Would You Love Me?
Yo. Sakuraba here. After so long, I've been up and about, whipping up this fic in my mind since Kami-sama knows when. I've been quite bothered by the 5th episode of the Persona 4 anime when Narukami said to a suicidal Ebihara he knew what it felt like to be rejected. So there.
This may not follow the exact scenes from the series so you've been warned. (Well, that's what fanfiction is all about.)
Oh, and by the way, this will turn into a YoYuYo fic with a sprinkling of The Male Cast x Yu, so if two best guy buds being intimate kinda irks you, then you're free to push that Back button of your browser. Flames are welcome. They can be the lighter for my cigarette so I'll definitely put them into good use.
I won't be updating the Jar of Citrus Jellies soon since my files are cluttered in my hard drive and I'm not really keen of finding them inside my folders. I might find molds. Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oligosporus really gives me the creeps whenever I see my stock food (-cough- booze time snacks -cough-) getting older than me. Same thing goes to fics.
Without further ado, I'll give you a taste of what a year (or was it two?) year hiatus can brew.
DISCLAIMER
Persona 4 and Persona 4 The Animation is owned by ATLUS and Index Corp. respectively. I do not own any of it, including its characters and its story line. If I did, I will be making a self-insert with my badass look and I'll be asking Shirogane on tips how to be a little manlier.
Scent 1 – What Now?
Full of Fools (Channel 0)
Ebihara's on the roll right now, playing Walk The Dog with me as her yoyo.
…better make that Drag The Dog instead. I mean, who in their right mind would skip class and then take the train to Okina and do some shopping for Ichijo's basketball team – at Croco Fur? Don't get me wrong, but do they really need those fancy heart-shaped shades to boost their morale? Girls can be hard to understand at times.
"That is obviously a lie!"
"Figures."
Sighing would be the best thing that I can do.
Hanging out at Atzrbucks made me feel a little better. Whoever theorized that ditching a day of half-assed studying can be fun sometimes is actually right.
"You're different than the other guys," the brunette gleefully said, admiring my table napkin crane.
Origami actually has its perks. Taking that volunteer job at the bulletin board pretty pays well – in kind. They send Macca leaves and some icky-tasting medicines for us to use when training inside the Mayonaka TV. Oh, and gummy bears too. Sugar boosts the brain when it's busy using those Personas, not to mention they're tasty and I'm kinda reluctant on sharing it with Satonaka (she prefers meat gum, whatever that is) or Hanamura (he's really not into sweets, or so I've heard from Amagi). So I habitually chew on it every time we visit Amagi's castle, much to their astonishment. Anyway, I wonder if the hospital staff knew our ordeal and they prefer giving me recovery items.
"I'm gonna kill myself!"
"Take it easy!"
"I know Satonaka! She's that frumpy girl, right? I'm a hundred times better looking!"
"You need to calm down!"
How can I be in this situation wherein I need to keep Ebihara from climbing this fence and hitting the rock bottom (It's concrete, duh. Or was it?), then passing on to cross the Gates of the Afterlife?
"Don't touch me! I'll kill myself if you get any closer!"
I sighed at the irony. I can't get any closer given the proximity of my slightly sweaty self and her slightly hysterical self. I felt a little shudder thinking what it would be like if she had to face her Shadow. She might be quite a handful. Someone save me…
"You parents would be really hurt," I said as calm as I could. Seriously, if I did that as well, my parents would be sad too. Well, so much for that. I'm not planning to kick the bucket anytime soon.
"He rejected me, didn't he?" Ebihara stated glumly.
Um… Is that right? You haven't even confessed yet. Rejection before and after declaring your feelings are two different things. I knew those two very well.
"Even though I became cute… I worked so hard to become cute. But what is the point if he doesn't love me?" she continued, tears falling from her brown eyes.
"I know how you feel."
I know. I damn know; somehow I felt like I'm in your shoes. That really brings me back…
Ah, it's good that no one is at the rooftop today, or else I might be sued for making a girl cry. That won't look pretty on my clean record.
She bawled he eyes out for good five minutes. I was afraid that she might not be stopping, given the shock that her eavesdropping (That's probably half my fault, but anyway…) concluded, but that was not what I should be mulling over at.
What I was not expecting was for her to fall into yet another crying spell over the days she went through being "gross", and being a "Buta-hara". Girls really put a lot of effort in their looks and what-not, don't they? It was amazing, commendable even. She epitomizes the saying "No pain, no gain." Too bad, that "gain" hasn't been gained yet.
Soon, it was my turn to be shocked when Ebihara suddenly asked me to go out with her. Maybe Jiraiya's Garu spell hit me. I think I'm getting dizzy just being caught in this emotional storm Ebihara has been fanning about. Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've been asked by a girl. Un-bear-able.
Tch. Kuma, your antics are rubbing onto your Sensei.
