May 27:

"My name is… Labrys?" the girl asked.

"Yes, that's right," Ikutsuki answered from his seat on the couch.

"At least she has a name," Yu admitted. "But that being said, just what exactly is she?"

"I'd like to know too," Yukari pined. "'Cause she clearly isn't a person like all of us."

Mitsuru nodded. "You're exactly right. She is, in fact, an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon."

"In other words, you could say she's a Shadow fighting android," Ikutsuki translated for the group. On that note, the rest of them had varied reactions to this information. Yu, Minato, and Yukari were visibly intrigued, while Akihiko and Hamuko seemed to have issues getting their heads around it. And then there was Junpei's reaction.

"S-She's a ROBOT?!" he exclaimed with an odd sense of wonder. "B-But how is she able to use a Persona?"

Akihiko nodded in approval. "That is a good question." He then glanced in Mitsuru's direction. "Is she some sort of science experiment or something?"

Yu silently facepalmed. "All this supernatural hullabaloo, and you call her a 'science experiment?'"

Again, Mitsuru nodded, albeit with a darkened expression. "She kind of is an experiment." She paused. "She is one in a line of artificial fighters, designed to combat the Shadows."

"A line?" Yu questioned. "As in more than one?"

Ikutsuki butted in. "On paper, yes. However, most of them were believed to have been destroyed." He then pushed his glasses back over his eyes. "But this one… this one was believed to have disappeared."

"S-Seriously?" Hamuko questioned, a tad incredulous. "How do you just lose track of a robot?"

"I can imagine a few reasons," Mitsuru replied, "but that's not important." She then faced Labrys. "The point is that she's here now, and she's capable of utilizing a Persona, which is good for us." However, Yu noticed that that last detail was delivered without any joy or hopefulness he would've expected from a discovery like this.

But one thing was still on his mind. "I-If that's true, then why did she wait until now to approach us?" As Mitsuru opened her mouth, he continued prying. "Actually, why was she following us in the first place if she had a Persona?"

"I-I don't..."

"I-It's kinda hard to explain," Labrys finally replied, cutting Mitsuru off. "L-Like I said, I don't remember much of anythin'. And I certainly didn't know about my Persona until they took me away for o-observation." She then closed her eyes, as if to remember something. "But before that, well… somethin' in my head told me to follow y'all." She then opened her eyes and pointed at Yu. "And specifically… there was somethin' about you that seemed... off somehow." She then looked around the group. "I-Is that weird?"

Minato nodded. "Kind of, yeah." He paused. "Could you possibly have followed us because of the bigger Shadow we fought the other week?"

Labrys grimaced. "M-Maybe, but..." She then rubbed her forehead. "But I dunno. This is all very confusin'."

Ikutsuki batted her on the back. "Now, now. I understand things don't make a lot of sense right now, but I promise they will in due time." He then faced the group. "In any case, we need to take her back for further observation for the time being."

"WHAT!?" Yu, Akihiko, Hamuko, and Junpei protested. But Junpei was the one to expand. "B-But why? Shouldn't we be trying to bolster our numbers since that Fuuka girl won't be useful?"

"First off, we can't say that for certain," Mitsuru exclaimed in an attempt to take back control. "Second, it's in our best interest to make sure we know everything about her abilities without jeopardizing everything."

"That hasn't stopped you before," Akihiko growled.

Mitsuru returned with a death glare. "What was that?"

Akihiko approached her with a glare of his own. "You heard me." He and Mitsuru then proceeded to stand parallel from each other with their respective glares, and neither would back down.

Did Akihiko hit another nerve? Yu thought to himself. Come to think of it, whenever those two had a disagreement, it was almost always instigated by him. But unlike the other times, Akihiko didn't seem to want to back down, and his intense determination was pretty damn close to scary this time.

Ikutsuki let out a hearty laugh, almost certainly as a way to break the tension. "O-Okay! I think I'll show myself out with Labrys." On that cue, he and an uncertain Labrys began making a break for the door. "H-Have a good night!"

