8/13
Yui was hanging out with Rise again, this time taking a stroll along the shopping district.
"Grandma's food is kind of bland. I know tofu is good for you, but don't you just want some flavor in your dish?" Rise stated.
"I feel that. As much as I like tofu, it's pretty bland on its own." Yui concurred.
"Huh? Wait, is that…" Rise said suddenly.
Rise was looking in front of the tofu shop, spotting a familiar looking man.
"Inoue-san? What are you doing here?" Rise asked the man.
"Ah, Rise-chan! I was looking for you." Minoru Inoue stated.
"I already settled everything with the idol agency." Rise told Inoue.
"I know that, but personally I can't accept that. I've watched over you all this time as your manager…"
"Stop it! I'm not a personality anymore. My private time doesn't need overseeing from a manager. Go home, or I'll call the police!" Rise said angrily.
"Rise-chan, wait! Please think it over. Your fans were looking forward to the movie, and I firmly believe that no other actress can play that role better than Rise Kujikawa."
"I told you, I'm done with show business! I said it was only a hiatus, but I changed my mind." Rise said firmly.
Inoue looked at the ground, seemingly defeated, and slowly walked away.
"Was that your manager?" Yui asked.
"Yeah. He has a daughter my age, so I guess he kind of treats me that way." Rise explained.
"So...you're really quitting being an idol?"
"Yes. I'm tired of acting, playing a role."
"Well, I'll respect your decision. I'm sure your fans will miss you."
"That's OK. I appreciate it."
"Ah, I have to get home now."
"Thanks for hanging out with me, senpai!"
"You too, Rise-chan!"
8/14
Yui and Rise were sitting on a bench at the Samegawa Riverbank, taking in the beautiful sunlit scenery.
"Grandma once said that I was like tofu." Rise told Yui.
"How so?" Yui asked.
"The way she explained it...tofu looks weak and fragile, but it's actually quite resilient. And even though it stands out since it's not like other foods, it can be mixed with pretty much anything."
"Hmm...I think I can see what she meant."
"Senpai, can I talk to you about something?"
"Of course. What is it, Rise-chan?"
"I was...bullied a lot before I became an idol. I wasn't good at talking, I always stared at my feet, I was alone for a good length of time. But back then, I was OK with that, because I was nobody. Nobody expected anything of me. That was until...a relative submitted an application to become an idol, without telling me. It passed the first audition." Rise stated, thoughtfully looking back at her time prior to being an idol.
"So becoming an idol wasn't even your decision?" Yui asked.
"Well, I wasn't interested at first, but I wanted the chance to change myself. When I won, I was kind of panicked, and I wanted to turn down the offer at first. Then I thought, if I show up on TV, I'd be able to make friends. That was the only reason I went through with it."
"I'd never have guessed you were so lonely. I'm so sorry to hear that, Rise-chan…" Yui said regretfully.
"I've realized something. Risette, the one that's sold to the public, she's the one everyone likes, not me. You're probably hanging out with me just because I'm Risette, huh senpai?"
"Rise-chan! It's not like that!" Yui exclaimed, taken aback by Rise's assumption.
"It's OK, you can admit it. I won't be mad." Rise said with a polite smile.
"Well, actually...I'm not entirely sure. I'm not into celebrities. For the most part, it's all a bunch of noisy nonsense to me. Even though nobody stopped talking about Risette, I just never got it. But having been with you, actually getting to be with 'Risette'? I think to myself, 'Man, people would give up their life savings for even a chance to hang out with Risette' and it's just...odd to me. This completely ordinary girl that you could find at any school, any town, is regarded as a treasure. So if I'm being completely honest...I don't know how to feel." Yui explained.
"Wow! I'm a bit surprised by your answer. I kind of assumed you had everything figured out, but then again, I guess you're only a year older than me." Rise said with intrigue.
"There's a lot I haven't figured out about myself, Rise-chan. As much as I like to think I'm well equipped to handle things, at the end of the day, I'm still a teenager getting a grasp on the world."
"When I went back to school after becoming an idol, people stopped bullying me. I was happy at first, having complete strangers come up to me and talk with me. But they were interested in Risette, not Rise."
"Personally, it's the other way around for me."
"I want to become a Rise that everyone can like!"
"That sounds good. Always strive for positive changes!"
"Thanks for supporting me, senpai!"
"The real you!"
At home, Yui sat at the dinner table with Dojima, wishing to strike up a conversation after Nanako ran away from home a few days ago.
"Dojima-san?" Yui said.
"Hm? Yes, Narukami?" Dojima replied.
"Whatever happened with that newspaper article? Did you find it?"
"Oh, that? Yeah, I found it."
"What was so important about it?"
"It's about Chisato...my wife." Dojima said sadly.
Yui nodded, instantly coming to understand.
"She was killed in a hit-and-run...let's just leave it at that."
"It's OK. I know this must be painful for you. But...I really want to know what happened. How things got to this point." Yui said politely.
"She was run over on her way to pick up Nanako from the nursery. It was a cold day, and there were no witnesses, so we didn't find her until much later. That whole time, Nanako was waiting there...all alone. Waiting for a mother who would never come…" Dojima explained, his voice becoming increasingly pained as he told the story.
"That's terrible...I'm so sorry you both went through that…" Yui said sympathetically.
"I didn't have the heart to tell Nanako that her mother was killed. That her father, whose job is to catch criminals, couldn't even find a single lead. But I never gave up. I promise I'll catch him! I don't need a private life to do that. Nanako will understand." Dojima stated.
"Maybe…" Yui responded.
"Yeah, someday she'll understand. I just have to tell myself that…"
Dojima looked down at the floor, clearly to hide the anguish in his expression.
"Sorry, I need to be left alone." Dojima said.
"OK, I will."
Yui stood up from the table and began walking to her room, until Dojima stopped her.
"Narukami! Yui…"
"Yes, Dojima?"
"...Thank you."
