Wednesday, April 13th
The next morning, I stared blankly at the pair of legs and arms flailing about, outside of a trash can. Halfway to the school after another quite morning with Nanako, and the thing that sticks out the most is this poor soul who had their head inside of a dirty trash can. The person was wearing the high school boys uniform, so at least I know their gender. I couldn't help but wonder why no one has helped this guy out yet.
"S-Someone...!" the boy called out, kicking his legs even more. I noticed a familiar yellow beat up bike next to the trash can. I suddenly head some snickering off over at the distance, causing me to look behind me.
"Yosuke is so stupid, always crashing into stuff" a girl chuckled mockingly as two other female students giggled with her.
"Right where he belongs, if you ask me" another girl sneered, a hint of disgust in her voice. I looked back over to the boy in front of me. With a sigh of defeat, I scratched my right cheek.
"Help! Help me, please! Ugh, the smell!" the boy called out, his voice muffled. I placed my school bag down next to the bike and walked over to the guy's behind. I felt myself blush a little as I sighed softly, wondering if this will go well. I took a deep breath and placed one hand on his waist and the other on one of his legs. I grunted as I put all of my strength into pulling him out. Even though I was only five feet two, I was able to successfully pull the boy out of the trash can. I ended up falling on my butt, the poor guy falling on his own butt as well. The boy groaned in pain, taking a few breaths of fresh air as I rubbed my lower back.
"Oh man, you're a lifesaver...!" the boy sighed, looking behind him and to me. I blinked in surprise, recognizing the boy's face. He was the unlucky soul who ran into a pole and met Satonaka's range yesterday. The boy blinked in surprise as he stared at me. I noticed that he had costumed the school uniform to his own favor, wearing a white V-necked with long sleeves and a pair of red headphones. I rubbed the back of my head and blinked at him, my usual blank face on.
"Are you alright?" I asked, standing up and smoothing out my skirt. The boy snapped back to reality and laughed nervously.
"Ahaha, I'm fine!" he chuckled nervously, standing up and brushing off the small bits of wrappers on his shirt. He must have crashed into the trash can not too long before I noticed him, seeing as how his clothes were fairly clean.
"I didn't expect anyone to actually help me there, yet alone a cute girl like yourself" he winked, causing me to blink at him. I rubbed the back of my head, shyly.
"Ah... No problem" I replied, causing him to smile and cross his arms over his chest. I walked over to his bike, pointing ahead to where the school was.
"Although, we should probably get going. We'll be late" I said to him as he blinked at me with a surprised look. He gasped in realization, as if remembering what the word 'school' meant. I bent down to grab my bag as the guy readjusted his bike so that it was back on its wheels. He looked over to me and gave a mischievous smile.
"Wanna go for a ride? It's a little squeaky, but it'll be fine" the guy asked. I blinked at him with a deadpan face. I looked forward and began to walk.
"I think I can make it by walking" I replied, the boy gasping in shock before catching up to me.
"Hey, you're Narukami; right?" the boy began, readjusting his orange book bag over his shoulder. "My name is Yosuke Hanamura."
"Hey... How's it going" I replied with a momentous tone. Hanamura held in a sinker as a big grin appeared on his face, leaning forward a little bit to match my height.
"So, do you know what this town is famous for?" Hanamura asked, keeping our conversation interesting. I shook my head, letting my hair sway in sync. He turned his head forward while keeping his eyes on me, giving me a sideways glance.
"We make some seriously good beefsteak! I know it sounds kind of lame, but it's fitting for this place" Hanamura began, as if mocking the town. I blinked at him as he winked at me, turning my way.
"And since you helped my out, why don't I go treat you to some?" Hanamura suggested. I waved my hand at him at little, saying that I wasn't interested.
"No thanks, I'm good" I replied, politely rejecting his offer. He waved at me with a weak motion, a big smile on his face.
"Come on, I insist! You free later today? Of course you are, you're new here! Hey, I went through this too you know!" Hanamura rambled, ignoring my rejection.
"You ass!" a familiar voice shouted, catching our attention. Hanamura froze with a pale face as I looked over my shoulder, seeing that it was Satonaka. Satonaka marched right over to us with an angry smirk on his face, waving around his movie from yesterday.
"So! You don't have enough money to buy a new DVD, but you have enough money to ask a girl out on a date?" Satonaka growled, his smirk turning mischievous. I blinked at Satonaka with a slightly surprised look. Hanamura asked me out on a date? I thought his offer was just to thank me for helping him. I looked over to Hanamura and saw his face turn red as he opened his mouth, about to defend himself when Satonaka smacked his DVD onto Hanamura's face.
"I want in on some of that action! This is how you can pay me back for breakin' my stuff!" Satonaka chirped, happy about his idea. Hanamura groaned in both pain and defeat as Satonaka dragged Hanamura and me forward to school.
After school...
"What?! This isn't beefsteak, you stingy tightwad!" Satonaka complained as Hanamura placed down three trays of taiyoyaki down onto the small table we sat at. Hanamura took a seat with a stressed look on his face, pinching one of his toothpicks.
"Yeahh... Sorry about that, since you jumped onto the freeloader train, I had to change my plans. I couldn't afford two of them" Hanamura apologized, causing Satonaka to yell at him. As Satonaka yelled at Hanamura, I looked around the area that we were in; a soft pink on my cheeks. Hanamura had taken me (Satonaka fallowing with a deadly glare) over to the Junes food court. There wasn't a lot of people out today, seeing as how the sky was darkened with gray clouds. The cheerful little tune that would often play in the commercial, causing me to sway to the side as Nanako did.
Having nothing to do at the moment, I took a piece of napkin and began to fold it. I didn't know origami or anything, but I wanted to try and make something with it.
"Hey, wasn't this on the news yesterday too?" Satonaka asked, catching my attention. Satonaka was staring at a small television that stood behind the counter of the yakisoba griddle. The news was on and were talking about the same problems about the recent incident. Hanamura took a bite of the taiyoyaki, making a painful face as he breathed in and out.
