I'd like to apologize once more for the last chapter... It was fairly dull and followed the game far too closely for my liking. Happily, from this chapter out, things really start to move along and the intended story plot I had starts to shine through. I've added more scenes, changed a few and tinkered with what I could, so I hope you all enjoy this one.
My favorite scene to write was the classroom scene with Mrs. Sofue and Junes...
Chapter Three: Zero Hour
"Thanks again for helping me out this morning, dude." Souji turned around in his seat, smiling faintly at the brunette who was addressing him. "I must have gotten myself stuck in that same trashcan at least ten times since I moved here, but no one has ever bothered to help. I really owe you one…"
Souji shook his head, stretching while he stood up, grateful that it was finally lunch time. "Don't worry about it, Yosuke-san. I was just doing the right thing… I'm hardly a hero or life-saver because of it."
"Are you kidding me?" Yosuke laughed, "If you hadn't helped me, I would have been late for class. Do you have any idea what King Moron would have done to me if I was late? I would have been long dead and served as tomorrow's mystery meat in the cafeteria—and drop the suffix. No need for stuff like that with me."
"I doubt he would have gone that far…" Yet as he said that, Souji couldn't help but wonder if his words held any truth to them. He wouldn't put it past Morooka to attempt to maim, kill, or eat a student—and the man didn't exactly have a good record to back himself up.
"You obviously don't know King Moron that well." The brunette shuddered, as if recalling a bad memory. "He may be a teacher… but that hasn't stopped him yet."
Souji held back a laugh as he shook his head, amused by Yosuke's theatrics. He reached inside his bag and produced a large bento-box, raising an eyebrow as Yosuke eyed it with a hint of jealousy.
"Didn't you bring your lunch today?"
Yosuke shook his head. "No… I forgot it when I rushed out the door this morning. I don't get paid until next week and I still have to get dinner tonight since dad has to work late and mom is away on business for a few days."
"Why don't you join me on the roof? I made more than enough for myself last night and it seems pointless to let it go to waste."
"Whoa! Are you serious!?" Yosuke jumped to his feet, beaming at Souji. "Dude… I am so in your debt."
Souji shook his head, assuring Yosuke that the brunette owed him nothing as they made their way to the roof. The weather was beautiful, and a cool breeze blew over the top of the building. It was quiet, the conversations of the students on the ground unable to reach their altitude, giving a relaxing atmosphere for eating lunch.
It's a bit chilly… and it smells like it's going to rain soon too, the silverette thought as he and Yosuke seated themselves at the center of the roof, the atmosphere allowing them to relax after a morning of lectures.
"Hey, did you hear about that incident yesterday?" Yosuke asked as he popped a bite-size sandwich into his mouth. "They said she was hanging from antenna. Talk about creepy, huh?"
"Yeah…" Souji nibbled at the corner of a sandwich as he gazed into the distance, lost in thought. "It was on when I came home, my cousin was watching the news. I went to bed early, so I didn't hear the full story but… ah, well, I heard enough to understand what happened from my Uncle."
"Your Uncle? Oh… That's right. I remember Chie mentioning it on the phone… Dojima, right? I've seen him around the town a few times." The brunette reached for his fourth sandwich, popping it into his mouth. "Anyway, you think that body was a warning? I mean, something like that can't be an accident."
"I don't know…" Souji shook his head slowly, "You might be right…"
"It's the only reason I can think of. I mean, dangling a dead body on a roof like that? That's just messed up." He paused, "Well, then again… It's pretty messed up to commit murder in the first place."
"This place seems pretty quiet. Is there really anyone who would have the motive to—" The rest of Souji's words were cut off as the shrill ring of the bell signaling the end of lunch went off.
The pair jumped to their feet, shoving the remaining sandwiches into their mouths as they ran toward the staircase.
"Crap! We're gonna be late!" Yosuke moaned.
Sprinting down the stairs, they narrowly avoided a head-on collision with a group of third-year students. Their shoes squeaked loudly on the polished wooden floors as they weaved in and out of the other teens, running as fast as they could toward the staircase. The stairs were taken three at a time as they leaped down, barely keeping balance as they turned around the corner and diving into the classroom as the final bell rang.
Panting, they both fell into their seats, earning questioning looks from Chie and Yukiko. Souji shook his head as the raven opened her mouth to speak, unable to get the words out. Yosuke, who was slumped over his desk, grunted as Chie poked his shoulder, silently demanding an explanation.
Before either boy could speak, the front door opened and Mr. Morooka entered the room, his eyes sweeping over the classroom as he looked for someone he could punish for being late. The scowl that crossed his features as he stormed to his desk told the students that everyone had made it back on time, which ultimately meant bad news for them—afternoon lectures would be hell.
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"Man, that lecture was crap! Why is he still a teacher, anyway?!" Yosuke groaned as he slumped back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling with a pained expression. "I can't remember half of what he said and I know he's going to end up testing us on it…"
"How did he become a teacher is the real question…" Chie muttered darkly, glaring at her desk in frustration.
Yukiko sighed. "If he hates students so much, why did he spend all that time earning a teaching degree…? Or why doesn't he get another job..?"
Yosuke grunted in agreement and stood up, stretching. "So, Souji, aside from King Moron… You seem to be adjusting to the country pretty well, huh?"
"Yeah," Souji nodded. "It's nice here… Relaxing. There isn't as much to do here compared to the city… but it's nice."
"There is that… something you can't find in other places, huh? After all, where else is the local delicacy grilled streak?" Yosuke grinned. "Actually, I know a place where we can get it pretty cheap. You helped me out this morning and shared your lunch. So let's grab dinner together, it's on me—no arguments."
"Are you sure…?" Souji looked worried. "I thought you mentioned that you were saving up for a-"
"Forget it," the brunette shook his head. "After all you've done, I think I can handle waiting an extra week or so to add more to my funds. It's the least I can do."
"What about me, huh!? No apologies?" Chie demanded, standing up as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "My 'Trial of the Dragon.' You know, the one you broke?"
Yosuke sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Urgh… You always come around when I'm talking about food. Never fails…"
"Don't you think he should treat us, Yukiko?" Chie asked, smiling at her raven friend. "I mean, that DVD was pretty expensive."
Yukiko stood up, running a hand down the fabric of her sweater to flatten it. She glanced at Chie, offering her friend a sympathetic smile as she shook her head.
"I'll pass, I don't want to gain anymore weight. Besides, I need to help out at the inn today."
"What the hell are you all looking at?!" Morooka shouted from the front of the room, glaring at the small group of teens. "Go home, you shitheads! It's bad enough I have to see you brats tomorrow! I don't want to look at your stupid, ugly faces after school, too!"
Chie jumped and hurried around her desk, ushering the group out of the classroom as she stayed close to Yosuke, eyeing Morooka as if he could attack at any moment.
"You know…" Souji said thoughtfully as they walked down the hall, "Maybe he liked teaching once upon a time. He might have had a wife too, and a kid."
"Who would wanna marry a guy like that!?" Yosuke shouted, earning a look of disapproval from a teacher speaking with a student. "I mean, his mom wouldn't even buy him some braces! Who in their right mind would marry the guy?"
"Vegas." Souji grinned, causing Yosuke to snort loudly as he held back a laugh.
"…Vegas?" Chie asked, sounding confused. "What…?"
"Vegas," the silverette repeated, "…And probably beer."
"Only in America." Yosuke laughed. "Man, whoever that girl was, she must have had a really weak alcohol tolerance. I wonder if he's always looked like that."
"No, not always…" Souji said confidently.
"Oh? Did you know him before, Souji-kun?" Yukiko asked in curiosity.
"No." Souji shook his head. "He was born after all, right? He had to have been small, shriveled, and bald at some point."
"Ugh…" Chie shivered, shaking her head rapidly. "Oh man! Don't even talk about that! I don't want to think about it. You're gonna make me lose my appetite for free steak!"
"Please keep talking!" Yosuke begged from Souji's left, eyeing Chie hopefully.
