Persona 4: The Golden Journey of Yu Narukami Chapter 2: Per-So-Na!, a persona series fanfic

Not a bad response for the first chapter, so here is chapter 2. New challenge here: Cover 3 days of the game instead of just 2. I don't own Persona 4, Atlus does.

Chapter 2: Per-So-Na!

4/13

Yu was walking to school as usual, when all of a sudden, the boy on the bicycle he had seen gets his jewels smashed twice in one day struggling to control his bike again. Deja vu hit Yu, as he saw the boy crash again in the same area, this time into a trash can. As Yu walked up to the crash site, he saw the boy's whole upper body was stuck in the trash can, rolling around, unable to get free.

"S-Someone…" The boy was pleading for someone to get him out of the trash can.

Yu sighed. 'I guess I'll help him.' He couldn't ignore someone's cry for help after all. After a bit of a struggle, the boy was free.

"Whew, you saved me. Thanks! Um…" The boy seemed to be trying to remember Yu's name. He had unkempt fawn colored hair and brown eyes. Along with his Yasogami High Uniform, he wore a white v-neck t-shirt and a pair of orange headphones. His shoes were gray and white. He was also 2 inches shorter than Yu, standing at 5'9 "Oh yeah, that's right. You're that transfer student, Yu Narukami. Man, the way you stood up to King Moron was hilarious. I'm Yosuke Hanamura. Nice to meet ya."

"Nice to meet you, Hanamura-san. I kinda hope that's not the only thing I'm known for at this school." Yu said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "That was a bad crash though, are you okay?"

"Ah, I can understand that." Yosuke said, nodding in understanding. "And yeah, I'm fine. Say, did you hear about the incident from yesterday? They found that announcer lady hanging from an antenna!"

"I did. I was watching the news with my little cousin last night when the story came on. That was crazy" Yu said, feeling a bit sick already thinking about it.

"You think it was some kinda warning? There's no way something that weird could've been an accident." Yosuke said thoughtfully.

"I've been thinking the same thing. Bodies don't just appear on antennas like that." Yu said in agreement. "And you might be right, it could be a warning. But if it is, what could the warning be for?"

"I don't know." Yosuke said, sighing. "But dangling a dead body over a roof like that…That's just messed up. Then again, it's pretty messed up to kill someone in the first place."

"Yeah." Yu said, troubled. A lot of what happened to Mayumi Yamano was bothering him, because he felt he had seen the woman before outside of the news. 'But where?' Yu thought to himself.

"Oh crap, we're late!" Yosuke exclaimed in realization. "You wanna ride? It's a little squeaky, but it should be fine."

Yu sighed, not wanting to be late. "Sure. Just make sure you don't crash again."

"It was one time!" Yosuke shouted, before Yu hopped on behind Yosuke, and both were able to get to school just barely on time.

"Be quiet, you idiots!" Morooka ordered angrily to his class. " You guys ARE in high school, aren't you? Can't you shut up during class? Don't you have any common sense? First of all, my job is to waste my precious time teaching you assholes philosophy! And since I'm so nice…I'll straighten up your rotten attitudes while you're at it! Aren't you honored?!" He then took a long gaze at his class, and Yu felt he took an especially long look at him.

'Yeah, I'm soooooo honored.' Yu thought, sarcastically.

"And I'll be going especially hard on any of you morons that're curious about the murder! Got it? Now, get your books out!" Morooka bellowed. He then started his lecture on philosophy, which Yu listened to intently.

'He is such an asshole, but at least he's teaching a subject I really like. Plus, unlike the last asshole who "taught" me, he's not bad at teaching. If only he didn't have such a shit personality, I'd probably like him.' Yu thought, as he felt his knowledge increase.

The day went by fast, as it was now after school, and as Yu was getting his desk organized, Yosuke approached him.

"So, you getting used to this place?" Yosuke asked.

"Yeah, I am." Yu said honestly. Despite the murder that happened, he was actually used to Inaba already. It wasn't saying much, since Yu was used to switching environments, but talking with his new friends yesterday and spending time with Nanako had definitely helped him adjust very quickly.

"Wow, that was fast." Yosuke said, smiling. "There isn't much to do here compared to the big city, but there is that certain…something you can't get anywhere else. The air's clean, the food's great…Oh, you know about the local delicacy?"

"Local delicacy?" Yu asked curiously.

"It's grilled steak, man! Like that's anything special, huh? I know a place where you can get it cheap. Wanna come? You helped me this morning, so it's on me." Yosuke offered.

Before Yu could accept, Chie walked over to the two boys. "What about me, huh? No apologies? My 'Trial of the Dragon.'" Chie pressured.

"Urgh…You always come around when I'm talking about food…" Yosuke said, worried for his wallet.

"How about it, Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us, too?" Chie asked her friend.

'Holy shit, he's gonna be broke by the end of this if she accepts.' Yu thought, sending a silent prayer to Yosuke's wallet.

"I'll pass…I don't want to gain any more weight. I need to help out of the inn today, anyway." Yukiko said, declining the offer.

"Wow, Amagi-san! You started training to take over the family business?" Yosuke asked.

"It's not like that!" Yukiko refuted "I'm just helping out when it gets busy. Well, I should be on my way" Yukiko then grabbed her bag, and left the classroom.

"Oh well. We should get going too." Chie said.

"Huh? Do I seriously have to treat two people?" Yosuke said, now really worried about his wallet.

"Yep." Yu answered.

A little while later, the trio had arrived at the Junes department store, and Yu and Chie were sitting at the Junes' Food Court, waiting for Yosuke and their food. Yosuke then arrived at the table, carrying a tray full of food and 3 drinks.

"This is the cheap place you were talking about…?" Chie asked, annoyed. "They don't have grilled steak here."

"Yeah, well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans." Yosuke said.

"Still, that's no reason to take us to your place." Chie said, still annoyed.

"Dude, this isn't my place or anything." Yosuke then noticed that Yu was looking at him confused. "Oh, right, I haven't told you yet, huh? I moved here from another city six months back. This location just opened up, and my dad was assigned to manage it. So our entire family came out here. Here, this is to welcome you to town." Yosuke then grabbed a soda, and Yu did the same. "Satonaka, yours is on me too."

"Yeah, I know." Chie said, and grabbed her soda. The group then toasted, and then chatted animably over small talk. After a little while…

"It's only been half a year since this place opened up, but I haven't been to the local shopping district much since." Chie said

'That would explain why I saw some stores in the area closed.' Yu thought a bit sadly. 'It sucks for the people running those stores, but when a department store like Junes offers better convenience, a lot of those businesses people once regularly went to can become obsolete.'

"A lot of stores there started closing, and…Oh, uh…" Chie had stopped her train of thought, as she seemed to have spotted someone familiar to her.

"...You can't blame it all on Junes, can you?" Yosuke asked, clearly a bit uncomfortable, before he looked in the same direction as Chie. "Hey…It's Konishi-senpai! Sorry, be right back." Yosuke then walked over to the girl known as Saki.

Yu looked in her direction, and then asked Chie "Is she Yosuke's girlfriend?"

"Haha, he wishes." Chie said laughing. "That's Saki Konishi. Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district…I think she's working here part-time though."

'Where have I seen her before.' Yu thought, thinking that he had seen this girl before somewhere. Meanwhile…

"Hey, how's it going? You look beat." Yousuke asked.

"Heeey! I'm finally on break…" Saki greeted lazily "What's up, Hana-chan? Boosting the family business by bringing your friends here?"

"Madam, you wound me!" Yosuke responded playfully. "Kidding aside…You look down. Did something happen?"

"...It's nothing. I'm just a little tired." Saki said, looking at the ground. She was clearly hiding something.

"Hey, if you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen. I…" Yosuke tried to offer, concerned for her, but was interrupted by Saki chuckling.

"I'm okay. Thanks though." Saki said, giving him a smile, before looking at the ground again. She sighed. "Why'd I leave school yesterday…? She muttered to herself. Yosuke heard this and was confused. Saki then looked in Yu's direction. "Hey…Is he the kid who transferred here?" Saki then walked over to Yu with Yosuke behind her. She grabbed Yu's attention and asked "Are you the transfer student?"

"I am. Nice to meet you Konishi-senpai." Yu greeted, before getting a good look at her. She had thick, long, wavy light-brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a long sleeved white shirt, faded navy jeans, navy sneakers, and an employee apron. 'WAIT A MINUTE! I remember her! She was arguing with her brother on the first day I came here!' Yu thought in shock.

"Oh, did you hear about me already?" Saki asked. Yu just nodded calmly, but on the inside, he was still shocked at the coincidental meeting. "It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much."

"Uh–Not necessarily…" Yosuke stuttered, a bit embarrassed.

"He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you get along good. Hana-chan's a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes. You tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you." Saki continued.

"Nah, he's a great guy." Yu said. 'Looks like Chie might have been on to something.' Yu thought, mentally smirking.

"Ahaha, I know…I'm just kidding." Saki said giggling.

"C-C'mon, Senpai. There's no need to worry about something like that." Yosuke said with a small blush.

"Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go…Laters!" Saki said, and then started to leave

"Oh, uh, Senpai…" Yosuke tried to say something, but she was already gone. Yosuke then sat down. "Haha, Konishi-senpai says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than me." He said with a grin. "She has a younger brother, and she pretty much treats me the same way…" Yosuke trailed off, and seemed to be deep in thought

'Yeah, I can tell you don't like that.' Yu thought sympathetically. His theory that Yosuke had a crush on Saki was confirmed.

"Ohhh, you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh? Haha, I get it…So that's how it is…" Chie said, before a smirk of mischief appeared on her face. "The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain…Hoho, the flame of forbidden love!" Chie teased. \

"What–?!" Yosuke said, a massive blush on his face "Dude, it's not like that."

'You're not doing a good idea hiding your crush, Hanamura-san.' Yu thought, smirking.

"Oh reaaaaally…" Chie said, her smirk still on her face. "Well, I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart. You ever hear of the Midnight Channel? You're supposed to look into a TV that's switched off, alone, exactly on a rainy night. While you're staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen…And they say that person's your soulmate."

'This sounds like a load of bullshit.' Yu thought with a sweat drop.

"What? For a second, I thought you were actually going to say something useful…How can you get excited over such a childish urban legend like that?" Yosuke said.

"Childish, huh? You don't believe it, do you!?" Chie said, annoyed.

"Of course I don't!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"It does seem a bit far-fetched." Yu agreed.

"Well, it's raining tonight! Let's all try it out–then you'll see!" Chie proposed.

"Try it out…? Wait, you haven't tried it yourself?" Yosuke asked, surprised. "Wow, I'm trying to remember the last time I heard something this stupid…" Yosuke's face then became serious "All that aside…you know that 'incident' yesterday? You guys think it was a murder? Ooh, what if the culprit behind it was still lurking around…? Heehee…" Yosuke joked.

"Sheesh, you shouldn't joke about that stuff. Now who's the childish one…? All I'm saying is, you guys better try it out tonight." Chie said firmly.

'As much as I want to agree with Chie, Yosuke's joke might have some truth to it. I probably shouldn't spend too much time thinking about it though. It couldn't hurt to at least try this Midnight Channel rumor. Though I doubt anything's gonna happen' "It couldn't hurt to at least try." Yu said.

"Ugh, fine" Yosuke said, giving in.

A little while later, Yu was home with Nanako, eating dinner. Yu noticed she looked worried and sad. "Did Dojima-Ojisan call and tell you he would be coming home late?" he asked.

"No. He always says he will…" Nanako said, before hearing the door open. "Oh! He's home!"

Dojima entered the house, and walked into the living room. "What a day…" he muttered to himself before turning to Nanako "I'm back. Did anything happen while I was out?" he asked.

"No. You're late again…" Nanako scolded.

"I'm sorry…Been busy at work." Dojima said apologetically. He then sat on the couch. "Can you put on the news for me?" Nanako did just that. The news repeated the details of the murder story and Mayumi's affair with Namatame.

'I wonder if Mayumi's death is tied to her affair with Namatame. It would be the most logical conclusion…' Yu brainstormed thoughtfully.

"The Police plan to investigate this relationship and question any personnel involved with them. In addition, we now bring you an exclusive interview with the student who found Ms. Yamano's body."

Dojima sighed. "An interview with the kid…? Where the hell did they find her?"

'That's right. Those housewives said a highschool student found the body.' Yu remembered.

"U-Umm…" The female student began nervously

'Makes sense they would hide her face and distort her voice. Although, why does it feel like I've seen her before?' Yu thought, as he leaned forward.

"Don't you think it's scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?" The reporter asked.

"Huh…? She was killed?" The female student asked

"Oh, err…So, did you see anyone suspicious around here?" The reporter asked, changing the subject.

"No, not really." The Female Student answered.

"We heard that you found it when you left school early. Did you have some personal business to take care of?" The reporter pressed.

"Huh? That's…" The female student got uncomfortable at that question.

'Hold on a sec. Is that Konishi-senpai?! It at least looks like her.' Yu thought shocked. 'If it is her, damn, talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I'll ask Hanamura-san tomorrow to see if he knows anything.' The interview ended, and the announcer went back on.

"A tragedy that occurred near the local shopping district. Many storeowners are raising concerns about losing customers as a result…"

"Hmph. If they lose more customers, it'll be because you're raising such a stink about it…" Dojima scoffed. The announcer then was shown talking with a commentator.

"It really is a bizarre case, isn't it? I mean, hanging someone upside down from an antenna…I'd have to say it's a warning or a sign from the culprit." The commentator theorized.

"Yes, but so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime." the announcer said.

"Loads of prank calls, though…" Dojima said, yawning.

"So the cause of death is still unknown? And they don't have a single suspect yet? Taxpayers' funds are going to a police force who can't tell if this is an accident or a homicide?" the commentator questioned passionately.

Dojima then started to snore. The Junes commercial came on. And Nanako sang their jingle happily again. "Every day's great at your Junes!" She then turned to Dojima "Hey dad…Can we go to Junes sometime?" Dojima then let out a light snore. "...No?" she asked, and then Dojima snored again, loudly this time. Nanako sighed. "Geez…" Her gaze went to Yu "When I go to bed, I'll wake Dad up and tell him to go to his own room."

Yu nodded, and then said "Alright. I'm gonna start getting ready for bed then. Good night, Nanako-chan."

"Goodnight!" Nanako said, and Yu started to head up the stairs into his room. As he did, a thought raced in his mind.

'I'll wait until midnight, and try to confirm this midnight channel rumor. Man, Dojima-Ojisan seems to be swamped with work. I should also try to do something for Nanako-chan at some point. Though I don't know what that would be. Hopefully I'll figure it out at some point.' Yu then entered his room, which by this point he had completely unpacked all the boxes, got in his pajamas, and waited for Midnight to come to confirm the Midnight Channel rumors.

Midnight was slowly approaching, it was raining, and Yu was anxiously waiting to see if the Midnight Channel rumors were true. 'It's not like I believe in this sort of crap. So why am I so anxious?' Yu shook his head. 'Wait, I know why. With all the weird stuff happening to me lately, I'm subconsciously thinking it might be true. Though if it is, it's definitely not gonna beat talking with Igor and Margaret the night before my arrival.' The clock struck 12. Yu waited in anticipation…and nothing happened. Yu sighed. 'What was I so worried about? There's a limit to how much strange shit can be possible.' He then turned away, ready to close his blinds, when all of a sudden, the TV came on. 'No way.' Yu thought in shock. The TV was static, and then, it showed an image of a girl, though it was too blurry to make out the exact identity of the person. The only thing Yu could make out was she was wearing the Yasogami High uniform and had brown hair. 'It's really true! But wait, is something throwing her around the room? What does this mean?' Yu thought, entranced by what was going on. And then…

"I…am thou…"

A voice sounded in Yu's mind, and he started to feel dizzy.

"Thou art I…"

'What is happening to me right now?' Yu thought, panicking, as he felt more and more dizzy.

"Thou art the one who opens the door…"

Lightning struck a fuse box outside, and Yu's dizzy spell was over, but he was breathing heavily. 'What was that? And why do I know that voice?' Yu had no time to think over those questions, as he noticed that the image was now gone. Yu felt some form of a draw to the TV screen. He walked over to it, and put his hand out. 'I wonder, if I touch this screen, will something happen?' Only one way to find out. He put his finger on the screen, and all of a sudden, ripples formed. 'What the hell?' He put his finger on the screen, pressing it this time, and then, the same ripples happened, but his finger went through the TV. Yu tried to put his hand inside, and he succeeded. 'This is…incredible. How is this even possible?' Yu thought in amazement. He tried putting his right arm inside, when all of a sudden, a force started sucking him into the TV, to the point his right arm and his entire head and neck areas were inside. "Aagh!" Yu yelled. All he saw was a dimension of a black and white void, and he did not have a good feeling of what would happen if he went into the dimension. He was panicking, but then he quickly noticed something 'Wait a minute. I'm stuck. It must be because the TV is way too small to completely pull me in. Well, I'm not gonna spend the night stuck in the TV.' He used all of his strength to get out of the TV by pushing his left arm on the wall as hard as he could, and succeeded in getting out of the TV. Although he paid a price: He hit his head hard on his work table. "Owwww." He groaned, rubbing the back of his head. He then heard someone coming down the hall.

"Are you okay?" Nanako asked, calling from the other side of the door.

"Did I wake you up?" Yu asked, still rubbing his head.

"I heard a really loud noise…Well, good night." Nanko then returned to her room.

'What in the hell happened…' Yu thought, pondering the events that had happened to him tonight. From the Midnight Channel, to him hearing a familiar voice, to him nearly getting sucked into the TV. 'I need to discuss this with Satonaka-san and Hanamura-san tomorrow.' Yu then got into his futon, and went to sleep.

4/14

It was the next day, and it was raining. Yu was walking to school with his umbrella above his head, when all of a sudden, Chie came running up to him. "Perfect timing! Sorry, move over!" Chie called, and forced herself under Yu's umbrella. Chie saw how confused Yu was, and started to explain her situation. "I did have my own, but I saw this Kung Fu movie where they used an umbrella to pull of some sweet moves…And I accidentally broke mine trying to mimic the movie." Yu let out a laugh, which caused a bulging vein to appear on Chie's forehead. "Hey, it's not…Okay, maybe it's a little funny." Chie admitted. "By the way…Did you see it?"

