Persona 4: Snowy Spring Chapter 02: Midnight Channel
Lyall the Werewolf: Now, we're in chapter 02. The truth is I had this chapter half done while saving the first after it was finished.
For now, I'll focus on Yu's side of the story, with occasional looks at Yumi's part.
Yes, Yumi's placement here is an odd one, given the time period Persona 4 takes place. However, we can just chalk it up to being an alternate universe or timeline to adjust the placement of Senran Kagura characters in the Persona universe. As for the character, Yumi Ozawa, we can also say she doesn't exist in this world either.
For any fan of Persona 4, you might have used that I included aspects from the game, manga, and anime. That's because I like to use any source materials I can and combine them. That said, the anime may be used as the basis for the story at most.
(I don't own the Persona or Senran Kagura series)
"That's all for today. Normal lectures will start tomorrow." King Moron announced as school hours finally ended for the day. Before he or any student could leave, the intercom came on, requesting for all the teachers to report to the faculty office for a brief staff meeting. The announcer also ordered students to remain in class until further notice. King Moron made sure to order the students to stay put until they heard otherwise before he left.
The students of Class 2-2 immediately started chatting with each other or doing something else to pass the time.
Police sirens could be heard outside. Some students wanted to check out what was happening outside, so they rushed to the window. Unfortunately, due to the fog, they could not see anything.
"Man, I wish I could see what was happening. Friggin' fog!"
"Those sirens sound pretty close. I wonder what happened."
"Maybe they found Mayumi Yamano. That announce with the affair."
"Why would the police look for her? I understand the paparazzi looking all over for her, but still…"
"Hey, I heard some guy from the next class over yell something about that announcer lady being his soulmate."
"Wait, are you talking about that thing with the rainy nights? That has to be superstition."
"Well, if it's true, I wanna see Amagi-san on it. Or better yet, the new girl, Tsukikiri-san! If they were my soulmates, I'd be in heaven!"
"Yeah, I've never seen a girl like Tsukikiri before. Are all city girls that blessed in the chest?"
"Why don't we ask her?"
"That might be difficult. She's already being swarmed by the other guys."
As they spoke, Yumi was surrounded by curious boys in the class. She did a remarkable job calmly dismissing them despite their constant questions and not-so-subtle glances at her body. Specifically, her breasts.
"What kind of school did you go to before this one, Tsukikiri-san? Were your uniforms, um… super tight?"
"Why'd you come out here to the boonies? Do you live close by?"
"Have you dated anyone before?"
"Pardon my rudeness, but your trivial questions are beginning to bother me. I'd appreciate it if you would please leave me be." Yumi said coldly while reading a book. It didn't show on her face, but the constant barrage of questions got on her nerves very quickly.
"Ouch, that's cold. But it's kinda hot too."
"I guess that's proof you had the guts to smack talk King Moron."
It would appear the boys weren't deterred, much to her annoyance. They were more enamored by her. Morooka's accusations and insults were taxing enough on her patience.
Standing off to the side were the short-haired girl and black-haired girl.
"Geez, look at those guys drooling all over her. Not that I don't understand why they're interested." The short-haired girl grumbled to her friend. She knew those guys were infatuated with her breasts and it made her wonder how it was possible to grow to that size. Is it her diet?
"I understand how she must feel right now. I get unwanted attention like that too." said the black-haired girl. Just a little ago, a rumor-loving student came up to her to ask whether it was true that the announcer, Mayumi Yamano, was hiding out in her family's inn. She rebuffed him, stating that she wasn't allowed to discuss such things.
"Yeah, but she's brushing them off like it's no big deal. She must be used to it. But she looks like she's reaching her limit." the short-haired girl said. She decided to help her out.
"Okay boys, I think the interrogation's over, so move along." She demanded as she walked over to Yumi's desk to scare the boys away.
"Oh c'mon, Satonaka! At least let us have Tsukikiri-san. You're already safeguarding Amagi-san." one of the boys complained.
"I wouldn't have to if you left Yukiko alone for ten minutes! It's not fair to crowd Tsukikiri-san because of that! Now beat it!" Satonaka yelled. Though aggravated by her interference, the boys eventually left Yumi's side.
"Thank you for doing that." the curvy transfer student said.
"Don't worry about it. I do this a lot for my friend, Yukiko, back there. I'm Chie Satonaka, by the way." Chie said as she pointed to the black-haired girl, Yukiko Amagi.
"A pleasure, Satonaka-san." Yumi nodded.
Yukiko meekly bowed to Yumi, "Hello, I'm Yukiko Amagi. I'm sorry they were so rude, Tsukikiri-san. We don't get many people from the city."
"I understand. But they should be aware of boundaries, especially where their eyes wander." Yumi sighed.
"Yeah, you… have an impressive figure." Chie couldn't help feeling more envious as she stared at the new girl's chest. They looked bigger up close. Even Yukiko felt somewhat inadequate, despite being a modest size herself.