Since I transferred to Inaba, my eyes steeled over the fact that I would be keeping my emotions in check a little more than necessary. I'm still not over my senpai's rather flaring rejection me after I told him that I liked him.
Yes. Him.
Realizing that I'm in the sticks, or so Hanamura had said when we were hanging out at Junes while sipping on lemon soda and pigging out on takoyaki, I can't be as transparent as I was back in the city. Who knows what people might say if that 'cool transfer student' and now appointed leader of the Investigation Team turns out to be, um…
Self-deprecation should not be my problem. But now, it nags me a little. I'm not ready to raise the anchor and sail away from here as we're handling a bizarre series of murder cases that even the police won't be able to solve by themselves, nor leave the cozy abode of Dojima-ojisan when I'm feeling a little at home there.
No. Certainly not now.
I've got to keep this façade up for a while.
Practice is stressful, and adding the task of keeping a certain girl's nerves in check raises the stress level two notches. I remembered the crinkling of a small plastic bag of those bears in my jersey short pocket so I fished it and tore it open with my teeth. Ebihara gave me a wide-eyed stare so I thought…
"Hm? Want one?"
"Yo, Narukami!" Hanamura called me with a waving Satonaka greeting her usual "Ohayou!" when a familiar voice shouted my first name in a sickeningly-sweet voice before I returned my "Good morning" to my two classmates.
What a drag.
"Yu!"
Oh Kami-sama. Don't tell me…
"Hey Yu! Let's skip school today and hang out!"
There goes my almost flawless school record. Strike two on my attendance. I'm a little shy when Ebihara was literally pulling my arm and her, um, lady mounds are swallowing my elbow. Interested or not interested, I still have some dignity to get flustered at the act. She's still a girl, and that doesn't happen every day.
"When did they hook up?" Hanamura pondered, whispers from other students tainted the air with curiosity on the next big gossip of Yasogami High.
Here comes the "Drag The Dog" training the team manager concocted for herself.
"I said I wanted caramel sauce!"
I kinda forgot that she craved for an iced caramel machiatto as we rode the train to Okina. My bad.
"Oh, sorry."
"I won't forgive you until you say you love me," she said in half-irritation, half-anticipation.
The fuck? I she only knew how much I have tried not to think about Ichijo when he hooked his arm around me at the time he told me he fancied Satonaka and his clean, after-shower scent that left me light-headed… Oh. Bad thoughts, be gone!
"Hurry up and say it, Yu-kun~!" she taunted. Tch. Must she be that desperate when I'm certainly uneasy in every possible shade?
"I… I can't."
There. Perhaps she sensed my distress and Ebihara seemed a little pensive for a moment before picking up on where she left off and manhandled me towards the Print Club booth BF Manual just across the haute couture shop nearby.
What was with that look, anyway?
…my prayers were answered.
The first kiss requires a certain mood and a certain person to be memorable. Tch. I'm such a sap for romantic flair.
The next day, Moron King's reprimanding is to be expected. Just for the record, I'm not a total shithead like you think. If I could only raise my middle finger in his face…
Back at Class 2-2, Hanamura may have noticed that we're slacking off at the murder case.
"Narukami, we're meeting up at the Junes' food court after school," he remarked, standing in front of my desk during lunch.
Satonaka eyed me casually. "We need to review the cases."
"Yeah… We should…"
I appreciate the concerned look coming from you guys, but then that ominous ring tone specifically programmed for a specific caller reverberated in my pocket.
"Not gonna get that?" Hanamura asked, raising an eyebrow at my rather disturbed expression.
"Ah. Right."
Ai. Calling. Tch. A beep from receiving the call floated in the air and soon, a screeching girl almost burst my eardrum to oblivion.
"You're slow! I'm your girlfriend, so you should answer in three rings!" Ebihara exclaimed, certainly peeved with my hesitation of accepting her call. Oh, how much angrier will she be when I cut her off.
I'm a guy liking other guys; dealing with a girlfriend really isn't in my books. Dating Girls 101 sold at the bookstore near the gas station seems to be the direction where my spending money is heading later. It's on sale, so it probably won't cost that much. Or, maybe I should talk to Hanamura about it. I suppose he has more dating experience than I do. But then… He might get the drift that I don't swing the usual way. That poses quite a risk to my reputation so that idea might just go down the drain.
For now, I'll just stick with Ebihara and her ear-piercing vocal cords of doom.
Tch. Why's the door lock slippery with yakisoba-pan sauce?
Prince of Junes TV Shopping (Channel 1)
In the end, it's just me and Satonaka meeting up at the food court. Narukami is in a pinch. The hell? He just transferred recently, and boy! He nabbed Ebihara Ai. The Ebihara Ai that is rumored to be one of the fantasies of more than half the male population of Yasogami High. Darn his good looks. He came from the city, same as I but that was a year ago, and I didn't get that much attention. Lucky bastard.
