CHAPTER 8 / Push

October 30th, 2011 / Late Evening
Amagi Inn Balcony

A couple hours passed. Eventually the guys decided to turn in, and so did most of the girls. Yukiko had taken more time to finish the udon bowl that she had ordered from Aiya. I had long passed psychology, and while I had Naoto, Yu and Yukiko entertained by my explanation of how memory works…the others had nodded off and only came back to life when the food had showed up. The conversation livened up for a bit after that but shortly after that they had all gone, some off to bed and others...who knows where. For some reason Yukiko had remained. It seemed a little odd because Yu wasn't here.

"Do you know much about business, Ikakure-senpai?" Yukiko asked. Not what I had expected but I could deal with it.

"I know quite a bit. It's mostly because of my adopted Mother. But I've researched quite a bit about it recently. Just to see if I would like doing it or not," I said as I wrote down some notes in my notebook. I was currently studying math. It was calculus work, but my mind worked with numbers easy enough so most of it was just memorizing the steps. "Why do you ask?"

"Well I was wondering if there was more ways I could help around the Inn but I don't know too much about business other than what my parents have taught me. And I mostly only help out so it isn't like I know how to properly handle business. I'm not even sure how they price the dinners," Yukiko seemed somewhat embarrassed.

"That's easy enough to understand. I could teach you," I smiled. "It's actually pretty logical when you think about it."

"Would you please?" Her eyes lit up and I guess I didn't have a choice now.

I flipped my notebook to a blank page. "For the sake of keeping things simple…let's say we decided to sell rice balls as a snack for the Inn. The amount of rice needed for one rice ball cost us…I don't know…let's say 100 yen."

"That sounds like expensive rice," Yukiko giggled.

"Yes, yes I know but you know what I mean…it's an example. How much would you want to sell these rice balls for?" I asked her.

"Um…200 yen?" she guessed.

"And why 200 yen?" I retorted.

"So the Inn can make a profit," she answered.

"Well you get the general concept, you know you have to sell it for more than you had to use to make it. But you're missing some other things to take into consideration," I gave her a soft smile.

"The workers?" she thought about it for a moment.

"That's one thing, and another?" I continued to press.

"Umm…I'm not sure," Yukiko frowned.

"There is also the rice cooker, what is the other equipment used? Water? What about different flavors?" I don't know why I enjoyed topics like this. Maybe I liked it more than I gave myself credit for.

"So you count everything?" Yukiko asked.

"Everything up to the Inn itself. It's a little more complex than that but basically you want everything that is sold to go back to the Inn, right? That means you need to determine what percentage these rice balls will pay for. And also what is the cost to make just one rice ball. There is a specific method you can use, but I'll just give you the broad strokes for now. Let's say that after we average in all our expenses and percentage it out making one rice ball actually costs us 250 yen to make. That means if we sell all rice balls at 250 yen we will break even with the expenses to make it," I was writing it down on the notebook so Yukiko could see it in a clear and concise manner.

"But that's assuming all of them will sell," Yukiko pointed out. Which I smiled.

"Exactly. You pick this up pretty quickly," I notice a smile cross her face as I continued. "So we also have a couple advantages of being at an Inn. One thing is your customers have already spent money to stay at the Inn, so generally food and all other services cost less but generate more profit when used. After all, the cost to stay at the Inn goes towards all expenses of the Inn. As long as the occupancy level is maintained at a certain percentage the Inn will make profit even if none of the other services are offered. And the second is that you can generally charge more for conveniences. That includes food."

"But would people really pay more if they can just go to a nearby store and get it for less?" Yukiko asked.

"Of course they would. As a matter of fact if you have great customer service then customers would actually prefer to pay more because of it. Plus, they are already at the hotel and buying it here after getting out of…say…the hot spring, means they can do so without having to get fully dressed and out into the cold after they had just got done relaxing. That is the reason why they pay for it. So let's go back to the rice ball. It costs us a total of 250 yen to make one rice ball. How much profit would you want to make off it?" I saw the wheels moving in Yukiko's eyes, looks like she did get it.

"Like 30%?" she seemed a little hesitant.

"Okay so that means we would sell our rice balls at 325 yen each. We can make them as they are ordered so we don't end up having to throw any of them out and the customers can enjoy them as freshly made items. So it can help the reputation and save money at the same time," I smiled. "See what I mean, it's pretty simple, but you just have to calculate everything into it."

"I never thought of it that way," Yukiko looked at me with a warm smile.

"There are some books you can look into that can help you figure out how to do the costing more effectively. Are you going to be taking over the Inn some day?" I asked.

"You know, for a long while I didn't want to have anything to do with the Inn," She looked away from me but seemed to have a sad look on her face. "I thought for the longest time that none of this was what I wanted. That everything that happened around me was decided for me. So I started wishing that I could be saved…that I could get away from this town and find a life away from here. And all of that came through when I was kidnapped."

"You mean…inside that place?" I asked softly. She must have been talking about what she faced when she was kidnapped.

She nodded, "That's right. It wasn't long after Yu-kun had arrived in Inaba. And I didn't really know much about him than the few words we had exchanged. Before I was kidnapped…I was sitting in my kimono from the Inn under the cover by the Samegawa Flood Plain. I for whatever reason called out to him and talked to him. And that isn't something I would usually do. I just had this feeling that I should do it. And so I did it without thinking about it. I was kidnapped the next day. Though I'm not sure exactly when it happened."

"Yeah, my memory about mine is still really hazy," I said rubbing the side of my head. Thinking about it...it must be what happens when people without the power of Persona get pulled in.

"Still Yu-kun came in to rescue me, along with Yosuke-kun and Chie. And I knew nothing about either of those guys…and yet they risked their lives to come after me. So after they saved me, I knew I had to change. I couldn't keep waiting for that prince charming to come in and save me. I had to put in the effort as well," Yukiko started to blush a bit. I feel there was quite a bit more to that story, more than likely having to do with where her attraction to Yu had started.

"Is this where Narukami comes in?" I chuckle.

"You know?" She blinked. She didn't look to surprised by me knowing though.

"Oh come on…I may not have had relationships myself but I read enough books and watched enough movies to know when I see it. And it isn't that you guys are really hiding it…more like you just aren't saying it out loud. I don't think either of you are fooling anyone. I can imagine why you guys have not said anything though," I sighed a bit. "You're worried about it affecting the dynamic of you and your friends. I don't think you two should be worried about that though."

"You might be right," Yukiko giggled a bit. "It's been almost three months since the two of us started dating. And really I couldn't help myself. Yu…supported me in a way no one else has. He never told me that I couldn't do something, and was always honest with me. So I fell in love with him…even though I had wanted to run away from town to get away from inheriting the Inn…he actually made me realize how much I actually love this place. And in truth, I couldn't see myself being away from here. Everyone here cares for me…I was just so blinded by a prison I had created for myself."

