Author's Note: Sorry about the delay! I had reached the end of my fully polished pre-written material with the last chapter, and since I've been writing this story rather usually for me, in a very non-linear fashion with many drafts and edits, it took some time to throw this next chapter together. But since 'everyone' (there's not so many of you thus far, but I still treasure you guys and adore your feedback ^v^) wanted to see more of the full genderbend cast, I think you'll be reasonably pleased with this new chapter. Let the flashbacks commence!

#07: 'Suspicious' is a hard word to say

Several days earlier…

"Budge over a little, people!" someone groused in a very peeved whisper. The complaint came from a boy sporting a bowl cut of light brown hair and a cheery green workout shirt under his school jacket. "You're all hogging the view! I can't tell what's going on at all from behind Yoshiko's fat butt!"

"Well, I can't hear anything going on over Chiyuu's squeaky kid voice!" hissed the girl in question, whose lower proportions were really not all that the boy was suggesting. She was wearing a trendy, if rather traffic-halting, cream and orange blazer and a lock of her reddish hair had been pulled with scrunchie into an odd, off-center topknot. A pair of earbuds dangled from over the front collar of her shirt. "If you keep quiet and stop staring at my butt, then maybe I'll consider giving you a better view. Unless you think this view is the better one, eh, Chiyuu?"

"I'm not staring at your butt!" the boy called Chiyuu complained. "At least, I wouldn't have to if you didn't keep sticking it in front of my face!" It was starting to turn into kind of argument only a pair of very close friends could ever have.

"There really isn't much room for all four of us behind the gate," another boy murmured. "It's such a tight fit… And looking through the fence like that, don't you think you're a little noticeable?" He was the tall, gangling type with pale skin and delicate features. His school jacket was mostly buttoned up, but a ruffled red cravat could be seen underneath it around his neck, and his black hair was very neatly trimmed.

"Jeez… Calm down, Yukihiro-san," the girl with the topknot said, rolling her eyes. "You're too much of a worrywart. Kajiko's not going to spot us." Then she gasped, reached up, and tapped the shoulder of the last member of the group of four, who had been enduring all the bickering with stoic calm. "Oh man… look who it is!"

The second girl crouched and peered through the spaces in the iron-wrought bars. Her hair was swept in a gray fringe over her forehead, squeezed under a yellow headband, and woven into a single short braid in the back. "You're right," she said. Her voice was quiet and level, with no trace of insincerity. "We've seen him before, haven't we?"

"That's the same guy who was asking her all those questions outside the textile shop!" Chiyuu, the boy in green spelled out for them. "There's something weird about all this. Is he some kind of cop or what?"

"And look how nervous she's getting," commented the boy in red, Yukihiro. "Her face is so flushed."

"You better believe it!" The girl referred to as Yoshiko gleefully nudged the other girl with an elbow. "Can you say suspicious or can you say suspicious?"

The quiet girl brushed her fringe of hair away from her eyes. "Hm. Su… susupishu…" She bowed her head with contemplative solemnity. "My expression ability must not be sufficient."

"Get your head in the game, Narukami!" griped the first boy. "This isn't a joke!"

Fortunately, the girl they were hiding from was deaf and blind to all these goings-on. Her attention, though she endeavored to pretend otherwise, was focused entirely on the navy-clad standing in front of her.

Kajiko hadn't known what to think of the youth the first time he'd approached her, and she didn't know what to think of him now. His eyes were concealed by the tipped-down brim of a blue cap, and since he was close to an inch shorter than her, it was difficult to see his face. Never looking up, speaking in a measured, almost world-weary tone, he at first gave the impression that he was not truly attending to the conversation, but then he'd catch onto the tiniest slip of the tongue or telling choice of words and you realized it was the exact opposite; he had been listening closely to every last detail.

It felt rather like being under a microscope. Kajiko had never been so acutely examined in her life, and it made her flustered and unsure. And on top of not knowing what to think of him, she wasn't really sure what this boy thought of her.

Nervously, she tugged at a stray thread on the hem of her jacket. The loose seam was her fault there – she'd sewn those stitches herself. Not too long ago, out of boredom, she'd taken an oversize male school uniform, which fit her shoulders but reached all the way to her thighs, and tailored the excess from the waist down into a modestly form-fitting overskirt. After personalizing it by adding a few studs and other details, she found it was close enough to the real uniform to be allowed at Yasogami High without it feeling like a concession of sorts to the fact that she was enrolled there as a student, and thus should be (but wasn't usually) attending school.

As she picked at the fabric, she felt a craftsman's guilt from imperfection. Probably she should have used a sewing machine for the hem, but the one they owned made such a racket and her old man always got splitting headaches from loud noise when he was feeling under the weather.

The only reason all this came back to mind was that Kajiko wondered if the boy was working it out as well, unraveling the significance of the jacket, and probably the rest of her appearance, too. She figured this was why she felt so self-conscious right now about how she looked. Bleached hair and piercings in a dowdy, obviously handcrafted outfit; what exactly did he make of that?

"So, uh… you said I should meet you here?" she began.

