Chapter 8: So Let's Work Hard*
Yu woke up to Yosuke calling him early in the morning. He could sense the immense worry in his voice when he picked up.
"Dude, I need your help! It's important! Like…super important!" Yosuke panted through the mic.
"Calm down, what's wrong? Is it something to do with Yukiko? Is she…" Yu said, also worried that something might've happened.
"Oh no no no, the doc said that wouldn't happen for a few more weeks. It's just…Teddie and Kanji agreed to help me paint the new baby room but Teddie had to go with Rise to a concert all the way in Europe and Kanji's in Canada with Naoto. So uh…are you…busy today?" Yosuke asked, pleading into Yu's phone. Yu looked over at Chie who was still under the covers but gave a thumbs up.
"...mmm tell him we're…not busy…" Chie murmured, scratching Skip's head who woke up and ran into his dog bed, before dozing off again.
"Yeah, I'm off this week for the wedding but I don't have any plans today. I'd be happy to help." "Oh great! You know where we live, right? Yukiko should be out with her mom picking up stuff for the room. Key's in the potted plant on the right."
"See you, partner." Yu said, hanging up and kissing Chie on the forehead who smiled and pulled the covers over herself. "I'll be back later. Love you." Yu said as he got his stuff and left. Yu walked down Inaba, coffee in hand.
The town looked lovelier than usual. Daidara's Metalworks became a repair and antique shop that many elderly couples visited frequently. And Junes was working with a majority of the stores to have better products available for them and flashier interiors. It looked brand new. Yu went into a neighborhood near the shopping district and headed into a two story house that was the same address Yosuke texted him. He lifted the plant on the right that looked fake and grabbed the key, unlocking the door. He walked inside to see a bunch of baby supplies already bought and stockpiled. Looks like they're already prepared. Yu thought, chuckling to himself. He headed upstairs where he could hear Yosuke struggling to paint a giant portion of the room. He opened the door to see Yosuke in an apron, with paint on his face, arms, and legs.
"Ah there you are! Grab an apron and a bucket, we're gonna get to work!" Yosuke said, chuckling as he got to his tippy toes to paint an upper corner.
It seemed like him and Yukiko were going for a…four corner painted room. Yu was amazed when he saw the orange, purple, and blue colors. But then he saw the other corner that was yet to be painted green and got scared.
"Yosuke please don't tell me…" Yu said, grabbing an apron and rolling his shirt sleeves up. Yosuke looked confused as he saw Yu stare in terror at the fourth corner.
"Ohhhh, no no no don't worry, that's just gonna be like a play area. Maybe put down a table with some books and toys. We're not gonna have quadruplets man don't worry." Yosuke said, passing a paint brush to Yu while laughing. The two of them got hard at work and Yu started to make conversation with his best friend.
"So Yosuke, how's the future been for you? Or…is it more like the present?" "Yeah that's still not going to be clear to me but it's been good. Honestly, things improved a LOT more than I thought. I guess me and Yukiko's libido might've been a little spent after all of those nights we had in that dream, so I've gotten more downtime. But I managed to shape myself up a bit, we got the house a LOT earlier than I was expecting and since we remembered how it was cheaper after we graduated, it's been a LOT better." Yosuke said confidently.
"How's that whole assistant manager position been at Junes?" "Well, my dad noticed that I was a bit "quick to pick up on things early on." So I got a raise and can even schedule my own days and stuff. That's why I'm doing this whole painting thing in the first place." Yosuke said, reaching over to paint another corner
Yu managed to get a few corners down while they discussed how their futures turned out way better due to them experiencing the harder parts of their lives. Maybe Izanami's false reality DID help them out in the long run after all. The two men stood back as they witnessed the room fully painted. Before in that false future, the room was messy and not properly painted, the layers being mismanaged and wrong. But this time, it was picture perfect.
"Hey, I got some sparkling water in the fridge, want one?" "Yeah, thanks." Yosuke went downstairs leaving Yu to sit on the ground covered in newspapers. He took in the room him and Yosuke finished and breathed in and out with a smile. I can't wait to do this with Chie when the time comes. Yu thought to himself as he heard Yosuke walking up the stairs.
"Cherry or Blueberry?" "I'll have Cherry." Yosuke passed the can to Yu who nearly dropped the can and caught it before it hit the ground.
The two sat down for a bit before hearing a car pull up. "Ah, that must be Yukiko." They headed down and opened the door to greet Yukiko who looked tired and gripping her stomach, making her way onto the couch. Her mother was behind her, holding bags full of supplies and small knick knacks.
"Ah, Narukami! How are you?" "I've been good, Mrs. Amagi. I was just helping Yosuke paint the room for the kids upstairs." Yukiko immediately lit up and ran up the stairs. "How does it look? Were the paints good quality this time?"
Yukiko opened the door to the room and gasped, covering her mouth to see it perfectly painted with the four corners painted a different color. Yosuke even remembered what colors Nari and Yosuhiro loved to draw and color with. Yosuke put her hand on Yukiko's shoulder as they both took in the view of the room, seeing how she was about to cry and looked down at her stomach.
"It feels like it's been so long. I missed them both…so much. And we're even going to have another child on top of that." Yukiko said, tears flowing down her face onto the newspaper. "I understand completely honey. I felt this exact same way when you were born and me and your father got your room ready. It truly makes you realize, this is it." Yukiko's mother said, caressing her daughter's stomach and placing her hand on her other shoulder. Yu looked over at Yosuke and Yukiko who were staring at the baby's room for a few more minutes. Finally, Yosuke realized something and turned back to Yu, reaching for his wallet.
"No, no, it's all right man." "C'mon man, you spend your entire day, I gotta give you something." "Hey, consider that look on your face my reward. Can't wait to see that same look on Chie's face." Yu said, smiling at his partner. "Yu, would you like to stay for dinner? I could invite Chie over if that's all right." "Yeah, consider it like your pre-wedding dinner?" Yosuke said, nudging his shoulder. A few hours later, Yu and Chie sit down with Yukiko and Yosuke outside on their patio eating and talking and laughing like old times. Yosuke at one point, had to run down to Junes to get some more steaks for the grill after noticing that Chie went through an entire case, causing Yu and Yukiko to laugh maniacally. Both of them prepared for their wedding that would commence in a few days.