Quick note: This is was an overhaul of the original story. So, if you're reading this story for the first time—hello! If you've read this story before, you'll find there are several differences, but nothing that's been altered too greatly. It will probably read a little dated still, but here it is.
I've deleted Author Notes in the updated chapters, but I want to say thank you to everyone that has ever read, favorited, followed or reviewed! :) You guys are all amazing!
Chapter 1
Yu flipped open his phone and scrolled to the inbox.
No new messages.
It seemed fairly typical lately as the new school year was now underway, but he still felt that same emptiness every time he checked. He shut the phone, with a little more force than usual, and sighed. Another lonely Sunday.
He crossed his arms and rested them on his desk, laying his head on them. His eyes wandered to the stack of homework to his right and he sighed again. Correction, another miserable, lonely Sunday. Yu stood and made his way through the empty apartment towards the kitchen. He figured it would be better to make tea then start studying; at least it would give his mind a moment to adjust.
As he set the water to boil he looked at his phone again, nothing of course. Why did he bother so soon? There was no notification that he'd received anything, and he was beginning to suspect he was developing a very unhealthy habit. In Inaba there hadn't been a reason to examine his inbox every five to ten minutes; usually he was already with one of his friends. He closed the phone again and set it on the counter, maybe it would be easier to leave it in the kitchen while he studied.
The water began to boil a few minutes later and he grabbed a mug from the cabinet and prepped his tea. He started for his room but stopped and stared at the phone. What had happened to his willpower? No. No, he could leave it there and finish his work. With reluctance he turned and walked back to his bedroom, taking a seat at the desk and grabbing his books and notebook before he could change his mind. Wishing for them to message him wasn't going to make it happen any faster.
After a few hours Yu placed his hands against the front of his desk and scooted back. It had taken less time than he had anticipated and he felt somewhat relieved. It was quickly replaced with anxiousness, but he put that aside and focused. He knew that it was growing later and he still hadn't eaten. He headed for the kitchen and stopped instantly when he saw a light flashing from the phone. Yu practically leapt for the counter and flung the phone open.
Coming home tonight, hope you are cooking. :)
His mother, no one else. Yu closed his eyes a moment, letting the sadness set in so that he could begin to deal with it. Alright, what to make for dinner... Something simple? That might be easiest today; Yu felt drained from all the ridiculous emotional turmoil he'd inflicted on himself.
He opened the refrigerator and stood there for several minutes half deciding, half spacing out. Curry sounded simple enough for him, and he'd made it so many times it was practically muscle memory at this point. He carefully stacked the ingredients in his arms as he walked through the kitchen and set them on the island.
What were the others doing right now? Probably eating something someone else was cooking, and that was probably for the best. Yu formed a small smile thinking about how his friends used to fight over the food he'd make, about how the girls tried to practically kill everyone with their attempts, but mostly the feeling of watching people sincerely enjoy and appreciate him for making them something. It'd barely been a month since he'd left, and although he knew Golden Week was at the end of the month there wasn't a guarantee he was returning to Inaba for the break. He'd mentioned it several times to his mother but she would always respond with, "It depends on your studies." or, "Well, if there isn't something we need you to do."
When he finally paused and looked at the ingredients, they were cut and ready to be cooked. He brought out all of the utensils, pots, and pans he would need and set them in their respective places.
Although he had far more room in this kitchen compared to Dojima's much tinier one, he still felt incredibly cramped. It was all mental of course, but the thought of not having Nanako on a stool next to him watching his every move or asking him a million questions... It wasn't fair. Yu tried to remain the model, studious child for his parents, lest they worry or worse—turn their attention towards him. He'd been independent for far too long for them to take a true interest in his day-to-day life now. However, since his mother had returned from overseas she'd been home more frequently; far less than the average parent, but still more than Yu was accustomed to.
He finished making the roux and began moving on to the other parts of the dish. Maybe something simple wasn't such a great idea; at least when he was cooking he wasn't checking for messages that he knew weren't there. Then again, he could send his friends a message... but he'd already done that earlier in the day. Clearly they all had plans and he felt jealously welling up. No, that wasn't right and he knew it. He composed himself, as he always tried to do, and returned to focusing on dinner. Some background noise might occupy his mind, or at least act as white noise for him. He checked the status of the food before crossing the unnecessarily large living room and pressed the power button on the remote.
