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0798f · 2 months ago

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💞 — I'm In Love.

RELATIONSHIP: Yu Narukami x Reader

SUMMARY: Over the course of a year, and then a little longer, you discover that Yu Narukami is easy to talk to.

WARNINGS: Spoilers for the entirety of p4g. Very long (5.5k).

A/N: A longer one-shot with a lot of ideas. Reader is the older sibling of p5 protag, because you can pry the headcanon that he's from Inaba from my cold, dead hands. You'll also have to forgive me for name inconsistency; I like 'Yu' better than 'Souji' but i also like 'Akira' better than 'Ren.'

APRIL 23RD 【CENTRAL SHOPPING DISTRICT, NORTH】

“Sorry, am i in your way?”

“Not at all.”

There was a person in front of the bulletin board. They were another student at Yasogami, judging by their uniform, but it wasn’t the same student who had told him about the upcoming job openings a week prior.

Yu recognized this student as (Name), the person seated in the back corner of his class, closest to the window. Half asleep during class and out the door the instant the bell rang, Yu never had the opportunity to meet them. From Yosuke he learned that they were a fellow Junes employee, worked to the bone as much as he was, and from Yukiko he learned that they were practically the sole caretaker for their younger brother.

He was an only child, but Yu knew a thing or two about neglectful parents. Even if this was their first time speaking, there was a lot Yu could confirm from the way (Name) carried themself. When (Name) turned around to apologize, Yu noticed the bags under their eyes and the disheveled appearance of their school uniform. Then the hunched over posture of someone with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but wanted to take up as little space as possible.

There was no time before this to talk to (Name), and there would definitely be no time afterwards if they were going to pick up another job— and Yu was curious.

“Are you looking for a part-time job, too?” Yu stepped up to the bulletin board, but left enough room for (Name) to stand next to him. They took a step back, expecting Yu to block their way, but paused at the wordless gesture. (Name)’s hands fidgeted with the collar of their uniform, and with the passing of a few more seconds, stood next to Yu and nodded. “You already work at Junes, don’t you?”

They couldn’t possibly get any smaller in their posture, but they certainly tried. (Name)’s eyes were glued to the ground and their arms clutched tightly to their chest. “I do,” they mumbled. In his periphery, Yu watched as (name) shifted their weight back and forth. “Pay sucks. I need a second income.”

That was another thing Yosuke mentioned about working at Junes; they paid the most minimum of minimum wage. Yet it was still one of the more lucrative jobs in Inaba, where working in the shopping district may save you from the wrath of the town, but will leave your wallet rather empty after a full day of work. Yu squinted at one of the job listings— it wasn’t even paid.

“That really sucks. Customer service is already bad enough, but here, your customers hate you for doing the work they’re asking you to do.”

A strained noise escaped (Name)’s lips. It was somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “Exactly. It’s lame. Maybe getting a job at the shopping district will get them off my case.”

Whatever tension that may have been present at the beginning of the conversation slowly melted away. Yu smiled, “they should have some respect for Inaba’s hardest worker.”

Maybe it was his voice, or the fact that he was the charming new city boy and talk of the town, but his words struck a chord deep in (Name)’s heart. It was warm and inviting and it almost felt like being thawed from the inside out. “If only.”

The conversation was over with that, but it was a natural end. (Name) pulled a tab from the job listing for a daycare attendant, and waved goodbye to Yu. Yu grabbed a tab from every single job listing— yet was most excited for the volunteer paper crane folding position.

JUNE 20TH 【JUNES DEPARTMENT STORE】

“Oh, Narukami-san!”

“You’re supposed to be resting.”

The last thing Yu expected to see on a routine trip to Junes was (Name), who was rescued from the TV world, faced and accepted their own shadow to receive a persona, and was explicitly told to rest, just two days ago. Yukiko and Kanji were plenty evidence that, the longer the shadow was present, the more exhausted the user would be after defeating it.

(Name) collapsed onto the ground the instant they accepted their persona. With this being the fifth time Yu had seen this happen, he was prepared; in one swift movement, Yu was able to catch (Name) before their head hit the ground. They reached up and clutched his wrist, squeezing gently as a quiet thank you.

“Yosuke-san said the same thing when I clocked in for work today.” The words were accompanied by an eyeroll. They continued to stock the shelves in spite of Yu’s judgmental but harmless stare. “I rested, I’m fine.”

At that same moment, (Name) knocked over a box of oranges. One poignant motherfucker escaped their lips, but any other curses they wanted to say were suppressed by their impressive customer service experience. They crouched down to start cleaning up the mess, with Yu following suit.

“Yeah, definitely rested,” he said. His tone was sarcastic but the slight upturn of his mouth let (Name) know it was nothing malicious. While picking up the oranges, Yu leaned in closer. “Dealing with your shadow and getting a persona is really draining. You should really rest as much as you can.”

Either the headache they had since being rescued from the TV world got much worse all of a sudden, or their close proximity was another issue for their brain entirely. (Name) had no prior experience with either, so both seemed like reasonable possibilities.

(Name) didn’t respond until all the oranges were back in the box. “Thank you,” they started. It was like their first meeting again— tense and awkward. There was a certain bite to (Name)’s tone that, while Yu didn’t think was directed at him specifically, made him hesitate. “I did rest as much as I could. I’m tight on cash. My mom hasn’t sent any money for the bills.”

It wasn’t that Yu forgot about (Name)’s situation— everyone in Inaba was acutely aware of everyone’s business, and (Name)’s poor circumstances served as nothing but gossip for the housewives in the shopping district. But he frowned because it slipped his mind long enough to say something touchy.

So he apologized, “sorry, I know you don’t have it easy.”

Yu narukami’s ineffable sincerity humbled most people in its wake. He was supposed to be the trendy and electric city boy— and maybe he would’ve been the spitting image of one if Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko weren’t the first people to befriend him. Or if he had been disgusted and bored by the sheer nothingness to do in Inaba. Or, and most likely, if he didn’t become the leader of the Investigation Team and have the pressure of protecting his friends and the town at large.

But even if all that did happen, Yu would still probably be the same guy at heart. The guy who fed the stray cats in the rain and risked his life in the TV world to keep strangers safe. He was an honest guy through and through.

It hurt more to be mad at him. “No, sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. It’s just… tough. I don’t know. I hate acting like this. At work, customers get pissed, and at home, my brother gets worried.”

“No worries.” Yu smiled, and it was like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day. “I understand how you feel.”

It was funny, because when they first met a few months ago, Yu couldn’t empathize with anything about (Name)’s situation, apart from the casual parental neglect. He didn’t have a younger sibling to take care of, he didn’t have a dire need for cash, and he didn’t have anyone’s expectations. But Nanako called him big bro’ and he suddenly became the lead investigator of a supernatural murder mystery. Igor told him he was on an important journey and he had to pretend like that didn’t keep him up at night.

Funnier that (Name) usually hated when people tried to say they understood how they felt. The housewives that didn’t hate them for working at Junes said that to them sometimes, as if their failing marriage or the affair they’re having with a handsome man from Okina was anywhere remotely relatable to being a family’s sole breadwinner at 16 years old. But, when Yu said it, there was an air of remorse and solidarity; he stood up straighter and didn’t say it like he knew better— he just knew.

“Your little bro’ is Akira-kun, right? I think he and Nanako are friends.” The change in subject reminded the both of them that the world was still spinning, and (Name) returned to stocking the shelves with the slightly bruised oranges that they hoped no one would give them shit for.

Yu only meant to lighten the mood and could not have predicted the way (Name)’s eyes lit up and entire demeanor changed at the mention of their younger brother. They nodded, “that’s him.” For the very first time, months after meeting them, Yu saw (Name) smile. It was small and only noticeable because Yu found himself studying (Name)’s face closely, but it was there, and it made him smile in return.

“You’re right. He was telling me about Nanako-chan the other day when he got back from school. Said they feed stray cats on their walk home.” They were a few years apart, but the elementary school and middle school were right next to each other, so it wasn’t surprising that the two knew each other. (Name) nudged Yu, the small smile turning somewhat mischievous. “You must be rubbing off on everybody. The cats in Inaba are gonna become spoiled.”

Yu laughed. Even with as little rest as they got, (Name) seemed brighter. It made him feel brighter, too.

“Good. Cats deserve nothing but the best.”

AUGUST 21ST 【TATSUHIME SHRINE】

Yu didn’t realize this would feel like a date until he realized he was struggling to have a conversation with (Name). It had become so easy in the last few months that it felt so foreign and wrong to be lost again.

“... I’m the only one you invited?”

The hustle and bustle of the summer festival felt so distant, even if it was only a few feet away from where they stood at the shrine’s entrance. He looked (Name) in the eyes once when they arrived, then lost the courage to do so again. His eyes darted everywhere from the ground to the night sky— everywhere but (Name).

Yu scratched the back of his head. “Yeah… I felt bad that you didn’t join us yesterday because you were too tired from work. I didn’t think you would go alone, so I wanted to invite you.”

The poignant silence afterwards made Yu want to crawl into a hole. He might’ve actually done so if he made eye contact with them in that moment, so he stuck to the concrete. A meiou cricket hopped over his foot.

“Well.” He had no idea how much time passed before (Name) finally spoke up again. It could have been any time between 5 seconds and 3 hours. “You’re right, I wouldn’t have gone alone… so, thanks. I’m glad you invited me.”

Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but the tension didn’t fully disappear. At the very least, He gained the confidence to look at (Name)— who seemed equally as awkward as him, if not worse. Their hands covered their face and they were practically squirming in their personal bubble, as if they were contemplating fight, flight, or freeze.

Maybe it was a little cruel, but knowing that he wasn’t the only one with their heart beating out of their chest made him feel a lot better. It didn’t make him feel less awkward, but it made him crack a smile. “Great, let’s go.”

Walking around made them feel better. The warm lights, happy voices, and smell of food reminded the pair just how lovely Inaba could be. The summer festivals in Tokyo were big, loud, and fun, but for a popular yet isolated guy like Yu, they were exceptionally lonely. A spectacular fireworks show didn’t have the same impact when he had to enjoy it alone.

But he was not alone this time, and it was as nerve-wracking as it was thrilling. They made conversation about school, their friends, their hobbies— anything, really. Yu never had a difficult time talking to them once they joined the Investigation Team. Sometimes (Name) was still timid, but from the depths of their psyche, buried by immaculate and demoralizing customer service, Yu slowly discovered a side of (Name) that was blunt and sarcastic.

“What the hell.” (Name) leaned over Yu’s shoulder to count the number of goldfish in his bowl. “24!? Geez, how are you so good at everything?”

Yu laughed and emptied the bowl of goldfish back into the pool. His high score secured him a large Jack Frost plushie that he tucked under his arm (the existence of persona merch always freaked Yu out. Are his frost family personas based off his memory of seeing this merch, or does this company know about personas? The latter option ate away at him sometimes). “It’s probably because I spend so much time fishing.”

“Please explain to me how your fishing skills translate to goldfish scooping,” they scoffed. “You have to be strong to reel in a fish. You have to be delicate to keep your poi from breaking. I don’t see a connection.”

“Technique.”

“Technique,” (Name) repeated, but with a serious furrowed brow that made Yu chuckle again. Their head tilted to the side when Yu held out the plushie to them. “... For me?”

It could have been the ego boost from crushing at goldfish scooping, or the atmosphere of the festival making his heart feel lighter and less embarrassed— either way, Yu felt a surge of confidence that was painfully absent when he was fumbling around with (Name) at the gate.

He nodded and placed the plushie in (Name)’s arms before they had the chance to refuse. “You can tell Akira-kun that you won the best prize for goldfish scooping.”

(Name) opened their mouth to speak, but no sound was heard. Instead, they shook their head with a smile and clutched the plushie close to their chest. Yu Narukami really was too much sometimes. An impossibly straightforward and kind guy that was easy to fawn over.

Not that (Name) was fawning. They didn’t think they were, anyway; anyone would feel like that around Yu. ‘That’ being their heart skipping a beat and butterflies threatening to burst from the pit of their stomach. That was normal. Right?

The more (Name) considered it, the more embarrassing the answer became. And that was something they weren’t prepared to confront right now— not with a murder case, the Midnight Channel, and the fog looming over their heads. (Name) swallowed the thought down before it could consume them whole.

Yet they still let their shoulder brush against Yu’s as they walked. Yu didn’t know what to make of it. Neither did (Name). But it was startlingly natural, and they both liked it. A lot.

As the night winded down, the pair found themselves on the front steps of the shrine. Much of the crowd, especially the children, had already gone home for the night, leaving a more quiet atmosphere in their wake.

“It’s getting late,” (Name) pointed out. “Let’s pray for a blessing then leave, yeah?”

Yu nodded, but it wasn’t like either of them really wanted to leave. But they both had family to return back to— younger siblings who would be upset if they were out later than their bedtime. He turned towards the shrine and paused to think. He spent time at the shrine nearly every night to catch bugs and beg the offertory box for a good blessing, so it’s very familiar to him. At the same time, though, it felt different. Probably because (Name) was leaning against his side and his heart was beating like crazy, but who’s to say?

He pressed his palms together and closed his eyes. There was really only one thing to pray for. “I hope we get closer,” he whispered just loud enough for (Name) to hear. Yu chewed the inside of his cheek and tried to pretend like he wasn’t completely red in the face.

Yu didn’t have to look at (Name) to know their reaction. From the way their body tensed after he spoke and the silence that followed, he imagined they looked pretty similar as they did when they were standing outside of the shrine gate.

“Geez,” (Name) huffed. The ambient noise of the festival and Inaba at night was drowned out by their intense heartbeat. With their eyes closed and shoulders touching, it was like they were the only two people in the world at that moment. It took a moment for (Name) to collect themself, and when they did, they elbowed Yu’s side. “You’re too much.”

It wasn’t a rejection. Yu grinned from ear to ear. “Sorry,” he mused, but he wasn’t really. “What did you pray for?”

when he looked at (Name), they made eye contact, then (Name) turned away in an instant. They kicked the ground and fidgeted with their sleeve, while their free hand shakily grabbed Yu’s. He blinked, looked down at their hands and back up at (Name), and slowly intertwined their fingers.

“The same thing.”

DECEMBER 3RD 【DOJIMA RESIDENCE】

“You didn’t have to walk me back home.”

“Oh, don’t even start with me, Yu-san.”

It was hard to see at this time of night. The fog obscured the moonlight and made it near impossible to see the empty, dark Dojima residence.

To say it was a long day would be the understatement of the century. Everything that happened was simultaneously a blur yet clearly and vividly in the forefront of Yu’s mind. He couldn’t believe the day started out normal.

Yu stood up straight with hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Because how could it? He had to smile because (Name) was standing next to him. He was the leader of the Investigation Team. He kept everyone calm, collected, and from committing manslaughter by throwing Namatame into the TV. Yu had to be stability, their voice of reason.

“I’m alright, really,” Yu insisted, even though (Name) didn’t say anything to prompt him. “Don’t worry about me.”

(Name) sighed, “Yu-san…”

He didn’t look at (Name) because he didn’t think he could take it. They were probably staring at him with a furrowed brow and a frown that would make Yu feel guiltier than he already felt— if that was even possible. It’s his fault any of this happened.

The key in his pocket was cold against his skin, and he clutched it so tight that it left a mark on his hand. There was nothing Yu wanted more in that moment than to crawl into bed and sleep, but his hands were shaking so bad that he couldn’t fit the key into the lock.

He only fumbled with the key twice before (Name) intervened. They grabbed his wrist and pulled him to face them. Yu’s eyes remained fixated on the door. “You don’t have to pretend like you’re fine. Today was— it was insane. You had to watch Nanako…”

(Name)’s voice cracked. Even just the memory was enough to make them choke up again, and, next to them, Yu struggled not to break down. His sweet little sister deserved nothing but happiness, but it was his fault that she got trapped in the TV world. His fault that she was in there long enough to get sick from the fog. If he had gotten through the dungeon faster, if he had grabbed her from Namatame right away instead of trying to reason with him, She would have been alright.

He couldn’t protect Nanako. How could he protect his team? The town? Yu couldn’t even figure out who the murderer was, and they were chasing them for months.

So if he can’t do anything right, the least he can do for everyone is remain calm.

“Nanako pulled through.” That was the truth. The doctor said she pulled through because she heard everyone’s voices calling to her, and while Yu wasn’t sure how scientifically accurate that sounded, it made him feel like he did something right.

(Name) pushed their way in between Yu and the door, forcing him to look at them. “I know she did. But she…” Again, their voice escaped them. The memory was too horrible, too wrong, and too close to home; Nanako was like the little sister to everyone on the Investigation Team, but (Name) also had a younger sibling of their own, and if anything were to happen to him, (Name) would never recover.

To be honest, (Name) was fine with throwing Namatame into the TV world. There was nothing in their heart in that moment other than pure contempt and hate for the man they believed killed Nanako. If Yu hadn’t reminded them things weren’t adding up, the Investigation Team would have had blood on their hands.

That’s why he was their fearless leader. A leader so fearless he couldn’t even cry when Nanako died and had enough mental fortitude to calm them down right afterwards. There was a lot to admire about someone so strong, but he was still human. And humans have limits.

“No one should have to go through what you went though,” (Name) started. They brought Yu’s hand close to their chest to try and comfort the both of them. “Listen, I get it. You feel like you have to be unbreakable because you’re our leader. But… we care about you. We dont want you to hide your pain just to make us feel better. That doesn’t make me feel better.”

A burning sensation behind his eyes made him freeze. Yu can’t. He can’t cry in front of the investigation team. They’ll figure out he was really a coward— the guy truly worthy of the fool arcana.

(Name)’s body was warm against his hand, and their heartbeat steadied his own back into a comfortable rhythm. They took one step closer, breaking into his personal space so he couldn’t keep ignoring them. “I get how you feel, but… we’re here for you. I’m here.”

Yu didn’t realize he started crying until the tears landed on his arm. A flood of tears that Yu had held back for who knows how long rushed out with an ugly sounding sob, but for that moment, Yu didn’t care. he let himself crumble in (Name)’s arms, burying his face in their neck as he grasped the back of their jacket. This time, (Name) was the strong and resolute pillar of support, tightly hugging him so he could feel grounded.

For once, Yu let himself share the weight of the world.

MARCH 20TH 【YOMOTSU HIRASAKA】

Hands of of pure darkness pulled Yu down into an endless void. It was pitch black night initially, until there a flash of light as his body hit the ground. Fog surrounded him, and his memory suddenly flashed back to his first night in Inaba, where his dream was filled with fog and he summoned Izanagi for the first time without understanding anything. When the true culprit was just a silhouette, an idea, and not the goddess Izanami herself.

Yu deserved to die like this, he thought. Drowning in the fog he tried so hard to overcome. It was a fitting and cruel end for the so-called leader who couldn’t even protect his own teammates.

Yu didn’t know exactly what happened. The shadow approached him, hands manifesting from the darkness and reaching out for him, Izanami laughing in the distance. Yu readied his sword, hoping he could at least parry some damage away, but he heard Yukiko’s voice call his name, and he was suddenly pushed aside. Yosuke and (Name) screamed, Rise shreiked something in his ear, but when he regained his bearings and looked back to where Yukiko pushed him, she was gone. Nothing but the shadow hands receding back into the darkness.

