A/N: This was a prompt I worked on at Bad Bad Bathhouse last year. IT was an intriguing prompt and I wanted to explore it. However, I have edited the more mature content down to something more appropriate for this website. If you wish to see the original version, please view at the website below if you are 18 or older. Thank You.
Yosuke/Yukiko
Souji and Chie start dating. This forces their best friends to get closer and they eventually realize they go pretty well together.
The resulting relationship fries Chie's brain
(Just Google badx2bathhouse and go to page 23 and scroll down)
(Hope OP likes the setup of the pairing, before Anon brings in Chie's reaction.)
"Chie Just Doesn't Get It"
Part 1
Yosuke Hanamura was sighing with impatience while he was working at Junes. He was stocking shelves in the Grocery Department and was thinking about how awful his love life was.
Most girls, by their standards, (and the standards of society) would consider Yosuke so pathetic, obvious, and according to Chie Satonaka, his friend, creepy.
But...while he tried to be cool and for the most part could pull it off...it was girls who couldn't see it.
With girls he was so awkward that his left hand and Imaginary Yosuke got more action than he did.
But it really wasn't about action. It was about love. He wanted to be with someone. He had tried with Saki-senpai, who had tragically died in April after being in the Midnight Channel (And Yosuke swore her killer would pay.) but she had only been nice to him...and hadn't really liked him.
Then there was Chie...but she was more of a bud than anything else. Her tomboyish yet feminine nature was something he couldn't get a read on. But she had a good read on him. She didn't want to date him.
His watch beeped, telling him it was time for his break.
Yosuke decided to go out, the Sunday air being nice since summer had started. He didn't like working Sundays, but he promised his dad he would, one Sunday a month.
He was making his way to the "Secret Headquarters" Last used just after Rise joined the team and King Moron had died...when he heard and saw something that he didn't expect to see.
Yukiko Amagi was sitting at her usual spot, wearing her black blouse, white skirt, and sandals. But what surprised him...
Was that she was crying.
"Yukiko-san, what's wrong?" Yosuke asked.
Yukiko looked at Yosuke, with hurt and anger in her eyes. "What do you mean 'what's wrong?' Didn't you know, Yosuke-Kun?" She said accusingly.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Honest. If you don't want to tell me, fine. Talk to Partner. He can-"
"DON'T. MENTION. HIM." Yukiko said, every word dripping blood.
Yosuke actually took a step back. He knew Yukiko could potentially become angry...but this was something where it cut deep.
"Then talk to Chie..." Yosuke said, still being friendly.
"I want to talk to her even less... I don't know why I came here..."
'Yukiko, you came here looking for a friend." Yosuke didn't like the idea of ANY of his friends hurting and so that's why he wanted to help her now. Because despite the fact she had shot his advances down cold back when he first moved to Inaba, he still thought of her as his friend.
"All right, maybe you don't know...in which case I'll tell you. Your 'Partner' Yu-kun and I were at the Shrine. We were talking and I asked him why he hung out with me. I expected him to say he liked me." She exhaled a hard sigh. "Instead he said it was because I was his friend."
"I can see how you would hurt...I've known you had a crush on him...but I thought he liked you and was just being guarded like he generally is," Yosuke said.
"Well, I had gotten my hopes up...and then I ran away from the shrine saying I had an errand to do at the Inn...but I was actually making my way here. I called Chie just a few minutes ago and told her what happened...And do you know what she said?"
"No," Yosuke said honestly.
"She said she was sorry, but the reason was...well, it was because SHE became Yu-kun's girlfriend several days ago...and she hadn't told me because she didn't know HOW to tell me."
"Chie wouldn't do that...at least not to be mean..." Yosuke said.
"I know. But it hurt to hear that my best friend kept this secret from me because she knew how I felt."
"Yukiko...I promise you I didn't know a thing...If Partner had told me what was going on...I would have told him to be upfront with you about it. That way...it would have hurt. But it would have hurt less."
