7/1
Yui was walking to school, as always, when Chie and Yukiko caught up with her and walked alongside her.
"Ohayo." Yukiko greeted Yui.
"Ohayo, Yukiko." Yui replied.
"Good to see you two." Chie spoke up.
"Hm, you both seem to be really cheerful today. Did something happen?" Yukiko asked.
Yui and Chie looked at each other knowingly, but when they thought back to the previous night and felt themselves blushing, they tried to look somewhere else.
"Did you two go on a date again? But then, you would've told me about it, right Chie? Unless…" Yukiko thought aloud.
After a few moments of pondering, Yukiko came to a theory.
"Did...did you two kiss yesterday?" Yukiko asked.
Yui and Chie tried to remain calm, but were startled enough for Yukiko to notice.
"*gasp* Wait! Did I guess right?!" Yukiko said before bursting into laughter.
"Hey, keep it down!" Chie told Yukiko, her face turning a brighter pink.
"How'd you even pick up on that? You can barely pick up on when people try to ask you out." Yui asked Yukiko.
Yukiko collected herself before speaking again.
"Well, I guess there's only so many possibilities. That's really sweet though. I'm happy for you two!" Yukiko said with a sincere smile.
Yui and Chie laughed off their embarrassment and continued to walk.
At home, Yui got to work on an outline for a major art project. She had a feeling that it would take her a year at the very least, but she wanted to lay the foundation for now. After a few hours of drawing up rough drafts and testing out different colors, she came up with a satisfying concept.
7/2
Yui decided to pay Marie a visit in the Velvet Room, asking her if she wanted to go out again. This time, Marie asked to see the school Yui went to, so they made their way there, walking along the Samegawa River as they chatted.
"So, you go to school every day?" Marie asks.
"Pretty much. But we don't go on Sundays or on special occasions like holidays and summer break." Yui explained.
"Don't you get tired of it?"
"Sometimes, but there's some fun in it, so it's not all bad."
"Fun? Do they have TV there? Can you watch StarScandalz?"
"I doubt you'd be allowed to watch that even if there were a TV…"
At that moment, Yosuke came by and greeted the two.
"Yo, Yui! I thought you went home already?" Yosuke said to Yui.
"Just showing Marie around again. She wanted to see our school." Yui explained.
"Oh, really? What's so special about our school?"
"To Marie, I'm sure anything could be new and exciting."
Marie doesn't respond to this statement, except with a small huff.
"Well OK! Come with me. I'll show you around!" Yosuke says enthusiastically.
Yui, Yosuke and Marie walk around the school, showing Marie each floor and building, including their homeroom.
"It's a big place." Marie states.
"Well, if you count the fields and yards around the school, yeah I guess it's pretty big. What about where you are, Marie-chan?" Yosuke asks.
"It's tiny. It's only a single room." Marie says.
"Huh?! Only one room? What is it, some sort of advanced placement class?" Yosuke responds in shock.
"I don't know. It's small and dark. The Nose never says anything. Nobody says anything. It's so boring." Marie went on.
"The Nose? Is that a nickname for your teacher? Also isn't staying silent as a teacher neglecting your job?" Yosuke asked, still baffled.
"Still an easier explanation for her situation than reality. Man, how am I ever going to explain the truth to anyone?" Yui thought to herself.
"Hey, is there still more to see? I want to see the rest!" Marie asked eagerly as she walked off on her own.
Yosuke looked at Yui with bewilderment, to which Yui could only shrug.
"She's just as strange as she was last time…" Yosuke commented.
"You're telling me." Yui replied.
"But then again, pretty much everyone I've met has been weird in some way, so what's another?" Yosuke said with a chuckle.
Yui and Yosuke caught up with Marie and showed her to the rooftop, the only place left in the school to show her.
"This is where we hang out. Isn't it a great view? It's a nice place to spend your youth." Yosuke told Marie.
"Spend your youth? How does one spend their youth?" Marie asked.
Yosuke seemed caught off guard by this question, but made an honest attempt to answer.
"What like, examples? Um...like building friendships, sharing your concerns with each other, confiding in each other…" Yosuke listed.
"Kissing a cute girl?" Yui said jokingly.
Yosuke stifled a laugh at this comment.
"Yeah, it's kind of awkward to put into actual words…" Yosuke stated.
"Do Green and Red do that too?" Marie asked.
"Of course." Yui replies.
"Why do you need to spend your youth? Don't you have anything better to do?"
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't we? It's just...fun to do. Being with people who know the real you is nice. Helps me remember who I truly am and face the parts of myself I don't like." Yosuke explained.
Yosuke seemed rather embarrassed by how he was speaking, shifting his weight around.
"Argh! This is too embarrassing, forget what I said!" Yosuke blurted out.
"Aw come on, Yosuke! What, boys aren't allowed to be sentimental and vulnerable?" Yui said teasingly as she put an arm over Yosuke's shoulder.
"Stop it...I don't want to talk about this anymore." Yosuke said stoically.
"Well, thanks for showing Marie around, Yosuke. We have to get going. See you around!" Yui told Yosuke as she left with Marie.
The entire way back to the Velvet Room, Marie seemed to contemplate what Yosuke was saying about "knowing your true self".
7/3
Yui invited Kanji to lunch at Aiya's, to which Kanji agreed wholeheartedly. It was very sweet and heartwarming to hear Kanji refer to her as Senpai so often. After their quick meal, Yui asked Kanji if she could pay a visit to Tatsumi Textiles.
"Why though, senpai?" Kanji asked.
"I'm thinking of using some fabric for a future art project. And you know, maybe I just want to know what your home is like." Yui told Kanji.
"OK, but I'm warning you. There's nothing fun here." Kanji said with a smile.
"Not even your handcrafts?"
Kanji scoffs, but not enough to hide his appreciative grin.
"Hey Ma, I'm home!" Kanji calls out as he enters the door.
He receives no answer, which immediately concerns him.
"She's not here. What's she doing leaving the store open?" Kanji told Yui.
"Where do you think she could be?" Yui asked.
Just then, the owner of Aiya's ran up to the two of them, visibly panicked.
"Kan-chan! I found you! Your mother's in the hospital!" The man told Kanji.
"What?!" Kanji shouted, his eyes wide in terror.
"Which hospital is she at?" Yui asked.
"She's at Inaba Municipal Hospital! Hurry, Kan-chan!" The man answered.