"I did." Yu said, nodding. 'And a lot more than you can imagine.'

"Aha, do tell. But the person it showed…" Chie then shook her head. "Never mind, I'll save it for when the others are around. We're gonna be late for school."

Yu just nodded, and both of them started walking to school. It was at this point Chie realized how close they were to each other, and had a small, visible blush develop on her face. "Oh…U-Uh…"

Yu then stopped, and saw her blush, and asked "Is something the matter?"

Chie's blush only grew redder at Yu's concern for her, and said "W-Well, it's kinda awkward to bring this up now, but…we're pretty close here…"

'O-oh.' Yu thought, a blush on his face, though it was barely visible.

"U-Um, I'm gonna just go ahead and run the rest of the way!" Chie was about to run, when Yu grabbed her by her shoulder. Chie looked back at him, surprised.

"Don't worry about it." Yu said coolly, though the blush was still on his face.

"Huh…? Are you sure, Narukami-san?" Chie asked, unsure if he really wanted to do this.

Yu nodded "I'm sure."

Chie then gave Yu a wide and bright smile "If you say so then…I guess it's okay. Thanks."

'She has a great smile.' Yu thought, entranced.

"Alright, let's go." He heard Chie say, snapping him out of his trance, and both Chie and Yu walked to school together. If one saw them, they would probably mistake them for a couple.

Yu was now in history class, and was introduced to his history teacher, Kimiko Sofue. She was a young woman with an egyptian headdress on her head. She wore a brown suit, and carried a crosier short staff.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Kimiko Sofue, and I don't know how much you know about world history, but I am an expert." she bragged. "First, a little about me. I love to use my dowser to look for lost items, and there's nothing quite like romance. In fact, world history is a magnificent romance. History is like a river, it was born in the past and flows ever forward. I hope we can all enjoy the profundity of history together. Hohoho."

'She's the complete opposite of Morooka personality wise. I like her already. I'm also pretty good with History, so this class should be a breeze." Yu thought with a grin.

"And since this is my first lecture, I'll start with an easy question. Our transferee, Mr Narukami, please stand up." she ordered. Yu was slightly surprised he was picked so early on, but stood up regardless. "The western calendar is based on Anno Domini, the traditionally believed year of Jesus Christ's birth. What is the year before 1 AD called? Is it 0 AD, 1 BC, or negative 1 AD?"

'I know this.' Yu thought gleefully, glad he wouldn't look like a fool the first time a teacher called on him to answer a question. 'Not that I'm terrible at history, far from it. The fear is always there though.' "1 BC" he answered.

"Ah, you seem to understand this well. If you think that history is like math, 0 AD would be the natural assumption, but world history is much more complicated. The gregorian calendar we use today is based on the Julian calendar, which was made while there was no concept of zero as a number. That's why, when counting backwards, we go from 1 AD straight to 1 BC. Hopefully that was a nice introduction to world history…"

Yu could feel his knowledge increase from getting the question right. Not that it wasn't pretty high already, of course.

The day seemed to go by quickly, as it was now after school. Yu could not help but overhear two female students talking about the murder.

"What's up with the body being hung upside-down? That's so freaky!" Female student 1 exclaimed.

"Is it supposed to be like, mimicking an expression? It's messed up…" Female student number 2 said wearily.

"My senpai told me it was a third year named Saki who found the body." Female student number 1 told female student number 2.

'So it was Konishi-senpai who discovered the body. Damn…' Yu thought grimly. Yosuke then walked up to Yu.

"Y-Yo, Narukami-san. Um…"

"What is it?" Yu asked, though he had a feeling it had something to do with the Midnight Channel

"It's, uh, it's not really that important, but…Well, yesterday on TV, I…" Yosuke then hesitated "Oh, uhh…Never mind. Look, I'll tell you later. Ahaha…" Yosuke said, dismissively.

Chie then walked up to the two boys. "Hanamura, did you hear the rumor? Konishi-senpai's supposedly the one who discovered the body." Chie told Yosuke.

"I wonder if that's why she looked so down…She doesn't seem to be at school today either." Yosuke pondered.

'She wasn't at school today? I wonder if discovering the body and getting grilled by journalists is affecting her.' Yu thought worried.

Chie saw Yukiko stand up from her seat. "Huh? Hey Yukiko, are you helping out at the inn today too?" she asked

"Things are really out of hand right now…I'm sorry." Yukiko stated and left the classroom.

'Something is wrong.' Yu thought, concerned.

"Is it just me, or does Amagi-san seem way stressed out today?" Yosuke asked, also concerned.

"I guess they're running her ragged…" Chie said worried. "By the way, did you see…it…last night?"

"Huh…? Uh, well…What about you?" Yosuke asked back

"I did! I seriously saw a girl!" Chie exclaimed "But…my soulmate's a girl? What's that supposed to mean?" Chie then tried to remember what the girl looked like. "I couldn't tell who it was, but it was a girl for sure…Her hair was brown, about shoulder length. She was wearing our school uniform, and…"

"Hey…I think that's the same person I saw." Yosuke remembered. "I couldn't make out that much detail, though. The image I saw was much blurrier…"

"Wait, so you saw it too!?" Chie exclaimed "And we saw the same girl…? Does that mean…we have the same soulmate?"

"How should I know?" Yosuke asked rhetorically before turning to Yu "How 'bout you? Did you see it?"

"I did see the same girl. However…" Yu then explained the events of last night to Chie and Yosuke. When he had finished…

"It sounds like we all saw the same person…" Yosuke said in wonder. "But weird voices aside, what was that about getting sucked into your TV…? Were you that tired last night? You must've fallen asleep in front of your TV."

"That'd be one interesting dream, though" Chie added. "I like the part where you got stuck 'cause your TV was too small. That's pretty realistic. If it had been bigger–" Chie then cut herself off as she remembered something "Ohhh, that reminds me. Our family's been talking about buying a bigger TV."

"Oh yeah? Well, flatscreen TVs are definitely in these days. Wanna go check 'em out on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month." Yosuke offered.

"Oh, definitely!" My parents don't know anything about electronics, and I've just gotta see my kung-fu movies on the big screen!" Chie accepted excitedly. She then made a kung fu pose, her leg in the air and arms spread in a crane position. "Haw-taaa!"

Yosuke then turned to Yu. "We've got some pretty big ones in stock. I bet they'd be big enough for you to fit into, hehe." Yosuke joked.

'Ugh, of course they don't believe me. I thought there might have been a chance considering we all saw someone on the Midnight Channel, but even I wouldn't believe it if it didn't happen to me last night. Might as well check out these flatscreens, I wonder if I can go through them like last night…' Yu then sighed, and said agreed to go, and the trio went to Junes.

The trio was no in the Junes electronics department, standing in front of a flatscreen TV.

"Wow, this is huge! And…Holy crap it's expensive! Who buys something like this?" Chie asked in disbelief.

"I dunno…Rick folks? Honestly, not many people shop for TVs here. That's why we don't have clerks around." Yosuke answered.

'I could definitely fit inside this TV.' Yu concluded thoughtfully as he took a good look at the flatscreen.

"Huh…Not worth trying then, I guess. Well, at least looking's free." Chie said, and then she and Yosuke put their hands on the TV, and were unable to get into the TV.

"...Nope, can't get in. Figures." Yosuke said.

"Haha, this proves it. It was all just a dream." Chie concluded.

"That's not how you disprove something." Yosuke and Chie looked at Yu with surprised looks on their faces. "You have to test every variable possible. It didn't work for you guys, but you forgot about the control variable: Me, since I'm the one who experienced it. If I can't get into the TV, then you can say it was all just a dream."

Yosuke and Chie looked at each other with frowns on their faces, and Chie spoke up "Look, we're sorry if we took our joking too far, it's just…"

Yu waved her off "I honestly don't blame you two. I'd probably do the same thing if someone came up to me and said they almost got sucked into their TV. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't experience it myself last night. But I know what I saw. And now I have to confirm it for myself, since it didn't work for you guys."

Chie then looked at Yu in amazement, and said "Well, then, let me get out of the way." Yu smiled , and got in the middle.

Yosuke pulled Chie aside and asked "Wait, are you seriously starting to believe this crap?"

"No, it's just, when he started talking like that, it made me want to see if it was possible." Chie answered. Yosuke raised an eyebrow at this, but put whatever questions he had in the back of his head for later.

Yu put his hand on the flatscreen, and low and beyond, the ripples from last night were made, and his hand was inside the TV.

"Narukami-san!" Chie and Yosuke cried, shocked beyond belief.

"Y-Your arm…is in the TV…?" Yosuke asked in disbelief

"Yep." Yu said.

"Whoa…Uhhh…" Chie was completely speechless "Is this some kinda…new model? L-Like a new function?" Chie asked, trying to think of a logical explanation to explain…this.

"Hell no!" Yosuke shouted.

"You gotta be kidding me…You really stuck your hand through the screen." Chie concluded in disbelief.

"Oh man…This is for real…That's some magic trick, man! So how's it work, huh? What's the magician's secret!?" Yosuke asked, trying to think of a logical explanation himself.