He waited for Yukiko to appear again. She couldn’t just be… gone. That wasn’t right. But they faced another brutal attack and Yukiko was still gone. The realization washed over him that she wouldn’t be coming back, but he couldn’t even let that sink in; if he had that realization, then Yosuke and (Name) did, too.

And they did exactly as he feared. First was Yosuke, who tackled him out of the way of the shadow before he could stop him. Yu couldn’t do anything but watch as the shadow consumed Yosuke, his best friend disappearing into the darkness. He thought he would have been prepared to stop (Name) from doing the same, but Izanami sent the shadow for him again he saw (Name) running for him out of the corner of his eye. Even as he grabbed onto their arms, begging them not to do it, (Name) was able to push him out of harm’s way just enough for the dark shadow to latch onto them instead of him.

The shadow ripped (Name) out of Yu’s grip, leaving him to scramble to try and grab them again, to stop them from disappearing like Yukiko and Yosuke, but he couldn’t reach. His fingers ghosted against (Name)’s hair as they sank into the darkness. Despite Yu’s failure, despite everything, (Name) managed a smile.

“Sorry.”

They were gone, Yosuke was gone, Yukiko was gone, and there was no one left to face Izanami but Yu. But who was he alone? nothing. Izanami sent the shadow after him again, and there was no one left to sacrifice themselves for his sake. This is how it should have been, Yu thought as the hands grabbed him. It should have been me.

He didn’t know if he was alive or dead, nor did he really care. There was no point after letting his friends die. Yu laid motionless in the middle of the fog, waiting to fade away and pay for his failures. Yet Yu remained— there was a reason he was still here.

A voice called out to him. It started out as a whisper in the back of mind, then surged to the forefront to be so clearly Margaret’s voice. Yu forced his eyes open to see the velvet room attendant standing before him.

“Get up,” she commanded. “You are not someone allowed to fall here.”

Yu didn’t get a chance to respond before she disappeared into the fog as quickly as she arrived. Loneliness and hopelessness began to creep in on him as soon as she left, but in her place, a visage of his uncle appeared to give him encouragement as well. Then Nanako, then his classmates, all the people he met while working— even Adachi appeared to give him a bittersweet backhanded compliment.

Then the Investigation Team. They begged him to get up again, for him to keep going, as if they weren’t the ones who laid down their lives before him. It would have been enough for Yu just to see them again, but their pleas pulled his heart from the fog to remind him why they wanted him to live in the first place.

His eyes widened and his whole body tensed when (Name) appeared before him. The mysterious light in the fog behind them made them look ethereal— even more so when they smiled at him again. “I know we ask so much of you,” they started, and Yu already wanted to cry. “But, please get up. We need you. we’ll be by your side when you do. We’ll do this together.”

The weight of the world was on his shoulders, and he had been acutely aware of that for almost the entire year. It was a burden to him, a source of his anxiety and nightmares. But if it was the burden he had to take for all the precious people in his life, he would do it a thousand times over. With their help.

Yu Narukami had the strength to stand again.

JUNE 15TH 【SAMEGAWA FLOODPLAIN】

“You look exactly the same.”

“No I don’t!”

“What changed?”

“I’m taller.”

He wasn’t incorrect— he had grown about 5 centimeters since he left Inaba last year, but (Name) rolled their eyes and nudged Yu with their elbow. They laughed in spite of their feigned annoyance, harmonized with the sound of the flowing river and cicadas.

“Okay, you’re taller,” (Name) conceded. “That’s still the only change. At least change up your haircut like the rest of us.”

It was fitting, though, that Yu had barely changed since he left. He spent everyday wishing he could be back in Inaba with the rest of his friends, who still had each other for support and could move forwards in their life. So they got new clothes and new haircuts and tried to make physical progress that Yu could see when he came back to visit. Yu, on the other hand, ate beef bowls to reminisce about Inaba at a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place that didn’t hold a candle to Aiya.

He was terrified that things would be awkward when he came back. That he would have been gone so long that they would have all moved on without him. It was a silly fear in hindsight; they loved Yu more than anything else in the world and welcomed him back with all the excitement, extravagance, and chaos one would expect from Inaba’s one and only Investigation Team. It was like Yu never even left.

There was a still a change. His fingers intertwined with (Name)’s without apprehension. (Name) leaned into his side and rested their head on his shoulder without hesitation. The year apart replaced their timidity with an unrelenting desire to be close to each other at all times. Rise called it sweet, Teddie told him it was unfair.

When the Investigation Team finally gave him some free time, Yu dragged (Name) to the floodplain so they could sit at the edge of the river together. His thumb traced circles on the back of their hand, trying to engrave the feeling in his memory. He would be back in Tokyo at the end of the summer, after all.

(Name) thought about the same thing. “You just got here, yet I’m already worried about when you’re gonna leave again. I don’t think I could take it again.”

They curled in closer to Yu, burying their face against his neck. To be honest, Yu didn’t know if he could take leaving again, too. It was hard enough the first time.

So Yu thought of other options. “I start university in the Spring. I’m gonna be moving out from my parents’ place, so I’ve been looking at apartments.”

A dry laugh from (Name) tickled his skin. “What a coincidence, I was also looking at apartments near Tokyo University. It’ll be hard to pay for a two-bedroom apartment on my own, even with how much I saved up. I need… a roommate.”

Yu pulled (Name)’s hand to his lips and kissed their knuckles. “A roommate? Is that the only thing you’re looking for?” (Name) turned their head to look up at Yu, who smiled. “How about a partner?”

“Yosuke is your partner.” It was hidden against his shoulder, but Yu felt the way (Name)’s mouth curled up into a smirk against his shirt.

His hands moved, his left on (Name)’s cheek to tilt their head up and his right gently touching the back of their neck. “Semantics,” Yu replied with a smirk of his own. “He’s my partner. I’m your boyfriend.”

It was said with a confidence Yu never could have managed just a year again, even though it was the first time he said it aloud to (Name). Because he was their boyfriend, and he was the leader of the Investigation Team, and he helped save Inaba and his precious friends. Yu decided that maybe he had finally done enough to be proud of himself, and he could revel in it just a tiny bit.

With that confidence, Yu leaned forward before (Name) had a chance to respond. It was a little clumsy, with neither of them knowing what to expect— It was a first kiss for both of them, after all. He felt (Name)’s hands fumble against his chest before grasping his shoulders to steady themself.

The kiss was the aftermath of a year of longing. A year of lingering gazes and timid touches, a desire to be close outweighed by a heavier responsibility to save the entire world. Now that responsibility was behind them, leaving no obstacles in between them.

They only broke from the kiss when they needed air. Yu didn’t move far; he leaned back in and bumped foreheads with (Name), gazing into their eyes with all the affection he could muster.

(Name) laughed, “you’re too much.”

masterlists.

#yu narukami x reader #seta souji x reader #p4 x reader #persona 4 x reader #f.smt #🎋 — fuji's work.

17 notes · View notes

dangerouscommiesubversive · 3 months ago

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Commie, can i make a confession?

I don't get all the Go/Chase hype. Chase is so innately aroace to me, and Go is so deadset on hating Roidmudes for 98% of the season that he barely *knows* Chase, and I just really don't see the chemistry. I feel like I'm just not seeing it. Maybe with a lot of work they could have a queerplatonic thing, but I just don't see the Romance.

I understand what you mean! I wouldn't say that Chase ever felt aro to me--apart from anything else I always got an intensely romantic sense from his attachment to Kiriko--but then again, I love romance of all kinds and am always looking for it in things. I certainly don't think it's unreasonable to read him that way, though, especially in comparison to the Heart-Brain-Medic trio and all of their extravagant mess.

Regarding the Gou/Chase ship, I didn't see it myself for much of the show, for the same reason you cite of Gou's intense hatred of Roidmudes. Then, though, you get the last few episodes, in which they work together somewhat, and which leads up to Chase's death and Gou's intense despair at it, and equally intense shock at his own despair, and I think that's a lot of it, that there's a tragic aspect to the entire thing. That's definitely a lot of what compels me, that sense of Gou not having known what he had until it was gone, with then the exciting edge of "but Chase could come back someday;" it's very similar to the end state of Eiji and Ankh's relationship in OOO, but with a much faster buildup.

Apart from that, I think there's a couple of other things that really get people about it:

Inaba Yuu (Gou's actor) is very very pretty and people want to see him get kissed, but the next most reasonable shipping prospect is Shinnosuke, who canonically marries Kiriko, and given that Kiriko is Gou's sister I think that makes it weird for a lot of people

Katono Taiko (Chase's actor) is very very pretty and people want to see him get kissed, but his most reasonable shipping prospects for most of the show are Kiriko (who, again, canonically marries Shinnosuke) and Heart (who also dies)

there's some kind of post-show audio drama about Gou which I haven't listened to yet in which Gou expresses an actual desire to take Chase out on a date

and also Gou's post show appearance in the Zi-O movie, Over Quartzer, in which he is desperate to retain his memories of Chase, and Chase's appearance in episode 47 of Zi-O, in which Geiz talks to him about Gou while trying to bring back his memories

Personally it's a ship I like because of the aforementioned tragic aspects and in particular I have a weakness for romantic tragedies in which one person refuses to give up on their beloved despite their beloved being dead/presumed dead/in a deathlike state. (I also enjoy stories where people who already know each other must nevertheless do the whole Getting To Know You thing, which is the appeal for me of stories in which Chase is resurrected and then romance happens.) However, I also agree that there isn't a ton of textual support for it, and given Gou's attitudes throughout the show especially it's totally reasonable that it falls flat for you. I hope it doesn't spoil the experience of the fandom for you, though; it's never fun to be in a fandom but very much not a fan of one of the most popular ships.

#anonamouse

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yumedoca · 2 years ago

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Alright, my fellow UY folks!! Since the new trailer has dropped, why don't we unpack everything they've shown us so far?

Or more specifically, what all chapters are getting adapted in the third cour (only third since they won't reveal footage for the fourth one till the third is over.)!!

Also, ignore the stupid quality since I took the pictures on my phone..

First up is the Kurama - Ran - Rei two-parter!! Nice to see Kurama again since I was worried she would be a one time character since she didn't appear in the eye catches. However, I'm pretty sure this is going to be her last appearance since it's her final appearance in the manga (not counting cameos). It's one of the funnier Kurama chapters, so this will be great fun!!

Next up is the 'Fantasy bubblegum' chapter!! Another one I didn't think which would be adapted since we see Ten order the key item in this chapter in the post credits of the love-love crystal ball episode. Maybe the order was delayed? Or Ten didn't use it till now? Who knows. Anyways, this is a pretty funny chapter and I'm excited to see how it turns out (Also BenOyu yuri, Let's goo!!!)

AtaLum fans, Let's rejoice, because it looks like they're adapting "Love knows no barriers" aka the chapter where Lum gets hit with the rice cooker!!! This one is my favorite singular chapter in the series and I absolutely hated the original anime's version of this one so I hope the remake does this one justice!! I'm not sure whether the first one is from this chapter since Ataru's wearing his school uniform instead of his casuals, but maybe it's because of a few changes here and there. DavidPro, you better not disappoint me considering what the original did.

Looks like we're going to get the chapter which introduces the Ryuunosuke's mom (Masako) saga. I'm not sure whether they'll adapt everything under this saga, but the first one seems to be there. I really like this chapter because we get a wholesome relationship between Ryu and Ataru's mom.

THE BODYSWAP CHAPTER!!! This one comes a bit earlier from what I remember and not to mention, it's pretty hilarious (literally any chapter where Sakura has to deal with Ataru's BS is an A+ for me) so I'm super excited!!

ASUKA, MY CHILD!! IT'S HER!! Finally one of my UY Blorbo's gets animated!! And considering the shot of her and Ton- chan, yes guys, they're keeping the incest. I've never understood why there were some who said they wouldn't adapt it but like, it's one of Asuka's main character points and the incest is clearly portrayed as wrong and unacceptable, similar to Ataru's lecherous behavior (They might still tone it down though). Anyways, I'm so excited for Asuka, I can't wait!!!

And finally, two very beloved and very important arcs!! First, I can't believe we're getting three AtaLum stories in this cour, I mean we deserve it after being fed with only one last cour. And second, I'm pretty sure both these arcs are going to be at least a whole episode long considering how big these two are. And I have to admit, the door realm looks so pretty.. and I'm so excited for Shingo, Inaba and their arcs, can't January come already???

And that's all for it!! Other than these, there were two to three shots I couldn't exactly place which chapter they belong to, so sorry about that. And I wanted to point out that the animation looks quite fluid in some scenes as well, so it looks like DavidPro is doing great work as expected. Anyways, UY is coming back once again on January 11th and I am so ready!! THE HYPE IS REAL!!!

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klvbxlove · 4 years ago

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worried (yu x gn! reader)

a/n: God, i’ve got so many ideas for persona 4 fanfics so y’all might see some coming soon LMAO. but no worries, i’ll try my best to write more iida drabbles as well (of course, i could never forget my number one anime husbando. but i’ll be honest, kanji might take his place very soon? maybe? huehuehue). anyways, i saw some persona 4 requests in my inbox (which i did not expect, haha), but i’ll try my best to get to them whenever possible! so until then, enjoy this yu drabble :)

reader type: gender neutral

reader specification(s): none

genre(s): angst, hurt/comfort

trigger warning(s): mentions of car accidents, mentions of injuries

summary: after being a coma from a car accident, you finally woke up, much to the huge relief of your family and friends, especially yu.

word count: 2.6k words

♡ ♡ ♡ (ꈍᴗꈍ)ε｀*) ♡ ♡ ♡

key:

(e/c) = eye color (l/n) = last name (y/n) = your name

♡ ♡ ♡ (ꈍᴗꈍ)ε｀*) ♡ ♡ ♡

Today should have been another day of you and the Investigation Team hanging out with Yu. He had come back to Inaba a few days ago for another (surprisingly long) break, and you were excited to see him again.

But unfortunately, no. That day did not happen.

Instead, you found yourself in a hospital room. You had woken up almost a week ago, having no idea what had happened. All you remembered is that as soon as you got the strength to sit up from your hospital bed, you felt nothing but excruciating pain. And when you looked down at your body, your (E/C) eyes widened at the extent of your injuries. You were in terrible condition.

Then a few minutes later, the nurses and doctors rushed into your room in complete shock when they realized you woke up. At first, you were confused. But then they explained everything. From what you could recall, you were hanging out with your friends when you saw Yu’s younger cousin, Nanako, standing in the road. Realizing there was a car heading towards her, your instincts caught up with you, and you quickly pushed the younger girl out of the way, which ultimately resulted in you getting hit.

Unfortunately, the impact was so severe that you had slipped into a coma. Even with the surgery (which luckily was a success), you were still fighting for your life. The staff had no idea if you would even wake up.

Your eyes widened in shock. However, the one thing that made your shock worse was when one of the doctors said that there was a chance you would have died due to the severity of your injuries. “Consider yourself lucky,” one of the doctors said, “Because if not, well, there would not be much we could have done to save you,”

You were in disbelief. You could have died?!

WHAT THE HELL?!

You swear, you almost thought your jaw dropped. You did not even know how long you laid there in bed, thinking of the word ‘died.’

D-I-E-D.

There was nothing but silence (you could almost hear a pin drop) for a few minutes after taking in the news.

Then you heard that your family and friends knew of the accident and you would be able to have visitors in a few days. But all you could do was think about how injured you were. It was bad enough that you were in this condition. However, you could not wrap your brain around the fact that you might have been dead.

And then your family would have to set up a funeral for you, bury your body underground, and you would be there until the end of time.

Maybe you would even have a spirit in whatever place you ended up after death.

Oh God, you could not even think to imagine how your family and friends would react. Especially the Investigation Team--

Wait a minute. The Investigation Team!

�� Now the worry was starting to kick in. You just realized that you have not heard from your friends since you woke up. Not at least one thing from one of the members (and nothing from Nanako either!). You had no idea if anyone had told them what happened to you when you arrived or the fact that you were alive. Hell, you would not be surprised if they thought you were still in a coma and would be for who knows how long.

You sighed, the apprehension still in you. Today was certainly not your day. You just wanted to be able to hang out with Yu again before he had to go back to Tokyo (even though it was a long way from now). But you had no idea when you would be able to leave the hospital! Not for a while, that was for sure. You might as well try to dwell in pure boredom.

Oh yeah, and also try to ignore the pain. You might have felt slightly better for the past few days, but the agony was still shooting in almost every part of your body. You could only hope that all of this will be over soon. And then later, when you were finally feeling better, you would be back home with your family.

“(L/N)?”

You were in the middle of messing with your bedsheets when you heard your name. Looking up, you saw one of the nurses giving you a small smile as she stood next to your bed. You did not even remember hearing her walk towards you. I guess you got a little too caught up with your bedsheets. “How are you feeling now, sweetheart? Any more pain or anything?”

You looked off to steal a glance at one of the hospital walls. The pain was still there, but it was not bothering you compared to the day you woke up. You could say that you were fine (mostly), but you could not find the strength to tell the nurse for some reason. No, you did not care that you looked like you were staring off into the distance pondering about life.

“(L/N)? Are you alright?”

The voice brought you back to reality, and you saw the nurse looking at you with a somewhat concerned look on her face.

“Oh, sorry. I’m fine, for now,” you said, “No pain or anything,”

“Alright,” the nurse smiled in relief. “I know the staff and I keep telling you this so many times, but if you begin to feel pain or need any assistance, you let someone know, okay?”

“I know, thank you,” you nodded.

“Of course,” the nurse looked over at the door, “Now, you got a visitor who wants to see you. Well, he and a couple of his other friends wanted to see you for a while. We had to tell them no since you were still in a coma at the time, but they were determined to go to your room,” she chuckled sheepishly.

“Who is it?” you asked. The last time you knew, your family members had visited first.

“Yu Narukami, one of your classmates,” the nurse answered. “Would you like me to let him in?”

You blinked before nodding. “Yeah, sure,”

It was only a few seconds of silence you faced in your hospital room. During that timespan, you began to feel nervous about your friend being in the same room as you without the Investigation Team (wherever they were). Your heart was almost beating at the thought of it, and you could feel a blush on your cheeks; if you were capable of blushing, that is.

But before you knew it, you instantly recognized the familiar gray-haired male as he walked inside.

Upon his eyes glancing upon you, Yu’s eyes widened. “(Y-Y/N),” he said, “You’re awake.”

You nodded, giving him a weak smile and waving with your free hand. “Yep, I am.”

Yu walked over to sit at the chair next to your bed. “How have you been lately?”

“Slightly better compared to when I woke up, but only slightly,” you replied honestly. “Still feeling some pain. Hopefully, when I get out of the hospital, I’ll feel much better.”

“That’s good to hear,” Yu gave you a small smile.

Then you paused. “How about the others? Are they okay?--” And of course, there was another person you were worried about, “--What about Nanako? Is she hurt?”

“No need to worry, everyone is alright, just a bit shook up after the incident, though,” Yu said, letting out a light chuckle. “Nanako only had some bruises on her legs when you pushed her out of the way, but that was only it. Everyone would have come to visit you alongside me today, but they got busy. And Nanako came down with some sickness. Not the flu or anything major, but we decided to let her rest until she recovers. They promised they would find the time to visit you when they can.”

You sighed in relief. “At least no one else was hurt. As much as I hate being in the hospital in pain, it’s better than seeing Nanako here for the same reason. I think that would hurt more than my injuries, and they hurt like hell, you know?”

