Act II
Chapter 7: The Hard Part
Saturday, March 18, 2017, Early Morning, Yukiko's POV
The day Yagami-san arrived, my parents and I helped her move into her room. The next day, we gave her a tour of the employee areas of the inn, got her a kimono in her size, took her picture for her employee ID and got her email account set up, among other things.
Two days after returning to Inaba, I resumed my normal routine, getting dressed in my usual pink kimono. A couple minutes after I finished, someone knocked on the door.
"It's me," Yagami-san said. "Are you dressed, Amagi-san?"
"I am," I said. "Please come in, Yagami-san."
Yagami-san wore a sky-blue kimono with a white flower pattern and a red obi. She didn't have as much experience wearing a kimono as I did, but she'd managed the complicated task of dressing herself without any problems.
"How do I look?" Yagami-san said.
"Like the new assistant manager ought to," I said. "Beautiful and professional."
"Thank you," Yagami-san said. "The kimono suits you as well as ever."
I smiled. Most Japanese women would only have cause to wear kimonos for a handful of special occasions in their lifetime, if at all. I, on the other hand, routinely wore kimonos to work, so doing so stopped feeling special. That being said, my girlfriend's praise made wearing a kimono once again worthwhile, just like how she'd helped me rediscover my passion for the inn.
"Before we begin, we should go over the ground rules one more time," I said. "I don't expect too much of you- just do your job well, follow my orders within reason, and show me the appropriate respect owed to the manager."
"Understood," Yagami-san said. "So just to double-check, is it still fine if I call you 'Amagi-san'?"
"Please do," I said. "In fact, I expect the inn's employees to call me that, although addressing me as 'ma'am' or referring to me as 'the manager' are also acceptable."
"Yes, ma'am," Yagami-san said without a hint of irony or sarcasm in her voice. "That's exactly what I was hoping to hear."
I couldn't help but start laughing. I was disciplined enough not to do so at the inn, since I had to keep things professional, but I sometimes had to let loose.
"Did I... say something funny, Amagi-san?" Yagami-san said.
"Not at all, Yagami-san," I said. "It's just that not much has changed after all these years, even though you're working for me now."
Friday, July 8, 2011, After School
After school let out, I did some shopping in Yomenaido Books. This time, I wasn't studying to prepare to work a job outside of Inaba, but to learn everything I could to inherit the inn. Today was rainy, so it was the perfect weather for staying in my bedroom and reading.
"Good afternoon, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said.
I whirled and saw Yagami-san
"Oh, Y-Yagami-san..." I said.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.
"Are you all right?" Yagami-san said.
"I'm fine," I said. "I just need to get my emotions under control. I can't react this way every time I see you... at least not in public."
We both knew what sort of relationship we'd gotten into. If word got out that we were in a same-sex relationship, our families and our peers would almost certainly disapprove strongly.
"Then why not visit me at home today?" Yagami-san said. "It's pouring outside, so we should probably do something indoors."
"Good plan," I said. "I have to pay for my books, but when I'm done, you can lead the way."
I stood in line at the cashier and paid but was so distracted I barely heard the cashier when she asked me if I wanted a receipt. It was a good thing my family ran an inn, rather than some business in which Yagami-san or my other friends stopped by, because I'd be more embarrassed- or worse, get in trouble- if someone saw me spacing out on the clock.
The two of us walked side-by-side from the shopping district to the Dojima residence, each under a separate umbrella. Since most of the students had gone home, hardly anyone was around to see us.
"I'm home," Yagami-san said as she opened the front door and stepped inside.
"Pardon the intrusion," I said as I took off my shoes.
Nanako-chan looked up from the TV to greet us.
"Welcome home, Onee-chan," Nanako-chan said. "I see you brought your friend Yukiko-onee-chan over."
"I did," Yagami-san said. "Amagi-san will be spending the afternoon with me."
"Great," Nanako-chan said. "Dad's going to be working late today."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "My parents are often busy, but since we run an inn, they're always home."
"But I'm not lonely anymore," Nanako-chan said. "I've got Onee-chan, and the rest of her friends."
