10/23 Su
Clear
Hmm... Y'know, whenever I'm just sitting around on a Sunday morning, someone-
*PI-PI-PI! PI-PI-PI!*
Right on cue.
Yu answered his phone.
"Hi, this is Chie. Would you mind hanging out with me today?"
"Not one bit!"
"Great! See you soon!"
Alright! I could use some exercise, anyway.
"In the movie I watched the other day, this guy knocked down a tree using only his leg! How does someone kick that hard...? Just practice?"
Well, considering that you came in here at a full sprint and didn't wind yourself one bit, among all the rest of the things I've seen you do...
Right then, Takeshi came walking up...
Finally decided to show your face, huh, jerk?
"Ch-Chie!"
"Oh, hey Takeshi... W-were you robbed again?"
"No... I took off right after that, right?... So I thought I'd apologize."
Ugh.
Chie's face seemed disappointed.
"... Why don't you be a man and admit you ran away?"
"Wh-what? Were you this anal before? Tch, you lose that sunny attitude, you won't have anything left."
... Good thing you don't have anything like to worry about, right? I mean, you're already terrible.
Chie's eyes suddenly shined with righteous fury.
"... Shut up!"
"Speaking of which... What's up with Yukiko-san? I saw her with you the other day... She seemed weirdly cheerful... She had this funky laugh, y'know...?"
I don't like where this is going.
Chie was incredibly stoic...
"That funky laugh... That's how she really is."
"Oh, you've rubbed off on her, huh? I can't believe it... That's not Yukiko-san... She was better gloomy..."
Chie seemed to do all she could to stay calm...
"... Look, if you get into trouble again, I'll step in and help."
"... Huh? Oh, uh... Thanks..."
Chie suddenly lashed out-
"So why don't you shut your mouth about Yukiko!? You don't know anything about her! She's a good person, got it!?"
"Wh-what the hell!?"
Takeshi backed up and ran off without another word...
... Wow, that was pretty great of you, Chie.
Chie trembled slightly...
"I just remembered... Way back, I saw Yukiko sitting by the road, holding a dog. I asked her what's up and she ran away from home... She'd picked up the dog, but her parents told her she couldn't have a pet, and that she'd have to get rid of it... She looked like she was dead or something... I tried everything I could think of to make her laugh. And that's how we became friends..."
I'll admit, it did seem a little odd when I first met you both...
"From that moment on... I told myself I'd protect Yukiko... But... Somewhere along the way, I messed up, and that Shadow popped out... After that, I thought I'd try to focus on what's good about me. I swore to quit being nothing but the girl Yukiko can rely on... So... I just tried my best. At finding the culprit and stuff... Just generally being more reliable... That's all."
Chie took a deep breath, seeming uncertain...
"... I feel like I missed the point..."
"That's the first step."
"... Thanks. You're too kind. Maybe... Half a step?"
Chie smiled and blushed, embarrassed.
"I wonder if there's anyone out there... Who can say, 'This is what makes me worthwhile'! I guess... Everyone's looking for it..."
Chie scratched behind her ear a little, trying to think of what to say-
"Oh yeah... That dog Yukiko picked up? It's gotten really fat at my place. Come by and see it sometime! It smells a little, but it's cute!... Maybe I'll walk it over to your house."
Chie blushed a little again...
... Well, I think Nanako would like it, too.
Yu and Chie walked home, splitting paths eventually. An eighth Chariot card appeared before Yu as he walked up to the door to his house...
That night, Yu sat down to do some origami after playing with Nanako...
She really likes those quiz shows... At least she's trying to learn.
Yu's eyes glazed over as he drifted off in the middle of work...
10/24 M
Clear/Cloudy
At lunchtime that day, a girl ran into room 2-2-
"Hey, everyone! They posted the test results!"
Yosuke sighed.
"Ugh... The awful moment of truth... Well, wanna check it out?"
"Yu, that's incredible!"
"I'm really impressed- The best score in the school!"
"Whooooa! You're a genius, Yu! That's awesome! I'm just as happy as if I'd got the highest grade myself!"
Guys, it's not that big a deal... I guess.
"Oh, hey, Yu-kun. I'm finished with posting the notices. You wanna do something?"
