06/26 Su
Cloudy
What better way to get one catchy song out of my head than another...
Yu turned off his TV after placing an order to Tanaka's Amazing Commodities.
That old woman from the hospital said she spent her days off at the riverbed...
Yu spotted the lady in black on the Samegawa...
"Hmm? Oh, you don't happen to be... The hospital janitor?"
"Yes, that's who I am."
Among other things...
"My, I didn't think I'd see you here. It's a nice day today... Would you take the time to talk to this old woman?"
Yu nodded, and the two moved down, closer to the shore...
"Good day, um..."
"Yu Narukami."
"Yu Narukami... Yu-chan, is it? Haha, a lovely name. It suits you. Hm... I've lived here all my life, but... I don't know you."
Yu gave an understanding nod.
"I just moved here in April."
The lady in black laughed a little and smiled.
"My, is that so? If you're from the city, you may think it's a bit inconvenient here... But I think it's a nice town."
A little, but... I've actually found friends here. It's...
"Yeah. I like Inaba, too."
"Haha, that's nice to hear. It's good to hear pleasent things about your home."
The woman suddenly opened her eyes wider.
"Oh, dear. I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Hisano Kuroda... I am Death."
... Huh?
"What do you mean?"
Hisano shook her head and looked down.
"... I'm sorry. I'm saying foolish things. Yu-chan, you're still not used to this town, are you? If you ever have any problems, I can give you some advice. Haha... Though, I'm sure you'd rather spend your time with younger ladies."
I can make time on Sundays for Hisano... And I really need to get to this 'I am Death' business. Death in human form? That's... Kinda unlikely...
Yu nodded his head to Hisano, and time stopped. A card bearing the number "XIII" and an abstract image of the fate of all appeared before Yu...
Thou art I... And I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
It brings thee closer to the truth...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Death Arcana...
A wave of light particles flowed out of Hisano's eyes, and into Yu...
Yu bid the woman goodbye, and headed for home...
That night, Yu decided to talk with Nanako, Virtue bringing him a tiny bit closer to Justice...
Almost as soon as Yu sat to join Nanako at the table, Dojima returned home.
"Oh, welcome back! Um, Dad...!"
Right, the parent-teacher paper...
Dojima sighed.
"Later, Nanako..."
"B-but, this paper..."
Dojima gave in and followed Nanako to the table, where his daughter placed the form.
"'Scheduling of Parent-Teacher Interviews'? A survey, huh...?"
Nanako looked at her feet...
"... Fine. It's fine... It's fine, already!"
Dojima faced his daughter, who kept shouting.
"You don't have to write anything! You don't have to come! It's just another case to you, right? It's just more work, isn't it? Bad people and everyone else are more important to you than me, huh!?"
Nanako... What do I say to her?
Before Yu could talk, Nanako calmed down a little, before muttering...
"You're not 'real'... You're not my real dad!"
And she ran out the door, into the night.
"N-Nanako! Wait!... What's gotten into her...?"
Dojima held himself with just a little bit of an ashamed slouch...
For all the progress we've made... Some wounds do not mend quickly... I know that...
"Let's go look for her."
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Now's not the time to stand around asking questions. I'll go check Junes. Yu, you look around the Shopping District! I'm counting on you!"
Yu nodded solemnly at his uncle and the two of them barreled out the door.
"Hah... Hah..."
Dammit... I ran all the way here, and she's nowhere to be seen...
Yu gave one more scan from the middle of the Shopping District, before hearing a bunch of voices call out to him...
"Yosuke? Chie and Yukiko, too?"
The Magician nodded.
"I ran into Dojima-san at Junes, and he told me what happened."
"You could have just asked!"
Chie nearly yelled at Yu...
Man, she's right...
Yukiko explained that she and Chie received calls from Yosuke...
"Guys... Thank you. Let's split up and find her! You see Kanji, get him in on it, too!"
"Great!... Speaking of which, you have any ideas of where she would go?"
A place Nanako would go to, when she could be away and still feel safe... The floodplain, where she picked flowers with her parents!
"The Samegawa! I bet she went there!"
"The river, huh...? Alright, Partner. You head straight there. That's our best bet. We'll check wherever else she could have head, just in case. Give everyone else a ring if you find anything."
"Alright. Thank you again, guys..."
The she is...
