with a cop (which was a bit obvious, since Naoto's work involved meeting with the fuzz anyway). Yosuke had found a cop who fit the description in the shopping district, but the officer refused to entertain our overtures as we looked like interlopers to him. Chie then suggested that we try to use the fact that Naoto attended out school instead, making our concern that of a schoolmate's than a random interrogator's. So Marie and I went, trying this method instead, and we indeed got a lead about how the detective seemed to be obsessed with the case, going as far as to look through case files in the wee hours of the night.

----​

That was as far as we got that day, though, and seeing that it was Friday I realized I missed checking on Eri-san and Yuuta-kun. So I spent the rest of the afternoon at the daycare, and when Eri-san came to pick up her stepson I walked with them part of the way. As we walked alongside the Samegawa River, an unfamiliar woman met with us, and Yuuta-kun ran to the riverbank to play some more as she started talking with Eri-san and me. It seemed the woman was Yuuta-kun's teacher, and she went on about how her student was a handful, then assumed I was Eri-san's husband. I corrected the teacher, saying I was an aide at the daycare Yuuta-kun attended and that I was simply accompanying stepmother and stepson on their way home. The teacher then harangued us about how Yuuta-kun was making life rather inconvenient for her, and I was frankly getting a bit annoyed, and her insinuation that his stubbornness would lead to bullying which then would lead to a life of crime reminded me of someone abusing a Star Wars quote. It seemed the implication was that Eri-san, being a second wife, was therefore a bad influence on Yuuta-kun's life, and my motherly friend worked herself up about this realization. She broke down crying, and unfortunately for me, Yuuta-kun saw that, and then ran up to me, flooring me with one punch. (If that kid ever gets into a combat sport, then woe whoever his foe will be.)

I came to quickly, however, and Eri-san was explaining to her stepson that I hadn't hurt her in any way, and apologized on her stepson's behalf. The fact that Yuuta-kun came to her rescue when he thought she was hurt was frankly touching, however, as that meant that the kid really cared for his stepmother, even in such a painful way on my part.

That evening, I spent some time with Rise, looking up at the starry sky as we sat on the front of her family's shop. I laced my fingers with hers, feeling her warmth and smelling the scent of lavender. Before it reminded me of a strange strip club, now it reminded me more of the wonderful girl beside me.

----​

The next day Sofue-sensei humblebragged about her summer visit to Egypt, and our topic then turned to another African location as we discussed the 38-minute long Anglo-Zanzibar War, shorter than a few albums I have in my possession.

That afternoon, Yukiko and I interviewed another police officer, who pooh-poohed Naoto's contributions, decrying the fact that the kid detective refused to consider the murders a closed case. That pretty much confirmed my theory that the Detective Prince's hang-up about being considered a mere child was our ticket towards his dungeon, which I would then bring up when we met at Junes the next time. As for the other theory I had fomented, however, that could wait; plus, I wasn't even sure if that was pertinent information to share.

The next day was even more daycare work, seeing as I felt being prepared for Naoto's dungeon was better than rushing into it without a plan. Eri-san apologized for her stepson hitting me, but I told her I was fine, and had Yuuta-kun apologize to me. The young mother was glad that Yuuta-kun had finally called her Mom, which was a great sign indeed, as their relationship looked like it was mended for good. She told me how behind the troublemaker behavior that Yuuta-kun was actually a sweet kid, and I agreed with her, seeing as the kid just probably needed some positive reinforcement more often. Eri-san then realized the truth, that behind the prejudices she had set up against the kid was just a boy who wanted a mother's love, and I felt that this was a great opportunity for the two of them to form a true bond.

Mentally steeling myself that evening, I then called up everyone to Junes Sunday morning, September 18th. We had a young detective to rescue, after all.

 

[rattatatouille]

It was on Sunday, the 18th of September, that I decided to gather the Investigation Team together and look for Naoto Shirogane within the TV World. Confident in the clues I had gathered (which corroborated my hypothesis regarding Naoto's hangups), I asked Rise to pinpoint Naoto's location. Working with Himiko, she had tracked down the young detective's location to what looked like an underground bunker, the kind you see in movies and tokusatsu shows. Kanji was reminded of Featherman, unsurprisingly, which made me remember how Makoto told me about how his girlfriend Yukari (yes, that Yukari Takeba) successfully auditioned for a role on the show. Chie then told us a story about how she had her own secret base in the mountain's near Yukiko's house, where she'd pretend to be an apprentice to a wise kung fu master.

Having had stocked on healing items from Shiroku and purchased some gear from Daidara, I felt that my team and I were now sufficiently prepared, so we delved into the depths of the secret base. I had assigned Kanji (who looked raring to go) with me in the vanguard party, alongside Yukiko and Marie, while I tasked Yosuke to go with Chie, Teddie, and Rise in the reserves. At once, the defense systems of the facility began roaring their warning klaxons, making it likelier that we would encounter hostile Shadows on our way. The base itself looked like your typical elaborate underground bunker inside, with metal catwalks for flooring and concrete walls decorated with flags whose symbol resembled that of Rocker, an adversary to the Feathermen during a recent arc. (Hey, Neo Featherman is a national treasure! Everyone knows something about it.)

For a lark I had ordered some costumes from Croco Fur some time back, and I figured looking like secret agents while we traversed an underground bunker was the coolest idea ever. So off we went, looking like a bunch of kids cosplaying as James Bond. The dungeon was straightforward at first, with sliding double doors serving as barriers to our progress in addition to enemy Shadows.

Strangely enough, the Shadows within the secret base weren't exactly what I'd expect out of a spy movie or tokusatsu show. Some looked like old European statues, while others resembled rocks with a mask that, to no one's surprise, were resilient against physical attacks but were wrecked by magic. One thing I learned was how Marie's attacks seemed to affect foes weakened by status effects more than usual, so I tasked her to nuke foes that Yukiko or Kanji had burned or shocked respectively, and it worked wonders.

After exploring a couple of floors I felt that we needed a breather, and we left back to the soundstage, where I paid a surprisingly small sum for the magical herbs the fox had for us. (I guess befriending it and having the donations pour in made it more affordable?) I then took a quick trip to the Velvet Room, where I conversed with Igor and Margaret as I did some more fusions that I hoped would help in our upcoming fights. Margaret looked happy at some of the more creative fusions I had made as practice, and this amused her enough to the point where she sang her own Velvet Room song, temporarily drowning out Belladonna's wailing. (Igor was not amused, however.)

Back we went inside, and upon hitting the sixth floor we hit a bit of a snag. A door remained locked to us, and it seemed that it needed a key card to open. We went off in another direction to find a chest where a card was, and I tried using it on the door, but it didn't work. Clearly, that meant we had to backtrack somewhere, so first we went to the fifth floor but realized we had combed the place clean. We went back one more floor, to the fourth floor, and we found a locked door that we had somehow missed, so we went inside. The hallway was straightforward, and a robotic miniboss impeded our progress. Kanji roared and zapped the thing with a Zionga, and Marie followed up with a Mafreila that greatly weakened it. Yukiko all but destroyed it with an Agidyne courtesy of Amaterasu, and I finished it off with Izanagi's Megidola.

The robot dropped another keycard, and I hoped that this would allow us to progress further into the dungeon. Going back down to B6, the new keycard we had just acquired successfully opened the door, and let us in. Once more I used this as a chance for a quick pit stop, allowing me to rejuggle our party as I saw fit.

This time I had an all-stag frontline of myself, Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie, and I deputized Chie to shepherd the girls in the reserves.

All in all it was rather odd how the messages we got at the start of the dungeon floors were robotic warnings, rather than the inner thoughts of a person laid bare just as in the others. Was Naoto's inner mind like that of a robot's? Between the detective's relatively poor social skills, intelligence, and preference for Neo Featherman, perhaps this wasn't too surprising.

----​

After a long, arduous trek through the secret base, having defeated dozens of Shadows along the way, we finally came to an ominously quiet door, behind which likely hid our young sleuth. Kanji cried out in concern for Naoto, and we saw two Naotos in the experiment room. One was dressed in regular attire, and had storm-grey eyes, while the other also wore a lab coat and had eerie yellow eyes. Clearly the latter was the Detective Prince's Shadow. I also took a closer look at the implements hanging over the operating table, and they certainly resembled torture devices more than surgical tools. Scary stuff. The most shocking part, however, was how nonchalant Naoto looked, as if the kid detective had been waiting for us AND wasn't psychologically broken by the Shadow. The Shadow kept crying like a baby, and begged the original Naoto not to go, who was still not impressed. At one point, though, Shadow Naoto then stopped acting like a crybaby and began the "I am you" spiel. That was a sign things could go south pretty quickly, and the lab coat wearing Naoto began to needle its real counterpart about being a child, how the cops refused to treat the detective seriously due to ageist attitudes. But that wasn't all, however, as Shadow Naoto dropped an even bigger bombshell: that Naoto Shirogane's biggest issue was that he was never a he to begin with.

