A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 4- The Golden Apostle! Well, here we are at the last of the prologue chapters. The next chapter will more than likely be the chapter that starts the plot proper of Persona 4 Golden, by which I mean it should focus on Yu's side of the plot, which will be focused on for a few chapters at the start before briefly touching back over to Gaignun's side of the plot.
As I said in chapter 1, the story will intermittently shift on focusing between Gaignun and Yu's plots from time to time. After a while, however, those two plots will link up into one linked plot. So bear with me if it seems slow at first. I'll try my best to keep it interesting until we get to the point of the plots linking up. That said, let's hit up the disclaimer!
Disclaimer: I, sithlorde1988, do not own the Persona series in any way, shape, or form (excluding the OCs Gaignun, Hikari, Ryuroni, Slim, Ace, Kusano, Sage, Lily, Marisa, Emilio, Shuji, and any other OCs that might appear in this story, all of whom are made, and thus owned, by me), and the actual ownership credit for the Persona series belongs to Atlus, Sega, and to a lesser extent Koei Tecmo (mainly insofar as the spinoff games, such as Persona 5 Strikers, the 'Arena' games, the 'Dancing' games, and the 'Q' games, and even both Phantom X and Tactica, are concerned), so all credit to them!
That being said, let's get on with prologue chapter 3!
Prologue chapter 3- Prelude to Destiny! Leadup to Mystery
(A bit under a month and three weeks after the end of chapter 2, in a rural town in Japan. Current Date: 10/11/2010)
As they got off the phone with their superior, a man and woman looked at one another and winced as the woman spoke up.
"So, our boss wants us to go on an undercover mission for a while, probably a bit over a year, yeah?" The woman said, her piercing hazel eyes slightly narrowed in uncertainty while she ran a hand through her sandy blonde hair. Her husband, a short but stocky male with silver hair and intense icy grey eyes, frowned and spoke up.
"That's true, Noka. But at the same time, I think we can trust your younger brother to look after our son for the duration of our mission. I mean, doesn't he have a little girl of his own who is usually left home alone? What was her name again, Nameko or something like that?" The woman's husband said to the woman, now revealed to be named Hinoka, even though her husband often calls her Noka for short as a pet name of sorts. Hinoka huffed as she frowned and spoke up.
"First of all Zuya, her name is Nanako, not Nameko! Secondly, she's only just turned 6 from what Ryotaro told me recently. Also, he has a job as a police detective, so it's not like he's gonna have all the time in the world to look after Yu. Though I will admit that it could be neat to let Yu get to spend an extended period of time with his uncle and young cousin.
Moreover, it could even be a good character-building experience for him. Besides, if he's off in Inaba for the next year or so, then Yu can't be here alone getting into trouble, or worse, figuring out about our job." Hinoka said to her husband, whose name was revealed as being Kazuya, or Zuya as she often called him for short. Kazuya spoke up at that point.
"Good point, Hinoka. Then again, I'm not sure why you're so touchy about Yu knowing that we work for the Kirijo Group. Yes, I'm aware that you're a bit resentful of them for employing that psycho scientist who drafted my older brother and many other people into a failed experiment that destroyed all the involved participants, with the exception of a select few individuals. However, no one's heard a word about what became of those three since, other than rumors that the lone female of the surviving trio died protecting a friend.
But that's irrelevant for now. The important thing is this. How do we break this to Yu? You know he's not gonna be thrilled about being sent away yet again, since this is the third time in the past six years we've had to send him away while we go on a mission. I'm honestly surprised he's so mature about being sent away. I half expected him to raise a bit more of a fuss the last time." Kazuya said as Hinoka spoke up.
"Be that as it may Kazuya, this is what's best for our son. I don't like sending him away either, but it's a necessary evil. You know our boss told us not to let anyone know of our status as undercover agents. And unfortunately, that includes our son for the time being. But I get the sense that the time will come for him to be let in the loop, probably sooner rather than later." Hinoka said as Kazuya nodded and spoke up.
"I agree. Yu's a smart man, so he'll likely figure it out soon enough. Besides, I get the sense that Yu will come into himself a bit if he does go to Inaba, so I do approve of sending him there. I just wish we could get his opinion on it, but I don't think we have that luxury at this point, since I don't know what we'd do if he said he doesn't want to go there." Kazuya said as Hinoka spoke up.
"True. But I think Yu will understand if we tell him we don't have much of a choice in the matter. Besides, in the worst case scenario, he forgives us eventually. He usually does." Hinoka said as Kazuya spoke up.
"Fair enough. I guess I'll go get him so we can tell him together." Kazuya said as he left the room and walked down the hall and knocked on the door, which had the words 'Yu's Room. Do Not Enter' written on a placard in fancy lettering. After a moment, a voice spoke up from the other side of the door.
"Yes? Who is it?" Kazuya heard on the other side of the door and spoke up.
"It's your dad. Sorry to bother you, but your mother and I need to speak with you if you're not busy, Yu." Kazuya said as he heard a faint 'mmhm' of thought on the other side of the door before it opened up and a tall, if athletically built, young man walked out, his grey eyes looking into his father's own grey eyes, stroking a finger through his silver hair in confusion as he spoke up.
"No, I'm not busy right now. I just finished doing some homework." Yu said as Kazuya nodded and spoke up.
"Good. Let's go meet your mother in the dining room so we can talk." Kazuya said to Yu, who nodded as he walked with his father into the dining room, where Hinoka spoke up after both Yu and Kazuya had seats at the table.
"Good, you're here. I'm sorry to say this, but your father and I were called away on another mission, Yu." Hinoka said as Yu blinked and spoke up.
"Really? Let me guess. Does that mean I'm getting sent away again?" Yu asked, sounding surprisingly resigned and un-surprised. Hinoka spoke up with a nod.
"I'm afraid so. This mission requires us to be away and out of contact for a bit over a year. And since we can't legally leave you home alone that long, we've made arrangements for you to go and live in Inaba with your uncle and cousin for a year, so at least it's with people you know." Hinoka said as Kazuya spoke up.
"True, but let's not forget that your brother spends most of his time on the job, and not as much time at home, so it'd be just Yu and Nanako at that house a lot of the time, and Nanako's only I think you said like 5 or 6 years old, so he'd be basically looking after a little kid, even if you said she's mature for her age." Kazuya pointed out as Yu shrugged and spoke up.
