Author's Notes: Hm. I've been remiss in my disclaimers lately. Ah well, here it goes. Persona 4 still doesn't belong to me. No money is being made from this work, and no infringement of copyright is intended.

Now that that's out of the way, I really want to say thanks to all of you who read and reviewed the last chapter, and the story as a whole thus far. Having so many in-depth reviews and so much support was both encouraging and humbling, especially when Continuance reached 50 reviews. I hope the rest of the story continues to entertain all of you, regardless of the turns it takes. Speaking of which, Rise fans can expect to see more of her in future chapters since, as several of my reviewers have mentioned, she's got a lot of potential as a character, so I feel compelled to get some mileage out of that. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

"Here."

Takenaka Megumi, luxuriously garbed in close-fitting grey and flattering white, set off with a striking yellow bandana, glanced over, appearing marginally surprised at the offering and gracing it with a small smile. A warm breeze brushed across her face and lips, teasing and tugging on the Sundaikofu High roof beneath an endlessly blue sky. She took the proffered box, decorated with a lovely picture of a Kyoto sakura treein full bloom, and cracked it open, giving the treasures held therein a discerning, oak-hued glance. She then raised her gaze and brushed her length of gleaming hair back with a small perfumed hand. "Boxed lunches, Seta-kun? Really?"

"Don't read too much into it," he replied from where he sat nearby, his back to the fence surrounding the roof, cracking open his own lunch and fishing out a pair of red and white chopsticks. The box contained an array of colours, from the sliced carrots to teriyaki beef, tempura to pickled vegetables, all formed in a menagerie of animal shapes, namely birds and fish. To Takenaka Megumi, it looked more professional than the boxed lunches she'd bought in the past.

"I thought you'd've learned about giving anything to a girl by now. Especially here."

"I'm trying a new recipe and needed a second opinion."

"Of course you are." She smiled saucily, perking her head on her hand and leaning forward. "Though you know by now how fast news travels, particularly when it's about someone distinctive."

Souji snorted. "We're two short jumps from Tokyo, not to mention going to a fashion and model show tomorrow, and people don't have better things to talk about. I can't count the number of ways that that's really sad."

"People are people; they love to gossip, no matter who or where they are. And the way you handled everything yesterday, it's no surprise they're going to be talking even more." Souji's only response was to let out a heavy sigh, turning Megumi's smirk thoughtful. "I'm sure you can guess what the topic of conversation is in the hallways where you're concerned. Really, you didn't have to go that far with all of them."

"Yes I did. It's better than stringing them along or giving out false hope." He looked at her, a self-deprecating half-smile on his lips. "That wouldn't be fair."

"Still, an explanation would've helped some of them understand your decision. I don't think you were wrong, but I don't know why you did it either."

Flashback

The morning had been warm, a brisk breeze ruffling his bangs as he walked to school. He had yet to see Toyama that morning, but he was also running a bit behind, so it made sense. It was alright – sometimes Souji preferred his own company, enjoyed time to let his mind wander. He mentally retreated from Kofu to Inaba, reliving his discussions with the team. Lunch spent with Yosuke and Teddie; a practice session with Chie that had him ribbing her about her studies, and then holding sore ribs when she got a good kick in; another cooking session with Naoto; a trip to Junes with Nanako. And, of course, another stolen evening by the Samegawa with Yukiko. The memory of her in his arms as they watched the sun set still sent pleasant tingles up his arms and spine.

The walk continued uneventfully, and soon he was passing through the doors of Sundaikofu High. He saw Toyama further in, but the stopped cold and lodged in his throat.

What caught his eye was the immediate contradiction of his expectations. He expected the motion of students before and behind and around him, chatting and shuffling and walking. He expected the regular noise of the shoe area, and he'd grown accustomed to the drafts of air and scent of car exhaust wafting about the front doors.

What he heard was almost complete quiet, an alien feeling so early in the school day. What he saw was a smattering of students near the shoe lockers. Nothing new there, except they were comprised of Takenaka and Toyama, several members of the basketball team and their girlfriends. They were silent and staring at the doors, or at him. And there was a tension about them, like the hush before a triumphant chorus, or a construction yard accident. One of the girls let out a strangled titter of giggles, and was hushed by several other strained tones. Toyama didn't try to hide it; a wide smile, reminding Souji distinctly of Alice in Wonderland's Cheshire Cat, split his face. He tried to say something, but looked at Souji's shoe locker and had to turn away, barely-held laughter breaking through his restraint. Takenaka's smirk, oddly enough, was half-hearted and thoughtful rather than amused.

Souji looked at the students, then his shoe locker. Students. Locker. Closer at his locker. "Okay, what did you do?"

Several students burst out laughing, others turning to conceal their mirth, but Souji remained sober. A scowl of exasperation crept across his face as he pulled his notebook from his bag and, after examining his locker closely, set the book's edge against the locker. He coldly ignored a fresh peal of laughter from the peanut gallery when they saw his precautions. "Oh come on, Seta-kun," Toyama chortled. "What are you expecting, paint bombs? It's nothing like that."

