Ryotaro Dojima didn't want a smoke. Rather, he needed one, but he settled with waiting in the hall for his coffee.
The search for Rise Kujikawa was a bust, for starters. The first lead they got in weeks to the serial killer, and his rookie understudy ended up recording over the video. Even when Adachi claimed that he saw Rise whisked away by someone, all that meant was the guy had reliable transportation and that he rang the doorbell first. It matched Yukiko Amagi's recap of the story, if nothing else. But there was no way to figure out who it was now.
"Here's your coffee, sir."
"Thanks," Dojima grumbled, accepting the warm mug. Adachi might be an idiot, but he had a good head on his shoulders and a lot of passion. It was hard to find anyone that dedicated on the force anymore.
"So, anything new?"
Adachi shrugged his arms in defeat as he handed over the printed report. "No dice. The girl doesn't know her own name, let alone what she was doing in the middle of the rain like that, so finding info on her was hard enough. She doesn't even have a matching fingerprint in our database."
After finding the girl wandering in the rain with only a comb, Dojima and Adachi immediately called for the nearest medical facility to treat her. There were no visible wounds on her, but she was still susceptible to catching hypothermia, and was wrapped in some spare blankets in the car. It was tense ride, but nothing else happened by the time they arrived at the town hospital.
The following few hours were a blur as the two cops jumped between the hospital and the police station, making sure the girl was stable while figuring out who she was. Her treatment in the ER just ended, and aside from her memory, everything was okay.
Even if she didn't know who she was, there was a chance someone else did or that she was a missing person with amnesia. Yet they had nothing on the girl, let alone a clue or idea how to find out.
It felt almost like Shirou Emiya's background checks, but for the wrong reasons and with the opposite effect.
The two walked into her room; a small two-person room with beds, curtains between them, and two television sets. The beds were mobile on wheels and came with built-in wooden desks to serve food. Incidentally, the girl, now dressed in a hospital gown, was wolfing down rice and miso soup set on her table. She quickly noticed the two cops as they entered.
"About time you showed up," she said.
Rudeness aside, she was taking this situation better now that she had been checked in, bathed, and calmed down.
"So, what's the verdict? Who am I?" The only reason she agreed to follow them was the promise that they would find out her identity.
"We don't know," he told her, looking over the papers Adachi handed to him. "No family name, no known birthday, no medical records, no ID… not that you had any of those on your person, so it made the search harder."
She glared at him. "I told you, I don't know any of that!"
"I know, but everything is pointing that you don't exist on—"
" 'Not exist'?! I'm sitting right here talking to you! Why is any of this important anyway?!"
Dojima frowned. She was about Shirou's age, so he could only imagine how annoying and stressful this was for her. "I understand your frustration, but all of this is actually important as it can make or break the difference in knowing your name."
The girl was still scowling but didn't snap at him this time. "So, what does that mean for me?"
"Well, you're a minor, so the best thing we have to do is find someone to adopt you and settle all the legal hurdles," Dojima explained. "But until then, you're free to rest here until your strength gets back. Maybe something will jog your memory by that time, too."
Still, the hospital stay was only temporary. They would take her in for as long she needs rest and healing, and she was rather self-aware for an amnesiac. This wasn't as simple as Shirou's problem as he at least had a legal guardian post-Fuyuki Fire. It couldn't be understated enough that this girl had nothing.
At this point, a young nurse knocked on the open door for attention before stepping in. "Excuse me, Dojima-san? I hate to interrupt, but someone is asking about the girl you found. She said she wants to take her in."
Dojima blinked, exchanged perplexed gazes with Adachi, and looked back at the girl. "Is she her mother?"
"She claims to be her guardian."
"I don't have a mother or guardian," she insisted. She frowned softly. "At least, I don't think so."
"Geez, this is some crazy coincidence," Adachi noted, making another one of his "conspiracy" thinking poses. "I mean, this girl appears out in the rain like she's a Japanese version of Bloody Mary, and before the night's over someone suddenly comes in and wants to take her in. Maybe she's the serial killer?"
Dojima turned to his rookie partner with an incredulous, if not insulting, look. "What kind of idiot would enter a hospital with the intent of killing someone?"
"What kind of murderer kidnaps his victims by ringing the doorbell?" Adachi retorted back, before smirking and pointing at him dramatically. "A clever one. And one that knows how to play off the expectations of others."
The veteran detective didn't like to think of that possibility. Not because Adachi's theory didn't sound that off base (for once), but if there really was a clever criminal playing everyone like puppets, then this case could go on for months and they would never find hide or hair of him. He let one killer go free once; Chisato's. He would be damned before letting another escape justice too.
"Bloody… Marie."
The three cops turned to the girl, muttering the folklore name Adachi dropped. With a distinct sound to the French equivalent. "What's that?"
"Nothing, just… I like that name. Marie."
Dojima turned to address the nurse. "We'll talk to her, but I'm going to have to strongly suggest that she stays over for the night."
"That's what I tried telling her, but she was rather insistent."
The two kept talking even as they walked out of the room. Adachi quickly followed, leaving the girl alone in the room again.
She tried to remember more about herself, like if she had a "family" or a "mother" or a "guardian", but nothing came to mind. She recalled only the car and the rain.
She needed a name though. Everyone had a name, right? She knew that much. Well, if she couldn't remember her old name, she would have to use a new one. And she found herself partial to Marie… Well, until she figured out her real name, she'll answer to Marie.
So satisfied with her first big decision, Marie almost didn't notice the blank TV screen from across her bed suddenly flaring to life.
The screen was on, and yet there was nothing but pale foreground and static. Almost as quickly as it came, the TV turned off a minute later.
Marie blinked, perplexed. Even she knew TVs didn't work like that. "Huh. That's weird…"
Fate/Reach Out
Chapter 33: Shirou Emiya versus Mystery Food X
June 5th, Dojima Household, Morning
"Here he is! / Tanaka!
Over the airwaves to yooooooou!
Granter of all
Commodity Desires!"
"Good morning, everyone!" A man greeted the viewing audience after the intro jingle to his show. He shined a grin befitting for a salesman… or a politician. "And welcome to 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'!"
Every Sunday, Tanaka's show aired as a special mail-ordering program that enticed viewing customers to buy their products. Every episode was live all day long, promoting products to be sold for whoever called the number in the following three days, or at least until the product was still available.
The president of the shopping channel, as well as host and face of the program, was a sharp-dressed, smiling man named Tanaka.
"For this week's sale, we have the Jingi Fundoshi!" Tanaka gestured to the show table below him, and the camera followed. A bright red cloth was seen worn in display on a lower half mannequin. The mannequin spun on a rotating dial for viewers to see all sides of the male garment, and how well it fits. "This vital garment is perfect for festivities and swimming occasions alike! I can't believe the wonderfulness myself, and I'm wearing one right now!"
"Too much information," Shirou deadpanned aloud, even though he was alone and watching the program in his room.
"Call now, and we'll throw in two supplementary helpings of Slimming Food! You remember it as Diet Food and it works just the same way, but it now has a snappy, slimming name that just zaps the fat away by saying it! All for 11,800 yen! Again, the bargain combo of your very own Jingi Fundoshi and Slimming Foods is 11,800 yen! (Warning: sideeffectsofSlimmingFoodincludenauseaandvomittingifbothtakenatonce.)"
"I'll probably pass on that, then," Shirou said. "I still have the trunks Fuji-nee bought for me anyway." Not that he had any plan to use them. Where would he find a place to swim, let alone the time?
"But wait! There's more!" Tanaka continued, now gesturing at an assortment of fish laying on an ice table. Nobody could expect what the man would sell or promote next in his show. "Our second weekly offer is Yasoinaba's local delicacy, the Inaba Trout! Caught fresh and checked regularly by our professionally paid fishermen! For every one trout sold, we'll give away two Amber Seema (because we have nowhere else to put them)! That's a three-fish fresh dinner plan, all for the low, low price of 2,980 yen! That's 2980 yen for three fish!"
Fresh fish? Now that caught Shirou's interest; more so than last week's sale of a pair of shoes and some medicine. He wasn't sure how to check the authenticity of Tanaka's brand, but less than 3,000 yen was well within his budget. It still struck him as odd that he'd decided to look into this shopping channel after hearing about it from a few students walking to school.
But Shirou had to admit; it was a damn catchy tune.
He quickly dialed the number before being answered by one of the operators. "Yes, hello? I'd like to order the Inaba Trout combo."
