Monday, 6 June, After School

Kanji Tatsumi could eat.

That was Souji's first admittedly irreverent thought, watching their new teammate shovel food into his mouth. Souji had seen the way Chie ate; he himself tended to have quite an appetite after basketball practice or TV excursions. None of it compared to Kanji.

"Geez, you can really put it away," Yosuke said. "Were you even listening?"

"'Course I was," Kanji said. At least that's what Souji thought he said, as the delinquent's mouth was full.

Yosuke made a face. "Dude, close your mouth."

Kanji gave him a blank look, but obediently swallowed. Souji covered a smile; Kanji was already proving considerably softer than he preferred to appear. Not really a surprise, though; ever since facing Yosuke's Shadow, Souji had noticed that accepting the inner self tended to have a calming effect.

"Calming" being a relative term.

"So," Kanji said, "people are gettin' killed with TVs. What, is somebody whacking them over the head with the things?"

It took all of Souji's self-control to keep from facepalming. Apparently Kanji was more confused by his ordeal than any of them had realized, and clearly hadn't been listening as closely as he claimed.

Yosuke wasn't so restrained. "No, they weren't beaten to death with a TV! Weren't you listening at all!?"

"Let it lie, Yosuke," Souji said. "It's not easy to understand; sometimes I still think I'm dreaming." He leaned forward. "Anyway, it looks like we have the beginning of a pattern. Kanji's situation was almost identical to Yukiko's, and while we have no way of knowing for sure, it was probably similar with Ms Yamano and Saki-senpai."

Whether it was coincidence or not, Souji never knew. A pair of Yasogami students at the next table over happened to be chatting about the Midnight Channel. Much as he disliked eavesdropping, Souji couldn't help listening in. The tiniest scrap of information could prove vital.

"Man, that show's getting crazier all the time," one said.

"No kidding," his friend said. "I'm always wondering who's gonna show up next."

This is not going to end well. Kanji's expression was already darkening; hopefully he had enough self-control to not blow his top. Not that Souji blamed him for being irritated.

"Hey, I knew he'd be the next one before he appeared," the first student said. "What's his name, that first-year who was in a biker gang?"

Souji closed his eyes. That was exactly the wrong thing to say. Idiot.

Kanji didn't move at first, beyond a visible tightening of his jaw. "Who the hell was in a biker gang?" he asked in a deceptively mild voice. He pushed his chair back and very slowly rose to his full height, before just as slowly turning around. "His name is Kanji Tatsumi," he bit out. "And he wasn't in a biker gang; he's the one who flattened those gutless, leathered-up bastards."

There was something perversely amusing about the way both students suddenly turned bone-white, before deciding they had an urgent need to be somewhere else, anywhere else, and scurrying off.

Kanji dropped back into his seat. "Feh. Boring."

Chie sighed, shaking her head. "I just can't stand it. Sure, they don't know it's connected to the murders, but talking about their schoolmate like that is just wrong."

"Like onlookers at a car crash," Yosuke agreed. "Long as they're not the victims, they're dying to see."

"Human nature," Souji said.

Something he was not, unfortunately, immune to. If nothing else, he'd indulged in watching footage of car crashes online, out of sheer morbid fascination.

Yukiko brought them back on track. "Regardless, this incident disproved our initial assumption that all the victims were female," she said.

"What was the other one?" Chie asked.

"All of the subsequent victims were connected to the first case," Yukiko told her, and looked at Souji. "Do you think it still holds up?"

Souji frowned, rubbing his chin. On the surface, it seemed to. Saki Konishi had of course found Yamano's body, and both Yukiko and Kanji did have connections, albeit at one remove in Kanji's case. He just wasn't sure if that was enough of a common thread.

"We still don't know enough," he said at last. "It's too early to jump to any conclusions."

Kanji, oddly, was looking smug. "Need some clues? Well, just so happens I've got something big right here." He reached into a back pocket and withdrew a folded piece of paper. "When I made my big comeback at school, there was a guy asking nosy questions. Took this thing off him." He handed it to Souji.

"What is it?" Yosuke asked, curious.

Kanji shrugged. "Dunno. I didn't read it."

"But you held onto it anyway," Chie said, sounding like she wasn't sure she believed it.

"It could still be useful," Souji murmured absently. "Hmm, Mayumi Yamano, 4/11. Saki Konishi, 4/13. . . ." He trailed off. "I think this has something to do with TV programs." His head came up. "Wasn't Mayumi Yamano's body found on April 12th?"

Chie nodded. "Kinda hard to forget, after we ran into your uncle. The 11th would be the day before."

"The day the story about her affair with Namatame broke," Souji said. "The 13th would be . . . the day Saki-senpai was on TV."

Yosuke closed his eyes. "And they found her body two days later. No way I'll ever forget that."

"I saw that special, too," Chie said. "They were interviewing her because she found the first body."

A pattern was starting to emerge, all right. An ugly one. There was indeed something all the victims had in common.

Yosuke saw it, too. His eyes snapped open. "Yukiko-san, didn't you get interviewed, too?'

She instantly saw what he was getting at. "That's right, I was. It was during my absence from school. . . ." She looked at Souji again. "It was just after I met you at the river. I had my kimono on, remember?"

"Hard to forget," Souji said, an echo of mocking laugher running through his mind. "It was the day I got my first Persona, and faced Yosuke's Shadow."

"April 15th," Yukiko said, nodding. "I was kidnapped right after."

Souji's lips compressed in a grim line. "I think we have our pattern. Kanji, I remember you were on TV, too. My uncle pointed you out to me."

"Oh, yeah, that." Kanji grimaced. "My mom went nuts over the damn thing. Can't really blame her."

"Do you remember the date?" Souji pressed.

Kanji shrugged. "Dunno exactly. Not long before I met you guys, though; call it a day or two, tops."

Souji nodded slowly. "That's the pattern. Mayumi Yamano, Saki-senpai, Yukiko, Kanji, all of them were on TV before they disappeared."

It was insane on the face of it. On the other hand, it wasn't like serial killers were the most rational individuals to begin with. The most outlandish things would make perfect sense to such people.

"Hold on," Chie said. She looked from Souji to Yukiko. "Are you saying the killer is targeting people he sees on TV?"

Yukiko glanced in turn at Souji. "I was so caught up in the news reports that I didn't really notice at the time, but it makes sense."

"She's right," Souji said. "I seriously doubt this is a coincidence. One or two might be, but four in a row?" He shook his head.

Yosuke took a gulp of soda. "The killer moved on to Kanji instead of trying again. Maybe this is some stupid rule he's following." He grimaced. "Makes it sound like your basic insane serial killer; they do stuff like that."

"Unfortunately, he's an insane serial killer with the same kind of powers that we have," Souji reminded them all. "That might include Persona."

That was a very ugly thought indeed. Battling Shadows, even those drawn from the people they were rescuing, was one thing. Taking on someone who had the same ability to summon his inner self was an entirely new level of potential danger, not just physically, but psychologically. Fighting another human being, possibly to the death, was not something that came easily to most people.

Souji thought he could do it if necessary. Kanji, too; he was already experienced at administering beatings. Maybe Yosuke and Chie. Yukiko he wasn't so sure of, given her more gentle disposition. Then again, such a personality sometimes hid a tiger.

He pushed the thought away. It was too early for such things.

"We still can't rule out connections to the first case," Yosuke said, then slapped his hand on the table. "Dammit, we don't really have anything, do we."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Kanji said. "I think you guys are pretty cool. You got me out of there, didn't you?"

Souji nodded. "Kanji's right. Maybe we're no closer to finding the killer, but we've already saved two people. That counts for a lot."

"And just as important, our deduction that Kanji-kun was the next target was right on the money," Yukiko said.

Chie groaned, scrubbing her hands over her face. "Yeah, we were so damn close."

Kanji's look of wide-eyed surprise was so comical that Souji had to force himself not to laugh. "Seriously? Damn, I wish you'd come a little sooner."

"We had to be certain before we did anything," Souji said. "And no offense, but your attitude make our job more difficult."

Kanji looked a bit sheepish at that. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that."

Souji hid a smile as their newest teammate when back to attacking his meal. It really was amazing how much the younger student had changed in such a short period of time. He made a mental note to inform his uncle about it. Carefully, of course; the last thing they needed was official notice of any kind.

"Anyway, this makes it a little easier," Chie said. "If we can figure out who the next victim is, then it's only a matter of time until we catch this bastard."

"We hope," Yosuke said, just a touch morosely. "We've stopped him twice, but I doubt he's given up."

