Review Replies!
UltimateKuuga & foxchick1: Thanks, and it's good to be back!
KatoriAeku: Admittedly, I was a bit worried that people might find Yui's overall style and personality a little too close to Kanji's (courtesy of the whole delinquent thing), but so far it doesn't seem to be the case. I'm glad you're looking forward to seeing more of her!
UnsungSenpai: I'll be honest, I'd considered that at first, but I also don't want to skip over too much of the first couple parts, considering it sets the general tone and introduces a lot of important things and people, even if only briefly. I tried to cut out as much unnecessary "filler", of sorts, as possible, but yeah, after these first introductory chapters, things should start pacing themselves a little better – especially once we get into the differences between the canon protagonist and Yui's adventures!
Chapter 2: A Fool's Errand
April 14, After School, Rain
While Yui had met Chie on the way to school that morning and confirmed that they'd both seen the Midnight Channel, the two decided to wait until after classes were over to discuss it. Sure enough, not long after the bell rang, Yosuke approached Yui, although his greeting seemed somewhat nervous.
"Hey, uh, it's not really that important, but..." He said. "...Well, I mean, last night, on the TV, I..." He trailed off before mentioning that he'd tell her later, only to be interrupted by Chie, although something else seemed to be on her mind as she walked up.
"Yosuke, did you hear the rumor?" She said. "Saki-senpai's supposedly the one who discovered that body." Yosuke paused for a bit before wondering if that was the reason for her seeming so down the day before, as well as noting that she wasn't a school, either. Normally, Yui would chalk it up to her playing hooky, but she thought to herself that it certainly made sense.
"By the way, did you see... it... last night?" Chie said.
"Uh, well... What about you?" Yosuke said, seeming a bit nervous to talk about it.
"I did! I seriously saw a girl!" Chie replied. "But... my soulmate's a girl? What's that supposed to mean? I couldn't quite tell who it was, but it was a girl for sure... Her hair was brown, about shoulder length. She was wearing our school uniform, and..." Yosuke and Yui both looked at each other in surprise, mentioning that they saw the same person, though Yosuke mentioned that his image was much blurrier and couldn't make out as much detail as the girls.
"Wait, so you both saw it, too?!" Chie said, in shock. "And we saw the same girl...? Does that mean... we have the same soulmate?" Yui shook her head, looking between the two of them briefly before casting her gaze downward slightly, in thought.
"I doubt it shows your soulmate, all things considered," she said. Especially considering what happened to her afterwards, which she began to relay to them in detail. When she finished telling her story, it was their turn to look bewildered. Yosuke scratched his head lightly for a moment before replying.
"So, you're saying you got sucked into your TV?" He said. "Were you that tired last night? You must've just fallen asleep in front of your TV."
"That'd be one interesting dream, though," Chie said, smirking a bit. "I like the part where you got stuck 'cause your TV was too small. That's pretty realistic. If it had been bigger..." Chie stopped herself, seeming to remember something, before she suddenly changed topics about how her family wanted a bigger TV.
"Oh yeah?" Yosuke said. "Well, flatscreens are definitely in these days. Wanna go check 'em out on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month." He sighed when Chie mimicked a martial arts pose as she mentioned wanting to see her action movies on a bigger screen before turning to Yui.
"We've got some pretty big ones in stock," he said. "I bet they'd be big enough for you to fit into." He chuckled as he teased Yui about her story, prompting her to sigh in exasperation. Of course they wouldn't believe her. Who would? Even considering they'd all seen their TVs come to life on their own and prove the Midnight Channel rumor at least partially true, it was another thing to take someone at their word that they just so happened to nearly fall into their television. However, rather than mope about it, Yui decided to go to Junes with them, a bit curious to see if she could do it again, as well...
After arriving at Junes, she noted almost instantly that there was... nobody around besides them. The second thing she noticed was Chie freaking out about the size and price of one of the larger televisions. This was the sort of luxury that Yui herself was used to; her house back in Tokyo probably had about five of these in various rooms. Still, she refrained from bringing that up; none of them needed to know of her family's wealth, especially since she didn't want to be asked any favors.
After explaining that not many people shopped for electronics in Inaba, hence the lack of staff, the two decided to test their luck and pressed their hands against the screen lightly, only to be met with the expected resistance, which they laughed off as being the obvious result. When they wandered off, discussing the type of television Chie's parents wanted, Yui remained. Sure, they couldn't get through, but they weren't the ones who almost fell into their TVs last night. Curious, and aware that with a set this large that she really could possibly go all the way inside, Yui approached the flatscreen with her hand extended... and much like the night before, it sunk in with almost no resistance, as if she were pushing it into water.
"Oh yeah, Yui, what kind of TV do... you..." Yosuke said as he turned to Yui, his eyes slowly going wide and his mouth starting to gape in shock as he noticed what was happening. Chie, wondering what exactly had Yosuke so surprised, turned towards Yui, and had a similar reaction.
"I-Is her arm... in the TV...?" Yosuke said as the two of them ran over.
"You've gotta be kidding me..." Chie said. "Did you really stick your hand through the screen?!"
"Oh man..." Said Yosuke. "This is for real... That's some magic trick, man! So, how's it work, huh?! What's the magician's secret?!" Yui just gave a shrug, unsure of how she was doing it herself, before getting even more curious and deciding to stick her head in, prompting the two to start panicking.
"It's empty in here..." Yui said. "Like, a whole lot of nothing." Her description only sowed further confusion between Yosuke and Chie, to the point of causing a sudden need to use the restroom in Yosuke, who ran off... only to return just as quick.
"Shit, customers are coming...!" Yosuke said. This revelation tipped the panic to the breaking point as Yosuke and Chie frantically tried to drag Yui out of the television, only for her to suddenly lose her footing and spill into the TV, dragging Yosuke and Chie with her.
The three of them fell for what must've been a few seconds, but when they finally landed, it wasn't as hard as they suspected, causing little more than a bit of disorientation. As the trio got up and tried to get their bearings, they realized that this was no location that they'd ever been in before. While Yosuke and Chie were obviously growing nervous, Yui was more on edge than anything. They'd fallen into a TV, after all – there was no telling whether they were safe or not.
"Everyone okay?" She asked, constantly moving her eyes and head to keep a look out for signs of movement. However, that also gave her a good chance to look around, prompting her to realize something as Yosuke and Chie affirmed their safety.
