"Pass me another one of those Dr. Poppos," says Hayate, pointing to the cooler beside you. The trucks rolls along a road that cuts through rapidly thickening cypress forests. The mid-morning sun plays hide and seek among their boughs, and as the elevation increases, the uncharitable heat and humidity of Japanese summer surrenders to more comfortable temperatures. The road taking you to Lake Yamanaka is paved, but still scarred with the occasional potholes that send you and the others huddled in the bed of the truck bouncing whenever you least expect it.
Hayate, Rin, Koharu, and Shibutani are there bouncing along with you, while Nisekao, Gin, and Mariko are riding up in the cabin with Yoko. Nisekao's has the truck's rear window open, allowing you and the others to chat and play games with everyone up front to pass the time.
You pop open the cooler and pass Hayate the soda, which he cracks open and begins guzzling earnestly.
"Thanks, man. Dunno what it is, but I'm crazy thirsty today," he says.
"In that case, you really ought to be drinking water," says Shibutani, taking a swig from his own canteen.
He's really gone all-out for this trip, and showed up at his door in full camping apparel – khaki cargo shorts, a bucket hat stuffed unsuccessfully over his pompadour, and a green nylon vest with nearly a dozen pockets. The backpack he's brought is almost as tall as he is, with pan handles and tent poles sticking out of its bulging flaps. When you'd asked him if he remembered that you were staying in a cabin, he had merely said, "One can never be too prepared," and that was that.
Next to you, Rin pulls a tarot deck out of her bag. She fans out the deck towards Koharu.
"Okay, pick one. Keep it face down, don't show me."
Koharu, who's been getting progressively more and more carsick, puts all of her remaining strength into sending Rin a look that says, "I'm not in the mood," but Rin is simply too oblivious to get the hint. Defeated, Koharu chooses a card.
"Okay, fantastic! Now, throw it away," says Rin.
"But that's littering-" Shibutani blurts out, but the card's already fluttering away in the breeze behind you.
"Wonderful! Now, observe – nothing up my sleeves…" says Rin, despite the fact that she's wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt. "I'll cut the deck once…twice…three times…" She turns to you now. "Okay, now you take a card, Tetsuo. Memorize it."
She fans the deck out again, and you pick one towards the end. It's the Wheel of Fortune.
"Perfect. Hayate, can I ask you to shuffle the deck for me? Thoroughly, please."
"'K," says Hayate, putting his empty can in the corner with the other four crushed Dr. Poppos and shuffling the deck as best he can while in the back of a moving vehicle.
"Aaand thank you," Rin says, taking the deck back. "Now, before your very eyes, I will draw Koharu's card from the top of the deck!" With a dramatic flourish, she reveals the top card, the Tower.
"Is this your card?" she asks expectantly.
Koharu, her face now ashen gray, answers, "What? How would I know?"
Rin's smile droops a little. "Well, you did look at it, right?"
"No, you didn't tell me to-hurrggghhh!" Koharu can't even finish her sentence before she leans over the side of the bed and starts vomiting violently. Upon hearing her, Yoko leans out the window and starts pounding on the side of the door.
"Hey, HEY! Don't get any puke on the truck! It's a rental, remember!"
Meanwhile, Hayate starts laughing uproariously and clutching his sides. Shibutani passes Koharu a chewable bismuth tablet and shakes his head in either disapproval or disappointment – difficult to tell which.
"I saw her card when she drew it – it wasn't even the same one."
Rin shrugs.
"Really? I guess that figures. I don't know how to do magic."
She stops to think for a moment, then pokes her head through the rear window.
"Hey Yoko, can we turn around for a bit? I need to go pick up one of my cards."
"What? Seriously?"
"Pleeeeease? Gin, tell her to turn around!" Rin begs, giving her brother the cutest puppy dog eyes you've ever seen. Gin doesn't stand a chance.
"Let's back it up a bit, Yoko," he sighs. Yoko slaps the steering wheel.
"Gahhh! She's got you wrapped around her little finger! Fine, hold on!"
Yoko whips the truck around so suddenly that it almost throws you over the side and guns it back to the area where Koharu threw away the card. It takes a good fifteen minutes or so before Shibutani finds it in a patch of grass a little ways off of the road, and then you're back on your way again.
"Thanks, Shibutani. Guess I gotta work on that one," she says.
"How come I had to draw a card? Was that supposed to be a part of the trick?" you ask.
"No. Just curious," she answers. "What was it, by the way?" You hand her the card.
