"Okay Teddie-san... Don't push yourself..." an employee assigned to monitor Teddie says to him as he carries three boxes worth of inventory.

"Don't... worry!" Teddie replies, grunting. "I... got... this...!" A few more steps and he squats down to gently place the boxes on the floor. He lets out a deep sigh. "See? I told ya I got this!"

The employee nods. "Nice work, Teddie-san. We got a lot of inventory sorted out thanks to you."

Teddie rubs his arm. "No problem! So... what's next?"

"Huh? What do you mean what's next?"

"There's gotta be a lot more work to get done, right? Tell me what to do next!"

"Eh..." The employee gazes at Teddie's figure. Teddie's hair is disheveled, his legs are shaking, his face tinted in a light-red shade, even his apron is a mess. A little sweat is seeping out from parts of his shirt, some of it dripping from sides of his head. "Are you sure you want to keep working? You've already done everything we asked you to for your shift. Your next shift isn't until a few hours from now."

"Aw, come on! There's gotta be-" Teddie stretches his arms and yawns. "... there's gotta be something I can do."

"H, how about a break, Teddie-san? You've earned it."

"But I wanna keep working..."

The employee blinks. "W, we'll be fine... For now, you need to take a break. Don't do anything else until we need you again. That's an order."

"Rrr... I still got some left in me..." Teddie mumbles.

He limps towards the electronics department, sinking back into one of the massage chairs as he activates it. A relaxed sigh escapes his mouth as he closes his eyes and grins. He totally needed this break, though it's because the moment he sat down in the chair, he couldn't move his arms and legs at all. They're so stiff from overworking them that he feels like a cardboard cut-out of himself.

All this pain is worth it if it means he'll be able to buy that pendant for Rise, he thinks to himself. How proud would she be if she saw him work as hard as he was working today? To him, the reward would naturally be a kiss, a date to a beautiful island where he can see his lovely girlfriend in a swimsuit, and some quality time together at a fancy dinner! Oh how lovely that reward would be! Of course, it's a mere exaggeration. He does wonder, how hard is she working? Being an idol is no easy task, and he knows that very well from experience. Is she thinking about him as much as he thinks about her on a daily basis? Teddie continues to drift away into his thoughts.

"So, this is how you've been 'working hard' huh?" a voice says sarcastically.

"Hrm!?" Teddie's eyes flew open. He springs up and noticed Yosuke, alongside Chie standing by. "Y, Yosuke! I, I was on my break! I swear!"

"I know, I was just messing with ya," Yosuke laughed. "I talked with the employee that was supervising you. I'm impressed, Teddie."

"I gotta say, when I heard from Yosuke that Teddie was trying to work hard, I totally didn't believe him!" Chie says in awe.

"Hey! How rude!" Teddie pouts.

Chie chuckles. "Relax, Teddie, I was joking. I'm happy you're working so hard!"

Yosuke checks his phone. "Okay, I gotta go talk with some people in the back. Your shift doesn't start until another half-hour from now so take it easy until then, okay? We don't want you breaking down on the job when we really need you." On that note, Yosuke runs towards the back of the store.

Chie and Teddie are left staring at each other, neither of them speaking up. The only thing that can be heard in this silence is the store's signature jingle blasting through the intercom. Someone's got to speak up, and it might as well be Teddie. "What are you doing here, Chie-chan?"

"Oh, I was stopping by to grab some groceries before I head home," she responds. "Though it wouldn't hurt to check up on you too." She leans towards him and takes another good look at Teddie, analyzing every detail on his body. "Jeez, Teddie. You look like a mess. How long have you been working?"

"Since I got here," Teddie responds with a wink. "The idol of Junes has to set the best example for others here! Where would our fellow workers be without their charming mascot?"

"Right... I know the REAL reason why you're working so hard."

"Ah!" Teddie gasps. "My secret has been exposed! I can't believe Yosuke bear-trayed me!"

"Oh please, there's nothing secretive about trying to buy a present for Rise-chan," Chie folds her arms, but smiles soon after. "Though I have to admit, it's great to see you working so hard towards something. The Teddie I first knew was so much different!"

"Oh!" Teddie hops out of the chair with his eyes sparkling. "So does that mean that I'm climbing the stairs to maturity!?"

"Uh..." Chie's smile warps into an awkward grin. "Yeah...? I, I guess you could say that..."

"Woo hoo! Yeah!" Teddie raises his arms in the air and spins around. "All that stuff I learned is starting to bear its fruit!"

