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wombadoodles · 6 years ago

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“Perfect Day”

Persona 4 fanfiction I wrote after reading Way Too Much other Persona 4 fanfiction and getting inspired, lol.

Summary: We already know about the nasty rumors and gossip that Yosuke and Kanji have to deal with. What if there was some more subtle-- and more dangerous-- gossip going around about our protagonist? And what if Nanako caught wind of it?

a.k.a. protag is Tired and just wants to have a nice day with his little cousin.

By the by, this is written in second person in such a way that protag’s name never comes up. I tend to prefer to call him Yu, but I know the fandom’s pretty evenly split re: Yu Narukami vs Souji Seta so I wrote a fic where you can just fill in your own preference! Convenient!

Anyway. Enjoy!

It's shaping up to be the perfect day. You had promised Nanako a shopping trip at Junes as a reward for finishing all of her summer homework, and the weather decided to cooperate with you for a change. There's nobody in the TV, the Midnight Channel has been blank for weeks, and you managed to finish your own summer homework just last night, too.

The bright morning sunlight fills the living room as Nanako chatters away about what she plans to buy today. You can't help smiling as you listen; the little girl in front of you far outshines the light streaming in through the back doors.

"Oh! Are you finished, Big Bro?" Nanako cuts herself off as she notices your empty breakfast plate. "You cooked, so I'll clean up!"

The child scoops up the dishes before you can protest. You resign yourself to being rewarded for providing the meal, smiling fondly at your cousin. She's happily singing the Junes jingle as she works.

Bright sun, brighter smiles, and a shopping trip with the sweetest person you know. No responsibilities, and no lingering anxiety over the case, for a change. This will be a perfect day.

The day only seems to improve from there. You're in the clothing section with Nanako when a familiar voice reaches you.

"Partner! Hey!" The mop of light brown hair rapidly approaches through the aisles, and your best friend's smile widens even further as he spots the girl next to you. Looks like he's on-duty; he's wearing his Junes apron. "Oh, Nanako-chan! Having a good time?"

Nanako somehow manages to smile even wider. "Hi Yosuke-nii! Big Bro said we could come to Junes today since I finished all my homework early!"

Yosuke visibly flinches at the mention of the word 'homework,' but Nanako doesn't seem to notice. "O-oh, is that so? Nice work, Nanako-chan!"

You raise an eyebrow at him, and he dutifully avoids your eye contact by examining a nearby display. You shake your head with a light chuckle. You'd probably be worried if he did something as uncharacteristic as actually finishing his homework on time.

Clearly hoping to change the subject, Yosuke clears his throat and puts on his best 'customer service' voice. "Well, let me know if I can help you find anything, okay?" He drops back to his normal tone as he turns to go. "My shift ends around noon. Meet me in the food court-- lunch is on me!"

Nanako cheers and waves goodbye while you respond with a more sedate, "Later, partner.”

Wasting no further time on goodbyes, Nanako grabs hold of your hand and tugs you insistently toward her next destination.

You manage to grab a table in the shade, sparing you at least a little of the late summer heat. It also happens to afford you a good view of almost the entire Junes rooftop, including the playground that currently occupies your little cousin's attention.

You plan to take Yosuke up on his offer of lunch, but in the meantime you bought yourself and Nanako some soda to cool off. You told her to take frequent drink breaks before she ran off, and she's been diligently complying. Good; the last thing you need is Dojima getting upset because you let his daughter get dehydrated.

You stretch lazily and check your watch. Twelve o'clock. Yosuke should be showing up pretty soon, then. You grab the pair of empty cups at the table and get up to get some refills. Nanako will be fine for a minute or so.

You're halfway to the drink machine when you hear a series of familiar voices. Mostly, it's not pleasant familiarity, but then you hear Yosuke's voice timidly mumble something. Whatever he says is not well received by the bratty coworkers who've apparently cornered him again.

Nanako and your drinks momentarily forgotten, you follow the sound to the back corner of the balcony, behind the food stands. It's about as out of sight as you can get up here.

Yosuke's in the corner, arms crossed uncomfortably and trying to make himself look small. Facing him are the two girls you met previously, back before summer break, the part-timers who insisted on using Yosuke as a living complaints box. The difference this time, though, is the pair of large third-years looming behind the girls. Their boyfriends? Honestly, you have trouble imagining why anyone would want to date these girls. Yosuke's looking away, clearly trying to hold his temper.

