Junes
"Waaaaa!"
After being unceremoniously pushed out of the TV world, the group found themselves in the Junes Electronics Department, sprawled out on the floor.
"Do we have to go through like that every time?" sighed Hamuko as she stood up and dusted herself off. The other two didn't have a chance to answer her as Chie suddenly made herself known.
"Y-you guys came back!" she cried. "Ohmygosh!
"Yeah, we're back," said Yosuke. "Jeez what's with that face you're making?"
"!" Chie answered by throwing the remains of the rope she had held at Yosuke's head. "I can't believe you guys; you're such jerks!"
"Hey, waitasec Chie," said Souji, trying to get her to calm down.
"Don't 'waitasec Chie' me, Souji-kun!" fumed Chie as she waved her arms furiously around. "The rope broke off, and I didn't know what to do! I was really worried... I mean super scared! I hate all three of you!"
"Chie, wait!" Hamuko said as she watched Chie suddenly run off.
Yosuke let out a dejected sigh. "Let her go senpai. Besides it is our fault when you think about it. I guess we went a little too far?"
Souji let out a sigh of his own. "Yeah. I guess we'll apologize to her later if we see her again today."
"If not, there's always tomorrow," added Hamuko.
Yosuke nodded. "Yeah I think that's for the best. Besides, I'm totally worn out. I'm gunna go home and take a long ass shower and go to bed." He paused for a moment before finishing. "I think...I'll sleep well tonight."
Hamuko waved goodbye to him. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then, Yosuke-kun."
"Later, senpai, Souji."
After Yosuke left, Hamuko found herself standing with Souji without really anything to say.
"Well, that was all pretty...interesting, huh Souji-kun?" she finally said.
Souji nodded. "Yeah. But...The whole thing with Personas, not to mention what you did to call yours out..."
The Evoker. That's right, I...shot myself with it to make my Persona come out. But how did it happen?
"Hey, I'm pretty worn out, Souji-kun," she said as she looked downwards. "Do you mind if we go to the food court and get something to drink and sit for a bit?"
Souji nodded. "Good idea. I'm pretty winded myself. It's probably still raining though."
Hamuko shrugged. "So, we'll just cool off faster then. Our umbrellas are still sitting here anyway. Let's go, let's go~"
Souji relented and followed her to the elevators. Upon arriving at the at the food court on the roof of Junes, it turned that it was indeed raining. The two of them quickly bought a melon soda for themselves and rushed to the nearest table that was covered. It was one of the long picnic table style tables and it just so happened that that it was occupied at the opposite end by two familiar people.
"Well, well, Hamuko-chan~" said Iris as she looked over at the pair from her end. "Already found a guy, have you? You move pretty fast! I didn't peg you for that type."
"I-iris?" gasped Hamuko. "What are you doing here? A-and it's not like that!"
Iris giggled before responding. "I know, I know; you were with him and some others earlier right?"
Hamuko nodded. She then noticed a man sitting across the table from Iris. She recognized him as the detective that spoke to her and the others on her first day at school. Detective Dojima was his name if her memory served right.
"Good grief, Ryo-kun say something to them!" sighed Iris as she noticed her companion's silence.
"Oh, uh right," sighed the man. "So what brings you two here Souji?"
"Just looking around," replied Souji. "We're taking a break right now."
Iris' face brightened even more when she heard mention of Souji's name.
"This is your nephew, Ryo-kun?" she asked as she stood up and walked to the pair.
"That's right," replied Dojima as he took a sip of coffee from the cup that was in front of him. "I'm sure I mentioned him a few times to you, Ayame."
"So you're Miki's boy huh?," said Iris as she inspected Souji, adjusting the sunglasses that were atop her head as she did so. "Well, I should have noticed sooner; you look just like her!"
"You know my mother?" asked Souji as he looked up at her.
"Course I do!" beamed Iris as her smile only got wider. "She's your uncle's big sister after all. It's only natural that I'd know her."
"Uh, how so?" asked Hamuko. "I feel like I'm missing something here."
"Me too," said Souji after setting down his drank.
"Whaaaaaat?" Iris let out a long sigh before turning to Dojima. "You didn't tell Souji-kun about me, Ryo-kun?"