“But being treated for severe injuries in the hospital is still frightening, (Y/N),” Yu pointed out, “Everyone watched as you got hit by the car. It was awful, you know? You were bleeding so much from your head, too.” The gray-haired male felt like he was about to wince in pain, seeing the injuries you had.

“Yeah, I honestly dunno much of what happened after getting hit, other than feeling immense pain,” you admitted, scratching your cheek, “I could only hear muffled voices, but that was it. And then I just closed my eyes. Must have slipped into that coma or something afterward.”

“Maybe you did.”

Moments of silence passed, and Yu felt a knot in his stomach. It had been like that for almost a week. Every time he would think of you in your hospital room in a coma, he would have to go somewhere else alone to relieve his thoughts. But even then, it still was not enough to help him. How could he even talk about his feelings to someone? Yu was aware he had the other members on the Investigation Team to talk to, but he could see them struggling.

There was only one person he could talk to about it.

“(Y/N), I-- Listen,” Yu spoke up in seriousness. Once you looked up at him after staring at your cast, he continued, “I have no idea how else I’m going to begin talking about this. But do you realize how happy I-- no, we are that you’re alive?”

Huh?

Okay, that took me off guard.

You had to admit you were puzzled. How were you supposed to answer that? It was not as if you could put yourself in the shoes of one of your friends. You did not even know what it was like to wait for someone to come out of their coma. So really, you could only shrug at his question.

“I remembered when the nurses told us you slipped into a coma and you would need surgery," Yu continued, "God, we were just in shock. No one said anything; you could hear a pin drop in the waiting room. But as soon as they left us alone, we just started crying, you know. Silently, though. But Teddie was the only one wailing.

“And Nanako?” Yu paused a bit before picking back up, “Well, at first, she looked like she was trying to hold back her tears. That is until we went back to my house. She just started sobbing, saying how it was her fault that you were hurt. She blamed herself for being on the road since she knew it was dangerous. Of course, we kept telling her that it wasn’t her fault, but it was no help. Not even Uncle was able to calm Nanako down, and so she just cried until she fell asleep.”

If your heart could physically break, it might as well be in a million pieces by now. Your injuries were suddenly hurting way less than seeing Nanako sobbing.

Meanwhile, Yu looked down at his lap as he felt himself about to shake. “It hurts so much just seeing her upset. And Nanako still blames herself to this day. By that point, it felt like there was not anything else the rest of us could do other than to dwell in sadness. We even had to wait to visit you at the time since the nurses wouldn’t allow any visitors. I just hated not knowing if you were going to live. I hated thinking that there was a chance you would die.”

Something caught your eyes.

Teardrops.

They were coming out of his eyes and falling onto his lap.

You could even hear small cries coming from him.

Oh God, no.

Why did this hurt a lot?

“DAMN IT!”

You felt yourself jump hearing Yu yell out like that. But what startled you most (it made a squeal come out of you) was when the gray-haired male suddenly engulfed you into a warm hug. The grip was not tight enough to where you could not breathe, but you could tell he was holding onto you as if you were going to slip out of his reach. Yu rested his head against your shoulder, and you were beginning to feel tears staining your hospital gown. It did not even matter that there were butterflies in your stomach.

“D-Damn it, (Y/N),” you heard his voice almost cracking, “You gave us a scare there! I know it would be rude to blame you for getting into that accident since you weren’t asking to get hit by a car. And, of course, I am incredibly thankful that you saved Nanako from getting hurt. But still! I could go over and over again about how relieved we were when we heard you had woken up. We thought it would never happen and that you would never make it.”

“Yu...”

You felt tears in the corners of your eyes. Damn, you were getting emotional. If there was one thing you hated, it was seeing someone close to you (especially if it was someone you loved) so upset that they cried. And that was what Yu was doing. So you wrapped your arms around him and rubbed his back. His grip on you tightened, but you did not care. All you wanted was for him to let out his tears.

Once his cries had turned into sniffles, he lifted his head to make eye contact with you. You could feel your tears pouring out just seeing his tears. You cupped his cheeks with your hands.

“I’m sorry about that, (Y/N),” Yu mumbled.

“No need for an apology,” you assured him. “I know how you-- no, I know I’ll never fully understand what it was like for you guys after the car accident. I mean, how could I? But still, I had no intention of scaring you guys.”

More silence passed. God, you had no idea what to say at that point. You had no idea how your other friends had been coping through this time, but it was evident there were tears shed. Besides Nanako, you did not even want to imagine their disheartened faces. You knew that you had to comfort Yu in some way. But how?

You sighed.

Saying this might as well work.

“Look...Yu, listen to me,” you found your voice as you looked into his eyes. “I know you and the others are still upset. I get it. But please don’t go dwelling on the past anymore, okay? Yes, it was a scary situation that should NOT have happened-- it sucked that it even occurred right when you were visiting us --but in the end, I’m alright. Of course, it will take a while for me to recover, but I will do my best to get through this as quickly as possible for you and everyone else.

“So please,” your thumbs began to gently wipe at Yu’s on pouring tears, “don’t cry anymore. I promise you I’ll be alright.”

That was when a sudden bolt of bravery came from inside you. So you leaned in to place a kiss on his cheek.

You spoke every word as if you meant it (because you did!). You no longer wanted to be a burden to everyone around you. You worried your family and friends enough in the hospital, so the least you could do was make it through your recovery. All you could hope was for Yu to be reassured by everything you said.

And thankfully, it worked as he gave you a nod and a tearful smile (you could almost see a light blush covering his cheeks from the kiss). Yu hugged you again, placing his forehead against your shoulder. “Thank you, (Y/N),” he mumbled, “Thank you so much,”

“You’re welcome,” you whispered.

#persona 4 #persona #persona 4 x reader #persona 4 imagines #persona imagines #yu narukami #fanfiction #persona 4 golden #p4g #yu narukami x reader #oneshot #gn reader #x reader #kristin's writings

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keepthisholykiss · 4 years ago

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Hoshigumi’s “Romeo and Juliet” Roundtable Discussion (2021) - Kageki March 2021

While I normally just post a bunch of musumeyaku content I wanted to share something I thought was really fun! As the livestream for RETJ B Cast has passed this month and the A Cast stream is tomorrow. I decided it would be fun to share this roundtable discussion with the cast and directors! I absolutely (from a very biased perspective) adored B Cast and am looking forward to seeing A Cast. The insights from the cast are so wonderful and everyone has clearly thought through these roles thoroughly. It brings me a lot of joy to see what everyone thinks of a show and characters I hold so near and dear to my own heart. I hope that you enjoy these words as much as I have. ✨Note: This translation is entirely for fun!! It was not done in painstaking detail and if things are not perfect then that is okay by me. I mostly just want people to enjoy the general idea or sentiment of what is here. And, while most if it should be a decent translation, I don’t hold myself to a professional standard as this is just a thing I do sometimes. Also please do not steal this translation and pass it off as your own, it is mine, thanks!

Participants (Adaptation and Direction) Koike Shuuichirou (Direction) Inaba Daichi (Production) Takeuchi Jun [TL note: this isn’t a staff member I was familiar or could easily find the accurate name translation of so I went with this] (Senka) Ema Naoki (Hoshigumi) Miki Chigusa, Shirotae Natsu, Tenju Mitsuki, Yumeki Anru, Aizuki Hikaru, Rei Makoto, Seo Yuria, Ayaki Hikari, Arisa Hitomi, Amahana Ema, Kiwami Shin, Maisora Hitomi

Production Staff: Hoshigumi’s performance at Takarazuka Grand Theatre until March 29 will be the musical presented by Sumitomo Mitsui VISA Card, “Romeo and Juliet.” And it is directed and adapted by Koike Shuuichirou and co-directed by Inaba Daichi. This is an adaptation of Gérard Presgurvic’s musical which is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It was first performed in 2010 with Koike-sensei’s adaptation and direction. Rei Makoto, who played Romeo in the shinjin kouen in 2013, will play Romeo again as the top star of Hoshigumi. Additionally, Ema Naoki who has played the role of Father Laurence three times before (including the first performance) will appear again from Senka.

Everyone: Thank you very much.

Production Staff: We are looking forward to working together with all the performers so that you can feel the passion of the new Hoshigumi, including all of the new members.

Koike: “Romeo and Juliet” will be performed in Takarazuka for the first time in 8 years. The reason for performing it with Hoshigumi again is of course because so many people want to see Rei Makoto’s Romeo. And there are many people who have been in the play’s first performance as well as the second, so they have a deep understanding of the work. It is almost like jumping over a bar you have set for yourself. You want to challenge yourself again and again, to clear that bar, and show a great performance of “Romeo and Juliet” for current Hoshigumi. This time, we have Inaba Diachi as co-director and Noguchi Kousaku as assistant director. The two of them, who were young at the time of the first performance, have grown up so much since then! (laughs).

Inaba: (laughs)

Koike: Just like how Rei Makoto has grown, so have the directors. This is one of the wonderful things about Takarazuka. I feel that this is a performance that shows this off very well.

Inaba: When we are rehearsing now, I remember the crying and frustration in the rehearsal room 10 years ago. (laughs)

Koike: The agony! (laughs)

Inaba: At the time of the first performance I had watched a few versions of the “Romeo and Juliet” musical including the French, Hungarian, and Russian versions. I wondered how the work could be adapted for Takarazuka. Koike-sensei wrote lyrics for not only “Romeo and Juliet,” but also for other Shakespeare adaptations. I feel that is one of the reasons why this work can keep being performed. When I watch the rehearsals now, I see that every scene has become very elaborate in such a short period of time. This time we have a new cast as well as a change in roles, so we will keep our rehearsals fresh each day and hope to present the 2021 version of “Romeo and Juliet.”

💕- A Beautiful Love Story Returns - 💕

Koike: Now, let’s discuss the roles starting with Rei-san.

Rei: Right. When the curtain opened for the first performance, I can still vividly remember the shock of the audience at the opening and the start of the scene. I was really excited about having a rock musical because it was so fresh and the costumes and sets were so innovative. There are a lot of rock musicals, but “Romeo and Juliet” was really cool and thrilling. It was a turning point for me and a chance to work beyond my fears and challenge myself in many ways. I feel that even now it is a chance to encounter a new me again. When I played Romeo in the shinjin kouen I watched Yuzuki-san as much as I could and thought about how I could get close to her performance. So even now I find myself thinking of Chie-san’s Romeo. However, I don’t think of that as a bad thing! I think it’s because Chie-san is the one who breathed life into Romeo for the first performance and now the show has continued to be performed since then. I would like to find my own way of expressing myself and expressing my emotions for the first day of the show, while working on the details.

Koike: The powerful singing was also praised in that shinjin kouen and, in some sense, I think it was one of the best parts. But that might be the hardest thing about this new performance because now the audience is expecting it. I hope that this will be a Romeo that only the current Rei Makoto can show. When there was that first performance we had members that could have only been there, then. And now that we have the current performance we have members who are only here, now. So I think it is better not to think about it too much in the sense of putting pressure on yourself in a way that may make your vision smaller. Inaba-sensei, what do you think?

Inaba: Mako-chan (Rei) has played the roles of Ai, Benvolio, and Romeo in the shinjin kouen and really seems to be the embodiment of “Romeo and Juliet.” That’s why when I watch the rehearsals I can see so much of the previous cast members through them. If we can channel that feeling into confidence then I think Mako-chan’s Romeo can be born into a new type of Romeo on the stage.

Rei: Yes, thank you very much.

Koike: Let’s discuss the role of Juliet, played by Maisora.

Maisora: This is my first time to perform in this production and I have learned so much from each piece of advice I have received from the staff and upperclassmen who have performed in it before. I would like to learn and absorb even more! I had imagined before this that Juliet was pure, innocent, and straightforward but Koike-sensei told me that she was a person with a strong conviction and willingness to take action. I felt that I couldn’t be Juliet without strength. Usually, I think about how to express myself as a musumeyaku in the presence of otokoyaku. But this time I want to learn how to break out of my shell and expose what can come from me, and go beyond myself.

Koike: That’s right, Juliet is very independent. If she had been a passive girl, Romeo might not have come back from Mantua. The times are far more trying in this time of the story, going against your parents requires a lot of energy. She is waking up more and more to what it is that she wants. I think it is more interesting for her to gradually wake up to what she wants throughout the story, to let her world become more three-dimensional. It helps move the conversation. Maisora is very good at doing everything, a perfect student. But this could be an issue for the audience, having that perfection already. I think striving for imperfection and breaking out of your shell is a good thing.

Maisora: Yes!

Inaba: That’s right. When we think of “Romeo and Juliet” we have this image of Juliet who stands beside Romeo, but it’s not like that. Juliet is a key person who changes something with her own actions. It’s an older work but I think it still reflects the way of life for women today. I think Hitton (Maisora) has a strong core and I hope she uses this in her performance. Also I would like to see this used in Juliet’s transformation of girl to woman after her marriage to Romeo.

💙 - Thoughts of Those Living in Verona - ❤️

Koike: I’d like to start by talking with the members of the Capulet family, but we will of course speak to everyone.

Everyone: (reactions of excitement)

Koike: We can discuss your beliefs in your roles, I think that will be interesting! So let’s start with Lord Capulet.

Tenju: What is most important to me is the Capulet family, which has been around for generations, continues to thrive for years and decades and that my family can be happy. Now that my only daughter, who I have devoted my life to, is 16 years old, the question is who she should marry. When I look at my daughter (Maisora), I remember so many things about her growth, but I can never say what I am thinking. But I also feel that she is similar to me in some ways, and that is what I love about her.

Koike: Where is your daughter’s happiness?

Tenju: My daughter’s happiness is based on money and status. I believe that the strength of that status will protect her.

Koike: What about your wife?

Tenju: I love her, but I can’t express my feelings to her face to face. I feel frustrated because we haven’t had the time to spend together.

Koike: And how can you fix that?

Tenju: If we were to face each other honestly, it would be fixed. I that maybe… there is a possibility.

Koike: If you are thinking about it, then why don’t you?

Tenju: Our pride won’t allow it.

Koike: I see. What about you, Mrs. Capulet?

Yumeki: I wouldn’t want to say this in front of my husband but…

Koike: Say it as if he wasn’t here. (laughs)

Yumeki: To tell you the truth, I think that Juliet might not be the daughter of my current husband.

Koike: You think so? (laughs)

Yumeki: Yes (laughs) But I told him, “She’s our child.” I was forced into a political marriage for money and to protect my family. And then Juliet was born. But I really wanted to live my life according to my own desires and not just give up on being a woman. So I also have my nephew Tybalt and a few others. But as for my husband, I can’t say much.

Everyone: (laughs)

Yumeki: When I see my husband flirting with the maids I don’t say anything to them! (laughs)

Koike: Right. When the play was performed in Paris again, it was added in that Juliet was her mother’s illegitimate child. I felt it would be better to show her sincerity in seeking Tybalt’s help against her husband’s lack of understanding. She actually uses him as a confidant. At the end of the story, when she is with Lady Montague, she finally awakens her own love of her daughter. I think it is better to focus on the parents’ grief after the suicide because it is a difficult concept to convey for understanding. She wishes she had thought more about Juliet. But I think it’s great to have a role of a woman who truly feels that there are many arguments and demands for freedom on her own side. Now let’s look at the A Cast and start with Aizuki-san as Tybalt.

Aizuki: I have been fighting with my family each day since I was born, but I’m fighting to protect the Capulets and my beloved cousin. Even if she’s not being who she really wants to be. I am also fed up with my aunt, Juliet’s mother, who has been wooing me for years.

Everyone: (laughs)

Koike: What do you want to do now?

Aizuki: To be the person that will inherit the Capulet family.

Koike: What do you like about Juliet?

Aizuki: She is strong to her core. I think I am drawn to her because she has a strength that I do not.

Koike: I see. And what do you think of the Montagues?

Aizuki: Of course we hate each other, but we’ve been taught to hate each other since we were born, we were raised that way. So it’s natural for us to hate each other after all. But when Juliet marries Romeo, those feelings [of hatred] change.

Koike: Right. Well, let’s talk to the nurse.

Arisa: Juliet is a gift, the reason for my life, so I don’t have to think about what she wants to do. I just say, “I understand.” I can understand how she wants to become a wife to her husband, to be an adult. But I still respect the pure heart of Juliet. I am proud of her for living true to her heart.

Koike: Where is your love for Juliet?

Arisa: I did some research on the character of the nurse and learned that she herself had lost a small child. I think that she wanted to raise Juliet even at the risk of her own life. I think that Juliet’s existence itself is the source of her love. That’s why I still have regrets of not following Juliet’s wishes before her death. That’s how I can continue to grow.

Koike: In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” there are many scenes where the nurse speaks from her heart and in the musical a song takes the place of that. The reason why that scene looks how it does is because the nurse is so loving and nurturing, wanting Juliet to have a happy marriage. I think the song reflects the emotions of the nurse that are not told on stage, so I would like the focus to be on that. Since now the nurse and Juliet are close in age I think she tends to be more like a strong older sister. But in the first performance, when she was played by Reimi-san she was the same class as Nene-san and really had a sense of someone who took care of Juliet.

Inaba: It felt as though Remi-chan was supporting Nene-chan regularly!

Koike: If Juliet needed support, I think there could be many great nurses! But Maisora-san is very capable so it feels as if she doesn’t need a lot of help.

Maisora: No, no!

Koike: I think it could be good also if we could somehow turn that dynamic around somewhere!

Arisa: Yes!

Koike: Alright, we started with the Capulets, now it’s time for Count Paris.

Ayaki: Well, I have the most money in Verona. And I might be the origin of the concept of the “three highs,” - high education, high status, and high income - a concept that would become more popular in the distant future.

Everyone: (laughs)

Ayaki: When I see the Montagues and Capulets fighting every day, I wonder what they are doing wasting their time. But it is true that they rule Verona, so if I want to rule Verona as well then I must become involved with one of their sides. When I heard that there was a very pretty girl named Juliet, I thought, “I should go there.” But, I heard that there was a troublesome successor named Tybalt. However, even if he took over I could be something like a stockholder.

Everyone: (laughs)

Ayaki: I will be in charge of Verona. But, now that everyone is dead, I am wondering how I will manage Verona.

Koike: In the original story, Paris is killed by Romeo, but in this one he doesn’t get killed. So surely he would survive. I think he’d probably have his eyes on other Montague and Capulet girls as well. (laughs)

Inaba: (laughs)

Koike: That was very interesting. Now, let’s move on to the Montague family, starting with Lord Montague.

Miki: As the head of the family, my most important responsibility is to protect the Montague family. There is no doubt that Lord Montague has been at odds with the Capulets since birth. However, unlike Lord Capulet’s complicated family, Lord Montague has a deep love for his wife as well as Romeo. However, as the only Montague son, Lord Montague imposes his own ideas of how things should be onto Romeo. He is not able to be close to his feelings. Therefore, Romeo’s mother is the one that can help him best. This is why Romeo’s mother is the only place he finds comfort. It is only when Lord Montague loses his beloved son that he realizes how much he means to him.

Koike: I think part of why Romeo is able to grow up a bit more carefree is because his parent-child relationship was fairly good. It might not have been a very close relationship. But I still think that Lord Montague was an average father figure at least. Romeo was a poetic son in a way.

Rei: (laughs)

Koike: I think that he is a fun child for the times, but his father remains fairly bureaucratic. So, what about Lady Montague?

