Nanako Explains It All

by Angevon

Nanako Dojima is a sixteen-year-old transfer student to Inaba. She awakens to the mysterious power of 'Persona' and then rocks everyone's world. Character Swap AU: Nanako is the protagonist, and Souji is her little cousin. Other changes have occurred as well! [Both 'Souji' and 'Yu' versions are available!]

51. Chapter 51 - The Sun

[10/12: Wednesday]

Nanako knew her exams would be pretty soon, and she'd missed a whole week of school. It was time to kick it into high gear, so she gathered everyone together at Junes for a study group. The last time she'd studied with the team had been before summer, and, well, things had changed a lot since then. Nanako bought drinks for everyone—though she warned she wouldn't pay for refills—and brought out the philosophy book Yukiko had given her alongside her other textbooks. Kashiwagi was nowhere near as good a teacher as Mr. Morooka, but she was still using his syllabus, so Nanako couldn't slack off, especially since she planned to take her top marks to his grave next time she visited.

"Yosuke should know this one," Nanako started once they all had their textbooks out. "Venison is..."

"Yeah, I know it," he said, "but that's why someone else should answer. I'm not going to be able to give you the answer during the test, you know?"

"Not that anybody would look to you for help," Chie said, "since Yukiko is in our class!"

"I don't condone cheating," Yukiko said. "Chie, do you know what venison is?"

Chie's vicious grin faded. "Uhh... it's not beef, is it?"

"It could be," Yosuke said, "if you had to go out and hunt the cow yourself."

"I don't know," Nanako said. "There might actually be wild cows in the woods out here. I mean, I haven't seen any cows in the fields. The beef's gotta come from somewhere."

"Might be the meat dimension is real after all," Kanji said. "Nakamura-san would know."

Mmm, hearing the Aiya owner's name made her want to order some pot stickers, but damn it, they had only just started studying. It didn't help that ever since she'd found out Aika-chan was his daughter, her mind couldn't help but wonder what sort of miraculous case of ugly guy, hot wife had given birth to such a cute girl.

"The answer is all types of hunted meat," Nanako said exasperatedly, shaking her head to clear away those useless thoughts. "Here's another one for Chie. What is Dragon's Blood?"

"It can't be anything interesting," Chie said. "I'd remember if it was."

"Yeah. Personally, I'd answer it as an item in this MMO I used to play," Nanako said. "You need a bunch of it to make the King Dragon Armor. Anyway, I guess in real life it's a plant resin?"

"The ancients used to believe the pigment came from elephants and dragons who perished in mortal combat," Naoto contributed. "I assume that is where the name came from."

"What, like the plants absorbed the blood?" Chie asked. "That's kinda creepy… but cool, too!"

"A visual like that should make it easier to remember," Yosuke said.

"Yeah," Nanako mused. "Maybe... your hair is a plant, and it absorbed the blood of a pink dragon."

"That makes absolutely no sense!"

"Maybe not, but I'm not going to forget it now."

Yosuke crossed his arms and pouted. "L-Leave my hair out of this," he said. Still self-conscious about the pink streak, huh? Some things would never change.

"Next question!" Chie said, possibly to avoid being asked something else. "What motivated Magellan's voyage?"

"Money," Nanako said instantly. "I mean, it's always money."

"That is not incorrect," Naoto said, "but not quite specific enough. Money in what form?"

"Oh," Nanako said, deflating. "I'm guessing it's not cold hard cash, then?"

"Spice," Yukiko said. "He was financed to find a faster way to the Maluku Islands for the spice trade."

Nanako spied her textbook. "And somehow a breed of penguin got named after him in the process," she murmured. "That part's probably not on the test."

"None of this is gonna be on my test," Kanji complained. "Shit's hard enough already. I don't need to be studyin' ahead, doin' second year stuff."

"I have missed many days this term," Naoto said. "Yes, we should focus on our own studies. Perhaps we could study together at another table so we don't get in our senpai's way."

"I think it's us getting in your way more than the opposite," Yukiko said, looking a tad apologetic.

"W-Well, I could always just get with my, uh..." Kanji scratched the back of his head, but Nanako motioned him to go on. "He got no problems helping me out. I didn't do too bad on the tests last time, made Ma real proud."

"I have no objections," Naoto said kindly. "I can study on my own."

"Why not do both?" Nanako suggested. "Kanji-kun, you can go study with Shirogane-san at another table while you wait for your boyfriend, and then he can help the two of you."

Naoto paused to consider the idea.

"If we are forming a separate group entirely," he said, "then may I invite Rise-san? She, too, has been away from school for quite some time."

"Sure," Kanji said. "Might as well make a group date out of it."

Nanako knew the comment hadn't been intended as a jab—hell, she definitely felt her own influence right there—but both she and Naoto stiffened. Naoto probably hadn't even considered that angle, either. I need to do something…

"Aika-chan!" she declared.

"What about her?" Kanji asked.

"I mean, you should invite Aika-chan too," she clarified.

"Aika-san is in my class," Naoto said. "I'm sure she needs to study as much as anyone. Do you have her number, Nanako-san?"

"I do! Lemme text her real quick."

'Aika-chan, hey! Shirogane-san and Kanji-kun are getting a study group together here at Junes, and they want to invite you. What do you say?'

The reply came only a moment later.

'Sure.'

Aika-chan really didn't talk much, did she? Nanako didn't think she was shy, just—oh, another message?

'Any orders you'd like to place?'

Nanako grinned.

'The usual,' she replied.

'On my way.'

"Aika-chan said she'd come!"

"Then I propose we find a table and get a head start before they all arrive," Naoto said, turning to Kanji. "You do want to impress your boyfriend, yes?"

"Y-Yeah, I do," Kanji said sheepishly.

"Just don't get too distracted by how cute he is," Nanako said, following her words with a teasing little laugh.

"A little distracted is a'ight though?" Kanji was grinning. "I'm gonna go see if he's free."

Nanako watched them go, allowing her mind to wander only for a moment before snapping back to attention. She wanted to do well this time, even without the incentive of reward money from Aunt Seta. Though, she wasn't actually sure if that was still on the table, anyway. Not that she needed it. Naoto had found her a good deal on the Vespa.

"What do you call somebody who's between ninety and one hundred years old?" Yukiko asked, getting them back on track.

"Old Lady Shiroku," Yosuke automatically quipped.

"That's not very nice!" Chie protested. "Everyone grows old one day. I don't want to be made fun of like that when it's my time."

Nanako nodded her agreement. "Yeah, don't go cutting into her morale, Yosuke."

"I already told you, morale is the cheerfulness of a group," he said.

"Yes, but it can also refer to a single person within a group," she replied. "Look it up."

There was a pause as he did just that, but then he suddenly raised his head, apparently struck by a thought.

"Nanako, do you remember when Mr. Morooka asked me about virtue, back when he was alive?" he asked. "I think you gave me the answer then."

"I did, but he didn't ask about virtue, he asked about…" Nanako slowed down as she remembered the entire lesson. "I see what brought this on," she said, "but what made you remember the virtue part specifically?"

"Ms. Kashiwagi was feeling sort of spiteful last week," he explained, "she ranted on and on about Mr. Morooka and when Yukiko-san interrupted her, she said that since we loved him so much, she would put something he'd covered on the test just for us."

"I forgot about that…" Chie said. "I was kinda glad you weren't there, Nanako."

Nanako shook her head. "I don't care about that right now. More importantly, what did she say would be on the test?"

"Nobody knows," Yosuke said. "I thought she might ask about virtue though, since she was going on so much about morals."

"Hmmm. Do you guys know about the Greek concept of arete?" Nanako asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Plato came up with arete to describe excellence, but Aristotle took it to mean moral excellence. In other words, virtue. Yosuke, what do you think virtue is?"

"I guess being a good person would make you virtuous too, right?" he said.

"No, because even good people do bad things," Nanako said. Izaya-san would have known the answer, she quietly added in her mind. "Being good doesn't make you virtuous, but striving to be good does, because virtue isn't something you have, but something you achieve. By striving to improve yourself and living to your fullest potential, you achieve arete."

"Is this going to be on the test?" Yosuke asked.

"I don't know," Nanako admitted, "but it was on Mr. Morooka's syllabus."

"He still had so much to teach us…" Yukiko murmured.

"I've been thinking about him a lot lately," Nanako said, "and my mind keeps coming back to this conversation we had, our last one before he died. I was worried about him, you know? I wanted to find out what made him tick. I couldn't figure it out in time." Nanako paused for a moment, because her throat was dry. "I think he didn't want us to waste away like he did. Mr. Morooka reached the end of his life with a thankless job, watching generation after generation make the same mistakes he did. Everyone hated him, and he hated everyone back, but… it might not always have been that way."

Yukiko nodded. Despite not caring that much about whatever Kashiwagi had been saying, Nanako was grateful to her for rising up to his defense. Not for the last time, she wondered where they would both be had he survived, but there was no answer to that. Nanako breathed a short sigh, intending to get back on topic, but then she noticed Yosuke staring at her with a somber expression; she wondered what he was thinking.

Nanako lectured her friends on the finer points of philosophy until Aika-chan arrived with her order. It was just pot stickers, she didn't want anyone slurping on beef bowls while they tried to study, but she regretted it because Chie kept giving her spiteful looks for an entire hour. Nanako had just about enough of it and was preparing to say something when someone suddenly hugged her from behind. The scent of expensive perfume clued her into the culprit's identity even before Saki's hands were in front of her, making that same scissory sign that she'd used on TV.

"How does it feel to be a delinquent's girlfriend?" Nanako asked with a big grin.

"My parents couldn't be more disappointed," Saki replied, then gave her a peck on the cheek.

"That special was something else," Chie said.

"I wish I'd recorded it," Nanako said. "That's something I wanna keep with me forever."

"Inaba, bewaaaaaare," Yosuke said in a goofy voice. He couldn't hold it for too long and it turned into a laugh.

"That same camera crew pestered my family back when Ms. Yamano died," Yukiko said. "It's almost too bad you weren't around to chase them away then."

"My delinquent rep could've started way sooner," Nanako said. "Oh well. They probably won't bother you again anyway."

"My family would be glad to have you deal with them again, should it happen," Yukiko said. "They've been trying hard to give us bad press after we refused to interview for them."

"They only planned to ask you stupid crap," Chie said. "I remember when you told me about it."

"So those assholes are the reason you were on the Midnight Channel?" Nanako punched her open palm. "Too bad I only smashed the one camera."

"Hmm. The weather report said it would rain starting this afternoon," Yosuke said, looking up at the cloudy sky. "Nothing so far though."

"It hasn't exactly been accurate this year," Chie said.

"That's normal though, right?" Nanako asked. "I mean, they're predictions. It didn't always rain in Tokyo just because the weather lady decided it would."

"I guess," Chie said, but she didn't sound convinced.

"I know it sounds a little absurd," Yukiko said, "but we've lived here our entire lives and I honestly don't remember the weather report being wrong even once, until this year."

"Maybe they fired the old meteorologist and the new one isn't as good," Nanako suggested. "Anyway, if your weather report was always right, maybe you should have made that one of the local attractions. Inaba, a town so boring you don't even have to worry about summertime rain."

"That's not too far from the truth," Saki said. "I mean, if there was more to do, people wouldn't get so worked up over a dumb news special."

Nanako was about to protest that her special had been the best one yet, but Yosuke seemed to have something to say.

"Saki-senpai…" he murmured with a pensive frown.

Saki tilted her head towards him with a questioning look.

"I was just thinking you might have stumbled upon something there," he said. "Nanako, what did you say to convince Rise-san she should leave town? Kanji told me you guys decided not to say anything about the other side."

"I said that interesting people who are on the news get targeted by the killer," Nanako replied.

"Right. This happens because they show up on the Midnight Channel, we know that for sure now, but what we don't know is why they show up there in the first place."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I haven't thought about it ever since we figured out the connection to the news," he admitted, "but what Saki-senpai said just now… maybe it doesn't have to do with the news at all. Maybe what the Midnight Channel actually shows is what everyone wants to see."

Nanako frowned. Souji never showed up on the news, but he got popular on the internet, and everyone was talking about him. Though the cause was a video, saying 'the Midnight Channel shows people who are caught on video' just didn't seem right. The video had only been uploaded in the first place because people liked his part in the presentation, right?

"Do you guys remember when Rise-san was there?" she asked. "The camera focused on her curves a lot, but her press conference was just her saying she was going to retire."

"Oh, you're right… she was wearing a skimpy swimsuit too. I don't think she was wearing that during the interview," Chie said.

"She definitely wasn't," Yosuke said. "I think that swimsuit was from her Quelorie Magic ad, actually."

"What everyone wants to see…" Yukiko murmured. "That doesn't sound quite right either. Why would anyone want to see me in a kimono? Especially since the boys want to conquer the Amagi Challenge so badly."

"Not just the boys," Saki teased, making both Yukiko and Chie blush. Nanako wasn't in any mind to pay attention to that, though.

