Would You Love Me?
Yo. How's it going? It's been less than a week and here goes another update. Hooray. I'm trying to quit smoking now to no avail. At least I am cutting down to just five sticks a day. Not much improvement, but still improvement nonetheless. I really don't want to go cold turkey or I'll get midnight sweating and sorts. Epically uncool. Plus, I'm trying to fancy another guy. Yup, that's right, and I need to finish this before I fly and search for those "sparks". Tch. How awfully romantic.
Anyway, to my reviewers, I'm so happy you even give me the needed push to see this through. I can't tell you how much I am thankful.
Anyway, here enters the deviation of the story from the original P4 and P4A plot.
Here we go!
Scent 4 – Do You Still~
A New Breath of Life (Channel 13)
Sunshine's overrated. Moving here is a chore in its own. Man, if I had known… No use hanging around every little thing. Damn, the moving company just called that they changed couriers. It means that my stuff will be delivered late. Hmph. Just when I have most of my things for leisure there… A medicine ball, my trainers, a pair of boxing gloves from that practice PE teacher… Fuck. He even had silver-white hair. Silver…
Okay, stop treading on those thoughts. He went far away. That should be the last thing on my mind. Tch. A clean slate, if you may. I mean, who in their right mind will transfer schools in the middle of their senior year? My grades aren't all A+, but I'm always trying to have them. I'd rather play soccer or box in the ring, or perhaps practice my arnis skills… Kali sticks and tonfa batons kick ass.
"Haru-kun!" my aunt called me. She just went through the door, bringing a box of my clothes. Damn. I told her that I could do it on my own. I'm not a baby anymore.
"Ah, Sanae-san," I acknowledged her, shuffling through other boxes of mundane things. "You shouldn't have bothered."
She beamed. "Well, you just arrived here! I thought I would help you unpack. Besides, I haven't cooked dinner yet…"
"Um, it's fine." I said in a clipped manner. Less talk, less worries. "You could leave that there," I pointed out at the coffee table at the center of my room.
"You sure?" she queried, leaving the light box on the wooden top anyway. "Hm. I'm afraid to kick you out of the house for a while, since I will be dusting off a little. You wouldn't want yourself to sneeze all night."
Ugh. Allergies. Right.
"Any place that you could suggest to kill time?"
She placed a dainty finger on her lips, looking up to the ceiling in thought. "Junes might sound good. That's the closest thing we have to a city establishment. Lots of food, arcade games, karaoke…" then she eyed me and winked mischievously.
"You can even pick on some girls, if you know what I mean."
Rotten luck today, I believe.
"Sounds good," I surrendered, not allowing myself to show a little disdain at the idea. Ugh. More people to prick my ears.
"I knew it! You're like your father back in his youthful days," she exclaimed, squealing like a fangirl and pinching my cheeks until they're numb.
"I got the idea, thank you very much."
She put her hands on her hips and playfully kicked me out. "Now off ya go! And wear something nice. You'll never know. Teehee~"
Did I ever sign up for this?
Hmm. Not bad. Not bad at all. It was cloudy after some time– overcast even. I nursed a can of TaP soda that I got from the supermarket section. How wonderful, they even have one-hour discount fever when it came to drinks today. Not only that this drink is popular back in the city, it makes me feel a little more at home.
Tch. Home? Yeah right.
Okaa-san plainly wants me to graduate with honors. Otou-san always nagged me to take business administration. Hell, I'm not even that good with numbers. Go get a calculator or a powerful laptop computer as a son. Nee-chan caught a wind of it and asked me if I was okay with the household scenario. Fuck. Did she think I like it? Well, women are pretty observant. Even if she asked me, she was only fishing for a confirmation.
How can I be okay? Pressuring me do stuff, a certain thing grating into my mind, people looking up at me, all those expectations…
I stopped my mental ranting when a cheery girl with a microphone and a cameraman approached me, her eyes showing a little fear. Man, I'm crushing the poor aluminium can that it might go flat.
A sharp look might just do the trick.
Whoa! It did! That thing never fails. Well, except for someone…
Gragh! Too much thinking rots the brain.
I think I'mma go and order some steak. Medium-rare. I don't want to spend my whole afternoon slicing and chewing like a cow. Tch. Last time I had one, they made it well-done, and it feels like sinking your teeth on a bicycle tire.
…well fuck. History repeats itself, it seems.
"Kageyama Haru-kun, was it?" Sofue-sensei mumbled, skimming through my school records. "Stellar grades! I hope you would find this transfer as a good learning experience. We usually don't accept transfers this late, but I presume this has some reasons, huh?"
I plainly nodded. "That's right."
"It's not my job to pry as a teacher, so I'll just leave you be. If you have any difficulty about your subjects or problems, I will be glad to hear you out. That's my job as your homeroom adviser, hm?"
"I appreciate that," a said with a small grin.
The warning bell rung, signifying that homeroom will commence soon. "Now, now. Let's go meet your classmates, shall we?"
The whole process was uneventful as we walked out of the faculty room. I got my book bag from my former school. It was some sort of my lucky charm. It still is, actually. Its jingling cat charm soothes me despite my nerves eating the best of me now. However…
"Oi! That was certainly uncalled for, aibou!"
"Haha. That's for stealing the last piece of meat from my beef bowl yesterday. Man, you listen to this?"
"Argh! Risette is the bomb. You're made of stone if you don't like her."
Just as we almost left the first floor, my side vision saw a glimpse of silver, tugging an obnoxiously red and orange headset from some normal-looking guy as they stopped by the shoe lockers.
"Is anything of the matter, Kageyama-kun?"
I shook my head. "Nothing, sensei."
So even Rise-chan's popularity reached here. Well, after all, this is her birthplace. No wonder. She's a national idol after all.
