Yu Narukami's Uncanny Fable (Persona 4)

[rattatatouille]

The next day was back to school on the 24th of November. The fog that had enveloped town since Monday was now the center of attention of everyone I passed by, especially my fellow Yasogami students. Even Nakayama-sensei, ever willing to grouse about her lot in life during her lectures, felt the fog invade her mental space to the point where she included it in her grumbling. At least she taught us about the Fibonacci sequence.

After school wrapped up, Naoto wanted to talk to me so we could do a post-mortem on the Phantom Thief "case", so we went to the Samegawa gazebo together and my detective friend relayed her thoughts to me. She told me it felt like such a long time when we started on this case, and I reminded her it was just a month, since we began in late October. That being said, I felt excited while I was solving the case with her, and Naoto felt likewise. Naoto then gave me a handmade detective badge, and told me she could have added some features like a camera and transceiver, but I told her it was fine, as she explained to me how the flashing function worked on it. My detective friend then told me I was now her assistant in solving cases, and as I accepted that she reminded me she was serious. (In all seriousness, though, Naoto does come to me from time to time with cases, especially if she needs an additional mind to brainstorm with. I also admit some of her cases might be inspiration for my works.) Naoto continued, confessing how she realized there was more to herself than just being the Detective Prince, and that as one of her closest friends she was now able to proclaim to the world that she was Naoto Shirogane, someone who wasn't just an ace detective or a sixteen year old high school girl. I vowed to support her in her endeavors in life as her friend, and I felt my bond with Naoto strengthen.

That evening, I dropped by the Tatsuhime Shrine, both to pray for Nanako's recovery and for my friends as well. I thought of Yosuke as I picked up a blessing from the fortune box, and after getting a great blessing that meant I was close to maxing out my bond with my best friend.

----​

The following day, Friday, Hosoi-sensei told us about the old Japanese months, and even quizzed us on the pyramids of Ancient Egypt. (I thought that was Sofue-sensei's shtick. Get new material, you creepy puppet!) Even his pet human was getting affected by the fog, which was why his discussion turned to mummies from him complaining about his skin or something.

After school wrapped up for the day Kanji told me he wanted to visit my house, and my room in particular. So that made three members of the IT who had gone into my room: Yosuke, Rise, then Kanji. He told me that Rise had stopped by their store the other day and she found the dolls they were now selling as well. Kanji then informed my girlfriend (though he didn't know we were an item at the time) that he had made the dolls that she found cute, and Rise, being a bit of a troll, told him that it was creepy. Of course it irked my seamster friend, but I knew those two were thick as thieves; Kanji and Rise may bicker a lot, but they sincerely care for each other like brother and sister. (So does that make Kanji my brother-in-law?) Kanji then told me how he now realized what his old man was talking about with regards to being a man, that his fear of being misunderstood led him to distance himself from people which in turn fed his own insecurities. He continued, telling me that understanding was a two-way street, where if you want to be understood you have to get people to understand you, and Kanji opening himself up to me was a big part of that process. He then handed me a cute-looking strap that he had knitted himself, and I thanked him for the gift, even appreciating the love and care that went into this handiwork. Finally, my kohai confessed to me that I was his hero, and we gave each other a manly handshake to mark our irrevocable friendship.

I spent my evening folding origami cranes as I exchanged texts with Rise that were getting a bit inappropriate for teenagers to do, and I hoped no one would ever look through either of our phones after that evening. (Nothing too explicit, though, so don't ask for transcripts Teddie.)

----​

The next day was Saturday, the 26th, and final exams were approaching. That wasn't the only thing people had in mind, however, as the fog had enveloped Inaba for close to a week now, and I wondered when it would end as people shared apocalyptic theories about the fog's origin. (They wouldn't be too far off the mark.) Kondo-sensei also reminded us that Christmas was in a month's time, and while I knew who to go on a date with, I didn't know what to do for it, as he quizzed me on how mochi is made. Maybe Rise could think of something.