"That's right," the boy said, inclining his head. "I apologize for my delay. Were you waiting long?"

Long? It had felt like forever. "N-no… 's fine." Kajiko mumbled. "I just… got here m'self…"

It was impossible to tell if the boy believed her. He did lift up his head ever so slightly, and although Kajiko didn't dare look him in the eye, she let her gaze flit over his face. He was younger than she had assumed from their last meeting. Just about her age, actually, but then he was so… so mature, and so confident.

With that in mind, it was best to get to the point straight away, right? Straight talk, man-to-man, that sort of thing. "You wanted to talk with me about somethin'?" Kajiko said bluntly. "Go on, spit it out already."

Yikes. Straight talk sounded a lot politer in her head than out loud. On second thought, maybe she should stick to pleasantries. At least her new acquaintance seemed unperturbed. "I would merely prefer to handle matters in a more secluded area," he told her. After examining her expression he added, "Unless you don't feel comfortable with it. I admit I am a stranger."

Kajiko swallowed. "Wh-what's there to be uncomfortable with?" She had a feeling she was red in the face. "Just what sort of 'matters' are we, uh, handlin' here?"

"Nothing of grave concern," said the boy tranquilly. "There is really no need to be so nervous. At this stage I'm merely gathering information."

"Wha—?! I-I ain't nervous!" insisted Kajiko, trying to convince herself this was true. "Gatherin' information. Y-yeah, that's cool with me. I get it." She couldn't untangle her mind from the words 'at this stage'. So this guy expected there to be other stages? What would those stages entail, exactly? And was she completely or only partially out of her damn mind?

"Then will the Samegawa flood plain be adequate?" the boy inquired.

Kajiko dithered a bit on the spot. The river wasn't on the direct path home from school and somehow it felt like going out of her way on this would make it feel like so much more of a commitment, but hell, she'd also actually attended school today just so she could walk out and meet the kid here, like it was totally natural. "Y-yeah, the riverbank… whatever you want, I'm cool with it."

"Check it out… they're leaving!" she didn't hear a female voice whisper from just inside the school courtyard. "Me and Chiyuu will tail 'em… you and Yukihiro-san can go stake out Tatsumi Textiles, in case the killer shows up."

"It's a plan," agreed the other girl, firm but, as always, quiet. She stood up and straightened the yellow bow on the front of her blouse. "Let's go, Yukihiro."

"But…" the boy with the red necktie began. "'In case the killer shows up…?' What do we do if he does?"

"You'll be safe," the girl with the braid assured him. "Don't worry."

All four of them turned to look at the soft-spoken, skinny-limbed young woman. "Don't you believe me?" she said demurely, blinking her doe-like eyes, which were full of chaste innocence and honesty… Eyes that, they remembered, would turn in battle from mist gray to a cold slate in an instant just before the delivery of the final killing blow.

The boy in green smacked his friend companionably on the arm. "Sheesh, Yukihiro, don't be a baby! Of course you'll be safe; you'll be with Narukami! She can totally protect you!"

The girl with the yellow bow and headband keenly nodded along to this. "I'll do my very best."

The tall boy's cheeks pinked as he was propelled towards his new partner. "… I think I just lost a bit of my man's pride there," he sighed ruefully.

"Come on, Chiyuu," urged the girl with the auburn topknot. "If we hang around any longer, we'll lose them."

Green, orange, yellow and red burst apart like firework sparks amid the smoke of their uniforms, heading out in pairs on their separate covert missions.

It was silent between Yue and Yukihiro for a little while, save for the occasional few words from the latter as he led them along a back route around the shopping district. It didn't feel all that awkward to Yue, but perhaps it had been, because when she turned and politely asked Yukihiro how he was feeling, his response was a nervous laugh.

"H-huh? Me?" stumbled the boy. "Oh! I'm… just fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were inside the TV for several days," Yue reminded him. "So you feel fully recovered now?"

"It's true I'm a little tired," Yukihiro admitted. "But… I'm used to that."

Yue nodded respectfully. "You're very hard-working."

But this just added to the boy's unease. "My other self seemed to think that wasn't the case," he said, sounding ashamed. "It does seem easier to just slay the dragon, save the princess, and win half the kingdom." He sighed. "It sounds nice, but the way my other self put it didn't make it look heroic at all. He made it sound like being some kind of playboy. As if it was just an easy way out of real life."

This struck a chord with Yue, and she looked away, lacing her fingers together behind her back. "Just easy kicks…" she said, remembering Yoshiko's Shadow. They drew to a halt and peeped out from around the corner of the block. "This seems like a good place to watch the shop from."

"Did you know that in a lot of old fairy tales, the dashing heroes aren't even strong or brave?" Yoshiko mused, lost in thought. "They don't need to work hard for their reward. They just get 'chosen' by fate and then they cheat their way to a reward." He shook his head woefully. "It's kind of strange to tell stories like that. They're not very good role models for real life."

"Yes, it's… very strange," said Yue. She next remembered Chiyuu's Shadow. "Dashing heroes… really are just a nice escape from reality, aren't they?"

