Chapter 51: The Secret's Out: Yasogami

Tuesday, September 4, 2012, Morning, Yukiko's POV

Together with Chie, I headed to school for the second time since the end of vacation, once again remembering to take my umbrella. There hadn't been much rain over the summer, possibly due to Marie-chan's influence, but when I saw the rainy forecast at the start of September, I knew to keep my umbrella handy.

The rain continued unabated throughout the morning, and by the time we reached the school, we could hear thunder off in the distance, in the direction of the mountains. Hardly anyone was willing to wait around to confess to me, even with an umbrella, and even with the knowledge that I would graduate within a year. I suspected that most of those who were interested had already made their attempt or had been scared off, but I was not too naive to assume that meant they did not begrudge Yu for succeeding where they had failed.

I was a bit surprised to realize this about myself. Two years ago, around the time that I went from having a few admirers to getting confessions from half the school (the half that's male), I only had the barest understanding of why boys were so eager to talk with me. Maybe being in love and realizing what it felt like to want someone for yourself helped me gain some understanding of this feeling, or maybe I'd just grown up a little in this regard over the past two years. Given how much I'd changed and how many people had been attracted to me, part of me couldn't help but wonder whether some of them had liked me for the person I was at a certain stage in my development.

Chie was by my side, keeping a watchful eye out for any boys who might try to ask me out. She'd been forced to question her motives for wanting to protect me, but in the end, had realized that she wanted to protect everyone dear to her- her best friend, her other friends, her hometown and the entire world if necessary, maturing while still staying true to herself. In that regard, I, too, rediscovered my desire to be there for those I cherished after much soul-searching and talking with Yu, so that part of me had not changed, either.

Perhaps that was the problem. The boys who admired me had not changed, and at my core, neither had I, so even if I hadn't met Yu, my answer to their asking me out would have been the same as it was two years ago. Perhaps it was too much to ask for them to be happy for Yu or for me, but I hoped that someday, they would realize that they were searching for something I could never give them, simply because it was something I never had.


In homeroom, Chie and I sat down with Kasumi-san before the teacher arrived.

"Good morning, Kasumi-san," I said.

"Morning, Yukiko-san, Chie," Kasumi-san said. "Sorry I couldn't talk yesterday, but I was running late."

"That's all right," Chie said. "I didn't sleep well two nights ago, so I was late, too.

Out of a force of habit, Chie had checked for the Midnight Channel again, even though it had been almost a year since the last "airing." Unfortunately for Chie, there were fewer hours between midnight and when she'd set her alarm for a school day than she would like, and she ended up not getting much sleep.

Now that the pleasantries were out of the way, Kasumi-san turned to me, looked me in the eye and got straight to the point.

"You know, Yukiko-san, I've heard the rumors going around," Kasumi-san said, "from a guy who saw you with Yu at the summer festival for the second year in a row. I'd like to offer you my congratulations... and Yu my sympathies."

"...Thank you," I said, wondering if Kasumi-san knew that while word had gotten out recently, my getting into a relationship with Yu-kun was as old news as Mr. Morooka's death.

"Yeah, thanks, Kasumi-san," Chie said. "But wait- what do you mean by 'sympathies'?"

Kasumi-san chuckled at Chie, most likely knowing that Chie didn't know what it was like to have my appeal, which could be a gift and a curse. Perhaps a tomboyish girl like Chie was supposedly less desirable for the boys than someone like me, but Chie had many friends, and as the closest one of them, I hoped she'd stay true to herself.

"A couple of guys I know are out for Yu's blood- almost literally," Kasumi-san said. "The Amagi Challengers are a jealous lot, and don't take well to someone else succeeding where they failed."

I remained silent. The possibility had occurred to me before, but I wasn't exactly happy to hear Kasumi-san spell it out, in part because she could be fairly blunt at times. Chie hardly seemed surprised, either, possibly due to knowing more about my history of attracting boys.