Before long, he finished citing all the information needed; address, billing, and an apparent "free" membership plan so they can remember regular paying customers. Perhaps he could cook some sushi for dinner as a surprise for Nanako and Doji-nii.
"Thank you so much for your patronage and participation in today's show!" Tanaka bowed. "We'll return for the next three days selling this week's deals, so hurry while you can! To all my loyal customers, I'll see you next time!"
"Here he is! / Tanaka!
Over the airwaves to yooooooou!
Granter of all
Commodity Desires!"
And just like that, the show was over. And that left Shirou with the rest of Sunday to do whatever he wanted.
"Come to think of it, last night was the end of the long rain."
He looked outside and saw a bright sunny glare over the town. Not a cloud in the sky, and the once gloomy, dark weather that fit Rise's sudden hiatus was lifted. They'd rescued her, brought her to her grandmother's shop, and waited patiently for the week to end.
Perhaps now was a good time to check up on her, now that she had recovered from her Shadow encounter?
He pulled out his phone to start calling his friends for a rendezvous at Marukyuu Tofu.
Shopping District, Tatsuhime Shrine
A long, tired sigh left Rise Kujikawa's lips as her shoulders sagged and body slouched on the bench. "What is it with people and their single-minded obsession with the rich and famous? Don't they have better things to do?"
News of Rise Kujikawa's arrival in Inaba had spread like wildfire. When someone realized that the old woman at the tofu shop was named Kujikawa, which was the same surname as the idol on hiatus, everyone started talking and visiting. There was some scare about Rise's sudden disappearance before arriving, but aside from her silhouette prior to the concert, she hadn't appeared on the Midnight Channel at all.
That still didn't discern gawkers from visiting every day. For the first few days Rise just slept in the upstairs bedroom, hoping to avoid the worst of the paparazzi until they got bored. But sitting still was never Rise's strong suit, and if she was going to stay in Inaba for a while, she would have to nip the problem in the bud.
So, she put on a spare apron over her casual clothes and started to help at the tofu shop. It was clear right away that everyone wanted an excuse to talk to Risette, no matter how homely or plain she looked right now. She was used to it, but she was still annoyed. Which led her to hiding in a hilltop shrine for her lunch break.
The rouge-haired teen ate her tofu bento and thought back to that "TV world" she'd been trapped in. It felt like a lifetime ago since her near-death experience, and her thoughts were still hazy on the details. She even remembered flashes of the fight as if she were fighting there, from Himiko's memories. But the one thing she couldn't forget, even if she wanted to, was that boy who saved her, along with his friends. Strong and determined. Fierce, yet kind. He probably even had his own emotional baggage if what her Shadow said was true, but he didn't let that stop or break him.
Rise smiled. His friends said they would talk to her again when the rain stopped, and she couldn't help but feel excited about seeing him again. "I wonder where Hero-kun is right now…"
"Excuse me?"
Rise blinked out of her daze and saw a boy in a blue suit walk up to her. A taller boy that looked like a biker-gang member was dragging his feet behind them, looking like he really didn't want to be here. "Uh, hi. Can I help you?"
"You're Rise Kujikawa, correct? The retiring idol?"
Rise fought the urge to frown, but couldn't quite stop the bitter tone in her voice as she asked, "What do you want, an autograph?"
"Nothing like that. I just want to ask some questions," the boy answered, pulling out a badge to show her. "I'm Detective Naoto Shirogane, and I'm looking into the homicide case."
Rise was suddenly alarmed. "I'm not the culprit if that's what you're thinking."
"Not likely, no. But you might have some information vital to the case, and I just want to make sure there aren't any loose ends."
"Don't I have a right to an attorney for this?" she asked cautiously.
"Only if you have something to hide," Naoto replied coolly. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you retire from showbiz?"
"I do mind, actually, but I'll tell you anyway. Work was getting stressful, so I wanted a break."
"That's it?"
"No, I was really drugged off my ass and thrown into some haunted brothel to play a role in a psychological horror film until I apologized for the uproar," Rise replied. As true as the statement was (to a degree), it was so laced in sarcasm that it made the boy and thug bristle somewhat.
"U-uh, right," said Naoto. "How familiar are you with Miss Yamano?"
Rise shrugged. "Some news producer that got caught in that love scandal a few months back. Kind of hard not to hear news about it somewhere."
"I see. And what happened to you when you were kidnapped?"
Rise was tense talking to this boy before, but she really didn't like where the discussion was heading now. "What are you talking about? I got lost on the way back through the woods before someone found me as I came into town."
That was the story she had decided on; she wasn't sure exactly what this Midnight Channel was yet, but she was lucky enough to have been rescued before her Shadow made a big broadcast to everyone about her little striptease. No one had reason to believe she was ever "kidnapped" other than the two policemen her grandma called (as well as her rescuers) and it was decided not to make any mention of her on-and-off kidnapping. Otherwise the news media would make a big spectacle about it and ruin her public image.
Naoto kept a steady, level glare fixed on her, showing that he didn't believe a word of it. "I recall hearing rumors that you actually arrived at your grandmother's house sometime after 11:14 PM, on June 1st. You were immediately caught off guard when a man rang the doorbell and whisked you away into his getaway van. Then you were found leaving the Junes Department store with four students of Yasogami High, one of which accompanied you as far as the Shopping District before you returned home."
Okay, so this Naoto guy was either a really good detective… or someone who was really obnoxious with no sense of privacy. "So, the Inaba rumor mill is still active as ever, I see. What makes you think I was kidnapped anyway?"
"You just told me," Naoto insisted, much to Rise's confusion. "Your left eye twitches whenever you lie and your chest heaves slightly when you get excited."
People could figure out stuff like that?! That was absurd! And if Rise had bad body language that anyone could read, then wouldn't her manager and instructors have said something to her?! "I-I don't have tells like that!"
"You don't," he said. "But that reaction just now was good enough."
…obnoxious it is, then.
"Which is why I'm asking you directly for the truth," Naoto said. "Now I'm going to ask again; what happened when you were kidnapped?"
For a long moment, Rise said nothing. Then she turned to stare at the detective straight in the face and told him two words: "Fuck off."
The bleached teen, who was minding his own business, snapped his head over to Rise with a shocked expression. Naoto himself looked like he had swallowed a lemon whole and tried to make a proper response.
"I-I'm sorry, did you just tell me to —?"
"Fuck. Off," she said again. And damn did it feel good.
Rise herself was never openly hostile to others and tended to just suck it in for the sake of her "Risette" image. Maybe it was the liberation of quitting and not having to play ignorant anymore. Maybe it was due to a long day of sitting through so many star-struck fans. Or maybe it was Naoto hitting too close to home with his questions after a near-death experience just days before.
Yes, she was Risette, but she was Rise too, and there was so much more to her than just entertaining the masses. She could be crass and rude, bubbly and romantic. She could make sarcastic remarks, make tofu, and solve complex math equations!
But above all else she was honest and loyal, and very thankful for the hero's entourage that saved her. Rise knew something weird and intense was going, and the world full of Personas and Shadows was in the middle of it all. She had no reason or obligation to tell some obsessed brat about it.
"We're done here," she added, taking her unfinished lunch with her. She would have to find another quiet place to eat.
Rise made it as far as the steps before Naoto shouted after her. "This isn't some game! Two people have died already, and I know you're involved in this! If you have the slightest idea of what is happening in this town, you will tell me what you know now!"
Her pace stopped, and she slowly turned to glance at the young detective in her peripheral vision. "Aren't you the one treating this like a game?"
Naoto stiffened.
"I don't care how good or skilled a detective you are. You solve mysteries for a living. You could read all about my fan blogs or my autobiography, but you just assume that I would help you because you demanded answers. I don't know what your deal is, but you don't know a thing about me. So drop the hard-boiled PI deal you have going on here, because I'm not buying it."
With her piece said, Rise left the shrine.
Kanji Tatsumi tsked in disgust. This is why he hated girls. So emotional, so bitchy, and so friggin' entitled to their damn opinions! He'd known that this was a bad idea from the start. "Geez, I thought pop idols were supposed to be all cutesy and pure and shit," he said to himself. "Why do people get a boner around her, again?"
"A game," the detective said sadly. "I suppose she has a point."
"Hmm?" Kanji turned to his parole officer, still out of his funk. He could barely make his face out from the rim of his hat lowered like that. "You say something, Nao?"
"Nothing important. I'm just remembering that, as a detective, I shouldn't harbor such feelings on a case. It was… a bad move on my part."