She raised her eyebrow, her blue-painted eyes widening a little in interest. "If you say so."
A few days passed without anything happening much, save for that boring camp at the mountains. Hmph. At least they placed seniors in a less dirtier area. They knew we need to study for the entrance exams soon. Good thing I brought a few books out of habit.
Now, it's lunch time. That definitely means alone time. The breeze picks up a bit, ruffling my ebony spikes. Good thing I've used that Junes menthol shampoo. That tingly sensation perks me up to the highest level.
…not that I would show how much I liked it.
Sipping on a TaP soda and munching on some generic sandwich from the school pantry, I rested my back on the wall near the door, eyeing the expanse of the Yasogami grounds. Nothing much to see aside from those cherry trees that had their delicate blooms already shed around early spring. Anyway, my maroon leather gloves will be shipped this or tonight! Lucky me, sensei said it was my gift for keeping up with my training. Tch. Sad, they only have a basketball and a soccer team here. I wouldn't mind the latter, but if it's boxing then…
"Let's go Yukiko!"
SLAM.
Fuck. I'm on the wrong side. The door just made me see stars. Tch. Ready to say some string of expletives later, my eyes were set on the green-clad girl and another red-vested one running towards the open area of the rooftop. Okay..? And they didn't even realize that I will have a latch-shaped bruise on my solar plexus after they just went up and about?
Sighing, I just let it go. No use yapping at oblivious girls. Most likely, they were too used to hanging around like this that they weren't paying attention to who was lounging near that edifice of doom. Fuck! They even left the door ajar! Talk about carelessness.
"Nee, Narukami said he'll be up here with Hanamura."
"Ara? So he made lunch for us again? Narukami-kun is the god of the kitchen. However, I'll never lose to him. That reminds me Chie, have you downloaded the omurice recipe?"
Fuck.
The name that I never dreamed of hearing again.
I want out. No. I badly need to get out of here.
Thanks to my footwork training, I managed to dart out nimbly and speedily sauntered downstairs without difficulty. And who's that Hanamura, anyway?
Just when I thought I would clear the second floor, a quizzical statement rung in my ears. Damn. I must not look back.
Black and Red(Channel 0)
"H-haru-senpai?" I whispered to myself.
"Ne, aibou? Got your panties in a twist?"
I was dazed. What is he doing here?
"Shut the fuck up, Hanamura," I glowered, closing my eyes to calm myself. Seriously? He was surely on the TV a few days ago. I had no idea. What was he doing here in Inaba, much more in this school?
Taken aback by my caustic behavior, Hanamura laughed nervously. "Sorry man, but what's the big deal? He transferred here like a week ago. Haven't you heard? I even scanned his purchases yesterday at Junes."
Oh right. The transfer student. The weird one. The one who gives a death glare to almost anyone who dared to look. The dark senpai everyone was talking about. The one senpai who caught everyone's gaze despite his aloofness.
"Oi, aibou," Hanamura poked, nudging his elbow on my side. "You're not spacing out on me again, are ya? Aren't you the one who told me that too much thinking rots the brain?"
I sighed and cleared my head. No use hanging on things that are done and over with. "Of course, but try doing the thinking at times. It would help you."
"Hm? Telling me mildly how idiotic I am?" his feral tone echoed.
"No. It's purely conjecture. Are you?" I retorted, my mischievous grin masking my internal turmoil.
"Damn, aibou. Unlike you, I'm a little sensitive on the side, you know," Hanamura whined, pouting like a kid who just got scolded by his mother.
Chuckling, I brushed the topic off. "Nah, just joking. You're just a lovable idiot." And I didn't know what pushed me to say that.
"Say what?!"
Lunch hour is ticking by. We should head upstairs or else the girls will be ballistic. I don't want to spend a small fortune on treating them to steak soon. Veggies and raw chicken are way cheaper.
Maybe I should let Hanamura make onigiri again?
"Eh? I thought I slammed on something firm earlier, now that I've thought about it," Satonaka remarked, her mouth busy masticating the sweet and sour chicken fillet I whipped up last night.
Amagi seemed down. "Ne, Chie, you should say sorry. You might have caused injury."
Hanamura eyed the kung fu girl in distress. "Tch. Did you use that Galactic Punt whatever on the door again? Moron King might urge you to cough up if the door has a minute dent on it."
She just shrugged it off. "Eh? For one, he didn't even squeak or something. He should've told me that I hurt him and I'll give him Narukami's special chicken as a peace offering!"
Ugh. You really shouldn't do that.
He always liked it and you'll never have the chance to savor a single morsel once he had his hands on it. He's a monster that way. You wouldn't even dare. Damn, I believe he can even finish Aiya's Rainy Day Special in less than a minute.
Now I just recalled something.
Crap… The forecast said it's going to rain tonight.
"Anyway, let's see Mayonaka TV tonight," I replied, teeth gritting slightly.
"What the fuck are you so tensed about, senpai?" Tatsumi bellowed, walking towards us. Fuck. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
Hanamura frowned and pilfered a large piece of chicken I was munching on earlier. "Right, man. You're all over the place lately." Tch. And you're absolutely not helping. Enjoying indirect French kisses much?
Ugh. Bad train of thought.
"Man, it's all blurry. All I can see is a spiky top."
From that, I knew.
He is the target. Fuck it.
…I'm saying a lot of obscenities for a while now. Damn. Oh, that one fucking slipped right out of my mouth. Shit.
"Hello..? Aibou?"
"R-right. What was it again?"
Hanamura sighed. In worry or annoyance, I'm not really sure. "Hell, man. Relax for a bit. No need to be stressed out. We need to figure out who that is."
That doesn't require any more proof. I knew him like the back of my hand. Or, maybe not that much. But hey, I stalked him for a while, probably better than Jiraiya was claiming to be with his suit and all. Learning the Way of the Shadows is so much fun while it lasted. Maybe I'll give you a crash course later.
