Episode 2: Mayonaka TV
"That's all for today," Mooroka droned as school, at long last, reached it's end. "Normal lectures will start tomorrow."
"Finally!" Sho snapped as the class moved out of their seats, finally now able to stretch their legs. "Good god, that was boring! How do these people sit through this crap?!"
'I, for one, found it quite the learning experience.' Minazuki quipped. 'I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow.'
Sho groaned upon hearing Minazuki's excitement about school. He knew this was a bad idea, and he shouldn't have let that bastard talk him into this. Why the hell had Ikutsuki put him here anyway?! Was this his way of stabbing him further in the back by boring him to death with these lectures?! He looked to see Izana standing with that gray-haired kid, Yu he thinks his name was, along with a few other girls, chatting away. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a smile on the girl's face.
"I don't get it." he muttered. "How come she smiles around that guy? They just barely met, and somehow, it's like- boom! Love at first sight!"
'I do not know.' Minazuki stated. 'But unlike us, she seems to be more open to this, Yu Narukami.'
"I think you mean all over him," Sho gagged. "Seriously, it's friggin annoying!"
As he was about to leave the classroom, a small chime echoed from the PA system. "Attention, all students."
"Oh, great," the redhead groaned. "Now what?"
"All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave until further notice." A small closing chime resounded.
"Hrnh. You heard the announcement. Don't go anywhere until you hear otherwise." Morooka ordered. He then left the room.
Sho scowled at the man's words, with the class grumbling. "Pissant," the red-head remarked crudely before walking up to Izana and Yu. "Yo."
"Oh," Yu greeted, nodding. "Hello... Sho-san, was it?"
The two girls that had been chatting with Yu and Izana became slightly nervous when he approached. It was natural, given his appearance. His cold blue eyes made him look slightly menacing, but the scar on his face had made him looked rather terrifying. The red-eyed girl, on the other hand, looked rather displeased by his appearance. "Hello to you too, Mr. SPD."
"Right back at you, free loader."
"I'll have you know I do much more than you." She quipped.
"Pft. Whatever." He shrugged.
Yu raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you two live together?"
"Yeah, though this idiot hardly does anything productive," she shrugged her shoulders. "All he does is eat instant crap, and whines about things being boring."
Sho snorted. "There's nothing wrong with instant stuff."
"It is when all you eat is noodles!" Izana snapped. "If you wanna get fat, be my guest!"
Yu frowned, clearly in disapproval of the redhead's eating habits. "She has a point, Sho-san." he said honestly. "You really need to find more nutrition in your diet."
'On that, we agree.' Minazuki said in agreement, causing Sho to scowl.
"Piss off!"
"Hey, he was just trying to give you some advice. No need to be a jackass about it." The girl scolded him.
"She's right," Izana glared at him. "Don't be so mean to him."
"And what are you supposed to be? His mom? I think the old man here capable of looking after himself!"
The silver-haired teen didn't give any visible reaction to Sho's comment, but his response was quite interesting, to say the least. "If I'm old man, then shouldn't you be showing respect to your seniors?"
"Huh? What'cha talking about? Why should I respect you?"
"Well, you did say I was an old man, so that technically makes me older than you, right?"
"Like hell it does!" Sho shouted. "I was talking about your hair, you ass!"
"You're in no position to talk about someone's hair, Sho." Izana retorted. "Need I remind you how bloody your hair looks?"
"Oh, bite me."
"No thanks. I'd rather not get sick."
"Screw you!" Sho looked away in irritation.
"No thanks. I'd rather not."
'Damn this woman!' he screamed to Minazuki. 'God, I want to throttle her!'
'Well, you technically walked right into that one.' Minazuki deadpanned, making Sho face-fault. Who's side was this guy on?! Wasn't he supposed to be on his side?! One of the girls looked at Izana in slight awe of how she was able Sho so easily, as if she were hardly afraid of him. Well, then again, they did hear that the two lived together, so she must have been very used to him. "You've got some serious balls, Miokami-san." she said honestly. "How can you handle this guy? I mean, he looks scarier than Kanji Tatsumi from the first year class."
"Eh, he's not that scary. Besides, he's not like buck-teeth earlier." Izana replied before scowling. "That guy really grates on my nerves."
"Join the club." Sho said, also not a fan of the homeroom teacher. "I was this close to punching his teeth in."
"You would have made a lot of people happy, then." the other girl present told him. "Everyone at this school calls him 'King Moron.'"
"That's a perfectly fitting name for him." Izana stated.
Sho on the other hand had burst out laughing.
"Ahahahahaha! K-King Moron...?! HA! He must be one hell of a douche to get a name like that!"
"The attendant at the gas station said the same thing when I arrived here yesterday." Yu added. "At first, I thought he was just joking. Obviously, he wasn't."
"That gas attendant is a pretty sharp guy, then." Sho commented.
"I understand. Please be careful."
As they continued to converse, the PA system cracked to life.
"Attention, all students." The voice sounded urgent, yet tame. "There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the police officers. Head directly home. I repeat..."
"'Incident'?" An excited student questioned.
The student in question then ran out of the room, his friend in tow, while the girls speaking with Yu turned to each other. "What? Something actually happened?" she asked, puzzled by this while her friend sported an excited smile.
"Come on, let's go look!"
With that, they ran out, following the boys that ran out earlier. Sho raised an eyebrow at this, looking to where they left. "What's up with them?" he asked. "Something happens, and now they're like bloodhounds or something."
"Well, I guess very little happens out here in Inaba." Yu said as he stood up. "It is in the countryside."
"Heh. Ain't that the truth? When I first got here, I thought the town was dead."
"By the way," Izana tilted her head. "Earlier, the teacher said you were a transfer student."
"Yeah, my parents are working overseas, so I'm staying here for a year."
"A year?" Sho scoffed. "Here? In this dump?"
"Yeah. My parents move around a lot due to their work. So they drop me off to relatives within the area of that time."
"Oh?"
"My uncle and his daughter."
"Huh. Seems pretty troublesome, moving around a lot."
That was an understatement. It was the same thing, over and over, moving from one place to another. It was rather tiring... and exhausting. Just how many people had he mingled with, only to leave them behind?
Honestly? He had lost count after a dozen.
It made him feel numb.
"Well, I think I better get going." Yu said, slipping his notes into his bag. "I don't want to keep them waiting."
It was at that moment that Izana's face brightened red. "O-oh, um...!"
"Hm?" Yu turned to face her. "Was there something you needed?"
"U-um..." she fidgeted, glancing down at the ground with a massive blush on her cheeks. "W-would you..." Yu tilted his head while Sho raised an eyebrow. Izana took a deep breath, and finally spoke her words. "L-like to... WALK HOME WITH ME?!