Kikuri-Hime nudged Yu a little towards the Priestess...
"Sure."
"Great!"
Yukiko brought Yu to the Shrine in the shopping District...
Yukiko's been acting all embarrassed the whole way here...
"Uh... Umm. Do you remember Kasai-san, the waitress? She seems to have told everyone about you... Now, they're saying I sh-should bring you home... Adults are so quick to poke fun at me... It's such a hassle, isn't it...? B-but of course my family runs an inn, so guests come by all the time... Maybe next time, you can just come in..."
... How do I tell her 'thanks' in this situation?
A middle-aged man in a business suit walked in.
"Oh, Yuki-chan!"
"Oh, the deputy mayor."
Yukiko brushed off her skirt and stood up...
"The people at the inn seemed very busy. Is something going on?"
"Huh...?... Oh no! Today was the interview for the travel show!"
"On TV? That's great! You'll try and make Inaba look inviting, won't you?"
Yukiko looked back to Yu...
"I'm sorry, I have to go."
"An interview, huh?"
"Uh-huh. It's for a travel show. It looks to be pretty serious, and we agreed to it because my mother and I won't be filmed. But they need me to help clean, so I have to go now."
Yukiko looked a bit disappointed.
"Well, goodb-"
Right then, one of workers from the Inn-
That woman... Ka...?
"Kasai-san? What's wrong?"
The worker was puffing a bit from the run.
"That TV crew came, but don't go to the inn! It was a trick! It's those people from that 'news of the weird' show! And I think they're looking for you! So stay put, you got that?"
"Huh... O-okay, but..."
A man's voice boomed out from a little ways off...
"There you are!"
... That asshole from before, huh?
"No use in hiding, future manager of the cursed inn."
Yukiko's eyes went wide.
"C-cursed inn...?"
The reporter smiled a terribly slimy grin.
"We know all about that murder case. Mayumi Yamano stayed at your place, right? And you guys've been hurting what with the drop in visitors, huh? So I came up with a great idea! 'The High-School Manager's Embarrassing Struggle: Renovating the Cursed Inn'!"
... Turning business troubles into a a chintzy TV show... That's disgusting.
The man continued...
"How's that grab you? The customers will be pouring in, I tell ya."
"I don't understand what you..."
"I want you to be the star. When we introduce the hot springs, let us film a little bathing scene, eh? 'The Modest Manager's Steamy Service'! Our ratings will be through the roof!"
... How do you live with being who you are?
One of his assistants grinned as darkly as his boss.
"That sounds like a great idea!"
Kasai shouted out to them-
"Listen, you..."
Yukiko interrupted her employee.
"Anyway, please leave. We are not interested in your coverage."
"You're refusing? Ugh... Look, kid... You don't know the power of television, do you? Well, I can't blame you, living in the countryside. We're trying to help you out here. I mean, do you WANT the patrons to dry up? If you're going to be the next manager, I'm trusting you to make the right decision here."
Don't even try to claim you're going to help her, you ass.
Yukiko looked to the ground...
"I... Won't be... The next manger..."
"Oh, really? Hmmm... That so? Well, you just say the word and I can hook you up with a better gig than running this dump of an inn. You could call yourself the 'Former High-School Innkeeper'... Heh, I'm already liking the sound of that! Why don't you hear me out?"
... You're scum. Simple as that.
Kasai was outraged yet again-
"How dare you say that to Yuki-chan...!"
Yukiko sighed.
"... It's okay. Let him say what he wants. He'll go home one he gets it all out."
"... what the shit? You say your inn has been going for generations, but all that means is that it's crappy and run-down. Tradition is so last year. You'd be better off if you did close up shop. I've seen the stuff you serve... small portions, decent service, nothing that stands out. If you want customers, you can't just do the same old, same old. You guys don't get that, and that's why you suck. Your waitresses don't even give extra service unless you tip 'em, huh? Heyyyyy.... I know! Why don't you make all the waitresses young girls, and have 'em do all-day menus? Y'know, spread the futon out, then go straight in! But anyways, I was saying... Let's give your place a little TV-style publicity. Use your head, willya?"
"... The hell up."
... You go, Yukiko.
"Don't say another word about our inn! Who'd take your stupid ideas seriously!? From now on, we refuse ANY coverage from your station!"
