*Chapter 3: So Go Reunite With Her*
Yu ran to Junes after waking up and having breakfast, saying goodbye to Dojima and Nanako. He had to find Yosuke in order to give him and Yukiko some peace of mind. He was sure that he was still working at Junes. It would surely be busy but he had to help his best friend with all of this. He went to the entrance of Junes and mashed the elevator button, his patience running thin and his adrenaline running high. He hurried into the next open elevator and went up to the roof where they saw each other yesterday. When arriving there, he saw Yosuke, sitting back at a table for two, staring at his wallet and Yu sighed in relief. He walked up slowly to Yosuke who noticed him and quickly closed and shoved his wallet into his pocket.
"Hey partner, how's it going for you?" Yu asked, getting a seat across from his best friend.
"Well, I'm still reeling from yesterday. It's not exactly easy finding out that your marriage and children were fake all along and didn't exist." Yosuke let out a weak laugh that quickly trailed off. "It was weird going to sleep and…not hearing anything. No crying, no giggling, no cooing, nothing. It feels off, y'know? I know I should be happy right? I got my freedom back and I don't have to worry about some brats screaming in me and Yukiko's ears 24/7 but..." Yosuke was tearing up and finally let out a sob as he covered his face with his hands. "It's terrible man! Nari and Yasuhiro, I loved them more than anything and that wasn't fake! It was real! I really loved them like a father to their real children! That's…that's not weird is it?" Yosuke looked over at Yu, wiping his eyes with the stack of napkins on the table. "Of course it's not, man! You were a great father to them. And when the time comes again, you'll still BE a great father. See it as practice for when you actually get kids, y'know?" Yu said, smiling at Yosuke to lift his spirits. Yosuke looked up at Yu and smiled back, his eyes still red from crying so much. "And hey, this time you and Yukiko are gonna be able to work through anything that happens. I mean, you were in some deep stuff for those few years in that…dream. Actually, speaking of which, how's she doing?" Yosuke looked away from Yu and sighed heavily. "Not good. At all. She was an absolute mess yesterday and she ran to the inn instantly. I tried following after her but she uh kinda threw some heavy artillery to my noggin." Yosuke pointed at the top of his head where a bandage was. "Well at least you didn't pass out when you got home." Yu said, pointing to his own head and showing Yosuke the reddish purplish bruise that developed on his forehead. "Dang, that must've hurt! Not as much as getting frozen mochi thrown at you but it is pretty bad." The two laughed as they started talking again like old times. Well, old times as in before this whole mess started.
Just then, Yu felt his bottom grow warm and, looking down, saw a blue glow emanate on his pocket. He reached down and pulled out what seemed to be a…card with a moving photo of Yosuke and Yukiko at their wedding having their bridal kimonos on, smiling and embracing each other. Tears nearly formed on the corners of his eyes as he tried to hold back his crying. "What's wrong, partner?" Yosuke said, confused as to why Yu was crying. "Did I say anything bad?" Yu realized and shook his head. He passed the card to Yosuke who DID cry at the sight of it and nearly dropped it, caressing and smiling weakly, tears flowing down his face. "Y'know what. When Yukiko gets better and recovers from…all of this, I'll give this to her as a memento. Something to motivate her for the future." Yu agreed and realized he had to go find Yukiko to help her out. Before he could leave, Yosuke told him to wait and handed him something from his wallet. "Something I realized is that, for some weird reason, the stuff in our pockets have like…the exact same things we usually carried around in that place. And I had this." Yosuke showed a small photo of Yukiko holding the twins, smiling at the camera with Nari looking in the other direction and Yasuhiro with a giant toothless smile. "It was the one thing that helped me get through those work days as assistant manager at Junes. Also helped that me going home to her smile was the best thing I got every day." Yosuke said as Yu heard a few students talk behind him. "Assistant manager? Yosuke? Heh, when cats fly." "The day that happens is the day Risette marries someone from Inaba." They left laughing as Yosuke shot them a dirty look and looked back at Yu, handing the photo to him.