Going through my head, I now realized that I had forged an unbreakable bond with everyone on the IT including Marie and Ren-kun... except for the Junes boys, Yosuke and Teddie. So I found Yosuke after school, and he invited me to the Samegawa floodplain. Yosuke then confessed something to me: that deep down, he didn't trust me and was even jealous of me. He also admitted how he didn't like how I had rightfully called him out on some of his worse behaviors, including when I lectured him about making fun of Kanji's sexuality. That wasn't because I was moralizing him, but more the fact that he needed someone to call him out to begin with. Yosuke then continued, assuming that just because I was a fellow city boy like he was meant that we would be similar, both getting readily bored of country life, and looking for something special to do. I had to admit, he wasn't that far off the mark, but the murders happening just as I arrived in town made my year at Inaba thus far more exciting. Yosuke then faced me, telling me to punch the inferiority complex out of him. I looked at him as if he had grown a second head, but I nodded at him, challenging him to come at me. (Plus, I'd be lying if I didn't admit to myself that getting to punch out my best friend for all the occasions he was an insensitive jerk wasn't cathartic.) So there we were, two seventeen year old young men, having a fistfight despite being the closest of friends. After a few minutes of exchanging blows, the pair of us laid down on the ground, panting as we recovered our energy, and clearly bruised from each other's punches. All the same, Yosuke thanked me for helping me get his feelings straightened out, and handed me a bandage, in case I ever start bleeding from my injuries. As he wondered if Saki-senpai was smiling down at us from heaven, Yosuke Hanamura realized how important it was to live life to the fullest, and how we must all find our meaning in it. I couldn't be prouder to call him my best friend.

I realized it was high time to confront Shu-kun for what had happened the last time I visited him, and I found my young student at his room as usual. He apologized for what had happened during our previous session, and we stood and sat in silence for a long while. After a while, I noticed that the date, the 26th of November, was encircled on the calendar, and when I asked Shu-kun about it he suddenly remembered it was his birthday. Wanting to take his mind off of whatever had happened, I decided to hold a celebration for my young friend. So Operation Nakajima Birthday was a-go, and I realized I needed a little help from my friends. I contacted Yosuke, correctly assuming he was at Junes at the time, and asked him if he could bring over a cake for the birthday of my young student, and offered to pay for it myself. (Between the TV World and my part-time jobs, I already had a significant amount of savings, and the only things I really spent my money on at that point were compendium Personae and equipment from Daidara, not that I got new ones much.) I told Shu-kun that a friend of mine was coming over with a birthday cake, but I didn't expect Yosuke to go the extra mile and inform the rest of the Investigation Team to come over as well! (I guess our now unbreakable bond of friendship went a long way.) Shu-kun's room was a bit more spacious than mine, but fitting ten young adults into it was still a tall order, but we managed to fit all the same. After making introductions, we sang Happy Birthday to my young charge, who had just turned 14, and of course we let him have first dibs at the strawberry shortcake Yosuke had gotten for him. Chie, for her part, was glad that she came along, and surprise birthday parties were the kind of surprise she preferred over getting surprised by crawling bugs. As Shu-kun made his wish and blew out his candles, however, the lights somehow went out all of a sudden, and I heard bumps and groans in the dark as my friends must have bumped into each other. I then groped my way to the light switch, and after making sure it was fine I saw several of my friends slumped over, as I tried not to chuckle while facepalming all the while.

Once the party had wrapped up, most of my friends heading home as it was getting late, I was left alone with Shu-kun, who then told me he was suspended from school as he was caught cheating on his exams. He was driven by the desire to continue getting top marks in class at any cost, as he felt that his mother wouldn't love him if he wasn't the top student in his school, Shu-kun wiping the tears from his eyes as he confessed to me. He'd had a heart-to-heart with his mother as well, his mother confessing her feelings of betrayal and embarrassment at the matter, but I soothed him all the same, telling him that his mother doesn't really hate him for what he did. My friend continued, telling me how his mother kept holding him up as an example of a genius, and I could sense the issue was that he felt shackled by unrealistic expectations, coupled with the fact that he was getting shown up by the new transfer student who could compete with him at academics AND be better at everything else. (Was this how Yosuke felt with me arriving in the picture?) Shu-kun broke down, telling me that if he didn't even have academic excellence behind him, then what did he have? I told him that this was a big lesson for him, that if he learned his lesson on cheating in school then he'd have a chance to set things right. Shu-kun thanked me for hearing him out, and for celebrating his birthday with him.

