4/18
Yui and Yosuke were talking about Chie before class started, wondering how she was recovering. As if on cue, Chie walked into the classroom and greeted them.
"Ohayo!" Chie said.
"Ohayo, Chie. How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?" Yui asked.
"I was out cold until this morning. But I feel great now! I wanted to thank you and Yosuke again for everything yesterday." Chie answered with a smile.
"Not a problem!" Yosuke said with a smile.
"The same thing happened to Yosuke, right? What was it like?" Chie suddenly asked.
"Uh, how do I put it?" Yosuke muttered.
"If you don't feel like talking about it, you don't have to. Whenever you're ready." Yui told Yosuke.
"OK, thanks Yui."
"Actually, I've been thinking about it, and I realized I never faced a Shadow of my own when I got my Persona."
"That's right. Maybe there's something special about you?"
"I highly doubt that..."
"Class is about to start. I'm gonna go use the bathroom."
Yosuke left the room, leaving Yui and Chie to converse with each other.
"Our priority is to save Yukiko as soon as we can. Let's make sure we're strong enough to do it." Yui told Chie.
"Yes! We're counting on your help, Yui!" Chie said.
"And I'll be counting on you too. Come to think of it, what was your Persona's name?"
"For some reason, I knew the second she appeared. Her name's Tomoe."
"Tomoe?! The legendary female samurai who disappeared in the Battle of Awazu? Guess it's not too surprising that even your Persona has to do with martial arts."
"Guess not. *chuckle*"
Yui's phone started ringing, catching her by complete surprise.
"What? Who's calling me? Sorry Chie, I need to take this."
"It's OK, make sure you don't miss class."
Yui stepped out of the classroom and answered the phone.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Hello. This is Margaret speaking."
"Margaret?! How'd you get my number?"
"I apologize for the interruption. It's about Marie. She is ready to see you today."
"Can this wait? I'm in class right now."
"I understand. Whenever you are available. That is all I have to say. See you soon."
In class, the current subject being taught was English, by Mr. Kondo, who also taught PE. He had black hair and wore a red tracksuit. He was the only teacher at Yasogami qualified to teach English, as he had spent one week overseas studying it.
"Why don't I give an English pop quiz? Narukami?"
"Yes, sir?"
"What is the most commonly used letter in the English alphabet?"
Yui knew this question easily, having read a few English books.
"The letter E."
"Good! That's correct. The letter E is the most commonly used letter in English. On the other hand, the letter Q is the least used letter. Here's another question for you, if you don't mind. What is the most commonly used noun in English?"
Yui had to think about this one for a little longer before answering.
"The word 'time'."
"That's it! You know, English is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world. It's also the official 'language of the sky'. All pilots must communicate to each other and air traffic control in a special form of English, known as 'Aviation English'. So if any of you ever wish to work at the airport, I suggest you pay close attention!"
After class ended, Yui told Yosuke and Chie that she had an "important meeting", and suggested that they train or do something else to prepare for Yukiko's rescue. After saying goodbye to them for the day, she made her way to the Velvet Room.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Margaret greeted Yui.
"Hello Margaret. Hi Marie." Yui greeted back, making sure to get Marie's attention.
"Hi. What are you here for this time?" Marie asked in an uncaring tone.
"Marie, you must be more polite." Margaret scolded.
"More polite? What's that supposed to mean?" Marie spat back.
"Trouble child, huh?" Yui commented.
"Yes, she is far too unruly for me to handle." Margaret said with a sigh.
"Why'd you take her in then?" Yui asked.
"You say that as if she has nothing to do with you." Margaret replied with a chuckle.
"I'll be honest, I've been getting the sense that her presence in my life is more important than what I've seen so far."
"Nothing in this room happens without purpose. It is inseparable from your fate. You and Marie had already met before you encountered her in this room, correct?"
"That's right."
"Encountering one who is not of man, and communicating with her. Your fate has led you to this meeting. Where will this meeting lead? We too are interested in this outcome."
"Not of man, huh? I knew it. But then, what is she really?"
Marie only sat in her corner of the Velvet Room, staring at the floor and avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"Marie's understanding of the world in which you live is incomplete." Margaret stated.
"So what you're telling me is you want me to take her off your hands and show her around, right?" Yui replied.
"Is that OK, Marie?" Margaret asked.
"Whatever…" Marie muttered, not looking up from the floor.
"Do you not want to go, Marie?" Yui asked.
"It's small, it's dark, The Nose never says anything, and it's stuffy in here." Marie responded.
"I take that as an invitation then. Let's go!"
"Huh? Really?! Don't you think you're giving in too easily? If you keep this up, I'll have you twisted around my finger." Marie said mischievously.
"It's not against my will, just so you know."
"Well then, let's go."
Yui and Marie walked about the shopping district, stopping in front of Souzai Daigaku as Marie took in a breath of fresh air.
"I can finally breathe now. It's strange. I feel nostalgic...for the smell and all. Why is that?" Marie stated.
"'Nostalgic' implies you've been here before in the past. But maybe it's just the countryside atmosphere? I've never been here before, and I kind of felt like that anyway." Yui replied.
"Is that why? Because it's the countryside? Hmm..."
"Hey, since we're here, do you want to try a steak skewer from Souzai Daigaku?" Yui asked Marie.
"Steak skewer?" Marie parroted as she walked up to the stand.
Marie glossed over the selection of meat, her eyes wide with curiosity and wonder.
"Hey lady, I want one of those skewer things." Marie said impolitely.
"Hello there. That'll be 320 yen, please." The lady stated.
"You can't eat without money?" Marie asked, clearly surprised.
"That's how things work in this world. I'll pay for it, don't worry." Yui told Marie.
"You have money?! That's awesome! You're awesome!" Marie stated, more joyful than she probably intended to show.
"Ah, it's nothing." Yui said with a smile.
At that moment, Yosuke walked by the two and greeted them.
"Yo, Yui! Getting some steak, huh?" Yosuke said with a grin.
"Hi Yosuke. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be training?" Yui asked Yosuke.
"Nah, that's more Chie's thing. I've got my Persona, that's all I really need. Didn't you have an important meeting?" Yosuke replied.
"Well, this is it. I'm showing this girl around town. Call it babysitting, hosting, I'm not really sure." Yui explained.
Yosuke looked over at Marie, instantly struck by how unique she looked compared to others in the town.
"She's cute." Yosuke commented.
"I thought you'd say that. But yes, she is." Yui replied.
"What exactly is going on here?" Yosuke asked.
"She's a friend. What else could it be?" Yui answered.
"Friend? I guess...I don't really know." Marie muttered.
"Hey, I'm Yosuke Hanamura. I'm her friend. Her partner, you know?" Yosuke told Marie.
"Woah, Yosuke! A friend for sure, but partner? I don't know if we're that close." Yui interjected.
"Partner? You mean, like a close friend?" Marie asked Yosuke.
"She's a close friend to me, at least." Yosuke replied.
"Well, I guess after seeing what you went through and helping you through it, yeah I'd say we're closer than regular friends." Yui thought aloud.
"Exactly! Hey, what's your name?" Yosuke asked Marie.
"Uh...Marie." Marie simply stated.