Yu spotted Nanako, sitting under the pavilion on the Floodplain. Dojima walked up to him not long after.
"Dammit... Did you find Nanako!? Huh?"
Dojima's gaze found Nanako soon after that...
"Nanako!... Hah... Yu. Could you talk to her? I'm not her 'real father', huh...? Yu, you should go pick her up. She'll listen to you."
As hard as it is to say... I can't disagree...
"... Okay."
"... I'm sorry about this, Yu. But as long as Nanako is okay... I'm fine... Please."
He's not great at showing it, but Dojima's a really kind father... Better than my folks, at least.
Yu walked towards the pavilion, as Dojima turned and headed for home. Nanako had been looking at here feet, and didn't see Yu until he was very near...
"Big Bro..."
Yu smiled a tiny bit.
"Let's go home."
"... Yeah."
Nanako started sniffling a little, so Yu sat down next to her...
"Your father and I looked really hard for you, when you left..."
"He was looking for me...? Did Dad say anything about the river?"
"Ummm..."
"... Did he forgot about Mom? He never talks about her... I wanna see Mom..."
Why do I have to feel so powerless when she's on the brink of tears? Dammit...
"Dad must've forgotten about Mom.. They aren't any pictures of her at home. He probably threw them all away... Is he going to throw me away, too...?"
Nanako... If you could only understand...
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'm here now, right?"
"Big Bro... I'm going home now. Let's go home together."
Yu gave his friends a call and told them that Nanako was safe, then walked home with cousin-
No. Sister.
-Home, a seventh Justice card appearing before him on the way...
06/27 M
Clear
"Don't get carried away just because some scatterbrained idol is back in town! You hear me!? That's Rise, for all you out-of-the-loop morons. All she does are variety shows and silly commercials! What's the damn point of running your mouths about some half-wit whose only talent is appearing on shows for idiots?"
A King Moron rant... Ugh...
"Now, I've got the perfect lecture for you assholes! Let's talk some Friedrich Nietzsche! It makes sense! Many of you are reacting to your own 'ressentiment' toward that idol girl by talking about her, right?... Why the hell do you all look so upset!? Stand your ass up, Narukami!"
Oh, boy...
"Now then, what does 'ressentiment' mean? Answer the question!"
"Hatred and jealousy, right?"
"So you've already done the reading, smartass? Well, you got it right. 'Ressentiment' is a French word denoting hatred and jealousy. It's different from 'resent', because it's used exclusively for jealous feelings towards someone better than you! I'm sure you're all very familiar with how that feels. At least I won't have to go into much depth on this one. And just so you know, there's LOTS more people out there who're all much better than all you dipshits!"
Seriously, I'm shocked that mouth of yours hasn't gotten you killed yet, much less fired.
'God, please give me some friends. -Yoshitaka'
"So, you want me to make this kid some friends?"
The Fox yipped, as Yu smiled and left the Shrine.
"Oh... Hello, Yu-san."
"Hello, Naoki."
Figures I'd run into someone.
Yu decided to spend the rest of the day with Naoki, Makami bringing him a tiny bit closer to the Hanged Man...
Man, it seems like everyone in town loves this place...
Yu sat down at the counter at Aiya with Naoki. The two ate silently for a while...
"This place is pretty good, huh? I usually eat here a lot because it's so close to our place, but for some reason, I haven't eaten here recently."
Huh. It's probably because of what happened two months ago... But he really doesn't want me to talk about that.
"Been too busy lately?"
"No... I'm actually pretty free right, especially now that I'm not part of the Student Health Association."
Naoki smiled a little, then leaned away from his food.
"The liquor store is pretty busy, but... I can't do much to help. I mean, it's not actually our business that's busy..."
Naoki held his breath for a moment.
"Most of the media has stopped coming around, but if there's nothing new to report on, sometimes they'll pop up..."
That's right, it's been a bit of a hotspot recently...
Naoki continued.
"Lately, the neighbors have been coming one after the other... 'Poor thing', they'll sob. Even the lady from the neighborhood association came. Funny how she never even spoke to Sis before... Then they all tell me 'You need to live an admirable life for your sister's sake'. It's suffocating."
Man... I can see why he's upset. Not everyone who comes 'round to give sympathy is going to be sincere, and he's been hearing 'sorry' several times a day for a while...