"Good point, but you forget that I used to take jobs babysitting in the past, so if I did end up having to look after Nanako while I'm staying with her and Dojima-san, then it wouldn't be the first time I've had to look after a younger child. Besides, she's my cousin, so it's not like I'm going to leave her by herself if I can help it, since she's family and all. But still, living with them for a year? That should be interesting, to say the least." Yu said as Hinoka nodded and spoke up.
"That's certainly one word for it. But even if he works a lot, my brother is a good guy. I believe you can trust him to some extent, at least." Hinoka said as Kazuya spoke up.
"I trust your brother, Noka. But what about that rookie that he got partnered with? I think you called him Adrunkchi?" Kazuya asked as Yu blinked and spoke up. *1*
"Wait, what? Is that seriously his name? If it is, I legitimately feel sorry for the guy." Yu said, as Hinoka spoke up with an exasperated sigh as she frowned at Kazuya for his off-color joke.
"No, that's not his name, Yu. His name is Adachi. And he's a bit wet behind the ears, so to speak, but Ryotaro said that he sees a lot of potential in him, so we'll see what happens." Hinoka said wisely as Yu and Kazuya nodded, the latter speaking up.
"However, no need to worry, Yu. This won't happen for another couple months, at least. So you have time to pack and say any goodbyes you need to say, if you have any to say." Kazuya said as Yu scoffed and spoke up.
"Riiight. Other than maybe the teachers at school, I don't really have many, if any, friends to say goodbye to." Yu said as Hinoka winced and spoke up.
"Yeah, that's probably your father and I's fault for sending you away so often. Sorry, Yu." Hinoka said as Yu smiled and spoke up.
"That's okay, Mom. I know it's not your fault. I don't blame you two at all. You can't help that you get called away a lot for work. Besides, I don't really mind going to Inaba for a year. Sure, it's a bit of an inconvenience, if only because I don't know anyone there other than maybe my uncle, and even then I don't remember him all that well. Even so, I welcome the change of pace. So when exactly is this move taking place?" Yu asked his parents, who blinked at each other before Kazuya spoke up.
"If I recall right, our mission is set to start around the 12th of April, roughly. So you'll probably take the train to Inaba on around April 11th or so, that way you can leave ahead of our departure. In other words, not for another half a year or so, give or take a week. So you've definitely got time to get your affairs in order before you go." Kazuya said as Yu nodded his agreement and spoke up.
"Fair enough. Thank you for the heads-up. Was there anything else you wanted to say?" Yu asked his parents, who blinked before Hinoka spoke up.
"Other than to thank you for being so mature about this, not really. We love you, Yu." Hinoka said as Yu smiled and spoke up.
"I love you guys too." Yu said, hugging his parents before going back to his room to start letting the few friends he had know of his apparent imminent move to Inaba for a year, unaware at the time of how much that one year in Inaba would end up changing him as a person...
(At the same time, in another location)
"Are you sure we have to transfer to Inaba? I get that your work requires it, but what about our son's schooling?" A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair and hazel eyes asked her husband, a slightly taller man with an athletic build, neck-length sandy blonde hair which was easily mistakable as being brown, and piercing dark brown eyes which were easily confused for being black. The woman's husband huffed and spoke up.
"I'm not happy about it either, Ena. But sometimes a man has to make unwanted sacrifices for the sake of providing for his family and keeping said family happy, healthy, and well provided for. Besides, as I recall, you don't exactly contribute much to the living expenses around here. If not for the fact that my job with Junes is so high-paying, we'd probably be struggling to make ends meet. So don't complain to me about doing what I must to provide for our family. Besides, you don't see Yosuke complaining about the move, do you?" The woman's husband said to the woman, who was now revealed to be named Athena, or Ena as her husband calls her for short. Athena sighed and spoke up.
"That's a fair point, Sas. But even still, how do you expect our son to make any friends, much less find a lovely girl to settle down with, if you keep having to move us for your job?" Athena said to her husband, who was now revealed to be named Sasuke, or Sas as she calls him for short. Sasuke huffed and spoke up.
"I believe Yosuke's doing just fine for himself, Athena. Besides, our son will find a girlfriend, or possibly even boyfriend if he's so inclined, when he's ready, and no sooner. Besides, I think you're just letting your desire for a grandchild color your actions." Sasuke said wisely as Athena huffed and spoke up.
"I am not. I just want to make sure Yosuke has a happy life for himself, that's all. As for our son having a boyfriend, I highly doubt he swings that way. After all, just because you briefly swung that way when you were younger before coming to your senses and marrying me, that doesn't mean that Yosuke will find himself inclined towards men." Athena said dismissively as Sasuke frowned at that and spoke up.
"No? I feel like that's Yosuke's choice to make. And if he does end up coming out as being into men, it's our job as his parents to support his choices. But let's not argue about that now, yeah? We were talking about my imminent transfer to Inaba to run that branch of Junes. I feel like Yosuke will make plenty of friends, and maybe even find someone special for him, while he's there. But that's for him to figure out, not us." Sasuke said wisely as Athena huffed but nodded and spoke up.
"Fair enough." Athena said before both Athena and Sasuke blinked as another voice could be heard speaking up after gasping.
"Wait, what? You're getting transferred, Dad!? Does that mean we're moving!?" Athena and Sasuke heard, both of them turning around to face the speaker, a young man of similar build to Sasuke, even sporting a similar hairstyle to Sasuke, but with Athena's hair color and a similar eye color to Sasuke. Sasuke smiled at the speaker and spoke up.
"Yes, Yosuke. That's right. I'm sorry that you had to find out like this, but I'm being transferred out to the Inaba branch of Junes, starting next month. So if you have any goodbyes to say or affairs to put in order, now's the time. Sorry for the short notice, but sometimes life just plays out that way." Sasuke said as Yosuke shrugged and spoke up.
"Nah, it's fine, Dad. I understand. Besides, I admire that you're so dedicated to what you do. Makes you seem that much more respectable and admirable. Sure, Mom's around a lot and is supportive, but what does she really contribute to the living expenses?" Yosuke asked as Athena frowned and spoke up.
"Hey! Don't you dare take that tone of voice around me, young man! And for your information, I do a lot of volunteer work around the community! So even if I don't get paid, I feel like doing good deeds for others is really its own reward. Sure, it doesn't pay bills, but it's good for the soul, and for character building." Athena said as both Sasuke and Yosuke scoffed and spoke up.
"Riiight, good for the soul. That sounds like such a rehearsed, polished line." Sasuke said as Yosuke smirked and spoke up.
"Right? Besides, the last time I checked, you run the local housewife gossip chain for this neighborhood. I'd hardly call that volunteer work." Yosuke said dryly as Sasuke nodded and spoke up.
