Soundtrack: Rainy Way Back Home - Nujabes

2:Rainy Way Back Home

Strangely, it was raining the morning after. Keisuke, dressed in a warm sweater and jeans, stood by the window of his one room apartment staring outside. Light pitter-patter turned to rhythmic rampage when thunder struck and he shivered slightly. It was now just simply crashing down. As he had learnt just an hour ago, a sudden change in the weather forecast left the City of Port Island unprepared for the torrential downpour.

The only source of warmth was the coffee in his hands. He cupped the mug tightly when he heard his phone buzz. Knowing who it was, Keisuke placed the coffee on a nearby table and walked towards the counter.

"Aye! What the hell was that last night!?" the voice screamed. Keisuke calmly placed the phone away from his ear. It was Kanji Tatsumi.

"Sorry Tatsumi-san," Keisuke waited for the man to settle down before apologizing. "Something needed immediate attention and I completely forgot about the call." Keisuke explained in detail what had transpired last night and how he had to carry an unconscious girl for a mile towards his apartment.

"Oh shit, she alright?" Kanji's rage turned to a soft voice of concern.

He looked at his bedroom door from the table, unsure of what to answer. He was too far away from the hospital at that time and his phone broke from the impact against the concrete floor. From what he had deduced last night, it seemed like it was pure exhaustion. Big bags under her eyes were present and her lips were cracked from dehydration. She obviously had a headache and her pupils were dilated. Although he couldn't be sure in this case. The girl has had complications in the past because of her health if he remembered correctly. Blood sugar? Iron deficiency? Hypertension? Maybe she was just plain drunk?

Perhaps it would have been wise to go to the hospital instead. When did he get so careless about this matter?

"I… don't know," he honestly answered.

It was the wrong answer.

"Da hell dude?! Why didn't you bring her to the damn doc in the first place?!"

Suddenly, he heard shuffling behind the bedroom door. It paused. Another shuffle. Another pause. Then, the doorknob turned slowly. Keisuke held his breath and ended the call with Kanji.

"Sorry, she's awake now."

"Hey, answer me you shitwa—"

He placed the phone down and met eyes with Fuuka Yamagishi. She wore the same outfit the night before sans the mess of a braid that was her hair. The bags under her eyes was severe, green eyes dull and unsure of what to make of the situation. He couldn't blame her. She was indeed inside a stranger's house after all. Did she even remember last night?

Teal.

He shook the thought of it out of his head. Giving her a tiny smile, he reached out to an apron that was hanging to the side and rolled his sleeves up.

"Care for some breakfast Yamagishi-san?"

Fuuka simply nodded.

"Good." Keisuke beamed at her. "Here, take a seat. I'll be quick!"

He worked efficiently, being used to fixing up a quick and healthy breakfast every day. In the span of a few minutes, a plate of toast and eggs was placed in front of Fuuka, shocking her with his speed. Switching to the cupboard, his long arms reached for a clear glass cup and poured orange juice. Sliding it to her side, Keisuke sat down and grabbed the coffee he was drinking previously. He looked at her and smiled.

"Protein, vitamin C and D, some carbohydrates, especially the fibre and they taste delicious!" Keisuke explained, feeling a tad proud, while taking a sip at his coffee. He figured she would need all the energy she could get from last night.

"Wha—Hiraga-senpai, thank you," Fuuka quietly thanked before grabbing the fork and started eating.

Keisuke mentally high-fived himself as her face lit up after a few bites. He stared at her eating form, observing a few things. Firstly, she was moving normally, perhaps a bit lethargically but he blamed it on the fact that she was in a stranger's house. Secondly, from what he remembered from high school, her skin was pale to begin with but her skin at the moment felt sickly. She was not in any pain whatsoever it seems.

After finishing breakfast, he grabbed the plate and placed it on the sink and turned towards her.

"So," he started, "how are you feeling?"

Fuuka smiled sadly. "I've been better, I'll be honest. I'm exhausted."

Keisuke let out a huge sigh of relief. He slowly slid down the counter before he hit the floor. She raised an eyebrow at him but he just smiled at her.

She was just exhausted.

"It's nice to see you again Hiraga-senpai," she greeted him, "I'm sorry our reunion was a bit dramatic at your part." A tiny bit of color was starting to return to her face.