"That Narukami is too smart for his own good," I laughed a bit. "Do your parents know?"

"I…uh…no…not yet," Yukiko blushed a bit. "I want to introduce him…but doing that on top of the investigation…"

"Yeah, it's hard to juggle the school work and investigating the murders, I'm sure. Trying to have a relationship out in the open would probably be even harder on top of that. After all you're the heiress of the Amagi Inn and Narukami is the nephew of Inaba's more well-known Detectives. You'd probably be the buzz of the town in no time. And all of that is just un-needed stress. I'm sure the two of you have talked about it at great length," I said looking out towards the night sky for a moment.

"We have, but I've been thinking that maybe we should anyway," Yukiko said suddenly.

"Why is that?" I looked back at her.

"I don't want to keep hiding our relationship. He's very important to me…and I feel like I'm not being honest with everyone with not…well…sharing that," Yukiko blushed a bit more. "He's very honest with his feelings. And he always considers everyone involved before he makes a decision. He's a natural leader."

"Well I can agree with you there. He certainly has a talent for knowing what decisions to make…or how to put people into situations that maybe even their participants didn't know they wanted," I sighed more heavily this time. I was thinking of Rise again. I couldn't help it…she was avoiding me now. I needed to tell Rise the truth about myself…about what I have experienced in my life…and that my reactions has absolutely nothing to do with her personally. She may have heard that from someone else by now...but she needed to hear it from me.

"You're falling for Rise-chan," Yukiko stated, it wasn't a question.

"I'm not sure if that is the accurate way of saying it," I said looking back into the night sky. Things were more complicated than just being attracted or liking someone. "I first heard her through her demo song. It was before she had even become known as an idol. They sent the demo for my Mom to review. She handed it to me, and had me review it. That was my first exposure to the girl that would be known as the Idol, Risette. I loved her song 'Star Bright'…it was more than just the lyrics or the music, but it was her voice. I could feel a passion and desire that I couldn't properly describe. I tried really hard to make it come through on the review that I wrote. My Mom edited it before she sent it off. But I had no doubts that that girl would become a famous Idol."

"Wait, you wrote that review?" Yukiko was stunned. "The one she talked about when we went to your house? The one that landed her the chance to make her first CD?"

"Yeah, I did. Well mostly...Mom did edit it and added a bit more to it but most of it that is there is what I wrote," I sighed once again. "That song…had a big impact on me. Something that just didn't happen. I fell in love with the one behind that voice. So I bought everything of hers. I even had the pleasure of hearing more demo songs that never made it on her albums thanks to my Mom. For a while, I only listened to her music…it didn't' matter to me how she looked or the other things she did. I was fully entranced by just her voice. So I never really watched her TV appearances or went to her concerts. All I ever wanted was to listen to her voice."

"And what do you think after getting to know her?" Yukiko asked.

"That she still has that passion for music…even if a part of her has forgotten it. She is still an Idol to me, even if she never goes back to performing," I shook my head. "I could never tell her any of this though."

"Why not? She should know that it was you that wrote that review instead of your Mother too," Yukiko's words had me shaking my head quickly in response.

"No way. If I did that…I don't want her opinion of my Mom to change or anything. It's kinda odd to have your adopted son write musical reviews. And besides, she shouldn't waste time on me anyway," I closed my books. "She deserves to be with someone that can make her happy. And that isn't me."

Yukiko was quiet for a long moment as I gathered up all my things. I couldn't keep talking about this, and the time was running late. "You don't know that, Senpai."

"I don't even like who I am. How could I ever mean anything to someone else when I can't even be proud of the person that I am?" I zipped up my bag and then without looking back at Yukiko, I went back inside.


October 30th, 2011 / Late Evening
Amagi Inn 2nd Floor Guest Room

I entered the room to see the four other guys still up…as a matter of fact they seemed wide awake. "I half expected all of you to be passed out," I said as I walked across to set my bag down. They had probably tried to do something else after they had gone.

"Well the truth is…" Yosuke started.

"…Hold it, Senpai." Kanji held up his hand which had everyone go quiet. I just looked at them curiously. "Do you…hear something?"

Oddly enough it did sound like something, but the wind had started to pick up a bit so it was probably something related to that. It didn't look like the rest of them thought that. Even Yu seemed to be concerned with what they heard.

"Wh-What was that?" Yosuke turned to the others.

"D-Don't tell me…Is there one here…?" Kanji said plenty loud enough for the others to hear. I just shook my head but it seemed to have a different effect on the others.

"'One here'? O-One what…? Dude, what are you talking about? Haha," Yosuke seemed to be losing it pretty fast. This was actually pretty entertaining.

"This room…It's the one the announcer was staying in before she died! My Mom was talking about it!" Kanji's words had the most immediate effect on Yosuke.

"Oh God you said it! I was trying to block it out, and you had to go and say it!" Yosuke got to his feet and paced a bit. "S-So that's why the talismans are here…Yukiko-san…That witch tempted us here knowing full well…! Dammit! First the hot spring, now this! We've been completely suckered!" Well Yosuke certainly wove together a believable tale but after all I had seen about Yukiko, she didn't plan any of this on purpose. It was more like it just happened that way. If anything Yosuke could be crowned the king of bad luck. The wind or whatever it was could be heard once more which made Yosuke twitch. "Ohhhh crap…There's no way I'm sleeping through this!"

I shook my head and headed to the door, "Have fun with that. Maybe you should all just go ask Amagi about it?"

"I've made up my mind! I'm going to Yuki-chan's room!" Teddie proclaimed as I left and back down the hall. As entertaining as it would have been to stay with them to see what happened, I was far too exhausted to do much of anything. I was going to go back down to the lobby and wait for it to be the men's turn in the hot springs and try to relax. Maybe sort through all the thoughts of things that had happened recently.

I came up to the front desk and was welcomed by a woman, "How can I help you?"

"Oh I was wondering when the men's turn in the hot spring was," I said.

"It will be about twenty minutes. So if you want, you can wait in the lobby here and watch some television," the receptionist told me with a smile. I nodded and offered her my thanks and walked over to the lobby area and sat down. I switched on the television with the nearby remote and was welcomed by the news. It was a report on the Mitsuo kid…it looked like they had done a significant amount of digging into his personal life. It wasn't surprising what they had found…parental neglect…lack of social skill development and eventually abandoned by his friends. It seemed in the end he wanted people to notice him.