A smug part of me smirked inwardly at the fact that I had figured out Naoto's real secret beforehand, but it was nice to have it confirmed. That, however, was the missing piece in the puzzle - a kid detective would eventually grow up and be taken seriously by adult police officers (unless they were named Conan Edogawa), but a girl playing sleuth is largely unheard of in Japan, especially in the still frankly sexist police force. So it would make sense if said girl dressed up like a boy, deepened her voice somewhat (though it did help than Naoto's voice was on the lower end for a woman's), and bound her chest, masquerading as a man to gain the respect of the fuzz.

My friends were obviously more shocked at this turn of events. Shadow Naoto continued to goad her counterpart, pointing out how with this "body alteration procedure" that she wouldn't have any problems being taken seriously by adult men in law enforcement, and while a part of me wanted to ambush the Shadow before it could go berserk, Kanji, in a surprising show of wisdom, told us to have Shadow Naoto let it all out, so that our new detective friend could come to terms with herself the way my friends had. After all, Naoto had trusted us to come this far, and we'd be there to kick Shadow ass as needed.

Shadow Naoto then metamorphosed into a Kikaider-like cyborg being, wielding a laser gun in each hand and with a jetpack on her back. I grit my teeth and began our onslaught. I requested a status report from Rise, who told me that fire attacks would be less effective on the cyborg Shadow, and that electric attacks, while not a true weakness, would still do increased damage. (Not surprising.) I tasked Teddie to deliver Mabufulas towards Shadow Naoto, while I switched to Tam Lin to make sure I couldn't be knocked down with a weakness. Yosuke would attack and heal as necessary, and Kanji... he had been rather quiet for a moment there. He told me he'd go back to the reserves as he had to work out something in his head, and I reluctantly agreed, putting Chie in the lead with us instead.

Unlike with Shadow Kubo who was a major handful, Shadow Naoto was a bit of a breather, with her most dangerous attack being an eye beam that turned Yosuke from seventeen to seventy. I had been hit by the attack as well, and both of us acted like doddering old men before Teddie had given us an Energy Shower, restoring our youth and allowing us to fight back. Everything was going well at first, with Chie even pulling a combination of a Power Charge and Heat Wave that did substantial damage to the Shadow, but one small move and things went south for a moment.

Shadow Naoto had sent a Maziodyne our way, and the electric attack floored the two Junes boys, giving the Shadow a chance to use a Heat Riser and prepare for its next attack. Thinking quickly, I had Yukiko and Marie sub in for the two, with Yukiko strictly on healing duty and Marie hoping to pinpoint a weakness. Her psychic attacks were less effective on the cyborg, so she switched to flinging a Mafreila in the Shadow's direction, which worked better. A stray Maragidyne, however, came our way, and unfortunately both Chie and Marie were caught up in the blast, knocking them down. That left Yukiko, Kanji, and I as the remaining combatants, and Rise, seeing our desperation, gave us a big buff. Kanji, to my surprise, stepped forward with a confident grin on his face, and told me he had it figured out now.

I felt Take-Mikazuchi fade back into the Sea of Souls as Kanji awoke to a new Persona on his own. "Shock the world! Rokuten Maou!" cried out my kohai as his new Persona appeared. It resembled Take-Mikazuchi, but where there was once black was now replaced by red and orange, its lightning bolt replaced by a giant sword, and a painted-on skull face replaced by a magnificent visage topped by a glorious mustache. "Ziodyne!", Kanji roared, shocking Shadow Naoto and felling it for good.

With her Shadow defeated, Naoto then stood up, explaining the rest of her life story. Both of her parents died in an accident in her youth, putting her under the care of her grandfather, a famous detective in his own right. His influence rubbed off on his granddaughter, and it helped that young Naoto loved to read detective novels as well. It got to the point where she helped her grandfather on his cases, and was even affectionately dubbed junior detective by clients. When the time came, however, the now-dubbed Detective Prince became a celebrity in her own right, yet the fact that she was a girl posing as a boy to gain respect from the police didn't sit right with Naoto, in the end. Naoto's biggest realization that day wasn't to become an adult or to become a man, but rather for people to accept her for who she was. And who better to do that than the friends she had just made, especially a certain delinquent who carried a torch for her, regardless of her true identity? I stole a look at a flustered Kanji as I entwined my fingers with Rise's, making sure no one noticed our little PDA. (Would it still qualify as a public display of affection, then?)

At this, Shadow Naoto changed again, turning into a tiny tokusatsu hero dressed in a boy's detective suit, and wielding a long laser blade. "Sukuna-Hikona", whispered Naoto, and she gained her own Persona just as the rest of the Investigation Team did before her.

As we escorted Naoto out of the TV, two things were for sure: once she had recovered she would prove to be an amazing asset towards our investigation, and that the case was nowhere near solved as it was.

 

[rattatatouille]

When I got home after getting Naoto out of the TV both my uncle and Adachi were waiting at the dinner table, the latter looking like he had imbibed his fair share of beers. The news spread pretty quickly it seemed - Adachi blabbed to me about how Naoto had disappeared then come back pretty quickly, which didn't amuse my uncle as the younger detective was casually leaking case info to civilians again. Uncle Ryotaro stormed off, and before following him Adachi reassured us and told me to leave the case to the police, and even comforted Nanako by telling her nothing scary would happen any more. (You and your big mouth, Adachi...)

The day after we rescued Naoto was a holiday, Respect for the Aged Day. Naturally, that meant I was most willing to spend time with Hisano-san at the riverbank. She was glad to see me, and asked me why I kept spending time with her, assuming that she probably bored me with her stories. I confessed to my old lady friend that I actually found her stories interesting, and she smiled, thanking me for putting up with her. In turn, she asked me to tell my stories to her, and I began with stories about my year thus far at Yasogami, the good friends I had made, and even the fact that I was top if the class in the final exams. With that, I felt my bond with Hisano-san deepen, but she warned me that she didn't want to see me again, and left before I could even reply.

It was still early enough in the day, and I realized that Rise and I hadn't gone on an official date, so I called her to check if she was free for the day. We met up at Aiya as agreed upon, and while Rise didn't really dress up to the nines for this impromptu date she still looked amazing in her orange top and white leggings. (She can pull off any outfit in my opinion.) I went for a beef bowl (standard size, the weather was good that day) and Rise went for some stir-fried noodles, and we shared small talk as we had our lunch.

After that, we decided to go to the hill overlooking town, and I held her hand as we told each other more stories. I told her about one of my favorite relatives, my dad's cousin who sported an earring in his left ear, who disappeared for a while after his second year of high school but returned a few years later, and who volunteered to host me at his house in Mikage-cho while my folks worked overseas (though obviously he lost out). Rise then told me the details on the story that had led to our free night at Club Escapade, involving her special concert being hampered by a power outage and an eerie feeling she got around midnight during that time. (Based on what Makoto told me about the Dark Hour, perhaps Rise was able to experience it due to her then-potential for a Persona.) We turned our attention to lighter matters, however, and as the sun hung lower in the sky we decided to head back to the bus stop, but before that Rise took me aside, and kissed me.

It wasn't the sexiest of kisses, for sure, what with our breaths still tasting a bit like Chinese food, but it was nice sharing my first kiss with a girl who I had come to treasure above nearly anything in the world. (Probably neck-to-neck with Nanako, but I digress.) When we let go to catch our breath, Rise sheepishly smiled, confessed it was her first kiss too, and whispered "I love you, Yu". The fact that she said my name without honorifics or even her usual "Senpai" said a lot.

I escorted her to the front of Marukyu, and we resolved we'd go out soon enough again especially once the mystery of Inaba was solved.

----​

The next day, sadly, was a school day, and the long wait for Naoto's recovery began in earnest. Kondo-sensei's PE class was a hoot, thankfully, and he quizzed us something on nonegenarians, including his ninety-something grandma who was still spry enough for sports.

With school over I found Yukiko, wanting to do some long-delayed air-clearing with my good friend. A part of me still felt awkward about her getting handsy with me during the King's Game, especially now that I was dating Rise and all. We headed to the gazebo near Samegawa, where Yukiko wanted to share her latest adventure in cooking, hoping it was finally up to snuff. I took a bite from the bento she proferred to me, and not only did the food look really good, it tasted much, much better than her initial experiments, let alone Mystery Food X. She confessed that the head chef at the Amagi Inn took over her cooking again, but I didn't mind; as long as she was willing to learn and continued applying herself she'd be a much better cook than when she started. Yukiko also told me she'd continue working on job licenses, so as to make the inn proud once she took over, and that she had people around her who were willing to help with that. Yukiko resolved to repay everyone's trust in her by doing all she could to make the Amagi Inn the great attraction it deserved to be, and like with Chie a month ago, I felt our bond strengthen to a very powerful extent. Yukiko then gave me a charm from the shrine, as a sign of our unbreakable friendship, and we then went our separate ways.