Souji set his tray aside. "All we can do right now is wait and see," he said. "For now, well, we're still high school students, as sloth-face loves to remind us."

Chie snorted. "Easy for you to say, Mister Top Scorer," she said. "That reminds me, the school campout is next week. Hope it doesn't rain then." She smiled at Kanji. "The first years are going, too, so we'll see you there, Kanji-kun."

"School?" Kanji made a face. "Damn, what a drag."

I'm more worried about the campout, Souji thought, memories flashing through his mind. If it's anything like the last one I was in, it'll be fun in all the wrong ways.

"Anyway," he said aloud, "if Kanji's done eating," he smiled at the younger student's expression, "I think it's time we showed him just what it is we do."

Though he wasn't expecting any Shadows in the central hub, Souji and his friends nevertheless went in armed; there was, after all, no sense taking chances. And if there were any Shadows, he was confident they could handle them easily enough.

As expected, though, Teddie was there to greet them alone. "Welcome back, Sensei," he said with a bright smile.

"Hello, Teddie," Souji replied, briefly gripping the bear's arm. "Anything happen while we were gone?"

"Nope." Teddie shook his overlarge head. "No unusual Shadows, and no one's been thrown in since last time. Just peace and quiet." He looked at Kanji. "Oh, so he's ready now?"

Kanji didn't seem to hear at first. He was too busy looking around at the (to his eyes) foggy pseudo-TV studio. "Damn, this place is weird," he said, half to himself. "Like we're on the set of some old TV show." He looked over his shoulder at Souji. "How can you guys see where you're going in here, anyway?"

Souji nodded at Teddie, who handed Kanji a pair of glasses. "Take these, Kanji," he said.

It was instantly apparent that something wasn't quite right. Or rather, more than merely "not right," for Kanji was not wearing ordinary glasses. Teddie, it seemed, had made a functional pair of the comedic nose glasses Yukiko so loved, and while it was hard to read Kanji's expression just then, his posture spoke volumes.

Souji took a slow step back. This is so not going to end well.

"Ahahaha!" Yukiko was already doubled over laughing. "T-That fits you p-perfectly, K-Kanji-kun," she stammered.

Kanji was not in the least amused. "Think it's funny, do ya?" he growled, yanking them off and throwing them to the ground. He snatched another pair from Teddie.

Another pair of nose glasses, that is. "You must really like those," Teddie said with a grin. "Yuki-chan insisted I make more."

"Why, you!" Snarling incoherently, Kanji hurled the second pair off into the distance, before taking the more normal set Teddie finally passed to him. Unlike the others', his were tinted.

"Hope you like them," Teddie said. "Getting them to you was really hard."

By then they were all laughing, even Souji. Kanji glared at them more or less equally. "Dammit, I'm gonna get you for this!"

Souji didn't care just then. It felt too good just to be sharing a laugh with his friends. Despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that they were in an alternate dimension accessed via a TV screen, it felt refreshingly normal. Just a bunch of high schoolers hanging out.

Evening

The mood at home had relaxed considerably since Kanji's rescue. Souji and his uncle had coffee and chatted about things that had absolutely nothing to do with the ongoing murder investigation, with occasional interjections from Nanako.

"So," Dojima said casually. "I hear Tatsumi finally returned to school today."

It clearly wasn't a probe, so Souji only tensed briefly out of pure reflex. "Morooka wasn't happy about it," he said with a brief grimace, "but he doesn't like anyone." He sipped his coffee. "Actually, Uncle, that tough-guy routine is mostly a facade. I talked to him after school, and he seemed pretty nice."

Dojima raised his eyebrows. "That so? I'm surprised you crossed paths with him at all."

Souji had already considered that issue, and had a (mostly) true answer ready. "Ran into him while I was at Junes with Yosuke," he explained. "He said he was trying to clean up his act, so I promised to put in a good word for him." He smiled. "I thought he should at least have a chance without the police breathing down his neck."

To his relief, Dojima appeared to accept the explanation, nodding in evident understanding as Souji rose to take care of the dishes. Nanako, meanwhile, was watching some kind of quiz show, her expression one of intense concentration.

She's really precocious, Souji thought with a carefully-hidden smile. Going to be a real handful when she gets older; I hope Uncle Ryotaro can handle her.

"I forgot to mention," he said, wiping his mug out, "there's a school campout next week, so I'll be gone for a bit."

Dojima chuckled. "I'm sure we can survive while you're gone. It should be only a day or two, right?"

"I only just heard about it today," Souji said, shrugging. "If it's like the one at my last school, though, that sounds about right." He set the mug aside and dried his hands. "Ill make sure to make something up for you in advance."

"You don't have to do–"

Souji held up a hand. "I want to, Uncle. You've made me feel at home even with this insane double murder case. It's the least I can do in return."

Dojima had a very strange look on his face, but he relented. "All right. If you're that set on it, I can't really refuse."

For some inexplicable reason, Souji had difficulty restraining a laugh.

Tuesday, 7 June, After School

With the skies having opened up again, there was no point in going to the gym, as Kou had rather bitterly noted. He and Daisuke had gone to Aiya's for the Rainy Day Beef Bowl; Souji privately wondered if the two of them combined would be able to finish it.

"Okay," Nagai said, wiping his forehead. "I know it's a bit early, but this looks like a good place to stop. Why don't we just call it a day?"

Souji hid a frown. The club president's attitude seemed a little odd. He'd thought Nagai more enthusiastic then the apathetic basketball team. A glance at his watch confirmed they still had a good fifteen minutes left.

"What!?" Yumi said incredulously. "The bell hasn't rung yet! You're just looking for an excuse to slack off, Nagai!"

She was so forceful that Nagai took a step back, visibly uneasy. "Hey, Yumi, calm down," he said. "You're taking this a bit too seriously."

"I think you aren't taking it seriously enough," Yumi shot back. "Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who really cares about this club. You're holding us back!"

"Yumi." Souji almost laid a hand on her shoulder, then thought better of it.

She wasn't finished. "That kind of attitude is why you don't get any lead roles!"

That bombshell left the entire club speechless. They looked at each other in confusion, none of them having any idea how to react. Even Yumi seemed to realize she'd gone too far; she stared at the floor, unwilling to meet anyone's gaze.

Whatever the reason, they stood silent long enough for the school bell to ring. "It is time to go home. Please make sure you aren't forgetting anything."

"Hear that?" Nagai's girlfriend said. "It's time to leave anyway. Come on, we've made some good progress here today!"

Not sure I'd call that "progress," personally. Yumi has a point there.

Sensing that Yumi might need to unburden herself a little, Souji hung back.

He was right. "Did I . . . go too far?" Yumi said, half to herself.

"It was the way you said it," Souji told her as gently as he could. "You were right, no doubt about it; I thought Nagai's behavior was a bit off. You just got a bit too personal."

She sighed, a rueful smile crossing her face. "Crazy isn't it? I spend all that time practicing for the club, yet I can't control my emotions in real life." She looked out the window. "I guess I'll keep practicing on my own time. Maybe by the riverbed. Anywhere but at home."

"I'll help when I can," Souji offered.

Yumi shook her head. "Thank you, but no. This is something I really need to do by myself." Her cheek twitched. "Not like there's anyone at home right now, anyway. Mom keeps going straight to the hospital to see him. No point in going home."

Souji was sorely tempted to ask who "he" was, but held his tongue. It was really none of his business, after all.

"Besides, when I'm at home, I can't help thinking about everything," Yumi went on. "How things got to be this way, what's changed, stuff like that. I thought I'd forgotten it all, but when I'm at home it just comes rushing back." She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm just whining."

"Don't worry about it," Souji said. "Sometimes you just can't keep it bottled up any longer." The consequences of trying, he reflected, could sometimes be lethal.

Yumi smiled. "You're a pretty funny guy, Souji-kun," she said. "Maybe that's why we get along so well." She sighed again. "Still, I'd better get going. See you later."

After getting more drama than he'd bargained for at club, Souji felt the need to clear his head before heading home. He parked himself in the gazebo near the riverbank, watching the rain come down, imagining that rain washing his troubles away, if only for a little while.

It's hard to remember that rain is normally a good thing, he mused. What with the way it usually means trouble lately.

His cell phone beeped, and his eyebrows went up in surprise at the caller ID. That was just about the last person he expected to hear from. "Seta," he said, thumbing the device on. "Is that you, Reika?"

