Persona 4: Snowy Spring Chapter 05: Awakening
Lyall the Werewolf: No worries. I haven't left this story in the dust. I plan to keep this one going. Though, with multiple sources, it is hard to weave chapters together. That's part of why chapters take so long. Sometimes, I need a break too.
Now then, let's see how Yumi fairs in a battle with the Shadows.
(I don't own Senran Kagura or Persona)
"Hey, Narukami…"
"Yeah…?"
"Is it just me… or was she naked for a split second?"
Yosuke had lustful bloodshot eyes as he asked that question.
"That's what got your attention?" Yu asked. After what they just witnessed, he couldn't fault Yosuke for asking.
Earlier, they were being chased by icky black monsters. One of them slimed Chie, leaving Yu, Yosuke, and Yumi concerned.
Yumi, who was a seemingly normal girl, transformed like a magical girl before their very eyes. She took out something that looked like a scroll, said Ninja Transformation, and one blinding flash of light later, she was decked out in a totally new outfit.
And yes, Yu could have sworn he saw Yumi naked for a split second too.
And now, Yumi was fighting the four shadowy monsters by herself.
Waving her fans and twirling her body, she looked as if she was gracefully dancing around the monsters as they feebly try to attack her. She countered them with waves of her war fans. As she waved and swiped her fans against the monsters, ice appeared as though to cut them like a blade. She was creating the ice, as it is her element of expertise in Shinobi combat.
All and all, Yumi was putting up an incredible fight against the monsters. However, the shadowy creatures didn't go down easy.
The monsters were surprisingly agile and durable for giant floating tongues. They circle around and systematically attack her with swipes of their tongues. Yumi got a defensive position to protect herself.
"I don't think so!" Yumi leaped out of the circle of monsters. Upon landing, she spun both her fans together, rapidly creating a huge shard of ice.
"Secret Ninja Art: BLACK ICE!" Yumi launched the giant ice shard at the monsters. She scored a direct hit on the monsters, causing an explosion of ice. The cloud of ice disappeared soon after, revealing that the four monsters were annihilated. The fight was over.
"Wow, she hit them!" Yosuke said in awe.
"Amazing…" Yu said.
Now that the danger passed, Yumi breathed a sigh of relief and turned to her male classmates.
"I thought I told you two to take Chie-san and escape," she said sternly.
Yu and Yosuke flinch. They could have taken off, but they still couldn't move. At first, it was fear of the monsters that paralyzed them, but now it was awe of Yumi's battle and the swift defeat of those monsters. The two boys weren't sure of what to say now.
Seeing as they couldn't respond, Yumi quelled her annoyance for her classmates, "Are you both alright at least?"
"Y-Yeah, we're fine, but…" Yosuke trailed off as he got a good look at Yumi's new outfit. If she wasn't attractive before, Yumi's new outfit intensifies her hotness. The kimono fit her body almost too well, save for the top. Her breasts looked like they would pop out at any moment. Her visible legs were also long and slender, possibly more so than outfit Risette's. He thought the Idol Risette was perfect, but Yumi seemed to trump her in every way possible.
"Judging from your bloodshot eyes, you must be okay," Yumi said as she covered her chest from Yosuke's perverse gaze.
"Oh, um! Sorry! You just look really good in that…" Yosuke sheepishly looked away.
"Don't you think that's a little small?" Yu asked. He couldn't believe that was the first question he was questioning regarding Yumi's magical change in wardrobe.
Yumi sighed in frustration. Yes, she was aware of its smaller size because her bust couldn't fit. But there was no time to worry about it.
"I promise to explain everything later. Right now, must get out of- AH!" before Yumi could finish her sentence, she felt more enemies drawing closer.
She suddenly felt a sharp pain gripping her left ankle. Looking down, she saw that her leg was caught in the giant teeth of a monster that manifested beneath as a black puddle.
"Damn it! I was careless!" Yumi grimaced. She thought she finished them all off, but one of them survived by slipping beneath the cracks. It waited for a chance to strike, and now Yumi was caught in its insidious chops.
Before she could do anything to free herself, the monster rose from the puddle beneath the Shinobi, pulling her by the leg up with it. The floating mouth violently slammed her body against the ground on her back, causing severe pain.
"Agh!" Yumi gasped in agony. Shadowy tendrils appeared beneath her. They restrain her arms and legs, binding her to the ground where she lay. The Gessen Shinobi struggled to get free. Something was off. She could have broken out, but something about this realm was draining her strength. Holding a Shinobi Transformation wouldn't take so much energy.
More tendrils surfaced to clamp down Yumi's mid-section and chest, causing her kimono to unravel and reveal her breasts.
The giant tongue monster crept over to Yumi's defenseless form. It licked her body as if to sample a taste of fresh meat. Unlike Chie before her, Yumi remained conscious and was disgusted and mortified. It was very likely she would be eaten alive by this shadow creature. It was a truly undignified way to die.
