"So uh… why invite me, Kyoko-senpai?" Kanji asked.
The two of them were sitting on the rooftop of the school, as Kyoko had invited Kanji out to lunch.
"I just wanted to make sure you were alright after… what happened at the hospital a few days ago." Kyoko said. "The chance to ask you never came up."
"Ah, right, that." Kanji rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm doing fine now. Made peace with my mom and everything. Honestly, I was kind of more worried about what happened to you."
"To me?" Kyoko asked.
"Your kid cousin almost got hurt by a sicko entitled jerk." Kanji said. "If I was in your position, that guy's ass would've been grass."
"My Uncle told me that he has a restraining order filed on him, and that he's on suspension from school." Kyoko said. "So I'm quite satisfied."
"You sure? You looked like you wanted to rip his arm off or something." Kanji said. "And I know that feeling."
"I'm fine Kanji." Kyoko reassured him, before she opened her lunch box to show a few candied sweet potatoes.
"Whoa, you made daigaku imo?" Kanji said, impressed.
"We had some leftovers from last night, so I tried doing something." Kyoko said. "One of the lessons I retained from Hope's Peak. Do you want some?"
Kanji took one of them and popped it into his mouth, letting the resounding crunch echo throughout the rooftop.
"Wow, this is sooo good!" Kanji complimented. "My own mom can't cook like this… Mind making my school lunches?"
"I'm going to start making food for everybody at this rate…" Kyoko sighed.
"Hey, Big Sis?"
"Hm?" Kyoko looked up from her schoolwork to Nanako, who had spoken up. "What is it, Nanako?"
"...Why do people die?" Nanako suddenly asked.
Kyoko widened her eyes at the question. "Why are you asking me this?"
"Well, I thought you would know the answer, since you're a detective like Dad, right?" Nanako asked.
"Well I…" Kyoko seemed a bit stumped. "Death… it's quite a terrifying concept."
"You're scared of it too, Big Sis?" Nanako asked.
"It's a natural human fear to be afraid of dying." Kyoko said. "You never know when it could happen. Naturally, or earlier than expected? No one knows. But I always thought, there's no such thing as a meaningless death. There is always a reason someone dies, even if it doesn't seem so obvious."
"I see…" Nanako nodded, trying to understand. "This is hard… but I get it! Thank you, Big Sis!"
"Is there anything else?" Kyoko asked, wanting to make sure Nanako didn't get a wrong idea.
"Well, ummm… Oh, there is!" Nanako said. "What happens to a person… when they die?"
A few months ago, Kyoko would have struggled to answer this. She always believed that there was nothing after death. Once your life ends, that's it. Just… nothing. But with her experiences in this town, and experiencing things that one would've thought to be make believe, she thought differently now. "I'd imagine they go to Heaven."
"So, it is true. Mommy went to Heaven." Nanako smiled with relief.
Kyoko nodded, seeing Nanako happy. She briefly wondered if it was the same for Yui.
"Oh yeah, I saw this on the news: "Robbery at the post office."" Nanako remembered. "Why do bad people do bad things?"
"...I don't know." Kyoko admitted.
"Huh?" Nanako looked confused. "But you're a detective, so shouldn't you know?"
"There's no singular answer, Nanako." Kyoko explained. "Some people commit crimes because they feel forced to. Others just do it for fun. And some people do it by accident. In all my time working on cases, I've never truly figured out the answer to why people commit crimes."
"Well, I guess that's because you're not a bad person, so you don't know." Nanako guessed, a bit relieved. "But if there were no bad people, Dad would be home more…"
"How… often is he away?" Kyoko asked. She never really paid too much attention to how often Dojima was home.
"Last year, there weren't many crimes, so Dad was here a lot." Nanako said. "He used to pick me up from kindergarten… Are bad people more important to Dad than I am?"
Kyoko reached over the table, gently grasping Nanako's hand. "He's protecting you. Just like how I did for you a few days ago."
Nanako looked down at Kyoko's gloved hand holding hers. "...I don't get it."
There was a growing silence, as Kyoko understood Nanako even more.
"...Let's talk about something else, Big Sis." Nanako said.
"Alright. What do you want to talk about?" Kyoko asked, changing the subject.
The two talked for quite some time, before Kyoko put Nanako to bed. The mood had been heavy, but Kyoko noticed Nanako looked more relieved.
"Gah, it's raining cats and dogs!" Sayaka shouted.
She had asked Kyoko to meet up with her in front of the Aiya diner as she wanted to talk to her. Unfortunately, it was still raining very hard that day. Even her umbrella, rain boots and long raincoat clothing combo wasn't doing much to keep her dry. She really hoped Kyoko would come along soon enough.
"Sayaka?" Kyoko stepped forward, holding an umbrella. "Why are you standing out here?"
"Well, I was waiting for you." Sayaka said over the rain.
"You could've waited for me inside." Kyoko pointed out.
"That feels a bit rude." Sayaka said. "Anyways, let's go on in!"
The two entered the diner, closing their umbrellas and putting their coats onto the provided hooks. Sitting down at the table, Kyoko let Sayaka order. For some reason the Ultimate Pop Sensation insisted on it.