The next day at school, I found Ai hanging in front of the shoe lockers again, and as with Yukiko I wanted to clear some air with her now that we had agreed to be just friends. She surprised me by thanking me for everything, letting me know that as fleeting as it was, our brief romance taught her a lot and made her rethink how relationships should go. Nonetheless, she still asked me if I was gonna remain her friend, and I readily agreed, letting her know that I'd be there if she needed me. She gave me a compact as a gift, a sign of the vanity she was letting go of, and for the third time I felt a bond reach its zenith.

Since it was a Wednesday I spent the evening working at Inaba Municipal. As I cleaned up a hospital room a middle-aged nurse I didn't recognize told me I could stop cleaning the room, as she needed the room and made me ask if there was an emergency going on. As it turned out Sayoko-san collapse and needed some rest, and the doctors were using the employee lounge so they looked for a spare room for her to rest in. The middle-aged nurse muttered that Sayoko-san might have overworked herself before letting her in. I sat beside my nurse co-worker as she rested in the bed, grumbling that her co-workers didn't have to do this, and that she was still raring to go to work. I reminded her that people, herself included, needed rest, and after a while Sayoko-san stood up, wanting to go back to work, stating that she couldn't face the kid she had let down in her state. I called her out on this, asking the nurse if that's what her former ward would have wanted. After trying to justify herself, she relented, realizing her workaholic attitude was just her trying to run away from the pain of a patient dying on her, as tears formed in her eyes. I simply smiled at her, Sayoko-san finally getting to the core of her big issue and confronting it.

----​

The next day after school Kanji and I went to the hill overlooking town, where my delinquent kohai confessed that he always liked the place. I wanted to check in on him now that he had awakened to a new Persona, and he told me that he was happy about having reached a new level of confidence in himself. A part of me wanted to discuss his crush on Naoto, but I refrained, seeing that it might be too soon and that he might not yet be ready emotionally to discuss it. As he expressed his wanting to get over his fear of hospitals, we saw a familiar kid ascend the hill, the same boy Tatsumi-san had escorted to the hospital. We talked to him, and the kid sullenly told us about a doll he had lost, which another kid had stomped on and called girly, which caused the young boy to throw it into the Samegawa and it presumably got washed away, which would make the young girl who owned it, Sana-chan, sad. Sensing a kindred spirit in the lad, Kanji listened to his story, then headed to the riverbank, with me and the kid in tow, and began to search within the river itself for the bunny doll. His search proving fruitless, Kanji headed back, and told the kid to apologize to Sana-chan for throwing away the doll, and that he'd get a new doll insteadd. As the kid headed home, with my kohai's words in his ears, Kanji asked me if he was going too soft on the boy, and I told him that he did right by the kid, seeing as they were in similar situations.

Friday was the Autumnal Equinox, so it meant another holiday and another meetup with Hisano-san. Was I disobeying her wish to be left alone? Surely, but I knew deep down that wasn't what she meant. I found the old lady at the riverbank as usual, and while her expression was that of disappointment at me seeing her again, but her eyes betrayed her, revealing that she was looking forward to my return. She then told me more about her life with her husband, and seeing as they had a long-distance relationship before he settled down in Inaba, that meant a lot of letters exchanged between the two. (Which is frankly a bit sentimental, really - the advent of communications made managing my own long-distance relationship easier, but hey.) Hisano-san went on, telling me how she treasured the letters she got from her lover by reading them over and over again, and advising me how letters were our hearts' desires set in stone. She also gave me advice on writing a letter to someone I love, and that gave me an idea on something I wanted to give to Rise. Sadly for Hisano-san, however, she then mentioned that she had lost the letters her husband had sent to her, and while she didn't lament it too much I wondered if getting those letters back would make her happy.

----​

Saturday came, and it was a brief day at school involving Nakayama-sensei's revelations on Japanese mathematics, before I decided to head to Junes, wanting to do some grocery shopping. Once again I ran into Ren-kun, who told me his dad was doing better now, and the two of us found Yosuke helping out some shoppers. My other friend then dragooned us two into helping him out for a bit, promising us compensation, and I realized Ren-kun had some talents when it came to talking up people and getting them to buy stuff. (In hindsight, the fact that my younger friend found it natural to slip into a role should have clued me in that he was a future guest of the Velvet Room.) Once we were done, the three of us headed to the food court, munching on some snacks while I let Ren-kun and Yosuke form their own bond. I had a feeling the kid would need it, after all.

I then remembered I had taken a flyer on a tutoring job, so I dialed the contact info on the flyer, where a Nakajima-san answered the phone and told me I could start that evening. I went to the address she specified, getting on the bus en route, and Nakajima-san introduced me to her young son Shu. The way Nakajima-san went on about her son gave me that impression she was a proud tiger mom, which likely meant she got a tutor for her kid so that he could continue being at the top of his class. The kid himself had dark hair, a slim build, and wore a pair of glasses that I suspected weren't just for show; he had the look of a stereotypical nerd. Shu-kun's attitude fit the part, too, and told me that he switched to private tutoring because his cram school couldn't cut it. He also insinuated that if I disappointed him that he'd replace me easily, and while I wasn't gonna have this kid's attitude piss me off he didn't make me happy either. Still, a paycheck was a paycheck, and the bond we formed after our tutoring session, showing a crumbling tower with the number XVI as the familiar voice rang out "The Tower", was compensation enough for putting up with the kid.

By my estimate, that meant I had virtually all of the Major Arcana under my bonds. And with Naoto likely joining our little group, by process of elimination that made her Arcana the Wheel of Fortune, but I was getting a bit ahead of myself. That being said, I wondered if there was something good in store for me soon?

 

[rattatatouille]

The day after meeting Shu-kun for the first time was a Sunday, so I thought it would be a great idea to get the letters Hisano-san had lost back for her. She might have lost them when she sold off some of her belongings, and the closest thing to an antique shop around here was at Daidara's, so I asked the old smith if he had seen some old letters that he might have recently acquired. Daidara's face lit up at my question, and after rummaging through the back of his store for a minute, returned to me with a sheaf of old, but clearly legible, papers that from the heading looked like they were addressed to Hisano-san. So I swung by the riverbank with said letters in tow, hoping to surprise my elderly friend.

Hisano-san was shocked when I presented the letters to her, and realized they might have come with the stuff she had asked Daidara to collect from their storehouse. Nonetheless, she wanted to burn the letters, which was a shock to me instead, since I had gone to some effort to get them for her and all she wanted was to be rid of them altogether. As she left to get some matches, a couple of postcards in the sheaf caught my eye, and I realized one was a message from her husband on how he had grown (presumably from when they were kids) and another was a message of pining love across a long distance. (Something I kept in the back of my mind when my relationship with Rise became long-distance.) Hisano-san returned, and lamented that her husband hadn't imagined that his beloved "Hisa-san" would one day wish him dead. Was it because she didn't love him? On the contrary, it was because she loved him that her feelings became such. Hisano-san confessed to me that her husband became ill and bedriden, forcing her to work to support their family, all while he apologized for his failures as a husband. Nonetheless, their wedding vows held strong, and Hisano-san had to watch as the illness slowly took the man she loved away from her. It wasn't just a sickness of the body, it was a sickness of the mind. He forgot who he was, and he forgot who she was, his greatest treasure, and my elderly friend could not bear to see him suffer so, to the point where one night she tried to end his suffering for him. But it didn't end that way, as he smiled at Hisano-san before she could do anything. When he finally passed away, she was relieved, relieved at having to no longer suffer for the both of them. And that was how Hisano Kuroda dubbed herself Death.

----​

I realized I hadn't checked back with Yumi in a long while, and she still hadn't come to Drama Club sessions, so I went to Inaba Municipal, correctly assuming she'd be there due to her father. As I approached their hospital room I overheard my friend feeding her father from outside, and after a while she left the room and ran into me. Apologizing for not being able to attend drama practice, I told her it was fine, as I wanted to check up on her. Yumi continued to spill her heart out to me, telling me that her father would wake up whenever she came by, and that he was enduring a lot of pain because the medicine would put him to sleep. The man wanted to stay awake as long as he could because his days were numbered, and he wanted to make the most out of seeing his ex-wife and daughter. She confessed that her anger at her father was out of her desire to forget his kindness when she was younger, and was sorrowful at the fact that he had reconnected with his old family with his sickness set to take him from the world. She worried that with every breath her father took it would be her last, but at the same time, thanked me for being there for her.

