Persona 4: The Golden Apostle

by sithlorde1988

Adaptation of Persona 4 Golden. Everyone knows the plot of Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden well, or at least the plot of CANON Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden. But what if there was an extra character added into the mix? How will the addition of an extra character to the mix change the plot of Persona 4 Golden? Better summary and more info in the first chapter! Read and enjoy!

15. New Links! Tatsumi's Bathhouse part 2

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 4- The Golden Apostle! Hard to believe we're already partway into Arc 2, but here we are. I don't really have a lot else to say, so I'll just go ahead and cut to the disclaimer for now.

Disclaimer: I, sithlorde1988, do not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (excluding the OCs Ryuroni, Hikari Kusanagi II, Hikari Kusanagi III, Koushiro, Yamato, Takeru, Rosie, Gaignun, Slim, Sage, Lily, Kusano, Ace, Marisa, and any other OCs/OC Personas that appear in the story, all of which were created by, and thus belong to, me), and the actual ownership credit for the Persona series belongs to Atlus and Sega, as well as the various other companies that were involved with the spinoffs (whether those spinoffs be Persona 5 Strikers, Persona 5 Tactica, Persona 4 Arena, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, the 'Dancing' games, or the 'Q' games, or even Persona 5: The Phantom X), all of whom know who they are and receive the appropriate creative/ownership credit that is due to them. I just am using these characters to write this story, and do not intend to make any profit off of it whatsoever.

And there we go, one disclaimer done and dusted! I don't think I have a lot else to say at this point, so I'll just get on with the chapter for now. I'll probably have a longer A/N after the chapter where I talk about stuff, so feel free to keep reading after the chapter if you want to see that. But for now, let's get the show on the road, shall we? Here's chapter 10!

Chapter 10: Social Links, Jobs, and More! Tatsumi's Bathhouse part 2

(Current in-game date: 5/4/2011. That evening, at the Dojima house with Yu, and Nanako)

After leaving Nanako to watch her TV show, Yu went upstairs to spend the rest of his evening studying for the upcoming exams, figuring it couldn't hurt to better himself with his current downtime, if only so as to be able to make himself a more effective leader. Yu found he was having an easy time of studying since he had finished reading 'Expert Study Methods' about a week and a half previous, netting him two unseen increases to his Knowledge before he went to bed for the evening...

(The next morning, in Yu's borrowed bedroom on the upper level of the Dojima residence, with Yu)

After he got up the next day, Yu realized he had no plans for the day that he could recall. As such, Yu opted to go somewhere he doesn't usually go. First and foremost, Yu thought about where he hadn't gone before, recalling he'd heard rumors about an animal or some such living in the Shopping District Shrine. After remembering that, Yu found himself curious to investigate the aforementioned rumors and see if there was any truth to them. Mind made up, Yu decided to head to the shrine in the Shopping District...

(A short time later, in the shrine located in the Shopping District with Yu)

After reaching the shrine, Yu looked around and frowned when he realized there was no one on the premises, at least as far as Yu could see. While looking around, Yu found himself noticing that the dusty shrine he was in didn't seem to be well-maintained by any means. After concluding there was no one around, Yu decided to cut his losses and head home. Or that was the plan, until Yu stopped in his tracks once he realized he could sense someone watching him.

After looking around, Yu instinctively cast his gaze upwards, blinking when he noticed a strange brown-furred fox with a white underbelly and dark brown patches of fur on its ears, a white tuft of fur on most of the bottom third of its tail, black fur down each of its' four legs, and who was wearing a red apron with pink hearts on the front standing on the roof, seemingly gazing ahead of itself at something above Yu.

Before Yu could wonder about the fox's appearance for too long, it did a flying leap off the roof and gracefully landed in front of Yu, an object held in its mouth. Almost instinctively, Yu found himself wondering if this fox lived at the shrine, by some chance. After a moment, Yu became aware of the fox staring directly at him with what Yu realized was an 'ema' plaque in its mouth. Before Yu could think on it much more, the fox slowly walked forward and leaned down to place the ema into Yu's hand before sitting down on its hind legs in front of Yu, barely even blinking as Yu spoke up while gently patting it on the head.

"I take it this is for me? Thank you. Do you live around here, by chance?" Yu asked while smirking as he felt the ema get nudged into his free hand. Yu looked the ema over and noted it had the following written on it: 'Please help Grandpa's legs get better. -Keita'. After reading the ema, Yu realized this was likely someone's wish written onto the ema. Yu then spoke up.

"I don't know if you can understand me, but why did you give me this ema?" Yu asked the fox, who nudged the hand holding the ema in response, prompting Yu to flip it over and blink as he found an unusually shaped leaf stuck to the back of the ema. Despite himself, Yu was at a loss to identify the strange leaf from among the local plant life. Yu then looked at the fox and kept speaking.

"I see. Did you place this leaf here, by chance?" Yu asked as the fox nodded once in response to confirm this was the case. At that point, the fox leapt up onto its hind legs as if giving Yu a high-five before scampering off out of sight. Before Yu could be confused by the fox's behavior for long, he heard footsteps behind him, turning to see an elderly gentleman with a green sweater, dark grey jeans, and brown shoes approach him and speak up.

"Oh, not every day you see young'uns like you around here." The elderly man said as Yu smiled and spoke up.

"I don't usually come this way, sir. But I was curious to check it out and look into a rumor I heard about an intelligent animal living around here. Would you know anything about that, sir?" Yu asked the elderly man, who blinked and spoke up.

"Eh? An animal, you say? Sorry to disappoint you, but nobody lives here anymore. I come by to tidy things up once in a while, but lately my legs are so achy, I just can't do it. You see, I've been tryin' to get this place up to snuff, but there just isn't enough money to go around." The elderly man said as Yu spoke up with a nod.

"That's entirely understandable, sir. I know it's not easy to get around in life without money. So I can somewhat relate to what you're going through." Yu said kindly as the elderly man nodded and spoke up.

"Hmph. If nothing else, you seem like a good guy, young man. Well, I s'pose I'll pay my respects. If my legs don't heal, I can't maintain the shrine. That, and if my legs stay as they are, it'll make spending time with my family difficult to manage. More to the point, I won't be able to visit Keita anymore." The elderly man said as Yu blinked at the name given and spoke up.

"Did you just say Keita?" Yu asked, recalling that the ema he'd read was written by someone named Keita. The elderly man nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, that's right. I sure did. He's my grandson, you know." The elderly man said as Yu blinked, realizing that this could be related to the ema from before, since the person who wrote it had asked for help fixing their grandfather's legs. Specifically, Yu recalled the ema had said 'Please help Grandpa's legs get better', and was signed by someone named Keita. Before Yu could ask the elderly man about the ema, the elderly man noticed the ema and leaf in Yu's hand and spoke up.

"Hmm!? What's that you got in your hand there? Could it be some kind of healing herb!? That leaf looks like an herb, if nothing else! Oh, that's it!" The elderly man said as Yu spoke up in confusion.

"What's it, sir? You're confusing me." Yu said honestly as the elderly man chuckled and spoke up.

"Right, sorry. I got caught up in what you're holding and forgot to explain myself. You see, way back when, my grandmother always used to say that a leaf shaped like that was the best kind of ache remedy out there! Ah, what memories!" The elderly man said as Yu spoke up in surprise.

"Oh? So this is basically an herbal remedy of sorts, then?" Yu asked as the elderly man nodded and spoke up.

"Correct. But how'd you get your hands on this!? I didn't think you could find those in the mountains anymore." The elderly man said as Yu blinked and spoke up.

"This leaf grows up in the mountains!?" Yu asked in surprise as the elderly man spoke up.

"Yep. Or at least, it used to. I've not seen it around nowadays, so either the plants that produce it went extinct, or people stopped planting that type of tree in the mountains. But that's neither here nor there. P-Please, young man! Can I trouble you to spare me that leaf!?" The elderly man asked as Yu spoke up.

"If you truly believe it'll help your legs, I have no issues whatsoever giving you this leaf. So if you need it, consider it yours." Yu said as he handed the elderly man the leaf he'd been holding after unsticking it from the back of the ema. The elderly man smiled happily as he accepted the leaf from Yu and spoke up.

"Ooh, this is it, this is it, alright. Now let's see here. I believe I just need to apply this to the back of my leg, like so, and it should take effect pretty quickly." The elderly man said to himself as he stuck the leaf onto the back of his leg, much to Yu's surprise. Yu then spoke up.

"That's how you use that? I thought maybe you might grind it into a drink or something?" Yu asked as the elderly man spoke up.

"Not at all. I just need to apply it to the affected area, in this case the backs of my legs, and it takes effect pretty well instantaneously. Oooh, right on cue! I can feel it! It's working!" The elderly man said, seeming to hop in place, smiling at the relief he could feel in that moment as he kept speaking.

"Amazing! The pain I've been feeling for who knows how long? It just up and vanished! Hm, are you surprised? Hmmmm, could it be!? Why, I feel better than I have in years! You really helped me out, young man! I'm so grateful! Now I can go visit my grandson! I'd better pay my thanks to the shrine for bringing us together like this!" The old man said before placing some money into an offertory box behind Yu that he'd not initially noticed and darted off in a hurry, leaving a bewildered Yu to marvel at the amazing results of the fox's actions.

As it turns out, the fox managed to find a rare herbal remedy that did wonders to relieve the elderly man's pain. And not only did it heal his aches, it even restored his vitality by some sort of almost miraculous happenstance. At that point, the fox came scampering out of hiding, with a contented expression on its, or rather 'his' -since Yu could tell by the fox sitting down the way it did that it was a male fox- face.

To Yu's surprise, the fox seemed to understand that the wish on the ema had been granted in the short time since the fox entrusted it to Yu. The fox then ran over to inspect the offertory box as if checking its contents, seeming to understand that the shrine had even received an offering, given the elated look on his face. At that point, Yu realized that he might very well have been given the ema with the leaf for the express purpose of helping the fox fulfill the wishes of others.

Yu surmised it was probably because the fox couldn't very well leave the shrine unattended for whatever reason, thus enlisting Yu's assistance in fulfilling the wishes written on emas in his place. At that point, the fox walked back over to Yu and gave off a delighted-sounding yip, presumably pleased with Yu for helping the shrine out by fulfilling the wish on the ema he'd been given.

Regardless, Yu got the sense by looking at the fox that he seemed to have taken a liking to Yu, making him chuckle fondly before blinking in shock as he noticed that the fox seems to have a mouthful of the same leaves as the one he'd just given to the elderly man not that long ago. Yu then realized this meant that the fox has a large stock of mysterious leaves with healing powers. Before Yu could ponder it much further, the fox hopped up on his hind legs and gave off an oddly content, and even adorable, howl before looking up mirthfully at Yu, who spoke up.

"Is there something you want from me, by chance?" Yu asked the fox, who nodded while Yu internally sighed, being able to help but think on how strange an encounter he'd had on this day, having realized he not only had ran across a fox wearing an apron, but one who has the grace and skill of a trained ninja, along with having a huge pile of mysterious leaves, as he'd just shown Yu. Much to Yu's surprise, as he pondered this strange series of events, he felt as if a faint bond was beginning to form between himself and the fox he'd encountered. Unsurprisingly, the expected voice echoed in his head moments later.

"Thou art I, Yu Narukami. And I am thou, just as surely as thou art I. Thou hast established a new bond with the mysterious fox of the Shopping District Shrine. It brings thee closer to the truth that thou seeketh. If you make the most of your bond with this mysterious Shrine fox, then thou shalt surely be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana during fusions." Yu heard in his head just as a new card appeared.

