Persona 4: Snowy Spring Chapter 03: Yumi in Inaba
Lyall the Werewolf: I have neglected to share something. Senran Kagura's Yumi is among my favorite characters in the series. In fact, she ranks at the top. That is why Chapter 03 will have her at the center stage this time around. It is weird that I would start a story about Yumi while Asuka's Sword Hero adventures are currently ongoing, and I still have Super Senran Kagura Z on hold. Truth be told, this isn't the first time I created a Yumi-centered story. Unfortunately, it went nowhere. I have since deleted that story, among other things. That was years ago and I had little understanding of Senran Kagura back that. I wouldn't say I'm an expert now, but I at least have a better grasp of how things work in both Senran Kagura and Persona.
Now realistically speaking, and that's a huge leap considering what we're working with, I don't think it is possible for a Shinobi student to instantly figure out who the culprit is. Gathering information can be tricky, even for the greatest of ninjas. Yumi and the rest of the Investigation Team will have their work cut out for them.
And about my favorite pairing from Persona 4: Yu x Ayane. That may be subject to change as my current playthrough of P4 Golden on the PS4, depending on who I want as my girlfriend this time around. It's leaning on either Yukiko or Naoto.
Now then, on with the story.
(I don't own Persona or Senran Kagura)
"Yumi, Yozakura, Murakumo, Shiki, and Minori…"
All five beautiful and buxom girls present gather around the elder who called their names. They sat in front of their caregiver. The man was also Yumi's biological grandfather.
He was a tall and imposing man with dark gray hair, van-dyke beard, and a large scar over his right cheek. He wore traditional Japanese clothing, consisting of a black kimono and hakama, with matching robes.
This name old man went by the name of Kurokage, a Renegade Shinobi.
Better known as Ninja, Shinobi have existed since the feudal era of Japan, having served as bodyguards or assassins by the ruling powers of the country. By the modern day, they have fallen into obscurity. Now they work for politicians and big named corporations like the Kirijo Group. Such would be classified as Good Shinobi. And then there were the Evil Shinobi, those who commit acts of evil for the corrupt blights of society.
In Kurokage's case, he became a Renegade Shinobi after his hunt for Evil Shinobi became too extreme for the Shinobi Council to ignore. Eventually, Kurokage parted ways with the Shinobi he once called his friends, including one he considered his best friend and the love of his life.
As for Yumi and her friends, Yozakura, Murakumo, Shiki, and Minoru, they were to be classified as Good Shinobi, who preserve Japan's peace and weed out evil where it hides. The five had enrolled in Gessen Girls Academy to further their Shinobi training. They all passed with ease, but it would be some time before they could be nominated as the elites. Yumi and Murakumo had just finished their first years at Gessen's high school division and were set to become second years, followed by Yozakura as a first year, and later Shiki and Minori, as the three were in the middle school division.
That would be the case if not for what Kurokage had planned for them now.
"I can proudly say that you all have succeeded well beyond my expectations. I have trained you all to the best of my abilities. However…"
The girls' curiosity peeked when Kurokage paused.
"I've been thinking lately that there is still much more for you all to learn… about the world… and yourselves," Kurokage said solemnly.
"Grandfather, I'm afraid I'm not following," Yumi said.
"Yeah, I mean, you raised us to be Shinobi, right? Like, what makes you think we've got more to learn, Kurokage-sama?" Shiki asked. She was what one would call a valley girl. She had long wavy blonde hair and burgundy eyes. She had a beauty mark on the lower right side of her mouth.
"I can't tell you that. After all, what Shinobi mentor would I be if I outright told you?" Kurokage asked.
"Um… a poor one?" Minori innocently wondered. She was the youngest-looking of the Gessen girls due to her short stature and child-like appearance and demeanor. She had long light brown hair tied into pigtails with big green rings around them and big blue eyes with small yellow pupils. Despite her petite frame, she too was as well-endowed as her follow
Minori's tackles comment earned her a nudge from Yozakura.
Yozakura had short blue in a bowl cut with a cherry blossom affixed on it and blue eyes. She usually looked after Minori, like she did for her younger siblings. She was also considered Yumi's right-hand woman.
"I've thought long and hard on this, and I believe you must learn this particular lesson indirectly. That is why, through strenuous efforts, I've arranged for all of you to attend different schools across Japan for the year." Kurokage announced.
This announcement shocked all five girls.
"Grandfather, what's the meaning of this?" Yumi asked.
"W-Were you truly not pleased by our efforts?" asked Murakumo. She was the tallest of the girls, and she sported the large bust of them all. She had long dark brown hair tied in a side ponytail with a red ribbon. Due to deeply rooted insecurities, she hid her face behind a white ogre mask, with a matching intimidating personality and deep, menacing voice. If the mask was removed, Murakumo's pretty face and olive green eyes would be revealed, as well as her true shy and introverted personality.
"This isn't about me. It's about your development as Shinobi and people," said Kurokage. His stern eyes grew more intense as he continued, "I know you all intend to walk a dangerous path as Shinobi."