The biker thrasher nodded in understanding. He could recall a few times when being too caring led to a big screw up, including that one time… "Well, mistakes happen, yeah? But it shouldn't be fair that people get all anal because you're doing your job, right? You just gotta learn to keep your heart close to the vest, you know?"
Naoto stared at Kanji with a blank expression. He stared back, taken aback at how feminine his androgynous face looked, and how big those blue-grey eyes looked— wait. Was… was he crying? Goddammit he wasn't good for this shit!
"W-what?!" Kanji spluttered, looking away. "I didn't say anything weird, right? J-just don't let what that girl said get to you, okay Nao?"
The detective shook his head, smiling. "No, you didn't. And you're right. Thanks, Kanji." A moment later, the smile fell into an expression of slight annoyance. "But as I keep telling you, my name is Naoto."
"R-right, sorry."
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid—!" Rise cursed with each stomp down the stairway. Even after quitting from her life as Risette, Rise still had to carry all the troublesome baggage and then some! Everything was supposed to get better now! Maybe not right away or all at once, but it certainly shouldn't have drawn so much negative karma either!
Not one thing had gone right since she quit!
"Rise?"
The idol perked up at her name. Not Risette, just Rise. And as she turned, she saw it had come from none other than that red-haired Hero-kun (and his friends of course). The events of the other day flew by her, from his impassioned speech to his dogged determination. And his casual clothes (a simple blue-and-white t-shirt and jeans), reminded her of his coat offer after the fighting was done.
…okay, so maybe all this was worth it after all.
"H-hi, He—erm, Shirou-kun," she stammered. Just seeing him made her feel hot and flustered.
The dense idiot didn't notice, though some of his friends did. One of them, an auburn-haired teen with a butterfly scarf, quickly stepped forward with a smile and an extended hand.
"A-and I'm Yosuke Hanamura! I helped too, and I always wanted to save you! I mean, meet you! And, well—"
"Let me guess. A fan?" Rise asked as they shook hands.
"He's been looking forward to meeting you again all week," Shirou noted.
"He even called you a cutie pie," the brunette teased.
Yosuke blushed, stiffened, and blanched all at once as he turned to the two teens. "Guys. Shut up," he seethed through his teeth. "You're killing me here!"
But they looked like they were having too much fun to just stop there. The brunette was even jabbing Shirou's chest with a smirk. "Remember when he was thinking of a good pick up line to save her with? 'Hey babe! I'm gonna be your boyfriend for life!' " she impersonated in a tone implying a try-too-hard manner.
"Or on the way here? 'I get to see it all firsthand!' " Shirou made his own impersonation that sounded just as off-key. " 'Her curves, her posture, even her beautiful slim—!' "
Yosuke slammed a hand over both their mouths before they could say anymore. "Dammit guys, why are you doing this to me?!" he pleaded. He then quickly turned to Rise with a weak laugh. "Ahahaha, they're such kidders! I didn't say that. At all. I never said any of that."
Rise chuckled. A small laugh that was almost drowned out by Yosuke's blathering, but it was there. "Thanks. I really needed that." Yosuke seemed taken aback by her smile. She could only assume that the guy, while meaning well, rarely got on a girl's good side. If he knew how to make a girl laugh more naturally…
"Anyway, I guess since you're all here, you're going to tell me what happened the other night?" They all nodded. "Great, so why don't we find some place to talk?" She looked around before whispering, "Somewhere that I won't get hounded by fans?"
"Well, the shrine's right up here," the black-haired girl said. "We can catch up with Tama-chan and—"
"No," Rise cut her off. "Not there. Some detective and his thug of a Watson are up there, and I don't want to see them again right away."
Shirou blinked, finally brushing Yosuke's hand off his mouth. "Naoto and Kanji? What did they want?"
"I'll explain later, but can we find a place first?"
Teddie's Hub Space
It took some debating and brainstorming. As the Junes store was packed during Sundays, they couldn't go to their special headquarters and expect to hide in plain sight this time. They couldn't go to someone's house either, as the Amagi Inn was a tourist central and it would be hard to explain to any of their family members how or why they were friends with Rise Kujikawa. It was a bridge they would have to cross sooner or later, but not now.
They eventually decided to sneak quickly through Junes, go to Teddie's world (with Tama absent) and explain everything there. A hefty exposition on magecraft, TVs, and Shadows later…
"Wow." Rise gulped. "That's… real heavy stuff, there."
"We still don't have a clue on who the serial killer is," Shirou admitted. "Unless you saw who threw you in?"
Rise shook her head. "It all happened so fast. I was tired and exhausted from the concert when I finally got back to Grandma's, and then the doorbell rang. I thought it was my manager, so I opened the door. I think… I was gagged or something, but I didn't see or hear the guy clearly. Next thing I knew, I was in that weird place."
The Investigation Team exchanged frowns. "No new clues on the killer."
"Maybe not," Rise added. "Someone came in a van just after I arrived, and threw me in."
"How do you know that?" Chie asked.
"That Naoto guy told me." She frowned at the memory. "He somehow knew I was kidnapped and kept asking what happened to me. He was being a real jerk about it, though."
"I can imagine," said Yosuke. "The guy's been so gung ho about his job since we first met him. What's his deal?"
Yukiko brushed her stray hairs back and readjusted her fog glasses. "I'm more concerned about this getaway van. We know now that the culprit has used it for all his victims."
"Yeah! So now we just have to find the driver and haul his ass to the authorities!"
But Shirou shook his head before Chie could leave and act on impulse. "Won't work. We don't know what kind of van was used, and even if we did find the right culprit among all the other van drivers, we'd have no proof that he could have done it. We'd just be making ourselves look like fools and tip him off to who we are."
Chie flinched. "Oh… right."
"Besides, I'd rather not risk the chance of engaging the criminal headfirst. If he's a magus worth his salt, he could just as easily overpower us in his living quarters. A magus's sanctuary is their domain, where they have the most use of their familiars and bounded fields."
"But magi are technologically repressed fuddy-duddies! None of them would have a reason to use something like a car to begin with!"
Shirou found himself nodding. "Yeah, that's—" He stopped and turned to the speaker. "Teddie… how do you know that?"
The mascot blinked before he looked away. "I… don't remember."
The poor bear was feeling moody again, so Shirou decided against pressing the issue. "Regardless, we still don't know enough about this killer, so all we can do is wait and try to catch him in the act."
"Good plan!" Yosuke smiled. "We know his pattern now, and what exactly to look for! As long as we can figure out who his next potential target will be, we'll have the advantage!"
The plan was set, and even Teddie was feeling confident. But there was still one more issue to settle…
Rise Kujikawa, the retired idol, was a Persona user now. Should they ask her to join them? Would she even want to join?
"Uh, guys?" Rise broke the silence. "I've been thinking the last few days, since you rescued me."
Her gaze lowered to the unique floor pattern of murdered silhouette figures. "The thing is, I've been really stressed with work lately, and came here just to get some peace and quiet. So, in a way, it might be my fault for making things more complicated for you, getting involved in this murder case?"
"We don't think that," Shirou interjected, though he wondered briefly if he was really speaking for everyone or just himself.
"Damn right we don't!" Yosuke slung his arm around his neck. "We're just a bunch of superpowered, alter-ego teens with an attitude! We love saving cute girls!"
"A true bro!" Pixie nodded with approval.
"I prefer hoes first." Lilim licked her lips.
"Shut it," Angel scolded.
"Cute girls comment aside," Chie said, "we definitely don't think of you as a burden. I mean, Yukiko here was in the same boat just a month ago!"
Rise's face started to quiver with emotion. "Uuuuuuuuh, well… I really appreciate what you guys did for me, e-especially you, Shirou-kun."
"Me?"
Before anyone knew it, Rise had swung her arms around Shirou and hugged him tight with an ecstatic expression. "Thank you sooooo much! I love you guys!"
Shirou promptly went into shutdown mode. The closeness of the idol's body against his, and her bubbly, cheerful words cause a fire to erupt in his cheeks. Several of his Personas summed the situation thusly in his non-responsive mind.
"Whelp, you're dead Shirou."
"How? Why? He hasn't even acted on debauchery!"
"FOOL SHIROU EMIYA! YOU BETTER NOT BETRAY THE CHARIOT!"
"Oh yeah, the first ever conflict of the love polygon. This is gonna be good."
