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The ferry ride back to the mainland was just as awkward as the one to Yakushima, but for entirely different reasons. While the Investigation Team seemed to look every which way but at one another, the Shadow Operatives were each slowly coming to the same realization.
It happened early that morning. The lounge they had been goofing around in last night now looked as if a tornado had hit it, with harried servants sweeping up priceless pottery shards. Naoto had suspected a break-in, but Ken said he thought he'd heard familiar yelling – and Koromaru confirmed the scents of both Mitsuru and Akihiko. Clearly, a fight had happened. Yukari tore off in the direction of Mitsuru's room, but sheepishly returned a few minutes later, her face as red as a beet. She refused to clarify why.
When both adults emerged as breakfast was almost over, at more-or-less the same time, with quiet smiles, Fuuka and Ken watched them for several seconds before reaching the same conclusion. Only Junpei, too caught up in his own grief at being torn from the beach, had not noticed why his senpai were so happy.
Akihiko didn't mind in the least. He'd expected to be jeered off the island by all of the guys once they'd caught on that he and Mitsuru'd had sex. Maybe they even had a pool going. And he'd really expected Yukari to pummel him for putting a hand on Mitsuru – though Mitsuru's hands had certainly been all over him, too...
Shit, he'd better stop thinking about that right now.
He stole a quick glance at Mitsuru and was relieved to find that she was busy doting on Nanako, the only person with no clue that anything went on last night. They hadn't spoken much this morning, but they'd both agreed to carry on as normally as possible while everyone was together. There was still a whole lot of heavy shit to slog through.
Whatever happened with the guys after he'd left was bad enough to still haunt them this morning, Yu especially – and this only confirmed Akihiko's suspicions that Wild Cards really got around. Was dating every girl you knew the only way to get a Persona? How do you figure that out? Had Makoto known that he would get a new Persona by dating, or did he only find out after the first girl? Akihiko tried to picture himself as a Wild Card, too, collecting Personas like baseball cards...and dating all the girls at Gekkoukan who idolized him. Uggh…his wallet would never recover. Guess that was where all that Tartarus money came in handy.
What if you only knew, like, three girls? Is that why Wild Cards were so supernaturally popular – so they'd have options? What if he didn't even care about girls? Would a gay Wild Card end up dating all the guys he knew?
What if the Wild Card was female?
This line of thinking was getting him nowhere. He had one girl, and one Persona (normally!), and that was all he needed. Now that he'd finally succeeded in getting Mitsuru, he just needed to concentrate on getting Caesar back.
Somehow.
She wasn't sure why she thought she'd feel different.
Mitsuru woke up that morning confident that her night with Akihiko had been another indulgent dream, only to find that her bed was still very much occupied, and that she and Akihiko were both incredibly naked.
This is better than a dream.
A warmth spread over her despite her state of undress as she watched him sleep, so undisturbed by the world, as if he'd been waiting ages for a chance to rest. It was so like Akihiko to give 200% to everything he did; he'd be dead to the world until it was time to wake, and then he would rise completely alert and throw himself into his morning routine. His zest for life had been the first thing she'd openly admired about him.
Now, she was free to admire much more.
It felt strange to go about their morning without acknowledging the fact that they had both lost their virginity to one another, as it had been a long and treacherous road with no signposts – but it had been her choice. There wasn't much time for her to properly deal with everything herself, and she wasn't up for a gauntlet of girls with their questions and emotions. They would have a talk later – for now, more important matters needed to be dealt with.
Nanako, for instance, was mourning the loss of her first ever canopy bed, and clinging to Mitsuru as if they'd never see one another again.
Why she wasn't glued to Narukami as usual, Mitsuru couldn't say – other than the fact that the young man in question looked as if he was giving off static. She'd seen and felt Akihiko charge the air around him in times of stress before. Was he worried about leading them? He appeared to do very well with the Investigation Team, who looked to him with a level of devotion Mitsuru could only dream of witnessing from SEES. The fact that none of them had gone into this with any foreknowledge of Personas or Shadows, yet managed to solve a murder case through trial and error, was outstanding. Today, however...