"Of course we are!" Yozakura replied, "After all, only we can carry on your dream of a world without Evil!"
"Yeah, we're gonna beat all the bad guys, Grandpa!" Minori declared.
"Yes, I have no doubt you will. But, here's what I want you all to know…" Kurokage looked at all those he adopted with conviction and sadness, "The path I walked was a foolish one. I've lived a long life full of regret. I don't want the same thing to happen to all of you if at all possible."
"The path you took wasn't a foolish one!" Yumi spoke out, "All you wanted is a world where no one would suffer as we did, correct? We were orphaned because of Evil Shinobi, including yourself. But you adopted us, trained us, and treated us like family. That's why we want to carry on your dream!"
The conviction in the eyes of Yumi and the others didn't halter. They had the same feeling. Not even the old Renegade Shinobi could deny it.
All of the girls lost their families in conflicts with Evil Shinobi. Thus, their motivation to eliminate Evil Shinobi was partially fueled by revenge. They also wanted to repay Kurokage's kindness for adapting them following their parents' deaths.
"I know. And you don't know how deeply I appreciate you all for wanting to go so far for me. But do you recall what I told you about power not being technically right, Yumi?" Kurokage asked.
"Yes, of course, I do, Grandfather," Yumi answered. This was when she was younger and before the others were adopted. He said he lacked the power to make his dream a reality, nor could he meet Yumi's mother or father. Thus he promised he would teach her the meaning of power.
"It seems you still don't quite understand what it truly means. None of you do."
This confused and saddened all of the girls. They knew he wanted a world without evil, and he trained them for the purpose of creating one.
"Then, is that why you want us to attend different schools?" Yumi asked somberly.
"Because I want you to expand your horizons. For that to happen, you must live as ordinary lives among the people as possible." Kurokage nodded.
"Hold on, you mean the schools you're sending us to aren't Shinobi schools?" Yozakura asked.
"Most of them are schools open to the public and have no Shinobi hidden in those locations. I checked thoroughly, but you can never be too sure."
"Even still, you want us to live normally in these schools?" asked Yumi.
"Exactly. You may not understand right now, but I believe this is for the best." Kurokage said, "Yozakura and Murakumo will attend Kosei High in Tokyo as a first and second year respectively. Shiki and Minori will attend Gekkoukan Middle School on Tatsumi Port Island. As for Yumi, you will be going to Yasogami in Inaba."
"Yasogami? Inaba?" Minori uttered in confusion.
"I think that's a small town in Japan's countryside," Yozakura said.
"Well, that's gotta suck, Yumi-chin." Shiki said teasingly, "The rest of us are going to big wig schools while you're stuck in the boonies."
Yumi frowned at Shiki for her bragging.
"Inaba isn't that bad. There's the Amagi Inn." Murakumo said.
"Yeah, that's true. There's also that huge supermarket that opened up there too. I think it was called Junes or something." Shiki said before blinking in surprise, "Wait, you've been to Inaba, Mura-chin?"
"Yes. My father and I visited the Amagi Inn some time ago. The service was excellent, and we made some memories. It also gave me inspiration for my Manga." Murakumo replied as she remembered her time at the Amagi Inn. Sometime after her adoption by Kurokage, Murakumo was also adopted by the CEO of the Tairo Corporation. This, unfortunately, meant her time with Kurokage and the others was cut short.
"Cool! Like, now you got something to look forward to, Yumi-chin!" Shiki said with a thumbs up.
"Yes… thank you for sharing that, Shiki-san." Yumi frowned.
Despite the jokes being told, the schools Kurokage chose for the Gessen girls still baffled them.
Yumi was particularly curious, as it would appear that she would be alone at her new school.
"Grandfather, if I may be so bold, why am I being sent to Inaba specifically?" Yumi asked her grandfather.
"To be honest… like Murakumo, Inaba holds a precious memory in my heart." Kurokage smiled, "Perhaps I'll tell you about it one day."
Yumi wondered what kind of memory her grandfather could be referring to.
"Now, to get back on topic, I believe this is a turning point in your lives. By the end of this year until next spring, I hope you come to the right conclusion," said Kurokage sternly.
While she still had many questions regarding his decision, Yumi understood that he was serious about this. She could sense the others did as well.
"We understand, grandfather." Yumi said, "We have our reservations regarding this, but if you truly believe this is best, we abide by your decision."
The girls bow their heads in respect to their benefactor.
"One last thing before you go. As you are all about to undergo a life of normalcy at these locations, you mustn't forget to keep your identities as Shinobi a secret from civilians. And unless absolutely necessary, you mustn't get involved with potential conflicts in the places I've sent you, regardless of Shinobi involvement. Is that clear?"
The girls all silently nodded in compliance.
Following this discussion, the five went to their separate rooms to rest for the night. They would leave for their respective new homes the following day.
[-April 10: Night: Asakusa Train Station-]
The Gessen girls were at the Asakusa Train Station, as it was time for Yumi to depart for Inaba. Yumi would be taking the express train to her destination.
