Chapter 10
Author's notes:
I feel like I didn't do enough with this chapter, but I'll let you decide.
Translations will be found at the bottom.
(Yasogami High. May 17th. After School)
True to their plans. The team were now waiting near the school gates for Kanji and the unknown boy. Yosuke has just returned from his surveillance trip.
"Has the target arrived at school," Chie asked, the Junes boy.
"Yes ma'am! Visual ID confirmed," Yosuke replied like he was talking to a superior officer. "Target arrived in-zone near the end of his mess break, with mother-issued rations in hand," The headphone wearing boy continued, causing Viljam to chuckle at the wording. "Current status: In the bathroom fixing his hair. The target was acting nervous. I left my position before he had a chance to pick on me," Yosuke finished his report.
"Good job agent EF," Viljam replied getting into the mood. The codename earned a look of suspicion from Yosuke though.
"I wonder what kind of plans they made. It didn't seem like he knew the boy too well," Yukiko said ignoring Viljam's codename for Yosuke.
"Well I think there might be something more subtle-," Chie said, but stopped when she saw the target in question approaching. "Oh! He's here," Chie said as the five huddled against the gate in order to not get noticed by Kanji, who walked past them.
Yu tapped everyone on shoulders and motioned to the other side of the gate. Everyone swiftly but quietly moved to the other side, so that they were now hiding behind the gate column.
Shortly the boy in blue approached Kanji. Good thing the team moved to the other side. Because if Kanji hadn't turned around and notice them, then the other boy would've faced them and seen the team.
"I didn't keep you waiting, I hope," the boy said to Kanji.
"No, I-I just got here too," Kanji said nervously. The team had various levels of disbelief at Kanji, who could beat a biker gang was nervous around a boy, who from this angle looked half Kanji's height. Soon the two walked off.
"What in the world was that," Yosuke exclaimed at the bizzarre scene.
"Let's think later, we need to split up to two teams. One team follows Kanji, the other team stakes out the shop," Yu quickly said.
"Ok but how should we split the teams," Chie asked.
"Yosuke and Satonaka-san will tail Kanji. I, Amagi-san and Nousku will stake out the shop," Yu said earning a frown from Viljam.
"But I wanna tail Kanji," Viljam complained, earning a stern look from Yu.
"Two people are harder to notice than three. Besides, if Kanji sees you, will you be able to run far or fast enough," Yu said in a surprisingly authorative tone. Viljam conceded to the point. If Kanji noticed Viljam this time, he wouldn't get far before going into a coughing fit. Viljam could only grumble in defeat.
"Sounds fine to me," Chie said in agreement. She doesn't trust Yukiko with Yosuke. The green clad girl wasn't sure if Viljam would be any help if the culprit shows up at the shop, but Yu could definitely do something. "Oh crap. They're almost out of sight. Come on Hanamura," Chie said as she ran off with Yosuke following suit.
"We're counting on you agents EF and GK," Viljam called after the two. As much as Chie was curious about the codename for her, she had to jet.
"So what were the codenames you made up," Yu asked Viljam, who perked up.
"For Chie-san agent Green Kicker. For Yosuke agent Epic Fail," Viljam said with a smile that was suppressing laughter. Yukiko on the other hand laughed at the two code names. Yu just sweatdropped.
"Alright agents Red Snow and Silver Slasher, let's go stake out the shop," Viljam said before walking towards the shop. The other two followed suit, while Yukiko was still laughing.
(Shopping District. May 17th. Some minutes later)
Currently Yu was waiting at the entrance to Tatsuhime shrine, which was right next to the Textile Shop. Yukiko and Viljam soon jog back to him with drinks.
"Sorry about the wait. This one's for you," Yukiko said as she handed a TaP bottle to Yu.
"Agent White Snow reports: Nothing suspicious at the shop, " Viljam told Yu. Indeed, while the two were getting drinks from a nearby vending machine, Viljam also took a look at the shop and didn't see anything suspicious.
"Do you think the culprit will come," Yukiko asked in worry. Indeed there was a possibility that the culprit would come to the shop to scout the target.
"Even if he does, I'll protect you," Yu said easily, causing Yukiko to blush.