Minato waved him good bye. "You too, stay safe." On that cue, Minato and Junpei immediately headed back to their room, although the latter was mumbling about something under his breath. No surprises what that might be.

"S-So," Hamuko stammered, "i-is this sort of thing normal?"

Yukari sighed. "You know, I don't even know what's normal anymore."

"Ditto," Yu agreed.

May 30:

"A girl from 2-E?" Yu questioned Junpei.

"Well I mean, it's only a rumor, but it seems like a lot of people are talking about it now," Junpei replied in one breath. For once, Yu was impressed by his abilities.

"I didn't take it very seriously this morning," Minato continued, "but if it's this widespread now, then..."

Yu nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean." He paused. "I mean a girl, going missing and showing up by the school gate the morning after? You could say just about anything to have it make sense."

"I know, right?" Yukari replied as she walked up to the three of them. Upon realizing it was her, Junpei turned around briskly.

"Oh, Yuka-tan!" He greeted with glee. "Don't you worry! Ace Detective Junpei Iori is on the case!" The rest of the group stood in stunned silence at his comment. That is, except for Yukari, who seemed to silently snort at it.

"Ace... detective?" She paused, then offered a rebuttal. "More like Stupei, Ace Defective."

Junpei slammed his hand on Minato's desk. "H-Hey! I resent that!" The rest of the group burst out in laughter as Junpei pointlessly attempted to regain their focus.

"W-We should probably keep it down," Minato admitted. "People are starting to stare."

Junpei beamed. "Nice save!" He then cleared his throat. "Anyways, Yukari, where were you?"

"I was talking to the teacher," Yukari replied. "But get this: I saw the girl they found on my way back from practice yesterday."

Yu's ears perked. "For real? Like, saw her acting normal?"

Yukari nodded. "Y-Yeah."

"Whoa," Junpei replied in amazement. "Now that's kinda creepy."

"Agreed," Minato replied. "Do you think...?"

Yu shook his head. "I think its best we wait and see what happens."

"Well then, meeting adjourned," Minato concluded as the others walked away to their seats for a long day of classes.

"Ah, welcome back," the friendly voice of Margaret greeted.

Yu nodded. "Thank you, Margaret."

Suddenly, the room's owner started to clap. "You are doing quite well, given the circumstances," Igor cheerily complimented. "And it seems that you are spending your time wisely, building up your social links and what not."

Yu nodded. "Even so, things are starting to get a little hectic, to say the least."

Igor nodded. "Indeed." He paused for dramatic effect, as he was prone to do from time to time. "Regardless, things are progressing at a fine pace." He then chuckled. "Even as more and more people are revealed to wield the power of Persona, you still remain steadfast in the face of adversity."

Yu rubbed the back of his head. "You praise me too much, Igor."

"But now is not the time to remain complacent," Margaret reminded. "Even as you maintain a grasp on your situation, one false move could bring your whole journey tumbling down."

Yu nodded. "I agree. There's still no telling what Izanami has up her sleeve."

"But more importantly," Igor continued, "I sense a new evil is right around the corner, so please take caution and prepare accordingly."

Yu nodded. "That's part of why I am here. I would like to fuse some new Personas."

Igor chuckled once more. "Then let us proceed."

June 1:

"Say Yuka-tan, have you seen the posts on the student message board?" Junpei asked.

"That's random," Yu replied in Yukari's stead.

"W-Well, ya know how that girl was found by the gate last week?" Yu nodded. "Apparently there's this rumor that it was an angry spirit from this old ghost story..."

Hamuko huffed. "Are you for real, Junpei? Do you expect us to believe a ghost did that?"

"Y-Yeah, Stupei," Yukari finally replied, her face a shade lighter in color. "Who in their right mind would b-believe that!?"

A moment passed before Mitsuru interjected. "So what IS this ghost story?"

"W-Wha!?"

Hamuko sighed once more. "Never took you for the gullible type, Kirijo-senpai."

