A/N: This might be one of the longest chapters I've written since the chapter about December 3rd. And it's a Filler Chapter of all things so that's ironic. Anyway, I have an important question for you all at the end of this so I hope to hear your thoughts on it.

Chapter 40

02/15

Yesterday was exhilarating. Like a Dream come true, but it was real. For both him, and her. They grew closer from it, and that made the fact he will be leaving in a month sting more. March 21st was marked on his calendar as his departing date. Until that day comes, he shall enjoy every day to the fullest.

As he ascended to the school gate, he heard a set of familiar voices.

"Oh, Souji-kun! Morning!" It was Chie! Of course she brings the energy for the early morning hours.

"Good morning." Yukiko followed up, sounding much more calm, yet sincere in her delivery. She didn't want to give off any sign in regards to what happened yesterday. Even to her best friend.

"The weather's great today. It's warmer than before, don't you think?" The snow probably wasn't going to melt, but she was right. The sun being out definitely helped with that.

"I saw that the first official Spring storm was observed this morning. Spring is… just around the corner, huh?" Time does march on, despite what everyone wants.

"Spring, huh… everything went by so fast." Chie would frown. Souji was uncertain on how to react. Good thing his partner was just walking up towards them.

"Hey, guys… what's going on?"

"Oh, nothing…. We're just talking about how Spring's almost here. Then Souji-kun will…" Yukiko trailed off, her tone a clear indicator she did want the seasons to change.

"Ah, I see…. Well, I try not to think about it. But hey, we still got some time, right? So no gloomy faces until then! A month is plenty of time to have fun!" Indeed. And with no mystery to solve, that makes it all the more easier for them.

"...Thanks, you guys." Souji softly spoke; it was finally hitting him that he truly had some great friends.

"Heheh, cut that out. We're gonna pack your brain with so many good memories that you'll beg us to stop!" He would offer up a chuckle, the first bell cutting in shortly after to remind them that time was always marching.

"Oh, shoot!" Yosuke's head tilted up to see the clock, but then looked back to his partner. "Well, let's go, man!"

He would begin to rush forward to the front doors, Chie then following suit.

"Whoa! Hey, wait for me!" She would enter the door right after her boyfriend, leaving Souji and Yukiko to their lonesome. This was a perfect opportunity to say something personal. To have a few seconds or a minute of intimacy, but… they both just stared into each other's eyes. A bizarre sense of nostalgia and deja vu hit them. This felt similar to something, but… they have all month to enjoy their company. For now… they shared a nod and begin rushing towards the doors together, bags in hand. This was familiar, indeed. On their first day, when they left the building. Souji was followed by Yukiko and Chie to the gate. Then Yosuke appeared, and left ahead of them; Chie followed after, but Souji and Yukiko left together to close it out. Their very first day of school was similar to this moment. Life does like to rhyme sometimes. And so, the final chapters of their Junior year would begin. Their last hurrah before he would head home; back to Tokyo. They will make it count.

Time would march on, with everyone wanting a chance to spend time with him. As much as Yukiko wanted to be selfish, she understood how well all these friendships he had established meant to him. At least, to the extent that it made him who he is now. He has changed much since his first day in Class 2-2, stiff as a board. Now he's expressive, speaks his mind, a shoulder to lean on, knowledgeable and a growing sense of wisdom, and has the persistence of a Honey Badger when it's necessary. The Teen was becoming more of a man, as Dojima pointed out to him on New year's day. She changed too, her decision making was consistent, she understood and appreciated those around her. She would not let anyone walk over her or the things she loved. And she realized this on her own, as he was merely the supporting player in that revelation. So for now, she'll let him enjoy it. She can make an "appointment" like everyone else; just to be fair and give them a chance.

2/17

Yukiko had been asked a strange favor from her boyfriend. He wanted something from Masato Yoshida, the newcomer cook in her kitchen; it was his phone number. She could simply find it through the papers containing crucial information on her staff, but that's not the right thing to do. So she opted to ask him outright, and when he was on break to give Souji a call with his number that Yukiko entrusted to the cook. And one hour later from that question being posed, he would do just that

Souji was in his room, reading one of the books he had on his backlog. This was a rare moment of solitude that he will not take for granted. But that quiet ambience would be disturbed by the ringing of his phone. Closing his book and reaching out for his phone, he would flip it open and answer; already having a feeling of who the caller was.