"Is this... a studio?" Yui said. "Is this fog...? Or some kinda special effects smoke...?" This got the attention of the other two, who started to look around, as well.
"There's no place like this in Inaba, is there...?" Chie said. Even though she was the only native to the area among them, even she sounded uncertain. The two looked to Yui, as if looking to her for guidance. The violette immediately thought to head back, but soon realized something as she took another look around.
"...I can't see where we fell in from," she said. "We need to find the way out. It could be dangerous here." She was sure she could handle herself in a fight, but there was no way Yosuke and Chie were up to the same kind of scraps she was used to, and if she had to protect them, she wouldn't be able to fight very well, herself. So, leaving was the best course of action. It seemed to be one that the two of them agreed with, as well, appearing to find comfort in how calmly Yui was handling the situation. With a plan of action in place, the trio began to search, looking for a potential way out.
Eventually, the found themselves in what seemed to be an old, abandoned apartment complex. The atmosphere of the place was far different from the studio-esque feel of the last area, to the point that even the air they breathed felt almost oppressive, in a way. The fog made it difficult to navigate, however, and even Yui was starting to become somewhat discouraged about finding an exit, though she didn't let it show for the sake of Yosuke and Chie's morale.
As they continued onward, the trio found themselves in what seemed to be a bedroom, with the fog almost seeming to lighten up as they entered. As Yui and Yosuke walked in, the brunette checked his phone, completely unsurprised by the lack of reception. They were soon followed by Chie, who'd been lagging behind a little due to her difficulty seeing.
"Can't you guys slow down a little?" She said. "It's hard enough to see where you're going..." When the others turned to face her, they were met with a disturbing sight, and when Chie noticed their reaction, she turned around as well to see a bunch of copies of the same poster along the walls, all with the face torn out, alongside splatterings of what Yui hoped was just paint.
"Aargh!" Yosuke said, suddenly crying out. "I can't hold it any longer...! My bladder's gonna explode!" Placing his hands in front of his crotch, he raced over to a nearby wall and began to unzip his pants, away from the view of the girls. Even so, Chie expressed her disgust and Yui sighed before facepalming and turning away.
"This is why you go the first chance you get..." Yui said, grumbling. "Not wait until you're freaking out." Chie sighed before turning around as well, but even with them not looking Yosuke still couldn't do it, hoping that it wouldn't lead to a bladder infection. Now that he wasn't distracted by needing to use the bathroom, however, he noticed a chair, above which hung a looped handkerchief on a rope.
"Dude..." He said. "This chair and rope... That kind of arrangement is never good..." The sight gave him shivers, and Yui quickly found Chie grabbing onto the sleeve of her jacket gently.
"Hey, Yui," she said. "What's your take on all of this...?" The taller girl looked to Yosuke, who also seemed curious on what she had to say on the matter. Taking another quick look around, her gaze finally settled on the noose before speaking.
"...Nooses are bad," she said. The response earned some stunned looks from Yosuke and Chie, clearly surprised she felt like joking around. Their expressions, in turn, caused Yui's cheeks to turn a light pink, her voice and expression suddenly turning to ones of irritation.
"What?" Yui said. "You asked me what I thought, and I know just as fucking much as you two! Did you expect some Jungian-level insight or something?" The outburst prompted panicked apologies from Chie and Yosuke before the three suddenly felt a wave of fatigue hit them like a truck. As they turned to leave, however, Yosuke stopped.
"Hey," he said. "I think I've seen that poster before..." Chie was quick to respond, saying that she just wanted to leave before pushing him out the door, with Yui right behind.
Eventually, they managed to find their way back to the studio-esque stage they had fallen in at, relieved that they could, at least, navigate somewhat around the eerie landscape without too much trouble. Yui herself had half-expected to be attacked by some weird monsters or the like; in an alien landscape with visibility so limited that they'd never see an ambush coming? It was a perfect set-up, like something right out of a movie. Her expectations almost seemed to come to fruition, however, as Chie spotted a silhouette approaching them through the fog.
The figure didn't actually appear hostile, however, and in fact looked like it was inching forward cautiously. Eventually, they began to be able to make out detail; it had a red torso and limbs with a thick, white stripe down the center, dotted with large, red buttons. It looked almost clown-like, but the rounded, almost ice-cream-like shape made no question that it wasn't human. In fact, with the large zipper adorning its neck – or, at least, what Yui assumed to be its neck – and cartoonish, animal-like head, it looked more like a costume than a creature.
"What is this thing...?" Chie asked. "A monkey? A bear...?" When Yui gave it a second look, she could definitely see a sort of circus bear theme going on with it. Is that what it was supposed to be? A circus bear mascot of some sort?
"Wha...?" It said. "Who are you guys...?" Though it spoke, surprising Chie and Yosuke, its mouth didn't open, further pushing the mascot costume likeness. When Chie suddenly got aggressive, the costume cowered. Apparently, it was easily-intimidated. With a sigh, Yui figured it'd be easier to approach it calmly. Moving her out to her side in front of Chie, the violette took a few quiet steps forward before kneeling down to about eye level with the terrified costume.
"Who are you?" She said. "I'm Yui Minamoto. These are my friends, Yosuke and Chie." Her approach seemed to work, as the costume seemed to calm down, though it seemed to bounce back a little too well, suddenly speaking as though the scare from earlier had never even happened.
"I'm Teddie," he said. "I live here by myself." When pressed about where they were, the "bear" simply shrugged, stating that he didn't know. He elaborated, saying that it didn't have a name and never did. His explanation came with a warning, however, to return to the "other side", because it was dangerous when the fog cleared. The warning didn't seem to sit well with the others, however, because Yosuke started to grow irritated at his own growing confusion, and Chie getting desperate for a way out, to the point of venting at this "Teddie". Her frustrated outburst prompted Teddie to hide behind Yui, whom he apparently already seemed much more comfortable around.
"A-Anyways," he said. "You should hurry back..." Yui sighed before looking down at the bear.
"We would," she said. "But we don't know how. Do you?" In response to her question, Teddie gave a nod, then tapped his foot against the ground a few times. Almost immediately, a stack of CRT televisions suddenly burst into existence between the three, causing Yosuke and Chie to jump in surprise. When the three moved to the front to examine them, suddenly, Teddie began pushing them through, and after the same falling feeling they experienced when they first arrived, they suddenly found themselves on the floor of Junes once again, in front of the same TV they fell through before.