Yu nodded. "I mean, is there a point hearing about it if it's not relevant?"

Yukari beamed. "THANK you!"

"Could you tell it anyways, Junpei?" Akihiko replied. "I'm still interested."

"Unbelievable," Yu and Hamuko muttered under their breath.

"Well screw y'all too!" Junpei growled before regaining his composure. He then walked up closer to the table, a serious expression plastered on his face, then pulled out a conspicuous flashlight from his back pocket. In an instant, he switched it on under his face, producing a shadowy effect on his face.

And then he began speaking. "Good evening," he spoke in a deep, performative voice. "Welcome to 'Junpei's Believe It, or Don't.'" He paused. "There are many strange things in this world, and according to one story… if you get caught at school late at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls!"

A quiet "eep" squeaked out of one of the group before Junpei continued on. "The other day, this friend of mine – let's call him Shu – He said to me, 'Junpei, I saw something strange.'" He paused once more before continuing on with a quiver in his voice. "He sounded serious, so I asked him what he'd seen. He said it was about the girl in 2-E…'"

"For crying out loud," Hamuko muttered under her breath.

However, Junpei ignored the comment and marched on. "He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident." He opened his eyes wide. "And I just couldn't believe it! She's not the kind of girl to be out at night..." He then closed his eyes. "But Shu is as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true."

"I see…" Akihiko commented.

"Then… it hit me!" His eyes bolted open. "That ghost must've tried to make her its dinner!" He then abruptly slammed his hands down onto the table. "And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate!" He next drooped his head down in anguish. "I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat..."

Yu looked around the table as Junpei "spoke." To his right, Akihiko remained attentive, Minato appeared to be falling asleep, and Yukari had her face covered in fear.

Oh, that poor, poor thing, Yu thought as he looked to his left; Hamuko was sighing as she blew at her hair, while Mitsuru was also watching Junpei with her full attention.

Maybe Mitsuru and Akihiko feel bad for him, Yu rationalized.

Is it really that simple? Izanagi commented.

"Yes, there are many strange things in this world," Junpei continued. "Believe it… or DON'T!" He then shut off and put away his flashlight, signaling the end of his story. In response, everyone let out an inexplicable sigh of disappointment.

"Well… What did you all think?" Mitsuru asked.

"It was good… considering it was Junpei," Yu replied.

"I thought it was dumb," Hamuko added.

"Well I think it's worth investigating," Akihiko admitted, much to everyone's surprise.

But Junpei's response was turning to face Yukari. "But wow, Yuka-tan! I didn't know you were afraid of ghosts!"

"That's what you took away from that!?" Hamuko questioned.

"Regardless, it's not funny, Stupei," Yukari fumed. But then, it appeared that she finally snapped. "Y-You know what, fine! Let's investigate it, then!"

Minato almost immediately snapped back to reality. "W-Whoa, that was sudden!"

"We'll each ask around for the rest of the week," Yukari continued, completely ignoring Minato's break in ambivalence. "I'll prove to you that this ghost story is just an urban myth!"

Yu mouthed a "wow" as he rubbed the back of his head.

Then it was Mitsuru to break the silence once more. "I appreciate that. The story is a bit unnerving."

Akihiko then perked up. "Then I'll let you guys handle it."

Yep, they feel bad for him, Izanagi concluded.

"Just make sure you sleep with one eye open..." he continued in an ominous voice. This threw Yukari off her rhythm before the group adjourned from their meeting.

"Greetings, Narukami," Izanami greeted as Yu opened his eyes back to the white void of his dream world. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"Am I to assume something bad is about to happen?" Yu asked bluntly.

"My, aren't we impatient?" she replied sullenly. "But to answer your question, I guess you could say that."

"Thought so," Yu replied before softening his tone. "But if I'm being honest, I don't understand why so many people are quick to believe ghost stories."