"Tsukikiri!" Yu yelled.
"Oh, crap… now what?!" Yosuke cried.
Two more floating tongue monsters manifested from the dark.
"What're you boys doing?! You must flee!" Yumi yelled before enduring enough lick to her face.
The two boys were once again paralyzed with fear as the two monsters raced toward them.
The boy shielded themselves from their impending demise.
However, Yu would hear a familiar ghostly whisper in her head.
"I am thou…"
Yu opened his eyes. He felt the sharp headache from before, but it was less severe.
"Thou art I…"
The voice was clearer than before as well. It was eerie, but it was also encouraging. He felt something inside slowly well up inside.
Meanwhile, Yosuke noticed the shadow creatures had stopped moving again. He checked over to Yumi, who was still bound to the floor. The monster above her also froze as it turned in the direction its comrades were looking.
Their attention was on Yu.
He stood motionless, save for taking a glowing blue card in his hand. The card had what was like the image of the Fool from the tarot.
"What's that…?" Yosuke asked aloud.
Yumi was as equally confused as Yosuke was. She recognized the tarot image of the Fool. The Tarot Cards were used for fortune telling in many countries of the world. It even served as an inspiration for the Raidou's Wild Adventure series according to the Murakumo. But what could it mean for the Fool card to appear here?
"Thou hast opened thine eyes… call forth what is within… the time is now!"
Meanwhile, Yu suddenly understood what this meant. It felt as though he knew this card this entire time. It was like a reunion. Or an awakening to his true self. A feeling of exhilaration washed over Yu as a smile crept on his face. Instinctively, Yu called the name of this new power.
"Per… so… na…!"
The card's light intensified. It radiated the immediate area with a blinding light that made the shadow monsters convulse with terror.
A new towering humanoid entity garbed in a black coat and donning a metallic mask emerged from the light above Yu. It wielded a long sword-like lance in its clawed hand.
Both Yumi and Yosuke were stunned by what they were witnessing.
"Narukami…?" Yosuke uttered.
The monsters all charge forward to Yu and the entity.
Yu wasn't afraid. He knew what to do. It was time to use this new power he seemed to know by instinct. With his Persona, Izanagi, Yu Narukami would protect his new friends.
Guiding his hand forward, Izanagi kicked its bladed boot and stomped on one of the monsters, crushing it to the ground. It exploded in a mass of black goo and disappeared.
"Whoa?!" Yosuke was freaking out. First, it was a transforming Ninja girl, now giants popping out of nowhere. Was he going in insane?
"Such control…" Yumi thought. It was evident that Yu was in control of the entity he summoned. Just who or what was this boy?
Feeling his body becoming warm, Yu slowly unbuttoned his uniform jacket.
While he was distracted, one of the remaining monsters attacked Izanagi by gobbling its face, followed by the other attempting to eat its arm.
"Agh!" Yu groaned as if he felt the blow.
"He's hurt too? Could Narukami-san and that new being be connected somehow?" Yumi wondered. She felt the tendrils around her body getting weaker. She used her strength to pull herself away and the tendrils vanished. The Shinobi was going to help Yu fight the remaining monsters, but she paused.
"Get off me!" Yu yelled. His anger at the assault seemed to energize Izanagi. It pulled the monsters off and threw them away. One landed on the ground and the other was about to rebound and attack again. The entity swiftly stabbed the floating mouth with its lance.
The downed monster wriggled free from the ground to attack the entity once more, but it was impaled by a giant ice shard created and launched by Yumi. Despite her tiredness and the aching of her body, she wasn't going to let these creatures escape her reach. If she could help a little bit, the injuries were worth it.
Seeing an opportunity, Izanagi slammed the two monsters together. Thrusting its hand forward, it awaited its summoner's command to deal the final blow.
With his eyes as steely as a blade, Yu called out, "Izanagi!"
Casting the Zio spell, Izanagi summoned a bolt of lightning down on the monsters to finish them for good. Nothing remained but fading dust.
With its job complete, Izanagi dematerialized into card form to reside in Yu's subconscious. By this point, Yu had finished unbuttoning his jacket, revealing the white dress shirt inside.
With the will to face hardships made manifest, Yu had awakened to his true power, Persona. It now belonged to him.
With the danger passed, Yosuke was the first to speak out.
"What the heck is happening here?! First, you transform!" Yosuke excitedly motioned to Yumi, before turning his attention to Yu, "And then you did that… Persona, was it? That was awesome! Hey, you think I could do those things too?"
Yu wasn't sure how to respond to Yosuke's excitement. Neither was Yumi. She wasn't sure about this Persona ability, but she was certain someone as clumsy as Yosuke wouldn't make a competent Shinobi.
"Uhh…" Chie groaned in her sleep. She was still unconscious, and thankfully, she wasn't hurt in any way.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Chie!" Yosuke and Yu rush over to Chie as she wakes up.
"You okay, Satonaka?" Yu asked.