"I think," she said slowly, "that the Midnight Channel shows what everyone's thinking."

"In that case," Yosuke interjected, sensing perhaps that the discussion was growing too important to have without the whole squad, "we should all watch it tonight."

Nanako nodded. "Namatame might be hospitalized, but his accomplice in the police might try to continue his work," she said, "so we can't let our guard down."

Chie gave her a tight little smile. "Together, right?" she said. There wasn't any doubt in her voice.

Not a moment later, a light drizzle began to fall. Nanako stared up at the cloudy sky past the canopy, wondering.

---

The squad kept studying well into the night. Maybe they'd caught her enthusiasm? Nanako herself had to excuse herself once the sun set, however, since she still couldn't spend too much time away from Souji. Chie and Yosuke were doing much better now, anyway, so she didn't need to worry.

Nanako was pleased but not too surprised to see Aunt Seta home with Souji. He was reading her a book out loud, apparently as part of some cram school assignment. Nanako sat down and listened without saying a word, simply enjoying the sound of his voice. When he noticed she was there, though, he immediately got up to give her a hug. He still looked amazing, and she said as much. Prompted by her comment, Aunt Seta decided it was high time for a photoshoot and they spent the better part of the evening taking pictures with the good camera around the house.

There was some empty space right next to the house that Nanako didn't remember noticing before. Maybe it could be used for a garden, but eeehn, that just wasn't her thing. Though, if Souji ever came home with some seeds for homework or something, she'd get it cleaned right up!

Souji ended up falling asleep on the couch. Aunt Seta took him to bed... and didn't come out of his room. Nanako hoped her aunt had decided to sleep there with him. Maybe she could sneak in and take pictures? Before she could formulate a plan, though, Naoto arrived from his study group. There were a few hours yet until midnight, but the rain showed no signs of stopping, so they both headed to her room.

In the meantime, Nanako decided to get Naoto up to speed on what she and the rest of the squad discussed earlier that day. Naoto had just finished saying that his study group with 'the boy in glasses whose name he had not been able to ascertain' had gone very smoothly, and thanked Nanako for her suggestion to invite Aika-chan, who through chair placements he had ensured would be sitting between himself and Rise when the latter arrived. Kanji seemed to get the hint, at that, and didn't repeat his comment about double dates. Naoto then asked Nanako about her own study group afterwards, and one thing led to another.

"I see," Naoto said. "That would go a long way in explaining quite a few things."

"I mean, not everyone can be a pervy idol fanboy," Nanako said, "and those Quelorie Magic ads were everywhere, and there was that Junes display too."

"It is almost as if there was nothing else for them to think about but, as you said, her curves. No wonder, then, that her Midnight Channel silhouette appeared as it did."

The rain continued steadily. There was a moment of companionable silence as they both enjoyed the sound.

"Rise-san was quite taken by Aika-san," Naoto said suddenly. "Nanako-san, your plan worked flawlessly. Thank you."

"No problem! Aika-chan is awesome, who in their right mind wouldn't like her?"

"I believe she even swung a deal with Marukyu Tofu to supply Aiya with fresh produce... a shrewd businesswoman, that one."

"Mmm," Nanako hummed, smiling. "Oh, how did you deal with the rain, anyway? Junes only has one canopy table for some reason."

"They lost quite a few customers when it started raining," Naoto agreed, "but to answer your question, we simply relocated to Tatsumi Textiles. The boy in glasses did not have a scooter, however."

Nanako actually squealed with delight. "Does that mean he had to ride with Kanji on his bike?" she asked. "Did you—"

"Yes, no need to worry," Naoto said, bringing out his phone. "I have the pictures right here."

Nanako grinned. "I wish our phones didn't have that annoying shutter sound," she said. "Shirogane-san, how did they react to that?"

"I have long removed that function from my phone," Naoto said, smiling quite deviously, "as it simply would not do for a detective to be unable to take pictures discreetly. Do you not agree?"

"Shirogane-san!" Nanako gasped. "I thought they hardwired that function to stop pervs, but you removed it? I seriously underestimated your tech skill. Say, can you remove mine too? I promise to only use that power for the greater good."

Naoto chuckled wryly. "I don't believe—"

Suddenly, the sound of static filled the room as the television turned on by itself. They waited with bated breath as the image settled on a silhouette. The camera started moving before they could even get a glance at the face, but they could still discern other details—it was a figure with long hair, obviously a girl, kicking and punching like her life depended on it; her long skirt flared with each sudden turn.

Nanako felt her entire face twist into the biggest shit eating grin she'd ever given in her whole life.

"I'd love to see that asshole try."

---

[10/13: Thursday]

There was something Nanako had to take care of after school: the Vespa! She'd been riding it around everywhere, not to cement her delinquent status or anything but mostly because it was really fun.

It was only running on fumes by now, so she took it to Moel to get a fill-up. The look on Izaya's face when she pulled up was priceless.

"Vintage," he said, tipping his cap much in the same way Naoto would, perhaps to hide his bemusement. "I remember when that model was popular."

"Come now, Izaya-san!" Nanako chided. "Despite your gray, I know you aren't that old."

As expected, he chuckled, and then Nanako was giggling too.

"She needs a fill up, that's all," she said.

"She? Did you name her?" Izaya had a curious expression, and Nanako just couldn't decipher it, so to get the upper hand...

"I named her Bianca!" she declared.

Izaya actually raised an eyebrow at her. Nanako stared back at him evenly. This went on for almost a minute until she finally cracked up.

"Nah," she said, shaking her head, "I'm not that gaudy. It feels nice to think of her as more than an object though. What do you think? Should I name her?"

"Hmmm. Perhaps you should think of her as an extension of yourself, rather than her own person," Izaya suggested.

"What, like a Persona?" she asked. Oh, shoot, I shouldn't have said that! But before she could make up an excuse, Izaya was shaking his head, unfazed.

"No, not quite," he said. "I know a little about Jungian psychology. Persona is the you you project to the world, yes? Not necessarily your true self, but a mask you wear in order to protect yourself from certain harsh realities. Bianca doesn't fit the bill."

"Oh god, if you keep calling her that, I might have to make it official!" Nanako laughed. "But wow, you're full of surprises, aren't you, Izaya-san? I suppose you too must have gone to school at some point in the distant past. What are you doing working in a gas station?"

"Hmhmhmhmhm…" he chuckled. Yeah, even though she loved him, that laugh still made a small chill run down her spine. There were just so many different ways she could take it.

"Nanako-san," Izaya said all of a sudden, "your mask has changed."

"What makes you say that?" she asked. In response, he eyed her skirt with a smirk. Nanako shook her head, trying to contain a laugh. "Yeah, okay, smartass, what makes you say that apart from the skirt?"

"The jacket?" he snarked, and she play punched his arm in retaliation. "You seem… unrestrained," he then said.

"Don't you mean, free?"

"Do you feel free, Nanako-san?" he asked with a piercing gaze.

"...No," she admitted.

"The mask you wear now is truer to yourself than the one before," he said.

"Maybe the fire within me burned it, and I had to get a new one," she joked, recalling that was how he'd referred to her drive for revenge.

"Maybe so," Izaya said, and it was unsettling to realize he was actually right. "Unrestrained," he repeated.

"Sorry," she said. "You did say some restraint was in order back then. I don't think I followed your advice."

"It's alright," he said, smiling slightly. "I don't follow my own advice most of the time."

"That makes two of us," Nanako murmured. "I have been wondering whether this change was for the better." Tormenting myself, more like, she added in her mind.

"Change comes constantly," Izaya said. "It is as unavoidable as the fog after a rain. But growth is optional… That you are struggling so much with change tells me you know this."

"I guess… What about you, Izaya-san? I don't really like to take age into account for anything, but you are older than me. How did you change over the years? Did you struggle with it too?"

"When change is forced upon you," he muttered vaguely. Nanako could tell it wasn't what he'd planned to say, and he didn't say any more, but she knew better than to pry it out of him. The last time she tried, the conversation had ground to a halt.

Eventually, however, he said something entirely different:

"Fifty years ago…"

Nanako raised her head sharply. There was something about his tone…

Izaya stared at the downpour for several seconds before continuing.

"Fifty years ago, there was rain exactly like this," he said. "It would continue for days and raise the Samegawa until it drowned the surrounding areas, including this very shopping district, though the water would never make it past the slope." Izaya looked toward an arbitrary spot further along the road, as though reminiscing, though of course that wasn't possible. "There was no gas station here back then."

"There were no gas stations anywhere," Nanako guessed. "It was probably an empty lot. Maybe a trash heap."

Izaya nodded, though she wasn't sure which part of what she said he was agreeing with.

"This rain won't last through the night," he said, smiling sadly up at the clouds, "but when it does, the fog will set in. The same was true fifty years ago."

"The fog…" Nanako murmured. "Izaya-san, have you ever worked here while the fog is around?"

"I have. I am often here before daylight. There are never many customers, though the same could be said for every other day. But unlike those days, there are also fewer cars on the highway. This means the town is completely silent."

"That must be creepy," she said, but he shook his head.

"During the night, there is nothing to see in the fog but the hazy lights in the distance," he said. "I feel alone in the world. ...It's beautiful."

The fog, which signaled the deadline for her rescuing on the other side. Nanako didn't think she could learn to love it like she had the rain, but…

"Maybe we should watch it together from the overlook sometime," she suggested. "I haven't ever seen you out of the uniform, anyway."

"Perhaps one day," he replied evasively, then took a few steps forward, past the awning. "For now... join me in the rain."

Nanako was already drenched from her ride, so she figured she might as well. Besides, his red eyes looked forlorn somehow, and she didn't want him getting upset.

"Izaya-san, um," Nanako said, "you know you never have to answer me if you don't want to, right? That was a rather personal question."

"The answer will come," he reassured her, but then added, "in time."

"Giving me a rain check, huh?" she joked. That actually got him to crack a smile, though it was brief. "I wouldn't expect any less from you."

---

[10/16: Sunday]

Nanako was so used to tests lasting one week straight that she actually got dressed in her uniform and went downstairs. It was only when she saw neither Souji nor Aunt Seta making breakfast that she realized it was Sunday! She'd gotten up early for nothing. Honestly, it made her so mad that she couldn't even go back to sleep, and before she knew it Yosuke was texting her about another study group.

The first two days of exams had gone smoothly, not that Nanako was surprised. Maybe for the first time, she'd felt prepared. To be honest, it wasn't just about all the studying she had done. In her opinion, most of the teachers had gotten kind of lazy since Mr. Morooka died, with some exceptions. Ms. Sofue was as passionate as ever about ancient Egypt, and Mr. Kondo was still obnoxiously energetic, but Mrs. Nakayama, who'd always taught more about her midlife crisis than math anyway, had interrupted more than one lesson to complain about how tired she was, and Mr. Hosoi's silly puppet was looking a little ragged. Mr. Yamada had been reported for his creepy ass behavior towards girls, thank God, but he hadn't been fired or anything, so the few lessons he hadn't stopped to voice his displeasure at the situation were taught very stiffly.

Ms. Kashiwagi… well, she wasn't exactly a bad teacher. Not as good as Mr. Morooka for sure, but not bad, especially once she stopped hitting on the students. The thing was, she seemed to teach like, ten different subjects. Nanako thought she was joking about that question about cowardly birds being on the test, but uh, she wasn't, although luckily Nanako had known the answer.

She definitely wasn't up for more studying though, it would only confuse her, so she texted Yosuke 'no' and then called up all her girlfriends for a real group date. Aika-chan was working and Chie had already accepted Yosuke's invitation to study, so it would only be Saki, Rise, Yukiko and herself. Nanako thought about inviting Ayane but she'd definitely fade into the background in a group containing both Nanako herself and Rise Kujikawa. Marie, on the other hand, wasn't outside the Velvet Room, so her existence was probably wavering or whatever… too bad. Though, she thought quietly while they were filling up at Moel, maybe she should check in on her anyway, since not too long ago her existence was wavering for no other reason than she'd spent too much time outside. Plus, it was sunny. Nanako noticed that the wavering usually happened on rainy or cloudy days. Maybe she was just inside making poems? Though, even when she was outside, Nanako had a feeling she was sort of still inside unless approached. Marie had never mentioned doing any people watching, after all.

She decided to enter the room to check. To her surprise, her guess was right: Marie was sitting in her corner of the room, furiously scribbling something on the notepad they'd bought at Junes. Nanako waited a few seconds for her to finish, and was rewarded with the sight of Marie yelping in surprise upon noticing her presence.

"Why didn't you welcome her?!" she complained to Margaret and Igor. They both just smiled in response, so she huffed and turned to Nanako. "I didn't expect you to come today."

"Why not?" Nanako asked.

"Just a feeling."

Come to think of it, it was Sunday. Nanako usually spent Sundays with Souji, but today after watching their cartoons, he talked about doing something or other with his mom, which was part of the reason she was feeling kinda down. Aunt Seta was turning into a good mom, and that was great, but now Nanako had to share Souji with her.