"I can imagine," Chie said, before pausing for a moment. "But wait- If they're all after Yukiko, wouldn't that mean they're enemies with each other, not just Yu-kun?"

Kasumi-san and I both looked at Chie. What she said was one of those unspoken truths that seemed surprising when people chose to discuss it openly. Chie tended to speak plainly, and was insightful enough to grasp such things, so she was often able to make these observations.

"Come on, you two," Chie said, with a nervous laugh and the hope that we'd change the subject. "It's just another thing that popped into my head."

"Maybe it is, Chie," Kasumi-san said, "but it's also something that those guys who are trying to get together with Yukiko-san haven't thought of. Do any of them even know what would be involved in a relationship with her?"

I shook my head. The teenagers who wanted to get out of Inaba regarded my family's inn as a relic that only long-time residents of the town could love, while those who were willing to say couldn't say much besides the fact that it had been a part of Inaba for a long time. Neither of them seemed at all interested in helping run it, so neither would be willing to marry me even if they felt something towards me that was stronger than a mere crush.

"Probably not," I said. "But what about you, Kasumi-san? Surely you've at least considered asking out Yu or the other popular guys at school?"

Even as I said this, I realized that while Yasogami had many popular girls- Naoto-kun, Rise-chan and Ai-san were the ones who most came to mind- there were fewer obvious choices among the boys now that Yu was no longer here. Kou-kun and Daisuke-kun were well-known as star athletes, but both of them, especially the latter, tended to keep the girls at a distance. Our former student council president had not been well known, save for being one of the best students in his year, and his successor happened to be a highly intelligent but reserved student who was second to me when it came to grades.

Kasumi-san, however, shrugged and shook her head.

"Why bother aiming when I've already hit my target?" Kasumi-san said. "You're not the only one who started a relationship in the summer."

I was surprised for a moment once I realized she wasn't talking about Kanji-kun and Naoto-kun. That said, I didn't know Kasumi-san all that well, so I had hardly any reason to expect her to tell me.

"Actually, I've been dating Yu since a year ago, but that's beside the point," I said. "What kind of person is your boyfriend?"

"Let's see..." Kasumi-san said. "His name's Touma Higurashi, and he was in my class in my first year. He's about as handsome as you can get by just regularly bathing and doing a decent amount of exercising- gym class, walking to school and a stroll every so often. Like me, he has pretty good grades, and we're looking at the same colleges, but considering they're out of the area and we're up against city kids, we're not sure whether we'll get into the same one."

"And you're fine with him?" Chie said, a slightly worried tone in her voice.

"Definitely," Kasumi-san said. "He's not Mr. Perfect, but most girls should go with Mr. Right."

"I agree," I said. "Yu most appeals to me, not because he's at the top of his class, a basketball player or a drama club member, but because he's a nice guy, a good listener, and patient enough to try my food while hoping I get better at it, among many other things."

Kasumi-san nodded. Even if I couldn't mention Yu's most fantastical qualities and accomplishments, such as wielding multiple Personas when most of us could only use one that changed over time, or defeating countless Shadows, a serial killer and a goddess, my point remained the same, and she found it no less convincing.

"Well said," Kasumi-san said. "Of course, I don't know Yu nearly as well as you or Chie do, and those are the kinds of things you'd only figure out after getting to know someone. You're not wrong- quite the opposite, really- but you can't really expect those who pursue their infatuations without knowing or caring what's past the surface to put in that sort of effort."

I nodded. I had to wonder what sort of people the people who wanted to go out with me were. It was clear that if they were only attracted to what was on the outside, that was hardly a good sign.

"Something wrong, Chie?" Kasumi-san said, noticing that Chie was looking troubled.

"Yeah," Chie said. "I've just been thinking about Takeshi lately. I know him well enough to know that he's a better person than most of the guys who asked Yukiko out, but..."

"But?" I said.

