Yu Narukami's Uncanny Fable (Persona 4)

[rattatatouille]

Tuesday morning, the 25th, was a rainy morning, so I walked to school under my umbrella, and Naoto had the foresight to bring her own, too. Unfortunately, Kanji and Yosuke were less prepared, and as Yosuke fit himself readily under my umbrella, Kanji was far more apprehensive about going under Naoto's, still really flustered about dealing with his crush. So to settle the stalemate I decided to take a page from King Solomon's book and decided to go with Naoto myself, telling Yosuke to hold on to my umbrella and having him and Kanji go together. Sadly, Kanji had other ideas, and he ran off, and I sincerely hoped he wouldn't catch a cold at that rate.

I decided to check in with Yumi to see how she was holding up and how her father was doing. So after drama club wrapped up for the day, I went to Inaba Municipal, and unfortunately when I arrived Ozawa-san was already at death's door. I stood at a distance, wanting to give Yumi and her mother space as my friend's father spent his final moments with his family. Ozawa-san called his daughter a kind woman, which my friend denied, even as her mother protested that her sharp tongue was but a defense mechanism she used to shield herself from further anguish. (Which was true, actually.) I overheard Ozawa-san tell his daughter that she got her name from the phrase "bear fruit", as her parents wanted her to live a fruitful life. Yumi's mother further explained that their daughter was the good fruit of their lives, and I couldn't help but agree from a distance.

Sadly, before my friend could tell her father how she truly felt, he breathed his last.

I left the room quietly, wanting to let the Ozawas grieve without disturbances. After a while, however, Yumi exited the room and saw me, surprised I was there waiting for her. I could see her eyes swollen and tears running down her cheeks, and even I found myself tearing up a bit at the sight of my bereaved friend. After a couple of minutes where I was there for Yumi's sake, she then left, citing a need to talk with the doctor.

To lighten myself up after grieving alongside Yumi, I decided to tutor Shu-kun in the evening after taking my leave of Nanako, who handed me a bead ring as a reward for doing well in the midterms. At the Nakajima residence, I taught Shu-kun English this time around, and I liked how my student was doing thus far. After a while, we took a break, and as we conversed over snacks Shu-kun mused about how he wasn't really good at English, just good at memorizing things without truly understanding them. He lamented how his teacher didn't understand how there was a difference between reading the work from a book (theory) and speaking to other people (practice). Shu-kun made an astute observation, that an idiot who knows more than others can easily become arrogant about it (which is probably where the saying "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" came from). He then told me a story about how the transfer student at his school began to be ostracized all because his grades weren't as stellar as that of my student's, and the other kid's attitude didn't help either. Shu-kun lamented how he had to go to school even if it wasn't his passion, and wished he could have gone to Yasogami at the same time as I did, because I somehow made the school look cool in his eyes.

----​

The next day brought us another interesting lesson from French history, and apparently the rich culinary history of that country truly began when a noble Italian lady named Catherine de Medici married the French King named Henry II. Apparently, one of the big innovations of that exchange was the introduction of the fork to France, which was a very big deal indeed. (Can't beat chopsticks, though.)

After classes wrapped up I attended basketball practice with Kou, and I could see my friend's newfound confidence as he absolutely wrecked me in one on one, getting past me with drives to the basket and even hitting long range shots, when he was usually just an average shooter from the three point line. As we wrapped up, my team captain noted to me how he'd continue living his life to the fullest, whether it be basketball or his studies. He was pretty good when he applied himself to whatever he did, after all. He vowed to do his best so he could be a great "big brother" to his adoptive little sister, which reminded me of my own vow for Nanako's sake. After taking a shower and changing back into our regular clothes, the two of us met up with Daisuke at the school rooftop, where he revealed an interesting bit of news. Kou had asked his family if they even wanted him around anymore, considering his feelings of being out of place in the family. His mother practically yelled at him that they did want him around as she gave him a big hug, and that was when my friend realized that his family, even one not by blood, loved him all the same. Kou thanked me and Daisuke for helping him figure it out, that he needed to be true to himself to find himself. My team captain then asked us to hold on to the letter he got from the orphanage, and while Daisuke denied it I decided to hold on to it myself, as a sign that Kou wasn't alone and that he had friends. Kou then told us he'd get the letter back from us when he was in a better, stronger place mentally, and I felt my bond with the two sports captains strengthen irrevocably, the letter as its symbol.

---​

The 27th, a Thursday, saw the beginning of the school festival events, and on the way to school Yosuke asked me what things we did at my old school, and I told him it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, really. That morning, as I walked around the campus, a poster headed with the words "The Miss Yasogami High Pageant" caught my eye, with several other students looking it over as well. A student complained that Noriko "I'm surprised a student hasn't charged me for sexual harassment yet" Kashiwagi was in the pageant, on top of organizing it, but several other familiar names caught my eye.

"Rise Kujikawa" was also on the list, and while I couldn't help but feel jealous my girlfriend was in it I wasn't surprised either, given her celebrity status. "Yukiko Amagi" wasn't also a surprise, given that my friend was the source of the eponymous Amagi Challenge. "Hanako Ohtani" was also on the list, and while strange I chalked it up to my classmate being very confident in herself. Two other names stood out the most to me: "Chie Satonaka" and "Naoto Shirogane". Now, both were great girls, but I couldn't see either of them willingly joining a beauty pageant especially if it meant tearing them away from a steak at Souzai Daigaku or an interesting criminal case, respectively. Something fishy was going on. I left the gaggling students behind, and I wondered why it didn't surprise me that the four girls I went to Yasogami High with were the most popular girls in the school. Yosuke then came to get me, as Chie wanted to meet us on the roof, and I already had an inkling of what was going on.

So I went up to the school roof, witnessing an irate Chie kick Yosuke into the chain link fence surrounding the rooftop (any harder and my pal would have been thrown over), demanding an explanation for why Yosuke had signed up the girls for the beauty pageant without their consent. Ah, that surely explained what had happened, now for the why. My friend did it as a joke, and Yosuke further explained that if the girls didn't want to go ahead with it they could just ask to withdraw, and also pointed out that the girls in our friend group were indeed the popular girls of the school, including Naoto being the Detective Prince, though that didn't explain Chie's involvement. My tomboy friend realized that perhaps she was indeed signed up as a joke, and kicked Yosuke again, though a part of me wondered if it was Yosuke having a deep down attraction for Chie that made that happen. Chie continued to complain, explaining that with Kashiwagi-sensei planning the event there was no way they could back out. (She, Kashiwagi-sensei that is, was likely planning on rigging the event so she could win, I guess?) Yosuke then attempted to leverage Kanji's crush on Naoto to get the detective to agree, and then he turned to me, implying that as our group leader I had the pull to convince the girls.

I then told them how it was all in good fun, that at worst we guys owed them girls a favor (something they'd cash in pretty quickly), and besides, the school festival only happened once a year and I wouldn't be around the next year. Somehow, that managed to convince the girls to agree, but not before I saw Chie flash an impish smirk. Yosuke then confessed that it was Teddie who had the oh so brilliant idea to sign the girls up for the pageant, which... shouldn't have been that shocking, really. Naoto was still reluctant, and Kanji did his best to convince his crush, even as he stumbled over his words doing so.

----​

After school Chie and Yukiko had gone to Junes to buy materials for the group date café, and Yosuke in turn would head the executive committee, meaning he was essentially the fall guy if things went south. The mechanics of the café were simple: guys on one side of the table, girls on the other side, then the two sides would talk it over, exchange partners, and decide on who they liked the most. Nothing too hard, honestly.

The next day, I learned that there was gonna be a cross-dressing pageant to be held at the Culture Festival as well. Dread pooled in my gut as I realized just who was likely to be signed up for this event without their consent. Indeed, the names that topped the list included "Yosuke Hanamura" and "Kanji Tatsumi", and unsurprisingly, even "Yu Narukami" was on the list. Yosuke and I shared a look, and we knew exactly what was going on as we entered class 2-2 and demanded an explanation from Chie as to that. As it turned out, it was actually Rise's idea to enter us guys into the cross-dressing pageant, and a part of me felt a twinge of betrayal at the news. Et tu, Risette? Chie was more than willing to go along with it, however, as payback for Yosuke signing the girls up for the beauty pageant and me for being his accomplice. My friends felt emasculated at the entire deal, but I decided to humor Yukiko, telling me that she'd make us look enchanting, even. In for a penny, in for a pound. Kanji tried to back out, but Yukiko leveraged his school attendance against him, while the girls leveraged Kashiwagi-sensei's involvement against Yosuke, implying he'd be held back a year if he didn't go along with it. (Seriously, my lady friends are all scary if provoked.)

That evening, I went up to bed early, needing all the energy I could get to steel myself for the ensuing embarrassments.

 

[rattatatouille]

The school culture festival began on the 29th of October, a Saturday, as scheduled, and Class 2-2 was already decorated as a Group Date Café. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), no students seemed to be willing to partake in the services of our café, and that pretty much left no one save me and my friends inside the classroom. There were only five of us, counting our male class rep, and when Kanji arrived he was relieved that there was now enough people to get the ball rolling. There was a tiny problem, however: there were four guys counting myself, and only two girls in Chie and Yukiko. Someone had to take one for the team and sit down on the girls' side, and our class rep pointed out that we three were going to be in the cross-dressing pageant anyway, so it had to be one of us.

Figuring that I was in touch with my feminine side (because I wasn't only our household's cook, I also cooked better than most of my female friends), and half of the Personae I used were female anyway, I decided to sit alongside Chie and Yukiko, with the other three guys sitting across from us. However, for some reason we all found it awkward to simulate a group date, despite most of us being close friends by now. I guess our friendships didn't quite extend to romantic situations, my own relationship with Rise aside. So I went and broke the ice, asking our class rep what kind of girls he liked. Yosuke and Kanji were taken aback, and after scrambling for an answer Mr Class Rep told me he liked cute girls. (Which was really vague, honestly.) Yosuke then followed up, describing how he liked girls who were kind and were fragile enough for him to protect. (Stop lying to yourself, pal, we know you're into girls who can kick you across a room.) Then Kanji went and told us about how he liked someone who was kind of mysterious, and strong but vulnerable at the same time, and it was really obvious whom he was talking about. Mr Class Rep then started the guys' round of questions, asking us who among the three of them we would date. Chie was put on the spot first, and as she looked at me with a "help me!" gaze, I decided to help her out by deflecting the question to Yukiko. After a brief rumination, Yukiko stammered out that her choice to date was private, and then asked me back. I decided not to troll my two friends further, so I simply answered "a girl", and the fact that it was true made my answer more convincing.

Just then, Rise came into our room, wanting to ask me about something, when she saw the awkward situation in Class 2-2 and decided to back out, and my girlfriend betrayed me again for the second time in as many days. (Why, Kujikawa, why?) The day wrapped up, and it was honestly a bit of an awkward moment that kickstarted our Culture Festival.

I decided to check out the other exhibits around the school. Kou and Daisuke were appraising a bunch of local artifacts, showcasing the Yasogami pottery that our town was known for that I vaguely remembered Chie mentioning way back in April. My team captain friend lamented how his class put on a play, and somehow got the name of the lead character wrong ("Hamlet! Not Piglet!") and worst of all the play was a crossover between two of Shakespeare's works. Daisuke and Kou then rooted for me for the pageant the following day.

I then decided to go with Ai, confident that we were now firmly friends after an awkward relationship, and we passed by a booth bedecked in a very familiar shade of blue. "The long-nosed fortune teller", Ai read from the sign atop it, and a very familiar voice rang out from within. Ai then taunted Margaret, asking her to tell a fortune about my relationship with girls, then my Velvet Room attendant taunted her back by saying she had the advantage. I simply shook my head at two of my lady friends getting into a sort-of-catfight.

----​

The next day was a Sunday, and since it was the day of the school pageant we still went to Yasogami High, and the girls and Teddie were all waiting for us inside Class 2-2, ready to humiliate us by making us wear girls' clothing. The fact that Yukiko had a large makeup kit with her, while Chie stood by a pile of clothes, and even Marie had an impish grin on her face as she inspected a nail polish kit said it all. Teddie then remarked that he was entering the contest as well, wanting to see his dream come true, whatever it was. The girls left Teddie to Naoto, and I wondered what they would pull off, given that Teddie looked more feminine than the detective at times, and Naoto wasn't exactly exuding girliness anyway. So there we went, we guys stripping down to our skivvies (thankfully none of the girls peeked, though I'm not so sure Rise didn't peek), and dressed ourselves up in the lady clothes left for us, and last but not least Yukiko busied herself with my makeup, while Chie took care of Yosuke's and Rise put on her "Moronji's" makeup. (She's the only person who gets away with calling him that, and it's definitely a sign of affection, as rough as it sounds.)

