The Life of Yu Narukami
Once upon a time there was a liar. A snake that was raised without any love, and so all it had were lies and venom to give.
His eyes would draw in the weak, his voice would beckon the lonely, and his touch intoxicated the foolish. Those who fell in love with the mask he wore were punished, left broken hearted and alone.
And the liar felt no remorse. No guilt. Only the lust for more.
Then he met a detective, and he fell in love with her. Real, true, honest love, and it hurt more than he could have ever imagined.
Eventually he realized the liar was quite the truthseeker, and the detective hid a dirty, little lie.
She lifted him up, teaching him right from wrong and to see the errors of his ways. In return, he brought her down, letting her find friends and allies in those she ignored and distrusted.
His name was Yu Narukami, and once upon a time, he was a monster. Her name was Naoto Shirogane, and once upon a time, she was alone.
It's been years since they fell in love, and in those years are little moments. Moments of joy, of love, of laughter, and of regret.
Moments they share with their friends and family. Moments they will never forget.
Yu ducked out of the way of the knife, before he pulled on the man's arm. He took control of his momentum while keeping the sharp blade away from his skin. The older man's legs stumbled against the floor as Yu flashed the criminal a small, shimmering smirk. Then he slammed the man's bearded face into the wall and released him.
The man fell to the ground with a bloody nose, and he screamed in pain, dropping the knife. Yu dusted off his hands, before he pulled out some zip tie handcuffs from his coat pocket.
Some girls gave their boyfriends video games or sweets. Not his, and Yu loved her for it as he used the zip ties to cuff the man's hands behind his back. Not as effective as actual handcuffs, but a good substitute.
Yu kicked the knife away as he turned his head to smile at the pissed, but impotent man. "Stay." He chuckled as he left the man there, running towards the basement. He wore a smile, but his heart was racing in his throat.
Naoto went down to the basement to find the kid. He told himself that she was okay, that she had done this a thousand times before, since before he even met her.
She was going to be okay…
Yu came to the door leading to the basement, and he pushed it open with a quick shoulder charge. He looked down, finding one of the kidnappers at the bottom of the stairs, unconscious. He blinked, before he raced down the steps to find Naoto dodging the ham-sized fists of the third kidnapper.
He nearly grabbed Naoto with his large fingers, but she slid under his arms. She turned behind him, slamming her leg against the back of his knee as he cried out in pain. He fell onto his other knee as he glared at Naoto, only to stare down the barrel of a revolver.
"Don't."
The man held up his hands as Yu pulled out some more zip ties, cuffing the man's hands behind his back.
"I'll watch him. Go," Naoto ordered, and Yu nodded his head as he looked around the room.
Yu Narukami had been Naoto's partner for years now. Well, he called himself her partner. To most people, he was studying under her, acting as her right hand while she solved whatever mystery was plaguing the innocent.
Her grandfather called Yu a 'modern day Yakushiji,' a role that he did his best to gracefully accept.
It had been years since Yu's time in Inaba, but life had only changed so much. Here they were, years later, still solving mysteries. Still in love. Still trying to be better than he was yesterday.
Yu's eyes spotted a bookcase against the wall, and he frowned at the sight of it. The books were untouched, a heavy layer of dust on them, and yet he noticed a few spots on the side brushed clean.
He placed his hands on the bookcase's side, pushing it and feeling it slide along the ground. The more he moved it, the more he spotted the door behind it, and as soon as he could, he unlocked it and pushed it open.
Kaoru sat behind it, sitting on a filthy mattress with empty bags of food littering the ground around him. He sat there on the stained fabric, holding back tears as he stared up at Yu. He retreated into himself, pulling his arms and legs close to his chest as he shook his head.
"I-I didn't do anything."
Yu stared at the boy for only a moment. Then he felt anger, and that anger exploded into rage. The thought that anyone could treat a kid this way… It was sick, and it made his blood boil, but his rage never touched his face. He just kept smiling as he crouched down, laying on his knee and meeting Kaoru closer to his own height.
Then he did what he did best. He put on a mask and he played a role.
"It's okay, Kaoru. We're not here to hurt you. We're here to save you. Your mom asked us to look for you."
He didn't say anything. He just hid behind stained fingers as he kept his head down.
