Author's Note: Whew, alright, this one took a little longer than expected! I wanted to make sure that everything really felt right. It was a very delicate process! What could I possibly be talking about, you wonder? Read on!
Saturday
April 13, 2013 — Early Morning
Partly Cloudy
That morning, Shou walked to school with Kouta and Emi. Above, puffs of fluffy white clouds filled the sky. It was brisk out, and he pulled his school blazer more tightly around himself as a chill breeze blew through the folds of his clothing.
"Man, I can't wait to have tomorrow off," Kouta said.
Emi chuckled. "One week into the semester and you're already sick of school."
Kouta yawned, and stretched. "It's seriously cuttin' into my beauty rest. You know what I'm talking about, Emi-chan."
"Sure, whatever you say," she replied, shaking her head.
Shou grinned.
"So you guys got any plans tomorrow?" Kouta asked.
"I . . ." Emi trailed off, then took a deep breath. "Tomorrow's Haruo-niisan's funeral."
Shou felt like he'd had the wind knocked out of him.
"Crap," said Kouta. "I mean whoops, er, I mean . . . uh, sorry. I'm sorry, Emi-chan."
"It's okay," she said. Her face tightened. "This is what happens when someone dies, after all. I can't . . . dance around it. That won't help."
Everyone was silent. Shou searched for words he knew could do little good.
Kouta broke the silence with a laugh. "Man, Emi-chan," he said, "you're so tough. The guys on the kendo team could learn a thing or two from you."
Emi started laughing as well. It was real, unrestrained mirth, rolling out of her. "Thank you, Kouta-kun," she managed. She touched him on the shoulder.
Kouta suddenly looked like he was about to melt. His whole face slackened; his eyes became empty and dreamy.
Shou started cracking up.
This snapped Kouta out of it. "Oi, what's so funny?" he growled.
"N-nothing," Shou managed, gasping for air.
They continued walking to school.
They entered the front lobby, and headed to their cubbies to put on their indoor shoes. As Shou was putting his sneakers away, he noticed Principal Takahashi talking to two people off by the first-floor west hallway. They looked roughly student-aged, though neither of them wore a uniform.
The first was a tall, slim, handsome young man in a double-breasted black wool jacket with white trim. A sweep of short, gray bangs covered his forehead. He stood with a careful self-assuredness, as if he was constantly gauging everything around him, and was up for whatever danger he might find. A sense of deep inner fortitude radiated from him, quiet and serene. He was somehow both unassuming and utterly magnetic.
The second was a short girl with a fall of long blue hair. She wore a tan pantsuit, brown at the collar and cuffs, with a slate blue tie. Her jacket was thrown open, revealing a fitted, collared white shirt that emphasized her lithe, full figure.
Shou did a double-take.
She was one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen.
It was as much the aura of strength, and intelligence, and maturity that emanated from her, as it was her looks. Shou couldn't help but sigh, his heart thudding hollowly in his chest. Wow, he thought. Somehow, he knew this girl was an unattainable goddess, one he would never achieve anything with, no matter what.
"You checkin' out the hottie?" Kouta asked. He came up beside Shou and threw his arm around Shou's shoulder.
"Ugh, you guys are pigs," Emi said, coming up behind them.
"I didn't say anything!" Shou protested.
"A-and I didn't mean anything by it," Kouta said.
"Yeah, yeah," she replied. She walked off toward class.
"Seriously, though," Kouta said, "I wonder who she is. She looks kinda familiar." He shrugged. "Anyway, I gotta get to class, too. See ya, bro."
Shou remained one more moment, glancing at the two strangers again. The young man with the gray hair met Shou's eyes.
Shou looked away, feeling strangely unnerved, and went for the stairs.
Shou sat in math class, being lectured on calculus by Murakami-sensei, a spindly, owlish teacher with wild, Einstein-like salt-and-pepper hair. "Some of the principles," he squawked, "calculus was founded upon originated all the way back in antiquity. You all know the great Archimedes, don't you?"
He waited, apparently hoping for some kind of strong reaction.
A few students, including Sayoko, nodded to themselves, but that was it.