"We're going out today," Nanako said, brushing those selfish thoughts away.

"I did notice you're not wearing the uniform," Marie said. "Nice jacket, though."

Nanako was wearing one of the skirts Aunt Seta had given her, a white one, and she'd taken the trouble to dig out this striped black and white blouse she'd bought way back in Tokyo. It had been too loose on her then, and she didn't have the time to go back to the store because of the move to Inaba, but now it fit her quite snugly. Nanako wanted to believe that was because she'd grown up some, but it was more likely that she had filled it out with her new muscles. Either way, she almost looked like a good girl.

"Thanks," she said, adjusting the leather jacket with obvious pride. "Anyway, we're going to Okina today."

"Okina…" Marie repeated with a frown, but she wasn't in any pain, just thinking. "Sounds fun. How far did you say the elephants were?"

"Farther than that," Nanako said. Marie shook her head in disappointment, then smiled mischievously. Little by little, she was getting the hang of the real world.

Nanako had to wonder just how that scene looked to her friends outside; she'd asked them to wait at the gas station but they decided to come with and therefore witnessed her stop by a random wall, take out a weird blue key and probably stare into space for a few seconds until a girl materialized out of thin air right next to her. 'This will take just a second,' she'd said.

"What will take just a sec…" Rise started, then yelped, having noticed Marie. "I didn't see you there."

"No one ever does," Marie replied, then turned to Nanako. "Hey, who's the new broad? Red is one of your friends from school, and the other one's your girlfriend, so."

"The new broad? That's not very nice," Rise said, but then giggled. "I'm Rise Kujikawa. Nice to meet you."

"Red?" Yukiko said suddenly. "I don't wear that much red, do I?"

"You do," Nanako and Saki said in unison.

"It looks good on you," Marie completed.

"Oh, um, thank you," Yukiko said, "but, I do have a name. Yukiko Amagi."

"Good for you," Marie said. "...I'm Marie."

"Now that introductions are out of the way, shall we get going?" Nanako asked.

Yukiko shook her head. "Hold on. Does Marie-chan have a scooter?"

"We can't both ride with you, Nanako, as interesting as that would be," Saki joked. "The cops don't stop us because then they'd have to stop everyone who shares a ride, you know."

"That's true," Nanako said. "I guess I can give you away just for today, Senpai… unless Yukiko or Rise-san want to give Marie a ride!"

Rise had wasted no time bringing her scooter from the city. It was a garish pink, but pretty sleek. The glass part at the front was orange, and the headlights kinda looked like robot eyes. She didn't seem opposed to giving Marie a ride, but Yukiko spoke up first.

"I don't mind," she said. "Marie-chan looks like she's from the city. I bet we can strike up a conversation."

Nanako and Marie exchanged a look.

"Yeah, why not?" Marie said with a shrug. "A normal student by daylight, fighting evil by moonlight. Isn't that how it goes?"

Yukiko snickered. "Maybe for us," she said.

Saki was already cozying up behind Nanako. "Fine by me!"

Nanako, in turn, briefly wondered whether Marie would be okay away from her, and decided that she would. If nothing else, she and Naoto had managed to stay pretty close while riding the other day, so Nanako would be nearby in case something happened, though she still didn't really know how to feel about this girl from another world depending on her company to exist…

In any case, she'd never gone to Okina on the Vespa, but she knew part of the way from mapping the TV World's influence. When she asked who among them knew the rest of the way, it wasn't Saki who spoke up like she expected, but Yukiko.

"I got lost riding one day and ended up there," she explained. "It was scary at the time, but also kind of exciting."

"Just you and your bike against the world, eh?" Nanako teased.

"Yes!" Yukiko said, giggling. The sound rose above the engines and carried in the wind. "I had never felt that way before. In Inaba, all roads lead to the same place, and there's always a familiar face around somewhere, but once you leave, things are different. I mean, you can get lost in a crowd, and you can get lost by yourself…"

"I don't think that's a trait exclusive to Inaba," Nanako said. "Probably anywhere you grew up in would feel that way."

"I don't know," Saki chimed in. "There's something about this place. It often feels like a nuclear holocaust could happen and we'd be the last to know."

"Now that's an interesting scenario…" Yukiko mused, then uh, shook her head maybe? Nanako couldn't see her, they were driving, but she paused, so that seemed likely. "Though what you said is true, my problem was that, on some level, I was always scared that once I left, I might not be able to take care of myself. It was refreshing to see that I can. I found a police officer and asked for directions. I then sent Chie a text in case I got lost again, so she would know where I was last in case I was kidnapped by a maniac. So you see, I'm going to do just fine after leaving."

Rise, who had gone a bit ahead, slowed down then. Apparently they were talking loud enough for her to hear, because she turned to Yukiko and asked, "You're leaving Inaba, Yukiko-senpai?"

"I am," Yukiko said, with such confidence that it made Nanako smile. "I might come back one day. There are things here that I cherish, after all, and things that I don't, but that only I can change. I just don't want to live and die here without ever having seen the sun for myself."

The sun, huh?

"The big city isn't as scary as everyone here seems to think, anyway," she continued.

Nanako nodded. "There's an old man in the shopping district who's always rambling about community, but this is Japan," she said. "I don't think there's anywhere you can go in this country that doesn't have some sort of community, you just have to look for one."

"That's the hard part!" Rise said. "It's too easy to go with the flow and not see anything. That's not any different from living here. Trust me, I know."

"There you have it," Nanako said, "and listen, once you're in the city, you're not gonna be any more alone than you were here. I mean, everything is a train ride away, even Inaba, but more importantly, me, and my dad and my mom, and Shirogane-san and Saki-senpai, so you can—"

"Naoto-kun is leaving too?!" Rise asked, nearly losing her grip on the scooter for a moment there. Nanako lectured her on vehicle safety.

"I was thinking of inviting myself to live with him," Saki said. Rise was about to lodge a protest, Nanako could tell. "Nanako here invited me to live with her though, so you know, first come first served."

Nanako snorted, but before she could act properly scandalized, Yukiko closed in on the Vespa.

"Is that true, Konishi-senpai?" she asked with quiet wonder.

Saki nodded. Probably. "I've wanted to leave for a long time now," she said, "but it always seemed impossible. Nanako has a way of making the impossible possible, though… I don't know how she does it."

"I just offered you a place. It's no biggie."

Yukiko seemed to be mulling over something else, though. "But… your family…" She trailed off.

"You guys are amazing," Marie said all of a sudden. "Do you always live like this?"

"Huh?" pretty much all of them said.

"Too sudden. Sorry." Marie adjusted her helmet—it was green and didn't match her bag at all—before continuing. "I was just surprised. You struggle so much to find out what you can do and what you want to do. To find out who you are, and your place in the world. I thought it was just me."

"It's the same for all of us," Rise said. "I think… that's what it means to be human."

"Human, huh?" Marie said, and for a moment the silence seemed a sound of its own. "...Sounds like a drag."

"You said it," Nanako agreed.

---

Okina was surprisingly not teeming with Yasogami students wanting a break from their exams, which was kinda weird, but who cares, right? Nanako leaned against the Vespa and stared at her girlfriends inquisitively.

"Where to first?"

"I haven't been here in forever," Rise said.

"I've never been here ever," Marie said. "What do you do in a place this big anyway?"

"What, were you trapped in Inaba your whole life?" Rise joked. "Though wait, didn't you say you were from the city?"

"Red did," Marie corrected. What did she and Yukiko talk about, anyway? Obviously not the city. Marie never told her anything about the Velvet Room either, even when asked. Maybe she'd been silent the whole time and that was why Yukiko had scooted closer so often to talk.

"Now that's an amusing visual…" Nanako thought out loud, prompting everyone to look at her. "We could grab some coffee," she suggested smoothly.

"They don't serve the horny coffee here," Yukiko said, "but they do have Mystery Coffee!"

"Wait, what horny coffee?" Saki asked, eyebrow already raised.

"Oh, we had some back in Tatsumi Port Island," Nanako replied.

"You had some," Yukiko said. "I had an ice cream sundae. I don't think they serve that here, either."

"Okay, but what's so horny about the coffee?" Saki pressed.

"It was called the Pheromone Coffee," Nanako explained, "and it made me horny as shit. I honestly think that thing was an aphrodisiac. I should have ordered some for Yosuke."

"Hana-chan with a boner," Saki mused. "Maybe you should have ordered some for Kanji-kun instead. He looks like he's packing."

Rise choked on her saliva and started coughing. Nanako worried for a second, but then the former idol started cackling. "I can't believe we're talking about this!" she said, her voice so high it sounded like a whistle. Clearly she was having a good time already.

"Didn't you get to see him changing anyway, back when we went to the beach?" Nanako asked, totally ignoring Rise.

"Nope. I was too busy looking at you." Saki waggled her eyebrows. Nanako waggled hers back. Marie then put a hand on both their eyebrows to stop it.

"Bored now," she said. "Decide what we're doing already."

"Well, I vote against coffee," Saki said. "Everything that guy makes just knocks you out cold and tastes like piss. Subtle flavors, my ass."

"And here I thought you'd be a coffee buff, Senpai," Nanako said. "The rebellious princess of the liquor store, who secretly longs to be a barista."

"Hey, our liquor is pretty darn good," Saki said, puffing her chest proudly. She had a faraway look on her eyes though, like she was remembering an old joke. Nanako squeezed her arm for support, just in case.

"Maybe we could watch a movie?" Rise suggested after recovering from her laughing fit. "Though Roman Paid Holiday only opens next month… oh, but Kanji-kun mentioned this movie he watched with that guy in glasses last week, we could watch that one."

"Oh yeah, you went studying with them too, didn't you," Nanako murmured, a bit too loud because Rise heard her and took it as a question.

"Sure did! Aika-chan was so cute, you have no idea," Rise said.

"I do, since it was me who invited her," Nanako corrected. "I agree though, she's the cutest, second only to Sou-chan! Too bad she couldn't come with us today."

"Yeah, she mentioned people order a lot of takeout during exam week," Rise said. "So you invited her, huh? How'd that work?"

"Naoto-kun and Kanji-kun were actually studying with us for a bit," Yukiko chimed in. "They didn't want to get their subjects mixed up with ours, so they decided to form their own study group."

"Yeah, more or less," Nanako said, turning back to Rise. "Shirogane-san invited you, Kanji-kun invited the guy in glasses, and I invited Aika-chan!"

"It's so weird how Kanji-kun is friends with that guy now," Rise said. "We actually went to the same middle school, you know."

"What, you and Kanji-kun?" Nanako asked.

"No, me and the guy in glasses," Rise clarified. "He was always so stuck up though, and an upperclassman, so we didn't see each other very much."

"Yeah, I didn't have the best first impression of him either," Nanako admitted. "He seems like a good guy though."

"He's very passionate about studying," Yukiko said. "I suppose that makes him a bit unpopular among our classmates, but… when Mr. Morooka passed away, he was one of the few students mourning the loss."

Nanako's eyes shot up in surprise. "He was?"

Yukiko nodded. It was Nanako's turn to have her arm squeezed, and Saki didn't fail to deliver. Nanako sent her a grateful smile.

"Can we get a move on?" Marie said, and Nanako almost jumped because she'd practically forgotten the girl existed. Man, and she'd been worried about Ayane fading into the background.

"Uh, sure," Nanako said. "Rise-san, what was that movie you said Kanji-kun watched again?"

"I don't actually know the name," Rise admitted. "It seemed to be about dogs though. Kanji-kun was gushing about them. I hadn't seen him smiling that openly since we were kids!"

"He's changed a lot, but also not at all," Nanako said. "Maybe you should reconnect with him sometime, yeah?"

Rise smiled. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan."

"There's a picture of a dog over there," Marie pointed out. It was poster of a shiba inu against a blue backdrop of clouds.

"Oh god, please tell me that's not the same story about that one dog who—" Nanako started, but Saki interrupted her.

"Ssh, don't spoil it for Marie-chan! She probably hasn't watched it."

Marie had stars in her eyes just looking at the poster, so…

"Fine, fine, we can watch it," Nanako relented, rolling her eyes. "Kanji-kun is such a marshmallow. Marie, come on."

---

Marie made a fuss when they were buying tickets—apparently she didn't want anyone paying for her, but she didn't have any money either—but other than that, they had a good time at the movie. It was called Dachiko Story, and by the end of it both Rise and Yukiko were crying. Nanako and Saki started making out halfway through the movie though, so uh, they didn't pay that much attention to the undoubtedly heart wrenching tale.

Marie seemed contemplative on the way out, and Nanako wanted to ask her about it, but before she could, Rise brought up how stylish Marie was.

"That dress is slaying, girl!" she said, giving Marie a slap on the back, or maybe the butt. Nanako didn't know for sure, so she decided it was the butt. Marie just blinked.