"I doubt the culprit will show up in broad daylight, but better safe than sorry," Viljam added his opinion. Honestly Viljam was wondering where Yu got the confidence to say that. Viljam himself would never promise something like that, because the boy knows he won't be able to keep it.
"But if he does show up, I'll do what I can to help," Yukiko said with conviction that made Viljam's naturally small ego deflate further. Even a quiet girl like Yukiko is willing to say something like that, while Viljam himself would probably freeze in fear. At least in his opinion. "I mean...I'm sure there's...something I can do," Yukiko stuttered in nervousness. Viljam knows he shouldn't feel better for someone' nervousness, but it keeps reminding him that there are others with flaws and that eases his own insecurities. " Sorry I just went on and on without realizing it," Yukiko apologized to Yu.
"Yukiko-san, you have nothing to apologize for," Viljam said encouragingly, causing Yukiko to give Viljam a grateful look. Yu looked between the two.
"It's just, aside from you, Nousku-kun, I haven't chatted with a boy my age like this before," Yukiko admitted, causing Viljam's eyes to widen in surprise. Then he remembered that Yukiko was the only child of the Amagis. Unlike Viljam who has his sisters as reference material on how to talk to girls, Yukiko has nothing on how to talk to boys. "Chie of course has no problem getting along with guys because of her personality," Yukiko continued.
"No surprise there. Chie-san is loveable, when she doesn't kick you or work you to the point of immobility," Viljam said, with a chuckle. "Please don't tell her I said that, otherwise she'll kill me," Viljam then pleaded. Yu had a frown for some reason.
"I'm still sorry about not being able to stop that," Yu apologized again for not stopping the...incident from happening.
"It's okay, the steak skewers were worth it," Viljam said smiling again. Yukiko looked nervous for some reason again.
"Chie seemed to be having more fun hanging out with you, Narukami-kun and Hanamura-kun lately...The same is true to me," Yukiko said while blushing in embarrassment. Yu could sense the gratitude and affection from Yukiko.
Suddenly Yu looked at Yukiko, like he had seen something impossible. Then the silverhaired boy looked between Yukiko and Viljam. From Yu's viewpoint, what happened few seconds ago, was that the time stopped and a faded card appeared in his vision. Then a voice spoke to him: Thou art I... And I am thou... thou hast completed the establishment of a new bond... It brings thee closer to the truth... Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Priestess Arcana...
Earlier last week. Yu had established a bond with Viljam, but the voice called the establishment incomplete. Yu thought it was because the Finnish boy didn't entirely open his heart or something along those lines, but now his interaction with Yukiko completed the bond. Yu was completely baffled on how one social link can be shared by two people. No use thinking about it now. Yu has to visit the velvet room later, but for now...
" I still need your number," Yu said, surprising Yukiko. "I might need it for the investigation," the silver haired boy clarified.
"Of course. We will need to stay in contact," Yukiko said as she took out her phone. Viljam had also taken out his phone.
"I might need your number too," Viljam piped up. He already had Yukiko's number, but not Yu's. The three traded numbers.
(With Chie and Yosuke)
"Remember Satonaka, if we get caught just pretend we're on a date," Yosuke told Chie, as they were following Kanji and the other boy from a distance. Chie didn't like the plan.
"Not in a million years. We won't have to do that if we stay out of sight," Chie said in annoyance. The two then hid behind a telephone pole and observed the targets.
"Man, this is weird," Chie said.
"Yeah, we definitely stand out," Yosuke agreed.
"No, I mean them. There's something weird going on here," Chie corrected, earning a questioning look from Yosuke.
"Weird? What about them is weird," Yosuke asked skeptically.
"I don't know...Maybe it's just my imagination," Chie replied wracking her brain. "Hey, how do you think the others are doing," Chie wondered aloud.
"Who knows. For all we know they're hitting on Amagi-san as we speak," Yosuke said with a smirk.
"Yeaaah, no. They're not like you. Yukiko doesn't seem interested in that stuff anyway," Chie said. Then Chie gasped. "Wait are you saying Narukami-kun is interested in her," Chie asked in suspicion. Since Chie already heard from Yukiko that Viljam treats her like a sister, the green clad girl wasn't worried about him.