Yagami-san smiled.
"Good to hear," Yagami-san said. "Anyway, Nanako-chan, Amagi-san and I will be heading up to my room."
"Go right ahead," Nanako-chan said. "I'm fine watching TV."
Yagami-san nodded gratefully, but I saw a look of concern flash over her face. Both she and her cousin had presumably had to put up a lot due to their parents' jobs, but stoically bore their loneliness. It thus meant a lot to me that Nanako-chan was willing to let me send time with Yagami-san, even if we were merely "friends."
We headed upstairs to Yagami-san's room and closed the door behind us. While I'd been over to her house recently, I hadn't been up to her room before. The room was surprisingly well-decorated considering she'd been in town for less than three months. Her bookshelf had several books, from novels to informational books about fishing and jobs to do from home. Her shelf had a few models of giant robots and Persona dolls on it, and was nearly full by now.
"Well, make yourself at home," Yagami-san said. "You can sit wherever you like."
I looked around the room and saw a couch, a desk with a chair and a futon for sleeping. I sat down on the couch and Yagami-san joined me there.
"So Nanako-chan thinks of me as just a friend," I said.
"She's a bit young to understand romance," Yagami-san said. "Most of her friends are girls, and she doesn't interact much with the boys. She's been over to a couple of her girl friends' houses, but not to any of her male friends."
"I see," I said. "Mother is fine with my visiting Chie, but if Chie was a boy, then I doubt that my parents would be so willing to go over, even if I used Chosokabe as an excuse."
For all the years I'd been friends with Chie, I was almost always the one to go over to her house for two reasons. The first was that Chosokabe- or Muku, as Chie called him- was there, and if my parents couldn't keep a dog, then I could just spend time with my best friend, whose family didn't have the same problem. The second was that I was more comfortable around Chie's relatively lenient parents than Chie was comfortable around my strict parents.
"You know," I said, "some girls would feel self-conscious about being in their boyfriend's room, but I don't feel the same now that I'm alone with my girlfriend in her room. In fact, I feel more comfortable."
"Well, don't get too comfortable," Yagami-san said. "Nanako-chan will be able to hear us if we make too much nose, even with the TV on."
"O-oh," I said. "I wasn't thinking of anything too daring."
"That's a relief," Yagami-san said. "So what did you have in mind, Amagi-san?"
"A few things," I said. "First, I wanted to show you what I bought at the store today."
I took out the books I'd bought, which my bag had protected from the rain. This included a cookbook, a book on the basics of using the internet to promote a small business, and a book on what tourists look for in their lodgings.
"I'm still working on my job-related studies," I said, "but for the sake of inheriting the inn, so my focus has changed somewhat to the skills I'll need to be an effective manager. To be perfectly honest, I'm still a long way from being able to run the inn."
"You've still got time," Yagami-san said, "to prepare yourself or choose a different path if you end up having second thoughts."
"This time, I'm sure of what I want to do," I said. "It's a difficult path, more so than striking out on my own, but I know it will be best for the inn and the people I care about."
"That's the spirit," Yagami-san said, "and I'll support you."
Suddenly, I felt an odd sensation that was almost impossible to describe, almost as though I'd reached an epiphany of some sort. The only time I'd felt this way was when I'd awakened my Persona and I soon knew why- Konohana-Sakuya transformed. Shizuka had many different Personas, but while her Personas had changed over time, she did so by acquiring new Personas and fusing them together, not by transforming the ones she already possessed.
"My... Persona's transformed," I said. "Konohana Sakuya is now Amaterasu."
"Congratulations, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said. "The same thing happened to Satonaka-san a couple weeks ago, shortly after we rescued Kujikawa-san, and Hanamura-kun a little before that."
"So, it looks like Chie beat me," I said with a smile.
"Perhaps she did," Yagami-san said, "but Satonaka-san is through with comparing herself with you. The two of you have different strengths, and rather than resent you for having what she doesn't, she's learned to appreciate what she has."
I nodded approvingly and said, "I know." One day, Chie would find a boyfriend who appreciated her for who she was, instead of chasing those who were beyond his reach... unless she decided she didn't need to settle down with someone. When and if that day came, she wouldn't worry about how long it had taken to get there, so it didn't matter whose Persona had evolved first.
