April 30
Morning
Yukiko meets you at the gates of the school, apologizing for causing you trouble but then changing her mind and thanking you for her rescue. She's embarrassed about her Shadow coming out, and you can choose one of four options to comfort her.
In class, Mr. Yamada puts his foot in his mouth by describing Yukiko as the only cute girl in the class, then "corrects" himself by saying that all his students are cute.
After school, you gather on the roof, but Yukiko still doesn't remember anything. Regardless of whether you extend an invitation, Yukiko offers to join the team, since she wants to put an end to this. Your Fool Social Link then goes up another rank.
You then discuss what the victims have in common, and determine that all of them are female and live in Inaba. Chie's furious that the culprit specifically targets females and vows to make him pay. The girls' instant noodles finish, and they offer some to you. Regardless of what you choose, you eat all of it, and end up being forced to buy them steak as compensation. Chie's quite excited, but Yukiko, who's more conscious about her weight, is somewhat more hesitant.
At Junes, Chie's disappointed that you didn't take her to a better steak place, while Yukiko reluctantly eats hers. The conversation then shifts to the motive, since while Mayumi might have been killed for the sake of revenge (although Misuzu, the most likely suspect, has an alibi), they don't know why Saki was killed. The most likely cause, that the killer wanted to silence her, falls flat when it's unlikely that she'd know more about it than the police would. Speaking of the police, Adachi wanders by and "accidentally" drops some information, causing Chie to conclude that the Police Are Useless when it comes to this case.
Inside the TV world, Yukiko meets Teddie again and gets a pair of glasses from him, learning that he made all of them himself. She also shows off a surprising new side of her, when she gets a pair of "gag glasses" from him, and laughs uncontrollably when Chie puts them on.
Evening
Dojima ponders his vacation availability and suggests taking the fourth and the fifth off. Nanako's understandably skeptical, but is eager to go to Junes, especially with you making boxed lunches.
I studied, and got another rank in Knowledge.
May 1
Chie calls to ask you to go inside the TV to help Yukiko get experience with her Persona. That's all well and good, but not only is Yukiko higher level than the rest of us at this point, but tomorrow, being rainy, is better.
I opted to do Marie's Social Link again, since she's a good choice for days when you don't have anyone else
Aeon Rank 2
You go with Marie to Junes, and Marie is bewildered by a sale on salad dressing. Marie meets Chie, who introduces herself and offers you one of three ways to introduce Marie. Marie seems interested in a TV, which is one of the few things she knows about, but stops short of saying she wants it in typical Tsundere fashion. Chie, evidently confused by how Marie is unable to watch TV, assumes that Marie's parents won't let her, but Marie says there's no electrical outlets in the Velvet Room (one would think Marie would also need a cable extension), something that confuses Chie even more.
You, Marie and Chie then eat at the food court. Chie's by far the most eager to eat, and Marie remarks that she'll get fat at this rate. Chie takes umbrage, but then goes for a drink. While she's gone, Marie witnesses a kid arguing with his mom over a soda, and wonders if she was ever like that. Marie mentions that she doesn't remember anything about herself, not even her own name, but tries to pretend that doesn't bother her. She then reveals that she only had one possession- a bamboo comb- but knows that it's not much of a clue, and doesn't have any interest in finding the truth. Marie, already bored with the conversation, wants to change the subject, and as if on cue, Chie then rejoins you with the drinks.
Evening
I did translation work, and got another rank in Expression.
May 2
In the morning, as it rains, Yukiko shows up and remarks about how the weather in the TV world is the opposite of how it is in the real world.
In the real world, King Moron reminds the class about midterms and how the results will be posted publicly to humiliate those who didn't do well. King Moron's attitude aside, the latter seems like a case of Values Dissonance, since American schools don't have quite so competitive an attitude about grading. You might be competing against your peers when it comes to getting into colleges, but how well you stack up against the others in your school isn't a matter of public knowledge.
Since it was raining, I went back to the TV world again to train Yukiko. Contrary to the implications that she needs experience using her Persona, she's actually an entire level above the rest of my party at this point.
Incidentally, Chie tells you that you can find Yukiko on the first floor of the school. If you talk to Yukiko, while she's grateful to you for saving her, you can't start her social link for another two weeks, since you neeed an oppotunity to get closer.
At this point, Teddie informs you that a new Shadow has appeared in the place where Yukiko was before, something that happens every time after you save someone. These bosses aren't that hard, since they tend to have elemental weaknesses, but the Contrarian King not only doesn't have one (although he'll try to trick you into using fire attacks), he also has a deadly Rampage move (which often does at least 300 damage at a time when you're lucky to have over 200 HP), which is why he's too strong to face now.
I also talked to Teddie and was able to get Gag Winter Outfits for all the party members, basically their winter school uniforms and casual outfits with the gag glasses.
After replacing Izanagi with Titan as my primary Persona, I worked my way back up the castle while level grinding. The trip was significantly easier with Yukiko there, especially since she could heal and target the Creepy Twins' and Avenger Knights' weaknesses.
Once I got there, I decided to level grind until everyone was Level 20.
