It was another day in Inaba. Rise was helping out in the shop a little for her grandmother but she insisted that Rise go out for the day and that she can manage by herself.
"Rise, dear, Why not enjoy your day today? You should go outside and hang with your friends!"
"But grandma, I really don't have plans today. Besides, I like helping you out here."
"I appreciate the help, dear but what about your friends? Are you going to shoo them away?"
"What do you mean—?"
"Ehem."
At the door of the tofu shop, they see four people enter. It was Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, and Naoto. They all had big smiles and were just happy to see her. Rise herself made a genuine smile.
"Hi there!" said the four in unison.
"Are you here to kidnap my granddaughter for me? By all means! I'll be in the back if you need me."
Rise's grandmother disappears to the rear of the store. It was a pleasant surprise for Rise. She wasn't trying to imply to her grandmother that she'd rather stay home. In fact, she liked hanging out with her new(old) friends too. They were all so friendly to her, and because of that, she made an honest effort to get to know everyone again.
"Hi everyone! What brings you here?"
"Oh…we just wanted to see how you were, Rise…and bring you along with us!" said Chie cheerfully.
"So...It was a kidnapping after all. I better call the police. Haha! Just kidding. What are you planning?" Rise asks.
"We're going to first have a snack at Junes then who knows from there." said Yukiko.
"I've got a van where we can all fit! Ready for us to head out. Just waiting for the rest." said Yosuke.
"So…Do you want to join us? We'd really love it if you did." said Naoto.
"Oh. That sounds fun! Who else might be coming?" asked Rise.
"Kanji and Teddie are coming soon. They just needed to get some chips for later." said Chie.
Rise notices the missing person from the list. Yu wasn't joining.
"So uhm…what about Narukami-Senpai?"
"He's…not coming. Actually we don't even know where he is." said Yosuke.
"Don't know where he is?" Rise thought.
"What? What do you mean?" asked Rise.
All of them started to look a bit nervous and down. Apparently, something was up and Rise didn't know of the situation.
"We…didn't want to tell you…but ever since your accident…and also since you arrived back in Inaba. Yu would always go missing in the afternoons. He'd eventually arrive home later at night. He'd be exhausted but not hurt." said Naoto.
"Where could he be going?" Rise was pondering this mystery.
"We're not sure. We tried following but Yu really knows how to lose a tail." said Yukiko.
There was a moment of silence which was followed by Chie speaking up.
"Rise…after we told you about Yu. Did you talk to him?"
"We…hung out a little." said Rise.
"Was it a date?" said Yosuke. He and the others started to perk up a little from the news.
"It was…We went out twice. It was fun and all. I got to know him better. But…"
"But…what?" said Naoto.
"Like I said. I already told you guys after you told me about our relationship. I told him… we shouldn't get back together."
"But why?" asked Yukiko.
"I told you why, Yukiko-Senpai. I'm not…that girl he loves anymore. I'm just someone new. I have no memories or any of the good times spent with Yu. He loves THAT Rise. Not me…It's not fair to him. I can't fill the missing void."
"Rise… it doesn't matter if you don't remember everything—"
"Of course it matters!" shouts Rise.
Everybody is shocked by the sudden burst from her. Rise looked like she was about to explode. The others didn't know what to do. Everybody kept quiet and still. Finally, Rise let out her frustrations towards the others in the room.
"Why?…why?… It's not fair!… You guys shower me with love from only God knows where for things I don't even remember. Whenever I see you guys, I see in your eyes just pure love and concern. Even Nanako who I just met the other day. She seemed like she adored me to bits. What am I supposed to do with that?!"
Everyone didn't quite understand.
"I…just…how can I even reciprocate all that love? All of you seem so lovely. It's only fair that I get to know myself first. Try to find myself…only then can I truly deserve your love. That will be when I'll be able to reciprocate and give back. Where I know every little quirk about you all. Not the ME right now…not the me…" Rise's eyes start to turn watery.
It was then where her friends started thinking what Rise might be truly feeling. Her reasoning to find herself. She truly wanted to know her friends again. But she felt…unworthy of all the love she's receiving. She thinks she herself currently isn't deserving of it because she isn't the Rise who she once was.
"And Yu-Senpai… I can see it. I can see it in his eyes. He loves me. He loves me so much. But I'm not her…How can I even think about trying again?! I'm not…worthy. That's why…if ever I never remember anything…I should just stay away."
Rise is sobbing. It was all quiet. Someone however approaches… It was Naoto. She holds Rise and pats her.
"Rise… I believe you can be so silly sometimes as well." said Naoto.
"What?…what do you mean?"
"Well for me…I can understand where you're coming from with how you want to return someone's love with your own. But…I think love isn't something you give and should expect something in return in the first place. The reason you love somebody… is because you want to LOVE. Sometimes love can be painful. There is also love that isn't reciprocated but that is still love. You give all your love for the sake of love and not for anything else." said Naoto.
