Chapter 26: Inaba Day Two
Ryuji was up early the next day. He wasn't totally used to sleeping on a futon laying on the ground. He had experienced it before, and could do with it, but because he wasn't used to it, his body wasn't letting him sleep in. He took the chance to get up and swap into some jogging shorts and a tank top.
He grabbed the keycard to the room and headed outside. It was real early. There was still the orange hues of the sun barely coming up. But he slipped a pair of running shoes on and began to make his way to the entrance.
Once outside, he just took a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs. It was fresh and humid and smelled of the hot springs around behind the Inn. He began to go through his stretches, feeling the familiar pull of muscles as he thought about the night before. The game had been interesting, and he even managed to get a kiss out of it. A kiss on the cheek, but it was fine.
He exhaled and bounced on his feet a little bit before he just took off running. He'd never do this in Shibuya. An early morning run? It was too crowded to do that, and traffic was just horrible. But a sleepy little town like Inaba? Ryuji just let his feet carry him, feeling the familiar ache of his knee where his leg had been broken by Kamoshida. He had let his performance decline for stupid reasons, but Ryuji was born to run. He would get his knee back up into shape.
His physician had been surprised at the strides Ryuji had made during his last check up. As an athlete, even a former one, Ryuji knew he had to go to the doctor if he began doing something strenuous, and running through the Metaverse was definitely strenuous. Still, his physician said that if he kept it up, he'd be back to running the same in no time.
And so Ryuji pushed himself. He pushed himself inside the Metaverse and outside the Metaverse. Even when his knee began to ache, began to hurt so badly it threatened to bring tears to his eyes, Ryuji ran on it. He wanted to curse, he wanted to swear, he wanted to give up, he wanted to quit. But he pushed through, he ran on that knee, working through the pain. The burning in his lungs was familiar, it was welcomed. But it was the pain that shot through his knee like lightning that hurt worse than anything.
And it was more than just physical. It hurt his pride with every throb.
It was Ryuji Sakamoto that had thrown the first punch at Kamoshida. He couldn't swallow his pride, couldn't just take the abuse heaped on him by the bastard. That was the first point that hurt his pride. The second point was when despite Ryuji throwing everything at Kamoshida, the bastard had still beaten him down and snapped his leg. It hurt, not because of the phantom pain of the memory, but it felt like Ryuji had let his mom down, failed to defend her honor because Kamoshida had kicked his ass.
And so, Ryuji ran. He ran to feel that throb, that ache in his knee. He ran to try and get away from the wound to his pride. He ran so he'd never forget the wound to his pride. He ran so that he'd never let Akira down the way that he let his mom down.
Ryuji took a moment to breathe, pausing some five kilometers away. He was out of breath, his lungs ached, and his tank top clung to him with sweat. He took a moment, stretching out the knee that ached a bit, forcing it to move.
It was funny to Ryuji. He had always thought of himself as a good friend before. But it wasn't until he met Akira that he learned what it meant to be a best friend. Ryuji didn't know if he was Akira's best friend, but he knew that, without a doubt, Akira was his. He briefly touched his stomach where he knew he had a scar. He couldn't let Akira go down to that monster, and so Ryuji had jumped in front of it, prepared to make that ultimate sacrifice.
It had only been sheer stubbornness that had kept Ryuji from going down. He couldn't abandon his friends. So he grit his teeth, planted his feet and stayed standing even through the pain. Akira had his back through thick and thin already, it was only fair that Ryuji do everything in his power to do the same. And if it meant pushing himself to be better, then he'd push as hard as his body could take.
He'd never be as smart as Akira or Yu. He'd never be as collected as Yusuke. He'd never be as resourceful as Morgana. So Ryuji needed to have one thing, just one thing that he could be. He swore to himself that Akira could count on him, no matter what.
Ryuji began to run back. Morgana had been right, much as that was a difficult pill to swallow sometimes. Ryuji wasn't expendable. Even if it was just a meat shield for Akira, he'd be there, and he'd grit his teeth and bear the pain of it because he knew Akira would do the same for him.
Ryuji returned to the Inn, a full ten kilometers down. He took a moment and did his cool down stretches, making sure to stretch out the knee. His physician had warned him about pushing it too hard, that he could damage the knee more and he'd have to get surgery. So Ryuji performed the stretches his physical therapist had given him, to make sure everything would be okay.
He headed inside and went to get a shower. He stopped by the room long enough to get a change of clothes. By the time he got out, Yusuke and Akira were up. "Good run?" Akira asked.
Ryuji nodded his head. "Hell yeah." he said. "Peaceful out here, I see why Yu likes it." he said.
Akira nodded and got up. "I think Yu wants to take you out today." He said, tapping the blonde on the shoulder. "Pretty sure he's going to help you get your yukata today."
Ryuji was surprised. He remembered Yu talking about that. He never thought that Yu was a man that would go back on his word, but it seemed sudden. "Alright, I'll go see him." He said as he headed from the room.
Yu was in the dining room, already digging into some breakfast. Ryuji sat down and looked at the menu, one of the wait staff coming over to let him order. Meals were included with the stay, so Ryuji didn't have to worry about paying for them. "Akira said somethin' about you takin' me to get a yukata." he said.
"That's right." Yu said after he swallowed his bite of food. "Kanji's mom runs a textile shop and he helps her out with it. I trust him to be able to help you out."
"And you're lettin' me pay for it, right?" Ryuji asked. He didn't want to be seen as poor, he didn't want to be looked down on.
"Of course, Ryuji." Yu rolled his eyes a bit. Ryuji knew he might be coming across as silly or selfish, or stubborn, one of those or all of those, but he wanted to make a point. If he was going to be getting himself a yukata, then he really did want it to be gotten from his own efforts.
"Kanji… Kanji… the blonde punk with the scar over his eye." Ryuji said after a moment, remembering the other guy.
"He'd knock your lights out if you call him a punk." Yu said rather frankly. Ryuji thought he could take him, before remembering that Kanji Tatsumi was even taller than Yu Narukami. "And I don't think you have much room to talk, Ryuji. You often look like a thug."
Yeah, Ryuji wasn't touching that. Especially considering his Persona had been a Pirate to begin with of all things. "Fair nuff." he said. Ryuji thanked the staff for the food when it was brought over. "So… Kanji… is he like Yusuke?" he asked.
"How do you mean?" Yu asked.
"You know… everything being about textiles and such." Ryuji said. It seemed Yusuke was all about art, and he figured maybe Kanji might be the same, especially if his family owned the textile shop. It'd be all he knew, right?
Yu took a moment. "No." He said. "That's his primary interest because he grew up with that. But Kanji is also about being a man. And I don't mean that in some drums, chest beating, idiot kind of way. I mean it in the fact that Kanji wants to do right by the memory of his dad. It's difficult to describe… but he also wants what's best for his mom."