Mitsuru had long suspected that Wild Cards were more alike than they seemed. The idea that Narukami had also been secretly dating all the female members of his team was apparently correct, and he, unfortunately, was still alive to witness the repercussions his actions would have. What bothered Mitsuru personally was how accurately their situation mirrored her own. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Tatsumi was enamored with Shirogane. Had Narukami blatantly ignored this? Did he, perhaps, ask a conflicted Shirogane if she was in love with Tatsumi and, upon getting a nebulous answer, chose to pursue her himself? Were these actions part and parcel with becoming a Wild Card? Selfishly acting in pursuit of power?
No, that couldn't be right. Yuki may have dated her, but he never pressured her to consummate their relationship. He only interfered with her engagement because he knew that Mitsuru herself couldn't stand the man. Had she told him she had feelings for Akihiko – had she realized it at the time – he more than likely would have backed off. But why had he felt the need to date her and the others at all?
The feeling that Mitsuru had gotten from SEES' brief trip to this "Velvet Room" had been one of a doomed interview process, with the realization that you were being set up to take the fall for some bureaucrat's wrongdoing. A single chair, with the only emphasis in the room focused on said chair, simply screamed "patsy". We need you to do something that we don't have the guts to do ourselves. Failing to cultivate these "Social Links" would inconvenience the powers that be at best, but the Wild Cards would be the ones to absorb most of the blame. Classic mismanagement. Yuki – and Narukami after him – had been chosen as a cosmic pawn.
Unfortunately, now was not the time for the Investigation Team to implode as the Shadow Operatives had done.
Persona-users were needed, and they were the only Persona-users left. Not for the first time, Mitsuru wondered why saving the world always fell to teenagers.
School started again, life went back to normal(?), and Yu left Inaba for Tokyo. Normally, Kanji would be sad to see him go, but he felt unusually conflicted this time. Something was up with his senpai.
They were all surprised to find out that the SO girls had been dating their dead leader, but Yu had been both surprised and scared. After that, the IT girls began staying away from him – even Rise, who always stuck to him like glue. Kanji never considered himself a smart guy, but even he could put two and two together.
Yu was dating all the girls, too.
He wanted to ask Naoto. He really, really did. He was too afraid to find out the answer, though. When? How? Why? What are the odds that someone like Naoto couldn't tell she was being two-timed? Kanji liked Yu, looked up to him...but the thought of Naoto crying her eyes out because Yu cheated on her made him want to bash his head in. And Rise? Sure, she could be annoying as hell, but she was a sweet kid with those puppy-dog eyes who would model Kanji's clothes like they were from some fashion designer and she thought Yu hung the moon, dammit! What guy would creep around on her? You're kind of an asshole, Yu!
But Naoto chose him. She chose Yu over Kanji. And Kanji took so long getting his head out of his ass that he let it happen. He didn't even have to ask what she saw in him. All the girls in town were crazy for Yu. And why wouldn't they be? For one thing, he wasn't stupid. His eyes didn't glaze over when Naoto talked. She always claimed she didn't care about that, but Kanji knew better. Yu was somebody Naoto could nerd out with. Somebody who didn't embarrass her in public. He'd be the better boyfriend.
Then why isn't she with him now?
Nobody asked you, you big dumb spark plug!
But Rokuten Maou had a point. Naoto spent a lot of time with Kanji, more than anyone else on the team save Rise. She continued to do so even when Yu came back – before anyone knew the truth about him. Kanji had figured she was just settling for whatever she could find until she could be with Yu again, but here she was, still hanging around. Surely she wouldn't pick Kanji when she could have Yu...right?
Why not?
BECAUSE, asshole, I just said why not! I'm stupid, and Yu-senpai isn't.
Dating all your friends at the same time sounds stupid to me.
...