"I mean... What is exactly is an 'admirable life', anyway?"
"This is going to sound stupid, but I think it means 'contributing to society'."
"'Contribute to society'...? Like, becoming a politician?"
Naoki tilted his head.
Well trying to quote my parents doesn't really work outside a professional setting. What was I thinking, phrasing it like that?
"Not even at large: If you can make some else smile once in a while..."
"Oh, I'm sorry... I just seem to talk about odd things when I'm around you."
Yu gave a knowing smile, and the two returned to finishing their food before heading home, a second Hanged Man card appearing before Yu...
That night, Yu decided to talk to Dojima, Unicorn bringing him a little bit closer to the Hierophant...
Dojima talked to his nephew about various things, when Nanako walked up to them...
"I'm going to sleep..."
"Hmm? Oh, it's this late already? 'Night."
My danger sense is tingling... I'd better be ready for things to go downhill, even if she's not going to run away again...
Nanako stared at her father...
"What?"
"You said you would read me a book before bed."
That's right, I saw Dojima get done talking to her right as I came in...
"Oh? Ohh, that's right..."
Nanako looked away and fumed a little...
"I got it, I got it. Just a few pages."
"Yay!"
Huh. That's a really pleasant surprise.
Dojima got out of the chair at the table with Yu, when his phone started to ring...
Oh, no... I don't want to see Nanako get upset again...
"Hold on."
Dojima opened his phone up and began speaking into it.
"Dojima here... Ichihara-san! Yes... Yes... Then that means... Well, if its okay with you, I can be there in just a few... I understand. Goodbye."
"Dad...? Are you leaving?"
Dojima sighed.
"It's... My job."
"But you said you'd read me a book..."
"I can do that anytime..."
When is 'anytime', Dojima?
"... So, I take it this is more important?"
"Huh!?... Of course not..."
Nanako fidgeted nervously.
"Are you two fighting...? y-you can go, Dad."
"No, that's not it... I'm sorry, Nanako. What book do you want?"
Wait, what?
"... It's okay?"
"I promised. C'mon, let's go, Nanako."
"Yeah!"
Nanako and Dojima went upstairs to her room. Yu could faintly hear Dojima mumble through the ceiling.
So, he does the voices, too? Wow, can't say I'd have guessed. Hmm... Maybe I should make lunch now...
It was a solid twenty minutes before Dojima returned, wearing an uncharacteristic smile.
"Man, she made me read the whole thing... Let's talk."
Yu and Dojima walked to the back door, and sat down on the porch.
"The phone call was from Ichihara-san, my former senpai. I'm having him run tests for Chisato's hit-and-run investigation. He was calling to tell me that the test results are in... Judging by his tone, he didn't find anything the police haven't already come up with. I know going over there won't change the results, but..."
Dojima sighed.
"It was a white sedan. Most likely large and American. As expected, no such car is registered in Inaba. No records of one being repaired or scrapped, either... Worst case scenario, the car's out pf the country by now."
Damn... That's a tough break... I wish I could help.
Dojima waited a little before talking.
"It scares me... That I couldn't catch the perp... That I'll never have an outlet for this sick feeling. That I'll just have to swallow it...! Every time I look at Nanako... Every time, I notice ways she looks like her mother. I feel like... My face is being pushed down, into reality. And it scares me..."
But... It means you're living here and now, doesn't it?
Dojima sighed again.
"I never thought I'd be talking to you about this."
The 'much younger brother', right?
Dojima and Yu nodded to each other.
"I know things can't stay that way forever. While you're still here, I'll need to face myself."
As the two of theme sat in silence, a seventh Hierophant card appeared before Yu...
06/28 Tu
Rain/Cloudy
Yu decided to attend basketball practice after an uneventful day at school, Oni bringing him a little closer to Strength...
As the team got out the basketballs and got primed for practice, Yu remembered something.
Ai wanted to know what Kou's type was... I've been putting it off a little too long.
Yu asked the question.
"Huh? M-my type of girl? Y-you're kinda putting me on the spot, all of a sudden... Um, well, I guess... A nice girl?"
Yeah, of course. A nice girl. Named Chie, right?
After practice, Kou glowered a little, and tried to avoid facing Yu. Daisuke came up and asked the basketball players if they'd like to grab a bite to eat on the way home.