"Guess some things never change..." Chie laughs awkwardly. Despite his current display of childish behavior, she's not lying when she says the Teddie she first knew was different. The first time she met him, he was cowardly, selfish, and did a lot of things that really pissed everyone off like the Summer Festival or the swimsuit portion of the beauty pageant. But hearing how he's working so hard to buy a gift for someone else shows that he's learning to become that someone that everyone loves, the same someone he always wanted to be. Certainly she can't fall behind in becoming the person that declared she'd protect everyone she cares for.

It does beg the question, why Rise of all people? The last time she checked, those two barely talked with one another. Well she's not getting her answer by thinking about it, she wants to hear it from the bear himself.

"I gotta ask, why are you working so hard to get a birthday gift for Rise-chan?" Chie asks.

"Huh?" Teddie stops spinning and faces her. "Isn't it natural to give gifts to a dear friend on her day of birth?"

"Yeah, but what are you getting her exactly?"

"A diamond pendant!" He exclaims while sparkling. "The cute and sexy Rise-chan should get a gift fitting for an idol like her!"

Chie raised an eyebrow. "A diamond pendant? How much is it?"

"Yosuke told me it costs 56,000 yen!"

"What!?" Chie's jaw drops, leaving a familiar expression of shock on her face. "That's so expensive, Teddie! Are you sure you want to get something like that for her!?"

"Yeah, totally!" he gives her a thumbs up. "Like I said, the adorable and ravishing Rise-chan should get a gift fitting for an idol!"

That wasn't exactly what he said, but that's not what Chie's concerned about. "Isn't that a little too much for a simple birthday gift!?"

"Nope!" he declares with a sparkle. "If I'm going to give her something, it's going to be the best gift ever!"

"No, I mean why?" Chie asks. "Most birthday gifts are something like cake, or a DVD, or taking them to a restaurant, those kinds of things! Why an expensive pendant?"

"Because Yosuke said I should." he says with a grin.

"Figures…" Chie sighs. There's probably a reason why Teddie's not giving her a straight answer, but she has a feeling he won't tell her. No use trying to press more about it. "You know what, I don't think it matters why you're getting it for her. The point is, you're sure you want to, right?"

"Yeah!" Teddie nods.

She gives him a bright smile. "Then I'm sure she'll appreciate the extra effort you put into trying to get that present for her!"

"You really think so?"

"Girls appreciate a guy going the extra mile to get them a gift that's expensive. What girl wouldn't want that?"

Teddie squeals. "Then I'll work even harder than before! Watch out, Rise-chan! It'll be the best gift you'll ever get!"

Chie laughs. "Whoa there, your break isn't over yet, is it? Remember what Yosuke said, he doesn't want you breaking down on the job!"

"I'm too fired up! I gotta work even more now!" Teddie pumps his fist in the air.

Chie can sense Teddie's massive exuberance. If he wants to do it, why stop him? "Then go get 'em, Teddie!" she cheers. "Be the guy that'll make her proud!"

"RAAAAAAAAAWWWWWR!" He roars as he charges toward the back of the store.

Chie stares on, chuckling a bit. "Man, that bear has more energy than any of us. It almost makes me jealous of him."

"Yo, I'm back!" Yosuke calls over to her from behind as he walks towards her.

"Hey Yosuke!" Chie turns around and waves.

"Where's Teddie? His shift is going to start in ten minutes."

"I think he went to start his shift a little early..." Chie gazes towards the back.

Yosuke gives Chie an exasperated look. "Damn it, I warned him to take it easy until his shift starts..."

"Well you have to give him credit, he's got tons of energy!"

"Don't remind me..." Yosuke sighs. This is going to be a long week for him, isn't it? "I'll go fetch him and make sure he doesn't hurt himself while working. I'll see you later."

"Wait, Yosuke!" As Yosuke walks away, Chie calls over to him.

"What's up?" He glances over at her.

All this talk about presents and hard work has left Chie with an unsolved mystery. "Do you know why Teddie's working so hard to get Rise-chan a present?"

Yosuke shrugs. "Hell if I know. Ted's always been hard to read."

It's true that Teddie's always been unpredictable, but Chie can't help there's more to his eccentric behavior than his usual mannerisms. Sure he's enthusiastic, but this spontaneous resolve isn't regularly displayed. Besides, the last time this happened was when he wanted to charm someone. That's when it hits her. "Say..." Chie cups her chin. "You don't think... He's got a crush on her, do you?"

Yosuke blinks. "What, you mean like how he's got a crush on everyone?"

"No, I mean like an actual crush! All this work over a present for Rise-chan? It feels a lot like he's seriously in love with her!"

Yosuke scoffs. "Yeah, right. Even if that was the case, I highly doubt Rise would feel the same."

Chie stood there for a moment, thinking she was sure she was on the mark, then laughs it off. "Yeah, you're right. I can't imagine those two as a couple. Forget what I said."