"Ugh, yeah…" Chie answered before noticing the lack of creepy monsters, "What happened to the monsters?"
"Long gone, thanks to these two!" Yosuke said excitedly.
"Huh? Really?"
"I think he means thanks to Narukami-san. Even with my Secret Ninja Arts, I was practically useless…" Yumi thought forlornly.
"Seriously, though, how'd you do that?" Yosuke asked Yu.
"Well, uh… it's hard to explain." Yu said. He had no idea what he did, to be honest.
"Who the hell cares?! Let's just get outta here before more creepy monsters show up!" Chie urged.
"Y-Yeah. Tsukikiri got hurt, so we should concentrate on finding an exit." Yu said.
"Huh? Yumi got hurt?" Chie looked at the exhausted but still-standing Yumi. "Are you okay? What did those monsters do to you, Yumi?!"
"P-Please calm down… I'm… fine…" Yumi had difficulty breathing. Moments before Chie woke up, Yumi's transformation came undone, and she returned to her regular form. Something about this dimension seemed to be debilitating. Not helping was the backache and sore ankle from the bit.
"I agree that we need to get out of here, but how?" Yosuke asked.
"We should look for that bear thing. Teddie, I think. He might know a way out." Yu suggested.
U-Um… I hate being a bother, but could someone… help me walk?" Yumi asked bashfully. Her leg was still sore. Normally, she could walk on her own with bruises all over her body, but the bite from that monster was particularly painful. Standing was difficult enough.
"I'll do it. I feel kinda responsible for letting you get hurt while I was out cold." Chie said as she allowed Yumi to lean on her.
"Thank you, Chie-san." Yumi reluctantly said. She promised she would protect Chie, so it wounded her pride a bit to be on the receiving end of help from her.
"Don't worry about it. Friends look out for each other." Chie assured.
"Friends…?"
"Oh, did I overstep your boundaries again?" Chie asked worriedly.
"No. It actually brings me some peace of mind." Yumi smiled. She thought she wouldn't need to make friends in Inaba, but maybe having one in Chie wouldn't be bad. She did seem kind of prince-like in her way right now.
It didn't erase the feeling of uselessness for the Good Shinobi. Now she was going to be a burden on her friends due to her injury. All because she made an amateur mistake. If her grandfather saw her like this, he'd definitely be disappointed.
"Y-You know, I could help carry you too if you want…" Yosuke sheepishly suggested, only to be met with a cold glare from Yumi and Chie. "I guess not…"
[-TV Studio-]
The four teens made it back to the TV Studio. Along the way, Yumi's leg started to feel a little better, so she could walk without putting too much strain on her ankle.
They found the mysterious bear, Teddie waiting for them.
"There you are!" Chie yelled. She ran up to and kicked the mysterious bear down. It looked like she was trying to imitate what Yumi did earlier, albeit lackluster. The Good Shinobi could see she had an athletic streak, but she might make a decent Shinobi with enough training.
"Ow! If you're gonna keep kicking me, at least be gentler about it!" Teddie cried in annoyance as he struggled to get up.
"That was for ditching us!" Chie snapped.
"I second that. Leaving us to die wasn't cool!" Yosuke concurred.
"I-I'm bear-y sorry…" Teddie meekly said.
Yu and Yumi weren't mad at Teddie for running off. Survival instincts can kick in when in immediate danger.
Yu calmly helped Teddie up. "You alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks a lot, nice guy." Teddie said, "I'm amazed you guys made it out alive."
"We can talk about that later. Right now, we could really use an exit." Yu motioned to the injured Yumi, "My friend over here got hurt, and we need to get out of here."
"An exit?" Teddie asked.
"Yeah. You seem to know the ins and outs of this place pretty well," said Yosuke.
"That doesn't matter right now! What did you do with the Shadows?" Teddie asked.
"You mean those monsters that attacked us?" Chie asked.
"Yeah, yeah!" Teddie nodded.
"They're no longer a problem. It does pose the question of what those creatures are and why they attacked us. Will you give us an answer, Teddie-san?" Yumi asked.
"O-Okay…" Teddie mumbled with a slight blush. He was so distracted by the Shadows he failed to see how pretty this human girl was. "Shadows are Shadows. They inhabit this world and attack anyone who enters their territory."
"So, these Shadows are hostile by nature?" Yumi thought. It wasn't hard to guess that these creatures behaved like wild animals in a sense. However, while animals live purely on instinct, these abominations seem to be driven by malice. They were evil by nature, and that was all Yumi needed to know about the Shadows.
"And because someone's throwing people in here, the Shadows are getting really riled up!" Teddie said testily.
"What did you just say?" asked a shocked Yumi. Other people came to this dimension? And not of their own accord? And worse, with these Shadow creatures ruling this place?
"Throwing people in? What're you talking about?" Yosuke asked.
"I dunno what's going on here, but I wish they'd think before doing stuff like this! It's a real bother!" Teddie yelled whiles stomping his stubby foot.