"I can certainly do without a large size. I'd be drawing less attention to myself that way, among other complications…"
"Life for you must be a hassle, huh? If that wasn't bad enough, you're stuck in King Moron's class with us. Isn't he just the worst?" Chie asked sympathetically.
"I consider that to be an understatement. Just what is that man's problem? I've never met such an unpleasant fellow before." frowned Yumi.
"He's always like that. Judgmental, snobbish, and out of touch with the times. Every time he talks, he gets on my nerves." Chie grumbled.
"C'mon now, Chie, I'm sure he means well," said Yukiko.
"How so?" asked Chie.
"U-Um… well…" Yukiko trailed off, unsure of how to answer when past experience crept into her mind.
"See what I mean? Anyway, if you just stay clear of him, I'm sure your school life here will be relatively peaceful," assured Chie.
"I certainly hope so." Yumi nodded, "And I should thank you for intervening with that boorish teacher earlier."
"No problem! You can talk to us any time you have problems." Chie smiled.
"I'll think about it," Yumi said flatly.
"I'm sorry. Chie can be kind of nosy," said Yukiko.
"Hey, Yukiko!"
Yumi smiled a little. Seeing these two made her remember the friends she had before moving to Inaba. No, they were more like family than friends. She wondered how they were doing without her after they were separated.
Suddenly, the intercom came on again, "Attention students! There has been an incident within the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please remain calm, contact your parents or guardian as soon as possible, and leave the school grounds immediately. Do not disturb the police officers. Head straight home. I repeat…"
The students in Class 2-2 left almost immediately after the intercom's message ended. Some of them were eager to go and see what.
"Wow, that's freaky," Chie said.
"I wonder what happened," Yukiko said.
Yumi was stoic, but her curiosity about the incident was evident.
They notice Yu standing up from his seat and getting ready to go.
"Hey, new guy!" Satonaka called out to him. He stopped and turned to the girl in green. "Narukami-kun, right? If you're going home, why not let us tag along?" she asked as she and Yukiko walked up to him.
"Uh, sure," Yu replied.
"Great! Tsukikiri-san, wanna come too?" Chie asked Yumi.
"I suppose I don't mind. I need to familiarize myself with the town, anyway." Yumi replied as she stood from her seat.
"Sweet! I'm Chie Satonaka. And this is my friend, Yukiko Amagi." Chie said to Yu as Yumi joined them.
"Um, sorry to bother you like this." Yukiko said politely.
"Aw, Yukiko, don't start that again! You're making me look bad! I just wanted an excuse to talk to the new kids." Chie complained while trying to look docile.
"H-Hey, Satonaka-san!" a bleak-looking student suddenly stepped up to Chie. It was the boy with headphones again. He was pale and sweaty, as if fearful of what could happen at any moment while interacting with Chie.
"Huh? What's with the polite tone?" Chie asked, finding his behavior strange.
"W-Well, the movie was awesome! The way the hero moved was incredible! Thanks for lending it to me! See ya later!" the bleak student said as hastily handed Chie a DVD case and briskly tried to walk past her. The case had a picture of a martial artist flying across the air with what looked like a Chinese dragon symbol. It was a kung fu movie of some kind.
Chie found his actions even more suspicious.
"Hold it." Chie tripped the bleak student before he could escape. He face-planted on the ground with his butt hanging in the air.
"Today is not this guy's day, is it?" Yu wondered.
"Ahh! What the hell?! You cracked the disk, you tool! How could you do this to my Trial of the Dragon?!" an infuriated Chie cried in anguish and outrage. She discovered that her favorite movie's DVD was indeed broken in half after opening the case.
In retribution, Chie took a moment to stomp on the bleak student's back.
"Ow! I'm sorry, it was an accident! Please have mercy until my next paycheck!" the bleak student begged.
"A-Are you okay?" a concerned Yukiko asked.
"He's fine, Yukiko! Let him suffer! We're going home!" Chie scoffed as she marched out of the classroom, followed by Yukiko, Yumi, and Yu. The bleak student was still on the ground, groaning in agony.
"You have quite the eccentric friend," Yumi said to Yukiko.
"True." Yukiko nodded. She was used to her childhood friend's behavior.
"I'll just leave him be." Yu thought as he paid no mind to the bleak student's suffering.
[-Yasogami High: School Gate-]
"So, you're just here for a year, huh? And it's all because of your parents' work? I thought it'd be more serious." Chie said after hearing Yu's story about his moving to Inaba. She merely asked and he saw no harm in telling her about his current living situation.
"What were you expecting?" asked Yu.
"I don't know. Maybe you got arrested for assaulting somebody?" Chie joked, to Yu's discomfort.
"Chie, don't be rude!" Yukiko scolded.
"Hey, I'm just joking." Chie shrugged, "And what about you, Tsukikiri-san? What got you to move out to Inaba?"
"I now see what Amagi-san meant by you being nosy," Yumi replied. First the boys in class, and now Chie.