"Marie-chan, is it? You want a steak skewer? This one's on me!" Yosuke said cheerfully.
"Oh good. I was just about to pay for it myself, but if you insist." Yui said.
"Anything for you two! I got a little extra in my last paycheck!" Yosuke said as he walked up to the stand and paid for steak skewers.
"You mean he'll buy it for me? Is that alright?" Marie asked Yui.
"He's doing it out of kindness, so of course it is. Though I wonder if he has any ulterior motives. This is Yosuke, after all." Yui answered.
"I don't know what you mean."
"You'll know once you get to know him."
"Three steak skewers please!" Yosuke told the lady at the stand.
Yui, Yosuke and Marie all ate their skewers. Though Yui wasn't crazy about them to the extent that Chie was, she put on a show of being enthusiastic to please Marie and Yosuke.
"So Marie, what'd you think of the local specialty?" Yosuke asked Marie.
"It's really weird. It's tough, hard to bite into, and it got cold while I was eating it...it was delicious!" Marie stated.
"Oh, uh, that's good. It didn't sound like you liked it at the beginning there…" Yosuke nervously said.
"I don't think she's ever eaten anything like it. Is that correct, Marie?" Yui asked.
"Why is it called steak anyway? Is it short for something?" Marie asked.
"It's short for Beefsteak." Yui explained.
"Beefsteak? But if you drop the word 'beef' from it, you don't get any sense of what it's made of. It should be like 'Fsteak'." Marie stated.
"That's...not much better." Yosuke commented.
"Bifuteki...fusuteki…" Marie muttered, attempting to make sense of the name.
"Marie's a strange kid, isn't she Yui?" Yosuke whispered to Yui.
"You have no idea." Yui replied.
"Well, that makes her cute, I guess." Yosuke stated.
"Are you crushing on her now?" Yui asked.
"Um…" Yosuke suddenly falls silent.
"You eat this every day? No fair." Marie asked.
"Well, not every day. But you could?" Yui replied.
"I should have come earlier…" Marie commented.
Yui, Yosuke and Marie pass the time with small talk, quickly getting to be good friends. After some time, Yosuke checks his pockets, coming to a panicked realization.
"Ah crap! I forgot my key in my locker at work! I gotta go back! See you, Yui-san! You too, Marie-chan!" Yosuke exclaimed as he ran off back to Junes.
"Your 'partner' is a funny person." Marie commented.
"He has a good heart. That's why I stick around." Yui stated.
"That's true. He bought me meat. That makes him a good person. That is fact." Marie replied.
"Uh...if you say so." Yui said, opting to let Marie have her fun.
Marie stood up from the table, eager to see more of Inaba.
"Hey, let's go somewhere else. Somewhere with a nice view." Marie told Yui.
"Somewhere with a nice view? I think I might know a place." Yui responded.
Yui brought Marie to a hill overlooking the town, though she lost sight of Marie wandering around several times before she did.
"Mm...it's very green here." Marie commented.
"It is spring after all." Yui stated.
"Green, green, brown and...darker green. Leaves of green fly away, Farewell to you, clouds of the sky. I fly as well, lost as the day, Farewell to you, moon of the night." Marie mumbled.
"I didn't know you were a poet." Yui told Marie.
"N-No! I wasn't making up a poem! It's just some words I was thinking, that's all." Marie stammered.
"Why are you embarrassed? For someone who hasn't seen much of the world, those were poignant words." Yui complimented.
Marie fell silent and looked away, awkward and frustrated.
"ShutupIhateyoustupidjerk! Don't snoop on me!" Marie spat.
"Hey, come on now." Yui said, feigning hurt.
"Oh!" Marie said as she ran to the edge of the hill, her attention now fixed on the view.
"What do you think?"
"It's pretty big. I don't know why, but I feel good about this place. It reminds me of something." Marie told Yui, enraptured by the beautiful sight.
"Nostalgic about a place she's probably never been to. I wonder what that's about…"
"Are there any more places we can go? I want to see more." Marie said.
"Sure there are. I can't always be available, but I'd be glad to show you." Yui replied.
"I notice a lot of things when I'm with you. It's pretty fun."
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."
Truthfully, Yui was enjoying company with Marie as well. She certainly hadn't expected a random girl she met at the train station to be so interesting and strange. She was eager to see how Marie would react to seeing more of the world.
"So, where to now?" Marie asked.
After a couple more hours of wandering around the town, Yui escorts Marie back to the Velvet Room. After saying farewell, Yui heads back home.
4/19
After classes ended, Yui walked down to the first floor of the building, passing by the bulletin board on her way to the entrance. A flier pinned to the board caught her attention:
SIGN UP FOR BASKETBALL OR SOCCER CLUB TODAY
Basketball...though Yui didn't play it for very long, she did participate in some games back in the city. While she wasn't the biggest fan of sports, she figured that it was a good opportunity to get stronger for when she and her friends save Yukiko. With that thought in her mind, she made her decision.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Mr. Kondo said to the basketball club members.
Basketball club was being held in the school gymnasium, the white lines marking the basketball court worn from the friction of sports shoes (and normal shoes for that matter).
"You have a new teammate! You all know Narukami Yui, right? She's from the city, so I'm sure she's got some moves she's just waiting to show off! I'd say this season is in the bag! I'm even thinking about making her team captain!" Mr. Kondo introduced Yui.
"I think you're overselling me a bit, Mr. Kondo…" Yui thought to herself, trying not to appear nervous.
"Here Yui, why don't you say something to the team?"
"Hi everyone. I actually haven't played in a while, but I'm excited to practice with you all." Yui said to the team.
"Just go easy on us, OK?" A player nervously responded.
"You don't have to worry, trust me…"
"Well, you guys can take it from here. I've gotta go check on the soccer team. Narukami, you can just watch for today, alright? I'm taking off now." Mr. Kondo said as he left the gym.
Yui watched the players practice for a bit, observing their movements and patterns and finding herself impressed by their general agility. After a while, the players called it in for the day and left the gym, with the exception of one player who came up to Yui to say hello.
"Hey." The boy greeted.
"Hey." Yui greeted back.
"Whatdja think of your first day here?" The boy asked.
"I couldn't help but notice there were only boys here. I hope I'm not going to stick out." Yui replied.
"It's cool. We're happy to have a girl in the club for once. I'm Kou Ichijo. I'm a second year student, same as you. Nice to meet ya." The boy introduced himself.
"Same."
Kou Ichijo had dark blue hair and grey eyes, wearing a black and yellow basketball uniform with the name "Yasogami" emblazoned across the front.
"Oh, hey Daisuke!" Kou called out to a male student who had entered the gym.
"Hey Kou, aren't you done yet? Oh, is this the new girl?" Daisuke asked Kou.
"That's me. The transfer student. I see my name is going around more." Yui said to Daisuke.
"I'm Daisuke Nagase. Nice to meet you." Daisuke introduced himself.
"Yui Narukami." Yui introduced herself in return.
Daisuke had short brown hair and brown eyes, wore a navy blue P.E. uniform, and had a bandage on his nose. It was almost self-evident that he and Kou would be friends.
