Sunday, 13 November, Daytime

It was absurd. Sunday meant no school, but there was plenty to do in Inaba if you knew where to look. Plenty of fish in the Samegawa, any number of options at Junes, a quick train ride to Okina City if you wanted more excitement. And yet Souji felt at loose ends.

Ridiculous. Especially since he now had the smartest girl in the universe as his girlfriend. If there was one thing for which there was absolutely no excuse, it was boredom.

He got downstairs just as Naoto was emerging from the bathroom, dressed in the same coat and pants she'd worn when they first met. "Good morning, Souji-kun," she said with a smile.

If he wasn't careful, he would get too used to this. The current arrangement was temporary, after all. "Good morning, Naoto-kun," he said, retrieving two packs of instant coffee from the cupboard. "Coffee?"

"Please." Naoto stifled a yawn. "I sometimes wonder how a police force would function without it."

Souji laughed. "Uncle Ryotaro says that a lot, too." He firmly stifled a pang; his uncle and cousin were in the hospital, but they were alive. The team's efforts had succeeded; now it was going to be all right.

He set two cups on the table. "So, what's on the agenda for today?" he asked lightly, cradling his in both hands. "Even if we wanted to, training would be right out; Yosuke, Rise, and Yukiko are all busy today."

Naoto took a sip before replying. "While the real mystery of that world remains to be solved, I would prefer to let it lie for the moment in any case," she said. "Have you any preference?"

"I was going to ask you that," Souji said, grimacing slightly. "To be honest, I'm bored stiff. Nanako-chan isn't allowed visitors yet, so that's right out."

Naoto set her cup to one side. "If it's all right, I would prefer something in Okina," she said. "A little time away from Inaba would be nice, under the circumstances."

Souji raised his eyebrows slightly. "Something on your mind?"

"The last few days have been slightly . . . awkward at school," Naoto admitted. "Rumors about me . . . about us. Please don't misunderstand," she added, "I have absolutely no regrets about our relationship." As if in emphasis, she reached out and squeezed his hand. A small thing, but coming from her it might as well have been a kiss. "It would, however, be naive to expect the rest of the student body to simply ignore it."

She had a point. "I've heard some of that," he said, his voice turning briefly sour. "One of my classmates had the gall to ask if I was dating you and Rise simultaneously, either cheating or some kind of consensual open relationship, or whatever." He smiled at Naoto's look of mixed embarrassment and anger. "He backed off when Chie made clear she'd kick him in his weak spot if he didn't shut up."

Subsiding, Naoto retrieved her coffee cup. "Indeed. Though Chie-senpai can be perhaps . . . excessively aggressive, I can't bring myself to complain. Such inquiries are most improper."

"And it's always nice to know you have friends who have your back," Souji agreed. "Okay, then, Okina City it is. We can go right after breakfast, if you'd like."

Naoto smiled. "That would be most welcome."

Busy as she had been with the case, Naoto had never had the opportunity to visit Okina City. Nor had there really been reason; until she met Souji, most frivolities had taken a back seat to her work, the primary exception being her beloved detective novels.

Souji, of course, was well aware of the detrimental effects of "all work and no play," and had been to the city several times, usually with either Yosuke-senpai or Rise-san. Though Naoto recalled reports of him being seen at the station accompanied by Ai Ebihara of all people.

Strangely, he appeared almost ill at ease. "Is something wrong, Souji-kun?"

He jumped a little, then shook his head. "I think it's more that I've gotten used to the peace and quiet of Inaba," he said, smiling a bit ruefully. "Weird for a city boy like me, I know."

"Not so much," Naoto disagreed. "As you yourself have admitted, you've been looking for a place in life for a long time. It's hardly surprising that, despite being a 'city boy' by upbringing, your heart is more rural." She chuckled. "Now that does sound strange, coming from me of all people."

Souji laughed. "People change, Naoto-kun. I like to think we're changing for the better." He nodded off to their right. "There's an arcade a few blocks that way, if you're interested."

She was, as it happened. Naoto wasn't much of a gamer, certainly not to the extent of someone like Yosuke-senpai, but she made an exception for light gun games. They kept her reflexes and hand-eye coordination sharp, very important in her line of work. Not all the people she encountered were cooperative, after all.