"Hehe, sorry. We don't get many folks from the city, so I can't help being intrigued myself." Chie shrugged.
"Unfortunately, I have nothing to say," Yumi said.
"Hey, when you say it like that, it makes me more curious! I mean, you look and act like you'd go to a private school for rich girls, and yet you are here in the countryside of all places. That makes you way more interesting than Narukami-kun." Chie said before turning to the male transfer student, "No offense."
"None taken," Yu said politely.
Yumi sighed, knowing that Chie wasn't going to give up until she heard something, "If you must know, it was my grandfather's decision."
"Your grandfather?" Yu asked.
"He said living in Inaba for the year would help me broaden my horizons. He believes I'm… closed-minded about certain subjects." Yumi trailed off.
Yu, Chie, and Yukiko noticed a sad look in her eyes.
"Closed-minded about what?" asked Chie.
"I have nothing more to say. Goodbye." Yumi said before briskly walking ahead and past the school gate.
"Hey, Tsukikiri-san, wait!" Chie called out, only to be ignored, which left Chie dejected. "Aw, I guess she doesn't wanna walk with us now."
"It looks like her grandfather's a sensitive subject. Maybe we shouldn't press her." Yukiko advised.
"Yeah… I wasn't trying to pressure her, though." a guilty Chie said.
The ever-silent Yu thought maybe it was more than just her grandfather being a touchy subject for Yumi.
As the three stood there, the sound of bike wheels turning caught their attention. They turn to see the male student from before walking along with this bike.
"Yo, Chie! Chase the new girl away already?" the cycling student asked teasingly.
"He recovers fast." Yu thought.
"Guess she took the hint that you're not as nice as you seem." the cycling student said snidely. He was clearly still sore about earlier.
"Shut up! I was just curious, that's all!" Chie retorted defensively.
"Sure, you were." the cycling student shrugged, "But hey, maybe she'll go for me instead. No girl could resist the Yosuke Hanamura Charm, am I right?" he asked with a smile and a wink.
"I seem to recall Yukiko turning you down for a date last year," said Chie, making the cycling student flinch at how Yukiko cut him down cold.
"I wonder why…" Yu thought sarcastically.
"Hm? When did I do that?" asked a confused Yukiko.
"You don't remember? Then maybe you do wanna go out with me, Yukiko-san?" the cycling student asked with hope in his eyes.
"I'd rather not," Yukiko said bluntly.
"Yeah, I thought so…" the cycling student slumped in defeat.
"That'll teach you to get your hopes up," Chie smirked.
"Whatever! Anyways, you two better not pick on the transfer students too much." the cycling student said before riding off on his bike.
"Says you! Jerk." Chie grumbled.
"C'mon, Chie. Let's not make a scene." Yukiko urged as she walked ahead.
"Okay… I guess stuff like this is normal for them." Yu thought.
Unbeknownst to them, an unfamiliar male student was watching them from a distance. His dull eyes were fixed on Yukiko. He planned to talk to her now, but the crowd around her made him nervous, especially that girl with icy eyes. When she was walking away from Yuki's group, she shot a cold glare at him. It was like she knew he was there, and he shuddered for a moment. Next time for sure, he'd get Yuki to be his.
[-A Little Later: Residential Area-]
"So that high schooler left early, and as she was walking down this street…" one housewife whispered.
"Wow! Who would have imagined THAT hanging from an antenna?!" another housewife guffawed.
From a small crowd, they were observing a crime scene. The assemblage was barred from entering the area by the police via a blockade and an officer on standby.
"I wanted to see it too."
"You're too late. The police and fire department already took it down moments ago."
"How horrifying! I can't believe a dead body showed up around here."
Yes, the police were there to investigate when it was reported that a dead body was found in this area. The first to discover the corpse was a high schooler leaving school early.
There were two officers of note.
One was detective Ryotaro Dojima. His partner was a younger unassuming man with short unkempt black hair and gray eyes. He wore a black suit with a red crooked tie.
The two were presented with the body that was just taken down on a gurney. It was covered by a tarp.
The stern detective took a moment to offer a quick prayer to the deceased before unveiling their face.
Dojima gave a brief nod to the hospital staff ferrying the corpse while his younger partner was overcome with nausea and ran to the ground to vomit, much to his senior's annoyance.
"Hey, Adachi! How long are gonna act like a rookie?!" Dojima addressed his partner, "Do you wanna be sent back to the central office to do desk work? Huh?!"
"N-No…! Sorry, Dojima-san…" the young detective, Adachi replied before puking again.
"As soon as you're done, go wash your face. We're gonna around and gather some information." Dojima sighed. He then felt something off, like there were eyes on him. He turned his line of sight to the roof across from the house where the body was found.
Nothing was there.
Dojima shrugged, thinking his mind might be playing tricks on him.
Still, what a sorry sight this was. To find a corpse of all things in the middle of the day. The stern detective had a feeling there were some rough times ahead.