"So…what are you saying…?" asks Rise.
"I think she's saying…as I was trying to say a while ago is that…It doesn't matter if you don't remember everything Rise. We will still love you no matter what. We don't love you because we expect you to remember us back, it's because we love YOU. You're one of our precious friends. Even if you have forgotten us, our feelings and our bonds will always stay the same. That's how powerful love is." says Yukiko.
"If your goal is to truly remember everything about yourself, then we're here to help! We're by your side, Rise!" said Yosuke.
"That's right! We'll be there for you…always!" said Chie.
Feeling like she's learned a truly valuable lesson, she starts to smile. Whoever she was before, she was truly blessed to meet friends like them.
"Then…if that's the case…can I at least start loving you guys from this point forward? I've only known you guys for 2 months but you guys already are special." Rise had tears in her eyes.
"Of course!" the 4 friends said in unison.
They approached Rise and gave her a hug.
"So…with regards to Yu. Does that mean…if you actually remembered…you'd want to get back together with him right?" asked Yukiko.
"AHH! That's right! And you said to us before that you'd need only one "date" to figure him out and turn him down or not. But why did you go out with him TWICE?"
"Oooohh… That is interesting. So does that mean… you actually like Yu?" said Yosuke. He had his classic smirk.
"Wait…wait…It's not like that!" Rise was blushing as she spoke.
"Ha! That's our leader for ya. He made Rise fall in love with him all over again. He really has those skills." said Yosuke.
"Hey! Wait! You're just… I already told you that I can't… be with him. As friends…I can be alright with that. I can love him like that…But in a relationship…I don't think it's that simple." said Rise. Her sad tone started creeping in again.
"Didn't we just do a whole love speech a while ago?! Besides. Yu of all people loves you the MOST. I'm sure he hasn't stopped loving you until now! Memories or Not!" said Chie.
But Chie…I actually told him… that I didn't have feelings for him."
"Even though you obviously do? Oh Rise-san." said Naoto with an exhausted face.
"Hey! I'm still full of emotion right now!" said Rise in a cute frustrated voice.
"So that confirms it! You like Yu! This is perfect!" said Yukiko.
"I told you guys already…I don't plan on getting back together…even if I do have feelings for him…okay…now I don't know anymore…It just…it feels right whenever I'm with him. My body just…moves naturally. I feel…like I'm home whenever I'm with him."
"Aww. That is so sweet." said Yukiko.
Before anything else can be further said, the door to the tofu shop opens and two new people appear.
"Hey guys! We're here!" Kanji enters the shop alongside Teddie.
"The party has begun! We brought the chips!" Teddie says.
"Where have you guys been?! We just had a very touching moment just now and both of you were MIA!" said Chie in her usual loud voice.
Both of them cowered a little from the shout.
"Hehe. Sorry we took so long. We didn't know where to buy chips so we had to go around. People kept giving us looks. We decided to go to a toy store and they had kid versions.
"What do you mean kid versions? Of food?" asked Yosuke.
All of them saw what Kanji and Teddie brought. It was a bag full of multicoloured coins.
"Why…why would we ask for POKER chips? I mean…we don't even gamble!" said Naoto.
"You guys totally messed up!" said Chie.
It…It was Teddie's idea! I didn't hear you guys so well." said Kanji.
"Hey! I thought you guys might have wanted to try…something…new? Ahehehe…" Teddie said in a forced laugh.
"Pffftt…."
"Oh no. Yukiko. Not again!" said Chie.
"Potato "Chips"…Poker "Chips"! Of course!…hahahahaha. Kanji. You got it confused! hahahahaha."
Everyone was sighing but also laughing at the current predicament.
"Really Moronji! How can you mix those two up? Well…it's been a while since I've heard Yukiko-senpai's laugh so at least there's a consolation." Rise said while she laughed.
At that moment…everybody slowly stopped laughing except for Rise. Even Yukiko slowly stopped too.
"Rise…you called me, Moronji… I haven't heard you call me that since before…the accident" said Kanji.
"You also…talked about my laugh…" said Yukiko.
Everybody was shocked. Rise didn't even realize it at first. She remembered something. Just a little.
"Rise…can you try again?" asked Chie.
"Uhm…I think…I'm starting to…Chie! I remember! You…SUCK at cooking!"
"HEY!" said Chie.
"You, Yukiko-Senpai, and I all tried cooking omelettes and failed miserably back in high school! Haha. But you honestly have gotten better since then!"
"That's right!…Mmppf…I'm glad you remember that too….Huuuhh! She's remembering! Quick! Do more" said Chie.
"Okay…Uhm…Yosuke…He used to be so obsessed with girls! His scooter broke after trying to hit on some!…Actually…wait…His obsession hasn't changed much since then. Hehe."
