Would You Love Me?
Yo. *smokes* Doing well? Had your dinner yet? I've munched on tomato ketchup potato crisps and downed a bottle of beer – as usual. Nothing beats good booze when writing leisurely, I believe. This encompasses a tiny part of the storyline – mainly the Golden Week and the appearance of Tatsumi Kanji, though he's just saying hello during the start of this fic. Don't expect much exposure of a certain bleached-blonde male. Hilarity ensues.
It is a prerequisite for me to build up some relationship foundations so pardon me if the fic's pace is kinda slow (I think it's slow, but meh…). I need to anchor those personalities down so there would be a way to establish the pairings later.
To Aittla: Whoa! One person reviewed this concoction. I feel golden. 'Sup? It'll be a YuYoYu or YoYuYo (since they seem to be pretty good both ways) but it would take development for sure. Don't worry. They'll come around. I dunno how many chapters it would take though...
To Big-Babidi: Darou na? I'm glad. Hope you'd like this one. This baby is grating into my waking self so I need to work this chapter out until the end no matter how tired or sleepy I am. Thanks to you, I finished the last 75% of this chappie in more or less 3.5 hours.
The fanfic aside, Persona 4 Mayonaka TV glasses are coming out for pre-order! Okaa-chan promised me to handle around 80% of the cost so that I could get one for my prescription lenses. I love Hanamura's frames, but I like Amagi's (…coz I like red. I'm sooo biased.) and Tatsumi's too (BADASS!). The music lover's spectacles seem sturdy though. Wearing contacts is great, but then if I fall asleep or go swimming and then I forgot to take it off… That's a different story. Ugh.
Anyway, this is another serving of 'Would You Love Me?', fresh off the grill. Unbeta'ed; I don't have one and I'm not planning to have one.
DISCLAIMER:
See Scent 1. I'm lazy that way. If I own the Persona Series, I'd be summoning Amatsu Mikaboshi (wearing a trench coat and smoking a cigarette while casting Megidola or Grydyne) instead of Naoto having him as her Persona in that spin-off novel of hers. Someone nab me a copy of Persona x Detective Naoto soon.
Scent 2 – I Want To Marry You Someday!
Mayonaka Team Racing! (Channel 4)
Damn students, swarming like flies, buzzing around my ears. One wrong turn and I'll smack those two's faces in a flash. So what if I busted a few jaws of some biker gang? Fucking media got that covered in some news channel later. So what? Hmph. They'll never understand.
On the good side, I wonder how that kid's faring now. Poor child had his ass wiped by some obnoxious girl for losing her cellphone strap. Crap, na? She can always buy one in Okina; there're tons of those when I went there with Konishi. Ah. That was ages ago.
"Um… Anou…" a reluctant voice, almost like a whisper, pricked my attention. The fuck?
…and then I saw him. Who was he again? Silver hair (It's too vivid to be gray, and who the hell are you looking at?!), junior collar pin, the look of fresh air… Tch. Not good.
"The hell you want?"
"You dropped this," the transfer senpai stated with a slight smile. He's not smirking at me, na? So what if it's mine? Whoa. Wait a minute. That's that poor kid's strap I made last night! I've been that careless? I think I might skip class and have a bowl of noodles instead for I only had a toast for breakfast.
I quickly snagged that pink bunny strap from this senpai and planned to ignore the class door and proceed to the Practice Building for a cup ramen. Those Junes vending machines are hip, and the beef noodles are hell worth my yen.
He's now smiling full mast. Grrr.
"Got any problem with me?" I'm furious now. No one makes fun of Tatsumi Kanji and gets away with it. Senpai or not, you're dead meat.
"No," he said easily. "By the way," he continued, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's cute."
And he went on his merry way towards the stairs.
Jaw-dropping is my latent ability. Damn. It's just this time I found out.
Bo-bo-bo-bo-BORING! (Channel 0)
This lecture is crap. We're in Japan, not in some magic-imbued society where we mix potions and memorize hex spells. Mayonaka TV is way cooler than that. If this world would be like the backside of the TV, it would be more interesting. However, having the Shadow selves of everyone is enough to give me the creeps, thank you very much.
"Oi, Aibou."
Just when I thought I was near Dreamland, Hanamura engaged in a new game called Prod Your Partner's Foot VII. Is there a prequel? No. Adding seven makes it sound awesome. Jiraiya, is it possible for you to smack your other self with an Inaba trout? This is irritating. I just answered with a grunt and rested my head on my desk.
"Let's skip afternoon class! My treat!"
Oh Kami-sama. After Ebihara, it's Hanamura asking me to wage war on my attendance record. Okaa-san wouldn't like this the moment she gets a wind of it. Should I throw him off a bit? Let's try this.
"Are you asking me on a date?" I said sleepily, turning my head just a bit to see the mortified look of my partner-acclaimed partner.
Hanamura threw a rubber eraser at me. It hurt.
"That's not even remotely funny. I'm still not over Saki-senpai, you know? Besides, I'm not Ebihara to put a collar and a leash on you," he said angrily.
Really? How nice of him, na? Hanging out with Hanamura is refreshing; his loud mouth never ceases to amaze me. Perhaps city boys think alike, sound alike, groove alike, swing alike… Scratch the last part. I play for the other field.
Then the same Hanamura paled. "Hey, wait a second. Date? You messing with me, right? You nuts?"
I sighed and straightened up, leaning my back on the hard back rest of my chair.
"Maybe."
That hurts - again. Apparently, Hanamura flicks his right index finger at the cartilaginous part of my ear perfectly.
"Pulling my leg, eh? How kind of you, partner. Let's say that you can't get that nice bag of Tropical edition of gummy bears later," he taunted, evil smirk evident in his voice.
I froze. Gummy bears. Fuck. I can imagine Kuma screaming 'Yosuke, Sensei is weak against gummy bears!' with conviction. Crap.
"Alright, alright. I give," I surrendered, head hanging low. Somehow, he really knows how to corner me.
Get ready for my payback soon.
I grimaced at the sight of that used rubber eraser. Tch. That undoubtedly doesn't taste good as far as gummy bear flavors are concerned.
