A Different Relationship

Yukiko Amagi, dressed in a pink kimono that served as her work uniform, stood in the lobby of the Amagi Inn. As manager of the inn, she had many duties, from making deals with clients to managing staff, which kept her constantly busy, but she was also the face of the inn, and made a point of personally greeting guests. The Golden Week holidays had arrived, so she was expecting newcomers.

The first of that day's guests were a young man and woman in their mid-twenties.

"Welcome to the Amagi Inn," Yukiko said, bowing deeply. "I am Amagi, the manager of the inn."

"It's nice to meet you, Amagi-san," the young man said. "I'm Sato, and I have a reservation for two- myself and my wife."

Yukiko, who'd viewed the reservation, knew the young man and his wife's names- the former was Natsuo and the latter was Fuyumi- but saw no reason to ask for their given names or provide her own. Surnames were enough in her line of work, which demanded the utmost respect for guests, and Yukiko was glad for that, since she'd never liked her first name. Only a handful of people- her parents and her oldest friends- had the privilege of using her name, and while some guests became regulars and some employees had served for their entire careers, they would never join such a small and select group.

"We're honored to have you and your wife join us, Sato-sama," Yukiko said. "Thank you for coming all the way to our humble community and patronizing our establishment."

"My older brother, his wife and their children live out here," Fuyumi said, "so Natsuo-san and I chose this town as the destination for our honeymoon."

"It's great to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city," Natsuo said, "but I understand that there were some murders some time ago."

"The Midnight Channel murders were just over twelve years ago, sir," Yukiko said. "It was a difficult time, but I believe our community came out of it stronger. Our town isn't free of violent crime, but you should have a peaceful honeymoon."

"Glad to hear that," Fuyumi said. "We'll only be visiting for a week, but I'm excited to take my first trip with my husband."

A part of Yukiko couldn't help but feel jealous since, from a glance, the newlyweds appeared to be slightly younger than her. Still, she was always happy to see people like them get married, and to spend their honeymoon at her establishment.

"In any case," Yukiko said, "thank you for coming to stay with us. Satonaka-san, please show these guests to their room."

Chie Satonaka, a waitress at the inn who was dressed in a blue kimono, obediently bowed. There were rumors that Chie and Yukiko knew each other due to their being the same age and having grown up in the same community, but to the Satos and other outsiders, there was no indication that they were any closer than Yukiko was with the other staffers. Many of their fellow graduates in Yasogami's Class of 2013 had settled down in their alma mater, but high school friends often grew apart in adulthood, so Yukiko and Chie's relationship was anyone's guess.

"Yes, ma'am," Chie said. "Right this way, please, Sato-sama."

Chie led the guests down the hall. Yukiko, her greeting finished, was on her way back to her other managerial duties when she overheard some voices in the hallway leading to the guests' rooms.

"Hey, does Satonaka-san know Amagi-san?" one of the newer maids, a woman in her early twenties, said.

"She does," the other, a woman in her late twenties, said. "Apparently they're childhood friends. Some of the older employees mentioned that Satonaka-san came over to see Amagi-san all the time."

"So you think Satonaka-san got hired as a personal favor?" the younger maid said.

"I'm sure she did," the older maid said. "It's no coincidence that after failing to get into the police academy, she ended up working here."

"May I interject, ladies?" Yukiko said.

"A-Amagi-san?!" the two maids said as they turned around to see their boss behind them.

"Thank you," Yukiko said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Succeeding as a service employee at the inn is not terribly difficult. All one needs to do is follow orders, respect their coworkers and the guests, and give one's full effort to the job. Many people we hired have proven successful in their roles, even when jobs they previously held or applied for did not prove to be good fits for them."

"I...I see," the older maid said, "but not just anyone can get a job here, right?"

"Not at all," Yukiko said. "There is a competitive applicant pool, and we have to turn some qualified job seekers away. However, there is no rule against hiring family, friends or other acquaintances as long as they are willing and able to serve the inn and its customers. Satonaka-san does her job without complaining, asking for special treatment or badmouthing her coworkers, so her performance leaves nothing to be desired."

