Chapter 2: The Heavenly Castle
Monday, February 27, 2017, Afternoon, Yukiko's POV
Much of the early interview was about Yagami-san's education, background and experience. Having regularly talked with her on the phone while she was at college, I was intimately familiar with it, but it was still good to hear that Yagami-san could concisely answer the questions with all the relevant information.
"I'd like to hear about your approach to management," Mother said. "What tactics do you use to lead others?"
"In a nutshell, I try to lead by example," Yagami-san said. "I expect my employees to respect and obey me, but in order to do that, I have to be worthy of that respect and obedience by leading them fairly and well. For example, if my employees have to work overtime during a busy period, I would work right alongside them. If finances are tight and we'd have to lay people off, I'd take a pay cut."
Mother nodded approvingly. This was a relatively easy question, albeit a necessary one, so the interview seemed to be going well.
"I see," Mother said. "If your friends, family or other acquaintances worked for you, how would you treat them?"
"I would treat them no differently from everyone else, ma'am," Yagami-san said. "Regardless of my relationship with my friends outside of work, I would expect them to fulfill their professional obligations. Friendship is about trust and mutual respect, and if I can't count on someone to meet their obligations, then they're neither a good employee nor a good friend. The same goes for me."
"Good answer," Mother said. "I've known many of my business partners for longer than you or Yukiko have been alive and have had employees work for me for similar amounts of time. I trust them all implicitly and aim to be worthy of their trust, which means behaving like adults and not letting personal issues get in the way of our professional obligations."
While the Amagi Inn didn't routinely deal with life-or-death issues the same way the police, the Self-Defense Force, hospitals, firefighters or even our Investigation Team did, its work was not a game. Many people relied on the wages they earned here to support themselves and their families, many businesses had accounts with us that helped them stay afloat, and the inn brought tourism money to Inaba. It was no exaggeration to say that many people's livelihoods depended on how well I managed the inn, so anyone who wanted to assist me would be held to high standards.
"And now for one last question on this subject," Mother said. "What if the roles were reversed, and you were taking orders from someone you knew personally?"
I was tempted to ask why Mother didn't just straight out ask, "How do you feel about taking orders from your girlfriend?"
"The same way I would about any other authority figure," Yagami-san said. "Whatever feelings I might have about them as a person, I would respect their authority and follow their orders. I applied to this position knowing that I would be working under Amagi-san."
"Yagami-san's right," I said. "She and I have discussed this on many occasions, and she is prepared to do as I say."
"Indeed," Yagami-san said. "In fact, I'd argue that when two friends or family members enter into a business relationship, it's easier for the one taking orders than for the one giving them. The former merely needs to do as they're told, while the latter has to make important decisions dispassionately, not letting their feelings cloud their judgment."
What Yagami-san was saying was logical enough, but I was a bit surprised to hear it from her, since she made leading our group seem easy.
Saturday, April 30, 2011 After School, Yukiko's POV
After school, I met up with my saviors on the roof. As the first person who survived being thrown into the TV, I should have been a valuable source of information, but I couldn't identify my attacker, much less know that the person who'd abducted me was different from the one who'd murdered Yamano-san and Konishi-senpai. But it wasn't a total loss; we knew the incidents weren't over yet, and I, like Yagami-san, Hanamura-kun and Chie, had a Persona that I could use as a weapon to save the innocent and bring the guilty to justice.
We shared lunch on the roof, and Chie and I shared our lunches with Hanamura-kun and Yagami-san. Yagami-san was ladylike enough to only take a few bites of my fried tofu before returning it to me, Hanamura-kun wolfed down Chie's soba.
"What the hell?!" Chie said. "When I offered you a bite or two of my soba, I meant just that- not the entire thing! And people call me a glutton!"
"Please calm down, Satonaka-san," Yagami-san said, "but you do have a point. Hanamura-kun, while Satonaka-san was generous enough to share her lunch with you, she clearly expected you to show some restraint. I trust I can count on you to provide her with a replacement meal?"
Hanamura-kun froze.
"A-All right, Yagami-san," Hanamura-kun said. "Let's go to Junes."