Surely, he kept his promise. A truckload of soft, chewy, gem-like sweets is key to my well-being. And this makes for emergency rations in Mayonaka TV. Better safe than dead.
Would these spoil easily? Hanamura was on the roll at the bargain corner of the Junes supermarket here in Okina. Products on half price usually are nearing their expiration date, aren't they? Tomoe might be capable of preserving it if she froze one hollow TV; thus converting it to a makeshift icebox.
How brilliant. I could feel Izanagi patting me at the back. I'll speak to Satonaka one of these days.
From now on, ration shopping will be a weekly chore.
"…and then… Oi!"
My train of thought crashed into a wreck of metal, melted bears and broken TV parts.
"Are you even listening to me?" Hanamura snapped, pouting like a kid. Seriously, ain't that cute?
What? Cute? Hanamura?
They don't go together. I swear.
"Man, maybe this is why Ebihara dumped you," music lover boy said disappointedly. "You look dumb that way. Girls don't dig that, you catch my drift? What were you just thinking?"
Lesson One learned. Never space out on Hanamura again. His continuous talking requires constant maintenance. In short, attention is a must.
"Groceries." Tch. Good thing I remembered. Boredom will be the death of me soon, I promise. Facing Nanako without a full shopping bag might yield unwanted results at the house later.
Honey brown orbs widened. "That… Sounds housewife-y to me."
Oh how right you are. Living alone for a year drastically changes you.
"Dojima-san isn't going out of work early, and Nanako can't carry a full grocery bag on her own," I said matter-of-factly, sinking my back on the plush seat before sipping on an iced chai latte.
Hanamura smiled a little. "Well, sucks to be you," he replied, munching on a small baguette with tomatoes and blue cheese. He's got good taste. That kind of gourmet thing definitely costs a small fortune. Do goats receive pension once they're too old to provide milk? Anyway, blue cheese smells like sweaty feet sometimes. Reminds me of Ichijo.
"Say, mind if we run through your list?"
I was a tad taken aback. I hope Hanamura won't notice it.
"I'm kinda tired of seeing Inaba's Junes supermarket section so how about we head out and do the groceries here? Perhaps they're having better offers – well, the bears are definitely cheaper here."
For real? That came out of the famous Prince of Junes? Er, make it Inaba's Prince of Junes. Maybe there's an Okina prince too? I'm dying to see what will happen on their first meeting.
"Ne, aibou, stop staring," he said with a shudder. "People might get the wrong idea."
My brain's cogwheels are screeching to a halt.
Homophobic much? I'd better take note of that then.
I finished my latte in two gulps and fished for my wallet. "Sure thing. And don't say I didn't remind you about how vexing this task is."
At least he calmed down. Lesson Two learned. Hanamura is not a fan of people staring at him, especially when the staring party is another boy – like me.
"Wait!" he exclaimed, effectively stopping me from doing anything what I was doing, then gestured at the waitress who was done serving a big teapot for three by the adjacent table. He took a yen bill – a hefty amount by the way, and slammed it unceremoniously on the table. Did the waitress just giggle?
Hanamura leaned his arms on the table, then took the last baguette and polished it in a heartbeat. No wonder he's toned when I saw him at the lockers when we had the practice game two weeks ago. He knows how to eat.
"My tab. I told you it's my treat. Gotta thank Satonaka for spoiling my 'Welcome to Inaba!' gift."
In that case, he hadn't forgotten.
Lesson Three learned. Hanamura may be an idiot (as per Amagi's Prince) but he has pretty good memory. Good to know.
Man, why am I keeping tabs on Hanamura's behavior?
"Hey." Hanamura pouted again, obviously peeved at my thinking spree.
"Thanks for bringing me here," I said softly as the waitress brought the receipt in a small leather bill folder. It's really hard to hide my disbelief at the whopping 4890 yen price of two drinks and a sweaty sock canapé. What the fuck. For a city, this is expensive. Chagall Café. Remind me to bring a real date next time.
"So… Welcome to Inaba, Aibou!" he grinned and announced energetically, forgetting the fact that I blanked out on him a few seconds ago. Damn. He's even ecstatic that he saw my incredulous expression.
Huh? People around us will definitely think there's something wrong in our brains.
"We're in Okina," I opted to speak in a deadpan tone. Satonaka's right.
"Oh, yeah… I'll say that again once we're back." He chuckled sheepishly, scratching at his ruffled mop of brown hair for added effect.
He is an idiot.
"…ah… fit..?"
"Argh… Hanamura, stop bombarding me with questions… We're… Ah!"
"I told you to relax a little! Stop whining like a bitch. You certainly asked for it. I'm just doing the honors."
"But…"
"No buts, aibou. After all, you're the one who opened up the grocery thing. May I remind you that I'm carrying more stuff than you do, so quit yapping," Hanamura retorted, chewing on a clear white gummy bear as he rebalanced the ton of items we bought in Okina. Lychee. It's good, by the way. Canned pineapples, tomato juice, red miso… The list was endless, and the bags were really HEAVY. I can see the refrigerator turning into a doomsday ration stash.
"How can your cousin carry all these anyway?"
I am appalled. This whole ordeal is making me sweat buckets even if it's still cold out.
"Dojima-san has a car," I pointed out.
That should simplify things. The music loving boy just grimaced but carried on holding the items that we bought, well, most of it. True gentlemen are quite rare nowadays.
"I'm so going to have a 100-yen massage later at Junes," the brunette trailed off with a sigh, dreaming of sitting on those cushioned couches that vibrates like no tomorrow.
Hm… I'm starting to feel like a douche here. He snagged my stash of mini-jellies at the supermarket bargain, spent a hell lot of yen for some puny milk tea and though he cantankerously remarked that these damn things are heavy, he managed to 'bear' it and carried most of them, leaving me with just chicken and veggies.
"Anou, Hanamura…"
The said boy used his shoulder to knock his headphones off his ears, the electronic gadget dropping lightly on his collar.
"Yep? Can't hear you clearly."
"C-could you stay over for a while later?" Whoa. Me? Stuttering? I can be such a girl, you know. This idiot really has his charm, now that I thought about it. The way he looks at me rather sends me off to some bottomless pit.