"The story of the bathtub? When he discovered the concept of displacement as a means to determine the volume of irregular objects? He ran naked down the streets of Syracuse, yelling 'Eureka!' Ring a bell?" He sighed. "The Greek mathematician Archimedes employed what's known as the method of exhaustion to calculate areas and volumes. It was a process by which these values are approximated through inscribing an increasing number of polygons — n — whose combined areas conform to the area of the containing shape.
"As polygons are added, and the value of n increases, the difference between the net area of the polygons and the area of the container itself dwindles. Or, rather, the idea is that the accuracy goes up. The more the value of n allows us to approach the maximum area of the containing shape itself, the more confidently we can say that we have determined that maximum area with reasonable precision. And it is this method that we can say 'foreshadows' the concept of limits we use in calculus today."
Murakami-sensei paused, surveying the class. He rubbed his hands together and smiled; mischief twinkled in his eye. "Let's see who's been paying attention," he said. "What is the name of the method used by Archimedes to calculate areas and volumes?" He paused. "Hirano-kun, how about you?"
"Uh . . . uhm . . ." said a nervous voice behind Shou. It belonged to a nondescript young man with an overgrown bowl cut.
"I'm listening," Murakami-sensei said.
"Um . . ."
"Method of exhaustion," Shou said under his breath, trying to keep it as quiet as possible while still being audible to Hirano.
A moment later, Hirano parroted Shou's answer.
"Very good, Hirano-kun," Murakami-sensei said. "I'm glad you were able to wrack your brain and figure it out. You would do well to hold on to that piece of information." He looked at the rest of the class. "That goes for all of you. You never know what might be on the test. Ehehehehe."
The math teacher went on with the lecture.
"Thanks," Hirano whispered to Shou.
He nodded back.
"Did you hear? Tanimoto gave Hirano the answer," the rumor-mongering girl in front of Shou said to her friend.
"He's a pretty dependable guy," the friend replied.
Emi gave Shou a bemused look. "Seems you have a couple of fans," she said quietly.
His charm increased!
Saturday
April 13, 2013 — Lunchtime
Partly Cloudy
Kouta met up with Shou in the hall just after the bell rang.
"Hey," he said, "I was thinking, if you were up for it, maybe we could take Emi-chan out today. Try to cheer her up. I still feel bad about this morning." He frowned. "It totally didn't even occur to me that the funeral would have to be soon."
Shou nodded. The truth was he hadn't thought about it either. He felt terribly insensitive.
"Girls like shopping, right?" Kouta asked. "We can take her to the mall, and she could try on some new clothes, and we can tell her how they look."
"Uh . . ." Shou wasn't sure how to break it to his friend, but he was fairly certain girls only did that with other girls, or with their boyfriends.
"Anyway, we'll figure it out later," Kouta cut in. "Can I count on you?"
Shou nodded.
Saturday
April 13, 2013 — Afternoon
Partly Cloudy
In Japanese literature, Shou's class had Nozaki-sensei — a tiny, pale young woman with a bob of raven hair. She dressed all in black, and had exhibited a ghoulish sensibility. "The story 'In a Grove' is, perhaps, the most iconic among Akutagawa Ryunosuke's works. It was adapted into Kurosawa Akira's famous film 'Rashomon.' Although, Akutagawa in fact has his own work entitled 'Rashomon.' It derives its title from a fifteenth century Noh play of the same name. The only thing the three pieces have in common is their setting — the Rashomon, the ruined southern gate of Kyoto. The more you know, hm?" She chuckled to herself.
"Akutagawa's 'In a Grove' presents a view of humanity in which no man can be completely objective. Perceptions color experience, and memory as well, making the human being the most unreliable of witnesses . . ."
Shou felt himself drifting off.
He bit the inside of his lip in an effort to stay awake.
He listened to the lecture.
. . .
. . .
His knowledge increased!
Saturday
April 13, 2013 — After School
Partly Cloudy
Shou headed down to the lobby with Emi, so they could meet up with Kouta. He didn't have the courage or charm to ask her plainly to hang out; he told her that he and Kouta wanted to cheer her up.