"The dress is very nice," Yukiko said, putting a hand to her chin. "Kinda reminds me of…"

"Don't say it," Nanako warned, stifling a laugh. "Yosuke beat you to the punch."

"Hana-chan?" Saki asked, but understanding soon dawned in her eyes. "Oh, right. This was your dress."

"Sure was," Nanako said, "but Marie pulls off the look better than I ever could."

Rise sent Nanako an appraising look.

"I don't think I'd ever seen you outside of the school uniform skirt before today, Nanako-san," she said, "and to be honest, it still feels like you're wearing it."

"Didn't you know? I'm dangerous!" Nanako joked, doing the silly hand sign again.

Rise giggled. "No kidding," she said, "but that's how you dress for parties, huh?"

Nanako quickly took out her phone. "I think I have a selfie here somewhere, hang on…" Sure enough, after some swiping—she really needed get those photos to a computer, her SD card just wasn't big enough—she found a picture she took in the gay club. Both her and Yosuke were completely shit faced, and you could see more of the piano than of either of them, but her dress was still visible, so she showed it to the others.

"How come we don't ever go anywhere this fun?" Saki teased.

"Give it time," Nanako retorted, winking at her girlfriend.

Marie finally got to sneak in a word then. "Take me there," she said, apparently out of her funk already.

"I think you're a little young for that, Marie," Nanako said. "Maybe once you make some more memories, yeah?"

Marie nodded, although everyone else just looked confused. Marie was younger than them? They decided not to comment though, which was great, since she had no idea how to even start opening that can of worms.

"I want more pretty dresses like this," Marie said a few seconds later.

"We could go over to Croco Fur and buy some right now," Rise said, obviously envisioning some sort of movie montage where they all tried a number of wacky outfits, but Marie just shook her head and raised her punched movie ticket.

"No money, huh?" Rise said. "I've been there. Maybe you could get a part time job?"

"I've been thinking the same thing," Nanako said, "but none of the jobs at the board seem to be her style." Folding envelopes in the Velvet Room could maybe work, but what with how weird time was there, Nanako didn't want to risk it. Besides, the pay wasn't even that good.

"Hmmm. Marie-chan lives in the shopping district, right? I mean, she was waiting for you there," Rise said, but she seemed unsure, probably because she hadn't seen Marie doing any waiting whatsoever, and for once, Nanako delighted in not being able to explain why. "Maybe she could get a job with grandma."

"I have been thinking of talking to Kujikawa-san about it," Nanako admitted.

Rise seemed to give it some thought. Grandma Kujikawa probably didn't have enough money to hire part timers. Plus, she had Rise around to help. On the other hand, the shop seemed more popular these days, and having another cute girl around to attract customers wouldn't be so bad, would it? Maybe they could turn it into a maid tofu.

"For now," Rise eventually said, "let's go over there and look at some dresses, shall we? Window shopping can be fun too."

"Don't let your fans hear you say that," Nanako said, and Rise stuck her tongue out at her.

Croco Fur wasn't very far from the theater. In fact, everything in Okina was unusually crowded together by the train station, and Nanako had no idea why. It was supposed to be a city, right? Not another ghost town. Yet no one had ever given her any reason to go anywhere except that main street.

Anyway, as they walked the short distance to the clothing store, Nanako saw something out of the corner of her eye. There were two boys sitting in a bench nearby, and pretty close to each other, at that. Nanako was pretty sure she knew them from somewhere, school probably. Maybe this would be like that time she went people watching with Kanji! It wasn't the same bench, but still, that'd make her day for sure.

She stared intently, not caring at all whether it was creepy, but as the seconds went on, a strange sort of sadness started enveloping her. Maybe she was seeing things. Maybe they were just good friends. That was a good thing, right? Yeah...

Someone tapped her shoulder, and she whirled around in surprise.

"Nanako, are you all right?" Yukiko asked. Nanako hadn't noticed her at all.

"Sorry, I was just…" Nanako sighed. She looked at the boys again. They were still talking. Yukiko followed her gaze but found more questions than answers.

"What's up?" Saki asked suddenly, hugging Nanako from behind. Nanako leaned against her, glad to have her there, then turned her head to Yukiko.

"I was so sure you and Chie were dating," she said. Her voice sounded broken even to her own ears.

Though she was certainly at a loss for words, Yukiko didn't seem surprised. Nanako wasn't sure what she seemed. Not angry. Not offended. The only thing out of the ordinary about her was that although her eyes were set on Nanako, she seemed to be looking somewhere far, far away.

"We're not," she confirmed, her mouth a thin line.

Saki hugged her just a little tighter then, but Nanako didn't have to courage to look at her girlfriend and see what she thought of this mess. Nanako had told her that the two of them, that Chie and Yukiko, were dating. She'd told her. And not just Saki, she realized, but Yosuke too. She'd confirmed something that wasn't even true.

"I don't understand," Nanako admitted. "Ever since you two accepted your Shadows, I thought… and until you said so just now, I kept hoping that it wasn't true, that Chie was just being a prude."

"Nanako…" Yukiko sighed. Nanako couldn't bear to look her in the eyes either, not anymore.

"I thought it was love," she said, utterly defeated.

No one said anything after that. They just stood there in silence, each thinking different things. Nanako didn't want to know what things. It surprised her how much this one thing bothered her. More than defeated, she felt ashamed. Ashamed that she'd spread a baseless rumor, even if only among her friends. Ashamed that she'd never talked to them, really talked to them about it, instead just trusting her own assumptions. Ashamed that she'd been so wrong.

Nanako briefly wondered where Marie and Rise were, but she didn't want to raise her eyes, didn't want to see Yukiko and find out why she wasn't saying anything. They were probably just shopping for clothes anyway.

Eventually, after who knows how much time, Yukiko took one step closer.

"I do love her," she said quietly. Nanako raised her eyes then. "I do, and in the way you're thinking, too," Yukiko went on, "though it used to be stronger."

"They say too much love is poison," said Saki, still hugging Nanako.

Yukiko sighed again. "I don't think they're wrong," she said, "whoever they are."

There was some more silence as Nanako worked her mouth to say what she wanted to say.

"I'm so sorry, Yukiko. I went and assumed something I had no right to. I've always liked to think that there were more people like me out there than I realized, but…" She laughed humorlessly. "I guess that can't always be true."

"Did you and Chie talk about this?" Yukiko asked. "I can't imagine her ever bringing it up, so it must have been you."

Nanako nodded. "Kinda," she said. "Chie was…" How to say this without spilling what the conversation was actually about? "She was worried about her future, and it came up."

That was vague enough, right? Yukiko seemed satisfied, anyway. Probably. Nanako was having a hard time reading her, or for that matter staring at her for too long.

"I think sometimes Chie feels that we're closer than friends, but…"

"She has no point of reference, right?" Saki chimed in.

"And neither do I," Yukiko confirmed, smiling sadly.

They all sighed.

The worst part was there wasn't even a way to give either of them a point of reference, outside of letting them earn life experience on their own.

"It's strange that Chie didn't talk to me about her future," Yukiko said, "but maybe it's for the best. Rather than be glued together, we can find our own paths."

"That's true, but..." Nanako made a helpless gesture. "I want love to win. It's supposed to win, right? That's how it is in the movies. But life isn't like a movie at all."

"I will say this, Nanako," Yukiko said. "I wouldn't have even thought about this without you. Your relationship with Saki-it's not exactly what I'd want for myself, I think, but the way you support each other is enviable. And although it isn't perfect, Chie is doing better as a friend."

"Yeah?" Nanako hazarded.

"I told her I was going with you instead of studying with her, and she didn't protest at all."

"Maybe there's some hope yet," Nanako said with a weak smile.

"Maybe," Yukiko said, but they both knew those were empty words. With only a squeeze on the arm as comfort, they headed back to the others. Nanako didn't check whether the bench boys had kissed before going into the store.

There, she found a very contemplative Marie, staring at nowhere in particular.

"Everything all right?" Nanako asked, giving Marie what she hoped was a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Yeah…" Marie murmured. Nanako wasn't convinced, but before she could say anything, Rise pulled them both into a hug.

"I know," she said. "That movie was way too sad, right?"

"Did you think so?" Marie asked.

"Of course!" Rise said. "The poor dog waited and waited, but his owner would never come back."

"Not unless he was a zombie," Nanako joked while trying to extricate herself from the hug. Rise had a freaking death grip! "I don't think the dog would have liked that."

"Forget the dog," Marie said. "The owner… he passed away, but was still remembered. He kept on living through his memory, and this memory shaped the world in a way his life never could. Is that what death is?"

It was a day for deep topics, apparently. Nanako wasn't sure she was up for this, not after that melancholic conversation with Yukiko just a moment before, but she tried her best. "Life goes on, with or without you," she said. "But yeah, that doesn't mean your life stops having an effect on those you left behind."

"And not just on those mourning your loss," Saki said. "Though they may be the most personally impacted."

"Memory is a powerful thing," Yukiko said. "I've heard it said that being forgotten is worse than death."

"Forgotten, huh..." Marie was making an expression somewhere between a frown and a pout. "You think the Nose is gonna forget me someday?"

"He's timeless," Nanako said. "He's probably forgotten more than we'll ever know. But I don't think he'll forget the important things."

"Like?".

He called me special, Nanako thought. She remembered how she'd been so proud of that, way back when. "All his guests," she answered. "I think you count as one, staying with them the way you are."

"Excuse me," Rise said, "but what are you talking about?"

Nanako and Marie exchanged a look. "Where Marie lives," Nanako said, "and who she lives with."

"I wouldn't call it living," Marie muttered. "We're just... there."

"Oh, strict family, huh?" Rise said. "That's always a drag."

"On the bright side," Marie said. She looked at Nanako with mischief in her eyes.

"Hmm?" Nanako prompted.

"There's plenty of booze."

Nanako punched Marie lightly on the arm, then snorted and began to laugh. Marie was starting to know her pretty well. Someone like her, well, Nanako would never forget.

---

[10/19: Wednesday]

Nanako walked out of the last exam with a profound sense of relief. It was over. They'd survived.

"I can't believe your hair made me get a question right," Chie told Yosuke while they headed towards the stairs. "Who knew dragon's blood was pink."

"You really used that?" Yosuke shook his head. The pink lock swayed with the motion.

"Visuals always help with memory," Yukiko said. "I remembered that Napoleon ordered the invention of glass jars by drawing the French flag in a jar in my notes."

"I don't even know what the French flag looks like," Nanako admitted, "but if it helped you remember, that's all that matters!"

"I just straight-up memorized that," Yosuke said. "Same with the dragon's blood thing."

"Some people are good at that, too. Anyway, it seems like we all got that question right. I'm feeling good about our scores this time."

"A good boost to our morale," Yosuke said. "Group and individual."

"I think it's time to celebrate," said Chie. "What do you say to a round of steak skewers?"

"I'll pass," Nanako said. "My brain is pooped."

"Suit yourself. It was going to be on me."

"What, Chie actually paying for once?" Yosuke feigned scandal. "Is the world ending?"

"I take it back," Chie said. "I'm only paying for myself and Yukiko."

"I can't spoil my appetite for dinner," Yukiko said.

"Aww... one of these days, Yukiko, I will make you eat steak!"

"You swear it by the blood of a dragon," Yosuke joked.

"Darn right!"

They all laughed and headed downstairs. Nanako parted ways with them outside the school, planning to head right home. This week had been rough (hell, not just this week...), and she needed to relax. A bath, she decided. A nice long one with soaks and Souji. Of course she'd have to wait for him to come home from cram school, but that was okay. Maybe she could bring Naoto too if he wasn't busy at the station.

Unfortunately, she'd rushed home for nothing, since no one was home, but at least it gave her time to put away her school things and get ready for the evening to come. She spied Foxy sitting on the stairs on the way to her room. She gave the toy a little grin and picked it up. Hmm, but Foxy couldn't come into the bath with them. Even the most luxurious shampoo would be bad for her plushy fur. Still, maybe she could watch?

Nanako was deciding whether that would be cute or creepy when the front door opened. "We're home," Aunt Seta said. Nanako ran down the stairs and nearly ran smack into Souji, who giggled and hugged her legs.

"Sou-chan!" Nanako said, motioning to pick him up but going for a hug instead. Too tired! "No cram school today?" she asked. "Not that I'm complaining. I mean, with exams all day, who wants to think about more school?"

"I-I didn't have exams," Souji admitted sheepishly.

"Good," Nanako said. "I'm too exhausted to think about my own exams, let alone yours. And I still have school tomorrow!"

"Tell me about it," Aunt Seta said with a sigh.

"Work running you ragged, Auntie?"

"Very much so," she replied. "As you know, vacations are the source of all evil. I'm surprised not all of it was on fire when I got back."

"Some of it was though?" Nanako grinned, and Aunt Seta smiled back at her.

"Today can only be improved by a hot bath," Nanako said.

"Oh, definitely," Aunt Seta said. Honestly, it showed. Her hair had loose strands everywhere. Her suit was creased and her face red and damp with sweat, outlining all sorts of wrinkles.