"Well, ah no," sighed Dojima as he grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "I haven't been home a lot lately, Ayame. These cases have really had us slammed at the station. I even have Adachi doing all the paperwork over there now; that's how busy we are."
Iris let out a dejected sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry, guess I got a bit carried away huh? Anyway, as to your earlier question, your uncle and I have been best friends since...well ever!"
"Really? I would never have guessed," said Souji as he scratched his head. "The two of you don't seem similar at all."
"We're not," said Dojima with a nod as he lit up a cigarette. "Somehow it just worked out that way."
"Jeez, you make it sound like it's a bad thing," replied Iris as she returned to her seat.
Childhood friends huh? I guess that's why she lets Dojima-san use her real name without any fuss. Plus, I don't think he would let anyone else call him 'Ryo-kun' either. Hamuko took a drink of her soda as she pondered the two adults' relationship.
"So how are you guys holding out after the...news of what happened?" asked Iris after a few moments of silence. "I know it must be hard to take and all that..."
"It's still a bit of a shock," replied Hamuko as she looked at the ground. "I mean I just met Saki a few days ago and now she..."
"We'll find out who's behind this," said Dojima as he finished his cigarette. "I just hope this doesn't skew your view of Inaba... This sort of thing is simply not normal for this town."
Hamuko shook her head. "No, no I like it here. I mean it is a little shocking about what happened but... everything will work out, I'm sure of it."
Dojima let out a sigh of relief as did Iris.
"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "It would have been unfortunate if you had begun to get the wrong idea about this place."
Iris nodded. "These cases aren't anything for you guys to worry about anyway. Just leave it to Ryo-kun and me!"
"Eh, I'd rather not have you involved too much either Ayame," sighed Dojima.
Iris shot him an annoyed look. "Hey, this is important to me too! You know I'm serious when it comes to work, especially when it has to do with home."
It was then that Hamuko suddenly yawned a bit louder than she would have preferred, causing everyone at the table to suddenly stare at her.
"Hmm? You getting sleepy already?" asked Iris, tilting her head at Hamuko. "You do look kinda worn down a bit."
Hamuko gave a nervous laugh as she clutched her soda can. "Yeah, I guess I am. It's been a tough day ."
"Why don't we just call it a day then, senpai?" suggested Souji. "To be honest I'm pretty tired myself."
Hamuko nodded. "Okay, sounds good. We should probably leave Iris and Dojima-san to their work anyway."
"Well, you two be safe then," said Dojima as he looked down at some of Iris' notes. "Oh, tell Nanako I probably won't be home tonight. No point waiting to make dinner for me if I'm not going to be home right?"
"Will do," said Souji as he and Hamuko stood up.
Hamuko waved goodbye to Iris and Dojima and followed Souji as the two of them hurried past the rain to the elevator.
It was a quiet ride to the first floor, save for the Junes theme playing through the speaker. It wasn't until the pair left Junes that Hamuko finally broke the silence.
"So Souji-kun, who's Nanako?"
"Oh, she's my little cousin," said Souji as the two continued to walk. "She's my uncle's daughter and she's in first grade. I guess I forgot to mention her to you huh?"
Hamuko shrugged, expecting this Nanako person to be Dojima's wife or something. "It's not a big deal, really."
Another moment of awkward silence fell over the pair as they continued to walk. Eventually they reached the crosswalk where Hamuko would normally have split off to go home. However she continued to follow Souji, who noticed this.
"Uh, senpai, aren't you going home?" he asked.
Hamuko shook her head. "I haven't actually been down this way yet. I would like to see the Samegawa River past this one area, I guess."
Souji nodded. "Well, I guess that makes sense now that I think about it. Are you sure you're up for it though?"
Hamuko smiled and nodded. "I'll be okay. Plus the sound of the rain will help clear my head after everything that's happened."
The road that ran parallel to the river was empty, no cars or pedestrians to speak of. It's emptiness matched the quiet mood that had settled over the pair as they walked; neither one of them wanting to bring up the subject of the TV world or what had happened. They seemed contented to walk in silence and take in the view. After six minutes of this, they spotted a familiar looking girl in a pink kimono and red umbrella sitting underneath a covered picnic table.
