Monday had come faster than Kyoko had expected. The heavy downpour didn't dampen the mood though.
"Good morning."
Kyoko turned around to see Yukiko run up to her.
"Oh, good morning Yukiko."
Yukiko looked around at the downpour. "It's raining… It's not going to last past nightfall, though. … Every time it rained while I was "over there," you must have been..."
"It's fine." Kyoko said. "You don't have to worry about it."
"...Oh, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be gloomy."
Yukiko looked down, but then looked up.
"Ah, I know! Golden Week starts tomorrow, right? Do you have any plans?" She asked.
Kyoko nodded. "I have a bit of a family outing."
"Ah, I-I see. That must be tough." Yukiko said. "But, at least it looks like we're going to have clear skies all week."
"I suppose so."
"It'd be nice if it could stay peaceful like this, but the mystery hasn't been solved yet." Yukiko noted. "Perhaps we should visit "over there" once in a while so we can become stronger."
"Indeed."
Yukiko couldn't tell if the drop going down her face was the rain or a sweatdrop. Kyoko was still a bit hard to talk to, but she smiled as they walked into the class. She could always help her open up later.
The school day had rushed by just as quickly too. Kyoko found herself sitting at the table with Nanako again, watching the news.
An Inaba Credit Union ATM to the north of town was destroyed today by an earth move, and all cash inside was stolen. The vehicle, which was abandoned at the scene, had been reported stolen by a local contractor. Since the culprit was able to act quickly before the security guards arrived on the scene, the police have...
Nanako just looked down in disappointment. Kyoko didn't need to be the Ultimate Detective to know why she was sad.
"Dad's late…"
The telephone started to ring and Nanako quickly ran over to pick it up.
"Hello, Dad? Yeah, I'm okay. Hm…? Yeah… Yeah. … Okay. ...Alright."
Nanako slowly walked over to Kyoko and held out the phone.
"He said to give you the phone…"
Kyoko took it from her, but before she could put it to her ear…
"He can't take those days off." Nanako sadly said.
She watched as Nanako ran to another room. Kyoko thought that she saw tears in her eyes, before putting the phone to her ear.
"Uncle Dojima?"
"Hello? Sorry, but I'm going to be late tonight. Make sure you lock up before you go to sleep."
"What happened to your days off?"
"Yeah, about the 4th and the 5th… One of the younger guys got sick…"
"..."
"And, well, that case he's handling, we can't just let it sit… Looks like I'm the only one who can take over for him."
"Uncle. If you want, I could take over the case for you." Kyoko offered. "Then you and Nanako could-"
"I asked them about that, since I do know you want to help." Dojima said. "But there's a lot of things we need to go through before you can help out. I'm sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden..."
"...I understand."
"Um… How's Nanako holding up?"
"She took it the way you'd expect." Kyoko said, a bit of disappointment in her voice.
"I see… Would you mind comforting her for me?"
"I will do that. I promise."
"...Thanks. Alright then. See you."
Dojima hung up. Thinking that maybe going to sleep would be a good idea, she stood up and walked to her room.
Though walking past Nanako's room, she heard soft crying.
Kyoko walked down next morning to see Nanako sitting in front of the TV.
"Oh, morning."
Judging from how intently she was watching the television, Nanako was trying to keep her mind off of what happened yesterday. Kyoko didn't blame her, since she knew what it was like when your father wasn't able to show up. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the doorbell. Walking to the door, she slid it open to see Chie standing there.
"Oh, cool, you're home." Chie said.
"...why wouldn't I be here?" Kyoko asked, raising her eyebrow.
"...good point. Anyways, if you're free today, wanna go somewhere? Yukiko's coming too." Chie offered. "And if we have to, Yosuke too."
"Well-"
"How 'bout you, Nanako-chan? Wanna come?" Chie asked.
Kyoko looked behind her to see Nanako surprised.
"Um… Is that okay?" She asked.
"Of course it is." Kyoko said. "You can come with us."
"I can come?"
"Of course you can!" Chie also reassured.
Nanako smiled and quickly ran to her room to get ready.
"I appreciate it, Chie." Kyoko said with a small smile.
"Not a problem." Chie said. "She looked a bit down, so I thought this might help!"
They had taken Nanako to the Junes food court. Yosuke was still working on the clock while Yukiko had finished up her wook at the inn and joined them. They were still sitting down together at one of the tables.
"Why'd you bring poor Nanako-chan to a place like this on Golden Week?" Yosuke asked them.
"Well, where else is there to go?" Chie asked.
"It's fine." Kyoko said.
"I love Junes!" Nanako said.
"Well, Nanako-chan does seem happy." Yosuke said.
"But we were supposed to go on a real trip somewhere." Nanako said sadly. "We were going to make boxed lunches…"
"Wow! You can make boxed lunches, Nanako-chan?" Yukiko asked, sounding impressed.
Nanako shook her head and looked at Kyoko, causing the others to look at her as well.
"Oh, so you're the family cook?" Chie asked.
"N-No." Kyoko said, a little flustered. "I just have basic knowledge."
"Hey, that's still pretty impressive, "big sis"!" Chie teased.
"Big… sis." Nanako repeated.
"Huh, you can cook? Well, you do seem to be great with your hands- Um, never mind." Yosuke said.
Good recall too, since Kyoko's gloved hands shifted into a slightly defensive position.