"Can you say that with a straight face?"

"Of – of course." He couldn't even kept the grin down to a smile.

"Uh huh."

Souji angled his notebook away from himself; it was an adequate shield against paint bombs. He kept his feet spread apart, in case of some lump of sludge, organic or otherwise, was sitting on the edge of the locker. Out of reflex, he took a deep breath and held it as he reached around to the handle, and slowly, gingerly, snapped the latch. Nothing yet. A flick of his wrist pulled the door open, revealing...

A flutter of paper. Envelopes that hit the ground in a rush.

Souji blinked. Twice. Then pulled his notebook back and looked into his shoe locker. One more envelope rested on his shoes, but no paint bombs were found. Or sludge, or spring-loaded theatrics of coloured paper and string, or voice-recorded noise boxes. Seven envelopes in total, when he picked up the one that had fallen to the ground, and turned them over in his hands. He felt his stomach slide down his waist, bounce down his calves, and plop to his shoes when he saw the heart-shaped stickers on some of them.

"You got popular in your absence," Toyama explained when the chuckles died down. "Honami-san from class 3-4 made kind of a production about it, and Ashida-chan in class 2-2 had to ask a few people to make sure she got your locker. Not really subtle."

Souji tore open one of the envelopes and read the pages held within. The writing was tricky to read, due, when he looked closer, to the overextended lines and quivering swoops. Whoever wrote it had shaky hands. The content, however, was what he dreaded – a request to meet later and come find the writer later. Among other things. Not a love letter, but the sentiment was hardly platonic. He sighed heavily. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Valentine's Day was in February."

"Yeah, but you weren't here then. I guess some of them wanted to do some catching up."

"So... how is it funny?"

"Hm?"

"I don't see what's so amusing about the situation. I'm sure some of them were nervous doing this, and finding the courage to do this doesn't strike me as amusing."

The group went almost uncomfortably quiet. "I guess you had to be there," a team member said at last. "Some of their attempts were pretty funny."

Souji folded the letter back into its envelope and placed them all in his bag. "I see."

"Come on, Seta, don't be such a kill-joy," another team member, Yuhara, told him. "Enjoy the popularity. Lots of guys would kill to have so many fine ladies know their name."

The homeroom bell rang and the group scattered to their respective classes. No small number of students, many of whom were strangers, asked him about the letters. Most got a non-committal answer. As he was waiting on his teacher, Souji went through the envelopes. Some could be interpreted as platonic, but most felt like a sunshine-and-rainbows version of an almost-love letter. Toyama, seated behind him, cocked his head when Souji groaned. "Problem, Seta-kun?"

He held up the collection of envelopes. "I know how I'm spending my lunch hour."

Yuhara, listening in, leaned across the aisle. "What? Oh, so you're going to go see how they measure up, right? See what the goods are?" Souji glanced back flatly, the expression saying it all. "What?"

"I'm not stringing anyone along, Yuhara, I have a little more self-respect than that."

"You're not seriously going to turn them down, are you? You don't even know them yet."

"Is Takenaka-san available today, Toyama-kun?"

The team captain perked up, surprised. "Uh, she should be. Why?"

Souji waved the envelopes back and forth. "I'm sure she knows a few of the girls who sent these in."

"I'll text her, if you want. She probably knows a few of them."

"I'm in your debt."

"I don't buy it," Yuhara scoffed. "No way you're going to turn them all down. Some of them are damn sexy, and as far as I know, you don't have a reason not to try one or two out. So get off your soapbox and stop acting so noble." Souji ignored him and continued through the letters.

That lunch hour, Takenaka found the girls for him. Honami-san was first, looking at him hopefully, a trace of blush on her cheeks. "I'd like to address this," he told her politely, almost painfully so, holding up the letter.

"Sure."

"I don't have a lot of time, so please forgive me for being blunt. What sentiment was this sent with?"

Her eyes got wide. "Uh, well..."

Don't falter. His voice came out clinical, and he wondered, not for the first time, how he sounded to the others. Distant, probably. Harsh or cold. "Because if it is out of more than friendship, then I'm afraid I can't accept this letter. Nor the sentiment."

He gave it a moment to sink in. "So," she whispered, trembling a little "you're taken?"

"I don't mind being friends – I have too few here as it is. But I cannot be more than that."

"Why?"

It wasn't fair to them. Nor to him, in a sense, though he felt guilty for thinking of himself in the situation. He'd stopped trying to hook up with girls after the fourth time an impromptu move to a new city on account of 'family business' had left him with a sobbing ex in his arms while he wept on the inside and cursed his lot in life. And yet the girls he attracted were so rarely the type who took his rejections with a smile and said 'okay, so how about being friends?' Instead there were often tears and awkward silences for weeks afterward, repeated like clockwork every year.