"Hey, isn't that Yukiko?" asked Hamuko.
Souji looked at the girl and nodded. "Yeah, I think so, but why is she dressed like that?"
"Let's go find out!" said Hamuko as she led Souji towards Yukiko. "She looks kind of lonely anyway."
Yukiko looked up as the pair approached her and gave them a surprised look.
"Oh, uh hello!" she said as the two joined her at the table. "I didn't expect to see you two here..."
"Guess we got lucky then?" said Souji. "Senpai and I just got back from Junes."
"Oh r-really?" asked Yukiko. "Just the two of you?"
Hamuko quickly shook her head. "No, no, no Yosuke-kun and Chie were with us too. They, uh just left before we did."
"Oh, I see," said Yukiko. "Well, I guess you guys are wondering why I'm dressed like this huh? I was actually running errands for my parents, and this is what I wear when I'm working at the Inn. I just finished up and was resting here when you two came."
"Oh, okay," said Hamuko. "For a second there I thought that's how you always dressed outside of school."
Yukiko chuckled. "No, no. It's just work-related. So what about you guys? Are you getting used to Inaba?"
Souji nodded. "Yeah. It's a really nice place."
"It's taking me a bit longer," said Hamuko. "But I'll get used to it, I think. You guys as well as Iris have really been a big help."
Yukiko gave a relieved sigh. "That's good. I'm glad to hear that. I've never been outside of Inaba, so I couldn't imagine what it's like to transfer to a new school or anything like that."
Souji shrugged. "Personally I think that's a good thing. I don't know what it's like to stay in one place for long."
"As for me well..." trailed Hamuko as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Oh, no, I'm sorry," said Yukiko. "I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories."
"It's okay," said Hamuko. "I'm starting to get used to it."
Yukiko tried to come up with something else to say, but when she glanced at her watch she abandoned the attempt.
"Hmm, I guess I should be heading back to the Inn," she said. "I still have things to do there, and I don't want to be too late."
"Do you mind if I go with you?" asked Hamuko. "I should be heading back home anyway."
Yukiko nodded. "Sure, I don't mind. Takao-san actually left to go home when I left, so you'll actually get to see him for a change."
Souji stood up. "Well, I'll be heading home myself then. See you two at school."
Hamuko waved goodbye to him and began walking back with Yukiko.
"So what's it like living with Ayame-san?" asked Yukiko after a few minutes. "Living with a famous reporter's got to be pretty cool I bet."
Hamuko thought for a moment. "I really don't see much of Iris to be honest. Other than when I first get up, she generally is gone all day. She's a pretty cool person though when I am with her, almost like a big sister. She never really brings up how famous she is."
Yukiko nodded. "Yeah, she always came off like that to me too. Really cool and all that. When she did visit, it was hard to believe she was this famous reporter; she always acted like anyone else in the town. I'm glad to know it wasn't all just an act."
Hamuko smiled. "Yeah, I think the Iris we see is the real deal."
"Oh and I apologize about Takao-san," added Yukiko as she adjusted her umbrella. "I realize we've been hogging him a lot lately. It just that we have been so overburdened at the Inn..."
Hamuko shook her head. "It's okay, I understand. Work is work, right?"
"Well, yes, I guess so, " replied Yukiko. "He does a lot to help out when the staff and myself get overburdened with guests. Thanks to all the attention these cases have brought to Inaba, our business is far busier than usual for this time of year, and we really weren't prepared for it."
"I see..." trailed Hamuko. I guess her family's Inn really is as famous as everyone says it is...
"Well, hopefully everything will work out," sighed Yukiko. "But I think I've vented enough to you about my problems for now. That's usually Chie's job you know."
"Oh, I thought it was to beat up Yosuke as much as possible from what I've seen," said Hamuko with a chuckle.
Yukiko chuckled. "Yes, that too. You'd almost think he likes it, it's happened so much."
The two girls stopped at the crosswalk, marking the end of their walk together.
"Well, I guess this is it," said Yukiko. "It was nice talking with you Senpai."
