Though it wasn't raining (something rare for Inaba), the weather was still quite frosty. Indeed, Yosuke shivered in his jacket as he sprinted down the empty streets, breath thick and heavy with exhaustion. Pulling the fuzzy hood of the coat over his hair he was thankful that it provided him some warmth. This didn't, however, change the fact that he was ready to pass out. Sure, he wasn't fat or anything, but certainly he wasn't in-shape or athletic. He liked sports, but they were never his thing; he never wanted to commit to something that involved that many balls. He tried kung-fu once… but didn't have a knack for it. Not like Chie.

… Ah, Chie.

He couldn't help but smile to himself in thinking of her. Chie, Chie, Chie… what a girl. One couldn't say much more than that - she was simply herself. Simply Chie, all of the time. Though he remembered her insecurities - it was something they shared in having to face their shadows - he also remembered how much stronger it had made her. She wasn't like him, who had often thought about quitting. She had cared more about saving Yukiko than she did about her own problems. Not to mention… she could really kick some ass.

It had occurred to him just how much closer they had come since the television incidents began. They still bickered all of the time, of course… but these days, insults and mean names were always followed with laughter and playful smiles. Occasional winks, frequent shoving. He was starting to get pretty comfortable with it and found himself looking forward to moments where he could best Chie. It would mean she'd giggle and grin. Those gestures would be his – not anyone else's to have. She'd direct them at him, and Yosuke would be able to keep them for himself.

As he looked down at the styrofoam box under his arm, a familiar sense of worry came upon him. Based on what he has she'd be pleased. Hopefully she'd forgive him for being so late… but then again, it's not like he had asked for business to spike up and for his Dad to make him stay past his shift, anyway. Maybe the new Chie would be gracious and understanding?

Arriving to a very familiar door, he knocked, only to be cut short on the third knock when the door flew open. He was greeted with a Chie that held another familiar expression - one of annoyance and… worry? Nevermind the fact that he wondered why she was answering the Dojima's door.

"Oh! Chie-"

"You idiot!" She hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside. Though he was happy to see her, he was not happy to be manhandled by a chick. "You're late!" The brunette continued in a very harsh whisper, shutting the door behind him.

"Dude!" He complained, "I'm sorry-"

"Shhh! Stop yelling! You're just sorry? Yosuke, it's almost 12 in the morning! You told me you'd be done by 10!"

"I didn't mean to! Chie, please-"

"I wanted us all to get together for once! We haven't done that in a long time and you said you'd remember to get work off and you didn't and-"

"Satonaka!"

At such a formal choice of words she was startled and stopped yelling, looking at him with a frustrated, rosy face. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat and offered her the styrofoam box. There was a Junes design on the top of it. "… … I'm sorry, Chie."

"Just because you bring Junes doesn't make things okay." She reluctantly accepted the box, opening it with mild interest. Her face lit up, however, at its contents and she grinned. "Oh, Yosuke! Grilled steak! But I thought Junes didn't…?"

"I talked to my Dad." He said with a sheepish smile, "… I-It's your favorite, right?"

"Yeah…" She looked down at the steak for a moment as she thought, then back up to his bashful grin, "… …Thanks, Yosuke."

"It's… nothing, really." But seeing as his face was growing rather hot, he forced himself to look around for a distraction. He finally noticed that the Dojima residence was rather dim, to which he then saw the television glowing in the dark. Some movie was on, but he couldn't tell what it was… something about biker gangs? Kanji'd probably like it if he saw it, he guessed. The light of the television, however, revealed two other figures in the room on the couch. As he studied them he started to smile, raising his brows. "Is that…?" He said to himself.

In the quiet, though, Chie had heard him, and giggled. "Yeah. Those two fell asleep pretty quick."

Indeed, on the couch Yukiko was huddled up to Souji, her head against his chest while an arm of his wrapped loosely around her. They seemed so content; both were incredibly reserved individuals in the waking hours, but in sleep they looked in such peace that he couldn't help but smirk to himself. "Well isn't that cute."