"You... Bitch! If that's how you wanna play it, I'll plaster those words all over prime time! See how that feels!"
You baby.
Yukiko nodded firmly, rage burning behind her eyes.
"Go ahead, by all means. And we'll respond with an official complaint to your sponsors."
"Th-this isn't sounding good, sir."
The shady man sighed and ran after his subordinate finished talking...
Yukiko was panting heavily...
"... I said some incredible things..."
Kasai laughed joyously, and Yukiko soon joined her. Yu smiled a little himself...
Kasai was the first to speak after the laughter died down.
"Oh, I should contact the inn. I'll see you later!"
Kasai left...
"I just... Kind of lost it when he was insulting everyone. W-was I scary Yu-kun...?"
"You were cool."
Yukiko blushed brightly...
"R-really? Thank goodness..."
Yukiko breathed for a moment...
"There was a time not long ago when I thought, 'It'd be better off if it closed', but it's like my home... It's where everyone in my world is... I can't let it close..."
Yukiko stared at her feet for a bit, then looked up bashfully at Yu...
"Hey... Can you stay here just a little longer...? My heart's still racing... Please..."
Yu and Yukiko sat in comfortable silence for a little while longer...
When the Fool finally left for his home, an eighth Priestess card appeared before him...
That night, Yu folded as many cranes as he could...
10/25 Tu
Cloudy/Rain
Hmm... I wonder if the Fox has gotten whatever he needed together now?
Yu left for the Shopping District...
Yu managed to sneak by the Moel gas station without being talked at by the attendant. When he looked over his shoulder however, they were staring right back, faintly smiling...
The Fox howled from the top of the Shrine, then leaped down and nuzzled Yu a little. It nudged towards the offertory box...
Yu walked up to it...
... Empty? How?
"Alright, outta the way! Out of the ways, I said!"
A construction crew ran in and began working...
Are they... Wow!
The crew worked quickly but well, and the offertory box and torii were covered in beautiful etched gold...
Yu stared down at the Fox as a small boy walked to the the box...
"God, you helped my friend when he needed you. Please, grant my wish, too... I brought some of my allowance."
The child threw in an offering, as a woman walked in and did much the same...
I guess the Shrine's reputation has become very good...
The Fox yipped happily at Yu, then ran off and back, carrying an ema...
Lots of fox pawprints... A Gratitude Ema, huh?
The Fox howled.
Suddenly, time seemed to stop, and a tenth card of the Hermit Arcana appeared before Yu...
Thou art I... And I am thou...
Thou hast established a genuine bond...
These genuine bonds... Shall be you eyes to the Truth...
A tremendous wave of energy washed over Yu from the Fox's eyes and the Gratitude Ema...
We bestow upon thee the ability to create the ultimate form of the Hermit Arcana...
Time returned to its normal flow...
Ongyo-ki, the Shadow-Dweller...
The Fox yipped again.
That night, Yu talked with his family happily...
"I heard you got top marks on that last exam. Keeping up that well while taking care of Nanako, too...? You one hard worker, aren't you? I need to act like an uncle every now and then, so here's some spending money. Here... A big tip. Don't spend it all- Nah. You can spend it however you like."
Yu sat with Nanako and played with her a little after that...
"Oh, Big Bro! Today, I..."
She's been so eager to share... I'm really glad that she's been so much happier...
"Oh, right! Dad said you got the best score in the school on your tests. That's incredible! Umm... I made this for you..."
Nanako pulled out a small blue and pink Bead Ring...
"H-here you go..."
"... Thank you. I'll be sure to treasure it..."
10/26 W
Clear
Yukiko met up with Yu outside the school gates...
"Good morning, Yu-kun. The Culture Festival is just around the corner. Let's do our best to prepare for it."
"... Do you look forward to it?"
"It's been nothing but bad news all year, hasn't it? It's during times like this that we have to make up for it... Oh! I'm not interested in the 'blind date' part! Understand!? I-I'm not, okay!?"
I'm pretty surer you've got someone already, anyway. Just not if you're really aware of it...
"Well, October will be over soon. But speaking of October... I'm sure you all know the eight-legged sea creature, the octopus, right?"
One hell of a segue, Ms. Sofue.
