A/N: Alternative title: "April 17 2013, Early Morning".
My longest chapter ever. Whew. I considered splitting this, but later decided against it since the sections that make up this chapter all carry a recurring theme. Future interlude(s) will usually contain sections that share the same motif, which is why they will be titled and can be either ridiculously short or incredibly long. Haha. I haven't exactly planned that far ahead as to be able to tell how many interludes this story will have...
Also, do be on the lookout for a particular character~ I hope I have written them well! *nervous*
As always, thank you for reading/following/favouriting/reviewing this story! :)
April 17, 2013
The Midnight Channel is back.
That was the first thing she saw when she had logged into the group chatroom and checked the log, like she usually did every morning.
Seeing that message left behind by her leader was, admittedly, rather unsettling. But that was because the return of the Midnight Channel, the double-edged sword that played a pivotal role during the murders two years back, was enough to confirm that the case in Ikebukuro was indeed related to the case in Inaba. And since Souji - and by extension, Yosuke - must've had seen it, that meant that somebody appeared on the programme the night before.
And by following the usual pattern...
'...They will have to enter the TV world in order to save the victim,' she realised, anxiety starting to build up within her.
No matter what the circumstances were back then, the team always went in using the large television in Junes' electronics department since it led to a place that was void of any hostile Shadows. Whenever they placed their hands on the screen, they did so with the belief that they would enter safely and not have to worry about getting ambushed by violent creatures capable of taking their lives effortlessly.
But there was no way of telling if Souji and Yosuke could find such a safe entrance in the vast city they now lived in.
And there was "something else" too...
'I have to leave... I have to go help them.'
Even as such thoughts filled her mind, however, she didn't take any action.
As the manager of the Amagi Inn, there were many areas that Yukiko had to take into account before she could arrive at a decision. She couldn't be so selfish as to leave the town straight away and push all the responsibilities of being a manager back to her mother. On top of that, the inn was particularly busy during this period of time; if she were to leave so suddenly, what were the staff to do with nobody around to delegate duties and run the inn?
There were the chefs, waitresses, room service crew...so many people that she was responsible for. There was simply no way Yukiko could leave them alone.
But if she had to be completely honest...part of her wanted to run away.
It wasn't because Yukiko felt burdened by taking over her family business. Not anymore.
She just wanted a taste of life outside Inaba, a taste of how it was like to be independent. While she truly loved Inaba, Yukiko wanted to spread her wings and explore what lied beyond this quiet little town.
And now an opportunity presented itself before her.
She knew, however, that if she took it and experienced for herself a life without the inn...she might not want to come back. And such a possibility frightened her.
"Yet you still want to leave, don't you?" Yukiko's grip on her kimono tightened. "You just wish you could abandon your life here and go somewhere far, far away. Well, this is it. This is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Just tell everyone that your friends in the city are in trouble and need your help. It's the perfect excuse to get what you want."
'…That's-'
"Yuki-chan?"
The raven-haired girl quickly looked up. "M...mother..."
The former manager brought up a hand to cover her gaping mouth. "Is something the matter, Yuki-chan? You look so pale...! Do you feel unwell somewhere?!"
"N-no, I'm fine. Really. I'm just..." Unable to look at her mother in the eye after her internal struggle from before, the manager looked away, her hands quivering.
Amagi inhaled, then released her breath. "Yuki-chan, are you worried about your friends in the city?"
'...Eh?'
Yukiko couldn't help but glance up, then. The former manager flashed her a reassuring smile. "You and your friends were caught up in that terrible case two years ago, weren't you? Dojima-san came over to tell me about it some time ago."
"H...huh..." Yukiko briefly wondered just how much did Dojima-san reveal about their involvement with the case.
"And then I remembered that pleasant boy you used to make lunches for... Seta-kun, was it? You mentioned that he's now living in that particular area where that body was found."
Yukiko could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. "I-it's not only Seta-kun, Mother...! Th-there's Hanamura-kun, too."
"Oh my, no wonder you made so many boxed lunches back then."
"Ahh...Mother..."
