9/1

When Yui and her friends got to school in the morning, they were very surprised to see Naoto at the entrance, while also wearing the school uniform.

"Hey, you're Naoto. What are you doing here?" Yosuke asked.

"My cooperation with the police has ended. From now on, I will be attending your school as a first-year student." Naoto explained.

"Oh, I see." Yui said.

"Would you like to get lunch with us at Junes after class?" Yukiko asked.

"I'm sorry, I have to head straight home after class. My grandpa insisted." Naoto replied.

"Oh, that's alright. We understand." Chie said.

"I suppose I'll be seeing you all."

Naoto quickly went inside the school, prompting the others to head inside as well.


"Onee-chan!"

"What is it Nanako-chan?" Yui asked.

"I can't find that paper the teacher gave me!" Nanako said with worry.

"The Parent-Teacher Interview one?"

"I'm going to be in trouble if I don't find it!"

"Don't worry, I'll help you."

"Thank you, onee-chan!"

Yui searched the entire living room for any possible place the paper could have been. She eventually found the paper stacked on top of the documents that Dojima was always working on. She saw that Dojima had actually written something on the paper.

"Nanako-chan! I found it!"

Yui showed Nanako the paper, allowing her to see what Dojima had written.

"Anytime...I'll try." Nanako recited.

"I also found this next to it." Yui said, holding out a photograph.

"It's...it's my mom!" Nanako said in surprise.

Yui gave a bittersweet smile at this.

"That baby in the middle. That's me, isn't it?" Nanako asked.

"You were just as cute then." Yui stated.

"Dad's smiling in this picture. Why doesn't he smile anymore?"

"Because he's lonely, just like you."

"Dad's lonely too?"

"Every day since…"

"When Mom died, I was sad and lonely. But so was Dad. I'm sorry Dad…" Nanako thought aloud.

Nanako put the paper away, but left the photo on the table.

"Will Dad ever smile like that again?" Nanako asked Yui.

"I'm sure he will someday." Yui replied.


9/3

Rise invited Yui to eat at Souzai Daigaku again, and while she was talking about some ideas for tofu dishes, the mayor happened to walk by.

"Ah, if it isn't Rise-chan!" The mayor said.

"Mr. Mayor! Good afternoon!" Rise greeted.

"I heard the news about that upcoming film! They're going to be filming in Inaba with Kanamin! I'll have to contact the Amagi Inn for assistance in lodging. I just thought I'd let you know." The mayor announced.

The mayor walked away to inform the Amagi Inn, allowing Inoue to approach Rise.

"Hello again, Rise-chan." Inoue said.

"What do you want this time, Inoue-san?" Rise asked in annoyance.

"I'm here to scout filming locations, and I thought I'd come see you. I'd like to ask you one more time...are you sure you don't want to come back?" Inoue explained.

Rise seemed to hesitate in her response, but her eventual answer was the same as it was:

"I'm not going back."

"I understand. I can focus on my new job now."

"Huh?" Rise asked.

"I'm Kanami Mashita's manager now. She'll be taking your place in the new movie. I have no doubt she'll be as popular...no, even MORE popular than Risette!"

"Oh...I see." Rise responded.

"She needs a bit more polish, but you were always special. You had that spark, a knack for acting and adapting fast. That's how I feel, and...I still do. Well, I suppose this is goodbye."

Inoue walked away without another word.

"Gee, he sure abandoned you quickly…" Yui said disapprovingly.

"That's not fair! After I gave him my answer, he goes and tells me all that?!" Rise complained.

Rise suddenly begins choking and tearing up, much to her own shock.

"Why...why am I crying? There's nothing wrong. This is what I wanted...right?" Rise said through sobs.

"Rise-chan?" Yui asked with concern.

"I...I lost everything. I threw it all away…" Rise said quietly.

At this moment, Rise burst into tears, sobbing like a child. Yui instinctively wrapped her arms around Rise in an attempt to comfort her, and although Rise did not return the hug, she leaned against Yui for support until her crying slowed down.

"Shhh...it's alright, Rise-chan. You didn't lose everything. You have us, your friends. That's more important than any fame. This is why you made this choice, right?" Yui said to console Rise.

"Senpai...you're right. There are people who still need me. And it's you guys!" Rise said with a sad smile.

Rise pulled away from Yui and dried her eyes.

"My head's a mess...I need to take a step back and think this over again…" Rise thought aloud.

"Maybe that's a good idea. Would you like me to walk you home?" Yui asked.

"Sure. Thank you senpai."


9/4

After class ended, Yosuke asked Yui if she could meet him at the Samegawa Riverbank to talk privately. Yui noticed that Yosuke seemed more troubled than usual, and so decided to take time out of her day for him.

"OK Yosuke, what's this about? You were acting rather pensive earlier, so this had better be important." Yui asked Yosuke.