"Yes, alright!" Kanji replied.
Yui and Kanji hurried straight to the hospital, hoping that Kanji's mother was alright.
When Yui and Kanji got to Inaba Municipal Hospital, they found Kanji's mother in the hallway, a young boy by her side.
"Ma! Are you alright? Who did this to you?!" Kanji asked his mom.
"I'm okay, Kanji. I wasn't taken to the hospital. I took this boy here." Kanji's mom stated, motioning to the boy.
"Huh?!"
"He was hit by a bicycle and hit his head. The doctor said he's alright, so thank goodness. That bicyclist was a boy from your school, it turns out. Why don't you find him and give him a good scolding?" Kanji's mom explained.
"Cut the crap, mom! Do you have any idea how I was feeling?" Kanji shouted.
"I'm not that old, Kanji. It'll take more than that to do me in. It's unlike you to get worried over such a little thing."
Kanji stormed off, leaving Yui unsure what to do or say.
"I'm happy to see that you're alright, Tatsumi-san. But Kanji really was worried when he heard about you. I'm going to go talk to him." Yui said to Kanji's mom.
Yui walked over to Kanji, who was sitting on a bench in a nearby hall.
"Hey, you alright?" Yui asked.
"Yeah. Looks like it was no big deal." Kanji muttered.
"That's good, of course."
"Sorry to drag you around like this…"
"Not at all."
"I'm...going home. Thanks for sticking around, senpai."
Kanji bolted away just as his mom approached Yui.
"I was going to go home with him. He didn't have to run off like that." Kanji's mom said quietly.
"He seemed uncomfortable here." Yui noted.
"Kanji hates hospitals, you see. My husband, his father, died here, and he happened to be somewhere else when his father collapsed."
"Then you really can't blame him for being so scared."
"I know. You're Kanji's friend, aren't you? I'm happy to hear he's been getting along with you." Kanji's mom said with a smile.
"His heart's in the right place. Ultimately, he's a good person." Yui stated.
"I'm glad to hear that. Take good care of him."
Yui said goodbye to Ms. Tatsumi and the boy before heading home.
7/4
Yui ran into Naoki after school and decided that today would be a good day to hang out with him. He reluctantly agreed, but told Yui that he had to help out at home first. Yui told Naoki she'd wait for him at Souzai Daigaku. When he arrived, they chatted over steak skewers.
"...and the teacher got mad at us, so he told us to close our eyes and scolded us. I don't know why we had to close our eyes, but OK. Then he started class and said, 'Alright, who wants to answer the question? Masaya! You answer!'" Naoki told Yui.
"What happened next?" Yui asked.
"Masaya said, 'I can't see the board with my eyes closed.' The teacher lost it after that, and class became a free period." Naoki said, a smile stretched across his face.
Yui laughed pretty hard at this, as she never had a teacher that gave up on their students like that.
"OK, I've got a story. This happened at my old school. I had this really irritating classmate who thought she was all that. Just generally unpleasant to anyone she didn't like. One day, she decided to pick a fight with me. I'm usually not confrontational, but I wasn't willing to let her boss me around that day. When she told me to 'straighten out', I told her to get off her throne for once. Then she asked me, 'you wanna screw with me?!', and my brilliant response was 'hm, the submissive type?'. We were both embarrassed by that." Yui told Naoki.
Naoki broke into uproarious laughter, and it greatly pleased Yui to see that he was having a good time.
"It feels like it's been a while since I laughed like that." Naoki stated.
At that moment, two housewives walked past them, gossiping not-so-discreetly.
"That's Konishi's kid, isn't it? Their daughter was killed..."
"Shouldn't he be sad? Then again, siblings close in age aren't very friendly with each other…"
As they walked away, Naoki's expression darkened, and Yui shared in his displeasure.
"Hey, Naoki-kun. Don't worry about them. Let gossipers be." Yui consoled Naoki.
"Yeah, you're right. Why should I care what random strangers think? Someone understands me, and that's enough." Naoki says with a gentle smile.
"You can come talk to me anytime if you're troubled. It's only fair that I act as your senpai."
"Okay then. Thank you...senpai. Hey, I need to get home."
"Of course. Stay safe, Naoki-kun."
7/5
Yui invited Chie to go training near the Samegawa riverbank, feeling that they hadn't done that in a while. The two of them sparred for some time, chatting away about how they had been spending their free time.
"There was this one movie I saw where a guy managed to kick a whole tree down!" Chie exclaimed.
"Hm...that's bordering a bit on exaggeration, I feel. It's cooler though, that's for sure." Yui replied.
Chie attempted to land a fierce kick on Yui's chest, but Yui managed to pull a reversal, grabbing Chie's leg and spinning around her to knock her off balance and push her to the ground. After recovering from the disorientation, Chie found herself lying on her back, looking up at Yui, who was giving her a playful glance.
"OK, I'll give you that one. That was pretty good." Chie said with red cheeks.
As Yui helped Chie to her feet, a familiar individual approached them.
"Chie?"
"Oh, hey Takeshi…" Chie greeted rather flatly.
"I wanted to apologize for running away that one time. So...yeah, sorry." Takeshi stated.
"Dude, that was a month ago." Yui said in an irritated manner.
"I know, but I'm doing it now. No need to be anal about it." Takeshi responded rudely.
"You're the one being anal, Takeshi. And don't talk to her like that!" Chie told Takeshi, her glare boring a hole in his face.
"Alright, alright! Don't lose your sunny attitude now. Without that, you've got nothing left."
"You need to shut up, right now. That's no way to talk to an old classmate." Yui growled.
Takeshi rubbed the back of his head, hopefully having gotten the message.
"I saw you hanging out with Yukiko-san the other day. She had this weird laugh." Takeshi said in an attempt to change the subject.
"That's just how she laughs normally." Chie explained.
"Huh. Guess you've rubbed off on her. I liked her better when she was gloomy."
Chie furrowed her brow and glanced at the ground for a moment before addressing Takeshi again.
"Takeshi, you need to leave. Now." Chie stated firmly.
"Huh?!"
"If you get into trouble again, I'll come help. But it better not come to that…"
"Uh...OK. Thanks…"
Takeshi walked away after that, allowing Chie to sit down on the grass and breath a sigh of relief. Yui sat down beside her and intertwined her fingers with Chie's.
"Hey, good job telling him off. I'm sure it wasn't easy keeping your temper in check." Yui told Chie.