"Lead the way, Souji-kun," she said with a smile.

They stopped at a local cafe first, where Souji made a point of paying for both. Naoto tried to protest, but he was insistent, saying it was a guy's responsibility to treat his girl from time to time. She blushed at being referred to as "his girl," but relented, on the condition that he not do so every time. She had a reputation for independence to uphold, after all.

Sipping appreciatively at a latte, her eyes flickered about with great interest. "I haven't been to an arcade in some time," she said.

"Neither have I," Souji admitted. "Last few times I was here, it was mostly shopping. Especially with Rise; you wouldn't believe the kind of shopaholic she is."

"Oh, yes, I would," Naoto countered, covering a wince at the memory. "She dragged me out to Junes a few days after I recovered from my first exposure to the TV world, and insisted I try on certain items I . . . would not have, otherwise."

Souji, to her eternal relief, did not press for details. "Here we are," he said, gesturing for her to precede him.

Allowing herself a moment to adjust to the relative dimness, Naoto gave the large room an instinctive once-over, reflexively keeping an eye out for potential threats while she sought out the right machine. As luck would have it, her favorite game was available. Smiling in a way that no doubt made her boyfriend uneasy, she dug in a pocket for a roll of coins.

Though it had been some time, Naoto found herself easily slipping into the old pattern. The light gun was comfortingly familiar in her hand, the effects on the screen a reminder of days done by. She kept her stance relaxed, knowing well the standard sequence. When the first target appeared, she instantly pulled the trigger, striking dead center.

Souji, she was mildly amused to note, fumbled at first. He managed to hit one target for every four Naoto scored. Adaptable as always, though, he soon found his way. Still not enough to match her, of course (and she took a certain satisfaction in for once outdoing her senpai, boyfriend or not), but certainly respectable given his inexperience.

"Impressive for a novice," Naoto said an hour later. "It clearly isn't your kind of game, but you picked up the nuances surprisingly quickly."

He shrugged, self-deprecating as always. "Learning fast is a survival trait theses days," he said. "Easy enough to apply it to other areas."

"True enough," Naoto conceded. "Might I suggest we stop at the bookstore before returning to Inaba?"

Souji chuckled. "Adding mind-reading to your repertoire, Naoto-kun? I was thinking the same thing." He stood, just incidentally taking her hand. "There's a well-stocked one not too far from here."

Naoto couldn't help blushing at the contact, but she supposed she should try to get used to it. Awkward and inexperienced (to put it mildly) though she was, if she was going to be in a relationship she should at least try to act like it. Holding hands seemed a good place to start.

The look on Souji's face strongly suggested he knew what she was thinking, but he made no comment. He moved a bit closer, enough to be considered intimate, yet leaving sufficient room to pull away if she felt the need. Ever the gentleman, Souji Seta.

Naoto wouldn't have it any other way.

Thursday, 17 November, Early Morning

A fairly gloomy day, but no rain to speak of. Souji saw no need for an umbrella as he walked to school, Naoto a half-step behind and to his right. By now, they were seen together so much that few gave them a second glance, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

He recognized two students ahead, a senior girl and a lazy junior who was always futilely making eyes at her. "Will you look at those clouds," the boy drawled. "I hear the weather's supposed to start getting worse tomorrow."

The senior shook her head, looking depressed. "Oh, don't tell me we'll have more fog. One of these days I'm going to get hurt on my way home from cram school, it'll be so dark."

Grinning, the junior pounced. "How about I start walking you home tomorrow, Senpai?"

Lost cause, Souji thought, shaking his head. He glanced to his right in time to see Naoto roll her eyes. Unsurprisingly, her thoughts clearly mirrored his. Maybe the lazy junior would have a chance with a studious upperclassman, but it was unlikely in the extreme.

Morning

There were worse things, he supposed, than listening to Mrs. Nakayama complaining. Chasing a murderer through extradimensional fog, tasting Yukiko's cooking, seeing Kanji in a dress, stuff like that. Well. Kashiwagi's idea of flirting was down there, too.

Nakayama sighed. "Sorry, I'm just not feeling motivated today. As soon as you discover something's wrong, the sorrow just won't leave." She shook her head. "Really, don't rush into marriage, whatever you do." She rolled her eyes. "Not that young people like you would understand until it's too late."

