AN: CHAPTER 30, CHAPTER 30, CHAPTER 30.
Okay, for real, I apologize for taking a long hot minute to get this done. I had been funneling tons of ideas and ended up getting writer's block. Between that, general life shenanigans (as is the norm) and the fact I am currently residing in one of the worst heat waves ever... yeah, it's hard to find the energy to write. So I did kind of end up dropping some parts and split the initial chapter idea in two parts just to have something out there.
In other news, I have been putting a lot of work into a Dragon Ball. Mostly because I rediscovered my deep love for the franchise. So if you're interested in that, I'll let you know when I post it on my next chapter for this one.
But hey, once I get the next part of the summer fun stuff out of the way, we'll be nose diving hard into the 'Naoto arc'.
Yu
August 10th
Morning, Dojima residence.
Withered flowers forget / What they wept for day after day
Withered flowers must blossom / In the stream of tears
They still think of the cause
Turning misery into meaningfulness / Changing day after day
Turning misery into meaningfulness / Changing day after day
Your affection / Your affection / Taking pride from fear
Past will tell you when to make yourself a hero
Your affection / Your affection / Your affection
Past will tell you when to make yourself a hero
"Shut off already..." Yu let out a tired groaned as he lifted his head up. Startling himself for a second when his pen fell off his face and clacked onto the table. Rubbing the side of his head with one hand and using the other to fumble through the process of silencing his phone. Flipping it open and pushing the buttons needed to shut it off. Summer vacation, and yet I refuse to sleep in even when I know I can...
A gravelly yawn escaped him as he started to go through the morning motions. Clearing his eyes, yawning some more, and stretching to get rid of whatever stiffness had set in.
"Was this what I was doing last night?" He asked himself aloud, the only audience the birds outside chirping. Yu picked up his journal off the desk, bringing it closer to his face to try and understand what he'd been doing. Seeing the markings on the pages, a mismatched collage of thought bubbles connected haphazardly to one another. Notes on his thoughts written in between with arrows pointing around every corner. Apparently sporadic enough to have been penned in three different languages: English, French, and Japanese. Sometimes, all three of them mixed together.
Taking a minute to figure out where his train of thoughts, and ignoring the fact it looked like a madman's ramblings, he parsed it together after a few studious minutes. Realizing that the detective's forcefulness from the day prior rubbed off on him.
It's not definitive proof... but I guess it looks like Naoto's hypothesis might be correct. Inaba's resident serial killer could still be at large.
Yu frowned as he leaned back in his seat. He didn't like that all the pieces he had assembled started to point towards that very truth. That the danger had not passed. That the prophesized catastrophe had yet to be avoided or stopped. The more he reviewed the evidence, the more it said that Kubo was just a pathetic copycat. A misguided clout chaser. Yu thought this sort of thing only happened in history books or fiction, but no, here it was. A highschooler had ended a life for no other reason to try and make his name known in the worst way possible.
Assuming this is true... this explains why he seemed so confused that all of us were there. And how those versions of others his shadow created failed to be anywhere close to the originals. Probably would explain why that 'Inaba' felt so alien. He was probably too busy wallowing in his own delusions to bother paying attention to the world around him. It was all a game to him. With the victory condition being his infamy.
Frustrated, he leaned forward and pressed the journal back down onto the desk. Grabbing the pencil before it found the chance to escape to the floor by rolling off. Swiftly, he flipped to a new page and began marking his final thoughts on the matter: 'The real culprit is likely still out there, but right now, I have no clues as to who it can be. All I can do is wait and stay vigilant.'
With that, he closed it. Sliding it further away from him on the desk so it could not tempt him to write more. That's it. Can't do anything realistically. Still can't figure out a motive. Still can't figure out the modus operandi. Might be a clue or two if we search through that pixelated dungeon again...
He nursed that thought a second longer before shaking his head. Nah, leave that a problem for tomorrow me. But... do I tell the others?
Everyone on the team had a right to know his findings. It still surprised him that Naoto had been willing to part with information that probably would have ended up in the public given time anyways, but still, the gesture had been appreciated. And he knew mentioning 'Persona' to him was probably going to bite Yu in the ass later... but that would only happen if the detective somehow figured out the context. And I doubt he will. Kind of need to be in the know to know...
On the subject of his friends knowing, however... well, they all seemed happier with the thought that they weren't in any immediate danger. And the times before, they had ample warnings from the Midnight Channel – Ah right. It came on last night and nothing occurred. It'd been a cold comfort knowing no one else had been targeted recently. Maybe the probable-currently-at-large-killer needed a break too.
