April 14th -Morning

Hamuko woke up to the sound of raindrops falling against the roof of the house. The rain must not have stopped since last night I guess. Wait, last night I... She looked back at the TV in her room. No way, that didn't happen, Hamuko! She quickly got dressed and ready for school and headed downstairs. Once again she was greeted in the kitchen by Iris and a plate of fried eggs and toast.

"It's gunna be another wet morning," sighed the reporter. "So don't forget your umbrella, okay?"

Hamuko nodded as she poked at her eggs. She kept trying to force the events of midnight out of her head, but it kept playing over and over in her mind.

"You feeling okay kid?" asked Iris. "You don't look like your usual self."

"Oh, yeah, I'm okay," mumbled Hamuko. "I guess the rain is kind of a mood killer today."

"No kidding," nodded Iris. "I hate walking around in it, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?"

Hamuko nodded as she quietly ate her breakfast. She looked around for Takao, but noticed he wasn't around.

"Is Takao-san out today?" she asked.

"Yep," said Iris as she poured herself another cup of coffee. "Gramps is helping out at the Amagi Inn. Looks like the Inn has been getting swamped lately because of this whole mess with Mayumi."

"Come to think of it, Yukiko had to help out there yesterday," Hamuko recalled.

"I wouldn't doubt it," replied Iris. "She's going to be their new manager someday, after all."

Hamuko finished her breakfast and said goodbye to Iris and left, grabbing the red umbrella she had used on the first day of school.

What am I gunna tell the others when they ask me if I saw anything, wondered Hamuko as she began walking to school with a rather brisk pace. Yeah, I put my hand inside the TV, how about you guys? Pfft, yeah right...

Fortunately for her, Hamuko didn't run into anyone from yesterday's group on her way to Yasogami High, and she didn't waste any time getting to her classroom to avoid talking with any of them. They already think I'm a wierdo; this would just be icing on the cake. She looked around her class and noticed that everyone was already there except Saki. That's weird, she's always here before me. I guess even she runs late every now and then.

Ten minutes later, the school bell rang and Ms. Toriumi arrived. Hamuko saw that Saki had still not arrived. Guess she's not coming in today. Oh, well. Guess I'll have to get through school today without her.

After School

The school day had gone by just as easily today for Hamuko as as it did yesterday. P.E. was the only real challenge for her, but since it was raining, the girls simply played volleyball in the gym which was something she could handle.

As she headed down to the second floor of the school, she decided to pay a visit to her friends' homeroom to see if they really did see anything on the Midnight Channel. As she walked in she saw that Chie and Yosuke were laughing about something as they stood next to Souji, who was sitting in his desk. As she approached them she saw that Yukiko was not with them.

"Hey guys," said Hamuko. "Is Yukiko gone already?"

"Yeah," said Chie. "She had to help out at the Inn today too."

"They must be really busy then," mused Hamuko. "Even Takao-san is helping them."

Yosuke cleared his throat. "Okay senpai, time to spill it. Did you see anything on the Midnight Channel last night?"

"Um," Hamuko tried to stall as she considered what her response should be. "I, uh, saw a girl! I don't get what it means though."

"So we all saw the same thing?" asked Souji. "It doesn't make sense."

"Neither does your version, dude," laughed Yosuke. "Hey, senpai, get this. He says he stuck his hand into the TV after he saw the image and it almost yanked him inside!"

Chie chuckled along with him. "I liked the part where your TV was too small, or you really would have been sucked inside. Oh, don't forget about the part where you heard that voice in your head too!"

"!" Souji-kun had the same thing happen to him? But it doesn't look like Chie or Yosuke-kun experienced it...

"I'm telling you it really happened!" said Souji with an annoyed expression. "Why would I make that up?"

"Pfft, you just fell asleep in front of your TV," sighed Yosuke. "C'mon man..."

"Speaking of TV's," said Chie. "My family's been talking about buying a bigger one!"

"Well, those HD flat-screens are all the rage these days," said Yosuke. "Wanna go to Junes and check a few out? We've added a lot of stuff to our electronics department."

Chie nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, sure! My parents are total dummies when it comes to that kind of thing, and I really, reallllly want to see my kung-fu movies on the big screen!" She then went into some sort of martial arts pose.