Yui nodded and continued to her room.
8/15
Yui got a call from Yosuke in the morning, and Yui couldn't help but wonder the reason.
"Hey, it's me! Sorry to drop this on you all of a sudden, but I need a big favor from you." Yosuke told Yui.
"What can I do for you, Yosuke?" Yui asked.
"Can you work at Junes from today until Friday?" Yosuke asked politely.
"Oh! Uh…" Yui said hesitantly.
"Please! We're short on staff! I'll pay you more than we usually do! I'll buy you lunch every day at work too, promise! Please, Yui! I'm begging you!" Yosuke said desperately.
"Alright, alright! Calm down! I'll do it." Yui stated confidently.
"Thank you so much! You're awesome!" Yosuke said gratefully.
"On ONE condition." Yui clarified.
"Oh no…" Yosuke sighed, his spirit dropping.
"Chie has to work at Junes too. I need the company." Yui stated.
"Sure, whatever! As long as you can help me!" Yosuke replied.
"I'm calling her now. Bye Yosuke."
"I'll see you there."
Yui hung up and immediately called Chie.
"Hey Chie-chan! Yes, I love you too. Listen, I have a favor to ask. How would you like a part-time job?"
Yui helped Yosuke and Teddie serve customers at the Junes food court, along with the help of Chie.
"God, this is tiring. I'd be a zombie by now if it weren't for your help, Yui-chan." Yosuke told Yui.
"Don't mention it. Teddie, those burgers are ready to flip now!" Yui said to Teddie.
"You got it, sensei!" Teddie chimed.
"Come get your shaved ice! All your favorite flavors!" Chie announced to the customers.
Yui came over to greet Chie after serving the completed orders.
"You're doing great! Thanks for joining me, Chie-chan." Yui told Chie.
"No problem. Ugh, it's so hot today!" Chie complained.
"That's not the only thing that's hot!" Yui flirted.
"Oh my god, I'd be so annoyed if you weren't so cute right now!" Chie stated, resisting the urge to grin.
"How's the scooter license coming?" Yui asked.
"I got mine! And so did Yukiko and Rise-chan!" Chie said with a smile.
"Great! Looking forward to the beach trip!" Yui said happily.
"Let's get through this work week!"
8/19
It was the last day Yui and Chie had to work at Junes, and while they were mostly relieved at that fact, they couldn't help but feel bad for Teddie, who had to stand in the sun, in front of the grill, while wearing the mascot costume.
"What a soldier…" Yui muttered.
"Hey, tomorrow's the summer festival!" Chie told Yui.
"Oh, that's right! That means we have to wear yukata, huh?" Yui said, her voice trailing.
"What's wrong? You're not excited?"
"No, I am! But...yukata were always a pain to put on back home. My mom was terrible at putting them on, so she couldn't help." Yui explained.
"That's OK! We can meet up at Yukiko's place! I'm sure the workers at the inn would be more than happy to help us prepare." Chie stated.
"Is that so? Alright then. I'll bring Nanako-chan along as well."
"Sounds like a plan! See you there!"
8/20
Today was the day of the summer festival, and the girls were all gathered at the Amagi Inn to put on their yukata and prepare for the evening. Nanako was knelt beside Chie, Yukiko and Rise as they put the final touches on her outfit. Chie wore a yellow and white yukata, while Yukiko wore a purple one, Rise wore a rose one, and Nanako wore a pink one.
"There! How does that feel, Nanako-chan?" Yukiko asked.
"It's kind of hard to move around in…" Nanako stated.
"That's normal. The towels will help keep us warm. You look cute, Nanako-chan!" Rise told Nanako.
"Arigato!" Nanako said cheerfully.
"Hm? Chie-chan, where's Yui-chan?" Yukiko asked Chie.
"Oh, she went into one of the rooms by herself. I guess she's shy." Chie replied.
"Or maybe she didn't want to see us changing." Rise guessed.
"I don't know about that, Rise-chan." Yukiko said.
"Well, she's taking too long! We're already late as it is!" Rise complained.
"Chie, can you go help her?" Yukiko asked.
"Alright. I hope she'll cooperate…"
Chie stood up and walked over to the room she believed Yui was in. She slowly pried the door open and saw Yui in a moderate state of undress, struggling to properly wrap the towel around her body. Yui was in such a frustrated state that she hadn't even noticed Chie opening the door.
"Goddammit, why is this so hard?" Yui growled.
"Yui-chan?" Chie said quietly.
Yui shrieked in surprise when she heard this, quickly wrapping her yukata around herself to cover up. When she turned to see who it was, she breathed a relieved sigh.
"Oh, it's just you…" Yui said.
"S-sumimasen…I was just checking on you..." Chie apologized, her face growing pink as she tried not to stare.
"*sigh* I can't do this. A girl who can't put on a yukata. This is embarrassing…" Yui muttered.
"Here, let me help you." Chie offered.
"No, no! It's fine! It's my problem, not yours." Yui said in exasperation.
"Please, Yui? It'll be fine. Would you rather someone else help you?"
"I...I don't…"
"Did you go into a separate room because you didn't want any of the girls seeing you?" Chie asked as she knelt down next to Yui.
"I...yes…"
"Yui, we're all girls. We've all seen another girl naked at least once in our lives, haven't we?" Chie said reassuringly.
"Yeah, but it's different with us, with me. I always lost my cool. I could never do the art thing where we had to draw nude models, because it was too distracting."
"Not even the male models?"
"No...I always had to use photo references in either case."
"Does that mean…"
"Yeah, it's also the reason I don't like bathhouses."
"I see."
Yui gripped her yukata tighter as she became increasingly tense. Chie attempted to calm her by holding her hand.
"Well, if anyone has to see you naked, is it OK if it's me?" Chie asked.
"Um...I...I guess?" Yui replied with a blush.
"Here, I'll help you with the towel."
