9


24th April, 2011

Yuri tied her hair back with a single, blue ribbon. Her gold eyes were a little dull, anxiety over her stay at Iwatodai starting to rear its head. She was hoping for good news, but wasn't trying to get them too high. She was up before everyone else, wanting to make some breakfast and lunch for everyone before heading out. The apron was tied around her waist and she got everything ready.

Ryotaro was the next person up. He glanced at his niece in the kitchen and slowly sat down at the table. He wasn't going to get in her way, he'd seen her run her own twin over when focused in the kitchen. His mug was filled with coffee, and fixed just like he liked it. He needed to stop being so surprised by her observant nature.

"Worried?" He finally asked, and she paused in slowly rolling some tamagoyaki.

"A little," Yuri admitted, the soft tone reflecting that. "This is the best I've ever felt and I just hope it isn't a small reprise until it all gets worse."

He nodded his understanding at that, and thought of his own daughter. She had gotten incredibly lucky. Nanako wouldn't have to deal with all of this, she wouldn't have to see a rotation of doctors to make sure she wouldn't die unexpectedly. He ran his hand through his hair. He could only hope his niece would be found in good health, save for once she hadn't gotten too sick. His attention was grabbed by an omelet being placed in front of him. She added some more items and he blinked. She had made quite the breakfast. He squinted at the counter, and a bento as well. Hah, Adachi was going to complain the second he saw that. He'd been asking for her cooking since the night he joined them. She had gained a distant look when he teased her about it after the first time it happened, he never did it again after that. Something about Adachi had rubbed her the wrong way, a part of him wanted to know what it was. But, he had promised Nanako to not question the twins like they were suspects. Easier said than done. He looked up when Nanako entered the living room, sleepily rubbing one of her eyes. She perked up at the sight of the older girl, before it fell at the dull clothing she was wearing.

"Oh, are you not going to school?" Nanako asked, heading into the kitchen to watch Yuri cook.

"Sorry, Nanako-Chan," Yuri apologised, a fond smile on her face. "I'll be out of town today for a doctor's appointment…hopefully it's just for today."

Now she had another thing to worry about. She let out a soft sigh before finishing up Nanako's omelet. Placing on the table and grabbing her some juice. Nanako dug in, her worry for her cousin on her face. Ryotaro didn't know what to say to make her feel better either. His sister hadn't completely prepared him for the future doctor visits she had to do. He didn't even feel comfortable having her go alone, even if she was eighteen. Not with two women murdered already.

"Is there anything you would like from Tatsumi Port Island?" Yuri asked Nanako as she finished making the lunches, Yu's omelet covered to keep it warm for him.

"Ah, some sweets from the shop at the station, please," Nanako requested, finally getting a bright smile out of the teen. "I've heard it's really good."

"I'll surprise you with something good from there," Yuri agreed.

"Ah, don't even worry about me," Ryotaro informed her, knowing she was about to ask. "Just make sure to be on your best behavior, and don't stress too much."

Yuri blinked, and then nodded. Ryotaro mentally cursed his sister. What kid would be that surprised by being told to be good? He did the bare minimum, and the kid was still surprised. Nanako smiled at the two and got her hair ruffled by Yuri before she sat down with her own breakfast. Doctors orders, nothing too heavy. Nanako's happiness at the bento made Yuri chuckle and lean towards her.

"If you wish to brag to your friends, go right ahead," Yuri whispered with a slight grin. "I'm happy to make you lunch everyday if you like this one."

Nanako's answering smile made Yuri's heart warm. She couldn't help but hope that everything ended up fixing itself in the Dojima household. Nanako deserved to have her father in her life, even if Yuri herself didn't. She pushed those thoughts away. She could mope on the train while making a list for the amount of yarn she needed, and the small note to find a way to get it mailed to her while in Inaba. Yu came into the living room and grabbed his omelet before sitting down next to his sister. He would walk her to the bus station, and Ryotaro relaxed a bit. He watched as the two worked in unison to clean up the pots and pans.

"Just be careful," Ryotaro warned again as Yuri pulled on a pair of black sneakers.

"Of course," Yuri said, nodding as well.