"Eh?"
"Nanako loves Junes," I said, trying to make a logical argument. Wait… I really don't have to do that, do I? Anyway…
"And I've got this gut feeling that Dojima-san would be coming home late." Damn, what a roundabout way of saying things. All I wanted to ask was…
"So if you don't mind staying for dinner…"
Hanamura grinned. "Of course not! It's long weekend and I don't have a shift today. Maybe you have a massager at your house?"
"Erm, I'll ask Nanako if they have one," I replied, not having an idea if the Dojima household needed one. Perhaps Dojima-san has Adachi to knead his shoulders? "And I'll cook, since Adachi-san cornered me on whipping up some bento for the Dojimas during the Golden Week."
"Hell, you cook, man?" the brunette shot up incredulously, eyes glittering at the mention of free, home-cooked food.
"Yup. This is a payback for what you got me earlier," I managed to say in a casual tone. At least I got my point across.
"Pfft. That's overboard. I wanted to treat you in Okina, no worries. But if you're offering, well, who am I to object? By the way, what are we having?" Hanamura said, brushing off the notion of equal exchange with a chuckle. We are currently at the gate of the house and I rang the doorbell in haste. Despite his cheery look, the brunette's muscles are ready to give out any minute.
"Karaage."
The door slid open, revealing Nanako in her school clothes and carrying what seemed like futon covers. Ah, she must've got the laundry off the clotheslines after she got home.
"Oh, okaeri," she said with a smile, then taking notice of the music lover clutching a myriad of stuff. "You brought a friend?"
"It's been a while since we had fried chicken!" Nanako said in glee. Flowers literally pop out every time she smiles and chews her share of meat. Refreshing. She knows the difference of home cooking and store-bought bento.
"But I like Junes stuff too!" she muttered, looking eagerly at Hanamura before singing her trademark 'Everyday Young Life Ju-ne-su~' theme while she's at it. The brunette turned pink at the attention. Apparently, not everyone likes the fact that Junes had a franchise in Inaba.
Hanamura scratched his head in embarrassment. "It's not that special, really…"
I fought the urge to chuckle. "You've got a fan, Hanamura," I chided, then deftly swiping one of the chicken pieces on the center plate.
"Haha! That's too much, aibou," he mock-pouted before gobbling a large piece of meat. "Ah, it's good! Man, how can you come up with this?" he praised, bolus muffling his speech, gaining a slight reprimand from Nanako.
News about Hiiragi and Yamano flashed on the TV. Tch. The murders. Nah. I shouldn't be thinking about that during mealtime. It could destroy my appetite (I only had gummy bears and a chai latte the whole afternoon) and it would be a waste if I don't finish my plate.
Suddenly, the home phone rang and Nanako got up immediately.
"Ah! It must be otou-san! I'll get it!" she cried, hastily walking towards the phone. Hanamura eyed me curiously while I shrugged, dropping any conversation that may come up regarding the phone call. Muffled voices from the receiver flitted in the air, the mood slowly becoming heavy. Even Hanamura noticed it, and like me, he never said anything about it.
Soon, Nanako approached me with the cordless phone in hand. "It's otou-san. He wishes to speak to you," she said glumly. What the hell happened? I nodded before taking the receiver and took the call. Nanako fled off and went to her room. This isn't looking good.
"Nanako-chan?" Hanamura whispered, eyes following the retreating back of the girl.
"Hello?"
"Ah. I just called to tell you that I won't be coming home tonight," Dojima said, sounding apologetic. I can almost see what's coming next. "Some rookie just got sick and I'm replacing him for his shift. A lot of leads came in too, so I would get busy for a while. And…"
Tch. Here goes.
"That vacation that I promised you? Sorry… I won't be able to make it. I just told Nanako about that. She might be a little depressed about it, so… Could you take care of her for now?"
I don't have any say in this, but I really don't mind either.
"I will, Dojima-san."
"I appreciate that. Sorry to put this on you all of a sudden." And the line went busy, signalling the end of the call.
"That sucks, ne? Poor Nanako-chan," Hanamura trailed off, his hands busy wiping the dishes dry. His feet tapped along an unknown beat as he listened to his headphones.
"Sure does," I replied, rinsing the last of the cutlery before handing it to the brunette. "We'll be stuck here for the next few days. No wonder she's down. Nanako is ecstatic at the day out that we'll be having. Now, it's flushed down the drain."
Hanamura quirked up a bit. "How about going to Junes? Nanako-chan loves being there, like she told me while we're cooking. I mean, it's not a grand vacation or anything, but that could cheer her up, don't you think?"
A pretty nice idea.
"I could treat her to steak as well," he added, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning his backside on the edge of the tiled sink.
What?
"I think I'll pass on that," I said, receiving a gaping fish expression from Hanamura. "You splurged a lot on me and our Mayonaka TV supplies. I'll treat Nanako instead, thank you very much."
The boy punched me at my arm. "Dumbass. I have my account in Junes so I could pretty get almost anything that I wanted. Besides I like you and Nanako so it would be fun spending time with you guys," he chuckled, then giving me a thumbs-up sign and a playful wink.
I literally froze.
Like? As in 'like like'? Tch. Stop having weird thoughts. He's your friend, not to mention your first here in Inaba. He wouldn't think of that. Argh. How embarrassing.
"Ne, aibou. Spacing out on me again?" he taunted, grinning like a madman.
I opted to bash him a little bit. "I appreciate that, but hands off my cousin, you pedophile."
Hanamura paled instantly. "Oi! That's below the belt! Who said I have it for Nanako-chan?! Geez. Get your mind off the gutter, man!"
Okay. Dodge successful. By the way, that alarmed expression of his?
Absolutely priceless.
…plus, it makes a good blackmail material.
The Young Life (Channel 1)
Ah! Long weekend! Nice weather! It doesn't get any better than this.
Now, I just turn here and boom, there's Narukami's house. We agreed to meet around 8 am and Nanako-chan's in for a surprise. Poor girl, she's mature for her age, but being always cooped up in the house can make someone lonely. Narukami and I will rectify that. Tou-san gave me a rather fat allowance, and adding the tips that I hogged from working part-time, I've got yen to burn, baby! Oh crap, I'm saving for a new ride, but hell, it's rare to have close friends here so it wouldn't hurt to spend a little for them, right?
