Reach out to a New Truth

by ZeromusTrueSelf

An Alternate take on The Story of Persona 4. With new members of the Investigation team, new suspects in the murder, several new events; some minor and some major that will change the entire course of the investigation. Yu Narukami and his friends seek to to end the Murders in Inaba...but may find a darker truth that lays underneath. YuXChie with other pairings to follow later.

10. Heartbeat, Heartbreak

HEARTBEAT, HEARTBREAK

"You fool!" The Attendant roared as he rushed over and grabbed him by the collar "What have you done?!"

"Didn't you hear? Okay let me repeat it" Sho sighed nonchalantly "I was killing some ti-"

"You idiot!" The Attendant screamed "Do you realise what you have done?!"

"Big whoop, I killed some pathetic runt" Sho shrugged

"You...this has ruined everything!" The Attendant informed him "If a dead body shows up then those brats will think this is connected to the TV world...they will investigate and find nothing! They will get suspicious and that will lead them to us!"

"Oh boo-hoo" Sho mocked "If you want them to go in there and find something, then you know what to do..."

...

"You brat" The Attendant growled "Was this your plan?"

"Not really" Sho shrugged "When I went out back on the 25th? I ran into some punk named Mitsuo Kubo, he went on and on about how the world is shit, I kinda liked him! Then he told me he was the one committing the murders...desperate plea for attention. He invited me to watch him kill some old fart, a teacher...it was pathetic, so I stabbed him"

"You killed him, just for that!?" The Attendant spat "We could have used him as red herring!"

"Oh, but the look he gave when I rammed my sword through his gut was hilarious!" Sho laughed "He screamed and cried, I don't wanna die! he said, like a little wuss...watching him slowly die was hilarious"

"You..." The attendant growled "...Follow me"

"Finally" Sho chuckled as The Attendant led him back into the gas station

"You will have to make up for this at some point..." The Attendant grumbled as he led Sho to the back of the Gas Station, where a large container sat, hidden away from the public

"So..." Sho trailed on, the Attendant sighed as released the lock on it and opened it up, revealing the contents

A robotic frame with the face of a young woman with long silver hair

"Man...an actual android..." Sho whistled, but that whistle was cut short when The Attendant clutched him by the throat

"Clearly, your father never informed you that you don't bite the hand that feeds you..." The Attendant growled, his right eye glowing red, his left eye glowing yellow "I alone hold the power to grant your desires, it would be best if you don't disobey me in the future and throw a wrench in both our plans"

The Attendant went to continue, but noticed Sho had reached behind him and grabbed one of his Katana's. Swinging it down, The Attendant caught the blade and noted the unusual look in Sho's eyes

"So, you're back" The Attendant muttered "So that one was Sho...so you must be Minazuki, correct? The one that awakened thanks to this Ikutsuki persons experimentation. So, you've awakened to protect the boy...right?"

"Un...hand me" Minazuki commanded

"Very well" The Attendant hummed before throwing Minazuki, back first into the wall. But then he walked over and grabbed Sho by the hair, holding him up "But mark my words boy, you will obey my orders down to the very last detail, lest you wish to be replaced and your wish cast aside..."

"Bas...tard" Sho groaned

"I will not throw the Android in now" The Attendant stated as he dropped Sho, his eyes finally returning to their regular color "Let's wait, lest not to break the pattern, they were suspicious enough when the Ichijo and Nagase boy disappeared so soon after the Amagi girl...but the machine will join whomever is designated to be thrown in next by him..."

JULY 10/ DOJIMA HOUSEHOLD/ MORNING

"What's going on?" Yu mumbled, still half-asleep as loud sounds cut through the air outside "Are those...sirens?"

PIPIPIPIPIPIPIPI

Groaning and reaching over, he opened up his cell phone and took the call without even checking the Caller I.D

"Hello?"

"H-Hey!" Chie's voice rang "Did you hear?! They found TWO dead bodies!"

"What!?" Yu cried, now completely awake

"They found them just outside the shopping district!" Chie explained "I don't get it! I mean, we…look, we're all meeting at Junes. Come over right away!"

"I got it, I'll see you there!" Yu nodded before hanging up

JUNES

"Over here" Chie waved Yu over to the table with Yukiko, Kanji and Kou "Daisuke and Yosuke are checking out over the scene, they should be back soon"

"I don't get this..." Kou groaned "We saved Rise..."

"Hey" Yosuke's voice cut through as he and Daisuke returned "Yeah...it was murder alright"

"There...was a pretty large bloodstain" Daisuke explained "At least one of them was stabbed and bled to death..."

"That's not all" Yosuke sighed "One of the victims...it was King Moron"

"What!?" Yukiko gasped

"K-King Moron…!?" Chie stuttered

"You mean that King Moron!? Senpai's homeroom teacher?" Kanji questioned

"Wh-Why…!?" Chie spluttered "What on earth's going on here!?"

"How am I supposed to know!? But I talked to a guy there who saw it!" Yosuke groaned "The other guy I didn't know...but apparently he was a student at another high school"

"Gotta be shitting me…ain't the killer targeting people who get shown on TV?" Kanji growled "I ain't never seen King Moron on the Midnight Channel, or any other programs!"

"Why…? Why did this happen?" Yosuke asked

"I thought we finally figured some things out…were they all just a big coincidence…?" Chie muttered "Maybe the Midnight Channel doesn't have anything to do with this…"

"We can't say that just because one murder didn't fit the pattern" Daisuke sighed "It seemed...different this time"

"What do you mean?" Yu asked

"The other victim...he clearly bled to death..." Daisuke explained "Not in the TV, but right there"

"Yeah, there was a lot of blood" Yosuke nodded

"Maybe this guy...saw Morooka's body and was killed to keep quiet...or maybe this kid was the Murderer and killed Morooka but he managed to stab him with something and take him with him...damn it, who am I kidding" Daisuke groaned "I'm just grasping as straws here, I'm just as clueless as you guys"

"Dammit! We came so far, and now we're back to square one!?" Yosuke growled "Were we in over our heads, trying to catch a culprit that even the police couldn't find…?"

"Don't get ready to give up just yet" Yu commanded "Even if we've got the pattern wrong, it doesn't matter. Even if we've been wrong the whole time, we've saved people and we need to keep trying."

"Damn straight!" Kanji cheered "We started this thing 'cause the police can't tell their asses from their give up now, and that shithead's gonna be on the loose forever. This ain't the time for bitching and moaning…we just gotta keep on keepin' on."

"Kanji-kun…" Yukiko muttered

"Hmph…big talk from someone like you, Kanji." Yosuke hummed

"Wh-What's that s'posedta mean!?" Kanji cried

"Dude, seriously, lay off with that stuff. It ain't funny" Daisuke glared

"What'dya mean?" Yosuke asked

"You know what I mean" Daisuke stated "Stop implying shit, It ain't cool man..."

"Yeah!" Chie accused "So what if Kanji-kun actually is like that?!"

"H-Hey!" Kanji cried out

"We won't think any less of you if you are" Yukiko explained

"And it sure as shit ain't cool to make fun of him for it" Kou stated

...

"You're...you're right..." Yosuke sighed "I'm...sorry, Kanji"

...

"S'cool, just...don't do it again" Kanji muttered before turning his head to Daisuke, a slight blush on his cheeks "T-Thanks, Daisuke-senpai"

"It's cool man" Daisuke waved it off

"Back to the topic at hand, we're dealing with a murderer here." Yosuke sighed "But Yu's right, we've all risked our lives to get this far…no way we'll back down. And we promised the bear, too…"

"Hey, that's right! Maybe Teddie knows something about this!" Chie suggested

"Well, since moping around won't do us any good, let's go see him!" Yosuke stated

ELECTRONIC'S DEPARTMENT

"Wha-why are there staff here?" Chie questioned as two employee's stood around the TV that served as the entrance to the TV World

"Now that's unusual…" Yosuke muttered before walking up to them "Hi there. Did something happen?"

"Ah, Yosuke-kun." A female employee sighed

"Great timing. Did the manager tell you anything about this?" A male employee questioned "There's been this weird mascot around our department for quite a while now…Is there some kind of campaign on today?"

"Mascot?" Yosuke questioned

"He said his name was…" The female employee tried to remember "Uh, what was it? Terry? Eddie?"

"Well, there are no customers around, so I guess it's fine…" The male employee shrugged "I better get back to my station."

"Please don't tell me…" Yosuke mumbled

"Whoa, h-he's here!" Chie cried out as she pointed to her left, noting the bear sitting in a massage chair...

"Aaaaaaaaaah, this really hits the spot" The bear hummed happily

"Wh-What the…?!" Yosuke cried out as the group ran over "I mean, how'd you…?"

"It took you guys long enough! I've been waiting." Teddie cried

"Teddie, are you okay on this side!?" Yukiko questioned

"How did you even leave your side!?" Kanji asked

"Of course I can come out. There's an exit. It just never occurred to me to do it before." Teddie shrugged "But spending time with you all sparked my curiosity about this world! I did wonder if it was a good idea, but my feet started moving before I could decide. And when I thought about it, I had nowhere to go, and it was a waste to go back. So I waited here for you.

Oh, someone asked for my name. So I told them, I'm Teddie."

"So that's why…" Chie mumbled

"Oh yeah, there's something we need to ask you!" Yukiko remembered "How long have you been here, Teddie? Did anyone enter the other world?"

"I stayed until the fog settled in on my side, but no one came." Teddie claimed

"You're positive? You really didn't sense a single person?" Daisuke questioned

"I just said that I didn't! I was there all by myself, like always. Hmph!" Teddie grunted

"And your nose wasn't clogged or anything…?" Yosuke asked

"Grrr, aren't you listening!? I was utterly, totally, and 100% alone! That's why I came over here!" Teddie snapped "But I can understand if you don't believe me. My senses aren't that good lately anyways…"

"I'm sure you're trying your best" Yu nodded

"Oh! Sensei's heart is radiating pure kindness…!" Teddie danced happily

"Well, it's true that the Midnight Channel was blank last night." Chie noted "And even before that…Teddie says he didn't sense anything, right? Does that mean… King Moron and this other guy were never on that side?"