"Trust me, I know some magic tricks, and none of them are as advanced as this." Yu deadpanned, before he had a thought 'I can definitely stick more than just my hand in here.' as he remembered last night, and did just that, putting his head completely inside the TV.

"H-Hey, don't do that! What're you doing!?" Yosuke reprimanded, still in shock

"Oh my God!" Chie exclaimed.

"There's empty space inside. It's that same black and white void I saw last night too" Yu called from inside the TV.

"Wh-What do you mean, 'inside'!?" Yosuke asked, speechless.

"Wh-What do you mean, 'empty space'!?" Chie asked, equally speechless.

"It's also very spacious in here." Yu added.

"Wh-What do you mean, 'spacious'!?" Yosuke asked, still not believing what he was witnessing.

"I mean, what's going on!?" Chie asked, trying to make sense of this.

"Do you guys believe me now?" Yu asked, sounding a little smug.

"Do we believe you?! The proof is right in front of us!" Chie exclaimed.

"Holy crap…I-I think this is all too much for my bladder…" Yosuke said, jogging in place.

"HUH?!" Yu exclaimed.

"What the–? Are you gonna pee your pants!?" Chie asked bewildered by this turn of events.

"I've been holding it in all day! I-I Haven't had a chance to go…" Yosuke explained, then he started to panic, as he felt his bladder ready to explode. "Aaarrgh! Can't…hold it…anymore!" Yosuke then left to search for the bathroom, only to come running back. "Shit! Customers! They're coming!"

"What!? But we've got a guy half stuck in the TV here! Wh-What're we gonna do!?" Chie exclaimed, starting to panic. Soon, both Chie and Yosuke started to scramble around in their panic.

"H-Hey, what're you guys doing back there?!" Yu questioned, getting a bad feeling these two were gonna do something stupid. Then, as Yosuke and Chie continued to scramble around, they crashed into the TV, and pushed Yu completely into the flatscreen, along with themselves. They all screamed, as they disappeared from Junes.

It was a long drop, as the trio dropped into the void Yu had mentioned, which turned out to be a long portal, which spat them out to someplace else. All three landed on some ground, and were a bit hurt from the landing, but were relatively fine. 'Ow.' was all Yu could think, as he had landed on his butt, and started nursing it.

"Ow, I landed on my wallet…" Yosuke groaned, rubbing his side.

"Man…Where the heck are we?" Chie asked, getting up and looking around to get a good look of the area. By this point, Yu had also gotten up as well. "What is this place? Somewhere inside Junes?"

"Hell no it isn't!" Yosuke denied, having also gotten up as well "I mean, we fell through a TV…Actually, uh…what is going on here?"

"So…uh…we're still alive…Right?" Chie asked, still confused about where they were and what just happened.

"Are you guys okay?" Yu asked, concerned for his friends.

"I think my butt's cracked now…" Yosuke said painfully.

"Of course it is!" Chie exclaimed

"Whoa!" Yosuke said, realizing his surroundings for the first time.

"Wh-What now!? Did you wet your pants!?" Chie asked fearfully

"No, stupid!" Yosuke admonished "Look around!"

Chie did just that, and realized they were standing in the middle of what looked like…"Is this…a studio?" She also noticed the place was surrounded by what looked to be fog, making it very hard to get a good look at the studio, but it looked like a studio nonetheless, and there were stairs everywhere, and there was clearly a logo from where they were standing. "All this fog…Or is it smoke? There's no place like this in Inaba, is there…?"

"Hell no…" Yosuke denied, though in disbelief himself. "But man…this place is huge…"

Yu had the same feeling of disbelief, but also amazement, as they had come in from the TV, and they appeared to be in what looked like another world. However, he also had a lot of questions. 'What is this place? How am I able to go inside the TV in the first place? Is this world dangerous?' Yu had a feeling he had an answer to the last question.

"What're we gonna do…?" Chie asked Yu

'As curious as I am about this world, I get the feeling we should not be here.' Yu thought, before giving Chie his answer "Let's go home."

"G-Good plan!" Chie praised "Look, we need to get home and–H-Huh…?" Chie then realized there was a hitch in that plan "Wait a minute…Which way did we come in from? I don't see a way in…or out!"

'Shit.' Yu thought, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"What? That can't be right! How-How could that be!?" Yosuke questioned, clearly panicking.

"I don't know! Don't ask me! I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!" Chie cried.

"Okay…so how!?" Yosuke yelled

'They're both starting to panic. I need to take charge here and calm them down.' Yu thought, before taking a deep breath. "Let's calm down." Yu ordered, and both Chie and Yosuke looked at him shocked for what seemed like the millionth time today

"Y-You're right. Okay…okay" Yosuke said, calming down. "Let's calm down and think about this." After a bit of thinking, Yosuke spoke again. "All right, so we need to find a way out."

"Is there really a way outta here…?" Chie asked, calm for now because of Yu's order, but still worried they might be stuck.

"We got in…so we must be able to get out somehow." Yosuke concluded.

"That's true, but…" Chie said, unsure if they could get out

"If there's no exit, we're trapped, so let's cross our fingers and look around." Yosuke suggested. Yu and Chie nodded in agreement, and the trio started searching for an exit in this new world.

After some time, the trio were walking near what appeared to be some balcony.

"What is this place…?" Chie asked, "It feels different from where we were before…"

"It looks like we're in some kinda building" Yosuke hypothesized "But…Damn, this fog's so thick, I can hardly see."

"Judging from the balcony, we're on a higher floor too." Yu added.

"Are you guys sure we're not wandering farther away?" Chie asked

"I can't be positive, but we've gotta trust our instinct a little." Yosuke said, though he seemed to be a little unsure himself.

"I know, but.." Chie started to say, when all of a sudden, Yu his hands on her shoulders, and looked her right in the eye.

"We'll find a way out, Satonaka-san." Yu said cooly, with all the confidence in the world. He didn't shout it, he didn't make some speech about how they had to have faith, none of that. He just said one sentence, and it seemed to have helped Chie, for after getting over her shock, she smiled.

"If you say so." Chie responded.

Yu smiled back, let go of her shoulders, and said "Let's press on." and he and Yosuke went on ahead, with Chie walking behind.

Yosuke had seen that interaction, and admittedly, he had calmed down a bit from Yu's words, but he was more intrigued by what Yu had done with Chie. He leaned in to Yu's ear, and whispered "You seemed to be getting a bit close to Satonaka-san already, aren't ya?"

"W-What? I-It's not what you think." Yu whispered back, flustered

"Don't worry, I won't say anything." Yosuke whispered, smirking. Yu had no choice but to let Yosuke have the last word, and both continued to walk ahead.

'I'm not so sure myself if we will be able to find an exit, but someone has to keep up morale, right? Chie seems to have calmed down for now, and Yosuke seems more focused on teasing me, so I've done my job. I just hope we can find an exit soon.' Yu thought as their search for an exit continued.

Time passed, and the trio's search for an exit would lead them to a room. Yosuke and Yu would be the first ones to enter it.

"Hey, is it me or is the fog lighter here?" Yosuke asked Yu.

"You're right." Yu said surprised.

Yosuke then checked his phone. "No service. What a surprise…"

"I didn't even bother, since if we're in another world, dimension, or whatever this place is, it probably doesn't carry the same service that our phones need, if at all." Yu said, as he started to analyze the room. There was a bed in front of him, but not only that, posters of a woman, whose face was ripped up. 'I've seen that woman before, but where? If only the face wasn't ripped up'

"I know, but it was worth a shot." Yosuke said.

"Can't you guys slow down a little?" Chie asked as she entered the room "It's hard enough to see where you're going…" She then turned around "Huh? What the…!?"

In front of the trio were more posters of the same woman, except there appeared to be also what looked like yellow and red paint on the walls.

"It's a dead end! There's no exit!" Chie exclamied, as she took in her surroundings.

"It keeps getting creepier and creepier the further we go…" Yosuke noted, before his bladder reminded him he still had to pee "Aargh! I can't hold it in any longer…My bladder's gonna explode…!" He jogged in place, then went to a spot on the wall and unzipped his pants, ready to pee.

"Yosuke!? What're you doing!?" Chie called

"I gotta let it out before I piss my pants!" Yosuke shouted desperately

"Oh god." Yu sighed, a hand over his face, not believing this turn of events.

"You're going here!? Oh, you have got to be kidding…" Chie complained, not wanting to deal with this.

"T-Turn around!" Yosuke ordered "I can't go if everyone is watching." However, he realized he couldn't go with people present. "Aaaaargh…I can't do it! It's all your fault if my bladder bursts!"

"Like I care…Anyways…what's with this room?" Chie asked, looking around the room. "Check out these posters. Their faces are all cut out…Someone must really hate this person…"

'That might be an understatement, Satonaka-san. Damn it, where have I seen this woman before?' Yu thought frustrated.

Yosuke noticed a rope hanging over a chair in the middle of the room and walked over to it "Dude…this chair and rope…That kind of arrangement is never good…" Yosuke said grimly. He then looked at what was attached to the rope "It's tied in a noose…Is this a scarf?" He wondered

"C'mon…Let's go back to where we came from and look somewhere else for an exit…" Chie suggested, clearly not wanting to be in the room anymore.

