A/N: This chapter was hard to type. Trying to find that drive to do fanfiction is getting pretty tough, especially when I feel guilty enough leaving this story with no updates for nearly a month... I'm trying. But either way, it was a little fun seeing the King's Game scene ingame, but writing it here felt tedious. I didn't want to just skip most of the dialogue because I felt like it'll feel... like I tried to summarise it. Still, here it is.
Sorry for any grammar mistakes and style weirdness. Been a while, y'know?
KatoriAeku
- Admittedly, some of it did get summarised. It was the first chapter since my exams and holiday in a village, which was about two months, so it felt weird writing all that again. Yui can technically relate with a number of things with anyone, because people are complex and that I myself can relate emotionally to people too, so I try using myself and my thoughts as a base for Yui's thinking process... eh, I tried. I hope I did the King's Game justice in this chapter - changed a few things without straying too much from the game. Hopefully you enjoy it!
Vangran - True. It's just that she's been alone for so long that Yui thinks she has to do everything all on her own... keep that in mind, eh?
JAF (Guest)
- Well, some of Yui's personal thoughts are mine too, just altered heavily so it fits her background. I specialise more in writing 'limited 3rd P.O.V.' where the writing focuses more on Yui's actions and thoughts, even if I don't put in those thoughts in dialogue form. Kinda feels easier that way, and less awkward too. Donno about the lesbian part - I won't say my thoughts on that cause I don't want fire raining down on me, haha. Sorry for taking so long to write this chapter, so I made sure to write it more than ten pages long in MS Word... just for you and the other reviewers! ;w;
RaiaYuki
- Who knows, maybe he's got a thing for it that he has that sense, lol. I sent you a PM asking about those ideas but you never replied, so I guess I'll tell you here that I'm open to those ideas! Just need to see if any of them are possible to put into the story, heh.
- Well, that bar scene is in this chapter, so hopefully it's up to your standards! =w=
LoveroftheKiller
- Aww, you're too kind. The reason I can write in the details of the game very well is because... well, one thing is that I do a lot of research, and I'm kinda playing the game on an emulator? So I can just reload a state and see how things are before writing it in the story! Also, yaaay another KanYu shipper! I promise you, the arc where everything that is Yui Narukami shall come to light will happen at least after Naoto joins the Investigation Team. I'm a sucker for angst and fluff (the former more, bwahahah) so I'll hopefully do justice to the pairing with this little fanfic!
Creedpah
- ;W; Creedpah! I missed you! I don't mind you not reviewing, it's just a little worrying and maybe a small bit disheartening to see, but I'm okay, haha. Hope you've been well in the many weeks since you replied, and I hope this chapter is as well as my writing has been before the sudden two month break I had.
The trip to Tatsumi Port Island would last three days and two nights, involving both first years and second years. It at least guaranteed that Yu would still be with his friends in the Investigation Team, though he'll probably be put with the boys when it came down to sleeping arrangements, which… wasn't a pleasant thought. After the whole camping incident a few months back, the last thing he wanted was a repeat of what happened the day after the campout…
Either way, on the first day, they went to the school on the island - Gekkoukan High School. One thing for certain, it was much bigger than the school back in Inaba… though it was smaller than the city schools Yu had been in before.
"Whoa, what's up with this place…? This school's way too big! Wait… If we can't beat 'em on size, we're totally sunk…" Yosuke commented with wide eyes, looking up at the school while the principal of said school was currently giving a speech about it.
The principal was a pudgy man with greying hair who also wore round glasses, which could make one wonder how old he was at this point. He continued with his speech after he finished talking about something… "Well, uh, next I will explain about our fine educational institution and the reasons for its establishment! Uh, I'd like to start with a proverb… 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well'."
How boring.
Chie yawned quietly, feeling bored already. "Is this principal in love with his own voice or what…?"
"Chie! He'll hear you!" Yukiko chided her best friend, not wanting the brunette to get called out because of what she said.
At least the principal hadn't heard Chie's comment, still busy giving a speech. "Ah-hem… our school is closed today, but, ahh, because of this rare opportunity for cultural exchange… some of our students will walk you through these halls. First, though, a student body representative will say a few words…"
Then, the sharp-looking student that stood next to him spoke up with a smile. "Thank you, Principal." She walked forward a few steps so she was now directly in front of the group of students from Yasogami High School. "Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. My name is Chihiro Fushimi. I'm a third-year student, and the Student Council President here at Gekkoukan. It's an honour to meet you all today."
Yosuke couldn't help but smile as his eyes widened at the sight of Chihiro… mostly because she looked pretty. "Holy crap, that girl's unbelievable!"
Kanji took a look at the long-haired brunette, and while he will admit that she does look cute, he's already fallen for the boy who stood silently at Yosuke's left side. "Eh, I guess she is cute…"
"What do you mean 'you guess'…?" Yosuke gave the blond boy a confused look before looking back at Chihiro, his cheeks turning pink the longer he looked at her. "I gotta say… she's the most bewitching bespectacled beauty I've ever beheld…"
Chie glared at the two boys from behind them. "You guys… stop overreacting!"
