04/26 Tu
Cloudy
I made way too much Pork Ginger last night... I'd better share it with someone. Who do I know that likes mea- I can't even pretend to joke about that TO MYSELF.
Yu held a tiny smile on his face on the walk to Yasogami High...
Rumoring about a magic animal that loves money won't make it so, Mrs. Nakayama. And neither will complaining about your marriage make it better...
"Ah, Satonaka! What is a number half the sum of its divisors called?"
"Huh...? Ack, I can't find my handout! Y-Yu! You've gotta help me here!"
"That'd be a perfect number."
...
"Good work! Satonaka, please get another handout at the end of class."
"Guess she saw me, huh? Well, thanks anyway."
Chie smiled.
After asking her to head up earlier- So that no one would assume they were a couple- Yu enjoyed a lunch with Chie.
"Oh, wow! This is the best thing I've ever tasted. I want to eat even more, but can't bring myself to take the last of it... What a dilemma!"
Wow. She seems... Really happy. Umm... Good for her?
"Th-thanks for the food."
Chie smiled, a little embarrassed.
... I'm a little worried about Ayane. She seemed too busy yesterday.
Yu decided to practice his playing- He had skillfully snuck his old trumpet in in the morning, and found a fantastic place to leave it after school.
It's not like I can ever hope to practice at home. Nanako needs her sleep, and Dojima... Doesn't seem like a music guy.
Yu felt his recently-fused Cu Sith fall into view in his mind, making him just a little more energetic, just a bit more optimistic...
Wait, was that Yosuke who just ducked into the room they're using for drama club right now...?
Pain.
Ayane sat next to Yu during rehearsal today.
Ayane also happened to not be very good.
After a rather awkward practice, Yu stuck around with Ayane after everyone else had left.
"You've got a great tone!... Oh, sorry. I know that doesn't mean much coming from someone like me. I was sticking out again today..."
... She's very sweet, at least.
"I wish I had as much talent as you."
"I've still got some of the basics down from middle school... I don't deserve that much credit. And you do really have talent, Ayane."
If only for being able to play the trombone at all.
Ayane smiled and gave a nervous giggle.
She explained to Yu that it didn't matter how much she tried, because there was another trombone player in the band...
"And I can't play in front of crowds, anyway... I'd better clean up, now."
Yu decided to help her out.
"Oh, umm... Thank you, Senpai."
Ayane looked incredibly apologetic...
As Yu helped put away instruments and music stands (placing his trumpet almost all the way inside of an unused tuba)-, he saw a second Sun card appear for a moment...
Aaand... 850. I'll have to take care of the last few tomorrow...
04/27 W
Rain
The weather's gotten really wet all of a sudden. The fog'll probably set in in a few days. Well, whatever.
Where the hell did everybody go!?
Yu wondered through the halls of Yasogami High.
There's lots of students still hanging around, but none of my friends... Bizarre.
Vanish Balls?
"In a scurry? Toss this thing and escape in a hurry!"
...
What a weird slogan. It's just a mosquito repellent ball. Wait. What if I used 'em THERE?
Yu promptly purchased thirty of the small balls of plastic-encased wax, and replenished his supply of medicines and snacks that were proving useful.
"I'm terribly sorry about this, deary. You know, my husband made these capsule machines when he was alive. Why they only work in the rain, I don't- Oh, sorry, so. There you go, here's your prize. Take these as a token of my apology."
And with that, the kindly old storekeep handed Yu a Pinwheel and two small keys.
What are those cranks made of? Compressed rust?
And with that, the bundle is done. Now then, what to do...?
Yu began to fold paper cranes again.
04/28 Th
Rain
Chie talked to Yu on the way to school...
"Hey hey! Yukiko told me she'll be able to come to school again in two more days! I'm so happy. We saved her!"
Yu smiled a little.
"It's thanks to you, Chie."
Chie blushed...
"C'mon! You know it was because you, me and Yosuke all three did our best... Well, I guess it was the three of us, and one animal... Thingy."