"Hey, what's your problem?! What gives you the right to yell at us like that?! We're the ones who got pulled in here and almost got eaten by monsters!" an annoyed Chie snapped at a cowering Teddie. "What ARE you?! What is with this place?! What the heck's going on here?!"
Teddie waddled over to hide behind Yu to avoid Chie's wrath.
"I-I already told you…" Teddie meekly answered, "A-Anyways, you should hurry back…"
"Why do you think we were around wandering here?" Yosuke asked, "We wanna leave too! We just don't know how, dammit!"
"That's why I'm saying I'll let you out!" Teddie yelled back.
"What…?"
Teddie tapped his foot on the ground again and three large red TVs appeared out of a plume of smoke. They were stacked up together.
"TVs?" Yu uttered in shock.
"How did you do that?" Yumi asked.
"Now go on! Scram! As you can see, I'm a very busy bear!" Teddie started shoving the four protesting teens to the TVs and forced them in.
[-Junes: Electronics Department-]
Whatever Teddie did, it worked. The four teens found themselves back in the electronics department of Junes. The loudspeaker announced a bargain sale of side dishes on the first floor. They must have been in that world for quite a while.
"Ow… that hurt!" Chie bemoaned. Was this pain karma for kicking Teddie?
"Ugh… I hate that bear!" Yosuke groaned as he was laid out on the floor. Chie was on top of him.
"Hey, we're back." Yu pointed out.
"Huh?! Then we're alive!" Chie cried in joy.
"I love that bear!" said Yosuke.
The two happily hugged each other in relief, only for Chie to knee Yosuke in the stomach, forcing him to fall back and roll on the floor in agony.
"Don't take advantage of the situation, you big perv!"
"Excuse me…" Yumi spoke up, "I'd hate to interrupt the celebratory mood, but I could use some assistance please…"
The others see that Yumi hadn't completely made it through the wide-screen TV. Her upper body was currently stuck in the screen. She tried pulling herself out but to no avail. The only thing she succeeded in doing was making her breasts sway and dangle. Her classmates could only stare at the amazing sight.
As for her lower body…
[-Other Dimension: TV Studio-]
"Huh? Did she get stuck?" Teddie was currently looking at Yumi's lower half, which was still in the middle TV. He thought pushed all four of them into the TVs. Apparently, the one with icy blue eyes didn't go all the way through. Her shapely butt swayed as she tried to pull herself in.
It would appear that pushing the four of them together through the TVs caused Yumi to accidentally be stuck halfway in the TV.
"Maybe I should have used something bigger." Teddie pondered before shrugging, "Oh well. I'll just push her with all my bear-y might this time! GRIZZLY!"
Teddie charged forward to Yumi's rear and pushed her forward into the TV.
[-Junes: Department Store-]
"Kya!" Yumi felt something collide with her lower body that propelled her forward. She was out of the TV now. Yu moved in to catch her in his arms.
"You okay?" Yu asked. He tried to ignore the immaculate softness pressed against his body.
"Y-Yes… I think Teddie-san might have pushed me harder than I expected." Yumi said bashfully. She realized her body was pressed against him. She quietly stood up, although her ankle was still bothering her.
"Dude, there's a limit to how unfair life can be." Yosuke frowned with envy.
"I'm sorry…?" Yu said.
"Stop complaining, perv." Chie chided.
"Ah!"
"What's wrong, Yumi? Is your leg still bothering you?" Chie asked worriedly.
"No. That poster." Yumi pointed to a poster on a nearby wall. It was a poster of the Enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi. She was a woman with long brown hair tied in a bun. She wore a red kimono.
"I remember seeing that poster back there," Yu said as he remembered seeing the cut-up poster in that world's bizarre room.
"I couldn't tell before without the face, but isn't that Misuzu Hiiragi?" Chie asked.
"Yes. There's no mistake." Yumi said, "Due to her husband's affair with the deceased Ms. Yamano coming to light, she's been all over the news."
Yu noticed a layer of spite when Yumi mentioned Hiiragi's husband.
"Yeah, the whole town's talking about that, too," Chie said with some sympathy for Hiiragi's plight.
"So what? How does she have anything to do with that freaky room?" Yosuke asked.
"Maybe there's a connection between that place and Ms. Yamano's death." Yu thought out loud.
Yumi had the same train of thought. The room might have been where Mayumi Yamano met her end.
"Agh! No more! Don't go there, please! Let's forget this whole thing happened! I don't think my poor heart can take anymore!" Yosuke cried. Suddenly, nature called again and he started jumping around like a fool, "Crap! I still haven't gone to the bathroom!"
"Just go before you urinate yourself, or worse, get an infection." Yumi shooed him away. Yosuke happily obliged and ran off to find the nearest bathroom.
"This whole thing's given me the chills…" Chie said as she felt woozy, "I'm gonna go home and lay down."
Chie wandered off soon after.
Yu would have gone home too, but he was still concerned about Yumi.