"'Oct' means 'eight' in Latin. Then why is October the 10th month of the year? Some say that a Roman emperor added a month to the calender by naming his birth month after him. Don't you think emperors are frightening figures sometimes? Although, they're the ones who've defined history to this day."
The history teacher cleared her throat...
"Let's get back to the lecture. I'll discuss the beginning of the Reconquista..."
We're just bouncing all over Europe now, aren't we?
After school, Yu managed to catch up with Naoto before she left for her home...
"Oh, Yu-san. Umm... Err, I apologize, but I have something I want to think about..."
... The card.
Yu produced the card from the mysterious man in black and handed it to the detective...
"What's this...?"
Yu explained where he got the card...
"He said I'd understand? What's that supposed to mean...?... I'm sorry... But could you please accompany me for a brief period...? I'd like to hear more about what transpired when you were given this card... Please, it won't take long."
Naoto brought Yu to the pavilion by the Samegawa...
"I apologize. I wanted to talk someplace quiet... What sort of person gave this to you?"
"A man who... Knew I knew you."
"Which means... It's possible that he's been snooping around, gathering information on you or me... Or even the case. The man must also know you well. He wouldn't have entrusted the delivery to anyone he didn't know..."
Naoto gazed off into the distance.
"But this is a small town... He could easily have looked up my address. Why go to the trouble of giving it to you...? Intriguing. Is he involved with this case? Or another case altogether...? If it's me he's after, he could be anyone."
That's right, Naoto's a celebrity... I'm always forgetting that with her and Rise.
Naoto stared down for a bit, then perked up a little.
"Oh, I'll keep the card. The man is most likely still here in Inaba. I cannot drag you further into this."
Come on, I'm the Leader of a team of literally paranormal investigators. This is nothing.
"I can't back out now."
"Huh...? Err, well... It's good to know you're worried about me, but..."
Naoto took a deep breath and looked off to her side again...
"I'm sorry. I seem to have a tin ear for other people's feelings... Yosuke-san told me so before."
... Yosuke said something helpful and intelligent? Even if it's vaguely insulting, I'm proud of him for that.
Naoto continued-
"I'll look into this card and report my findings to you. So... Don't worry about me. As our leader, I know you have a lot on your shoulders, so..."
Time stopped for just a moment as a card bearing the number "X" printed on it, along with an abstract image of fate's wheel...
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 Fortune Arcana...
Naoto kept up...
"While we are here, why don't we chat a little? Ah, yes, there was something I wanted to ask you..."
Yu and Naoto talked about both the murder and, eventually, Naoto's personal interests...
That girl's like a repository of information on sci-fi and fantasy shows. I suppose I suspected the first, but not the second...
Yu put Nanako to bed and went to sleep early that night...
10/27 Th
Clear
Yosuke ran up to Yu during the walk to school...
"Yo, Yu! Hey, what kind of event did the classes at your old school do during Culture Festivals? The school here in Inaba has a bunch of different events for our Culture Festival! I guess this is one of the few school events that everybody looks forward to."
"I'm kinda looking forward to it, as well."
Hopefully, there won't be too many of those cosplay cafes.
"I know, right? I hope it gets really interesting, especially for some events in particular..."
... I don't like the sound of that.
Yu saw a large crowd around the bulletin board...
... 'The Miss Yasogami High Pageant!'? A beauty pageant, huh?
Several muttered rumblings of Kashiwagi planning and entering the contest herself...
Noriko Kashiwagi... That's her... The others are... Yukiko Amagi? Chie Satonaka!? Rise Kujikawa... Well... And Naoto Shirogane!?!... And that Hanako Ohtani girl, too, I guess...
Yu stood stock still for a moment...
... There's only one person who could've done this.
The crowd of students couldn't stop talking-
"Whoa, Rise Kujikawa!? Seriously? Oh, man, trust a celebrity to kill the fun of it all..."
"I bet she'll draw a huge crowd."
"Wow, Yukiko-san's finally entering. If this were any other year, she'd win for sure... Now she's up against Risette! It's gonna be a Culture Festival to remember..."
"Huh? Risette's entering!? She's gonna take part in something like this!? Maybe I should think more seriously about saving a seat..."
"Look, Chie's entering too. She's actually pretty close to my type."