"Speaking of Chie," I said, "I've got an idea. Why don't the two of us call each other by our first names, like Chie and I do?"
"I thought you hated your first name," Yagami-san said.
"I don't really like it," I said, "but that doesn't mean I hate being called that. You and Chie are both dear to me, so it's only fair that I let you call me what she does."
"When you put it that way, it's hard for me to refuse," Yagami-san said. "Y-Yukiko...san."
I burst out laughing.
"Wh-What's so funny?" Shizuka-san said.
"N-Nothing, Sh-Shizuka-san," I said between laughs. "I didn't realize it would be so difficult for you."
"I'm used to keeping things formal with most people," Shizuka-san said, "in large part because my family was strict about manners. It's not an exaggeration to say that I don't think I've called anyone outside my family by their first name until I met you."
"I'm the same way," I said. "Chie was one of the first people I called by her first name, and the only person I still address that way."
"I can tell," Shizuka-san said. "Not only did you also stutter while saying my first name, you still added the '-san' at the end, too."
I let off an amused chuckle, while Shizuka-san smiled.
"In any case," Shizuka-san said, "I'm fine with using first names- even if it'll take some time to get used to- but not in front of others."
"Oh?" I said. "Are you worried people will see you blushing and laugh at you?"
Shizuka-san let off a nervous laugh and shook her head.
"That, too," Shizuka-san said, "but there's a more relevant problem. What do you suppose people would think if they noticed the two of us, who usually address our peers formally, using first names and obviously acting like we're head over heels with each other?"
I nodded in understanding. There were probably rumors that Chie and I were a couple given our long and close friendship, but if they existed, they hadn't gained much ground due to lack of evidence. All it would take was one hint about me being in a relationship with Shizuka-san, and rumors would spread like wildfire
"I can imagine," I said, "so I'll watch how we act around each other in public, Yagami-san."
"Thank you, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said, having regained her usual cadence.
I smiled.
"You're right," I said. "It really is more natural for us to address us this way, at least for now."
"True," Yagami-san said. "A part of me resented that I had to show respect to adults while being shown barely any in return, so I was thrilled when I started school and people started calling me 'Yagami-san' like an adult. At that point, good manners felt less like an obligation that put the speaker below the addressee and more like a mode of respect between equals. As such, I hope it's fine with you if I'm a bit more formal than Satonaka-san."
"When you put it that way, it's hard for me to refuse," I said. "Still, I hope we can get to the point at which we can use first names... in private, of course."
"As do I," Yagami-san said, "just as long as we keep the honorifics."
I nodded. Our relationship would likely involve going outside our comfort zones and making compromises, and this was as good a place as any to start.
"Still," I said. "there's no one watching us now, so why not pick up where we left off at the shrine?"
"It would be my pleasure," Yagami-san said.
Yagami-san and I kissed passionately, with our enthusiasm compensating for our inexperience. For an amateur, Yagami-san had virtually no hesitation and even less fear, at least when we were alone in her room. I hoped we would have many such intimate moments in the future, fond memories that would belong solly to the two of us.
Eventually, I realized it was getting late.
"I've got to get going," I said. "I don't have to help out at the inn today, but my parents will be worried if I don't get home soon."
"Shall I walk you home?" Yagami-san said.
"That won't be necessary," I said. "I don't want you to walk both ways to my house in the rain... or for my parents to see a relative stranger escorting me home and realize I spent all afternoon with you."
"All right," Yagami-san said.
We walked downstairs and stopped at the door.
"Before I forget, I have a charm for you," I said. "It will protect you in my absence, like when I go home."
'Thank you," Yagami-san said. "I'll think of it as an early birthday gift."
"Your birthday's coming up soon?" I said.
"Yes, on Sunday," Yagami-san said.
"Oh, that's great," I said. "If nothing comes up, let's go do something special for your birthday."
Yagami-san smiled and waved goodbye to me as I retrieved my umbrella and left. We were still learning the ins and outs of a relationship, but luckily for us, we had plenty of time to figure things out before her departure turned our relationship into a long-distance one.