"What's with those two?" Satonaka said caustically, huffing her cheeks in disgust.
I'd rather play dumb about it, since I practically see storm clouds. "Who?"
"Narukami-kun and Ebihara-san," she muttered irritably, almost crushing her juice cup in the process. Geez, chill for a bit. A guy certainly has issues. You wouldn't understand.
"Oh? Them? They're a cute couple," I replied matter-of-factly. They do fit quite well and as a guy with good taste, I can't help but get a little envious.
"Like hell they are!"
And Satonaka, with all the energy channelled perfectly due to her kung-fu training, slammed the table, making me do a spit-take with my lemon soda. Gross.
"They're all playing hooky, and for Kami-sama's sake, they're all over each other – in public! That's so not like him at all!" she screamed, not minding the questioning looks they are receiving from a few people near them.
Do I smell jealousy in the air? It's been a short time since Narukami entered Yasogami, and you're concerned for a guy that fast?
"I can't believe he prioritized a date over reviewing the cases today!" the kung-fu girl hissed and stuck her nose up in apprehension.
Bingo.
"What's the big deal? Whoa. Wait. Don't tell me…"
That lucky bastard certainly has girls fawning all over him. Even the tomboy Satonaka has her eyes on Aibou. The world must be crashing on my boyish charms.
Scratch that. I don't like Satonaka that way. Too intense for my exquisite taste. Period.
"Now I get it." I smirked, squinting my eyes for added effect. Satonaka's dense that she didn't actually get where I'm pointing at.
"Huh?"
See what I mean?
Now here's a primer for starters. "He's a pretty cool guy, has darn good looks, plus he can use a bunch of Personas."
The girl wearing that cheery green and yellow jacket was oblivious.
"What?"
"Oh come on," I replied, confidence seeping into my veins. Boy, I haven't felt like a matchmaker in a long time.
Okay, I lied. I pray that Jiraiya won't turn Shadow Yosuke on me. That's horrifying. It's actually the first time I'm going to do this. Sure, Ebihara-san and Narukami fit like a Queen to a King. But if the King is threatened by the Queen, that's a different story. I could definitely sense Aibou's turmoil. Satonaka might actually be cut to become Narukami's girlfriend since we're in the same team, not to mention we've spent more time together that it may actually work. Exciting.
"You may be in dire straits, but leave everything to me."
Satonaka's jaw dropped. "You've lost me. What's with you today? You're weird."
"Eh?"
Satonaka took a sip from her straw and raised an eyebrow, giving me the impression that she would've said 'You're pathetic' or something along those lines.
"Sounds like you're holding a Narukami-kun worship session earlier."
"Huh?"
Now, you've lost me.
When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars (Channel 18)
Hmph. Another boring day. I'd rather skip observing the club today and hang out with Yu-kun when Ichijo-kun (I find that calling him by his first name embarrassing without being his girlfriend yet) just asked me to be there for he will be announcing something later. It's been rare that it was actually the captain, my object of affection, who asked me to drop by club practice later, so who am I to refuse? Yu-kun's fine, but I will not let this chance escape my grasp.
"We'll be holding a practice match soon. It's been a while since we've had one, so let's give it all we've got!" Ichijo-kun cheerfully said, which made my heart a race a little, but hey, I've got to look as aloof as I can. I feel kinda bad for him that his members don't seem to be enthusiastic about the idea. Hmph. Slackers.
Well, that applies to me too. I only accepted the team manager position to see Ichijo-kun during club time.
"Yo! Got a sec?" the voice came from the gym entrance. Ara? The Prince of Junes? That's new.
"Oh, Hanamura," the captain acknowledged, then stammered a little at the people coming in.
Then I saw it. Ichijo blushed. Not a good sign.
The Prince got a Devil in tow.
"What are you doing here?" Yu-kun said flatly.
Wait. Did Yu-kun just… look disappointed when he looked at Ichijo-kun? I blinked and he was back to his usual, collected self. I wanted to toy with him but there is a bigger task in hand.
The Junes Prince just brought Satonaka to apply as Ichijo's club manager. Excuse me? I'm the one holding that spot. Don't I have a say in this?
Geez, my dear Ichijo-kun looked surprised – and happy? It was like breaking my heart again after it has been mended with BluTack. I've got to be stronger than this.
"Can you give her a shot?" Hanamura-san queried, an easy grin lacing his expression.
"Yeah! Y-you bet."
The last straw.
The Prince and the Devil just had a talk with themselves and I can't believe what I heard.
Life's hard for a girl in love.
That does it. Now eat my death glare. I'm not backing down, you tomboy. I'm light years ahead of your game.
"Wow, the all-out battle for love has begun!" Hanamura exclaimed. Well, now. The Prince of Junes plays Cupid.
