Hey, everyone!

Sorry for the wait. I apologize if this chapter is too boring. It's just that generally speaking, not much happens on April 29th in Persona 4. But don't worry, I promise that the next chapter will be much more exciting.

Some major stuff's gonna go down.

4/29 FRI

Morning

Dojima Residence

The rain doesn't seem to be letting up today.

I know what I gotta do today. Today is Showa Day. That means I get the day off. I'm gonna go visit Teddie to talk to him about the Midnight Channel, and to show him the recording I took of the last time I watched it. Maybe when he sees it, he'll see something that we can't. I can't guarantee that it'll do any good, but I gotta try. Right now, Teddie's our best hope at figuring out the mystery behind the TV World. He's lived in that place for as long as he can remember, and he knows it better than any of us…somehow.

I mean, I'm apparently a living weapon that was created to fight shadows and all that stuff, so you'd think I would know at least something that could help us understand their world, but nope. I don't remember anything about the shadows. Damn memory problems…I swear, if I find whoever or whatever tampered with my memories, Imma kick 'em in the crotch so hard they'll never be able to have kids.

I mean, I gotta assume that it wasn't my makers who tampered with my memories, since they wanted me to be a weapon to fight shadows, and taking away something's knowledge on how to fight something is pretty counterproductive when you want them to fight that something to begin with.

Anyway, I walk down the stairs to the living room, and I see Nanako watching TV like she usually does when she doesn't have anything better to do.

I feel kinda bad for just leaving her there all alone like this, but I need to show Teddie what I recorded.

Still, she's technically my cousin, so I should try to spend some time with her to get to know her. I mean, I don't wanna take away too much of her free time since she's got today off from school too, but still.

I walk up to Nanako and I greet her to catch her attention.

"Good mornin'!"

She turns her attention towards me, and she greets me back.

"Oh…Good morning. Are you going to go out for the day? I can watch the house."

I wanna try to do something with her, so that she'd know she can trust me. Granted, expecting her to be completely honest and to not keep any secrets from me would be massively hypocritical, so I'm not gonna ask her to spill her heart out to me or anything like that. I just want her to know that she can at least let her guard down around me, that's all. And I think I know just how to do that.

"Well, yeah, you ain't wrong.", I answer her. "I'm gonna go visit a friend of mine. Say, do ya mind helpin' me out with somethin'?"

She raises an eyebrow, and she nods.

"…Okay. What do you need help with?"

I'm not gonna be too forceful about this, but I'm gonna make an effort to hang out with her more often and I'll let her open up to me bit by bit on her own. Hopefully, it'll work and eventually, she ain't gonna be so shy around me anymore.

"Well, I wanna make some dinner for my friend, but the problem is, I dunno how to cook on my own. And I know that you're a really good cook, so…can ya teach me how to cook?"

That part is completely true. I got no clue how to cook a decent meal. I mean, whaddaya want from me? I'm a weapon, not a chef. And I ain't got taste buds either, so it ain't like I can try out whatever food I try to make. I need somebody to teach me. Not necessarily an expert on cooking or something like that, but somebody who know what they're doing in a kitchen. Basically, I'm killing two birds with one stone. I'm spending some time with Nanako, and I'm learning how to cook.

Nanako looks a bit surprised at my request.

"…Really? You want me to show you how to cook? But…But I've never taught anyone before. And I'm not exactly a master chef or anything like that…"

I smile at her.

"That's okay. I ain't askin' for much. I just wanna know a thing or two about a thing or two, that's all. Besides, we all make mistakes, right?"

She hesitates for a bit, then she nods at me.

"O…Okay. I can try to give you some basic cooking tips. I can't promise that it'll be good, but…"

"It's fine, don't worry!", I reassure her. "Like I said, I ain't expectin' much. You know those lunches ya make for me and your dad every day? I just wanna cook somethin' simple like that for a friend, and he'll eat basically anythin'."

I'm not trying to be mean to Teddie or anything like that. I'm just saying it like it is, The guy's a real glutton.

She gets up, we both walk towards the kitchen, we start grabbing some cooking utensils, and we get to work.

"Let's do this. I'll follow your lead!", I tell Nanako.

She looks at me and gives me a small smile. Looks like I'm making some progress with her after all. It ain't much, but it's a start.