"Seta speaking."

"Oh, Souji-san. Yukiko gave me your number. She said you needed to speak to me?" It indeed was Masato over the phone, just like he expected. Though he thought the chef would call sooner; otherwise he would have held off on reading his book.

"Yoshida-san, I was wondering if you were working on Sunday." Sure, he could have asked Yukiko for that information since she no doubt has access to the schedule of every employee, but this was the more proper thing to do.

"Um, I am free on Sunday, actually. Normally, I work those days, but this time I'm off. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm getting a few of my friends to come with me to the arcade. Yosuke will be there too. If you're interested, I would like for you to join us." There were more people expected to be there than Masato assumed. Souji hid this just in case he wasn't a fan of large groups.

"Oh, that would be fun! Sure, I'll go. I assume this will be earlier in the day?"

"Most likely. I'm aiming for all of us to leave for the 11:30 train. I would take my scooter, but I don't want to have my sports friends feel out of place."

"Are you inviting a whole team!?"

"Nah, just two. Feel free to come with your scooter, we need to show them how to find the place, anyway."

"Alright then. I'll be waiting for you all in front of the station."

"Sounds good. I'll be looking forward to it. Goodbye, Yoshida-san." With a bye from the chef, the two would hang up. Sunday was looking promising. He had already talked to all the others he invited. He would text Yukiko a thank you for her efforts and then text Yosuke the plan was ready! The only thing left was for the hours to tick away.

02/19

On his day off, Masato was dressed rather casually. A zipped up jacket with a purple colored interior, mainly in the hood that can be lifted up. It was rather thick but it Masked his sweater he wore underneath it. Long pants finished the look with black shoes meant to deal with slicker surfaces. Not quite like the slip resistant shoes he wore to work. Writing something down on a journal, he added it to a pile of others to rest one. Quite the studious one, one would say.

He would depart from his apartment and walk down the staircase, the metal clanking against every step he made. With a sigh, he hopped on his scooter and turned it on, letting it warm up before departing slowly, considering the roads due to the snow. The time was 11:15 AM. He needed the head start, as he took the slower route.

Meanwhile, at the station, Souji gathered his friends at long last, with Kanji and Naoki rounding it out. The train would be departing shortly. They made it just in time.

Once everyone was inside, sitting across from one another inside the train car, Yosuke would make the first remark.

"Dude, this is a party!" In reference to the JRPG term. "Are we going to slay a dragon or something?" He would joke, counting off everyone. "There's, you, Kanji, me, Kou and Daisuke, and Naoki!"

"Yes. I wanted to invite them all to the place. A shame Teddie was stuck with work." That furball had to deal with covering a shift after moving the names around the other day because "it looked fun". Yosuke still had to apologize for the mess.

"Yeah, well, that's for the best. Guy needs to live up to his '2.0' and learn responsibility and stuff!" While Yosuke went off about the bear, Kou would shift his attention to the smaller first year.

"Hey, man, you game to hang with us? I heard you've been busy with your family business." Kou seemed concerned like every gossiping housewife but not because of the tragedy, so Naoki was much less on edge. Still, he needed to clarify.

"I'll be fine, Ichijo-senpai. I've worked a lot, so I think it's fair to spend some time like this." Naoki kept a calm composure.

"Ease up on him, man." Daisuke would shift his head, still in gym clothing, albeit with a thick jacket over it to keep him warm. "Dude's been through a lot, but even he's gotta have some fun."

"I appreciate your concern, Nagase-senpai. But please don't treat me any different than anyone else. Everything about last year is over. I'm ready to move on."

"Right on, then." Daisuke would nod, glad to see the reserved first year show some resolve. "Then let's get along well, Naoki-san."

"Same here, dude. You're a friend of Souji, so that makes you a friend of ours." Kou and the others would smile.

"I'm glad everyone's getting along. Kanji, you fine being around us guys?" Yosuke would ask, but not in his past derogatory ways. He was trying to be a bit more sensitive to Kanji's nature. These guys were practically strangers to him.

