Disclaimer: Oh yes, I totally own Persona. Yes, I also own Catherine and Devil Survivor! Hell, while you're at it, why not just say I own Atlus? Oh yeah, and I also definitely own Baccano, which I mention in this chapter.


Chapter 10

June 27th

"NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" I stubbornly clung to the dining table like a little kid to her parent's leg. My two guy friends – namely Minato and Junpei – looked on, their expressions varying from annoyed to amused.

"You have to go to school." The blue haired boy informed me in that apathetic way of his.

"Yeah, he's right. You don't wanna face Mitsuru-senpai's wrath, do you?"

I gulped nervously, but still hung onto the table. "It's worth it. It's been what? A week? I think I've had enough! No more school! Mercy! Mercy!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Junpei sharing an exasperated glance with the Arisato.

"Do ya think we should just leave her here?"

Looking thoughtful, Minato replied. "…We'd be blamed."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. C'mon, Kasumi-chan."

"I DUN WANNA!" Was my excessively loud response.

"We'll be late…" Minato added, as if that would be incentive enough to get me on my feet and out the door.

Growing bored of sitting on the ground, holding onto the leg of the table, I turned my head to ask, "What'll you give me if I go?"

"What'll we what? Are you kidding me?" Shocked, Junpei shook his capped head.

"Because I feel like a trip to the sweets shop."

"We don't have that kind off –"

"Fine." Minato interrupted.

Junpei looked like his wallet had just fallen to the ground in cardiac arrest. "Wha- Dude! We don't have that kind of cash!"

Ignoring the boy's protests, I stood up and dusted off my accursed skirt. "Excellent. We shall go after school! Now, ONWARD!"


Despite my antics that morning, we weren't the last ones to reach Gekkoukan High. We trailed in behind two gossiping girls.

"Hey, did you hear about those people who were found unconscious recently?" I heard one ask. Apparently, Minato heard it, too, because he cut off Junpei's story with a sharp "Shh…"

"I guess they were all in pairs." The girl continued.

"What, like they were attempting a double suicide?" The other asked casually. The first shrugged.

"I don't know, but if I could pass out with someone I liked, I wouldn't mind being unconscious!" She said in the typical response of any normal teenage girl. Her friend shook her head in exasperation.

"I would mind!"

After that, the girls disappeared into the ever-thinning crowd, and the blue haired boy turned to us.

"Apathy Syndrome."

Oh yeah, I remember that! That's the thing caused by Shadows eating people's souls or whatever! We went over that! It's the whole reason I joined SEES, but with all the murders going on in Inaba, it had been pushed to the back of my mind.

"This have something to do with the full moon coming up?" Junpei asked, almost out of character with his question.

"That's right! Mitsuru told me that whenever a full moon approaches, Apathy Syndrome gets really, really bad." I nodded. "But, why're they passing out in pairs, then?"

Minato shrugged. "Let's just wait and see."

I agreed before starting to walk to class. When we reached our classrooms, we departed, but not before I reminded them of our agreement.

"See ya after school! We have a sweets shop to go to!"

Fuuka let out a small noise of welcome as I slid into my chair next to her.

"Hey." I nodded.

"Running late?" She asked me, and I sighed.

"I don't wanna be here." That earned a small chuckle from the teal haired girl, and a light, sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

Class passed in a blur. I think I might've dosed off one or twice, but if I did, my sleep was dreamless, and before I knew it, the bell was ringing to signal the end of the day.

"YES!" I hopped from my chair. "It's sweet time, baby!"

My shy acquaintance looked confused, opening her mouth to ask a question. It was too late, however, as I was already out the door. I dashed down the hall, stopping in front of class 2-F to lean on the wall across from the door. Soon, my two money bags- I mean friends – emerged. Minato looked apathetic, as per norm, but Junpei wore a look of martyred endurance.

Minato couldn't understand why Junpei was whining so much. Sure, having to buy the hyperactive girl snacks was a bit of a chore, but it could've been a lot worse. Knowing Kasumi, she could have asked for something a lot more outrageous, or more expensive, if you considered it. Ramen, for example, would've been much more painful on their wallets.


Kasumi was waiting for them when they exited their classroom, arms crossed over her chest, and green eyes alight with excitement.