Yosuke took a deep breath before speaking.

"I didn't know who else to look to…" Yosuke stated.

He pulled out a photo of himself and Saki Konishi, showing it to Yui.

"This was a picture I found of me and Saki, just like the one we found in the TV world." Yosuke explained.

"...I guess it must have opened old wounds, didn't it?" Yui guessed.

"It still feels like yesterday when we lost her…"

"You know, I don't think you ever really told me why Saki meant so much to you. I could only assume what it might have been like, but...maybe it would help if you talked about it?"

"Back then, everyone saw me as the enemy because Junes was going to ruin the shopping district. When I met Saki, she told me, 'Parents are parents. You're you.' Even if she didn't mean it, it made me happy. It was because of her that I thought maybe this place wasn't so bad. I wanted to give Inaba another chance."

"But...she's gone now…" Yui reminded Yosuke.

It was at this moment that Yosuke started to lose his composure, clenching his fists and fighting back tears.

"Why? Why did she have to die? I wanted to get to know her better, but now she's gone! It's not fair!" Yosuke shouted in anguish.

Yosuke started crying now, making no more attempts to hold it in. Yui wanted to step in, but decided to give Yosuke space first.

"When the murders started happening, I saw it as a way to have some excitement in my life. To forget about Saki and how much of a loser I was. That was so stupid…" Yosuke reminisced.

"But you know better now, don't you?" Yui asked.

"I guess. We put that Mitsuo bastard behind bars, after all. But it doesn't fix the fact that Saki's dead."

"I understand how painful that whole ordeal must have been. But there's a point where you have to let it go. Most of the students have already moved on."

"You're right...I need to accept that Saki's not coming back. I don't have the murders to use as an excuse anymore. In the end, I haven't really changed…"

"I think you aren't giving yourself enough credit, Yosuke. For the longest time, I was afraid of you and the others finding out about me and Chie-chan. And when you forced me to out us, I was pretty mad. But, you quickly understood that you messed up and took responsibility for your mistake. That's a world of difference from the Yosuke I first met, who might have doubled down." Yui said encouragingly.

"You mean it?" Yosuke asked.

"Of course I do. Despite all of your flaws, you're a good person. Never lose sight of that."

Yui went up to Yosuke and gave him a hug, which brought Yosuke to tears again.

"Hey...I thought you didn't like boys?" Yosuke asked.

"I like them enough to comfort a male friend in need of emotional support. And yes, you're allowed to cry." Yui replied.

Yosuke gratefully returned the hug, and after he finished crying, he thanked Yui for her time and went home.


"Dad?"

"Yes, Nanako?" Dojima asked Nanako.

"You said you were going to read me a bedtime story." Nanako said.

"Ah, I did, didn't I? Alright, I'll be with you in a moment."

"Yay!"

Dojima suddenly gets a phone call, prompting him to answer it.

"Hello? Dojima here. Ah, Ichihara-san! I see. I can be there in a few...oh...I understand. Goodbye then."

After Dojima hanged up, he had a guilty look about him.

"Are you leaving?" Nanako asked.

"It's important. It's...my job…" Dojima sadly replied.

"Is it more important than being with your daughter?" Yui asked, a bit rudely.

"No, it's not that." Dojima stated.

"It's OK, you can go." Nanako said.

"No, it's alright. What book do you want to read?" Dojima asked.

"You mean it?!"

"Of course."

Nanako dragged Dojima away in happiness and had him read the book about a pink alligator. After reading the book and putting Nanako to bed, Dojima came back into the living room.

"Ha, she made me read the whole thing!" Dojima said with a chuckle.

"She made sure to make the most of your time." Yui stated with a grin.

Dojima sat down with Yui to have a chat.

"That call was from Ichihara-san, my former senpai. I was having him run tests for Chisato's hit-and-run investigation. He called me to tell me that the test results are in..." Dojima explained.

"What did he say?" Yui asked curiously.

"Judging from his tone...he didn't find anything the police haven't already figured out. I know going over there won't change the results but…"

Dojima hangs his head to hide his face, but Yui could see a glimpse of his eyes fogging up.

"Not what you wanted to hear, huh?" Yui guessed.

"It was a white sedan. No such car is registered in Inaba. No records of it being repaired or scrapped either. I imagine it's outside the country by now. The fact that I couldn't catch him, that I won't have closure for this sick feeling, every time I look at Nanako and how she reminds me of her mother...it's like reality is pressing me down…" Dojima muttered, his voice growing weary.

All Yui could really do was sit back and watch Dojima wallow in sorrow.

"I never thought I'd talk to you about stuff like this…" Dojima stated.

"Well, you need SOMEONE to talk to. If it has to be me, I'm OK with that." Yui said.

"I know I can't stay like this forever. I have to face myself, while you're still here with us."

