Chapter 2: Left Behind
March 21, 2012, Daytime, Yukiko's POV
My six closest friends and I stood there as the train faded from sight, faster than we could run and farther from home than I had ever been in my lifetime. Many trains left Inaba every day, but as this one went off into the distance, it bore with it Yu Narukami, our dear friend and leader, as well as my boyfriend.
Some would call me foolish for falling in love with a boy who would leave within a year, but I couldn't help myself. For as long as I had known him, he had always been there for me, helping me face the part of myself I refused to acknowledge, listening to me as I weighed leaving Inaba behind and ultimately chose not to do so, and even tasting my cooking.
I naturally wondered why he would do all this for me, since he seemed like the sort who would do the same all his friends. When I asked him that one day in July, not long after the case had seemingly ended, he simply said that he really liked me, leaving me almost speechless. It was natural that he would earn a special place in my heart that few others had, but for him to come out and say so openly what was difficult for me was quite a pleasant surprise.
We shared many experiences together, such as going to the summer festival together again after Teddie ended up interfering the first time, spending Christmas Eve together at the Dojima house and going to Shichiri Beach together for Valentine's Day. Many of our outings in the first three months of this year were done for the purpose of making memories with Yu-kun, but while I believed that making the most of our time was a good principle to live by, I did not want to believe that we would never see him again.
Of course, I was sure others also felt this way, since I wasn't the only one who had to deal with his departure. He'd developed bonds with all of our companions, as well as many others over the past year, as a few of Yu-kun's other friends from school had also showed up to see him off. Yu-kun had once told me, after he'd seen my Shadow, that "Everyone's like that," and later said that he'd learned that the easiest way to put your problems into perspective is to acknowledge that you're not the only one who has them. His other friends also missed him, and acknowledging that they felt similarly even though their relationships were different gave me a small amount of comfort.
The seven of us began our walk back to the town in silence, quietly pondering the reality that our leader was gone. For now, all of us were working through it on our own, and none of us believed that anything we could say at this point would ease the process.
The one realization that we came to, however, was that our lives would go on,and we still had things we needed to do, even on a day like today. After Nanako-chan stopped crying, Dojima-san took her home, before heading back to the police station. Yosuke-kun headed off to Junes for his shift, and Teddie accompanied him, even if his "help" was not always welcome. Kanji-kun went off to help his mother with something. Rise-chan left for an appointment with her manager for her return to showbiz. Naoto-kun got a call from her grandfather, and left us to take it.
Eventually, only my best friend Chie and I were left, as we made our way into the shopping district, vaguely reminiscent of the times before we met everyone else.
"Wow, everyone's keeping themselves busy, aren't they?" Chie said, as Naoto-kun walked out of earshot.
"It seems so," I said, "and that's a good mindset to have. Yu-kun may be sad to leave us, but he'll be too busy settling back in to dwell on that very much."
As Chie nodded with a smile, she seemed to know that the same went from me. On top of school, I had work at the inn, which didn't take up all my free time, but kept me busy enough that I could not reliably commit myself to any clubs, although I helped maintain the school bulletin board out of a sense of civic duty and because it looked good to others. On days when I didn't have work, though, I had side projects of my own, and hoped to do some more work on one of them today.
Chie and I then headed toward Yomenaido Bookstore, at Chie's insistence.
"Now where are those books?" Chie said.
"Which ones?" I said. Yomenaido was fairly small, but the selection was good enough that in order to find the books you wanted, you had to know where to look.
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Chie said. "I'm looking for more books about becoming a police officer, a goal I told Yu-kun about yesterday."
"Ah," I said. "That does seem like something that's quite like you, Chie."
"Well, yeah, but it's the first time I've thought so seriously about my future before," Chie said. "I've always wanted to protect my home and those close to me, so I've found a way to do it."
"That's nice," I said. "Do you think you're up to the studying part, though?"
Chie let off a nervous laugh. We knew each other well enough to know our shortcomings, and given how far down the class ranking list I had to look to find her name, it was no secret that she was not especially proficient at academics. If she put in the effort, she would be able to graduate from high school without any problems, but she would not likely be able to aspire to much more than that.
"Yeah, that's part of the problem," Chie said. "I've been doing better since I started getting passionate about my education, but I still don't have your knack for academics."
I sadly nodded. Chie found it difficult to admit to herself that she was jealous of me, so it was harder still for her to say it to me. On the other hand, she, I, and the rest of us, knew that we would never change as long as we turned a blind eye to our flaws. The two of us facing our own weaknesses had not only made us better people, but better friends, so we strove to be honest with each other, even about subjects like this.
"Still," Chie said, as if to lighten the mood, "I don't need to be top of the class to get where I'm going. Rather than compare myself to others, I want just enough to accomplish what I set out to do. I may not have Naoto-kun's investigating skills, but I should be a pretty good patrolman someday."