"Are you going to be alright?" Yu asked.
"Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine. My ankle isn't bothering me too much. Besides, I've withstood injuries like this before, so I'm tougher than I look."
"Okay. So, the training your grandfather gave you involved that… transformation you did?" Yu asked hesitantly.
"Yes." A blushing Yumi replied. Ninja Transformations entail briefly shading one's clothes and using a Shinobi's innate energy from the scroll and her own to manifest their idealized appearance. In her case, it was Yumi's prized kimono gifted to her by her grandfather.
"My abilities are supposed to be a secret, but now that you and Hanamura-san have seen them, I'll have to share everything with you both. But at a later date in a more private place. I can't let any more people know about me."
"I understand. You did say we can't talk about what we saw. Whatever it is, I'll keep your secret, and I'm sure Hanamura will too." Yu promised. It was doubtful anyone would believe what they experienced in that world.
"Thank you." Yumi smiled, "I'll be on my way now."
"Wait! Do you live nearby? I can walk you home." Yu offered, but Yumi shook her head.
"I've been enough of a burden today. I can't trouble you anymore than I have." Yumi said.
"But you saved us back there. I should do something for you in return." Yu said.
Yumi gave him a sharp glare, "Are you patronizing me? I couldn't do anything against those monsters. I was supposed to protect you and Hanamura-san, but I made a careless blunder and nearly got us all killed… and then you summoned that "Persona" entity and made short work of them… meanwhile, I was useless, and I had to be rescued…"
Yu stood silently while Yumi vented her frustration at him. He wasn't trying to upset her, but it seemed his lack of understanding of others' feelings did.
Yumi took a moment to calm down after realizing what she just said.
"I'm sorry. I am thankful that you saved me and Hanamura-san, and I do appreciate your offer to see me home. I just rather you didn't take pity on me." Yumi knew she was being stubborn, but she was a prideful person at heart. If she couldn't be at her best, then what good was her training? How could she rid the world of evil, let alone solve a murder case on her own?
As she was lost in her own thoughts, she noticed Yu talking into his cell phone.
"Okay, thanks. Sorry for springing this on you. I wasn't sure what to do… Alright, I'll see you then. Bye."
Soon after, the silver-haired boy closed his cell phone and put it in his pocket.
"Who did you just call?" Yumi asked.
"My uncle, Dojima-san." Yu answered, "He's my guardian while I'm living in Inaba. I told him about your ankle and asked him to drive us to your place."
"I-I see…" Yumi grimaced.
"Sorry. You said you didn't want to be pitied, but I couldn't help worrying."
"No. It just goes to show how kind you are." Yumi said, "But are you sure he wouldn't mind driving me home?"
"He's a police detective, so part of his job is to see someone home safely. I'm sure he won't mind."
Yumi was surprised to hear that. So Yu's uncle was a police detective? Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all. She might be able to get information about the case. To talk with Dojima, she decided to comply with Yu's generous offer.
[-Outside of Junes-]
Yu and Yumi stood outside Junes. Dojima was set to arrive in a few minutes, so he instructed Yu to wait outside the store with Yumi.
It was pouring heavy rain. Luckily, her home wasn't too far from Junes, but Yumi felt like it would have been a long walk there in this weather. To make matters worse, she couldn't buy a TV for her research on the Midnight Channel. Today was definitely the worst one ever.
Just as Yumi dreaded walking in the rain with a sore ankle, a white car drove up to the sidewalk.
A familiar man stepped out with an umbrella open. To Yu, it was his uncle and current guardian, Ryotaro Dojima. To Yumi, it was the detective at the murder scene the other day. Fate had a strange way of showing itself in Inaba. Or was it a contrived coincidence?
"There you are, Yu," Dojima said as he paired the pair. He turned to Yumi with concern in his eyes, "Are you Yumi Tsukikiri?"
"Yes, sir. I apologize for the inconvenience." Yumi said as she bowed her head to the detective.
Dojima was a bit taken aback by this but remained calm. He had a strange feeling he's seen her before.
"There's no need for that. It's my job to make sure you kids are safe." Dojima assured, "So, how did you hurt your ankle?"
Yu quickly realized he hadn't thought of a cover story for Yumi's injury. Thankfully, Yumi was a step ahead of him.
"I tripped and fell down the stairs. Luckily, it wasn't a serious fall, and I only walked out of it with a sore ankle." Yumi explained. Honestly, that Shadow monster's bite almost broke it, but her Shinobi toughened her body, bones included, so the soreness was bearable.
"Hmm… maybe have a doctor look at it just in case," Dojima suggested.
"That won't be necessary." Yumi politely insisted.
"Alright…" Dojima sighed, "Then tell me where you live, and I'll drive you there. As soon as you're home, be sure to treat your leg immediately. It's not looking so good."
Indeed, Yumi's ankle started to swell due to the pressure she was putting on it.
"Understood." Yumi nodded.
