So, after much deliberation, I've decided to change the format of this story a bit. I will no longer be following the game exactly, down to the number of Social Links per chapter, which is what I was doing before. There are a lot of reasons for this:

1) Writing Social Links is tedious as hell.
No, seriously. Multiple times while writing the previous chapter, I thought to myself: "Nooooo, not ANOTHER Social Link…" So instead, I will simply gloss over the advancement of Social Links, but I'll still notify you when they form.

2) As pointed out by a nice little reviewer, it makes the story choppy as hell, and thus rather confusing to read.

3) And because I was trying to follow the game so strictly, I was never able to really… WRITE. And, forgive the pun, I want to be free. I started writing this because it sounded like a fun little project, but it got to a point where I had to force myself to keep writing. Because I have great plans for this, I'm going to finish it, but I'm going to write it in a style and format that is much more enjoyable for me to write and (hopefully) much more enjoyable for you to read.

This means that the chapters will PROBABLY be shorter. So… let me know if this makes things unbearable. And with that… enjoy?

"God, I still feel half dead," Yosuke complained.

"Me too," Aika agreed. The two of them sat in the food court of Junes on a rainy Sunday afternoon, two days after the ordeal with Rise and Teddie's Shadows. Unable to muster the energy to get out of bed, Aika took a sick day and spent all of Saturday and half of Sunday sleeping. And, evidently, Yosuke decided to do the same. "It doesn't make any sense, though," Aika said. "I mean, I slept for almost a day and a half straight. Like, Nanako had to wake me up last night just to get me to eat something, and I fell right back asleep."

"Get this," Yosuke said. "I had a shift Friday night."

Aika raised her eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. And I full on passed out in the middle of it."

"Were you okay?" Aika asked. "You didn't look that tired when we came out of the TV."

Yosuke shrugged. "It just sort of came all at once, I guess. After I took you home. Anyway, my parents took me to the hospital, and the doctor couldn't find anything wrong with me, so he said I was just exhausted, and my parents got into this huge fight about how they were making me work too much."

"H-How did that go?"

"Now, I'm supposed to work exactly half as many hours a week as I did before. So my paycheck got sliced in half too, which sucks in more ways than one."

Aika sighed heavily and prodded her meat with her chopsticks. "I've got family drama, too," she said. "So basically, after you dropped me off at home, Uncle came home drunk."

"How drunk?" Yosuke asked, clasping his hands together and leaning forward.

"Really drunk," Aika clarified. "Nanako said she could smell sake all over him. So it was Adachi-san that brought him home, you see, and then Uncle started ranting about the case, and about my parents, and then he started crying, which just made Nanako really uncomfortable. Mind you, I heard all of this from her. Then the next day, I couldn't get out of bed, and Uncle was so hungover that he couldn't go to work either, Nanako took the day off just to take care of us. I mean, she called us in sick and everything. So now we just feel really bad about the whole thing, only we don't know how to make it up to her."

"What, she's not mad at you, is she?" Yosuke asked. "I didn't think Nanako-chan could get mad."

"Trust me, she can," Aika said flatly. "She exploded at me when I picked the tomatoes she had to grow for a class project and used them to make sauce. And she's so mad at Uncle now that she's just been giving him the silent treatment. I don't think she's that mad at me, though. She probably thinks I was really sick, or something. I mean, she did try to feed me cold medicine yesterday…"

Yosuke sighed and stared off into the distance. "Damn it, I didn't think the case would affect our day-to-day lives so much…" Aika didn't say anything in return; she just leaned back in her seat tiredly and sighed. A small smile graced Yosuke's features, and Aika raised her eyebrows at him questioningly. "Well, at least one good thing came out of this."

"What do you mean?"

Yosuke's smile widened, and there was so little tension in his shoulders that Aika couldn't even begin to describe how completely relaxed he looked. "You probably won't be targeted."

Aika fought the blush that was rapidly blooming on her cheeks. "You were that worried about me?"

"Well… yeah." Yosuke exhaled sharply. "All right, look. We thought that people connected to Ms. Yamano's case were being targeted right? I don't think you really get how much danger you might've been in. You and especially Nanako-chan. Because you fit that description, too – your uncle's as involved as he can possibly be in the case."

"I know, but… going after the leading detective's niece and daughter? If I were the culprit, I wouldn't want to make him angry."

"Yeah, but that'd shake him up really bad," Yosuke pointed out.

"Can we please not talk about this?"

"… Sorry."

Aika sighed yet again. "Maybe I should take tomorrow off too… No, then I'll never want to go back to school… I'm sure I'll be fine if I go to bed early tonight."

"All right…" Yosuke grunted as he stood up. "Let's hope everything goes smoothly with Rise-chan."

And so, the days passed by quickly. School went by as normal, and Aika busied herself by studying for finals and occasionally training with Chie. Everyone agreed that going into the TV without Teddie or Rise was a horrible idea, so they steered clear of the electronics department at Junes. And seemingly, Aika spent every day with a different person – with Yosuke, with Chie, with Yukiko, with Kanji, with Uncle, with Nanako, and even with her parents. And, as a result, their respective Social Links developed quickly.

But though Aika refrained from using any Persona besides Aoandon, she never stopped fusing new ones, in case the need for another's skills arose. "May I ask you something?" Margaret asked one day after Aika completed a particularly complicated fusion. "I know for a fact that I have asked you this before, but why do you refrain from using other Personae besides your original? Hasn't your original become… obsolete by now?"

Aika simply shrugged. "Aoandon's fine," she said. "If anything, I couldn't fight with her all that well at first, but I can now."

"Because your physical condition has vastly improved, no doubt," Margaret said kindly.

The thinly veiled compliment flew over Aika's head entirely. "Not enough."

Margaret simply chuckled. "You humans are strange… You take pride in the most meaningless things, and then you become modest about the things that truly matter… but the drive to always become stronger – that is always the same. In Master Makoto and yourself, especially."

Aika froze. "I thought you said you didn't want me to be like her."

"I do not want you to be reckless with your own life," Margaret clarified. "I want you to find joy in your life – if it is an unhappy one, then you will find it easy to sacrifice it."

"Is that what you think happened with Makoto-senpai?" Aika asked, Margaret raised a questioning eyebrow in her direction. "I just… I wouldn't sacrifice my life because there's no meaning to it. I'd sacrifice myself because there's something greater my life can give, and in the long run, my life would be a small price to pay. I'd, be scared of dying, sure, but… I think it'd be worth it. I think… I think that's how Makoto-senpai felt when she died, if giving up her life for the greater good came so easily to her."

Margaret smiled warmly and placed a hand on Aika's shoulder. "I will do everything in my power to ensure that it does not come to that," she said sincerely. "You have my word."

Igor chuckled suddenly, cutting into their conversation. "I think Master Makoto would have liked you very much, Master Aika."

Aika felt her cheeks heat up, but she fought the blush down. "Y-You really think so?"

Igor's grin widened. "I know so."

Aika was on the verge of a panic attack. So they saw Rise's program on the Midnight Channel, jumped in the TV, and saved her, right? So there was no reason for a dead body to be found, dead, right? Yosuke ran back to their table at that moment, looking frantic. "Yeah, it was murder all right," he said, panting heavily. "The body was hanging upside down on an apartment rooftop's railing…"

"But…" Yukiko mumbled, looking forlorn. "How could that…?"

Yosuke exhaled sharply as he sat down. "That's not all," he said solemnly. "The victim this time… It was King Moron."

Aika couldn't take it anymore. "How?" she shrieked. "He didn't show up on the Midnight Channel! A-And Teddie would've known if he was…" Then, Yosuke's words finally registered. "D-Did you just say 'King Moron'…?"

Everyone stood up in surprise. "Wait, you mean that King Moron?" Kanji asked incredulously. "Senpai's homeroom teacher?"

