AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello everyone! This story is somewhat of a continuation of a previous one of mine titled "Kindred Spirits". This one takes place afterwards, but it is not required to read the other first. The prior story was written from a different character's perspective than this one.
This idea came to me while writing "Kindred Spirits", and I eventually developed it further into an ongoing thing. I haven't done more than a one chapter one-off story so far, so I thought it would be a fun challenge. This story is written from Yu Narukami's point-of-view (the Protagonist of Persona 4). Enjoy!
Staring down at my work desk, I saw a stack of paper. My job was to fold these into paper cranes. Most people would probably find this dull, or very repetitive, but after yesterday I'm perfectly fine with something easy-going. Valentine's Day was quite a rush, being dragged back and forth after school. I sat down at the table and grabbed my first sheet to begin. I find it somewhat charming that simple white paper can be crafted into something as complex as an animal, but it is an interesting art. It doesn't come easy, though, so it took a lot of patience on my part.
Nanako was very peppy today. She was happy that I was feeling better after what I ate last night. That 'chocolate'... I'd rather not think about it.
My mind focused solely on the paper right now. I fell into a rhythm quickly, and began increasing my pace. Soon my table became full of paper cranes. I smiled at the look of it, and was glad that I had finished ahead of schedule. I looked over my work, satisfied, and stood up.
Pi Pi Pi Pi Pi Pi Pi
Startled, my eyes darted to the source of the sound - my cell phone. I instinctively flicked it open without checking who was calling first.
"Hello?" I asked, waiting for a response. Who would call this late?
"H-hey, partner," The voice from the other side said, sounding very nervous. I recognized the voice as Yosuke's. No one else on the Investigation Team calls me 'Partner' after all. Why did he call? It wasn't raining so it wasn't about the Midnight Channel. Besides, we took care of that, right?
"Hey, Yosuke, what's up?" I replied.
"I..." He started. "I need to ask you something."
"Okay..." I replied. Whatever it was he needed to ask, it seems serious. Typically, Yosuke is the first to toss out a joke or a sarcastic remark. I didn't hear an ounce of humor in his tone. He seems shaken. "What is it?"
Yosuke sighed. "It's, uh..." He said, before trailing off. "It's about a girl..." He mumbled. My eyebrows raised. This was unexpected. "I need your help..."
"Who is it?" I asked. I imagine that Yosuke was calling for relationship advice. I'm not exactly an expert, but now that I think about it, I suppose I am the only member of our team in a relationship currently. Regardless, knowing who the girl is would help.
"It's a secret..." Yosuke said, sounding a bit embarrassed.
"A secret?" I said, quizzically. Why was he being so dodgy about this?
"Yeah..." He replied. "I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone. I'm not supposed to be talking to you about this." Yosuke sighed again. "I just have no idea what I should do!" I stared in place for a moment. How could I help? I wasn't sure, so I begin to think while walking across my room to the sofa. The way I got into a relationship wasn't the most 'normal' method. As far as I know, Yosuke has never had a girlfriend, so maybe he doesn't even know where to start.
"Well," I began, "Do you like the girl?" I decided to start with the basics. Breaking things down to smaller topics may help. It can prevent you from overlooking something. Yosuke is usually good at coming up with interesting and different perspectives, but he may miss the bigger picture.
"Yeah, I do..." Yosuke said. I couldn't tell over the phone, but it felt as if he was hanging on every word I said. I doubt he has asked anyone else for advice yet.
"Does the girl like you?" I continued.
"Yeah!" Yosuke blurted quickly. "I mean, I-I think so..." He added.
"Well, that would be a good place to start. Figure that out first," I stated.
"But what if she doesn't?" He asked, sounded worried again. I sighed. Maybe I wouldn't be much help. I tried to change my outlook on this. There was a long pause, but then I thought of something.
"Is the girl a friend?" I asked.
"Yeah, pretty much since I moved to Inaba," Yosuke answered. Interesting. Who could this 'mystery girl' be? I couldn't help but be curious. Yosuke doesn't seem to hang out with anyone outside of the Investigation Team, but maybe it is a co-worker of his? I shook myself out of this and returned to the point I was making.
"Think of it this way," I began, "If you are friends with her now, then either way you have nothing to lose." Yosuke was silent. I don't think he understood. "If she says 'yes', then that's great! But if she says 'no', then you're exactly where you are right now. So you either get a girlfriend, or you stay friends with her."
"I think I get it..." Yosuke said quietly.
"You don't have to go and immediately ask her how she feels, but the sooner you learn, the sooner you won't stress about this," I said. It can be troubling sitting on a lingering question like this. I stared forward on my sofa waiting for another response. I think Yosuke was deep in thought.
"Dude! That makes sense," Yosuke said, sounding more like his usual self. "Man, I'm glad I called you!"
"Don't worry about it," I replied, smiling. "I'm just glad I could help."
"I'll see you later, Partner," Yosuke said, "Thanks for the advice!"
"Anytime!" I said. "Keep me updated, okay?"
"Sure thing!" Yosuke said, presumably with a smile on his face. I couldn't see, but I could hear the positivity in his voice. He hung up afterward. I leaned back in my sofa a took a deep breath. It's funny, despite helping out nearly everyone in Inaba with their personal lives, I can't help but be glad to see things work out for them. Yosuke was one of the first friends I made when I moved here, and the two of us have been through a lot. The highs and lows: getting along like best friends, and even trading blows. As I decided to make my way to my futon, my mind continued to wander as to who this girl would be. Eventually, I dropped it. I trust that Yosuke will tell me when the time is right.