The twins left the house and Yuri stretched a little. The damp, cold air felt nice against her face. She put her hands into the pockets of her hoodie and Yu gave her a worried look. She wasn't dressed in her usual clothes, he wasn't even aware that she owned regular clothing.

"You'll be alright," Yu told her, picking up on her worry.

"I…is it sad to admit that I'd like to be normal?" Yuri asked, slowly frowning. "Or…at least in good health."

"I'd take good health over being normal," Yu said, making her eyes widen. "You wouldn't be you if you were normal."

Yuri gave her brother a tiny laugh before getting on the waiting bus. She waved and paid the fee for the ride. She sat in the back, where she could watch people and think. Her hair was brought over her shoulder so she wouldn't sit on it. She noted that the bus was empty, save for an old man that was reading a novel of sorts, she turned her attention towards the sleepy town. It would be impossible to miss her stop. She reached for her MP3 player and turned it on, grabbing onto her headphones and placing them over her ears. It didn't relax her like it usually did, but it was something other than her overly loud thoughts.

The train was just as nice as it had been when they came into Inaba. She looked at her phone and watched as messages came in from her friends. Chie was wishing her luck, and promised to send her a picture of her big dog. Yosuke made a promise that they'd get together and celebrate no matter what the end results would be. She even got something from Yukiko, that had to be Chie's work, and she couldn't help but smile at her friends. Someone sat across from her and she looked at them using her peripheral. Shinjiro? He was outwardly ignoring her, his eyes closed and his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. Well, that certainly was one way of making sure people didn't bother him.

At least she wouldn't have to try and hold a conversation when she knew she couldn't. There was just too much on her mind to be able to really focus on keeping one going. He frowned and she realized she was staring at him. Her gaze quickly moved to the window as she watched the small houses turn into countryside. At least the view was nice.

Damn. The one day Shinjiro needed to head back to Tatsumi was the one day she was there. He inwardly cursed, he was only sitting there because they needed to keep an eye on these new persona users. He frowned a bit and she shifted in her seat to look outside. He opened one of his eyes to get a better look at the female persona user. The one that felt like them. She was odd. The dark circles under her eyes spoke of sleepless nights, and her structure was bony. Sickly. It looked like a good wind would knock her over. He doubted that anyone had the courage to tell her that to her face. Even if she would appreciate it. He closed his eye again when she looked down at her vibrating phone. He quickly shifted his head a bit to make it look like he was still asleep when her phone vibrated. She blinked before giving a small smile at whatever she had been sent.

Chie's dog, Muku, as she was finally informed, was incredibly adorable. He seemed like the best type of dog to gently lean against on a cold day. She typed something back to Chie and got a grinning emoji. Chie had gotten even easier to talk to after she faced her shadow. She closed her phone and went back to watching the scenery. She couldn't help but wonder if she should've brought a bigger bag for her shopping. Her eyes slowly grew dry and she closed them for a few seconds. Somehow falling asleep.

Shinjiro sat up in his seat and pulled out the phone that Mitsuru had issued them. He was giving a short report that one of the unknown persona users was heading to Tatsumi Port. A frown appeared on his face and he sent it towards a woman that neared his seat. She quickly hurried away, a nervous expression on her face.

"That's an impressive glare, Aragaki-San."

He leveled it at Yuri and noted the weary expression she gained as she removed one of her headphones. She could only hold it for a few seconds, longer than any of his teammates, before looking away. The back of her neck burned as she tried to force her shyness down. He brought it out without even trying. She was staring at her hands while sweat gathered on the back of her neck. Her brother wasn't there to be her buffer for the silences that flowed into conversations.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Shinjiro gruffly asked and she paused, wanting to turn that question around on him.

"I have a doctor's appointment," she quietly answered him, deciding to be honest with him.

His eyes widened just the slightest before his expression returned to the scowl it had been. Yuri couldn't help but wonder why she was answering him honestly. Usually she waffled around when people asked her questions that ended up pertaining to her health. But…she felt as though that would be a bad idea to do with Shinjiro. Like he'd see through it with ease. He was sharp, and that was on instinct. Izanagi and Slime gave their agreement in the way that only they could.