I'd better head to the bandroom. Everyone else has disappeared today, too...
Yu once more felt Cu Sith's optimism reflect just a little more onto himself...
Yep, that's definitely Yosuke sneaking into the drama room...
Ayane didn't show up at first...
Well, shoot. I'm starting to get chapped lips...
About halfway through, Ayane appeared- She had apparently gotten requests to play outside the school... But forgot to ask about specific songs they'd like to hear. Ayane was rather upset when she was told...
I made that mistake once or twice a few years back. Still, I wasn't nearly as hard on myself about...
The captain told Yu that he'd have to wait for his chance to play elsewhere until next time, since he wasn't on the register they used.
I've been here a week, now. No excuse. No point in complaining either, though...
After rehearsal, Ayane decided to practice a little on her own, instead of immediately cleaning up.
"Hey, you want me to help?"
At least to lug that giant thing around?
"Huh?!? Oh, no, I'll be fine by myself. Trust me, I'll be really bad..."
No confidence to speak of...
Ayane reassured herself that she needed to be in prime condition...
"Not that I'll be in the performance, but still..."
Ah, I think I'm seeing more of the picture, now.
"They won't even let you go, huh?"
"Er... I guess so, yeah. It's not like I wouldn't..."
Ayane looked at her feet, then made it clear to Yu that if she played, the band's reputation would be ruined...
So she says. Frankly, I'll need to here the other trombonist, see if he's as flat as Ayane.
"Still, there are lots of other things I can do to help. Scheduling, accounting, cleaning up..."
But i doubt that's why you signed up.
Yu forced himself to smile and laugh a little.
"That's a great attitude."
For a doormat. I can't help her see that if I just jump it on her, though...
Ayane smiled and thanked Yu before he left...
On the way out, Yu saw a third Sun card...
My eyes feel like they're gonna fall out. Origami paper is so darn bright and colorful.
04/29 F (Showa Day!)
Rain
Why does it have to rain on the first holiday I'm here?
Ah, well. A whole day of cranes! I might finish my second thousand!
"A thick fog is expected to form over the Inaba region later tonight..."
''Ah, right. I'd better check the Midnight Channel, make sure there's no loose ends..."
Nanako changed the channel. Dojima gently reprimanded her for not asking, but then a Junes commercial came on, promising to stay open over Golden Week...
"Every day's great at-your-Junes~!"
"Every day's great at your Junes~!"
Nanako sang happily, and asked if she could be with him during Golden Week, and perhaps go to Junes. Dojima promised to do what he could...
"... I'm willing to come along."
Yu smiled awkwardly.
I'm not all that close to either of them, but I'm living with them... Probably should fix that.
Nanako seemed incredibly excited to go somewhere, just the three of them...
The room was filled with a yellow static...
Nope. No loose ends. We saved Yukiko...
I really hope this is the end, but I seriously doubt it...
04/30 Sa
Clear
Yukiko meet Yu at the entrance to the school.
Good to see her. And she's actually smiling a little.
"O-oh... Good morning."
"Feeling better?"
Yu smiled a little at Yukiko.
Yukiko shuffled her feet a little.
"Y-yeah... I'll be coming to school again, so... That'll be nice. I caused you all some real trouble... I'm sorry... No. Sorry isn't right. I mean to say... Thank you."
Yeah, she's definitely a little happier than before.
Yukiko talked about how things were going at her family's inn, and the day she was rescued.
"I-it's pretty embarrassing. You guys saw everything... Even the things I didn't want to admit...
"Everyone's got something like that. And it's only one part of you. I wouldn't worry so much."
Frankly, feeling railroaded in life and having a girlcrush on your best friend are both pretty tame.
Chie came running up, and Yukiko went to be with her friend...
"Olympus Mons, on planet Mars."
"Good job, Narukami. Yes, Olympus Mons is the tallest mountain in our solar system!"
Good for me. Now if only you could have stopped yourself from calling Yukiko 'the only cutie in the room'. Tactfulness ain't your strong point, is it, Mr. Yamada?
