Yu is standing in a gas station bathroom. He stares at his reflection and examines how haggard he looks. His hair disheveled, his jacket wrinkled as though he's slept in it for days, his chin is even sporting a stubble, the grays hairs making him look as old as he feels. He doubts if any of the investigation team saw him that they'd recognize him. His stance and aura clashing too hard with the unflappable leader they must picture in their minds.
Regardless he puts on a weathered black baseball cap to shade his face. Yu then leans forward, hands gripping the sink as he stares into the reflection of his eyes. Having had enough of his fill, for what may be the last time, he walks away. Exiting the bathroom, he then leaves the station. He walks a couple paces out and turns to his left, willing for the velvet room door to appear. When it doesn't, he turns around and walks down the sidewalk before taking another left and tries to take in the view of Inaba.
'Its... nice.'
The town boasts the life it holds. Stores seem proud and unworrying of foreclosure the haunted them years ago. Citizens walk the streets enjoying the day. The sun is shining, the few clouds drifting about provide welcome shade. Inaba is welcoming. Inaba is pleasant. Inaba went on just fine without his help.
He was left behind.
Yu looks down and keeps walking, trying to rationalize.
/Its been years/
/This is what we helped protect/
/The world doesn't revolve around me/
His now clenched fist is digging deep enough to near draw blood.
'Why doesn't it. I'M the one who helped their problems. I'M the one who saved them from the fog. I'M the one whose commanded gods.'
Earlier the year when he's had such thoughts he frightened himself. Frightened that his mind came up with something that sounded as if he never learned a thing from seeing Adachi wail about life. Now the feelings have built up and are bursting through his veins.
'I... I was chosen. You gave me a purpose. You string me along an adventure with death around every corner and now... Now that I've won your game, you throw me away.'
Yu is now laying on the sidewalk, leaning against a wall, trying to get ahold of himself. When he thinks like this he gets scared of what the T.V. may really do when he goes in. About the shadow he never fought or accepted. What is it like now? Or would he find a reflection and see the gold eyes there. That they've always been there.
"S-Someone help... Someone help me..."
A steak skewer pops right in in front of him.
"All you had to do was ask, blockhead."
[]
When Marie didn't get a response from her messages to Yu for the past few months, she was worried. When she sensed him on the train coming in unannounced she felt overjoyed. And when she saw him collapse in the shopping district she didn't know what to feel.
"M-Marie?"
She prods him a few times with the meat skewer until he eventually grabs it.
"If you needed help your friends would've come."
Yu quickly gets back up, as if trying to cover his shameful display and unbeknownst to Marie, push away the petulant thoughts.
"I-I didn't want to be a bother."
"So you chose to be a loner instead?"
"I'm not a loner... I have other friends. My life doesn't just revolve around Inaba."
Marie glares at him before frowning. "Thats no excuse. Our bonds are strong aren't they?"
"H-Hey I'm here now aren't I?"
"You don't think everyone would be ablaze if we knew you were coming? ...You came here for something else." She pokes him with her steak skewer. "What was it?"
Marie didn't want to argue with him. Its been years since they last seen each other. They should've been hugging and laughing. Seeing whats changed and telling each other whats happened to them. They should've been getting the whole gang back together and just enjoying each other's company. But those thoughts are all gone when she saw him collapse. Saw him breaking down with those eyes, his frightening soul-deprived eyes.
"Yu... Whats happened to you? Who did this to you? Who hurt you to make you like this?"
Yu is clenching his teeth, frustrated his plan has failed so quickly. A brief thought shoots through his head thinking perhaps that maybe if he didn't want to get caught he'dve put more thought into his disguise then just a hat.
"This isn't the right place to talk about that. Lets talk somewhere else."
Marie frowns but nods. "Junes?"
"I... I don't want anyone to know I'm here. Lets go somewhere else. How about the river?"
Marie feels even more concerned at his stutter and downtrodden demeanor. But still agrees to his demands to find out more.
They leave the shopping district to go in the direction of the river. The distance to it feeling longer than it ever has before.