"I was this close to kicking him in the nuts, you have no idea."
"I believe you. Does this mean you're not friends anymore?"
"Fuck no. I'm not sure we ever really were."
Yui snickered a bit at Chie's vulgarity.
"You want to talk about something else?" Yui asked.
"I have this one story about how I first met Yukiko." Chie replied.
"Ooh, what was that like?"
"When we were kids, I found her sitting on the side of the road, holding a puppy. When I asked her what she was doing, she told me she ran away from home. Turns out, the puppy was a stray, and Yukiko wanted to keep him, but her family didn't allow pets at the inn and told her she'd have to get rid of it. She looked so miserable, so I did everything I could to make her laugh. That's how we ended up becoming friends." Chie went on, finding joy in recollecting her memory.
"What happened to the dog?" Yui asked.
"You wanna see?"
Chie took out her phone and opened up a picture to show to Yui. It was a picture of Chie holding the dog, who had grown considerably and was now quite girthy, but happy nonetheless.
"He looks like the sweetest thing." Yui said with a smile.
"Yep. He's fat, and he smells, but he's the cutest dog." Chie beamed.
As Chie put her phone away, Yui looked around and admired the beautiful and sunny day.
"I realized something. This is the exact spot where we kissed that one night." Yui stated.
"Oh, it is?" Chie asked, her face becoming flushed.
"Sure is. Is it safe to assume that was your first?"
"Y-yeah, it was. Why?"
"Same here. How do I say this? I was...surprised by how good you were at it." Yui admitted, her blush matching the same shade as Chie's.
"Oh, that? That was just—I mean, I was just doing what felt natural! When you're kissing a pretty girl, you don't stop at just one, right?" Chie responded, her mouth creasing into an embarrassed smile.
"Hey, that's true. If I'd known we were going to kiss that night, I would have worn my mango lip gloss."
"Mango lip gloss?! You tease! That's like the most romantic thing ever!"
"I don't...actually have it on me right now." Yui confessed.
"Ugh, of course you don't. That would've been too perfect." Chie said in disappointment.
"We could still...do it, if you want…" Yui said quietly, cupping her face.
"Hm? You mean, kiss? Yeah, sure! As long as nobody sees us…" Chie said enthusiastically.
With that invitation, Yui turned to face Chie, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her in for a kiss. Yui and Chie giggled in between their kisses, becoming fully smitten with each other.
"Onee-chan?"
Yui and Chie gasped loudly when they heard the voice, instantly separating and turning to look at its owner.
"Nanako-chan?!" Chie shrieked in surprise.
"Oh god, oh god, how long has she been standing there?!" Yui panicked.
"N-Nanako-chan? What are you doing here?" Yui asked Nanako, trying and failing to maintain her composure.
"I just came back from my friend's house. What were you and Chie-chan doing?" Nanako asked with a curious look.
"Nothing, nothing! It's nothing a kid needs to know about!" Chie frantically answered.
Nanako tilted her head in confusion, and Yui started feeling guilty at the whole situation. After thinking it over and taking a deep breath, Yui made a decision.
"Nanako-chan, come sit with us for a bit." Yui told Nanako.
"OK!" Nanako said cheerfully, seating herself right beside Yui.
Yui looked at Chie for reassurance, and Chie reluctantly nodded. Yui took another breath before speaking.
"You know how when a boy likes a girl, he takes her to places and does nice things for her?" Yui told Nanako.
"Yeah. There's this one boy my friend likes." Nanako claimed.
"Well...it's the same for me and Chie-chan. I...I like her." Yui stated, taking Chie's hand.
"Hm? But...you're both girls." Nanako pointed out.
"Yeah, but that doesn't really matter. If you like someone a lot, you don't care about small things like that. You're happy just being with them." Chie replied.
"So...even though you're both girls, you can still like each other?" Nanako asked.
"Yes." Yui said firmly.
"Oh, OK. I hope you and Chie-chan are happy together, onee-chan!" Nanako said cheerfully.
"You should go home, Nanako-chan. I'll see you there." Yui urged Nanako.
"Bye-bye, Chie-chan! Bye onee-chan!"
After Nanako left, Yui breathed a contented sigh.
"I've never...come out to a kid before." Chie stated.
"*chuckle* Me neither, and certainly not to a family member. I always thought my parents would be the first to know." Yui responded.
"Let's...be a bit more careful next time." Chie said with pink cheeks.
"That's a good idea." Yui replied.
Yui moved to stand back up, but was pulled back down by Chie.
"What is it?" Yui asked.
"...I never said I was done…" Chie said mischievously.
"My, how...bold." Yui whispered, her face reddening.
Chie proceeded to tackle Yui, practically smothering her girlfriend in kisses. They eventually stopped while they were ahead and promised to meet again soon.
7/10
When Yui woke up in the morning, she began working on some sketches for future art projects. Her thought process was halted when she heard the blaring of police sirens. She was immediately concerned that something had happened, and her fears were exacerbated when she received a call from Chie.
"Hello?" Yui said as she picked up.
"Yui! Come meet us at Aiya's! They found a body!" Chie told Yui in a panic.
"Yeah! I'll be right over!"
When Yui arrived at Aiya's, Chie, Yukiko and Kanji were all present, waiting in a small corner of the diner. Shortly afterwards, Yosuke came in, relaying the terrible news to the others. The police had found the body hanging upside down from the railing of an apartment roof, just like how Yamano and Konishi were positioned when they were found dead. But most alarming of all was the fact that the victim this time around was Mr. Morooka, the homeroom teacher of Yui's classroom.
"Dammit! This blows our theory about the victims being on TV to pieces!" Kanji said in frustration, banging his fist on the table.
"He's never appeared on the news, and he never showed up on the Midnight Channel either." Yukiko pointed out.
"Maybe it was all just a big coincidence. The Midnight Channel might not even be related to the murders…" Chie muttered.
"No, it has to be related…" Yui pondered.
"If it's related, then why is King Moron dead?!" Yosuke asked Yui.
"How am I supposed to know?" Yui calmly replied.
"We might be in over our heads with this. If the cops couldn't catch this guy, why did we think we could?" Yosuke sighed.
"Hey, what are you talking about?" Kanji asked Yosuke.
"Huh?"
"Wasn't it you who said we were the only ones who could do it because the cops couldn't? So are you giving up now?"
