A Day of You and I

Valentine's Day. A day of love. A celebration of the bond between two lovers. Be they the same gender or opposite, man or woman, young or old, if love blossomed in their heart then this day was meant to be for them.

For Yosuke Hanamura however, this day had always been something of a cruel joke, a reminder of the fact that he didn't have a girlfriend.

Yosuke had never really grown up with a period in which he thought girls were gross. He always saw them as pretty, and part of the problem was that he celebrated Valentine's Day perhaps… a bit earlier than most boys would have. Whenever he gave a young girl a flower or something, she'd shriek at him and screamed about cooties.

That had been embarrassing, but considering Yosuke's life thus far it was par for the course.

Regardless, Yosuke had to endure the torture that was Valentine's Day again and again, usually trying to hang out with friends or do something so he didn't have to think about the fact that he was alone.

For a time he worried he'd never find "the one". He knew it was stupid, but as he saw his best friend, Yu Narukami, fall in love with the Detective Prince, Yosuke couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever find what his parents did.

That all changed this past year. Yosuke had known Chie Satonaka for a while. She was one of the first girls he met after he moved down to the sticks. She seemed nice enough, though she certainly had a chip on her shoulder.

Looking back, maybe he shouldn't have asked Chie for dating advice… specifically about Yukiko. Yeah, that was certainly a bad move on his part. Still, while the two weren't really close, he considered them friends and she did the same.

Then Yu came to town, Saki died, and the whole world went to hell and back as Yosuke remembered nearly dying every week. What they went through wasn't easy, but Yosuke remembered a small piece of advice his father once gave him.

'Adversity is the key to discovering who you really are.' Every tragedy shapes yourself, but it's your reaction to that tragedy that shows the world who you were.

At first, Yosuke didn't really get it. He liked the easy way out, he liked things coming easy for him, and he liked life just breezing by…

But Yosuke was a changed man now, and Chie was… She wasn't the same girl she started this journey on. No one in the Investigation Team was who they started as, not even Mr. Perfect.

Yosuke saw Chie struggle. He saw her break down, fall apart, and pick herself back up again like the badass she was. He saw her get punched, shot, and worse, but she didn't stay down.

Hell, she started training even harder from what he saw. She worked out with Yu, and the two had even invited Yosuke a few times to join them.

She was strong, maybe the strongest on the team, at least physically. Kanji might have looked muscular, but one kick from Chie's legs and…

Those legs…

Yosuke felt his face turn red as he laid on his bed. His mind wandered to Chie's soft thighs, her hips, and her beautiful, shimmering eyes as she smiled at the others. She had just torn through a horde of Shadows by herself, and she was so damn proud…

So damn cute.

Tomorrow was Valentine's Day, and for the first time, Yosuke had someone to celebrate with. Chie Satonaka, one of his closest friends, and… and the girl he liked. The girl he loved. They had celebrated Christmas together and now they were going to celebrate Valentine's Day too!

He was smiling now. He couldn't wait to hang out with her. His girlfriend, Chie Satonaka…


Chie's heart was pounding. She had been feeling weird all day. Was this healthy? Was this normal? Was she sick? A thousand questions ran through her mind, but deep down she knew the reason for why her heart was racing like this.

Today was Valentine's Day, and for the first time, she had a boyfriend. Yosuke Hanamura. A total dork, and spazz, and loser, and… and… really cool, handsome, charming, badass guy.

Chie hated him so much sometimes.

How dare he become so cool? How dare he become so level-headed and smart and wise and… and not the dork she thought he was.

She groaned quietly in her seat. She didn't hate Yosuke. Not really, she just… She hadn't planned on falling in love anytime soon. She was young, and she was happy just watching out for Yukiko and enjoying life.

Then people started dying, and Chie was confronted by how manipulative and cruel she was to her best friend. Her whole world turned upside down. She had to fight monsters, catch a killer, and even challenge a freaking god!

Life was crazy, and some time during all that insanity, Yosuke became cool.