"You don't have to do that," she said, but her face looked brighter.
Shou and Emi emerged from the stairwell, entering the lobby. Unable to help himself he glanced over at the school store, looking for Kaede.
But the store was closed on Saturdays, and Kaede was nowhere to be seen. Shou hoped she was all right.
"Hey, guys!" Kouta trotted up to them a few seconds later. "I was thinking we should head to Mori-Mooru . . ."
"Tachibana Emi. Tanimoto Shou," said a voice over the loudspeaker. "Please report to the principal's office."
Shou and Emi traded confused looks.
"The principal?" Kouta asked. Then his expression became sly. "What did you two do? You can tell me."
"N-nothing!" Emi protested. She glanced at Shou. "At least, I haven't done anything."
Shou held both his hands up, as if to say, "don't look at me." He had no idea what this could be about. He hadn't broken any school rules that he was aware of, and he paid attention in class . . . Wait, could this be about him helping Hirano-kun earlier? No, that didn't make any sense. Were that the case, there was no reason for Emi to be involved. Unless they considered her a witness, since she sat next to him?
Anxiety made his heart rate climb.
"You want me to wait up for you?" Kouta asked.
"There's no telling how long this could take," Emi said. She looked nervous as well. "Meet up with us back at the dorm?"
"Sure," Kouta said. "And I wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure it's no big deal."
"Do students get called to the principal's office over 'no big deal?'" Emi asked.
Shou was pretty sure it was a rhetorical question, but Kouta squinted and made a face like he was thinking about it really hard. Or having a tough time going to the bathroom. Finally, he shrugged and shook his head. "Sorry, nope."
The announcement was repeated over the PA system.
Some of the students in the lobby began to give Shou and Emi leery stares.
"I think we'd better get going," Emi said. She grabbed Shou by the arm and began to haul him down the hallway.
Kouta waved, grinning. "Good luck," he yelled after them. "Try not to get kicked out!"
Shou groaned.
Emi yanked him along, nearly pull his arm out of the socket, as they headed toward the faculty suite.
The faculty suite was an addition on the first floor west hallway. On the outside, it had been made with red brick to match the original façade. Swinging wooden double doors opened into a set of branching hallways filled with offices — one for each teacher — as well as a large teacher's lounge. Chatter drifted their way from teachers relaxing after classes.
Shou and Emi made their way down the main corridor, toward another set of double doors, with a polished brass knobs. "Principal Takahashi" was printed across the glass panes.
Shou expected to walk right into the office itself, but when he opened the door, he found himself in a small waiting room. A number of wooden chairs lined the walls. In the center was a raised secretary's desk, behind which sat a plump woman whose name placard identified her as Odawara-san.
"Tachibana-san?" Odawara asked, looking at Emi. Shou recognized her voice as the one that had spoken over the PA.
Emi nodded.
"Go on in." Odawara gestured to a door behind her. Then, to Shou, she said, "You can have a seat, Tanimoto-kun."
Emi shot a worried glance at Shou, and he flashed her a smile, hoping that it was enough to reassure her. She looked away, straightened her back, and walked into the principal's office. Shou tried to catch a glimpse inside, but Emi didn't open the door enough, and he saw nothing.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a seat.
He waited. The minutes stretched on. He kept looking at the mounted wall clock, acutely aware of the passage of time. After fifteen minutes, he felt like he'd been there for an hour. After thirty minutes, he could barely contain himself. He jiggered his leg up and down. His fingers tapped on the arm of the chair. The waiting only amplified his apprehension. The longer he sat in silence, the more nervous he became.
Why had he been summoned to the principal's office?
Why—?
The door to Takahashi's office opened. Emi emerged. Her eyes were wide; she looked slightly shell-shocked. "They're ready for you," she said to Shou.
They?
Before Shou could question her further, Emi was already heading back out into the teacher's suite hallway.
What had spooked her like that?
His insides churned.
Crrrreeeeeaaaak . . .
Shou spun in time to see the door to the principal's office swing open, seemingly of its own accord; no one stood in the doorway. Sweat trickled down his back, and he tried to swallow the lump of fear forming in his throat.