----​

It was now Sunday, and I decided to visit my favorite senior citizen, Hisano-san. We hadn't seen each other in quite a while, and with the fog overrunning Inaba I wanted to check on her to see if she was all right. So the two of us sat by the Samegawa, and Hisano-san told me she wasn't really Death. (As if such a sweet old lady could really be Death.) My elderly friend told me how she deemed herself Death because she wanted her husband to die to end his suffering, and when he did die, she credited (or blamed) herself for it. It was her way of dealing with her husband's condition, that she'd rather believe she caused her lover to die than for it to be a consequence of his condition, making her feel their long relationship was for naught in the end. Hisano-san confided in me that her biggest fear wasn't just that her husband left her, but even forgot her and the time they spent together as he passed; to quote a certain video game, to be forgotten was worse than death. But even if he forgot his life with her, that didn't mean it was all for nothing, as the life they had spent together, all the things they did for each other, were proof that they had loved and lived. Hisano-san and her husband got together, raised a family, and cared for each other, even to the bitter end. I truly believe that love can transcend the grip of lies and awaken the truth, and my elderly friend was living proof of that.

As evening fell I dropped by Tatsuhime Shrine, praying for luck in my exams, and also hoped I could get closer to Yumi as well.

----​

Finals occupied us starting from the 28th of November, taking up most of our week, even with the fog proverbially breathing down our necks. Everything from Hosoi-sensei stealing the pyramids from Sofue-sensei's lecture to Kondo-sensei's notes on mochi made it into the test, and I'm still surprised how good our lessons were at Yasogami despite half of the test answers being weird tangents by the teachers. I also began to notice how a lot of the students were either calling in sick, going to the school clinic for treatment, and even some had skipped out on the exams altogether due to feeling ill due to the fog. As for my friends and I, we didn't really feel any ill effects from the fog, but an ominous feeling crept under my skin all the same as we continued our final exams.

On the morning of December 3rd, the fog had been in Inaba for almost two weeks. It got even worse by that time, and I could barely see in front of me. Yosuke, who had been walking alongside me for some time, wondered how it would snow with all the fog around town. Come to think of it, winter was already on the horizon, being December and all. I heard footsteps behind me, and only once they had gotten closer did I recognize our other friends. According to Chie, people were now traveling in groups so they wouldn't bump into each other or get into accidents. I heard Rise off to my side, and my girlfriend naturally went right next to me, and I hoped the fog hid the fact that I had entwined my fingers with hers to help reassure my love. As Rise made a passing remark about the fog feeling like the other side of the TV, Kanji had what Naoto likes to call a "eureka moment": he decided to put on his TV World glasses, and he bade for us to do the same. So we did, and all of a sudden, the atmosphere seemed to clear. Chie made a random remark about the fog possibly coming from the other world, and honestly, she wasn't wrong - "random Chie" really was a very intuitive side of my kung fu-loving friend.

So we finished up our exams that Saturday, and we all agreed to meet up at Junes now that there was another interesting development in the case, as nightmarish as it sounded.

----​

As we assembled at Junes, Chie then relayed a news story about the fog and its possible dangers, while Kanji noted how people didn't go out much either. Teddie, being the closest thing we had to an expert on the TV World, did notice how the fog looked like the fog on the other side of the TV, and then Naoto noticed an article talking about Namatame. It seemed that the former councilman was now considered the prime suspect for the murders that had occurred in April, with Morooka's death by Kubo now considered a copycat killing, the police reaching the same conclusions Naoto and I had made months prior. The article pointed out Namatame's relationship with Yamano as a possible motive of her death, and the authorities were still looking for a way to connect Saki-senpai's death to the man. However, a formal investigation had yet to begin, as Namatame was still in hospital arrest at Inaba Municipal. Nevertheless, it was all clear to us at that point that Namatame was to blame; his actions were certainly guilty of endangering the lives of people, including my friends and precious Nanako.

Speaking of Nanako, I reminded my friends that right before Namatame kidnapped my little sis, I promised her we'd get a new kotatsu. Seeing that the weather was getting colder, I wanted to shop for one, and tell my cousin about it when we dropped by the hospital. Yosuke then told me they had new ones in stock, seeing as winter was coming (a television series using that tag line debuted that year, come to think of it), so we all went to the appliances section to peruse their wares. So my friends looked around the appliances, and as they launched into tangents about what to pair with a kotatsu I smiled, hoping the kotatsu would keep me warm through the winter months, and hopefully Nanako and Uncle Ryotaro as well, when they got out of the hospital, which had to be sooner than later. Teddie looked morose, however, and as we approached the bear in human form he told us that now that we kept our promise, he had to go back to his side of the TV. But he resolved not to go until his "Nana-chan" got better, blaming himself for letting her fall ill while inside the TV. Rise and Kanji reassured him, telling our blond friend that he was invaluable to rescuing Nanako and catching Namatame.