He had a sad smile and shook his head upon seeing the program and turned back for the kitchen.
"-sunny for the next few days. Please be advised that will we experience heavy rain this evening ending around 3 AM. In a moment we will return with-"
Yu looked up from the pot and stared straight ahead, slightly startled but only for a moment. There was no need to feel nervous every time he heard about evening rain, but that was a habit he'd allowed himself to develop. There were no more Shadows, or fog, or Personas... no more Velvet Room, Igor, or Margaret... no more meetings at the "secret headquarters"... but mostly there was no need for him anymore. He angrily shut his eyes and silently cursed himself. They hadn't saved everyone to wrap themselves in personal glory, that wasn't what it had been about. He knew and understood that then, so why was he having such difficulty now? He'd never felt this way in his entire life, he'd never lost control of his emotions like this, and it was getting harder every day to deal with it.
"Yu, I'm home!"
His eyes shot open and he turned towards the front door.
"Welcome home," his voice cracked slightly. It felt like it had been a few days since he'd actually spoken.
"Mmm, curry. My favorite! I am so happy you don't use that store bought stuff, making it from scratch is so much better, and that reminds me did you—"
He turned on the semi-permanent mute he'd reserved for his mother.
She was much chattier than his father, and Yu once thought he was more like his father than his mother; however, after his stay in Inaba he felt more like a healthy mixture of the two.
"—but of course your father is like that... Yu?" She finished taking off her shoes and hanging up her jacket.
"Ah... Sorry. Is he coming home?" Maybe he'd made too little for dinner...
His mother's face changed to be more serious. "No, and I doubt he's going to for the next couple days. Sorry Yu... I know you've barely seen each other."
It was funny how after all these years she assumed he was still the child waiting by the front door that wouldn't open.
"No, I was just concerned I hadn't made enough. There will probably be some left over anyway." His attention turned once again to the food.
His mother nodded without being seen and headed for her room. At least it was a moment of peace for him, which would have probably seemed strange to someone else considering how lonely Yu had felt all day. However, seeing his mother was a reminder that he wasn't back in Inaba, just stuck in this big city with no one to talk to.
His mother came out of her room in less professional and more comfortable looking clothes. "You know, I haven't heard about you hanging out with anyone since you got back. What happened to your old friends?"
What friends?
"Oh, well I wasn't particularly close to anyone before I left." He stirred the curry slowly, but he knew it only needed to simmer at this point.
"Well, I guess that's our fault. We have always moved you around, huh?" Her tone was solemn.
"It's fine, I was always more comfortable by myself," Yu answered, hoping that she would drop the subject.
She changed to a more cheery tone before replying, "But we really like it here, so I don't think you'll have to worry about moving around! No more overseas adventures—at least not for me. There'll be no need to go back to tiny Inaba."
She laughed, but Yu clenched the spoon tightly in his hand to calm his anger. Why had she said that?
His mother stopped once she noticed how tense her son had become. She fell back on the couch but continued to look at Yu, uncertain with how to approach him.
"It's ready," Yu remarked blandly and started to gather dishes to set the oversized dining table with. Why did they even bother with buying a table? Especially one this large; it wasn't like they ever had company over.
"It smells amazing." She joined him at the table and smiled as he brought her plate over. "I'm surprised the rice cooker still works... It hasn't been used since we left."
Yu was trying to remain respectful, but he just wasn't in the right state of mind to compose conversation. "It was fine." Three words should suffice.
He compulsively checked his phone, but of course, nothing.
His mother frowned. "It's rude to do that at the table."
Yu quickly put the phone down. "Sorry." He honestly did feel bad, but it was habitual. He normally didn't have to worry about being mindful of others in an apartment he was consistently alone in.
"Well, it's fine." She smiled. "Looks like you could use an upgrade. I guess the phone you had in Inaba was out of date. Your father and I had given you one of our old ones before you left; no surprise you had to get a new one."