That evening, Uncle Ryotaro asked me to go on a walk with him and Nanako, which was odd given how apprehensive he got whenever I went out at night even for my part-time jobs. He handed me a nice coffee mug too, which had a space on it for a name, and told me it was the same kind he and Nanako used for their coffee. The implication wasn't lost on me; I was part of the family not just in blood, but in spirit as well. Nanako came down the stairs, looking adorable as always, and the three of us went out, enjoying the cool evening air of Inaba. Our walk took us to the Samegawa riverbank, and even if Nanako was a bit scared, she was still happy spending time with her father and her big bro. We went to the riverbank because Nanako had said she wanted to go there, and my uncle even suggested we could have a picnic there on a clear day. As Uncle Ryotaro gave Nanako the go-ahead to step closer to the river, he mused on how he hadn't seen his daughter this ecstatic in a long time. Most importantly, he vowed to continue looking into the case that took his wife from him, but now no longer motivated to run away from the family he had remembered to cherish. At that point I felt my bond with my uncle grow strong, to the point where later events wouldn't be able to shake it. Just then, however, an officer ran down the stairs towards the riverbank, requesting Uncle Ryotaro's assistance to help apprehend some juvenile thieves wreaking havoc across town. I walked Nanako home as I found my uncle finally coming to terms with himself.

----​

The next morning was a rainy day, and as I walked to school with my umbrella Rise ran and sheltered herself underneath mine, complaining about the wind breaking her new umbrella. It was still surreal having her as a girlfriend, but I didn't mind sharing my umbrella with her and I even winked at her, telling her I looked sexier when soaked. Rise turned nearly as red as her hair and we walked to school in awkward silence. Still, it was nice walking to school beside her.

At basketball practice that Tuesday Kou took leave of me and the rest of the team, telling us he'd be visiting the orphanage where he was adopted from. I then led practice in his stead, and after we wrapped up Daisuke dropped by, worried about where his best friend went. So I suggested we catch up to Kou, and we gathered at the train station, where Kou had just come back from the orphanage, asking what we were doing there. He called us losers after I confessed we were there to check on him, but the smile in his eyes told me he meant it lovingly. The orphanage was still a nice place, the staff still remembered Kou fondly, but even they couldn't tell him who his birth parents were. They did give him a letter from the person who dropped him off there, however, and with Daisuke and me by his side he gained the courage to read it. My team captain friend learned he was named because his parents wanted him to be healthy, and that they considered health more important than fame or fortune. (Which worked, given how Kou was not only a healthy guy, but was also the team captain of the basketball club.) They left him up for adoption because they weren't in the best of health, and passed away when Kou was but six months old or so. His parents then said to whoever wrote the letter that they'd always be watching over their son, even in the afterlife. Sadly, the letter left no clue as to who Kou's parents were, but he thanked us all the same for being there for him.

Having supported my uncle through his struggles, and realizing I hadn't spent a lot of time with my little sis alone in a long while, I decided to spend my evening with Nanako. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, and told me not to tell her dad about whatever she was going to spill. Nanako showed me a parent survey regarding when parents would be available for parent-teacher interviews, and she probably worried about whether Uncle Ryotaro would be fine signing it. Having seen my uncle resolve to treasure his daughter more, I reassured my little sis that he would be A-OK with dropping by the school and that all she'd need to do was to ask him. I then told her how her aunt and uncle (that is, my mom and dad) somehow found time to visit the school despite their busy schedules, so that meant it wouldn't be that hard for my uncle to do likewise.

----​

The next day Kondo-sensei was teaching English and taught us the etymology of the Adam's apple, which made me think about whether Adam actually ate an apple or the Fruit of Knowledge was something else. (Turns out from my research that this was a bit of a mixup due to the Latin words for apple and evil being similar.) I had managed to bail out Yosuke who was put on the spot for that bit, and that was the most notable lesson of the day.

I then walked with Kanji to the hill overlooking town, where we met the boy who had lost a friend's doll. My kohai handed the replacement doll to the kid, and as the boy wanted one of his own Kanji had anticipated that and made another one for the young boy. Kanji felt embarrassed at having made two dolls for young kids, but children don't tend to have the prejudices of older folks, so on the contrary the young boy found him cool for being able to create such works of art. As the boy left, he requested Kanji to do some sewing for his mother, and the kid left without my friend able to respond. Kanji still downplayed his gift with fabric to me, but confessed it felt nice doing such a thing for another person.

Thursday, September 29, saw me hang out with Naoki-kun, and as promised we ate at Aiya after school. Naoki-kun confessed to me he was thinking of dropping out of school, as he was set to take over the liquor shop, and even if he was reluctant about it the woman's words about their family staying together in the wake of the tragedy made my young friend think on it. That being said, he felt that Konishi Liquors didn't have much of a chance fighting against Junes, so I told him to think it over, since it was gonna be a big decision for him to continue operating the store. Naoki-kun continue to fret, asking why his sister had to leave him and his family behind with such a heartache. Naoki-kun then told me he'd talk to his folks and become an upstanding member of society, which honestly felt to me like he was putting on a mask to be strong for the people around him. (Which made me wonder: what if he had been dragged into the TV and became a Persona user like us?)

That evening, Sayoko-san took me aside after my shift at Inaba Municipal wrapped up for the night, and told me she was leaving the hospital that day. She came to the realization that as a nurse, everyone she interacted with - doctor, fellow nurse, patient, even janitorial staff like me - would leave her behind, living or dead. It was that sense of abandonment that led her to become a workaholic, forgetting her original intention of why she became a nurse: to save people's lives. She was rather embarrassed at the fact that it was me, a kid with a rag in his hand, who showed her the way, and that she would be taking responsibility for herself as well as being true to herself. As she left, she handed me her Inaba Municipal Hospital ID, signifying the creation of our true bond, despite the fact that I wouldn't see her in person for the rest of the year.

----​

The next day was the last day of September, and after school wrapped up for the day Rise and I made our way to the hill overlooking the town, holding her hand in mine. She told me she had come to a decision, and it was because of the realizations she made when she was crying her eyes out in front of Souzai Daigaku. She had come to realize that despite her claims to leaving her idol career for good, the fact that she was envious at Kanamin's popularity meant that her Risette identity was part of her as well. Throughout her life, Rise was the kind of girl who played a role in life, then chased another one in search of the real her, but confronting her own Shadow made her realize all those sides to her were the "real Rise". A part of me wondered again what would have happened if she was the Wild Card in my place, given how she was a natural at this kind of thing. Rise then told me she was done with running away from herself, and that she'd be true to herself, as the complete Rise Kujikawa. I then told her I'd be by her side all the way, and she rested her head on my shoulder as we watched the sun set together.

That evening, as I watched TV with Nanako and September ebbed away, I couldn't help but reflect on how far I had gone, six months into my stay at Inaba. I had made a lot of friends from all walks of life, including a few unbreakable bonds, and even met the girl I had pledged my heart to. I hoped October would be just as fun, and it would certainly be a big month of fun events... before disaster would strike.

 

[rattatatouille]

October began in earnest, and after spending the rainy day after school trying my luck again at the Mega Beef Bowl, almost succeeding in the process were it not for a little bit of rice at the bottom of the bowl. I still paid the 3000 yen, and I finally got to look Aika in the eye after a long while, more confident in myself now that I was sure where I stood in terms of my relationships.

That evening as I spent time with Nanako her father returned, but as my little sis greeted Uncle Ryotaro he saw the sheet with the consent form we discussed recently. My uncle looked ready to brush it off again, but between my knowing look at him, reminding my uncle of his vow, and Nanako getting so fed up with her father ignoring her that she ran off and left the house, I knew we were in for a long night ahead of us. While Inaba was a quiet little town the recent murders had put everyone on edge, and neither of us wanted Nanako to get into any danger. (Ironic, given events a month later.) So we decided to split up, looking for my cousin as she ran around Inaba. I naturally called my friends to give them a heads-up of the situation, and I ran into Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko in the shopping district. Yosuke advised me that he met my uncle at Junes, who also briefed him on what happened, and I told them our best lead was at the riverbank because that was where the three of us as a family spent some time most recently. So we split up, agreeing to contact each other if we found Nanako or got a lead on where she was, and as I approached the Samegawa Uncle Ryotaro found me. Nanako's stinging words from earlier regarding him as not her "real father" got to him, especially in light of his renewed resolve to work for his daughter's sake. Feeling ashamed, he headed home and left Nanako in my hands. It turned out that I didn't need to search for long, finding my little sis in the gazebo near the riverbank. I told her that we'd go home then, but I sat beside her, telling her that it was Uncle Ryotaro who had actually found her first. Nanako then said that she wanted to see her mother, which in hindsight might have been a window into her deepest desire at the time. She then fretted that her father must have forgotten her mother, and I reassured her that she, his precious Nanako, wouldn't be forgotten. I then escorted her home, her little hand in mine, and I felt my bond with my little sis deepen.