"Screw it. I'll ask Yosuke his thoughts on it." He said aloud to himself. Taking his phone out and preparing to hit the buttons needed to dial his friend... only to stop himself in his tracks. Smacking himself in the brow. Geeze, am I stupid? Half the reason he went at this as much as he did was because Konishi had been one of the victims. And now I'm going to tell him that I have a bunch of flimsy circumstantial evidence?
He flopped back onto his chair. Letting his arms droop to his side as he stared up at the ceiling. Damnit, this just got complicated.
And he'd probably scold me for a behind-the-back deal with a detective who has our number...
"[Fuck.]" He cursed. "Man, I really dug myself into a hole this time..."
August 13th
Afternoon, shopping district.
"Kid." A very gruff and stern voice spoke. "How'd the heck did ya even do this?"
The steel clanged onto the countertop. Two parts of a blade split in a way that should not be possible. A crack started from the top of them, where the sharp end exists, and running all the way down the middle like a valley of ruin. One part had the handle, the other didn't.
"I umm..." Yu stammered, feeling sheepish as he looked around trying to find a way to explain how such a strange event occurred. "I uh... swung it at the wrong angle?"
"Uh-huh." Master Daidara ruffled his facial hair as he stroked it with one hand and the other tucked to his chest. "Don't ya mean you thrusted it into something ya shouldn't have?"
"Yeah..."
The blacksmith closes his eyes as he groans solemnly at seeing his tarnished work. "Figures." He stated flatly before placing the pieces on a cloth and setting them on a table behind him. "Thought you had more smarts than that, but guess we all make mistakes sometimes."
Yu's shame continued to grow at how tiredly disappointed Master Daidara sounded about the broken blade. He hadn't expected it to shatter the way it did! Of course, he hadn't actually ever swung his sword at one of those castle-shaped shadows before since the last time Kanji smacked one, it ignored the strike and punted him across the hallway... but he had thrusted it on instinct after it got close... All he could remember after that was immediately blasting it with ziodyne and watching it vanish to ashes and leave behind a broken sword. In hindsight, maybe I should be more careful with how I apply a few thousand of volts of electricity to my sword... or was it the fact I tried thrusting a sword not traditionally made for thrusting attacks into bricks - yeah, probably that.
Something flopped onto the table as Master Daidara coughed at some of the dust that had been kicked up from dropping the object. "Knew I had these around somewhere." Unfolding what would be books with crude weathered covers revealed yellowed pages with sketches across each page. "Whew, glad these still seem to be in shape." Master Daidara then flipped it around so Yu can inspect it further. "Anyways kid, know what yer lookin' at here?"
Bringing it closer, Yu's eyes widened. "Are these... training manuals?"
"Kenjutsu and iaijutsu specifically." He elaborated upon. "Look, kendo is good n' all for learning how to swing a shinai, but it ain't how you really swing a sword."
"How much?"
"You're already paying for repairs. Call this a customer loyalty reward and an insurance policy." Master Daidara chuckled. "'sides, this stuff is better suited for that bokken I sold you awhile back."
"Then I guess I can all I can do is say thanks." Yu grinned, already picking up the books and starting to thumb through one of them. "A lot of this already looks familiar."
"Should be. You can find a lot of kendo rooted in those books if you got a careful enough eye. Now, how about ya head on out, kid? Gona take me awhile to forge ya something new."
Yu made a short wave as he exited, eyes still glued to the book. "Alright, have a good day Master Daidara!"
"Same to you, kid!"
August 15th
Afternoon, Okina City.
There had been many ways Yu had anticipated his day would have gone when he decided to bring Marie to visit Okina City for the first time.
Since the whole issue of her repressed memories hadn't had much improvement, it would have been a good time to experience the hustle and bustle of city life. Even if Okina itself isn't as crazy as the more metropolitan areas of Japan, it gave enough of a hint as to how those places might feel.
"Ooo! This blouse would look great on you Marie-chan!"
"That's red, Red Girl."
"Then how about this top?"
"That's green, Green Girl."
Not this again...
"Uh... Senpai, am I going crazy or is this the fourth time they picked a same colored item?"
"Believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've seen this..."
"Oh." Rise's face maintained a neutral look despite sounding like she was witnessing a car wreck in progress.
Yu felt much of the same way while watching Chie and Yukiko attempt to, once again, convince Marie to try on some different clothes. And although Yu would agree that maybe trying on new outfits might help the amnesiac girl feel more normal... but this isn't how he'd envision their trip to Okina. In fact, the whole encounter with the other girls within his friend group had been a complete accident. They all happened to be shopping at Croco-fur, and by chance they crossed paths.