So, this wasn't new; rather, it was heart-wrenchingly familiar. Still, practice helped him adjust, and his voice stayed cool and level. He bowed. "I just can't. I'm sorry."

"I... I see." He could already hear her voice cracking. "Thank you for being honest. Now excuse me."

Souji nodded and turned away, rock steady, walking back down the hall. There was a grimly amusing mixture of silence and murmurs along the corridor, like mixing shampoo with motor oil. People loved their drama, until it seemed like it would collapse into histrionics; then they couldn't be found without bribe money and a heartbeat tracker. He drowned out the words; they never changed either. When he saw Takenaka again, all he said was "who's next?"

True to his estimation, his lunch hour was spent locating the writers of the letter and putting on repeat performances. Some of them put on a brave face. Others cried. One got angry at his answers and stormed off when he refused to budge on the matter. But nearly all of them had the same disappointed and hurt look in their eyes, and he knew that bowing and words wouldn't change that. Outwardly, he was almost clinically polite, but seeing the effects of his words hurt him more than he let on, digging into his chest at having to be the source of another person's pain.

He's made as many girls cry as there are stars in the sky! Those words cut close to the mark. It wasn't the first time, and regardless of what he hoped, it probably wouldn't be the last. And it never, ever got easier.

End Flashback

"It would've been easier for them to take if you'd said you have a girlfriend," Megumi finished, pulling out her own chop sticks. "Some were just hoping to break the ice."

"It was more than that, Takenaka-san. At least for some of them."

"And you dealt with it accordingly. I know. But would it really hurt to let some people in?"

"I have – you and Toyama-kun."

"You mean you're happy hanging out with another guy's girlfriend?"

"You're safe. I don't have to worry about you taking things the wrong way."

She shook her head. "I suppose it would kill you to take a chance?"

"You're also interesting. There's more to you than you let on," he continued as though she hadn't spoken. "Besides, why are you hanging out with the transfer student when you could be watching Toyama-kun run up and down the court?"

She laughed, a deep, rich sound. "Turning it around, Seta-kun? I'm not hiding anything like you are."

"Is that so?"

She placed her lunch to the side, thus far untouched, and leaned into Seta's shoulder, a breast pressed against his arm and her lips close to his ear. "Of course," she whispered huskily. "I'm an open book – just run your finger down my spine, crack me open, and take a look inside."

If she expected stammering or leering, she was disappointed – he did neither. He just looked at her archly, silver eyebrows crowning argent eyes, and chuckled. "Very eloquent. Well put."

She backed away, holding his gaze. "You don't believe me?"

He turned toward the door. "Doesn't matter. Try your food."

As though 'food' were a magic word, Toyama Yoshiro flew through the door across the roof from them, still breathing hard from practice. "Seta! You said you needed a taster or something?" Souji already had the third bento box in hand. "Damn man, you're a life saver." Chopsticks were nearly optional as he started shoveling food in his mouth. A third of the box was gone before he looked up and cleared his throat. "Uh, were you looking for something in particular? Like if I can taste something specific? Because it beats the school-sold stuff any day."

Souji chuckled. "No no, enjoy. That's enough for now. How about you, Takenaka-san?"

"It's... This is excellent, Seta-kun. Where'd you learn to cook?"

"Yeah, that's usually the girl's job," Toyama put in. "Makes sense if you're single though."

"Which you aren't, are you?" Takenaka queried.

"No comment," Souji replied without the faintest hint of a smile. "But I'm more self-taught than anything. Which is why I want to know if it's any good."

"It's great," Toyama assured him around a second helping. "By the way, you'll be coming along tomorrow, right?"

"In all likelihood."

"Cool. Wouldn't be the same without you there."

"Mm hm. Are you about to ask for a favour?"

Toyama had the grace to look almost offended while eating. "Of course not. Just curious."

"Right. Well, I'll be there; a field trip beats a lecture any day of the week."

"Especially if teen idols on a stage are part of the show, right?" Takenaka tossed in.

Souji wisely kept his friendship to Rise, and her message on his phone, to himself. "It makes things interesting from a professional standpoint. Lots of marketing goes into these events, and it's a good chance to meet people and make some connections."

"Oh come on," Toyama told him. "You're not serious, right? Beautiful idols and models to see, probably in skimpy clothes, and you're thinking of it as an educational trip?"

"Most of the names are of teen idols and rising pop stars."

"So?"

"I prefer a little more maturity in my women."

"Well, at least you're looking," Takenaka muttered behind her chopsticks.

Souji chuckled. "Now now, be nice."

"Seriously though, I doubt even you can stay all distant and nonchalant around celebs," Toyama continued. "That alone'll make it a day to remember."