It took him a moment to realize that they were referring to the rather ignited reactions of his friends behind him. Yukiko was more confused than alarmed, and Yosuke was glaring daggers of envy at him. Chie herself looked like she wanted to punch him and Rise's lights out.
But he had no idea why.
At least Teddie tried to be diplomatic. "Uh, Rise-chan? I understand that Shirou-sensei did indeed help you, but so did the rest of us. Including me! I helped him mark the finishing blow on your Shadow, you see!"
Rise finally parted from her hug and smiled at the bear. "Aww, does Teddie Bear wanna hug too?"
"Yes," Teddie answered, before realizing what had just happened. "Wh—huh?"
But Rise obliged anyway, leaning down and hugging the bear across his dome-like head. "You were really brave out there, weren't you? Thanks."
Teddie's face turned warm and he started to drool, but was undoubtedly happy at getting some attention after all the teasing Shadow Rise pulled. It almost made wondering about the meaning of life worth it.
Chie and Yosuke's indignant rage was soon replaced with confusion akin to Yukiko's, and had no time to really question it before Rise walked over and hugged all three of them at once.
"Mmmmmmmm!" She hugged as tight as possible, and Yosuke could swear that if he wasn't Personafied, she might have broken something. Not that it would matter, if it was from her…
Finally, Rise let go and looked at the three in the eyes. "I mean, really! Thank you! I-it's not too weird to say thanks like this, right? I didn't come on too strong with the hug, right?"
"W-well, the hug was kind of startling," Yukiko admitted.
"Especially with the 'love' part," Chie deadpanned.
"Oh, that? Yeah, guess a little Risette is still in me, because I always tell my fans I 'love' them. It's kind of my way of saying thanks for helping me with their support."
"So… she meant platonically."
"Oh, thank you Father above. You have not forsaken this child before he even began."
"Aw phooey. She really is a damn tease."
Shirou found himself sharing an odd sense of relief with his peers at the explanation. It allowed him to feel even more proud of being thanked for saving her.
"Which is why I was thinking: do you guys need my help?" Rise asked.
"Huh?"
"I don't know what my power does yet, and I would understand if you don't want me to do anything, but I wouldn't feel right without paying you guys back in some way. And I feel like I could do a lot of good, too."
Shirou frowned. "It's going to be dangerous."
"I know, but you'd help me, right? Just like I'd help you?"
The brick-haired magus sighed. He felt like he should say no, but at the same time he didn't. She knew how to keep a secret and was determined to pay the team back for their help. The others didn't seem that opposed to the idea either (especially not Yosuke). "Teddie?"
"On it, Shirou-sensei!" A quick cupping of paws later, and a pair of pink and white fog-filter glasses appeared. He then knelt and offered them to her like a servant would a queen.
"Here you go, Rise-chan! Proof that you are one of us!"
Rise smiled as she accepted and put on the glasses, immediately feeling better without the fog overwhelming her. "I'm really glad that you guys are the first friends I made here."
The Fool Arcana's growing strength couldn't agree more.
June 9th, MOEL, After School
As he waited in front of the gas station, Dojima exhausted the end of his cigarette and snuffed it out under his heel.
He felt that he was having a string of bad luck lately. The lead on Rise's kidnapping was a bust, even though she ended up fine and home again. The nameless girl with no record looked like she might end up in foster care, only for some "blonde bombshell" to come in and take her after answering their questions. Then there was the lead last night on a suspicious person that might be the killer, about whom Adachi can't stop babbling about near civilians.
And finally, Shirou, that very same night, wanted a scooter license. And he was awkward as hell about it.
"About this license," he said before leaving. "Did you decide on this yourself, Shirou? No one talked you into it?"
Shirou's face couldn't tell a lie, and he soon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, to be honest, Yosuke talked me into getting one. His reasons seemed... poor in taste, but I think there's an opportunity in using it to travel around the town, or to Okina City and back. I could even run errands or pick up groceries while you were busy."
Dojima had to admit that it was a sound idea, but it might have also been an excuse. "And what exactly was the Hanamura kid's reason?" he asked. Shirou's face had flared red and scrunched up as if he had eaten a lemon and a hot pepper at once.
"I really don't want to talk about it."
Dojima had mulled it over. He actually did consider what to do with his old scooter out back, and anything to get his mind off the murder case might do him some good. So, he had told him, "We'll talk more about this once you get your license. IF you get your license. Now I'm off; keep watch over the house while I'm gone."
"Doji-nii!"
Snapping out of his reverie, the veteran cop saw his nephew and friend cross the street from the bus stop to him. "What are you doing here?"
"Adachi and I just stopped to get gas, and some minor business. What about you guys?"
Shirou seemed to be holding back a grin. "Guess."
"Oh, a challenge?" Dojima grinned back. "You're starting to sound like Nanako. Let's see… by the triumphant, excited look on your face…"
He trailed off, taking a good look at Shirou. Then, a moment later… "I give up. Where?"
Exasperated, disappointed sweat rolled down both the teens' heads. Dojima knew the question that was cycling their heads before they said it, and felt the need to justify himself. "I can tell when someone's lying and what they're thinking when they are, but when it comes to where you might go, it's a blank."
Shirou still had a deadpan look in his eye, almost insulted. "It's just that I thought after last night it would have been obvious."
Dojima blinked. And suddenly connected the dots. "Your scooter licenses? Already?!"
As one, Shirou and Yosuke flashed their new plastic ID cards. "We studied all night, went to take the test and got 'em in one try!" Yosuke boasted. "Though maybe I studied too hard as the test itself was kind of easy…"
"I know it's just a written test, but still," Dojima scratched his head exasperatedly. "Guess it's a good thing I called your guardian in advance about this."
"So, you and Fuji-nee are okay with this?" Shirou asked.
"I can't say no now that you've gotten your license." Dojima smiled. "And Taiga seemed rather excited about the idea. In fact, she was already talking about getting you a motorcycle for your 18th birthday."
"Dude!" Yosuke patted his friend's back. "You got the okay! AND a motorcycle on the way! What did I tell you? Operation Up Close and Personal is so gonna work!"
Shirou flinched and shot him a peculiar glare. Yosuke seemed to remember the current situation and looked up to see Dojima's perplexed reaction. "Operation what?"
"Uh, I mean, gotta go read through my catalogue! See you tomorrow, Shirou!" Yosuke bolted away, not once looking back.
"It's a long story," Shirou explained. He looked reluctant to explain what Yosuke meant.
Still, Dojima had to ask one thing. "It has nothing to do with the murder case, does it?"
"No!" he exclaimed. "Of course not!"
"Good. Now that I know you're not in trouble, mind if I borrow you for a few minutes?"
Curious, Shirou nodded, and was led closer into the gas station. "Hey Adachi!"
"We just finished filling her up, sir."
Shirou saw Adachi returning a gas hose into its holster and Nami finished cloth-cleaning the surface to fine detail. They were working on an old, rustic scooter of white chrome paint and bright surface lights. A spare tire sat compact in the case behind the seat cushion, and the design allowed only the front wheel to be seen in front of the handlebars. It was compact, shining, and somehow vaguely familiar.
"Is that…?"
Dojima nodded. "My old scooter. I just had it fixed up at the shop, and then brought it here for gas."
"I offered to do a bit of last minute touches myself." Nami smiled. "Even offered an employee's discount on your behalf!"
Shirou walked over and took an appraising look at the vehicle. "Are those twist grips?" he pointed at the handlebars.
"You can tell?" Dojima smiled.
"I didn't think they sold these at stores anymore."
"They don't. At least not in local ones, so I had one of the repair guys at work help me out in secret." Dojima blinked and tried downplaying the tidbit. "But uh, don't tell anyone, okay?"
Adachi watched them talk about the scooter and chuckled. "You always act strict at the station, but you're really a cool dad on the inside, huh?"
Like a switch, the detective turned to his junior with a scowl. "Shut up and get in the car."
"Geez, always with the yelling." Adachi winced. "All I'm saying is that you're giving away a pretty slick form of transportation to your nephew. The suspicious guy is probably using something like this too; driving through the backstreets and taking pictures of the neighborhood to the Amagi Inn—"
"Stop blabbering! I said get in the car!" Dojima yelled. This time Adachi quickly complied and left. Nami also left to continue work, giving a quick wave to Shirou as he did.
Now alone, Dojima calmed himself. He really didn't want Adachi to get wound up on his theories aloud again, especially with Shirou around. Hopefully the so-called suspicious character was no one dangerous and not related to the murder case, but one couldn't be too careful.