Both males stared at the girl. Sho stared at her out of shock, while Yu stared at her in questioning.
"...come again?"
"She's asking if you want to walk home with her, Romeo." The silver-haired teen looked over his shoulder to see the girl that sat next to him, along with the girl in front of her, dressed in red. "Gotta say, you move fast." she joked before smiling. "Oh, I'm Chie Satonaka. Nice to meet you, stranger."
Yu nodded back. "You as well."
"My name is Yukiko Amagi. Nice to meet you." The red clad girl bowed.
"Hey, now..." Chie frowned at her friend. "Why are you being so formal? We're only just saying hi." She turned to Sho, who was still staring at Izana in shock. "You know, if you keep your mouth open any longer, you're gonna let flies in."
"Huh what? Meh, shut up."
"Would you mind if we walked home with you?" Yukiko asked politely. "That is, if we're not a bother."
Yu shook his head. "Not for me," he answered before turning to a still embarrassed look on Izana. "And sure. Where do you guys live?"
"We live in a small apartment near the end of town." Sho answered. "The landlady's a total bitch though."
"Maybe because you are an arrogant bastard that won't shut up?" Izana offered mockingly.
"Like your one to talk, freeloader!" the redhead retorted, snarling as he whirled around on his foot. "Whatever, I'm heading home! Have fun hanging out with these losers!" With that, he stomped away, leaving the classroom with an angry scowl. His attitude was off-putting for the group, especially to Yu, who frowned as he turned to Izana. The girl sighed, face-palming.
"Is he always like this?"
"More than you'd think..." she answered. "He's always like that. In all honesty, his significant other is much easier to deal with."
"Significant other? What do you mean?" Chie asked.
"He has another personality named Minazuki."
Yu raised an eyebrow at this, as did Chie. Yukiko, on the other hand, looked very interested, a twinkle appearing in her eye. "A split personality?"
"Heck if I know."
"That's... very weird." the girl in green confessed. "Still, your roommate's got some seriously balls to insult King Moron in front of the entire class."
"As long as I known him, that was just the type of person he is."
"Is that so?" the girl pondered for a short bit before nodding. "Well, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the school year." She smiled. "Well, let's go-"
"Ah, um... M-miss Satonaka?"
"Huh?" The jacket wearing girl turned around, now facing a boy with a pair of headphones around his neck. He had a nervous expression on his face.
Yu immediately recognized the boy as the one who slammed into the telephone pole on his way here, having been riding unsteadily in the rain before crashing, junk first. It was a painful thing to witness, so he thought it was best to simply leave him be.
"Huh? What is it, Yosuke?" Chie asked.
The teen looked nervous, enough so that he packed his legs close together as he pulled something from his backpack. "T-this was... really awesome," he said shakily, holding it in his hands. "I-I mean... T-the way he moved was just... a-amazing to see... A-a-and..."
He instantly bowed his head, holding the DVD case in front of her.
"I'MREALLYSORRYITWASANACCIDENTJUSTPLEASEHAVEMERCYUNTILMYNEXTPAYCHECK!"
"...Huh?" Yu questioned. What did he just say? Yu and Izana were equally confused by his behavior.
Chie took the DVD case and Yosuke immediately turned tail and ran.
"Hey! What did you do to my DVD?!" She chased after him and swung her leg, ramming her foot into his tender area.
"GAAAH!"
Yu cringed and unconsciously shielded his vital area. That had to have hurt like hell. The brown haired male toppled over in a head. Chie glared at him as she opened her DVD case. Her face fell into horror as her mouth dropped. "I can't believe this!" she wailed. "It's completely cracked! My Trial of the Dragon!"
"M-mine's cracked too..." the male groaned, his hands resting on his damaged goods. "C-Critical hit to the nads!"
"...I feel sorry for him..." Yu mumbled. Izana stared on blankly.
"A-are you alright?" Yukiko asked, moving to help the boy, only to be stopped by her irritated friend.
"He's fine, Yukiko!" she growled as she placed her DVD in her schoolbag. "Let's just ditch him and go home!" She left no room for argument as she grabbed her friend by the wrist, and pulled her away. Yu sweat-dropped as he looked to Yosuke, who was still tending to his testicles.
He gave himself a brief nod. "I should leave him be," he said, leaving the classroom with Izana.
When they caught up to the two girls, they found a certain redhead waiting for them at the front gate. "I thought you said you were going on ahead," Izana remarked, a coy smile on her face. "What? Were you feeling lonely?"
Sho scowled. "Shut it, free loader."
"Is this going to be a common thing?" Chie questioned.
"...maybe," Yu answered.
But as they walked closer to the gate, the group noticed a shady looking teen standing by the entrance. The student was very creepy looking, dressed in an unfamiliar uniform. Personally, to both Sho and Yu, he was an oddball, having black, empty, fish like eyes, a mole underneath one of them, and a very eerie, if not twisted look on his face. "Y-your Yuki, right?" he stuttered, looking at Yukiko. "Y-you want to hang out somewhere?"
"What…? Wh-Who are you?" Yukiko asked apprehensively.
The others in the group could overhear the onlooking students behind them.
"What's up with him? What school's he from?" One asked.
"Never mind that, he's going for Yukiko-san? Man, you'd think he'd at least wait until she's alone to make his move." The other gossiper sounded mildly impressed.
"I bet you a can of TaP he gets knocked out."
"No bet. Haven't you heard how difficult the Amagi Challenge is? "
And the exchange continued.
"Um, s-so…are you coming or not?" The strange teen asked again, refocusing his attention to the matter at hand.
"I-I'm not going…" Yukiko shook her head. She wouldn't go with him. She didn't even know him.
"…Fine!" The stranger snapped before sunning off.
"…Geez. The hell was his problem?" Sho remarked. "The guy acted like someone pissed in his cereal or something."
"Wh-what did he want from me…?" Yukiko questioned in confusion from the ordeal.
"What did he want… Obviously, he was asking you out on a date." Chie answered.
"Huh? Really…?" The raven haired girl was surprised.
"You really had no clue? Sheesh…" Chie sighed. Sometimes she wondered why her best friend was so oblivious. "But then again, that was way over the top. It was creepy how he called you Yuki all of a sudden."
"Could it be a stalker?" Izana questioned.
"If so, should we have called the police?"
"Meh. Why bother? The dude's cleared several blocks by now. It's a waste of breath." Sho shrugged. Izana and Chie looked at him with raised eyebrows. Why was he so passive about this? Before they could voice their opinions, another person entered the scene.
"Yo, Yukiko-san. Turned down another lovelorn fool, huh?" Yosuke said as he pulled his rickety bicycle alongside him. "Man, you're cruel…You got me the same way last year."
Yu and Izana looked at him. He looked to be perfectly fine considering the damage Chie had done earlier.