Shirotae: I have to admit that I have always wondered why the Capulets and Montagues hate each other so much, after fighting for generations. I have been trying to persuade Benvolio and Mercutio to stop fighting. I think the biggest difference between myself and Lady Capulet is that I have doubts about conflict. Romeo is the son that Lady Montague has taken good care of and raised, so when he commits suicide, she realizes her own mistakes and helplessness.

Rei: (reacts sadly)

Shirotae: I believe that I am the first one to truly take in Romeo and Juliet’s feelings. So I hope that I can lead the house of Montague to move forward without letting their deaths be in vain.

Koike: While Juliet’s mother is more pretentious, Romeo’s mother is more of a motherly type. In this, the Montagues may have hired a nurse themselves but Lady Montague may have raised Romeo on her own as well. So if we can present it correctly, the audience will understand that Romeo is a representative of his mother as well. I think that Lady Montague now has the atmosphere of a mother.

Shirotae: Yes.

Koike: Here’s Benvolio.

Seo: Romeo and I are cousins and Mercutio lives nearby, so we’ve all been playing together since we were kids. Whenever we were studying, Mercutio would always ask us to stop and leave but Romeo would always fail to do so. We’ve always been close, with all the good and bad in each other. When we’re alone we cannot do much but somehow when we’re together the three of us have a strange power that makes us invincible. Even in the midst of the war between the Montagues and the Capulets, I feel like our power is growing. When I do something bad, I always get Romeo’s attention. But when he does something wrong, Lady Montague will find out and scold Romeo for it.

Miki: (laughs)

Koike: What kind of games have you played with Romeo and Mercutio?

Seo: When we were little, I think we used to play-fight. But as we’ve gotten older it has gotten more practical.

Koike: I see. The young people of Verona are all delinquent, as in other versions. I went on a trip to Verona a long time ago with a friend of mine. She was a tall woman and as we walked together in the park, the young people around us were teasing us. (laughs) I thought of the young friends of Romeo. I think there’s even something like that in Benvolio that’s bad-natured, even if he’s pure at heart. The bad pattern may be the least present for Seo. (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

Seo: (smiles embarrassingly)

Koike: I think it also comes down to a question of how to display this story. I think it’s the kind of people who are born and raised in the city, who form cliques, hang out with girls, and they go to places like the local club. WEST SIDE STORY is a story about poor immigrants but it’s somewhere you can expand this story to as well.

Seo: Yes.

Koike: Here is Mercutio.

Kiwami: Yes. I was lonely because I had no one to talk to when I went home.

Koike: Oh, I didn’t know that. (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

Kiwami: I was very lonely and dark inside. But Romeo, Benvolio, and Lady and Lord Montague taught me what love is. When I was with Romeo and my friends, they filled the loneliness inside of me and were more than just my family, they became invaluable. I want to be the shield that can protect Romeo.

Koike: When I see Kiwami in the rehearsal room, I feel that Mercutio is not a boy who has grown up without knowing affection but rather someone who has had love all of his life. I think he is a young man who is dependent on those around him, or somewhat spoiled. Inaba-sensei, do you think this is easier to understand in “WEST SIDE STORY?”

Inaba: It’s easy to see that conflict there. The Polish immigrants come first and then the Puerto Ricans come in.

Koike: I think that the Yankee-like image of an uptight older brother gives off a “cool” image. Everyone is doing a great job creating this appearance but I think it would be good if we could act it out similarly to how you mentioned. If the characters are played by someone who fits them it will come out clearly but if they don’t fit the character, then it will be difficult to display the role. I believe that an actor’s every move can make people feel what is inside of them. For example, when a first-year student comes into the troupe, you can tell just by how they walk when they are under a lot of pressure or if they are very happy. So, I think it is better to create a way to make audiences feel “this is how this person is,” in the little things like how someone dances. How do you feel about this Inaba-sensei?

Inaba: That’s an interesting way of thinking. I think it would be interesting for me if Mercutio could see things differently. He is dependent on Romeo and Romeo’s home, right? Like how Riff lives in Tony’s house because he doesn’t have a home.

Koike: That’s right. In the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” Mercutio is portrayed in a very interesting way. The actor who plays him is not very good, but when he dies his performance does make you cry. I think it is a good example about why how you play a role matters.

Kiwami: Right.

Koike: Now, let’s go to Friar Laurence.

Ema: Yes, I’m sorry for not quite making it.

Everyone: (laughs)

Ema: He’s been around a long time, a priest serving God, and yet he still has misgivings. I’ve played Doc in “WEST SIDE STORY” so I’m familiar with the angle of being depressed by the helplessness of adults. But in the end everyone, including the adults, have hope for recovery so that is what saves me.

Koike: What about Romeo?

Ema: For Romeo, Friar Laurence was a different person than his parents. He loved Romeo so much that it was a shame to let him die.

Koike: After 8 years, what new discoveries have you made?

Ema: I have had a lot to think about since becoming a member of Senka and my role has changed. I am looking forward to appearing again!

Everyone: (laughs)

Ema: I also think it is impossible for any adult to present the right things and move the world alone.

Koike: I see. Next, is Death.

Amahana: Death is always behind each of use or waiting for us at the end of our lives so I hope I can bring that kind of atmosphere to the stage. I want to express that I felt something beautiful in Romeo’s soul and was very attracted to it. This story begins because Death wants that soul. I think this is a story with two sides to the same coin, Love and Death, and I want to express that in the end.

Koike: I hope you can continue to display that resistance to one another, between Love and Death.

Amahana: Yes.

Koike: When I was watching your Death yesterday I felt like it was Romeo’s alter ego during “Kowai.” I thought it was interesting that the creeping shadows seemed to synchronize with each other, like a phantom that sticks to you and won’t leave you. I thought it would be interesting to have them stick close to each other. Even if the choreography is the same, it won’t look the same if the performers are different, so you can color it your own way. I’m sure it’s a lot of work playing two roles. I’m sorry for that. (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

Koike: Let’s move to B Cast, shall we? Here’s Tybalt.

Seo: The people around him say he’s a dangerous man who will lose his temper at any moment. Some people worship him, but in reality he has no real friends. When I was a child, I had a straightforward admiration for heroes just like those I saw around me. But the Capulets suppressed that admiration. I fell in love with Juliet, the one bright spot in my life, and her presence helped me. I’ve been carrying around a lot of resentment, wondering how to get out of this situation, and these feelings come out in me towards the Montagues. But my main desire is to carry on the Capulet family.

Koike: Because he loves Juliet, he gets very upset when she is married in secret. It is nice to see that anger revealed.

Seo: Yes.

Koike: It is interesting that he gets to the point where he is willing to kill because of how he loves her. Anyway, here’s Benvolio.

Ayaki: My cousin Romeo has been like a brother to me since he was born, but he is the heir to the Montague family so we are in very different positions. It’s not something I want to be, but I am a little jealous of him. I also admire Mercutio’s recklessness, which is something I don’t have. When I’m with both of them, they show me a world that I can’t see on my own. I think that’s why I can stick by them even when we have different personalities. Although I do think Romeo himself might be unaware of this situation.

Rei: (sulking)

Everyone: (laughs)

Ayaki: This is why I think it is important for me, as the person closest to them, to teach them. I believe that when we are together, there is nothing to be afraid of, and time will last forever. I actually think ignorance is Benvolio’s biggest sin. It would have been easier if he had died along with Romeo and Mercutio. But, by surviving, he was able to realize what Mercutio realized right before he died as well as Romeo’s teachings of what it means to love. However, I became aware that I let Juliet die because I was in a hurry to tell Romeo she was dead. So the next time something happens I will think about it more carefully and do my best to lead the Montagues and make Verona a city full of love.

Koike: Well I guess either way, Verona can be yours someday. (laughs)

Everyone: (laughs)

Ayaki: Benvolio is the one who wants to make Verona everyone’s city and Paris is wondering how to make the city his. (laughs)

Koike: I see, well let’s discuss Mercutio.

Amahana: I am the nephew of the Prince, so I’ve been ostracized since I was a child. But after meeting Romeo and Benvolio, I realized there were people who would look out for me that weren’t my uncle. When I met them, I realized that there were people who could see me for who I really was. Romeo was from a good family, he was kind to everyone, and said things with a pure innocence. Things like, “we are the kings of the world,” which made me admire him more than any family or other friends. When he does something stupid, Benvolio stops him. I really love the atmosphere of being with them, I feel like I am my strongest. When I’m fighting, I feel like it is my reason to live. But sometimes I cannot admit things to myself, which is part of why I explode in the final duel. In the end, Mercutio realizes that he really wanted to stop what he was doing and that fighting was futile. In the end, he dies with the hope that his dear friend Romeo will be happy.

Koike: Right. Listening to you now, Mercutio seems like a very happy guy. It might be more likely that he is happy singing with his friends as kings of the world. Even though he is happy, I think there is a part of him that’s escaping from everyone else and it is important to see him feel that.

Amahana: Yes.

Inaba: There is a void that cannot be filled even if you are the “king of the world.” That’s why they fight for something.

Koike: That’s right. I think that quarrels and fights are an outlet for stress. So it would be interesting to learn the types of stress they are under. Now, let’s talk about Paris.

Kiwami: Paris has money and, when he looks at himself in the mirror, he sees that he is beautiful. There is nothing that he cannot have. He is surprised to find that for the first time in his life, Juliet, the woman he went out of his way to marry, avoids him. I thought I would get what I wanted but she married Romeo instead and I am stuck where I was before.

Koike: I think he probably is one of the first to get the message about Juliet’s death. He is probably thinking, ‘What’s so bad about me that she died before the ceremony tomorrow?’ (laughs) Now, let’s talk about Death.

Aizuki: Death loves to hate people. The hatred of the people in the city fills Death with a sense of love. Romeo is the one who is different from the others, I want to get into his head and turn his fate with my own hands. It’s exciting to see fate take a turn for the worse.

Rei: (looking scared with her hands on her chest)

Everyone: (laughs)

Aizuki: I would like to control the ending. Where Romeo and Juliet’s love is fulfilled by Death.

Koike: I think that can be cool and a little creepy. In the case of Ai-chan I think they are more distant so it would be good to create an overview of all that happens in the world. Piisuke on the other hand, seems to be a bit more introverted and human-like, so I think it would be good to have an image of them getting involved in people’s deaths. I think both are possible. Even if the songs are the same, the impression will change depending on how you approach it, and the audience will perceive it differently.

Aizuki and Amahana: Yes!

✨ - 2021: Hoshigumi’s New “Romeo and Juliet” - ✨

Koike: From your perspective, Ema-san, how is Rei-san’s Romeo?

Rei: (shaking head)

Ema: I’m sure everyone will say, ‘Good!’ but more than that, ‘Romeo is charming! Romeo is attractive!’

Koike: That’s right. When I worked as an assistant director for “Romeo and Juliet” 40 years ago, Mine Saori and Daichi Mao were the role of Romeo in the plays. Mine-san played the role with a sense of, ‘this is what a good lead is.’ Rei Makoto is Rei Makoto and this is the only way this Romeo can be done. I think it is better for Rei Makoto to show us something that says, ‘this is the only way this can be done!’ I think everyone will say that [Rei Makoto] has great skills but can always add more to that.

Rei: Right.

Koike: What do you think about Maisora?

Ema: The role she played in “Golden Desert” was very good, even if she didn’t have any lines. She still has a lot of room to grow, so I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of Juliet she will become.

Koike: I see, thank you very much. Lastly, why don’t you tell us about your own enthusiasm?

Maisora: Once again, I realize that Juliet involves those around her. I believe that she has a strength and straightforwardness because she grew up with a strong father, mother, and nurse who accepted her. I would like to live my life as Juliet without lying, with honesty and love for Romeo from the bottom of my heart while doing my best.

Rei: I am filled with gratitude for being able to perform in spite of the current situation. I want to take the feelings of the audience to heart and hope that they will bring home the best of that feeling for having come to the theatre. There are still many weak points for me personally and for Hoshigumi as a whole, so I want to work harder toward the first day of the show to create a performance that will impress the audience.

Inaba: I have been involved with this work for a long time, with this being the fifth time it has been performed at Takarazuka. To be honest, there was a part of me that thought I would get bored after five performances. (laughs) However, now that we are rehearsing in with a fresh mind I can feel everyone’s spirit of, ‘We must do it!’ I think the charm of “Romeo and Juliet” is its freshness. And after all this practicing, I want to be able to share this new time of Romeo and Juliet with audiences.

Koike: I am really looking forward to it because I think everyone will grow and the members will be refreshed by the rotations. I know that it is hard with a double cast but even so, I hope there will be synergy where one role can influence the perspective of the other. I believe that the enthusiasm of Hoshigumi is very much intact and I hope we can create “Romeo and Juliet” 2021 together.

#takarazuka #romeo et juliette #hoshigumi #retj #romeo and juliet #michelle does takarazuka translations #but only sometimes

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lilixloveswriting · 4 years ago

Text

Oasis

Summary: Late, wet from the rain, and with all her friends back home in Inaba, the reader's first day at Shujin Academy was far less than ideal. Prepared to eat her lunch alone, she'd soon realize she wouldn't after to after being approached by the school punk. Ryuji Sakamoto x F!Reader (she wears a skirt, but that's really the only gendery thing going on)

Word Count: 1386

TW: swearing, ryuji says fuck, sad reader, angst with a happy ending

A/N: I wrote this at 2 am as a distraction after crying over kpop yet again. This is incredibly self-indulgent, but hopefully someone else can read it for the same reason. Enjoy!

You dropped your bag and sat down beside it, opening up your lunchbox and unwrapping your sandwich, staring at it emptily before breaking down into tears. Today was your first day at Shujin and, well, things weren’t going great. You’d gotten lost on the way; couldn’t seem to find the damn gate for the connecting train. By the time you did, you knew you were definitely going to be late for class. People weren’t nearly as friendly in the city as they were in Inaba, and nobody seemed to want to stop and help you. The same could be said for the actual students at your school, except instead of completely ignoring you, they were quick to pass judgment, snickering as you walked into the classroom sopping wet from the sudden rain, which you had sworn wasn’t in the forecast.

Your homeroom teacher didn’t take nicely to you being late and gave you a stern scolding, muttering something about always being stuck with the delinquents before leaving for his lunch. So here you were: wet, cold, and hungry, sobbing over your quickly sogging sandwich as you sat alone in a patch of poorly grown grass promptly turning into a puddle of mud as your tears mixed with the rain. You thought about maybe calling your mom, but dismissed the idea realizing she’d only tell you to suck it up, and that the first day was always the worst. Encourage you to try and make some friends...yeah, right. Even if the other students did seem friendly, they all seemed like gossip junkies and would probably turn on you to spread a new exciting rumor given the chance. You’d rather be alone than befriend people like that.

Despite this, you weren’t fooling anyone as the thought only made you cry harder. The tears fell faster as you realized the days at Junes and the floodplain were over, they’d fade into distant memories as your friends back home carried on with their lives, soon forgetting all about you. You never understood the hype about the big city. Sure, there were more things to do, but what was the point if there was no one to share it with? It was the very definition of being alone in a crowded room.

“Oh, fuck.”

You stalled your crying with a gasp, snapping your head up and looking around. You listened intently for footsteps or a voice, but couldn’t distinguish anything between your sniffles and rain pattering on the foliage. “Hello?” You hiccuped, more embarrassing sobs leaving your throat as you grimaced at how pitiful you sounded. “Anyone...is anyone there?” You fumbled to your knees, setting your uneaten sandwich down in your bento before leaning out from behind the wall you’d picked to shelter yourself.

“Uh…” The voice came again, and just as you rounded the corner out stepped a sheepish looking boy, gritting his teeth as his hand rubbed at the back of his blond head. You recognized him from your class. His features were kind of hard to forget, plus, he’d been the only one who didn’t give you a dirty or snarky look when you burst through the door. “Yeah, sorry. I...didn’t know anybody was over here.” He slouched, sticking his hands in his pockets as he pursed his lips, avoiding eye contact with you. Not that you could blame him, you were a mess. “Umm, are...you okay?”

You snorted. Did you look okay? You didn’t have a good answer for his stupid question, so you ignored it, instead asking one of your own. “Am I in your way?”

“Ah...nahh.” He shook his head kicking at the ground. “It’s cool, I was just gonna do some...stuff.”

You scrunched up one side of your face, eyes drifting from his face to the grass outside of your hiding spot. If you were judging just based on his hair, his posture, and the way he’d phrased that last sentence, you wouldn’t be able to think it was anything but drugs. But that was probably how everyone at this school thought, and you were different from them.

“N-nothin shady or anythin!” He said, raising his voice and taking an assertive step forward.

Yeah, no, never mind. It was definitely drugs. “Okay, well, sorry. I’ll get out of your way.” You wiped your face with your sleeve, kneeling back down to pack up your bag.

“Uh, no! I mean, you can stay. Uh…” He toed the ground some more, a frown on face. “It didn’t look like you were done with your food, so.”

You shook your head and cleared your throat with a sniffle. “I’m not that hungry.”

He somehow managed to slouch more as he watched you zip up your bag. “So, you’re new, huh?” He asked and you faltered, glancing up at him and brushing the raindrops off of your forehead.

“How’d you tell?” You scoffed, your own joke only making you feel more embarrassed.

He shrugged and you laughed a bit, shaking your head. “Pack an umbrella in your bag,” He said. “It’s saved my ass about a million times.”

“Oh,” You blinked up at him and nodded. “Thanks for the tip.”

“Uh-huh.” He said, then bent over, bracing his palm on the ground and he lowered himself onto the wet grass. “So, why are you eatin in the rain? There are covered spots you can eat, ya know?”

“And let everyone witness my breakdown? No thanks.” You laughed beside yourself, hands resting on top of your backpack.

“Heh,” He smiled, “Well sorry, you probably won’t gain any popularity points talkin to me.” He said, placing both of his hands in the grass and leaning back, lifting his head to look at the sky.

“Why not?” You watched him a moment before following his gaze. “You seem nice enough.”

He shook his head. “I’m trouble, haven’t you heard?” He glanced at you. “Thought teach woulda toldja.”

“Hmph,” You snickered, “Well by his standards, I’m pretty sure I’m trouble too.” You told him and felt some of your anxiety melt away when succeeding to make him chuckle. “Um, I’m Y/N.” You introduced yourself quietly, still feeling a little shy, but this was the only person who had bothered to even offer up a conversation all day, and you were kind of starving for human interaction.

“Ryuji.” He said, and lifted his hand when he saw you’d outstretched yours, but faltered when it came off if the ground caked with grass and dirt. Ryuji apologized, rubbing away the muck carelessly onto his pants. “Eh, it’s not so bad here. I mean, it’s shit cuz it’s school, but it ain’t awful once you make some friends.”

You gazed at him and sighed, eyes rolling down to the floor. “Yeah…I’ve kinda been struggling with that part.”

The bell rang and Ryuji heaved a sigh, rolling his weight onto his left hand and pushing himself back to his feet. “Welp, if you don’t mind a few rumors, me and my friends are always lookin for more people!” He beamed, offering you a hand, which you gratefully took.

You brushed off your butt, sure your skirt was probably stained, but you didn’t care so much at this point. You needed to get out of these wet clothes anyway, you could probably just change into your gym uniform.

“Here you go.” You looked back up to see Ryuji shoving something at you eagerly, taking it into your hands to realize it was an umbrella.