----​

The next day was a Sunday, and I decided to meet up with Marie again, eager to help her regain her memory and recognizing the fact that we hadn't hung out since rescuing Naoto from the TV, if that even counted. She was even more tsuntsun than usual, which was saying a lot, and she even asked me to show me a dolphin ASAP, like I was some kind of marine biologist who moved to a small town to investigate something. (Any similarity to certain manga characters is purely coincidental.) Miffed, Marie confessed that she no longer tried to remember her past, futilely giving up on recollecting her own memories. I called her out on it, telling her that this wasn't the same headstrong Marie I knew. She grabbed her head, clearly in the throes of her mind sifting through its confusion, but after a while she told me she was better now and wanted more time to think.

Monday arrived and with it a return to school. Once again I hung out with Naoki-kun at Aiya, and since Aika wasn't at the store this time she presumably was out on delivery business. (Nakamura-san also told me that his daughter was finally seeing someone, but he wasn't too sure on that matter. Still, that was relieving.) He reminded me of his plan to quit school and focus on the family business, and that he told his parents about it. They told him that it's not what they wanted, and told my kohai that they wanted him to live his life the way he wanted. They then called him out on wanting to run away from school, finding their son's change in attitude rather surprising. Naoki-kun pointed out that everyone was giving him such a wide berth that he could get away with a lot - from being allowed to miss Health Association activities, skip on class chores and club activities, and even being allowed to take tests home. It was irksome, letting a boy be denied a chance to prove himself and take responsibility all because of circumstance. Either way, it didn't sit right with Naoki-kun that he felt his life was being merely treated as an extension of his dearly departed sister's.

----​

Tuesday came, and with it basketball team practice. Kou had returned to the team, and after welcoming him back by having him lead practice again, we wrapped up for the day and met up with Daisuke at the riverbank. My team captain told us how he had first gone to the riverbank after being adopted by the Ichijos, watching the sunset play on the river's reflective surface. He had convinced himself that his old self, the boy at the orphanage, "died" when he was adopted. Kou then told me that since he finally set himself free and no longer considered himself part of the Ichijo family, then it was time for him to start a new chapter. I then told him not to jump to conclusions, and Daisuke pointed out that whoever dropped him off at the orphanage wrote the letter, and may have done so in a hurry. Kou then checked the letter again, which was still in his possession, and noticed that the name was smeared, and the envelope it was in was nearly new. He then realized the head of the orphanage might have written it, but Daisuke pointed out that she didn't do it with malice in mind; perhaps she did it to make my friend feel better and find some closure about his past. Either way, Kou resolved to truly find himself, and he had Daisuke and I by his side to do it.

That evening, I went to Shu-kun to tutor him as agreed upon. The boy was an adept student and a quick learner, even if he was still a bit haughty about it. While we took a break, Nakajima-san, Shu-kun's mother, brought up some tea and cheesecake, and extolled the virtues of her middle schooler son, who topped his class like it was no big deal. (I could feel a kindred spirit with the kid at this revelation.) She wanted to make sure my young student could get into Tokyo U (a tall order, but definitely doable by a kid of his talents) and to also ensure he never faced any hardship in his educational career. Typical tiger mom business. Shu-kun bragged about it, but also confessed to me once his mother was out of earshot that he didn't need to be "set" just yet; he was still in middle school after all, albeit preparing to enter high school soon. He asked me what "raison d'etre" meant, and I told him what it meant (reason for existence), and Shu-kun was impressed, and soon our scheduled time was up even before we had finished our actual session.

It was still early enough when I got back from my tutorial session with Shu-kun, and I suddenly remembered it was Nanako's seventh birthday. I got home, with some cupcakes from Junes, and surprisingly my little sis was still up, and Nanako enjoyed the treats I had brought her. Even without my uncle around, Nanako told me that he called up from the police station to greet his daughter, and they'd go out somewhere once they had the time, even inviting me if my schedule allowed it.

----​

The next day Yamada-sensei reminded us that midterms would be starting soon, on Friday, the 14th of October. That reminded me to study, even if it was just to make sure I remembered what we were doing in school. If need be, I could even set up a study group for my friends as well.

With nothing much to do I dropped by the Velvet Room for a quick visit, and to sort out some Personae that interested me. One was a samurai of the Tower Arcana named Yoshitsune, who looked quite formidable, but Igor warned me that I wasn't strong enough to handle such a Persona at my current stage. I did keep it in mind, however, reasoning that such a powerful Persona would be useful soon enough. Another Tower Persona I found was Mara... which I cannot describe in a family-friendly manner. It did look closer to my power level, however, so I decided to earmark it for future use as well.

The fog would set in that day, and while we had rescued Naoto from the TV it was still a good idea to check the Midnight Channel that evening. Thankfully, there was naught but static, meaning no one had been thrown into the TV in the interim.

----​

The following day, October 6, Naoto found us at the front of the school. Despite her true gender being revealed to us, she still dressed in the Yasogami boy's uniform, another example of how relaxed our school uniform code was. (Apparently wearing the uniform was enough, and we could even choose how we wore it as long as it was decent. A big departure from how most schools do it, but I've heard Gekkoukan in Iwatodai and Shujin in Tokyo do the same.) The young detective thanked us again, and we overheard students discussing how they learned the Detective Prince was actually a Princess, not that Naoto minded too much. Even some girls who were crushing on Naoto were a bit disappointed, but didn't mind too much either. She continued, wanting to discuss the newly-reopened case, and we decided to meet up at Junes after school to do so.

After school wrapped up for the day, Naoto, who unlike the previous victims, took precautions to remember what happened as she was abducted. First, she had heard her doorbell ring, finding no one when she opened her door. Then someone grabbed Naoto roughly and sedated her with a rag dosed with a chemical, then put her inside a sack then carried over the kidnapper's shoulder. Teddie was impressed at Naoto's recollection of events, while Kanji, worried about her, still fretted about her being too calm about it. Naoto continued to show her Sherlock-like abilities, deducing that the culprit was a man based on his body type and actions, and since she had heard no conversations the man was also likely acting alone. What puzzled her, however, was how quickly the interval from being kidnapped to being thrown into the TV passed, only a matter of minutes, which meant that whoever the kidnapper was had easy access to a television. Naoto then continued, pointing out that my friends being unable to recall what happened was natural, due to how strange the whole experience of getting subdued then thrown into a TV was.

We then concluded that King Moron's death at Kubo's hand was merely a copycat killing, since it didn't fit the patterns established previously. Of course, the big issue was how Kubo managed to get himself into the TV, since even he appeared inside it without going through the same experience as my friends did. Naoto, ever unflappable, then pointed out that Kubo likely killed Morooka first, then went into the TV to hide from the cops. She then realized that Yamano and Saki-senpai died while inside the TV World, and their re-emergence after the fog subsided was when the TV world "spat them out". The Detective Prince also lamented how her dismissal by the police was due to them not wanting to admit they made a mistake by rushing to Kubo as the mastermind without considering other evidence. Yosuke was still shocked at how the culprit was able to kidnap Naoto, despite her status as an ace detective, but Yukiko pointed out that Naoto was young, petite, and a woman, making it easier for a man to overpower her. Even so, the culprit used a sedative to make sure his victims were subdued, explaining how even Kanji of all people was kidnapped. Yosuke apologized for his miscue, and Naoto took it in stride, thankfully. She then asked to join our team, wanting to get to the bottom of why the culprit was doing this and why she and our other friends were targeted. Naturally, I welcomed her, since having an intelligent, seasoned detective on our side was a tremendous boost to our chances of solving this mystery once and for all. We then all resolved we'd wait until the kidnapper made his next move, and in the meantime focus on our lives.

 

[rattatatouille]

That evening Nanako confessed to me that she lost the survey form that she was supposed to return to her school, worrying that her teacher would yell at her. Naturally, I helped her look for it, and operating under the assumption that my uncle had stored them for his perusal meant that I looked for them in his usual pile of papers that he kept at the Western-style table. Sure enough, there it was, and in the box that said "Day Requested" the word "Anytime" was written, meaning Uncle Ryotaro was willing to go to Nanako's school as needed. I also spotted a photograph of a couple and a baby; judging by the man's appearance this was my uncle when he was a bit younger, the woman was likely Aunt Chisato, and the baby was my little sis. I showed them both - that is, the paper and the photo - to Nanako, and the first thing she noticed was that her father was smiling in the photo, which she noted to me, and wondered why my uncle had stopped smiling. I let her know it was because he felt lonely, without his wife at his side, and my cousin realized it wasn't just her who hurt at having lost her mother, apologizing to her absent dad for realizing it a bit late.

----​

Naoto Shirogane made a big impact upon joining the Investigation Team. The young detective, in her first act as part of our team, had signed up the entire team, Teddie and Marie included, for health checkups as she worried about the effects of the fog and the TV World on our physical condition. Not to mention that she was curious as to the truth behind Teddie's unusual characteristics, being a TV world denizen who grew a human body unlike most of us. So we all dropped by the hospital after school, and subjected ourselves to the typical battery of medical examinations.

