A/N: This took a bit longer than I expected. But hey, we got the beginning of the P4DAN arc at last. I made some adjustments to some of the recording segments. If you're unaware, when you beat P4DAN you get a bonus scene of the gang being gathered that's meant to prelude and set up the events. But for this fic, I figured I'd open up with them. I'm already not a big fan of too many flashbacks, so I don't wanna use them too much. With that said, let's get right into this!

An actual writing note for this chapter onward, but English will be spoken here, and I mean actual English since the cast you know, speaks Japanese. Whenever English is spoken aloud, it will be Underlined like this. So just a note to keep in mind. I'll bring it up again later when this happens again, but not every chapter so do keep this in mind.

Chapter 18

08/04

The rain showed no signs of letting up. Almost like it was back to last year's events. And according to the forecast, it was finally going to ease up today. The rain made it hard for them to leave on their initial planned date, but Rise was willing to adjust. Good thing for the rest of the Investigation team that they could make time for this sudden trip. All of them had entered Inoue's black car, the Leader naturally calling Shotgun at the passenger's front seat. The rest were together in the back. Rise didn't mind as this gave her an excuse to be near Masato again, he himself being seated on the passenger's side of the car, behind Souji. Although with all the people she couldn't be as forward as usual. Still, the trip to Inaba was entertaining as the clouds bringing down the rain were now out of sight, the sun's shining rays now beaming all of the land. It didn't take long before they reached Inaba. At least… once they got out of Tokyo. The weather really slowed down their departure. Normally they would have suggested a train, but if things go well, Inoue could head straight to Okina in the evening to work on setting everything up for the local Inaba Residents.

Speaking of, they all were gathered at the Food Court of Junes, the sun's harsh heat a stark contrast to the damp rain pouring down on the big city hours away from their location. All the Local residents were asked by a certain someone to be here at this specific time… and yet there was no sign of said person. What gives? Were they late?

"Gaaaah… it's sooo hot…" The normally fired up Kung fu fighter whined. "Summer Vacation's halfway done, and it's boiling outside! What's going on here? It wasn't this bad before!"

"I can't even wear my Teddie fur out here. I'd melt inside and become a Shadow of my former self…" The Blonde boy mumbled in slight agony.

"...It was nice weather only when Souji-kun was here, huh? It's like someone is doing it on purpose." Yukiko tried to deduce, but unfortunately for them, the obvious answer went over their heads. Perhaps someone of divine status was at work here? Too bad they can't seem to recall that.

"Well, we're just gonna have to deal with it…" Yosuke shrugged, his tone sounding weary. "So, does anyone have any idea what's going on? All that stuff about Rise's 'important' business…? I thought her big comeback was gonna keep her busy, but she's coming all the way back here just to tell ya something? And not only her, but apparently Souji, Masato, and Naoto are dropping by, too."

"Yeah, I dunno what her deal is." Kanji added in. "She called my house outta the blue yesterday…"

"Ah, come on. Just let it slide. We don't always get to have reunions like this, so let's be waiting here with a smile for'em, okay?" Chie tried to put an end to those pointless inquiries.

"It does seem like we've been getting to meet up more often lately, but I really do look forward to their visits." Yukiko spotted in the distance a set of people she not anyone could ever forget. "Oh, they're here!"

Sure enough, those recognizable figures spot them and quickly approach the bigger group, the lone Idol being the first to reach them.

"Hey, sorry we're late! You would not believe the traffic on the way here!"

"Yo, Rise-chan! It's only been a week, yet it still feels like you've been gone for months!"

"Ahaha, what's that supposed to mean, Chie-senpai? You all miss me that bad? Ah, it's still the same Junes, and you're still the same people." The long dog days of summer make even a half a week feel like a month!

"It certainly has been a short while. Have you all been well?" Naoto was now behind her fellow second year.

"Naoto-kun!"

"Huh? Hey, did you get a little taller?" Kanji remarked, causing Naoto's eyes to dilate in surprise.

"Huh? Y-You think so? I can't tell, myself."

"So… where are the guys?"

"Oh, Senpai and Masato-kun are…"

Now the last three would arrive at the Investigation team's spot. Rise's manager would be the first to speak up.

"Ah, there they are. Hello, everyone!"

"Long time no see." The leader greets his old friends.

"Sensei! Woo-hoo! It's Sensei in 3D!"

"Yo, partner!

"It's good to see you all again."

"Hey, Senpai, you've been okay? The Weather channel's been makin' a big deal about how it's been rainin' apes and gorillas in the city!"

"Yeah, the phrase is 'cats and dogs', Kanji… The only 'gorilla' here is the one that almost put me in a headlock." Yosuke shook his head at Kanji's thought process.

"Masato-kun! It's good to see you." Only Yukiko would offer a serious greeting toward the Impostor.

"Ah, hello Yukiko-san. It's good to see you all again." With a formal bow, Yukiko returns the gesture before focusing on the lone adult.

"So… I guess you're Rise-chan's manager?"

"Oh, let me introduce you. This is my manager, Inoue-san."

"I'm Minoru Inoue. It's nice to meet you–I've heard all about you from Rise-chan."

"Yeah, man–uhh. I mean, yes sir. It's nice to meet you." Kanji realized his mannerisms were not fit for a formal figure such as her Manager.