"I'll be here for every step, Dojima-san."


9/5

Yui invited Naoki to eat at Aiya's, to which he reluctantly agreed. As they were walking to the diner, a woman came up to Naoki.

"Naoki-kun! What are you doing here? Don't you think your parents are worried about you wandering about like this? Why aren't you helping out at the store?" The woman asked.

"Hmph…" Naoki said dismissively.

"Don't 'hmph' me! In times like this, family has to stay together, don't you think? I'm just trying to be helpful, and that attitude isn't very nice." The woman continued.

"Ma'am…" Yui began to say.

"It's alright Narukami-san, really…" Naoki said.

"I have to go now. Keep thinking of your family, alright?" The woman said as she walked away.

"Sorry. It must be awkward being around me." Naoki said apologetically.

"It's not a problem. I get you're grieving differently than people expect. They don't get to decide for you." Yui stated.

"Thank you. I have to stay civil with the neighbors, so I'm glad you were here for me."

"Come on, I'll pay for our meal." Yui said as she led Naoki inside the diner.


"I'm thinking about quitting school…" Naoki told Yui as he ate his noodle bowl.

"Quitting school?" Yui asked.

"I might take over the liquor store. I wasn't really interested in the family business. Honestly, I'm still not. But that lady had a point. I should be closer with my family, right?"

"Yeah, it's a good idea."

"It is, huh? This is hard for me to say, but I know as long as Junes is around, our shop has no future. It's not like it's a store with a long running tradition, so...I have to do it. I'm not sure I have a choice."

"Well, I know it seems hard, but I know you'll get through it."

Naoki stopped eating and suddenly became distant.

"Why did she have to die? Why did things end up this way? She dragged us down with her, unintentionally…" Naoki muttered.

Yui had no answer to this, and so she had to remain quiet, as painful as it was.

"Thank you for taking me here, Narukami-san." Naoki said.

"Yeah, you're welcome…" Yui said with a nod.


9/7

When Yui visited Marie in the Velvet Room, she was interested in finding out more about herself, but wasn't sure where to start.

"Hmm, there's the bamboo comb you showed me a while back. Maybe Kanji knows something about that sort of thing. We can go see him at Tatsumi Textiles." Yui suggested.

"OK. Let's go then." Marie said.


Yui brought Marie to Tatsumi Textiles, where Kanji and Rise were hanging out and chatting.

"Yo, welcome. Oh, hey senpai!" Kanji greeted.

"Hello Kanji-kun. Rise-chan." Yui replied.

"Hi senpai! Oh, Marie-chan's here too." Rise said.

"Kanji, Marie-chan wanted to ask you something." Yui explained.

Marie pulled out the comb from her bag and showed it to Kanji.

"Do you know what this is? Anything at all would help." Marie asked.

"That's a pretty old comb. You want me to figure out where it came from?" Kanji asked Yui.

"Anything would help." Yui said.

"Hey Ma! Come look at this!" Kanji called out.

"I hear you, no need to shout!" Kanji's mom replied.

Kanji's mom came over and examined the comb.

"This is quite old. I'm sorry, but we don't carry anything like this." Kanji's mom stated.

"Can you tell me anything about it?" Marie asked.

"It has a very unusual shape. I don't think it would be for everyday use. You might be better off consulting a museum or an art gallery."

"Do you think it was gifted to me?" Marie asked further.

"I doubt it. Combs are bad as gifts. 'Kushi', the word for comb, has the sounds of the words 'pain' and 'death', 'ku' and 'shi'. It's a superstition that combs cause people to separate. But I don't know if kids today believe in such things." Kanji's mom explained.

The bell rings, indicating the arrival of a customer.

"I have to go greet a customer. Make yourselves at home." Kanji's mom said as she got up and left.

"Pain and Death. Yeah, I wouldn't want to give someone a gift like that." Kanji commented.

Marie strained for a moment before relaxing again.

"Marie-chan? Did you remember something?" Yui asked.

"Argh, no! I just lost it. So this isn't a normal comb, huh?" Marie said.

"It's something at least."

"Let's go back. I have to think about this."

Marie walked away, prompting Yui to follow her after saying goodbye to Kanji and Rise.


9/8

Today was the day of a school trip to Tatsumi Port Island, where the class was going to visit Gekkoukan High School to see what the school was like. Most of the students weren't looking forward to the trip, but Yui was curious if this school was anything like her school in the city. Currently, the class was standing outside the entrance of Gekkoukan High, listening to the school's principal giving a speech.

"Next, I will explain about our fine educational establishment and its establishment. As the saying goes, 'If it's a job worth doing, it's worth doing well.'" The principal stated.

"Wow, this school is huge!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"*yawn* This guy is so boring. What, is he in love with his own voice?" Chie said rudely.

"Chie-chan, he'll hear you!" Yukiko scolded.