The time for the "Miss" Yasogami High Pageant began, and the four of us would get on stage, one by one. Kanji was first on stage, his talent at fighting touted as his strength, and he walked on up dressed up in the classic Marilyn Monroe dress from "The Seven-Year Itch", complete with a blonde wig. Immediately I heard comments on how cursed it look, like Kanji was a walking Maeigaon on the student body. The MC then asked my kohai-turned-60s actress what he thought his best features were, and Kanji replied he thought it was his eyes, all while giving the MC a mean mug. Next, it was Yosuke's turn to come up on the stage, and somehow he still largely looked himself, even as the MC described him as a disappointment every time he opened his mouth. (Which honestly was a bit true - Yosuke wasn't an ugly lad, it was just that his lack of tact earned him a lot of problems and a lack of friends until we came along.) Chie had dressed him up in another school's uniform, with black calf-high socks, a red skirt, a white blouse, a cream sweater vest, and a big red ribbon on top of it. Part of his hair had even been tied up, and that combined with how awkward the makeup looked on him made him look rather scary. The MC asked him if he dressed like that on the regular, and Yosuke, his masculinity already tattered, vehemently denied it, even if I heard his voice crack. As Kanji complained to his senpai, it was now my turn to climb up on to the stage, as I heard myself introduced as a heartbreaker city girl (which wasn't that inaccurate).

I wore the Yasogami High female uniform, with the skirt worn long and a wooden sword perched on my shoulder making me look like a stereotypical sukeban. Yukiko had even found a twin-pigtailed wig in my hair color to complete the outfit, and Marie even painted my nails black for the occasion. (When Naoya-san saw the pic when we had a family reunion, he remarked at how I resembled his friend Yukino while they were both in high school.) Already I could hear some cries of disapproval from the student body, and then the MC asked if I signed myself up. I confidently answered him, channeling my best delinquent impression, that I did so myself (even if I really didn't).

Last but not the least, however, it was Teddie's time to shine. The MC introduced him as the "King of the TV World" (likely spurred on by Nanako's discussion a few weeks prior) and Teddie leaped on to the stage, dressed up like Alice from the Disney movie adaptation of the novel and not unlike the Persona of the same name. Teddie leveraged his general prettiness, complete with bishie sparkles, and I swore I heard someone loudly play Aerosmith's "Dude Looks Like A Lady" on their MP3 player.

Unsurprisingly, the blonde bear won the pageant, his absurdly pretty countenance and the fact that he really looked like a girl making him the clear victor. His prize was getting to be on the panel of judges for the actualy Miss Yasogami Pageant, which would involve our friends for the most part, which would mean his biases would be minimized, hopefully. Teddie wasted no time in declaring an additional swimsuit round for the ladies' competition, which likely ticked off Chie and shocked the student body. (I can imagine Kashiwagi-sensei saying it's hers to lose, though!)

----​

After we guys changed back into our uniforms, the ladies' pageant then began, featuring the six total contestants. Hanako and Kashiwagi-sensei were already on stage, and we three guys watched the proceedings alongside Marie, who was somehow both disappointed she wasn't on stage and glad she wasn't getting embarrassed on stage. (Don't ask me how her mind works.) Chie was the first of the four girls to climb on to the stage, dressed in her typical weekend garb, and clearly flustered from what was going on. As she claimed her favorite food was pudding, Yosuke yelled from beside me, calling her a liar and reminding her of her meat-loving ways. Yukiko was next, dressed up in her red weekend getup, and Marie wondered if she should have nicknamed the heiress Red instead of Black. Yukiko introduced herself as the heiress to the Amagi Inn, and earned a cry of appreciation from the crowd as expected. The MC then called Rise, and my girl entered the stage, dressed in her typical weekend attire. She went into Risette Mode, and I hoped my cheer for her wasn't too loud as the crowd appreciated her as well. Last but not least, Naoto entered the stage, dressed in her Little Boy Blue getup without the hat, which made her look even cuter. Her embarrassment on the stage somehow made her cuter than usual, and Kanji, unsurprisingly, was in awe at the girl he liked. The MC then called up Teddie to have him ask questions for the pageant, and Teddie began by asking Chie if she had a boyfriend. He then continued by asking Yukiko if she had been kissed, if Naoto was ticklish somewhere, and then asked Rise if he could stay at her house next time. It took every once of willpower for me not to clobber the bear for his impertinence, especially after hitting on my girlfriend; that was a major bro code violation he just committed there. (Granted, I didn't help my case by keeping my relationship with Rise a bit low-key, but still.) The MC then announced that thanks to Teddie, the girls would all be parading in swimsuits for the next round, and the program would give them a break to change into their swimsuits.

After 15 minutes or so, the ladies entered the stage in their swimsuits. Hanako wore a pink striped number that honestly didn't look too bad on her, while Kashiwagi-sensei once again overestimated her sex appeal with a black one-piece. Chie, Yukiko, and Rise all wore the swimsuits they had worn during our visit to the beach, and somehow Yosuke liked the view despite having seen the girls in them already. Even I was curious as to what Naoto would look like in a swimsuit, but she begged off, meaning only five girls were on the stage. Nevertheless, the show must go on, and while Yosuke consoled Kanji my kohai at least was happy for Naoto at least showing up instead of backing out.

The time to cast votes came, and naturally I voted for Rise, being a supportive boyfriend and all (even as I ignored a voice from myself calling me out for bending to a woman who had betrayed me twice already). The winner, however, was Naoto, whose mysterious air and androgynous appearance made her appeal to guys and girls alike, and that was with her being a no-show at the swimsuit portion of the pageant. At least my girlfriend's a graceful loser, and so were my other friends, while Hanako and Kashiwagi-sensei sobbed into each other's arms at their clear defeat.

----​

As we took in the rest of the Culture Festival my uncle and Nanako came to Yasogami High, dropping my cousin off on us as he had to make a trip to the prefectural office. Just before Uncle Ryotaro left, though, Nanako told me a story about the blue booth she came across, where a mysterious voice told her about me, and she used a word that my little sis remembered easily. "You're a manwhore", reported Nanako, and everyone was appalled at the word Margaret had used to call me, coming from the mouth of my little sis.

I was going to have a word with my Velvet Room attendant once I had the time.

With that out of the way, Yukiko remembered she promised to have us over at the Amagi Inn, since our previous plan to visit during the summer was scrapped. Nanako, of course, would come, since nobody else would be home to take care of her, while Naoto would ask her grandfather permission to stay at a friend's house overnight.

I hoped our stay at the Amagi Inn would finally be a break from all the embarrassments, second-hand or otherwise, that we had to endure over the last few days. Sadly, I would prove to be very mistaken, and it would lead to a chain of events that would bring out the darker parts of me.

 

[rattatatouille]

So after school wrapped up we all went to the Amagi Inn, setting our clothes aside for the comfortable kimonos provided by the inn. We guys naturally were in a different room than the girls, Nanako included, but it was also interesting how Yukiko had set up their room rather far from ours. (I guess they didn't trust us not to peek, even more so with Teddie alongside us.) Kanji and Yosuke, on the other hand, were wondering how we got our room, especially with it still being a busy time of the year for the inn, and the room suddenly felt a little too quiet, until the ringing of the room phone broke the silence. It was apparently time for us to head on to the hot springs, with the girls scheduled for later. Teddie was excited, and mistook the hot springs for a bath house, describing the typical trope of people washing each other's backs while looking at a picture of Mt. Fuji. Teddie thanked me for being there for him, and my bond with the bear improved even more.

So we went to the hot springs, and for a while we guys had a pretty good time, soaking in the warm water and gazing at the evening stars. Kanji looked outright serene, basking in the warmth and looking like he was nodding off a bit, while Yosuke and I chatted about the school festival, commiserating in our shared embarrassment. Teddie, of course, was a ball of pure energy, and we had to remind him that the hot springs weren't like a beach where one could afford to be as boisterous as possible. Just then, however, the trouble began.

We first overheard footsteps coming our way, and at first we thought it was other male guests who wanted in early, but as I overheard familiar voices I knew it was the girls heading our way. Something was wrong - we were in the springs for only ten minutes or so, and it was too early for them to head here - but I motioned to the guys to hide behind some rocks, telling them to ready for a quick exit in case something went awry. So there the girls were, at the entrance to the springs, with Rise leading the way, while Chie and Yukiko flanked Nanako, and Marie was close behind. Naoto had apparently held herself out, but Rise then led her out of the changing room and into the springs area. We couldn't see anything through the steam, and I honestly didn't want to (and I shook my head at Yosuke and Teddie who were trying to peek), but I did overhear something about the truth coming out, likely about the tidbit about Naoto's chest we learned during the health exams, and Kanji was holding his nose, hoping he wasn't getting a nosebleed. I knew disaster was imminent if the girls spotted us, despite our bath time nowhere near over, so I motioned to the guys to follow me, sneak around, and hope the girls didn't catch us.

Of course, no plan ever survives contact with the enemy, and as we had just gotten to the entryway Teddie just so happened to step on to a rather inconspicuous twig. The girls then all spotted us, my eyes widening at the realization, and the four of us were already being pelted with wash buckets as I signaled our final retreat. We all caught our breaths upon entering the changing rooms, and after rinsing and drying ourselves we all went to bed, bruised in both body and pride. The fact that I went to bed with Belial as my forefront Persona would only exacerbate the tensions the following day.

The next day I awoke, feeling really angry and bitter for some reason. Thoughts flooded into my head, of the girls signing us up for the "Miss" Yasogami Pageant without our consent all because Yosuke was an impulsive dummy. Of how Rise left me in the lurch during the awkward Group Date Café fiasco. Of how the girls had denied us of our rightful hot springs time, and how Yukiko in particular should have been more aware as part of the inn's management. So after breakfast, I stewed in the inn lobby, trying to distract myself by watching a program on the lobby's large TV, when the girls strolled in, led by Yukiko. It seemed that they all wanted to apologize for the previous evening's disaster, and even if a part of me told me it was genuine the devilish Persona in my mind was goading me along, telling me how if they were so sincere then the girls wouldn't have piled on embarrassments on us guys.

The scary part was that I was agreeing with what Belial whispered into my mind, and while I admitted that we guys crossdressing was simply payback for signing up the girls without their consent (and Teddie even enjoyed it), we guys getting chased out of the hot springs was a step too far. So I went, and trying not to raise my voice, berated all six of the young ladies in front of us, telling Yukiko how she in particular should have known better as the inn's future manager, telling Rise how she hadn't been a good "friend" as of late (I made sure to choose my words carefully, not only to prevent revealing our relationship, but to drive the barb further in), telling Chie and Marie that throwing buckets hurt us and could have cause serious injuries, but thankfully I avoided involving Nanako in all of this, since she was frankly innocent of all that happened (though a part of me wanted to wash her mouth out with soap for calling me a manwhore).

By the end of it, Yosuke and Kanji were holding me back, afraid I was going to strike the girls, and my pal swore he saw my eyes flash yellow for a brief moment. The girls, on their part, were taken aback; Yukiko, Chie and even Marie all had expressions of deep shock at my rant, while both Rise and my little sis looked on the verge of tears. Yukiko apologized again, and I decided to accept her apology, finally getting my frustration out (but not completely, which would jeopardize our team dynamic sooner than later). I then told Nanako to dress up, and I'd head back to our room, readying ourselves to go home.

----​

That Monday was Halloween, and we got off the day from school due to the Culture Festival taking up until Sunday. Yosuke called me, wanting me to help him out at Junes' Halloween Fair, and he was having issues finding the floor manager. Wanting to cool myself down from the recent spat I had with the girls, I acquiesced, and told Nanako I'd be at Junes if she needed to find me.

So there I was at Junes, helping Yosuke set up the Halloween decorations while I wore a classic Count Dracula costume, complete with a top hat and cape. My friend thanked me again for pitching in, and we watched as Teddie entertained a few children in his bear suit, Ren-kun among them. I waved to my younger friend, and he told me an interesting bit of news: his mother was pregnant, and he hoped he'd have a younger sister so he could dote on her the way I did on Nanako. (He'd be proven right, but I'm spoiling myself.) He also told me my costume looked cool and that he was thinking of wearing one like this someday. (Ren-kun, if you're reading this, you'd get to wear a much cooler costume, but you already know this.)

Unfortunately, a Junes employee approached us, and told us the Halloween Fair was canceled, so Yosuke and I had to clean up all the decorations we had just finished furnishing. While I kept a calm façade, the frustration that had been building up in me since the school festival just got more fuel. As compensation, Yosuke told me I could keep the Count Dracula outfit I was wearing, and gave me a bunch of Halloween costumes for the gang to use: Yosuke told me he wanted the Wolf Man, the humanized Jack O'Lantern looked good on Chie, the witch outfit would suit Yukiko the best, the Frankenstein's Monster outfit was perfect for Kanji (the fact that he reminded us of the difference between Frankenstein and his creation was a sign my kohai's smarter than he looks), the fairy outfit looked destined for Rise, Teddie somehow kept the Alice costume, and Marie even had a mummy outfit going for her. (Marie in bandages? Pretty amusing, given later events.)