The three climb into Dojima's car. Nanako was in the passenger's suit like before. He brought her along because he was worried for her safety with a killer on the loose. Yu and Yumi sat in the back. After he was informed that Yumi lived at the Takane Apartments, Dojima drove off.
It was silent for most of the drive.
While Yu was staring out the window, Yumi noticed she was being watched. She turned and found Nanako curiously glancing at her. The little girl nervously turned away.
"So, just a quick question for you guys…" Dojima spoke up as he drove, "Do either of you know anything about Saki Konishi?"
"Yeah. I met her the other day at Junes."
"As did I. It's also rumored she discovered the body of Mayumi Yamano," Yumi answered.
"Yeah, it's true." Dojima frowned. Of course, they'd know by now.
"Did something happen?" Yu asked.
"We got a call from her family. They said she disappeared. We're searching for her, but she hasn't been found yet." Dojima explained, to the pair's surprise.
Yumi was especially worried about the implication. It was unlikely she would voluntarily go out in this weather or late in the afternoon. If something happened while she and the others were in that other world…
"Work keeps piling up…" groaned Dojima.
"Um, speaking of work…" Yumi spoke, "Has there been any progress on the case with Ms. Yamano's death?"
"That's a strange question to ask." a skeptical Dojima said.
"Just out of curiosity," Yumi said.
Yu thought it was bold of her to ask a police officer about the murder.
"I can't say much. Only that we still can't determine the cause of death or ID a suspect. We're working around the clock as is. Is that satisfactory for you?"
"Yes. Thank you for indulging my selfish question."
"Hmm…" Dojima seemed suspicious, but he let it die down. They were nearing Takane Apartments.
Once there, Dojima stopped the car at the gate, allowing Yumi to exit.
"Thank you very much for the ride, Dojima-san. I'll repay you for this one day." Yumi said. She had her umbrella open over her head.
"Don't worry about it. As I said before, it's my job. Anyway, you take care." Dojima said.
"I will." Yumi nodded to Dojima before turning to Yu, "My gratitude also extends to you, Narukami-san."
"I'm happy to help. See you at school tomorrow." Yu said.
Soon after, Yumi left for her apartment. Dojima waited to see Yumi enter her apartment room. He had concerns about a miner living alone, but he also knew this apartment was secure enough, so she should be safe.
Once Yumi was inside, Dojima drove off, intent on returning to their home.
The drive home was silent once again. That is until Nanako spoke up.
"Was she her girlfriend?" Nanako innocently asked.
"Uh… no. She's just a classmate." Yu answered.
"Oh," Nanako said.
"Nanako, it's rude to ask questions like that." Dojima lightly chided.
"I'm sorry," Nanako said timidly.
"Still, I wonder… what is your relation with that girl?" Dojima asked Yu, "I think I've seen somewhere before."
"I think it was at the train station," Yu said.
"Oh yeah. She was the girl you were with when you arrived in town. Did she ride the same train as you?"
"Yeah. We were in the same car and talked for a bit."
"She seemed nice. And healthy…" Dojima mentioned hesitantly.
Yu wasn't surprised his uncle noticed that right away. Practically everyone Yumi meets notices how stacked up top she was. But there was a lot more to her than just the size of her breasts. Her Shinobi Transformation in the other world was the tip of the iceberg, no pun intended. To think, she was an actual Shinobi. Though, what she could do was considerably different compared to the likes of Naruto, or the Dead or Alive video game series. He did promise to wait until she was willing to explain her powers and identity, though.
Under normal circumstances, no one would believe Yumi was a ninja, nor would they believe anything about entering the world inside the TV or his mystifying ability to summon an incredible power like Persona. If only he knew how he got his set of mysterious powers.
"Hey!" Dojima called out to Yu.
"Y-Yes?"
"I don't know if she's your type, but don't go too far ahead, okay? Relationships can be a delicate matter." Dojima advised.
"I understand…" Yu replied. This was the second time someone brought up relationships with him. He wasn't looking to pursue a relationship with Yumi. She didn't seem interested in dating anyway.
"Dad, what do you mean going too far ahead?" Nanako asked.
"It's nothing you need to worry about. Ever!" Dojima answered. He dreaded the day he might have to give her "the talk".
"By the way, before we went out, the weather report said the rain would begin to subside, but there's going be heavy fog through the area. They'll be implementing a heavy fog warning from now on. I want both of you to be careful while on the road, understand?"
"Understood." Yu nodded. He noticed Dojima's hands tighten on the stirring wheel. The man seemed tense. It was probably best not to ask questions.
Finally, the Dojima family and their ward arrive home.
[-Meanwhile: Yumi's Apartment-]
Yumi was alone in the bath. She was in there washing her body for a few minutes, but it felt like her skin was still dirty from the licking those Shadows did.
Before she bathed, Yumi applied a healing ointment to her ankle and back. It worked almost instantly. This ointment was made from an herb that was said to grow in the mountainous regions of Japan.