Saturday, July 9, 2011, Morning
I met up with Yagami-san on the walk to school. Since we had to go to the same place at the same time six out of seven days of the week, the chances of us running into each other were rather good, and this was not the first time we'd encountered each other.
"Good morning, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said.
"Good morning, Yagami-san," I said. "How are you today?"
"A bit anxious," Yagami-san said, "but not about you-know-what."
"That's good," I said. "There's been a lot of rain lately, so I'm sure there will be fog tomorrow morning."
"So am I," Yagami-san said. "I hope Kujikawa-san makes a full recovery and is able to answer our questions. It's unlikely she remembers her abduction any better than you or Tatsumi-kun do, but any clue she might be able to give would be quite useful."
"I agree," I said.
Having exhausted this topic, we continued walking at a brisk pace, both to get to school on time and get out of the rain.
"You seem a lot more comfortable around me than yesterday," Yagami-san said. "I'm glad for that."
"It's all about getting in the right frame of mind," I said. "When I'm working at the inn, I'm always on my best behavior, and never indulge in laughing fits or my other strange habits. I act similarly while school is in session, which is probably why few people besides Chie know what kind of person I'm really like."
"That's reasonable enough," Yagami-san said. "My parents reserve displays of affection for when they're alone- I've only ever seen them kiss when they think I'm not looking. At work, they treat each other like any other colleague, making it seem as though they're strangers who happen to share the same surname. We're not the only ones who act differently in public than we do in private."
I nodded in agreement. My parents ran an inn, and thus had to be mindful of how they acted around their employees and the guests. It wasn't too strange for Mother to employ her husband her daughter in a town that had many family-run businesses, but we still had to prove that we could actually doour jobs.
"Yesterday, I felt a bit strange about you because I wasn't sure how we should act around one another," I said, "but I realized that it's fine to just carry on as we always have while we're in public. No one needs to know we're anything other than close friends."
"Quite true," Yagami-san said.
I paused for a moment.
"I take that back- almost no one," I said. "I think Chie deserves to know."
"If it's just her, then I think it's fair to tell her," Yagami-san said. "She's accepting of our sexuality and able to keep secrets. How about we have a conversation after school?"
"Yes, let's," I said.
We walked on, surreptitiously holding hands when we were sure no one was looking.
After School
The bell rang once again.
"That's all for today," Morooka-sensei said. "You might be in a hurry for whatever reason, but the bell doesn't dismiss you- I do. Yagami."
"Yes, sir," Yagami-san said. "Everyone, stand... and bow."
"Thank you very much," we all said.
That end-of-day ritual complete, everyone got their bags and went home or to their clubs, clearly not wanting to spend a second more than necessary with Morooka-sensei.
"Well, I'm off," Hanamura-kun said. "I've got to help out at Junes today. I'll check in on Kuma while I'm there, but I'm sure he's busy doing his own thing."
Kuma-san seemed more akin to a Shadow than a person, so it had surprised me a little when he'd awakened to a Persona. Then again, if Kujikawa-san was still recovering for her ordeal in the TV, then it was only natural that Kuma-san would need time to recuperate, too.
"Unless anything happens, let's meet after school on Monday," Yagami-san said. "We'll ask Kujikawa-san if she knows anything, and then welcome her to the team."
"Good," Hanamura-kun said. "Until then."
Hanamura-kun walked out of the room, leaving only Chie, Yagami-san and myself in there.
"Well, I should probably get going, too," Chie said.
"Actually, Chie, there's something I'd like to tell you," I said. "It won't take long.
"Sure, go ahead," Chie said.
I turned to Yagami-san, and she nodded.
"Two days ago, I confessed to Yagami-san, and she agreed to go out with me," I said. "I went over to her house yesterday."
"That's great, Yukiko," Chie said.
"Thank you," I said. "We decided to tell you because of how long we've been friends, and because of how supportive you've been over my sexuality. But please, keep this secret."
"Got it," Chie said, "but just so we're clear, do you mean your folks or the rest of our group?"