The day dawned cloudy and cool, just enough to warrant long sleeves, and broke into a smattering of clouds that kept it from getting too warm. Souji made the concession of a full-length shirt and rolled the cuffs back, then donned his usual school attire, complete with arm wraps, this time a striking red, and gloves. He'd breezed through his morning rituals, and was on the bus before he'd given it a second thought. There were patches of silence as he passed the seats that he tried not to let get to him, and he crashed into the window seat halfway down the bus, nodding to Toyama and Takenaka when they took the seat in front of him. He didn't notice who sat beside him, or if anyone did. Instead he pulled his shades on and tried to let he tension of the last few days seep out. All around him the students were abuzz, hype growing by the minute and the mile over who would be showcasing what. When he wasn't relaxing, and was sure no one could look over his shoulder, he pulled out his phone and checked the inbox. Rise's message, half exclamation points and capital letters and emoticons, confirmed she'd be at the show and looking for him. Despite having read it periodically for two days, it still brought out a chuckle. Slipping it back into his coat pocket, he leaned back and stared out the window and let his mind wander.

Which was a mistake. Pulling at the stray edges of his consciousness were the remnants of the nightmare that'd sent him crashing through his room a few nights ago. He hadn't expected his mother to be there, and he'd caught her watching him a few times since that night. At least she hadn't seen his scars.

Flashback

Magatsu Inaba sprawled out before them, reds and blacks spattered across jagged rocks that reached for the twisted 'sky' like skeletal fingers, begging for one more chance. Around them the hissing of static and raindrops on pavement echoed, only they felt no rain. This twisted facade of normality, an anti-reality that hummed along their skin and sat in their stomachs like a sickness, tasted like bile for its unnaturalness.

Souji was used to unnatural, but not at this level. He kept his mind off it when Adachi sent another blast his way, forcing him into a hard roll. When he came to his feet, Adachi's hand drew back, then shot forward toward Yosuke.

What raced toward the brunette wasn't lightning or wind, but a twisted appendage, rocky and jagged and twisting like muscle and tendon. Spiked, barbed, and whistling as it ripped through the air. Souji's partner was recovering from the last hit, and looked up in time to see it coming at him. He froze.

"Yosuke!" Souji slammed into his shoulder, sending him sprawling, turning-

And the spike hit, punching through his armour and ripping into his right shoulder. He dropped his sword and shouted in shock, half-deaf to the calls of "Souji!" and "Senpai!", as the spikes twisted and spread, tearing deeper. The pain, tolerable only due to his countless other battles, was white fire and frozen nails in his flesh. His breath seized in his fluttering chest and his vision darkened at the edges.

An inhuman voice fluctuated through the rain, rippling with power and malice. "Always the hero," Adachi growled. "Putting yourself ahead, scrounging to the top. You're the pathetic one." Souji's eyes reopened, staring at the hazy black image that was his enemy. "And that annoying little cousin of yours, so cheery and god-damned loud. I should've gotten her thrown in earlier. Dojima would've noticed that." The spikes expanded in his shoulder, digging deeper, biting into bone. Souji was about to black out. The others retaliated, but Adachi was intent on their leader. "Dojima... arrogant bastard, all the times he looked down on me. Losing his brat served him right."

Souji's vision cleared. The sleepless nights and unfiltered terror he'd felt when Nanako had been in heaven hit him, potent as if he were there again. The roads, the gates, her voice, and before it all, his uncle, dearer family than he'd ever had, dazed and bleeding in a crumpled driver's seat. This time, it was coupled with all the rage of learning he'd been duped. His power, flickering on edge of consciousness, roared and whipped in the pit of his stomach. It crept up his stomach and chest, lodging in throat. His ears were ringing, his legs weak, and a single spark of hate burning in his heart. Blue light and lightning swirled around him, unfettered and seeking a target. He slammed his left hand on a spike and twisted, the pain in a separate part of his body twisting a grimace across his face. "Persona!" Black blades cut through the spike in his shoulder and spiralled down the length, tearing through the deformed appendage and screaming for blood. Adachi blocked them, but grunted under the strain.

Souji wasn't finished. His left hand , bloody and ruined, glowing and hissed white and blue. The power building, had he thought of it, would have frightened him – it was more than he'd ever channeled before. Every nerve ending came alive. His shoulder screamed, still holding the jagged remnants of the spike. He lashed out, turning loose lightning that ripped up the ground as it passed, sounding like he'd torn a hole in reality.

He'd never wanted anyone dead so much as he did in that instant.

The lightning slammed into Adachi, cutting through his barrier and tearing into his persona-

Wait.

Adachi grinned sadistically, the lightning held at bay and swirling around a clenched fist. It twisted and whipped around him, turning red. Then he whipped it back out.

That didn't happen...

The lightning blew Yosuke back and cut into Chie, leaving a burnt stump where her leg used to be. Naoto tried defending herself, but the heat sparked the live rounds in her gun, and her scream was drowned out by another explosion. Yukiko was gone in a blast of light.

This isn't real...

Kanji was coughing up blood, a black spike lodged in his chest. Teddie faltered and was blown apart, pieces of burnt flesh and smoking outfit scattered across the ground. Rise was left near him, paralyzed in shock.

"This is how it ends, hero..."

