The entire next day is drowned out by fearsome rainfall throughout the town. I guess I should be thankful today is Showa day so I have no need to leave the house. It seems Sunday's events are likely to repeat themselves.
And that they do. I spend the entire day reading, taking the occasional break to go downstairs and eat. Coming down in the evening for some water, I am pleasantly surprised to find Dojima sitting atop the couch watching the news. "Due to recent rainfall in the area, we are likely to receive thick fog starting tonight and then subsiding the following morning," the weather woman reports.
"More fog, huh," Dojima comments. "Let's hope this doesn't cause any more trouble." Without warning, Nanako, sitting on the right side of the table, grabs the remote and changes the channel. "Hey, what did I tell you about changing the channel like that?"
The screen displays yet another Junes commercial. "Come to your local Junes for amazing prices and products, even during Golden Week," the far too bubbly voice says before singing the jingle, "Every day's great at your Junes!" with Nanako singing along.
"Dad, they're open during golden Week!" the little girl repeats cheerfully.
"Yeah, I heard. Speaking of Golden Week, do you think you might want to go somewhere?"
Her eyes shoot open. "We can go somewhere!?"
"How about you? You got any plans?" He asks turning to me.
"Wait, me?" I question. "No, I couldn't possibly intrude on such an event. If you were to leave, I would have no trouble-"
"No, you don't need to worry about that. It's like I said before, as long as you're here, you're family. I'm not trying to force you to go, but I think Nanako would like that."
"Yeah, we should go on a trip together!" she agrees. It would seem I have no choice in the matter. Oh well, it's not as if I have any other plans.
"Okay, I have no reason to decline. I would be glad to go."
"Great." Dojima stands up and looks at his daughter. "Alright, it's time for bed."
"Uh, okay." She unhappily stand to her feet and goes to her room. Dojima does the same. After making my way to the fridge and getting water, I go upstairs and wait for midnight. It's still raining, so the Midnight Channel should turn on. I can only hope no one will appear. At the very least, no more deceased should reveal themselves in the morning.
Once midnight finally arrives, I learn that my hopes are proven true. Though the television does turn on, no silhouette is present. Yes, it seems we have outwitted the culprit this time. As long as we continue to do so, there should be no more victims until the case is solved. I only wish we could have gained anymore knowledge on whoever may be the killer. Tired from the long, uneventful day, I climb into the futon an fall into a deep slumber.
The next day outside the school building, I am surprisingly greeted by a red-sweatered girl. "Oh, hello, Yukiko-senpai. I see your health as improved."
"Y-yes, I feel a lot better now. I'm back at school again, so… um…" She struggles to find her next words. "I'm sorry about before. You all went through so much trouble to save me…"
"Believe me, there is no need for one to apologize for being kidnapped. None of us blame you; I can assure you of that."
"Yeah, I guess 'sorry' isn't the best word. A 'thank you' would be much more appropriate. So thank you."
"It was not a problem. I'm truly just glad you're safe."
"Ha, believe me, so am I. It's good to be back. For some reason, things seem to be going a lot smoother at the inn lately. I might have just been trying too hard. Still, I am embarrassed by the incident. You guys saw everything…"
"You have nothing to fear in that regard. Everyone has some sort of internal struggle such as that, even if said person is unware of it."
"Well, that is certainly true…"
"Yukiko!" A cheerful voice calls from further down the road.
"Oh, hello, Chie," Yukiko greets her. After waving, she looks back at me. "I should go talk to her. We can talk later." She races off to her friend. She seems somewhat happier now that she has returned. I'm glad.
After school, I meet the others at their classroom and we proceed to the roof. After making sure the area is vacant, we begin our discussion about Yukiko's kidnapping. "Yukiko, I hate having to ask again, but have you remembered anything else?" Yosuke asks.
"No… If anything I remember less than before. I… I think someone rang the doorbell and called for me. I don't remember anything after that. I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize," Chie assures her. "But does that mean the culprit just walked up and rang the doorbell? That sounds strange to me."
"Yeah, he would need to have lots of balls to pull that off," Yosuke agrees.
"I still don't entirely understand," Yukiko says. "I can't think of a single person who would hate me enough to want to kill me."