Souji kept his face neutral, but inwardly he bristled. Having finally established a proper relationship, it annoyed him to hear such things downplayed.

The teacher suddenly glared at Yosuke. "Are you mocking me, Hanamura-kun!?" Souji could practically feel his partner jump. "Marriage is a huge chunk of your life! Once upon a time, people actually had to put deposits on it!" She was practically grinding her teeth. "So tell me, what's the origin of the word 'wedding'!?"

Yosuke swallowed. "Ease off, there," he muttered, "students don't exactly have it easy." He paused. "Wait, what did she ask me? The origin of the word 'wedding'?"

"A gamble," Souji whispered back. Yosuke repeated it with an air of relief.

Nakayama gave a sharp nod. "That's right, it's a gamble. Did you hear me? A gamble!" She gritted her teeth. "If only I'd known, I wouldn't be in this mess! Don't make that mistake, people!"

Yeesh, just get a divorce already, if it's that bad!

Evening

It was just after dinner that his cell rang. Souji had finished with the dishes, and sat with Naoto on the couch, each with a cup of coffee in hand. She was still more than a little awkward, but made an effort to adjust to their new circumstances, and sat closer than she would have just a few days before.

"I'm here," he said.

"Souji, I'm so sorry I took so long to call," his mother said, her voice trembling. "I heard about Ryotaro and Nanako-chan? Are they all right? Are you all right?"

Souji took a deep breath, reassured by Naoto's hand on his arm. "Nanako-chan was kidnapped by the local serial killer, but they," we, "were able to rescue her. Uncle Ryotaro tried to chase him down, but got into an accident, so they're both in the hospital. And the killer is in custody."

"That's a relief." Aoi's voice steadied. "How are you holding up? It can't be easy, all alone like that again."

"It's hard at times, but I'm coping," Souji said. "And I'm not really alone, not this time. I have friends at school, and. . . ." He trailed off, uncertain how he should broach the subject. "Would you believe I have a girlfriend now?"

There was a long pause; he could almost see his mother's shock even through the phone. "Souji, that's wonderful news," Aoi said when she'd found her voice. "What kind of person is she?"

Souji glanced at Naoto in the corner of his eye. Predictably, she was blushing. "This is going to sound strange. It turns out the famous Detective Prince is actually a Princess." He chuckled, as much at Naoto's embarrassed glare as his mother's evident disbelief. "I know, it surprised just about everyone else, too. Anyway, she's level-headed, probably smarter than I am, and we have a lot in common." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Mom, the truth is we connect, in a way I've never had with anyone."

"Mm." The sound was meditative. "It's certainly a surprise, but a welcome one. Your father and I have been concerned ever since the arrangement with Reika Sakamoto fell apart, however amicably. That you managed to find someone on your own is an immense relief."

Souji smiled. He hadn't really worried, of course, but it was still gratifying to hear his mother voice her approval. "It's strange, but in a good way," he said. "Without her, I'd probably have lost my mind when Uncle Ryotaro and Nanako-chan were hospitalized."

"High praise indeed," Aoi observed. "I wish I could talk longer, but things are still rather chaotic here, though hopefully not for much longer. Take care, Souji, and please tell Shirogane-san I look forward to meeting her."

"I will. 'Night." Souji set the phone aside and grinned at his girlfriend, who was now a brighter red than Yukiko's sweater. "Mom says she looks forward to meeting you."

"So I gathered," Naoto said. "Did you have to—never mind." She shook her head. "It would have been too much to expect you to hide something like that from your own mother."

Souji smiled and took her hand, threading his fingers around hers. "I meant every word," he said more quietly. "This is just right, Naoto-kun."

She half-glared for a moment, then sighed. "It's embarrassing, but I can't really disagree. I still have much to learn, I suppose." She looked up with a wryly affectionate smile, then, to Souji's delight, slowly leaned her head into his shoulder.

The warm weight was comforting, a physical reminder that whatever happened, Souji was no longer alone. More than ever, he was thankful for the circumstances that had brought him to sleepy Inaba. It was, he reflected, the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Monday, 21 November, Early Morning

Ordinarily, Souji would have felt pretty relaxed. The Midnight Channel had turned up blank the previous night, as he'd expected. With Namatame in custody, it seemed unlikely they would need to watch it anymore. Once Dojima and Nanako were out of the hospital, things would be back to normal.