I spent the evening with Nanako, and the evening news talked about a Kozai-san who was interviewing children about the effects of the fog on them, and the kids all looked happy even as the fog enveloped town. I looked towards my little sis, and she looked really flushed; I checked her temperature and she was running a high fever. I gave her some medicine then laid her down on the couch. Nonetheless, Nanako looked cheerful, and I knew she'd be up and about sooner than later.

----​

The next day was the beginning of November, and after Kondo-sensei teaching us about the origins of figure skating, the rest of the school day passed by without any incident. As I was getting ready to head home, Naoto approached me, apologizing for what had happened at the Amagi Inn (though I knew she was the least to blame among the girls for that quagmire), and we sorted through our shoe lockers as we both prepared to go home. Naoto noticed a letter inserted into her locker, and I thought at first it was another card like the one we had inspected some time ago. However, as my detective friend gave it a look-see, she noticed things like a heart-shaped seal, indicating that this might be a love letter from a secret admirer, which didn't amuse Naoto. She then went on, telling me that she'd dispose of the letter, but not on school grounds, and that things like these were simply a distraction from her calling as a detective.

I then spent the evening tutoring Shu-kun, guiding him through his subjects. After a while, we took a break, and as we conversed over snacks Shu-kun mused about how school was all about memorization, whether it be English, mathematics, or chemistry, and how tests were designed to measure how good someone's memory of the subject matter was. He then asked me if there was bullying going on at Yasogami High, and I told him I wasn't aware of any such cases; there probably was, but it was low-key if there was any, and Yasogami proved to be a more hospitable high school than other places I shall not name. Shu-kun then confessed that he thought the new transfer student was being bullied, and wondered if his discussing of non-study related matters was a bore, and I told him that wasn't the case. I did like spending time with him as I realized he wasn't quite the pompous brat that was my first impression of him.

----​

The next morning, Rise walked with me to school, and while I knew we were still a couple, there was an undeniable feeling of a rift forming between the two of us. A part of me wanted to make sure we'd patch it up before it was too late, but a more sinister side of me wanted to make her suffer for all the iniquities I had faced as of late. I tried to keep such thoughts out of my head, and my girlfriend reminded me that the weather was going to get worse that weekend.

After school I decided to hang out with Naoto again, since she was the friend I felt the most comfortable around during that time - not wanting to talk to the guys much lest I be reminded of our recent embarrassments, and I still hadn't forgiven the other girls completely, Rise included. She showed me another card, clearly similar to the card we inspected together, and as we sat at the gazebo we saw some writing about it being from a "Phantom Thief". (Ren-kun, if you and your friends are reading this, don't try to laugh too hard, okay?) Naoto continued, describing how this was likely the work of whoever burgled the Shirogane estate (but warning bells were ringing in my head; if it was truly a Phantom Thief, would they really leave that much evidence?), and grumbled that this little game was taking her away from a more important case that we were handling: that of the mysterious kidnappings and murders around Inaba. Nevertheless, she accepted my help in looking into this situation; she was my friend after all, and what was a little side investigation if it involved, quite frankly, the two most competent sleuths on the Investigation Team?

----​

The next day, the third of November, was Culture Day, so I got the day off from school. It was a pretty rainy day, however, and I figured we hadn't been in the TV since Naoto's rescue, which was now over a month prior, and I also realized we didn't know what the detective's Persona could do. So I called everyone up to Junes, informing them of our need to work on Shadow hunting, and put myself, Naoto, Kanji, and Teddie in the front lines, while I tasked Yosuke to go with the others in the rearguard. Before getting started, however, I went to the Velvet Room, where I berated Margaret for making my little sis call me a manwhore, and I tried my best to avoid her smug gaze as I fulfilled several of her fusion requests. Igor was thankfully quiet all throughout, and even Marie was rather quiet, and I beckoned her along as it was time for us to visit the TV World.

I figured Void Quest wouldn't be a bad place to start, since it was the sole dungeon that didn't bring uncomfortable memories for any of us, and so we went around, even as the 8-bit chiptune playing in the background kind of annoyed me. It was there when I noticed how versatile Naoto's Persona was: Sukuna-Hikona specialized in light, dark, and almighty attacks, but even had an Agidyne and Garudyne at its disposal. Naoto, for her part, simply used her standard issue revolver in the TV World, and for some reason she never ran out of ammunition while inside it, which was fine by me; I didn't want to subsidize her ammo with the admittedly thin funds we had.

After wrapping up our business in the TV World, I made some coffee after getting home, hoping it would give me an energy boost as I remembered I could tutor Shu-kun that day. My young student and I discussed languages and how people thought in their native tongues, and Shu-kun then brought up how his school's foundation day was approaching, annoyed at how noisy the girls in his class got during the discussion. As he decried how stupid his classmates were, I reminded him he was at that age when everyone looked really bad, and Shu-kun continued, complaining about how he had to face an overbearing mother after getting home from a school he was less and less interested in. He then asked me if I only visited him because I got paid, and I told him that wasn't the case; the kid had really grown on me. Shu-kun was happy, and wanted me to continue tutoring him until our session ended.

----​

The next day, Kanji reminded me to check on the Midnight Channel since the weather was getting bad again, and that we'd have to step up our game especially with the cops no longer on the case. After a lesson during which Hosoi-sensei and his pet human taught us about the kanko-dori, a Japanese version of the cuckoo, the day wrapped up without any more fanfare, so I decided to hang out with Kanji instead.

We were at the hill overlooking town, with my friend showing off several dolls he had made since the last time we talked. Doll boy was also there, and he admired Kanji's handiwork, even offering compensation from his mother for my friend's troubles. Even as Kanji refused the monetary reward, the other kid then told us he remembered Kanji was from Tatsumi Textiles, and left, wanting to show his mother my friend's work. That left me alone with my kohai, who then told me how he understood now what it meant to be a man. It wasn't just about chasing down the killer, it was also about him coming to terms with who Kanji Tatsumi really was. Even so, he wondered just what to do with the knit dolls he had made: what use were they in a textiles shop? I simply suggested to him he could sell them alongside their usual wares, but Kanji simply shrugged at the matter.

That evening, Nanako and I were sitting at the table, when the doorbell rang. My little sis checked it out, and told me it was merely the deliveryman, who was simply asking around for directions. Relieved, we then sat together, exchanging some stories, when the phone rang, and I overheard Nanako speaking with her father, my uncle telling her he'd be back the next day.

Little did we know, as I promised my cousin that we'd go buy a new kotatsu, that we had set into motion a series of events that would change our lives for the worse.

 

[rattatatouille]

I come now to the part of my tale that I found the hardest to recollect and to put to pen. It is only with the love and care of my loved ones that I am able to do so today, and as I write this particular section I have my beloved wife right beside me, whispering her own words of encouragement in my ear.

----​

I was going to check the Midnight Channel as the weather was getting wetter as of late, and as Kanji and Rise reminded me. So I went to check the TV, and to my shock, there was indeed a picture of an indistinct figure on the television. That meant whoever they were would be the next target, but unlike the previous times nobody came to mind, as the recent news didn't really focus on a particular person from Inaba. Unless that Kozai-san fellow counted, but I didn't get to see his face during the TV segment on him. Yosuke promptly called me, and we agreed to meet at our HQ at Junes to discuss the situation.

The following day, after classes wrapped up, we all gathered at the Junes food court to discuss the latest development in the case. Naoto grumbled about how an ace detective like her was reduced to squinting at a television screen for a fleeting clue, while Yukiko brought up the fact that it had to be someone on TV lately. Naoto then theorized it might be Kozai-san, the politician, like I did, but promptly dismissed the notion, as the man had returned to the city immediately after grandstanding for a political position. Teddie had also been checking the TV, using the TV in the electronics section as he had been assigned to the night shift the previous night, and pointed out that the person on the TV looked kind of small. Which made sense, if one assumed that the person on the TV was one of the children the politician interviewed recently. With our current lead tenuous at best, we decided to check the TV that evening again to get a better look.

That evening, Uncle Ryotaro finally got home, and Nanako stood up from the table and asked if we could go buy a new kotatsu. However, I saw him hold a familiar looking letter in his hand, and ominously enough, it was addressed to me again. My uncle and cousin looked on as I read the letter, which didn't have a name or address written on it aside from my own, and the letter simply read "if you dont stop this time someone close will be put in and killed (sic)". As my uncle finally realized what was on the letter, I felt him go into Investigator Mode and Papa Wolf mode at the same time, and I genuinely worried for myself as he asked me what I was up to. I tried to tell him the truth, that we were helping out people who appeared on the television, but he understandably was skeptical of what I was telling him. Uncle Ryotaro continued, telling me that as part of the family he was going light on me, but the fact that our behavior was getting really suspicious, especially with an ongoing criminal case in the town, was simply too much for him to ignore.

So I went off with my uncle in his car, en route to the Inaba Police HQ, and we sat in silence as I sank my face into my hands, blaming myself for jeopardizing our investigation.

----​

I was then placed inside an interrogation room, and my uncle began to question me, with Adachi covering the door to make sure I didn't do anything funny. He asked me about the warning letter, and what it really meant. I decided to tell him the whole situation, about how after Saki-senpai was murdered Yosuke and I went into the TV, and began rescuing people beginning with Yukiko, then Kanji and Rise, eventually managing to apprehend Kubo then turn him over to the police, and even how we rescued Naoto out of the TV. Sadly, this didn't appear to be effective, and Uncle Ryotaro was disappointed that I couldn't trust him, as my tale indeed appeared to be too tall for someone without experience of the TV World. Before I could stand up to try and put my hand into the TV to prove my story to him, though, he left, and told me I would have to stay in the interrogation room that night; thankfully it had been furnished with a bed. Adachi looked at me with a kindly expression on his face, telling me that he wanted to believe my story, and reassured me my uncle actually wanted to believe my story too; it was just that he was too much in Investigator Mode to be more accepting of what I was telling him.

Right around that time, Yosuke was going to check on me to see if I had checked the Midnight Channel, but I couldn't answer him as my phone was confiscated, so he called Nanako at our home instead, who then told my pal that her dad took me to the police station. He then decided to head to the station, with Teddie in tow.

Seeing as the investigation room I was in had a TV, I decided might as well check the television to see if the person on the TV was clearer, and the image was indeed clearer. I literally fell to the floor in shock as I realized just who it was on the TV.

Nanako Dojima, my cousin and "little sis", was the person on the Midnight Channel.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned, my phone was confiscated by my uncle, and I couldn't tell my friends about this important matter.

Around that time as well, Naoto and Chie were talking about how they had seen Nanako on the TV as well (as they would inform me later), and the Detective Prince, astute as always, had come to realize that fact as well, and that she did fit the pattern. Apparently my little sis was one of the children interviewed by Kozai-san, and the evening paper the day of November 5th published Nanako's name and photograph alongside the interview, making her identity known to the public, including the culprit. They were having their conversation as Naoto hurried to our home, hoping that my little sis was safe. Chie then informed Naoto about Yosuke heading to the station for me, and would let the others know about our situation.

Late that evening, I overheard my uncle protesting to no avail to people just outside my door, and the guys - that is, Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie - all barged into the interrogation room, and Yosuke informed my uncle that Naoto had visited our home to make sure Nanako was safe. So Uncle Ryotaro called our home, and Naoto answered, informing us that unfortunately the culprit had gotten to my cousin ahead of her, and my blood ran cold at this development. My uncle turned to me with worry in his eyes, and I informed him that this was likely the truth; Naoto wasn't the kind of person to truly lie, after all. Uncle Ryotaro then called the police intercom, wanting to put up checkpoints around the town and informing the rest of the force that his seven-year-old daughter was kidnapped. He was met by reluctance from the other cops, given that they had all thought the case was closed and all. With that in mind, my uncle then went into "Liam Neeson from Taken" mode, which is basically his Papa Wolf mode turned up to 11, and would chase after the kidnapper himself if need be.

----​

The girls had finally arrived at the station, and everyone managed to cow Adachi into releasing me after they had all explained what was going on. Naoto, ever the detective, began her summation of the events. The door to our house was open, and showed no signs of forced entry, meaning that Nanako had likely opened the door on her own volition. She also noted how my little sis never opened the door for strangers, as her father had taught her, meaning that whoever had rung the doorbell and asked for entry into our home was someone familiar to Nanako. That left a very short list of people who could have done so, and I ruled out my uncle and Adachi, who were in the police station all this time, and I also ruled out my friends, who were all heading either to our house or the police station around this time, too. It wasn't likely to be any of Nanako's friends from school, as it was a rainy evening, and children were likely to be kept indoors due to the murders. Chie then pointed out that we couldn't limit it to people Nanako knew well, but knew enough to be familiar with them to an extent.