Ryuji nodded, looking thoughtful. He took a bite of his food a moment. "I think I get ya." he said. After all, Ryuji wanted similar. He wanted to do right by her, especially since she had been on her own for the longest he could remember. He didn't have any memories of his dad, so there was no reason to do right by him. But for his mom, for his mom, Ryuji was willing to do a lot.
'What can you tell me about yukata?" Ryuji asked, changing the subject.
"Kanji will probably be able to tell you more, but for guys, we tend to get more muted colors and simpler patterns. As you get older, the color options become even more limited. Grays, blacks, browns." Yu said. "And usually, a yukata is made from cotton."
"Not a problem. I don't have an allergy to cotton." Ryuji said. "What would you recommend?" he asked.
"Well, again, I'm probably going to defer to Kanji on this, but I think a simple blue or maybe a dark green yukata." Yu said. "We'll have to see what Kanji has."
Ryuji nodded his head and finished his food up. "We waitin' on anyone else?" he asked.
"Makoto." Yu said. "I'm giving her the keys to the van to give you guys someone else you can ask for a ride around, just in case. I already cleared it with my uncle, I'm borrowing his scooter again while I'm here."
"Heh, yeah, I can see that." Ryuji said. "You got any recommendations before we leave? Some must sees?"
"Well, we'll be going to the beach tomorrow." Yu said. "So there's that. But I'd also recommend going to Aiya's. Too bad it's not raining, though… I might have a solution to that." he said.
Ryuji tilted his head. "A… solution? And why is it a bad thing it ain't rainin'?" he asked. Yu wasn't making any damned sense.
"Don't worry, you'll probably meet Marie either tonight or before we leave. Aiya has what's called the Rainy Day Challenge. You get a staggering amount of meat, rice, and more. And either you eat it or you have to fork over three thousand yen." Yu patted his stomach. "I did it three times successfully when I was here in Inaba."
Ryuji grinned a bit. "So it's kinda like the Big Bang Burger challenge huh? Alright, I'm diggin' that. And you're tellin' me it's not a cold burger I have to choke down?"
"Piping hot fried rice, steaming meat, and more." Yu said. "And beside Aiya's is a good little hole in the wall place where you can get steak skewers."
"Oh man!" Ryuji was excited just to try the local cuisine. "I'm definitely hitting both of those places up before we go!" While he was definitely a fan of Ogikubo ramen, that didn't mean he didn't like to try other places like this one.
"So… you going to ask Ann to the festival?" Yu asked. "We're going as a group the first night, so the second night would be perfect for it."
Ryuji sputtered, tripping over his thoughts a moment. "The Hell?" he asked. "Who told you?" Had Akira ratted him out to Yu about it?
"Come off of it Ryuji." Yu said rather bluntly. "Everyone of the PT knows you have a thing for Ann. I bet Ann even knows you have a thing for her and is waiting on you to actually make a move." he said.
Ryuji blanched a bit. Well shit. Damn it. Why did Yu have to be so damned perceptive? Why did he have to be so damned right all the time? Crap. If Ann was expecting him to make a move, then Ryuji would have to make a move. And the festival would definitely make for a good venue to take her to as a possible first date.
But here he was, about to go get a yukata, something he had never worn before, and would likely be expected by someone of their group to wear it to the festival. Whether it was Yusuke, Kanji, Yu, or Ann, someone was going to expect him to wear the damned yukata, just so he had the full experience with it.
Ah crap. Crap. Crap. He was out of his comfort zone.
"I uh… can't just skip the festival, can I?" Ryuji asked hopefully.
"Not a chance in hell Ryuji." Yu said rather bluntly.
Ryuji felt his shoulders slump and he almost let his head thump against the table. Let the Reaper take him, save him the embarrassment. He didn't even know how to walk in one of those things, and he definitely wasn't Yusuke who could make it look effortless. He inhaled deeply and squared up his shoulders. "Alright, alright! Damn it." He said.
He had two days to ask Ann. A day and a half at worst. He could do that. If not, he could always see if Akira wanted to go, just two guys out to hang out. No big deal.
No. No. Akira had Haru and Makoto to pick from. He wasn't going to go with Ryuji to go to the festival. Ah crap. And he definitely couldn't ask one of Yu's friends. Even if he wanted to go with Rise Kujikawa, he had a distinct feeling if he mistakenly called her Risette once, that would end with him permanently on her 'fan' list and no celebrity would go on a date with a fan. So Ryuji had to suck it up and ask Ann to go if he really wanted to go the second night with someone.
Plus, like Yu said, she could be expecting him to ask. Jeez… girls were so damned complicated.
"How do you do it?" Ryuji asked. "You got Naoto, a detective. You can't lie to her, you can't keep somethin' hidden, but you two look so damned happy together." He didn't understand it really.
"It helps that Naoto and I are very similar." Yu said. "We both have a strong sense of duty and justice, and we're both willing to put in the work that needs done. As to lying to Naoto, there's no need for me to do it, and you really shouldn't go into a relationship expecting to lie." He admonished Ryuji as gently as he could on the topic.
Ryuji winced. "Sorry, it came out wrong. But how are you supposed to surprise her if she can sniff out when you're keepin' something from her?" He wasn't claiming Ann was Naoto in that regard, but he was trying to get an understanding of it. Ryuji had never had a girlfriend before.
Yu shook his head. "It's a matter of figuring these things out and rolling with it." He explained. "Either you're compatible, or you're not. And let me tell you some advice, Ryuji. Don't, under any circumstances, hold something against your partner. Talk things out, try to be civil. I know you're a bit of a hothead, keep it cool. Go for a run if you have to clear your head, but take a moment and think about it from her perspective. And lastly, no two girls are exactly the same. If you go into a relationship expecting something like mine with Naoto's, then you're going to be in a world of hurt."
Ryuji nodded his head and rubbed the back of his head a moment. "Yeah, I'll try to keep that in mind." he said. He inhaled a bit deeply, nodding again. "Alright, let's go see if we can find Makoto." he said.
"I've been here a bit already." Makoto spoke from behind Ryuji, causing him to jump a little bit. "Yu's right though, don't get a preconceived notion of a relationship based on what you're seeing from someone else." She said.
"Yeah, yeah." Ryuji said. "I'm just tryin' to be better, you know?" He asked, glancing over to Makoto a moment. "Not just for Ann, but for my mom, and for our friends." he said. He knew he was a stubborn, abrasive person. He didn't want to lose the friends he had already.
"That's all we can ask for Ryuji." Makoto said a bit softly. "That we all try to be better for our friends. And I've noticed you've been able to work with Morgana easier." she said softly, lowering her voice a bit more.
"Heh. Yeah. Me and the feline got into it when we went to rescue Yu." Ryuji dipped his voice down to a whisper as well. It wasn't quite the next night, and he didn't know where Yukiko was. But he didn't want to drop some huge bombshell on the members of the Investigation Team.
Yu stood up. "Alright, that's enough about that. Let's go get Ryuji a yukata. I know Inaba well enough I can walk over to my uncle's house and pick up his scooter." Yu smiled a bit. "Can't wait for you guys to meet Nanako, she loves meeting new people."
