"'Twas the Year Before, On Christmas"
Act 1-Blue Christmas
Chapter 3
Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan
Change yourself, don't leave this in God's hands
Just find out that I have always
Been able to your sad voice
Shout friends, how you truly feel
So it echoes to the ends of the Earth
Dream Bells, the sound of our bells
Shines Peacefully tomorrow – True Story!
"Risette! Risette! Risette!" The crowd chanted as the singer left the stage after her encore.
"Geez! The crowd loves me!" Risette, aka Kujikawa Rise said as she walked into her dressing room and ran her hands through the part of hair not tied into her twintails. It was a cheer that Rise didn't entirely feel…but she did get a slight rush from being an idol.
"That was great, Rise-chan!" her manager, Inoue-san said, coming into her dressing room. "I think things will go well tomorrow for the afternoon show…"
Rise nodded absently and then realized. "Wait! What afternoon show?!"
"Rise…I've told you 3 times this week about it. 'You Only Love Twice' is having a one-day showing on New Year's. Having you do selections from the soundtrack would…"
"I'm…I'm sorry…I haven't had much sleep so you might as well have told he the moon was going to destroy the earth or something like that…"
"Rise…I know you haven't had much rest but the movie opens in the spring…a limited engagement…"
"I understand, Inoue-san…but my parents are expecting me home tomorrow…No ifs, ands, or buts…"
"Rise…I know your family is from here…but you can't ditch this… It's sold out…"
Rise sat in her chair… "Could you…could you give me 5 minutes, please?"
Inoue-san nodded.
5 minutes later, Rise poked her head out. "My parents have agreed to postpone dinner…" She said with a smile.
Inoue looked at her as if he didn't believe her. But just nodded and said, "All right…I'll give you 20 minutes to change and then we have the autograph and handshake session…"
"Of course," She said. Her smile warmer than it was a few seconds before.
Rise shut her door.
And then the smile faded to tears. Her parents had felt insulted that she would do this. She tried to explain things, but they didn't see it that way. She did concede they were right that she should have paid better attention to Inoue-san…even though she'd been exhausted a little…But they didn't have to forbid her from Christmas…
Not like that guy in America I read about briefly before I went on. I hate creeps like that. Just want to show off how much of a guy they are. I'd rather have a guy be a friend and stick up for me. That would be nice, she thought.
She always tried to live up to their expectation…but failed…
Maybe she'd go to Inaba where her grandmother was for Christmas.
But then as she tried to recover from her sobbing. Her eyes felt heavy.
Inoue-san won't mind at 10-minute power nap…
…
Sometimes I miss the old days when I wasn't an Idol and my parents weren't stiffs.
…
I wish…
…
I wish I could see Grampa again…
…
I miss…
…
Sleep claimed Rise.
Narukami Residence
Narukami Yu was alone on Christmas. This was not new. He had been alone on Christmas for the last 4 years as his parents tried to make sure things didn't fall apart at the Narukami Concern on Christmas Day.
He could have called any one of his girlfriends for a Christmas date. But they each had plans with their families and he kind of got the sense that each of them were annoyed that he hadn't gotten it in gear. In fact, they had mentioned several times if it had been him and all 3 of them, thing would have been fine.
So instead, Yu sat at home alone. He didn't have very many friends in town. He had a few, but while he was popular…he wasn't getting too close to any of them… Mainly because he had this feeling he would be moving again. His parents were talking another extended business trip. But the hushed whispers that occurred after the subject was broached probably meant Yu wasn't going to be with them as much.
Yu heard the phone ring and so he answered it, "Moshi moshi…"
"Yu…it's Mom…I'm sorry…People are still panicking here about a packet error that's very hard to pin down. Even your Dad is having a hard time. I'm sorry, but we're gonna be early evening…at best…" Yu's mother said.
Yu clenched his jaw. He had hoped that his parents would at least have been able to settle things enough for the employees to resolve…apparently that wasn't the case. "I see…." He said neutrally.
"Yu, I know you feel if it isn't one thing, it's another…but I promise you we will make it up to you tomorrow night…"
"It can't be helped, Mom…" He said. Though his heart felt a little down.
"But it should…I'm sorry…Dammit, I'm on my way!" The last was to someone in the background. "I have to go Yu…I love you…" She said.
"I lo-" But all Yu received in response was the click on the other end. "…" He said.
He decided to watch the news. There was something from America about a boy Yu's age being arrested for possessing sai and planning a string of robberies.
"What makes a person do that? Be stupid…? Was he left at home alone and his parents didn't love him? My parents love me. I just wish they were here more."
Yu soon became perturbed at the news. As he turned off the TV, he muttered. "At least Portland wasn't THAT bad. I'd never become a friend or confidant to someone who wants to throw their life away."
As Yu lay down. His eyes misted up…But tears did not form.
I wish I had a "partner-in-crime", figuratively speaking. The kind of friend I'd go to the wall for. And maybe a brother too.
…
But Mom and Dad don't have time to have more kids now.
…
Plus…would they want to after…?
…
After…
…
Tears formed in Yu's eyes.
I miss Aneko…
Sleep eventually claimed Yu.
Kirijo Tower, Tatsumi Port Island
"I thought I would find you here," Kirijo Mitsuru said.
"Of course you would," The girl who derisively snorted said. "You checked everywhere else and this was last on the list."