A well-remembered musical laugh chimed in his ear. "Yes, it's me, Souji-kun. Surprised?"

"A little, yeah." Reika Sakamoto was the one girl his parents had tried to set him up with. Fortunately, it soon became clear he was no more her type than she was his, which meant his lack of interest hadn't caused any pain, and they'd parted on friendly terms.

Which didn't make her call any less surprising, and she knew it. "I heard you were sent to the countryside this year, and I wanted to make sure you were all right."

That she was able to find out so easily was something Souji didn't even think of questioning. The Sakamoto family had a controlling interest in several media enterprises, which gave Reika an information network few outside the government could match.

Which still left the question of why. "Inaba is a nice change of pace," he said. "Even with the double murder case, it's quiet, though I've heard ominous things about next week's school campout."

"I'm sure you'll manage." He could easily picture her even now; medium height, waist-length black hair, brown eyes, usually dressed in blue. Now that Souji thought of it, Reika was a lot like Yukiko, minus the goofiness. "I just thought you should know things might get exciting in the next month or so."

Souji's eyes narrowed. "Why does that sound even more ominous than the murder case?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Again the musical laugh.

He'd forgotten, one thing Reika Sakamoto had always enjoyed despite her usual demure exterior was springing awkward surprises on him. He could just see that barely-detectable smile of hers.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said in a dust-dry tone.

"I'm sure you are," Reika said cheerily. "Oops, I'm out of time. Talk to you again, Souji-kun. Stay safe."

Souji pocketed his cell, a somewhat comedic sense of impending doom coming over him. "Stay safe," she says. Somehow, I really doubt she was talking about the murders. Why does that fact not reassure me in the least?

Wednesday, 8 June, Morning

Mister Kondo's class tended to be weird, but this time it was almost a relief. It gave Souji something to think about besides his former classmate's cryptic hints. And here I thought life in the countryside would be simple.

"It's June already, huh," Kondo said. "Time sure flies. I hear Tatsumi-kun from first year is back with us, so you all make sure to set good examples for him. If even half the rumors about him are true, he needs it."

Normally, Souji would have bristled at such a description of a friend. Kondo, however, had a point; Kanji's history wasn't exactly the most upstanding. And it wasn't like the English/PE teacher knew him like Souji did.

"I know it's the rainy season," Kondo went on, "but we should still try to keep our spirits up!"

Not the easiest thing when rain is often a harbinger of doom.

The teacher laughed. "I was watching a TV drama last night, and one of the actors was such a ham! Is it just me, or are a lot of them just hamming it up these days?"

Corny.

Yukiko half-turned in her seat. "Hamming it up?" she repeated in a whisper. "Where does that expression come from, anyway?"

Keeping a wary eye on Mister Kondo, souji replied, "From the play Hamlet," as softly as he could manage.

Apparently Kondo had very good ears. "Hey, next time ask me, okay?" he said. "Anyway, he's right. 'Ham' has been used to describe bad actors for a long time, but historians can't seem to agree on why that is." He shook his head. "It wasn't really popularized until the 1800s; nowadays you hear it all the time, of course."

Forcing himself not to shake his head in turn at Kondo's digression, Souji pulled out his notebook. No sense being caught unprepared.

After School

The end of a more or less normal day. Souji had nothing in particular planned; Yosuke was at Junes, and Yukiko had to help out at the inn. He considered training with Chie, but reluctantly discarded the notion; he didn't want to risk straining something before the campout. So he was at loose ends for once.

Which didn't make him resent Morooka's sudden appearance any less. "Hey, Seta!" the teacher barked, a vein bulging in his forehead. "Did you know that this is health week?"

Didn't know that, didn't really care. Still don't care, Sloth-face.

"And you're not part of the Student Health Association," Morooka said, visibly disgusted (as usual). "Which makes you just another lazy bum!"

Okay, that was a bit much, "Sensei." I work my tail off to keep my grades up, I've got two clubs, plus all kinds of other crazy stuff, and you have the gall to call me "lazy"? Seeing red, Souji had a brief mental image of his katana at the obnoxious teacher's neck.

Sadly, it was just a fantasy. It wasn't the Sengoku period, after all.

Morooka, unfortunately, was not done ranting. "I can't stand lazy, good-for-nothing kids like you," he ground out. "So I'm signing you up to take the place of a sick member."

This guy is seriously pushing it. Souji had to fight to keep his expression under control. He'd known some bad teachers in his time, but "King Moron" was easily among the top three worst. Possibly at the top.

Chie started to protest. "Hey, isn't that a bit much?"

Bad move. "Shut up!" Morooka snapped. "Should've known this city boy would be a bad influence."

Only some of the calming techniques he'd learned from his swordmaster kept Souji from saying something that would have gotten him expelled on the spot. For crying out loud, at least leave my friends out of it!

"I dunno what it's like in your big city schools, and I don't really care," Morooka said, transferring his glare back to Souji. "Around here every student has a duty to pitch in!"

You think I haven't been pitching in? Are you really that blind?

"What, you aren't man enough to do something this easy?" Morooka was actually sneering.

". . . I'll do it," Souji said in a carefully-neutral voice. Not like I have a choice.

Morooka grunted in an almost-satisfied manner. "Glad to hear it. Maybe we'll make a man out of you yet!" With that parting shot, the homeroom teacher stalked off.

"Um, good luck," Chie offered. Souji just waved in reply.

Souji paid just enough attention to his surroundings to avoid any collisions, but his mind was elsewhere. Mainly thinking of what else he could be doing with his time, like studying, fishing, or stopping by Aiya's. Also wishing many ills upon Kinshiro Morooka, who he strongly suspected was a control freak on top of everything else.

His dark thoughts didn't show in his expression, so the Health Association members were only mildly startled when he slid the infirmary door open. Only three students, he noted, one a third year. The Health Association, it appeared, was the only extracurricular activity less popular than the basketball team.

"You're the transfer student, Souji Seta, right?" the president, a bespectacled girl with long hair, said. "Mister Morooka said you would be filling in for an absent member."

"That's right," Souji said, keeping his voice even. "What do you need me for?"

"We're going to walk around the school, see if anyone needs help," the girl told him. "We need to you keep an eye on things here. If anyone comes in, you can at least handle the basics; no touching the medicine, of course."

Simple enough. Probably a bit dull. Could be worse, he decided. "Okay."

And "dull" is the word, Souji thought around twenty minutes later. He hadn't been so bored since the last formal dinner he'd attended, about a month before coming to Inaba. At least formal dinners had people to talk to; sitting around medical equipment he didn't even know how to use wasn't his idea of fun.

He brought his head up at the sound of the door opening, but instead of the Health Association, it was a man in a dark suit. What now?

"Hello, I'm Kitao from Santo Pharmaceuticals," the man said. "Your school ordered some gauze, but I'm afraid we have something of a backlog. Could you reorder month after next?"

Souji jotted down a quick note. "I'll pass the word along."

Kitao bowed. "Thank you."

At least it broke up the monotony a little. Luckily, it was almost over; just minutes after Kitao departed, the Health Association returned. From the looks of them, everything had gone without incident.

"Glad to see it still quiet," the president said. "Anything happen while we were gone?"

Souji handed her the note. "It's about a gauze order; seems the have a two-month backlog."

"I see." The girl nodded. "I'll make sure the school nurse gets this."

Souji nodded back, and busied himself with cleanup. There was, unsurprisingly, little of it; in addition to being just about the least popular, the Health Association appeared to be the least busy,. There were a few injuries from the sports clubs in any given week, but little more than that.

The door opened again, this time admitting a first year Souji hadn't seen before. Gangly, with a long face and pale hair, something about him nonetheless seemed familiar.

"Oh, Konishi-san," the president said. "We didn't expect you today."

Konishi? Souji's gaze sharpened, just slightly. Wait, Yosuke mentioned that Saki-senpai had a little brother. This must be him.

"I'm not going to slack off just because of the incident," Konishi said, sounding annoyed at the display of sympathy. "I need to pull my weight."

The president appeared to disagree, but gave in anyway. "All right. You can help Seta-san get things squared away."

Souji had the very distinct impression that Konishi didn't like that idea one bit, but the first year only nodded. For a few minutes neither of them spoke, but the tension in the room was almost palpable. Does he have some kind of problem with me?

Seemingly in answer to the unspoken question, Konishi finally spoke. "I'm Naoki Konishi, Saki's brother. You're friends with Yosuke Hanamura, aren't you?"

"Yes,' Souji said slowly, closing a cabinet.