"Yay! Time for food!" She exclaimed as they started walking.

"You should watch what you eat." Junpei warned. "You'll end up getting fat."

Minato watched with amusement as Kas's eyes widened with horror. So she was a typical girl, after all, shallow enough to worry about things such as her weight and figure.

"I will hurt you, Iori." The girl snapped. "And don't think I don't see you smirking over there, Arisato." That only made the aforementioned Arisato's smirk grow. He reached down to grab his headphones and clipped them onto his ears.

"What're you listening to?" Kasumi's voice was almost drowned by the jazzy song playing, but he was able to read her lips. In answer, he held up his MP3 player.

"Dude! I love that anime!" The song was none other than the opening to Baccano, called 'Guns and Roses.'

"What anime?" Junpei, apparently, didn't recognize the title.

"Only the most confusing show ever created ever! The beginning is the end, the end is the beginning, and the middle was thrown into a blinder, but by the time you've finished it, it all makes sense!" That explanation just about sums it up. Minato thought wryly.

Calming down slightly, the purple haired girl concluded. "It's called Baccano. Watch it some time."

By this time, the group had made it out of the school gates, and was boarding the monorail, bound for Iwatodai Station. From there, they would walk to the Iwatodai Strip Mall. As the doors shut, Minato's MP3 switched to 'When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars.'

Kasumi and Minato took the only two remaining seats, leaving the poor Iori boy to stand.

"There aren't many sweet shops in my home town… And I never really had the money to afford going to this one." The elder Shirogane said suddenly, glancing out the window. "This'll be an interesting adventure, won't it?"

Sometimes I think she's bipolar. She can go from bouncing off the walls one second to being serious the next.

"Uh… Sure." Junpei said, also confused by the mood-swinging girl.

The monorail rolled to a stop outside their destination. Kasumi was the first out of her seat. "Let's go. Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

And so the moment of quiet, calm Kasumi Shirogane ended.


Inside the Sweet Shop was everything I expected and then some. Such delectable aromas surrounded the three of us in a cocoon of happiness. Well, me anyway. I don't imagine the guys had the same feeling about the smell of chocolate.

"Kasumi-chan, I think you're drooling…" Junpei joked, laughing when I immediately went to try and wipe nonexistent slobber off of my chin.

"Have I mentioned that I will hurt you?"

"You mighta brought it up once."

"Well, I wasn't kidding."

Minato just sighed. Oh, how does he put up with me? That, along with 'how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop™,' is the world's greatest mystery.

"What do you want?" He asked as we stood by the counter. So many sweets gazed up at me. There were slices of cakes that would give Junpei's wallet a heart attack, caramel apples, chocolate covered marshmallows… Oh god, the options were limitless. I had to consider this very carefully. I could not afford to make the wrong decision, because this situation may never arise again.

"Hmm…" That chocolate cake looks really good, but so does that… Agh! Screw it! Covered my eyes and pointed with one hand. When I looked, I saw my finger pointing to a large slab of chocolate fudge. "I'll take that amazing looking fudge, por favor."

Junpei sighed. From the looks of it, he had been expecting me to choose something extremely expensive. The fudge was only a few hundred yen – not a lot at all. The boy with the cap placed my order, purchasing a couple other snacks for Minato and himself, and we retreated to a table to enjoy.

The blue haired boy went to take a bite of his chocolate covered marshmallow when Junpei extended his hand.

"Hm…?"

"You owe me for half of Kasumi's food, and the cost of yours."

His gray eyes widened slightly.

"C'mon, man, I never agreed to buy you anything."

Reluctantly, the young Arisato coughed up his fair share.

"Okay, it's time to enjoy our extremely fattening delicacies! Though I was looking forward to devouring my food while you two looked on hungrily…" I lifted my large fudge square to my mouth, and was just about to sink my teeth into it…

When my phone rang.

I recognized the ringtone.

With a sigh, I put down my chocolate to reach into my messenger bag. Sure enough, the small display screen was flashing the words Naoto Shirogane. I groaned.

"Just a second, guys." Flipping the phone open, I inquired as to why was calling in my worst Italian accent. "Joe's Pizza, how can I help ya?"

"Kasumi, I know it's you." My sister's oddly masculine voice snapped.