"I'm on the soccer team. Second year. Kou and I go way back."
"Yeah, too far back. I'm getting sick of seeing your face!" Kou jested.
"Huh, did everyone take off early like usual?" Daisuke asked.
"I felt like they didn't spend much time playing. I'm guessing that's a frequent thing?" Yui asked.
"I suggested that we work on rebounding, but they were all like 'that's too tiring'. So all we did was take a few shots. But I shouldn't scare Narukami with my bitching on her first day." Kou explained.
"That doesn't sound like strong team spirit. Maybe I can help with that." Yui commented.
"Sounds great, we have a lot of members who don't show up to practice, but basketball's fun. You've played before right?" Kou asked Yui.
"I admit, not a whole lot. I played it a little back in the city, but not much. I'm actually doing this so I can get stronger." Yui explained.
"Well, thanks for being honest. Still, I can't wait to play you!" Kou stated.
"I'm looking forward to it." Yui said with a smile.
"Basketball's a simple sport, but if you do it right, I'm sure you'll toughen up. Sometimes it sucks being such a small team though…"
"Are you stuck polishing the balls again?" Daisuke asked Kou.
"Yeah, while they go to their parties, I get to stay here and play with balls. I love them balls..." Kou replied with a knowing smirk.
"Classy…" Yui muttered.
"I'll help you out. Let's get it done and get out of here." Daisuke said.
"I'll help too." Yui added.
"You'd do that? You're a real pal, man!" Kou said exuberantly.
After helping Kou and Daisuke out, Yui headed straight home.
4/20
Today's subject was classical literature, taught by a Mr. Hosoi, a man with grey hair, square glasses, and an orange sweater. There would be nothing particularly noteworthy about him, if not for the fact that he doted a hand puppet that bore a striking resemblance to himself, a gift made for him by his wife that he proudly took along with him.
"Since this is our first lesson, why don't you show me how much you already know? Hana-chan, tell me what 'The Temple of the Golden Pavilion' by Yukio Mishima is about. I get the feeling you're not much of a reader." Mr. Hosoi asked Yosuke.
"Hey! I read! I mean, not books, but…" Yosuke stammered.
"It's about a guy who burned down the Golden Pavilion in 1950, told from his perspective." Yui whispered to Yosuke.
Yosuke relayed what Yui said to Hosoi, seemingly satisfying him.
"Very good, Hana-chan! You're more literary than you look. The novel is about the historical burning of the Golden Pavilion in 1950. The arsonist was a Buddhist acolyte, who was portrayed in the novel as being obsessed with beauty and had a, well, burning desire to destroy it. The Golden Pavilion was rebuilt in 1955, one year before the novel was published. Very convenient timing, wouldn't you say?" Mr. Hosoi lectured.
"Phew, thanks Yui. You're a lifesaver!" Yosuke thanked Yui.
"Sure, but it wouldn't kill you to read a book every now and then, would it?" Yui jabbed.
"Noted…"
After class, Yui paid a visit to the bookstore in the shopping district, as she heard that there was a sale going on. She ended up purchasing a few books for studying, including a book about methods to study more efficiently, a book on how to fish, and a novel called The Lovely Man. Seeing that she had some money left over, she also decided to buy a romance novel called "Red Geisha", a book she would make sure to hide away from Dojima and Nanako. After paying for the books, she went back to the school and asked Yosuke to hang out with her, which he happily agreed to.
Yosuke brought Yui back to Souzai Daigaku to have her try their steak croquettes, a breaded and deep fried treat that was, like the skewers, rather tough.
"Maybe I don't have good bite strength, but the croquette is still rather good. I never would have thought to cook steak like this." Yui said to Yosuke.
"Sticking chunks of steak in croquettes. It really is the countryside, isn't it?" Yosuke chuckled.
"We should take Chie here next time. I assume she likes the croquettes as well?"
"She says they're 'tender and juicy'. Like what? What are her teeth made of?"
"Titanium. Or at least that's the running theory."
A pair of women walked by Yui and Yosuke, gossiping to each other at a volume that they probably didn't realize was audible to the students.
"That boy's from Junes. Yasogami High School, right?"
"His classmate went out of business."
"This shopping district could shut down, and yet…"
As the women walked away, Yosuke quickly turned to Yui and made a joking comment.
"Sorry about that. I'm pretty infamous around here." Yosuke said with a nervous smile.
"That's not very fair to you. All you do is work at Junes. That must be tough for you." Yui told Yosuke.
"Not really. It's mainly my parents. I'm not personally involved, so there's nothing I can do about it." Yosuke responded.
"It must get annoying having to hear it so often though."
Yosuke shrugs, putting on a bold facade of indifference.
"I don't think there's a single person in Inaba that doesn't know me. I don't mind, but it sucks that I always gotta mind my manners." Yosuke stated.
"You only get to be young for so long. Why worry yourself with pleasing people that don't care anyway, right?"
"Heh, I guess you're right. I'm gonna order another croquette. You want another one too?"
"I'm...fine, thanks. Girls have to watch their diet."
"Not Chie though. Even with how much she eats, she's fit and spry."
"How nice that must be. I'm a little jealous."
Yui arrived home to find Nanako watching a quiz show on TV, quickly realizing that Dojima wasn't home. A mischievous thought crossed Yui's mind.
"Nanako, I'm thinking of going to buy some food. Be good while I'm gone, OK?" Yui told Nanako.
"Hm? OK. Don't be late!" Nanako replied.
With that, Yui left the house, hoping to explore nighttime Inaba. She found it to be rather pretty. The Samegawa river had a tranquil ambiance to it, and the shopping district, while mostly quiet, had a few stores open that dimly lit the cloudy night. Though Yui had told Nanako that she was going to get food, she didn't know if any stores were open that sold anything to eat, so she walked along the street to find out. She saw one restaurant that appeared to be open, as well as her friend Chie standing at its doors.
"Hey Chie!" Yui called out.
"Oh! Hey Yui! What are you doing out here at night?" Chie asked.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Well, I was going to go home, but I'm tempted to eat something at Aiya."
Chie was referring to the restaurant they were standing in front of, a Chinese diner that served mainly Chinese dishes, including steak bowl, chow mein, and tofu dishes.
"You have a Chinese place?!" Yui exclaimed.
"Sure do! They're open late at night. Want to order something? Oh, but maybe we shouldn't. My parents will wonder why I'm not hungry when I get home."
"Chie, we're both out and about when we should probably be at home. I think it's fair to say we're breaking a few rules here. Come on, show me what they've got."
"OK, if you say so!"
Yui and Chie step inside Aiya to be greeted with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, filled with the pleasant smell of noodles and beef. After Yui and Chie order chow mein and steak bowl, respectively, they sit down at a table for two and chat.
"So do you mind if I ask again why you're still not a home?" Yui asked Chie.
"Well, the truth is...I can't relax when I'm at home. Hell, I can't relax no matter where I am. I can't stop thinking about Yukiko…" Chie explained.
"Right. But that's why we have to make ourselves stronger, both in mind and body, to give ourselves the best chance we can have. Yesterday, I joined the basketball club, and today I bought some books to read at home."