Much like most of the other cards that had appeared in his mind's eye, this card had the usual blue and white framing with a Roman numeral 'IX' on the bottom in white lettering, and a multi-colored image in the middle, mostly pinks and reds, with a darker blue ring near the bottom of the center image, and a yellow and black lantern with what appeared to be a yellow circle around a green orb sitting atop an eyeball and a smaller Roman numeral 'I' engraved into a smaller half-circle at the top of the card, signifying that his newly-forged 'Hermit' Social Link had now reached Rank 1.

Afterwards, Yu found himself wondering where this fox manages to find such amazing leaves and in such generous quantities. After mulling it over, Yu realized that if these leaves are as useful as he was starting to suspect, then perhaps they could be of use to the Investigation Team when going through the TV World, or the 'other side' as some might call it. Yu then had an idea and looked at the fox as he spoke up.

"You seem to be quite intelligent and capable. And you seem decently able to understand me. Maybe we can cut a deal here. You seem to need my help with these emas, so how's this? I help you solve any other emas you need solved, and in exchange, you accompany me and my friends from time to time on our missions to investigate a strange world inside of televisions to try and solve the string of murders currently plaguing Inaba of late. Does that seem like a deal to you?" Yu asked as the fox seemed to yip in the affirmative as he ran a circle around Yu happily, seeming to be pleased by Yu's willingness to help him before hopping up onto his hind legs repeatedly in excitement before racing towards the offertory box, gesturing towards it with its tail, making Yu speak up with a nod.

"Ah, I get it. You're saying you're willing to help us out, in exchange for a nominal fee for your services? Do I have that right?" Yu asked the fox, who nodded mirthfully as he hopped up on his hind legs again while giving off another elated howl. Yu took that to mean that this fox had agreed to aid him and the rest of the Investigation Team in their search, provided they can afford to pay the fee for his services. Yu felt that was fair, since he knows that nothing in life is free. After agreeing to the fox's terms, he returned the ema to the shrine and once he realized it was getting late, he slowly made his way back to the Dojima residence for the evening, still feeling both mystified and amused that he'd managed to forge a Social Link with, of all things, a moneymaking ninja fox...

(That evening, in the living room of the Dojima residence, with Yu and Nanako)

As Yu and Nanako both enjoyed warm beverages together, they listened as the newscaster spoke up on TV.

"The prime suspect in yesterday's ATM robbery in northern Inaba was arrested earlier today. The alleged thief is Pumena Sushin, a 26-year-old former employee of the company which reported the stolen vehicle. According the police investigation, Pumena Sushin's employment was-" The newscaster said, though at that moment, Yu and Nanako looked away from the screen as the front door opened and closed and a familiar voice was heard speaking up as Nanako darted up to greet the newcomer, racing to hug him as he spoke up.

"I'm home. Ugh, how many days is he gonna call in sick? These rookies lately sure are-" Ryotaro said before being cut off mid-sentence by Nanako excitedly speaking up while tackle-hugging him, her face eagerly planting itself into Ryotaro's lower stomach, since that's all the higher up she goes on him. Despite that, Yu could still just see the delighted closed-eye smile currently on Nanako's face as she hugged Ryotaro.

"Welcome back!" Nanako said as she and Ryotaro walked over to join Yu in the living room, Yu arching an eyebrow as he noticed the shopping bag in one of Ryotaro's hands. Before he could question it, Ryotaro spoke up.

"Nanako, I'm pleased to see that you're still happy to see me even after the other day. I'm sorry I broke my promise to you again. That wasn't okay for me to do that at all, and your cousin here was right to take me to task for it like he did. I hope my thoughtlessness didn't ruin Golden Week for you?" Ryotaro said, turning to give an amused Yu a grateful nod for talking some slight sense into him, even while Nanako spoke up happily, oblivious to the surprised looks on both Yu and Ryotaro's face at what she said next.

"Oh, that's all right, Dad. Um, since our plans fell through, my big bro and his friends played with me instead." Nanako said as Yu blinked and spoke up.

"Your big bro, you say? I thought you were an only child, Nanako?" Yu asked with an amused smirk. Nanako giggled at this and spoke up.

"Silly Yu. I'm referring to you, obviously. After all, Satonaka-san called you 'Big Bro' when we hung out with your friends, didn't she?" Nanako said as Yu spoke up.

"She did. But I think she forgot that I told her you and I are cousins when she said that. Still, I guess I can't deny that to some extent there is already kind of a sibling-esque sort of energy between us, so I can't be too mad at you calling me 'Big Bro', even if I do think it might draw some raised eyebrows if you call me that in public." Yu pointed out wisely as Ryotaro blinked at this but said nothing about it as he spoke up.

"Ah. So Yu and his friends entertained you this week, did they? I see. Well, I guess that's now two things I owe him one for. Yu, thanks for keeping Nanako company." Ryotaro said to Yu, who nodded and spoke up in a blunt but civil manner.

"You're welcome. At least one of us was able to cheer her up after how devastated she was. But as I said that night, I understand why you did it. So I'll drop that at that. But I will say that I hope that you don't make a habit of routinely letting Nanako down, Dojima-san. I feel like there's only going to be so much of that she can take before she finally hits a breaking point, so to speak." Yu said wisely as Ryotaro blinked at this, not able to refute Yu's point. After a bit of an awkward silence settled in following Yu calling Ryotaro out like he did, Nanako broke it when she noticed the bag next to her father and spoke up with slightly widened eyes after noticing the 'JUNES' logo on the bag.

"Oh, that's a Junes bag, Dad! What's in it?" Nanako asked as Ryotaro chuckled and spoke up with a rare smile.

"Heh, you noticed that, did you? Haha, good eye. Well, today is Children's Day, and I feel bad for breaking my promise again. So while I know it won't likely begin to make up for that, I brought you a present." Ryotaro said as he reached into a bag and produced a folded-up piece of clothing that he presented to Nanako, who clapped her hands happily and spoke up with a closed-eye smile on her face as she accepted the item from her father, much to both Ryotaro and Yu's amusement, the former smiling wryly as he could already tell that Yu was starting to get slightly protective of Nanako, which didn't surprise him one bit since his younger sister had warned him that Yu was not only very perceptive, but also insanely protective of those he cares about.

"Yaaaay!" Nanako said as she held the item closer to her to get a better look, gasping before she kept speaking as she realized what it was.

"Oooh, it's a T-shirt." Nanako said as she unfolded it to reveal it was a red and white short-sleeved T-shirt with a yellow-billed and brown furred platypus on the front in a red circle. Ryotaro chuckled at Nanako's child-like amazement over a shirt and spoke up.

"Haha, it took me a while to decide what to get you. Do you like it?" Ryotaro asked as Nanako eagerly nodded and spoke up while smiling.

"Mmhm! Oh wow, there's a picture on the front! That's so funny! Ahaha, yay!" Nanako said happily as she was immersed in staring at her new shirt while Ryotaro turned to Yu in time for Yu to speak up.

"Well, at least Nanako seems happy, so I think that means she at least somewhat forgives you this time. But keep in mind that I do NOT presume to speak for Nanako at all on that. That being said, as long as you learned your lesson here, I won't stay mad at you either, Dojima-san." Yu said as Ryotaro chuckled and spoke up while reaching into the bag again and spoke up after fishing out another folded-up item and presenting it to Yu.

"Ahaha, fair enough. Oh, right. I got you one, too. Not that you're still a child or anything, but I figured I should get you something since I got Nanako something, and fair is fair." Ryotaro said as Yu accepted the item, unfolding it to reveal that they were black swim trunks with green stripes and white lines going down one leg, and even a white pair of lace up strings tied into a bow in the front of the swim trunks. Yu nodded as he noted he'd gotten a swimsuit with an odd design on it and spoke up.

"Thank you, Dojima-san. This is actually very fortunate timing. Truth be told, I let Mom and Dad help with the packing, and they're not the best at labeling things, so I wasn't looking forward to having to figure out which of these boxes had my other swim trunks in them, so this saves me a lot of work. I appreciate that." Yu said honestly as Ryotaro chuckled and spoke up with an understanding nod.

"Yeah, that's fair. Hinoka always was bad at labeling stuff, and I seem to recall that Kazuya isn't that much better. Honestly, if not for the fact you got most of your father's facial features and his proclivity towards offering sage wisdom at times as well as his fairly level-headed temperament compared to your mother's slightly shorter temper, I'd question how much of your parents' characteristics were passed onto you." Ryotaro said as Yu chuckled and spoke up.

"That's fair. I've been told that a few times. But I like to think I get my fierce protectiveness of those closest to me from Mom. But seriously, thank you so much." Yu said as Ryotaro chuckled and spoke up.

"Fair enough. And don't mention it. Funnily enough, I picked those out because I thought you might need one soon. Sure, the summer season isn't for another couple of months, but worst case this gives you time to grow into those trunks if they don't fit properly right now. Well then, I'm pleased that you like what I picked out for you. As much as I want to see you try them on, you can do that later on if you want. For now, let's eat." Ryotaro said as Nanako spoke up at that point with a closed-eye smile.

"Okay!" Nanako said as she got up to help get the food as she and Ryotaro set the table for the three of them to eat. While eating dinner, Yu found himself spending a pleasant evening with the Dojimas. After the food was eaten and put away, Yu walked over to Nanako and spoke up.

"Wasn't tonight a pleasant surprise for you, Nanako-chan?" Yu asked as Nanako spoke up with a nod and a closed-eye smile.

"Mmhm! Not only did Dad come home early, but he brought us presents! And look, my shirt has a platypus on it! Doesn't it look funny!?" Nanako asked as Yu smiled and spoke up with a nod.

"That is pretty amusing, yes. But it was nice of your father to bring us both gifts, I think. And you seem much happier since that, so I count that as a win of sorts." Yu said sagely before walking over to Ryotaro and speaking up.

"Thanks again for the swim trunks. Though now that I think more about it, is there even anywhere to swim in Inaba, really?" Yu asked as Ryotaro smirked and spoke up.

"I was wondering when you'd ask that. You're not wrong that there's few places to swim. However, one place I know of is the nearby ocean. The ocean's a bit far, but the river, which is also a swimming spot if you don't mind shallow water, is right in town. That said, I'm sure you'll end up taking a swim sometime this year. Make sure to wear that when you do eventually go on a swim, okay?" Ryotaro said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"Sure thing, Dojima-san. The trunks you got are nicer than the ones I'm sure Mom packed for me. Granted, I'm pretty sure I packed my black trunks, but knowing my luck? They're probably buried under the purple and dark pink trunks Mom picked out for me on a whim last year. Why she chose those colors, I'll never know." Yu said as Ryotaro winced and spoke up.

"Yeeeah, that does sound rather emasculating now that you mention it. But it was probably just a case of that being all the shop had or something, if I had to guess. Granted, I have heard some say that real men can pull off wearing pink at times, but I dunno how much truth there is to that. But I'll leave that for you to figure out the truth of that for yourself." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded, deciding to go upstairs and study some more. Afterwards, Yu felt as if he was even smarter than before, netting him two more unseen increases to his Knowledge, after which he went to bed for the evening...

(The next morning, in the Shopping District, on the way to school with Yu and Yosuke)

As Yu was walking to school, he winced as he heard a familiar squeaking sound, turning in time to see Yosuke pedaling up to him. Once Yosuke caught up to him, he spoke up.

"Yo! Ugh, dammit! I just fixed this thing not that long ago, and now it's making squeaking sounds again." Yosuke said as Yu frowned and spoke up.

"I see. I know you won't want to hear this, but maybe you need a new one if your current bike is gonna keep squeaking after you fix it. That could be a sign that it's time to retire your current bike." Yu said wisely. Yosuke blinked at Yu's words before nodding as he spoke up.