Yui understood the message Kanji was saying and chose to step up.
"Kanji's right, everyone. The killer eludes us still, but we've come this far. Even if we can't see the end, it's still there, and the only thing you can do is persevere." Yui said to her friends.
Yui pointed at a menu item behind the counter: the legendary Mega Beef Bowl.
"It's just like the Mega Beef Bowl. It's daunting, intimidating, seemingly impossible. But no matter how you feel about it, there is a bottom to that bowl, and the only way to reach it is to eat through. Every last slice of meat."
Yui immediately stopped talking and stared at the floor in embarrassment.
"That was a really silly analogy, why did I make that comparison…" Yui mumbled.
"No, it was good. We get it." Chie said reassuringly.
"So, what do we do now?" Yosuke asked.
"If King Moron was put into the TV, Teddie should know something about it, right?" Chie stated.
"Then let's go see him." Yui concurred.
Everyone arrived at the electronics section of Junes and took notice of something unusual. There were more Junes employees walking around than they typically saw. Yosuke took the initiative to approach them and ask what was going on.
"Oh, Yosuke! Perfect timing for you to be here. Did the manager tell you anything about a new mascot?" A male employee asked Yosuke.
"New mascot?" Yosuke replied curiously.
"He said his name was Terry. Or was it Eddie?" A female employee explained.
"Don't tell me…" Yosuke muttered.
Everyone else looked around the store before Chie called out to the others.
"Look! It's him! He's actually here!" Chie exclaimed.
To everyone's surprise, they saw Teddie casually leaning back on a massage chair, trying out its massage function.
"Sugoi! This really hits the spot!" Teddie cheered, his voice vibrating as a result of the chair.
"What are you doing here?!" Yosuke asked Teddie.
"At least he looks comfy." Yui quipped.
"It's about time you guys showed up. I've been waiting for you all!" Teddie told them.
"So you can just...leave the TV world?" Yukiko asked.
"Yeah, it just never crossed my mind to do it before. But after spending time with you all, I wanted to come visit you in your world. When I got here, somebody asked my name, so I told them 'I'm Teddie'" Teddie explained.
Yui asked Teddie to come with the group to the food court, in order to get some helpful information.
"Hey, we meant to ask you something. Did you see anyone enter the TV world?" Yukiko asked, remembering the reason for coming here.
"No, nobody came. I stayed there until the fog settled in as well."
"Are you sure?! You didn't see a single person?" Yosuke pushed further.
"I'm positive!"
"I mean, the Midnight Channel didn't show anything last night. Maybe King Moron really never went into the TV world." Chie thought aloud.
"What in the world is going on?" Yosuke grumbled.
"There's only one conclusion I can think of. The killer must have killed him in our world, not the TV world." Yui stated.
"That must be it. He must have done that because throwing people into the TV world stopped working." Yukiko agreed.
"It's possible. We did save three people in a row from dying." Chie pointed out.
"But if that's true, then we have no way of preventing the murders unless we catch the killer. Dammit!" Kanji said angrily.
Teddie began shifting his body with discomfort, his breathing becoming heavy.
"Ahh...it's so hot out here! I'm gonna take this thing off." Teddie stated, fiddling with the zipper on the back of his neck.
"Hey, wait! Don't do that! There are kids watching! If they see a hollow mascot costume walking around, they're gonna be scarred for life!" Yosuke urged Teddie.
"I can't take it! Off it goes!" Teddie shrieked, unzipping the zipper and removing his head.
What the others saw next took them by complete surprise. Underneath the costume, they saw that Teddie had grown a human-like body with blonde hair and a thin physique.
"Ahhhhh! That's much better!" Teddie sighed in relief.
"When did this happen?!" Yui exclaimed.
"I grew a human body so I could score with Chie-chan and Yuki-chan!" Teddie said nonchalantly.
"Teddie, let me make something clear. You are never going to score with me! OK? I'm taken!" Chie shouted in frustration.
"I really wish you'd drop that already…" Yukiko muttered.
"Wait, you're dating someone, Chie? Since when?" Yosuke asked.
"None of your business, and also not the most pressing matter right now." Yui quickly stated, covering for Chie.
"Oh yeah. Do you have any clothes around here? I'm naked as a newborn baby right now…" Teddie said sheepishly.
Chie and Yukiko shrieked in horror at this statement, causing Yui to stand up and tell Teddie to come along and buy some clothes for himself.
"Don't take the bottom part off, OK?!" Chie told Teddie as she and the rest of the girls escorted Teddie to the clothing section of Junes.
"Just what kind of bear is he?" Yosuke asked himself as he watched the others walk away.
Yui, Chie and Yukiko browsed the men's clothing section of Junes for a suitable outfit for Teddie to wear. This was made far more difficult than it needed to be by Teddie's enthusiasm and excitement of the human world, and the girls had to constantly force Teddie away from the lingerie section and back into the dressing room. Teddie was also indecisive about the clothes he wanted to wear, as he seemed to enjoy any and all outfits the girls chose for him, but not enough to stick with them for long.
"How about this one, Teddie?" Yui asked Teddie, showing him a casual shirt and pants pairing.
"I don't know. It just doesn't feel like me. I want something that tells the world, 'I'm Teddie! Notice me!'" Teddie stated.
"The whole point of this is to get you to wear something. Why can't you just decide?" Yui said in irritation.
"What about this one?" Yukiko spoke up.
Yukiko held up an extremely fancy looking dress shirt and pants, combined with a decorative red rose pinned to the front.
"Ooooh! That one! That one!" Teddie exclaimed, his face beaming with joy.
"Seriously, Teddie? That's the most expensive thing here!" Yui complained.
"Oof, yeah. I know, I'll just put it on Yosuke's account." Chie stated.
"Wait, what the hell, Chie? No!" Yui protested.
"What? It's fine. He's got more money than us." Chie said as an excuse.
"He just bought a scooter not that long ago! Buying that outfit with his money will put him in debt! Let me buy it!"
"No, Yui! You don't have to do that! He won't mind that much, I'm sure."
"Bullshit, he won't! Chie, I can cover it just this once, trust me!"
"Yui, Chie, why don't we just buy something else?" Yukiko suggested, attempting to get the two of them to stop arguing.
"No, please! That one is the perfect one for me!" Teddie pleaded.
"You're unbelievable, both you and Chie." Yui said in exasperation.