"Look, I already told you I can't do anything about your schedules."

"Ugh, useless. Didn't you say you'd talk to your dad or something?"

"I did, and I also told you not to get your hopes up. He just told me to man up and ignore you, which honestly seemed like pretty good advice."

His filters are slipping, it seems. One of the third-years leans closer. "It did, did it? You know, I was gonna spend a nice day with my girlfriend in Okina City today. We were gonna watch a movie. But we can't. Cuz she's supposed to work today."

Yosuke opens his mouth to reply, but his words trail off into a nervous squeak as the other third-year speaks up.

"I'd like to take my girlfriend somewhere nice. But you know what sucks? I ain't got the money for it. Cuz my pops lost his place in the shopping district. Cuz of you."

"I already told you, it isn't my fault! L-look, I'm sorry that happened, but I'm just a kid, okay?"

The third-years exchange glances. Yosuke swallows and you can see his instincts from the TV world kicking in as he takes on a defensive posture.

"Yeah," rumbles one of the third-years. "Yeah, you are."

...Time to intervene.

You clear your throat loudly, and all five high schoolers start. The two boys whip around, and the girls scowl and whisper to each other. Yosuke looks relieved.

"Partner!"

One of the girls snickers, and you feel your resolve waver.

"Did you hear that? He calls him his partner."

"Oh my God, right?"

You sort of hope you didn't just make this worse. You toss the empty cups aside (you'll clean them up later) and rest a hand on your hip, fixing the third-years with an icy glare. You'll ignore the girls for now; this is the more immediate threat.

"Is there a problem here?" you ask, your voice level as ever.

"Uh, well…" one of the guys stammers, unsure what to do now that he's been put on the spot. The other one elbows him, but he doesn't seem much more certain.

"I'd appreciate if you'd leave my friend alone," you continue. Your voice is even, but there's a subtle threat there. The confidence in your posture is enough to make the burly guys uneasy.

Then the tittering starts up again. You force yourself to remain calm even as your steely gaze flicks to the pair of girls.

"I thought he was your partner?"

More snickering. Your eyes narrow. You glance at Yosuke, and you can't decide if you're pleased or not that he now looks more angry than afraid.

"Looks like the little Junes Prince really can't do anything without his knight in shining armor."

"God, it's disgusting."

"So much for 'man up', right?"

"Pfft, I know."

Yosuke flushes red. You still don't say anything, but you can tell your glare is not having the desired effect any more. Your confidence starts to crumble, but you don't let it show on your face. You carefully keep your voice level as you speak again. "Get away from him. Go bother someone else, if your fragile egos really can't get by without someone to pick on."

"Hey, is he threatening us?" says one of the third-years. It seems that the small cracks in your composure are enough to restore the boys' confidence.

"I think he is."

"Uh oh, that's pretty scary. You've heard the rumors, right?"

You stiffen a little. There are rumors about you? You're so used to defending your friends from vicious small-town gossip that you hadn't really thought about whether there was any about you.

"Yeah, I heard 'em. He came to town right when people started dyin', right? He's probably the one doing it..."

What?

"Yeah. Fuckin' creep never shows any emotion, either-- look at him, I bet he's thinking about how to kill us right now."

The girls butt in again. You flick wide eyes over toward them, too stunned by the accusations to maintain your composure.

"Do you think Hanamura knows? God, the way he used to pine over Saki-chan was so gross. No way he'd knowingly hang out with her killer, right?"

You know you should have a comeback to the absurd accusations. You know they're trying to get a rise out of you, just switching the target of their bullying. But for some reason, you can't say anything.

Yosuke suddenly growls, the nervousness from before quickly evaporating. "Wh-what the hell are you saying? How dare you accuse him of that!"

The four teens surrounding him just laugh. Yosuke's expression hardens, and before you can say anything he flings himself at the nearest of the two third-years. The larger boy throws a punch that Yosuke easily dodges, and grunts in pain when Yosuke buries a fist in his midsection.

"Yosuke, don't--"

He's not listening. The girls have backed away, still muttering amongst themselves, and the third-year Yosuke hit is recovering. Of course, by the time the larger boy thinks to counterattack, Yosuke's long since danced out of his reach.

Into the reach of the other third-year.

Yosuke yelps, then gasps as an arm hooks around his neck and grips tight. His hands fly up to try and pry his attacker's arm loose, but he's built for speed, not strength.