"Huh? Yeah, you do have a point, Yu. It might be time to retire my current transportation once I get a new mode of transport. Hey, by the way, I wanted to talk to you. I'm sorry about the other day, partner. You know, about the things I said to Nanako-chan." Yosuke said as Yu smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you, but we both know that it was an accident, partner. You're not used to having younger kids around when you speak, so you're not trained to censor yourself when impressionable ears are present. If you can at least give me a heads-up ahead of time, I can cover Nanako's ears if you need to be crass so she doesn't have to hear it. After all, that's not fair to you to instantly expect you to be able to always watch your mouth around her. And most of your crass remarks were obtuse enough that Nanako probably didn't register what you said at first." Yu said as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"Good point. I'll try and do that from now on, Yu. Also, after hanging out with Nanako-chan recently, I feel even stronger that we have to solve this case." Yosuke said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"I agree. We'll do our best to get this guy, together. We cannot let the culprit continue to run free, otherwise who knows how many more people will end up trapped in the TV world before this is over. Sure, each one that we save could be another new ally for the Investigation Team. Regardless, they can't be left there to die." Yu said wisely as Yosuke nodded his agreement and spoke up with a confident smirk on his face.

"Yeah! Y'know, now that I think about it? Chie and Yukiko seem different lately somehow. Almost like they're a lot closer than they were." Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"Well, to be fair? They both awakened to their Personas in the same part of the TV world, and they were already best friends before that. So of course their reconciliation is going to strengthen their friendship. Sure, it's possible that they could end up as more than friends. And if they do, that's for them to decide, and for us to support them in that decision wholeheartedly. Granted, I don't think Chie or Yukiko are into girls, but you can't rule the possibility out either." Yu said wisely as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"Well put, Yu. Oh yeah, I was just curious, but are you interested in either one of them? Ehh, never mind. If we keep chatting, we're gonna be late." Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"Fair. And for the record? I find Chie and Yukiko both enjoyable to be around, but if you're asking if I like either of them as more than a friend? I don't like Chie as more than a friend. But as for Yukiko? I'm not as sure about her. I mean, there's no doubt she's pretty. But at the same time, I'm also not trying to rush into a relationship this soon after moving to Inaba, plus I don't think Yukiko's in a mindset to be thinking about dating anyways." Yu pointed out as Yosuke smirked and spoke up.

"I see. That makes sense that you'd be interested in Yukiko, Yu. Ugh, but man, school's such a chore. And now my bike's messed up too. This is the worst. Still, the roads are much wider here than in the city, so I keep speeding around on it. I guess that did it." Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"That would make sense. I'm pretty sure there's only so much a bike's chassis can handle before giving out, and you might have pushed your current bike a bit too far, and it's starting to be on its last legs to a point as a result. Still, I'm sure you can make it work a while longer if you need to so you can save up for a new bike, since I imagine those aren't cheap to come by." Yu said as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"That's true. You did say before that it might be time to retire my bike. Ugh, oh well. I might as well. Until I get my motorcycle license, I'll just have to walk." Yosuke said as Yu sweatdropped before the two finished the trip to school together...

(At lunchtime, in the hallways of Yasogami High with Yu)

As Yu finished lunch, he was stopped on the way to class by Yosuke, who spoke up with a smirk.

"Word up, Yu. Wanna hang out later?" Yosuke asked as Yu spoke up with a frown.

"I'd love to, but I think I want to wait and see what other options I have before I commit, so can I get back to you on that later?" Yu asked. Yosuke blinked at that before speaking up with a nod.

"Hmm. Really? Well, think about it, okay?" Yosuke asked as Yu nodded and Yosuke walked off, before Chie approached and spoke up.

"Yo! Yooo, whatcha doin'? Hey, if you have time after school, do you wanna hang out with me? Think about it, alright?" Chie said as Yu noted that he could potentially hang out with Chie after school that day. After Chie walked off, Yu made his way to class...

(After school, in homeroom, with Yosuke, Yu, Yukiko, and Chie)

After Yosuke and Yukiko stood in front of the desks of Yu and Chie respectively, Chie spoke up with a sigh.

"Ugh, this sucks! Why do the holidays have to end so fast, anyways?" Chie asked as Yosuke spoke up with his usual smirk.

"At least they were peaceful." Yosuke said as Yu spoke up dryly while resisting the urge to scoff.

"Yeah, if you ignore the fact I spent most of the first night of said holidays comforting Nanako while she spent a few minutes crying her little heart out after Dojima-san broke a promise to go on an outing with her, as well as myself, during the holiday. But I understand why he did it, so I'm not mad at him for it. But that was why I said Chie inviting us to hang with you guys the other day was good timing, since I had promised Nanako that I'd try to include her in more of our hangouts where possible, so Chie inviting us was a really good chance to start making good on my word to Nanako. So thanks for that unintentional assist you gave me, Chie." Yu said as Chie blinked and spoke up.

"Ohhh, so THAT's why you said my invite to you on Tuesday was good timing then. That makes sense." Chie said agreeably as Yosuke spoke up.

"I still say it was shocking that Nanako-chan likes Junes, but I guess it's a good thing in the grand scheme of things. Speaking of which, I listened in on the housewives gossiping at Junes, but it doesn't seem like anything happened. And I haven't heard anything about someone disappearing suddenly, either, which is good. Hmm, do y'think Yukiko could've been the last of the victims?" Yosuke asked as Yu spoke up with a shake of his head.

"After how much this case has been talked about? No shot. I doubt this is over by any means, Yosuke. But I can see why you'd hope it is, so I won't fault you for being hopeful." Yu said fairly. Chie frowned at that and spoke up.

"Hmm, that is a good point, Yu-kun. Could this truly not be over yet, then?" Chie asked as Yukiko spoke up with a frown.

"I don't know. However, I do know this for sure. We shouldn't relax as long as the culprit remains at large." Yukiko said as Yu spoke up.

"I agree. We should be on alert at all times within reason. After all, other than the Midnight Channel broadcasting on rainy nights, there's little way of knowing when a new victim could appear in the TV world until it happens." Yu said as Yosuke spoke up.

"Good point, partner. Still, I wonder. Given the pattern we've seen so far, will someone show up on TV again if it rains? If we only knew a little more about who the killer might be, then maybe we could try to get an advantage over them." Yosuke said as Chie spoke up with an unreadable look on her face.

"Eh, it's no good fretting over it now. If someone does show up on the Midnight Channel, then we'll deal with it. It's supposed to start raining soon, but I hope this weather holds through next week, if at all possible. You know, so we can get through midterms before dealing with the rain." Chie said as Yu and Yosuke winced at the mention of midterms while Yukiko merely nodded in agreement with Chie as Yosuke spoke up with a wince on his face.

"Ugh, you had to go and bring that up, didn't you, Chie? I don't wanna think about it." Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"Well, it's gonna happen eventually, so the best we can do is be as prepared as possible for them when they do happen, thus boosting our chance of getting good marks on them. If nothing else, it's a good way to keep King Moron off our backs if we do well on the midterms." Yu said as Chie spoke up with a nod.

"Good point. Ugh, I wish I had Yukiko's gift for studying in depth. I don't know how she does it, but Yukiko nearly always scores highly on exams from what I've seen." Chie said as Yukiko gave Chie a confused look while Chie turned towards Yosuke and kept speaking, not seeing the surprised look on Yu's face at what she said next.

"Hey Yosuke, why don't you have Yukiko go over some of the material with you?" Chie suggested as Yosuke blinked and spoke up.

"Hm? Oh, that's right. Yukiko's ranked at the top on every exam." Yosuke said as Yu blinked in surprise and spoke up.

"Every exam? That's quite impressive. But then, I always had a feeling Yukiko was a smart woman, so I guess it's not that surprising that she does well on exams." Yu said honestly, smirking at the shy sort of smile Yukiko gave him while she spoke up.

"Well, I tend to throw myself into exams so that I can feel like I at least have that to excel in. After all, you heard what my Shadow said before. I don't exactly have a high sense of self-worth for the most part. Sure, I'm working on having more self-appreciation, but it's going to be a slow process regardless." Yukiko said as Yu spoke up.

"Fair. We're all here for you though, Yukiko." Yu said kindly as Yosuke spoke up.

"Yu's right. But if she's really that good at studying, maybe I should ask Yukiko for some private lessons." Yosuke said as Yukiko sputtered and spoke up.

"Wha-!? P-Private lessons!?" Yukiko said before turning away from Yosuke with an unreadable expression on her face. Yosuke blinked at that and spoke up.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Yosuke said as Yu winced and spoke up after seeing the subtle hints of annoyance on Yukiko's face.

"I think you might have managed to offend Yukiko without meaning to, Yosuke. After all, the term 'private lessons' can mean many things, dependent on the context behind it. And I think one of those contexts might make Yukiko apt to-" Yu said, being cut-off mid-sentence as Yukiko walked over to Yosuke, frowned at him, and then open-palm smacked Yosuke across the face, making Yosuke wince as he spoke up in shock.

"Ow, that hurt! What was that for? I'm just asking you to help me study, Yukiko!" Yosuke said as Yukiko gasped and spoke up with a suitably contrite look on her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Yosuke-kun! You were talking about studying when you said that. I thought it might have been an off-color joke. Our inn has had some strange visitors lately, and even a few new long-term guests as well. So you can see why I would be mixed up on what you meant." Yukiko said apologetically as Yu spoke up, acting as if he hadn't just been interrupted by both Yosuke and Yukiko while he spoke.

"-Apt to slap you. However, I didn't realize she'd had strange visitors at the inn recently, so I can't be mad at her for hitting you." Yu said as Yosuke spoke up with a frown and an annoyed look.

"You might not be, but I sure am! If you thought it was a joke, then just shrug it off!" Yosuke said as Yukiko winced and spoke up.

"Sorry. My hand moved without thinking in that instant, sort of like, how did he put it? Oh right, like an involuntary muscle spasm of sorts." Yukiko said as both Chie and Yu blinked at Yukiko's response and spoke up.

"HE!?" Yu and Chie asked as the former kept speaking.

"I take it this 'he' you spoke of is one of the long-term guests you were alluding to recently?" Yu asked as Yukiko nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah. Long story short, my mom invited the son of one of her old friends to come stay at the inn within the past week or so, with the proviso that he helps out with odd jobs around the inn from time to time. To his credit, he's been pretty good about keeping his end of the agreement, too. And he even helps me out from time to time with my tasks, generally with no complaints whatsoever.

I'm still getting to know him, but he seems like a nice guy, if a bit guarded about himself. But given what my mom said about him having had a lot of tragedy in his life recently, I guess it's not that surprised he'd be guarded around others. Still, he can be quite funny and entertaining when he chooses to be." Yukiko said as Chie smirked and spoke up with a chuckle.

"Oh? What's this? Has Yukiko finally found a lucky guy to develop a crush on, then?" Chie said as Yukiko blushed and spoke up.

"W-What!? No, not at all! Gaignun's nice and all, but I'm not sure he's looking for anything like that right now. After all, much like Yu-kun, he recently came to Inaba from a far-off place, and is still looking for a permanent place to live here in Inaba, hence his being a long-term guest at the inn. But he's extremely wary about opening up to others, so I know little about him other than his name, and that he's a hard worker who can be very kind and understanding when he wants to be." Yukiko said as Yu spoke up, pushing back the sudden uncertainty he felt at the mention of Gaignun to focus on Yukiko as he spoke.

"That makes sense that you would want to take your time getting to know this guy, Yukiko. He might be a good guy for all you know, so it tracks you want to get to know him better before making any rash decisions about him." Yu said sagely as he turned to Yosuke and kept speaking.

"And don't be too mad at Yukiko, Yosuke. I think she feels bad enough about hitting you already. But I can understand you'd be upset, since she did hit you out of nowhere and everything." Yu said kindly as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"You're damn right it was out of nowhere! Ugh, geez, fine. I forgive you, Yukiko." Yosuke said after Yu gave him a pointed look, turning to glare at Chie as he kept speaking.

"Thanks a lot, Chie, for bringing up the whole studying thing." Yosuke said as Chie sputtered and spoke up.