Amagi giggled. "I'm just kidding." Then, she looked over the manager tenderly, like a mother would her newborn, and nodded, mostly to herself. "But you know, Yuki-chan... You're already all grown up now. You should know how to think for yourself without us telling you what to do. So...if you believe that you need to be with your friends, then..."
Yukiko instinctively brought both her hands to her chest and took a quick step back before recovering. "Eh...?! Mother, what are you saying?! I...I can't just..."
"It's alright, Yuki-chan. Yes, the inn needs you. We need you. But right now, your friends need you more, and we can't be so selfish as to keep you here knowing that."
"..."
"Don't worry about us, Yuki-chan. We can handle things by ourselves until you return. Why, I wasn't the manager for nothing, you know!" The former manager chuckled at that.
Yukiko stared at her mother blankly, and then she finally allowed herself to smile. 'That's right... Here, there are people who love and cherish me. The people who knew, right from the start, that I didn't want to be the manager; that I wanted to run away. And yet, they believe that even if I were to leave, I'd come back...
'...No more doubting myself. Not when there are so many people who believe in me. Yes, I still want to run away. But I'll come back. After all, I won't be able...to find people who could love and accept me like everyone at the inn can...'
The young manager pursed her trembling lips, and nodded shakily. "Thank you... Thank you, Mother..."
Amagi smiled.
-And somewhere, deep within Yukiko's soul, Amaterasu shone brightly in approval.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't punish you, Satonaka."
"Erm... Because I...am a good cadet...?"
"A good cadet," the officer paused to give her a pointed look, "wouldn't use her phone knowing very well that it is against the academy rules. Especially when you were expected to fall in with the rest of the cadets."
Chie couldn't help but wince. "I'm really sorry, Inspector sir, but it was an emergency."
"I don't see how logging into an online chatroom can be considered an emergency. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me on that?"
Except that it'd be kinda useless, because no matter how Chie could try to twist things around, she knew that the police inspector would see it as some sloppy excuse to escape the consequences of her actions.
Still, Chie figured that she should at least try. "Uh... That's the only way my friends can contact me? A-and they only use it when something serious has happened, so I thought I-"
"Satonaka," the inspector cut in quietly, "why do you want to become a police officer?"
"H-huh? 'Why'...?"
"Because I'm a coward," a familiar voice suddenly sneered in her head. "I'm as worthless as dirt on the ground, but I'm scared to admit it. Who cares about protecting innocent people? I just want others to see me as someone who is far more capable than who I really am."
...Maybe so, but Chie knew that wasn't completely true. Upholding the law, maintaining peace... Didn't most people aspire to become cops to do just that? Chie felt that the same could be applied to her as well, but while she didn't believe herself to be any different from those people, perhaps her reasons ran a little deeper than the usual textbook answer.
After the murders happened, Chie realised that, over the course of the entire year, she had developed a true sense of pride and love for the town she grew up in. Sure, it didn't have anything special, and the people living there weren't especially outstanding, but it was the place she was born in, and the place where her family and friends were.
It was the town that she and her friends fought so fiercely to protect.
So from the bottom of her heart, Chie wished she could have the power to protect the town in order to protect the people living in it. Maybe she was still a coward, but that didn't change the fact that she truly wanted the best for Inaba and its townspeople, and if there was any way she could do to help, Chie would gladly take it.
And if that meant being a cop capable of protecting those dear to her, then Chie would do just that.
Suzuka Gongen gave a firm nod.
"...Because I want to protect people," she replied, confidence bursting forth from within her. Disregarding the unimpressed look on her superior's features, Chie continued, "Two years ago, there was a serial murder case in my hometown, Inaba, and the culprit was someone on the force. He said...that he became a cop just so he could legally carry a gun."
The inspector raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing.
"If lots of people on the force became police officers for selfish reasons like that, it's unfair to the normal people, isn't it? I mean, they wouldn't feel safe. So I...I want to become someone who can protect them. That's why I want to become a cop, sir."
"...I see." He still didn't look that impressed with Chie's answer, but at least he had stopped giving her the hard, cold gaze. "An interesting reason, but still rather commonplace, understandably. I will accept it, however."
Chie just barely heaved a sigh of relief, but remembered where she was and stopped herself.