"Well said, son." Sasuke said approvingly, lightly patting his son on the shoulder. Athena huffed and spoke up.
"Be that as it may, that doesn't change the fact that we're moving soon, so if you've not already done so, you should start packing." Athena said to Yosuke, who sighed and spoke up.
"Yes, Mom. I'll get on that right away. If you'll excuse me." Yosuke said, bowing as politely as he could before leaving the room to start his packing, causing Sasuke and Athena to exchange shocked glances at Yosuke's reaction...
(Around that same time, in a modest-looking two-story house in Inaba)
While he waited for his daughter to get home from school, a much older Ryotaro Dojima sat on the couch and watched some TV, trying to follow the news, since this happened to be one of his rare days off. As he did so, his mind flashed back to the recent conversation he'd had with his older sister...
(Flashback start)
"Hello, Dojima residence. Ryotaro speaking." Ryotaro said as he answered the phone, blinking at the voice on the other end, as it was one he'd not heard in around four or five years.
"Hi, Ryotaro! It's your sister, Hinoka! I know, I know. It's been too long. But you know how it is when you have a job like Kazuya and I do that requires you to be incommunicado for long periods of time. But anyways, how've you been?" Hinoka asked Ryotaro, who frowned and spoke up.
"if you weren't so busy being radio silent, you'd know I'm doing about as well as can be expected, especially considering the fact that Chisato passed away not that long ago. So it's been just myself and Nanako here since then. But to her credit, Nanako's being a real trouper about everything. The way she acts and behaves, you would think she was like 13 or 14, and not 6. She's so mature for her age at times, it shocks me. But then I look at her and remember that she's only 6, and that only barely, since her birthday was last week. But I'm guessing you have a reason for calling, and it's not strictly catching up?" Ryotaro said as Hinoka nodded and spoke up.
"You're correct, Ryotaro. As it turns out, Kazuya and I are being sent out on an undercover mission for the Group to investigate rumors of a supernatural incident that occurred in someplace called Tatsumi Port Island at some point about six or seven months ago. Apparently, it has to do with some sort of supernatural seal weakening and potentially breaking? The boss wouldn't go into details, but that was the understanding I got. Anyways, as a result, we're gonna have to be off the radar for a bit over a year.
And as a result of having to be radio silent for so long, we need someone to look after Yu in the meantime. I know it's a bit out of nowhere and slightly short notice, but is there any way you can take him in for the duration of our time off the radar? Granted, the transfer isn't set to happen until probably some point early in April. But we're gonna send Yu out that way, if you're okay with it, around the 10th or 11th of April. But if you don't want him there, we understand. But you were our first choice to take him in for the duration of our mission. Will you do it, Ryotaro?" Hinoka asked a suddenly pensive Ryotaro, who thought about it before speaking up.
"It's not that short of notice, Hinoka. But to answer your question, I have no problems with letting Yu stay with Nanako and I for however long he needs to. I only ask that he behaves himself while he's here and doesn't cause any trouble for us. After all, I am a police detective, so you can see how it might be problematic for me to have a troublemaker in my house." Ryotaro said as Hinoka smiled and spoke up.
"That's no problem. Yu's very well behaved. He doesn't even have that many friends, so he'll likely just keep to himself and focus on his studies. He might end up being rather self-sufficient, even. Sure, there's the chance he and Nanako could end up bonding due to being cousins, but I don't see that as a bad thing. So you have nothing to worry about, Ryotaro." Hinoka said as Ryotaro smiled and chuckled before speaking up.
"Heh, good point. Besides, it could only be good for Nanako to have someone else around the house to spend time with her. I know she won't admit it, but I'm sure she's been rather lonely since her mom passed away. So maybe Yu can help her come out of her shell a bit, so to speak, while he's here? Besides, I get the feeling Nanako would enjoy having a 'big brother' of sorts around the house, even if she's a bit shy around him at first." Ryotaro said as Hinoka laughed and spoke up.
"Perhaps, but whose fault is that that little Nanako's an only child?" Hinoka asked playfully as Ryotaro smirked and spoke up.
"Yeah, yeah. I get the hint. I should've tried to give her a younger sibling while Chisato was still around. But honestly, I barely support Nanako as it is. Can you imagine me having another child to support? After all, it's not like Nanako has any older half-siblings running around that I don't know about, right?" Ryotaro pointed out flippantly as Hinoka smirked and spoke up.
"Careful about being so glib, little brother. You never know when you could be right about that without knowing it." Hinoka pointed out wisely. Ryotaro shrugged and spoke up.
"Perhaps, but I doubt it. After all, Chisato's been the only woman I ever seriously loved, and we both know it." Ryotaro said as Hinoka smiled wryly and spoke up.
"Not true, Ryotaro. Or do I need to bring up that short-lived crush you had on that Kusanagi girl when you were younger? I think you said her name was Hika?" Hinoka said as Ryotaro frowned and spoke up.
"Oh, her? First off, her name is Hikari! Secondly, Hikari told me herself that it would never have worked out between us since she was promised to someone else, and her father was pretty serious about her living up to that betrothal. Granted, I did get the sense she might have cared about me to some extent, but I don't think it would've ever amounted to anything too serious regardless. So your point is moot. Sure, we had that one-off hook-up at a party, but what're the odds that anything significant came of that? I don't think anything came of that." Ryotaro said as Hinoka smirked and spoke up.
"Perhaps, but don't be so quick to say no. I'd keep an open mind if I were you. But I take it that means you're okay with Yu staying there?" Hinoka said as Ryotaro spoke up.
"That's what I just said, isn't it? So you say he's going to be here in April? Good. That gives me and Nanako a few months to get a room ready for him and for me to get Nanako used to the idea of having someone else staying with us. I get the sense she's gonna need the time to get used to it." Ryotaro said as Hinoka smirked and spoke up.
"I'm sure she will. But if I know Yu as well as I think I do, he'll have Nanako getting used to him in no time. Yu's kind of unique that way, after all." Hinoka said as Ryotaro quietly groaned and then spoke up.
"I'm sure Yu's a nice young man. And as long as I don't have Nanako suddenly wanting to go out with Yu, I don't think there'll be any problems here." Ryotaro spoke up as Hinoka laughed and spoke up.
"I think you're fine, Ryotaro. I do believe that Yu prefers his potential girlfriends to be relatively close to his age. And last I checked, Yu is around 10 years older than Nanako, so I don't think he'll be interested in her romantically, if only because he's not the type to even think about dating his own cousin." Hinoka said as Ryotaro spoke up.
