Fem-Souji/Yuu! When mysterious murders break out in the small town of Inaba, can Suzumi Seta the new transfer student from the City, solve the case? She can't do it alone, but will the many bonds she has made be enough to help her reach out to the truth?

Our beloved protagonist goes through something we like to call 'New Game Plus!' Except this time, he gets boobs. Fanfic will be based off the game, with minor changes and Anime references.

A/N: Meh, late update and rushed ending. -_- Well, turns out that the main computer I usually use is infected by a virus, which irks me so. I have to stick to a Mac, which one of my siblings put a password on. I've only had time for little things, such as homework and papers. But somehow, I finally got to updating! Proof reading this whole thing was murderous on my part. . . And I'm sorry to say, it may be a little while until Chapter 8 is out. Also, if you spot little grammar errors and mistakes, I apologize. I felt brain dead for this entire chapter, yet determined to finish it at some point. You guys~ Review! Or I'll send Alice after you!

/EDIT: Gosh, there was so much wrong with this. . . . I ought to go over it again later, for 'frying' out loud. -_- Wow, I'm so illiterate. ; u ;

DISCLAIMER!: I do not own Persona! Or Atlus by any chance either. If I did, we all would have found Elizabeth dancing at Club Escapade, and maybe even joining the Investigation Team's little King's Game. . . That, or stalking them while they played.

Chapter 7: Responsibility

Friday, April 15, 2011

- Rainy After School -

TV World, backside. . .

"Hey, Teddie. You said that this place is reality for people who enter, right? So that shopping district, and the weird room we saw before. . . . Did they exist because the ones who died, entered this world, and it became their reality?" Yosuke asks, scratching the back of his head. After what seemed to have been a rigorous walk, the three of us were back to the place we came from; the backside of the TV. Exhausted from that last battle, Yosuke and I had to be extra careful not to encounter anymore enemy Shadows on the way over, the thick fog did everything but help us. Even that bear noticed how much pain we were trying to endure, and looked either more or less sympathetic. The heavy silence lingers, and it is only after a while of deep breaths that Junes kid bites his lip, and finds a way to continue. "I guess what I'm trying to ask is. . . Did those places form because of the people who entered this world?"

". . . I don't know." The bear finally answered, frowning all the while. "It's never happened before. . . But that's probably where they were when the Shadows attacked them. The fog does lift here sometimes. The Shadows get really violent then. I always gets so scared. I have to hide when it happens. . . I sensed people here twice before. But both of them disappeared after the fog lifted. . ."

"So let's get this straight." Yosuke speculates more into this. "Senpai and that Yamano lady were thrown in here, and since they couldn't get out, they wandered around. . . After a while, that Shadow thing came out of them. The fog cleared, it went berserk, and it ended up killing them. . . Does that sound right? So if I'd been here until this fog cleared, I woulda been in much deeper trouble?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure. . ." Teddie states. "You were lucky. Ojou-sama and me were here with you."

"Dammit. . . ! Senpai and that announcer. . . They were stuck here all alone. . . No one could save them . . . "

"Yosuke. . . They disappeared when the fog lifted. But they were safe before that. No Shadows attacked them. They attacked us though. . . Maybe they're keeping a close eye on us. They might see people who investigate this place as enemies. . . It'll be dangerous, but we might be able to save them! We might save people!"

Both Yosuke and I jerked up. Seriously? Was that possible? Would we be able to?

He crossed his arms. "Are you saying, if anyone else gets thrown in here, we can save them before they disappear! Like how you guys saved me!"

"That seems to be the case." I nodded, with confidence welling within. It seemed to make sense. Perhaps if Yosuke and I could get to a person who was thrown in before a Shadow could attack them, we might be able to save a life. But what about the culprit? If all went well, would we maybe be able to catch him in the act?

A smug grin of confidence worms itself onto the brunette's face, "Yeah. Anyways, we need to catch the one who's throwing people in here and make him stop. . . . I'm finally starting to understand what's going on."

"U-Um. . . Hey, can I ask something too. . .?" We turn our attention to Teddie who looked more than tormented. "If Shadows are born from humans, what was Teddie born from? I know some things. Mostly about this world. . . But I don't know anything about myself. To be honest, I never thought about it until now. . ."

"Are you serious? No wonder we couldn't get a straight answer out of you. . ."