"I asked you this," the auburn-haired man said, "because I want you to recall the very reason why you are here right now. Satonaka, you're a bright one. Even though it's only been a few days, I've been told by the other officers that you've got the potential to go far, and I'm happy to hear that. But it is precisely because it has only been a few days that I'm appalled to see you breaking the rules. For that, you have to be punished."
The brunette flinched. "I...I understand, Inspector."
"Good. Now-"
Pipipipi! Pipipipi! ... Pipipipi! Pipipipi!
Both of them turned towards the source of the sound - a cell phone lying on top of the inspector's desk, its screen flashing as it vibrated and rung incessantly.
The man glanced up at Chie curtly. "...Excuse me," he spoke, before he grabbed the phone and turned, his back facing her as he answered the call.
Chie spent the next few awkward minutes staring at the ground blankly. '...I'm gonna get punished for using my phone by a police officer who is using his phone. How ironic.'
"Satonaka."
Chie nearly leapt at the mention of her name. "Y-yes sir?"
"You may pack your things and leave."
"...Um, huh?"
"I'm granting you official leave to settle that 'emergency' of yours."
Chie was dumbfounded. "Eh? But..."
The inspector ignored that. "Make full use of it, Satonaka. I expect you to be back once you're done." Then he looked at her sternly. "But don't misunderstand, this doesn't mean you won't be made to stay back on weekends to make up for all the training you've missed. You best be prepared for that."
The brunette was so shocked and happy that she didn't know how to respond. When she realised that she had been staring at the inspector with her jaw dropped for quite some time, Chie blinked out of her stupor, and then raised her foot and stomped as she fell into an upright position, giving her superior a salute.
"Tha...thank you, sir!"
The inspector flashed her the tiniest of smiles.
"I believe you heard that, Shirogane. Now, could you please elaborate on why you made such a strange request?"
Naoto resisted the urge to sigh. She knew there was no running away from this, especially not after she gave the man a call out of the blue just to ask him to let a cadet off. If she had a choice, however, she would've had preferred to keep things from him.
But there were no qualms about it. Satonaka-senpai was crucial to the team. Everyone was. It would be extremely unfair to the rest, therefore, if any of them couldn't turn up when someone had the power to lend their assistance.
And in this case, purely by a stroke of luck, Naoto happened to have the contact number of the police officer overseeing the training of this year's batch of cadets in her possession.
"It's just as I said, Inspector," the detective replied calmly. "I am acquainted with Satonaka Chie-san. I understand that it was inappropriate for me to request for you to give Satonaka-san official leave without a valid reason, but there has been an emergency and her presence is essential, thereby necessitating this call."
Naoto heard the man sigh. "That isn't what I meant, and you know it, Shirogane."
Yes, she supposed she did, unfortunately. She had been hoping she could avoid giving the inspector all the details, but the both of them were probably too sharp for their own good to not notice the subtlety behind each other's words. It was strangely refreshing, however, to have such a conversation with an esteemed member of the force like the inspector himself.
Most of the others she had had the...privilege to meet often labelled her as a child at first sight and treated her as such. Even though she was now approaching the age of eighteen and no longer concealing her gender, they remained firm in their belief that she was incapable of great accomplishments in this - she loathed to admit - male-oriented and adult profession.
So having a man, who held a respectable position on the force and had many years of experience, taking her seriously and having a mature conversation with her was certainly something worth treasuring.
"...Yes, you're right, Inspector. It is true that Satonaka-san...no, Satonaka-senpai and I are acquainted. We were once students of Yasogami High School situated in the town of Inaba. And...we are members of an unofficial investigation team that pursued the truth behind the serial murder case that had taken place at that town two years ago."
"...I knew it. No wonder the air around Satonaka struck me as familiar somehow... After I looked through her file and heard about her reason for becoming a police officer, I became even more convinced." A pause. "Shirogane, be honest with me. You and Satonaka, and the other members of that team... You're all Persona-users, aren't you."
Naoto's eyes widened.
"In...Inspector."
"Don't bother covering it up. I sensed it at the very moment of our last reunion. The air around you... It felt different from how I remembered it. And there is also the fact that you've changed ever since the Inaba case was resolved. It can't all be a coincidence now, can it?"