"Yeah, it's freaky how that shit happened all the way out here!" Hanamura huffed, cautiously chewing his food. I looked back over to Hanamura as he made a teasing face over at Satonaka, who was still glue onto the television.
"The murderer could live next door~!" Hanamura snicked, causing Satonaka to shiver and slam his hand onto the table as he turned around.
"Don't go saying that stuff, man! You'll freak Narukami-chan out!" Satonaka growled, his eyebrows knotted together. Hanamura laughed as he swatted his hand around Satonaka's face, causing Satonaka to give him a bored look.
"Come on, don't be like that! Everyone knows how much of a scaredy cat you are, just admit that this kind stuff freaks you out! Besides, I'm only messing with ya" Hanamura teased, causing Satonaka to smack Hanamura's hand away. I blinked at these two, finding them to be quite the pair. Satonaka looked over to me and smiled slightly, a slightly pleading look in his eyes.
"I think we should change the subject" Satonaka said, picking a piece of the taiyoyaki. I looked down at my food and picked up a piece. Satonaka swallowed his food as I took a bite, a recalling look on his face. He looked over at me with a sly look on his face causing me to freeze.
"Hey, Narukami-chan" Satonaka began, causing Hanamura to look at us in slight confusion. "Do you a have a boyfriend?" I blink at him, slightly confused by the question.
"Boyfriend?" I asked. The word was a little foreign to me. I heard some of my old classmates talk about having a 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend', but I never truly knew what it meant. Based on my observation, it seems that a person with a 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' status often hang out with another person; showing signs of affection by holding hands or pressing their lips together for oxygen. Satonaka sweat drops at my response and blinks at me with slightly nervous eyes.
"Yeah, a boyfriend. You know, a guy you've been intimate with? Otherwise known as a romantic interest, lover, destined partner..." Satonaka explained. I blinked in surprise as my face heats up, understanding the definition of the word now.
"That's a bit personal, don't you think?" I asked, my expression not changing despite my red cheeks. I looked down at my food, finding Satonaka and Hanamura's gazes slightly embarrassing.
"No, I've never had one. At least, as far as I'm aware" I muttered, feeling shy for some reason. With all the moving around I end up doing, I doubt I could hold a romantic relationship for too long anyways. I heard Satonaka stifle a laugh, causing my face to burn more red.
"Really? To be completely honest, I thought you'd be with someone by now" Satonaka chuckled, finding my relationship information entertaining. With a silent sigh, I cooled down my face and regained my composure.
"Well then, you might like this~!" Satonaka chirped, catching my attention. "Did you hear about that Midnight Channel thing that's got everybody talkin'?" I blinked at him in confusion as I swallowed my food.
"What's the 'Midnight Channel thing'?" I asked. Hanamura looked over at Satonaka with a realization look on his face, holding another piece of taiyoyaki in his hand.
"Oh yeah... Don't they say that it only comes on if you're like, watching it at the dead of midnight on a rainy day?" Hanamura asked, clarifying his information. Satonaka nodded as he picked up his cup of soda that Hanamura had also bought for us.
"Yeah, and they say that whoever comes up on the screen is supposed to be your soulmate!" Satonaka chirped, his face lighting up with excitement. "I hear it's gonna rain tonight, what do you say we check it out?!" I stared at him with a blank face, a little bit intrigued by the urban legend. But at the same time, it sounded rather stupid. Hanamura must have had a similar idea, his face turning bored.
"I'm amazed that you actually still fall for that ridiculous kiddy crap" Hanamura said bluntly, a bit of sarcasm in his voice. Satonaka gasped as he looked at Hanamura with a slightly betrayed look on his face. Hanamura looked over at me and made a smirk face.
"Now listen, this is why he can't ever nab himself a girlfriend-" Hanamura snickered, causing Satonaka's face to explode red with anger. Satonaka stood up from his seat and wrapped his hands around Hanamura's throat, causing Hanamura to squirm; making choking noises. Hanamura choked out multiple apologies as Satonaka smacked Hanamura's right cheek multiply.
"What'd you say?! We're both in the same boat, don't go making me drown by myself; you jerk!" Satonaka growled as I blinked nervously at thier scene. Suddenly, Hanamura stood up, panting as his eyes brimmed with life.
"Hey, look it's Saki-senpai!" Hanamura huffed, standing up from his chair with no hesitation.
"Saki-senpai!" Hanamura called out, waving his hand in the air with a big smile on his face before heading off somewhere. I looked over my shoulder as Satonaka grumbled, slowly sitting back down. Hanamura was heading towards a girl, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, faded navy jeans, navy shoes, and a red and white apron. Is she an employee here? The girl had thick, long, wavy, light-brown hair, brown eyes, and lightly tanned skin.
"Who's that?" I asked before taking another bite of my taiyoyaki.
"That's Saki Konishi, a third year at our school. I like her, she's pretty cool. Not bad looking either. Her family runs a liquor store in the central district" Satonaka explained. I swallowed my food as I blinked in interest at the two. They chatted for a while, Satonaka eavesdropping at their conversation while I ate my food.
"You there!" Konishi suddenly called out to me. "You're the new transfer student, right?" Hanamura turned around to face me with a normal look on his face. Although, I couldn't help but think he looked a little bit upset.
"Yeah..." I replied with a nod. Konishi smiled a little as she pointed her thumb over to Hanamura.
"This guy doesn't have a whole lot of friends, so" Konishi began, causing Hanamura to look at her with a shocked expression. "I mean he's actually not bad, he's pretty nice; but if he starts bugging you then let me know okay?" Hanamura turned towards Konishi, looking a little hurt; but he didn't say anything. I blinked at her in surprise, thinking that what she said was a little rude.