Chihiro continue to speak in the meanwhile. "This is the first time our school has invited another student body for a true cultural exchange. To learn about others is to learn about oneself, and is the first step on the road to self-betterment… this I believe. To ensure a worthwhile experience for each and every one of you, we will do our best to help you accomplish that. So, let us enjoy our time together! Thank you very much." With her speech finished, everyone clapped in applause.
"…She beat me in every category…" Chie murmured, her head lowered just as Ms. Kashiwagi then told everyone to get into groups.
As students ran off to group up with their friends, though Yu stayed where he stood with Yosuke, Chie, Kanji and Yukiko since they were already a group of their own, Chihiro seemed troubled at the situation. "Oh no…!" She looked around in a small panic before walking towards the silver-haired boy, calling for his attention. "Excuse me, could I bother you for a moment?"
"Hm?" Yu then looked at her while the others surrounded him so they could face Chihiro. "Is there something?"
"This is today's schedule for everyone. Could you hand it out later, please? I forgot to do it myself…" Chihiro asked, holding out a printed paper towards Yu. She looked apologetically at him. "Sorry to be so disorganized. And you all came so far…"
Yu just smiled at her and took the schedule. "Don't worry, you're doing a great job so far."
Chihiro shook her head at his compliment. "No… I'm still struggling. Even with everyone's support, I'm barely pulling through. I used to get nervous very easily… and I once had a phobia of men, too." She then sheepishly smiled back at him. "In fact, I didn't write the speech on my own. One of the former Student Council Presidents helped me. She was the president, my first year here, and she was amazing… I always looked up to her. I should call her later and tell her the speech was a success!"
This former Student Council President must've been a really great girl then if someone like Chihiro looked up to her.
It soon dawned on her that she was rambling however, her eyes widening in embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry! Listen to me, going on and on about myself… I have to stop babbling when I got nervous. Um, your group is scheduled for a special lecture soon. The classroom is on the second floor. I have some arrangements to make with your student council, so please excuse me." She nodded at them and left, leaving Yu with the others alone again.
…And another moment later, Yosuke realised something. "Did I just hear her say 'special lecture'?" He grimaced, gritting his teeth. "We came all this way to be lectured!?"
No shit. Chie did say this trip was going to be on the boring side of things…
Yu rolled his eyes before chuckling, noticing Yukiko who got closer to him to see the schedule he still held. The black-haired girl stared at the sheet of paper for a few seconds. "Let's see, our class is… it's being taught by someone named Mr. Edogawa. The lecture's about… Qabbalah…"
"Kabawhat?" Chie gawked at her best friend in confusion.
Kanji gave the brunette a small smile. "You don't know? It's a casino."
Now everyone except him gave him a puzzled look. He shrugged it off, looking away with a slightly red face. He was probably wrong…
Yosuke merely shook his head, looking back at Yu to ask about the schedule. "So… when's our free period?"
To answer his question, Chie got closer to the silver-haired boy and checked the schedule over Yu's shoulder. "Uhh… we don't get one." Her response elicited shocked stares from Yosuke and Kanji, which turned devastated the more she explained. "We have classes all through today. Tonight and tomorrow, we'll be staying at a hotel… we'll have free time tomorrow and the day after, until we leave at noon."
The brunet groaned heavily. "You gotta be kidding me…"
"Come on, guys! Let's focus on our studies for now, so we can enjoy our free time later!" Yukiko said, trying to cheer everyone up. She only got another groan from Yosuke, whose posture had turned hunched from the thought of going through lectures all day long.
Well, hopefully they wouldn't be as boring as the ones at school…
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
The teacher who did the 'special lecture' was a man named Mr. Edogawa… and instead of giving some lecture about the so-called 'Qabbalah philosophy', he told the story about Japan's oldest tale of curses – the story of Izanagi and Izanami, and how the country came to be. It was strange, seeing that the former was the name of Yu's very first Persona… one that has now been fused with other Personas to become a new and stronger one. What an odd coincidence that this man will tell this story of all things.
At least this weird man was not teaching at his school. That was a thought not worth lingering on… though, after arriving at the hotel Ms. Kashiwagi had booked, maybe it was better imagining that scenario. Of all things… an ominous hotel like this is what she picked? It was to be expected from her sultry attitude, but… this is ridiculous.
"Isn't there something funny about this place…?" Yosuke asked, staring at the hotel sign suspiciously. Chie just looked uncertainly at it. "Is there? We don't have these modern hotels in Inaba, so I can't tell."
Rise's cheeks were of a rosy hue as she smiled, recognising the place. "Um… this area is called 'Shirakawa Boulevard', and it's—" She got cut off by Yosuke who shook his head.
"Th-That's all right, Rise. I don't think I wanna know…"
…In the silence the quickly followed, a mysterious voice spoke from the shadows. "Hmhmhm… faster than I expected… this is quite the hotel. If they were to meet me… I wonder, what would the look on Yosuke's face be…?"
"Whuh… who's that!?" The brunet looked around to find the source of the voice, eyes wide in the heavy tenseness that grew in the air. Eventually, he spotted something above him and pointed at the balcony above them. "Look! Up there!"
Everyone else followed his gaze, only to see a familiar form bearing the colours red, blue and yellow…
Yukiko gasped in shock. "It can't be…!"