"I'll be fine. Naoki-san is my next door neighbor. And I trust Senpai's friends." He knew his Idol wouldn't befriend bad people after all. The man sees through the murk and sees good in everyone. Even a stubborn ox like Kanji.

"That's right. We're all above rumors, right?" Souji would chime in, and it seems everyone was on the right page.

"...So, what is it that we're going to do?" Naoki would ask, unaware of the entire reason. "I was told to bring some coins, but I'm not sure why."

"Oh yeah. You kept that info from us on purpose, eh?" Kou would realize. "Why is that? This isn't some giant blind date is it? I thought you and Hanamura were dating Amagi and Chie." Kou seemed to have moved on from his crush on Chie. Though don't let Daisuke talk about that.

"No, nothing of the sort. Did you all know there's a tucked away Arcade further down Okina station?" It seems they all knew what an arcade was, but they didn't know this one existed.

"Whoa! Seriously? Where?" Kou explained. He always wanted to go to one. Daisuke was intrigued, but nowhere near as much as his buddy. Naoki was in the middle in terms of enthusiasm and interest.

"I have a friend that can show you the way."

"You got more friends, Senpai?" Kanji would ask, but Souji would only nod.

"I brought it up with Naoki when we all came back for school. And I thought this was something I could invite all of you to before I leave." That point reminded everyone of the inevitable.

"Alright! Then let's tear up that arcade!" Kanji would stand from his seat, fists pushing against each other. He still needed to work on his phrasing, but his enthusiasm was duly noted.

"Hell yeah! I'm ready too! We gotta nab some high score spots!" Yosuke also was pumped up from the idea.

"I gotta put this clown in his place in a fighting game, so count me in." Daisuke would gesture his thumb, pointing to Kou. His sincere smile made the words more humorous.

"Yeah right! I'll sweep you in two!" He made his own declaration right back. Naoki wasn't sure how to follow up, but Souji made sure to make him feel welcome and a part of the group.

"I bet we'll find some games you might be into, Naoki. Is this your first time going to an arcade?" To which he would nod.

"Oh, yeah; but I'm so excited. I heard those were on the other side of Okina city, so I'm glad to be here to try one." The idea of leaving the town never crossed his mind so this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"Yeah, I'll try and go easy on ya, Naoki-kun." Yosuke sounded a bit too cocky.

"I hope you sweep him." Souji would tell Naoki immediately, to Yosuke's chagrin and the rest would all laugh. This was a promising start.

It was a few minutes before Noon and Masato would arrive and park where the two Students park when they come here. He parked next to three other bikes, a blue colored, pink colored, and a red one. It was a Sunday, after all. Makes sense that it was getting a little busy. He decided to go wait by the stairs as it wouldn't be long before the train arrived. It was still pretty cold, but not as bad as early January. He felt fortunate that he didn't get sick from this change of temperature. Souji wasn't so lucky, after all. At last, he heard the train pull into the station. Looks like he won't need to wait at the cafe nearby. A moment later, the train doors would open and a group of high schoolers emerged one by one. Souji brought a whole party!

"Good day, Yoshida-san." He would say nonchalantly.

"This is a big group, Souji-san! I didn't know I was going to be a tour guide!" He joked.

"Well, let's get introductions out of the way." He would turn around once everyone finished descending down the stairs.

"Everyone, this is Masato Yoshida. He's a new cook at the Amagi Inn. Yosuke and I met him while we were at the arcade." He then turned to face the Chef. "You know Yosuke already, so this is Kanji Tatsumi and this is Naoki Konishi, they're first years and good friends of mine." The name Konishi immediately rang a bell. Wasn't that a victim's last name? It wasn't best to question that now. "The two fit guys are Kou Ichijo and Daisuke Nagase, my sports buddies." Ichijo also stood out. He heard that name has some influence in Inaba.

"It's nice to meet you all." Masato would bow, to which everyone else would as well.

"Nice to meetcha!" Kanji would loudly exclaim, trying to be a more welcoming individual and tear down his sharp exterior. Everyone else would take turns greeting themselves properly.