"I don't recall doing that." Yukiko denied the statement.
"Who, you serious? So then, you wanna hang out sometime?!" The cycling teen asked with hope filling his voice.
"…I'd rather not." The raven haired girl shot him down.
"That'll teach me to get my hopes up…" Yosuke muttered dejectedly. "Anyways, you two better not pick on the transfer students too much." With those last words, he hopped onto his bicycle and rode off.
"We're just curious, is all!" Chie yelled in his direction.
"Yeah, so curious that you don't mind your own damn business." Sho rebutted.
"Hey! We're just trying to get to know you guys!" Chie snapped back.
"Well who the hell asked you! It doesn't matter if it were just the free loader and old man, but why drag me into this?!" The red haired teen barked.
The two proceeded in their argument, causing Yu to sweatdrop, Izana to scoff in annoyance muttering "idiot", and Yukiko to look at them apologetically.
"U-Um, I'm sorry for dragging you into this…"
"It's fine. With this red haired idiot, it was expected something like this would happen." The silver haired girl sighed. As the argument between Sho and Chie continued, other students began to look on at the commotion.
"…We should probably go. Everyone is staring." Yu stated calmly. The other two girls agreed with him. Yukiko went first and dragged Chie away by the arm while Izana grabbed Sho by the ear and pulled him off campus, much to the red haired teen's agony. Yu calmly followed them.
So far…things had gotten interesting.
"Ah…so you came here because of your parents' job. Haha, I thought it was something way more serious." Chie smiled.
"Like what? That his parents' died and he was dropped off to live with his closest relatives? Sorry that's not the case. Though, it woulda been kinda cool if it was." Sho said as he nursed his red ear. Damn. Izana had a grip. Said girl whacked him over the head. "Ow! What the hell?!"
"Must you be so insensitive? I get you are an idiot, but you don't have to be that much of a jerk." She scoffed.
"Screw off!" Sho snapped.
'She is right you know.' Minazuki quipped. 'That comment was uncalled for. Narukami-san already told him of his family circumstances. No need to rub salt on an open wound.'
"Tch. Just shut up, Minazuki…" Sho muttered.
"Aaanyway…" Chie interjected, trying to divert from the increasingly awkward atmosphere. "There really is nothing here, huh? That's what makes it nice, but there is nothing much we can show to people from outside."
"Yeah, no shit." The red haired teen remarked. "What do you guys even have here?"
"There is Mt. Yasogami…I think our dyed clothes or pottery or something is kinda famous…" She responded.
"Huh? That's it? Man…it's no wonder that tourist visits have 'dyed' out." Sho smirked before laughing at his own joke. "Hahaha! Get it? Dyed? C'mon, that was grade-A material right there!"
No one was laughing. Not even Yukiko.
"…You will never be a comedian." Izana stated bluntly.
"Tch its just you guys have no sense of humor whatsoever!"
"Ignoring him…" The red eyed girl faced Chie and Yukiko. "Is there anything else here?"
"Oh yeah! There's the Amagi Inn! Yukiko's family runs it. It's the pride of Inaba!" Chie recalled.
"Huh? It's…just an old inn." Yukiko waved off the exaggeration.
"No way, it's been all sortsa magazines as a hidden treasure. It's a great inn! It's been going for generations, and Yukiko here is going to take over someday. Their inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going." Chie exclaimed proudly.
"…I don't think that's entirely true." The raven haired girl frowned. While Chie may not have noticed it, Izana and Yu noticed a slight change in her expression. It seemed a bit…downcast.
Chie then turned to look at Yu directly. "So, tell me. You think Yukiko's cute, huh?"
"That's rather hard to say." Yu replied.
"Oh, sorry. I really didn't mean to put you on the spot right in front of her." She apologized.
"It's alright." Yu accepted the apology. Izana on the other hand seemed satisfied with Yu's response. She did not know why…but she felt irked that Chie would ask him such a question.
"Come on…Don't start this again…" Yukiko requested in annoyance.
"She's really popular at school, but she's never had a boyfriend. Kinda weird, huh?" Chie continued.
"Maybe it's because she comes off as a cold person? Well, I guess she would be Snow Black. Get it? Cuz of her name?" Sho joked again.
Again no one laughed. "…Why do you even try?" Izana deadpanned.
"C-Come on, stop it." Yukiko begged. "Y-You shouldn't believe that, okay? It's not true that I'm popular or that I've never had a boyfriend…!" She then realized her slip of tongue. "Wait, n-no! What I meant was I-I don't need a boyfriend! Geez…Chie…"
Yu and Izana watched their interactions with mild interest. They must be really good friends to be like that. Something that the silver haired male was envious of. He wanted a friendship like that. But it doesn't seem to be likely for him in the future...
Sho on the other hand just ignored it. He really felt sickened by the sight. Good god, why in the hell were they acting so buddy-buddy for? Sure, they seemed like good "friends," but sooner or later, one of them was going to stab the other in the back. After all, it was what Ikutsuki did. That was all people were deep down; opportunistic bugs that leeched off each other. Minazuki agreed with this sentiment as well, clearly sickened by the memory of Sho's parental figure. He could tell that they were good friends, this Yukiko and Chie, but he also knew that sooner or later, something would change their so-called 'bonds.'
"Huh?" When Chie looked to the side, she found a group of people gathered around the intersection. There was a familiar white vehicle with flashing blue and red lights and yellow caution tape. "Hey, what's that?"
"Dunno." Sho shrugged. "Maybe someone finally died of the boredom in boresville?" He received a jab to the rib. "Ow!"
"Enough, idiot." Izana gave him a glare. "You're really annoying today. Why don't you and you're significant other trade places? He is much more tolerable and less talkative than you are."
The red-haired teen growled. "Why I oughta...!" Dammit! Why can't she just keep her big mouth shut?! It's annoying!
"So...should we go check it out?' Chie offered, trying to diffuse the argument before it happened. They were going to pass through the commotion to get home anyway.
Yu immediately agreed. The group then reached closer to the gathered group of people. 'Hm, a group of gossiping housewives.' Minazuki hummed. 'I suppose nowhere is complete without them.'
"So that high schooler left school early, and as she came down this street..."
"Wow, who could have imagined THAT hanging from an antenna?"
"I wanted to see it too!"
"Oh, you got here too late. The police and the fire department took it down just a moment ago!"
"Well, I think it's terrifying! I can't believe a dead body just showed up around here..."
Izana's eyes widened in alarm. "Wait, what did she just say?" she asked. "A dead body?!"
"Huh? What's the big deal about that?" Sho questioned. "I mean...people die all the time. What's the problem if it happens sooner than later?"
Yukiko frowned. "Sho-kun, that's cruel." she said, clearly in disapproval. "When someone dies, they leave people behind. It's a horrible thing."