"Actually, I hear she has a lot of secret admirers."
"Naoto's that boyish... Girlish... Whatever, right? You know, she's, uh... Pretty cute, heh."
"Dude, you sound like a pervo when you talk like that... B-but to be honest... I think she's cute, too... Hehe..."
... I never really thought about how I pal around with some of the most popular girls in school until just now... Should I be happy?... No, that's not a good reason to be friends with someone. I'm lucky they're good people, then.
Yosuke walked up from the entrance...
"Yo. Are you free for lunch? I dunno why, but Chie asked us to come to the roof. She looked pretty serious... I wonder if something's happened."
... I think I know what it is.
"Oh, and Kanji's coming, too."
... Poor bastard.
"You better have a damn good explanation for this!"
The Team had gathered on the roof during lunch. The girls had Yosuke corned loosely, with Chie leading the assault. Yu and Kanji could only look on...
"F-for what?"
"The Beauty pageant! You wrote down our names without telling us, didn't you!?"
"N-no! It wasn't me! Why do you automatically blame me!?"
Chie and Yukiko closed in on Yosuke...
"I-I mean, if you don't wanna do it, you just say no, right? Like it was just a joke."
"We wouldn't be so pissed if we could do that! With Kashiwagi planning this year's event, even those who got entered by other people can't back out!"
Yosuke seemed to shrink a little...
"Seriously? Must've been something in the fine print I overlooked..."
Called it.
Chie visibly tensed even more than earlier.
"So it WAS you!"
"Oh crap...!"
Chie and Yukiko both started shouting at Yosuke as he meekly tried to defend himself. Over the cacophony, Rise asked aloud...
"Hey... Do you want us to take part in the beauty pageant?"
Yosuke suddenly had a goofy grin on his face.
"W-well yeah. I mean, you guys know how popular Yukiko is here. And on top of that, we have an idol and a Detective Prince. What's the point of having a beauty pageant if all these incredible heroines aren't going to take part!?"
Chie suddenly exploded again.
"So where do I fit in!?... Well, excuuuuse me for not fitting in!!"
... Calm down, Princess. Destroying Yosuke's eardrums won't solve anything... What to say, Yu...?
Yosuke suddenly blurted out-
"Hey, you want them to be in it too, don'tcha, Kanji!?"
"Huh...? I ain't interested in that stuff..."
Kanji's eyes wandered over to Naoto, but he quickly turned away after that...
"Naoto-kun... Kanji-kun says that he really wants you to be in it."
Yosuke, that's just gonna-
"Wha-!? I-I didn't say nothing!"
... Rile him up. Ah, well...
"... What about you, Yu? You want them to be in it, right?"
... You're a jerk, Yosuke. Stop dragging me in to make you seem like you're on the right side.
"Not that much, really."
Rise's glimmered for a moment.
"Ahh... I see. Is that a hint of jealousy in your voice? You don't want me making eyes at the other boys?"
Rise laughed a little...
... Don't talk like that. You might make it true...
"Hey... You guys are inching onto the bandwagon with Yosuke, aren't you?"
Rise seemed extremely at ease...
"So long as people are looking forward to seeing me, I might as well put on a show for 'em. Of course, there's no need to involve my agency in this."
Yosuke was somewhere between excited and relieved by now.
"Th-that's right! That's the way to go! Teddie's looking forward to it, too. Actually, I think he was more excited than anyone. It was him who was pushing me to sign you all up."
Chie gritted her teeth...
"Ugh, so Ted's behind this, too..."
Naoto finally managed to will herself to speak.
"We're in an awkward position... If we can't refuse, I suppose there's no sense in arguing the point... But it seems ill-fitting for someone like me to get up on stage... I wonder if there's any way I could take it up with the school authorities..."
Kanji bashfully looked off to the side, but tried to face Naoto...
"I... I don't think it's a problem at all. I-I mean, just do it! Ya know... Seriously!"
... Good job, Kanji. I think. Possibly... Well, you managed to talk to her.
Yosuke seemed a little surprised.
"Dude... Looks like your blood's boiling even more than usual..."
Rise giggled.
"Silly Kanji. Just tell her you wanna see her on stage."
... So, I'm not the only one who sees it?
