6/19
It was a beautiful Sunday, and Yui called Chie and Yukiko asking if they wanted to hang out. After they both agreed, Yui had them meet her at the Samegawa River. Yui decided that the three of them should go swimming in the river, to make up for not being able to during the camping trip.
"I was going to do this on my own at one point, but it's more fun if we do it together." Yui stated.
"Sounds good to me. Though I hope Yosuke doesn't see us here." Chie replied.
"Eh, whatever. He's already seen us in our swimsuits. Are we ready?"
The girls quickly got changed and stepped into the deep end of the river. Yui floated atop the water and invited Chie to join her. Chie responded by grabbing her hand and treading water with Yui. Yukiko giggled as she swam around the two, and they spent a solid hour playing in the river until they decided it was enough, drying themselves off and changing back into their normal clothes.
"Hey, thanks for inviting us, Yui. That was fun!" Chie told Yui.
"I'm glad you two had fun. See you tomorrow then!" Yui said with a smile and a hug.
"Goodbye!" Yukiko said.
That evening, Yui ate dinner with Dojima and Nanako, watching an entertainment news program.
"That concludes Rise Kujikawa's statement regarding her hiatus from the entertainment industry. As we are short on time, please keep any remaining questions brief." An agency spokesperson says.
"Are you facing physical problems that require your leave?" A magazine reporter asks.
"No, I'm perfectly healthy…" Rise responds.
"Mental health, then?"
"No, nothing of that sort."
"Is it true you'll be staying with your relatives in Inaba, where the murders have been taking place?"
"Huh? I…"
"Is it true your family runs a tofu shop? Will you be helping the family business?"
"Alright, that's enough questions! Clear out, please!" The spokesperson states.
"I didn't know Rise was from Inaba." Yui commented.
"Yeah, we're going to be pretty busy keeping the public away from her." Dojima replied.
Even though Yui usually paid little attention to celebrities and the like, even she couldn't have avoided hearing about the idol Rise Kujikawa, better known by her stage name, Risette. It was all any of her classmates would talk about back at her previous school. Even the commercial that was playing after the news coverage was for a drink product called Quelorie Magic, starring Rise in an attractive swimsuit.
"I'm tired of diets! Enough with going to the gym! Good thing there's something even I can handle!" Rise chimed as she took a sip from the can.
"Those drinks never work as advertised. Nothing ever replaces dieting and exercise." Yui thought as she shook her head.
That night, as Yui tried to fall asleep, a sudden, looming idea came to her, denying her of peaceful rest.
"The TV. They were all on TV..."
6/20
Everyone at school was chatting about the news that Rise Kujikawa was quitting the entertainment business and coming to live in Inaba. Yui and her friends were in on the conversation as well.
"It just goes to show how tough being an idol is." Yosuke stated.
"I usually don't pay attention to celebrities, but Rise seems like a nice girl. Can't help but notice someone that sincere." Yui responded.
"So you're a fan of her too? Isn't she such a cutie pie?" Yosuke said, a bit too excitedly.
"Ugh. Some of us are a bit more reserved when it comes to admiration…" Yui said as she turned up her nose.
"Cutie pie? Really? What are you, an old man?" Chie groaned.
"The news said she was going to her grandmother's tofu shop, Marukyu Tofu. Our inn serves their tofu from time to time." Yukiko told her friends.
"Does that mean I can meet Rise if I go to the tofu shop?" Yosuke eagerly asked.
"Good luck with that. I'm sure you won't be the only one clamoring for a spot in line." Chie replied.
"Hey, everyone?" Yui spoke up.
"What is it, Yui?" Yukiko asked.
"I wasn't really sure when to bring this up, but last night I had this dark, sinking feeling in my mind. Lost sleep because of it. It was after I saw Rise on TV."
"Huh? Why's that?" Yosuke asked.
"I think...I think I'm noticing a pattern in the kidnappings. I don't have any way to confirm my suspicions, but hear me out. When was Kanji put into the TV world?" Yui explained, rubbing her head as she processed her thoughts.
"It was...May 17th." Chie answered.
"Right. And a couple days before that, Kanji was being featured in the news on TV. I was thinking back to when Yukiko was kidnapped. When that happened, she was on the news as well, being interviewed. Was Saki and Yamano the same way? I don't know if I'm crazy or what, but what if THAT'S the thread that connects them all?"
"Wait. Are you saying all the victims appeared on TV before ending up in the Shadow World?" Chie asked.
"Yui, I'm not dismissing your theory or anything, but this is far from the first time Rise's appeared on TV. And what could she possibly have to do with the incidents? Even Kanji had that thing with the scarf Ms. Yamano bought from the textile shop, so at least there's a slight relevance." Yosuke stated.
"I know. I know how crazy it sounds. I myself don't fully believe it. But it's just such a weird coincidence, I can't stop seeing it." Yui muttered.
"If it makes anyone feel better, it seems that Rise and Yamano didn't have a personal connection. They were on the same show once or twice, but that's it." Yukiko stated.
"It doesn't make me feel better, unfortunately. If what I'm sensing is correct, Rise might be the next target! I...I don't want to take that chance."
"I'm not sure I understand what we're going on about." Kanji spoke up.
"I'll try to explain it the way I understand it from Yui. If Yui's right and Rise is next, that lets us rule out the notion that all the kidnapping victims have to be related to the first case. That means the killer's true method is selecting people who have appeared on TV recently. Did I get that right, Yui?" Yosuke restated.
"Yes. That's all correct." Yui said with a nod.
"Alright. Then it's settled. We all have to keep a close eye on Rise!" Yosuke said.
"Please don't spy on her, Yosuke. We likely won't have to go to such lengths." Yui said disparagingly.
The conversation would have to be left off there for the time being, as class was about to start.
After class, Yui came up to Yosuke and asked him if he could stay over at her home for a while. Yosuke seemed a bit surprised at this, before Yui explained that she had been on edge since last night, and she just needed someone to take her mind off of it. Yosuke agreed to it, and they both left for the Dojima household.
When they got there, Yui sat at the table and took a deep breath.
"So...this is where you live, huh?" Yosuke asked.
"Sure. It's pretty cozy." Yui replied.
"So what did you want to do?"
"I'm not sure. For now, if we could just sit around, that's fine enough by me."
"Just sitting around? We could at least talk about things, right?"
"As long as they don't have to do with the investigation, sure."
Yosuke took a seat at the table with Yui, hoping to find things to talk about.
"It's been a while since we've hung out like this. How have you been lately?" Yosuke asked.
"Pretty alright, all things considered. Though we didn't appreciate what you did at the camping trip." Yui replied.
"Come on, I was just looking forward to swimming with my friends." Yosuke defended himself.
"Sure, no ulterior motives, right?" Yui said sarcastically.
"I've basically given up trying to get with Chie and Yukiko. But aren't I still allowed to say when a girl is pretty?"
"I guess, but some girls appreciate a bit of subtlety from time to time."
"Did you and Chie push me in because I was flirting with you? I'm sorry about that. I probably shouldn't have done that, since you already have a boyfriend."
"I never said–" Yui began to say before stopping herself.
"Fuck! Why did I open my mouth?"
"Wait, what?" Yosuke asked.
Yui paused for a moment, deciding whether to continue this line of conversation or not. It was better than having to talk about the other things that troubled her.
"*sigh* OK, do you mind if we talk about this in private?" Yui said.
"Uh, Nanako's with her friends right now. This IS in private." Yosuke pointed out.
"I know, what I meant was, let's go to my room and talk. I'd feel more at ease doing that."
"I can go in your room? I mean...if you say so."