The boy scoffed. "Whatever, princess." he said, uncaring of her opinion, before noticing a man at a garbage can, gripping the edges tightly as he vomited the contents of his stomach. "Yeesh, guess somebody can't handle a bit of gore."
"Adachi!" Yu's eyes widened when he saw his Uncle Dojima stomp over to the man, clearly aggravated. "How much longer do you want to act like a rookie?! You want to be sent back to the central office?! Huh!"
"S-sorry, sir...!" the man known as Adachi apologized. He was a young man with disheveled, messy black hair, wearing a blue jacket with a buttoned shirt and red tie and dress pants. His face slightly pale. "Hurk...!"
Dojima shook his head, running a hand down his face. "Go wash your face." he snapped. "We're going to go gather information."
"Y-Yes sir!" Adachi nodded.
"Good grief..." Dojima sighed before turning around. He then noticed his silver haired nephew and the other teenagers around him. "Yu? What are you doing here?"
"We were just passing by." he said before his eyes showed concern. "Did...something happen?"
The detective rubbed the back of his neck. "You could say that." he said. Yu could tell that he was tired, evident by the dark bags underneath his eyes. "That damned Principal. We told him not to let anyone through here." The PA announcement came to their minds. This must have been the incident that they were referring to.
Chie tilted her head. "You know this guy?"
"Mm. He's my uncle."
"My name is Dojima," the detective introduced himself. "His guardian. How should I put this... Well, I hope you get along with him." His eyes narrowed at them in concern for their well-being. "You kids should head on home, though." Izana nodded, shooting a glare at Sho, as if daring him to say something. The last thing she wanted was for the idiot to try and pick a fight with a police officer. Sho scoffed, turning away as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Yu nodded as well, and bid his uncle farewell, watching the man walk away.
Chie's eyes stared at the ground, heavily disturbed. "Was this what that announcement about?"
"What did they mean..." Yukiko questioned, also disturbed, especially what she heard about the body. "It was hanging from an antenna?"
"Hey, Yukiko? Why don't we go to Junes some other time?" her friend asked. The black-haired girl nodded. She then turned to the three new students. "Alright then, we're taking off. Starting tomorrow, neighbors, let's do our best!" she smiled in spite of herself. Yu smiled and nodded back. "Oh, and Sho-kun? Try and think of better puns."
"HEY!"
"I agree with her." Yu stated.
"What?!"
"You sound like you're trying too hard to make puns."
"Screw you, Narukami!"
"They're right, you know." Izana deadpanned. "Hell, I think Minazuki could do better."
A tick mark burned over his forehead, twitching with anger. Dammit all, why the hell was everybody dissing his puns?! 'They are right, you know.' Minazuki chimed in. 'Your jokes are hardly comedy material.' Oh, that was NOT fair! Even Minazuki was siding with these guys?! Thankfully, to his pleasure, Chie and Yukiko said their goodbyes and left, thus leaving Yu with them.
"Sorry about all of this," Izana apologized. "And, um..." To Yu's confusion, her cheeks blushed heavily as she played around with the hem of her skirt. "S-sorry for being so selfish."
"It's fine." Yu said, smiling. "Besides, I haven't had the chance to explore Inaba yet, so it'll be like a tour."
Sho snorted. "Not much of a tour." he said. "This town's so small, it's not even funny."
Izana then proceeded to stomp on his foot, eliciting a flinch from the red haired male as sharp pain crawled up his leg.
"DAMMIT WOMAN! WOULD YOU STOP THAT?!"
...system corruption error detected...
...diagnostic system booting...
...abnormal enegery anomaly found...
...unable to correct error...
...system reboot initiated...
...Plume of Dusk functioning...
...memory core functioning...
...soundwave system functioning...
...all systems green...
...system reboot complete.
[BEGIN AWAKENING PROCESS]
The screen turned black after those set of words appeared. A pair of eyelids twitched before fluttering open. The individual in question was confused. What was going on? Where were they? Those types of questions ran through their mind.
Of course, there was an even bigger question...
What on earth was the strange red creature staring back at them?
Teddie had been on edge ever since someone had fallen into his home. He had been by himself, minding his own business, all the while avoiding the monsters that were roaming around. They had been thrown into a tizzy after that poor woman fell inside. He tried to help, but the woman was so disoriented and frightened that she bolted away from him before he could try to help her. Not long after, the fog began to clear, and the monsters became aggravated. Needless to say, he was bolting the hell out of there.
Now, though, he was staring at what was in front of him with curiosity.
The person before him was sort of like the individual he encountered before. She was a young woman, even younger than the one previously. She had vibrant turquoise eyes and long turquoise hair that seemed to reach down to her feet if she stood up. She was also dressed in strange clothing. "Hrm..." he tilted his body to the side as he examined her with curiosity. She was leaning up against the steel beam behind her, eyes closed, and her hair framing her face. "Beeaaaaary strange..." He didn't understand this. First that woman, now her? Why were people being thrown into his home? Although, her smell was... odd. He couldn't really tell why, but she smelled metallic. As he examined her further, he found her fingers flinching, and her eyelids twitching. "Ooh! She's waking up!" Eventually, the girl opened her eyes, revealing aqua orbs. Teddie couldn't help but stare. He had never seen such beautiful eyes before. "Um..." he took a step back, figuring that he would be invading her private space. "Are you alright, miss?" The girl said nothing, looking around her surroundings before turning back to Teddie. She opened her mouth to speak-
"WhERe iS THiS pLaCE...?"
Teddie backpedaled in surprise. The girl's voice...it's not bad, per se...but it was definitely unusual. She sounds human like the woman...but her vocal patterns seem...a tad off...Like...there is a metallic tone in her voice.
"...huh?" Teddie blinked. "Um... Miss? Is your voice okay?"
The girl tilted her head. "MY vOiCe?" she questioned. "Is thERe sOmEtHiNG wRonG wITh mY vOIce?"
"N-No! Nothing at all! It's a lovely voice! Really!" The creatures waved its...hand...in front of its face. It was the truth though. Despite how unusual it sounded...the girl's voice had a melodious chime that seemed to stir feelings within him.
"AhH..." the girl nodded. "I sEE." She then tilted her head. "WhAT... aRE yOu, iF I mAy ASk?"
"Who, me?" Teddie asked. The girl nodded. "I'm Teddie! This place is my home."
"HoME?" The girl tilted her head in confusion. She then looked around, confused by the area around them. "WheRE iS THis...? It lOOks So StRanGE..."
Teddie couldn't help but feel a little indignant about that remark, clearly frowning. "Grr, that's not a nice thing to say, miss!"
The girl realized her mistake, and bowed her head. "Ah! PlEaSE fORgIve ME..." she said apologetically. "I dID nOt WiSH tO cOMe oUt TO bE sO rUdE."