"I work with the Detective Prince. She's right outside." A reaction. He peeked out from over his shaking fingers. "Do you know her? She's a hero. Like the Neo Feathermen." Another reaction. He lifted his head up higher, staring at Yu.
Yu did his research, of course. In the past, whenever he targeted someone, he made sure to understand just what made them tick. He caught the little details, the insecurities, the fear, the hope, he noticed all these details.
In the past, he used all that information to tear a person down. Now he used it to help them stand up.
"Your mom says you love that show. Me too. I always wanted to be like Feather Hawk." Yu gave a fake laugh. It was kind and friendly, gentle and soothing, and it pulled him a little farther out of the cage his kidnappers had built around him.
"I-I like Feather Parakeet."
"Really? Oh, man, she's awesome!" Yu wore his smile well, before he held his hands out to the young man. "We're going to take you home, Kaoru. It's going to be okay. You're safe now."
He hesitated for a moment, but playing with people's emotion, controlling and manipulating them was always a gamble. He laid out the bait… and the boy took it, running to him and embracing him.
Kaoru was shaking, holding him, probably expecting Yu to stab him in the back. The older man squeezed the boy tightly, taking long, deep breaths as he felt Kaoru's shaking…
Yu Narukami could still remember the look of utter desperation on her face. Now if only he could recall her name. He remembered most of the names of the people he took advantage of. So many beautiful faces, but sadly too many to remember.
Men and women fell for him with ease, and he loved it. He adored it. He fed off of it. Knowing how badly people fell for him, he'd just savor the power he had. It was intoxicating, honestly.
In this particular memory, a girl was crying because he crushed her heart.
She could have been any of the many women he hurt. They cried for him all the time because they wanted him, because they loved him, because they needed him, and because sometimes they just hated him.
"I don't get it… Why did you kiss her? Y-you said you loved me!" she sobbed, and Yu almost couldn't believe how personal she was taking all of this.
"I needed something to do," Yu replied. "I knew I wasn't living here long, but I can't stand being bored. An entire month without someone to kiss? Without someone to fuck? Come on, that's no fun," he chuckled.
"I loved you," she whispered, tears falling down her face.
Yu stared at those shimmering droplets, and he didn't feel anything. Except maybe annoyance? She looked so ugly when she cried, and when she stepped closer to touch him, he sidestepped her.
She wiped her running nose, brushing away snot and tears, before she reached out to him again, and again, he avoided her like she was the plague.
"I loved you!" she repeated, as if that would unlock the door and Yu would actually feel shame or regret.
But he didn't feel a thing. There was no shame, guilt, or even pity in those metallic, silver eyes. Like a dozen boys and girls before her, she had been tricked. She fell for an angel, never noticing his pointed teeth.
Yu watched as she fell to her knees, crying and sobbing up a storm as he stood over her. Eventually he reached into his pocket, and he pulled out his wallet. He waved the leather object a bit, before he opened it and pulled out a few dollar bills.
"Look, take some cash and leave me alone. I'll be gone by this time tomorrow, and you'll never see me again. You did your part to make me happy. Now get over it," he ordered her, crumpling up the bills in his hand before he dropped them down on her head.
Yu did what he always did. He took advantage of the beautiful and insecure and he wrapped them around his finger. He made them love him, he made them come crashing down into love, all for him.
And in the end, he left them brokenhearted and in tears.
It was the natural progress of things. Water evaporated, fire burned, and the strong took advantage of the weak.
Yu moved from town to town, before he eventually ended up in a little town called Inaba. There he met a very strange gas station attendant, and more importantly, the woman who would change his life.
Naoto Shirogane.
Yu and Naoto stood in front of the camera, listening to the reporter talking to them. She bombarded the two with questions and they answered them well. Naoto was the rational, logical one of the pair, while Yu knew how to talk to others on a more personal, easy-going level. He made them laugh and feel safe, while Naoto gave out the raw facts and details.
It was Yu's gift. He knew how to talk to people, and he had been using that talent for years to try and make up for what he did.
They watched as the kidnappers were pushed into police cars and Kaoru was returned to his mother and father. He cried into their arms, finally feeling safe as Naoto and Yu watched the reunion.
Eventually Narukami walked towards the car, and Naoto gave one last glance towards the happy family, before following him.