"What on earth is going on here?" Chie wailed.

"How am I supposed to know?" Yosuke yelled back. "All I did was talk to a guy who saw it!" His eyes narrowed in sadness and disappointment. "But it's true, though… There's no mistake."

"Gotta be shitting me!" Kanji ranted. "Ain't the killer targeting people who get shown on TV? I ain't never seen King Moron on the Midnight Channel, or any other programs!"

"Why…?" Yosuke whispered. "Why did this happen?"

"Were we… really that far off?" Aika asked, unable to stop shaking.

"Maybe the Midnight Channel doesn't have anything to do with this…" Yukiko muttered.

"Damn it!" Yosuke yelled, slamming his hands down on the table. "We came so far, and now we're back to square one? Were we in over our heads, trying to catch a culprit that even the police couldn't find…?"

"Hey!" Kanji yelled. "Snap out of it, Senpai! We started this thing 'cause the police can't tell their asses from their elbows. We give up now, and shithead's gonna be on the loose forever. This ain't the time for bitching and moaning – we just gotta keep keepin' on."

"Kanji-kun…" Yukiko said, sounding impressed.

"Big talk from someone like you, Kanji," Yosuke said.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" Kanji asked.

Yosuke sighed. "I know. We're dealing with a murderer here, but we've all risked our lives to get this far. No way we'll back down. And we promised the bear, too."

"Hey, that's right!" Chie interjected. "Maybe Teddie knows something about this!"

"Come on, let's go!" Yosuke said as they all dashed inside the store. But right before the electronics department, sitting on a massage chair, was…"

"T-Teddie?" Aika, Chie, and Yukiko gasped simultaneously.

"Wh-What the…?" Yosuke spluttered. "I mean, how'd you…?"

"It took you guys long enough," Teddie said. He was leaning back in the chair with his eyes closed, smiling contentedly. "I've been waiting."

"Teddie, are you okay on this side?" Yukiko asked concernedly.

"How did you even leave your side?" Kanji asked.

"Of course I can come out!" Teddie said excitedly. "There's an exit. It just never occurred to me to do it before. But spending time with you all sparked my curiosity about this world! I did wonder if it was a good idea, but my feet started moving before I could decide. And when I thought about it, I had nowhere to go, and it was a waste to go back. So I waited here for you.

"T-Teddie, it's great that you're feeling better, b-but…" Aika said shakily. "We need to ask you something. Did… anyone enter the other world after we left last time?"

"I stayed until the fog settled in on my side, but no one came," Teddie replied.

"You're positive?" Yosuke asked immediately. "You really didn't sense a single person?"

"I just said that I didn't!" Teddie snapped. "I was there, all by myself, like always!"

"And… your nose wasn't clogged or anything?"

"Aren't you listening? I was utterly, totally, and one hundred percent alone! That's why I came over here! But I can understand if you don't believe me. My senses aren't that good lately anyways…"

"No one… really came?" Aika whispered to herself. "Does that mean…?"

"Well, the Midnight Channel was blank last night," Chie said. "So… does that mean King Moron was never on that side?"

"Hey, hey!" Teddie said energetically as he pulled out a pair of pink-rimmed glasses. "I wanna give this to Rise-chan. She'll probably back us up from now on, so I'm gonna fight alongside you with everything I got! Don't think of me as the same cute little Teddie! I'm an all-new model! I have a powerful attack, an unbeatable defense, and a winning smile! Today begins the New Legend of Teddie!"

"Wow…" Yukiko said. "A new legend…"

"Okay, just to make sure, I'm gonna ask you one more time," Yosuke said seriously in the food court of Junes. "Nobody was over there, except for you, until the fog came back. Correct?"

"That's what I've been saying," Teddie replied. It felt strange, seeing Teddie outside the TV world, but it fit, somehow.

"He didn't show up on the Midnight Channel either…" Chie mused.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kanji asked.

"No clue…" Yosuke grumbled. "But I think we can be sure now that King Moron was never thrown into the TV."

"But… can we even be sure it's the same person now?" Aika said. "Look at it this way – the killer found this effective, efficient way of killing people without drawing any suspicion to himself… or herself. So why would he forgo that for Mr. Morooka? The only reason that makes sense is that it isn't the same person."

"But they also could have killed him on this side because we thwarted their last three attempts," Yukiko pointed out.

"Dammit…" Kanji swore. "If that's true, then we have no way of preventing more murders unless we catch the killer!"

"So either we can't save anyone else unless we catch the killer, or we're dealing with more than one culprit here," Yosuke summarized, sighing heavily. "It doesn't sound good either way…"

Teddie sighed. "It's so hot out," he said. "I'm taking this off."

"Wait, what?" Aika shrieked.

"You're not talking about your head, are you?" Yosuke yelled. Teddie attempted to pop his head off, but Yosuke pressed it back on. "Cut it out! The kids are watching! They'll be scarred for life if they see an empty mascot walking around. Have some consideration, man…"

"I'm glad you're back to normal, though," Yukiko said. "Your fur's all fuzzy again!"

"I want to touch it," Kanji said in a low voice.

"Actually, I'm no longer a hollow bear!" Teddie announced. "I trained and trained, hoping to someday score with Chie-chan and Yuki-chan and Aika-chan… and now I finally have an inside!"

"Can we drop the whole 'scoring' thing, already?" Yukiko demanded.

But before anyone could say another word, Teddie removed his head… revealing a very human-looking one inside. "Ah," he sighed contentedly. "Much better." He had blonde hair as pale as Margaret's and bright blue eyes, and… he was smiling almost seductively at Aika, making her want to melt into the floor. "Hey, Aika-chan. Chie-chan. Yuki-chan."

"H-Huh?" Aika mumbled, unsure of what else to say.

"Do you have anything to wear?" Teddie asked. "I'm basically like a newborn at the moment."

"T-Teddie?" Chie stammered. "I-Is that really you…?"

"Um…" Yukiko said as Teddie quite literally sparkled in the sunlight.

"Wait did you just say you're like a newborn?" Chie asked. "Then don't take the bottom part off!"

"I-I think it's a good time to get some shopping done," Aika said hurriedly as she stood up and grabbed the head and fastened it back on. "C-Come on, Teddie. U-Um… D-Do you guys want to come too?"

"I'll pass," Yosuke said bluntly, clearly freaked out.

"Me too," Kanji added.

Teddie huffed in annoyance as he fidgeted with his white and blue striped T-shirt. "I don't see why you had to be so stingy, Aika-chan," he said.

"I already told you," Aika said, sounding irritated. "It was three shirts for the price of one. That's an amazing deal."

"B-But I have standards!"

"We can't afford your standards!"

"Come on, Aika-chan, don't be mean," Yosuke said teasingly.

Aika leveled him with a flat stare. "You weren't the one shopping with him," was all she said.

"This guy had to make it a huge ordeal," Chie ranted. "Everything was new to him, so it turned into a big mess. He was so excited in the women's section that he started blabbering… Aika got so mad that she just picked the cheapest clothes she could find for him and dragged him out of the store." She glared at Teddie. "Hey! You can't just go around doing whatever you want when you're in this form, got it?"

"He can't help it," Yukiko said with a giggle. "It's his first time in our world."

"A-Are you still mad at me, Aika-chan?" Teddie asked, his voice breaking.

Aika sighed irritably. "All right… I forgive you."

"I'm so glad!" Teddie gushed. "I was worried that you didn't like me anymore!"

Aika smiled at him return. "I could never stop liking you, Teddie."

Chie laughed. "If you can behave yourself, you'll be pretty cute."

"Is he cute?" Yosuke asked. "What do you think, Kanji?"

"Huh?" Kanji asked, holding his topsickle just a few inches away from his mouth. "What're you asking me for?"