Naoto drew in a slow, steady breath as she contemplated over how to proceed.
The first thing that flashed through her mind was to lie. But that would be futile. In fact to do so thinking that she would get by was tantamount to insulting the inspector's interrogation skills. Naoto had no desire to learn about what unthinkable consequences making that decision would result in.
The next was to simply tell the truth, but what good would that do to the team? There was no telling what the inspector would do with the knowledge that they were Persona-users. Even though Naoto knew him personally, she hadn't exactly built that much of a rapport with him to the point that she could predict the man's every action.
'...That isn't my expertise, after all,' the detective mused, almost sourly. For a reason unknown to anyone but her.
"There you go again, your mind wandering off on its own instead of focusing on what's at hand. Your attention span is still like that of a child's. It's no wonder the grown-ups still think of you as one. Except that it's worse now, isn't it? What with everyone treating you like a little girl? Huh, Shirogane Naoto-chan?"
Navy blue eyes narrowed.
"When was the last time you've been called to a case involving a major crime? The last time you actually pulled out that gun to apprehend criminals? The last time people sincerely needed your help? You know it better than anyone else." A cackle. "Let's face it, you still wish you had gone through that bodily alteration procedure, don't you...?"
"...Shirogane?"
Naoto finally released the breath she had been holding, automatically shutting the taunting voice out as she continued the conversation, "I'm sorry. I was...thinking. About the matter you have brought up."
"I understand." The inspector didn't sound convinced at all, however. "If it inconveniences you to explain everything to me, Shirogane, it's perfectly fine. All I want to hear from you is whether my deduction was right...or not."
The young detective closed her eyes. "Before I go into that, Inspector, may I ask one question?"
"You may."
Naoto held back a resigned sigh. "Inspector, you mentioned that I changed after the case in Inaba was resolved..." Her grip on her cell phone tightened slightly. "Do you truly believe that it is a positive one?"
There was silence over the phone before she heard the man sigh and say, in an affirmative yet soothing tone, "...Naoto. You had been hiding the most important part of yourself for such a long time, and now that you've finally decided not to, you're hesitant about that decision. And I understand that. So if you really want an honest opinion...when I heard about your decision from Shirogane-san, I was truly happy for you."
"...!"
"What you were doing before... I wouldn't say that it was entirely wrong of you, but over the years, Naoto, I saw that passion of yours towards your work being masked by your determination to present yourself as the ideal detective defined by society. That, to me, diminished the meaning of becoming a detective in the first place. But you seemed resolute on that, and furthermore I am in no position to lecture you, so I left you be in the hopes that you would rediscover your passion, but I didn't think-"
The man had paused, then, before he continued, "Regardless, you have succeeded, and for that, I am relieved and happy for you. Whatever it is that is making you hesitate, Naoto, be it society or yourself, remember that what's most important is for you to be true to yourself. So...don't be afraid to change if that's what you believe you ought to do."
Naoto was stunned.
'...Yes, that's right,' she thought to herself, after carefully considering the inspector's words. 'I made a promise to Senpai and the others. That I would not fear change, but embrace and encourage it. What society thinks of me shouldn't affect my decision to change...not anymore. As long as the fact that there are people who would accept everything about me remains, nothing else matters.'
Yamato Takeru danced about merrily. Naoto stifled a giggle at that.
"If it's of any comfort to you..." the inspector suddenly spoke, capturing Naoto's immediate attention, "that never goes away. Even when the years have passed and you have become older, wiser, jaded...there will be some part of you that will always remain. But that is exactly what it means to be human, I suppose."
...Now the man sounded like he was no longer referring to her alone, but someone else. And possibly even-
"...Inspector...?"
A melancholic sigh. "...Never mind. Forget I said that."
When Kanji heard about the message his senpai left on the chatroom from Yukiko, the first thing he did was to bolt out of Yasogami High's school gates before lessons even started.
'The hell? Why is the Midnight Channel back? We caught the bastard and beat the shit outta that Izanami, didn't we? And what's this "something else" Senpai can't say till everyone's online? What the hell is going on...?!'
Such thoughts rampaged through Kanji's mind wildly as he dashed down the path leading him back home.