I sighed heavily. It was easy to see that way of thinking. When the police had no evidence on how the first two murders had occurred or even how the victims had died…well when Mitsuo had killed the infamous King Moron, he claimed to have done the first two as well. From what Yu had told me, apparently he had attempted to take the blame for the crime originally but was turned away by the police as just a jokester. So he killed King Moron and hung him in a similar fashion to get the attention that he wanted. Then again…why would he run away then if he had wanted to be taken to begin with? The others seemed to believe that in the end he must have come to some realization and had ran instinctively. I suppose that makes sense but there would be no real way in knowing. But with a psychological profile like that...it actually didn't make any sense he would run. There wasn't any point in thinking about that though.

The police moved quickly to close the case after that, but Naoto had a gut feeling that it was wrong…that there were too many inconsistencies in the case to just pin it all on a high school kid and call it a day. Naoto had pieced together the requirements that led not only to the murders but the multiple kidnappings. So she set the table for her own kidnapping. She made an appearance on television to suddenly increase her popularity in the Inaba region, and sure enough she was taken. That confirmed for the whole Investigation team the method on how one is qualified to be target of the kidnapper. But Naoto had put herself in a dangerous position without knowing just what that danger was.

It was shortly after Naoto was rescued that a program was aired about warning signs of troubled youth or something like that. It also included the town of Inaba and apparently I had been one of the prominent people shown. Of course, it was a small town and even though I never interacted with people, they knew me by how I dressed. That wasn't something that could really change, no matter where I lived. It was really the one way I expressed myself, because I just didn't care to interact with others. Or rather the difficulties often outweighed any benefits I could receive from doing so. Still because of me getting kidnapped I had been brought into the strange reality that existed in the small town of Inaba. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have somehow gotten involved one way or another. And I wonder if I would be of any use to them in the end.

I looked at the time and noticed it was time for the switch to the guys' time for the hot spring and got to my feet. I headed over to the entrance and was welcomed by the girls coming out.

"Hey Senpai, you headed in?" Chie asked.

"Yeah, you guys went back in?" I asked curious.

"Well we didn't really relax too much our first time," Naoto said slightly blushing.

"I heard it's because you girls switched up the times," I said to which all the girls looked away from me. Well Rise hadn't looked at me the whole time which I wasn't surprised at this point. Still I felt pretty relaxed at the moment so maybe I should try and ease the tension.

"T-That was my fault," Yukiko admitted.

"Those guys have no luck when it comes to you girls," I laughed a bit, but the girls just looked at me questioningly.

"What do you mean?" Chie asked.

I couldn't help but chuckle just a little bit more. Guys are pretty transparent when it comes to the interest in the opposite sex. Well I suppose that is how it looks to the casual observer, guys are pretty dense about their own feelings though. My eyes wandered over to Rise, she was still avoiding looking over at my direction. I guess I'm not immune to that either. Well it was no good for me to get involved with anyone, its best to just keep things as they are. "I'm just saying maybe you girls should consider how you feel for your fellow Investigation Team members. I'm sure they have." I looked at Yukiko for a moment, "I don't think keeping silent is what is best. Then again what do I know? I've never been in a relationship."

"Senpai," Yukiko blushed a bit.

"Think of it this way," I said as I took a few steps towards the hot spring entrance and facing away from the girls. "Most of these guys have seen your most hidden secrets and feelings, and they are still here with all of you. I don't know much about relationships but I know something about humanity. And finding someone that accepts you for who you are is something that many people never find. Could you really just let something like that exist right next to you and say nothing? But I don't have a right to say any of this so just forget I said anything." The girls said nothing as they watched me move closer to the entrance I moved the curtain so I could get through but I stopped and looked back at Rise, my eyes meeting hers for the first time since the incident at the school. "It isn't your fault, Kujikawa. I hope you know that it isn't you. There are just things that happened to me that my body will never forget."

"Kayane-senpai, I'm sorry," Rise quickly apologized. Despite what I said, she still felt guilty about it.

"Don't be, you did nothing wrong. Thanks to you I got to perform something that I wrote in front of an actual audience. Something I would have never been able to do on my own. But all of that caught up to me and there are some things my body just reacts to. I'm sorry I frightened you," I turned away from them. There was probably a lot more I could say about it though...but a quick exit was probably the best option for now. Plus I was being a lot more talkative than normal. I must have been tired. "Don't worry about me. Goodnight girls."

The girls offered there good nights as I disappeared into the hot spring area. I quickly disrobed and grabbed a towel and entered into the hot spring. As I entered the hot spring I felt parts of my body come over with a familiar ache. Although the scars were healed and were little more than just visible reminders of the past…for some reason I always felt a sting of pain when I entered into a bath. It was like my mind could never let go of the pain that had often been associated with them after I had been beaten as a child. Memories that refused to disappear into the ebb and flow of time. I don't know why I believed they ever would...to me it always felt like all of that had happened just yesterday. And maybe that was the reason I still reacted the way I do...like today with Rise. I did my best to push these thoughts away.

It took a few moments before my body finally relaxed. I let out a long sigh and sat back against one side of the hot spring and let my head rest on the rock behind me. "Heh, I must be a one of a kind brand of idiot," I laughed as I closed my eyes. "I said all that crap to those girls when there is no way I could ever follow my own advice. I guess it makes me a hypocrite."

I then heard a collection of people enter the bath. The four guys I saw enter were definitely not happy individuals. They all wordlessly entered the hot spring but not a sound was made. Yu, Yosuke, Kanji…and even Teddie just sat there in silence. "What happened?" I finally asked.

"Well we tried to…" Yu started.

"Don't you dare tell him," Yosuke glared.

"Let's just never talk about it again, agreed?" Kanji looked to the other three and they all nodded.

"You guys have no luck," I commented. Whatever they had tried to do obviously hadn't gone their way. That just seemed to be the story of the night for them.

"You have no idea," Yu groaned.

"Now we have no choice but to go back to that room and sleep. Man, I thought tonight was going to be fun but it's just been one thing after another," Yosuke shook his head. "But hey, we finally got into the hot spring."

"What's wrong with our room?" I asked.

"It might be the room the announcer was in before she died. I mean that has to be the reason those protective charms are up in the room, right?" Kanji was looking to me for an answer. I just looked at the four of them and saw that all four of them, including Yu, were spooked about that room. I couldn't help myself, I started laughing.

"W-what's so funny?" Yosuke seemed worried.

"You've never stayed at a traditional Inn have you?" I chuckled a bit more. "There has always been charms in rooms since ancient times. And most if not all of those charms are there to promote a good night sleep not an anti-spirit charm."

"Wait, really?" Yosuke suddenly had a lot more color in his face. "Man, that's a relief."