Yui took another breath before slowly unwrapping the yukata and towel. Chie took a moment to admire her girlfriend's breasts before quickly wrapping her with the towel. Yui proceeded to put on her yukata, which was a vibrant shade of blue.
"Thank you, Chie-chan…" Yui said gratefully.
"You're welcome, Yui-chan. You look great. Very sexy!" Chie said with a smile.
"Oh god, you actually called me sexy. I'm...flattered." Yui responded, her breath catching in her throat.
Yui looked Chie in the eyes, happiness welling in her heart.
"You, uh...you look sexy too, Chie." Yui admitted.
"*giggle* What are you talking about? God, you'll embarrass me…" Chie said with a blush.
"Chie?"
"Yes, Yui?"
"Um...there's no way to ask this that isn't awkward...what did you think of my...boobs?"
Seeing Chie look away in embarrassment caused Yui to immediately regret asking, but Chie managed to collect herself and respond.
"...I liked them. Simple as that." Chie stated.
"OK…"
Yui and Chie took this moment to nuzzle each other, taking in each other's warmth. Yukiko knocked on the door, causing both of them to snap out of their romantic trance.
"Can I come in?" Yukiko asked.
"Yeah, sure!" Yui replied.
Yukiko opened the door, and Yui and Chie stood upright.
"Ah, good! You're done! Let's get going then. The boys are waiting for us." Yukiko stated.
"Right. Let's go." Yui said.
Yui took Chie's hand and confidently went with everyone to the Tatsuhime Shrine, where the festival was being held.
Yosuke, Kanji and Teddie had been wandering around the festival grounds for a while, spending most of their time sampling food from the various stands, such as takoyaki and snowcones.
"Man, what's taking them so long?" Yosuke asked the others.
"They'll be here. I trust them." Kanji replied.
"Sorry we're late." Yukiko called out to the boys.
The girls all walked up to the boys and made a show of bowing to them.
"How do we look? Does the sight of us make your heart skip a beat?" Rise asked flirtatiously.
"Dang, you all look great! Especially you, Rise-chan!" Yosuke stated in awe.
"Yeah…" Kanji mumbled, looking away.
"Are you looking away, Kanji? What are you, a monk?" Yosuke asked.
"Ah ha ha ha! Kanji-kun's shy! That's adorable!" Rise teased.
"No I'm not!" Kanji responded.
Dojima suddenly came over and greeted everyone.
"There you are." Dojima said.
"Hi Dojima-san!" Yui replied.
"You look great, Narukami! Thanks for looking after Nanako."
"No problem."
"Come on, Nanako. Let's go get cotton candy." Dojima told Nanako.
"Yay!" Nanako cheered.
"You kids have fun, alright?" Dojima told them as he walked away with Nanako.
"Hmm, the summer festival…" Teddie mutters.
"What are you on about Teddie?" Chie asked.
"A couple walks together at a summer festival. Unused to wearing it, the girl's yukata comes loose. Summer has begun." Teddie recites.
"What, are you writing an erotic novel?" Yui asked rhetorically, glaring at Teddie.
"We should walk in pairs! It doesn't feel right for guys and girls to walk around in a big group like this. Each of us guys should be paired with one girl!" Teddie stated.
"Teddie, there's four girls and only three guys. What are you going to do about that?" Yui pointed out.
"Oh yeah. Should we leave you out?" Yosuke asked.
"What?!" Yui exclaimed.
"Uh! What I meant was...shouldn't you be here with your girlfriend? Then you we'd all have someone to go with." Yosuke clarified.
"Oh, that's what you meant. Unfortunately, she's sick. I promised I'd get her something from the festival." Yui lied.
"Aw, that's too bad. Sorry to hear that." Yosuke said sympathetically.
"Hey, can't Yui just be with us? None of this pairing up nonsense." Chie suggested.
"That's not fair! What are we supposed to do, just hang out together? Just us guys?" Yosuke asked.
"I know, I'll go out with all of you!" Teddie chimed in.
Everyone gave Teddie a perplexed look.
"There's no way to pair up without leaving one of the girls out. But if I go with all of you, then none of you will be left out!" Teddie explained.
"You know what, works for me. If he tries anything, we can beat him up." Yui stated.
"What?!" Yosuke exclaimed.
"Come on, let's go." Rise said cheerfully.
The girls allowed Teddie to run ahead of them as they all left, leaving Yosuke and Kanji behind.
"Why does he get to go with them?!" Yosuke complained.
"Whatever. None of them would trust any of us, may as well take the little guy along." Kanji replied.
"We need better friends…" Yosuke muttered.
"Hey, you wanna go get some yakitori?" Kanji asked with a grin.
"I...OK, that sounds pretty good…" Yosuke answered.
8/21
Chie invited Yui to attend the festival again, this time with just the two of them. After a brief detour to the Amagi Inn to change into their yukata, they headed for the shrine.
"There's not much else to see here, I know. But we had our hands full with Teddie, and I just wanted some alone time with you." Chie explained.
"Hey, I get it. I was going to ask you here myself." Yui replied.
"That's nice."
"Wow, I just noticed the song they're playing." Yui noted, referring to the music being played from the outdoor speakers.
"What about it?"
"That's Misuzu Hiiragi singing!"
"Oh, you're right!"
The song was called "Hito no Mono", "Someone Else's Husband", and it seemed to be about a woman being sad about how the love of her life was already married to someone else.
"Anta ni deatta ano sakamichi arukeba"
(Whenever I walk along that hill road where I met you)
"Tsuutto namida ga aa koborechau"
(Aah, my tears will trickle down)
"Yoru no yanagi ni ano hito ga"
(Under the willow trees at night, that person)
"Chirari chira chira to ne…"
(I can see glimpses of you two together...)
"Yappari anta wa haa hito no mono"
(Well you're someone else's husband after all)
"It's...beautiful, honestly. Even if the song is about heartbreak." Yui stated.
"I agree." Chie concurred.
