Yu decided to let Yosuke handle the writing whilst he lay on the sofa and spew his thoughts.
"-And Rise has great energy; She can make even the most depressed person crack a smile." a smile then graced his face as if proving his point. Yosuke could only roll his eyes. He had realized how disillusioned he'd been when he first met Rise some time ago. Yosuke only liked 'Risette' cause he bought into her idol facade and not who she really was. He had actually become better friends with Rise when he stopped viewing her as an idol, however he had also seen her flaws.
"So that's a pro and now a con."
Yu pondered to himself. "I guess she's….kinda clingy?" Kanji snorted at this notion.
"Kinda? Dude. She's all over you whenever she gets the chance. Ya Shoulda seen her when you left town the first time." Kanji said. 'Senpais, never gonna come back, and he's gonna get some fancy city girlfriend and forget all about meeee.' Mocked Kanji in an un-Rise like voice.
"Spot on, Kanji. Who knew your flamboyant side was also hiding an actor?" the junes worker teased.
"Eat shit, senpai."
Their stalwart leader mulled over Kanjis testimony. "You're right, much as I'd hate to admit it, Every time i showed Marie-chan around town and Rise saw us she got hostile towards her. I didn't think too much of it and played it off but in hindsight she probably felt threatened."
"and evidently for good reason." Yosuke noted. This made Yu hang his head low in shame.
"I.." started Yu. "I never meant to fall for her. Margaret just wanted me to show her around Inaba and help her. I don't know what it was but i felt...drawn to her. I don't understand it myself to be honest." Yosuke could only blink at his friends sincerity. 'Only he could get away with being that honest about his feelings and still be cool'. Yosuke shook his head at the intrusive thought.
"Could it be cause she's the goddess Izanami and your persona is Izanagi?" Kanji said nonchalantly.
"Yeah. Now that you mention it, I remember learning that myth of those two when we visited that school in Iwatodai. It would make a ton of sense because they were lovers before she died." added Yosuke.
"What? You thinking we're destined to be together? I've had enough of destiny and fate for a long time." to which the two boys both nodded.
"So another pro for Rise is….
It felt like an eternity but they managed to get both lists for each girl done. Yosuke decided to lay on his back upon their completion because he'd been hunched over writing the whole time. Yu was looking at both lists going over the facts and Kanji was going through his phone. Yosuke stretched before asking "So, you decided yet?"
Without sparing his best friend a look Yu stated "It's not that simple." an exasperated sigh was the Junes workers only response.
"We been doing this for 3 hours now. Senpai just pick a girl already. Somebody's gonna get hurt no matter what. Just..uhhhh…rip the band aid off, yeah?" The leader of the trio could only stare at his underclassmans blunt response. Yu knew he was right he just doesn't want to hurt anyone.
Putting the lists down their leader casually asked "So are you two gonna go to the festival with dates?"
With a sigh Yosuke countered "Considering my track record with girls I'm almost certainly not. And with Naoto not being in town it's a no from Kanji as well." Kanji couldn't even contest the statement, he just hung his head low. Naoto had been out of Inaba for the last 2 months. I imagine it's driving Kanji secretly crazy.
"Why not ask Chie?" This Question broke Yosuke's train of thought abruptly.
"We're not exactly on the best terms right now and even if we were Chie has kinda made her disinterest in me evident by how little she seems to respect me."
The grey haired boy cocked his head at an angle looking at his best friend. Yu had a way of seeing right through Yosuke, in a way that no one else could. Yosuke could keep little away from his partner.
"Just apologize for whatever stupid thing you did and ask."
Yosuke scoffed knowing full well it was his fault. "W-what makes you think it was MY fault!?"
"Yosuke, you're my best friend but you have a knack- Nay- A gift, for saying the worst things at the worst times."
"Hah, That's puttin' it mildly, Senpai. Yosuke-Senpai you don't consider people's feelin's." added Kanji.
"And as tough as Satonaka is, She's more sensitive than she lets on." Hearing his friends relay their observations Yosuke couldn't help but feel bad. I know i tease but am i that awful?' Sensitive is not a word I would ever use to describe Chie Satonaka. 'bullheaded, carnivorous, moocher, to name a few, but not sensitive. Maybe i don't know her as well as i thought…
"Ughhhh. I don't know if i even want to go with her. We spend a majority of our time arguing. And she'll probably clean my wallet buying Takoyaki and meat skewers." Yosuke grimaced at the thought of overpaying for a girl who he wasn't even romantically involved with.
"How about this: You make your own Pro/Cons list for Satonaka."