"What about you?" Yuri found herself asking, her awkward manner seemed to make him feel like answering.

"Doctor's appointment," he echoed.

Ah, that was interesting. Her head tilted in thought, before nodding her understanding. Her hands were in her lap, no longer holding her phone in a death grip like she had been. She had relaxed around him. Finding herself trusting him. It was so strange to her. She didn't trust Adachi, and he was infinitely less shady looking than Shinjiro. Yet…the man in front of her was more trustworthy to her. Like the Obaa-chans used to tell her, you can't judge a book by its cover.

"Do you know what street the hospital is on?" She asked, pulling out a piece of paper. "The directions I was given…well…"

He sighed and held out a hand. Her expression brightened as she handed over the piece of paper. He stared at the directions. Yuri waited for a few seconds, which slowly turned into minutes. What idiot gave her these directions? He made a face. Then sighed. Yuri didn't like that reaction.

"Just follow me," he reluctantly sighed. "These are useless."

"I had a feeling they were," Yuri sighed, accepting her paper back. "Mother has never been good with directions."

The Narukami matriarch really was terrible with directions, she couldn't even write them down correctly. Her father was supposed to, but she was used to him forgetting about her. She supposed it was a good thing she and Yu got their sense of direction from him. Their deductive reasoning came from their mothers side if their uncle was anything to go by. An announcement informed them that the station had come up.

Yuri didn't realize that much time had passed. She awkwardly trailed behind Shinjiro as they got off the train. People gave him a wide berth, and Yuri watched a woman give her a sad look. She didn't look that bad, did she? She awkwardly played with the charm that hung from her cellphone. The little plush cat and dog had been a gift from her brother a few years prior. For her fourteenth birthday when she started to sell her creations through her blog, and save up for her motorcycle. She was almost there, she only needed one more good sale and she could finally afford it.

"Thank you, Aragaki-San," Yuri thanked Shinjiro before seeing her entrance into a different wing. "I appreciate your help."

"Whatever," he grumbled, and she smiled at him.

"You're nicer than you let people think," her observation was met with a sharp glare and she quickly hurried into the building.

She sighed as she was signed in by an administrator. The waiting room was cold, and she was glad she had chosen to wear the hoodie over her black dress shirt. She ignored the looks sent her way, the mothers making their children look away. She was the inevitable. A lifetime of doctors visits with no end in sight. She looked down at her phone and tightened her grip on it. She was thankful Nanako hadn't ended up with this fate. It was lonely. Izanagi made a soft sound and her expression softened a bit. Well, not anymore at least. Someone stopped in front of her and she looked up to see a nurse there.

"Narukami-San, please follow me," the dark-haired woman said.

The room she ended up in was even colder. She crossed her arms across her chest to try and warm up a little. She sat there as her new doctor came in, the blonde woman had a severe expression. She looked down at the clipboard in her hands and closed her eyes for a few seconds. She studied the teenager in front of her.

"You have quite the history," the woman commented and Yuri blinked before letting out a humourless laugh.

"You're the first person to not skirt around it," she admitted, a slight smile appearing on her face as she relaxed. "It's honestly reassuring."

"I would think so," the doctor said, nodding her head. "I'm Doctor Sarah Roberts, my work is in cardiology with understanding of immunology."

Yuri nodded and sat up straight as Sarah started the examination. Everything was being checked, well almost everything. Sarah looked at her findings and frowned a bit before giving Yuri a serious look. The teen was buttoning her shirt with a careful expression.

"I'll be back, I want to refer some of my findings to a colleague," Sarah said, and Yuri's eyes narrowed a bit. "I want to double check, it looks like good news."

Yuri blinked at that and sat back on the examination table. Her back hit a wall and she tilted her head back as she thought about what news it could be. Good news…she didn't really believe that, not at all.


"So, that's one of them," Mitsuru muttered in thought. "She does have the same air they did."

"Her medical history tells of an underlying illness that attacked her immune system and weakened her heart," Sarah informed Mitsuru, getting the young woman's attention. "Her heart, while still weak sounding, is getting stronger. It's as though her body is starting to get better."