Evening
You hear a news report about a criminal who apparently stole an earth mover and used it to destroy an ATM. Dojima then calls and confirms what you've suspected- that he can't take time off for Golden Week (although it turns out that it's because one guy called in sick). Nanako runs upstairs, evidently in tears, and Dojima asks you to look after her, even though there's no option to talk with her.
The game reminds you that midterms are in a week, although as far as I know, it's impossible to get the highest score on them in a fresh playthrough (more on this when I get up to them). As such, I ate an old pickle in the fridge (one of a few activities you can do after TV exploration), and got a rank up in Courage.
May 3
After you wake up, Chie comes to your door, saying that you'll hang out at Junes, and invites Nanako to come along. She's a bit shy, but when you extend your invitation, she eagerly accepts.
Yosuke's a bit surprised that you're bringing Nanako to Junes, and Nanako talks about the trip she was supposed to have with her father and you, her "big bro" (on a side note, Nanako uses similar modes of address on most of the Investigation Team in the original Japanese). They're impressed with how you're the family cook, and it's implied that you're significantly better than Chie in that regard- even Yukiko seems to agree. Yosuke proposes a cooking contest between himself and Chie, with Nanako judging, and promises to make something that rivals her mother's cooking. Nanako then says that her mother died in an accident, and Yosuke feels like a jerk, but Nanako reassures him that she has a father and she's having fun today, which impresses Chie and Yukiko.
Soon, you're left alone with Nanako, something that's a bit of a recurring trend when a new Social Link begins, and you form the Justice Social Link.
Evening
I did some folding origami cranes to get my Understanding up, and made some extra progress by thinking of a cute girl while I did it.
May 4
Yosuke calls and asks to hang out with you, which results in Nanako, Daisuke and Kou coming along to Junes' electronics department.
Kou compliments Nanako for being cute, unlike his baby sister, causing her to get embarrassed. Daisuke then denies that she's cute, annoying Nanako. I chose to say that it's par for the course for Daisuke. Nanako and Daisuke then talk about how big the TV is, and Daisuke mentions the possibility of falling inside it... in front of two people who already have been inside it.
As a result of the trip, my Justice and Magician Social Links were ready to advance, but my Strength link had yet to do so. That was unfortunate, but since I'd already made good progress on it, I decided to let it take a back seat to the others.
Evening
Like the previous night, I folded cranes and thought of the girl again. This time, I completed it and got an Antibiotic
May 5
You spend the day by yourself, and can choose where to go first. I went to the station for a can of TaP Soda, and then ended up going to the Tatsuhime Shrine. A fox gives you an ema by an old man wishing to heal his leg, and coincidentally, the man himself shows up. In an even more fortuitous stroke of coincidence (which i'd call a Contrived Coincidence if not for the suggestions that the fox is more that it seems), you find the leaf that you use to heal the man, who goes on to make a donation. You then establish the Hermit Social Link.
Evening
After another report about the earth mover robbery story, Dojima comes home, grousing about the guy who took sick days. He apologizes for not being able to take time off, but gives Nanako a new shirt (one that she never wears), and you a set of swim trunks.
Yet again, I folded cranes, and got a bonus from letting my eyes relax. I didn't finish it this time, but I did get a rank up in Understanding.
May 6
On the way to school, Yosuke complains about his bike squeaking, even though he doesn't fall off it this time. He apologizes for his insensitive remarks toward Nanako, and resolves to solve the case for her sake. He also notes that Chie and Yukiko seem even closer than before.
After school, the group wonders if Yukiko's the last of the victims, but no one is convinced that she is. They then dread midterms, but Chie suggests that Yukiko can tutor Yosuke. Yosuke asks Yukiko for some "private lessons" and gets slapped. To her credit, though, Yukiko immediately apologizes when she realizes that Yosuke was talking about studying, and she genuinely thought it was a Double Entendre because of her time at the inn. Yosuke, for some reason, blames Chie for bringing it up, and Chie points out that his poor choice of words is the problem. Yukiko, obviously wanting to get away from this awkward situation, excuses herself.
Now that you have the Hermit Social Link active, your first priority every free day should be to start or advance quests, although it may be advisable to delay completing the quests until the next rainy day, when the Hermit Social Link may be the only one you can advance. With that in mind, I went to Tatsuhime Shrine to accept the Rank 2 quest, which is "I Wish For Love." I then returned to the school, and found a girl placing a love letter in my locker- one intended for someone else. Unfortunately, she wasn't around for me to explain her mistake, which is par for the course in Hermit quests, which often take more than a few days to complete.
Speaking of quests, I dropped off the Angel and Demon statues for two questgivers, and started the Girl on the Roof quest. While I was there, I decided to continue Chie's Social Link.
Chariot Rank 2
Chie invites you to the Samegawa riverbank to do some training, and responds best to you enthusiastically agreeing. It may seem simplistic, but the truth is that most people respond better to those who agree with them, as well as those who share their passions. Chie says that she's been inspired to do so ever since her Shadow came out, since the presence of the other her makes her feel pathetic.