"There's no need. It's Haru-senpai."
The music-lover gasped. "Now that you're saying it, it sure does look like Kageyama-senpai," he pondered aloud, his hero instincts kicking once more. "What will I tell Satonaka and Amagi?"
"I'm not certain… Most likely they could only see silhouettes," I responded, massaging the area between my brows. "If they did see something clearly, then they should've called me or you, in the case of Satonaka."
"Whoa, the typical Casanova, eh?" Hanamura chuckled, dismissing the serious stuff that were discussing for the whole five minutes. "Anyway, aibou," he started, curiosity lingering in his voice.
"Between those two, who's your type?"
What the fuck was that? Wait. I shouldn't stutter. Composure, Narukami. Your cover hasn't been blown yet. I can do this.
"I can do this what?" Hanamura asked, obviously hearing my thoughts. Or rather my slip up. Tch. Talking to yourself in private is stupid.
"Nothing. And for your question, neither."
"Seriously?" Hanamura shot up, incredulous. He paused for a few seconds before adapting a Tatsumi-kage tone. Oh dear…
"Don't tell me you fancy Tatsumi?"
"And here I thought you were smitten when you told him to rest a little after his rescue," I countered, recalling full well that I was a little peeved when he was oh-so-concerned at our team's bleached-blonde kouhai.
My partner-proclaimed partner dropped his phone and sent my ears to Valhalla for a few seconds. Kami-sama, please alleviate my newly-acquired, partner-induced acute tinnitus. Partner? No matter how nice that sounded…
"Dude, that's gross! Didn't you remember that I had told you I dreamed of swimming in vanilla-flavored lube for two nights?" he screamed, earning a yell from what I thought was his mother scolding him to keep it down.
"I was okay with it though. Vanilla's tempting. You smell like the stuff too." Hanamura smells like vanilla most of the time. Well…sweat, dust, antibacterial hand gel, cardboard boxes, and steak croquettes in other cases.
Now he's scratching his head. Predictable. "Argh! You're a jerk! You're not cute anymore!"
"Thanks for the compliment."
Hanamura simmered down. Goodness gracious. He has too much energy. Well, as a Magician, he should know how to spam spells. In the real world, he spams his thoughts into words instead. At least his verbosity doesn't require healing items or we're going to be broke anytime soon.
"Tch. That aside, how about we tune in tomorrow? It will be a rainy week, or so the announcer said," the other boy on the line offered, caution marking his words.
"Sure. Let's call it a night then."
But… As per usual, we ended up talking until four in the morning. This is becoming a routine…
Ah. Morning. It was crummy, and it was drizzling a bit. I feel lethargic. Lack of sleep as the doctor ordered. Man, Hanamura is quite the talker. If he earns a yen per word that leaves his mouth, I'm sure he can buy another franchise of Junes. Tch. Even these annoying senpai can't seem to contain their thoughts to themselves.
"Have you seen it?"
"Of course! Kage-senpai is my soulmate!"
"No, he's mine! I saw him first!"
"Oh! I'm his classmate at the review center. I'll definitely confess to him tomorrow!"
Hmph. As if. Wait, Kage-senpai. Shadow senpai, huh?
Lunch came and we're lounging at the rooftop. Well, that only comprises me, Amagi, Satonaka and Tatsumi. Hanamura is late. Hm. What if I finish this tonkatsu…
"Aibou! Bad news!"
The frog ninja's real side presented himself with a speed rivaling that of Jiraiya's ground-thrashing Garula. Kudos. Your training is worthwhile that you might even put a dent on that door. That's twice this week, na? Alright, now. Bad news? On top of an irritating morning? Gah, those senpai's whims are still bashing my eardrums.
"Calm down. Deep breaths."
Hanamura did as I told him.
"Oi, Hana-senpai. What's all this fuss? You're late. We're about to devour this pork cutlets but Naru-senpai said we can't touch it until you came."
Satonaka huffed her cheeks and aimed to kick our classmate. "Mou! Spit it up already so we can eat!" She then spat her meat gum at the concrete, a sticky mess of ABC gum making me gag a little. Oh, Tatsumi taught me that. Already Been Chewed. "I can't live off on meat gum the whole day!"
"Snrk, ABC gum! Already Been Chewed! Ahahahaha!" Amagi snorted before laughing incessantly, gaining us a sweatdropping expression. Damn, how can she just do that?
"Eh, Yukiko, it's not even funny…" the kung fu girl, deadpanned, her eyes on my tonkatsu. Hell, I am a kind person, but I think I'll have Hanamura judge it before you do. As she tried to sweep away a slice of breaded pork, I deftly swayed the whole bento box away from her. Okay. Grab some air for now. Patience is a virtue, my dear. Let's hear Hanamura out first, shall we?
"Dude!" my seatmate said between pants. "Kageyama-senpai…"
My eyes widened in exponential proportions. No. This can't be.
"He's absent. Nagase went to his class to tell him about having a basketball practice later with Ichijo at the gym since it will probably rain later and the field will be too soggy for soccer," Hanamura eyed me, distraught seeping into his features.
Let's try to approach this logically. It's frying my neurons, but still… "Did someone check his house?"
Crap, I don't even know where he lives!
"I sneaked into the faculty, and I heard that they called up his aunt," he replied and then shook his head.
"His grandmother answered… Tch. His school bag was still inside his room."
Fuck.
The announcer said it's going to rain tonight.
Without further ado, I ran.
"Oh! Sensei! I missed ya! How nice of you to visit me alone!" Kuma said giddily. "I wish you brought Chie-chan, Yuki-chan or Kanji though."
I'm not in the mood for niceties today. Fuck. Senpai's going to die tonight if I don't do something. Calm down…
"Sensei? You look like a bear-y threatened Kanji… Did something happen?"