THIS ISN'T REAL!

He came awake in a flash, a scream about to break free. His limbs were held back. Restrained. His thrashing had tied his blanket around him like a straightjacket. When he tore free of it and got to his feet, he staggered into his desk. The room felt humid and heavy, smelled like stone and iron and blood. The rain hit his window harder. Everything spun around him.

He didn't remember stumbling for the door, or staggering down the hall. He remembered holding the sobs in as he passed his parents' room. They didn't need to know. He made his way to the window where his couch sat.

His corner was cold, dark, and comfortingly unfamiliar. Dojima's house hadn't had a hard corner near a window. He hadn't shivered by a length of curtains when his scars throbbed in Inaba. There was no loveseat to trip into when the screams hammered at clenched teeth and fear ran the length of his body hot and cold.

This was his corner, away from the Shadows and nightmares – adrift in time and place. A new sanctuary when all the others had been used up.

Because there had been nights when the tears and fears got too strong to hold in.

And there would be nights when the memories wouldn't abandon their hold.

End Flashback

"Seta."

He snapped out of his reminiscences, looking up at Toyama's face. "Hm?"

"You're quieter than usual. What's up?"

Souji chuckled, letting his thoughts return to those of a normal high-schooler. As much as he could. "It's nothing. Just haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Still think you could've handled it differently?"

"Handled what?" Takenaka glanced over her seat as well. "Oh. No. Rather, I might've been able to, but that's not bothering me."

"Jitters of seeing celebs and idols up close?"

"Something like that."

He passed the rest of the trip chatting idly with the pair in front of him, distancing himself from the nightmare and buoying himself with the knowledge that he'd see his friend soon. More than once he heard Risette mentioned by the others, and had to conceal a smile. Finally the bus stopped, and the buzz of students grew to a roar around him despite the teachers trying to maintain order. When instructions were given and doors were opened, the rushing tide of adolescents broke and poured onto the concrete. Souji waited until the pushing and shouting was over, standing clear of the ebb and flow of his classmates, before making his way out of the bus.

The exhibition stretched before them with stages and kiosks and food outlets scattered about. It had its share of the paparazzi, but was, all things considered, only modestly populated with spectators. Souji knew the grounds would be packed after business hours, and he could see other groups of students waving and pointing at the various stages. He made a point of keeping out of the way of his enthusiastic classmates, content to go slow. His only obstruction was a hyperactive middle-school student passing out baseball caps sporting Kanamin's logo, shoving one into his hands before scurrying off. It wasn't his style or colour, but it could serve as a buffer against more offers of celebrity memorabilia that would be lost in his closet. Or so he hoped. So he stuffed the cap in his bag and kept looking around.

"Seta-kun." He turned to meet the sober gaze of Inoue, Rise's manager.

"Inoue-san." Souji bowed politely. "How are you?"

The older man chuckled ruefully. "Rise's return took the media by storm, and I haven't rested since."

"You look well for it though."

"She's back where she belongs," Inoue asserted. "I have no doubt Inaba was good for her, but I also never doubted she'd be back, where things are happening."

"She's enjoying herself too, I'm sure."

"No doubt." Inoue eyes Souji calmly, chuckling finally. "I suppose your presence here means I should get ready for another publicity storm."

"I'm sorry?"

"Your little stunt last year? Saying you'd marry Rise? I got more press about that than I did when she said she was leaving showbiz."

"That wasn't my intention."

Inoue waved it off. "It was good for her return, actually. It helped keep her current, in its own way. So if anything happens today, I suppose I should get ready." When Souji objected, Inoue chuckled good-naturedly. "Publicity's good for her, Seta-kun. Even if things just happen around you."

"Did she say that?"

"Something along those lines, yes. And it was the impression I got when I met you in Inaba. Enjoy yourself."

"Thank you, Inoue-san."

Souji made his way to the main stages, empty during the intermission while guests and students and reporters snapped pictures and waved hands and shouted excitedly. He stopped near Takenaka, who watched Toyama and Yuhara as they babbled like fanboys over Kanamin's newest album and posters. "You're alright with that?" he asked.

"Of course. Boys need their time to dream, even if they aren't doing that dreaming with what's between their ears."

"That's a pretty mature attitude, Takenaka."

"Surprised?"

"Impressed. Not many of our classmates think the same." He nodded toward a group of girls who were glaring rusty nails and broken glass at a pack of guys emulating Toyama and Yuhara. "Most adults and married couples I know don't have that kind of trust."

"Yoshi-kun and I have worked out the details," she replied dismissively. Then growled darkly when she saw a girl from another school push closer to Toyama than was strictly polite. "Excuse me."