[-Wednesday, April 13, 2011: Early Morning-]
Morning came, and Yu was once again on his way to school. He memorized the route after Nanako showed him yesterday.
However, he found his commute interrupted when he saw the same male student from yesterday crash into a trash can while on his bike. He wondered how much bad luck this guy had.
"S-Someone help…!" the rolling student begged while rolling around in the trash can. He was ignored by other students who just walked past him. Some were chuckling at his misfortune.
Seeing that no one was helping him out, Yu decided to take pity on the rolling student and help him out.
After dragging him out, the student breathed a sigh of relief as some of the awful-smelling trash was sticking to his face.
"Thanks, man! You're a lifesaver!" the student said while standing on his bike, "Oh hey, you're one of the transfer students, Yu Narukami, right? I'm Yosuke Hanamura, nice to meet you."
"Hey, how's it going?" Yu nodded, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Yosuke exclaimed before looking at his watch and realizing what time it was, "Oh crap! We're gonna be late! You wanna ride? It's a little squeaky, but it should be fine."
"That's okay…" Yu said with a sweat drop.
The two boys settled for walking to school.
[-Yasogami High: After School-]
After classes finally ended, Yosuke casually approached Yu as he was packing his things.
"So, Narukami, have you gotten used to this place yet?" he asked.
"Yeah, more or less." the male transfer student said.
"Wow, that was fast." Yosuke chuckled, "There isn't much to do here compared to the big city though, huh? But, there's that special something you can't get anywhere else, like clean air and good food. And you wanna know what the local delicacy is? Grilled steak! I know that sounds pretty lame, but how about I treat you to some? I know where you can get it cheap."
"No thanks, I'm good."
"C'mon, I insist! You helped me out before, so it's the least I could do." Yosuke insisted, "Besides, I know you're free because I went through the same thing-"
"You can count me in that action!" a familiar voice cut in.
Both boys turned back, and to Yosuke's dread, it was Chie, sporting a mischievous smile and snickering.
"This is how you can pay me back for breaking my stuff!" she said while twirling her Trial of the Dragon around.
"Urgh… You're only bringing that up now because I'm talking about food…" Yosuke muttered while pinching the rim of his nose. Honestly, she always showed up uninvited when he talked about food. Of course, he hadn't forgotten about the accident with Chie's Trial of the Dragon, and she sure as heck wasn't going to let him live down any time soon.
"How about it, Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us too?" Chie asked Yukiko.
Yosuke looked nervous. Sure, he could treat three people, but not to anything fancy like grilled steak. Not to mention, it could drain his wallet.
"I'll pass. I don't want to gain any more weight. I need to help out at the inn, anyway." Yukiko said, to the bleak student's relief.
"Wow, Yukiko-san! You started training to take over the family business?" asked Yosuke.
Yu recalled Chie mentioning Yukiko's family running the Amagi Inn yesterday on their way home from school. She called it the pride of Inaba, as it pretty much kept the town going. Yukiko humbly denied this, stating it was just an old inn. Chie also said that Yukiko would take over the inn one day.
"It's not like that. I'm just helping when it gets busy." Yukiko replied, "Well, I should be on my way."
Yukiko departed soon after.
"Oh well. In case that…" Chie scanned the classroom brief and saw Yumi as she was about to leave, "Tsukikiri-san, why don't you come with us?"
Yumi stopped and glanced back at Chie.
"Me?"
"Yeah! I wanted to apologize for yesterday, so I'll show you the best place to get grilled steak!" Chie said excitedly.
"H-Hey…" Yosuke looked worried. Sure, he was going to ask Yumi to hang out too, but not while Chie was trying to empty his wallet.
"Yesterday doesn't bother me." Yumi replied, "I should have been more mature about it myself. Still, I hope you can understand that I can't say more about myself. I have my reasons."
This statement made Yu wonder what she could be hiding. But then, he thought it would be best to wait until she was ready to discuss it.
Chie thought the same.
"Gotcha. I'm more than willing to respect your privacy." Chie smiled with relief, "So, about the steak? You want some, don't you? Yosuke's buying."
"Hey!" Yosuke shouted, but Chie ignored him.
"Thank you, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass as well." Yumi politely rejected.
"Huh? Why would you pass up free meat?!" a shocked Chie asked.
"Well, for starters, his clumsiness and your indignation over the incident with your movie have nothing to do with me," Yumi said.
That statement made Yosuke and Chie tense up like they felt like they were hit by a cold wind.
"Damn… you might be harsher than Yukiko-san." Yosuke winced.
"Also, I have some business in town that demands my immediate attention. Maybe next time." Yumi added.
"Oh, sure thing." Chie nodded in agreement. After a quick bow, Yumi left the classroom.
"She just got here. What could she have to do in town?" Yosuke wondered.
"I don't know," Yu said. As his fellow transfer student was exiting the classroom, he caught a strong look in her eye, like she was hyper-focused on something.
"Well, I guess it's just us then! Lead the way, Yosuke!" Chie excitedly said. The hungry look in her eyes made it obvious she was looking forward to prime meat.