Odawara motioned for him to enter.
He took a hesitant step into the shadowy recesses of Principal Takahashi's office . . .
Inside, it was dim and cool; the sole illumination came from the light through the gaps in the ash wood horizontal shades. The space was as expansive as Shou would have expected for the principal of such a prestigious school, easily two-thirds the size of his classroom. Shelves covered one entire wall, filled with books, and plaques, and framed photographs of Takahashi with multiple celebrities, athletes, businessmen, and politicians — all presumably Morigami graduates.
A massive mahogany desk was the centerpiece of the space, overshadowing the entire back of the room. Contrary to Shou's expectation that the severe-looking Takahashi would be neat and ordered, the desk's surface was covered with folders and papers of all kinds.
He paused, squinting in the gloom.
Where the heck was the principal?
"Tanimoto Shou, I presume," said a deep, confident female voice.
Shou turned.
Leaning against the wall, in the blind spot beside the door, was the blue-haired girl in the tan pantsuit. Arms folded, she watched him with intense focus.
Shou found himself feeling intimidated.
"Tanimoto Shou," the girl said. "Born October 17th, 1996, in Kamikawa, Hokkaido. Father, Tanimoto Takaki, a salaryman, and also a nighttime convenience store worker. Mother . . ." She paused. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Th-thanks," Shou managed. The accident had been a very long time ago, but he found that he appreciated the sentiment even so.
"As you can tell," the girl continued, "I already know a great deal about you. And you probably know very little about me. So, allow me to introduce myself. I am Detective Shirogane."
"N-nice to meet you," Shou said.
"You're a transfer student, aren't you?" Shirogane asked.
Shou nodded.
"That's the third one. The pattern is worth noting. Don't you think, Yu?" She turned, looking at the far corner of the room.
Shou blinked.
Standing near the window, hidden by the glare, was the young man with the gray hair. "It's interesting," he replied. "I'll say that much." His voice was not loud, but it was deep, commanding. A man's voice. He turned to Shou, and stepped forward, out of the light. "I'm Narukami Yu," he said. He smiled.
Up close, Shou could see that his eyes were gray as well — the color of storm clouds.
"Nice to meet you, as well," Shou greeted him. He looked back and forth, from Narukami to Detective Shirogane. He still had no idea what this was all about.
"Now," Shirogane said, "we've already heard your friend Tachibana's account of this case. But we'd like to hear your version as well. All the details you can recall. Every bit of information, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, is a valuable puzzle piece that may bring us closer to the complete picture."
"The . . . case?" Shou asked.
"Shadow activity in Morigami City."
Understanding hit him. "You're the Shadow Operatives," he said.
"I do occasional consulting work," Shirogane said, "for a government agency that may or may not go by such a name."
"And I'm just along for the ride," said Narukami.
Shirogane chuckled.
Shou was bewildered. He didn't even know whether Narukami was joking.
"Now, the case," Shirogane said. "Start at the beginning, and tell us everything."
Shou did as he was instructed. He began with the very first thing he could remember that had been a part of all this: the Velvet Room. Then he detailed his strange dream of wandering in the metro tunnels, and encountering those angry Shadows. He discussed what had happened with Emi and Kudo-sensei. He mentioned Persona, the Wild Card, and everything else he could think of . . .
Except Hope/LESS.
He kept that last bit back, afraid it might hurt Kaede. It wouldn't matter if Emi had already said something, but he had to try.
When he was finished, Detective Shirogane turned to Narukami. "If the Velvet Room's involved," she said, "it's better that you conclude this interview yourself."
"Seems that way," Narukami agreed.
"I'll leave you two to talk," she said. "There are some other matters I have to look into."
Narukami nodded.
"See you . . . back at the hotel," Shirogane said.
A look passed between them, charged with tension. Electric. Shou couldn't help but notice. He could tell immediately that there was some history there, but he didn't know what to make of it.
Detective Shirogane strode from the room, and Narukami's gaze followed her the entire time. It was only when she was gone that his attention turned to Shou. "So you're a new Wild Card, huh?" he said. "It's funny. It makes me feel sort of nostalgic."