No, that wasn't right. He was always kind of cool, but her experiences made her realize just how cool he was. She opened her eyes to the dork she knew, and she saw a man willing to lay down his life for others. To stop a killer…

She remembered the rage in his eyes when he confronted Adachi, and how hard he fought against the psycho. How he would even push Yu out of the way of Adachi's attack, nearly dying in the process…

They had gone through so much together, and in the end? Yosuke confessed his feelings for her. It almost felt like a joke. He liked her? Her? The weird carnivore who liked martial arts? The possessive, clingy girl who enjoyed seeing her best friend's jealousy?

She knew she shouldn't be thinking this way. She had grown a lot over the last year. She was stronger now, but a part of her wondered if she'd ever be strong enough.

Chie let out a quiet sigh, before she felt someone poke her shoulder.

"Chie. Class is over. Are you going to get up?"

"Huh?" Chie blinked, before she turned to find her best friend, Yukiko Amagi, standing by her side. Chie's head whipped around the classroom, finding most of the seats empty. "Ah… Oh."

"Thinking about your Prince Charming?" Yukiko teased, and Chie's eyes widened as she looked at the other girl.

"W-what?! No, I wasn't! I don't even know who that is!" she quickly argued with a pink blush painted on her face. Yukiko giggled at the response, barely able to hold back a full laugh.

"I really do hope you two have a good Valentine's Day. What do you have planned?"

Chie silently cursed her best friend, noticing her teasing smile. "W-we were just going to walk around. We didn't have anything specific planned."

"My mom and dad once commented that true love is being able to do nothing at all together, and still be happy. Seems like you two are already there," Yukiko grinned and Chie's face burned even hotter as she glared at the woman.

"D-don't compare us to your parents!" Yukiko just smiled as Chie gasped suddenly. "Shoot, he's almost here! Is my hair okay? Tell me when he gets here! S-should I go to the bathroom first?" Chie wondered aloud, looking herself over as Yukiko laughed again, this time snorting a bit.

"You look fine, Chie. He's going to love you."

The L-word. Chie and Yosuke had used it before, but… it still made Chie blush. She took a deep breath, before sighing.

"I must look like a total spaz."

"Not a… total spaz." Yukiko's hand gently patted Chie's shoulder and the two girls smiled at one another. "Hey, it's going to be okay. You and Yosuke have something really special. You two should be happy together. Enjoy the time you have. Just take it easy."

"Take it easy. Right," Chie agreed, nodding her head. "I can do that. Thanks, Yukiko."

"Anytime."

Chie heard the door to the classroom open and she turned her head to find Yosuke walking into the room. He blushed as the two girls saw him, and he gave a weak wave to them both as Chie felt her cheeks burning hot again.

There he was. The handsome bastard who made her heart race.

"Hey," he greeted the two. "How was class?"

"Oh, fine. Our teacher got a little mad at Chie for not paying attention in class," Yukiko teased, and Chie glared at her best friend. The raven-haired woman shot back a coy grin as Yosuke chuckled.

"Yeah, mine too. Man, schoolwork sucks, huh?"

"Seriously," Chie sighed. "Who gives out homework on Valentine's Day? Just cause you don't have anyone doesn't mean we don't," she grumbled.

"You two certainly are a match made in Heaven," Yukiko commented, and both Chie and Yosuke glared at the young woman.

"What's that supposed to mean?" they asked, and Yukiko just waved her hand, brushing the issue away.

"Oh, nothing. You two have a good time? And Yosuke, make sure to bring her back home before eight, okay?"

"Yukiko!"

"No wonder Narukami has so much fun teasing you two!" The young woman giggled once more as she made her way to the exit, waving goodbye to the two as both Yosuke and Chie's faces turned red.

Yosuke began to chuckle too as Chie glanced at him. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just… A year ago, I thought Yukiko was this calm, serene, quiet type. Now she's giggling all the time and teasing people. It's just weird."

"Yeah, well… Yeah," Chie muttered, glancing down. None of them were who they were a year ago, after all. Heck, if someone had told her she was going to fall for Yosuke, she'd probably laugh in their face. But now…?

"Ready to go?" he asked, and Chie felt her ears turning red when he stared at her.