"Well, the problem is that he can't admit when he's wrong," Chie said. "When he beats a retreat from bullies, he won't say that he ran away, and when he realizes Yukiko isn't just a 'gloomy' beauty, he thinks it's my fault. I'd forgive him if he just apologized, but I don't think that's something I'll get."

Neither Kasumi-san nor I could come up with anything to say to that before the teacher came in, terminating our conversation. Chie might have been our mutual friend, but Takeshi-kun was a stranger, and this was solely between the two of them. All we could do was let them make their own decisions, and hope they made the right ones.


Lunch Time

As lunch began, Chie and I sat down and ate at our desks, while Kasumi-san went off to eat with her new boyfriend. As we did, Takeshi-kun walked over to talk with us, his expression showing that he'd wanted to do so for a long time, and couldn't wait any longer.

"Yukiko-san, is it true?" Takeshi-kun said, without preamble or even a "hello" to Chie. "Are you really going out with Yu?"

"What's it to you, Takeshi?" Chie said as she shot Takeshi-kun a glare.

I, however, turned to Takeshi-kun and nodded. A part of Chie would always be somewhat protective of me, but while I appreciated her willingness to help, we owed Takeshi the truth.

"Yes," I said. "I believe you became acquainted with him through Chie, didn't you?"

"I did," Takeshi-kun said. "He didn't seem at all surprised when he heard about you making that funky laugh while you were with Chie. He knows you pretty well, doesn't he?"

"He does," I said. "Let's just say that not long after we met- the end of last April, to be precise- he got a glimpse of the parts of me that I couldn't quite show to others, and while it was difficult to accept at first, I felt like I could talk with him about anything."

Takeshi-kun seemed content with my answer despite the lack of elaboration. While my friends and I had come to terms with our Shadows, they weren't necessarily things we were willing to share with just anyone, even disregarding how outlandish the story of our coming face-to-face with the embodiment of the parts of ourselves we wished to deny was. The fact that we knew about each other's own secrets meant we were closer than most friends, and the fact that we accepted them meant that our bonds were stronger than most people's. Takeshi-kun was once Chie's friend, but he was nothing more than an acquaintance and would-be suitor to me, so this answer was all I owed him.

"I get it," Takeshi-kun said. "If that's the answer, it really makes sense why no one's succeeded until Yu stepped up, and even if... y'know, things don't work out between you two, it'll be a long time before someone else does."

"Are you saying you're hoping Yukiko and Yu-kun will break up so you can have her?" Chie said. I was about to remind her that from most people's perspective, my relationship with Yu-kun had barely started when Takeshi-kun spoke.

"No," Takeshi-kun said. "I'm saying that because Yu's different from all those other boys, I'm hoping things work out."

Chie paused for a moment, taken aback by what he had said. After a moment, though, she smiled, perhaps realizing that this was what she'd hoped to hear from him.

"I get it," Chie said. "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions about you all this time. When I saw you were crushing on Yukiko, I couldn't help but wonder whether you were just another boy lusting after her, and your friendship with me was just an excuse to get closer to her."

Takeshi-kun smiled slightly and shook his head.

"You weren't completely wrong, Chie," Takeshi-kun said. "I don't even know why I was interested in Yukiko-san in the first place, so I'm not any different from my competition. I'd like to apologize to her for showing no interest in the person she really is, and to you for blaming you for my disappointment."

Takeshi-kun then bowed deeply in apology. I didn't know him very well, but Chie must have recognized how unusual this was for him, as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Takeshi..." Chie said.

"There's one more thing I've realized," Takeshi-kun said. "I've missed having you around, and the small chance I had of getting together with Yukiko- now nonexistent- isn't worth giving up our friendship over. So... are you up for giving it another shot?"

Takeshi-kun extended his hand, and Chie, with a smile, took and shook it.

"Sure thing," Chie said. "That said, while we're on the subject of giving things a chance, why not get to know Yukiko a little better?"

Takeshi-kun I exchanged glances and nodded. It was clear that while Chie was willing to forgive Takeshi-kun, she wanted to see him demonstrate his sincerity through his actions around me. Of course, I was also giving him a second chance, and hoped to get to know him.