He waved it off and stood up. "Hey, no need to worry. Here, gimme a second."

Running his finger through an array of bottles that was situated at the corner of his countertop, he pulled out a bottle and read through its contents. He glanced at her. If he was indeed diagnosing correctly, she may have a deficiency in necessary vitamins. More specifically, Vitamin B12. Perhaps iron as well. He glanced at her again, her eyes showing curiosity.

"Yamagishi-san, may I ask what have you been eating for the past few weeks?" he asked as he walked back to the table.

The girl placed a finger on her chin, seemingly thinking.

"I've been so busy with school and work that I haven't really eaten much other than chips and soda they sell at the school," she explained in a matter-of-factly tone.

Keisuke gaped at her. She was not serious, was she?

"Hours of sleep in the past week?"

"Maybe six?"

"What?!"

"You haven't changed much, Keisuke-senpai," Fuuka commented with a laugh. Her light giggles filled the spaces of silence from the battering rain. It was a relaxing sight for him and he couldn't help but smile. It was the first time they have seen each other in years.

The stream of conversation faded slowly, leaving the room in a comfortable silence. The constant rain pounded even harder, intensifying to a thunderous roar that he ran to close the curtains, praying that the glass wouldn't shatter. Fuuka sat still while Keisuke cleaned the dishes. This continued for a few minutes until he stole a glance at her and they met each other's eyes. She smiled and stood up, rolling up her sleeves. Grabbing a clean dry towel, she started drying those he finished rinsing. There was a small tinge of pink on his cheeks while they worked silently.

"It's been four years hasn't it, Senpai?"

Keisuke nodded while drying both of his hands. Four years had passed ever since his graduation from Gekkoukan and the last time he had seen his old kouhai.

"So how've you been?" she said while looking up to meet his gaze.

They were quickly absorbed into conversation. He learnt that she was in her third year of university at Port Island, studying Information Technology and was the top of the class. Impressed by her skills, Kirijo Industries, a name he hadn't heard for quite some time, hired her as a specialist in data analysis even with her busy university schedule. He whistled as Fuuka listed out her schedule and he finally understood why she had collapsed. A 24 hour shift and a week with about four hours of sleep does wear out a person if he say so himself. Three hours passed while they conversed at the table, discussing about the last four years. It was a weird experience for him, as they were not really quite close back in high school. Certainly friends! But was she really sharing this to him?

He stared at her while she explained more about her schedule, musing about the person that was in front of him now. Was this really the same Fuuka that he went to high school with? Taking a good look at her, he was reminded that the woman before him was not the same kouhai as before. Her unsure disposition back then had grown into something else, something he couldn't really name. Confident perhaps? He shook his head mindlessly. Wait, why is she even calling me senpai now?

"Keisuke is fine you know?" he interrupted.

"Huh…?"

"Keisuke. You can call me Keisuke," he explained with a wag of a finger, "you used to call me that back in high school right?" He grinned at her.

"Keisuke-kun?" Fuuka tested the name out and grinned back. He guessed that she liked it.

"Well," she pointed a finger at him, "what about you? What're you up to now, Keisuke-kun?"

Keisuke rubbed the back of his head to find an explanation of what he did as a living. Technically, he was a freelance photographer but the numerous and perhaps borderline obsessive client work that he received from a certain pop idol and her delinquent designer kept his client list short and exclusive. At this point, he was the personal photographer for them. He wasn't the one to complain though. They proved to be one of the best clients a photographer could ever ask for, even becoming his friends!

"I'm a photographer," he simply stated.

Fuuka raised her eyebrow at him, a questioning look on her face.

"You're not a doctor?" was her immediate response. What could he even say to her? He failed his entrance exam and fell into a pit of depression before finding work as a photographer when a pop idol scouted him out? He was stuck in a rock and a hard place as she waited for his response.

"I… uh… I had a lot of things that happened and I just found something I liked and then this happened and then that and yeah…" Keisuke rambled on. He let out a sigh. Fuuka looked at him intently, waiting for more details.

"It's a long story," he said dejectedly, hoping that the girl wouldn't prod any further. Thankfully, she didn't.

Fuuka nodded and looked at the side. "So that's why there's cameras everywhere!" she commented and stood up. Her footsteps echoed against the hard floor before stopping in front of the old film camera situated at the corner of the room.