"I-I'm a pretty good cook too, y'know." Chie said. "Probably. If you'd asked, I would've whipped up some boxed lunches. Easy as pie! Yeah..."
Yosuke had a thoughtful look on his face. "Uh, let me think about-No."
"What makes you think I can't cook!?" Chie yelled defensively. "Let's have a cook-off and see for ourselves!"
"My, my, doth the lady protest too much?" Yosuke snarked. "And hey, I never said I cooked. But I have this weird feeling… Like I'd win anyway..."
"Ahaha, I can understand that." Yukiko chuckled.
"What the-?! Yukiko?!"
"Here, Nanako-chan can be our judge." Yosuke suggested. "I bet we'll make something that ranks up there with your mom's cooking, Nanako-chan!"
"I don't have a mom." Nanako said. "She died in an accident."
The other three all looked alarmed at that.
"Hey, Yosuke!" Chie whispered, elbowing him.
"I didn't know!" He whispered back, before speaking to Nanako. "I-I see… Um… Sorry, I didn't know."
"It's okay." Nanako reassured him. "Even if I don't have a mom, I have Dad with me. And now I have a sister, too. And I'm having a lot of fun today! I love Junes!"
"Y-Yeah? That's good." Yosuke said, glad that Nanako wasn't too upset and that they could move on from the last subject.
"We'll play with you anytime you want, Nanako-chan!" Chie said.
"Yeah, we should hang out more often." Yukiko added.
"C'mon, Nanako-chan. Let's go get a soda!" Yosuke said, trying to make it up to her.
"Okay!" Nanako happily nodded as she walked off with Yosuke to grab the drink.
"She's a strong girl…" Yukiko noted.
"She does handle everything quite well." Kyoko admitted.
"Yeah. She makes me feel like I'm the little kid here." Chie said, before standing up. "That's it, I'm gonna go get something for Nanako-chan too!"
Yukiko stood up as well, following Chie. Nanako quickly ran back to Kyoko to ask a question. "Do you want something too?"
Kyoko smiled. "I think I might get something, yes."
Nanako smiled back at Kyoko, who felt a bond forming between them. The sound of shattering glass ran through her mind.
Thou art I... And I am Thou...
Thou has established a new bond...
It brings thee closer to the truth...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Justice Arcana...
Kyoko stood up and walked up next to Nanako, who proposed an idea.
"Wanna share some takoyaki?" Nanako asked.
"Sounds wonderful." She said, as the two walked together to rejoin Kyoko's friends.
The day after the Junes outing, Chie had asked if Kyoko wanted to hang out, just the two of them. Mostly for the training. Kyoko took up the offer, and Chie looked quite glad. The two went back to the clearing by the Samegawa River once more.
"Allllright! Today's the day!" Chie shouted.
"You're quite enthusiastic today." Kyoko noted, before noticing that Nanako had walked up to them.
"Oh, Nanako-chan! Good to see you!" Chie said. "Did you have fun yesterday?"
"Yeah I did! Um, what are you doing?" She asked.
"Huh? Training, of course!" Chie said, briefly bouncing.
"Training…" Nanako said. "Who are you fighting with, Chie?"
"Hmmm… Myself… I guess…? ...Heheh, just kidding!"
"Wow, cool!" Nanako said, truly amazed.
"Y-You think…? Hahaha…"
"You did get a little philosophical." Kyoko added.
"That wasn't really intentional." Chie admitted.
"Oh, a grasshopper!" Nanako said, watching one hop through the grass.
"Huh!? N-No way! Wh-Where!?" Chie yelled, panicked.
"It just landed on your back." Nanako said, matter-of-factly.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Chie yelled, swinging around. "Get it off! Get it off me!"
Laughing a bit, Nanako gently took the grasshopper off of Chie's back, before letting it hop away. "You don't like grasshoppers?" She asked.
"I'm no good with anything with thin, jointed legs! Or anything creepy or squirmy!" She yelled. "Ack, now I can't get 'em out of my mind! I can't stand those things!"
"But they're so cute…" Nanako said.
"...You're like Yukiko." Chie said, turning to Kyoko to explain. "Oh, see, 'cause Yukiko's fine around bugs."
"While they don't personally upset me, I can understand why you're afraid of invertebrates." Kyoko said.
"Yeah. I just totally lose it… Kinda funny, huh?"
"I suppose it just shows that you have a bit of a feminine side too." Kyoko thought.
"Th-That's not true!" Chie said, blushing. "It's not… I mean, I do… but..."
"A lot of kids in my class don't like bugs." Nanako said. "It's not just you. Don't worry!"
"Nanako-chan… Ooh, you don't know how happy that makes me. Thanks!" Chie said. "Hey, you wanna train too?"
"Chie, she's too young-" Kyoko started to reason.
"Okay!"
"...I stand corrected." Kyoko said.
"Here, let's start with form. I'll teach you a kata…" Chie started to instruct. Kyoko watched as Chie taught Nanako some moves. The two were having a lot of fun together, while Kyoko mostly stood on the side, only offering a few bits of advice every now and then. Soon, Kyoko sent Nanako home before it got too dark.
"I'm gonna get over my fear of bugs." Chie declared. "I don't wanna look like a sissy next to Nanako-chan!"
"And how are you going to do that?" Kyoko asked.
"All I have to do is think of them as Shadows! Then I'll be able to grab a whole fistful!"