"It's nice to meet you." Yukiko also strained herself to keep some formalities going, even though she was far from home here.

"Oh, that's right. I brought you all some drinks. Here, please take them. Sorry about having you carry them, Masato-kun."

"It's no problem, sir. I'm glad to help." Masato shook his head as he left the drinks he was carrying in a pair of plastic bags onto the white table.

"Woooo! Cold Drinks! I call the Orange juice!" Teddie was ready to pounce on his beverage of choice before Kanji got a grip on his collar.

"Hey, Ted! Whaddya doin', grabbing a drink before our Senpais!?" Everyone who was waiting now started to all gather around the bags to help themselves to a drink, small talk drowning out one another. It wasn't long ago that they were here gathered for a week to enjoy themselves, but all their plans were shelved once Sho Minazuki appeared before them. And while he was still somewhere scheming up his next plan, everyone here was simply living in the moment.

With a drink in hand, Chie turned to Rise to bring up a particular question.

"By the way, Rise-chan… What's all this 'important business' you were talking about? I mean, you came all the way here to tell us about it, right?"

"Mhm, well…" Rise's tone got a touch shaky as her eyes looked a bit weak in focus compared to her more bright gaze. "I actually have a favor to ask of everyone."

"A favor? What is it?"

"Ohh ho ho ho, I get it now!" Teddie interjects with a quip. "Rise-chan's here to scout me as a brand new idol, huh? But I already have an exclusivity deal with June's. Me, an Idol… I don't know if I could bear the pressure."

"Uh, no." Chie quickly shut that down.

"Dude, you're just a part-timer anyway." Yosuke shook his head with a groan; but Inoue was just laughing to himself about Teddie's comment.

"Well… maybe not the idol part, but he's not completely off track."

"Inoue-san! I told you I wanted to say it…!" Rise whined with a pout across her face.

"Haha, sorry, just trying to help! You seemed like you were at a loss for words."

"Wh-whoa, hold on! I-I'm not sure I get it. Can you explain what's going on!?" Yosuke sounded like he had a hunch as to what was going on, but he wanted to be certain before reacting accordingly.

"W-Well…" Now is as good of a time as any for Rise to state her request.

"Rise wants us to help her stage her comeback. And she wants us to be her backup dancers." Souji just said it straight out for her. And the whole team focused on the same words. "Backup dancers." Although it took Chie a little longer for her to fully grasp this concept.

"That's right. I'm scheduled to star in this Love Meets Bonds festival coming up… And I told my agency that if I'm going to appear in it, I want you guys onstage with me! They okayed it, so… Here I am. Soooooo….

Please, everyone… I want you to dance with me onstage at the Love Meets Bonds Fest next month!" Rise confessed her request to everyone who wasn't already on board, and they all sounded surprised to hear such an usual request.

"Wha-Whoa whoa whoa! Next month!? On stage with an Idol!? That's an impossible deadline! I mean, I don't even know where to start!" It seems Yosuke already had a clue as to how difficult the idol world can be. "Look, if we could somehow become expert dancers in a month, then everyone in school would be professionals!"

"Yeah! Dancing with everyone sounds like a lot of fun. I'd like to try." Yukiko was beaming at the idea.

"Wha–!?"

"After all, Rise-chan personally asked us. Plus, we learned how to dance during PE at school, right?"

"Oh yeah, we did. Like this, and this and one of these… Hwataa! Right?" Chie imitated moves she could recall. The accuracy of these things were open to debate.

"Pretty sure we never did that…" Kanji rolls his eyes in doubt. "You guys already knew this, huh? So… you're okay with it?"

"Rise was in trouble after all." Souji sounded sold compared to yesterday. It seems Rise got through to him.

"Yeesh. That right there is real generosity." Yosuke assumed Souji just went right along with it. If only he knew.

"Then I don't got a reason to say no either! I'm in!" Kanji was sold on the idea

"Sounds like fun! I know all about that stuff!" Teddie proceeds to rap some lyrics… completely off the mark leading to everyone's urges to flinch from how cringeworthy it was. Stick to bear puns, Teddie.

"Are you serious? That's not even close to dancing! No one's even trying to back out of this one, huh?"

"To be honest, I expected this reaction." Naoto spoke up. "I was surprised as well when I heard about her plans, but I imagined this is how it would turn out." It seems Naoto felt the team rallying behind Rise was inevitable. And she had good reason to believe that.

"Appearing in this thing's fine and all, but do we even have the time to practice?" Kanji raised a good question. On top of the time limit, there was also the issue of their lives being a thing. While they had all of August, most of them had jobs and other business they have to attend to every day. Soon school will restart as well. "Senpai, Masato, and Naoto ain't around here for long, and we don't know what the hell we're supposed to do."

"Oh, that's right, huh? We'll have classes soon, so it's not like we can just visit your studio every day…" Chie also raised a valid point.

"True… and I'll be pretty busy helping out at home as well." Yukiko sounded demotivated from these facts.