The creature looked at her...and immediately felt guilty. He shouldn't have snapped at her like that. She was just asking a simple question. From what he knew...she really WAS a stranger to his home.
"No...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to yell at you miss..."
"Um, TEddiE-sAn..." the girl addressed him. He looked up at her with sad-looking glassy eyes. "MaY I aSK yOU sOMetHIng?"
"S-sure."
"HoW dID I ArrIVe hErE?"
"I...I don't really know..." Teddie shook his head. He really didn't. After the first woman got killed by the Shadows and whisked away from this world...he sensed her all of a sudden. Fearing for the demise of another, he went over to the girl's location.
He wasn't sure if she had just been dropped in here, or perhaps by another means. Either way, he couldn't leave her alone. "Do you remember how you ended up here?"
Sadly, the girl shook her head. "No... I cANnoT reCaLL aNyTHinG... I rEmEMbeR mY nAmE, tHOugH."
"O-oh, well, that's good at least!" Teddie smiled in relief. "So, what is your name, miss?"
The girl smiled. "I aM... Miku."
"Thank you for walking us home, Narukami-san." Izana bowed her head gratefully, a large smile across her face. "And once again, I'm sorry for my roommate's idiocy."
"Stop calling me that, freeloader!" Sho snapped. He was greeted to a swift kick in the shin.
"It's no trouble at all." Yu nodded, ignoring Sho's yelps of pain.
In truth, he was more than happy to walk her home. Given the way things were right now, with word of murder on the streets, he wasn't about to let her walk home all alone, even if Sho was with her. while the redhead looked more than capable, he wasn't going to let her be put in danger. Besides, he wanted to spend time with her as well, depsite how illogical it seemed.
"So, this is where you live?" he asked, looking at the apartment complex. "Looks a bit small."
"Eh, maybe." Sho shrugged, all the while keeping an eye on Izana. "But, hey, least we've got some room, a TV, and a kitchen."
"And yet all you eat is instant crap." Izana snarked. "Seriously."
"Hey! They're easy to make and tasty! That's good enough for me!"
"You should consider adding more nutrition in your diet, Sho-san." Yu said. "You're going to stunt your growth if you keep eating instant foods."
'I concur.' Minazuki chimed in.
Sho, in response, face-faulted. "Okay, you know what?!" he snarled angrily as he whirled around, marching up the stairs. "Screw you bastards!" He trudged all the way up the second floor, reaching to his apartment door, practically throwing it open and slamming it behind him. The two sweatdropped, but shrugged.
"He's rather lively." Yu commented before turning. "Anyway, I better get back. Nanako-chan is probably home alone."
Izana tilted her head. "Nanako-chan?"
"My cousin." he answered. "She's still in elementary school."
"Ah, I see..." Izana nodded, not knowing why she felt relieved by this fact.
"Well, I need to go." he said, much to her displeasure, only for her heart to beat rapidly when he smiled. "See you tomorrow, Miokami-san." With a bow, he left. The girl stared at his back as he walked away, leaving her with a sense of loneliness. A pout formed on her face before she sighed.
"I wish he called me by my first name..."
As Yu had expected, he had found Nanako sitting at the table in the living room, watching TV. Her face was set into an impassive stare before she noticed her older cousin entering, closing the door behind him. "Hello," she greeted respectfully. "How was you're first day at school?"
Yu shrugged, smiling wryly. "It was... interesting." It was truth. In the first day, he got to meet many people. Not to mention the event at the shopping district. But most of all...she got to meet the girl named Izana. He was genuinely surprised, as no one had requested him of such a thing for years.
He put his school supplies in his room, and then returned to the living room, joining Nanako for dinner. They simply sat and ate in silence while the TV blared. He took a look at Nanako, seeing her obviously distracted and saddened face. She was obviously hoping her father would return, but given what he had learned, he knew that would not be happening anytime soon. She understood the significance of his job as well, as she sighed in discomfort. "Dad's not coming home tonight, is he?"
Yu remained silent, unsure how to respond. But she was right. Due to the events from earlier, it was most likely that his uncle was going to take a while at the police station. Knowing this, the best he could do was be there for Nanako. "Don't worry...I'm here."
Nanako smiled at this, giving him a grateful nod. Suddenly, the TV began to play the news.
"Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quiet suburb." The announcer reported. "Around noon today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba." Yu's eyes widened in alarm. The School Zone was then shown on TV, displaying the scene of the incident. 'So it was the incident.' "The victim is reported to be one Ms. Mayumi Yamano, who was involved in an affair with former Council Secretary Taro Namatame."
Yu recognized the names mentioned. He had heard about the affair story before he arrived in town. But honestly, he wasn't really one for stories like this. People take one event happening and blow it out of proportion.
"The initial results of the Inaba Police Department's investigation have revealed..." At the mention of this, Nanako jumped out of her seat.
"Ah! The Inaba Police Department! Th-That's where Dad works!" She then grew silent...letting the realization sink in. Yu saw her expression change.
"It will be alright." He tried to give her words of encouragement. Nanako nodded.
"...I know. That's his job, so this stuff happens."
"...man, this is more tedious than we thought." Adachi commented as he walked over to his partner and superior with a tired look on his
"I know...that in itself is troubling." Dojima nodded in agreement. They had canvased the area as best as they could, but in the end, they received only a handful of information. The only one that was even remotely useful was that high school girl from the liquor store, as she was the eye witness. "Saki Konishi..." Dojima muttered the name. "She's a third year at Yasogami High, and she was also the one who discovered the body." Despite the heavy rain, the man flicked open his lighter, lighting up the cigarette in his mouth. "She left school early, and found the body hanging from atop a resident's antenna. Not only that, but the victim was the mistress of the former Council Secretary."
"You think Misuzu Hiragii or Namatame might have done it?" Adachi asked.
"No, neither of them was responsible." the detective shook his head. "Hiragii was overseas, and Namatame was in his office around the estimated time of death, according to his workers." A troubled frown settled over his face as he scratched the back of his head. "And we still don't have a cause of death, either..."
"Oh..." Adachi stated. He thought he was onto something there...but those theories were out the window now.
Dojima frowned further. He was also concerned about this murder, due to the fact that the murder occurred the same day Yu had arrived. He wished to right it off as convenience, but there was something bothering him. "Wait," Adachi spoke up, suddenly recalling an important detail, an excited grin on his face. "Wouldn't Asamiya Amagi count as a suspect? From what we investigated, she has plenty of motive herself, given that Ms. Yamano had some major complaints about the staff during her stay at the Amagi Inn."
"True..." Dojima hummed. "From what we understand, she was trying to get away from the pressure of the media." He then turned to Adachi. "Also, Adachi... You sure you don't remember anything suspicious about when she disappeared?" His eyes narrowed. "I swear, if you were goofing up on the job..."
