April 15th – Morning
Waking up turned out to be a whole lot easier than Hamuko expected, given how tired she was from the night before. After a short stretch she got out of bed and noted that it was still raining. As she got herself ready for the day she could hear Iris cooking what she assumed was the usual fried egg breakfast.
"Hey, you're up early," said Iris as she watched Hamuko descend the stairs. "You feeling better?"
Hamuko nodded and sat down at the table. "Good as new...or something like that. So any new leads on what happened to that reporter lady, or Saki?"
Iris shook her head as she brought Hamuko her breakfast.
"Nothing but dead ends," sighed the journalist. "It's like they just, I dunno, vanished somehow."
"You don't think that's what happened do you?" asked Hamuko as she began eating.
"Of course not," said Iris, shaking her head. "People don't just vanish out of thin air and wind up dead atop telephone poles by themselves. Something strange is going on around here and I need to know what it is. Anyway, I'm heading to the Amagi Inn today so I'll walk with you on your way to school."
Hamuko nodded as she continued to eat. She had considered telling Iris about what had happened to her and her friends yesterday within that strange world, but decided against it. She didn't want Iris to think she was any weirder than she surely already seemed.
Ten minutes later...
The sound and smell of rainfall was starting to become very familiar to Hamuko. It wasn't exactly unpleasant but still, it was starting to get old.
"You know after awhile, this rain starts to wear down on ya," sighed Iris from underneath her umbrella as she walked alongside Hamuko. "I was hoping it would have let up today."
"Is the weather usually like this here this time of year?" asked Hamuko as she looked around.
Iris paused for a moment to think on the question.
"You know, it usually isn't," she finally answered as she began walking again. "I mean yeah, we get a good deal of rain about this time but...not at such a constant rate. And then there's the fog. I can't say I've ever seen it as much as we have recently."
The two continued to walk, making small talk when the distant sound of police sirens could be heard.
"I don't like the sound of that..." trailed Iris as the two reached the crossroad that lead to the Amagi Inn. "I wonder..."
"Hey, Iris, Hamuko-senpai! Wait up!" a voice called out. It turned out to belong to Chie, who was running up to the pair from the opposite side of the crosswalk.
"Hey, Chie," waved Iris as the other girl approached the two. "Hmm? Where's Yuki-chan? She's not skipping school is she?"
Chie shook her head. "No, no nothing like that. She has to help out at the Inn a little bit today- oh but she told me she'd come to school later."
"Still a hard worker that girl is," mused Iris. "Well I guess it can't be helped with her. Besides-"
Her sentence was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing.
"Hmm? Who could that be?" wondered Iris as she answered it. "Hello? Oh Ryo-kun, what's up? Me? I'm near the Amagi Inn with Hamuko-chan and Chie-chan, why?"
The tone of her voice changed immediately upon hearing the next thing she was told.
"What? Are you sure?" Iris' face began to show a great deal of concern. "Right, I'll be sure to tell them that. Okay, I'll see you soon then."
"W-what was that all about Iris?" asked Chie as she watched the reporter end the call and put a hand to her forehead.
"Something's come up," said Iris in the most serious tone that Hamuko had ever heard her use. "You two head straight to school okay? ...I think you'll find out for yourselves what that was about later anyway." Without another word., Iris turned around and began running back to her house.
"Uh what just happened, Senpai?" asked Chie.
Hamuko shook her head. "You know as much as I do. Maybe we should just head off to school like she said..."
Chie nodded. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea. Still I've got a bad feeling about what made Iris take off like that." She shrugged. "Oh, well no point in worrying about it now. Let's go senpai."
Hamuko nodded and followed her, still thinking about what could have so quickly changed Iris' mood.
Afternoon
The first part of the school day was yet again mostly uneventful for Hamuko, save for having to listen to the various topics of gossip that had been spreading around the school- chief among them being the recent murder. She also noted that Saki wasn't in class today as well.
I guess she really did go missing; but why? Did she run away from home or...?
Hamuko didn't want ponder the subject too much but she found herself thinking about it periodically as she listened to her teachers' lectures.
When lunchtime came around Ms. Toriumi addressed the class before dismissing them.
"Alright everyone, I need you all to listen up for just a moment," said the teacher. "I need to inform you all that an assembly has been called for after lunchtime."
"Huh?" asked a student. "I don't remember there being one on the schedule..."
"Me neither," commented another.
"It was just decided a few hours ago," said Ms. Toriumi. "I'm told it has to do with Saki Konishi, but that's all I know at this point. That's all, so be sure to head to the gym after lunch."