"You don't need to worry about that. Let's see… Hold on just a moment." Inoue opened his briefcase and pulled out a set of DVD cases. "Here… These DVDs have all the steps you'll need for the routine we're using at LMB. Rise-chan did she'll be coming here to practice with you whenever her schedule allows. These come with commentary by a famous instructor, so it should be all you need to practice on your own. Oh and you're really going to be dancing, I'll have a talk with your guardians. There's going to be a lot of cameras, and I'll need their permission before I can put you guys on TV."

"Yikes! We're gonna be on TV?" Chie's body was stiffening up from the stage fright.

"Wow…! Finally, Teddie's grand debut in living rooms across the nation!"

"TV, huh…? That I didn't know." Souji was also genuinely surprised by this.

"You didn't know? Rise told me the other day." Masato was surprised Souji didn't deduce that. Naoto didn't seem surprised by this

"Don't you have to find out all the details before you just sign off on this kind of stuff?"

"Then that's that! I'm so happy-thank you all so much, everyone! Are you okay too, Yosuke-senpai?" Rise smiled with genuine enthusiasm. She expected this would be a lot harder, but that was merely anxiety and overthinking at work.

Yosuke sighs, giving in. "Well, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance… And saying no isn't really gonna do much at this point…" Yosuke gives his own trademark wink, finally buying into this stock. "Okay, fine. Let's do this!"

"Rise-chan herself will be teaching us. I'm sure we'll manage." Yukiko sounds so excited, their issues now cleared up.

"Yeah, let's do our best." Souji spoke with a cool tone to fire up his team.

"We got the time and the drive. We can absolutely make this work." Masato nods, the energy of the entire team rubbing off on him.

It's all settled. Everyone here will be participating at the Love meets Bonds Festival in Mid-September. They'll have most of August and early September to master their routines, decide on stage outfits, and build a special camaraderie that can only be found on the stage.

"Now that it's been decided, time to get hyped! Don't blame me if my slick moves leave you in awe!"

"Oh, no, that's impossible." Yukiko quickly shut him down.

"Wait, you can dance!?" Her own boyfriend can dance? Chie found that hard to believe.

"Hey, don't act like that! I'm trying to hype myself up here. And of course I know how to dance!"

"Haha, that's good to hear, then. Well, I'd better start recording then." Inside the case, there's something else he pulls out… a professional grade, albeit smaller sized video camera.

"Recordin'…? Is that a camera?"

"Well, I mean since it's decided that you are going to perform. I thought it would be interesting if we recorded the practice sessions for Documentary material. Reality TV is a big trend these days. It might be good publicity for Rise-chan's comeback. Something like 'The Road to Rise Kujikawa's Comeback!' At least, something along those lines."

"Plus!" Rise giggles before adding on. "I thought that might be an important thing to have when we're practicing for the show!"

"What, the camera?" Chie cocked her head, eyes focused on it and then the Idol.

"Well, that too, but something more important. I'm gonna be honest with you. Dance practice is way harder than you may think. Rhythm in dance needs a lot of movement you just don't do in everyday life. So, bringing you guys up to on-stage quality, getting that muscle memory down with a little over a month's worth of time…? Honestly, it's gonna be hard; even for me.

"R-Rise-chan, that's unnecessarily ominous." Naoto comments to which Rise merely shakes her head.

"Sorry, but it's the truth. So, if we can put our feelings right now into words, and share it with everyone when we're feeling down… We can remember that feeling when we need it most, help each other back up, and get on the right track again."

"I see… So it's a way of connecting all our feelings." Souji nods. "Alright, let's do it."

"Exactly! So let's all go around the horn, and we'll all declare our resolutions for the camera, okay? Now… who will go first? Hmmm… I guess I'll pick! First, let's set up a good spot!"

Everyone would take a seat underneath the shaded tables; however, they all sat on the same side on opposite tables so they all would be in view of the camera and the movement of it would be kept to a minimum. With Yosuke's approval, the tables would be slightly angled so everyone could see one the other side a bit easier. It was very subtle, and there was enough space in the center to leave but now everyone was set in the order of left to right: Souji, Yukiko, Chie, Yosuke, Rise, Masato, Kanji, Naoto, & Teddie. Although Rise was not picking them in that order.

"First up… Souji-senpai!"

Kanji whistles sharply and quickly. "Go, Leader! Show us what you're made of, Senpai!"

"Sensei, we've been waiting for you! Eeeee! Sign my bear chest!"

"It's not often I see Souji-kun talk in front of others like this. It's kind of refreshing to see this kind of situation." Yukiko comments, realizing he's never all that talkative. Sure it's a little different around her but this is more of a different situation.

"Whenever you're ready, Souji-kun. The camera's rolling."

Souji dispensed with his tense nerves. His courage wasn't failing him here.

"Hello, I'm Souji Seta. I spent last year here, in the town of Inaba. My parents had to work overseas, so I came here to stay with my Uncle Dojima."

"Huh? Wait, does Dojima-san even know that Souji-kun is here?" Chie quickly interjects. "Won't he be surprised?"

"I already called him. I didn't mention our meetup, but he said you all should stop by when we're ready."

"Man, it's hard to believe it's only been a year since you came to Yasogami." Yosuke now speaks up with his reflective thoughts. "When I heard a new guy was transferring in from the city, I felt like I'd finally have someone to talk to."