"What are you trying to do, Hanamura?" Yu-kun asked with a sigh. Did he like Satonaka instead? But he didn't seem flustered when they arrived. Could it be…
Oh no. Should I be thinking what I think I shouldn't be thinking about? Putting two and two together...
I've got to ask Yu-kun one of these days. This game is getting complicated. My only wish was for Ichijo-kun to notice me. I messed around with Yu-kun to be able to get over it, but to no avail. I still have my eyes for that dense team captain.
Hmph. So much for trivial things. For now, it's what Hanamura-san said.
The all-out war of love has just begun.
Basketbelles, Go Go Go! – Season 2 (Channel 11)
The practice is tiring but fun. Satonaka even applied to become the team manager! I can't stop smiling until my cheeks hurt. Even the other members noticed. How lame. This is not how a team captain must act, but I'm just your regular guy, na?
It just pains me that I might've…
Good thing Narukami seems to be a nice guy to talk to. I even told him I liked Satonaka. Maybe he'd listen to my rants since he's straightforward and seems really dependable.
"Yo, Narukami," I started, pulling my shirt off and flopping it lazily into my gym bag. "I might quit after this coming game."
I heard a rustle. He might've turned to my direction when a clack from what I think was a head collided with a something solid by the locker area.
"W-why?" Narukami asked rather quickly, then hissing in pain. Who thought that the calm transfer student can be clumsy?
"My parents never really approved me joining the team. After all, we're a big family and I'm their heir so getting involved in this 'lame' stuff won't do me any good," I started as I took out my socks off and let it join my shirt.
"I've never told Daisuke anything about this, but I figured out that I could trust you," I continued, finding the hinge of the changing room door interesting. I hope you're not bored by this little tirade of mine.
"I just want to win my last game. Could you lend a hand?" This is certainly not begging, but I need all the help I can get.
"Of couse!" Narukami said smoothly.
Wonderful! With his awesome skills, he could be the best rookie in no time!
"Sweet!" I exclaimed as I stood from the cold bench. My emotions usually get the best of me, but hey, Narukami's cool. I don't have to hide myself, do I? I turned towards the newbie in glee.
"In that case, I'll confess to Satonaka after our victory!"
"Eh?" the silver-haired junior grunted, averting his gaze from the team captain.
Shit. Narukami looked like a deflated balloon for a moment. His face and ears were a little flushed.
"You alright, Narukami?"
A fever? Our victory will go caput if things go downhill from here. He should've told me. Maybe I was too harsh on letting them do lay-ups and long shots?
The newbie turned his back on me and he suddenly became busy fiddling with the bag in his locker. "Uh… Ichijo."
Did I just blow it?
"Yep?"
"…your feet stink."
I believe I just turned pink.
Kung Fu Amoeba – The TV Premiere (Channel 7)
How I hate the rain. It still gives me the creeps. I'm not bothered by these kinds of days, but the recent murders turn this supposed to be soothing day into a semi-living nightmare. No one appeared on Mayonaka TV last night, but it never hurts to be on the cautious side. If it still pours tonight, it's tune-in time.
Bakamura. He dragged me into this. Where's the 'all-out war for love' here? It's just a game with sweaty guys running around, passing the ball, and 'making hoops', as Ichijo-san put it when I had a crash course about basketball lingo a few days ago.
It's more like 'an all-out effort to ignore Ebihara-san so I could confront her later' game to me. And sending angry aura from a yard away isn't helping.
"Seeing you up close pisses me off even more," Ebihara-san muttered, loud enough for me to catch. Gragh! The cat then bares its claws, huh?
She continued in the same venomous tone. "I can't believe that I lost to a frumpy girl like you!"
Seriously, you have issues. Maybe I should call you Ahou-hara-san next time? You've lost me like Bakamura did. Well, he looked stupid in getting the ball stolen as he dribbled it like how NBA players did in the video Ichijo-san shown me yesterday.
"Frumpy?" The hell does that mean? Like chumpy? Or chubby? I work out every day! "And lost what?"
"I'm going through hell because of you!" Ahou-hara-san seethed, gritting her teeth as she enunciated every syllable.
The nerve! And here I am being the bad guy when I don't even recall what I did to cast her to Hell like she's yapping now. How about letting you have a piece of my mind then?
"I have something I'd like to say to you too," I said, keeping my voice in check. "The way you're pushing Narukami-kun around? You're the worst."
"Oh?" the team manager sneered, eyeing me like I'm the antagonist of my favourite kung fu movie. "You got hots for him?"
Assuming things? How pathetic. I never thought of Narukami-kun that way. What is this sleazebag even thinking?
"I'm his friend!" That's right. Narukami-kun just seen me at my worst, and he's still there. We raid Yukiko's castle every now and then for Persona training, aiming to be stronger to apprehend whoever caused my living nightmare.
For the first time, I saw Ebihara-san a little sad.