Yosuke was startled by the question. "Huh!? Uhh...I... wouldn't know," Yosuke said clearly trying to avoid the subject. Truthfully last night Yosuke called Yu about the Midnight Channel and then he asked Yu which of the two girls were his type. Yu had answered that while both of them are cute, he doesn't fancy either of them. Yosuke however didn't want to reveal the information Yu had trusted him with, so he lied. " I mean, we don't really talk about that kind of stuff," Yosuke said while laughing nervously.
"Now I'm even more suspicious. You know something don't you," Chie interrogated the boy.
"Well how about you and Nousku? I mean he already hugged you," Yosuke said referring to the blackout incident.
"W-huh? Who told you," Chie panicked, thinking Yosuke talked about the time VIljam hugged her in his sleep.
"What do you mean? Everyone saw it in the cla-...Wait! Did he hug you BEFORE that," Yosuke asked shocked. Yosuke said that Viljam hugged Chie as a way to turn the tables, but he didn't seriously think the boy had the guts to hug someone like Chie. The green clad girl would've blushed heavily if a certain problem hadn't just occurred.
"...The hell are you two doing?" Asked a voice right next to them. As Yosuke and Chie had their conversation they had stepped out of hiding without realizing it and now Kanji was staring them down. The two turned to the delinquent in fear.
"Oh, well, you see...we're just...two crazy lovebirds," Yosuke came up with a lie he thought was convincing.
"Whaddya mean bird," Chie shouted in annoyance, not understanding that Yosuke was trying to save their skin.
"Play along, birdbrain," Yosuke hissed at Chie.
"Didn't I see you guys yesterday," Kanji questioned in an angry voice as he took a step towards the two. The two we're now terrified.
"*Ahhaha* C-come on, it just so happened that we were walking behind you guys. Pure coincidence," Yosuke tried to play off the situation, not realizing that he wasn't answering Kanji's question. "Hey our houses are that way. So we'll be going now," Yosuke added while taking a couple tentative steps away from Kanji.
Chie decided to pipe up. "Um. Look we weren't going to get in you guys' way, and there's nothing strange about it either," Chie babbled, causing Kanji flinch at the word strange.
"S-strange," Kanji repeated the word with wide eyes.
"Why can't you keep your big mouth shut," Yosuke wailed, before running away full speed, with Chie right next to him.
"W-wait, dammit," Kanji shouted as he gave chase. As Kanji chased the two he was yelling after them. "This ain't what you think...You got it all wrong," Kanji yelled as he chased the two into Samegawa flood plain's resting area where they we're now running in circles. "HEY! Are you listening dammit. It seriously ain't like that," the delinquent kept yelling as he chased the two.
(In front of Tatsumi Textiles. May 17th. Some time later)
Chie and Yosuke eventually managed to lose Kanji, and we're now standing in front of the stakeout team while having their hands together in apology.
"We regret to inform...that our mission failed," Chie informed, ashamed of her blunder.
"There was nowhere to hide," Yosuke added. Now Viljam was happy that he didn't go with them.
"Let me guess. Agent EF lived up to his name," Viljam asked, trying not to laugh at the codename. Yukiko on the other hand giggled.
"Okay now I want to know. What does EF stand for," Yosuke asked in suspicion.
"Trust me Yosuke, you don't want to know," Yu said while giving Yosuke a sympathetic look. Yosuke decided to trust Yu and not question it. "Anyway, now all we can do is wait for Kanji to return home," Yu said.
"Siellä maha missä painitaan," Viljam suddenly said earning a questioning look from everyone. In response, Viljam pointed behind Chie and Yosuke. There was the punk they were talking about walking towards them with his head hung low.
Kanji looked up to see the group. "Huh? What're you guys doing here," Kanji asked with a scowl, that Viljam was pretty sure was permanent, on his face. "You're those stupid lovebirds I just saw," Kanji exclaimed as he recognized Chie and Yosuke earning various looks of surprises from other three. Viljam almost had a tint of sadness in his eyes if anyone bothered to look.