Your body moves before you can think. You charge forward, neatly ducking the fist that flies your way from the still-recovering third-year and shooting a leg out to trip the boy. He goes down hard, freeing you up to deal with the guy holding your partner.

You hear one of the girls shriek nearby, but ignore it. Your target looks at you with a sneer, presenting a nice clear shot. You punch him in the face. He cries out and clutches his nose, letting Yosuke go in the process. You shake out your aching hand and help Yosuke stand up. He's coughing and gasping, but he seems pretty much okay.

"Th-thanks… Partner…" he wheezes. He looks up and his eyes widen. "Look out!"

You have no time to react, since Yosuke's already shoving you to the ground. You land hard enough to knock the wind out of you, but you're still plenty able to see Yosuke double over as the kick that was aimed at you hits him instead.

As if him doing that in the TV world wasn't bad enough…

You stagger back to your feet. The third-year slams a fist across Yosuke's jaw, sending him to the floor. You start toward him, but something snags your arm. Your head whips around in time to see an angry, bloodied face, and a fist headed your way.

You just barely manage to avoid getting your nose broken, but pain blossoms across your cheek and you see stars. You feel another blow, this one to your gut, and then a painful impact on your back drives what breath you still had out of you. It takes you a moment to register that the latter offender was the floor.

You blink your vision clear and roll to all fours, coughing. Yosuke's lying next to you, clutching his stomach and glaring daggers at your attackers despite the blood dribbling from his mouth. He glances at you, his expression firm, and you nod. You grit your teeth and stand up. You're far from finished.

The two third-years roll their shoulders and advance, ready for round two. Their girlfriends jeer at you from the sidelines. You and Yosuke silently fall into battle stances, adrenaline and experience dulling the pain from your injuries.

And then a tiny voice cuts through all of the sounds.

"...Big Bro…?"

The world seems to fall still for a moment. The bratty girls finally stop yelling. Even the third-years are taken aback, turning to face the source of the voice.

And there's Nanako, standing there with the fabric of her skirt clutched in her tiny hands and her eyes wide and watery. She manages to tear her gaze away from you long enough to stare up at the third-years.

"Why are you hurting Big Bro?"

"W-well, I, uh…"

The boy who spoke up quickly trails off under the weight of those eyes. As you watch, you can almost physically see the guilt that settles heavily around the boys' shoulders.

Out of range of the teary stare, one of the girls scoffs. "Your big bro murdered someone, stupid. Probably."

Nanako's gaze shifts, like a lighthouse beam cutting through the fog of bullshit. The teen withers.

"I-I mean, think about it," tries her companion. "He showed up in Inaba right as the murders started, right?"

"Big Bro got here right before that first lady died. He was with me and Daddy the whole time."

The girls fall into stunned silence. You can't stop the grin that spreads across your face, even though your bruised cheek angrily protests.

Nanako's expression has shifted from frightened tears to indignant anger. Her glare is far, far more potent than yours could ever be.

"Big Bro is super nice! He helps me with my homework, and he helps me take care of our veggies, and he makes yummy food sometimes when Dad comes home late!"

One of the third-years tries to say something, and Nanako's ire shifts again. Her eyes widen as she spots Yosuke, apparently having previously been blocked from view by one of the larger students. You glance over and see that he's looking to be in worse shape than you, and now that the danger's passed he's not trying so hard to hide it.

Nanako's voice is small and worried again. "Yosuke-nii? Are you okay?"

Yosuke opens his mouth to speak, thinks better of it, and just nods. He smiles, though it looks more like a grimace.

Nanako looks at the third-years again, the righteous anger of a six-year-old proving far more powerful than any shadow you've ever faced. "Why were you hurting Big Bro and Yosuke-nii!"

The boy currently caught in her glare is silent, but the other foolishly speaks up. "Hey, that runt started it," he yells.

Next to you, Yosuke spits a gob of blood onto the floor. "Only 'cuz you were saying all that shi-- uh, stuff about my partner!" He barely catches the curse, but you're glad he does. You'd hate to have to add to his current injuries.

This time, nobody dares say a word about the term 'partner'. Even the third-year who'd spoken evidently isn't that stupid.

Satisfied that the offending teens aren't saying anything, Nanako looks at you for confirmation. You cough lightly. "They were picking on Yosuke, so I stepped in." You flush a little when you think about how well that went. "Yosuke got mad because of what they were saying, and he hit one of those guys."