The Detective Prince continued her summation, pointing out that the culprit must have had a large-screen TV, as every victim was taken at a different crime scene but thrown into the TV right after being kidnapped, and that meant that the culprit was likely driving a large vehicle in which they could place said TV. She went on, pointing out how there were no unusual vehicles that people noticed, so it must have been something inconspicuous enough to minimize suspicion, but large enough to comfortably fit a big television. The image of a delivery truck making regular visits to people made its way into my mind, and it did fit: Nobody would look askance at said truck making deliveries around town, and it could indeed fit a large TV within its spacious interior. That made Kanji finally remember a little something: the day he was kidnapped, a delivery came for their shop, and next thing he knew he was facing off against the Freddie Mercury wannabe in the TV World.

Naoto then connected the dots, realizing that if the deliveryman was someone familiar to Nanako, then he wouldn't be a stranger to my little sis, and I cursed myself for getting too fond of ordering wares from Tanaka's sketchy TV shopping show. She then asked Adachi about delivery companies around town, and the red tie-wearing cop couldn't think of anyone immediately, but pointed us towards the case files my uncle had left on the table. We then looked the files over, and one of the persons of interest was a council secretary who resigned, then took up a job as a deliveryman at his family's business. The name Taro Namatame was on the file, and immediately a memory of the bizarre love triangle that had taken the news by storm came to mind, and yet another memory of the middle-aged man sighing in the midst of the shopping district bubbled into my mind as well.

Around this time Adachi had told my uncle about Namatame, and Uncle Ryotaro began chasing after the man in his delivery truck, trying to make sure his daughter was safe from the clutches of the delivery man turned serial kidnapper. My uncle braved the rain-slick streets of Inaba to get his daughter back, and unfortunately both truck and car skidded across the slippery road, crashing into each other.

We had just gotten out of the police station, intent on cornering Namatame at his home, but a plume of smoke coming from the northern end of the shopping district caught our eye first. We found a delivery truck and my uncle's car totaled, Uncle Ryotaro sprawled on the ground, badly injured. I decided to check on him alongside Adachi, and my uncle groaned in pain asking for his daughter. Naoto called for an ambulance, while Adachi would call for backup to apprehend Namatame. Unfortunately, neither the kidnapper nor my little sis were there, but I could see a large TV in the back of the delivery truck that not only confirmed Naoto's deduction, but was also the man's likely escape route. My uncle recounted what had happened, seeing the delivery truck drive past him after he had learned who the likely culprit was. Naoto had also taken this time to search for evidence, and found a diary in the driver's seat which contained what looked like the ramblings of a mad man, and a list of the home addresses of people who had been thrown into the TV, including the Amagi Inn, Tatsumi Textiles, Marukyu Tofu, the Shirogane Estate, and even our home. The names and dates of the kidnap victims were also all there, and the last entry discussed a young child, likely Nanako, and that Namatame had done all he could to "save these people", whatever that meant. If that meant throwing people into the TV... just how twisted was this man?

The next thing I remember was Yosuke, Chie and Kanji holding me back, trying to make sure I didn't jump into the TV to rescue Nanako from Namatame's grasp, all while I screamed her name at the night sky. Rise and Naoto were the cooler heads, with the latter telling me that we needed to regroup and start our rescue of Nanako the following day instead, and using our usual entry point, as Teddie pointed out that using Namatame's TV was dangerous and could make it harder for us to look for my little sis. We'd leave Namatame himself to the cops, and that night was the first time that I felt genuine despair.

 

[rattatatouille]

We had taken my uncle to Inaba Municipal to have his injuries treated, and as he came to, he asked us about Nanako, confessing his fears about his daughter who he considered his reason to live. He was also angry at himself, unable to do anything for Nanako, and vowed to make Namatame pay if something happened to her. (A sentiment I shared, and something that would prove prophetic.) Finally realizing we were telling the truth, Uncle Ryotaro finally entrusted saving Nanako to me, and I resolved I would do so for her sake and his.

The next morning, we all gathered at the Junes Food Court, determined to save Nanako from Namatame and the TV World. Yosuke confirmed with Teddie that the bear had sensed his beloved Nanako-chan within the TV, and Naoto reiterated that the police were focused on Namatame, and thus it was our duty to rescue Nanako from the TV. Everyone resolved to save Nanako, and even if Yosuke reminded us not to rush into the TV, as we still had some time before the weather got bad again, I personally felt I didn't want to take any chances. (In hindsight, this was a sign that I was perhaps emotionally compromised during this ordeal, but I felt I could still balance being the Investigation Team's leader and being Nanako's big bro.)

Even then, I realized that going into the TV half-cocked was simply asking for disaster, and I didn't want to take chances when Nanako was involved. So after adjourning our meeting, I went back to the shopping district, and entered the Velvet Room, Marie not yet there. I spotted another one of her poems on the floor of the limousine, and after smiling at the kooky poem, my tsundere friend entered, spouting off her words in a rapid-fire way before taking her scrap of paper back. I then conferred with Igor and Margaret, doing a bunch of fusions that I hoped would be enough to destroy any Shadow that dared get in my way. (That sounded rather bloodthirsty, but that was my mindset at the time.) After shopping for provisions at Shiroku's and getting some new gear at Daidara's, I felt I was ready again, and after dropping by the Velvet Room to pick up Marie, we set off back towards Junes, making sure to contact everyone that I was now ready to rescue my little sis.

----​

The first thing we noticed upon entering the TV was how thick the fog was, much thicker than usual (and that was saying a lot). Marie looked rather pale, but after we gave her a look of concern stated she was fine enough not to be a liability. Still, I asked Yukiko to keep an eye on her just in case. Teddie mentioned how what was going on in the real world might be affecting this side of the television, but there was no turning back now. I then asked Rise to use Himiko to scan the TV World and look for Nanako, and since there was little mystery as to what had happened and the victim was someone familiar to all of us, we didn't need to search for clues.

Rise had managed to pinpoint Nanako, and even though our relationship was strained in recent days, I knew her affection for my little sis would resolve my girlfriend to save Nanako. Plus, deep down I knew we were still in love, but my actions wouldn't help as you will see.

We arrived at what looked like the pop culture depiction of heaven, with floating rocks, fluffy clouds, and what even appeared to be a Jack and the Beanstalk reference. Was this truly where Nanako would be? A part of me wondered why her dungeon looked rather celestial and serene, and what her Shadow would be if any. Then I remembered how Nanako mentioned to me how much she missed Aunt Chisato, and not unlike how the previous dungeons we visited were formed from the deepest parts of my friends' hearts, then this indeed reflected what was deep down in Nanako's heart.

----​

I tasked Kanji, Naoto, and Teddie to accompany me on the front lines, and as usual had Yosuke lead the rearguard and ensure Rise wasn't hurt while navigating for us. I picked the two first years because of their surprisingly effective chemistry, the seamster carrying a torch for the detective aside, and Teddie would be our healer for now as I tasked Yukiko with watching over the clearly sensitive Marie.

We then began our trek within the dungeon, and aside from the heavenly aesthetic of the place I noticed the melancholy background music. A woman was singing rather forlornly of her memories and loss, which definitely resonated with how Nanako felt about losing her mother.

Can't get my mind out of those memories
Now Time to tell them don't take my dream

I wasn't going to let Namatame or the Shadows take my little sis' dream, no matter what, as I summoned Siegfried, brutalizing a group of Shadows that looked like statues with its Akasha Arts. Again and again it happened, and I suddenly felt a little light-headed before Teddie healed me up, reminding me not to overexert myself. Thanking the bear, we moved on, reaching the next floor.

Rise then let us know that she was feeling increasingly anxious as we went up a floor, and while she wondered what was going on I felt that my reckless behavior wasn't doing her any favors. I then tried to calm myself down, and let my other friends help out, so when we encountered another group of Shadows we decided to approach it more tactically, downing them all then delivering an All-Out Attack, complete with Rise's pink cloud of encouragement. It wasn't enough to fell all of the Shadows, sadly, so Kanji and Naoto pulled off a combo attack they called "Beauty and the Beast", where Rokuten Maoh and Sukuna-Hikona teamed up and summoned a spirit skeleton that destroyed the remnant Shadows. (A part of me wondered who was the beauty and who was the beast in this partnership.)

Onward to the third floor, where even as Rise confirmed Nanako was in this dungeon she still felt something was off.

Still music keeps on turning me from the words that hurt my soul
Removing doubts from my mind

Nanako loved music, and she told me one day about how she remembered her mother playing piano and even teaching her a little bit, when she was younger. I couldn't imagine a world where Nanako couldn't enjoy music, as I summoned Belial to burn Shadows to cinders with a Maragidyne. Panting after the tremendous effort, Chie came up to me with a TaP Soda, that I gulped down in one go, and asked to tag in for Kanji who was looking a little worse for wear after tanking several hits from Shadows. I acquiesced, and Marie didn't look so bad (and she told me not to consider her a liability), so I swapped her in to replace Naoto, who looked rather tired herself.

On to the fourth floor, and Rise reported she could hear Nanako's voice, though what my cousin was saying was a little too faint. So we went on, and as I almost dashed into a Shadow with abandon Marie bailed me out by blowing it up with a Freidyne. Thanking her, I felt sheepish at that display of rank bravado, and we moved on further within Heaven.

We found a side room that was free of Shadows, and I called out to the fox, who then supplied us with some healing herbs to help regain our energy. Thanking it for the help, I plied my vulpine friend with some money as compensation.

----​

Ascending to the fifth floor, we could now hear Nanako's voice clearly. As you might expect, she was crying out for her mother, even as she declared she wasn't lonely because she had her dad and big bro with her. I heard Kanji's voice crack at this, and it wasn't surprising to see him empathize with my little sis, having also lost a parent at a young age. (So did Naoto, but she wasn't as overtly emotional as our friend here.) Rise then noted what was bothering her, and it was that there was another person inside this dungeon. Yosuke realized it was likely Namatame, who like Kubo before him used the TV World to escape the authorities. Naoto then deduced that if it was indeed Namatame who was also in the TV, then he could have entered through the TV inside his truck, and probably took Nanako with him.

Those long days passing by from that door Like late summer they slowly fade away
Finding ways through the favorite tune Played all day with my eyes closed
Those long days passing by from that door Like late summer they slowly fade away
Finding ways through the favorite tune Filling me with those sounds

Memories of Nanako, myself, and our friends all eating watermelon on the last day of summer break came into my mind, and I remembered my little sis telling me my new friend with the frizzy hair was a bit of a jokester. (No, she didn't call Ren-kun a joker there.) Another memory came to my mind, of Nanako closing her eyes and singing "Every day's great at your Junes!", charming Yosuke with her adorable rendition as we sat in the food court during Golden Week. I kept these in mind as I tasked Seth, the Egyptian god now in the form of a black dragon, to tear Shadows to pieces with a Magarudyne. I was about to strike again when the target I had focused on raised their hands, telling me it was Chie, and my martial artist friend asked me if I was all right. Taking a deep breath, I told her I was fine, and shortly afterwards we found the stairs to the next floor.

On the sixth floor, a man's voice wondered at the peace and quiet of this place. Was that Namatame just now? I felt my anger bubble up at the man who had dared kidnap my little sis, and I felt I had to make him pay once I got to him. It was relatively smooth sailing at that point, however, and by this time I had Yukiko tag in for Teddie, seeing as Marie looked to be in better condition than when we had just entered the TV.

On to floor seven, where we heard Namatame's voice again, saying how only he had the power to save people. Certainly the ramblings of a mad man, and if he thought throwing people into the TV and leaving them as Shadow food was saving them, then how far gone was this guy?

Our foray into the floor was stopped, however, by a sole figure that looked uncannily familiar. It looked like a young man around my height, with hair the same color as mine, wearing a second-year Yasogami uniform and wielding a katana in a more confident fashion. This figure then looked at us, and I could now clearly see the yellow eyes they had.

We were facing my own Shadow, and that was an answer to a question I had for quite a while, but I got the feeling I wouldn't like the answer.

 

[rattatatouille]

We faced my Shadow döppelganger right as we were getting closer to Nanako and Namatame, and it was frankly ill timing that we had done so. On the one hand, that answered a question I had asked myself: since my friends had all awakened their Personae by facing their Shadows, while I hadn't, for whatever reason, then whoever my Shadow was had been unaccounted until now. On the other hand, the downright malicious air I felt from my Shadow self was downright disconcerting, and after Rise conducted a quick analysis on the Shadow she told us to prepare for a long and painful battle.