"Where did you get this camera?" she asked with a finger on her chin, deep in thought.

Keisuke smiled and walked over towards her. His old film camera was a common conversation starter with anyone who came over. His old kouhai was no different. He explained to her how he came across it and how it started his career as a photographer, not mentioning his job as a photographer for a popular pop idol. He wouldn't brag to anyone about that.

She listened to his story intently, letting out small giggles when Keisuke told her about his struggles about non-compliant clients and the like.

"It just… looks so familiar somehow." Fuuka stared at the camera, eyes glazing over. Her fingers danced on the surface of the camera's body, glancing at Keisuke for permission to touch it. He shrugged nonchalantly. She returned to inspecting the camera, a feel of concentration and familiarity filling her eyes. Keisuke raised an eyebrow at her strange behavior.

The sky turned a darker shade of grey as noon rolled in. They migrated to the living room area where the conversations slowed once more while they listened to the weather report. According to the weather report, a freak storm was over Port Island, developing under the cover of night undetected in a rate that the specialists on the television said was otherworldly. The severity of the storm was not destructive like a typhoon but he heard that the seaside parts of the city had been evacuated for safety reasons if the rain would continue throughout the night. Keisuke sighed in relief. The apartment they were in was far away from the sea and was on high ground at least.

He stole a glance at the girl beside him. Fuuka's eyes were fixated onto the window with a peculiar sense of… something he couldn't really diagnose. Sadness? Boredom? Perhaps she was just tired from the week she had been through? Keisuke rubbed his chin, deep in thought. She did only get about 6 hours of sleep. With the week that she had been through, he couldn't blame her for being in such a state.

"Keisuke-kun, I need to go soon." Fuuka turned to Keisuke. He felt something inside of him move as she looked at him with a melancholic look that she barely hid. "I really am thankful for last night. If anyone else had found m—"

"Why're you sad?"

Keisuke's face started burning up when he realized what he had just said. Fuuka simply smiled at him before standing up.

"It's a long story as well, Keisuke-kun," she said, repeating the words he had said not long ago.

I guess she has things to hide as well.

Fuuka bowed deeply towards him. "Thank you for putting me under your care," she said formally then started putting on her boots, "I'll be sure to repay you one day Keisuke-kun."

"Wait, where are you going?" Keisuke asked as she started fixing her hair. She paused and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"To visit a friend." Her reply was short and courtly, sending Keisuke onto his feet to try and stop her.

"Uh…?"

"Do you have an umbrella I can borrow?"

Fuuka's voice was smooth and unwavering, not a shred of doubt or fear from the storm that was raging outside. Her hand dug inside her bag and came out with a green hat that she put on without hesitation.

"No need to bother with the umbrella. Thank you Keisuke-san. I'll be taking my leave now," she said and started walking towards the door.

"Sorry, what?"

Was she insane?! Keisuke looked out of the window, the rain pelting it ever so vigilantly. He couldn't let her do this. He ran past the retreating figure and put his hand in front of the door to deter her from passing any further.

"Sorry Yamagishi-san, but I'm gonna have to ask you stop right there," he reasoned with her while she looked at him with a confused look.

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

"It's dangerous," was his only response to the girl getting slightly irritated.

"So what!? I need to go!" Her voice increased in volume, pushing him away.

"I said stop!"

Without thinking, he grabbed her forearm and pulled her back towards him. Fuuka quickly swung around, the sudden movement causing Keisuke to lose his grip on the girl's arm.

"What gives you the right to—"

BOOM!

A flash of lightning struck. Thunder resounded throughout the apartment in an instant, making both of them jump.

Then it was dark.

The soft lull of the television was replaced with silence. With the minimal amount of lighting, Keisuke's first instinct was to stumble towards Fuuka. Knuckles white from the sheer grip on herself, it was easy for him to see she was terrified. Absolutely terrified. He extended his hand and grabbed her shaking shoulders. She didn't stir, prompting Keisuke to crouch down to see her face.

"Hey, just stay until the storm is over, got that?" he cooed with a small comforting smile. How he was talking to her with such familiarity was beyond him but her teal eyes were clouded over with tears.

Shit! She's crying!