"That would me my main question at the moment," I continue her train of thought. "Based on the three victims as of yet, a motive is hard to uncover. The victims all have seemingly no connection to one another. Though one could say that Yamano and Konishi are connected because she found her body, that hardly leads to a motive if she already informed the police. If we look at things they have in common, two things come to mind: they all are females and live in Inaba. Even so, there is no reason that would convince one to commit murder."
We all sit in silence until a lightbulb appears above Yosuke's head. "What if we think about it this way; both of the second two victims had connection to the first one. Like you said, Saki-senpai found her body and she stayed at Yukiko's inn."
"Wait." Yukiko tries to put the puzzle pieces together in her head. "So the killer is targeting females in Inaba connected to Ms. Yamano?"
"That is an adequate theory for now. We can't regard it as fact until we gather more concrete evidence; that evidence being another disappearance. If the next victim also falls under those same criteria, then the theory will become a lot stronger."
"Wow, you're really good at this," Chie comments. "That does make sense, you being a detective and all."
"Well, no matter what the motive may be," Yukiko begins, "I still want to join you guys. If someone wants to kill me, I want to be a part of taking them down."
I glance over the others. "Are there any objections?" My question is met with an overwhelming no. Once they are done giving their reply, the roof door swings open and lots of students flood through. "Oh, we shouldn't speak of these things in front of others. Perhaps we should relocate ourselves in the other world. This way Teddie can properly join in on our conversation and no one could possibly walk in on us."
"Yeah, that's a good call. Let's go." On Yosuke's command, we exit the school and make our way to the department store.
While on our way, Chie asks me "Do you think the killer could have killed Saki-senpai because she knew something about the body others wouldn't?"
"Hmm… Well, while that would be a plausible explanation, I highly doubt that could be the case. I see no reason for her to hide any information from the police, so they would have known prior to her death. We must also take into consideration that the killer has left no evidence behind that the police could find. It's highly unlikely an average high school student could find anything."
"Yeah, that's true…" In the corner of my eye, I see Adachi walking on the other side of the road. For a brief moment, we make eye contact before he runs over to us.
"Oh, hey, this is perfect timing," he says. "Dojima-san wanted me to tell you that he should get off work on time today. Could you tell Nanako-chan?"
"Hello, Adachi-san. Of course, I will pass the news onto her."
"Great." He turns to walk away before Yosuke stops him.
"Hey, you're that detective guy from earlier, right?" He asks.
"What? Oh yeah, you're the kid with the swords at Junes. Don't worry, I still haven't told anyone about that."
"Wait, sorry to butt in," Chie interrupts, "but is there any way the killer could've targeted Saki-senpai to silence her?"
"What!? Oh, umm." The detective laughs awkwardly. "Y-you sure like getting straight to the point… Anyway, we've been thinking that too. She could have seen something the rest of us haven't and not told us. Oh, and you better not tell anyone I'm telling you this stuff. You really shouldn't be thinking about this stuff anyway. Just relax, the police are on the job!" With an obviously fake smile, he turns away for a second time, this time succeeding.
"Yep, we can't rely on them for anything," Yosuke says once he is out of earshot. We continue to Junes in silence.
Entering the other world, we are met by a very egger Teddie. "Oh, you're back! And Yuki-chan's with you! You really did come back like you said."
"Yes, of course I did. I'm part of the team now."
"Oh, yay! I thought this might happen, so I made these for you." He takes out a pair of red glasses and hand them to Yukiko. She puts them on without hesitation.
"Oh, that's why you were all wearing these. Cool. Thank you, Teddie."
"Teddie, for the sake of curiosity, why is it you do not need to where these glasses?" I ask.
"Oh, good question, Nao-chan!" Why must he insist on calling me that? "That would be because my eyes themselves are lenses. Cool, right?"
"No, not really," the annoyed Yosuke replies.
"What!? How could you not be intrigued by a cute, complex bear such as myself?!"
"Cause you're annoying, that's why."
"Hey, how rude! All I did was answer Nao-chan's question!"
"We didn't come here to-"
"Both of you, please," I cut him off. "This meaningless fighting helps on one. May we please move on to more important matters?"
"Yeah," Chie agrees. "Teddie, has anything weird happen over here?"
"No, not really. The shadows went crazy before, but that's only because the fog went away."
