Author's Notes: (Disgusted sigh) Release smaller chapters so they can get out sooner… right. My schedule went nuts within a week of the last chapter, so, yeah, that's why it's been as long as it has since my last update. No, I haven't given up on this work. If anything, that the semester's over means there should be more chapters posted faster cross fingers. And the time's given me some new ideas and scenes, as has the encouragement and reviews. For the record, thank you muchly to everyone who reviewed/faved/alerted Continuance – the feedback's been great for motivation and learning where I can improve.

For the record, since several readers have inquired about this, and that means more are wondering, I should at least address the nature of Continuance. For those hoping for more Shadows, bigger Personas, or a guest appearance from Izanami or a bigger ass whooping for Adachi, sorry but it's not gonna happen here. Competing with the game on that scale feels daunting, to be honest, and I don't know if I have the time or talent to try and top the adventure the game gave us. Besides, there are others who are trying the same thing, and they're doing a fine job as is. That said, I will be putting in my own interpretive flashbacks for the characters, fleshing out the more poignant bits and pieces that took place back in the game. But the challenges faced by the Investigation Team are going to be of the real-world variety, as developing adults going through life, and all that entails. In other words, the fic is a 'slice-of-life' story. Will there be drama? Very likely. Violence? There are teenage males in the cast, so yes. Sex? Depends on the reaction and what the characters are like when I get there. But possibly.

Oh, and on a less serious note, Continuance turned 6 months old as of the 14th of December! I'd like to take the time, again, to thank everyone who has been following the fic this far. Writing for myself has taught me a lot, but my audience has, without a doubt, made it worth coming this far. So, kudos to all you guys, and thank you.

Now – on with the show!

Chapter 8

There was something comforting about the hill overlooking Inaba. Souji'd never had an attachment to points of elevation before, so he didn't know if it was an affection that had popped up spontaneously, or was the result of so much time spent listening against the rail, soul searching under the gazebo, and laughing at the table. Either way, the wind cut across his face, brisk and sharp, and he felt his worries melt away on reflex. No fear, no concerns, no obligations. The residual tension from the Inn finally left him, leaving fatigue in its place. The last proper sleep he'd had was in Kofu, and it was catching up. Really, it would be so easy to nod off… right there… against… the railing…

"Yo! Senpai!"

Souji snapped back to reality, and nearly lost his footing. Still anchored to the fence, he brushed the sand from his eyes and stifled a yawn, turning around. "Hey Kanji."

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Ah. So, I ran into Nanako-chan on the way here, an' she said Dojima was lookin' for you."

Souji froze, then leaned into the fence. Either he really was exhausted, or his capacity for fear was spent – he wasn't worried about what Dojima would say, or about the others learning where he'd spent the night, or the morning with Yukiko's parents, or… much of anything. It was comforting, being too numb to feel. "I see. Thanks."

"Sure."

"So. What did you need?"

"Hm?"

"You weren't clear in your message. What's up?"

"Oh. Uh, right. Well, I was hoping we could talk." Kanji's eyes never rested on anything too long, and he finally sat heavily at the picnic table, hunched over and looking down toward Inaba.

Even through his fatigue, Souji fell into his old role like putting on a worn set of clothes. His stance eased, tension in his shoulders released, and the smile was easy and non-expectant. He could guess who and what was on Kanji's mind, but didn't feel like rushing it. When he took a seat next to his leather-clad friend, he leaned back and popped his back and neck out of habit. "Sure."

"It's about- well, I was wondering… about you an' Yukiko-senpai."

Souji quirked an eyebrow. Unexpected. But he'd bite. "What about us?"

"Well, you two've got a thing goin', right?"

"We're going out, yes."

"Kinda thought so. She seemed a lot happier when you got here."

"I got that impression too."

"Y-yeah, I thought you would."

"Kanji? Why do you want to know about me and Yukiko?"

"Huh? Oh, it's not like that."

"So what is it like?"

"It's kinda… I was… how'd you tell her you liked her?"

Souji let the words sink in. It was impossible to miss Kanji's fidgeting now. Clenched fists, darting eyes, tense and jerky movements, and the rhythmic opening and closing of his mouth, leaving him gnashing his teeth. "I guess telling you I opened my mouth and said the words wouldn't help, would it?"

"It's… it ain't that simple though, is it?"

Souji took a few deep breaths and a few minutes to put his words together. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Kanji calmed down enough to stop twitching and fidgeting. "I was kinda wonderin' how you'd tell someone… y'know. It's gutsy, right? And damned if I know where to start."

"Not something you can ask your mother?"

"Huh? Ask Ma?"

"Sure. Your parents were married, right? Or was it arranged?"

"I… It wasn't. Arranged, that is. I dunno. Ain't somethin' I wanna ask her."