The two were just silent as Chie shivered.
"I-I just gave myself goosebumps." Chie said. "G-Getting used to bugs might take a while, but I won't lose to Shadows!"
"I can feel your burning passion." Kyoko said, as she felt the bond between her and Chie grow. "Maybe we can start you getting over your fear like this."
Kyoko held up her gloved hand, where a grasshopper was resting on her hand.
"WAAAAAH! KYOKO!"
Kyoko found the day after to be a bit more quiet, as she found herself sitting in front of the TV with Nanako once more. The news program had an update on the case yesterday.
The prime suspect in yesterday's ATM robbery in northern Inaba was arrested earlier today. The alleged thief is Pumena Sushin, a 26-year-old former employee of the company which reported the stolen vehicle. According to the police investigation, Pumena Sushin was…
"I'm home." Came Dojima's voice, as they heard the sound of the door sliding open followed by a sigh. "How many days is he gonna call in sick? These rookies lately sure are-"
"Welcome back!" Nanako said happily.
"Nanako…" Dojima said as he walked in and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry I broke my promise again…"
"Oh, um, my big sis and his friends played with me instead."
"I see…" Dojima said, turning to Kyoko with a smile. "Thanks."
"It wasn't an issue, Uncle." Kyoko said before taking a sip of tea.
"Oh, that's a Junes bag!" Nanko said, noticing what her father had carried in. "What's in it?"
"Haha, good eye. Well, today is Children's Day, so I brought you a present." He said, pulling out something from the bag.
"Yaaaay!" Nanako said, taking the item. "Oooh, a t-shirt!"
Dojima chuckled. "It took me a while to decide what to get you. You like it?"
"Oh wow, there's a picture on the front! That's so funny! Ahaha, yay!"
If anyone else said it, Kyoko was sure that there would be sarcasm dripping in the sentence. But Nanako was genuinely happy about it, so that was good enough. Then she noticed that Dojima stuck a box out towards her.
"I got you something too." He said. "Not that you're still a child or anything, but fair's fair."
Kyoko opened the package and found a brown scarf-towel wrapped around a black two-piece swimsuit. Turning firetruck red, Kyoko closed the box and briefly bowed her head to Dojima.
"Thank you, Uncle." She said, voice steady.
"Don't mention it." Dojima said, completely oblivious. "It was a one-size fit all swimsuit too, so it shouldn't matter. I thought you might need one soon."
"I appreciate it." Kyoko said, making a mental note to hide the swimsuit so Nanako wouldn't accidentally find it.
"Well then, let's eat." Dojima said.
"Okay!" Nanako said happily.
Dinner was noticeably a lot happier that night, being a very pleasant evening for all of them.
"Yo! Kyoko!"
Kyoko turned to see Yosuke bike up to her on the way to school. Though the bike was noticeably louder than usual.
"Good morning, Yosuke."
"Yeah…" He looked down at his bike. "Dammit, I just fixed this thing… It's making squeaking sounds again."
"A friend of mine back at my old school would be able to fix it up." Kyoko noted, remembering a certain pink-haired mechanic. "But you might need to get a new one."
"Huh? Yeah…"
His eyes drifted off, thinking of something else.
"Hey, by the way…" He looked guilty again. "I'm sorry about the other day… You know, about what I said to Nanako-chan."
"It was fine. You didn't know." She reassured him.
"Yeah, but…" He looked back up, determined. "After hanging out with Nanako-chan, I feel even stronger that we have to solve this case."
"I'll be counting on you." Kyoko said, trying to cheer Yosuke up.
Yosuke nodded. "Yeah. Let's give it all we got!"
"Indeed."
"Y'know, Chie and Yukiko seem different lately… They're a lot closer." He observed. "Oh yeah, I was just curious, but are you… Ehh, never mind."
"Then why would you bring it up-?"
"If we keep chatting, we're gonna be late." Yosuke said, changing the subject once more and sighing. "Man, school's such a chore. And now my bike's messed up too. The roads are much wider here than in the city, so I keep speeding. I guess that did it. Oh well. Until I get my motorcycle license, I'll just have to walk."
Kyoko felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead. Yosuke was very talkative, and her own silent nature wasn't helping much.
Another lecture from Morooka later and class was over.
"Uuuugh." Chie groaned. "Why do the holidays have to end so fast…?"
"At least they were peaceful." Yosuke said. "I listened in on the housewives gossiping at Junes, but it doesn't seem like anything happened. And I haven't heard anything about someone disappearing suddenly, either..."
"My Uncle said that there were no reports of that either." Kyoko said.
"You think Yukiko could've been the last of the victims?" Yosuke wondered.
"Hmm…" Chie said.
"I don't know." Yukiko admitted. "But we shouldn't relax as long as the culprit remains at large."
Kyoko nodded her head in agreement. "I doubt it would be that easy. Unless the culprit is caught, this case will never be closed."
"I wonder… Will someone show up on TV again if it rains?" Yosuke said. "If we only knew a little more about who the killer might be…"
"Eh, it's no good fretting over it now." Chie said. "If someone does show up on the Midnight Channel, then we'll deal with it. It's supposed to start raining soon, but I hope this weather holds through next week… You know… Midterms..."
"Ugh, you had to go and bring that up… I don't wanna think about it." Yosuke groaned.