"Alright. It's pretty cold out here, so how about I show you the way to the Arcade already?" Everyone's eyes gave it away; it was time to let the games begin!

A few minutes before that moment, however; three young ladies were enjoying a girl's only experience. Chie and Yukiko were invited by Rise to go shopping with her at Croco Fur. Though, really… They were helping her pick things out. The idol was interested in these sunglasses that were in her hand. They had a blended print of pink alongside tinted, dark lenses. These would be perfect for Summer!

"I think I might take these. What do you think, Yukiko-senpai?" Her head tilted, still pondering if they're worth acquiring as she awaited the Innkeeper's answer.

"I think they will work. But maybe some other accessories to help complement it would be nice?" She suggested, albeit she was unsure herself. She didn't wear too many accessories that often; especially compared to her eye-catching Kouhai.

"Ooh, I got an idea!" Chie would jump in, bouncing to another spot, grabbing a rather large necklace and rushing back. It seemed to have been crafted with smoothed out wood, and Pearls. Not real ones, obviously as that would make it way out of any price range for your average customer, but still, it looked moderate in its design, texture wise. Chie would put it around Rise, then nudge her to a mirror.

"Hmm… I think if I can find some clothes to match with this, I can really make it work!" Rise was sold! Chie picked out some things for herself. She still had some Christmas money leftover from her family in and outside of Inaba. Yukiko was content with not buying a thing. She merely wanted to go out with friends. It's been a while, after all. Her time was either with Souji or the Inn.

Yukiko's ears perked up as she heard a set of loud voices outside. All men most likely. It was noon, according to the clock on the wall at least. Businesses were about to pick up, it seems! She would turn and go back to the other two, who were moments away from bringing their items to the cashier.

The three would step out together minutes later, not ready to go home yet. Rise seemed ready to help Chie find something at the nearby bookstore, Okina books. The three would walk down the sidewalk, the cold still having a light bitter sting from the faintest breeze. The two would enter the store, but Yukiko saw something in her peripheral vision. Even further down the street and across the road… She saw Kanji. His tall figure and bleached hair were such an easy giveaway. What was he doing there? Two seconds later, she would lose sight of him as the buildings obstructed him. She needed to help Chie, so she can ponder about Kanji later. So she entered the building, the heat inside was a welcome feeling.

At the Okina arcade, the guys were enjoying everything that caught their attention. Naoki found an interest in a puzzle game called Puyo Puyo. It reminded him of organization at the shop, and he was adapting to it, understanding the mechanics. Kanji was trying his hand at Taiko: Drum Master, a rhythm game that reminded him of certain festivals thanks to the drum in question. He started out a bit sloppy, but was getting the hang of it… plus the satisfaction of hitting the drum was just so enjoyable!

Kou and Daisuke were teaming up on the UFO Catcher, trying to get a Jack Frost plush. Souji mentioned he wanted to get one for Nanako last year and they seemed determined to get it. However… they're a few 100 yen coins down the hole. Souji even lent them one for this final attempt, just so they had money for other games. Daisuke was the one on the side, helping Kou guide the crane. Kou got close before, but it let go before it could ascend. By now, they had the angle from Kou's view down perfectly. Getting it from Daisuke's was necessary.

"Get ready!" Kou alerted Daisuke, the soccer players hands were on the frame, keeping him steady.

"Okay…!" His eyes were focused, like a sharpshooter. He would not budge, his eyes only looking at the Crane. "Almost…" it needed to go to the back portion of the boxed environment. He trusted Kou to push the button on his signal.

"Now!" Kou clicked down on the red button, and the crane would descend on Daisuke's exact preferred location. Now, they pray. It would Squeeze around Jack Frost's head, the tips pressing against its neck. With a grip locked, it would ascend, so far so good. The hard part began, as it would try to haul it in. The speed might be too much. And it looked like they were right! It was starting to lose its grip!

"Damn! Hold on…!" Kou held his breath, it was only inches away from the hole when the grip loosened further, the catcher eventually letting go of the plush, with it falling at the edge of the hole. "No!" So close! And this was the final attempt too…

"Not so fast, Kou… I think it's gonna fall." His eyes still remained fixated, as its head was leaning in on the inside. A long second passed, and its weight was starting to descend… it finally fell!