Naoto, like her fiance, had changed over the years. Her hair was slightly longer, and some days she left her father's hat at home, letting her navy-blue locks go free. She wore clothes that more openly showed off her feminine figure, though she still preferred pants to dresses and skirts. She was even a bit taller, though still one of the smaller members of their social circle.
She hadn't changed much physically, beyond being more honest with herself, but mentally and emotionally, she was… well, freed. She no longer had the same icy wall coating her heart, and her desire to emulate the heroes in her books was replaced with a desire to be her own hero.
All these changes were thanks to her friends in Inaba, and none more influential than the man she had fallen for. The man that had changed even more than she had.
"Narukami." He sat inside their car, his hands on the wheel. She sat by his side as he stared out the window.
"They look happy," he muttered, and she nodded her head.
"They do, you, on the other hand, seemed perturbed. What's wrong?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.
He didn't say anything for a moment. "I'm glad they're happy." His eyes fell shut as he allowed her to see under his mask. He cracked, and he let out a shaky breath. "I'm… I'm a good person, right?"
"Narukami, you saved the entire world."
"We did. You, me, Kanji, Rise, and everyone else. We did that. I couldn't have done it without all of you, and I-"
"You still did it. You fought Izanami, you stopped her."
"I couldn't do it without-" Her hand caught his, gently squeezing it.
"Yu." His hand shifted in hers, returning the gentle embrace. "What's wrong?"
"Just been thinking. I… Part of me hoped that after all this time, I'd be able to put what I've done behind me."
His past haunted him. Naoto had known this about him for many, many years. The young man was not always the good-natured man he was now. His demons plagued him even now, as he closed his eyes and laid back against his seat.
"What if I'm not a good person? What if, deep down inside, all I've done is learn to lie to people better than before? Fool everyone? Even myself…"
Naoto gave him a moment for those words to set in. She pondered them, repeating them to herself, studying them, before she finally spoke. "What does it mean to be a good person?"
He raised his brow, before she placed a hand on his cheek and turned his head to face her. Their eyes met and Naoto felt her cheeks burn a subtle shade of red from how close they were. Yet she continued, unfettered.
"You helped me save a young boy's life today. Last week you helped me stop a robbery. The week before that, you helped me stop a killer. You've done so much good."
"Because I want you to love me. Because I know how much it would hurt you not to help them, or to try and do it alone. But I'm not like you. I-I don't think I can be like you."
"And I'd never want you to be like me. I want you to be yourself."
"I'm not even sure if I know who I am." He took a deep breath, before exhaling. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright. Don't apologize."
Naoto and Narukami had shared their pasts with one another in great detail after so many years together. She was well aware of what kind of abuse Yu's parents had subjected him to. They had left him with a… distorted view on morality.
Kindness was a sin, to take advantage of others was only natural. Look down on others, never see them as equals, never consider how they might feel. That left Yu with a difficulty understand and experiencing empathy and a distorted view on reality.
Had things been different, Yu could have only grown worse. More self-serving, more manipulative, more cruel. Thankfully Naoto and the others had caught his hand and pulled him from the abyss, and in return, he did the same for them.
"You're a good person. You've saved my life and helped so many people these last few years," Naoto whispered, before she slid her hand down his arm and embraced him. His arms hung limply by his sides, before they rose up and wrapped themselves around her.
"I'm trying to be a man worthy of your love. A man you and the others can be proud of."
"You're doing very well."
"I don't feel like I am…"
"Do you remember what you told me a long time ago?" Naoto asked, gently nuzzling her cheek against his.
"...Nice rack? Ow," he laughed, holding back tears as she smacked his side.
"Redemption is a path."
"Not a destination," he muttered. He knew the words like the words to his favorite song. Those words were a painful reminder of the honest truth. That Yu might never feel like he had achieved his goal. He would never find true peace with his past.
"But what matters is walking it, and being honest with yourself." She kissed his cheek, before pulling away completely, her cheeks a scarlet hue. "I'm here with you. Every step of the way."
Yu smiled at her. It was a weak, almost invisible smile, but it was there and it was real. That was enough for the both of them.
"I think we should meet up with the others tomorrow. Celebrate another closed case," Naoto suggested.
"Naoto Shirogane, are you actually pushing to be the social one? Gasp. Whatever happened to the logical robot I fell in love with?" Yu asked, his voice wild and dramatic, before she gently smacked his arm.
