Disclaimer: The creepy dude in my Fencing class can't fence, and won't leave me alone. Also, I don't own Persona. Because of that, I can't whip out my Evoker and make the aforementioned creepy dude shut up.
Chapter 9
June 23rd
"Remind me again why you dragged me to this dump." Naoto Shirogane grumbled under her breath, obviously not pleased by my choice in venue. "We have work to do. Why on Earth are we here?"
I smirked, looking around. The Junes Food Court was pretty much deserted. "Because I wanted to get out of that God forsaken house, and this is really the only place here that we could go to get food."
"You were out all yesterday!"
"I was doing fieldwork then, this is a break! Now, let's order!" I reached into my pocket, with the intention of bringing out my wallet, only to find air. "Um… Nao…"
Rolling her eyes, my sister gave me a small push. "Go find a table. I'll get us something…"
"Yay! Thank you!" Finding a table wasn't exactly that challenging, as almost no one was there currently. The only people I could see were the High School students we had under suspicion and an elderly cou- Wait just a second. I did a double take, and sure enough, the white haired boy and his friends that had been in the tofu shop yesterday, along with a few others. They were talking about something. Hesitantly, I crept towards them, praying I wouldn't trip over air or my own feet.
The boy who looked like he belonged in a biker gang said something that instantly caught my attention. "Murder, huh?" From there on, I could only catch snippets of what they were saying, as a family of four came in, toting two crying children.
"Anyone hate you…"
"…Always a slight chance… Common grudge…"
"Rise… …In danger!"
Without warning, the brunette boy stood up energetically. "Hell yeah! This time we'll catch him in the act!"
As that was said, the group of five left the area.
"Kasumi, what are you doing crouching behind a trashcan?" Naoto asked, an annoyed look in her gray eyes. "I thought you were finding us a table?"
"Ahaha, yeah, that I was. And there's one right here!" I slid into the table previously occupied by the teenagers. The blue haired girl followed me, putting down the two orders of steak she had been carrying.
"Okay, so why were you hiding behind a trash can?"
I sighed. "Remember those teens you thought might be our culprit?"
"Of course."
"They were just here. I couldn't hear much of what they were saying because of that 'big, happy family' over there, but one guy mentioned murder… and then someone else – what was his name? – said something about 'catching them in the act."
"Them?"
"I don't know who that could be… Maybe…"
"And what's this about murder? I don't see the culprit just casually throwing around murder plans in a place like this."
I nodded in agreement. "So… Maybe they aren't the killers, like I said!"
"It's too soon to make that assumption. Let's just wait until after everything with Rise calms down."
"You say that like you're sure Rise's going to be kidnapped…"
"I think it's inevitable at this point. Besides that, if she is, we can observe the behavior of those kids. It might tell us something."
"Ugh, suddenly I'm not hungry. All this talk of murder makes me sick." Clutching my stomach, – and hamming it up slightly – I shoved my steak away from my person.
"What? I paid for that!"
"Hmm? Oh, sorry. Surely it wasn't that expensive."
"…I hate you."
"You love me, Nao!"
Her gray eyes bore into my own for a moment before she cracked a small smile, whacking me over the head with her hat. "You're lucky you're my sister. Oh, I haven't told you something yet. I think I'm going to officially be signed on to this case with the Inaba Police Force."
"That so? Why?"
"Well, it's not official yet, but the Police haven't gotten much done, and my boss is losing patience."
"So the great Detective shall descend from on high to cast her righteous judgment upon the lowly Police Force and catch the murderer. Nice."
"Why do I put up with you?" Naoto stood up. "Come on, let's head back."
The walk back to Grandfather's house was spent mostly in silence, until…
"Oomph!" I ran into something hard, falling on my butt as a result.
"Oh crap! I'm sorry!"
Naoto helped me stand up; giving the man I had run into a strange look.
"No harm done… Oh! Hello, Sir Traffic Cop! And Sir… Suspicious- Looking Male Carrying a Camera!" The man was none other than the detective I had seen outside Rise's tofu shop, yet the Camera Man was unfamiliar to me. He had a desperate look in his eyes, like a cornered animal.
"Oh, it's you." Naoto muttered something under her breath that sounded like, 'You know this guy?'