"It would feel weird?"

"Well, yeah."

"Fair enough." Souji leaned his head back, staring skyward. "Yukiko and I started as friends. Whatever we are now, or might be down the road, we were friends first."

"Yeah, okay."

"If I were going to give you any advice, it'd be to start in the same place. Pushing a girl into a relationship really doesn't seem like you."

"But that's-" Kanji suddenly clammed up.

Souji cocked an eyebrow. "That's what?"

"I…" Souji kept silent this time, waiting him out. "I dunno how to tell her."

"Tell her what?"

"Anything!"

"Okay, well what do you feel for her?"

"Feel…?"

"You wouldn't be asking me how to talk to someone unless you had something to say, would you?"

"Right, right."

"So, let's start there."

"Uh… there ain't…" Souji watched on. He kept silent, like usual, and tried to convey his understanding, come what may. Only this time it didn't work. "Ah ta hell with this!" Kanji snapped, shoving himself to his feet. " 'm just wastin' yer time."

Souji pushed himself up as well. "What is it?"

"It ain't nothin'! Just stupid shit, okay?"

"Then there's no reason not to tell me."

Calm and reasonable had worked in the past, but Souji actually heard Kanji's nerve snap. Whatever the problem was, it had run him ragged enough to stomp up to Souji and glare. And, now that Souji thought about it, Kanji did look ragged. Hair messier than usual. Fingernails bitten back. Shirt rumpled and untucked. Souji wisely kept his mouth shut, waiting the outburst out. "You think you can help?"

"I want to try."

The intelligent and brave man Souji'd fought beside last year was holding on to his temper by his fingertips. Old insecurities surfaced and burned in his eyes, a tempest of anger and confusion. "The hell do you care?"

"Because you're my friend." Kanji blinked, still hunched forward. "My friends are worth helping. Let me decide if it's a waste of my time, alright?"

Kanji glared suspiciously. Souji stared back as calm as his racing heart would allow. That was not a fight he wanted; Yosuke had been one thing, but Kanji was taller and heavier than him. Finally, Kanji's shoulders drooped and he collapsed back on the bench, staring at his boots. Souji eased in beside him, leaning back again. "I'm sorry," Kanji mumbled.

"Don't worry about it. Whatever it is, seems like it's got you turning in circles."

"Yeah… circles ain't the half of it." They went silent for a long while before Kanji spoke up again. "Dunno how to talk to girls, y'know? An' now there's one I like, and…"

"You talk to Yukiko and Chie," Souji pointed out.

"Ain't the same."

"No past girlfriends? No experience?"

Kanji glanced over archly. "Don't remember what I told you before, Senpai? About me an' girls when I was growing up?"

"Of course I do. But were they all like that?"

"Yep."

Souji hesitated. "So… no exceptions? Not one who looked past you sewing?"

"Nope. At least, none that talked to me about it."

"…I see"

And he did. Finally, Souji got it. And felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner. Kanji was a hands-on person, direct and straightforward almost to a fault. Trying to lead him to the answers on his own and giving him pep talks wouldn't help anymore, because he didn't have the physical groundwork for talking to a girl he liked yet. Nothing to build off of meant they were both starting from scratch. "Here, stand up. We're going to try something," Souji told him. They stepped away from the table and faced each other. "Now, things to remember about talking to girls. What you say and how you say it are both different and important. When you tell someone you want to talk to them later, how would you do it?"

"Uh, 'Yo, if you got time later, come talk to me'?"

"Good, but you'd say that to me or Yosuke, right?"

"Sure."

"What about Rise?"

"Huh? Why Rise?"

"She's a girl you know, right? And she's attractive."

"Uh, okay. I'd still say it like that."

"Fair enough." Souji's eyes glinted in the afternoon light, and, for just a moment, the ghost of a smirk crossed his lips. "What about Naoto?"

Kanji jerked sharply, almost throwing himself off balance. "Wh-what?"

"Naoto. You had trouble talking to her before, so let's work on that."

"C-c'mon Senpai, that ain't fair. I mean, you know…"

Souji's expression didn't change in the least. "I suspected. Whatever your feelings on the matter, it doesn't matter right now. If you want to talk to her, you're going to have to get past this."

"But… can't she be the one to- I mean, you don't think…?"

"No, I don't. She's as socially sheltered and complex as you are, and she's not going to make the first move." Kanji's thoughtful and almost pleading expression wasn't lost on the elder of the two. "She won't, Kanji. For the same reason you aren't. Guys aren't the only ones to get scared talking to someone they like."

"I… Dammit. This ain't easy, is it?"

"No. Nothing worth hanging on to ever is. But if it helps, I'll tell you how I felt; I thought my heart was going to stop when Yukiko and I had that conversation."

"Yeah? Even you?"