Ryuji stood up. "Alright." He inhaled and exhaled slowly. There was no use arguing about it. It was going to happen, so he was just going to have to get on with it.
Take Your Time
Ryuji had, unsurprisingly to Yu, decided to stay in Inaba proper after he got fitted with a yukata by Kanji. The pair had been a bit abrasive towards one another, their punk persona being a mask they tended to use to keep others at bay. But they eventually were able to settle down, especially as Ryuji realized that Kanji knew what he was talking about.
He and Makoto rode in the van back to the Amagi Inn to pick up Akira, Yusuke, Haru, and Ann. Haru and Ann planned to ride the bus from the shopping district to Okina city to find out what they could find. Yusuke was planning on going to the hill overlooking town and see if he couldn't find some inspiration for some more environment pictures.
Futaba was, unsurprisingly, staying where there was WiFi for the moment.
When they got to the shopping district, Makoto hopped out, begging off from the grocery shopping trip to instead look at the small bookstore beside the gas station.
So, Yu drove the van with just him, Akira and Morgana in it towards Junes. The pair got out of the vehicle, with Morgana climbing into Akira's bag with practiced ease. "Just stay in there Morgana. No need for someone to see you, and try to stay quiet." Yu said.
"I can't wait until I can talk more freely." The cat grumbled. They didn't know if the rest of the Investigation Team would be able to hear him or not, so the cat was regulated to mostly silence for the time being.
Sorta like an actual cat might be.
Akira shouldered his bag and pulled out a notepad that he had jotted down the ingredients he needed on, as well as what he needed to look for. "You sure have some strange friends Yu." Akira said. The conflict from the night before was done and over with, for the time being.
Yu knew that as soon as Akira felt like he could take Yu, he'd be back to make good on his threat that Yu would get his, but for the time being there was no use dwelling on it.
"They're good people. And it's not like you don't have your own share of strangeness." Yu felt the need to defend his friends, at least to some extent. Sure they were a bit of a wacky bunch, but they were also his friends.
"True. Do you want to be the pot or the kettle?" Akira asked with a chuckle. The pair shared a bit of a laugh with that statement. "So… Rise wasn't exactly… subtle last night." Akira sounded cautious.
"No. She wasn't." Yu said and frowned a bit. Was that what Naoto wanted to talk about? She had to know that he'd never do anything to hurt her. And he had thought that Rise had declared her love in a more sisterly fashion. He might have been wrong though.
Speaking of his favorite sleuth, she had gone off to clean up her apartment a little bit. She also had to speak with Deidara as well, something about the trigger of her revolver sticking, even after she cleaned it.
"Who do you think I should ask to the Festival?" Akira asked as they headed to the elevator and took it into Junes.
"You mean between Makoto and Haru?" Yu asked.
"Yeah." Akira scratched his neck a bit. "I just… I don't know." he said honestly. "I don't want to slight either of them. But I know if I don't take a chance with one of them, there's a good chance I'll miss out on both of them." He said.
"There's always asking Futaba to go with you." Yu pointed out. "She sees you like an older brother, and that one I can definitely confirm because it's the same way that Nanako-chan looks at me." He said. Really, the parallels between him and Akira were… quite surprising. "If it wasn't for Dojima taking her, I would have likely hung with Nanako-chan my first time going." Despite being with his friends, it was still his cousin. He had to watch her and make sure she had a good time.
Akira nodded his head at the suggestion. "It's not a bad idea." He said. "The other is actually sitting down and talking with both girls, and admitting to liking them both, but I think that keeps me at square one of, I don't know who to take."
Yu nodded his head a bit. It was quite the conundrum that Akira had found himself in, and Yu wasn't entirely certain how to help him. "Do you get a feeling one of them might actually reciprocate your feelings at all?" He asked.
Akira set his bag into the basket, starting to push it towards the produce. "I think Haru might, but then again given who she had to deal with, I'm willing to bet most people are better than he is. Makoto is a bit of a trickier subject. She's more of a logical person than Haru is. Not to say she doesn't have her moments of passion, but she keeps it under lock better."
Yu nodded again, thinking a moment on what he could say or do. In the end, there really wasn't anything that he could offer Akira to help him out. He had already told his story of how he liked two girls. There was no more to say to that. "Need help with anything?" he asked, motioning towards the produce.
"No. Sojiro made sure I knew how to determine the quality of the ingredients." Akira said. "I'm just having to buy more for a larger batch than I'm used to. You'll help me prepare it right?"
"Sure, just say the word." Yu said.
"Well I'll be! I know that mop of hair! Yu Narukami, welcome back buddy!" A bit of a boisterous voice called out. Yu was suddenly pulled into a headlock, his assaulter laughing.
Yu glanced up and to the side to see Daisuke Nagase wrapping him up in a headlock. Daisuke was dressed in a Junes uniform, showing he worked at the store now. But almost as quickly as the headlock began, it was released and Daisuke allowed Yu to straighten back up. The two clasped hands. "Good seeing you too buddy. Sees you loosened up a bit."
Daisuke chuckled. "Kou's a bad influence on me." He said. "Who's this?" He motioned to Akira.
"Daisuke, meet Akira Kurusu. Akira, Daisuke Nagase. One of my friends from my time here. Daisuke, Kou Ichijo and I always seemed to be getting up to something." Yu said, fond memories of his time on the basketball team playing through his head.
Daisuke clasped hands with Akira. "Nice meetin' you. Any friend of Yu's is a friend of mine." He said.
Yu looked at the soccer player. "So, get over your girl issues?"
Daisuke gave him a dirty look for that. "You and Kou both man, yes, for the last time, I'm over the issues I was having. Jeez… You guys don't know when to let it go." He shook his head. "I've even got a date for the Festival."
Yu nodded his head. "Good on you buddy, good on you. By the way, how's Kou doing?" If anyone was to know how the other boy was doing, it'd be Daisuke. They had practically been inseparable.
"Kou's good, Kou's good. Out in California, taking studies. My understanding is he's planning on going to the California Institute of Technology. Him and his girlfriend are good for each other." Daisuke had a grin on his face, pride filling his voice.
Yu let out a slow whistle. It seemed Kou was going for his doctorate in something. He'd have to get Kou's number from Daisuke, if it had changed, before he left Inaba again. "Wait," Something Daisuke said clicked in Yu's mind. "Kou got himself a girlfriend? He had a thing for Chie for a while." And Chie was with Yosuke.
Daisuke let out a laugh. "Funniest thing I had ever saw. So shortly after summer break last year, of all people Ai Ebihara comes up to him, grabs him by the top and pulls him in real close. She then tells him that he's going to be taking her to the movies in Okina city that Friday. They've been dating since and they're almost inseparable. I've caught them making out more than once. They're good for each other though, Ai pushes Kou to be more ambitious, to try and be better. He keeps her grounded."