Unfortunately, there was one detail. He and Naoto were walking through a thick fog, and that made him uneasy. There was, to be sure, a good chance that it was nothing; not all fog was related to the TV world, after all. Still, the timing seemed just a bit ominous.

Halfway to school, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko seemed to materialize out of nowhere. "Yo," Yosuke greeted. "Check it out, Namatame's in the morning paper." He nodded to the newspaper in Yukiko's hands.

Curious, Souji moved for a closer look. The headline on the front page claimed Namatame had regained consciousness. "Some good news for once," he observed. "Says he regrets the whole thing, and was scared out of his mind. Hard to believe, the way he was when we found him."

Yosuke shrugged. "Eh, maybe that freaky place was messing with his head. Point is, it's finally over."

"Yeah," Chie agreed. "I just wish we could've finished it sooner."

"We did what we could, Chie-senpai," Naoto said quietly. "All things considered, it speaks well of us that the other world didn't claim any more lives after Saki Konishi." She gave Yosuke a brief apologetic look, but he waved it off.

Chie nodded, then shivered. "Is it just me, or is the fog really thick? And it's colder than usual, too."

It was, at that. November wasn't usually this cold, not in a place like Inaba at least. Souji could recall it in the northern mountains, but that was largely due to a difference in topography. They weren't due to have snow for something like a month yet, if the normal pattern held.

He jumped slightly when a tall form walked out of the fog. "Oh, it's you guys," Adachi greeted. "Good timing; just got a call from the hospital. Starting today, Nanako-chan can have visitors."

Souji instantly made a mental note to beg off any club functions after school. Since practically everyone at Yasogami knew how close he was to his cousin (even Kashiwagi was sympathetic), he didn't expect to have any difficulty. Idly, he wondered if Sayoko would be there.

"Is that today's paper?" Adachi asked. At Yukiko's nod, he grimaced. "You, you already know."

"So it's finally over?" Souji asked.

Adachi's face brightened. "Should be, since we caught the perp. He's still mentally unstable, but we're putting the pieces together one at a time." He hesitated. "Technically this is still a secret, but I guess you guys would be cleared for it. You remember that diary Naoto-kun found in his truck? Turns out there were entries about Ms Yamano and Ms Konishi in it." His lip twisted. "Seems he'd been making advances on Ms Konishi."

At that, Yosuke's face darkened. "That son of a bitch. . . ." he ground out.

"Well, anyway, I'd better get to the hospital myself," Adachi said. "Dojima-san's on the mend, to, so I need to go over some stuff with him."

Souji nodded. "I'll—we'll be there after school."

"Gotcha." With a quick nod, Adachi took his leave.

Finally, some good news to offset the fog. If Nanako was allowed visitors, it meant she really was on the road to recovery. Mission accomplished, as Teddie would probably say.

One of them, however, was looking a bit downcast still. "Yosuke," Chie murmured.

His head came up. "Sorry, I'll be okay. What matters is Namatame is in handcuffs, so he can't hurt anyone else. Let's make sure and visit Nanako-chan after school!"

No one could disagree with that.

Morning

Kimiko Sofue's class, normally one of Souji's favorites, provided a rather unwelcome distraction. "Just a little reminder, final exams start next week," she said. "For years now, I've been comparing students' faces, before and after exams. The results have been very interesting."

I'll just bet.

Sofue paused for effect. "Oh, they're flying high at the start, but when it's all over, their faces turn bone-white."

Sometimes they're white as a sheet right from the start, Souji thought, glancing at Chie in the corner of his eye.

The teacher smiled in her oddly mysterious way. "Speaking of turning white, are you all familiar with Othello, the game named for Shakespeare's play? Some say the name is to demonstrate the drastic change in relationship between the black general and his white wife."

Odd bit of trivia.

Sofue chuckled lightly. "Just goes to show, even games have history to them. You might not think it's important, but you should make sure to put it in your notes. Much like history, you never quite know what's going to be on a test." She laughed.

"Expect the unexpected" was certainly the rule at Yasogami. The collection of personality disorders that made up the faculty ensured that much.