"Yep." A wistful smile cross his face as the memory danced before him. "She'd just found her own reason to stick with the Inn, and asked why I spent so much time with her. I thought, weeks before, how lucky I was to have the chances I did, and that I was being pretty obvious." He chuckled. Time could make the tense and stressful so trite. "I told her I liked her. Nothing else. I'd had so many speeches and lines memorized for her. Didn't matter. I just said what came to mind, and that was it."

"Just like that, huh?"

"Well, for the most part. It was a start. We had a lot to work on after that, and still do. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"But you were scared."

"Terrified."

"That's… I dunno. I never woulda pegged you as being afraid like that, y'know?"

"I'm only human. And you'll have your chances – just remember that they're worth taking."

Kanji scuffed his feet and looked away. "It'd be easier if… ah hell, you know, right? I ain't you."

Souji sobered and stood in Kanji's view, eyes sharp and hard. "Don't. We've talked about this. You're fine the way you are, and if you want to get anywhere with Naoto, or any girl for that matter, then yourself is who you'll have to be. No way around that." Kanji blinked, then looked up at him. "I'll help you any way I can. I promised you that before, remember? Nothing's changed. But you have to work at it on your own."

"Huh. Yeah. Not like we kicked the shit outta Izanami and that dick Adachi just to be pansy-assed wimps, right?"

Souji laughed. "Exactly."

"So, what else do I need to work on?"

The early afternoon passed as Souji worked with Kanji on the finer points of socialization. Don't tense up when you talk, don't talk too fast, maintain pitch, think through what you're going to say before you do, and so on. It was a learning experience for them both – Souji passed on ideas that came to mind on the fly, and Kanji's questions made him think on the matter more than he ever had before. They were trudging along the road to the shopping district when Kanji stopped and asked, "so, where do I go from here? I mean, you taught me how to talk, but just going up and asking her out ain't gonna work, is it?"

Souji chuckled quietly, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "You're not going to like me for saying this, but I'll say it anyway." He turned to look Kanji in the eye. "It's up to you. I can't help you. How you approach the girl you're after, what you say, the setting, it's all your choice."

"But, what about how you went with Yukiko-senpai?"

"Doesn't matter. Chie and Yukiko are different people, as are Naoto and Rise. Following in my footsteps isn't going to get you anywhere if your girl doesn't respond to that approach. Have to jump in and test the water, you know?"

Kanji grunted, scuffing the ground with his boot. "Hmm. Yeah."

Souji thought back to his conversation with Yosuke, and then with Naoto, before arranging his thoughts. "If you were to talk to Naoto, even for practice, I'd suggest trying to be her friend first. I think she's going to be around Inaba for a while longer. Lots of time to learn, practice, that sort of thing."

"Huh? Where'd you hear that?"

"I didn't." Nothing he'd confirmed, anyway. "Just a feeling I have. How she wanted to learn to cook, and Yosuke said she's doing work by correspondence now."

"Oh. So that's what you were talking to her about at Yukiko-senpai's?"

"Mm hm. And, between you, me, and the nearest fence post? I think her food's going to be…" he glanced up, searching the sky for his words, "less dangerous than we're used to from the girls."

"Huh. Might talk about that… Dunno how though."

"You'll do fine," Souji assured him. "Let me know if you hit a roadblock."

"I… I appreciate that, Senpai. I'll try not to need you too much though. Wanna try this stuff on my own, y'know?"

Souji chuckled, nodding in approval. "Good. You know my number, regardless."

"Thanks Senpai."

"Any time."

They shook hands roughly and headed toward Tatsumi Textiles, changing topics and letting the discussions wander. Kanji had just headed into his house when Souji caught sight of a slender shape with familiar silver hair. "Ah. Konishi Naoki! Naoki-kun!"

The young man nearly tripped over his feet trying to turn on the spot, smiling, as much as he ever did, when he saw the older teen. "Souji-senpai! Glad to see you."

"You too. How've you been?"

"Better. My parents are getting along more than before and… well, things've gotten better since you left."

"Good to hear. And the family business?"

"Also better. Yosuke-senpai's been helping me out, actually."

"Yosuke? You don't say."

"Yeah. Nothing too big, just with ideas and suggestions, but it's going good."

"I'm glad. You look better for it." It was the truth. No longer grim and reclusive, Naoki looked healthier and happier than when Souji had first met him. There was a quiet vivacity about his eyes that had caught Souji off guard at the train station in April, signs of a young man willing to face the pain of his sister's death. And he looked a good inch taller than before.

Still, no matter how the young man might've grown, he still blushed a bit at the compliment. "I guess having a nagging senpai helps sometimes." Souji chuckled and they turned down the street together. "By the way, Senpai, about your request?"

"Ah yes, the finance records. I don't want to impose, if you can't get a hold of them."