Yui lead Yosuke to her room, though Yosuke was a bit eager and barged in before she could enter. Yui briefly scolded Yosuke for his rudeness before going back to the conversation.
"So this is your room? It's pretty tidy." Yosuke commented.
"Yeah. If anything it's too tidy. As an artist, it ought to be way more messy and cluttered." Yui replied.
"I think it's good to be clean and organized. You're better than me, that's for sure. So what were you going to say earlier? I thought you said you had a boyfriend?"
"I said I had a date."
"What's that supposed to mean? Wait, is it like a friendly date, like going out to lunch? Is it a platonic thing?"
"Ugh, you are so dense sometimes!" Yui growled in frustration.
"I'm sorry! I'm just happy for you and all. But seriously, what's the problem here?" Yosuke said in an exasperated voice.
"Yosuke, I said I had a date because I was trying to hide the fact that they're not a boy." Yui calmly answered.
"They're not?"
"I'm a lesbian, Yosuke."
"Oh." Yosuke said flatly, almost as if he wasn't surprised.
Yosuke stared out the window, and Yui could almost hear the gears in Yosuke's head turning as he processed what he had just heard.
"So when I said you were pretty at the camping trip...I made you uncomfortable because you didn't like boys that way?" Yosuke slowly said.
"Honestly, Yosuke? That would have made me uncomfortable even if I were straight. You're very forward, to a fault." Yui replied.
"I'm so sorry, Yui. I didn't know."
"Of course you didn't. Everyone just assumes you're straight by default because most people are."
"But you know what? That's cool! I'm totally cool with that! I'm happy for you."
"I don't know Yosuke, you seem to act weird around Kanji. I'm pretty sure he's not even all that into you."
"I mean, I sure hope not. Hey, whatever happened to that boy he was talking to that one time?"
"The one with the blue jacket and hat? I don't know. Whatever, that boy wasn't into Kanji anyway, it seems."
Yosuke looked around the room for a few moments before looking at Yui, then casting his gaze away from her again.
"Yosuke, what's wrong?"
"Um...this is going to sound really weird, but...where do you keep your stash?"
"Excuse me?" Yui said as her eyes narrowed.
"You know...material. For when you're...lonely…" Yosuke awkwardly mumbled, regretting each word that he spoke.
"Ah, I get it now. Pervert. Assuming girls keep dirty magazines like boys do." Yui said jokingly.
"I...wait, they don't?"
"Well, I'm sure some of them do. But I'll let you in on a bit of a secret. This stays between us, alright?"
"Uh...sure!"
"Erotic novels are more our thing. That's right, pictures are too explicit for us. We want to leave things to the imagination, unlike some people who just want a quick fix." Yui whispers, as though the walls were hollow.
"I don't understand. How can a book be erotic?"
"I'm not going to explain it. I doubt you'll be convinced."
"Have you invited your girlfriend into your room yet?"
"I should, shouldn't I?"
"Yeah!"
Yosuke took a breath and started to speak more genuinely.
"It really is great that you've found someone, partner. I've thought about trying my luck more, but I'm not sure I need that in my life right now."
"There's a lot we're dealing with at the moment. I started dating because the opportunity was there, and I knew I could manage it. I appreciate you understanding some of your priorities."
"Catching the killer and bringing peace to the town. It's up to us. I'm glad we can count on you to lead us."
"And I'll keep trying my best!"
Yui thanked Yosuke for being with her today, and after talking for a bit longer, Yosuke left to take care of his own personal matters.
6/21
It was a rainy day. Perfect for browsing for art supplies and clothes, Yui figured. And as she collected paints and brushes for her next project, she spotted a familiar face in her peripheral vision.
"Is that Rise? Didn't think I'd see her here. Those glasses aren't doing much to disguise her though…"
Indeed, although Rise wore more mundane clothes than an idol might wear in public, her face was all too recognizable if she wished to keep a low profile. She seemed to be a bit paranoid as she quickly glanced around the store, as though she felt a million eyes staring at her, witnessing her every move. Rise picked her purse up from the floor and quickly departed, unwittingly causing her phone to fall from the outside pocket.
"Oh no! She dropped her phone!"
Yui ran over to pick up the phone, looking back up to catch a glimpse of Rise. She thought of calling out to her, but quickly remembered that Rise was likely trying not to draw attention to herself, so Yui simply stayed quiet and attempted to meet up with her. She did her best to scoot around the other shoppers while she kept her sight on Rise. Rise, sensing that something was amiss, began to pick up the pace, much to the dismay of Yui.
"Don't run, please! I'm just trying to help you!"
Yui quickly apologized to anyone she bumped into as she tried to keep up. Rise eventually stopped to enter an elevator, clearly to get away from her "pursuer". Yui was able to force herself into the elevator just as the doors began to close and hold out Rise's phone.
"Hey. You dropped your phone earlier." Yui explained.
Rise stood in shock and surprise as everything began to make sense. She took the phone from Yui's hand, almost hesitantly.
"Why didn't you say anything? I thought I was being stalked!" Rise exclaimed.
"I'm really sorry. I was going to call your name, but I realized that would draw attention to you. I figured you probably didn't want people to come up to you in public at this time." Yui said with a shrug.
Rise seemed impressed by Yui's thoughtfulness, standing side by side with her, waiting for the elevator to descend.
"My name's Yui. I'm an artist." Yui told Rise.
"Oh. I see." Rise simply replied.
"I like your dress. It's very pretty."
"Thank you. This was picked out for me."
"They have good taste."
The elevator arrived at its destination, prompting Yui to leave.
"Nice getting to meet you. See you around." Yui said as she waved goodbye.
Rise could only wave back as the elevator doors closed.
"Wow. I can't wait to tell Chie about this!" Yui thought to herself with a smile.
Since it was raining tonight, Yui decided to watch the Midnight Channel to see if anyone appeared. Once the clock struck midnight, a shadowy image appeared on the TV screen. This time, it took the form of a girl wearing a swimsuit, striking sultry and provocative poses. Yui felt her breath catch in her throat as she realized who it was.
"That's...that's Rise Kujikawa! Oh no…"
6/22
"I'm telling you guys, that was Rise on the Midnight Channel!" Yosuke told his friends in class.
"Are you sure? She looked different than she usually does." Chie said skeptically.
"No Chie, I agree. Remember that this is a Shadow being shown on the Midnight Channel. They're reflective of the dark parts of ourselves we hide away. Of course, it'd be different than what we expect of someone." Yui stated.
"See? Yui knows what's up! I just know it's Rise. Those shapely hips...that awesome rack...those incredible legs!" Yosuke exclaimed.
"Yosuke…"
"Huh?"
"First: You're getting off track. Second: Keep your filthy thoughts to yourself, please!"
Yosuke instantly grew red in the face and coughed as an apology. Though his gaze still wandered judgmentally toward Chie's legs.
"Hey! If you don't like my legs, then don't look at them!" Chie growled, pulling down her skirt to cover her legs.
"Nonsense, Chie. You have wonderful legs. Yosuke's just being rude." Yui told Chie, a hint of flirtation in her voice.
Chie smiled and glanced away as her cheeks turned pink.
"Hey, shouldn't we be going to that tofu shop?" Kanji asked.
"Yeah. Me and Yukiko have to go take care of something though." Chie stated.
"Can I come with you two?" Yui asked.
"If you want. We shouldn't take too long."
"Alright, that means we're gonna go on ahead and check on Rise at the tofu shop!" Yosuke said.
"We'll meet with you there." Yui said as she left with the other girls.