"This guy doesn't write his own speeches, that's for sure…" Yui muttered.

"The school is closed today, but some of our students will guide you through the halls. First, a student body representative has a few things to say." The principal said, directing attention to the girl standing next to him.

"Thank you, principal. Hello, my name is Chihiro Fushimi. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School! I'm a third-year student and Student Council Representative." The girl introduced herself.

"Wow, she's cute." Kanji commented.

"Yeah, she's the most bewitching bespectacled beauty I've ever seen." Yosuke stated.

"Guys, she's still talking!" Chie told them quietly.

"This is the first time our school has invited another student body for a cultural exchange. To learn about others is to learn about oneself, and is the first step to self-betterment. To ensure a worthwhile experience, we will do our best to help you accomplish that. Let us enjoy our time together. Thank you very much." Chihiro stated.

The students applaud Chihiro.

"Man, she beats me in every category…" Chie said enviously.

"She's not Chie, so actually she does not." Yui said, putting her arm around Chie.

Chie smiled at this display, assured that Yui only had eyes for her.

As the other students walked away, Chihiro suddenly became panicked.

"Oh no! Excuse me, can I bother you with something?" Chihiro asked, addressing Yui.

Chihiro held out a stack of papers for Yui to take.

"This is the schedule for today. I forgot to hand them out myself, so please hand them to your classmates! Sorry for being so disorganized." Chihiro said apologetically.

"It's no problem. You did great up there." Yui said politely.

"Oh, thank you, but I still have room to grow. My former Student Council President wrote my speech for me. I should call her later and tell her the speech was a success. Your group is scheduled for a special lesson soon. The classroom is on the second floor. I have to go now. Excuse me…" Chihiro stated.

Chihiro walked away to meet with the other student council.

"Wait, did I hear her say special lecture? We came all this way to be lectured?" Yosuke complained.

"It's being taught by a Mr. Edogawa. The lecture is about Qabbalah." Yukiko read off the paper.

"When's our free period?" Yosuke asked.

"We don't get one. We have classes all through today. Tonight and tomorrow, we're staying at a hotel. We'll have free time tomorrow and the day after." Chie explained, also reading off the paper.

"You gotta be kidding!" Yosuke groaned.

"Come on! Let's focus on our studies now, so we can enjoy our free time later!" Yukiko said eagerly.

Yui and her friends went into the school to find the classroom where the special lecture was being held.


"Welcome. Nice to meet you all. A meeting is only the beginning stage of parting, the Alpha and the Omega…" Mr. Edogawa said mystically.

Mr. Edogawa was a strange looking man with a yellow shirt and a white lab coat, blue glasses, sparse facial hair and a pencil behind his ear. Yui couldn't help but be mystified by his very presence.

"My name is Edogawa, and I will be keeping you company for this period. You're all from Yasogami High, aren't you? A high school of many gods. I was considering a lecture on Qabbalah philosophy, but I have a better idea…" Mr. Edogawa said with a chuckle.

Mr. Edogawa shuffled around the stand for a bit before speaking.

"The two gods who gave birth to this country are the god Izanagi and the goddess Izanami. But one day, Izanami died when giving birth to Kagutsuchi, the fire god." Mr. Edogawa told.

"I always thought it was strange Izanagi and Izanami had such similar names. If you didn't know any better, you'd have thought they were siblings…" Yui thought to herself.

"Extremely saddened by this, Izanagi left for Yomi, the land of the dead, to bring Izanami back to life. There, Izanagi asked Izanami to come back with him, to the land above. The goddess told him she would negotiate with the god of the underworld, and asked him to wait for her. However, Izanagi became curious and broke his promise, setting his comb afire to look around." Edogawa continued.

"Wait, I think I remember how this goes!"

"He saw Izanami covered in filth and maggots. Terrified, Izanagi ran away, but the enraged Izanami chased after him. After dodging the many demons sent after him, Izanagi reached Yomotsu Hirasaka, the entrance of the underworld. He set a large boulder as a barrier between the two worlds, and he escaped unharmed. When Izanami reached the boulder, Izanagi said his farewells. This is the curse known as the 'kotodo'. Curses beget curses, and Izanami said to the god: 'If you're going to treat me this way, I will kill 1,000 humans in your world every day!' Izanagi regretfully accepted that the bonds between them were severed, and he replied…"

"Then I shall give life to 1,500 humans every day…" Yui finished in her mind.

The rest of the lecture continued, as Edogawa told of the many traditions revolving around Izanagi and Izanami.


Ms. Kashiwagi brought the students to the hotel they were staying at: The Seaside Clamshell Inn. Even though it was referred to as a hotel, the students all got the feeling it served a...less than wholesome purpose. Kashiwagi insisted on it however, claiming it had a "good price" and a "modern feel to it".