Yu arrived at the Amagi Inn. The entrance seemed to be a bit worn down which made sense as they haven't renovated it…yet. He entered the main hall and spotted Yukiko's father, who was happy to see him. "Narukami, what a surprise." Mr. Amagi said, smiling and directing a few of his workers to assist a guest in the dining hall. "What may I help you with?" "Hello Mr. Amagi, is Yukiko here? I have to give her something that…Chie gave me." Yu said as he nearly let slip that Yosuke wanted to give her something. Mr. Amagi didn't dislike Yosuke but he wasn't exactly his biggest fan if that makes sense. "Ah, Yukiko. Well uh." Mr. Amagi got closer to Yu as he put his hand over his face to make sure no one could hear them clearly. "If I'm going to be completely honest, I don't think that would be the wisest decision. Yukiko's been a bit…" Just as Mr. Amagi started to talk, Yu heard a crash come from the upstairs hallway along with loud sobbing. "Emotional to say the least. Her mother told me it may be a part of puberty, perhaps her peri-" "Yeah yeah got it. But uh, I was just gonna drop it off personally. Chie badgered me for a while about it." Yu said, holding up a gift box with Yukiko's name on it. "Well that's understandable, but I must warn you, just…be careful around her. I remember when Yosuke came here yesterday, she threw a packet of mochi at his head and he was nearly knocked out." Mr. Amagi said, chuckling to himself. "Ah, those two act like an old married couple." "Hehe yeeeaaah. Anyways uh, do you know where she might be?" Yu said as Mr. Amagi pointed upwards. "Down the right hallway, then to the left door marked Manager's Only, and it's the 3rd door to the right." "Thank you, Mr. Amagi." Yu started to head towards the hall before being asked a question by Mr. Amagi. "By the way, Yu. Speaking of couples." Mr. Amagi said, with a serious look on his face. Yu was scared. He thought he was gonna have to spill the beans to Mr. Amagi that Yosuke was interested in his daughter and did all of those…things to her in the future. "How're you and Chie? My wife told me you two have been inseparable since last August." Mr. Amagi said, smiling. Yu breathed a sigh of relief and said he and Chie were doing all right. Liar. The voice in his head said to him. "Heh well be careful with things all right? The last thing this town needs is the attention of a teenage pregnancy. If Yukiko ever had anything like this, I would smack the guy she slept with to the atmosphere." Mr. Amagi said heading towards the dining hall.
Yu relaxed and walked down the hallways towards Yukiko. The closer he got, the more he noticed that the tissues on the ground were increasing in size. There were also some empty boxes scattered around and it looked like there were…8-9 boxes? Christ, how much did Yukiko cry during the day? He started to make it close to Yukiko, her sobbing not ending anytime soon. He got to the door and knocked. "Please go away! I need some time to myself!" Yukiko cried out, blowing her nose in the process. "Yukiko, it's me. I need to give you something." Yukiko stopped crying when she heard her friend's voice. "…yu is that you?" Yukiko gathered her strength and unlocked her door, opening it by a crack. Yu could see that Yukiko's eyes were dry and red. She seemed to be literally crying her eyes out for a long while. "I uh got something from Yosuke but I need to enter your room to show you. I don't think it would be good if I was in this open hallway where anybody could walk in." Yukiko thought for a few seconds, then closed her door. Yu could hear multiple locks move and then the door was finally open. He could see that inside, her room was a mess. The desk was scattered with empty tissue boxes and empty water bottles. Her blankets on her bed were scattered and messy. And she was holding something in her hands she was clutching close to her chest. "Yukiko, what are you holding?" Yu said with curiosity. It looked like some sort of…bib? Yukiko sat down on the bed and scooted over to make room for Yu. She patted by her side and Yu sat down next to her. She finally showed what she was holding, it wasn't a bib. It was two bibs. One titled Mommy's Little Princess and one other titled Daddy's Little King. He looked over at Yukiko and she started to cry again. "They're gone. My little bundles of joy. They're just…" Yukiko said, clutching the bibs closer and sobbing quietly. "I sacrificed so much for them…I did so much! They were…my world. I loved them so much and did everything I could to show that love…now I'll never see them grow up. Or go to school. Or go to college. Or…or…or them getting married…"Yu didn't know how to comfort her besides just patting her back and saying "it's ok, it's ok." He waited until Yukiko was calm enough to talk to her. "Look I…can't say I fully understand your sadness. I didn't have children with Chie, even though I wanted to." Yu said, looking down with Yukiko. "But Chie told me that…you yelled at her that you didn't want children because me and Yosuke looked…miserable." Yukiko said, looking up at Yu with sadness not for her children, but to Yu. Yu looked confused and said "What? No, no, Yukiko. I wanted a baby more than anything! It would've been amazing having a little Yu or a little Chie running around, making Chie and me happy and proud." Yu said, smiling imagining that kind of reality. He then frowned and remembered what he said. "Honestly I think if anything, those things I said to Chie. That wasn't me. At all. I dunno if it was my Shadow coming out or something. But I knew more than anything I wanted a kid. But." Yu said looking to Yukiko with worry in his eyes. "At that point, I felt like…i lost control. Like something else took over and talked FOR me. I couldn't do anything or say anything. It was scary." Yu said, Yukiko pondering and thinking why that would be.