The two of them walked over to the offertory box to make a wish.
"What are you going to wish for?" Chie asked.
"I'm wishing to be closer to you. More than we already are, anyway." Yui answered.
"I wish for the same thing. Except...I'm adding 'forever' at the end of that." Chie said with a smile.
Yui gasped and stared at Chie, covering her mouth in disbelief.
"Chie, I...you don't mean?" Yui stammered.
"I...I do. Let's get married when we're old enough!" Chie stated with a blush.
Yui shut her eyes in an attempt to stop herself from crying. Marriage. Chie actually asked her to marry her. This should have been an extremely happy moment for her, and yet something prevented her from feeling that way, a dark cloud stopping her from catching all the sunlight.
"*sigh* Chie...I…" Yui choked out.
"What's wrong?" Chie asked, suddenly worried.
Yui reached out and held hands with Chie in order to give her the strength to continue.
"Chie-chan...you know I love you, more than any human language can express, right?" Yui asked.
"Yes, I do." Chie replied.
"I know we were talking about moving too fast only recently, but...this is all a bit sudden, don't you think?"
"Well, I'm not asking to get married now! I meant after we finish school, and we can be on our own."
"OK, then what? Where are we supposed to get married? Who will wed us? I just…"
Yui began to cry, and Chie's smile instantly turned into an agape frown.
"I don't think you realize what you're asking for, Chie-chan...you're asking for a wish we can never have…" Yui said with a sob.
"Yui, please don't cry!" Chie begged.
Chie wrapped her arms around Yui to comfort her, allowing her to finish crying.
"I know we can't get married here in Japan. I'm fully aware of that. But...we can get married somewhere else! Even if Japan won't recognize it." Chie told Yui.
"You'd do that?" Yui asked.
"I'd walk to the other side of the world to do it!" Chie said firmly.
Yui wiped her eyes as her smile came back.
"OK. And...even if that's not possible either, nothing's stopping us from just...being together. Living under the same roof, supporting each other, it's not all that different from being married." Yui assured herself.
"Right. As long as I get to be with you, I'm happy." Chie said.
"I'd also be happy with having the legal protections of a married couple, but I'll take what I can get."
Yui and Chie chuckled at this comment.
"I'm sorry Chie, I need a bit more time to think about this. Let's just enjoy the festival." Yui apologized.
"Alright. I'm sorry for making you cry." Chie told Yui.
"It wasn't you. I'm better now, I promise."
"Do you...still want to make a wish?"
"You know what, even if we're asking for an impossible wish...who knows? We might just get it someday."
Yui and Chie placed some yen in the offertory box and prayed before moving on to the rest of the festival.
"I don't know. I already ate a candy apple yesterday…" Chie muttered, looking over the candy apple stand.
"I'll throw in some lottery tickets then! How about it? You can exchange them over there!" The man handing out the candy apples offered.
"Well, maybe we can get a nice prize. OK, we'll have two!" Yui asked.
"Ooh, look Yui! Okonomiyaki!" Chie told Yui, pointing to another food stand.
"OK, OK, no hurry, Chie!" Yui replied.
After receiving their candy apples, Yui and Chie went to go get okonomiyaki.
"These goldfish fishing games always have a turtle swimming at the bottom of the pool. Is that safe?" Chie asked Yui.
"I'm sure this turtle won't go for the fish, otherwise they wouldn't put it in there." Yui replied.
"I'm not a fan of these games. You have to be so delicate."
"I can give it a try."
Yui took a fishing rod and made an attempt to catch a goldfish. It took a few tries, but she was eventually able to get one, causing Chie to cheer in celebration.
"Alright, you both get one try each. Go ahead and draw one!" The lottery man told Yui and Chie.
Yui and Chie reached into the prize box and drew a ticket.
"Aw, I didn't win." Yui said in disappointment.
"Hey, you drew two tickets, miss!" The lottery man pointed out.
"Oh, oops. Sorry." Chie apologized.
"Ah, looks like only one of them is a winner. It's alright. Here's your prize!" The man said.
"Oh, 'The Divine Way'? Man, I have like four copies of this book!" Chie complained.
"I don't have that one." Yui told Chie.
"Then you can have it. My gift!"
"Thank you, Chie-chan!"
The night was nearly over, and so Yui and Chie were preparing to go home.
"Today was a lot of fun!" Chie said.
"It was. Thanks for asking me out." Yui replied.
Yui gave Chie another hug, and it was then that Yui remembered something.
"Chie-chan? About what you asked me earlier?" Yui said.
"Yeah? About us...getting married?" Chie asked.
"Let's...practice. I didn't come prepared, but neither did you, I'm guessing. So…"
Yui held hands with Chie again, looking her in the eyes and smiling. Chie smiled back, preparing herself for what came next.
"Chie Satonaka...you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met. I have one thing to ask you…" Yui told Chie.
Yui looked around her to check if anyone was watching. When she noticed nobody, she continued.
"Chie-chan...will you marry me?" Yui asked.
"...Yes! I want to be your wife, Yui-chan!" Chie whispered.
Yui and Chie kissed each other very briefly before heading back home.
"We're still girlfriends for now, but it's fun imagining being each other's wives." Yui stated.
"You know, how will last names work? Chie Narukami? Yui Satonaka?" Chie asked.
"Hey, I kind of like the second one!"
"I don't know. It doesn't sound right to me, somehow."
"Maybe we don't have to take each other's last name? There's probably some other way to indicate that we're married."
"Like wedding rings?"
"Something like that. We'll figure it out."
"Yeah. Together!"
8/23
Today was the day of the visit to Shichiri Beach, and the Investigation Team were all riding their scooters toward their destination, with the exception of Kanji and Teddie, who had to resort to using a bicycle and roller skates, respectively.
"Senpai! Are we going the right way?" Rise asked Chie.
"Of course we are! Can you smell that ocean air?" Chie answered.
"No!" Rise said.