"Of-" She was already gone, sidling up to her boyfriend and catching the girl's attention. "Well, so much for that," he murmured. While Souji would have been interested in hearing how angry the normally-flirty Takenaka could get, he also knew better than to be close to a catfight, lest he be pulled into it. So he walked toward the edge of one crowd and ended up near another where "Risette" was heard more often. Even over the traffic on the nearby road, he heard familiar chords and lyrics drifting about. Pop music had never appealed to him, but he had to admit that her newest single sounded better than her older work. He was probably an unreliable source, he thought ruefully to himself, having heard her practice the lyrics before he left Inaba. They seemed clearer though, more vibrant. And she sounded close, like she was-

"SeeeeeeennnnPAAAAIIIIII!~"

He was spun around hard when a high-speed celebrity crashed into him, applying all the laws of GLOMP without flaw. Arms were latched around his torso as he fought for footing and prayed they wouldn't crash into anyone. When he caught his balance, he looked down into the made-up and widely grinning face of the Inaba Murders Investigation Team's Shadow Detection Expert. "Hey Rise."

She immediately started pouting spectacularly, a pout reserved for her fans at her best. "'Hey Rise'? No calls, no texts, no letters, and no visits! What am I to you, Senpai!"

"I called you last week," Souji pointed out, "and I texted you twice."

"No excuses!"

"Of course."

"Um, Senpai?" Souji turned and froze when he saw Ashida looking at them gravely. "I apologize for before." She bowed solemnly. "If I'd known... please forgive the mistake."

"Before? Wait, this isn't what-"

"Oh, do you know Souji-senpai too?" Rise asked, releasing his chest and instead wrapping around his arm. There was no way, Souji belatedly realized, that someone wouldn't think they were an item. His mind sputtered to a halt. The timing of this, days after he'd practically declared himself unavailable at school, was disgusting.

"I-"

"We attend the same school," Ashida replied.

"Ah, okay. Well Senpai and me go way back."

There was a crowd gathering, of paparazzi students from Souji's school and others, and Souji counted at least six cameras and eight cell phones that were either being held up for pictures or spoken into. Then the flashes were starting. "Rise..."

"I... I see. He didn't say he was seeing Risette. That makes much more sense now," Ashida continued. "Again, I apologize."

"You could've said something," Toyama demanded, looking a bit wild around the eyes. "I mean, I know you like your privacy, but you could've told me you were going out with Risette."

"We're not dating," Souji replied flatly.

"Senpai," Rise interjected, eyes and smile dazzling to everyone around them, "are these friends of yours?"

"That's a word for it," Souji muttered, becoming annoyed at being the centre of attention.

"Man, that's cold Seta!" Toyama objected. Rise gave one of her patent giggles, and the basketball team leader immediately eased up.

"Senpai's modest," Rise assured them, twisting around his arm and following up with a winning smile, dazzling the group. Then she started pulling on his arm. "C'mon Senpai, let's go."

"Where?"

"Away. We have a lot to catch up on."

Souji glanced around, knowing there wasn't a hope that he wouldn't see his face on the cover of a few magazines after today. Nor would anyone at school believe he wasn't Rise's boy toy. All his plans and alternatives went out the proverbial window, and a quote from an old history class, ironically, came to mind: If you're already in Hell, keep walking. "Sure. Let's go." They made it through the crowd and headed toward the street, packs of paparazzi and students following at varying distances. "Have a place in mind?"

"Anywhere that's not here," she replied quietly. Her voice was calmer, more level. It was Rise, tofu store worker and Investigation Team member who was speaking, not Risette the celebrity and pop idol.

They were approaching the road when Souji, having pulled on his shades with Rise still perched on his arm, started taking stock of the people around him. The way to the street was clear, but he heard shuffling and footsteps behind and around him that coincided with their own pace too well to not be following them closely. "How's your cardio?"

They were near the intersection, and traffic was starting to slow down. On the other side, there weren't many people on the streets. "Hm?"

"Running."

"I've been keeping up. Why?"

Souji adjusted his bag strap and took another look around. Enough space for what he had in mind. "Just follow my lead. Talk about something." Rise immediately, for the benefit of their audience, started talking about essentially nothing, letting Souji glance around more. Discretely, he started flexing his feet and calves as they walked.

The walk signal at the other side of the intersection turned green. They waited until the light was about to turn yellow before starting to cross the street, ignoring the noise from the cars.

"Ready?" he asked, expression unchanged.

"Whenever you are, Senpai."

"Then..." They finished crossing the street and turned down the sidewalk. "Go!"

Rise almost stumbled beside him when he kicked off, but was soon right beside him, or close, as they bolted down the sidewalk, weaving in and out of people and, miraculously, never once crashing into someone. They ignored the shouts of fans and paparazzi and kept running. They went down sidewalks, through allies, and even jumped a fence just because it was there. Neither was left behind, and both fell into the familiar motions from the days of the murders.

For Souji, it was exercise he'd missed of late. For Rise, it was freedom, if only for a little while. Either way, neither could keep the smile off their face or the laughs contained as they ran.