For most of us, the health exam went well, surprisingly including Marie, whose status as a Velvet Room resident made me assume she was gonna destroy the medical equipment, albeit they had some issues with checking her blood type. Teddie, unsurprisingly, produced some weird results with his tests, with the X-ray machine either going on the fritz with him around, or his body structure simply made an X-ray rather pointless. (After all, he was an empty shell of a bear suit when we first found him, so maybe his human body was his answer to a skeleton?) Naoto returned to us in the waiting room, apologizing for the delay of our results, and confirming that Teddie was fine, though no one could tell anything about him beyond the superficial level. Since Teddie came from the TV World, our discussion naturally turned to Personae and Shadows, and we were still in the dark (ha) about what Shadows really were. Naoto shared what she knew about them, and told us about an unofficial project report that she came across, which said that Shadows were suppressed powers that when controlled by a person's ego would become a Persona. Which did fit the pattern; in our case it was when most of us accepted our Shadows as a true part of us did we awaken to our Personae. I was different, as a Wild Card, but the story as to that is for another day.

The day took a turn for the comedic when Teddie stated that in response to his personal details being leaked, he'd announce everyone else's exam results. As he began looking over the exam results, Yosuke opened his big mouth and suggested his roommate to tell us what the girls' measurements were! Naturally, Chie was indignant, while Rise, being a public figure, was more sanguine about it, stating that her measurements were public information, albeit with her bust size being exaggerated by a couple of centimeters. She even told Chie that her modest figure was fine as it was, as it made fitting into a kimono easier. To sate her feeling of superiority, however, Rise then looked through the exam results herself, and was floored by a certain revelation.

Naoto must have been using an extra strong binder or something, because if the exam results were accurate (and they were, as we'd find out later on) then she was the most buxom of the ladies of the Investigation Team. Kanji in particular got extra flustered, unsurprisingly, and our newest member was so embarrassed about the entire matter that she took the entire sheaf of results papers, declared that everyone on the team was fine, and proceeded to run off to get them shredded, while Teddie and Yosuke chased after her to try and get them back while the girls chased after those two, making sure they didn't pull any more hanky-panky. That left Kanji and I to discuss what just happened, and I needled him by asking him if he was curious about Naoto's chest, as he vehemently denied looking at her bust.

As we wrapped up our day, Teddie and I were left alone together, and the mascot turned boy lamented at how the exam didn't get any meaningful information on what he was. I told him we'd help him find out, someday, and I felt my bond with the bear deepen.

----​

The next day, Naoto reminded me that the the case was nowhere near closed, and that we had to act by checking the Midnight Channel as needed, but not in such a way that my grades were jeopardized. I reassured her, stating that I had been studying regularly anyway, so all we needed to do was wait and see what happened.

The weather was already getting cooler, it being early October, but we weren't due to switch to the winter uniforms until the next week. Thus it was a cold afternoon when Yosuke had called us all up to the Yasogami High rooftop on some urgent business. We all wondered if it was something related to the case, yet it wasn't that: he needed our help for something happening that weekend, which had something to do with a promotional event held at the Inaba Police Station that was canceled. Naoto explained that Kanami Mashita was scheduled to appear as the honorary chief at that Sunday's event (Rise and I gave each other a knowing glance, and our hands touched briefly), and Teddie added that Junes had a tie-in sale related to the event. However, since the event was canceled that meant Hanamura-san, Yosuke's dad, was in a big bind, and since my friend really cared for his old man that meant he wanted a way to make sure the sale would go on, or at the least, make sure all the preparations for it didn't go to waste. Yosuke then asked Rise if she was willing to hold an event at Junes instead, with my girlfriend doing it in lieu of Kanamin, then my pal explained that his dad's job was on the line and there was a good chance of him transferring out of Inaba altogether if something happened. Rise mulled on it for a moment, then agreed with a few conditions. Since she was still technically an idol on hiatus, she would only do singing and possibly shake hands with people, and no autographs, since she was doing this as a favor to a friend and not as an official event featuring Risette.

That left the rest of us wondering what we were gonna do. Chie mused that she was no idol, while Kanji asked what we were supposed to do on stage while Rise sang. My idol girlfriend suggested we be her backing band, since she didn't want to use a pre-recorded track, and that was a tall order, since besides Rise's singing career and my own bass playing I wasn't sure if the rest of the team had any musical talent or experience to share. Naoto immediately suggested that she would man the keyboards, since she took piano lessons as a kid (which explained why her dungeon had some chill piano music in the background. Yosuke then added that he accidentally bought a bass, which he put in storage, and since my own bass wasn't brought over to Inaba I asked if I could borrow it from him, which he readily agreed to. Yosuke himself would play guitar, which was surprising, until he revealed he had joined the music club early in the year and played guitar for the club. (He also told me stories about a first-year student who looked like a grade schooler, but could play a mean trombone that was taller than she was.) Marie then added she could play guitar as well, and bragged that she probably played better than Yosuke did, earning a grimace from my partner. That left the other girls and Kanji, and Chie and Yukiko then said they took trumpet and saxophone lessons as kids respectively, but that it had been a long while since they touched either instrument. Kanji then said that he was good at hitting things, so that made him our drummer by default. Teddie then volunteered to be our percussionist, volunteering his slick tambourine skills. Chie then suggested we borrow the music room over the weekend, and Yosuke told us he could ask his clubmates for permission.

----​

So there we were, nine kids, all gathered in Yasogami High's music room on a Saturday afternoon, trying to catch ourselves up on our musical proficiency so we could help an idol singer do a promo concert for the local department store. Chie and Yukiko borrowed a trumpet and saxophone each, Kanji took his position behind the drum set, Yosuke and Marie busied themselves with guitars, and I borrowed Yosuke's bass. Quite frankly, I wasn't sure if this was gonna work, because only Yosuke had been getting regular music practice with the music club, and even I wasn't so sure of my own abilities, having not played a bass in at least six months' time. So we then started practicing, and one thing I learned was how intense a taskmistress my girlfriend Rise turned out to be, pushing us through Saturay afternoon before dismissing us for the evening, and arpeggios swam through my head as I spent Saturday evening with Nanako.

Band practice saw our group at Yasogami through Sunday, surprised that the school and the music club allowed us access over the weekend, and somehow we were sounding less and less like rusty instrumentalists and more like a true backing band. Teddie hit a gong the wrong way, earning him a death glare from Rise, and tried to joke it off before we resumed our practice. We took a break for lunch, and Yosuke groused, worrying that we wouldn't be able to pull it off. I then tried to cheer everyone up, and we all resolved to see this thing through. Besides, if everything went well, we might find ourselves a career in the music industry when all was said and done. Practice continued the rest of Sunday, and we had managed to nail our parts to the point where Yosuke and Marie even got into an impromptu guitar duel, and it was already pretty dark when we wrapped up for the day and I got to go home.

----​

The next day was Health and Sports Day, a holiday, our moment of truth. We had somehow agreed to wear our winter school uniforms as our on-stage attire, and while Kanji complained about the choice Yosuke pointed out that we'd be changing over to the winter uniforms starting the next day, anyway, so it would work out. Teddie would be going in his bear suit, while Marie would wear her usual clothes (come to think of it, aside from her swimsuit and yukata, I hadn't seen her in anything else). So we all got together, Rise giving us a pep talk and putting our hands together, and roused our spirits as we all prepared to go on stage.

The song we had picked for our performance was Risette's own "True Story", one of her more recent hit songs that had gone past my mind, since of course I wasn't into idols when it came out. (I still am not much into them, save for a certain one, of course.) Yosuke and Marie opened the song with crisp-sounding guitar chords, then Chie and Yukiko then added their blasts from their trumpet and saxophone. As Kanji joined the band I did so as well, my bass groove providing an anchor for the team, while Teddie joined in with tambourine. Rise confidently stepped up to the microphone, and began singing the opening bars of the song as the audience at Junes watched entranced.

You got yourself behind a door deep inside your heart, again
You wanna hide, you wanna come out, going round and round

Teddie's awkward response vocal made it even better, honestly.

Thinking hard about it doesn't help you one bit
Say Hello (Hello!)
You gotta say goodbye to thousand lies, yeah!

Shout, friends! Just those words you really mean
And let your voice be heard all over the world
Stand up when you hear the knock on the door
It's me, come on out;
Get ready for your True Story

As Rise wrapped up her vocals Yosuke and Marie went into a brief guitar duet, and at that point the crowd was so caught up in our performance that they demanded an encore. Which was a bit of a problem, since we only really practiced one song and obviously didn't have time for other songs. As we scrambled for what to do, Teddie took a chance and decided to go crowdsurfing instead, and since we were now short one member we couldn't continue playing. Yosuke then suggested we all go dive into the crowd as well, as a way to escape it. Chie promptly refused, then suggested that we guys do it if we really wanted to. So Kanji stood up from the drum kit, and the three of us Yasogami boys jumped into the crowd.