We spent the rest of lunch talking about various things, from how we spent our summer, to Chie growing out her hair. I got comfortable enough around Takeshi-kun that I could laugh at one of his slips of the tongue, and he responded with a wry grin. I could see that he and Chie, for all their differences and as much as they'd grown apart, still felt at ease talking casually with and teasing each other, so while they might never be as close as they once were, they had managed to start talking again, and I was glad for that.


After School

By the time school let out, the rain had stopped. Chie always found this somewhat annoying, since it meant she'd have to carry her umbrella back home.

Another Amagi Challenger was waiting for us at the gates. From the Roman numeral "III" on his collar, I could tell that he was a third-year, and thus, had any number of chances to ask me out before I got together with Yu-kun, but had never taken the initiative. While I didn't have a very good memory for my failed suitors, Chie later confirmed that she'd never seen him try to ask me out before. Perhaps this boy would have failed if he'd tried, but at least he would have no regrets.

I told him that I had a boyfriend, and at the mention of Yu, the boy glared, and declared that if he and Yu ever met, my boyfriend would be "dead meat." Apparently, it somehow made more sense to him to blame Yu instead of me, and to blame either of us rather than accept that I didn't love him and never would.

I couldn't help but be grateful to the other girls for being so understanding. Even Rise-chan, who'd felt most strongly about Yu, had accepted our relationship, and regretted even trying to come between us, even though she hadn't known that we were a couple. Perhaps the fact that she considered both of us our friends had something to do with it, while those who had a shallow infatuation with me saw me as little more than a trophy and Yu as just another rival who had defeated them. There would be many people I would miss while I was at university, but I hardly cared about seeing any of thos eboys again.


Chie and I met up with Yosuke-kun the second-years at Junes, while Teddie worked as a mascot.

Once we made sure that no one else with a Yasogami uniform was around, Chie told everyone about what had happened today, from her reconciliation with Takeshi-kun to the suitor at the gates.

"Ugh, it pisses me off!" Chie said. "Why don't people just give up on Yukiko?"

"I know, but it's not surprising," Yosuke-kun said. "Guys have been trying to ask Yukiko out for almost two and a half years now, and every time she rejects someone only makes her more appealing, a bit like if you lose a bet and your wager makes the jackpot even larger. If anything, the fact that Yukiko has a boyfriend is proof that it's possible to get together with her, and the fact that the relationship's long-distance means that people think she'll be open again, soon."

I sighed, I didn't begrudge Yosuke-kun for talking about others' perspectives, but it was a bit depressing to hear how many people expected my relationship with Yu to fail. I couldn't tell which was worse- my potential in-laws' harsh but somewhat well-reasoned conclusion that the odds were against us and our best choices might not be the ones that bring us together, or a bunch of strangers who were actively hoping that Yu and I would break up so that I would be theirs for the taking.

"Yeah, but Yu-kun and Yukiko aren't the type to break up just like that," Chie said.

"I know," Yosuke said, "but the guys we're talking about don't."

Chie pouted. She never liked losing an argument to Yosuke-kun, especially not over something like this. Of course, Yosuke-kun didn't look at all happy about his victory, and from his solemn expression, it was clear that he

"So, did any of the second-years have Mr. Yamada today?" Chie said, trying to change the subect.

"Unfortunately, no," Naoto-kun said. "My class didn't have history today."

"Yeah, Rise and I did," Kanji-kun said, and Rise-chan nodded to concur.

"Did he say anything about Yukiko?" Chie said.

Kanji-kun shrugged and shook his head.

"Nah," Kanji-kun said. "Why would he?"

Rise-chan sighed and looked at Kanji-kun with an oddly pitying expression, like she did when I erroneously assumed Teddie had shown the Hanamuras Yosuke-kun's secret savings at the end of July, not a pornographic magazine..