"Aw, man… Do I seriously have to treat two people…?" Yosuke droned.
"I guess I'm going whether I like it or not." Yu thought.
[-Inaba: Junes Department Store, Food Court-]
"Hey, this isn't the steak you promised, you stingy tightwad! They don't even serve it here!" Chie complained as Yosuke served three plates of Takoyaki to his classmates. One was for himself, and the others were for Yu and Chie.
He took them to the Junes Food Court instead of the stake house because grilled stake for two people was over his budget.
"Sorry, Miss Freeloader. I couldn't afford two people, so I had to change my plans." Yosuke said as he sat at the table with the other two.
"That's still no reason to take us to your place!" Chie chided.
"Dude, this isn't my place!" retorted Yosuke.
"Your place?" Yu asked curiously.
"Oh yeah, I haven't told you yet, huh? I moved here from another city six months back. This location opened up and my dad was assigned to manage it. So, our entire family came out here." Yosuke explained.
"I see," Yu said.
"Here, this is to welcome you to town, Narukami," Yosuke said as he picked up his soda cup.
"Yeah, thanks." Yu nodded back.
Now in a good mood, Yosuke turned to Chie, "It might not be the steak you wanted, but yours is on me too, Chie."
"Yeah, I know." Chie shrugged. She decided she'd take what she could get.
The three teens held their cups up and gave cheers. Soon after, the trio had a lively conversation.
"It's too bad Tsukikiri-san couldn't join us." Chie sighed.
"Hey, if she did come, I don't think the contents of my wallet would survive." Yosuke rebutted.
"Oh please! You were going to try asking her out, anyway." Chie replied, "And no doubt, she'll turn you down just like Yukiko did."
"You don't have to keep reminding me." groaned Yosuke.
"That reminds me, Narukami-kun!" Chie turned to Yu with a wide grin, "Between Yukiko and Tsukikiri-san, which do you think is prettier?"
"Huh?" Yu sputtered, taken aback by the sudden question.
"Way to put him on the spot," Yosuke smirked.
"Yukiko's popular at school, but she's never had a boyfriend. That's kinda weird, don't you think? Meanwhile, Tsukikiri-san has gotten a lot of attention since yesterday. One of them has bound to have caught your eye, right?" asked Chie.
"That's hard to say when I haven't known them for very long," Yu answered. Sure, Yu did think Yumi and Yukiko were attractive, but he wasn't planning to ask either of them out on the spot.
"Oh, don't be shy. It's not like they're right in front of you." Chie teased.
"I get the appeal, dude. They're both quiet and graceful beauties! Either one of them is a win!" Yosuke said with a lecherous grin, "But man, Tsukikiri is a breed apart from other girls. I've never seen a girl like her in real life before!"
"You sound like a dirty old man." Chie chided.
"Hey, you're the one who brought this up!" Yosuke argued.
The back and forth between Chie and Yosuke continued, while Yu spotted a nearby TV on the counter of the Yakisoba griddle. It showed the recent news about the dead body discovered in the residential area. The deceased was identified as Mayumi Yamano, the announcer reported having had an affair with council secretary Taro Namatame.
Chie and Yosuke also take notice of the news on the TV.
"Hey, wasn't this on the news yesterday too?" Chie asked.
"Yeah… they say that announcer lady was found hanging from an antenna." Yosuke huffed after eating a piece of his Takoyaki, "You think it was a warning? Something that weird couldn't have been an accident."
"I think you're right." Yu concurred. No dead body could have dangled itself on an antenna on its own. Someone had to have murdered Yamano.
"Hey, maybe the culprit could be living next door!" Yosuke joked.
"Brr! Don't go there! You're creeping me out." Chie complained after feeling a chill run down her spine.
"Hehe, I'm just messing with ya!" chuckled Yosuke.
"I think we need to change the subject." Chie said, "Have you heard of the Midnight Channel?"
"The Midnight channel?" Yu asked. He heard some students at school talking about something like that, but he never paid full attention to it.
"Oh yeah! Don't say it only comes on when you're watching TV in the dead of night on a rainy day?" Yosuke asked after remembering the rumor.
"Yeah, that! Everybody's talking about it! They say if someone appears on the screen, that person's your soulmate." said the excited Chie, "It's supposed to rain today! What do ya say we catch it out?"
"Wow, I can't believe you're falling for childish crap like that." Yosuke retorted, to Chie's annoyance.
"So, you don't believe her?" asked Yu.
"Of course not. It's little wonder Chie can't catch a boyfriend herself." Yosuke nodded.
"What did you say?!" Chie yelled as she angrily grabbed Yosuke by the collar and violently shook him.
"Agh! Okay, I'm sorry! I'll shut up now!" Yosuke yelled back while trying to stay conscious.
Yu looked on in concern but didn't intervene. It seemed like they managed to avoid serious injury if comedic barbarism like this was committed daily. Plus, he didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.