Yui took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Chie, let me put it this way. Would you charge this to my account, without asking me first?" Yui asked Chie.
"...No…" Chie said quietly.
"Then you really shouldn't do that to Yosuke, someone who'd have a lot less patience for that." Yui stated, putting her hand on Chie's shoulder.
"You're right. I'm really sorry." Chie muttered.
"Hey, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. This is going to hurt me quite a bit, but I can handle it…"
Yui went to buy the outfit, and when she gave it to Teddie, she looked him straight in the eyes and said very sternly:
"You better take extremely good care of that, Teddie…"
Yosuke and Kanji stood in front of Marukyu Tofu, waiting to see how Rise was doing.
"Dude, how many Topsicles have you eaten already?" Yosuke asked Kanji.
"It's the perfect weather to eat Topsicles. I'm not gonna eat just one!"Kanji said with a grin.
Teddie ran up to Yosuke and Kanji to show off his new outfit, with the girls following close behind.
"Bonjour, monsieur! How do I look?" Teddie asked in a very poor French accent.
"Let's not encourage him. If you're going to stick around in the human world, you have to control your impulses, OK Teddie?" Chie told Teddie.
"I can't help it. It's my first time getting to see this world." Teddie stated.
"We understand. It's not like we don't want you here." Yukiko said with a nod.
"You're welcome with us anytime, Teddie. Hey Kanji, here's some money. Go buy some more ice cream and share it with Teddie." Yosuke said as he gave Kanji some yen.
"Sure thing. Come on, little guy." Kanji said, gesturing to Teddie.
"Ice cream! Oh, Sensei! Before I forget! Give these glasses to Rise-chan for me!" Teddie told Yui as he handed her a pair of pink glasses.
"I will. Thank you." Yui stated.
As Kanji and Teddie walked away, a familiar boy wearing a blur hat walked out of the tofu shop.
"I had a feeling you'd come here." The boy stated.
"Oh! It's you again!" Yukiko exclaimed.
"Here to win over Rise Kujikawa, are you?" The boy proclaimed.
Yui said nothing in response to this statement, allowing the boy to speak further.
"I don't believe I've properly introduced myself yet. I'm Naoto Shirogane. I'm a detective investigating the murders that have occurred here."
"You're a detective?" Yui said in surprise.
"Indeed. Actually, I'd like to ask you about something."
"What is it?" Yosuke asked.
"The latest victim in this case was a man named Kinshiro Morooka. I understand that he was a teacher at your school." Naoto explained.
"Yeah, what about it?" Chie replied.
"The previous victim, Saki Konishi, also attended your school. However, the media is too focused on that aspect. There is something more pressing to consider."
"Like what? Just say it already!" Yosuke urged Naoto.
"Your teacher was never on television before he died. Interesting, is it not?" Naoto stated, tipping his hat thoughtfully.
"He's on the same track we are. Clever. But we can't let him know that." Yui thought to herself, carefully considering her response.
"No, not really." Yui feigned.
"Very well. I'd like to solve this case as quickly as possible. I'll be keeping an eye on you until then. See you."
With that, Naoto walked away, leaving the others concerned.
"I feel like he saw right through us." Chie stated.
"He's good. But don't forget, it's still up to us." Yui said reassuringly.
When Rise walked out of the tofu shop, she requested everyone to walk with her to the Tatsuhime Shrine so that they could speak more privately.
"Sorry to bring you all the way out here. I just don't want my grandma to worry about me." Rise said apologetically.
"Are you feeling better yet, Rise-chan?" Yui asked.
"I am. Thank you." Rise stated with a gentle smile.
"So you have no idea who threw you into the TV world?" Yosuke asked with disappointment.
"No. I'm sorry. But...thank you for everything. I owe you my life." Rise told everyone, putting on a bright expression.
Everyone seemed to immediately cheer up, as if it were some magical influence an idol had on others.
"Welcome to the team." Yui said, handing Rise the pair of glasses from Teddie.
"Arigato! I'm one of you guys now!" Rise said enthusiastically.
"Man, I'm actually friends with Risette! This is awesome!" Yosuke cheered.
Chie breathed a sigh and shook her head, but her smile still remained.
7/11
The next day at school, students were buzzing with gossip and discussion, primarily talking about the late Mr. Morooka and rumors of Rise transferring to the school. As Morooka was naturally unable to teach anymore, they were to receive a new homeroom teacher to take his place. Yosuke told Yui that it was unlikely they'd get a teacher worse than King Moron, but this was proven quite wrong when the replacement teacher came into the classroom. The teacher's name was Noriko Kashiwagi, a woman with light-brown hair, brown eyes and red lipstick, wearing a dark purple skirt and a pink shirt that she had purposely unbuttoned enough to show off her cleavage.
"Good morning! I'm Noriko Kashiwagi, and I'm going to be your homeroom teacher from now on!" Kashiwagi said to the students in an overly flirtatious manner.
"Oh god no. She's one of THOSE people!" Yui thought to herself, a sense of sickened dread roiling in her body.
The other students all had equally flustered expressions, especially the male students who were undoubtedly drawn in by Kashiwagi's whims.
"Just a gentle reminder that finals are next week. Don't let my presence distract you, m'kay?" Kashiwagi stated with a wink.
"From King Moron to Kashiwagi?! This sucks!" Yosuke groaned, but not loud enough for the teacher to hear.
"By the way, that idol in the first-year class. Kujikawa, was it? I wouldn't get your hopes up. She's nothing at all like she is on TV. Just a piece of inexperienced jailbait!" Kashiwagi suddenly said, her voice instantly turning venomous.
"Going after Rise now? To hell with this woman…" Yui cursed in her mind.
"Man, I forgot about finals next week. I barely studied for those…" Yosuke complained to Yui, Chie and Yukiko as they walked out of the school.
"No avoiding them, of course. We just have to do our best." Yui said as a matter of fact.
Just then, a creepy boy came up to the group, a face that they almost immediately recognized.
"Yukiko…" The boy mumbled.
"You again?!" Chie said angrily.
"That boy that came up to Yukiko in April! What's he doing here again?" Yui thought to herself.
"Come on Yukiko. Come with me. Come to my world!" The boy eerily asked, going so far as to reach out and grab Yukiko's arm.
Chie instantly rushed up and tore away the boy's grip on Yukiko.
"Hey! Back off, creep!" Chie shouted.