"Hmm…what's going on?" Yosuke muttered

"Hey, hey, I wanna go somewhere!" Tedde piped

"Huh? Now ain't the time, dude… You seriously don't plan on going back, do you?" Kanji questioned "Where do you wanna go, anyway?"

"I want to give this to Rise-chan. It's for her." Teddie claimed as he handed Yu a pair of glasses "Rise-chan will probably back us up from now on! So I'm gonna fight alongside you with everything I got! Even if I don't have a Persona! Don't think of me as the same cute little Teddie! I'm an all-new model! I have a powerful attack, an unbeatable defense, and a winning smile! Today begins the New Legend of Teddie!"

"Wow...a new legend!" Yukiko stated excitedly

"Not that kind of legend" Chie sighed

FOOD COURT

"So no one was over there, you're 100% certain?" Yosuke questioned

"That's what I've been saying." Teddie repeated

"They didn't show up on the Midnight Channel either…" Chie muttered

"What's up with that?" Kanji questioned

"No clue…" Yosuke muttered "But I think we can be sure now that King Moron was never thrown into the TV"

"Then what, King Moron and the other guy was killed over here?" Chie asked "Why not throw them into a TV, like all the rest?"

"Maybe...this person had a special reason" Yu muttered "Or maybe...they never intended to kill them in the TV in the first place"

"What'dya mean?" Yosuke asked

"Maybe the culprit thought he couldn't kill any more people by throwing them into TVs." Yukiko explained "I mean, we prevented his last three attempts in a row."

"Ahhh, I get you…that could be it!" Chie nodded

"So they snuffed someone on our side this time to make sure it worked." Kanji sighed "Dammit…if that's true, then we have no way of preventing more murders unless we catch the killer!"

"We need more clues…" Chie groaned "I wonder if Rise-chan's up and around yet."

"Yeah…we'll have to put our hopes on her." Yosuke nodded

"Ugh, it's so hot" Teddie groaned before reaching around for the zipper around his head "I'm taking this thing off"

"Wait, you're not talking about your head, are you!?" Yosuke cried before batting Teddie's hand away "Cut it out! There's kids watching! Geez…they'll be scarred for life if they see an empty mascot walking around. Have a little consideration, man."

"I'm glad you're back to normal, though. Your fur's all fuzzy again!" Yukiko noted

"C-Can I feel it…?" Kanji asked

"No!" Teddie snapped

"What's the deal with you today?" Daisuke questioned

"My deal is, I am no longer a hollow bear!" Teddie laughed

"Meaning?" Kou asked

"I trained and trained, hoping to someday score with Chie-chan and Yuki-chan…" Teddie explained "And now I finally have an inside!"

"Yeah…good job with that." Chie groaned

"Come on! Can't we give it a rest with the whole scoring thing?" Yukiko growled

"Dude, you're hollow. Taking your head off isn't gonna cool you down!" Yosuke stated

"But I just told you! I'm not hollow anymore!" Teddie cried "Agh, it's too hot. I can't stand it…"

"H-Hey!" Yosuke snapped

PLOP

"W-What the?!" Yosuke cried

"Ah...much better" Teddie sighed, the head of his costume removed

Revealing a young, handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes

"What the? He's a white guy!" Kou cried out

"Holy...shit" Kanji muttered

"Hey..." Teddie stated "You guys got any spare clothes? I'm...practically a newborn here?"

"T-Teddie? Is that really you…?" Chie questioned "Wait, did you say you're like a newborn!?

Then don't take the bottom part off!"

"You need some clothes, right? C'mon, let's go look around…" Yukiko muttered as she and Chie led Teddie away

"That's…Teddie…?" Kanji questioned "He said he's not hollow anymore… so, like…he grew himself a body in there?"

"What kinda creature would do that!?" Yosuke questioned "I mean… what is he?

...

Then again, this is hardly the first bizarre thing we've seen…And I gotta admit, it's probably better than him walking around in his bear suit. Oh, hey, weren't we gonna see about talking to Rise?"

"Yeah, and that detective was supposed to come give us some answers..." Kou nodded

"I was so shocked that I lost track of what we were talking about." Yosuke sighed "Let's head over to Rise's place. As for Teddie…well, he's with the girls, so he should be fine."

...

"Well then..." Sho chuckled, watching the group from a distance "Things just got interesting..."

SHOPPING DISTRICT

"Man, it's finally the season for topsicles!" Kanji hummed happily

"Dude, how many are you going to eat? You're gonna get a stomach ache." Yosuke groaned

"Sorry we're late…" Chie sighed as she, Yukiko and Teddie appeared

"How'd it take you that long to find clothes for Ted?" Yosuke questioned before noticing the former bear "Whoa…! I-Is that you, Teddie…?"

"Oui, monsieur! How do I look?" Teddie stated, showing off his fancy attire of a white frilled shirt with a rose in the pocket, jeans and brown dress shoes

"C'est magnifique" Yu hummed

"...Why did you say that?" Kou questioned

...

"I don't know" Yu stated

"Uh, don't encourage him...I have to say, it totally blew my mind, but he's Teddie alright." Chie noted "This guy had to make it a huge ordeal…everything was new to him, so it turned into a big mess. He was so excited in the women's section that he started blabbering…hey, you can't just go around doing whatever you please when you're in this form, got it?"

"Well, he can't help it. It's his first time in our world." Yukiko said

"All right…" Chie sighed towards the pouting Teddie "You don't need to get all mopey like that. I never said I won't forgive you!"

"I'm so glad! I was worried that you didn't like me anymore." Teddie smiled

"Man… If you can behave yourself, you'll be pretty cute." Chie giggled

"Is he cute…? What do you think, Kanji?" Yosuke questioned

"I will beat the living fuck out of you" Kanji warned

"Wha-no! I didn't mean it like that!" Yosuke tried to explain

"Oooh, please, everyone! Don't fight over me, baby!" Teddie said sweetly

"Shuddup! You picking a fight with me!?" Kanji snapped

"Geez…oh well." Yosuke sighed before pulling a 1,000 yen bill out of his wallet and handed it to Kanji "Here, Kanji. Get whatever ice cream you want, just share it with Teddie. We're gonna head for the tofu shop. Wait here until we get back."

"Wow, you're rich!" Teddie cried

"What the-I can't just take this from you!" Kanji said

"Think of it as the budget for a welcome back party for Teddie" Yosuke smiled

"Whoa, Yosuke, what's gotten into you? You're acting like a real senpai all of a sudden." Chie questioned "Oh, I get it. You might say differently, but you're still nice to Teddie. I'm glad you're developing into such a mature adult. Someone who doesn't let trifles bother him."

"What're you talking about?" Yosuke scoffed

"Oh, it's about Teddie's clothes, that's all." Chie shrugged as she handed Yosuke a receipt "We didn't have the money for them, so we charged the rest to you."

"Charge?" Yosuke questioned before checking the receipt "WHAT!? You put it on my account!? What the hell, Chie!? I never said you could do that!"

"What else were we supposed to do!? This stuff was expensive, even for Junes!" Chie snapped back

"You seriously charged it to me?" Yosuke groaned "Wh-Why would you do that!? You know I've been saving up to buy a motorcycle!"

"Oh, that. You don't need one." Chie shrugged

"What!?" Yosuke snapped

"C'mon baby. Stop fighting over-" Teddie tried to cut in

"Shuddup! This is your fault, y'know!" Yosuke growled "You listen here, Ted… You better take really, really, REALLY good care of that. If you put even a single tear in it, I'll make your next set of clothes out of the bear hide you took off!"

"Yo Teddie, don't let it get you down." Kanji stated as he patted the former bear on the shoulder "Let's go get some Topsicles."

"Let's go on ahead…" Yukiko suggested "I think they're going to be a while."

MARUKYU TOFU

"Hey...isn't that-" Daisuke muttered as they spotted a farmiliar face by the Tofu store

"Ah, I had a feeling you would come" The small person stated "Are you here ingratiate yourself with Rise Kujikawa now?"

"Geez…why did the clerk even let them charge it to someone else…?" Yosuke groaned as he joined the group "Huh? W-Wait, you're that guy we saw with Kanji…!"

"Precisely. I don't believe we've met since then-In fact, I don't believe I've ever introduced myself." He stated "My name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm investigating the multiple murders that have occurred here. Mind if I ask you a few questions on the subject? One of the latest victims, Kinshiro Morooka…he was a teacher at the school you all attend, correct?"

"S-So what?" Chie asked

"The public is focused on the fact that he is associated with the second and third victim's school… But in truth, that's irrelevant." Naoto stated "What intrigues me is the inconsistency. This Morooka person, not the other victim, Mitsuo Kubo appeared on TV, what do you make of that?"

"How are we supposed to know?" Yosuke questioned

"Well, we'll leave it at that. For my part, I'd like to solve this case as quickly as possible. I'll be keeping an eye on you all." Naoto said as he began to depart "Well then, until we meet again."

"Who is that guy…?" Yosuke muttered

"It felt like he completely saw through us…" Chie muttered "He even knew about the TV thing."

"Oh, you guys" Came the voice of Rise as her head poked out of the doorway

"Rise-chan!" Yukiko noted "Are you okay now…?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" The girl nodded "Are you all here to check up on me?"

"Well, yeah…" Yosuke nodded

"Oh, um… Do you guys have a moment?" Rise questioned "There's something I want to tell you. Follow me. My grandma's taking care of the shop today."

"Huh? Sure, okay…" Yu nodded

SHRINE

"I was there at home...but then when I came to, I was in the TV World..." Rise explained

"Still no real information on the killer…" Chie sighed

"We met this weird kid named Naoto a second ago…" Yosuke led on

"Oh…he's come to the shop several times. He asked me a lot about the incident." Naoto nodded "I didn't tell him anything about the other world, though. I figured it'd be a waste of time. Actually, he asked me about you guys too, but I just made up some stuff. Like, They found me unconscious on the roof at Junes."