Honestly, having Narukami is one of the best things that ever happened in Inaba. That nice jerk (How can a jerk be nice?) certainly has some unique way in doing things. No wonder Satonaka is fawning on him. Murder cases aside, it's fun being with him. Nanako-chan is a bonus too. She loves Junes! For once, I heard that. A lot of people despising you just because your father owns a mall franchise isn't the best scenario to be in. Well, this is a nice change.
Okay, enough of that. Time to ring this and get the fun started.
"Hanamura."
Someone's eager to go out, judging from his outfit.
"Oh, Hanamura-san. He's ready to go out," Nanako-chan said curtly, and returned to her seat and began flipping on channels.
Ahem. Now here goes the script.
"Hm? Nanako-chan is watching the house? Why don't we bring her to Junes with us? Onii-chan is too cruel to leave Nanako-chan alone during the weekend."
"Onii-chan?"
That perked her up. The plan is going smoother than I expected. Of course, the fearless leader churned up the modus operandi, so its success rate is quite high.
"Where did that 'onii-chan' come from?" Narukami queried, quizzical look practically painted all over his face. Well, sorry for doing an adlib. I kinda forgot the script.
Then, Nanako-chan thought for a moment. She soon rose and headed towards Narukami. "Um, o-onii-chan? Can I, um, go with you?"
Cute! I'm so going to take her home! Um, never mind.
"I can't see any reason not to, right Yosuke-nii?" the silverhead grinned, chucking the same grenade I unconsciously threw him earlier. Messing with the script now, aibou?
"Sure sure! If it's Nanako-chan, it's always a yes!"
And I meant that.
"Alright! I'll go change Onii-chan, Yosuke-nii!" she squealed, running back to her room. Narukami ushered me in and soon, we sat at the low table near the TV.
"I was glad this plan is working," Narukami noted, flipping the channels until he saw the weather report. It said it'll be sunny the whole day and for the rest of the week. Ah, this is youth at its finest! I can do anything during the holidays without bothering for an umbrella. That means that there will be no Mayonaka TV sightings for a while. We can mull over the details of the cases without fear of having another person kicked into the TV world anytime soon.
"But hands off my cousin, Hanamura," he continued, a knowing smile lingering on his face which promises a whole world of hurt if I do something wrong.
Could he just let that down? Fuck this jerk. I'm pubescent, but hell be damned if I try to hit on Nanako-chan. That breaks my code of conduct. I like her, but as a little sister!
"I fucking know, Narukami," I smiled too. Complete with a gritting jaw. I love to punch those daylights out of him if I had a chance. Yanking my chain much?
"Good." And he returned to his easygoing, casual aura. What a freak. I'm not stepping in your yard full of landmines again.
Narukami served me some senbei and soda while we're waiting for Nanako-chan when the doorbell rang. I wonder who would it be? Aibou shuffled his feet towards the entrance and then I heard Satonaka speaking to him.
Soon, Nanako-chan came out with her beige overalls and a pink jumper. I almost screamed "Cute!" but then Nanako-chan ran behind Narukami. She looked rather shy, which raised her cuteness level to 10.
"Oh, Narukami. You guys are going out too?" Satonaka asked. "Yukiko and I will be going to Junes."
Crap. I thought it was just us going out?
"Ah, we're going there too!" Nanako-chan beamed. Ain't she the cutest? Damn, most of the kids are brats, but this one's different. Must be in the genes.
…well, except Narukami. And Dojima-san. They've got good looks, but that's about it. Dojima-san is scary, and Narukami is a jerk.
"Onii-chan and Yosuke-nii made me join them!" She waved a hand at me, coaxing me to head to the door. Wait! I haven't finished my soy sauce senbei yet! Oh well, I continued to munch on it as I presented myself to my kung fu teammate.
"Yo," I greeted with continuous munching. These crackers are so good, I couldn't stop pigging out on it. I should ask Narukami what brand is it later. Nanako-chan held my hand as well as Narukami's which I find rather endearing. I never had a little sister since I'm the only son in the family.
"Oh, well. Let's head out then!" Satonaka chimed, ready to go in the heartbeat. "And remember that you still owe me for my DVD."
Not surprising. Letting out a sigh, I imagined that there will be a bigger dent in my allowance now. But, it'll be a small price to pay for having Narukami and Nanako-chan to hang out with. After all, this is blackmail material, you jerk with a serious sister complex.
"Sizzling steak for me, Hanamura," the kung fu dragon ordered, eyes glimmering at the thought of having extra meat in her diet.
I'm doomed.
Poison Cooking 101: KO in One Count (Channel 2)
Holidays are nice, but that meant more work at the inn. I'm lucky they gave me a whole off despite the fact that it's a busy day. My time in the TV world still gives me the chills but I think I may be able to handle myself now.
Hm. Chie seems to be a little late, but it's okay. It's the first time I asked Chie to hang out. She usually asks me to go shopping or have a bite at Souzai Daigaku most of the time and for the past few weeks I turned every single one of them. I'm glad she agreed to laze around for today.
"Yukiko! Yoohoo!"
Ara? Good timing. I was afraid that she might call me and cancel this all of a sudden. I was a little surprised that she has Hanamura-kun and Narukami-kun in tow. Oh, that girl might be Nanako-chan.
"Yo, Amagi," Hanamura-kun greeted with a salute, winking at me. Please, I'm not over that 'scoring with a hot stud' thing just yet. But then again, I might be overreacting. They saw me despise being caged up in my own little world. They have no qualms whatsoever. They still considered me as a friend. Perhaps it's about time for me to level up.
"Ah. Chie, Hanamura-kun, Narukami-kun, and you must be Nanako-chan whom he is always talking about," I acknowledged them as they approached me at this table good for five.
"I'm Amagi Yukiko," I said with a smile, Nanako-chan nodding and introducing herself in response while grinning widely. I heard from Narukami-kun that she likes Junes a lot and now it definitely shows. She's soaking up every positive vibe here which is nice for the holiday mood.