"Oh. Interesting," she says, tracing the edge of the card before slipping it back into her deck. Judging by the smile on her rabbit-like face, she seems awfully pleased with it.
"Uh, hey, can we find somewhere to stop? I really gotta drain the snake," Hayate calls out.
"Ugh! Why do you have to be so gross about it?" says Koharu.
"Well how do you want me to say that I gotta pee?"
"Mariko, close the rear window," Yoko says, which ultimately does nothing to muffle the slew of tortured screaming that follows.
• • • • •
Eventually, the forest thins, and a marvelous sight opens up before you. Lake Yamanaka sprawls out beneath Mount Fuji like a giant mirror framed in gravel beaches and grassy banks. On the opposite side, hotels, restaurants, tourist centers, and cabins like the one you're heading to dot the treeline, and docks stretch into the water like spindly, wooden fingers. Numerous boats scud across the water's surface – there's even one that looks like a giant swan!
"Whoa! Look!"
Mariko points out the window to your left at a giant field full of vibrant blue cosmos swaying in the breeze. The sight robs you of commentary.
Eventually, Yoko pulls off the main road onto a dirt path that cuts ever so slightly into the trees at the edge of the lake. The cabin sits in a clearing at the end of the path with a perfect view of the mountain – just like the photo. You're no architecture expert, but the design seems relatively modern. A spacious porch wraps all the way around the log cabin exterior, complete with charming, carved wooden furniture. There's glass facade on the eastern side facing the lake, through which you can see a spacious and comfortably-furnished living room.
"Okay, we're here! Everybody out!" calls Yoko, and after a couple hours of (relatively) uninterrupted driving, you're all more than happy to do so.
After unloading your things from the back and putting them on the porch, everyone runs down to the dock on the water's edge.
"Look at this water!" says Hayate with barely restrained excitement. Before anyone can stop him, he starts stripping off his shirt.
"Hey!"
"Whoa, what are you doing?"
"Hirada-kun! There are ladies present!"
"Relax," says Hayate, adjusting his shades and dropping his jeans to reveal a pair of bright orange swimming trunks. "You guys thought." With that, he sprints down the dock and cannonballs off the end. He surfaces almost immediately, thrashing and sputtering.
"Oh God, what the hell!? Why is it so cold?"
Everyone can't help but laugh as Hayate paddles back to the dock, heaves his shivering frame out of the water, and stumbles back to his bag for a towel.
"Yeah, the water probably isn't going to warm up until the end of the day," says Yoko as Hayate returns to the group dripping and upset. "Remember, it doesn't get nearly as hot up here as it does back in the city."
"Shame. I guess skinny dipping is out of the question," says Rin as you and the other guys make choking sounds.
Koharu rolls her eyes. "Okay, I'm going inside now."
The rest of you follow suit and bring your things into the cabin. To your surprise, the interior is exactly the way you had pictured it - almost uncannily so. The front door opens directly into the living room you saw through the windows. A wide sofa and several armchairs hewn from timber cluster around a fireplace with a hearth large enough to seat three people comfortably. You walk through the living room directly into an open plan kitchen, complete with an island surrounded by barstools and a snug breakfast nook in the corner. Dad would love this place – the appliances are all updated and state-of-the-art, and there's even a stainless steel farmhouse sink big enough to fit all sorts of pots and pans.
Yoko wanders through the kitchen, running her hands on the countertops with a confused look in her eyes, but snaps out of it when she notices you watching.
"It's been a while since I've been here," she says. "It's not quite the same as what I remember. Guess it must have gotten remodeled." She then sets about transferring the cold food and drinks from the cooler to the refrigerator.
Koharu emerges from a hallway near the front door.
"Bedrooms are nice."
And they are. Yoko was more or less correct about the beds – there are three generously-sized bedrooms, one with two beds while the others only have one. They're positively massive compared to your futon back home, and the sheets are so plush you feel as if they could swallow your hand whole.
"So…who's getting the rooms?" asks Hayate.
"Well, since this place belongs to Yoko-san's family, it only seems right to offer her one first," says Shibutani.
Yoko shrugs, "I mean, I'm fine doing whatever, but okay. How about the others?"
Koharu quickly steps forward. "Dibs on the big one. Mariko-chan, do you want the other bed?"
Mariko hops about excitedly. "Of course! This'll be just like our class trip!"
"God, I hope not," mutters Hayate. "So then who's getting the last one?"