"I… don't really see the problem." Kyoko said. She looked at Yukiko, who shrugged in agreement.
"Please be more humble, child prodigies…" Yosuke said.
"I wish I had Yukiko's gift for studying." Chie sighed, before looking at Yosuke. "Hey Yosuke, why don't you have Yukiko go over some of the material with you?"
"Well, Yukiko has ranked at the top of every exam." Yosuke recalled. "Maybe I should ask her for some private lessons."
"P-Private lessons!?" Yukiko said in shock.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Yosuke asked.
"Yukiko… you've jumped to conclusions very fast." Kyoko said, a blank look on her face.
"Y-Yeah. I was just asking you to help me study." Yosuke said. "Nothing else."
"Ooh… I'm sorry. You were talking about studying…" Yukiko said.
"What were you thinking?" Kyoko asked.
"I thought it might've been an off-color joke." Yukiko explained. "Our inn has had some strange visitors lately…"
"Well, if you thought it was a joke, no harm done." Yosuke said.
"Sorry, I'm still a bit jumpy from the whole experience." Yukiko admitted.
"It's completely understandable." Kyoko said.
"Thanks a lot, Chie, for bringing up the whole studying thing." Yosuke said, annoyed.
"Wh-What did I do!?" Chie said, defensively. "You're the one who made it sound creepy and wrong! "Private lessons," huh?"
"Wha-?! Then it's mostly my fault!?" Yosuke yelled.
The two started arguing again, as Yukiko looked at Kyoko. "Well, I should start heading home."
"Family business?" Kyoko asked.
"Yeah." Yukiko said. "My parents did tell me I could rest a bit since I just came home, but I've been doing some extra work since I was gone for a while."
"Well take care." Kyoko said.
"Likewise. Erm… good luck with these two."
Yukiko walked off as Kyoko watched Yosuke and Chie continue to argue.
"I'm home." Kyoko said, closing the door behind her. Dojima was sitting at the kitchen table and looked up from his newspaper.
"Ah, Kyoko." Dojima said. "Welcome back."
Kyoko slid off her shoes and walked up to him. "Any updates?"
Dojima frowned. "Unfortunately not. There's still quite a bit of procedures left before you can help us. But I'll be sure to tell you when you can."
"I see." Kyoko looked over in the living room to see that Nanako was very intently focused on her tv show. "Erm… anything else new, Uncle? Aside from the case."
Dojima looked a bit surprised at Kyoko's question, but chuckled. "Haha, are you that bored? Well, have a seat."
Kyoko sat down across from him, as he folded his newspaper.
"We haven't had time to talk like this since you got here, huh?" Dojima noted.
Her Uncle stroked his chin, thinking about a topic to discuss.
"Uhhh… Well, how's school?" He asked.
"It's… a bit more underwhelming than Hope's Peak Academy when it comes to education." Kyoko admitted. "But I've found myself entertained here and there."
"I see. That's good to hear." Dojima said, nodding. "Your school days will be over before you know it. Make sure you have fun while you can."
Dojima tapped the table.
"What else…? Oh, yeah. How about your friends here?" He asked. "Looks like you've made plenty of 'em."
Kyoko raised a brow since her Uncle was scowling.
"I'm not saying who you can and can't hang out with, but…" Dojima said. "You know what I'm talking about, right?"
"Yes."
"You always show up whenever there's an incident." Dojima said. "I wish I didn't have to consider this, especially since how the old man brought you up, but the killings began around the time you came to town."
"I've noticed that too." Kyoko said, staring him down.
"My job is all about eliminating the random element. I look only at the facts." He said. "If you keep getting caught up in all of this-"
"What's wrong?" Nanako asked from the TV. "Big sis didn't do anything bad."
"I-I know. I didn't mean it like that." He told her.
"But you're bullying her…"
"I'm not bullying her. We were just having a little talk." Dojima said.
"Your father's very good at his job, Nanako." Kyoko said. "It's something I respect. I think you should be proud of him."
Dojima looked surprised at the praise, especially since Kyoko was essentially being interrogated by him. He then looked back at Nanako. "It's getting late. Go to sleep."
"...Okay."
Nanako walked to her room to get ready for bed. Dojima scratched the back of his head. "Sheesh… She's really taking a shine to you."
Kyoko didn't say anything.
"Look, I'd say don't get yourself involved in anything dangerous, but I suppose getting into danger is part of our family." He said. "As long as you're safe, everything's fine. Wouldn't want my brother to get too upset about things."
"I understand your concern, Uncle." Kyoko said, hearing glass shatter.
Thou art I... And I am Thou...
Thou has established a new bond...
It brings thee closer to the truth...
Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana...
"Things here might be different from what you're used to, but this is a good town." Dojima said. "Though, a little dangerous at the moment."
Kyoko nodded, before standing up. "It's getting quite late. I suppose I should go to sleep as well."
Dojima looked at his wristwatch. "Guess we did spend quite a bit of time talking… though we didn't really talk too much."
"I suppose that's another thing we have in common, Uncle." Kyoko said at the foot of the stairs. "Social conversations are difficult for the two of us."
That got a chuckle from Dojima. "Heh. 'Night, Kyoko."
"Good night."
The next day as school finished up and they were talking at their desks, they heard thunder rumbling. Yosuke walked up to them.