"I don't find him to be annoying or anything. I think he's rather charming" I said to her with a deadpan face. Konishi raised an eyebrow as Hanamura blushed a little, Satonaka looking at me with a surprised look on his face. Konishi placed the back of her hand to her mouth- giggling a little, which to my ears sounded more like an stiffed sigh, catching the boys attention.
"I'm just joking around!" Konishi giggled stiffly. Hanamura rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile.
"Saki-senpai, that wasn't very funny..." Hanamura chuckled weakly. Konishi smiled at me as she placed a hand on her hip.
"Well, I think I better be taking off now. See you later" Konishi said as she began to walk away, a flick of the wrist waving us goodbye. I stared at Konishi's back, wondering if she as being rude of if she was tired. There was something about her that made me dislike her. Her personality so far seems almost... Fake, in my opinion.
"Uh, ah; Saki-senpai... About that thing I..." Hanamura stuttered, looking nervous as he slouched over a little. Konishi looked over her shoulder and nodded, still walking.
"Oh, uh-huh. Sounds fun. We can make plans during my next break, okay?" Konishi suggested as she turned back around. Hanamura's face brightened as he stood up straight, a big smile of joy creeping on his face. He then pumped his fists up into the air, jumping a little as Satonaka snickered at Hanamura's behavior.
"What's got you all excited?" Satonaka asked, a small smile forming on his face. Hanamura turned around with a proud look in his eyes. He then did a peace-sign as he held up a ticket for a movie called, 'Ranukoi ❤ Hachiito' that looked like a spy, romance movie. Satonaka smiled at Hanamura as he rested his head in his hand.
"Oh~, now I see where you're coming from!" Satonaka chirped. I blinked at Hanamura's ticket with confusion. Perhaps he gave one to Konishi?
"Hm? Oh hey, did you make that?" Satonaka asked, pointing at my hands. I looked down and saw the paper crane I had folded out of the napkin. It didn't look half bad. I looked over to Satonaka and offered it to him.
"You want it?" I asked, causing him to blink at me in surprise. He snickered as he waved his hand, telling me he didn't want it. I looked over to Hanamura and offered it, but he rubbed the back of his head while chuckling. I didn't understand why they didn't want it or why they were laughing.
Evening...
Fresh out of the bath, I walked downstairs to give Nanako some company. With everything that was happening recently, I couldn't leave Nanako alone. Nor could I be by myself.
Once I walked into the living room, the first thing that I noticed was that Dojima was slouched over on the couch while Nanako watched the television. Was Dojima asleep? I blinked in surprise at Dojima's presences as I took a seat next to Nanako, since she was sitting in front of the television. Noticing me, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at me.
"Dad came home while you were in the bath" Nanako explained, noticing my slightly surprised expression. I nodded in reply, telling her I get it now as we both turned our attention to the television. I blinked in surprise once I saw our school uniform on screen. A girl was being interviewed apparently, but their face wasn't being shown. She had familiar wavy light-brown hair.
"What did you think when you found her?" the interviewer asked, holding up his microphone.
"Well...! I only..." the girl began, her voice distorted. I blinked in realization when I heard her speak. The girl reminded me of Saki Konishi, Hanamura's senpai. So she was the one who saw the corpse of Miss Yamano's body? That would certainly explain why she was tired today.
"Did you see anyone who looked, suspicious to you?" the interviewer asked, his enthusiasm perplexing me and possibly Konishi at the time.
"No! Not really...!" Konishi replied, her voice sounding tense through the distortion. I heard a soft snore behind, me causing me to look over my shoulder. Dojima was sleeping, snoring away as he tried hard not to fall forward.
"I think Dad is asleep" Nanako said to herself as she stood up and jogged over to the closet. With a little tug, Nanako pulled out a small blanket and walked back over to Dojima.
"He was up again all last night..." Nanako began to explain as she placed the blanket onto Dojima. There was a slight loneliness and sadness in her voice. I stared at her as she lowered her head a little.
"He said that he had to because of work..." Nanako mumbled. My eyes softened as I watched her face sink. My heart really went out to her. A familiar chime rang into my ears, causing me to look over to the television. It as the Junes commercial.
"At Junes, everyday is 'Costumer Appreciation Day'! Come see for yourself and get in touch with our products!" a cheerful woman's voice said as produce with cheap prices began to float along the screen. Soon the top of a store appeared, a sign with orange letters spelling out, 'Junes'.
"Every day's great at your Junes~" the woman sang, a simple yet cheerful tone in the background. Nanako smiled happily as sh began to sway to the sides, her brown pigtails bouncing in sync.
"Every day's great at your Junes~!" Nanako sang, just like last time. I did a thumbs up towards the television screen as a soft pink cloaked my cheeks.
"I'm going to take my bath now!" Nanako giggled before skipping off to the bathroom. I stared after her as I stood up. I looked over to Dojima and stared at his sleeping position. There was no way that I could carry Dojima over to his bed. I scratched my right cheek as I instantly shook the thought out. Dojima as only a few inches taller than me, so it might work.
With a confident deep breath, I walked over to Dojima and slowly lifted his right arm over my left shoulder. His snoring hitched as his body twitched, unconsciously standing up with me. Even though he was unconsciously walking with me, he was still heavy that most of my strength started to drain. I gently slugged my left arm over his right shoulder and slowly dragged him over to his bedroom. By the time I had pulled his futon covers over him, I was exhausted. I crawled upstairs with heavy arms and legs, softly closing my bedroom door behind me.
I plopped down onto the small couch in my room and let out a sigh. I stared blankly at the small television in front of me, suddenly remembering about the urban legend that Satonaka had wanted me to try out. I looked over to the clock and saw that I still had a good four hours left until midnight. I rotated my shoulders and walked over to my desk. Time for some homework.
3rd POV
Four hours had passed, nothing but the sound of Hitomi's pencil scratching onto the paper, the soft lullaby of the pitter-pattering rain, and the ticking of her clock could be heard. With an exhausted sigh, Hitomi stretched out on to her chair and looked over to the clock on her wall. It was 11:59.
