I approached Chie and Yukiko after school.

"Hey, guys." I waved to them.

"Hey, Misaki. What's up?" Chie asked.

"I wanted to make Nanako a thousand paper cranes. You guys wanna help?" I held up the bag of newly bought origami paper.

"A thousand!? You're really going to make that many?" Yukiko asked.

"I want her to come home to a nice surprise."

Chie laughed. "Sure, why not? How about it, Yukiko?"

She nodded. "I'll help out, too."

"Great! Let's go somewhere we can get food, too."

We arrived at Junes.

It was too quiet.

Chie scratched her head. "Dang. No one's here."

"It must be because of the fog..." Yukiko shook her head.

"Hey, guys!" Teddie bounced up to us, grinning. "What brings you here?"

"Hey, Teddie. We were just gonna make a bunch of origami cranes for Nanako when she comes back," I answered.

"Wanna join us?" Chie asked.

"Of course!" Teddie ripped off his apron and sat down at a table. "C'mon, let's start!"

"Where's Yosuke?" I asked.

"He's working inside," he snickered.

"And here you are, slacking off," I joked.

"Sensei, you're so mean! I'm on my break!"

I laughed. "Okay, okay!"

We all sat down, and I taught everyone how to make the paper cranes.

After about a dozen mess-ups, they finally got the hang of it.

"Thanks for helping, guys," I said.

"Anything for Nana-chan!" Teddie beamed at me.

As I worked, I got lost in my thoughts.

I thought Adachi and I had a bond... We had a Social Link, after all! But... maybe that's not the whole truth. Maybe it's just my perception of it.

Why am I even thinking about this? I'm pretty sure I killed the bond myself. Using people like I did... I'm just as bad as he is, aren't I? It must be karma—

"Sensei!" Teddie was right up in my face.

I backed away from him. "Wh-What?"

"We were asking if you wanted to grab a bite," Chie said.

"Are you okay?" Yukiko asked. "You've been spacing out a lot lately."

"I-I'm fine..."

Teddie leaned closer to me. "Are you sure, Sensei? You've got huge bags under your eyes!"

"I-I do?" I rubbed my eyes.

"Yeah... Is something keeping you up at night?" Chie asked.

I glanced away. "... I guess you could say that."

"You can tell us, Misaki," Yukiko said.

I fidgeted in my seat. "... I don't wanna bog you down with my problems. You guys have enough on your plate as it is."

"Misaki." Chie placed her hands on her hips. "Tell us."

I sighed. "I... I guess I'm just thinking about Adachi... and how maybe it was just karma getting me back. I mean, I'm probably as bad as he is, right?"

Chie tilted her head. "Huh? How?"

"I've been using people's bonds since I got to Inaba. I mean, that's gotta count toward some karma against me, right?"

Chie shook her head. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Yeah. You've helped us all so much." Yukiko frowned.

I looked at the table. "I don't know... My intentions weren't good."

"Sensei... you don't do that anymore, right?" Teddie looked at me with huge, watery eyes.

I leaned back. "N-No! I don't. Everyone's grown on me. But... I guess my Shadow's words still haunt me."

Chie nodded. "I get you. But, Misaki... you shouldn't beat yourself too much over that. I mean... in the end, you changed, right?"

"What matters is that you actually helped people," Yukiko said. "You shouldn't compare yourself to him like that. He's just a criminal."

I sighed. "... You're right."

"It's okay, Sensei!" Teddie tackled me into a bear hug. "You're still the best!"

I grabbed the table to keep the chair from falling over, laughing. "If you say so, Teddie."

He pouted. "I do say so!"

Chie grinned. "C'mon, Misaki. Let's go grab something to eat. I'm famished!"

"I want a fish skillet," Yukiko said.

"Ooh, I want some steak!" Teddie chimed in.

I stood up. "I'll treat you guys."

Teddie gasped. "Sensei...! You're so kind!"

I rolled my eyes jokingly. "Yeah, yeah." I sighed. "Thanks for listening to me, guys."

Teddie beamed at me. "That sleazebag's got nothing on you, Sensei!"

I chuckled. "I hope so. C'mon."

I continued working on the cranes that night.

Maybe my friends were right. I guess I did help people, even though I was just using them at first.

But I guess I didn't help Adachi, huh?

"You shouldn't compare yourself to him like that. He's just a criminal."

I sighed, placing my head on the table.

"This sucks."

I went to the vending machine after school to grab myself a soda.

"Hey, Senpai."

I jolted and looked up. Rise was standing there, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Hey, Rise," I said. "What's up?"

"Can we talk?"

She took me to the hill.