"Speaking of which, we have yet to speak of the Midnight Channel last night," I change the topic.
"Right, Chie told me about that," Yukiko adds. "I watched it last night and the screen went all staticy, but no one appeared."
"Does that mean the killer hasn't picked a new target yet?" Chie asks.
"We still can't say for certain until we fully understand what the Midnight Channel is," I explain. "For all we know, the killer could be picking victims from the program, not the other way around."
"Yeah, that's true…"
"Teddie, do you know anything else about the Midnight Channel?" Yosuke asks. "If you do, you better tell us."
"What? I already told you, I don't know anything about this 'program' thing. I only know about it from you guys."
We all sit quietly for a minute before the red-clad one of us speaks. "Do any of you know what time it is? I need to be home soon in so I can help out at the Inn." I pull out my phone to check the time only to find nothing but static.
"Right, our phones don't function in this world," I mumble in defeat. "Well, if you have somewhere to be, then perhaps we should leave for the time being. Adachi-san did ask me to tell Nanako-chan Dojima-san will be home on time."
"Yeah, we should go," my partner agrees. After saying our goodbyes to Teddie and promising to come back soon, we exit the television.
"Hey, I just realized something," Yosuke says upon our exit. "We should all get each other's numbers, that way we can all call each other after we watch the Midnight channel."
"That would certainly be beneficial," I agree. "I am already in possession of Yosuke-senpai's phone number, but I am still in need of the both of yours."
"Right, and I still need Yukiko's," he adds. After exchanging phone numbers, we depart for one another and return to our homes.
Reaching my destination, I see that I am too late to deliver my news as Dojima is already home on the couch. "Oh, hello, Dojima-san." He looks up from the newspaper he was previously reading to face me.
"Oh, I was waiting for you to get back." Waiting? For what exactly? Nanako, who is currently sitting at the table, looks just as confused as me. "I think I can probably get the fourth and fifth off," he announces.
"Really!?" Nanako cheers before her energy deflates. "Really?"
"Yeah, of course. Do you not believe me?"
"But it's always canceled…"
"No, n-not every time." He takes a deep breath. "Listen, I promised you a trip and I'm going to deliver."
Light beams in the little girl's eyes. "Wait, we're really going on a trip? Yay!"
"Alright, first things first we need to decide on a place to go." He turns to me. "You still wanna come with us?"
Well, he got upset last time when I declined, so… "Yes, I would enjoy such a trip."
"Yay, we're all going together!" Nanako-chan seems quite pleases by this turn of events. I'm glad. She hasn't smiled much since my arrival.
"Well, I will leave the destination up to the both of you. I don't know this area very well, so I can hardly pick a place. It's not like I would likely have any particular preference anyway."
"Come on, I doubt you get to go on many trips like this when it isn't for work. You should get some say in it," Dojima offers.
"No, as I said, I have no preference. Though what you said about me not taking many trips is true, it works against your argument. Because I don't, I will be perfectly happy with any destination. Also, I am quite tired. I wish to return to my room and rest."
"Alright, fine. If you're tired, you can sleep. We'll come up with a few options and you can decide later. Deal?"
"Understood." On that note, I depart from them and go to my room. Not actually tired, as my excuse to allow them to pick a location claims, I stay up for quite a bit longer reading before finally going to sleep.
The next day, I vow to do something other than stay in the house. Every day I have had off that I didn't spend in the TV, I have spent here. I need to break this trend immediately. How could I possibly improve socially if I hide from all social interaction?
Changing into a bright blue shirt and yellow tie, I opt to skip breakfast and go directly out the door. Now, where shall I go? I shouldn't call upon any of the others; they may be busy. Also, I have nowhere to take them. I suppose a trip to the bookstore should suffice for the time being.
Taking my own suggestion, I walk to the shopping district. Before I have the chance to enter the bookstore, a familiar voice comes from farther down the road. "Hey, where have you been!?" it calls out. I turn around to see Marie running towards me, looking annoyed. "You promised me you'd take me places and it so far you haven't even talked to me once. I want to go somewhere."
"O-okay, then…" This is quite sudden. In any case, it is something to do. "I agree to your terms. Where is it you would like to go?"
"I don't know. You're the one who's supposed to be taking me places." She has a good point.