We sat in the food court at Junes, where Hanamura-kun bought Chie steak.
"This... isn't quite what I had in mind when you agreed to treat me to steak," Chie said.
"It's the most you can expect," Hanamura-kun said. "Junes isn't exactly a fancy restaurant."
"Please let it go, Satonaka-san," Yagami-san said. "Hanamura-kun has provided you with a replacement meal so I think we can call you two even."
"All right, all right," Chie said.
Chie let the matter drop for the same reason Hanamura-kun had bought her the food- because their leader had ordered it. Some of the inn's employees had various conflicts, from two different departments blaming each other for a guest's complaint to more personal disputes, but whenever Mother intervened, our employees respected her rulings.
"Speaking of which," Yagami-san said, "how much do I owe you for my taste of your food, Amagi-san?"
"Considering you only had a bite or two, nothing," I said. "Maybe you could share your lunch with me next time, though."
"Feel free to ask," I said. "In any case, let's begin the discussion about the case."
We went over what we knew so far. All three people who'd been targeted female and lived in Inaba, and Konishi-senpai and I both had tangential connections to Yamano-san's case. Misuzu Hiiragi seemed like the prime suspect for killing Yamano-san based on motive, but Hiiragi-san was not in Inaba at the time of Yamano-san's death. One might assume that Konishi-senpai was killed in order to silence a potential witness, but she'd merely found the body and had not witnessed the murder, so she didn't know any more than we did.
This seemed like a perfect crime- an inscrutable method of murder that left behind no evidence- but we couldn't give up. Two people had died, a fate I'd nearly shared myself, and as long as the killer was at large, practically anyone could be next. If the police's usual methods had failed and they didn't know about the world inside the TV, then it was up to us to rescue the victims and find the truth.
We went inside the TV together. For me, this was the first time I did so of my own volition, so I felt a sense of trepidation as I approached the TV. I tentatively put my hand through the screen, demonstrating my newfound power, then hesitated. Yagami-san then stepped up to my side, gave me a reassuring nod, and stepped through the TV. A moment later, I followed her through.
We emerged inside what looked like a TV studio, which was blanketed in fog. I turned around and saw a stack of TVs, and even with my muddled memories of my abduction, I immediately recognized it as the place where we'd exited the TV. Myriad paths led out in all directions, but I could somehow instinctively identify the one that led to my castle.
Kuma-san, whom I'd met during my rescue, was there, and he gave me a pair of glasses that allowed me to see through the fog, as well as a defective pair with a comedic nose and mustache. Unable to contain myself, I succumbed to one of my trademark laughing fits after Chie agreed to put on the glasses.
I had every reason to hold back my laughter in front of others. My work for the inn required me to conduct myself with dignity and practice good manners, and when interacting with strangers or authority figures, I was worried what they might think of me if I broke down laughing for no good reason. But I felt as comfortable around my new friends as I did around Chie, who never judged me despite my eccentricities, and couldn't help myself.
After I calmed down, Yagami-san cleared her throat.
"May I have your attention, please?" Yagami-san said. "I'd like to take the opportunity to lay down some ground rules now that Amagi-san is part of the Investigation Team. Satonaka-san, Hanamura-kun and Kuma-san should also pay attention."
I stood up straight.
"We'll be routinely meeting after school to discuss our investigation," Yagami-san said. "Please come forward with any information you may have. If you can't make it to our meetings, please let me know."
I nodded. Now that my mother had recovered, I wouldn't need to help out at the inn as often.
"We will also go into the TV world from time to time to train our Personas," Yagami-san said, "since it's likely that whoever is behind the murders of Yamano-san and Konishi-senpai, and the abduction of Amagi-san, will strike again, and we will likely need to carry out additional rescue missions in the future. The castle where we found Amagi-san was far more dangerous than the shopping district that Hanamura-kun, Kuma-san and I investigated, so we should be prepared for the Shadows to become more dangerous from here on out."
While it was clear that Yagami-san and the others didn't know all that much about the TV world after only four expeditions inside, that was a safe assumption.