"Both of them," Yagami-san said. "Ordinarily, I wouldn't have told anyone, but you've proven to be accepting of our being lesbians, and I don't think there should be any secrets between you and Amagi-san, not after how long you've been friends. As such, I can trust you with our secret."
"Thanks, Yagami-san," Chie said, "but I consider you to be my closest friend after Yukiko, so I'm glad you're willing to trust me, since it goes both ways."
"Understood," Yagami-san said.
I got up out of my seat
"I've got to get going," I said. "Let's get going, Chie."
"All right," Chie said. "You coming with us, Yagami-san?"
"I have something to take care of," Yagami-san said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Amagi-san."
"Until then, Yagami-san," I said.
Yagami-san exited the school ahead of us. After a few minutes, Chie and I followed her out.
Chie and I walked out into the rain under our umbrellas.
"Once again, I'm really happy for you two," Chie said. "A part of me worried that you only stuck with me because it was the next best thing after having you as my girlfriend, but I'm glad you found someone who reciprocates your feelings."
"I appreciate that, Chie," I said. "Yagami-san let us walk home together out of consideration for us... and because she knows we'll be together for her birthday tomorrow."
Chie chuckled.
"I'm curious about something," Chie said. "When are you and Yagami-san going to get onto a first name basis?"
"Not as long as we're in public," I said, "and not until she can say my name without blushing. That might take a while"
"Wow, she's pretty much the polar opposite of me," Chie said. "I feel kind of weird whenever I have to use honorifics on your first name, let alone your surname."
The few times Chie came over, she had to call me "Yukiko-san" when speaking to my parents. Whenever she mentioned me by name to a teacher, she had to call me "Amagi-san."
"I'm not surprised," I said, "and I think I know why it's hard for you. It's because you're forcing yourself to act a certain way, because there will be consequences if you don't. For Yagami-san, it's easier to call me 'Amagi-san' than it is to call me 'Yukiko-san,' let alone 'Yukiko.'"
"When you put it that way, it's not hard for me to understand," Chie said. "I guess Yagami-san and I are cut from different cloth- she's cut from a kimono's silk and I'm cut from denim on a pair of jeans."
"That's a good analogy," I said. "She can't replace you any more than you can replace her."
Chie smiled.
"I know," Chie said, "and I'm glad for that. It might take me a little while to get used to you having someone who's closer to you than I am in many ways, but in the end, I'm honestly happy for you."
"Thank you, Chie," I said.
We walked home together. Our relationship would never go back to the way it was before we faced our Shadows, but it would be stronger going forward, even if we weren't as inseparable as we once were.
Sunday July 10, 2011, Early Morning
I could hardly sleep that night. A part of me was worried about Kujikawa-san, but I was sure that we'd done all we could. Rather, I was so excited to celebrating my first girlfriend's birthday that I could barely wait for morning to come.
I woke up first thing in the morning, and almost immediately turned on my phone. When I saw that I had only one text, from Chie, I was relieved that Yagami-san hadn't cancelled at the last minute, but my relief evaporated when I saw the message.
they found a dead body in the shopping district
hanamura says it's king moron.
lets met at junes
My hands began trembling as I rad the message. Someone being murdered was bad enough, but Morooka-sensei's death defied everything we thought we knew about the Midnight Channel and the killer's modus operandi. The Investigation Team had saved three people by now, myself included, but three more had died, and how many would follow before the mystery was solved?
After composing myself, I then called up Yagami-san.
"Yagami speaking," Yagami-san said, although some background noise made it hard to hear her.
"Yagami-san?" I said. "This is Amagi. Are those... police sirens in the background?"
"They are," Yagami-san said. "How can you tell?"
"I just got a text from Chie," I said. "Apparently, Morooka-sensei's body was found."
"Morooka-sensei?" Yagami-san said. "But he wasn't on the Midnight Channel. The two of us saw him at school yesterday, so when did he get thrown in?"
"I don't know," I said. "We're meeting at Junes, so we'll discuss it more there."
"I'll be there as soon as I can," Yagami-san said, "and I've cleared my schedule for the rest of the day."