"Besides, even if it had been the room she had stayed in, it wouldn't matter," I shrugged. "After all she had to be put through a TV right? If anything the lounge would be the most frightening place at the Inn, right?"

Yu's eyes lit up for a moment, "The lounge? Now that I think about it, that TV is pretty big. Big enough to put a person through for sure."

"Wait, so you think she was put into the TV in the lounge of this Inn?" Yosuke's interest was piqued. Talk about the case seemed enough to instantly calm Yosuke. "Well if you think about it if she was the first victim, you have to wonder if the killer knew what would happen or not."

"If I had to wager, I seriously doubt he had planned it…most likely the announcer angered the killer enough that he threw her in because it was easy and the option was right in front of them. But then a day or two later, she showed up dead," I surmised with a slight shrug. "Doesn't change the fact that after the killer knew what would happen they continued to put people in the TV with everyone else. Although the circumstances for each of the victims have been the same since then. Maybe he wanted to keep everything consistent with the first case."

"Wait, why would he do that?" Kanji asked.

"If we hadn't saved people then we'd all be dead and…" Yu's eyes widened.

"It would look like nothing more than a sadistic serial murderer, with no motive other than to kill people that become famous in Inaba," I finished Yu's thought. The reason why you would do this was simplistic yet...incredibly twisted.

"I get it. So that must have been his original intention," Yosuke nodded to himself.

"I don't get it, why would he keep killing?" Kanji couldn't quite keep up with his senpai.

"Because sometimes the best way to cover up a crime is to commit more of them. You set up a motivation for a series of crimes because it would erase or hide the original motive for the first one," I laid my head back against the rock again and looked up. "But it's all just speculation on my part." It was the same mentality as hiding in a crowd of people. You avoid suspicion by covering the first crime with a ton on top of it. When it begins to be looked at as a serial murder case...it actually helps you avoid being caught. One horrible act...covered by many more equally as horrible acts.

"You've been thinking about it for a while, huh?" Yu asked.

"Well yeah, we aren't sure how he gets the victims into the TV right? I mean it makes sense that he would have one prepared for his recent victims but…his first victims? No way could he have been prepared. It is incredibly rare for murder to be planned. The majority of them are crimes of passion. Something happened which led to them killing their victim. That's why I think the first ones were a victim of circumstance. The Killer had the power to enter the TV, but he never tried it himself. But knowing what he could do, and he had been so angry at that point and he just saw a TV there and put two and two together. I mean, it just makes sense," I said closing my eyes for a moment. "Still that doesn't really help us find the killer."

"No but if we think of it that way, then that may explain something else," Yu said thoughtfully. "In terms of time, the first two victims cases happened pretty quickly. If it really had been a spur of the moment thing…maybe it was why things happened much faster for them."

"We don't know that for sure. After all we didn't check out the midnight channel till after the announcer was dead. And we didn't make the connection about the midnight channel fast enough for Saki-senpai," Yosuke said with a sigh.

"Don't forget about all the good you guys have done since then," I quickly pointed out.

"That's right. You guys have saved everyone since then," Teddie supported me.

"I think we should just relax and forget about our troubles for now," Kanji weighed in.

"Alright, alright, but I do feel better having our minds taken off of other things though," Yu chuckled a bit and offered a smile to me. I merely shrugged. "Thanks for worrying about us, Senpai."

"What kind of Senpai would I be if I couldn't ease the minds of my kohai?" I grinned a bit. "Who knows, maybe you're guys' luck will change in the future."

"Let's hope so," Yosuke groaned.

I wasn't going to tell them what I had told the girls and maybe nothing would change but I wasn't so sure about that. I think that all they needed was a bit of a push to be honest with themselves. Just because I wasn't good at relationships didn't mean that my kohai couldn't be given an opportunity for theirs to grow with the girls. And in reality I think it would make all of them a lot happier. Yu and Yukiko shouldn't have to feel like hiding their relationship. Yosuke shouldn't hide his attraction to Chie…and well Kanji was pretty bad at hiding his attraction to Naoto. Teddie might be disappointed seeing all the girls being snatched up but he loved all of them in his own weird way and I doubt he wouldn't be anything but happy to see them all together. All I had said today was more than likely due to just how my defenses had been broken down today. It had been a long day and I was still somewhat restless.

I didn't have a right to play cupid, but I could give them all a little nudge. The rest would be completely up to them. Naturally the thought of Rise came into my mind. I had no right to have feelings for that girl…she's two years younger than me and…well I didn't want to be a burden in her life. I knew it would be hard for us if we ever became something more than what we were at this moment. And she wanted to go back into show business, even if she didn't realize that herself. There was no place for me in her life. I knew that. So why? Why did it hurt so much knowing that it was over? It was so amazing to be at her side on that stage. To be able to play in front of so many people was something I would have never done on my own. But she pushed me in a way and made me remember a little bit of myself. A part that I had long forgotten. The part that still wanted to be accepted by the people around me. And even if it was just a little longer, I wanted to spend more time with Rise.

I knew better, I had to let her go. And if I didn't do it now, it would be much harder down the road. Plus there was no way that Rise could feel anything for someone like me. She had so many more options in the world, and no way would she pick someone like me with so much baggage. Then again Rise had said something to me before that stuck with me. It wasn't my decision to make.


October 30th, 2011 / Late Evening
Amagi Inn Ground Floor Girl's Room

RISE'S POINT OF VIEW

All I could think about was him. I was naive and didn't realize how easy it was for Kayane to go from okay to not. His anxiety attacks apparently had no singular reason why they occurred. No...it was a culmination of multiple events stacking on top of each other. And after witnessing them...my instinct was to reach out to him...to hold him...as if I could shield him from all the dangers by doing so. But I was also a source of problems to him.I should have known that.

My mind just continued to replay the events of the day, over and over again. Seeing him before the show, spending time watching the first pageant...then us in the backroom before our performance. Being close to him for a few moments before he went onto that stage. Then...Kayane became the real him for a brief moment as his hands played the piano. He had silenced the crowd...enraptured their complete and utter attention, especially the girls in the audience. On that stage when I sang with him...performing along side him...I could feel it once more. It was that feeling...that was what I had once felt a long time ago when I sang. Kayane had brought that back to me. Yet he started to falter as if his mind suddenly became aware of the situation.

I didn't know what to do. So I put my arms around him, trying to block out the audience from his view and remind him that I was there. I knew how much he didn't like me touching him...but in that moment he didn't resist and seemed to welcome it. However...I might have also been motivated to do so to sent a clear message to the girls in the audience. I found him first and I wasn't going to let him go. Honestly, I had never been that possessive before. Even my crush on Yu-senpai I had never felt that when the other girls were close to him. Jealousy...this was really my first encounter with such an emotion. Maybe it was because of that...that I had made a mistake.