Okay. That does it.
"Anyone got fucking kicked here while we were gone?" I said darkly. Sorry Kuma… You look scared, but hell, I don't even know how to start…
The bear wiggled a bit and sat on the floor. "I thought you'd never ask… I smell something bear-y different starting last night. Well, I thought it was night; I peeked outside the Junes TV that you are using when I noticed a different scent in here. It was all dark and there's no one around, so I thought it was night."
I sighed. Sometimes, I hate it when I'm right. "Sorry Kuma, I lost my bear-ings back there," I apologized, trying out a pun that might suit his taste.
The bear gleamed in delight, not recognizing the depth of the situation, or he opted to decrease the tension that is building up.
"Brilliant, sensei! As expected from you!" Kuma squealed, flowers literally popping out everywhere. He then sobered up quickly.
"But sensei, the Shadows… They're particularly restless today… It feels like it's going to rain on your world soon…" the bear mumbled, ears flopping low. "I'm trying to find him even before you came, but… I can't locate where it is, much like Kanji when he was… uh… thrown in here…"
That's not very reassuring.
Punching the black and white floor hurts a tad that it makes my knuckles sting. Fuck. I don't know where his house is, I don't know anyone who freaking knows him a lot to get a hold of anything solid about him aside from my stock knowledge, and damn, why do I feel helpless?
"Sensei…"
Why does it have to happen now?!
A Partner In Need is A Partner Indeed (Channel 1)
"I'm cutting class," I announced, wrapping the cloth around the half-finished bento that the other three devoured in less than five minutes. Believe me, when aibou gets hungry, you'll be amazed, so I'm saving his share before you end up inhaling his miraculous food.
Amagi has this grim look over her face. "If I had known…"
"Hold your dragons," Satonaka interrupted. "How can we be certain that it was 'Kage-senpai' who got kicked in the TV?" she mused, chugging her TaP soda in huge gulps. Damn, how I hate her now. She wrinkled her nose at my glare. Hah. Eat that.
"Like, huh? We didn't even see a clear picture last night. Might not be the same guy, na? What do you think, Hana-senpai."
Calm down. Deep breaths.
Okay, I'm doing it, partner. Here goes.
"I think I saw him clearly," I lied. I was only basing it on conjecture. "Spiky hair, sharp gaze. If it's not Kageyama-senpai, then can you suggest who he is?"
Silence greeted me. Tch. They're all tensed up. Not good. We can't get anything done if we sit around here.
My Aibou Senses are tingling.
"I'm heading to Junes," I declared, standing from my own space at the rooftop. "If I think I'm right, Kuma would require something with the 'scent' of senpai, just like the case of Tatsumi."
"Hm… Then how did you find me?" Amagi wondered, recalling that we never needed anything to find her place at the backside of the TV.
My mind working a bit, I hypothesized. "Perhaps Satonaka has something to do with that."
"Huh?" the kung fu Prince had her jaw drop to the floor. "Why me?"
"Because of," I started, putting the videotape on review. "Attachment. Strong feelings, inner thoughts, misgivings, denials, positive and negative emotions… They have this sort of imprinting of a human's personality. That creates a signature of who you are. When we visited the TV after Amagi was kidnapped, you never hesitated to find her, even without Kuma's glasses. That alone might be the reason why Kuma led us to her Shadow's castle in the first place. If you might recall, Kuma said that it was easy to find her.
"In Tatsumi's case, we barely know him at that time. His mother's relationship to Amagi was almost purely business. That is why we can't get anything related to him when we needed that. Now," he paused a bit and looked at the bleached-blonde brawler. "What was the divining catalyst again?"
"It was Usagi-kun," Tatsumi said with a flush. Man, blushing all the time isn't cute.
Well, Narukami's cute.
"E-exactly," I coughed a bit, pushing that thought aside for inspection later. After composing myself as that jerk would, I continued. "So that's how we found your bath house."
"That makes much sense now," Satonaka made an ooh-sound and tapped her fist lightly on her palm. "We're looking for what?"
Now, it's time for my Jiraiya Ninja Moves!
"I'll steal information at the faculty office."
Tatsumi perked up at the sound of an operation ready to be engaged. "Then what are we going to do?"
"Hm. There's give or take half an hour more. Try to ask his classmates or something," I attempted, hoping that they will agree.
"Sure thing. I'll ask Nagase again," Satonaka said, rolling up her blouse sleeve. "Let's go Yukiko."
"Ara… You're really into this, Hanamura," Amagi replied, a little smile made its way on her face.
"Of course," I winked and gestured a thumbs-up sign. "As the leader's right hand man, I should assist him in any way possible."
Now why am I not getting all 'doki-doki' about it?
Argh. Later!
"It's exciting! I'm skipping afternoon class for the first time. Not to mention Konohana Sakuya seems to be ready for action," she added, looking determined.
Oh, their Personas are giving hints on them too.
Tiny drops of water started to drizzle lightly on the rooftop. Damn. Time is running out.
"Alright, we'll meet at Junes in an hour. Investigate as much as you can."
Satonaka rose and headed for the door. However, she paused in the stride and turned around to face me.
"For a while, I thought you're Narukami in Hanamura's body."
The Fool's Errand (Channel 0)
Kuma was at the bleachers, his nose high up, trying to get even a hint of Haru-senpai in this damn, yellow, foggy place that I'm hating a little more each second.
Huh? My bleeding knuckle…
A vanilla-scented Dia spell? And tonkatsu too…
"If you think we'll be letting you off on your own, then you are definitely mistaken, aibou."
That giggle. Amagi…
"Snrk. Aibou… Hahaha! Trying to sound so cool… How lame! Hahahaha!"