I gazed at the mascot figure perplexed, then back at the brunette with a wry frown. . . All those meaningless questions and accusations from Teddie when we arrived here was because he only knew minor info about his world, and didn't know much about himself? In this case, the whole chat back then was just a bunch of babbling that could've been avoided. . . I wish Teddie had told us earlier. . . No- actually, would Yosuke have believed him? Would I have? . . . Well, on the bright side, at least we've gotten somewhere and found some new information today. We know much more than before, so it wasn't all bad. . . "Will you guys. . . come back here. . .?" Teddie began at my long skirt with those shiny, yet worried eyes. I sigh, but without hiding the tiny smile on my face.

"Of course."

"R-Really. . . ?"

"Well, you're the one who said you weren't letting us out unless we do." Yosuke jokes with him.

"Oh! That's right! Okay, I'll let you out. But there's one thing. I'll be waiting for you guys here. You need to come in from the same place every time. So we can meet up. "

I cocked my head. "The TV at Junes. . . ?"

"You could come in from somewhere else. But then you won't end up here. You might show up somewhere I couldn't get to you. Then you'd be dooooomed. . . . Got it!"

"Pretty much. Alright, can you show us the way out?"

"Roger that! One exit comin' right up!" Teddie walks over to the middle of the area, and taps his foot twice. The three stacked TVs appear in a poof of smoke, and somehow stars and sparkles seem to fly to the ground and disappear. . . It really makes me wonder what kind of abilities Teddie had, and whether he knew he had them. Could it be that he was doing it subconsciously? . . .Speaking of the exit, I noted something; could Teddie only summon an escape in this designated area? Because back there, during that fight with Yosuke's Shadow, he could have just easily conjured up an exit on the spot, and we would've been out of there. Teddie could've jumped through the portal as well, but would that have been okay for him? . . . It all led straight back to the fact why he only summoned the exit here in this area- for his own safety purposes . . . I comprehended. The brunette scans the TV on the lower level, then upper level, and finally at the middle. . . . There was a clear image on the screen, and. . . A girl with a green jacket was on the ground, kneeling. Was that Chie? Yosuke must've disregarded the figure to check for people in work outfits.

"Cool. . . First we need to make sure there aren't any employees milling around out there. . ."

"Okay! Go go go! Squiiiiish!"

"Argh! He stop squeezing you little- Whoa!"

I could feel Yosuke, who was being pushed by the grizzly, pressing into my back from behind . . . Before I could react, my head and then rest of my body plunged into one of the screens. . .

. . .

Junes, electronics department. . .

"Ah. . . !" There was a tiny yelp of surprise. . . When I came to, I realized it was from Chie, who I collapsed on. Her eyes were wide, and almost filled to the brim with tears. "Y-You guys came baaack . . . !" she cried with her voice cracking.

Hanamura looks more befuddled than surprised to see her. "Huh? Chie? What's with that face?"

She stands up, gripping the rope from earlier, and the throws it at Hanamura's face. He in turn, falls back and hits his head on the edge of one of the tables that the TVs stood on. I heard a whimper of pain is mewled from the boy. "The nerve of you guys! You are such morons! I can't believe this! You guys suck!" Chie wails and stomps her feet agitatedly. "The rope got cut off. . . and I had no idea what to do. . . I was so worried- I mean scared stiff, dammit! I hate you both!" The female brunette proceeded to run off and out of Junes. . . . Oh, Chie. . . . Small lips pursed into a small smile, despite her little ruckus. I was injured, and tired, yet seeing her really brought my spirits back up. This relieved smile plastered on my face was more than enough to tell me that I was glad to be. . . back home for once in my life.

Yosuke pinches the space in between his brows. "I. . . I think that might've kinda been our fault." No, really Yosuke? "Maybe we did go a little too far. . . Let's apologize to her tomorrow. . . . I'm completely wiped out. . . I'm gonna go home, soak in the shower for a while, and get some sleep. I think. . . I'm gonna sleep well tonight." The boy flipped his hair back, and reached into his pocket momentarily. He takes the palm of my hand. . . "Before I forget. . . You dropped these back there in the TV. And I have to say, you look like a totally different person with your hair down. . . Well anyways, see you in the morning!" My eyes follow him as I watch as he runs off. . . . Only when he was really gone, my attention was averted to the two black hair ties he laid in my hand. These were from back then in the weird shopping district when I had summoned Izanagi for the first time. . . I never realized he had picked it up, when did he. . . ? I found it odd that I failed to noticed that fact that silver locks were cascaded down my shoulders up until now. ". . . . ." Standing here and thinking about this all wasn't going to help me recover from fatigue. I decided to head home to get some rest, maybe think of a way to thank him tomorrow as well. . .