Due to circumstances with Kurokage's health, he was unable to make it to send Yumi off.
"It tots sucks that Kurokage-sama couldn't show up for this," Shiki said sadly.
"It can't be helped. Even with his training, Grandfather can't deny his old age." Yumi said with her luggage by her side.
One of the main concerns the Gessen girls had for leaving was how Kurokage would fare without them around. He was still spry for his age, but his frailty was becoming apparent to them by the day. They didn't voice these concerns because Kurokage didn't like admitting his frailty due to his age. There was nothing to be done now. They already agreed to go along with his wishes, but they also hoped nothing happened while they off to different schools that were far from Asakusa.
"And he can't go around in public, what with his being a Renegade Shinobi." Yozakura concurred, "Anyway, you haven't forgotten anything, right, Yumi?"
"Don't worry, Yozakura-san. I have everything I need." Yumi assured. Suddenly, she was hugged by an emotional Minori.
"Yumi-chan, I know it's only for a year, but I'm gonna miss you!" cried a teary-eyed Minori as she buried her face in Yumi's chest.
"Minori-san…" Yumi mumbled in faint surprise.
"Hey, Minori, I thought you said you wouldn't do the waterworks," Yozakura said as she wiped Minori's tears with a handkerchief.
"But Yumi-chan's the first to please!" Minori sobbed.
The next to hug Yumi was Murakumo.
"I will miss you as well, Yumi! I wish you well in Inaba." Murakumo said. Even her deep-toned voice was thinly cracking. Despite her frightening demeanor, Murakumo was a truly kind person.
"Don't worry, Minori-san, Murakumo-san." Yumi smiled as she hugged Minori and Murakumo back, "I'm sure we'll see each other sometime during the year. In fact, I'd be happy if everyone came to visit. And once I've settled in, I'll be sure to write you all."
"It'd be easier to communicate if you had a cell phone, Yumi-chin," Shiki said while holding out her magenta-colored cell phone.
"Perhaps…" Yumi groaned in annoyance, "Even though we'll all be living normal lives for the year, I expect you all to keep up with your training. We're still Shinobi, so we can't let our guard down."
"You don't need to worry about that." said Yozakura confidently, "If anything happens in Kosei, I'll give it a good thrashin'!"
Her accent slipped out a bit, but it didn't deter her feelings. Everyone else had the same sentiment.
"Easy, Yozakura-san. Remember what Grandfather said; as difficult as it may be, we must remain anonymous and impartial of conflicts in our new homes." Yumi reminded as Minori and Murakumo released her from their hug.
"That will be difficult. Our drive to pursue justice cannot be so easily suppressed." Murakumo said.
"When it comes down to it, we'll just have to play by ear," Shiki smirked confidently.
"I'm gonna do my best too!" Minori declared excitedly.
Yumi was reassured by everyone's confidence. She knew didn't have much to worry about now.
As the conversation between the five girls nears its end, the PA system comes on.
"The train leaving for Yasoinaba Station will be departing soon. All passengers please board the train. All others must stay behind the yellow line as the train is in motion."
"It's time." said Yumi before boarding the train and facing everyone, "Goodbye for now. Please be well, all of you."
"Good luck, Yumi!" Yozakura said.
"Bye-bye, Yumi-chin!" Shiki said.
"Bye, Yumi-chan!" said a teary-eyed Minori.
"Farewell, Yumi-chan! Be safe!" Murakumo said as she voluntarily removed her mask and with her natural soft feminine voice.
The voices of her friends fill Yumi's heart as the train departs for Inaba. She was close to tears herself.
As Asakusa Train Station fades in the distance, Yumi searched for an available seat in the passenger cart she was in.
Most of the seats were empty, as very few people were interested in visiting a rural town like Inaba. Unless they wanted to see the Amagi Inn or sample the local delicacy.
She eventually settled for a seat across from a sleeping teenage boy with silver hair.
Other men in the train cart, but she didn't feel comfortable seating with them.
[-April 11: Afternoon-]
Following her long train ride to Inaba, Yumi traveled to the apartment building Kurokage arranged for her to stay in. It was called the Takane Apartments. It was a modest Japanese-styled two-floored apartment building, but it was well maintained. The apartment was located in the eastern part of the rural town.
"Are you Yumi Tsukikiri?" asked the landlady. She was a middle-aged woman of average height.
"Yes. My grandfather, Kuroki Tsukikiri made arrangements for me to live here, correct?" Yumi asked. 'Kuroki Tsukikiri' was the name Kurokage used as he arranged her stay here.
"Indeed he did. He paid in advance for your living expenses this year, so you won't have to worry about rent." the landlady said, "I have your room and your belongings prepared for you. Please, follow me."
Yumi wondered where Kurokage got the money to pay for her expenses. It wouldn't be that much trouble to pay her rent with her money.
"Thank you very much."