And now he'd been roped into the girls' shopping trip.
"Anyways Yu, how'd you come to know Marie?" Rise asked, trying to fill the void in conversation as she shook her head slightly at Yukiko picking yet another red article of clothing. This time a jacket. "She's a bit..."
"Isn't that the same skirt you showed me last time? I'm already wearing a red and black one anyways!" Marie spoke where her usual dry annoyed tone. Though all the same, she accepted the skirt and began to inspect it further much to Yukiko's joy. Humoring her.
"Blunt..." Rise finished.
"Yeah, Marie is a bit abrasive sometimes, but she's not all bad." Yu scratched his head for a second, trying to figure out how best to answer Rise's question. Searching for his memory for what excuse he used last time because he – once again – could not explain how his friend here came from a interdimensional limo and sold him overpriced magic cards. So glad Yosuke isn't the financial advisor for our operation funs, he'd throw a fit if he saw how much I spent on the Velvet Room's services... my parents would too...
Actually, WHY do I pay Igor money? What does he do with it all? It's not like he stops for gas...
Ignoring that line of thought, he continued to tell the best version of the truth he had available. "She needed help, and I was in a position to help, so I helped her. Nothing much else to it."
"Come on Chie-senpai, that top sooo doesn't go with that skirt." She whispered, and Rise's eyebrow twitched as she watched Chie suggest the blue-yellow top she was holding would pair with the skirt that Yukiko picked out. "Hmmm... You and Marie seem to know each other well. Do you guys hang out a lot?"
"I see her plenty enough, but right now is one of the few instances we actually get a chance to hang out." Yu was started to get the sneaking suspicion he was getting pumped for information. He couldn't think of reason why Rise of all people would illicit such a reaction from him, but he didn't like it. So, he did what he normally did when things get awkward. Deflect. "Ya know, I think you're right. Maybe we should try averting a fashion disaster – oh no, is that a bandana?"
It was a scarf. Red, of course, because what else would Yukiko have picked?
Yu had a mind for fashion himself, knew that what people typically wore is what worked best for them. Chie and Yukiko had their own styles, but man, those two could not help someone else assemble an outfit. Really, why he called it in a bandana in the first place was to incense Rise enough for to take the helm on this.
Not that Marie really needed a new outfit anyways... but he figured the idol currently on hiatus would have a much better shot at figuring out worked out for Marie's tastes than himself.
"Huh? Rise!" Yukiko exclaimed as the 'bandana' was snatched out of her hands. "That would have looked good with her hat!"
"No it wouldn't, it would clash!"
Honestly, it's scary how fast she rounded the table to get them...
Marie and Chie seemed to be equally stunned. Well, until...
"Hey!" Chie shouted as Rise stole away the top she'd been holding. "I thought Marie would look good in that!"
"What is happening right now...?" Marie questioned aloud, with the only one answering being Yu, who could only smirk and shrug. "Yuuuu!?"
"Come on Marie-chan, I am going to get you a wardrobe you can be proud of!"
"Huh!? Yuuu! You jerk! Help!" She exclaimed as Rise forcibly guided Marie back towards the changing stations. Having already gathered an arm full of clothes.
Soon, Rise had recruited both Chie and Yukiko into her impromptu fashion remodel session with Marie as all the girls darted back there carrying a tide of clothes. All to happy to assist when their friend took charge of the whole affair. But hey, what better person to handle someone's wardrobe than a idol on hiatus?
And the giggling of girls (and one complaining loudly) started to fade into the background.
Is this how guys usually feel when they're forced to go shopping with their girlfriends? Yu briefly wondered. Only to shake his head as he mentally slapped himself for putting his friends into 'that' context. Wait. Was Rise trying to see if Marie was my secret girlfriend or something?
He did another double mental slap, followed by a kicking to his own shin to make sure to interrupt his thinking to stop the burning blush he felt on his cheeks. Nope. Marie or Rise – heck, Chie and Yukiko too; a girlfriend is something I don't have time for.
August 17th
Afternoon, hilltop.
"Looks like they've started preparations. Hey Kanji, this is your hometown, how much of a big deal is the festival anyways?" Yosuke asked, admiring the sight. "I've only attended the one time, so a local's opinion might be better."
"Big enough deal for my ma to prep for it." Kanji came forward, leaning his arms over the railing to share in the same view as Yosuke and Yu. Both overlooking the hillside path that led all the way down the town shrine, where various people are already starting to sanction off areas for the festival. "Used to visit it a bunch of times when I was smaller, but I haven't been there since my first year in middle school."