"I'll see you there," I said. "And... I'm sorry that our plans ended up getting disrupted."
"Not a problem, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said.
We had our first team meeting since Yagami-san and I became a couple. Morale was low considering that not only had we failed to stop Morooka-sensei's murder, but we couldn't even see it coming. Nevertheless, we had to press on, as Tatsumi-kun said. The killer was still out there, and would not stop until they were brought to justice. If the police couldn't solve the case, then it was up to us to do our part.
Yagami-san was clearly as demoralized as the rest of us, even if she didn't show it. As the leader and the most levelheaded of us, she knew we were relying on her to hold the group together through difficult times, so she couldn't afford to falter. Because of that, I didn't dare whine about missing her birthday; she had the most right to complain, but she kept a stiff upper lip through it all.
Morooka-sensei's death was only our first surprise of the day, even if it was by far the worst. Kuma-san had somehow become able to exit the TV, and had grown a human body inside his previously hollow bear costume. Unfortunately for everyone involved, that body was completely naked, so we had to go clothes shopping.
Yagami-san, Chie and I went clothes shopping for Kuma-san inside Junes.
"So what do boys usually wear?" I said. "I honestly have no idea, since Father usually wears traditional Japanese clothing or a suit."
"I don't have too much of an idea, either," Chie said. "Just because I dress in a bit of a boyish style doesn't mean I know how boys dress."
"My peers say that I'm a bit of a conservative dresser and unfashionable," Yagami-san said. "Let's let Kuma-san pick out his clothes and see what we get."
"Agreed," Chie said. "Just remember, Kuma-san; we're paying so we'll have to approve what you pick out."
Kuma-san picked out a few items of clothing, then headed into the men's dressing room to change. Since anything was better than him walking around in his birthday suit, and people were staring at the strange bear mascot that was wandering the store, we weren't too picky.
"How do I look?" Kuma-san said as he tried on a fancy white button-down shirt and black slacks.
"Quite nice," Chie said.
"I agree," Yagami-san said, "but can I please see the price tags?"
"Oui," Kuma-san said.
As Yagami-san looked over the tags, the color drained from her face.
"Kuma-san, I think we should give you a lesson in how money works in our world," Yagami-san said.
"Oh, I know plenty," Kuma-san said. "You spend it to get the stuff you want, right?"
"That's the most basics of basics," Yagami-san said, "but the clothes you picked out are far too expensive. One of the key rules of money is that if you can get something of similar quality for a much lower price, then that's the best way to spend your money."
"Gotcha," Kuma-san said. "Is this a lot?"
I took a look at the tags, then nodded.
"This outfit costs almost a week's pay for our inn's waitresses," I said, "and we pay our staff well. So yes, it's a lot; not many people would willingly pay this much on top of food, housing expenses and other such things."
"How much do those things cost?" Kuma-san said.
I shrugged. Now that I thought about it, I had no idea how Kuma-san got food, drink or shelter in the TV world, but clearly, he didn't need to go to the store or pay rent.
"I'll explain it to you in more detail later," Yagami-san said. "For now, let's pick out some more affordable clothing."
Yagami-san picked out a pale blue polo shirt and some jeans. Kuma-san changed into them, then handed his previous outfit to me to put back where we found it.
"So does this work?" Yagami-san said.
"I guess it does," Kuma-san said, clearly disappointed but unwilling to complain too much.
Chie and I nodded.
"Then it's settled," Yagami-san said. "Let's go pay, then meet up with the boys and check on Kujikawa-san."
Yagami-san then went to the register and paid for Kuma-san's clothes, while we split the bill with her.
We brought Kuma-san back to the boys, who were waiting near Marukyu Tofu. He didn't make as much of an impression as he had when he first came out of his suit, but everyone agreed the clothes fit him.
"Well, what do you think, Tatsumi?" Hanamura-kun said to Tatsumi-kun. "Is Kuma cute? Your type, perhaps?"
"Good one," Tatsumi-kun said. "Should I carve it on your tombstone?"
