07/31 Su
Clear
Yu took a walk along the Samegawa to clear his head.
I'm not like Mitsuo anymore, right? I've got people I can depend on, and I'll do everything I can so that they can depend on me, too... No matter what.
Yu nodded to no one in particular, before making his way down to the riverbed.
"My, Yu-chan... I'm happy to see you."
Yu went with Hisano and sat down with her near the edge of the river...
"... Do my clothes smell of incense? My husband's tsuki meinichi is today, and I've just come back from visiting his grave."
I never liked the idea of monthly funereal rites... Well... What to say...
"That must have been tough."
"Oh, no. The cemetery is right near my home. I don't have to walk very far."
Hisano smiled, but fell quiet for what seemed like a long time...
"... Do you know what Death is?"
"Hm?"
"Death is the entity that takes people to the gods. For those trying to reach the gods, and to the families of those people, Death can be an ally."
Death as a deliverance... I don't think that's a philosophy anyone should really follow.
"I don't really know about that."
Hisano's expression became extremely dour...
"When a person dies... The people who are left behind start to grieve, right? 'Why did that person have to die?'... That's the question everyone wants to know the answer to. How is it right that this life had to come to an end...? The person did nothing wrong, and yet..."
... They're gone. I've never really had to go through it like that, but...
"We want to think that they went to the gods... They're being summoned to Heaven, and there's nothing we can do about it. We try to convince ourselves of that... Sometimes, we look forward to Death taking them to the gods... You don't quite understand it yet, do you?"
... I must not, because this sounds like running away to me... No matter what, I'm sure the dead don't want us to linger on this.
"I admit, I'm not sure I understand..."
Hisano chuckled.
"That's how it should be. The innocence and happiness of youth."
... There's SO MUCH I wish I could tell you about right now.
"Hah... I looked forward to death too much... And became Death myself. Before I realized it, I..."
Hisano excused herself and walked off. As she rounded the corner out of sight, a fourth Death card appeared before Yu...
... I'm not really superstitious, but something tells me I should be a little careful for a while. Four Deaths is just asking for it.
Nanako's busy tonight, and Dojima's at work... Well, there's always this thing.
Yu pulled out the second mech model the middle-aged man had given him a while back, and began piecing it together...
08/01 M
Rain/Cloudy
That morning, Yu worked with Nanako around the house, before running off for the bus stop in the shopping District.
Some extra cash wouldn't be a bad thing to have, considering the festival coming up... I wonder how Eri's doing...?
Yu felt Genbu slot into place, bringing him a little more in line with Temperance...
"Here I gooo! Feather Eternal Drill!"
"Argh... Y-you can't be that legendary..."
"Hahaha! There's nothing my drill can't destroy!"
Look at Yuuta, piercing the heavens. Good to see him having fun with the other kids.
No one came for Yuuta after care hours had ended, so Yu decided to walk him home partway...
"You spilled the beans, didn't you, Mister?"
Hmm? Oh, right, the show.
"You told her I liked Phoenix Ranger Featherman R, huh?"
"I might have."
"I knew it! You've got a big mouth for a guy!"
... That's a little sexist, isn't it?
Threw his arms up in excitement.
"She bought me a robot and a DVD! So, uhhh... Wh-what do you think... Would make her happy? I-in return for her gift!?"
Well, what do I say to that?
"Just don't act up like you used to."
Kids don't get subtlety, anyway. Well, most kids.
Yuuta fell silent for a little bit, then spoke up again.
"Is Mother's Day... Already over?"
Yu nodded.
Yuuta fumed a little, but then spotted something on the ground.
"Oh! A four-leaf clover! She said she likes them. She said they bring happiness."
"They bring the most as a gift. My mother liked them, too."
"Alright! I'm gonna find a bunch of 'em by next Mother's Day! Then she'll have a bunch of happiness!"
Right then, Eri came running up, tired and huffing.
"I'm sorry for being late... Yuu-kun, what were you talking with Mister Yu about?"