"What did you want to talk about?" Kyoko asked, as Sayaka sat down.
"Well, it was raining pretty heavily, and from what you told me, this is normally when the fog comes in, yeah?" Sayaka asked.
"It should roll in by tonight, yes." Kyoko nodded.
"Well with Rise doing alright, we can relax, right?" Sayaka asked. "So I decided to treat you today."
At those words, two bowls were placed on their table. Kyoko looked at them, before her eyes widened significantly. Sitting in front of her was a literal pile of beef. A fried egg was nestled on top of the onions and meat. She presumed there was rice underneath it, but she couldn't see any of it. The whole thing was bigger than her head. "Wha… What is this?"
"Wait, you've been living here for quite some time and you never heard of this?" Sayaka asked, surprised. "I heard it's a pretty big hit outside of town."
"No… most of the time I've either eaten at home or at Junes with the others. I came here a few times with a few of them, but never saw… this." Kyoko said.
Sayaka cleared her throat. "It takes Understanding to accept it as a whole! Knowledge to set the proper pace! Courage to attack the mountain of meat and Dedication to keep on eating! All these skills are needed to finish off the MEGA BEEF BOWL!"
"Why… how expensive is this?" Kyoko asked.
"Well it's on the house if you finish it in one sitting." Sayaka said, picking up a pair of chopsticks. "So get to work, Kyoko!"
"What…?"
"Come on, if you can't handle a big beef bowl, how do you handle all your cases?" Sayaka asked.
"Those two things are not related in the slightest." Kyoko pointed out.
"Well, then build up that understanding, knowledge, courage and dedication!" Sayaka chuckled. "You'll need it for this case, right?"
Kyoko was about to argue, but knew that Sayaka did have a point. She picked up her chopsticks and picked up the first chunk.
"Well… I suppose I don't have another choice." Kyoko said. "And it would be rude to leave this uneaten."
"That's the spirit! Let's do this, Kyoko!" Sayaka grinned.
Briefly tapping chopsticks to signify the start, the two began to eat the beef bowl, feeling their friendship grow stronger.
It took half an hour for them to even make anything resembling a dent. Sayaka's purse ended up being lighter that day.
Sitting on her couch, Kyoko was breathing heavily. She felt quite nauseous from all the meat she had eaten. I need to stop eating so much food, even if it's my friends offering it…
She was so distracted that she had nearly forgotten what night it was. The TV dimly lit up to show a sickly yellow screen, but no one was on it. Relieved, Kyoko leaned back on her sofa. She'd pull herself to her bed later, after most of the food digests.
Walking down the streets early in the morning was Celestia Ludenburg. She was curious about the town and wanted to see what it was like when there were barely any people up and about. But as she walked through the (oddly yellow?) fog, she found herself quite bored.
"There's nothing really out here." Celeste said as she kept walking. "Not that I can even see much."
She stopped by an apartment, having noticed something odd on the ground. There was a noticeable dark spot near the base, far too thick to be a water stain. Hearing the hiss of a cicada from above, she looked up to try and find it… though she ended up finding something else.
Hanging from the top of the water tower was the body of a man. It was clear to her he was dead.
"Well now, I'm sure that's not supposed to be there…" Celeste didn't react with horror. Rather, a small smile made its way to her face as she pulled out her phone to call the police. "It seems this place won't be so boring after all."
Kyoko blinked a few times as she woke up. She thankfully felt a lot better compared to last night. As she gathered her bearings, she heard police sirens going off in the distance.
"What…?" She muttered.
Her phone started to buzz and she picked up to see it was Chie.
"Hello?" She answered the call.
"D-D-Did you hear yet?" Chie asked.
"What happened?"
"They found a dead body just outside the shopping district!" Chie shouted.
Kyoko widened her eyes as her blood ran cold. "What?!"
"I don't get it! I mean, we… Look, we're all meeting at Junes. Come over as soon as you can!" Chie said.
"I'm going to go to the crime scene." Kyoko said. "I'll get to you as soon as possible."
"G-Gotcha! Be careful!"
Hanging up, Kyoko looked out the window. "Someone was killed… but this doesn't make sense…"
Kyoko had told Nanako to stay home, though Dojima had already told her. She drove over to the site on her scooter, only to be surprised that Yosuke and Sayaka were already there.
"Thought you'd show up soon." Yosuke said.
"What are you two doing here?" Kyoko asked, taking off her helmet. "I thought Chie asked everyone-"
"I came over here to confirm things." Yosuke said. "And Sayaka just… kinda invited herself over."
"Hey, it's not the first time I've been in this sort of situation." Sayaka pointed out. "And we felt better backing you up."
"Thank you both." Kyoko nodded. "Do we know the victim?"
"The police got their lips locked, but Adachi-san's talking with the one who made the report." Yosuke said. "That's what Dojima-san told me."
"He… actually told you?" Kyoko said, surprised.
"He said something along the lines of knowing you'd show up soon, so he wanted us to relay that info." Sayaka said. "Told us he was so wrapped up once the report came in that he didn't get a chance to wake you up."