"Is it like other festivals elsewhere?"
"I guess? How the heck am I supposed to know? Okina is the farthest I've been away from Inaba."
"Well, last year it seemed like a big deal when my parents brought me here." Yosuke continued to stare down at the festival ground. Then straighten up to holler over to his friend. "Hey Yu! You've been all over Japan, yeah? What're the summer festivals like elsewhere?"
"Huh?" Yu lifted his head, still rubbing his forearm due to it being sore from the day before So many clothes... He hadn't planned on it, yet it happened all the same. Yu ended up carrying all four of the girls' freshly bought clothes on the train back home, and then ferrying them back to all their homes. Dropping off Rise's and Chie's stuff had been easy since their homes weren't far from the train station. Going uphill to Yukiko's family inn had been a chore. Then having to trail all the way back to the Velvet Room's door to get Marie home after a lot of deflection on where she's actually from.
Thankfully, Margaret took all the clothes Marie had gotten off of Yu's hands. When he asked where she would be storing it, she bluntly answered "That's a silly question to ask." before disappearing back into the Velvet Room with a smirk. Leaving Yu there dumbfounded at the interaction.
At least she said she'd apply a discount the next time I used the Velvet Room's services.
Humming along showing he hadn't been ignoring his buddy's question, Yu started to reflect on it. I've been to plenty of places... but never hung out at any festivals because mom and dad were always busy... "I've been to one of the volcano festivals over in Hawaii when I was like ten. Does that count? They usually hold those during the summer."
"A volcano festival? Did they actually hold it up at one of the volcanos?" Kanji asked.
"No. That sounded like a question Ted would ask."
"Speakin' of the bear, where is he? I thought he was hangin' with us today."
"Teddie thought it would be funny to skimp out on work and hit on girls rather than doing his job." Yosuke said with clear annoyance. "So, he's stockin' shelves today until he makes up his hours."
"How did you convince him to stay on task with no one supervising him?" Yu asked, knowing that Teddie had the attention span of a toddler when he's left alone. "He's not exactly known for his good work ethic..."
"I told him I'd buy him all the food he wanted at the festival if he stayed on task."
"W-Wait, you can afford that much?" Kanji looked aback. "You know Ted is almost as bad as Chie and Yu-senpai when it comes to how much they can eat."
"As bad?" Yu stared at him, then raised a brow when he watched his junior classmate shrink. "I guess I could cut back a little on how much I eat... but you and Yosuke eat a lot of junk food."
"What!? I don't eat that much!" Yosuke protested.
"Hmm... Yeah, guess I should watch what I eat more..." Fortunately, Kanji seemed receptive towards the statement. "Anyways, what was that 'volcano festival' or whatever like then? Guess you didn't do it like, around an actual volcano or something, right?"
"I mean, it kinda did. It was at the base of one." Yu started, "The national parks over there typically hold a cultural festival to celebrate the... well... the local culture. I don't have much experience with homeland festivals, but they did stuff like luau dancing and fire eating. A dozen or so interactable activities and plenty of region-specific food. I'm still surprised how good pineapple slices pair with certain roasted meats. Especially with barbecue sauce."
"Wait partner, don't tell me you got to go a festival with a bunch of girls wearing grassing skirts and bikini tops, did you?" Yosuke said with all the subtly of a bear in a Junes food court. "We're seeing the girls in their yukatas, is it anything like that?"
Kanji did not say anything, instead his face turned red as his imagination kicked in.
Okay, Yu was doing the same thing as he started to nervously rub the back of his head. Breaking eye contact for once and using the sight of the festival grounds as a distraction. He might have been in the right headspace to stoically ignore the question, if it weren't for the fact that he spent a good part of his day yesterday watching the prettiest girls around his age try on different outfits. If a monk witnessed him during their impromptu fashion shows - after they dragged Yu to rate their outfits - they would have sworn he was a grandmaster in patience.
It really did not help that Rise picked more... adventurous outfits. That she somehow convinced everyone, including Marie of all people to wear said outfits. Nothing too outlandish, just things that would make any boy blush.
That woman is dangerous...
"Considering its tradition there, I guess you could argue that." Yu finally answered hesitantly. Then he watched Yosuke get that dangerous glint in his eyes. "Hey! Don't get any funny ideas of coercing the girls again."
"Hey! Come on, partner!" Yosuke held up his hands in mocked defense. Clearly enjoying this. "Just us dudes here; and who wouldn't want to see girls in bikini tops and leafy skirts?"
"This again?" Kanji shook his head. "Come on, don't you have better things to think about than girls all the time?"