"I was just wondering if he was your type," Yosuke teased.

"Oh, I get it," Kanji said, glaring at Yosuke. "What you're really asking is… 'Will you please beat the shit out of me, Kanji?'" Yukiko snorted before entering a laughing fit. "It ain't funny, Yukiko-senpai."

"You'll have to forgive Yukiko," Chie said. "She's helpless when she gets this way…"

"Oh, no need to fight over me, baby," Teddie said suavely.

Kanji raised his fist threateningly. "Shaddup! You picking a fight with me?"

"Can we not fight over anything, please?" Aika asked exasperatedly. "Let's just go find Rise-chan, okay?"

Aika and Yukiko, who were walking in the front of the group, reached Marukyu first, and the strange boy from before – the one Kanji liked, no doubt – was there at the front. "I thought I'd find you here," he said calmly.

"You're…" Yukiko said quietly.

The boy walked in front of them to face them. He was only slightly taller than Aika, which made her feel a little better about her height. "Are you here to ingratiate yourself with Rise Kujikawa?"

"I've had it, you stupid bear!" Kanji yelled as he nearly bumped into Aika. Then, as he caught himself, he noticed the boy in the hat, and his face turned a furious shade of red. "H-Huh? Wh-What're you…"

The boy nodded once at him. "A pleasure to see you again, Kanji-kun."

"It's, uh… great seeing you too, I guess…" If the situation weren't so random and awkward, Aika might have teased Kanji about liking the boy.

"I don't believe I've ever introduced myself to the rest of you," the boy said. "My name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm investigating the multiple murders that have occurred here. Mind if I ask you a few questions on the subject?"

Aika took a deep breath to steel her nerves and stepped forward. "I'll talk," she volunteered. "I might know more about the murders, since my uncle is one of the lead detectives on the case. Ryotaro Dojima… Have you heard of him?"

"Ah…" Naoto said slowly, and Aika resisted the urge to smile as she successfully gained the upper hand. "Yes, I've had the pleasure of meeting him. But I believe we're getting a little off-topic."

"Sorry," Aika said, though she didn't feel sorry at all. "Ask away."

"The latest victim, Kinshiro Morooka… He was a teacher at the school you all attend, correct?"

"Yeah," Aika said. "He was our homeroom teacher, incidentally. But what does that have to do with—"

"The public is focused on the fact that he is associated with the second victim's school," Naoto cut her off. "But in truth, that's irrelevant. What intrigues me is the inconsistency. This Morooka… has never appeared on television." Teddie made a muffled sound, and as Aika looked back at him in concern, she could see Yosuke covering his mouth.

Aika took another deep breath. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, we'll leave it at that," Naoto said with finality. He tipped his hat to Aika. "Good day." And with that, he walked away.

"Who is that guy?" Yosuke asked as soon as Naoto was out of earshot.

"It felt like he completely saw through us…" Chie said. "He even knew about the TV thing."

"Oh… Hi."

"Rise-chan!" Yukiko and Chie cried at the same time. Sure enough, the idol was standing a little ways behind them in a bright orange shirt, smiling pleasantly. "Are you okay now," Yukiko asked.

Rise nodded. "Yeah, thanks for asking," she said. "Are you all here to check up on me?"

"S-Sort of…" Aika said.

"Oh," Rise said. "Um… Do you guys have a moment? There's something I want to tell you. Follow me. My grandma's taking care of the shop today." She led them to the Tatsuhime Shrine. "I remember being at my house," she said, "but when I came to, I was already in the other world.

"Still no real information on the killer…" Chie groaned.

"We met this weird kid named Naoto a second ago," Yosuke told Rise.

"He's come to the shop several times," Rise said. "He asked me a lot about the incident. I didn't tell him anything about the other world, though. I figured it'd be a waste of time. Actually, he asked me about you guys too, but I just made up some stuff. Like, 'They found me unconscious on the roof of Junes'."

"Well, I guess that's close enough to the truth," Yosuke said fleetingly.

"U-Um…" Rise mumbled. "I-I really appreciate what you did for me…"

"It was no problem at all," Aika said evenly.

Then Rise jumped up excitedly. "Thank you so much! I love you guys!"

"Dude…" Yosuke whispered. "She's so cute!" Aika elbowed him in the pelvis for his comment. "Man, it's finally hitting me that you're the real deal. You really are Risette."

"What are you, an old man?" Kanji asked.

"Well, I know I sounded gloomy and all from stress," Rise said quickly, "so… I-I thought you might not like me that way. Do I… sound weird?" Then she frowned. "Oh, but I guess it sounds more 'natural' this way to the public… I'm sorry. I've practically lost touch with what the normal me is like."

Chie laughed. "No need to apologize. Just do what comes naturally."

"Everyone has multiple sides to them," Yukiko said. "Believe me, we know. So you don't have to force yourself to decide on just one."

"Thanks," Rise said, giggling. "I'm glad you're the first people I got to know here."

"Welcome to the group, Rise-chan!" Teddie enthused. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the pink glasses he had earlier. "And you get these complimentary."

"Y-You don't have to take them if you don't want to…" Aika said quietly.

"Senpai…" Rise said gently. "Would you be struggling without my help? I can help you in that world, right? So wouldn't it be better if I joined the team?"

"Here you go, Rise-chan!" Teddie said, handing her the glasses. "These'll help you see through the fog, so now you can be extra analytical."

"Great!" Rise said excitedly. "Now I'm part of the team! I'll be going to Yasogami High starting tomorrow. But I don't have any friends yet, so don't ignore me, okay? I do owe you my life, so… you know…"

"Leave it to us, Rise-chan!" Chie said.

"It sure is a rough time to transfer here, though," Yosuke said. "The kidnappings, King Moron's death… All that, and exams are soon, too." He sighed. "I wonder if there's a chance that they'll be cancelled…"

"I doubt it," Chie moaned. "They always hold those exams, rain or shine."

Rise giggled. "I almost got killed by one of those monsters. Compared to that, exams are nothing."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Kanji deadpanned.

"Let's go home and talk about this tomorrow!" Teddie suggested. "Um… where's… home… for me?"

Yosuke shrugged. "I'll take you home, I guess. Maybe I can pass you off as a foreign exchange student, or something."

"See you all tomorrow!" Rise said cheerfully.

"Hey, you okay?" Yosuke asked Aika the next day before class started. "You look kind of depressed."

"I'm just…" Aika said quietly. "… tired, I guess."

"I couldn't sleep last night either," Yosuke said. "I wonder what's going to happen… Will we get a new homeroom teacher?"

As if on cue, a woman with a pink shirt that was buttoned too low, with too many layers of makeup on her face, walked in the room. "Good morning," she said in a low, raspy voice. "I'm Noriko Kashiwagi, your new class teacher starting today. You all probably know already, but now that Mr. Morooka has passed away…" She flipped her thin brown hair and giggled. "I'll be taking good care of you instead." A shiver ran down Aika's spine. "Okay, why don't we start off with a moment of silence for Mr. Morooka? Close your eyes, everyone…" Aika obeyed, but not even five seconds later, Kashiwagi spoke up again. "That should be enough. I'll do my best to fill Mr. Morooka's shoes. So our regular exams are still on track for next week. As your principal said, 'It's times like these when the schedule is most important, Nori-chan.'" She giggled again, and Aika found herself even more weirded out than before. "It must be tough for you. But, that what it means to become an adult, little by little."

"Why does everything she say sound like it has a second meaning?" Yosuke whispered.

"Oh, and one more thing," Kashiwagi said, her voice taking on a hard edge. "That idol in our first year class… Ms. Kujikawa, was it? In person, she's nothing like she seems on TV, so don't get your hopes up, mmkay?" Her face contorted into a scowl. "What's so great about an idol anyway, right class? She's just a piece of inexperienced jailbait!"