"You're loved and you have friends to boot," she mumbled mostly to herself. As if I can't hear her.
"You just have it all, you lucky bitch!"
My face stings. Getting physical? You're the lucky bitch since you're not in the TV world where I could sic Tomoe's dual-bladed laser naginata up your prissy ass. I need to make a comeback. And fast.
"The hell?!" I hissed, standing up from the bench. "If you're Narukami-kun's girlfriend, you need to treat him better!"
SMACK!
Slap Attack Game.
Ebihara: 1. Satonaka: 1.
Then it went more than that. Like…
Ebihara: 3. Satonaka: 3.
It's a tie! Bring the confetti in!
Well, not. It's a one-on-one catfight, and I bagging the win. The side of my vantage point saw Hanamura grinning at us like an idiot (he is for the record). Ah, and Narukami-kun too, with an air a concerned leader has.
"Oi, stop it you two!"
Way to go, Narukami-kun. But your effort is futile as I, Satonaka Chie, am not backing down.
"This might be Ichijo's final game!"
Huh? Ebihara flinched? So... That makes it tad easier to decipher. She really has it for the captain himself. Hm, hm. That's why. There's no more reason to continue. Besides, what's so bad with a draw?
"Just sit down and watch him!" the transfer student grimaced but returned to the game nonetheless.
I released my grip at her uniform collar. "Maa, a manager needs to do her job. You're the one in charge. Be responsible."
"Took the words out of my mouth, Satonaka."
Ebihara's awfully silent. She let go of me slowly and trained her eyes to where Ichijo-san is showing his basketball prowess. Worry etched slowly in her face. Maybe…
Nah. I'm too tired of thinking. I'll just go ahead and do my work as a temporary manager and leave Ahou-hara in her own world. I need to splurge on some hot lemon tea at the vending by the gym entrance.
…lost to a frumpy girl like you!
Hold your dragons. That means… Ichijo-san…
That sure is funny! Pfft! As if? I really need to get to the bathroom now! I can't hold it anymore!
Ebihara-san sure can make up funny assumptions. I guess we can be friends if she can crack me up like that. Not until she apologizes for abusing my cheeks anyway.
Off to the bathroom! To hell with team data. Let that love-bugged girl manage them. She does better work than me anyway.
Pfft! My stomach! "Hahaha!"
Unbeknownst to the brunette, the Fool and the Magician were looking at Chariot as if she had grown two heads.
Inaba 5 O'Clock News (Channel 0)
At last, the game ended. And guess what. We lost. Big time. And Ichijo is dealing with this well. Surely, this guy…
"Good job today!"
I don't think I can have this drink bottoms up.
"Thanks for waiting. One beef bowl ready to be served," Aika-san announced as she entered the dining area with a steaming bowl of nikudon.
"Ah. Here! Here!" Ichijo said excitedly, gazing at the hot bowl with gusto. Hanamura made small talk with Aika-san as she handed him the menu while the captain split his chopsticks and began digging in.
"Itadakimasu!"
My stomach kinda flips and I can't put my finger on what I'm feeling now. Nagase has this grave look on his face as well. No wonder. Perhaps he has a gist of his best friend's ordeal. Perhaps he's the one who can see through Ichijo so well that he need not to be informed about their conversation a few days back in the locker room.
"Ichijo, I'm sorry…" Nagase started. Well, we need to keep the ball rolling until it slows down to its inevitable halt.
Ichijo looked up and stopped inhaling his food. For a man from a family of high renown, his manners are sloppy. He even had a rice grain on his cheek. And here I thought he was as graceful as I imagined him to be.
Oh, but his feet really don't stink. His week old jerseys that he failed to bring home to wash certainly do. I just made that up.
"Huh?" he said, slightly masticated beef, rice and egg still inside the caverns of his mouth, effectively muffling his speech.
"I've let you down…" Nagase continued glumly. He totally knew. It doesn't take a psychic or some fluffy bear's nose to sense that.
"…in your last game." I finished. The song reached its final measure. All things come to an end.
"Oh," a gulp. "That."
…at least he had the audacity to let the bolus reach his stomach through the help of a mouthful of soda and the pure, unadulterated peristaltic movement of his esophagus. Anyway, I digress.
"I changed my mind."
Whoa. That's news. And that left us surprised.
"That game made me realize something," Ichijo spoke calmly. He then smiled genuinely and soon, those words left his mouth while he flushed noticeably in high spirits.
"I really do love basketball."
I tried to keep my collected expression intact and not let a grin break out. This guy…really has a one-track mind.
He then toyed at his chopsticks and gazed at the remainder of his drink in recollection. "I really hate losing, so I can't end it like this." Lifting his head, he shifted at me with those strong eyes and sported a boyish grin.
"We were only able to compete 'coz you joined," he continued, speaking jovially. "I seriously owe you one, Narukami. Thanks, man."
