07/24 Su
Cloudy
Looking at him closer... There's something about Tanaka's eyes that reminds me of Sayoko's... Must be imagining it.
Yu closed up his phone after placing his order...
I can't believe myself for putting this off...
Yu approached the old woman on the bank of the Samegawa...
"... Hm? Oh, Yu-chan..."
Yu smiled at Hisano, as the two of them sat down nearby...
"You frightened me, there... I thought you were my husband..."
... Uhmm...
"Watching the river here with you, like this, brings back memories..."
Maybe I shouldn't be too forward...
"Of what?"
Hisano smiled and laughed softly.
"Of when I was still young, before I became this wrinkled old lady... I meet my husband here in this town. I was born and raised here, and he was part of a traveling company of actors. They'd come to town once a year... When I was small, my family took me to see the play... That's when I met my husband, who was a child actor. He had clear, pale skin, and he spoke completely differently from the other children... He was my first love. Every year, he would come... And every year, I would watch... I gathered all the courage I had and talked to him. By some miracle, he fell in love with me, too... We would just talk behind the stage. One date every year."
That's rather sweet... A little cheesy, but, sweet.
Hisano smiled solemnly...
"I thought he was just flirting with me, but I thought that was okay... But do you know what he did? He quit the company and said he would live here, and marry me! He did fieldwork, though he didn't know how... He would come home and show me his blisters. He was so proud... I was happy back then."
A loving family, a stable home...
"I'm a little jealous."
"I'm sure the day will come where you'll be so happy you could just cry out of happiness... No, there are many people who are in the midst of happiness... They just don't realize it. If you don't know what you should hold dear, then your life is just a journey without a destination."
Well, my situation's changed a little bit... Yeah. Yeah...
"Right now... All I want to do is be by his side... But now, I never will. He went to Heaven... And I will surely go to Hell."
... What!?
"You shouldn't torture yourself like that."
"... You're so kind."
The two sat in silence for a short while longer. After Yu left, a third Death card appeared before him on the way home...
That night, Yu-
Stupid frikkin' model glue, must be made of some kinda...
Yu noticed that he had a single piece remaining on the model robot...
And there was a spare! I never really read the stickers... 'MF-06S Brahman'?... Honestly, I'll never get DDS's fixation on Hindu myth.
07/25 M
Rain/Cloudy
Yukiko caught up with Yu on the Floodplain on the walk to school...
"Hey, have you been keeping up with the weather reports? This rain's going to lift in the afternoon, but they said it's going to rain all day tomorrow. Wouldn't it be a good idea to check the Midnight Channel... Just in case? The culprit is already wanted by the police, but he's someone the police can't handle to begin with."
"Let's check it out."
There's one competent man on the police force that I'm aware of, and besides, I've been having some questions about the culprit, myself...
"Yes... Let's let everyone else know, too."
Yosuke decided to chat with Yu as lunch break drew to a close, when-
"Hey, everyone! They posted the test results!"
"Argh... The awful moment of truth... Oh, well. Wanna check it out, Yu?"
Come to think of it, wasn't that the same girl who told everyone when midterms were posted, too?... Ah, well.
Yu nodded to Yosuke.
Damn, really?
Yu looked over the exam results one more time...
That's my name, alright...
"You're a genius, Yu! I'm as happy as if I got the highest grade myself!"
Yu tried not to shrink at the sheer volume of admiration his schoolmates seemed to piling on him...
It's been a long while since I've had the chance to work at the Daycare...
Yu waited at the bus stop in the Shopping District, feeling Mithra slot into place...
And now I remember why.
Yu barely held back from trembling as the children swarmed to and fro...
"Take this! Feather Vacuum!"
"... Feather Chop!"
"There's no such move!"
"Y-yeah there is! I saw it!"
Poor Yuuta. It's hard trying to pretend to know what the hell you're talking about.
Eri was extremely late coming for Yuuta, so Yu began down the Samegawa with him, towards the Minami home...
"Feather Vacuum... Hhh... I've never seen Phoenix Ranger Featherman R."
Wonder why? That show's supposed to be pretty popular with... Well, everyone, come to think of it, but especially kids his age.
"Why not, Yuuta?"
"... She's always watching TV."
"And have you asked to watch?"
"N-no! I can't. If I do that... Then she'll hate me."
Suddenly, Eri came running up, out of breath.
"I'm sorry I'm late..."
"Apologize to Yuuta, not to me."