After school, Yu meet up with Chie and Yosuke on the school roof. Yukiko followed shortly, carrying two bowls of instant noodles...
"It still needs a few minutes."
Chie nodded as she took in the smell of her soba...
Yosuke and Yu asked if Yukiko had remembered anything about her kidnapping.
"No... I thought I could recall more if I let it sit with me for a while, but as time passes, it only gets hazier. I think... The doorbell rang at the entrance... And someone called for me... But when I woke up after that, I was already in the Castle. I'm sorry."
Yukiko sighed a little, Chie and Yu reassured her.
The group theorized about the visitor being the culprit, but Yosuke figured it unlikely...
What, and tossing people into another dimension via TV set isn't?
"But one thing's for certain. Someone is definitely kidnapping the victims and throwing them into the TV. It's murder, all right."
Just as we figured before. Well, confirmation is still good, I guess...
Yu spoke up.
"Oh, right. We never told Yukiko. Yosuke and Chie and I, we're planning to catch the culprit ourselves. The police can't do anything to them, and we're the only ones who can use the TV to enter the other World, or Personas... Could you lend us a hand?"
Yosuke was a bit taken aback, but tried not to say anything. Chie affirmed that she planned to crush whoever was committing the crimes...
She was quiet for a little while, but Yukiko spoke up.
"Let me help, too. I want to know why this is happening. Especially if someone hates me so much that they want to kill me."
Yukiko held herself up a little higher from where she sat.
"I don't want to run away from myself anymore."
Good to see the lesson stuck...
The group nodded, and now more eager Yosuke stood up and cheered.
"Alright! Then let's all work together and catch this asshole!"
Yukiko smiled a little.
"Agreed."
We've got quite the team forming up here. More hands are always better. And they all seem like pretty decent people, even after what I've se-
Time stopped for a moment, as a second card of the Fool Arcana appeared before Yu...
The group agreed to try and figure out whoever might be targeted next. Yosuke was the first to speak after that.
"Okay, so let's see if we can figure out what ties the victims together. First, there was that announcer, Mayumi Yamano. Second was... Saki Konishi- Senpai. Third was Yukiko Amagi..."
Well, hearing all the names like this...
"... They're all women from this town."
Chie was suddenly furious.
"How dare he target females! This guys gotta be some kinda pervert."
"Yeah, just going after women does imply some kinda misogyny on his part, even if it'd be just as bad if they were going after men..."
Yosuke butted into that train of conversation-
Probably for the best. We were all just gonna get mad at him on that path!
"Also, the second and third victims had something to do with the first."
After connecting the dots- Saki had found Yamano's body, and Yamano was staying at the Amagi Inn before her death- And all four agreed to keep up with the Midnight Channel as a stopgap, if this connection was a false lead.
Yosuke looked at the girls...
"... Aren't those done by now?"
Chie was a little confused, before she looked at the bowl of noodles next to her and grabbing her chopsticks.
"Huh? Oh! That's right! Chowtime!"
"Hey... Can have just a little bit of that? Please? Please!?"
"Hey, hands off the soba, pal! Get your own if ya want it!... Urgh. Okay, but just one bite, got it?"
Chie handed her bowl up to Yosuke...
Instant noodles don't smell this good. It is not the natural order of things.
Yukiko looked up at Yu...
"Do you want to try some?"
"Umm... Sure."
One bite. One bite. Onebiteonebiteonebite...
Yu and Yosuke inhaled the food.
Chie shouted at them.
"Ah! What the hell are you doing!?"
Crap. I'm turning into Yosuke.
"... I-I don't know what came over me. Forgive me, Yukiko..."
"Yosuke! You ate everything..."
Yukiko just gazed wistfully into her bowl...
"M-my fried tofu..."
Yosuke promised to make it up to them.
With steak.
Cheater.
Chie was ecstatic.
"Steak!? You hear that, Yukiko?"
Yukiko sighed.
"My fried tofu... Well, as long as it isn't too fatty."