"Touchy. Jeez, what's eating you?"

"Your inability to take anything seriously? Look, can I just cut to the chase?"

I leaned back in my chair, waving to my friends to go ahead and start eating. "Yes you may. What's up, Nao?"

"I thought I should inform you that Rise Kujikawa has been discovered, mere days after her kidnapping." At this, I perked up. "She claims she can't remember anything about her disappearance, but she also has an interesting story. You recall the group of teenagers we've been considering suspects?"

"You mean you've been considering. What about 'em?"

"Rise says they found her on the roof of Junes."

"Wait, really? Shouldn't that clear them of suspicion?"

Naoto sighed, sounding extremely stressed. "It would seem so. But to just happen upon a passed out pop idol on the roof of a department store? And without any kind of confrontation between a kidnapper?"

"Are the police buying her story?" I asked, forgetting I had an audience.

"They don't seem particularly suspicious. That brings me to another point. My higher ups have officially signed me onto the case. I'm on my way to meet the force now."

I let my head slump onto the table. My forehead narrowly missed the fudge. "Be careful, Nao."

"Don't worry about me." With that, she hung up.

"What was that about?" Minato asked, showing interest for maybe the first time in the time I've known him.

"Just family issues. Nothing to worry about.

Junpei seemed to buy it, but the blue haired boy seemed slightly suspicious.

"Would the police buy that story?" He arched an eyebrow – the only one I could see due to his bangs.

"Ummm…" Crap, they were listening to all of that. Way to go, Kasumi. Way to be smart. "J- just don't worry about it, okay. I'm just helping my si- brother figure something out." I still wasn't sure whether to call Naoto my sister or brother around others. "Look, thanks for the fudge. I'm gonna take it home with me and be off."


"Be careful, Nao." Kasumi's words still rung in her ears as she entered the police headquarters. Please. There's nothing to be worried about. The incognito girl made her way to the office of one of the higher ups. She hadn't bothered learning the name, simply following the finger of the secretary.

The door to the office was ajar, and she could hear voices from inside. Naoto may have been an Ace Detective, but she was also young, and, by definition, nosy. Before she entered, she crept closer, silently in order to listen in on the conversation.

"His name is Shirogane, Naoto." One masculine voice said. "He's solved a good number of cases."

"We don't need the help of the damn prefectural police!" Another snapped, sounding angry. "I know we haven't made much progress, but that doesn't mean we won't! We don't need them butting in on our business!"

"Whoa, Dojima-san! Calm down!" The third, almost familiar voice tried to quell 'Dojima's' anger.

"Do not tell me to calm down!"

"Detective Dojima!" The first barked. "This department has made absolutely no progress on the serial murder case since April! We should accept what help we can get!"

Naoto smirked. She figured now would be an opportune time to make her presence known. "Excuse me," She said, pushing open the door. "Pardon my intrusion, but the door was open."

"Who's this kid?" A man, who appeared to be in his early to mid thirties, erupted. He was the voice that had been addressed as 'Dojima.'

Being called a kid annoyed the girl to no end, but she kept her cool. "I beg your pardon. My name is Naoto Shirogane. I've been assigned to assist you on this case."

The youngest of the three men's eyes widened with absolute shock. The younger Shirogane could practically read his mind. She imagined his thoughts were something along the lines of "What? But this kid's gotta be in high school! He's the Ace Detective we're dealing with?"

"You appear shocked. I hope I will be able to prove my worth to you." Naoto turned to the older man at the desk. "As you know, I was sent here by the Prefectural Police as 'special investigational support.' It is my honor and pleasure to work with you all. Being an aid to you in this mystery is it's own reward. As long as I can be of assistance in this difficult case, I will not require any sort of prize." Naoto knew that would impress at least the elder man, and sure enough, his eyes lit up at the prospect of having an 'employee' that did not require pay. The young detective's statement only seemed to anger Dojima even more.

"We would be extremely grateful for your help, Detective Shirogane." The balding man extended his hand for a handshake, which Naoto obliged.

"There's no trouble in it at all. With the deductions I've already made, coupled with your help, I'm positive we will be able to crack this case and catch the killer."

At this, Detective Dojima stormed from the office, slamming the door behind him. The young male detective followed after him uncertainly with a cry of, "Dojima-san, wait!"

