He sighed at his homework which was starting to build up on his study table. He just came back from a part-time job as a janitor at the towns nearest hospital, and he was no longer interested in his duties as a student. Nanako was asleep by the time he came back, and Doujima-san was nowhere in sight, as usual. He rolled his eyes and snuggled into the warm futon, drifting to sleep with the sound of crickets droning outside the residence.
He vaguely remembered someone sent him a text message, almost a year ago, that someone he knew from childhood had died to a coma. Another distant cousin, Shinyu mused then—then remembering once again vaguely that the blue-headed boy who was older than him by 2 years was an orphan. For once, he was glad that his own parents were still alive.
When he first set foot into the small town of Inaba, he already made a decision not to meddle too much with the residents here, knowing fully well that he was only staying here for a year until his parents returned from their overseas work trip. It was nothing new, really; it was not the first time it happened. School life was nothing but cumbersome to him, having to interact with friends that he knew fully well he would have to leave behind.
He figured that Inaba might be the same, but apparently he was wrong.
His cousin, Doujima Nanako, was a mature seven-year-old that could handle household chores on her own, and was every family's ideal child. Her father and his uncle, Doujima Ryoutarou was a police and was rarely home, almost forcing his daughter to be independent. However, when Hidetoshi Shinyu stayed in this small Doujima residence, he felt more at home than when he was staying with his own family. The Yasogami Highschool was okay, too; something refreshing compared to the previous schools he attended. Everyone there was warm and welcoming, and he immediately made a few fast friends.
He made a few fast friends with the wrong reason. A reason that, if told and explained to any random person of the streets, would think that he was crazy. Words like Persona and Shadows come to Shinyu's mind, as well as televisions.
"Onii-chan, breakfast's ready," Nanako called out softly after gently knocking his room's door. The silver-haired teen groaned and joined his little cousin on the dining table. He looked down at his breakfast. Sunny side ups, toast and coffee easily lightened him up to prepare for another school day. Shinyu could no longer use the word 'dull' to describe his current school life anymore, however. Thanking Nanako, he checked the TV for the weather forecast for the last time before heading out to school, bumping into Hanamura on the way and cracking jokes all the way to the classroom.
"Oi Hidetoshi, don't forget that the next few days are going to rain, alright? We have to hurry up," the son of Junes's manager nagged. Shinyu rolled his eyes and just nodded. Perhaps they will go to Junes today.
For… 'shopping'.
School ended in a rush and the self-proclaimed investigation team was gathered at the food court. Discussions were held, exchanges (of equipment) were made, and spectacles were worn. Then when nobody was watching, they pushed themselves through a 42" Plasma display unit at the Electrical Appliances department. As every day continued to pass, his head would ache harder the longer he stayed away from the 'other side'. It was as if mingling with the world beyond the TV was some sort of crack that would heal him from some withdrawal syndrome.
He hated headaches, and he was getting so many since he came to this town that it was hardly funny. It started since he was at the petrol station on the first day, conversing with a friendly-looking part-timer there while his uncle's jeep was chugging down new petrol hungrily. They go away when he was travelling through the unknown, alien, yellow fog and cutting down the dark side of people's psyche—Shadows with the help of his comrades and their newfound power—Personae.
Together with the others, be it Hanamura, Satonaka or Amagi, or even alien creature Kuma, his small team investigated into the serial killer happenings in this small town, hopefully on the way finding the source of the unnatural, particularly the reason behind the existence of the Mayonaka TV and the realm on the other side that was forever shrouded in a thick fog. They seek for the truth, nothing but the truth, crushing lies and dark desires within the each of them, seeing through the almost artificial fog, enduring the very core elements of human nature—curiosity. The mutual bond they shared shone in the darkness that is uncertainty.
Even if the weather changed, the truth enshrouded by the fog of deceit, they would move onward into the yellow mist of uncertainty with courage. And for the first time, Shinyu found himself gathering strength from his friends as he faced off with the enemy.
By the time he left the town the next year, Shinyu was surprised to find tears flowing from his own eyes.