Yukiko inviting us over to the Amagi Inn...I thought about time I could spend with Kayane at the Inn. Even allowed myself to fantasize about going into the Hot Springs with him. Then I realized that he would more than likely wanted to go home. I didn't want that...I wanted more time with him. With the Festival over...I didn't have a reason to go to his house...didn't have a legitimate excuse to just show up there. I needed to hold onto him for all the time that I could. But when he turned away from me...I stopped listening...I stopped thinking...I panicked and I reached for him...too forceful...too eager as if I could force him to do what I wanted. He pulled away...he fell and he looked at me...scared. He was scared of me. I had hurt him...hurt him because of my selfishness...because I didn't stop and think about him. I was too wrapped up in what I wanted.

"Rise-chan? Are you okay?" came the hushed voice of Naoto. I had been sitting next to the window with my head against the frame looking out into the night. No matter what I did...there was no relaxing...and I doubt I would be able to sleep that well either. I didn't say anything to Naoto, but I looked over as I saw her moving close to me. Chie and Yukiko apparently had gone to go grab some extra pillows or something in the meantime. Nanako was already sound asleep not far from us...which is why Naoto whispered.

"No, of course not," I said softly looking back out the window. "I can't stand it."

"What happened is not your fault," she spoke trying to assure me, but I knew better than that.

"I was careless. And I let my emotions get the better of me. When Ikakure-senpai plays the piano and even more so when he sings...he reminds me of why I loved music to begin with...on why I became and Idol...of a part of me that I lost. But now everyone has seen it. And a part of me hates that. I'm such a child...I wanted to hog him all to myself. I didn't want those girls looking at him...or all of them that rushed to talk to him later. So I wanted to make it clear the he was mine...that no one was allowed to be close to him but me. I'm such an idiot. I was just so jealous because none of them know him. Not a single one of them ever tried to know him before that performance and now they..." I shook my head, I was getting too loud and I was letting my emotions build up too much again.

"The same applies to you, Rise-chan," Naoto put her hand on my shoulder. "There are many boys that are constantly checking you out. And it isn't like you have a claim to Senpai either."

"I know that. I doubt he would ever want to have a relationship like that but I...I can't help but feel that way when it comes to him. Like I have to protect him but also help pushing him forward," I found myself admitting knowing the contradiction in my feelings. "What am I supposed to do? I know its my fault...I didn't think about him and what he was going through...I was protective of him because I want him for myself. That isn't right."

"Well all relationships have a measure of selfishness attached to them," Naoto said after a moment. "We gain something from being close to someone just as much as they hopefully get something in return from us. That is just the nature of how relationships work. That is why we want to put in effort to impress our friends and those we love. Because we know in some way, we'll be rewarded. But no one is perfect...at some point in time, we can unintentionally hurt people close to us. What makes relationships work is how we work through the difficult times. Senpai doesn't blame you. He never did. He is fully aware of why he reacted that way and the problem does not lie with you. This is a hurdle that both of you know the real question is how will you approach it? Not separately...but together."

"But it was my own carelessness..."

"So would you be satisfied with never touching him?" Naoto quickly countered.

I see...I was trying to shoulder the blame away from Kayane. Sure I had been part of the problem...but the whole thing was not simple. It was a combination of factors. But Naoto's thought...never touching Senpai? No...that was unacceptable...I wanted to touch him...I wanted him to touch me...approach me. "I know," I admitted. "I've been trying to shoulder his pain...thinking if I did it a certain way...I could help him without needing to say anything."

The door to the room opened and Chie and Yukiko had returned. They brought in a few pillows and only taken a moment to see that Naoto and I had been talking. Concerned the immediately came over after putting the pillows down.

"Rise-chan...thinking about what happened today?" Chie asked.

I nodded...all of these girls had become irreplaceable friends to me...I was closer to them than I had ever been with anyone else in my life. I wanted to share this kind of closeness with Kayane...but no...there was a part of me that wanted more than that. "Senpai...he...I can't think straight when he's around but I also can't get enough of him."

"Are you in love with him?" Yukiko asked blatantly.

Love? Was that what I felt? I thought it was what I had felt for Yu-Senpai for a time but no...the feelings I had for Kayane were different. I had no idea if that is what it was. "I used to think I would know when I was in love with someone...but if it is what I feel for him...then its more reason for me to take it slower...don't you think?"

"I agree with that," Naoto said. "We're also teenagers and we have to deal with our hormones as well. I would say there is a distinct difference between attraction, a crush and genuine love. Though I am certainly not capable of speaking on that subject with any certainty."

Naoto was always logical in her answers...it was just how it went for a detective. I tended to be more impulsive than any of them. But being with Kayane...I knew I couldn't be that and normally it might be a flag that meant I shouldn't be chasing him. However...this was different...Kayane made me feel like myself. He removed all the walls I put up around myself and left me vulnerable. He could see right through to the real me...at least if felt that way.

"What about what he said to us when we were leaving the hot springs?" Chie asked.

"You mean about us thinking about how we felt for the guys?" Yukiko asked. I already knew she was dating Yu-senpai...that was what Kayane's other comment had been about and why he had been looking at Yukiko when he said it. No his comments before were to Chie and Naoto specifically.

"He had a point," I found myself saying. "They know about us...things that we've wanted to hide. Hanamura was there to see all of it...so was Narukami...they never criticized or used what they knew of us against us. How many guys would you trust that information to? To let yourself be vulnerable to? Chie-senpai...have you ever looked at Hanamura and thought about that?"

Chie went red in the face when I directed it to her, "No...no of course not."

"We're lucky," Naoto said softly. "If they ever wanted something bad enough...blackmail wouldn't be out of the question."

"Naoto-chan! They aren't like that," Yukiko immediately defended the guys.

"Yes, precisely the point that Ikakure-senpai was likely trying to get across," Naoto calmly finished. The girls said nothing for a couple minutes...letting those thoughts sink in.

"Ikakure doesn't," I said suddenly.

"That is true...but we know his. I must confess I did tell him about my own though," Naoto admitted.

"I did too," Yukiko said which surprised me. "He is easy to talk to when he is comfortable...I think it just takes him time to get there."

"Yeah, but he can also recede just as quickly," I whispered thinking about the time I had spent at his house. The one night I had stayed over...and how the conversation had flowed then...only for it to abruptly be over. I had been pushing him that night though because of my own feelings once more. And how at the time I had really...really wanted him to touch me.