"Oh, shut up, Yosuke!" Chie growled, aiming a kick that the brunette instinctively dodged. "You're not getting out of it this time!"
Yosuke sighed, looking defeated. "Well, I had to try, right?"
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"Everyday's great at your Junes!"
Souji sighed, rubbing his temple as the overly familiar tune played for the umpteenth time. He bit back a groan and tried to focus his mind elsewhere. Back at the Dojima residence, listening to Nanako sing along happily with the short tune was cute, but to hear the theme song over and over countless times through the super market's loudspeaker was enough to test one's sanity—no matter how catchy the song was.
The silverette glanced up as he heard footsteps, smiling at Yosuke as the brunette approached the table, carefully balancing a tray in his arms. Chie, who was sitting across from Souji, crossed her arms and fixed the headphone-clad teen with a glare as he sat down.
"This is the cheap place you were talking about!? They don't have steak here!"
Yosuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, once somebody decided to jump on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans."
The brunette sighed and shot Souji an apologetic look. Shrugging, the silverette leaned forward, picking up one of the drinks from the tray. He smiled in thanks, tipping the cup toward Yosuke in a silent toast before taking a sip, enjoying the sweet taste of the soda and the sensation of the cold drink going down his throat.
"That's no reason to take us to your place…" Chie muttered, grabbing a drink of her own.
"Dude, this isn't my place." Yosuke muttered, looking faintly offended. "Stop calling it that already…"
"Your place?" Souji repeated, looking between the other two teens. "What does she mean?"
The brunette turned, looking surprised before a look of realization dawned on his face. "Oh, that's right… I haven't told you yet, huh?"
"Told me what…?"
"King Moron was shouting at you about how you were another city-boy like me, right? I moved here from a place a short distance from Tokyo about six months back. This location just opened up and my dad was assigned to manage it. So… our entire family came out here—I mean, I don't have any siblings or anything, but…"
Yosuke reached for his own drink, raising it in a toast of his own. "Still, this is still on me—refills and all. A small thank you and a welcome to town." The brunette paused for a moment before smiling and turning to Chie. "Satonaka, yours is on me too."
"Yeah, I know." Chie said, taking another sip of her beverage.
"You know… You could at least sound grateful…" the brunette muttered, looking wounded. "Honestly… Sometimes I think you're only my friend for my wallet."
"That's just a bonus." Chie grinned, slapping Yosuke's shoulder in a friendly manner. "Seriously Yosuke, do you really think I'd make friends with someone just for free steak and soda?"
The brunette was silent, seemingly considering the idea.
"Yosuke!"
"Ahahaha, alright, alright. Calm down. You know I was kidding…"
"I'm sure you were…" Chie sighed and fell against the back of her seat, staring up at one of the flags waving in the warm breeze. "You know… Thinking about it, this place only opened like six months ago, but I haven't been to the local shopping district very much since then. A lot of stores there have been closing and… Oh, um… I… shoot…"
"You can't blame it all on Junes, can you?" Yosuke asked, looking hurt.
The brunette sighed and bowed his head as Chie glanced over at Souji, a pleading look on her face as she silently asked him to help.
"H-hey… Yosuke, come on… It isn't a big deal, I mean… Junes has really picked Inaba up, you know? There's a lot of stuff we've never had here before and…"
"Forget it…" the headphone boy muttered in a depressed tone. "Let's talk about something else, oka—huh?"
"What is it…?" Chie frowned, following Yosuke's gaze to a female who couldn't have been more than a year or two older then themselves.
Her light brown hair was wavy, falling around her shoulders. Her expression was tired and somewhat distant as she stared at the ground in front of her. She wore a white long-sleeve shirt and green pants under the signature Junes apron. A small name-tag was on her chest, but unreadable from their table.
"It's Saki-senpai…" Yosuke muttered as he stood up. "Sorry guys, I'll be right back."
"Is that Yosuke's girlfriend?" Souji asked curiously as he watched the brunette hurry over to the female, an eager look in his eyes.
Chie laughed, snorting in distaste as she watched Yosuke go, a sad light flickering in her pale-brown eyes. "Yeah, he wishes. That's Saki Konishi, her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district. She's working here part-time though…"
Souji glanced over at Saki and Yosuke, noting the faint tone of distaste in the pale-brunette's tone. Maybe she likes him…? He thought vaguely, It would make sense I suppose… Though it seems Yosuke's interests lie elsewhere.
Whatever Yosuke and Konishi were talking about, it seemed to make the brunette happy. Yosuke was laughing as Saki sighed, a tired smile on her face. A chill ran down Souji's spine and a sudden uneasy feeling filled him as he watched the wavy-haired girl stand up and walk his way. He shivered and shook his head slowly, looking up as Saki spoke to him.
"Are you the student who transferred here?"
Souji nodded, smiling politely.
"Oh, did you hear about me already?" Saki giggled, "It must be nice to have someone to talk to from the big-city, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much." Behind her, Yosuke started to protest, looking embarrassed, but Saki continued, ignoring the brunette's sputtering. "He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you two get along alright. Hana-chan is a great guy, but he can be really nosey sometimes. If he's annoying you, you've gotta tell him right to his face to back off."
Yosuke gave Saki's back a wounded look as he crossed his arms, trying to act nonchalant as he watched Souji from the corner of his eye, waiting for the silverette's response.
"I'm not so sure about that." Souji smiled, "He's a great guy… He's nice, funny, and pretty generous too."
Behind Saki, Yosuke beamed, his eyes sparkling with gratitude.
"Haha… I know, I know. I'm just kidding."
Another shiver ran down Souji's spine. Something about this girl—the way she spoke, held herself, and even the way she looked at Yosuke—there was something about it Souji didn't like at all. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes moving toward the ground as Saki pulled away. That girl… something about how she spoke… I don't like it. It's almost as if she's forcing herself to smile for Yosuke. Is she just tired…? And… this foreboding feeling. Why… do I feel as if I'm never going to see her again? It's a small town, the likelihood that I'd run into her is fairly high, so why…?
"My break is just about over, I'm gonna head back inside before I'm late. I'll see you all again sometime. Play nice, Hana-chan."
Yosuke sighed and shook his head, his eyes rolling slightly. "Anyway… Saki-senpai says that I'm annoying, but in truth, she's even nosier then I am. She has a younger brother at home, and… she treats me pretty much the same way as she treats him."
"Oooo…" Chie smirked, making Yosuke jump. "So you don't want her treating you like a little brother, huh? I see… So that's how it is. How dramatic! The daughter of the local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain that threatens their business… The flame of forbidden loves burns so brightly… it almost hurts."
"Wha-!? Huh!?" Yosuke blushed, shaking his head. "Dude, it's not like that…"
"Oh really?" The female sounded skeptical, "Because I think there's something much deeper than just 'brotherly love' going on here."
"Yeah?" Yosuke rolled his eyes, "Then I suggest you invest in glasses. Floor four on the eastern wing—you've obviously gone blind. Need me to help you there or can you feel your way around?"
"Haha, very funny. You're a regular comedian, aren't you?"
"I try my best."
"I'm sure you do…" Chie muttered, looking annoyed. "Anyway, I've got something much more interesting then Yosuke's corrupted love life."
"It's not corrupted! Will you drop it already? I don't-!"
"Yeah, yeah—whatever. Just be quiet and listen, okay? I've got some juicy stuff here. It might even cure that love-sick heart of yours."
"I'm not—gaugh. Whatever… Just tell us already."
"You ever hear of the Midnight Channel?" Chie leaned forward in her seat, a sly grin tugging at her lips. "You're supposed to look into a TV, alone, at exactly midnight when it's raining. As you stare at your own image, another person will appear on the screen. As the stories go… That person is your soul mate."
"…What?" Yosuke frowned, looking disappointed. "Are you serious? Geez, talk about—for a second, I actually thought you were going to say something useful. Not a children's story… Seriously, how can you get excited over some urban legend started by a grade-schooler?"