Kou's been really out of it...
"Hmm? Huh? Is practice over already?"
"Mine? Yeah, they're just cleaning up."
"No, mine... It's over, isn't it... I gotta go home."
Daisuke shot Yu a glance, half confused, half concerned.
"Hey, Yu, what's his problem? Is he sick or something?"
You just had to ask...
"You, uh... You could say that."
"Oh, well, that sucks. You better head home and rest up. You head home and rest up."
Dammit, he can be thick.
Kou sighed, as though he hadn't even heard them.
"You know, I'm pretty short for a basketball player."
Daisuke tilted his head.
"I... Guess..."
But it has its advantages. I always get a kick out of driving past all the tall guys. It makes me feel good, like I'm doing all this just for myself. Not my grandma, not my sister, it's all me."
The silence hung heavy for a bit...
"But what's the point? Who cares how hard I train? It's not like we ever play any real games. It's totally worthless. It has no meaning whatsoever."
Someone's having a depressive episode... Poor guy.
Daisuke was baffled.
"Kou... You serious, man?"
"... I'm out. Later."
And with that, Kou left.
"What's up with him?"
Yu explained the time he and Kou talked on the roof...
"Geez, you gotta be kidding me! He should be celebrating that they let him play, not sulking... Hmm..."
Daisuke fell silent for what seemed like a while.
"Dammit! I don't get any of this! But hang on, he said it was 'worthless', right? 'Cause they don't play any real games... Well then, why don't we give him a real match? Sitting around here talking ain't doin' crap. Now we need action! Right?"
What's he got planned...? Even so...
"You're right."
"That's what I'm talkin' bout! If it's a game he wants, it's a game he'll get!"
Daisuke pumped his arm slightly.
"Anyways... Where do we start with setting up a real game? ... Hmm... I got an idea."
Daisuke turned and called over another basketball player.
"What's up, Daisuke? Did you switch over to the basketball team or somethin'?"
"Yeah, right. But listen to this. You guys are gonna have a real game, so pick a time and a team to play against."
The other b-baller was stunned.
"What!? No way!"
"Yes way. And if you don't play, I'll tell the teachers all about the homework you're always copying."
"Wha- That's low, man!"
"Shut up. You better be ready, too, 'cause it's gonna happen soon. You got that? Soon."
The other basketball player stormed off in a huff.
... What just happened? How does Daisuke even know that?
Daisuke faced Yu again.
"I got some dirt on a bunch of other guys too, so we should have no problem getting together a full team."
"... Isn't that blackmail?"
Daisuke laughed a little.
"Probably. Well, if we come up short, I'll play, too. I don't really know the rules... But whatever, right?"
Eh, I like explaining things I know about.
Yu bid Daisuke farewell, a sixth Strength card appearing before him on his walk.
That night, Yu decided to continue his tutoring job, Taotie bringing him a little bit closer to the Tower...
"So, that's how you find the radius? Huh..."
Huh. He's gotten a lot of material on by himself...
After the allotted tutoring time ended, Yu sat down for some tea with Shu...
"Um... What do you think of your school?"
Do I tell him that one of my teachers speaks through a puppet of himself? Or the nicest ancient Egyptian I've met? Or King Moron...
"... It's strict."
"Hmm... It doesn't sound like it, though, from what you've told me before..."
Well, it's only the one...
Shu adjusted his glasses.
"Moving on to other matters... There's a transfer student in my class. He looks down on everything here and says we're all a bunch of hicks living out in the boonies. Everyone ignores him."
Shu fell very quiet...
Does Yosuke have a little brother or something? How many people can move to Inaba in a year or so?
"Well, even if I think he's wrong, you have to admit... This IS the countryside."
Shu chuckled a little.
"You're right... I guess being out here is like being the proverbial 'frog in the well'."
You have NO IDEA.
Shu suddenly started talking again.
"Oh, uh... That's what he said. That he was the frog, because he, uh... That he's from the city, and out here is the country, and, uh..."
Shu stopped and started desperately casting for a subject.
"School is a pain. All my classmates are stupid, and the lessons they try to teach are absolutely pointless... Your lessons are a lot easier to understand."
Huh. I didn't really know how I was doing, to be honest.
"... Thanks. I'll come again."
"Take care now!"
Yu started the walk home, a third Tower card appearing before him just out the door...
