From here on out there will be occasional traces of Yosuke/Chie. Just thought I'd mention, in case that pairing made some of you violently angry. XD

August 12, 2011

How could he? How could he sit there and laugh? What had she done to deserve this? She'd done nothing that's what and now and now this bastard was just going to walk all over Senpai's memory and for what just so he could--

"Dude…The cops."

"…Huh?"

Yosuke blinked hard, finally noticing how everyone around was staring. How much of his confusing jumble of thoughts had he actually voiced? And why the hell was there a hot trickle of wetness running down his face? He wasn't sad, he was pissed. Or at least he had been. Kanji's firm tone had brought him back to reality, draining Yosuke's body of the tense energy rage had given him. With that gone, it was all the brunette could do to keep his legs from giving out underneath him.

"What're you waitin' for!? Call the damn police!"

Yosuke was too numb to call his kohai on the sharpness of his words. Sniffing, he stuttered out a few words of agreement lamely before wiping his eyes raggedly with the back of his hand. He could hear Chie whisper his name softly, holding out her hand to try and give the boy a small semblance of comfort, but Yosuke ignored her. Chie was his present and, maybe, his future -- but that wasn't what was on his mind right now. His mind was stuck quite firmly in his past as he turned on his heel and raced for the privacy of the employee bathroom. He could hear Chie call his name, louder this time, but he didn't around, even as he called back some garbled excuse about going to find a phone. The weight of his cellphone in his pocket seemed to get heavier the further he got from his friends.

And now he was alone, sitting on the toilet with his forehead pressed against the cool tile while he sobbed; crying for a girl who could've cared less about him while alive. Or at least that's what her Shadow had said; her resentment magnified as if by the sun at dusk. But he could never ask her about them. He could never ask what the context of those words were or if there were layers to them the Shadow's disembodied voice had left out. He could never ask because she would never be there to answer.

After fifteen minutes, a knock came on the door, prompting Yosuke to grit his teeth out of embarrassment for the state he was in and irritation over being disturbed.

"Go away, Chie!"

There was a pause, then a quiet, familiar voice drifted through the florescent orange fiberglass door.

"It's not Chie. Let me in." Yosuke's nails bit into his skin as he clenched his fists tighter.

"Leave me the fuck alone, Souji. This isn't the TV, you can't just order me around!"

"I'm not going anywhere." There a long pause after that, followed by the sound of returning footsteps and a soft clink of metal, then the rusted click of a lock, and then Souji was suddenly there, closing the door behind him. Yosuke could see the blurred gray outline of his friend through his periphery but refused to turn his head and give his intruding best friend the dignity of acknowledging his existence.

"Yosuke…"

He sounded like Chie, Yosuke noticed absently as the reminder of his female friend threatened to send more tears running down his face.

"Yosuke," his partner repeated firmly, though the care and concern never left his features. Now, Yosuke thought, now he sounded like Souji.

"What?" the brunette replied with a forced, watery chuckle, "This isn't anything you haven't seen before. Why the long face? Would you prefer I do this?" Yosuke plastered a wide, bright, empty smile over his face. It was convincing and Yosuke knew it; he'd been faking smiles his whole life. What he didn't know was how his red rimmed eyes, tearstained cheeks, and impossibly runny nose only succeeded in making a mockery of his carefully honed mask.

Souji stepped closer to the other boy, a movement that finally prompted Yosuke to really look at his friend for the first time since he'd so rudely barged in. Souji was still moving ever closer, silent as the grave, which only made Yosuke nervous. And, as he often did when nervous, the brunette began to talk; narrating Souji's wordless actions with a voice that carried traces of hysteria amidst the lingering crackle of tears.

"What are you--oh, God, Souji, don't kneel on the floor! Do you know what I've seen on this floor? Horrors, man, pure horrors…oh, shit, you are not doing this again, man, no way in hell-" Yosuke's voice finally broke in the same moment that Souji's arms coiled around him; enveloping him in a tight hug. They must've been a pathetic sight, Yosuke mused in that same odd, removed way. Souji was ruining his uniform pants on the grotesque (and probably sticky, Yosuke cringed inwardly) floor while Yosuke sat perched on top of the toilet, bawling and clinging to his best friend for dear life. Souji stayed silent throughout, no soft shushes or urges to calm down ever leaving his lips, even as Yosuke sobbed Saki's (and, in a burst of confusion, Chie's) name into his shoulder.

Neither of them knew how much time passed when Yosuke finally pushed Souji away, wiping at his eyes with embarrassment. Souji stayed in quiet, reassuring silence while Yosuke stood up, washed his face, and allowed his friend to lead him shakily out of the bathroom. Everyone else was gone, including Mitsuo and the police.

"Looks like they forgot about us, partner," Yosuke laughed, voice hoarse from crying.

"Pah, like anyone could forget the dynamic duo of Transfer Student & the faithful Junes Boy." Yosuke looked up, shooting him a general look of 'what the hell is wrong with you'. Souji was grinning and, without realizing, the brunette was soon following suit.

"You're a weird guy, Seta."

"Thanks, Hanamura."

There was a long, pleasant, amicable silence while the two friends walked towards the entrance of the deserted mall.

"So," Yosuke finally asked, wiping his nose though his voice was free of tears, "Why the hell do I have to be the sidekick?" Souji merely grinned, tousling his best friends hair.