After taking in her aunt's tired appearance, Nanako said, "You get dibs."

"Why, thank you," Aunt Seta said.

Souji made a little sound, and shuffled his feet against the floor. Nanako looked at him, and Aunt Seta followed her gaze.

"Speak up, darling," Aunt Seta said before Nanako could. Though she hadn't said "please," it was way more a request than an order compared to the last few times she'd asked him that.

"M-Mama..." Souji started. He blinked. His fingers were toying with one of the dinosaur clips. "Can we... t-together?"

There was a significant pause. Then, "Of course. Come on, let's get you washed up."

The two headed to the bathroom, and Nanako felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her. Of course it was great that Aunt Seta was stepping up to the plate, but... soaks and Souji! She'd been looking forward to it. Now all she could do was listen to his giggles from the living room.

There was a knock on the front door. Mopey and tired, she was in no mood to socialize with anyone, though she supposed she could muster up some energy to chase off some paparazzi if that's who it happened to be. She figured they'd have learned their lesson by now, though. A professional video camera couldn't easily be written off as an expense to replace.

She sighed and made the short trek to the front door, wondering if she'd ever be okay with Souji answering the door on his own now. Probably not... She paused before the door and asked, "Who is it?"

"Eh, it's just me," came Adachi's voice.

She opened the door. Adachi was grinning sheepishly, or so it would seem. Nanako knew him well enough by now to notice his smile was tight and that there were rings under his eyes. He'd been working overtime too. Heck, when was the last time she'd even seen him?

"You gonna invite me in, or...?"

Nanako shuffled to the side awkwardly. Adachi was probably tired of people scrutinizing him by now. As he was slipping off his shoes, it occurred to her that she should thank him, so she did.

"Eh?" he said, blinking in surprise. "What'd I do?"

"You've been keeping an eye on Auntie. I'm sure she appreciates it. I know I do."

"Just part of the job," he said in an overly chipper manner. Anyone could see he wasn't being honest, but the glint in his eyes told her that he hadn't been trying to fool her anyway.

"Yeah, well, Sou-chan appreciates it too, so don't go feeding him that line," she joked, but his smiled dropped immediately.

"How's the little guy?" he asked.

"He's fine. He and Auntie are bathing at the moment. Wait 'til you see his new look!"

"Hm," he grumbled, but his tiny smile now was more honest than the one he'd walked in with. He then scratched the back of his head and looked around. "Doesn't seem like Ryoko-san is cooking anything."

"Were you looking forward to a home-cooked meal? Has to be miles above the takeout you've been eating everyday."

"Not everyday!" he protested.

"Yeah, I bet the odd cabbage really spices things up."

Adachi huffed. "How do you know that's what I eat, anyway?"

One look at the scruffy detective would tell anyone that, but Nanako was suddenly feeling playful, so she answered, "Because reasons."

"Yeah, reasons," Adachi replied, his ensuing sigh almost a snort. "Shirogane-kun should really stop running his mouth."

"He should be coming home soon too, or so I hope." Nanako glanced at the clock by the counter. Adachi got there awful fast considering she hadn't heard a car. "I don't know what Auntie is planning for tonight. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to see you today either. Does she even know?"

"I did text her," Adachi said.

"Calling is better," Nanako said. "It's more personal that way. Besides, texts are easily ignored. You read it once and then totally forget, and then it's marked read so you don't look back at it again."

"Point," Adachi said, "but she texted back, so she didn't ignore it. I mean, I wouldn't have come over if she hadn't said I could. I'm not that kind of guy."

"I'm sure she would've loved to hear your voice, though," Nanako said with a smirk.

"Yeah, sure," he said vaguely, something else apparently on his mind. Not the reaction she was expecting! His mouth quirked and then he asked, "Is she doing all right?"

"You can ask her yourself," Nanako said. Someone was fumbling with the doorknob, so... "Here they come."

On cue, Aunt Seta walked out of the bathroom, looking far more relaxed than she'd been when she came home. Her hair was down and looking pretty nice despite being damp. She shook her head to get some strands out of her face, a meet cute if Nanako had ever seen one. She would have turned to Adachi to gauge his reaction, except Souji walked out of the bathroom then, glowing with happiness, smiling like he'd never suffered a day in his life, and Nanako knew it was because he'd spent some time with his mom. It was almost enough to placate her melancholy over not bathing with him herself. Almost.

Aunt Seta smiled a warm smile upon seeing Adachi. "Tohru," she said, "I'm so glad you could make it."

Souji glowed even brighter somehow as he rushed headlong into Adachi's legs, nearly knocking him back a step. Adachi looked confused, not at all expecting such affection. He moved for a hug but withdrew at the last second, patting Souji's head awkwardly instead. "Hey, champ," he said.

"Sou-chan," Nanako said. "You gotta let him see your hair!"

With a bashful giggle, Souji stepped away and looked up at Adachi, who appraised the undercut and ever-present dinosaur clips. Souji was also wearing a loose-fitting play shirt and comfy pants.

"It suits you," Adachi concluded, and Souji danced in place. It reminded her of Yuuta… she hadn't seen him in a little while either.

"The bath is now free, Nanako-chan," Aunt Seta said. "You might as well take one before dinner."

"Oh, sure," Nanako said, glancing at Souji, who was now deep in conversation with Adachi, telling him all about how he went to the hot springs with so many people: big sis, and big bro, and Mama, and Uncle, and Partner, and Kanji-san, and how he wanted to go with Adachi too. It was cute, both to see Souji so animated and to see Adachi trying his best to follow along. Maybe it was okay that she couldn't have Souji time today.

It wasn't okay, she decided as she descended into the hot water a short time later. She'd put one of the toys, a boat, in the water, and poked it with a finger, not enjoying in the least how it bobbed in the water. She couldn't push it to Souji and expect him to push it back to her, like he always did, or pick it up and drop it into the water again like he sometimes did. It'd make a nice little splash and he'd giggle… she was going to miss that sound.

The bathroom door opened. Nanako was totally unconcerned. She didn't try to protect her modesty or anything. Instead she peered over the tub. "Yeah?" she asked.

Souji was waving at her. "Big sisssss!"

"Wh-What are you doing here, Sou-chan?" Nanako asked with a grin. "You already had a bath!"

"S-So? I can take... m-more..."

"Honey, no..." Nanako tried to stifle her laughter as Souji began to pull off his shirt. "You'll get all wrinkly if you get another. I can't let you turn into a raisin!"

Not-so-secretly, of course, she was elated that he wanted to be here with her too. "I asked Mama... and she said it was okay!"

Aunt Seta did? Pff, she must have noticed her misery.

"A-And I wanted Adachi-san to come too... but Mama said no," he finished with a cute little frown.

Nanako shuddered. Adachi-san, naked in the bath with her? Her standards were low, but she still had them!

"S-So it's just me!" Souji declared, finally succeeding in pulling the shirt off and continuing with the rest of his clothes. Soon she was helping him into the tub with her, though her hands slipped and she tickled him a little on the way. He hadn't remembered to take the dinosaur clips off when undressing, but she figured there was no harm in getting them a little wet.

"Big sis..." He looked down at his fingers. He made a scissors motion, copying the sign that had been on the TV special. Then he looked up at Nanako. "Do you have a t-tattoo? For your gang?"

"Nah. But wouldn't it be cool if I got a big blue dragon on my back?"

"Y-Yeah! But... then people would be more scared of you..."

"It'd be hard to go to the beach or the hot springs," Nanako agreed, "and I wouldn't give that up for anything. There's a public bath near my home in Tokyo that we totally gotta go to!"

Nanako faltered for a second, recalling that Tokyo had been a big part of Souji's Shadow, but Souji was grinning happily up at her. It wasn't like she could avoid mentioning it. It was a reality he—they—would have to face.

"Oh, but, my mom's got a bunch of friends with tattoos," Nanako added.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, overseas. Over there, it doesn't necessarily mean they're with a gang or the Yakuza or anything. Sometimes they get tattoos just because they think it looks pretty. And sometimes they think they're really cool and get a tattoo of a kanji, but since they don't know Japanese they get the wrong one. Like they want a tattoo that means 'love' but end up with the kanji for 'butt' instead."

Souji giggled. Then he hummed. "Kanji-san... had one, but now it's gone."

"I think he realized he didn't need it," Nanako said. She was proud of Kanji, but had to admit that skull on his shoulder had been badass.

"Oh!" Souji said suddenly. "I drew on Yuu-chan... with a marker. It was a dinosaur."

"Are you saying you tattooed your friend?"

Souji giggled in confirmation. Nanako shook her head. Kids with markers, man... Yuuta's mom was probably lucky it stopped at a dinosaur.

Something bumped into her left boob. She looked down to find the toy boat bobbing there. Souji was grinning shyly at her. He'd pushed it at her, so she pushed it back, and then they played with it just like old times.

By the time the bath was over, Nanako was rejuvenated, and Souji, well, he was squeaky clean! She made sure to clean behind his ears, having a feeling Aunt Seta might have neglected that. The way he made a face at her when she scrubbed him there implied he wasn't used to it.

They exited the bath together to be surrounded by the scent of pan fried salmon and homemade teriyaki sauce. Aunt Seta really was cooking tonight. Nanako's mouth watered. She didn't realize how hungry she was.

Adachi was sitting at the dining room table, chatting with Naoto, who must've arrived while they'd been in the bath. Aunt Seta was part of the conversation too, even as she cooked. It was a surprisingly light-hearted atmosphere that made the exams Nanako suffered through this morning only a distant memory.

"Adachi-san," Souji spoke up.

"Yeah, little guy?" Adachi peered down at him.

"Is big bro... teaching you to be soft boiled?"

Adachi snorted through his nose in surprise. He glanced at Naoto. "What is that supposed to mean?" but Naoto was hiding a smile behind his hand.

"I do believe," Naoto said, "he would need to grow out his hair to achieve the appropriate look."

Now Adachi laughed. "Are you kidding me? I'd look like a yankee. Only you could pull off that bishounen look, Shirogane-kun."

"It is starting to get long," Nanako said.

Naoto touched his hair. "Perhaps I'll let it grow."

"Wh-what about... h-hairclips?" Souji asked.

"Only YOU can pull that off, little guy," Adachi said.

"N-no, Yuu-chan can too! I gave him some..."

Adachi laughed. "Soon the dinosaurs will take over the school. It'll just be you, your little friends and a baseball bat against the dinosaur apocalypse..."

"I-I can make friends with the dinosaurs."

"You just want to ride the pterodactyls!"

Souji's face flushed. "M-maybe..."

Nanako was the one to laugh this time. "I missed you, Adachi-san," she said. Adachi raised his eyebrows, then scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.

"I missed you all too," he replied, sounding relieved somehow.

"I have to admit, I was expecting you to be the cop assigned to us," Nanako said.

"Would you have given me tofu?" he asked jokingly, but then his expression turned sour. Nanako could tell he was playing with the lighter inside his pocket.

"I know," she interrupted. "Conflict of interest, right?"

It took him a moment to respond.

"Y-Yeah," he finally said, looking pointedly at Souji.

"You were around to help when we needed you," Aunt Seta reassured him from the kitchen.

"Don't think I could have trashed those reporters any better," Adachi joked. "Inaba beware."

"C'mon, you too?!" Nanako asked, faking outrage.

"You handled that much more gracefully than I did," he said, turning serious in an instant. Aunt Seta stopped her cooking and made her way to the table. She brought a hand to Adachi's shoulder and, to Nanako's surprise, he accepted it, taking it into his own for a few seconds. Just what had they all gone through after Uncle Seta passed?

The mood was right. Maybe it was finally time to ask? But as she was about to open her mouth to speak, she spied Souji, smiling happily at them. Perceptive as he was, he was still a little boy. He was just happy they were all getting along. She couldn't bring herself to risk ruining that, and soon after, the moment passed. Aunt Seta went back to her cooking and Souji started talking to Adachi about something. Lost in her thoughts, Nanako only heard the last part:

"...a-and it bonked him in the head."

"I did see that fancy new ride out front," Adachi remarked. "I knew it couldn't be Ryoko's... or could it? She's always pulling my leg."

Aunt Seta playfully waved a wooden spoon at him.

"Pink isn't quite her color," Nanako said.

"B-But big sis," Souji piped up, "it is!"

"Huh?"

"I believe," Naoto said, "he is saying that pink is Seta-san's favorite color."

"Is it really?" Nanako asked.

"Sheesh," Adachi said. "Even I knew that."

"So you and Yuu-chan share a favorite color. I really had no idea. I thought it was purple."

"It's both," Aunt Seta said. "Pink and purple and all the shades in between. But that hardly matters, does it?"

"Adachi-san," Nanako whispered. "Time to break out that pink tie again."

Souji made a funny noise then, and ran to his room. Everyone watched after him, wondering what it was about. When he returned, he went right to Adachi and handed him something. Adachi set it on the table so they could all see.