Yu shook his head. "No. This one is reliable; I don't need a new one." He paused remembering his manners, "Thank you though." A fake smile to cover the annoyance he felt. He could never get rid of this phone, even when it stopped working. It'd been a gift from—
"Oh... Well, I am glad we've raised you to be frugal I guess," she replied with soft laughter, interrupting his thoughts.
Raised him? They were barely there once he'd reached an age where he could take care of himself, and maybe that's why he was able to understand how Nanako felt. He'd been given whatever he'd requested, but he learned at a young age that things didn't repair the growing disappointment he felt with his parents. Now they just felt like acquaintances that he was obligated to make proud.
"Yu? You must be tired... It isn't like you to be so out of it." His mother pressed her wrist to his forehead. "Are you sick? ...No, you feel cool."
How did she know what he was like? His temperature ran cooler than most, and a fever he experienced would feel normal to another person's touch. His friends were aware of that, his own mother should definitely be.
"I'm fine." He tried to hide his bitterness.
Where had this ridiculous teenage angst come from? He was never this sensitive to things, and he had always been thankful for his parents. As he'd gotten older he'd also realized that all the hard work they did was to ensure that his future was secure, that he wouldn't have to worry about school or need for anything. He was becoming selfish... No, not only that, but also unappreciative.
"Sorry, it's just been a long week," he corrected himself after he saw the hurt on his mother's face. Another fake smile.
"I'm sorry, you should go to bed early tonight. You have another long day tomorrow," she suggest, trying to be motherly, but now Yu was more receptive to it.
"Thanks, I think I will after I clean up." Yu finished what little food he had portioned for himself and started to stand.
"No! I'll take care of everything! You just get ready and go to sleep." She was trying so hard.
"You're going to do dishes?" Yu blinked. "Um... It's really fine. I can do it."
She was not the most graceful of individuals and managed to break one thing or another every time she tried to clean.
"I did live alone for a while before I met your father. There wasn't always someone around to take care of the house," she spoke proudly and assuredly, "I think I can wash a few pots and pans."
Yu had a genuine smile now. "Well, if I hear the apartment crumbling, I'll come help."
She bit her lip. "Hmm, maybe you should just stay in your room and not look at the possible disaster."
He nodded, still smiling, and returned to his room.
Pi, pi, pi!
Yu eyes flew open and he grabbed his phone.
hey partner! sorry about earlier... long day at work but u know how dad is. never a day off -_-
Yu sat up and stared at his phone in disbelief, then at the clock. 22:54. He yawned and read the message several times, his face growing happier each time.
It's fine. My mother came home this evening, so it's been hectic.
Such an "interesting" response he'd given. Had he really just wasted his time with that?
it's so hard to imagine her. dude u gotten send me a pic of ur parents one day!
To Yu's delight, they were finally able to 'talk', and the anxiety that had built up seemed to mystically disappear. He wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing that Yosuke always seemed to overpower his self-doubt, but if it made him happy—how bad could it be?
Even with the generic questions and answers, Yu was overjoyed. However, Yosuke finally admitted defeat and said he had to get some rest.
not that i'll pay attention tomorrow but u'll scold me if i dont try!
Yu frowned, but Yosuke was right. Yu wanted him to improve this year. Plus, the better he did, the more time he got off from work. Yosuke's father was strange like that.
I'm glad we got to talk, it's been lonely here. Good night, stay awake tomorrow and take notes.
Yu didn't like to admit how isolated he felt back 'home', but Yosuke was different. His friend sent back a promise to do so and a goofy farewell. Yu carefully locked the thread and lay on his side, scrolling through all the old messages until his eyes became heavy again. He'd try to be more positive tomorrow.
"Senpai!"
That voice.
Yu turned, and sure enough, there stood Rise.
"Senpai, I can't believe it's you!" She threw her arms around him, jumping up and down slightly.
Rise was here. In the main lobby of his school. His prestigious private school. With too many students around for Yu to even comprehend.
"It's only been a few weeks, but I've missed you so much!" She looked up at him with a pouting face.
"Rise... Uh..." He could feel everyone staring at them.