Evening Talk to Dojima, and he'll offer to have a conversation with you to begin his Social Link.
Hierophant Rank 1
Dojima notes that he hasn't gotten to talk with you since you arrived, and at a loss for conversation subjects, asks about school. He likes it best if you enjoy it, but you don' t get any points with him. He then asks about your friends, and starts to make hints about you being involved with the murders. If your courage is high enough, you can ask him to "Say it straight out" (throwing his words back in his face if you'd chosen "Meh" earlier), but whatever you say, Dojima explains that he has to consider the facts, and implies that you might end up becoming a suspect if you meddle.
Nanako then arrives and accuses Dojima of bullying her. Dojima denies her claims and sends her to bed, but notes that he's glad you're getting along with her, and asks you to stay out of trouble, at which point the Social Link is established.
May 7
Since it was raining, I went to Aiya and had the Mega Beef Bowl. Since it seems to require maxed out stats in every stat except Expression, I was nowhere near ready to finish it, but was able to get multiple stat increases, something that helps tremendously when you're grinding for stats.
Justice Rank 2
This one's fairly short. Nanako asks if you're an only child, and if you say yes, she says you're just like her, but now she has you. It's fairly short and touching, and easy to get the maximum number of points here.
May 8
Chie calls you this morning, and this time, it's not just an opportunity to hang out, but a chance to advance her Social Link.
Chariot Rank 3
This time, Nanako joins you and Chie as you train together, and surprisingly enough, she's better with insects than Chie is, since Chie freaks out when a grasshopper lands on her back. The option to say that it's cute requires courage, but it's something Chie wants to hear (as someone who's insecure about her femininity), even though she wants to get over that fear.
Leveling up Chie's Social Link this time grants you the ability to have Chie help you out with a follow-up attack. Chie's is the best in the game, since it's a One-Hit Kill against non-bosses, making it especially useful against strong enemies (knights, gigases, tanks, etc.), and Golden Hands.
Evening
I advanced Dojima's social link again. As far as I know, this requires Expression to unlock, and is one of those cases in which you need a stat to compensate for one that the Social Link character lacks.
Hierophant Rank 2
Dojima asks you how you're spending your afternoons after school, and likes it best if you say you're "working" (which can be true if you started the Temperance Social Link). All the questions sound like an interrogation, but only because Dojima has trouble talking with you. He responds best to an invitation to talk about himself, and notes that he doesn't feel that much older than you.
May 9-12
Exams are held. You answer two questions per day, and they fall into three different types.
- Those you answered already in class.
- Variations of questions. For example, one question from class was about how Soseki Natsume translated "I love you," and on the test, the question asks who translated "I love you," as "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
- Information from lectures. For example, after you correctly answer which canyon is the largest, you'll be quizzed on Mr. Yamada's casual mention of the highest mountain.
Once they end, you discuss the results of your exams. Chie begins to despair after hearing that Yukiko got a different answer from Yukiko on language, but ends up making Yukiko less confident in her answer. You're then asked what you got, and no matter what you say, Yukiko got that answer, but Chie did not.
I did the last step of the second Hermit quest.
Evening
Dojima asks you if you're going to Junes a lot, and tells you that Adachi slacks off there. He then asks you to talk with Adachi on his behalf, giving you a hint as to the existence of Adachi's Social Link.
After getting that hint from Dojima, I talked to him again
Hierophant Rank 3
Dojima starts asking about you and the murders again, specifically you spending time at Junes. Nanako comes in to complain... that he isn't spending any time with her. He insists that he spends time with her, and while she's not convinced, she's too tired to put up much of an argument. You can use various arguments to suggest that Dojima spend time more with her, but Dojima says that he doesn't know how, since he left things up to her mother, and he doesn't think that being related by blood makes you family. This seems to be one of those parts of a Social Link in which the characters are stuck in their ways, so there's nothing you can do but wait for them to come around later on.
May 13
Following up on Dojima's hint, I decided to seek out Adachi to begin his Social Link today, which led me to Junes.
By choosing "Dojima sent me," (it's a bit odd how the character refers to his uncle by his last name), you start the Jester Social Link.
Jester Rank 1
Adachi starts out by complaining that the town is boring, which means he has to do jobs like finding a lost cat and mediating a dispute (incidentally, the Values Dissonance page suggests the Japanese are loath to rely on outside help in domestic affairs- I wonder if this is why Adachi doesn't like it). The current case is very much outside the norm, so he says the department's working on solving it. As the scene ends, he just barely hides himself from an old woman, and insists that you not tell Dojima about him slacking off.
The annoying thing about Adachi's Social Link is that his availability is highly irregular, is dependent on whether you've saved the missing person, and you may need to talk with him at day or night to advance it (and in the latter case, you can't do it while Dojima's home).
Evening
You see a news report about biker gangs, during which a teen attacks the gang. Apparently, he's well-known enough (only his eyes are blurred out) that Dojima immediately recognizes him as Kanji Tatsumi, a boy who beat up an entire biker gang because they kept his mom up at night. He notes that it's a nice gesture, but it causes trouble for his mother.
