July 15th, 2013, Chie's House

It's been two years since the defeat and imprisonment of Adachi. The fog that came and went since then was normal; Ameno-sagiri is still at bay. Despite this, I can't help but feel some anxiety during the rain, and this morning's no exception. Even if I am at the love of my life's house.

Chie yawned and pulled me closer to her, snuggling her face into my chest as the rain pattered against the window. This wasn't the first time I had been able to visit her since Adachi's imprisonment, but my heart still skips a beat when I see her face. Even with the morning eye crust.

"Morning. I need to go see my uncle, he and Nanako are expecting me. She was already trying to grab the phone from Dojima's hand when she heard my voice." I cup her cheek to kiss her forehead and notice how damp her hair feels. She had grown it out a bit since I left, her orange hair resting on her shoulders. "Did you go outside?"

Chie mumbles some incoherent protests to my leaving, but seems to perk up when I comment on her hair. "Hmm? No, I woke up early to pee and felt all sweaty so I decided to shower. Guess I didn't towel off right." She pecks me on the lips and sighs, clinging on to me like a monkey on a tree. "Do you really have to go?"

"Well, you can come with me. And I'm not gonna be gone all day or anything, just until Nanako lets me go." I hop out of bed and get dressed to go out, trading my pajamas for jeans and a simple T-shirt. I miss my school uniform sometimes.

"No, you go! I've gotta get ready anyway, my hair's still wet." She pushes me out of her room. That is, until she opens the door, gives me one last smooch and says, "I love you." Her door slides closed and I find myself with warm cheeks as I make my way to Dojima's house.

Dojima Residence

I rap my knuckles on Dojima's door, and it only takes half a second before the door whips open and Nanako jumps on me, wrapping her little arms around my waist. "You're getting so tall!" I say as I pat my hand on her head.

"You sound like more of an uncle than I do now." I look up to the owner of that gruff voice, my uncle Ryotaro. Though I could never bring himself to call him that, or even Uncle. He'll always be Dojima. "How's life in the big city?"

"Same as usual. Loud, bustling, and nothing like Inaba. And I mean that in a good way. I miss this place," I say with a smile. "Sometimes I really consider moving out here."

"Because of Chie, huh?" Dojima says with a hearty laugh and a pat on the back. It's good to see him in such high spirits; these two years must have been kind. "You two're a good match, kid. I swear, her eyes get as big as dinner plates and then some whenever she sees you."

"Big bro, I made lunch! Naoto and Yukiko helped me. Even Teddy threw something in, said he learned from watching you make boxed lunches," Nanako says as she dashes inside. That can't be good…

"Yukiko, Naoto and Chie have been practicing cooking ever since you stopped living here. They've been using Nanako as a bit of a test subject. She's too good of a girl to really say anything bad but maybe that's why she's their judge," Dojima says as he leads me inside.

The lunch was actually decent! It was curry, which at first made my stomach frown. Mystery Food X in the forest still enter my mind and tastebuds anytime I hear the word 'curry', but this helped heal those old wounds…slightly. The mental scar that is the taste of burnt chocolate mixed with rice might never heal, but this was a start.

I wondered why the chefs didn't join us for lunch, but had my question answered when my phone dings. I pull out my phone, flipping it open to peer at the text. Some people in the city had moved on to those rectangular smartphones, but I can't leave his flip-phone, not yet. There was nothing more satisfying than flipping it closed with a flourish.

The text read:

"Narukami! Congratz on making it into town, wanna hang? Yes or no?"

There it is. She hasn't changed her strange but endearing way of texting these past 2 years. Maybe her grammar's a bit better but the slang is just as weird. I feel like a grandpa when I can't understand the lingo, and she's only a year younger than me!

My phone beeps again, and I feel my chest tighten as I read the new message.

"Really really miss u. I kno ur with Chie-senpai but we had something special last summer."

No. This can't continue. I had already betrayed Chie, and I can't do it again. I write back:

"We can hang but as long as some of our friends are there. I missed all of you but please, don't bring this up again. I really care about you but it's over between us."