"Oh, and you don't? I noticed how scarlet your cheeks were getting when I mentioned it." Yosuke teased. "I bet the girls – Rise-chan especially – are gona look stunning in their kimonos!"
While those two's conversation started to degrade into petty insults, Yu had thought of something.
"Hey, shouldn't we dress up too?"
August 20th
Evening, Summer Festival (at the Shrine).
"I have no idea how you did it, partner, but you convinced us to get in these... getups..."
Yu scoffed. "Because you owe me for borrowing my time and working retail?"
"Hey! I already paid you and gave my thanks plenty enough!" Yosuke placated; arms up aghast.
"I think we look great!" A particularly giddy Ted exclaimed as he spun around in his blue and white striped jinbei and matching pants, and a straw hat hanging off of his back. He even had on a pair of the appropriate wooden sandals to really sell the look. "I'm sure if I had sensei's swords, I would look like a real samurai!"
"At that point, it'd just be cosplay." Yosuke pointed out. Wearing a similar set of clothes, except his hatori had black and orange stripes. Except he kept on his sneakers and had a white t-shirt underneath the jinbei that peaked out of the neckline. Of course, he still had his headphones hanging off his neck playing whatever music he liked at a low volume. "Besides, Yu's swords are at the shop, remember?"
"Oh right."
"Ya know, I'd seen him stab that thing into so many shadows, I didn't think it would ever break..." Kanji spoke, pondering the thought while staring down on the ground with his hand over his chin. He wore a straight black happi with the text on the embroidered Tatsumi Textiles in red stitching. Underneath that, he wore a simple black jinbei along with a white headband just over his brow. "Then again, he did break that other one..."
"Believe me. I'm as upset about the previous one and this one." Yu couldn't help but let himself deflate at the thought. He'd broken two swords from a master blacksmith. He knew those two weapons were just show pieces, and weren't necessarily made to handle the stress of near-constant fighting... still, he didn't feel good about it. He paid a nice amount of yen for those blades.
Yu still felt proud he had convinced all the guys to put on some appropriate clothing for the event. He did feel kind of bad after saying that this would likely be his only Inaba-branded summer festival for a while. The power of guilt-tripping never fails. Well, until it backfires. He did enjoy the clothes he was wearing. The dark gray was complimented with a thin band of silver along the edges of the haori. That, and the novelty of a straw hat boosted his confidence enough to stop himself from pulling some Kurosawa-type theatrics then and there. "Thanks for helping with this on short notice. You and your mom do great work, Kanji."
"Heh, yeah. Glad she had a few nearly done." He beamed a soft smile at the thanks. "Was easy for me to make the adjustments. Otherwise, you'd have to wait a few weeks till it was finished. Does feel kinda nice wearing something like this again."
"Speaking of, is it only me, or does the festival seem kind of... empty?" Yu pointed out, and all the others swiveled their heads around to take in their surroundings.
It's a beautiful sight.
With all the stalls lining up and along the path leading all the way down to the main shrine where Mr. Fox typically likes to hang around. There were a few attendants at each of their spots. Wearing somber expressions, but always lighting up when someone approaches their booth and bought something. Lanterns were hung at every opportunity, and Yu couldn't help feeling mesmerized at attending such a place. All sorts of scents filled the air too, from candied apples to sizzling meats decorated in spices. The locals certainly brought their A-Game.
Here's hoping I get to experience this again. Still... if the 'killer' has been caught, why is everyone still scared of going out? You'd think there'd be more people.
"No. It's not just you partner." Yosuke groused, somewhat weirded out by how empty the festival seemed to be. "Can't say I'm surprised, but do you think it's because of the murders?"
A phantom needle dug into Yu's hands. Damnit. I should probably just tell them... but it'd be cruel to say "Hey, we didn't suceed at all! There's still a killer on the loose!", right? Especially considering this is a festival. We're supposed to be having found. Not having an ever-present shade of failure following us around -
"Yeah, there ain't that many people here this year. Well, I guess you can't blame people for being scared..." Kanji said, supporting their observations. "Haven't seen the reporters around, either. They sure are good at stirring shit up and then disappearing."
Yu glanced around, trying to see if he could find any of the local news crews running around. "It's still early in the evening. More people will probably show up later. Kinda surprised there isn't a news anchor. You'd think someone would be reporting on local events. News anchors aren't known for being timid..."
"Whatever. None of that is important right now. What's important right now is that we get some ikayaki!"
He's right. This wasn't a time to be worrying about that kind of thing. He was here to enjoy his time, not waste it worrying.