"Good. So I guess we'll see Yu in April, then?" Ryotaro asked as Hinoka nodded and spoke up.
"Correct. Thanks again, Ryotaro! Bye now!" Hinoka said as she hung up the phone on her end, leaving a bemused but intrigued Ryotaro to shrug and start planning out how to break the news to Nanako...
(End of flashback, back in the present)
"Heh. Hard to believe it's already been two weeks since that day. I need to remember to let Nanako know about Yu when she gets home." Ryotaro said to himself as he let himself reflect on the friend group he'd once been part of, around 10 or so years before Nanako came into the world.
Aside from Ryotaro himself being alive and well, he knew that Koushiro, Yamato, and Takeru had died a few years prior in an assassination where the car Takeru had been driving exploded with himself, Yamato, Koushiro, and Takeru's wife, a cute if soft-spoken redhead by the name of Xiaoyu, inside, killing all four nearly instantly with the exception of Yamato, who was ejected from the car before it exploded but still died a short time later in the hospital from his injuries, surrounded by his wife and son, who Ryotaro was fairly sure was named Kanji if he recalled correctly. Fortunately for Takeru and Xiaoyu, their young daughter, who if Ryotaro recalled correctly was named Rise, had been away staying with her grandmother at the time, so she was spared her parents' fate, and ended up having to live with her grandmother pretty much full time.
As for the others, he knew that Rika had fallen out of contact with the rest of the group around six years prior, when she moved out of Inaba to start modelling abroad. The last Ryotaro had heard, Rika had married some up-and-coming actor and had a daughter with him. If he recalled the letter Rika had sent to announce the birth of her daughter right, he thought that Rika had named her daughter Ai.
Meanwhile, Hikari had been exiled from Tokyo with her mother by her own father, which had been around 16 or so years ago, and Ryotaro hadn't heard from her since, other than a letter he'd gotten from Hikari to relay the news of her mother's passing around five years previous. However, he knew for a fact that Kimiko was alive and well, having taken over the management of the Amagi Inn from her parents after their retirement some years previous. Ryotaro also recalled that Kimiko had eventually fallen in love with and gotten married to Akira, and the two had had a daughter together named Yukiko.
Furthermore, he also knew that around four to five months before Yukiko's birth, Kimiko caught Akira having an affair on her with another woman, who he'd been apparently seeing on the sly while he was away on a business trip about a year before Yukiko was born, and that affair had resulted in the woman involved having a son by Akira. If Ryotaro recalled the phone call Kimiko had given him about it right, the son had been named Daisuke.
And last but not least, Chisato had also been alive and well for the longest time, having eventually managed to comfort Ryotaro after Hikari left town, which turned into the two spending a lot more time together, which eventually turned into an unlikely whirlwind romance between Ryotaro and Chisato which had eventually turned into Ryotaro marrying Chisato and having a daughter with her, whom they'd mutually agreed to name Nanako. However, Chisato was no longer among the living, having suddenly passed away tragically a couple of years ago as the result of a tragic hit-and-run accident, leaving Ryotaro to raise his and Chisato's then four-and-a-half year old daughter alone.
As Ryotaro finished his retrospection on what had happened to his friends over the around 16 years that had passed from Hikari being exiled from Japan by her father to the present day, he was drawn from his musings when the door opened and the sound of footsteps could be heard entering the house as a young, yet distinctly feminine, voice spoke up.
"Dad! I'm home!" Ryotaro heard as he saw a little girl, no older than around six, walk into the room after setting her shoes down by the doorway. As the little girl walked in, Ryotaro looked his daughter over, smiling at how much she already resembled her mother Chisato, between the similarly-shaped brown eyes, the same-shade brown hair, and the perpetually chipper and happy expression that she always had on her face. Ryotaro smiled at his daughter and spoke up.
"Heh, welcome home, Nanako. How was school?" Ryotaro asked his daughter, now confirmed to be named Nanako. As she smiled at her father's question and moved to have a seat on a cushion that was on the ground by her father, Nanako smoothed her pink dress down carefully while looking at her father and speaking up.
"It was pretty good, if a lot of the same. Passing tests, learning stuff, and having fun. Basically, more of the same." Nanako said offhandedly as Ryotaro nodded and spoke up.
"Good. I meant to tell you before, but kept forgetting. Aunt Hinoka called recently. Apparently, she and Uncle Kazuya are going off the radar again for a mission. So because of that, we're going to be having your cousin Yu staying with us for a year or so, starting in April. So we still have around 4 to 5 months to get a room ready for him, and to prepare ourselves for his arrival.
Besides, with any luck, he'll try to spend at least some time around the house with you so you don't always have to be here alone. I feel bad that I'm at work so much, but someone's gotta make ends meet and keep the bills paid so we have a roof over our head. I know you understand, Nanako." Ryotaro said as Nanako smiled and spoke up.
"Uh-huh. I get it, Dad. But what do you know about this Yu that you told me about?" Nanako asked as Ryotaro spoke up after taking a moment to wrack his brains to recall what he knew about Yu from the times he and Hinoka had spoken about him.
"Not that much. I've only met him once that I can recall, shortly after he was born. He's about 10 years older than you, but as it turns out, you and he have the same birthday." Ryotaro said as Nanako's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she spoke up.
"Oh, wow. Really? That's so cool! I wonder if he's a nice guy?" Nanako said as Ryotaro shrugged and spoke up.
"No clue. I mean, your aunt says he's well-behaved, but has few friends, so I'm not sure what to make of that." Ryotaro said. Nanako thought about it before speaking up.
"Is it really his fault, though? I mean, didn't you say his parents are away a lot, thus making him have to get sent away because of it? Wouldn't that make it difficult to make friends if you don't stay anywhere long enough to really make friends?" Nanako asked in confusion. Ryotaro blinked and spoke up.
"Um, that's actually a good point, Nanako. Well, if nothing else, you can be his friend, since he's your cousin. I know he's older than you, but surely that shouldn't put you off being his friend?" Ryotaro said as Nanako smiled and spoke up.
"Nope! I'll definitely be his friend if he wants me to! He's family, and family sticks together! That's what you taught me, Dad." Nanako said as Ryotaro smiled and gently patted his daughter on the head proudly before speaking up.
"Well said, Nanako. Well said. Shall we start preparing the room for your cousin? I don't know when we last cleaned it out, to be honest." Ryotaro said as Nanako nodded and the two got to work preparing the room for Yu's arrival...