I just work here, don't forget.
"Oh... Y-you're right... I'm sorry for being late."
Yuuta pouted.
"I don't care."
An awkward silence passed over the group...
"I-I'll make it up to you. Is there anything you want? I'll buy it for you. Anything at all. Just tell me what it is."
"Huh...?"
"You like to play outside, so how about a soccer ball?"
Yuuta glared at his stepmother...
"Oh, okay... Y-you don't want one? Ummmmmm, then how about a samurai sword? When I was young, I used to..."
"No! I don't want anything! I'm going home."
And with that, Yuuta stormed off in a huff.
Eri stared at the spot he had stood for a moment...
"Rejected... Again. Haha... Things don't ever seem to go my way... I don't know what a child wants..."
I could say something cheezy like 'A loving mother", but that won't help here.
"He was getting teased a little for not knowing much about Featherman R..."
"Oh... I think I saw a commerical for that on TV. It's a children's show, right? I... I think it's on during one of the shows I usually watch. Phoenix Ranger Featherman R, huh? Well then, I'll buy him a Phoenix Ranger Featherman R toy or something... Haha, it's like I'm earning brownie points... Thank you."
Eri smiled warmly at Yu, before excusing herself and running after Yuuta.
As Yu turned around himself, a sixth Temperance card appeared before him...
Man, it's been a hot lately. I wonder if we have any-
Yu pulled out a jug of brown liquid and quckly chugged it down.
...Hrk. That wasn't barley tea... I just drank a quart of udon soup...
Yu barely pulled himself up to his room, the intense flavors of cold beef and soy dancing all throughout his mouth and mind...
07/26 T
Rain
Yu overheard a couple of students talking about summer break...
That's right... I've been so busy, I haven't been thinking about it...
This is the performance day!... I'd better make sure Ayane's still holding up...
Yu opened the door to the band room, as Gdon slotted to the fore of his mind.
The band jittered around nervously...
"I-it's finally here... I-I'm so nervous... Senpai, will you please watch the room for me? I'll give it my best shot out there. I want to come back with my head held high!"
Ayane's so pumped! It's good to see her being positive...
The band captain walked in...
"Everyone here?"
"Yes!"
"Alright then! Let's do this!... But first, we have a surprise guest!"
Another male student walked from behind the captain...
"Oh, come on, can the theatrics..."
"Takeru! How's your arm? Are you okay?"
Wait... This is the older trombone player... Ayane's gonna get axed, isn't she...?
Takeru explained that he was feeling fine...
Ayane feel very quiet, but...
"Uh, w-well..."
Takeru looked confused, as everyone went a little bit pale...
The captain spoke to the small girl.
"What're you gonna do, Ayane?"
"Huh? Well, I..."
Takeru ruminated on the situation and said he was fine with sitting out...
Nice guy, I guess.
However, the others were... Less supportive.
"We can afford to screw this up, guys!"
Jerks. She's worked so hard...
"You guys, Ayane's been working so hard to get better, and I honestly believe she's gotten much better, and-"
"Awww, what a stirring speech. Wasn't that nice of him, Ayane?"
Asshole.
The band captain asked Ayane...
"I-I... ... Go ahead and do it, Takeru-senpai. It was your part in the first place, and I'm not as good as you, so... Please, take it."
"Hmm... Well, if you say so..."
And with that, most of the band left, save Yu and Ayane...
Ayane fell quiet for a long while...
"Haha... I must look so stupid. I... I must be stupid..."
Ayane... Don't cry like that...
"Nothing ever... Goes how I... Imagine it... It's no one's fault, but... Time after... *sob* time..."
Ayane could barely talk through her tears...
... I know this'd seem weird, but she needs it right now.
Yu walked up to Ayane and hugged her lightly, as she cried and cried...
"I-I'm sorry..."
Ayane backed up a little and faced away from Yu...
"I thought I could finally see my dream come true... To think, my music might have actually reached out to one of those people... I thought this was it... The dream used to feel so far away, but for a minute there, it was close enough to tough... I know it sounds like a childish fantasy, but it's much deeper than that. It's more like... A purpose So... So..."
Ayane suddenly shouted out-
"I can't help feeling bitter!... Ah... Hahaha... It's so funny... I've never thought about it like this before. Whenever I've felt bitter, I've known it was for the good of the band, so... I was satisfied with that... But that song ran though my head day and night, constantly, no matter whether I was awake or asleep... If I had even a few minutes, I'd practice. My arm started aching all the time... This is the first time I've really invested myself in it... Before, I always figured it was impossible... That's why I'm bitter. But letting myself be bitter... Makes me feel good. It's hard to explain... Senpai... Thank you for standing up for me back there! That really made me happy."