Both shout and exclaim "Yeah!" as it was now behind the door to which to claim their prize. Kou would pull it out. This was a Hard fought game, in which teamwork was the key to their success!

"Right on, man. Let's show it to Souji." Daisuke would take a look at it. This little gremlin caused so much trouble. Nanako better be pleased!

The Leader was sitting with Yosuke as the two brought their cool gift for his little sister

"We got it. It wasn't easy, but we hit the clutch shot to win it for her." Souji would then receive it, looking into those black eyes and that smile… yep, reminds him of the one he used a while back.

"Thanks guys. I'll make sure she gets it… she's going to love it."

Meanwhile, outside the Arcade. Masato was taking a break from playing Taiko with Kanji. Letting the cold air cool him off. He was also writing things down on a small notepad. Like the one Naoto would always have on her person.

On the other side of the street, the girls would exit the book store. They were in there for an hour, Chie being unable to find the book in stock, they all just passed the time by chatting in the corner. But Yukiko spotted someone across that same street she spotted Kanji… now it was Masato?

"Something wrong, Yukiko?" Chie would ask, noticing her friend maintained a constant gaze in that direction.

"Oh, it's just… over there is one of the cooks." She pointed across the street. The other two could isolate the one in the black jacket.

"He looks close to our age." Rise would point out, her hand over her eyes as she tried to focus her sight on him. "I always assumed your cooks were older."

"He's new. My father said he was skilled and he's been helpful ever since. He arrived in May, just in time for the Golden week rush." She was impressed then, but back to the here and now, she wondered why he was here too. An employee and a good friend? How big of a coincidence it was.

"Well, is it really that unusual to see a cook here? Maybe he's looking for higher quality ingredients deeper inside the city or something." Chie threw out some conjecture.

"...It's just, I saw Kanji-kun going in that direction earlier. And I'm pretty certain they both never met each other before." Now the two would realize why Yukiko was so fixated on the subject. Then, Rise realized why this might be such a weird coincidence.

"Oh! I think if I remember hearing about it correctly, there's an arcade there! It's pretty big too, so that might be why they're there!" Rise recalled first year boys gossiping about it in class.

"Ooh, that makes sense." Chie nodded, realizing boys, Yosuke especially, are into video games. "Wait… is Kanji into games? He never talks about them."

"Hm. I never heard his mother mention it…" All three of their curiosities were growing. Yukiko posed the question, or rather, the excuse they need to look into this. "Should we go check?" The arcade excited her. This was like an adventure to her! Chie and Rise would nod simultaneously. The girls were on the case! Perfect timing too; as they began to walk to the edge of the sidewalk to wait their turn to cross the street, Masato would walk back to the arcade. They might surprise them now!

Inside, the race was about to begin. Yosuke just mopped the floor with Naoki. The first year was impressed by his skill despite Yosuke going easy on him. But now, the Leader wanted a rematch to settle the score. Souji took his seat next to Yosuke, the Magician looking a bit too smug.

"I'll let you choose our course, Souji. I won't hold back like before." Yosuke saw the fire in his partner's eyes. Holding back would mean an easy L would be on his record. And he wanted to stay perfect!

"Very well." Souji would skim through maps… a few seconds later, he made his choice. "Alright, let's do this." Souji was dialed in.

"You got this, Senpai!" Kanji was in his corner alongside Daisuke. Kou and Naoki were on Yosuke's side with Masato in the middle.

The countdown would begin. Yosuke was gritting his teeth, smiling wide as Souji looked composed, but his blood was ready to start going into overdrive. The need for speed was rising within him. The two would start with ideal momentum! The song "Night of Fire" was chosen for this track. Different from what Souji heard playing the last time he raced Yosuke.

The first turn was light but the next one was immediately after, a sharper turn to the left that required drifting. Souji learned fast.

"You're getting better, but I'm just getting warmed up!" Yosuke shifted gears as he began to accelerate and match Souji's speed. For the next 30 seconds, the two were in the zone, their friends' commentary being phased out. This was a tug of war, as the lead was never consistent. Souji was rivaling Yosuke, but it felt like Yosuke's skill gave him the edge as they took another sharp turn inside the dark track.