"Hey Chie, I bought you a new copy of that "Trial of the Dragon" flick." He said. "It was a Greatest Punches version for 980 yen. If I knew then, I'd have just replaced it instead of buying you grilled steak."
Thunder boomed through the sky once more.
"This is clearly getting closer…!" Chie said, voice slightly panicking.
"Huh? What are you, scared of a little lightning?" Yosuke teased.
"Quiet, you! I'd be a goner if even one of those things hit me!" Chie yelled.
"Chie, the odds of getting struck by lightning are one to five hundred thousand." Kyoko said. "It's highly unlikely that-"
Chie yelled out in fright as the thunder boomed again. Yosuke was laughing.
"You're freakin' out way too much.C'mon, shouldn't weather like this help with your kung fu training?" Yosuke asked. "A bolt of lightning would hit and it'd give you the inspiration for a new move! There was a scene like that in your DVD, wasn't there?"
"That would be reasonable, considering that ninety percent of lightning strike victims survive." Kyoko added.
"You're both getting way too into this." Yukiko said.
"And you're both jerks! You don't even care how I feel!" Chie yelled. "If lightning has to strike someone, let it be these two!"
CRACK
The lights shut off after the thunderous boom.
"Huh? Is this a blackout?" Yukiko said.
"Appears so." Kyoko noted.
"That's what you get for saying that stuff, Chie. Karma." Yosuke snarked, before looking at his wristwatch. "Looks like I better hurry up and head to work. Depending on how produce sells today, I might get a little bonus in my pay for the week."
"Would anyone buy produce during this weather?" Kyoko asked, looking at the rain splattering against the window.
"This weather may keep customers away, but I gotta do my best if I'm gonna save up for a motorcycle!" He said.
"Your determination is admirable." Kyoko said, before Yosuke's phone started ringing.
"It's from my manager." He said, putting it to his ear. "Hello?"
"Yosuke-kun? Umm… some of the power in the store is out after that lightning strike." His manager said. "Could you come in early today? All the refrigerated shelves have stopped running. It's looking like we'll have to close up the produce section early today."
"Wait, what!? But my pay-"
"Anyways, I need you here to help deal with this mess. I'm counting on you! Goodbye!"
"Wai-!"
His manager hung up. Yosuke looked at Chie for some reason.
"What're you looking at me for!?"
"Ugh, why did this have to happen!?" Yosuke groaned, sliding his phone back in his pocket.
Chie just turned back to Yukiko. "Hey, Yukiko… can we just go home?"
Yukiko didn't seem to hear her before asking her. "Chie, do you know this story? A girl forgot her homework, so she snuck into school in the middle of the night, but she suddenly needed to use the bathroom."
Kyoko raised her brow. The story was pretty intriguing.
"She ventured into the girls' room, where all the lights were off. No one should have been there, but in the mirror…"
"Hold it right there! What're you talking about!?" Chie asked.
"Huh? It's a ghost story. I thought you liked them." Yukiko said.
"Yeah, but why tell it now!?" Chie asked, panicking more.
Kyoko saw that Chie was on the verge of tears. "Take several deep breaths and calm down."
Chie inhaled and exhaled. Inhale, exhale. "Thanks… I'm glad you're here…"
Yosuke sighed. "Why don't you just have her escort you back home, Chie? With a detective protecting ya, you'd be perfectly safe."
"A-Are you making fun of me!?" Chie accused.
"Well, yeah." He bluntly confirmed. "With how freaked out you are, can you blame me?"
"Oh, the power's back! C'mon, Yukiko, let's go home!" Chie said.
Chie grabbed Yukiko by the arm and practically dragged the girl off in a hurry. Yukiko briefly waved at the two before they were gone.
"We'll, they're off." Yosuke said. "I'd better get to work too. Sucks about my pay though… Catch you later, Kyoko."
Kyoko waved him off, as she pulled out her umbrella and looked outside. She couldn't help but feel a bit concerned about the rain again.
"You could have just told me you wanted to train again." Kyoko asked.
It was Sunday now, and there was no school to be done. Kyoko had considered studying in preparation for the midterms, but she got a phone call from Chie asking if they could hang out. Turned out, she just wanted to train more together.
"Eh, you're a hard person to read, you know?" Chie said, wiping her brow. "Whew. Let's call it a day."
Kyoko saw a boy around their age walking by, but stopped at them. "Huh? It's Chie. Whatcha doing?"
Chie turned to see the boy. "T-Takeshi?" She spluttered. "W-Well, training! I'm working out!"
"Huh? When're you gonna graduate to being king of the hill?" He asked.
"K-King of the hill?"
"In kindergarten it was the Runt Gang, in elementary school you were an Ally of Justice. Middle school, it was the Vanguards of the Lunch Revolution, wasn't it?" He said, counting off his fingers. "Haha, so, what is it now? You a Protector of Earth's Peace?"
"W-Well…"
"I don't think that's exactly your business." Kyoko said, coldly.
"K-Kyoko…" Chie said, touched at how she was defending her.
"Oh, uhhh… I didn't mean that in a mean way." He said. "I'm Takeshi Kouno. I was with Chie up until middle school. Don't worry, I'm not gonna get in you guys' way."
Chie raised a brow. "Hey, what are you-?"
"Oh, how's Yukiko-san doing?" He asked suddenly. "Does she have a boyfriend yet…?"
"She's fine, and she doesn't have one." Chie said quickly.