"Wh-What did I do!?" Chie said as Yosuke spoke up with a frown on his face.

"You're the one who brought up private lessons and set Yukiko off! If you hadn't done that, maybe she might not have slapped me!" Yosuke snapped as Chie spoke up in irritation.

"Uhh, what? You're the one who made it sound all creepy and wrong! 'Private lessons,' huh?" Chie said irately as Yosuke sputtered and spoke up while glaring angrily at Chie, not seeing both Yu and Yukiko wince at the pissed off looks Yosuke and Chie were giving one another as the former of the two spoke up.

"Wha-? Then it's mostly my fault!?" Yosuke said as Yu winced and spoke up with a smirk on his face.

"Well, these two will probably be at it a while. I guess we should get comfortable, eh Yukiko?" Yu said teasingly as Yukiko giggled and spoke up.

"Perhaps. Oh, wait, that's right. I should start heading home. Mom will probably be counting on me to help around the inn, and I can't expect her to foist all the tasks onto the maids, and possibly even Gaignun. But I'm sure you'll make it through this fine on your own, Yu-kun. See you around." Yukiko said as she went back to the inn, leaving a shocked Yu to blink at Yukiko's departing back before shrugging as he knew she took her work at the inn seriously.

As he settled in to wait out Yosuke and Chie's little spat, Yu decided that as long as Yukiko found happiness, it didn't matter much to Yu who she found it with. If it was with that Gaignun guy who she'd previously mentioned, then so be it. Yu was content just being there for Yukiko as her friend. So decided, Yu settled in to wait out his friends' bickering...

(After school, in the classroom with Yu)

As Yu stood in the classroom, he pondered his options. After mulling it over, Yu decided to hang out with Chie, making his way to the rooftop for just that purpose. After he reached the rooftop, Yu walked over to Chie and spoke up.

"I see you finally got over your disagreement with Yosuke, then." Yu said teasingly as Chie sputtered and spoke up.

"Shut up! We reconciled in the end. Anyways, yooo, Yu-kun. Whatcha doin'?" Chie said as Yu spoke up.

"Not a lot, as it turns out. I was thinking, if you wanted to, we could hang out a bit, since we've not gotten to do so in a bit. Interested?" Yu asked Chie, who smiled and spoke up.

"Oh, so your plan was to spend time with me? Ooh, then do you wanna train?" Chie asked as Yu spoke up with a nod.

"Sure, why not? We need to keep in peak condition as often as possible, since we have no way of knowing when we'll have to go back into the TV world again." Yu said as Chie cheered and spoke up.

"Seriously!? YES! All right, let's go!" Chie said, looking happy as three music notes went up over her head. She then led Yu to the spot they'd trained in before...

(A short time later, at the Samegawa River, with Yu and Chie)

After Chie brought him to the Samegawa River with her, Yu figured it was a good idea to train with her. Chie spoke up excitedly to drive Yu from his musings.

"Allllright! Today's the day!" Chie said as Yu noted how enthusiastic Chie seemed to be at the moment. Yu then spoke up.

"Today's the day for what, exactly?" Yu asked Chie, who spoke up sheepishly.

"Today's the day to get even stronger, of course." Chie said as Yu nodded understandingly. However, before he could verbally answer Chie, he was shocked to see Nanako walk over to him and Chie and speak up.

"Huh?" Nanako said, a confused look on her face as she walked over to stand next to Yu while Chie spoke up.

"Yo! Oh, Nanako-chan!" Chie said as a confused Nanako spoke up while cutely tilting her head to the side to show how confused she was by Yu and Chie being together.

"Umm, what are you doing?" Nanako asked as Chie spoke up while looking at Nanako with an amused smile on her face.

"Hm? We're training, of course!" Chie said as Nanako nodded understandingly and spoke up.

"Hmm, is that so? Training, you say? I suppose that makes sense. But who are you fighting with, Chie?" Nanako said, surprising both Yu and Chie, the latter of which spoke up in surprise.

"Hmmm, that's a good question, Nanako-chan. Myself, I suppose. I guess I'm sparring with myself?" Chie said uncertainly as Nanako tilted her head to the side in a very confused, yet also very incredibly adorable, way while speaking up.

"You fight with yourself, Chie-san? I have a hard time believing that." Nanako said as Chie chuckled and spoke up.

"You do? Heheh, I was just kidding. I usually just fight with thin air for the most part. It's a good way to hone my form and keep in good shape." Chie said as Nanako gave her a close eye smile and seemed to somewhat squeal as she spoke up.

"Ohh! Wow, that's so cool!" Nanako said as Yu spoke up in a skeptical tone.

"You think Chie fighting thin air is cool, Nanako? Eh, you do you, I guess." Yu said offhandedly as Chie spoke up.

"Yep, you definitely act like her big bro more than her cousin, Yu." Chie said in amusement before turning to Nanako as she kept speaking.

"Y-You think I'm cool, Nanako-chan? Hahaha, that's nice of you to say. Thank you." Chie said as Nanako nodded and spoke up, blinking mid-sentence when she noticed something behind Chie.

"You're welcome. Oh, a grasshopper!" Nanako said excitedly as Chie turned to look where Nanako had pointed, which was behind her, just in time for the grasshopper to leap onto her back. After she didn't see anything, Chie spoke up.

"Huh!? N-No way! Wh-Where!?" Chie asked as Nanako frowned slightly and spoke up.

"Hmm, it looks like it just landed on your back." Nanako said as Chie screamed and spoke up.

"AHHHHHH! Get it off, get it off, get it offffff! Get it off of me!" Chie said in fear, oblivious to the amused chuckle from Yu as Nanako gently reached over and removed the grasshopper from Chie's back with an amused giggle of her own. After she went to release it and watched it hop off, Nanako turned to Chie and spoke up.

"There we go, it's gone now. But wow, you don't like grasshoppers?" Nanako asked as Chie winced and spoke up.

"NO! I'm no good with anything with thin, jointed legs! Or anything creepy or squirmy! Ack, now I can't get 'em out of my mind! I can't stand those things!" Chie said as Nanako frowned and spoke up.

"Really? But they're cute, though." Nanako said off-handedly as Yu chuckled and spoke up.

"True, but not everyone likes the same things, Nanako. In this case, Chie just happens to not be a fan of bugs. We all have things we're not fans of. For me, I'm not a fan of anyone who disrespects women. Or of delusional madmen who seek to take innocent people and put them through experiments that ultimately change their lives irrevocably for the worse while trying to destroy everything. But that's a long story that can wait for another day." Yu said sagely as Nanako just nodded her agreement with Yu as Chie spoke up while looking at Nanako.

"Ignoring what Yu-kun just said, you think bugs are cute, Nanako-chan? Heh, you're just like Yukiko." Chie said as Yu frowned and spoke up.

"How is it that thinking bugs are cute makes Nanako just like Yukiko?" Yu asked in confusion. Chie spoke up with a chuckle.

"Right, I forgot that you don't know Yukiko that well yet, Yu-kun. Oh, see, it's 'cause Yukiko's fine around bugs. But me, I totally lose it when I see a bug. Kinda funny, huh?" Chie said as Yu spoke up with a chuckle.

"It's cute that you get so out of shape over something like bugs. It's also very feminine." Yu said sagely. Chie blinked at Yu's words and spoke up in disbelief, not seeing Nanako giggle at the flustered look on her face as she spoke.

"WHAT!? Th-That's not true! It's not that feminine to hate bugs! If it is, then that means Yukiko's not that feminine, since she's just fine around bugs. But thank you for saying so." Chie said, surprising both Yu and Nanako with a rare look of embarrassment on her face, making Nanako giggle as Yu noted that somehow, despite seeming offended by Yu suggesting hating bugs is feminine, Chie seemed quite happy by Yu's words, as shown by the three music notes that went up over her head. Nanako then spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"It's okay, Chie. A lot of kids in my class don't like bugs. It's not just you who's bad with them. Don't worry!" Nanako said cheerfully, not seeing Yu smirk at her attempt to cheer Chie up as Chie chuckled and spoke up.

"Heheh, is that so? Nanako-chan, you're so sweet. Ooh, you don't know how happy that makes me. Thanks!" Chie said as she seemed to dance in place for a moment before she kept speaking.

"C'mon, you wanna train too?" Chie asked Nanako, who nodded and spoke up with an adorable closed-eye smile.

"Yeah! Okay, I'll train with you guys." Nanako said as Chie smiled and spoke up.

"Cool. Let's start with form, then. I'll teach you a kata that you should be able to learn fairly easily." Chie said as Nanako nodded before the two began training while Yu watched them carefully, making sure Chie didn't overdo it or push Nanako too hard. After a while, Yu called Nanako's training to a halt for the day and told her to get home before it got dark, getting an agreeable nod from Nanako, who left while suggesting that Yu not be out too long with Chie, lest he make other girls jealous. Chie giggled at the annoyed look on Yu's face as Nanako left. After Nanako was out of eyesight and earshot, Chie spoke up.

"Heh, she's a good kid. Y'know what? I'm gonna get over my fear of bugs. I don't wanna look like a sissy next to Nanako-chan! All I have to do is think of them as Shadows! Then I'll be able to grab a whole fistful!" Chie said as Yu smirked and spoke up.

"True. And now that I think about it, I think some of the Shadow's in Yukiko's dungeon looked like giant beetles, so there are likely bug-shaped Shadows in the TV World. Therefore, I think your plan to use Shadows to conquer your fear of bugs has real merit." Yu said as Chie frowned and spoke up.

"Ugh, you HAD to remind me of that, Yu. But you're not wrong. Man, I-I just gave myself goosebumps with what I just said. Still, g-getting used to bugs might take a while, but I won't lose to Shadows!" Chie said resolutely as Yu smirked, noting that he could almost feel Chie's burning passion in that moment. At the same time, Yu got the sense that his relationship with Chie had grown even deeper at that point.

Right on cue, the 'Chariot' card appeared in his mind's eye, the Roman numeral 'II' on the top of the card becoming a Roman numeral 'III' to signify that his 'Chariot' Social Link with Chie had reached Rank 3. Accordingly, Chie's determination in battle has been enhanced from the rank up, enabling her to perform a follow-up attack during battle. After a bit, Chie and Yu finished their training as the latter started making his way home, leading Chie to speak up.

"Heading home, Yu-kun?" Chie asked as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah. I probably shouldn't leave her home alone for too long, if only so she doesn't get too lonely." Yu said as Chie laughed and spoke up.

"How cute, you seem to almost dote on Nanako-chan, Yu-kun. You really do act like a big brother to her. Anyways, be safe going home! Laters!" Chie said as Yu nodded, going back to the Dojima residence for the evening...

(That evening, in the lower level of the Dojima residence, with Yu, Ryotaro, and Nanako)

As Yu came through the front door, he was surprised when he heard Ryotaro's voice greet him instead of Nanako's.

"Oh, you're back. So you're home." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded, checking in with Nanako, and smirking as he saw her immersed in her usual quiz show. Deciding to leave her to it, he walked over to Ryotaro and spoke up.

"I see you're home early tonight, Dojima-san." Yu said conversationally as Ryotaro looked up and spoke up.

"Hm? Oh, right. Hey, Yu. How're things? You should be used to life here by now." Ryotaro said as Yu spoke up.

"Yeah, I'm getting used to things around Inaba for the most part, I think. Sure, there are some things I've yet to check out, but I've got plenty of time to get fully acquainted with the town, since I'm going to be here for basically a whole year." Yu said conversationally as Ryotaro chuckled and spoke up.

"Good point. Say, are you bored? If so, have a seat." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded, having a seat across from Ryotaro at the table as Ryotaro spoke up.

"Hmm. Now that I think about it, we haven't had a lot of time to talk like this since you got here, huh?" Ryotaro said as Yu spoke up.