"Who's the witness?" Kyoko asked.
"Dunno." Yosuke said. "But they should be done talk-"
"My my, I didn't think I'd run into both of you at the same time."
Kyoko and Sayaka heard the familiar voice and looked over to see Celeste walking up.
"Whoa." Yosuke said, impressed at the complex dress she had.
"Celeste?!" Sayaka said, surprised. "What are you doing here?!"
"Well I was curious about why you decided to stay longer in this rather pitiful town, so I came here to see why." Celeste said.
"Since you both recognize her, I'm guessing she's an Ultimate too?" Yosuke asked.
"You would be correct." Celeste did a small curtsey. "Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler, at your service."
"W-Wait, that's a talent?" Yosuke said. "But isn't gambling ille-?"
"Only in the surface circles." Celeste said, with a rather teasing smile. "You aren't that well informed, I can imagine."
Sayaka rolled her eyes slightly, hoping Yosuke didn't fall into Celeste's web. "I'll explain things later, Yosuke."
"Come now, I thought you would be more excited to see me?" Celeste smiled.
"I'm holding that mahjong game against you." Sayaka grumbled.
"You… How did you find the body?" Kyoko asked, getting back to the main topic.
"I was on a bit of an early morning stroll when I came across it." Celeste said. "A rather harrowing experience I wasn't expecting in this quiet town."
"Who was it?" Kyoko asked.
"I'm not sure of his name. All I know is that he had quite ugly buck teeth." Celeste said.
While Sayaka looked confused, Kyoko and Yosuke's eyes widened.
"Adult man with a bob cut? Dressed in a blue suit?" Kyoko asked.
"Yes, that." Celeste confirmed. "Rather horrible style if you ask me."
"No way…" Yosuke put the pieces together. "King Moron…?"
"Was that his name?" Celeste asked. "Well, that is rather quite fitting, I suppose."
"H-How can you say that?" Yosuke asked. "He just died!"
"Well, why are you still calling him "King Moron" then?" Celeste asked in return. "That does appear to be a derogatory nickname. Are you glad he's dead, then?"
"Wha-?!"
"That's enough, Celeste. His name was Kinshiro Morooka." Kyoko said. While she was annoyed with Celeste's attitude, she felt an odd connection with her "friend". Something told her she wasn't lying, and this wasn't the normal act she put up. "Yosuke, Sayaka, let's go."
Celeste watched as they left, before looking back up at where she had found the body.
"So Kyoko's already been investigating this, hm…?"
Having gotten everything from the crime scene for now, the three returned to Junes where the others were waiting.
"Guys! Over here!" Kanji called.
They arrived at the table they usually shared.
"So…?" Chie asked, nervous.
"Yeah, it was murder all right." Yosuke confirmed. "The body was hanging upside down on an apartment's rooftop railing…"
"But… how could that...?" Yukiko wondered.
"That's not all. The victim this time…" Yosuke swallowed. "It was King Moron."
The others all stood up.
"K-King Moron...!?" Chie shouted.
"You mean THAT King Moron!? Senpai's homeroom teacher?" Kanji asked.
"Wh-Why...!? What on earth's going on here!?" Chie said, stunned.
"How am I supposed to know!? But we talked to a girl there who saw it!" Yosuke said.
"It was someone Kyoko and I knew, and she wouldn't lie about this sort of thing." Sayaka said.
"It's true…" Kyoko looked at her phone, having gotten a text from Dojima confirming it, and also telling her to stop by the police station when she had time. "There's no mistake."
"Gotta be shitting me… Ain't the killer targeting people who get shown on TV?" Kanji asked. "I ain't never seen King Moron on the Midnight Channel, or any other programs!"
"Why...? Why did this happen?" Yosuke asked himself.
"I thought we finally figured some things out… Were they all just a big coincidence...?" Chie wondered.
"Maybe the Midnight Channel doesn't have anything to do with this…" Yukiko muttered.
"Dammit! We came so far, and now we're back to square one!?" Yosuke cursed. "Were we in over our heads, trying to catch a culprit that even the police couldn't find...?"
"Hey, what kind of talk is this?" Sayaka asked. "It's too early to give up!"
Kyoko nodded. "This isn't square one. Something about this murder… it's bothering me."
"Damn straight! You two said it!" Kanji agreed. "We started this thing 'cause the police can't tell their asses from their elbows. We give up now, and that shithead's gonna be on the loose forever. This ain't the time for bitching and moaning… We just gotta keep on keepin' on."
"Kanji-kun…" Yukiko said.
"Huh… Big talk from someone like you, Kanji." Yosuke said, impressed.
"Wh-What's that s'posedta mean!?" Kanji asked.
Yosuke took a breath to calm down. "I know… We're dealing with a murderer here. But we've all risked our lives to get this far… No way we'll back down. And we promised the bear, too…"
"Hey, that's right! Maybe Teddie knows something about this!" Chie suggested.
"Well, since moping around won't do us any good, let's go see him!" Yosuke agreed.
To the surprise of the team, they found that the electronics department had several staff already there, conversing.
"Huh? There's staff here?" Chie asked.