"Rin, obviously. The girls should have privacy," says Gin, but Rin shakes her head.
"Now hold on, that's not a very fair way of deciding things. Let's give everyone an equal shot. How about ro-sham-bo?"
"That's a bit inefficient for six people. We'll draw straws instead," says Shubutani. He produces several straws that look like they came from the convenience store you stopped at earlier. "I took the liberty of preparing these ahead of time in the event any disputes needed to be settled in a civil manner."
"Sounds fair enough. Mariko, you wanna hold these for us?" you say.
She takes the straws and holds them so that all the tops are flush. In the end, Nisekao ends up with the long straw, and the matter is settled, even though Gin still seems a little perturbed.
"All right, so what should we do first?" asks Mariko.
"I'm gonna hop in the bath and warm up, if that's okay with everyone else," Hayate answers, shutting the door behind him before anyone can even tell him if it's okay.
"I'm actually gonna lay down for a bit. I've never driven this far, and I'm feeling a bit wiped," says Yoko.
"I'll be setting up my tent outside," answers Shibutani, who's been rummaging around inside his massive backpack.
"What? Why? You can sleep in the living room, you know," says Yoko. Shibutani shakes his head.
"I brought all of my camping equipment in case we broke down in the middle of the woods, or the cabin caught fire. I intend to use it."
"…Caught fire? What did you think we were going to be doing?" you ask.
"R-Regardless! It would also be quite a missed opportunity to be surrounded by the beauty of nature - untouched by man - and spend all of my time indoors. I am perfectly content to spend the night under the stars in the midst of the untamed wilderness."
"Oh yeah, there's also a couple of shops a few miles up the path if anyone forgot anything. It'll just be a little bit of a walk," adds Yoko before wandering off.
Disgusted, Shibutani hefts a bundle of tent poles and nylon under his arms and marches outside in a huff.
"Hey," Nisekao taps you on the shoulder. "I found a couple fishing poles. D-Do you wanna go see if we catch anything?"
"I've never been fishing before," you say.
"Me neither. But it might fun to try."
The two of you grab a couple slices of bread in lieu of bait and head down to the dock. The poles are expensive-looking, and it takes some doing to figure out how to properly cast the line and reel it in, but you eventually get the hang of it. The two of you sit down on the edge of the dock, letting your feet dangle off the edge and watching the lures bob on the surface of the water.
"This is pretty relaxing," says Nisekao.
"Mmhmm," you reply.
"This probably isn't surprising, but this is the first time in a long time that I've been on a vacation like this. It's definitely the first one I've been on with so many friends."
"Actually, it's the same for me, too. To tell the truth, I'm not used to spending so much time around other people."
Nisekao stares like you've sprouted another head.
"R-Really? That doesn't sound like you."
"What do you mean?"
Nisekao pauses. "Well…I've never really thought you were anything like me. You're confident, popular, everyone listens to anything you say…"
"Is that really how I come off?"
Nisekao replies with an enthusiastic nod. You sigh.
"This year's been real different for some reason. Last year, and pretty much all of junior high for that matter, I spent a lot of time…by myself. I didn't think I was interesting enough to get along with other people. I'm not even totally sure that's changed."
"Of course it has. Maybe you don't necessarily see it, but everyone likes you, Tetsuo. If it wasn't for you, we probably wouldn't even be here right now."
"But that's the thing. I don't understand why."
Nisekao lowers his pole and fixes you with an intense gaze.
"What does it matter? That was then. This is now. The past is the past. And if the past is painful…then isn't better just to forget it and move on? If I were you, Tetsuo…I'd just be happy that things are different now."
All of a sudden, it becomes too hard to meet his eyes, and yours drop to your lure.
"Oh…yeah. I suppose so."
"Ah, I'm sorry…I made things uncomfortable, didn't I? Please, whatever you do, don't worry too much about me. There's lots of things I still wish were different, but right now? Things are good enough."
The ensuing silence is swiftly broken up by the sound of heavy footfalls as Shibutani lumbers down the dock with his own fishing pole.
"Ha ha! I had a feeling I wasn't the only one with an itch to live off the land! How goes the battle between man and beast?" he booms.
"Senpai, quiet down! You're scaring off the fish…" you say. Shibutani's face falls.
"But…that was my quiet voice…"
• • • • •
As it turns out, the Lake Yamanaka fish don't have much of a hankering for bread, so after a few hours, you and Nisekao grow bored and leave Shibutani to his own devices.