"Haaa!" The figure jumped off the balcony, but landed somewhere off to the side where the trash cans and a cat was, because a sudden cat screech echoed through the road. It was none other than Teddie in his bear form who had somehow followed them all the way here, approaching them with a bright smile on his face. It's like the fall onto trash cans hadn't bothered him at all… or is he just trying to hide the shame of ending up like that? "Hmhmhm… shoo bee doo bee…"
"Teddie!? What're you doing here!?" Kanji questioned him, eyes wide with surprise.
"The lonely bear inside of me went stir crazy!"
The bear's answer only infuriated Rise who growled. "Grrr… if only I could detect people in the real world…" The sight of her angry like this worried Yukiko and Yu who glanced at her every now and then. She could be scary when she's really angry…
"How did you come here!? Do you have some special ability!?" Chie then continued the questioning, looking quite startled herself. Teddie gave her a casual smile as he answered, "No, I took the train. I swore off Topsicles and saved up the money I got working at Junes. I knew where you were going, thanks to Yosuke's 'Trip Guide'. You guys have free time tomorrow, right? No use hiding it! I already know!"
Oh, so he took the train.
How?
"How in the world did you make it here looking like that…? I mean, why wear the bear suit here!?" Yosuke voiced that query out loud, staring at Teddie in utter shock. If the bear were in his human form, such a way to getting here wouldn't sound too farfetched… yet here he was, fully dressed in the darn suit.
"I almost got thrown in the trash a couple times…" Teddie admitted with a sad shake of his head, but he cheered up an instant later. "But I kept hanging onto the promise Chie-chan made to go on a date with me! That's what gave me strength to carry on!"
…So, this is Chie's fault?
Chie laughed nervously. "Uh, g-good job, Teddie… ddDid I promise that…? Oh yeah… I do remember saying that I'd go out with you someday…"
How the hell did the bear remember something like this?
"Wheeeee!" Teddie smiled cheerfully at the brunette. "You remembered, Chie-chan! Is it okay with Yuki-chan and Rise-chan too!?"
"Let's all go together, then. Is that all right with you?" Yukiko suggested, much to the bear's surprise and happiness.
"Mmm… it's a deal!"
Yosuke and Kanji shared a glance of doubt at each other. One way or another, this bear always managed to get into things with the girls of the group…
"I've been here before, so I'll show you around tomorrow. I guess we can go shopping first. And I know a great place we can hit later on," Rise said, smiling as well. Her irritation from a while ago had faded away like steam, leaving behind a friendly Rise in its wake. Teddie chuckled, now sounding excited at the idea. "Ooh, shopping. That sounds great!"
Chie now knew how great it was to have someone who could show them around the place. "The other students don't know Port Island that well, so they're just gonna go wherever the school recommends." Which meant going to boring places… like that factory.
Yosuke shrugged, crossing his arms. "Well, I guess a shopping spree beats a factory tour. Alright, we're in too."
The dark brunette idol giggled. "Leave it to me."
Having finished their plans for tomorrow, now there's another problem… "Now… before the fun starts…" Yosuke sighed, staring directly at Teddie as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "We gotta deal with this guy."
"Can't you sleep outside for the night? That suit should keep ya nice and cosy," Kanji asked Teddie, shocking said bear. Teddie gave them all a saddened gaze. "Cruelty to animals! You don't know how much trouble I went through to get here! I took the slow train all this way! Do you hear!? The slow train!"
Before anyone could respond to that, a deep female voice spoke at the entrance of the hotel, one that belonged to Ms. Kashiwagi who had realised none of them were inside the hotel and had come outside to find them. "Now, now, you kids aren't bickering about your room allocations, are you?"
Crap.
"What's the matter?" Ms. Kashiwagi noticed the panicked look on the teenagers' faces, but her attention was then taken by Teddie who stood frozen nearby. She smiled sweetly in delight, asking about him in a 'cutesy' voice. "…Oh? What's this giant teddy bear?"
"A souvenir, Ms. Kashiwagi. It's a souvenir," Yu told her with a poker face, trying his utmost best to not go down in a fiery blaze of panic. Of all times to come out… of course it had to be when this pack of troubles that is Teddie suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"My… it's so big…" The sultry woman stared at Teddie in surprise. "Go on, hurry on inside with it. By the way, these rooms are amazing. Every room has a waterbed! But don't flip the wrong switch when you're turning on the lights, or your bed will start spinning." She then went back inside, missing the looks of disbelief on her students' faces. An awkward silence fell in the air after that as they let their homeroom teacher's words sink in. A bed that… spins?
…It can spin?
What the hell is wrong with this hotel.
Chie smiled hesitantly, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "A-Anyways, I'm looking forward to tomorrow…"
"Yeah, but I'm exhausted… for so many reasons…" Yosuke muttered, sighing deeply as he then went into the hotel, everyone except Teddie and Yu following him inside.
The silver-haired boy watched them enter the hotel before staring uncertainly at Teddie who was still standing frozen in place. Before he could go inside, he had to do something with this bear… he then approached Teddie and tapped his head a few times, seeing no response or movement from the bear. It was then Yu realised that Teddie was doing his best to act like a stuffed animal, which is… admirable, if he were honest. Coming this far may also be Teddie's way of showing how much he genuinely likes them all…
…He could sense Teddie's strong trust in them.