"Don't worry Rise! She's got the senses of a beast!" Yosuke stated.
"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Chie asked, mildly offended.
"It's a compliment, Chie-chan! Like the lion guard statue in martial arts movies, vigilant to all who would invade its temple!" Yui explained, using an analogy Chie would appreciate.
"Oh...OK then." Chie replied.
Meanwhile, Kanji and Teddie were lagging behind, struggling in the summer sun as they forced their way up a hill.
"Man, give me a break! Haven't they seen the map?! This is crazy!" Kanji complained.
"Wait for me...I'm not gonna make it…" Teddie said breathlessly, collapsing and falling on his face.
"Look! There it is! The ocean!" Chie called out.
As the team made it through the woods, they bore witness to the waters of Shichiri Beach, and were in awe at its picturesque beauty.
"Wow! It's so pretty!" Yukiko exclaimed.
Suddenly, Kanji and Teddie zoomed past the others, not only because they were riding downhill, but also because they were determined to beat the others to the beach.
"Hey! Where do you two think you're going? No one's gonna beat me to the beach!" Chie called out as she sped up her scooter.
"Wait up!" Yui called out as she and the others drove faster to keep pace.
The girls were nearly done changing into their swimsuits, more than a bit nervous to face the boys. Yukiko was wearing the same swimsuit she wore for her swim in the Samegawa River. Chie wore a variation of her previous swimsuit, which featured a sporty green skirt and a flower decorated top. Rise was wearing her famous orange two-piece swimsuit that she often wore for commercials that involved the beach.
"Well, I'm more than ready!" Rise said cheerfully.
"Yui-chan, are you done yet?" Yukiko asked Yui, who was hiding away from everyone else.
"I don't want to go out there…" Yui responded quietly.
"Stop being shy and get out here!" Chie told Yui, walking over to where she was hiding and pulling her out for the other girls to see.
Yui wore a bright blue frilled bikini, similar to the one she wore previously, with some added accessories in the form of a translucent blue jacket and a plastic hibiscus flower in her hair. Yui blushed as she noticed the other girls staring.
"Don't look at me like that! It's nothing special…" Yui pleaded.
"Nothing special?! Look at you! You've never been more attractive!" Chie stated.
"Wow, senpai! You look very stunning!" Rise chimed.
"Thanks Rise-chan. But I think you'll be stealing the spotlight with your swimsuit." Yui responded.
"Well, shall we get going now? I can't wait to get in the water!" Yukiko told the other girls.
"Huh? Senpai, what's that around your leg?" Rise asked Yui, pointing to the cloth wristband around her leg.
"Oh, oops! Forgot to take that off! Pretend you didn't see that!" Yui said in a panic, quickly taking the wristband off and stowing it away.
The girls walked over to the other side of the beach, where the boys were waiting. Once Yosuke and Teddie caught sight of them, their attention was only on them.
"Woah! They're something else!" Yosuke said to Teddie.
"Sugoi!" Teddie responded.
"Hey, why aren't you guys in the water already?" Chie asked.
"Oh, you were waiting for us, weren't you? Are you checking me out, senpai?" Rise asked Yosuke.
"Uh...I mean…" Yosuke mumbled.
"You all win the Ladies of Summer competition in my book! This could be my chance for a summer romance with one of these beautiful mermaids!" Teddie exclaimed.
"Like that's ever gonna happen." Chie said quietly.
"Where's Kanji-kun?" Yui asked.
"Oh, here he comes!" Yukiko said.
Kanji walked over after changing into his swimsuit, which consisted of nothing but a very skimpy speedo.
"Dude, what the hell is that?" Yosuke asked Kanji.
"What? It's basic black. What's wrong with it?" Kanji asked in response.
"I mean the size of it! It's barely covering anything."
"You're the only one saying anything about it."
"Kanji-kun, how come you're not getting a nosebleed over my swimsuit?" Rise asked Kanji.
"Why would that happen?" Kanji replied.
"Hey!" Rise stated.
"Come on, let's get in the water already!" Yui told everyone.
Yui took Chie by the hand and ran with her into the water. Everyone eagerly followed, with Yosuke and Teddie making a particularly big splash. Yukiko spent most of her time floating around in her inflatable tube and soaking up the sunlight. Rise and Yosuke were having fun pushing each other around, having instigated a water fight earlier. Kanji and Teddie were racing each other, seeing who could swim to one end of the beach the fastest. While everyone else was having fun in the same general area, Yui and Chie swam to a more private part of the water where they felt the others wouldn't disturb them. They spent their time trying to impress each other by doing some cool swimming moves, like Yui flipping backward into the water and Chie striking some poses while submerged.
"Man, it was a great idea to come here. I guess we have to thank Yosuke." Yui stated.
"You know, you're right. I'm having a great time." Chie said in agreement.
"Hey, I've been thinking...about our potential wedding." Yui said as she held hands with Chie.
"Oh yeah? What about it?" Chie asked curiously.
"I imagine it's not going to be very traditional. Does one of us have to wear a suit, like the groom? Or can we both wear dresses? Because I'd love it if we could wear matching dresses!"
"I don't mind wearing a suit! But...I'd also like wearing a wedding dress."
"What about the rings? I have to admit something...I actually hate wearing rings. When you're married, are you obligated to wear rings?"
"I mean, I guess we don't necessarily have to. We can still keep the rings though, as a symbol of our marriage."
"Who's going to be the ring bearer? I'm not sure I trust any of the boys with something so important."
"Honestly...I think we CAN trust them. They're pretty reliable when it comes to the team. I'm sure they'd take great care of the rings."
"Then Teddie can be the ring bearer. He seems the least likely to drop them, or something stupid like that."
"Hey, this is going to sound a bit crazy, but I've always wanted to cut the wedding cake with something ridiculous like a katana!"
"Really?! No way, I've always wanted to do that too!"
"Ahh! It's gonna be awesome! Let's both go at the cake when that happens!"