"Well, I guess that's close enough to the truth." Yosuke sighed

"Um… So…" Rise tried to speak

"Hm…? What's up?" Yosuke asked

"Um…" Rise hummed "I-I really appreciate what you did for me…Thank you soooo much! I love you guys!"

"Huh…? Awww, you don't have to thank us!" Chie giggled

"Dude…she's so cute…" Yosuke blushed "Man, it's finally hitting me that you're the real deal. You really are Risette."

"Well, I know I sounded all gloomy from stress, so I thought you guys might not like me that way..." Rise explained "Do I…sound weird? Oh, but I guess it sounds more natural this way to the public…I'm sorry… I've practically lost touch with what the normal me is like."

"Haha, no need to apologize. Just do what comes naturally." Chie laughed

"I think everyone has multiple sides to them. You don't have to force yourself to decide on just one." Yukiko stated

"Haha, it sounds convincing when Yukiko says it." Chie chuckled

"Huh…? R-Really?" Yukiko questioned

"Thanks." Rise chuckled "I'm glad you're the first people I got to know here."

"Oh yeah, we almost forgot your present. The Teddie Glasses." Chie remembered "Um, you don't have to take them, but…well…"

"Here" Yu stated as he handed her a pair of glasses

"Senpai… Would you be struggling without my help?" Rise questioned "I can help you in that world, right? With my power…so wouldn't it be better if I joined the team?"

"Looks like we don't even have to ask her" Daisuke smiled

"These are kinda proof that you're one of us…" Yosuke nodded "They'll allow you to see clearly in the world, passed all the fog"

"I see…I do remember you all wearing glasses over there." Rise smiled "Thanks, Senpai. Now I'm part of the team, too! I'll be going to Yasogami High, starting tomorrow. But I don't have any friends yet, so don't ignore me, alright? I do owe you my life, so…you know…"

"Leave it to us." Yu smiled

"W-Wow…I didn't realize you were so cool, Senpai." Rise giggled

"This sure is a rough time to transfer here, though. The kidnappings, King Moron's death…all that, and exams are soon, too." Yosuke sighed "Exams…now I'm depressing myself. I wonder if there's any chance they'll be cancelled…"

"I doubt it. They always hold exams, rain or shine…" Chie stated

"I almost got killed by those monsters. Compared to that, exams are nothing." Rise chuckled

"Alrighty then, let's discuss the case some more tomorrow at our special headquarters." Yosuke said

"Yo. How's it going?" Kanji sighed as he approached the group "Dude...Teddie ate five topsicles

...

Though if you count the ones I had before, that makes six, so I still win."

"No one asked…" Yosuke stated

"We're all done talking already!" Rise smiled "Let's go, Senpai!"

"Uh…when did you get so chipper?" Kanji questioned

"Do you go to Yasogami, like Senpai? I'll be starting school there tomorrow, so I hope we get along too." Rise said happily

"Huh? Oh… cool." Kanji nodded "Uhh…what grade are you in?"

"Where's Teddie?" Yosuke asked

"He's over there, finishing up his fifth Topsicle. What are we gonna do with him?" Kanji questioned

"Well…I guess I'll take him home…" Yosuke sighed "This will be fun explaining to my parents..."

EVENING/ DOJIMA RESIDENCE

"Good Evening, this is Niteline News. Our top story concerns the latest developments in an ongoing story. The serial murder case in Inaba has claimed a fourth and fifth victim. The news shocked local residents, who have not seen another murder in two months, and assumed the spree had reached its end. One of the deceased taught at a local high school. Since his body was found arranged in a similar manner as the last three victims…"

"King Moron" Yu muttered as the teacher's image appeared on the screen

"The fifth victim however brought concern, as the victim clearly died of blood loss. The victim was identified as 16 year old, Mitsuo Kubo"

"Wait...I know him" Yu said as the image of the boy appeared onscreen "That was-"

"What's wrong? Was it someone you know?" Nanako questioned "He died?"

Yu was about to respond to her, before he noticed the scared look the girl was giving him

"It's okay, I'm here" Yu smiled at her

"I'm all right…" Nanako said as she was somewhat relieved.

"This marks the fourth consecutive death, after Ms. Ai Ebihara's, where the target was involved with Yasogami High. Mr. Morooka was known for his strict teaching methods, and is said to have had constant friction with his students. The police will be pursuing this line of inquiry, and are planning to begin a large-scale investigation tomorrow. We now turn to our reporter at the scene for more details…"

---

"Welcome to the Velvet Room" Igor smiled "It has been quite some time since your last visit. Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world…I have summoned you within your dreams. How are things proceeding…? Are you gradually drawing nearer to a solution to the mystery…?"

"Yeah..." Yu nodded

"Excellent." Igor nodded

"The season has changed, but your future is not yet closed. In time, a path will open to you." Margaret explained "You are not the only players, more will join soon, including yet another who holds the Wild Card"

"You mean..." Yu began

"Indeed...a third Wild Card" Igor smiled

"Wait, a third?" Yu questioned

"Indeed, we formed a contract not too long ago with another" Margaret explained

"Who?" Yu questioned

"We are not at liberty to say" Margaret said

"But he-"

"Now… your journey will soon reach its climax…" Igor smiled And as a result, many challenges-which I cannot forsee at present-await you. Most interesting…well, until we meet again…farewell."

JULY 11/ SCHOOL

"I'm Noriko Kashiwagi, your new class teacher starting today." The seductive teacher smiled "You all probably know already, but now that Mr. Morooka has passed away…I'll be taking good care of you instead. Okay, why don't we start off with a moment of silence for Mr. Morooka. Close your eyes, everyone…that should be good enough."

"Oh great, Kashiwagi" Yosuke groaned as the class closed their eyes

"What's wrong?" Yu whispered

"She's on the wrong side of forty" Chie spat

"She seemed kinda young to me" Yu said

"That's what she wants you to think" Yosuke gurgled

"Okay, that should be enough" Kashiwagi stated "So our regular exams are still on track for next week. As your principal said, It's times like these when the schedule is most important, Nori-chan. It must be tough for you. But that's what it means to become an adult, little by little."

"I already can't stand her…" A female student groaned

"First King Moron and now Kashiwagi…? How much worse can it get?" A male student sighed

"Oh, and one more thing." Kashiwagi said with a hint of annoyance "That idol in our first-year class…Ms. Kujikawa, was it? In person, she's nothing like she seems on TV, so don't get your hopes up, mmkay?"

"What's with her, does she seriously think she's Risette's rival or something?"

"She doesn't stand a chance against Risette. I mean, I heard Kashiwagi is on the wrong side of 40…"

"I bet King Moron would've been ecstatic to hear Risette had enrolled told me they saw him buying Rise's pinup book…"

"That sounds kinda pervy."

"He annoyed the hell out of me, but I feel bad that he got killed…"

"Oh, you know what? Risette was on a striptease show."

"Huh? A striptease!? Dude, if that was true, the paparazzi would've been all over it."

"I'm serious! But the reception went bad right when it was getting to the good part…It was on that Midnight Channel everyone keeps talking about."

"You actually believe that crap? How friggin' dense are you? Trust me, you were dreaming it…"

"This is getting out of hand" Yu muttered

"The rumors are getting spread further" Chie sighed

"We'd better wrap this case up quick." Yosuke nodded "Anyways, let's meet up later. Don't make any plans for this afternoon."

JUNES

"Ugh...finals are next week" Chie groaned "It's been a while since I failed any subjects…"

"Yeah, if by a while you mean all the time." Yosuke scoffed

"Sh-Shut up! Like you've ever seen my scores!" Chie shouted

"But Chie always has above-average marks in the subjects that she doesn't fail!" Yukiko stated

"H-Hey! Why'd you tell him!?" Chie groaned "My scores just…vary! Yeah, that's it!"

"Ahaha!" Rise laughed

"R-Rise-chan, you too…?" Chie questioned

"Sorry…I'm not laughing at you." Rise giggled It's just…I thought it would take me a while to make any friends at my new school."

"Too bad we met under such awful circumstances." Chie sighed

"Oh yeah…so what do you guys think about King Moron's case?" Yosuke questioned "He didn't show up on the Midnight Channel even once."

"Neither did that other guy" Yu noted "And I pretty sure I recognized him"

"So did I!" Chie said "He was the weirdo who asked Yukiko out that one time, it wasn't too long after you showed up in town"

"Huh?" Yukiko questioned "Who?"

"You seriously don't remember?" Chie groaned

"If this person had been inside the TV, I would've sensed it." Teddie stated "My nose isn't as sharp now, but I can tell that much."

"But they found the body on a foggy day again, right?" Chie reminded "They said on the news that that crime scene was just the way it was for that announcer and Saki-senpai."

"I really wonder about the culprit's motives…" Yukiko mumbled "Why was Mr. Morooka targeted?"

"And this other guy" Daisuke said

"Hope it wasn't personal, 'cause there's way too many people out there who hated King Moron's guts" Kanji sighed

"But didn't you say it's people who get famous on TV who are targeted? If the killer's choosing targets by watching TV, I picture him as someone who doesn't know the victims at all.

I don't think it's worth trying to figure out motives for that type." Rise stated "There are too many people who hold grudges against you for no reason, even if you've never met them before."

"You sound like you speak from experience, Rise-chan…" Chie muttered "But with King Moron, he didn't appear on the Midnight Channel or the regular TV…Uurgh! I don't get this at all!"

"Man, three victims from our school…" Kanji sighed "That's gotta set off the police's alarm bells. They're not gonna leave any stones at school unturned."

"Y'know, to be honest…somewhere deep inside, I thought maybe King Moron was the killer…" Yosuke muttered "The news says that he was the third victim from Yasogami High, but we all know that's not the case. And I've heard him say more than once that so-and-so deserves to die…but now…I feel bad that I doubted him. He was a capital-A asshole, but that doesn't justify killing him…and not just King Moron…I feel sorry for all the victims…I can't forgive the killer, no matter what!"