A moment later, Yosuke noticed a familiar face walking into the food court. It was a pretty teenage female worker with long wavy light brown hair. She wore a white sweater and green pants. She also wore a dark green worker's apron with the Junes logo embroidered on it.
"Hey, it's Saki-senpai! Be right back!" Yosuke said happily. He took Chie's hands away from him, stood up from his seat, and walked over to her. The girl named Saki greeted him with a friendly wave.
"Is that someone Hanamura knows?" Yu asked.
"Yeah, that's Saki Konishi. She's pretty cool. Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district." Chie answered.
"And she works here despite her family's store?" Yu asked.
"Well, she is a third year at school. She must be working at Junes to save up for college or something." Chie shrugged.
"He seems happy to talk to her," Yu said as he observed Yosuke and Saki.
"Did you think she was his girlfriend? Yeah, he wishes." Chie chuckled.
During his observation, Yu noticed something odd about the latter. She looked like she was enjoying Yosuke's company, but her smile looked tired and her eyes seemed indifferent to him somehow.
Moments later, Saki noticed Yosuke's classmates sitting at the table.
"Hey!" Saki called out to the table's occupants, "Are you one of the new transfer students?"
"Uh, yeah…" Yu answered awkwardly.
She approached the table with her eyes locked on Yu, with Yosuke trailing behind her.
"I bet you heard about me already, huh?" Saki said with a friendly air about her, "Because you both came from the city, you and Hana-chan can get along well, huh? I don't see him hanging with the other guys much at school, so I hope you can be his friend."
"N-Not necessarily!" Yosuke whined with a shocked expression.
"He's a great guy, but he can get annoying. You gotta say it to straight his face if he starts bugging you." Saki said as she ignored Yosuke's complaints.
"That's not true. I think he's a good person." Yu said. He wasn't certain of it, but he picked up subtle hints of Saki's seemingly friendly jabs being more malicious than intended. Because of that, his tone when speaking to Saki was slightly harsh.
Yosuke and Chie notice seemed to have noticed this, but it appeared Saki didn't.
"Haha, I know! I'm just kidding!" the light giggle from Saki seemed fake to Yu.
"That… wasn't funny." Yosuke retorted.
"Oh, by the way, I ran into the new girl, Tsukikiri-san, in town a little while ago. She was as pretty and curvy as the rumors said she was. I wonder what kind of diet she has." said Saki.
"Really? What was she doing?" Chie asked curiously about Yumi's activities in town.
"I don't know. It looked to me like she was just wandering around town. She even vanished when I took my eyes off her." Saki answered, "She should be careful; you never know if some creepy guy comes along and tries to hit on you or say some gibberish. Right, Yosuke?"
Yet another unusually harsh jab at Yosuke. Yu wasn't sure if he'd be able to get along with Saki now.
"Why are you asking me?" Yosuke asked. Sure, he hasn't talked to her yet, but surely he wouldn't leave that bad of an impression on her. Not like everyone else in town dislikes him or anything.
"Anyway, my break's almost over, so I gotta get back to work. See ya later!" Saki said as she walked away.
"Wait, senpai! A-About what I asked you the other day…" Yosuke stuttered. He hoped she remembered.
"Oh, sure thing! I'll call you when I'm on my next day off." Saki replied as she continued her stride.
Meanwhile, Yosuke couldn't be any more pleased.
"YES!" Yosuke cried in joy as he pumped his fists in the air.
"What's got you so excited?" Chie asked.
Yosuke turned and flashed movie tickets for a romantic spy movie while making a victorious peace sign with his free hand.
"So, you asked her out to a movie? You must really like her." Yu said. He wondered if Yosuke was blind to the fact that Saki didn't seem to like him back.
"Yeah. She says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than me." Yosuke explained as he sat back down, "She has a younger brother, and she pretty much treats me the same way. I'm hoping going to see this movie with her will change that."
"Oh, I see." Chie smirked, "The scion of the invading chain and the liquor store's only daughter… oh the flame of forbidden love!"
"C-C'mon, it's not like that!" Yosuke blushed.
"If you are deadest on Saki-senpai, all the more reason for you to try the Midnight Channel out, right?" asked Chie.
"Again, with that…?" Yosuke groaned
"Hey, I'm just saying you should check it out." Chie retorted.
"Narukami, you aren't seriously considering this, are you?" Yosuke asked the transfer student.
"Well, I haven't finished unpacking yet, so I might as well tune in," Yu said, to Yosuke's exasperation.
Yu thought it was a hoax too, but there was no harm in humoring Chie.
"Awesome! That's two against one, Yosuke! We're checking this thing out tonight!"
"Ugh… fine."
Following this exchange and finishing their Takoyaki, the trio parted ways from Junes and went home.
On his way home, Yu took a casual walk around the shopping district. He remembered the few open shops and decided to take a quick peek at them. He was interested in what the bookstore offered and thought about purchasing a book or two. There was also a shop selling medicine and a Chinese restaurant. Needless to say, there were some interesting places to visit in the shopping district.