"I hate him," Naoki said tonelessly. "And Junes. And you." He sighed. "Are we done?"

Souji counted to ten. Normally he wouldn't have been bothered, but after being on the receiving end of yet another King Moron rant, he wasn't in the best of moods. "That should be all, yeah."

"Fine," Naoki said, and left without another word.

Souji watched him go. He had a feeling the younger student was in a lot more pain than he was letting on. That wasn't necessarily how he feels, he told himself. He lost his sister just a couple months ago. He's probably not usually like that.

Thursday, 9 June, After School

Basketball practice ended early as usual. Much as he sympathized with Kou, this time it worked out better for Souji's own plans. Yukiko had asked him to go with her to Junes; as there were a few things he needed to pick up anyway, Souji had readily agreed.

Now they were in the grocery department. Souji exchanged waves with Yosuke, who was busy restocking shelves a few meters away.

Yukiko sighed. "Why is it there are so many different kinds of food?" she wondered. "Even eggs come in so many varieties."

"At least it isn't boring," Souji said absently, examining a bottle of soy sauce. Nanako had told him they were running low. "Making dinner for the inn?"

His companion shook her head quickly. "Oh, nothing like that! My cooking isn't even close to good enough to serve to customers." Despite her words, she was smiling, apparently pleased that Souji had reached such a conclusion.

She picked up a small bag of flour. "I'm just practicing my cooking," she said. "Since I plan on leaving town, I need to be able to cook for myself. Eating out all the time is bad for you, right?"

"Depends on where, but usually, yeah," Souji conceded. What was it Nanako-chan asked for? Oh, that's right. His "little sister" had a fondness for animal crackers.

"Oh, Souji." Yukiko said into his thoughts. "Would you mind taste-testing my cooking?" At his questioning look, she explained, "I'll improve faster if I have someone to practice with, and I can trust you to give an honest opinion."

He didn't have to think about it very long. "Sure." Anything to help out a friend.

Yukiko smiled. "Thank you." She looked around. "Now, where do they sell lobsters?"

Um, what?

Friday, 10 June, Early Morning

Souji was feeling a bit more sluggish than usual. He'd had a very bizarre dream the previous night, though he couldn't remember very much of it, save that it involved his vulpine acquaintance from the shopping district. Not overly disturbing, but just enough to make him a bit distracted.

"Yo, Souji!" a cheerful voice called.

He smiled, slowing to allow the other to catch up to him at the school gate. "Morning, Chie," he said. "You're full of energy."

"Gotta be if I want to keep up," was the martial artist's reply. "I'm kinda nervous, though. I wonder who's going to appear on the Midnight Channel next."

"We'll deal with it when the time comes," Souji told her. "I checked the forecast; we're in for a bit of rain today, but it should taper off by around seven or so."

Chie's shoulders relaxed a little. "That's good. Say, you ever try to solve the case in your spare time? You're the team bookworm and all that."

Souji shrugged. "I've thought about it, but there's still too little to go on." He glanced at his watch and winced. "We'd better get going. You know how Sloth-face will react if we're late."

His friend winced. "Yeah, tell me about it. I'm right behind you, Souji."

Lunchtime

The rain had started by the time lunch rolled around, so the team's second years ate together in their classroom. Instant ramen, Souji had long since found, could be a perfect pick-me-up after a dreary morning. After just a few bites, he was already feeling alive again.

Chie sighed contentedly. "Oh, these instant noodles really hit the spot."

"Hell, yeah," Yosuke agreed. "It's my go-to when I've had a hard shift at Junes."

Looks like it's unanimous, Souji thought, covering a smile at Yukiko's vigorous nod. He took another bite, savoring the spices. The familiar warmth chased away even the sting of King Moron's rants.

"The rainy season is almost here," Yukiko said, sobering a little.

Yosuke tilted his head. "Huh? Isn't it still early?"

"Early or not, it means we'll need to keep a closer eye on the Midnight Channel," Souji said, throwing a casual glance around the room. No eavesdroppers, good. "We came this close to finding Kanji in time; maybe we'll do better with the next one."

That there would be a next one he did not doubt for an instant. While they'd pulled off two successful rescues, they still had no idea who was behind the insanity.

"Didn't think of that," Yosuke said. "Man, I thought you were worried about the rain wecking the school campout."

Chie looked at him in puzzlement. "What are you so excited about?"

I have a bad feeling about this.

"Oh, of course, Souji and Yosuke-kun weren't here for it last year, so it'll be their first time," Yukiko said.

Chie groaned. "Figures. Anyway, you know it's to help us develop a love for the area, right?"

"Sure, they tell us that up front," Yosuke said with a shrug.

Then came the bombshell. "Well, the way we supposedly develop that love is by picking trash up off the mountain."

Souji groaned, his head making contact with the desk. Sloth-face is behind this, I just know it! He hates Yosuke and me, so of course he's going to do his best to ruin things.

"It's not all bad," Yukiko said. "It's just for one day. We cook dinner, spend the night in tents, and disband the next day."

"But no funny stuff, got that?" Chie said, glaring at Yosuke. "Try anything, and you'll be expelled on the spot."

Yosuke made a face. "They call that a campout? 'Develop a love,' hell, that's slave labor. Isn't there anything fun about it?"

"Well, I remember last year a few students went for a swim in the river," Yukiko said.

"Thanks, I'll pass," Souji put in, not liking the look on Yosuke's face. "I seriously doubt the Samegawa is warm enough for swimming yet."

With a soft groan, Yosuke slumped in his chair. "Dammit. So much for getting anything worth a damn out of it."

On that, Souji agreed with his partner completely.

Sunday, 12 June, Early Morning

With the end of the week blessedly uneventful, Souji decided to actually sleep in for a change. Or try to, at least; his sleeping patterns were sufficiently ingrained that he was up by nine in the morning. Still, he'd at least gotten through without any crazy dreams.

After putting his futon away, he'd checked a TV program some classmates had been talking about. Tanaka's Amazing Commodities was just about the weirdest shopping program he'd ever seen, but had some decently interesting stuff. Some of which looked like it could even be useful in his team's otherworldly excursions.

Souji had just finished placing an order when the phone beeped. "Seta," he said.

"Hello, it's Yukiko," a familiar voice said. "Um, do you have some free time today?"

He glanced at his watch, then the calendar he'd hung on the wall. Nothing of note. "I'm free all day," he told her. "Something up?"

"Nothing really important," Yukiko said. "I just finished a new dish, and was wondering if you were ready to try it out."

Something about that rang distant alarm bells in Souji's mind. Still, a promise was a promise. "Sure," he said. "Nanako-chan is out, so I'm kinda at loose ends right now. Where do you want to meet?"

"The gazebo by the Samegawa riverbank," Yukiko said, a definite smile in her voice. "Just in case it starts raining."

Makes sense. "Okay. I can be there in about fifteen minutes."

"Thanks. See you then."

Souji pocketed his phone, trying valiantly to ignore the faint sinking feeling in his stomach. There was no definite reason to be uneasy, but he recalled Yukiko looking for lobster of all things when they went shopping. He wasn't sure how something like that would turn out.

Yukiko, he decided a few minutes later, was right to be cautious of the weather. It wasn't actually raining, but there also wasn't even a hint of sun peeking through the overcast. Bit on the warm side, though; Souji made a mental note to make sure his summer clothes were ready.

He saw Yukiko waiting for him as expected, dressed in red as usual. She smiled when he approached. "Souji, thank you for coming."

"I can always make time for a friend," Souji said, sitting on the bench next to her. "What do you have?"

Yukiko pushed a small box into his hands. "I just made it this morning."

With an oddly comedic feeling of trepidation, Souji lifted the lid.

The first thing he noticed was the smell. It wasn't a smell he'd ever associated with food, at least any kind of food he knew of. There was a definite sense of wrongness, as though whatever he was smelling didn't belong in this world.

Just great. Did she get her ingredients from the TV world? It didn't look normal, either. He thought he saw a bit of what might have been lobster, but there was no way to be sure. Yukiko had mixed together something that could have come from a witch's cauldron.

Unfortunately, there was no graceful way to bow out. Aware of Yukiko's expectant gaze, Souji took a bite of . . . whatever it was.

Instantly, he knew something was very wrong. It somehow managed to be cooked and yet raw, with something almost like hard candy near the center. He honestly wasn't sure if it would be possible to swallow; his body felt like it was going to physically reject the alien matter.

With some effort, he choked it down. From the look on Yukiko's face, she knew it hadn't gone well. "You're not going to tell me it was delicious, are you?"