Mitsuru sighed. Her friend-with-benefits had been like this for the last 3 days. "Mina…please…come down. Everyone wants to see you…"
Arisato Minako snorted again. "Aki and Yukari don't…Not really. They'll just be squirming. Shinji was the smart one. Going off to some country ryokan to cook. He learned a 3 year course in 7 months. How could he not be smart…?"
Mitsuru sighed again. Aragaki Shinjiro had been a gruff individual…but the gruffness did cover his surprising intellect and not-so-surprising tenderness. Shinjiro was able to complete that course mainly because he was already at a level past most other entering students.
But he and Minako had been in a relationship in the late summer and early autumn of 2009. Even though his heart was a hard one to open up…Minako was able to pierce that shell.
And then he was shot, and was comatose…with no hope of recovering from it.
…
And then he did…and was hurt that Minako had moved on to Sanada Akihiko, Shinjiro (and Mitsuru's) best friend. He wouldn't speak to her, and when he did…he tried to be civil…but it wouldn't last and so Shinji, having graduated from culinary school, accepted the offer to be head chef at a Ryokan in Inaba.
However…due to circumstances that would not be explainable to the average person. Irony struck Minako as she lapsed into a coma that was not by natural means. Crazier circumstances got her out of this supernatural coma…but the irony didn't stop there as Minako discovered that Akihiko and Takeba Yukari… Minako's best friend...had ended up consoling each other…Worse…they had tried to hide this relationship from her and pretended everything was status quo…
Minako was still hurting from this revelation and betrayal, borne out of guilt and a desire to not hurt her so soon after her recovery. As if what happened after Minako woke was supposed to have been enough.
"Mina…They meant well. And besides, everyone else is worried about you since…"
"I became a 'Purple Rose'?" Minako said. In Minako's hurt she hooked up with two guys and a girl. Instead of getting a pizza place, she ended up in an adult video. What was worse, Iori Junpei, another friend of Minako's had seen it and alerted the others out of concern…Even though he took several verbal lashings for seeing it in the first place.
"…" Mitsuru said.
"Look, Suru-chan…I know you mean well…but it's just not only recent events. It's the 'Ghosts of Christmases Past', too. And the only thing that got me through the horror was Toto…" Minako said.
"Toto" was Minako's fraternal twin brother Arisato Minato. He would not be attending due to…
Mitsuru didn't want to think about it. "I have your gift for you now if you'd like…" She said.
"Suru-chan…You didn't have to…" Minako said.
"Yes…I did…" She handed Minako a box.
"Hopefully it's a Pizza…" Minako said with some excitement. Then when she opened it after getting a nod it was okay from Mitsuru. "A passport?" Minako wondered.
"Yes…I'm wishing after the New Year to go on vacation to the Alps…and would like you to join me…"
"…" Minako said.
"Mina? What's wrong…I would have thought…Well…" Mitsuru was not one who was usually at a loss for words unless she was asked something and the only choices were admit things or say "…" in an implied admission. She usually chose the latter.
"You thought I needed to get away from Port Island…Maybe… Maybe…I should just lose myself in the world…" Minako said.
"Mina…" Mitsuru said. She tried kissing Minako, but Minako only allowed it for a second before pulling away. "No?" Mitsuru asked.
"It's not…It's not you…It's just…I don't know…I don't know after what happened if I should…I should…" Minako said. Then she ran into their room and shut the door.
"Damn…" Mitsuru said. "She's worried about being hurt again…"
Mitsuru shook her head. Minako needed to just get away from here…away from the harsh memories…That would help her.
Mitsuru decided to go downstairs to the party.
Minako was crying. Suru-chan means well…But I know she's hurting too after what Toto did…and 'm making it worse for her and I don't mean to…but I'm in so much pain…
Minako had been hurt by the fact that even though she and Minato were in that coma for nearly 8 months…her friends had apparently moved on in their lives. She felt like an appendage. Just…something to be there. They were kind and friendly…but there was so much awkwardness.
In addition, her brother had said that if Mina did not leave with him in a huff…then they weren't siblings any more. Minato had been offended by the means that had been used to bring the twins back and had thought Mina would have too…
…
Big mistake. She thought she should live life again. Minato was scared of what their friend Mochizuki Ryoji had told them. That if the twins died again, they would be lost in an Abyss. He was scared and let his fear cloud his judgment.
Minato was crushed by Minako's taking a stand…and told everyone off…including Mitsuru…which hurt her terribly.
Somehow…in all of this…the two women became closer together…until in a moment of vulnerability…
Minako removed her dress and slipped into bed after draping it over a chair.
She looked at the news for a bit…mostly news in America about some boy who got himself arrested for using sai.
Wonder if he had an aunt and uncle who used to be kind, loving people…and then let their green eyes turn them into monsters… Starving him…hitting him and taking pictures of it…putting out their cigarettes in him…Could that have happened to him, too?
…
Could someone even tried to have killed him 3 years ago by exposure to cold inside a home…?
…
I'm so glad that uniformed cop saw me eating out of the garbage in the neighborhood.
…
What was his name…?
…
Tohru…?
…
Doesn't matter…
…
I miss Toto…
…
I miss my parents… She sobbed as she turned off the TV. I miss them most of all…
…
I wonder if that boy would have had parents. Or if he would have stuck up for me…
The answer never came as Minako fell asleep.
A/N: Song-True Story-Persona 4:The Animation