"Le-let's go talk outside." He quickly directed them out the door and to the side of the school. It was facing the sports' fields, but they were too far enough away for anyone to be able to recognize them.
Rise looked hurt and confused. "Senpai, are you embarrassed by me?"
"No, no..." He looked around carefully and sighed.
She remained unconvinced.
"I am happy to see you, believe me, but sometimes you forget who you are," Yu explained, trying to make it sound as reasonable as possible.
"Because I'm Risette again?" she replied bluntly.
"Yes. You're more well known than you were before, and this school..." He swallowed. "It's kind of conservative."
"Sorry... I should have texted you when you messaged me yesterday, but I really wanted to surprise you." She seemed to be a little sad, but at least she understood.
"And surprise me you did." Yu smiled, finally feeling comfortable enough to be himself.
Rise smiled mischievously. "Well, it's always interesting to see the cool, composed Senpai flustered." She giggled and returned to her bubbly self. Yu shook his head at the joke and sighed, secretly pleased.
"You should show me around since school is over! I would ask to tour the school, but... I don't think that's a good idea today." She took his hand before he could answer and started walking towards the city.
Yu didn't even want to imagine what he would face tomorrow, but for now one of his friends was with him and it felt like the old days.
"You still have to treat me though, let's pretend this is a date!" She winked and leaned on his arm more.
He laughed and nodded. "That's fine. Just be careful we don't end up on the news tonight."
She briefly let go of his hand and reached into her oversized bag. "No worries, I am a master when it comes to going incognito!" She pulled the item she had been searching for out of the bag.
"Rise, that's a hat," Yu commented, enjoying the feeling of having someone he trusted with him. "Plus, you didn't do the best job hiding when you arrived in Inaba."
"Hey, I was testing a new theory! Hiding in plain sight! It sort of worked you know, everyone just kind of got used to me being there." She tugged the hat down around her face and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Hmm, maybe you saw it that way." He'd missed this. It had been so hard to not have someone around.
"Enough stalling, let's get some food! Ooo, or coffee? You choose Senpai! I want to do everything I possibly can today! Prepare for a long night!" She resumed her position of holding onto his arm and hand.
If it had been anyone else, Yu would have laughed at the suggestiveness of the sentence, but it was Rise and this was just how she was. He knew her, and for the most part she knew him. He was glad he was there to help her figure out what she wanted, and her comeback had been an impressive one.
"You changed your hair."
Rise didn't respond and Yu assumed she was waiting for his judgment. "It makes you look more mature, I like it."
She held his arm tighter. "Thanks Senpai..." It was a glad, relieved voice, but Yu sensed pain and he knew why. He'd keep the compliments to himself.
He returned to their previous topic. "There are a few places I've actually gone to, but you might be a better tour guide. I've lived here for a while, but you've actually experienced more of the city during your tours." He didn't want to disappoint her with some boring café.
Rise looked up at him with a sweet smile. "No, anywhere is great."
Yu nodded and headed towards a place he thought she might enjoy.
Seeing Rise that evening had greatly improved his mood, and he'd actually only checked his phone once he returned home. A message from Rise.
Senpai that was soooo much fun!~ :3 I can't wait to see you again! I'm going to Inaba for a day or two during Golden Week. You better be there!
He slipped off his shoes and jacket while responding.
Indeed, thank you for stopping by. I was really glad to see you. I'll try my hardest to be there. Good luck with your tour.
"You're home later than usual," his mother called from the couch.
"Sorry, I was with a friend." Yu surveyed the state of the apartment and decided it was how he'd left it that morning. He had to reset everything before he left for classes. At least she'd tried.
"I'm glad, I was beginning to worry." She patted the seat beside her and Yu sat down, turning his attention to the TV for a moment.
"Want me to make something tonight? It's not too late."
"You just got home though... Don't you need to get some rest?" She seemed concerned, but Yu knew she would prefer his cooking.
"Really, I'm okay. In Inaba I always did something after school so I'm used to it." He opened up a little to her, but he knew he couldn't tell her even a small part of what he'd done. It'd be hard to explain how hanging out with a friend was nothing compared to traversing the TV World, trying to defeat an evil that could destroy the world.