"Well, we'll do what we can, for King Moron's sake too!" Chie nodded "At this rate, you have to figure that the killer has something to do with the school, right? So why don't we split up and-"

"That won't be necessary" A familiar voice rang

"Y-You…" Kanji muttered as Naoto approached them

"There is no need for you to examine the case of Mr. Morooka or Mitsuo Kubo any further." Naoto stated

"Wh-Why's that?" Yosuke asked

"This is a job for the Police" Naoto stated "It would be best to let them handle the case from here."

"You're talking like you're an officer..." Kou said

"I'm on this case as a special investigator, by request of the prefectual police." Naoto confirmed

"What!?" Yosuke cried

"Soon, this case will be solved, and your town will once again be its peaceful, rustic self" Naoto stated.

"All right…so why come tell us?" Yosuke asked "That's confidential info, right? Why run right here and spill it?"

"Your game will soon reach its end." Naoto confided to them with a tip of his hat "I felt I should at least let you know that."

"This isn't a game to us" Yu stated sternly

"You don't deny, then, that you have involved yourselves in the matter?" Naoto questioned "Well, no matter. I have no reason to say anything further."

"A game…?" Rise growled "Aren't you the one who thinks of this as a game? I don't care if you're a special investigator or an amateur sleuth…all you're doing is solving mysteries. What could you possibly know about us? You're the one who's playing a game here."

"One of the victims…" Yosuke muttered "She meant a lot to me. How could I possibly treat this like a game? Plus…we made a promise…"

"Y-Y-Yosuke…" Teddie stuttered

"A game…" Naoto mumbled "That may be quite true"

"Wh-Why so understanding all of a sudden…?" Chie asked

"Oh, I get it. I was wondering why you'd be wandering around like this when the police have a suspect…" Yosuke chuckled "What, did they get rid of you now that they have their man? Is that why you came here? You were lonely?"

"Detectives normally aren't involved with arrests. And we never harbor any special emotions regarding a case, either." Naoto claimed "Still…it is rather unfortunate that people are only attentive so long as our services are required...but then, I'm accustomed to it"

Kanji stared intently at the boy in silence

"Much about this case was perplexing, but its solution was surprisingly simple…well then, I'll be going now." Naoto sighed before leaving

"What was that about…? He just said his piece and left…?" Yosuke sighed

PIPIPIPIPIPIPI

"Hello?" Yu asked as he answered his phone

"I promised you answers..."

"Guys, it's the detective!" Yu stated to the group

"Whoa, seriously?" Yosuke asked

"I'll give you them...meet me at the shrine in ten minutes"

"Guys..." Yu trailed on

SHRINE

"You're here...good" Katsuya nodded

"Yeah, so fork over them answers already" Kanji demanded

"Ask away" Katsuya indulged

"You're a Persona user...when did you obtain yours?" Daisuke asked

"In the year 2000, so just over 11 years ago..." Katsuya claimed "Long ago, I, Maya Amano, Ulala Serizawa, Baofu, Kei Nanjo and Eriko Kirishima faced a massive danger that threatened the world, Nyarlathotep"

"Nyar...la...wha?" Yosuke asked

"Nyarlathotep..." Katsuya repeated "He represented all the darkness in the world, the side of humanity that represented divine evil...the crawling chaos...and to combat him, I, along with my allies, were gifted Persona's by Philemon, who represented the good of humanity"

"Phil...who?" Chie asked

"You haven't met Philemon?" Katsuya questioned "That's odd...Igor then?"

"Yes" Yu nodded "And Margaret"

"Wait, who's Igor?" Yosuke questioned "And...Margaret?"

"I see, Igor, Maya told me about him..." Katsuya muttered "I'm unfamiliar with Margaret though...what about...I think it was...Elizabeth?"

"I...haven't met anyone buy that name" Yu stated

"I see then...it seems that despite us sharing similar fates, our paths were wildly different" Katsuya stated

"You mentioned others" Kou reminded

"Yes, the Shadow Operatives" Katsuya nodded "We're a special branch of the National Police, designated to deal with the supernatural goings on in the world"

"No way, so there's a special Persona police force?!" Chie cried

"I suppose you can think of us like that..." Katsuya sighed "I was approached last year to join this organisation"

"So how long have you guys been around?" Rise asked

"We were just established last year, we're a spin off of S.E.E.S" Katsuya explained "The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad"

"'Mouthful..." Kanji muttered

"It was a small club in Gekkokan High School, established by Mitsuru Kirijo" Katsuya revealed

"Kirijo...that name sounds farmiliar" Yosuke muttered

"S.E.E.S consisted of Mitsuru Kirijo along with Yukari Takeba, Akihiko Sanada, Minato Arisato, Junpei Iori, Fuuka Yamagishi, Shinjiro Aragaki, Ken Amada, Koromaru and Aigis combated Shadows to prevent The Fall"

"The Fall?" Yukiko asked

"Your typical end of the world event..." Katsuya sighed "They eventually succeeded, but lost Arisato-san and Aragaki-san in the process..."

"Whoa, when was this?" Kou asked

"Two years ago" Katsuya explained "After that, the Shadow Operatives were established and they actively seeked out all known Persona users...I, along with Nanjo-san were the only ones who headed their call, I figured, seeing as I was already a Police Officer..."

"So...you're here because this Kirijo person knew about the TV World?" Yu asked

"Correct" Katsuya nodded "One of us, Junpei Iori...fell asleep on the train and ended up in Inaba, he ended taking refuge in an Inn"

"An Inn?" Yukiko questioned "Was it my family's inn?"

"Possibly" Katsuya nodded "He witnessed the Midnight Channel and the following day, asked around about it, apparently, a gas station attendant told him all about it..."

"A Gas Station Attendant..." Teddie muttered

"He knew that Shadow's had to be involved so he reported it back to us...I requested to show my worth, plus I had adequate cover as a detective, so I was selected to observe Inaba and the Midnight Channel"

"So..." Kanji muttered

"You're one I don't recognize" Katsuya noted as he spotted the young blond boy "Did you acquire a new Persona user?"

"I'm Teddie!" The former bear claimed

"Teddie?...That voice, the bear?" Katsuya questioned

"Yeah, we don't really get it ourselves" Yosuke sighed

"Interesting..." Katsuya noted "He changed form?"

"Yep" Yukiko nodded

"I see...just what are you?" Katsuya asked as he approached Teddie

"Hey, no touching!" Teddie stated as he backed away

"Hey, back off!" Chie demanded as she stepped in front of Teddie

"Ah, my apologies" Katsuya apologized as he back away "It was not my intent to offend..."

"I have one more thing to ask" Yu stated "Is Naoto Shirogane a member of the Shadow Operatives?"

"Shirogane? No" Katsuya denied "Though we did do some research into...him, it was certainly surprising when we checked his medical files..."

"What'dya mean?" Kanji questioned

"Nothing" Katsuya said with a shake of his head "Well, I gave you your answers, now I wish to ask you a question...

"What?" Yosuke asked

"Do you know of a boy named Sho Minazuki?" Katsuya questioned

"Name doesn't ring a bell..." Yosuke denied

"'Never heard of him..." Kanji shrugged

"I see...how unfortunate" Katsuya sighed

"Why?...Wait, do you think he's..." Chie began "Y'know...the culprit?"

"It's...possible" Katsuya nodded

"Whoa, wait, you guys have a suspect?!" Yosuke cried

"Again, it's possible, we have nothing to go on but a name and possible motive" Katsuya informed them "Well then...I'll be taking my leave now"

"Wait!" Yosuke cried out "So...does this mean you're going to help us from now on?"

"I will assist when needed, but for the sake of keeping up appearances, we will remain seperate, we never know where this killer has eyes" Katsuya explained "Do not consider me a member of your Investigation Team, nor you to be members of the Shadow Operatives"

"So what you're saying is...you're not gonna help" Kanji grunted "Typical cop"

"I will report to you again should another kidnapping take place..." Katsuya stated before finally taking his leave

"So...he's not gonna be any help" Yu muttered

"Yeah, but at least we have a name now" Rise reminded "Sho Minazuki..."

"Yeah, but the guy said himself that it's nothing more than a guess" Yosuke stated

"Well, it's better than nothing" Chie sighed

"Let's just call it a day" Kou sighed

"He's right" Daisuke nodded "There's nothing we can do now, come on, we got school in the morning..."

JULY 12/ SCHOOL

"Never thought I'd say this, but I miss King Moron" Yosuke groaned

"It gets worse" Chie groaned "Exams are next week...Yu-kun, do you want to study today?"

"Sure" He nodded

"Oooh, studying" Yosuke chuckled "Is that what they call it now?"

"Huh?! You dolt!" Chie snapped with a smack on Yosuke's head "It wasn't innuendo! We're actually going to study"

"Okay, okay!" Yosuke groaned as he rubbed the sore spot on his cranium "Dude, control your woman"

"Don't badmouth my girlfriend" Yu stated flatly as he smacked the exact same spot

"Ow!" Yosuke cried as the two left

"Yosuke?" Yukiko questioned as she walked beside him

"Yeah?" He grumbled

"Do you know if Chie likes anyone?" Yukiko asked

"H-How should I know?!" Yosuke panicked

"Well, I was wondering if I should tell her about Ichijo-kun" Yukiko explained "You know, how he likes her"

"I-I don't think that's a good idea" Yosuke suggested "I don't think Chie likes him..."

"Hmm? Are you sure?" Yukiko asked "She seems happier recently..."

"That's probably for a different reason..." Yosuke explained

"I'm not so sure...maybe I'll help Ichijo-kun" Yukiko muttered to herself

"W-Wait!" Yosuke cried out, but the girl had already tuned out

JULY 13/ SHOPPING DISTRICT

"Chie-senpai says the steak bowl here is great." Kanji said happily "And hey, she's the expert."

"That she is" Yu nodded before noticing an approaching officer

"You're Kanji Tatsumi, right? I'd like to have a word with you." The officer stated

"Huh? Yeah, well I wouldn't." Kanji told him off

"Come with me." The officer demanded

"On what charges?" Yu questioned "You don't even have a warrant"

"Senpai..." Kanji muttered

"Ah...you're the kid that Tatsumi's been hanging out with lately." The officer noted "I see. So you're in cahoots..."