06/29 W
Clear/Cloudy
After an uneventful day at school, Yu saw an uncharacteristically fidgety Ai near the shoe lockers...
"Um... D-did you ask?"
Wow, she's red...
"Yeah, I... Asked."
"C-come with me."
Yu was practically dragged to the roof, Yamata-no-Orochi desperately trying to bring the Moon closer to Yu...
"S-so, did you ask him... What kind of girl Kou likes?"
"... 'Nice girls'."
I'm guessing, who love kung fu movies and eat their weight in beef every day.
Ai gasped a tiny bit.
"... 'Nice'? He didn't say anything about being cute? Not even like 'a beautiful woman' or anything like that?"
Is she... Is she PANICKING?
"B-but, every guy wants to be with a pretty girl, right? It's the good-looking girls who find love, isn't it!?"
Ai took a deep breath and faced Yu head-on.
"Forget this, I'm tired of beating around the bush. Just go ask him if he's got a crush on anyone."
What? Why me? That's going a bit-
"What are you waiting for!? Go!"
No... No! My legs are moving on their own...!
Yu climbed down the stairs from the roof, passing through the third floor before spotting Kou on the second, near the restrooms.
"Oh, hey, Yu. Man, I've gotta piss like a racehorse."
Ew. And what the hell does that comparison even mean?
"Hey, uh, Kou... You, um, you got a crush on anyone in particular?"
Then again, I think I already know, from that one time...
"Huh? You wanna know who I like!? Er, this is awkward... Well, ummm..."
Kou fell silent...
"C'mon, just tell me."
"A-alright, but I'm only telling you this because I trust you, man. Don't tell her! In fact, don't tell anybody!... Ch... Chie-san. ... Chie-san, dammit! Are you happy now!? And while I'm at it, let me tell you, I'm goddamn jealous that you sit next to her in class, you lucky bastard! See ya later! I've really gotta go!"
And Kou ducked into the men's room.
Wow, talk about unlucky in love- I'm not even sure Chie'd be interested in most guys... Wait. Someone's watching me...
Yu turned to face the steps...
Ai heard everything. Oh dear...
The girl ran up the stairs, Yu following in hot pursuit.
Crap, she's...
Ai stood on the very edge of the roof, having somehow climbed over the fence around it.
"Don't come any closer!"
Crapcrapcrap!
"Chie, as in Chie Satonaka, right? That frumpy girl!? I... I got beat out by THAT!? I'm a hundred times better-looking!"
She's... She's gonna jump! Shit!
"Ai! You don't need to do this!"
"Guys like pretty girls, don't they!? I'm pretty now! And I had to work hard to become this way! But if I can't be loved, then... Then what's the point!?"
I gotta get her to a place where she can't hurt herself...
"Try to calm down. I'll hear you out, okay?"
Ai cried softly, before Yu climbed over the fence and helped her to the main area of the roof. The two of them walked over to a nearby wall, and Yu promised to just listen to Ai for a little bit...
"I... I used to be fat and clumsy... My family was poor, and everyone at school bullied me all the time. They used to surround me and say that I was gross, or they called me named like 'Piggy-hara'..."
Ouch. I... Didn't expect Ai to be so insecure... Then again, maybe I should have.
Ai continued.
"The boy I had a crush on even told me not to look at him, because I'd 'give him my germs'. Those awful memories still haunt my nightmares..."
I feel bad for thinking she was so shallow and petty before...
"About the time I entered middle school, my family came into their money. Everyone got so jealous of us that we ran away... And moved here. I knew this was my chance to start over... It was time to shop them all. I dieted, got into shape, and read every fashion or women's magazine I could get my hands on. I studied them like they were textbooks and learned all the secrets- Everything from attracting guys to smiling better. But..."
Ai started sobbing...
Damn... What do I say to that?
"Looks like... It was all for nothing. I couldn't be loved unless I became pretty, and now that I am, I still can't have it. I guess I'm doomed. I'll never be loved, will I? It's not like I have any other redeeming qualities..."
Well, what do I say... She's kinda fun at times, in a weird way...
"He just doesn't know you."
Ai looked at Yu with incredible thankfulness...
"You're... So nice to me. I should've fallen in love with you... Haha, just kidding."
Yu stayed silent.
"Hey... Why don't you and I just go out?"