"I can't!" she suddenly yelled, causing Keisuke to take a step back from her. He stared at her crying face through the dark, the foreign sound of her voice rooting him in place.

"I can't… I really can't… I need to go… I just can't…" Fuuka repeated, desperation laced in her voice. It was not like before. She was broken.

As if a force inside him swelled and told him to, Keisuke took a step closer. He didn't know what was wrong with her. Why was she sad? Why was she so adamant about going out into the storm? Why was there desperation in her voice? Why was she crying? He couldn't answer any. With a firm grip, he grabbed her shoulders and cooed at her to look at him.

"I really don't know what the hell is going on but you gotta stop this," Keisuke scolded the frail girl in front of him. She slowly looked up until brown met teal.

"No one remembers, huh?"

Her eyes were puffy from crying and he felt something inside him break.

"Let's go," he said.

"H-huh..!?"

Keisuke didn't know why he was doing what he was doing but nonetheless, he walked over to the door, put on his coat and took a set of keys from the front pocket. He looked over his shoulder to Fuuka, her eyes confused at what he was doing. She had slowly stopped crying and was now looking intently at him. His steady hand grabbed hers, a gasp coming out of her. It was surprisingly soft, a thought he suppressed while he fumbled around with his old sneakers. Keisuke smiled at her and then opened the door.

"Lead the way Yamagishi-san."

The ride was silent save for the constant buzzing of the radio and the splattering of the rain against the windshield. The streets were empty, a salary man sprinting for safety here and there. Keisuke felt the car inch slightly from the wind while stopped at a crossing and his stomach churned. Fuuka, the only other sane person to go outside in this weather, sat right beside him, unmoving and silent, only speaking when he needed to turn. An atmosphere of solitary filled the car, suffocating him.

Why was he out here?

As if on cue, a tree shook violently before a gust of wind ripped apart a branch, launching it flying. Keisuke's sweat dropped and he gripped the steering wheel.

Why the hell was he out here?

"Is it okay if we stopped at my place?" Fuuka's voice was low and muffled by the huge gusts of wind that slammed against his car. Keisuke raised an eyebrow at her in confusion, unsure of what she meant. Were they not going to her house to begin with?

"I need to grab something before I go," she said to him simply, much to his dismay. The girl was asking for trouble. Although he wasn't a doctor, safety was still his major concern. He stopped at another cross light before turning to her, mustering the most serious look his face could do.

Although modest, he had no problem putting on a brave front. It was incredibly useful for shoots whenever someone wasn't cooperating. He didn't like doing it though, only being able to channel it for a few moments before he is forced to give up. It just wasn't him.

"It's dangerous Yamagishi-san," he started, "you need to go home and stay home."

"No," Fuuka replied.

Keisuke's eyes were wide with shock when she turned to him with a look of sheer determination. Her teal eyes burnt with passion that felt foreign to him, causing him to falter. Soon enough, he admitted defeat, throwing his hands up and continued on driving down the street. This girl was not the Fuuka Yamagishi that he knew back then.

The conversation ended with that, leaving the two in silence for the rest of the ride until he was asked to pull over in front an old red brick building. It was quaint, what one would expect from a girl like her. Shrubs lined the front, complementing the weathered bricks that added a sense of home to it. The windows, lightly stained, looked intricate yet sturdy against the rain. Keisuke stared at it with a sense of endearment. This would be perfect for a photoshoot. He grabbed a notebook from his front pocket and scribbled a few notes about the location.

Keisuke then looked at Fuuka, getting ready to brave the storm outside. She looked at him, as if unsure of him. He let out a sigh and rested his head against the headrest of his seat. He knew what she was thinking.

"I won't go anywhere."

Fuuka nodded and quickly unlocked the door, a sudden gust throwing it open. She ran as fast as she her legs could take her and was inside the building in a matter of seconds.

Finally, Keisuke was alone.

"What the fuck am I doing?"

He released an exasperated sigh once more before burying himself in the thin jacket he wore. Even with the heater on, there was a certain chill in the air that he couldn't shake off. He really didn't know what he was doing out here with her. The storm showed no signs of stopping throughout the entire day and here he was, driving throughout the empty city. He shivered at the thought of the branch that was ripped apart by the wind. Hopefully, he'll stay alive today.