Yu and Yosuke nodded, and the trio started to leave the room, when Yosuke stopped and took a closer look at a ripped up poster that was near the door. "Hey…I think I've seen that poster before…"

"I thought so too, but I can't remember the woman's name" Yu said

"Who CARES!?" Chie shouted "Let's go! I am sick of this place! And I'm not feeling so good…"

"Now that you mention it, me too…" Yosuke said, feeling sick as well.

'Now that they mention it, I'm starting to feel sick as well.' Yu's eyes then widened 'I just noticed this now, but this place has such an oppressive atmosphere. I don't think sticking around here is a good idea.'

"Alright, let's go back. I'm seriously starting to feel sick…" Yosuke said.

"Agreed." Yu said, nodding in affirmation. The trio then left the room.

A little while later, the trio made it back to where they started. "Whew…We finally made it back here…" Chie said, sighing in relief. "Wait…What's that…?"

Yosuke and Yu looked to where Chie's eyes were focused on, and their eyes widened in shock. "Th-There's something over there!" Yosuke exclaimed.

In front of them was a shadowy figure, covered in the deep, thick fog of the area. It was unmoving for a few seconds, before finally taking a few steps towards the group. As it did, there was less fog to hide the shadowy figure's features. It took a few more steps, until finally, there wasn't enough fog to cover the figure's features. Finally the figure was revealed! It was…a mascot?

"What is this thing? A monkey? A bear…?" Chie asked speechless

"What in the world…?" Yosuke was equally speechless.

Meanwhile, Yu had no words. 'What…in the hell…is that thing?" He took in the creature's features. It appeared to be an anthropomorphic bear with blue fur. It wore a red and white jumpsuit-like clothing. It also had big black eyes. 'It looks like one of those mascots I would find at a baseball game as a kid' Yu thought.

"Th-That's what I wanna know!" the bear exclaimed. From its voice, it appeared to be male. "Who are you guys…?"

Chie gasped "It talked!" She then got in a fighting stance. "W-What are you!? Y-You wanna fight!?"

The bear cowered in fear "D-Don't yell at me like that…"

'I don't think this thing is much of a fighter, otherwise we'd probably be dead by now. It would be a good idea to be nice and ask him where we are.' Yu thought. "What is this place?"

"This place is what it is." The bear answered "it doesn't have a name. It's where I live."

"You…live here?" Yosuke asked incredulously

"If I was you guys, I'd hurry back to the other side." The bear advised "Someone has been throwing people in here. It's a big headache."

'Throwing people in here?' Yu thought curiously

"Huh? Throwing people in? What're you talking about?" Yosuke asked

"I dunno who's doing it!" The bear yelled angrily "I just want them to think before they go doing things like that!"

"Hey, what's your problem? What gives YOU the right to yell at us like that!?" Chie scolded "What ARE you!? Where are we!? What the heck's going on here!?"

The bear then got scared from Chie's scolding and hid behind Yu "I already told you…A-Anywyas, you should hurry back."

"What it comes down to is, you want us to get outta here, right?" Yosuke asked "Well, so do we! We just don't know how, dammit!"

"Urrrrgh! That's why I'm saying I'll let you out!" The creature yelled.

"Like I keep saying, we don't know where the frickin' exit–" Yosuke started ranting before realizing what the bear had said "Wait…What?"

The bear then tapped his feet, and all of a sudden, three old fashioned TVs appeared in a poof of smoke in front of the trio

"What the hell?" Yosuke asked speechless

"Wh-Where did those TVs come from!?" Chie asked incredulously

"I'm not sure myself…" Yu started before turning to the creature "But thank you."

"Y-You're welcome!" the creature exclaimed happily "Okay, now go, go, get outta here! I'm a busy bear!" The bear then started to push the trio into the TVs.

"Whoa!" Yu exclaimed

"What's going on now!? Whoa! Hey, what're you doing!?" Chie exclaimed, confused at the constant pushing

"S-Stop pushing!" Yosuke demanded, but the bear kept pushing, and soon, the three would enter the black and white void once again.

A portal opened on the flatscreen in Junes, and the trio was finally back in their world.

Chie checked her surroundings "Huh? Is this…?"

"Did we…make it back?" Yosuke asked hopefully

"Seems like it." Yu said. All of a sudden, an announcement came on in the department store

"Attention, shoppers. Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor. Why not try the delicious, fresh produce Junes picked for you this morning as your side dish for dinner tonight? All ages are invited to take advantage of this incredible bargain!"

"Crap, it's already that late!?" Yosuke asked incredulously, realizing the time.

Yu looked at his watch and his eyes turned to saucers 'Holy shit, it's getting late! I need to get home soon or Dojima-ojisan is gonna yell at me.'

"Looks like we were in there for quite a while…" Chie noted.

Yosuke then looked to his right, and realization hit him like a freight train. "That's right…Now I remember where I saw that poster before…Look over there! That's the poster we saw!"

"What's up now?" Chie asked, before her gaze went towards where Yosuke was looking.

Yu did the same, and his eyes widened in realization 'That's…"

"Hey, you're right, they're the same. I couldn't tell before withouts the face, but it was Misuzu Hiiragi…" Chie said in recognition "She's been all over the news lately. Something about…her husband having an affair with that announcer lady who died the other day."

'The woman we saw in those ripped up posters was Namatame's wife. What the hell is going on here? That bear talked about someone throwing people into TVs. Is there some kinda connection between that and Yamano's death?' Yu questioned as his thoughts raced.

"Hey, so does that mean…? That weird room we saw…Could it be related to that Yamano lady's death…? Yosuke questioned, on a similar wavelength to Yu's "Now that I think about it…there was that creepy noose hanging from the ceiling…" Yosuek shook his head, not wanting to think about that room or that world anymore. "Yaaaargh, stop! No more! We gotta stop talking about this. I'm gonna wipe what happened today from my brain. I don't think my poor heart can take anymore."

"I'm feeling a chill too…" Chie said "Let's go home…I wanna lie down and rest."

'I'm starting to feel a bit sluggish myself. Maybe that world has something to do with it.' Yu thought, before he turned to Chie "Same, plus I need to be home soon too, or Dojima-ojisan will yell at me." Yu agreed, and all three left the store, and went their separate ways. However, as Yu was walking home with his umbrella, since it was still raining, his thoughts raced once again 'I don't blame them for not wanting to think about those grim details, but I'm starting to wonder if all of what has been happening is tied to what Igor said to me. I'm not fully sure if this is the case, but with all this weird stuff that has been happening to me lately, I can't just chalk it up to some coincidence.' Yu then sighed 'I need to process all this after I get some rest. That world might have made me sick or something.' Yu then continued on the path to get home.

The rain had started to subside by the time Yu entered the Dojima residence. He walked through the door, dropped off his umbrella, and walked into the living room. Dojima and Nanko were there sitting at the living room table waiting for him. Yu, still feeling sluggish, saw the instant ramen in front of the two, and felt like eating some himself would make him feel better.

"Hey, welcome home." Dojima greeted, and Yu sat down at the living room table.

Yu noticed that Dojima seemed to want to ask him something, "Is something the matter, Dojima-ojisan?"

"Uh–Hmm…Well, I doubt you'd know…" Dojima seemed hesitant at first, but decided to ask anyway "But have you heard anything about a student named Saki Konishi?"

"Well…She wasn't at school today….And I also heard she discovered Yamano's body" Yu answered honestly

"Yeah, that part's true…" Dojima's face then grew serious. "To be honest Yu…we got a call from her family. She's disappeared. We've got people looking for her, but she hasn't been found yet…" Dojima then sighed "Work just keeps piling up…"

'Wait, she's disappeared?!' Yu thought shocked. Then, the news came on with a follow up on the Yamano murder

"And now, more on the case still casting a shadow over the foggy town of Inaba. Not long ago, television announcer Mayumi Yamano was found dead in the small town. Up until now, her whereabouts prior to her death had been unknown. But the police investigation has found that she had been staying in the region's famous Amagi Inn."

'That's the inn Amagi-san's family runs.' Yu thought as he focused intently on the TV

"She had apparently been staying there alone. Perhaps she was taking a vacation to recover from her ordeal…?" The news then cut to the announcer talking with the commentator from yesterday.

"Oh yes, the Amagi Inn! Their hot springs are first rate. The manager's teenage daughter works there, and it's rumored that she'll take over the inn this spring. If that happens, she'll be one of the youngest managers on record! I should book another trip there!"

"Uhh…I-I see…" The announcer seemed to be caught off guard from that declaration. "Moving along, it's time for the weather report. The rain has begun to subside. From now until morning, heavy fog warnings will be in effect in the Inaba region. Visibility will be severely reduced, so please be careful if you plan on driving in the area…"

As the news continued, Yu started going over what he learned today 'Just before she was found dead, Mayumi Yamano was apparently staying at the Amagi inn. Konishi-senpai seems to have disappeared, and she was the one who discovered her body. And that bear…he mentioned that someone was throwing people into that world. Is all of this connected? If so, what does it all mean?'

"Is the ramen ready now?" Nanako asked as Yu was thinking

"Give it some more time." Dojima told her. Yu then all of a sudden sneezed "Are you sick?" Dojima asked concerned "You're still probably adjusting to the new environment. Nanako, could you get him some cold medicine?" Nanako nodded, and went to grab the medicine. " You should get to bed after you take it."