"That's true. But I also realize you're busy with work a lot, so I'm not that bothered that you're not home that often. If nothing else, Nanako seems to have acclimated to not having you around a lot quite well, which is impressive for the fact she's only like six or so if I recall correctly." Yu said as Nanako huffed after looking up before she called out from where she was watching her quiz show, having heard her name.

"HEY! I'm surprised you don't know my age, Big Bro! I'm six-and-a-half, thank you very much!" Nanako pointed out bluntly, not seeing Ryotaro stifle a laugh at the adorably indignant pout Nanako had on her face as Yu chuckled and spoke up.

"Right, sorry. I meant six-and-a-half. My bad, Nanako." Yu said as Nanako nodded approvingly and turned her attention back to her quiz show while Ryotaro started trying to figure out a good topic to discuss. Eventually he spoke up.

"Uhhh, Nanako's outburst aside, we were talking about you, weren't we? Well, how's school?" Ryotaro said as Yu spoke up.

"It's fun enough for the most part. Sure, studying can be a chore at times, but it seems rewarding enough for the most part, so I don't mind it too much. Besides, I'm used to setting a good example for children, considering I used to have a job as a babysitter back in Kichijoji. So it's fun." Yu said to Ryotaro as honestly as he could. Ryotaro, for his part, smiled and spoke up with an approving nod.

"I see. I forgot you used to babysit kids a lot where you used to live. Still, that's good to hear that you're having fun at school. After all, you might not think so now, but you're already in high school. At this point, not much longer, and your school days will be over before you know it. Sure, you could choose to go on to college, but that's not a guarantee in terms of continued schooling. My point in saying all this is that you should make sure that you have fun while you can." Ryotaro said with a sage nod to himself. Ryotaro then kept speaking before Yu could speak up.

"What else is there? Oh, yeah, I know. How about your friends? You do have friends, right? Never mind, I take that back. Given that some of my coworkers saw you leave the station with Hanamura and Satonaka the other day, I'd say you have plenty of friends." Ryotaro said with a scowl on his face at having to think about having to bail Yu out of trouble after he and Yosuke had gotten dragged in after the latter was caught waving weapons around at the Junes food court. Ryotaro then kept speaking.

"Before you think I'm trying to lecture you, I'm not. I'm also not saying who you can and can't hang out with, but still, you should try to be careful about hanging out with bad influences. You know what I'm talking about, right?" Ryotaro asked as Yu spoke up.

"Yes, I can pretty well guess who you mean. And I can't say I blame you for thinking the worst of him after the other day, but that was an honest mistake on his part. He's not usually that bad of a guy once you get to know him. Yosuke's pretty cool for the most part. But I already lectured him as well on why what he did was foolish, and he promised me he wouldn't do it again. But yes, I get what you're trying to say." Yu said understandingly. Ryotaro blinked in surprise at this before chuckling as he spoke up.

"Huh. So you did notice my annoyance with your friend the other day, then. At least you seem like a reliable young man with a good head on their shoulders." Ryotaro said with an approving nod. Ryotaro then kept speaking with a sigh.

"Still, I have to say that I can't help but notice that for some reason? Whenever there's an incident, there you two are looking around. I wish I didn't have to consider this, but I have to acknowledge the fact that the killings began around the time you came to town." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"That's entirely fair, Dojima-san. I can see how the timing would make me look suspicious. But I can assure you that I had nothing to do with the incidents. I was just as shocked by them as anyone else when they were reported. Besides, would Nanako-chan really be so quick to warm to me if she believed for even a second that I was the culprit? I get the sense she's smart enough that she wouldn't. So I think the fact that Nanako seems to be warming to me at least somewhat is a good enough sign that you don't have to suspect me, Dojima-san. The fact that those killings started around the same time I arrived is just a very unfortunate coincidence." Yu said as Ryotaro frowned and spoke up with a stern look on his face.

"That's true. Still, I don't dabble in coincidences and random chance, Yu. My job is all about eliminating the random element. I look only at the facts. If you keep getting caught up in my job, then I might not have a choice but to start considering you a potential person of interest in the murder case." Ryotaro said as Yu blinked at Ryotaro basically threatening him. Before he could really respond to Ryotaro's words, Nanako walked over, having heard Ryotaro's voice raise as he spoke to Yu, and spoke up.

"I heard your voices getting louder just now. What's wrong?" Nanako said as Yu spoke up, seeing the uneasy look on Nanako's face and wanting to put her mind at ease if he could.

"Your father and I were just having a grown-up discussion about why me constantly seeming to be caught up in his work is a bad thing, that's all." Yu said, trying to reassure Nanako, who nodded before turning to her father and speaking up.

"Are you trying to accuse Yu of something? I believe in him. My big bro didn't do anything bad." Nanako said, coming firmly to Yu's defense, to his amusement. Ryotaro winced at the glare Nanako was giving him, as it made her look a lot like her mother used to look on the rare instances she got angry, prompting him to sigh as he spoke up.

"I-I know. I didn't mean it like that." Ryotaro said as a perplexed Nanako spoke up.

"Really? But you're bullying him, aren't you?" Nanako asked as both Yu and Ryotaro blanched at this and spoke up at the same time.

"WHAT!?" Yu and Ryotaro both said as the former of the two kept speaking reassuringly.

"It's all right, Nanako. Your father is just trying to look out for my best interests, that's all." Yu said as Ryotaro nodded firmly and spoke up.

"Yu's right. I'm not bullying him. We were just having a little talk. It's getting late, and it's a school night, Nanako. Go to sleep." Ryotaro said as Nanako looked to Yu, who nodded once reassuringly, prompting Nanako to speak up.

"You're sure you're just talking to him? Well, okay." Nanako said as she turned and went to bed. Once she was well out of eyesight and earshot, Ryotaro sighed and spoke up.

"Sheesh, the things she says sometimes. Still, I have to say, I'm shocked to hear her stand up for you so openly, Yu. If I didn't know better, I'd say she's really taking a shine to you." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"She's a good kid. I think it might be the fact that I was the one who comforted her the other night after you let her know about not being able to get those days off that might have made her warm to me somewhat. But I don't blame you for that, for the record." Yu said as Ryotaro nodded and spoke up.

"That's good. Look, I'm sorry if I came off harsh just now. You were right when I said I'm trying to do my job as your guardian and look after your well-being. Just don't get yourself involved in anything dangerous. As long as you're safe, everything's fine. After all, your parents didn't ask me to raise your grades or anything." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"That's fair. But I mean, I'm just an everyday average high-school student. How much danger could I possibly get into on a daily basis? Besides, I'm not trying to get myself into trouble, if only because I like the idea that Nanako feels like she has at least one consistent presence in her life. Not saying that you're not, mind you, just that you're at work a lot.

And if I had to guess, it might make Nanako a bit upset and possibly even resentful that you're at work so often, even if she doesn't say so. But I will agree that your gestures the other night were a good step in the right direction." Yu said as Ryotaro nodded agreeably, the smile on his face at that moment giving Yu the distinct impression that Ryotaro is genuinely worried about him. Yu then got the sense that a faint bond was forming between him and his uncle Ryotaro, just as the expected voice echoed in his head.

"Thou art I, Yu Narukami. And just as thou art I, know that I am thou as well. Thou hast established a new bond with the one you call Ryotaro Dojima. It brings thee closer to the truth that thou seeketh. If you make the most of this new 'Hierophant' Social Link you've established, then thou shalt surely be blessed when creating Personas of the Hierophant Arcana in fusions." Yu heard as a card appeared in his mind's eye, a small blue semi-circle appearing on the bottom of the card with a Roman numeral 'V' etched into the semi-circle.

The middle of the card was mostly blue, with some sea-blue elements at the upper reaches of the middle, with a more neon blue below that, and smaller red and white spots in the corners of the card's center, each with people kneeling before what appeared to be a black antenna in the middle of a card, a smaller circle appearing atop the card with a Roman numeral 'I' engraved in the center of said circle to indicate that his newly-established 'Hierophant' Social Link with Ryotaro had reached Rank 1. At that point, Ryotaro nodded and spoke up.

"You have a fair point. Still, keep in mind that things here might be a little different from what you're used to. But even despite that, Inaba is a good town." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"I don't doubt it, Dojima-san." Yu said as Ryotaro spoke up with a frown.

"True. Though it's a little dangerous right at the moment with all the murders taking place. Makes it seem more interesting that your parents chose to send you over here when they did. But that's a potential line of discussion for another night. Now then, it's about time for our to turn in. Get some sleep." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"That's fair. I do have school in the morning, so I probably should keep on a good schedule for that. Well, guess I should get up to bed. Night, Dojima-san." Yu said as he got up to head to bed, Ryotaro smirking at Yu as he spoke up.

"Good plan. 'Night." Ryotaro said as Yu nodded and went up to his bedroom to get laid down for the night at that point...

(The next morning, on the way to school, in the 'School Zone' of the Samegawa Flood Plain, with Yu)

As Yu was walking to school, he frowned at hearing some students speaking nearby, deciding to listen in.

"All this rain is annoying. I hate rain. It's supposed to keep raining until this evening, too. Oh, and speaking of misery? Midterms start next Monday. They even post the results up for everyone to see in the hallways." A chatty girl said as her friend, an easygoing girl, spoke up.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Your life isn't going to be ruined by one little piece of paper, is it?" The easygoing girl said as the chatty girl spoke up.

"What? How can you possibly believe that? I heard that getting good grades has benefits when interacting with people! Talented people really are more highly valued in society, aren't they, my friend?" The chatty girl said as her friend shrugged, but said nothing as the rest of the walk went by uneventfully...

(Later that morning, in Hosoi's class with Yukiko, Chie, Yu, and Yosuke)

As Hosoi was giving a lecture, a female student spoke up to interrupt him.

"Mister Hosoi? Have you picked up the latest edition of 'Bullied Teacher' yet?" The female student asked as Hosoi spoke up with a nod.

"Of course I did. But it's raining today. I hope I can get it home without getting it all wet along the way. So, uh, does anyone have an extra book cover they'd be kind enough to lend me? Oh, whoops, I have to start the lecture! Don't try to distract me by talking about books! Today, we're going to discuss 'Kokoro' by Soseki Natsume. Open your textbooks. Before we get to the actual literature, I'll ask a question about Soseki himself. Hmm, who to pick on here? Ah, I know. How about Narukami-chan, the city boy." Hosoi said as Yu got to his feet in time for Hosoi to keep speaking.

"Answer me this question. Do you know how Soseki Natsume translated the English phrase 'I love you' into Japanese?" Hosoi asked as Yu spoke up, knowing the answer thanks to having read the story in question with his mom about a month prior to moving to Inaba, and thus knowing this answer from muscle memory, letting him speak up confidently to give the answer.

"The answer is 'The moon is beautiful, isn't it?', Mister Hosoi." Yu said confidently, giving the answer he thought was correct. Hosoi nodded approvingly and spoke up.

"Very good. Oh, you're very knowledgeable. Yep, he translated it as, 'The moon is beautiful, isn't it?' By the way the person who translated it was 'I could die' was Shimei Futabatei, another prominent Meiji-era writer. Though he translated from Russian, not English, as it happens. Regardless, it's still similar in that they didn't do direct translations. Back then, in Japan there wasn't the same direct expression of love that we have now, so they had to get creative. It's a subtle, endearing translation, much like the Japanese language itself. Anyway, let's get back into 'Kokoro'." Hosoi said as Yu felt proud of himself since he gave the correct answer, making him feel smarter and netting him an unseen boost to his Knowledge, while the rest of the class period passed uneventfully...

(After school, in a classroom with Yukiko, Chie, and Yu)

As Yu, Chie, and Yukiko talked amongst themselves, they heard the sound of thunder rumbling outside. Before Yu could try to comfort the girls, Yosuke walked over with his usual roguish grin on his face and spoke up.