"So what if we hang out? What's it to you?" Kanji growled

"You know there's been a group of teenage bullies lurking around here, don't you?" The officer questioned "We got a tip saying you've been threatening a child at the hill."

"Threatening? Child...?" Kanji questioned, before remembering the child he met on the hill and handed a stuffed bunny to replace his friends lost one "Oh, him."

"Hmph, so you admit it. Not a shred of remorse, either." The Officer stated coldly "You two are going to have to come with us down to the station."

"Now wait a sec! Senpai has nothin' to do with this!" Kanji roared

"Oh, Mister. What are you doing?" Came a small voice, Yu and Kanji then recognized as the small boy they were just talking about

"You know these boys, kid?" The officer asked "Can you tell me how you know them? I don't think they're being straight with me."

"The hell are you telling that kid!? You call yourself a cop!?" Kanji snapped

"Did this boy ask you for anything? For instance, did he claim he lost his money?" The officer asked

"You lost your money, Mister?" The boy asked "You can have some of mine!"

"Just as I thought..." The officer muttered

"That ain't..." Kanji tried to get out

"Oh, but I came today to give you the cookies Mom baked as thanks." The boy stated, holding up a bag "I was going to sneak in and leave them at Tatsumi Textiles, but here you are."

"Thanks?Thanks for what?" The officer questioned

"He gave me a doll! He's real good! He made it!" The boy smiled "And he made more for Mom and my friends"

"Dolls!? And you're saying Tatsumi made them?" The officer questioned "What a load of...there's no way you're getting me to believe that."

"Believe it" Yu stated flatly

...

"Awright, listen up, punks...there ain't any lying about it." Kanji sighed "I made the kid some dolls. What with the ones for his friends and his mom, it was eight all told! And lemme warn you... They're so cute, they'll give you diabetes-the instantly fatal kind! So what, you want me to teach you how to make 'em!? Huh!?"

"What...?" The officer questioned

"You 'bout to say that ain't like me, right? Go ahead and laugh, dammit! Like I care. I'm used to being pointed at." Kanji shouted "And what's most important is, I ain't gonna make this kid or Senpai a liar! Hey you! That button's falling off! I'm gonna sew it back on, y'hear!?"

"Officer...?" Came the voice of Kanji's mother "What are you doing with my Kanji?"

Oh-Well, Ma'am, there've been several cases of bullying around here, so..." The Officer listed

"Kanji had nothing to do with them." Kanji's mother said sternly

"Mom..." Kanji muttered

"He would never do such a thing. He may be stupid and short-tempered, but he's a strong and gentle child." Kanji's Mother informed him "Why, just the other day, he showed me his dolls, and he told me I can put them up for sale..."

"Y-You old bag! What're you saying!?" Kanji cried

"I-I apologize." The officer bowed "If you'll...excuse us..."

"M-Mom..." Kanji mumbled "You'd believe me over the police...?"

"You would never do such a thing. A mother knows." She smiled "I need to prepare dinner now...don't go stuffing yourself at Aiya before coming home."

"I..." Kanji sniffed

"Mister...are you crying?" The young boy asked

"N-N-No! I ain't crying!" Kanji defended as he vigorously rubbed his eyes "This is...snot! I got a cold! You wanna catch it!? Huh!?"

...

"Need a tissue?" Yu asked

JULY 14/ SCHOOL

"Y-You want to help?!" Kou cried

"That's right!" Yukiko smiled

"H-How did you even find out I like her?" Kou questioned

"Nagase told me" She explained

"That bastard!" Kou cursed

"So I want to help" Yukiko nodded

"Why? I mean, not that I don't appreciate it" Kou muttered "But why do you want to help?"

"Truth is...I want you to help me too" Yukiko stated "You see, I like Yu-kun..."

"You do?" Kou questioned

"And since you and Narukami are close..." Yukiko stated "I think we could help each other out"

"I'm...nowhere near as close to him as Yosuke, but...yeah" Kou smiled "I...I appreciate it"

"Oh, this is so good" Yukiko smiled

JULY 15/ GYM

"So...do you like someone?" Kou asked

"Huh? Why'd you ask?" Yu panicked slightly

"Come on man" Kou smiled "You can tell me"

"Even if I did...I couldn't say...really, I couldn't" Yu gulped

"Come onnnnnnn..." Kou irked on "You do don't you?"

...

"No, I-"

"I knew it!" Kou stated

"Kou, listen..." Yu sighed "I...I'm-"

"Yukiko, huh?"

"What?" Yu questioned

"Come on man, it ain't a big deal, everyone likes Yukiko" Kou smiled "Well...'cept me of course, you know I got my eyes on someone else..."

"Kou..." Yu muttered

"So...you want help? I can set you two up" Kou chuckled

...

"Just..." Yu sighed before beginning to slump away

"Dude?" Kou questioned "What's up? No need to be embarrassed..."

"Leave it..." Yu sighed before finally departing

AIYA

"Do I like anyone?" Chie gaped "W-Why do you ask?"

"Oh?" Yukiko muttered "Do you?"

"Why does that matter!?" Chie cried

"You're awfully defensive" Yukiko noted

"It's nothing!" Chie stated "That's enough! Let's order now!"

"Okay, okay" Yukiko giggled

LATER

"Embarrassed?" Kou asked "That's weird, that's how Narukami acted too..."

"Really? Then maybe they both feel the same way" Yukiko smiled

"That's good right?" Kou questioned

"It seems so..." Yukiko nodded "But we don't to weird them out, so let's drop it for a whole"

"Yeah" Kou nodded "I don't want anything to ruin this chance..."

JULY 16/ DRAMA ROOM

"Yumi?" Yu questioned as she entered the room, drama club having just ended and the other student's left

"Oh...hi" Yumi mumbled with a small sad smile

"Are...you okay?" Yu asked

"Yeah...I'm just...I just got back from the hospital...Dad...died"

"Yumi..." Yu muttered "I'm...so sorry"

...

"I hated him..." Yumi stated "Even to the end...but I thanked him, for bringing me into the world...he told me that he and Mom named me Yumi because it means...to bear fruit...and that he wanted me to live long..."

"I see..." Yu muttered

"I see now..." Yumi muttered "And my head's finally clear...so I want to say something"

"Are you okay?" Yu asked "You're-"

"Yu-kun...I know this is out of the blue" Yumi interrupted "But...I love you"

...

"Yumi..." Yu muttered in shock

"Yu-kun..." She addressed as she stood infront of him "Do you...feel the same?"

The instant she asked that, the boy cringed and looked away, she knew what the answer was. Her heart breaking even further once he confirmed it with his words...

"No" Yu said softly with a sigh as he closed his eyes

...

"I see..." She mumbled

"I'm sorry" Yu stated as he attempted to look her in the eyes "I just...I'm...already with someone..."

"Do you love her?" Yumi asked as she turned away

"I do..." Yu nodded

"And her...does she love you?" Yumi questioned softly

"She does..." Yu stated

"She can't love you as much as I do..." Yumi muttered

"I'm sorry Yumi, but yes she does" Yu said "We love each other, more than anything..."

...

"I see...how nice" Yumi sighed before making her way to the door "I have to go"

"Yumi, wait!" Yu cried out but the girl had already ran out, her sobs audible as she ran down the hall. He cried out again as he ran out of the classroom and into hall but the girl was already out of sight "Shit...Shit!"

"Yo..." Came the astonished voice of Daisuke "What was that about...?"

"I just rejected her..." Yu sighed as he buried his head in his hands

"Whoa..." Daisuke gaped "You...Yumi liked you? Geez...why'd you reject her?"

"Because I don't...feel that same" Yu groaned

"Well...suppose it was right" Daisuke hummed "Put...seems like it came of kind of harsh..."

"She...pretty much said that no one could love me like her..." Yu sighed "Shit, why am I even saying this?"

"It's good to get it off your chest..." Daisuke explained

"Yeah...suppose it is" Yu nodded "I told her what she said wasn't true..."

...

"So...you're saying there's someone out there you love?" Daisuke questioned

"I...I'm..." Yu sighed "Can we...stop there?"

"Sure Bro..." Daisuke nodded "Sure..."

AIYA

"Narukami rejected her?" Kou questioned

"Yeah, you should have seen it man..." Daisuke sighed "She ran off crying..."

"Geez..." Kou whistled "So why'd he do it?"

"Turn her down? He didn't feel the same way" Daisuke informed him "I...actually think he turned her down because he likes someone else"

"Wha?!" Kou cried out "Why's that?"

"Well, he said that she told him no one could love her like she does, and he told her that wasn't true" Daisuke explained

"Whoa...I was suspicious, but I guess that confirms it" Kou nodded "Yup, he definately likes Yukiko!"

"Really? I didn't really peg her as Narukami's type" Daisuke questioned "Maybe it's Rise..."

"Nah, bro, I questioned him about her yesterday, he got all panicky" Kou explained

"Hmm...maybe" Daisuke nodded "A lot of people like her, suppose Narukami's no different"

EVENING/ DOJIMA HOUSEHOLD

"Whoa..."

"Yeah" Yu sighed

"She said she loved you and everything?"

"Yeah...and that no one could love me like her" Yu explained "I told her it wasn't true"

"How are you feeling?" Chie asked

"Like shit" Yu admitted

"I can't believe this...a girl I don't even know told my boyfriend she loved him? What the hell..."

"I'm not feeling great about it either, Chie" He groaned

"Oh...sorry"

"I...I'm gonna have to do it again at some point"

"Huh?"

"Yukiko..."

"Oh..."

"Listen, I'm gonna go bed" Yu sighed

"Okay, just remember, I love you"

"I know, I love you too" Yu smiled before he hung up

JULY 17/JUNES

"More TV Coverage?!" Yosuke cried

"Yeah, it looks like that camera crew that covered the basketball team back in April is coming back" Daisuke stated

"This is bad..." Kanji groaned "What are they coming back to cover?"