"Thank you." Yu said gratuitously as Nanko handed him the cold medicine. He then took it and started to head straight to his room to go to bed. As he got into his futon and got ready to doze off, his thoughts turned back to Saki and what the bear had said 'Saki has disappeared and the bear mentioned that someone was throwing people into the TVs. I don't know if there's a connection…but for some reason, I've got…a bad feeling about all this…' Yu's eyes then closed and he went to sleep. Little did he know, his worst fears would be confirmed not even 24 hours later.

4/15

In the morning, the fog that had enveloped the area lifted, and on a lone telephone pole, there hanging off the phone lines, was a dead body. She looked to be a young girl, and she wore a Yasogami High uniform.

At the Dojima Residence, Yu walked down the stairs dressed and ready for school, and he saw Dojima and Nanko near the kitchen area, but was confused when he saw Dojima grab his coat as he came down. "Ah, you're up. Well, I'm off." he said as he walked out of the house and left.

"...Dad has to go do something. He got a call, so he left." Nanako explained. She then looked towards the door, with a worried expression on her face

'She looks worried.' Yu thought. "Say, Nanako-chan, when I get home tonight, would you like me to help you with the housework?" he asked with a comforting smile.

Nanako's eyes widened, before a small smile crept on her face, and she nodded.

Yu smiled, and then he said goodbye to Nanako, before he left the house.

As he was walking along the Samegawa flood plain, he couldn't help but overhear 2 girls talking amongst themselves. One was holding a red umbrella, the other was holding a white umbrella.

"When I looked, I saw three police cars zooming by." The Red Umbrella girl said.

"You live by the police station, don't you? Did you hear anything?" The White Umbrella girl asked.

"I heard some yelling, but nothing more. Total disappointment." The Red Umbrella girl said, sighing

"Geez, you need to pay more attention to stuff like that. How else are we supposed to get the juicy stories?" The White Umbrella Girl chastised.

Yu then heard sirens nearby 'Something definitely happened. It's probably why Dojima-Ojisan had to leave so early in the morning. I'll probably learn about it on the news tonight. However…' That bad feeling from last night returned. 'I really hope I'm wrong about this.' Yu thought gravely, before he walked to school.

The school had called for an assembly, and all the students were gathered in the school's gym, and a stage was in front of them as they waited for the assembly to begin. Yu, Yosuke, and Chie were in their own little group, with Chie in the front, while Yu and Yosuke stood behind her. Yu then overheard 2 girls who were next to Chie gossiping.

"Hey…Did you see it yesterday?" Girl 1 asked Girl 2

"Of course not…What, is that rumor for real?" Girl 2 asked incredulously.

"I dunno, but it seems a lot of people have seen it." Girl 1 answered.

'Rumor? Could they be talking about the Midnight channel.' Yu thought curiously

"Yukiko said she'd be here after lunch…I wonder why they're holding a school assembly all of a sudden." Chie wondered, before noticing Yosuke deep in thought. "Hey, what's wrong Hanamura?"

"Oh, it's nothing…" Yosuke said dismissively, but Yu could tell something was on his mind. It was then that Ms. Sofue gathered everyone's attention.

"Everyone, please settle down. The school assembly is about to begin. First, the Principal has something to say." Ms. Sofue said before turning it over to the Principal, who stepped up to the mic. He wore a black robe, was bald, old, and had a long white beard.

"I…regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you. One of our third-year students, Ms. Saki Konishi of Class 3…has passed away." The Principal said, dropping a bombshell.

All of the students in the assembly gasped and were absolutely stunned.

"Passed away…!?" Chie gasped in disbelief. Yosuke didn't say anything, but you see a mixture of emotions on his face, including grief and disbelief.

''Damn it!' Yu thought, clenching his fist. His instincts had proven correct, although he had hoped it wouldn't be the case.

The principal then continued "Ms Konishi was found deceased early this morning…The reasons behind her passing are currently under investigation by the police. I ask you for their cooperation, I urge you, as students of this school, to provide only the facts." A bunch of students then began to gossip amongst themselves very loudly "All right, please quiet down…" he ordered. "I have been assured by the faculty that there's been no evidence that bullying was involved in the incident. So mind what you say, not only to the police but to anyone who asks…"

"Found dead…? How could this happen…?" Chie asked herself, still in shock. Yosuke once again was deep in thought, as was Yu. The principal then continued on, and in the blink of an eye, the assembly was over.

The assembly ended, and the students were given a free period conveniently before school ended for the day. Yu and Chie were out in the hall on the first floor, and overheard two girls talking about Saki

"Well, last time, it was from an antenna, but this time she was hanging from a telephone pole. It's gotta be a serial murder case…" Girl 1 theorized

"Someone said the cause of death was from unknown poison." Girl 2 said.

"Unknown…? C'mon, this isn't some sci-fi drama." Girl 2 dismissed. "Oh by the way, did you hear? Someone saw a girl that looked like Saki on that Midnight Channel thingie."

"They said she totally looked like she was in pain. Isn't that scary?" Girl 2 replied.

"Haha, sounds like someone had a nightmare. The media's been broadcasting their interviews with her nonstop, so maybe they just had Saki on the brain." Girl 1 concluded.

The 2 girls then walked away, and continued on with their free period. Chie clenched her fist "Sheesh, it's easy to toss around theories if you're not personally involved…" She grumbled irritably. Yu didn't say anything. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing he was mulling over something. Before he could say anything, Yosuke walked up to them.

"Hey…Did you guys check out the TV last night?" Yosuke inquired.

Chie's face turned to both anger and disappointment at Yosuke's question "Hanamura! Not you too!"

"Just listen for a sec!" Yosuke pleaded, "Something kept bothering me, so…I watched it again, and…I think the girl on the screen…was Konishi-senpai. There's no mistaking it. Senpai looked like…she was writhing in pain. And then, she disappeared from the screen."

"What…?" Chie uttered perplexed.

Yosuke further explained his theory "You heard Senpai's body was found in a similar situation as that announcer's, right? Well, remember that guy you told us about? How he was excited that his soulmate was the announcer? Maybe…Just maybe, but Ms. Yamano might've been on that Midnight Channel before she died, too."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chie asked, before something clicked in her mind to what Yosuke was saying "Hold on. Are you saying…? People who appear on that TV…die?"

Yosuke nodded "I can't say for sure. But something tells me…I just can't dismiss it as a coincidence. Plus, remember what the bear thing said? How that place was dangerous, and we should leave before the fog clears. It also said that someone's been throwing people in there. And that room with the posters on the wall…It has to have something to do with the announcer's death. I mean…don't you think there's some kind of connection there? Couldn't that world in the TV have something to do with Senpai and the announcer's death?" Yosuke looked at Chie. She looked unsure of what to think, as while what Yosuke said made sense, it was also extremely hard to believe. Yosuke's gaze then switched onto Yu. "Well? What do you think?" he asked.

Yu took a deep breath "You might be right." he answered "I had been having similar thoughts last night. Dojima-Ojisan had told me last night that Konishi-senpai was missing. Something bothered me when I heard that, and I couldn't stop thinking about what the bear had said. I wondered if something had happened to Konishi-senpai, and my instincts had told me that was the case. However, I didn't want to think that was the case, and I had hoped I was just overthinking things. With Yamano's murder, that room, what the bear said, and now Konishi-senpai's death, it really might be all connected."

Chie looked at Yu in surprise, while Yosuke gave Yu a grin "...So it's not just me, huh?" he said, then his face then grew serious "If there is a connection, then it's a good bet that the two of them went inside that world. That would explain the posters in that room. Which means…if we look around we might find a place that has something to do with Senpai, too."

'He might seem like an idiot, but Hanamura-san has really good deduction skills.' Yu thought, pleasantly surprised.

"Hanamura, don't tell me…" Chie said, knowing what Yosuke was implying.

"Yeah…I'm thinking about going in again." Yosuke confirmed. "I want to find out for myself."

"D-Don't do this…" Chie pleaded "You should just let the police handle this and–"

"You think we can rely on the police!?" Yosuke interrupted, "They haven't made any progress on the announcer's case. Besides, even if we told them about the world inside the TV, there's no way they're gonna believe us!" Yosuke clenched his fist, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. "If I'm completely off-base with this, that's fine. It's just…I need to know why Senpai had to die like this."

"Hanamura…" Chie uttered, looking at him sympathetically.

Yosuke took a deep breath, and continued "After what I've seen and what I've put together, there's no way I can ignore it now." His gaze shifted to Yu "Sorry…but you're the only person who can help me. I'm gonna go get ready. I'll be waiting for you at Junes." Yosuke then left.

'Damn it. This could be dangerous, but I also understand how he feels. What do I do?' Yu thought frustrated.

"I can kinda understand how he feels…" Chie stated suddenly, breaking Yu from his thoughts "But we can't be sure we'll be able to get out safely again. What should we do…?"

'She brings up a good point. Maybe we can get the bear to help us again, but what if the TV takes us to a completely different area in that world? What if we can't find Teddie and we can't get back. I get how Hanamura-san feels and I really wanna help him, but this might be too reckless.' Yu thought. "We need to stop Hanamura-san. This might be too reckless." he answered her.