I couldn't help but break down into a laughing fit. Tatsumi-kun hadn't tried to be amusing, but Hanamura-kun wasn't nearly as scared by that remark as he should have been.
"It isn't a joke, Amagi-senpai," Tatsumi-kun said.
"S-Sorry," I said, barely able to contain my laughter.
"Tatsumi-kun, please take a deep breath and calm down," Yagami-san said. "Hanamura-kun, please understand that Tatsumi-kun doesn't seem to care for your brand of humor. Please don't laugh either, Amagi-san."
"Sorry, Senpai," Tatsumi-kun said
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said.
What stopped my laughing fit dead in its tracks wasn't Yagami-san's admonishing me- it was my realizing the significance of Hanamura-kun's joke. While Japanese homosexuals didn't have to worry about being executed or imprisond, they did have to contend with a society that considered same-sex relations as an adolescent phase, and people who would make jokes about them. Chie had been fairly understanding so far, but what about the others, whom I'd met more recently?
Our discussion stopped short when the detective we'd seen earlier, whose name was Naoto Shirogane, came out to briefly speak with us about the case, but I never truly stopped thinking about my non-case related worries.
We spent much of the afternoon talking with Kujikawa-san at the Tatsuhime Shrine in the shopping district. While she didn't have any information on the person who kidnapped her, she was more cheerful than I thought, as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Having seen her performance against Kuma-san's Shadow, we offered her a pair of glasses and welcomed her to the team.
"I'll be going to Yasogami High starting tomorrow," Kujikawa-san said. "I'll be a first-year, so all of you are my senpais."
"Not all of us," Yagami-san said. "Kuma-san doesn't attend school; in fact, he never left the TV until today. As for Tatsumi-kun, he's a first-year, like you."
"Wow, really?" Kujikawa-san said. "I hope we get along, Kanji."
"Shut up," Tatsumi-kun said, "and don't call me by my given name."
I couldn't help but giggle.
"Not again, Amagi-senpai," Tatsumi-kun said.
"Sorry, Tatsumi-kun," I said, controlling myself to avoid a full-on laughing fit.
"Sheesh," Tatsumi-kun said. "I don't remember you being like this when we were little."
"You've changed, too," I said, putting it as tactfully as I could.
"Yeah, I guess," Tatsumi-kun said. "I guess the people we were back then are pretty much completely different from the people we are now."
I nodded. Over time, I'd subconsciously switched to using Tatsumi-kun's surname, and now I knew why. Each of us had changed so much that we might as well have been meeting for the first time.
With the exception of Tatsumi-kun, we shared a laugh at this. Today hadn't turned out as I'd hoped, but it hadn't been all bad.
We parted ways for now, and I happened to go the same way as Kujikawa-san. She was heading back to Marukyu Tofu, and I was returning to the inn.
"This is quite a group I've joined, isn't it?" Kujkawa-san said. "Everyone's got a really colorful personality."
"Indeed," I said. "Yagami-san works hard to ensure we stay on task and that our quirks and personal conflicts don't interfere with our job. That's the only way we can be an effective team without giving up our individuality."
"She seems a bit strict, but she sounds really capable," Kujikawa-san said. "She'd probably be my type if either of us was a guy."
So in other words, Kujikawa-san was heterosexual. The good news is that she wouldn't be a love rival for Yagami-san. The bad news was that I couldn't tell how she felt about same-sex couples. Perhaps she was open-minded when it came to people having multiple sides to them, but did that mean she would be willing to accept my sexuality?
"Still, what's Kanji's problem, anyway?" Kujikawa-san said, changing the subject and derailing my train of thought. "All I did was call him by his first name."
"Not everyone likes that," I said. "Yagami-san, for example, is more comfortable being addressed by her surname, as am I."
"I'll keep that in mind, Amagi-senpai," Kujikawa-san, "but you can call me 'Rise' if you want."
"I appreciate the offer, Kujikawa-san," I said, "and will consider it."
Kujikawa-san sighed, recognizing my noncommittal answer as a polite way of saying no.
"Fair enough," Kujikawa-san said. "I guess we're strangers at this point, and I'm the only first-year besides Kanji. It's only natural that I'm still just 'the new girl.'"