The Star Social Link grew stronger.
As the feeling of having reached a new level of power in said Social Link ebbed away, Yu's thoughts were broken by Teddie's words…
"…I gotta pee."
"…What?!"
Thus, began his struggle to get the damn bear inside.
On the second day of the school trip, by some miracle, during the day they managed to enter every store on Port Island and got things they found interesting with what money they brought along. But at night, they went to local mall that is Paulownia Mall, entering a place called Club Escapade… and it was exactly how its name sounded – a big club full of youngsters looking for an escape from life for a night full of fun, dancing to the beat as lights flashed above their heads.
Everyone except Yu was stunned to see such a sight, the silver-haired boy having entered a club a few times before during his delinquent days. Heck, this club was actually inferior to the ones he entered before. Possibly because those were in the main cities, while this one was just on an island…
"Whoa…! So this is a club…!" Kanji said, looking around in awe. As he did that, Chie cheered happily, smiling as she placed her hands on her hips. "Whoo! I'm totally ready for this!"
Yukiko looked around as well, intrigued at the new atmosphere of the club. "There's nothing like this back home…"
They all turned to the left to go upstairs, only to stop in their tracks upon seeing Naoto of all people coming down those stairs. The blue-haired boy gave them a stoic gaze as he questioned them. "Is it permitted for high school students such as yourselves to be here?"
"Wh-What!? Dude, look who's talking! You were here before we were!" Yosuke retorted, stuttering in surprise. Why was Naoto here? He calmed down a few moments later, realising the answer to that question. "That's right… I guess if the first-years came on the trip, you'd be here too…"
Naoto looked to the side before focusing back on the group. "The clientele here seems above-board, so I don't expect there'll be any problems." He then started to leave, only to halt in his steps when Chie asked him why he was leaving, followed by Yukiko offering him to join them. He appeared surprised at the offer. "Are you… asking me to stay?"
Yukiko nodded in response. "Uh-huh. We didn't get to chat last time."
The blue-haired boy's face flushed a reddish colour, making him avert his gaze from the group. He wasn't used to being asked to join others. "Ah… I… i-it's just that I had some matters to attend to that day."
Rise gave him a friendly smile. "Well, you're free now, right? I was really eager to talk to you. I'm curious how someone my age is working as a detective."
"How about it?" Yukiko asked again, smiling at Naoto as well.
"Hmmm… very well, if you insist." Naoto nodded, his face still slightly red. It didn't go unnoticed by Yosuke who smiled teasingly at the blue-haired boy, crossing his arms as he did. "Huh? What's up? You look a little red…" he asked the guy, flustering Naoto even further.
"Th-That's not true!"
Rise just giggled at the exchange before turning to face the others in the group. "Wait here. I'll go reserve the area upstairs for us."
"Okay." Yosuke nodded nonchalantly, only for him to do a double take when the dark brunette's words sunk in. "…Wait, what!? Reserve!?"
"Yep. Don't worry, I think I can pull some strings." Rise then walked off to some part of the club, much to the astonishment of the group. Guess even an idol like her has her skills…
While waiting around, Yu glanced behind him to look at Kanji, giving the blond boy a warm smile as he did. "Hey, Kanji. How're you doing with the place? It's your first time, right?" he asked, having to speak a bit louder since the music's volume increased, the bass pounding from the speakers in the ceilings. His smile faltered a little when Kanji's face flushed a crimson hue, followed by the younger boy looking away from him. "…Are you alright? Your face looks a little red."
"I-I'm doin' fine, Senpai. The place's kinda hot…" Kanji laughed uneasily while wiping his forehead, which started to sweat a little at how nervous he felt towards the silver-haired boy. "Don't worry 'bout me!"
"Mm, you sure?" Yu approached his junior, genuine concern in his eyes. "You're not feeling sick, are you?"
"No… 'm fine! It's just really freaking hot in here…"
"Is it? Hm, I must've gotten used to the summer heat already. Well, just take care of yourself during this trip, okay?" Yu then patted Kanji's shoulder with a hand, a bright smile on his face. "Wouldn't want you to fall sick on what's supposed to be a nice trip around town."
"Y-yeah…" The red on the blond boy's face merely deepened.
Oh, this is hard.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
After a small while, they were now all on the second floor which Rise had reserved – she still knew some people, fortunately. Now they were all sitting on red leather cushion seats, Yu himself sitting next to Kanji, who sat next to Teddie. The bear was on Yukiko's right and Chie was on her left. On the other row of seats, Naoto sat on one end and Yosuke at the other, with Rise in the middle. They all then made a toast – the drinks were supposedly non-alcoholic... and yet, he could taste a burning aftertaste on his tongue.
This taste was something he both missed and despised, for while he had longed for that burning taste at times, he stopped in hopes his old addiction would fade away. Not anytime soon apparently, if the taste of it was to be any indicator – it was supposedly fruit juice with a touch of soda in it, but there was that strong aftertaste of… what tasted like alcohol as well. It's probably just him.