"Now that's unusual…" Yosuke raised a brow and walked over. "Hi there. Did something happen?"
"Ah, Yosuke-kun." Said a female employee.
"Great timing.' Said a male employee. "Did the manager tell you anything about this? There's been this weird mascot around our department for quite a while now… Is there some kind of campaign on today?"
"Mascot...?" Yosuke repeated.
"He said his name was… Uh, what was it? Terry? Eddie?" The female employee tried remembering.
"Well, there's no customers around, so I guess it's fine…" Said the male employee. "I better get back to my station."
"Please don't tell me…" Yosuke started to realize.
Chie turned to the massage chairs on the other side of the section. "Whoa, h-he's here!"
"Aaaaaahhh. This really hits the spot." Teddie said, as he let the massage chair do its work.
They all ran over, completely surprised.
"Wh-What the…?!" Yosuke choked. "I mean, how'd you…?!"
"It took you guys long enough! I've been waiting." Teddie said.
"Teddie, are you okay on this side!?" Yukiko asked.
"How did you even leave your side!?" Kanji asked.
"...wait, have you never considered he could just come out?" Sayaka realized.
"Of course I can come out. There's an exit. It just never occurred to me to do it before." Teddie admitted. "But spending time with you all sparked my curiosity about this world! I did wonder if it was a good idea, but my feet started moving before I could decide. And when I thought about it, I had nowhere to go, and it was a waste to go back. So I waited here for you. Oh, someone asked for my name. So I told them, "I'm Teddie.""
"So that's why…" Chie realized.
"Oh yeah, there's something we need to ask you!" Yukiko remembered. "How long have you been here, Teddie? Did anyone enter the other world?"
"I stayed until the fog settled in on my side, but no one came." Teddie said.
"You're positive? You really didn't sense a single person?" Yosuke asked, to confirm it.
"I just said that I didn't! I was there all by myself, like always. Hmph!" Teddie turned up his nose.
"And your nose wasn't clogged or anything...?" Yosuke asked.
"Grrrr, aren't you listening!?" Teddie growled. "I was utterly, totally, and 100% alone! That's why I came over here! But I can understand if you don't believe me. My senses aren't that good lately anyways…"
"Pretty sure he's being honest, guys." Sayaka sweatdropped.
"I believe you." Kyoko said.
"Oh! Sayaka-san and Sensei's hearts radiate pure kindness...!" Teddie was touched.
"Well, it's true that the Midnight Channel was blank last night." Chie said. "And even before that… Teddie says he didn't sense anything, right? Does that mean… King Moron was never on that side?"
"Hmm… What's going on?" Yosuke wondered.
Kyoko tried putting the pieces together, but something was still missing. She'd have to sit on this info for a bit.
"Hey, hey, I wanna go somewhere!" Teddie spoke up.
"Huh? Now ain't the time, dude." Kanji said. "You seriously don't plan on going back, do you? Where do you wanna go, anyway?"
Teddie got off the chair and pulled out a pair of glasses. "I wanna give this to Rise-chan. It's for her."
Kyoko took the pair of glasses from Teddie.
"Rise-chan will probably back us up from now on! So I'm gonna fight alongside you with everything I got!" Teddie declared.
"Wh-Whoa, really?" Sayaka said, awed.
"Don't think of me as the same cute little Teddie! I'm an all-new model! I have a powerful attack, an unbeatable defense, and a winning smile! Today begins the New Legend of Teddie!" Teddie raised his arms as if flexing his muscles.
"Wow… A new Hero… A new Legend…" Yukiko said, amazed.
Despite the silliness, the team felt themselves growing stronger with Teddie deciding to join them. They got so caught up in Teddie showing off, they missed a crowd forming around them.
"Uh oh, people are starting to stare…" Yosuke looked around. "Keep it down, will ya Ted!? C'mon, let's go somewhere else!"
Having returned to the food court with Teddie, they recalled all their info.
"Okay, just to make sure, I'm gonna ask you one last time." Yosuke said. "Nobody was over there, except for you, until the fog came back. Correct?"
"That's what I've been saying." Teddie confirmed.
"He didn't show up on the Midnight Channel either…" Chie said.
"What's up with that?" Kanji asked.
"No clue…" Yosuke shook his head. "But I think we can be sure now that King Moron was never thrown into the TV."
"Then what, he was killed over here? Why not throw him into a TV, like all the rest?" Chie asked.
"Perhaps there's the possibility that they couldn't throw him in." Kyoko suggested.
"They couldn't...?" Yosuke said. "Well, they've done it a bunch of times already, but I guess everyone screws up sometimes…"
"Maybe the culprit thought he couldn't kill any more people by throwing them into TVs.
I mean, we prevented his last three attempts in a row." Yukiko suggested.
"Ahhh, I get you… That could be it!" Chie said.
"So there were two murders before you guys stepped in, and three people you saved." Sayaka recalled the info she had gotten.
"So they snuffed someone on our side this time to make sure it worked." Kanji concluded. "Dammit… If that's true, then we have no way of preventing more murders unless we catch the killer!"