"Hey Chie, I bought you a new copy of that 'Trial of the Dragon' flick. It was a 'Greatest Punches' version for 980 yen. If I knew then, I'd have just replaced it instead of buying you grilled steak." Yosuke said as more thunder was heard rumbling outside, making a nervous Chie speak up.

"This is clearly getting closer, you guys!" Chie said as Yosuke spoke up in surprise.

"Huh, are you serious, Chie? What are you, scared of a little lightning?" Yosuke said as Chie frowned and spoke up.

"Quiet, you! I'd be a goner if even one of those things hit me." Chie said, screaming as a thunderclap was heard at that moment.

"Eek!" Chie said, getting identical looks of surprise from both Yu and Yukiko as Yosuke chuckled and spoke up.

"Hahaha, you're freakin' out way too much. C'mon, shouldn't weather like this help with your kung fu training? A bolt of lightning would hit and it'd give you the inspiration for a new move! There was a scene like that in your DVD, wasn't there?" Yosuke said as Chie spoke up with a frown.

"You jerk! You don't even care how I feel! If lightning has to strike someone, let it be this guy!" Chie said, right as another thunderclap was heard, knocking out the lights in the classroom amid many screams from the other students, prompting Yukiko to speak up in surprise, drawing attention away from the shocked expression on Yu's face from the timing of the power going out.

"Huh? Is this a blackout?" Yukiko said as Yosuke spoke up with a frown on his face that shifted back to his usual roguish grin mid-sentence.

"Seems like it. That's what you get for saying that stuff, Chie. Well, looks like I better hurry up and head to work. Depending on how produce sells today, I might get a little bonus in my pay for the week. This weather may keep customers away, but I gotta do my best if I'm gonna save up for a motorcycle!" Yosuke said before blinking as his phone rang, noticing the caller ID said it was a call from Junes, making him look confused as he kept speaking.

"It's from my manager, apparently." Yosuke said as he answered his phone.

"Hello? Yosuke speaking." Yosuke said as he heard a man's voice speak up on the other end.

"Yosuke-kun? Hmmm, this isn't good. Some of the power in the store is out after that lightning strike. C-Could you come in early? All the refrigerated shelves have stopped running. At this rate, it's looking like we'll have to close up the produce section early today." Yosuke's manager said as Yosuke blinked and spoke up.

"Wait, what!? But my pay was supposed to go up if the produce sold well, I thought?" Yosuke said as his manager spoke up again.

"I don't think that's happening at this point, I'm afraid. Anyway, I need you here to help deal with this mess. I'm counting on you! Goodbye!" Yosuke's manager said as Yosuke spoke up in disbelief.

"Wai-" Yosuke said but was cut off mid-sentence by a dial tone indicating he'd been hung up on, at which point he hung up his cell phone, put it away, and turned to glare irately at Chie, who returned the glare and spoke up.

"What're you looking at me for!?" Chie said as Yosuke frowned at Chie and spoke up.

"Ugh, why did this have to happen!?" Yosuke said angrily as Yu and Yukiko both sweatdropped before Chie spoke up while looking at Yukiko.

"Hey, Yukiko. I don't like it here. So can we just go home?" Chie asked as Yukiko spoke up with a wry smile on her face.

"Chie, do you know this story? A girl forgot her homework, so she snuck into school in the middle of the night, but she suddenly needed to use the bathroom and had to change her plans somewhat. She ventured into the girls' room, where all the lights were off. No one should have been there, but in the mirror was-" Yukiko said before a horrified Chie spoke up in disbelief.

"Hold it right there! What're you talking about!?" Chie asked as a shocked Yukiko spoke up, her mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Huh? It's a ghost story. I thought you liked them." Yukiko said as Chie spoke up in a panicked-sounding voice.

"Yeah, but why tell it now!?" Chie said, making Yu blink as he realized Chie seemed to be on the verge of tears. After thinking it over, Yu decided to comfort her, and spoke up.

"I think Yukiko had good intentions, Chie. But I agree she could've chosen a better time for that story. Still, there are worse things in the world than being afraid of lightning. After all, I knew a guy when I was younger who was afraid of silence. He eventually got over it, though. But my point is that you know that even if Yosuke and Yukiko don't do the best job of showing it, none of us judge you for not liking thunder, Chie. And I recall you said something about not wanting to look like a sissy next to Nanako yesterday, didn't you?" Yu pointed out wisely as Chie blinked before smiling as she spoke up.

"Y'know, you're right. Thanks, Yu-kun. I'm glad you're here. At least you're actually trying to comfort me, instead of just scaring me further like Yukiko and Yosuke." Chie said as Yu spoke up with a smile.

"You're welcome. But I don't think they meant to scare you. Besides, you have to admit that it was one hell of a coincidence that you said what you did right before that power outage hit and Yosuke got that call from his manager. As a wise person once said, 'If one believes in something enough, they can turn it into a self-fulfilling prophecy'. What this means is that you can make things happen if you believe in them enough in some cases. Besides, I can relate to not liking bad weather.

I remember once when I was younger, when my dad survived getting hit by lightning while we were on a family walk and a freak thunderstorm hit where we were living. Dad spent a few days bedridden with periodic aftershocks from the lightning, but he was otherwise uninjured. Needless to say, it took him a while before he was able to stop flinching at the sound of thunder and lightning. So don't feel bad that you have a hard time with it, Chie." Yu said sagely as Chie smiled gratefully before Yosuke sighed and spoke up.

"Ugh, you're really THAT scared? Why don't you just have him escort you back home, Chie?" Yosuke said as Chie sputtered and spoke up.

"A-Are you making fun of me!?" Chie asked as Yosuke frowned and spoke up.

"Well, yeah. With how freaked out you are, can you blame me?" Yosuke said as Yu frowned and spoke up.

"She can't, but I can. I get you had some bad luck, but you can't take that out on Chie, Yosuke. That's kind of a dick move, truth be told." Yu said as the lights chose that moment to come back on after Yosuke gave Yu a suitably chastised look, making Chie speak up in surprise.

"Oh, the power's back! C'mon, Yukiko, let's go home!" Chie said as she and Yukiko got to their feet in a hurry and left the classroom, after which Yosuke also left, leaving Yu alone to ponder his plans for the afternoon. After thinking it over, Yu opted for another attempt at the 'Aiya Rainy Day Special Mega Beef Bowl Challenge', which he once again failed to finish. However, despite his failure, Yu felt as if he'd grown as a person from his attempt, netting him unseen increases to his Knowledge, Courage, and Diligence. After paying the requisite 3,000 yen to the owner, Yu went home for the evening...

(That evening, at the Dojima residence, with Yu and Nanako)

After Yu came home for the evening, Nanako looked up on hearing the front door open and close, smiling as she saw Yu walking in and spoke up once he was in the living room.

"Oh! You're back! Welcome home. It stopped raining, but the thunder was loud! Were you scared, big bro?" Nanako asked Yu, who chuckled and spoke up.

"Not at all. If anything, I had to comfort one of my friends who did get scared of lightning. But given how sudden it was, I can't blame her for being scared. But she perked up right quick when I mentioned her not wanting to seem like a sissy next to you." Yu said as Nanako blinked before nodding in understanding as she spoke up.

"Ah, you mean Chie, don't you? That's fair." Nanako said as Yu smiled and spoke up with a nod.

"That I did. But enough about me. How was your day?" Yu asked conversationally as Nanako spoke up.

"Other than the rain, it wasn't that much different than any other day for me." Nanako said with a shrug as Yu spoke up with a nod.

"I see. Well, if you want, I've got some spare time tonight, if you wanted to hang out." Yu said to Nanako, who gave Yu a closed eye smile and spoke up.

"Really!? Okay, let's hang out. Yay!" Nanako said happily, three music notes going up over her head to signify how happy she was with Yu deciding to spend time with her as Yu sat down across from her. Once Yu was seated, Nanako spoke up awkwardly.

"Oh, ummm, how do I put this? Big Bro, can I ask you something?" Nanako asked, making Yu wince as he noticed her fidgeting. He then spoke up with a smile on his face.

"Of course you can, Nanako. Go ahead and ask." Yu said kindly, getting a closed eye smile from Nanako as she spoke up with music notes going up over her head.

"Yeah! Okay! Ummm, to be honest? Well, how do I put this?" Nanako said, clearly looking relieved. She eventually kept speaking after a brief hesitation.

"Are you an only child?" Nanako asked as Yu spoke up with a smile.

"Nope. Mom might not have had any children after having me, but a wise person once said that 'you don't have to actually be related to someone to love them like family.' What this means is that even though you and I are cousins, there's nothing stopping us from thinking of one another as siblings to some extent." Yu said kindly. Nanako blinked at this and spoke up in confusion.

"Hmm, really? Dad told me that Aunt Hinoka only had one child? Then do you have someone you think of as a little sister?" Nanako said as Yu smiled and spoke up.

"Maybe not by blood, but for now? I have you, and that's more than enough for me. You're close enough to being the little sister that I never had, that I think I can handle you calling me 'Big Bro', even if it might draw some skeptical looks from people if you do so in public." Yu said honestly, getting another closed-eye smile from Nanako as she spoke up while giggling happily at Yu referring to her as his 'little sister'.

"Little sister, you say? Hee hee, I like the sound of that." Nanako said as more music notes went up over her head.

"Still, a while ago, Daddy told me something. He said that our family won't get any bigger than it is now." Nanako said as Yu smiled and spoke up.

"He might have said that, but that was before I ended up having to stay here for a while. While I'm here, I don't mind you thinking of me as your big brother, Nanako. Also, your dad says that your family won't get any bigger, but this assumes that he doesn't have any other children out there he's not aware of. I recall Mom once told me about a time he stepped in to save a girl at his school from being tripped by a scumbag many years ago. I forget what Mom said the girl's name was, but apparently the girl was very grateful to your father and took quite a liking to him.

Granted, from what Mom told me, this girl was apparently also friends with your mother and decided to step aside and let your mother have a chance with your father, even though she and your father had feelings for one another. From what I recall, Mom said something about that girl being banished from Inaba shortly after by her own father for going against her family's code when he found out about your father making out with her at a party that your mother was also at. But that's a story we can get into more when you're older and better able to appreciate the nuanced parts of it, since some of it might be a bit too inappropriate for your young innocent ears to hear." Yu said as Nanako smiled and spoke up.

"Good point. But clearly Dad wasn't entirely correct before. After all, now I have a big brother, sort of." Nanako said, beaming at Yu with a smile that seemed to cover her entire face, making Yu feel pleased at putting that smile on Nanako's face, all the while noting that through that smile, it felt as if his and Nanako's relationship had grown deeper. At that point, the 'Justice' card appeared in his mind's eye, the Roman numeral 'I' atop the card turning into a Roman numeral 'II' to signify that his 'Justice' Social Link with Nanako had reached Rank 2. Afterwards, Nanako spoke up with another closed-eye smile.

"Let's talk, big bro!" Nanako said as Yu shrugged and spoke up with an agreeable nod.

"Seems reasonable to me. Did you have something in particular you wanted to talk about?" Yu asked Nanako, who blinked and spoke up.

"Umm, not really? Ooh, wait, I wanna hear about your school!" Nanako said, seemingly begging Yu to talk to her, making him feel bad for her as he decided to talk with her about various things. After a while, Yu caught Nanako trying to disguise a yawn and chuckling as he spoke up.

"I saw that. Getting tired there, Nanako?" Yu said as Nanako pouted and spoke up.

"Nuh-uh! I'm not tired." Nanako insisted as Yu laughed and spoke up.

"Sure you're not. And I didn't just catch you trying to hide a yawn. It's not a crime to be sleepy, Nanako. I know you're used to people leaving you alone, but I'm not going anywhere for quite a while. So you don't need to worry about needing to sleep. I'll still be here when you get up." Yu said kindly as Nanako spoke up.