Immediately, his lackey panicked, holding up his hands in defense. "W-whoa, hold on there, Dojima-san!" he said, backing away. "I swear, I didn't see or hear anything while I was looking after Ms. Yamano! I checked to make sure she was in her room, safe and sound, and even checked around the inn! There wasn't anything suspicious!"
Dojima stared at him critically for several moment...then he released a sigh. Adachi may be a bumbling idiot of a detective, but he knew when to do his job properly...even if he did goof off often. "...I see..."
Adachi, seeing he was in the clear, sighed in relief. Of course, despite saying that, he still felt something in the back of his mind nagging away at him, like there was something wrong. As if there was a part of him that hadn't agreed with that assessment, a small accusing voice in the back of his mind, but he ignored it. He shrugged it off to him being worked dog-tired by his superior. Dojima may not look it, but he was a hardcore cop, through and through. He was a really strict partner as well, always making sure he did his job or something along those lines. Needless to say, he ran the poor man ragged, but Adachi couldn't help but admire Dojima for that.
Still, though... He couldn't understand that nagging feeling, as it had returned when he caught sight of those group of teenagers Dojima was speaking with. From what he learned, the silver-haired kid was his nephew. He didn't understand why, but he felt a great feeling of aggravation upon seeing him. He didn't even know why he felt that. He had never seen the boy before then. Adachi just chalked that one up to the stress of the situation. After all, finding a dead body like this was all new to him...well that and from the fact he vomited upon seeing the corpse... His mind also raced back to the girl beside Dojima's cousin. The girl with silver hair. He had no idea why but he couldn't help but feel...remorse of some sort. And longing.
"Oi, Adachi!" Dojima snapped, causing him to return to reality. "C'mon, get the lead out! We're heading back!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
The events of yesterday had come and gone, leaving Yu to resume his new daily routine. He had memorized the way to school that Nanako had showed him, though much to his surprise, as he walked, he came across the sight of a student with a familiar mass of red hair.
"Sho-san?" he called out. Sure enough, the student turned to reveal the menacing and imposing face of Sho Minazuki, the boy he met earlier. "Ah, it is you."
"Well, duh." the boy snarked. "Who else, old man?"
"Is Miokami-san not with you?"
"Nah, she took off ahead of me." he shrugged. "Not like I give a damn. The sooner I get away from the freeloader, the better. Seriously!" A scowl was present on his face as he ranted about his roommate. "I swear, she's like my damned mother!"
"I think she's acting that way because she is concerned about you." Yu voiced his thoughts.
"Huh? Why the hell does she give a damn about me? I never asked for that." He scoffed.
Yu frowned heavily. Why was Sho being so closed off? Sure, he was in an environment that meant he would be surrounded by other people for the majority of his teenage life, but even he wasn't this bad. He didn't get to know people too well, but he kept them within arm's length. Sho, however, was clearly doing his best to avoid connection with people altogether. But, why was that? Did it possibly have something to do with the scar on his face? Before he could ask Sho about this, however, a familiar figure shot past him, riding a yellow bike.
A second later, a crash echoed. The two turned, and found the student, now trapped inside a trashcan, rolling around on the ground in his attempts to escape. "S-someone!"
A second passed. Two, then three. Finally, Sho cracked a grin. "Well, well, well~ Looks like someone got 'trashed'~!" he snickered at his own joke while Yu groaned.
"Really, Sho-san? Just really?" he questioned before he moved over to the flailing student. He grabbed hold of the garbage can and removed it, allowing the teen to breath in relief.
"Whew!" the headphone-wearing boy sighed. "Thanks!"
Sho raised an eyebrow, seemingly recognizing the student in front of him before he remembered. "Hey, wait a second..." He said in realization. "Weren't you the guy that Satonaka chick hit in the balls?"
"Y-Yeah...that's right..." The boy sighed in dejection. He then remembered something. "Oh yeah, that's right. You two are those transfer students..." He pointed at Yu. "Yu Narukami and..." He then turned to Sho. "...Sho Minazuki, right? I'm Yosuke Hanamura. Nice to meet you guys."
Yu nodded back. "Nice to meet you too."
"So," Sho grinned. "You're bike okay?"
"Meh, sorta. I mean, it's kinda rickety, but it's still in one piece." Yosuke replied as he examined his bike. It took Yosuke a moment to realize what Sho had asked, and his face contorted with disbelief. "Wait, my bike?! What about me?!"
"Meh. You're still talking like this. So you'll live." Sho shrugged nonchalantly.
"Geez, thanks..." Yosuke sighed. "Oh, by the way, did you guys hear about the incident yesterday? They found that news lady hanging from on top of an antenna!" The boy shivered. "Do you think it was some kind of message, or warning from the culprit? Either way, dangling a dead body on someone's roof? That's messed up. Then again, it's even more messed up to kill someone in the first place."
'Not really, depending on what the reason behind it is...' Sho mentally stated.
Yosuke then looked at his watch and realized something. "Oh crap, we're late! You want a ride?" he offered. "It's a little squeaky, but it should be fine!"
Yu mentally sweat-dropped, recalling the event where Yosuke crashed into a telephone poll, and the second just now. Needless to say, the idea was hardly tempting. That, and... he really didn't want to realize how awkward it would be for a guy to sit and hold on tight to a guy on a bicycle. Sho scoffed at this, waving his hand. "No thanks, loser." he said. "I can get there just fine!" With that, he took off in a run. To their surprise, in just a few seconds, he was already making headway.
'Holy shit that dude runs fast!' Yosuke thought in amazement. 'He could win the Olympics with that kind of speed!'
"We should probably start moving." Yu prompted, inwardly impressed at how fast Sho was able to run.
"...you are an ocean of waves~ Destined to seek the life beyond the shore just out of reach~ Yet may the path ever change~ Flowing like time~ The path is yours to climb..."
Teddie sat there, letting his body sway to the heavenly melody that is Miku's voice. The girl was a marvelous singer...her voice is like that of an Angel's...her words are so soothing and enraptured his very soul. Eventually, Miku stopped her singing, yet the smile that had spread across her face had yet to vanish. The bear erupted into applause. "Wowza~! That was great, Miku-chan!" Teddie told her exuberantly. "You're a really good singer!"
"ReALly? THanK yOU sO MuCh~" The teal haired girl grinned exuberantly.
The girl was happy she was able to make a smile spread across Teddie's face... actually, she wondered what exactly he was. His form was so odd to her, and his presence familiar, but seeing that smile was more than enough for her. She was surprised to have several sons apparently memorized into her archives. The one she had just finished was a song titled "Lost in Thoughts, All Alone." She found the lyrics and tone to be quite soothing.