"No idea..." Daisuke sighed "But their ratings are failing so I'm guessing they'll cover whatever they can"

"Those idiots!" Chie cried "Don't they realise what they're doing?!"

"No, they don't" Yu sighed "And that's the problem, they don't know the link between regular TV and the Midnight Channel..."

"Yeah...all we can do it wait and watch" Yosuke sighed "At least this time, we'll have a headstart"

"Hey, yeah!" Chie smiled "They'll be filming right beside us, we can warn people right away!"

"Hell yeah!" Kanji cheered "We'll save them before they're even in danger!"

"Alright!" Yosuke nodded "But we came here to study, we should, exams are in just two days..."

"Ugh..." Chie groaned

JULY 18/DOJIMA HOUSEHOLD

"I'm home." Dojima stated

"Oh, welcome back!" Nanako greeted, a piece of paper in her small hand "Um, Dad...!"

"Later, Nanako..." He sighed

"B-But, this paper..." She mumbled before Dojima took it

"Scheduling of Parent-Teacher Interviews? A survey, huh...?" He sighed

...

"Fine...It's fine...It's fine, okay!?" Nanako snapped "You don't have to write anything! You don't have to come! It's just another case to you, right? It's more work, isn't it? Bad people and everyone else are more important to you than me, huh!? Big Bro told me that your real family are the ones who love you...you're don't love me...you're not my real Dad!"

And with that, the little girl stormed away and bolted out of the door

"Na-Nanako! Wait!" Dojima cried out

"Hurry, go after her!" Motoko cried out as she went for her shoes

"R-Right!" Dojima nodded as Yu also slipped on his shoes and ran out after the girl

SHOPPING DISTRICT

"Nanako!" Yu yelled out as he ran down the street "Nanako!"

"Yu!" Came the voice of Yosuke, running towards him with the rest of the gang trailing behind him "I ran into Dojima-san at Junes, and he told me what happened."

"You coulda just asked!" Chie snapped

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Yu apologised "I wasn't thinking"

"We got a call from Yosuke-kun." Yukiko said "I'm sure if we all look, we'll find her."

"Hey, do you know what kinda places she might've gone?"

"When Mom was alive, we'd go to the Riverbank and just watch the river...we'd have picnics and just...be happy"

"Samegawa..." Yu stated "The Samegawa Riverbank"

"Samegawa...?" Yosuke asked "Alright. Yu, you head straight there. That's our best bet. The rest of us'll split up and look around. If anyone finds anything, give the others a ring, okay?"

"I will!" Yu nodded before running off

SAMEGAWA

"Nanako..." Yu panted, his breath running short, before he finally spotted the girl on the foyer above the riverbank, he quickly pulled out his phone

"Yu, did you find Nanako!?"

"I did" He nodded "She's at the Samegawa Riverbank

"Could you... talk to her?"

"Why me?"

"I'm not her real father" Dojima echoed "You should go pick her up. She'll listen to you..."

"That's not true" Yu stated

"No...it is" Dojima sighed "As long as she's okay..."

...

"Alright" Yu nodded before he approached the girl

"Big Bro?" She questioned

"We were looking all over for you" Yu sighed as he wrapped the girl in a hug "We were all worried sick, especially your dad..."

"Liar..." Nanako muttered

"No, it's true" He stated, kneeling down to the girls level "He practically searched the whole town looking for you"

"He was looking for me...? Did Dad say anything about the river?" Did he forget about Mom...?" Nanako asked "He never talks about her...I wanna see Mom..."

Yu proceeded to wrap the girl in his arms as she was struggling not to cry...

"I can't imagine what it's like for you Nanako..." Yu muttered softly to her "To go through all this...you're so brave, little sis...you're so much braver than your big bro"

"Dad must've forgotten Mom." Nanako whimpered "There aren't any pictures of her at home. He probably threw them all away...is he going to throw me away, too...?"

"Never" Yu softly whispered

"Nanako..." Dojima muttered softly as he approached the two

"See...I told you" Yu smiled "he was looking for you..."

"I..." Nanako muttered before sobbing into Yu's chest "I wanna go home!"

"Yeah..." Yu nodded before picking her up

...

"Yeah..." Dojima muttered as he slowly walked away

"Uncle..." Yu tried to ger his attention

"Just..." Dojima sighed "You're her family...not me..."

"Uncle!" Yu called out to him, but he didn't respond

JULY 19/ SCHOOL

"Thank god she was safe" Yukiko muttered

"Yeah" Yu sighed "She hasn't talked to Uncle since she got back though..."

"Family issues man" Yosuke sighed "Anyway...we need to clear our heads, it's exam week"

"Yeah!" Chie cried "Okay Exams, here I come!"

JULY 23/ SCHOOL

"I hate exams..."

"It's allllllll over!" Yosuke cried but then yawned "I'm so sleepy"

"Yuck! Don't yawn in my face like that!" Chie gurgled before turning to Yukiko "Hey, for the third question on the English test, which phrase did you choose?"

"Um…I went with used to." Yukiko answered

"I was wrong again…" Chie sighed

"So much for Chie going abroad. Heck, why leave Inaba? You have so much right here!" Yosuke chuckled

"Ooooh, you're so annoying!" Chie growled

"Yo…" Kanji greeted as he and Rise entered the room "No more encores…I mean…Hi everyone…"

"Whoa, more losers!?" Yosuke asked

"What do I need to know English for!? I can always ask for a translator!" Rise groaned before asking Yu "How did you do, Senpai?"

"My pen was on fire" Yu smirked

"Wow, you're amazing…" Rise said affectionately

"Enough about the exams already…" Kanji grumbled "What's going on with the murder case?"

"Hm…why don't we head to our special headquarters? We haven't been there in a while." Yosuke suggested

"COME ON, GET OUTTA HERE!"

"Whoa, the hell?!" Kanji cried

"Was that...Adachi-san?" Yu questioned as he recognized the voice of the detective

"You can't do this! We have a permit!"

"Not to do this!" Came the voice of Adachi once again "You'll all under arrest!"

"Cheese it, boys!"

"Get back here!"

"The hell is going on?" Yosuke questioned

"Now, now, children, let the police do their work" Kashiwagi smiled "You don't want to get into the way of a big strong policeman do you?"

JUNES

"I'm kinda bummed..." Chie sighed "Detective Suou gave us a suspect, this Minazuki guy and we can't even do anything about it, we don't know where he is or even what he looks like"

"So…we gotta sit on our thumbs." Kanji groaned

"For pete's sake..." Came a familiar groan

"Hey, it's Adachi-san!" Yosuke pointed out

"Oh, hey kids" Adachi smiled

"Adachi-san, what was that about at our school?" Yu questioned

"Oh, you heard that, huh?" Adachi sighed "Well you know how that TV crew that filmed the basketball team back in April?"

"Yeah?" Kanji questioned

"Well supposedly they got a warrant to come back and film some more...but it wasn't them" Adachi explained "It was that News of the Weird show that were here to film the Amagi Inn"

"Those people?!" Yukiko angrily snapped

"Yeah, they wanted to film the school since four of the victims went there, they wanted to call it The Death Magnet, Yaso-Inaba High! The crawling grounds for the murder victims! Who will be next! The school said they didn't sign up for this so when the crew refused to leave, they called the police"

"Those bastards, don't they have any respect...?" Daisuke growled

"Well, they're under arrest now" Adachi sighed "Sorry, I gotta head"

"Man..." Chie growled "Those dirty bastards!"

"Trying to exploit the Inn is one thing, but to paint the school like that..." Yukiko grumbled

"It's sickening..." Yu stated

...

"Let's change the subject" Chie sighed "How's Teddie doing?"

"Check it out" Yosuke said with a point of his thumb, gesturing over to Teddie who was in his bear outfit, holding balloons and entertaining children "I let him stay at my place. In return, he's now our official store mascot."

"Aaah! So he's hiding in plain sight. Reverse psychology, huh?" Kanji smirked "Man…he looks like one happy bear…"

"He kept saying that he didn't wanna go back. So I made him a deal." Yosuke shrugged "Now, since I've got nothing better to do…I'm gonna go bug him."

"Oooh, I wanna go too!" Chie giggled

"C-Can I…feel his soft fur…?" Kanji asked as the group departed, save for Yu and Rise

"Senpai?" Rise asked "Now that I'm getting the hang of school, I want to go out more and see the sights. But I tend to get recognized everywhere I go, so I'm a little nervous about going out on my own…and you seem like the type of guy who knows all the cool spots in town..."

"Sure, I'll show you around." Yu nodded

"Really? Woohoo!" Rise cheered

...

"Hey, Ichijo-kun?" Yukiko whispered to Kou

"Yeah?" Kou asked

"I have a plan" She stated

"Uh...yeah?" Kou egged on

"Tomorrow, I'm going to tell Yu-kun how I feel about him" Yukiko smiled

"W-Whoa, seriously?!" Kou cried

"Yeah, I'm going to tell him tomorrow at the Tatsuhime Shrine" Yukiko confirmed "After we leave there, we'll run into Chie, just outside Aiya"

"How do you know she'll be there?" Kou asked

"She always goes on this day of the week" Yukiko explained "She'll ask us what's going on, I'll tell her I'm together with Yu-kun and she'll be so thrilled for us that you'll come in and completely sweep her off her feet!"

...

"Don't completely agree with your terminology" Kou sighed but then smiled "But...yeah! This will finally be our chance. I'll finally be with Chie and you'll be with Yu!"

They didn't realize how wrong they could be...

JULY 24/ SHRINE

"Are you going to wish for something?" Yukiko asked

"Yeah..." Yu nodded as he threw a 500 yen coin in the offering box "For...someone"

"O-Oh" Yukiko blushed "I'm wishing for everyone's health. For Chie, for you, for the others... And everyone at the inn, too. And...I'm wishing to become a woman worthy of you..."

"Yukiko..." Yu quietly sighed, he knew it would happen today...

...

"I'm going to leave Inaba..." Yukiko stated "But just for a little while, I want to see the world...when I get back...then I'll decide what I want to do

...

Finally, I wish for everyone to be able to smile together...let's begin our prayer."