"That sounds like a noble and realistic goal," I said. "I think the career books are over here."
I guided Chie to the part of the shop where I had come before, searching for books about becoming an interior decorator. While I had long since cast aside my self-centered and impetuous ambition to go off on my own, I believed that knowledge was power, and hoped to learn as much as I could for the sake of my family's inn.
Chie and I looked in that section for a little while. After some searching, Chie was able to find a book that wasn't "For Dummies" or anything like it, but wasn't a textbook, either, and picked it out.
Meanwhile, I browsed the cooking section, looking for a book that could help me improve. Unfortunately, most of the books were either written for complete beginners, or were recipe books for cooks who were confident in their skills and wanted to expand their repertoires.
At that point, however, Chie was ready to go, so I told her to pay for her book, and joined her once she was done. I could come back another day and look again.
We went together to Aiya for lunch, and I ordered tofu while Chie ordered a beef bowl.
"It's been a while since it's been just the two of us at Aiya, right, Yukiko?" Chie said.
"Not quite as long as you might think," I said. "I think we came some time in January while Yu-kun was sick, and Yosuke-kun and Teddie were at his house."
Aiya was the kind of restaurant that was fairly small, so it wasn't entirely suited to large groups or parties. The seven of us only ate there once, when the fog descended on Inaba and most people stayed indoors, and the old man in charge was overjoyed that so many had come in spite of the circumstances.
Instead, we tended to have smaller outings of two or three there, and it was the kind of place where Yu-kun often took his friends when he spoke with them one-on-one. Our group was strong as a whole, but we also had good individual bonds with each other, which was why I had hope that our connection would endure in our leader's absence.
We talked about small things, such as our upcoming third year of high school, as we ate, much as we did when we were on the case. Some would see those subjects as trivial compared to the life-threatening matters we faced, but it was nice to know that our lives went on in times like this, even the more difficult and inconvenient aspects of them.
As I finished my tofu, Chie let off a sigh and rubbed her stomach, clearly unable to go any farther with her beef bowl. She could take what was left of the meal home in a doggie bag, but only after she paid the 3,000 yen for it.
"Yeesh, these beef bowls really add up," Chie said, pulling out her wallet and getting out the money.
"I could help you pay for it if you'd like," I said. I'd already gotten out the money for my tofu, and reached into my wallet again, only for Chie to shake her head.
"Thanks, but that's okay," Chie said. "I've got the determination and courage parts down pat, but I still don't quite know my limits yet. You're probably better off in those areas."
"Perhaps," I said. "But at the same time, Chie, I don't quite have your zeal and readiness to plunge headlong into a challenge like that. The two of us could complement each other quite nicely, so maybe we could split the bowl?"
"I tried asking about that," Chie said, "but they said the challenge is only for one person."
"That's a bit of a shame," I said. "Their worries about people exploiting a loophole aside, it might have been a nice way of showing that some problems can't be solved alone, and some burdens are too heavy for one person to carry."
Chie nodded in agreement. By coming clean about the part of herself that she found difficult to admit, she gave me the courage to acknowledge that part of myself. She also said back then that because she had me, she was able to come this far, facing her inner demons and battling against mine. We went from being two friends who depended on each other to friends who helped each other, and together with the rest of our investigation team, were able to solve the mystery. Even if Chie had little confidence in her investigation skills, she often contributed good ideas, and, like Kanji-kun, her determination provided a good foundation for the team.
Similarly, Yu-kun had helped me realize what I truly wanted and make a choice I could be happy with, and I, in my own way, helped him to understand what he liked about Inaba, and given him strength when all seemed lost against Izanami. We had supported each other thus far, and even if we were separated, we still had the strength we drew from each other. Our parting was a sad occasion, but I did not regret meeting or falling in love with him, especially not when the hope of reuniting with him remained.
Evening
Chie and I then walked home, and we soon arrived at my home in the Amagi Inn, located a short bus ride away from the shopping district. The fact that we had a stop outside the inn was convenient for our guests and for us, since neither the maids nor I had any desire to walk all that way while wearing a kimono.
Exchanging goodbyes with Chie, I walked up to the front door, opened it, and stepped in as Chie walked off to her home nearby. Our homes, while decidedly different in size, were close enough together that when I ran away from home after being told that my family could not take in the dog I had found, I didn't get far before Chie found me.
"I'm home," I said, stepping into the part of our inn where my family lived and taking off my shoes.
"Welcome home, Yukiko," my mother, Natsuki Amagi, said. She wore a sky blue kimono with a flower pattern, her standard attire for working at the inn. Like me, she had long, raven hair, but hers was tied in a bun and was starting to gray as a result of recent stresses, such as my disappearing in the same way that the two recent murder victims had. Managing the inn was a difficult burden, and one I would have to take on someday.