Izanami shrugged subtly. "Humans are always so quick to explain the unknown with the supernatural." She paused. "Most likely, they want some explanation rather than fear the worse."

Yu nodded. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"But more importantly, are you prepared more for what's to come?"

Yu nodded. "I was born ready for this."

Izanami nodded. "That's good. Confidence is a good trait to have in times of stress." She then closed her eyes. "I wonder, however, if that's enough."

Yu clenched his fist. "I know it'll be. Just watch me!

Izanami chuckled. "At the very least, you won't be a bore for me, even if you fail." Yu's vision then began to fade. "Well then, I hope we speak again. Very soon..."

June 5:

"Ah, good," Yukari exclaimed as Yu entered the dorm building. "Now that we're all here, we're gonna hold a meeting to discuss what we learned."

"Wow, you're really into this," Junpei remarked.

"About what?" Yu questioned as he rubbed the back of his head. "The ghost story?"

Yukari nodded. "Of course. I did get lots of good info, after all."

"Is that right?" Hamuko questioned. "Well spill it, girl."

"Well for starters, no angry ghost was involved in any way."

"I mean, I kinda expected that," Minato commented.

"But it does raise the question," Yu began. "How did a silly rumor like that get off the ground?"

Yukari perked up. "Well, since the girl was found on school grounds, there's at least one similarity to the ghost story. But then why did this rumor spread so fast if this was the first time anything happened?"

"I don't care," Hamuko replied bluntly.

"Umm," Junpei droned.

"Were there possibly more victims?" Yu suggested.

Minato nodded. "I think that's possible too."

Yukari promptly nodded. "That's exactly it!" Her expression quickly grew sullen. "Over the next few days, there were two more similar incidents, and all three of them had to be hospitalized."

"Damn," Hamuko swore, finally on the same page as everyone else. "No wonder a silly rumor like that spread so widely."

Yukari nodded. "And that's not all. The victims are in different classes, and don't seem to be connected at all. But again, they did have something in common. Anyone know why?"

"Dammit, is this a quiz show!?" Junpei bellyached.

"Umm, were they possibly all friends?" Hamuko suggested.

Yukari nodded. "You hit the nail on the head!" Again, her expression darkened. "And not just once or twice. It turns out they got in with a bad crowd, and as a result were out late often." She paused. "I don't think any of this can be just a coincidence."

Yu nodded. "Hell no. There's way too much that lines up to chalk it up as such."

Minato nodded. "But what can we really do?"

Yukari continued. "Well, to find out what happened, we're gonna go out to do some field research."

"You're joking, right?" Junpei interjected.

"Nope," Yukari replied with confidence. "In fact, there's this one place where those three were regulars."

"And that is…?" Yu began before Junpei gasped in fear.

"W-Wait, you're not talking about the place behind Port Island Station, are you?"

"Oh, you're familiar with it?"

Minato tilted his head in confusion. "What's so special about this place?"

"I'm actually a little concerned considering how Junpei reacted to it," Hamuko added.

"You SHOULD be!" Junpei shouted, a tinge of fear in his voice. "There are some pretty nasty rumors about that place!"

A twisted smile began to occupy Yukari's face. "Oh really? Well then, why don't we all go together?"

Junpei shook his head. "HELL no! That place is seriously bad news." He then began to plead to the others. "Don't any of you guys think we're getting in way over our heads?"

"I mean, maybe a little bit?" Hamuko suggested.

"Up until now, all we've done is follow orders," Yukari began, now as serious as she's ever been. "Does that feel right to all of you?"

"I mean, I get what you mean," Yu replied, his voice slightly shaky. "And I'd be lying if I said that the way Junpei makes it sound didn't frighten me a little." He then regained his composure. "But if we don't do this, then who knows how much worse all of this will get!?"

Minato nodded. "Spoken like a true leader."

Hamuko perked up. "You know, the way he puts it, it makes it feel like we CAN do this."

"S-Seriously? You too?" Junpei then sighed. "Okay, fine. We'll go."