After taking a few seconds to notice they really were back, they overheard an announcement over the store's PA system, announcing a daily limited-time sale, which made them realize how long they'd been in that strange world. Yosuke, however, took notice of a poster nearby, showing Misuzu Hiiragi, the enka ballad singer who had been married to Taro Namatame, the man who had an affair with Mayumi Yamano, prompting them to realize it was the same poster in that world.
Yosuke had just begun speculating on whether or not that world had something to do with the announcer's death, before deciding to completely forget about what just happened. Chie and Yui agreed; Yui herself was starting to feel somewhat ill, so the three parted ways and headed home.
April 14, Evening, Rain
Sluggishly, Yui trodded into the Dojima household, finding her uncle and cousin sat at the coffee table, waiting on some instant noodles to cook. As Dojima welcomed her home, she proceeded to sit down on her cushion with little grace, practically falling down onto it. After a few moments, Dojima gave a small hum before turning to Yui.
"Well, I doubt you'd know," he said. "But have you heard anything about a student named Saki Konishi?" Yui took a moment to think, her fatigue stalling her thought process for a moment before she replied.
"There's a bunch of rumors," she said. "Though all I know for sure is that she wasn't at school today." Dojima's response seemed a bit torn, as though he'd been hoping she might've heard something before mentioning that Saki's parents had reported her missing and that she hadn't been found, yet. That got Yui's attention; first a murder, now a missing girl? She hadn't even been here a week, yet, and already there was one incident after another... Her thought process was interrupted when she suddenly sneezed, as if her body was reminding her that she was getting sick. Once she'd taken the cold medicine her uncle offered, she went right up to her room to sleep, too exhausted from the day's events to do much else.
April 15, Afternoon, Rain
That morning, Yui had managed to catch Dojima as he was leaving for work, which Nanako explained was due to him getting a call. Likely for work, but considering Saki Konishi had went missing the day before, she was hardly surprised. On the way to school, she overheard a few girls talking about police activity, quickly followed by the sound of police sirens nearby. However, she didn't have the time to investigate, nor was she that curious to begin with, so she'd pushed it out of her mind and continued on her way to school.
The school assembly that had been called just minutes ago brought that scenario back into her mind as Chie wondered what it was for. She had an idea; something must've happened that morning that involved the school, and it was only until now did they have enough information to deem it important enough to inform the student body. It'd happened a few times back in Tokyo, before she stopped attending school regularly, but she doubted it happened all that often here in such a quiet town. Eventually, Sofue-sensei approached the podium, getting the students' attention before the principal took the mic.
"I regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you," he said. "One of our third-year students, Ms. Saki Konishi of Class 3... has passed away." The announcement shocked all the students, but while Yui and Chie were also surprised, their attention turned to Yosuke, even as the principal continued speaking. They knew how hard he had to be taking the news, and it showed on the pained expression he had on his face.
As the assembly ended and Yui and Chie made their way back to their classroom, they overheard a couple of students gossiping about how Saki had been found dead the same way as Mayumi Yamano, but from a telephone pole as opposed to an antenna. Supposedly, the cause of death was some unknown poison, and when the girls wandered off, Chie scoffed, figuring that it was easy to just toss around random theories since they didn't know Saki, personally. It was then that Yosuke approached them, a serious look on his face.
"Hey," he said. "...Did you guys check out the TV last night? Something kept bothering me, so... I watched it again, and... I think the girl on the screen was Saki-senpai." The revelation that Yosuke had seen her on the Midnight Channel surprised the two, but not as much as his next statement, telling the girls that she looked like she was in pain before disappearing from the screen.
"You heard that Senpai's body was found in a similar situation as that announcer's, right?" He said. "Well, remember that guy you told us about? How he was all excited that his soulmate was the announcer? Maybe... Just maybe, but... Ms. Yamano might've been on the Midnight Channel before she died, too." As Yui thought about it, she nodded, concluding that it did make sense.
"So," she said. "You think that people who appear on that Midnight Channel... are going to die?" Yosuke took a moment before nodding, but following up with how he couldn't be absolutely certain. He then brought up what Teddie had mentioned the day before when they were in that other world, about how it was dangerous when the fog cleared.
"True," she said. "Plus, that room with the posters might be connected to the announcer... If so, then this is all too closely-linked to be a coincidence."
"Yeah," Yosuke said. "If it is, we might find a place that has something to do with Senpai, too, if we look around." Chie managed to nervously start to ask a question, but stopped herself short. Yosuke clearly knew what she meant, though, because he nodded.
"Mhm," he said. "I'm thinking about going in again. I want to find out for myself." Chie quickly rebuked him, telling him to let the police handle it, only for Yosuke to interrupt her, stating that the police hadn't made any progress, so they couldn't be relied on, and that even if they told them about the TV world, they'd just write them off as a joke. When he stated that he had to know why Saki had to die, though, Chie seemed to back down a little. He then looked down solemnly, stating that he couldn't just ignore it, now, before looking to Yui.
"Sorry," he said. "But you're the only person who can help me. I'm gonna go get ready. I'll wait for you at Junes." As they watched him run off back home, Yui gave a sigh as Chie wondered if they should stop him or not. Either way, with school let out due to the incident, they returned to their class to grab their things before leaving. Yui, though, had already decided on her course of action, stopping by the Dojimas' house to pick up her wooden sword.
April 14, After School, Rain
"You guys came!" Yosuke's voice held some clear relief as he spotted Yui and Chie approaching, a rope tied around his waist and looped in one arm, a pair of wrenches tucked into it, and a golf club in his hand.
"We came to stop you, idiot!" Chie said. "C'mon, you really shouldn't do this! It's too dangerous!" Yosuke nodded, but argued that if they went in from the same spot that they might meet Teddie again. However, a "maybe" wasn't good enough for Chie, prompting Yosuke to mention again that he couldn't pretend that it had nothing to do with him, before turning to Yui.
"How about you?" He said. "Can you just walk away from this?" Yui, with her wooden sword resting on her shoulder, closed her eyes for a brief moment.
"Whether I can or not," she said. "It stands that you can't get in there without my help, right? In that case, then I should be the only one going in with you. Besides, I know how to fight; it'd be easier on me if I had less people to protect if it gets dangerous." Yosuke nodded, affirming that it'd just be him and her going in, before reassuring Chie that he didn't have a plan and handing her the loop of rope he had.