"Really? Do you mean it?" Nanako said as Yu spoke up with a smile.

"Of course I do. Would I lie to you, little one?" Yu said as Nanako thought about it and eventually shook her head as she spoke up.

"No, I don't think you would, big bro. Fine, you got me. I was yawning." Nanako said as Yu chuckled and spoke up.

"That makes sense. We've been talking for a while, so it's probably past your bedtime. Come on, Nanako. Let's get you to bed." Yu said as he carefully scooped Nanako up and carried her to bed, laying her down and tucking her in while leaning in to gently press a kiss to her forehead and speak up.

"Rest easy, Nanako. I'll see you in the morning. Good night." Yu said as he went to his bedroom, almost missing the sleepy mutter of 'G'night.' from Nanako as he gently pulled her bedroom door closed behind him and headed to bed for the evening...

(The next morning, in the upper level of the Dojima residence, with Yu)

After waking up and getting ready for the day, Yu recalled that he had no school that day due to it being a Sunday, eventually letting himself once more wonder when the next rainy night would be. He then recalled that his first term midterms were slated to start the next day. He then pondered his plans for the day. While he was pondering this, Yu found himself in the lobby of Junes approaching Yosuke, who spoke up with a smirk.

"Yo, Yu! If you're not busy, why don't we go and hang out?" Yosuke suggested as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"Sure thing, man. I'm down to hang out with you." Yu said agreeably, figuring that hanging with Yosuke was as good of a usage of his day as any. Yosuke smirked and spoke up.

"Alright! Let's go, then." Yosuke said happily as three music notes went up over his head. To Yu's surprise, Yosuke led him back to the Dojima residence and practically dragged Yu up the stairs to see his room. After getting over the fact that Yosuke pretty much barged into his room, Yu then spoke up.

"So, this is the room I'm borrowing from Dojima-san and Nanako. Was there a reason you wanted to see it?" Yu asked as Yosuke grinned roguishly and spoke up.

"Not really. But hummmm, it's pretty clean. So what's the deal? You keep the goods under your futon?" Yosuke asked Yu, who blinked in surprise as he spoke up.

"Huh? What're you talking about, Yosuke?" Yu asked in polite confusion, having an idea what Yosuke meant, but not wanting to mention it aloud. Yosuke laughed and spoke up.

"C'mon, partner. We're both men here. No need to play dumb. Don't worry. I'll still be your friend even if you're into all the freaky stuff." Yosuke said teasingly as Yu blinked and spoke up.

"Freaky stuff? What sort of stuff do you think I'm into, Yosuke!?" Yu asked in shock as Yosuke spoke up.

"Y'know what I'm talking about, partner! Clearly you have to have had at least one girl you've wanted to bring to bed with you. So, have you ever invited a girl to come in here?" Yosuke asked as Yu smirked and spoke up.

"Not yet, though I do have one girl I might be considering taking an interest in. If I do decide to make a play for her, well, then I will have invited a girl in here fairly soon." Yu said, not wanting to admit that he was unsure about how he felt about Yukiko. Yosuke gaped at this and spoke up in shock.

"Seriously!? For reals? That mean you're working on someone!?" Yosuke asked in shock, sounding surprisingly keyed up at that point. Before Yu could answer, there was a knock at his bedroom door, shortly before a familiar voice was heard speaking up.

"Hey, Big Bro? Are you up there? Have you seen the public notice anywhere?" Nanako called out, making Yu blink, as he was sure Nanako wasn't home when he got up. Yosuke spoke up before Yu could.

"Oh, Nanako-chan's here? Let's let her in." Yosuke said as Yu shrugged before nodding as he opened the door to let Nanako in, speaking up as he did so.

"No, I haven't seen whatever notice you're referring to. You probably either left it in your room, the kitchen, or the living room." Yu said as Nanako nodded before walking into the room as Yosuke spoke up with a roguish smirk that was drawing a shyly amused smile from Nanako as Yosuke spoke, to Yu's mixed amusement and slight confusion.

"Nanako-chan, are you free today?" Yosuke asked as Yu spoke up, his confused expression perfectly matching the politely befuddled look on Nanako's face as he spoke.

"Why are you asking that, Yosuke?" Yu asked. Before Yosuke could reply, Nanako spoke up while shaking her head in the negative.

"No, I'm going to Takeyoshi-kun's house with Miwa-chan and Yo-chan." Nanako said as both Yu and Yosuke spoke up in surprise.

"HUH!?" Yu and Yosuke said as the latter kept speaking in a mix of surprise and disbelief.

"You're going to a-a guy's house!?" Yosuke asked as Yu frowned and spoke up.

"If she is, that's her business. But I wasn't aware that six-year-olds could have crushes on one another?" Yu said uncertainly as Nanako blushed in embarrassment and spoke up.

"What? No, it's not like that at all, Big Bro. You see, Takeyoshi-kun sits next to me. I'm going to deliver the public notice to him. Miwa-chan said she's going with me because she likes Takeyoshi-kun." Nanako said as a shocked Yosuke spoke up.

"Because she likes him, huh? M-Man, kids sure are mature these days, aren't they Yu? Well, my first love was in first grade, too! I've always been ahead of my time." Yosuke said as Nanako blinked in confusion, not hearing Yu cough what sounded suspiciously like 'bullshit' under his breath as Yosuke kept speaking.

"But, well, to be honest? As much as having a girlfriend could be nice, I don't really need that in my life right now. It's just not the time for that. I have something I need to do before that can happen for me." Yosuke said as Yu and Nanako gave him identical shocked expressions as Nanako spoke up.

"Do you mean like homework, Yosuke?" Nanako asked as Yosuke frowned at that and spoke up.

"What? No, not like homework, Nanako-chan. Well, maybe it is kind of similar to homework. You're smart, though. I wouldn't have thought you'd be so perceptive." Yosuke said as Yu smirked and spoke up.

"You're surprised? She might not look like it, but Nanako's probably smarter than Dojima-san is about some things. She definitely cooks better than him, if nothing else. Well, I'm guessing she cooks better than he does, to be honest." Yu said as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"That's fair. I could just see Nanako-chan being an amazing cook. She's only a kid now, but if she keeps going like she is, she could make for a wonderful housewife when she's older. Or whatever else she wants to be, I suppose." Yosuke said as Nanako beamed happily at him, hoping Yu didn't see the subtle hints of a blush on her face from Yosuke's praise as she excused herself to go to her friend's house. Once Nanako had gone down the driveway and vanished from Yu's line of sight, he walked over to Yosuke as Yosuke kept speaking.

"Nanako-chan called it 'homework', partner. Catching the killer, ending the murders, bringing peace to the town? All of that does seem kind of like an assignment of sorts if you think about it. Still, only we can do it, huh? Let's hang in there, Yu. I'm counting on you." Yosuke said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"Likewise, partner. We have to work together if we're going to catch the killer." Yu said, noting that Yosuke's determination was shining through in the determined expression on his face as he crossed his arms. In that moment, Yu could sense Yosuke's trust in him.

At that point, the 'Magician' card appeared in his mind's eye, the Roman numeral 'IV' atop the card changing into a Roman numeral 'V' to signify that his 'Magician' Social Link with Yosuke had reached Rank 5. From the rank up, Yu could see that Yosuke's determination in battle had been enhanced still further, to the point that Yosuke was now capable of curing severe ailments on his own during battle. At that point, Yosuke spoke up.

"Oh, so did the notice reach you yet? The one about joining the young men's association." Yosuke said as a confused Yu spoke up.

"What? I didn't get any such notice, Yosuke." Yu said as Yosuke spoke up.

"Fair. Apparently, they were talking about having some kind of event to boost the economy. Junes is involved with it, so they're trying to rope me in. I don't have time for that, though. I told 'em I was busy, but they keep on dogging me. I don't care about the young men's association or about boosting the economy, though. I just care about solving this case and making Inaba safe again for the sake of the people." Yosuke said with a sigh. After a bit, he got a mischievous smirk on his face and kept speaking.

"Alright, time to take a peek under the futon!" Yosuke said as Yu blanched and spoke up.

"Wait, what!? The only things I keep under there are things that I don't want Nanako-chan seeing since they're not age-appropriate for her. Besides, considering she's a girl, some of those things might be a bit awkward for her to look at given her current age." Yu said as Yosuke smirked and spoke up.

"Gotcha. I had a feeling you had something under there. Don't worry, partner. I won't tell anyone about what I see. Besides, if you are planning to invite a girl in here, it's probably for the best that you don't advertise the fact that you have a stash like that under your futon." Yosuke said sagely as Yu nodded, the two discussing various things for a while before Yosuke took off.

Yosuke's abrupt departure had the added result of leaving Yu alone in the Dojima residence after hurriedly stashing his private stash under the futon once again, finding himself very glad that Yosuke didn't question what he saw, since most of it was pictures of women in rather provocative poses and/or states of dress, some of them cuddled up suggestively against other women who were also in similar states of dress. After hiding his secret stash under the futon, and then fixing the futon, Yu headed downstairs for the evening...

(That evening, in the lower level of the Dojima residence, with Yu and Nanako)

As Yu came downstairs, he was surprised to find Nanako sitting at the kitchen table with a trio of what appeared to be paper flowers in front of her, a forlorn expression on her face. Nanako then spoke up, not aware that Yu had come down as she seemingly spoke to herself.

"Hmm, what to do?" Nanako said to herself, seemingly lost in thought. Yu saw the look on Nanako's face and spoke up.

"What's wrong, Nanako?" Yu asked kindly, drawing Nanako's attention to his presence, and making her look up in shock, a wide-eyed look of surprise on her face.

"Hm? Oh, hi, Big Bro. Um, well, to be honest? I made flowers at school yesterday. They said that today is 'Mother's Day'. My teacher told us that's a day when you give your mom flowers. I don't have a mom anymore, so I don't know what to do with these flowers." Nanako said, making Yu frown as he could tell she seemed upset. After a bit to think, Yu spoke up.

"You might not realize this, but even if your mom's not physically with you anymore, she's always with you in spirit. If you think about her, she's often right here." Yu said, gently tapping the area on his chest where his heart would be. Nanako blinked and spoke up.

"Oh? I thought that once Mom went to Heaven, she wasn't around anymore?" Nanako asked as Yu spoke up.

"Not physically, no. But she'll always live on in your heart and your memories. As long as you never forget her, a part of your mother will always be with you. But as for the question of what to do with your flowers, is there not a place where your mother was laid to rest? If so, we could give them to her there. She might not be able to physically accept them, but I bet she'd be happy to get them just the same." Yu said kindly. Nanako looked up in surprise and spoke up.

"Huh? Give them to her anyway? Oh, you mean like leave them for her at the family altar!?" Nanako asked as Yu spoke up.

"Family altar? Do those actually exist?" Yu said in surprise as Nanako nodded and spoke up.

"Uh-huh. Dad always puts food there. He said it gets to Mom in heaven. Do you think my flowers will get to her too?" Nanako asked as Yu spoke up.

"I'm sure she'll see them wherever she is, even if all she can do is look at them. But I'm sure she'll love that you thought of her regardless, Nanako. After all, as a wise person once told me, 'It's the thought that counts.' What that means is that sometimes it means more that you thought of someone than the actual gesture that accompanied that thought might mean. Basically, I'm sure she'll appreciate your flowers, little sis." Yu said as Nanako smiled and spoke up.

"Yeah! I did a really good job on mine! My teacher said they were pretty, too! I wonder if my mom will be happy to get them." Nanako said as Yu spoke up with a nod.

"I'm sure she will, Nanako. I might not have gotten to know Aunt Chisato very much, but from what I remember of her, she was a really kindhearted woman who always enjoyed seeing those closest to her be happy. So I'm sure if you're happy about these flowers, she is too." Yu said as Nanako nodded, seeming happier than she previously had. After a second, Nanako blinked and spoke up after looking as if she'd had an idea. When she spoke up, what Nanako said next shocked Yu.