Yu gave his own laugh. "I might have had something to do with that." He admitted. "So when I was here last year, I ran into Ai who was still having troubles confession to Kou. I told her to just do it. That the worst that happens would be he rejects her. She didn't take that well of course, and I told her that she'd never know unless she tried. She could be happy, or she could be forever pining after him." To Yu, it was a good thing that Ai asked Kou out, it was better than her attempting to get him to date her. They would have never worked out.
Though from the sound of it, it sounded less like she asked him out and more forced him to. Either way, he was happy for the both of them.
Yu glanced to Daisuke a moment. "So who'd you ask out to the Festival?" he asked.
"Yumi Ozawa. Do you know her? She was in Drama when you were here." Daisuke said.
Yu winced. He couldn't help that one. "Yeah… I know her." He said slowly.
Daisuke crossed his arms and looked at Yu. "What did you do?" he asked.
Yu inhaled and then exhaled, letting his breath out long and slow. "So, I helped her out, was there for her as her father was passing away." He explained. He saw Daisuke nod his head at this and continued. "And, well, she kinda had a thing for me. She turned her back to me to let me consider, telling me she couldn't bear to watch me if I had to reject her. So… I… kinda left her hanging."
Not one of Yu's better moments, if he was honest with himself. But in all fairness, he had been trying not to get into a relationship because of the murders going on, trying to put the investigation first.
Daisuke gave Yu an unreadable look for a long time before shaking his head. "I don't know whether to slug you or thank you for that." He said. "If you hadn't rejected Yumi, I wouldn't be taking her out to the Festival." he said.
"To be fair, I didn't try to lead any girls on." Yu said, holding his hands up. "It just kept sorta happening, and I kept having to politely decline as many of them as I could." And it was true, he did have a number of girls confess to him, and he had politely declined them, at least as politely as he could.
"You just got with our Detective Prince." Daisuke said a bit amused. "How is Naoto?" In Inaba, Naoto's gender was definitely no secret after the beauty pagent. But no one made a big deal about it, especially since she was known for helping bring the murders in Inaba to a halt.
"She's good. And to be fair, I wasn't exactly expecting to confess to her, it just sort of happened." Yu could only chuckle. "I don't regret it though." He'd never regret confessing to Naoto like that, declaring his love for her at Tatsuhime Shrine.
"Right, right. Let's get together and eat at Aiya before you go." Daisuke said. "I gotta get back to work though, catch you around." With that, Daisuke headed off towards the back of the store.
"You have an interesting menagerie of friends." Akira said shaking his head a bit.
"Says the guy who's friends with a reporter, a politician, a doctor, and a fortune teller, at the very least." Yu said. "Want to be the pot or the kettle?" Yu turned Akira's earlier words around on him.
The pair continued going through the store, picking up the ingredients. Yu asked a few questions. While he was, humbly, better at cooking than Akira, Akira definitely knew Leblanc's Curry. It was interesting seeing what went into it and the point of it inside the curry. After all, apples and yogurt didn't seem like ingredients to add at first glance. When they were finished, they headed back to pick up Makoto and then drive back to the Amagi Inn.
"And that's it for the news, onto the weather. Mariko?" The news was playing on the TV in the lounge area. Most of the Investigation Team had returned by that point and were almost all ready and eager to start swarming Yu again.
"Thanks Amada!" Yu saw Marie on the television, pointing at a weather map. "As you can see, we have a nice few days of mild weather ahead of us, perfect for a beach trip!" Marie adjusted the glasses on her face. "But it seems like the Inaba area can expect some rainfall at around midnight on the second night of the festival followed by a few days of a heavy rain. So to my friends in Inaba, be careful out there. And to the guy that even I can hug, I'll be along to see you soon" She gave a wink at the camera.
Yu frowned, seeing that the weather from the second day of the festival on was going to be raining. His brow creased a bit more as he passed off the bags to Akira and Makoto.
"Partner?" Yosuke asked from where he had been standing. "You got a mean look on your face buddy."
Paranoia. It was a thing that Yu didn't particularly like having. He didn't know who said it, but paranoia was only paranoia when there was no one out to get him. And he knew that he had a prime candidate on someone that wanted him, and his friends, gone. He wished Naoto was there, she would likely be able to pick up on his bad mood.
"Sensei?" Teddie asked.
Yu tapped his leg a moment as he bobbed his foot up and down. He thought long and hard. Yaldabaoth. All Yu wanted had been a vacation. Was that entity trying to stir things up in Yu's home town? No, he couldn't let that happen. He didn't want another incident of what happened two years ago to start up again. He'd have to keep his eyes out.
"Yu-kun?" Chie asked, stepping in and getting up under his gaze so he was forced to look at him.
"Sorry… overthinking things a moment." Yu said. He glanced around at his friends. "Guys, Marie's warning us."
"You sure about that Senpai?" Kanji asked seriously. He wasn't doubting Yu, more looking for confirmation.
"Yeah." Yu said. "Marie's a land deity here in Inaba." He said. "Remember last year when I visited? Nothing but cool, perfectly warm summer weather. Slight breeze, low humidity, slightly overcast, not a drop of rain to be talked about." He said.
Chie nodded. "Now that you mention it, yeah. She made it a point of even asking you what kind of weather you wanted. It seemed like it all dragged on, just perfect lazy day weather."
Yu nodded his head. "That's precisely my point. Now we miraculously have a storm coming in? At midnight?" No, too many things were coinciding. "We'll have to keep our eyes open."
"Damn." Yosuke said under his breath.
"What is it?" Yu asked.
"Junes electronics went under a major overhaul about two months ago. The TV we used to climb in through? It's been sold, it's gone. We haven't gone in since then. I don't think this is our fault or anything but… you don't think someone might have messed something up, do you?" Yosuke asked.
Yu shook his head. "If we start trying to take responsibility for something like this, we'll have to try and take responsibility for more." He said. "We'll talk to Marie when she comes for a visit. I'm sure she'll be along either tonight or tomorrow." He said. They needed more answers.
"But what if we need to go through?" Yukiko asked. "It's too dangerous to use a random TV. We need to know where it is we'll be dropping in at." She looked worried, even as she tried to keep herself composed.
She was right. Yu thought on it a bit, crossing his arms over his chest. He closed his eyes, letting his head dip a bit. Ah… He snapped his fingers. "We do know where one TV goes still." He said. "A TV we've all overlooked up until now."
Yosuke glanced over to Yu with a hint of surprise. "Where? Where does it go?"
Yu stepped past the friends looking to him for guidance once more. It felt good actually. To have his friends back, to know that they had his back and he had theirs. But he looked focused and pointedly at the TV they were surrounding. The TV in the lounge area of the Amagi Inn. "Adachi pushed Yamano-san through this TV."
"The apartment." Chie said, stepping up beside Yu. "You think this would lead to the apartment?" she asked.
"It's a better shot than we currently have." Yu said.
"Well, why don't we take care of this now?" Kanji asked.