"I knew your father and I should have sent you an allowance. I shouldn't have listened to you when you told me not to." She was concerned again. "You shouldn't have had to work that much, you deserved some time off."
Yu laughed, not at what she'd said, but how she was completely clueless as to the amazing things all of them had accomplished.
"Croquettes?" he offered, knowing she'd accept.
"That sounds amazing." She'd already forgotten about what they'd been discussing.
Yu nodded and starting preparing their meal, he'd made his choice based off his good mood. It was the first meal he'd attempted to teach Yosuke during their break before he'd left. He figured he would at least try to show him some basic recipes that even Yosuke couldn't mess up. It had gone horribly wrong every single time.
"Oh, the news is back on." His mother turned up the volume.
The potatoes were beginning to boil and Yu started cooking the meat in another pan.
"—it was an uneventful day in the sports world—"
What was Yosuke eating for dinner? Maybe he was stuffing his face during his break, or even while working. He was never the type of person to stick to a normal schedule. Yu had felt a certain obligation after a while to make Nanako's lunch and occasionally Yosuke's lunch when he knew they could eat together without the others making a big deal and teasing Yosuke. Yu didn't mind the jokes, but he didn't want to embarrass Yosuke to the point of where he didn't even want the lunch.
He seasoned the meat and then mashed the potatoes, mixing them with the meat afterwards and seasoning it some more. He divided it into patties and set them on a dish to place into the refrigerator for an hour.
"—that concludes the news for today stay tuned for—"
Yu stood at the end of the sectional. "I'm going to finish homework while those rest."
"That's fine, I'll sit here and watch my daily dose of gossip." She yawned and smiled as Yu handed her a blanket.
"See you in an hour." He headed for his room.
At least there was very little to do tonight, and he'd done quite a bit of it during lunch today. It wasn't like he had anyone talk to, but there might be some commotion tomorrow. If he was the type of person to avoid confrontation he would probably have skipped classes.
He entered the kitchen again and took the croquettes out, heating the oil he had ready. His phone had been quiet since his earlier texts with Rise, but it was okay today, he felt better. His mother had been quiet and he assumed she'd fallen asleep given that the volume had been lowered. He would wake her when the food was done.
He placed the now Panko covered patties in the oil and watched them cook. He smiled remembering how Yosuke had not heeded Yu's warning and simply dropped one in the oil, burning his hand with the splash. Yu pulled his phone out and took a picture of the almost finished meal.
Look familiar?
He sent Yosuke the message and jumped when he heard the phone ring only a minute later.
He opened the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey! It's the thing I butchered! Dude, I still have a scar on my hand from that."
Yu's chest felt warm hearing Yosuke's voice.
"Yosuke, I warned you to be careful, you can't rush headfirst even into simple recipes." Yu chuckled. Today had been a good day.
"I got a little better with the master chef of Inaba helping me. I can now boil ramen without the fear of my house burning to the ground!"
"At least I've taught you to boil water. I should have made that step one." Yu turned the croquettes over to cook evenly.
"But I am so jealous. I can't eat your food for like another week and then some. Is Golden Week here yet? Dude, this sucks."
Yu's mood fell. "Oh, right... Golden Week."
There was a pause on the other end followed by a much more depressed sounding Yosuke. "You are coming... aren't you?"
"I... I hope so. I haven't gotten a clear answer yet. I'm not worried about my studies though, so that should help." Yu didn't want to talk about this, he wanted to return to the happy conversation that they rarely got to have together.
Yosuke must have sensed that. "Well, we'll stay positive and hope for the best! I'm sure Dojima can convince them if it comes to it. He'll just put Nanako-chan on the phone and her tears will melt your mom's heart."
Yu smiled again, because that could actually work. He set the food onto a pan to cool and began setting the table all while talking Yosuke about Junes and how Yosuke wanted to actually burn that building to the ground. He followed up with how he'd actually managed to stay awake and take notes today and finish about a third of his homework. Even the most mundane topics filled Yu's heart with warmth.
"See? You being overbearing has helped! Before I would just rush to do it on the morning it was due, but now I rush to do it the day before." Yosuke was rustling papers in the background.