Hitomi stood up from her desk and walked over to her small television. She stood in front of it and stared intently at the blank screen. All she could see was her reflection, her short silver hair slightly messy from helping Dojima get to bed earlier, her v-neck gray shirt slightly crooked; showing her left shoulder while her normal expression stayed unchanged.
Hitomi blushed slightly, her facial expression not changing as she blinked nervously. This was possibly the most ridiculous thing she has ever done in a long time. Feel a little embarrassing. Hitomi covered her mouth as she yawned, ready to go to bed. When suddenly, a soft yellow light catches her eye. Hitomi slowly looks back over to the screen and saw that it had turn yellow, static covering the screen. In the middle of the screen was a girl, by the looks of the outline. Hitomi couldn't exactly tell, because of how static the screen was; but it looked like a girl.
Hitomi's eyes were glued to the screen in shock as she blinked nervously. Suddenly, her head throbbed. Her ears pounded. Her head felt it was being pressed against the corner of a table, the sound of nails on a chalk bored screeching into her ears.
"I... Am thou" a mysterious voice began, causing Hitomi to stagger as she placed a hand on to her right eye, staggering backwards. Hitomi was seeing double, the walls seeming like they were vibrating. Hitomi gasped for air as sweat began to roll down her skin.
"Thou art I" the mysterious voice continued. "Ye shall open the door..." Hitomi tried desperately to keep her balance, reaching her left arm in any direction in hope to find something to help her stand. The pain was growing, her heart was racing, and her breaths were short. The girl from the television screen turned forward and faced Hitomi, causing Hitomi to reach out for the television. Her hand trembled in pain, shaking uncontrollably.
Hoping to steady herself, Hitomi placed her hand onto the television screen. Instead, her hand began to sink in, causing Hitomi to gasp in surprise. It was almost as if the figure on the other side of the screen was pulling her in, quickly engulfing Hitomi's body. However, due to how small her television was, Hitomi was able to stop herself from getting swallowed and tried to pull herself out. Using the strength of her left leg, she was able to remove herself, her balance giving up on her. The back of Hitomi's head smashed into her small coffee table, causing Hitomi to groan in pain while rolling onto her side. Once the pain slowly vanished, Hitomi looked back over to the television, seeing that it was blank once again.
"What in the world... Just happen?" Hitomi asked herself as she gently rubbed the back of her head.
Thursday, April 14th
Hitomi's POV
I fidgeted nervously in my seat, feeling embarrassed. School was over, and I was getting the courage of telling Satonaka and Hanamura what had happened to me last night. The two boys were gathered around my desk, Amagi standing next to Satonaka.
"So... In regards to last night" I began, closing my eyes in embarrassment.
"Did you see it?" Satonaka asked, his voice sounding serious. I nodded in reply as I took a silent deep breath.
"Well... After I saw the figure on the screen, I started to hear voices. And my television tried to eat me. But it was too small to eat me, so I ended up hitting my head on my bedroom furniture" I explained to them. I opened my eyes and looked up at Hanamura and Satonaka, only to see that they had surprised looks on their faces.
"What?!" Satonaka and Hanamura said in disbelief as they blinked at me, causing Amagi to stare at the three of us in confusion.
"You went inside of the T.V?!" Satonaka asked leaning a little bit forward. I nodded as I looked at them with a slightly more serious face.
"Yeah" I said with a slightly serious tone, showing them that I wasn't kidding. With a tale like mine, there was no way that normal people would believe that.
"Well, all that Nise and I saw in our televisions were some weird shadow people" Hanamura said as he looked over to Satonaka who nodded in agreement. Noticing Amagi's confused look, Satonaka looked over to her with a questioning look.
"What about you? We're talking about the bizarre Midnight Channel. You seen anything?" Satonaka asked, stuffing his hand into his pants pocket. Amagi looked over at him with a dazed look, shaking her head.
"No, sorry. I just..." Amagi began, when she suddenly gasped in realization. She looked behind her and noticed the time, turning back to Satonaka with an apologetic look.
"Sorry, but I have to go" Amagi said in a rushed tone, causing Satonaka to blink in surprise.
"What, got a bunch of work you got to do at home?" Satonaka asked. Amagi nodded with a slightly guilty look on her face.
"Yeah, sorry..." Amagi said softly, sounding a bit guilty for some reason. Satonaka smiled at her and waved his free hand.
"Nah, it's cool. Hang in there, 'kay?" Satonaka encouraged. Amagi nodded and waved a small goodbye to Hanamura and me before rushing out of the room. I stared after Amagi who had already left, wondering what sort of lifestyle she had. Were her parents strict? I hope that she wasn't running herself ragged.
"Listen Narukami-chan" Hanamura began, catching Satonaka and my attention to him. "I know chances are that you were just dreaming it, but not fitting inside of the T.V because it was too small sounds kind of believable." I opened my mouth to argue with him, but slowly closed it. I wasn't going to argue about something that seemed unrealistic.
"Hey, what do you say we give it a shot on a bigger T.V?" Satonaka suggested, a grin forming on his face. I looked over at him with a surprised look on my face. Hanamura grinned as well as he chuckled.
"Good idea! We could try with one of the big screens over at Junes! That should fit ya!" Hanamura joked, laughing afterward. I blinked in surprise as I remembered something.
A drop of sweat rolled down my jaw as Hanamura chuckled weakly while Satonaka smirked. We were standing in the middle of the electronics department, right in front of the TV aisle, where wide flat screens showed us quality videos varying from slideshows to the news.
"Wait, so we're seriously doing this?" Hanamura asked, his weak chuckling finally gone. Satonaka tied both his hands behind his head as he grinned.
"Yeah, why not? I've been wanting a new T.V anyway" Satonaka chirped as I began to look around the department. For some place that sold electronics, it was rather empty. There weren't even any clerks around.
"Hey, be a bro and use your connections to cut me a deal!" Satonaka cheered, catching my attention. Hanamura smiled brightly.