Ayane... She's so much more... Happy now.
Ayane apologized and left, carrying her trombone with her. As she turned the corner out of the room, a seventh Sun card appeared before Yu.
It's raining tonight...
Yu let go of the curtain and faced the TV in his room. A pale yellow glow flooded the area...
Wait the hell...?
An extremely clear image appeared, of a high school age boy standing in a brightly colored coliseum. He breathed heavily...
"... You all think you can see me? You all think you know everything about me?..."
Another heavy breath...
"Then try and catch me."
... I've seen that face before. Those eyes are just so-
*PI-PI-PI! PI-PI-PI!*
Yosuke.
Yu answered his phone.
"Hey, did you see that? Who was that guy? I don't know him... Have you ever seen him on the news or some television special? He seemed really gloomy... Like a zombie."
"Yosuke! Yooooosukeeeee!"
"Alright already, I hear you! Sorry, I'm gonna give the phone over to Ted."
"Sensei! It's me, Teddie!"
The bear knows how to use a phone. I'm gonna get question s about studs late into the night from now on, huh?... Bah, not important! Focus, Yu!
"I finally got to see the midnight Channel with my own eyes! Now I know exactly what's happening! That guy's suppressed emotions are resonating with the other side, which are being picked up by the TVs over here. It's clear now that it's not being filmed by anyone. Mystery solved!"
I figured as such. Good to have confirmation, though.
Teddie continued.
"But that kid... He must already be in the other world! What're we gonna do!?"
"Calm down. We need a plan first."
"Gotcha! I knew I could count on you, Sensei!"
Teddie's certainly enthusiastic...
"I think my heart skipped a beat...!"
...Maybe TOO enthusiastic.
"That's enough Ted! Gimme the phone!... Hey, how could he be already inside!? What happened to the blurry image that we usually see in advance? And did you hear what he said? 'Try and catch me'... Now that I think about it, he looked like a high schooler... Hey, could he be...? Nah, I better not jump to conclusions. Let's met up tomorrow. Alright, later!"
"Right... Hey, couldya Say good night to Teddie for me?"
As Yu closed up his phone, a third Star card appeared before him...
*PI-PI-PI! PI-PI-PI*
Chie, now.
"Yu reopened his phone and answered.
"Oh, I finally got through! Yosuke's line was busy, too... I was just talking to Yukiko! Was that...?"
"Yosuke and I were talking about it, too..."
Yu recapped his prior conversation...
"Yeah, we gotta get to the bottom of this. Hmm... Well, off to bed. G'night."
"'Night."
Yu closed up his phone once more and went to bed himself...
07/27 W
Cloudy
Summer break starts... After we nab that guy. Better head to the Food Court...
Yu gave Nanako a smile as he walked out the door...
The Team gathered at the usual table on the roof...
"Okay, Rise and Teddie are checking out the other side, so we'll just go ahead and start the meeting."
Yu nodded to Yosuke.
"About what happened last night... You guys saw it right?"
After a nod from the rest of the Team, Kanji spoke up-
"Yeah. Shit he said made my blood boil. That mumbling of his, and those fish-like eyes pissed me off even more. Who the hell is he?"
Dammit... He wasn't like the other victims thus far, but could he really be the killer himself...?
... DAMMIT! I thought I knew what was going on here for a while!
Yu sighed.
"I don't really think I can say."
Yosuke rubbed his chin.
"Hmm... Truth to tell, I get the feeling I've seen him before."
Yukiko picked up from there-
"I was surprised when I saw how clearly his face showed on TV. So I called Chie, and while we were talking, it hit me... Maybe that boy is the culprit."
"It's just a hunch, but it makes sense."
They've got a point... Then again, Chie and Yukiko made it themselves. Well, we've got no other options right now, so...
"Well, the suspect is a high schooler... And he's the one who murdered King Moron. Seeing that boy on the Midnight Channel last night... It's definitely something to look into."
"Yeah. I mean, he even taunted the viewers, saying 'Try and catch me...'."
Kanji stared at Yosuke, befuddled.
"Uhhh... So?"