Like every other Shadow we had faced up to that point, Shadow me taunted the real me. "Why are you even bothering with these weaklings? We both know the true power of a Wild Card, and just between you and me these people you call your friends are unnecessary." That cavalier disregard for my friends took me aback, but a small part within me was uncannily silent in its lack of denial. "Tell me! You're only surrounding yourself with these losers, because you want to fancy yourself a king in a small town." The toothy rictus grin my Shadow gave me unsettled me, and I looked towards the others, hoping they wouldn't take my Shadow's reflections too personally. Shadow Yu continued, "keeping around that Hanamura boy because his dad manages Junes, and without that you can't play superhero. Being friends with Satonaka because she's good at kicking things. Getting close to Amagi, Tatsumi, and Shirogane because they're all heirs to important local businesses. Keeping Marie close because she looked pitiful, and Teddie because he makes you look better in comparison. And most of all", I dreaded my Shadow blowing open my relationship with Rise to the party at large, "being Risette's best friend so you can brag to your friends back in the city about it!" I tried to deny what my Shadow was saying, but the more rational part of me didn't; I didn't want to drive it berserk and make us fight for our lives. All the same, I couldn't accept him, either, and I felt my confident façade crack a bit more.

"Tell you what, my other self. Why don't we have a bit of... fun?" Shadow me taunted me, and continued, "I am thou, thou art I after all. Let's go, one on one. If any of you fools try and intervene, I'll go berserk... and you wouldn't want that to happen, not with our precious Nanako on the line." A part of me was relieved that even my Shadow self cared for Nanako, and not wanting to jeopardize my team even further, I accepted his desire for a one on one duel.

Our fight began with a few exploratory slashes. I managed to parry most of them, but I felt my muscles tighten up just as Shadow me kept on the warpath. "All the bonds you've faced are only to make me - no, us - much stronger. Don't you agree, my other self?", Shadow me taunted real me again, implying I was simply using people to gain the power of a Social Link. Which wasn't entirely false, but I wanted to believe my bonds with the people of Inaba were true friendships, and I already had quite a few of them, like my friendship with the sports team captains Kou and Daisuke, or even people outside Yasogami like Eri-san, stepmother to my daycare charge Yuuta-kun. As I hung out with them I wasn't just doing so because it would make monsters I summoned from the Sea of Souls - I told myself it was because I really wanted to get to know them.

"Come on! Take me seriously! Ziodyne!" I was shocked (pun fully intended) as Shadow me sent me to the ground with an electric attack. I stood up, readying my counterattack, and surprised that Shadow me could use magical abilities without the need of a Persona. We continued our duel, and even with my Wild Card abilities I felt I was losing, slowly but surely.

Shadow me had cornered the real me, and as I scrambled through my own Personae my own Shadow had me near defeated, his katana held up high over me, ready to finish me off. At that point, however, I felt a strong gust of wind, and Yosuke smiled at me, even as I rejoiced that my Shadow hadn't completely broken our link. He told me not to worry, that he had this. Shadow me decried what he felt was cheating on our part, but Yosuke pointed out that the duel's rules didn't explicitly ban a substitution.

So the two of them - that is, Shadow me and Yosuke - continued where we had left off, but even Yosuke's determination was wavering. I motioned to him that'd tag in for him, as he was floored by an ill-timed Ziodyne, and the Prince of Junes subbed out, to be attended to by Yukiko and Teddie. Round 2 of my duel came in, and again our swords clashed between each other, and the fight looked a bit to be tilted in his favor still. Rise then reminded me that we had one advantage - we had her, and it was having a Navigator that was our secret weapon against Shadow me. With that in mind, I continued where we left off, and now it looked for once that I had the upper hand against this, until Shadow me made his move.

Realizing that I was so close to defeating my Shadow and accepting it, my other self then leaped past me, aimed his blade at Rise, and threatened us now that our Navigator was at my other self's mercy. "Make a wrong move, and I'll end your precious Rise," my Shadow taunted me. Rise, for her part, gave him a defiant glare, and simply nodded at me with a look that said "trust me". I couldn't bear to see the woman I loved in such peril - especially since her Persona wasn't suited to direct combat - but I knew she was cooking something up, and as I raised me hands up all hell broke loose.

"Amaterasu! Maragidyne!" "Rokuten Maou! Ziodyne!" "Ame-no-Uzume! Freidyne!" rang out three voices, and I saw Chie leap in and take Rise away from my Shadow self. Once again, my friends had bailed me out, even in spite of seeing the worst part of me. Then again, I had seen their worst kept secrets, and didn't judge them for that, and that even fueled my friendships with them. So why should I be any more different?

"Don't forget about me, partner!" Yosuke then cried out, and once more he was crossing blades with Shadow me, and was even gaining the upper hand. For a brief second, however, I worried as I felt Jiraiya fade from my pal's side, but another part of me knew what was coming. "Come, Susano-o! Magarudyne!" I saw my friend's new Persona, with the frog-like ninja being replaced by a guy wearing shades and a fiery hairdo, and surrounded by a giant shuriken blade. Susano-o then floored my Shadow self with its wind attack, and soon Shadow me was at their mercy.

Just before I could confer with my Shadow self and accept him, however, Shadow me stood up, gave us all a smirk, and said "This isn't all over. My other self... we'll see each other again." He then disappeared into the aether, and I wondered if something had happened to my Persona power.

Most of my Personae were still there, but worryingly, I couldn't summon Izanagi at all.

----​

After a quick rest, bolstered by some provisions and the fox's services, we soldiered on, and on the eighth floor we heard Namatame's voice complaining about us getting in his way, and that he wouldn't hand over Nanako, no matter what. So we dispatched the Shadow in front of us, then on we went, with my friends doing most of the heavy work as I found myself going through the motions. Then on to the ninth floor, and Nanako's voice rent my heart as I heard her call for her dad and me to save her. We were very close to her now...

At last, when we came to the final floor, I could feel a powerful presence behind it, and Rise warned us that our battle with Namatame could take a dangerous turn. So as I opened the door, I spotted the former councilman, dragging my little sis by the arm, and looked like he was running away from us. Poor Nanako looked exhausted and ill, and given her frail health and the TV World's effect on the bodies of those who hadn't awakened I knew her life was in danger in the grasp of this madman. Namatame then ran up a dais, holding Nanako close to him as he held her hostage, as she called out to me her big bro. Naoto confirmed the man we were chasing was indeed Namatame. Then he cackled, recognizing my friends as the people he "saved", and Kanji and Yukiko took offense at that, angered at thinking that their lives being put into danger was somehow "saving" them. Namatame continued, saying that he was just saving my cousin, but my big bro instinct took over, and I chased after the deliveryman, my friends in my wake.

We then interrogated Namatame, confirming his knowledge of the Midnight Channel and that he was the one who was throwing people into the TV. As to his motives, he declared again that he was saving them, and even if that sounded outlandish, a part of me thought he had a point. After all, from his perspective, Yukiko, Kanji, Rise, and Naoto were all thrown into the TV, but re-emerged days later safe and sound. But that didn't matter to me at that moment because the fact that he endangered my little sis meant that he really sounded insane to me. Plus, could we take him at his word, when from our perspective he put my friends and now Nanako in mortal peril?

He told us how he saw people on the Midnight Channel, and therefore targeted those he saw on the TV, and threw them in to "save them". Rise then wondered if that was because it meant she and the others were able to face their true selves, but that it nearly got them all killed, and I felt part of me deflate at the fact that we weren't able to truly face my own. Yosuke then raged at Namatame, telling him how him "saving people" was in fact murdering them, the fate of poor Saki-senpai still on his mind.

Things then escalated, as Namatame declared himself the true hero, and as he raised Nanako into his arms a vast multitude of Shadows congregated on the former councilman, and we were then facing a powerful monstrosity.

----​

The new entity we were facing looked like a misshapen man with an oversized head, with red and black striped skin, wearing an oversized shirt with the Love and Peace symbols on it, and crowned by a giant red peace symbol ring. "It's called Kunino-sagiri,", Rise called out, warning us of its immense power.

I rushed in to save my little sis from Kunino-sagiri, but that proved to be my big mistake. I had Seth at the ready, and I was about to blast the giant Shadow when it made the two-fingered peace sign, and suddenly my head was crowned with the same symbol.

I was no longer in control of myself, and once again I heard a familiar, taunting voice as my powers were now turned against my friends. "Yosuke, that overly perverted idiot. Chie, she who thinks with her kicks more than her head. Yukiko, who has her head in the clouds too much to truly contribute to the investigation. Kanji, who's too dumb to make up his mind. Rise, that overly flirty slut who came on too strongly to you that you had no choice but to accept her. Teddie, that fluff-headed bear who embarrasses you on the regular. Marie, who you only dragged into your fight because she was too insistent. And Naoto, the detective with no social skills. You call these your friends?" My Shadow self taunted me again from within my mind, denigrating my friends as I struggled to pull off Kunino-sagiri's mind control ring. But it was too much; Seth blew my friends away with a Magarudyne, hitting Kanji the hardest. Then my mind switched to Siegfried, flooring them with an Akasha Arts. Then to Mara, the phallic charioteer blasting them with a Maralagidyne, Chie and Marie taking the brunt of the blow. I couldn't help but watched as my body and mind ravaged my friends with my own power.

"Big bro", I then heard Nanako say. I was gaining the willpower to resist Kunino-sagiri, but I felt its power push back at me all the same. Rise then stood up, despite having endured an onslaught of my attacks, and the love of my life faced me, her resolve burning anew. I felt Himiko fade back into the Sea of Souls, and now I knew she was on the verge of another awakening. "Kanzeon! Full Analysis!" Her new Persona was similar to Himiko, but with its plain white dress replaced by a black and white striped dress. The radar scanner on its head grew larger, with its golden accents replaced by red, and the golden visor Rise used was now red as well.

I watched, transfixed, as Rise managed to pinpoint a weak spot in the peace halo over my head, which Naoto expertly aimed at and shot. Her shot was remarkably steady, and without Rise's help and her marksmanship I'd have been dead for sure. So the halo came crashing down, and I rushed in as Kunino-sagiri had dropped Nanako, and without me riding on the back of Cerberus, another Persona I had gotten, she'd have been a goner too.

Running back to my friends with Nanako in tow, I entrusted her to Rise, and Yukiko, Teddie and I started to heal our team to prepare for what the giant Shadow had next. Unfortunately for us, Kunino-sagiri took control of my friends instead, and now I was going to bear the brunt of their attacks, even against their will. I swapped to Rangda to take the blows, hoping the Magician Persona's ability to reflect physical attacks would come in handy, apologizing to my friends all the while. Still, that didn't stop me from being zapped by Kanji's Ziodyne, or my mind getting shredded by Marie's Psiodyne, or Naoto's Makougaon burning my sight. I was almost a dead man...

Then I heard a "I've got them, partner!" call from Yosuke, who had somehow broken free from his mind control, and even if I don't know what happened, I like to assume it was because he had just recently awakened his new Persona. Rise as well was unaffected, and she told me to trust the two of them as they would hold my friends back. That left me to face Kunino-sagiri alone, and I knew I had just one chance to make sure everyone wasn't hurt.

I switched to a new Persona that Margaret had warned me about, but I knew based on everything I had faced in this cognitive heaven, that I would be up for it.

"Come, Yoshitsune!" I cried out, and the historical samurai appeared by my side, wielding his own katana alongside my own blade. "Hassou Tobi!" I cried out, and my Persona and I moved in sync, his slashes mirroring mine, and together we cut down the hippie Shadow. That left Taro Namatame behind for us to deal with, and for all his crimes, he would have to face the music.

----​

I rushed back to Nanako's side, being held in Rise's arms. The two girls I had come to cherish the most, fancy that. I took Nanako from Rise, and decided to carry her out of the TV World, as Teddie warned us that it would be too dangerous for her. I heard Yosuke reluctantly admit that they had to carry out Namatame as well, and he and Kanji dragged the deliveryman with them.

As we exited the TV, Ren-kun had been waiting for us, and looked distraught at the sight of Nanako, unconscious in my arms. As calmly as I could, I asked our auxiliary member to contact an ambulance, as Nanako looked like she needed medical attention despite not having any apparent injuries. Her small body felt rather cold in my arms, and the rise and fall of her chest was the sign I needed to know she would be all right.