"Basketball club? Neat. Me, I've been practicing some martial arts techniques, even at home."
"That sounds dangerous."
"That's the point, isn't it?"
"Not what I meant."
"What kind of books do you read?"
"Oh, all kinds of books. Classic literature, romance novels, and of course, manga."
"Quite the bookworm, huh?"
"I consider myself more of an artist. But reading inspires me to think beyond my surroundings. Show me glimpses of the world around me, while still leaving much of it to the imagination. TV just isn't capable of that. It's explicit, and also filtered. TV shows you what people generally want to be shown, and not much more."
"Wow. That's pretty insightful."
"There's a danger to it though. Too much time spent alone with books and drawings, and you start to get a little delirious."
"You sound just like a famous artist!"
"Maybe that's just part of the deal."
"Hey, thanks for talking with me Yui. I feel a little better about all this." Chie said with a smile.
"I'm glad I could help." Yui said with a nod.
After receiving their orders and heartily eating their meals, Yui and Chie said their farewells and headed home, eager to get some sleep for the school day ahead.
4/21
Yui went to Basketball Club as soon as classes were over, eager to practice and get stronger. Today, she actually got to play, sporting the basketball uniform and going back and forth with Kou and the other players. It was more fun than she was expecting, and she appreciated that from her fellow club members.
"Man, I'm hungry. Hey Narukami, you want to go to Junes or Aiya?" Kou asked Yui after practice was over.
"Aiya, definitely. I ate there with Chie one time, and it was great." Yui replied.
"Chie took you there? That's nice."
"You know her?"
"Um...yeah. She's cool. You gotta try Aiya's Hui Gou Rou!"
"You're changing the subject."
"What?"
"Are you friends with Chie?"
"Sure. Why?"
"You sounded...unsure, that's all."
"Hey Kou!" Daisuke called, walking up to Yui and Kou.
"Oh, hey Daisuke. The soccer team's done already? You guys are quick, man. Don't you have cleaning up to do?" Kou said in surprise.
"Yeah, but I don't have to do that stuff. This girl in my class was looking for you. She made something in home ec. She was like 'Kou-chan loves sweets', or something like that."
"Well, I guess I do like sweets…" Kou muttered.
"Well aren't you a ladies' man." Yui commented.
"No no, we're just friends. I just wish she'd stop calling me Kou-chan." Kou quickly replied.
"Why not?" Yui asked.
"It's such a crappy name. 'Kou'. I hate my name."
"No it's not. But if you want me to call you something that isn't Kou, let me know."
"You'd do that?"
"One of my old classmates insisted that we call her 'Midori', even though that wasn't her real name. If it made her happy, I didn't see why not."
"That's actually really cool of you!"
"So, what are you gonna do?" Daisuke asked Kou, referring back to his classmate in home ec.
"I'll go pick them up, I guess. You like sweets, Narukami? I can get you some too!" Kou responded.
"If it's OK with you, then sure. And please, call me Yui."
"Sure thing, Yui! If I mention you, I bet she'll give me even more sweets!" Kou said cheerfully.
4/22
Yui was hanging out with Yosuke once again, and this time, Yosuke decided to bring Yui to a place quite far from Inaba: Okina City.
Okina City was the closest city to Inaba, frequented by Yasogami students due to the shops and sights unique to the city. Yosuke, for whatever reason, had brought Yui here by train to see what the city looked like, saying how it might be nice to "visit a place that reminds you of home".
"What can I say? I'm just a city boy drawn to that urban scent." Yosuke commented.
"Can't say it's the best though." Yui replied.
"What's wrong? You don't like it here?"
"No, it's not that. It's nice to see a place that reminds me of home. But that's just it: it reminds me of home."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"I was fairly popular with my classmates back in the city, but I never really spoke to people. I just kind of stayed in my personal shell and read books, played video games, maybe paint something occasionally. Looking back, I really squandered city life." Yui explained, sounding more sad than she meant to let on.
"Sorry to hear that, Yui. But hey, you've been doing pretty good here in Inaba. That's something right?"
Yosuke phone rang with a sound notification, interrupting their conversation.
"Sorry, I'm getting a text message. Ugh, more spam…" Yosuke muttered as he checked his phone.
"That's always annoying. Not a whole lot you can do about it."
"Yeah. I don't want to change my address again. But back to what we were saying, did I hear you say something about painting?" Yosuke asked Yui.
"Oh well, I'm a bit of an artist. I used to paint and draw and all that, but I started doing it less often. I think I lost the drive to do it, or I was depressed. Maybe I wasn't meant for it."
"Hey, I'm sure that's not true. I'd love to see your art sometime!"
"Thanks, but I don't have anything I'm particularly proud of right now. Maybe someday I will."
"Don't give up on it, OK partner?"
"OK, I won't."
"Alright, let's go buy everyone a souvenir and then head home. It'd suck if something bad happened while we were away."
"Good idea."
After buying a couple small toys, Yui and Yosuke hopped on the train to head back to Inaba.
4/24
Yui put on her casual summer outfit and invited Yosuke and Chie to Junes, hoping to get some snack food. The three of them were chatting and doing their best to have a relaxing moment among themselves.
"Hanging out with you guys here isn't so bad. We can get a discount here if we're short on cash." Yosuke said.
"Thanks for that Yosuke." Yui replied.
"Yeah, thanks Yosuke!" Chie concurred.
"Hey Hana-chan!" A girl called out to Yosuke.
"*sigh* It's them…" Yosuke bemoaned.
Yosuke stood up from the table to speak to two girls who were fellow Junes employees. They had come to him asking for a favor, hoping that he could oblige on account of being the son of the manager.
"Hello Senpai. What is it today?" Yosuke politely asked, doing his best to hide his annoyance.
"I want you to say something to that blockhead manager! I told him I can't come in on Saturdays or Sundays. But he said I have to be here because we're low on staff, and that he'll fire me if I don't!" One of the girls complained.
"Didn't you guys say you could work on weekends during your interviews though?" Yosuke pointed out.
"They wouldn't hire us if we didn't!" The other girl stated.
"Alright, I'll try talking to him…but it'll make things easier for me if you showed up on weekends every now and then. You don't want to get fired, right?" Yosuke conceded.
"We'll think about it…" The first girl said as they both walked away.
"Yosuke-kun! I was looking for you!" A woman employee called to Yosuke.
"Sorry guys, can you give me a minute? I need to take care of this." Yosuke asked his friends.
Yosuke went with the woman to discuss her issue, leaving Yui and Chie to feel sorry for him.
"He really has to please everyone huh? He's not the complaint department!" Chie said.
"So you knew it was like this for him?" Yui asked.
"I didn't realize it was like that for him all the time. Does this have anything to do with his Shadow?" Chie asked.
"It doesn't scratch the surface." Yui answered.
Yosuke came back to the table after finishing his business with the employee, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Yosuke. We wanted you to know you're incredible for taking the time to listen to others, even if they don't necessarily deserve it." Yui told Yosuke.
"Yeah, what she said!" Chie chimed in.
"It's nothing but trouble, I don't know what you guys are talking about!" Yosuke responded, though his smile spoke volumes.
"It really is great though, for you to handle all that even with what lies ahead for us." Yui restated.