"Alright, let's say there's this high school student. We'll call him Shin. For some random reason, who knows why, Shin is able to enter the other world. Then Shin, again for some random reason, starts throwing people into that world, intending to kill them. The police can't prove the other world exists, so it's the perfect crime. He can't possibly be caught. Now imagine you're Shin, but after a while people stop dying when you throw them into the TV. You don't know why. You want to kill King Moron, but the TV is out, so you do it personally. Now the police are on to you. As a result, you- I mean, Shin- Is a wanted criminal, with no place to run."
Kanji's eyes went wide at Yosuke's analogy.
"So... You're saying he went into that other world to dodge the cops? Ohhh... So that's why he said 'catch me if you can...'. Wow, Senpai, you're smarter than you look!"
"... Geez, you can piss me off sometimes."
Yukiko stepped in with a different subject-
"We still don't know why he targeted people who were shown on TV... But if he had a personal grudge against Mr. Morooka, that explains one thing. With a strong enough motive, wouldn't he forsake the untraceable TV method and try to kill Mr. Morooka on his own? If you think about it that way, it sort of makes sense why Mr. Morooka died without appearing on the TV. But I wonder what that boy's going to do now that he's in there... With Teddie on this side, there's no way he can get out..."
Chie started fidgeting a little.
"Y-you don't think he's... Gonna get desperate and end it all?... He did look depressed like it was the end of the world..."
"No, I don't think that's it. The killer has to know that the people he threw into the TV have to come back to this side. I can see missing Yukiko or Kanji. But Rise, a celebrity... There's no way the killer wouldn't know she's still alive. So that means he knows there's a way out of the TV World. As for the rest... We'll just have to ask him face-to-face."
Well, yeah. Regardless of if he's the killer or not, we're gonna pull him out.
Rise suddenly came running up from out of the elevator.
She's back...
"How did your search go?"
Rise shook her head.
"Not good. But at least we're positive that someone's in there..."
"I see... Wait, where's Teddie?"
"He's still looking."
I wonder why... What could his nose possibly pick up that Radar-Face Rise couldn't?
Yosuke nodded.
"Alright. So we need to find out who this guy is... And if he is in fact the one the police are after. Once we figure that out, we just do our thing."
"That's right! If he really is the killer and he's escaped into the other world, the police don't have a chance of catching him."
Chie held her fist up a little in determination, and Kanji soon followed suit.
"So it's all on us!"
Yu smiled, faintly.
As the team got up from the table, a seventh Fool card appeared before Yu...
Yu walked through the Shopping District...
Ah, right... Before I forget him, I'd better hand Brahman over to that guy. Then I cam just hop right back into my info search...
Yu approached the toy aficionado...
"That's... The MF-06S Brahman I gave you... You actually built it... Wow, it's good... Well-made..."
The man teared up a little...
"Making plastic models takes a lot of time, huh? The time you spend makes the love for your creation deeper... Hah... I must be getting old. I was recalling the days I spent toiling away at plastic models... It was fun... But it's all over now... Thank you. By giving me a final glimpse of this joy, you made me realize that this phase of my life has passed. I thank you... Oh, and the Shrine, too. I feel like I can find something else to live for. Hmm... Oh, could you please take this model, too? I'd hate to see Brahman get lonely."
The man handed another set of pieces to Yu, smiling somberly, before leaving for the corner...
... I hope he finds what he's looking for. Now, on to what I was looking for myself...
Dammit! Does no one know about fish-eyes!?
Yu withheld his frustrations and checked with Yosuke, to see if he had found anything...
"Nah, I haven't found anything, either... Hey, have you seen Kanji? It looks like he went off somewhere while I went to the bathroom... Geez, thinking about him off by himself is making me worry."
Yosenpai makes a sudden reappearance! I'd better follow through with this... I'm not finding out anything in the Shopping District.
Geez... How'd he get to the Floodplain so quickly...?
Yu approached his underclassman, who was standing on the bank of the river...
I'll just ask him about the case... No sense in grilling him on why he came here.
"Hey, Kanji. You find any info?"
"Mmm... Info on the suspect... It's pretty tough... Seems like no one knows anything, huh? But instead of bitchin' about it, why don't we go straight to the source? Just ask Dojima-san. He's your uncle, right? He'd tell you something."
I'm not so sure about that... But still, it's the closest thing to a good idea I've heard today.
"Good idea, Kanji. I'll check around the Shopping District one more time..."
"A clue to the criminal investigation...? You... I told you not to stick your neck into things! There's no way I'd tell you! Geez... Damn, where did that Adachi get off to...?"
