Author's Note: Another boring chapter. Just a filler. Sorry… right after such powerful chapter from last… ;.;

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 4 or any of its characters. They belong to Atlus.

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A P4 MC/Yukiko Fic
The Fool

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Withered flowers blossom
In the stream of tears
They still think of the cause

Shihoko Hirata – Your Affection

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Trails of blood marked the road as she ran. She had no idea where she was going. The pain in her right hand was unbearable and the blood kept rushing out of her wounds. Her clothes were torn and burnt… and there was really no everyone's portrayed Amagi Yukiko in her right now. But she didn't care. She needed to see him… She needed… to tell him… to talk to him, to hug him, to… to cleanse herself from what just happened.

Her blood smeared her pure white garment. Red over white.

She needed something to erase.

XxX

Souji glanced at the blue sky, wondering about what had just happened. He knew the feelings all too well. It seemed as if Igor's voice still echoed in his mind. He took a deep breath then looked at the river once again. The Samegawa Guardian… was that fish still around here? He wondered how the old fisherman was doing…

A low sound behind him slowly brought him back to reality. He could sense someone behind him. At that time, he really didn't realize just how much blood had trickled down to the grass until he turned around.

"AMAGI!"

He ran to her side, catching her right when she just about to break down.

"Amagi! My God, Amagi, what had happened?!"

Her breath was incoherent and heavy. Gashes and bruises were all over her body—her left hand even had an angry black bruise around her wrist. What concerned him the most though, was her right hand, which was covered by pieces of glasses and her own blood—he couldn't even see the skin between the wounds and blood. He gritted his teeth, reaching to her legs, then finally lifted her bridal style. She needed a doctor, fast. And with her in his arms, he ran to the nearest hospital he knew.

"Souji… kun…"

Her voice was too weak. He hushed gently her to stop talking as he rushed. He wasn't even sure she heard her now.

"… I'm… scared…"

"Why do you run from me… Amagi Yukiko?!"

The touch… and rough kisses… all remained… and she started to tremble from the flashes of scene, even in his arms.

"LOVE ME!"

"I'm scared…"

Her tears now were different from last. This time… he knew he shouldn't ask why.

XxX

"Yukiko?!"

Chie gripped her cell phone tighter. Yousuke quickly lifted his face to look at her.

"Wounded? How?! How could..?!"

Oh, come on! He hated hearing only partial questions like that, it was like a cliffhanger!

"I'll be there, ASAP! You'd better be beside her when we arrived, got that?!"

She hung up, face pale. Yousuke hurriedly grabbed her arm and asked in panic, "What happened?! Is there anything wrong with Amagi-san?"

She didn't answer any of his questions. Instead, she looked him straight in the eye and said,

"Where's your motorcycle?"

XxX

Inaba Municipal Hospital…

She didn't want to let her grip go off his shirt, even after the doctors and nurses tried to pry her fingers. After a brief attempt, they decided to let him go into the surgery room along, just so she would want to have the surgery that remove all the glasses and stitch her wounds back close. He didn't say anything along the way. He merely held her left hand by his chest and watched her face as she contained the pain. He didn't ask. If he were to know, she would be the one that tell him first without him asking.

He chose to let her rest in Class 1 room after the surgery so they could get some privacy. Even after a few moments with no one around and her sleeping… she still didn't want to let go off his shirt.

"Yukiko!!"

The door slammed open. Typical of Chie, of course.

"What had happened to Yukiko?!" She rushed to her best friend's side, ignorant of everyone else in the room. Upon seeing her bandaged arm and multiple bruises, her brown eyes flashed dangerously to the gray haired man who sat beside the patient. "Souji! You really have to explain!"

"Oh sheesh, Girl, quiet down!" Yousuke came in right after Chie, messing his hair. He went to Souji's side and put a hand on the guy's shoulder. "She's sleeping, for Heaven's Sake! You're going to wake her up!"

Chie closed her mouth after Yousuke said it then looked at the face of her best friend again. She noticed all the gashes and bruises… and she couldn't help but to wonder what the heck had happened to her.

"I have called Kanji and the others too, however I'm unable to reach Teddie," Souji said slowly. He returned to see the sleeping manager. "They're going to be here soon. Maybe it'll be a little late for both Rise and Naoto though."

It was silence for a while. Chie stroked the black hair of her best friend, watching her closely with sisterly love. A sudden remembrance paused her movement. She bit her lips then turned to look at Souji.

"Souji, The Persona… that we felt earlier…"

The gray haired man nodded. He closed his eyes.

"Yes. It was probably hers."

All three of them drowned in their own thoughts right after the last statement. The only thing that they heard was Yukiko's breathing and the ticking sound of the clock. It was agitating… None of them knew how their closest friend could get wounded like this…

"… Souji…kun…"

Everyone quickly looked at Yukiko, especially Chie. She had opened her eyes, dark and… fragile. She looked broken, in more than a way…

"Yukiko! Are you…"

"… Am I… Am I…" Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. "Am I… still pure…?"

The last statement froze everyone in the room.

What she told them later would be the last thing they thought could've happened.

XxX

"I'LL BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM!!!"

"CHIE!"

Yousuke darted off to catch up to Chie who had slammed the door shut. Kanji looked questioningly at Souji who stayed silent, holding Yukiko's left hand in his chest. He wouldn't answer anything. He didn't even seem to know that Chie had ran out of the room in frustration. He was completely frozen and rigid, still trying to comprehend what she had just said. Groaning, Kanji finally left the room. They would need the time for themselves. And anyway… Chie… Chie wasn't very good with anger management.

He found Yousuke outside, catching Chie in her arms. Ignoring her angry groan, he pushed her back to the wall, holding her in place.