"We must prepare for the battles ahead," Yagami-san said. "We will fight Shadows to hone our skills and strengthen our Personas. We will also sell the items we find inside the TV to fund purchases of new equipment. Please let me know what your needs are, and I will aim to provide for everyone in an equitable manner."
I'd come prepared with my own equipment, since it wasn't fair to rely on handouts from the group.
"Please keep one thing in mind," Yagami-san said. "Even our training expeditions can be dangerous, so I expect you to remain alert and cautious at all times. Our battles inside the TV are not a game- they're matters of life and death, so I expect you to treat them as such."
I nodded. We were a group of amateurs, but the danger we were facing inside the TV was all too real. Yagami-san was for all intents and purposes my commanding officer, so I had to treat her as such.
"That concludes my lecture," Yagami-san said. "Welcome to the Investigation Team, Amagi-san."
Upon feeling that, I immediately felt right at home. Our mission would be difficult- dangerous, even- but I had several kindred spirits on my side, who'd faced their inner demons and become stronger as a result. I, too, would have to do my best if I wanted to keep up with them and help anyone who needed us.
Eventually, we exited the TV and emerged to Junes. Hanamura-kun and Chie soon took of, leaving me alone with Yagami-san.
"Before you go, would you mind exchanging phone numbers with me?" Yagami-san said. "I'd like to be able to reach you."
"That's fine with me," I said. "After all, it's not fair to make you rely on Chie to get in contact with me."
We entered each other's contact information into our phones.
"Just wondering, but what did you say your first name was, again?" I said.
"It's Shizuka," Yagami-san said, "written with the kanji for 'quiet."
"Thank you," I said. "I'm sorry I forgot it."
"Don't worry about that," Yagami-san said. "I have to introduce myself to so many people, so I often just default to introducing myself as 'Yagami.' A good portion of my acquaintances probably don't even know my first name. That's fine by me, since I don't really like how the meaning behind my first name seems to imply that Mother and Father expect me to be obedient."
While Yagami-san's parents weren't owners of a family-run business, they were clearly cut from the same cloth as mine if they expected her to address them as respectfully as I addressed my parents. Chie's parents went by "Mom" and "Dad," and were considerably more laid-back in comparison; this, combined with the fact that I enjoyed seeing Chie's dog, meant I generally visited her at her home rather than inviting her over to mine.
"I'm the same way," I said. "I think of snow as something that melts quickly and has little value of its own."
"And Kuma-san shortens your name to the 'snow' part," Yagami-san said. "Should I ask him to stop?"
"There's no need," I said. "In truth, a lot of adults who've known me since I was little- longer than even Chie has- call me 'Yuki-chan,' and I'm used to it, since they're like family to me. The same can't be said for Kuma-san and some of the other people who ask me about, but this isn't worth complaining about."
"Maybe not," Yagami-san said. "Then again, there's a lot of things you have to put up with because you don't have any other choice, or at least because complaining isn't worth the trouble, but that doesn't mean you have to like them."
I recalled what my Shadow had told me- in other words, the truth about myself that I had to accept. I was the sort who would passively accept something I found unpleasant, not because I was strong enough to endure it, but because I was too scared of what might happen if I tried to do something about it. It was time I did something about that bad habit of mine, and this low-stakes issue was the perfect place to start.
"You're right," I said. "To be honest, I'd rather be called 'Amagi-san' rather than my nickname, at least by people I don't know very well. I hope I don't come off as unfriendly or stuck-up, but..."
"It's perfectly fine, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said, "since you're merely asking me to continue doing what I've been doing until now and show you the same respect that you show me. Besides, 'Heavenly Castle' is perfect for the owners of an inn."
I smiled and said "Thank you, Yagam-san."
"That being said, I'm curious about something," Yagami-san said. "Do you feel pressure to live up to your family name, since everyone in Inaba knows about the inn that bears your family name?"
"I do," I said, "but I actually enjoyed being called by my family name for the first time, since I felt proud to be part of the family that ran our famous inn."
"Do you not feel that way anymore?" Yagami-san said.
I paused for a moment, then shrugged.
