"So I was thinking," Yosuke began, rolling onto his side to watch his brand new girlfriend get dressed for work. "Maybe it's time we like, tell the others what we've been doing."
Chie Satonaka rolled her eyes as she buttoned the shirt of her police uniform. "I thought we talked about this. They'll never leave us alone if they know we're dating," she snapped.
"So what?" Yosuke asked. "It's not like it isn't working out," he said, "I mean, I'm sleeping in your bed. How much more settled do we need to be before we fess up?"
Chie glared at him. "Don't get too comfortable, Hanamura," she muttered. They had only been dating for about a month. If you ignored the fact that they had been close friends for a decade now, a month really wasn't very long. And despite how they mercilessly teased Kanji and Naoto about having feelings for each other and taking over a year to get together, that was nine years ago. Nine. It had taken Chie and Yosuke nine years longer than those two to get here! "You know, you've been sleeping here a lot. Aren't you worried about Teddie?"
"Huh? What about him?" Yosuke asked.
"He's all alone, you moron! He gets into trouble when he's on his own too much! Not to mention, he gets lonely," she said in a softer tone.
"Umm, yeah. That's true. He's been spending a lot of time with Nanako-chan lately, though. So he's definitely not lonely then," Yosuke said with a smile and a wink.
"Eww, Yosuke, don't wink like that when you're talking about Nanako-chan!" Chie screeched. "She's like, everyone's little sister!"
"Everyone's little sister… except for Ted," he pointed out. "I got a text from Souji this morning. Last night, Nanako-chan came home all disheveled looking - that was the word he used, disheveled. And she told Rise that she and Teddie had been drinking wine and making out by the river!" Yosuke tried really hard, but he was laughing hysterically by the time he got to the end of the story.
"See, this is what I'm talking about, Yosuke! He gets into trouble! Oh, poor Nanako-chan," Chie said with a frown. Then she brightened. "Hey, wait! Rise was at Souji's house last night? Like, late enough for Nanako-chan to be coming home from a date?!"
"And that, my lovely lady, is one of the many reasons why I'm crazy about you," Yosuke replied with a grin. "It may take you a moment, but you miss nothing." Chie sat down on the edge of the bed and gave Yosuke a serious look.
"Alright, then. I guess things are ok with Teddie, and Nanako-chan must be alright if Rise and Souji are both keeping an eye on her… Right?"
"Absolutely!" Yosuke exclaimed. "I promise you I'll check up on Ted today. And then we're still on for tonight, right? Dinner and a movie in Okina?"
"Yes, alright. But you're buying me steak, you got it?!" Yosuke laughed hysterically, pulling her onto the bed and kissing her deeply. If all he had to do to make sure she stayed with him was to keep providing steak forever, he was sure this would work out. Heck, he'd been supporting her steak habit for ten years already.
To Chie's dismay, she got to work an hour early for nothing. "Naoto, I thought we were going to do some sparring this afternoon," Chie complained, snapping her gum and sighing.
"I know, I'm sorry, Chie-san. I just can't seem to get over this flu."
"Are you sure it's the flu? You don't have a runny nose, and you're not sneezing or coughing."
"I know. But I can't seem to shake how tired I feel, and I ache all over. Half the time I am starving, and half the time I am… not." Naoto wasn't about to tell her partner and long time friend who loved to gossip that when she wasn't starving for food, she was starving for Kanji. She could feel herself blushing even though she hadn't owned up to it. "Not to mention, my stomach has been rather upset as well."
"The stomach flu lasts a day or two. You've been feeling off for a few weeks now."
"Well.. that's true," Naoto said, her voice faltering.
"Naoto," Chie began softly, "I think you should consider other things that this might be. Because it really doesn't sound like the flu."
Naoto frowned. "I… suppose you're right."
Chie got her attention again, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And Naoto," she said, with a bit more force than before, "I think you should consider other things. Not just being sick. It's been going on too long to just be the flu." Naoto's eyes widened for just long enough that Chie felt confident she had gotten her point across. She smiled and snapped her gum again. "Sooooo, I know something that you don't know," Chie said playfully.
Naoto rolled her eyes. "I am sure that you do, Chie-san."
"It's about Rise," Chie added with a smile, "and Souji." Surely that would get Naoto's interest.