A pink dinosaur hair clip.

"I already told you, I can't pull off that look, little guy," Adachi said. "And I thought you'd said you'd given them all to your friend."

"There were plenty in the package," Nanako said.

With a resigned sigh, Adachi clipped it to his tie. "This will have to do."

Nanako probably whipped out her phone in record time. She couldn't help it. Souji was beaming up at Adachi, who was looking a bit flustered, with Aunt Seta right behind them wearing a foxy grin. It was picture perfect.

---

[10/20: Thursday]

The guy in glasses stood at the desk at the front of the room and addressed the class, but not before adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat. "All right. We were given this free period to discuss what we'll be doing for the upcoming Culture Festival. Please submit your suggestions now."

The class collectively mulled it over, without giving him a clear suggestion. Many students just shrugged in response.

"Any ideas?" he said, a little more desperately.

Nanako drummed her fingers on her desk. Ideas? Oh, she had ideas all right... but none of them welcome in a school environment.

She glanced around and spied Yukiko playing with a fan she'd made out of notebook paper. It inspired her to suggest, "How about a haunted house?" The way the fan stilled at the suggestion made Nanako grin to herself.

"Classroom 1-3 is already doing that," the guy in glasses said with a sigh. "Anything else?"

"I don't know." Yosuke shrugged in an exaggerated way. Too bad he was wearing the winter uniform now, Nanako thought. A shrug like that in a v-neck would show off his greatest features... "How about a group date cafe?"

"Who'd even want to do that?" said Chie. "I don't wanna date anyone from this school."

Yukiko held the paper fan close to her face, probably hiding a frown.

"A group date is lame," said another boy. "Maid cafe, now we're talking."

"Nice," said Yosuke, winking at no one in particular.

There were murmurs of assent. "The girls in maid dresses, hell yes!" said a boy.

"I wouldn't mind wearing that," a girl agreed.

Nanako shook her head. When the other students noticed, all eyes were on her. "Only if the boys wear skirts too!" she declared, raising a fist into the air.

"Fair enough," said Yosuke. Some of the other boys were looking thoughtful too.

"I'll have you know I make a lovely maid," someone said. "But... only when I add cat ears and a tail."

"Hmm," said one of the boys. "I'm not sure I want to see Nanako-san in a maid uniform. Even with cat ears."

"Yeah," another agreed. "She'd look like the sort of maid who'd be the culprit in a mystery novel."

Nanako threw an eraser at him. "That's the butler, you doof."

"I don't want to do a maid cafe," said Chie, ever the party pooper.

"Then you suggest something," Nanako said.

Chie was taken aback for a second, but then she grinned mischievously. Nanako couldn't remember seeing that on her before. "How about a kissing booth? I'm sure everyone wants to kiss the Demon of Inaba!"

Nearly the entire class shuddered. Nanako took note of the ones who didn't. You know, for a rainy day. A couple of students made the gang sign at each other from across the room and grinned. The guy in glasses glared at them for it.

"S-Speaking of the D-Demon," said a quiet voice from the back of the room. "How is your little cousin doing?"

Nanako turned around in her seat. The one who'd spoken was the shy girl. Nanako tilted her head, thinking, and then said. "He's doing well. He loved your card."

The shy girl fidgeted, but smiled. "He was... really cute," she murmured.

"Thank you for the card," Nanako said. She looked around the room. "Not just you, but everyone. They really meant a lot. To him, and to me, and his family."

"The light of your life," Yosuke said quietly, so that only she could hear.

"We should invite him to the school again," said a girl. "His class too. That presentation was adorable."

Nanako nodded. "He had a great time here. I want to play the piano for him again sometime."

"I liked the kid you called to on stage before him," someone said. "You know, the one who was Neptune. I wonder what his name was."

"Yuuta-kun," Nanako answered, only barely stopping herself from calling him Yuu-chan.

"My little brother goes to the same daycare as him," a boy added. "All he can talk about is 'Boss this' and 'Boss that.' That's you, right? It's annoying but... also kinda funny."

Nanako cracked a smile. "It was just a joke," she said, "but you know how kids are. They loved it."

"Your cousin really is cute," said a girl. "And, honestly? It was adorable how you kept saying 'that's my cousin' during his presentation. I really love it when my own big sis is proud of me, so... I bet he was happy too."

"Y-Yeah," Nanako said, choking up with emotion all of a sudden.

"You know, that TV special was really over the top," said a boy.

"Inaba beware," Yosuke said in a goofy voice. Obviously that had been his favorite line. There was some laughter, and Nanako chuckled too.

"I remember when the camera crews came to the school," a girl said. "Most of us tried to ignore them, but they were really in your face. They took one of my senpai's words totally out of context to push their agenda."

"Sensational news always has to have that spectacle," the guy in glasses said. Nanako blinked at him for contributing—hadn't the conversation derailed?—but found him smiling at her.

"Did you really beat up that camera crew?" someone asked.

"Only after they tried to film my cousin," Nanako answered. "After what he went through, he didn't need their attention."

"I agree," said the guy in glasses, and there were nods among her classmates.

The mood lightened, getting back on topic, one of the boys said, "Yeah, I'd be down for a kissing booth."

His friend, the boy who'd wanted Rise to autograph his butt, said, "You just want to kiss all the girls!"

"Well," Nanako said, "whoever's there is gonna have to kiss boys too, you know."

The boy grinned cheekily. "I'd be down for that too!"

"I really wanted to dress as a maid though..." said a girl.

There was a short pause, and then Yukiko waved her fan, gathering everyone's attention. "Why don't we do both?" she suggested, one eyebrow raised.

"A maid kissing booth?"

"Not quite," Yukiko said. "A combination of booth and cafe. The kissing booth can attract customers, and after the kissing part is done they can stay and get a refreshing beverage from a lovely maid."

"A-And..." the shy girl spoke up. "And some cookies too." When people turned to look at her, she flushed a little. "I like to bake..."

"Sounds good to me," the guy in glasses said. "But we'll have to decide on someone to man the booth. Shall we put it to a vote?"

Nanako raised her hand and then pointed at him. "I vote for you!"

While the boy recoiled in surprise, over half the class raised their hands in agreement. He shook his head. "No, not me."

"That's right," the shy girl said. "We... We shouldn't make anyone do it who doesn't want to."

"Oh, you don't want to?" Nanako asked with affected innocence. "I think it'd be a great experience for anyone."

"I don't need the experience," the guy in glasses said before quickly correcting himself. "T-That is, I need to oversee the event, so I can't be at the booth."

"Darn," Nanako said with a grin. "I'll get you yet!" She leaned back in her seat, thinking. "How about you, Yukiko? Care to give up the Amagi Challenge?"

"N-No!" Chie squeaked.

Yukiko looked thoughtful, however, and didn't answer immediately. "I shouldn't," she finally decided. "What if it only makes them come back for more?"

"Fair enough," Nanako said. She drummed her nails on the top of her desk and glanced around. Her eyes alighted on a pink streak. "Yosuke?"

As he was about to reply, a girl said, "Only if he doesn't open his mouth!"

He clamped his mouth shut, then chuckled. He shrugged at Nanako.

Nanako said, "I hear from a reliable source that he's a good kisser. He'd do great."

"I don't know, man," said the butt autograph boy. "I'm not sure I want to kiss Yosuke."

"I thought you were down with kissing other boys!" Nanako pointed out, feeling very betrayed.

"I got standards!"

In response, Yosuke got up, walked all the way to the guy's table, put a hand around his head and planted a firm kiss on his cheek. The entire class gasped, and butt boy sent Yosuke a look that was somewhere between intrigued and offended, but Yosuke just winked at him.

"Well, I don't," he said. "Have standards, that is. I used to, but after meeting a certain someone…"

His eyes trailed to Nanako, who then threw another eraser at him. To her surprise, he caught it. Those knife tricks he did were pretty good reflex training, as it turned out. The class waited for a fight to break out, but after a few seconds, they both shared a hearty laugh. Hopefully he'd return the eraser to her later, she was running out.

"I think she's been a good influence on you," said the girl who'd told him to keep his mouth shut, looking at him with newfound appreciation.

Nanako and Yosuke exchanged incredulous looks, then stared at the girl.

"As if!" they both said at the same time, laughing even harder.

Nanako spied the butt boy still touching his cheek, mumbling something like "what the hell, man." She hadn't expected Yosuke to tease him like that, and it made her giddy that it happened.

"Maybe you could spread that good influence around," said the class rep, "and man the kissing booth yourself, as Chie-san suggested."

"I'm game," Nanako said without missing a beat, "but when you put it like that, you kinda make it sound like what I'm really spreading is STDs."

That was it. The whole class lost it. Nanako heard the shy girl say, "N-Nanako-san, that's terrible!" amidst wheezing laughter, and even the guy in glasses had trouble maintaining his composure. Yosuke was grinning at her, and Yukiko was shaking her head with a smile on her face. Oh man, she couldn't wait to tell the others!

"I'm warning you, though," she said as the laughter subsided. "There better be a 50/50 girl to boy ratio, or I'm kissing every last one of you when you least expect it!"

---

Nanako remained at school after the dismissal bell rang. She had a few more plans for the Culture Festival. She'd talked them over with the guy in glasses, and he approved (not that she'd have backed down if he didn't...). Now she just needed permission from a teacher to enact them, so she made her way down to the faculty office, hoping to find Ms. Sofue there, as she was the most agreeable one of the bunch.

Luck wasn't with her, however, because when she entered the office, the only one there was Ms. Kashiwagi, standing there looking miserable while staring at the coffee mug in her hands.

As soon as she noticed Nanako, though, she returned to her usual... exuberant... self, turning a wary eye on Nanako, but maybe not as wary as she would have done a few months ago. "Yes, what is it?"

Nanako honestly hoped not to hear any social link sounds as she approached the woman. "There's a grand piano in the music club room," she answered. "I'd like to play it for everyone on the last day of the Culture Festival."

"Music club? Why, you're not even a member."

"That's because the club president is an asshole," Nanako said flatly, "but my friends Yosuke and Ayane are members, and they'd play with me."

"Your mother," Ms. Kashiwagi started. Nanako dearly wanted to make an inappropriate joke, but knew it wouldn't help her cause, so she just waited for her to continue. "She plays very well..."

"I'm not in her league at all," Nanako said. "But I can still make some beautiful music."

"I'm sure you could," Ms. Kashiwagi said, "granted that old thing even works."

"It does, after a lot of effort on my part," Nanako said. "It still needs a professional to service it, but like I said, asshole club president."

"Well, I don't see why not. Just be sure to have the sheet music ready and to get some practice in before the event. We can't have you shaming the school, you know. No further than you already have. I've heard about that foursome..."

Ms. Kashiwagi was sizing her up.

"Everyone's heard about it," Nanako said. "But you know what? I'd never do that to a precious musical instrument. Even one as moth-eaten as that one is."

That was the right answer. Ms. Kashiwagi was nodding at her. "Your mother would've taught you to treat such things with respect. Go ahead and play it with your friends and make the school proud."

"I will. Thanks."

Nanako turned to leave, but felt a weight in her pocket. Hoping against hope it wasn't a social link thing, she took it out, only to find the picture she'd taken of Kashiwagi, way back when the kids performed for the school. Oh right…

Hell, maybe it was a social link thing, because Nanako had been planning to give it to her, but not now, and it felt a bit too coincidental that she had it on her person right now.

Whatever. With a mental sigh, she took it out of her pocket and turned back to the teacher. "Actually, Ms. Kashiwagi, there's something else."

Ms. Kashiwagi blinked and put down her coffee to accept the picture, squinting down at it in a way that would probably give her more wrinkles. "Oh," she said, then she smiled. "Well, this turned out nice!"

"Yeah, you look great," Nanako said. "Modest, even."

Ms. Kashiwagi hummed to herself, pleased. The way she looked then would've made another nice picture, actually. "You know," she said, tapping the edge of the photo against her cheek. "There's time before the festival starts. We should be able to find a professional to take a look at that piano..."

"Really?!" Nanako exclaimed before she could stop herself. "That'd make my day. My week. My month, even!"

"You really wanted this, hmm? I'll see what I can do."

"Please," Nanako said, "and thank you!"

---

[10/21: Friday]

Entering the TV world from the Amagi Inn was a hell of a lot easier than Junes, mostly because the TV was right there. Sure, there were still customers to avoid, but at least the inn guests never asked for a price check or why something wasn't on sale.

In fact, it was almost too easy.

"Easy for you, maybe," Yosuke complained when Nanako brought it up. "I had to take the bus all the way out here. You know they only come by once every hour."

"Well, whose fault is it for wanting to buy, and I quote, 'a sleek new model'?" Nanako teased, poking him in the ribs.

"I just haven't decided yet!" Yosuke defended, both verbally and physically. He was very ticklish, after all, heh heh heh...

"It doesn't matter what model it is if you're just gonna crash it into Shadows anyway. Which," Nanako added, raising a finger dramatically, "is a really stupid idea!"