The moment he reached the entrance of Tatsumi Textiles, the adolescent roughly shoved the door open and ran up to his room on the second floor. He scrambled to pack some random clothes into the largest bag he could find, and hurriedly checked every corner of his room for the glasses made by Teddie.
Kanji was flipping his futon over when he heard someone say, "Who left the door open...?" Then he turned, and saw an elderly woman make her way up the steps. She stopped when she noticed his presence. "Huh? Kanji-chan?"
The black-haired teen dropped whatever he was holding, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "M-Ma..."
"What are you doing here? Don't you have school today?" His mother continued her way up the stairs and walked towards him. "And what are you doing with that bag and pile of clothes? Are you going away on a school trip again?"
Kanji inwardly cursed at himself barging in unprepared; he knew his mother was usually at home, so he should've had expected to see her, but his mind was so caught up by what had happened in Ikebukuro that he hadn't considered that.
"Uh, this ain't what it looks like, Ma..." was the first thing that came to Kanji's mind.
The elderly woman looked confused for a moment. "Oh, so you're not packing for a school trip? Then what are you packing for?"
"I'm, uh..."
He wanted to tell her the truth so that he could leave without feeling the guilt of lying to his mother. But then Kanji thought about it carefully. If he were to leave for the city just like that, he'd be leaving his mother behind in Inaba. Managing the store, all alone, with no one to take care of her.
That wasn't how he should be treating her. She deserved better than that. Better than-
"Better than a messed-up son like me." Kanji directed his eyes to the floor, almost ashamedly. "Liking things that only girls enjoy doing... Picking fights with gangs... I'm always causing her trouble. And now that I'm finally doing something good for her, I pack up and leave her behind. That's great. That's great, Tatsumi.
"Y'know, maybe Ma'd be happier without me. Yeah, that's right... No matter how great she is, maybe, all along, she..."
Kanji could feel his mind starting to go haywire and his heart thumping like a sledgehammer at that. Fear and self-directed disgust were beginning to swell up within him. He felt his fingers curl into tight fists without him consciously commanding them to.
"...? Kanji-chan, what's wrong?"
'Everything about me,' he had wanted to tell her, but he was so numbed by the fear of his own mother rejecting him that Kanji couldn't even get his voice working.
"Really, Kanji-chan, what's wrong? You're starting to get me worried..."
Kanji didn't want to think of all the other instances when he made her worried.
"...Ma," he finally managed to choke out, glancing up from the ground to look into his mother's eyes. He drew in a sharp breath before he exhaled, and loosened his fists. "Senpai and Yosuke-senpai are in trouble, so I...I'm leavin' Inaba. To help 'em out. And I...I 'unno when I'll be back."
The entire room fell silent.
Even as he turned his head away, Kanji could feel his mother's questioning gaze directed at him. It was painful, being looked at like that.
He could just imagine it: soon his Ma would scold him for trying to play truant, and then disappointedly leave him be. She'd probably not send him off, too. And maybe, just maybe, she'd find out that she was happier that way, without having to bother with a son like him anymore.
So when he felt warm, wrinkled fingers brush against his cheek tenderly, as opposed to what he had imagined, Kanji held his breath and found himself unable to release it.
"My Kanji-chan has grown up to be such a fine man now," his mother murmured. "Always thinking about the well-being of others instead of your own, even going so far as to leave the town in order to help them... I'm so proud of you, Kanji-chan."
Kanji stared at her dazedly before stuttering, "B-but Ma, I..."
"Yes, I know, my dear. I know why you're reluctant to leave. But I don't mind, Kanji-chan." The widow smiled wistfully. "It'll be lonely, yes...but knowing that you're doing it for your friends makes me happy. You didn't have any friends when you were younger, so I was worried about you, but looking at you now, and the you two years ago after that nice Seta-kun came along, I realise...I don't have to anymore."
"...Ma..."
Tatsumi nodded. "It's alright, dear. Your ol' Ma here will be just fine by herself. But most importantly, Kanji-chan, I want you to take good care of yourself when you're in the city. Ma won't be there to look after you, so do it for me. I don't want to see you back with a bug you caught there, you know."
Kanji's eyes widened. "Ma, you...you want me to come back?"