"Y-yeah. I'm ready." The two stood up together and walked out of the school.

By now, most of the students were gone, leaving them alone with one another. Chie glanced at his arm, silently wondering if she should wrap her arms around his. She quickly shot down that idea. No way was she going to do something embarrassing like that! Yosuke would never let her live it down!

Meanwhile Yosuke was staring at Chie's hand. Was he supposed to reach out to her to hold her hand? He wanted to, but he decided against it. No way Chie would be cool with that. She'd probably smack him upside the head for it…

But dammit, he really wanted to!


The two decided to start their evening off with a simple stroll along the river. They walked alongside one another, talking about the simplicity of their lives after the investigation.

"So, how's becoming a police officer going?" he asked her.

"Eh, going fine I guess. Naoto's showing me how to detect stuff and I've been hanging around Yu's uncle a lot. You know, learning from the best!"

"That's good."

"Right?! I even asked Naoto if I could get a gun too!"

"Uh, that might be… How'd she respond to that?" he asked her, and Chie frowned.

"She said, 'No.' Then she talked about not wanting to be responsible for collateral damage or something. I even came up with this totally badass move where I could have guns tied to my knuckles, and everytime I punched someone 'BANG BANG!' it'd fire!"

"And Naoto wasn't for that? I'm shocked," he laughed.

"Right? Maybe I could get some for my legs too?" Chie grinned before swinging her foot through the air, kicking nothing. "Hi-yah!" The two laughed together, gently bumping their shoulders into one another as they kept walking. "What about you? Is every day great at-?"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" he growled. "Do you know how many times we hear that in the store?" he sighed. "The only person who can get away with that is Nanako, and that's only because she's the cutest girl I know."

"Hey, I'm your girlfriend!" Chie argued, nearly kicking his leg. Playfully, of course. Only enough to hurt a little. All the same, he dodged it with a chuckle.

"Yeah, and you're the hottest-" Yosuke's face turned red as Chie's did the same. The two stared at one another, before they both looked away from the other. "You know…"

"Y-yeah. I know." Chie was practically bouncing up and down from the compliment. She rubbed the back of her head as she glanced at Yosuke. She was happy he thought so highly of her, but she almost couldn't believe it.

He was blushing. His face was so red as he avoided her gaze. Part of Chie wanted to try something stupid.

Maybe Yosuke was rubbing off on her.

"So… would you describe me as s-sexy?" she asked, slipping in front of him. Yosuke's blush stretched down his neck as he turned his head, only to find the lightning quick martial artist there again.

"C-come on. You know what I'm going to say."

"Maybe I do. Say it anyways," she commanded.

"I-I… Hrrrm." The truth was obvious of course. She was sexy to him, super sexy. He glanced down at her feet, and his eyes slowly climbed up her slender, yet deliciously thick legs. Her sexy hips that swayed back and forth, that ass that he was guilty of checking out (and squeezing) more than once…

Gah, her butt was so hot! He could still feel it in his hands after spending Christmas together. His heart was pounding in his chest as he felt like he was sweating. He took a deep breath as his eyes slid over her breasts.

They weren't huge, but they weren't small either. Perky was a good word. He was burning up just thinking about them. His throat felt dry. His heart was racing. He opened his mouth, only to watch as Chie lifted up her hand and covered her chest.

"H-hey! Q-quick looking, you perv…"

Yosuke blinked, and suddenly the shoe was on the other foot. He grinned ear to ear as he stepped closer and Chie stepped back. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you think I'm sexy?"

"You? Psh! PSH!" Chie quickly turned around, turning her back to her boyfriend only for him to quickly dash around to be in front of her again.

He was fast. Annoyingly so.

"I bet you think I'm the coolest guy ever, huh? Mr. Suave? Mr. Cool?"

"You? No!" She was blushing too now. Just as hard as he was. Sweat dripped from her forehead as her eyes met his. She was trying to glare at him, but that blush made her too cute to be taken seriously. "You're just…y-you know!"

"I know what?"

"You know how I feel, s-stupid," she mumbled.