We all then waited outside Nanako's hospital room, with visitors not allowed. Ren-kun told me how the last time he was here was when he accompanied his mother for a visit to her doctor, where she had an ultrasound to check on her unborn child's health, which also revealed Ren-kun was right about having a baby sister of his own. Teddie, for his part, was second to me in terms of worrying about Nanako, noting how her young age and purity meant that she didn't have to face her other self (while her big bro did, and was saved from it only by pure happenstance). Naoto berated herself, saying that Nanako wouldn't have to go through all this if she had been more thorough. Soon enough everyone followed with their own self-loathing, and I blamed myself as well, wishing that I was more sure in myself. It was Kanji, a guy who hadn't had his 16th birthday yet, who was somehow the most mature amongst us. He told us to stop the pity party and to believe in Nanako, and for a while I felt he was completely right. Namatame was now in custody anyway, so why should we worry? Now all we needed to do was wait for Nanako to recover, and all would be well...

Adachi then arrived, and told us that the doctors were doing all they can for my little sis, and the cops were preparing Namatame for questioning. He advised us to call it a day, and I agreed, as we all really needed some rest after our ordeal. Teddie then hoped Nanako would recover, and my bond with the bear grew stronger once more.

As I got home, however, the feelings of being alone at the Dojima Residence, with both my uncle and my little sis in the hospital, finally got to me, and I sobbed myself to sleep as the façade of Yu Narukami, Suave Badass, finally broke down.

 

[rattatatouille]

Now that I've finished one of the heaviest bits of this story, I want to lighten things up for those reading this. So let me tell you about how a smarter than usual fox became one of the closest friends I made in Inaba.

----​

As I mentioned, it all began on Children's Day of that year, when I came across Tatsuhime Shrine. The shrine wasn't yet the beautiful place frequented by locals and visitors alike nowadays, and it looked a fair bit run-down at the time too. Then a fox jumped down from the roof of the shrine, and had an ema in its mouth, with a wish written on it. It was from a boy named Keita who wanted his grandfather's legs to get better, and on the back of the ema was an unusually shaped leaf. Soon afterwards, an elderly man walked gingerly towards the shrine, and when he saw the leaf, he asked me if he could have it, as it apparently had therapeutic properties. So I indulged the old guy, and he stuck it on to his leg, and almost in an instant he suddenly stood up straight, looking spry and hale. He thanked me for helping him out, now able to visit his young grandson, and in gratitude would pay thanks to the shrine.

Aside from building my bond with the fox, I learned a few things: that it knew of a stash of healing herbs that could be useful within the TV World, but that it was doing all this to help rehabilitate the old Tatsuhime Shrine. I also figured out that the fox could bring me wishes from people, and I in turn could help grant them to people by hearing them out and help them with whatever they need.

----​

The next wish was from a young girl, who wanted to improve her relationship with someone she liked. (Felt familiar, honestly.) I didn't know where to look, until I found a fellow student at Yasogami in front of a shoe locker who looked like she was about to drop in a love letter. I approached her, and she gave the letter to me instead, and a bit of me wondered if it was supposed to be given to me. Checking the letter, though, it was addressed to someone else instead, and I felt that I needed to check with the girl who gave it to me by accident. Sure enough, she wasn't amused, then ran off, likely going to confess her feelings herself. After a while, I checked on the girl, who was happy that her confession to her crush went well, and thanked me for inadvertently receiving the letter from her. She then vowed to give thanks at the shrine, and after checking with my vulpine friend, it appeared that was indeed the case.

The third wish was from a lady who wished to avoid snacking as she wanted to watch her weight. Odd wish, but all right; anything to help my fox friend and the shrine. It didn't take me long to find a slim woman in the shopping district, as I heard her loudly complaining about her cravings. A part of me wanted to just buy her some Quelorie Magic and end it there, but I had a feeling that wouldn't end her craving. Instead, she asked me if I knew about any snacks that tasted bad, enough to make her swear off of them. I was stumped, given how Inaba frankly had tons of delicious food, until I encountered Chie the following day at school and she offered me some meat-flavored gum. (I think it says a lot that my even my friend's favored snacks of choice have to be meat-flavored as well, even when it doesn't make any sense.) So I brought the pack of meat gum to the slim lady, and as she tried it, she declared it was enough to take her mind off of snacks, and would give thanks at the shrine in gratitude. Weird, but if it works...

The fourth wish was from multiple family members, wanting their dog Koro (why does that sound familiar?) to return to them. So I looked around town, and found a lonely-looking dog by the Samegawa River who fled after I approached it. I wandered around town again, and found the dog by the shopping district, who still looked rather apprehensive at me. I thought it was hungry, and after buying a couple of steak skewers, offering one to the poor dog, it scarfed it up, our eyes meeting as we consumed our delicious pieces of meat. It ran off again, but I was now sure it was more open to me. Sure enough, the next time I went into the shopping district, I found the dog, and on its collar the word "Koro" was printed on the tag. Contacting the number that was on the ema, I had found myself becoming Inaba's secret genie with every wish I had fulfilled, and my fox friend appreciated it all the same.

----​

The following wish was from a kid named Yoshitaka, who wanted to make some friends. The note also said that Yoshitaka-kun liked to hang around the flood plain, so when I found a lonely-looking boy around the area, I asked him if he was looking for friends. He told me that he wanted to use stickers to help make friends, but the sticker he had was something all the other kids already had, so no dice on that front. So there I was, looking for stickers to give to a kid so he could make friends. I remembered I had a spare sticker that came free with the stuff I bought from Tanaka's shopping program, so I gave him that one to try out. It wasn't enough, however, as when Yoshitaka-kun approached his prospective new friends with it, they found it too grown-up. So who could I turn to for kiddy stickers? Of course, the answer was obvious - I could always ask Nanako. She gave me a Tankiriman sticker, and told me she had quite a few so it was no problem for her to let go of one. So I then went back to Yoshitaka-kun, giving him the sticker, and he knew it would be a hit among his new friends. Once again, he vowed to give thanks to the shrine, and the next time I saw my vulpine buddy it danced around me in gratitude for helping people and therefore the shrine.

The sixth wish was from a man who felt he wanted to find a reason to live joyfully again, and it didn't take me long to find a tired-looking man standing outside the hobby shop in the shopping district. He told me his story about how his grandfather opened up the shop, and how children and young folks used to go there and create and compare models of ships, mecha, and what have you. He lamented how kids by that time preferred buying toys at Junes to building models, so I decided to humor him and build a model to show off to him. It took me a couple of evenings to work on the model, but I eventually ended up with a well-made model of an MF-06S Brahman that I showed off to the hobby shop owner. He not only rekindled his joy, but he also went and offered me the remaining models at his shop, for me to assemble. I even filled up my shelf at home with them, and I shared the pictures with the owner. He, of course, went to the shrine to give thanks.

Next up around July, a wish came, this time from a girl who wanted to improve her communication skills. So given the likely age group of the person, I checked around Yasogami High, and I found a young woman standing alone on the rooftop. Her brusque tone told me that this was the girl who wished to speak better, and I taught her how to communicate better, taking the feelings of other people into consideration so that she'd be less rude. Eventually, she gained enough confidence in herself, and more empathy as well, and the next time I saw her she was speaking comfortably among her friends. Mission accomplished, and the fox thanked me for it by asking me for less money to pay for the shrine upkeep.

----​

The eighth wish came from a man who was apparently a scaredy-cat among cats; that is, he was ailurophobic. His loss, not mine; more kitties for me to pet and feed. I put that selfish thought aside, and I went and helped the poor fellow get over his fear of the feline race. Apparently, he wanted to get over his fear of cats because his fiancée was a cat person, and I could see the poor man shake as he tried to describe his intended's little furball. Fortunately, there was an adorable stray kitty just outside our house, and I brought over Mr. Fraidy Cat to it, and after trying to face his fear he just ran away after the little meowster licked him with its tongue. So I chased after him all the way back to the floodplain, and he told me he wanted to feed a cat with some fish to help overcome his fear. I dangled a Red Goldfish in front of him and told him he could have it for free. The most amusing part was that Mr. Ailurophobe now became Mr. Ailurophile, with his impending marriage now more for his new kitty-loving ways than anything else. Naturally, he'd end up paying his respects at the Tatsuhime Shrine.

Wish number nine was far simpler than the proceeding requests. It was a haiku about someone who had lost their wallet, so it was just a matter of finding it. I found a woman at the floodplain speaking in haiku about her hunger, so I went and looked for one; I found one near the riverbank that looked round. I presented it to the woman, wanting to confirm if it was hers. She denied it, claiming it was not her wallet, and if she used the money inside to feed herself she'd never be happy about stealing from someone. So I went around town again, and just outside Tatsuhime Shrine I found Ren-kun, holding on another wallet. We went back to the haiku-spouting woman, and she confirmed it was hers, and she casually dropped the fact that she was a real estate speculator while rejoicing about her returned treasure. She lamented how she couldn't do tanka anymore, and mumbled haiku to herself as she went to the shrine to give thanks, as I smiled alongside my younger friend.

Which then brings us to the "present day", that is, the day after we had rescued Nanako and retrieved Namatame from the TV. It was a school day, and after school I headed to the shrine, where the fox was now waiting with yet another wish. It was written in well-made calligraphy, and requested to see the Guardian of Shichiri Beach before they died. A tall order, but I had a feeling that this wish would be the most important of all. An elderly man sitting alongside the Samegawa confirmed he was the one who made the wish, and I vowed to help him out with his request. So I got on my bike, drove towards Shichiri Beach, and I engaged in a fishing battle until I had fished out a gigantic fish that I was sure was the near-mythical Sea Guardian. I lugged the fish back to the old guy, and he spluttered in awe at the sight, telling me he even saw his dead wife for a moment in shock. I reported it to the fox, and together we stood in front of the shrine, and I somehow understood what it was worried about. I checked, and found the offertory box empty. Shocked at what had happened, I wondered what was going on - could thieves have plundered its contents? I didn't have to wonder for long, as a construction crew approached the shrine, and my fox friend and I stood aside as they got to work renovating the shrine. Now the shrine looked much better, and even the offertory box and torii were covered in gold. So that was where the offerings went. And I saw as people gathered around the newly reborn Tatsuhime Shrine, and paid their respects one by one. The fox then gave me an ema with its paw prints on it, and now I felt my bond with the little creature grow irrevocably strong.

 

[rattatatouille]

Nanako was still in critical condition a few days after we rescued her from the TV World, so we still couldn't visit her at that point. Thus it was a lonely house I came home to during that time, so to stave off my feelings of loneliness I decided to spend time with my friends as much as possible.

I decided to pick up where I left off with Naoto in terms of investigating the "Phantom Thief" situation, so I approached her after school and we went to our usual haunt near the Samegawa to check on the note. My detective friend explained that the cards we had in front of us were from Shiroku Store, and were purchased mere days before they were handed to me. Thus it was unlikely that whatever was done to the cards was something elaborate. However, the cards smelled a bit like citrus, and I had a bit of a theory as to what it was, though I wanted to be sure. Coincidentally, Ren-kun dropped by, and we asked him for what to do with the card that had no text on it. (Really ironic that he pitched in on our Phantom Thief investigation, come to think of it.) He remembered an experiment they did in science class about using lemon juice as invisible ink, so the three of us rushed to my house to heat up the card, hoping the invisible ink theory was correct. So as we watched, letters began to form on the card, and the card said "eating letters with a red face". I pointed out that it was a riddle of sorts, and once again our younger friend weighed in, pointing out that it probably meant a mailbox. Ren-kun said that he had to get home, though, so we split up again and Naoto and I found ourselves in front of a mailbox in the shopping district next to Daidara's. Naoto went red, flustered at her haul of a detective badge she made as a kid. She had an idea of who the Phantom Thief could be, but not their motive, but all the same the Detective Prince thanked me for being there to help her out.

Since it was a Tuesday, I decided to head to Shu-kun's house to tutor him, locking the door behind me as no one would be home (the thought of my uncle and cousin the hospital coming to me again). We focused on mathematics this time, and my student marveled at the formulae he studied, envying the geniuses who came up with them. I told Shu-kun he could join their ranks if he worked hard, and wondered if he wasn't trying hard enough himself. So we changed the subject to something happier, and asked me about what was going on in my life. So without naming names, I pretty much described Rise to him, about how I had a thing for girls who spoke their minds and were very affectionate. Shu-kun was surprised, but found it relaxing all the same, being able to talk about things that weren't related to academics for a change.