Mitsuru frowned in thought. She'd only heard of that happening due to exposure from the dark hour. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Akihiko and Shinjiro were already aware of the new persona users, and Shinjiro was in the perfect position to observe Narukami to see if her health continued to improve. If it did, another dark hour was happening. Such a thought bothered her more than the idea of rogue persona users.

"We'll have an eye kept on her," Mitsuru informed Sarah.

"Understood," Sarah confirmed.


Yuri looked at her results as she walked around the strip mall. She was heading back to Inaba soon, with good news. A part of her was upset that it had taken so long for her health to get better, another was overjoyed that it was. She'd always be weaker than a normal person, but at least death wasn't constantly looking over her shoulders anymore. Her expression became one of discomfort as she read her results a bit more.

A weak heart, and immune system. Yet, she was able to join the archery club, just not PE. Ah, it did make some sense the more she pondered it. Her heading to a hospital after a relatively clean bill of health wouldn't look good for the Kirijo group. She sighed, and put the paperwork into her small bag. She didn't want to look at it anymore. Instead, she needed to get her shopping done. She entered a small craft store and relaxed completely.

"What's wrong, Koro-chan?" Shinjiro asked the albino Shiba.

He had decided to take him out for a walk while Ken was at school. It had been a while since he had. Koromaru let out a bark, his tail wagging wildly. He turned and tugged on the leash and Shinjiro let it go, gathering that the Shiba had caught onto something . A crash and soft yelp made him sigh. Yeah, something ended up being someone instead. Someone with quite the haul of fabrics and yarn.

That was how Shinjiro gathered that he'd be bumping into Yuri even when he didn't want to. He watched as she owlishly blinked at Koromaru before gaining a bright grin and patting the dog on the head. It sent Koromaru into overdrive and he started licking her face. The laugh he got out of her would've floored Yu if he'd been there. She turned bright eyes on Shinjiro while Koromaru continued to sniff her and lick her face. Bumping into her, prompting for more pets.

"Aragaki-San, is this little guy yours?" Yuri asked, her face a little pink from all the attention Koromaru had given it.

"Something like that," Shinjiro answered. "He goes by Koromaru."

"Koromaru huh?" She asked the dog, getting a lick to her nose. "You're a best boy, yeah?"

Shinjiro let out a breath through his nose as those words made Koromaru get even more hyper. After a few seconds Koromaru stepped back and she was able to get up to her feet, stumbling just the slightest. She went to reach for her shopping when she was beaten to it by Koromaru. She let out a light laugh before accepting it and giving him a gentle pet. Shinjiro gave her a quick study and noted the light on her eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Good news?" He asked.

"Yeah, something like that," she admitted, not wanting to say what it was pausing when a familiar blue card appeared in her vision.

"Thou art I… And I am thou…" A voice rang in her head, "thou hast established a new bond…it brings thee closer to the truth…thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the Moon arcana."

Shinjiro knew when someone was withholding information, but he also knew when to push. Yuri was one of those people that closed themselves off when worried about something. He heard of a study that noted that women internalized issues, and he could see that. He scratched the back of his head before reaching for Koromaru's leash.

"Do you know what's good at the sweet shop?" She quietly inquired.

He heaved out a sigh and she gained a gentle smile in response. He was being roped into helping her of all people. She smiled to herself as she put the bag containing her sweets on her shoulder. Koromaru greeted her as though he was used to her. It was a good sign that she was a decent person. She turned towards him in thought and he frowned at her.

"Did you get good news?" She asked, remembering that he also had a doctor's appointment.

"Something like that," he groused.

She let out a soft sound of amusement, something that wasn't quite a laugh. Yuri found that leaving Tokyo had been more than enough for her to grow a little as a person. To find people that didn't judge her. It wasn't enough to bring a lot of light into her life, but it was more than enough to make her laugh genuinely again.

"I should get going, thank you for helping me, Aragaki-San," Yuri said, slowly turning towards Koromaru and running her hands through the dog's silky fur. "Thank you, for being such a good boy, Koro-Chan."

Shinjiro looked to the side as she headed towards the station. Koromaru was sad to see her go, his ears flat against his skull. Damn, this was such a strange situation. Shinjiro mentally cursed. He would rather not be the one that was observing them. The plan was that he would, because he attracted less attention than Akihiko.