Yumi was guided by the landlady to her room. It was up to Yumi's expectations. It occupied a living room, kitchen, storage room, and bathroom. The former Gessen Shinobi wasn't particularly choosy. So long as it provided adequate living conditions, she wouldn't complain about where she would be living.
At any rate, after setting her luggage down, the first thing Yumi did was visit the bathroom for a nice bath. A hot and quiet bath was what she needed after a long train ride.
Yumi sighed as she soaked in her bathtub. As relaxing as bathing is, a mild irritation occurs when her large breasts float above the water. Yumi always wished her breasts were smaller, so issues like this could be avoided. Not to mention, she could hit into her kimono properly. It was given to her by her grandfather as a present, thus she would wear it with pride as her Shinobi garb. Unfortunately, her breasts were too big to fit at the top, so her shoulders and cleavage were exposed. Thankfully, it didn't hinder her in combat, but a small enough bust size to fit into her kimono would be nice.
There were also the stares in public she'd get whenever she visited cities like Asakusa. They mostly came from curious and lecherous men, and more often than not, they would ask her out with obvious intentions.
That boy, Yu Narukami, was different. At least he was of the decent sort despite his quiet personality. Thanks to that, his curious stare at her body was tolerable by comparison. Perhaps it might not be too terrible to get to know him if he should show up at school.
No, she shouldn't try to make too many friends here. She was only going to be in Inaba for a year. All she needed to do was live a quiet, normal life by next Spring, as per Kurokage's wishes. She didn't need to make new friends.
As she was bathing, she had her radio on, playing music. It was an old Panasonic model. She kept it in good condition, so it still worked fine. She was fascinated by music composed by Beethoven, but Yumi will occasionally to other musical genres, like Enka. This time, the radio was playing "Someone's Else Man" by the famous Enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi.
Yumi knew of the affair between Hiiragi's husband, council secretary Taro Namatame and TV announcer Mayumi Yamano. Following the press release on national television, she announced she would be divorcing Namatame for this betrayal.
As a personal fan of Hiiragi's music, Yumi felt more sympathy for the Enka singer than she did for Namatame and Yamano. She also once held Namatame in high regard in the political world, but this affair has shaken her faith in him. If he was so easily swayed into cheating on his wife with another woman, he deserved the backlash he has gotten. The same could be said of Yamano.
Eventually, she decided it was time to get out of the bath and go to bed. She had to get up early tomorrow for her first day at Yasogami High.
Upon looking at her clock, she realized she was late getting to bed, as it was midnight. Not only that, it was raining heavily outside.
Laying in her bed, Yumi drifted off to sleep, unaware of what was to transpire the next day.
[-April 12, 2011: Afternoon-]
Yumi was walking alone in the residential area of Inada.
Her first day at her new school, Yasogami High, went about as well as expected. She meet Yu Narukami again and became acquainted with Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi. And she assigned to an unpleasant teacher for homeroom, Kinshiro Morooka, whom his student affectionally nicknamed King Moron.
After school ended, she was going to walk home with her new classmates, but she had to leave.
She hadn't meant to cut her conversation with Chie, Yukiko, and Yu so short. However, she felt uncomfortable when speaking about her grandfather. His decision to send her to this small town was still upsetting for her. And she couldn't afford to talk about her grandfather without revealing who she really was and why she was Inaba. Maybe tomorrow, she would apologize for her rudeness today. And perhaps warn Yukiko of that boy who was staring at her from afar. He was definitely of the unstable sort. It may be prudent to watch him just in case.
She wished she could do more than that if not for the promise she made to her grandfather to live a normal life as much as possible for the remainder of the year. She also needed to adhere to the strict rule of keeping her Shinobi identity secret from the public.
Still, moving to this town under her grandfather's orders confused her. She knew what she wanted to do, so why wouldn't he let her and the others do it? It wasn't as though they weren't prepared for what their future had in store. He had given them the training necessary to carry out his old dream, so why would he turn around and make them go to public schools around, and what did he mean by "learn more about yourselves than you thought"?
"Grandfather Kurokage… what is it that you're trying to tell me?" she asked herself.
Yumi's absent-minded stride came to an end when she saw a crowd gathering up ahead.
As she drew closer, she saw caution tape and several police officers blocking off passage to that area. Further in, tarp walls were set up to block any further sightings from civilians.
Yumi quickly realized that this was a crime scene. She also heard the spectating housewives gossip about what was happening.
"So that high schooler left early, and as she was walking down this street…" one housewife whispered.
"Wow! Who would have imagined THAT hanging from an antenna?!" another housewife guffawed.
They were observing a crime scene, along with a few others from a small crowd. They were barred from entering the area by the police via a blockade and an officer on standby.
"I wanted to see it too."
"You're too late. The police and fire department already took it down moments ago."
"How horrifying! I can't believe a dead body showed up around here!"
"What?" Yumi gasped. A dead body? Here? How could this be? How could something like this slip beneath her notice? Shinobi student or not, she should have been more vigilant.
Well, now was the time to gather more intel.