"I see. Cool, cool. She still good-looking? Maybe I should try for her again." He said thoughtfully.
While Chie looked conflicted, Kyoko gave Takeshi an icy cold stare. He didn't seem to notice it though.
"I'll see you later." He said. "Say hi to Yukiko-san for me."
Takeshi turned and left. Kyoko saw that Chie looked somewhat sad to see him leave. Maybe she should lighten the mood somehow…?
"Takeshi seemed to be quite the character." Kyoko said. "He only really came here to ask about Yukiko, and pretended to be interested in what you were doing. "Hello, you're cool. Is your friend still cute?" Give me a break."
Chie's jaw practically dropped at that, before she laughed. "Hahaha! What, was that supposed to sound like him!? Were you cracking a joke?"
"...yes." Kyoko said, blushing a bit.
Regardless, it seemed that it worked. Chie was laughing hysterically and her mood was lifted.
"Sorry about that though… He really is rude, huh?" She said. "Seriously. He was always staring at Yukiko…"
"I would have filed a restraining order." Kyoko said.
"H-Hey, don't get the wrong idea. He's nothing but an old classmate to me!" Chie said. "We're just friends, y'know? We used to get that a lot, though."
Chie smiled, but there was a bit of sadness in her expression. She felt their bond grow closer.
"...But that's all in the past!" She said. "Let's head home."
The two of them walked back, talking about a few things together. Though it was mostly Chie talking and Kyoko listening. But the two seemed to be having a good time together.
Coming home, Kyoko saw Nanako sitting at the table, with several paper flowers in front of her. She saw the girl seemed to be lost in thought.
"Is something wrong?" Kyoko asked.
Nanako looked up. "Um… well…" She fidgeted. "I made flowers at school yesterday. And they said today is "Mother's Day." My teacher told us that it's a day when you give your mom flowers."
She looked back down at the flowers on the table.
"I don't have a mom… so I don't know what to do with these flowers." Nanako said.
Kyoko's eyes were shadowed by her hair, but she brushed it to show an understanding expression.
"You can give them to her." Kyoko said.
"Huh?" Nanako looked confused, before realizing what Kyoko meant. "Oh, you mean the family altar!? Dad always puts food there. He said it gets to Mom in heaven. Do you think my flowers will get to her too?"
"Call it a detective's intuition." Kyoko said with a smile.
Nanako smiled as well. "I did a really good job on mine! My teacher said they were pretty too! I wonder if my mom will be happy to get them."
"I'm positive that she will." Kyoko said.
Nanako then got an idea. "Ooh, you should make a flower too, big sis! Then we can celebrate Mother's Day together!"
Kyoko had considered turning the idea down, but abstained from it due to how happy Nanako was. She sat down as Nanako taught her how to make an origami flower. They placed them down on the family altar and sat down in front of it.
"Do you think Mom will like the flowers?" Nanako asked.
"I know she will."
Nanako looked up though, to see Kyoko still looked a bit sad. "Is something wrong, big sis?"
"Well… I never really knew my mother either." Kyoko said, looking at the floor.
"Huh?"
"I was raised by my grandfather to be a detective for most of my life." Kyoko said. "But when we were working on a case overseas… my mother fell ill and died when I was seven."
Kyoko held back the information about how her grandfather refused to let her see her mother before she died, and that was what caused the friction in their family. Nanako was too young to understand it.
"That's… so sad." Nanako said. "I'm sorry... big sis."
Kyoko was then surprised as Nanako wrapped her arms around her in a hug.
"I appreciate it, Nanako. But I didn't really remember her much… Nanako?"
Nanako's soft breathing and closed eyes told her that she had fallen asleep. Kyoko smiled and gently rubbed Nanako's head.
"Heh. I suppose you need to get to bed."
Kyoko picked up Nanako and got ready to take her to the bedroom, just as Dojima came in.
"She stayed up a little late, huh?" Dojima asked, seeing Nanako asleep, before looking at the family shrine. "Oh, you put flowers on the shrine?"
"Nanako asked me to help make a few flowers too." Kyoko said. "I think her mother would have appreciated it."
"I know she would have." Dojima said, remembering the first time he and his wife saw Kyoko. "When she saw you as a baby, she said you were destined for great things."
Kyoko looked surprised at that information, but smiled nonetheless. "I see… well, good night, Uncle."
"'Night, Kyoko."
He watched as Kyoko carried Nanako up the stairs, before turning back to the family shrine. The origami flowers looked beautiful.
"You never were wrong about these things, Chisato." He said with a smile.
The rest of the week was practically a blur for Yasogami High. The midterms had started, and stress had increased to an all-time high. Yosuke and Chie were clearly struggling, while Kyoko and Yukiko didn't seem to have too much of an issue. For Kyoko, it was all the matter of remembering the information and answering the questions. Though she swore that a few questions here and there were facts she would have heard back at Hope's Peak Academy. But nonetheless, she usually finished several minutes early.
Thursday had arrived, and all the students were finishing up their last questions and relaxing now that the grueling task was complete.
"It's finally over." Yosuke said, stretching. "Whewwwww! What a load off! I bet every student feels like this after exams are over!"
"Hey, quiet down!" Chie said, before turning back to Yukiko. "So, what did you write for number seven? The one about what "that" referred to in the sentence."
"Um… I put "her sorrowful expression."" Yukiko said, recalling her answer.