"I'm not good at talking like this...so I want to tell him but I don't know how to start that conversation. But...I don't want him to feel left out. He's one of us now after all," Chie added.

"Agreed...we need to help him feel comfortable with us. It will take time...Senpai has a lot of psychological problems that will take time and patience from all of us to help him get over. There will be times it will seem like it has gotten worse," Naoto sighed, clearly she had been thinking about this topic. Which reminded me.

"That's what you were talking to him about before...before we went into the hot spring the first time," I said.

She nodded, "Rise-chan...he wants to get better...he just doesn't know how. And he's not used to having help. Having..."

"...He has never had people that really wanted to help him other than his Mother. But his Mom never knows how to approach him and he clammed up after the court case. He didn't trust anyone...and his Mom knew he was lying to his therapist and just saying what he needed to say so that he didn't have to go anymore. Believe me...I know. His Mom talked to me...told me there was a lot to consider when trying to get close to him. She told me as a warning. To warn me that getting close to him meant getting hurt myself. I knew better and I still made a mistake. But I won't give up on him. No matter how hard it gets. And I can see him...the real him that is trying to be free from his past. You guys don't know...you haven't seen him when he is playing the piano at his home. Where he is truly comfortable and is the only time I have ever seen him let down all his defenses. Maybe that is why I have such strong feelings for him...because I want him to be that person all the time, even if he isn't sitting in front of an instrument," I don't think I could fully express my feelings on this subject and exactly what I saw but my friends all smiled at me.

"We know, but we aren't blind either. You and him on stage together showed both of you. Just as much as it bring out him, it brought out you, Rise-chan," Chie was basically saying something that Naoto had pointed out earlier.

"I think we should sleep on this and discuss it later. We all have something to think about," Yukiko said softly.

She was right...and I was getting tired, despite my previous restlessness. The day had been long and more emotional than it had been in quite some time. I knew Kayane was important to me...but I needed to think about just how important he was...and just exactly what I would be willing to do to help him. And if I had to answer it right now...I would do anything.


October 31st, 2011 / Morning
Amagi Inn Lounge

Fortunately the guys had settled in and slept pretty easily after we left the hot springs. It had been pretty late when we finally turned in. Still I got up pretty early and came down and had breakfast, running in to Yukiko when I came down. Apparently she got asked to help out with some of the other customers this morning. A brief exchange with her revealed that one of the employees had called in sick. After talking with her I sat down and was relaxing when I saw another individual sitting next to me and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Good morning, Nanako-chan," I said as she looked up at me.

"Kayane-san?" she seemed really out of it but she was quickly coming to her senses.

"Did you have fun last night?" I asked her.

She nodded, "The hot springs were really big and dinner was good to. We went to Aiya."

"Sounds like it really was good then," I smiled. I find it funny that I had ordered Aiya later and some of the girls that had taken her to Aiya had another round of food from it.

She seemed to have woken up quite a bit in our short exchange as she looked much more like her usual self when she looked up at me. "Are you feeling better?"

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "Isn't that why you told me I had to come?"

She nodded, "It's better when everyone is together. You're happy you came to...right?"

"Yeah...I am," it had taken time for me to relax and get a hold of my thoughts and feelings...but if I hadn't come then I probably wouldn't have realized the impact of everything that I did yesterday. I had taken steps forward...but towards what...I didn't know. "You just wanted me to spend time with everyone. Well and you, right?"

"Yep! But...we didn't get to do anything Kayane-san," She frowned a bit.

"Hmm...well we got time right now. Did you get a chance to play any ping pong last night?" I had seen it in the recreation room last night and it seemed Yu and the others had used it quite a bit but...I had been more focused on relaxing. Well and maybe a little too consumed in my own thoughts. "Unless you're still not awake enough to play."

She shook her head, "No, no...I want to! But um...I've never played before."

"Oh really? Well then, did you want to learn?" I asked to which she eagerly accepted. We both went off the the Inn's rec room and I gave her the paddle. "Now there are several ways to use it, you can just hold on to the paddle on the handle like most people or you can put your index finger along it like this." I showed her my own grip which had the index finger resting on the backside of the paddle.

"Why do you do that?" she asked but tried to mimic me anyway.

"I dunno, I just think it feels more comfortable...so you should do whatever feels best to you," I said before handing her the ball. "So do you know the basics right?

"Uh huh," she nodded.

"Alright first we work on service. Why don't you try , Nanako-chan?" I put myself on the other side of the table. Nanako looked a little hesitant. and then she hit the ball.

The morning turned into a table tennis lesson...I would give Nanako pointers about how to serve, and we went back and forth as a result of this. Then we worked with Nanako's returns for a bit, with me giving her nice easy ones to hit back at me. She got a little frustrated when she messed up but it made every time she did it right a bit more satisfying. And then we went totally goofy for a while which ended in a lot of laughter. Both Nanako and I were laughing pretty loud when the door to the recreation room opened and Yu came in, smiling at the scene.

"Oh so this is where you are," Yu said as he entered.

"Oh Onii-chan! Look at what I can do. Kayane-san, hit it to me," She eagerly took position across from me and took a serious look. Looks like she was determined to impress her would-be brother. I then lightly hit it towards her. Nanako expertly returned it and I hit it back, she managed to go back and forth a couple times before Nanako hit it a little too hard and missed the table completely. She frowned a bit but Yu was still smiling.

"Nice job, Nanako-chan. Looks like Senpai taught you pretty well," Yu said as Nanako ran up to Yu. She hugged him and smiled herself.

"Kayane-san is really good, he even taught me how to serve," She was beaming...I wasn't sure I deserved all that but I definitely had some fun.

"Now all you need to do is practice, Nanako-chan and you'll be beating me in no time," I said with a chuckle.

"Well we were about to have breakfast so I came to get you. Want to head to the dinning area, Nanako-chan? You can sit next to Yukiko if you want," Yu said.

"Okay," she said but she came over to me and stopped looking up at me. "Kayane-san...can I hug you?"

I blinked for a moment...I wasn't about to say no to her...although I was hesitant because I didn't want to re-act badly to her...but still I nodded and she then grabbed me by the waist, hugging me. And then she just as quickly stepped away and gave me a bow.

"Thank you, Kayane-san," she said before she disappeared.

"She reminds me a lot of Miyuki...in a lot of ways...but I think she's stronger than even Miyuki was," I said realizing what I was saying to Yu.

"She seems quite taken with you though. You should have heard her talk about the performance of you and Rise-san," Yu commented offhandedly. Then he turned to me and said what he was actually thinking. "You belong with us, Senpai. It might be hard, and there will always be problems for us to face...but we'll do it together. That's how we are as friends. We've already seen parts of each other that normally no one would ever see. So we'll never turn our back...not on you...not on anyone."