Naoto only smirked.


Dinner with Nanako was oddly quiet that evening, not that Souji was complaining. Everything hurt from his battle with Rise and Teddie's Shadows. Who knew that hollow little bear would have a hidden side like everyone else? The white haired boy also had a pounding headache from an overload of stage lights and pink walls. It was enough to insure Souji never stepped foot in another strip club as long as he lived. Not that all of them would be crawling with monsters, but still…

The sound of the door sliding open shocked the Seta boy out of his thoughts.

"He's back!" Nanako exclaimed, excited. Her excitement didn't last when there came a thunk and a string of curses.

"Whoa, there! Careful now, Dojima-san!" That was Adachi. Souji recognized the voice.

"Ow! Dammit, who put a shtep here?"

By the sound of it, he's drunk...

"That'd be the carpenters, Sir. C'mon, don't take your anger out on the house. That won't solve anything." With that, Adachi and Dojima appeared, the latter being supported by the former.

"Whooooo! I'm hoooome! Nanako, I'm baaaack!"

"W- welcome back." Nanako seemed nervous, and I didn't blame her.

Adachi sighed. "Oh, hi Nanako-chan. Sorry, but could you go get his futon ready? Phew! I think he had a little too much to drink… Haha." The young girl nodded and disappeared into Dojima's room.

"How else hic am I supposed to deal with this crap?" Souji's drunken uncle exclaimed. "Friggin' fancy talkin' kid… I've… I've been in this line'a work… since you were all learnin' your times tables!"

The other detective explained. "The prefectural police sent in special investigational support. 'Cause you know, we haven't really made any progress on the serial murders since they started in April… Haha. So this "special support" is supposedly a hotshot detective from a well-known private agency… But you should've seen the look on my face when I met him! He's only a kid your age! I hear he's a pretty sharp cookie, though."

Souji's mind instantly flew to the strange, hat-wearing boy he'd met several times previously. That kid always seemed involved in the murders.

Dojima hiccupped again. "Awww, he's a brat like any other. Ain't nothin' he can do to help. hic He goes on and on about deductions and… deductions… Heh.

Ace or no ace, the prefeckshure oughtta be more careful about giving us brats to babysit… Condes… Condescendin' bashtards… hic."

"The kid said, as long as he can be of assistance in solving a difficult case, he won't require a reward. Well, you can imagine the shine the higher-ups took to him after that. So we can't exactly turn him down…" Adachi added, which angered the already irate Dojima.

"Adachi!"

"Gah! Sorry! Me and my big mouth…"

"You run your jaw like this is all shome kinda joke… It's your fault to begin with, for jumping the gun and hauling in that Peeping Tom!"

Oh yeah… Him… Hehe… Souji rubbed the back of his neck nervously, remembering the guy they had believed to be the killer. They should have known better.

"And you!" The Seta boy jumped when his uncle rounded on him. "You'cn take your share of the blame, too… Always wandering around crime scenes whenever somethin' happens…"

Nanako came in just in time, though, saving the boy from a long lecture.

"His futon's ready."

The young detective helped his boss into his bedroom before exiting the house. Nanako turned to an exasperated Souji.

"Sure does stink like sake in here…"

"That it does… C'mon, let's get you up to bed."


~~Author's Note~~

Hehe… Drunken Dojima makes my spell check freak out.

Okay, yes, I know I haven't updated in quite a while. I'm sorry. Life has been determined to screw me over with schoolwork and crazy girls determined to embarrass me and ruin my social life. Fun times~! Gotta love High School drama~~

I had to resort to a time skip because I had no clue on how to start off this chapter. Because nothing happens. I mean, the first half of this is Minato/Junpei/Kasumi friendship filler. It seems all the important stuff will happen on the same day of both games, and then there are long gaps of nothing.

Kasumi: I feel like I wasn't in this chapter very much… You must not love me as your OC anymore…

The voting for Kasumi's Arcana is still open, so leave your opinion in a review.

I promise to get the next chapter out sooner.

P.S. DOUBLE DIGITS!

P.P.S I mentioned Baccano in this chapter. If you haven't seen it, you should go check it out. Be warned. It's bloody and violent…