"Hey, quit it!" Hanamura bellowed, shaking his head in humiliation.
"Oi, we're cutting class so we better do this quick or we'll be getting an earful at home later," Satonaka said casually, her hands on her hips, sporting that easy smile she always has when she's perked up.
"Senpai! You're a riot! Let's hang out after this!"
Tatsumi… Everyone…
"Kuma!" Jiraiya's Other shouted, causing the bear to jump off the metal risers and sauntered cutely towards the team.
"Yosuke! Oh that thing! It smells like the one thrown in here last night!"
My seatmate sighed in relief. "Whew, good thing Nanako-chan was sent home early," he gestured Kuma to analyze the article of clothing that was inside a garment bag. I was utterly shocked that he was able to get a hold of that.
Worry graced my features. "Was she sick?"
"No, no! On the contrary, she was very healthy," Hanamura winked. Damn. Stop doing that. "Her teacher was sick so they were sent home. Luckily, we found that when we raided your room." He then made a one-handed apology bow, looking sheepish as he did it again and again.
"Sorry aibou… Don't worry I didn't peek under your…"
Damn! No!
"That's alright…" I sighed. Honestly, how much did he see? Anyway, that overcoat…
"Ara? That winter school coat." Amagi's curiosity went up a notch. "It doesn't look familiar."
"It's from his former school," Hanamura seconded with a nod, then after a few clicks from his phone, he showed a slideshow of images that he gathered from I-don't-know-where. Most likely the internet.
"Well made. I could definitely vouch on those seams," Tatsumi praised. For a person with his parents in the textile business, I wouldn't be so surprised. He's a Home Economics type of person too, so who am I to judge? Besides, I might order an Usagi-kun or a pink alligator next time.
"And based from school records, Kageyama Haru-senpai was a student there as well."
How much do you know, Hanamura?
"…" Amagi's waiting for the next statement.
"…" Satonaka's the same.
"…" Tatsumi's crossing his arms, eager to hear another detail.
"…" Kuma's still busy sniffing that jacket.
"That is all."
"What? No punch line or anything?" Satonaka screeched, kicking Hanamura at his shin.
"Of course there's none!" Hanamura defended himself. A critical hit on the 'nads isn't beneficial in our situation now.
"That's the only thing that has a connection to senpai, you know," he supported his denial of having any more facts, but his knowing gaze at me tells me the otherwise.
It was more like sending a 'We're in for a sake night later.' via telepathic link.
"Sensei! I know where he's at!"
Saved by the bear. Ah, how I love being Japanese.
Pristine buildings adorned the vast expanse of a center fountain, showing signs of well-maintenance of the said infrastructures. The automated gate behind them boasts of increased security while the soccer field shows well-trimmed greens. It was all perfect – save for the looming metal scaffolding that reminds us that we are still inside the TV world.
"This is…" Tatsumi said in awe. The others were silent. Tch. I'm quite nervous to step into one of those accursed buildings. Believe me, even if I were blind, I can traverse this place with ease. My stalking career all started here.
"My former school." I won't even tell its name. It's not the same thing. This is not my school. This is a figment of Haru-senpai's mind.
Soon, shouts, mumbles, giggles, and whispers attacked our ears. Fog began to thin out, much to my dislike. I means that the Shadows will be rampant anytime soon. Tch.
"Kageyama-senpai is the bomb!"
"Kageyama-senpai aced the exam again!"
Shadow silhouettes of what it seemed like students appeared out of nowhere.
"Kageyama-senpai is way too cool! There's… GOAL! I'm going to faint~"
Black outlines of people flooded the soccer field. Then the whole area was bustling with Shadows.
…the thing is, they weren't even attacking, as if frozen in time.
All was about Haru-senpai.
Wait, everyone here says Kageyama-senpai here, Kageyama-kun there…
How eerily nostalgic it makes me wanna puke.
"Creepy…" Amagi mumbled, scooting closer to Satonaka, clutching her elbow for dear life.
Tatsumi grunted, but I think he's more afraid than what he was showing.
Hanamura though, was a little calmer than I thought he would.
"Shit. This is all bullshit. How sickening," a dissonant voice echoed around them.
"So what if I aced an exam? Big deal? Good looks are useless. Playing the game with the jocks and enjoying it? Ha. We're not even close to be considered friends!"
The Shadows began to fade, bringing an ominous feeling that things will not be as smooth as we went here. Tch. No. Please. Not that scene or I'll crumble…
"Hn. Kageyama-senpai here, Kageyama-kun there… It's irritating that I want to kill them all!"
Of course I know that.
"Then after a while, he came."
Not a trace of Shadow was left in the area and they were at the empty front of the school, the fountain still running as it used to, gentle thrashing of water making the only noise in the sticky silence that enveloped the team.
"I'm not sure you'll like this but we need to get there, Sensei," Kuma pointed out at the second floor of the main building.
Tch. That place…
Hanamura patted me at the back. He knew too much.
A few minutes later, we reached that accursed place. Yep, the corridor next to 2-3 classroom. It was just near the stairs and the view there was peaceful.
It was the time when I confessed.
"Haru-senpai. It was the first time that I was addressed by that name. I was always respected, always looked up upon, always sought after. Never in my life was I called so casually," the disharmonious voice said fondly.
"But!"
Oh no. Not this. Kami-sama…
"Ne, aibou. Keep your cool, na? We wouldn't know anything if we won't listen," Hanamura spoke, giving me a concerned gaze as we walked along the corridors.
Looks like our tables are turned this time around.
"He told me he liked me! And I threw him away!"
Sounds of flung seats and broken windows rung alarm bells within our systems.
"I am still regretting that day. Until I came there, I didn't have any hope of meeting him again. A lot had changed when we were hanging out, attending club, having sleepovers, reviewing for exams… Everything was fun! But then I destroyed it."