"N-nothing! You don't have to come pick me up! I can go home by myself!"
And with that, Yuuta ran off...
Eri gave a bitter laugh...
"I guess it's not that easy to fix everything... I wonder if he's afraid of me..."
... Mincing words her won't help anyone.
"I think... You're both afraid."
"Both of us... So you're saying I'm scared of him as well, huh...?"
Eri gave a false, but understanding, smile...
"Whenever I speak to him, he hides or leaves... He's always running away from me. He must hate the fact that I'm here."
"I don't think that's true at all."
He got a four-leaf clover for you. To a kid, that's a big deal.
"Y-you think so? Then maybe I'll hang in there a little longer... Thanks. I feel a bit better. I really can't talk about this to anyone else... Thank you for always solving my problems."
Thank you for trusting me so much... I just want the world to be a little happier.
As Eri excused herself and chased after Yuuta, Yu smiled a little. Suddenly, a seventh Temperance card appeared before him...
And then this sticker goes... What the hell? No, that can't be right... Maybe- Ah-ha! Bad angles on the diagrams once again almost screwed me over again!
Yu placed the sticker as carefully as possible on what looked like a leg piece...
08/02 Tu
Clear
Yu took a walk through the Shopping District, and met up with Yukiko near the bookstore.
"Oh, Yu-kun! Hello. Hey, umm... Could you help me with something?"
"Sure."
Do you even need to ask, anymore?
Yu felt Parvati bring him a little closer to the Priestess...
Yukiko brought Yu to Junes' Grocery Department...
"I wrote down everything I need, so this shouldn't take that long."
This is a slightly dangerous question, but I just gotta know...
"Gotten any better yet?"
"That's... I hope so."
Yukiko smiled sheepishly...
"I'm studying the basics of the basics. But it's not turning out quite like it does in the book, even though I'm following the directions."
She really needs to do this for herself... Well, what's there to say but-
"Just keep practicing."
Yukiko smiled and nodded.
"Yes. Practice makes perfect... I think there's no point unless I do it alone..."
The Priestess shuffled her feet.
"Our cooks help me out all the time. At first they just give me advice, but eventually they take the knife from me. So even if it turns out wonderfully, it doesn't mean anything that way... I told them to leave me alone, but they still stay and watch. Are they that worried about my cooking...?"
That doesn't sound like it at all.
"I think they care about you."
"They care about... Me? Do... Do you really think so?"
... Don't act so surprised. It makes me sad.
"Last time, the head chef took the knife from me, shout, 'I can't stand to watch anymore!' and made the rest. The waitress saw it and said to the head chef, 'Yuki-chan wants to make it herself, even if it's awful...' Before I knew it, I was 'studying how to cook for a boy I like'..."
... You SURE it's a boy?
Yukiko continued.
"My parents got involved, and it exploded from there. Hmhm... Funny, isn't it? But... Maybe it wasn't all a lie."
Yukiko blushed and fell silent.
"T-taste my food again, okay...?"
Yu nodded, wearing a small smile.
... It can only improve from here, right?... Yeah. Have faith, Yu.
Yukiko pushed the cart she had been using off. Just as Yu went to follow her, a sixth Priestess card appeared before him...
Hmm... Well, there's still a lot of time left for me to make some extra change for the festival- And I've gotta make sure everyone gets a taiyaki! I gotta
Yu felt Cu Chulainn fall into place, bringing him a little closer to the Tower...
"It comes after the word 'have,' so I should be using the past particle... 'Done', right?"
"You've got it."
After a few more exercises, Yu and Shu sat down for their usual after-study tea...
"... Is English all about memorization, too? Math is just remembering the right formulas and applying them. Chemistry is just remembering chemical equations. The tests are just there to see if you remember them, and to penalize you if you forget..."
Shu stared at his tea mug...
"Is there any bullying at your school?"
"Not really..."
Lots of vicious rumors, though.
"I guess I'd expect that from people in high school. You're more mature."