"Yasogami? Oh, that's your high school, right?" There's no way Inoue didn't know that already. He must be asking this so the audience who will watch this one day won't be confused by the name.

"Yeah, Yasogami High School. Just Yasogami, or Yaso High for short." Rise quickly elaborates as if ready to explain this to the audience given her intentful staring towards the camera and knowledgeable tone.

"But you were only here for a year. After that, you went back home to the city." Yukiko adds on about Souji's short stay.

"Yeah. That was the plan from the beginning."

"After all that crap last year, Naoto went back to the city for her work stuff… and thanks to Rise's comeback, she ended ditchin' this place too. Since then, big vacations are the only chance any of us really get to hang out." Kanji sounded wistful.

"Well, we all have our own professional and academic duties to attend to." Naoto merely shook her head, as she was never one to shirk away from her responsibilities.

"Yeah, Naoto-kun and I have our jobs. And I'm not gonna get a break unless I specifically ask for one.

"But I've never forgotten about everyone here. Friends separated by distance are still friends. Our hearts are one." Souji spoke from the heart… and with another cliche. Where does he pick these up?

"Waaaaah! Sensei…! I'm… I'm so lonely without you! I'm drowning in my own tears!"

"I see… hearts, huh? Yeah, that's good. Great stuff, guys." Inoue commented, realizing these guys just captured the themes of the Festival in spades. And it definitely wasn't acted out.

"A lot happened when I was here. And… after that, too."

"No kidding. 2011 was a hectic time in Inaba. And even now, there's still a lot of changes coming into effect." Masato tried to not directly press the matter of the murders, as that would take away from this little talk amongst the group, but the emphasis on how much has happened here remained. "But we've all come out of it stronger, yeah?"

"Yeah. Even in dancing, we won't be beaten. So let's all do our best!"

"Yeah! That's my Senpai!" Rise cheered. "I don't know what being 'beaten' in dancing is supposed to mean, but I can really feel your energy!"

"We'll be relying on you as always, leader. We'll support you to the end." Naoto spoke with a calm devotion to the group's new cause.

"You haven't changed a bit, Senpai! All it takes is a couple words, and you bring everyone together… you're so cool, Senpai!"

"Haha, very nice, Souji-kun. Thank you." Looks like Homare was right on his public speaking potential.

The focus then shifts to Yosuke, and then Chie, and next…

"Um, then… how about Yukiko-senpai!"

"Okay, I got this!" Yukiko stands up and walks up to the center to speak before the camera. "...I'm Yukiko Amagi. I'll do my best not to get in Rise-chan's way." Is she that confident in her looks stealing the show?

Teddie lets out a cat calling whistle. "Yeah, Yuki-chan. Graceful, elegant, beautiful! A real idol of femininity! Her house is a famous traditional inn, y'know!"

"Well, if Yukiko tells everyone she's gonna be on TV, all the guys at school are gonna be glued to their seats." Yosuke comments, still aware of the guys not giving up the chase for Yukiko now that Souji is in Tokyo most of the time.

"...I see. I suppose that being on TV naturally means… we'll be seen by people we know." Naoto just realized this now.

"We'd better train our asses off, or we're gonna get laughed outta school…" Kanji remarks.

"Hey, if we're going to enter, it's better than not being noticed, right? And it's not like the Midnight Channel, where everyone ends up seeing the parts of us we hate most." Chie brings up that point in front of everyone, Inoue looking puzzled about that program he obviously would know nothing about.

"That'd be pretty rough."

"Could we… avoid that subject? We'd only be rubbing salt on our wounds…" Naoto politely requests a change of topics.

"W-Well, we gotta stop getting distracted! After all, this is supposed to be about Yukiko-senpai!" Rise enters with a much needed save. "So, Yukiko-senpai, do you have any experience dancing? You look like you'd be good at the traditional Japanese ones."

"Yuki-chan is pretty good with hand fans… Oh! But maybe that means she's already got that Friday night fever!" Teddie was making a nod to something he learned about music from the past. How some women in Japanese Discos used fans as a prop for their dance moves.

"What is this, the seventies? Teddie, have you been here long enough that you can even make a dated reference?" Yosuke groaned, being fully aware of Teddie's search history.

"I've performed Japanese dance before, but it's very different from the dancing you're talking about." Yukiko had an understanding of what they were referring to but that's all. "In that sense, I don't have much experience with dancing. Oh, but I am interested, though! …Oh, this is completely unrelated, but I've also been studying cooking!"

"C-Cooking? Really-Do we really gotta talk about that now?" Kanji swallowed in fear. And so did Teddie along with the rest of the guys.

"O-Oh… Ah, yes… Yuki-chan's cooking, eheh…."

"Oh; interesting." Does he know? "So, that'd be the home cooking of a traditional inn's next manager, huh? It must be incredible. One day, I'd like to try it myself." No. Inoue does not know.

"Dude… we can't let this go on, right?" Yosuke interjects with the guys as the entire order was scrambled as everyone came and went from the center of attention.

"Let me handle this." Masato would speak to them before getting Inoue's attention.

"I've actually been helping Yukiko-san cook. She's still got a long way to go, but I can assure you that one day you will be wowed at the progress she's made." He left it with enough of a hook to leave Inoue and the potential audience interested.