As Chie proposed getting a Christmas present for Nanako as well (Yosuke bitterly noting not to have it charged to him this time, and the two getting into another fight over it), I suggested getting a Jack Frost doll, as the cute, fluffy thing appealed to people of all ages and sensibilities.

However, as we all had fun thinking of ways to celebrate Nanako's eventual discharge from the hospital, I got an ominous call from Adachi.

My little sister, Nanako Dojima, had taken a turn for the worse.

 

[rattatatouille]

When I received the news from Adachi it was as if all of the kotatsus in the world wouldn't be enough to keep me warm as I felt chilled to the bone. I knew I was shaking in my shoes, but I didn't want to alarm my friends too much either. All the same, Adachi told me that the doctor needed to see me about Nanako's condition, so I was going to head to Inaba Municipal post-haste. I told my friends about the matter, and they all resolved to head with me to the hospital for Nanako's sake... and mine.

We had all gathered in Nanako's room in the ICU, and it was painful to see my little sis hooked up to all those machines monitoring her condition. The doctor provided an explanation to us, Uncle Ryotaro included, all while we overheard voices demanding answers, demanding succor for all the pains they had suffered, mostly due to the fog. Was it all in their head though, given how the staff of the hospital was stumped in taking care of people like Nanako? That was the scary part - Nanako went into critical condition but the doctors didn't know why, and they tried to override my uncle's worry for his treasured daughter by bringing up his own injuries that he needed to recover from. As he argued with the doctor Uncle Ryotaro doubled over in pain, his own injuries flaring up again as Yosuke hung on to him to support him. The doctor apologized once more and told us they'd do their best for Nanako. We then all left the room, worrying about my little sis' condition, while a nurse escorted my uncle back to his room.

I simply sat on a bench outside Nanako's room, hands clasped in prayer, hoping that this would merely be a temporary setback and that my precious cousin would pull through sooner than later. I overheard Yosuke harangue Teddie, asking the bear from the TV World if he could do something as Nanako's poor condition likely had something to do with said world. (In hindsight, that was probably a huge mistake on Yosuke's part.) Teddie, for his part, was stumped on what to do, while Kanji felt frustrated at the fact that a young girl like Nanako had to go through all this. As Chie tried to reassure us, Adachi dropped by, and looked surprised to see us still outside my little sis' room, while telling us that my uncle's wounds were being attended to as well. I asked him about Namatame, and my uncle's partner confessed that building a case against the deliveryman was going to be very difficult, that it wouldn't take an ace defense attorney to even acquit him. That was both because of Namatame having alibis, and his method of "putting people into TVs" being rightfully seen as absurd, especially for people without knowledge of the Midnight Channel. Kanji then got ticked off at Adachi's seeming nonchalance, and held the cop by the collar, telling him that if we had a TV around we could show the police all about it. As Rise tried to calm her friend down, a nurse suddenly stepped out of the ICU, asking for Nanako's family. I raised my hand, as her cousin and big bro I'd stay with my little sis until they'd escort Uncle Ryotaro to Nanako's side as well. So I looked wordlessly to my friends, nodded to them, and braced myself as I entered Nanako's room.

I watched as my little sis fought for her life, Nanako looking even smaller than she usually did. For a girl aged seven to go through all of this... it really tugged at my heart as I saw my cousin hooked up to a respirator, struggling to take breaths. I clasped her hand, trying to reassure her, and told Nanako her dad was on his way to see her. As Nanako told me how she was scared, I reminded her of a happier time, when I promised we'd buy a kotatsu together, and how when winter finally arrived we'd build a huge snowman together. I hung on to Nanako as if she were hanging from a cliff and my hand was her lifeline, hoping against hope that she'd pull through. Nanako then looked at me with her beautiful brown eyes, called for me and her father, and breathed her last.

At 10:34 pm Japanese Standard Time on the third of December, 2011, Nanako Dojima, my beloved little sis, died.

When my uncle finally got to Nanako's room, hampered by his injuries, it was too late for his daughter to see him, and as I hung on to my cousin's little, lifeless hand, I saw from the corner of my eye her father slump to the ground in despair.