Another good point.
Do you think Naoto is stupid?
Hell no!
Then why are you trying to make her choices for her?
It was a good thing the shop was closed, and Ma was asleep right now. His brain or soul or whatever was asking for an ass-whipping.
How do you whip your brain's ass?
Naoto had thinking to do, and for the first time in her relatively short life, she found herself doing anything and everything to avoid doing it.
All of the girls on the Investigation Team had been dating the same man, at the same time, with no idea what was happening. Worse still, this was a calculated move by the man in question, for the express purpose of obtaining Personas. Personas which, presumably, could not be obtained any other way? Had it really been necessary to seriously court multiple women, all of whom had assumed his eyes were only for them, without revealing the truth? Did Yu feel guilty at all about what he had done?
Did he feel that he had no choice?
When Naoto had decided to confess her feelings to Yu on that one fateful evening, and he told her that he was flattered, but worried that it would affect Kanji, did that cost him a Persona? Was the act of confession enough in itself? What about Yu's feelings for her, were those taken into account? Was he "bonding" with her while actually loving Rise or Yukiko?
RISE. Naoto might never be able to face the idol ever again. They had grown to be such good friends over the course of a year that Rise held nothing back when they spoke. Did she think that Naoto, fully aware of her feelings for Yu, had dated their senpai behind her back deliberately? Surely she wouldn't believe that! She must be so upset now, thinking that I lied to her. And hadn't she? Naoto had assumed once Yu approached her that he'd decided against Rise, Yukiko, and the others. It would be impolite and hurtful to tell Rise she was the victor in a race she'd never planned to enter. It would upset the group dynamic.
What a fool she'd been.
Rise had clearly been hurt when they'd finally figured it out. She barely spoke a word the entire trip home, not even when Kanji made several aborted attempts to talk to Naoto. Rather than coyly asking someone to walk her home, she simply disappeared while their backs were turned. This had cut deeply. But was she angry at Naoto, or at Yu? Probably both of them, and Kanji for good measure.
It was a sick twist of fate that Yu's two-timing had been revealed just as Naoto and Kanji had made several great strides with their relationship. Kanji was no longer afraid to look her in the eye and speak freely – often boldly, without fear of reprisal. They spent a great deal of time together by choice. His presence was reassuring to a Naoto that had grown tired of wearing the Detective Prince mask and relished an opportunity to just be herself. Kanji had attributed this to Yu's assistance in helping him find his way. How would he deal with the idea that Yu had set him on this path so that he could swoop in and court Naoto while he was gone?
There were many, many late-night conversations about Yu versus Kanji. While eternally grateful to his role model, the tailor still felt that he was unable to live up to their senpai's sterling example of "manhood". Case in point: dating. He simply could not see himself as worthy of feminine attention.
Naoto's attention.
She would belabor the point for hours. Insist over and over again that Kanji was deserving of love just the way that he was, that he didn't have to be Yu to win a woman's heart.
Naoto's heart.
Then Yu returned, and his metaphysical machinations were revealed...confirming that everything Kanji could do, Yu could do better...including wooing Naoto. How would she explain this to him? Would he think she was lying to him, as well? Merely entertaining herself with Kanji until she could be with Yu again? Did he think he was a consolation prize? What sort of relationship did he think she and Yu had?
Kanji must be first, then. As important as Rise's friendship was to her, it could wait until cooler heads prevailed. Kanji was the one in danger of being crushed by Yu's falling pedestal. He was also the one most liable to grab said pedestal by its base and destroy everything in the area with it. Naoto needed to clear the air before someone got seriously hurt.
She'd grabbed her phone to send Kanji an inquisitory message to test the waters when it suddenly began chiming in her hand.
Group Chat: Persona
Yu: Marie has scoped out this new tower and it's fully loaded with Shadows.
Yu: She's also positive that the S.O.'s Shadows are there, too.
Yu: We need to coordinate our schedules so we can get this over with ASAP.