----​

The next day, to cheer me up, Rise had made some mapo tofu for us to share again for lunch, and I sincerely thanked her for the meal (the fact that she didn't go overboard on the spice helped). And after school wrapped up, I wanted to continue my investigation with Naoto, since it looked like we were on the verge of a breakthrough. So once again we found ourselves at the gazebo near the riverbank, Naoto noting that whoever the Phantom Thief was, they knew where my friend lived, and therefore had a reason to involve me instead of directly sending the first card to her. I told her it was probably because I looked like a reliable sort of guy, and Naoto chuckled at my half-joking statement. We looked the new card over, and it said "When the banks close, the fruit tree grows. By the large seven at the third is the spot I chose." The strange choice of words and the numbers were important, so I pointed out to my detective friend, and she realized that if we took the seventh and third words in the first sentence, then we got "tree" and "banks", and by the context clues meant it likely meant a large tree by the riverbank. So we found the tree in question, and Naoto fished out a strange-looking watch from it, another part of her young detective memorabilia. I also learned the Detective Prince had a bit of a mechanical background, given that it was her who modified the watch in question. (And also likely helped explain the high-tech secret base we fought her Shadow in.) Naoto then related to me how her interests since childhood weren't traditionally feminine stuff, but I told her that didn't matter; she was a rising star of a detective, even if being a girl made it much harder for her to do so in such a male-dominated field. The Detective Prince was flustered, and a bit of me hoped she wasn't gonna add to the long list of Young Ladies Who Are Very Taken With Yu Narukami, even if the attention felt nice. I then told her stories about my childhood, including the two years I spent at Iwatodai and how she wasn't the first friend I made with blue hair.

That evening, I came home to a quiet house, but I heard the doorbell ring and to my surprise, my girlfriend dropped by again. Winking at me, she told me jokingly that she was getting a bit jealous of Naoto since I had indeed been spending more time with the detective as of late, and quite frankly I felt the need to make amends especially as I had gotten really mad at her as of late, to the point where my Shadow even threatened her life. So as I made dinner, to pay her back for making me lunch, I engaged in conversation with Rise, and we ate together, basking in each other's presence and hoping our relationship would improve further. After we finished up, Rise said her goodbye, telling me that her grandma wouldn't appreciate it if she was out of her house at such a late hour. I understood, and all the same it was nice to spend time with her.

----​

After school on Thursday, November 10th, I realized that I hadn't spent time with Yosuke in a long while, and I also wanted to thank him especially since he had awoken Susano-o during our fight with Kunino-sagiri. So we agreed to meet up at the hill overlooking town, and my by-now closest friend told me how he hated the view at first, but now came to appreciate it. My friend looked rather forlorn, and I told him to cheer up with a smile. Yosuke smirked, and he went on, telling me how he used to hate living in Inaba, but now did a 180 on it, as he now found things to appreciate in the small town, such as having his family around, and making new friends including me. He thought he'd only have meaning in his life if he were "special", but he now realized that simply being who you are makes you special in someone's eyes. He could tone down the tasteless jokes, sure, but I wouldn't trade Yosuke for the world if it meant losing someone who had your back 24/7.

It was tutoring time once more, so I went off and helped Shu-kun out as his tutor. He told me his tests were coming up soon, and that they would cover a lot, mostly the stuff we already had covered. Even despite his academic excellence, my young student looked tense, telling himself he won't lose. I told him it was possible to balance studies and the other, more fun parts of life, and I smirked as I pointed to myself for an example. Shu-kun then related to me a strange dream he had been having, about being chased in a speeding train car by something or someone, and that made him fear whatever that was. Most ominously, every time he dreamed that, the person chasing him was getting closer. Wanting to make my ward loosen up, I cracked a couple of jokes, and the mood in the room lightened as we finished up our session for the evening.

----​

The next day was the eleventh, and after Kashiwagi-sensei taught us about the Welwitschia in the Namib Desert, soon enough it was time to end school for the day. and I vaguely recall the video game stores in Junes stocking up some sort of role-playing game on their shelves that day. I didn't really have a gaming console on me, though, so it would be years before I got to play that game with dragons and shouting. (Was a fun game, though, would recommend to family and friends.)

I found Ren-kun at Tatsumi Textiles, and I asked my younger friend what he was doing. He told me he was getting pregnancy clothes sewn for his expecting mother, and as I glanced around the shop I found Kanji hard at work, and then the doorbell rang and Naoto ran into us again. Kanji went a little pink after seeing the detective, and Naoto said she'd just be quiet so as not to distract our seamster friend from his work. Ren-kun then told us that one day he'd hope to solve a great mystery like what we were doing, especially when we got older, and I teased him, asking him if he'd be interested in becoming a detective like Naoto was. Our younger friend chuckled, and told me he wasn't sure of that yet. (In the end, if you count what the Phantom Thieves did, they did kind of solve a mystery... but from the other side of the law.) Kanji finished up his work, and presented the completed clothes to Ren-kun, who then paid for the whole thing with money he had prepared. We all then bade each other farewell, as it was getting rather late.

----​

The next day, after school, Rise asked me to take her to my room. My girlfriend was being much more forward, then, and that was saying a lot. So with no one else around, we settled into my room, and Rise looked around, noting the simple decor of the place. (I am obviously no interior decorator, and at least I kept around plushies from the crane game at Okina and the hobby shop models to spice up the look.) She then asked me where I was hiding "them", and by "them" she meant a stash of salacious materials for hormonal men to enjoy. I wasn't really much into that stuff, and then Rise volunteered to give me her photobook with her in a swimsuit for my "viewing pleasure". (We hadn't even gotten to second base yet at that point!) My girlfriend's face got a bit more serious, and she told me she'd made up her mind regarding something. She would be returning to her idol career in the spring, just as I was going to return to my city life around that time. She now reconciled herself with being Risette, and that she'd do it for the sake of her fans, for Inoue-san, her friends, and of course, for me. Rise then handed me a signed photo of herself, wearing a big, genuine smile, and my love poured her heart out to me, how I had given her the strength to face herself and truly find who she really was. It was official: we were truly in love with each other.

(And we only got to second base that afternoon, Yosuke. Don't let your imagination run too wild, my friend.)

We parted ways as the sun went down, our relationship now on the way to being fully restored.

----​

The next day was a Sunday, and I wanted to patch things up with Marie this time. We were at the Junes food court when our other friends started coming in as well. Rise was surprisingly not jealous, though her having gone to my room the previous day probably helped her mood. Teddie pretty much called me a pimp, and wanted some action as well, causing Yosuke to upbraid him, and then I heard Yukiko bet that we would all end up at the food court that Sunday. So we all had fun around that time, and as we headed back to the Velvet Room Marie handed me the comb that was the source of her memory-related hangups, and told me to treasure it as we would make new memories the rest of the way.

November was halfway done, and though the month began on a painful note, the emotional wounds I had incurred were slowly but surely recovering, as the bonds I made with my friends would heal my heart.

 

[rattatatouille]

The next day, Monday, was back to school, and after another uneventful day of lessons I remembered that I promised to go with Naoki-kun to Junes. My kohai had apparently been working up the courage to go to the place which he felt took his sister away from him, but as his friend I wanted to help him sort things out in his mind. So we went around the place, and Yosuke even tagged along, and the tense mood between the two calmed down with me around. As the sun was getting low in the sky, the three of us sat at a table in the food court, and Naoki-kun told me how he liked the grocery area, but also noted how the liquors sold at Junes were being sold at a lower price, making his family business less competitive as a result. Apparently, though, business was doing well, since they were getting petty purchases from people due to Saki-senpai's untimely demise, which struck me as a rather passive-aggressive way to both spite Junes and make a spectacle of a young woman's death. Jokingly, I suggested to my younger friend to charge them extra, and Yosuke gave me a long look. Naoki-kun then looked to Yosuke, and told my best friend that he had no quarrel with the "Prince of Junes", but his parents and neighbors may have had some animosity with my pal. (Between Naoto, Yosuke, and Teddie, we apparently had a lot of royalty on our team.) Yosuke, being the surprisingly empathic soul that he is (despite his bouts of foot-in-mouth disease), found a liking to Naoki-kun, and my Magician friend pointed out how Saki-senpai had also said that the vast amount of food choices made her full, just like how her younger brother did at that moment. Naoki-kun got rather touchy when Yosuke started comparing him to his sister, but Yosuke continued undeterred, pointing out how Saki-senpai was proud of her younger brother. He even told our younger friend that his moping wasn't doing his sister any favors, and got up from the table to get us some grilled steak. Yosuke would treat Naoki-kun, while I'd have to pay for my own. I ribbed my friend, but acquiesced nonetheless; we were doing this for our kohai's sake. Naoki-kun thanked me again, realizing that there were people like me and Yosuke who wanted to help him process his grief.

It was already getting dark when I was on my way home, and Rise stood outside Marukyu right around that time. So I sneaked up on my girlfriend, and laughing off her shock at my appearance, we sat together in front of the shop, holding hands and simply appreciating each other's presence. She told me how our Junes concert went viral, and I joked about wanting to do a secret show again. Rise then teased me about how there would be a certain silver-haired guy who would get close to Risette, and stir the paparazzi into a frenzy. (Spoiler alert: that would indeed happen, and especially after Maya Amano, the famous reporter, did her tell-all interview with my girl.) I confided in her that I wanted Nanako and Uncle Ryotaro to recover soon, and Rise, her big heart on display, agreed with my remark. The faint scent of lavender wafted into my nose, and I will always associate that with the girl I was spending time with that evening.

----​

The next day, after school, I went and reviewed the Phantom Thief case with Naoto again. My detective friend confessed that she hadn't been in touch with her grandfather as of late - the last time they really talked was when she asked permission to stay at the Amagi Inn after the Culture Festival - but Naoto wanted to confirm what items the Phantom Thief stole. She worried because she wasn't able to get into contact with her grandfather or his secretary Yakushiji-san, but reassured herself that they'd be fine. We then reviewed a new card from our sneaky adversary, which read "Jury to not rest, or rout for fable. Minus 40, Minus 4". It was more cryptic this time, and I could almost hear the gears in Naoto's head tick as the seconds passed by. After a while, Naoto had her eureka moment, and realized she just needed to subtract the letters from "forty" and "four" from the riddle sentence, and thus the truncated sentence now read "ju n es, t able". Our next target, then, was at a table at Junes! So we hurried on to the shopping center, and near our Investigation Team headquarters there was a rather large pen, which Naoto pointed out could also serve as a penlight and a miniature telescope. Yet another detective's tool, then. Naoto then confessed to me her lonely past, how her intellect and strange interests for a girl her age made her largely isolated socially. But what worried her more was how she felt more anxious now that she had friends to spend time with, but I reassured her that was normal; she was undergoing a big change in her life, but we would be there for her all the same.

I spent my evening alone at home, preferring to work on my English translating skills, while the TV blared on with some boring program I used as background noise. All the while, Rise and I were exchanging sweet nothings via text message, even as we were kept busy by more pressing activities.

----​

The following day, Kanji looked to be in good spirits, and he invited me for beef bowls at Aiya after school. So the two of us went, but we were then accosted by a couple of police officers. I asked what was up, and one officer wanted to question my delinquent friend about something. Apparently, someone had tipped the fuzz about my friend bullying another kid at the hill and the flood plain, and I knew that wasn't clearly the case. However, Kanji did have a reputation around Inaba, especially due to his dyed hair, intimidating look, and the fact that he did beat up biker gangs around town by himself. Kanji was embarrassed to tell them the truth, however, and the police wanted to bring us two in for questioning, but the cavalry arrived in the form of our doll-requesting friend. Immediately, the cops asked our younger friend a lot of questions, making assumptions as to what Kanji was doing with him. (I could definitely see why Ren-kun and his friends developed a disdain for law enforcement, now that I think on it.) Doll boy innocently asked if Kanji lost his money, and even offered him some cookies his mother baked in gratitude for Kanji's doll-making. The officers were shocked at my kohai's choice of hobby, incredulous at the fact that one of Inaba's big troublemakers did some knitting and sewing on the side. I faced Kanji, urging him to come clean to prevent any more misunderstandings. So Kanji took a deep breath, and confessed that he did make eight dolls all in all, for a young boy, his friends, and even the boy's mother! Kanji then taunted the cops, daring them to laugh at such a strange fact. He then even pointed out a loose button on the jacket of one of the officers, and threatened to sew it back on for him! I tried to keep a calm look as the situation gradually defused, and the final blow came from Tatsumi-san, who dropped by us as she returned to the textiles shop. Tatsumi-san then vouched for her son's character, describing him as someone who might be stupid and short-tempered, but a strong and gentle boy all the same. Kanji was shocked, even moreso at the fact that his mother would believe him over the police. That was a bit natural, though - a mother would more likely believe her child over the cops in this scenario. (Thankfully that was the case for Ren-kun when he got into that incident, but that's his story to tell.) Kanji was tearing up, and as doll boy asked him if he was crying, he denied it, telling us that he had a cold instead. (Yeah right, Kanji, and you totally don't lose your composure around a certain androgynous detective.)

After enjoying beef bowls with Kanji, it was now dark, and I found Yumi in the shopping center, and I asked my drama club friend how things were going. She and her mother had just handled her father's funeral, but she was holding up herself, and she wanted to talk to me again soon if she had the chance.