"Get off me, Idiot!!!" Chie struggled in her frustration. Her best friend… her Yukiko… How could someone do something so immoral to her Yukiko?! "I'm going to beat that asshole! I'm going to pay him back… for what he did… to Yukiko!!!!!"

"Calm down, Dammit!" Yousuke shook the girl hard. "I said, calm down!"

"How could I calm down?!" Chie managed to the snapped Yousuke's hand away from her. She stood straight in front of Yousuke. "That jerk… That jerk had… had…"

The words wouldn't come out. Instead, tears suddenly trickled down her face. She cried, covering her face with both of her hands. Yukiko… had gone through such things… and she wasn't even there when it happened… How…

Yousuke watched her cried than finally spread his arms and hugged her. It was not only her who questioned everything. It was not only her…

"Kanji-kun!"

Kanji turned just to see both Rise and Naoto came to him. They both panted when they arrived, it was clear that they ran from the station to the hospital. Both were out of town but rushed here nevertheless--abandoning whatever work they had at the moment. Rise caught her breath and said, "Sorry we're late… We… we met on… the train… … The train… our train had… trouble…"

"Anyway…" Naoto looked past Kanji to see Yousuke and Chie then looked at Kanji worriedly. "We didn't hear the exact detail but… what… had happened?"

Kanji didn't know if he was the right person to tell them. In fact, he didn't understand most of the story but he really felt like smashing the wall like Chie did—anyone who hurt his friend would have to face his fist. Although a little confused, he took a deep breath and told them what he understood.

XxX

"I… I couldn't believe it…"

Rise sank to the bench. Naoto chided, looking down to the floor.

"How could…"

"That was… despicable," said Naoto slowly. "It was definitely sexual harassment, even between fiancé. It can be brought to trial."

"We must, somehow!" Chie stood up. Her eyes flared in anger and she was definitely going to kill that man once she met him. "I wouldn't let the one who did this go untouched! Such thing… such disgraceful thing!! After literally forcing her to marry him, to he was trying to… to… AWRGH!"

"That damn guy need to feel Hell," Kanji put his fist on his palm. "I'll definitely SHOW him Hell!"

"We gotta bring him to the police!" said Rise fiercely. "We gotta bring him Justice!!"

"Please, consider that once more."

Everyone turned to look at an old man in expensive black suit standing a few meters away from them, accompanied by two bodyguards. He looked at them with regret in his eyes but he showed nothing else. Chie turned to see him—Yousuke clearly saw how her foot could suddenly flash and land on that guy's face. She took a heavy breath and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Yoshita Shoutarou, Kuroda-san's attendant," he took out a card and handed it to Yousuke. "I am here to… make this situation work out for both of our lines."

"Work out?!" Chie hissed dangerously. She took a step forward. "Work out like what?! Letting him go? Like hell we will!"

"This situation is very unfortunate, indeed," he nodded slowly. "But however, in behalf of my master, I must somehow fix this problem together for us. I am here merely to offer you a deal, which most likely will benefit both of us…"

"You're talking nonsense!" Rise stood up. "If you're here just to tell us to let it go, you're wrong, Old Man, we won't!"

"Believe me, please, my master had it rough just like her. He…"

"HELL YEAH WE BELIEVE THAT!" Kanji roared, flexing his knuckles. Both of the bodyguards stood in anticipation. "Just say shit, Man, but we won't believe that!"

"The offer that I'm going to tell all of you…"

"We've told you, Old Man, we—"

"If you want to make a deal, I suggest you to come back later."

Naoto's low and hard voice rose up. She stepped forward.

"Your deal, which is to lighten your master's punishment, will not work out this time around," she said firmly. "All of us are still agitated and shocked for what had just happened. I believe, even if you insist, we won't let you through this door. Anyway, Amagi Yukiko is unavailable at present. It is better for you to come back later for a better opportunity since there is a chance we will change our mind. However, I wish you to remember this whenever you come back to make a deal…"

Her hard dark eyes strengthened.

"We won't make it easy for your master after what he did."

Yoshita Shoutarou grimaced. He closed his eyes then heaved a deep breath.

"Very well, then," he said finally. He bowed down. "I will listen to your advice, Son. But please, think about this calmly. I believe we don't want anything bad happen to both of our precious person."

He bowed then walked away. Chie groaned in annoyance.

"Precious?! HECK YEAH! Our Yukiko has something that's waaaaaaaaay above your 'precious' Satoshi!"

"But Naoto's right," Yousuke put a hand on Chie's shoulder. He gave her a weak smile. "We don't have any right to decide what will happen to that man. Everything is Yukiko's choice."

Chie chided, clenching her fists. He then looked at everyone.

"Let's… just go inside already. We're doing no good wreaking havoc in this hospital corridor."

XxX

"What… did she say… Shoutarou?"

The voice of the man behind the curtain was low, weak, and cracked. Shoutarou closed his eyes and sighed.

"Your fiancé… sure have a lot of friends that protect her, Master. They won't even let me see her."

It was a while before his voice was heard again.

"… Friends… huh…?"

"Your friends… are all of them like Satonaka-san?"

For a while, her expression changed softer.

"None of them have anything in common… but they are those who will protect."

"I see…"

Shoutarou watched the white curtain then asked slowly.

"Master… what do you want to do now?"

There was no answer. His master was deep in his thought, contemplating things that had messed up his heart. Shoutarou took a deep breath.

"M-Master, I think…"

"I want… to meet her."

His servant looked at the white curtain again. His voice rose again.

"I want… to meet her once more… Shoutarou."

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To be continued

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Author's Note: Boooooorrrrriiiiiingggg (even I get bored) … the next will be the end.