"Don't be stupid Moronji." Rise said. "We don't even know what we're looking for in there. Do you want to be feeling around blindly or actually know what you're looking for? Plus there's the people that Senpai brought with. Do you really think that we can just leave them behind while we dive in for a couple of hours? We don't even know if there is something there." Her tone was just a little biting, not insulting but there was a sharpness that was the Investigation Team's combat operator when she was thinking.
If Yu had his way, they would be bringing the Phantom Thieves. "Like I said, let's wait and talk with Marie. Maybe she has more answers for us."
"Yukiko-san?" Akira's voice cut through the group and they all turned at once. "Could I use the kitchen?" He asked. "I plan to make some curry for everyone."
Whether it was because Akira, to the rest of the Investigation Team, was a civilian without knowledge of the TV world, or because they knew they couldn't do anything until they spoke with Marie about what was going on, the group quickly tried to perk back up. Yukiko offered a smile. "Of course!" she said. "The chefs actually won't be in for another two hours or so." She said.
"Curry huh?" Chie asked, perking up. "Do you need help? Me and Yukiko know our way around her kitchen."
Akira actually blanched. Yu saw his face turn more pale before he looked a little green. "Absolutely not!" he half roared, shocking the group. "How?! How do you mess up curry that badly? Crunchy? Slimey? Why? What the Hell?!"
"Yu! You didn't!" Yukiko said, mortified.
"Oh, oh yes I did. I have been planning this." Yu said with a chuckle. "I told him all about the Mystery Weapon X."
"Mocha does not go anywhere in curry. Why do you put coffee in curry? Where did you learn that?" Akira ranted, raved even. "Coffee goes with curry." He composed himself. "The bitterness of the coffee whets the appetite for the rich flavor of the curry. You do not put coffee or mocha inside curry." He threw his hands up. "Yu, need your help." He said.
"Roger." Yu said with a chuckle at the way Akira was acting.
"What's with him?" Chie asked.
"I spent months." Akira turned on the martial artist. "Months! Training under a guy that mastered the art of cooking curry. His recipe has been perfected, scientifically perfected. It is, without a doubt, the best tasting curry that I have ever had. But that affront to nature? How?!" Akira clearly did not understand it. "Did none of you actually look a recipe up? Screw a cookbook, you guys have internet, one of you could have found a simple recipe."
"Says the guy who forgot to look at the weather app on his phone." Yu said, still amused at the breakdown of the usually much more composed leader of the Phantom Thieves.
"Not helping!" Akira turned on him. "And you, Narukami, couldn't stop them from making that abomination?! You, Mister Culinary guru, couldn't stop them and go 'Hey, here's a simple chicken curry.'"
Yu turned to the rest of the Investigation Team that was staring, blinking like the younger teen had grown a second head. "He's usually more relaxed than this, but when you taste his curry you'll understand. Come on buddy, breathe, need you to have oxygen for that brain."
Yu walked with Akira into the Amagi Inn kitchen. He knew his way around, and had used them during previous stays as well. They had to retrieve the curry fixings briefly, but the duo soon set to work. Yu left the actual preparation to Akira. But Yu knew how to peel the potatoes, how to chop them up.
And in moments, the smell of cooking curry was smelled all about the Amagi Inn. Akira had even gone the extra mile and was making the roux fresh and from scratch instead of some store bought thing that wouldn't taste half as good.
"Did you really need to blow up at my friends like that?" Yu asked a bit amused.
"I had to make a point." Akira said as he prepared the chicken for the curry.
After some time, Yukiko came into the kitchen. "Yu-kun, Dojima-san and Nanako-chan are here." she said.
"Go, I got this.' Akira said.
Yu nodded and he headed out of the kitchen towards the front. "Big Bro!" He caught Nanako as she tried to tackle him again and he gave her a hug.
"Hey, we make it in time?" Dojima asked, hanging his jacket up over a chair before sitting down in it.
"Sure did, Akira's still making the curry." Yu said.
"The kid you said had an assault charge?" Dojima frowned a bit.
Yu nodded his head. "Though like I told you last night Uncle, it's an unfair one." Yu sat down with his uncle. "He's probably also going to be preparing some coffee."
Dojima kept the frown. "I'm not going to judge, Yu, but everyone says their assault charge is unfair." He said.
Yu leaned into his uncle a little bit. "According to Akira, the police didn't even take a testimony from him. Naoto-kun says the records are a mess because of who was the claimant. That there was blood, the police didn't even think twice." He said softly
Dojima's frown pronounced more. "Who had that kind of power?" he asked, clearly getting interested.
"You probably hear his speeches all the time, 'wanting to captain the vessel of Japan forward to a brighter tomorrow.'" Yu said. He definitely didn't believe a word that spewed out of Shido's mouth, but when Naoto had said it was the politician that ruined Akira's life, there was no way he ever would.
Dojima looked surprised a moment. "Damn, that's shady." He said. "Do you need me to ask around about anything?" Dojima wouldn't break the laws, but he, like Naoto, would nose about if asked and offer what he could. He didn't like the murder investigation being talked about by Adachi because it had still been going on.
Akira's case was already closed.
"Don't worry about it Uncle." Yu said. "You're all the way out here in Inaba. Just, like I said, don't hold the assault charge against him."
Dojima had a slight frown on his face but he eventually just nodded. "Alright Yu."
Take Your Time
It was interesting. Akira had cooked for his friends in the past, and they usually got the curry within a day or two. A few times he had made it fresh, but it wasn't often, and it hadn't been since he had gotten the recipe down right.
But here he was, cooking for a large group. Fifteen teenagers, a cat, a little girl, and a detective. They had pretty much claimed the lounge area of the Amagi Inn for the purposes of the sit down. They pulled two large tables together so that there was enough room and Akira passed out the plates, one after the other, of the curry poured over some fresh steamed rice.
And again, since Morgana was still pretending to act like a cat, he would be waiting until after the conversation began to actually eat. Yu had promised the cat an entire sushi platter if the cat would keep up with the facade, just a little bit longer.
The young girl, Nanako, took the first bite, everyone looking to her for confirmation. "Mm! It's so good!" she said after the first bite. Akira couldn't help the well of pride that filled him, even as she took a drink of the coffee. Lots of cream, lots of sugar as Dojima recommended. "Big Bro, is your curry this good?" She asked Yu who was sitting beside her.
The others soon began to follow suit. Yukiko's eyes widened a bit. "Oh my, this is a sensation of tastes and flavors." she said.
Yu grinned to Nanako. "'Fraid not. When it comes to curry, Akira has me beat, hands down." he said. And that was something else AKira could take pride in.
"I can't cook." Akira said bluntly. "I got banned from my kitchen at home. But since I started living with Sojiro, he made sure that I could make coffee and curry. Otherwise, I burn water." Though, Akira hadn't tried much else since he started cooking curry.
"Man, this is what curry is supposed to taste like." Yosuke said.