----​

Thursday came, the 17th, and the weather was getting wetter again as of late. That meant we could check the Midnight Channel, and even if Nanako was at the hospital and Namatame was in custody it didn't hurt to make sure. Our math lesson with Nakayama-sensei that day took a weird tangent into etymology, but given how our teachers put all the strangest things into our exams it was something I decided to note anyway.

Naoto then approached me after school, and took me to the shopping district, telling me about a suspicious man being spotted in the area, and presumed him to be our enigmatic Phantom Thief. Shiroku-san had even confirmed that the man was the one who had purchased the cards we went over, and that meant we had a chance of catching the man in the act! Naoto then relayed to me that two things were left among the tools the Thief had stolen, and wondered where he could hide such a thing inconspicuously. I pointed out that the shrine was a good place to start, so we went there, and near one of the torii there was indeed a shifty-looking fellow. As he faced us, he suddenly brandished a knife! The next thing I knew, I had jumped right in front of Naoto, then she scolded me, telling me that the knife was a harmless toy! The man then fled, dropping the "knife", and Naoto explained to me that it was in fact a radio that just so happened to be shaped like a knife. My detective friend was still angry, though, and asked me what if it had been a real knife that had been pointed at me. She asked me why I would do such a reckless thing, and I pointed out to Naoto that she was my friend, one of a precious few I held dearly and would go to war for. Naoto apologized for getting me involved into the case, and was surprisingly saddened that this little case was approaching its end.

I then spent my evening tutoring Shu-kun, hoping he would do well in his exams. But from the little I knew about tarot, since Shu-kun was my Tower bond... was something disastrous heading his way? I had hoped that wouldn't be the case, but again I was probably tempting fate.

----​

Friday, surprisingly, was a rather quiet day, and I spent the afternoon at the gazebo near the Samegawa with Chie and Yukiko, just bonding with my lady friends since I didn't want to neglect them, even if our bonds had grown to the strongest they could be. Yukiko and I watched as Chie did some martial arts moves, and after I cracked a joke Yukiko started giggling uncontrollably as she was wont to do. A fun time, all told.

Saturday, the 19th, Rise and I decided to go on a date at Okina, watching "Roman Paid Holiday" at 30 Frame, and it certainly helped that it was her kind of movie, being a romantic story set in the city of Rome. Even I had to admit I enjoyed the movie now that I was watching it with someone I loved. We held hands throughout the film, and I smiled as my girlfriend enjoyed the movie, Rise's joy showing on her face. Then we went on to have coffee at Chagall Coffee, where the bald proprietor eyed us, and the coffee was so good that again I spaced out for a moment and next thing I know I had an interesting spell card in my hand. "Debilitate", from the words I could make out on it. As we headed back to Inaba, Rise mentioned to me she'd like to go on a trip to Europe one day, and heavily hinted she'd like me to go as her plus-one. I kissed her before we got on our respective bikes and headed home.

Little did I know that the relatively peaceful, if lonely, days I was having would end sooner than later.

 

[rattatatouille]

That Sunday, I had a feeling Kanji wanted to tell me something, so I dropped by Tatsumi Textiles and found my delinquent friend standing outside the shop. We decided to go to the hill overlooking town, swapping some stories on the way. When we got there, Kanji told me how he had visited his father's grave, the first time he went without his mother. I asked him if he wanted to tell his father something, and my kohai told me how one of the things his dad told him was that a man should be strong, and Kanji felt that it was disapproval at his choice of hobbies. That led to my friend adapting a punkish attitude and isolating himself from people, and dove headlong into things like beating up biker gangs because they disturbed his mother and becoming the Investigation Team's muscle. But Kanji realized that wasn't what being a man was all about, and that manliness was all about being true to oneself, so he would no longer deny who he was and now he'd open up to the people around him. I guess like me he realized he had friends who accepted him for who he was, and that led my younger friend out of his shell. I was going to tease him by asking him about a certain blue-haired detective, but I held my tongue; I wasn't gonna ruin our heart-to-heart. Kanji then told me right before we split up that his dolls were now going to be a full fixture of the textiles shop, and he'd be buying supplies before heading home.

The weather report that Sunday, the 20th, said that it would be a rainy evening, so I checked the Midnight Channel as the clock struck twelve. Since Nanako was already rescued and Namatame was already retrieved as well, I fully expected the TV to show nothing... and it did. I thought that was going to be the end of it.

I would be proven very wrong by the following morning.

----​

The next morning was a very foggy one, even moreso than usual for Inaba. The fog was even tinged yellow, making the normally quiet town of Inaba look dreary and desolate. I found my friends from Class 2-2 gathered together, and Yosuke pointed out Namatame in the local paper held by Yukiko. It seemed the man, who had been confined at Inaba Municipal after we retrieved him from the TV, had regained consciousness and apologized for what he did, fearful for his life. The police would now begin interrogating him, as his actions led to the injury of a fellow officer and the illness of his daughter, and he had likely confessed his role in the recent kidnappings. Adachi found us, and delivered us some good news: Nanako had also regained consciousness as well! My uncle's partner also told us things we already knew about Namatame, but dropped a tidbit about his diary also featuring entries on Yamano and Saki-senpai, which likely just proved the deliveryman's guilt as well. We all vowed to visit Nanako at the hospital after our classes finished for the day.

My happier mood at hearing of Nanako's improvement was somewhat dampened by Sofue-sensei reminding us that finals would commence the week after, near the end of November. After a fun lesson on beard taxes in Petrine Russia, class proceeded in usual fashion, with my anticipation at seeing Nanako again helping me through the day.

So there we were, eleven of us including Uncle Ryotaro (still in a hospital gown and wheelchair) and Adachi, all gathered around little Nanako's hospital bed. All of us expressed concern at my little sis, who looked even frailer in her bed, but Nanako smiled at seeing all of us around us. Even as she struggled to say hi to me, I felt much better seeing that Nanako's condition had improved, even by a little bit. A nurse entered Nanako's room, reminding my uncle that he had his own injuries to recover from. Apparently Uncle Ryotaro's wounds had just closed up, and he had a couple of fractures, but he was on the road to a full recovery. Adachi apologized on his partner's behalf, and volunteered to wheel my uncle back to his room. Nanako smiled at us again, and fell asleep once more; it seemed her exertions had left her a little tired.

After we left Nanako's room so she could rest, her doctor explained what was going on with her. It seemed that the hospital, even with its fairly advanced technologies and competent staff, couldn't exactly pinpoint what was wrong with my little sis. I had a feeling that whatever was ailing Nanako was connected to the TV World, somewhat reminded of Teddie's incompatibility with an X-ray machine. That, and while Nanako had indeed improved, she wasn't out of the woods yet, so the doctor advised me that all they could do was monitor her situation. My uncle asked Adachi what the progress with Namatame was, and the junior detective shrugged, the culprit unable to provide crucial information as he had just awoken himself. We then turned to the fog surrounding town, which was so pervasive it made even the hall of the hospital look a bit yellow. Apparently quite a few people had asked to be admitted to Inaba Municipal due to the fog causing health problems, and while the labs reported nothing anomalous about the fog, the doctor surmised it could partially be psychological in nature, the people's worries about the cloudiness surrounding town making them fall ill.

As I walked back home after school, Rise alongside me, I overheard housewives discuss how the fog had made their families' health take a turn for the worse, and somehow attributed it to global warming, which was a bit ridiculous. (The fog, that is, not climate change.) I saw a man in a gas mask warn them that the fog was poisonous and lethal, but the housewives simply brushed him off, though a bit wary about the mist around them. Rise's grandmother complained about business being slow as her granddaughter joined her, and I waved goodbye to my girlfriend as I headed home myself.

That being said, I wanted to share my better mood with someone, so I went back to the shopping district that evening and spent time with my girl. Rise told me about how Kanji had fixed up her uniform sleeve, and suddenly she had a bout of feminine inferiority at how our friend was better at her with a needle and thread. She wasn't happy at how he looked like he gave her the cold shoulder, however, but I reassured her that's just how he rolled. (Plus, he only became a big softy around certain people, like... his mother.)

----​

The next morning was just as foggy as the day before, and while my fellow students were downplaying its danger all the same everyone seemed to be on edge. Yamada-sensei managed to go the entire lesson without making remarks about Yukiko or the other girls in our class, which was a record. I did remember him asking about the Titan Atlas, whose name is uncannily close to the people who make vending machines with Jack Frost on them. (Apparently the little snowman is their mascot or something.)

I wanted to see Naoto to see where our Phantom Thief case was heading, and I spotted her at Samegawa alongside the sharp-dressed man who had brandished the knife radio at us. He introduced himself as Yakushiji-san, secretary to Shirogane-san (Naoto's grandfather), and confessed the whole Phantom Thief situation to us. Apparently, it was all a game to help my friend regain the happiness she had when she was starting out as a detective, as her line of work became more tedious for her. Even so, there was still one last challenge left, and I knew Naoto wouldn't back down from it. The last card from the "Phantom Thief" read "I did what you can't stand to at a place you'd be fond of." Naoto went through the riddle, her mind going through various plays on words and codes. Naoto liked climbing trees as a kid, and disliked throwing away things; that was why the Phantom Thief's challenge was leaving her treasured tools around as the reward. My detective friend then deduced our final piece was at the hill overlooking town, and sure enough inside a wastebasket there was the final tool - the Detective's Pocketbook. She decried her grandfather's selfishness, forcing his granddaughter to recall all that had happened in her career, just as she was trying to make herself respected in her chosen field. After letting her vent a bit, I told Naoto to calm down, and the two of us sat on a nearby bench. The Detective Prince confessed to me how she felt solving the murder case in Inaba would help her gain acceptance, especially as she had the odds stacked against her (a young woman solving cases? Pah, said the fuzz), and to the point where she lost sight of why she became a detective in the first place. Naoto had forgotten that she was using her talents to help people and to uncover the truth, and that was why her Shadow had brought up all those facts way, way back. I could feel my friend's resolve as she thanked me for helping her come to that realization.

That evening, I went to Shu-kun for our usual tutorial session, but I felt something was wrong, and not because of the fog enveloping the town. My student couldn't look me in the eye, and looked far more tentative than the boy who had opened himself up to me in our last few sessions. Nakajima-san then rushed into the room, telling us that she received a call from Shu-kun's school, and asked her son if whatever the school told her was a lie. My student couldn't look his mother in the eye either, then mumbled that it was true, and Nakajima-san's tone went surprisingly soft. Shu-kun then told me to go home, and I acquiesced to his request. I vowed to visit him sometime later, not because I didn't get paid, but because I wanted to know what had happened to my young student.

----​

The next day, November 23rd, was a holiday, Labor Appreciation Day. Without much to do, I decided to wander around town, then I ran into Ren-kun around the shopping district. Marie then found the two of us, and asked to hang out as well, and my normally sullen friend looked worried about something but told me not to worry myself. As we approached Souzai Daigaku for a snack Teddie had found us as well, and I asked the bear what he was doing here, assuming he'd either be at Junes or at the Hanamura household during the holiday. Teddie then told me that business was slower than usual, due to the fog keeping people indoors, and Yosuke told him he could handle the work for that day. I wasn't going to pass up on a rare chance to hang out with the bear, and the four of us sat at the bench, Marie taking in a "fsteak fskewer", Teddie somehow bringing out a couple of Topsicles, while Ren-kun and I had some croquettes. As we consumed our snacks Ren-kun told me a story, about how I reminded him of a friend and co-worker of his dad, who was around the same height as I was and had brown hair. I asked him where the resemblance once and my younger friend told me it was because both of us looked like "stoic badasses" from the action movies, but were nice to the people around them. He also liked working on motorcycles, apparently, and was good with a sword as well. I asked Ren-kun if I could meet his dad's friend, but he told me he only dropped by their house very rarely. Teddie, for his part, then handed Ren-kun his own pair of TV World glasses, and told my friend to use them if the situation ever arose where he'd need them. (He'd need them soon enough.) After thanking the bear for the gift, Ren-kun listened as Marie then recited a strange poem that got a chuckle out of the preteen boy. My younger friend then handed me a nice drawing he made (I didn't know he could draw that well at the time), featuring a dark-haired boy staring off into the sunset. I thanked him for the gift, and I asked why he made it, telling me that since I was leaving Inaba in March he wanted to give me something to remember him by, as a "big bro" he looked up to. I told him that was still a long way off, and if he ever needed his big bro he could talk to me, or even contact me on my phone if need be. I felt the familiar thrum as my bond with Ren Amamiya became irrevocably strong.

November was on its last legs, and as a fog enveloped Inaba I felt that the relationships I had built up over the last few months would be the key to solving the mysteries of the small town.