Yosuke actually was not kidding about hurt. He was stunned a felt a little hurt Yu didn't tell him. Was it because he thought Yosuke would say at the risk of Chie finding out and kicking him, "No, Bro! NO WAY! You're just going to get hurt by Chie because you'll say something and it'll piss her off."
He didn't know. But what he did know was that Yukiko was hurting. And he felt terrible about that.
"Yukiko-san..." Yosuke began.
"Please, Yosuke, you don't need the honorific. We've been through a lot in the TV World so far that it's not necessary," Yukiko replied with an attempt at smiling.
"Yukiko...I don't think they woke up and decided it was a good idea to hurt you. I just think they didn't think things out and you were just not in the forefront of their minds...Hell, I'm just screwing this up!" Yosuke said.
To his surprise, Yukiko actually chuckled. "No...What you're saying is sweet...and leaning towards correct. *sigh* but it still hurts...because with Yu...I thought had I finally found a boy who liked me for me. He wasn't one of those boys who was pathetically asking for a date because he had heard of the Amagi Challenge."
Yosuke looked downcast. He had asked Yukiko out too, when he had moved to Inaba the previous October. But he hadn't heard of the Challenge until it went around school about how he had been cruelly rejected.
The truth was, he had politely asked her out and she just declined in a flat tone...probably because she thought he'd heard of it and wanted to put on his "confident swagger" to it.
Her words were polite...but her tone wasn't and so the legend grew about how Yukiko Amagi tore Yosuke Hanamura, the New Kid, The Prince of Junes to shreds. So much so...that Yosuke, in order to MAINTAIN what little dignity he had left from that embarrassment, proclaimed it as well.
He thought when she had finally mentioned anything towards that after she turned down that creepy guy in April, that he had a shot and then got his hopes up. Only to be shot down again.
But...The fact was...he should have been. He came off sound like one of those guys who did it just for the sake of the Challenge.
He thought Yukiko was attractive...Who wouldn't? But...He thought there was something to her... like him...that attracted him to her.
Obligation.
They both had it. She to Inherit the Amagi Inn. He to someday manage Junes, or at least go into the business world. That was his father's expectation. Both had wanted to fight it. Both of them realized they couldn't.
Because they were creating in their minds all the negatives...and none of the positives.
Yosuke wasn't stupid. He knew Yukiko wanted to run away from the Inn. Just as much as Yosuke used to want more than anything.
But then Yu started showing Yosuke the positives of being with Junes...so much so that even if Yosuke still wasn't sure about entering the business world. He still wanted to put in 110% when working.
Yosuke only assumed it was the same thing with Yukiko. Yu helped her realize that even if she had a choice, she should still be willing to help the Amagi Inn when it needed her.
But now...Was she going to regress...was she going to run away again?
He didn't want that...because as much as he loved Saki-senpai...He still had feelings for Yukiko.
Feelings...he couldn't deny...
What's wrong, Yosuke?" Yukiko said.
"Well...to be honest with you...I didn't ask you out because of the Challenge either. I asked you because...well because you're attractive and you were friendlier than Chie was at the start after I moved here."
Yukiko blushed. "You...you think I'm attractive?"
"I know you are...I hadn't even HEARD of the Amagi Challenge until some guy told me after you turned me down."
"Really...and I just thought..." She trailed off.
"It's not your fault...I guess I do give you good cause to think that."
"Yes...your creepy comments have long become legend within our little group..." She said gravely.
He winced. "I didn't think they were THAT bad."
"Yes, well now you do." She said.
"Yukiko...what are you going to do now?" Yosuke asked. Feeling out his concern she may run away.
"Mm? Oh, you mean with both Chie and Yu...I was thinking something along the lines of Voodoo dolls...what do you think?" She said with her trademark smile of excitement (which were for things she shouldn't get excited about.)
"Umm..." Yosuke sweatdropped.
"SNRK! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Your face...You actually believed it...Can you see me with little Voodoo dolls of them...I mean, I could ask Kanji-Kun to make them...but I can't practice Voodoo..." She said laughing.
He chuckled at that and then out of the blue:
"You have a very beautiful laugh."
Yukiko was so stunned she stopped. She was surprised he would say that out loud.