They'd gone about four blocks before they came to a halt, by then more for the heady rush than trying to lose the paparazzi and fans. The walls of a side alley held them up as they struggled to breathe, laughter shaking them as much as exertion. Several attempts were made to speak, but were drowned by more fits of mirth, Rise's light and airy giggles tangling with Souji's deeper chuckles and laughs. Passersby glanced curiously at the oddly-matched pair, but no shouts of "Look, it's Risette!" bothered them. Indeed, Rise's hair was coming out of its usual pig tails and some of her makeup was running, hiding the celebrity behind the mussed mask of a normal high school girl.

"I needed that!" she exclaimed when she caught her breath.

Souji smiled, still buzzing on his runner's high. "I thought you were enjoying work again?"

"I am," she assured him instantly. "I really am. But the interviews and questions, the photo shoots, they can get boring after a while. Especially when so many magazines are trying to show Risette the same as she was before her break."

"I see. Sometimes you need to run, feel the wind in your face."

"I knew you'd understand, Senpai. So, c'mon," she took her usual place, wrapped around his arm.

Souji glanced around the corner, and frowned when he noticed some of the paparazzi looking frantically around near the street corner. "We'll need to make a few adjustments first."

"Hm?"

"They're still around, and neither of us would blend in very well right now." He gestured to her pull-over and skirt, designer brand and distinctive, and his own silver hair.

"Any ideas?"

He pulled a water bottle and a handkerchief from his bag and handed them over. "Here." Rise wiped off her makeup and adjusted her hair. Souji thought for a moment, then began pulling off his gloves.

"Hey, Senpai? Don't suppose you have lipstick in there?" Souji quirked an eyebrow and shook his head. "Ah well. What next?" He grabbed the ball cap he'd been given earlier and pulled it on reverse, taking care to tuck his hair up as he did. Rise let out an angry grunt when she saw the picture on it. "Kanamin, Senpai?"

"What?"

"That's Kanamin's logo! Why didn't you get one of mine?"

"It was given to me. I swear," he replied when she glared suspiciously at him.

"Hmph. Fine. What else?"

"Wear this." He handed her his school jacket, the collar deliberately folded over to cover the school crest.

"That's way too big, Senpai. Nobody'll think it's mine."

"No, they'll think it's mine. That's the point." He glanced at his arm wrappings before rolling his sleeves down, carefully linking the cuffs. Then he adjusted the strap on his bag and slung it over a shoulder. "So?"

She had to admit it looked good. His hair covered and gloves off, he was just handsome rather than distinctive. Perhaps his eyes and brows would stand out, but people would need to get close to notice. And she, when she put on his jacket (she sniffed deeply at the collar, inhaling his distinct scent and cologne) and fixed her hair, felt more like she did in Inaba than a celebrity. "Okay, what now?"

He slipped his left hand, scarred as it was, into his pocket and cocked his head toward the sidewalk, slipping his shades back on. When she got beside him, he shocked her by wrapping his other arm across her back and lightly gripping her waist. She shivered a little at the feel of his fingers on her hip. "Now, we find some place quiet to catch up."

Whether it was his faith in the plan or the plan itself, they made their way through the crowds toward one of her favourite restaurants. After the first minute or two, she relaxed against his side and leaned her head against his shoulder, wrapping her own arm around his back. People moved around them and bumped into them like they were a normal teenage couple, never sparing a second glance. She was sure she even saw a reporter looking around frantically as they passed, looking right past them.

When they got to the restaurant, they took a booth away from the window, and Souji handed her his phone so she could text Inoue, telling him what the situation was. "I feel bad, making him cover for all my stunts," she admitted when she finished, glancing at the display screen on his phone; a photo of him and Nanako from before he'd left. It looked like it'd been taken at the gazebo along the Samegawa, and Nanako was laughing, perched on her Big Bro's shoulders and arms outstretched like she was flying.

"I doubt he minds that much," Souji replied, right hand clasped over his left. "He might even be enjoying the work."

"Hm. Well, you never know, right? Hey, how're the others doing? I never have the time to talk to them."

"To quote Yosuke and Kanji, everything's pretty quiet. In a good way, I think."

"You just got back from Inaba yourself, didn't you?"

He nodded as the waitress dropped off their drinks. "Everything seems like they say it is, but I was so busy that I'm not a reliable source. That said, Nanako's back to normal, Kanji's working out of his textiles shop, Naoto's decided to stay there for a while, and so on. Chie's been focusing on getting onto the police force, and has had the time to get her grades up, or so she says." Rise laughed in response to Souji's chuckle. "So when you take all that into account, it really does feel like everything's gone back to normal."

"That's... I dunno. I'll always think of Inaba as the place where the murders happened, and where I met all of you, y'know?"

"I know the feeling. It's strange how quiet it is there."

"And Yukiko-senpai? You met with her, I'm sure."

Their food came, and Souji used the time to think over his responses. He wasn't blind, or particularly thick, so he knew Rise's affections were more than her being friendly. Cautiously, he ventured an answer. "She's doing well. She's working at the Inn and on the side, same as before. And I met her parents while I was there."