As they were starting, the girls would step inside, spotting a group of familiar adolescents huddled around a set of machines.

"Whoa, there's a lot of them!" Chie whistled, she was surprised at the amount of machines and the familiar figures before her. The three ladies would move in closer, Yukiko then speaking to her employee from behind as she immediately recognized him as the most stand out person in this situation.

"Masato-kun, what are you doing here?" The heiress would ask, catching him off guard.

"Yukiko-san!?" The other guys would turn around, surprised to see the three here. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, we saw you and Kanji-kun going here and had to see it for ourselves." It was a strange company, after all.

"Whatcha guys doing?" Rise would then push herself into the conversation, she was before the chef, he was unaware of her reputation.

"Oh, um… Hanamura-san and Souji-san are racing and-!"

"Senpai!?" Rise cut him off, squeezing herself to edge him away for a good view. "Go, Senpai!" She didn't care that this guy was close to her… or rather, her pushing against him from the side against his will.

"Oh! Go Yosuke…!?" Chie couldn't match her underclassman's enthusiasm, but still would move over to Yosuke's side.

"Souji-kun! Show him no mercy!" Yukiko obviously sided with her beloved, with a savage choice of words.

"Well now, partner… we got some stakes now! We got some lovely ladies rooting for us!" Yosuke was smiling brightly! This was the motivation he needed!

"Seems that way. Now I know I can't lose!" Souji hearing Yukiko's voice fired him up hotter than Surt's Ragnarok! The two booked it down the straightest part of the track, before a left turn appeared before them, causing a hard drift before a series of alternating shifts back and forth.

"Souji's driving sharp!" Daisuke would point out that his turning was as on point as Yosuke's.

"Yeah, but Hanamura is still in control. His car might be good for this." Kou on the opposite end would remind everyone. "Here's a hard turn coming up!"

And Souji would turn a moment earlier than Yosuke, being on the right side, it helped him get around it sooner as he just missed hitting the guardrail to get the most out of his turn! He's taken the lead! And with this straight path, this was an opportunity to give Souji a chance to gain more distance! Using this he edged over to the left lane, anticipating the sharp left turn coming, and then… a sharp drift! A series of sharp turns was coming up! This is how Yosuke can catch up! Souji was going too fast to make precise rapid drifts.

"Souji-kun…!" Seems Yukiko realized it.

"I ain't done yet!" Yosuke declared as Souji began his first sharp turn, slowing down as expected as he tried to keep some momentum for the next turn. As he made it again for the next two turns, Yosuke was only a few meters away! Once he made it past the final turn… he was right next to him!

"Yeah!" Chie was glad to see Yosuke close the distance.

The two would pass the next checkpoint; this was the last! It was reaching its climax.

"You are the night of fire… you better, better stay…" The lyrics were all they could hear atop faded support from their friends. The two were all in on this moment! They stayed close, sometimes changing the lead status as they made their final turns.

Souji was only a few meters ahead of him. Yosuke's car was great for turning, but Souji edged him out at pure speed. And the track was mellowing out in terms of sharp turns. This was his chance! One more…!

"Souji-kun…! Win this!" Yukiko shouted! It was almost uncharacteristic!

"SENPAI!" Kanji's support was much more easy to see coming.

"Hanamura has to close the gap now…!" Masato grimaced. Yosuke closed it to 1 meter! …But the turn finished too soon! Souji's speed would give him a meter back as he zoomed into the goal first! A narrow victory for the leader of the Investigation Team!

Everyone reacted accordingly. It was such a close race! It was hard to take anything bad from this. Yosuke leaned back into the chair, letting out the air he breathed in after holding it for those last seconds.

"Damn… good race, partner. You got me there…" Yosuke was definitely bummed out, but this was so exhilarating! It was worth it. He would extend his fist, with it being bumped by the Leader.

"Good race. Let's do it again sometime." They both were down for the rubber band match next time. Yukiko's hand was pressing on his shoulder, he looked as he stood himself up from the chair

"Amazing, Souji-kun! You were so fast!"