"Anyway," he started again. "I was around your age when I got my license. Took the test behind my parents' backs, and when they found out, my dad gave me such a thrashing." He laughed mischievously, before quickly adding, "But don't tell the girls about that."
"I won't." Shirou nodded.
"Now, I know it's not anything new," he rambled again, "but it still runs pretty well. Of course, if you want to scrap it for the money to buy another—"
"No, it's perfect. I mean, I prefer an older, more reliable model anyway." He smiled in earnest. "I'll take good care of it."
"Be sure to take care of yourself, too," Dojima sternly added. He was still happy about how receptive and caring Shirou was to his new scooter. "Obey all the traffic laws and be safe. You do that, and I'll look the other way if you drive off to town." He held out his hand, with the keys to the ignition. "Can you promise me that?"
"Of course! Thanks, Doji-nii!" Shirou shook his hand, accepted the keys, and hopped on the scooter. With that all settled, Dojima walked back to his car to drop Adachi off before heading home. But he soon realized that the newly christened scooter driver hadn't left the gas station yet.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't have a helmet."
Dojima smiled with amusement as he pulled out his old spare from the backseat. "Are you a size large?"
June 15th, Okina Station, After School
Over the last week, Shirou took time for practicing with his new scooter and learning the layout of the town. He had to admit that Adachi had a point that a suspicious person (or even a serial killer) would want to know as many hiding places in the town as they could.
And things were relatively calm again. For all anyone knew, Rise had just arrived in Inaba and there was officially no Midnight Channel special about her. She was enrolled into Yasogami High shortly after, and the interest of getting a celebrity as a girlfriend soon fell out of favor when Morooka went moral guardian on their asses.
Of course, he had also forced Shirou and Yosuke into the Student Health Association last week, but that was another story.
Now, Yosuke had finally gotten his own "motorcycle" (really a scooter, but Shirou had long since given up on correcting him). It was a neat design for sure, painted yellow-orange with angular parts, but it looked more built for speed than practicality, and the weight of an anvil could crush it. He decided that riding together was better than riding alone, so they made their way to Okina City later that day.
It was as busy as ever, no one even taking notice of the two scooter-riding students as they parked their vehicles. Yosuke was in high spirits as he stretched and smiled. "Hellooo, Okina Station! Getting here was easier than I thought!"
"It's just the next town over," Shirou explained as he unstrapped his helmet. "A real trip would be trying to get to Fuyuki City on these things. And we would have been here sooner if you hadn't run out of gas halfway."
Yosuke flushed in embarrassment. "I really shouldn't have cheaped out on gas just to fool around with more money."
"No, you shouldn't have. So, what now?"
"We wait, my friend." Yosuke smiled, leaning confidently against his "motorcycle." "Wait for the girls to come begging us for a ride."
Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose and suppressed a groan. "Ugh, not the up close plan again."
"Yes, the up close plan again!" Yosuke insisted. Though he quickly lowered his voice when he realized how it could ruin said plan. "Dude, think about it! We could pick up girls by showing off our new motorcycles. Aren't you interested in squeeze play?!"
"I don't play baseball," was Shirou's sarcastic retort.
Naturally, Yosuke glared. "Shirou, that joke wasn't funny the first time, and it sure as hell isn't funny now."
Shirou had heard enough of the plan from Yosuke last week. He was excited to get a "motorcycle" license in order to try and pick up girls and feel the "squeeze" behind him. In fact, all he seemed to talk or fantasize about was having someone "up close and personal" to him as he rode his hog. Shirou didn't get it at first, but Lilim was more than happy to fill in the details just as he was drinking water:
"I'll give you a hint: it starts with 'Oh' and ends in 'Pie'!"
Shirou made a very loud spit-take that day.
He had thought Yosuke's plan was endearing and was a sign that he was getting over the late Saki Konishi. Now, after the initial embarrassment of the real plan, he was rather disgusted at his friend's ulterior motives. Not to mention how stupid it was in hindsight.
"Yosuke, how many times do I have to tell you?" Shirou said irritably. "A scooter can't hold two people in the same seat. It's illegal!"
"Details, details! All we need is motorcycle—"
"Which we don't have!"
"A scooter is a motorcycle! Just, you know, smaller." Shirou rolled his eyes, but Yosuke ignored it. "Trust me, a motorcycle is a chick magnet! Even if it's just a scooter, it's bound to turn some heads! Then when we upgrade to a real motorcycle, that's when the plan really kicks off!" He held his hands out in front of him and twisted them as if real handlebars. "Vroom vroom, man!"
"Even so, that's years from now. Not exactly a sound plan to find a girlfriend."
"Yeah, but we're city boys, you and me. Inaba's too small a town for any of us to find a girlfriend. We can't just sit there like everyone else waiting! We need to take the initiative!"
"How is waiting by our scooters taking initiative?"
"We need to play it cool first." Yosuke winked as he explained. "Then, when a chick or two comes by and sees us, we'll roar our engines like the badasses we are, making them beg for a chance to sit and ride with us! By the time we finally get our real motorcycles, we'll be dripping in pheromones!"
The normally patient Shirou wanted to pull his hair out. He couldn't stress out enough how flawed this plan was. Nothing Yosuke said made any sense! Even if he wanted to get a significant other like Yosuke did, he would rather try talking to someone than pose by a scooter and expect someone to be impressed enough to walk up to him.
"Let it go, Shirou." Pixie sighed from within. "He's too far gone and committed to this."
She was right. No matter what he said or told him the past week, Yosuke had brushed off his concerns and only kept fantasizing about literally picking up a girl to ride with him.
Shirou took a slow, calming breath, pocketed his scooter key and walked away. "Good luck," he said.
"Wha—? Hey!" Yosuke balked. "Where are you going?"
"I don't want to dilute your pheromones," he quipped. He had better things to do in the city than sit by his scooter under the sun all day.
"Fine! Have it your way!" Yosuke huffed and blew a raspberry. He would get all the girl attention to himself, and no natural-born lady killer would distract him from his plan!
"Yep." He smirked as he leaned against his "motorcycle." "Someone's bound to notice me sooner or later."
The early summer sunlight was very welcoming on this nice day…
Shirou spent the next few hours exploring the city and learning landmarks along the way. He didn't stray too far from the station, though in hindsight he probably could have seen more of Okina with his scooter.
Well, no use crying over spilt milk. He would need to check up on Yosuke again anyway. He paid a visit to a few stores that sold an assortment of products including toys, groceries, and music. With his paychecks from the MOEL job, he purchased a bit from each (a new pony plushie for Nanako, some ingredients for the upcoming camping trip, and a copy of Rise's latest single).
Yosuke's birthday was a week away, so the CD might make a good gift. He thought it was the least he could do after blowing him off earlier.
As he retraced his steps back to the station, he decided to make a "call" and pull out his phone. "Pixie, guys? You don't think I was too hard on him, do you?" he asked into the device.
As his Magician Persona, Pixie knew most about his bond, and gave him the good news. "He's mad, but he'll get over it in a week or two."
"You gave the guy more outs than he deserved," Lilim said. "Even if he did find a girl into scooters, she'd be too shallow for anything more than a quick lay. And then he'd bomb that too."
"Indeed," Valkyrie said. "If the women of today are anything like my sisters at arms, they wouldn't give in so easily to something as basic as pheromones."
"Though the idea does have merit in the future," Eligor said. "Play your cards right, young Fool, and you'll be the one pulling the Chariot for Satonaka."
Cu Sith snorted. "Or like Taiga pulls his. She owns a motorcycle herself!"
"Please, don't bring them into this." Shirou groaned. "They're the last people I want to imagine giving rides."
"So, what about Rise?" Pixie asked. "She seems to be pretty clingy around you."
"And who wouldn't after that rescue?" Lilim replied, with an evident smirk on her lips. "Keep this up and he might even pop the idol's cherry!"
"Let's not be hasty," Eligor, Cu Sith, and Angel all argued in unison.
"The way you guys are reigning in his hormones, he's not going to know what to do when actually courting a real girl. And when that day comes, it's gonna hit him like a set of funbags!"
It was at that moment when Shirou was making a turn around the corner when his train of thought was derailed. So engrossed in literally his own mind, he didn't notice the slight ledge elevation of tiles, and his foot tripped mid step-turn. "Whoa—!"
And he landed face-first into something big, white, and soft. He barely had time to see it, but now his vision was obscured by the material. Shirou was barely aware of others staring at him; some with amused grins, others with flushed faces. He tried to right himself, and used his hands to push himself off the softness that broke his fall.