"I'm leaving you in charge of this," he said. "It's a lifeline. Hold onto it and wait here. You can pull us back if we need it." He then looked to Yui, finally noticing the large wooden sword she had.
"Oh, uh," he said. "This was going to be an improvised weapon for you, but I guess you came prepared, huh?" Yosuke rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before setting aside the golf club. Determined not to waste any more time, he gave Yui a nod before the two pushed their way into the TV, ignoring Chie's protests.
Upon landing, Yui managed to keep herself on her feet, although Yosuke wasn't so lucky, having landed right on his rear. After taking a moment to orient themselves, they quickly realized that, yes, they ended up in the same location as last time. It seemed like even this crazy world was connected to theirs from place to place.
"Y-You guys...!" Said a familiar voice. "Why'd you come back...?" Sure enough, approaching them was the all-too-recognizable bear suit that was Teddie.
"I get it!" He said. "You're the ones behind this!" What he said took the two by surprise, and after he explained that the world was getting messed up due to someone throwing people into it, he concluded that nobody threw them in, which meant that were the culprits. His accusations annoyed both Yui and Yosuke, but as they denied their involvement, Yosuke came to a realization, turning to Yui.
"Wait a sec..." He said. "Those people who got thrown in here... Does he mean Senpai and the announcer?"
"I'd imagine so," Yui said. "Based on what we put together so far, that seems to be the most likely scenario. Someone throws people in here, they appear on the Midnight Channel because they're inside the world in the TV, and when they die in this world, they end up back in ours..." That would also explain why they were hanging from a TV antenna and a telephone pole, respectively. Nobody hung them there, that's just where they ended up – because they were, effectively, "kicked out" of the TV world. That had to be it.
"Huh?" Teddie said, clearly confused. "Midnight Channel...? A-Anyways, why'd you come in here? It's a one-way door! You can't get out once you're in! Remember how I had to let you guys out?" Yosuke scoffed in response, brushing him off as he held up the rope tried to his waist.
"Yeah, whatever," he said. "We don't need your help this time! See, this time we have a lifeli-" Yosuke cut himself short when he realized how slack the rope was, noticing that it'd been cut off, to both his and Yui's surprise.
"H-Hey!" He said. "You better let us out once we're done investigating here!" Teddie growled in response, stating that he wanted to do the investigating, and demanded that they prove to him that they weren't the culprits.
"That's not something you can just prove on the spot," Yui said, starting to get annoyed. When Teddie took that as proof against the contrary, Yosuke only got angrier, as well, before clarifying how people have died every time it'd gotten foggy in the past week, demanding that Teddie give them some information if he had any.
"A dead body?" He said. "Whenever the fog appears...? Well, I know that if it's foggy on your side, the fog lifts here. That's when the Shadows get violent..." The term 'Shadows' confused the both of them briefly, only for Teddie to continue placing the blame on them. His constant accusations had finally broken Yui and Yosuke's patience, however.
"You keep telling us to prove our innocence," Yui said. "But you're the most suspicious thing here! Take off that stupid costume and show yourself, asshole!" With a nod to each other, the two practically tackled Teddie to the ground, Yui holding down the pitifully-flailing bear while Yosuke unzipped the head of the costume, only to reveal that it was completely empty.
"What the hell?!" Yosuke said, leaping back as Yui tensed up, only to peer closer inside and see that, sure enough, it was completely empty.
"The fuck...?" She said, taking a look at the head that they'd taken off. She half-expected it to start talking as the body rolled onto its front and started searching for the top, but, thankfully, it remained silent and inexpressive. Eventually, the body located its head and put it back on, restoring life to Teddie's face.
"Me, the culprit...?" He said. "I wouldn't do such a thing... I just live here... I just want to live here in peace..." His sincere response, despite effectively being manhandled and beheaded, caught the two off-guard.
"Okay," Teddie said, continuing on. "I'll trust you two for now, but if you really aren't the culprits, I want you to find the real guy behind this and stop him! Promise me, or else... I'm not gonna let you guys out of here." That was no better than pressing a knife to their collective throat, and they immediately knew it. Yui and Yosuke looked to each other before nodding.
"Fine," Yui said. "We were going to try and figure that out, anyways." Thankfully, it all worked out in the end, even if they'd gone through plenty of frustration before it. And yet, for some reason, she suddenly recalled the words of that strange man, Igor, she'd dreamed of on her way to Inaba. She recalled how he said she'd encounter a misfortune and have to deal with a mystery... Was this what he'd meant?
Still, Teddie thanked her for her agreeing to his offer, with Yosuke bemoaning that they pretty much had no choice. However, they still had no idea where to start, which meant they'd have to ask Teddie. When they asked, the only thing he knew was where the last person came in, which Yosuke immediately took to mean Saki.
"Oh, one thing first," Teddie said. "You two should put these one." The bear appeared to pull two small objects out of... somewhere, before handing them to Yui and Yosuke. When she got a closer look at them, they were glasses. Although confused at first, when the two put them on, they were surprised to find that their vision suddenly cleared up, as if the fog wasn't there.
"With those on," Teddie said. "You should be able to walk through the fog easier. Uh, but I can only show you where the place is. You'll have to defend yourselves."
"What happened to relying on you?!" Yosuke said. "Th-There better not be any monsters, you understand?! I mean, we brought weapons, but they're more for show..."
"Speak for yourself," Yui said. She finally gave her wooden sword a hefty swing with just one hand, the weight of the sword and the strength behind it demonstrated by the sheer fact that Yosuke could feel a small breeze made when she swung it.
"Holy shit," he said, clearly a bit stunned. "All right, uh, I guess that means you're on the front line, Minamoto..." Yui gave him a nod in confirmation, as that was her intent the entire time.
"Good thing you can fight, then," Teddie said. "Because I can't help you. I've got no muscles. Oh, oh! I'll give you guys moral support from a safe distance!" Yui stood there, staring at Teddie for a few seconds. It made sense, considering he was an empty bear costume and all, but curiosity still took precedence as she stepped forward and intended to give Teddie a light push, only for him to fall flat on his back the moment she put even the slightest bit of pressure on him.