Keisuke found himself wondering about Fuuka. She was an enigma to begin with. That was certain. They were never close back in high school but he served as the club's president in the club that she was in. The teal-haired girl was shy and fragile the last time he remembered, a pushover even if he was to be honest. She was never the one to speak up against anything. She was a passing wave in a huge ocean, content in surviving before crashing towards the beach. Her green—no, teal—eyes, if he remembered accurately, gleamed with pain that he could only describe as serene. That was her four years ago.

The Fuuka this morning was different. Gone was the shy and fragile girl and what stood before him that morning was a confident woman with drive, in no way whatsoever similar to the pushover he knew in high school. She raised her voice at him too, remembering the moments before the lightning struck. The old Fuuka would have never done that. Hell, she was a tsunami compared to the old Fuuka.

Yet, her eyes were the same as before. The same teal eyes gleamed with suffering that he couldn't really explain.

He stared at the door that the girl went in. She was and was not the same girl as before, if that even made sense.

A few minutes passed before the door opened and Fuuka came sprinting out. She was wheezing, her hair dripping wet from the few seconds of exposure to the torrential downpour. Her previous braid was abandoned and was now in a ponytail, a few strands that were too short to be tied to the back hanging in front. In her hands was a slender brown package the size of her arm. Trying to catch her breath, she turned to Keisuke and beamed.

"I thought you left," she said in between breaths.

Keisuke shrugged. His eyes locked onto the package then turned towards her. "What's that?"

Fuuka smiled once more and patted it. "You'll see," she simply said and slumped into the seat. Keisuke pouted at her words, unsatisfied with the answer given.

"Thank you though…" she whispered so quietly that he strained to understand, "for staying and dealing with this. I'll explain later."

Keisuke shrugged again and started to drive once more. At this point in time, he couldn't have cared less about the explanation. He just wanted to be out of the storm. He took a peek towards her, only noticing now that she was wearing the same white sundress as before. A slight tinge of pink was on his cheeks throughout the ride afterwards.

The drumming of the rain against windshield and roof paired with the mellow beats of the stereo filled the silence. There wasn't much to be conversed about between the two, opting to remain quiet save for the times she would tell where to turn. He glanced at Fuuka. Her teal eyes were glazed over, deep in thought. A solemn aura flooded around her, telling Keisuke to not meddle while she was in this state. He was happy at least, the rain slowing down as they neared their destination.

"Take a left there."

He did so, maneuvering the car to an exit towards a gated area. From what he could see, it was a small quaint park, trees lining on the side of a beautiful red brick path. It was March as well so the soft yet subtle beginnings of Spring could be seen. When he looked closely, he saw the tiny budding sprouts on the cherry blossom tree branches. A low whistle came out of him, imagining what the scene would be when the cherry blossoms bloomed. Picture perfect if he says so himself. He pulled the car up onto an empty parking space. Quickly grabbing his notebook again, he scribbled a few lines for next time he was around the area. There was an upcoming Spring pin up book of course and this would be a perfect location for that.

Fuuka opened the door the moment Keisuke shifted the gear to parking and started running.

"Hey! At least bring your jacket! You're gonna get soaked…" Keisuke's voice trailed off as he noticed the absence of the rhythmic pitter patter.

The rain stopped.

"Huh…" He zipped up his light jacket and got out of the car. Taking a few steps, he released a tired sigh as he listened to the gravel underneath his feet. Only then did he realize something was wrong.

Fuuka Yamagishi was nowhere to be seen.

Author's Notes: The chapter was about to be 8000+ words so I decided to cut it off here. What I'm trying to get at here is that Keisuke spends a lot of time just thinking. A lot of narrative and action and barely any dialogue. It's quite hard just trying to develop a character from such a small sample from him in game. Fuuka as well has been challenging. We all know that she's now this confident, gentle woman ever since she got her ultimate Persona and trust me, I have not forgotten about that. Saving those juicy moments later on!

Midterms are once again upon us(bless your soul if you're a university student) so I wish you all the best of luck! I will try to get the third chapter out before the end of this month but we will see! If you have any suggestion/concerns/comments/random things that you just want to say, don't hesitate to click that review button and let me know! Thank you for those that favourited and followed this story! I hope I won't disappoint you!