All that's well ends well. Mom says that often. How right she is.
"I wasn't much help, though," I replied softly, getting along with the somber mood, and then I was a little shocked that I could catch a whiff of his nikudon-laced breath fanning over my face. Kami-sama, please grant my wish now. Don't let me get flustered. I still have a couple hundred yen in my pocket ready to be offered at the nearest shrine…
"And I'll definitely man up and confess after our next win!" Ichijo whispered excitedly. Like duh, your object of affections is just over my left.
Why aren't I surprised that he said that?
"Yeah right…"
"So let's continue playing basketball together, 'kay?" he requested. Pfft. As if I would say no to that.
"Sure!"
Besides, even if you get me blushing at times, I'm over with this little man-crush. You're quite lucky Ebihara cares about you so I'm stepping back. Good luck with Satonaka though. You'll definitely need it.
"Ah, Yu-kun, are you feeling under the weather?" Ebihara asked with concern. "You would be getting enough rest since the game is over."
Crap. This is what I was talking about.
"Ugh, I'm fine. I'll take some cold meds later, thanks." And she let me off the hook just like that.
Satonaka then chimed in while Hanamura rested his elbows at the counter, waiting for his food.
"Sorry, but I don't seem to mix well with a certain someone, so forget about my 'forced' application to be your club manager," she said, crossing her arms while pouting like there's no tomorrow. Hanamura earned questioning looks from the best buds that made him laugh uneasily. Ebihara was a different scenario though.
Girls, calm down. Starting up another catfight in a diner isn't befitting to your beauty. Remember, I'm between you two, so quit it.
"Was it?" Ichijo couldn't hide the slight disappointment in his voice. Heh. Your Prince (Amagi said she's like one so I'll stick to that) is a little hard to get, na? I feel kinda sad for Ebihara though, but she's still with me but hey, even an idiot would realize that she had her eyes on you. Always.
Relief flooded me when the girl on my right just settled for giving Satonaka a weird look. Goodness gracious.
"Anou… Ichijo-kun?"
"Hm?"
It's about Ebihara 'manned-up' and took the first step forward.
"Would it be okay if," she stated, blushing faintly, "I stick around the basketball club for a little longer?"
Here's one thing about Ichijo. He appreciates all the help he can get.
"Of course you can!"
Seeing how calm she looked like despite that slight flush on her face, that made me believe that you can't get everything you want, but getting a little of what you wished for can sometimes be enough.
"Man. Did you see that? My last shot was soooooo awesome!"
"Of course I did. I would have covered for you if you missed."
"Like that would ever happen!"
Hail Ichijo-sama, the God of Awesome Last Shots. If he would be part of the Japanese mythology and become a Persona, what would he look like?
The rain let up, rendering those cumbersome umbrellas unusable. The Ichijo-Nagase pair bickers as usual, with Hanamura and Satonaka following not far behind. Apparently, she hadn't forgiven him yet for breaking her Seiryuu Densetsu DVD. Promises of steak and giving her takoyaki instead does not comprise an apology.
"Hey, Yu."
Ebihara.
Weird. She dropped the honorific. What now?
"Hm?" I bowed my head a little to face her. Noticing she slowed her pace, it meant that we should be talking out of earshot. I didn't mind, so I kept up with her.
Smiling a little, she set the bomb off.
"I'll be okay on my own now."
Whoa. Breaking up huh? I'm a little surprised since I heard that relationship endings should be done in private, plus it's a little bit rushed, but of course, I already know the reason why.
It's Ichijo, right?
"I wanted you to baby me a little since you're nice, at least until I got over the shock of being rejected," Ebihara explained softly, her brown orbs watching the object of her affection getting his head bashed by the taller soccer team captain.
"But you haven't confessed yet, so it's not a rejection," I corrected her, smiling a little at how she's taking our break-up lightly.
Ebihara giggled. "Since when did you become so wise, Yu-ojisan?" Mirth filled her eyes, and she's not letting go of the fact that I sounded like an old man. Or, wait… Did I?
"Hey, I resent that…"
The girl finished her chuckles and sobered up a bit. "Joking aside, I don't know how to say this…"
Her change of tone rang alarm bells in my system. In a split second, another bomb went off.
She twiddled with her fingers and spoke in a mellow manner. "Your eyes are on Ichijo-kun too, r-right?" She seemed reluctant asking me that. Shock isn't the right term in my dictionary as of the moment. Of all times, why now?
Girls are radars, sonars, satellite scanners, X-ray machines… Fuck. The possibilities are endless. Someone got a phone number for a funeral firm? I'd like to give them a ring.
My pale face must have given me away.
"You've been always nice to me, so I'm gonna let it slide. I must be a burden; I dragged you everywhere, you kept pace with me in every whim… Hell, I might've kissed you without knowing how much you…" Ebihara stated apologetically, raising her head to look at my distraught features. My hands are clammy. Fuck, I really don't know what to say.