Seeing that Chie has this glint in her eyes… Ugh. I can only think of one thing. Grease, grease, and more grease. She's pulling Hanamura-kun to cough up a two-inch steak. I prefer just a salad. Or something remotely fatty… My savings are now in my subscription for a 3-month supply of Quelorie Magic… If I get fat, all my hard-earned money and dieting days will be all for naught.
"We're having STEAK!" Chie boomed, raising a fist in the air as she seated herself beside me. She then jabbed her elbow against Hanamura-kun's ribs repeatedly.
As expected…
"Hanamura's paying!"
Ouch. Chie, that's gotta hurt. Well, these two guys still owe us for inhaling our cup ramen. I'm still angry about the aburaage that Narukami-kun devoured without mercy.
Serves him right, na Chie?
How sad…
Nanako-chan doesn't have her mother anymore due to some accident years ago. Hanamura-kun's too careless. He'd been with Nanako-chan long enough to call him a big brother (aside from Narukami-kun) and he hadn't been in the loop to know that?
Oh, right. It was just yesterday when they met, as told by my silver-haired classmate. Sorry Hanamura-kun.
Nanako-chan shook her head. "No. I'm okay. I have Otou-san, and now I have…" Good thing she's mature for her age… Ara? She's blushing? How cute! Kyaaa~
I'm so going to take her home! …or maybe not. Narukami-kun glares at Hanamura-kun rather fiercely when Nanako-chan gazed at Jiraiya's real self.
"Onii-chan and… Yosuke-nii too…" There. And she stammered a bit too. Perfectly done, Nanako-chan. You are now the cutest person in the planet.
"Besides, I'm really having fun right now. I love Junes!"
"I know right?" Hanamura-kun seconded while flashing a megawatt smile at Nanako-chan, then counting from one to three before singing the Junes theme with Nanako-chan in unison.
"Everyday Young Life Ju-ne-su~!"
Chie choked on that final piece of meat upon hearing that sickeningly-distracting voice of Hanamura-kun.
"That came out of the one who hates being the scion of Junes? Ne Hanamura, is this for real?" my best friend scoffed, clearing her throat with a few coughs.
…never had I imagined that Hanamura-kun can be shining brightly that it makes me wonder if he ate something stupid.
He stood and proudly huffed his chest out. "Let's say I've had a change of heart."
"Anyway, Narukami-kun, why bring Nanako-chan here? Shouldn't you be preparing for the Golden Week vacation?" I inquired, picking on my steak. Chie swiped half of it and I didn't mind. I guess she was waiting for me to give up on it anyway. I'm craving for chocolate now… It's this time of the month…
It piqued the Prince of Junes' attention. "Something came up," he looked at Narukami-kun as if having an eye-to-eye conversation that I couldn't comprehend. "So we're making the Golden Week worthwhile for Nanako-chan."
"And being at Junes is a part of it?" Chie said in mid-chew of her medium-rare steak. Mid-chew. Oh. My.
Chie raised a peeved eyebrow on me. "Don't tell me…"
"Hahahaha! Snrk… Mid-chew! Ahahahaha!"
"Here she goes again," Chie grumbled, finishing off her meal with a huge sip of soda. Ah, the calories. Sorry! I can't stop laughing.
"Mid-chew. Sequel to small, prequel to large. Mid-chew. Ahahahaha! So Chie is stuffing her guts with mid-chew-rare steak. Ahahahaha! Snrk…"
"Ne, Onii-chan? What's mid-chew?" Nanako-chan questioned out of curiosity.
"It's something that you not need to ask," Narukami-kun said, effectively putting out the barrage of questions that might follow next.
Nice save.
But… Mid-chew! Ahahaha! Is that the cousin of molds? I remember the all-purpose cleaner at the inn. It says "Fights molds and…" Mid-chew! Oh, my stomach..! Hahahaha!
The Justice Pig – Rise of the Immortals (Channel 5)
Yukiko-nee calmed down. She totally exhausted herself laughing out like that. That's a little un-ladylike to me, but it suits her. Why? Just because.
"Ne, Nanako-chan, let's get some drinks, shall we?" Yosuke-nii offered, slipping his hands inside his pockets. Yay! We get to go inside Junes! There's a lot of stuff being sold here! Even those gummy bears that Onii-chan shared with me before he cooked dinner yesterday were tasty and Yosuke-nii said that it's from Junes in Okina. That's still Junes, right?
"Yes! Oh, what does Onii-chan, Yukiko-nee and Chie-oneechan would like?"
Oh. Did I say something wrong? Yosuke-nii has this constipated look on his face. Reminds me of Otou-san when he ate too much bananas.
Chie-oneechan sported a feral look at Yosuke-nii. "I'll take, hmm. A TaP soda. No, make them three then."
"Quelorie Magic for me," Yukiko-nee said curtly. Oh, that's the one with Risette in the TV commercials. They said it's for girls. Maybe I'll ask Otou-san if I can have it too. Yukiko-nee is beautiful, and so is Okaa-san. Maybe I'll be beautiful as well if I drank that?
"I'll just get what Nanako wants," Onii-chan said while looking at Yosuke-nii with fierce eyes. Are they… having a spat?
After a loud sigh, Yosuke-nii bent a little and patted me at the head. "Yosh! Did you get all of those? We're raiding the drinks section for that so lead the way, milady."
The Prince of Junes is awesome!
"Yosuke-nii! I want to marry you someday!" I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the cool automatic doors of the supermarket. Ooh! I can't wait!
"What in the world did Hanamura give her?"
"Snrk… Ahahaha! Nanako-chan and Hanamura-kun? Ahahaha! It's like making out with your uncle! Ooooh, I can't breathe… Hahahaha!"
"…"
"Ne, Yosuke-nii, are you having a fight with Onii-chan?" I had to make sure they won't bite each other. Otou-san said that there are some cases that he handled regarding crimes of hate and he said it ended in an ugly way that he never told me the details. I'll grow off a few more years and then I'll ask again.
He laughed it off, his long arm reaching for three cans of TaP soda and chucking it into our shopping basket.
"Nah. He's just being overprotective of you. Haha."