But near the flood plain, I stopped in my tracks to I catch the sight of a girl sitting under the roofed bench in a pink kimono. . . . If I looked closely, wasn't that Yukiko? Speaking of her, I haven't seen her at all lately, so that meant she must have been busy to the extent of taking immediate leaves after school to help her family. Our eyes met, and I knew that it would be impolite to just keep on walking. Despite my energy being all sapped out, small chat wouldn't kill me if just for a few minutes, I hoped. Legs waltzed over to the blackette in less than a heartbeat, dragging its heavy body with it. My smile did not vanish, and I took a seat beside her. "Oh hello." Amagi returns my gesture, but then looks down at her lap. Her eyes widen so suddenly. "Oh. . . Are you surprised to see me dressed this way? My parents sent me out on an errand. . . " There is a pause. "Um. . . Are you getting used to your new town and school, Suzumi-chan?"

That sure came out of the blue. . . But overall, I had to say, "I like it here." Back in the City, I didn't have any friends with my parents nagging me to come home directly after school everyday. To me, a request like that was absolutely preposterous considering there wasn't even a single soul for me to come back home to anyway, but I followed orders accordingly. Instead I spent my time, just. . . thinking about the world. Though it's been a few days being here in Inaba, even I could so much as state that I was able to do more than I ever got a chance to do in my life just weeks ago. It's awkward, but I have Nanako-chan as company back home. I have a seemingly protective Uncle too. And then there's school. I don't like my homeroom teacher one bit, but I now have Yosuke, and Chie. . . Oh, and of course, Yukiko herself- as friends. Then. . . I awakened to a power I never imagined I could have. . . Nothing like this ever happened to me back in the City. My life was changing, and. . . . I was finally experiencing 'happiness' for the first time. . . .

I let Yukiko go on, because judging with that surprised look on her face, I bet she had something to say. "Really. . .? But. . . It must be difficult, moving to a place you know nothing about. I've never been out of Inaba, so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer to a new school. . . Oh! Are you getting alone with Chie? I mean, I always leave early, so. . . Umm. . . ."

"We're getting along, but she's a real handful." I joked.

"I see. She's always full of energy." The girl's face brightens up at the mentions of her friend. "Chie's very supportive, you know. It's always her who gives me the little extra push I need. We had homeroom together last year too, and I still remember how we'd cut class sometimes." Yukiko laughs, and I can tell she's really fond of the Chie. . . It made me happy to see to girls as close as them. "Oh. . . I should get going. I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef. Our in can't function without me right now." And just like that, the blackette stands and heads for her umbrella. "Um. . . I'll see you at school, then."

I nod. It was a brief conversation we made, but nothing too short of interesting- for me that is. "See you." Picking up my body that didn't seem to have improved in condition, Yukiko and I parted ways on the flood plain and headed to our respective homes. Surely, I'd be able to keep her company tomorrow as well.

. . .

- Evening -

Dojima Residence. . .

"Dad's late. . ." Nanako-chan murmurs and stares at the screen of the TV.

The news is on as usual. . . . A catchy news jingle finishes, and this time, the announcer is on the ball with the report. Sharp appearance, organized papers. . . [[Our next story is an update in our ongoing report on the bizarre murders occurring in Inaba. At around 7:00 A.M., local highscool student Saki Konishi was found dead in Inaba's residential area. Since the body was positioned similarly to the last victim and since Ms. Konishi was the one who discovered that body. . . Police are proceeding under the assumption that this may be a serial murder case related to the death of Mayumi Yamano. The corner's report has established Ms. Konishi's time of death at around 1:00 A.M. last night. The body went unnoticed until this morning as a result of the heavy fog blanketing the area.]]

. . . The police didn't know what Yosuke and I knew. They didn't know about the TV world, or the Midnight Channel, or about Persona's and Shadows. . . They didn't know anything useful for this matter, so they went by assumptions and minor clues. But was that really enough for them? It made me a little sad to think that Saki-senpai and Ms. Yamano's family and loved ones will never know the causes of their deaths. Only we'd be able to avenge them, right?

"Another incident. . ." The little girl frowns. . . "Dad won't be coming home tonight."

I decided to say something to assure her that things would be alright. "I'll be here with you."

". . . I'll be okay. Can you help me do some stuff around the house?" Huh. . . On another note, Nanako seemed to be very reliable for her age. She reminded me of myself a few years ago; forced to do everything independently, and with no one to turn to.