"Hmm…" Kyoko put a hand under her chin. There needs to be a way to figure out how Morooka died.
"We need more clues… I wonder if Rise-chan's up and around yet." Chie said.
"Yeah… We'll have to put our hopes on her." Yosuke agreed.
"It's so hot out…" Teddie sighed. "I'm taking this off."
The entire team was alarmed by this proclamation.
"Wait, you're not talking about your head, are you!?" Yosuke asked.
Teddie started to unzip, but Yosuke smacked him atop the head.
"Cut it out! There's kids watching!" Yosuke said. "Geez… They'll be scarred for life if they see an empty mascot walking around. Have a little consideration, man."
"I'm glad you're back to normal, though. Your fur's all fuzzy again!" Yukiko smiled.
"Yeah, that soft, soft, fur." Sayaka giggled.
"C-Can I… Can I feel it...?" Kanji asked.
"No!" Teddie said bluntly, as Kanji looked at the floor in disappointment. "Actually, I'm no longer a hollow bear! Mwahaha! I trained and trained, hoping to someday score with Chie-chan and Yuki-chan… And now I finally have an inside!"
"Yeah… good job with that." Chie groaned.
"Come on! Can't we give it a rest with the whole "scoring" thing?" Yukiko asked, irritated.
"I feel like I'm missing context for some kind of gag." Sayaka said.
"Dude, you're hollow. Taking your head off isn't gonna cool you down!" Yosuke pointed out.
"Actually, he would be keeping heat trapped inside him." Kyoko pointed out. "Assuming that Teddie's nerves and other senses are part of the suit, that would still-"
"But I just told you! I'm not hollow anymore!" Teddie said. "Agh, it's too hot. I can't stand it…"
The others watched as Teddie muttered about the heat and started to unzip his head. With a pop, it came off, but it wasn't hollow inside.
"Whoa- what the!?" Yosuke shouted.
Inside Teddie's suit was a young man with slicked blonde hair and bright blue eyes, covered in sweat from the heat of the suit.
"Aaaah… much better." He breathed out.
"No way!" Chie said, stunned.
"Is that…?" Sayaka's jaw had dropped.
Reaching out, he took several sips of refreshing soda. "Aaaahhh. Now that hit the spot."
The others were completely gobsmacked at what they were seeing, as the young man set down the drink.
"Hey, Chie-chan, Yuki-chan." The young man said with a rather suave voice.
"Y-Yes...?" Chie said, a little quietly.
"Do you have anything to wear? I'm basically like a newborn at the moment…" He asked.
"T-Teddie? Is that really you...?" Chie asked, stunned.
"Umm…" Yukiko's jaw was slacked.
"Whoa… what a knockout." Sayaka complimented.
Kyoko was completely stone faced, unsurprisingly. Though her eyes did indicate shock.
"Wait, did you say you're like a newborn!?" Chie realized. "Then don't take the bottom part off!"
Sayaka immediately looked away, as did Kyoko.
"You need some clothes, right?" Chie asked. "C'mon, let's go look around…"
Chie, Yukiko and Sayaka went off with Teddie to get him some proper clothes. The other three remained behind.
"That's… Teddie…?" Kanji asked. " He said he's not hollow anymore… So, like… he grew himself a body in there?"
"What kinda creature would do that!? I mean… what IS he?" Yosuke asked. "Then again, this is hardly the first bizarre thing we've seen… And I gotta admit, it's probably better than him walking around in his bear suit. Right Kyoko? …Kyoko?"
Kyoko's mind had pretty much crashed trying to come up with any sort of logical explanation for Teddie just growing himself a body. Yosuke snapped his fingers a few times to wake her up.
"Hey, weren't we gonna see about talking to Rise?" Yosuke said. "I was so shocked that I lost track of what we were talking about."
"A-Ah, right." Kyoko said.
"Let's head over to Rise's place." Yosuke said. "As for Teddie… He's with the other girls, so he should be fine."
After stopping by home to change clothes and check in on Nanako, Kyoko met up with Yosuke and Kanji. The two of them were outside the convenience store, snacking on topsicles.
"Mmmm-mmm!" Kanji grinned. "It's finally the season for topsicles again."
"How.. many are you gonna eat?" Kyoko asked, looking at all the wrappers. "You're going to get a stomach ache."
"I dunno about him." Yosuke said. "I lost count."
Chie and Yukiko walked over, looking rather exhausted.
"Sorry we're late." Chie apologized.
"How'd it take you that long to find clothes for Ted?" Yosuke asked.
"It wasn't just that. Sayaka got something extra." Yukiko said.
"Extra?" Kyoko asked, before seeing Sayaka walk over, holding a pole with a curtain on it. "Oh no."
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Sayaka smiled. "I give you all, the new and improved Teddie!"
She pulled back the pole to reveal Teddie.
"Whoa...! I-Is that you, Teddie...?" Yosuke said, impressed.
Teddie was wearing formal black pants and a white dress shirt, with shiny black dress shoes to add to the fit. The entire outfit was complete with a red rose boutonnière.
"Oui, monsieur!" Teddie said, practically sparkling. "How do I look?"