"We're not a couple," Chie cried in outrage, causing Viljam to release a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Why are you assholes following me around," Kanji nearly yelled in anger. "Dammit what the hell's going on," Kanji wondered in a more quiet tone. "*sigh* I ain't saying this is you guys' fault...But...Dammit *sigh*," Kanji said in a frustrated tone. The team was a little confused about what happened to make him like this.
"You alright?" it was Viljam who asked that question. While the punk scares Viljam he also was a little worried about what could make him like this.
Kanji was a little surprised at the question, but before he could say anything Yosuke decided to butt in. "Hey, uh...Mind if we ask something? Has anything strange happened to you lately," Yosuke asked carefully.
"Huh? Strange," Kanji questioned, then he started to scowl more. "What's this 'strange' stuff huh!? You think I'm strange," Kanji half yelled the question.
Yosuke tried to defend himself,"No! I didn't mean...".
"You shitheads, better get the hell out of my face, or I'm taking you down," Kanji cut Yosuke's defense with the threat. Yosuke was desperately trying to stutter something, but Kanji wouldn't have any of it. "I LOOK LIKE I'M JOKING," Kanji roared, before charging at the team.
"TÖPPÖSET ALLE," Viljam cried and everyone ran before Kanji reached them.
After running far enough that they were sure Kanji wouldn't follow them. Everyone was gasping for breath. Surprisingly, Viljam didn't get a coughing fit, but his breathing sounded like a whistle.
"Too much running," Chie complained since she had ran just a few minutes earlier.
" Well, nothing happened today, so I guess everything's okay," said Yosuke who was also winded. "But it's already been few days since he appeared on the Midnight Channel," the headphone wearing boy added.
"If this is like with Amagi-san and Nousku, it'll happen soon," Yu said with slight worry.
"Then we can't let our guard down. Maybe we should come back tomorrow to check up on him," Yukiko suggested. Everyone agreed to it.
"Looks like we got no choice," Chie lamented, but she just wanted to go home now and rest. "Let's go home. I'm wiped," the green clad girl said and everyone agreed. However, Yu still planned to make a small detour before heading home.
(Velvet Room. May 17th. ?)
Yu, was now sitting inside what looked like the interior of a limousine. The interior was colored blue. In the background could be heard a soothing piano music. This is Velvet Room. A place that exist between dream and reality, mind and matter. Or that's what Igor said.
"Welcome, to the Velvet Room," said the old man sitting at the back. The old man in question was dressed as a butler. His face looked creepy, with bloodshot looking eyes and an unnaturally long nose. This is Igor, master of the room. "It seems, that you are troubled, dear guest," Igor stated.
"I wouldn't say troubled but I do have questions," Yu replied. The silver haired boy wasn't here for the first time. It was funny, the first two times Yu visited here was in a dream. Yu would've brushed them off as merely a dream, if he didn't have the Velvet Key that he received after the third visit. "Is it possible to have a single social link with two people," Yu asked the creepy old man. Instead of Igor a woman answered.
"You mean the bond you have created with the two Priestesses," said a woman in a blue outfit. She had platinum blonde hair and golden eyes. This is Margaret, Igor's assistant. "It is strange for a single link to be shared by two different people, but it isn't anything to worry about," Margaret said as she opened a book she was holding. On the left page of that book was the picture of the High Priestess tarot card and below it, were the faces of Yukiko and VIljam. Interestingly enough the pictures were from the time Yu established the link and they were moving. Like they had been filmed.
"Indeed. This development, while intriguing is nothing to be worried about. I believe all you have to do, is nurture your bond with these two equally," Igor added. Yu sighed a little in relief. The fact that he was dragged into this mystery, was bad enough. Now that left one question.
"Just out of curiosity. Is Nousku represented by High Priestess, because he was kidnapped alongside Amagi-san," Yu asked the residents of the Velvet Room.
Igor chuckled at the question. "No. The High Priestess represents the boy, because of who he is," the old man said in amusement. Yu wasn't convinced however.
"But the High Priestess gives me the impression of a woman," Yu argued. This time it was Margaret who decided to answer.
"That is usually true, but there is a possibility that this boy is a woman at heart," Margaret said while smiling in amusement. Yu paled at the thought.
"It could also be, because he had strong female influence from someone in his life," Igor said. This made Yu relax as he remembered who could possibly give Viljam that kind of influence. His sisters.