"Truly sublime Akira." Yusuke said. "You are an artist to delight beholding, my tastebuds are alight with pleasure."
"Aw man, this is good!" Ryuji said. He drank some coffee to help wash it down. "And you got the spices right!"
Akira chuckled. "Well, Yu texted me about cooking for a bunch of people and I talked to Sojiro about making sure I had the recipe right. Futaba?"
"Mm. Not now. Too busy." She scooped another bite into her mouth.
"Could be spicier." Rise said as she chewed. "But I can definitely enjoy this." She said.
"I went with a more mild recipe that would generally be accepted by everyone. It's not difficult to get it to be spicier." Akira said. "But the blend of seasons have to change a little bit, and you have to use less apple."
"Personally, I'm fine with this. And it's fresh. Usually we get it the next day." Makoto continued eating as well.
"The coffee is fresh as its intended too." Haru said, taking a sip.
"Seems like he does what you did Senpai." Kanji said. "Making food for his friends and taking it for lunch?"
"Something like that." Yu said. "How's the coffee uncle?"
"Can't go wrong with black." Dojima said as he drank some more. "But this coffee just works perfectly with this curry. I'm glad I didn't miss this."
And that was generally how the conversation went for the next hour and a half. People enjoyed the curry, complimented Akira on it, and basically talked about the food. It was a safe topic, especially since there was still some tension between the two groups. Yes, the King's Game from the night before had helped break the tension, and the Investigation Team wasn't that much older than the Phantom, Thieves so that helped.
But eventually, it was time for the main event. Yu's sit down. Yu's talk where he undoubtedly answered questions. Not just from the Investigation Team, but also from the Phantom Thieves. They still wondered about the scarring on Yu's back. Akira had never seen anything like it.
"Alright, I'm going to get this one home." Dojima picked Nanako up since she seemed to already be dozing off. "You guys have fun." He waved and headed away. Either he knew that there were some things the group couldn't, or wouldn't, talk about with him around, or he was oblivious to the tension. Akira thought it was the former.
The silence stretched on slowly. Naoto had settled beside Yu, and the older wild card looked to be in thought, looking down a little bit. He was hesitating. But then, he had been away from his friends for so long. Most probably, he was worried about how his friends would take things. Akira knew he would be if he was in his shoes.
Slowly, Yu exhaled a moment. "Persona." Akira watched the Investigation Team stiffen a bit. "There's no easing into this, so… Akira and his friends are Persona users as well." He said. The Investigation Team looked over at the various members of the Phantom Thieves, as though seeing them for the first time.
"Hi, name's Akira." Akira waved and bent down, picking up Morgana. "I have a talking cat!" His tone was bright, chipper, and cheerful.
"Finally!" Morgana said loudly, grousing about having to stay silent for so long. "I want some curry!"
"What the-!?" Yosuke almost fell out of his chair. Kanji was staring at Morgana with wide eyes, even the other members of the Investigation Team were staring with some semblance of shock and surprise.
Yu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Way to drop that bombshell Akira. Way. To. Go." He said in a droll manner.
"Consider it payback for making Morgana have to stay quiet the entire time. Come on, let's get you some food." Akira went to the rice and curry, getting Morgana a generous helping that the cat began to help himself to. He and Morgana had been planning that since Yu had asked Morgana to stay quiet.
Yu sighed, shaking his head a moment. "Well, that could have gone a little easier." Yu said. Akira noted everyone seemed to be looking at him. "For the record, we, that is to say Naoto-kun and I, believe that Morgana is similar to Teddie, so we'll probably be talking about that in a little while." Yu said.
Akira set the plate down where Morgana could eat it a little better before he took a seat, watching Yu for awhile. It was time to get some answers.
"Well… that explains why you brought them." Rise said.
Yu shook his head. "No, I would have brought them regardless. They have become my friends, much like the rest of you." He said. Yu sighed a bit, and Akira thought that the other wild card looked like he was about to throw up. He was nauseous. "You're all probably wondering what happened to me…" He said softly.
Naoto even glanced away, as though she knew what was coming. Akira was extremely curious himself. What had happened to Yu Narukami? Akira couldn't believe that he would willingly become so distant from such good people.
Yu stood up from his spot and went over towards the TV sitting in the lounge. He stared at it for a long time. Everyone seemed to be waiting, and Yu was collecting his thoughts. Akira watched. Yu had said they had passed through TVs to get into the Metaverse. Yu inhaled deeply and then exhaled before reaching a hand up to touch the screen. Akira leaned in anticipation. What was it going to look like? But Yu's hand simply touched the screen and he pushed, ever so slightly. The TV wobbled back and forth. "I can't enter the TV world anymore." Yu said softly.
"Oh no." Yukiko gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth. The rest of the Investigation Team looked to be in shock and just as surprised.
Yosuke had bolted to his feet. "Partner, what-"
Yu held up a hand. "Not yet Yosuke. Let me talk." He said Akira leaned back, frowning. So Yu had been incapable of entering the TV? Since when had it occurred? Was this going to be his fate if the MetaNav ever stopped working? Yu still hadn't turned to look back at the group. "My last day here. We dived back in for one last try at the Truth. I'm sure you guys remember it. Izanami taunting us the entire way, the twists and turns of that labyrinth. The thick fog that obscured our vision, even with the glasses on."
Akira watched as Yu began to unbutton the top he had on. "But we made it. And we started to battle Izanami. Just as we had done to various shadows of increasing power and threat. And it was all going good. She was a powerful enemy, but she wasn't out of our league. And then… Then I forced her to shed that guise of hers and… that Monster had taken its place."
Akira turned to face the various members of the Investigation Team. They all looked angry, they all looked in pain, memories haunting them. But Rise Kujikawa was outright crying, sobbing softly into her hands, as though remembering something truly horrible.
"One. By. One. Each of you sacrificed yourselves to save me. But in the end, I wasn't enough. Izanami tortured me. She showed how powerful of a Goddess she was. If she ever took it too far, she healed me right back up to snuff." Yu wasn't looking at any of them. How could he look at any of them. "And the worst part is, Rise confirmed it. Each of you… died." Yu's shirt hung open by now. Akira knew what was going to come, they had seen the scarring before. But had the rest of the Investigation Team not? "Well… she eventually dragged Rise down as well, and when she was bored of torturing me, she disposed of me as well. Except, I didn't fall into death. I fell into what must be the Sea of Souls, where the Persona reside within me. And I began to hear each of you, each of my friends that I have made. Get up, stand up. I was told, over and over to rise. And it gave birth to a new Persona. A Persona of unfathomable power. A Persona that reigns over the Power of the World."
Akira had been brushing up on Tarot because of his own dealings with the Velvet Room, making sure to talk to Chihaya about it. A Fortune Teller was a lot better to discuss such things about. But he knew the journey of the Fool to become the World. It was a long and arduous journey. And Yu Narukami had the Persona to go with it.