"You're wrong!"
Damn, that's Ha- no. I'll opt to Kageyama-senpai for now. It's better than having my cover blown in a heartbeat.
"That's certainly Kageyama-senpai!" I screamed, mowing the sliding door away, seeing a duel between a maroon-gloved male and his Shadow wearing the same jacket as the one we used to find his location.
"You're… you're lying!" Kageyama roared, lunging at the Shadow to give him a flying jab at the jaw. He missed miserably. "I didn't even think of that! It was horrific! It was the most disgusting thing that ever happened in my life!"
I'm positive that I'm about to cry. Tch. No. I should be stronger than before.
The Shadow sighed and evaded every blow. His white tonfa baton twirled lazily in his grasp. Then, he gave me a quick gaze before resuming his smiting. "Eh? You sure about that? Then why did you leave? Why did you leave me behind? Why did I try my best not to cry when I slumped here after he ran away? Why can't you accept that your feelings changed over time? You can't lie to me for I'm your true self."
Collected gasps from my team mates warned me of the worst thing that could happen right here.
"Oh no," Hanamura winced. "Here goes."
Right now.
Haru-senpai took a deep breath and thundered in the way that hurt me the most.
"You are not me!"
…haha. That's the same tone of voice he used when he dumped me.
Haru-kage's lips curled into an evil smile. Tch. Don't make that face. Haru-senpai will never ever do that.
"So… I am me now! I am the one who can accept change! I therefore judge you unacceptable. Since you cannot accede to the transformation of your desires… I'll be the one who'll reap it!"
The Shadows from earlier reappeared and began to twitch in pain as they gathered around the other side of Haru-senpai, the classroom implements flying in its wake. After all that bustle, what we can only see was a Shadow with a monocle and a searing white tonfa, wearing a pristine overcoat of the high school I attended a year ago.
"I am a Shadow. The TRUE self."
…Haru-senpai is now staring at me, realizing that we were here when the whole drama unfolded.
"Yu-chan?" he said in a whisper.
"Sensei! He's using Mudo and Agi! Just a heads-up!" Kuma retorted, frantically hiding behind the remains of a chalkboard. "Chie-chan, stay away from those flames!"
"All right!" Hanamura exclaimed, his stance ready to strike in a moment's notice. "Jiraiya! Sukukaja on everyone!"
A cool breeze lifted our spirits as our every step became light.
"Thanks! Now, Angel!"
A blindfolded divinity floated in the air, her chains clinking in restraint despite how free she looked. The agony of being held down by rules and tradition… Damn. I didn't know that it showed that side of me really well.
"Hama!" A spell of paper charms lit the area with a gentle, golden glow and enveloped Haru-senpai's Shadow in an instant.
"Oh, if it wasn't Yu-chan!" the Shadow laughed, eyeing me in contempt. "How's your new school?"
Fuck.
"Sensei! He's resistant to light, for some unknown reason! Beware! Mudo can hit you bear-y badly now! I suggest changing Personas!"
"Oh, that girl? Hm. This judgement will be painless," Haru-kage chortled and waved his tonfa in a brash yet graceful manner that I'll never forget. "See you in the afterlife, my dear."
Shit… Amagi went unconscious… Fuck… I can't even protect my comrades…
"Satonaka, Tatsumi!" Hanamura shouted in distress, sending a barrage of Garula spells to send that abomination flying. However, that didn't do much damage as the damn Shadow Haru-senpai blasted Mudo spells in succession.
Another round and Satonaka's down too. Even Tatsumi's bulldozer Persona isn't immune to Mudo. Tch.
"Sorry senpai, I think I'd sleep for a while," the sole kouhai said with a broken grin before he fell out of consciousness.
"Damn!" Hanamura tossed me a gummy bear pack. "You figure this thing out! I'll guard Kageyama-senpai!"
He zoomed and evaded every Agi and Agilao the Shadow shot him, throwing a precious Revival Bead to everyone down along his path.
"Tch. Will… Yu-chan be okay?" I thought I heard him say that to Hanamura.
A wink and a thumbs-up. This never gets old. "You can just watch him, na?" he said pompously and began instructing Jiraiya to rain a barrage of Dia spells to Satonaka, Amagi and Tatsumi. Fuck. Don't faint or I'll clock you dizzy. I'm counting on you.
As much as this conversation is going…
Dark… Dark… Oh. Right. How fitting. Two Magicians will definitely make a better Fool.
Reclaiming the two Jack cards in my Persona deck, I recalled what Margaret-san told me.
"In emergency situations, you may be able to Fuse Personas in the midst of the battlefield. We will bestow you the Arcana Glyph as a catalyst. However, it will be taxing on your energy, so better have a source of it after Fusion, or we'll never know how you will end up. May the Fates bring you best luck in your endeavor."
The Arcana Glyph shone a faint blue as I set Jack Frost and Jack o'Lantern side by side, causing a link to form and the magic circle spun like a desperately twirling gyroscope. A flash of light later and the card presented itself to me.
"Black Frost!"
He's so cute that it's scary…
"Nice pick Sensei!" Kuma cheered, running behind me to escape a fire blast that aimed his way. "He absorbs fire, ice and reflects Mudo!"
By now, the whole team is back in their feet. I can smell victory.
"Mind Charge!" That spell really cranks up the notch. Say hello to oblivion later, Haru-kage.
The other four stayed back, shielding senpai in case he screams bloody murder again. This time, it'll end in one blow.
Charge successful. With the help of Ice Boost…
"Bufula."
Succumb to your end.
The cute demon nodded and blew a stormy blizzard at the Shadow who tried to sidestep the wide area of the frigid spell to no avail. In a snap, he was freezing in a coffin made of clear, black ice.
"Change! Izanagi!"
It's now five to one. This is for what you put Haru-senpai through.