"...Yeah, I agree." Chie nodded. Conveniently, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. "Anyways, let's go to Junes. We can't leave Hanamura alone." Yu nodded, and the two of them got ready to head to Junes.

The two had arrived at Junes, and headed to the electronics department. Yosuke was already there. He was holding a golf club and some rope in his hands.

"You guys came…!" He exclaimed gleefully.

"We came to stop you, idiot! C'mon…You really shouldn't do this. It's too dangerous." Chie advised.

"I know…But we were able to come back once, right? If we go in from the same location, maybe we'll meet that bear again." Yosuke hypothesized

"'Maybe' isn't good enough!" Chie refuted.

"We don't know if these TVs and that world are connected from place to place." Yu added. "We could wind up in the same place, or we could wind up in a different place entirely. If we do, who knows what will happen to us there."

"You don't think I haven't thought of that!" Yosuke shouted, shocking Yu and Chie. He then exhaled, calming himself down. "Look, I know the dangers of doing this, and I'm aware that this could backfire. But I can't just act like everyone else and pretend this has nothing to do with me."

"That's true, but…" Chie started, but was interrupted.

"What about you, Narukami-san? Could you just walk away?" Yosuke asked.

'Damn it, of course I couldn't just walk away. I really want to help him, but something like this is…' Suddenly, Yu's mind flashed to his encounter with Igor and Margaret 'No…I have to go in. I have to find out if this is really that great mystery Igor and Margaret were talking about. So much weird shit has been happening to me lately, and…I want to learn the truth. I want to know what this great mystery is, I want to know the connection these murders have to that world, and…' His mind flashed again, this time to his battle with that unknown figure in that fog world. 'I want to know what my fight with that person was really all about. I don't want my path laden with fog. I will seek the truth!' Yu had his resolve, and was determined to go inside the TV world now. 'Should I just go in on my own and tell Hanamura-san to stay behind?' Yu mentally shook his head at the idea. 'No, nothing I say will get him to stay behind. Plus, I don't think he will get proper closure that way. Which leaves Satonaka-san…she doesn't seem to want to come. And I don't want her to come either' Yu then gave Yosuke his answer. "No, I couldn't just walk away. I'd want to find the truth no matter what. I'll help you do this, but…I'm worried about Satonaka-san. There's no telling what will happen in that world, and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to her. I can also tell she doesn't want to come along with us into that place, so please, make this a two person mission."

Chie looked at Yu with a mixture of shock and gratitude for his genuine concern for her. 'He's not being condescending or anything. I can tell it's because he cares about me. It's the same as when he tried to comfort me yesterday too. I've…never had a guy care about me that much before.' Little did Chie know, something warm had started developing in her heart. It was very, very miniscule, but it was still there.

Yosuke had seen Yu gain the resolve in his eyes, and when he had heard his answer, he gave him a smile. He also had some teasing material to use for later, but that could wait. "I knew you were that type of guy. And don't worry, it'll just be you and me."

'Damn it, I saw that look.' Yu groaned inwardly. He's gonna tease me later. Whatever, I was honest about how I felt on the matter. Satonaka-san doesn't seem to mind either, so I think I'm okay.' Internally, he was blushing like a mad man. He had no idea where that came from. "If we're gonna do this, we need a plan."

"Already got one. Satonaka-san, I'm leaving you in charge of this." Yosuke said, and gave Chie the rope he was holding.

"Huh? A rope…?" Chie asked perplexed

"We'll go in with this tied to me, so I want you to hold on to this and wait here." Yosuke explained.

"Wh-What? Then, this is a lifeline?" Chie said in realization "C'mon, wait a sec…"

"Here, Narukami-san…This is for you." Yosuke gave Yu a golf club and some medicine. "I thought it might be better than going in empty-handed." Yosuke then tied the rope to himself, with Chie holding the end. "Alright…Let's go. There's no use wasting any more time. Satonaka-san, whatever you do, don't let go of the rope." Yu then put his hand on the TV and the portal opened.

"H-Hey! I said wait!" Chie exclaimed

"We'll be back soon, Satonaka-san." Yu promised, and both him and Yosuke entered the portal into the TV world.

Chie held onto the rope for dear life, not daring to let go. A bit of time had passed, and she was starting to get tired, and pulled on the rope so she could maybe catch a break. However, when she did so, there was no resistance, and she found out why: Half of the rope had snapped, and that meant there was no way Yosuke or Yu could get back. She fell to her knees, tears threatening to leave her eyes. "See…? I knew this wasn't gonna work…Now what…?" she muttered to herself. Yu's parting promise flashed in her mind. "You better keep that promise…idiot." she said, clenching her fists in worry

Meanwhile, in the TV world

"Ow…" Yosuke groaned, as he had landed on his butt. Yu did the same, and then both got up and took in their surroundings. "Is this…?" Yosuke asked with some hope.

"It's the same place as last time" Yu concluded.

"So they are connected from place to place!" Yosuek exclaimed excitedly.

"It seems like it." Yu stated with a smile. If this was the case, they wouldn't have to worry about being sent to some random location and not being able to find the bear. Yu then saw a familiar figure in the foggy studio area. 'Speak of the devil…'

"Y-You guys…Why'd you come back?" the bear asked incredulously. His face then shifted to anger. "I get it! You're the ones behind this!"

"You're that thing from last time! Wait, what the hell did you just say!?" Yosuke asked, bewildered.

"Lately, I can tell someone's been throwing people in here. It's making this world more messed up…" the bear explained. "This is the second time you guys came here. And I don't think anyone forced you in. That means you're the most suspicious!" he then pointed a finger at Yosuke and Yu. "You guys must be the ones throwing people in here, raaawr!" he accused.

"Hell no!" Yu denied, not a fan of being accused of something he didn't do.

"What're you talking about, 'throwing people in'?! If someone was throwing in here and they couldn't get out, they might die! Who would do such a—" Yosuke's rant was cut short by an epiphany. Yu seemed to have reached the same one judging by the look on his face. "Would this prove our theory, Narukami-san?"

"We'd need more evidence, but it clearly hasn't been disproven so far." Yu stated.

"Okay, so assuming he is telling the truth, someone is throwing people in here, intending to kill them. If that's the case…" Yosuke started to theorize, but his thinking process was interrupted by the bear.

"What are you guys talking about? Why'd you come here, anyways!? It's a one way door! You can't get out once you're in! Remember! How I had to let you guys out?" he reprimanded, frustrated and confused by the situation.

"Yeah, whatever." Yosuke scoffed "We don't need your help this time! See, this time we have a lifeli–" Yosuke then realized the rest of the rope was missing. "Whaaaaaaaaaat!? H-Hey! You better let us out once we're done investigating here!"

'Good thing we weren't transported somewhere else, otherwise we'd be screwed.' Yu thought with a sweat drop.

"Grrrr! I'm the one who wants to investigate!" The bear exclaimed "I've lived here for a long time. But it's never been noisy like this till now. Do you have proof? Prove to me you're not throwing people in here!" he demanded.

"Proof? How would we be able to prove something like that?" Yu asked perplexed

"See! So it is you guys!" The bear concluded, pointing at the two again.

"For the last time, it's not us, so we've got nothing to prove to you!" Yosuke shouted in frustration from dealing with this bear. He then pointed at the creature. "You better answer our questions. This isn't like last time, when we came here by accident. We're dead serious! Listen up, 'cause people have died in our world…Every time the fog appears, a dead body shows up with it. It has to be related to this place somehow! If you know something, tell us!"

"A dead body? Whenever the fog appears…?" The bear asked bewildered, "I know that if it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. It's really dangerous when the fog lifts. That's when the shadows get violent." the bear's eyes widened "Aaaah…I get it…"

'The fog lifts here when it's foggy on our side?' Yu thought 'And the shadows get violent? I wonder what these shadows are…'

"Huh? If you get it, then explain it to us, dammit!" Yosuke demanded, unable to understand what the bear was talking about. "If it's foggy on our side, it isn't in here…? Shadows get violent…?"

"That's why I said to hurry back! It's dangerous when that happens!" The bear bellowed. "Okay, no more questions. I know you guys did it! You better stop right now!"

'At this rate, none of our questions are gonna be answered. Holy shit, this bear is annoying' Yu groaned in his thoughts, looking like he was gonna have an aneurysm.

Yosuke seemed to be at his wit's end with this bear. "I've told you and told you, we're not the ones doing it! I've about had it with you…Why the hell won't you listen to what we're saying !?"

"I-I'm just saying…you might be the culprits." The bear said passively, recoiling from Yosuke's yelling. "I'm just making sure…"

'Sure…' Yu thought

"What? Man this bear is driving me nuts…" Yosukle complained "What is this place, anyways? It looks like a TV studio. Is something being filmed here?" Yosuke's eyes then widened "H-Hey, don't tell me…Is that weird show being filmed here!?"

"Weird show? Filmed? What does that mean?" The bear inquired, perplexed.

"Uh…I'm asking if someone's been filming the people that get thrown in here." Yosuke clarified.

"I don't get it…" The bear said, still confused "This world has always been like this. No one has ever done that filming here."