"Isn't this place kind of…" Yosuke told the others.

"This is 'Shirakawa Boulevard'. They're known for their...love hotels." Rise explained with a blush.

"Just don't think about it. Stupid Kashiwagi…" Yui grumbled.

"Hee hee! Found you all!"

Everyone turned around to see Teddie, of all people, standing near an alleyway.

"Teddie? What are you doing here? You were supposed to stay in Inaba!" Chie asked.

"I saved up my money and bought a train ticket. I didn't want to be alone while the rest of you were having fun!" Teddie stated.

"I've been here before, so I can show you guys around. We can go shopping tomorrow!" Rise said with a smile.

"Shopping, huh? Well, beats a factory tour. I'm in!" Yosuke said.

"Hey, what do we do about Teddie? He can't just go in like this." Kanji asked.

Suddenly, Ms. Kashiwagi came back outside, causing Teddie to freeze up and pretend to be a stuffed animal.

"Are you kids still out here? Come in already, they have a waterbed in every room!" Kashiwagi said.

"Right, we'll be going in. Just have to...bring my giant stuffed bear inside. Hope that's alright." Yui said, coming up with an excuse on the fly.

"Oh, you like cute things, huh? I see how it is." Kashiwagi said with a grin.

Yui rolled her eyes, proceeding to pick up Teddie and carry him inside the hotel.

"Be gentle with me, sensei." Teddie whispered.

"Shut up, Teddie." Yui said in annoyance.


Yui left Teddie with Yosuke and went with Chie to find a vacant room. The entire atmosphere of the place left the two of them uncomfortable, however once they actually found a room that was a bit far from the other students, they felt that it was somewhat pleasant. The room had calming purple and pink mood lighting, a relaxing waterbed, and even a radio.

"I hope the others are OK with their rooms." Chie told Yui.

"Should we have gone into separate rooms?" Yui asked.

"And pass up the opportunity to sleep with you? Um, not like that!" Chie said, clarifying herself when she realized how it sounded.

"Yeah, uh, let's not. If Dojima doesn't kill me, your parents will." Yui said with a blush.

"I mean, it's not like there's anything wrong with that. But yeah let's...try not to…"

"This is all Kashiwagi's fault. If I didn't know any better, she probably only picked this hotel so she could have a one night stand with some man."

"I wouldn't put it past her. She just...exudes...an aura of 'I sleep around with any man I like'."

"*sigh* I know we shouldn't say these things, I just don't like her."

"Same. She's trouble, that's all I'll say."

Yui laid down on the waterbed, putting her hands together. Chie crawled in beside her, laying on her stomach.

"If we were married, I guess this would be the honeymoon phase." Chie commented.

"Don't call it that. You know what couples do during their honeymoon." Yui replied.

"Right, sorry. Man, if the goal is NOT to lay each other, we're doing a terrible job so far."

"Blame Kashiwagi for that."

Yui turned on her side to look at Chie. When Chie looked back at Yui and smiled, illuminated by the purple and pink lights, she was charmed.

"You do look pretty tonight. I mean, you're always pretty, but especially so right now." Yui confessed.

"Thanks. The other classmates never really told me those kinds of things. It's nice to hear now." Chie said.

"Surely you must have had some boys come up to you and ask you out, right? Before I came along?" Yui asked.

"Occasionally. Yukiko was more popular than I was, generally speaking, but I did have a few boys come up to me. I turned them down though, because...well, you know." Chie said with a playful shrug.

"Yeah, that would probably turn all of them away if they knew." Yui said with a chuckle.

"I don't care. I've found the one already."

Yui and Chie wrapped their arms around each other's waists and nuzzled together.

"This is gonna look pretty bad if someone catches us like this." Chie said.

"What are they gonna do? Evict us? It IS a love hotel, we're just using it for its intended purpose." Yui replied.

"Heh, try and argue with that one."

Yui pressed her lips against Chie's, and the two of them continued to kiss until they grew tired enough to fall asleep, cradled together in a gentle embrace.


9/9

Yui and her friends spent the exploring Tatsumi Port Island, visiting various places such as the movie theater, shrine, and flower shop. When night came, they went to the Paulownia Mall and shopped at its stores, ending their visit at the nightclub, Club Escapade.

"Woah, so this is a club?" Kanji asked.

"There's nothing like this back in Inaba!" Yukiko exclaimed.

"Whoo! I'm liking this place!" Chie cheered.

"I wanna go dance!" Teddie said enthusiastically.

"Everyone wait here, I'll reserve the area upstairs for us to hang out." Rise told everyone.

"Wait, you can do that?" Yosuke asked.

"Sure, I can pull a few strings." Rise said with a smile.

Rise was about to walk away when she saw Naoto walk past the group.

"Oh, hey Naoto-kun." Rise called out.