Yosuke chuckled, before he leaned in. He placed a hand on Chie's chin, lifting and angling it perfectly for a quick kiss. Their lips met, and in that moment, Yosuke felt like the biggest badass in the world.

Chie's eyes widened, before they fell shut and she let the spark course through the two of them. The soft, gentle, wonderful kiss… It felt so right as she lifted her arms up and rested them on Yosuke's shoulders.

Neither said anything as they continued to kiss. No tongue, no lust, but a genuine act of love that left Chie woozy. One of her legs bent at the knee, popping like some kind of cheesy romantic movie that Chie would normally hate.

Yet all she could do was hold onto Yosuke, pressing back as he embraced her and held her close.

They were like that for only a few seconds. The spark was clear between them as they slowly pulled apart, their faces slightly less red by now. They stared at one another as Chie frowned and Yosuke smugly grinned.

"You know," she muttered.

"I know. You know?" His hand slid down her back, almost down to her round behind as Chie pecked his cheek and pulled away. Not out of annoyance or distaste for what he was doing, but just pure embarrassment from kissing in a public place.

"I-I know," she replied. She looked around. Did anyone see? How bad would it be if they did? She sighed quietly, before she glanced at her smug boyfriend. "C-come on. I want to eat something."

"Steak?" he asked, following behind her.

"Yep! And dessert too! Come on, you're paying!"

"I-huh?! What the hell, Chie?! Pay for your own damn food," he sighed, following behind her as she ran ahead of him.


The two came to a small restaurant, and as promised, Yosuke covered for their meals. The two relaxed at their table, happily making small talk as they waited for someone to bring their food over. As they waited Chie, gripped by a sudden impulse, leaned forward to peck her boyfriend's cheek.

Just a quick kiss, but one that a familiar face saw as he walked closer to them.

"S-Satonaka?" a voice stuttered, and the two turned their heads to find Kou Ichijo staring at them. The man was wearing a simple shirt with the restaurant's logo on it.

"Kou? You work here?" Chie asked, and the blue-haired man nodded his head.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, I wanted to show my responsibility to my family and I uh… Y-yeah," he explained, a hint of red on his cheeks as he and Yosuke's eyes met.

And for a moment, just a moment, Kou hated the brunette. The truth was Kou had nursed a huge crush on Chie for the better part of two years now. He liked the young woman, and even hearing rumors that she had a boyfriend he clung to the hope that he'd be able to win her heart.

But now here he was, staring at her boyfriend. Yosuke Hanamura. The cool but perverted kid from the big city. Yu Narukami's best friend.

Kou's mouth opened, then closed, before opening again.

"Hey, it's okay, man," Yosuke smiled, and for a moment Kou's eyes widened in panic. Yosuke continued. "I'm working a job too. Food doesn't pay for itself. Plus I think it's really cool you want to help your folks out."

"Y-yeah. Thanks," he replied. "Um, you guys order already?"

"Yep." Chie smiled at him and Kou's eyes stared at their hands brushing against the other on the table.

The happy couple…

"Alright, well, I'll go check on your order."

Kou walked away quickly, trying to ignore what the two were saying to one another. He froze before he slipped away to another table, quietly cleaning the already pristine surface. He could hear the two talking…

"Hey, Chie. I got a joke for you."

"Ugh, not another dirty joke."

"I stopped texting them to you!"

"Yeah, but now you just tell me whenever you want. I bet most girls don't have to hear this many sex jokes from their partner…"

"Oh, like you would know."

"Just tell me the joke." she sighed

"What's the difference between a lightbulb and a pregnant woman?" he asked, and when she didn't say anything, he grinned widely. "You can unscrew a lightbulb."

"Ugh! You are such a pervert," Chie huffed, her face blushing a deep shade of red as the young woman tried not to laugh.

Kou just stood there, speechless and confused. What the hell did Yosuke have that he didn't?! He made stupid, gross jokes like that all the time, and never really hid the fact about how horny he always was, and yet Chie seemed completely smitten. The question frustrated him to no end as he listened to the couple talking to one another. He could feel his heart aching with every passing moment. He had to figure this out, and biting his lower lip he began to form a plan.