"I did so as well." Kyoko said.
"Oh crap, then I got it wrong! I put, "the rice cakes on top of the table."" Chie groaned.
"Rice cakes?" Yukiko said, confused. "Wait, was that what the story was about…?"
"No. That was just Chie listening to her stomach." Yosuke said, before thinking. "Or was it? I can't be sure."
"Alright, I'm giving up on composition." Chie said. "I'm gonna bet it all on geography! Hey, Kyoko. What did you choose for the tallest mountain in the solar system?"
"I was going to put Mt. Everest." Kyoko said. "But I read the question and it said the tallest mountain in the solar system. So that would be Olympus Mons, which is on Mars."
"Oh, seriously!?" Chie yelled. "I chose the wrong one…"
"Oh, I put that one too." Yukiko told Kyoko. "The question would have really got me if I didn't read it properly the first time."
"Whoa, you too!? Then it's probably the right answer..." Yosuke said, before groaning again. "Boy, I can't wait for our grades to be posted out in the hall where everyone can see 'em. Geez…"
Clearly done with their conversation about the midterms, they overheard some of the other students chatting.
"Hey, did you hear? A TV station's filming here in town." A boy said.
"They're probably just doing more stuff about the hanging corpse case." Said his friend.
"No, it's not that. You know that highway nearby?" The boy asked. "They're gonna cover those biker gangs that hang around there. A friend of mine goes to the biker meetings sometimes. I heard it from him."
"Dude… what're you doing hanging out with a guy in a biker gang?" His friend asked, before switching topics. "Well anyways, whaddya think about tomorrow's group blind date? We were gonna meet outside, but… it's gonna rain soon, right? Won't it be better to play it safe tomorrow too?"
"Biker gang?" Yukiko repeated.
"Oh yeah… They raise a ruckus from time to time. I guess your place is too far away to hear 'em." Chie said.
"We live right by the road. The noise can drive you insane." Yosuke added. "All the more is that the biker gang originated from the city. They come all the way out here."
"I hear some guys at this school are part of it, too." Chie said.
"Yeah, I know there are some rumors about a first-year student here who's a total hellraiser." Yosuke remembered. "One of the guys working at Junes said the dude's been a legend ever since middle school. Though… it wasn't specified if he was in a biker gang or not."
"D-Did you say he was a legend?" Yukiko asked, intrigued.
"Uh, it's not what you think, Yukiko." Chie explained.
"You're not reacting that much." Yosuke noted, looking at Kyoko.
"Well, you're looking at someone who's friends with the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader." She said simply.
"Oooooh." Yosuke and Chie said at the same time, before realizing what she said. "Wait, WHAT?!"
"That's incredible!" Yukiko said, amazed.
After the exhausting midterms, Kyoko wondered if she should try relaxing. Though her plans changed since Yosuke had practically begged her to help out at Junes. Thinking that job experience wouldn't be a bad idea, and leaving Yosuke to suffer alone wouldn't be a good thing either, she accepted. She wore an employee apron and started sorting items while Yosuke promoted them.
"Welcome, one and all! Choice salmon, 59 yen a slice, just as advertised!" He said. "And while you're at it, how about some cheese? Directly from Italy and just 298 yen for today only…"
He quickly turned to Kyoko, giving her orders on what to restock. The work was grueling, to say the least, but the experience wasn't too bad. The payment wasn't what really mattered to Kyoko, as she and Yosuke sat down at the food court after work.
"Phew, I'm dead tired…" He groaned, leaning in his chair. "They decided on the sale at the last minute, and Dad was bugging me to find helpers."
"Why not ask Chie or Yukiko?" Kyoko suggested.
"Yukiko-san's already got a ton on her plate at the Inn." Yosuke said. "And Chie would have ordered all of the steak here as payment."
"...now I understand."
"But hey, I'm glad you helped me! Thanks." Yosuke said.
"It wasn't a problem." Kyoko said. "If anything, you would make a great Ultimate Salesperson."
"Heh, thanks! You're a reliable person." He said with a grin.
Before they could talk some more, the same two girls from earlier showed up again.
"Oh, Hanamura." The gaudy girl said. "What's with the crowd today? It's way busy. If I'd known, I woulda skipped out."
"Please don't." He said, voice calm. "You got a bonus for today, right?"
"Yeah, a whole 500 yen." The snootier one said. "I'm trying to save up! Gimme a raise."
"Well, I don't think I can help you there…"
"What's the point, then?" The snooty one said.
The two walked off just within hearing distance. Yosuke looked down while Kyoko didn't bother lookin at them.
"At this rate, my graduation trip'll be somewhere in Japan. Maybe I should ask my parents to pay for it."
"Why don't you find a guy to pay?"
"Haha, like Saki did?"
Kyoko stood up and was about to walk over to them to tell them off, but Yosuke shook his head. Kyoko sat back down, but watched the girls from the corner of her eye.
"Was it during our second year? When Saki eloped, I mean."
"Yep. Apparently she got with a college guy who came home, and went off with him. But she came right back, saying she'd save money and leave on her own."
"Huh? You mean she was dumped?"
"Who knows… She started working here to save money, didn't she? You know us high school girls can make easy money if we really want to."
"It doesn't matter." Yosuke said to Kyoko, drowning out the gossip. "It's just hot air. I'm not letting it get to me."