While the crowd was distracted, Yumi slipped between two houses nearby. The shadows were her friend in these situations. With no wasted motion, Yumi jumped and climbed up one of the houses and silently landed on the rooftop. Her Shinobi training enabled her to perform such feats with ease.
Still unnoticed, she crouched low and moved quickly to get a better look at the crime scene from above. She made sure to keep out of sight.
She quietly scanned everything, from the officers looking around on the ground to some who examined the roof where the antenna once stood after it was taken down.
There were two officers of note.
One was a stern-looking adult male detective with a stubble beard, while his partner was a younger unassuming man with short unkempt black hair and gray eyes. He wore a black suit with a red crooked tie.
The two were presented with the tarp-covered body that was just taken down on a wheeled stretcher.
The stern detective was the one to unveil the deceased's face.
Yumi needed to get a good look at the deceased's face and commit it to memory. There was no doubt in her mind that it was murder. Whoever it was that was slain, Yumi swore to avenge them.
However, the deceased's identity was unexpected, to say the least. It was a quick glimpse, but Yumi recognized their face. It belonged to Mayumi Yamano, the woman from the infamous affair with Taro Namatame.
While the stern detective allowed the hospital staff to take Yamano's corpse away, his younger partner was overcome with nausea and ran to the ground to vomit, causing his senior to berate him for his rookie behavior.
Even Yumi thought the young detective was unprofessional.
Suddenly, the stern detective turned in Yumi's direction. To avoid getting caught, Yumi ducked out of sight.
She decided she saw what she needed to do and immediately went back to Takane Apartments.
[-April 13, 2011: Afternoon-]
News of the dead body discovery spread across town like wildfire. The once calm and peaceful Inaba was the current center of media attention, as Mayumi Yamano's death was reported on the news.
Yumi couldn't take her mind off what she discovered yesterday.
She was still angry with herself for not realizing there was a murder sooner. She could have prevented it from happening, but she didn't. She had no way of knowing who the killer was, after all.
Yumi was still a Shinobi student and had very little power to prevent what has already occurred. Therefore, she had to track the killer down and prevent the further loss of life.
It was unlikely the killer was an Evil Shinobi. Kurokage said there were no Shinobi in Inaba but warned her to be vigilant. The killer had to have been clever enough to hide their tracks. What made identifying them even more difficult was the method of murder they used. In the news reports she heard from the radio, the cause of death was still unknown, as the police have yet to identify it.
Even a Shinobi, regardless of alignment, leave some trace of their killing methods behind but must do so in a way that doesn't lead to them being implicated. How the killer successfully killed someone with an unknown killing method was going to be difficult to pinpoint.
"I'm sorry, Grandfather try as I might, I simply can't ignore this. My instincts are telling me to solve this murder as quickly as possible." Yumi thought. She knew getting involved with the case would go against his wishes to live a normal life in Inaba, but she had no choice. She must find some way to bring peace back to Inaba. As Murakumo said, ignoring the instinct to pursue justice was hard. Especially when the sight of murder has tainted the memories of Inaba Murakumo and Kurokage held in their hearts.
The first thing she would do was go into town and gather any info information.
"Tsukikiri-san, why don't you come with us?"
Just as she was about to leave the classroom, Yumi stopped and glanced back at Chie. She looked like she was discussing something with Yu and the boy who accidentally cracked Chie's movie before calling out to the busty transfer student.
"Me?" Yumi asked, a little surprised that Chie was inviting her to hang with them.
"Yeah! I wanted to apologize for yesterday, so I'll show you the best place to get grilled steak!" Chie said excitedly. The bleak student looked worried for some reason.
"Yesterday doesn't bother me. I should have been more mature about it myself. Still, I hope you can understand that I can't say more about myself. I have my reasons." Yumi said.
"Gotcha. I'm more than willing to respect your privacy." Chie said with understanding, to Yumi's relief. She then reiterated the promise of grilled steak and that the bleak student, named Yosuke, was paying for it. Yumi still turned her down, stating that the movie incident had nothing to do with her and had an errand to run in town.
After bidding farewell, Yumi existed to the classroom. However, she was greeted by Yukiko, who was waiting outside.
"Oh, hi, Tsukikiri-san. I was hoping I could talk to you for a bit." Yukiko said.
"What is it? I thought you were in a hurry to help your family's inn," said Yumi.
"Oh, you heard that," Yukiko muttered.
The two girls walked side by side as they talked while ignoring the numerous looks from the boys. Two pretty girls walking together were bound to draw attention, whether both girls liked it or not. A lot of them couldn't take their eyes away from Yumi's breasts as they bounced and swayed in conjunction with her movements. There were a few looks of envy from the girls as well.
"You see, my family runs a historical inn in Inaba. It's a pretty old inn, all things considered." Yukiko explained.
"I heard the Amagi Inn was quite the hot spot in Inaba. I assume you'll take over the business one day?" Yumi asked.
"Yeah, I'm going to take over from my mother. That's the word going around, anyway…" Yukiko answered.