"When it happens...because it WILL happen...right?"
"Yes!"
Chie put her arms over Yui's shoulders, and after ensuring they wouldn't sink, they shared a few sweet kisses.
"Yui-chan! Chie-chan! Where are you?" Yukiko called out.
"Uh-oh. We'd better get back." Chie told Yui.
"Yes, let's." Yui said with a nod.
The two of them quickly swam back to the others. When Yosuke asked where they went, Chie said it was "none of his damn business" and splashed water on him.
Yosuke had climbed out of the water to dry off, and after playing with the girls for a bit longer, Yui decided to get out of the water as well.
"I'm gonna go get a soda from the vending machine." Yui told Chie.
"OK, see you soon!" Chie replied.
Yui stepped out of the water and onto the sand to meet up with Yosuke.
"Hey, Yui! Want a drink? I'm paying!" Yosuke offered.
"Sounds good." Yui said with a grin.
"Must be nice being around the girls. Getting to see them changing into their swimsuits." Yosuke commented.
"What kind of girl do you take me for? I DON'T get to see them changing!"
"Wait, you don't?"
"I always change by myself. Too embarrassed to do it in front of other girls. Also, I'm not a pervert like you."
"That's too bad. I was gonna say, that's like a lesbian's dream come true."
"Porn has been giving you the wrong ideas, Yosuke…" Yui said as she lightly shoved Yosuke.
The other girls started screaming and shouting about something, catching the attention of both Yui and Yosuke.
"Eek! Teddie!" Yukiko shrieked.
"Stop that! My string's coming undone!" Rise cried out.
"Teddie! Hands off!" Chie said angrily.
"Aw come on! I think it's time for a wardrobe malfunction!" Teddie said perversely.
"What the hell is he doing?" Yosuke asked.
"Teddie, if you're doing what I think you're doing, I'm gonna mess you up!" Yui called out.
"Hey, get over here!" Kanji shouted at Teddie, wrestling him under the water.
After some struggle, Kanji was able to subdue Teddie and carry him ashore.
"Got you, you damn bastard!" Kanji said.
As Kanji walked up to Yui and Yosuke to deliver the "criminal", Yui suppressed a scream.
"Ah! Kanji!" Yosuke shouted.
"What?" Kanji asked.
"Your speedo…" Yui said quietly.
Kanji looked down to find that his swimsuit was missing, and he began panicking.
"Oh shit!" Kanji shouted.
"What do we do?!" Yui asked the boys.
"We gotta find something to cover up, before the others see!" Yosuke stated.
"Fine, go find something! Anything!" Yui told Yosuke.
Yosuke ran off to the other side of the beach and came back with a bundle of seaweed.
"Really? That's the best you could get?!" Kanji asked.
"There's no time! Just put it on!" Yosuke said urgently.
"Hey, we're coming back in!" Rise called out.
"Wait! Don't come back yet!" Yui responded.
"Why not?" Yukiko asked.
The other girls approached them and saw what was happening, their faces contorting into disgust when they saw Kanji wearing the seaweed like a brief.
"What the hell is happening?" Chie asked.
"We're uh...reenacting The Birth of Venus?" Yosuke said awkwardly.
The girls ran away screaming, wanting no part of the situation.
"You sicko!" Rise shrieked as she and the others went back into the water.
Yosuke and Kanji looked down in shame while Teddie lay unconscious on the sand and Yui shook her head in distress.
"You guys owe me…" Yui grumbled.
"Sorry for putting you through this, partner…" Yosuke muttered.
"Man, this thing itches…" Kanji commented.
"Yeah…" Yosuke flatly replied.
Yui was partaking in making sand castles with the other girls, along with Teddie, who insisted on joining in.
"We should have a game! Whoever makes the worst sand castle has to buy everyone barbecue skewers!" Chie suggested.
"But that's a prize only you would play for, senpai." Rise noted.
"We should get going real soon though. Sun's starting to set, and we have a long way to get back." Yui stated.
"Aw, you're no fun." Chie said teasingly.
"Hey everyone! We gotta get going!" Yosuke called out to everyone.
"That's that then. Come on everyone!" Yui said as she left her sand castle as it was.
As all the others went to go get changed and prepare to leave, Yosuke got Yui's attention and asked if she was interested in a skiing trip in the future. Yui told him that it sounded like fun and that she'd think about it.
8/26
Yui had been spending the past couple nights helping Nanako with her homework, but during the day, she made time to hang out with friends. Today, she was hanging out with Rise again walking along the shopping district.
"Want some tofu to take home? I helped make them earlier!" Rise offered Yui.
"My family could use that. Thank you, Rise-chan!" Yui said.
"Wait here. I'll go get them."
Rise went off to Marukyu Tofu to get the tofu for Yui, and shortly afterwards, Rise's manager came up to Yui.
"Hello?" Inoue greeted Yui.
"Oh, it's you again. Inoue-san, was it?" Yui responded.
"Yes. I'm sorry to bother you, but could you give this to Rise-chan? It's a fan letter."
"Why can't you give it to her yourself?"
"I don't think she'd accept it from me. And she always did enjoy receiving letters from this girl."
Inoue stood thoughtfully for some time before speaking again.
"Even knowing all the problems idol life comes with, I still want her to come back. She was genuinely brilliant, and she's strong enough to use her pain as a foundation, to inspire others." Inoue stated.
"Inoue-san?! What are you doing here? I told you to stop pestering me!" Rise called out as she came back.
"I'm sorry. I'll be going now." Inoue said nervously as he left.
"What was he talking to you about, senpai?" Rise asked Yui.
"He wanted me to give you this…" Yui said, holding out the letter.
Yui and Rise moved to Tatsuhime Shrine in order to read the letter in a quiet place.
"I did a PSA for an anti-bullying campaign once. She said it inspired her, and that she'd try to make new friends." Rise explained.
"Sounds like someone I know." Yui stated.