“Oh, no.” You quickly shook your head, holding it back out for him to take, but of course he refused. “Please, I can’t take this-”

“Then just use it ‘till you get your own.” He said zipping his bag back up and readjusting it on his shoulder. “You’ll get sick if you don’t use one, and then how will you make friends?”

You snorted, breaking into the first true smile you’ve made since moving to Tokyo. “Thank you, Ryuji.”

“Uh-huh!” He nodded with a grin, then turned away and began walking back to the building. “You better hurry up, if you show up late to class with me you’ll be blacklisted.”

You giggled, jogging to catch up to your new friend. To you, being blacklisted with Ryuji definitely didn’t sound like the worst case scenario.

#persona 5 #persona 5 royal #ryuji sakamoto #p5 #ryuji x reader #persona 5 fanfiction #skull persona 5 #my writing #fanfiction #x reader #reader insert #persona 5 imagines #angst #persona 5 angst #hurt/comfort #fluff #angst and fluff #no beta we die like the persona 3 protagonist #lilixloveswriting

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rune-writes · 4 years ago

Text

Of Love and Long-Lasting Connections

Fandom: Persona 4

Word Count: 2982

Rating: G

Summary: Yu's leaving in a few weeks, and Rise wishes she could tell him her feelings.

Note: Another piece I wrote for @thezinearcana that also focuses on love confessions and flower languages

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

“These are so pretty!” Rise squealed.

It was the weekend and Rise was in Okina City when she spotted a cute little florist on the side of the street. A variety of colorful plants in pots, vases, and boxes stood on display—the pinks and reds and yellows, purples and blues and greens all giving off sweet scents.

Rise crouched down in front of them. Should she bring some back for her grandmother? It’d be nice to liven up the place. Though, maybe not at the tofu shop. The house? She could decorate the living room, or maybe the veranda. She could place them in her room if her grandmother didn’t want them in the house.

As her eyes scanned the various flowers on display, Rise found a cluster of blue ones by her feet. Potted plants, ready to take home. She absently reached over and stroked the small petals.

“Do you like them?” a voice came from above her. A man stood there, just a little to the side, wearing the amicable smile of a salesperson. She noticed the name of the shop on his apron. “Forget-me-nots,” he went on. “A flower of remembrance, they say. Of long-lasting connections.”

Rise smiled, wistful. She knew, though there was one other meaning that made her romantic self long to give them to that boy a year older than her—true love. Maybe he would finally realize her feelings for him.

“Would you like to get them, miss?”

Rise shook her head, rising from her crouch and dusting off her clothes. Turning to the shopkeeper with a bright smile of her own, she said, “I’m looking for something that’ll brighten up a room.”

***

A small bouquet of sunflowers now nestled between her hands as she made her way to the station, their long yellow petals bright under the light of the setting sun. Here, the florist had said. They’ll brighten your day. Had it been that obvious that she was feeling melancholic? She looked down to find the flowers staring back, as though trying to give her an answer. Her lips parted into a smile.

Maybe they really did have magic.

Rise brought the flowers to her face and inhaled the sweet scent. Her grandmother would love these.

“Rise?”

Rise looked up and saw a certain upperclassman with steel gray hair not six steps in front of her. “Y—Yu-senpai?!” Rise couldn’t keep the squeak out of her voice.

Yu smiled at her and she felt more heat creeping up her face.

“Are you here alone?” he asked.

Rise nodded. She waved her sunflower bouquet in front of him. “Bought some flowers for grandma,” she said, and then she looked at him, half-expecting to find the other boys coming up from behind, yelling at him to wait, but there was no one else. Yu was alone.

“What about you, Senpai?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”

A slight pause and a distinct scratch to the back of his neck before he said, “Just some things.” Yu averted his eyes, suddenly finding an interesting spot at a nearby store awning.

Rise blinked, feeling her grin widening at his obvious fluster. “Are you hiding something, Senpai?” she asked. Closing the distance between them, she peered up at his face.

Yu’s dark gray eyes captured her. She noticed the widening of his pupils and realized how close they were. She could almost see her reflections in them, grinning mischievously. And maybe she was being mischievous, probing him with questions she knew would get her farther away from hearing what she wanted. That no, he wasn’t on a date, that she was being ridiculous for even thinking so, that she didn’t have anything to worry about because he had always known how she felt and had always felt the same way. He would never forget about her.

Yu didn’t back away, and neither did she. She could almost feel his breath, smell the scent of pine trees on his clothes. A clearing of his throat brought her back to the present and Rise blinked, leaning back on her heels.

“Are you going home?” he asked. She nodded and he smiled. “Wanna go home together?”

She had thought he would only accompany her throughout the train ride to Inaba, but Yu insisted on walking her all the way to her, even after she told him he didn’t have to. It was a wonder how Rise managed to keep her emotion in check throughout their long walk—her face kept threatening to smile. So she talked about anything and everything to distract herself while he listened. But what started as a light conversation about their days gradually moved closer to the topic of their school, and when they talked about school, it naturally led to talks about their friends, and finally to his transfer.

Rise went quiet. Yu would leave once the semester ended. They only had a couple more weeks.

Just tell him how you feel, Chie had told her.

Easier said than done. How many times had she told him how she felt over the course of the year? How many times had she teased him, hinted that what she felt was real? Yu had never taken them seriously. What difference would it make now?

“Here we are.” His soft voice drew her out of her thoughts and the dark storefront of the Marukyu Tofu Shop stood before her.

“Well,” Yu half-turned, giving her one of those easy smiles, “Bye—”

“Senpai!”

Her voice was too loud, echoing off the pavement in the darkness, surprising even herself. When she looked, Yu was staring at her, eyes wide in surprise.

Be genuine, Yukiko had said.

Rise opened her mouth—

—only for the words to fail her.

Yu tilted his head to the side. “What is it?”

Night had fallen. The dim lights of the streetlamps lit his face in a way that made him seem to glow. The soft bangs falling over his forehead. His strong, high cheekbones. He was too beautiful to her, too precious. She didn’t want him to leave.

Her cheeks strained in what she hoped was her best smile. “Be safe on your way home, Senpai.”

He stared at her, brow creasing for a fraction of a second, but he didn’t pry, and after a while, he said, “It was nice seeing you again, Rise.” Rise blinked. He smiled a wistful smile and she realized this was the first time they had seen each other in a while. A lump formed at the back of her throat.

Yu lingered before he bid her goodbye, just a moment too long, like how her fans wouldn’t leave before she left. But Yu wasn’t like any of her fans, and these little gestures were the things that made her hope for the what-ifs and maybes.

***

Rise watched until Yu’s back was engulfed by the night before she trudged inside her home. Her grandmother came out of the kitchen by the time she had reached the living room, placing her sunflowers in a glass vase and filling it with water. When her grandmother saw it, she beamed. “That’s lovely, Rise.”

Rise smiled, placing the vase on a table at the corner, between the window and TV. “You don’t mind me placing it here?”

“No, not at all.” A shuffle of feet and a moment later, her grandmother joined her by her side. Silence fell as Rise watched her gently caress the soft yellow petals. But then her grandmother asked, “Narukami-kun, was it?” and Rise’s heart, which had begun to find its peace again, jumped at the name. “I heard he’s leaving soon. Is it true?”

She froze.

Thoughts of his transfer had plagued her for weeks. Everyone was sad knowing he would leave, but every time Rise saw Yu walk down the school corridor or waved at her from across the street, she couldn’t stop her heart from constricting in pain and after a while, she found it easier to just avoid him. It had gotten so bad that her usually cheerful self turned pensive every time she joined the others for Yu’s farewell party preparation.

A soft touch to her hand—her grandmother smiled at her, soft and gentle, as if she knew, despite never saying anything.

“It’ll be all right,” her grandmother murmured.

Rise heard the crack before she felt it—a painful gash deep within her heart—and tears sprang to her eyes. She desperately tried to blink them away. She would not cry. She’d told herself not to cry. But her hands began to shake and the effort to keep her emotions repressed seemed insurmountable.

Her grandmother drew her into her arms, strong and warm. A single sob escaped her lips, shaking her to her core, and any resolve Rise had to stay strong fell apart.

There, there, her grandmother whispered. It’ll be all right. She patted her shoulder and whispered soothing words to her ear, while Rise clutched at her back, the tears she had been holding back for weeks streaming down her cheeks one by one.

***

It gave her a catharsis she didn’t realize she needed. Rise didn’t know how long she stayed with her head on her grandmother’s lap, long after her crying ended and she stared into space. It reminded her of the times when she was younger, when her grandmother would hum a lullaby or tell her a story, patting her shoulder to lull her to sleep.

It gave her peace, and courage.

“Don’t dwell, Rise,” her grandmother said. “Even though he’s leaving, that doesn’t mean you can’t see him again, right?”

Rise stared at her grandmother, blinking away the stray tears from her eyes. Her grandmother was right. Why had she never realized that? Of course, her heart was still heavy every time she thought of Yu leaving, but when Chie and Yukiko got everyone together to prepare for the farewell party, Rise found herself smiling more, and laughing more, that Chie even noted that she seemed happier lately.

However, even as Rise slowly found a state of acceptance, when her phone rang early on the next weekend and Yu’s name flashed across the screen, her heart leaped into her throat, caught between excitement and apprehensiveness. She picked it up before the first ring ended.

“Hello?”

“Are you home?” His voice sounded soft and slightly husky to her ear. A smile spread across her face.

“Yeah.”

“Are you free?”

She checked the clock on the wall. It was 8 AM. She promised her grandmother she would tend the store later because her grandmother wanted to visit an ailing neighbor. “I need to tend the store around ten.”

A pause. “Okay,” she heard him say. “Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?”

“What?”

He chuckled. “See you then.”

The call barely began when it ended and Rise watched as her phone screen went dark. See you then? She let the short conversation sink in.

Did he just ask her out on a date?

Rise laughed at herself, even as she pushed herself to her feet and went to her room with a little spring in her step

It wasn’t a date, she thought, opening her drawer and grabbing a change of clothes: a pair of jeans and a warm fluffy white turtleneck.

The others would probably meet them somewhere, she told herself as she pulled her hair back into its twin tails and clipped them into place.

Rise was putting on her jacket when she heard the unmistakable sound of a motor engine approaching her house. Her grandmother was calling for her by the time she reached the front door. Yu was standing there, his breath clouding over from the chill in the air, smiling at her approach.

“Are you going somewhere?” her grandmother asked as Rise kissed her on the cheeks in goodbye.

“I’ll be back before ten,” was all she said before waving her hand and following Yu out the door. She thought they were only going to someplace near, but Yu’s scooter waited outside and Rise had to think otherwise.

“Where are we going exactly?” she asked, catching the spare helmet Yu tossed to her.

Yu’s reply was only a grin. “You’ll see.”

***

Wind whipped at her as Yu sped his scooter up the path to the mountains. Past the hilltop overlooking the town and farther still, until the smooth asphalt turned to gravel and dirt, and the trees turned to pine. Inaba was a small quiet town, where everyone knew everyone else, and you rarely heard any cars zooming past. But there was an underlying bustle different from the city that Rise only realized as Yu brought her deeper into the mountain. This was a sort of quiet she hadn’t experienced before, not when her life in Tokyo had consisted of her, her agency, and her fans.

Rise had her arms wrapped around his waist since he told her to hang tight when he started the engine, and being like this, this close, in a world where there was only him and her and the soaring trees and distant birds, Rise didn’t want this to end. She lay her head against his warm back and breathed his scent. Pine trees and winter. Rise surreptitiously tightened her arms around him. She wished he wouldn’t leave.

They reached their destination a little after they entered the mountains. At a split on the road, Yu took the path that veered off the main, leading them to a narrow and unstable one between trees and he had to slow down. The trees slowly gave away, until finally she finally saw a break up ahead.

“Where are we?” Rise asked, getting off his scooter and taking her helmet off.

Yu answered with a smile and an offering of his hand. It was such an offhanded gesture, so natural he didn’t seem to have put much thought behind it. Yet her heart still soared, even as she told herself not to think too much of it. She took his hand, hiding a smile threatening to break free, and let him lead her past the break in the trees.

Sunlight blinded her for the first couple moments, her hand reaching up to cover her eyes. The wind felt stronger here, the air chillier. A shiver ran down her spine. Rise regretted she hadn’t brought a scarf or worn a warmer jacket.

Yu let out a quiet breath. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

She adjusted her eyes to the light as she slowly brought her hand down. The sun hung low from a clear, cloudless sky. She could feel its heat slowly seeping into her bones. There were no trees or buildings anywhere in sight, just the open sky and a vast rolling hill, stretching as far as her eyes could see.

Rise blinked in astonishment. Small flowers, ones she had seen in the pots at the florist ready to take home, dotted the pale green field in clusters of azure blue. She let out a quiet gasp.

“The jeweler told me about this,” Yu went on. “A flower field in the Inaba mountains, where the flowers would often bloom a little early.” He chuckled under his breath. “He’s right.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said. She felt a gentle squeeze on her hand and she looked down, only realizing that their hands were still linked. Rise giggled to herself. “This feels like a date.”

“This is a date,” Yu replied with a chuckle.

Rise went still. She looked up from their hands and found Yu’s gray eyes already gazing at her with that softness that made her heart skip a beat.

“Here.” He rummaged in his jacket pocket and withdrew a small blue box. “I bought this for you.”

Rise blinked in surprise. She accepted the gift with trembling hands, her heart throbbing in her chest. Part of her waited for the gag, for Yosuke or Teddie or anyone to appear from behind the trees and shout surprise! But no one came, and it was just her and him and the field of blue flowers.

“Open it.”

She did. Inside was a necklace—a small blue flower linked to a silver chain. Tears burned at the back of her eyes and she tried so hard to stop it. She wanted him to see her smile, because she was happy and her heart was full and he gave her a gift she had never expected to receive.

The first tear rolled down her cheek, and Yu’s hand was already there to wipe it away.

“I wanted to buy you a bouquet.” Her voice came out as a whisper and she struggled to keep it steady. “That day I bought flowers for my grandma, I wanted to buy you a forget-me-not bouquet. I wanted to tell you I love you, and ask you not to forget me even after you leave.”

Yu slowly took her hand in his and squeezed. “That day we met in Okina City? I was coming back from the jeweler when you suddenly appeared in front of me,” he said with a soft chuckle under his breath. “I was out of my mind with worry. I wanted to surprise you.” Rise choked back on a sob, caught between a laugh and a cry. She met his gaze and saw a fondness in his smile she would not forget. “Sorry it took me so long to give you a proper reply.”

Rise blinked away the tears blurring her eyes and laughed like she had never laughed before. She threw her arms around him on instinct and smiled to his chest. “Do you know what the flowers mean, Senpai?”

His arms went around her, drawing her close, enveloping her in a warmth that drove away the coldness of the morning air. “Of course,” he murmured with a soft touch of his lips against her hair that only made her smile grow. “I love you, Rise.”

~ END ~

#rise kujikawa #yu narukami #yurise #shurise #persona 4 #persona #fanfiction #persona fanfic #p4 fanfic #loves encounter #persona fanzine #zine piece

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randomidiocyncrazies · 3 years ago

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📓❗️

okay, so P4 was the first fandom I actually wrote fics for, and it's still near and dear to me. I've had a vague background swap AU in the back of my mind for a LONG time, but I couldn't work out an interesting angle to tackle it? It's basically bits and pieces about specific character issues in different contexts lol:

Yosuke is the innkeeper's son

Everyone's talking about the new transfer student, and Yosuke just wants to go to sleep.

Look, he had to clean up some loud drunk jerk's puke at three-freaking-AM; he couldn't care less about any transfer student right now.

Also, getting excited about stuff like this just feels kinda pathetic. There's a transfer student, so what? It's embarrassing, how people make a big deal about every little thing that happens in town.

Just look at how folks are still talking about Junes. Sure, it's big, but it's just a store. Everybody and their grandpas still flipped out though, and his folks had to do damage control when their suppliers threw bitchfits. It was all "oh don't worry Konishi-san, our inn only serves locally produced goods of the finest quality! The likes of Junes cannot possibly compare" blah blah blah even though the sake is ten times cheaper at Junes. Most customers are too damn drunk to care about what they put in their mouths anyway.

Honestly, he felt kinda bad for Amagi-san. It’s not like she or her mom are out to ruin lives, and she probably didn’t want to come here in the first place. Who’d want to leave the big city behind for boringville, huh? Amagi-san had a good life back in the city that she had to give up for sleepy little Inaba, where nothing interesting ever happens and people run their mouths like their lives depended on it.

Oh well, at least she and Chie seem to get along. Probably because Junes isn’t selling fancy kimono. Yet.

Speaking of Junes, he felt bad for Saki too—everybody knew she applied for a job there, just like everybody knew she ran away with that college guy for a weekend last summer. That's the thing about Inaba: nobody ever forgets anything. Hell, Chie’s mom still goes on and on about the puppy he and Chie found by the riverbank when they were in 4th grade or whatever every time he goes down to Satonaka Textiles on inn business. "Oh my, how you both howled when we said no!" She'd always say, smiling indulgently, and Yosuke'd laugh along as if he's not sick of it all already.

Yukiko is the Junes Princess

"Wooow," Chie whistled as yet another blubbering boy failed to win the heart of the Junes Princess, "I can't believe he threw a tantrum in public!"

Yukiko just sighed. "I don't even know what I said."

"Uh, seriously?" It's kinda funny how Yukiko's really smart, but also kinda dense in really specific ways. "Still, what did he expect, right? No way you’d fall for a boring country mouse like him, you’re way out of his league!"

"I..." Yukiko's gaze flicked down, briefly, then she offered Chie a small smile. “Thanks, Chie.”

(And now, standing in front of a vicious fire-spitting dragon weeks later, Chie begins to understand why Yukiko’s smile was so beautiful, so sad.)

Rise is the rising star of the PI field (being dismissed and belittled because she's feminine like being told she's "too pretty for this line of work" etc)

Kumada "Teddie" Seita is the new transfer student (lowkey abandonment issues due to having to move around so much—if he's not ~quirky~ then nobody would remember him. one of my headcanons for him in this AU is that he can spout theatrical flirty lines on cue, but struggle with more serious/sincere displays of emotion)

Yu as a cat mascot thing in the TV world (also lowkey abandonment issues)

the lineup also had Chie's family run the textile shop (childhood friends with Yosuke, with the added pressure of having to take over the textile shop someday but having 'tomboyish' interests), Naoto being a reluctant idol and Kanji as Just Some Kid who likes to make cute things without the 'justification' of his mom being the owner of a textiles store—I'm honestly not super convinced if these three background swaps are really that compelling to explore haha (esp because I can't really picture Naoto wanting to go into showbiz without pressing external circumstances, like their grandpa being sick and needing $$ for medical fees or whatever... they're probably an actor who comes from a family of actors, rather than an idol like canon!Rise in this AU)

[ask me about a fanfic that I have not written but constantly daydream about]

#persona 4 #replies #candidateofloyalty

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ya-like-space · 5 years ago

Text

Oranges, A Warm Summer’s Breeze, and Home

Souji didn’t want to leave. In the short year he was there, Inaba had become his home. The only place he’d ever felt like he truly belonged. As he watched his friends and family grow farther and farther away from the train window, tears slowly started to run down his cheeks. He’s leaving behind the best thing that’s ever happened to him. When the platform was no more than a speck in the distance, Souji sat back in his seat. Closing his eyes, he drifts off to sleep.