"What, that they are dating again?" Naoto asked, looking at her case files. Chie's face fell.
"How on earth did you know?" she asked. "I thought no one knew about it!"
"Please," Naoto said. "It is completely obvious."
"She told you, didn't she?!" Chie exclaimed. "I should have known, of course she would tell her best friend."
"Best friends, if you want to be technical about it. She tells Kanji more than she tells me. But, no. She didn't say anything. Which is precisely how I deduced that they had gotten back together."
"Huh. I don't know how I'm ever going to become as good a detective as you, Naoto."
Naoto looked up and smiled. "You will get there, Chie-san. You are nearly there already."
Chie let out a long breath. "Thanks, Naoto." She knew it wasn't quite true, but it felt nice to hear it anyway. The good thing was that Chie was not a quitter. She would keep trying, and she would keep helping people, no matter what.
When Nanako left school, she found Miusagi waiting for her at the gate. "Hey, I thought we were meeting at Junes."
"Sorry. I, umm, can't make it actually. I was waiting to see if Sana-chan had been in class, and it turns out she wasn't, so I need to find her," Miusagi said in a jumble.
"Sana-chan?" Nanako asked.
"Oh, right. You probably don't know her. Sanae Komaki. She's in my year. We've been friends since we were little, and she asked me to skip with her this morning but she never showed up. She wasn't at home, and she also wasn't at school."
"Oh," Nanako replied. "Well, how can I help?"
"Umm, it's ok. I can just -"
"Miusagi. I'm going to help you look for her. So where do we start?"
Miusagi frowned. "The thing is, I'm not really sure."
Nanako nodded. "Let me just text Teddie and tell him we won't be coming today."
Hey, something's come up. Miusagi's friend is missing so we're going to look for her. Can we get together later?
Nana-chan! I think you'd both better come! Someone's inside the TV! I tried to get a hold of sensei and the others but none of them answered!
On our way! Maybe it's Sana-chan! Be right there!
Nanako grabbed Miusagi's arm. "Come on, we have to go!" They were already running towards Junes before he got the chance to ask what was going on.
"Why are we running, did you think of somewhere to look for Sana-chan?"
"Yes, sort of. Teddie said someone is inside the TV. It might be her!" Miusagi started running faster. He could barely keep up with Nanako at his top speed. Figures, I pick the fastest runner at Yasogami High to try and keep up with.
Souji was feeling frustrated. Angry, even. "I don't understand," he said for the third time. "Why can't it just be me instead?" He was nearly wearing a hole in the carpet of the Velvet Room from all the angry pacing he had been doing over the past hour. He refused to accept the answers he was given.
"Souji, you were a wonderful guest. One of the best ever. My favorite, to be honest," Margaret said with a chuckle. "But it is no longer your time. Your cousin has been chosen as the next guest. It is she who will handle things from now on. You… are no longer the wild card."
"Wait, what? What does that mean?" he asked, no longer pacing.
"Izanagi is still with you as your persona. But you no longer have the ability to have others. You have.. grown up, become more settled in who you are. The power of the wild card has passed on to Nanako, so it is she who must lead the others."
"Lead the others… so we can still help her, then. We can go with her?"
Margaret smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that you and your friends are not the others I was speaking of. She will find her own companions for this journey."
"So, a bunch of kids, huh? And we can't help at all?"
"I am not saying that you can't. But I do not recommend it. The shadow boy may accompany her, but the rest of you would be better off remaining in an advisory position. Outside of the shadow world."
"Teddie can go with her? Why?"
"He was born there. And he was meant to be one of her companions. She will find the rest on her own."
"I still don't like this. You know what happened to her in there. You know that it's my job to protect her from that place! I can't ever let anything like that happen to her again."
"I understand how you feel, Souji. But this is how things are. She will not suffer the adverse effects she did as a child, I can assure you of that."
"How? How can you be sure?"
"She has already been inside and summoned her first persona. And she has already signed a contract. It cannot be undone."
Souji glared at her. "Fine. But I'm going to do everything I can to help her. And I'm not giving up my damn key to this place. I'll be back to chat if things go too far."
Margaret smiled. "Call ahead, I'll provide refreshments." Souji glared at her again as he opened the door, slamming it behind him on his way out.