"Well, more improvement means less Junes' time," Yu reminded him.
"Ugh, but also less money. I wish I didn't have to worry like you."
"Hmm, you misunderstand my parents; they don't just shower me with everything," Yu corrected him, feeling slightly disappointed.
"Calm down dude, I know. I was just kidding around, plus you never ask for anything anyway. I practically had to force you to keep the phone I bought you."
"And you never let me pay you back."
"Hell no, that was the least I could do. You paid me back with something better than money."
Yu felt his face begin to burn now, and there was a loud crash on Yosuke's end.
"Ah, tha-that sounded really weird. Forget that I said it like that, please. I meant helping me out with Junes and all the other emotional crap I threw at you."
"No, I understand, thank you though." Yu wouldn't forget though, even if Yosuke didn't mean it the way he'd taken it.
"I hear mom calling so I guess I better go," Yosuke stated with a heavy sigh. "We, uh, should text later, right?"
"Yeah, that'd be"—great—"fine." Yu's face twisted in frustration. He never said what he wanted, a trait he was not comfortable with.
"Awesome, text you later then. See ya!"
"Sounds good, until then."
Click.
Yu hadn't felt this way since he'd returned to the city, and for a moment he felt like his old self. However, it was time to eat and he couldn't let his mother sleep without dinner. He walked to the couch, but she was awake, reading something off her tablet.
She looked up. "Food done?"
Yu simply nodded, perplexed as to why she'd remained so quiet and hadn't interrupted his conversation. He thought about what Yosuke and he had talked about, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Why was she acting so strange?
"Excellent." She stood up and followed him to the table. "Ah, it's been so long since I've had homemade ones."
"I hope I don't disappoint." He tried to hide his joy, but he couldn't stop smiling.
"So, Yosuke, huh? Wasn't that your best friend from Inaba?" She took a bite while waiting for Yu's answer.
He stared at her with a confused look. "When did I tell you about Yosuke?" He hadn't, but he wanted to know how she'd gotten her information without being too accusatory of her.
"Nanako told me." She seemed pleased with herself. "Her Big Bro—which is adorable by the way—was all she could talk about."
Yu felt somewhat irritated as he responded, "You called Nanako, but not me?"
"Oh, don't be like that. I called the house phone because I knew if you were home I wouldn't be interrupting your free time as much. You weren't kidding when you said you had a lot to do after school. So, instead I would talk to Nanako, but don't worry I wasn't doing so to spy on you." She smiled and took another bite of her food.
"What did she say?" Yu was feeling more uneasy by the minute. His mother was acting strangely.
"She mostly talked about how you and your friends would take care of her and how she missed her father—Ryotaro was always busy even Chisato was alive, and about some murder case. She's too young to know about that stuff, Ryotaro should censor himself more around her." She watched Yu's face remain emotionless. "But... anyway, she talked about Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, Naoto, some guy called 'Teddy'—which sounds weird to m—but she talked about Yosuke a lot more often."
Yu was surprised she remembered almost everyone's names, but being good with names was part of her job. However, something didn't sit right. He thought there was something strange about the way she delivered her statement. She was leaving Rise out. His brain felt frazzled, and he was having trouble piecing it together.
"Yosuke sounds like a great friend, and I am glad you two met. However, she did mention one other person," she briefly trailed off, sounding like she was about to reveal some grand mystery.
Yu's eyes widened and he instantly knew.
"Risette! Oh my gosh, Yu! How could you keep this from me!?" She clasped her hands together dramatically, stars practically in her eyes.
"Hang on—"
"You two were on TV tonight! How could you keep such an adorable girlfriend a secret from your own mother? I can be quiet, you know! She could have come over here instead of you sneaking around!" She was starting to run wild with this train of thought.
Yu grimaced, so they had been seen. It terrified him that they'd been shown on such a popular show, but he should have known, someone at his school probably called someone. He also knew that this supposed offer his mother had extended was only because she wanted to meet Rise, but the idea of him bringing her home to hang out would have caused a complete scandal.