He wakes up hours later to a station announcement. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he grabs his bag from the overhead. Stepping off the train, a rush of emotion hits him. It hadn’t been long since he’d been in Tokyo, but it felt like forever. It all felt wrong. A sense of unfamiliarity flowed throughout him as he walked through the busy streets. Compared to Inaba, everything was so much bigger.

Dreading walking into his parent’s apartment again, Souji stood outside the door, counting. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, ...10. Upon reaching 10, he flung open the door. Duffel bag in hand, he raced quickly and quietly to his bedroom. His parents weren’t home, and wouldn’t be for another two days. Couldn’t even make it home to greet their own son. Setting his bag down, he flopped onto his bed. He didn’t want to unpack, knowing if he did, the reality of the situation would set in. Instead, he settled for glaring at all the boxes already in his room. They had arrived days prior.

He can still remember how hard it was for him to pack. A part of him wanted to leave everything there, exactly how it was, so when he came back it would all be the same. But the rational part of him had won out, and he called Yosuke over to help him. Though it probably hadn’t been necessary, Souji had wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. They had gotten all of the things he was taking with him packed in only an hour. Leaving them the rest of the day to spend with each other. Not wanting to be in his empty room anymore, Yosuke had suggested they take a walk to the Samegawa. Or at least, that’s what Souji thought was going to happen.

Yosuke had confessed to him. Down by the riverbank, in the same place they had their fight. He had broken down when they got there, spilling his heart to Souji. Yosuke kissed him that day, arms looped around Souji’s back, hands in his hair. They walked home together hand in hand, tear tracks still visible on Yosuke’s cheeks.

Souji already misses Inaba, and he’s barely been in Tokyo an hour. It wasn’t fair that he had to leave. That he had to go back to an empty apartment, to parents who were never home, to parents who used him, and a new school of people who don’t know what he’s been through.

That night, Souji dreamt of a warm embrace and a rushing river.

Even though he really didn’t want to, Souji began unpacking his stuff. He started with the duffel bag, which was mostly empty. Other than a few changes of clothes, and his toiletries.

But when he opened the first box, instead of the muted black of the old t-shirt that Souji had thought would be on top, there was a rumpled lump of orange fabric on top, which was revealed to be a very familiar hoodie when he pulled it out of the box by one sleeve. It was one of Yosuke’s hoodies, the one he’d been wearing when he’d helped Souji pack up his room, in fact. Tears begin streaming down his face. Souji lifts the hoodie out of the box, burying his face in it. It smells like oranges, a warm summer's breeze, and home. He stays like this for a while, before attempting to compose himself. Flipping over the hoodie, he sees something that was previously hidden. A little pink sticky note, stuck to the underside of the cloth.

I’ll miss u partner <3

That breaks him. Souji crumples into a ball on the floor, unable to stop sobbing. A good 10 minutes go by before he can even think again. When he finally manages to collect himself, he gets an idea. His parents arrive tomorrow, so he’ll have to leave early in the morning. He buys a one way ticket to Inaba, and repacks all of his things. This has to work. Before he goes to bed, he sends a text to Dojima, telling him about the plan. Dojima immediately agrees, telling Souji he’ll pick him up from the station tomorrow.

Souji gets up the next morning, and writes a note to his parents. Placing it on the dining room table, it feels like a weight has been lifted from him. He walks back to the train station. On the ride back to Inaba, Souji wonders if he did the right thing. But then he looks down at the hoodie he slipped on that morning, before leaving. All doubts leave his mind at the first sight of orange. He rests his head against the window as the gentle rumbling of the train lulls him into a peaceful sleep.

When he wakes, the conductor is announcing Yasoinaba Station is only minutes away. Souji grabs his duffel bag and moves to the other side of the train. It’s almost like coming here the first time, with the empty compartment and empty station. He meets Dojima outside, getting into the passenger seat of the car.

“Hi.”

Dojima turns his head to look at him. Ruffling Souji’s hair he smiles, “Hey there kiddo. It’s good to see you.”

Souji smiles back at him.

“It’s only been a day,” he pauses, his expression softening slightly, “but I missed you too, Uncle.”

The drive back to the house is silent. But it’s the good kind of silence. The kind that calms you, and steadies your nerves. Souji’s half expecting to be bombarded by Nanako when they get inside, but instead, the house is dark.

“Nanako went to play at a friend’s house today. She should be home soon.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Souji had been excited to see his cousin, but he was fine with waiting. It would give him and his Uncle time to sort some things out.

“Now. Souji. Are you sure you want to do this? Because if you are,

I’m willing to do whatever needs to be done.”

Dojima wasn’t an idiot. He had seen the signs of abuse in his nephew when he had first arrived in Inaba, and as much as he would like to believe his sister wouldn’t do something like that, he knew it was true. And when Souji had sent him a message asking about this, well, he couldn’t deny it anymore. He cared about Souji, and wanted him to be safe.

“Yes. I’m sure. I don’t want to be a part of that family anymore, I don’t want to be treated like a doll, like I’m just there for their entertainment. I want to be here, with my real family.”

“That’s all I needed to know. Now let’s get this paperwork filled out.”

“Alright.”

Nanako arrived home hours after they had finished filing everything out. Her face had lit up upon seeing Souji.

“Big Bro!”

She jumped into him, squeezing her arms around his middle.

“What are you doing here?”

He smiles down at her.

“I decided I’m not going back to the city.”

“Yay!”

The three of them spent that night redoing Souji’s room, and eating take-away. Souji had decided he was gonna surprise Yosuke tomorrow. His shift at Junes ended at 3, so all he had to do was show up after it was over.

When Souji woke the next morning, Dojima was arguing with someone on the phone. Souji’s parents, most likely. He listened for a while, barely able to make out any of the words. They sounded angry, and he was glad that he didn’t have to deal with them. Dojima hung up the phone, finally noticing Souji.

“Hm? Oh, good morning Souji.”

“Are my parents angry?”

Dojima nodded, motioning for Souji to sit.

“They seem to think they own you, and that they reserve the right to control your every move.”

His expression darkened.

“Souji. You should’ve said something sooner.”

“I know. But I was afraid too.”

“Well, as long as you’re safe now.”

Souji smiled softly, “Yeah. I am.”

After speaking with his Uncle for a bit longer, and getting the last of the adoption papers filled, he headed to the Samegawa to kill time. It was a little hard getting there, since he nearly ran into Yukiko on the way. Souji wasn’t quite ready to tell the rest of the team he was in Inaba again, in case something went wrong. The only exception being Yosuke. He really wanted to see Yosuke again, but he had to wait. Souji spent the next few hours down by the riverbank, listening to the rushing water.

Before he knew it, it was almost 3, and Souji made his way to Junes. His plan was to wait near the back entrance, where Yosuke parks his bike. That way, if someone he knew was in Junes, they wouldn’t see him.

One minute. 30 seconds. 15 seconds. Now! Yosuke walked through the door, right on time. At first, he didn’t notice Souji was there. But then he saw him standing, right next to his bike. Yosuke barreled into him, laughing happily.

“Souji! What are you doing here?”

But then Souji said the best thing Yosuke had heard all day.

"I'm not going," suddenly Souji had him pushed up against a wall, and was kissing him. It wasn't a gentle kiss either, it was hard and demanding and so full of need that Yosuke started to feel a little dizzy.

"W-what?" he managed to stutter, utterly bewildered by the turn of events.

"Tell me you love me," Souji requested.

Now Yosuke definitely wasn’t expecting that, his face flushing a deep red. Souji was looking at him, but the look in his eyes was something Yosuke had never seen before. Something like panic, or desperation. For some reason Souji had come all the way back to Inaba, and the least Yosuke could do was grant this small request.

"I love you, Souji.”

Souji practically squeezed him to death in a hug, burying his face in the side of Yosuke's neck with a noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob.

"Say it again," he repeated, voice muffled by Yosuke's shirt. Yosuke grinned, feeling warmth flow throughout him.

"I love you," he sighed, wrapping his arms around Souji in return.

There’s that smell again. Souji breathed in deeply. Oranges, a warm summer's breeze, and home.

Home.

He’s finally home.

@souyoweek2020 Day 6 | scent

One more day! I've had the idea for this fic in my head, ever since I finished the game for the first time. I always thought there should've been an ending where Souji got to stay in Inaba. This ended up being a tad bit heavier then i wanted, but it kind’ve took on a life of its own while I was writing it.

#souyoweek2020 #souyo #souji x yosuke #yu x yosuke #souji seta #yu narukami #persona 4 protagonist #yosuke hanamura #nanako dojima #ryotaro dojima #persona 4 #p4 #fanfic #fanart

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memoriesoffear · 5 years ago

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Dear Memories of Fear staff: What were some of your favorite games to translate?

We have written down our favorite games to translate underneath a cut.

===============================================

KulaRose:

Of the games we worked on, I can easily pick out my top three that I adored as a translator:

Toilet in Wonderland: - This one was a challenge due to the memey quality of it, but I loved the utter crack nature of the game, and translating scenes like that of the Soccer Kid and his Doctor Dad was a load of fun. Even the non-translation aspects, like Mira herself and the overall world made it a treat to work on and made me excited to translate it.

Peret em Heru: For the Prisoners: - Honestly, this was very likely my favorite title to work on, both for its setting and because I had way too much fun translating Tsuchida and Kuroe's interactions. I can’t think of any other duo where the dialog just came to life right in front of my eyes as much as those two’s speech that was just dripping with underlying aggression. The rest of the cast’s little quirks were a lot of fun to translate as well and it just left me wanting more Peret em Heru. It’s a game that I was really sad to see come to an end, both as a game and as a translation project.

The Mystery Files of Detective Inaba No. 2: - Characters, characters, characters. That’s the name of the game here. Just like with Peret em Heru, I loved translating the characters and, again, just like Peret em Heru, I LOVED translating the aggression between Tsubaki and Natsume. I think I just have a thing for barely contained rivalries/rage. But yes, once again, I love translating characterizations and this game had it completely in spades. So much is going on beneath the surface of this case which gave many chances for the characters to shine. Naturally, Inaba and Arimura’s natural ability to play off of each other was amazing in this game and highly enjoyable. You should notice a trend at this point that I really enjoy translating a ragtag group of misfits a lot.

===============================================

enigmaopoeia:

Here are the games I have personally loved working on: Ghost School: - This game stood out to me because of the graphic work I had to put into it. There were a couple of disembodied voiced lines in this game which had no subtitles provided because it was meant for an audience who would understand the language. Thinking on how to handle this, I was inspired by XSEED Games’ work on Corpse Party (PSP) where they provided subtitles on the upper corner of the screen whenever this happens. So taking that inspiration, I was able to insert subtitles into the game to help the many players who do not understand spoken Japanese, that way they can obtain the same full experience as those who do understand the language. Because I feel it is important to make sure all dialogue is understandable, any time I am faced with a game with spoken dialogue and no subtitles, I will do my best to provide them every time.

Peret em Heru: For the Prisoners: - It was my first time working with the RPG Tkool Dante 98 II engine and I really enjoyed learning it, especially when there were no English written tutorials out for it. There is still a lot I would like to learn about the engine, but I am happy with what I have accomplished thus far. While it's probably not possible, it makes me wish that I could port CORPSE-PARTY (PC-98) to that same engine, since it's a much easier engine to work with.

The Mystery Files of Detective Inaba series: - I am a big fan of murder mystery stories, so it was a lot of fun for me to work on these games. So much so that I even wrote out timelines for No. 2 and No. 3 that way when I worked on it, I could make sure there are as few plotholes as possible. I also loved helping out with the bug fixes and I would send my reports back to Inui, the game developer, of Suika Bar. If I had to choose one game that in the series I loved working on most, it would be The Mystery Files of Detective Inaba No. 2 due to the amount of characters and interactions.

===============================================

Ajogamer:

CORPSE-PARTY ZERO: - This one was my second playtesting project ever, so because of that, it made it enjoyable simply due to my mindset, where playtesting still felt fresh and new me, but I was also a bit more confident due to having a prior project under my belt. In addition, CORPSE-PARTY ZERO was a project where I wound up finding a lot of issues to report, but they were usually simple enough that re-testing them and making sure they were fixed didn't wind up becoming frustrating. As a result, the project was one that felt fairly satisfying to work on. I also liked that the game had a lot of variations with its events, which made it feel like there was a good amount to explore and consider while testing.

Toilet in Wonderland: - This one was rather enjoyable for a couple reasons. For one, I was rather happy to simply have the chance to work on it at all, since it was a game that seemed relatively obscure and with little info on it even among the Japanese RPG Maker fandom, so when I first discovered it and played it for the first time, it almost felt like I was uncovering something lost. As a result, helping Toilet in Wonderland get localized in English was exciting, since it was an opportunity to give this little-known game another chance at some exposure. The game itself was also fairly fun to work on, since with how odd and surreal it was, its plot and dialogue were more of an unknown than usual, going into it. As a result, I was initially a bit unsure how much the dialogue would add, but I wound up being really pleased by its dialogue, since it was just as goofy and humorous as the game's its surrealistic visuals and events, and it felt like it made me appreciate Toilet in Wonderland anew. Between its surreal areas and that consistently silly dialogue, it was also fun to work on. It made polishing up its dialogue feel a bit different than with our previous, projects (which were generally a bit more serious in tone), and I even found replaying the game (as is always necessary as a part of the QA Process) a lot of fun, since its silliness never failed to make me smile.

The Mystery Files of Detective Inaba No. 2: - While The Mystery Files of Detective Inaba series was fairly enjoyable to work on in general, The Mystery Files of Detective Inaba No. 2 was my favorite to work on of the bunch, since it was a game that really emphasized its writing, along with having a large cast of characters, most of which had plenty of dialogue. As a result, I felt like there was more of a need than usual to consider each character's unique way of speaking, and there was a bit more time spent tweaking dialogue to make sure that was consistent all throughout. In addition, it was interesting making sure all the story details and character accounts were properly conveyed and matched up in our translation. The game also had some nice jazz music, which was pretty catchy and pleasant to listen to even on my 2nd and 3rd times running through the game to playtest it. Peret em Heru: For the Prisoners: - This one was exciting to me for a few reasons. For one, Peret em Heru was another where the character voices were a bit more of a consideration, since its characters are pretty distinct and with some stronger personalities in the mix, so it was fun seeing their unique voices shape up in English, and then helping tweak and polish up their dialogue (especially so for the characters that were a bit more cheeky or blunt, which is quite a bit of the cast, heh). In addition, Peret em Heru was a game with a good deal to see and test, between the different characters to make use of in combat, their variable fates, and the entire command-based system for dealing with obstacles and solving puzzles, all of which made the playtesting process interesting and fun. Being a PC-98 game, it also felt like a more unique project to work on, since it makes it feels a bit different than your usual RPG Maker game, and well... I also just really love the PC-98 aesthetic. Speaking of, I really loved this game's aesthetics and atmosphere in general, and they never failed to suck me in each time I replayed the game to playtest. Lastly, Peret em Heru is also a game that especially impressed me, so I was also just excited to get a chance to work on it and bring it to an English audience!

===============================================

#Anonymous

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yusuke-of-valla · 5 years ago

Note

TiF + Demon Fam + Phantom Mirages: what shenanigans will ensue?

so. so many shenanigans

Ren can smell that something’s off with Byleth and the lords and is ALL UP in their business because he’s a sneaky curious demon boi.

Byleth definitely meets Yu at Leblanc for coffee and they talk about watching loved ones die and being stressed about that.

Yuri is also the first one to pin down that Shido is Shit(TM)

The PT and Mirage Masters have several moments where they do something blatantly demon-y in front of the lords and the lords just don’t know that it’s weird because they’re from another dimension

Byleth gets to teach Hikari. This isn’t shenanigany, it’s just cute

Also the Fortuna Crew helping Hikari make a movie

El coming into this with the opinion that non-human=bad and seeing a universe where humanity is attacked by demons while also being subservient to Yaldy and the angels is side-eyeing this whole dimesnion super hard

After the whole fight in Inaba the Demon Fam calls up Byleth and the Lords and are like “ok so you might want to take notes for this” and basically explain the whole family tree nonsense going on with everyone in this au meanwhile Byleth and the lords are freaking out because last they checked Ren nearly died and Yusuke, Haru, and Goro got arrested.

Yusuke and Byleth are “I have seen the bad end” friends

Futaba and Byleth are “I have undone the death of someone close to me but could not revive my parent” friends

Dimitri is the lord with the highest number of Ikutski clone kills. (i am so sorry everyone not familiar with this au)

At some point they invite the lords to visit Hell and show them around and Satanael is really excited to meet Byleth. They also introduce Miki, Zen, Rei, Orpheus

Claude likes to play fetch with Itsuki but he hides the ball behind his back sometimes and it makes Itsuki sad

Look I don’t know how this would happen but I need Lorenz and Marie to write poetry together

El and Lysithea get to join the “I underwent horrific experimentation club”

Byleth meets Aigis and Metis and has flashbacks to Shamballah

Siren concert featuring Mina, Ham, Tsubasa, Ayaha, and Yashiro

Sylvain, Ferdinand, Leonie, and Touma have a race to determine who is the superior redheaded cavalier

hubert: I would like to murder my father; yusuke, haru, goro, and yu: same.

Hikari gets Bernie into filmmaking.

The demons help Seteth and Flayn transform into their dragon forms

#into the auniverse #thieves in fodlan #phantom mirages #demon fam au #queuety and vice #Anonymous #alto replies #fe16 spoilers

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forkanna · 5 years ago

Link

ALSO READ ON: [AO3] [WATTPAD] [QUOTEV]

WARNINGS: Petplay, exhibitionism, cunnilingus, watersports(kinda). This chapter is going to remind people that I once co-wrote My Sister's Mistress, haha… though honestly it's not that bad.

Happy December!

I'm very sorry to all three of you waiting for the epilogue of this fic. I was feeling fairly dissatisfied with my writing, so I took some time off for reading, and NaNoWriMo to focus on my original work (expect news about that soon). Though some mental fog remains, I'm feeling a little sharper and more capable now to continue delivering updates. And to that end...

Prepare yourselves for WE'LL FACE OURSELVES: GOLDEN! This will not continue the story of Yukiko and Chie, though they will be around here and there; instead, it will focus on another unlikely ship entirely. I'll begin posting that in about a month, or sooner if I find time. You may also want to keep your eyes peeled for more content pertaining to another fandom of which I am a part...

Thanks so much for sticking with this until the end. If you'd like to look me up on other platforms, please check out my Carrd!

Until we meet again, Jessex

EPILOGUE

A horrific day that everyone hoped would never come had finally ambushed the Investigation Team. Yu Narukami was leaving Inaba.

Not a dry eye was to be had at the Yasoinaba station as they watched their gray-haired friend bid fond farewells to all the other friends he had made throughout the year. Chie herself was a little shocked to see just how many there were — hell, even after almost a year she was still shocked that Rise Kujikawa, the real Risette, was one of them! An internationally known pop idol! But there she was, hanging on one of Yu's arms and sobbing into his jacket.

"Yu-kun, don't gooooo!" she blubbered, long auburn pigtails trembling with her movements. "I wanna get to spend G-Golden Week with you, Senpaiiiiii!"