"You have such a heavenly voice, too!" Teddie added. "Although, I do wonder why you talk so funky-like, but can sing like an angel." It was true. Through out her entire song, her voice was without that wonky, strange distorted tone. "Hrm... Maybe that's also apart of this 'amnesia' thing?"
"MaYBe." Miku shook her head. "AlL I am AWaRe oF Is ThAT I HaVe SeVEraL sONgS mEmOrIzEd."
"Really? That's amazing!" Teddie said in awe. "You must be very smart to do such a thing, Miku-chan!"
"YEs!" the green-haired girl nodded before a sad expression fell across her face. "HoWEver... I wIsH I STilL hAD mY MemORiEs."
That had been the thing that had concerned the both of them. Miku had no idea how she ended up Teddie's home, nor any explanation why she ended up there in the first place. The only things she could properly remember was the songs she knew, and her name.
6th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon Miku.
It was a very long name, so she settled for Miku instead. She didn't know why she was even given such a name, but she didn't question it. At least she knew where she was. And even more fortunate that she met someone like Teddie. The bear had promised her that he would help her find those lost memories, which definitely warmed her heart. She was glad...She was glad to have a friend in this ordeal.
"Hey, Miku-chan?" Teddie said. "Can you sing another song?"
Miku smiled as she nodded. She closed her eyes as she thought of a song she would sing. Eventually, she decided, and opened her eyes, clasping her hands together, and opened her mouth.
"We are living our lives...~ Abound with so much information...~"
"...okay, seriously." Sho shook his head. "What in the holy hell is wrong with the teachers here? King Moron is one thing, but... What the hell was that chick doing wearing a freaking mummy getup?!"
"That's Ms. Sofue for ya." Yosuke chuckled. "If you haven't figured it out already, she's a massive history nut. She loves Egyptian history too, if the headgear wasn't a clear clue. I hear she also has a cousin who's a hardcore Edo nut and wears a Samurai helmet who teaches history class too."
The red-haired student groaned. "Great, what's next? The freaking PE teacher is an English nut?"
"Well..."
"...He is, isn't he?" Sho deadpanned.
'Your abilities of prediction are astounding.' Minazuki quipped. He would have snapped back at him, were they not in class. "So, how are you two getting used to this place?" Yosuke asked.
"pretty well, actually." Yu stated. Despite what happened yesterday, he seemed to have gotten used to the pace of the town.
"Wow, that was fast." Yosuke chuckled. "There really isn't much to do here in Inaba, is there?" Sho nodded in agreement. That was an understatement of the century. "There's just not that special something you can't anywhere else. Oh, and speaking of special something, do you know what the local delicasy is?"
"Let me guess," the red-head drawled. "Ramen."
"Close." the headphone-wearing teen said. "It's grilled steak! Not like that's anything special, huh? I know a place where you can get it cheap, if you want some."
Yu's eyes widened. Wait, was Yosuke offering to take him out? "I wouldn't want to be imposing." he said, though Yosuke wouldn't have any of it.
"Trust me, man. It's fine! Besides, you and Sho helped me out, so this one is on me."
Sho grinned. "Well, so long as your paying, fine by me~" Not a second later did he suddenly wince in pain, rubbing the back of his head. "Ow!" he yelped before glaring at the reason behind the aching pain in the back of his head. "What is it with you and physically abusing me?! Are you some kind of sadist?!"
"No." Izana shrugged, holding her school bag in her hand. "I'm just annoyed with the fact that you're mooching off of someone." A smirk formed across her face. "Who's the freeloader now?"
"Shut up! He's the one whose offering. I'm just graciously accepting!"
"Hey, it's fine." Yosuke shrugged his shoulders. "You're Izana Miokami, right? The name's Yosuke. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah, whatever." the girl waved him off, much to his dismay, before turning to Yu. "So, how was your second day, Narukami-san?"
"Fairly well, I suppose." Yu replied back as he packed his things. "Although, I can't say I'm not looking forward to Mooroka-sensei's classes." Upon this subject, he turned to Sho, was was leaning against his seat. "Speaking of which, you're the talk of the whole school for outright insulting him to his face in front of the whole class."
"And why the hell wouldn't I? The guys an asshole! No wonder people call him King Moron!"
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Yosuke sighed. "When I transferred here, guy gave me shit all the time."
Yu's eyes widened. "Wait, you transferred here to Inaba too, Yosuke?"
"Yeah, but it was close to the end of the year." he explained. "I moved here about six months ago with my family." He jabbed his finger at the tall building, which was slightly visible due to them being on the second floor. "You see that building? My dad's the manager. It's practically the whole reason behind the move." The boy sighed again. "Although, Junes has brought a lot of trouble to me, since it's been putting the stores in the shopping district out of business."
'Ah,' Minazuki said in understanding. 'So that explains why so few shops are open. Junes has beaten them out by attracting more customers. It's understandable, as it is a mega supermarket, after all.'
"Although..." Yosuke grinned. "While Sho's the talk of the school, I think you're the more popular one, Narukami."
"Huh? Why?"
"How about the fact that you and Miokami-san are dating after the first day of school?"
Instantly, the two afformentioned teens felt their cheeks burn, and their faces turn bright red. "W-We are...?" Yu questioned. When did THAT happen?
"Well, Miokami-san DID ask you to walk her home." Yosuke teased. "Hell, you could practically hear her from the Shopping District." Izana's face reddened further. They could hear all of that? W-well, she supposed she was being a bit loud, but even still! How did they get the idea of them dating?! ...N-not that she minded that! Oh no, far from it! She would have liked to be with him, b-but she would like to know him better first!
Sho, however, was laughing hysterically. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...! Oh man! That's rich! They-They all think you're dating be-because Miokami a-asked Narukami out! AHAHAHAHA!"
Izana's face erupted into a look of anger. "S-shut up, Sho!" she shouted. "Stop laughing!" However, the red haired teen refused to stop. As a result, Izana took an eraser, the oversized one used for Big Mistakes, and stuffed it into Sho's open mouth. "HRGHK?!" Sho finally stopped laughing, now choking on a ridiculously large eraser. Yosuke and Yu stared at Izana, who was still miffed about the ordeal.
"...wow," Yosuke remarked, now slightly terrified of incuring her wrath. "She's a live wire."
"Y-yeah..." Yu nodded in agreement.
"S-so, um, you want to go out and eat? I wasn't kidding about the cheap steak."
"Are you sure? I mean, I wouldn't want to impose."
Yosuke couldn't help but laugh. "Dude, seriously, it's fine!"
"And what about me, huh?" A familiar voice called out, slightly venomous. "No apologies?" Yosuke stiffened and slowly turned around. He paled upon seeing the aggravated form of Chie Satonaka. "You still owe me for my Trial of the Dragon." She reminded.