That's a very relative term, though.
"... It's not like their punching him or hiding things from him or anything... They're not stealing his money... It's just hat he... He doesn't have a place there."
Shu seemed to deflate...
"Maybe that's not the same thing as bullying..."
"Just put some effort into it."
"Effort... Oh... I see."
Shu furrowed his brow.
"Oh, uh... It's not about me. It's about... The transfer student. The one I was talking about before. Not me."
... Well, at least he trusts me with his problems... Kinda.
Shu and Yu both fell very quiet...
"It seems I've been talking about things that aren't relevant to my studies..."
"I don't mind."
It's what I seem to do most of the time, anyway... If people need it, then they need it.
"... Thank you. Umm... You'll come again, won't you?"
Yu smiled.
"Of course."
After a short but polite farewell, Yu left for his home, a fifth Tower card appearing before him on the way out the door...
08/03 W
Clear
*PI-PI-PI! PI-PI-PI!*
Hmm, who could that be...?
Yu pulled out his phone.
Ai, huh? Well, I was wondering when she'd want to do something outside of school. Well, besides shopping at Crocofur.
"Hello, it's me. I wanna go somewhere. You'll come, right?"
"... Sure."
"Cool. Don't be late."
Okina Station... Should've guessed.
"So, what do you wanna do? I'm getting kinda tired of this place... There's nothing left to do here."
... What.
"Why'd you invite me, then?"
"... Don't be stupid. You should know that by now."
... I guess so.
"Hey, Senpai!"
Suddenly, Rise came walking up.
... This could be bad.
Rise stopped and just stared at Ai, a little surprised, a little...
... Jealous? Angry?... Either way, this got bad.
"I didn't think you'd have time to be making small talk with other girls..."
"Shut up."
... IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE.
"I believe Yu was talking to me. It's rude to interrupt."
"... What's wrong with you?"
And with that, Rise stormed off...
"... Don't you dare talk to other girls when you're with me!"
... You can be nicer than that, Ai. I know that.
Yu and Ai went for another round of shopping at Crocofur. Despite the argument earlier, Ai's eyes seemed to sparkle a little...
Yu wearily opened the front door at home that night.
Well, Ai had a little fun today, at least... I'll have to figure out some way to make it up to Rise, though...
Yu sighed and sat down next to Nanako, Dominon bringing him a little closer to Justice...
"Umm... You know that photo you found before?"
... Ah, that's right. The one of her family...
"I gave it back to Dad. He looked happy and smiled at me. Big Bro... I love my Dad."
Yu smiled.
"He loves you, too."
"I think so, too!"
Nanako wore a small but very cheerful smile.
"Dad didn't forget about how we used to pick flowers at the Samegawa River. He smiled and said, 'You remember, too?'... Dad loves Mom.... I feel sorry for him, losing someone he loves."
... I feel a little bad for you, too, Nanako. But since you both care so much...
"I don't think she's lost."
"That's what Dad said, too. He said, 'She's inside of me.'... I don't really get what he said, but I know what he meant."
Nanako smiled gently...
"I'm glad to be Dad's daughter!"
... Well, one night with Nanako a going to bed a little late couldn't be too bad, right?
"You want to play a little?"
"Really? Yay! Then, uh, I know! Let's play cards!"
Yu and Nanako played a few games, then Yu put Nanako to bed. As he turned to his own room, a ninth Justice card appeared before him...
08/04 Th
Clear
Yu went out a little early, and wound up meeting up with Kanji.
"Hey, uh... Yu-senpai... Could we, uh... Hang out today?"
"Sure."
"Really? Great!"
Yu felt Oukuninushi slot into place, bringing him a little closer to the Emperor...
Kanji took Yu to the pavilion on the hill overlooking town. The two of them sat together in silence.
"... I've always liked this place. Being able to see my house and school and everything from up here... It makes me feel small."
Kanji fell quiet again for a while.