"I wasn't planning to do that," Yosuke said. "I just thought they'd be cool to bring in here, since the dungeons are so far away now. We could just breeze past all the Shadows and get where we're going in no time."

Yukiko stared into the fog with a terrible (and theatrical) sense of dread. "If we did that, the Shadows would be the least of our problems," she said.

"Do you all really have so little faith in me?!"

"No, man," said Kanji, bringing a reassuring arm to his shoulder, "just your driving skills."

Yosuke tried to look hurt for a second, but ended up snorting out a laugh. "At this rate, you're never gonna trust me with Souji, huh Nanako?"

"Well, as long as he has his helmet on, and you're only doing the speed limit, then maybe it'd be okay."

Having said that, Chie's words echoed in her head: 'He'd ride it right into the river. Into the river… Into the river… Into the river…'

"Into the river… Into the river…" the real Chie whispered in her ear, and Nanako swatted her away, giggling all the while.

"Maybe you should just buy him swim floats then," Yosuke suggested, meaning to huff in protest but then suddenly taken with the resulting mental image. Souji would look so cute in those! They all contemplated it for a hot minute before being politely brought back into reality by Naoto.

"Ahem," the detective said. "Fascinating as though this discussion has been, our time is limited."

"Right," said Nanako. They had a goal today: to work hard and clear out Souji's dungeon. First order of business: glasses straps! Nanako had bought a bunch from Old Lady Shiroku the last time it rained. Turns out she had a lot of them, isn't that strange? It was supposed to be a snack store! Though she did sell medicine too. Nanako guessed maybe she thought glasses were a fad and it didn't work out. She tried her best to coordinate the colors to match their friend's glasses, but there weren't any orange ones so Yosuke was stuck with a green the same shade as Chie's. It matched him well enough. His Persona was a frog, after all!

Once everyone's glasses were properly secured, it was time to make the long trip to the backlot. Yosuke wasn't wrong about the distance at all. Entering from the inn led them right to, well, where Mayumi Yamano had died. The backlot had been eerie but it had nothing on this place, with all its faceless posters and the scarf noose hanging right there. It wouldn't make for a pleasant base of operations, but what choice did they have?

Before they even went to Souji's dungeon, they had to relocate all their stuff from the backlot. Over the year they had tossed a lot of supplies into the Junes television. Fresh towels, bottles of water, various snacks, a few changes of clothes, an impressive assortment of tiger print underwear, not to mention their weapons. Save for hers, the ones they'd been using had been totally busted during the nightmare that was Souji's kidnapping, and they hadn't had the time to visit Daidara since, so they would have to make do with some older ones for the time being.

"Naoto will have the gun we found for him at least," Chie said.

"Good point," Nanako said with a nod.

"Don't worry, Naoto-kun," Yukiko said, noticing Naoto's somewhat hesitant expression. "I know some of the weapons we find here can be rather garish, but yours was an impressive looking revolver."

Naoto tipped his cap, trying to hide a smile. "Good," he said simply. "Though, explaining how I acquired such a weapon might be difficult."

"You can just keep it here if it's too badass," Nanako said. "Not like your old gun got damaged like everyone's weapons, right?"

"The cylinder was charred, either from overuse or from blocking some sort of fire attack, but the gun remains functional, yes," Naoto confirmed.

"My naginata is fine too, obviously," Nanako said, raising it for everyone to see. "I only had to fight the one time using it."

Yosuke made a face. "Man, I can't imagine you going through all those crazed Shadows with just a knife…"

"Yeah well," Nanako said, making her way outside, "I'm just glad I had it."

Nanako paused outside the door and put her hands on the nearby railings, gazing at the fog for a few moments. Mayumi's apartment was relatively high up in the building, and last time she'd seen… well, she knew she wouldn't be able to see it again now. Though their special glasses allowed them to see through the fog, having the fog itself lifted was an entirely different experience. Nanako wasn't quite sure how, but if she had to put it into words, there was a certain static that was missing that day, allowing her to see farther and more clearly than ever before, and it wasn't until this very moment that she noticed it, how dark the shadows were, how sharp the colors could be in that strange world.

"Like a TV that needs tuning," Yosuke murmured next to her. So he'd noticed it too. She wasn't surprised.

"Did you see it too?" she asked simply.

Yosuke nodded. He was the only one other than her who remembered, after all.

"Red tiled floor."

---

By the time they were done moving everything, the squad was drenched in sweat. Yosuke, Nanako and Chie took off their shirts and jackets, while Kanji, who wasn't wearing the latter to begin with, simply pushed his shirt behind his neck. Naoto took off his coat, and even fiery Yukiko decided to ditch the red cardigan. It was the most underdressed they'd been since the bathhouse, although Naoto hadn't been with them at the time. Nanako could tell the others were thinking about it though. Yosuke and Kanji kept fiddling with their belts, while Chie was making a very pointed effort not to look in their general direction.

Naoto, for his part, seemed completely unbothered. Obviously he wasn't going to undress in front of them, but like Kanji had said in the hot springs, he'd seen worse.

"It's getting harder to breathe in here," Nanako said, voicing what all of them had thought at some point or another.

"Indeed," Naoto said, taking some deep breaths himself. "Almost as though we're in a higher altitude."

"Yeah. I don't feel like I'm breathing in smoke or anything, it's just…" she trailed off.

"Like the air's heavy," Yosuke finished for her.

"It wasn't like this when we rescued Souji-kun," said Yukiko. "We'd never have made the round trip if it was."

"That means it's definitely the fog," Nanako pointed out, to nods of agreement. If there was any other explanation, they weren't seeing it.

"I know it's not over, but I'm glad we caught Namatame when we did," Chie said. "If we're having this much trouble, just think about what it could do to a normal person."

Nanako nodded grimly; she didn't need to think about it. If she closed her eyes, she could still hear the beeps in that hospital room. How much longer would it have taken for him to wake up if he'd been exposed to the fog?

"Crazy how much crap we got up to that day," Kanji mumbled absently.

"Yeah, no kidding," Chie said, then turned to Nanako. "Everyone in town thinks you're some kind of hero for catching Namatame, but they don't even know the half of it!"

"Not everyone in town," Nanako argued, doing the scissory hand sign her girlfriend had invented for her gang.

Yosuke snorted. Nanako almost thought he was gonna do his silly 'Inaba bewaaaare' voice again, but suddenly he looked put out.

"Better than no one in town," he said, using his shirt to wipe sweat from his face. "I caught a guy too, you know, but you don't hear anyone calling me a hero."

"I'm sorry, Yosuke-kun, but it was just not that impressive," said Yukiko, ever able to drive a knife through the hearts of men with just a few words.

Yosuke actually flinched. "How was it not impressive?!"

"I mean," Chie said, awkwardly scratching her head, "your story was that you caught Kubo more or less by accident while coming in for a morning shift. Nanako's story is that she heroically chased the culprit, who was carrying her baby cousin the entire time, to the outskirts of town, on foot, and then beat him into submission SO BAD that he's still not up from the concussions. I think we have a clear winner here."

"We shoulda thought you a better story, eh Senpai?" Kanji said, trying to comfort Yosuke.

"They have no idea how dramatic it really was," he grumbled.

"A climactic storm confrontation on the Samegawa Bridge," Naoto chipped in.

"I got punched off my bike!" he lamented.

"We broke into Junes," Yukiko added helpfully.

"Had to split up and make it through a whole corn maze in one night," Kanji reflected.

"Got our asses kicked by a giant monster baby," Chie said, recoiling at the memory.

"Teddie DIED!" Yosuke yelled, raising his arms in exasperation, then putting them over his eyes to hide his tears.

"If only they knew how cool it was," Nanako said without any emotion, remembering only her own mistakes. "If only they knew."

There was a moment of silence as everyone thought back on that day. It was the day everything changed. For the better, maybe, but at what cost? Nanako had found out the hard way there was no point thinking about it.

Yosuke himself broke the silence: "...and I got a text message from my dad right before we got into the TV World and spent the entire time worried about what it might be."

Nanako couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, what a nightmare," she said, and she meant it.

"What was it, anyway?" asked Chie. "I remember you bitching about it in the dungeon."

"He was just asking me to get on the morning shift," Yosuke said dismissively. "Same old story, some asshole gets sick all of a sudden and I have to scramble to cover them last minute."

"Oh," said Naoto, blinking hard in disbelief. "So your father's testimony was true?"

"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I inspected the whiteboard in the break room while we were investigating the crime scene," the detective clarified. "Not seeing your name anywhere on the schedule, I discreetly erased part of it so it couldn't be used against you, which it seems was entirely unnecessary."

"Shirogane-san…" Nanako was, for once, at a loss for words.

"I didn't think you had it in you to tamper with evidence like that," Chie admitted. "Especially not so soon after meeting us, and after what we… after everything that happened in there."

"I don't make a habit of it, but those were extraordinary circumstances," Naoto said. "I had seen the truth with my own eyes, and said truth would not have been so easily explained. Besides which…" He tipped his cap. "You saved my life."

To say Yosuke regarded the detective with newfound respect would imply that he didn't respect him before, which Nanako knew wasn't true, but there was certainly something in his eyes as he stared at Naoto. Eventually, after a measure of silence some might consider to be awkward, Yosuke closed the distance between them and gave him a hug.

Remembering how her friend felt about that sort of physical contact, Nanako feared the worst, but to her surprise Naoto simply patted him on the back, a content expression on his face.

"Alright," Yosuke said once he broke the hug. "Let's get to work."

---

Yukiko wasn't exaggerating when she said the revolver they'd found for Naoto was impressive looking. Nanako had seen a few Westerns with her mom, and that thing looked like it wouldn't be out of place in the hands of Clint Eastwood. It was definitely too badass for the detective to take home, but while inside the TV World he would wreck some real carnage. She couldn't wait to see it in action.

Which would be soon. After a short break to rehydrate, they were on the way to Souji's dungeon, and boy was it a long trip. Yukiko was right, they'd never have made it that night if the fog was bearing on them like it was right now. They were only halfway there and Nanako was already seriously considering just buying Kanji a big ass TV or something just so they could make the bathhouse their secondary headquarters.

"On second thought," Yukiko said, "maybe we should rethink the scooter idea. We've just walked all the way to the city from my family's inn. It's quite a distance."

"Hold that thought," Nanako said, catching her breath. Maybe... Maybe they could all pool in some money for the TV? Kanji's mom already knew much of what was going on, so maybe she could help too. But ugh, moving Teddie's TV stack again would be such a pain… not that she had moved it herself the first time, but still.

"Would scooters even work in here?" Chie asked. She didn't look tired at all…

"They should…" Yosuke said slowly.

"I don't want my Vespa to get wrecked by Shadows though!" Nanako said emphatically, distracted from her previous train of thought.

"I already said we wouldn't drive into them!" Yosuke protested.

"Yeah, but unless we kept a close eye on them, it could still happen," she replied.

"I would rather that happen than have to make this trip everytime we come here," Yukiko admitted.

"Even going on a straight line, it is quite a distance," Naoto observed. Nanako thought he didn't seem to be as tired as everyone else, or maybe he was just hiding it better.

"Senpai, why not just bring a regular bike?" Kanji asked. "Like mine," he added.

"That's an idea," Nanako said pensively. Cheaper than a TV, at any rate.

"It's still a pretty long trip," Yosuke pointed out.

"I guess," said Chie. "I don't mind walking, but I still have my bike from middle school. It could work."

"Is that the one you taught me how to ride with? It has quite a few dents," said Yukiko.

Chie shrugged. "All the more reason to bring it here. If a Shadow wrecks it, it won't be a huge loss," she explained.

"Mine's pretty wrecked too," Yosuke said with a sigh. "I dunno if it'd even survive the fall."

"Oh, that's right, we'd have to toss them into the TV!" said Chie. "I hadn't even thought about that."

"Now that you mention it... um… Yosuke-kun, how were you planning to bring a scooter here…? It's much heavier," Yukiko asked.

"Well—" Yosuke started, but Naoto interrupted him.

"The night of Souji's kidnapping was the only time I have ever experienced the falling sensation that Nanako-san once described to me upon entering this world," he said. "I believe it's because we did not enter from the TV stack."

"Why should that matter?" Nanako asked, though she recalled how she fell into Souji's dungeon even as it built around her. It wasn't something she wanted to think about.

"The spiraling vortexes," Naoto said. "I have observed them in every dungeon here. They are entrances. Or, from a different perspective, exits. And the 'sky' here..."

"Is one huge vortex," Nanako finished.

"Does that mean entering through a TV other than the one in our base means we fall from the sky?!" Chie asked.

Yosuke looked at the sky with a grimace. "No wonder my butt cracked," he quipped.

"Ain't it supposed to be cracked though?" Kanji asked.

Yukiko tapped her fan against her chin, thinking. "It does still feel like we're being thrown out, even when we enter from the TV stack, but… you're right, it was quite different that night."