"No! You back off!" The boy shouted back.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" Yukiko asked, feigning ignorance and agitating the boy further.
"Is this a joke? Are you messing with me?!" The boy growled.
"Who the hell are you?" Kanji asked the boy, having caught up with the others and noticing the commotion.
The boy immediately became intimidated by Kanji's presence and slowly started to back away.
"What do you want with Yukiko?" Kanji asked with a fiery glare.
"Idiots! You'll regret this!" The boy yelled as he ran away.
"What's his problem?" Kanji asked.
"Never mind, Kanji. Just another creep." Yui told him.
Rise was invited to hang out at the Junes food court by Yui and company, and while the intention was to buy drinks and chat about finals, it led to discussion about the investigation.
"It's nice I was able to make friends so quickly at school." Rise stated.
"If only we could have met under better circumstances." Chie said sadly.
"What do you guys think about King Moron?" Yosuke brought up.
"I really do wonder why he was targeted." Yukiko stated.
"I hope it wasn't personal, 'cause way too many people have a vendetta against that guy." Kanji thought aloud.
"You told me that people who become famous on TV are the ones targeted right? If that's the case, it strikes me as someone who doesn't know the victims personally, so I wouldn't go looking for a motive." Rise said with insight.
"Hey, that's right. Though it doesn't make things easier." Yui concurred.
"Two dead people from our school. That's gonna set off all the alarm bells for the police. They're probably gonna search the school from top to bottom." Kanji stated.
"Can I confess something to you guys?" Yosuke asked.
"Sure. What is it, Yosuke?" Yui asked.
"Deep down, I thought maybe King Moron was the killer. With the kind of shit I've heard him say, I wouldn't put it past him. But now that this happened, I feel bad doubting him like that. He was an asshole, with a capital A, but he doesn't deserve to be killed because of that." Yosuke stated, a gloomy expression plastered on his face.
"We'll find the killer. Do it for everyone. Even King Moron! We should split up and-" Chie said with determination.
"That won't be necessary." A voice declared.
Everyone turned to see who it was, and were surprised to see the boy detective standing at their table.
"Naoto. What are you doing here?" Yui asked.
"I thought you might like to know that there is no need to examine the Morooka case any further." Naoto stated.
"Huh? Why's that?" Chie asked.
"The police have already found a suspect. As such, it would be best to let them handle the case from here on." Naoto explained.
"How do you know that?" Yosuke asked.
"I'm on the case as a special investigator, by request of the prefectural police." Naoto said further.
"So the police found a suspect? Who was it?" Chie inquired.
"I have not been informed of his name, but he is a high-school student. Not from your school, I might add. You can expect him to be convicted, and your town to return to its peaceful self."
"Why are you telling us this? Isn't that confidential information?" Yosuke asked in confusion.
"Because soon your 'game' will be at its end. I felt that you should at least know that."
"It's not a game to us." Yui said firmly.
"Oh, so you admit you have involved yourselves?" Naoto asked.
"To the police, it's a murder case out of thousands in the world. It was more than that for us. That's all I'll say." Yui stated with iron resolve.
"Well, no matter. I have nothing more to say." Naoto said as he tipped down his hat.
"You know, one of the victims meant a lot to me. I'd never treat this like a game." Yosuke told Naoto with a serious gaze.
"A game...I wonder if I'm the one treating this as a game…"
"Huh? Wait…I think I know what's going on here!" Yosuke said in amusement.
"Yosuke, what are you talking about?" Yui asked.
"You came here because they got rid of you, didn't you? Don't need you anymore now that they have their guy?" Yosuke teased.
"Detectives usually aren't involved with arrests. And we never harbor any special emotions regarding a case either. Though yes, it is unfortunate that people are only attentive as long as our services are needed." Naoto responded calmly.
Naoto briefly looked away before addressing the group one last time.
"I must be going now. Goodbye."
As Naoto walked away, everyone else sat around thinking over what he had told them.
"If the police have a suspect now, does that mean this will be over soon?" Chie asked.
"We won't know for the time being. But stay alert until then." Yui replied.
7/13
Yui invited Yukiko to pray at the Tatsuhime Shrine for a bit, and they spent some time afterwards talking about their personal lives.
"You should come visit the inn sometime, Yui-chan. We'll make sure you have the best time there!" Yukiko told Yui.
"If it were anyone else, it might sound like a sales pitch. But with you, it's the most sincere invitation there can be. I'll bring Chie along as well. Why not?" Yui said with a smile.
"Yes, please do!" Yukiko said with a nod and a smile.
Just then, a middle aged man with a brown suit came up to Yukiko.
"Yuki-chan!" The man greeted.
"Oh! Mr. Mayor! Hello!" Yukiko said in surprise.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor." Yui greeted.
"The inn seemed very busy. Do you know the occasion?" The mayor asked Yukiko.
"Oh no! I forgot! Today's the interview for the travel show!" Yukiko exclaimed.
"Ah, I see! You'll make Inaba inviting, won't you? I must be going now. Make us proud, Yuki-chan!" The mayor said cheerfully as he walked away.
"Sorry, Yui-chan. I have to go home now." Yukiko apologized.
"It's OK. This is important. Take care of yourself, OK?" Yui told Yukiko.
"Yuki-chan!" A woman called out.
"Kasai-san? What's wrong?" Yukiko asked as Kasai ran up to her.
"Don't go to the inn! It's those men from the 'news of the weird' show! They tricked us! They might be looking for you, so stay put!" Kasai warned Yukiko.
"Huh? OK, but-" Yukiko began to say.
"No use in hiding, future manager." A reporter states as he approaches the group.
"Oh no, they found us!" Yui thought as her nervousness turned to dread.
"You know, I've been thinking. The inn has been hurting since the murder, what with the decrease in visitors. So, I came up with an idea. How's this sound? 'The High School Manager's Embarrassing Struggle: Renovating the Cursed Inn!' Customers will start pouring in!" The reporter went on.
"I don't understand what you're on about…" Yukiko said.
"When we introduce the hot springs, we want you to be the star. Let us film a bathing scene with you in it. Our ratings will be through the roof!" The reporter explained, far too eager for comfort.
"Holy shit, that's so messed up!" Yui screamed in her mind.
"How dare you!" Kasai said angrily.
"We're not interested in your coverage. Please leave." Yukiko said calmly.