I didn't learn anythin- Wait... Actually, I think I've gotten something pretty juicy out of him, just now. I'll be sure to buy some extra pickled radish for tonight as thanks...
Yu apologized to his uncle, only allowing a faint smile cross his face after he turned away...
Adachi wasn't anywhere I could find him. Figures.
Yu hauled in the last fish of the day and headed home from the Samegawa...
That night, Yu began work on his second model robot...
So this one's gonna be red. I wish I could be more excited about this...
07/28 Th
Cloudy
Right then... I need to find Adachi. He's been hanging around Junes a lot, for some reason... Magic sets or something? Whatever. Just need to go see 'im.
Yu could overhear Adachi sighing in the West Entrance to Junes...
"I think I'll stay here a little longer before I go out again... Mm? Aaah! You startled me... Don't sneak up on me like that...!"
"Hi, Adachi-san... What're you doing?"
"Eh? What was I doing? Oh, uh, you know... Investigating..."
NATURALLY.
"You want me to tell that to Dojima?"
"D-did Dojima-san maybe say anything bout it? Just keep this a secret from him... Please!"
"What? No, just the investigation."
"Wait, what? Clues to catch the suspect? If I tell you, will you keep quiet!? Okay then... I'm just talking to myself, here but... He supposedly had a part-time job in the shopping district."
"Where?"
"Where was it? Oh... I don't think they told me that much."
... That'll do, Mr. Junior Detective.
So, not at Aiya or Shiroku, and Daidara doesn't seem the type to hire help...
Yu approached the last shop he could check, Souzai Daigaku...
"Excuse me, I'm curious... Has a student worked here recently?"
"Wh-where'd you hear that from? I told him not to tell anyone... Anyway. Yes, he did work here for a short time. But this was a while ago. He freaked out just from cutting the raw meat. Hmm... I remember that he had black eyes."
Sounds like him, kinda. But if it's him... He sounds like he has some issues. Well, if it's one thing I've learned these last couple of months, everyone's got something like that.
And what else... Oh yeah. He said the person who worked here before him was his classmate during middle school... I see that kid- His classmate- Around here sometimes. Maybe you should talk to him when you see him. I don't know if you'll find him today, but he recently dyed his hair golden brown, so he should be easy to spot."
Why? Those dyes are so easy to spot. Why not something like dark blue or wine red? Those're easy to look natural, I've heard...
Well, what to do besides clean up from yesterday?
Yu walked to the Shrine, patting his pockets...
The Fox seems so happy...
Yu pulled the other half of the piece of jerky from his pocket and placed it at the base of the shrine's door.
If the god here wants it, they can have it. If the Fox gets hungry, I'm sure the god won't mind him having it, either.
That night, Yu continued his model work...
Wait... Crap. Where the hell is that piece! Where'd I- Oh, it was... In the corner of the box. Well, fine. I spazzed out over nothing.
07/29 F
Cloudy
Yu sighed as he walked out the door, towards the Shopping District...
Golden-brown hair better be somewhere around today, or else I'll... I'LL...!
My god, it's even more fake-looking than I thought.
"Um, hi there. I've got a question- Do you happen to have a yearbook of yours handy? I'm curious about someone, and I've been told you'd know something..."
He's even got it worked into a tiny pompadour... Is he just trying to look like a '70s delinquent? Don't laugh, don't laugh...
"Huh? You want to see my yearbook? Oh, are you looking for... Him? You wanna see his picture? Heh heh, you do, don't you? Well, today's your lucky day, because me and my friends are going around showing it to everyone! Want a copy?"
The dirty blonde handed Yu a photo with a name on the bottom...
It's kinda... Horrible, what these guys are doing, to be honest... But that's definitely his face- Those eyes are impossible to mistake... Mitsuo Kubo, huh? Well, Mitsuo, whether you're a killer or not, I'm coming after you today!
Yu reached for his phone as he started the walk to Junes.
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 6
Magician: Rank 6
Priestess: Rank 5
Empress: Rank 4
Emperor: Rank 3
Hierophant: Rank 7
Lovers: Rank 1
Chariot: Rank 5
Justice: Rank 8
Hermit: Rank 6
Strength: Rank 6
Hanged Man: Rank 4
Death: Rank 3
Temperance: Rank 6
Devil: Rank 6
Tower: Rank 4
Star: Rank 3
Moon: Rank 6
Sun: Rank 7
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