"Are you . . . ?"
Narukami bowed his head. "The Wild Card of Inaba, at your service." There was a self-deprecating humor in his voice. "Call me 'Yu.' Or anything other than 'Sister Complex Kingpin.'"
"Complex . . . what?" Shou asked. And "Inaba" . . . Why was that so familiar?
Yu's eyes twinkled. "Inside joke. Don't worry about it." He glanced toward the window, and the daylight played across his strong, refined features. Like Shirogane, there was a remarkable air of maturity about him. "So, Shou," he said. He paused. "You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"
Shou shook his head.
"Shou," Yu said. "Let's go for a walk."
A few minutes later, Shou and Yu stepped out into the afternoon sun. The cloud cover had thinned somewhat, revealing the full breadth of the azure sky. Students milled around outside the Classroom Buildings, chatting in groups or strolling along toward the dorms or the city-bound trolley stop.
Shou wasn't sure if Yu had a particular destination in mind, but he at least appeared to know where he was headed. Shou trailed alongside him.
"How's school treating you so far?" Yu abruptly asked.
Shou replied that overall Morigami was treating him well.
"Any girls you like?"
Shou reddened. After a brief hesitation, he confessed that there were a few.
Yu laughed. "A heart that can't decide," he said. "You and I have that in common."
Thinking of the look shared between Yu and the detective, Shou asked, "Is there a girl you like?"
Yu smiled. "You could say that." He didn't elaborate further.
Shou was about to ask for more details when Yu stopped short.
They stood beside the grinning statue of Morigami Yoshinori, at the head of the square in front of the Classroom Buildings. Across from them, the door to the Velvet Room hovered in space. "I noticed this on my way in," Yu said. "Now I know why it's here." He reached into his pocket and withdrew . . .
A key to the Velvet Room. It was identical to Shou's own.
"It's time to pay some old friends a visit," Yu said. "You with me, Shou?"
"Uh . . ."
"Let's go."
The Velvet Room was moving. As usual.
Briefly, Yu paused to take in the train car. His eyes tracked over the train car's curtained windows, the chandelier, the carpeted floor . . . and at last alighted on Igor and Isabelle at the far end.
He walked forward. Shou followed.
"Ah," Igor said, "Narukami-kun. What a pleasant surprise. This is something that I did not expect . . . Which is quite a rarity."
"Narukami Yu," Isabelle said. "I have heard a great deal about you from my younger sister. My name is Isabelle."
"It's nice to meet you," Yu said.
Isabelle nodded in response.
"Where's Margaret?" he asked.
"She is . . . unavailable," Isabelle said.
Yu was undeterred. "Care to elaborate?" he asked.
Isabelle's golden eyes narrowed behind her glasses. She said, "She's decided to join our youngest sister on her pointless crusade. To save the life of another young man. Something about the power of bonds." Her voice dripped with distaste.
"So Margaret's with Elizabeth," Yu said.
"You're well informed," Isabelle said. "Perhaps Margaret's estimation of you is not as exaggerated as I thought."
"I do my best to live up to expectations," Yu replied.
Isabelle glided over Yu's quip as if he hadn't even spoken. "Not to worry, however," she said. "Margaret has promised to return by the next time you may have need of our services."
"That time isn't now?" Yu asked.
"An interesting question," Igor mused. "Perhaps you might use your considerable power to assist Tanimoto-kun. But this is his trial to undertake. Rather than aiding him, your direct interference may be what sends him tumbling off the narrow path to salvation . . ." He chuckled. "Who can truly say? The future becomes indistinct in the presence of two Wild Cards."
Shou tensed, and a shiver ran down his spine. He imagined himself falling off a lonely and precarious road, into endless darkness.
"You're telling me to stay out of it," Yu said.
"I am advising you to support Tanimoto-kun in a different manner," Igor replied. "Your wealth of experience might prove advantageous to his cause. I am certain there is a great deal he could learn from you. Narukami-kun."
Yu was silent for a moment; his face was calm, betraying not a hint of his emotions. His confidence was unshakable, absolute. Then he said, "All right. I'll do whatever I can to help."