"Sure." I told her.

[[-Amagi Inn, located upstream of Samegawa River, is the town's oldest historical landmark.]] The special report continues. [[Vacationers are known to travel surprising distances in order to visit its open-air, radium-rich hot springs. After the incident with Ms. Yamano, the manger has stepped aside, leaving her daughter Yukiko to fill her shoes. In other words, she's a manger who's still in high school. Now that has a nice ring to it. . . Let's see if we can interview her. Excuse me!]]

Yukiko is being shown on TV wearing her pink Kimono. In the background is the Samegawa flood plain. . . I guess this must've been a little after she left to return back home. . . . [[Hm. . . ? Um. . . Are you speaking to me?]] She turns about face, and her red umbrella almost blows out her hands due to the nasty wind. I notice that the girl's face scrunches up in an unpleasant manner to find the camera way too close for comfort.

The reporter's enthusiasm sets in. [[We've heard that you're the new manager. Is it true you're still in high school?]]

[[Oh, well, I'm only filling in temporarily. . .]]

[[Someday, though. . . That aside, wow! You're looking gorgeous in that kimono. You must have a lot of male visitors.]]

She shifts uncomfortably. [[Huh? No, um. . .]]

The reporter's rambling goes further and further off subject. . .

". . . This is boring." At that point, I was expecting the girl to touch a button on the remote, look back to the screen to discover a Junes commercial conveniently playing, and watch her sing to it. But instead, she gets up and heads for the sink. "Oh, I need to do the dishes." . . . Since my assumption was wrong, much to my displeasure, I decided to help out with the housework before going to bed. Just imaging the enormity of pain I'd feel in the morning made me shiver. No- actually. . . It was raining again tonight. Something might appear on the Midnight Channel. . . I decided to stay up and watch, even if it took a toll on my health. . .

. . .

It wasn't too long before I finished assisting Nanako, and returned to my room. It's still raining hard, and still I couldn't be more stiff than ever. It was agony for my well being, I know. But who else was going to solve the murders besides Yosuke and I? He needed me as much as I needed him to do the job, so I didn't have enough room to come up short. The damp moisture from the outside still reached me despite my windows being closed. . . It's finally about a minute or less until midnight. My body's arms and legs subconsciously sprawled itself on the couch across from the TV. . . . The news on the screen is still running, and informs me about the current time, so I reach for the remote to shut the power off. . . Will something appear tonight? ". . . ."

BzzZZzzZZbzzt. . .

. . . And there it was! The image is there again. It seems that if the conditions are met, I could watch the Midnight Channel as many times as I wanted. A silhouette is on the screen, and it's blurry, hard to tell who it is. But I'm sure enough that it is not Saki Konishi, or a man for this matter. It appears to be a female. . . wearing a kimono. . . but still- the image is so out of focus, it's hard to come to an immediate conclusion. I did however, have a hunch about who it was. . . I had no reason to be so sure about my assumption though. It's Japan: there's obviously going to be more than one black-haired girl in the country wearing a pink kimono. It's just that. . . it really did seem like Yukiko on the screen. "Hm." That reminded me. . . What would happen if I touched the image on the Midnight Channel. . . ? Would I be able to touch the person on the other side, and if so would they see my arm reaching out to them. . .? I made sure I held onto something, before sticking my hand inside the television. It felt weird putting my arm through the sold surface, but it wasn't something I couldn't tolerate. . . Yet, however, by the time I payed mind to the screen, the image was gone. . . Cautiously. I pulled my arm out. . . It would be best to speak to Yosuke and Chie about this tomorrow. I finally decided to head to bed for tonight and rest my body.

. . .

My eyes flutter open. . . I found myself in a familiar space which was drunk with a familiar deep blue. Could this be. . . a dream? This was. . .

"Welcome. Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world. . . I have summoned you within your dreams." And elderly figure in front of me folds his hands together. "And so we meet again. . ." There they were, Igor and Margaret from the dream the other day- before I moved to Inaba. . . It seems as though I was summoned to this 'Velvet Room' once more in this reoccurring dream. I couldn't feel my body at all- it was as though I wasn't present in the space, but a wandering soul instead.

The woman purses her red lips before speaking. "This is a space that only those who have, in one way or another, entered into a contract, may enter. . . In your daily life, you subconsciously heard the call to awaken, and you chose to follow the destiny of your inner voice. . . thereby enacting your glorious awakening to your power."