Fighting the urge to spit the bad taste out of his mouth, Souji managed a smile. "There's always next time," he said.

Yukiko brightened a little at that. "You're right. Thank you, Souji. I'll do better next time."

The tension dispelled, they chatted for a while about goings-on in Inaba. Souji was tempted to mention the phone call he'd gotten, but refrained; it would either make Yukiko worry or send her into hyena mode, and he wasn't sure he was up to dealing with either right then.

"Oh, Big Bro! Yukiko-san!"

As always, Nanako's voice brought a smile to Souji's face. "Hi, Nanako-chan. I didn't realize you were out here."

She smiled back. "Mei-chan's house is this way; I was almost there when I saw you. What are you doing?"

Souji felt his lip twitch. "Taste-testing Yukiko's cooking."

"Really?" Nanako had an eager look on her face. "Can I try some?"

Yukiko sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Nanako-chan, but I can't give you any. It . . . didn't turn out very well."

"Oh." Nanako looked disappointed, but only for a moment. "Can I when you make something better?"

That seemed to cheer the inn heiress considerably. "Of course. I'll make sure it's something you really like."

"Okay!" With a cheery wave, Nanako walked off.

Bright as ever. It was easy to tell why Dojima doted on the girl. Even Souji, until very recently forced by circumstance to be a loner, found it almost impossible to be depressed when Nanako was around. Her very presence made things feel a little bit brighter.

"She's strong," Yukiko said quietly. "You're lucky to have her around, Souji."

He smiled wistfully. "I like to think so." He pushed himself upright. "So. How about we stop by Junes for some lunch."

"You want to wash the taste out of your mouth, don't you?" Yukiko's rather cheeky grin took the sting out of her words. "Sure, but I'm paying my own way. Think of it as an apology for trying to poison you."

Souji laughed. "However you want to do it."

Monday, 13 June, Afternoon

PE class in June was very much not Souji Seta's idea of fun. It was almost enough to make him wish for some rain; it would at least take the edge off the heat. The tracksuit didn't help, he'd begun sweating almost the instant the class stepped outside.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" Kondo said, enthusiastic as usual. "Man, June here in Inaba can be murder, eh? All that heat and humidity."

First person who says, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity," gets a soccer ball to the face.

"But that's no excuse for laziness!" Kondo said. "Summer is right around the corner, my friends!"

Laziness? I don't think laziness is an option when I'm even in the same prefecture as Sloth-face.

Kondo grinned slyly. "You wouldn't want that special someone seeing you lazing about, would you?"

Souji turned his head slightly to one side, just in time to see Yosuke wince. Thinking of Saki Konishi, no doubt; though he seldom showed it, the third-year girl's death was still eating away at Yosuke. For himself, Souji had no "special someone," rumors about him and Yukiko notwithstanding.

Kondo's expression was not reassuring. "So for today, let's do thirty reps of the hundred-meter dash! Running keeps the mind and body from rotting away!"

In this weather? You'd rather we collapse from heat exhaustion? Souji tried very hard not to show his annoyance. Kondo was beginning to bother him almost as much as Morooka, though at least the PE teacher didn't do so out of malice.

Apparently he wasn't concealing his thoughts as well as he'd intended, because Kondo suddenly fixed on him. "What's with the sourpuss face, Souji? You want it to freeze like that?"

No, I just want you to show some common sense in this heat.

"Okay, tell you what. If you get this question right, I'll cut it down to five." Kondo's expression suggested he didn't think Souji would get it. "What kind of exercise is a sprint classified as?"

Unfortunately for Kondo, Souji liked to read ahead in his textbooks. "Anaerobic," he said without hesitation."

He almost laughed at the look on Kondo's face. "I really didn't think you'd get it. You're right, a sprint is an anaerobic exercise." He sighed. "Well, a deal's a deal. Come on, folks, let's get moving!"

Souji allowed himself the barest hint of a smirk. Take that, Sensei.

Thursday, 16 June, Early Morning

The day before the long-awaited (or dreaded, depending on one's perspective) school campout. Souji was grateful the week had been mostly quiet; hopefully it wouldn't rain while they were there. It was going to be unpleasant enough already.

And it would be just like Sloth-face to tell us to keep working through a downpour. Jogging footsteps drew his attention. "Morning, Yukiko," he said as the inn heiress fell into step with him.

"Good morning, Souji," she said with a smile. "The campout starts tomorrow."

Souji suppressed a groan. "Don't remind me. Just the thought makes my back hurt."

Yukiko tittered softly. "I can understand that. Still, what should we cook for dinner? The four of us are in the same group."

Recalling Yukiko's previous efforts at cooking, Souji felt his gorge starting to rise. He quickly forced it down, not wanting to embarrass a friend. Still, he made a mental note to begin preparations of his own. A leader always has a backup plan.

"We can hit Junes after school," he said aloud. "They should have everything we need."

"Good idea."

After School

Yosuke had business of his own that Souji really didn't want to know about, so it was just the three of them in the grocery department. Yukiko and Chie had apparently decided on curry, in theory a simple, easy to make dish. Souji had made it himself more than once.

Thus far, the results of their trip were not encouraging.

"What do you put in curry again?" Chie said.

Yukiko frowned pensively. "Carrots, potatoes, onions . . . mushrooms, green peppers, and . . . radishes?"

You're not sure what goes in curry? This is not a good sign.

Chie then proceeded to triple his unease. "Are radishes . . . the same as turnips?"

Souji closed his eyes and took a deep, quiet breath. I'm starting to understand why Chie fails roughly half her subjects. There is no way this can end well.

"Curry's fine, right?" Chie said, turning to face him. "It's practically our national food, after all."

"We thought about ramen, but we weren't sure that would be enough for you and Yosuke," Yukiko put in. "Especially you, Souji, since you're an athlete as well as our team leader."

He had to tread very carefully indeed. "I enjoy well-made curry," he conceded, fighting back a wince. "My grandmother made it for me when I was little."

Yukiko nodded firmly. "Then we have a high standard to reach."

With an odd sinking feeling, Souji began a mental checklist. He was going to need plenty of ingredients himself, if he wanted his backup plan to succeed. His stomach, he was all too certain, depended on it.

"Hey, Chie, you put potato starch in curry, right? Otherwise the sauce won't thicken."

Souji wasn't even looking now, save to keep half an eye on their shopping cart. This is officially an emergency. I'm going to be busy tonight.

"Some flour, too," Yukiko went on. "We need to do this just right."

Chie groaned softly. "I'm seeing at least three kinds. What do we want? There's regular, all-purpose. Whole wheat. . . ."

"Whole wheat sounds healthy," Yukiko said. "Pepper, hmm. They have black and white." A rustling of fabric, probably a shrug. ""Let's get both. We'll need some special ingredients, too."

Why do I not like the sound of that?

"I heard about something like that," Chie said. "Yogurt . . . chocolate, maybe? Yeah, I like mint chocolate. Let's get some of that."

Yukiko hummed softly. "How about some coffee? That could add an exotic touch."

"Mmm, I can't drink coffee," Chie said. "Oh, there's mocha. I like that stuff."

Feeling a headache coming on, Souji surreptitiously pinched the bridge of his nose. Okay, are you two planning to make curry, or some kind of witch's brew? It sure doesn't sound like any curry recipe I know. His eyes flickered over the shelves.

There. Just what he needed.

"We should add some seafood, too," Yukiko said. "It'll make the sauce taste better."

Half convinced his friends were concocting some sort of chemical weapon, Souji picked up his pace. Busy, he suspected, was going to be an understatement.

Evening

In theory, the dishes he'd chosen were quite simple, certainly nothing to get worked up about. In practice, since he was cooking for six, things were rather more complicated. After the first few minutes, Souji decided he would be satisfied if he didn't burn anything.

"Whoa, that's a lot of food," Dojima said, coming up behind him. "Are you planning on feeding the basketball team at school?"

Souji hurriedly checked the heat on the stove. "Two of them are for you and Nanako-chan," he said distractedly. Where's the pepper. . . . Here we go. "Since I won't be home tomorrow. The rest is for the campout."

Dojima blinked. "All this? How many are there in your group? And I thought you'd be cooking at the campsite."

Dash of salt. . . . "There's four, Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, and me," Souji said, turning the stove down just a hair. "And you're right, normally we'd just be cooking on-site. Problem is, I don't think I trust the curry recipe they're using."

Dojima lifted an eyebrow. "Why so worried about curry? It's simple enough even I can make it."