Rise clapped her hands together.
"So, is it a deal? The four of us will be in the beauty pageant?"
Naoto's eye's went wide.
"Wh-what are you saying!?"
"Um... I beg you, please be in it. If you do, my, uh, doubts will finally be cleared... C'mon! Make me a man!"
Kanji...
Naoto seemed confused.
"Doubts...? What are you talking about?" "L-look, just do it, dammit! I m-mean, you're an ace detective, aren't ya!?"
"Wha-!? What does that have to do with a beauty pageant!?"
Kanji started huffing and puffing from his sudden emotional exertion...
The Team ultimately left, though Chie and Naoto both seemed mortified. Yukiko wasn't very calm about the festival, either...
Work began after school on making room 2-2 into a cafe for the festival. Chie and Yukiko were sent to get supplies...
To be fair, I think Chie can probably carry the most out of everyone here by herself...
The door opened abruptly.
"We're back. Ugh, I'm so tired..."
Thinking on it...
"Where'd you two go?"
"Over to Junes. We had to go get some paint and cloth."
Yosuke seemed a little behind himself.
"Ohh, for the decorations."
The female class rep walked up from the front of the classroom.
"Thank you. Did you have them write you an invoice?"
"Yeah. I think they understood what it was for, so they wrote it without us having to ask."
The male class rep approached, as well.
"There's some things I want to go over about the day of the event."
Chie cocked her head slightly.
"Is this about the group date cafe...?"
"Yes, since Yosuke's leading the executive committee."
"Wait, what!?"
"It WAS your proposal, right?"
Not even a secret, Yosuke. Never was.
Yosuke rubbed his temples.
"Are you serious...?"
"Well, all you have to do is the reception. After people sign in, have a few guys and girls sit facing each other at a table... Conduct a short session first, where they ask each other questions. After about half an hour of that, it'll be confession time. Get them to select the number of the person they like. If the other person accepts, that makes them a couple... Hey, Yosuke... You listening?"
Yosuke sighed loudly.
"Yeah... I hear ya..."
A group of male students had gathered in a corner and were loudly talking amongst each other.
"Hey, if we roll up this bit of cloth, won't it be kinda like a ball?"
"Yeah! Okay, I'll be the catcher!"
"Why the catcher...? Hey, Yosuke, wanna be the batter?"
Yosuke sighed again, even more heavily.
"... Ahh, I don't give a damn anymore! I'm in! Watch me slam that ball right back in your face!"
The female class rep glared daggers at them...
"Hey! You guys had better get serious about this!"
"I just... I..."
Yu gripped Naoto's shoulders firmly, desperately trying to console her...
10/28 F
Cloudy
... What a strange dream
Yu stood dumbstruck at the bulletin board, Yosuke vaguely glancing around right next to him.
'The 'Miss' Yasogami High Pageant!'... Really, a cross-dressing pageant in a high school? More power to whoever's into it, but I don't think it'll go over well with the student body itself... Who's volunteered for it?...
One of the students noticed the Magician...
"Hey, it's Yosuke! We're expecting great things from you!"
Yosuke picked up on the notice and chuckled a little.
"They're doing the cross-dressing pageant again this year? Man, they never learn, do they? Ooh, some people have signed up already! Man, what idiots would wanna be in this thing? Let's see... Yosuke Hanamura... Meeeeeeeeeee!?"
... I think I know how this'll go...
Yosuke confirmed Yu's suspicions.
"Wait, and... Kanji Tatsumi!? You're on here, too, Yu!"
... Dammit. Should've known they'd do something like this.
One of the female students seemed impressed.
"Wow, there's a lot of contestants. Didn't we only get, like, two people last year?"
"I heard this year, even if someone else signs you up, you can't back out."
"Well, that's not cool... Hey, but, what if they did sign themselves up?"
"Ew, what a disturbing thought. Seriously, that's really wrong."
... Called it.
Yosuke seemed to shiver with a mix of realization and indignation.
"Someone else signs you up...? It's them. They must've done this..."
... Don't act all holier-then-though, Yosuke. Between the four of them, Naoto's the only one who would think twice before writing our names down. I blame you for this whole situation.