----​

I could barely recall what had happened immediately after. I recall a pair of arms lifting me from my little sister's body (Yosuke, perhaps?) I barely made out what the doctor said as my head clouded in grief, only really catching his apology to my uncle and I about their best not being enough. I also saw my uncle shuffle away in the opposite direction of his room; did he lose his sense of direction due to his grief? Rise bawled out her tears, Naoto trying to reassure her, while Kanji punched the wall hard enough that I swore the entire hospital shook at his blow. Chie and Yukiko looked downright morose, and even Marie, who deflected her pains with endless sarcasm, looked borderline catatonic. Nanako's loss really hit all of us hard, and I remember leaning on my bleary-eyed best friend during this time.

Adachi then dropped by, asking us what had happened, and the officer realized what had happened from the harrowed looks on our faces. He then looked at his senior partner, and realized my uncle wasn't heading to his room. However, it seemed that Uncle Ryotaro hadn't lost his sense of direction; in fact, he knew where he would be going. Adachi then realized my uncle was headed towards Namatame's room, and Yosuke called the cop out, correctly pointing out that you shouldn't put a kidnap victim and their kidnapper in the same hospital to be treated. Adachi tried to justify this, saying that Inaba Municipal was the largest hospital in the area, and that Namatame was in no condition to be transferred for interrogation yet. Once again Kanji took Adachi by the collar and demanded where Namatame's room was, and I knew what my uncle was likely to do with the former councilman if he got his hands on him. Adachi then 'fessed up, telling us that Namatame was on the top floor in the second surgical ward, furthest from the back.

As we rushed to intercept my uncle I hadn't realized that we had forgotten about Teddie, who as he would tell me later remained at Nanako's side, despondent about his inability to rescue his young friend.

----​

We spotted my uncle right outside Namatame's room, intercepted by the two officers standing watch outside the detained man's accommodation. Uncle Ryotaro, in grief at the loss of his daughter, berated his fellow officers, asking them who gave the man permission to kidnap his daughter and lead her to her demise. The fact that his daughter was taken away from him only made my uncle's pain worse, just as he and she had begun to patch up their relationship as a family. Adachi, for his part, then helped the officers escort Uncle Ryotaro back to his room, as we now found the entrance to Namatame's room unguarded.

I had to admit, we were all emotionally compromised at the time, and I, as the "fearless leader" of the Investigation Team, doubly so, since I felt like I lost a huge part of myself when Nanako died. So what we would do next would be despicable, but understandable. We barged into Namatame's room, and I wanted to make him pay for what he had done to Nanako, to make the man suffer for all the pain he had inflicted on my friends, for killing those two women, and I would relish every cry of suffering the man would scream.

If my eyes flashed yellow at that point in time I wouldn't be surprised.

Namatame's room was familiar; it was the one where Sayoko-san had handed her hospital ID to me as she had found her calling in life once more. However, this wasn't the time for a happier memory, as we found the former councilman slumped right next to an window. Did the man try to use it to escape? I asked him what he was trying to do, and Yosuke ranted at him, calling Namatame out for what he did, and Yukiko called him out, telling him that it was his fault that Nanako died. As the deliveryman protested his innocence, the clock struck twelve, and the TV flickered on, as I realized it was time for the Midnight Channel to appear. A familiar looking man in a green delivery outfit appeared on the screen, and this döppelganger of the man in the hospital gown beside us had yellow eyes instead.

Namatame's Shadow then berated us, telling us that he failed to save Nanako because we had gotten in his way. Yosuke was puzzled, as we had thought with our defeat of Kunino-sagiri that the man's Shadow should have been vanquished as well. Naoto then corrected him, reminding us that Namatame never truly faced his other self and that Kunino-sagiri was different, nor did it turn into a Persona after it had lost.

It was then that hell started breaking loose. Yosuke and Kanji confronted Namatame, the real one that is, and told him how he needed to face justice for what he did. It seemed my friends were intent on playing vigilante, and the worst part was that I didn't really disagree with them. Namatame's Shadow then taunted us, telling us that he didn't care what happened, and that he'd continue saving people regardless of whether he was dead or alive. The television then flickered off, but I could have sworn I saw my own Shadow right behind Namatame's right before it did.