"Yeah, It's me, the figment of your imagination! Um… Who's this?"
"This guy? He's none other than the one who's committed all the crimes around here- Um… I- I mean… Crap, I shouldn't have told you that. C-Can you possibly forget what I just said?"
I exchanged a glance with my sister. "Sure… Come on, Nao." We walked off, casting one last look over our shoulders at the strange man.
"He sure was friendly... And chatty... But still... There's no way he actually happened upon the culprit! There's no way!" I protested once we were out of earshot.
"I agree. That young man didn't look the part of a serial killer, either."
"Well, he did look like he'd been caught doing something wrong, but it didn't look like he was, ya know, a murderer…"
Naoto shook her head. "This is giving me a headache. That, and that Junes food didn't agree with my stomach at all. I blame you."
The hours flew past in a blur, and before I knew it, I was on the train headed towards Tatsumi Port Island. I peered out the window, wondering if I could get a glimpse of Inaba before it faded into the distance, but the pouring rain shrouded it from view. Groaning, I leaned back on the bench and reviewed what I knew of the case thus far.
1. The killer targets people who've been seen on TV.
2. There have been two murders and several attempts thus far.
3. The group consisting of Souji Seta and some of his friends always seem to show up at the crime scenes.
4. Rise Kujikawa went missing right before I left, even though that Detective claimed to have caught the culprit.
5. We have no idea who the real culprit could be, and the higher ups of the Police Force are getting impatient.
Well that's a lot to go on.
Add that to the fact that I was supposed to be helping rid the world of a bunch of demons that exist in a time that no one knows about with a power that involves shooting myself in the head, and you've got one stressed out Kasumi. I briefly reflected on what was more important to me - helping my sister with the case, or helping Mitsuru (who I barely know) slay demons. It seemed like the Demon slaying would be the obvious choice, as that had the possibility of affecting the world with Apathy Syndrome. But I also had a feeling of loyalty to Naoto, and I was of a lot more help in Inaba then I was in Iwatodai.
Gah! I was getting nowhere.
The train finally arrived at its destination late at night. My phone proclaimed the time to be ten o'clock.
"Hm… I'm starving… I'm sure it wouldn't kill me to stop by that ramen shop I've heard so much about."
Hagakure Ramen was pretty much empty when I arrived, apart from a kid in a Gekkoukan uniform and a tired looking businessman. I placed my order, sliding into an empty bench in the back of the shop. In a matter of minutes, a friendly waiter placed a steaming hot bowl of noodles in front of me. I nodded my thanks and dug in.
"Hi, how are you today? Just one?" Looking up with curiosity, I saw someone enter the shop. He was tall, wearing a crimson double-breasted jacket that fell to his knees, and mousy brown hair poked out from underneath a black beanie. His dark eyes swept through the room once before he took a seat on one of the stools.
There, I stopped paying attention. What some random guy did in a shop like this didn't concern me. That was, until Akihiko entered. The white haired boy I called 'senpai' sat down next to the strange guy.
"I'll have what he's having." He told the chef before turning back to the other. "…How can you eat the same thing all the time, without getting sick of it?"
"Shut up. You always eat that protein shit."
At this, Akihiko 'humphed,' obviously annoyed. They acted how I imagined two brothers or best guy friends would treat each other.
"…You still haven't made up your mind?" Senpai asked.
"…Is that what this is about?"
"We've got five new members. We're more aggressive now." Five new members…? Is he talking about SEES?
"I'm not interested."
"Think about it, Shinji. Don't let your power go to waste."
'Shinji' snorted. "My power ain't worth shit."
"Shinji!" Akihiko protested, his voice rising.
"I made up my mind a long time ago. I ain't goin' back."
Shaking his snowy head, the boy responded. "You have to let go of the past. What's done is done. It's time you moved on."
"Hmph… You should talk." Shinji said bitterly.
"What?"
The mysterious boy stood up. "Face it… You're no different than me." Having said that, he left the shop, leaving Akihiko in silence.
As usual, the television screen flickered to life before Souji's eyes, but this time, it was different. Instead of the blurry image, there was a vivid picture on the screen. It was pink. A lot of pink. The place looked like some sort of club, and in the center was a scantily clad Rise Kujikawa with glowing gold eyes.