"I honestly don't know," I said. "The inn is my family's livelihood, but it feels more like a burden than my birthright, otherwise my Shadow wouldn't have said what it didn't. Apart from that... it's hard for me to say."
We fell silent for a moment, until I caught a glimpse of the time and realized it was later than I thought.
"I've got to be going," I said. "Feel free to give me a call if you need anything."
"I will," Yagami-san said. "I'll talk to you later."
As we went our separate ways, I left with a bit of a spring in my step. My Shadow had forced me to accept uncomfortable truths about myself, but now that I'd accepted them, I felt as though I'd grown stronger, and not just because I now had the power of a Persona.
Sunday, May 1, 2011, Evening
My phone rang, showing an incoming call. The moment I saw that the caller ID read "Yagami-san" I picked it up.
"Hello, Amagi speaking," I said.
"Hello, Amagi-san, this is Yagami," Yagami-san said. "Do you have any prior commitments on Monday afternoon?
"I should be free that afternoon," I said, "but the weather forecast shows rain, so we won't be able to do anything outside."
"That's why I called," Yagami-san said. "I was hoping we could take a trip to the TV World together. Hanamura-kun and Satonaka-san are in, so that just leaves you."
"Count me in," I said. "After all, this is largely for my sake, isn't it?"
"That's right," Yagami-san said, "but the rest of us, myself included, are still rather inexperienced. We'll need to develop our Personas and our teamwork if we want to survive what the TV world has to throw at us."
It was somewhat refreshing to hear Yagami-san's honest and humble assessment of her abilities. Most authority figures I knew had been doing their job since I was an infant, if not longer, but Yagami-san and the others only had a few excursions under their belts. Still, she was my leader, and I had to respect that.
"So, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said "Can I count on you to come to Junes Monday afternoon?"
"You can count on me, Yagami-san," I said. "I'll be there.
"That's the spirit," Yagami-san said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Monday, May 2, 2011, After School
We convened inside the electronics department of Junes. According to Yagami-san, we had to go through the same TV we'd entered last time to enter the TV world.
"Good, everyone's here," Yagami-san said. "For our training today, we'll be heading to the place where Amagi-san was found to battle the Shadows there. Do you have any questions?"
"Do we have to go there?" I said. "This place... brings back bad memories for me."
"Yeah," Chie said.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, ladies," Yagami-san said, "but it's currently the only spot where we can find Shadows."
"She's right," Hanamura-kun said. "We checked out the shopping district, which is the only other place around, but there weren't any Shadows. Then again, I did find these babies, so it wasn't a total waste of time."
Hanamura-kun brandished a pair of monkey wrenches.
"Put those away, Hanamura-kun," Yagami-san said. "My uncle won't help us if we get arrested a second time."
"S-Sorry," Hanamura-kun said.
Hanamura-kun quickly put his wrenches away.
"Wherever we go in the TV World, we find places born from people's repressed thoughts," Yagami-san said, "and since their origins will likely lie in painful memories and repressed traumas, they will likely not be very pleasant for anyone."
"I understand," I said. "I suppose Konishi-senpai would feel the same way if she had found herself in the TV's version of the shopping district."
Konishi-senpai and I had never been especially close, since our primary connection was due to being fellow scions of the owners of local businesses, but it was because of that connection that I wished I'd talked to her more. I didn't know whether her decision to work at Junes in defiance of her parents was right or wrong, but it did take courage to do that, even if she inwardly resented others as a result.
"I guess we've got no choice," Chie said. "Lead the way, Yagami-san."
The five of us entered the TV once again and found Kuma-san standing near the stack of TVs we used as an entrance, evidently never having moved since we left two days ago.
"Welcome back, Sensei!" Kuma-san said. "Are you here to explore today?"
"We are," Yagami-san said. "Could you please take us to the castle?"
"Oh, to Yuki-chan's place?" Kuma-san said. "Follow me!"
"That's 'Amagi-san' to you," I said.
"Eep!" Kuma-san said. "Y-Yuki-chan's scary as always!"
I frowned, not wanting to give Kuma-san the satisfaction of seeing me give up. Meanwhile, Yagami-san gave Kuma-san a disapproving glance.