She perked up. "Really? What are they like?"

"Her mother's not what I expected. Stronger. And a lot more cunning. And her father... I don't think he likes me very much. To put it lightly."

"What? Why?"

"He's dealt with other suitors before, so I think he believes I'm not much different from anyone else he's been subjected to in the past."

Rise frowned, a little growl building in her chest. "That's not fair, Senpai. Not to you."

"He doesn't know me. It makes sense why he'd think that way, really."

"He should give you an opportunity, at least. Hasn't Yukiko-senpai said anything to him about it?"

"Of course she has. To hear Chie and the other staff say it, I'm all she's talked about for months. That's probably the problem."

"Hmph. Jerk." Souji chuckled but remained silent. They dug into their respective dishes, turning over the information they'd gotten in the exchange. "So what've you been up to, Senpai? How come we haven't gotten together lately?"

"You're working out of Tokyo," he replied, ginger beef hovering over the bowl. "It's not like Kofu's just around the corner."

"That's not a very good reason."

"No," he agreed without breaking his stride, "but very few of the reasons I could use are good. And the truth is pretty boring."

"Try me."

"I doubt you'd be interested. No need to hear about my home life."

"You never know. I'm always looking for good song material, and drama at home's a topic everyone can relate to."

Souji eyed her cautiously. "You're serious."

"We're friends, Senpai. You said it yourself. And that road goes both ways."

He chuckled. "Yukiko said something similar."

"She's smart. And you're ignoring my question."

After letting out a long-suffering sigh, and receiving no sympathy or quarter from the surprisingly sober and steely-eyed starlet, he told her the truth. Why he'd dodged her offers to visit his home, why his new friends were kept in the dark about his parents, or Inaba as a whole. How his old habits were still on the fringe of his new life, and his tepid relationship with his parents had remained mostly room temperature. "And that's it. My grand tale of change and defiance."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You can't change how other people are."

"So, did all that change anything?"

"Not really," she admitted, "but this might. I'll be staying in Kofu for the rest of the school semester."

Souji's eyebrows rose. "Are things not working out of Tokyo? Or have you enrolled in a school here?"

"No, nothing's changed from before, but Tokyo's full of idols and stars, y'know? The outlying districts have better prices at the venues, better booking times, and a very appreciative audience. So I'll be going back to Tokyo every now and again, but Inoue-san wants to try working here."

"You don't say."

She nodded cheerfully. "Yep. So you've got no excuse to not kill some time with me, right Senpai?"

He chuckled. "I think I can live with that."

"Good." Souji's phone lit up, and Rise took it when the name 'Inoue' flashed across the screen. "I guess we should be getting back."

"It won't be the only time. I'm not as busy with clubs and rescue missions like in Inaba, so we'll definitely do this again."

She looked at him with enormous eyes, slightly pouting lips, and a face that was clearly pleading and impossible to say 'no' to. "Promise?"

He chuckled. "Yep. I'll need your help getting something in a month or two anyway."

"Ooooh, a gift? A present for me, Senpai?"

"Well, something like that." He got the bill from the waitress and paid it over Rise's objections. Then they rose and headed out the door, and he offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Their return trip was slower than their egress. They'd taken their time, stopped to talk and argue and discuss their days in Inaba. They waited for a time at the corner before the exhibition grounds, Souji to reacquire and fix his jacket and put on his gloves, Rise to put her hair into her trademark pig tails. When they did arrive, she broke away with a 'See you later' and took a back door into the dressing rooms to raid the make-up cabinet. Souji watched her enter the pavilion and slipped around the main stages to rejoin the students milling about. He ran across Takenaka before the others could ambush him, she of the raised eyebrow and crossed arms and cocked hip and prominent bust. "Takenaka," Souji greeted casually.

"You really can't help but make trouble, can you? First you turn down half the girls at school-"

"It wasn't that many."

"-And then you run off with a celebrity in front of half the paparazzi in town for more than an hour."

"Rise's a friend."

"Right. You think it's going to stay here? We're going to hear about it at school for months."

"What does it matter? Why are you so interested?" She was silent. "What?"

"It's nothing."

"Still angry at Toyama?"

"It's nothing!"

"Alright, fair enough."

She eyed him soberly, then grunted and shrugged, turning back to the group. "Things really do happen around you, don't they? You make things interesting, Seta."

The crowds rustled and rippled, noise whipping around them in ways. The lights came on at the stages, with "Yoo hoo. Heeeere's Risette!" blaring over the speakers as she ran out on stage. The applause was deafening, but the cheers were physically painful.

Behind the swarming mass of people, Souji watched as she captured the hearts of the crowd before her second verse was over. He caught her eye and smile every now and again, and tilted his head back to stare skyward.

Interesting. That's a word for it.

Author's Note: Took longer than I think it warranted, but that's life. Plus I'm still ambivalent about the chapter as a whole. That said, here's the first bit with Rise, so any questions or comments would be welcome. Stay tuned!