"What do you mean?" I don't seem to get him. Why would Onii-chan be worked up when I just went out to buy drinks with Yosuke-nii?
"Let's just say he's having this sort of barricade sickness and he just loves pulling my leg," he replied cheekily, then pointing at the Quelorie Magic bottle an arm's breadth from me. I eagerly picked one and put it in the basket that I was holding.
"So, what does Nanako-chan want?"
"Hm. I wanted coffee, but the ones here have too little milk…" I wondered aloud, recalling how Otou-san puts a lot of cream in my coffee mug when he makes some. I scanned the selection and I think I saw what I would like.
"How about milk tea? I'll get one for Onii-chan too!" And with that, I got two bottles and set it over the drinks already in our stash.
Yosuke-nii chuckled at my pick. "Hm. The descendants of the same bloodline have the same tastes, eh?" he spoke, picking a small can of dark roast iced coffee and swiped the basket from me. I was thankful; the number of drinks made it a little heavy for me.
We made a beeline towards the checkout counter and stayed close to Yosuke-nii. The towering figures of adults creeps me a bit.
But! He did not answer my question directly! If he's having a fight with Onii-chan, I'll make sure they'll be on good terms before the day ends.
"We're back!" I beamed, toting around a plastic bag with Chie-oneechan's and Yukiko-nee's drinks while Yosuke-nii grabbed a bottle of milk tea and threw it at Onii-chan.
"Nice catch, aibou!"
"Nice pitch," Onii-chan smirked playfully at Yosuke-nii's antics as he opened it and handed it to me.
"Thanks, Onii-chan!" I took a sip and looked at how these two newly-found brothers of mine interacted.
Ysuke-nii threw the final bottle as if it was a softball. I smiled at my two "brothers". They seem okay now; perhaps it's just part of their regular banter. Boys in our school tend to be like them as well. Worst case scenario, they even pulled punches against each other. Their bruises made me shudder, but their relationship did get better after their fight. Otou-san told me that there are times that people realize how strong their bonds are when they deal with huge problems and solve it together. Maybe that's how Yosuke-nii and Onii-chan ended up. I hope there's no need for them to smack each other. I can only do so much first-aid.
"Good! No need for you to kiss and make up Onii-chan, Yosuke-nii."
"Snrk… Ahahaha! Two boys don't kiss and make up, Nanako-chan!" Yukiko-nee started her laughing fit again, tears starting to well from her eyes. Confused eyes of Chie-oneechan landed on me, before asking…
"How did you come up with such an idea?"
I pondered for a moment. "I saw that on 'Basketbelles! Go! Go! Go!' yesterday."
The jacket-oneechan laughed sheepishly. "You're watching too much TV, Nanako-chan. Haha…"
Is it just me or Onii-chan seemed to be the one constipated now? Yosuke-nii did a spit take with his coffee. Hm. Interesting.
"Anyway, Nanako-chan," Headphones-nii spoke, steering clear from the next lines in the conversation as he changed the subject entirely. "Do you want to have a picnic tomorrow?"
"Mou… We need to bring boxed lunches once we do…"
Yukiko-nee recovered quickly. "Eh? You can cook, Nanako-chan?"
I shook my head. I'm not as great as you might think. "I could only make fried eggs and toast. But Oniichan…"
Shock fled his face instantly. "Huh?" He doesn't pay attention as of the moment.
"This man," Yosuke-nii rounded towards Onii-chan's back and grabbed his shoulders, "makes the best karaage in town! Pretty cool, na?"
"I just do it for fun, Hanamura," he said with a slight shudder, turning a little pink in the process.
"You don't have to be so modest about it, aibou! With that, you've got Satonaka beat hands down!"
An angry vein popped on Chie-oneechan's temple. "Wait a minute… Are you telling me that I'm not able to cook?"
"Can you?" Yukiko-nee is surprised.
"Eh? Really?" Onii-chan shared the same astonished look.
Chie-oneechan stood and declared war against Yosuke-nii. Now, I certainly know that this isn't like my brothers' war earlier.
"Then… I challenge you for a cook-off!"
A confident grin laced Yosuke-nii's face. Oh my… He turned out to be too handsome. But then, Onii-chan's face rivals his as well…
"Bring it on," he dared, trusting his abilities well. He knows his way around the kitchen when I was helping them prepare yesterday's dinner, though I just made a salad. Despite being cut by a knife and being clumsy in one way or another, Yosuke-nii has a very extreme inclination to what does and what doesn't taste good. Plus, he did not overdo the chicken when he fried the second batch. Not close to Onii-chan's, but it definitely tastes good. Yosuke-nii has a knack for strong flavors, but his technique is amazing.
Chie-chan definitely got shell-shocked. I wonder why.
"Let's have Nanako-chan as a judge!"
An Inaba Iron Chef tournament, ne? I nodded in glee.
"Okay!"
"Am I competing too?" Yukiko-nee inquired. She cooks too? This is fantastic! If they will cook at our home, then it surely will be lively!
"Well, let's set that sometime after Golden Week. After all, Narukami has to do the bento boxes, right Onii-chan?" Yosuke-nii announced, smirking at my silver-haired brother. The fridge is full and there's enough food to make bento boxes for tomorrow. Should I help Onii-chan later? I might be a burden since I can only do so much though.
"Man, don't you feel sore from what we did yesterday…" he sighed, plopping at a seat beside Onii-chan, cracking his neck joints in lieu with his strained voice.
Onii-chan turned beet red, followed by a Jacket-oneechan's jaw-dropping and Aka-nee's widening eyes convinced me that there is some sort of thing happening with Yosuke-nii and Onii-chan. I just can't put my finger where.
"So, let's go to Samegawa floodplain for a picnic!" I squealed in delight. I truly am. I'll just not think about this whole scene now. Otou-san once said that too much thinking rots the brain.
Behind The Yellow Tape (Channel 8)
I reek of smoke and stale sweat but it doesn't matter. I have to go home early tonight. It's Children's Day and I managed to snag some gifts for my kids at home. Yu's practically a man in the making, but now he's just a kid.
Nanako's? Check. Yu's? Check. Beef steak meals? Check. Side dishes? Check.