"Thanks. I'm grateful for the support from you and everyone else." He would turn to Kanji, a grin all over from seeing Yosuke get knocked down a peg, and Daisuke also showing some pride, expecting his teammate to settle for nothing less than gold. Rise of course was practically a cheerleader. Masato looked to see her enthusiasm looking infectious.

"That was a great race. Don't you agree?"

"Oh, yeah! Senpai was so cool! Are you any good…?" She trailed, not knowing his name.

"I haven't played against these two yet, but I like to think I'm pretty capable. And I'm Masato Yoshida, a cook working for Yukiko's Inn. Who are you?" He would ask, his look implying he sensed a sort of familiarity with her.

"Oh, I'm Rise Kujikawa. I'm a first year student at Yasogami High."

"W-Wait, doesn't that mean you're… Risette?" In her eyes, she couldn't tell if she should be surprised someone didn't recognize her so easily or worried he was a big fan from that tone. Perhaps he was exaggerating a little bit. "Sorry about that, I've heard you were here, but I don't keep up with that genre of music, so…"

"Oh, it's fine, don't worry." She would smile, relieved that he was both honest and not into her due to her status.

"Oh! I remembered something. This month is currently Retro month. I think there are some older machines worth trying!" He would turn to everyone else who were all chatting amongst each other. "I think they're in the back. Come with me!" The massive group would all follow along; they spotted the older machines instantly! And they were well maintained! Space Harrier on one side and OutRun on the other! The sports bros would try their hands on the shooter, as only two machines were out. But there were three OutRun machines available.

"I'm game for one more race. Though this looks different…" Yosuke pondered as he took a seat.

"Okay, so this game is about you racing to each checkpoint to extend your time. It also has forks in the road that lead to different settings." Masato would break down, having played it before.

"Ooh, can I try it?" Yukiko claimed the farthest spot for herself.

"Well… I wanna play too, then." Chie would claim the last spot. The others seemed fine with this. The three would agree to insert their coins at the same time.

"So… highest score wins?" Yosuke would suggest, seeing that this had no player versus player option. His classmates would nod. The coins would slide in… and it was time to race!

The retro music would kick in. It was no Eurobeat, but it will do fine. Souji was watching his beloved from behind her seat, with Rise to his side, then Kanji, Masato, and Naoki. Everyone would start moving together but Yosuke instantly flipped to high gear, the other two only realizing it a moment later. Yosuke was in front for now as cars would start to appear. The girls were getting the hang of it, though Chie was the only hesitant one. Yosuke would turn well, but implemented a strategy of shifting to low gear for hard turns to make it easier to move, avoid traffic or go off road. Yukiko was not aware of this, but her turning was adequate. Chie was the one lagging behind as she put her foot off the gas to avoid those dangerous situations. Yosuke would suggest they all make the same turns at the crossroad at the end. They all opted to go left! Yosuke and Yukiko would cross the checkpoint first, but Chie only made it with only 3 seconds to spare. This was an uphill battle!

"Our Senpais are doing well." Naoki commented, the girls are holding their own!

"Betcha Yosuke might have another rival, though." Kanji would note as he glanced at Yukiko. He recalled something that would explain a lot to how Yukiko was handling herself. He realized this fact long before anyone else would.

The 2nd area was a field of flowers with pillars occasionally blocking them from view. The ascending and descending could disorient anyone. But Chie would make a mistake at the turn. She turned too far in and started touching the off road section, losing speed and precious time! She didn't crash but this was making it harder for her.

Soon they would reach the next crossroad and go left again, but… Chie was just short. Her race ended here.

"Ooh, that's gotta sting." Masato would comment. "Good job, Satonaka. You did good." Chie had a small frown, but she cut herself some slack as this was her first time with this kind of game! She would look over to see how her best friend and boyfriend were doing.

The third area was a desert, with lots of lingering sand on the road. The bumps would start to mesh with turns. Even Yosuke was showing signs of struggling!

"This is fun!" Yukiko wasn't even phased! Yosuke got into the deep sand and lost some speed, but his extra clock time was helping him make up for that. But now Yukiko was ahead!