"But..." the younger maid began.

"Even so, I did not hire Satonaka-san," Amagi-san said. "I merely recommended her to my mother, the former manager, who made the decision to hire her after reviewing her job application and interviewing her, which happened before I took over. Still, I make many difficult decisions as manager, and I stand by recommending Satonaka-san as much as I stand by hiring you. All I ask of her is her respect and obedience, the same as what I ask of the other staffers."

The younger maid started to say something, but Yukiko cut her off.

"That being said," Yukiko said, "I will concede that I haven't always been right when it comes to hiring employees or other matters involved with running a business. When I realize I've made a mistake, I won't stubbornly stand by my decision, but take whatever corrective action proves necessary. Do you understand?"

The two maids turned beet red and nodded meekly.

"Good," Yukiko said. "I seem to recall asking you two to clean Room #108 once the guests have checked out. If you have time to gossip, I would hope that you've finished by now."

"N-No m-ma'am," the younger maid said.

"Then get to it," Yukiko said. "This is the second time I've had to talk to you about neglecting your duties- there won't be a third time."

As the two maids departed as quickly as their kimonos would permit them, Yukiko let off a long sigh. She knew better than to try to please everyone, but still had to earn the respect of her staff and the approval of her guests, so it was always at least a little disheartening when an employee badmouthed her or a guest complained. There were times when those harsh words became painful lessons, but she believed she hadn't done anything wrong in this case.

Yukiko was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear Chie approach from behind.

"Amagi-san?" Chie said. "I saw Sato-sama and his wife to their room."

"Thank you, Satonaka-san," Yukiko said. "You... didn't hear that conversation, did you?"

"Not really, but I can guess what you're talking about," Chie said. "More coworkers gossiping about me getting my job as a favor from you?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Yukiko said.

"Well, if that's all they're whispering about, I can live with it," Chie said. "I don't mind it if they're just insulting me, but it pis- er, makes me angry that they don't respect you."

"I've noticed that most of our critics are those my mother hired shortly before handing the reins to me," Yukiko said. "They haven't known me as long as the longest-serving staffers have, but they have served under my mother, and unfavorably compare me to my predecessor."

"That's no excuse," Chie said. "When I applied here, I knew what would be expected of me, and, among other things, that meant keeping our professional and personal relationships separate. In fact, I'm glad you don't treat me any differently from the other staff when we're on the clock, since the last thing I wanted was to be hired out of pity."

Yukiko was well aware that despite being the manager, the supreme authority over the Amagi Inn, there were some things she just couldn't do, from changing the rules so she could adopt a dog to treating Chie the same way in public that she did in private. Some things were illegal or forbidden by other regulations, while others would alienate customers or result in employees quitting. Chie admitted that she didn't have much of a head for business, but she understood that Yukiko had to think of the good of the inn as a whole, so she always stood by Yukiko's decisions, even if she didn't always agree with them.

"Yes, and I appreciate it," Yukiko said. "I hope I'm not asking too much of you."

"Not at all, Amagi-san," Chie said. "Just don't make me cook anything."

Ordinarily, Yukiko would have gone into one of her trademark laughing fits, but she knew it was neither the time nor the place for that, so she settled for a giggle with a hand over her mouth.

"We shouldn't talk for too long, even if we're not badmouthing our coworkers," Yukiko said. "Let's get back to work, shall we?'

"Yes, ma'am," Chie said, bowing and returning to her duties.

After parting ways with Chie, Yukiko stopped by Room #108 to see if the two maids were doing their job. She could hear the vacuum running, as well as two voices that were barely audible.

"...take orders from her," the younger maid said.

"...you keep pushing your luck," the older maid said. "...beats being unemployed..."

Yukiko peered in without letting herself be seen and saw the two hard at work. When they turned around and were surprised to see her, she simply waved, and said, "As you were."

Yukiko didn't see herself ever becoming friends with those two, and that was fine with her. She'd never had all that many friends, but that didn't bother her. All she needed was a select handful of people who could accept the real her.