Dojima Ryoutaro, reporting for duty – as a father.
I feel such an ass for not being with Nanako during the first few days of the Golden Week. If that bastard didn't get sick… Ugh. Cigarettes should wind me down. I lit one as I practically zoomed across the street, hoping to get home before the 8 o'clock news or they'll end up having dinner by themselves. Placing a quick call to confirm my soon-to-be arrival, I can't help but feel a little apprehensive at the fact that Nanako might be sad because we didn't have that vacation. Yu's another thing – he should not be babysitting, despite Nanako being far away from being a brat. She's well-behaved, but then again, that should be my task as a father.
Ten minutes before call time, I parked my car at the garage. Home sweet home.
"Ah! Otou-san, okaeri!" Nanako welcomed me. Was she a little cheerier than usual?
"Dojima-san. Okaeri," Yu followed suit, smiling with that boyish grin of his. He really looks like his mother, though his grit is a different story. Haha.
I sunk at the sofa and flicked the TV on, the preview of tonight's news scrolling lazily at the bottom part of the screen. Nanako began rummaging the bag of food and set the table for us three. Yu on the other hand readied the electric airpot for tea.
Someone's having a happy mood, eh? What did I miss?
I'll let them talk later. For now, I've got to say my part. I don't know how to start, but fuck, I'll try.
"Ah, Nanako," I stumbled a bit, my little girl perking up and looking at me questioningly. "I'm sorry I broke my promise again…"
"Ah! It's okay! Onii-chan played with me! And Yosuke-nii too!"
That blew me away. Even that Hanamura kept my daughter company?
"He… They did?" I got more that I asked for. It's been a while since Nanako was this perky after my long stay at work. I should send my regards to that Junes boy as well. Damn. He even helped me pick Nanako-chan's gift and check for Yu's nearest size. Despite being goofy and having a weird hobby of wielding fake swords in public, he seemed like a good kid.
"Thanks."
He was smiling earlier, and that same smile softened. "It's not a big deal. We enjoyed hanging out with Nanako. Hanamura slashed his fingers making onigiri filling though."
Nanako nodded and looked concerned. She mirrors her mother every time she does that. "I had to disinfect and bandage his fingers," she trailed off, "but they're healing up nicely. And he makes spicy onigiri! We don't have that sold at the konbini two blocks away!"
"Haha. Was it good?"
"Yup! Oh, Yosuke-nii said he'll drop by often, and Chie-oneechan and Yukiko-nee promised to play dress-up tomorrow!"
Yu, you've got good friends, na? I look forward to meeting Nanako's 'oneechan-tachi' soon.
Ah, the little one noticed it. As a die-hard Junes fan, she undoubtedly won't miss that Junes logo on that stark-white plastic bag.
"Ne, Otou-san? What's that?"
I chuckled at the curiosity of my daughter. Never fails to amuse me. What a reward after a hard day's work. "Ah, today's Children's Day, so I got you a present."
Her expression of joy is a father's treasure. Smile more often, Nanako.
"Eh? Yatta!" She dug into the bag, earning fond gazes from me and Yu. "And… It's a shirt! Oooh. There's a weird thing in front too! It's so weird that it's funny!"
My nephew is making tea when I caught his attention.
"This one's for you. You're not a child anymore, but then, fair's fair."
I am a little nervous if he will like it. I asked Hanamura earlier and assured me that Yu will dig it. Besides, what's the best present when summer is just around the corner?
"This pair of swim shorts… is pretty fashionable. Its fabric… This is leaning to the more expensive side…"
Hmm. Hanamura does his job well. "Really? So you like it?"
"Ah. Very much. Though it's a nearly tight fit, it makes you produce less drag in water. Thanks, Dojima-san."
"Haha! Good to hear, and you're welcome, Yu."
Next time, I'll ask Hanamura on how to apply for a Junes Advantage Card.
"Otou-san, Onii-chan! Let's eat together!"
Now now. My little girl is hungry. "Ah. Let's eat then. It's been a while since we last eaten together."
"Yep! It sure has!" Nanako replied, cracking her chopsticks apart. "We need to eat before the steak goes cold."
I hope every day would be as nice as this.
"Okay, okay."
Omake – Flash Rewind (Channel α)
Clouds block the sun perfectly, making the day a little cooler, highly conducive for a picnic at the Samegawa floodplain riverbank. There are other people hanging out as well; some having a fishing competition here, a few youngsters flying kites there. People of all ages seem to flock the wideness of the bank, releasing themselves from the harsh routine of everyday work and school. Holidays are vacation days; everyone should make it worthwhile.
"Ah! The great outdoors!" Hanamura stretched and breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh, grassy scent of the air. "We should pick a place… Right! There!"
He marched near the river, scanned the area for rocks too big to lay a blanket on, and proceeded unravelling the picnic cloth he was carrying the whole time. Amagi and Satonaka found the spot fantastic since it's near the crystal-clear water, allowing them to enjoy the view of dragonflies zooming about and water striders skimming the calm running water.
Surprisingly, Nanako was splashing at the river shore not far away from them, getting water into Narukami's divine bowl-cut hair. Not that he minded though. He mock-retaliated, attacking the air instead of his cousin.
"If you see them this way, they look like siblings," Amagi remarked, arranging the cups on the blanket while Satonaka pulls out the drinks from the cooler.
"So, why is 'Yosuke-nii' not joining in the fun?" Satonaka chided, nudging the brunette with her elbow. The said teen acted hurt and sent a playful grin instead.
Hanamura held out their handiwork earlier at the Dojima kitchen. Man, he cut himself at least twice again today, but hey, he made some decent onigiri. Something to be proud of, ne?
"Someone has to be around once the others get home and say 'okaeri' or 'lunch is ready' whenever time requires," he explained simply, taking out the tamagoyaki and makizushi Narukami and Nanako whipped up that morning.
"Whoa, you're taking this 'brother' thing pretty seriously," the girl in green declared, pouring tea from the portable vacuum flask she pledged to bring.