"Oh, yes! Masato-kun has been working at my Inn and has been helping me improve my skills!"

"Oho! Now I think we're all eager to see how far you come along as a cook when the day comes, Yukiko-san. Keep it up; it sounds like the Inn is in good hands!" Inoue saw the value of ending it here and went along with it.

"Dude… he disarmed that timebomb really well." Yosuke remarked to Souji privately.

"Thanks for your cooperation, Yukiko-senpai!" Rise concludes her segment before contemplating who goes next.

"I guess… I'll go!" She herself took to the center.

"Woohoo! We've been waiting for you, Rise-chan!" Teddie cheered in enthusiasm. Rise shifts her body and focus to the camera, already in her own character. "Hi there! It's the one, the only, your lovely Risette! Sorry if I worried you with my sudden break, but now I'm back, and fully recharged! I can't wait to show you the powered-up all-new me, so we'll see you at LMB!"

"Whoa…! It's really Risette…!" Yosuke was in a state of gasping admiration. She was in character right before him. The Idol fan within him was losing it.

"Wow… idols are so amazing…! Okay, NOW I want to go to this LMB Festival." Even Chie was amazed by Rise's speaking skills and her tone shift.

"Why are you gettin' all star struck, Chie-senpai…?" Kanji's gaze looks a bit disappointed in Chie caving into this as Yosuke made total sense. "But hold on a second. The heck are you doin' with all this Risette crap? I thought this wasn't about talkin' to your fans. It was somethin' for us to have for ourselves!" He wasn't wrong.

"He's right. We need a message from you too, Rise." Souji agreed.

"Oh, right! Sorry… forget all that! Let me take it again from the top!" She waved her hands to dismiss her past words to start anew. "Umm… I'm Rise Kujimawa, second year high-schooler. I'm one grade below Souji-senpai and Yukiko-senpai. I signed with Takura Productions, and I work for them as an idol. Last year… a lot happened, and I ended up taking a break from work… So I stayed here at my Grandmother's place in Inaba, helping out at her tofu shop… I met Souji-senpai, and everyone else, and now Masato-kun; they all have given me so much courage… so now I'm all set for my comeback!"

"Whoohoo-hooo! Rise-chan, welcome back!" Teddie kept the hype going.

"I'm glad you're so resolute. You're amazing, Rise-chan." Yukiko had nothing but praise and respect for her bubbly Kouhai.

"But… I'm starting to realize a year is a lot to lose. The new breed are getting to be big names now… I've lost a lot of starting roles in movies, and things haven't been going my way for a while." Her thoughts reflected on both the idol world and the fact she felt a bit incompetent compared to Fuuka, as well as Sho now coming into existence.

"Uh, Rise… you okay…?" Yosuke had genuine concern in his voice, one that no one can ridicule him for.

"I'm… scared. Even if I can return to the entertainment industry… will there still be a place left for me…? Please… I need all of you with me… o-or else I… I-I…" Rise's tone grew more unstable, Masato and the others started to have much more comprehensiveness to the situation. Especially now that tears started forming in her eyes

"Wha…! What're ya cryin' about!?" Kanji spoke up first but now Masato would chime in.

"Rise. It's alright. I'm here. We're all here. We aren't going anywhere." Masato's tone shifted to a more serious and yet comforting tone. "I'm here to support you until the end. We all are."

"That's right! We know you can do it, Rise-chan! You aren't gonna lose to anyone else!" Chie piled on her support as well. "We're gonna be right there with you, supporting you one hundred percent! Let's do our best!"

"I-I'm… kidding! Sorry… I gotta practice my acting, don't I? When I make my comeback, I need all my skills ready to go." Rise played it off, leading to those who spoke up first groaning in slight irritation.

"That was all an act!?" Yosuke sighs. "You almost gave me a heart attack. I thought something was really wrong. I dunno why I believed you for a second… I'm too nice."

"Rise… that isn't something you should be joking about." Masato sighs as well, actually concerned it was another mental health issue with her again. He was already ready to take the necessary steps.

"Sorry!" Rise giggles. "But… It was kind of encouraging to see you all get so worried about me. Thank you everyone-for real this time. From the bottom of my heart."

"Sheesh, showbiz types are scary. They really can just start crying on the spot." Chie shrugged, one of her eyes remaining closed.

"I really am scared about my comeback, though… that part was true. So that's why I'm asking for your help at the LMB Festival. I need you all with me."

"Ohoho! Kanji! Is that a tear in your eye? Ooh ooh! And Masa also looks a bit distraught!" Teddie spots a faint glimmer which gives it away, and with Masato his expression was more than enough.

"Sh-Shut the hell up! Of course I'd be worried! I thought she was really friggin' hurtin'!"

"Aww. Kanji… Masato-kun… did I overdo it a bit?"

"Just a bit…" Masato remarked quietly.

"But I think that gave me a shot of confidence after all. Heheh… I still got it!"

"Haha… not bad, Rise-chan." Inoue quietly praised before realizing something. "Hm? Though I do remember… last year, didn't you say you were going to…?"

"Inoue-san!"

"Oh, this I gotta hear! What happened?" Chie immediately perked up.

"Oh well, I assumed it wasn't serious, but before she told me she planned to marry Souji-kun here to prove she didn't want to come back initially.