"Now remember, Kanji. This is an investigation. No getting caught up in chatting with Rise or anything like that." Yosuke told Kanji as they walked to Marukyu Tofu.
"Are you trying to tell that to me, or yourself?" Kanji asked.
"Look at that!"
Yosuke and Kanji saw up ahead the numerous fans crowded around the shop, hoping to get a glance at the famed Risette. Some police officers were present at the scene, doing their best to control the spectators and keep them from getting too close.
"That's a lot of obsessed fans." Yosuke commented.
"Add yourself to the mix while you're at it." Kanji jabbed.
Yosuke and Kanji stood by and waited for the rest of the crowd to disperse, having gotten bored or satisfied with their visit and going home. Once it was just Yosuke and Kanji left, they made their move and entered the shop.
"Do you want to order something?" Kanji asked.
"Uh, I actually can't eat tofu." Yosuke admitted.
"Seriously?"
"I can eat ganmodoki though. What kind of food is that again?"
"That's...that's fried tofu with vegetables…"
"Oh right. I'm fine with that."
Yosuke and Kanji saw a girl wearing an apron and a kerchief over her head working in the kitchen.
"Hello?" Yosuke called out.
"Yes? What is it?" The girl said as she turned to look at them.
Yosuke hadn't recognized the girl at first, but his eyes doubled in size when he realized who he was talking to.
"No way! That's...that's Risette! I'm actually talking to her!"
"Hey. Are you Rise?" Kanji asked bluntly.
"Very upfront, huh? Yes, it's me." Rise replied flatly.
"It's really you! THE Risette!" Yosuke exclaimed.
"Are you going to order something?" Rise asked.
"Uh—yes! Sorry about that!"
Just then, Yui entered the tofu shop, having gone ahead of Chie and Yukiko after helping them out.
"Hey you two! Oh, hello Rise!" Yui greeted.
"Oh! It's you from yesterday!" Rise said in surprise.
"You've met her already?!" Yosuke asked.
"We'll take 6 orders of ganmodoki." Yui told Rise.
"Oh cool! I was about to get ganmodoki myself! How'd you know I wanted that?"
"Lucky guess. You seem like the type of person that doesn't eat much tofu." Yui said with a shrug and a grin.
"Wow. OK…"
Rise went to get the ganmodoki that was put on the display shelves.
"Yui, Rise seems strange. She's nothing like she is on TV." Yosuke whispered.
"No. I didn't expect such a thing. I'm sure she's tired from all the attention." Yui explained.
Yui walked up to Rise and asked her politely:
"Rise. Have you noticed anything strange lately?"
"Strange? Like stalkers? Are you guys fans as well?" Rise asked.
"Well, not me personally. But this guy sure is." Kanji replied.
"Why'd you tell her that?" Yosuke angrily asked.
"Maybe you should stop checking her out. Not doing you any favors." Yui whispered with a glare in her eyes.
Yui turned her attention back to Rise.
"Have you heard of the Midnight Channel?" Yui asked.
"That show that was on last night?" Rise clarified.
"Huh? So you've seen it then?" Yosuke asked further.
"Yes. I've heard the rumors. But I promise you, the girl on TV wasn't me." Rise stated.
"What makes you so sure?" Yui questioned.
"I've never been filmed wearing that swimsuit before. And...her boobs were way bigger than mine…" Rise admitted, seemingly in shame.
"Oh. I can see that." Yosuke said without thinking.
Yui proceeded to elbow Yosuke in the side, as an indirect way of saying "eyes off!".
"Listen. We have reason to believe that people who appear on the Midnight Channel get kidnapped soon afterwards." Yui explained.
Rise stared at them in disbelief, her eyes occasionally glancing at the floor.
"It's a lot to take in, I know. But we're not lying." Kanji assured Rise.
"That's why we thought you should know about it." Yosuke stated.
"I see. Alright, I'll be careful. Arigato." Rise thanked them.
Rise wrapped up their ganmodoki and handed it to Yosuke, who then handed Rise the payment. The three of them said goodbye and quickly left.
Later in the day, Rise was visited by none other than Dojima and Adachi, who had some things to say to her.
"Your receipt's in the bag. Thank you very much." Rise said politely.
"If it ever gets rowdy again, give us a call, OK?" Adachi told Rise.
"If you don't mind, there are some things I'd like to ask you." Dojima stated.
Rise nodded in response.
"It's been pretty dangerous around Inaba lately. Have you noticed anyone suspicious lately?"
"No. It's been like it always has."
"Right. I'm sure you have to put up with fans, paparazzi and stalkers a lot. I was wondering, what made you take a break from show business?"
"Does it really matter? I just needed rest…" Rise replied, rather unconvincingly.
"I understand. I don't mean to alarm you, but you have a lot in common with the recent victims."
"You're saying I might be kidnapped, right? I know. I've been told that already."
"Huh? Someone told you already?" Adachi asked.
"It was a group of high school students."
"Did one of them...how do I say this? Did he look like a gang member?" Dojima asked.
"Um, yes actually. I'm very sorry, but I have a lot of work to take care of, so if you'll excuse me…"
Rise went back into the kitchen, not wishing to participate in conversation any longer. Dojima and Adachi left the tofu shop and discussed between each other.
"Do you think she was talking about your niece and her friends?" Adachi asked.
"It's strange. I only came here on a hunch to warn her about the murders and kidnappings. How could a bunch of high school kids who know less than we do beat us to it?" Dojima thought aloud.
"Are we gonna be in trouble if we can't come up with anything? The prefectural police are coming soon to…" Adachi began to ask.
"They're the least of your problems! Stay focused." Dojima commanded.
"Ah! Right!"
6/23
Yosuke informed his friends that they were going to do a stake out and keep watch over Rise. Despite her initial protests, Yui eventually agreed to it. After buying some snacks for the group at the Shiroku Store, Yui, Chie and Yukiko met back up with Yosuke and Kanji, who were standing near Marukyu Tofu in a rather suspicious manner.
"See anyone strange?" Yui asked.
"Besides this guy? No." Kanji replied.
"Very funny." Yosuke said with a sigh.
As Yui gave them the snacks they asked for, she saw a familiar face standing nearby: Adachi, who appeared to be eating takeout from Aiya's. Yui couldn't help but feel like this was weird somehow, especially when Adachi seemed to break into a sweat when he realized he was being noticed.
"Adachi? What are you doing here?" Yui finally asked, causing Adachi to surrender the act.
"Ah! It's you! I was just...walking around. Doing some legwork, you know? I figured I'd order some food to keep my energy up." Adachi explained.
"Man, I don't want to be near the cops…" Kanji muttered.
"So...if you don't mind me asking, what are you kids doing?" Adachi asked.
"We wanted to see Rise." Yosuke told him.
"I see. I'm actually supposed to monitor the tofu shop, as it so happens."
"Then that works out for all of us!" Chie stated.
"Chie, I…" Yui began to say before silencing herself.
"I can't bring myself to argue with her at the moment. Still, I don't really want Adachi to know what we're up to…"
"Hey guys! Look! Rise's coming out of the shop!" Yosuke called out.
Yui and the others turned their attention to Rise, who was dressed in a summer hat, blouse and jean shorts and walking over to a nearby store to check out some magazines and other such items. When Rise left to go to another place, the group noticed an odd looking man spying on Rise from an alleyway.
"Who's that? Is that him?" Chie asked.
"Must be!" Yosuke stated.
"Alright then! Hey, you! C'mere!" Kanji shouted as he ran at full sprint towards the man.
The man shrieked in terror as he started to make a run for it, the whole group now giving chase. Rise stood in confusion as they ran past her.