That afternoon, Chie went out on an errand to Marukyu Tofu, where her former kohai Rise Narukami was manning the counter. While Marukyu Tofu was as much of a family business as the Amagi Inn was, its owners took on their husbands' names, unlike the Amagis. The business was small enough that it only needed Rise and Yu to run it, so while they couldn't flirt in front of customers, they didn't have to worry about what their employees thought.

"Here's your order," Rise said. "The change is in the bag."

"Thank you very much, Narukami-san," Chie said.

"It was my pleasure," Rise said, beaming from ear to ear. "Anyway, did you hear that Hanamura-senpai got engaged?"

"All the time," Chie said. "He never shuts up about how he was the first in our group to get hitched besides you and your husband."

From what Chie had heard, Yosuke, who had started a small consulting firm in Inaba with Teddie (or "Taro Kumada" as he was officially known), had met a woman his age while on a business trip. The two ended up falling in love and starting a long-distance relationship, and Yosuke's girlfriend had recently moved to Inaba. Their relationship had been serious for some time, but they had only just decided to get married.

"Tell me about it," Rise said. "In all fairness, he's not doing it to deliberately taunt you. He's just happy that he finally got someone who reciprocates his feelings."

"I thought you'd sympathize," Chie said. "After all, you were the one who was really excited about taking your husband's name, to the point of making us call you 'Narukami-san.'"

Rise couldn't help but giggle, since she hadn't been completely serious back then. Of course, at some point, she and Yukiko had gradually transitioned to using each other's surnames, since while they were still friends, most of their interactions were as fellow Inaba business owners, and Chie had followed her boss's example.

"In all seriousness, I'm genuinely happy for Hanamura," Chie said. "Of course, despite his late start, he's beating some of us to the altar."

"True," Rise said. "Kanji and Naoto-kun hooked up not long after Yu-san and I did, but marriage isn't in the cards for them."

"Well, no one's stopping them," Chie said. "It's just that they'd rather not deal with who's joining the other's family and giving up their family name, not to mention whether any kids they'd have would take after their mother or their father."

"Fair enough," Rise said. "Of course, back when I was still an idol, I was also jealous of those girls who could flaunt their boyfriends, until I reminded myself that I was an idol by choice."

Rise always knew that the life of an idol was difficult, but after the news that Kanami had replaced her reduced her to tears, she swore to return to the industry. Clawing her way back up to stardom was hardly easy, and neither was keeping her relationship with Yu secret, but she swore that even if her idol career was to end someday, she wanted to do so without any regrets. Rise had cried for hours when she was forced into a permanent retirement due to her age and declining popularity, but she looked back on her career fondly and took pride in having touched so many people's lives.

"It's the same for me," Chie said. "Not everything worked out as I'd hoped, and there are still parts of my current job that I'm not satisfied with, but it's fulfilling to be at Amagi-san's side. More importantly, though, I'm there because I chose to be."

"Good for you,' Rise said. "Tell Amagi-san I said hi."

Chie left the store, waving goodbye to Rise as she walked out.

After leaving Marukyu Tofu, Chie encountered Nanako on the streets of the shopping district. Nanako's brown hair was tied in a bun, and she wore the dark sailor fuku uniform of Yasogami High, where she was now a third-year.

"Good afternoon, Nanako-san," Chie said. "Do you not have orchestra practice today?"

"Not today, Satonaka-san," Nanako said. "It's on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, except for just before and during exams... and until I retire from my club to focus on entrance exams."

"Oh, right," Chie said. "Most of my friends besides your 'big bro' weren't in any clubs, so we didn't have to worry about that- quitting our clubs, that is. Do you think you can get a music scholarship?"

"It's not impossible," Nanako said, "but the odds are rather slim."

"Well, don't slack off on your studies," Chie said, "or else it'll come back to haunt you, like it did for me. Passion's all well and good, but you have to show that you actually have the book smarts it takes to succeed."