"WHAT!?" A collective exclamation from most of the team.

"Sensei! That's scandalous! What would Yuki-chan say?"

"Hey! That wasn't meant to be serious! I just wanted Inoue-san to stop hounding me about coming back in the Summer!"

"Dude, what the hell? That's some soap opera business right there!" Yosuke gave Souji a concerned look, expecting him to not actually commit to such a thing, but it was still quite a shock.

"Masato-kun… don't take that personally." Yukiko scooched over to him to assure him his interest in her wasn't in jeopardy.

"I didn't think so since it sounded like that was a while ago, but… I didn't realize she was that interested in him initially." He merely shook his head, wanting to believe Rise wasn't interested in him in any romantic way. "Shouldn't you be upset by this?"

"Yeah, Yukiko! I'm surprised as well. You get scary when you're mad and…" Chie was cut off by her best friend.

"Oh, there's no trouble. Rise-chan is a smart girl and knows her boundaries… isn't that right?" Yukiko's head tilted to her and for all who remained skeptical, an icy gaze that could pierce flesh like it was nothing for all to witness.

"...Yeah. Totally." Rise gulped as she nodded.

"Um… Am I missing something here?"

"Oh, uh… Souji and her are the ones actually dating." Yosuke elaborates.

"Oh… now I see." Inoue nods, impressed by such young love looking so fierce.

"Hey, so uh… you ain't gonna keep that for the final cut, are you?"

"Oh, heavens no… that is a no go for us. And especially considering Rise-chan's relationship status."

"Oh yeah, I know fully well what you're meaning there." Yosuke indeed knew how Rise must be portrayed as a single, yet out of reach young lady for her fans. The idol industry is pretty twisted in this regard.

"Well… who should go next, then…?" Rise was ready to move on now.

Teddie had his turn next, and as the conversation delved to his origin and "brand" the heat started to get to Inoue. Now was the perfect time for a break as they were a little more than halfway done with the entire group. Only Naoto, Kanji, and Masato remained. Others all took their time to get a drink as well, take a moment inside, go to the bathroom, etc. Despite being the first to break off, Inoue was the first to return back while everyone was away. All except for Masato.

"Ah, Masato-kun. You're already ready to continue?"

"Actually Inoue-san, I was wondering if I could go next. I wanted to know something as well. When will you release this?"

"Ah, that I'm not sure. But if I follow the trend… I was considering releasing this next summer to the public as a way to not only drum up interest for that event next year, but also really give it that time capsule type of atmosphere; as in my opinion, I believe Rise-chan will be back in her old form or beyond. Seeing how she started next year would have a bigger impact by that point than simply now."

"I see. Well that's perfect actually. I have a detail or two I want to share, but I'm not ready for them to hear just yet."

"Oh, is it something serious?" Inoue tilted his head, confused by this unusual situation.

"A little bit. It has to do with something personal I wish to tell them one day, but I think by the time you release this, I will have told them what that is."

"Ah, I see. Well, let me get the camera setup and we can begin. Everyone else should be back in a few minutes." Inoue saw Masato was determined for this. Perhaps it might make him into a more interesting character… at least that's how he saw this.

The others would gather on cue, and approach the spot where they were recording, spotting Masato already speaking before the camera.

"...So that's why. I understand."

"Inoue-san! What's going on? You're recording again already?" Rise rushed to Masato's side to get into the camera view while everyone else took a spot with no urgency.

"Ah, sorry about that, Rise-chan. Masato-kun insisted he start right away."

"Sorry, I just wanted to get this going. The heat's brutal right now."

"Oh, well, how far are you in this?" Rise's head tilted as she kept her attention on him.

"Just my name. I was going to explain a bit about myself actually."

"Ooh, I'm actually a bit curious about this!" Yukiko's attention perked up, as did Souji's and some of the others. This was an opportunity worth seeing through.

"Tell us, Masato-kun! Tell everyone what you do for a living." Rise was also eager to get some info out of him. Maybe there's something she doesn't know that she can learn today!

"Well… I'm a cook at the Amagi Inn. Yukiko-san is technically my boss."

"Oh, that's right! You mentioned you were teaching her, hm?" Inoue recalled Yukiko's segment at that moment.

"Yes. Everyone at the Inn supports her just as much as she supports and believes in us. I owe her family much for the opportunity."

"Masato-kun…" Yukiko was touched by his words.

"And was she how you met everyone else?"

"Yes. Through her, I met Souji. And through him, I met everyone else one at a time. Things were rough, but I'm looking forward to this chance to bond with them."

"Yeah! That's why I brought you on board, Masato-kun! I want everyone to be friends with you like they are for me."

"I see… Rise-chan's looking out for everyone. Say, do you have any interest in this kind of entertainment?"

"I'd say I'm a little bit new to the scene as Rise was my first exposure to it. Yosuke-san seems to be the most well-versed person for this. I do have interest in music, but it's more so Western Music. My parents used to listen to it all the time when I was a kid."

"Oh, that's interesting! What kinds? Any artists we may know about?"

"It's mostly classic artists. I heard songs from Queen,Yes, Micheal Jackson, Rush, Boston, and Foreigner to name a few. I've acquired my own tastes as I've grown up, of course."