And as Kashiwagi continued to rant on and on about Rise, Aika leaned backward just as Yosuke leaned forward. "What did Rise-chan ever do to her anyway?" Aika whispered to him.

"Does she seriously think she's Risette's rival?" Yosuke replied. "She doesn't stand a chance!"

And the day passed by surprisingly normally. Before long, the group was making their way over to Junes, where Teddie greeted them enthusiastically. "I can't believe finals are next week…" Chie complained. "It's been a while since I failed any subjects…"

"Yeah, if by 'a while,' you mean 'all the time'," Yosuke deadpanned.

"Shut up!" Chie shrieked. "As if you've ever seen my scores!"

"But Chie always scores above average marks in the subjects that she doesn't fail!" Yukiko said encouragingly.

"H-Hey! Why'd you tell him? My scores just… vary! Yeah, that's it!" When Rise giggled, Chie groaned. "Rise-chan, not you too…"

Rise giggled again. "Sorry, I'm not laughing at you. It's just… I thought it would take me a while to make any friends at my new school."

"Yeah, but we met under such awful circumstances," Aika pointed out.

"Oh yeah," Yosuke interjected. "What do you guys think about King Moron's case? He didn't show up on the Midnight Channel once!"

"Didn't we narrow it down to two things or somethin'?" Kanji asked.

"Right," Yukiko said. "Either the killer's trying to shake us off their trail, or there's more than one killer at large."

"Or maybe Mr. Morooka was pushed in right before the fog came in, so we wouldn't be able to do anything about it," Aika quipped.

"But I would've known if someone else was there," Teddie pointed out. "My nose isn't as sharp now, but I can tell that much."

"But…" Yukiko said quietly. "Why Mr. Morooka? He never showed up on TV, and he didn't have anything to do with Ms. Yamano's case either."

"Hope it wasn't personal," Kanji said, "'cause there's way too many people who hated King Moron's guts."

"But didn't you say that the killer picks his targets by watching TV?" Rise asked. "In that case, I picture the killer as someone who doesn't know the victims at all. I don't think it's worth trying to figure out motives for that type. There are too many people who hold grudges against you for no reason, even if you've never met them before."

"I really hope you're not speaking from personal experience," Aika said seriously.

Chie groaned in frustration. "I don't get this at all!"

"Man, two victims from our school…" Kanji mused. "That's gotta set off the police's alarm bells. They're not gonna leave any stones at school unturned."

"Y'know, to be honest…" Yosuke said solemnly. "Somewhere deep inside, I thought maybe King Moron was the killer… The news says that he was the second victim from Yasogami High, but we all know that's not the case. And I've heard him say more than once that so-and-so deserves to die… But now… I feel bad that I doubted him. He was a capital-A asshole, but that doesn't justify killing him. And not just King Moron… I feel sorry for all the victims. I can't forgive the killer, no matter what!" Aika gave his hand a comforting squeeze under the table where no one would see, and he smiled thankfully at her in return.

"Well, we'll do what we can!" Chie announced. "For King Moron's sake too! At this rate, you have to figure that the killer has something to do with the school, right? So why don't we split up and—"

"That won't be necessary." Aika closed her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. Of all times for Naoto to show up… "There is no need to examine the case of Mr. Morooka any further."

"D-Do you know something?" Aika asked.

"Apparently, the police have found a suspect," Naoto said. "It would be best to let them handle the case from here."

"H-How do you know?" Yosuke stammered.

"I'm on this case as a special investigator, by request of the prefectural police," Naoto told the group. "Unfortunately, I haven't been told his name. I do know… that he is a high schooler. It isn't public knowledge yet, but he isn't a student of your high school. It seems they are quite confident that this boy is the killer. They have testimonies directly linking him with the incident. I expect it's only a matter of time before he is apprehended. Soon this case will be solved, and your town will go back to its peaceful, rustic self."

"Why are you telling us this?" Aika asked. "Especially since they haven't apprehended the suspect yet, I'd assume that what you just told us is strictly confidential."

"Your 'game' will soon reach its end," Naoto said simply. "I felt I should at least let you know that."

"A game?" Rise cried indignantly. "Aren't you the one who thinks of this as a game? I don't care if you're a special investigator or an amateur sleuth… All you're doing is solving mysteries. What could you possibly know about us? You're the one who's playing a game here!"

"One of the victims…" Yosuke said, looking downward as he squeezed Aika's hand. "She meant a lot to me. How could I possibly treat this like a game? Plus… we made a promise."

"Y-Yosuke…" Teddie whimpered.

"A game…" Naoto said quietly.

Right now, Aika could finally understand just how angry and hurt Margaret felt when she asked the Velvet Room attendant about the previous guest, Makoto. "Please…" Aika whispered. "Leave us alone."

"I beg your pardon?" Naoto asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aika frowned at Naoto. Rise, Kanji, Yukiko, even Saki… their Shadows, the very real emotions and feelings they tried so hard to suppress, came to mind. Uncle coming home late every night, sometimes not at all, Nanako waiting alone with her and finally going to bed when they got too tired to wait for him any longer… Naoki Konishi and his near obsessive hatred of Yosuke and Junes, Margaret, who wanted so badly to protect Aika because she didn't want to lose a dear friend like her brother had with Makoto, and even the deliveryman, Namatame and his still spirit-crushing grief for Mayumi Yamano. And at the moment, it didn't even matter that Naoto had no way of knowing the full extent of the case. If he hadn't so callously called their investigation a game, Aika might have been able to rationalize that the detective simply didn't know what he was talking about. So Aika squeezed Yosuke's hand tightly and looked Naoto square in the eye. "If you don't leave now, there's a good chance I'll say something I'll regret later."

Naoto nodded once. "Very well, then."

When Naoto left, Yosuke squeezed Aika's hand, giving her a concerned look. "You okay?"

And at that moment, she wanted to fling the Wild Card far away, where the Social Links couldn't affect her to this level. Because the Wild Card meant, for better or worse, that her fate was inextricably tied to that of each of the Social Links. And by now, it had reached a point where it was just too overwhelming to handle. Tears stung her eyes, and Aika dried them with her free hand, but she couldn't bring herself to feel embarrassed about crying in front of her friends. "Yeah, I'm fine… S-Sorry…"

"Oh, Senpai!" Rise wailed, and all of a sudden, the first year's arms were around her, nearly suffocating her.

"Wah, Aika-chan!" Teddie wailed, latching onto Aika from the other side.

"Why're you getting so emotional?" Chie asked. "You didn't lose anyone to the case yet."

"Hey, don't jinx it," Kanji warned.

"I don't know…" Aika answered honestly, shrugging.

Surprisingly, Uncle came home that night. "I'm home," he called from the front door.

"Hi, Uncle!" Aika called cheerfully from the kitchen.

"Welcome home!" Nanako said enthusiastically. "Oh… Um…"

"This is Naoto Shirogane. He's a special detective they called down from prefectural police." Aika promptly dropped the big spoon she was holding.

"Oh…" Nanako said shyly. "Um… I-It's nice to meet you…"

"Aika, come say hello," Uncle called.

Aika only obeyed because there was no way she having any Naoto-related conversations with him later. "Hello," she said to Naoto, bowing stiffly to him. "Please, sit down. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

Uncle simply raised a questioning eyebrow at her, and Aika looked away immediately. "… All right, then," he said slowly.

And, as promised, dinner was an excruciatingly awkward affair. "You make nice curry," Naoto complimented. What was trying to do, get her to lower her guard so that she'd answer more questions about the murders?

"Thank you," Aika replied emotionlessly. "It's my aunt's recipe."

"I see…" Naoto cleared his throat conspicuously. "So, Aika-san, what grade are you in?"