"Stop running, so I can kick your ass!" Kanji threatened.
"Wait! Don't hurt the suspect! The police will be held responsible and I'll get in big trouble!" Adachi said in a panic.
Kanji, Yosuke and Chie managed to catch up to the man and leapt at him. Chie landed a kick squarely in the center of the man's back, causing him to fall forward. Yosuke and Kanji tackled him and kept him pinned.
"Ow! What are you doing? I'm just a normal Risette fan!" The man cried out.
"Shut up, murderer! You're going to jail!" Kanji shouted.
"What?! Murderer?!"
"Save it for the station. I'm Tohru Adachi, Inaba PD! You're under arrest! Thanks, kids! I'll take it from here." Adachi said triumphantly as he placed handcuffs on the man.
Adachi escorted the man to the police station, leaving the students to themselves.
"So was that it? Is it over?" Yosuke asked.
"We did it, guys!" Chie cheered.
When Chie looked to Yui and Yukiko though, she was suddenly a lot less celebratory.
"Maybe he really was just a fan…" Yukiko muttered.
"Yeah, something about this feels wrong." Yui stated.
"You really think a wimp like that could have kidnapped me?" Kanji asked rhetorically.
Yui and her friends went back to Rise and informed her of what happened, letting her know that, at the very least, a stalker was taken care of. Rise thanked them for their help, and the group parted ways for now.
Yui was sitting near the bank of the Samegawa River, admiring the sunset scenery around her. To her surprise, she saw Rise walking over to her from the road.
"Oh. Hello Rise." Yui greeted.
"Hello. I didn't think I'd find you here." Rise stated.
"I was just resting. This might be one of my favorite places in Inaba. How are you doing now?"
"I'm alright. Thank you again for dealing with that stalker. By now, I'm used to them."
"The fact that you've encountered them so much that you're 'used to them' is alarming, to be honest. No one should have to put up with that, especially idols." Yui said, shaking her head.
Rise opened up a magazine she bought from a store earlier and flipped through its pages, revealing page after page containing various photos of herself in beauty shots, mostly swimsuit shoots. Rise breathed a melancholy sigh as she proceeded to rip out some pages, much to the surprise of Yui.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"This girl that everyone makes such a big fuss over...that's not the real me. Risette is just another packaged product, waiting to be sold to the lowest common denominator."
"It's understandable that you feel that way. But the girl I'm looking at right now is nothing like that girl in the magazines and commercials. I'll be honest, I was never a fan of Risette. But Rise? That, I can get behind." Yui stated as she took a torn page from Rise's hands.
Yui folded up the page into a paper crane to impress and cheer up Rise, which seemed to work well enough.
"That's really impressive! Let me try." Rise said as she started folding up a paper crane of her own.
The one Rise folded was...amateurish, but Yui accepted it all the same.
"Not bad. Sometimes, even the most artificial, manufactured things in the world can be beautiful. There's usually something simple and pure underneath it all."
"Well, it's getting dark. I should be getting home."
"Same. Take care of yourself."
"You too."
That night, as the torrential rain poured through the night, Yui tuned in to the Midnight Channel. The moment she did, she was struck with horror as a clear image came into view. The image was of Rise, sporting a skimpy orange bikini and striking seductive poses on what appeared to be a stage of some kind.
"Maru-Q! Good evening everyone! I'm Rise Kujikawa! I'm a spring flower blooming into a high school idol! To celebrate, I'm going to push the limits of S & P! That's right, I'm going to strip, and bare it all! Ah! I'm so embarrassed! But I want to do it! Stay tuned! You won't want to miss this!" Rise cooed, her voice dripping with spicy lust.
Yui tore her eyes away from the screen, clutching her chest as she wretched.
"God, I did not need to see that…"
After collecting herself, Yui immediately called the others to alert them of the terrible news.
6/24
The moment class ended, Yui and her friends went to search around Marukyu Tofu, as that was likely where Rise was last seen. As everyone looked around the shopping district, Yui managed to find Rise's phone lying in a bush, which she recognized by the charm hanging on it that looked exactly like she remembered when she returned the phone to Rise at Junes. They decided to take this to the TV world and have Teddie use it to track down Rise. They arrived, however, to find Teddie looking rather dejected.
"Teddie? You OK?" Chie asked.
"What? I wasn't crying…" Teddie lied.
"Uh…" Yosuke awkwardly responded.
"Everyone was having fun out there, and you all forgot about me." Teddie complained.
"It's not like that!" Chie defended everyone.
"I'm sorry Teddie. Were you lonely?" Yukiko asked.
"Being here alone with my own thoughts hurt me. I can't even figure out who I am, and the voices from your world were having fun without me." Teddie lamented.
Teddie proceeded to roll around on the floor, listless and forlorn, which left everyone else standing awkwardly, unsure what to say. Yui eventually motioned to Chie and Yukiko to help her comfort the depressed bear.
"Teddie. It's alright. We didn't forget about you." Yui stated.
"Through this whole Shadow World and Midnight Channel thing, we always thought about you." Chie added, patting Teddie on his head.
Yukiko joined in as well, which managed to cheer Teddie up a bit.
"Does this mean I get to score with you all?" Teddie asked.
"Uh, no Teddie. I'm taken." Yui told him.
"Good to see you're doing better." Chie said politely.
"Can we please not talk about the whole 'scoring' thing?" Yukiko asked.
"Well, anyway. Teddie, we're looking for Rise Kujikawa. Have you seen her in here?" Yui asked Teddie.
"Rise Kujikawa? I don't know. Do you have something that belongs to her that I can track?" Teddie responded.
Yui showed the phone to Teddie, who was able to trace the scent to a new area of the Shadow World.
This time, it was the entrance to what appeared to be a nightclub of sorts. One with a rather...immodest atmosphere to it.
"Woah! Is this a…" Chie began to say.
"This is where Rise is, huh?" Yui asked Teddie.
"Yes! Her scent is overpowering here!" Teddie replied.
"Man, it's like one of those places you find in seedy tourist trap towns." Yosuke commented, looking over in Yukiko's direction for some reason.
"Don't look at me! Our inn isn't like that!" Yukiko stated.
"Well, no. It's an inn, not a...strip club." Yui responded, clearing her throat.
"I can barely see a damn thing around here." Kanji bemoaned.
"Oh, you're going to need some special glasses, Kanji. Teddie?" Yui replied.
"Way ahead of you!" Teddie chimed, pulling out a pair of glasses for Kanji to wear.
After Kanji put the glasses on, the team bravely ventured into the club.
"So this is what these places look like on the inside, huh?" Kanji commented as everyone looked around the pink and purple halls that were adorned with large bouquets and glow-in-the-dark paint.
"I only know what these places are like because of romance novels. I don't recommend them." Yui quietly said.
The group heard a sinister giggling as they entered an exhibition room with a semicircular stage in the back and a circular stage and pole in the center, followed by the enthralled announcement of a familiar voice.
"Welcome! Allow me to guide you through this sparkling world of wonder!" The voice exclaimed.
Just then, the main stage rose to reveal not one Rise, but six Rises, each wearing a different outfit, and all smiling in a sinister manner.
"That's…a lot of Risette…" Chie nervously stated.
"And this next show's called: Risette's Dynamite Body! Are. You. All. Ready?!" The voice announced ecstatically.
A seventh Rise rose from the stage, wearing the same swimsuit as her debut on the Midnight Channel. She flashed a very playful smile, but her eyes communicated a different emotion entirely. While almost everyone only stood in awkward silence, Yosuke was far too eager.
"I am!" Yosuke cheered.