"Wha—grade schooler!? You don't believe it at all, do you!?"
"Of course I don't!" Yosuke snapped, "Why would I? I mean it's—Souji, help me out here."
"It does seem… unrealistic." Souji said, carefully choosing over his words. He didn't want to take sides in a war, especially not one between these two. "But the idea is interesting, you must admit. Aren't you curious at all, Yosuke?"
"No," the brunette replied bluntly. "Not really, no."
"Fine then! If you're so sure that it won't work, then we'll all try it out—that means you too, Souji-kun. It's raining tonight, so stay up and wait—then you'll see."
"Try it out…? Are you telling me that you haven't even bothered trying it out yourself!? That the—don't drag me into this stuff if you don't even know all the details yourself! Ugh… I'm trying to remember the last time I heard something this stupid."
"It's not stupid!" Chie growled, "You're just scared to try it out!"
"Oh yeah, terrified. Because looking at a TV at midnight is what really gets my bones shaking."
"Then say you'll try it!"
"I'm not going to try it because it's stupid!"
"You're scared! Admit it!"
"I'm not scared!"
"Then do it!"
"No!"
"Yosuke-!"
"I'll do it."
Both heads turned toward Souji, bewildered looks on their faces.
"I'll do it," Souji repeated. "If it means that much to you, Satonaka-san, then I'll try it out. I need to unpack tonight, so I'll be up late anyway."
"Souji-kun!" Chie's eyes sparkled as she turned to the silver-haired teen. "Thank you! See, Yosuke? Why can't you be more like him? Live a little! Oh… and it's just Chie. Really, drop the formalities. I feel old."
"Fine, fine!" Yosuke groaned, "I'll try out your stupid legend. Geez… If I knew you were going to get this upset over it, I would have just agreed from the start to keep you quiet. Honestly…"
"I wasn't-!"
"All that aside…" Yosuke sighed, "You guys know about that 'incident' yesterday, right? Think it could have been murder—Souji and I talked about it a little at lunch but… Oh man! What if the culprit was still lurking around? Ooooehehehehe…."
"Sheesh… You shouldn't joke about stuff like that, Yosuke. And knock it off with that laugh, it's creepy. Who's acting childish now, huh?" Chie leaned forward in her seat again, fixing Yosuke with a glare. "You guys better try it out tonight…"
"Wh—why are you only glaring at me!? We already said we would, geez. Drop it already… We'll try it, okay? You have our word. We'll try it. You want a picture or something as proof?"
"No, I'll just send you a text message." The brunette female smiled, "The noise is less likely to wake you up if you bail-out."
The "Midnight Channel"? Huh… Souji gazed at the slowly darkening clouds, sipping at his drink absently as he zoned out the bickering of the two teens at the table with him. The name sounds familiar… It's the same feeling I got with Yosuke and the others. I wonder what it is… Nostalgia? No… That wouldn't make sense. Perhaps someone mentioned it in the city…? No, the rumors would have been huge, something like that… Maybe Yukiko was right about "kindred spirits." Maybe it was fate or destiny… Heh. What am I talking about? Things like that don't exist.
The silverette sat up in his seat, shaking his head slowly. I mean honestly, what— He froze, eyes wide as an image of a woman with pale-blonde hair and an old man with snowy-white locks flashed before his eyes. He shuddered and shook his head, not wanting to remember that dream or the one that followed. He still felt a chill every time he thought about the fog-filled dream and he could hear the scream every time he closed his eyes. …Just what the hell is going on?
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"Nanako…? Did your father call tonight?" Souji asked quietly over his sushi bento, "I saw his partner today when I was walking home. He seemed tired but…"
Nanako sighed softly and looked down at her food, poking a small pile of ginger with her chopsticks.
"H-hey…" The silverette winced, a small force tugging at his chest at the depressed look at Nanako's face. "Don't worry; I'm sure it'll be just fine."
"…Yeah," Nanako nodded. "He's usually home late, so—"
The front door opened and Nanako leapt to her feet, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Oh! He's home! Da… Dad?"
Souji turned, not surprised by the exhausted look on Dojima's face. The older man sighed, rubbing his forehead as he slowly ambled toward the couch, looking more like a grandfather in the late years of his life then a detective in his early forties.
"…Uncle Dojima? Are you alright?"
The detective sighed, falling backward on the couch with a soft mutter of 'what a day.' He winced and readjusted himself into a more comfortable sitting position, offering Souji and Nanako a tired smile.
"I'm back… Did anything happen while I was out?"
"No…" Nanako shook her head, looking upset. "You're late again…!"
"I know, I know… I'm sorry. There was a—well, work was busy today. Would you mind turning on the news for me?"
Nanako opened her mouth to protest, but seemed to think better and shut it, nodding silently as she fell back down on her cushion. She changed the channel without a word and started eating again, her movements just a little faster than before.
He's home now… Though she doesn't show it, she's a little happier at least. Souji thought, turning to look at the news report. It isn't fun when your parents have a job that keeps them away all the time. I can understand how you feel, Nanako.
"…announcer Mayumi Yamano's dead body was found hanging above a house in this rural town. It was confirmed that Ms. Yamano was having an affair with enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi's husband, Taro Namatame. We…"
Souji turned away from the TV to focus on his food once more. The sushi suddenly seemed to have no taste in his mouth as another chill ran up his spine. Am I really that unnerved by a murder? I wasn't even involved… Why would it affect me? Is it just because I had a shaky start here? No… that can't be it. Then what—huh?
"…you an interview with the student who found Ms. Yamano's body."
The silverette stared at the screen in shock, his eyes widening faintly. What the…? That girl… That's… Yosuke's senpai! That's the Konishi girl.
"An interview with the kid…?" Dojima groaned from the couch. "How the hell did they find her? I thought I told Adachi to escort her straight home…"
Intercepted? Or perhaps this happened just after work? Souji thought absently, staring at the blurred face on the screen. His mind wasn't processing anything that was being said, his pale orbs too focused on the girl. Despite the poor attempt at covering her face, it was obvious who it was, and the silverette questioned why they went through the trouble of blurring her face in the first place. Pointless… She seems confused thought. Upset too…
"Pretty insane, huh?" a new reporter appeared on the screen with two more on either side of him. "I mean, hanging a body upside down from an antenna. Talk about capital-W weird."
"Yes," the second reporter nodded. "But so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime."
Who would…? Souji frowned. It was murder. Not the type of crime someone would want to be punished for.
"Loads of prank calls, though…" Dojima sighed. "Honestly, you'd think it was all a big game to them…"
"It isn't as easy as you would think…" Souji muttered darkly as the reporter began to bad-mouth the police, "If the job isn't yours, you can criticize it all you want and not feel bad about it at all…"
"We'll be right back after these messages…"
"At Junes, everyday is…"
Souji bit back a groan and turned back to his food, focusing very hard on closing his ears. That jingle is going to drive me mad before the month is over.
"Ever day's great at your Junes!" Nanako chimed in happily with the commercial. "Hey, dad… Can we go to Junes together sometime?"
Silence.
"…No?" Nanako asked, wounded. She turned to look at Dojima, frowning as a soft snore filled the room. "He's asleep…"
Souji opened his mouth, almost saying, 'I'll take you sometime' but caught himself before he could finish. He shook his head, sighing. I promised myself when I came here I wouldn't get close to anyone. It's so much easier that way… Besides, I don't want to seem like I'm trying to one-up her dad. I don't want to get close to them, but I don't want to start a war either.
Standing up, the silverette gathered his dishes and entered the kitchen, emptying the food he hadn't eaten into the trash before tossing the reusable dishes into the sink.
Pausing at the foot of the stairs, he turned, watching as Nanako draped a pink blanket over her father. Heh… Daddy's little girl all the way, huh? She really is something…
"Nanako?"
"Yeah…?"
"I'm gonna head upstairs and start unpacking my things. Do you need anything before I head up?"
"No… I can finish cleaning. I'll go to bed after I watch TV. I can take care of dad too."