"My uncle must have told you already." But when Uncle gave her a sharp glare, she immediately backtracked. "I'm a second year in high school. And before you ask, yes, Mr. Morooka was my homeroom teacher."

Uncle cleared his throat. "Aika, can I see you in the kitchen for a minute?" Aika almost sighed; she'd really done it now… And Uncle looked absolutely furious. "What is your problem?" he hissed once Nanako and Naoto were out of earshot.

Aika wrapped her arms around herself. "I just… don't like him that much."

Uncle sighed and slapped his forehead. "Aika, you've known him for fifteen minutes."

"I've met him before."

Uncle's expression softened at this. "All right," he said in a gentler tone. "What did he do?"

"Nothing!" Aika sighed at Uncle's disbelieving look. "Okay, so earlier today, my friends and I were talking about Mr. Morooka's murder."

"Of course," Uncle said.

"And he called it a game. Like us just talking about it was the stupidest thing ever!"

Uncle simply raised his eyebrows. "I don't get it."

Aika groaned. "Never mind. Let's just go back before he gets suspicious." And she made her way back to the living room before Uncle could get another word in.

"Ah, Aika-san, Dojima-san," Naoto said in a smooth voice that made Aika want to strangle him on the spot. "Nanako-chan was just telling me about her school."

"Was she now?" Uncle asked. Aika didn't say another word for the rest of dinner, and the time when she went to the kitchen to wash dishes couldn't come soon enough.

What she didn't count on, however, was for Naoto to join her. "Allow me to assist you," the detective said.

"You don't have to go through the trouble," Aika said bluntly.

Naoto sighed. "Well then, let me just say my piece, and I'll leave you alone." Aika stiffened, but didn't say anything. "I owe you an apology. What I said earlier today was out of line."

"Naoto-kun—"

"You were right – this isn't a game. Not to me." He exhaled sharply and turned around, leaning almost lazily against the kitchen countertop. "Yesterday, when you told me that Dojima-san was your uncle, it didn't fully register. I didn't realize how much of a strain that fact alone has put on your life, given how involved he is in the case." Aika finally regarded him when he removed his cap and looked her square in the eye. "I'm sorry, Aika-san. Please forgive me for my insensitivity."

And though the anger hadn't entirely faded, Aika still nodded. "Apology accepted." And at that, another Social Link formed.

Thou art I… and I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…

It brings thee closer to the truth…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personae of the Fortune Arcanum…

"Shirogane," Uncle called, snapping Aika out of her thoughts. "We need to go."

"Yes, sir," Naoto said as he put on his cap once more. "I wish you and your friends luck in your investigation, Aika-san."

And at that, Aika froze. Uncle simply raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "I'll be there in a minute," he told Naoto. "Just get in the car."

"Yes, sir."

Aika waited until she heard the front door close. "Uncle, I—"

Uncle put his hands firmly on her shoulders. "Aika, please don't tell me you're involved in this case. Don't tell me that's why you were so mad at Shirogane before."

"Uncle, I…" Aika said slowly. "How involved in the case can my friends an I get, anyway? All we do is talk about potential suspects and theories. That's all."

"But why?" Uncle asked, shaking her a little. "Don't you kids have anything better to do?"

"Uncle…" Aika said quietly. "This is mostly for Yosuke. He was really close to Saki Konishi, so he really wants to solve this mystery. Please understand."

Uncle sighed as he released her. "I can't stop you, can I? If you're just going to talk about the case, that's fine – just promise me that you won't get in over your head."

Aika nodded. "I promise."

"Okay. See you tomorrow, hopefully."

She couldn't explain why she felt so horrible then. "Bye, Uncle…"

Aika sighed contentedly as she leaned back in her chair, perfectly happy with her above average scores on her finals. "Ah, we're finally free!" Yosuke sighed. "Hey, why don't we go somewhere during summer vacation?"

"Yeah, but how?" Aika asked.

Yosuke stared pointedly at Aika. "Duh! On motorcycles!"

"You guys have motorcycles?"Aika heard Rise say from somewhere behind her. "Lucky you!"

Kanji scoffed. "They ain't got motorcycles. Yosuke-senpai's just bluffing."

"No I'm not!" Yosuke snapped. "I'm saying we'll all get licensed, and then we all get motorcycles! How about the beach?"

"Well it would be a pain to go by train," Chie conceded.

"I haven't been to the beach in a long time either," Yukiko said.

"I've never been to the beach here," Aika quipped.

"The bright sun, the glistening waves," Chie gushed, "that luscious scent drifting from nearby stands, the dripping of meat juices…"

"Is food all you can think about?" Yosuke deadpanned.

"So we're all getting our licenses then?" Rise asked. "It's just a written test, right?"

"We can't," Kanji retorted. "We're too young."

"Aw, sorry Kanji! But my birthday was last month, so I'm sixteen now."

"Hey, that's cheating!"

"It's okay, Kanji-kun," Aika said. "I feel your pain. My birthday's in March, so I just turned sixteen too."

"It's supposed to be for work, but there's a scooter at the inn!" Yukiko said excitedly.

"We got one as a gift at the office that's just sitting around," Rise said. "I bet I could borrow it if I asked! … I'd have to call my manager though."

"Hey, this is actually gonna work!" Yosuke said excitedly. "How about you, Chie? Aika?"

"A scooter, huh?" Chie asked.

"It can be any kind as long as it's lower than 50 cc," Yosuke said.

"Then I might be in luck… One of our relatives loves motorcycles! Maybe he has a scooter I can borrow."

"My uncle has one in the garage that he used back in his glory days," Aika said. "He'll deny it if you ask him about it, though." She sighed. "It's getting him to agree to let me get a license and borrow it that'll be the problem…"

"Sweet!" Yosuke enthused. "Let's all get our licenses then!"

"Hold up," Kanji interjected. "What about Teddie?"

Yosuke put a hand on his chin. "Hmm… If he doesn't move around, he could pass as luggage. Or we could just strap some wheels on him and tow him!"

Yukiko snorted in laughter. "Teddie… on wheels? Rollerskates! … It's perfect!" Needless to say, she didn't stop laughing for a long time.

Aika finally left school about half an hour later, and as she was walking by the Samegawa River, she saw the last person she expected to see. "Hi, Namatame-san. Are you off work today?"

The tall, almost middle-aged man looked to her. "Hmm? Oh, Nakamura-san."

Aika went to join him without hesitation. He'd delivered enough of her orders from Tanaka's show, and they'd talked enough times for her to be comfortable around him. "You don't have to be so formal, you know. Just 'Aika' is fine."

"Very well," Namatame said uncertainly. "… Aika-san."

Aika smiled sheepishly at him. "Close enough."

Namatame sighed heavily. "Did you hear about that high school teacher?"

"He was my homeroom teacher," Aika said quietly.

"I'm sorry for your loss…" He gazed wistfully at the river. "They think it's related to Mayumi's case…"

"Namatame-san…" Aika stared up at him. "You really loved her, didn't you?"

"I suppose I could tell you…" Namatame said slowly. "But you can't tell anyone."

"I promise," Aika said, nodding.

Namatame sighed. "Believe it or not, it all started with Misuzu. She became pregnant… with someone else's child. She told me on our wedding anniversary."

"I'm so sorry…"

"A few days later, I had an interview. Mayumi and I knew each other from before… and one thing led to another. But I felt so guilty that I told Misuzu immediately." He laughed mirthlessly. "Not only did she immediately file for divorce, but she also told the news station where Mayumi worked. And… despite that, Mayumi and I only became closer." He stared up at the sky, and his voice broke. "Then, all of a sudden, she was gone… Then Misuzu had a stillbirth…" Aika briefly wondered if it would look terribly improper if she hugged him right then and there. Namatame smiled gently down at her. "I'm sorry. I must be boring you."