Yu silently nodded before beginning his prayer beisde her

"Thank you. I think it's because of you that I realize this." Yukiko smiled as the two stopped praying "Because you were always by my side

...

Yu-kun...for a while now, I-"

"I don't love you"

...

"W-What?" Yukiko questioned

"I'm...sorry, I'm sorry Yukiko" Yu apologized "But...I know I've been leading you on, I'm sorry, I didn't mean too...I'm...I'm so sorry Yukiko...I just don't feel that way about you"

...

"I...I see..." Yukiko muttered

"I...I'm..." Yu choked "I'm so sorry..."

"Yes...you said" Yukiko mumbled as her head dipped down "I...I have to go"

"Yukiko, please wait!" Yu cried out as he began to run after her, but he ultimately had no resolve to chase after her

...

"Yukiko?" Chie asked as she spotted her crying friend running passed her "Yukiko!"

The girl didn't answer and continued to run on

"Yukiko, what's wrong?!" Chie cried out as she ran after her

"Hey, Chie!" Kou greeted as he stepped out in front of her

"Not now, Ichijo!" Chie shouted as she continued to run

"W-Wait!" Kou cried as he ran after her

"I said not now!" Chie yelled

"Please, wait!" Kou shouted as he grabbed the back of her jacket

"Let go of me!" Chie demanded as Yukiko ran further and further away

"I have something to tell you!" Kou said

"Damn it!" Chie roared as Yukiko disappeared out of sight

"I need to tell you-"

"What!?" Chie demanded

"I...I have to tell you-" Kou stated, slightly stunned by her tone

"Something's wrong with Yukiko, I don't have time for this!" Chie stated as she began to run away again but Kou grabbed her hand and prevented her from getting away

"I love you!" Kou yelled to the heavens

...

"I don't have time for your stupid feelings Ichijo!" Chie snapped

"W-Wha?" Kou gaped

"Let go of me!" Chie shouted

"But...I..." Kou muttered, agape "Do you...love me to-"

"No!" Chie roared as she smacked his hand away

"But...I love you..." Kou mumbled

"I don't love you!" Chie snapped before lowering her voice "I don't...and because of you, Yukiko got away!"

...

"I...I-"

"Just...forget about it!" Chie snapped

...

"Fine...I'll never bring it up again" Kou muttered before dashing off in the other direction

...

She felt guilty, watching Kou run away, part of her felt relieved as rejecting him was finally out of the way, but she lost track of Yukiko and she didn't even know why she was upset

But when she saw Yu jogging towards her, she knew he was involved

"What...happened?" Chie asked

...

"I rejected her" He stated flatly

"Oh god..." Chie sighed

"And...Kou?" Yu aked

"I didn't just reject him, I pretty much destroyed his heart..." Chie said

...

"Well...dunno about you, but I feel like shit..." Yu grunted "I'll...go after Kou...explain it all, you go after Yu-"

"No"

"Huh?"

"I...can't" Chie said flatly before breaking out into a so b"I can't face her right now..."

"Okay, it's okay" Yu stated as he wrapped his arms around her "It's okay...I'm the one to blame"

"No...no you're not" Chie sobbed into his chest

...

"Yu-senpai?" Came the approaching voice of Rise "Is...is Chie-senpai okay?"

"No...neither of us are right now..." Yu muttered as he stared intently at Chie's sobbing face

Rise knew that look could only mean one thing

"Damn..." She mumbled as she walked away, the object of her affection was already taken...

KIRIJO HOME

"It's a pleasure to speak to you again, Ms Kirijo"

"The feeling is mutual Mr. Nanjo" Mitsuru smiled

"Though I take it that you didn't call up for a friendly chat..."

"Indeed..." Mitsuru nodded "I called you because you're one of our most experienced Persona users"

"I'm old, why don't you just come out and say it" Kei Nanjo laughed

"You took place in the SEBEC corporation incident of 1996..." Mitsuru stated "And you're the only partipant in that incident who joined the Shadow Operatives..."

"The others wanted to move on with their lives...can't necessarily blame them"

"We fear an ongoing incident may require all the manpower we can muster..." Mitsuru explained

"So basically, you're asking for my help?"

"I know nowadays you're a wealthy stockbroker and prefer to fight the lackeys in the stock market than Shadows"

"Back in my day, it was demons"

"Yes, quite" Mitsuru nodded "But I ask of you...please assist us in some form for the upcoming battle"

"It would be rude of me to say no, wouldn't it?" Nanjo laughed "Of course I'll-HRK!"

"Nanjo?" Mitsuru questioned

"Who...Who are yo-"

SHUNK

"Nanjo, what's wrong?!" Mitsuru cried out

"Helllllllo" Came a voice that most certainly was not Nanjo's from the other line "I'm sorry, Kei Nanjo is a little busy right now, so he won't be joining us for the rest of his life"

"Who is this?!" Mitsuru demanded "What did you do?!"

"Didn't you get the joke?" The voice groaned "I. KILLED. HIM"

"You..." Mitsuru growled "Who are you?!"

"Oh, I think you know" Came the oily voice from the other side of the phone "A little bird tells me you've been looking for me"

...

"Minazuki..."

"Correct-a-mundo" He stated with a laugh

"You bastard, why'd you kill him?!" Mitsuru roared

"Oh you know, boredom, I've been a bit stressed out lately" Sho shrugged "And, oh yeah, because he worked for you"

"You...scum" Mitsuru growled "How did you even know he was a Shadow Operative?!"

"Just because you know nothing about me, doesn't mean I know nothing about you" Sho laughed "You know how long I had to hide here? Waiting for him for either him or you to make a call so I could time my kill and we could have this little talk? I think I deserve some kind of reward for being this patient..."

"You bastard" Mitsuru seethed "All this...for Ikutsuki!?"

"Ikutsuki?! Hah!" Sho laughed "Maybe it was that at first, but now I have a whole other reason for wanting you dead..."

"What is it you want?" Mitsuru growled

"You...and everyone else, dead at my feet" Sho chuckled "And trust me...it will happen"

"You...I will hunt you down...we all will!" Mitsuru screamed

"Then come and find me" Sho smiled "I'll save you some trouble, I'm in Inaba"

"Ina-" Mitsuru muttered

"So come on...bring all your friends, pack a lunch, make a day of it" Sho laughed "Because it's time to play the game"

CLICK

"Kikuno!"

"Ma'am?!" Kikuno cried as she entered, stunned by her masters tone

"Get Akihiko on a flight to Japan right now! Get everyone ready! We're heading to Inaba!" Mitsuru shouted

JULY 25/ SCHOOL

"Yo..." Daisuke muttered as he sat next to Kou "Something up?"

"Yeah..." Kou muttered "I told Chie how I feel"

"You did?!" Daisuke cheered "Oh, finally! About freak-"

"She rejected me"

...

"Shit..." Daisuke said, his jaw agape

"Oh she didn't just reject me, I believe her exact words were I don't have time for your stupid feelings Ichijo"

"Dude...that is not cool" Daisuke grumbled

"Yeah..." Kou mumbled "Needless to say, I'm a bit...destroyed, emotionally..."

"That...sucks, bro" Daisuke sighed "But she had no right to say that stuff..."

"Oh, Ichijo-kun, Nagase-kun" Yukiko muttered as she spotted the boys

"Hey, Yukiko" Daisuke nodded towards her

"Hey..." Kou greeted quietly

"I...take it, it didn't go well" Yukiko noted

"No...no it did not..." Kou sighed

"I'm sorry..." Yukiko muttered

"What's going on?" Daisuke asked

"Me and Yukiko had a whole plan worked out, I was to get together with Chie, she was going to get together with Yu..."

"You..." Daisuke trailed

"Yu-kun rejected me" Yukiko revealed

"He did?" Daisuke questioned "'The hell?! I thought he liked you"

"So did I, but..." Yukiko mumbled

"This is just..." Daisuke growled "I need to talk to them"

"Daisuke, just leave it" Kou sighed

"Hell no!" Daisuke snapped "For leading Yukiko on like that and for Satonaka's behavior, I can't let it go!"

...

"Then I'm...going with you" Kou stated "Not for Chie...to find out why Yu did that to Yukiko..."

"And I need to know why Chie behaved that way" Yukiko added

---

"Still feel shitty?" Chie asked as the two stood outside the gym

"Yep..." Yu nodded "I was actually a little bit sick with guilt..."

...

"We're horrible friends, aren't we?" Chie sighed

"Yeah...yeah we are" Yu sighed too as he buried his face in his hands "I practically broke Yukiko's heart..."

"I stomped all over Ichijo's..." Chie sniffed

"And yet...part of me is...god, I can't even say it" Yu groaned

"Glad?" Chie asked

"Yeah..." Yu muttered

"Yeah...most of me feels like shit for doing that Ichijo, but a small part of me is glad he'll finally let it all go..."

...

"We're not just horrible friends, we're horrible people" Yu admitted

"We feel like shit, so we're not all bad..." Chie said with a small chuckle "I...wish you were a little less blunt with Yukiko though..."

"Believe me, so do I..." Yu groaned

...

"Hey..." Chie walked over to him and caressed his cheek "I'm sick of seeing you down..."

"Can't really help it at this point..." Yu said with a small chuckle

"Just remember...even if you lose everyone else...I'll always be here" She smiled before placing her lips to his

"There you are!" Came Daisuke's voice "You two-What the..."

The two broke their kiss with a gasp, and turned to the shocked faces of Daisuke, Yukiko and Kou

It was time to face the music

"Guys..." Yu mumbled

"The...The hell is this?" Kou muttered as he walked towards them "Were you two just...kissing?"

"What the hell is going on here?!" Daisuke demanded

...

"Yu..." Chie mumbled

"I know..." He nodded

"Hey, I asked you, what's going on!" Kou snapped

"Kou...Yukiko" Yu muttered "Me and Chie...are dating...we-"

SMACK

"You bastard!" Kou roared as he smacked Yu directly in the eye, knocking him down

"Kou!" Daisuke shouted

"Hey!" Chie roared before bringing her knee forward, smacking Kou right in the nose

"Chie!" Yukiko gasped

"Yu, You fucker!" Kou roared, his nose bloody from the knee as he was held back by Daisuke

"Yu-kun!" Chie cried out as she ran over to him as he was still down

"You fucking asshole! You stole her!" Kou roared "You didn't help me out because you wanted her all to yourself!"