We take some food out, and we get to work.

4/29 FRI

Daytime

Backside Of The TV

I spent most of the morning messing around with kitchen stuff alongside my "cousin".

She helped me whip up something decent, and I asked her to taste it when we were finished, She said it was fine for my first time, whatever that means. I think it means something good, right? I mean, we both made it together, so it was a team effort. Good thing I looked up on the internet the basics on how to use things like ovens and microwaves last night. It didn't teach me everything to know about that stuff, but it definitely helped me understand a lot.

I went to Junes, I entered the electronics section, and I jumped into the TV after making sure that there was nobody around to see me.

I brought the lunch that Nanako helped me make earlier with me. I'm sure Teddie will like this one too! After all, he liked all the others I brought him, so I don't see why he wouldn't like this one too. I mean, sure, he ain't the kind of guy who would just eat anything I throw at him, but he likes to eat a lot. I guess it makes sense since, again, he's a bear.

I exit the TV portal, and I find myself in the entrance to the TV world. I put my glasses on, I take a few steps, and I look around to see if Teddie's here. He can sense when somebody enters the TV world and he knows my scent, so I suspect he'll be here soon when he realizes it's me.

It doesn't take long before I'm proven right. I look in the distance, and I see a round figure running towards me. I enhance my vision settings, and I see that it's Teddie running at me. He waves at me and smiles. I smile and I wave right back as I start walking towards him.

When we get closer, he slows down a bit and greets me.

"Hello, Miss President! It's nice to see you! Did you come to bring Teddie some more delicious lunch? It's a bit earlier than usual, but I guess it doesn't matter!"

I smile at him and I shake my head.

"Hey, Teddie. It's good to see ya. Yeah, I got you some grub, but that ain't the only reason I've come to visit you today."

He looks a bit perplexed at that. Then, his expression shifts and becomes more serious.

"Oh? Really? Is it something related to our case?"

I nod at him and I whip out my cellphone.

"Yeah. Remember when I told you that the next time I'd watch the Midnight Channel, I'd record it and I'd show it to you? Well, I recently watched the Midnight Channel again, and I recorded it, so here I am."

He listens to me attentively and he nods.

I go to the video app on my phone, and I look up the file that contains the recording that I downloaded from myself unto the phone. After I find it, I pull up the video, and I hand it over to Teddie. He grabs the phone, and I press the play button.

We watch the Midnight Channel recording together, which isn't very long. Maybe about a minute at most. When the video ends, Teddie hands my phone right back to me.

"So, whaddaya think?", I ask him. "Is there anything ya can tell me about that recording?"

He takes a few moments to think. From the expression on his face, I can practically see the gears turning in his head.

"Hmm…Nope. I'm sorry, Miss President. I get a weird feeling when I look at it, but doesn't ring a bell at all."

I sigh. Oh, well. It was worth a try. When he sees my disappointed expression, Teddie looks a bit dejected.

"Do you really think that this could be connected to this place? I'm sorry I couldn't be more useful, Miss President…"

Aw, I didn't mean to make him sad…I should cheer him up.

"Hey, it's okay, Teddie. Ya did what ya could. It ain't your fault. We'll just have to think of something else, that's all. I got a weird feeling when I looked at it too. Now, how about some lunch?"

I pull out the lunchbox, and his eyes immediately light up. I smile. That's one of the advantages of Teddie being so cheery and…simple. When he's down, it doesn't take much to cheer him up.

I hand him over the lunchbox, and he practically yanks it out of my hands as he opens it up. It ain't like the other ones he's had in the past, so I really hope he likes it. He smells the food, and he looks a bit perplexed. He hesitates and stares at it for a bit.

"Huh…? Something about this lunch is…different. Miss President, did you do something different with this one?"

I shrug at him. Yeah, it's different, but I hope he enjoys it.

"Well, I helped make this one, 'cause I wanted to learn how to cook, so it might be a tad different.", I answer him. "I hope it'll taste just as good as the other ones you ate before."

He stares at the lunch a bit more, then he shrugs and takes a bite.

He chews a bit for a few moments….then his expression shifts from curiosity to…confusion?

"Um, Teddie…?", I ask him uncertainly. "Do ya like it, or…?"