"Hey watch it!" said Yosuke as he backed up a step. "Anyways, we do have some pretty big ones in stock. I bet they'd be big enough for you to fit into dude!"

"What about you senpai?" asked Souji with a sigh. "I won't hear the end of it if it's just the three of us..."

Hamuko nodded. "Sure thing Souji-kun! I won't let them be too hard on you."

Yosuke gestured toward the door. "Well, time's a-wasting!" As he and Chie walked out of the classroom Hamuko stopped Souji.

"About your story Souji-kun..."

Souji shook his head. "Not you too, senpai..."

"No, no it's not like that!" said Hamuko as she looked downward. "The thing is... The same thing happened to me..."

Souji gave her a look of surprise. "W-what? Are you serious?"

Hamuko nodded. "Yeah. After I saw the image, this voice sounded in my head; it gave me such a headache. Then later I tried to put my hand into the TV for some reason and it went through! But it didn't try to eat me or anything, cuz I got scared and pulled out my hand as soon as I had put it in..."

"I see..." Souji thought for a moment. "Let's keep that between us for now, senpai. I think Chie and Yosuke would just laugh at you too..."

"Right." agreed Hamuko.

Yosuke poked his head back inside the classroom. "Hey you two, what's the holdup? You're not already putting the moves on senpai are you Souji?"

"What? No!" Souji blushed as he answered his friend. "Come on senpai, let's go!"

Junes

After a somewhat damp walk to Junes, Yosuke led the group to the Electronics Department, where there were a great many TV's of various types and sizes on display. Chie rushed up to the center most one on display and looked at it.

"Wow this is huge!" she exclaimed as she looked at the price tag. "-and expensive, holy crap! Who buys something like this?"

"Beats me, rich folks?" offered Yosuke.

"You think so?" asked Hamuko. "The one at my house is about this size."

"Oh, well that would make sense because Takao-san is loaded," said Chie.

That and it's Mitsuru-san's house, thought Hamuko. Well, one of them.

"Anyways, not many people actually shop for TV's here," said Yosuke. "That's why you don't see any clerks around."

Chie sighed. "Oh well, at least looking's free." She and Yosuke then walked up to the TV and pressed their hands against the screen.

"See? Can't get in," said Yosuke as he took his hand off.

Chie turned and faced Souji and Hamuko. "Well this proves it doesn't it Souji-kun? It was just a dream after all."

"Yeah, yeah," sighed Souji.

"Besides, this flat-screen is so thin, you'd just wind up on the other side," said Yosuke as he faced Chie. "Ugh, why am I bothering with that? Anyway, Chie what kind of TV are you guys looking for?"

"Oh, they said they wanted one that's cheap," answered the girl. "Any suggestions?"

"Right this way Miss!" said Yosuke as he lead her to a TV a few yards away.

When they left, Souji and Hamuko walked up to the TV that Chie and Yosuke had been standing in front of.

"I wonder," trailed Souji as he reached his hand out.

"Hey wait!" said Hamuko as she grabbed his hand. "Are you seriously going to try that?"

Souji nodded. "I want to prove it wasn't just a dream. You don't have to if you don't want to senpai."

Hamuko sighed as she let go of Souji's hand. "N-no I'll do it, Souji-kun. I want to make sure too..."

The two slowly reached out and put their right hands on the screen. And just as they had done the night before, they both reached into the screen.

"It-it really happened Souji-kun!" gasped Hamuko as she looked at him.

"Yeah..." trailed Souji as he looked at their hands that were submerged within the TV screen.

"Hey senpai!" called Yosuke. "What kind of TV do...you..."

Chie looked at him. "What's up Yosuke?"

"Are both of your arms... in the TV?" asked Yosuke as he gave Hamuko and Souji wide-eyed stares.

Chie turned to face them and gasped. "What? W-wait, is it a new model or something? You know, with a new kind of function?"

"Hell no!" said Yosuke as he and Chie rushed to Hamuko and Souji.

Chie gasped as she confirmed the fact that Souji and Hamuko's hands were through the TV screen. "Is this real? Are your hands really through the screen?"