Yumi sensed a hint of resentment toward the idea from Yukiko. If it were Yumi, she would be happy to inherit and run her family's business if it meant pleasing her own mother. It was something she and the others wanted to do for Kurokage, but it would appear he was dead set against it.
"It's been really crazy at the inn recently. If only we had more staff." Yukiko sighed in frustration.
"If that's the case, I wouldn't mind helping out at the inn," Yumi said, to Yukiko's surprise.
"Huh? N-No, I couldn't ask you to do that!" exclaimed Yukiko.
"It's alright by me. I could use a job." Yumi said. After hearing from Murakumo about her time at the Amagi Inn, Yumi's curiosity peaked. She also thought she might need a job. Kurokage may have paid in advance, but she didn't want to stay complacent with that fact, so she would pay the bills herself. It would also work in conjunction with her goal of living a normal life in Inaba.
Also, there was a rumor that Mayumi Yamano had gone to the Amagi Inn following the affair's disclosure on the news and before her death. Yumi needed to verify if it was true.
"Well, I guess I could talk with my mother about a job offer." Yukiko said, "Oh, but we're getting off subject, aren't we? I wanted to talk to you about yesterday when you stormed off. I'm sorry if Chie offended you."
Yumi immediately assumed Yukiko was concerned that Chie's questions about her grandfather had offended her.
"I already received an apology from Satonaka-san. It doesn't bother me." Yumi assured.
"I know. I just wanted to assure you that Chie is a really nice girl when you get to know her. She's strong, brave, and kind. It's like she's a prince from a fairy tale." Yukiko smiled.
"That's stretching it a bit, don't you think?" Yumi asked with a raised eyebrow. While she could see Chie's kind side, Yumi couldn't see any part of her that would be considered prince-like, given her short temper and apparent obsession with meat.
Though, the way Yukiko talked about Chie reminded Yumi of her relationship with Yozakura. Of the girls Kurokage adopted, Yumi grew closer to Yozakura than anyone else. They had a lot in common. Both enjoyed cooking, and they took turns taking care of the others. They were also the most dedicated to their Shinobi training by comparison. Thinking of Yozakura made Yumi wonder how she and the others were doing at their new schools. She had to remember to write them letters.
"I know it sounds silly, but Chie always looked after me as we grew up together. Honestly, I don't think I could do anything on my own without her." Yukiko said.
Yumi frowned from hearing that statement, "You shouldn't put yourself down like that. Don't you value your own independence?"
"What does it matter? It's not like I could refuse if I wanted…" muttered Yukiko.
"What?" Yumi was confused by what Yukiko was saying.
"A-Anyway, please, try to get along with Chie. Also, I'll see about getting you a job at the inn." Yukiko said, "So, um… goodbye for now."
"Wait, Amagi-san."
"Yes?"
"I wanted to warn you about something. Please, be wary of an unfamiliar boy lurking around campus. He seems to have his eye on you." said Yumi.
"Huh? A lot of unfamiliar boys talk to me. I'm used to it." Yukiko replied.
"I'm sure you are, but just be extra careful around this one."
The statement still confused Yukiko, but kept it in mind.
"Okay. Thanks, Tsukikiri-san." Yukiko said before leaving for her family's inn.
After parting ways with the Amagi heiress, Yumi ventured into town. She planned to scope out the area and find any information or clues about the murder.
However, as she entered the Central Shopping District, she heard a voice call out to her.
"Hey!"
Yumi turned around and saw another girl walk up to her. She wore the Yasogami girls' uniform and had long wavy, light brown hair. She looked slightly older.
"I thought it was you. You're Yumi Tsukikiri, one of the transfer students, aren't you?
"Yes, but how do you know my name?" Yumi asked.
"I heard a lot of rumors about you. Especially your… looks."
Yumi glanced away, knowing what the girl was referring to. She was subtle, but even the older girl couldn't look away from Yumi's bustline.
"Rumors about me are spreading already, are they?" Yumi sighed in annoyance.
"Yeah, I know what's like…" the girl muttered, "Anyway, I'm Saki Konishi, a third year at Yasogami. If you got any problems at school, just come talk to me, okay?"
"I'll consider it. And it's nice to meet you, Konishi-senpai." Yumi bowed respectfully to the third year.
"Wow, so polite. Not many underclassmen talk that way nowadays. I guess that's another way you stand, considering you allegedly gave King Moron a hard time on your first day." Saki chuckled.
That nickname must be well-earned if every student at school called Morooka that. Far be it from Yumi to be disrespectful to an educator, but the moniker certainly fits.
"He was being unprofessional. I merely questioned him over his right to call me and Narukami-san names before he even knew us personally." said an unamused Yumi.
"Just ignore him. He just likes barking."
"I intend to. Unless I'm forced to interact with him, such as during class." nodded Yumi.
"And I bet you'll be turning down boys left and right the same way. Just be careful you don't get seen on the Midnight Channel." Saki joked.