When I thought about it, it seemed like an intimidating prospect, but I had all the reason I needed to succeed. The inn was a large local employer, and many of the maids and chefs had worked for us since I was a young girl. They had seen me grow up, set time aside to try to teach me how to cook, and were closer to me than most people apart from my family, Chie or the rest of my friends from the Investigation Team were. Even the inn being a "historic tradition" and the "pride of the town," which had once been concepts that seemed too abstract for me (or as my Shadow put it, "a bunch of bullshit"), was a point of pride for those who worked here.
This inn was my home, but I had much to learn before I was ready to watch over and protect it. I would not go through the journey alone, thought, and would have many people to teach and support me, even if my greatest source of both was far away now.
"So how was it?" Mother said. "Were you able to see off your friend?"
"Yes, Mother," I said. "All of us were prepared for this happening for as long as we'd known Yu-kun, but it was still sad to see him go. At the same time, though, we won't forget him."
"That's good to hear," Mother said. "His departure should not have to be the end of your contact, especially when it's not necessarily permanent."
I found it reassuring to hear this, since while it was something that I often told myself, it seemed more reassuring coming from Mother. She had lived in Inaba all her life, so she was well aware of how people, came, went and came back, especially when she managed an inn that brought in many tourists and travelers.
"Yu-kun said as much," I said.
"Then it sounds as though the two of you are on the same page," Mother said. "Dinner is in an hour and a half, but you are free until then."
With a nod, I excused myself.
I walked up to my room, a modestly spacious one with a small table, a desk, a futon, a closet and some shelves.
I looked in the closet, and almost got out the pink kimono I wore to work before realizing that Mother had given me the day off, even though I had insisted that Yu-kun would be gone by noon. She had a tendency to do that when it was for my own good, such as for exams, or on Christmas Eve, when she had done so as a way of encouraging me to spend a night with Yu-kun. It seemed a bit roundabout, but I was hardly willing to complain. Even apart from letting me spend time with Yu-kun, my parents effectively balanced giving me responsibilities while acknowledging I was still a child, so I was grateful for that.
I sat down at my desk, where there were several photos. There was a recent family photo, with my parents and I in traditional Japanese attire. There was one of myself with Chie when we started high school, shortly after we had gotten our uniforms. There was one of myself with Chie the rest of our friends, the "Investigation Team," taken in the middle of March. Finally, there was one of myself and Yu-kun.
Pictures, like other mementos of times that had gone by, but rather than think of them as reminders of what had gone away, I chose to think of them as proof of what we had experienced and still stayed with us. Yu-kun had gone away, but the sense of love and longing I felt for him when I saw his face had not. That feeling would not be all that was necessary for our love to endure, but so long as it was mutual, it would be a foundation on which we could build everything else.
Hidden away in my drawer, I found a rough checklist of all the things I needed to learn before I graduated from high school and set out to live on my own. Many of my goals were the same, as was the time limit, in spite of the fact that my overarching goal had shifted from running away from inheriting the inn to preparing myself for the responsibility. Back then, the year had seemed to be passing quickly, which tends to happen when you feel pressed for time, but now, it seemed like a long time, now that I would not be sharing it with Yu-kun.
Still, I had no shortage of things to do, and sat down on the futon, studying one of the books I had bought on cooking until I was called down for dinner, and continued until it was time for bed. I knew from the night's dinner that it would be a long time until I was skilled as my parents or the chefs, but it was never too early for me to start working toward their level, and perhaps I would have something to show Yu-kun by the time we saw each other again.
Thursday, March 22, 2012, Afternoon
In the morning, I woke up and, after breakfast, did some chores around the inn, such as cleaning and sorting. A good deal of my work was the simple and boring everyday tasks that self-respecting adults did for themselves on a daily basis, but were essential to keeping the inn running. Mother said that by doing those tasks, I would gain an appreciation for them, and not think myself to be "too good" for the more menial parts of the job.
In the afternoon, we met at Junes, much like we had, but with two fewer members- Yu-kun and the fox that had accompanied us into the TV. While the former's absence had sunk in, it felt a bit odd that the latter was no longer following us around, although its absence was possibly related to the recent renovation of the Tatsuhime shrine.
"It's kind of weird to meet at our special headquarters now that the case is completely over and done with, isn't it?" Chie said.
I had to agree. There had been more than a few false conclusions to the case, but after confronting and defeating Izanami, we knew for a fact that we had brought an end to it. Perhaps someday, a new threat would arise, but for now, peace had returned, and we no longer had any need or use for our Persona powers.