"Ooh, I know! You should make a flower too, Big Bro! Then we can celebrate Mother's Day together!" Nanako said as Yu winced, not having had a lot of positive memories of celebrating Mother's Day with his own mother due to how often she was away with Yu's father on jobs. But Yu chose not to think about that and agreed to make flowers with Nanako, who eagerly taught Yu how to make an origami flower. After they'd finished, Nanako smiled and spoke up.

"We did it!" Nanako said as Yu spoke up with a nod, feeling pleased with himself for having been able to cheer Nanako up to at least some extent as he spoke.

"That we did." Yu said as he and Nanako placed the finished flower, plus the other ones Nanako had already made, onto the family altar. Yu noted it was getting late, so he put Nanako to bed and headed back to his own room for the time being. After making up his mind, Yu decided to do a bit more last-minute studying, just to up his chances of passing his exams as much as possible. From this decision to study, Yu felt his intellect expand from some interesting dictionary entries, netting him three separate Knowledge boosts, after which he went to bed for the evening...

(The next morning, in the 'School Zone' of the Samegawa Flood Plain, with Yu and Chie)

While walking to school in preparation for his four-day exams, Yu heard his name called out, turning to see Chie race up to him and speak up.

"Morning, Yu-kun. Exams are finally starting today, whether we like it or not. Real life's harsh sometimes, isn't it?" Chie said as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"You're not wrong. Still, this reminds me of what a wise person once told me. They said, 'Yu, one of the merits of being a well-rounded individual is the ability to learn to pick your battles.' What that means is that you have to know which battles to fight, and which to walk away from. You can't win every battle, after all." Yu said sagely. Chie winced at that and spoke up.

"Ugh, I hate how wise and sage you sound right now. Way to put it all in perspective for me, Yu-kun. Still, that's just like you, isn't it? But, even once exams are over, we're not done with the case. All this depressing stuff's just gonna keep going on and on and on until we catch whoever's throwing people into the TV world, isn't it?" Chie asked as Yu nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. But the fact that we have the powers that we do, and the help of Teddie, means that the five of us have a good chance at saving the town. But we have to get thorugh the evils of midterms before we can worry about that more, I think." Yu said wisely as Chie reluctantly nodded, the two finishing the walk to school uneventfully...

(Time skip- after school on Thursday, May 12th, 2011, in a classroom after school with Yukiko, Chie, Yu, and Yosuke)

As Yosuke walked over to stand next to Yu's desk, he spoke up to catch Yu's attention while Chie and Yukiko were immersed in a discussion of their own, his usual roguish smirk on his face while he spoke.

"It's finally over, partner. Whewwww! What a load off! I bet every student feels like this after exams are over!" Yosuke said as Chie frowned and spoke up before Yu could do more than nod agreeably.

"Hey, quiet down!" Chie rebuked Yosuke before turning back to Yukiko as she kept speaking, not seeing the surprised looks Yu and Yosuke both gave her as she focused on Yukiko.

"So, what did you write for number seven? The one about what 'that' referred to in the sentence." Chie asked as Yukiko thought about it and spoke up, not seeing the amused smirk on Yu's face as he took in how adorable her thinking face looked to him as she spoke.

"Um, if I recall correctly, I put 'her sorrowful expression'." Yukiko said as Chie grimaced and spoke up.

"Really? Oh crap, then I got it wrong! I put, 'the rice cakes on top of the table'." Chie said as Yukiko blinked in surprise and spoke up.

"Rice cakes on top of the table was an option? Wait, was that what the story was about, then?" Yukiko asked, surprising Yu with the uncertainty in her voice. Chie sighed and spoke up.

"Ugh, figures I got it wrong. Alright, I'm giving up on composition. I'm gonna bet it all on geography!" Chie said as Yu winced and spoke up.

"That is a horrible idea, Chie. Isn't geography one of your worst subjects? And to be fair, it's hit-or-miss for me at times, even." Yu said as Chie spoke up with a shrug.

"You're not wrong, Yu-kun. Speaking of geography, what did you choose for the tallest mountain in the solar system?" Chie asked as Yu spoke up.

"I do believe I put 'Olympus Mons' on that since I actually made a point to memorize that in particular. I might suck at geography, but I make up for that by being decently competent at both history and to a point math. I actually think I was one of the few people in my class who paid attention when the subject of Greek and Norse gods/goddesses came up in class where I used to live. So it was fairly easy to memorize the answer to the question you mentioned since Mount Olympus was a prominent location in Greek mythology." Yu said honestly as Chie grimaced and spoke up.

"Ack, seriously!? I chose the wrong one there too, then!" Chie said in frustration as Yukiko gave Yu an approving smile and spoke up.

"You chose that option as well, Yu-kun? I put that as well." Yukiko said as Yu amused both Chie and Yosuke when he reached over and gently high-fived Yukiko, who smiled shyly while high-fiving Yu, not expecting that from him. Rather than tease Yu about high-fiving Yukiko, Yosuke blinked at Yu and Yukiko having the same answer and spoke up.

"Whoa, you too!? Then it's probably the right answer if both of you chose it. Ugh. Boy, I can't wait for our grades to be posted out in the hall where everyone can see them. Geez, this sucks." Yusuke said as Yu smirked and spoke up.

"Don't feel so bad, Yosuke. I might have outscored Chie with all likelihood, but I think you and I might very well have similar scores, so I think you did the best you could. Cheer up, partner." Yu said reassuringly as Yosuke nodded with a grin, but before he could verbally respond to Yu, the group heard a knowledgeable male student speak up nearby.

"Hey, did you hear? A TV station's filming here in town." The knowledgeable male student said as his friend, another male student, spoke up.

"They're probably just doing more stuff about that hanging corpse case." The knowledgeable male student's friend said as the knowledgeable male student spoke up with a shake of his head.

"No, it's not that. You know the highway nearby? They're gonna cover those biker gangs that hang around there. A friend of mine goes to the biker meetings sometimes. I heard it from him." The knowledgeable male student said as his friend frowned at that and spoke up.

"Dude, what're you doing hanging out with a guy in a biker gang? Well, anyways, enough about biker gangs. Whaddya think about tomorrow's group blind date? We were gonna meet outside, but then plans changed. It's gonna rain soon, right? Won't it be better to play it safe tomorrow too?" The knowledgeable male student's friend said as Yukiko blinked at this and spoke up.

"Biker gang?" Yukiko asked in surprise as Chie chuckled before speaking up with a nod.

"Oh yeah, they're a real problem sometimes. You see, they raise a ruckus from time to time. I guess your place is too far away to hear 'em, though." Chie said as Yosuke spoke up.

"I feel you on that one, Chie. We live right by the road. And the noise can drive you insane." Yosuke said as Yu spoke up.

"I didn't think you two had experience with stuff like that, Yosuke and Chie?" Yu said as Chie spoke up.

"Yep. Yosuke and I've lived through enough biker gang ruckuses to be able to speak from experience about how annoying they can be. Also, speaking of the biker gang we heard about just now? I hear some guys at this school are part of it, too." Chie said as Yosuke nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, that's true. I know there are some rumors about a first-year student here who's a total hellraiser. One of the guys working at Junes said the dude's been a legend ever since middle school." Yosuke said as Yu frowned and spoke up.

"A legend? Why would anyone want to be a legend for a reason like being a hellraiser, though?" Yu asked as Yosuke spoke up.

"You'd be surprised how hard-up people can be for street cred in Inaba, partner. Although now that I think about it, was he in a biker gang at all?" Yosuke said as Yukiko spoke up with an excited look on her face.

"Ooh! D-Did you say he was a legend?" Yukiko said as Chie winced and spoke up after she, Yosuke, and Yu all sweatdropped.

"Uh, it's not what you think, Yukiko. You see, being a legend might seem impressive, but it often comes with its fair share of drawbacks as well, not least of which being the notoriety that comes with said legend status and also the chance people fear you for what you usually have to do to earn that legend status. And no, it's not the guy who moved into the Amagi Inn recently that we're talking about, if that's what you're thinking." Chie said as Yu spoke up.

"You're referring to that Gaignun guy that Yukiko was talking about the other day, aren't you, Chie? I've not met the guy myself, but I doubt Yukiko would befriend him if he was anything other than aboveboard and respectable." Yu said wisely as Yukiko blushed in embarrassment but thanked Yu as she quietly excused herself from the classroom, an amused Chie and Yosuke following behind her, and leaving Yu alone to ponder his plans for the rest of the afternoon, as well as enjoy being done with midterms...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom, another chapter done and dusted! Didn't think it'd be so long, but here we are. With midterms out of the way, the next chapter will be the beginning of the actual plot for this Arc, as well as the introduction of some new characters to the mix. Depending on if I can work one in or not, I might also slip in a cutaway to Gaignun as well. But probably not, since it seems like having subtle mentions of him works well enough for now. But we'll see how I feel in the next chapter.

And with that bit of previewing out of the way, I'll be honest and say that most of Gaignun's screentime will come in the form of Interludes (and select appearances over the course of Arcs 2 and 3, since Arc 4 SHOULD (keyword being SHOULD) be all about Gaignun. **SPOILER: Arc 4 might or might not also have a unique dungeon added into it that isn't in canon Golden that will most likely be focused on Gaignun.** So we'll probably see less of him over Arcs 2 and 3 as a result of this, though I will confirm he has a lot of screentime planned for the second Interlude, at the least. But we'll leave the talk about Gaignun's side of the plot at that for now. Hopefully everyone's enjoying the story so far.

Having said all that, let me take this chance to thank anyone who's read this far into the chapter and even this far into Golden Apostle as a whole, as your continued support of the story is greatly appreciated. I appreciate any and all support I can get, as it usually lets me continue to grow as a fanfiction writer. So don't be shy about leaving a review below (or PM me if you prefer that to reviews) with any feedback/constructive criticism/suggestions on this story, as it lets me continue to improve my work, making the story get even better as a result. Regardless, I welcome hearing from my readers, so don't be shy about reaching out, as I enjoy replying to reviews/PMs! And until the next chapter and next Arc, sithlorde1988 out!

INVESTIGATION TEAM LEVEL LISTINGS, SOCIAL LINK RANK LIST, AND ALLY LIST AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 10

INVESTIGATION TEAM RANKINGS LIST AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 10

YU - Level: 22 Currently Equipped Persona: Angel

YOSUKE - Level: 21 Current/Partner Persona: Jiraiya Persona Moveset: Garu (Wind), Bash (Physical), Dia (Healing), Sukukaja (Support/Buff), Makajam (Ailment), Dekaja (Support/Debuff), Sonic Punch (Physical), Magaru (Wind)

CHIE - Level: 21 Current/Partner Persona: Tomoe Persona Moveset: Skewer (Physical), Tarukaja (Support/Buff), Bufu (Ice), Skull Cracker (Physical), Mabufu (Ice), Rampage (Physical), Rebellion (Support/Buff)

YUKIKO - Level: 15 Current/Partner Persona: Konohana Sakuya Persona Moveset: Agi (Fire), Dia (Healing), Me Patra (Healing), Maragi (Fire)

SOCIAL LINK LISTINGS AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 10

FOOL (Investigation Team) - Rank 2

MAGICIAN (Yosuke) - Rank 5

HIEROPHANT (Ryotaro/Dojima-san) - Rank 1

CHARIOT (Chie) - Rank 3

JUSTICE (Nanako) - Rank 2

HERMIT (Fox) - Rank 1

STRENGTH (Daisuke and Kou/Fellow Athletes) - Rank 2

SUN (Ayane) - Rank 2

AEON (Marie) - Rank 2

ALLY LIST AS OF THE END OF CHAPTER 10: Igor, Margaret, Ryotaro, Nanako, Teddie, Marie, Adachi, Fox