"I was able to take a break to come pick you up," Ryotaro said, greeting Yuri as she left the station. "I'm guessing it was good news."

"Am I that obvious?" Yuri couldn't help but ask, a frown on her face.

Ryotaro gave a chuckle as he watched that frown become a slight pout. These two twins…they had a habit of growing on you. He brought a hand up and ruffled her long hair. She gained a pink tinge to her cheeks. He awkwardly drew his hand back. His observations had informed him that his niece was unused to physical affection from a parental figure. He hoped that Nanako never felt that way. Never had to feel that way.

"Did you even eat?" Ryotaro asked.

"No, sorry," she apologised. "I was a little unnerved by the news."

"From good news?" He questioned, raising a brow.

She went quiet, and he didn't push it any further. He motioned with his head and she began to walk to his car. She got into the front passenger seat and he quickly got in. She was a relatively quiet kid when her brother wasn't around.

"Your mother mentioned that you were a licensed driver," Ryotaro stated.

"I got it after our birthday," Yuri quietly admitted. "I've been putting away some of my order money for a motorcycle."

"Oh?" Ryotaro asked, wondering what kind of motorcycle she'd even want. "What model?"

"I've been keeping up with a man who wants to sell his CBR600RR that he got in two thousand and three," Yuri answered. "It's black and it's in perfect condition."

She certainly was animated while talking about the motorcycle she wanted. He gained a smile as she rattled off the information about it. She was a good kid, his brother-in-law didn't deserve such good kids. He rubbed the back of his head as they entered Aiya's and took seats up at the bar.

"Are you going to celebrate your coming of age?" Ryotaro asked.

"Maybe…I've never really thought about it," Yuri admitted, pausing as her food was placed in front of her. "Honestly, I didn't think I'd get this far."

"Can you eat all that?" Ryotaro asked as he gave the giant bowl of stir-fried chicken a look.

"I can certainly try," Yuri stated, picking up her chopsticks and digging in.

Ryotaro gave a light laugh, one that sounded incredibly similar to Yuri's when it was genuine. He couldn't believe his niece. He thought his nephew was a strange one and she was the shy one. She was just as strange as her twin. He rubbed the back of his head as he noticed how half of it was gone already.

"Don't worry about dinner, we'll pick something up tonight," Ryotaro stated.

"I think cooking with Nanako-Chan has become something I look forward to at the end of the day," she admitted, shooting him a sharp look.

There wasn't anything he could say to that without looking horrible. His daughter seemed happier with the two teens around, she didn't look as lonely anymore. He rubbed the back of his head as she finished her food. Letting out a quiet huff as her stomach hurt from how much she had eaten. She felt a little closer to her uncle, and a tiny smile appeared on her face.

"Anything we need to be worried about?" Ryotaro asked as she sipped at some tea.

"My health will never be normal, and my heart is always going to be weak…but I'll live a fairly long life according to Roberts-Sensei," she informed him. "Honestly, that's the best news I've gotten in a very long time."

He gave a small smile at that and paid the bill for her food. She trailed behind him in a manner that wasn't unlike Nanako when she had eaten too much. She was going to be asleep when he finished work. Yuri gave a small yawn and he chuckled. He paused when he noticed something and she gently ran into him.

"What's that one anime that Nanako likes?" He asked.

"Detective Loveline," Yuri answered.

Yuri's soft smile as they drove home was enough to make him sheepish. He loved his daughter enough to get her some expensive merch, and that was more than Yuri's own father had done. Nanako…was lucky in that regard, but also unlucky with how often he left her on her own. He dropped her off and she headed inside. She had the house to herself for a few hours. There was so much she could do.


Yu came home and greeted Nanako with a smile, seeing her bright response. Ah, so Yuri was home. He paused and picked up the small slip of paper that his twin had left on the table. His eyes widened as he read through it. Good news? He felt his shoulders slump as he relaxed a bit. His sister could finally do what she wanted to, without too much issue. He hurried up the stairs to congratulate her and saw her sleeping. The small smile on her face was enough for him to decide to leave her alone. They could celebrate once Yukiko rejoined them.