A sharp set of turns was Yosuke's undoing. After a series of small turns, a sharp one would follow and he hit a truck straightaway. A collective sound of flinching and groaning was heard from the group. This mistake was fatal as Yosuke couldn't get past the crossroad. Yukiko would go right this time. She didn't want to stop.

"Man, this is so tough!" He would turn from his seat, disappointed with another loss. "Win this for us, Yukiko." Though he was quick to throw his support towards her.

Souji didn't say anything as he was flabbergasted by what he saw. She was great…! She kept such a high speed in the fall themed stage 4. Nothing could phase her! She even started laughing a bit as she narrowly avoided cars and burst into the final stage!

"She's… a true speed demon…!" Souji sounded like he conceded the title of the fastest to her already.

"I think this is her skill from when she was skiing earlier!" Rise would speculate… but it all made sense! The way she spent those days bombing down the hills… It was reflecting here! She had the awareness and reflexes to make it.

…She did it! With 10 seconds to spare! She aced this game on her First try!

And all she did was laugh about it.

"...Ahahahaha! That was so fun! I didn't think this would be so entertaining." Her quirky laugh was barely being drowned out by the other arcade machines. Kou and Daisuke would arrive to see that she was the last one standing.

Those who didn't know about her fits were on edge until Souji eased their concerns. This day was another great memory to add to Souji's ever growing log of events worth looking back on.

Everyone would eventually leave the arcade as a group, chatting about how fun this was. The sun had already begun its descent to the western side of the sky. The bonding experience shall not be forgotten by any of them.

Masato would lag a bit behind, but Rise spotted him in the corner of her eye, slowing her pace to his level.

"What's wrong? You feel a bit out of place amongst us Yasogami high schoolers?" She would question, her upper body leaning down a bit.

"...Something like that. I didn't expect such a big company."

"Yeah, Senpai does attract a lot of people to him." She didn't want him to feel like he didn't belong. Leaving people out of things always bothered her. It reminded her of when she was always left out of things before her career began.

"So… did you have fun?" He asked such a parent level question. It was hard to think of something good when the biggest idol in Japan is before you. But she didn't seem to mind.

"Of course! I only got to try a couple of games, but it was fun. You've been coming here a lot, right?" She recalled hearing from Souji that he had been here first.

"Oh yeah. I spend some of my off days here. It's pretty fun." He returned her smile, his tense nature easing up. "If you all want to come by again, I'd love to come along, Kujikawa-san."

"I think we all would like that!" She would bounce back to face the path in front of her, her hair being lifted by the wind. "Oh…" she tilted her head back to finish her sentence. "Just call me Rise, Masato-kun." She was quite the open individual. And such titles only felt less personal to her. No honorifics here. Especially since he wasn't as stiff as Naoto was.

"Ah, okay then, Rise. I hope we get along!" And he meant that for the rest of the new people he met on this late February afternoon. The Liquor store's son, the two peas in a pod jocks, the spunky girlfriend of Hanamura, and the Idol. What a crazy diverse group, he would realize.

Everyone would go their separate ways. The guys save for Masato would go up the stairs to return back the way they came, via the train. The girls alongside the cook would take their scooters back. After they returned to the town, they too would go their own merry ways. This was definitely one busy off day! But it was so worth it.

A/N: This was so fun to write. The references might be a bit too strong, but Sega owns Atlus, so it's fine.

So I'm torn on the ending. On one hand I want to put the Summer ending here as it makes sense. But my Sequel fic begins its story on Souji returning home to Tokyo. I wish to know what you all would prefer. Would you rather I don't include the Summer chapter here in OYT and keep it for the sequel fic so that it flows better in that story, or keep it in here and we skip it over there. Oh, and the name has been chosen. I think you all will love it, but I'll keep that a secret until it's time to reveal it. My outline is almost finished with the Fall 2012 arc. It's great progress, but I'm not done yet. Got way more ideas to write down and refine to my liking. My friend Brooke has been excellent to pitch ideas to, so thank her for the support as well.

Today's song for a chapter title is Chemical Love, another Eurobeat song, but it's by Kevin Cherry! It's so catchy.

I think that's all so, next time, we gotta get ready for White Day! Please let me know which option you prefer. Moving the Summer ending to the Sequel fic means one less chapter in this fic, so keep that in mind!