She didn't want to be the first to answer. But Rise wasn't going to immediately jump into the conversation, was she? Naoto had a sinking feeling that she might have turned her phone off in order to avoid everyone.
It seemed as if everyone else had the exact same instinct as several minutes went by without a reply. Was their group so fractured now that working together would be impossible?
Mitsuru: I don't want anyone jeopardizing their schooling for this.
Mitsuru's reply was surprising, yet predictable. It seemed that she was unable to shed her student council president persona despite having lost her supernatural one. She'd also managed to lead by example, as her initiative led to everyone else flooding the chat with replies of their own.
Yu: The weekend, then?
Yosuke: School's still not open. The fumes haven't died down.
Teddie: Looks like whoever brought those roachies was beary helpful!
Chie: Teddie, we know it was you.
Teddie: I am innocent until proven guilty!
Naoto: MULTIPLE TOPSICLE STICKS WERE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL
Naoto: CHIEF LOCATION: FIRST-YEAR CLASSROOM
Kanji: Guilty
Chie: Guilty
Yosuke: Guilty
Yu: Guilty
Yukiko: GUILTY!
Chie: Yukiko, what are you doing?
Yukiko: Isn't that how you're supposed to do that?
Yukiko: Sorry, I just like yelling GUILTY!
Mitsuru had gone silent (no surprise there). The next message came from someone else.
Ken: I still have school.
Ken: It would have to be on a weekend, anyway, due to travel concerns.
Teddie: Poor Ken-Ken!
Teddie: Should I come and visit your school?
Mitsuru: NO.
The chill could be felt even through the phone lines.
Mitsuru: We will try for this weekend.
Mitsuru: If anyone cannot make it, please get in touch.
Yu: Well, I suppose that settles that, then.
Yu: Thanks, everyone.
Left unaddressed was the fact that Rise hadn't spoken at all during the entire chat. Yu didn't even ask after her. Was he trying to avoid drama in the group chat? Or was he afraid? The fact that he'd deferred to Mitsuru's authority almost immediately hadn't escaped Naoto's notice. He was putting up a front. He needed to see who still trusted him enough to allow him to lead.
And Rise had been the only one to not answer.
Naoto was beginning to regret her decision when her phone went off once more.
Kanji: Hey
Kanji: Uh
Perhaps she had been right after all.
Kanji appeared to be typing and retyping furiously, but Naoto refrained from jumping in. He had taken the initiative to contact her first, despite whatever hurt feelings he may have had. He did not want to lose their progress, either.
Kanji: Do you want to talk?
Naoto: SAMEGAWA IN 15?
Kanji: Meet you there.
Now or never, Naoto, Yamato Takeru helpfully pointed out to her.
Indeed it was. Naoto squared her shoulders, took an unusually long time putting on her shoes, and forced herself out the door. Yu may have started all this, but she was going to finish it.
Fortune favored the bold, after all.
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If I came down a little hard on the protagonists earlier, it wasn't totally my intention. It's easy to blame the Wild Cards for dating all the girls because they wanted Personas, but it's also possible that they were afraid of what would happen to them if they didn't. They get very little choice in the matter; they're summoned, asked to sign a contract (although you pretty much have to in order to start the game), and told to befriend people so they can fuse more powerful Personas. What if you don't want to date people? What if you're comfortable with just a few buddies? NOPE! Go and talk to that shady businessman, monk in a bar, or horny night shift nurse! Keep bugging them even when they don't want to talk to you! Stick your nose where it doesn't belong! While the idea that no man is an island is a valid one, it shouldn't mean that you have to be all things to all people in order to have a fulfilling life.
I'd also like to point out that, while friendship is an option in Persona 4 onward, it's not in vanilla Persona 3. You don't get the Ultimate Persona until you agree to date the girls and go back to their rooms. Some of these relationships seem forced, and the idea that you have to bed someone in order to bond with them is something I'm VERY glad gradually disappeared in subsequent games.