My friends then were split in twain with what to do with the former councilman, who had been clutching his head all the while. Yosuke and Kanji both wanted to make Namatame pay, while Chie and Yukiko tried to talk them down, the latter even getting in Kanji's way. My kohai was so angry at Namatame that even as he asked Yukiko to step aside calmly, he did so without calling her by an honorific, a strange thing to do for him. Naoto then pointed out that rooms like this don't get such large televisions, and it was awfully convenient for Namatame, a man who had kidnapped people by throwing them into the TV, to be placed in a room where he could make his escape via the television, but that there would be no way out as well. So even the cool, collected Detective Prince wasn't opposed to vigilante justice then? Rise then called her out, frightened at her friend's sudden turn towards a darker path. My girlfriend also asked if the guys were serious with their proposal, but Kanji and Yosuke were still clouded by anger at Namatame, wanting to make the man reap what he had sown. Marie, for her part, merely looked me in the eye and reminded me that my contract with "the Nose" stated that I had to take responsibility for my actions. I didn't know if she was pro- or anti-throwing Namatame into the TV, but based on her actions she basically told me to do as I saw fit.

All this while I had stood in silence, mulling over what to do. Namatame had caused us no small amount of pain, and had taken someone away from me, someone close to my heart. Of course he had to pay for what he'd done! So I grabbed the man by the collar, his cries of innocence passing by my ears, and I overheard Chie and Rise cry out in shock at what I was about to do. As Chie tried to intercept me Yosuke got in her way too, telling his friend not to interfere as the man had it coming for Saki-senpai's death. Yukiko stood her ground, but it was too late for her as I pressed Namatame against the TV screen, the surface rippling like water as I had expected, fully ready to throw the man into the TV World as his punishment. I heard the girls cry out for me to stop, but I had made up my mind.

Just as I was doing it, however, I heard the voice of a familiar little girl in my mind.

----​

As Nanako's laugh echoed through my head, the next thing I knew was that I was slumped over the big television, and Namatame was slumped on the ground right in front of me. I hadn't gone through with throwing the man into the TV, in the end.

The part of me that loved Nanako more than anything else in the world and the part of me that questioned whether this was the truthful thing to do outvoted the part of me that wanted to make Namatame suffer for what he had done. Was throwing the man into the TV something Nanako would have wanted, were she in my place?

Time seemed to stand still as I weighed what to do in my mind. Kanji looked at me in disappointment, while Yosuke approached the now cowering in the corner Namatame, reminding us that the cops wouldn't be able to get a guilty verdict, but all the same wanted to hear me out.

It was at this time that my mettle as the leader of the Investigation Team would be tested. I thought long and hard, knowing that my words had to be chosen carefully, and that I had to take responsibility for whatever I would do.

I then told everyone to wait a second, but Yosuke called me out, and we wouldn't have a chance to punish Namatame before the police returned. I pointed out that wouldn't make us any better than he was, since we'd be doing exactly what the man had done - throw people into the TV and leave them there for dead.

I then admitted we were missing something, and it was a feeling that was at the back of my mind since we had rescued Nanako from the TV, that there was something about all this that we didn't know.

There is a saying that there are three sides to every story: your side, their side, and the truth. We frankly only had our side of the story, so to arrive at the truth, we needed Namatame's side of the story as well. Yosuke protested, and told me that the truth was cowering right in front of us, and he wanted to know what I didn't understand.

Yosuke called me out as I looked like I was stalling for time, as I told him something was bothering me. I then told him we really were missing something, and Yosuke finally had enough and grabbed me by the collar. I took his hand off of me, and told him to calm the hell down. It seemed in the end, my rational mind won out over my irrational feelings, and I reminded everyone that we had lost sight of what we had set out to do, letting our feelings override our mission to find the truth. Even I was guilty of it, but the fact that Nanako wouldn't want her big bro to hurt people for her sake and the fact that something had been bugging me for quite a while now won out. Rise realized it too, and told everyone to take a deep breath and calm down as I had suggested.

Naoto had by now realized what I had a bit earlier - we needed to hear everything from Namatame's perspective. Sure, Namatame did kidnap Nanako and got her into the TV, but aside from that all our assumptions about the man came from the Midnight Channel and our own emotions clouding our judgement. Yosuke was still mad at the guy, understandably, but it was Chie who replied to him, telling him that infighting wouldn't solve anything at all. (My carnivorous friend managed to get to my best friend in a way no one else could. Might be why they are so compatible, honestly.) Even my friend relented, realizing that throwing Namatame into the TV wouldn't really solve anything and bring the truth to light. All the same, he wanted everything that had happened to stop, and I had his back on this; it was just that we needed to form a picture of the truth first.

Whatever happened now, we vowed to think this case through, and seek the truth together. I felt the thrum in my head twice, as I felt my bond with the Investigation Team complete... and a new one appeared as well. "Judgement", called out the voice as a card depicting an angel blowing a trumpet with the number XX flashed into my mind.