"No…" Aika said quietly. "I… You're a really strong person, Namatame-san. If I were in your place, I don't think I would've ben able to go on…"

Namatame smiled wistfully at the river. "I just found something meaningful I can still do with my life. That's all that's been helping me carry on these past few months."

"I really admire that about you," Aika said honestly. She noticed just then that the sun was setting, and she stood up hurriedly. "Sorry, I have to go. It was really nice talking to you, Namatame-san."

"Thank you for listening to this old man's rambles, Aika-san," Namatame said, bowing his head in her direction.

Aika gave one last wave before heading home.

Aika was having a good day. First, she spent all morning and afternoon with Nanako and Kanji, just doing arts and crafts, and Kanji had sewn a cute little suit for Mr. Bun Bun. Then, at dinner that night, Uncle actually agreed to let her get a motorcycle license and, even better, let her use his old scooter. The only thing that could possibly ruin that good of a day was a clear image on the Midnight Channel…

… and that was exactly what she got. A boy with messy dark hair and a milky white face stood with his back to a wall. "You all think you can see me?" he asked in a low, dangerous voice. "You all think you know everything about me?" He chuckled darkly. "Then try and catch me."

Aika covered her mouth when the screen faded, and, as per routine, Yosuke called her immediately. "I… I don't know who that was…"

"I don't know him either," Yosuke said. "Have you ever seen him on the news or some television special?"

"No, never," Aika replied. "He looked so sad…"

"Yosuke!" Aika could hear Teddie yell on the other line. "Yosuke!"

"All right, already!" Youske snapped. "Sorry, I'm gonna give the phone to Ted."

There was a little bit of shuffling before Teddie's voice came loud and clear. "Hi, Aika-chan!"

"Hi Teddie."

"I finally got to see the Midnight Channel with my own eyes! Now I know exactly what's happening."

"Oh, that's right," Aika said. "So it's his Shadow, right? Just like with everyone else."

"Yup! That guy's suppressed emotions are resonating with the other side, which are picked up by the TVs over here. It's clear now that it's not being filmed by anyone. Mystery solved!"

"But for his Shadow to come on the Midnight Channel… he's already on the other side, isn't he?"

"I'm sure of it! So what's the plan, Aika-chan?"

"Wh-What are you asking me for?" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "All right… How about we meet up tomorrow and talk about it? It doesn't make sense just blindly jumping in, since this situation's so different."

"Got it! I knew I could count on you, Aika-chan!"

"That's enough, Ted!" Yosuke yelled on the other line. "Give me the phone!" More shuffling. "Sorry about that, Aika."

"No, it was actually pretty informative."

"So anyway… what happened this time? What happened to the blurry image we usually see in advance?"

"Um… Yosuke? Something's been bothering me… He said, 'Try and catch me'… And he looks like he's in high school… What if he's…?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions right now," Yosuke said much too calmly. "We'll meet up at headquarters tomorrow and discuss it with everyone. Well, good night."

"Good night…"

"Hey, Aika," Yosuke said, waving to her as she finally reached the food court of Junes. "Rise and Teddie are checking out the other side, so we'll go ahead and start the meeting. "Aika pulled a chair over from another table and sat in between Yosuke and Yukiko. "About what happened last night… you all saw it, right?"

Kanji clenched his fists. "Shit he said made my blood boil… That mumbling of his and those fishy eyes just pissed me off even more. Who the hell is he?"

Aika pulled her knees up to her chest. "Can I say what I told you yesterday?" she asked Yosuke.

"Sure, go ahead."

Aika exhaled slowly. "I think that guy might be the killer."

"You too?" Yukiko asked.

"It's just a hunch, but it makes sense," Chie said. "I mean, he looked like a high schooler, right?"

"He even taunted the viewers, saying 'Try and catch me'…" Yosuke added.

"Uh…" Kanji muttered. "So?"

"Okay, so let's say there's this high school student," Yosuke explained. "We'll call him X. For some random reason, who knows why, X is able to enter the other world. Then X, again for some random reason, starts throwing people into that world, intending to kill them. The police can't prove the other world exists, so it's the perfect crime. He can't possibly be caught. Now, imagine you're X, but after a while, people stop dying when you throw them in the TV. You don't know why. You want to kill King Moron, but the TV is out, so now you have to do it personally. Now the police are on to you. As a result you – I mean X – is a wanted criminal, and there's no place for him to run."

"So… you're saying he went into the other world to dodge the cops?" Kanji asked.

"We still don't know why he targeted people shown on TV," Yukiko pointed out. "But if he had a personal grudge against Mr. Morooka, that explains one thing. With a strong enough motive, wouldn't he forsake the untraceable TV method and try to kill Mr. Morooka on his own? If you think about it that way, it sort of makes sense why Mr. Morooka died without appearing on TV."

"But how is he going to get out?" Aika asked. "If Teddie's on this side with us, then he can't leave…"

"Y-You don't think…" Chie quipped. "H-He's gonna get all desperate and end it all…? He did look depressed, like it was the end of the world…" Aika had seen that look on Namatame's face enough times to recognize it on the boy's.

"I don't think that's it," Yosuke said. "The killer has to know that the people he threw into the TV have come back to this side. I can see missing Yukiko or Kanji, but Rise, a celebrity? There's no way the killer wouldn't know she's still alive. That means he knows there's a way out of the TV world. As for the rest… We'll just have to ask him face-to-face."

"Hey guys!" Rise called as she ran over to their table.

"Hey, good timing," Chie said. "How'd it go?"

"Not good," Rise replied. "There's not enough information to go on. But we're at least positive that someone's in there… Teddie's still looking."

"So maybe if we just found out who that guy is…" Aika suggested. "There's someone who might just know…"

"Wait, you're not talking about…" Yukiko said slowly.

"That kid detective?" Rise asked. "No offense, but I don't think he'll help us out after you told him off, Senpai."

Aika felt her face heat up as she hugged her knees. "There's… something I sort of forgot to tell you all… Naoto-kun came over for dinner that night."

"Say what?" Chie screeched.

"Uncle invited him home for dinner, so he came home," Aika explained. "I was still pretty mad at him, but then he… he apologized to me…"

"Apologized in a 'sorry I pissed you off' kind of way?" Kanji asked.

"No, I think he actually meant it," Aika said. "I… I don't know. He sounded sincere, at least."

"I have his number," Kanji volunteered.

"You have his number?" everyone shouted simultaneously.

"You do like him!" Aika squealed.

"S-Senpai!"

Naoto picked up on the third ring. "Shirogane speaking," he said immediately upon answering.

"N-Naoto-kun?" Aika said meekly. "U-Um… Th-This is Aika Nakamura."

"Ah, Aika-san," Naoto said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I need to ask you something," Aika said. "I-It's about the investigation." Naoto went silent for a few seconds. "Naoto-kun?"

"His name is Mitsuo Kubo," Naoto said calmly.

"Who?"

"The suspect. You wanted to ask about him, I presume?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"He is a first year high school student at the local high school near Okina Station, and he worked at the store Souzai Daigaku in the central shopping district part-time. No outstanding violations of any kind, a thoroughly unremarkable, average student. I hope this information will suffice."

"Um…" Aika widened her eyes and waved her hand frantically at Yukiko. "C-Can I make sure I got all that?" Yukiko pulled out a notepad and a pen and stared at Aika expectantly. "So his name's Mitsuo Kubo… he's a first year at the high school near Okina Station… he used to work part-time at Souzai Daigaku… and he hasn't really done anything to stand out. Did I get all of that?"

"Yes," Naoto said.