"Hold on to this. . ." Igor gives me a blue key. "From this night forth, you are our guest in this Velvet Room. Your destiny will require you to hone your power, and for that, you will inevitably require our help. There is but one price for this assistance. . . You must abide by your contract and assume responsibilities you may make."

. . . For. . . all the responsibilities I may make. . ? What did he. . . mean by that?

"I-I. . . um, understand." My voiced wavered, and those words had slipped out of my mouth before I could contemplate any further.

". . . Hm, interesting. But very well. . ." he pauses, and looks off to the side. "The Persona you have acquired. . . Is a side of you that shows itself when you face the world around you. Perhaps you can think of it as a facade of determination you wear to face difficulties in life. Your Persona ability, however, is that of the wild card. . . Compared to that of others, it is very special. It is like the number zero. . . empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself."

"Special. . . ?" I asked him.

"The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart. . . And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities."

"Control. . . one's heart?"

The woman turns to me. "Social Links are necessary for more than strengthening your Persona. At times, they will help light the way to the truth your are searching for."

"Where will your awakened power of the wild card take you. . . ? I look forward to traveling the road of your destiny together. . . Though however, it seems that even you show signs of creating a new ordeal that may alter the course of your journey forever, which is very fascinating- for one of our newer guests, that is. . ." The old man sees me off with a chuckle. . . "Til we meet again. . ." Something about. . . those sentences bothered me. . . My consciousness in the Velvet Room fades.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

- Cloudy Early Morning -

. . . I decided to leave early this morning, and my hair was back in its normal pigtails. I still had breakfast with Nanako-chan as usual, but I hurried so that she wouldn't notice my limping and writhing and worry about my condition. As expected, my back was throbbing and my legs and arms were all strained from slashing and running. . . I took note that extreme labor was something a body like mine wouldn't be able to handle. Yet hopefully, if I work out more often, I'd be able to get used to all of this fighting. . . So here I found myself; walking to school on a path that was intimidatingly stretched out. It was defintely mocking me- testing my ability. This was bad, because if something as trivial as this can bother me, then what am I to do when I must handle that 'ordeal' thing Igor mentioned? And also, the dream last night with him and Margaret. . . It was short-lived, but it got me thinking real hard. Responsibility for my actions. . . ? Yes, I knew things from here on out were going to get serious, considering that fact that I didn't deny to be involved with the case. The power I received, it was a sign for upcoming events, no? Furthermore, I was positive that I was going to help out Yosuke with the murders. . . Responsibility, huh? Does that mean my actions were to be more important than his, and will weigh the outcome? What about his actions? Didn't they count as much as mine? . . . I heard the sound of a bell combined with slightly irritating creaking noise. . . so speak of the devil. My body slowly turns to face the boy on his bike who came in my direction. I stand up straight at his arrival.

"Yo!" he greets me with a his supposed trademark wink. "You saw it was on last night, right? I couldn't tell who it was, but if someone's shown up on TV, we can't ignore it. Let's go check it out after school. Maybe Teddie can tell use something." He had a way for getting straight to the point. . . The Junes kid momentarily looks down. ". . . If it turns out someone was thrown in again, there really might be a culprit behind all this. Even if it is something about that place that's killing the victims. . . If someone's using that world as a weapon, it's unforgivable. We need to find the culprit. . . no matter what it takes!" Fire blazes within his dark brown eyes. "There's no way that police can do it. . . Who'd believe that the murderer kills people by throwing them into the TV?"

"It has to be us." I told him, becoming also confident.

His expression seems to brighten up, and he snickers while rubbing the space below his nose. "Yeah. . . It's assuring when it comes from someone else. You know, I tried sticking my head in the TV last night, the way you did, and it actually worked. I think I can do that now because I have the same power. . . Persona, wasn't it? Could be that we got this gift from someone specifically so we could solve the case? Then again, you managed to go inside the TV and get your Persona first. . ." he gazes off to the side, somewhat sheepishly. With an expression like that, I could only so much tell that the next thing he was about to say was quite embarrassing. "I feel like. . . as long as you're with me, I can find the culprit and crack this case. Well. . . Let's do our best!" His smile is genuine. Even with so much mystery swirling around, Yosuke is trying his hardest to move on. . . He holds his hand out. . . And I firmly give it a shake. Right here. . . right now. . . I could sense a faint stirring of friendship between me and Yosuke. . .

". . . Hm?" A mysterious voice rings within my head. . .

Thou art I. . . And I am thou. . .

Thou hast established a new bond. . .

It brings thee closer to the truth. . .