Yosuke crosses his arms next to you, standing up straight in spite of how obviously it hurts. He glares pridefully at the guy he'd first hit, daring him to claim he hadn't had it coming.

Nanako nods, like a judge carefully considering the facts before her. Then, she looks at the offending teens, bunched together now that the girls had rejoined their dumb muscle.

"Say you're sorry."

One of the boys stammers. "Huh-- what?"

"Say you're sorry," Nanako repeats more forcefully. "You were being mean! You were bullying Yosuke-nii and Big Bro. Say you're sorry!"

You're pretty sure it's physically impossible to say no to that. The four teens, thoroughly cowed, all mutter various weak apologies to the floor. Nanako shakes her head, not satisfied.

"Nuh-uh! Say sorry to them! And you gotta mean it!"

There's a pregnant pause. The teens shuffle awkwardly. Yosuke's still glaring, but he looks more tired and sulky than angry now. You've returned to your usual impassive stare, though your arms are crossed and your eyes are slightly narrowed.

The dumber of the two third-years is the first to speak up. He rubs the back of his head awkwardly, his eyes flitting between you, Yosuke, and an apparently very interesting potted plant. "S-sorry."

Behind him, Nanako crosses her arms. "For?"

The boy cringes. "Uh, f-for sayin' mean things and beating you up."

You nod silently. Yosuke huffs and looks away. "Yeah, alright."

The girl you assume is that guy's girlfriend scowls at the floor. "I'm… sorry for picking on you, Hanamura." Her eyes flick up toward him, then return to the floor.

The other girl is gripping her arm, looking a touch more remorseful. Just a touch. "Y-yeah, sorry for pestering you about stuff you can't change and siccing my boyfriend on you."

You glance at Yosuke and see that he looks like he just wants to be done with this more than anything. "Whatever," he says tiredly. It's apparently good enough for Nanako.

The other third-year glances around before finally grumbling and wiping his bloodied nose. "Your little sister's really scary, you know that?"

You're unable to suppress a tiny smile. "I know."

More grumbling. "Alright, fine. Sorry. For beating you up and stuff."

You once again nod tacitly, then turn your attention to the girls. "Leave Yosuke alone. I know you're frustrated, but instead of taking it out on someone who's not allowed to fight back I suggest you grow up and deal with your own problems."

Yosuke spits again. "Seriously. Nanako's way more mature than any of you guys." He's not even bothering with eye contact any more, just glaring at the wall beside him.

The teens shuffle off without another word. Nanako glares at them as they go past, then runs up to the two of you.

"Big Bro? Yosuke-nii? Are you okay?"

All of the anger she'd directed at those teens had melted back into her pure-hearted concern. You ruffle her hair. "I'm fine," you say, not entirely truthfully. You're pretty sure nothing's broken, at least.

Yosuke mirrors your assurance, somewhat less convincingly. "Y-yeah, no prob."

Nanako frowns, but doesn't press the issue. "Okay…"

You sigh. So much for a perfect day. "Why don't we go get our stuff and head back home?"

"Yosuke-nii can come too, right?"

"Of course. We can make lunch with the stuff we just bought."

Yosuke blushes a little. "Huh? W-wait, you don't have to do that! I said I'd buy you lunch, right?"

You open your mouth to argue, but you honestly don't feel up to cooking right now anyway. Huh.

"We can order from Aiya's," says Nanako, easily lighting up the mood as always.

You nod. "That's a great idea. Yosuke?"

"Oh, um, sure. Yeah, that sounds great. Good call, Nanako-chan."

You spare a glance at your partner, and grimace. You hope you don't look half as bad as he does, with his split lip and heavily bruised face.

He catches your expression and smiles wryly. "That bad, huh?"

You and Nanako both nod grimly.

"Heh… maybe we should get cleaned up first. There's a first-aid kit in the break room."

Nanako grabs your hand, and Yosuke claims her other one as he leads the way. Despite everything, you find yourself smiling.

Maybe this day wasn't perfect, but, well… you'll take "pretty good".

#fic #persona 4 #nanako dojima #yosuke hanamura #persona 4 protag #yu narukami #souji seta #figure i might as well tag both names #nanako is perfect and good and ready to throw down #let's be real nobody could actually bring themselves to defy her #she's adorable /and/ strong-willed #a potent and frightening combination #im honestly quite pleased with this c:#had a lot of fun writing it #even if i was stuck with a touch keyboard while i waited for my new comp UGH

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