"Every time I read her letters, I feel like Risette meant something. Like what I was doing was actually helping people. She must be worried about me. Officially, I'm on break due to illness. I've already given up on being Risette. I can't live up to her expectations, or anyone else's…"
"I'm sure she'd understand. I don't know about anyone else, but this girl? You clearly meant a lot to her. You made her happy during a time when she needed it most, and I'm sure she'd want you to be happy as well."
"Hmm…"
"Do you know who might take the spotlight next?" Yui asked.
"I'm thinking it might be Kanami Mashita. She was my junior. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the new poster girl for everything." Rise stated.
"Kanamin? Ah, I can see that. You know, Nanako was always a Rise fan. When I asked her about Kanamj, she told me, 'Rise-chan is better!'"
"She really said that? But, she knows the real me isn't anything like Risette, right?"
"I'm not sure she makes the distinction. To her, you were always Rise-chan. It's like she's got a lens that lets her see past the fake things."
"Kanamin...I quit being an idol so I could take my mind off things like that."
"You're not jealous of Kanami now, are you?"
"I...I did this to be my true self. I'd never give this up!"
"Hm…"
"I have to go home, senpai."
"Me too. Take care of yourself, OK Rise-chan?"
"I will, senpai."
"Onee-chan?"
"Yes, Nanako-chan?"
"Is it the male platypus or female platypus that has the poison claws?"
"The male ones."
"Thank you, onee-chan!"
"You're welcome."
8/30
Chie invited Yui to go see the fireworks with the others, and Yui happily agreed to it. Once she was there, they all stood around, waiting for the firework festival to begin.
"Man, the riverbanks were packed. I'm glad we were able to find a quiet spot like this." Kanji stated.
"I pass by the mountainside a lot, so I knew all about this spot." Yukiko said with a grin.
"Onee-chan! There you are!"
Nanako and Dojima walked up to the others to greet them.
"Nanako-chan! And Dojima-san! You made it!" Chie said cheerfully.
"Yeah. I had some unfinished paperwork, but I figured Adachi would finish the rest." Dojima stated.
"Hey look! I think it's starting!" Kanji said, motioning to the sky.
At that moment, the fireworks began, filling the night sky with a barrage of neon colors. The others cheered as they watched the sparks rain down in the distance. Dojima stood and smiled peacefully, and while Nanako was initially startled by the explosions, she quickly grew to love the presentation.
"Did you have fun, Nanako-chan?" Yukiko asked Nanako after the fireworks had ended.
"Mm-hm! *yawn* I'm sleepy…" Nanako said drowsily.
"Ha ha, I'm not surprised. Let's get you to bed." Dojima told Nanako.
Dojima took Nanako's hand and began walking her back home.
"Don't stay out too late, alright?" Dojima told the others.
Everyone waved goodbye to Dojima and Nanako and began to converse again.
"Guess summer's just about over." Kanji stated.
"Aw, why'd you have to remind us?" Chie groaned.
"I'm alright with that. I got to do a lot of fun things this summer! I went to the beach, watched some fireworks, and I got to wear a yukata to the summer festival." Rise said optimistically.
"The summer festival. Thanks to a certain someone, I've got nothing but bitter memories of it." Yosuke stated.
"Really?" Teddie asked.
"I'm talking about you!" Yosuke said in irritation.
"I had fun." Kanji said with a smile.
"I mean, I guess it was nice chatting over festival food." Yosuke admitted.
"So you did have fun after all." Yui joked.
"What about the rest of you? I'm sure Teddie must have given you a hard time."
"We made sure he never tried anything. He kept trying to steal our food though." Yukiko said.
"I certainly had a good time. Despite everything…" Yui stated.
"What do you mean, 'despite everything'?" Yosuke asked.
"Well, I meant with my girlfriend. We talked about some heavy stuff, and it kind of put a damper on the mood." Yui explained.
"Wait, I thought your girlfriend was sick?"
"Oh, she was feeling better the next day, so I took her to the festival. Sorry, I guess I didn't mention that." Yui lied.
"Well, nice to hear you were able to spend time with her after all. Come to think of it, what's her name?" Yosuke asked.
Yui's heart stopped for a brief moment.
"Her...name?" Yui replied.
"Yeah I just realized, I don't think you ever told me her name."
"I...I don't need to tell you that!" Yui said defensively.
"Why not? What, are you just making her up?" Yosuke asked aggressively.
"No! I'm not that pathetic!" Yui said angrily.
"Then who is it? Is it someone from school or what?"
"Yosuke, cut that out! You're being very rude!" Yukiko spoke up.
"Why is it so much to ask?! Isn't anyone else curious?" Yosuke responded.
By this point, Yui was extremely stressed, and didn't do a good job of hiding it. Unfortunately, a certain someone else was also visibly stressed out.
"Senpai? Are you alright? Are you having a stomachache?" Rise asked, referring to Chie.
"Uh, n-no, not at all! I'm fine!" Chie stuttered.
"Chie-chan? What's going on with you? I was talking to Yui, not you." Yosuke asked.
"Stop it! That's enough!" Yui shouted.
Everyone was startled by this sudden outburst, prompting Yui to take a deep breath and calm herself slightly.
"You want to know so bad, Yosuke? Fine. I'll tell everyone who she is." Yui said with a stern tone.
Yui looked at each of her friends to gauge their thoughts and emotions. Yosuke was clearly at unease after being yelled at, Kanji and Teddie were simply staying quiet and hoping to see the conflict resolved, Rise appeared a bit perplexed at why the argument happened in the first place, and Chie was avoiding eye contact with absolutely everything. When Yui looked at Yukiko for some reassurance, Yukiko immediately understood and nodded at her. Yui took another deep breath before slowly walking up to Chie and holding out her hands.
"Her name is one you should all be familiar with by now." Yui said.