"Of course I can- NOT!" Hanamura said, his face and tone turning into a 'no-way' feeling. I titled my head slightly at them, catching Hanamura's attention as Satonaka sulked.
"Ah, well you see my dad happens to be the manager of this store" Hanamura began to explain. He crossed his arms over his chest as he smiled. "Just like you, I also transferred into this place from Tokyo. I guess almost six months ago." Hanamura winked at me as he placed hi right hand onto his chin.
"Could it be fate that we've met?" Hanamura cooed, causing Satonaka to stiffen. I blinked at him in surprise. I didn't think that he would be interested into fate and such.
"Perhaps so. Fate is a mysterious thing" I replied with a momentous voice, causing Hanamura to stiffen now, a slight pink on his cheeks. Satonaka sighed out loud as he rested his elbow on to Hanamura's shoulder.
"I guess Junes does make life easier, but all the local shops at the central district became sorta empty now" Satonaka said with a slightly distant look in his eyes. Hanamura turned his attention over to Satonaka, his eyebrow twitching.
"Don't say that stuff straight to my face!" Hanamura said with a defeated tone. In the corner of my eye, I noticed that the television we stood in front of was playing the news. I looked at the screen with slightly wide eyes. It was a repeat of the interview from last night. The image that I saw from the midnight channel flashed into my mind as I twitched. Was the persona I saw on the channel last night... Could it be Konishi?
"This girl..." I muttered, trying to catch the others attention.
"Oh, I guess she does look a little like Saki-senpai, doesn't she?" Satonaka said as my eyes continued to stare at the television. "Everyone in class is talking about it. They all think that Saki-senpai was the one they were interviewing there."
"For real? That explains why she skipped school today" I heard Hanamura say as I slowly began to walk towards the television. I was able to stick my and into my television last night. I wonder if I could do it again, despite it not being midnight or raining at the moment.
I stare at the screen in front of me and reach towards the microphone the interviewer had. I had to admit that I was little nervous. With a screen this big, I could fall in if I was able to enter the screen like last night. I was just going to poke the screen to prove to myself if what I had experience last night was real or not.
The moment my finger touched the screen, it ripples like water; a white color rippling around my hand. The interview that was once on screen diapered, making the screen blank. I gasped softly in surprise. There's a gentle tingle around my finger where it touches the screen, but it wasn't painful. I don't feel anything on the other side, either. I slowly began to stick my whole hand inside. I suddenly heard Satonaka exclaim in shock, Hanamura exclaiming shortly after. They must have had their attention on me.
"Your hand went right in!" Satonaka said with a shocked tone, moving over to my right shoulder, Hanamura right behind us.
"How are you pulling this off?!" Hanamura asked, his tone a little softer than Satonaka's.
"Whoa, that's awesome!" Satonaka said as he shook me a little. My eyes remained glued on to my hand that was inside the television. I leaned in a little bit, as I wiggled my fingers, confirming that there was nothing on the other side.
"I think I can go in even further" I said as I blinked at the screen.
"Go in further?! Narukami-chan, don't!" Satonaka warned me as I slowly leaned my shoulder towards the screen, letting my arm be engulfed. There was really nothing inside the television. I heard Hanamura and Satonaka panic about something as I embraced my self to stick my head inside. There was something on the other side of the screen that was drawing me in. I suddenly felt a bump on my back, causing me to fall in.
I squeezed my legs and eyes together as I held my skirt down while I fell. I was so terrified that my voice had been lost, not allowing me to scream in fear. I heard two other screams as I fell, making me assume that Hanamura and Satonaka had fallen in with me. That must be what bumped me before.
I'm not falling for long when my back collides with a hard ground. It hurts, but I don't think I suffered any serious damage. Hanamura and Satonaka landed not far from me. The three of us groaned with pain, rubbing the parts of our bodies that ached. I tugged at my skirt slightly as I sat up on my butt, looking around our surroundings.
The area was covered with a thick yellow fog, obstructing our vision. We're standing in what looks like a TV studio with metal scaffolding around us and stage lights above.
"Ow...! That hurt..." Hanamura groaned, causing my attention to turn to him.
"Holy crap... Where are we?" Satonaka asked as he stood up, his face dumbfounded. He walked over to me and helped me up to my feet. I nodded a thank you to him as he began to look around. I dusted off my skirt while keeping a hand near my chest. Satonaka looked around our surroundings as I looked at him.
"I... I think we're inside the television" I replied calmly. Satonaka flinched at my response and smiled wearily at me.
"Don't stand there calmly and give me crazy talk! It's freaking me out!" Satonaka shouted nervously, obviously shaken up by the events. I lowered my head a little, feeling a little bit guilty.
"Sorry..." I muttered, causing Satonaka to tense up slightly.
"Ah, no no no! Don't apologize! My fault for shouting like that" Satonaka stammered. I noticed that there was a soft pink on his cheeks as he looked away.
"Ah man, this hurts too much not to be real" Hanamura groaned. I looked over at him and saw that he was rubbing his butt.
"I think I busted my ass" Hanamura complained looking over his shoulder at his butt. I sweat dropped slightly as I blinked at him.
"I'm so surprised..." I muttered to myself, with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"Hey, how'd we get in here anyway? I don't see an entrance anywhere!" Satonaka said with stunned tone, looking around for an exit. I blinked at him before looking up, recalling our entrance. We fell from above, causing our present throbbing bodies. But with the fog so thick, I could barely see anything.
"I can't see anything through this fog..." I complained slightly as I took a step closer to Satonaka, not wanting to be separated.
"S-So what do we do now?!" Hanamura asked as he ran over to Satonaka and me, a panicked look on his face.
"What are you asking me for?! I don't know!" Satonaka replied, a nervous tone in his voice. He looked around the area with a scared look on his face.
"All I want to do is go home, like, immediately" Satonaka shuddered. I looked over at Satonaka and Hanamura as they began to argue, my hands in between them.