An assembly about Saki? Hamuko thought for a moment about what it could mean. Maybe it's one of those 'don't run away from home' things? She shook her head, deciding it wouldn't be useful to think on the subject anymore. And besides, she was hungry.
Afternoon
Lunchtime had ended and that meant it was time to find out what the assembly was all about. Upon arriving at the gym, Hamuko spotted Souji, Yosuke, and Chie all standing together near the front.
"Hey, Senpai," waved Souji and Hamuko approached her friends. "Looks like this assembly is a school-wide deal huh?"
Chie nodded. "Yeah, but the teacher doesn't even know what it's about. What's up with that?" She pulled out her phone and looked at the time. "Hmm. Yukiko said she'd be here after lunch. Oh, well, I guess she's really busy."
Hamuko looked over at Yosuke who was being oddly silent. "Something the matter Yosuke?"
Yosuke looked up at her, as he snapped out of his silence. "Huh? Oh it's nothing senpai."
Before he could say anything else, a teacher dressed in an Egyptian headdress and matching makeup addressed the students from behind the podium that was on the stage. Hamuko recognized her a Ms. Sofue, the history teacher.
"Settle down please everyone," she said. "The school assembly is about to begin. "First the principal has something to say." She motioned at the much older man standing next to her dressed in more traditional clothing. Hamuko assumed that he was the principal based on what Ms. Sofue had just said, as she had never seen the principal before.
The principal walked up to the podium after Ms. Sofue had finished speaking and after clearing his throat he spoke to the students.
"I...regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you." He paused before continuing. "One of our third yeah students, Ms. Saki Konishi of Class 3... Has passed away."
A collective gasp was heard throughout the gym, of which Hamuko was part of.
She's dead? But that can't be, Iris told me she was just missing! Hamuko's thoughts raced through her head as she processed the information.
"Passed...Away?" repeated Chie, who looked just as shocked as Hamuko.
Yosuke had a horrified look about him, but didn't say anything.
The principal continued his address to the students.
"Ms. Konishi was found deceased early this morning. The reasons behind her passing are currently under investigation by the police."
The rest of speech was nearly lost to Hamuko as the shock of the news hit her.
"Found dead?" asked Chie. "How could this happen? Wait, senpai do you think this has to do with what happened with Iris earlier?"
Hamuko recalled the phone call that the reporter had received earlier in the day, as well as her subsequent reaction. "Maybe... I don't know what's going on anymore."
The principal continued to speak for a few more minutes before dismissing the students and ending school early that day.
"Come on guys," said Souji. "There's no point in sticking around here."
Chie nodded and turned to Yosuke, who seemed to be the hardest hit from the news. "Hey, you coming?"
"Oh, yeah," said Yosuke as he looked up at her. "Sorry. You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up in a bit."
"Um, okay," said Hamuko. He really is affected by this, and badly so it seems.
The group, sans Yosuke, wordlessly left the gym and eventually found themselves the school's entrance. Surprisingly, Iris was there waiting for them.
"Hey, guys," she said as the group approached her. "I take it you've heard the news?"
"About Saki-senpai?" asked Chie. "Yeah the whole school knows about it."
Iris nodded. "It's just as well. And before you guys ask, yes that's what the issue this morning was all about."
"So...what happened?" asked Hamuko. "Or can you say?"
Iris flipped through her notebook and shrugged. "The good detective requested that I not give out any details but~ I see no harm considering the rumors will reach your ears soon enough."
"So what happened?" asked Chie. "It's...nothing gory is it?"
Iris shook her head. "Thank God no. She was found hanging upside down on a telephone pole, just like Mayumi Yamano. No signs of actual foul play, either. Well, other than being dead of course."
"But is it being considered a murder?" asked Souji.
Iris nodded. "Yeah, it looks like it is."
Just then Yosuke joined the group. "Hey guys, sorry I took so long. Huh, who's that?"
"Oh, you haven't met Iris yet have you Yosuke?" said Chie. "She's a reporter that's from around here."
"Yeah I remember reading some of her stories," nodded Yosuke. "So you're the Iris, huh."
"In the flesh," said Iris, flashing him a thumbs up. "Well, anyway, regarding Saki, did any of you know her well at all? I already know about you Hamuko, so no need to repeat what we already know."
Souji and Chie shook their heads. "Hey, you knew her pretty well right Yosuke?"
"Well, she just worked at Junes, so I saw her a lot there," said Yosuke.