Before I can respond, my phone rings. "Oh, will you excuse me for a moment?" I check my caller to see that it is Chie. I quickly answer it. "Hello, Chie-senpai. I wasn't expecting a call today."
"Hey, Naoto-kun. I need to go to Junes to get some stuff. You wanna come?"
"Oh, um…" I can't exactly leave Marie here. "I'm not sure if I'm available at the moment. I'm currently with an acquaintance of mine."
"Wait, Junes?" Marie asks behind me. How is it she can here our conversation? "I've heard people talk about that place. I want to go there."
"Would it be alright if I take her with me?" I continue.
"Oh, yeah, of course. I'll meet you over there." A loud beep rings in my ears, indicating that she hung up the phone. I turn back around to face Marie.
"We should get going. I wouldn't want to keep her waiting. Follow me."
"Yeah, whatever." She moves to my side as we walk together. "Why did you lie about me to that guy I met least time?" she asks after showing clear signs of hesitation. "Where did you say I was from? A-mar-ric-ca? That's a weird word."
"I lied because it is a much similar explanation for you existence and our meeting. They have no knowledge of the Velvet Room's existence and that is how I would like it to remain." I pause for a second. "And it's just America. You can also refer to is as USA or the United States if it's simpler to pronounce. That might actually make it more believable."
"Huh, I see." She remains silent the rest of the way, as do I. It doesn't take us long to reach our destination, we realize, as a green figure appears in the distance.
"Oh, there she is." My walk converts into a slight job as my target becomes close. "Good morning, Chie-senpai."
"Hey, Naoto-kun. Glad you could make it." She glances over my shoulder. "Ooh, who's this?" I introduce the two to each other. "Ah, Marie-chan. That's a cute name. Nice to meet you!"
"Oh, um… You too." Noticing the velvet room residence's hesitance, Chie flashed her a cheerful smile, as if to calm her down. It seems to work, as Marie's muscles relax as we enter the store.
"So, Chie-senpai, what is it you have come here for?" I ask.
"There's a sale going on for salad dressing so my parents asked me to get some. I also wanted to check out the TV's again. I didn't exactly get to look very much last time."
"'Sallah drezzing'?" Marie mumbles to herself. Does she not know what that is? In any case, I hope Chie-senpai didn't hear that.
It soon becomes apparent that she either did not or just has no intention of questioning it. It doesn't take long for us to grab some dressing and head over to the electronics. Televisions in sight, Marie runs up to them. "I know what this is," she declares.
"Of course you do; it's a TV," Chie says, sounding both cheerful and confused at the same time. I quickly signal Chie to drop the topic. I don't know what conclusion is coming to her mind by me doing this, but it must be better than any answer Marie would give. "Oh, um… Anyway, I need to find a TV." As she walks past closer to the screens, Marie continues to look at one of them in confusion.
"Can we turn it to 'StarScandalz'?" She asks, turning her head to me.
"StarScandalz?" I question in response. I'm not exactly aware of what that is, but by the title I can already tell it's not a program I would enjoy.
"It's… um…. You know, a show where they talk about things. One girl is like 'Blah de Blah blah,' and then the other is like "Blah de blah de blah.' Margaret told me about it." The girl seems somehow proud of her knowledge. "I want to watch it, but The Nose won't let me get one in the room."
Chie silently mouths the last to words to herself, as if attempting to find any sense in them whatsoever. "Wow, you must have really strict parents. I would die after one day without Kung-Fu movies." One day... She watches one every day!? I don't even know if there are enough in the world for that.
"I can't get one anyway," the velvet room resident continues. "We don't have any 'eclectic loutwits' in there. I'll need to get one." Marie abruptly walks away from us.
"Hey, wait!" Chie calls as we chase after her. "What don't even have electricity!?"
With that brief blow up out of the way, we head down to the food court to eat. "Yes! They finally got grilled steak here!" Chie cheers upon our arrival. "Come on, let's get some." For the first time since my arrival, someone just bought their own food without either having me pay or pay for me. Of course, I still need to order for Marie.