Souji nodded. "Believe me now?"

"Whoa this is for real," said Yosuke. "Wait, no this is a magic trick, right? So how's it work? What's the secret?"

"It's no trick," said Hamuko as she looked back to Yosuke. "It's really real for real." She paused as she realized how dumb that sounded.

"I'm taking a closer look..." said Souji. He then leaned forward and put his head upper chest through the screen.

"Hey, wait don't do that!" protested Yosuke. "What are you doing?"

"Oh my God," gasped Chie.

"There's just empty space in here," Souji called. "Come see Hamuko-senpai."

"..." Hamuko was hesitant to do so. In fact, she was downright scared to. However, Souji appeared to be alright, so she leaned forward herself too see what Souji was talking about. Sure enough it looked like a wide open foggy space.

"It's really spacious inside here," called Hamuko. "Wow!"

"What do you mean it's spacious?" demanded Yosuke.

"And what about 'inside'?" asked Chie.

Hamuko could hear the two of them murmuring outside the TV, but she focused her attention to what was in front of her. It was so hard to believe that there was something inside the TV. Before she could ponder things further she suddenly felt Yosuke and Chie crashing into her and before she knew it, all four of her friends were plummeting down the empty space, screaming in fear and confusion.

Hamuko didn't know how long she and the other had been falling. It could have been a few seconds, or several minutes. It really didn't matter to her, it was all scary as hell to her. And then, just like that, she suddenly felt herself crash onto a hard surface, with the other three not far behind.

"Ow, geez," groaned Yosuke. "I think I fell on my wallet."

"Um, where are we?" asked Chie as she looked around. "What is this place?"

Hamuko stood up and looked around. She couldn't see much due to the thick fog surrounding the group. She did notice that her surroundings were rather yellow though.

"Is it some secret place in Junes?" she asked.

"Hell, no," said Yosuke. "We just fell through a TV! But, now that you mention it...where are we..."

"Okay first things first," said Chie. "We are still alive right?"

"I think so," said Souji. "Is everyone alright?"

"I'm okay," said Hamuko. "Nothing broken here."

"Same here," answered Chie.

Yosuke groaned as he stood up. "I think my butt's cracked now, but other than that, yeah I'm okay."

Hamuko looked around again and noticed that her eyes had gotten somewhat used to the fog. "Hey, does this place look like a studio to you guys?"

"Now that you mention it," said Chie as she looked around. "Yeah it does." The group took note of the various cameras, floodlights, and strange stage paraphernalia that made up the area they were in.

"Inaba doesn't have a place like this, does it?" asked Souji.

"Hell no," said Yosuke as he tried to take in the surroundings. "But, wow, this place is so huge."

Chie sighed. "What are we gunna do now?"

"W-we should get out of here," said Hamuko.

"Yeah good idea," said Chie. "We need to get home and-" She paused as she looked around again. "Wait, which way did we come from? I don't see a way in... or out for that matter!"

"Wait, that can't be right!" said Yosuke as he started to panic. "How can that be possible?"

"D-don't ask me!" cried Chie. "I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!"

"Me too," said Hamuko in an attempt to calm Chie down. "But...how?"

Souji sighed and shook his head. "Well, guys, we're doomed."

The other three look at him in shock.

"D-don't stay stuff like that!" fumed Yosuke.

Chie pointed her finger at Souji. "You're giving up?"

"Sorry, sorry," said Souji as he scratched his head. "It was a lame attempt at a joke..."

"Real funny," huffed Hamuko as she gave him a small shove. "Not cool, Souji-kun."

"Hey, hey let's fight later," said Yosuke. "Right now we need to find a way out."

"But is there really a way out of here?" asked Chie.

"Well we got in didn't we?" asked Hamuko. "So there's gotta be a way out!"

"And if there is no exit, we're screwed," sighed Yosuke. "So let's cross our fingers and hope we find one. C'mon..."

"Come take the lead with me senpai," said Souji, gesturing to Hamuko. "Hopefully we won't run into anything bad."

Hamuko nodded as she began walking beside him with Chie and Yosuke in tow . "Okay." I sure hope there isn't anything 'bad' here...