"Were you offended? I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make you feel bad... Just... Don't try to kill yourself. Your parents will be sad if you do."
Damn it. My words are being slung back at me. Boomerangs suck. Well, what now? Nothing much I can do about it. There's no need to be sorry anyway. The truth stings like a bitch.
Just grin and 'bear' it!
Kuma, you're a lifesaver.
"How original," I chuckled, recovering a little from the fallout that bomb had caused me. "I wasn't planning anything of the sort. I'll enjoy my youth and die in my estate after a century or so."
Thankful, Ebihara took a deep breath.
"Holy... I thought you'd be a goner," she chuckled, tension slowly dispersing into thin air. "Insomnia would be my best friend once that happened."
"Then I'll haunt you to make you feel more guilty about it," I countered, earning a few more giggles. There's always this nice, liberating feeling whenever I come out to someone and they feel okay about it. Darn, I was planning to have this hidden to everyone until a few days before my departure next year. Oh well. Shit happens.
Ebihara crossed her arms and gave me that playful mock glare. In a few weeks that we're together, you can just pick up their tics and mannerisms. Go figure.
"Looks like I have another rival then. Even if I'm against that frumpy girl and my ex-boyfriend, I definitely won't lose to both of you!"
"Good luck!" I said with a 'Fight-o!' pose, complete with a fist in the air. Ugh. That's lame. Sue me.
"Don't worry. I gave up."
Curiosity urged her to pry me more about it. "Eh? How come? Ichijo-kun's great, plus you've gotten close to him as well. Why hold back?"
If I told you that even if I swung the other way, it was a temporary spur of the moment thing; would you believe me?
Ichijo worried the hell lot of you. That's enough.
"I'm bothered by his smelly feet."
Ebihara grimaced, scrunching her nose in disgust. "Was it? Then that means… most of the team members can be…"
"How nice," I wondered softly, "you're taking my situation in a stride, na?" I pried, trying to know why this girl isn't a little irked when she knew I am, well, gay.
She perked up a little and faced me, stating matter-of-factly: "Jun-niichan plays in the other field as well."
Judging by her contemplative look, she put her index finger on her lips and gave me a little assurance of an emergency sanctuary.
"When things get tough and you can't discuss it with Hanamura-san, just give me a call, ne?"
So she winked and scampered off to walk beside Ichijo, not minding Satonaka behind them, and started to ramble about the importance of hygiene, antibacterial socks, and proper washing of clothes. And the basketball team captain glowed. Red this time.
Sorry Ichijo. I got you one love-struck manager.
"Ah, Hanamura? Satonaka?"
The two stopped and faced me, seemingly interested on what will I say next. Producing the trademark TV world glasses from my PE jacket, I waved it at them.
Of course, Hanamura was ecstatic and Satonaka looked eager, chewing her usual meat gum in gusto.
"I'm feeling great. Care to visit the Electronics Department?"
OMAKE (Channel π)
"Oi, Satonaka, don't charge in too much. Jiraiya can't use Dia like opening a faucet. It's tiring me too, y'know?" Hanamura groaned, instructing his other self to heal the still active yet burned-out girl. He slumped at the plush carpet of Amagi's castle, taking a breather while Narukami stood guard, ready to lash Izanagi, Pyro Jack, or Ara Mitama just in case the training session becomes nasty.
"Well, is it my fault that Tomoe spends body strength in performing her attacks?" the girl in green explained, jumping back on her feet, ready to strike at the bird and twin Shadows running about the area.
"Whoa! Chie-chan is in good shape! Go get them!" Kuma assured and proceeded to scan the enemies at the floor they were on. "Just be beary cautious, there are a few shadows that resist physical attacks."
"Alright!" Satonaka exclaimed, and started to mow everything that's blocking her way. "Protect me, Tomoe!"
Hanamura sighed and removed his headphones from his ears before scratching his head in annoyance.
"Ne, Narukami?" he started. Said boy tilted his head and gave a soft "Hm?" as a reply.
Honey brown orbs watched the girl wreak havoc to the poor Shadows in front of them while Kuma enjoyed fanning the kung fu girl's flames of destruction (though the bear said that Tomoe is an ice-type Persona) and followed Satonaka wherever she went.
"Do you really think this is necessary? She's just wasting her energy smacking Shadow asses, but she never seems to be improving," the Junes Prince noted, yawning in tiredness.
The silver-haired teen fished his pocket for a plastic bag of sweets and ripped it open with his teeth. "She needs to train more to be at par with us. We've been in the Shadow-busting business long before Satonaka had her Persona. I think it's just fair for her to be at least of equal strength compared to us when we raid the next dungeon…" he trailed off, clenching his fist.