"Yeah, once all this stuff with the murders and the TV world was on my mind, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I couldn't bother with much else. Same goes for you guys, right?" Yosuke muttered.
Yui and Chie nodded.
"We have to do the best we can…" Chie stated.
"And we will, I promise everyone." Yui said confidently.
"You know, it's only with you guys that I talk about serious stuff like this. I can be honest. Especially with you, Yui. You've already seen the worst of me and all." Yosuke told Yui and Chie.
"You don't have to only share your troubles with me, you know. We're both here for you, right Chie?" Yui stated.
"Yeah! We're here for each other, no matter what. Yukiko's counting on us, so let's hold each other up." Chie said.
"Aw, you guys." Yosuke said with a sheepish smile.
"Man, I'm still hungry. Can we get some real food, Yosuke?" Chie asked.
"I'll see if I can make a deal to get us a Meat Lovers Combo." Yosuke replied with a knowing grin.
"Yes! I mean, please?" Chie said excitedly.
"Count me in." Yui added.
After eating their food, Yui, Yosuke and Chie hung around the food court a while longer before they all went home.
4/25
As Yui arrived at the entrance of the school, Chie ran up to meet with her.
"Ohayo, Chie." Yui greeted.
"Ohayo! Hey, have you been checking the weather reports? It's gonna rain a bunch by the end of the week!" Chie said in a worried tone.
Yui looked down and contemplated the situation. She knew about the forecast of rain and the possibility of fog soon afterwards, but were the three of them ready to brave the castle again? Chie was ready at any time, surely, but Yui wasn't sure of herself. Her time in Basketball Club wasn't nearly enough to hone her strength.
"I'm not sure I'm ready, Chie. I don't think Basketball Club is going to make me strong enough for the castle." Yui admitted with a regretful tone.
"Are you serious? What do we do then?" Chie asked.
"You've been training on your own time, right? Do you think maybe...we could train together?"
"Wait, really? You want to train with me?"
"You're the martial arts expert, and if I want to get stronger quickly, I can't think of anyone else who can kick me into shape." Yui said with a smile.
"*chuckle* OK then. Let's meet up after school. I'm not going to go easy on you!"
"Please don't."
With that agreement, Yui and Chie headed to class.
After school, Yui and Chie headed to the Samegawa riverbank, on Chie's request.
"Here's a good spot for training! Gotta hone my kicking skills, and you need to hone all sorts of skills." Chie stated.
"Are you throwing shade at me?" Yui joked.
"I'm kidding, but you said you wanted to get stronger, so we have to start somewhere. What did you want to improve?"
"Well that's just it. I know this was my idea, but I'm not really sure where to start. I guess we could start with kicking exercises. You seem to be an expert on that."
"You bet! I tried practicing at home, but my mom and dad yelled at me for putting a hole in the shoji." Chie admitted, an embarrassed expression on her face.
"Good job." Yui sarcastically jabbed.
"Still, we have to train now more than ever, right?"
"Correct."
"You know, I can't stop thinking about my Shadow. I still feel pathetic knowing that it was a part of me." Chie suddenly changed the subject.
"But now you've accepted that part of yourself, and even if you don't like it, that just means you need to better yourself. Become more than the sum of your parts." Yui assured Chie.
"Yes! You're so right!"
"Anyway, kicking exercises. I guess we'll just start with alternating kicks in the air, see how many we can do and how quickly."
"Sounds good. Try and keep up with me!" Chie instructed as she immediately began the exercise.
"No promises, but I'll do my best!" Yui said with a nervous laughter, almost immediately overwhelmed by Chie's speed.
Yui and Chie trained like this for a few hours before calling it a day. They agreed to meet again and walked home partway together.
4/26
Yui and Chie were walking to school together, intent on training together after school again. However, there was one other thing that weighed heavily on their minds.
"You saw the forecast for today right? It's going to rain tonight." Yui told Chie.
"I know. I've never been so worried about the weather…" Chie replied.
"That settles it then. Today, we're going to train hard, and tomorrow, we're going back to the TV world, whether we're ready or not!" Yui stated.
"But hopefully we'll be ready by then!" Chie said with a nod.
Yui and Chie were once again training at the Samegawa riverbank, this time opting to do more intensive exercises in preparation for the rescue mission tomorrow. Chie showed Yui some martial arts techniques that she personally knew, certain poses, stances, and kicks. They were obviously drawn from martial arts movies, but Yui could tell that Chie did her research and that she knew which aspects to teach her. In the span of about an hour, Yui had a basic grasp of a handful of kicks, blocks, and even some punches.
"Now that much I know. When clenching your fist for a punch, keep your thumb over your middle knuckle, and keep your wrist straight. Otherwise, you're more likely to break your hand when striking an opponent." Yui spoke aloud.
"And remember to bend your knees to balance yourself and make it harder to get knocked over. Punches actually start with a lower body movement. Turning your knee inward generates torque for your upper body, giving more power to your punch." Chie explained.
"If we keep this up, we'll be more than ready to save Yukiko. Thanks for doing this with me, Chie. I'm actually having fun with this too!"
"No problem! I'm feeling good about today!"
Just then, Nanako came by and walked up to Yui and Chie, curious to what they were doing at the riverbank.
"What are you doing?" Nanako asked them.
"Hi Nanako-chan! We're training!" Chie told her.
"Training. But who are you fighting against?"
"Um...myself, I guess?" Chie awkwardly answered.
"Aren't we all? We're training with each other, Nanako. It's more fun that way." Yui joked.
"That's cool!" Nanako gushed.
"You think so?" Chie asked with a smile.
"Oh look! A grasshopper!" Nanako pointed out.
A large grasshopper was jumping across the grass, moving towards the group.
"Huh?! A grasshopper? Where is it?" Chie asked, suddenly becoming very panicked.
"It landed on your back." Nanako stated.
Chie shrieked, running around in fear. Yui stood in surprise at the negative reaction Chie had to a grasshopper. Though she didn't really blame her, as the grasshopper was unusually large.
"Get it off me! Get it off!" Chie screamed.
Yui ran up to Chie and carefully took the grasshopper off her back, tossing it a good distance away and watching it hop away without a care.
"T-Thanks, Yui…" Chie said as she calmed down a little.
"You don't like grasshoppers?" Nanako asked Chie, clearly confused at Chie's reaction.
"I can't stand them! Their legs are all spindly, and they're so creepy looking!" Chie responded.
"They're not creepy, they're cute." Nanako stated.
"You're just like Yukiko. She's fine with bugs. I just lose it though. It's pathetic, isn't it?" Chie said with a sigh.
"No, it's cute." Yui told Chie.
"Huh? What are you saying?!" Chie asked in surprise.
"I had a classmate who was afraid of caterpillars. There really isn't anything that people aren't afraid of. Name anything at all, I can bet that someone, somewhere is afraid of it." Yui explained.
"Huh…"
"It's OK. A lot of kids in my class don't like bugs either." Nanako told Chie.
"Oh, Nanako-chan! You don't know how happy that makes me! Thank you!" Chie said with a smile.
"I want to train too!" Nanako chimed.
"You do? OK then, I'll teach you a kata."