Seeing how the girls had yet to arrive, the boys decided to go about and sample the food of the nearby booths. With the lack of crowds, it was easy to move between them. Keeping in mind it would still be a while before the festivities got into proper swing, he decided to stick to a light snack. Some shaved ice specifically, topped off with strawberry syrup to make a simple summer treat.
Perfect.
Just like the opportunity that presented itself. Seeing how all the girls had finally arrived in their yukatas.
Chie had been the easiest to spot first. Her outfit was bright white and printed with dozens of floral patterns ranging from green to yellow, and orange. Her obi sash wrapped around her waist was also the same shade of orange. It really gave her a sunny springtime look that suited her.
Nanako walked alongside Chie, holding her hand and carrying a giant bag of cotton candy in the other. Hers was a simple pink checked pattern complimented by a red sash. Adorable.
Rise wore her yukata naturally. Being a former model probably factored a lot into that. Still, she chose a darker more vibrant shade of pink compared to Nanako's. Decorated with phenomenal stitch work of butterflies all along the length of the kimono. Complimented by a lighter shade of orange for her sash than Chie's.
Yukiko, however, had been the oddest one out of the bunch. Yu had to do a double take make sure he'd been looking at the right person. Betraying expectations, Yukiko had on a deep purple kimono with intricate stitchwork of flowers. Accented perfectly with a bright pink obi. Though, the craziest part was how she had even forgone wearing her signature red headband.
Still, this did not stop Yu from taking the opportunity to have a small bit of fun.
"Hey guys, how's it hangin'?" He spoke up from right behind them.
"OH MY GOD!" Chie was the first to shout as she zipped around. Followed by a series of startled yelps from the other girls.
SMACK!
"Ow." Yu mumbled as he held his palm to where he had been slapped. To his credit, he held on to his cup. "Probably deserved that..."
"Yukiko! Did you just smack Yu-senpai!?" Rise cried in disbelief.
"Big bro! You shouldn't have scared us like that!" Nanako went ahead and smacked Yu in the pantleg.
Yu relented. "Alright! Alright! I yield!"
"You should know better than to scare us like that!" Yukiko scolded, then the anger shifted away from her face when she got a proper look at him. "Umm... Yu-kun, what exactly are you-" then she started to snort a laughter, "are you wearing!?"
Each of them tried to hide a snicker as well, seeing the outlandish outfit Yu had been wearing.
"What? All of you took the time and effort to dress up. I thought we should all try to dress up as well. Only fair." He then pointed to the other guys walking in behind him. "I think we did a pretty good job."
"It certainly is a fun idea." Rise couldn't help giggling at the sight.
"Now that I am getting a better look at ya, you're totally rocking that samurai look!" Chie complimented. Then turned around to face the others. "Yosuke, why'd ya bother putting any of that on if you were just going to wear a t-shirt and your headphones anyways?"
"Hey, it's a comfort thing!" Then he felt the need to justify his position further, "This is just me trying to blend the old with the new! Not my fault that you can't appreciate it."
Silence.
"Well, sorry for taking so long." Chie finally spoke, bringing an end to the awkward pause that seemed to be causing Yosuke to visibly waver under its pressure. "Between the walk here and getting ready, we didn't realize how long we'd taken."
Yu looked at Yukiko, she gave a subtle wordless nod. Confirming what he had been thinking. Figures the person who wears kimonos on the regular would have to be the one to teach everyone how to wear them. Still, surprised Yukiko told me how they're typically worn when I asked out of curiosity.
Suddenly, I have a deeper appreciation for women's clothing.
"I imagine it wasn't too fun walking up the steps, huh?" He grinned.
"Yeah, it's not easy." Rise sighed, "You have to wrap towels inside, so they're not as breezy as everyone says."
"It's kinda hard to walk..." Nanako complained as she started to readjust the lower part of her dress.
"The price for being cute, I suppose." Yu complimented as he bent down bopped his cousins nose with a tiny bit of shaved ice. "Here, that should help cool you off."
"Big brooo!" She complained, big ended up giggling as she wiped it off with her free hand.
"Nana-chan, you look so cute!" Teddie complimented from behind them. "I'm head over heels for you!"
"Thank you!" An encore of adorable giggles escaped her. Blush heightening.
As Yu stood back up, Rise stepped forward to grab his attention. "How do we look, senpai? Does the sight make your heart skip a beat?"
"You all look great. I can tell you put in a lot of work." Yu compliment, making to keep a measured approach to his words. Though, since Rise was the one who prompted him, he felt he should flip the question back at her. "Think we did good, too? I think I did alright."