"Stop touching me you PERVERT!"
Shirou was shoved aside by the… person in front of him. Shirou fell down to the ground, over the same tile that tripped him no less. He looked up and his jaw dropped. The only noise that escaped him was a sharp intake of air.
For the person standing before him was a girl no older than him. Her short blue hair with a red ribbon around the top center crowned her amber eyes and flushing scowl. Her school uniform was a white button shirt with a red bowtie and a short tan skirt. But most impressive about her was her chest. Each breast was almost as large as the girl's own head, barely contained in her uniform.
It was single-handedly the biggest rack Shirou had ever seen in his life, and he had not just fallen on top of it, but touched it as well. He couldn't help but stare in disbelief.
Even Lilim, the sex demon, didn't know how to properly respond. And when she did, she was subdued. "I uh… called it?"
"That woman is going to have a VERY promising future as a wet nurse, one day," Eligor noted.
"Now THAT'S the ultimate 'squeeze,' " Pixie said with equal parts envy and awe. "Thank goodness Yosuke isn't here."
With no response since the literal run-in, the buxom girl glared harder at Shirou. She stomped to show her anger and get his attention. And make her bust bounce to boot. "What are you, some kind of creep?!"
Shirou said the only coherent thing circling his mind. "How do you have a spine?"
"What was that?!"
"Uh, I mean—!" The redhead quickly scrambled back upright and bowed in front of her. "I'm terribly sorry! It was an accident, I swear!"
The girl's glare softened as she leaned back. "You think you can get away with this with just an apology?" she scolded.
Shirou tensed, knowing that there was no real excuse. He should have been paying attention, and been more careful not to fall on her.
"I don't care how much you like them! You can't go falling into a girl's breasts face-first like that!"
The magus high schooler looked up and blinked. "…what?"
"What?" his Personas echoed.
An amused smile grew on her lips. "So, are you going to tell me your name or will I have to dub you 'Disgusting Pervert' henceforth?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Shirou slowly stood back upright. "Dare I ask why?"
"For when I sue you, of course."
"Huh, she's a real hot–cold character, huh?" Lilim noted.
"A devil is more like it." Angel fumed.
"Hey! I resent that remark!"
Shirou was beginning to agree. She clearly didn't mean her threats, as they were intended to get a rise out of him. It was understandable, but two could play at this game.
So, he casually shrugged and asked, "You would seriously take me to court over an accident?"
The girl crossed her arms over her massive chest, still sardonically grinning. "I'll tell them that you deliberately charged at me with the intent to grope."
"From the turn of the corner?"
"That you're a stalker at my school."
"We wear different uniforms," he reminded, gesturing at his gakuran.
"My old school in Tokyo."
"I'll just tell the jury that I got lost in the Aoyama Twin Towers."
The girl let out a sound that was almost a chuckle and a cough, and couldn't quite hide the smile. "Okay, I admit, that's was really clever." Seeing him share that smile though forced a scowl again. "But I'm still mad and demand satisfaction."
"Tell you what. I've been feeling a little hungry, so I'll buy a meal for both of us. My treat."
The blue-haired girl was about retort to his offer when her stomach loudly voiced its opinion. Flushing at her hunger, she scoffed. "Well… as long as you're treating, I'll forgive you. This time."
"Great. I saw an udon stand a couple of streets back."
"Udon? Yes, that does sound rather pleasing for a meal. Lead the way, Pervert."
Shirou winced, but perhaps he deserved that regardless.
"Actually," he said as they started walking, "if it's all the same for you, my name is Shirou Emiya."
"Hmm, it does sound nicer than Disgusting Pervert." She smiled. "Yes, I suppose Emiya will do."
The early summer sunlight was beating down hard this long day…
And Yosuke was fighting the strong urge to sleep. But everyone just walked right past him.
What was he doing wrong?!
"Surely there's someone watching from afar," he told himself. "Hey! Anyone wanna see my new motorcycle?"
Finally, a cute woman in a tube top stopped and gave his ride a look of appraisal. For about two seconds. "That's a scooter," she said, before walking away and muttering under her breath, "idiot."
That was a big blow to Yosuke's self-esteem, and he slumped on his bike seat in frustration.
"Dammit Shirou, how do you do it? You practically have the girls on the team eating off your hands and you don't even know it!"
Yosuke almost didn't tell Shirou about his plan to get a moto—erm, scooter license, for the simple fact that he was a chick magnet. Girls seemed to like him for his kind, heroic, and even slightly naïve nature. It would be more natural to girls if there were two riders in their new motorcycles, and he hoped between his savviness and Shirou's talent, someone would want to talk to them!
Only Shirou clearly didn't want to do it. He kept trying to reason with him the beauty of his plan, convincing him he could get someone outside of Inaba to fall for him, but he was against the plan every step of the way. Shirou agreed to get a scooter license at least, but the moment Yosuke needed his pheromones the most, he bailed. Some partner.
"Gah, what am I worried about?" Yosuke shrugged. "The guy is denser than lead. It's not like he's going to pick up some random girl in the middle of a city."
Yeah, he had the right plan, he was sure of it! Staying in one spot, in front of the station, he was seeing so many people coming and going. Someone interested enough in the coolness that was a motorcycle was bound to talk to him. They'd hit it off, start dating for a few years, and then ride into the sunset happily ever after.
"Hmm?" Yosuke squinted his eyes and gazed over the street across the station. "Wait, is that Shirou? And…" Yosuke's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
It was indeed Shirou, and he was talking to a girl. A very cute girl. A very cute girl with the biggest, roundest, most glorious set of boobs he had ever seen! His first thought was thinking of having her ride on his motorcycle, and feeling her squeeze (or rather smoosh) them against his back.
But wait… she was talking to Shirou Emiya, of all people. And they seemed to be hitting it off! How?! He stood by a guaranteed chick magnet for the better part of three hours, and Shirou found a bombshell all on his own?! Well, knowing Shirou it probably wouldn;t mean anything, right?
"Wait… she's stopping him from crossing the street. Now she's writing something down on a slip of paper… and handing it to him? Oh god she better not—SHE DID! SHE GAVE HIM A 'CALL ME' SIGN!"
Shirou had gotten a girl's phone number. A busty, beautiful girl's phone number. And he did it without a damn motorcycle.
Yosuke stood there rigid and pale with his thousand-yard stare even as the girl walked away with bouncing boobs and a swaying skirt twirl. Shirou eventually crossed the street, evidently with a blush as he stared at the slip of paper before pocketing it. And that's how he found Yosuke, still staring at the spot they were at earlier.
"How'd it go?" Shirou asked. Whether he was that full of himself or that oblivious, Yosuke didn't care.
"Shirou, who was that girl?" he asked without even looking at him.
"Huh?" Shirou asked as well, looking back to where she had departed. "Oh. We uh, bumped into each other while shopping. Then we started talking and—"
"And she gave you her number?"
"Y-yeah, to her kickboxing class. It's what she learned for self-defense herself, and she insisted I had to call them early to set up a class."
"Sure she did," Yosuke said. He was too emotionally shot to raise his voice, much less turn his body.
Now Shirou looked worried. "Are you okay?"
"Just peachy. After all, I sat under the sun doing nothing for three hours, and you were invited to go kickboxing with a girl. Guys do not just get invited to kickboxing with total strangers."
Shirou frowned and fought the urge to remind him that he was no better with his "motorcycle" plan.
"But I guess it's okay. I mean, she's beautiful, young, and full. Soooo full. And unless you had another miraculous recovery or some bullshit luck, there's no way you could have touched her breasts or something, right?"
If there was one sure thing Yosuke could take solace in, it's that Shirou is still human and prone to making mistakes. He wasn't a sex god or anything like that, and certainly couldn't get away with touching someone without a good thrashing.
Except Shirou winced guiltily. "Uh, well, about that…"
Yosuke's eye twitched once. "I hate you. I hate you so… soooo… soooo much."
They left for home soon after, and Yosuke refused to look at him. Although Pixie assured him he wasn't Reversed (whatever that meant), Shirou decided he would really need to make it up to him with two birthday presents.
June 17th, Camp Grounds, Evening
Shirou had been excited for the school campout trip. He appreciated the focus in developing love for the hometown and nature. Someone had to pick up all the trash anyway, so making it a school event was rather clever, if not manipulative. Not everyone shared his same dedication for good deeds, as a good number of students had called in sick. Kanji was one of the absentees.(1)
By a stroke of luck, members of the Investigation Team had been paired together as a group. As the trip was open to first and second year students, Rise was allowed to attend too, albeit in her own group.