"Amagi-san made a request of you, Kuma-san," Yagami-san said. "Surely it isn't too much trouble for you to do as she says, is it?"
"It's all right, Yagami-san," I said.
The four of us followed Kuma-san to my castle. Yagami-san and I followed a short distance behind Kuma-san, while Chie and Hanamura-kun brought up the rear.
"I'm sorry Kuma-san won't listen to you," Yagami-san said, softly enough so that only I could hear.
"It's fine," I said. "I'm not too broken up about this. I had nothing to lose for trying, and I gave it my shot. The other reason why I didn't ask you to intervene is because I can fight this battle myself."
Yagami-san smiled.
"Still, it's not fair," I said with faux-annoyance. "He uses a diminutive nickname on me but calls you 'Sensei.'"
"I have no idea why he calls me that," Yagami-san said, "but I've gotten used to it. This may be the only occasion when I get called by that title."
"Should I do the same?" I said.
Yagami-san shook her head.
"Not at all," Yagami-san said. "As far as I'm concerned 'Yagami-san' is perfectly fine. I was really happy when people started first calling me that around the time I started elementary school, since it made me feel a bit like an adult."
I knew where Yagami-san was coming from, since when it came to adult-child interactions, children were held to a higher standard than adults. Some people who'd know my family a long time called me "Yuki-chan," but that didn't mean that they'd let me use their first names, let alone abbreviate them or use "-chan" on them.
"Then that's what I'll call you," I said. "You're our leader, after all, and you deserve my respect."
"Thank you, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said. "I'm counting on you. We're getting close to the castle, so stay sharp."
"Yes, ma'am," I said without a hint of irony or sarcasm.
Yagami-san wasn't just brave and intelligent, but she had a certain charisma to her, since I implicitly trusted her despite only having known her for a few weeks. Maybe it was because I owed her my life or I saw what she was capable of first-hand, but I considered her to be one of my greatest role models when it came to leadership. Of course, it wasn't long before I realized that my feelings for her went beyond trust, gratitude or respect...
Monday, February 27, 2017, Afternoon
There were times when I wished Yagami-san could take over the inn and I could be her subordinate, but she refused. She joked that the "Yagami Inn" wasn't nearly as catchy, but said in all seriousness that our employees trusted me and my family. Nevertheless, I saw her as my greatest role model for being an authority figure outside of my parents.
"You answered the question well," Mother said, "and I agree with you that it's easier to follow than to lead. Going off this subject, do you believe the manager of the inn- myself, Yukiko and our ancestors- can do as she wants?"
"Not at all, ma'am," Yagami-san said. "Business owners are bound by the law, the rules of their company, and their responsibility to their employees and customers."
"Quite right," Mother said. "Whenever I have a situation I must handle, my options fall into three categories- those I am explicitly forbidden from choosing, those that I can choose but are unfeasible for one reason or another, and those that remain. I'm not infallible, but every time I make a decision, I make sure that I have considered all possible outcomes and their consequences."
"It's certainly true that one's options may be limited in any given situation," Yagami-san said, "but I don't use that as an excuse when I make a mistake. We always have enough options that 'I had no choice' is never an excuse, and I always take responsibility for my actions."
"As you should," Mother said.
One time, when Yagami-san and I were discussing business contracts, she mentioned a strange tale. While taking the train to Inaba the day before we met, she found herself in a place called the Velvet Room, a luxurious blue limousine where a man with a long nose named Igor asked her to sign a contract in which Yagami-san was to take responsibility for all her actions. Apparently, only three other people had been in that room- Igor's assistant Margaret, our mutual friend Marie-chan and on one occasion, Kuma-san- and the latter two corroborated Yagami-san's story.
"On another subject," Mother said, "how might you react if two of your coworkers were romantically involved?"
That was a bit of a loaded question, especially since Mother didn't specify the coworkers' gender, but Yagami-san wasn't intimidated, nor did she take it personally.
"That would depend on the situation," Yagami-san said, "but as a rule, I wouldn't object to the relationship as long as it didn't interfere with their work."