Kou soon returned to the couple with a few plates, placing them on the table for them as well as a glass of water. "And here you go. Enjoy your meal and your water."

"Uh, we didn't order any water," Yosuke commented.

"Oh, sorry. Let me just-WHOOPS!" Kou, perhaps a bit too obviously, bumped his hand against the glass. It fell over onto its side, splashing water right onto Yosuke's lap.

"Ahh!" he yelped

"Oh, no! Yosuke, sorry about that! Let me help you clean that!" Kou then grabbed Yosuke's arm and pulled him onto his feet, quickly dragging the brunette towards the restrooms as Chie blinked, watching them go.

"Huh." She then shrugged and proceeded to eat her meal. "Mmm, steak!"


"Kou! Let go already," Yosuke huffed as the two walked into the restroom together. Yosuke pulled his arm from the athlete's grip and glared at him. "What is your deal?!"

"I…" Kou opened his mouth, before he sighed quietly. "You and Satonaka are dating, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Yosuke replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "What about it?" The young man was clearly annoyed, but his annoyance turned to shock as Kou answered.

"I like her."

"Oh." Yosuke wasn't really sure how to respond to that, but he understood what was wrong now. He couldn't help but think about Kanji, Naoto, and Yu. Their little love triangle that Naoto didn't even know she was in…

He couldn't believe he was the Naoto of this situation. Did Chie know? Questions raced through his mind as Kou glared at him.

"Aw damn. I'm… really sorry," Yosuke sighed, not sure how else to react.

Silence fell. Kou stared at Yosuke and the brunette really wasn't sure how to respond. He rubbed the back of his head as Kou finally muttered a response.

"You two argue a lot still."

"Yeah. Guess so."

"But you're… happy together?"

"Yeah." There was no hesitation. Not a single second of contemplation. There wasn't a doubt in Yosuke's mind that he and Chie were happy and in love.

"Have you told each other that… You know, you…" He tried to put the words together, his mind failed him. Kou looked away as he crossed his arms. "You're Narukami's best friend. You and that Shirogane guy."

Yosuke blinked, raising his brow for a moment. Did Kou seriously not know about Naoto? He quickly shook that thought off as Kou continued.

"I know Narukami. He and I are good friends. He wouldn't be best friends with anyone scummy, so that means… You're treating her right, right?! Cause if you're hurting her-"

"I'd never do that," Yosuke replied. His tone was dead serious. Not a hint of the jokes and teasing he sometimes dished out.

Kou almost wished he didn't. A small part of him wished Yosuke and Chie's relationship failed so he could be with her… but that was wrong. It wouldn't be right.

"Damn it," Kou growled, before his hand punched one of the bathroom stalls. The two were silent for a moment, before the blue-haired athlete whimpered, holding his hand. "Ow, ow, ow! Shit…!"

"Y-you okay?" asked Yosuke, not really sure what to do or how to help.

"Y-yeah. They make that look a lot easier in the movies," he sighed. "I wish I could say I'd kick your ass if you hurt her, but I heard you and Narukami fought once. You're probably out of my league," he sighed.

"I would never hurt Chie like that," Yosuke swore.

"Yeah, I know you wouldn't. I just… I guess it hurts to know I was never in the running for this competition." Kou sighed once more. "I just wanted to say my piece, I guess. Tell someone how I feel. Narukami always told me I should be honest with my feelings."

"Yeah. He does that," Yosuke confessed with a small chuckle. "Look, Kou, maybe it isn't my place, but I'm around if you want to talk or hang out or something."

"Thanks, Hanamura. Oh, and sorry about spilling water on you. Couldn't think of a way to talk to you privately."

"You could have just asked!" Yosuke frowned, and Kou felt his cheeks burn slightly as he avoided Yosuke's glare.

"R-right. Seriously, though. I'm sorry."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Yosuke replied. "I'm sorry about Chie."

"Yeah, well, if I was going to lose to someone, I'm glad it was you. Take care of her, okay?"

"I promise."


"There you are. You're still wet," Chie noticed, motioning to the water on Yosuke's lap.