Kyoko didn't know how to answer, so Sayaka spoke up. "C'est magnifique."
She added emphasis by blowing a kiss.
"Uh, don't encourage him." Chie groaned. "I have to say, it totally blew my mind, but he's Teddie alright. This guy had to make it a huge ordeal… Everything was new to him, so it turned into a big mess. He was so excited in the women's section that he started blabbering…"
Chie turned to Teddie, with a stern look in her eyes.
"Hey, you can't just go around doing whatever you please when you're in this form, got it?" She told him.
"Well, he can't help it. It's his first time in our world." Yukiko said, seeing Teddie had gotten mopey from the harsh words.
Chie sighed. "All right… You don't need to get all mopey like that. I never said I won't forgive you!"
"I'm so glad! I was worried that you didn't like me anymore." Teddie said, relieved.
"Man… If you can behave yourself, you'll be pretty cute." Chie chuckled.
"Hey, a guy that isn't feisty here and there is boring, y'know?" Sayaka pointed out. "I think he'd make a girl out there real lucky."
"He's got the approval of an idol…" Yosuke watched as Teddie beamed at Sayaka's words. "That better not get to his head. Anyways."
Reaching into his pocket, Yosuke pulled out a 1000 yen bill and handed it to Kanji.
"Here, Kanji. Get whatever ice cream you want, just share it with Teddie. We're gonna head for the tofu shop. Wait here until we get back." He said.
"Wow, you're rich!" Teddie said, amazed.
"I can't just take this from you!" Kanji said, touched at the notion but not wanting to take it.
"Think of it as a welcome-back party for Teddie. Just don't go around making a racket." Yosuke said.
"Whoa, Yosuke, what's gotten into you? You're acting like a real senpai all of a sudden." Chie was surprised.
"Why?" Yosuke asked. "Is something wrong with that?"
"Well, when Teddie chose the clothes he wanted to, they were pretty pricey, so we were about to charge it on your account…" Chie said.
"You WHAT?!"
"Hold on a sec! We didn't!" Chie held up her hands. "That was when Sayaka did the coolest thing ever!"
"I just paid for it… it wasn't too special." Sayaka rubbed the back of her head.
"But it was so cool! All that cash and it was no problem for you!" Chie praised. "Pop stars really are in a whole other league…"
"I mean, it was the least I could do…?" Sayaka said.
"I'm so damn glad…" Yosuke let out a breath of relief. "My account isn't doing too well after I bought that scooter…"
"Anyways Ted, let's get ya some topsicles." Kanji said.
With Kanji and Teddie back at the convenience store, the others went over to the tofu shop. A familiar young man just walked out.
"Ah, I had a feeling you'd come." Naoto said.
"You're...!" Yukiko recognized.
"Are you here to ingratiate yourself with Rise Kujikawa now?" They asked.
"Naoto." Kyoko said. "It's been quite some time since our last meeting."
"Indeed it has, Kyoko Kirigiri."
"Hold on, you're the guy we saw with Kanji!" Yosuke remembered.
"Precisely. I don't believe we've met since then. In fact, I don't believe I've ever introduced myself to anyone aside from Kirigiri." Naoto said. "My name is Naoto Shirogane. I'm investigating the multiple murders that have occurred here. Mind if I ask you a few questions on the subject?"
"Uh, sure?" Sayaka said.
Shirogane… Kyoko thought. Ah, now it makes sense.
"The latest victim, Kinshiro Morooka… He was a teacher at the school you all attend, correct?" Naoto asked.
"S-So what?" Chie said.
"The public is focused on the fact that he is associated with the second victim's school… But in truth, that's irrelevant." Naoto shook their head. "What intrigues me is the inconsistency. This Morooka… has never appeared on television."
While the others were a bit alarmed, Kyoko remained cool.
"What do you make of that?" Naoto asked.
"...How are we supposed to know?" Yosuke said, playing dumb.
"Well, we'll leave it at that." Naoto started to walk off. "For my part, I'd like to solve this case as quickly as possible. I'll be keeping an eye on you all. Well then, until we meet again."
"Who is that guy?" Yosuke asked.
"It felt like he completely saw through us… He even knew about the TV thing." Chie said.
"Smart guy, huh?" Sayaka said. "Kinda like Shuichi, huh Kyoko?"
Kyoko gave a brief nod, before Rise walked up, seeing everyone.
"Oh… Hi." Rise said.
"Rise-chan! Are you okay now...?" Kyoko asked.
Rise nodded, and Yosuke looked relieved. "Good, good…"
Sayaka smiled at her friend. Her eyes… it's like she's got that spark again.
"Are you all here to check up on me?" Rise asked.
"Well, yeah…" Yosuke rubbed the back of his head.
"Oh, um… Do you guys have a moment? There's something I want to tell you." Rise said. "Follow me. My grandma's taking care of the shop today."
Kyoko nodded. "Alright."
Rise had taken them to Tatsuhime Shrine, where they wouldn't be overheard.
"Yeah, I remember being at my house…" Rise recalled. "When I came to, though, I was already in the other world."
"Still no real information on the killer…" Chie sighed.