For an instant, it looked like Rise had been surprised by the retort, though she quickly went along with it with her usual flair. "Oh, I think you all look great. Kanji-kun in particular cleans up pretty nicely."
"Huh? What!?" Taken aback, Kanji's face went tomato red. "I uh... thanks. My ma made it for me..."
"That's not how you to respond a compliment…" Yosuke said shaking his head.
Things started to move fast after everyone was done complimenting one another. Nanako ended up leaving with her father when he came by. It'd been a bit of a surprise since Yu had not expected his uncle to pull himself away from his work long enough to enjoy the festival. Still, it'd been a nice exchange. After some hijinks with Ted trying to handle walk and entertain all the girls at once, the night went swimmingly.
For Yu himself, it'd been quite a long time since he had visited an event like this. Memories of spending time stuck indoors while lantern light illuminated the night came back to him. More people did show up, and it started to become familiar with what Yu would hear from the window. Laughter and joy in abundance, families walking, friends messing with one another (like how Ted how a piece of cotton candy stuck to his face); all sorts of stuff that Yu right now realized he had been missing out on.
It only became more apparent closer to midnight. Right around the time when the fireworks show started.
They had all gone up to the hill overlook. "Best place to watch the fireworks." What both Chie and Yukiko said nearly at the same time, and Kanji agreed with them. Not that you needed a guide to tell you that.
Suffice to say, the explosion of color decorating the country sky simply could not compare to any firework show Yu had ever seen before. With the way the stars complimented each explosion, the way they cracked and popped above the relatively empty space. Devoid of the usual business of the city. No cars. No artificial lights everywhere.
The fireworks weren't as big as America's arsenal for celebrating freedom… but… that didn't matter.
And as the whistling and cracking continued to echo out into the night sky… Yu thought about it.
Things were alright right now. No need to worry everyone else.
Naoto
August 20th
Late evening, Naoto's apartment.
"Tsk-tsk-tsk. Such a poor state for this place to be in." The disappointed tone coming from Yakushiji. His appearance was somewhat comical, due to the fact he was in a very nice full black suit, white shirt, and black tie while wearing long yellow cleaning gloves. He looked to be an older man, one who appears to have seen much in his life. Being the Shirogane family's long time family aide certainly made you aware of many things that common people would prefer to go on not knowing. "Simply terrible. Terrible."
Naoto looked up from her position on the couch. Wearing a light scowl, not at Yakushiji, she appreciated the man like a great uncle. Since he was her grandfather's best friend. No, him visiting today reminded her how poorly she'd been treating her temporary home. Won't he let me help? This is my fault; he should at least allow me to clean up my own mess… Despite wanting to protest against Yakushiji's decision to handle all the cleaning, she knew it wouldn't work out. The man had a habit of being stubborn over the oddest of things whenever herself or her grandfather would try to do any chores in his presence. But ultimately, the both of them always relented in the end.
And what was the reason why he was here? The ringing of the cellular phone on the counter signaled the reason why.
"Ah. That should be him now." Yakushiki said as he set down the trash bags he'd been tying. Swiftly pulling off the gloves and setting them aside as he picked up the brick-like phone. It was an older model. A few years out of date, but it still functioned well enough for what it needed to do. Clicking the answer button, he spoke, "Good morning, Shirogane-sama."
Right. It should be fairly early over there right now. Naoto shifted into a cross-legged posture. Waiting for them to finish speaking to one another. Personally, if she was being honest were herself, she was dreading this talk. Initially, she had hoped her grandfather would simply accept the email at face value. Then, from there, she could continue investigating while he was busy attending to matters overseas.
"Very well. I'll hand the phone over now." Yakushiji finished his small talk. His nice black leather shoes clacking along the tiled surface of the kitchen area unto the carpeted part of the living area. He bent slightly and offered the device to her. "Your grandfather wishes to speak with you."
"Thank you." Naoto took the phone. Ending up standing a little bit straighter when Yakushiji bowed then proceeded to retrieve his gloves. After he put them on, he grabbed the trash bag – gave a slight bow again – and went out the front door. "Hello, grandfather."
"You needn't greet me so stiffly, Naoto." Some grumbling came from the other end of the line. Then a sigh. "I suppose it can't be helped. Still, it has been a while since we've had to use this old phone again. Did you know they are selling satellite capable flip-phones now? Quite a novel experience to use one right now. Since I am currently enjoying a sea-side view along with a cup of coffee."
"Oh? Is that so?" She tersely spoke. In her mind, this wasn't a social call.