"I'm telling you, I'm not interested. Now leave me alone." a familiar voice demanded.
Yu spotted Yumi as she calmly walked away from a duo of Yasogami male students. They were definitely hitting on her.
"Looks like Konishi-senpai was on the money when she said Tsukikiri would attract creeps." Yu thought.
"C'mon, we just want you to hang out with us. Is that so wrong?" one of the creepy-looking students asked as he and his friend trailed behind her.
"We know a great place, and it's cheap. You can say we're experts on the hottest places in Inaba." the other creep said.
It didn't take a genuine to know where their eyes were wandering.
"I sincerely doubt that. Besides, I've already given you my answer, so you're only wasting your time trying to impress me. Good day, and don't bother me again." Yumi warned coldly.
Yumi's cold dismissal made the two male students angry. One of them grabbed Yumi's shoulder.
"Hold it!"
Yu was wondering whether or not he should step in, but he saw that he didn't need to.
Quicker than the eye could blink, Yumi spun around and put him in a reverse arm lock.
"Agh! W-What the hell?!"
"I warned you not to bother me." Yumi said, "I hope you and your friend will do the right thing and heed my request this time."
"O-Okay, we'll leave! Just let go!" the first creep begged. Yumi obliged, and the two creepers ran away.
Soon after, Yumi turned to the still observing Yu, "I apologize for causing a scene."
"O-Oh, no…" Yu shook his head, "That was impressive. Where'd you learn to do that?"
"I've… received training from my grandfather. Knowing how to defend oneself is an important part of life. It's a shame Mayumi Yamano couldn't do the same against her attacker."
"So, you know about the incident."
"Yes," Yumi said with a cross expression.
There was that look in her eye again. It was like she was angry that a murder happened at all.
"Were you curious about the incident? Is that why you were going into town?" Yu asked.
"You're perceptive." an impressed Yumi smiled, "But, yes, I suppose you could say that. I was asking questions about Miss Yamano's death."
"Why would you feel compelled to do that?"
"I have my reasons. We'll leave it that." Yumi sighed in frustration. It would appear that her search for answers was fruitless.
"Alright then." Yu nodded in understanding. Yumi seemed to have many things she wanted to hide. "But I am curious about your take on this. Do you think really it was murder?"
Yumi's expression grew more intense, "Undoubtedly. Someone took an innocent life, and that is unforgivable."
"I see…" Yu blinked.
"I'm sorry for being indignant. I am aware that Miss Yamano's affair with Taro Namatame makes that innocence debatable, but it doesn't matter when the culprit is still at large and will probably strike again if left unchecked."
"Are you planning to catch the culprit yourself?" Yu wondered. Despite how impressive her moves a moment ago were, there should be no way a high school girl could catch a murderer by herself. With that in mind, he was beginning to worry.
Seeing Yu's subtle distress, Yumi calmed down and put on her usual composure.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless like seeking out Miss Yamano's killer. Per my grandfather's wishes, I'm here in Inaba to live a normal life." Yumi assured.
While he was relieved to hear her word on that, Yu still felt concerned for Yumi's safety. He hoped she wasn't lying, but one could never be too sure.
"Enough about me. How was your lunch date with Satonaka-san and your new friend?" she asked.
"Well, my new friend, Yosuke Hanamura, took us to this place called Junes," Yu answered, happy to move away from the conversation about the incident. "And it was fine. We didn't get the grilled steak because he couldn't afford the two of us. We got Takoyaki at Junes instead. You know about Junes, right?"
"Yes, I heard some people in the shopping district talk about it. While the convenience of such a supermarket is understandable, it seems some of the residents in this district have less positive things to say about it." Yumi shrugged, "There was also something about a Midnight Channel…"
Yu was a bit surprised that Yumi knew of the Midnight Channel already. She must have gathered a lot of information.
"Satonaka was talking about that too. She suggested we check it out tonight."
"Fascinating. Perhaps I'll verify its claims about soulmates as well."
"You believe it?"
"There are many truths stranger than fiction. As far as we know, this story might be true, and it might be worth investigating. It's not like I have anything else I could be doing with my time right now." Yumi said, "However, there is one small issue. I don't own a television set."
Yu went silent after hearing that, "Why not? Is it because your grandfather's strict or something?"
"No. I've never had a use for one. I don't even own a cell phone." Yumi nonchalantly answered.
"Okay… then how did you get the news about the announcer's death?" asked Yu.
"I either read the newspaper or listen to the radio."
More stunned silence ensued as Yu stared at her.
"The radio?" Yu asked.
"The radio," Yumi repeated.
At this point, Yu thought there was old-fashioned, and then there was this. He never knew there was a teenage girl out there who could live a life without a TV or cell phone. It made him wonder what kind of man her grandfather was that he allowed her to live like this.
"A-Anyway, how are you going to check on the Midnight Channel if you don't have a TV?"