Aika nodded to Yukiko, who smiled back and mouthed a silent "thanks". "U-Um… Th-Thank you, Naoto-kun. A-After what happened the last time you met with us too…"

"I thought we already established that I was out of line at our previous meeting," Naoto said. "But I do hope that you do not go about town advertising this information."

"We won't," Aika promised. "Thanks again for the help, Naoto-kun." She sighed as she hung up.

"I just thought of something…" Rise said. "The guy on the Midnight Channel? He came to our shop last week… Was he spying on me? Oh my god… I really was being targeted…"

"Dammit!" Kanji yelled, slamming his fist down on the table. "Freakin' punk!"

"Oh, now I remember where I've seen him before!" Chie interjected. "Yukiko, it's that guy who was hitting on you back in April! Don't you remember, Aika? You were there with us!"

"W-Was I?" Aika asked. "S-Sorry, I don't remember. The first week of school was kind of a blur…"

"Oh, him!" Yosuke said. "The dude who got served by Yukiko in front of the school! Man, Chie, how'd you remember something like that?"

"Well, that was the first time he talked to her, but I remember he was always following her around," Chie said.

"I'm sorry," Yukiko said slowly. "Who are we talking about?"

"The dude who came right up to you at the school gates and called you Yuki!" Yosuke told her.

"Oh…" Yukiko said. "Really?"

"W-Wait a minute…" Aika quipped. "Wh-What if he kidnapped Yukiko to get back at her for rejecting him?"

"I didn't really reject him," Yukiko defended herself.

"He came up to me while I was busy working and asked, 'Don't the biker gangs bother you?'" Rise added. "Just going on and on about how biker gangs can't do anything unless they're in a pack and stuff… He seemed the type who just keeps talking, whether you like it or not… if that makes sense. I usually treat those people politely so they don't get offended, but I was so tired that I kinda ignored him. Was that why I was kidnapped…?"

"H-Huh?" Kanji asked. "Wait, I'm not a biker!" He groaned. "That damn special report… So that's why I got dragged into this."

"You know, I've heard he's been saying stuff about that announcer's affair, too," Chie said. "Lots of muttering about how women who cheat on their husbands should be executed."

"Except it was the other way around," Aika deadpanned. "But is this guy… really responsible for everything?"

"Let's go and find out!" Rise said excitedly.

Aika was beyond furious. Mitsuo Kubo actually had the gall to design his domain after a video game. So this was just a game to him… "Okay, so we use this thingy here…" Rise mused as she held out the black sphere they'd picked up, and darkness emanated from it. "Orb of Darkness? What's that supposed to be anyway?"

"It's a video game thing," Yosuke said fleetingly. "Can't believe he made the whole thing 8-Bit, though."

The doors before them opened automatically, revealing two identical boys in yellow sweaters, only one of them was cloaked in a shadowy aura. "You Mitsuo?" Kanji demanded. "You better be ready to pay, you bastard!"

"I knew it!" Aika interjected, pushing past Kanji. "He has a Shadow! That wasn't him taunting us!"

"Everyone gets on my nerves!" what Aika presumed was the real Mitsuo ranted. "That's why I did it! What do you think of that? Say something, damn it!" The Shadow simply leered at him. "Nobody even thought of me after the first two people. That's why I went for the third one! I killed them!" Still, the Shadow said nothing. "What're you all quiet for?"

"Because…" the Shadow finally said in an ominous whisper. "I feel nothing…"

"What're you talking about?" Mitsuo demanded. "Make sense, damn it!"

Mitsuo sounded so lost and confused that all of her anger dissipated right then and there. "M-Mitsuo-kun!" Aika cried. "D-Don't…"

"Don't!" Yosuke snapped at Aika, grabbing her wrist. "Let the asshole get what's coming to him."

Aika looked away, but didn't try to break out of his hold. "B-But…"

"I… have nothing…" the Shadow said. "I am nothing… And you… are me…"

"That's enough!" Yukiko yelled. "He may be a murderer, but he's still like us!"

Mitsuo finally turned around to face them. "Wh-Who are you guys? How'd you get in here? Damn it, who the hell are you? What're you doing here?"

"Shut the hell up!" Kanji shouted. "We came after you!"

"Are you the killer?" Chie asked in a calmer voice.

And at that, Mitsuo smiled and laughed. It wasn't like how any of the Shadows Aika had faced laughed – his laugh was completely natural, almost as if he found the situation funny. "Of course I am! I'm the one behind everything! I don't give a damn what this imposter's saying! You hear that? You have nothing to do with me! Get out of my sight!" And, as quickly as it came, Mitsuo's blissful expression was gone, replaced by a panicked and hysterical one. "That goes for the rest of you, too… Why'd you chase me all the way here? I'll kill you… I'll kill all of you! I can do it, you know. I can do anything!"

"So you don't accept me…" the Shadow said in a dangerous whisper. Mitsuo groaned and collapsed, and darkness swirled into the Shadow's form.

"Look out!" Aika yelled to Mitsuo, running in front of him with her rod raised. What appeared to be a baby rose into the air, with strange blue writing she couldn't read floating around its head.

"Damn it, here we go again!" Yosuke groaned.

"Get ready, everyone!" Rise said. "Once we beat him, this case is as good as closed!"

The baby wailed, and then a large, pixelated knight appeared before them. "I am… a Shadow…" it said in a robotic voice. "Come… I'll end your emptiness."

"Is that thing supposed to be a game character?" Yosuke asked. "Geez, how insulting can he get?"

"You'll have to destroy the outer shell first," Rise told them.

"Okay," Aika said. "So the usual, then?" Aika smashed her Persona's card. "Do your thing, Aoandon!" Tarunda! Rakunda! Sukunda!

"C'mon, Kanji!" Chie yelled. "Let's do this!" They summoned both their Personae to attack the knight with physical blows.

"Ready, Teddie?" Yukiko asked. Within seconds, the knight was engulfed in fire and ice.

But then the knight retaliated, smacking its sword down on Yosuke and Aika. "We need to finish this thing off, now!" Yosuke yelled. "With me, okay?"

Aika nodded. "Okay." She smashed her card. "Aoandon!"

"Jiraiya!" Yosuke yelled as he hit his card as well. And then, wind sliced at the knight, and a giant ball of white light made it disintegrate. The baby-like Shadow dropped to the floor, staring downward. "Now's our chance!" Yosuke yelled. "Ready?"

"Ready!" the rest called, and they all attacked the Shadow with everything they had. Aika cast Megidola over and over again until she couldn't cast any more, but it was a strike from Teddie that finally took the Shadow down. Aika sank to her knees in exhaustion, panting heavily. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah," Aika replied shakily. "Just cast too many spells at once."

Yosuke helped her up a few seconds later, but a groan from Mitsuo diverted his attention to him. "Finally awake, huh? You've been a major pain in our ass."

"What the…?" Mitsuo gasped. "You guys… Who the hell are you guys?"

"It's over," Aika said. "The police think you're responsible for all the murders."

"Wh-What?"

But somehow, Aika couldn't bring herself to feel angry. "Mayumi Yamano, Saki Konishi, and Kinshiro Morooka. You should know this."

"All the cases…" Mitsuo said quietly. "All on me…" He laughed hysterically, smiling. "That's right, I did it!"

"You piece of shit!" Kanji yelled, raising his fist.

"And not just that bastard Morooka…" Mitsuo continued. "That stupid announcer and the Konishi bitch, too! I killed all of them! It was all me!" Behind him, the Shadow disappeared, and when Mitsuo noticed, he laughed a little more gleefully. "It's gone… That frickin' monster disappeared… Take that, son of a bitch!"

Aika tried catching him before he could collapse, but he was too heavy, and she went down with him. "Mitsuo-kun…"

"He's exhausted," Rise said calmly. "We need to get him out of here."

Mitsuo came to a few minutes after everyone climbed out of the TV. "Where… am I…?"