He stands still and chews for a few more moments, then he swallows his bite.

"…Huh. That's weird. I taste…nothing."

What? Nothing? What does he mean by that?

"It's really weird. Normally, when I eat something, it's either good or bad, but somehow, this is neither. It tastes like absolutely nothing. Somehow, this defies all logic…did you do something to it, Miss President…?"

Huh…I mean, on the plus side, it ain't bad, but on the other hand, nothing? As in, it tastes like air? How's that even possible? I'm at a loss for words. Teddie's right. This makes no sense.

"Really? I'm sorry, Teddie. I really thought you'd like it…"

"Hey, it's okay, Miss President. You went to the trouble of making this for Teddie, so Teddie will eat it! Besides, I'm hungry, so if it fills my stomach, it's good enough."

He then starts eating the rest of food. He doesn't look like he's actually enjoying it, but at least he gave it a passing grade, I think?

We spend some time talking about plans of what I'm gonna do tomorrow. I tell him about how I'm gonna go attend my first funeral and how I'm gonna go say goodbye to Saki-senpai. Of course, Teddie doesn't really understand what a funeral is, so I had to explain it to him afterwards to help him understand.

"So, a religious ceremony to say goodbye to farewell who died? That sounds…I'm not sure how to describe it. It sounds both beautiful and sad at the same time."

Yeah, I think I get what he's trying to say. On one hand, it's beautiful because it's a ceremony to say farewell to somebody important and we show up to let them know how much they meant to us…but on the other hand, saying goodbye forever probably hurts a lot, especially if you were close to whoever died. So it's gotta be pretty hard.

"It is.", I reply. "I got a feelin' that tomorrow's gonna be a really weird day."

We both just stand there in silence for a moment. Teddie looks thoughtful.

"…Hey, Miss President? Can I…Ask you a question?", he asks.

"Sure, go ahead."

"You know how we're both not human, right?"

"…Uh-huh?", I nod questioningly. Where's he going with this?

"Right. I know that you're a robot, but…what about me? If I'm not like humans, plants or animals, then…what am I?"

"…Well, your physiology doesn't match anything that exists in my world, so I wouldn't be able to tell ya.", I answer him. "In fact, the only thing that tells me you're alive at all is that you can talk, think and feel."

"Hmm…So, you're saying that you don't know what I am, but you know I'm alive because I can do things that humans can do? Just like you?"

Well, a lot of what humans do require them to make conscious choices about their lives, so that's one way to put it.

"More-or-less.", I answer him. "What I'm really sayin' here, is that we're alive 'cause we can think and we can make conscious choices about our lives. It's like that one phrase I saw on the internet while reading up on robotic A.I. sentience. "I think, therefore I am. In latin, "Cogito, Ergo Sum". I know it's a weird thing to bring up, but it ain't wrong."

Teddie looks thoughtful for a moment before he answers.

"Huh…How interesting! I have no idea how to say that last sentence, but I think I get what you're saying, Miss President!"

"Yeah, I mean, if we're sentient, then maybe we have souls, ya know? I mean, when humans die, they think their souls are gonna go to some afterlife or whatnot, so-"

"What happens to us when we die?"

…What?

"I mean…When humans die, they go to this thing called the "afterlife", right?", Teddie asks me. "So…what about us? Where do we go?"

…Huh. I was not ready for these kinds of questions today. What do I even say to that?

But he makes a good point, though. Where do we go when we die?

Do we even go anywhere at all?

"…I dunno.", I answer him.

"Really? Me neither."

At that, Teddie looks like he's got a lot to think about. So do I.

"Miss President?"

"Yeah?"

"If something ever happens to me…you won't forget me, right?"

"Of course not. Would you forget me if somethin' happened to me?"

"…No. No, I wouldn't."

"Exactly."

We just sit there in thoughtful silence.

4/29 FRI

Evening

Dojima Residence

"…And that's how you differentiate a rational number from an irrational number. Did you get all that, or do ya want me to explain it again?"

After spending the day hanging out with Teddie, I've headed back to the Dojima residence. When I came in, I had an idea. Nanako goes to school, right? That means she's probably got homework too, just like me. So, basically, I asked her if she wanted some help with her homework.