"Right then you are here by sentenced to buying us steak. What wouldn't be too fatty?... Fillet? Oh, that sounds nice and expensive! Fillet, fillet, fillet mignon!"
Yu slipped Yosuke 3000 yen on the way to Junes.
Chie greatly enjoyed her yakisoba-griddled steak, but Yukiko was still rather upset...
The four discussed the case a little more, when...
Crap. Jr. Detective Dippity sighted...
Adachi came over to the group's table.
"What a coincidence seeing you here. I-I mean, like when I'm on schedule- Ah, don't tell Dojima-san! Oh, hey! Actually, this is great! Dojima-san said he'll be able to leave work on time tonight pass it along to Nanako-chan, would ya?"
"Yes."
Adachi introduced himself as Dojima's gofer/partner, babbled a bit about the case, then left...
Since Yukiko's an official part of the team now, we'd better get her initiated...
Teddie and Yukiko properly introduced each other. Teddie had promised that he'd been a good bear. He then gifted Yukiko with her own pair of glasses...
Where is he even getting them? And why is he so familiar with our world's fashions?
As Yukiko looked around her now-clearer surroundings, Chie asked why Teddie even had them.
"Guess what? I'm the one who makes them. I've lived here a long time, so I've come up with ways to be comfortable."
Yukiko was interested.
"I see. But don't you need a pair?"
Yeah, it's weird how he had two sets for me and Yosuke before...
"Listen to this! My eyes themselves are lenses!"
Makes no sense. Why make glasses if your eyes are themselves fog filters?
Yosuke said he couldn't really believe it. Teddie decided to show how nimble his fingers were...
"... What am I even looking at!?"
Yosuke shoved Teddie out of his face.
Something clacked onto the floor...
"Oh, that's a pair I kind screwed up on."
Yukiko was enthralled, and swapped her glasses out for this new set.
Oh, wow. That's... Something.
"The Marx look is perfect on you."
Yukiko was laughing quite a bit...
"I want to wear this one. It's even got a noseguard!"
"How bear-y unfortunate. That pair doesn't have the right kind of lenses in.
Don't egg her on, Ted.
Yukiko forced them on Chie, who couldn't have been more embarrassed...
Yukiko almost feel over.
"Ugh... There goes one of Yukiko's laughing fits. I never thought she'd get like this around someone besides me..."
"Well. She's in high spirits again, right? Lighten up, Yosuke, Chie. So Ted, why did you make 'em?"
"This is what happens when you guys leave me alone, and I get bored."
The bear scowled a little.
What a girl. One stupid prop and her day is MADE.
"... I think I might be able to get the 4th and the 5th off."
Dojima didn't even put down his paper.
Nanako was jubilant.
It's good to see her happy for once- She usually seems pretty glum...
She returned to her dour behavior quickly, and sai9d that her vacations are always cancelled...
Dojima said he wouldn't mind going further out of the neighborhood than Junes.
"Really? Can we go on a trip?"
"Uhh... Well, it might be okay to go on a trip every once in a while."
That's the first time I've seen Dojima smile...
Nanako cheered again. Dojima turned to his nephew.
"How about you? Want to come along?"
Well, I'm supposed to be a part of this family.
"Sure. I want to come along."
Nanako smiled a little more.
"Let's bring boxed lunches!"
"Yeah... We're always eating side dishes for dinner... But I can't cook. And Nanako's to young to be much good yet."
Dojima walked over to his nephew and slapped him a little on the back.
"Well, that's what we got this guy for, right Nanako?"
Yu sweated a little from the sudden pressure...
"...Well, if I'm given the supplies, I might be able to do something..."
"Yay!"
Nanako was quite excited...
This should be just fine. Who knows, might even be fun.
Yu's Level: 15
Current Personas: Cu Sith
Apsaras
Titan
Angel
Sylph
Social Links:
Fool: Rank 2
Magician: Rank 3
Chariot: Rank 1
Strength: Rank 2
Sun: Rank 3
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