"Why don't we all just calm down?" I asked, trying to calm them down. Hanamura and Satonaka began to grit their teeth, trying desperately to calm down. I suddenly heard a squeaky noise, being fallowed by another squeaky noise. I slowly looked behind Satonaka and saw a shadowy figure slowly walk towards us. I took a few steps back as I felt the blood run down my face.
"W-W-What's that...?!" Satonaka stuttered.
"Run" I said with a calm tone. Instantly, Hanamura and Satonaka turned around and began to run while I fallowed in pursuit. Hanamura lead Satonaka and I up some stairs, on to some sort of platform.
After running for what felt like forever, we finally found a door and barged through it, closing the door after me. I leaned my back against the door as my legs gave up slightly. Hanamura and Satonaka held onto their knees as they panted.
"Finally... It took us forever to ditch that weirdo!" Satonaka panted. I looked up inside the room and my eyes widened.
"Where... Where are we?" I asked, my voice trembling a little. Hanamura looked over at me with a confused face before his own eyes widened.
W-What the hell?" Satonaka muttered, backing up to where Hanamura was standing. We were inside what looked like a bedroom. The fog seems lighter here, making it easier for us to see what was inside.
There was a balcony seen through a glass door that had white curtains cloak the sides, a two cabinets in the corners with a closet. There was a nice, clean white futon in front of us, causing me to blink in confusion. I looked over to the wall, taking a few steps back to fully observe the wall. Pictures with the face slashed off filled the walls and had multiple colors splashed over them. I looked back over to the futon, finding it rather strange that in an empty yet messy room, the futon was perfectly clean. Nearby the futon is a chair with a rope and a red scarf dangling over it.
"Dude... That chair and rope... That kind of arrangement is never good..." Hanamura muttered, drawing my attention to the nose and chair. I stared at the nose, noticing a pattern on it. It sort of looked like... A scarf?
"This place is messed up...!" Satonaka vociferate, glancing around the room.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hanamura suddenly shrieked, causing me to jump slightly in surprise. Satonaka and I turned around to see Hanamura rush over to the corner or the room.
"That's it, I can't hold it anymore!" Hanamura shouted as the sound of something getting unzipped caught my attention. I looked over to Hanamura's back and blinked with a confused look. He was slightly scrunched over while fidgeting.
"Whoa, dude! What are you doing?!" Satonaka shouted, covering my view as he stood in front of me. "You can't piss here in someone's room! Not with a girl around!" I felt my face heat up as I blinked several times. So that's what Hanamura was doing.
"Well then, get her outta here!" Hanamura shouted back, a little bit frustrated. Satonaka waves his hands in the air like a bird.
"With that weirdo from earlier wondering about?! Hell no!" Satonaka hissed. I looked up at Satonaka's head, my eyes slightly wide in surprise.
"Then go out with her and let me piss in peace!" Hanamura bawled, desperation in his voice. I sighed silently as I rubbed the back of my head. I turned around and opened the door, silently exiting the room for Hanamura's sake.
"Why can't you just piss now?!" I heard Satonaka shout in frustration. I knocked on the door, letting them know that I had left. I turned around and saw something that looks like a bear. But at the same time, it didn't look like a bear. Its fur is blue and it wears a red and white suit with a zipper around the collar, three red heart shaped buttons going down the middle. What's more, its face looks more like something out of a cartoon rather than a realistic bear. I let out a scream, quickly covering my mouth to silent it.
"What is it?! What's wrong?!" I head Hanamura ask as he and Satonaka ran to me. Satonaka gasped a little in surprise as the others noticed the strange being in front of me.
"What is that?" Hanamura muttered, bewildered by the strange creature. The creature stared at us with surprised eyes before glaring at us, growling softly.
"I'll ask you the same thing!" the creature hissed, pointing at Hanamura. I blinked in surprise, finding it surprising that the creature was a female of whatever species it was.
"Oh my god, it can talk?!" Satonaka exclaimed. Everything was going by so fast, I don't think poor Satonaka could handle it. I hesitantly placed a hand on his arm, trying to help him become a little bit more comfortable. It worked a little bit as I felt his body relax a bit.
"Of course! I am a bear!" the female creature snapped. "Sheesh, I lived here since bear-ever!" Oh, so it's a bear. That's good to know. I think. Hanamura flinched at the sudden bears attitude and took a step forward to it.
"What is up with this thing?! It is beyond creepy!" Hanamura said with an annoyed and frustrated tone. The bear shivered at Hanamura's slightly loud voice and placed it's hands- er, paws- on the top of her head.
"Come on, keep your voices down please!" the bear began, a cowering look on it's face. the bear began to frail its arms up and down like a bird as a nervous look formed on it's face, "Now go on, run along and go back to your den!" The three of us stared at the bear, Hanamura's face a little more on the annoyed side. I blinked in surprise as a soft strange cry echoed into my ears. The bear suddenly jumped and began to frail about. It pulled out a pair of square dark green glasses, a small selection of rainbow colors at the sides.
"Here! Use this and just go, hurry! Hurry! The shadows! The shadows will-!" the bear shivered, clearly terrified for it's life. I took the square glasses it offered me as Satonaka and Hanamura murmured to each other in confusion. I hesitantly unfolded the temples, slowly bringing the glasses to my face. I closed my eyes as I slid the earpiece of the glasses behind my ears. They were surprisingly comfortable.
"Huh? Narukami-chan, you actually put those things on?" I heard Hanamura ask, slightly surprised. I opened my eyes and blinked in surprise. The fog had completely vanished, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Since I had a nice clear view of our surrounds as compared to when we first ran through here, I noticed that we were in some sort of apartment complex. There are building's surrounding the building. We seem to be on the third floor or so at the complex, making the buildings be at eye level with Satonaka. The sky was red instead of blue, and there wasn't even a hint of clouds anywhere.
As I looked around our surroundings, I saw something bubbling down the hall on the left. I blinked in surprise as I gasped softly.