"Yosuke…"
"...It's sad to be talked about like that, though." Yosuke said, looking at Kyoko. "We're the only ones who can avenge Saki-senpai. We're special. We're the only ones. So… there's no need to bother with outsiders."
"You're a lot more mature than them already, Yosuke." Kyoko complimented.
"Haha… I saw the kid in me inside the TV. I felt I needed to change." He said, smiling sheepishly. "But… thanks for being here for me. Because of you, I was able to make it this far."
Kyoko nodded with a smile, as she felt their bond grow deeper.
"Though still… what a pain." He said, looking up. "Oh, uh, not you. I wonder what it is… I dunno, really."
"If you want to talk about it, I'm here, Yosuke."
Yosuke smiled. "Thanks, Kyoko."
Eventually, Kyoko found herself in front of the TV with Nanako yet again. It might be a common ritual at this point. Dojima was on the couch, reading the newspaper.
Young men recklessly riding their motorcycles, disturbing the peace of a quiet rural town… Our special report took a turn for the violent, when one of the apparent leaders attacked the camera crew!
"The hell are you punks doing here!?" Came the voice of a young delinquent.
Doijma lowered his newspaper at the voice.
"That voice…"
"This ain't a show! Get bent!"
"Still up to the same old tricks?" Dojima said, tired.
"Do you know him, Dad?" Nanako asked.
"Mmm, well, I know him through work." Dojima explained. "His name's Kanji Tatsumi. He's quite a handful. He's been crushing biker gangs in the area since middle school. But I thought he got into a high school and started attending class..."
"Huh." Nanako said.
"The blur seems pointless." Kyoko said, picking up a cup of tea. "If he's that well known."
"Well, the guy's family runs a historic textile shop." Dojima said. "I think what happened was, he crushed The Crazy Diamonds all by himself because the noise kept his mother up at night. It's a nice gesture, but that violence will mean his mother'll have to apologize again-"
Kyoko started coughing, accidentally spitting up some of the tea. Nanako didn't seem to notice as she watched the TV.
"Hey, you alright?" Dojima said, sitting up.
"U-Uncle, did you say The Crazy Diamonds?"
Dojima raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. You know them? Are they that big of a deal in the city?"
"Yes, but that's not why." Kyoko said. "The leader is an Ultimate… and a friend of mine."
Dojima sighed at that information. "It's looking like things'll be even more complicated now. Hey, if that Ultimate causes any trouble, could you talk to them?"
"I'll try my best, Uncle."
"Whoa… it started raining… I guess the weather report was right."
Chie was looking out the window at school. Class had wrapped up for them that day and they were talking amongst themselves.
"That means that show's probably gonna be on tonight." Yosuke said, remembering the patterns.
"I hope we don't see anyone…" Yukiko said.
"Yeah, that'd be best. But if we do, maybe we'll see some kinda clue that can point us toward the killer…" Yosuke suggested.
"Well everyone, don't forget to check your TV tonight! Got it?" Chie said.
Yosuke and Yukiko nodded, but then they all looked at Kyoko who was looking off.
"Yo, Kyoko. You alright?" Yosuke asked.
"H-Huh?" She snapped out of it. "Y-Yes. I'm fine."
"You look like something's bothering you." Yukiko said.
"It's nothing, really." Kyoko said, brushing it off. "If everything goes over smoothly, it won't be an issue."
"...are we still talking about the muder case here?" Yosuke asked, though the others didn't press on the issue.
After getting home and washing up, Kyoko stood in front of the TV once more. It had been a while since she had last seen the ethereal glow. She was a bit worried to say the least, but knew that this would help them solve the case.
She looked at the clock. It was almost time.
3… 2… 1…
The sickly yellow glow painted her room, as the TV came to life. On it, was a darkened figure. Straining her eyes, Kyoko made out that there were a few notable features. It seemed to be a man. Perhaps a high schooler? The image was so unfocused, that Kyoko could barely make out enough details as it faded away.
There was barely any information given. But despite this, Kyoko pulled out her phone and called Yosuke. He quickly picked up. Unsurprising, since they were both watching.
"Hey Kyoko. I was just about to call your cell!" He said. "So, what do you think? That was a guy, wasn't it?"
"That was what I gathered as well." Kyoko said.
"I wish I could tell what he looked like… But let's get together and talk more about it tomorrow!"
"Alright. Good night, Yosuke."
She hung up on him, before looking at the TV again. The tragedy wasn't over at all. The next chapter was about to begin.
A/N: And that's another chapter done. Been a while too.
Before anything else, I should mention this. Check out ShadeJak on this website. He's writing a fic, "Heart of Justice," that was inspired by this story. The difference is that instead of Kyoko replacing Yu Narukami in Persona 4, it's Kyoko replacing Joker in Persona 5. It's really good so far. If you check it out, tell them I sent ya.
As you can tell from the biker gangs in this version, it's getting to the point where the Danganronpa cast will start getting more relevant. And starting with one of my favorite characters from the first game.
Anyways, see you all next time.
Kyoko's Social Links:
Magician (Yosuke Hanamura): Rank 6
Chariot (Chie Satonaka): Rank 4
Justice (Nanako Dojima): Rank 1
Hierophant (Ryotaro Dojima): Rank 1
Fool (The Investigation Team): Rank 2
Hope (Hope's Peak Academy Students): Rank 1