"You're turning us down again? Don't you know the influence of television? Well, I suppose since you're from the countryside, you wouldn't know. We're trying to help you out here. Or do you want patrons to stop coming? If you're going to be the next manager, I trust you'll make the right decision." The reporter kept insisting.
"I'm not...going to be the manager." Yukiko said reluctantly.
"Hm, is that so? Maybe I can hook you up with a better gig than that run-down inn. Consider it, will you?"
"How dare you say such things to Yuki-chan?!" Kasai shouted.
"It's OK, Kasai-san. Let him say what he needs to. He'll leave once he's wasted his breath." Yukiko muttered.
The reporter continued to go on about the "mediocre service" the inn offered, suggesting ludicrous ideas such as replacing the waitresses with younger girls, and offering special services for generous tips. As badly as Yui wanted to speak up and chew this man out, she felt that it wasn't her place to speak. Thankfully, Yukiko seemed to work up the courage and give her honest thoughts.
"...the hell up." Yukiko said quietly.
"I beg your pardon?" The reporter asked.
"Don't you say another word about our inn! Take your cameras and your stupid ideas and get out! We're refusing any coverage from your station! Understand?!" Yukiko angrily stated, raising her voice higher than Yui had ever witnessed.
"You little bitch! I'll plaster those words all over prime-time!" The reporter threatened.
"By all means, go right ahead! We'll respond with an official complaint to your sponsors!" Yukiko bravely stated.
"This isn't looking good for us, sir…" One of the camera men whispered.
"Tch...let's just go…" The reporter huffed.
The men finally went away, and Yukiko breathed a small sigh of relief.
"I can't believe I said those things…" Yukiko whispered.
"You were amazing! I guess you had it in you all this time." Yui praised Yukiko.
Kasai and Yukiko laughed in triumph.
"I'll contact the inn and tell them what happened. See you later!" Kasai said, bowing before taking her leave.
"I guess I lost my temper when he was insulting everyone." Yukiko told Yui.
"I would have done the same thing. But it was your moment, not mine." Yui said reassuringly.
"You know, there was a time not long ago when I thought to myself 'the inn would be better off if it shut down'. But nevertheless, it's still my home. It's my whole world, basically."
"And maybe that's OK. Maybe it's not as bad as you made it out to be. Just think, if you were able to take charge and tell those reporters off, imagine how well the inn will do with you at the helm."
"That's very nice of you to say. Thank you, Yui-chan."
7/14
After class, Yosuke begged Yui to help him with restocking at Junes. Yui only agreed to do it because she felt she could use the part-time wages to make up for the outfit she bought for Teddie. As the day went by though, she found working with Yosuke to be enjoyable, almost fun in a way, and the two managed to sneak in some small talk in between fulfilling orders and tasks. After work was done for the day, Yui and Yosuke sat down in the food court, taking the time to talk for real.
"Thanks for helping out, Yui. I'm sorry it was such short notice, but they decided to have a sale last minute, and Dad kept bugging me to find other people to help." Yosuke said apologetically.
"It's alright, Yosuke. At least it wasn't volunteer work and I actually got paid for it." Yui said cheerfully.
"It meant a lot to me. Really…" Yosuke thanked again.
Suddenly, the two female coworkers that asked Yosuke for a favor before approached him again, much to the annoyance of Yosuke.
"Hey, Hanamura! It's really busy today. If I'd have known, I would've skipped out." One of the girls told him.
"Please don't. We really need all the help we can get. You got your bonus, right?" Yosuke replied.
"Yeah, a whole 500 yen. What am I supposed to do with that? Could you give me a raise?" The other girl said in irritation.
"I can't really help you with that…" Yosuke stated.
The girls walked away once they understood that they were getting nothing out of Yosuke and started gossiping, not doing a good job of keeping quiet.
"At this rate, my grad trip will have to be in Japan. Maybe I should ask my parents to pay for it."
"Why not get a guy to do it?"
"You mean like Saki did? Ha ha ha!"
Yosuke squirmed in extreme discomfort upon hearing this, which Yui immediately took notice of and acted accordingly.
"Yosuke…" Yui said softly.
"It's OK. It doesn't matter. It's just hot air. But it's really sad to be talked about like that." Yosuke responded quietly.
Yosuke looked up to make eye contact.
"We're the only ones who can avenge Saki-senpai. We have to…" Yosuke said firmly.
"You already decided that after your encounter with your Shadow, didn't you?" Yui asked rhetorically.
"I saw the immature part of myself and knew I needed to change. It's really because of you I'm where I'm at now."
"I'm happy I could help you that way."
"*sigh* What a pain...not you, just…"
"Yeah, I know…"
"Let's call it a day."
"Sure thing. See you tomorrow, partner."
"You too!"
7/15
Yui had invited Chie to see her room today, and despite Yui being very shy about it, Chie was very enthusiastic. They talked about all sorts of topics while sitting on Yui's couch.
"So this is your room, huh? It's way more tidy than I imagined." Chie stated.
"Embarrassing, right? My room should be filled with half finished paintings, ugly looking clay sculptures, anything that shows that I'm working hard on my art projects. But I guess I'm pretty modest when it comes to this…" Yui said half-jokingly.
"It's fine. I love that you're neat and tidy. Better than my room, that's for sure! It's all covered in posters and stuff." Chie said with a smile.
"That sounds cool! Martial arts posters, I imagine."
"Of course! And also some action anime prints, and motivational posters."
There was a moment of awkward silence between Yui and Chie, as though Yui was waiting for further details.
"...and there's maybe one or two posters of some cute female models. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Chie said with pink cheeks.
"I expected that, yes. Some of my yuri manga would make you blush. Well, more than you already are."
Chie looked away in embarrassment, and Yui laughed while wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"Then again, this room is supposed to be temporary. Less clutter to pack up for when I have to go back home."
"What was your room like back in the city?"
"It was...about the same. Despite being a shut-in, I still kept things clean."
"That's interesting. I wish I could see what it looks like."
"Maybe you could...come visit me in the city sometime after I leave? I'd be happy to introduce you to my parents."
Yui started to blush when she realized how this all sounded. Chie's smile was very reassuring, however.
"I'd love to! Though...aren't your parents going to be kind of shocked?" Chie responded.
"I mean, yeah, they're probably going to be surprised. I'm already imagining how that conversation's gonna go. 'Hey mom! Hey dad! I'm back! Inaba was great! I met this girl, and we started dating! Also, I'm gay! I guess I never mentioned that, but there you go!'" Yui recited dramatically.