"What? Of course I do! Where on earth did you get such a silly idea that I don't?" She laughed as if she had just heard the worst joke in her whole life, before she turned and left the room, muttering something about train tickets and sending someone off.
Kanji, on the other hand, wanted to bang his head against the wall repeatedly for ever doubting his own mother.
This was the person who raised him single-handedly without any complaints. The person who had to experience the pain of losing a loved one, and still had the courage and perseverance to care for a son that gave her nothing but trouble. Even when the townspeople gave her shit for all the things he did, she took it all with a smile and never once doubted him.
And yet here he was, doubting this very person's love for him when it was so damn clear that she did.
'...Man, what kind of son am I?' Kanji thought, inwardly laughing at his stupidity and cowardice. 'I'm so scared of being rejected that I didn't even believe my own Ma… But I shouldn't be this scared anymore. Some wimp who's scared shitless of being rejected that he's started rejecting everything around him - that ain't all there is to me, after all.'
"IT ISN'T," a familiar voice, sounding much too similar to his own, boomed in his head. Kanji flinched at the sudden mental outburst.
Then, he stifled a chuckle, and continued packing.
"You should just leave them be."
"N-no, I-"
"What point is there in mingling with humans? They understand not your predicament, neither can they fathom the pain such meaningless gatherings bring you. You should abandon them...return from where you came from..."
"I...I don't understand what you're talking about."
And he honestly didn't, no matter how hard he tried to. Teddie thought and thought...just like he used to do after he first met Sensei and the others. But this time, Teddie could understand nothing about what the scary voice had said.
Pre...predicament, was it? And pain? Meaningless? Why, Teddie never thought of himself and everyone else that way!
"You are a Shadow, the same kind of monsters you and your so-called 'friends' had been fighting some time back," the voice continued mercilessly. "And being with them hurts you, because you know that you can never be what they are... Human. You are simply a Shadow, a manifestation of the inner thoughts of the creatures known as humans. Why try so hard to achieve the unattainable? You should just return to the fog...return to the blissful lie, where you don't have to suffer anymore..."
Teddie shook his head harshly, his breaths becoming quick and short. "No...! Y-you're wrong! I don't want that... I don't ever want that!"
The voice chuckled. "Perhaps not...but once you recover all of your memories, you'll understand..."
But hadn't Teddie already remembered everything? How could there be anything else he wasn't remembering, then?
He knew he was a Shadow, and that Shadows couldn't live together with humans - Nao-chan called it "co-existing" - but Teddie was here in the human world right now, wasn't he? And Sensei and the others said that Teddie wasn't like the other Shadows because he developed something called an "ego"... So, didn't that mean that everything else before Teddie met Sensei wasn't important to him anymore?
"I...I don't want to understand..."
Because Teddie had a feeling that if he did, maybe Sensei and the others wouldn't want him around anymore. And then maybe...maybe he'd revert back to a normal Shadow again. Something like that was just...
Teddie really didn't want to think about it anymore. "Just go away!" he cried, clutching his head. "Sensei... Yosuke..."
Teddie needed them. Desperately.
Whenever he was at a loss, Teddie would always turn to Sensei for help. But after Sensei left, Teddie found himself relying more on Yosuke instead. Sensei was still the better listener, but Yosuke was... Teddie didn't know how to put it.
While Sensei made Teddie believe that he could do anything as long as he tried, Yosuke was the one who showed him what it really meant to live. Yosuke took him in, and gave him a place to stay, where he saw and felt love. From Yosuke, from his mom, even his dad; Teddie saw what it was like to have a family. And through that, Teddie felt alive.
Now Yosuke was like a second Sensei to him. Of course, there was no replacing the original Sensei, but Yosuke was special to him too. So if Teddie were to face any trouble, he knew he would have at least one of them to turn to.
It wasn't like Teddie couldn't rely on the others. They were all great, and Teddie loved them all. But Sensei and Yosuke were…different somehow. Maybe it was because he was the only one who was together with them when they both awakened to their Personas?
Teddie didn't know. All he did know was that right now, he wished they were here with him. He wanted them to tell him that everything would be okay; that he didn't have to leave even if he might one day no longer be the Teddie everyone knew.