"It was excellent—'Risette's secret love'! Ah, that headline is fabulous." His mother definitely had a weakness for this nonsense.
"Mother, we are—"
"Completely in love! I can imagine it'd be so easy after you spent A YEAR WITH HER IN INABA! How serious is this? When are we meeting her? Are you getting married after college? You can't just go on tour with her and leave your responsibilities behind young man," she rambled on and on.
He was sure that she was completely lost in her own fantasy now.
His parents had always pushed him to find a successful female that was aiming to be at the top of her career. A pop idol was probably the best news his mother could hear, but he imagined his father didn't envision that. Neither did Yu.
"Mother," he repeated, louder and more firm this time, and she paused to stare at him.
"Rise and I are just friends." He was going to dismiss this as quickly as possible. "I do not see her in a romantic way, nor will that ever change."
"Just because she hasn't confessed doesn't mean she doesn't feel the same. The way she was holding you, it was quite obvious—"
"No. She confessed and I politely declined. She is very important to me, and one of my best friends, but she is a friend. Nothing more."
Her mother looked devastated, but she quickly recovered.
"Oh, so like a little sister?"
Yu cocked his head slightly. "I'm sorry?" He must not have heard her correctly.
"You see her as a little sister instead?"
Close enough.
"Yes, more like that, I suppose. However, now that this has been shown on the evening news, I would appreciate it if you could dispel any rumor you hear and not fuel this. After a while it will calm down and sort itself out." It was bizarre to lecture his own mother.
She pouted. "Fine. I'm sure your father will be happy to hear that," she finished with a grumpy tone, like it left a bad taste in her mouth.
Yu smiled, because at least she was trying to encourage him. "I will bring her by for you to meet her—"
Pi, pi, pi!
He stopped midsentence and his eyes grew large. During the conversation with his mother he must not have heard his phone, but he now saw the dozens of messages he'd received.
Rise, Rise, Rise, Chie, Kanji, Rise, random number, random number—a majority of just random numbers, and Rise. However, there was one towards the top that made his stomach turn.
hey partner what the hell? i thought you two werent together? when did this change?
Yu ignored his mother, and all other texts, and quickly tried to salvage this before it got out of control.
No. She stopped by to see me at school. We went out and it got blown out of proportion by the media.
Most of the other messages were that of disbelief, threats, congratulations, confusion, and about a dozen apologies and questions from Rise. All Yu cared about was Yosuke's response, and he turned on his mother's mute and waited. The minutes felt eternal.
oh whew. i figured youd tell me. :) text you later then.
Yu slumped back in the chair, utterly relieved that it only took one message to convince him.
"Yu Narukami!"
He snapped back and looked at his now angry mother. "Sorry."
"I guess this isn't so great, huh?" She had a sad smile, understanding that this was going to difficult for her son.
"It'll be fine. School might be awkward, but Rise isn't so huge yet that we'll have people camped outside the apartment." Yu truly believed that, thankfully.
His mother took her empty plate and walked to the sink. "Enough excitement for one evening, I think. Get ready for bed. Oh, and Yu, a letter came for you today," she explained, pointing towards the table near the front door.
He nodded and quickly finished eating, carefully wording his request that he do dishes tonight. It was much easier doing them afterwards than the next morning. His mother sighed, agreed and bid him good night. She shifted uncomfortably and kissed his cheek before going to her room. Yu wasn't used to her being this affectionate and it was incredibly odd to experience. He dismissed it as guilt on her part for being gone so long and finished cleaning the mess. He dried his hands and picked up the envelope before entering his own room.
Naoto had sent him another letter.
Yu smiled and grabbed a letter opener, carefully cutting the envelope and retrieving the letter. He stopped before he read it and wrote the date he'd received it on the envelope. If he actually reflected on his systematic approach to basic tasks, he'd probably understand Yosuke's taunts about him more accurately.
He took a moment to glance at his phone. He'd set Yosuke to a specific tone so that he could discern the difference a while ago. The others had a different ring, but they all shared the same, different one. Yosuke was unique.