The process of cleaning took all day from morning to dusk, and everyone was split into sections to remove as much litter off the mountain as possible. All the students, clad in their matching gym uniforms, were now relaxing at the campsite benches as they prepared meals.
From his seat on the bench, Yosuke whined and slumped on the table. "Man, I thought the school camping trip was going to be fun, but it was just a big pain in the ass. My back is killing me!"
"It wasn't that bad," Shirou reasoned as he rubbed his shoulder. "Though I hate to admit that I must have pulled something from all that work. I can't believe someone would leave a whole bike out here."
"Litterers should be responsible for their own garbage. Forcing us students to pick up after those assholes is just slave labor!"
The two teens groaned in exhaustion. At least the day was over, and there would be no more manual labor for the rest of the trip.
"But man, this is so going to be worth it!" Yosuke grinned and licked his lips. "The girls are cooking dinner for us! I can't say much about Satonaka, but Amagi's got the tradition of her inn's cooking behind her! We're so lucky to be paired up with them!"
"I hope so."
Yosuke blinked, noticing his leader acting tense all of a sudden. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, I just feel like I should be the one cooking," he insisted. "I noticed that the girls bought a lot of ingredients from Junes yesterday. I kept stressing to them how they should stick with something simple, but they were so excited I didn't want to discourage them. I figured that if the worst comes to pass, I would cook tonight's meal."
"Dude, it's like Satonaka just told you; 'you don't need to do everything!' You work yourself ragged enough as it is. A job at the gas station, paying off your debt to the fox, and all the other weird stuff you did running around doing odd favors."
"But—"
"Just relax, you've earned it," Yosuke consoled; his friend was troubled, and the whole Okina incident was long behind them. "It's not like the girls need saving from cooking."
Shirou still felt a sense of unease. "I should go check on them. Maybe they need some seasoning advice or something."
Meanwhile, at the cooking station behind their table, Chie and Yukiko stared at the smoldering pot of bile with dismay and worry. "Is curry supposed to be this color?" Chie asked aloud.
It was a purple mass, with purple steam rising up like a bad omen. It was hard to tell if it was liquid or solid, or what happened to their vegetables, kimchi, and shrimp. "Should we have put in the rice before or after the potato starch?"
Neither girl had an answer to that. What's more, they had run out of all the ingredients they bought at Junes. They figured that if they added more, the curry would look better, but instead it turned darker and… sludgey.
"Should we taste it?" Yukiko asked hesitantly.
Chie flinched. "O-only if you do it first!"
The girls exchanged glances, mirroring their awkwardness. Was this stuff even safe to eat?
"Is something wrong?"
Shirou's arrival was the timely interruption they needed. "Ah! Emiya-kun! We were, uh, just finishing up!"
"Yes!" Yukiko nodded. "Though it would help to, well, garner a second opinion, you see?"
The heroic redhead looked into the pot, took a sniff, and flinched away while restraining his gag reflex. "Gah, what in the—!? Is this really our dinner?"
That did no favors in raising Chie's self-esteem. Emiya was nice and honest and she cared very deeply about his opinion (unlike Yosuke's). Yukiko also held a degree of respect for their leader, and was relieved that he took the time to apologize for his outburst during their last battle.
If Emiya didn't like their cooking, then it was proof positive that they had screwed up somewhere. But maybe it had a hidden aftertaste?
"W-we put all our love into it!" Chie explained. "Does that count?"
He looked to her and simply asked, "How does it taste?"
Suddenly neither girl wanted to look directly at him.
Shirou looked back at the pot. Somehow, he knew he should have prepared dinner, but the girls were insistent on doing it and he figured there was no harm in cooking a simple dish like curry. All rational thought was telling him not to eat it. It was a fight or flight response he'd had ever since that awful, scarred moment before meeting his foster father.
Still, he could trust his friends, right? They wouldn't make curry that bad, right? Steeling himself, he grabbed a bowl and poured a portion of the meal into it. With his spoon, he took a bite—
And immediately wished he hadn't.
The toxin was already working through his body, weakening the muscles from the mouth down. His face turned purple, and his eyes bulged out. He had dropped the bowl and spoon without care as he struggled to bring a hand to his mouth. Whether to force it down or claw it out, he didn't know, but all he could mutter with absolute terror was, "Oh God!"
"Thou canst not save thee…" Was Izanagi's voice, laced with the same horror of impending doom.
Even the rest of the Personas were reacting negatively to the curry, all mirroring his spike in fear, all speaking at once and over each other.
"Such vile—! Is this retribution for my actions? Solomon!?"
"There's no Valhalla in this! Oh no, I can hear Hel's cruel laughter! SAVE ME LORD ODIN!"
"Oh Father! Why have you forsaken me?!"
"Not even Beelzebub can stomach this holy crap! AND HE'S A FUCKING FLY!"
"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I DON'T WANNA DIE—!"
"*WHINE WHINE WHINE WHINE*!"
It was a valiant effort for all of ten seconds before Shirou's body gave out. The foul curry (no, the Sin) was forcibly ejected back out of his mouth, along with his breakfast and the combined mess splattered over his covering hand. "Blaargh!"
It took all his energy for the emergency maneuver, and his body fell into temporary shutdown. Eyes rolling back and motor functions failing, the failed hero swayed forward for a moment before falling sideways. Anything to avoid further contact with the Sin.
His body fell with a dull thud. His mouth was left agape and his hand stunk of vomit. His color paled from the sudden food sickness, and it looked very convincing that he had died.
The only solace he could take away from this was in one brief moment, before the Sin claimed him, was that Chie and Yukiko had both stared at him with admiration in their eyes. Until they screamed, that is.
Evening, Girl's Tent
"Shirou-kun is dead?!"
"No, he isn't!" Chie stressed. She didn't know what was worse; Hanako Ohtani's snoring, or Rise-chan's constant interruptions. "He just passed out for a few minutes. Then Hanamura tried shoveling down the same stuff and he passed out too. They're both fine and sleeping in their tent somewhere."
It was now past curfew, looking to be a long, sleepless night with empty stomachs and a heavy sleeper. A while ago, Rise snuck into their tent and talked about how her group's day went. One thing led to another, and a passing mention of bad food knocking Emiya out forced Chie to relate the whole cooking story. Not that she had to, but Rise wouldn't calm down or keep quiet otherwise.
"Oh, good," Rise said in relief. "If your cooking had actually killed Shirou-kun, I would've called my lawyer to sue you."
The brunette's eyebrow twitched. "Like I asked your opinion on our cooking in the first place."
"What? Most people would kill to have a chance to talk to me and hear what I have to say!"
"But aren't you retired?" Yukiko asked. "Why does it matter what you say or not?"
"Especially when you've been unhinged for the last two weeks now?" Chie added.
The rouge-haired teen just smiled and fell back onto her sleeping bag. "Hehe, yeah, you're right. Sorry, it's just so fun being able to say what I want without rules or schedules. I never really got to do fun stuff like sleepovers before."
"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked. "Being able to sing to thousands of adoring fans, and free to travel the country for tours is amazing. Every girl at least once dreamed of being in your place, Rise-chan."
Rise didn't say anything right away, and the only sound was the obese girl's snoring. When she spoke again, it was without her usual peppiness and energy. "I used to think that too, you know. But everything about that life was like a strict schedule. I was told what to eat, what to wear, when I could take my bathroom breaks, and that's just the tip of the iceberg."
"I had no idea being an idol was so demanding." Yukiko frowned. She had thought her inn duties were demeaning enough, but she probably wouldn't have lasted as long as Rise did as an idol.
"No one does. I didn't even know it when I started out. I thought I would be popular and make a lot of friends doing this, but everyone just reveres me. Even my group wouldn't stop asking me 20 questions about my work the whole day."
Chie was starting to feel bad for her. She didn't know Rise personally, let alone her idol persona Risette, but it must have been bad to warrant retirement and a Shadow intervention. It was easy to forget that because Rise was still the new girl of the group, and a first-year student at that.
Yukiko had similar thoughts on the manner. She was trying to escape her situation at the family inn, but all she had done to rebel was earn money by folding envelopes in secret. Even worse that it was Emiya's idea. Rise had announced in front of everyone her stance and left with her head held high. And yet it was all a front to hide her sadness. Not even her brave act had brought her any closure or satisfaction.