"Noooooo..." He said weakly, flailing about. The two just stared in amazement; sure, he hardly managed to put up a fight when they were pulling his head off earlier, but she assumed it was because she was particularly strong, not because he was about as strong as tissue paper.
"Oh yeah," Teddie said, letting his limbs relax as she spoke. "Can I ask you something? Who's this 'Senpai' person you mentioned? Someone you know?" Yosuke's expression changed from bewilderment to moroseness, before shaking his head and stating that it didn't matter right now.
"Anyways," Yosuke said. "At least now we know Senpai was probably thrown in here. Maybe we can find more information once we get there. Let's go." As they began to walk, Teddie cried out, quickly reminding them that the bear was still on the floor, apparently unable to get up. With a sigh, Yui helped him onto his feet before they left.
The place Teddie lead them to, however, was a far more familiar scene than any of the ones before. The studio and the apartments were all unfamiliar, but the area they were in now was practically a carbon-copy of the shopping district, albeit with the same, ominous, red and black sky as always.
"Some weird places like this have appeared here recently," Teddie said. "Things are getting so tangled, I dunno what to do..." The way Teddie phrased that confused Yui; how could a place like this just "appear"? Still, unlike the last two, this really was scarily-similar to the shopping district.
"Out of all the places in town," Yosuke said. "Why did this one get replicated?" Teddie didn't seem to have a solid answer for them, shrugging and saying something about how this was reality for the one who was here, which hardly clarified anything to the two. Yosuke seemed to come to a revelation, however, and soon began running north, forcing Yui and Teddie to quickly follow after him.
"I knew it...!" Yosuke said, standing in front of the entrance to a shop. "This is the liquor store that Senpai's parents run. Does this mean... Senpai disappear here? What could've happened...?" As Yosuke took a few steps forward to investigate, Teddie suddenly started to panic.
"W-Wait a second," he said. "Th-They're here! Shadows... I had a feeling they were going to attack...!" Just then, from the doorway, a pair of what Yui could only describe as monsters made from sludge wearing masks crawled out of the entrance, though they seemed to ignore Yosuke. As they lifted into the air, the sludge reformed itself into what seemed to be pink, striped balls with large mouths on one side and the mask the sludge was wearing on the other. As they began to approach Yui, a familiar voice and pain rang through her head, time seeming to slow around her as she held her head with her left hand.
"I am thou," it said. "Thou art I. The time has come. Open thine eyes and call forth what is within!" When it passed, Yui pulled her hand away when she realized she was now holding a card in it. On one side was a design that felt oddly familiar, a striking blue featuring a mask on top of a checkered background. When she turned it over, aside from an ornate, golden border, the card was blank. As the card began to shine brightly, she felt no panic or surprise; instead, she felt confidence welling up inside of her, starting to grin as one word entered her mind, eventually leaving her lips.
"Per... so... na..." Just then, the card seemed to burst into blue flames, though she felt no heat. Instead, power seemed to flow through her, and when she clenched her hand into a fist, the power burst forth, taking shape into a silhouette behind her. Detail quickly followed, giving form to a large humanoid wearing a mask and headband, with a large number of belt-like "tails" attached to the back of the headband that gave it the appearance of having long, flowing hair. It was dressed in what appeared to be a long, black coat with the collar turned up, clawed gloves, and boots that appeared to have blade-like stilettos. In its hand was a rather stylized spear, making it clear that it was meant for combat.
The appearance of the figure behind Yui almost seemed to scare the monsters that had appeared, though when it faded, they seemed to regain some of their composure. Still, there was no doubt, in Yui's mind, that she could defeat them, now. Whatever strange power she had just tapped into, she knew she could win, and gave the monsters a cocky grin before taunting them with a pair of fingers in a "come get me" gesture. The taunt seemed to have its desired effect, as the creatures quickly launched themselves at her, with Teddie scrambling to safety when they did so.
When the first one came close, Yui sidestepped the blatantly-telegraphed attack and swung her sword one-handed, slamming it into where the monster's nose would normally be and sending it flying into the other. The second creature was stunned, but only briefly before resuming its charge. However, learning from its compatriot's mistake, its path swerved in an attempt to attack her from the side. Still, that didn't give it an advantage against Yui.
Pivoting on her foot, the girl grabbed the creature's large tongue, which had been lolling out of its mouth like some strange dog before slamming it into the ground, letting go, then completing the spin, using the momentum and both hands to bring her sword down on the monster, smashing it into paste like a large, disgusting pimple.
By that point, the first monster had recovered and was about to come at Yui a second time, but curious to try out her new power, she reached out, doing the first thing that felt natural. The card from earlier reappeared in her hand, and as she crushed it, the figure from before reappeared.
"Tear it apart, Izanagi!" She said, its name coming to her just as naturally. Izanagi extended its hand, and a bolt of lightning came from the sky, striking the monster. The lightning clearly did the trick, as the creature burst apart into slime like the one before it, and with the threat appearing to have been dealt with, Izanagi vanished from behind Yui, the girl relaxing her stance.
"Holy crap..." Yosuke said, rushing over. "Wh-What was that?! I mean, I figured you were good in a fight, but damn! Did I hear you say 'Persona'? What was it – I mean, what did you do?! Do you think I can do it too?!" Compared to Yosuke's excited tone and mannerisms, Teddie approached and spoke much more calmly, waving down the brunette.
"Calm down, Yosuke," he said. "You're troubling Sensei! But, gosh almighty, you're amazing, Sensei! I am one impressed bear. I can't believe you were hiding such an amazing power! No wonder the Shadows were scared of you... Are you the one who's able to bring people into this world?" Yui herself was rather surprised by it, but she kept her cool and avoided making it clear that she had just as little information on how or why that happened, herself.
"Yeah," she said. "Well, I'm the one who brought myself and my friends in, anyways." She didn't want Teddie jumping to conclusions about them being the culprits again, after all.
"That's what I thought," he said, nodding. "That's really something! Don't you think so, Yosuke?" Rather than words of agreement, though, Yosuke pushed Teddie over, but in a way that caused the bear to rock back up onto his feet.
"Dude," Yosuke said. "You call her Sensei and then don't show me any respect?" When Teddie solemnly apologized, Yui looked over to Yosuke.
"Hey," she said. "Don't be so harsh on the guy. To be fair, when I first met you, you were rolling around, stuck in a trash can, so you might be more along the lines of the comic relief." Yosuke's surprised reaction got a laugh out of Yui and Teddie, lightening up the mood a little.