"Well, Izanami took offense to me coming back." Yu said. "And she tried to kill me again. When dragging me under with Thousand Curses didn't work, she took to blasting me with lightning. Over. And Over. And Over again." Yu dropped the shirt finally, exposing the scarring. "Lichtenberg scarring." Yu said. "Consistent with being struck by lightning. She punched through the armor we had and proceeded to scar me for the efforts."
Yu fell quiet again. Akira took the moment to take in the horror and reality of the scarring. It would forever be on Yu's back. A reminder of the darkest of times when his friends had died. He could see the others looking to their leader with anger, with fear, with horror at what happened to him. Not at him, but what happened. Akira clenched a fist tight. This wasn't right. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be.
"Every. Day. That I take a Shower, I have to feel this scarring." Yu said. "Every day that I stretch, I feel the scar tissue pulling. Every time I run, I feel it pull, every time I bend over, I feel it pull. Every thing I do, I feel the muscles in my back pull at the scar tissue. A constant reminder for the rest of my life that I had failed my friends." Yu's voice cracked. "That I failed my family. The people I love." He said
Yu wiped his eyes, brushing away the tears. Akira had known that some… semblance of mental demons had their claws in Yu's mind. But that he was constantly reminded of it, in every little thing he did. Even if he had gotten used to the feel of the tissue pulling, that sensation was never going to go away. And every time, it was a jab at Yu's consciousness. Akira couldn't fathom it, couldn't begin to fathom the pain.
Yu shrugged his shirt back on and began to button it up, inhaling before exhaling sharply. "And then, I left the next day. Izanagi-no-Okami healed me up, right as rain, we dug you guys out of the soil, and the TV world turned to that beautiful, beautiful land. And I left the next day amid goodbyes and declarations of love. And when I went back to Shibuya… It was like… the last year never happened. I tried… I actually tried to go into the TV back home. And I found out, that I was banned from it. I never heard Izanagi-no-Okami again. I didn't hear any of my Persona again. It was like… I don't know. And talking to each of you, it hurt. It hurt to talk to you guys. To know that I failed, that I… That I couldn't come back home."
Akira swore to himself, that even if he returned home at the end of his probation in Shibuya, he'd be back in Shibuya as frequently as possible. It was only a two hour train ride. He could see the way it had devastated Yu, destroyed him. Akira didn't want that.
Yu turned and gave a very traditional, humble bow to his friends, unable to look any of them in the eyes. "I'm sorry!" He said. "I'm sorry I was too weak, I'm sorry I failed you, I'm sorry that I didn't do more."
There was. Yu's innermost demon laid bare. In every thing he did, he was reminded of a perceived failure of his friends. To Yu, he may as well have killed his friends himself, and he would never escape that feeling. No Dia spell would ever fix Yu's back.
Akira glanced over as Yosuke stood up. "You guys mind if I handle this?" Yosuke asked, glancing to the rest of the Investigation Team. He was given the okay by all of them. Yosuke proceeded to walk over to Yu and look at his bowed head. None of the Phantom Thieves moved, watching the display. This wasn't their issue, even if they were a part of it.
Yosuke's fist balled up. Akira was about to get up and actually step in. Yosuke lightly popped Yu on the back of the head with his knuckles. It was jarring, but it didn't drive Yu to the floor. "Idiot." He said. "Come on Partner. None of us want you bowing to us or apologizing to us about something like that. What do you take us for? We. Are. Your. Friends. You have been there for us, each of us, through thick and thin. I can't speak for the rest of them, but you helped me come to terms with Saki-senpai actually despising me."
"He helped me decide what I want to be, how I want to help people." Chie said.
"Yu-kun helped me learn to make a decision for myself, even if it was a decision most people already assumed I'd make." Yukiko said, smiling genially.
"Senpai helped me learn what it's like to be comfortable with yourself." Kanji gave a grin.
"Ooh! Senpai helped me learn that all my facets are me!" Rise said cheerfully.
"Sensei helped me learn what it means to belong." Teddie said, joining in on the fun.
Naoto tilted her cap down, a slight blush on her face. "Senpai taught me what it's like to do something for the right reasons, and I'm still learning what it's like to be in love with him." She said.
Akira decided to chime in, much to the surprise of the Investigation Team. "What was it that you told me?" Akira asked. "Life's about experiences. The Good. The Bad. The happy. The embarrassing. This is just another experience Yu. And all of us, we all have learned something from you, with you." Akira knew he was doing the same with his own friends, so he had to remind himself that the same could be said for him.
Yosuke nodded his head and smiled. "Look, all we want is for you to come to us in the future if you got something heavy like that on your chest again. You don't have to bottle it up Partner. We're there to help you." Yosuke then turned to look at Akira. "And if you're the people we have to thank for getting our Leader back up on his feet? Then you have my thanks at the very least." Yosuke said.
"He has all our thanks Yosuke. Don't be as stupid as Yu-kun." Chie said.
Yu stood up, straightening up properly and pushing his shoulders back. His spine was straight and he nodded his head firmly. "Thank you. All of you." He said.
"No problem." Yosuke punched Yu in the shoulder. "I'll be there to knock some sense into you partner, just like you were there to knock some sense into me."
"Besides, the Phantom Thieves still need their Fool." Morgana said.
And judging by the surprised looks on the Investigation Team's faces, Morgana dropped another bombshell. "Oh great." Akira said, pinching the bridge of his nose. That was going to be a whole conversation.
Take Your Time
Naoto settled into the hot springs, sighing softly as the water rushed over her breasts as she sat by the rocks. After the trying talk, Yu getting grilled about what happened as well as the Phantom Thieves being found out, she needed the sound of rest and relaxation. It was Yu and hers time in the hot springs, no one else supposed to be booked at the time. She even made a point of telling to other girls that she wanted to relax alone with her thoughts for the time being.
Mostly because she needed to have an important talk with her boyfriend.
Hearing the splashes on the other side of the wall as Yu got inside the water, she reached up towards the divide and lightly rapped her knuckles against it. It would tell Yu where she was at so he could try and find a comfortable place near it. It would also let her know if someone else might in the springs instead.
"I'm here." She heard on the other side of the wall. It certainly felt odd the first few times they had talked, not looking at each other and instead just focused on enjoying their time in the water and the way it soaked into their muscles.
"I know this isn't the best venue for this discussion Senpai, but I think it would be difficult to talk about if you were looking at me." Naoto said softly. "It's… already rather embarrassing." she said.
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Yu asked from his side of the wall.
"I know, and I can say the same to you. But I understand your hesitance to talk about something like that." Naoto couldn't even begin to fathom what Yu was feeling. Anytime she looked closely in the mirror, she could see a few faint scars on her face from Izanami. That wasn't mentioning the any number of the scars on her body.
But Yu… Every action a person could perform practically required the muscles of the back to be worked and move. Literally every action Yu could do, was a sharp reminder of what was on his back. Normally, such marks as Lichtenberg figures would clear up with time. But it was genuine scarring for Yu. Naoto thought it might have to do with not only the source of the lightning discharge, but the fact Yu had been wearing armor as well that conducted the lightning along the skin.