Chie laughed uproariously, causing Yui's heart to soar and fill with a comforting warmth.
"Maybe I should tell my parents, too. I'm already a handful for them as it is, so I figure me being attracted to another girl isn't going to be a deal breaker for them." Chie stated.
"I don't think so. I don't know anything about your parents, but they seem like the understanding type. I'd say my parents are the same, but...I don't really know…"
"Why not? Are you not close with them?"
Yui suddenly became rather uncomfortable, but she decided to push aside those feelings.
"Chie...this doesn't leave the room. Promise?" Yui asked sincerely.
"Yeah! Promise!" Chie said with a nod.
"Alright. No, I'm not that close with my parents. Of course, I still love them, and I care enough about them that I wouldn't want to leave them forever. But we never really...talked all that much. At least, not beyond the obligatory things like how we're doing, how school was, and such. Despite living under the same roof as them, I was pretty distant. Because…"
Yui found herself suddenly clamming up, but she pushed herself to continue.
"Because I didn't really like myself. I didn't really like doing...anything, really. You could call it apathy, I guess. Every day was just another day. There wasn't anything to look forward to for me, not in my head at the time. My classmates were alright, but they weren't really friends to me, certainly not like the ones I have now. In a bit of a messed up way, life wasn't really fun for me." Yui said solemnly.
Chie's face displayed deep concern for Yui, causing Yui to quickly clarify herself.
"N-not like I wanted to kill myself, or anything like that! Don't take it the wrong way! It's just...I always felt if I were gone tomorrow, I wouldn't be missed by that many people." Yui explained, her voice growing sadder as she realized that what she had said wasn't much better.
"That's awful, Yui. I had no idea." Chie said quietly.
"I promise I'm a lot better now. Transferring to Inaba was the best thing that could have happened to me. As long as you ignore the whole getting involved in a serial murder case thing. I got to meet Dojima and Nanako, along with you and all the others. I couldn't have asked for better people to get close to."
"I'm happy you like it here so much. Even though you'll be a different person when you go back to your parents, that's a good thing. You'll make up for lost time, won't you?"
"I will."
Chie hugged Yui, inviting Yui to hug her back.
"You like yourself better now, right?" Chie asked.
"Sure...I still feel like some things about me could be better, but my self-esteem is better than it was when I came here." Yui replied.
"I'm still trying to figure out what my good points are, so you're ahead of me there." Chie stated.
"Chie! There's a lot of good things about you! You're strong, you're loyal, you're funny, you're sweet..." Yui retorted.
"Wait, sweet?!" Chie asked in surprise.
"Well, you're sweet to me. Are you not like that with anyone else?"
"Not really, no. I guess...it's just when I'm with you." Chie said sheepishly.
"Aw, really? I'm special?" Yui asked in an endearing voice.
"Yeah, you are." Chie said with a grin.
Chie held out her hands for Yui to take hold of, and they stayed that way for a couple minutes before speaking again.
"Yui?"
"Yes, Chie?"
"I have something for you. I bought it recently and I just opened it today."
Chie held out a cloth wristband with colorful stripes on it, and Yui gently took it from her.
"I have one just like that, so now we're matching!" Chie said proudly.
"Thank you so much, Chie. I love it." Yui said gratefully.
Yui got a strange idea in her head and decided to put on the wristband in an...unconventional way.
"Huh?! Yui! That's-that's not how you wear it!" Chie stammered, her face growing red.
"Says who? It's mine now, I can wear it how I want!" Yui said with a smirk.
Yui had taken the wristband and put her leg through it, turning it into a makeshift garter band. She teased Chie by showing it off, much to her embarrassment.
"Like it? Now only you get to see it!" Yui said flirtatiously.
"I never knew you were so lewd!" Chie stated, muffling her own voice due to her covering her face with her hands.
"I'm kidding, Chie! But really, you're my girlfriend! Look all you want!"
Chie squealed in bashfulness at this statement, eventually recovering enough to look at Yui again.
"I'm glad you like it. You, uh...you have beautiful legs, Yui!" Chie commented.
"Thank you! But they're nothing compared to yours. You could probably kick someone into the stratosphere with those!"
"That's a very weird compliment." Chie said with a giggle.
"But it's still a compliment." Yui noted.
Yui stood up from the couch and walked over to her desk to retrieve something, piquing Chie's curiosity.
"Here, Chie. I finished making this a few days ago. I want you to have it." Yui told Chie.
Yui gave Chie a small painting the size of a photograph, encased in a picture frame to protect it. The painting was a depiction of Chie and herself embracing each other under the moon, and its picturesque quality was a testament to the love and care Yui dedicated to it.
"I know it's not really your type of thing. I was considering getting you a poster or something, but I just couldn't figure out the perfect one to get. So I did the only other thing I could think of and...made this." Yui said humbly.
Chie stared in awe at the picture Yui made for her, brought to tears by its beauty. She placed the picture frame on the nearby table and gave Yui another hug.
"It's beautiful...thank you so much…" Chie said quietly.
Chie backed away a bit, enough to gaze lovingly into her girlfriend's eyes. Yui eagerly followed suit.
"Chie…"
"Yes, Yui?"
"I know I've said it before, and I'll likely say it a thousand times more, but...I love you."
"I love you too, more than I know how to express."
Chie started to lean closer to Yui, but stopped herself when she noticed that Yui's lips were glossed.
"Is that...mango lip gloss?" Chie asked.
Yui smiled and nodded.
"Come here…" Chie whispered eagerly.
Yui and Chie leaned in to kiss each other, with each consecutive kiss being sweeter and more tender than the last. Chie, caught up in the wave of passion, practically pulled Yui down on top of her, and Yui submitted to her girlfriend's show of affection. After some time, Yui reversed their positioning so that Chie was the one hovering over her, allowing Yui to bask in Chie's beauty.
"I don't know what I did to deserve a girl this lovely, but I can't get enough of her!"
"Chie?" Yui whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Can you...stay over for a while?"
"...I'd love to."
After they were done making out, Chie stayed with Yui until night came. And although Chie had to go back home, if it were up to them, she would have gladly stayed the night.
Author's Note(4-9-23): This chapter didn't have much of a running theme, as it was mostly plot progression. I noticed it had a bit of a focus on Yui/Chie moments. It wasn't the intention, but the scenes were too cute to not include.