"That's enough!" Daisuke commanded as he tried to pull Kou away

"Chie..." Yukiko muttered as she looked at the pair "Is it true...are you and Yu-kun..."

The guilty gaze Chie gave her was the only answer she needed

"Oh..." Yukiko muttered softly as her head dipped down

"Yukiko..." Chie muttered softly before her friend began to run away "Yukiko, wait!"

"What the hell, what's going on!?" Kanji shouted as he ran over to the scene, noticing the downed Yu "Senpai, are you okay!?"

"I'm fine..." Yu groaned, holding his bruised eye

"What the hell happened?!" Yosuke cried out as he and Rise ran over

"Bastard!" Kou roared as he wiggled free from Daisuke and ran towards Yu

"Hey, back off!" Kanji shouted as he tackled Kou away from Yu

"Everybody, just stop!" Rise cried

"Kanji, let him go!" Daisuke demanded as he tried to pull the blond boy off Kou

"Everybody calm down!" Yosuke demanded, however his words fell on deaf ears

"That's enough!" Chie cried out, trying to seperate the mess that was the Kou/Kanji/Daisuke pile up, only for in the ensuing choas, Kou to accidentally punch her in the gut

"Chie!" Everyone cried out simultaniously as the girl keeled over in pain, no voice however was louded than Yu's, who upon seeing Chie attacked, awoke an anger he had felt before

"I-I didn't mean to!" Kou tried to defend before Yu's fist smashed into his face and the boy mounted and began to pound on him

"Senpai!" Kanji shouted as he tried to pull him off

"Yu, stop it, you'll kill him!" Yosuke tried to plead as Yu roared, smashing his fists into Kou's face

"Get off of him!" Daisuke roared as he too began to try to get Yu off Kou

"Stop!" Rise screamed, tears running down her face

"Hey, hey!" Came a far off voice that was approaching fast "Enough, enough! Stop it!"

"Adachi-san, help!" Yosuke cried out as the detective ran over

"That's enough!" Adachi cried out as he latched onto Yu, the combined force of Yosuke, Kanji, Daisuke and Adachi was finally enough to lift him off Kou

"Chie-senpai, are you okay!?" Rise asked as she ran over to the girl, who was still hunched over

"Yeah..." Chie squeaked "I just had the wind knocked out of me..."

"Enough!" Daisuke stated as he pulled Kou away "Enough..."

"Keep that crazy bastard away from Senpai!" Kanji roared

"Keep him away!" Daisuke snapped back

"What the hell did you expect when he punched his girlfriend!?" Yosuke snapped "What kinda friend does that?!"

"If he was a good friend, then this situation wouldn't of happened in the first place!" Daisuke snapped back

"Oh so Yu was just supposed to let Kou have her!?" Yosuke shouted "Like some piece of meat?! He loves her damnit!"

"I loved her first!" Kou shouted

"It doesn't matter, she doesn't love you!" Yu roared

"Enough!" Adachi shouted before gesturing to Kou and Daisuke "You two, get outta here!

"You son of a-" Kou growled

"Go away, Ichijo!" Chie demanded as she stood up "Get lost and don't come back!"

Kou bared his teeth before his lip began to quiver, he quickly took off, Daisuke trailing behind him

DOJIMA HOUSEHOLD

"That little shit!" Motoko roared

"Motoko!" Dojima gasped as he covered Nanako's ears

"Sorry!" Motoko stated "But that insolent little...he could of blinded my boy! I have half a mind to have a word with his Mother!"

"Mom, stop" Yu groaned as Chie held and Ice pack to his eye

"You shoulda seen Senpai" Kanji whistled "He was like a caged animal, it was like UFC or something..."

"Yeah, when Chie-senpai went down, it was like he just snapped" Rise muttered

"Chie, honey, are you okay?" Motoko questioned

"I'm fine, Mrs. Narukami" Chie smiled "I just had the wind knocked outta me is all..."

"It's a good thing Adachi-san was trailing nearby..." Yosuke sighed "Seriously, Yu went berserk and we couldn't get him to stop"

"Just so you know, I don't approve of what you did..." Dojima stated sternly "But he did strike a woman and that's inexcusible..."

"Uncle..." Yu muttered

"I'm not gonna punish you...just don't do it again" Dojima nodded

"I swear...if I see that boy..." Motoko growled "Yosuke-kun, I want that boy banned from Junes!"

"Oh! Well I don't really have that authority Ma'am" Yosuke gulped

"How's it look?" Yu asked as he pushed the ice pack off

"Well, it ain't bruised" Kanji noted "Red as fuck though"

"Language!" Dojima snapped

"O-Oh! Sorry" Kanji apologized

"Nowhere near as bad as you left Kou" Yosuke stated "Seriously, I think I saw him spit out a tooth..."

"Atta boy" Motoko smiled

"Motoko, don't encourage him!" Dojima groaned

"The hosts of the popular TV Show, The Misery and Mystery of Japan, illegally filmed the premises of Yaso-Inaba High a few days ago"

"Hey, check it out" Kanji noted as the group turned to the TV, footage from the illegal filmed TV show began to play

"The TV crew can be seen here, harrassing students and forcing them to conduct interviews, two of the recovered interviews belonging to students Ayane Matsunaga and Yumi Ozawa" The Newscaster stated as Images of Yumi and Ayane appeared onscreen

...

"Oh hell" Yosuke muttered

"The filming would have continued further were for it not for the school contact the local authorities, Detective Tohru Adachi appeared on the scene-"

"Thought it'd be a cold day in Hell before I saw Adachi on the news" Dojima sighed as an image of Adachi appeared onscreen

"Oh hell..." Yosuke repeared

GAS STATION

"Now...it is time" The Attendant muttered as the news broadcast finished

"About freaking time!" Sho laughed as the duo walked over to the container with the Android

"The memories were implanted within it long ago" The Attendant stated as he grabbed the android and dragged its limp body across the floor "So there is no need interfere with it once it's in there"

"We can remotely take it over though, can't we?" Sho asked

"Correct" The Attendant muttered before sticking the androids head into the TV "But...time will tell how this will go"

"Wait are we waiting for?" Sho laughed "The Shadow Operative bastards are on the way, those idiots will watch the Midnight Channel and this little toy here's the key for the last stretch of the plan"

"Indeed" The Attendant nodded before shoving the whole android into the TV "Now...the closing chapter begins..."

JULY 26/ SCHOOL

"Well, that's for a whole term" Yosuke sighed in happiness

"So that's it huh?" Yu questioned, his eye still bloodshot from yesterday

"Yep" Kanji nodded "I'd suggest we'd all go to Aiya to celebrate, but there's a chance we'd run into...y'know"

"I can't believe Yukiko-senpai no showed the last day of school" Rise mumbled

"Hey, let's not talk about that" Yosuke cut in "How about we get some stuff from Junes and head back to Yu's home"

"Sounds good!" Chie nodded

"I'll call up Uncle and let him know I'm bringing people over" Yu said as he pulled out his cellphone

"Hey, let's get a watermelon!" Rise suggested

"Really, doesn't seem like the right weather for it..." Yosuke muttered "It's even supposed to rain tonight..."

"Yeah" Kanji nodded "Which means..."

"The Midnight Channel will be on tonight" Yu stated

"But until then, let's celebrate" Chie smiled "I'll cook!"

"No! Nonononono!" Yosuke denied

"Oh relax, I'll just cook fried rice" She groaned before turning to Yu "It's your favorite, right?"

"Yeah" Yu smiled

"Oh yeah, suppose you guys don't have to hide the fact that you're together now" Yosuke noted "Just don't make out in front of us or anything"

"You jerk!" Chie snapped as she kicked Yosuke in the shin

MIDNIGHT/ DOJIMA HOUSEHOLD

Yu sighed and sat down after long day of celebrating the end of term, he now sat down on his couch, exhausted but forcing himself to stay awake to witness the Midnight Channel. He feared for whoever appeared but when the clock struck midnight, the farmiliar yellow static appeared and then presented an image that he never would of seen in his wildest dreams

"THE DESPERATE FIGHT PROGRAM AMONGST HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS!

ONLY ONE OF THEM CAN CLAIM THE TITLE OF THE BEST OF THE BEST!"

"Is that...Teddie!?" Yu cried out as the bear appeared onscreen, wearing a hat and cape

"CONTESTANTS, COME ON DOWN!" Teddie shouted

THE DRAGON-LOVER WITH A GOD COMPLEX, YU NARUKAMI!

CAPTAIN RESSENTIMENT, YOSUKE HANAMURA!

THE CARNIVORE WHO'S DISCARDED WOMANHOOD, CHIE SATONAKA!

THE UNCONQUERABLE SNOW-BLACK, YUKIKO AMAGI!

THE BULGING BEEFCAKE EMPEROR, KANJI TATSUMI!

THE SCANDALOUS SUPERSTAR IDOL, RISE KUJIKAWA!

THE FAILURE AT LOVE ORPHAN, KOU ICHIJO!

THE M.V.P OF ASEXUALITY, DAISUKE NAGASE!

THE PATHETIC POLICE STOOGE, TOHRU ADACHI!

THE ABANDONMENT MAGNET, YUMI OZAWA!

THE MEEK ORCHESTRAL LOVER, AYANE MATSUNAGA!

ONLY ONE OF THESE STUDENTS CAN TRULY REACH THE TOP AND CLAIM TO BE THE WINNER!

WELCOME TO THE P1 GRAND PRIX!"

...

The image fizzled out, leaving all the viewers dumbfounded, yet they all shouted the exact same responce which was heard throughtout Inaba

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

---

Kei Nanjo from Persona 1

CHAPTER 10 - CHAPTER 10

RIP IN PIECE

REVEEW DIS IF U CRY EV4YTIME