It wasn't like they could go to a doctor about it. How could they? The number of questions that would be asked would be astronomical.
"What is it you want to talk about Nao-chan?" Yu asked through the wall, breaking Naoto away from her thoughts.
Ah… Yes… This was definitely embarrassing. She sunk into the water a little bit more, pulling her knees up to her chest slowly. "It's… Rise." She admitted. How could Naoto not think about it? It had plagued her thoughts, and begun to plague them even more. Rise was Naoto's best female friend, she'd say best friend but that belonged to Yu, something that Rise had understood in the past when it had come up.
"Ah…" Yu said carefully. Clearly he had been thinking about the topic of discussion as well.
Naoto liked to think of herself as a selfless person. But when it came to Yu Narukami, not only was she possessive, she was incredible selfish. She tried to keep it in check, she knew that Yu would never go behind her back like that, but it was still there. And worse, with her Reflection in June, Naoto realized how deep it could go. It was… terrifying truly. But it could still happen, no matter how much Naoto wanted to say it wouldn't.
Naoto wanted the best for Yu however. And if giving him up meant his happiness, she would. She didn't want to of course, but she would. She refused to let herself become her Reflection. Obsessed with having his love, having him all to herself. It could still happen, but Naoto wanted to believe that she could make certain it wouldn't.
But she also wanted Rise to be happy. Knowing that Rise was in love with Yu hurt. It hurt a lot. Not just the proverbial betrayal, which Naoto did her best to not look at it as, but also the fact she was hurting Rise by being in the way of her love for Yu.
Emotions were convoluted things. Things Naoto barely was understanding. She didn't like that even a small part of her felt betrayed by Rise. It wasn't what happened after all. Rise was right. Yu was a good man. There was nothing Naoto could do to control that. And it was his personality to be righteous and willing to help, and that willingness to just listen and help made him likeable. It was more than just being there to help and listen, Yu actually listened. So when he spoke, it wasn't him saying something that he thought someone wanted to hear, but Yu said what someone needed to hear.
Case in point, and Naoto hated admitting it, she needed to hear someone was glad that she was a girl. Yu hadn't even hesitated when she had been berating herself for her gender.
And Yu didn't do it for any reason but it was the right thing to do.
Naoto heard Yu take an inhale of breath. "I noticed that Rise was giving some rather blatant cues to me during the King's Game last night." he said.
Naoto nodded softly. "She still loves you. Really loves you." Naoto said. "I don't know the depths of that love, or how true it is." She said. No one could really know because it hadn't been tested the way Naoto and Yu's love had been. "But when I was talking to her shortly before we came to Inaba… Rise told me something that I just haven't been able to get out of my head." she admitted. "That… with me… and you… She would be willing to share and… experiment." Naoto knew her face was bright crimson and it had nothing to do with the heat of the water.
But they needed to have this talk. They needed to, as a couple, decide how to handle Rise.
"I… I never really considered myself the Bi-curious type." Naoto said. "Or the type that could really share." She fidgeted in the water, glad her lover couldn't see her. "But I just… I can't get it out of my head either. And then with what I did last night, it wasn't… wholly unpleasant. Though I got through the beginning by imagining it was you. Rise's lips just feel too different for me to be able to fully imagine it was you, Yu-kun." she said.
She couldn't keep her personas straight. Either she was Naoto Shirogane, the Detective Prince and a woman capable of logical thinking, or she was Naoto Shirogane, Yu's lover and a woman that was giddy with her lot in life that was more emotional. They kept blending together with this discussion, that was how confused she felt about her emotions.
"Naoto, breathe." Yu said from the other side of the divider. "You're rambling." he said.
Naoto nodded her head and took in a deep, shaky breath a moment before exhaling it a little bit more controlled. "I want your opinion on this Senpai." She said, focusing on the facts and not how she felt about the entire situation. "I don't want you to tell me you'll support whatever I decide, I want your help deciding what we should do, as a couple, because this pertains to both of us."
Yu was quiet on the other side of the divider a while. Naoto was a bit worried that she was backing Yu into a corner, one that she wouldn't like the answer to. But she could see a lot of different routes. Would Yu leave her? Would he pick Rise? Would he decide that it wasn't worth either? Would he want to try and incorporate Rise into their relationship?
So many things and variables, and Naoto didn't like it. She couldn't begin nailing things down and formulating a hypothesis about the subject. The ball was in Yu's court however.
"Personally?" Yu asked. "I think we should talk about this again later." Naoto frowned at that. Yu was usually more decisive. And she was about to ask about it when Yu spoke up. "You've thrown a lot at me, and I wasn't expecting Rise's actions yesterday." He said. "I need a bit of time to think. I'm glad you brought it up, and we'll have this discussion before we leave Inaba again. But I just need time to digest it before I make a decision about what I might want so that we can discuss it as a couple."
Of course. It was much simpler than Yu attempting to hide things from her. It was Yu attempting to be much more reasonable and responsible. Regardless of what he decided, they would still discuss it as a couple. It was all Naoto could ask for really, that they discuss what needed to happen together.
"When are you going to see your grandpa?" Yu changed the subject, ending the discussion about Rise for the time being.
"Day after tomorrow, I'll be back before I have to get ready for our date." Naoto said, smiling ever so softly. "He wants to meet you, you know." She said. "I'd like you to go with."
"I would, but I promised Nanako-chan that I'd swing by and play with her a little bit more." Yu said apologetically. "I'd love to meet your grandpa Nao-chan." He said. "Maybe we can go back the day after the Festival." He said.
"I'd like that, but with Marie's warning, I don't know if it will happen." Naoto frowned a bit, remembering that discussion with Yu. They were expecting the other girl to arrive, either that night or the next morning hopefully. "If something does occur with the Midnight Channel, we'll only have a day to take care of it. We still need to go back to Shibuya."
"I'm sure we can make an excuse if we need an extra day, but you're right." Yu said. He sighed. "I wish I could take more time off work, but unfortunately that just couldn't happen."
"It's fine, besides, I will have work with the police to get back to." Naoto said. "Plus there is Haru's father's Palace." she said. There was another discussion that they would be having in the future.
But, as a couple, they would work through what they needed to. For better or for worse, and for Naoto that was all she could ask. That Yu treated her like a responsible individual and actually talk to her.
Chapter End
A/N: Holy. Fucking. Crap. This chapter has felt like it's been a loooooooooooooooong time coming. But it's here! And I may have added a few extra things to it to make it interesting.
What will be the results of Yu and Naoto's talk about Rise? Fuck if I know. I haven't decided if I want to make it a threesome or not.
Who is Akira taking to the Festival? Read the above answer.
Is the Investigation Team Reading too much into Marie's words? Maybe. Maybe not.
Next day for Inaba is a beach trip and a group festival. Fuck do I have a lot to write. Inaba is going to be some of the biggest chapters.
Peace people.