Chie kicked Yosuke in the side in response.
"Hardly an appropriate time to be celebratory…" Yui thought.
"Tonight, I'm going to bare it all! Think I'm lying? *giggle* Well, you'll see. You're about to meet the real me!" Shadow Rise stated flirtatiously.
"What's going on with Rise if THIS is how her Shadow's behaving?" Yui wondered.
Shadow Rise began to dance around a pole, continuing to giggle mischievously. Yui and the others could only stare in discomfort at the display, which seemed to annoy the Shadow.
"Hmph! Talk about a dead crowd! Well then, why don't we bring in a special guest?" Shadow Rise stated.
"Special guest?" Yui repeated.
"Please welcome: Rise Kujikawa!" Shadow Rise announced, revealing the real Rise, who was still wearing her apron and handkerchief, knelt down and crying.
Everyone gasped in surprise, and Shadow Rise giggled once more.
"Please stop. That's enough!" Rise begged her Shadow self.
"Rise!" Yui called out.
The team moved in to save Rise, but was blocked by an army of Shadows that descended from above.
"Remember guests, look but don't touch!" Shadow Rise taunted, shaking her hips playfully.
The Shadows began attacking the group, prompting all of them to call upon their Personas. Yui commands everyone to keep the Shadows occupied while she attempts to reach Rise. Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko and Kanji all use their Personas to banish the Shadows, but for every one they get rid of, five more take their place.
"This isn't real! This isn't real!" Rise wept.
"Oh but it is! You want everyone to notice you, don't you? Look at me, everyone! Look at me!" Shadow Rise taunted as she continued to dance around her pole.
"Stop it, you're wrong! That's not how I am at all!"
"You don't think so? Then just who is the real you?" Shadow Rise asked.
The other Shadow Rises cackled, knowing Rise was unable to give an answer.
"I'm the real Rise!" A Shadow Rise chimed.
"No, I'm the real Rise!" Another one stated.
All the other Rises continued in this manner, drowning out any thoughts Rise had coursing through her mind.
"Well? What's your answer?" The swimsuit-clad Shadow Rise asked.
"I don't know! I don't know who the real me is!" Rise cried out, clutching her head.
"I'll tell you who. It's me! I'm sick and tired of putting on a fake smile. Watch me now, and I'll show you who I truly am!" Shadow Rise said as she began to undo her bikini top.
"No! You're not! You're not the real me!" Rise shouted.
"*laughing* Here we go!" Shadow Rise said with a wicked grin, undergoing a dark transformation.
Shadow Rise took on the form of a giant, naked, multicolored woman with a fractal mirror for a face. Her first move was to send out a green electromagnetic wave that scanned everyone in the room, including their Personas. Yui was able to reach Rise with the help of Yumiko, carrying her away from the Shadow and into a safe area.
"Watch over Rise, Teddie. We'll handle this!" Yui told Teddie.
Teddie nodded and watched as the others charged towards Shadow Rise.
"Look at you! You're all so transparent! So predictable!" Shadow Rise giggled.
Yumiko attempted to zap Shadow Rise with lightning, Tomoe tried ice, Jiraiya tried wind, and Konohana Sakuya used fire. All of these attacks were easily dodged by the Shadow, almost dancing around the projectiles.
"Those all missed?!" Chie exclaimed.
"That Shadow scanned us earlier. She can see our every move!" Yui realized.
"Nice try! Now it's my turn!" Shadow Rise taunted.
Shadow Rise tore off the pole she was dancing on and fired several beams of light at everyone's Personas, hurting and knocking everyone away.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Here comes another one!" Shadow Rise gleefully shouted.
Teddie watched in horror as his friends continued to get tossed around. He covered his eyes and shook his head in despair.
"I have to do something! But I have no idea what to do! Why am I so useless?!" Teddie whimpered to himself.
As Yui and her friends lay sprawled on the floor, Shadow Rise scoffed at their condition.
"Hmph! How lame! I think it's time to end this!" Shadow Rise said, readying up one more attack.
"Agh! We're so screwed!" Yosuke cried out.
"Are we gonna die?" Chie asked dejectedly.
Yui crawled up to Chie and wrapped her arms around her, as if for the last time. Chie teared up as she returned her embrace.
"Teddie, forget about us! Just get Rise out of here!" Yui shouted out to Teddie.
"No Sensei! I can't just abandon everybody! I don't want to be alone again!" Teddie retorted.
"Goodbye forever!" Shadow Rise declared.
"Stop it right now!" Rise called out.
Shadow Rise turned to look at Rise, and though the Shadow had no eyes, she seemed to glare straight through her.
"Just leave them alone!" Rise pleaded.
"Annoying little bitch! You want to go first?!" Shadow Rise spat as she aimed her weapon at Rise.
Suddenly Teddie stood straight up, moving in front of Rise protectively as he began to flare up with energy. A growl began to boil within him as he gathered up the courage to face the Shadow.
"What the hell? What's with this energy?" Shadow Rise said in confusion.
Teddie roared with bravery as he started running toward the Shadow, his legs moving faster than his mind. In a panic, Shadow Rise began charging up her weapon, aiming straight at Teddie.
"Teddie, no!" Yui and her friends called out.
Shadow Rise fired off a beam of light at Teddie, but to everyone's surprise, Teddie withstood the attack, pushing closer and closer towards the Shadow. Teddie then jumped into the weapon, absorbing all the energy and causing it to explode. The room flooded with a blindingly bright light as everyone braced themselves. When the light subsided, Shadow Rise had reverted to her original form, and Teddie lay on the floor, flattened and smoldering.
"Teddie!" Yui cried out as she and her friends ran up to him.
Teddie's eyes fluttered open as he regained his surroundings.
"Did I do it?" Teddie asked weakly.
"You sure did, you crazy ass bear!" Kanji said with a proud grin.
"Was I a helpful bear?" Teddie continued to ask.
"You weren't just helpful. You saved our lives!" Yosuke told him.
"We'll never forget this, Teddie. Thank you so much." Yui said happily.
"Teddie?" Rise said as she walked up to him.
"Yes?"
"You saved me." Rise stated simply.
"I know how it feels, Rise." Teddie told Rise.
"Hm?"
"When you don't know who you truly are, and how badly it hurts. But...you don't have to struggle through it alone. I can help you. And so can Sensei and the others…" Teddie said with a strained voice.
Rise looked toward Yui and the others, and they all responded with a smile and a nod.
"I'm sorry I put you through all of this…" Rise apologized.
"It's no problem. Let's get out of here now." Yui reassured Rise.
Rise stood up and walked over to her Shadow self, who was now starting to dissolve away.
"I'm so sorry. I spent so long trying to discover the real me that I didn't realize...there was no 'real' me to begin with. You and all the other Rises, they all make me who I am in some small way. Yes, you are me!" Rise stated, fully accepting her dark self.
Shadow Rise gave one final smile before transforming into Rise's Persona: a tall, white robed maiden with a satellite for a head. The Persona turned into a tarot card with the arcana of The Lovers, which floated down into Rise's hands.
"Is this...Persona?" Rise asked, her voice suddenly weakening.
Yui ran up and caught Rise before she fell to the floor.
"She's completely wiped out." Yui told everyone.
"Yeah, I think we all are." Yukiko pointed out.
"Then let's get out of here and go home." Chie told everyone.
"THERE IS NO REAL ME!"
Everyone spun around to look in the direction of the booming voice and stood in horror at what they saw. Standing behind Teddie was a large, smoky copy of him, with eyes that bore holes in everything he gazed upon.
"Huh? What's going on?" Teddie asked.