Chie managed to look at Yui for some comfort before slowly reaching out and taking hold of her hands. Everyone, with the exception of Yukiko, had their eyes wide with shock. Chie noticed everyone else staring and looked away in embarrassment, but Yui remained firm, giving everyone else a look of confidence.
"What?! No need to look at us like that!" Yui said sternly.
"Dude...seriously?" Yosuke asked, a bit rudely.
"You got a problem, Yosuke?" Yui asked in irritation.
"No! It's just...out of all the possibilities I could think of, I didn't even consider..." Yosuke said defensively.
"Didn't consider? Shut the fuck up, Yosuke!" Yui said angrily.
Yosuke was taken aback by this, looking down in shame.
"It's alright, you guys. I'm sure they would have told us when they were ready. It's not OK to try and force it out in the open like this." Yukiko said as mediation.
"To be fair, maybe we should have been honest about it from the start. I'm sorry neither of us said anything until now." Yui told Yosuke, calming herself.
"I'm not! If I'd known it would be like this, I would have kept even more quiet about it!" Chie said angrily.
"Yui-chan, Chie-chan?" Yosuke spoke up.
"Yes?" Yui and Chie asked Yosuke.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to come across as rude. It just...completely surprised me. The thought that you two might be dating...didn't even occur to me. It's not for me to decide, of course. If you two want to date each other, that's for both of you to decide. And...outing you two like this was really shitty of me. Can you forgive me?" Yosuke said sincerely, through gritted teeth.
Yui and Chie looked at each other to see how each of them felt. Once they came to a silent agreement, they looked towards Yosuke.
"Hey, I'm glad you're taking responsibility for your mistake. You should do that more often." Yui told Yosuke.
"We forgive you, Yosuke. But if you ever do that again to someone else, we're gonna kick your ass!" Chie said.
"Yeah, yeah, understood!" Yosuke mumbled.
"So, you two lovebirds have been at this since June, huh?" Rise said teasingly.
"We've been at this for two months, huh? Fascinating..." Yui said in surprise.
"Only two months?" Chie asked rhetorically.
Chie wrapped her arms around Yui and gave her the tightest hug yet. As Yui returned her embrace, Chie said quietly, with reddened cheeks:
"Let's make it several months more…"
"Hey! You two should kiss!" Teddie chimed.
"No way, Teddie!" Chie responded.
"Hey, why not? We've done it several times already. One more to end the summer with, what do you say?" Yui asked Chie, cupping her face with her hand.
"You're seriously gonna start making out in front of everyone?" Yosuke asked.
"If you don't like it, don't watch!" Chie said with a scowl.
With that, Yui gave Chie a gentle kiss, causing Chie to forget any frustrations she was having. Yukiko put her hand over her mouth and gave a wide smile. Teddie and Rise cooed in admiration, and Kanji chuckled contentedly. Although Yosuke averted his eyes at first, he realized how happy they were and started smiling, ultimately happy for their found love.
"Hey, who wants to get some dinner at Aiya's?" Yukiko asked everyone.
"Ooh, yes please!" Chie said.
"I can pay, if that's alright with everyone." Yosuke said.
"How nice of you, Yosuke. Sure, I'm in." Yui stated.
8/31
"Onee-chan!"
"Yes, Nanako-chan?" Yui said as she came downstairs.
"Dad said someone gave him a watermelon at work today. It's too big for us to eat by ourselves, so he said you should bring your friends over!"
"I think they'd like that! I'll give them a call."
Yui called up Chie and told her about the watermelon.
"A watermelon! Cool! I'll bring everyone else over!" Chie said cheerfully.
Once all of Yui's friends were present, they waited for Dojima to arrive home.
"I'm home. Whoa, that's a lot of shoes! How many people are here?" Dojima said in surprise.
"Dad! Welcome home!" Nanako greeted Dojima.
"All my friends are here, just like you asked." Yui stated.
"Let's split the watermelon open!" Nanako told Dojima.
"Split it open? Oh, about that...I already broke it and shared it with the neighbors." Dojima replied.
"Huh?!" Nanako said in disappointment.
"I'm so sorry, Nanako. I didn't think you'd want to do that."
"It's alright. We're still here, so let's eat the rest of it together." Yui said.
Nanako and Dojima took what remained of the watermelon and divided it between the others. Everyone took varying amounts for themselves, but they made sure everyone had a good portion.
"Next time, we'll break one open with you." Chie told Nanako.
"Yes! We'll do this again next year!" Yukiko declared.
"You'll do that?" Nanako asked.
"You heard them, Nanako!" Dojima said with a laugh.
"Yay!" Nanako cheered.
Chie noticed that Yui was eating her watermelon with a spoon, which was a bit strange as everyone else was eating theirs with their hands.
"Hey, what's with the spoon?" Chie asked Yui.
"Well, I don't want to get my hands sticky." Yui replied.
Yui gently took Chie's hand, causing her to smile.
"Ah! Watermelon juice!" Yui exclaimed, feeling the stickiness in Chie's hand.
"*giggle* Sorry!" Chie said.
Once everyone had left, Nanako went to bed early, leaving just Yui and Dojima to chat.
"It's been a while since I've seen Nanako is such high spirits. Thank you for that." Dojima told Yui.
"You're welcome. We all had fun too." Yui stated.
"You've made some great friends, you know that?"
"Yeah."
"I noticed you were holding hands with that Chie girl."
"Oh! You saw that, huh?" Yui said in surprise.
"How long has this been going on?"
"We started dating in June. I...hope that's alright."
"It's more than alright. Just...be careful out there." Dojima warned.
"Yeah, I will."
Author's Note (5-5-23): Summer of Girl Love, more like. Having Chie propose was something I planned for a while now, but the difficult part was figuring out how that scenario would go. I ultimately decided to go with something in between fluff and realism. As of writing this chapter, Japan, unfortunately, still does not allow gay couples to get married, and it certainly wasn't allowed in 2011 when the game takes place. But I'd like to think it wouldn't stop a pair like Yui and Chie.