"I'll figure something out. Anyway, I should be going. See you at school." Yumi bowed, turned on her heel, and walked away.
Yu was left confused.
"I guess tonight will be interesting, to say the least." Yu sighed to himself.
[-Later: Dojima Residence-]
After his lunch date at Junes, Yu returned home, where he and Nanako waited for Dojima to come home. He hadn't come home the previous night because the recent case had him tied up at work.
Eventually, he did make it home, to Nanako's initial excitement.
"Ugh… what a day…" groaned an exhausted Dojima as he stumbled into the living room, "Did anything happen while I was gone?"
"No. You're late again!" Nanako scolded her father.
"I'm sorry. I've been busy at work." Dojima said as he collapsed on the couch, "Can you put the news on for me?"
Nanako complied with her father's request and turned the TV on with the remote.
The news reported a follow-up to the Namatame/Yamano affair and Yamano's body discovery.
It made Yu wonder if the incident and the affair were connected.
"In addition, we bring you an exclusive interview with the local student who found Miss Yamano's body." the newscaster said.
"An interview with the kid…? Where the hell did they find her?" Dojima asked while yawning.
The scene switched to a reporter who recorded his less-than-professional interview with the high school witness who discovered Mayumi Yamano's corpse and pestered her with questions related to the deceased despite her nervousness.
They blurred her face and altered her voice so viewers wouldn't recognize her, but Yu felt like he had seen her before. Looking closely, she resembled Saki Konishi, Yosuke's crush.
Eventually, by the time the news was done reporting and commentators making their statements, Yu and Nanako noticed Dojima had fallen asleep on the couch.
Yu and Nanako decided to let the Dojima patriarch get his rest.
While Nanako decided to take her bath first, Yu went up to his room to prepare for tonight's main event.
[-Midnight-]
It was the dead of midnight.
After he finished unpacking his belongings and having his room organized, Yu was dressed in sleepwear, waiting patiently for Chie's fabled Midnight Channel to come on.
His small TV set was placed on top of one of the shelves in his room. He had it turned off, and his room was dark. He checked outside to see the heavy rain. Everything was set in motion.
Now to wait for the TV to turn on and see what happened.
However, after a few minutes of waiting and doing nothing but staring at his recollection on the screen, Yu gave up.
"Yeah, right…" he muttered. Of course, this was a waste of time. The Midnight Channel was just a silly superstition, which meant Chie got excited and made him curious about nothing. It was almost as believable as ninjas still existing in the modern day. With that in mind, Yu decided it was high time to go to bed.
However, the sound of the TV flickering on caught the silver-haired boy's attention.
The clock struck exactly midnight, and simultaneously, the TV's screen lit up in an ominous golden-yellow hue.
"Huh?" it was subtle due to his stoic nature, but Yu was shocked by what he was witnessing. The Midnight Channel wasn't superstition.
At first, there was static, but it took only short moments for the screen to come into focus.
Someone appeared on the screen. However, their face was still obscured by the static. The person on screen was undeniably female. Yu could tell that much. Not only that, the person was wearing Yasogami High's female uniform. She appeared to be moving erratically. Behind her was what looked like a store and a few vending machines.
Around the same time Yu was watching the screen as it faded out, lightning struck outside.
Before he could process what was happening, Yu felt his head throbbing and his ears ringing. It caused him to stumble around the room.
Through it all, he could only hear a voice. It was like his own but deeper and menacing.
"I Am Thou… Thou Art I… Ye Who Shall Opened the Door…"
Clutching his head in pain, Yu tried to steady himself, so he instinctively reached for the TV.
The moment his hand touched the screen, his hand went in, and immediately felt something pull his arm in. His body lurched forward as his head and most of his upper body was pulled into the TV. Luckily, with his free arm and leg, Yu used his all strength to pull himself free from whatever was inside the TV that grabbed him.
In doing so, he fell back and bumped his head on the coffee table in the middle of his room.
"Augh…!" Yu groaned, now caressing the back of his head. The throbbing and ringing subsided after he pulled away from the TV.
Soon after, he heard footsteps approaching his room. Dodging by the smaller sound compared to the adult Dojima, it was Nanako.
"Hey, are you okay? I heard a loud crash," Nanako said from behind the door.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay." Yu answered, "Sorry I woke you."
"It's okay." Nanako replied, "Well, goodnight."
She went back to her room after that.
Now alone, Yu pondered what just happened. TVs don't normally activate on their own, and it was especially impossible to go inside a TV.
"What the hell was that…?"
Unbeknownst to the silver-haired boy, a certain buxom girl was watching from the window in Yu's room, hidden in the shadows. She was shocked by what she had just witnessed as well. She had seen a great deal during her training days, but nothing quite like this.
Lyall the Werewolf: That's chapter 02. You know, I thought having Yumi join in on the Midnight Channel discussion, but then I thought she would be more interested in finding out more about Mayumi Yamano's death. Naturally, she didn't find out anything too important.
Also, we'll focus on Yumi more in the chapter.