"I see," Nanako said. "What if... what if I don't become a piano teacher, like I always wanted?"

"Then I guess you'll have to find some other outlet for your talents," Chie said. "It's not all bad, though. Sometimes, you can find that a path you'd never considered before fits you really well."

"I hope so," Nanako said. "Well, I've got to get going. Dad's working late again, but I'd like to do my homework so I can talk with him when he gets in."

"Then I'll leave you to it," Chie said. "Say hi to Dojima-san for me."

Chie and Nanako waved goodbye to each other before going in opposite directions. As Chie walked toward the inn, she passed by a female police officer who seemed to be a fresh face on the force. Perhaps in another lifetime, she and Chie might have been coworkers. Perhaps it wasn't too late to try again.

Chie shook her head, putting those thoughts out of her head. When word of the Phantom Thieves reached Inaba in the summer of 2016, she quickly realized that the Investigation Team, which had set out to find the killer on their own, had more in common with the Phantom Thieves than the police that were hunting them, and that if she joined the force, she would likely have to choose between the law and her personal sense of justice.

So Chie continued to walk back to the inn, hoping to leave police work to those who were smarter and better at following orders than her. She would be lying if she claimed she wasn't disappointed, but at least she could hold her head high and say that she was rolling with life's punches better than a certain former detective who was spending the rest of his life behind bars.

While Chie was out doing errands, Kasai, one of the waitresses in the inn, met with Yukiko in her office.

"Gekkoukan High School would like to hold a training camp in Inaba again," Kasai said, "so they submitted reservation requests for their teams."

"Understood," Yukiko said. "I'm sure we can accommodate them."

Yukiko then processed the request on her computer.

"That certainly brings back memories," Yukiko said. "Not only did my class take our school at Tatsumi Port Island, but some Gekkoukan students held a training camp here while I was in middle school."

"Time certainly flies, doesn't it, Amagi-san?" Kasai said. "To think it's almost been twelve years since your school trip and fourteen years since that visit you mentioned."

"It certainly does, Kasai-san," Yukiko said. "Back then, I was only helping out part time, and Satonaka-san wasn't involved at all, nor did she ever imagine she would work for us."

While Yukiko had fond memories of her childhood with Chie, she also regretted how she failed to notice the jealousy festering in her best friend's heart, a feeling that grew every time Yukiko aced a test or got a confession from one of her myriad admirers. As such, she was careful not to get too nostalgic for the "good old days."

"Back then, you called her 'Chie,' didn't you?" Kasai said.

"Yes, I did," Yukiko said. "Satonaka-san and I are still close, even if we... have a different relationship these days."

"I understand," Kasai said, "since personal relationships never stay unchanged forever. After all, you're no longer just a girl helping out at the inn, but now are my employer. I can't very well call you 'Yuki-chan' anymore, can I?"

"I should hope not," Yukiko said with an amused smile, "since I've always hated my given name and that nickname. Getting to insist on being addressed more formally is one of the perks of being the boss around here."

Kasai couldn't help but laugh. One of the things she appreciated about Yukiko was that while Yukiko acted in a manner becoming of the manager of the inn at all times, she never took herself too seriously. Yukiko noted that not only were most of the employees older than her, but they all specialized in various skills that were necessary for the upkeep of the inn and satisfying customers' needs, so she couldn't run her inn without them.

"All joking aside," Yukiko said, "I did appreciate it when you and the other staff started calling me 'Amagi-san' when I began working here full-time, thus acknowledging me as a professional colleague. As long as those who work for me do their job and respect me, I extend them the same respect, whether they're a stranger or my... my oldest friend."

"You're welcome, Amagi-san," Kasai-san said, "Your relationship with Satonaka-san is your business, but please remember- I'm rooting for you two."

"Thank you, Kasai-san," Yukiko said.

Kasai concluded her business with Yukiko, bowed and excused herself. Once she was gone, Yukiko chuckled to herself.

"Nothing gets past you, does it, Kasai-san?" Yukiko said. "But really, we are grateful for your support."