Souji grunted. " 'Are radishes the same as turnips?' That's a direct quote."

He had to hold back a laugh at his uncle's wince. "That bad, eh?"

"It gets worse," Souji said. "I'm pretty sure coffee isn't usually an ingredient in curry. Same for chocolate; I honestly don't want to know where they got that idea."

He heard girlish laughter behind him; Nanako had come downstairs just in time to catch his rather grouchy remarks. Though not much of a cook yet, even she knew better than to put coffee of all things in curry. She probably remembered Yukiko's last effort, too.

"I'm sure you'll be okay, Big Bro," she said cheerfully. "Your cooking's the best!"

He scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. "Thanks, Nanako-chan. That means a lot."

Turning back to the stove, he noted it was almost ready. Much to his relief; he was planning to turn in earlier than normal, so that he was rested for the next day's labor. At least it wasn't raining; the Midnight Channel would have been an unwelcome complication just then.

Or maybe it would give me an excuse to call in sick. . . .No, probably not. Sloth-face would never buy it.

Friday, 17 June, Daytime

It took no more than five minutes of trash collecting for Souji to decide that Yosuke was a hundred percent right. He'd never really thought about how much garbage came out of even a small town like Inaba. And right then it seemed like the majority of it was concentrated in one small area.

Not just stuff like beer cans, either. Within the first hour, Souji had found a discarded diaper bag, and some other items whose use he preferred not to contemplate. Nothing drug-related, thankfully; that was one problem Inaba from all appearances lacked.

"Okay, whose bright idea was it to throw an entire bike out in the woods?" Yosuke grumbled irritably as he and Souji lifted the offending item into a dumpster. "Dammit, this is insane."

"No argument from me," Souji said, throwing a dark look in Kinshiro Morooka's general direction. Morooka, fortunately, was looking the other way; to Souji's further irritation, the man appeared to be badgering Kanji. "The TV world makes more sense than some of this."

Yosuke bent over, breathing heavily. "Damn, I've seen a fair amount of litter at Junes, but this makes the food court look like a hospital operating room. Does every bum in town hang out here or something?"

Souji was at that moment too distracted to reply; he'd spotted something that looked like but he devoutly hoped wasn't a pile of liquor bottles. Not so much because of what they were, but where they came from; judging by the label, at least one came from the Konishi liquor stock. Not something Yosuke needed to see.

"My uncle sometimes complains about the odd vagrant," he said after disposing of the bottles. "Or maybe it's those biker gangs that Kanji keeps fighting, though I don't see why they'd come up here."

"Who cares," Yosuke groaned, leaning back against a nearby tree. "I'm gonna be starving by the time this is done, and sore as hell, too. Can't wait for dinner."

Souji hid a wince. Backup plan or no, he wasn't looking forward to trying whatever it was that Yukiko and Chie thought was curry. He would almost rather listen to a Morooka lecture. Almost.

"No help for it," he said, gesturing for Yosuke to follow him. "C'mon, partner. Sooner we get this done, the sooner we can eat and get some sleep."

Yosuke let out another groan, but followed anyway. "Yeah. No sense letting King Moron see us slacking off. It'd be worse than fighting Shadows."

Eying his homeroom teacher mistrustfully, Souji followed suit. He suspected their location had been chosen specifically for its high concentration of garbage. Morooka was certainly enough of a sadist to have done so.

Back to the salt mines.

Evening

With a soft moan of relief, Souji practically fell onto a bench. I am so glad that's over! He was almost tempted to try swimming the Samegawa after all, but leaving aside the temperature issue, he didn't really want to foul the waters with whatever muck he'd been picking up. Better to just take a shower when he got home.

"Dammit, I'm gonna need to see a chiropractor," Yosuke grumbled. "I still don't get why somebody threw away an entire bike. They should be forced to pick up their own damn trash."

"No argument from me," Souji said darkly. "Sloth-face is probably the only one who actually enjoys this, and that only because it means he can indulge his sadism. Did you see him laying into Kanji?"

Yosuke grunted. "Yeah. Sure, Kanji's an easy target, but you can bet King Moron used way too much firepower." He shook the thought away. "But let's look at the bright side. The girls are cooking just for us! I mean, sure, Chie's probably nothing special, but Yukiko has the tradition of the Amagi Inn behind her cooking! You can bet it'll be out of this world!"

That's one way of putting it. Souji glanced uneasily at Yukiko and Chie. He was upwind of the pot, so he couldn't really smell anything, but he somehow doubted that purple smoke was a good sign. What he could see of Chie's profile wasn't encouraging, either; the martial artist had a slightly pinched look on her face.

"You might not want to eat it," he said, half to himself.

Yosuke blinked. "Dude, what's wrong with you? There's no way it's that bad."

"I watched them shop for ingredients," Souji countered. "Trust me, their idea of curry might as well be from an alternate universe."

"Suit yourself."

A few minutes later, the girls came over carrying plates laden with what was supposed to be curry. Souji instantly knew something was wrong; quite apart from the smell, Chie and Yukiko both looked nervous, though they tried valiantly to hid it.

"Dinner is served," Yukiko said.

Chie smiled, her lips quavering slightly. "We put a lot of love into it," she said, setting a plate in front of Yosuke.

The "Junes Boy" tilted his head. "Lots of love? Kinda cliche, but who cares. Long as it's good food, I'm cool with it." He dug a spoon in, taking a large enough bite that Souji briefly wondered if he should call for an ambulance. Or possibly a HAZMAT team.

Yosuke's eyes went wide, and he clutched at his throat, disturbing choking noises escaping him. Just as Souji was about to go for his phone, the other teen let out a strangled cough and toppled over sideways.

Chie took a step back, visibly alarmed. "Y-Yosuke?"

Though highly unpleasant, the alleged curry wasn't actually fatal. Still coughing, Yosuke leapt to his feet. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?" he demanded. "Is this supposed to be curry!?" He coughed again and spat. "Some of it doesn't even taste all the way cooked. It's somehow gritty and slimy at the same time, and it's got squishy parts in it. I can't even swallow this stuff!"

Chie flexed one arm. "Well, it's got a wide variety of textures."

"It's nauseating!" Yosuke shot back. "What the hell did you put in that!?"

"That's just your opinion!" Chie said, ignoring the question.

An informed one, though, Souji thought, then realized Chie and Yukiko were both looking at him. His stomach twisted; he knew exactly what they were waiting for, and he didn't like it one bit. Even before Yosuke's near collapse the smell alone would have turned him off.

"I'm telling you as a friend, don't do it," Yosuke said. "I wouldn't even joke about trying that slop."

Unfortunately, it seemed there was little choice. Fixing his mind on the backups he'd made, Souji took an unobtrusive breath and scooped a spoonful of "curry."

Instantly, he knew Yosuke was right. Individually, he likely would have enjoyed most of the ingredients, but taken together in such a fashion they might as well have been the very garbage they'd spent the day cleaning up. The squishy parts he tentatively identified as takoyaki; the rest, he had no idea.

The next five minutes were spent impressing on Chie and Yukiko that they should never do something like that again, and should perhaps open an actual cookbook once in a while. They appeared properly contrite, though Chie also looked like she wanted to kick the table in half.

"All right, that's enough of that," Souji said. "Done is done. Fortunately," he unzipped the bag he'd brought along, "I suspected something like this would happen, and brought a backup."

Three faces lit up in almost comical unison. "You set something up in advance?" Yosuke said, sounding like he thought it too good to be true.

Souji didn't blame him. "Talk of adding mocha to a curry recipe was a red flag the size of Mount Fuji," he said. "Since I figured none of us would want to go hungry after spending the day picking up trash, I made these up last night." He handed one box to each of them.

Yosuke practically swooned with relief. "Man, you're a lifesaver! Thanks, partner."

"Thank you," Yukiko seconded. "I promise I'll take my cooking more seriously from now on."

"I'm sure the inn staff would appreciate it," Souji replied with a wry smile. "Better eat in the tents; Sloth-face is going to be bellowing for us to turn in any minute now."

As if on cue, Morooka's voice rang out, ordering the students to their tents. Souji more than half suspected the man would be drunk in an hour or less, but he didn't really care. The major crisis of the day was averted; more than enough for him to sleep soundly.

Alas, the day's complications weren't quite finished after all, though he conceded it could have been much worse. (Such as –he shuddered at the very thought– sharing a tent with Hanako.) He'd expected it to be just Yosuke and himself in the tent, as the other boys in their class had called in sick.