"Teddie?"
The blond whipped around, and immediately let his arms fall to his sides the moment he saw who was behind him. "Na...Nana-chan..."
Nanako tilted her head to the side innocently. "Are you alright? You don't look too good..."
"U-uumm..." Teddie shook his head. "I'm okay, Nana-chan. I was just... I was just thinking about Sensei and the others."
"...Oh." Nanako casted her eyes downward. "So Teddie misses them, too..."
"...Un," was all the blond could manage.
"It's not so bad, though. Teddie's here, and so are Yukiko onee-chan and Kanji onii-chan, so I'm not lonely at all," Nanako said with a quiet giggle.
Teddie bit his lower lip, suddenly realising what the whole thing could mean to her.
With Sensei, Yosuke, Chie-chan, Rise-chan and Nao-chan gone, all that was left of their group in Inaba was Yuki-chan, Kanji, and Teddie himself. Nana-chan was already lonely enough with Sensei leaving, but now...
Now the last few of the team would have to leave, too.
Teddie couldn't bring himself to tell Nana-chan that. It was just too cruel.
"But if..." Nanako murmured, keeping her head low. "...if Teddie and Yukiko onee-chan and Kanji onii-chan need to leave, I understand."
Teddie's eyes widened. "Eh...?"
Nanako shuffled her feet. "Dad said that Onii-chan and Yosuke onii-chan are in some kind of trouble. And that they need everyone's help." She raised her head and gave Teddie a bright smile. "I don't really get it, but if Onii-chan needs you and everyone else there, then I hope everyone can go! It'll be lonely, but I've got Dad with me, and my friends from school too, so I'll be okay!"
"...Nana-chan..."
"Onii-chan and Yosuke onii-chan must be lonely, too. And I know that if Teddie is there with them, everything will be okay, so..." The girl ran up and held Teddie's hand in both of her own, her eyes gleaming and her face wearing a broad, cheerful smile. "So don't worry, Teddie!"
'...Everything will be okay...?' Teddie felt a warmth slowly envelope him upon hearing Nanako's words. 'Sensei and Yosuke and everyone else... They need me...? A Shadow like me…?'
"Nana-chan..."
Nanako looked a bit sad. "I've got school, so I can't send you off... But I'm here now, so..." Brightening up, she exclaimed, "Come back safely, Teddie!"
"...!"
Then, for the first time since the breaking of dawn, Teddie smiled. "I…I will! Thank you, Nana-chan!"
Kamui leapt up and down euphorically.
In a recording studio located in Shibuya, as early as seven in the morning, a popular high school idol who had made her grand return to showbiz one year ago was being worked to death.
"No no no, you were off-tempo at that last part. Do it again."
She did.
"Hmm, not quite good enough. Your words were slurred over. Let's record it again."
And they did that.
"..."
The music director turned to give the man responsible for the vocal recordings an accusing look. "I-I'm sorry, I forgot to record that!"
All the staff present sighed. The music director shook his head. "I understand we're all tired right now. Fine, let's rest for a moment. Except for you," he said, pointing at a bespectacled man. "You, come with me. We need to work out the details concerning Risette's schedule. The rest of you can take a break."
Heaving an exhausted sigh, Rise reached up to remove her headphones and dragged herself out of the recording area into her dressing room. The brunette immediately collapsed into the sofa, and gave out another sigh.
"Ugh...are they trying to literally bury me with work?" the idol muttered to herself, tiredly taking out her pink clamshell phone and tapping on the keys. "I wonder if Senpai was online yesterday...huh?"
Hazel eyes glanced over the text rapidly and repeatedly. Rise bolted upright. "No way... So it really is...!?"
Staring at the screen, Rise took a deep breath. Then she clammed the phone shut and placed it beside her on the couch. "What should I do...? If Senpai and the others are gonna go inside the TV, they'll need Kanzeon, but I can't just leave-"
"Oh yes, you can," a voice Rise was all too familiar with rang in her head. "Be honest with yourself. You want to quit being an idol again, right? Ever since you returned to the stage, it's been "Risette this" or "Risette that", non-stop. And for what? Being overshadowed by other idols who are more popular than you are? Just admit it, you're so sick of it, aren't you?"