Naoto and Kanji weren't much better. They made for such an odd-looking pair, the rough-and-tumble yakuza-wannabe letting fat tears roll down his cheeks as he was comforted by the small, reserved boy-who-was-not-quite-a-boy. Even after finding out Naoto was a woman, not much had changed; she still dressed like a boy and even behaved like one in most ways. All of Rise's attempts to "girlify" her had fallen flat. Chie really had wound up with a colourful assortment of friends, but she wouldn't change that for the world.

"Yeah, man, you can't take off," Yosuke chuckled. Trying to suppress his feelings with humour; they all knew he was going to miss Yu as much as anyone. "Your girlfriend's gonna miss you, and that ain't cool."

Not that he was pointing at Rise. No, his finger was levelled at Nanako — the little girl she and Yukiko had run into once upon a time who turned out to be Yu's cousin. She was currently hiding behind the leg of her father, Detective Ryotaro Dojima, coming over shy after he had reprimanded her for being too clingy with the boy she had dubbed her big brother. Not that he could control Rise doing the exact same thing, despite having nearly ten years on the second-grader.

"Oh, shut up," Yu grunted — though his motivation was pure, as always. "Don't tease her."

"Whaaat? I'm teasing you, not…" But at the glares from everybody, Yosuke sighed and deflated. "You guys are no fun."

Rise pulled back, her large doe eyes shining with tears — on purpose, Chie knew. She was a top notch actress. "Can't you give me a little kiss goodbye? Something to keep me from… from dying from missing you?"

"Oh please," Yukiko muttered under her breath with a begrudging smile.

But Yu obliged. Sort of. Instead of sweeping her into a graceful dip and really planting one on her, he kissed her forehead. It was a tender gesture, though, so Rise couldn't complain; a much more genuine little smile pulled at her pouty mouth, and she hugged him around the middle.

"Excuse me? What do you think you're doing?"

They all pulled back to see Ai Ebihara approaching, hands on her hips. This bitch again? However, something was different about her compared to their last run-in. She was still glamorous, but Chie couldn't help noticing it seemed like her outfit was a little more… conservative?

"What is who doing?" Rise protested, clinging a little tighter to Yu's arm.

"You! Little trollop!" The teen queen stomped over to the two of them, getting right up in Rise's face. She was a little taller and therefore more imposing, but Rise didn't seem scared in the slightest. "Get your greedy little paws off my boyfriend!"

The idol stamped her foot and snapped, "HEY! I don't see your name on him anywhere!"

Yu gulped and began to back away. "Uh…"

"Really?" Ebihara scoffed. "What makes you think you have any claim to him, slut puppy? He went to the festival with me — and spent Christmas Eve with me, too! And for your goddamn information, we got pretty close!"

Poor Rise. Though she was flirty and manipulative toward Yu and Yosuke, it was in a playful way; she did consider them both friends but couldn't seem to suppress her impulses. And here Ai was making all kinds of accusations and getting legitimately competitive. Her lip wobbled, though Chie was fairly certain it had as much to do with losing out to Ai as it had to do with losing Yu himself.

"Senpai, say that's not true! How could you, when I… I let you… you know!"

"Hey, it doesn't count when I'm just sitting there and you plop your butt down on my hand," he protested at her. "And Ai-chan, we hugged a little; please don't tease her by making it sound like more."

Both of his would-be girlfriends pouted and averted their eyes, cheeks turning pinker. Ai seemed a little more genuinely hurt than her rival for the boy's attentions.

"Whew," Yosuke exhaled, wiping his brow. "Don't know how you get away with it, juggling two chicks like that."

"That's not- I didn't…" Yu sighed, shaking his head as he facepalmed. "Maybe I'm glad to be leaving."

But the minute he said so, even if it was in jest, all faces wore expressions of deep sorrow. Nobody really wanted him to go. They had all known his stopover in Inaba had been temporary and yet it was still a terrible shock that Yu would no longer be hanging out with them on a daily basis, going to school, having roundtable discussions in the Junes food court.

"The end of an era, man," Kanji grunted, trying to look tough and only partially succeeding.

"Aww, cheer up, guys!" Teddie proclaimed, bouncing up and down on his heels so hard his blond locks bounced with him. "We'll see Sensei again! Bet on that!"

"There you go, Teddie," Yu laughed quietly, nodding his direction. The bear-shadow-turned-human beamed.

"And in the meantime, I can look after all the girls for you! You don't have to worry about a thing!"

Rise stuck her tongue out at the well-meaning bear. "I don't want you, I want Senpai!"

As the squabbling only grew worse, other classmates began to approach to wish Yu bon voyage. Some girl from his drama class, those guys from the basketball team… even some young boy and his clearly married mother, though she did seem a bit too young to have a child of that age. Their team leader really had left an impression in the short year he had lived there.

When the train whistle signaled that it was about to pull away, the bickering came to an end so they could truly see their friend off. A lot of tearful hugs and well wishes were offered before he was inside, looking out the window at them as it pulled away from the station. They ran after him all the way to the end of the platform until they ran out of space, then stood waving after him until the train was completely out of sight.

Chie was amused that it turned out to be Rise comforting Ebihara, and Yosuke comforting Teddie. Those were some pretty mismatched pairings. Ryotaro took a sobbing Nanako home, and that seemed to be an unofficial signal for them to disperse from the station.

While Kanji was busy throwing an arm around Yosuke's shoulders, proclaiming loudly that they were about to go drinking despite the fact that neither of them had easy access to alcohol at their age, it was Naoto of all people who started drifting closer to Chie and Yukiko. At first, Chie assumed she just wanted some company, but it turned out…

"Forgive my curiosity, but I've been wondering about something for a while now."

"Hm?" asked a bleary eyed Yukiko. She hadn't sobbed the way Rise did, but she wasn't completely unaffected by the parting. "I'm sorry, what's that?"

"Why have you been wearing a dog collar for the past several months?"

Both girls stopped dead in their tracks. If this were an anime, there would have been a record-scratch sound effect. Yukiko flashed a nervous half-smile at her girlfriend, who was busy tugging at the neckline of her shirt and gulping.

"W-well, it's… a fashion statement," the junior innkeeper finally told her.

"Uh… huh." Her sharp eyes looked between the two. "You may have forgotten in all the excitement of defeating Adachi and Izanami, but I am a detective. Do you want me to simply state what I have deduced from my observations, or would you like t-"

"Okay, okay, already!" Chie hissed, waving back and forth rapidly with her hand. "Can you maybe keep it under that crazy blue hat of yours?!"

Before Naoto could respond to the crack about her belted newsboy cap, a throat was cleared behind the three of them. Ai had broken off from the others and approached them, looking penitent and uncomfortable.

"Yes?" Yukiko prompted her in mild surprise.

"I… thought I should say… I am sorry." She swallowed hard, brows furrowed. The expression still made her look angry and snobby, despite her tone of voice being gentle now; she just had resting bitch face. "Probably too late. But I was really going through some things when I sidelined you two in Aiya, and being rude is second nature to me. Can't be the most stunning girl in school without it going to your head, can you?"

"You say that like I would ever know," Chie snorted.

"Right. And… normally I would be agreeing with you and belittling you, Bowl Cu- I mean, Satonaka. I have a lot of practice." Grimacing, she growled, "Got so used to being queen bitch that it's so hard to just be nice."

After a brief silence, so awkward that it felt as if any sound would have been preferable, Yukiko laid a hand on Ai's arm, gentle and reassuring. "Please, Ai-san. We all have darkness inside of us; nobody is a perfect person. So I think it's very admirable you're seeing your flaws and that you're trying to improve. I am the same, and so are my friends."

"Oh yeah?" The girl let out a wet-sounding laugh; indeed, tears were budding at the corners of her eyes. "How the hell aren't you perfect, Miss Goody Two-Shoes? I mean… I've always been so jealous of how the boys talk about you. No 'buts'."

"No butts?!" Chie burst out. "What do you mean? She's got a GREAT butt!"

Ai chuckled a little more heartily at that. Naoto was the only one who tapped her chin while noticing Yukiko's slight blush from the compliment; the others weren't paying it any attention. "No, no, not her ass. Which fine, sure, it's fantastic. I mean like, they describe both of us as really beautiful, or hot or whatever. Same words for both of us. But with me, it always had a 'but she's such a bitch', 'but she's stuck up', 'but she's psycho' attached. Yukiko… a couple of guys said you were snooty if you turned them down for a date, but the rest of them saw through that. You're a good woman and I'm just a good-looking woman. I did so much work to be beautiful so boys would like me, but I'm just… ugly on the inside."

Though clearly, Yukiko was about to speak up, Chie beat her to the punch. "So that's it, huh? You're pathetic."

"Excuse me?"

"C'mon, Ebihara. You're made of tougher shit than that. Where's that girl who slammed her leg up on the table in Aiya and demanded we appreciate it?"

Though the teen queen had been firing up, being reminded of that moment in the diner made her squirm and fold her arms tightly over her chest. "That was stupid. Do you wanna know why I did that?" When Yukiko nodded, she pushed ahead, "Thing is, I was a... when I was little, I was nowhere near the adorable Ai you see before you now. Fat and hideous, got told I had pig hooves. So like, I'm sure it sounds really stupid to you guys, but having dainty little feet now is super amazing to me still."

"You were fat?!" Chie demanded, looking her up and down afresh. "No way! I call bullshit!"

"Yep, a total blimp. And I got hella teased because I didn't match up with their… whatever. Yu already knows all this stuff, but pretty much I decided to reinvent myself when I found out we were moving to Inaba. Obviously it went to my head, but… at least I'm better now. Getting better all the time."

None of them knew what to say. Chie, for her part, was stunned that Ebihara turned out to be more than a one-dimensional prima donna; she had never given any indication otherwise, even in Aiya when her interests in Yu were revealed to be genuine. Maybe he was the one responsible. After all, while the team had been doing their best to save the victims from dying inside the TV and stop further kidnappings in the first place, Yu Narukami had touched all their lives, brought about an awakening of sorts to their inner beauty that they likely would never have found within themselves without him shedding that light. It just seemed to be one of his latent talents. Unsurprising that he had done the same for the entitled fashionista.

"There seems to be only one solution for this predicament," Naoto was stating firmly with a small nod, finger tapping her chin. "We must return to Aiya to remember our departed friend, and strengthen our bonds with each other."

"Oooh, a party!" Rise piped up with an excited little bounce, despite the light drizzle that was beginning to fall. "Yes please!"

"I guess that's a plan," Chie agreed as Rise, Kanji and Yosuke joined them. "What do you guys think? We catching the portal to the meat dimension?"

Grimacing, Yosuke demanded, "Do you have to call it that every time, Satonaka?! Geesh! Sounds super nasty."

"Bet you can't even handle it."

"Wha- OH YEAH?! BRING IT ON!"

~ o ~

"Ohhhhh, I couldn't eat another bite," Yukiko groaned as they slid open the door to her bedroom at the Amagi Inn. They had whiled away many hours at the diner before the fellowship was broken, and they began to drift their separate ways. Rise was the most afraid to be alone out of any of them, and seemed to want to hang out with Ebihara, despite their strife over Yu's affections. Naoto went off by herself to think, Kanji and Yosuke reinitiated their quest for liquor, that girl from drama class was hanging out with Daisuke and Kou from the sports clubs… and the two illicit lovers had paired off with no one questioning why. Probably because they had already been best friends for their entire lives.

"Well I could," Chie laughed in response as she grabbed a pair of paper slippers. "But you know me, I can always eat."

Yukiko giggled as she began to strip off her remaining clothing. "You and Yosuke, I swear. Your appetites are bottomless."

"Hey, I'm a growing girl!" she said, jabbing herself in the chest with a thumb. "What's his excuse? He doesn't even do martial arts!"

Once fully divested, lithe form fully on display for the other woman in the room, the junior innkeeper approached her side and slid her hands up to gently perch on her shoulders. "Mmm, yes of course. So very strong."

It was impossible for Chie to keep the blush fully out of her cheeks. "Y-yeah. I mean, strong when you're not making my knees weak."

"But Master shouldn't say things like that in front of her pet. She might think she can control her Master, and that isn't very good, is it?"

"True, yeah." Chie shook her head with a vague smile on her lips. It was funny; she was supposed to be the one in control, but most often it was Yukiko who reminded them of their play. The roles they were to serve for each other.

"Mhmmm. Alright." Even though she was clearly a little nervous, she crossed to her dresser, slid open a drawer and began to rummage behind the various undergarments arranged there. "I think we're both ready now."

Poor Chie didn't even bother to ask "ready for what?", because by the time the words began to form on her lips, her best friend was turning around, dropping to the floor and crawling toward her… with a long leather leash dangling from between her teeth.

"A-ah."

"Wrgh dng hrrg trh," Yukiko said — before Chie took the leash from her to allow her room to speak. "I m-mean to say, this is only if you feel up to it, or are interested. But we've spoken a lot about it in the past few weeks, and… and I feel like I would be alright with it."

"Okay, whoa whoa," she laughed nervously. "Listen, I… know you think nobody will see us, but c'mon, the inn gets guests all the time! And like, what if your mom sees us?!"

Sitting up a little straighter, the puppy-girl reassured her, "No, no, I have a plan. Do you know the forest behind our property? It's a little bit of a walk, and I know it might seem silly to take a walk before my walk, but we will probably be free from prying eyes out there. So… so do you want to?"

Any fool in Chie's position could have been able to tell that this girl wanted nothing more than to take her love into the woods so they could play. Even if the type of play they wanted to do was highly unorthodox. How could she say no to those big, baleful eyes?

"Yeah, of course. So um, maybe just put this around your waist under your kimono?"

"YES!" she burst out — before calming herself and clearing her throat. "I mean, yes, that is a good plan. I'll get dressed, try to keep the leash on."

In no time at all, they were strolling through the grounds behind the Amagi Inn, seeming to the single gardener they passed as if they were merely two high school friends out for a stroll. Nothing telltale from their appearances to suggest otherwise — except the collar, and even that wasn't immediately noticeable.

"Okay," Chie whispered once they were in the treeline. "Are you really sure about this one? Cuz like, if you wanna bail on the idea, you can, right now, and I won't give you any shit. I swear."

But Yukiko was already shaking her head from side to side, even before she got halfway through speaking. "I've been looking forward to trying this for so long! Maybe it hasn't always seemed like it, but… how can we know whether or not we enjoy it if we don't try?"

That, as they say, was that.

"Okay…" Chie cleared her throat and tried not to feel too overly self-conscious. "Then take it all off so we can get started."

By far the most difficult thing to endure was watching Yukiko slowly disrobe — which she was clearly doing on purpose, adding to the anticipation. She even did that thing where she paused with the yukata halfway down her back, looking at Chie over her shoulder with a coquettish flutter of her eyelashes. 'Nosebleed City, population: me,' Chie thought to herself. Then she let it drop all the way to the forest floor, pooling amongst the grass and leaves.

Nude… except for two leather straps. One around her neck and another trailing down her back.

"Gooooood," she managed to groan. Then she shook herself and caught up the end of the lead. "Okay, so like… what now? I just take you for a walk?"

"Master, come on," she giggled. "You're not being a good Master." But when Chie frowned, Yukiko fidgeted and added, "I'm sorry. That was supposed to sound teasing, but instead… well, I really am sorry. I was trying to say that you weren't playing your role yet."

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, she cracked her neck and tried to shove away those feelings of inadequacy that had begun to brew. "So you mean I'm supposed to start being a dog owner for real? Like, until we decide we're done and wanna go back inside?"

"Yes," she sighed in obvious relief that Chie wasn't upset with her. "How about this: I'll get on hands and knees, and that's when we start? And I'll stand up if I need to stop."

"Sure yeah, that sounds pretty simple. Go for it when you're ready."

With a small nod, Yukiko stepped out of her zori and into the grass, toes flexing as it tickled them. Her lips quirked into a reassuring little smile before she dropped down to all fours, perky little ass high in the air. Chie wanted to dive right into that inviting sight now — but she could wait. They had a game to play; they could have sex pretty much anytime they were alone together, as long as they were careful about noise levels. And door locks.

"Okay girl, let's go!" she commanded her in a more cheerful tone. This wasn't their first time playing in this way, or even their tenth. They just had never taken the playing outside of a locked bedroom before.

And miraculously… they went. Yukiko started walking along on her hands and knees, making little panting noises now and then. Just to maintain the illusion. Chie was both disturbed and turned on, but that happened a lot during their more adventurous encounters. The more they learned about this strange new culture they were a part of — thanks to the internet — the more intrigued they were, but Chie wasn't as good at taking it in stride as her puppy was.

Her puppy, Yukiko. Still bizarre to her.

"What is it, girl? You like that one?"

"Wan wan!" she yipped joyfully as she continued to mime sniffing a tree.

"Then it's all yours," she laughed easily, reaching down to scratch behind her ear. Her girlfriend hummed at the pleasant sensation, and even tried to jiggle one of her legs. With some success. Then she unclipped the leash from her collar. "Wanna play fetch, Yuka?"

More gleeful barking. So she found a stick and wiped it quickly on her sleeve — which, obviously, she wouldn't do for a real dog like Muku, but she figured she owed Yukiko at least that much.

"Go get it, girl!"

As Chie watched Yukiko, a real human being, bound off into the brush after a stick, she couldn't help feeling that her life had really gotten off track at some point. Mostly, she just wanted to be a semi-normal girl who went to school, hung out with her friends, practiced martial arts. Lately she had been toying with the idea of going into law enforcement when she grew up. Maybe it was because of all their adventures inside the TV, and saving Inaba from the menace of a vengeful god who had judged humanity as both too complacent and too volatile. She had found that not only did her kung fu training really pay off, but she also had enjoyed the idea of saving people more than she expected. And it was important work.

But seeing Yukiko creeping back from the bushes with the stick between her teeth gave her pause. Surely a cop didn't do things like this. Or maybe they did and she was just naive. No matter how many times they discussed the fact that she obviously loved her little Yuka, it still felt foreign and weird to order her around, treat her like property.

Even if they both got off on the roles of master and pet.

They had probably been playing fetch for about twenty minutes when Yukiko dropped the stick at her feet, then reared up to rest her "forepaws" on her master's hips. Barking at her. It was as cute as it was bizarre. Privately, she kept wondering if it hurt her knees to romp around like that, but Yukiko never complained. So she crouched down to scrub all over her hair, disheveling it so badly that she would definitely need to brush it out when they got back to the inn, and her girlfriend responded with more happy yips and licking all over her face.

"AH!" she giggled, trying to push her away without any success. Yukiko could be pretty strong when she set her mind to it. "Cut it out, Yuka! Ewww!"

Of course, this wasn't the first time the kisses had turned to doggy kisses. Though it was still a little icky, it was also highly entertaining for both of them so they had slowly incorporated it into their play. Yukiko's wet pink tongue slathered all over her cheeks, lips, chin… anywhere she could reach. Until finally, Chie grabbed her by the collar and held her back.

"Okay, girl! I love you, too." Yuka barked again so she grinned and pushed their foreheads together. "Who's a happy girl? Huh? Who's my sweet, sweet, happy girl?"

The junior innkeeper's ass wiggled from side to side. They had discussed getting her ears and a tail to help complete the illusion, but decided it would be a lot harder to explain those versus the collar and leash, which could just as easily be for Muku as for Yuka. Besides, she was pretty good at wagging a non-existent tail.

Chie was distracted from her thoughts when she noticed her girlfriend was sniffing around the hem of her skirt. She saw a coy smile grace her lips just before her face shot beneath to nuzzle against her center.