No. I'm not gonna be your rebound.
"Are you sure about that, Ai?"
"... You're a weird guy. You're right, I'm sorry. I'm still... A little confused."
Yu gave a friendly smile to the somber-looking Ai, who decided to head home. Yu left not long after, a sixth Moon card appearing before him on the way out...
"I went shopping today, Big Bro! The fridge is full of food."
Hmmm...
"Thank you, Nanako."
Yu opened the fridge... ac Hmm... Meatballs. I can make meatballs.
Yu pulled a chopstick out and poked a hole in one of the meatballs...
Clear juice. This'll be nice.
06/30 Th
Cloudy
Ai needs someone to be nice to her... I know she's been dieting, but still...
Yu met with his...
Friend. Yeah.
Ai smiled a little as she ate.
Nice to see her eyes not all puffy and red.
"Yu-kun! Which of my examples on the blackboard is a real river?"
Wow, those are... Am I even allowed to say that?
"Umm... The Pis Pis River?"
"You got it! That river is in Nicaragua, where it's pronounced 'pie pie'. It shares the name of a water weed from the area. There's lots of silly names out there, like 'No Name Canyon' Colorado or the town of Uncertain, Texas, in America... Oops, I wasted a lot of time on this. I hope I have enough time to cover everything that'll be on the test..."
Block your schedule out better, then...
I've been a little slack on the ema's request... Hmm... That kid looks kinda lonely...
Yu approached a young boy on the Samegawa...
"Wh-what? I don't have any money..."
"What? I don't want your money."
"You're not here for anything else, then, right? I don't have any friends. So nobody wants to talk to me..."
Yeah, this is probably the kid who wrote the ema...
The child continued.
"Everyone talks about things I don't know about. Right now, they're all collecting stickers... I have a sticker, too, but they all said 'everyone has that one'... If I had a rare sticker, I bet they'd become my friends..."
A rare sticker... Well, I get the feeling 'The Granter of Your Desires!' isn't a sticker kids come across often...
Yu pulled out one of his Prize Stickers from the mail-order program...
"Huh? Mister, is that a sticker? 'Granter of your desires'? If this sticker can do that, then I'm sure to make friends! Mister, can you give me this sticker?"
"Well, sure."
"Yeah! Thanks, Mister! I'm sure to have lots of friends now!"
The child ran off...
Will that really work, though...? I'd better check back later...
Yu passed through the Shopping District on the way home...
"Oh... Hello, Yu-san."
"Hey, Naoki."
Yu felt Makami bring him a little closer to the Hanged man, as the two walked over the Souzai Daigaku...
"... Then Masaya made up an excuse for why he was late, and he said, 'the wind was really strong'. The teacher got pissed. 'Shut your eyes, all of you!' he yelled, and he started scolding us..."
That'd explain why Ayane looked so shell-shocked on the way out of school today, then...
Naoki continued.
"But no one knew why we had to close our eyes, so it was really awkward... After scolding us, he starts class and he yells out, 'Who wants to answer? I know! Masaya, answer the question!' And Masaya says, 'I can't see the board with my eyes closed.' The teacher lost it right there, and and the class wound up a free period."
Naoki laughed...
Wow, he's not acting all depressed. That's good. Hmm... Well, maybe should put those months in the States to use...
"So, here's a joke... Three guys walk into a bar. The concussions were terrible!"
"Huh? Is that it? Was I supposed to laugh there? Sorry, I didn't get that at all. You must have a different sense of humor."
Naoki wore a wry smile smile, despite not really understanding the joke.
"I feel like it's been a while since I laughed."
Nice to see him feeling better...
A pair of housewives passed by...
"That child, remember? The liquor store's..."
"Konishi-san's son, right?"
Naoki feel silent and stared at Yu...
"Their daughter was killed."
"Poor thing."
"A psychic on TV said that their ancestors committed some sin..."
"I heard their store faces northeast, and that's what's bringing in all the bad luck."
"But that boy looked cheerful. You'd figure he would be sad. That's pretty cold of him."
"Siblings close in age aren't that friendly to each other. My son and daughter are..."
Idle gossipers... If you're going to say things you don't know a damn thing about, do it out of earshot of the person you're being stupid about.
The women walked off, as Naoki stared at the ground.
"... You want me to go tell them off?"