That evening, Chie changed out of her kimono ate with Yukiko and her parents, and told them about her day, including what Rise had told her at Marukyu Tofu.

"I'm so happy to hear about Hanamura-kun and his fiancée," Yukiko's mother said. "Will they be holding their wedding at the inn?"

"I haven't gotten a request from either of them, Mother," Yukiko said. "They only recently got engaged."

"Well, if they want to use our establishment for the ceremony, they shouldn't waste any time," Yukiko's father said. "It's best to book it months in advance."

"I'm sure they know that, Father," Yukiko said, "but the ideal time for booking depends on when they plan to tie the knot. Hanamura-kun has waited a long time to find his special someone, so I'm sure he can wait a little longer to get married."

"Yeah," Chie said. "For him, it's just a matter of when he and his fiancée are ready. Once they are, no one and nothing's stopping them, so they're lucky."

Yukiko's father, who'd had this conversation many times before with his daughter and Chie, gave Chie a stern look as he recognized the all-too-familiar unspoken message.

"It's fine to want things to change, Satonaka-san," Yukiko's father said, "especially when the status quo proves... inconvenient for you. But until it does change, you must be willing to live with it."

"Yes, sir," Chie said dejectedly.

"Now, now, Father," Yukiko said. "Satonaka-san has been doing just that, hasn't she?"

"Yukiko's right, dear," Yukiko's mother said. "Some of the staff might be griping about Satonaka-san supposedly getting special treatment, but we haven't heard any complaints about her work, let alone any... untoward rumors."

"Then I have no reason to complain," Yukiko's father said, his expression softening. "Just keep up the good work."

Chie and the Amagis then let the subject drop. They were all of the same mind, and there was little point in openly talking about what they already knew.

After her evening bath, Yukiko retired to bed. She soon heard a knock on the door.

"Amagi-san?" Chie said. "Your parents just retired to their bedroom. May I come in?"

"Please do, Satonaka-san," Yukiko said.

Yukiko opened the sliding door and Chie entered. Once Yukiko closed the door behind her, she kissed Chie on the lips.

"You know," Yukiko said as she sat down with Chie on her bed, hand-in-hand, "my parents don't mind us kissing, per se- they'd just prefer that we not do it in front of them or anyone else."

"Fair enough," Chie said. "Even though I've known you since we were kids, I've never even seen your parents hold hands when they knew I was watching."

"Neither have I," Yukiko said, "so please don't take it personally if they're strict with us. Even if we can get married, they'll still expect you to respect and obey me- not to keep our relationship secret, but to show that our relationship won't be an obstacle to us doing our jobs."

"That's perfectly fair," Chie said. "After over a decade, I've gotten used to keeping things professional with you."

"I'm sure you have, Satonaka-san," Yukiko said. "You even call me 'Amagi-san' off the clock."

"You're one to talk, Amagi-san," Chie said. "When's the last time you called me 'Chie'?"

With no besides Chie one around to watch or judge her, Yukiko went into another of her laughing fits.

"Good question, Chie," Yukiko said. "I do it when we're alone, but we don't get much time by ourselves, so I sometimes forget and call you 'Satonaka-san'."

"Hey, I'm not complaining, Yukiko," Chie said. "For me, calling each other 'Amagi-san' and 'Satonaka-san' is a bit like wearing a kimono to work- it felt weird for me at first, but when you do it for most of your waking hours almost every day for ten years, it gradually becomes our new normal."

"When you put it that way, it makes sense," Yukiko said. "I'm glad since I never wanted things to be awkward between us."

"Yeah, it's all about perspective for me," Chie said. "As long as we're able to stay together, then the necessary compromises and sacrifices are a small price to pay."

Yukiko nodded. The days in which they could see their old friends regularly were long behind them, as they were all busy adults working toward their respective goals, but seeing how much everyone had grown and accomplished since their time in high school together made her happy. Yukiko occasionally asked Chie if she ever felt jealous, but Chie replied that she was done comparing herself to others, and would be content succeeding on her own terms.