"Hilarious." Despite her dry tone, she had a small smile on her lips.
"I'll make the calls." She nodded in response, before he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Hey. You did great today by the way."
Ah, that adorable blush. He lived for the sight as she turned red under his gaze. "S-same to you," she replied, a smile on her scarlet face.
The two had made good on Naoto's idea. They invited their friends to hang out together, and the group walked along a river in Inaba, each of them enjoying the other's company. They made idle chatter, asked how the others were doing, the simple things friends did whenever they hung out together.
Yu smiled at his friends, watching as Chie and Yosuke argued and bickered with one another. Despite dating one another, some things seemed to remain the same between the two. Personally, Yu always thought it was some kind of weird foreplay thing for them.
"You're nuts! I cannot believe what you are saying!" Chie shouted, pushing against her boyfriend, who pushed back with equal force.
"Hey! Watch it! All I said was that your taste in movies-!"
"Don't you dare besmirch the greatness of Trial of the Dragon!"
"We always watch the same movies! Next time, I'm picking!"
"No way! Last time I let you pick, you picked some stupid horror thing!"
"It was supposed to be romantic, damn it!"
"They never stop, do they?" Yu sighed, walking beside Yukiko.
"Afraid not. You're lucky you get to leave town. Really starting to reconsider moving out of Inaba again," the woman joked, and she snorted with laughter as Yu chuckled.
"How has Inaba been in my absence? Less fun, I imagine."
"Well, while you and Naoto are off saving the world, my dad's been teaching me to run the inn better. I think he's preparing me ready to become the new head of the inn" she commented, and Yu raised his brow.
"Seriously? Well, congrats."
"I hardly feel like I'm up for it," she sighed.
A moment of weakness. It was like blood in the water for Yu, and he was the shark. A feeding frenzy. If he said the right words, Yukiko would be wrapped around his finger and he could do anything he wanted to her.
That instinctive process still existed deep in his mind. Even after all this time, it festered and wriggled inside of him, like a parasite. He had to fight it. Resist. Push it down.
Manipulating Yukiko was stupid and worthless. It was just unnecessarily cruel and not what she deserved. She had been good to him, even after he revealed how artificial and fake the Yu Narukami she loved was…
She had fallen for the mask he wore. The 'kind, stoic hero.' He lied to her, and she had been rightfully pissed, but eventually they built their bridge.
Yukiko deserved better than his manipulations and lies.
"Naoto mentioned you've been feeling down lately," Yukiko commented. "You okay?"
"Just… been wondering if I'm better or not lately. Better than the old me."
"I'd say you are. My cooking's improved a lot with your help," she smiled, gently elbowing him.
He smiled at her, nodding his head. Yukiko could see right through that plastic grin as he muttered. "Yeah, I know. Just… fear isn't rational."
"No. It really isn't, but here we all are. Trying to make the best of it. No one here feels totally sure of themselves. It's been years, but I'm still trying to find the real me. That's just life. It's wonderful, and amazing, and painful."
"Yeah..." Yu nodded his head in agreement, before he glanced to the other side of the group. Naoto was talking to one of 'Japan's Cutest Couples' right now. At least, that's what the news said about Rise and Kanji.
The two had begun dating one another after they had solved the murders of Inaba. It might have been a surprising pair for anyone who didn't know the two personally, but Yu had seen it coming a long time ago.
Kanji needed love and support. Rise needed a knight in shining armor. Despite some earlier drama involving Kanji's crush on Naoto and tension between Rise and Yu, the group had worked things out.
Yu watched as Kanji and Rise shared a kiss, their hands locked together as Teddie and Naoto walked beside them. The happy couple was quite the foil to the constant bickering between Chie and Yosuke.
"Ooh! You know what!?" Teddie ran forward, before he turned and began walking backwards in front of the group. "We should go play in the river!"
"Seriously? We haven't done that since we were kids," Yosuke commented.
"You all look like kids to me!" the blond boy replied with a wide grin.
"I have some college debt that'd like to argue that," Yu muttered.
"Why not?" Rise suggested. "It could be fun! We're still young, aren't we?" she beamed as she pulled on Kanji's hand, leading him to the river. "Come on, Kanji! Maybe if you're lucky, I'll give you mouth to mouth!"
"What the hell, Rise? How's it lucky if I nearly drown?" Despite his fiery voice, Kanji was blushing as he followed after his famous girlfriend.