"THERE IS NO TRUE SELF!" The creature behind him shouted.
Teddie spun around and gawked in fear at his dark self.
"Oh crap." Kanji muttered.
Shadow Teddie began creating a thick white fog that flooded the entire room.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW? THE TRUTH SHALL ALWAYS BE SHROUDED IN FOG!" Shadow Teddie declared.
Shadow Teddie ripped apart the fog to reveal his altered form: a giant with a caved-in face and eyes that shone like a blood moon. He began to tear apart the stage, causing everyone to flee from the center.
"TRY AS YOU MIGHT TO FIND MEANING, YOU ARE DOOMED TO NEVER KNOW WHAT IS TRUTH AND WHAT IS FALSEHOOD!" Shadow Teddie continued to say.
Shadow Teddie stirred up a storm, pulling Yui and her friends toward his shadowy maw. Everyone held on for dear life, straining against their doom. Rise was jolted from her rest, instinctively grabbing onto something. Teddie however, in his weakened state, was easily blown away and sucked into Shadow Teddie's void.
"WHY BOTHER SEEKING THE TRUTH AT ALL, KNOWING IT IS FUTILE? WHY SEEK ANSWERS WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SEEKING?" Shadow Teddie asked rhetorically.
"Why are you saying this?" Yui called out to the Shadow.
"THE TRUTH WILL ONLY BRING YOU SUFFERING. ALLOW ME TO IMPART ONE TRUTH UPON YOU: YOU WILL ALL DIE HERE!" Shadow Teddie responded.
The storm continued to rage on, ramping up in intensity and tearing apart the room.
"Yui! I have an idea." Rise told Yui.
"What is it?" Yui asked.
"Hold onto Himiko so she doesn't get pulled in!" Rise instructed Yui.
"Himiko? Oh, your Persona!" Yui came to realize.
Rise called upon her Persona, prompting Yui to call her Persona to their position. As Himiko took form, Yumiko sent out a series of bandages to wrap around Himiko and any object she could grasp, anchoring the two in place. Himiko sent out a scanning signal to analyze Shadow Teddie. She was able to pick up Teddie's presence, along with some other force that couldn't be identified.
"What can you see?" Yui asked Rise.
"I can sense Teddie, but there's something else in there!" Rise answered.
"Something else? What could that be?"
Teddie stood in the middle of a foggy void, reeling at his predicament.
"Where am I?" Teddie asked himself.
"THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL FADE INTO NOTHING!" Shadow Teddie responded.
Teddie turned to see his Shadow self, broken and submerged into what resembled the ground. Teddie suddenly began sinking into the floor, causing him to panic and shriek.
"YOU SEE, YOU WERE NOTHING TO BEGIN WITH! YOU HAVE NO MEMORIES OF YOUR PAST. YOU ARE EMPTY." Shadow Teddie explained.
"I'm not listening to you! I'll find the answers myself! You can't stop me!" Teddie said defiantly.
"ANSWERS? THERE ARE NO ANSWERS TO FIND."
"I'll keep looking anyway!"
This declaration was met with dead silence. After a few seconds, Teddie continued to speak.
"I may be empty, but I'm not useless! I don't want to be lost! I don't want to leave them. I won't leave Sensei and my other friends!" Teddie shouted, doing all he could to maintain hope.
"YOU CHOOSE THIS PATH, EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW IT WILL CAUSE YOU PAIN? HOW INCOMPREHENSIBLE..."
"I see it now! Strike there, Yui!" Rise told Yui, showing her Shadow Teddie's core.
"Yumiko!" Yui commanded.
Yumiko released herself and flew towards Shadow Teddie, taking aim at the revealed weak point. Yumiko fired a bandage at the core, piercing through the darkness. Shadow Teddie screamed in agony as he began to crumble away, releasing Teddie and reverting back to his original state.
"Teddie!" Everyone called out as the ran up to Teddie.
"Uuuuuu...I guess I'm alive. But my fur is all messed up!" Teddie complained.
"Hey, it's good to be alive." Kanji reassured him.
"It's hard to believe that even Teddie had a Shadow to face." Chie stated.
Teddie turned to look at his Shadow self one more time. Though Shadow Teddie stood silent and glaring, Teddie worked up the courage to speak again.
"It's tragic, not knowing who you are. And I was so afraid that if I did go looking for answers...I might not find any…" Teddie said quietly.
Shadow Teddie said nothing still, and Teddie continued to pour his heart out.
"But even if I don't find anything, I'm still here! I'm still alive!" Teddie shouted.
"You're not alone, Teddie. We're all here for you. We'll help you find out who you are. Because you're a part of the team!" Yui told Teddie.
Teddie looked at everyone around him, and they all concurred with happy expressions.
"Sensei!" Teddie exclaimed, tears flowing down his face.
Shadow Teddie finally dissolved away, erupting into a blue light that took on the form of a Persona: a round red boiler wearing a blue cape and carrying a large missile. The Persona turned into a tarot card with the arcana of The Star and descended into Teddie's waiting paws.
"My Persona...I have a Persona now!" Teddie exclaimed.
"I sense great power within it. Isn't that wonderful, Teddie?" Rise asked Teddie.
"Yes! It's very good!" Teddie said with a smile.
Yui and her friends finally left the TV world, with Yui and the other girls walking Rise home.
"Thank you for everything." Rise thanked the other girls.
"Rest easy now." Yui told Rise.
"Sure. Though it seems Teddie isn't going to do the same." Rise commented.
Yui thought back to the moment before they left the TV world and giggled, envisioning Teddie spontaneously performing sit-ups and declaring that he would "train to be worthy for his Sensei".
"I'm glad I came to this town. I feel like I belong here." Rise stated.
"You always did. I'm glad you feel that way." Yui replied.
"I'm going to help you find that killer!" Rise proclaimed.
Yui, Chie and Yukiko were a bit surprised by this, but quickly accepted Rise's decision.
"That would be great. Thank you." Yui said approvingly.
Rise said goodbye to the three of them as she walked back towards Marukyu Tofu.
"Let's go home!" Yui told Chie and Yukiko.
Chie wrapped her arm around Yui's while Yukiko followed alongside them.
"Do you two have any plans for the next few days?" Yui asked.
"Why, Yui?" Chie asked in return.
"I'm thinking of arranging a day for the three of us to do something special!" Yui stated.
6/25
Yui invited Chie and Yukiko over to her house after school, after confirming that they didn't have any particular plans for the day.
"Thanks for coming over you two." Yui told Chie and Yukiko.
"No problem, but what's this all about?" Chie asked.
"Remember how I was talking about teaching you two how to cook?"
"You mean to say?" Yukiko asked in anticipation.
"That's right. Today's the day!" Yui announced, reaching into her fridge to pull out the ingredient they were going to use.
After gathering all the necessary ingredients and kitchen tools, Yui got straight to business.
"Alright. I figured it'd be best to just start with a very basic dish. Or rather, two basic dishes. I'm going to have the two of you make two separate dishes, then we combine them into one main dish." Yui explained.
"OK. So, what is it?" Chie asked.
Yui proudly pulled out a package of what they were going to cook.
"Tofu?" Chie said questioningly.
"Exactly. That shouldn't be too hard, right?" Yui asked.
"But, anyone can cook that." Yukiko stated.
"Yes. So prove it. It's a very simple task: cut the tofu into a rectangle and fry the tofu just long enough without burning it. Here's the other food." Yui explained.
Yui held up a generic package of rice noodles and a carton of chicken stock.
"Noodles?" Yukiko asked.