It doesn't take long for our food to be ready. Seconds after we sit down, Chie is already attacking her meal. After staring for a second, I begin eating my meal at a timely pace. Before I am even 1/8th of the way done, Chie takes her last bite. "Whew, that was amazing." Marie and I simultaneously give her an odd look. How can one eat so quickly? I am aware of the fact that I tend to be a slow eater, but still… "Wait, you two have barely eaten anything. Are you alright?"
"I believe I could very well ask you the same…" I respond.
"You shouldn't eat that fast. Margaret says that that's how you get fat," Marie quite wrongfully adds. I give her a look, trying to inform her of her mistake.
"Jeez, you didn't need to go that far…" She sounds hurt. I should say something.
"It's okay, senpai. Even if you do eat a lot, the amount of exercise you do more than makes up for it. If anything, I'm sure your body needs the extra protein." The girl smiles at me.
"Thanks, Naoto-kun." She looks down in embarrassment. "I'll get us some drinks!" She shoots out of her chair and races off towards the counter. It looks as if we are back to everyone paying for me. I guess there is point to me fighting it anymore.
"Why are there so many people here? Isn't there anything better to do? It they have TVs, they should watching them instead of wasting their time here." That is possibly the most ironic thing I have ever heard.
"After a while, people get tired of doing the same thing. People can't spend their entire life doing one thing; they could very possibly go mad."
"Oh… right…" Behind our heads we heard a mother and son talking. The son says something about a soda, while the elder refuses. Marie looks at them for minute before turning back to be. "Was I ever like that?"
"Do you mean a kid? I would imagine so. Then again, I don't know how reproduction works in your world. Do you not remember?"
"I don't really remember anything. All I remember is walking around for a while before somehow ending up in that car. They just told me to stay there, so I did. Margaret also gave me my name. She said it would make communication a lot easier."
"Wow, I had no idea you are in such a situation. I can't imagine it's very easy."
"What are you talking about? I'm fine. I don't need memories." You may say that, but your face clearly says otherwise. "I don't know why, but I feel comfortable in this town. Maybe I lived here."
"That would be a possibility. Is there anything else?"
"No, not really…" She hesitates before tentatively reaching into her bag and pulling something out. It's an old bamboo comb. "This has always been with me. I know it's mine. Still I don't know anything about it."
"Mind if I take a look?" I ask.
"Oh, sure." Taking it into my hand, I can certainly feel its age. This could very well be hundreds of years old. Possibly a family heirloom? I don't know much about this kind of stuff. Even so, it is certainly real bamboo. It would be hard to come by nowadays. I hand it back to her.
"Do you have any idea how it came into your possession?"
"How should I know? It was just there."
Pulling our conversation to a halt, a voice comes from behind us. "Sorry I took so long," the voice belonging to Chie says. I look up at her and notice her struggling with all of our drinks. I quickly grab one that was dangerously close to falling. "Oh, thanks." She looks a bit uncomfortable. "Is it just me, or did the mood just get really heavy over here? D-don't worry, I payed for all of us. Oolong Tea for everybody!" She lets out an uneasy laugh.
On awkward conversation later, I say my goodbyes to Chie and take Marie back to the Velvet Room. After exploring the town a bit more and buying some books, I return home around sunset and sleep about an hour later.
A large portion of the next day occurs about like one would expect. A majority of the class is too excited to the time off to pay any attention to what the teachers were saying. As a result, most of the teachers gave up entirely and began telling personal stories. Mr. Morooka was not one of them. He spent about half of the period lecturing us about responsibility and wasting time, a topic I found quite ironic at the time.
After school is just as chaotic, if not even more so, as all of the students rush out of the classroom immediately after the bell rings. I pack up at my normal rate, leading to the room being almost barren by the time I am ready to leave. Scanning the room, I find only one student left, Aoto Sugimoto. He walks over to me in a less threatening manner than before. "Hey, I wanna talk to you," he says/demands.
"That I could have figured out on my own. Is talking all you plan on doing this time? Our last meeting was not a very verbal one, as I am sure you can recall."
"Yeah, whatever. You're the one who started it."
"Maybe so, but it was purely self-defense. In any case, what is it you request of me?"
"Well, midterms are text week, ya know? You're supposed to be all smart and shit, so I was gonna have you help me. I always get a really low score and my parents told me they would ground me is I didn't do better this time."
"You wish for me to tutor you? That is a request you believe to be worthy of having yourself and two others physically assault me?"