"Something there...!" I muttered, catching the others attention. I took a step forward as I saw something slimy looking fall from the bubbly motion. The bear suddenly shrieked in fear and ran as fast as her little legs could go, leaving Hanamura, Satonaka, and myself in a daze of confusion.
"They're here!" I heard the bear scream. I blinked in surprise after the little bear as Hanamura placed a hand on his hip.
"What was her deal?" Hanamura asked. I gasped a little as I saw something black and slimy make its way towards us, a frowning blue mask near the front.
"W-What are those things?!" Satonaka stuttered, his body visibly trembling. I tensed up a little as I took a step back to where Satonaka stood. I had to get everyone out of here, Satonaka and Hanamura couldn't take anymore of this place. The strange blobs rose into the air and formed into two hovering pink spheres with black stripes and huge slobbering mouths. Hanamura stammered strange noises, completely baffled by what was happening that he couldn't find any words. Satonaka suddenly let out a sharp gasp and began to run forward, dodging the strange monsters. I pushed Hanamura forward as we began to fallow behind Satonaka.
We took a quick turn to the left were the stairs were and run down them. I looked behind me to see if the monsters were fallowing, jumping down the stairs. Right as I landed at the bottom of the stairs, the strange monsters zoomed towards my direction; causing me to start running again. Satonaka and Hanamura ran blindly ahead, not knowing what directions to take. Soon, we were able to exit the apartment building, entering some sort of playground area. I noticed something fly over my head and looked up, only to see the strange monsters fly ahead of Satonaka and Hanamura.
"Satonaka-san, Hanamura-san; in front of you!" I called out. Hanamura flinched at my voice and looked up, noticing the creatures. He took a leap backwards towards where I was as Satonaka stopped for a breath. Suddenly, one of the strange creatures appeared in front of Satonaka and licked him. Poor Satonaka must have been trying to act tough through all this, because after getting licked by the strange monster; he instantly passed out.
"Satonaka-san!" I called out.
"Augh! It just slimed Nise!" Hanamura shouted as he froze at Satonaka's knocked out body. Hanamura fell backwards and landed on his butt as the monsters began to fly around the three of us. I felt a strange tingling sensation run down my body as I froze in place. I tried to move my legs to where Satonaka and Hanamura was at, but no matter how hard I tried; I wouldn't budge.
"Crap... Crap...! I'm finished!" Hanamura muttered, his body looking frozen with fear. Perhaps he was stuck like I was as well? My body began to tremble in slight fear and worry as I looked over to Hanamura.
"I can't... Move my legs...!" I exclaimed softly. The three monsters gathered in front of Hanamura and I and lunged forward. I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut, covering my head with my arms as Hanamura screamed slightly, terrified for his life. I gritted my teeth slightly as I continued to try to move my legs. I can't let this happen. I can't let this happen to Hanamura, Satonaka, nor myself!
I have to protect them!
"I... Am thou" a mysterious voice began.
"Thou art I..." I opened my eyes as a familiar pain shoots through my head. It seemed as if time had stopped. I couldn't hear or feel anything. I could hear my heart, steadily beating, echoing loudly into my ears. A soft blue light shimmers in front of my face, catching my attention.
I slowly looked up, noticing that the strange monsters had froze in place. In the corner of my eye, I noticed that Hanamura was staring at me in awe. But what had caught my attention most, was the main source of the blue light. A card, with a silhouette of someone I don't know but somehow felt familiar. The card begins to glow and warmth spreads through my body. There's something inside me, something I was never aware was there until now. It's coursing through my veins, yearning to be released.
Images from what has happened to me so far quickly flash into my mind. The velvet room with Igor and Margret, Konishi being interviewed, the moon tarot card, my hand entering the television during the Midnight Channel, the tarot cards, the news in regards to the incident, the bedroom we were just in, and the dream I had the first night I came here.
"Thou has open thine eyes... The time... is NOW!"
A comforting and yet exhausting sensation rushed through me as I gasped, needing air. I was suddenly surrounded by a light blue light, trapping me and keeping those unwanted out.
"Per..." I muttered, causing my legs to become warm; a blue flame burning at my feet.
"So…" I muttered, causing my hand to tense; the card igniting with a blue flame.
"Na!" I said with a confident tone, raising both of my hands to the card. Using both hands, I smashed the card with surprising ease as my hands tied together in front of my heart. There's a sound like shattering glass and my palm feels like I've been squeezing needles, but the sensation passes and the power I feel growing inside me flows out of my body.
The silhouette from the card manifests over me and other details fill it in. It looks like a man, wearing a long black coat and a metal helmet obscuring its face. In one claw shaped hand is a cross between a spear and a sword, the weight of which I can feel in my hands even though I'm not touching it.
The strange monsters that had stopped in front of me, began to move once again. They hesitantly swayed to the sides, as if deciding whether to attack me or not. I know why. They've realized I pose a threat.
"Naru...kami?" I heard Hanamura mutter. One of the monsters finally decided to attack as it charged towards me. I glare at the strange creatures and the man from the card swings his blade. He cleaves the monster in half and it dissolves into black mist. Hanamura screamed a little in surprise at the mist. My body had suddenly became warm, causing me to breath heavily. With my right hand, I slid two fingers onto my yellow stash and untied it.
The other monsters shakes off their fear and shoots forward at me. Its teeth clamp down on the man's head and shoulder. I gasp in pain, feeling the mans pain.
"Get off me!" I growled as I swung my right arm. The man uses one hand, reaches up and grabs one of the monsters that bit on to his shoulder; yanking it off his head. He did the same thing with the creature on it's head, sending that creature flying. One of them flies straight back to the man, in which the man stabs the monster right in the middle of its mouth. The monster became stuck on the mans sward. The other monster floated back up into the air and charged towards the man. The man used threw the monster off its sward, causing it to disappear into black mist. I closed my eyes as I tied my hands in front of my chest. A name surfaced into my mind.