Thou shalt be blessed when creating

Personas of the Magician Arcana. . .

. . . As I formed a bond with Yosuke, I feel the power in my heart. . . strengthening. . . and then I recalled Igor's words. "The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart. . . And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities." . . . Social Links. . . Is this the bond with Yosuke what Igor was talking about. . . ? Will they help me become stronger?

I established the Yosuke Hanamura Social Link of the Magician Arcana!

A faint warmth downs my body in a glow. . . and yet. . . I'm still feeling quite stiff. The boy and I stayed in the handshaking position for a while, that is until I realized something. Weren't we supposed to be somewhere right now? . . . Normally, this would've been a supposed bad idea, but I don't think I could run to school like this. So- it had to be better than nothing. . . "Yosuke. . . Could you bike us to class? We're late again."

"H-Huh? Oh crap!"

. . .

Yasogami High, Class 2 - 2. . .

We managed to get there in time, which was miraculous, considering the shape we were in. The brunette and I sat down at our respective seats, and began chatting about many things while we were unpacking. It was mainly centered around the TV world, and what we could do to stop the murders. . . . Looking at things differently for the time being, I really enjoyed Yosuke's company- he was a funny one. The class door slides open, and while we expect it to be one of the teachers, it is instead, a girl with a green jacket- Chie Satonaka, but without Yukiko Amagi. I didn't notice that Chie hadn't been here at this time. . . Yosuke's posture stiffens. "Uh. . . Chie! Um. . . About yesterday. . . We're sorry we worried you. . ." he apologizes.

"Oh- never mind that," the girl quickly changes to subject. Her hair and uniform was all messy. Was she rushing this morning? "Is Yukiko still not here?"

The male brunette quirks his eyebrows in perplexity at her sudden haste. "Huh? Y-Yukiko-san? Uh. . . no. . .? At least, I haven't seen her today."

"Oh man. . . What should I do. . .? Hey, is that stuff you were talking about for real? You know. . . All that about how people showing up on the Midnight Channel is related to that other world."

"Oh, we were just talking about that. We're thinking of checking it out later-"

"The person on TV yesterday. . ." Chie interrupts. "I think it was Yukiko. That kimono looks like the one she wears at the inn, and she wore it during the interview a few days ago too. I got worried, so I emailed her last night, but she hasn't responded. . . I called her earlier in the evening though, and she said she'd be at school today. . . I-I. . ."

. . . No, it couldn't have been as I expected? I start to fret from deep within. Nonetheless, we understand the point Chie was trying to make. Yosuke and I exchanged glances and nod.

"Calm down. We get the picture. And you still haven't heard from her?" he asks.

"No. . . "

"Chie. . ." I began. I told her about yesterday and summed up the information we gained in that other world for her.

"What's that supposed to mean. . .?" her light brown eyes widen with fear. "Wait, are you saying. . . Yukiko was thrown in there!"

"We don't know yet for sure. We should check to see if she's safe first. Give her another call." The Junes kid suggests.

Satonaka begins to do just that. However, I could tell she was extremely anxious and scared, given the way she quivered while tapping on the buttons. . . Despite everyone else in the homeroom who conversed amongst themselves, it was quiet to the point where you could hear the dialing sound of the female brunette's cell . . . Moments of anxiety pass, and Chie sets her phone back to her side, obviously unsuccessful. "No good. . . Her voicemail picked up. . . She's not answering. . . Hm, w-well, I'll give the inn a call. . . Umm. . . I've got the number here somewhere. . . " she dials once more in a last ditch hope. "C'mon, Yukiko. . . Pick up. . ." There is a slight click noise that makes Yosuke and I jump. "Oh, is this Yukiko! . . . Thank God, she's there! . . . Uh-huh. . . Uh-huh, I see. . . Hm? Oh. Nah, it was nothing. I'll email you again later. . ." and green jacket hangs up, a wide smile evident on her face. "She was over at the inn. She said they has a big group reservation and she had to help out. Yeah. . . Now that I think about it, this has happened before, too. At least once a year. She said she'll be at the inn tomorrow, too. . . Oh, for crying out loud, Yosuke! You got me worried over nothing! She was totally fine!"

I exhale and hold my head. Thank goodness.

"S-Sorry." Apologetically, he scratches his head. "But there is a reason we thought that. Well. . . we thought people end up on the Midnight Channel because they're already over in that world. I mean, it makes sense, right? People show up on TV because they're inside the TV. . . But Yukiko-san's still here, in our world. We might want to see what this is about. Alright, let's meet up at Junes after school." Yosuke finishes.