He sat on his bed and read the elegantly written letter slowly, enjoying the feel of paper in his hands versus a phone. Getting a written letter was far more preferable to him than a two line text message. The letter was typical of Naoto, she discussed a case she was working on when she wasn't attending school, how on her free days she had to travel to different places and interview certain people, it continued with how she was adjusting to feeling comfortable with herself and how thankful she was again to have him as a friend.
In the background, the phone quietly beeped every few minutes, but the beep was that of a random number. Yu returned to the letter and smiled at Naoto's departing words.
Senpai, perhaps it's not my place, but I hope that you have found more courage since our previous letters to realize your feelings. I am certainly no expert concerning that subject, but I am familiar with that ache of truly longing for someone. Please call if you need my assistance with anything, and I hope to see you during the upcoming break.
Naoto had been the only person Yu could talk to about how to act with Yosuke after discovering how he felt about his best friend. Yu hadn't said anything to Yosuke or acted any differently, but he was hyperaware of everything Yosuke did when they were together. Sometimes it was tiring, sometimes it was almost second nature, but mostly it was just another emotion for him to grow accustomed to. It had been much more difficult to deal with new feelings as a person in their late teens, but it had to happen eventually.
He set the letter down and looked over at the stuffed animal on his nightstand. Kanji had made him the bear and sent it in a package along with a letter. Yu could only guess the letter had been sent because Kanji had heard about Naoto sending her own. It was short—somewhat angry, but inspired. Kanji always skipped the fluff and said how a situation actually was, unless Naoto was part of the situation. Yu had tried to talk to Kanji about it before, but it was promptly dismissed and he'd decided Kanji would talk when he was ready.
Yu lifted the bears arm and smiled at the hair tie attached, it was the one Yosuke had worn in the pageant last year. Kanji said he'd sent it as a joke to bother Yosuke, but Yu knew that Kanji was trying to cheer him up. Kanji hadn't admitted it, but Yu could tell he was mostly aware of how Yu felt.
He stood and began getting ready for bed, laying down afterwards and staring at the crowded inbox. Rise had sent a message while he was in the bathroom, and he finally sorted through her messages.
Senpai I am SOOOO SORRY, please text me back and don't be mad! ;3; I didn't think anyone saw us!
Yu sighed and responded with something reassuring.
It's really fine Rise, give it a week and things will be back to normal. Have a good night.
He responded to Chie and Kanji as well, correcting the news story and promising his friends it was all false. He ignored the other messages. He waited for Yosuke to finally text him, but maybe he should be the first one to send a message. What could he say though? Instead he adjusted his pillows and thought about the hypothetical.
Even if he finally had the courage to come clean and tell Yosuke, what then? Be rejected? Yosuke didn't seem interested in anything other than a friendship, but even he did things that made Yu question. Yu had assumed it was because he'd just never had a best friend before and wasn't accustomed to the lengths people would go through for him. That night that Nanako had...well, that night—Yosuke had been there. After everyone else was told to go home and rest by the obviously strong leader, Yosuke had come back. He'd known Yu's world was in shambles and he'd let himself show weakness to Yosuke.
Yu had cried on another person, something he'd never done or even thought about doing, and Yosuke stood there saying nothing. Most people would has resented the silence, but the pair knew the other one so well that the gesture was the only one that would have worked. After a time, Yosuke ahd shifted Yu from his shoulder and held him—at a comfortable distance, but still the way Yu had held him the day Yosuke had broken down at the riverbed. That night had been the turning point for Yu, and he'd had doubts about his feelings before, but after Yosuke had seen him at his most vulnerable he knew that were no more uncertainties. It had been terrifying and jumbled with grief and about a dozen other emotions he couldn't place, but it was calming at the same time. Yu didn't understand his own method of coping with trauma, but the few times he'd faced it, Yosuke had been the one to hold him up.
Yosuke's tone finally sounded.
Yu lifted up his phone again and felt that familiar sting of wanting and not having.
sorry dad was nagging. you still up? gotta vent if thats cool
The teen was thankful that Yosuke had dropped the Rise problem. Not to say he was happy that Yosuke was upset, but it did mean they would be texting longer than usual.
Of course, what happened? I'm always here to listen
Yu paused and took a deep breath.
partner.