"Alright, don't stay up too late. Goodnight."
"Goodnight…"
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That took longer than I thought it would… Souji thought as he fell back on the black couch in his room, groaning softly. I didn't bring that much, but I'm still tired… I guess it's just from moving all the books. That's the bulk of what I brought, anyway.
Glancing at the clock, the silverette blinked in surprise. Exactly two minutes before midnight. He stood up and walked over to his window, drawing back the curtain. Sure enough, as his ears had told him before glancing out, it was raining.
He dropped the curtain and turned away, walking over to where the TV sat on the dresser. Staring at the blank screen, Souji couldn't help but feel slightly foolish as he gazed at his own faded reflection. I guess I shouldn't have encouraged Chie like that… Yosuke was right, the idea was ridiculous. "Soul mate"…? That sort of stuff… it doesn't happen.
The silverette chuckled softly as he turned away from the TV, intent on climbing into his futon and getting as much asleep as he could. He closed his eyes and stretching, yawning. As he opened his eyes once more, his body tensed, freezing up completely as he stared at the reflection of the lit TV screen on his window.
Turning slowly, he stared in shock at the static that danced across the screen. A blurred image flickered into focus before dying, the process repeating itself several times. A bright flashed filled his room and a loud crack followed shortly after, but the raging storm outside wasn't enough to tear the silverette's memorized gaze from the TV.
"Wh-what… the hell…?" he muttered, taking half a step back. "I-is this some kind of joke? This can't be—aurgh!"
Souji doubled over, grabbing his head as he stumbled backward.
"I am thou…" a voice echoed in his mind. "…and thou art I…"
"W-who are you?" Souji hissed in pain, swaying dangerously, eyes shut as he tried to push the voice away. It felt like his leg was being split in half, the searing agony spreading throughout his entire body.
"Thou art the one who opens the door…"
"D-door…? Wh-what door? What are you talking about? Who are you!?"
Another loud bang sounded outside and Souji gasped as a final wave of pain washed over him and he fell to his knees. He didn't move, choosing to remained doubled over, eyes shut, as he tried to regain his senses. The pain had faded almost instantly, leaving him slightly disoriented and confused.
Slowly, almost cautiously, he raised his head, eyeing the TV uneasily. The screen was blank, giving off the faint glow that a blank television screen often did when it was powered on.
Gulping, the silverette glanced toward his futon, quite sure that this wasn't a dream, but dearly wishing that it was. He'd take the old man and strange girl again every night if he had to, but whatever had just happened… it was creepy, but what disturbed the silverette wasn't the frantic beating of his heart of his ragged breathing. It wasn't that his TV had turned on as Chie said it would or that someone appeared, it wasn't even the voice. It was that, despite the impossibility that any of that had just happened… he didn't have a single doubt in his mind that it was all real—and he had a feeling that he'd been through all of it before.
Standing up, Souji walked over to the TV, hesitating as he gazed at the screen. He looked around the empty room, as if expecting someone might suddenly pop out from nowhere and see how foolish he was acting. The thought was pushed aside as he raised a hand slowly, pausing for a moment, before taping the screen with his finger.
The screen burst into life again, waving as if he'd just tapped the surface of a bowl of water. The TV was now emitting a dull blue glow that filled the once dark room, almost inviting. Glancing around once more, Souji turned back to the screen, his eyebrows knitting together as he pushed against what should have been glass with his entire palm. He gasped as his hand moved forward, moving through the screen as if it were nothing more than air.
"What the—gaugh!" Something seemed to tug at his arm, and before he could blink, his head and most of his shoulders had been pulled inside.
Movement suddenly stopped and the silverette felt a wave of gratitude toward whoever had invented the smaller room-size TVs. He was stuck—not that this was good news—but it was better news than knowing he'd be trapped in a TV for the rest of his life.
His free arm—not inside the TV—flailed as he tried to find a sturdy leverage to push himself out. Finding the top of the TV, he grabbed the edge and shoved, feeling his body being thrown backward as his head and other arm flew out with a small 'pop' as he fell backward.
Stars danced across the teen's vision as he groaned, holding his head. He cursed silently, rubbing the back of his skull where it had connected with the coffee table in the middle of his floor. His eyes burned and watered as his head throbbed and he shook it, blinking the stars away as he heard a knock.
"Are you okay…?" Nanako's tired and muffled voice called through the door.
"Y-yeah…" Souji replied. "Kind of…"
"I heard a crash…" the young brunette said, sounding worried. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"N-no…" the silverette forced a small laugh. "I just tripped over something I dropped. Sorry, Nanako… I didn't mean to wake you up."
"Oh… okay." A pause then, "Well, goodnight…"
"Goodnight…"
Waiting until Nanako's footsteps faded away completely, Souji stood up and rubbed his head once more. He gazed at the TV in bewilderment. The screen was now completely off, the only light source in the room coming from the streetlamps outside.
He shook his head and quickly moved over to his futon, climbing under the covers and burying his face in the pillow.
What… the heck just happened? He closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head. …Those two are going to think I'm insane tomorrow when I tell them about this.
"…Heh. No better way to say hello to a new town than becoming the village idiot."
Shutting his eyes, Souji fell into, at least what he hoped would be, a dreamless sleep.
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As Souji walked into the classroom the next morning, he blinked, staring at the woman in front of the room. He vaguely remembered seeing her before on his first day in the office, but he hadn't committed her to memory, thinking it unlikely that he'd see her again.
Slipping into his seat, the silverette leaned over, muttering in a low voice so that only Chie and Yosuke would hear him, "We need to talk after school."
The other two nodded, the look in their eyes telling Souji that they'd seen everything he had last night. He felt calmer knowing this, but he couldn't help but wonder if either of them had heard the voice or nearly been sucked into their TVs. He vaguely remembered being told once long ago that—no matter what the situation—hearing bodies without a voice wasn't good and he decided to leave that out of his story until he could better understand what he had heard.
"Hello everyone!" a cheerful voice rang through the room, pulling Souji from his thoughts. "My name is Kimiko Sofue! It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm not sure how familiar you all are with history, but I am an expert!"
The students were in awe. After having to deal with Mr. Morooka for two days, they had all completely forgotten that their regular subjects would be starting today. The atmosphere of the classroom was calm and rather pleasant compared to that of which it was with 'King Moron' in the room. This woman was—most definitely—strange, but at not at all crude.
"Let's see… Why don't I start with telling you a little about myself? I love to use my dowser to look for lost items and there is nothing quite like a good romance." Ms. Soufe beamed, "In fact, world history is like a beautiful and magnificent romance in and of itself. History is quite like a river; it was born so long ago, but it continues to push forward, sometimes small parts of its path often getting lost. I hope that we are all able to enjoy the beauty that is history together. Ohohohoho!
"Since this is my first lecture of the year, I'll start with something simple. Let's see… Oh! I know! Our transferee, young Mr. Seta! My dowsing rod tells me you are the boy to pick!"
Souji winced, feeling all eyes immediately fall on him as he stood up slowly. The idea of giving the wrong answer flickered across his mind temporarily, but he pushed the thought away. His grades had always been the only thing he had complete control over. No matter where he went, he was able to keep them near or at the top of his class, and, even though he had no friends despite his popularity, he held them with pride.
"When did A.D.—in other words, Anno Domini—begin?"
The silverette smirked, answering with full confidence. "Anno Domini began after the birth of Christ—that is to say, Jesus. It is a term in Medieval Latin meaning 'In the year of Our Lord.' The full name is 'Anno Domini Nostri Jesu' meaning 'In the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ.' A.D. and B.C. are designations used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars."
Ms. Sofue blinked, her mouth hanging open slightly as she stared at Souji in awe. The students were flabbergasted as they gazed at the teen in admiration, making the silverette's cheeks heat up very faintly. …Too much? He wondered vaguely, slowly slipping back into his seat.
"…Holy shit, dude." Yosuke finally muttered, breaking the spell of silence that had fallen over the class.