Amagi giggled, fortunately not levelling up to a full laugh trip assault. "It's a nice change. Hanamura-kun was like a grumpy old man last term. Maybe a little sister and an overprotective brother are all that he needed," she said, checking her lacquer bento box if the sweets she got from the inn were still presentable. The trip to the floodplain was uneventful, but it never hurt to see if their dessert is unscathed. Luckily, it doesn't seem damaged. Presentation is always a key for handmade sweets.
"Oi, who's a grumpy old man?" Hanamura grumbled, sitting at the blanket, pouting in resentment.
"See, you're acting like one now," Satonaka pointed out, raising her nose in the air as Amagi giggled along.
"I'm so sorry for being grumpy," the music-loving teen retorted, exhaling dejectedly. It did not last long though. "Maa, I should fetch those two; my stomach will definitely agree."
With that, he stood and approached Narukami and Nanako who were now trying to fish; perhaps an Inaba trout or an amber seema, judging by the thickness of the rod Narukami got from that old man near the wooden plank. They've got two annoyingly cute goldfish staring at Hanamura in the bucket nearby and…
"Onii-chan! There's a bite!"
As Narukami reeled in with those steel gray eyes squinting in determination…
SMACK.
"Ouch." Hanamura could see stars in broad daylight.
Being slapped with an Inaba trout is definitely not the best feeling in the world, only second to being slapped before a break up. Slimy headphones are not cool.
"Ah. Gomen…"
"This is… Narukami's power?"
"I can't stop eating, even if I'm on a diet…"
The silverette smiled weakly and offered the Investigation Team's girls some more. "No need to be shy. Dig in. There's more than enough for everybody."
Nanako watched as the two girls pigged in wave after wave of makizushi as she was reaching for Hanamura's onigiri.
"Oh, Nanako-chan? That onigiri, Narukami-kun made it too?" Amagi asked, eyeing the almost perfect triangular rice mass – since it's a little too thick at the base.
"I did that," Hanamura responded hesitantly, putting his hand behind his head, looking away, finding the dragonfly lounging on a blade of grass interesting enough to trap his gaze.
Satonaka was dubious. "Eh? Is that even edible? I'm a little scared to try that." The girl in red stayed silent, equally skeptical on having even just a nibble of Hanamura's creation.
"It's good. Far from good even."
Hanamura shot up, seeing Narukami licking his fingers after he polished that rice ball in three seconds. The brunette was out of words. He didn't allow anyone to help him make it for it was his pledge for the picnic, as much as the silver-haired teen and Nanako wanted to interfere when there was blood almost everywhere within the perimeter of his working vicinity. They only did when they administered first-aid to the Prince of Junes.
"I want to try it too!" Nanako beamed, reaching out for a rice ball. A few bites after, the girl smiled. "It's spicy, but I would certainly ask for seconds."
Narukami seconded. "Me too."
"Well, if Nanako-chan says so, then I deem it safe," Satonaka said, shrugging before grabbing one from the tray.
"Itadakimasu," Amagi said grace and she sunk her teeth in one of Hanamura's concoction.
A few moments after…
"You can cook, Hanamura. I give you that," the girl in jacket puffed her cheeks out. Sure, she got her second and third helping. "I'm certainly not giving up at the cook-off."
Amagi nodded as well. "It's intense for my taste, but this is something to write home about," she said, lips curling to a small smile. "And I don't plan on giving up either. You just wait, Hanamura-kun."
"Eh?" the brunette flashed a lopsided smile.
"Congratulations," Narukami said simply, munching on the last half of his seventh onigiri. Summoning a Persona requires a lot of energy, but… Weren't they slacking off for several days now?
The tray is freaking empty. And the one who made them haven't had a single bite yet. Care to explain, anyone?
"Narukami Yu…" Hanamura growled, seeing red as he snatched whatever was left in his partner's hand. He sunk his teeth at a bite-shaped groove and savored the tuna, wasabi, and Tabasco covered with delicate sushi rice, finished with a crisp strip of nori. Simple enough yet he knew that one wrong move, and it'll all be messed up. Well, he made the base a tad thicker. He ought to take note of that the next time.
This left the fearless leader's mouth agape, his flush almost unnoticed as he excused himself to take a leak at a toilet nearby.
"Onii-chan?"
"Worth it," Hanamura thought as he took the last bite, his thumb gliding at the bandages wrapped against his other fingers, never noticing what he did to make his self-proclaimed partner run. However, realization can hit one's jaw. Hard.
"Aibou?"
…or maybe not, seeing how Hanamura can be so dense when it comes to his own misgivings and the like. People don't usually notice their mistakes unless you point it out to them or rub it in as harsh as you can. Of course, no one's to blame. We're just dependent little fellows that require a constant stream of nutrients, sunlight, and affection.
What was that all that crap I started writing in the author's notes? *yawn* I must be falling asleep while wide awake, if that would make any sense at all.
Oh, I've got a little something running on my mind for a while now. Recalling Scent 1, Narukami mentioned his senpai whom he confessed to a year ago (so basically, that's his freshman year) and never named him nor described him. So it boils down to this: Should I make him a Commu (Social Link)? I'm thinking of replacing Hisano with Narukami's senpai for he fits the tab of being the dais of the Death Arcana (pertains to major changes/life-changing decisions/starting anew). I'm planning to include him in the Investigation Team as well since I'm not so keen on adding Marie and Adachi as Social Links yet. Long story short, he will undergo the usual shit of being kidnapped, denying his Shadow, accepting his other self and BOOM, you have your own pair of glasses and you can legitimately shout 'Persona!'
I haven't played the Golden version yet; despite that, I might include the third-tier Personas, bike system, winter trip and the band concert (the team) at Junes' parking lot in this piece.
To be or not to be? PM me or something. Your response may or may not influence me. Convince me or otherwise.
Argh. Too much ranting. I'll stop. Stay tuned.
Bug me if anything happens.
MY_TheWeaver
Sakuraba Ryuichiro, having a Bavarian crème-filled doughnut, a cup of coffee, five shots of brandy and his last stick of black Marls – at one o'clock in the morning.
(Is it just me or the chapters just keep getting longer and longer? *smokes*)
Update: 13 Nov 2012 (changed 'for a date?' to 'on a date?')
Update: 17 Nov 2012 (Channel corrections)