"No... It's okay. They're not worth your time. Those 'roving eyes' are always around somewhere... I'm used to it, though... It seems like they're not satisfied unless I look like a victim. That's why it's been so long since I've talked about stupid things and just laughed... It's fun."
Yu chuckled a tiny bit, and bid his underclassman farewell, a third Hanged Man card appearing before him on the way home...
That night, Yu decided to work at the hospital, Pazuzu bringing him a tiny bit closer to the Devil...
"Good work! Tell me what you've finished today."
Huh... Sayoko's looking a little... Off...
07/01 F
Rain
Why doesn't this thing ever turn easily...?
Yu thanked Old Lady Shiroku as she handed him his capsule prize and a pair of small keys...
That night, Yu decided to continue his work at the hospital, Pazuzu bringing him a tiny bit closer to the Devil...
Wow, that's some awful shouting. This place always has weird noises, but that's clearly someone's voice...
Sayoko stormed into the room Yu was cleaning...
"Oh... You're here... Did you hear that commotion? That was the first time anyone ever called me a 'slutty bitch' to my face..."
... What? That's ridiculous.
"That... Sounds like a soap opera."
"Seriously. When I laughed at her feeble attempt at an insult, she scratched at me. Who's the bitch now...?"
Sayoko grinned a little.
"At the previous hospital I worked at... I had a relationship with one of the doctors. But... He had a wife."
Look at me, being not-surprised.
"She found out, I was forced to quit... And I started working here. Not too long after, it seems he began flirting again, this time with a different nurse at the hospital. I don't know what happened, but I got dragged back into it. His wife came all the way here to bitch at me."
That's kinda ridiculous, even if you DID do something you really shouldn't...
Sayoko sighed.
"The other nurses were just watching, with these stupid smirks on their faces."
Some people just don't think as much as they should...
"That can't be helped."
"Haha... You're right. I'd probably do the same, in their place... Strangers are strangers..."
Sayoko walked past Yu and towards the window and sighed.
"Everything's just a pain. It wasn't like this at first... When I first thought about becoming a nurse. What am I working for...? What am I living for...?"
... Oh... That's way too sincere for me to ignore.
"Hey... I think everyone has a reason to be here. There's no need to worry about that sort of thing."
"Oh... I'm sorry, I was just grumbling to myself... Thank you. You're a kind boy."
I dunno... I just try to be honest.
Sayoko thanked Yu again, then left, Yu himself heading home soon after, a fifth Devil card appearing before him on the way out the door...
07/02 Sa
Cloudy
After an uneventful day at school, Yu checked with the boy at the Samegawa...
"Oh, you're the one who gave me the Prize Sticker... I showed it to them, but they said a grown-up sticker didn't count..."
The kid handed the sticker back to Yu...
"Where am I supposed to find a rare kids' sticker...?"
Hmm... Well, I know Nanako's watches a lot of anime...
"I'll come back, some time. Okay?"
"... Thanks, Mister."
On the way home, Yu decided to grab the bus ride to the Daycare on the hill overlooking town, Mithra bringing him a little closer to Temperance...
Eri met with Yu a little early, and the two chatted idly until it was time for both of them to leave...
She's being a little... Strange, too...
That night, Yu spent a precious moment with Nanako, Virtue bringing him slightly closer to Justice...
Wait.
"Hey, Nanako? Do you know about stickers?"
"Oh?"
Nanako left for her room and returned with a puffy sicker featuring a busy fight scene...
"This is pretty popular. Here you go."
Tankiriman?
"... Thank you."
Nanako giggled bashfully.
Yu's Level: 37
Current Personas:
Mithra
Unicorn
Taotie
Gdon
Setanta
Pazuzu
Pyro Jack
Ganga
Oni
Virtue
Makami
Yamata-no-Orochi
Social Links:
Fool: Rank 4
Magician: Rank 3
Priestess: Rank 4
Empress: Rank 4
Emperor: Rank 2
Hierophant: Rank 7
Chariot: Rank 4
Justice: Rank 7
Hermit: Rank 4
Strength: Rank 6
Hanged Man: Rank 3
Death: Rank 1
Temperance: Rank 5
Devil: Rank 5
Tower: Rank 3
Star: Rank 2
Moon: Rank 6
Sun: Rank 6
Comments