While her physical wounds healed, Yumi's wounded pride had no such luck. She was fully confident in her Shinobi abilities. She could take on evildoers, protect the innocent, and make the world a better, purer place when her training was complete. But she couldn't defeat monsters without help from a civilian boy. No, she couldn't do anything against those monsters at all. At best, she was stalling for the inevitable.
It was frustrating, being useless in a life-or-death struggle. How could Yumi rid the world of Evil if she was this weak?
Worse still, Yu and Yosuke now knew of her true identity and bore witness to her shameful defeat and its aftermath.
Though, the day wasn't a complete loss. The discovery of that TV world and its possible connection to the murder of Mayumi Yamano was something to go on. She definitely died there, and it was because of the monsters known as Shadows. How she got there was the mysterious part. She certainly didn't find her way to that world on her own. Teddie mentioned someone was throwing people into that world. Why would they do that? Most likely because they were Evil. And she would catch this villain, no matter what.
Today, she couldn't buy a TV due to circumstances, but next time would hopefully be successful. The prices on those TVs were more expensive than she thought, even for the cheaper models. She might have to go to work at the Amagi Inn sooner rather than later.
Deciding she had enough bath water, Yumi exited her bathroom, dried off, and went to bed.
[-April 15, 2011: Early Morning: Dojima Residence-]
After a good night's sleep, Yu felt better and was ready for school. When they got home yesterday, Yu felt a little under the weather. Dojima and Nanako gave him some medicine, and he went to bed afterward.
As Yu was coming down, Dojima left the house in a hurry. Nanako informed Yu that her father received an urgent call from work. Soon after, he and Nanako left the house for their respective schools.
It was still raining, so Yu took his umbrella with him.
Along the way of the Samegawa River, he overheard some gossipers talking about police cars driving by. More police sirens could be heard in the distance. He thought it might have been another incident.
In any case, he should hurry to school.
Along the way, he met up with Yosuke, who wasn't riding his bike today.
"Y-Yo, Narukami…" Yosuke said. He didn't seem like his energetic self today either. He seemed distracted by something.
"Morning." Yu replied, "Is everything alright?"
"W-Well, um… last night I…" Yosuke paused and shook his head, "It's nothing. I'll tell you about it later."
"Alright." Yu nodded.
The two continued on their way to school.
[-Yasogami High Front Gate-]
Yumi approached the front gate of Yasogami High. She couldn't stop thinking about yesterday. The Gessen Shinobi resolved to solve the case and catch the murderer. And the first step was to solve the mystery of Ms. Yamano's death and its possible connection to the TV World. Therefore, she may have to rely on Yu's help once again to investigate. She didn't want to involve Yu any more than he already was, but his power to enter the TV and summon that Persona entity were valuable assets that couldn't be ignored. Reluctantly, Yumi would have to talk to Yu about investigating that world today. If only she knew how to do that.
"Hey, Yumi!" a familiar voice called.
Yumi turned around and saw Chie and Yukiko approaching her.
"Chie-san, Amagi-san, good morning." Yumi greeted them.
"Good morning!" greeted Chie.
"Good morning." Yukiko greeted as well, "Chie, when did you get so close to Tsukikiri-san?"
"Yesterday, when we went window shopping for TVs. Oh, that reminds me, Yumi!" Chie frantically checked Yumi's body over, "Are you okay after yesterday? Your ankle isn't still bothering you, is it?"
"No, I'm fine now. After applying some ointment, it's feeling much better." Yumi assured.
"Oh, that's a relief." Chie gratefully sighed. That must have been some good ointment. Yumi looked good as new.
"Tsukikiri-san, you got hurt?" a concerned Yukiko asked.
"Yes, but it's nothing to fret over." Yumi answered, "Also, please call me Yumi from now on."
"Huh? Are you sure?" asked Yukiko.
"Yeah, she doesn't mind being informal," Chie assured.
"Okay then, Yumi." Yukiko said, "So, how did you get hurt?"
"That might be difficult to explain," Yumi answered.
"Yeah. Let's just say we went through hell." Chie groaned, to Yukiko's surprise.
"What happened?"
Yumi was worried Chie would tell Yukiko about the TV World and its insidious inhabitants.
"I'll tell you about it later. There's a chance you won't believe it." Chie said. This brought some relief for Yumi. Then again, Chie was unconscious for most of the encounter with the Shadows, so perhaps there was nothing to worry about.
As the girls approached the school gate, a gravelly voice called out, "Hey, aren't you Yuki?"
Yumi, Chie, and Yukiko turn to see an unfamiliar boy standing by the gate.
His uniform was different from those worn by Yasogami High's male students. He had messy black hair, big pitch-black eyes, a beauty mark under his left eye, and pronounced lips. Needless to say, he wasn't pleasant to look at. It didn't help that he was standing drenched in the rain.
Yumi immediately recognized him as the boy leering at Yukiko the other day.
"You've kept me waiting all morning, Yuki." the boy said.