After School

Between Yumi's family drama, Kanji's mother, and now his uncle and cousin, not to mention his part-time job, Souji had spent rather more time at Inaba Municipal Hospital than he liked. He really hated seeing Nanako confined to a bed like that, the steady beep of the heart monitor in the background.

He stood at her bedside, Naoto close beside him, his other friends and his uncle gathered in a loose semicircle. "Nanako?" Dojima said quietly. "Everyone's here to see you."

Nanako slowly turned her head. "Big . . . bro. . . ." She managed a weak smile.

It almost killed him, hearing her in such pain. "I'm here, Nanako-chan," Souji said softly.

"Dojima-san!" a sharp female voice interrupted. A woman in her thirties, a nurse judging by the outfit. "How many times does this make!?" She didn't wait for a reply. "I understand you're worried about your daughter, but you need rest, too."

Dojima growled softly in frustration, but nodded. "Sorry."

"Are your injuries that bad?" Yukiko asked, frowning slightly.

Um, Yukiko, he's in a wheelchair. That should be enough to go on.

His uncle sighed. "The most obvious wounds have closed, but I'm told I have some internal injuries." He winced. "Including a couple of broken ribs."

Visibly exasperated, the nurse shook her head. "Your checkup is soon, so please be back in your room before then."

Souji watched her go, then looked down at his cousin. "Are you okay, Nanako-chan? Do you need anything?"

She smiled up at him. "You're here, so . . . I'm okay. . . ." Her eyes slipped closed.

Asleep, good. Souji glanced at his team and inclined his head toward the door. They filed out after him, no one saying a word. In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Teddie glancing back, a troubled look on his normally cheery face. Guilt, Souji suspected, over his inability to help despite it being his world.

"As a doctor, I never thought I'd say this, but we still can't determine the cause of her symptoms," the physician in charge was saying. "That's why we can only administer treatments for her pain."

"She's not in danger anymore, is she?" Dojima pressed.

The doctor sighed. "For now, but we can't let our guard down. All we can do is monitor her condition."

Dojima grimaced, but nodded. "Adachi, how are things going with Namatame?"

"He's awake, but not really in any condition to talk," the younger man said unhappily. "We only get a little time each day for interrogations, so we'll have to wait until his strength returns."

From the look on Dojima's face, the news was unpleasant but far from unexpected. "I need to get back to work as soon as possible," he said. "Hopefully Nanako will be out of the hospital by then."

Adachi cleared his throat. "Um, it might be better if Nanako-chan stays here a while longer. More peace and quiet, anyway." At Dojima's questioning look, he shrugged. "There's some weird rumors going around about the fog. Nobody seems to know what's causing it."

"He's right," the doctor said. "We've seen a sharp increase in patients complaining of fog-related ailments. Unusual to say the least."

Faint alarm bells sounding in his mind, Souji half-raised a hand. "Is the fog dangerous?"

The doctor pursed his lips. "I can't say for certain that it has no effect on the human body. At the very least there's a definite possibility of a psychosomatic issue, anxiety and so forth. But as far as the fog's chemical makeup, I'm afraid that's far outside my area of expertise. Of greater concern is the delay in delivery of medical supplies due to the foggy conditions."

Dojima groaned. "Fog-related health problems, that's nonsense."

Souji wasn't so sure. There was no question the heavy fog was highly unusual, and it wasn't like there were a million cars in the area spewing smoke. A very ugly suspicion was beginning to form in the back of his mind. He hoped he was wrong, but the idea was all too plausible. Unfortunately, there wasn't yet enough information to say for sure.

He waited until he was almost home before broaching the subject even with Naoto. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That there is more to this fog than meets the eye?" she responded. "Yes. Fog is hardly uncommon in Inaba, but it doesn't normally linger for so long." Her eyes flickered over the street, noticeably less busy than usual. "I fear there is something much deeper going on, Souji-kun."

"I was thinking the same thing," Souji said, then forcibly banished the thought. "For now, we can only wait and watch. How about Aiya's on the way back?"

Naoto smiled and took his hand. "An excellent idea, Senpai."

Author's note: A very short chapter, I know. Thing is, I wanted a breather chapter, and events proceed rapidly after Nanako is hospitalized, so this was the best I could come up with. If I screwed up, please let me know. ~D.S.