Even so, he could tell that these drinks looked quite pricey, almost like cocktails… they can't possibly drink so much of it!
"Are you sure this is all right? Isn't it expensive…?" Chie asked Rise, looking uncertainly at her glass. It was so small, it would go empty in a few gulps…
The idol smiled at her and shook her head. "No worries. Two years ago, when I had a secret show here, the power went out in the middle of it, and the gig was cancelled. They still owe me from then, so they're willing to put this one on the house."
Chie then grinned excitedly. "Well in that case, I'm gonna order more."
Everyone shared a few smiles among themselves, some of them thrilled at the fact that they could order more drinks while the rest were relieved that this wasn't going to be hard on Rise in terms of prices. What a deal they got! They've got the whole floor to themselves, and they got some good drinks to enjoy for the night. This is going to be great, though... with this many people in one room, one could imagine all sorts of events happening… hopefully none of the… weirder ones… do happen.
That wouldn't bode well for anyone.
Yu quietly stared down at his drink, slowly realising that the burn on his tongue was definitely the aftertaste of alcohol. Oh no… he felt like he's going to end up relapsing into his addiction again if he doesn't put a restraint on himself now… God knows how hard it was to not long for a drop of sake or beer, or whatever the hell that has alcohol in it. This 'soft drink' was no better, and he's already feeling a little fuzzy in the head. He glanced at the others, wondering if they knew that their drinks had liquor in it.
He was about to find out.
"Whooooo! I'm not gonna hold back either!" Teddie cheered, his voice sounding a little strange.
Kanji commented on it with a confused look. "Dude… you sound even weirder today…"
"Awww, you're sho cold, Kanji…" Ah, there's the slur in the light blond boy's voice. Teddie's already all tipsy. "Hm… Kanji? Kanji, Kanji… I Kanj-ecture that shomething's up! Heeheehee, that's a great one!" He promptly began to laugh, causing everyone except Yukiko to just stare at him weirdly.
"Man, you're already in high gear…" Yosuke muttered, shaking his head.
Yukiko appeared to be mulling over Teddie's words for a few seconds in silence, a smile slowly coming to her flushed face. "…Kanj-ecture… snrk… bwahahaha!" And she too started to laugh as hard as Teddie was. Everyone else gave the two a puzzled look - this seemed a little odd, but Yu definitely knew what was up.
They were, for a lack of a better word, drunk.
"She's looser'n usual too…" Kanji said, raising an eyebrow at the two teenagers – well, it was more like one human bear and one teenager laughing like what they just said was the funniest thing in the world, which it isn't.
While the others watched the two continue laughing, Yosuke suspected that something was off about his drink, taking another sip. He couldn't find anything weird about it, but if he had to base it off Yukiko and Teddie's bizarre attitude... "Hey, wait a sec! Are these liquor…!?"
Rise quickly shook her head before looking at the brunet, her face as red as a tomato and her eyes looking somewhat dazed. Her voice was no better, stuttering and slurring her words. "I-I told 'em to give us soft drinks! They're non-alcoholic!" When Yosuke gave her an uncertain look, she let out a frustrated noise, pouting her lips. "…I told them. Really, I did! Really!" Then when she got no response, she covered her face and started to 'cry', which seemed a lot like mere crocodile tears. She's going to end up being all cheerful the next moment…
Chie stared down at her glass in shock. "Aw, sheesh… I was wondering why it's so hot…"
Kanji also looked at his glass of the beverage before taking a sniff of the scent it was giving off. "Is this seriously booze? But the smell's-"
"King's Gaaaaaaame!"
The blond boy was cut off by Rise, who got up from her seat and walked towards the table where the rest of the glasses with their drinks were, a sly smile on her red face as she yelled cheerfully all of a sudden.
Called it.
Everyone stopped whatever they were doing, staring at the idol in surprise. Did she just say what they thought she just said?
Rise smiled mischievously, looking at everyone with hazy eyes. "Times like this, adults play the King's Game. It's the law…" She hiccupped, just as the others looked at her strangely. She's hopelessly lost to the alcohol now. "What's their problem…? They make me act like a ditz, call me Risette and stuff, and then say I'm a kid…" Another hiccup, and she was starting to look annoyed now as she recounted her 'tale'. "It's so obvious… those wrap parties get a lot funner after I go home! Morooons! I'm gonna play the King's Game now and ain't no one gonna stop me!"
Worried glances were shared among the group that has yet to be lost to the fog of drunkenness.
King's Game… wasn't that the game involving sticks and ordering people?
"Yet another side of Rise exposed… I wonder if she knows what she's saying…" Yosuke murmured, staring at Rise with a thoughtful look. If the dark brunette knew what she was saying, she'd either get embarrassed or be proud of it. Who knows?
"Kanjiiii!" Rise shouted at Kanji, who straightened himself in shock at being yelled at. "Get the chopsticks ready!"
The blond boy's eyes widened. "Wha—!? Why me…?"
"The King's word is law! Chop-chop!"
Yosuke became tense, stunned to hear those words. "I-It's already started!?"
Hence started the chaos.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
After a while, Kanji did get the chopsticks, and Rise managed to prepare them despite being all woozy. All that's left is to just start the 'game'.