"Yeah same here," nodded Hamuko. "See you at school tomorrow?"
Yukiko thought for a moment before answering.
"I'm not sure; it really does depend on how busy we are. If I'm not at school tomorrow that's why- so make sure Chie doesn't panic if you can..."
"Well, I'll try," trailed Hamuko. Would Chie really freak out over that? I guess Yukiko would know...
Yukiko waved goodbye and headed towards the direction of the Inn, leaving Hamuko to herself for the first time since arriving at school.
As she walked back to her house, she kept thinking back to what had happened in the TV world and how it seemed completely impossible for such tings to have happened...And yet they did. Should she talk to Mitsuru about this? There was no way that the Evoker accidentally did what it did, but still... Her thoughts continued as she walked along the damp sidewalk, the rain bouncing off her umbrella.
She let out a sigh as the house finally came into view. She was tired and in all honesty should have gone straight home instead of the side-trek along the Samegawa River. After opening the door and putting her umbrella away, she saw Takao sitting down at the table, drinking a cup of coffee.
"Ah, Hamuko-chan," he said as he looked up at her. "Welcome home."
"Hello Takao-san," said Hamuko as she took a seat from the other side of the table. "Yukiko said they finally let you come home."
Takao chuckled. "That they did. They're running themselves ragged with the sudden amount of business they've gotten. I guess I'm no exception."
Hamuko nodded. "Yukiko said as much. Even she was looking a bit worn down."
"The poor girl works the hardest out of any of us," sighed Takao as he took another sip of coffee. "But it is unfortunately expected; she's going to be taking over the Inn in the future after all."
He paused to take another sip of coffee before pointing out a package on the table.
"Ah yes, Mitsuru sent you something it seems."
"?" Hamuko took the package and began opening it. "A... cell phone?" She held out the device for Takao to see.
Takao nodded. "That's almost an essential item for you young ones these days. Mitsuru was wise to think to send you this."
Hamuko checked the box to find that there was a charger and an instruction book, the latter a big relief to her. Good thing that's there...I'd feel too embarrassed to ask how to use this thing...
She suddenly gave another unintended loud yawn, garnering a somewhat amused look from Takao.
"Long day, Hamuko-chan?" he asked.
"Something like that," said Hamuko as she sunk lower into her chair from embarrassment. "It was a lot busier than I had expected."
Takao took another sip of his coffee before responding. "Getting adjusted to a new area does take time. It may be wise to take it a bit slower so you don't wear yourself out. Staying out so late might not be such a good idea in the future."
"?" Hamuko looked at the clock that was on the wall. 7:30? She was really gone for so long? She didn't think it had been that late, that her tiredness was just from undue stress as well as what happened in the TV world. At least now it made a little bit of sense. "Oh wow, I had no idea... That sure explains it."
"Perhaps you should turn in early," suggested Takao. "Otherwise you might not feel any better come tomorrow."
Hamuko stifled another yawn before nodding. "I think you're right, Takao-san. It's just that I feel bad for not being able to talk to you more..."
Takao chuckled at the comment. "Don't worry Hamuko-chan, I'm sure you'll see enough of me in the coming year to catch up so to speak. Now off you go!"
Hamuko stood up and gave a quick bow to Takao before taking the cell phone box and the rest of her things and went up to her room.
Hamuko changed into her pajamas and laid down on her futon. It had been a terribly long day with so much that had happened. Takao-san was right. Rest is what she needed, and sleep came quickly enough for her.
Midnight
The bright lights of the TV in her room was enough to rouse Hamuko from her slumber, much to her chagrin.
"Why is that on..." she groaned as she stumbled out of bed and approached the TV. "Ugh..." Her hand reached for the power button but stopped when she saw the blurry image of someone on the screen.
What's this? She wondered as she stared at the screen. Or rather, who is this?It must be the Midnight Channel...
She looked at the screen and saw that there was a young woman that was wearing what might have been a kimono. Was it someone she knew? But this is Japan... Girls wearing kimono's aren't all that super rare... Before she could think any further on it, the image disappeared. I'd better talk to the others about this tomorrow. I'd better go back to sleep... And she did just that.