Yosuke spoke up. "We met this weird kid named Naoto a second ago…"
"Oh… He's come to the shop several times. He asked me a lot about the incident." Rise said. "I didn't tell him anything about the other world, though. I figured it'd be a waste of time. Actually, he asked me about you guys too, but I just made up some stuff. Like, "They found me unconscious on the roof at Junes.""
"Well, I guess that's close enough to the truth." Yosuke shrugged.
"Um… so…" Rise said.
"Hm...? What's up?" Chie asked.
"Um...I-I really appreciate what you did for me…" Rise said.
Sayaka smiled, knowing what was coming next. She had seen this kind of routine before.
"Thank you soooo much! I love you guys!" Rise said, with a lot of pep in her voice.
"Huh...? Awww, you don't have to thank us!" Chie said, with the wave of her hand.
"She's so cute…" Yosuke said, slightly in a trance before Kyoko elbowed him. "Oof! Man, it's finally hitting me that you're the real deal. You really are Risette."
"Well, I know I sounded gloomy and all from stress, so...I-I thought you might not like me that way… Do I… sound weird?" Rise asked. "Oh, but I guess it sounds more "natural" this way to the public...I'm sorry...I've practically lost touch with what the normal me is like."
"Haha, no need to apologize. Just do what comes naturally." Chie said.
"I think everyone has multiple sides to them. You don't have to force yourself to decide on just one." Yukiko said.
"Haha, it sounds convincing when Yukiko says it." Chie chuckled.
"Huh...? R-Really?" Yukiko said.
"If you want my opinion, from idol to idol, I think that was pretty great, Rise." Sayaka said with a nod of approval.
"Thanks." Rise chuckled. "I'm glad you're the first people I got to know here. Aside from Sayaka, of course."
"Oh yeah, we almost forgot your present. The Teddie Glasses." Chie remembered. "Um, you don't have to take them, but… Well…"
Kyoko had the glasses in her hand, and was a bit unsure what to say. This was a bit of a dangerous recruitment here.
"Senpai...Would you be struggling without my help?" Rise asked. "I can help you in that world, right? With my power… So wouldn't it be better if I joined the team?"
"That makes things far less complex." Kyoko said, handing Rise the glasses.
"These are kinda like proof that you're one of us." Yosuke said. "They make things much clearer on the other side."
"I see… I do remember you all wearing glasses over there." Rise recalled. "Thanks, Senpai. Now I'm part of the team, too!"
With Rise joining the team, that meant they had even more help. The team felt even tighter than before.
"I'll be going to Yasogami High, starting tomorrow. But I don't have any friends yet, so don't ignore me, alright?" Rise asked. "I do owe you my life, so… you know…"
"Don't worry about it. We'll be there for you." Kyoko reassured her.
"W-Wow… I didn't realize you were so cool, Senpai." Rise said.
"Hey, she's the Ultimate Detective, after all!" Sayaka said. "So she's already pretty cool!"
"Wow, an Ultimate, huh? Sayaka told me all about how her classmates were crazy…" Rise said.
"...you didn't say anything about me, did you?" Kyoko asked Sayaka with a slight glare.
"Ah ha… maybe one or two things?" Sayaka tapped her fingers together.
"This sure is a rough time to transfer here, though." Yosuke said. "The kidnappings, King Moron's death… All that, and exams are soon, too."
He sighed, reminded that despite the killings, the education system was still prominent.
"Exams… Now I'm depressing myself." Yosuke sighed. "I wonder if there's any chance they'll be canceled…"
"I doubt it. They always hold exams, rain or shine…" Chie said.
Rise chuckled. "I almost got killed by those monsters. Compared to that, exams are nothing."
"Alrighty then, let's discuss the case some more tomorrow at our special headquarters." Yosuke said.
Upon their nods of agreement, Kanji walked up.
"Yo. How's it going?" Kanji said. "Dude, you're not gonna believe this, but Teddie ate five topsicles."
"Who won?" Sayaka asked.
"If you count the ones I had before, that makes six, so I win." Kanji said.
"Hmm, should it count?" Sayaka wondered. "I mean, that gives you a much better head start…"
"We're all done talking already! Let's go!" Rise said as she walked up.
"Uh… When did you get so chipper?" Kanji asked.
"Do you go to Yasogami, like Senpai? I'll be starting school there tomorrow, so I hope we get along too." Rise said.
"Huh? Oh… cool." Kanji tried his best to salvage the awkward situation. "Uhh… What grade are you in?"
Yukiko hid a small laugh, while Sayaka sighed. "Everyone's all at Yasogami… maybe I should just quit with the remote classes from Hope's Peak and enroll here…"
"So where's Teddie?" Yosuke asked.
"He's over there, finishing up his fifth Topsicle." Kanji pointed over his shoulder at the shrine gate. "What are we gonna do with him?"
"Well… I guess I'll take him home…" Yosuke sighed.
Back at home, Kyoko was sitting at the table with Nanako, watching the nightly news.