"Uhh... When you met my Ma at the hospital... She say anything about me?"
"Plenty."
"That's what I thought... Well, you already know everything about me. I got nothin' to hide."
Honestly, yours wasn't all that bad. Sleazy and oversexed, yeah, but...
"... Wish I could quit being afraid of hospitals. I gotta get stronger..."
Suddenly, Kanji noticed a boy sitting on a bench nearby...
"That kid... He was with Ma at the hospital..."
With that, Kanji got up and sat next to him, Yu standing a little ways off.
"Yo kid, what're you doin' here by yourself?"
"Uh... Ummm... Nothing..."
"Then how come you look like you're gonna cry?"
... Wow, Kanji's a lot more perceptive about this sort of thing than I'd have guessed.
"I... Lost a doll... I lost the knit rabbit doll that Sana-chan let me borrow... Taka-kun said it was girly and stomped on it... It got all dirty... And he said, 'If you're a man, then throw it away...'. I... I threw the doll in the river... And it got washed away..."
The boy started crying...
... Wow. That's just mean of Taka.
"Wh-what should I do!? I hafta give it back to Sana-chan... She liked that bunny... And I... I..."
Kanji's eyes seemed to glow intensely...
"So why are you here? You ran away?"
The boy cried even harder...
"... Ya dumb kid!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
And with that last bawl, Kanji got up on his feet and faced Yu.
"C'mon! Don't just stand there!"
"I'll Go with you, absolutely."
"Huh? Really!?"
Kanji seemed shocked...
Why? I thought I told him I'd be happy to give him a chance.
And with that, the three of them went to the Samegawa Riverbed...
"I-I'll help..."
"You shut up. Stay where you are so you don't get in the way! Senpai, make sure he doesn't come in after me!"
Kanji waded a little further into the water...
"Whoa, this is cold."
Kanji searched and searched, but eventually came back onshore...
"I-I'm sorry... I'm going to apologize to Sana-chan. Even if she's mad, I'll say I'm sorry..."
"Uh, yeah, well, if you do find the rabbit, make sure you give it to her..."
The boy started to walk off, but Kanji spoke up.
"Yo, hold up. What kind of rabbit was it? Spill it. Just tell me!"
The boy tried to give the best explanation he could...
"Alright, I got it. You apologize to this 'Sana-chan'. You're the one who 'threw it away'."
The boy nodded.
"It might not be the same, but I'll get you a new one... So let it go with that."
Kanji... That's very admirable.
"M-mister..."
"Who you callin' mister!?"
The boy walked off a little after that...
"Geez... I'm still in high school. This' the prime of my youth!... Do I really look that old? Maybe it's the eyebrows... Oh. Uh, anyways, Sorry 'bout dragging you into this..."
... Y'know, I think it's the sense of style you go for that makes you look older, honestly. Don't really see how that's a bad thing.
"So, you're giving him a new one?"
"..So you heard me, huh?"
Kanji blushed a little.
"It was like I understood how he felt. Wanting to be accepted, afraid of being left out, doing stuff you shouldn't... Then taking the one person you shouldn't make cry and and making 'em bawl... So... Y'know, I thought maybe I could help him. Was I going too easy on him?"
Kanji put on an embarrassed smile and laughed a little at himself.
... Well, if he needs any help, I'll offer. I think he can handle this himself, though...
Yu and Kanji started on the way back home. Kanji seemed to start to come down with a cold on the way... After getting him back safely, Yu saw a fourth Emperor card appear before him...
That night, Yu decided to work at the hospital, Succubus bringing him a little closer to the Devil...
Yu cleaned one of the windows in a hallway, the usual spooky draft noises his only company for a long while...
After finishing the hallway, Yu walked down to a corner, where he overheard two nurses talking to each other...
"Uh, which room was it again? The one with the patient Uehara-san mentioned."
"What!? You'd better get going now, or she'll yell at you!"
"She's been really scary lately..."
"She's been trying too... Ah!"
Sayoko had quietly approached them...