"You know, Chie," Yukiko said, "the only reason I brought this up was because Kasai-san reminded me of how we used to be on a first-name basis in high school. I told her we have a different relationship now."

"That's one way of saying I'm your girlfriend," Chie said. "Smooth, Yukiko."

Yukiko giggled.

"In all seriousness, I wasn't lying," Yukiko said. "Our relationship has changed, not just because we're a couple or because of our jobs, but because we've changed, especially after growing up and facing our Shadows."

"Yeah," Chie said. "I never would have been able to work for you if I was so jealous and insecure that I needed you to be dependent on me so I could feel superior about myself."

"And I couldn't have possibly become manager if I were unable to make my own decisions," Yukiko said. "Narukami-kun helped me work through my feelings regarding the inn, but I decided to stay. You confessed to me, but it was my decision to accept it."

Back then, Chie had been a little hurt knowing that Yukiko had chosen to confide in a relative stranger over her, but she came to terms with it. Objectively speaking, Yu was able to offer a dispassionate analysis of Yukiko's choices as an outsider with no emotional attachments to Inaba, while Chie would have begged Yukiko not to go. Additionally, she had to accept that Yukiko had other people she could trust.

"Speaking of my confession, I'm really glad you accepted it," Chie said. "Hardly any of the boys gave me a second glance, but you've always seen my good traits, even the ones I don't notice or consider special. In this regard, I don't think our relationship has changed, even after all this time."

"Of course I did, Satonaka-san," Yukiko said, "because you've always the one who I'm most comfortable being myself around. My parents were always rather strict about manners, so I was really happy when you first asked me to call you 'Chie' and treat you as an equal."

"Ironic you should say that, Amagi-san..." Chie said with a grin on her face.

Yukiko burst out laughing again.

"Oh, my mistake," Yukiko said.

"It's fine," Chie said. "As long as we're able to accept each other for who we are, I don't mind if we're more formal, whether out of necessity or habit. If you'd rather call me 'Satonaka-san,' that's fine with me. Just remember that you can go back to 'Chie' any time you like."

"I know, Chie," Yukiko said, "but what if we can get married and you join my family? What will I call you then? 'Chie'? 'Amagi-san'? Or maybe 'Chie-san' as a compromise?"

"Hmm, interesting question," Chie said. "Obviously, I'm not going to be a Satonaka anymore, but I'll still be your employee. It'll become really obvious I married you if you start calling me 'Amagi,' but I'm not sure if it'll be as obvious as you using my first name."

"Perhaps we should just take things one step at a time," Yukiko said. "For now, I'm simply grateful that you're by my side and the support of those who are willing to accept us. Not everyone does, but those who won't accept us don't need to know."

Yukiko and Chie kissed once again, savoring their time together. As much as they wanted the day where they could get married to come, a part of them also hoped this moment could last forever.

The following morning, Chie and Yukiko began work at the inn once again, getting up around dawn, eating a quick breakfast, getting dressed in their kimonos and going to work.

Yukiko made her morning rounds, greeting her employees by name. Eventually, she came to the kitchen, where the cooks were preparing breakfast, and saw Chie delivering the Satos' order to their room.

"Good morning, Satonaka-san," Yukiko said.

"Good morning, Amagi-san," Chie said.

As far as the others could tell, this was the first time Chie and Yukiko had seen each other since they clocked out the previous day, and neither of them had any desire to correct their colleagues.

The two of them shared a secret smile before going to their respective tasks. Other people were free to gossip and theorize about their relationship, but the truth was safe with them and the handful they trusted.

Author's Notes

Thank you for reading this fic. It's an AU in which Chie fails her exam and goes to work for the Amagi Inn to stay by Yukiko.

It was partially inspired by my fic Quiet Snow, in which Yukiko is instead paired with a gender-swapped protagonist. The fic is on indefinite hiatus, but I may resume it someday.

The fic uses the Japanese modes of address for Persona 4. Among other things, Chie is the only one who calls Yukiko by her first name without honorifics in that version, which makes their informality all the more significant.