I hesitate to press send. I really don't know if I want things between me and her to be over. I really do care about Chie, a lot. So much that I'd consider moving to this small town just to be with her more. But the way she makes me feel is just…something I don't know if I can let go of yet. I amend my text:

"We can hang but as long as some of our friends are there. I missed all of you but please, don't bring this up again. I don't want her to find out that way. I'd rather tell her myself what happened, if that time comes."

Sent. What is wrong with me?

I get a few more texts from my old friends, mostly from our Investigation Team group chat. We considered changing it to Seekers of Truth after dealing with Namatame but thought it was just a bit too dramatic. We are just a group of students, after all.

With mind ghosts. Who carry around comically large weapons and explore a TV world.

Maybe we're not a normal group of students after all…

We agree to meet at Junes. Summer just started so I figured this is the perfect time to visit and spend time with everyone. I spend some quality time with Dojima and Nanako over the still-surprisingly average curry before heading out to the department store.

Junes

That same cheery theme greeted me as I walk through the automatic doors into Junes. I instinctively look over to my left, expecting to see Adachi and a weirdly large assortment of cabbages next to him but, of course, he's not there. He's rotting in a prison cell serving four life sentences. I'm surprised he's made it this long, seeing as he was a police officer. Can't imagine too many prisoners are happy seeing a guy who's probably helped put them there.

I shake those thoughts from my mind; that whole ordeal's over and done with. I tell myself I can't dwell on it as I call the elevator.

Though, not everything from that time was bad. I made a lot of friends, all of them with their own arcana that let me know how to best approach them. I even managed to keep in touch with all of them in some form or fashion, though I hadn't heard from Sayoko in a while.

She actually got in touch with me a few months ago and I was relieved to hear she's doing well. She told me she would even make time to visit Inaba and help out at the hospital she used to work at, and to hit her up once I got there. Strangely she hadn't returned any of my texts these last few weeks.

I walked up to our usual table at the food court to see all of my closest friends already in their seats. I had obviously seen Chie, but it's been a very long time since I've seen everyone else. They all had their own things going on and I barely had the time to see my girlfriend.

Everyone jumps from their seats just as I begin to speak and take me in a big group hug from all angles, talking over each other and making quite the scene. Chie and Naoto are barely able to break it up before security's called. I manage to get a good look at everyone as I greet them all.

Yosuke's grown taller. Taller than me! In fact, he's probably the one who towers above us all now. Though he's still that same dork he's always been.

Rise changed her copper hair from twintails to letting it down completely, her bangs framing her face. She's no less of an idol than before. In fact, I heard she's become very popular; maybe the hair change is a type of disguise so she can walk around without being hounded by fans.

Yukiko's as elegant as ever. She's lost her bangs but kept her straight black hair long, the tips of it reaching her low-back. I guess she's started taking more and more of a role in managing the Amagi inn.

Kanji's changed the most out of the group. He stopped dying his hair blonde, a dark version of his usual hairstyle resting on his scalp. It makes him no less intimidating considering his size, but he's the same old goofball he's always been.

Teddy looks exactly the same, no surprise there. He's even wearing his bear suit, probably because he's working a shift as Junes' mascot. I hope his manager doesn't see him goofing off…

Chie's as gorgeous as she was this morning. Just with hair that doesn't look like a wet bird's nest. Her physique's improved a lot; she's more toned than she used to be, the feathers in her shoulders flexing whenever she moves her arms. She's currently in the academy to become a police officer, so she's been staying on top of her fitness. She's also sent me videos of her at the gun range; Chie's scarily accurate with a 9-millimeter on her hip. Probably just as good as Naoto.

Speaking of Naoto…I turn to look at her. She's recently started wearing slightly more feminine dress, forgoing her usual slacks for a pair of denim shorts and a tank top. I can tell she's still getting used to wearing these kinds of clothes if her slightly red cheeks are anything to go by.

I remember she first started to really dress like this last summer.