Yu Narukami's Uncanny Fable (Persona 4)

[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.

 

[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.