"I… Yeah." He glanced down at his bowl, frowning as he noticed something. "Were you picking food off my plate?"

"N-no…"

"Chie! Show some self-control!"

"I only had a little!"

The two glared at one another, before they laughed. They chuckled together as they began to eat again, not noticing that Kou's eyes were lingering on them. He watched the two talk and tease one another, and no matter how hard he wished it could have been him, he knew he never had a chance.

Let them be happy. They earned it. As long as this was what Chie wanted, he'd support it. It was important to lose with some grace, after all.

Eventually the two finished their meal and Yosuke and Chie walked to the cashier with the bill. "H-hey, Yosuke! Chie!" The two turned to look at him as his cheeks turned red once more. "Let me cover your bill."

"Seriously? Thanks, dude," Yosuke grinned, giving the receipt to him.

"Thanks a lot, Kou. You're awesome," Chie grinned, and Kou smiled back at her.

"No problem, Satonaka… Um, take care, okay? Happy Valentine's Day and… yeah." The happy couple waved goodbye to Kou as he said goodbye to his chances with Chie. He made peace with it, though. As best he could, at least.

Once the couple was gone, Kou looked down at the receipt, only for his eyes to widen. "W-what?! How much meat did Chie eat?!"


After their dinner Chie and Yosuke chose to end the day at Shichiri Beach. They stared at the crashing waves and felt the warm sun on their faces as they sat side by side on the steps.

The sun was setting by now as Chie reached into her backpack for something. She couldn't hold off on it any longer. Time to make her move…

"Hey, Yosuke?"

"Yeah?" He turned his head to her, only for his eyes to widen as he saw a small, green cloth wrapped around an equally small box. He knew what it was immediately as Chie's crimson face avoided his gaze.

"H-happy Valentine's Day." She glanced at him, noting the small frown on his face. "I… I made these chocolates for you."

"You made them?" he asked, and she shot him a furious glare.

"Y-yeah! I made them! They're good! It's chocolate! I-I think," she muttered, turning her gaze from him again.

Yosuke raised his brow, before he opened the small box and reached inside. The chocolates were misshapen lumps. Yosuke raised his brow as he looked them over, before he decided to bite the bullet.

Though an actual bullet might have been easier to-

Yosuke bit into one of the chocolates and he froze. His eyes widened as Chie punched his shoulder.

"Q-quit making fun of me! Come on, I know they're not that bad!"

"It's actually kind of good," Yosuke replied, and Chie's eyes widened.

"I-it is?" she cried, eyes sparkling.

"Yeah!" Yosuke chuckled as he swallowed the chocolate, before he grabbed another and ate that too. "A little melted from being in your bag all day, but… it's not half bad."

It wasn't the greatest chocolate in the world. Average really, but considering Chie had made it from scratch? It was a miracle. Yosuke happily chowed down on another chocolate as Chie's lips curled into a wide smile.

There were tears in the corners of her eyes that she wiped away as Yosuke continued to eat. He emptied the entire box as Chie punched the air.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I kicked ass!" Yosuke chuckled as Chie's face continued to turn red. Even her ears and neck were a deep shade of crimson. "T-the heart shape wasn't too much, r-right?"

"T-they were heart shaped?" Yosuke asked, Chie groaned as she swung a hand at Yosuke, smacking his shoulder.

"Jerk."

The two chuckled as the sun set before them. They sat on the steps by the beach, watching the beautiful sight as the light around them turned dim.

"Still can't believe you picked me," Chie muttered. Yosuke turned to her and she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just surprised. I'm so ordinary compared to Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto…"

"Ordinary?" Yosuke scoffed. "Did any of those girls kick a Shadow in the face? Are any of them a carnivore badass like you? Did any of them talk to the new guy from the big city who hated being in the sticks? Chie, you're anything but ordinary," he chuckled. He placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her close, letting her head rest on his chest.

"I love you," he whispered, and Chie's eyes widened as she listened to Yosuke's racing heart.

Her eyes soon fell shut as she cuddled against him, taking in his scent. The beating on his heart. The sensation of his hand on her body.

She wanted this moment to last forever.

"I love you too."

END