"So it's just you guys here?"

Souji didn't mind Kanji's presence, exactly. It just had the potential to be awkward under the circumstances, in any number of ways. Most of them involving Kinshiro Morooka.

"The other guys called in sick," Yosuke said. "Can't blame 'em; this whole thing is a waste of time." He raised his eyebrows slightly. "So how come you're here?"

Kanji snorted. "First years' tent is all quiet, like somebody died."

"Well, if you were there, I can't say I'm surprised," Yosuke said, unable to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"Now, now, Yosuke," Souji chided mildly. "Kanji really has been making an effort. I've heard some rumors about bullying," he conceded, "but I think it's mainly because of the reputation he already had."

Kanji looked faintly annoyed at that, but he couldn't dispute the point. He had, after all, scared off even Souji and the others more than once before being thrown into the TV world. To the other first years, he was probably some kind of ogre.

"Anyway, if you're more comfortable here, we have the space," Souji said.

Kanji flashed him a grateful smile. "Always knew you were a stand-up guy, Senpai."

Souji waved that away. "Just try not to get Sloth-face's attention. He hates me enough as it is."

"No argument from me," Kanji said, his face darkening. "You guys see how he cornered me? Bastard was going on and on about what I did in middle school, like he'd know jack about that. Said if I stepped out of line for even a second I'd be expelled on the spot."

Souji covered his face in one hand. "That's Sloth-face, all right. He's probably never smiled at his own mother. Assuming he has one."

"No kidding," Yosuke agreed. "Sure set a speed record for jumping to conclusions."

Kanji rifled through a box of animal crackers. "Gets worse," he said, popping one into his mouth. "I heard he was ranting about those two girls who died."

Souji's blood pressure instantly went up a notch. Yosuke's knuckles whitened, a downright thunderous look on his face. "King Moron was talking about Ms Yamano and Saki-senpai?" he asked tightly.

Kanji nodded grimly. "Said it's no surprise that people who are unfaithful or run away from home come to bad ends. Or something like that. Bastard."

Yosuke hissed through clenched teeth. "I can just picture him saying that. Geez, it's bad enough the way he steps on his own students; he can't even let the dead rest in peace." He reached past Kanji and grabbed a couple crackers.

I have a bad feeling about this. Souji edged away, just slightly.

"Yeah," Kanji said. "Everyone seems to hate that son of a bitch Morooka." His eyes narrowed. "Hey, what's that you're eating?"

"Animal crackers," Yosuke said. "Dude here's a good cook, but it wasn't quite enough after all the garbage cleanup."

Kanji clenched a fist. "Hey, that's my snack!" he snapped. "Dammit, now I'll never find the penguin."

That was enough to pique Souji's interest. "Penguin?" he repeated.

"Yeah, the secret animal cracker," Kanji said. "Been trying to find it for years. No thanks to this guy," he added, glaring at Yosuke.

Souji closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Forget it. It's not worth it. "Can we not have a huge brawl tonight?" he said. "I'm going to bed."

He half expected Yosuke and Kanji to continue their bickering, but after trading a couple more sarcastic quips they too settled in for the night. Sleep, unfortunately, did not come easily, albeit not for the usual reasons. Souji's mind was buzzing, partly about the case, partly about whatever his almost-fiancé had meant by her humorously cryptic phone call.

"Hey, Yosuke-senpai," Kanji murmured about half an hour later. "Can't you move over a bit more?"

Yosuke stifled a yawn. "No can do. There's a slope right past here; I'd roll down the mountain in my sleep." He rolled onto his side. "What about you?"

"You kiddin' me?" Kanji said. "There's a big damn rock there; I'd break my back."

"Oh."

Souji buried his face in his pillow. This was beginning to bode ill even more than the animal cracker issue. He just hoped it wouldn't get Morooka's attention.

"Kanji," Yosuke said slowly, his tone setting off alarm bells in Souji's mind. "Are we . . . safe with you in here?"

No, no, don't start with that!

"What do you mean?" Kanji asked, too drowsy to be suspicious.

Despite Souji's mental pleading, Yosuke just had to step on the proverbial landmine. "Well, after, you know."

Kanji Tatsumi wasn't the sharpest guy around, but he picked up on that instantly. "The hell are you talkin' about!?" he demanded, shooting to his feet. "We got that settled already!"

Yosuke also rose; Souji almost followed, but settled for just setting up. "I just want to be sure is all!" Yosuke protested. "I mean, there's still stuff floating around."

Wrong thing to say. "Just shut up!" Kanji snapped. "I ain't like that anymore! That's over and done with. . . ."

"H-Hey, don't trail off like that!" Yosuke said. "You're just making it worse!"

So are you, Souji didn't bother saying aloud. It wouldn't do any good at the point; with a sinking feeling, he knew something was about to go badly wrong.

"I told, you, I ain't got any problem with girls anymore!" Kanji all but snarled.

"Then prove it!" Yosuke snapped back. "Or I'm not gonna be able to get any sleep."

Kanji raised a fist. "Fine! I'll go check out the girls' side!"

Oh, no.

"Wait, are you crazy!?" Yosuke said, paling. "That's going way too far."

Souji decided it was time to intervene. "Don't do this, Kanji," he said, standing. "You, too, Yosuke, calm down. This will only cause trouble."

Yosuke, at least, appeared to get the message. His stance relaxed some, though he was still visibly uneasy at Kanji's demeanor.

Rightly so. "Hell with that!" Kanji spat. "Nobody, not even King Moron, is gonna stop Kanji Tatsumi!" With an incoherent (though thankfully muted) yell, he whipped the tent flap open and vanished into the night.

With a soft groan, Souji dropped to the floor of the tent, his face in his hands. I should've known it was too good to be true. Blast it, can't we do something without added chaos?

"What a putz," Yosuke muttered. "I declare myself not responsible for anything that happens!"

"You're the one who provoked things," Souji pointed out. There was no heat in his voice, however; he was too weary. "Forget it, I'm too tired for this."

It took longer than he would have liked, but after much tossing and turning he managed a fitful doze. Even then, visions of Morooka's likely reaction kept him from any true rest. It was all too easy to picture the man's irate expression, a vein in his temple bulging.

Note to self, he thought muzzily, any time Yosuke gets started on Kanji, shut it down right away.

"Hey, are you still awake?"

Souji and Yosuke both jumped. They traded an incredulous look, wondering if they'd been hearing things. You have got to be kidding!

"Yukiko!?" Yosuke hissed. "What the hell are you doing here!? This is the guys' side!"

"We know!" Chie's voice broke in. "Look, can we come in?"

Souji felt another headache brewing. "This is not a good idea," he said. "If Sloth-face finds out, we'll all be expelled."

"We know that," Chie said. She sounded frustrated, but Souji was reasonably sure it wasn't directed at him. Reasonably. "Look, there's no time! Please, just let us in!"

Souji looked at Yosuke again, got a helpless shrug in return, and sighed. "All right. Hurry."

"Thanks!"

Keeping a wary eye out for any teachers (especially Morooka), Souji held the tent flap open long enough for Chie and Yukiko to slip inside. Yosuke, he noticed, was practically vibrating from tension. Doubtless he too was thinking of the potential consequences.

"All right," Souji said when they'd arranged themselves. "What exactly is going on?"

Yukiko took a deep breath. "Well, it's Kanji-kun."

I was afraid of that. "What about Kanji?"

"Well, he came to our tent, and then," Chie seemed to struggle for words. "Then he just passed out. R-Right, Yukiko?"

"Right," the other girl said with a shaky nod. "And, well, we weren't sure what to do about it."

Translation: Chie knocked him unconscious, and now you're worried someone like Sloth-face will fin out. Souji pinched the bridge of his nose. "I understand, but I don't know what it is you want."

Chie hesitated. "Well. . . ."

"Shut up!" Yosuke hissed. "Someone's coming!"

Souji hurriedly turned off the lamp. The footsteps Yosuke had warned them of were growing steadily nearer, with a slight stagger to them, suggesting the person was injured or perhaps drunk. If it was who he thought it was, Souji would have bet money on drunk.

"Are there any misbehaving students around?" It was Morooka, all right, very close, and judging by the slurring in his voice very drunk. "Seta! Are you two in there?"

Souji had to cover Chie's mouth with his hand to stop a yelp. "Yes, sir, we're both here!"

"That so?" There was a definite sneer in the voice. "Is Hanamura already asleep?"

Showing more cheek than Souji would have expected, Yosuke piped up, "Yes, sir, fast asleep, sir!"