"'Maru-Q! Push Risette!' Good evening, good evening! I'm Rise Kujikawa! This spring, one young girl levels up to become a high school idol… Yayyy! So today, I'm gonna celebrate by pushing the limits of Standards & Practices! Does everybody know what time it is? Showtime! Show what, huh? Hmhmhm… E-very-thing! Eee, how embarrassing! Is this too hot for TV! Well, if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing all the way! I'm gonna bare it all for you! Heehee! Stay tuned!" The screen faded to black, now only showing Souji's shocked face.
"Holy… Shit…"
As usual, Yosuke called soon after, and without a 'hello,' started talking. "Hey, d-did you see Risette on TV? I-Is she serious about baring it all? Is it just me or are these TV shows getting crazier and crazier?"
Somehow, you sound a little too excited, Yosuke.
"Let's just rescue her quickly."
"Y-Yeah, exactly. 'Cause I bet her Shadow self is gonna do whatever it wants again. But man… We couldn't prevent the kidnapping this time either… even when we knew who the target would be. That detective from this afternoon was no help at all. I guess we'll have to do everything ourselves… A-Anyways, see you tomorrow!"
The friends hung up, and Souji collapsed onto his futon.
I guess it's all up to us.
June 24th
Heading back to school was painfully difficult for me, especially after the horrible lecture Mitsuru had given me that morning about responsibility. It wasn't like I hadn't heard it all before. It was still moderately embarrassing, seeing as all of SEES was staring at me.
Yukari and Fuuka had given me sympathetic glances, and Junpei just laughed at my misfortune. Minato didn't say anything, as was the norm for him, while Akihiko seemed off in his own little world. I assumed it was because of what I had witnessed last night.
Anyway, back to the present, I was walking to Gekkoukan with Junpei and Minato, uncomfortable in the stiff uniform. As we reached the gates, the boy with the hat piped up.
"…Hey, is it just me, or has Yuka-tan been acting weird lately?"
I shrugged helplessly. I didn't know Yukari too well.
"Hm… Yeah…" The blue haired boy nodded.
"Oh, so you noticed it, too? She's been thinking too hard about Tartarus n' stuff. I mean, who cares, right?"
I gave the boy a shove. "You should care!"
"Whoa, Kasumi-chan! Since when have you acted seriously?"
"I'm always serious! I just don't… you know… show it. Besides that fact, Yukari's your friend, and she's stressed out. Doesn't that concern you in the least?"
"Um… No, not really."
"…"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't give me that ellipses, mister! I'm trying to have a civil discussion with you!"
"… You're annoying."
"Good. That means I'm doing my job properly!" That being said, I took off, abandoning my two guy friends.
Minato smirked as the violet haired girl disappeared, blending into the crowd.
She sure is… something.
Hours of interrogation of various citizens had left the younger Shirogane tired, and, if she was being honest, angry. Was there no one who could provide her with the information she needed?
"… Was no use at all…" The sound of something being grumbled under someone's breath attracted Naoto's attention. It was that boy, Souji Seta. He was leaving the gates of Yasogami High looking extremely annoyed. The hat-wearing detective deliberated, trying to decide if she should pursue the boy in secrecy, or speak to him flat out. She figured eventually that spying would only lead to more problems later, leaving her with only one other option. Well, two, technically, if she counted 'ignore the kid' as an option, which she didn't.
"Excuse me!" Naoto was shocked to hear an almost feminine pitch escape her mouth. I've been around Kasumi for far too long, if I'm letting myself slip out of my speech habits. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Excuse me."
"…Hm?" The white haired boy glanced over his shoulder to have his gray eyes meet orbs of a similar color. "I recognize you…" He turned the rest of his body. "You're that boy…"
Naoto only dipped her head in reply. "May I speak with you for a few moments? I promise not to take up too much of your precious time." She hadn't meant for there to be a sarcastic tone in her voice. Maybe it came back to her time with her sister, or perhaps she just didn't like the boy standing before you.
"Of course," He replied with a dip of his head, and then looked up, gray eyes gleaming. "As long as I'm not wasting any of yours. I'm sure you're very busy."