"Hey, that was only 'cause you hit me. I wasn't about to be one-upped by a girl."
"Then perhaps that will be your downfall. I have no intention of assisting a person who takes pride in harming others."
"What!? I didn't-"
"If you'd excuse me, I'll be leaving now." I walk past my fellow student without another word. I can't allow him to view me as an object for exploitation. Perhaps this will teach him to refrain from doing the same to others in the future.
Without much else to do, I return to the Dojima residence and read my new book. When it is around the time for dinner, I walk downstairs to find Nanako watching the news of all things. "A reportedly stolen earth mover was used earlier today to destroy an Inaba Credit Union ATM, and all of the cash inside was subsequently stolen," the news anchor reports. "Due to the culprit's quick getaway, the police have no suspects at this time."
Nanako looks back down at the table and sighs. "Dad's late again," she mumbles to herself. As if on cue, the home phone rings.
"I'll get it," I say before answering the call. "Hello, Dojima Residence."
"Hey, it's me," Dojima says on the other end. Please tell me this call doesn't mean what think it means. "Um… about me getting time off on the 4th and 5th… One of the other guys got sick, so they want me to cover for him. Could you tell Nanako for me?" I look over at the little girl. It quickly becomes apparent that there is no need for me to say anything as she stands and runs to her room.
"I think she already knows."
"Oh… I'm really sorry about this."
"There's no need to worry on my behalf. I completely understand."
"Right, thanks. Could you check in on Nanako for me?"
"Yes, of course."
"Thank you. I'll try to make it up to the two of you later. See ya." He hangs up. I should make sure poor Nanako-chan is alright.
Entering the girl's room for the first time, one observation comes quickly to mind; there is a lot of pink in here. Nearly everything in the room is pink: the walls, the comforter, and even the TV stand. The walks are covered in posters, ranging from Detective Loveline to Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. This train of thought doesn't last very long, however, as my brain quickly switches gears to the figure completely hidden my bed sheets (with are also pink).
"Are you alright, Nanako-chan?" I ask as soothingly as possible. Her hear quickly emerges from the pink sea.
"I'm fine. I just wish we didn't always have to cancel this every year. It sucks."
"I can empathize with that." I sit down next to her. "With my grandpa being a detective, I didn't get to see him as much as I would have liked to. Of course, he would always spend as much time with me as he could. Even so, it was quite lonely. I didn't go to school for a while, so I've never really had any friends. Still, I could never bring myself to blame anyone for my troubles. I know that grandpa didn't want to leave me alone all the time, and that no matter what he would always be here for me. I'm positive your father is the same way. It may be hard now, but it will get easier."
A smile forms on the little girl's face. She sits up and hugs me roughly around the waste. "Thank you!"
After who knows how long, she finally pulls away before flashing me another smile. "I know you want to go on a real trip, but would Junes suffice for now? I could take you tomorrow if you wish."
Her smile widens. "Yay!" Her cheerful demeanor is enough to make anyone smile, including myself.
"Okay, then it's settled. We will go tomorrow. Until then, I believe it is your bedtime. You should sleep."
"Okay!" She flops back down onto her pillow. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Nanako-chan." I give her one more smile before exiting the room and going to sleep myself.
The next morning, I wake up quite early. I quickly change into my regular clothes and go downstairs. Reaching my destination, I learn that Nanako is also wake and dressed. "Good morning. I hope you slept well," I greet her.
"Oh, you're awake!"
"Yes, I am. Would you like to go to Junes now, or do you wish to go later in the day? If we go right now, then we could eat breakfast in the food court."
"Yay, let's go!" With Nanako as happy as she is, I couldn't waste any time getting her to her favorite place. I still find it odd that a little girl's favorite place to go could be a department store. Reaching the location, I take her immediately to the roof where the food court is located. Once we are there, I am surprised to see three familiar faces.
"Oh, hey, Naoto-kun," Yosuke calls out to me from a table also seating Chie and Yukiko.
"Hello, Senpai." I walk in their direction with Nanako following close behind me.
"Ooh, who's this?" Yukiko asks, gesturing to the girl behind me.
"This is Nanako, Dojima-san's daughter," I introduce her.