"Always been like this?" Yu asked curiously

"Only me and Shadows are here! I told you before!" The bear exclaimed

"Ugh…We don't know what these Shadow things are!" Yosuke snapped "Or what you are either, fro that matter!" You keep telling us to prove our innocence, but you're the most suspicious thing here! Maybe you're the real culprit! And what's with that stupid costume!? I'd say it's time you showed your face!" Yosuke then went up to the bear, and pulled off the bear's head, only to discover…"Whoa! Wh-What the hell are you? I-It's empty inside…"

"Looks like the 'costume' is its real body." Yu stated with his eyes wide as saucers.

The bear then put its head back on. "Me? The culprit? I wouldn't do such a thing!" The bear denied "I just live here. I just want to live here peacefully…" An imaginary lightbulb appeared over the bear's head. "Okay. I'll believe that you guys aren't the culprits. But I want you to find the real guy who did all this. You have to stop him. Promise me, or else…I'm not gonna let you guys outta here."

"Y-You little…!" Yosuke said angrily

"This can't keep going on! My home here will be a complete mess!" The bear seemed to be almost begging at this point. "And then…and then I…Waaah…" The bear started to cry.

"Wh-What're you crying for all of a sudden? Geez, this thing's really weirding me out…" Yosuke complained before he sighed and turned to Yu "Hey, what should we do?"

"Hmmm…" Yu uttered, before retreating into his thoughts 'Looks like my suspicions about this being the mystery that would be thrusted upon me is nearly confirmed. I'd probably need to meet with Igor again to properly confirm this, but considering everything that has happened so far, I can positively say there is only a 2% chance that this is a complete waste of time. I don't think the bear would actually force us to stay here if we refused, but considering how desperate he seems to be, I'm not taking that chance….'

"You're the only ones I can ask. Will you promise me…?" The bear asked, no, pleaded as he interrupted Yu's thoughts.

'On top of that, I can never turn down someone's cry for help.' Yu thought, and then he shocked the bear by giving him a smile. "I promise."

"Th-Thank you!" The bear exclaimed gratuitously.

"Damn bear…Practically holding a gun to our heads…" Yosuke grumbled "But…it's true that we came here to figure things out. So far, we're completely in the dark. Look for the culprit, huh? Bring it on! You got my word, too. Might as well introduce ourselves…I'm Yosuek Hanamura, and this is my buddy Yu Narukami. You got a name?"

"...Teddie." The bear said.

'Of course.' Yu thought, putting a hand to his face.

Yosuke groaned "Figures…But how are we supposed to find the culprit in the first place?"

"I dunno…Oh, but I know where the last person came in." Teddie remembered

"The last person? You mean Konishi-senpai!" Yosuke asked hopeful

"I mean the person who came in and disappeared last time." Teddie clarified "I dunno the name. I'll take you there. You might find the clues. Oh, one thing first." Teddie pulled out two pairs of glasses. One was the color orange, the other was black.

"What're these glasses for…?" Yosuke wondered, before putting on the orange glasses. Yu shrugged and put on the black pair.

"Whoa!" Yosuke exclaimed. The glasses seemed to allow him and Yu to be able to see through the fog. "The difference is like night and day. With these on, it's like the fog doesn't exist." Yu didn't say anything, as he was taking in surroundings he couldn't clearly make out the last time he was here for the first time. The studio was purple, and the logo had a black and white spiral pattern in the middle and what appeared to be…people? There were stairs, studio lights, and a purple and red checkered pattern floor that surrounded the logo.

"They'll help you walk through the fog." Teddie explained. "Well, I've been here for a long time. So you can rely on me! Uh…But I can only show you where the place is. You guys will have to defend yourselves."

"What happened to relying on you!?" Yosuke snapped irritably "Th-There better not be any monsters! You understand!? We brought weapons, but I mean…They're more for show! We just got here! If it's so dangerous, why don't you do something instead of relying on us!?" he proposed

"Uh uh. No way." Teddie rejected "I've got no muscles. Oh! Oh! I'll give you guys moral support from a safe distance! How's that sound?"

'Can he really not fight?' Yu wondered and he went up to the bear. Then, he gave the bear a little touch. Teddie promptly fell over on his back.

"N-Noooooo…." Teddie groaned, trying to get up but was unable to.

"I only gave you a small touch…" Yu said, sighing, speechless at how easy it was to defeat Teddie.

"I-Is this thing for real!? Ugh, this is so lame…" Yosuke grumbled "We swore to find the culprit and this is all the backup we get?"

"Oh yeah. Can I ask you something?" Teddie requested "Who's this Konishi-senpai person? Someone you know?

"That doesn't matter right now…" Yosuke dismissed "Anyways, at least we know Senpai might have been thrown in here. Maybe we can find more information, too. Let's get moving, Narukami-san."

"Right." Yu said, nodding, and him and Yosuke were about to leave, when…

"W-Waaaait!" Teddie called. He was still on the ground. Yu sighed, and helped him back up, and the trio headed towards wherever Teddie wanted to lead them.

After a bit of walking, the trio were in a very familiar area, at least to Yu and Yosuke.

"What is this place…? It looks just like the shopping district…" Yosuke questioned. And it was, although the red and black spiral sky was definitely new. "What's going on here!?"

"Some weird places have appeared here recently." Teddie explained "Things are getting so tangled, I dunno what to do…"

"Uh…by the way, why are you standing so far from us?" Yosuke asked. Teddie was standing a decent distance away from Yosuke and Yu. "You better not be planning to high-tail it if something does show up."

"Of course not!" Teddie denied, then he started to blush "I mean. Uh, I can't stand too close, you know, I'd get in your way…"

"Hrrrrm." Yosuke was not buying that excuse at all. "Man they really went all out on this…But out of all the places in town, why'd they replicate this one?"

"How should I know?" Teddie asked, "This is reality for the one who's here."

"Reality for the one who's here?" Yu repeated, perplexed

Yosuke sighed. "As usual, nothing to say makes any sense. But if this is our shopping district, we're not far from Saki-senpai's…" Yosuke then ran ahead, with Yu and Teddie following behind him. They eventually reached a liquor store.

"I knew it…! This is the liquor store that Senpai's parents run." Yosuke said. It looked like a liquor store, but there was also what appeared to be a red and black spiral portal, the same pattern as the sky, instead of a regular door. "Does this mean…Senpai disappeared here? What could've happened?"

"I think whatever was throwing her around when we watched the Midnight Channel has something to do with it." Yu said grimly. Yosuke was about to respond, when…

"W-Wait a second. Th-They're here!" Teddie warned fearfully.

"What?" Yosuke asked, confused as to what was causing Teddie to look so scared.

"...Shadows. I had a feeling they were going to attack!" Teddie said. Then, from the portal, emerged two blue masked blobs of darkness. Yosuek recoiled in fear, scared of the blobs, but the blobs seemed to only have eyes for Yu. The blobs started to take shape, as they formed into balls. Then, the darkness started to dissipate, revealing the creatures as pink creatures with black stripes and spiral patterns on their sides. To make matters worse, the creatures flipped over, revealing them to be nothing but mouths with big red lips and long tongues. The masks also seemed to be attached to red straps that were indented on the creatures. Yu looked at the creatures in shock and a bit of fear, until he heard a voice, one he had only heard once, but he was very familiar with.

"I am thou…Thou art I…The time has come!"

Yu had his hand to his forehead, eyes closed, feeling a massive headache, but the voice continued.

"Open thine eyes, and call forth what is within!"

Just as quickly as the headache appeared, it stopped, and Yu opened his eyes, then noticed a card appeared in his hand. Teddie was looking at the card in shock and curiosity. 'Is this a…tarot card? Like Igor's?' Yu thought, stunned. 'It's the back of it though. I wonder what's on the front…' He then flipped the card over to the front. The card did not have anything on it. It was blank, no pattern on it like the moon card, just completely void with a golden border around it. All of a sudden, the card glowed a bright light. Yu looked at the card stunned, then he grew a small smile on his face.

"Waaaaaah!" Teddie exclaimed, stunned and confused by this turn of events.

'I know…what this is. I know…how to use this' Yu thought, the smile still on his face. He then uttered one word. "Per…So…Na…" Yu then crushed the card, as blue flames emerged from said action "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yu let out a primal scream, as the flames emerged from behind him. What emerged from those flames was the same figure that he had used to fight that person in the foggy dream world. 'No, I know what this is…it's a part of me. It's called a Persona. I know that now. And I know this thing's name too.' Yu then looked at the two creatures, and both were somewhat trembling. He grinned. He could win. "Let's get to it! Izanagi!" he called to his Persona. Izanagi roared, and the battle began.

To be continued

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. As you can see, there were more things I changed from the dialogue in order to give more life to the world, and that will continue as we keep going throughout the story. You are probably starting to figure out what Yu's social stats are, but stay tuned for next chapter, because they are gonna be revealed there. I am also wondering what clubs you would like Yu to join, since those are coming up soon. Do you want him to join the Drama Club or the Band Club? I'm leaning towards the band club considering there is a plot point of him and the investigation team performing a song at Junes to save Yosuke's job. In terms of Sports clubs, should he join the Basketball club, or the soccer club? Let me know in either PM messages or reviews. I hope you guys enjoyed a 14K word chapter. I think I'll make this a monthly thing so I can properly pace myself. Anyways, have a good day everyone. See you for chapter 3.