"Apparently this isn't the first time this has happened." When he gave her a curious look the brunette shook her head quickly, "N-not like that, perv!"

He laughed, then, shaking his head as well as he crossed the room and sat on the vacant couch. "Doesn't surprise me that Souji'd be the one to win the Amagi Challenge."

"Hm?" Chie casually joined him, opening the Junes box to pick at her steak. "What makes you say that?"

"It's Souji. The guy who saves people from TV land."

She offered the box to him, "But you do that, too."

"I'm no hero," He assured her, taking a piece of steak for himself.

Now she was quiet, looking at him with a gaze that made him extremely nervous. He hated when she looked at him like that; it usually meant he had done something wrong and he hated being wrong when Chie was around because even the new Chie knew how to punch things and verbally abuse wrongdoings-

"I think you're a hero, Yosuke." She then said softly, a tone he wasn't used to. Suddenly, too, she was much closer to him, close enough so that he found she smelled like a faint mixture of the crisp air outside and lemons. It was almost refreshing; a second wind.

"You… do?"

She nodded, smiling. Her expression seemed so genuine and sweet that he almost forgot just exactly what she said. That smile of hers… it just got him and put him in a daze. "Y… yeah. But, uh, stop looking at me like that, Hanamura!"

"Whatever, Satonaka." The redhead laughed, eating his steak in one gulp, "So formal, eh?"

"It gets people's attention, remember?"

Right, he had done that before, too. "It does…. Chie-chan."

"Ooh, Chie-chaaan? I thought that stuff was only reserved for Yukiko!"

"Do you not like being a chan~?" He pressed, shifting himself on the couch to face her.

She responded by leaning forward towards him with an annoyed smirk on her lips, "It sounds too cute for me."

"Oh~?" Their voices were growing softer and softer until he finally realized that his voice was barely a pinprick. Shocking; he was never this quiet. That and it dawned on him just how much closer she had moved to him. Did he have something to do with that, too? It truly clicked when his knee touched hers, and he felt a small bit of hesitation form in his heart.

But then he remembered what Souji had told him. As they were pretty close, he had come to Souji for advice… it was Souji after all - he seemed like he had all of the answers.

"You have to be brave," He had said with ease, as if it were the easiest answer in the world to come up with, "I don't really know Chie's feelings… but until you face yours you'll be at a loss. She deserves to know and you deserve to tell her. Keeping it in will hurt you too much…. and maybe another Shadow will form. You don't want her to find out that way, right?"

"… You're probably right. Always so deep, eh, bro?" He remembered responding. As he thought of it now, his stomach turned into knots. Was he really going to be… brave? For once was he just going to let everything go? Frankly, he'd rather fight the worst and most horrifying Shadows for the rest of his life than own up to the majesty that was Chie Satonaka.

"… ..Well, if you think that I'm a… hero," He said carefully, "… Then… then I think you're very cute, Chie-chan." He barely heard himself say that – did he even say it at all?

She watched him and that made him feel sicker. Why wouldn't she just say something? Or hit him, or laugh awkwardly, or do anything. Why did she look so tense, as if she were actually-

And then, she was kissing him, tasting like steak and movies and fear and anticipation and desire and Junes and hatred and love and everything that he had ever felt when looking at her. Ultimately, it ended on love… and steak. Chie was love. Chie was steak, too. He didn't mind that.

He was touching her face, she moved and seemed to pin him down, burying herself into what he embarrassedly realized was the horrible smell of the Shopping District and fried food. Maybe even sweat. He was nervous as shit after all. But, still, she kissed him, kissed his neck, ran a hand down his chest, said his name in a pleasant whisper-

And released just when it was getting good, grinning down at him.

"… … …You… wicked girl." He gasped, face flushed. This was certainly the biggest and most critical hit to the nads he had ever felt.

"I win, Hero Boy." Her chest rose and fell quickly, her bangs stuck to her forehead from what he guessed was sweat. Had she been nervous, too?

It didn't matter. He looked up at her with initial, disappointed shock, before allowing himself to grin and shake his head.

"… …No. Believe me, Chie-chan: I've won the grand prize."