"I... y-yes… that's correct, Mr. Seta." Ms. Soufe said, finally finding her voice. "You have quite the impressive knowledge of history. I'm in shock… Um, now, as Mr. Seta said, A.D…"
When the last bell finally rang, Souji couldn't have been more grateful. Impressed by his vast knowledge of everything she spoke about; Ms. Soufe had taken to directing every question she had for the class at the silverette. It was apparent that she had spoken with his afternoon teachers as well when he became a sudden target of their attention, when—according to Yosuke—they normally allowed transfer students to settle in before giving them the spotlight. He could only hope that by tomorrow everyone would be less impressed and see him as a smart-ass rather than a genius.
Sighing, the silverette gathered his notebooks and slipped them into his bag, his mind drifting back to the events of the previous night. I wonder what those two saw… I couldn't recognize the girl I saw, but she was definitely in one of our uniforms. Does that mean… my soul mate is here? No… That wouldn't make any—
"Y-yo. Um…" Yosuke approached Souji, jerking the silverette back down to earth as he struggled to say what it was he wanted to say. "Um… Last night, I, um… On the TV I…" he trailed off again, shifting his weight around on the balls of his feet. "Well, you know… it… Ah, it's nothing. Nevermind, I'll tell you later, okay?"
From the other side of the room, Chie slipped back into the classroom, returning from her bathroom run. Spotting Souji and Yosuke, she quickly made her way around the desks and approached the pair, looking uneasy.
"H-hey, Yosuke. Have you heard the rumors? People are saying that it was Saki-san who found the body…"
Yosuke nodded gravely. "Yeah, I've heard them... I wonder if that's why she looked so down yesterday. I haven't seen her at school today either."
In the row ahead of where Souji was sitting, Yukiko stood up, brushing her skirt down before starting toward the door.
"Hey, Yukiko… Are you helping out at the inn today too?" Chie called as her raven friend turned to address her.
"Yeah. Things are out of hand right now…" Yukiko sighed, "It's much busier then it normally is, so I have to help out. I'm sorry…"
Chie shook her head, smiling in understanding. "No, no. That's alright… Sorry to hear things are so nuts over there. If you ever need any help, you know where to find me."
Yukiko smiled weakly and nodded, muttering a quick, "Thanks," before hurrying out the door.
"Huh…" Yosuke frowned, "Is it just me, or does Yukiko-san seem really stressed out lately? It must be touch having to work for a family business like that. Working at Junes is annoying and all, but it isn't particularly stressful."
"I guess they're running her ragged…" Chie sighed, "I called her last night and she sounded really tired then too, like she hadn't had a chance to rest all day—but enough about that. Don't butt into Yukiko's business."
"Hey! I'm just worried about a fellow classmate, that's all."
"I'm sure…" Chie rolled her eyes. "Anyway… Did you two see… it… last night? You know… on the Midnight Channel?"
"Uh," the brunette hesitated, "Wh-what about you? Did you see anything?"
"I did!" Chie nodded, "I saw a… Well, I saw a girl. Does that mean… a girl is my soul mate? What the heck is that supposed to mean? I couldn't even tell who it was… but it was definitely a girl. She was wearing the Yasogami girl's uniform and everything! She had brown hair, about shoulder length, and I think it was wavy… The image wasn't clear enough to tell though."
"What!?" Yosuke gasped, looking shocked. "That's the same thing I saw—but you're image sounds like it was clearer. Mine was so blurry, I couldn't make out the finer details at all."
"So you saw it too!? And… the same girl as me?" Chie tilted her head, frowning. "So then… does that mean we have the same soul mate…?"
"How the heck should I know?" Yosuke shrugged, "I didn't even think this stupid voodoo would work. You can't expect me to be able to explain it…
"What about you?" the brunette asked, turning to Souji. "Did you see anything?"
Souji nodded. "I did… and it sounds like I saw the same girl as you two."
The silverette proceeded to explain everything he'd seen, the girl who looked as if she were running from something, the bizarre glow when the image had finally disappeared, and then finally, a rather awkward explanation of how his hand had been sucked into the TV. As expected, the looks he received as he told the end of his story were somewhat skeptical and confused, obviously not believing a word he said.
"It sounds like we all saw the same person but—that aside…" Yosuke frowned, "What was that about getting sucked into your TV…? Were you that tired last night? You must have just fallen asleep in front of it."
"That'd be some dream though, wouldn't it?" Chie asked, grinning. "I like where you got stuck because your TV was too small. Talk about realistic. But there's no way that could happen, right?"
Souji shrugged. "I'm just telling you what I saw… I don't know if it was a dream or not." He ran a hand over the back of his head, wincing as his fingers brushed over the swollen lump that had formed by morning. Still, I woke up in my bed this morning, so I couldn't have fallen asleep in front of the TV… and the bump is there too. Could it… be because I bumped my head that I seem to remember all this? No… either way, it doesn't make sense.
"You know, if it had been bigger, then…" Chie trailed off, her eyes widening as she remembered something. "Oh! Speaking of larger TVs… My family is thinking about getting a new one."
"Yeah?" Yosuke asked curiously. "Flatscreens seem to be really popular these days. Want me to show you on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month. New shipments and everything. There's some pretty cool stuff that's come in lately."
"Whoa… Really? Definitely!" Chie nodded, "My parents don't know anything about TVs, and I really want to see all my kung-fu movies on a big screen!"
Yosuke rolled his eyes and turned to Souji, ignoring Chie as she demonstrated several of the moves she'd learned from the movies.
"Why don't you come with us? There are some pretty big ones that just came in… I bet you'd even be able to fit inside. Hahaha."
"Wh…" Souji glared as Yosuke continued to laugh.
It was obvious to the silverette that neither of the two were going to take him seriously about this, no matter how sure about it he was. He sighed and grabbed his bag, standing up.
"Yeah, sure… I'll tag along."
"Great!" Chie smiled. "Then let's get going!"
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The three teens reached Junes and made their way to the electronics department without difficulty. Yosuke lead the other two to the center of the western wing of the floor, stopping near a wall covered in large, rather glamorous flatscreen TVs.
Each one had a differing size then the one beside it, all giving off a faint gleam under the ceiling lights. A cityscape screensaver played across several of the screens, zooming close to and away from a group of red flowers in front of a skyscraper.
Approaching the largest TV in the area, Chie gasped loudly as she marveled at its large size.
"Wow… this is huge! And… Holy crap, it's expensive! Who the heck spends that much money on a TV? Who could even afford something like this?"
"I dunno…" Yosuke shrugged nonchalantly, "Rich people?"
"What 'rich people'? I didn't know Inaba even had rich people."
"Honestly, not many people shop for TVs around here. That's why there's no sales clerks around here, nothing for them to watch or do."
"That sucks…" Chie sighed, "Well, at least looking is free, right?"
Glancing at Yosuke, the brunette female smiled slyly and nodded toward the TV. The headphone-clad boy laughed and stepped forward with her as they both pressed their hands to the screen of the TV. Souji watched them silently, eyebrow raised as they tapped it several times.
"…Nope, can't get in. Go figure."
"Maybe there's a switch." Chie grinned, "You know, like a menu setting or something."
"Ooo. You might be right. Want me to go in back and get the remote? We can try it out."
"You can both go to hell…" Souji muttered darkly as the pair laughed in amusement.
"Aw… Come on, we're just playing with you," giggled Chie brightly. "Besides, this proves it was just a dream."
Souji only grunted in response.
"Besides, this flatscreen is so thin, you'd just end up on the other side if you—gaugh! What am I saying!? Now you've got me talking about it." Yosuke groaned and shook his head, sighing. "Anyway… What kind of TV are you guys looking for, Chie? Anything special?"
"Well…" the martial-artist shrugged, "They said they wanted one that's cheap. You know? A good one, but not something like this… too expensive." She knocked on the screen of the TV once more with her knuckle. "You got any suggestions?"