When I did, she looked hesitant at first, but she was happy when she found out I knew a lot about math. I mean, my brain is basically a supercomputer, so I might have a bit of an edge in that department. Nanako takes what I just told her into account and she smiles. I think she understood what I was trying to explain to her.

"Hmm…Nope! I think I got it! Thanks a lot! I can understand it a lot better now!"

We take a break so Nanako can eat some supper, then she goes back to her homework. With me helping her, I think it's a lot less tedious for her. Of course, I could do all her homework for her, but I think that would kinda defeat the purpose of the homework.

After some time, we hear the door open. I turn my head towards it, and I see Ryotaro come in.

"I'm here.", he says out loud.

"Welcome home!", Nanako greets.

I decide to greet him too.

"Hello! How was your day?"

"Pretty monotonous, to be honest.", he answers. "The whole department's getting frustrated due to the lack of possible leads or suspects to the murder cases."

Yeah, I saw that one coming.

"So, what about you guys? How was your day?", Ryotaro asks us to change the subject.

"…Well, this morning, I helped her cook something for one of her friends.", Nanako answers. "Then, she left to go see her friend, and I spend a lot of time staying here to look after the house. After she came back, she helped me do some of my homework."

Ryotaro smiles when he hears rhat.

"Really? I'm happy to hear that you two are getting to know each other."

After a bit, we get together in the living room, and I sit next to them while they're eating supper. We're also watching some TV. The weather network's on…and it says that there's gonna be lots of fog soon.

"Due to the weekend rainfall, clear skies seem unlikely in the area. A thick fog is expected to set in tonight and remain until tomorrow morning, with heavy concentration around the Inaba area. Anyone planning to go out tonight should take care. Now, for our hourly weather report…"

"More fog, huh?", Ryotaro sighs. "There's been lots of fog lately in this town. I hope it isn't a sign of more trouble…"

Before I can say anything, Nanako reaches out to the TV remote on the table and presses a button to change the channel.

"Ah-ah-ah. What did I say about changing the channel without permission, Nanako?", Ryotaro lightly chastises his daughter.

But before Nanako can apologize or say anything, a commercial plays on the channel Nanako switched to.

It's a Golden Week Junes commercial. It advertises what it needs to, then it plays the jingle at the end, like it always does. Nanako and I both sing the jingle at the same time.

"Every day's great at your Junes!"

Oh yeah, that reminds me. What should I do during Golden Week? I ain't got any plans…

"Oh, that reminds me!", Nanako suddenly exclaims. "Do either of you have any plans for Golden Week?"

Ryotaro and I both exchange a glance with each other. He looks at me questioningly, and I shrug. I return his look, and he shrugs too.

"I ain't got anythin' planned right now.", I answer.

"Do you want to go somewhere during the long holiday?", Ryotaro asks.

"Yeah! I mean, can we? Please?", Nanako pleads. "We can all go somewhere together!"

Huh…that ain't a bad idea. I wonder if she's got a location in mind?

"Junes! Junes! Junes! Junes!", Nanako chants excitedly.

Ah. Yeah, I guess I should've guessed it.

"Junes? You sure you want to go there during Golden Week?", Ryotaro asks. "We can go there anytime we like."

But Nanako nods at him rapidly to indicate that she ain't gonna budge. Ryotaro then awkwardly tries to change the subject.

"Anyway, it's gonna be time for bed. You girls both have school tomorrow, so you should go to sleep soon."

"Oh…Alright…", Nanako says dejectedly.

Aw, poor girl…she really wants to go to Junes, doesn't she? I hope we'll be able to arrange something.

"As for you, you told me you want to go to Saki Konishi's funeral after school, right?", he asks me. "That's perfectly fine, but you should get some rest so that you're in top shape tomorrow. Trust me, you'll need it. Funerals can be a really exhausting affair. Believe me, I know."

I nod at him, and I get up to make my way upstairs. I don't really need to sleep, but I need to pretend otherwise for now.

Plus, I've been feeling a bit off recently, so maybe it's just stress. I still hear Nanako sing the jingle by herself. She must really want that family outing, huh?

Does that mean she sees me as family? Do they both see me as family?

I still got the feeling that tomorrow's gonna be an interesting day.