"Oh, hello. I was just leaving." Naoto stated.

"What? You look like you just got here." Yosuke pointed out.

"Why don't you hang out with us? You look like you're free." Yukiko asked.

"Hmm, very well then. If you insist." Naoto replied.

"Great! I'll go reserve the spot now." Rise said.


Rise ordered a round of fruity drinks for everyone to toast to. As Yui took a sip of her drink, she looked out over the nightclub floor. She saw how noisy and crowded the dance floor was and compared it to the relatively quiet corner her friends were seated in. Truly, this was where Yui wished to be.

"Hey, Rise-chan? Are you sure it's alright to buy these drinks? They must be expensive." Chie asked Rise.

"It's cool. I had a show here a couple years ago that got canceled when the power went out. Since the nightclub owes me, these drinks are on the house." Rise replied.

"Oh, well in that case, I'm gonna order more!" Chie said cheerfully.

"I'm not gonna hold back either! Down the hatch!" Teddie said as he took a big gulp of his drink.

"Hey, what's gotten into you?" Kanji asked Teddie.

"Aw, why so serious, Kanji? I see you eyeing Naoto! I Kanj-ecture that you wanna make a move!" Teddie said jokingly.

"Kanj-ecture! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Yukiko said, giggling and red faced.

"What's up with her? Wait, are these alcoholic?!" Yosuke asked, looking at the drinks.

"No way! I told them to give us non-alcoholic! I did, promise!" Rise said, though her red face seemed to suggest otherwise.

"Aw man, no wonder I feel hot." Chie stated.

"Are these really? I don't smell anything." Yui asked.

"King's Game! I wanna play King's Game!" Rise blurted.

"Me too! Let's play!" Yukiko chimed in.

"Uh, what?" Kanji asked.

"Get the chopsticks, we're gonna play King's Game, and no one's gonna stop me!" Rise ordered.

"Shiiit…" Yui muttered.

"What's King's Game? I don't know what to expect." Chie asked Yui.

"We all get a bunch of chopsticks, each with a number on them. Whoever draws the one with a red marking is 'King', and they have to call out a number and tell the person with that number what to do. Can you see where this is going?" Yui explained.

"...Oh fuck." Chie said, coming to the realization.


Everyone drew a chopstick from the pile, turning them over to see their number while keeping it hidden from everyone else.

"I got a red one! What does that mean?" Teddie asked.

"Ooh, Teddie's the king!" Rise said enthusiastically.

"Oh great, we're screwed." Yosuke groaned.

"I command thee to smooch the king at once!" Teddie exclaimed.

"Dare I ask who?" Yui asked.

"Number 1!" Teddie stated.

"Uh...that's me." Kanji said nervously.

"Uh, I meant Number 2!" Teddie said quickly.

"Hey, no take-backs!" Yosuke told Teddie.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Yukiko cheered.

"Oh, OK...Kanji, it's my first time, so please go easy on me!" Teddie said, accepting the outcome.

"Hey, wait! No no no no!" Kanji said, standing from his seat and backing up.

Teddie tackled Kanji and gave him an enthusiastic kiss, much to Kanji's displeasure.

"Is it really that kind of game?" Chie asked awkwardly.

"Hey, Yosuke. Were you Number 2?" Yui asked Yosuke.

"Don't ask!" Yosuke replied, giving Yui her answer.

"Those two should get a room." Yui stated.


On the next round, Yui happened to draw the red chopstick.

"Guess I'm the Queen." Yui stated.

"Thank god, someone decent." Chie said.

"That's not how it goes! Teddie asked for a kiss, so the next King has to go more extreme!" Yukiko stated, shaking her head playfully.

"What?! You can't be serious!" Chie exclaimed.

"Come on, Chie-chan! Don't be a stiff!" Yukiko mumbled and giggled.

"Come on senpai! What's it gonna be?" Rise asked.

Yui took a sip of her drink and thought carefully about her decision.

"OK then...Number 3 has to...bridal carry me." Yui declared.

"Oh! That's me!" Chie exclaimed.

"Oh thank god! I was going to die of embarrassment if it was anyone else." Yui thought to herself.

"Ooh! Go carry the bride, Chie-senpai!" Rise cheered.

"OK then…" Chie said nervously.

Chie went over to Yui and picked her up in a bridal carry. Yui lost her breath for a moment from how quickly Chie lifted her, and the two of them anxiously looked at each other.

"My wife's pretty strong…" Yui joked, attempting to ease the tension.

"Ah, so that's your preference? I see." Naoto stated.

"You may kiss the bride!" Yukiko said teasingly, breaking down into fits of laughter.

"I didn't ask for that! That's not part of the game!" Yui said to Yukiko.

"Are we done? Can I put her down now?" Chie asked, her face blushing.

"Go ahead. Don't mind these two drunkards…" Yosuke said.