"Well, it is a somewhat convenient meeting spot, and also one we're accustomed to using by now," Yosuke-kun said. "Besides, school isn't open, so we can't meet on the roof."
The others nodded. Most of us had come to accept Junes as here to stay by now, even those of us who were children of local business owners. Some were even floating the possibility of collaborating with them, a belief that was once seen as akin to heresy, but now was actually seriously considered.
"But enough about that," Yosuke-kun said. "We're here to discuss our leader and how he's holding up. Apparently, Inaba isn't the first place where he's been the new kid for much of his time there, but even if he's used to it, he doesn't necessarily have to like it."
The others nodded in agreement. I think Yu-kun mentioned this bit of knowledge here and there to each of us, so while Yosuke-kun's statement was worth discussing, it could hardly be considered news.
"Yeah, I've heard that before," Chie said. "This might seem kind of off-topic, Yosuke, but did you have any friends in your old town?"
Yosuke-kun shrugged. I think he knew where this was going, since he'd moved to the city not long before Yu-kun did, albeit on a more permanent basis, but found the question difficult to answer.
"Sort of," Yosuke-kun said. "I mean, I liked them and hung out with them on a regular basis, but we didn't talk about anything particularly deep or meaningful, so I lost contact with them around the time I came to Inaba."
"I see," Chie said. "What about everyone else?"
The rest of us fell silent. I didn't have all that many friends besides Chie when I was young, although I was acquainted with Kanji-kun, Naoki-kun, Saki-senpai and a few others. In that sense, and because I was mostly free of teasing and bullying, I was more fortunate than the rest of the group.
"You're asking about Yu, right?" Yosuke-kun said.
"Yeah," Chie said. "As far as I know, while we all knew, Yu-kun would be going home, we didn't talk about what would be waiting for him there, apart from the fact that he's."
"Well, it's gotta be a big adjustment for Sensei, right?" Teddie said. "He spent all this time getting used to Inaba, and now he's going to have to get used to his old home again, right?"
Some of us shrugged, since Teddie had been inside the TV world until recently, and had never gone anywhere except Inaba and Shichiri Beach.
"That much is kinda obvious," Rise-chan said, "but as someone who's spent a lot of time in the city, I know Teddie has a point."
"The fact that he hardly ever talked about it is possibly significant in and of itself" Naoto-kun said. "Perhaps his life before is something he doesn't want to remember, or maybe he doesn't feel much interest in talking about."
"I'd say the latter," I said. "Yu-kun has come to trust us over the course of this particular year, and has been fairly open with me- with all of us- on a variety of subject. I can't see that being any different."
Chie gave me a slightly worried glance, but said nothing, and quickly turned to Kanji-kun as he broke the silence.
"Yeah, and instead'a wasting all this time blabbering about what Senpai's life mighta been like, why don't we just ask him ourselves?" Everyone went silent for a moment as Kanji-kun cut to the heart of the matter. While not especially good at pondering things or the thinking required for investigation, he had a knack for finding the simplest and most obvious solutions, particularly when they involved putting our noses to the grindstone and persisting even when things seemed difficult.
"Yeah, good point," Yosuke-kun said, "but Yu's probably busy for most of today getting settled back in. I'll try calling him in the evening, though."
"That sounds like a good idea," I said. "Could you please let me know if you get through? I'd like to talk with him."
"Sure thing," Yosuke-kun said. "I'll call you once I'm done talking to him."
I gave Yosuke a sincere and heartfelt "Thank you," but worried that he did not realize how much I appreciated the gesture. Its true significance to me was lost on many of our friends, who did not yet know Yu-kun and I were in a relationship, as we had chosen to keep it under wraps for now, while we were seeing how things went.
Fortunately, Rise-chan prevented things from getting too heavy by asking to be informed of when Yu-kun was available after I was done with him, and the others chimed in. Those of us left behind in Inaba all wished to stay connected to Yu-kun, I most of all, so I was confident that we would remain so in spite of distance from each other and time apart.
Author's Notes
Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.
In Yukiko's part of the story (she'll probably have the most POV sections of anyone besides Yu), you'll see that she has many things to do while back in Inaba, for a variety of reasons, whether for Yu's sake, for keeping herself busy while he's away, and others (such as preparing herself to inherit the inn).
Incidentally, here's what I suspect Yukiko's stats are, on a scale of 1 to 5 for the in game ranks.
Knowledge: 5. She's top of the class until Yu shows up, after all.
Courage: 3 or more. She mentions that she skipped class with Chie in the past, and your doing so with Ai requires Courage.
Understanding: 4 or 5, as she's one of the kindest party members.
Expression: Perhaps 4, since she's eloquent and articulate.
Diligence: Possibly 3 or 4 to start with, rising over time with her work on envelopes.