"You're already one of us," I said. "Our group consists of an unpopular transfer student who often moves around, a tomboy who loves meat and martial arts, an innkeeper's daughter who laughs at the drop of a hat, a hotheaded young man who's great at sewing, a weird young man in a bear costume, and a leader who's unique in her own ways. An ex-idol like you will fit right in."
"Thank you, Senpai," Kujikawa-san said. "I'm glad to be a part of your group."
All of us had our own secrets that we weren't ready to share with each other, so perhaps Yagami-san and I weren't alone. Still, secrets came out sooner or later, and I hoped that one day, we could come clean to the others.
Saturday, March 18, 2017, Early Morning
"Now that I think about it, you're right," Yagami-san said. "We have to be mindful of how we behave in public, both to keep our relationship secret and for the sake of decorum. We have to balance our romantic relationship with our working one, ensuring that one does not interfere with the other. The rules and stakes may be different now than when we were in high school, but the principles haven't changed, so I'd say that our year together at Yasogami was good practice, wasn't it?"
"It most certainly was," I said. "I wonder if Mother was testing your preparedness to be in a relationship with me all this time."
My theory sounded a bit like wishful thinking after I put it into words, but Yagami-san didn't disagree with me.
"Who can say?" Yagami-san said. "Still, I'm grateful she gave me a chance. It's one thing to allow your daughter and her girlfriend to continue seeing each other and another thing entirely to hire the former for a job like this."
"Your gender aside, I think Mother knows she's found a winner," I said. "You've been faithful to me for years, even when we were separated. You never saw me as a trophy to be won or a challenge to be overcome but were a good friend before you became my girlfriend. You decided that working for the inn was your goal and worked tirelessly to make your dream a reality. You're intelligent, charismatic and fair."
Yagami-san smiled.
"But you know what the best part is?" I said. "I can make you call me 'Amagi-san' without feeling like I'm imposing on you."
"Of course not," Yagami-san said. "In fact, this job is perfect, since it's an excuse to use your surname most of the time."
I went into another laughing fit but managed to compose myself.
"In all seriousness," I said, "I have one last important thing to say to you- not as the manager, but as your girlfriend. Will you listen, Shizuka-san?"
"I'm listening, Yukiko-san," Shizuka-san said. Her using my first name was still a rare and special occurrence, but she could do so with a straight face.
"Thank you," I said. "Now that I've all but taken the reins as the manager, people will expect much of me. My employees expect me to run the company properly and treat them well. Our guests expect the same degree of hospitality that our inn has been known for. Our business partners expect us to continue to utilize and pay them for their goods and services. My parents expect me to carry on our family's legacy. So many people are counting on me, and I'm sure you are too, but I ask one thing of you above all else- to allow me to confide in you and do the same for me. Is this a fair request?"
"Absolutely," Shizuka-san said. "You did the same for me when we were on the Investigation Team together."
"Thank you," I said. "I sometimes fear I'm asking too much of you."
"You needn't worry about that," Shizuka-san said, "because everything I do for you, I do by my own choice."
I smiled and let the subject drop on that note.
"I believe we've kept everyone waiting long enough," I said. "Shall we join my parents for breakfast before we head to work, Yagami-san?"
"I'm right behind you, Amagi-san," Yagami-san said.
We knew there were many challenges ahead of us. We would work long hours, face stressful situations and possibly argue from time to time. But as long as we were committed to making our professional and romantic relationships work, there would be no problem too great for the two of us to solve.
Author's Notes
This is the start of the second act, in which the flashbacks focus on Shizuka and Yukiko's relationship from when they become a couple to when they leave Inaba.
Rise won't be nearly as close with Shizuka as she was with Yu. While Rise is a first-name basis with the second-year girls in canon, she'll instead be on a last-name basis with them here, due to Shizuka setting the tone for the group.
As a result of Shizuka being somewhat stricter than Yu, the Investigation Team in this fic is halfway between the canon Investigation Team and S.E.E.S. They're close friends and an effective team, but they're not as close as in canon, and they gradually drift apart in adulthood.