"Well, Miss," Yosuke began in his best business tone, leading Chie down the row of TVs. "Might I suggest this model here? It has a large screen with simply stunning resolution. It's the newest model released just this spring and is all the rage with the kids."
"Huh…" Chie leaned forward, tapping the screen once. "Doesn't look like you can crawl in this one either."
"I said go to hell!" Souji snapped, earning another burst of giggles from the two.
Honestly, those two… Souji sighed as he approached the large TV screen in front of him, staring at his reflection. I guess… it really was a dream, huh? If those two can't do it, why would I be able to?
"Anyway, this one looks—Wha!? This isn't cheap at all! There's way to many zeros on that price tag!"
"…I should have asked what you meant by 'cheap' right off the bat."
"Aw… Come on!" Chie tugged Yosuke's sleeve. "Don't you have like, connections or something? Come on! Hook me up with the good stuff!"
"Wha…? You know I can't do that!" Yosuke sighed, "Just because I'm the manager's son… Anyway, what about this one down here? The display unit is old but it's pretty nice and it's bigger than the one you have at home."
Yosuke lead Chie further down the aisle, leaving Souji alone with the large TV. The silverette continued to stare at his reflection, slowly weighing his options in his mind. If it was a dream… then I'd just touch the screen, right? No harm, no foul. If it wasn't… then I'd be able to prove it to them, right here and now. He stepped forward, slowly raising a hand. What could go wrong…?
His palm pressed against the smooth surface of the TV screen, a small sigh of disappointment escaping his lips.
"I guess it was a—guagh!"
The surface of the TV seemed to turn into nothing and his hand slipped in easily, just as it had the night before. As if made by water, the screen around Souji's hand rippled, fanning outward to the rest of the screen as the silverette stared at his own vanished hand in shock.
"Geez, Chie! Make up your mind... I mean—oh! Right…. Hey, Souji, what kind of TVs do y…ou…" the brunette's voice trailed off, his eyes bulging as he stared at Souji in shock.
"Huh? Yosuke? Is something wrong? What…?" Chie turned, gasping sharply.
"I-is his arm… inside the TV!? H-holy…"
"Whoa…" Chie took a step back, bumping into Yosuke's chest. "I-is that like… a new model maybe? Like… with a new function or something?"
"What the-!? New model!? Hell no!"
The pair of them ran over, standing on either side of Souji as they looked around the surrounding area in a panic.
"Y-you gotta be kidding me! Did you really just stick your hand through the screen!?"
Souji shook his head slowly, smiling faintly. "No, I didn't… I stuck my hand in it."
"T-that's not funny!" the martial-artist shrieked, smacking Souji's shoulder. "W-what the heck is going on!?"
"Oh man… G-geez. This is for real… That's some magic trick, man. Really cool. Awesome… N-now how do you stop? What's the trick, huh? What's the magician's secret?"
The silverette glanced at Yosuke, an amused smile tugging at his lips as he stared at the astonished look on Yosuke's face. He shrugged and shook his head, indicating that he wasn't performing any tricks.
As he turned back to the TV screen, a voice at the back of his mind encouraged him to push forward, and stick more than just his hand inside. Curiosity got the better of him as he pulled his hand out and leaned forward, pushing his head and shoulders into the liquid-like screen.
"H-hey!" Yosuke cried behind him. "Don't do that! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"
"Oh my God… Oh my God… Oh my God…" Chie began chanting over and over again, pacing frantically behind Souji as her mind raced to process what it was seeing.
Inside the TV, Souji looked around, blinking as he realized how much empty space there was around him. The entire area was wide open, and covered in a thick, yellowish fog. He glanced downward, frowning as he realized he couldn't see the ground below him. Well, that's comforting. It's good to know that if I'd climbed in all the way I would have fallen into the unknown land of bizarre yellow fog. Although… The silverette looked thoughtful; Maybe I might just fall out a TV somewhere else. Like Vegas.
"It's really… empty in here." Souji called loudly, "It's spacious too… It looks as if it could be as big as Inaba. Although, it's a little hard to see..."
"Wh-what the hell!?" Yosuke cried in disbelief. "What do you mean inside!? And… spacious!? Have you… lost your mind!? You just stuck your head inside a TV and you're telling me it's SPACIOUS? Aren't you… freaked out at ALL by this!? Dude! Seriously, cut the crap and get out of there! You might have nerves of steel but I sure as hell don't!"
"How can it be empty!?" Chie all but shouted. "It's a TV! There's no room for anything to BE empty! C-come on already, just get out of there."
"H-holy crap…" Yosuke whimpered, wincing as he began jumping from foot to foot. "T-this is insane… I think this is too much for my bladder to handle."
"What the-!?" Chie jumped backward. "Are you gonna pee your pants!? Gross!"
"No I'm not gonna piss myself!" Yosuke snapped, "I've been holding it in all day! I haven't had a chance to go! I can't hold it in anymore!"
"Go inside the TV then! Obviously there's room for it."
"NO!" Souji and Yosuke cried at the same time.
"My head's in here!"
"Pull it out!"
Souji decided to give the pair a slightly vengeful response, smirking as he spoke. "I don't want to… I kinda like it in here."
"Oh, for the love of—GET OUT OF THERE, RIGHT NOW!"
Souji was silent for a moment before grinning widely, knowing that Chie couldn't see his face. "…No."
"Get. Out. NOW. Before I DRAG you out!"
"Dude," Yosuke said in a warning tone, "you'd better do it. Chie's scary when she's angry."
"What was that!?"
"It, uh… O-oh crap! Customers! They're coming!"
Unaware of the approaching danger, Souji leaned forward, slipping his shoulders several inches deeper into the TV. "Oh wow… Is that a steak-house?"
"Wha-!?" Chie's attention was immediately diverted from Yosuke as she stepped toward the TV. "Steak!? Let me see!"
"No you idiot!" Yosuke groaned, "Don't encourage her! I—hey! Don't push!"
"Then stop pulling, Yosuke!"
"But there are customers—SHIT!"
"Wha—eeek!"
"What the hell are you two doing out—hey! Don't push me! We're gonna—augh!"
With a small 'pop' the three of them disappeared from sight and tumbled forward, screaming as they fell into the deaths of the abyss inside the TV.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
With a sickening thud, the three teens finally came in contact with the ground. Yosuke groaned and rubbed his side, swearing under his breath.
"Ow… Man… What the hell did I land on?"
"Yosuke Hanamura… I. Suggest. You. Move. Your. Hands."
"C-Chie!?"
"NOW!"
"Chie... I really think you need to move yours. Didn't Mr. Morooka tell the females not to make a move on me?" Souji muttered from the bottom of the pile. "Besides, I already have a girlfriend…"
"Really?" Yosuke asked, sounding hopeful.
"Don't get any ideas, Yosuke!"
"Chie…" Souji muttered, sounding almost as if he were in pain. "Your hands… please."
"I-I can't move until Yosuke gets off me!"
"Yosuke move, or... I'll tell Chie about what's under your futon." Souji growled in frustration, feeling his lungs struggling to work against the pressure on them.
"WHAT?! Dude, how could you possibly—Uhhh..."
"...Your futon, huh?" Chie asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What is under your futon, Yosuke?"
"Okay, okay! I'm getting off! Damn, you're cruel, dude!"
Souji sighed in relief as he felt both the weights on his chest shift and move away, allowing his airway access to air again. The silverette had no idea what it was that possessed him to say that to Yosuke in the first place, but he was grateful it worked.
Standing up, the silverette offered a hand to Yosuke, tugging the brunette to his feet who, in turn, bent down and gently pulled Chie to her feet, muttering an apology under his breath. The martial-artist fixed Yosuke with a heated glare, but said nothing about the matter.
She turned, glancing around the stage-like platform they'd landed on.
"…Whoa. What on earth…? We're… uh… We're still alive, right?"
Souji shook his head slowly, shrugging. "I don't know. Is… this a dream, maybe?"