"Well," he said. "I'll admit that I should probably earn it first, yeah. I won't hold it against you, Ted. Besides, compared to that showing, I may as well have been wetting myself." With mutual apologies out of the way, Yosuke and Teddie already seemed to be getting along better than earlier, which got a nod of approval out of Yui.
"All right," Yosuke said. "You keep this up, Minamoto, and I think we'll be fine from here on out. Now, let's get back to the investigation!" The trio all nodded to each other before approaching the liquor store, but before they could enter, a medley of voices began to creep up around them. There was no source to them, and while Yui was on-guard for more enemies, nothing ever showed. Instead, it was as if they were being forced to listen, the voices speaking about different things, from how Junes was running the local shops out of business, to gossip about how Saki was working part-time at Junes despite her family losing customers. The voices were clearly starting to get to Yosuke, however, and he almost seemed to be about to start shouting back until Yui placed a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. Instead, he turned to Teddie to ask a question.
"Hey," he said. "Hey, Ted! You said that this place is reality for those that are here, right?! So, does that mean this was Senpai's reality when she wandered in here...?" Again, Teddie looked uncertain.
"I only know about what's over here..." He said. "I have no idea if this is related to what her life was like back in your world." Yosuke's expression turned to one of determination as he nodded before starting to walk inside with Yui and Teddie quick behind him, intent on finding out for himself.
As they entered, the inside of the store seemed fairly accurate, though in place of a proper ceiling, they could see the workings of a studio, just like their entry point, with supports completely visible over the walls separating the store from the rest of the studio. Voices began to fill the air again once they were inside, but this time, the most prevalent was a man, apparently yelling at Saki for working at Junes and demanding an explanation.
"I... I can't believe this..." Yosuke said. "She seemed like she had fun at work... She never said anything like this to me... You're telling me this was how Senpai really saw things?!" It was then that he noticed something on the table nearby and approached it, Yui close behind.
"These photos..." He said. "Hey... Is this...? It's the photo we took the other day with the other part-timers at Junes... Wh-Why's it cut up like this...?" Yui looked over Yosuke's shoulder, taking note that she seemed to be earnestly smiling. It didn't look like a fake smile to her, at the very least. That's when they finally heard Saki's voice, however.
"I..." She said. "I never had the chance to say it... I always wanted to tell Hana-chan... that he was a real pain in the ass. I was nice to him just because he was the store manager's son, that's all... But he takes it completely the wrong way and gets all enthusiastic... What a dip." Yosuke's breath shuddered as he listened to Saki speak, practically on the verge of tears as Saki continued on, describing her hatred for Junes and how she wished everything would disappear. As Yosuke denied what he was hearing, another voice came from behind them, sounding like Yosuke's, but with a sinister cadence to it.
"It's so sad..." The voice said. "I feel so sorry for myself... Boo hoo..." Surprised, Yosuke and Yui turned to see a second Yosuke speaking, though this one had an eerie, yellow glow in his eyes.
"Actually," he said. "I'm the one who thinks everything's a pain in the ass!" As he laughed, Yosuke ran up to confront him.
"Who are you?!" Yosuke said. "I-I wouldn't think that..." The double simply snickered in response, a twisted sneer on his face.
"How long are you gonna keep deluding yourself?" He said. "Screw the shopping distriict, and Junes too! You're sick of everything, especially living out in the sticks! You put on a good show of being carefree and happy-go-lucky 'cuz you're so terrified of being alone. The more the merrier, right? You've gotta be surrounded by people to block out the pain of isolation." Even as Yosuke attempted to deny what the doppelganger was saying, it continued on, Yui readying herself for a fight in case the double got violent. She could tell that this thing had the same feel to it as the monsters from before, even if it could speak.
"And what's this about checking out this world for Saki-senpai's sake?" He said. "Hah! I know the real reason you came snooping..."
"S-Stop it!" Yosuke said, clearly in a panic. Yui looked to him, wondering if that this fake actually did somehow know what Yosuke was thinking, and if everything it'd said so far was true. Again, the doppelganger let out a mocking laugh.
"Why so panicked?" He said. "I thought I was just spouting bullshit! Or maybe, I do know everything you're thinking! Why's that? Because I am you! You just came because you thought it sounded like a good time! What else is there to do out in this shithole? A world inside the TV... Now that's exciting! You didn't have a single other reason for coming here, did you?!" His words were clearly having an effect on Yosuke, who was visibly starting to break down, even as he weakly denied everything. At this point, Yui decided that she'd had enough of watching and listening and took a step forward.
"Hey," she said. But, before she could continue on, Yosuke suddenly turned towards her, yelling.
"Don't come any closer!" He said. "Don't listen to him! None of what this fake is saying is true, okay?!"
"A fake?" The double said. "Please... I'm you. Your Shadow. There's nothing I don't know about you! You're just trying to act like a big shot... If all went well, hey, maybe you could even be a hero! And that Senpai you were so sweet on...? Her death was the perfect excuse!" The "Shadow's" words finally made Yosuke snap, as opposed to causing him to panic. Clearly, pressing the button that was his feelings for Saki was the breaking point.
"Screw that!" He said. "I don't know you! You can't be me, you son of a bitch!" As Yosuke spoke the last few words, the doppelganger began to laugh maniacally. Teddie flinched, and Yui herself could feel the other Yosuke's power begin to swell.
"That's right!" It said. "I am me, now! I'm not you anymore, see!" The surge in power became more visible, now, with dark energy swirling about. It actually seemed to draw from Yosuke, too, as the young man collapsed, Yui rushing forward to grab him and pull him away from what she figured was a dangerous scenario. Sure enough, the energy surrounding the Shadow began to expand, and as it dissipated, it revealed a massive monster.
At first, it appeared to be a giant frog with camouflage-patterned skin and an almost cartoonish-looking face. However, as Yui angled her gaze upward, she realized that the "frog" was merely the legs of this monstrosity, with a pitch-black, humanoid torso wearing yellow gloves, a red scarf, and four-pointed stars for eyes atop it. The walls of the liquor store fell, revealing the entire studio, as if to make room for the gigantic beast.