"I know," I said as I started putting away the table tennis equipment. "None of you had any obligation to contact me or talk to me after you rescued me. That could have been a easy time to just leave me out of it. But you didn't...none of you did. But its strange to me...outlandish even."

"It's because...you're not used to it," Yu said as he helped me put the net for the table tennis away.

"Yeah...I don't know what its like. When I was little...I was scared to make friends because...I heard people invite friends over and I...I didn't want any to ever come to my house...I didn't want my Uncle to hurt anyone else. Granted, I realize now that it unlikely the old bastard would do anything like that to anyone but me, but I was a scared kid. I didn't understand anything...or even why I had no parents. There was a lot I didn't know...and my ignorance led me to be indecisive. It wasn't until later when Mom took me and we moved here that I better educated myself. But still I didn't make friends. At that point though...it was a choice I made to protect myself," I sighed as we finished putting the table tennis equipment away. "But after you guys saved me...I've been faced with a lot of things about myself and my actions up to this point. Can I really be satisfied with simply existing for Miyuki's sake? Even knowing she had saved my life I still tried to..."

"You're better than that now...things change. People change...just like you have been doing lately. Take the time you need Senpai. But don't let yourself stop moving forward. You could stop yourself from truly enjoying your life. And even though you don't see it...there are moments when the real you shines through...when you let out a real smile. Your time with Nanako...and those moments on stage are more than proof of that," Yu had definitely been thinking about me and my situation...after all I had a pretty bad breakdown yesterday...that I had eventually recovered from by the end of the night.

"Well I doubt any of you would let me push you guys out of my life at this point," I chuckled. "Thanks Narukami...sometimes I forget that you are supposed to be the kohai."

"Believe me you are definitely my Senpai. You understand a lot of things better than I do. You're basically doing college level material already," Yu was referencing my study material from last night.

"So you say, but I heard you were number one of your year for the midterm," I was simply a year older than him...so obviously I covered more material. My extra studies were simply because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life after High School. So I was covering my basis...and studying...was probably one of the few things that I did that I enjoyed doing that didn't involve music.

"Come on Senpai...everyone else is waiting," Yu grinned before turning and leaving.

The culture festival had definitely been more than I expected...more eventful than it had ever been for me in the past. Then again...I had never participated before. I still needed to make up in a more formal capacity with Rise...but this was definitely a start...a start to a big change in my life. I just have to keep stepping forward, no matter how painful it gets.


October 31st, 2011 / Evening
Kayane's House

"Now for our next story," the news was going on as I sat at the table in the living room with my study books out once more. My Mother was playing music or something down in the Studio and for the most part I could only hear bits and pieces coming in from the hall. I looked down at my open math study book. Most of it was pretty easy, but it was good to make sure I remembered the basics before getting in to the harder stuff.

"Kozai-san of the Environmental Concern Society visited a local elementary school to investigate the effects of the fog. Thick fog has appeared frequently in Inaba over the past few years, and the cause of it has yet to be determined. There's been much conjecture on the origin of this fog, and some are concerned about its effects on the human body. Town officials believe it highly unlikely that the fog could be harmful. One official suggested that the concern is largely tied to public anxiety in response to the recent murders. One hearing about the phenomenon, Kozai-san visited the local elementary school to investigate its effects. He interviewed the children playing happily in the fog about their health and any anxieties they were facing…" The news had caught my attention; it was rare for anyone of notice to come to Inaba. Still the recent murders had definitely put the small town under a microscope. It was expected for the most part. Still it wasn't like the locals liked the attention. And Yukiko had mentioned a few times they had gotten more visitors at the Inn as a byproduct of the events in town but as much as that was good for business it didn't always mean good things.

Too many visitors meant too many prying eyes and meant it was harder for the Investigation Team to keep out of the radar of the police. And then there was that mysterious note that Yu had gotten the other day. If it was delivered straight to his house then he was lucky that his Uncle hadn't seen it. And since they had no intention of stopping that meant that it might not be the only warning he was going to receive.

"Upon completing the investigation, Kozai-san issued a statement. 'In this day and age, one must stay aware of even slight changes in the environment and react politically. Today, I talked with a young student who spoke her own mind, free from the influence of those around her. It was an attitude and an example that we as adults can learn from. Our primary concern should always be to protect these children's futures.' On that note, Kozai-san ended his statement. The assembled parents applauded, but some raised concerns that it was a show to attract voters in the next election…" I shook my head, that was a natural assumption to make about a politician but it was also a good idea to check up on the mental states of the children in town. If some no longer felt safe in Inaba it could be impactful on their development as they grow up.

"Even more people just want to use this town to bolster their reputation," my Mother said as she came into the room with a tray and placed it on the empty side of the table and sat across from me. "They don't even mention the children that had gone missing for a while. Kidnapped, all of them."

"I don't think they believe it's related," I shrugged looking at her. "Don't worry about it Mom."

"How can I not? They tried to take you away from me, Kay-chan," she frowned but shook off the thought and started to pour some tea for herself and for me. "But you've also changed since you've come back."

"Have I?" I said softly as I took the cup of tea for me and took a sip. A simple green tea, and it was one of my favorites. Of course I knew she was right...I had certainly been more active. I had been oblivious to the things around me before...so I didn't know how I was perceived by others...or by Mom.

"You talk a lot more, even to me. I don't know what happened Kay-chan…but you're more like the boy I knew when you were little," she smiled a bit. "What did happen to you?"

I paused for a moment. I didn't want to lie to her, but I doubt she would believe the whole truth, so she would have to settle for just a portion of it, "I finally had to face what happened all those years ago. And I know Miyuki is gone but I don't think I realized how unwilling I was of letting go of her until that happened. I think I was in love with her."

"Of course you were," my Mother said simply. "Just as much as she had loved you. She was my daughter Kay-chan and even though I wasn't able to protect her I…I know how much she loved you. She gave everything up to help you. So that's why I adopted you. I may not have been strong enough to protect her, but I'm going to do all I can to protect you, Kay-chan. But you're almost an adult. Even now I can't really do much to help you."

"That's not true, you help me everyday Mom," I said quickly.

She smiled softly, "You don't know how happy I am to know you can call me your Mother."

"You're the only one in my life that could ever be qualified for that position," I took another sip of my tea.

"I'm really glad you've been doing so much better lately. Out with friends, and you even performed on stage, it was truly one of the best things I had ever seen," my Mom surely did sound proud. But...wait...what?

"Wait, you saw the performance?" I blinked after a few moments. I hadn't even registered it in my mind before the words were spilling out of my mouth.