"Everyone, it's time for an all-out attack!" Kuma signalled, getting everyone's attention ready for the fall of the curtains.
"Get bent!"
"Hyaaaaa!"
"Go, me!"
"Let's go, aibou!"
"Ah. Let's go."
The glittering crystal shattered, revealing the Shadow where it all started. We were still in awe how snobbish his features are, despite the tell-tale signs of tiredness and near-sobbing into silent tears. My feet crunched on wood splinters, molten plastic and twisted metal as I approached the stoic Shadow – senpai's other self. He eyed me longingly but never said a word. Soon, I was shoved by Haru-senpai, acting as rash as he had been, thus making a certain kicking girl and a short-fused male to almost flock to my side and shield me. How I appreciate that.
I turned back to see Hanamura shaking his head slowly and whispered things out of my earshot. They immediately held back and stayed out of my fur. Tch.
"There's no need to say anything about this, Narukami," Haru-senpai hissed, though I feel that it wasn't the way he was supposed to say it. After all, I was the greatest stalker of all time.
Without words, the Shadow understood. Before rising up to the air, he whispered something in my ear, out of senpai's sharp ears. Oh. This Shadow is him after all.
"I think I like you too, when you said it to me a year ago. Believe me, I was happy when I heard that."
Your worst enemy is your own self.
With a boyish grin, he disappeared and was replaced by a Persona. Despite its tattered trench coat, it still stood proud, its monocle replaced by a perpetually calculating Geiger counter that reminded me of my childhood days, as well as a glowing tonfa that certainly bore judgment whenever it struck. Of course, that spiky hair is discernible anywhere. It seemed odd since it was silver… Like mine.
"So, he's my Persona?" he said wearily, reluctantly grabbing my shoulder to balance himself. Pfft. Your pride will be the death of you someday…
If only Death wasn't your Arcana.
I chuckled and sighed in relief. "As observant as ever."
Hanamura then decided to pipe in this crowning moment of heartwarming. No. Scratch that. I think Haru-senpai still hates me. Tch.
"Sorry to interrupt your lovely reunion, but I think we should get out of here, na?"
Shit Hanamura, you jinxed it.
The earth rumbled, cracking the sturdy concrete. Damn. We can't get squashed like this. Not after this rescue.
"Dammit! I cracked that Goho-m when I stumbled earlier…" Tatsumi mumbled, looking grim at his misgiving. I don't blame you, since it was bound to happen. The question is –
"How do we get out?" Amagi asked rather worriedly, summoning Konohana Sakuya to burn any debris that might fall down on them.
"My kicking won't work here," the kung fu girl replied in frustration, sending Tomoe to slash anywhere that seemed soft enough to crumble. Unfortunately, a rather huge slab of concrete is aiming its way at us. Shit, even Angel can't hold that!
"Aibou! I'll try to hold it up for ya!" Hanamura gritted, Jiraiya casting a stream of Garula to prevent the darned thing from juicing us alive while Take-mizakuchi shielded them from the further falling debris.
"Sensei!"
Fuck, after we've gone this far…
"Care traveling through the Gates of Hell and back?"
Haru-senpai?
The Death card twirled lazily and had settled in front of him before shattering it with a right jab.
"Enma-o."
So that was his name. The Judge of the Dead, huh?
"Traesto."
We were back at the TV world's school grounds, noticing that only the area we were in was damaged. Other locations looked fine as it was, much like how I saw it a year ago. The stale air made me reel though. Hanamura saluted and marched comically at the path Kuma led us here. It would be wise to backtrack the way we went in; the front stage lobby is the safest place in Mayonaka TV.
"Maybe it's saying that I accepted that change," Haru-senpai stated as we lagged behind, probably much to himself. Hanamura settled on ushering the other three, Kuma shuffling from Satonaka to Amagi and vice-versa, annoying Tatsumi to infinity. Haha. Invoking the 'leader spirit' huh? I chucked a lychee-flavored bear into my mouth and chewed it with gusto. Fusing Black Frost outside the Velvet Room is more tiring than having it done with Margaret-san's assistance. Anyway, I thought that Hanamura did a great job today. I was blindly searching for facts, but he just breezed through it. Perhaps I'll give his brains a little more respect. Kudos, Hanamura. He didn't plan the whole rescue operation by himself, did he? Hell, for real? I'm trying to think of a witty, laugh-my-ass off comeback but...
Oops. I'm getting a Death glare. "Anything funny, Narukami?"
Alright. Now he moved on. He still gives me a funny feeling in the stomach, but that's just about it.
"No, nothing at all."
"So here's your crowd of merry men. And that was Hanamura, na?" I swear he glared at the poor idiot as well.
"Quit yapping or I'll - "
"Anyway, I think you're amazing back there," he said casually, pertaining to our ordeal earlier. "I was ready to accept that I won't get out of here until I saw an angel," said senpai, his grip tightening on my shoulder. Tch. He's in pain. However, he refused to be healed after five rounds of Dia. What a stubborn prick.
"Another Dia might –"
"No," he refused me again. Ugh. Fine. Suit yourself. The hell I care? Okay, I lied. I do care.
"What's the fucking deal anyway?" My anger management jumped out of my window. The hell. I was worried to death. It might be raining hard outside as we speak. And then the fog will lift... Fuck. I won't even stray into that thought.
"I hurt you, so it's fine to let it heal on its own. Sort of your payback, if you may," he replied, grinning weakly, appearing embarrassed and apologetic.
Tch. Haru-senpai has his idiotic moments, apparently.
"Masochist."
He just chuckled it off! Fuck! Hello? How drastic his changes can be?
"Ah, another thing, what my Shadow said… Um, ah… D-do you still – "
Once I've made my mind up, no one can bend it. That's the rule. Well, I've broken that a few times, but those don't really count.