Chie gently set Yui on her feet. Though she didn't want to admit it, Yui enjoyed the experience.


"It's my turn! I'm the Queen!" Yukiko said loudly.

"You didn't even draw a chopstick!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Someone has to tell everyone a really embarrassing secret! Naoto-kun, I choose you!" Yukiko stated.

"She's not even following the rules anymore. Don't listen to her, Naoto-kun." Yosuke told Naoto.

"It's quite alright. I can say something about myself. But only if you tell me something in return." Naoto said.

"OK!" Rise chimed.

"Wait, what? We didn't agree to this!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Very well then. The Shirogane family have been detectives for generations. In the past, when there were no crime scene investigators, consulting detectives were considered more valuable. However, investigators nowadays are more versed in science and medicine, which is where I intend to further my studies." Naoto explained.

"Interesting." Yui stated.

"It is your turn now. Tell me, what is your true involvement in the murder cases?" Naoto asked bluntly.

"Wow, you really know how to kill the mood." Yosuke stated.

"We rescue people who've been kidnapped by jumping into the TV! And then we use our Personas to beat the crap out of Shadows!" Yukiko blurted out, much to the shock of everyone else.

"You idiot! Don't say that!" Yosuke shouted.

"Persona!" Rise sang before hanging her head and falling asleep.

"I see you had no intention of telling me the truth." Naoto said dismissively.

"Good thing he doesn't believe us, I guess." Yui thought.

"How did you become so inebriated anyway? This isn't alcohol." Naoto asked.

"It's not?" Yosuke asked Naoto.

"I confirmed that when I entered this place. They stopped serving alcohol due to a series of drunk driving incidents last year." Naoto explained.

"Wait, so have we been getting drunk off of the atmosphere?" Chie asked.

"Who cares? I feel great! I'm going to bed now…" Yukiko mumbled before also falling asleep.

"Great, now we gotta get back with two drunks." Kanji groaned.

"As I said, they're not drunk." Naoto reiterated.

"Alright, Kanji, Yosuke, you carry them. I don't want to have to explain any of this to Kashiwagi." Yui told them.


9/10

Today was the final day of the school trip, and the group decided to spend it at a ramen place known as Hagakure Ramen.

"Man, this stuff is good!" Chie exclaimed.

"This place serves the best ramen in town. I used to come here all the time when we were filming here." Rise said.

"Hey...what happened last night? I don't remember much." Yukiko asked.

"We were pretty tired last night, so I don't remember a whole lot either. I heard it got pretty wild though." Rise told Yukiko.

"I told you what little needed to be said. Use your imagination for the rest." Yui said.

"More please! Keep the noodles hard!" Teddie told the chef.

"Hey, where's my bowl?" Yukiko asked.

"You didn't finish it, so it's mine now!" Teddie said with a grin.

"Isn't it getting steamy inside that bear suit from all the ramen?" Kanji asked.

Teddie ignored him however, focused solely on eating. Yui looked up from her bowl and spotted someone who caught her attention. It was a young woman with light brown hair, a pink lacy top, a light blue jacket, beige short shorts, and brown high heel boots.

"Hold on, is that?"

"Psst, Chie-chan!" Yui whispered to Chie.

"Huh? What is it?" Chie asked.

"Is that who I think it is?"

Chie looked where Yui was looking and gasped in surprise.

"No way! It is! That's Yukari Takeba!" Chie exclaimed, doing her best to remain calm and quiet.

"Should we go say hi? Or would we be disturbing her?" Yui asked.

"Come on, she's Pink Argus! We have to go say something!" Chie said, standing up and dragging Yui along.

Yui nervously went with Chie to the table where Yukari was seated.

"Excuse me!" Chie said.

Yukari was a bit startled by Chie's greeting, as she had been daydreaming.

"Huh?! Oh, hello." Yukari said.

"Are you Yukari Takeba, by any chance?" Yui asked.

"Ah no, you must be mistaken. I look a lot like her, so I get that a lot." Yukari lied.

"Oh really? Sorry to bother you, then. We're on a school trip, and we thought it was a lucky coincidence to see the famous model at a ramen place like this. We'll leave you alone." Yui said politely, beginning to walk away.

"...Wait!" Yukari said.

Yui turned back around, a bit confused.

"*sigh* Sorry. You're right. It's me. I was hoping nobody would recognize me. Should have known better." Yukari stated.

"That's alright! We should leave you alone if that's what you want." Chie said.

"I'm waiting for someone anyway, so I guess I'd appreciate the company." Yukari said.

"Do you mind if we sit down?" Yui asked.

Yukari nodded, giving them permission to sit across from her.

"So Yukari-san. Is it OK if I call you that?" Yui asked.

"Of course!" Yukari said with a smile.

"I'm Yui Narukami."

"I'm Chie Satonaka!"