"Maybe you can see where we're going with this. So, which one do you want to cook, Chie?" Yui asked.
"Um...noodles!" Chie replied.
"Then Yukiko is in charge of the tofu."
Yui set the ingredients in the kitchen counter and began writing down the checklist of goals. Nanako came downstairs to see what was happening.
"Onee-chan?" Nanako said.
"Nanako-chan!" Chie and Yukiko chimed.
"I'm teaching them how to cook. Do you want to watch?" Yui asked Nanako.
"Can I help?" Nanako asked enthusiastically.
"Sure you can. These two need all the help they can get…" Yui said jokingly.
Chie playfully shoved Yui, to which Yui only giggled. With that, they got to cooking.
After a little less than an hour, Yui was able to walk Chie and Yukiko through the various steps to making a noodle bowl, from frying the tofu, cooking the noodles and broth, and preparing the various vegetables to be cooked into the soup. It was a bit of a struggle to keep them focused, and Yui had to order Yukiko to put the oyster sauce bottle down when it wasn't needed, but they had successfully made a presentable looking noodle bowl.
"We're done! And it actually looks good!" Yui stated.
"Yes! We did it, Yukiko!" Chie cheered.
"But how does it taste?" Yukiko asked.
"Only one way to find out." Yui told them.
Yui separated the noodles and broth into three smaller bowls, one for her and the other two. They sampled them together, expecting the worst.
"Hm. Noodles are perfect, broth is a bit salty, the tofu is cooked a bit too long, the beef is fully cooked, thankfully." Yui said as she described the dish.
"So, what does this mean?" Chie asked nervously.
"It means you've both succeeded! This is a huge improvement since the curry. Congratulations!" Yui said cheerfully.
"You mean it?!" Yukiko asked.
"I do. And guess what? I had you make just enough for the two of you to take home. Take it, and be proud of it!" Yui told them.
Yui transported the rest of the noodles and broth into two containers for Chie and Yukiko to take home. Chie and Yukiko were overjoyed at their victory, and Nanako celebrated right alongside them.
"Thank you so much for today, Yui!" Yukiko thanked Yui.
"I'm glad we did this. Let's do this again sometime." Yui replied.
Chie gave Yui a warm hug, and Yui happily hugged her back. Chie was so overcome with joy, she gave Yui a kiss on the cheek, to which Yui responded with a surprised breath. When they noticed Nanako giving them a curious look, they quickly separated and stood awkwardly.
"A-anyway, thanks for coming over. Have a great rest of your day, you two." Yui nervously said.
Chie and Yukiko said their farewells before going back to their homes. Yui went up to her room to relax, and to get away from Nanako before she asked her anything difficult. Nanako simply decided to sit down in the living room and watch TV.
6/27
At home in the evening, Dojima was looking through some files on the table, visibly frustrated with something.
"Where is it? It was here before…damn kids don't know who to file data these days..." Dojima muttered to himself.
"What's wrong, Dojima-san?" Yui asked Dojima.
"Oh, sorry. I wasn't talking about you." Dojima apologized.
"Do you need help looking for something?"
"No, it's OK. It doesn't concern you." Dojima insisted.
Dojima glanced away for a moment before explaining his situation.
"There was an old newspaper article I was looking for. It was falling apart, so I had a copy made. But now I can't find the copy anymore." Dojima explained.
"What's the article for?"
"It's an old case. I can't give up on this one yet." Dojima stated.
Yui had some suspicion as to what Dojima meant, but she knew better than to ask any further. Just then, Nanako had come down from her room, clutching her stomach.
"Dad…" Nanako groaned.
"Nanako? What's wrong?" Dojima asked.
"My stomach hurts…"
"Huh?! Was it something you ate?"
Dojima's phone suddenly rings, further frustrating him.
"Who's calling me now?!" Dojima growled.
Dojima begrudgingly answered the phone, his eyes widening as he listened.
"A sealed letter? For me? I'm on my way! Thank you!"
Dojima quickly hung up and looked at Yui.
"There should be some stomach medicine in the first aid kit. Take care of her…" Dojima told Yui.
Dojima ran off and left the house, leaving Yui with the task of caring for Nanako. Yui poured a small dose of stomach medicine for Nanako, and after confirming that it was helping, she sent her back to bed and waited for Dojima to return. When Dojima finally got back home, he appeared to be in a foul mood.
"You're still up? It's late. Go to bed." Dojima said sternly.
"Nanako's OK now." Yui told Dojima.
"Oh? Um...thank you. Sorry, I'm dealing with some personal things."
"It's alright. I understand."
"I mean it though. It's time to go to sleep."
"Of course. Good night."
"'Night."
6/28
Yui was shopping for groceries and other various items at Junes when she caught sight of Adachi. Deciding she could afford some time, she came over to greet him.
"Hi Adachi. Slacking off yet again." Yui said jokingly.
"Oh, hey there Yui. It's nothing like that, really. I need to pace myself with a job like this. It's all about efficiency." Adachi replied, making excuses.
"Yeah, sure…" Yui thought.
"That old lady hasn't seen me today, so that's…" Adachi began to say, before spotting the lady in question.
Adachi attempted to hide himself again to avoid the old woman's view.
"Tohru-chan? Where did you go, Tohru-chan?" The old woman called out.
"I'm right here, mother." A voice responded.
Adachi and Yui turned to see a middle aged man walk over to the old woman. This man was evidently the old woman's true son.
"Have you finished shopping?" The man asked his mom.
"I sure have. Let's go home. I have to cook you some nimono!" The old woman cheerfully replied.
The old woman and her son started to walk out of the store when she spotted Adachi and decided to greet him.
"Oh! Hello, detective! Tohru-chan, this is Adachi-san. He's a police detective." The old woman introduced.
"Hello there. I heard you've been taking care of my mother. Thank you for that." The son thanked Adachi.
The old woman and her son walked away after that, leaving Adachi a bit baffled.
"That's her real son? We don't look anything like each other!" Adachi exclaimed.
"That's pretty funny!" Yui commented.
"Oh well, at least I don't have to talk to her anymore now that her son's here."
Suddenly, Dojima came walking into the store, becoming very irritated upon seeing Adachi.
"Adachi! There you are!" Dojima shouted.
"Aah! Dojima-san!" Adachi shrieked.
"Oh, hi Yui."
"Hi Dojima-san. I was getting some groceries." Yui told Dojima.
"Thanks. I'll see you at home then."
Dojima turned his attention back to Adachi.
"Quit playing with high-schoolers and let's go!" Dojima ordered Adachi.
Adachi quickly followed Dojima without hesitation. Yui went to check out her items and headed home.
6/29
Yui was asked to help out at the Student Health Association again, much to her dismay. Afterwards, Yui saw Naoki Konishi near the school entrance. Wanting to make an attempt to make amends, she came up to greet him.
"Hey." Yui said.
"...Hi." Naoki replied.
"You haven't gone home yet?"
"Well, I felt bad about leaving everyone at the health association while they were still working. Hey, you've got some dirt on your sleeve."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Inventory." Yui said as she looked at her soiled sleeve.
"Um, here."
Naoki walked up to Yui and gave her a cute little handkerchief. Yui used it to quickly wipe off the dirt and gave it right back to Naoki.
"Thanks." Yui said earnestly.
"You're welcome. This was my sister's handkerchief. My mom put it in my bag on accident." Naoki explained.
"I'm sure this handkerchief means a lot to you."
"Sure...sorry for saying I hated you a while back."
"It's OK. I didn't really mind."
"Thank god for that."
"I have some...bad news for you. Or maybe it's good news, depending on how you feel about it."