Chie taught Nanako a few stances from various movies she saw, simple ones that a child could master. Yui, naturally, played along, but told Nanako to go home when it started getting dark.
"I'll see you at home, Nanako." Yui told Nanako.
"OK, see you!" Nanako said as she waved goodbye.
Yui looked back at Chie, who was muttering something to herself.
"Are you OK, Chie?" Yui asked.
"I have to get over my fear of bugs. I don't want to look like a sissy next to Nanako-chan!" Chie told her.
"It's not about looking like a sissy. We're all afraid of something. But you can't be this scared over bugs when we're about to face something far scarier." Yui stated.
"Yeah, I know."
"Pretend the bugs are Shadows you have to fight. Imagine they're closing in on you and all your friends. Only then will they be worthy opponents."
"Hm, yeah! That's it! Then I'll be able to grab a whole fistful of them...I just gave myself goosebumps…"
"Well, maybe don't bite off more than you can chew. Like you showed me with our training, we all have to start from somewhere."
"Good to know you're learning fast! Come on, just a little while longer!"
Yui and Chie continued to train until it got dark, only choosing to go home when they knew their guardians would start to worry. It seemed that they were as ready as they would ever be for the task that lay ahead.
4/27
Today, the rain was heavy and relentless, and Yui was unable to focus on the lessons being taught in class. All that mattered to her at the moment was her mission. The moment class was over, she stood up from her desk and walked up to Yosuke and Chie. They quickly stood up as well, knowing exactly what Yui was going to tell them.
"Yosuke. Chie. It's time…"
Yui and her friends stormed through the castle halls, dispatching Shadows that stood in their way. Chie showed off both her martial arts and the power of her Persona, summoning Tomoe to slice down Shadows that took the form of paper fish and crimson beetles. Yui was rather impressed by how fearless Chie was being, but it was no surprise, as her friend's life was on the line.
"Come on, up this way!" Yui commanded her friends, leading them up a long flight of carpeted stairs.
"Slow down! Don't leave us behind!" Yosuke called out, Teddie following close behind him.
"Yukiko! Where are you?" Chie called out, desperate for an answer.
Just then, the lights in the castle turned off, blanketing the large room in dimness. Yui and her friends didn't realize it could even get any darker in the castle, yet there they stood on the steps, trying to adjust to the dark. Suddenly, two spotlights turned on, shining their light on a lone figure standing at the top of the stairs.
"Yukiko!" Chie cried out, immediately recognizing the well-dressed figure.
"No, that's not her…" Yui realized.
The figure started laughing at them in a flirty, almost taunting manner.
"Oh my! Surprise guests? Now this is a treat! It's time for the next segment of Princess Amagi's Hunt for her Prince Charming! I wonder where he could be? This place is so huge, he could be anywhere! Maybe he's playing hide and seek in the fog? Oh, it's just so exciting!" The figure hummed.
"What the hell's going on?" Yosuke exclaimed.
"You're not Yukiko! Who are you?" Chie angrily asked the figure.
"How could you ask that? I'm Yukiko, and Yukiko is me!" The figure responded.
"Bullshit! No, don't tell me...you're her Shadow, aren't you? Where's the real Yukiko?"
"Well, I'm off again. Where are you, Prince Charming? Ready or not, here I come!" Shadow Yukiko said as she ran off.
"Hey! Get back here!"
Before Chie could pursue Shadow Yukiko, a bunch of other Shadows surrounded her and her friends, taking the form of ravens carrying lanterns, giant metal dice, and conjoined twins.
"Damn! Get ready everyone!" Yui called to her friends as they all prepared to fight their way out.
"Come on Yukiko. We just want to have some fun. Karaoke, shopping. Please come with us."
"I can't. I'm busy."
"When aren't you busy? You need to let loose more often, you know?"
The two boys talking to Yukiko were being very insistent on taking Yukiko out, despite her protests. It was only when Chie stepped over that the boys turned their attention away from Yukiko.
"Hey! Stop pestering her! She already told you no!" Chie scolded the boys.
"But we just wanted her to hang out with us."
"She said no! What don't you understand?" Chie said with a deathly glare.
"Whatever, let's go."
The boys left the classroom, frustrated and disappointed. Chie turned to look at Yukiko.
"Thank you for that, Chie." Yukiko told Chie.
"It was nothing." Chie humbly replied.
"I mean it. Whenever I need it, you're always coming to my rescue. I really appreciate that. You're so nice, you can do anything…"
"Chie is always by my side, Chie will always be there to protect me, Chie will always be there to save me."
Yukiko jolted awake from what felt like an eternity of sleep, finding herself lying on the floor in what appeared to be a throne room. She had been wandering around and avoiding Shadows for such a long time that she sought refuge in this room, where they seemed to not enter. There also happened to be food and water on dining tables inside, which she survived off of after finding out that they were safe to eat.
"Who was that? Who's there?" Yukiko called out, with only dead silence responding to her call.
The clattering of metal broke the silence, as a red birdcage tumbled down the steps that led to the throne and landed near Yukiko. Yukiko almost immediately recognized that it belonged to her, and a sudden rush of memories washed into her mind.
"Poor thing…"
Yukiko was walking home from school, in a hurry to get to the Amagi Inn to complete the endless chores she was responsible for, when she heard the chirping of a bird in a nearby bush. After concluding that the mother was not coming back any time soon, she decided to take the bird in and care for it herself.
In between the constant work at the inn, Yukiko checked in on the bird, cleaning and feeding it. It had started out very unkempt and dirty, but with time and care, it had grown into a pretty and wonderful orange bird that left Yukiko happy and satisfied, if only for brief moments.
"You're just like I am. We can't live anywhere but here…"
"You can't come, huh? I was really hoping we could get something to eat after school today." Chie said in disappointment.
"I really sorry. I know I keep turning you down." Yukiko sadly apologized.
"Stop apologizing, it's not your fault. It's the busy season at the inn, right? I don't want to nag you. Is everything OK though? You seem kinda down lately."
"No, it's nothing."
"You know Yukiko, you'll own and run that inn one day. That's just how it is, and that's fine. But you don't need to overwork yourself. If you ever need anyone to help you out, I'd be happy to help!"
"Thank you so much Chie…"
Yukiko looked at the open birdcage with sadness in her eyes, realizing that she had forgotten to lock its cage.
"Well, maybe it's better this way. At least it's free now…"
"...unlike me...that's just how it is…" Yukiko muttered, reflecting on her unhappy place in life.
"Would you like to see me? See what I look like? See who I am?" A voice chuckled.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Yukiko called out as she stood up.
"Why don't you see for yourself? See yourself for who you really are?" The voice responded.
The doors to the throne room flung open as Yui, Yosuke and Chie barged inside in time to see both Yukiko and her Shadow self.
"Yukiko!" Chie called out.
"Chie!" Yukiko exclaimed, but was cut off by her Shadow self.
"Oh my! Three princes are here to see me! Why don't you and I go somewhere else? Somewhere far, far away, where no one knows me! If you're truly my prince, you'll take me there, won't you?" Shadow Yukiko hummed.
"Three princes? But there's clearly two girls here. Wait, unless…" Yui stated in a confused tone.