(Meanwhile, around the same time, back over in Gaignun's neck of the woods, with Gaignun, Slim, Kusano, Ace, Sage, and Lily)
"Dude! You killed it up there, Gaignun! When were you gonna tell the rest of us that you could sing!? That was insane, man!" Slim said, clearly in awe, after hearing Gaignun go up on stage and, after shaking off some nerves, belt out a solid, if slightly unpolished rendition of the System Of A Down song 'Aerials', followed by a rendition of the Backstreet Boys song 'One In A Million', the latter choice shocking most people, but being well received.
After getting off-stage, Gaignun's friends all ran up to him and gave him congratulatory hugs, other than a pouting Lily and Sage, who were slightly jealous of all the girls enjoying Gaignun's performance. Gaignun saw this and walked over to the two girls and spoke up.
"First of all, just because I CAN sing, that doesn't mean that I actually LIKE to sing, Slim." Gaignun pointed out dryly before turning to face Sage and Lily as he kept speaking.
"Aww, did I hurt both your feelings with my song choice before? I'm sorry, you two. The second song I chose was intended for the two of you, you know. You both have a lot more potential and inner beauty than either of you realize. Just because I might not necessarily be the one to land either of you, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate and respect you both a great deal. Because I do respect and appreciate you both a lot." Gaignun said before blinking as he found himself hugged by two happy girls in Sage and Lily, who both smiled appreciatively at Gaignun and both of them kissed Gaignun on the cheek, to his embarrassment.
Once he got over how shocked he was at the actions of the girls, Gaignun shrugged it off and helped the two back to their seats, after which Kusano sat down in-between the two girls as Gaignun sat across from the trio with Slim and Ace sitting on either side of him as the group got a meal together at the restaurant they'd chosen to go to for karaoke. After eagerly enjoying their meal, the group headed back to the studio to get to their rooms for the night, all eventually falling into peaceful sleeps...
(The next day, at the set of the studio)
As most of the group did some acting exercises together, the phone rang and a staff member answered it, before their eyes widened and they asked whoever was on the other end to hold on before turning to Kusano, who was closest, and speaking up.
"Hey, Kusano! Did Gaignun ever show up yet?" The staff member asked as Kusano spoke up.
"No, not yet. I think he was still asleep when Slim went to check up on him. Why?" Kusano asked as the staff member spoke up.
"Because his little sister is on the phone asking for him, and she sounds frantic! If he's not up, then one of you needs to go and get him up so he can talk his sister down!" The staff member said as Slim nodded and shot to his feet before darting off to Gaignun's trailer and knocking on the door, hearing a muffled groan and what sounded like muted swearing from inside before a groggy voice spoke up.
"Whozzat?" Gaignun asked as he got up to answer the door. Slim spoke up from the other side of the door.
"It's Slim! Sorry to wake you up man, but it's important! Apparently your sister's on the phone asking for you. Not only that, but she sounds really frantic from what I heard a staff member telling Kusano! So you need to hurry up, get dressed, and get your ass down to the set to see what's up!" Slim said as more swearing could be heard from inside as Gaignun's voice spoke up.
"Marisa's on the phone!? Crap! I'll be right out!" Gaignun said as he hurriedly got dressed, bolted out of his trailer, and followed Slim to the set, where the staff member handed him the phone and he spoke up into it.
"Marisa, what's wrong?" Gaignun asked as Marisa's voice came through on the other end, and Gaignun could tell by the tone of her voice something was wrong.
"Oh, big bro! Thank goodness! It's Mom! I found her lying on the ground this morning, and she hasn't woken up since, no matter how many times I shake her! I'm worried something might be wrong!" Marisa said as Gaignun gasped and spoke up.
"WHAT!? Marisa, listen to me very carefully. Can you tell if Mom is breathing at all?" Gaignun asked as Marisa spoke up.
"Umm, I don't know? Wait, no. I see her chest rising and falling, albeit very slowly. I'm not sure what that means, though?" Marisa said as Gaignun frowned and spoke up after biting back several swear words.
"Marisa, has Mom talked to you about how to call for help in an emergency? And I don't mean calling me. But you did well to reach out to me. I'm proud of you for that." Gaignun said as Marisa spoke up.
"Oh, you mean calling 911? Yeah, Mom told me about that. Why do you ask?" Marisa asked as Gaignun spoke up.
"Because, once I hang up the phone so I can speak to Emilio and Jun about getting permission to leave the studio for a few days, me and the others will be on our way to the house to check up on you and make sure all is well. While we sort that out on our end, I need you to call 911 and get an ambulance over there to look Mom over and make sure she's all right. After all, if her breathing is as weak as you claim, that can't mean anything good for her! So can you call and get help for Mom on your own, Marisa?" Gaignun said as Marisa spoke up anxiously.
"Y-Yeah, I can do that, Big Bro. But why are you speaking like something bad might have happened to Mom?" Marisa asked as Gaignun spoke up.
"To be honest? Because it very well could have. But if it did, it would in no way be your fault, so do not blame yourself at all, Marisa. Now, I'm hanging up. Make sure you get on calling an ambulance for Mom. Basically tell the operator that answers what you told me, and give them our address so they can get an ambulance out there ASAP to look Mom over." Gaignun said as Marisa spoke up.
"Got it! I'll see you when you get here, Big Bro!" Marisa said as Gaignun spoke up.
"Good girl. Make sure you do that. I'll see you when we get there. Bye for now." Gaignun said as he hung up the phone, a distinct look of horror on his face as the others ran up and spoke up.
"What's with the look of horror, Gaignun?" Sage asked as Kusano spoke up.
"Given we had to go run and wake him up to talk Marisa down, I'm sure it's nothing good." Kusano said as Gaignun spoke up.
"And you'd be right. Apparently Marisa found our mother laid out unconscious and presumably unresponsive on the floor this morning and has been trying to wake her up ever since. I told her to call an ambulance to look Mom over, but I think we need to hurry up and get over there so Marisa's not over there by herself while our mother is lying there, possibly sick, unconscious, or worse." Gaignun said as the others all gasped and nodded as Lily spoke up.
"That's terrible! We'll go get ready while you go clear our absence up with Directors Narukami and Amamiya. We need to hurry, since I agree that Marisa cannot be left alone right now!" Lily said as the others nodded, darting out of the room to go get ready for the trip. After they left, Gaignun apologized to the staff member and told them an emergency came up and that the group was needed elsewhere. He then darted off to Emilio's office and knocked on the door, getting a quick response.