Drunk or sober, Morooka had no patience for jokes. "Don't give me that!" he snapped. "Just go to sleep already!" The drunken teacher yawned. "Now listen up," he said to the world at large. "Being insolent, and being indecent, are very different things!" Another yawn. "Damn, I had a few too many."

They waited until the staggering was no longer audible before any of them spoke. "Well, that took a few years off my lifespan," Yosuke said shakily.

"Tell me about it," Chie said, breathing heavily. "We were almost expelled right there."

"Yeah, because you two had to sneak in here," Yosuke said acidly.

"Well, what were we supposed to do!?" Chie shot back.

Souji held up a hand. "Okay, enough with the lovers' quarrel." He chuckled at the looks that got him. "Morooka is probably asleep already, so we can relax a little."

"And maybe get some real sleep," Chie said. She glared equally at the two boys. "Listen, you'd better not try anything, got it?"

Yosuke's mouth hung open for a few seconds. "Wait, are you planning on staying here!?" He sighed, answering his own question. "Fine, but you owe us for this. Right, partner?"

Souji shrugged. "Can't be helped."

As silently as they could, they made a barrier out of camp supplies and settled in for the night. It was far from the most comfortable arrangements Souji had ever had, but he supposed it could have been a lot worse. Eventually, he was able to fall asleep.

Saturday, 18 June, Evening

With a soft, weary groan, Souji sank down on the couch. The camping trip, he decided, hadn't been a complete disaster. The alleged curry Yosuke had dubbed "Mystery Food X" had been a close call, but his forethought had mitigated the damage. He still didn't know what exactly had gone down with Kanji, but there didn't seem to be any lasting repercussions. Kanji himself claimed no memory of the incident.

And at least I got Yosuke to drop the swimming plan, he thought, unable to suppress a shudder. Listening to Kinshiro Morooka empty his digestive tract into the Samegawa was bad enough.

"Eventful trip?" Dojima asked, handing him a cup of coffee.

"You could say that," Souji agreed after a few sips. "There was enough litter to fill several trucks, Chie and Yukiko's idea of curry would probably violate the Geneva Convention, and my homeroom teacher had a few too many."

Dojima laughed. "Yeah, I'd call that eventful. Glad you survived it." He grimaced slightly. "We're still getting prank calls at the office. I really have to wonder about people sometimes."

It was Souji's turn to grimace. "Tell me about it. A couple weeks ago I got a call from someone I knew at my last school. She told me I could be in for some 'excitement' over the next month or so. Didn't say what, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with the murders; she was laughing too much."

"I'll keep an eye out, then," Dojima said. Souji honestly couldn't tell if he was joking.

His mind was already back on the case anyway. It wasn't raining, so there was no point in trying to see the Midnight Channel just then. Still, he couldn't help feeling like something was about to happen. Why he felt that way, he had no idea.

Maybe this is just making me paranoid, he thought ruefully. Then again, maybe not.

Sunday, 19 June, Daytime

Inaba was small enough that after a mere three months Souji had most of the town's streets and byways memorized. The hill on the outskirts of town was a favorite, a place where he could relax and collect his thoughts. Many of the local parents took their children there, but they never bothered him.

He needed that sense of peace. Souji was growing increasingly on edge; on the surface things were peaceful, but the lack of activity from their mysterious enemy had a distinct air of the calm before the storm. His lip twitched in amusement at how apt that particular metaphor was, in light of the conditions for the Midnight Channel.

"Yo, Senpai."

Souji turned his head slightly. "Afternoon, Kanji. Feeling better?"

The delinquent parked himself on a nearby bench. "Yeah, that was nothin'. I'm just glad to get away from King Moron for a bit."

"You think you're glad? You don't have to put up with his lectures every morning," Souji countered genially. His mouth quirked. "Things better at home now?"

"Damn biker gangs are making noise again," Kanji said sourly. "But I promised my mom I wouldn't go after 'em again. Guess you could say I've turned over a new leaf. Not to hear the guys at school tell it," he added in a darker tone.

Souji waved a hand. "Give them time. You've built up enough of a reputation that it'll probably take a while to sink in. For now, just talk to one of us if things get too bad."

Kanji seemed to ponder that, then chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. Guess that's another one I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything," Souji said, inwardly squirming at the thought. "I'm just helping out a friend."

"Whatever you say, Senpai."

Souji's cell vibrated. With a brief, apologetic glance at Kanji, he keyed it on, and felt a comedic sort of jolt at the message. It confirmed at least some of the suspicions he'd been having for the last several days.

Makes sure you watch the news tonight.

Reika.

"Somethin' up, Senpai?"

Souji grunted. "Someone I knew at my last school texted me, says I should watch the news tonight."

"Huh." Kanji looked unusually thoughtful. "You think it's got anything to do with the case?"

"Anything's possible," Souji replied with a shrug. "It's not expected to rain tonight, so there's no point trying the Midnight Channel just yet."

Kanji walked over to the railing. "Hey, Senpai. You ever feel like something really big's about to happen? 'Cause that's what I've got right now."

Souji blinked, then mentally scolded himself. Maybe Kanji wasn't the most perceptive guy around, but he wasn't stupid, either. Just dismissing him would be doing him a disservice, especially after what they'd already been through.

"Sometimes," he said. "I've been wondering if the case is making me paranoid. Then again," he amended with a rueful chuckle, "it's only paranoia when they aren't out to get you. We're not so lucky."

"Yeah." Kanji took a deep breath and blew it out. "Well, I gotta hit Junes before I get home. See ya tomorrow, Senpai."

Evening

Souji was about halfway through his ramen when an entertainment news program came on. It seemed there was a major to-do about an up and coming teen idol taking an extended hiatus. Souji was at first too distracted to catch her name, but something about the redhead seemed familiar.

"That concludes Rise Kujikawa's statement regarding her leave of absence," an agency spokesman was saying. "We will take questions at this time, but ask that you keep them as brief as possible."

A number of hands went up. "I'm Ishioka from Lady's View," the chosen reporter said. "The press release says you'll be recuperating. Does this mean you've been having physical problems?"

The girl, Rise, looked a bit bleary-eyed. "Huh? No, nothing like that."

The reporter's next question confirmed Souji's long-held belief that his kind ranked somewhere below plague rats on the morality scale. "Psychological problems, then?"

Rise's eyes went wide. "Huh? What?"

"Rumor has it that you'll be staying in Inaba with relatives," the reporter went on. "Isn't that where there's an ongoing double murder case? Why go there of all places?"

Rise shook her head, apparently trying to clear it. "Um, I don't understand."

"Is it true they run a traditional tofu shop?" Ishioka persisted, voice rising. "Are you going to be helping with the family business?"

Sheesh, give the girl a little space, Souji thought.

Her agent seemed to agree. "No more questions! This press conference is over!"

Souji rubbed his forehead, disgusted by the chaos. He cared little for celebrities, but they were people just like anyone else, and Rise Kujikawa was even younger than he himself. It was a bit much to expect her to put up with something like that all the time.

"Is Rise-chan quitting her job?" nanako wondered.

Dojima grimaced. "I don't know, but if this is her hometown, then we're going to have to deal with every rubbernecker trying catch a glimpse."

"I don't envy you, Uncle," Souji said. "Having a celebrity suddenly coming to a sleepy town like Inaba? That would be a nightmare even without the murder case."

"And it's probably going to drop in my lap," Dojima agreed. "I'll try to keep things tight, but I might have to work late again while this is going on."

Nanako nodded. "I understand, Dad."

A memory clicked, drawing a soft groan from Souji. "This must be what Reika was talking about when she said I could expect some excitement." I'm doomed.

"Could well be," Dojima said with an absent nod. "The one good thing about this town is it had nothing of note, and now we get all the buzz. I wonder what's going on."

Souji wondered if Rise Kujikawa would be the next Midnight Channel star. It seemed far-fetched, since she'd been away from Inaba for some time, but after everything he'd been through so far Souji wasn't about to dismiss the possibility.

Dojima frowned thoughtfully. "Rise Kujikawa, huh."

Author's note: Bit weak in some areas, I suspect; if so I apologize. More importantly, I must apologize for how long it took; the last few months have been beyond insane.

Just a couple of things to mention. Yes, I deliberately omitted the swimming event; it always struck me as gratuitous. Also, Reika Sakamoto is in no way related to 5's Ryuji. I just found the surname convenient.

That should be all. Hope at least some good came of it. ~D.S.