"Did you notice anything odd about her lately?" asked Iris. "Anything that would have indicated her running away from home."
Yosuke thought for a minute before responding.
"She seemed a lot more tired than usual, but she had been working more shifts too," he answered. "But she didn't say anything or act like she was going to run away from home."
Iris scribbled down a few notes before looking back up at the group. "Alright thanks. I'm going to see if I can't get some more info from the other students around here. You guys be careful okay?"
Yosuke waited for Iris to leave before talking to the group.
"Hey, did you guys check the TV last night?"
Chie sighed. "Yosuke this is not the time for rumors!"
Yosuke shook his head. "Just listen to me for a sec. Something kept bothering me last night so I checked it again. I saw the girl on the screen again, and...I think it was Saki-senpai."
"Really?" asked Hamuko. "Are sure?"
Yosuke nodded sadly. "Yeah, there's no mistaking it. And the thing is...Senpai looked like she was in pain. And then, just like that, she disappeared from the screen..."
"But what does it mean?" asked Souji. Suddenly it hit him. "Wait could it be...?"
Yosuke nodded. "I'm sure you've heard how Senpai's body was found in a similar way as that announcer lady's right? Anyway I overheard some guy in class say that when he watched the Midnight Channel a few days before Ms. Yamano was killed, he said it was her that he saw on it."
Hamuko suddenly got the picture as well. "Wait, so you're saying that she was on the Midnight Channel thingy before she died too?"
"Okay," said Chie as she scratched her head in confusion. "So what's that supposed to mean? Whoa waitasec! Are you saying that people who show up on that...die?"
Yosuke shook his head. "Without proof or anything I can't say for sure. But still, something tells me it's not just coincidence."
Chie tried to come up with something to say to refute his statement but couldn't.
"Um, didn't that bear-thingy say that someone was tossing people in that place as well?" asked Hamuko.
"Don't forget about that room with those posters all over the wall," added Yosuke. "It has to have something to do with the announcer's death, I just know it."
"So you think there's a connection of some sort?" asked Souji. "With that 'TV world' and the two deaths?"
Yosuke nodded. "Well, what do you guys think?"
"It sounds nuts but...yeah there could be something to it," admitted Chie.
"I don't know what to think anymore," sighed Hamuko. "But...well I guess I can't say it's not possible either."
Yosuke let out a relieved sigh. "So it's not just me then? Well then, if there is a connection then it's a sure bet they both went into that world somehow."
"Well, that could explain those posters we found in that room," said Souji.
"So...if we look around, we might find something similar relating to Saki then?" asked Hamuko. "Like a different place maybe?"
"Wait a minute!" objected Chie. "Are you telling me you actually want to go back into that place Yosuke?"
"Yeah," said Yosuke. "I want to find out for myself."
"No! Don't do this," said Chie. "We should just let the police handle this or at least run it by Iris-"
"The police?" fumed Yosuke, stamping his foot. "They haven't made any progress on the first case as it is! And Iris is just a reporter, and she wouldn't believe a story like this anyway if she's any kind of serious reporter anyway."
"Yeah, even if we did tell the police or her about the TV world..." trailed Souji.
"...They'd just laugh at us," sighed Hamuko. She suddenly had the image of everyone around her pointing and laughing at her.
"Look if I'm totally wrong about this then fine," said Yosuke. "It just...I need to know why she had to die like this, that's all. I can't ignore this now, not after what I've seen and put together."
He then looked at Souji and Hamuko. "Sorry, but you guys are the only ones who can help me now. I'm going to get ready; I'll meet you guys at Junes."
The others watched as Yosuke ran off.
"I can kind of understand how he feels," said Chie. "But still..."
"We don't even know if we can get out of that place again," added Hamuko.
"Well what should we do?" asked Chie as she and Hamuko looked to Souji for an answer.
"Hmm..." Souji gave a sigh before finally answering. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we should go with him."
"Seriously?" Chie seemed a bit surprised by the answer. "W-well okay. Should we head to Junes now or-?"
"Ah, actually, can I go home first?" asked Hamuko. "I'd like to get a few things if we're actually going to do this..."
Souji looked at Chie and the two nodded. "Sure why, not?"
"Hey!" said Chie. "Why don't we go with you? I've never actually been inside Iris' place before."
Hamuko shrugged. "I guess it's okay? Iris will still be here and I think Takao-san is still over at the Inn, so we won't be bothering them."
"Well, then let's go before Yosuke decides to go into the TV by himself," said Souji.
Hamuko nodded. "Yeah, I'd rather not have him wind up hanging dead from some random place."