"I can't believe we never noticed it until now," said Chie.

"Another quirk of this world to keep in mind," Nanako said. It did remind her that once upon a time, she had wanted to see from the inside someone enter the TV World, but Teddie interrupted her. Hindsight, she thought, sighing to herself.

"Just what is this place?" Chie asked, an uneasy expression in her face. That wasn't something any of them had the answer for, so… they just kept walking.

---

Nanako hadn't bothered to look back at Souji's dungeon when they left last time, so this was her first time seeing it from the outside. It really was a nightmare version of her house. The proportions were all wrong, just as they had been on the inside. There were entire new rooms jutting out at random from in between the floors, and the entire house had a dark blue tint to it, as though there wasn't any light. Nanako couldn't see inside any of the windows. Way above, her room remained without walls, but the light from the cartoon sun was obscured by fog. On the whole, it almost looked like a tower...

"We did much better this time, you know," Chie said suddenly, staring up at the fog.

"Did we?" Nanako asked. She agreed, but she wanted to hear Chie's two cents about it.

"Yeah!" Chie replied. "We didn't lose anyone," she went on, faltering only briefly, "and we were really efficient. Did you notice how fast we got up there?"

"I did, actually," Nanako said. "...I was so relieved when I heard your voices. I probably could have fought off Namatame before he transformed, but escaping here?"

"Maybe that guy could have helped you," Yosuke said. "You know, the voice?"

"Maybe… but it only really worked the first time because it was dark and most of the Shadows were stuck outside. No way he could have guided me through the hordes."

And there was Souji's Shadow to consider… though Nanako really didn't want to consider it.

"Who was that guy, anyway?" Chie asked. "Was it even really a guy?"

"It sounded like one. I thought it was Teddie at first, but… you know."

"No use thinkin' about that now," said Kanji. "We goin' in or what?"

Nanako stared at the vortex where the Seta Residence door should have been and, after a deep breath, pushed her way in.

Like before, her little cousin's dungeon was pitch black. Why was it so dark? Was Sou-chan scared of the dark? He did have a night light in his room, but… no, that wasn't it. Nanako recalled something he'd said to her once:

'But now Papa's gone and this house is all sad. Sometimes I d-don't want to live here, but then Mama would be alone…'

She was brought out of her thoughts by a hand touching her shoulder.

"You alright, Senpai?" Kanji asked. Nanako leaned against his hand for a bit before nodding.

"Sheesh, this place is just as dark as last time…" Chie complained as she walked through the entrance.

"How did you guys deal with that anyway?" Nanako said, conjuring up Izanami's card. Maybe because she'd already done it under such stressful circumstances, it was surprisingly easy.

"We mainly set things on fire," said Yukiko with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah, but the fire never lasted long enough to really help, so we…" Chie paused. "H-How are you doing that?!"

"Doing what?" Nanako asked. Before she knew it, everyone was grouped around her.

"Clever," said Naoto.

"Oh!" Nanako exclaimed, realizing they meant the card. "I learned this while chasing that bastard. Summoning the Persona gives off a little light, right? But it's too tiring to do it too many times in a row, so after some trial and error I came up with this."

"How do you do it?" Yukiko asked.

"Well, we summon the Personas by crushing these cards, and to do that we need the cards to show up first. You just have to do that and then, uh, not crush it. It's harder than it sounds," she added.

"I don't think it's that—" Chie started, but the moment her card appeared she kicked it, summoning Tomoe, who just floated there awkwardly for a moment and then vanished. "Oh. Yikes, you're right."

"The urge is super strong," Nanako said. "It took me a while to learn to control it, but Souji needed me, so…" She shrugged.

Nanako led the way through the dungeon, and in their enthusiasm they got all the way to the top of Souji's dungeon, but…

"I don't want to go in there," she said, standing at the door to 'her' room.

So they didn't.

---

Once they finished their training at Souji's dungeon and came back to the apartment, Nanako decided she needed stronger Personas. Though the squad was a well oiled machine by this point, if she ever needed to go into the TV alone again, she didn't want to be caught off guard like last time. Not that she wanted it to happen ever again, but that little survival knife was a bit of preparation that probably saved her life, and she could do with more of that.

Luckily, there was a Velvet Room door in their new headquarters. Nanako wasn't too sure when it got there. Possibly the very night they'd moved the exit. While her friends were preparing to leave, she excused herself for a moment and opened it.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," said Margaret. Nanako was a little surprised, because it was Igor who usually greeted her. There he was, wearing the same smile as always.

Marie was there too. Nanako waved at her. "How are you feeling?" she asked, hoping she wasn't sick like the last time they took a trip out of the room.

"I'm great!" Marie said. "Had dogs on my mind all this time. Margaret said we can't get one though."

Nanako turned to Margaret, who merely chuckled.

"Are we going out today?" Marie asked.

"No, sorry. I'm actually still in the TV World. Unless you wanna see what it's like? I think my friends would freak out seeing you inside, but hey."

"Yeah, I'll pass," Marie said.

"I came here for fusing," she finished. Margaret sat just a little straighter, and Igor nodded.

After what seemed like an eternity shuffling cards and watching Igor work his magic, Nanako had a pretty good selection. She'd fused Setanta into a really hot guy with long black hair, and Margaret explained he was actually a future version of Setanta, which made her feel better about fusing him since he'd been so helpful. His name was Cu Chulainn, which apparently meant 'Culann's Hound.' She also fused a lion man wearing only a striped loincloth, and a big elephant!

"Hey, an elephant," Marie said. "Now you gotta take me flying."

"Personas don't count!" Nanako protested, but she promised she'd look into it anyway.

Some of the fusing ended up fulfilling Margaret's requests, which Nanako honestly never even remembered her making.

"Margaret, why do you like fusion so much?" she blurted out before she could stop herself. It was a question that had been gnawing at her for some time. "I know you're interested in my soul or whatever," Nanako continued, "but just what about my soul do you see in a Gdon with Rampage or a Black Frost with Auto-Sukukaja?"

"I am one who rules over power," Margaret replied. "As such, I possess unique insight on the capabilities of your soul. Through fusion, you develop these capabilities, showing me your diligence and foresight by introducing certain skills to Personas who would most benefit from them, despite not learning them through any natural means, while simultaneously getting familiar with the services we provide to our guests."

"I guess," Nanako said. The answer had been more thorough and less cryptic than she'd expected, but... "I just don't see how any of the Personas you ask me to fuse say anything about me. Gdon was badass enough, but even though he was a tiger, he didn't remind me of Sou-chan in the least. Black Frost is pretty cute but, I dunno, he's not 'me' either."

Margaret narrowed her eyes, but it didn't seem to be out of exasperation or anger. Instead, she looked intrigued. "Say what you mean," she requested.

"I mean that my friends have Personas that are just brimming with personality. Jiraya is some sort of disco ninja frog, Take-Mikazuchi is ridiculously manly, Konohana-Sakuya is a cheerleader straight from ancient Japan, and I don't even need to say anything about Tomoe. Chie even mentioned how she was one of her heroines growing up!" Nanako sighed. "The point is, their Personas say something about them through looks alone, but mine... other than Izanami, they're generic, like pictures from a textbook. They feel less like they came from me and more like they're helping me out, but belong to someone else."

Margaret regarded her for a long time, her expression softer than what Nanako was used to. No longer did she feel the menacing sort of intensity that sometimes permeated their conversations, the vague disapproval the attendant seemed to feel for her guest. The terrifying gaze she still couldn't win against was gone, replaced by slightly raised eyebrows and soft yellow eyes that seemed to be looking far, far away. Her red lips were pursed, but not enough to affect her features. Her fingers tapped against the compendium in a nostalgic rhythm Nanako didn't recognize.

Nanako blinked. It felt as though she was seeing Margaret for the first time…

"Do you know about the collective unconscious?" Margaret asked.

"Uh," Nanako replied, caught off guard. "You mean the idea that beneath the unconscious mind lies a larger unconscious shared by all beings of the same species, right? I've read about it." In Mr. Morooka's syllabus…

Margaret smiled. Nanako didn't get to see her smile that often, and when she did, it was usually more fierce, like she was issuing a challenge. This one was... kinder.

"Correct," she said. "Whereas your personal unconscious might be filled with base desires and repressed images, the human collective unconscious is populated with instincts and archetypes, ideas that, in some way, were shared throughout time and without boundaries. In other words, encompassing the soul of humanity at large."

Nanako's eyes wandered to the fogged up windows of the limousine.

From the sea of thy soul, I cometh...

Margaret seemed to sense her breakthrough. "Throughout your world, there is an especially large amount of myths regarding black dogs. Garm. Cu Sith. Cerberus. Barghest. Inugami. These tales share certain similarities, yet the cultures that spawned them were as different as water and oil. Why do you think that is?"

"They came from the same idea," Nanako said. "No, the same archetype. Is that what you're saying?"

"The human mind gave birth to such beings, based on what humans saw within their core, and once created, these beings took shape in that core."

"The sea of my soul..."

"They have many names. Angels. Demons. Faeries. Shadows."

"...Personas."

Margaret nodded.

"To say more would be beyond my role," she said, and her eyes lingered shut for a few seconds before she spoke up again. "I must say, it was surprising to hear you describe your fused Personas in such a way."

In that moment, Nanako felt like she and Margaret were alone in the room. Igor and Marie were sitting right where they always did, she knew, but they seemed like background characters to their interaction.

Margaret looked like she was appraising her now. Appraising, but not judging. Igor had looked at her in the same way many times. In the past, Nanako had felt a strange sense of duty to him, like she had to live up to his expectations, to the word 'special,' but Margaret had never expected anything out of her except to complete her current request. Nanako didn't know what to make of this new development. Especially since she had stopped caring about their expectations ever since she almost got the squad killed.

"You truly are an interesting guest," Margaret eventually said.

You're pretty interesting yourself, Nanako wanted to say, but then a question popped into her mind. "Margaret," she began, "you know my cousin awakened to a Persona, right? I mean, he's my social link. I know you have the power to see key events in those."

It was just a hunch, but Margaret nodded. Nanako was relieved.

"That's good. I need to know something about him. I can't ask him because he doesn't fully remember what happened, and I'd rather not get him any more involved in this."

"I do have that power," Margaret replied tightly. "However, to peer into the lives of our guests for personal benefit is a great sin."

"This would be for my benefit," Nanako argued, but Margaret shook her head.

"Compassion is not for the good of others," the woman recited.

Nanako let her shoulders drop, defeated. That, too, was in Mr. Morooka's syllabus. Then, she heard the sound of pages being flipped rapidly. Nanako was too stunned to say anything. For a moment she marveled at the compendium she'd never seen open before, held gracefully by Margaret's nimble hands. There were pictures on some of the pages and cards on others, upside down since Margaret was sitting opposite to her. Maybe they represented her social links, but she couldn't make heads or tails of those pictures. Justice was easy enough, since it was facing her, but she wasn't sure she'd ever seen that goat skull one. Margaret was flipping the pages too rapidly for her to make it out for sure, but some pages seemed to have text too.

Eventually, the attendant settled on a page. Nanako easily recognized the eye framed in yellow in the middle. Hermit.

"What is it you wish to know?" Margaret asked.

"I want to know about his Persona," Nanako replied. "The name, the arcana, maybe what it can do? I might have to teach him about this someday."

Margaret eyed her carefully.

"Is that all?" she asked, seemingly perplexed. "This information could be easily obtained without my assistance. I don't mean asking him," she clarified before Nanako could protest, "but you have felt the stirrings of your social links in your mind before, yes?"

Nanako had always asked her friends what their Personas were capable of, but...

"I used to. I remember feeling the potential for a social link even before establishing one, and when Teddie..." she trailed off. "I can't anymore, though. I don't know what happened. To be honest, they haven't even been ranking up lately, not to my knowledge anyway. I was never too concerned about it, but talking about it now, I guess there really is something wrong with me, huh?"

"That, I do not know," Margaret replied. "I've told you before. Every wild card is different."

"As the leaves change between the seasons, so do our guests," said Igor kindly. "Do not lose sight of your objective, and all will be well."

Nanako nodded.

Margaret sent a finger trailing down the compendium. "Amaterasu," she said. "That is the name of your cousin's Persona."

With a simple gesture, she made the Hermit card rise from the book until it was standing upright and at eye level; a second gesture, and it flipped so it would face Nanako. But the card before her wasn't of an eyeball under a lantern. It was an unfamiliar picture, two small figures holding hands under a blazing Sun.

Nanako stared, trying to understand. Did his arcana change? Why? And then when she blinked, she felt something sliding down her cheek. Stunned, she turned to Margaret, who wore a smile as kind as they come.

"Remember," said Margaret, "that nothing in this room happens without a reason."

Nanako hurried to wipe her eyes, and found herself outside the Velvet Room.

"Hey, Nanako," said Yosuke. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Nanako said, trying to keep her voice even. "Yeah, I am."