"I am a Shadow," the Shadow said. "The true self! I'll crush everything that bores me... Starting with you!" Before Yui could even prepare to move, the Shadow launched forth a massive gust of wind, sending her flying away from Teddie and Yosuke and to the ground, prompting the monster to laugh.
"How long can you survive this?!" It said. As she got to her feet, Yui realized there was no way she'd be able to fight this thing with just her sword and fists. With a growl of defiance, she realized she had to call on her new powers for this fight, and reached out to summon her Persona.
"Long enough to send you back to the trash, you piece of shit!" She said. "Izanagi!" Calling forth her Persona, Izanagi appeared, striking down the Shadow with a bolt of lightning, causing its legs to buckle. That gave her the opening to send Izanagi in for a slash with its spear, but even as he struck, the Shadow managed to recover and get in a swat at Yui, who was unable to dodge the massive palm strike in time. Despite the size difference, she managed to remain on her feet, though, and renewed her retaliation against the massive beast. In the distance, meanwhile, Yosuke began to come to, with Teddie watching over him.
"What...?" Yosuke said, muttering as he began to take in the scene of Yui battling the massive Shadow. As he watched the exchange of lightning, wind, and physical strikes, Yosuke felt both guilty and responsible. Was this his fault...? Was him being so weak the cause of his new friend getting hurt to defend him...? When Teddie realized Yosuke was conscious and watching the battle, he turned to him.
"Yosuke," he said. "That thing came from inside you... As much as I know you don't want to admit it, it's still a part of you." That was really a part of him? Teddie was right; he definitely didn't want to admit it, and even as he watched the fight, part of him still want to deny everything that thing had said, but at the same time... Yui was the first person he felt like he could really trust and open up to in Inaba, and here she was, getting beaten up to defend him. Hell, she might even die...
As Yosuke began to open up to the idea of admitting his faults, the Shadow began to visibly waver, also in part to Yui's relentless assault. When it staggered and left a wide opening, Yui saw her chance and send Izanagi in one final time. The Persona rushed in, spearing the Shadow right in the chest before pulling away as the wound burst open with ichor. The monster screamed in agony as all of the power it had accumulated began to disperse, returning it back to its original shape, exhausted and no longer able to fight.
Yui, herself, was out of breath. At first, she'd felt like this Persona ability was some absurd power, but now she realized that using it constantly drained her both physically and mentally. After the intense battle, she was absolutely drained, and though she almost felt like collapsing to her knees, she caught her breath and turned to Yosuke and Teddie who were approaching her and the Shadow.
"I... I..." Yosuke said, clearly distraught. He had trouble looking Yui in the eye, and while he expected Yui to lash out at him, or blame him for causing this, her words caught him by surprise.
"You okay?" She said. Yosuke looked up at her in obvious bewilderment. She'd just been through a fight no other person had probably ever dreamed of being in, and she was asking if he was okay? What was she, a saint?
"Y-Yeah..." He said. Yui and Teddie turned to face Yosuke's Shadow, who was just looking at the trio silently, not even sneering or making a face at them like he was before the battle. Yui and Teddie then turned their attention to Yosuke, who looked like he'd been the one fighting, instead, based on the pained look on his face. Clearly, he was still having trouble admitting to everything.
"Hey," Yui said. "You're still you. This is only one part of who you are." Though she sounded confident in her words, the truth was that she was kind of talking out of her ass. She didn't know Yosuke well enough to know everything about him, but she trusted he'd know what she meant. Sure enough, he turned to her when she spoke, and his expression changed to one of gentle realization.
"I'm... still me..." He said, before turning to look at his Shadow again. "Dammit... It hurts to face yourself... I knew you weren't lying... But I was so ashamed that I didn't want to admit it. You really are a part of me..." The Shadow gave a solemn nod and a gentler, more confident smile before it glowed in a brilliant blue light, reforming into a form reminiscent of the monster Yui had just faced, but as a smaller humanoid. It wore a white jumpsuit and retained the scarf and eyes of the humanoid, but the part that had been the frog's "mouth" was now a chestguard. Eventually it faded into a card like the one Yui had received, floating down into Yosuke's hand, where it disappeared.
"Is this...?" Yosuke said. "...I think it's my Persona." Afterwards, he turned to Yui and Teddie, only to crouch down, fatigued, despite the fact that he hadn't been fighting.
"When we heard Senpai's voice," he said. "...I wonder if that was something Senpai had been keeping deep down inside... 'He was a real pain in the ass', huh? What a way to find out... If you weren't here, Yui, I don't know what would've happened... Thanks." Yui gave a silent nod, stepping over to reach down and help him up. Her arm ached from that simple gesture, but she kept her expression stoic and said nothing. After all, she didn't want to worry Yosuke even more after what he'd just went through.
"Hey, Teddie," Yosuke said as he stood up. "Could Senpai have been attacked by her other self here, like how it just happened to me?"
"I think so," Teddie said. "The Shadows here were originally born from humans. Sometimes the fog clears. Then they all go berserk... And you saw what happens next. A strong-willed Shadow draws others to it, and the big mass of Shadows kills the host." That explained why people died whenever it got foggy in their world; it wasn't any sort of symbolism, it was just because the fog cleared on this side, and that's when they died...
"You guys seem pretty worn out," he said. "This world isn't made for humans. It's not comfortable for you, here. I don't hear any more voices, so I think we're done here. Let's go back." Yui nodded, and the two followed Teddie back to the place where they entered the TV world.
"Hey, Teddie," Yosuke said. "You said that this place is reality for people who enter, right?" Yui noticed that he seemed to be deep in thought as they traveled back; he must've just finally managed to word what he had on his mind properly.
"So, that shopping district," he said. "And the weird room we saw, before... Did they exist because the ones who died entered this world, and it became their reality? I guess what I'm trying to ask is... Did those places form because of the people who entered this world?" Teddie rubbed his head briefly, looking uncertain.
"I don't know," he said. "It's never happened before... But that's probably where they were when the Shadows attacked them. I sensed people here twice before, but both of them disappeared after the fog lifted." Yosuke thought for a moment before coming up with a general outline of his theory on what happened. Saki and Ms. Yamano were thrown in and wandered around since they couldn't escape. After some time, they faced their Shadows, and when the fog cleared, the Shadows killed them. It made him realize that he was lucky that Yui and Teddie were with him, which Teddie affirmed. If he'd been in this world alone, he likely would've died just the same.