"Oh," said Yukihiro, with an abashed chuckle. "I'm so sorry. I'm being such a pessimist right now!" He scuffed the sidewalk with his shoe, blushing. "I don't really know… what else to talk about. I don't usually spend time with… ah… girls my age. Not alone, I mean." Settling against the fence, Yukihiro combed a hand through his hair uncomfortably. "It really shows, doesn't it?"

"You're right. It really does," Yue agreed, deadpan.

Yukihiro cringed, but didn't take offence. "I thought it might… Isn't it awful?"

The girl in gray looked up with subdued surprise. "I think it's cute."

At this point, Yukihiro's cheeks matched his elegant necktie. "Don't say things like that so matter-of-factly!" he laughed. Judging from the girl's bemused expression, she hadn't found anything she'd said to be all that off-kilter. "You're so peculiar sometimes, Yue-san."

The gentle afternoon was in full swing now. The shadows – ordinary ones, of course, always shyly leaning away from the sun – were noticeably outstripping their owners in size. Yue kept her gaze around the textile shop, scanning the placid streets. So far, no one had lingered long enough to be a suspect.

"Do you think the kidnapper will really come here?" wondered Yukihiro.

"I'm sure of it," Yue said seriously. "Let's hope we're around to see."

Apparently Yukihiro was quietly hoping the opposite. "But… what if he sees us, too?"

"It'll be all right. What's the worst he can do to us?"

Yukihiro's forehead crinkled a bit but eventually light dawned. "Well… I mean… I guess that'd be to throw us in a TV," he conceded with a giggle. "When you think about it like that, it's not so scary after all… Chiyuu and Yoshiko are probably the ones with the dangerous mission, not us." He reached a hand in his pocket. "Do you think I should call Chiyuu and see how the others are doing?"

Though she kept her eyes on the textile shop, Yue pulled out her own cell. "Actually, that reminds me… I think we should exchange phone numbers."

"O-of course!" said Yukihiro. He rattled off a series of digits. "For the case, right?"

"It's best if we're able to reach each other for any reason," the girl said, and Yukihiro had to wonder if she had deliberately left that response ambiguous, or if she was just being her usual inscrutable self. Yue turned around with her eyes cast down at her phone, tapping out a message on the keypad. "There. I sent you mine."

Yukihiro gave a little bow. "With this, I'll make sure to keep you informed on everything." He laughed at his poor word choice. "About the case, I mean. Now… I really should check up on the others…"

"Oh, there's no need," Yue informed him as she looked up. "They're right behind you."

Startled, Yukihiro whirled around. "They are? Wh-why are they in such a hurry? Is something the matter?"

"You bet there is! We've got trouble incoming!" yelled Chiyuu, dragging a winded Yoshiko behind him by the wrist. "Jeez! Don't slow us down, Yoshiko; she'll catch up!"

Yue and Yoshiko looked past their friends to see what they were fleeing from. A figure skidded around the corner of the street and barreled towards them. "You pricks still thinkin' you're so funny?" bawled their rage-filled pursuer. "Get your scrawny asses back here or I'll frikkin' end you!"

"That's Kajiko Tatsumi!" Yukihiro exclaimed. "What on earth did you say to her to get her so angry?"

"We'll tell you later!" said Yoshiko, wheezing. "For right now? Run!"

Yue turned to Yoshiko. "I agree," she said solemnly. "We should run."

"But don't we outnumber her four to one?" pointed out Yukihiro, as he was pushed into flight with the rest. "Chiyuu, you know kung fu! Why are you running?"

As Yoshiko had mentioned, whenever Chiyuu was agitated, he spoke fast, and whenever he spoke too fast, his voice started to regress to its shrill prepubescent octave range. It was doing this right now. "Me? I don't know kung fu! I watch kung fu movies and I try the moves out on my own! That's not the same thing at all! Besides, didn't she beat up a whole biker gang? That's like a dozen tough guys against one of her! Two girls and two skinny boys should be a breeze for her!"

"Stop running away, dammit!" screamed the enraged delinquent. "It's not… it's not what you think! You've got it all wrong!"

"Man, I wish we had our Personas outside the TV world!" Yoshiko moaned. "Why can't we be as tough out here as we are in there?"

"I think one of the painful truths you have to face about reality," said Yue gravely as she sprinted to the front, adjusting her yellow headband so it stayed in place, "is that you don't get free magical powers just for being yourself!"

"No, you really don't!" said Yoshiko. "You do get self-esteem but it's not like you can actually hit people with that! Real life can be such a pain in the ass!"

It was true. Real life brought sore legs and stiches in the side. It brought the jarring of feet against pavement and eye-watering fatigue. But what it did have that the TV world lacked were things like a blue sky and the rush of wind and the rustle of trees. Yue was sure that if they stopped running and confronted Kajiko, they probably could have cooled the situation without even having to come to blows, and even if it did come to that, there would be little risk of actual injury. But it was more fun to make it into a chase. There was something truly refreshing about a having a little ordinary, everyday fear once in a while.