"U-Um… what's this King's Game again?" Chie quietly asked her best friend, feeling nervous at playing something that only adults play… or so Rise said. The black-haired girl smiled drunkenly at the brunette and waved her arms in the air as she explained, her voice heavily slurred. "Okay… one chopstick makes you the King if you draw it, and the others have numbers on 'em… the King picks a number and says what that person has to do. But who has which number is a secret until the King gives the orders!"
"Senpai, you're such an adult! You tell 'em!" Rise cheered her senior on with a heavily flushed face.
Chie just stared at Yukiko in shock. "Y-Yukiko!? Where'd you learn this stuff!?"
"C'mon, everyone draw!" The idol then passed around a cup filled with the chopsticks, starting with Yu first. He stared at the cup of chopsticks for a while, wondering if he should go with his instinct or do guesswork. The former told him to grab the nearest stick, while the latter made him choose the furthest one… but, seeing that his instincts have also kept him alive in the TV world, it probably would do him well to go with them again this time around. With that, he confidently picked the nearest stick and passed the cup to Kanji, watching the others pick their sticks.
While they busied themselves with the task, he took a peek at his stick.
…Number 6, huh?
Not bad.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Once everyone had their sticks, Rise spoke up to ask with a naughty smile. "Okay, sooooo… who's the King?"
Everyone then looked at their sticks, Yu included so he wasn't called out for peeking at his early. A few moments later and suddenly, Teddie got up with a shocked look on his face. "Teddie's is red! Red! Is Teddie the King!?" Those words easily made the others except Yukiko stare at him with troubled looks – knowing the light blond boy, he'll probably ask for something outrageous. He's capable of it; one just needed to remember what he did back during the summer festival and his efforts to get to Port Island in the first place.
Yosuke groaned. "Ugh, we're already doomed from the get-go…"
Pretty much.
"I, the King, command thee to smooch the King without delay!" Teddie ordered, a playful smile coming to his lips. "Smoooooooch!"
That got everyone else in the room anxious. Oh, he has got to be kidding. A kiss?
"S-S-S-Smooch!?" Chie's eyes grew big at the order, now feeling worried if she had to give Teddie exactly that. She and everyone else listened with tense forms as the human-bear announced his choice while holding his stick tightly, eyes shut in a hasty prayer to the ones above.
"Please God… grant me a girl! Number… two!"
"Aaaahhh!" Yosuke stood up in alarm, gaping at Teddie with a dismayed look. He looked down at his stick, and there it was, the number two in bright red. "What the hell?!"
Teddie shared the exact same expression for a split second before looking away from the brunet. "Uhh, I meant number three…!"
Kanji quickly shook his head – that was his number! Like hell he's going to end up smooching this bear! "No take-backs, Teddie!"
"Smooch, smooooch!" Yukiko cheered the two on while waving her arms in the air again, making everyone feel nervous. This game was a lot more serious than they had realised… the wrong number and the wrong request, and something like this can happen. Teddie and Yosuke were receiving the brunt of it.
Teddie looked at Yosuke again, still looking shocked. "Yosuke… my own roommate, taking something so precious from me…!" A determined expression then took over the shock, his baby blue eyes staring directly at the brunet as he got closer. "Okay, but it's my first time! Be gentle…!" he said slowly, lifting his hands up as he prepared to do the act. Surprisingly, he's actually going to do it. His 'partner' doesn't look very happy at that fact, slowly backing away.
"H-Hell no…!" Yosuke could only shake his head in refusal, lifting his hands up to defend himself just as the human-bear threw himself onto him, causing them to roll around on the tiled floor for a few moments before stopping, with Teddie right on top of the brunet. "Gahh! Argh, stop that! I'm this close to punching you, Teddie!" His yells went unheard by Teddie as the light blond boy managed to get a hold of his face. His eyes widened in horror as Teddie started to lean in. "Aaaagh! Noooo! H-Heeeelp!"
…A loud smooching sound echoed through the room.
Wow, they really did it. Albeit forced.
Rise giggled, that same mischievous smile on her flushed face again. "Ohooo… only the first round, and two contestants have dropped out already." Her comment made the remaining others stare at her in worry. What have they gotten themselves into?
"Huh? Is it that kind of game?" Chie asked nervously, only to be ignored by the idol who got up and raised a fist into the air excitedly.
"On to round two!"
Yikes.
Yu soon found a cup full of chopsticks shoved into his face again, which he stared at for a few moments to let his hazy mind take in the fact that he needed to pick a stick. Carefully too, because he didn't want to end up like how his best friend did. Lifting a tentative hand, he pondered over his choices again before deciding to go with his instinct once more, this time picking the farthest stick from him before passing the cup over to Kanji. He took a peek again at his stick… it would be an understatement to say that he was surprised to see a red mark on it.
He was the next King!
Eyes widening slightly, he quickly hid the shock on his face with a stoic expression, acting calm as he always did. This can either be good for him or not… and seeing that the only people left were two boys and three girls, two of the latter which were drunk as hell, he might not be getting out alive tonight.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Once everyone had their sticks, Rise smiled mischievously again. "Who's the King?" she asked eagerly, eyes narrowed with a drunken look to them.