"Yes? Who is it?" Emilio's voice came from the other side of the door. Gaignun spoke up.
"Sorry to bother you Emilio, but it's me, Gaignun! Something urgent's come up at home with mine and Marisa's mother, and I need to take the others and make sure Marisa's fine on her own, since our mom could be laying on the floor of our house unconscious or worse. If we have to serve some sort of punishment when we get back for leaving without permission, then so be it. But I will not leave my little sister by herself at home at a time like this!" Gaignun said as Emilio gasped and opened the door to give Gaignun a sympathetic look as he spoke up.
"Little Mari found you guys' mother unconscious and unresponsive!? That's not good! Don't worry about us, go be with her! I'll get you all excused for at least a week or so, but that's all I can do at this time without having the higher-ups out for my blood, since that's a lot of their high-tier talent that I'm giving leave to, but you're right that this is a dire situation that could constitute 'extenuating circumstances'. Now go on, and be there for your sister! One of us needs to be there for her, after all!" Emilio said as Gaignun nodded and thanked Emilio before racing to his trailer to change into his biker outfit so he could ride his motorcycle back home, making it a point to pack some essentials for the week-long stay in a backpack that he slung over one shoulder.
After he was done, Gaignun locked up his trailer and stuck the key in his wallet next to the motorcycle key before tucking it into his pants pocket and meeting the others by his motorcycle, helmet under one arm as he walked. Once the group gathered, Ace spoke up.
"What're we waitin' for? Let's get a move on!" Ace said as the group nodded and revved their engines, taking off on their motorcycles to be at Marisa's side, all hoping they were able to get help for Gaignun and Marisa's mom before it was too late...
(A short time later, at the Kusanagi house)
As Gaignun and the others parked and locked up their motorcycles, as well as helping Sage and Lily off the backs of their motorcycles in Slim and Kusano's cases, the group dashed towards the front door of Gaignun's house, where they saw the ambulances parked out front. While the others all waited outside, Gaignun ran inside after seeing the front door was unlocked and open, finding Marisa sitting on a table, looking fit to cry. As Gaignun gently scooped his little sister up to set her on his lap as he pulled her into a comforting hug, he turned to the closest paramedic and spoke up.
"Excuse me, but what can you tell me about the person that's unconscious on the floor?" Gaignun asked the paramedic, who turned to face him as he spoke up.
"And who're you?" The paramedic asked slightly rudely as Gaignun frowned and spoke up.
"Not that it matters, but I'm this little girl's older brother. Also, the woman on the ground is our mother! So quit giving me lip service and just answer the damn question." Gaignun snapped at the paramedic, who winced and spoke up.
"Oh, sorry. Well, she's alive, but her breathing is weakened by a lot. We don't have any definite guesses, but it's possible she has a respiratory condition. So we'll have to get her to the hospital to get a more definite estimate of her condition. Just hang in there for now." The paramedic said as Gaignun nodded and spoke up, while smiling as he felt Marisa's head lean into his chest as he could just barely hear the sounds of his little sister sniffling into his shirt.
Gaignun gently patted Marisa on the back comfortingly as the paramedic walked off to help load the unconscious Hikari onto a stretcher and haul her out into the ambulance, which drove off to take Hikari to the hospital. After the ambulances left, Gaignun's friends walked in and exchanged shocked looks before Lily walked over and spoke up.
"What's up with your mom?" Lily asked as Gaignun spoke up, careful to keep his voice down so as not to let Marisa hear, as he knew she was upset.
"She's being taken to the hospital to be checked for possible respiratory conditions. The paramedic said he thinks she might have gotten sick. So for now all we can do is wait and hope for good news on that front. But either way, I think we can all agree that we need to cheer this little one up if we can. I can't imagine how that must have felt for her, coming out to find Mom on the ground like that. I'm sure it was traumatizing for her." Gaignun said wisely, gently patting his little sister on the head as he spoke, making her smile slightly as she spoke up into his shirt.
"Who's that holding me!? Wait, is that you holding me, Gaignun?" Marisa asked as Gaignun smiled and spoke up while looking down at Marisa as he spoke up.
"Yeah, it's me. I'm here. And I'm not alone. Slim, Ace, Kusano, Sage, and Lily all are here too. We're not gonna leave you here alone after what you just saw, little one. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry you were the one to find Mom like that. But you were brave to get her help when you did. It's only because of that that Mom's got the chances she does now. You're a hero, Marisa." Gaignun said, gently hugging his sister, who smiled and spoke up.
"Thank you, but I didn't do that much. I just did what you told me." Marisa said as Lily smiled and spoke up.
"True, but sometimes that's all it takes to do the right thing, Marisa. So cheer up. Your mother's still alive right now because of your quick thinking. Had you not called your brother, none of us would've realized anything until Gaignun got the call about your mom passing away. Instead, now we're waiting on news of her health. So don't sell yourself short." Lily said, gently leaning down to pat Marisa on the head before pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head and smiling at her. Marisa's cheeks pinked a bit in embarrassment as she hid her face in Gaignun's shirt and spoke up.
"Nuh-uh. You guys would've saved her anyways. But thank you." Marisa said as Gaignun chuckled and spoke up.
"Aww, don't be embarrassed, little one. We're saying we're proud of you. But I find it adorable that you're so shy at times." Gaignun said fondly as he moved to sit on the couch with Marisa as the others took seats and watched some TV while they waited for word from the hospital, Gaignun smiling as he felt Marisa doze off against his chest. After a little while, his cell phone rang, and Gaignun saw the caller ID, realizing it was the hospital. Gaignun turned to Lily, who'd sat next to him, and spoke up.
"Here, take Marisa for a bit. The hospital's on the phone, so I need to take this in case it's an update on Mom." Gaignun said as Lily nodded, gently scooping the sleeping Marisa into her arms and lightly running her fingers through Marisa's hair comfortingly as Gaignun went outside to answer the phone.
"Hello? Gaignun Kusanagi's phone, Gaignun speaking." Gaignun said as he heard a female's voice on the other end.
"Hello, Mister Kusanagi? My name is Marie, and I'm a nurse at Hollywood General Hospital. I'm calling in regards to your mother, Hikari. She's stable for now, but I'm afraid that the news I have for you isn't good. Are you alone right now?" The now-named Marie said as Gaignun spoke up.
"That's correct, I am alone. Is the news that bad that you don't want me to have an audience for it?" Gaignun asked as Marie spoke up.