Igor nodded his approval, his wide smile half concealed behind a white-gloved hand.
Shou found himself marveling at the relationship between Yu and the residents of the Velvet Room. Even Isabelle, whom he'd never met, he was able to carry on a rapport with. What sort of trial had Yu undergone to leave him with such strong resolve?
"Do you have anything to add, Tanimoto-kun?" Igor asked.
Shou blinked. He'd been content just to watch Yu interact with these two! What could he possibly add to the conversation?
"I guess not," Isabelle said. She laughed.
"Until we meet again," Igor said. "Tanimoto-kun. Narukami-kun."
Wait, that was it? That was all he was going to get?
"Isabelle," Yu suddenly said. "You remind me of her. Margaret."
Isabelle's eyebrows raised. Then, she smiled. "Who do you think taught Margaret to be Margaret?"
"You did well," Yu said.
At this, Isabelle was actually speechless. Her face softened.
Shou felt Yu's hand on his collar, and then he was being pulled . . .
He heard the sound of a door opening.
Shou stumbled out of the Velvet Room, Yu a few steps ahead.
So cool! he thought. Yu delivering a powerful line and then making his exit.
"Whew," Yu said. "I was afraid if I gave her enough time to recover, she'd bite my head off." He chuckled.
Still cool, somehow, Shou thought. Who is this ultra level guy?
"Well," Yu said, "I guess there's no doubting this is a real incident."
Shou nodded.
"I won't be able to help you directly," Yu said. "But I'm sure there are a few tricks I can teach you. What do you say, Shou?"
Shou nodded again, emphatically. He was sure he could learn a lot from Yu-kun.
"For now, I have to head back and report in," he said. "But I'm sure we'll cross paths again soon." He extended a hand.
Shou shook it.
Snap!
The familiar voice echoed in Shou's mind. Thou art I . . . And I am thou . . .
Thou hast established a new bond . . . It brings thee closer to the truth . . . Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Sun Arcana . . .
"I know that look," Yu said. "Guess we'll definitely be seeing each other again. Until then. Shou." He released his handshake and clapped Shou on the arm.
Then he turned, and began to walk toward the school's front gate. He waved without looking back.
How could he possibly be so cool?
Watching him depart, Shou had a realization.
Inaba. Hadn't that been the place where that serial killer cop had committed those murders last year?
As he pondered this, he headed back to the dorm.
Saturday
April 13, 2013 — Evening
Partly Cloudy
When Shou returned to G Hall, he found Kouta and Emi waiting for him in the lounge. The moment he entered, they stood.
"Well?" Emi asked. "How did it go?"
Shou told her he wasn't exactly sure.
"Man, I feel so left out," Kouta complained. "I wanna get interrogated by the Detective Prince!"
"Detective Prince?" Shou asked.
"Yeah, I thought she looked familiar," Kouta said, "so I did some checking around. That was Shirogane Naoto, the number one high school detective in Japan!"
"She's probably the only high school detective in Japan," Emi said.
"Not according to . . ." Kouta began.
"What?" Emi asked. "Manga?"
"Yeah," Kouta said. "But there are other things . . . Like, uh . . . Well . . ."
Emi shot a triumphant look at Shou. Then she asked, "And don't you think you're taking this all too lightly? This is serious business, you know. Shou and I could've been in real trouble!"
A pall of depression shaded Kouta's countenance as Emi scolded him.
Shou stifled laughter. He felt bad for his friend, but Kouta kind of deserved it.
After a few minutes, Emi was satisfied; Kouta was thoroughly cowed; and they returned to the conversation at hand.
Shou asked Emi if she'd mentioned Hope/LESS to Shirogane and Yu.
She shook her head.
"Why not?" Kouta asked. "Let those two deal with them. Get 'em out of our hair."
"They wanted to know about the Shadows," Emi said. "So I decided it was outside the scope of their investigation." She paused. Her face grew somber, and her hands tightened. "Whatever their beliefs . . . they're still our fellow students. We don't know the whole story yet. I'm not saying I'm ready to forgive them if they could've helped my brother . . . survive . . . But I don't want to do anything rash, either."