"The Midnight Channel?"
"You just moved to town, so you wouldn't know, huh? It's just a weird urban legend around here. They say if you leave your TV off on a rainy night, at the stroke of midnight, it turns on by itself and someone appears on the screen. A lot of people are saying that it shows your soulmate." Saki explained.
"Such a phenomenon exists?" asked a surprised Yumi.
"I don't know. I heard this one guy from another yell something about that announcer, Mayumi Yamano, being his soulmate. Obviously, he's not getting a date now that she's dead." Saki shrugged, "Wait, you don't think the same thing could happen to me, do you?"
"I'm not too sure about that…" Yumi said.
It would be far too much of a stretch for a person to appear on a mysterious television program on a rainy night and suddenly die the next day. Even in the Shinobi World, that would be considered farfetched.
With all this in mind, something didn't add up to the Gessen Shinobi. Yamano and Namatame's affair became national news after Misuzu Hiiragi came out with it. Soon after, they disappeared from the public, and then Yamano turned up dead yesterday. The night before, it was raining throughout until morning. And rainy nights were the one apparent condition for this Midnight Channel phenomenon.
So, Yamano appeared on the Midnight Channel, and instead of being some boy's soulmate, she died almost after the fog cleared? That doesn't make any sense.
"Oh, look! Isn't that Konishi-san's daughter?" the voice of a housewife whispered as she and another walked by the two girls.
"You know the man from that liquor store down the street? It must be awful having to deal with a daughter like her."
"Maybe if Junes went under, she'd be working at her family's store again."
"As convenient as that megastore is, it really is damaging the shopping district. It's getting to the point where kids from this neighborhood are willing to side with the enemy."
The two housewife saunter off while not-so-discreetly whispering to themselves.
Saki could hear everything they said and naturally was unamused.
"Don't they have anything better to do?" Saki muttered to herself. A stressed expression appeared on her face. She took a moment to shake it off and turned to Yumi. "So, Tsukikiri-chan, what kind of diet are you on? I'm amazed you have such a…"
Saki realized that Yumi had disappeared. The busty transfer student didn't make a sound either. She was just gone.
She was momentarily confused but chose to shrug it off. She needed to get to work anyway.
"Whatever… Off to Junes, we go. Gotta deal with Hana-chan, and get complaints from Dad later… Oh, joy…" Saki groaned as she wandered off.
Meanwhile, Yumi was standing on top of a telephone pole watching over Saki.
She felt bad about ditching her, but she couldn't afford to waste time listening to Saki's complaints.
On a personal note, Yumi always found people who spread bad rumors about others to be uncouth. But she had to gather information about the case, thus Yumi needed to rely on rumors as well.
Before anyone could see, and thankfully no one was around to see, Yumi jumped down from the telephone pole and began her investigation.
She questioned some people in the shopping district about their opinions on Mayumi Yamano's death. She also eavesdropped on a few conversations regarding the case from nearby police officers. They pretty much said the same thing, as they thought finding a dead body was terrifying and they hoped the police caught the culprit behind the murder soon, or in some cases, whether or not Yamano deserved her fate. This was to be expected, given how recent the murder was.
If she wanted to learn more about what's on the murder, she would have to sneak into the Inaba Police Department. However, that would be breaking and entering, a crime, even for a Good Shinobi. And telling them of her identity wouldn't work either, as they wouldn't believe she was a Shinobi and a student at that.
"Hey, you're that cute transfer student we keep hearing about, right? Wanna hang out with us?"
"Yeah, we know some great spots!"
Yumi grumbled and turned around to see two degenerate boys who started hitting on her. They wore the Yasogami High uniform as well.
Given where their eyes wandered, like almost every other male she encountered, their intentions were obvious and she had no intention of entertaining their desires.
"No thank you. I have better things to do, so I'll be on my way."
Yumi's cold rebuff didn't deter them, much to her annoyance. They persisted until Yumi was forced to physically restrain one of them. They got the message and left.
Soon after that, Yu Narukami appeared on the scene.
He was watching what happened but unsure of whether he should have intervened.
Yumi and her fellow transfer student talk about the incident with Mayumi Yamano's death, his excursion with Chie and Yosuke Hanamura, and eventually the Midnight Channel as well.
"Fascinating. Perhaps I'll verify its claims about soulmates as well." Yumi said.
"You believe it?" Yu asked.
"There are many truths stranger than fiction. As far as we know, this story might be true, and it might be worth investigating. It's not like I have anything else I could be doing with my time right now." Yumi said. She gathered what little information about the case and rumors surrounding Mayumi Yamano she could.
There wasn't much else for her to do today.
"However, there is one small issue. I don't own a television set."
"Why not? Is it because your grandfather's strict or something?"
"No. I've never had a use for one. I don't even own a cell phone." Yumi nonchalantly answered. Her grandfather was more permissive of modern trends than one would expect from a traditional man, as he allowed everyone else to get cell phones and encouraged their individual hobbies.