"H-hey, I said I would pay you back!" Yosuke defended himself.
"How about it, Yukiko?" Chie turned to the black-haired girl. "Don't you think he should treat us too?" Yosuke paled at this. Because of the bonus in his paycheck, he thought he would be able to pay Sho and Yu back for helping him out earlier with the trash can thing and all, and maybe Izana if he stretched it, but Chie and Yukiko were another story. He wasn't worried about Yukiko, as he assumed she would be a light eater, but Chie was a meat carnivor of epic proportions. He would never be able to afford the amount of food she put into her stomach!
Thankfully, the gods were smiling down upon him as Yukiko shook her head. "I'll pass." she declined respectfully. "I don't want to gain anymore weight. Besides, I need to help out back at the inn, anyways."
"Wow, Yukiko-san! You started training to take over the business?" Yosuke asked, amazed by her response.
"It's not like that! I'm just helping out when it gets busy." Yukiko waved off the thought. "Well, I should be on my way." With a bow, she left the classroom.
Chie pouted slightly at the prospect of her friend being unable to attend, but shrugged her shoulders and smiled evilly at Yosuke. "Well, we should get going to!"
"What?! Do I seriously have to treat FOUR people?!"
"...THIS is the cheap place you were talking about?! They don't serve grilled stake here!"
"Well, when you decided to hop on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans." Yosuke rebutted as he set down trays of Takoyaki before everyone. Rather than going to the place that served steak, Yosuke took everyone to the Junes Food Court. Since he couldn't afford steak for four people, he settled on treating them to Takoyaki instead.
"Still," Chie growled. "That's no reason for you to take us to your place! I had my palette set on some serious meat!"
"Hey," Yosuke took offence to that remark, frowning. "It's not like this is my place or anything."
He then turned to Yu, Izana, and Sho, who already took a few bites out of his takoyaki set. "Anyway..." He picked up his drink. "Here, this is to welcome you guys to town." Yu ad Izana picked up their beverages. "Satonaka, yours is on me too."
"Yeah. I know." Chie raised her drink as well. The group then raised their drinks, and performed a toast. Sho just ignored it all as he continued to eat. "It's only been half a year since this place opened up, but I haven't been to the local Shopping District much since." Chie said as the conversation became animated over small talk. "A lot of stores there starting closing, and..." She trailed off, wincing as she remembered that particular subject was a rather sore topic for Yosuke, being the brunt of the accusing glares of the residents of Inaba. "Oh, uh..."
Yosuke sighed. "...you can't blame it all on Junes, can you?" he said before shaking his head again. Izana cocked her head curiously at this reaction before the teen turned his head, seeing a girl with thick, wavy, long light brown hair, wearing what she assumed to be the workers uniform. His eyes widened in recognition. "Hey, that's Saki-senpai!" he grinned widely as he shot up from his seat. "Saki-senpai! Hey!"
The transfer students were curious about his change of behavior...well, Yu and Izana were. Sho just gave him a brief glance before resuming to eat.
"Who is she?" Yu asked first.
"Mahje hrish ghirfrieh or sohthun!" Sho said.
Izana glared at him. "Don't talk with your mouth full!"
The girl called Saki noticed Yosuke calling out to her, and gave a worn smile as she went over to them. "Oh, hey, Hana-chan." she greeted. "Advertising Junes to your friends?"
"Ouch," he said in mock hurt. "Madam, you wound me!" He laughed afterwards. "Kidding aside, no. Just treating 'em. So, you finally on break?"
"Yeah..." She nodded.
"Are you feeling okay?" Yosuke asked in concern.
"...It's nothing. I'm just a little tired." She shook her head.
"Hey, if you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen. I..." He tried to offer.
"I'm okay. Thanks, though." Saki chuckled in appreciation. Though, she turned her head in slight aggravation. "Why did I leave school early..." she mumbled, recalling the hassle it caused her. Yosuke was confused by this, but didn't ask about it. Saki then took notice of the three newcomers of the school, and smiled. "Oh, are you three the transfer students?" she asked.
"Hai." Yu nodded. "I'm Yu Narukami. This is Izana, and Sho."
The silver-haired girl bowed her head. "How do you do?"
Sho simply ignored her and continued to eat his takoyaki. Saki seemed to recognize him by the scar, and giggled. "Aren't you the boy that insulted Mooroka-sensei in front of the entire class?" she asked, receiving a nod from Yosuke and Chie. "Everyone in the third year class has been asking about you. Still, that's a pretty cool scar you have there."
"Hn..." Sho grunted in response. While he admits to insulting King Moron, the scar was a touchy subject for him.
"Anyway, I hope you guys have gotten along with Hana-chan well." Saki said as he looked at the group. "He can be pretty annoying at times. If he gets on your nerves, just tell him that to his face."
Yosuke's face reddened. "H-hey, that's-!"
"No, not really." Yu shook his head. "He's a really great guy."
Izana smirked. "Yeah, he's pretty annoying."
"Yeah. He's irritating." Sho added.
"All right, break it up...You're kinda getting on my nerves." Yosuke said in annoyance. But he was relieved that Yu thought he was great, at least.
"Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go..." Saki announced. "Laters." She walked off from the group.
"Oh, s-senpai!" It was too late. She was already gone. Yosuke sighed, flopping back down on his chair. "Ah, damn... I was going to ask her if she was doing okay." Seeing Yu's frown, Yosuke elaborated. "Saki-senpai is working here to help out her family. They run a liquor store down at the Shopping District, but ever since Junes showed up, business has been declining." Disgust formed over his features. "And a lot of people are pissed just because Saki-senpai is working here, even though they don't know the reason."
"That sounds rough..."
"Yeah," the teen nodded. "But, it isn't all bad. I try to do what I can to help lighten the load." Then he chuckled. "Plus, she thinks I'm annoying, but she's nosier than me. She treats me like her younger brother, Naoki."
"Ohhh, you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh?" Chie realized his true intentions. "Haha, I get it...So that's how it is. The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain...Hoho, the flame of forbidden love!"
"Wha-?! Dude, it's not like that." Yosuke denied it, despite blushing.
"Oh reaaaally...Well, I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart." Chie grinned.
"You ever hear of Mayonaka TV?"
-Episode 2: END-
Preview!
Yosuke: Dude, what the hell is this?!
Teddie: That's what I wanna know! Who are you guys?!
Miku: ...ShADowS dEtEcTeD.
?: I art thou... Thou art I...
Yu: Per...
?: Thou art the one... Who opens the door...
Yu: So...
?: Open thin eyes... and call forth what is within!
Yu: Na!
Minazuki: Very well, then... Let us begin. I will show you insects the meaning of despair!
Next Scent! Awakening