Shou nodded. He felt enormous respect for Emi, and the power of her convictions. It would have been easy to speak out for the sake of vengeance, but she'd resisted the temptation. On the eve of her brother's funeral.
She was really something.
At that moment, the G Hall front door opened. Reiko entered; she headed toward the stairs, but paused when she saw Shou and offered him a rare, warm smile.
He smiled back. His pulse fluttered.
Yu's words came back to him. A heart that can't decide, indeed, he thought.
Reiko went upstairs, and Shou, Kouta, and Emi resumed their conversation in earnest.
Later that night, after dinner, Shou settled down in his room, thinking over the events of the day. He still wasn't sure what to make of the "Shadow Operatives." But he could at least be sure that he'd found an ally in Narukami Yu. Not only had Yu turned out to be a Social Link, but he was trusted by Igor as well. Though it was disappointing that Yu wouldn't be able to fight, Shou was happy enough just to be mentored by his senpai in this strange new world.
As for Detective Shirogane, Shou still wasn't sure what to make of her. She was clearly capable, smart, and driven. There had been a certain aloofness to her as well, though Shou wasn't sure if that was normal, or directed at him specifically. He certainly hoped the former.
He was also intensely curious about the relationship between Yu and Shirogane. He couldn't tell if they were involved, or maybe just . . . wanted to be? There was definitely something there. Shou was sure of it.
Maybe he would do a little detective work of his own . . .
Since there was no school tomorrow, Shou decided to forego studying, and instead picked up "One Punch: First Round" again.
He read about how Makino Ikko spent his last night before the Rookie Rumble lying awake in bed, unable to sleep. It took him so long to find rest that he overslept and nearly arrived late for his weigh-in. Shou breathed a sigh of relief as Ikko burst in at the last possible moment.
Next, came Ikko's first professional bout, against a much lauded rookie named Mikami Sosuke, widely regarded as an up-and-comer to watch. At first, Ikko had a tough time finding his rhythm, and he suffered blow after blow from Mikami. But his resilience was incredible, and he survived into the fourth round, where he had a shocking comeback, knocking out Mikami with a three punch combo of two shattering body blows, followed by a powerful right hook to the momentarily immobilized Mikami's jaw.
Shou was breathless as he closed the book for the night. He was sad that he was nearing the end, but eager to finish. As he settled into bed, he hoped he would get to read the conclusion of Ikko's first tournament soon.
His courage increased!
His courage went from Average to Reliable!
Next time, on Persona Gaiden: New Class . . .
The first portion of Days of Spring concludes with theater auditions and baseball tryouts! The skies grow overcast . . .
Social Links
Fool — Morigami Exploration Team — Rank 2
Magician — Hayabusa Kouta — Rank 2
Justice — Kazami Kaede — Rank 2
Hanged Man — Ariwa Reiko — Rank 1
Sun — Narukami Yu — Rank 1!
Author's Note 2: Well, there you have it! A warm welcome to Yu and Naoto! As I'm sure you can already tell, the two of them will not be using their considerable, end-of-P4 level strength to aid Shou's cause. Nor will Shou have a snowball's chance of romancing Naoto. ^_~ Ultimately, this story is about Shou and his comrades, and so while you can expect more of Yu and Naoto to come, they won't get anywhere near the screen time of main "party members" like Kouta and Emi. They'll remain supporting characters in the story. And for those interested in the Yu/Naoto romance element, be assured that I will pay that off.
It's also worth noting that Naoto's look for this story is based on her Persona x Detective Naoto appearance. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you check it out. It's awesome! In the series timeline, Persona Gaiden takes place about a month after PxD begins. Ideally, I'd like to make sure that PG's timeline fits with PxD's. However, as the light novel hasn't been translated into English, I don't know over how long a period of time its events take place, or whether Naoto appearing in my story conflicts with the canon. Hopefully it doesn't! As for Yu's appearance, I just wanted to put him in a cool jacket. xD
One last note: I'm not great with math, so I don't know if my attempt at making calculus sound accessible worked, or was remotely accurate. If I mucked it up, please let me know!
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this special surprise! I'll see you next chapter!