"It does sound…interesting. We'll have to look into this later but for now, you said you…wanted to give me something. From Yosuke." Yukiko said, finally having stopped crying for a bit. Yu realized and reached into his pocket. He pulled out the photo that Yosuke gave him and showed it to Yukiko. "He said that he's always kept this photo every day. It helped motivate him. It gave him purpose to look towards the future. Because he loves you. Deeply." Yukiko looked over at Yu, with confusion in her voice. "He does…?" "Yukiko, he said that going home to your smile was what helped him get through everyday." She stared at the photo for a few minutes, slowly examining it and thinking. Then she got up and ran to the entrance. Yu followed her trying to match her speed but it was like Yukiko was given supersonic speed. She seemed to be running towards…Junes? She didn't even bother taking the elevator, she used the stairs and ascended them fast and efficiently. She got to the top, stopped for a few seconds looking around. Then she smiled as she saw someone. Yu managed to get to the top, panting and sweating hard. He got up to see Yukiko running towards and embracing Yosuke, kissing him in the process. Yosuke was caught off guard but quickly realized it was Yukiko and kissed her back. They let go while crying in each other's arms. "Yosuke, I'm so sorry! I always thought…you only cared about other girls with that strip club incident or you didn't care about the kids when you went to that bar with Yu but…you do care! You do care about me!" Yosuke looked confused but still smiling. "Of course I care about you, Yukiko! You're the only woman in this entire world that I love. For now and forever more. Till death do us part, right?" Yosuke said, smirking and crying while holding Yukiko. Everyone around them was confused while some were cheering silently. Yu went up to both of them and put his hands on both of their shoulders. "Hey, consider that whole experience practice for the future. You never get second chances in life, y'know?" Yosuke looked at him and chuckled "What makes you think we're ever gonna want to change things, partner. We're gonna do things the same way. Except y'know. We're not gonna lose much sleep since we're used to taking care of kids." Yosuke said laughing. "And also you're going to remember to do the dishes more often. I know that dishwasher positions are open here, dear." Yukiko said, kissing Yosuke's cheek. Yu smiled as he noticed the card in Yosuke's pocket glowed. Just then, it seemed like everyone in the world stood still except him, as the card was lifted into the air and floated in front of Yosuke and Yukiko.
"Thou art I... And I am thou...Thou hast established a genuine bond...These genuine bonds... shall be your eyes to see the truth." A voice said as the card then disappeared into thin air, leaving behind strange blue sparkles. Yu looked over at Yukiko and Yosuke staring at each other's eyes, giggling and simply enjoying themselves. Just then, in the blink of an eye, they looked…like their older selves. Yosuke's hair was shorter, his facial hair back, and he was wearing a polo shirt. Yukiko had her hair short in a bun and was wearing her blue nightgown she wore around her house. But then in another blink, they were back to normal. Yu thought he was just crazy and decided to tap Yosuke to ask him a question. "Hey partner, do you know where Teddie might be? I gotta do this…card thing with everyone." Yu said while Yosuke looked away from Yukiko and snapped out of his daze. "Oh right, Teddie is at Aiya's if I remember. Something to do with him and Rise…stress eating?" Yu thanked Yosuke for the info and ran off. His quest wasn't over yet and he was to make sure everyone would get closure.