"I understand, Naoto. No need for frivolous banter with your dear old grandfather I suppose." Another sigh. Then the sound of a short sip and the gentle clink of a cup. "I am already aware of the results of the investigation. Personally, I find myself bristling at the reports that Yakushiji faxed to me earlier today since I am technically an investigator on this case… There certainly appears to be a myriad of holes in their logic. Alas, perfection is ever the pursuit, yet unattainable… I take it you share a similar sentiment?"
"Similar enough." She answered. Yet the police should be closer to perfect than this. Lives are at stake. And all they can do is focus on the wrong killer.
"Mmm… Well. Let me see if I am comprehending the contents of your email correctly. You wish to extend your stay in Inaba? I could hazard a few guesses as to why, though I prefer to hear your answer, Naoto."
"That is simple to answer." She said, silently glad that she could hide her apprehension right now. Talking to grandfather is always so difficult… "I am not satisfied with how things have concluded."
"Oh? Is that all?" He could be heard chuckling. "Yes. I can see why you might not be. Very well. However, I have a one stipulation: I would like you to attend the local high school until the school year is over."
"Wh-what?" Naoto stammered, caught off guard by her grandfather's request. It's August right now… and school ends in March… five months. Half a year at a country school…
"Come now, Naoto." Her grandfather paused for a moment, taking another sip of his coffee if theclinkon the other side was any indication. "You may be quite the prodigy when it comes to your academics, but I will not allow you to pursue this case any further without a good enough reason to justify your stay. Expenses are important to keep track of, and this way I won't get on our accountant's bad side."
"Very well…" She found it difficult to formulate a response beyond that. "I assume Yakushiji will be handling that?"
"Yes. He will be to ensure you are registered with the school properly." He could be heard speaking English for a moment before talking on the phone again. "Apologies. The waitress was asking for the bill. Now, I assume you would like a boy's uniform?"
Naoto did not deign to answer that question.
"Hmph. That was rude of me. Apologies. Excuses can be made, but I will not give them for the sake of both our dignities. You should be able to attend once summer vacation has concluded."
The front door clicked. Grabbing Naoto's attention away from the phone. Yakushiji walked in, gave another one of his slight bows, before continuing unimpeded back to his cleaning duties. Which he wasted in no time getting to.
"Was that Yakushiji just now?"
"Yes."
"Very well. I understand it's very late over there currently. Once you hand the phone back to him, I will go over the arrangements. Is there anything else you like to talk about before I wish you goodnight?"
"No. Nothing else."
"Then rest well, Naoto. It might be some time before we talk again, so let me –"
"Wait. One thing, grandfather." Naoto lurched up in her seat. Finding a question had surfaced from her mind suddenly. If anyone might have an idea what he meant by this, it has to be grandfather. "I came across something odd in my own… research."
"Oh?"
"Are you able to draw any conclusions as to why the word 'persona' might be relevant to this case?"
"'Persona?'" He repeated. Humming to himself for a few seconds. "Hmm… in this context… I'm not sure how the word might relate to what I see here. The common definition of the word is easy to understand that it refers to the personality one wishes to project… Oh-ho-ho."
Then her grandfather started to laugh.
"Is something funny, grandfather?" Naoto sharply spoke. Cutting him off.
"Sorry. Sorry!" He could be heard steading himself before speaking again. "I believe I ended up drawing a different conclusion. Apologies, I am afraid I cannot see the possible connection. Might I ask how you came across this information?"
"Private source."
"Ho-oh, very well. I understand. If nothing else, then, I love you Naoto. Please get some rest."
"Likewise, grandfather." After that, Naoto got up from her seat. Handing the phone back to Yakushiji who nodded. "Goodnight, Yakushiji." She said before heading towards her bedroom and shut the door.
It was going to be a long year.
Yu
August 21st
Early Morning, Dojima residence.
Riding the good mood from the night before. Yu couldn't help but keeping a smile on his face as he finished cleaning up after a morning shower.
Brrrt-brrrt-brrrt.
"Huh? Who's calling me?" Yu walked over to his deck, wrapping the towel around his neck after drying his hair. "Narukami here."
"I thought Yosuke was joking when he said you always answer the same way." Some light giggling came from the other end. "Morning, senpai! It's me, Rise!"
"Ah. What's up?" he asked, scratching his head. Why is she calling me at eight in the morning?
"So, you know how the festival is going on tonight too, right?"
"Yeah…"
"Great! You're going with me again! Just the two of us this time, of course! I want it to be a special memory just the two of us to share!"
"Huh?"
"Alright! See you at the shrine later tonight! Be ready!" Rise then hung up.
"What!?"