"N-no…" Yosuke muttered, rubbing his backside. "I-I'd say the pain I'm feeling right now is very real."
"Oh don't be such a baby…" Chie sighed, "Honestly, you'd think someone kicked you."
I'm almost surprised you didn't… Souji thought, not daring to speak the words aloud, in fear of getting kicked himself.
"R-real…?" Chie muttered, "But… how can that…?"
Yosuke shook his head and looked up, gasping. "W-whoa!"
"Wh-what!?" the brunette female jumped. "What now!? Did you wet your pants already?"
"Did I—what!? No, I didn't wet my pants! Look around!"
"I did! And I'm just as confused as you are!" Chie's face fell, a pout forming on her lips. "…And I don't see that steak house either."
"What the-!? There is no steak house!" Yosuke cried, "What are you, stupid!?"
"What was that!?" Chie snarled, rounding on Yosuke. "You wanna repeat-
"The steak is a lie."
Chie and Yosuke stopped, staring at Souji in bewilderment.
"…What?"
"…Nothing, nevermind. It isn't important right now." Souji sighed, glancing around the surrounding area. "Hey, guys… Is it just me, or does this place look like a…?"
"…A studio?" Chie asked quietly, following Souji's gaze. "And what about all this fog…? Or smoke maybe…?"
"I don't know…" Souji muttered, feeling an odd, unexplainable sense of nostalgia.
"There isn't anywhere like this in Inaba, is there…?" whispered Chie, looking uncertain.
"Like hell there is!" Yosuke groaned, "When was the last time you took a walk around Inaba and ended up in Creepy Mcfogsville?"
"Wha… I was just asking! It isn't as if I know-"
"Both of you stop!" Souji shouted, stepping between the two bickering teens and pushing them apart. "Yosuke, stop… alright? And Chie, don't pick a fight with him. We're all lost and we're all confused. We're never going to get out of here if we don't keep our heads in place and I really don't think any of us want to get lost right now. So just… calm down, okay?"
Yosuke and Chie were silent as they stared at Yosuke, their mouths hanging open slightly.
"I… errgh… I'm sorry…" the martial-artist sighed. "Yosuke, I didn't mean to shout at you either, I'm-"
"Forget it," Yosuke shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I was wrong too. But… moving on. Have you two noticed how big this place is? I mean, it looks as if you could fit all of Inaba in here and then some."
"I don't know… What're we gonna do? What can we do?"
"Why don't we have a look around?" Souji suggested.
"H-huh!? B-but-!"
"Well, I highly doubt anyone is going to suddenly stick their head into the TV and find us. We're already lost, and wandering around isn't going to get us more lost or anything. We're not even sure where it is we need to go in the first place, so…" the silverette shrugged. "Why don't we just look around for something helpful?"
"W-wait! I mean, we got in right? Then we just need to go that way to get out. Which way did we come from?"
"Up." Souji and Yosuke said at the same time, pointing skywards.
"Wh-what!?" Chie cried, narrowing her eyes as she looked up, trying to see through the fog. "B-but… How are we supposed to-!? T-that can't be the only entrance! Auuugh! I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!"
"Chie…" Yosuke sighed, "We all do, but we don't know how! We-"
"We're doomed."
Yosuke jumped and turned to Souji, eyes wide. "D-don't say stuff like that! W-we're not doomed! W-we… we… Geez, let's just… calm down and think about this."
The silverette groaned, resisting the urge to smack his forehead. Now he suggests we calm down… Honestly, are those two that panicked over this? I know the situation is bad, but… I can't help but think I've been here before—and with these two. Am I… the only one who feels it? I don't understand… There's something about this place that's so… familiar.
"Still, how are we supposed to find a way out if we don't know where to look…?" reiterated Chie.
"Well, if there's no exit, we're trapped anyway, right?" Yosuke shrugged. "We might as well look around then, better than just standing here."
"Ugh! Yosuke! You're not comforting at all!"
"Can we… look around now?" Souji called from his position several yards away, "There's a bridge over here… If we follow this path, we should find something, and if not, we can come back and try one of the other paths."
"B-but… what if we can't find out way back?" Chie asked, sounding hesitant.
"Well, better lost then standing around doing nothing and waiting for something else to come find us, right?" Yosuke shrugged and started after Souji. "We might as well."
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How much time had passed since they had entered the strange world beyond the TV, none of the teens could be sure. It felt as if they'd been walking for hours, and their search was showing no results for their efforts. They'd been walking down the same path since they stepped off the metallic flooring of the bridge, dust—or what they believed was dust—clouded around their feet as they walked.
It was silent as they walked, both Chie and Yosuke having given up their bickering antics a while ago—which Souji was very grateful for. The silverette hadn't spoken a word since they started following the unknown path, and the silence from the other two allowed him to finally gather together his thoughts and try to figure out what it was about the area that was so familiar—as he was quite sure he'd never climbed into a television set before.
He scanned the area and paused, his eyes falling upon what appeared to be a huge apartment building. He stopped walking, nearly causing Yosuke to collide with him head on. The brunette grunted in surprise, avoiding the collision by stepping to the side and jabbing the silverette's arm in question.
Souji nodded toward the apartment building and quickened his pace, stepping off the path to approach the complex. Yosuke seemed to hesitate, glancing over his shoulder to ensure that Chie was still behind them. The martial-artist looked dazed, but seemed to have little trouble keeping up. The brunette waved his hand to get her attention and jerked his head in the direction that Souji was walking. A nod was his only reply and he shrugged before following after the silverette at a slow sprint.
As the small group reached the top of the stairs, the atmosphere around them seemed to change. The fog thinned faintly, but it did nothing to help their sight. Souji approached a metal railing that ran along the side of the hallway-like path that they'd found and he gasped softly. The scenery around had changed as well.
Where there had once been nothing but fog, Souji could make out silhouettes of buildings in various shapes. Street lamps that didn't appear to work could be seen throughout the area and odd crimson and jet-black swirls filled what Souji assumed was supposed to by the sky.
"Whoa… Where are we?" Chie muttered, joining Souji at the railing. "It's like we're in a completely different place than before, even the air has changed. It's somehow…"
"Creepier? Foreboding? Like something out of a slasher-flick?" The silverette suggested, grinning weakly.
"T-that's one way of putting it…" Chie shuddered. "I wouldn't have picked those words, but sure. Let's go with that."
"The fog's still so freakin' thick though." Yosuke sighed, "I can't see much of anything at all…"
Squinting, the brunette took several steps forward, his gaze fixed on something at the end of the hall. "Hey… Souji, Chie… I think… there's a door down there."
"Wha…? A door? Is it… safe? I mean, what if there's something… bad behind it?"
"Who knows," the headphone-clad boy shrugged. "But we have to trust our gut at least a little in here, right?"
"Well, yeah, but…" Chie hesitated, staring at the ground. "I'm not sure we should—h-hey! Wait up!"
The martial-artist sprinted after the two males as they disappeared through the bizarre vortex-like doorway at the end of the hallway. "Guys! Wait! I've got a bad feeling about this! GUYS!"
As they entered the room, Souji and Yosuke both noticed the immediate change in visibility. The fog was much thinner, allowing them to see the entire room they had entered with ease.
The room was small, no more than a large bedroom. Furniture was minimal and held nothing significant to its appearance. A bed sat in the far corner of the room, in front of a wall covered in floor-to-ceiling windows. The windows curtains were pulled back, allowing the soft yellow glow from the world outside to fade in. Above the bed were two large bookshelves, hanging from the wall filled with various trinkets and books. Next to the bed was a plant too dead for Souji to recognize, and sitting several feet away from the bed was a chair.
"…Whoa. Talk about weird." Yosuke muttered, looking around. "Is it just me, or did the fog suddenly get thinner? Maybe I could..." The brunette reached into his pocket and produced a cell-phone, glancing at the screen. "Heh, no service. What a surprise…"
"Are you two hard of hearing!?" Chie snapped as she finally entered the room. "I asked you two to wait! It's hard enough walking around here when I can barely see two inches in front of my own face! I—wh-what the…?"