"Well it's not an imposition. More that it's… a touchy subject with my parents."

"How so?"

"Well, we're just getting back on track after Junes opened up here, but anything to do with money's pretty edgy."

"I understand. I just need it for some references, something my father wants to test me on."

"What's he in? That seem like a strange test from a parent."

Souji chuckled and glanced skyward. "Finance. They're both in finance, so business portfolios are just the beginning with them."

"Huh. So you trust them?"

The question threw the older of the pair. Souji's eyes lowered inquisitively, an eyebrow cocked, while he thought of an answer. Trust them? "I just want to be sure," Naoki clarified hastily. "They're in finance, so maybe they can help out, but money's the backbone of any business, and what with the problems here before, I wouldn't want the information coming back to haunt me." Trust his parents? They moved about their lives, he did the same with his. Trust simply didn't enter into it. Not anymore. "I mean, if anything can screw up a business, us or Junes, it'd be money, right? Not that I'd mind if it was Junes, mind you."

That hit home. Souji was silent for a while before responding. "I have a friend who said the very same thing. Warned me to be careful who I gave the information to."

"Oh. Well, I trust you, Senpai, so come on."

"Thanks."

They went into the liquor store and through the door to the back room where Naoki brought down an old book thick with notes and receipts. The writing, Souji noted immediately, differed by the day. Some was simple and utilitarian, no flare or style to the lines and sweeps. Other days were written out in a lighter, more airy hand, presumably Naoki's mother, or perhaps Konishi Saki before she died. The entries during the previous April caught Souji's attention with grim fascination. The day she'd died, and for weeks after, the writing was nearly illegible. Sometimes the pen had torn through the paper, or the ink was discoloured part way through the entries, like it had been half finished in one sitting, and completed later. And, interspersed through the month, there were water stains on the pages. Tears. "That's everything, Souji-senpai," Naoki told him, yanking him from his morbid reflections. "I have to get back to work before my parents come back. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks, Naoki-kun." Souji brought out a pile of loose sheets and stared at the ledger, idly twisting his pen in his hand.

Did he trust his father? No. Souji knew that, if given the chance, his father would lie if he believed it necessary. Not out of malice, but obligation. Why tell the truth if it was going to cost more in the end? It was risk assessment. Weighing the odds. As economical and clinical as always. That said, he did want to see Yukiko again before he graduated. And his father was a means of accomplishing that.

Could it make that much of a difference? Chie had a point, but he didn't think his father was so bored at work that he would jump to finance a new business halfway across Japan just because he had some finance information. It was the devil's deal he'd made, yes, but Souji was also above carelessly breaking his word, even if his parents weren't.

Souji leaned back in his chair, really weighing his own odds. He didn't buy into the conspiracy theory, and didn't think he'd set off an economic landslide by copying the material. On the other side, being his parent's cat's paw irritated him on a fundamental level of his psyche.

What do you owe them? It wasn't about owing anyone anything. Saki's parents, when he'd heard them in the TV world so long ago, sounded uptight and harsh. But was that a reason to go behind their backs on something they clearly felt strongly about? It wasn't that big a deal, he knew. A small business in the middle of nowhere, and the information would be-

He stopped when he looked again at the April, 2011 entries. He thought about it harder. It wasn't the same as his own situation, he realized. His parents, if their employers were ever stupid enough to let them go, would be scouted within days by a competitor. Work ethic and talent like theirs went a long way in the corporate world. The Konishis, on the other hand, had one chance. And they were already living it. They'd invested their lives in the business, and what affected one clearly affected the other.

Souji sighed, massaging his temple against the growing headache. Why couldn't it be easy? But he knew the answer to that. He'd given it to Kanji. Take a chance with his father? Or with a friend's family in Inaba?

Finally, he settled back on his tried and true method of problem solving. The others on the investigation team would never let him live it down if they found out. He pulled out his wallet and fished out a 500-yen coin from a sleeve. Not an ordinary 500-yen coin though, but one with one pristine face and the other with a long groove across the surface. It was a souvenir from Maru-Q when a samurai shadow had tried to cut him in half. Instead it just got through his cloths, armour, and wallet, but not that coin. He'd kept it ever since.

Souji looked at the coin, then the ledger. He danced the coin through his knuckles and pondered his choices one more time. Then closed his hand, brought the coin to his thumb, and snapped it into the air.

Author's Notes (Again. Because I love hearing my own voice, even in my head): Yes, it's way shorter than the long wait should entail. I know. But, more should be on the way much more frequently. This one feels like filler to me, but let me know if/where it can be sharpened up. But I needed a transition into the next part, which (drum roll….) involves the PoV shift. Still taking votes on who it's gonna be. Rise's ahead by 1 so far – let me know what you think.

Merry Christmas!