"No," I replied with a smile. Simple. Less words, less mistakes. Just like I've learned from you.
He glanced at the back of that obnoxiously loud Hanamura and prodded my side with a light punch. "So, is it him?"
You're in no position to answer that question, Haru-senpai.
"Alright, be that way," he laughed again. Oh Kami-sama, I missed that. He never really laughed that much when we're in the close friends' zone before. He was a glutton, a tightwad, a stuck-up-in-the-ass senpai who always urged me to study, study, and party a little on the side. Obnoxious. Why did I ever confess to him in the first place? Hmph. The matters of the heart is certainly complicated.
In a heartbeat, he swiped a cherry-flavored bear from my pack. Damn. That was the last one. He popped it easily into his welcoming mouth and smirked at me.
"I'll start from scratch to make you like me again."
Omake-kyun! (Channel [-.-])
It was still early, and the rain kept pouring like buckets. The weather announcer was right. Fog warnings bleeped in every report that flashed on the TV of a konbini where the Fool, Magician, and Death was at. Kageyama left the cashier to scan the 'good' stuff for celebration tonight.
They all went out, Hanamura still leading the way.
"Kageyama-senpai! You're so amazing!" the brunette squealed giddily, his cheek caressing the green bottle of mid-class sake in awe. "We're all underage, but you pulled off that adult persona perfectly!"
"Duh. I'm wearing casual clothes. Besides, I just moved in recently; they didn't have an inkling about my true age," the jet-spiked senpai stated matter-of-factly.
Narukami increased his pace to match the Magician and nudged him at the ribs.
"Oi, stop seducing that bottle. A genie might come out and sue you for sexual harassment," the Fool chided, earning a playful smack at the back of his head courtesy of a pouting Hanamura.
"You really know how to ruin the mood, aibou," he scoffed before turning to face the upperclassman that they rescued an hour ago. He was pacing a few steps behind them, holding a rather small umbrella that Hanamura stole himself at the racks near the Electronics Department. His calculating looks were akin to Enma-o's; albeit a little watered-down, it was still intense that it made him a tad uneasy.
"By the way, care to join us, Kageyama-senpai?" Hanamura offered. "Those croquettes that I bought earlier rock. There's Narukami's leftover tonkatsu too. Sake is their best buddies and there'll be no school tomorrow."
"I'll pass. I won't allow Sanae-san to file a missing person's report at the police station later," he stated with a sigh. "I'm beaten up too, so I'll rest for the weekend. I appreciate your offer though."
"He's a lightweight," Narukami stage-whispered, the Magician making this sort of "Oooh" sounds and nodding as if he understood how the multiplication table works, earning a senpai's scowl in annoyance.
"Anyway," the newly-rescued male changed his tone to a confused one. "I really don't know what happened. It's just BAM! Then I was at that drab replica of my- ah- our former school," he continued, stealing a glance at the Fool busy chewing on Berry Blast edition of gummy bears.
"Much like Amagi and Tatsumi, huh?" Hanamura pondered aloud, slowing his stride to keep up with the friction in his mind's gears. "Mou… That's three now in a row…"
Tucking that information for further checking, Kageyama raised his thoughts in curiosity.
"Personas, do you, like, summon them to kill those black abominations?" he asked, slipping his hand inside his pants pocket.
It was Narukami's Fool of Persona! Corner all of a sudden.
"Right. Without them, you're Shadow fodder," he stated ominously, much like those cheap horror movies. "And by gaining one, you can do this-"
He wiggled his fingers in a rather disconcerting manner and chucked his arm straight into the poor, broken TV sitting under the lamp post together with a few more broken appliances.
"The fuck, aibou! You shouldn't do that-" Hanamura checked the surroundings for any bystanders and sighed in relief when he found none. "-in public!"
However, the senpai was unabashed.
"Oh, like this?"
"Damn, senpai! Not you too!"
"The air's too stagnant on the other side," Enma-o's Other nodded in his discovery. "Like it's in the eye of a storm."
"Stop it, Haru- I mean, Kageyama-senpai," the silverette's eyes steeled at his senior, gaze promising something painful if he didn't concede.
Perking at the old way the Fool addressed him, he smirked and brushed his hands against his sleeve as if it was dirty. "Fine. Hanamura seems to be hyperventilating now. Maa, I'll leave you two be. See you guys on Monday Yu- ah, I mean Narukami. Hanamura too. Thanks for letting me out of that... place again."
With that, Death bowed and quickly evaporated from the scene, leaving a dazed Fool and an angry Magician.
The partners walked in silence, each mulling deep within their thoughts. A few strides further and they reached the crossroads where they usually split after hanging out.
"Your place or mine?" Hanamura queried, still looking a bit peeved, the bottles of sake jingling inside the plastic bag when he twisted to meet a pensive Narukami.
"I'll call Nanako."
"Sweet!" the Prince of Junes wailed as he made a total 360, much like he did when Narukami met Konishi Saki for the first time.
"You're going to be mine tonight, aibou!"
The Fool suddenly turned white as a sheet.
Innuendo much?
Anyway, fuuu~ I'm done with this baby. Point out any mistakes that your eyes may catch. I'll be dozing off for a while. Tch. Kageyama Haru is fun to write. And somehow, Hanamura got a gist of what the senpai's turmoil was all about.
Whoooo! Smokes and chocolates and I'm off to Dreamland once again. Hope you liked this chapter. XD
-Sakuraba Ryuichiro, smoking a Black Marl and chewing on a chocolate-covered caramel sweet. (Alcohol later at 7pm, at last!)
Quick update:
Put the annoying line
"H-haru-senpai?" I whispered to myself.
at the start of the POV change. Tch. That was really annoying me. Sorry for being so OC. Next scent in 3-4 days. Again sorry!