The detective smirked. "Of course not. It was I who invited you. I wouldn't do such if I found this endeavor to be a waste of my time."
"Of course you wouldn't. May I inquire as to why you requested an audience?" Giving credit where credit was due, Souji kept up with Naoto's banter easily. He was obviously intelligent.
"You may. I'm afraid the answer is not very grandiose."
"Grandiose or not, I would like to know the reasoning behind my being summoned by a stranger in the middle of the street."
"Fair enough. I wanted to know what you were muttering so darkly about as you exited your campus. Nothing troubling you?" Was the girl still treating him as a possible perpetrator? Despite Kasumi's adamant belief that the teen was innocent, – perhaps even a savior – there was still something not quite right, almost as if he was carrying a huge burden. Whether that burden was the guilt of murder, or the pressures of heroism… This little interrogation might shed light onto that subject.
"I was merely speaking to a boy who claimed to be Risette's biggest fan. I doubted his claim, and wanted to test him. As it turns out, he didn't know nearly as much as he was said to." Souji waved his hand flippantly.
"Ah, I see… So, because of his lack of knowledge, you proclaimed him to be 'no use?'" Naoto's gray eyes sparkled with the triumph only catching a loophole could bring. The white haired boy, in contrast, had a dark look on his face that clearly said, 'Damn you, and your stupid hat, too.'
"You wouldn't, out of curiosity, be investigating the case of Rise Kujikawa, would you?" She asked when Souji failed to respond.
The Yasogami student shut his eyes briefly. "Of course not. I was just hoping to get some information for an editorial, and he proved useless."
"So, why was it necessary to 'test' him, as you stated earlier?"
"To make sure he was reliable?"
Laughing, the detective started to walk away. "You don't sound to sure, yourself. Although impressive, I'd say your 'lying under pressure' skills need work."
Once Souji was out of view, the happiness Naoto felt faded slightly. As fun as that had been, it had given her no new information regarding the murders, and revealed very little about the possibility of the Seta boy as a suspect. It had also been moderately out of character for her. Something about that boy just brought out the more childish side of her that only a person like Kasumi could do.
"Ouch! Damn, Akihiko-senpai, what the Hell?" I clutched my swollen cheek with the hand that wasn't holding my sword. It was only my second expedition into the Tower, and already I had a bloody lip and several bruises. This current injury hadn't even come from a Shadow.
"He's charmed, Kasumi." Yukari explained, firing an arrow. "He's not in his right mind."
"Well, SOMEONE PUT HIM INTO HIS RIGHT MIND!"
The blue haired boy only smirked at me.
"What is so funny about this situation?" As I spoke, I parried a blow from a Lustful Snake.
"Nothing…"
"Then, stop smirking and start acting like a leader!"
"Whatever." The smile didn't leave Minato's face, but he did obediently pull out his Evoker. "Persona!" One of his many changing Personi – Personas? Personae? – blasted a Shadow back with a strong fire attack, but more kept coming.
Before I could raise my own gun-like object, I found myself once again in battle with a charmed Akihiko.
He punches hard…
It promised to be a long night.
~~Author's Note~~
What's this? Two days in one chapter? What's this world coming to?
I had a horrible case of Writer's Block with this chapter. But here it is, at 3:28 in the morning, finished. Sorry if it isn't up to snuff, but this chapter simply didn't want to be written. It's also relatively short. See my previous excuse as my reasoning.
Shinjiro! He made an appearance! Happiness!
I must apologize if Souji feels OOC, since this is the first time you really see him do much. But he is my emotionless, personality-less blob, and I can do with him as I will. Why? BECAUSE I HAVE THE PENCIL, THAT'S WHY. Naoto may also be out of character, but I do try. Lemme know whatcha think.
Kas's last day in Inaba may seem rushed, but… I have no excuse. Just… Writer's Block sucks.
I do have one question/request/thing to add. I might be putting it as a poll on my profile, but probably not as I'm lazy. When Minato does get around to establishing Kasumi's Social Link, (That WILL happen) what Arcana should she be? I've been batting around the idea of both 'World' and 'Fortune,' but I want to know your input, as well…