"You really didn't notice, Moronji?" Rise-chan said. "Mr. Yamada's made a few too many slips of the tongue when talking about Risette to have more than an innocent interest in me. It's only natural Yukiko-senpai'd be his type even with the taboo against student-teacher relationships."

"Kanji-kun isn't the only one, Rise-san," Naoto-kun said. "Since I don't have class with you two, I don't know about your interactions with Mr. Yamada, so could someone please tell me more about him?"

Chie nodded.

"He kept saying all sorts of pervy things last year," Chie said, "going on about how Yukiko was the only cute girl in class, a bit like what Rise-chan said he did with her. You'd think he'd be upset to hear that she has a boyfriend now."

"That's assuming he knows that, Chie-senpai," Naoto-kun said, "or that he lacks the caution to keep those thoughts to himself. The fact that Kanji-kun and Rise-san didn't hear anything from Mr. Yamada today proves nothing."

"Yeah," Kanji-kun said. "It's been a tough lesson for me, but there's some things you've just gotta keep to yourself."

"What about the girls?" Rise-chan said. "I can't really judge them, but you'd think that they'd be mad about Yukiko-senpai taking Yu-senpai."

Yosuke-kun shook his head.

"I talked with Yumi and Ai-san today," Yosuke-kun said, "and while they said some of their acquaintances are jealous of Yukiko's appeal, they don't know of anyone who wanted Yu for themselves."

"That's a relief," I said.

"Yeah," Chie said, "especially since the Amagi Challengers are royally pissed off about Yu-kun getting together with Yukiko."

"Well, at least Yu's a couple hundred kilometers away from Inaba," Yosuke-kun said, "so he doesn't have to go to school with all the guys he beat."

"That's true," I said. "Besides, it's highly unlikely that he'll see any of them again next year."

I looked around at the friends sitting at the table with me. Of all of us- both our yearmates and those a year below us- Yu was the only one who was trying for the same college I was, and nothing was guaranteed.

"I know," Yosuke-kun said. "When I think about it, there's not many people from my past or present schools that I really want to see again the same way I do with you guys."

"But, anyway," Rise-chan said. "I know from personal experience that more boys are interested in Risette than in Rise, so why doesn't Yukiko-senpai try showing all her suitors a bit of herself?"

"I tried that a while ago," Chie said. "It turned off some of them, but others only got more interested. Anything more, and it'd be out of character for Yukiko- she's not Kanji-kun, after all."

We shared a brief laugh over that. Of course, in all seriousness, as surprising as we'd found Kanji-kun's new look, I knew him well enough to know that the "new" Kanji-kun was more like the old Kanji-kun.

Kanji-kun looked embarrassed for a moment, then cleared his throat and tried to change the subject.

"This is kinda off-topic..." Kanji-kun said, "but I'm working on getting a fabric club together, and I need five people- me included- to join. Any of you interested?"

"I'm sorry, Kanji-kun," I said. "Between exams, helping out at the inn and doing the bulletin board, I don't have time."

"Me too," Chie said. "I'm also in a club at the moment, so if I left, they'd probably get mad at you for 'poaching' me."

"Yeah, what those two said," Yosuke-kun said. "I've also got to help out at Junes, so Dad'd rather not have me make any commitments that can't be canceled on short notice."

Kanji-kun seemed surprised, probably because Yosuke-kun took his request seriously, but then sighed in disappointment.

"Ugh, I thought so," Kanji-kun said. "I kinda knew all the senpais would be busy with exams, but since I already asked Naoto and she said no, that only leaves Rise."

"Sorry, Kanji," Rise-chan said. "Inoue-san doesn't ask all that much of me, but like with Yosuke-senpai's dad, he does expect me to leave my afternoons open."

"Figures," Kanji-kun said. "Well, it was worth a shot, and it's probably not the last time I'll get turned down."

"That's the spirit," Rise-chan said. "If all of Yukiko-senpai's rejected suitors had that attitude, Yu-senpai wouldn't have anything to worry about."