Yukari nodded. "Then it's decided. We'll go tomorrow night."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Junepi remarked.

June 6:

"I still don't get how you can be scared of ghosts, but not by this place?" Junpei complained as the group made their way to the station.

"Well if you think about it," Yukari began, "it's way easier to get freaked out by something you can't see, don'tcha think?"

"That doesn't make things you can see any less scary," Hamuko added.

Junpei nodded. "Y-Yeah, exactly! Knives, for example, are much, MUCH scarier than any stupid ghost!"

Yukari just scoffed. "BIG deal… So it's a little 'dangerous.'" She then let out a laugh. "Just think of it as an adventure!"

Yu sighed. "While I appreciate the enthusiasm, let's not forget to take extreme caution."

"At LEAST!' Junpei replied bluntly. "Otherwise, this will quickly turn into a suicide mission."

"We'll be fine," Minato reassured. "Whatever is waiting won't be able to take on all of us."

"T-That not reassuring, d-dammit!" Junpei stammered in fear.

"I-If you're so scared, why didn't you just chicken out?" Hamuko suggested.

"I DON'T want to tell Mitsuru I let y'all walk off to your DEATHS!"

Again, Yu sighed. "Is it really that bad?"

"Y-You have NO idea," Junpei reassured.

It can't be any worse than any of the shit I've gone through, Yu thought. As they walked, he continued to monitor the area around them. At least without the eerie green colors of the Dark Hour haunting the city scape, Iwatodai doesn't seem as bad or seedy as any big city in Japan.

That is, until they finally reached their destination. Tucked away in the back alley area of the station lies a giant common area. Graffiti is found on the walls alongside giant ducts for varying purposes, while many people gathered outside a bar entrance; to make it worse, many of them were very clearly smoking cigarettes.

"The hell?" one of the punks questioned as the members of SEES came to a halt.

"Check out those rags," another punk pointed out. "They're from Gekko High."

"O-Oh man," Junpei stammered, scared out of his mind. "This is worse than I thought."

"Was it really such a good idea for y'all to come in uniforms?" Hamuko, dressed in an orange shirt/white skirt combo, questioned.

"Better than in bright colors," Junpei criticized. Despite the atmosphere, however, Yukari continued her trek, leaving the others no choice but to follow close by while the two punks got onto their feet and approached them; once she realized the two were approaching them, Yukari, along with the group of lemmings, came to an immediate halt.

"Hey you," the first punk began. "I think you're in the wrong place."

"U-Uh, w-w-well," Junpei stammered. The two men then broke out into uncontrollable laughter as Junpei struggle to come up with a comeback.

"Dammit, Junpei," Yu muttered under his breath. He then took over for him. "W-What's so funny?" The second punk briskly approached the stationary group, causing Yukari to retreat behind the guys.

"You don't belong here," the second punk replied in a threatening voice. "Ya get it? So beat it gramps."

"Gramps?" Yu questioned before he realized what he meant. "O-Oh, I see. Making fun of the gray hair." He then let out a chuckle.

"D-Dude, what are you doing?" Junpei was now fully close to pissing his pants.

"We don't need your permission to be here," Yukari exclamed as if she had a silver tongue.

"Y-Yukari-san, a-are you insane?" Hamuko stammered.

"Yeah, you idiot!" Junpei replied in agreement. "Remember where we are!?"

"I'm not blind!" Yukari snapped back in anger.

Minato sighed. "Even so..."

"C-Come on, you guys! Don't be intimidated by scum like them!"

That one comment elicited a gasp from everyone, student and punk alike.

"What was that!?' one of the punks threatened.

"She just called all of us 'scum,'" one of the chicks in the back clarified.

"Ohh, I know," her friend replied in excitement. "Why don't we post some pictures that'll make her daddy cry!?"

"Haha, that's PERFECT," the chick agreed. "She'll wish she were NEVER born then!" The two friends then continued to howl with laugher.

"Geez, those two are freaking psychos," Hamuko whispered.