"Ah, I've heard some of their work. Some of them were big during my Youth. I take it you speak English and can play some instruments yourself?" Inoue jokes, laughing to himself.

"Actually, I am learning how to play the Acoustic Guitar on my own time. And I can speak some English. Good afternoon, sir."

"Oho! You're a young man of many skills! If we ever need a guitarist for a show, I think you'll be hearing from our agency, Haha! Well, you think you can pick up dancing, Masato-kun?"

"That, I'm not sure. But since I got Rise and everyone here… I think I can pull it off."

"Heehee, of course! We've all got each other's backs for this, right guys?" Rise had a hand on his shoulder, assuring him they got this.

"Of course. We're all learning together from this." Souji also stepped up. "So we're in this together."

"Yeah. I'm ready to give it my all." Masato nods, his section now comes to a close as the remaining second years are due up next. Kanji's hobbies and demeanor were the subject of his section and Naoto's lineage and study of ballroom dancing was for her own. As they were wrapping things up, a surprise guest, actually two of them, appeared. It was Souji's uncle, Dojima and his daughter. The two stopped by to see Souji and also gave a quick word to the camera before leaving. But it seems the plan was now set! To have a kickoff party at the Dojima residence.

"Why don't we go shopping and make something at Dojima-san's?" Rise suggests, causing Chie to stand from her seat.

"Ooh, good idea! I was getting hungry!"

Yosuke sighs, still not used to her gluttonous appetite when meat is in the equation. "You can't just go to someone's place just so you can raid their fridge."

"Then, should we make something?" Yukiko beamed at the idea of cooking to contribute to the party.

"Oh, so I might get the chance to sample some of the future manager's home cooking!" Inoue sounded so interested, yet many of the guys were screaming loudly inside.

"Inocchy's in the danger zone again!" Masato understood Teddie's reference this time.

"Then maybe I'll make something, too. Ooh, how about a simple omelette with rice!" Rise offered her assistance, causing further panic, although Masato didn't know anything about her cooking skills.

"Ack…! Give me a break! I don't even have my insurance card on me today!" Kanji was deeply concerned, causing Naoto to speak up to console his and the other Men's anxieties.

"Ah, well… It should be fine as long as they stick to the recipe…" With that tone, she definitely didn't sound so sure there.

"Then… let me handle it. I'm technically the most qualified for this. Souji, how about you help me out? We can make some great stuff with your skill and my experience." Plus, it would keep Yukiko away from… everything. Masato knew full well how she takes her food to… uncharted territories.

"Sure. We haven't cooked together in a while. This should be fun."

"Senpai and Masato-kun cooking for us? Oh, I must be dreaming!" Rise swoons, wondering if the heat has gotten to her.

"Alright, let's go! We have a kickoff party to get to. To Rise's comeback!" The whole group begins their trek to the grocery department on the first floor. Inoue had begun making plans to ask for parental permission, starting with the Hanamuras since Yosuke's dad was working today. That makes it so much easier.

As the evening began, everyone was inside Souji's home away from home. Nothing changed for them, as the original members of the team have been here so many times; but this was Masato's first time at the Dojima Residence. It was much more… lively than he expected. Souji seemed a bit stiff, but this place felt comforting, with a modest amount of space.

"Oh yeah. This is your first time here at Senpai's place, isn't it?" Rise questioned, her eyes spotting his own trailing around to analyze all aspects of the home he entered.

"Yeah. This is his Uncle's home, right?"

"Mhm! It's nothing like his new apartment in Tokyo, hm?"

"I like it. It really feels right for the town." He looked around the corner to see the kitchen, Souji wasting no time as he was already washing his hands. "Souji! You ready to get to work?"

"Of course. We've got little time to get this all ready. Are you up to the task?"

"You know it. Let's show them a thing or three." Masato stepped up, confidence welling up as he was back in territory he knew he had skill in. Souji popped open the fridge to see what he had to work with. Leftover rice… eggs… and they got all the vegetables. And some meat. Alongside the takeout Dojima got… They could make some fried rice for everyone to compliment the rest of their food. The two gaze at one another, nodding quietly as if they were in sync.

"Fried rice?" Souji suggests.

"Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. I'll prepare the vegetables."

"I'll cut up the meat." The two began getting their share of ingredients and began on the prep work. Yukiko and Rise were watching from a distance.

"They work well together…"

"Mm. Last year, they actually made food together at the Inn. I didn't think they'd work so well after that." Yukiko had her hand on her chin.

"Wow... Senpai's just good at team building, I guess." Rise nods, the two working efficiently so far. The chatter from the rest of the team drowned out any words the cooks were saying. "Then again… if Senpai is gonna be with you, then it's probably a good thing that he works well with your cook."

"R-Rise-chan…" Yukiko got a bit flustered at what she was implying.

"It's true! I bet Masato-kun will be back with you guys in no time. Especially once he's gotten his Persona all trained up."

"I hope so. The others wonder how he's doing…"

"Yukiko-senpai; do you trust him?" Rise asked straight out, the cook in question now finishing up with the spring onions.

"...I do. Souji-kun and I talked about it. I want to believe in him. And Souji-kun was always on board before I was."