"…should there be another victim getting thrown here, right Aibou?" Hanamura completed the other's speech.
Narukami nodded. He then chewed on a gummy bear before commanding the brunette. "Hm. Hanamura, try calling out Jiraiya and Bash those Shadows by your left."
The music-loving teen sighed in relief. "If you told me to cast a Garu mini-tornado, I will faint," he said with a weak chuckle as he summoned the Magician card before punching it lazily to call out his trusty Persona and he didn't even move an inch.
"Clean 'em up, Jiraiya…"
…even the Frog Ninja canted its head sideways at his other self's demeanor but proceeded to do the work anyway. A shuriken throw later and around ten Shadows were annihilated on the spot.
Smiling tiredly at his mirror self (though not really, he's the same Shadow Yosuke, only wearing a mask to protect himself from getting hurt), he shot up a thumbs-up sign and dismissed his Persona with a soft "Thanks!".
"See what I mean? While Satonaka could destroy around one to two Shadows per Skewer, you can decimate ten or more of them in a single Bash," Narukami explained, chewing yet another gummy bear. "You even got a healing spell while you're at it."
"Now that you mention it…"
"Sensei! Chie-chan is in pretty bad shape! Somebody heal her!"
Hanamura croaked and sighed for the nth time. "Here we go again… I don't have any medicine or soda here…"
Gray orbs appeared serious and handed the bag to his friend. "Try this. It keeps me well-charged despite constant summoning of Izanagi."
"Well, it won't hurt to try something sweet when you're out of nutrients, right?" he shrugged and took a light brown bear. He noticed the slightly tangy scent so he deemed it was not too sweet.
"Damn! It's too sour!" Hanamura jumped, shivering at the acidic quality of the wretched bear. "What flavour is this?!"
"Cane vinegar," his partner deadpanned, reading the list of whatever things the pack of bears would taste like.
"And blueberry, watermelon, lime cordial, red wine, paella, Parmesan cheese, flowerpot soil, margarita, fresh snow, liver, fish sauce, paprika, cayenne, hair gel, popcorn, toothpaste…"
"Alright, stop, STOP!" Hanamura screamed. "How many of those are even edible?"
The other pushed his eyeglasses up and pondered for a bit. "All of them. They said it's 100% natural." He pointed at the said statement just below the nutrition facts.
Dusting himself off, he stood and popped a few joints. "Damn. I must be lucky to end up with just vinegar. What are you chewing now, partner?"
"Hmmm. It's the last one. White, so it is…" said Narukami who was squinting at the package, searching for its flavour while popping it in his mouth. "Rubber eraser."
"What?!"
"I think. It tastes like one," he trailed off, holding the wrapper in disgust, then turning pink in the face and ears as he aimed to pocket the detestable piece of plastic.
"Aibou?" He was about to punch his silver-eyed friend to spit it out before anything bad happened to him when he felt energized after swallowing the remaining bit of jelly that stung his palate.
"At least it worked. Now go Jirai-"
"Execute them, Tomoe!"
A localized blizzard commenced, freezing the Shadows with cold fury. With a kick, the interconnected frozen abominations shattered into thousands of pieces, leaving a triumphant Satonaka Chie laughing evilly at her display of power. Training ultimately creates forces to be reckoned with.
Unfortunately, it almost froze the two males in its wake.
Before blacking out, Hanamura Yosuke happened to catch the flying gummy bear packaging that he saw fluttering in the mini-snowstorm.
The fearless leader? Out of commission.
"Oh. That's why… I'm getting you a regular fruit flavored gummy bear pack made exclusively for Junes…"
Why?
Blue-green – toothpaste
Yellow – popcorn
Red-streaked yellow – paella
White – latex condom
"Kuma!" Satonaka exclaimed, flailing her arms in the air.
"How do I use this Goho-M?!"
Ah. It's done after taking three hours and lighting up four menthol cigs.
If the characters are OOC, well, 'bear' it. *smokes*
Read and review.
I'm getting the next one ready in two to three days. It's a long weekend for me so you "might" get an update, if I don't have a lot of orders at the store. I don't have holidays.
Episode 5 gave me enough muse to write; the update might or might not follow the anime storyline, so I hope I made that clear. I'd be delving on Narukami's past and other stuff in the succeeding chapters.
Ja.
And much love.
-Sakuraba Ryuichiro, indulging on Gotong Batangas, a liter of Red Horse beer, and smoking Black Marls while busy uploading his Instagram shots
(Minor typo and grammar check. Next chapter's almost done. Just doing the finishing touches. - Cherry-kuns)
Update: 13 Nov 2012 (Changing some of Narukami's addressing of Hanamura as 'Yosuke'. He shouldn't be calling him by his first name as of this chapter. They're not very close yet. As well as Satonaka's opening paragraph. Minor grammar correction.)
Update: 17 Nov 2012 (Corrected channel numbers)