We dropped all discussion of my suitors and talked about other things before parting ways for the day. We knew how important it was to cherish the time we had together, even if we had to spend a great deal of it preparing for what would come next. Some of us would soon have to leave, and not all of us would be able to return, but for now, except for Yu, we were all together in the same town, and I was happy for that.


Evening

After I got home, I headed up to my room until dinner. Now that school had resumed and I had to redouble my efforts as far as studying for events went, I no longer had time for cooking lessons. It would be a long time before I could cook well enough to help out at the inn, but I could make some meals for myself, or, failing that, microwave frozen food. Yosuke-kun had once joked about how the latter was something not even Chie could get wrong, earning him a glare from her. Of course, since our tendency to experiment with the ingredients was what got us into trouble, perhaps Yosuke-kun had a point, and if we simply followed the directions, we couldn't go wrong.

I called Yu and told him what I'd heard and discussed.

"That's pretty much what I expected," Yu said. "The guys might be mad at me, but it's good to hear that not many people are mad at you."

"I know," I said. "It helps that most of the girls who tried to ask you out are girls I know well, so I can trust them not to take things personally."

"You can, Yukiko," Yu said, "and I also think you'd get along well with the girls I know. Sakura's a pleasant and friendly girl, while Hitomi's well-mannered and traditional. Both took a little while to open up to me at first, but I think they've gotten used to interacting with people since then, so I'm sure you'll get along."

I smiled. I saw a little of myself in both girls, so it seemed as though our personalities were compatible.

"That's good," I said. "And what about the girls in drama club?"

"I also think you'd like them," Yu said, "but you're less likely to see them, since I don't see much of them outside drama club, and I'll probably be done with my duties to the club by the time you visit."

It was somewhat sad to hear that. Apparently, Yu had become a valued part of the drama club relatively soon after joining, so it was a shame that he'd have to give that up for the sake of exams.

"I see," I said. "Kanji-kun was recruiting for his handicrafts club, but none of us could commit."

"Well, that's good that he took my advice and is looking for people," Yu said. "Of course, he'll have to find people who care about handicrafts if he wants to make this a good club, since an organization's only as strong as its members."

I smiled at hearing that. Our success in solving the mystery and defeating our foes came not just because of our leader, but because we worked together. Of course, it also meant that Kanji-kun's task would be more difficult than just filling out the club.

"I know," I said. "By the way, Yu, how's things going at the drama club?"

"Apart from the stress Sayuri's under, pretty well," Yu said. "We're almost ready for the play, and I'm confident that everyone will be able to play their roles well, or be replaced by those who can do better. We're a large and committed group, after all."

Yu tried to sound optimistic, but he seemed somewhat conflicted. On the one hand, the organization as a whole seemed strong, but on the other, might individual members be lost in the shuffle? It was significantly harder to run an organization that was, according to Yu's rough estimate, composed of a few dozen high schoolers than it was to lead a team of eight people. I didn't know what I could say to that, so I responded in kind.

"I see," I said. "I'm hoping everything goes well with your club and the play it's putting on."

"Thanks, Yukiko, I hope so, too," Yu said. Whatever his doubts or fears were, his hopes for the best possible outcome were always what he felt in his heart.

We said goodbye for now, and I once again focused on my studies. Having dealt with all the possible ramifications of coming forward with our relationship until my visit with the Narukamis, all that was left was to study hard, so I could prepare for what came after that.


Author's Notes

Thank you for the reviews and favorites, although I will ask that you keep them related to the story, (as opposed to, say, proselytizing for your religion).

It's possible that Yu and Yukiko would face some backlash over their relationship, but mainly from people interested in Yukiko, boys that neither half of the couple knows on any meaningful level. Since Yu's only suitors are his female friends (many of whom are also friendly with Yukiko), they're less likely to take it personally, and the same goes for Yu's male friends.

The next chapter focuses on the drama club, and Sayuri and Satomi both make important decisions.