With his curiosity sated for now Yu exited Velvet room and was once again in the shopping district. Yu gave one last glance at the floating transparent door only he could see before returning home.
(Dojima household. May 17th. Evening)
Yu was looking outside his window. It was raining, so the Midnight Channel will be on tonight. What worried Yu, was that earlier Yukiko had called him and told that Kanji has gone missing. Yukiko had some calls to make for the Inn, so she decided to call the textile shop too, and Kanji's mother said that he left the house and hasn't come back. According to mrs. Tatsumi, this happens all the time, but considering that Kanji has been shown on the Midnight Channel, Yu had a bad feeling.
Soon enough the Midnight Channel came on. The image was clear and the back ground seemed to be some kind of locker room. Then lo and behold, Kanji appeared in the view. Though he was only wearing a loincloth.
"Hel-LO, dear viewers...It's time for 'Bad, Bad Bathhouse'," said Kanji in a...seductive tone. He also had rosy cheeks. "Tonight, I'll introduce a superb site for those searching for sublime love that surpasses the separation of sexes," Kanji continued, purring at the last word, and Yu was pretty sure he was lisping. Needless to say the sight and the things that Kanji were saying were pretty disturbing to Yu. " I'm your host, Kanji Tatsumi, serving you this scandalously special sneak-in report," Kanji said, stressing the word 'scandalously'. "Goodness gracious, just imagine the things that might happen to me there," Kanji squeed while hugging himself. Yu was absently pressing the power button on his TV's remote, but of course it didn't do anything. "Well then, let's get this show on the road. Tootaloo," Kanji said, before strutting away.
Shortly after the show ended, Yu's phone rang.
"Wh-what the HELL WAS THAT," Yosuke yelled into the phone, nearly blowing Yu's eardrum.
"Calm down," Yu said sternly into the phone, even though he was trying to make sense of what happened as much as Yosuke was.
Yosuke took a few calming breaths." Okay, now I'm fine. But that was definitely Kanji," Yosuke said still a little shaken.
"Yeah, now our fears have come true," Yu said with a sigh.
"If only we held our ground a little longer," Yosuke lamented about the fact that they didn't watch the shop longer. They may have actually caught the culprit, before Kanji was kidnapped.
"In any case we need to come up with a plan tomorrow," Yu told Yosuke, who agreed. With that the two hung up and went to sleep. Though the image of Kanji's weird behavior was haunting them in their dreams.
Author's notes:
It's a shame, but I feel like this is the good spot to end the chapter. Honestly, I can't wait until I get to write Kanji's dungeon. There are so many jokes I wanna use. Sorry about now showing this from Viljam's point of view, but don't worry, you'll know what he thinks in the next chapter.
And Finally, Viljam's Arcana is revealed. There are several reasons why I chose the High Priestess for Viljam. First: I took two different tests to see what Arcana might represent me. One site said Priestess, another said Lovers. I'm too introverted to be Lovers so I picked Priestess. Secondly: When I dug in deeper on the meaning of High Priestess I realized, it's more accurate than I thought, especially the reverse. Thirdly: I realized something about the destined partner thing in persona q. If you answer honestly to the questions then you're more than likely to get the character closest to your own self. I got Yukiko when I tried it the first time. In other words I could be considered a male version of Yukiko...Or maybe I'm thinking this too much.
Fun fact of the day: There was a kitchen ware shop, named 'keittiö' in Tokyo(I've visited). 'Keittiö' is the Finnish word for Kitchen. Japanese think that the letters Ä and Ö are cute, because of their dots.
Translations:
Siellä maha missä painitaan= There's the tummy where you wrestle(The original phrase is: Siellä paha missä mainitaan= There's the evil where mentioned. If you swap the first letters of 'paha'(evil) and 'mainitaan'(mention) you get 'maha'(tummy) and 'painitaan'(wrestle). Isn't Finnish fun XD)
TÖPPÖSET ALLE= Töppöset beneath(Töppöset are a type of footwear made of felt cloth or wool. The phrase itself is another way of saying: Run away. Btw I searched, but apparently English doesn't have an equivalent for töppöset)