Naturally, the crowd wasn't dumb enough to let three young men injure them, so as Kanji and Yosuke fell awkwardly to the ground, I had somehow managed to stick the landing, as I saw a man in a green cap and what looked like a delivery man's uniform flee the scene.

A foreboding feeling ran through me as I saw the man make his getaway, even if all he really did at the time was attend a free concert. Who was that guy?

 

[rattatatouille]

The high of having performed a brief concert at Junes with Risette as the main draw proved to be short-lived, as the fact that midterm exams for the second semester were due in less than a week dawned on us. I decided to devote the evening after the performance to studying, and Chie approached me the following day, sharing how exhausted she felt after the performance, and her dread at the approaching exams. Sofue-sensei taught us an interesting fact on the history of canning - I actually learned how Napoleon had commissioned the creation of glass jars to preserve food for his campaigns, which was an interesting fact indeed.

With examinations on the horizon we all decided to go to Junes to do a group study session, and I took Nanako with us since she was free that afternoon. Even Teddie was there, and since he wasn't studying he mostly entertained my cousin instead. Yosuke sighed as he remembered that we just did the live concert the day before, and all of a sudden we were sitting in the food court studying for our midterms. What a quick turnaround. Yukiko largely spearheaded the study session, being our most studious member, and the session produced varied results, with Kanji getting frustrated early on and deciding to focus on his animal crackers instead. Naoto led the other first year students, being just as bookish, if not moreso, than Yukiko and I, and I sat and observed my friends as we pored over our study materials.

We took a brief break, and Teddie then told us about his feelings and search for identity, about how his life on our side of the TV was fun, but contributed to his existential crises, and even his visit to the library (which he called the "libeary") didn't provide him with any fruit. Teddie then proposed an idea: since he originated in the TV World, then perhaps that was his original reality, but he couldn't remember anything prior to meeting with us, which he chalked to amnesia. Naoto theorized that the TV World was a world connected to human thought, and that made Teddie an extra special being who lived there. Chie then realized Nanako didn't have an idea of what was going on (good for her), but my little sis then shared a story she read, which I recalled was from her summer homework way, way back. The story was about a king who was stuck in a forest due to a curse, and compared our ursine friend to the king. Yukiko even giggled at the thought of King Teddie wearing a cape (which wasn't that far-fetched, given how his Persona had a cape), and we all laughed it up with her.

Everyone save Teddie and I went to buy some refreshments, and my mascot friend confided his existential crisis with me, and I humored his suggestion that he was a king, which made him joke about it allowing him to kiss girls every day. (Which makes a certain king of a castle much, much more creepy in comparison. Ask Ren-kun if you're curious.) Nonetheless, I felt my bond with the bear deepen.

That evening, Nanako and I were sitting at home when my cousin reminded me of the photo I had shown her a few nights before. She gave it back to my uncle, who smiled at her, and told me how she loved her father. I told her how her father loves her as well, which I truly felt after my own bond with Uncle Ryotaro held strong, and I knew he would do anything for his daughter. (Subsequent events would prove that, one way or another.) Nanako went on, sharing her memory of picking flowers at the Samegawa with her parents, and felt sorry for her father, losing his beloved wife. I reminded my little sis that he still had her, and that both of them had my Aunt Chisato still in their hearts. I felt my bond deepen with Nanako as she shared the love she had for her father with me.

----​

The following morning Chie shared with me her theories on the Midnight Channel, how its features were likely shaped by our understanding of the world as filtered through a television screen, which was why Shadows took on different shapes and sizes like robots straight out of a tokusatsu show, or weird tongues that vaguely resembled talking heads on a midday talk show. The funny thing was that she wasn't wrong, really; my tomboy friend's intuition is simply great, and I hope she knows when to trust it. Nakayama-sensei taught us on how the first jack-o'-lanterns weren't made from pumpkins, since those were New World crops, but were made from turnips or beets instead.

As part of my last-minute studies for the midterms, I approached the only senpai I interacted with much at Yasogami, a third-year boy with an afro who dubbed himself the "Funky Student". Our interactions didn't amount much, and he didn't become a Social Link for me since our meetings were strictly transactional, but Funky-senpai's weird quizzes had a way of stimulating my brain especially during times that I needed it.

The following day, Thursday, the last day before the exams, I overheard a couple of students telling us that the Culture Festival would occur after the midterms were over and done with, which would mean preparations for them would begin in a week or so.

After school ended, I met up with Kanji at the Samegawa riverbank, saying that he worried about the rabbit lost by the kid we befriended washing up on the shore. The doll boy found the two of us, and reported that his friend Sana-chan enjoyed the new doll Kanji had made for her, and told him how both of their mothers wanted their own dolls too, and would gladly pay for them. Even his teacher wanted a pink alligator, like in Kamiki-san's story (he was a friend of Makoto and Kotone, an aspiring author who managed to get one book published before passing away due to illness). Kanji was shocked at his sudden popularity, then told me a story about how he had fixed a classmate's bag in elementary school. He did it to help her out, but the next day all the other girls were making fun of his friend, and made him think he was doing something wrong. Given what he was doing now, that was clearly not the case. I felt that I understood my delinquent kohai even more.

I felt that I was at my best when teaching others what to do, so I decided to tutor Shu-kun that evening, even with my own exams the following day. We went through geometry, and my student was as usual a quick study, so once we wrapped up we still had a fair amount of time for some refreshments. He asked me what I thought of Yasogami High, and I told him it was a bit boring, with my friends being the biggest sources of entertainment in the place. (At least the school leadership was competent and not utterly corrupt.) Shu-kun then told me about a new transfer student in his class, who looked down on his new classmates due to them living out in the sticks, which reminded me of a much haughtier version of myself or Yosuke. He continued, complaining about how he found school life boring as his classmates weren't as smart as he was and the lessons were pointless in his opinion. He did like how I taught him lessons, however.

----​

Midterms began in earnest the following day, October 14th, which was a Friday, and proceeded through Saturday, taking a brief break on Sunday before resuming on Monday, continuing all the way through Thursday. The first two days passed by pretty quickly, and the exam questions were thankfully all the interesting stuff I had picked up over the last month and a half.

With Sunday splitting the midterms into two parts, some of my friends like Yosuke decided to spend the day doing last minute studying for the remaining four days, but I figured I'd spend the day with Marie instead, not having seen her since the Junes concert. My Velvet Room friend complained about how everything she had was borrowed (save maybe the swimsuit she wore at the beach and the bag straps she used in the TV World), and how everything about her, including her physical existence, would fade away eventually. But she realized things wouldn't have to be so maudlin, and after ribbing me about the "fsteak fskewers" that we had shared way, way back in April, she mused about how the scenery around Inaba felt oddly familiar, like she knew the place for a very long time. Both of us realized that she had been making memories the whole time, and if she couldn't remember her own past, that wasn't a problem if she was making new memories of her life from this point onward. So I resolved to help Marie make more memories, and reassured her we would be there with her all the way. She then asked me why I was doing all this, and I reminded her that she was my friend, and even as she said I was stupid I knew she meant it in jest. A part of me wondered if, in another universe, Marie and I would have become more than friends, but I was happy in terms of where I was relationship-wise, and it didn't feel right being a two-timing jerk.

----​

Midterms continued in earnest from Monday all the way through Thursday, the 20th of October. By Thursday afternoon, Yosuke looked exhausted from having pulled an all-nighter, and left school once the exams ended, while Chie and Yukiko compared notes on how they did. I still had some energy, thankfully, and I decided to check up on Naoki-kun, seeing how he did after our grueling examinations. Since Aika wasn't at the store this time, she presumably was out on delivery business. (Nakamura-san also told me that his daughter was finally seeing someone, but he wasn't too sure on that matter. Still, that was relieving.) My kohai apologized about the turn our discussion took the last time we were together, and then confessed to me how he liked cream puffs. (Understandable, those things can be so good if made well.) Apparently, his sister, Saki-senpai, also liked them, which brought to my mind two siblings squabbling over stealing dessert from each other on my first day in town. (It then dawned on me that it was indeed those two I had overheard when I first came to Inaba.) Since Saki-senpai tragically left the world, however, it got to the point where Naoki-kun bought some cream puffs and they expired in the fridge, no elder sister to munch on them while her little brother left them unattended. My friend really felt he was at a nadir in his life, with his parents distraught and no one to fight over cream puffs with, and worst of all, not knowing what to do in a rudderless boat that was Naoki Konishi's life at that point.