Rise took a breath and looked at me. "Senpai, I thought about it. Why my mind just went blank when I heard about Kanami... I mean, I ran away from showbiz because I was tired of being an idol... So I shouldn't have any problems. And yet... I felt so angry about it. Why do you think that is...?"

"Well, Risette is Rise, too."

"Yeah... You know all along, huh...? Haha, but really... that's how it was. Risette's name in lights... Idolized by the masses... That was 'me,' too. I didn't want to lose that 'me.'" She smiled sheepishly and glanced away. "There's no way to become someone else... I ran away from my plain, gloomy self... Then I ran away from my idol self... Right now I'm the homicide detective self, I guess?" She chuckled. "I would've run away from that as well, if I didn't realize... I've been trying to become how I wanted to be. I pick a role... When I'm through with it, I continue chasing the 'real me' by picking another role... When in fact those roles are all 'me.' I don't want to run away anymore. I don't want to search somewhere else for myself. I'm gonna hang in there... as the complete me."

Rise laughed. "Thank you, Senpai. I'm glad I came to this town. I'm glad to have met you, and the others too!"

I smiled. "I'm glad to have met you too. I think we all would've died if it weren't for you."

She smirked. "C'mon, you know that's not true. Besides, you guys saved my life, too. Let's just call it even, okay?"

The next day, Rise took me to the hill again. We stood by the railing overlooking Inaba.

She pointed into the town. "Look! That line over there is the shopping district. That's us. Haha, we're so small... I need to remember that..."

I said, "Technically, aren't we all just ants in the vast universe?"

She shook her head. "Don't get all philosophical on me, Senpai."

"Well, sorry! I'm just that profound and... erudite."

Rise laughed. "Stop! You're hurting my brain!"

"It's too bad your brain is too weak!"

We joked around for a little longer before she got serious.

"Hey, Senpai. You're leaving in the spring, right? I've made up my mind about something. You see... I'm thinking of going back into showbiz this spring. I am Risette, after all... And when I consider it that way, I think I can have more fun working."

I gasped. "Risette's making a comeback? I'll be first in line when you debut again. Right after Yosuke, of course."

She laughed. "Thanks, Senpai. I know how hard it is for a star to make a comeback after an entire year's absence... But even then, I want to start over from the beginning. Do you remember the fan who gave me that letter? And my old manager, Inoue-san... For my family, everyone, you... And for myself."

She dug into her book bag and pulled something out. She handed it to me.

"I want you to have this, Senpai."

It was the photo we took at the school summer festival. She signed it, "Risette."

"Thanks, Rise. I'll be sure to find a good frame for this."

"I look really normal, don't I? But even then, I signed it Risette. A Risette without a fake smile... Senpai... I won't make the same mistake. I won't run away... I won't try to be someone I'm not. The many Rises inside of me... I want to cherish them. I quit thinking about such stupid things! I mean, in reality, there's no such thing as a real me or a fake me. As long as you know what you really want to do, no matter how hard it is, you'll be okay... I can do it!"

Her Persona appeared before us. A bright light enveloped Himiko, and when it faded, another Persona stood in her place.

She had five panels instead of one, three on her head, two on her sides. Her dress was striped in black and white.

"This means... My powers have changed...? I see... I've become a little stronger. Thanks to you... being with me... I want to find lots of different 'me's. And I want to get stronger so instead of running away from them, I'll welcome them with open arms. I was relying on you, but... I want to be able to stand on my own two feet. Thank you, Senpai! I love you!"

I hugged her. "No, it's all you, Rise."

She shook her head. "No, you helped a lot, too. Even if your Shadow says otherwise."

I froze as she hugged me tighter.

"I know you think you're just using people, but... you've helped so many more than you think. Like me, for example. I think you should give yourself credit too, Senpai."

"I... Thank you."

She stepped away and smiled. "And I hope you don't feel like we're dragging you down."

"N-No, I would never! I just... I was just a loner before I met everyone here in Inaba. I thought everyone was just stupid. But I've changed, I think. You guys are the best things to ever happen to me."

"Yay! I'll keep trying my best!"

"Thank you, Rise."

I lay awake for a little while that night, wondering if I could fully accept the me that wanted to use everyone for their bonds. The me that thought people dragged me down. The me that wished Adachi wasn't the one who did all that. And... the me that accepted the role of "leader."

"Leader." Someone who leads. I somehow managed to do it, but...

How am I gonna lead them through this shit? How am I gonna do it when I'm still hung up over Adachi? When I'm so scared I can barely move?

My hands were clammy. My heart was racing.

I got out of bed and sat at the work table to work on Nanako's cranes. If I couldn't sleep, I might as well do something productive.