"If you have time to chat, you have to go check on all the patients. Nakata-san, Room 512! Did you finish disimpacting the patient?"
"I... I was just about to go..."
"I see you're skilled at slaking off. Takahashi-san, the equipment order form wasn't filled out properly. In several places."
"I-I-I'm sorry, I'll fix it right-"
"I've already fixed it and sent it in! Just go."
And with that, the two other nurses left, nearly running away...
Sayoko... You're getting a little...
"Yu-kun... I see you're working. That's good. I'll be going, then..."
She's so pale looking... And those bags under he eyes...
"Hang in there."
"Right, I can still work."
Tonight, maybe.
Sayoko gave an awkward smile...
"Yep... Nice and clean. I like that you don't slack off."
Sayoko walked away. As she turned the corner out of sight, a seventh Devil card appeared before Yu...
Yu didn't see Sayoko the rest of the night, though he overheard her several times...
08/05 F
Clear
*PI-PI-PI! PI-PI-PI!*
Yu grabbed his phone and answered quickly.
"Oh, hi. This is Naoki. Would you mind hanging out with me today?"
I've been wondering about him, anyway.
"You got it."
"Great... I'll see you in a bit, then."
Yu met with Naoki at Souzai Daigaku...
"Sorry I'm in this depressing outfit. We had a memorial ceremony for my sister, and I rushed over to meet up with you after it ended..."
What a day to choose.
"Why?"
"Well... When I think about my sister, I'll get depressed if I don't talk to someone... And honestly, you're the only one I can talk to."
... I don't know if I should feel honored or worried. I kinda knew this already, but still...
At that moment, Ayane walked by...
"Hm? Senpai? And Naoki-kun too? I didn't know you two knew each other."
"Oh? I didn't realize you knew him either, Ayane..."
That's right, they're both in class 1-2... And so is Rise, if I remember right. I wonder how they get along, anyway?
Ayane smiled in a friendly, sweet way...
"Well, Yu-senpai and I are both in symphonic band. I'm sure you'd be welcome to join too, Naoki-kun..."
"Th-that's probably not a good idea. I can't read sheet music and I'm tone deaf."
Ayane giggled.
"Me too! We have something in common!
And with that, all three of them laughed.
I'm kinda stunned- As much trouble as she's had with the trombone, Ayane can sing pretty well for just goofing around a little wandering around. Naoki's not that bad, either.
Yu continued humming the song from earlier in the day as he pieced together the model a little more...
It's breathtaking moments in life
Addicted to it
Minds craving more and more...
08/06 Sa
Rain
Rain... Well, maybe this is a good day to just stay home.
And this goes... Here? Apply a sticker and some red paint aaaaaand... Ha-ha! It's done! Let's see here... 'Heavy Armor Agni'. Yet another bit of nonsense Hindu symbolism from Digital Devil- What a shock.
Yu placed the second model on his shelf, next to Brahman...
... Beautiful.
Hmm... Of all the things I get offered to translate, it just had to be a comedy 4-koma. Lessee... A joke about the tea ceremony... Dammit. How to translate, how to translate...
Yu scribbled as many English jokes onto his notepad as he could, desperately casting for one that'd work...
Yu's Level: 48
Current Personas:
Oukuninushi
Succubus
Hokuto Seikun
Black Frost
Cu Chulainn
Dis
Dominion
Triglav
Parvati
Leanan Sidhe
Genbu
Hanuman
Social Links:
Fool: Rank 7
Magician: Rank 6
Priestess: Rank 6
Empress: Rank 6
Emperor: Rank 4
Hierophant: Rank 7
Lovers: Rank 1
Chariot: Rank 5
Justice: Rank 9
Hermit: Rank 6
Strength: Rank 6
Hanged Man: Rank 4
Death: Rank 4
Temperance: Rank 7
Devil: Rank 7
Tower: Rank 5
Star: Rank 4
Moon: Rank 6
Sun: Rank 7
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