"Race ya, Yosuke!" Chie grinned, running ahead of his boyfriend.
"Oh, you're on!"
"Yippee!" Teddie beamed, before he turned his head towards the silver-haired man. "Yu, come on!" Gone were the days of 'Sensei,' between Teddie and Yu. They were equals, both students in the school of Learning to be Human. "I love a good bear bath to cheer me up."
"Did Naoto tell you too?" he chuckled, only for Teddie to blink.
"Tell me what? I could just read it off your face that you were feeling blue." Teddie didn't even seem to notice Yu's surprise, before he ran to the water and leapt in, splashing Yosuke as he fell into a much deeper part than he had expected. "Ah! Help! Bear overboard!"
"Oh, you're fine, Teddie! Quit splashing, you're getting water all over me-yeea!" Chie had snuck up behind Yosuke, knocking him into the water with a laugh. "Ah, Chie!"
"Oh, come on! How could I resist that?" she laughed as the three stood. The water reached their stomachs as Yosuke shivered.
"Dah! This water's so freakin' cold!"
"Ooh, why don't we all cuddle? We can share body heat then!" Teddie beamed, and Yosuke and Chie's scarlet faces were a near perfect reflection of one another.
As the two worked together to tell Teddie that was a stupid idea, Rise and Kanji were both standing in a more shallow part of the water. Kanji's pants were rolled up to keep them from getting wet as they splashed one another, the perfect picture of a happy couple.
"I'm pretty sure we aren't allowed to play in the water," Naoto observed, shaking his head.
"Pretty sure you're right," Yukiko agreed.
"Hey, we're young. We're allowed to be stupid. Besides, Chie forgot she's wearing a white top." The two women turned their heads to him, before he held up three fingers. He silently counted down, before a loud scream was heard.
"H-hey! Neither of you look! I'm going to put my jacket back on! I said, don't look, Yosuke!"
"Ah, I love it when I'm right," Yu grinned.
"Well, when in Rome," Yukiko decided, walking forward. "You two coming?"
The young couple shared a glance with one another. There was glimmer in Yu's eyes that only Naoto could see as she sighed in resignation.
"Alright, but-"
"Yeah, yeah. If a cop comes, I'll kick knock Kanji out, then we all scatter, and go our separate ways," Yu teased, before he slipped his hands under Naoto's body, carrying her bridal style as she gasped. "Don't worry, Naoto. I'd abandon you last." He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes as her face turned that familiar shade of red. Yukiko ran ahead of them to join the fun as Yu slowly walked forward.
"Are you really going to carry me the entire way?"
"It's not far."
She shook her head with a small chuckle, before she quietly asked him something. "How are you feeling?"
"Lost. Confused. Scared. Excited. I guess that's just what life is, though."
"I hope you know you're not alone," she whispered, staring into his eyes.
His smile told her more than enough, before he leaned forward to catch her lips in his. The happy couple melted into the kiss for a moment, before he and Naoto joined their friends in being young and stupid.
For Yu Narukami, life was a roller coaster filled with rises and falls. Some days were better than others. Some were just painful reminders of who he was. Others were victories and days of celebration.
He couldn't stop trying to be a better person, try as he might, he couldn't just ignore the regret and guilt swelling inside of him. All he could do was just try and live his life with his friends, taking everything as it came.
END
I'm so nervous posting this. It's been a long time since I've actually posted something on Fanfiction. I've been busy for the last few years working through commissions and my stuff, plus a bit of personal projects on the side.
Finally my workload is clearing up, and I'm free to write for myself again.
For those who don't know the original story, 'Just a Delinquent' is my novelization of Persona 4, starring Naoto and Yu Narukami, but a very different Yu. One that lied and took advantage of people.
A smug bastard who ended up falling in love with Naoto and turning his life around. For the exact details of how that went, go check out the original story. This story is just meant to be an anthology of different moments for Yu, Naoto, Rise, and the rest of the characters of that story.
That's all for now. I hope I can write another chapter for this story soon. Until then, take care, stay safe, and remember, you are loved.
Oh, and for those who care, I have a Twitter now. Leafydream0 for my main account and LeafydreamXXX for my 18+ account. Go follow me if you want to see me practice art, talk fiction, or just talk to me.
See ya.