". . . " We nod in agreement. Class goes on for the rest of the day and questions are waiting to be answered. . .

- Rainy After School -

Junes, electronics department. . .

Our trio arrives at Yosuke's convenience store. Along the way there, it wasn't totally silent to my surprise. It is there that I had taken the opportunity to tell Chie what happened yesterday during our little investigation in the TV world. I didn't mention much about the whole 'Persona' thing at all. . . I just explained to her about how much I swung my kendo stick back and forth to the point of my current soreness. There were little mentions of Izanagi, but I honestly couldn't fathom why I didn't speak more about him and the power I received. Yosuke didn't seem to mind about it at all actually, because he may have been fidgety upon telling Chie about Personas as well. . . whereas he seemed to care more about how I endlessly explained in vivid detail, the way he collapsed on the ground while I rushed into the fight. Truth be told, it was hardly relevant to the situation, but it was amusing to see Yosuke's face scrunch up in embarrassment. After finishing stories about the Junes kid, all I needed was to tell her was the important information, like our current theory on why the areas in the TV world are formed once a person is thrown into TV. And then finally, I mentioned Teddie, the bear who didn't know much about himself. Detail after detail I continued, until we stood in front of the large flat screen television. . .

Yosuke chuckles faintly in embarrassment. "O-Okay, I think that's more than enough about my sorry escapades."

There is a slight pause before Chie begins to say anything. Her hands are on her hips as usual, but it's obvious to tell she's hesitant to say something. She starts slowly. ". . . If I hadn't seen the place first hand. . . I'd never have believed a story like that."

"Yeah, no kidding. Anyways, we need to know what's going on inside-" We all look around. Today, there were some customers actually browsing around the electronics department. It was unusual, and completely inconvenient for what Yosuke and I planned to happen after school. "There's so many customers around. . . I forgot there's a sale in the electronics department today. . ." He face palms himself after shooting me an apologetic glance. "Wait! I got it. C'mere a sec." Yosuke shoots straight up seconds after defeat and gestures to me with that hand of his.

"Hm. . . ?" I walk over as instructed.

"Try sticking your hand in a calling him over. I bet that bear's wandering around the entrance anyway. Hey Chie, stand over here. Make a wall with me." The boy said to the other brunette. She complied, making it so that the people behind the wouldn't see.

". . . . . ." I pressed my hand into the screen and as expected, it sank through the solid with ease. . . I beckoned Teddie to come over, hoping he'd get the message. . . . . . . I waited. But suddenly- " ! " I yelped loudly at a new jolt of pain vice gripping my fingers. Something bit me! I withdrew my hand so quickly that I almost lost balance and toppled over on the ground. People were staring, but like I had hoped, they didn't see a thing. I gripped my fingers and stared at them. . . red marks. . .

"Wh-What's wrong!" Yosuke grabbed my shoulders.

Chie locks her eyes with the painful-looking indents in my fingers. "S-Suzumi, is that a bite mark! Are you okay!"

I turned to face Satonaka. "I think I'm gonna cry. . ."

"Ohh, c'mon, don't cry. . . Sheesh, that stupid bear must've done it." She punches the TV. "Hey you! We know you're in there!"

[[Ooh ooh, is this a game?]] I hear Teddie's staticy voice cheer.

And that's all he has to say. . . after biting my hand? Who did he think it belonged to, Yosuke?

The boy whispers into the TV, agitated. "No, it's not a game! Can you sense anyone inside there right now?"

[[Who's 'anyone'? I'm a lonely little bear like always. This land feels so bear-ren. . .]]

"Shut it!" The girl yells. "So there's no one inside. . . ? You're sure?"

[[I-I'm not lying! My nose is running as good as ever!]] Teddie answers back before his voice fades out.

Everyone is quiet, except for Chie who breaks the silence with an exasperated sigh. "I'm. . . gonna go warn Yukiko anyway. Since she'll be busy this weekend helping out at the inn, I doubt she'd go anywhere alone, but still. . ."

Yosuke nodded, surrendering to the bear and his lack of information. "Maybe we'll find out more on tonight's Midnight Channel. Cross your fingers that this is all just a misunderstanding." There is a pause, and this time he directs himself to me. ". . . What's your cell number? I mean- I'll call you when I watch it tonight."

I pulled out my gray cellphone and flash it at him. "Oh. . . Sure, it's. . ."

Yosuke and I exchanged numbers. . .

"Alright, don't forget to watch tonight."