"Good evening, this is the Niteline News. Our top story for the night concerns the latest developments in an ongoing story. The serial murder case in Inaba has claimed a third victim. The news shocked local residents, who had not seen another murder in three months, and assumed the spree had reached its end. The deceased taught at a local high school. Since his body was found arranged in a similar manner as the last two victims…"
Kyoko slightly tightened her grip. Kinshiro Morooka…
"What's wrong?" Nanako asked. "Was it someone you know? ...He died?"
"I'm here with you." Kyoko reassured Nanako, seeing the girl sounded scared.
"I'm all right…" Nanako nodded.
"This marks the second consecutive death, after Ms. Saki Konishi's, where the target was involved with Yasogami High. Mr. Morooka was known for his strict teaching methods, and is said to have had constant friction with his students. His body was not found by a resident of Inaba, but a tourist. Here is her testimony."
The screen showed a censored face and a distorted voice, but Kyoko recognized it. "I simply found the body and called the police. Was that not the right thing to do? I would assume even a boring little town like this would understand it is the natural outcome."
"The police will be pursuing this line of inquiry, and are planning to begin a large-scale investigation tomorrow. We now turn to our reporter at the scene for more details…"
"Dad won't be coming home again today…" Nanako sighed, seeing how the news was busier than usual.
Kyoko saw the sad expression on her cousin, and thought up an idea. It might be childish, but…
"Nanako, watch this." Kyoko held up her hands together in a specific manner.
Nanako watched intently, as in a single swift movement, Kyoko moved a finger from her right hand, to her left!
"Huh!? Do it again, do it again!" Nanako cheered, amazed.
"Alright… this is a trick that defies all logic…" Kyoko held up her hands again… this time a finger went from her left hand to her right!
"It moved! Hey, how did you do that? Tell me, tell me!" Nanako laughed.
After cheering Nanako up, Kyoko put her to bed. Feeling exhausted after a long day, Kyoko decided to call it a night as well.
"Welcome. It's been quite some time…"
Kyoko opened her eyes to see she was in the blue car again. The Velvet Room. Igor and Margaret were watching her.
"Do not be alarmed. You are fast asleep in the real world… I have summoned you within your dreams."
"I see." Kyoko said.
"How are things proceeding...? Are you gradually drawing nearer to a solution to the mystery...?" Igor asked.
With all the clues gathered, Kyoko wondered if the answer was yes. But there were too many inconsistencies at the moment for her to make a proper judgment. "I'm not sure."
"Indeed. The fog clouding your path is thick…" Igor said. "The season has changed, but your future is not yet closed. In time, a path will open to you."
"Our true reason for calling you here tonight is to inform you that you have a certain potential." Margaret said. "Once your bond with others reaches a certain state… a new power will be bequeathed upon you."
"A new power?" Kyoko asked. "What?"
"That we cannot say." Margaret shook her head.
"Now… your journey will soon reach its climax…" Igor said. "And as a result, many challenges- which I cannot foresee at present- await you. Most interesting…"
"I will not let these unknowns stop me from finding the truth." Kyoko declared. "That I swear."
Igor chuckled at Kyoko's words. "Well, until we meet again… Farewell."
Waking up, Kyoko stretched, before putting on her gloves. She was about to start her morning routine, when she got a call on her phone. She saw it was Dojima.
"Uncle? What is it?" Kyoko asked.
"Hey, I know you got school today, but something came up and I think it's finally time." Dojima said.
"Time for what?" Kyoko asked.
"The autopsy for the body came in." Dojima said. "Much faster than the other cases too. If you come down to where it was found-"
"I understand, Uncle. I'll be there soon. Just call my school and tell them that I'll be absent today."
Hanging up, Kyoko put on the outfit she was more familiar with; the one she wore back at Hope's Peak.
Arriving at the murder site, Kyoko took a deep breath, preparing herself. "Now…"
She looked around, looking at everything that she could ahead of time. The police had cut off most of this location, meaning it was only officers and fellow detectives. Kyoko spotted Naoto talking to a few officers in the distance, as well as her uncle and Adachi conversing nearby. She didn't see Celeste, but presumed that she was put under police protection due to being the one that found the body.
Despite the morbid situation, Kyoko couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. After all those fights within the TV World… it was time for her to get to work, in an environment she did her best in.
Investigation: Start!
Kyoko's Social Links:
Magician (Yosuke Hanamura): Rank 9
Chariot (Chie Satonaka): Rank 7
Priestess (Yukiko Amagi): Rank 7
Emperor (Kanji Tatsumi): Rank 3
Star (Teddie): Rank 2
Hanged Man (Sayaka Maizono): Rank 3
Justice (Nanako Dojima): Rank 4
Hierophant (Ryotaro Dojima): Rank 3
Fool (The Investigation Team): Rank 6
Hope (Hope's Peak Academy Students): Rank 4
A/N: And we are back! It's good to see that this fic still has its fans even though my priority on it has lowered in comparison to my other stories.
Here we enter the next arc, and you'll start to see a lot more original scenes going on from here. I can't say too much, but expect a lot of homage to some of Spike Chunsoft's other mystery games. Which ones, you may ask? You'll see.
Feel free to leave a review. See you all next time.