"Hey!" the second punk shouted as he approached Hamuko. "Y'all oughta learn to shut those traps of yours."

Right as Hamuko begins to cry, however, Yu places himself in front of the punk. "Don't you even think about it!" he shouted back with the most confidence out of all of them.

The punk then scoffed. "You know, I do feel real bad for you and Goatee over there."

"G-Goatee?" Junpei stammered.

The punk just continued. "These bitches must be real pains in the ass..." He then slugged Yu square in the stomach.

"GUH!" Yu wheezed as he collapsed onto the ground like an accordion.

"Y-YU!" Hamuko shrieked as she ran up to his side, coughing and wheezing with every breath he took. And the situation only got worse as the others in the alley entrapped them in a circle, ready to start wailing on the group.

Nevertheless, the punk started monologuing. "And you! Pretty boy!" He then pointed to Minato.

Minato then pointed to himself. "Me?"

"Yeah, you! I don't like your face either." He then elbowed Junpei in the gut as he approached Minato. "Do YOU have anything to say before I beat you to a bloody PULP!?" Minato just stayed silent as the circle of punks broke out into uncontrollable howls of laughter.

"That's enough," a voice boomed, cutting through the tension of the scene like a knife; this also had the side effect of shutting the punks up in an instant. Yu looked up, recognizing the voice, and discovered that it was the guy from before, wearing the same signature pea coat and beanie as he had twice before.

"I-It's..." Yu wheezed.

"They didn't know what they were getting into," the man continued. "I'll make sure they leave."

"Who do you think you are, dumbass?" the punk interjected as he turned to face the man. "You want some too!?"

The man sighed in disbelief. "Do I have a choice?"

"That's it!" he proclaimed as he brought himself to a fighting stance. "You're going down!" He then made a mad dash to the man, his fist ready to take a swing, only for the man to headbutt the punk to the ground, much to the shock of everyone else.

"S-Shit," The punk stammered as he laid on the ground in pain.

"D-Damn you, Shinjiro!" the punk's buddy swore. His eyes then widened. "W-Wait a sec… That's right! You're from Gekko High too, aren't ya!?" He then sighed in disappointment. "And here I thought you were one of us..."

"And just where did you get that idea from?" The man named Shinjiro questioned bluntly. "I don't remember ever swearing a blood oath."

The first punk then started getting back on his feet. "Y-You son of a bitch!" He exclaimed as he brought himself back to a fighting stance. "Y-You just crossed the fucking line! You think you're just gonna walk home alive!?"

Shinjiro nodded. "Sure do." He then pulled his hands out of his pockets and stared them down with a death glare. "Wanna give it a try?" At that moment, even Yu, who knew he was safe from the danger at that point, got chills when Shinjiro did that one small thing to make himself seem more intimidating. It seemed so effective that he could've sworn he saw some of the punks start to tremble.

This was later confirmed when the punk who was attacked left his fighting stance. "S-Screw this shit," He stammered, clearly intimidated.

The chicks then started dying of laughter once more. "Oh my gawd! What a loser!"

"Y-Y'all better grow eyes on the back of your heads!" the friend threatened as the two punks retreated in defeat. Then at long last, the threat was gone once the remaining people retreated from the alley in the opposite direction.

And then Junpei opened his mouth. "O-Oh man, Senpai! That was awesome!"

Shinjiro then glared at the group in rage. "You idiots!" he shouted. He then raised his guard before turning his back on them. "Get the hell outta here. This place isn't for you."

"W-Wait!" Yukari demanded, stopping Shinjiro after only a few steps. "We came here for a reason!" As Shinjiro turned to face them, both Junpei and Hamuko both brought Yu back onto his feet.

"Wait a minute," he replied. "You all were at the hospital." He then approached the group, but particularly Yu, with a serious, but not threatening, expression on his face. "Did Aki tell you to come here?"

Yu promptly shook his head. "No, he didn't."

He sighed. "Then what do you want? Is it about that ghost story?"