Her surprise was so evident that HE blushed at what he said.
Instead of addressing it right then, Yukiko decided to jump back a subject. "I think a cold shoulder's appropriate for a couple of days...I just don't want to talk to either one of them at the moment. You think my laugh is beautiful?"
Yosuke blushed redder, "Yeah...Yeah I do..."
Yukiko looked at Yosuke. While she wouldn't have considered Yosuke, of all people, as a suitor, when he had previously asked her out. That was because she didn't know him well enough.
Sure, he had his crass and whiny sides. Sometimes he would act a little lazy. But deep down, he wasn't lazy. He fought hard against the Shadows and worked hard at Junes. He just didn't always apply himself on tests.
But she saw other things about him. He was a sensitive young man. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, unlike most boys who would try to be like Kanji-kun was and hide that part of themselves.
She also thought, despite his reluctance on tests, that he was a very thoughtful and intelligent person. His contributions when discussing the current murder case have impressed even her.
She also did admit to herself that he was quite a handsome boy. Not as handsome as Yu-kun...but Yosuke did hold a certain attractiveness to him.
But...the thought of her and Yosuke...people would have a fit over it.
Yet...She felt that, just maybe, he was like her in one respect.
Expectation.
She was expected to take over the Amagi Inn... She hadn't wanted to of course. Having your future planned out is something that would make someone who applied themselves even less than Yosuke to pale in the face of it. So it should have been no surprise that Yukiko didn't want to.
But then Yu-kun helped her realize that this wasn't a bad thing. When she told off that stupid TV reporter with his stupid, perverse ideas that she was sure would offend even Yosuke (At least she hoped he would have been offended) she realized that even if she inherited the Amagi Inn...her life wouldn't be over.
If she had gone out to experience what Tokyo, Osaka, or Port Island offered, she ironically would have had less freedom in trying to make ends meet. She wasn't ready for that.
Yosuke probably had the same expectation on him to someday manage Junes, whether this one, or one in another place. But Yukiko believed that it was only with Yu's help that Yosuke was able to learn that running a Junes wasn't the end of the world...it would be the beginning of a new chapter.
At least she hoped he learned it that way.
But looking at Yosuke right now made her realize. Maybe her Prince wasn't some dashing gentleman who would sweep her off her feet. Maybe her Prince was just a normal guy who would be willing to appreciate her for her. And maybe...
Yosuke was that one all along...?
"Oh hell!" Yosuke said.
"What?" Yukiko replied.
"Finals are coming up and I was supposed to study with Partner, but now that Yu's dating Chie, he'll be too busy for that."
Yukiko looked glum. "Chie's supposed to study with me...but if she's dating Yu-kun...she'll just go directly to him for that."
Both of them looked frustrated. Then an idea hit Yosuke.
"Why don't you and I study together...and please don't hit me I was being serious!" Yosuke said when Yukiko had her hand raised to hit him. He had made the suggestion before and she had slapped him for it before midterms.
"You and I study?" she said. Then she thought about it for a moment. She thought Yosuke would need some study help, especially after he had managed to get an average score on the midterms.
But, there was something within her that WANTED to spend more time with Yosuke. Something that made her think that it would be a bad idea if they didn't study together. So she said...
"All right, but not today. I'm still...digesting and sorting things in regards to what happened at the shrine and with Chie today. But during club we can study in the library."
"I've got no problem with that. I won't have to work here again until Wednesday so there should be no problems."
"Very well, I'll see you in class tomorrow, Yosuke."
"See you there, too."
Yukiko got up and left and took one look back at Yosuke, who was walking back into Junes. "Maybe that's been the real Yosuke all along..." She murmured.
When Yukiko returned to the Amagi Inn, her parents were surprised that despite what she told them about Yu and Chie's actions... she was actually humming to herself a song while she was working.
While Yosuke was working at Junes the rest of the afternoon and early evening they found it surprising that he was actually doing work he wasn't scheduled to do for another few days...without complaint.
Both of them went to sleep that night thinking the same thing...
'I'm actually interested in seeing what happens.'