Our little trio nodded in unison. Was it really Yukiko who appeared on the TV. . . ? It was raining again tonight, so I'd have to watch the Midnight Channel again. The three of us walked back home in the rain, not concerned about ourselves, but the daughter of the Amagi Inn who could be in potential danger.

. . .

- Evening -

Dojima Residence. . .

As soon as I returned to the Dojima Residence, Nanako was there to greet me as usual. But like always, Dojima himself did not seem to be here. It was about 3 hours or so until midnight, so I decided to watch Magical Detective Loveline with Nanako, and even do the dishes for her. I had a lot of time to pass, no homework, and no tests to study for. We were starting to get used to each other's company, which made me slightly happy to notice. Since both of us were going to be in the same house for a year, I wanted to get to know her as best as possible to get rid of that thick tension we shared. Nanako seemed like a girl I wanted to protect. . . She had this similarity to me, that made me sympathize the way she lived. . . In a way, if I could be there for her in her time of need, then she'd never have to go through what I had to for years and years of my life. But there was no need to push things so hard just yet, I kept in mind. After spending a little more time with the girl, I head upstairs to notice it's almost midnight.

. . .

I shut the curtains to get rid of the glare of brightness the nearby streetlight was shinning through the window and onto my TV screen. . . . It's still raining hard, and the resounding of pitters and patters filled my room with a distorted melody. . . Will something appear on the TV again tonight. . . ? If anything, pray to god that it wasn't who we all suspected it was. Time ticks away as I await the image on the screen to appear. . . .

BzzZZzzZZbzzt. . .

There it is!

[[Good Evening~!]]

My eyes bug out at the sound of an upbeat voice and. . . H-Huh? What was this? I saw a image of her on the screen- the voice was from Yukiko herself! The background was too dark to make out and major details, but squinting my eyes, there were outlines of medieval gargoyle statues in the background, followed by metal bars that concealed an exit of some sort. To me, it would have most likely come off as some kind of jail cell. . . But what was she doing. . . The blackette smiled at the camera, flashing a golden crown on her head, and did not cease flaunting around in her pink, poofy, royal western dress. Yukiko appeared to be a 'Princess' by the looks of it, but really. . . ! What in the world?

[[Tonight, Princess Yukiko has a big surprise! I'm gonna go score myself a hot stud!]] 'Amagi' cheers, continuing to spin around while gripping a bubble mic in her hands. [[Welcome to 'Not a Dream, Not a Hoax!' Princess Yukiko's hunt for her 'Prince Charming!' And I came prepared~!]] The camera closes in on the lower part of her torso. . . [[I've got my lacy unmentionables on-]] . . . and then to her bust that was bulging out of the top of her dress. [[. . . stacked from top, to bottom! I'm out to catch a whole harem, and the best of the lot is going to be all mine! Well, here I go~!]] She rushes off to the scene, and the metal bars behind her rise open, welcoming her with open arms almost. . .

I can't believe my eyes as I watch this. . . That was definitely Yukiko on the Midnight Channel just now. . . !

PI PI PI PI PI PI! My cell phone rings, and I can only guess who it is. I struggle to force it out of my pocket, and answer. Yosuke-

"H-Hey, did you see that!" he screeches into the speaker. "That was Yukiko-san for sure! It looked like her, and I mean, she even said her name! But didn't the stuff she was saying sound weird! And she looked like she was on some low budget TV show. . . Was it like this before too?"

I agreed. "I know what you mean. The reception was poor, and the camera angles were off. The lighting was dim, and Yukiko's make-up was very-"

"H-Hey! What point are you trying to pull here? Just- What's. . . going on. . .?"

"Calm down, Yosuke." I told him, half of myself was serious and the other half was not amused that he didn't understand I was trying to lighten the mood. Even I was freaked out at the turn of events. . .

"O-Okay. . . Okay. Um, um. . . We need to get in touch with Yukiko san first!" A pause. "Uhh. . . Crap, I don't know her number. . . Oh yeah, I can just call Chie! Tomorrow's Sunday, so let's meet up at Junes first thing in the morning!" Yosuke says his part, and hangs up immediately.

. . . I promised to meet up with him tomorrow. It's urgent, and there's absolutely no way I can ditch him. Yukiko's life could be at risk in any case. . . To avoid any mishaps, I made sure to head to bed right away. This ordeal. . . This. . . 'responsibility'. I'll take it on, stay focused, and sharp. Now that I'm more than involved- there's no turning back at this point. . .