That evening, as I returned home, Nanako was nowhere to be found. I didn't have to worry, however, as she was simply out getting the mail, and handed a strange letter addressed to me of all people, instead of my uncle or even my little sis. It was strange, since aside from mail orders from Tanaka I didn't get anything in the mail, and I got in touch with my parents through email and the occasional phone call. Even stranger was that there was no indication on who might have sent the letter. The most chilling part, however, was the message on the letter.

It simply read, "don't rescue anymore".

The implications of whoever had sent the letter knowing what we were doing in the TV was nothing short of frightening, and I knew I had to discuss this with the rest of the Investigation Team the following morning.

 

[rattatatouille]

The next day, at lunch, I called up the Investigation Team to the school rooftop and showed them the letter. Chie noticed how the letter didn't have any punctuation or capitalization, making the thing look rather slapdash and impromptu. Yosuke asked me if I had shown the letter to Uncle Ryotaro, and I replied in the negative, not wanting to worry the guy especially when the police were still on high alert, plus I didn't want to face his Investigator Mode and jeopardize our operations. Even Naoto agreed with my plan, but I suppose even she was apprehensive about getting the police involved, especially due to her recent rift with the cops. She also noted that the letter's existence implied someone, likely the culprit, knew who had been interfering with his activities, and was audacious enough to send the letter to the residence of one of Inaba's prominent police officers. She went on to deduce that not only did the letter writer know who we were, he also was confident enough in himself that the letter didn't betray his identity. Yosuke hoped it was all a mere prank, while Yukiko thought otherwise, the chances of it being so rather slim. Yosuke then told us about how Teddie sensed someone was watching our moves within the Midnight Channel, and wondered if people saw what we were doing inside the TV. Chie then replied that she hadn't heard any rumors to that effect, even from people who regularly checked the Midnight Channel like we did. For now, however, all we could do was wait and see - the letter certainly chilled us to the bone, but didn't give us anything concrete to work with.

To lighten the mood, Yosuke then suggested we change the topic, and we then discussed the upcominig school festival, as Yukiko reported that Class 2-2 had yet to decide on what to do, which would come down to a class vote. Rise then asked me if I had decided on who I'd be going around the campus with during the festival, and while she likely knew my answer, she heavily implied she would be available around that time. (Frankly I was surprised no one had picked up on our relationship yet, even Naoto, but I guess Rise's flirty ways made it less obvious, somehow.)

----​

Wanting to take my mind off of things, I strolled around the shopping district after classes ended for the day. A man in black called to me, and asked me a ton of questions mostly related to crime investigation and forensics. Did the man work with the cops or Naoto? Turns out it was the latter, and the fact that he called her "Naoto-sama" implied he worked under her or was a servant of her family. He then handed me a letter, to be handed to the Detective Prince.

It was a Friday, and I hadn't seen Eri-san or Yuuta-kun in a long while, so I decided to head to the daycare. As Eri-san came to pick up her stepson, she thanked me, and my young charge explained that this was his last day at the daycare, as the two would now spend time together, building a familial relationship, instead of the boy being foisted on to the daycare. With a wink, I told them how lonely I would feel without their presence, and Eri-san handed a four-leaf clover to me, formed into a bookmark, and I found my bond with the young mother temper into an unbreakable tie, even if I wouldn't see them regularly anymore.

That evening, Nanako got a call from her father, my uncle telling her he'd be home that night. So my little sis asked me to help her make dinner, ecstatic at getting to spend more time with her dad and big bro, and she even bought groceries from Junes for the occasion! She volunteered to cook the eggs, and put me on salad duty; I didn't mind, plus the events of the day made showing off in the kitchen out of the question as far as my mental state went. Nanako went on, telling me how she and Uncle Ryotaro both felt lonely after her mother died, and the most heartwarming part was that she considered me part of the family as well, not unlike her own father welcoming me with my own coffee mug. Nanako gave me a copy of the family photo I had shown her some time before, showing herself with her parents. She also told me she wanted a picture with me and her dad someday, and that really tugged at my heart.

I love Nanako Dojima, my little sister, and I would do anything as her big bro, and protect her if necessary.

(That vow would be put to the test sooner than later, and a part of me wonders if I had tempted fate at that point.)

----​

The next morning, our class reps advised Class 2-2 that the following week would be our school's Culture Festival, and had provided us with the shortlisted options for our class booth. The options given certainly solidified our class's reputation as a bunch of slackers - even with academically excellent students like Yukiko and myself - as the options we got were to turn our classroom into a break room, a video room, a study room, and the last one was group date café.

I suppose it wouldn't surprise anyone that group date café won out among a bunch of hormonal teenagers. I myself voted for it, more as a joke than anything.

We all wondered if the teachers would allow it, but another classmate of mine reminded us that our homeroom teacher was Kashiwagi-sensei, who would be ecstatic at the suggestion (though she definitely would have to be barred from participating herself). Of course, she'd be busy preparing for the school beauty pageants (they were a thing, for real?), so the grunt work of setting up the group date café would fall on us students.

As class ended, I then decided to hand Naoto the note I had received from the strange guy the day before, and for the first time I decided to spend time with the Detective Prince, making me realize that I was on the verge of forming my own Social Link with her. So the two of us found ourselves at the gazebo at the Samegawa flood plain, and I described to Naoto how I came into possession of the note. She then made some deductions, how the man was likely spying on us, and how he knew that I knew Naoto enough to entrust me with the note. She worried about me getting involved, but I didn't mind, seeing as I was her friend and all. Naoto also noted her relative lack of social skills, and told me not to worry about her as she'd look into the card herself. A spoked wheel with the number X appeared in my head, and as I expected the voice called out to me "The Wheel of Fortune", and my bond with Naoto Shirogane formed at last.

----​

I realized that I hadn't spent time with Hisano-san in a long, long while, but I wanted to know if Daidara had any more letters between her and her husband, so I asked the old smith slash antique collector if he had any more letters. He confirmed my query, and I found myself in possession of letters that clearly were written by my elderly friend to her friend, then lover, then husband. I met up with Hisano-san by the Samegawa, and she read the letters to me, even as she lamented that she'd have to throw them away as well. The letters clearly indicated the story of a girl pining for her loved one, and Hisano-san shook her head as she found herself a far cry from her past. Her letters also indicated my elderly friend had a touch of the poetic, reminding me of another friend of mine who wore a blue hat. She went on to tell me how it hurt her that her husband was taken away from her by his illness that made him forget, and she grieved at having lost the love of her life twice, once to his memories of her being destroyed, and again as he breathed his last. A part of me hoped my life with the one I loved wouldn't be this tragic, even as I imagined an elderly Rise weeping over my grave. Hisano-san, surprisingly, wanted to see me again soon, a turnaround from her desire not to see me a month or so before.

To my surprise, the day was still young, and I found Ren-kun standing just outside my house petting a cat. He was a cat person just like I was, then, and I showed him some fish that I then fed to the cute kitty. As we watched the cat munch on its food, my younger friend told me that once he grew up, he wished he had friends as cool as me and the rest of the Investigation Team. I told him that he'd find friends as great as he was, because he was a smart, charismatic kid who thought the best in everyone. (To see such a young boy then subjected to a cavalcade of suffering years after still tears at my heart to this day.) Chie and Yukiko found us, with the former walking her dog, and we spent the afternoon having fun and talking about lighter things.

----​

The next morning, Naoto informed me on the way to school that she had gotten her own bike license that summer, which meant that she could use it on trips like we did, and even use them in the TV World for special attacks. It was interesting how my friends' own "bike attacks" were similar to their typical "special moves" as well, with Chie managing to make her bike throw a Shadow into the air, or Kanji wrestling using his pedal bike as a steel chair substitute.

Lunchtime came, and with it the results of our recent midterms. Unsurprisingly, I was at the top of the class again, and my school friends all appreciated that, especially Yosuke.

Once again I spent some time with Naoto, who had now reviewed the note and asked me to investigate it with her. The card itself appeared blank, but it must have contained a message; why else would it be handed to Naoto unless she knew how to decipher it? As we looked over the note, Naoto received a call from Yakushiji-san, her grandfather's valet, and apparently her room was burgled, with the culprit, whoever they were, likely looking for something in it. I reminded her that the card we now had in front of us was likely the key, and my detective kohai told me not to worry too much about her, as she was unsure of how she felt about it, even as I walked her back home almost against her will.

I spent my evening with Rise, holding her hand as we strolled by the Samegawa, and we made our way to the gazebo where I had spent the afternoon with Naoto. I held my girlfriend in my arms, and I kissed her, stroking her copper hair as we said sweet nothings to each other. We then went home before it got too late; neither of us wanted my uncle or her grandmother to get too suspicious.

Even with the case taking a darker turn of events, it felt as if things that month couldn't get any better. I had a little sis who adored me, a girlfriend I loved spending time with, and many friends whose stories and experiences I came to appreciate.

I would come to savor October of 2011 as the calm before the storm.