"Izanagi!" I called out. I flashed my eyes open as the man extended his arm out towards the remaining monster. Heat fills my body and a there's a tingling sensation as power builds up inside me. Izanagi released a strike of lightning, cutting through the monster. Bright light and thunder fills the playground for a moment with the monsters silhouette as a stark contrast. When the light and sound fades away, the monster had disappeared.
I was panting at this point, my legs struggling to keep me standing. Izanagi soon disappeared, as I felt a comforting feeling rush through my body. With an exhausted sigh, I fell to the ground; my knees touching each other as I sat on my butt. My head lowered in exhaustion, letting my hair fall forward and rest on my shoulders, leaving the back of my neck bare.
"Are you okay?" I heard Hanamura ask. "You were awesome...!" Once my breath had finally regulated, I lifted my head and looked over to Hanamura. He staggered up to his feet and rushed over to me, an awed expression with a slight hint of worry in his eyes.
"W-What was that?" Hanamura asks with awe in his voice. "Did I hear you say Persona? You think I could do that, too?" The last part is spoken with excitement. I blinked at him with a slightly surprised expression as I looked down at my hands.
"I'm not entirely sure... What had happened..." I muttered. I was exhausted, even talking was tiring for me. Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of me, offering to help me up. I looked up and saw Hanamura smiling a little at me, his hand in front of me. I took it with a light grip, Hanamura pulling me up to my feet.
"Thank you" I said softly, looking up at Hanamura. He smiled a little before turning around, facing Satonaka's still unconscious body.
"I've had enough with this place. Let's try to wake up Nise and get the hell out of here" Hanamura said with a slight groan. I blinked at him in surprise, hearing a little bit of uneasiness in his voice.
"Hanamura-san, are you alright?" I asked, worried about his condition. He looked at me with slightly pink cheeks, a little surprised. He nodded with a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I'm fine. But hey, there's no need to call me 'san'. 'Hanamura' or 'Yosuke' is fine with me" Hanamura said with a slightly embarrassed tone. I nodded in understanding, causing Hanamura to smile slightly as he turned around and walked over to Satonaka's body. He knelt down and shook Satonaka a little.
"Nise! Nise! Come one, Nise...! Wake up!" Hanamura said while shaking Satonaka. After a moment of no response. Yosuke placed his left hand next to his mouth and leaned forward a little.
"Inaba is running out of steak" Hanamura whispered. Satonaka groaned in response, his eyes twitching. Nise slowly opened his eyes and looked over to us, his face looking dazed. Hanamura and I leaned forward a little in relief, glad that Satonaka hadn't diapered on us.
"It's about time" Hanamura joked, causing Satonaka to give him a bored look.
"Are you alright?" I asked. Satonaka looked at me in surprise, noticing my untied stash as he slowly sat up.
"What happened to the monsters...?" Satonaka asked, looking around with a slightly dazed look. Hanamura smiled as he balanced himself by sitting on his knees.
"They're long gone!" Hanamura replied, causing Satonaka to blink in surprise.
"They are?" Satonaka asked, surprised by the news. Hanamura looked over at me with a smile then looked back at Satonaka.
"Narukami-chan slaughtered them!" Hanamura chirped, as if being proud of me for some reason. Satonaka gasped in surprise as he looked at me with wide eyes.
"For real?!" Satonaka exclaimed, not fully believing Hanamura's words. Hanamura looked at me with sparkling eyes, casing me to blink with a surprised look.
"It was freaking cool too!" Hanamura cheered. I felt myself blush slightly at the sudden attention. I brushed off the compliments and surprised look that the two were giving me as I extended my hand to Satonaka.
"Let's not fuss over that right now" I began as Satonaka grabbed my hand. I began to pull him up, Hanamura standing up on his own while I continued; "It would be best if we leave as soon as we can. We don't want to encounter another one of those strange monsters." Hanamura and Satonaka nod in agreement as they looked at me in slight confusion.
"Yeah, that'd be best" Hanamura began. He rubbed the back of his head with a nervous look on his face. "But uh, how are we gonna to do that?" I thought for a moment as I placed my left hand onto my chin. It seemed that the bear from earlier knew a lot about this place. If we find it again and ask nicely, maybe it'll help us out of here. I looked up at the others and crossed my arms below my chest.
"We need to find that strange bear from earlier" I instructed, causing them to exclaim in surprise.
"Are you serious?! We don't know if that, thing, is even on our side!" Satonaka said with a nervous tone, trembling slightly. I looked over at him and held onto his sleeve, causing him to flinch in surprise.
"So far, that bear seems to be the only thing with information about this world. Don't worry, we'll find it alright?" I said with a gentle tone, trying to get Satonaka to relax. Its probably because everything was happening so fast, but I found Satonaka to be a rather nervous and easily-frightened fellow. Satonaka blushed slightly at my words and nodded, taking a deep breath.
"Alright then... We're do you think we should look first?" Hanamura asked, crossing his arms over his chest. I looked over to the direction we had used when we first came here. I pointed forward on ahead, behind Satonaka with a confident look.
"Let's go back to where we first came from" I suggested. I looked over to Hanamura, who had a confused look on his face and explained, "Not only does that place seem a little bit more safe, but I recall the bear running in that direction." Hanamura nodded slowly, taking in my reasoning. I looked over to Satonaka and offered my hand that was once holding on to his arm.
"Would you like to hold my hand as we walk back?" I offered, wanting to make Satonaka as relaxed as possible. Hanamura stifled a chuckle as Satonaka blushed in embarrassment. He turned around and began to walk.
"I-I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though" Satonaka stammered, clearing his throat shortly after speaking. I blinked at him in slight confusion before mentally shrugging it off and fallowing him. I then remembered how Hanamura acted when the monsters appeared and look at him, holding out a hand.
"No thanks, I'm good" Hanamura sheepishly refused before I could even offer my hand. I lowered my hand and looked forward, mentally shrugging.