...It was true. Just partially, though. But that didn't mean that Rise was denying that she did feel a little troubled.
She couldn't bring herself to tell the others lest they got worried, but... When she first announced her decision to return to showbiz a year back, she was met with a rather lukewarm response from the general populace of the city, where she used to carve a name for herself. Rise thought that was to be expected, considering how people living in the city were like and how fast-rising stars from rival companies - and even her own - were gaining widespread popularity after she left the industry.
Inoue-san was the only one in the company she used to belong to who was truly happy about her return. He even made a special request to be her manager again. It made Rise feel bad about how she had treated him when he took the trouble to go all the way to Inaba to persuade her back to the stage.
But that was it, really. Aside from starring in some small-scale ads and landing herself in a few minor roles in dramas, she pretty much had nothing to do. On the other hand, Rise saw for herself how her seniors in the profession, especially Kasuka-senpai and Ruri-senpai, were involved in loads of promotional work and made multiple appearances on the silver screen over the course of just a few weeks. Even her juniors were quickly becoming more well-known than she was.
Inoue-san had worked particularly hard in order to give her something to do so that she could regain her "former glory", as he had put it, and Rise was extremely grateful to him, but it didn't make her feel any less discouraged.
Until one day, a golden opportunity presented itself before her.
Rise remembered having had to undergo a complete makeover, then, in order to appear more presentable for the starring role in a movie alongside Kasuka-senpai. It was her first time working with him, so Rise was a little nervous, but she did her job well and the movie became a big hit despite the initial outcry about the lack of Ruri-senpai.
Soon after that, directors and producers of all sorts started contacting her manager, giving Rise all the chances she needed to regain her footing in the entertainment world. At first, Rise was really happy about the work and critical acclaim she was getting, but in the end it wasn't enough to match the prowess of Kasuka-senpai and Ruri-senpai's names nationwide.
So the company gave her even more work to do, which she had to accept begrudgingly. It was like taking away her time to be Kujikawa Rise and brainwashing her into becoming a 24/7 Risette; it was insane and absolutely exhausting.
It even made Rise question herself again and again: was she Rise, an ordinary high school student born in the humble town of Inaba, or was she Risette, the outgoing and bubbly teen idol trying too hard to climb up the popularity ranks?
But now, looking at the messages her Senpai left on the chatroom, and thinking back to the time when she was still in Inaba...
'They're both me, aren't they?' Rise mused, recalling the resolve she had made and the conversations she had with Senpai two years back. 'And it's not just that... There are a whole lotta people besides them who are also me...who are all Kujikawa Rise. I don't have to choose one or the other when they're all me at the same time.'
Rise nodded to herself.
'I'm Rise, your average high school student born in Inaba. I'm also Risette, the teen idol who takes everything she's fed with a smile. And I'm also-'
Then, there was a knock on the door. "Rise," a muffled male voice spoke, "it's me, Inoue."
"Oh. Come on in."
Her manager briskly entered the dressing room, keeping his head low as he flipped through the notepad in his hand. "It's about your new schedule. The director and I have had a discussion, and he said that if everything goes smoothly for the morning, he'd be able to have your album released by early May, so in the meantime, we'll need to arrange for press conferences to promote your new album. Is that alright with you?"
"Mm-hm," Rise replied, nodding readily.
Inoue seemed mildly surprised, but recovered quickly. "Okay then, I'll relay your consent to the higher-ups. As for the venues, we'll start off with Shibuya first, since-"
An idea struck the idol there and then.
"Wait, Inoue-san."
The idol's manager looked up from his notes. "Yes?"
"When's the earliest we can start doing all the promotion work?"
Inoue lightly pushed his spectacles up the bride of his nose. "Uh...well, if you're keen, we can start after your recording session today."
Rise's eyes sparkled. "Say...then can we start with Ikebukuro first? Right after the recording?"
"…Hah?"
At Inoue's baffled expression, the brunette couldn't help but let out a giggle.
'-And I'm also Rise, a proud member of a team that investigated the kidnappings and murders in Inaba two years back...and someone everyone else can be proud of, too.'
Kanzeon sung quietly, but joyfully.