"Correct. Your mother is stable for now, but as it turns out, she's very sick. How familiar are you with a condition called Cystic Fybrosis, or CF as most people call it for short?" Marie asked as Gaignun spoke up, his eyes widening in surprise at what Marie had said to him while he spoke. *2*
"Not very familiar, but I think I've heard the term before. Isn't that a respiratory condition that can get worse if untreated? I think I recall reading about it once when studying?" Gaignun said as Marie spoke up.
"Correct. It's a terminal condition that makes the body not able to produce enough enzymes, affects the respiratory system, and can get worse if left untreated. And judging from your mother's condition, she's had it for years and left it untreated. It's possible that she was entirely unaware she even had it, since it is possible for some carriers of CF to be asymptomatic. Even so, that doesn't change the fact that her case has progressed rather far. It's at the point now where we can treat it to give her more time. However, that being said, I'm sorry to say this. But, Mister Kusanagi? It's not a question of 'if' it'll take your mother from you and your little sister, but 'when' it takes her.
However, even though her death is inevitable, don't despair just yet. We can't stop your mom from dying, but we can try to give her as long to live as we possibly can. However, with how far along her case is, I can't guarantee you more than a few more months of extra time. So I'd start preparing to say good-bye to her. Also, if she wakes up, you can come in and visit her if you like. But she's not conscious right now. However, we were able to treat her enough to get her breathing stabilized, so she should wake up eventually. But I'm sorry I don't have better news for you." Marie said as Gaignun spoke up after managing to calm himself after this reveal.
"I see. Thank you for your honesty. I'm not sure how I'm going to break this to my sister, but I'll figure something out. And do feel free to keep me posted on her condition, especially if she wakes up. Because I probably will want to come in and visit her once she's able to have visitors." Gaignun said as Marie spoke up on the other end.
"Certainly, sir. I'll keep you posted on her condition. I take it I can reach you at this number?" Marie asked as Gaignun spoke up.
"That's correct. I'm always going to have this phone on me, so I'll be able to answer if you call. Thank you for being so considerate in your words." Gaignun said as Marie spoke up.
"You're quite welcome. Well, I'll leave you to process what I've told you. I'll contact you if anything changes. Bye for now." Marie said as she hung up on her end, leaving Gaignun to sigh as he pocketed his phone and decide to walk around outside a bit to calm himself after what he'd heard. After a bit, he heard the door open and saw Sage walk outside and speak to him.
"Gaignun? Was that the hospital?" Sage asked as Gaignun nodded and spoke up.
"It was. However, the news wasn't all good, I'm afraid. But I'm not sure if I want to tell Marisa what I was told, since some of it was a rather nasty shock for me when I found out about it." Gaignun said as Sage spoke up.
"Oh? Well, you can tell me about it. I don't mind being here for you if you need to vent. That's what friends are for, after all." Sage said as Gaignun sighed and spoke up.
"Very well. But for now, this stays between us, got it?" Gaignun said as Sage nodded before Gaignun kept speaking.
"Well, the good news is that they got Mom stabilized, so she's in no immediate danger, but as it turns out, that's just a temporary fix." Gaignun said, sighing as Sage blinked and spoke up.
"Temporary? You mean she's not out of the woods yet?" Sage asked as Gaignun shook his head and spoke up.
"No, she's not. And that leads to the bad news. As it turns out, she's very sick, and either didn't know about it, or she knew about it and chose not to tell Marisa and I for who knows why. Either way, the nurse told me she has a terminal condition known as Cystic Fybrosis, which affects the body's ability to produce enzymes and messes with the respiratory system. She also said that it wasn't a question of 'if' it takes Mom from Marisa and I, it was a question of 'when' it's going to take her from us." Gaignun said as Sage quietly gasped and spoke up.
"No! Are you saying she's-?" Sage said before Gaignun cut her off by speaking up.
"Yes. I'm saying that she's likely going to die from this, and possibly sooner rather than later." Gaignun said, looking sad at having to admit to it. Sage sighed and walked forward to gently hug Gaignun as she spoke up.
"That's terrible. But I don't think it's fair that you keep that from your sister. Don't you think she deserves the chance to at least say good-bye to her?" Sage asked Gaignun, who frowned but nodded as he spoke up.
"Yeah, that's a good point. But still, why now of all times? We were just starting to really get close as a family, dammit!" Gaignun said in a rare petulant tone, making Sage smile fondly as she spoke up.
"I get that, but we can't argue with what fate dictates, now can we? Besides, at least you and Marisa have each other. Not to mention, you both have all of us! None of us are going to let you suffer through it alone when the time comes that your mother passes. So don't feel like you have to shoulder this alone." Sage said as she hugged Gaignun, who smiled and spoke up.
"Thank you, Sage. That means a lot to me. Well, I suppose I should go fill the others in. Good thing Lily's putting Marisa down for a nap, so that should buy me some time to figure out how to break the truth of Mom's condition to her. Because I think we can all agree she's going to lose it when the day comes that Mom passes away." Gaignun said realistically, unaware of the rest of the group listening in to his and Sage's conversation from the cracked front door.
However, he would be made aware of their presence soon enough as he heard two very distinct feminine gasps behind him, turning to see the others listening in. Gaignun frowned at this and kept speaking.
"And exactly how long were all of you eavesdropping on us for?" Gaignun asked with a disapproving frown. Marisa spoke up in a defiant tone.
"Long enough to find out that you were going to try and hide Mom's condition from us, or at least from me! I understand you're trying to protect me, but surely you believe I can handle knowing the truth, big brother? Or were you going to just keep me in the dark the whole time and then come up with some story to give me once Mom died!?" Marisa asked as Gaignun winced and spoke up.
"Of course I trust you, Marisa! I just wasn't sure how to tell you, since it's not exactly an easy thing to go up to one's 12 year old sister and tell her that her mother is dying of a rare respiratory condition and is very much on borrowed time. So yes, it's gonna be rough, and we'll probably both cry like no one's business afterwards, but we have to brace ourselves for the day that Mom leaves us forever.
And it very well could wind up coming sooner, rather than later. So we need to make our peace with it now. But I'll always be here for you, little sister. Never doubt that." Gaignun said as he walked forward to wrap Marisa into a hug, gently holding her close as he heard her start to sniffle into his shirt as she spoke up.
"B-But that's not fair! Why does it have to be Mom!? Hasn't she had it rough enough in her life recently!? This sucks." Marisa said as she started crying into Gaignun's shirt. Gaignun gently patted her on the head comfortingly as he spoke up.