"WHOA!" she gasped — and went down hard on her backside. "Oof!"

When Yukiko's face reappeared, she looked very concerned. Still, they had agreed she was not to break character unless Chie had made it clear that she should.

"I'm okay, girl," she reassured her pet with a shaky laugh. "Just, uh… did not expect you to go for it like that. What is it, girl? Smell something good?" Yukiko gave a very human nod before remembering herself, and letting out a bark instead. "Yeah? Um, y-you want a treat from Master for being so good?"

That prompted a very strong bark, and her girlfriend gave a pronounced wiggle from stem to stern, to make sure there could be no question she really wanted that treat. So Chie leaned back against her elbows, allowing her thighs to fall open. Within a single second, her face was right back between those thighs, snuffling around and making sure her lips and nose were pushing into everything firmly.

And God help her, it was so hot. Every time they played like this, she still expected to feel disgusted regardless of how often she enjoyed it. And then was still surprised again. Maybe she really did have a learning disability of some kind.

When the nuzzling began to feel a little more pointed and purposeful, she realized that Yuka had hit an impasse. Sliding a hand down between them, she shakily tugged the crotch of her panties aside to grant her pet access. No time was wasted. After only a couple of sniffs, a warm, wet tongue was pressing into her needy flesh.

Chie really hoped nobody else would suddenly decide to take a walk through the woods. Not with her screaming out in ecstasy like that, a buck naked girl's face between her legs.

After a few months of trial-and-error, Yukiko Amagi was nothing less than a professional when it came to cunnilingus. That tongue knew every little fold and crease of her lover's sex, and she was an expert at finding the ways to set her off. With almost brutal efficiency, even if the touches were sometimes so light and delicate. Chie gave herself over completely, reaching down to grip her raven locks and hold her in place as she began to buck her hips against that insanely gifted mouth.

So close… "I'm coming! Good girl, Yuka! More!"

Well, she most definitely got what she asked for. At this point the game had been suspended while Yukiko ate her out with all the skills she had learned over the past several months, almost as if someone had challenged her to do the deed as quickly and spectacularly as possible. Her tongue almost seemed to be in two places at once.

Birds took off flying from the treetops when Chie cried out from the climax rocking her entire body, back arching off the forest floor. It was beyond mind-blowing. And all thanks to a good little doggie.

"Tapout!" she finally gasped a few moments later. That was the codeword they had developed for when their eager clits had been overstimulated to the point they couldn't handle any more. Yukiko's tongue disappeared, and she breathed a sigh of relief as her entire body shook and shivered. "Nnhh… oh GOD, that was… super intense!"

A little giggle spilled from the shining lips of her love as she crouched over her. Looking at her with bottomless affection. Just a moment for that to be made known — before she bounced a little. "WAN!"

"Y-yeah… good girl… c'mere…" She patted her chest and Yukiko crawled up to lick all over her face. "AWWW, NOOOO! Yuka, down! C'mooooon!"

Of course, it didn't take long for her to shove her puppy off and to stand up again, though her knees were a bit wobbly. A few deep, cleansing breaths cleared her head enough to clip the leash to Yuka's collar again and set off walking around the woods with her.

"You did such a good job!" she told Yuka — and Yukiko, really. Though she knew she couldn't talk back while they were in the middle of play. "I'm really happy. And even though Narukami's gone, I mean, he'll be back… and the rest of our lives are pretty great. Kinda kicking ass and taking names lately."

"Wan, wan!" Yuka replied. Too cute.

"You like taking walks with Master?" She paused to turn and look up at her, panting with her tongue out; a doggie smile. "Awww, I'm so glad! Sweet baby!"

Yukiko put her paws up again, but this time Chie pointed at her and said, "Down. You know better than that, girl." In response, she let out a little whine and got down on all fours again, looking up at her with large, baleful eyes that would have melted glaciers. "I'm sorry, but you have to behave; I can't have you jumping up on my friends!"

Not that there was any chance of that happening. Even after Naoto had figured it out, they still agreed this was only something for the two of them — nobody else.

Mostly obedient, Yuka pouted a little longer before she resumed trotting through the grass. Once or twice she winced when she crawled over a stick or a rock, but mostly she picked her way around them; they already established their rules for this interaction were no permanent injury. Chie wouldn't begrudge her that, even for the sake of "committing to the role".

They came to a stop nearly half an hour later when Yukiko began sniffing around a white pine tree excitedly. Chie couldn't blame her; evergreens smelled amazing. But as she sniffled… a memory of a previous conversation came back to her master. Were they ready? Most importantly, was Yukiko?

"Okay," she suddenly said, though she could hear the nerves in her own voice. "Mark it so we can go home."

Yukiko's look of surprise was priceless. Even while in Yuka-mode, she couldn't seem to fully suppress that deep level of alarm. But she didn't argue or stand up.

"Go on… if you, um, you need to."

There was a brief moment where it almost looked as if her girlfriend would either cry, or stand up and tell her off. Then she raised one leg…

And let out a golden stream against the bark of the pine's trunk. Chie felt her stomach disappear: she really did it. Her girlfriend, poised, refined innkeeper that she was, a true classic Japanese beauty… was pissing like a dog on a tree. Curiosity spiking, she took a further step to her right to get a better view, and was greeted with the sight of the thin arc of urine issuing from the top of her flawless pink pussy — two fingers on either side, to help keep the liquid from catching on the flushed lips.

Flushed from arousal, from going down on her? Or did she like this? Maybe "like" was too strong a word: Yukiko found it satisfying to be degraded in very small ways, so long as they played into her role of belonging to a loving master. By now, Chie had figured out — thanks in part to her shadow — that this was due to her desire to be cared for, cherished. To belong. Perhaps having to pee like a puppy in the woods pushed the boundary of what constituted a small way, but it wasn't so overboard that she broke character. In that way, it had been a perfect thing to demand of her.

As her thoughts bumped around inside her skull, the stream petered out. Yuka shook her raised leg a little, to rid herself of lingering droplets, then lowered it back to the ground. She was trembling all over, and she winced, but still made no comment.

"Very… good, Yuka," she told her in a distant voice. "Oh wow…"

A whining noise came from her puppy-slash-girlfriend, and she made baleful eyes up at her. Not very often had she witnessed Yukiko's cheeks flushed as they were in that moment. But the moment Chie began to frown, she nuzzled her leg — reassuring her that she was not upset with her. Just that the experience had been a strange, unsettling one.

"Okay, um… well, you did your business, so I guess we, like… should head back? Y-yeah…" But she instead dropped to one knee, pulling her in for a hug. Yuka leaned into the contact gratefully but didn't embrace her back, since dogs didn't use their forelegs like that.

In a flash, she knew what she could do to make her feel better. It was so obvious! After petting over her hair and back a few times, she started sliding her hand all the way back to her rump, then angling downward.

"Wan?" Yuka barked, the noise holding a very human question even if it was animal speech.

"Shhhh, shhh," she soothed her, petting along the damp folds. "Master saw you were really wet back here, girl. I-is it okay if I clean you up?"

Her girlfriend let out some very sensual dog-whines. Which apparently were possible. Chie felt her stomach turn a tiny bit at knowing this wasn't just excitement she was playing around in, because some of it was pee, but probably not much. And either way… it was Yukiko. She didn't mind.

And clearly, neither did Yukiko. As her attentions grew more pointed and firmer, fingers parting the lips and dragging up toward her ass, then back down toward her pulsing clit, the puppy panted and moaned, hips squirming from side to side as if to shake her off. Their past experiences had at least taught them to stop taking that involuntary reaction as a sign that their partner actually wanted them to stop; there had been a few touch-and-go moments thanks to miscommunication. Practice makes perfect, after all.

Kissing the top of her head, Chie whispered, "It's okay, Yuka. Master's gonna take care of you. Just let it feel good, okay? Like you made Master feel good before!"

By now, Yukiko was full-on baying — when she wasn't making more human sounds of pleasure. They were terribly hard to suppress in that state. Her hips were rolling into the contact, begging for more. Not for the first time, Chie wished she had a cock to slam into her — and they had considered buying one, many times. Probably would soon. Maybe even one that had two ends…

Once she started in on her clit, it only took another minute of blistering punishment before Yuka couldn't suppress her climax anymore. Her back arched and she let out a howl as the pleasure racked her body, nearly sending her face-first into the leaves and grass. And even doing something so base, she looked as elegant as always. The magic of Yukiko.

"Gooooood girl!" Chie praised her, kissing between her shoulder blades as her other hand pet up and down her neck. "So good, you were amazing! I'm so proud of my pretty Yuka!"

There was a much more subdued little "Wan" that fell from her lips before she gave a weak wag of her hips from side to side. But at least she was clearly happy.

As they continued their way back to the spot where they left the yukata, Chie was all smiles, and kept praising Yuka or commenting on what they might do later in the day. They had fallen into the habit of Yukiko using happy barks and whines to show her approval or disapproval of their various plans; that way she still got to put in her two yen without fully breaking character. Maybe it was cheating, but who cared?

"God, I could use some lemon soda," Chie sighed as the clothes came into view. "Oh — there we go. Did you have fun out here today, Yuka?"

"WAN!" she barked with a huge, panting grin, bouncing a little. Then she winced. "Nnn…"

"Yuka?" But she shook her head, so Chie sighed and pulled her closer to the clothes. "Mkay, let's get outta here; we still have time to play some Famidrive. Bet I can whoop you in Power Intuition!"

But as Yukiko drew almost right up to the clothes, which would be the official end of their play, Chie suddenly stopped and held the leash taut. There was a quiet gag before her girlfriend turned around to look up at her curiously.

"Wait… um… I was gonna do this later, but I think… I wanna do it now. While you're still on your walk, Yuka." Meaning during play. She actually had been going to wait for her birthday, but that was almost a year away — and she hated that she hadn't thought of it before the last one. Oh well, better late than never.

"Wan?" Yuka asked in concern.

"Huh? O-oh, right! I got you a little something." Kneeling down, she produced it from her jacket pocket and held it out. "Hope you like it, girl."

It was a dog tag. Not just any tag, but a bamboo tag with an elegant burned-in design of flames on one side. When Chie's nervously twitching fingers turned it around, the kanji "優花" were emblazoned on the back: Yuka. Gentle flower.

There was a very real gasp from her girlfriend before she squealed, "CHIE!" and threw her arms around her, bouncing with happiness. Her owner just began to laugh when she suddenly drew back and cleared her throat. "W-wan!"

"It's cool," she laughed as she reached for her collar. "We were almost done, anyway, right? Hmm…" Then she delicately began to attach the tag to her pet. The big grin and the way she could barely keep still was too adorable — and doglike, which continuously surprised her. Even if Yukiko was a beautiful debutante in so many ways, she was also the world's cutest puppy. "There!"

And no sooner had she finished than she was pounced upon, licked all over her face amid a flurry of giggles. After a minute or two, she managed to push the girl away and stood up.

"Okay, you can stand up too now."

"Ohhhh, Chie, it's gorgeous!" Yukiko gushed as she finally rose to her feet, catching up the yukata along the way. "Where did you get it? How long have you been hanging onto this?!"

"Few days," she told her shyly, watching her slip her zori back on. So cute the way her little toes wriggled to slip the thong between them. "J-just… you got me that necklace for White Day, and I don't know why, I didn't even think about-"

"Stop that," she cut her off. "We already discussed this, I told you I wasn't even sure if I should get you something. Since we aren't boyfriend-girlfriend, we are two girls; the rules aren't the same. So you didn't disappoint me!"

Shrugging as she helped her slide the light kimono around her body, she muttered, "Y-yeah, but you still deserved a gift. And we've been going out for like a whole year, so…"

"Almost a year," she whispered back with a twinkle in her eyes. One that made her suspicious.

"Um… you're not planning some kinda crazy thing next month, are you? Like, because it's our anniversary?"

Trying to sound innocent, she pressed a hand into her clothed chest — now that she had finished tying her yukata, naturally. "Why, Chie-chan! Would I do that?"

"Yep. Okay, okay… I guess I do wanna celebrate it, but don't go wacko! Just like, find us something fun. Maybe we can have a nice din-"

"Don't you worry about a thing," she reassured her lover as she linked their arms together. "Just don't be too busy that day and everything will come up roses. Okay?"

Letting out a loud "UGHHHHH", Chie tried to be grumpy as they headed for the edge of the woods, and toward the Amagi Inn beyond. But she still ended up leaning over to whisper, "Fine, I'm excited. Just don't tell anybody."

"Because our relationship is anyone's business as it is," she giggled. "Hmm… are you sure this is the right way?"

As Chie Satonaka stared at the pretty little innkeeper, the shafts of light filtering through the trees, her heart stopped for a moment as time froze. Because her priestess was there, and warm, and real, and so sweet and beautiful. Because they were there together.

"Everything's right, Yukiko," she whispered with a huge, goofy grin. "Everything."

~ THE END ~

#We'll Face Ourselves #chiko #yukiko x chie #persona 4 fanfic #jess the writer #nsfw-text #tbh i almost didn't post this bc i got a bunch of hate on wattpad #on an old fic #idk maybe i should just stop

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klvbxlove · 4 years ago

Text

quietness (investigation team x gn! reader)

a/n: honestly, this drabble was not planned at all. but for the past days, i had been feeling really down, so i figured the best and easiest way to somehow vent (?) my feelings was making this drabble. also, i know it might not sound like this is actually an investigation team x reader, but i put that there just because.

(damn, this is a really large GIF. but this is the only one i can find with all the investigation team members 😅)

reader type: gender neutral

reader specification(s): reader is an introvert

genre(s): angst

trigger warning(s): mentions of self-doubting thoughts, mentions of unworthiness

summary: a week ago, you left inaba for osaka without telling your friends, the investigation team. but before that you wrote them a letter talking about everything you’ve been feeling prior to moving.

word count: 1.3k words

♡ ♡ ♡ (ꈍᴗꈍ)ε｀*) ♡ ♡ ♡

key:

(f/n) = friend’s name (y/n) = your name

♡ ♡ ♡ (ꈍᴗꈍ)ε｀*) ♡ ♡ ♡

To any one of you who reads this,

I will have to be completely honest. I didn’t want to tell you guys about what’s going on. But I felt like I just had to, but not over text. That’s why I will write this as a letter instead.

Just in case (F/N) hasn’t told you guys, I gave this letter to them the day I seemed to have vanished and asked them to keep it secret for a while. They would only be able to show it to one of you ONLY if you began wondering where I’ve gone.

So now that you’ve begun reading this, you’re probably curious. Where have I been? Why did I suddenly disappear without a trace?

First and foremost, I’m not in danger. I’m perfectly safe, and so is my family. It’s just that I’m no longer living in Inaba anymore. A few weeks ago, one of my guardians got a new job near Osaka, and we had to move so they could be closer to the workplace.

But enough about that. I didn’t write this letter only to tell you where I’ve gone. I figured I could vent out my feelings to you guys and explain how I’ve been feeling lately for the past few months.

See, when I had moved to Inaba a few months ago, I thought it would be a nice place to settle, especially since I’m an introvert. I mean, think about it. City life might sound a bit draining for someone like me, right? And I know many people here regard Inaba as a quiet place in the middle of nowhere, but I mean, I liked it! I did not hate living in the city or anything (It was nice at times, to be honest.), but I thought that living in a quieter area would also be good for me.

I had those thoughts just a few weeks after settling down here. And it took me less time to fully get comfortable. I mean, sure, it was a bit unusual to not hear many sounds in the town compared to the city, but I didn’t mind. It was nice!

But that’s where things took a not-so-great turn for me. For the next few months, I had been crying to sleep almost every night. Making sure to be as quiet as possible, I would sob non-stop in my pillow. And it would go up to the point where I just exhausted myself. At first, I thought that maybe it was just my emotions messing with me. It happens on a few occasions. I figured, if I just settle down with myself, I would feel better. That was just it, right? That I would be alright in a few days?

Yeah, no.

My usual routine of crying every night became consistent. I’m not sure if anyone was able to tell, though. I mean, I did hide the fact that I was feeling down. Around people, I didn’t act overly happy, but I didn’t act depressed either. To put it simply, I was just fine.

Right then and there, that was when I realized that maybe Inaba is not the place for me. I appreciated the quiet this town has to offer (and of course, I would never hold a grudge against this rural area). However, I just hated the silence. I guess it was making me feel more alone than I used to be for some odd reason. And usually, I’m not that bothered about being alone. Yet lately, I just hated it. I hated being in my room in all this silence.

And I know I could have told you guys about my struggles. I am NOT trying to indicate that any of you would try to ignore me (or anyone else in our friend group, really) if I was crying out for help; I know you guys would never. There was just the fear of being a burden. I know you guys have days where you’re either busy or need to deal with other personal things. I would feel bad if I ever added more to your plate. And it was also why I was so quiet whenever we hung out. I had a gut feeling that whatever I said didn’t matter.

Honestly, hearing about the fact that I was moving to Osaka, arguably one of the largest cities in Japan, did excite me a little bit. Maybe I was more accustomed to living in a city rather than a rural town.

Now that I got to say all of that, I wanted to say I’m sorry.

I know it seemed like I had no trust in you.

I know I wasn’t comfortable ranting or venting about anything to you.

I know I’ve been distant from you for the past weeks.

And I know I must have worried you when you thought I went missing.

For everything I’ve mentioned here, I’m very, very sorry.

But then again, I feel like it wouldn’t make anything much better. I know you guys probably feel like I treated you as fake friends and that I was pushing myself away from you. Hell, I bet everyone is probably mad at me. You probably have no plans on forgiving me anytime soon. I understand.

However, I also just wanted to thank you guys for being one of the best friend groups ever. I’m honestly a bit picky about the people I open up with, but you guys managed to break that wall. And for that, I am grateful. Maybe one day, I’ll talk to you guys again. And maybe, we can all hang out just like we used to. Only if you want me to, that is.

But until then, goodbye.

(Y/N).

It had officially been a week since you wrote that letter and gave it to (F/N). You had no idea if any of the Investigation Team members ever wondered where you went or if they cared at all. But chances are, they probably did not. After all, you were arguably one of the quietest members ever, so how were they supposed to know what you have been through before you moved?

Sighing, you closed the book you were reading and walked over towards the window. While your new house was still a bit farther from the city, you could still see the tall buildings from afar. Night had settled down in Japan, and the sky was pitch black while illuminated by the stars.

If there was one thing you had missed about living in the city, it was the sounds that you heard during the night. Was it loud? No. But was it dead silent? Of course not! You could almost describe it as the Goldilocks zone. Osaka was not too loud nor too silent.

After a small smile grew on your lips, you suddenly let out a yawn. It was time to sleep. You had a long day ahead of you tomorrow. So you closed the curtains of the window, walked over towards your bed, and crawled into it. From what you have noticed, you have not been crying every night as often as you used to back in Inaba. Sure, a few tears trickled here and there. But it was not up to the point where the only way you could fall asleep was by sobbing.

Osaka seemed to be the perfect place for you to live. You could only hope that your emotions will begin to improve now that you are in a city again. It was clear it was not going to happen overnight. That was for sure, but you would be patient.

Of course, you were sad that you were miles away from the Investigation Team. However, you hoped that they were doing well, wherever they were.

And you could not forget to mention that you stood by what you last said in your letter to them. Maybe one day you would have the courage to talk to them more often and hang out just like you used to.

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