"Aww, she's so cute," Chie say while smiling at the little girl. Yukiko gives a similar look. Nanako seems to enjoy the attention. "C'mon, sit down." We follow her order.
"Why'd you bring here during Golden Week?" Yosuke asks.
"It's okay, I love Junes!" Nanako speaks for the first time in a bubbly voice. "But we were supposed to go on a real trip somewhere…" The bubbles waste no time before dying down.
"Her father was supposed to take a few days off, but he had to cancel," I explain. "I decided to take her here in an attempt to make up for it."
"Wow, aren't you a good person, big sis," Chie says in a semi-mocking tone.
"What? I'm not-" I attempt to correct her.
"Big… Sis…" I hear Nanako whisper to herself.
"Anyway," the green-clad girl continues, "were you guys planning to bring box lunches? My family always does that when we go on trips. I never make them, but I'm sure I could. You should ask me next time. I could hook you up; easy as pie."
"No no no, don't do that!" Yosuke cuts in.
"What, do you think you could do any better? Let's have a cook off and see."
"Hey, I never said I could cook! Still, I'm pretty sure I'd win anyway." At his words, Yukiko, who has been sitting beside me, starts cracking up. Yosuke and I give an odd look.
"Wow, I never expected her to have one of her laugh attacks around anyone but me." We turn our heads to face Chie. "She's do this sometimes. Just ignore her."
Yosuke does so as he moves his gaze to the little girl who has yet to say a word for a while. "Hey, if we do have a cook off, you could be our judge. Who knows, we may even rank up next to you mom's cooking." I quickly signal him to stop. Sadly, to damage is done.
"I don't have a mom. She died in an accident." The girl response in a calm manner, but the sadness on her face does not go unnoticed.
"Oh, um… Sorry, I-I had no idea."
"It's okay!" Her smile has returned. "I still have dad with me. And now I have a sister, too!" She grabs my arm as she finishes the sentence. "I'm also having fun right now. I love Junes!" I'm a sister now… This is a turn of events I never expected upon my arrival in this town.
"Hey, we'll play with you anytime, too," Yukiko promises.
"Here, let's get you a soda!" Yosuke stands up.
"Okay!" The two of them walk away.
"You know," Chie says, "I think I'll get her something, too."
"Yeah, me too." Before I know it, I am the only one remaining at the table. And here I am thinking I would be the one paying for her. It was foolish of me to assume something like that would happen in this town.
Standing up myself, I see a small figure running back to me. "Do you want anything?" she asks.
"Yes, but I think I can manage paying for myself. Thank you." She gives me a nice smile. Nanako-chan is certainly stronger than she may appear on first glance. I feel as if I know her better now. As if on cue, a voice rings in my mind.
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast established a new bond…
It brings thee closer to the truth…
Thou shalt be blesses when creating
Personas of the Justice Arcana…
Ah, a new social link. If I had one with Dojima-san, it only makes sense for me to have one with her as well. Once my long day with Nanako and my friends has concluded, we return home late in the evening. Working in some time to study, I finally lie down on my futon and sleep.
Author's note
This chapter took a lot longer to upload than I originally intended. I have been surprisingly busy recently. Last week I got my learners permit after taking a 4-day class and just today I got brasses. Lucky me, right? Anyway, my laptop is officially virus free! Yay! The next chapter will be me trying to squeezing in Chie's social link before exams and Kanji being kidnapped. I don't have it all planned out yet, but I am fairly positive it will work out. I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I am being very careful to stick to the exact calendar of the game.
Important question!
Okay, I have mentioned before that there are a few social links I am having trouble thinking of a way to work Naoto into that makes sense. These ones are the Devil (hospital job), Temperance (daycare job), and Death (old lady). I think I may be able to work around the Death one, but I will need to change the fact that it is only available on Sundays. Though it may be hard, I can see myself at some point being able to do the Temperance. My biggest concern right now is the Devil social link. I really can think of no reason for Naoto to even go to the hospital in the first place. Because of this, I want to ask you if you are okay with me taking it out entirely and replacing it with an entirely new link I make up all by myself. I already have ideas for it and I think I could pull it off. The thing is, I have no idea how much any of you care for the original link. Please, if you have any objections to me doing this, tell me. I may be able to work something out, but I do not find it very likely.