"Okay… then how did you get the news about the announcer's death?" asked Yu.
"I either read the newspaper or listen to the radio."
"The radio?" Yu asked.
"The radio," Yumi repeated. Technically, that was a lie too. She saw the body herself on the day of the discovery. Her radio broadcasted the murder not long after she returned to her apartment.
She understood why Yu was perplexed. Most teenagers would be quite modern, like having their own cell phone or TV. Yumi never saw any point in having one of either when letters and radio worked just fine.
"A-Anyway, how are you going to check on the Midnight Channel if you don't have a TV?"
"I'll figure something out. Anyway, I should be going. See you at school." Yumi bowed, turned on her heel, and walked away from Yu, who decided to go home not long after.
As he walked home, he failed to realize that Yumi was secretly following him.
Yumi had one idea for viewing the Midnight Channel. Simply tail him home and watch from his window. It was a foolish and voyeuristic plan she didn't want to carry out, but she had no other options. The busty transfer student was confident she wouldn't get caught by Yu at his home.
Thankfully, his place of residents was nearby the Central Shopping District, which was also close to where the Takane Apartments were located.
By the time Yu arrived at his home, which was a modern Japanese house, it was nearing the late afternoon.
Naturally, she would look suspicious if someone saw her loitering around someone's home, so Yumi retreated to the Takane Apartments to fetch a raincoat and other essential items. The raincoat was dark colored, perfect for late-night stakeouts.
She waited until the evening when it began raining.
With the rain set and now dressed in her dark raincoat, Yumi snuck out of her apartment and dashed across the rooftops to Yu's house.
Upon arrival, she took a glance at her watch. It was 11:56 PM. She was on time.
Honestly, Yumi had no idea why she was even doing this. She should be focusing on the case, not invading someone's privacy for some fruitless research into an abnormal phenomenon. But then again, this phenomenon couldn't be overlooked either. As outlandish as it may be, the Midnight Channel might have some connection to the case.
Saki Konishi mentioned that a boy from their school saw the announcer, Mayumi Yamano on said channel, possibly the night before Yamano was found dead. It was raining that night as well. Yumi understood it, rain in the middle of the night was crucial for the Midnight Channel to come on. These specific rules and what happened to the announcer could not be coincidental. If that was really the case, if someone did show up on the Midnight Channel, that person would die the next day.
It was grim and very outlandish, but one must be prepared for the unexpected in the Shinobi World.
Standing against the stone fence of the home and looked up to the second floor. Despite the darkness, she could see a silhouette at the second-floor window to the right. It was tall enough to match a teenage male like Yu, so it was definitely him.
He was catching for the rain and a moment later, he turned around.
It was now 11:59 PM. It was almost time.
Quietly, she hopped over the stone fence and quickly scaled up the building to the roof. From there, Yumi stealthily squatted by Yu's window and waited, keeping out of sight all the while.
Meanwhile, Yu was watching the screen on his small TV. He waited patiently until the clock struck midnight.
It was now 12:00 PM.
It was midnight. Nothing happened. No one appeared on the screen.
Both Yumi and Yu were unimpressed.
Yumi started to believe she got worked up over nothing. The Midnight Channel was nothing more than a hoax and had no connection to the murder.
"I can't believe I was so foolish…" Yumi muttered to herself.
That belief would soon die when she noticed an eerie yellow glow emanating from Yu's television screen. Yu could see it too, and he was just as baffled as the girl watching from his window.
The Midnight Channel was real, and someone appeared on the screen.
Even for Yumi, who had good eyesight even in the dark, the picture was incredibly fuzzy, thus she couldn't make out who the person on screen was. The figure on the screen looked familiar, though. They appeared to be a female.
In any event, this was a troubling sign for Yumi. If her theory was correct, it was very possible that a young woman was going to die soon.
As she was watching, Yumi saw Yu stumbling from a headache.
Yumi was concerned for Yu's well-being. Perhaps he was suffering from what looked like a seizure. It was probably a side effect of being close to the TV as the Midnight Channel was on.
Her concern for him would cease as she was dumbstruck to see the TV screen absorbing Yu's hand the moment he touched it. His upper body was almost pulled into the TV itself, but luckily he was able to pull himself free.
Meanwhile, Yumi's mind was still reeling from what she witnessed.
Seeing the Midnight Channel as reality was baffling enough, but Yu was able to go inside the TV on his own? How was that possible?
Yu didn't seem to know what happened either as confusion was spread across his stoic features.
Yumi decided that she needed to leave before he noticed he was being watched. She returned to the Takane Apartments to mull over everything she just saw.
Lyall the Werewolf: You know something? I almost made a huge mistake narrative-wise. It'd be a huge spoiler if I told you guys what it was, so I'm leaving it for later.
Speaking of mistakes, in hindsight, I should have stuck with Yu Narukami from the start. Let's forget it happened and move forward.
We'll continue where we left off with Yu in the next chapter.
Side note: There will be more shout-outs to come. Just try and guess what Takane Apartments alludes to.