Back inside the cabin, Gin, Yoko, and Rin are seated around the kitchen island having a quiet discussion, but quickly stop once they spot you and Nisekao. You've half a mind to ask what they're keeping secret, but judging from their reactions it seems unlikely that they'd share. You make a mental note to try and ask Rin about it at some point, since she's been the most open member of Nightmare so far.
"Anyhow," says Gin, "it's about time to start getting dinner ready. Yoko, you wanna help me out in here?"
"Sorry, still feeling kinda tired. Why not have Tetsuo do it?"
You're a bit miffed at being volunteered the instant you come through the door, and from the looks of things, Gin is, too. He cocks an eyebrow at her, but doesn't dissent.
"You're sure?" he asks, but Yoko's already disappeared into the hall. Rin, too, appears to have vanished with a quickness.
"Fine. Go put that stuff away and scrub yourself, then. You're not touching any of our food with fishy hands."
Despite not catching anything, you do as he says. When you return to the kitchen, Gin's set out a bunch of ingredients on the countertop and is busying himself looking for cutlery.
"Rice, eggs, onion, soy sauce…fried rice?" you say.
"Glad you know that much, at least. Chop the onion for me," he says, handing you another knife while he sets to work washing the rice.
Gin's a bit of an ass, you think as you go about clumsily slicing off the ends of the onion. The other members of Nightmare are nice enough, but you can't work out what his problem is. He seemed genuinely upset that you and Hayate saved his life, for some reason. Maybe he's the sort that gets their pride injured easily.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?"
He snatches the knife out of your hand by the blunt side of the blade.
"I asked you to chop the onions, not dice them," he says.
"What's the difference?"
Gin gapes at you like you're some kind of idiot.
"Dice means smaller pieces, chop means larger pieces. Honestly, you're not even dicing them properly, either. You've got 'em cut all unevenly. Throw these into the pan and you're gonna burn all the smaller pieces before the bigger ones soften up. Lemme fix it."
"Sorry. Not much of a cook," you grumble.
"That's a little surprising, considering how excellent your dad is. He hasn't taught you anything?"
"Y'know, Yoko said the same thing. But no, I don't do a lot of cooking with Dad," you reply, and the thought hits you with a twinge of inexplicable regret. Perhaps, you think, you ought to find some time to do that soon.
"Hmph. Must be nice, having parents you can rely on." Gin punctuates the remark with a pointed sidelong glare as he finishes fixing the onion.
"Hey…you…you know that's not what I…"
"Yeah, Yoko told you that, too, huh? God, seems like I can't keep anything to myself anymore."
Gin sets down the knife.
"Listen, I'm not here to send you on some kind of guilt trip about my worthless parents. I don't even really care what you do or don't do with your own family. The only thing that matters to me is the family I still have."
"Rin."
"…Yeah. She's the only reason I'm here, after all. If it wasn't for her, I'd have never bothered with Shadows or Personas, or any of this nonsense. The world can send itself to hell for all I care. But as long as she's sticking her nose into it, it's my business, too."
Gin starts melting some butter in a pan, and points to the rice cooker. It's light and fluffy, and done to perfection. Wordlessly, you dump it into the pan along with the other ingredients, and Gin begins stirring.
"You've probably noticed, but Rin has no clue how to take care of herself. She's pretty much always been like that, ever since we were kids. Always getting herself into some kind of trouble – fighting, stealing, smoking…and now this. I don't…know what she's thinking, but I'm the only one who can keep her from hurting herself."
He turns and rivets his gaze to yours.
"That's why I don't have time to babysit anyone else. I have enough to worry about as it is."
You start to protest, but Gin stops you.
"Listen. Obviously, things are different now. You're clearly strong enough to handle the same kind of Shadows we do. But trusting you with our lives all of a sudden…isn't the easiest thing for me to do. I need you to really promise me that no matter what happens, you'll be able to handle this…and that you'll be able to wrangle the rest of those clowns, too."
"You know, those clowns could probably kick your ass at this point."
Gin smirks. "You figure? In that case, you better be right. Don't make me regret what we're doing here."
"Thanks for the reminder. Don't need it. Are we just about ready to call everyone in?" you say, as the rice is beginning to crisp and turn golden-brown.
"Yeah. Call 'em in. Hm." Gin turns over a spoonful of the fried rice. "Looks like we salvaged the onions after all."
Thou art I...
And I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
It shall grant you the strength to open thine eyes...
Thou shalt be blessed under the sign of the Hanged Man Arcana…