"Is it me? Am I one of the princes?!" Teddie exclaimed.
"No way! Keep dreaming!" Yosuke retorted.
"Hm...yes. You're a very beautiful prince. Or do you prefer to be called a princess?" Shadow Yukiko stated, referring to Yui.
"That's not important!" Yui shouted at the Shadow.
"Oh, but Chie...she's truly my prince. She always leads the way. She made for a wonderful prince...or at least, she used to…" Shadow Yukiko stated, her tone suddenly becoming very contemptuous.
"What?" Chie exclaimed.
"Chie's just not good enough! She can't take me away from here! She can't save me after all! I'm through with you now!" Shadow Yukiko angrily stated.
Shadow Yukiko made a gesture with her arm, raising it up and then bringing it down, which caused a large chandelier to fall from the ceiling, threatening to crush Chie.
"Chie, watch out!" Yui shouted, summoning her Persona to catch the chandelier.
Yumiko caught the chandelier and just barely stopped it from hitting Chie, but the weight of it caused significant injury to her that transferred over to Yui. Yui seethed from the pain that suddenly afflicted her back, falling to her knees.
"Yui!" Yosuke and Chie cried.
Yumiko tossed away the chandelier, causing it to crash into the floor and tear up the carpet. Shadow Yukiko gestured again, lifting the chandelier back up and sending it back at the group. Yosuke summoned Jiraiya to stop the chandelier from hitting them, but ended up getting pinned against the wall, causing pain in Yosuke's abdomen. Yumiko came over to help Jiraiya, dislodging him and the chandelier from the wall.
"Stop it! Stop hurting them!" Yukiko cried out to her Shadow self.
"Historic inn, innkeeper and manager training, I'm sick of these things chaining me down! Locking me in a cage! I never asked to be born here! Where everything's decided for me until I die! I'm so sick of it! To hell with it all!" Shadow Yukiko shouted, becoming increasingly agitated.
"None of this is true! Please stop!" Yukiko cried, begging on her knees.
"I want someone to whisk me far away. Anywhere but here, I don't give a damn. I'm completely useless. I can't leave on my own. I have no hope if I stay here, but no courage to leave. So I sit on my ass and wait for my Prince Charming to come to me! Historic tradition? The pride of the town? Screw all of it!" Shadow Yukiko ranted.
"How dare you say that?!"
"But that's how I truly feel. You would know, wouldn't you?"
"No! It's not true! You're lying!" Yukiko shouted.
"Yukiko, no!" Chie called out in futility.
"You're not me!"
Shadow Yukiko's smile suddenly became even more twisted, relishing in Yukiko's sweet cries of despair.
"*chuckle* What a wonderful feeling! If this keeps building, I'll...I'll…"
Shadow Yukiko erupted into evil laughter, transforming before everyone's eyes. She took on the form of a giant red bird with black hair and a face that mimicked Yukiko's, an elongated neck, and large breasts covered by a white heart-shaped marking. This creature rested inside a giant, ornate birdcage that was affixed to a chandelier with lit candles, suspended in the air by a single chain. The real Yukiko stood in horror as another giant birdcage came down upon her and trapped her, hoisting her up into the ceiling.
"Yukiko!" Chie cried out.
In her rage, Chie summoned Tomoe, allowing her to stand side by side with Yumiko and Jiraiya.
"Don't worry Yukiko, I'll hit her with everything I've got!" Chie muttered.
"Is that so? Then I'll make sure to give you plenty to manage! Come my prince, let's dance, make merry together!" Shadow Yukiko chimed.
Shadow Yukiko launched several feathers at the group that ignited into a huge blaze of fire, surrounding them in scorching heat and setting Teddie's fur on fire. Teddie screamed in panic as he ran around attempting to put out the fire. Jiraiya launched gusts of wind at Shadow Yukiko, to which she responded by ducking inside her cage, mitigating some of the damage. Yumiko attempted to strike at the cage to no avail, and when it became annoying to Shadow Yukiko, she ignited the cage, causing Yumiko to recoil back. During this, Chie and Tomoe were attempting to reach Yukiko's cage to rescue her. Shadow Yukiko took notice of this and swung the cage in their direction, slamming into Tomoe and causing Chie to be launched away, causing her great pain.
The room was becoming quite damaged by the fire, and Shadow Yukiko was no worse for wear, delighting in the pain of the students, while also being frustrated at their inferiority.
"I really thought Chie would save me, but she's not my prince at all! I waited so very long for nothing!" Shadow Yukiko shouted, shooting fire from her chandelier at Chie.
Yumiko flew in the way of the fire, protecting Chie from its fury, at the cost of becoming engulfed in flame. Yumiko and Yui shrieked in agony as the bandages burned, until Jiraya extinguished the flames with his wind. After recovering from her injury, Yui called out to Shadow Yukiko.
"Hey!"
"What is it?" Shadow Yukiko asked, glaring daggers at Yui.
"Maybe Chie isn't your prince. Or princess. It doesn't matter! Chie came all this way and risked her life to save Yukiko. That's proof enough that she truly cares!" Yui boldly stated.
"Silence! I've heard enough from you! From all of you!" Shadow Yukiko shrieked.
The room had now transformed into an infernal trap. Nowhere was safe from the furious fire. Yosuke and Yui stood as still as they could to avoid being burned more than they could manage. Meanwhile, Chie looked on at a teary eyed Yukiko, staring on at her friends helplessly in her cage.
"Chie! Only you can get through to her! It's up to you!" Yui told Chie, though she could no longer see her through the flames.
Chie was already walking over to Yukiko's cage despite the continued burning, her mind set on rescuing her no matter the cost.
"Chie...get out of here…" Yukiko cried.
"No Yukiko. I'm not leaving you. I have to tell you something important." Chie stated firmly.
A wave of fire leaped at Chie, but she withstood the burn and continued to reach out to Yukiko.
"This isn't easy for me to tell you, but the truth is...I've always been jealous of you." Chie stated.
"You had everything. I had nothing. That's why I liked when you depended on me. You actually needed something that I could give you. Being there to protect you gave me a purpose."
"Exactly my point! I'm useless on my own!" Shadow Yukiko argued.
"But that isn't true! You're one of the strongest people I know. You want to escape? Do it then! You can break free from your cage all on your own! Go wherever your heart wants to! Please believe me! I know you can do it!" Chie pleaded to Yukiko, tears forming in her eyes that were quickly dried up by the fire.
Yukiko, despite the heartfelt words of her dear friend, shook her head, doubtful.
"You're wrong Chie. I'm far too weak to leave. It was true back then too. When my bird escaped from me, I was heartbroken. Yes, I forgot to lock the cage, but that bird made the decision and mustered the courage to leave that cage on its own. That bird is so much better than I ever was…"
Yukiko was now shaking, tears continuing to fall down her face.
"I'm weak and pathetic. I'm a coward who waited on someone else to set me free…"
"So what?! You were just scared!" Chie shouted, coughing from the smoke that was invading her lungs.
Despite reeling from her coughing, Chie persisted.