Chie and Yukiko were physically restraining Kanji, and Yosuke looked about ready to snap, so Aika held his hand tightly. "You're in Junes," she said calmly. "You know, the department store?"

Mitsuo looked completely dazed. "Why… am I here…? What the hell are you guys…?" He grimaced, his face contorting in pain. "Stop it… Why did the TV…" He groaned as he put his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?" Aika asked concernedly.

"Why are you taking his side?" Yosuke yelled.

"I'm not taking his side!"

"You seem confused from everything that happened," Teddie said to Mitsuo, "But we have a bunch of questions for you. First off, why did you do all this? Answer in ten words or less!"

"Teddie, stop!" Aika yelled. "Can't you see he's exhausted?"

"Aika, he's a murderer," Yosuke said. "He doesn't deserve any sympathy."

"How can you expect him to answer our questions when he can barely even talk?"

Mitsuo laughed weakly. "What the hell…? Is that a costume…? What a loser… Get out of my face, you freak…"

"F-Freak?" Teddie repeated, growling in anger.

Aika dropped down to her knees so she could look Mitsuo square in the eye. "Did you really do it?" she asked evenly.

"You…" Mitsuo said. "Now I know who you are… You're that Dojima girl… That detective… He's an asshole…"

Aika bristled, but forced herself to at least look calm. "Just answer the question."

"Get off my back…" Mitsuo said weakly. "I already told you… I did it…"

"Why?" Rise asked. "How could you do such a thing?"

"Three people are dead because of you…" Chie reprimanded him.

But Mitsuo just laughed. "E-Everyone's talking about it, right? It's a huge deal… and I did it! All of it! All by myself…!"

"You just did it for the attention?" Yosuke demanded, looking absolutely furious.

"Then why did you target me and the others?" Yukiko asked angrily. "How did you kidnap us?"

Mitsuo panted heavily, and for a second, Aika thought he was going to pass out again. "Whoa, look who it is… Hey, Yuki… After all this time… now you wanna talk to me? What bullshit."

"Answer me!" Yukiko yelled. "If you had a grudge against me, that's fine! But why the others?"

Mitsuo's laugh was getting weaker by the minute. "What a joke… You're so desperate it hurts… I didn't care who I attacked… Everyone pisses me off…"

"You what?" Yosuke practically snarled, and his fists were clenched so tightly that Aika was sure that he was going to hit Mitsuo sooner or later. "You killed Senpai over nothing? You son of a bitch!"

"You're gonna get what's comin' to you," Kanji threatened.

"What, you gonna kill me?" Mitsuo retorted.

But Kanji grabbed Mitsuo's shirt and lifted him up. "Kill you? It ain't gonna be that easy, you piece of shit. What you did can never be taken back. No, you're gonna own up to your crimes, and you're gonna pay for what you did. You ain't gonna be allowed to kick the bucket until you understand what it is you've done!" Kanji dropped Mitsuo unceremoniously to the ground.

"Why, damn it?" Yosuke ranted. "Why did she have to die because of this bastard?" He was shaking in so much pain and rage that Aika just wanted to hug him like she did that day when they went to the hill overlooking the town.

Aika stood up slowly, and she couldn't understand, for the life of her, why everything felt so wrong. "We need to call the police," she said quietly. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her Uncle's number, knowing that he'd pick up. "Hello, Uncle? Um… I think we found the killer."

Aika didn't get out of questioning until almost one in the morning. Everyone on the investigation team was questioned individually, with each session taking almost exactly the same amount of time. And, as she drew the longest straw, Aika was the last to be questioned.

She walked out of the interrogation room, yawning tiredly, only to see Yosuke fast asleep on a bench outside. Touched by his gesture, she nudged him awake. "Yosuke, wake up."

Yosuke woke up slowly. "Huh…?" His brown eyes blinked open, and he rubbed them sleepily. "Hey, Aika…" He yawned and stretched his arms backward. "You're finally done?"

"Yeah," Aika replied. "Come on. Let's go home."

"Y-Yeah," Yosuke said, yawning again. "I'll walk you home." And for a while, they walked in silence. When they finally made it to the Dojima household, Yosuke spoke up again. "Hey… I'm sorry for yelling at you like that… Back in Junes, remember?"

"Yeah…" Aika said quietly. "Um… To tell you the truth… I don't know."

"About what?"

"About Mitsuo." Aika sighed. "I don't know… I don't… I don't think he's the culprit."

"Say what?" Yosuke almost yelled.

"Come inside," Aika said. "I'll explain there. But we have to be quiet, because Nanako's probably asleep."

"Gotcha," Yosuke said. Once they were inside, Aika turned on as few lights as possible and made two steaming cups of tea for herself and Yosuke. She had a pounding headache now, and tea was exactly what she needed to alleviate it. "So… why don't you think it was him?"

Aika sat down on the couch next to Yosuke and leaned against him tiredly. "I know this sounds weird, especially since he said he was just doing it for the attention, but…" She sighed and stared at her reflection in the tea. "It just… sounded like he was trying too hard to convince us that he was the culprit. He just… owned up to it too easily, I guess. And he actually went willingly with the police… I… I almost felt sorry for him."

"Aika, that bastard murdered three people—"

"I don't think he did," Aika said again. "And I don't think he kidnapped everyone else either." She sighed. "I'm sorry… I'm just… having a hard time accepting that this might really be over, I guess…"

Yosuke slid downward and rested his head on top of hers. "You and me, both."

He yawned so widely that Aika could see moisture in his eyes afterward. "You shouldn't walk all the way back home when you're so tired. Stay here for the night."

"If people were getting the wrong idea about us before, they definitely will if they see me walking out of here tomorrow morning. But…" He smiled gently down at her. "I don't really care anymore."

Aika smiled back. "Neither do I."

"So… we'll just go upstairs and—"

"Sleep," Aika finished. "We're going to bed. I'm too tired to do anything else."

"N-No, I wasn't asking if…" Yosuke sighed exasperatedly. "Never mind."

"Wait a minute… I don't think we have a spare futon, and Uncle will definitely notice if you use his…" She blushed, and she put bot hands on her cheeks in embarrassment.

"What?" Yosuke asked concernedly. "What's wrong?"

"Um… W-We could…" But the words died in her throat, and her face felt like it was melting clean off.

Yosuke's eyebrows shot upward. "… Share?" he finished. "U-Um… I-If it's all right with you… A-And if we both fit, of course."

"W-We should… I-I'll set my alarm early so that we'll get up before Nanako does…"

"Y-Yeah, that sounds like a good idea…"

But when they finally settled in, though it was so cramped that Yosuke had to put one arm over her just so that he could fit, Aika fell asleep almost immediately.

Social Links:

The Fool: the Investigation Team
The Magician: Yosuke Hanamura
The High Priestess: Yukiko Amagi
The Empress: Margaret
The Emperor: Kanji Tatsumi
The Hierophant: Ryotaro Dojima
The Chariot: Chie Satonaka
The Justice: Nanako Dojima
The Hermit: Kaede the Fox
The Wheel of Fortune: Naoto Shirogane
The Hanged Man: Naoki Konishi
The Deah: Taro Namatame
The Star: Teddie
The Moon: Tohru Adachi
The Sun: Fuuji and Masami Nakamura

Aika spent a "long time" with Yosuke… but sadly did not get the D. (Not yet, anyway.)

So… what did you think? This is the shortest chapter since Chapter 1, which was an introductory chapter more than anything… Should I go back to the usual format? Or do you like this one better?

Also, hey, Naoto's Social Link is different. Because Aika is a sensitive little shit who's affected by the Social Links on a mental level a lot more than Yu ever was. Being a therapist to everyone is hard work, people.

And… I fail at writing romance forever.

Please review!