"Nice to meet you two." Yukari said with a smile.

"How are you? It must be exciting to have a role in Phoenix Ranger Featherman R."

"It sure gets me a lot of recognition." Yukari admitted.

"Out of all the incarnations of the show, you're my favorite portrayal of Pink Argus! I realize you probably get that a lot." Chie said cheerfully.

"Actually, not really. As popular as the show is, reception is a bit divisive, at least the current version. I'm not supposed to say that, but that's how I feel." Yukari said.

"I heard you're also attending college at the same time. How do you manage that?" Yui asked.

"It's not easy, but my agent is nice enough to cover some of my tuition. Also, sometimes my friends help out."

"Your friends?" Chie asked.

"Yeah. I guess since I mentioned them, I should tell you a bit about them."

Yukari sighs happily and starts to daydream again. When she realizes this, she snaps herself back.

"Sorry, I get really emotional when it comes to my friends. They're practically family at this point." Yukari apologized.

"We understand. We're kind of like that too." Yui said, taking Chie's hand.

Yukari notices this gesture, her eyes widening in realization before she smiles.

"Are you holding hands?" Yukari asks.

"Uh, yeah." Chie muttered.

"We're...together." Yui stated.

"That's sweet. I'm...god, should I be telling you this? I'm actually waiting for my girlfriend, myself." Yukari confesses, her face growing pink.

Yui and Chie gasp, causing Yukari to grin sheepishly.

"Really?! I told you Pink Argus liked girls, Yui-chan!" Chie said excitedly.

"OK, OK, you were right." Yui said.

"*giggle* Stop that, I'm embarrassed enough!" Yukari giggled.

Yukari refocused herself before speaking again.

"Yeah, I'm actually pansexual. But please don't tell anyone. I'm planning to go public about it in the near future. Or...maybe not. It's difficult." Yukari told them.

"No, please do! It would mean a lot to a lot of people." Chie urged.

"Think of how happy some kids would be to know that their favorite hero is just like them." Yui stated.

"You're right. I did this mostly to make others happy, especially the children. It means a lot to me that I have the opportunity to make their lives a bit better." Yukari said.

"You were talking about your friends. Are they doing just as well?" Yui asked.

"They're doing alright, the last time I checked. One of them is a baseball coach, another one is a programmer and computer scientist, two of my senpais are attending college. I haven't seen those two in a while, but I trust that they're well. I have a younger friend who's an honor student in middle school. Proud of that kid. And not that you'd believe me, but my roommate is a robot girl." Yukari reminisced.

Yukari took a moment to allow Yui and Chie to absorb the information before continuing.

"All things considered, we're living good lives. The only reason all of us are where we are now is because of the sacrifice a friend made years ago." Yukari said, a bit of sadness in her voice.

Yui immediately understood what Yukari meant, putting her hands together in respect.

"Whoever they were, you must miss them dearly." Yui said.

"Every day. And not a moment goes by that I'm not thankful for what they did for us."

Yukari tears up a bit, quickly wiping them away.

"Sumimasen. I didn't think I'd start crying. If it's alright with you, I'd like to not go into detail." Yukari said.

"It's alright. We're happy to hear all this." Chie said with a smile.

"Ah, I just realized. We're about to reconvene with the other students soon. The school trip is just about over." Yui told Chie.

"Aw, and we were having a pretty good time." Chie said in disappointment.

"Sounds like you have to go." Yukari said.

"Yes. But before we do, can we please get your autograph? I don't usually ask for these, but this was such a rare encounter for us." Yui asked politely.

"*giggle* Of course! Thank you for keeping me company." Yukari said with a sincere grin.

Yukari took out a couple photos of herself and signed them, handing them to Yui and Chie.

"This was the coolest part of the trip by far!" Chie stated.

"Thank you, Yukari-san. Maybe we'll meet again someday." Yui said.

"I hope we do. Goodbye for now. You're a cute couple, by the way!" Yukari said, waving goodbye.

Yui and Chie stood up from the table and started to walk out of the restaurant with the others.


Author's Note(5-17-23): Did you think I would write the chapter about the Tatsumi Port Island school trip and not include a cameo of one of the major Persona 3 characters? This chapter is pretty significant to me, as it marked the point both Persona 3 and Persona 4 started to mean even more to me than they already did. You can think of Yukari's meeting as "passing the torch", it now being the Investigation Team's turn to safeguard the future. I had only played Persona 3 recently, through the Steam rerelease of Persona 3 Portable. Despite the dubious nature of the port, it still allowed me to get a sense of the moment people fell in love with the Persona series as we know it today. I get it now, and in my opinion, Persona 3 is on equal footing as Persona 4. It's impossible for me to decide which game I love more. I've already started work on Arcane Convergence, the sister piece to Arcane Shift, so feel free to check that out as well.