"There are things about me I'm not proud of either. Terrible things that I'm ashamed of. But it doesn't matter. I'll always be there for you! That's a promise! Because you're my best friend!" Chie called out before succumbing to the flames and collapsing to the floor.
"Chie!" Yosuke and Yui cried out.
Yukiko stood up in her cage and walked over to the bars, firmly grasping them in her hands.
"What was I so afraid of before? I have nothing to fear, because I have everything I need!" Yukiko whispered.
Yukiko strained against the bars, pushing them until they broke under her strength, shattering the rest of the cage. Chie looked up from the floor and saw her friend leaping out of the cage and became delighted, standing up and reaching out to catch her. As Yukiko fell into her arms, Chie held on as if the world was crumbling around them.
"Chie, thank you so much!" Yukiko whispered.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Shadow Yukiko shrieked, her cage having been destroyed in the same moment Yukiko escaped her cage.
"Now's our chance! Let's go everyone!" Yui told Yosuke and Chie.
Jiraiya kicked Shadow Yukiko in the back and sent her flying towards Yumiko, who wrapped her up in bandages and delivered a violent shock of lightning before tossing her up into the ceiling. Tomoe delivered the decisive blow by sending a blast of ice at Shadow Yukiko, completely freezing her in a block before she came back down and crashed into the floor, shattering into thousands of frozen feathers. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the rest of the fire in the room slowly extinguished.
"Yukiko, I'm really sorry. I was so wrapped up in my own personal stuff, I didn't notice everything that was bothering you. I should have known better." Chie apologized to Yukiko.
"I was so obsessed with wanting to escape that I didn't notice the things that were bothering you either." Yukiko admitted.
Yukiko looked over to her Shadow self, who only stood by as she slowly dissipated. She walked over to Shadow Yukiko and hugged her, finally acknowledging her existence.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to your voice before. You're right. I did want to escape. That's how I felt deep inside. I understand now...you are a part of me." Yukiko told Shadow Yukiko.
Shadow Yukiko nodded and closed her eyes as she bloomed into a shower of blue light, taking the form of a pink humanoid figure with a white dress and wings made of cherry blossom petals. This figure turned into a tarot card with the arcana of The High Priestess that floated down into Yukiko's hands and disappeared. Yukiko then collapsed, only prevented from hitting the floor because Chie caught her in time.
"Yukiko!" Chie exclaimed.
"Are you OK, Yukiko?" Yosuke asked.
"I'm fine...just a little tired. You all came here to save me?" Yukiko told them.
"Of course we did!" Chie said with a bright smile.
"Thank you so much!" Yukiko replied.
"Oh Yukiko! I'm so glad you're safe!" Chie whispered as she hugged Yukiko again, unable to hold back her tears any longer.
Yukiko returned Chie's embrace and began sobbing as well. This display emotionally moved Yui, causing her to wipe her tears away with her sleeve.
"Oh come on, don't everyone start crying all at once." Yosuke told them.
"Shut up and let us girls cry, Yosuke." Yui scolded.
"Yeah, OK. I'm glad you're safe too, Yukiko." Yosuke stated.
"So, do you know who threw you in here?" Teddie asked Yukiko suddenly.
"Oh? Who are you? What are you?" Yukiko asked the strange bear.
"I'm Teddie! I'm a bear!" Teddie answered simply, though it didn't explain much.
"Hey guys? Let's get out of here! Yukiko looks exhausted." Chie told the group.
"Yes, you're right." Yui agreed.
As the four of them walked away, with Chie carrying Yukiko over her shoulder, Teddie began to panic.
"Wait! You're just going to leave me here?" Teddie asked.
"What are you talking about? Don't you live here?" Yosuke asked Teddie.
"Well, yeah. It's just…" Teddie admitted.
"I'm sorry Teddie. I promise to come back here. So be good until then, alright?" Yukiko told Teddie.
"Really? Raaaaaawr! Yukiko's so nice!" Teddie squealed in delight.
"OK, she promised she'd come back. Happy now? Come on, guys." Yosuke groaned.
With that, the four students left the crimson castle and the TV world, leaving the nightmare behind.
"I'll take Yukiko home, alright?" Chie told her friends.
"Mind if I come with you two? I want to see her home safe as well." Yui asked.
"I don't mind. Thank you Yui." Yukiko replied.
"We'll talk about what happened after you're all better, OK?" Yosuke stated.
Yui and Chie walked Yukiko home through the driving rain, leaving Yosuke to head home by himself. As Yui and Chie arrived in front of the Amagi Inn, they watched as Yukiko ran up to her mother and fell into her waiting arms. Yukiko's mother thanked the two of them for bringing her daughter home, prompting Yui and Chie to head back home. As the two of them walked through the rain, they struck up a conversation.
"Hey Chie. I just want to let you know, you did great today." Yui told Chie.
"Really?" Chie replied.
"Yes. I'm so glad we trained together. Without it, I don't think we would have stood a chance."
"I'm glad too. I couldn't have done it without you and Yosuke. Thanks for being such a good leader to us."
"You think I'm a good leader? Well, thanks. I guess we make a good team."
"You guess? I KNOW we made a good team. I'm so happy things turned out OK."
"Yeah. You know, walking in the rain like this reminds me of the time we walked to school together sharing an umbrella."
"Oh yeah, that was nice. But how come you were hesitant before? You didn't like me standing that close to you, and I still don't get it."
"It's fine now, but the funny thing is, I don't like close contact with people. I just start feeling nervous, like I'll mess up and look silly in front of people."
"Oh, I get that. But hey, it's fine. Eventually, you'll get more used to it."
"We strive to better ourselves each day. Let's do that together."
"Sure thing!"
Yui waited at home with Nanako for Dojima to return, and when he finally did get home, he brought a guest with him.
"We got off work at the same time, so I'm giving Adachi a ride home. I figured we might as well swing by." Dojima explained.
"Hi there." Adachi greeted Yui and Nanako.
"Um...hello…" Nanako awkwardly replied.
"Hi Adachi…" Yui greeted, trying to be as polite as she could.
"Hey, I remember you! You're friends with Yukiko Amagi, right? She's safe and sound now! Be sure to tell your friends!" Adachi explained.
"That's a relief." Yui responded, pretending to not know.
"Yeah, for us on the force too. But we were questioning Ms. Amagi, and she said she doesn't remember anything that happened while she was missing. We can't figure out where she was during that time. It's pretty fishy if you ask me, like something else is going on…" Adachi rambled.
Dojima smacked Adachi, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Learn to shut your mouth, dumbass!" Dojima scolded.
"Sumimasen…" Adachi whimpered.
"I'm hungry." Nanako told Dojima.
"So am I. Let's wash our hands so we can make dinner." Dojima said.
With that, Yui, Nanako, Dojima and Adachi had a lively dinner together before Adachi had to be driven back to his home.
Author's Note (2/9/2022): Lots of character building in this one. As flawed as the anime adaptation was, I quite liked its portrayal of Yukiko's struggle with inn duties, and her feelings of being trapped with nowhere to go, no power over her destiny. This was something that the game mostly suggested. It also helps that Beauty of Destiny is a great song. Also, Chie gets to participate in Yosuke's Social Link here, because I feel they all deserved it.