"What is it?"
"I'm pretty sure you've been fired from the health association. They don't want you coming to meetings anymore."
"Yeah, I figured. Do you want to hang out sometime?"
"I'll think about it."
"OK. See you."
"Yeah."
6/30
Yui had called Chie in the evening, inviting her to go out to the Tatsuhime Shrine, much to the confusion of Chie.
"I don't know what you're thinking, Yui, but this isn't really my idea of a date." Chie told Yui.
"Well, it's a bit complicated. See, I was planning on going fishing sometime in the future, and when I looked up how to catch fish, it said you needed specific bait to catch particular kinds of fish. So that's why we're here." Yui explained.
"But why did you need me out here? And how are supposed to find fish bait at a shrine?" Chie asked.
"I didn't tell you this over the phone, because I wanted it to be a surprise. I need to catch some ladybugs, and I realized, 'Hey, this is the perfect opportunity to get Chie acclimated to bugs'!"
"WHAT?! Hell no! You're not making me touch any bugs!" Chie exclaimed.
"Seriously, Chie? They're just ladybugs. If you can't handle even that, there's no hope for you. Just like in cooking, you have to start somewhere. Oh, here's the spot!"
Yui pointed towards a spot underneath some trees that had a few ladybugs crawling around. Chie squirmed in discomfort, but Yui held her hand and assured her that it would be fine. Taking the net she brought with her, Yui slowly raised the net over the ladybugs to not disturb them, then quickly swung the net onto the ground, trapping a ladybug underneath.
"Yes! Alright, first trial." Yui said as she pulled out the ladybug from the net, holding it out for Chie to see.
"Agh, that thing's huge!" Chie cried out.
"It won't bite. It'll just be ticklish. OK, ready?" Yui told her.
"No!"
"Too bad!"
Yui very gently placed the ladybug in Chie's hand. Despite Chie's immense urge to toss the bug away, she steeled her nerves and gently closed her hand over it. Yui kept Chie calm by wrapping her arms around Chie's waist.
"This...isn't so bad…" Chie whispered as the ladybug crawled around in her hand.
"See? You're doing it, Chie! I'm so proud of you!" Yui encouraged Chie.
"Can I let go now?" Chie said squeamishly.
"Oh, hang on. I just saw another one. Keep holding onto it." Yui told Chie as she walked back to the tree.
Chie couldn't believe Yui right now, but she held firm. She slowly opened her palm to look at the ladybug, and came to the conclusion that it was pretty cute, despite its size.
"I guess you're pretty harmless. I wonder how many predators are always out to hunt you…" Chie whispered to the ladybug.
The ladybug suddenly spread its wings and flew out of Chie's hand, causing her to gasp in surprise.
"Did the ladybug fly away?" Yui asked.
"Yeah. Sorry." Chie answered.
"It's OK. There's plenty." Yui replied, reaching into her net again.
"Alright, I'm ready for the next one!" Chie said bravely.
"OK. Next, let's try a locust." Yui casually said as she held up a locust.
Chie shrieked in fear and reflexively pushed Yui away, causing her to fall over and lose the locust. Chie ran away from the shrine afterwards.
"Hey! Get back here!" Yui called out.
"No way! I'm not doing this anymore!" Chie called back.
"You big baby!"
Yui chased after Chie, accidentally leaving her net back at the shrine. She chased Chie all the way to the Samegawa riverbank, where she finally caught her, wrestling her to the grass.
"OK, OK, you win! That's enough!" Chie laughed.
"Yes? Yes, I won. Cool." Yui joked.
Yui stood up with Chie, brushing the grass off of each other.
"I left my net back at the shrine. I'm gonna have to go back and get it." Yui told Chie.
"Sure thing." Chie replied.
Yui looks at Chie one more time and is suddenly starstruck by how beautiful she looked under the moonlight. Chie notices Yui staring and feels a blush creeping on her face.
"What's wrong, Yui?" Chie asked.
"Nothing. It's just...you look really pretty tonight. I think it's the moon." Yui admitted.
"You think so? It IS a beautiful night out, though." Chie stated.
"It is…"
Yui and Chie held each other by their waists, taking in the incredible scene around them, and admiring each other's presence. Yui could feel her heart beat louder and her breath catching in her throat, and she sensed Chie going through similar emotions. This wasn't at all what Yui planned for tonight, but it turned out to be even more than she could have wanted.
"Chie…"
"Yes, Yui?"
"I…"
Yui brushed her hair away from her face and averted her gaze before having it return to Chie.
"Remember when we were rescuing Rise, and Teddie's Shadow tried to kill us?"
"Oh yeah, how can I forget something like that? Were you scared? I sure was." Chie said with a chuckle.
"I...I thought for sure we were gonna die. And...that terrified me, knowing that could've been our last moment together. That night I had a nightmare that we really did die." Yui said, closing her eyes for a few moments.
"Oh Yui. I didn't realize it affected you that much!" Chie gasped, becoming concerned.
"It's fine now. We survived after all. But what scared me more than anything was the chance that I wasn't going to get to tell you how I truly felt about you."
"You mean?" Chie asked, her eyes widening.
"Yes. I want you to know that…"
Yui pulled Chie closer to her before whispering:
"I love you."
Chie's eyes glistened with joyful tears as she heard this.
"Really?" Chie asked.
"Yes. I do." Yui said certainty.
"I...I love you too, Yui." Chie replied, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Yui cupped Chie's cheek and wiped away her tears, before gently leaning in to kiss her. The kiss was brief at first, but when Yui pulled away, Chie put her arms over Yui's shoulders to bring her in for a longer kiss. Every additional smooch left both of them breathless, and they knelt down on the grass to get more comfortable. When they finally finished, after what felt like an eternity, they stared lovingly into each others' eyes, breathing heavily as their faces grew hot.
"I, uh...wow…" Chie said breathlessly.
"Um...yeah." Yui responded with a smile.
"That was...really nice." Chie stated with a sheepish grin.
"It was wonderful." Yui concurred.
As Yui and Chie started to cool down, Chie held Yui's hands.
"Yui?"
"Yes, Chie?"
"This...this means we're serious now, right?" Chie asked, sounding a bit uncertain.
"I think it does." Yui replied.
"I'm...kind of scared." Chie stated with a small frown.
"Scared of what? Of what others might think?" Yui guessed.
Chie nodded sadly, and Yui breathed a knowing sigh.
"Well, I'm not too worried. No matter what others think or say, it won't change how I feel about you. And I hope you come to think that way too." Yui told Chie, attempting to reassure her.
"OK. You're right." Chie said, her smile coming back.
Yui hugged Chie tightly, and as Chie reciprocated the embrace, she could feel their heartbeats in unison.
"I'm so happy that I'm your girlfriend, Yui." Chie told Yui, her voice breaking from how emotional she was getting.
"I'm happy to be your girlfriend too, Chie." Yui replied.
The two of them stood up from the grass, just now realizing the time.
"We should get home. Our folks are gonna kill us." Yui stated.
"Yeah, we should." Chie agreed.
"See you at school tomorrow."
"You too. Thanks for taking me out tonight."
Yui and Chie shared one more kiss before parting ways and heading home. They both may have had lingering doubts about their future together, but their hearts were soaring too high for them to be of concern. Both Yui and Chie ended up having very pleasant dreams that night.
Author's Note (2-1-23): This one's been on the backburner for a while, and I apologize for that. Though I think it was worth the trouble, as I wanted to get scenes like the cooking session and first kiss exactly as I imagined them. The first kiss scene in particular got me rather emotional, as I think it should. Hope it was worth waiting for.