Before either of them could think of what to say, Rise shot up to a sitting position with a smile. "But enough about that boring stuff! I'm young and single, and I'm going to make the most of it!"
"And how do you plan to do that?" Chie asked.
"Getting a boyfriend, for starters!" Rise grinned, which turned a bit too lecherous. "Which reminds me; is Shirou-kun taken yet?"
Both second year girls balked and flushed at the question. Alarm bells were also rising as Rise made it fairly clear that she was pining after their team leader. They didn't like that at all.
"W-well, no," Yukiko stammered. "I don't think Emiya-kun is seeing anyone…"
"That's hardly our business, much less yours!" Chie snapped to hide her embarrassment. "Why are you even calling him by that name anyway?"
"It's his given name. Besides, he calls me by my given name too. My real one, not my idol identity. It's only fair to show how much I care about him by forgoing the traditional custom, isn't it?"
Dammit, I'm so far behind, Chie thought bitterly. She still wasn't ready to sort out her feelings regarding Emiya, and a pretty ex-idol was already making advances? Why couldn't she have been more receptive to him when he was nice and heroic to her?!
"Wait a minute, Rise-chan," her black-haired senpai reasoned. "I'm sure Emiya-kun has many good traits. Many good… admirable… desirable traits," she trailed off with a dreamy smile. Not that another dream of him as a housewife to her was the point of her interruption. Nope!
"B-but surely there are other boys at Yasogami High that would love to be your boyfriend! Maybe even someone who would appreciate your affection more than Emiya-kun would!"
Rise was a tad insulted by the idea that Shirou-kun wouldn't appreciate her, but she could still see the point of Yukiko's argument. If there was another decent guy in school that was otherwise lonely or friendless, it might be worth trying to get to know them. She had been there before. "Like who?"
She drew a blank, and ended up blurting the only other name she could think off. "L-like... Hanamura-kun!"
Rise and Chie shared a flat look. The kind that said, "You're kidding, right?" Honorable and witty he might be, Yosuke Hanamura was definitely not boyfriend material. Much less compared to Shirou Emiya, but that was like comparing rocks to diamonds.
Even Yukiko realized this as she quickly backpedaled. "You're right, bad example. Then… maybe Kanji-kun? Or Naoto-kun?"
Rise shook her head. "I still have a bad first impression of that detective guy, and Kanji-kun didn't even say a word to me the whole time, so I'm guessing I'm not his type." Then she blinked. "But you know, I did hear that they both got into this fight with a teacher the other day. I think it was your homeroom teacher."
"King Moron?" Chie blinked. A fight between those King Moron and Kanji could never mean anything good, but why would Naoto get involved? "What happened?"
"Yesterday before the trip, they bumped into each other at the gate and Moron-sensei was ranting about his behavior in middle school, and threatening to expel him if he caused trouble like with the bikers. Naoto came over to try and mediate the situation, only to get chewed out for being some 'dropout punk with no business in an adult career.' I heard Naoto looked about ready to punch him before leaving."
"He doesn't know anything about Kanji-kun," Yukiko muttered darkly. "Or Naoto-kun for that matter."
"I know." Rise frowned. "I mean, I wasn't much nicer to Naoto either, but he was bugging me after a stressful time. Moron-sensei seemed to hate him on principle of existing."
"He has a speed record of jumping to conclusions," Chie said. "He wasn't that much nicer to Hanamura or Emiya-kun when they first moved in either."
"He was mean to Shirou-kun!?" Rise yelled. "He is so on my shit list!"
"Well, Emiya-kun doesn't seem to mind. The first day, King Moron tried to publicly humiliate him by saying he was thrown out of his city into the middle of nowhere. But then he turns and asks him if it's self-depreciative because he just insulted himself for living in said 'middle of nowhere'!"
Rise threw her head back and laughed, louder than her senpai's own giggles. "Oh man, I wish I got to see that! Shirou-kun is just so cool!"
"GZZZNOOOOORRK, HOOOOOONCH."
The girls all flinched and looked at the still snoring Hanako. That last snort was especially loud and reminded the second years that they were still hungry and unable to sleep through the night. "I'm starting to get why we're the only girls here."
Yukiko leaned forward with an inquisitive look. "Do you think she'd stop snoring if we covered her mouth and nose?"
"Yukiko!"
"Nah, it never works, even in the cartoons. You're better off just drowning out the sound yourself."
"And how are we supposed to do that?"
Rise just smiled and dug into her knapsack. "Plugs or muffs?"
"Huh?"
"Would you like to wear earplugs or earmuffs?"
The girls were still confused, even as Rise pulled out a zipped-up bag full of silicone studs and what looked like to be a padded pair of cups bridged together with an arced leather band. After a moment of consideration, Chie accepted the bag and Yukiko the earmuffs.
"You actually packed stuff like this?" Chie asked, playing with one of the plugs in between her finger and thumb.
"When you travel a lot as an idol, you kinda have to bring everything with you. This is my first camping trip ever so I made sure I was prepared for a good night's sleep."
Yukiko exchanged glances with her friend. They only brought what the school had asked them, which was food to cook and a sleeping bag. "What else did you bring?"
"Well, I couldn't bring my whole wardrobe, but I did bring some other essentials. A toothbrush, comb, makeup kit, bottled water, some snacks—"
Being so hungry and tired, Chie nearly lunged at the idol's shoulders as she uttered that beautiful S-word. "Snacks? What kind of snacks?!"
"Just some boxes of animal crackers," she replied pulling a box out and shaking it. "I was hoping to look for the secret penguin cracker today, but I was heckled by my team so much the only time I got to eat was dinner. It was pretty sucky tempura too, now that I think about it."
She would have rambled on, but she saw that both girls were staring at her box and salivating. "Oh yeah, you guys didn't eat at all, did you?"
"Not after what happened to the guys." Chie shuttered, remembering how they looked after eating their cooking. "Hanamura's never going to let us hear the end of it."
"Uh, Rise-chan?" Yukiko smiled weakly. "I-if you don't mind, is it okay—?"
"Help yourselves." She lightly tossed a box to Yukiko, and then another to Chie. They eagerly tore the tops open and guzzled the graham snacks in under a minute. I hope they didn't eat a penguin in one of those boxes…
Although grateful, Chie still moaned dejectedly as she shook the empty box downward. "Oh, this isn't enough to fill my tummy. I need meat and pudding!"
"Sorry, those were the only two I had on me."
"At least we won't starve entirely." Yukiko smiled. "Thanks, Rise-chan. But you better hurry back to your tent if you want to get some sleep. You wouldn't want to get in trouble if King Moron finds you gone."
"Actually, I was kind of hoping I could spend the night with you two. I have a spare pair of earmuffs and a sleeping bag and everything else. I won't take up that much space!"
Chie and Yukiko stared bewilderedly at her. An unvoiced question seemed to broadcast itself through their faces as if question marks hovered over their heads. Why?
Rise frowned. "Why did you think I left my tent? You guys are the only ones who see me as a person, not an idol. And sleepovers are supposed to be fun. This is my first sleepover in… well, I don't know how long, and I want to enjoy it with my friends."
Hanako's dour snoring was the only sound heard in the tent, but it might as well be as calming as a cricket's chirp now. It slowly dawned on Chie and Yukiko that for the longest time, they never had any friends other than each other. And that friendship almost ended with certain death and regret for both of them.
Even with Emiya-kun and Hanamura, their circle of friends was still small, and they had no other girls to relate to. What they saw in Rise was a little of both of them; Chie's insecurity of stepping out of her comfort zone, and Yukiko's unhappiness of living to one's expectations of others.
"Chie-chan? Yuki-chan?"
"Yeah?"
"We are friends, right?"
More snoring dragged on.
"Of course we are," Chie said finally. "Now move your bag over here. There's plenty of room next to Yukiko and me."
Despite the tight fit, grumbling stomachs, and snoring of an unreasonably fat student, the girls all slept soundly that night.
(1) I'll have to thank the guys at the Spacebattles discussion thread for reminding me of this detail. When Kanji's kidnapped at March 17 in canon, he's gone for almost THREE WHOLE WEEKS (regardless of when in that time frame you save him too). He was mostly absent before the first month of school (or so the narrative implies), but his mandatory attendance policy kicks in when he joins the team on June 6. He still goes to school as enforced by Naoto and his mother, but since Naoto needs to keep an eye on him, he wouldn't go on the camping trip even if he wanted to.