"Senpai and that announcer," he said, a sorrowful tone in his voice. "They were here all alone, with nobody to help them or save them..." Teddie, perhaps hoping to cheer him up, explained that they were safe before the fog lifted, because Shadows don't attack regular people. Yui thought back to when she'd awoken to her Persona, and how those two Shadows had completely ignored Yosuke to attack her. Perhaps they specifically targeted her for that reason...? Yui and Yosuke's attention was caught when Teddie brought up the possibility of saving anyone else who got lost.
"Are you saying," Yosuke said. "That if anyone else gets thrown in here, we can save them before they disappear?! Like how you guys saved me?!"
"Sounds like it," Yui said. Honestly, she didn't relish the thought of jumping in to save every random shmuck who fell in, but she figured that if she didn't, Yosuke would just go in alone, and she'd honestly feel somewhat guilty if he got seriously hurt because of it.
"Hell," she said. "We might even find clues about the killer if we do." That was another part of it. She had a promise to keep, and despite the fact she was practically forced into it, she did try to keep her promises.
"Um...?" Teddie said. "Can I ask something, too? If Shadows are born from humans, what was Teddie born from...?" Yui and Yosuke looked at each other quizzically before looking back at Teddie.
"You don't even know?" Yui said. "How the hell should we?" Teddie shook his head, looking just as puzzled as them.
"I know some things," he said. "Mostly about this world... But I don't know anything about myself. To be honest, I never thought about it until now..." That explained why his answers always sounded so confusing; it was like he was a newborn or something, just discovering it had an identity.
"Will you guys... come back?" Teddie said. Yui gave a nod, though it was accompanied by a sigh and her rubbing the back of her neck.
"We did make a promise, after all..." She said. When Teddie showed surprise that they'd keep their word, Yosuke reminded him of the conditions of their promise, which Teddie had also apparently forgotten.
"Oh, that's right!" He said. "But, one more thing. I'll be waiting for you guys here. You need to come in from the same place every time, so we can meet up. You could come in from somewhere else, but then you won't end up here. You might show up somewhere I couldn't get to you. Then you'd be dooooomed... Got it?" Yui and Yosuke nodded their understanding, and Teddie created the exit TVs, just like the last time. When they approached with the intent to make sure there was nobody on the other side that they'd scare by falling out of the TV, however, Teddie impatiently pushed them through.
As they fell through and landed back in Junes, they were, thankfully, greeted only by Chie, who seemed stunned to see them safe and sound, even if Yui looked a little beaten up. In fact, she even started crying as she leapt to her feet, which prompted Yosuke to make a sassy comment about the face she was making, only for her to throw the coil of rope into his face, knocking him onto his butt.
"The nerve of you guys!" She said. "You're such morons! I can't believe this! You guys suck! The rope got cut off, I had no idea what to do... I was so worried... Totally scared stiff, dammit! I hate you both!" In her anger and frustration, Chie ran off, which Yosuke admitted they did have coming, and that they should both apologize to her, tomorrow.
"I'm completely wiped out," he said. "I'm gonna go home, soak in the shower for a while, and get some sleep... I think... I'm gonna sleep well tonight. Well, see you in the morning!" Yui, likewise, desperately needed to get some rest, so she began to make her way back to the Dojima household.
On the way there, however, she noticed a familiar face sitting at a rest area in the floodplains, and in need of rest for her weary legs, decided to stop by, as well. Taking a break, herself, was Yukiko Amagi, Chie's friend, although she was dressed in a vibrant, pink kimono.
"Are you surprised to see me dressed this way?" Yukiko said as Yui took a seat next to her. "My parents sent me on an errand. Um... Are you getting used to Inaba, yet?" Rolling her shoulder, Yui nodded briefly, still not certain how to speak to Yukiko. She seemed so refined and polite, entirely separate from the casual and rough city girl that Yui was.
"Really?" Yukiko said. "It must be difficult, though, moving to a place you know nothing about. I've never been out of Inaba, so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer to a new school." The ravenette looked thoughtful for a few moments, apparently trying to come up with a place to steer the conversation. Yui realized she must have almost as much trouble as her when it came to speaking between them. Maybe it was her work at the family inn that made it easier for her to push on despite that difficulty...
"Oh!" Yukiko said. "Are you getting along with Chie? I mean, I always leave early, so... Um..." Again, Yui nodded, but this time, decided to make an effort to actually speak.
"Yeah," she said. "Well enough, anyways. I knew a couple girls like her back home." Yui finally speaking seemed to help Yukiko relaxed somewhat, and even brought a small smile to the other girl's face.
"Really?" She said. "Well, Chie's very supportive, you know. She's always the one who gives me the little extra push I need. We had homeroom together last year, too, and I still remember how we'd cut class, sometimes." That surprised Yui a bit. Yukiko seemed too prim and proper to do something like that, yet here she was, admitting to such a thing.
"Well," Yui said. "With a teacher like King Moron, I can see why you would." The comment got an amused giggle from Yukiko, who nodded a bit.
"Oh," she said. "I should get going. I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef. Our inn can't function without me right now. Um, I'll see you at school, then." Yui nodded to her, and the two stood, grabbing their umbrellas before parting ways. It seemed like slowly, but surely, she was starting to make friends here...
April 15, Evening, Rain
"Dad's late..." Nanako said, although her voice didn't sound that surprised. Yui wasn't either, considering the second death that had cropped up this morning, but she couldn't help but feel for Nanako. It was starting to hit a little close to home just how often this poor girl was left all alone, which was only compounded by Nanako's reaction to the news, as she confirmed that Dojima likely wouldn't be home until late that night due to the most recent incident.
"Well," Yui said. "Why don't I help out around the house? Gotta do something other than take up space and eat your food, right?" Nanako nodded, smiling a little at Yui's offer to help before turning her attention back to the TV, where they were now showing a feature about the Amagi Inn, which Yui noted was the same inn that Yukiko's family ran.
Sure enough, it was as Chie said. It actually got news coverage, despite the town being so out-of-the-way. In fact, there was now an interview being shown, featuring Yukiko herself, who clarified that she was only temporarily filling in for the manager. When Nanako got bored, however, she got up and decided to do the dishes. Yui, having offered to help out, decided to similarly get up, despite the ache in her muscles, and assisted Nanako with the housework. Once she finished, she went right up to her room to get some well-earned rest...