"I know. He never gives up on people, now does he?" Rise giggles, causing Yukiko to follow suit.

"Mm… that's why we love him."

"Yeah. We all do." Rise nods, seeing Yukiko stare at her.

"Speaking of… do you…?"

"Oh, no; I can't answer that, silly!" Rise smiled despite saying that. "At least, not here."

"Ooh, then I'll ask again when we're all alone."

"Haha, I bet you're looking forward to it." She shook her head as the Wild Card was just finishing up cutting up the chicken meat.

Back by the stove, Souji realized something.

"Masato. Think you can mix up a demi glace sauce real quick? I think I can set aside some for Nanako. I want her to have a Rice Omelette. There should be some Red Wine and Tomato Sauce that we can use."

"Sure. I think I know what you're aiming for, but you mind telling me how you want this?"

Back to the girls.

"Ooh, sounds like Nanako-chan is gonna get some of her favorite food again!"

"I wonder if Masato-kun has any experience with this…" Yukiko pondered, not recalling if he's made it before.

"He can do it! Besides, he has Senpai to help him out."

"Let's get ready, then. They'll be done sooner than we think."

The sound of the heat was picked up by their ears as Souji began cooking the meat.

Minutes passed as they were hard at work. The two girls helped them plate up everything. All the fried rice was evenly distributed for everyone that was here. Nanako's Omurice was being worked on by the two as Masato offered other ways to improve the recipe, to which Souji allowed as he saw Masato slightly above his own cooking. A year of professional work tends to lead to that assumption.

Soon, the rice was shaped, the egg was placed and cut in the center to blanket the rice as the sauce was the finishing touch. Masato poured over the dead center as it spread around to cover most of the egg. Souji would bring it along to his little sister, his Uncle sitting right beside her.

"Here you go, Nanako." Souji lowered himself as she looked ecstatic.

"Ooh, an Omelette! It looks different than before."

"Sit down, you two. You don't want your food to get cold, do you?" Dojima insists, as they take up his offer. Sitting across from him, each beside each other and the ladies they were interested in, they finally helped themselves to the food after saying the common line for gratitude.

Their fried rice… was a success! Easy work, but now everyone was eating it, as if waiting for them to come sit down before they digged in.

"Yo, this is good!" Kanji loudly proclaimed.

"You two shoulda cooked more!" Yosuke remarks, a slight bit of hyperbole in his tone.

"Hm. Not bad… Guess Souji isn't the only good cook amongst you guys." Dojima's eyes were closed as he enjoyed the flavor.

"Nanako-chan, why don't you try your food?" Yukiko suggests.

"Okay! Thanks for the food!" Nanako has her spoon ready as she digs in. One bite and… "So good….!" They got her. "It's even better than last time! You're the best, Big Bro!"

"Well… I can't take all the credit this time." He looks over to his cooking comrade, Nanako now realizing she never got his name.

"Hello. I'm Masato. It's nice to meet you, Nanako-chan."

"Thank you, Masato-san! This is really good!" What a polite and honest girl.

"Hey, Nanako. Mind if I try?" Nanako nodded as her father's curiosity was piqued. Cutting up a piece, he tried it and his eyes widened. "...This is good. I taste something… faintly sweet."

"Nice catch. I used a bit of honey to go with the sauce to balance out the saltiness of the rice."

"Huh… guess you Amagi cooks know your stuff." Dojima gave up a faint smile. Looks like Kaede and Akio know who they're hiring at least.

"I learned that from the Head Chef."

"Wow, maybe you should take over as the Head chef one day, Masato-kun."

"R-Rise…! Such a title is hard to get, especially at my age."

"I hope there's a kitchen at that studio. I so wanna try more of your food!" Chie finished her bowl, now moving on to the rest of the food she had. The appetizer only fueled her urge to eat more meat!

"If that were the case, you might be stuck cooking for everyone in Takura Productions." Rise laughs to herself.

"I'd drown from all the orders…" a grimacing expression formed from the mere thought of that, while some laughed at the idea.

The evening was so much fun! Everyone is enjoying the food, relaxing and appreciating this moment before tomorrow comes. From tomorrow on, they were set to begin the training of their dancing lives. The Idol Industry was cruel as they will soon see one day.

They may end up Dancing All Night every night until they're worthy of even standing on the professional stage, much less moving around it.

A/C: I was contemplating whether to end it at Junes or here, but now I feel more confident this was a good spot to end it on. I was planning on putting a sort of filler chapter for the next one, but given my situation right now, I want to make true progress with each chapter, so it's likely not going to happen. Next chapter will be picking up at the actual start of the game itself, so we're skipping all the way to Mid-September. If I get time to make the ARL: Substories side fic, then I can definitely fill it out then, but for now, I wanna get the main story back on track. Because of that, this arc shouldn't last too long, it's looking like there are about 3-4 chapters for this not counting this one. Also I technically made another mistake. P4DAN's training arc happens the end of August and the main events kick off in the end of September, but we'll make it work.

Today's musical reference is "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen. Fitting since we referenced them here directly.

Next time will be the Dancing All Night saga beginning properly! Please leave reviews to share your thoughts, follow, and favorite to show your support. It really means a lot to me. I'll see you all next time.