This wasn't the worst idea Yosuke had heard. It would allow him to put his thoughts and feelings in more concrete way. "Alright, alright. I'll do it when i get home." Yu just smiled. "Don't smile at me, don't you have a love triangle to sort out?" to which Yu's face went back to mildly panicked.
The day had passed quickly with Yosuke and Kanji taking their leave. They walked in a pregnant silence before Yosuke had to break it. "Never expected our noble leader to fall victim to carnal desires, huh, Kanji?"
"Nah, we both know Senpai ain't that type. I think- I think he genuinely cares about both of them and got forced into this because of his good heart, y'know?" The tall boy's unshakable respect for his Senpai shown through in his response. The junes worker walked head down at Kanjis answer. Even when he makes mistakes he's still, somehow, infallible.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe."
The two boys parted ways at the textile shop leaving Yosuke to his own thoughts. Is it me or was today strange? Yu's dating two girls and Kanji at some point became the voice reason. Must be Naoto's influence on him. Thinking of those two lead him to think of his own relationship, or rather lack thereof, With "The Carnivore who's discarded womanhood." A light chuckle escaped Yosukes lips. those nicknames were pretty funny albeit slightly annoying.
Yosuke figured he ought to start with an apology, if he even planned to invite her to the festival, this would be the first step.
[Hanamura Y.]: Hey. I know i shoulda sent this sooner but I apologize for my comments at Okina.
Yosuke left it brief and to the point. Chie rarely responded back quickly. But the beeping of Yosuke's phone indicated that this time was different.
[Meat Girl]: You better be sorry, Hanamura! Such crass comments ill befit a lady like me.
Yosuke pretended to look into an imaginary camera like on that American show "The office."
[Hanamura Y.]: I can't tell if you're being serious or not.
[Meat Girl]: Uh, duh, Have you met me? Of course I'm kidding. I accept your apology. I know you can't help being an ass. But i gotta apologize too, i shouldn't have hit you. I… I over reacted. I'm not used to people being so blunt. And perverted.
[Hanamura Y.]: I figure with as long as we've known each other you'd be used to it by now. No promises, but I'll try to keep my pervert lvls in check.
[Meat girl]: Don't worry, my expectations are low, Hanamura.
[Hanamura Y.]: -_-" Thanks.
[Meat Girl]: Anytime.
Yosuke pocketed his Cell and breathed a sigh of relief. Chie wasn't as mad as he thought; She actually seemed pretty dismissive of the whole situation, which was great. More time had passed then he had realized because he was already in front of his home. He unlocked the door and said a quick greeting to his parents and ran up to his room.
"Hey, Ted, you home?" a bit of shuffling occured before the closet the bear sleeps in slid open revealing a blonde boy.
"Yosuke! I'm Beary upset you left me to work all by my lonesome today! I had to do twice the work! TWICE! And there were no bodacious ladies with me to score with!"
"I'm sorry, Ted. Yu needed my he-"
"AND you saw Sensei, without me!?" at the drop of a hat Teddie went from annoyed to mock sadness "Yosuke, how could you… i thought we were brothers! But i see how it is, abandoning me to spend time with our husband." he then gracefully fell to the floor wiping imaginary tears from his face. Yosuke could not have rolled his eyes harder.
"Nothing you're saying makes sense. He just needed my help. Besides you're the only one of us here that loves Yu."
"Am i Yosuke? Am i really? You do proclaim to be his partner don't you! And you're always the first person to meet at Junes when Sensei ordered us to."
Yosuke hadn't been in his room longer than 30 seconds and he already had a headache from this bears ramblings. Sure he called him partner but it was just to signify their deep friendship and he was only first to arrive because he works at Junes.
"Teddie, i don't have time for this. If i give you a pervy manga will you shut up?" Teddie nodded fiercely. Yosuke removed his chest from under his bed, and gave his roommate the manga in question. To which teddie snatched it and climbed back into the closet.
Yosuke seated himself at his desk and took a deep breath. Not being the most organized person in the world he attempted looking for a writing utensil. He checked his various drawers before stumbling upon something he'd long since forgot about. An old picture frame stuffed into the back of his drawer and in it was a picture of him and….Saki-senpai. He was making a silly face and Saki was smiling. He stared at it for, what felt like eons. It seems almost like a lifetime ago this picture was taken. I was a completely different person.
Yosuke's feelings for his Senpai had wavered over time but the guilt didn't. "If only this" and "if only that" were constant thoughts of the Junes worker; he knew it was out of his hands but he imagines he could have saved her if things were different.
Yosuke put the frame back in the drawer. He went through his bag and found a pen and ripped a sheet of paper out of his notebook and started his pro/cons list.