"Yeah!" Hamuko nodded.

"But wait, how did you know?" Yukari asked.

"It's a rumor," he replied as he took a seat on the steps of the bar. "Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talking shit every night… and it was all about the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka."

"F-Fuuka!?" Yu exclaimed in shock, a reaction that didn't go unnoticed.

"W-What's wrong, Narukami?" Junpei questioned. His eyes then widened once more. "Wait, don't tell me..."

"Y-Yeah, I knew she was bullied," he replied shakily. "But she insisted she was fine, and was even about to talk to one of her bullies sometime last week..."

"Regardless," Shinjiro continued, "because of those rumors, some people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it."

"W-W-What…?" Yu stammered.

"Don't you get it? They're saying she might be dead."

"N-No..." Hamuko replied in horror.

"B-But that can't be!" Yukari countered. "I-I know others at school can be horrible, but they wouldn't go THAT far!"

"Don't you guys go to school?" Shinjiro was starting to get fed up. "How the hell do you not know this!?"

"I-I mean," Yu continued, "I haven't caught a glimpse of her since last week, so it's no surprise that people think that."

"Personally, I thought she was out sick," Junpei added. "But to think she might be dead..."

"There's NO WAY she's dead!" Yu shouted in anguish. "S-She can't be..."

Hamuko then went up for a hug. "Shhh, it's ok, Narukami," she replied in a soothing tone."

Now he was full on crying. "I-I was helping her cope… trying to h-help pick herself b-back up… But why would she..."

Yukari sighed, trying to hold back her own tears at Yu's breakdown. "W-Well, so much for the ghost story." She was then hit with a realization. "But then, shouldn't Mr. Ekoda know about this? He is 2-E's homeroom teacher."

Shinjiro promptly stood up. "I get it, Aki," he muttered. "You're still trying to make up for the past. It looks like you can't let go."

"What was that?" Junpei questioned.

"Nothing," Shinjiro replied bluntly once again. "Anyways, that's all I know. Are you satisfied?"

"I-I guess so!" Junpei then pulled his hat off, then bowed to Shinjiro. "Thanks, Senpai!" But Shinjiro didn't even flinch a muscle at this display. "C-C'mon, show SOME appreciation."

Then one by one, the others, sans Yu and Hamuko, bowed. "Y-Yeah, thanks so much," Yukari thanked. "You're so kind!"

"Huh?" Shinjiro questioned, slightly taken aback before making his leave. "Just don't come here again, you hear?" And just like that, he was gone, leaving the group by themselves in the barren alleyway. It was only moments after he left that Yu pushed away Hamuko, tears still visible in his eyes, and regained his composure.

"T-There's no chance in hell she's dead, right!?" Yu growled.

"W-Whoa, man," Junpei exclaimed in surprise. "D-Don't tell me you're gonna..."

"I wouldn't dare, don't worry," he reassured Junpei. "But if you look at the facts, none of this adds up at all."

"L-Like what?" Hamuko asked.

"Y-You know, maybe we should leave this for another time," Yukari suggested. "After all this excitement, I just want to go home and rest."

Minato nodded. "I agree," he replied as he put his hand on Yu's shoulder. "Besides, we're gonna need you to look at all this with a clear mind."

"But I..." Yu began before simply nodding his head. "No, you're right." He then turned back around to face the way they came in. "Let's head home for now."

"And don't worry," Hamuko reassures Yu, "we'll save her. I just know it!"

Yu smiled. "Thank you."

I'm finally back, and with a bigger chapter than usual. Again, I was at this one for several sessions, but I'm much more satisfied with this one than most other chapters. Oddly, there was no social link progress, but quite a bit in terms of the Fuuka stuff that's in the game, and I was particularly excited to get to this point, given how much Yu has interacted with her in the fic so far. And I'm still excited to figure out where to take that as we inch close to the next Full Moon Operation.

Anywho, that's all I have for now. Catch y'all on the next chapter!

-rjm324