The brunette female turned around slowly, her eyes widening as she stared at the walls of the room. "Wh-what's going on here…?"
Souji and Yosuke turned, following Chie's gaze, gasping sharply as they realized the condition of the rest of the room. Posters lined the wooden walls, all of them missing their faces with crimson blood staining everything.
"This place just gets creepier and creepier, doesn't it…?" Souji muttered, turning away from the walls as an icy chill ran up and down his spine. Have I… seen this room before? But… no, surely I would have remembered something like this…
"Auuuugh!" Yosuke groaned, making Souji and Chie jump. "I can't hold it anymore! My bladder is gonna burst!"
The brunette turned and ran over to the fall wall, making Chie shriek in horror as the sound of his zipper being pulled down seemed to echo throughout the bizarre room.
"Yosuke! What the hell are you doing!?"
"I have to go! I'm gonna piss my pants soon if I don't!"
"So what!? Your solution is to go in here!? Oh, you have got to be kidding!"
"J-just turn around! I can't go if you're both watching!"
"Then don't go at all!"
"Don't watch!"
"Will you both just—"
"Argh… I can't go with you two here. If my bladder explodes, I blame you two."
"As if we care…" Chie muttered darkly. "Anyway, what's up with this room, huh? All the posters are missing their faces and… is that blood? Someone must really hate whoever this person is."
Souji eyed the posters as Yosuke shuddered and shook his head, approaching the chair that sat rather awkwardly in the center of the room.
"Who knows… There's all sorts of weird-ass voodoo in the… H-hey… g-guys?"
The silverette and martial-artist turned, eyeing the quickly paling Yosuke oddly.
"What's up…?" Souji asked, "You look ready to be sick."
"I-I think I might be…" The brunette gulped and pointed to a scarf hanging above the chair in the shape of a noose. "This chair… and that rope… This type of arrangement is never good. I don't care what world it's in."
Chie laughed nervously and began edging toward the door, looking as pale as Yosuke. "C-c'mon. Let's go back to where we came from, okay? We'll find another path…"
The brunette nodded and followed after the female without any arguments. Hazel eyes racked over the walls once more as the headphone-clad male paused by the door, frowning.
"You know… I think I've seen this poster before somewhere. I can't remember where though…"
"W-who cares!" Chie groaned, "Let's just get out of here! I'm sick of this place, it's creepy! And… I'm not feeling so good…"
"Now that you mention it…" Yosuke shivered, "Me too… Come on, let's head back."
The silverette followed after the other two silently, noticing just how heavy his body felt. His head felt like it was spinning, and the feeling he felt back when he first arrived at Inaba was coming back to him. Shaking his head, he sprinted past Yosuke and Chie, who broke into a run in turn, not questioning his sudden burst of speed.
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"Whew… Thank god, we finally made it back…" Chie whimpered as the group of teens stepped back onto the stage-like platform they'd arrived on. "That felt like it took forever… So what's the—what… on earth is that!?"
"What's wh…" Yosuke turned to see where Chie had started pointing, stepping back in shock, crashing into a surprised Souji. "S-something's coming!"
Sure enough, a dark shape could be seen moving through the fog, headed right for them. Souji gulped and felt his muscles tense as the figure got closer. He unconsciously stepped sideways, moving closer to Chie as Yosuke did the same. Closer and closer the figure got, before a red and blue… something came out of the fog and stopped in front of them.
Souji blinked slowly, staring at the bizarre thing in front of them. It looked as if it belonged in the room of a child. It was short—reaching his mid-chest—and mostly red with a blue head and white face. Large black eyes stared back at him. The odd creature moved closer, looking the three of them up and down—though it didn't seem dangerous at all.
He looks familiar too… The silverette mused, But, I wouldn't have forgotten meeting something THIS strange, would I? I mean… It's a bear… plush… thing. How could I forget meeting something like this? And yet…
"Wh-what is this thing?" Chie sputtered, "A monkey…? A dog, maybe? A bear?"
"What in the…? Who…?" Yosuke sputtered, "What the hell is that!?"
"That's what I wanna know!" The bizarre living-plush doll cried in alarm. "Who are you guys? How did you get in here?"
"W-whoa…" Chie gasped, "It talked…! Wh-what the heck are you!? Y-you wanna fight? Huh!?"
The martial-artist took a fighting stance, looking ready to pounce on the bear at a moment's notice.
"Wh-what?" The bear stepped back, cowering. "D-don't yell at me like that!"
Souji stepped forward, raising a hand to stop Chie from advancing forward. He stopped just a few feet short of the bear and knelt down, offering the terrified creature a soft smile.
"Unfortunately… We're somewhat lost, and we have no idea how it was we got in here in the first place. Could you… tell is where we are? And… what it is you are?"
"D-dude…" Yosuke muttered, "I wouldn't get too close. It could seriously go postal at any second and take us all out."
"Go... wha?" The odd bear stared at Yosuke inquisitively. "I don't deliver mail. I'm Teddie. And this is my home. But... you didn't throw those people in here?"
"No. We're just lost, and need a way to get back out," said Souji calmly in spite of Yosuke's continuously uttered commentary.
"Well then, why didn't you say so in the first place?!" Teddie rolled his eyes as though it had all been a simple matter, and with a flourish, he summoned a column of three television sets into the middle of the atrium.
"Whoa!" gasped Chie, her eyes wide with wonder. "How did you- OW! Hey!"
"Hey, quit pushing, you stupid bear!" yelled Yosuke.
"You can't stay here any longer!" insisted Teddie, ignoring their protests. "It's dangerous when the fog lifts! And don't come back, either! It's for your own good!"
Souji tried to say something, anything, to get Teddie to wait, but in a strange whirl of black and white, he found himself sprawled out on the floor of Junes next to Yosuke and Chie, who appeared thoroughly irritated.
"What the heck was all that about?!" said Yosuke as he got up, rubbing his back-end.
"I don't know," murmured Chie, wincing as she too, rose to her feet, "but I'm really glad that's over."
"Me too," Yosuke sighed. Just as he turned to talk more about the strange adventure they had experienced, he leapt in place, twisting his legs together. "And now that we're out of there… I'm going to go to the bathroom! Now!" He sprinted down the aisles as fast as he could, knowing exactly where the nearest restroom was.
Souji couldn't help but laugh in spite of the strangeness of the situation. He couldn't stop wondering why a bear, and one so strange, inhabited a world that shouldn't even exist. His stomach suddenly lurched and he felt weary, the idea of telling Chie he would simply go home for the day seemingly like a very good idea.
"Hey, Souji-kun? Do you mind if we just... go home?" whispered Chie, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "That... really wore me out. I think we should just sleep this off and talk about it tomorrow. What do you think?"
"I think that's a great idea," said Souji in relief, glad he didn't have to mention it first. "Should I go tell Yosuke, or..."
"No, I can tell him. It's alright. I'll just pick up a few things while I'm here. I need to get some more Meat Gum..."
"Meat... Gum?" Souji blinked, unsure what to think.
"Yeah, it's really good! It's like... beef jerky, but it keeps its flavor a lot longer!" Chie grinned brightly at the thought. "I can give you a piece to try later, if you'd like."
"I'm... looking forward to it…" Souji said politely, making a note in the back of his mind to avoid reminding Chie about this odd promise.
"Great! Well, I'll go do that now! Have a safe trip home, Souji-kun!"
"Yeah, you too, Chie."
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Souji arrived home late, but he was thankful when Nanako asked if he wanted some eggs for dinner. He had completely forgotten to eat anything after his visit to the TV world, and the hot over-easy fried eggs settled his hunger quite well. After thanking his cousin by helping her clean the dishes, Souji excused himself and made his way to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He swiftly moved to his futon and fell unceremoniously onto the soft mattress, not bothering to change into his night-clothes.
The Midnight Channel was the least of his worries, his exhausted mind not caring about anything other than falling asleep as soon as possible.