"…I am." Yu lifted his hand, letting the others know that he was the King for this round. He could then see expressions of relief appear on Chie, Naoto and Kanji's faces, glad that their next King was someone who was alright… or at least, they thought he was.
"Phew, someone decent… no crazy orders this time…" Chie commented, smiling gladly at that fact.
However, her hopes were dashed when Yukiko spoke, her voice slurring while waving her arms in the air again. "That's not how it goes! If the last King demanded a smooch, then the next order's gotta be more extreme." She leaned back against the red leather seats, her eyes falling shut as she droned on. "Chiiieee, don't be such a party pooper… ahahahaha!" She continued to laugh, making the others sans Rise stare at her with concern. Whatever was in those drinks, it was making her act unlike herself.
Just then, Rise had a 'great' idea come to her. "Heyyy! The person who gets picked should have to rest their head on the King's lap."
On his lap…?
"Nah, make 'em sit on his lap," Yukiko countered.
Uh…
"Oh! Or they could have to hug him!"
Hell no!
"Better than that… a piggyback ride!"
…What?
"C'mon, King! Who's gonna do what!?"
Before Yu could even comprehend all these suggestions, he was already getting pressured on by the idol… and everyone else was staring at him, including Kanji. Blinking a few times, he tried to think of what number of pick and which suggestion to even go with. He… he could take a girl doing any of those things. It'll just be a thing where anything that happens tonight shall be… uh, forgotten the next morning. Hopefully. There is that one chance where the one of the two boys in this room could end up getting called by him… but that's just a two-over-five chance.
Well, his luck with his instinct has been doing well these last two chopstick pickings.
Deciding to throw it all to fate, his eventually made his choice, saying it out as he closed his eyes, awaiting a squeal of joy from Yukiko or Rise, or even a gasp of surprise from Chie.
"…Number four hugs me."
"Wha—!?"
He hadn't expected to hear a masculine voice, however.
The exclamation followed by a shuffling sound made the silver-haired boy open his eyes, turning his head in the direction he heard that voice from. Slowly, he trailed his eyes up to see a stunned look on Kanji's face, who had stood up the moment his number got called out. "S-Senpai, sure you didn't say the wrong number…?!" he asked the older boy, desperately wishing he heard wrong. That he didn't just get ordered by Yu Narukami to hug him, of all things!
Yu struggled to find the words to speak, opening and closing his mouth a few times. He felt like an idiot for a moment. "I… er… is your number actually four…?"
"No way…" Kanji's eyes widened. "How'dya choose me out of three girls?!"
"W…well…"
Rise cut in with a bubbly giggle, interrupting their conversation. "The King's order is…"
"…Absolute! Ahahaha!" And Yukiko finished the idol's sentence, laughing drunkenly.
This only made Yu and Kanji awkwardly glance at each other.
Kanji groaned as he looked away, scratching the back of his head. "Dammit… a hug…?" This was not helping with holding back his feelings for the upperclassman. In fact, it'll just end up with him wanting more… but when else will he have this one chance, the chance to have a taste of how close he could get to Yu under the guise of a forced hug? He was a man, darn it! And he's going to do it, come what may. With that, he got in front of the silver-haired boy.
Swallowing his saliva, he threw away whatever hesitation and uneasiness he felt at the moment to the back of his mind, just for now.
…Here he goes.
Squatting slightly, Kanji then bent down, carefully wrapping his arms around Yu's shoulders while keeping as much distance as he could from the older boy, but it wasn't enough to prevent their faces from being uncomfortably close, even as they averted their gazes from the other. The two teenagers could feel the warmth and dampness from their breaths hitting their skin, merely amplified by the growing fire in their cheeks. Thankfully the room was dimly lit to the point that the others couldn't see the red on their faces.
Is it just them, or is the room way too hot…?
It's almost as if they could hear the other's heartbeats.
As embarrassing this was, they couldn't help but savour this moment too. The one time they'll ever be this close… and the last time they'll ever enjoy something like this. These feelings that blossomed without warning, between a boy and a girl posing as a boy… until all is broken, they can't ever be together.
That's the reality of it.
Once an eternity had passed, Kanji finally let go of Yu, their eyes meeting if but for a moment. Within that instant, it felt like their hearts were being torn apart. They both quickly looked away, minds too muddled to find something to say.
Yu felt like downing his drink, alcohol or none. He can't take this while sober.
…So, he did.
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
It just ended too soon.
All that was said were a few words of sorry before Kanji returned to where he sat, just as Yosuke and Teddie recovered from their own ordeals and got back to their seats too.
Yukiko remained just as drunk either way. "Ahahaha, me next! Me! I'm the King! Actually, the Queen!" she said, giggling as she waved her arms sluggishly. In response to that, everyone excluding Rise stared at her oddly. Yosuke just frowned at her words. "You didn't even draw a chopstick!" he pointed out, his eyebrows furrowed. He only got ignored by the black-haired girl.
"Alright, then… let's have someone talk about something really embarrassing that they'd never wanna tell anyone! Hrmmm, let's see… ah! Naoto-kun! I choose you!"
Oh dear.