"Of course I did. You don't think I would listen to you and Rise-chan rehearse like mad to miss my son's brilliant performance on stage? Don't be silly. You were the shining star of that Festival," She was grinning now, and after looking at me giggled a bit. "Oh come on, don't be that surprised. I've always shown up to everything you've been a part of."

"I guess I just never thought of it," I looked down at the math problem I had been working on. "Was I really that good?"

"Well it would have had better sound on our piano, but you take what you can get. The sound quality was more than adequate to cause the ruckus that you did," she certainly seemed amused.

"Ruckus? But…I didn't really do anything," I breathed wondering what my Mother meant. I should have known better...but a part of me had only cared to perform...just once...and as a Senior in High School I had felt it was my last chance.

"You understand what happened better than anybody. Don't you remember when you heard Rise-chan's demo song and how strongly you resonated with it? The song 'Star Bright' was the first thing you ever heard from her, but you instinctively recognized something very important that is in her song," She took a sip of her tea but I wasn't sure what to say. I obviously looked puzzled so she continued, "Its love, Kay-chan. I don't know why that girl became an Idol to begin with, but that song showed you how much she loved not only the music she was doing, but her place in life. A part of you saw that...the review you wrote is proof of that."

"Yeah, it was such a strong confident voice that…" I trailed off for a moment.

"However, over time in the industry, I'm sure you noticed that she lost that spark. She lost that love for music and place in life. But during your time on stage with her, I don't think you or Rise-chan has ever shined so brightly in your life. You two brought the whole audience on a journey with you and one they will continue to talk about for some time. So, on that point, I have something to ask you," my Mother shifted slightly and put her tea cup down, which I did as well. It seemed like this might have been the reason she had come to talk to me. "Would you want to make a CD with Rise-chan?"

My mind went blank the moment she had asked the question. "A what? Kujikawa and…me?"

"I invited Rise-chan to come over for dinner on the third, so we can talk more about it then, but I want you to think about it. We will write and produce all the songs here. So you don't have to worry about that," My Mother looked serious…and the thing was…she would have more than enough influence to pull off something like this and get it approved by Rise's talent agency. "Plus there is something else you should know."

"What's that?" I asked somewhat concerned.

"You're performance has shown up on YouTube and NicoNico. It seems someone recorded it and put it up and its gained popularity very quickly. I already arranged ways to deal with local media and keep them away from you and Rise-chan. If it is somehow leaked that the two of you were working on an album…"

"I get it. Then rumors would go around wondering if the real reason she took a leave of absence was to work on this different project. As a result her fan base would probably grow even more," I sighed. It made sense in a lot of ways. Any questions as to why she left show biz would disappear and they would be more enamored with the prospect of the work with an unknown. That also meant that I would be brought into that world. "Mom, I'm not sure I could handle that kind of…popularity…or jealousy."

"Like it or not Kay-chan, that is already a problem for you. And even without me saying anything it is already speculated that the two of you are dating and working on some sort of project together. It is up to you what you want to do. Which is why I want you to think about it for a few days, okay? And I think you should do it," Mom took a sip from her tea once more. I kept quiet thinking of the different things that could occur in this process. Mom had been observing me before she spoke again. "Kay-chan, in all these years I have never seen you feel more at home then when you are singing with that girl. And even though it might be hard for you to perform in front of so many people, eventually I know you can adapt to it. And Rise-chan will be with you all the while," my Mother offered me a smile once more and I knew she was doing this for me. She had only thought about me all these years…it was why we had moved out here and why she never left home. Even though I know how much easier it would be for her to do her job by being in a bigger city like Tokyo. She never went on business trips or anything else that I know she was constantly asked to do. I owed her so much...I wouldn't be able to have this opportunity without her.

"I will think about it, Mom. And no...I'm not just saying that I will give this a lot of thought," I said finally. It was a lot for me to process…and more than that…had she already talked to Rise about it? What did she think? There was too much to think about at this time. I just hoped that things would stay quiet for a little bit longer.

"You've spent a lot of your life grieving and recovering from the actions of two violent men. But you're better than that, Kay-chan. It's time you finally live your life for yourself. You love music, Kay-chan...you always have. Reflect on this and maybe go play some music...music that you have written. You deserve to be happy...just as much as the world deserves to hear your music," Mom said as she got to her feet. "Either way, no matter what you decide...I will always be here to support you, my son." She stepped towards me and hesitated for a moment but she bent down towards me and kissed my forehead before leaving.

That was the first time she had ever called me Son...that was the first time she had done something like that. Could I do this? The thought excited and scared me. But...I was taking steps forward...could I keep doing this? Could I actually find something I want to live for? Something I could actually enjoy in life? I needed time to think...but my initial reaction...I like what was changing...and I wanted to see what waited for me at the end of this path.


A/N:

Unintentionally I turned the beginning of this chapter into Business 101. But I thought it was appropriate as a way for Yukiko and Kayane to interact with each other. Scenes like this between the different members of the Investigation Team I feel is important as Kayane becomes more accepting of how things have changed for him. And I like the thought of each one of them trying to make him feel more comfortable as part of the group in each way. And here it just felt like a good place to have it with Kayane and Rise having their current problems and him not knowing how to handle it because he simply just doesn't have the experience on what he should do.

Also I know there hasn't been much on the action side...just a lot of drama, but that is pretty much the more dominant of what happens in this story. That isn't to say there isn't action coming. The main Persona 4 plot is going to be kicking back in soon, probably within the next few chapters or so. You can see a hint of it coming through at the end of the Chapter. For the most part the pace will speed up when we hit main plot events, as to me and most people that have played the game it is just familiar ground. However, it won't be at a neck break pace all the time as Kayane's presence does influence a lot of what happens. The major plot points won't change here...as most of it is set up for much further down in the time line.

I will be covering the events of Arena and Ultimax in this story...and will eventually end after the events of...Dancing All Night. I had put this story on hiatus for a while to see how that game would fit in...especially considering a lot of points in this story are related to music. I was pleasantly surprised with the story of Dancing All Night, in a good way. And finishing it has helped me plan how this will all end and its affects on my sequel to Momento Umbrae. It may be some time down the road, as I don't want to split my attention too much and bring the quality down of any of my works as a result.

I decided to add a little bit more insight to Rise's thoughts in this chapter by adding another section from her. It can be especially hard on people that support someone that is so psychologically damaged like Kayane. Also the scene with Kayane and Nanako is new as well...which was one I had planned on having from the beginning, yet somehow managed not to have when I originally posted it on deviantart. Best laid plans and all that I suppose.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this. But either way, read, review...let me know what you think. Your opinions do help and I am always looking to improve as a writer. Thanks for your time.