"Ouch…I guess I'm happy that you recall something about me? But…Come on! I'm not so bad now, am I?"
"Haha… Yeah. You've changed for the better over time!" said Rise.
She was starting to remember more and more about her friends. The memories were spreading one by one and connecting to each other.
"I remember…TEDDIE. Teddie! You're…YOU! You're a bear! Oh my God. That's how we all met. The world in the TV! You guys…you all saved me! Come here Teddie!"
Rise gives a big hug to Teddie. He was actually a bit shocked but he was happy for his friend to remember him too.
"Rise-chan…sniff…You remember me!" said Teddie with some tears in his eyes.
"You better not touch anywhere funny, and ruin the moment, you bear! Hahaha!" Rise said cheerfully."
Rise tried remembering more. She looked towards the last person she hasn't remembered a little about it in the room, Naoto.
"Naoto…was saved too! Just like me! In fact…I remember! She used to hide the fact that she was a girl!"
"Oh…It seems that little tidbit about me wasn't mentioned yet so far? I'm glad though you remembered it by yourself." said Naoto.
"Yup! I remember! I also remember that Kanji liked Naoto for the looooonnngggeessstt time!"
"Whu…WHATT?!" Naoto gave a huge shocked expression.
"Ohhh…and now I remember that…Kanji hasn't told her yet…Ahehehehe….Sorry, Kanji." said Rise in a truly remorseful tone.
"HEE—HEEYYY! Rise! How could you?! I mean…WAIT…Uhm…No! AHHH!" Kanji was screaming. He ran outside covering his ears.
Naoto was as red as a tomato after hearing that.
"That was true?" Naoto then keeps quiet as she holds her arm a little.
Chie and the rest all started laughing.
"Well…that's one way to spill a secret." said Yosuke.
"Rise! You're forgetting one more person! Yu-kun!" said Yukiko.
Rise tries again. But she's having a hard time visualising him.
"Wait. Let me check my old phone. I have several pictures of him. It might make me recall better!"
"Sure! Go for it!" said Yukiko.
As she turns on her phone. She tries recalling the password again. One-Two-Two-Four. Before she checks her photos, she stops. She thinks about the password. "Wait… What's so special about this number? Is there anything significant?… It feels like… there is." Rise thought. She ponders a bit longer. Finally…it comes to her.
"12-24."
"I'm sorry? Did you say something, Rise-chan?" asked Teddie.
"12/24! I know what's so special about it!"
"Why are you suddenly mentioning a number all of a sudden? What's so special about it?" asked Naoto.
"It's a date. It's the date… That date all those years ago…It was the first time…I stayed over at Senpai's house. It was Christmas Eve. It's all…coming back to me. I had a sore throat from my voice lessons. But it didn't matter because…I was with him."
Rise slowly remembers more details about that night. Kanji also finally enters back inside quietly as she reminisces. He tries to look away from Naoto. She herself was also still a bit red from the sudden revelation.
Rise then remembers It was cold. She was still wearing her winter uniform. On the table in between was a cake just for them.
"We ate a cake together and we gave each other presents… I asked Senpai, if I could stay the night…I was worried that when Senpai would head back to his hometown, and I went back to my singing career…we wouldn't be able to see each other often again or maybe even never… That's why…I wanted that night to be special…"
Rise started to blush from remembering that little detail.
"That was the night…Senpai and I had our first time…."
"Woah…" Everybody said in unison.
"That…must have been such a special memory…" said Yukiko with an endearing smile.
"Now I remember it, Yukiko-Senpai….I'm starting to remember everything! All the times we've been together including Nanako and the others! And…Yu! I remember him!…I…I have to see him! I have to tell him I remember!…I made a big mistake!"
"But…we don't know where he is!" said Yosuke.
"Then let's brainstorm together!" said Chie. "What could he possibly be doing now?"
After some sharing of what they knew, Rise remembered what could possibly be a clue.
"Chie! What was the thing you said? He hasn't stopped loving…me?"
"Yeah. That's what I said and I still believe it."
"Hmm…Wait! Let me get something!"
Rise disappears for a bit as she enters her room. After rummaging through the box that Nanako gave her, she finds the photo she was looking for. It was the one she saw the other day. It was a photo of the two of them at a hill overlooking town. Rise checks the back of the photo and there she finds the words "Our Promise" She brings it and shows it to them.
"Yosuke, My memories are slowly coming back to me but they aren't 100%…however I think this is definitely where he'll be. Do you know how to get there and can we use your van?"
"Of course! I know where that is too! But why there?"
"It's something special…I'm slowly remembering. I'll explain on the way!" said Rise.
"All right! Let's get going and find Yu-kun! The team is back together!" said Chie happily!
Everybody else seemed cheerful as well. Rise felt more determined than she was in a while.
"I'm on my way, Senpai!"