"I wish I knew the answer to that myself. Unfortunately, sometimes life is just cruel like that. However, I'm going to promise you something right now, Marisa. No matter how much it hurts to think about it, the truth is that Mom's going to leave us, probably sooner rather than later. And I promise you that when the day comes that she does leave us, I won't leave you to fend for yourself, Marisa!
Even if I have to drop out of the studio and move back home, I will not let you be left to fend for yourself, Marisa! And I'm sure the others are with me on that! So please, trust me when I say that we're all here for you." Gaignun said, before shocking Marisa as he hugged her, letting a few stray tears of his own lightly sprinkle into her hair as he let himself weep slightly while he hugged her. As for Gaignun's friends, they just said nothing, watching the emotional moment between the devastated siblings. After a bit, Marisa nodded and spoke up.
"O-Okay. I trust you, Gaignun. Please, promise me you'll never leave me. It's bad enough that we might have to have Mom leave us soon. I don't know how I would handle it if you also left me." Marisa said as Gaignun smiled at his sister and spoke up while looking into her eyes.
"Heh, that's never gonna happen, Marisa. You're stuck with me, no matter what. And I feel the same way about you. It's hard enough knowing I might have to step up as the head of the family soon enough, but I don't know how I'd get over it if anything ever happened to you. I love you so much, Marisa." Gaignun said as Marisa smiled and spoke up.
"I love you too, big bro. Also, just so you know? I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, Gaignun. And that's a promise." Marisa said, smiling as she gently laid her head on Gaignun's chest as Gaignun just hugged her to him for a moment, eventually speaking up.
"I'm holding you to that, Marisa. So you better keep your promise." Gaignun said as the others spoke up.
"As well and good as all this touching display of emotions is, maybe we should take this inside before we draw a crowd?" Ace suggested as Gaignun nodded, carrying Marisa inside as the others followed. After a bit, the group set up the Wii, deciding to do some Wii Bowling to take their minds off of the rather sad news they'd all gotten...
END OF CHAPTER
A/N: And boom, another chapter done and dusted! Not as long as most, I know. But I didn't intend these prologue chapters to be the longest chapters around. So it's not that big of a deal that they're shorter in nature. But the next chapter should be at least slightly longer, since it'll shift back over to Yu as we cover the start of the plot of Persona 4 Golden. Hopefully, I did the prologue sufficient justice.
And as for the sub-plot at the end with Gaignun and Marisa, that's continuing Gaignun's side of the plot! Suffice it to say, things have to get worse before they start to get better, and hoo boy, you have no idea how true that's going to end up being for Gaignun in particular. But hopefully I have you all excited for the proper start of the plot of Persona 4 Golden.
And since I did one in part 2 for the OCs that appeared for parts 1 and 2 of the Prologue, I suppose I'll do another VA casting list here for the OCs in part 3 of the Prologue.
LIST OF POTENTIAL VOICE ACTORS FOR THE OCs INTRODUCED IN PROLOGUE PART 3 (In order of appearance)
Hinoka 'Noka' Narukami nee Dojima - Tara Platt (aka the VA for both Mitsuru from Persona 3/Persona 3 FES/Persona 3 Portable/Persona 4 Arena/Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and of Edelgard from Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Kazuya 'Zuya' Narukami - Johnny Yong Bosch (aka the VA for both Yu and Adachi in Persona 4/Persona 4 Golden/Persona 4 Arena/Persona 4 Arena Ultimax)
Athena 'Ena' Hanamura nee Yoshino - Cheirami Leigh (aka the VA for Makoto/Queen in Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal/Persona 5 Strikers/Persona 5 Tactica and any other titles with the Phantom Thieves in them and for Rhea from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, among other roles)
Sasuke 'Sas' Hanamura - Jamieson Price (aka the VA for Sojiro 'Coffee Daddy' Sakura from Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal/Persona 5 Strikers and for Nemesis from Fire Emblem: Three Houses as well as Virion from Fire Emblem: Awakening, among many other roles)
Marie Williams - Veronica Taylor (aka one of the VAs for Ash Ketchum from Pokemon, as well as for Manuela from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Micaiah from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, and many other roles)
And that's all the OCs that were introduced in this chapter. EDIT: As of the point I'm uploading this chapter, it's currently 2:24AM on Tuesday. December 17th, 2024. As such, once this chapter goes live, there probably won't be uploads for the next two weeks since obviously we have both Christmas and New Year's coming up. So it's a pretty safe bet that the next upload will be probably targeted for January 7th. So to anyone reading this before either holiday comes up, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Enjoy your holidays and stay safe! Now with that said, back to your regularly scheduled end-of-chapter A/N.
As before, feel free to share your thoughts on my ideas in a review or via PM if you're not comfortable putting your thoughts into a review.
As always, thanks to all who support this story. whether that support is in the form of just following/favoriting this story. following and/or favoriting me as an author, or even just viewing the story, your support is appreciated. And also, I appreciate those who leave reviews on the story, as your feedback is very much appreciated.
Or, if you don't like leaving it in reviews, feel free to PM me with your feedback/opinions/thoughts/suggestions for the story. Alternatively. I have a discord that I use for my stories, so if people want to message me on there, feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll get you an invite link to join the discord. I welcome any and all reader input. So feel free to keep supporting this story!
Also, until the next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!
NOTES
*1* - Heh, yep, I referenced that. I've seen several YouTubers jokingly refer to Adachi as 'Adrunkchi' in their playthroughs of Persona 4 Golden, which I find both hilarious and ironic. Hilarious because it's not wrong in some cases, and ironic since his partner is often way drunker than he is. So I feel like it's funnier and more ironic when people call Ryotaro 'Drunkjima', because that's way more accurate. But I still had to reference this here.
*2* - Yep. I went there. I know this is probably not something that would likely show up as a trope in a Persona game. However, at the same time, I also recall in Persona 3 that there were similar tropes at play, which I won't go into detail on for spoiler prevention reasons. But back on topic, Cystic Fybrosis is very much a serious condition. I know someone in real life who has this condition. I won't say who, out of respect for their privacy, but it's someone fairly close to me.
Also, feel free to correct me in reviews if I spelled Cystic Fybrosis wrong, since I always forget how it's spelled. I know that some people also refer to it as 'sixty-five red roses' since they can't pronounce it, but I feel like that's a juvenile way of saying it, and since this is a rated 'M' story, there's no need to sugar-coat it. If you have issues with that sort of thing, then I won't hold it against you if you stop reading the story. Granted, I'd rather not lose readers, but I know that it can't be avoided sometimes.