"She's breaking all the rules… just ignore her, Naoto," Yosuke quickly told the detective, grimacing at how unpolite Yukiko was acting. Naoto simply smiled, shaking his head. "No… no, that won't be necessary. One stipulation, though: If I do this, the rest of you must reveal 'something' as well."
Before anyone could discuss about it, Rise merely consented with a cheery voice. "Okaaay!"
They didn't agree to this!
"No particularly embarrassing experiences come to mind… would discussing my life be fair game? It's the rare situation like this that gives me call to speak of such things." Naoto somehow could still remain formal even when forced to participate in this game.
Yosuke gave him a strange stare, noting how the air felt like they were in some kind of documentary now. "Damn… way to kill the mood…"
Despite the brunet's words, Naoto then told the group about his life. Apparently, his family has been detectives for generations, lending their powers to the police from time to time – consulting detectives were considered more valuable in the past since there were no crime scene investigators. His grandfather still had a strong connection with the police and looked after Naoto, despite his youth and inexperience… though since investigators nowadays were well versed in science and medicine, Naoto must further his studies to be a great detective.
…That was all to it. No punch line at all.
"That's sooo embarrassing! Isn't Naoto-kun embarrassing?" And still Yukiko thought it was humiliating.
Sighing, Yosuke looked off to the side as he leaned back into the leather seats. This was worse than the lectures. "I wanna go home…"
"Phew… I'm sleepy." Rise hung her head as she started to feel tired… before dozing off right where she was sitting. Ignoring whatever she and Yosuke just said, Naoto looked at Yukiko seriously. "Well then, it's your turn now. A straight answer, please. What is your true involvement with the murder case?"
The way Naoto questioned the black-haired girl almost made Yosuke chuckle at the polite manner the detective was adamant in keeping. "You know, you're so good at killing the mood that it's almost funny…"
Yukiko smiled dazedly at the detective. "Weeeeell, we go rescuing people who've been kidnapped by jumping into the TV!" Her words immediately made the others in the Investigation Team panic for a second. But they couldn't show it on their faces lest they risk Naoto suspecting something. "And theeen, we do stuff like, 'Persona!' with our Personas and beat the crap outta Shadows…" Oh dear, they're this close to getting busted.
"Y-You idiot…" Yosuke cringed a little, glancing at Naoto nervously. Yukiko just revealed everything… and literally everything.
Naoto lowered his head, eventually sighing. "…Are you making fun of me?"
…He didn't believe it!
Before anyone could relax, Rise just had to rub salt in the wound as she suddenly woke up and got up from her seat, looking annoyed. "Ish true!" She then lifted a fist into the air, posing like some hero. "Personaaaa!" Her voice soon trailed off, and she sat again on the sofa… dozing off once more.
"Sheesh! Somebody put these two drunks to bed already!" Chie just shook her head with an exasperated huff.
"…I see now that you had no intention of telling me the truth." Naoto lifted his head, saying that with a calm tone. However, his face soon turned into one of puzzlement. "But I'm curious… how did you become inebriated? This isn't alcohol."
Yu glanced at the blue-haired boy, now starting to feel confused despite the thin haze in his mind. Sure, the drinks tasted like fruit juice, much like his own glass, but there was no doubting that burning taste on his tongue. Even now he was managing to stay awake and remain somewhat sober enough to not slur like Rise and Yukiko were doing. Otherwise, how are those two drunk out of their minds then? Unless some crook slipped a few things in their drinks, which… wouldn't be good either.
"Good one, Naoto!" Yukiko laughed at Naoto's 'joke', but the detective was actually serious.
"No, I confirmed it when I first entered. No alcohol has been served here since a rash of drunk driving last year."
Chie's eyes widened. "Huh…? Does that mean we're all just drunk off the atmosphere?"
"Whooo caaares…" Yukiko shrugged slowly, her words dragging on. "Whee, I feel so good… goood niiiiight…" …And promptly dozed off as well.
Kanji had to blink a few times, looking between Yukiko and Rise. If these two are going to stay asleep… "Hey, Senpai! How the hell're we gonna get back with two passed-out drunks!?" It's not that they couldn't just carry the two girls all the way back to the hotel they were staying at – the problem was Ms. Kashiwagi.
Yosuke merely sighed, holding his head as he felt a headache coming on. "All this is giving me a big headache… is this what a hangover feels like…?"
Naoto only gave the brunet a shocked look – was he really getting a hangover after drinking fruit juice that supposedly didn't have alcohol in them? And Teddie just had to suggest they drink until morning with a bit of slurring, which Rise agreed to as if it was a challenge… only to fall asleep yet again. The detective ended up sighing too, crossing his arms in frustration. "As I said… you haven't been drinking alcohol! Are you a pack of imbeciles?!" he told them while gritting his teeth.
The whole chaos of it… Yu felt himself starting to chuckle at the hilarity of the situation. Ah, the alcohol's getting to him. Or the atmosphere. Maybe they just added soda into the drinks… it could explain the burning taste. Whatever. "Heh… the crack investigation team, ladies and gentlemen…!" he murmured, sitting back into the leather seats before letting his head hit the cushion with a dull thud. He really needed to sleep off the tipsiness he felt.
"Senpai, are you drunk too?!"
"…Ugh."
This is one hell of a night.