"Neither would we," Mother said. "Some of our employees fell in love while on the job, and we employ a few married couples, not just my husband and I. They generally work well together, but if their relationship interferes with their work, we'll have to take corrective action. If all else fails, we'd have to ask one or both of them to quit... or fire them if necessary."
I shuddered. As far as I recalled, there hadn't been any incidents like this in my lifetime, at least not that I could remember, but if Mother deemed my relationship with Yagami-san to be detrimental to our work, the solution would be a no-brainer- Yagami-san would have to go.
"I don't know if Yukiko told you," Father said, "but I met my wife when I was hired as a concierge and she was in training to manage the inn. We fell in love, got married and still work side-by-side to this day."
"Yes, I have heard about that," Yagami-san said. "Amagi-san also mentioned that the two of you still call each other 'Amagi-san' at work."
"That was how it started out," Mother said, "and we continued after marriage, except for my calling my husband 'Amagi-san,' too, after he changed his name. We're not trying to hide the fact that we're married; we're only trying to show that we can keep things professional."
I caught Yagami-san flashing an amused smile for a brief moment.
"That reminds me of my family," Yagami-san said. "My parents work in different departments of the same company, and they also use their titles and/or surnames at work on the rare occasions that they interact, so this is familiar to me. In fact, if I were to join them as their subordinate, they'd call me 'Yagami-kun,' and insist that I treat them like any other superior. Their request is perfectly reasonable."
Mother gave an approving smile. If there was any doubt that Yagami-san and I could keep things professional at work, it seemed to have faded away by now.
"I'm glad you think so," Mother said. "Of course, my husband and I simply call Yukiko by name at work and are fine with her calling us 'Mother' and 'Father' as long as she does her job and follows our orders. This is a family business, so there's nothing strange about the owner's daughter helping out."
The Amagi Inn and the company where the Yagamis worked were like night and day. Our inn was relatively small, with employees in the double digits, and Mother knew the names of everyone who worked for her. The Yagamis' company, however, was an international corporation with thousands of employees, and the Yagamis had apparently never met the CEO.
"I don't mean to brag," Mother said, "but I'd like to share the thing I appreciate most about my husband. Ever since he started working for the inn, he has always been determined to do his best every day, and it continues even now. It's not out of a desire to prove himself- he doesn't want to steal recognition from those who deserve it- but he continually works hard to be of use to the inn and to me."
"You exaggerate, Amagi-san," Father said. "If I work hard, it's so I won't be a burden to everyone else who does their best for the inn."
Father was modest as always, but I knew the truth. Some of the employees were jealous of him for marrying Mother, a woman supposedly out of his league, and felt he took unfair advantage of his connections, so he had to work extra hard to prove them wrong. Of course, while his efforts were commendable, he wasn't able to do much to run the inn in Mother's stead, since he lacked her business acumen.
"I think that's enough about family for now," Mother said. "The most important question, Yagami-san, is whether you can do the job."
My immediate emotional response was hope mixed with fear. Yagami-san was intelligent, hard-working and well-educated, but would that be enough? After all, while I had faith in her, the decision wasn't up to me, and there was no guarantee that Mother would be fair.
Still, I was past the point at which I could afford to let uncertainty deter me. The only thing I knew for certain upon following my parents' footsteps would be that it was a difficult road; in fact, there had not been any guarantee that the inn would have lasted this long. Only time would tell how the interview would turn out.
Author's Notes
Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows.
This chapter mainly demonstrates Shizuka's approach to leadership, but also shows Yukiko starting to grow more assertive. As a leader, Shizuka is somewhere between Yu and Mitsuru when it comes to strictness. She makes an effort to connect with her teammates, but has less tolerance for their antics than Yu does. As a result, she's slightly less close with Yosuke than Yu is.
Considering that Yukiko dislikes being named after snow, one would think she'd object to her nickname only using the "snow" part. She's probably used to it for most people, so she can at least tolerate being called that, but Teddie going straight to using that nickname probably irritates her on some level.
Next up is the start of the Social Link. I won't include all the scenes, but I will focus on a few of the more critical moments.