He approached Yukiko stiffly.
"H-Huh? Who are you?" Yukiko nervously asked.
"Hey, why don't you and I hang out somewhere?" the boy asked. He was wearing an inviting smile, but it only added to his uncanniness.
"Back off! You're being a freak!" Chie said defensively.
"I agree. If you were planning to talk to Yukiko-san, the least you could do is make yourself presentable." Yumi said.
The boy paid them no mind and focused on Yukiko. Although, he was intimidated by Yumi.
"C'mon, Yuki! Let's go." the boy persisted.
Meanwhile, other students were passing by the scene at the gate. Most of them mocked the boy for his asinine attempts at asking Yukiko out. Apparently, he wasn't aware of the Amagi Challenge.
"Well, are you coming or not?!" the boy asked impatiently to Yukiko.
"I-I'm not going!" Yukiko finally answered.
The boy's eye twitched as he angrily growled.
"Fine! Screw you, stupid bitch!" the boy yelled and stormed off.
"Jeez, talk about over the top!" an annoyed Chie said.
"Indeed." Yumi concurred. Normally, males take the hint fairly fast when rejected. But that boy's reaction was troubling. He was clearly more unstable than she realized.
She turned to Yukiko and asked, "Are you alright, Yukiko-san?"
"What just… What did that guy want from me?" Yukiko wondered.
"What did he want? He obviously wanted a date." Chie said.
"Huh? Are you sure?" asked a confused Yukiko.
"You had no clue?" Chie asked perplexedly.
"I can't tell if she's being genuine or feigning ignorance. In any case, I'd say rejecting that boy was the right call." Yumi said.
"Yeah, calling her 'Yuki' all of a sudden didn't make him appealing at all!" Chie said.
Still confused, Yukiko turned to Yumi and asked, "Hold on, was that the boy you warned me about yesterday, Yumi?"
"Yes, I believe so. This is the second time he's been at our gate, and now he was bold enough to ask you out," answered Yumi.
"You noticed him before we did? Are you a ninja or something?" Chie asked excitedly.
"I-I just have good eyesight." Yumi sputtered.
"Snrk…"
Yumi and Chie heard a strange sound coming from Yukiko. However, she had the same expression as before.
"Hm? Is something wrong?" Yukiko asked.
"Nothing," Chie answered blankly.
Moments later, Yu and Yosuke appear on the scene. They saw what transpired as they were walking up to the gate. After the five students greet each other, they go to their homeroom classroom and continue discussing the incident with the boy.
As the girls sat at their desks, the boys stood beside them.
"Man, that poor love lorn fool! Didn't he know how difficult the Amagi Challenge is?" Yosuke joked. He spoke from experience of failing said challenge.
"The Amagi Challenge?" Yu asked.
"A dumb game the guys here made up about asking Yukiko out. Whoever successfully woos her wins the honor of being her boyfriend or whatever." Chie stated in annoyance.
"What an appalling game." Yumi reproached.
Chie smirked mischievously, "But isn't it funny that she's never had a boyfriend before?"
This piqued the boys' curiosity, to Yukiko's distress.
"W-Wait a minute, Chie! It's not true that I've never had a boyfriend! Er, no… what I mean is I don't need a boyfriend." Yukiko said.
"I can sympathize. Getting catcalls from random strangers can be exhausting." Yumi said, to Yukiko's appreciation.
"With a body like yours, I'm not surprised, Yumi." Chie teased, which earned her a stern stare from the busty transfer student.
"Hey, I'm not a stranger. You've known me since last year." Yosuke said with some hope of recognition as boyfriend material.
"I think of you more like a classmate I sometimes interact with," Yukiko replied nonchalantly.
"Ugh… of course you do." Yosuke sighed. He reluctantly turned to Yumi, "Tsukikiri-san… I don't suppose you'd…"
"Not interested." Yumi bluntly replied.
The bleak boy slumped in defeat. He perked up not a moment later, "Well, that's okay! I have my sights set on another girl."
"Let me guess, it's Saki-senpai," said Yu.
"Yep! Though, I don't know, man. Ever since yesterday, she's been blowing off every text I send her." a frustrated Yosuke said as he checked his phone.
Yumi tensed at hearing Saki's name. Earlier this morning, she stopped at Konishi Liquors in the Shopping District. She eavesdropped on Saki's family, and they seemed worried about her absence. The busty student held on to hope that nothing happened. But then again, the police were mobilizing in earnest since this morning. That wasn't a good sign at all.
She could have quickly searched for any disturbances in Inaba early this morning, but Yumi didn't want to strain her leg in case her ankle injury acted up. And she wasn't sure she could navigate through such a dense fog.
Lastly, as grim as it was to think about, Yumi's theory about the Midnight Channel needed to be proven to proceed further. All she could was wait.
Lyall the Werewolf: That ends chapter 05. Next time, we're going to see an even bigger battle.
Until then, please be patient.
Later!