Yu managed to convince Yosuke to hold off confronting Chie and Yukiko until after school-
They were the two most angry about yesterday- Rise was fine, and Naoto... Seemed like she'd just fall apart.
-And Yosuke insisted on bringing Kanji along.
The guys burst into room 2-2, Yosuke yelling as soon as they approached the Chariot and the Priestess.
"You better have a damn good explanation for this!"
"... For what?"
"For what, my ass! For signing us all up in the cross-dressing pageant! It was you, wasn't it!?"
Some of the other students tried to slip out, sensing a coming storm...
Chie continued her nonchalant behavior.
"Ohhh, yeah, that thing. Rise-chan started saying 'Let's all have fun with this!', so I didn't really have a choice."
... Sounds like Rise, yeah.
Chie continued-
"And Kashiwagi seems happy too, now that there's more people involved in it."
Yosuke exploded at her-
"You little...! This is cross-dressing! CROSS! DRESSING!"
Chie got out of her chair and fired right back-
"Well, you're the one who started it! It's because of you that we can't back out of the beauty pageant, so it serves you right!"
"Th-that's beside the point..."
Stop it, Yosuke...
Yukiko tried to settle the situation...
"Don't worry. We'll make you absolutely enchanting. Okay?"
"That's not what's important here!"
"It's about a man's pride, dammit!"
And now you've got Kanji even more worked up, Yosuke. You proud?... Well, considering my lack of options here...
"I can't say I'd have volunteered for this, but... I'll give it my all."
Yosuke was flabbergasted.
"Whoa, are you serious!?"
Chie made a brushing-off motion with her hand.
"Yeah, yeah. This has nothing to do with pride or any of that. You know already, right? Once someone signs you up, you can't back out. But if you've got a problem with that, go talk to Ms. Kashiwagi."
Yosuke fumed a bit.
"Th-there's no way she's gonna listen!"
Kanji seemed shocked.
"Wha-!? Why're you giving up!? I ain't doin' this! Period!"
Yukiko made a sort of motherly sigh and shook her head.
"Kanji-kun, are you still okay as far as the mandatory attendance policy? I don't think it would be wise to disappoint a teacher too much."
Kanji's eyes widened. He stared at his feet a little...
"You are a scary gal, you know that, Senpai...?"
Chie smiled.
"Just leave it to us to dress you guys up. Rise-chan's with us, too. There's no way you won't turn out pretty."
Kanji stuttered a little as he spoke.
"Y-you're positive we'll be pretty...?"
Yukiko nodded.
"I guarantee it."
Yosuke was even more shocked when he saw a somewhat calmer expression on Kanji's face.
"Hey, why are you suddenly fine with this!?"
"Well, if we gotta do this, might as well go all the way with it!"
"There's nothing manly about being a woman! I seriously refuse..."
Chie took a conscientious tone.
"Kashiwagi's sure gonna get angry if you don't show up... Maybe you and Kanji-kun can be classmates next year."
Yosuke seemed to almost cry.
"Wh-why is this happening...? We all end up in the same boat, without our consent... What kinda joke is this...?"
Chie seemed to tear Yosuke apart from the inside with just a glance.
"The exact same joke you pulled on us!"
Yosuke suddenly forced a smile...
"'If we gotta do this, might as well... Go all the way with it!'..."
Yosuke laughed derisively at himself...
If the point of this exercise was to get both Kanji and me angry at Yosuke, I think it worked a little...
Yu arrived home, exhausted from the confrontation. To prepare for the coming storm, he took to bed early...
Yu's Level: 63
Current Personas:
Kali
Abbadon
Raphael
Belphagor
Kikuri-Hime
Kin-Ki
Girimehkala
Ganesha
Pabilsag
Taowu
Rangda
Lachesis
Social Links
Fool: Rank 8
Magician: Rank 9
Priestess: Rank 78
Empress: Rank 9
Emperor: Rank 8
Hierophant: Rank MAX
Lovers: Rank 9
Chariot: Rank 7
Justice: Rank MAX
Hermit: Rank MAX
Fortune: Rank 1
Strength: Rank 7
Hanged Man: Rank 8
Death: Rank MAX
Temperance: Rank 8
Devil: Rank MAX
Tower: Rank MAX
Star: Rank 7
Moon: Rank 8
Sun: Rank 9
Comments