"Hey, don't joke about that Senpai," sighed Chie.
"I know, I'm sorry," said Hamuko, feeling kind of dumb for saying what she had just said. "C'mon let's go."
Afternoon - Matsuda Residence
"Wow this is a big place," said Souji as the group arrived at Hamuko's house. "You really live here Senpai?"
Hamuko nodded. "It's my home for a year, at least."
She led the others in and turned to them. "Okay I'll just be a sec. Uh, wait here I guess..."
She jogged up the stairs and went into her room.
I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought as she searched out the briefcase that Mitsuru had given her. It didn't take long for her to find it and upon doing so she placed it on her bed and opened it.
She looked at the Evoker that rested within and hesitantly reached out for it.
What good is this thing going to do in that place? Hamuko wondered as she picked it up along with the holster. Mitsuru-san even said it wasn't a real gun. Still...I'll feel safer with it. It was Minato's after all. Speaking of which... She closed the briefcase and walked over to the desk in her room where she had left the music player sitting after going to bed the previous night. Every little bit helps... she thought as she put on the earphones and let the music player hang down outside her uniform. She quickly put the Evoker and its holster into her handbag and let her room and returned to the others.
"All done!" she said with a smile when she rejoined her friends.
Chie tilted her head. "Uh, so what was so important again? Wait don't tell me we came all the way here for that?" She pointed at Hamuko's music player.
Hamuko simply smiled and shrugged. "I feel naked without it. Sorry?"
Souji chuckled and shook his head as he smiled. "Don't worry about it. Let's head off to Junes."
The two girls nodded to Souji and together they left the house and headed off to Junes.
Afternoon – Junes
When Hamuko and the other arrived at the Electronics Department of Junes, Yosuke was already waiting at the TV they had fallen into with a golf club, a hockey stick, and a length of rope in his hands.
His face lit up when he the three come up to him.
"Alright, you guys came!" he said.
Chie shook her head. "We're here to stop you, idiot! You really shouldn't do this, it's way too dangerous!"
Yosuke nodded. "True. But we were able to come back once already right? So... If we go in through this TV again, maybe we'll meet that bear again."
"Maybe?" fumed Chie. "That's not good enough! What if it's not there and you can't get out?"
Yosuke sighed. "Look, I can't be like everyone else and act like this has nothing to do with me, okay?"
"Well, that might be true but.."
Yosuke looked at Souji and then at Hamuko. "What about you guys? Could you two simply walk away?"
Souji shook his head. "I won't but I'm worried about Chie and Senpai."
Yosuke nodded. "Yeah, it'll just be you and me..."
"Wait!" said Hamuko as she stepped between the two. "Saki was one of the first friends I ever made here! I can't just stand here and do nothing! I need to know what's going on too!"
Souji tilted his head. "Would you be able to handle it Senpai? We all know you're not fully recovered from... waking up... That's what I was worried about."
"I-I can handle it!" said Hamuko as she crossed her arms in front of her. "I'll still go in, even if you two say no!"
Souji and Yosuke looked at each other and shrugged.
"I guess she wins huh Souji?" asked Yosuke. The other boy nodded. "Yep."
"Wait, what about me?" protested Chie.
Yosuke turned to her and handed her the rope. "Don't worry I have a plan- I'm leaving you in charge of this."
"Huh, a rope?" asked Chie as she took it.
"Well, as you can see it's tied to me," said Yosuke as he pointed at the rope end tied around his waist. "So I want you to wait here, and hold this."
"Like a lifeline!" said Hamuko. "Uh...will it work though?"
"Don' t worry Senpai!" said Yosuke as he handed her the hockey stick. "Here, this is for you. I was going to use it, but something tells me you'll make better use of it. As for you Souji, you get the golf club. Oh and I have some medicine too in case...well whatever might happen. Just ask me for it if you need it."
"Well, it's better than going in with nothing, right?" said Hamuko as she took the hockey stick. Hmm, I can wield this thing like that naginata I had in that weird dream from the other night...
"Alright let's go!" announced Yosuke as he looked around to make sure no one was around to see them go into the TV. "Chie, whatever you do, don't let go of that rope!" He then turned to Souji and Hamuko and gave them a nod. "Alright, here we go."
Hamuko watched as both Souji and Yosuke entered the TV.
"Hey, wait!" Chie cried out. "Senpai..."
"It'll be okay Chie," said Hamuko with a smile as she looked at Chie. "We'll be back before you know it!" She then turned back to the TV and after taking a deep breath, she stepped into it.