Chapter Text
Thirteenth of April
Wednesday
Cloudy
Good Morning to another Great Day in famous sunny Inaba! Oh shit- wait, hold on-
Good Afternoon to another Great half-day in famous sunny Inaba!
Yeah, that's more like it. I've managed to sleep through the entire day again. Even though it's for the sake of staying conscious enough for work without emptying every vending machine in Junes, I can't help but feel slightly guilty for my lack of productivity.
Damn, capitalism is really getting to me huh?
Now, generally I don't do nightshifts, but it's just a couple weeks before my birthday and I want to have enough money to at least pretend I'm treating myself to something, so the messed-up sleep schedule is just something I'll have to cope with.
A lot of people in this town can relate to a longing for the good ol' days of aroundabout a year ago when Junes wasn't here. Most of the shops on the high street have closed down since they couldn't compete with Junes' prices, so most people who ended up unemployed from that ended up working at Junes, which results in Junes performing better, and the cycle continues. But, while Junes isn't really great for the local community, I can say that, personally and from a purely selfish standpoint, me and Junes have a preeetty sweet deal going on.
Essentially, my old job as a courier was pretty shit. If you look at Inaba from the perspective of someone who hasn't lived there their whole life, it's easy to assume we're some friendly small-town community where everybody knows eachother and everyone helps eachother et cetera et cetera, and sure, those friendly neighbors do exist, but for every one person who'll say "good morning" and "thank you" at the door, there's another nine who'll just glare at you as if it's your fault that their parcel was a day late. As a consequence of trying to read whether or not someone's going to scream at me for interrupting their show or waking their baby or something, and understanding how to adjust my behavior accordingly, I've gotten good at identifying problems with people, and because of this, I was snatched up for the position of Security Guard at Junes. I didn't really understand how reading people has anything to do with security or guarding, but I put on my resume that it would "help me identify suspicious individuals" with the added bonus of de-escalation skills (I would have thought that's better for customer service or something, but hey, I'm sure as hell not complaining).
So 'Junes Security Guard' is a really REALLY easy job. What I'm supposed to do is stand around and make sure people don't steal, vandalise, or fight anything, but what I actually do is sit in an office full of monitors and tell someone else if people steal, vandalise, or fight anything since I'm not the most suited to apprehending thieves, vandals, or combatants (And also the fact that the part-timer I bought an orangeade for one time just happened to be the manager's kid).
As a result of both my previous and current jobs, I'm pretty sure I can recognise everyone in Inaba in one way or another. If I can't match a name to a face I'll be able to recognise that someone's that guy who hangs around a certain area of Junes, or that a guy's house is the one with the orange cat in the window. It's something that does actually come in handy fairly often, and probably the only positive consequence my honestly soul-sucking career choices.
Yeah, the security guard job is easy, but it's boring as all hell; literally NOTHING happens. Ever. It's gotten better recently since microphones were added to the security system. The microphones came at the cost of one of the monitors breaking for no reason, but it was worth it since now I can make a game out of figuring out where the most interesting conversations are happening and tuning into them (it's usually the produce section, weirdly) but since I'm doing borderline-illegal work hours tonight I can't even do that for most of my shift. Today, though, I've had the ingenuity to bring a notebook and a couple decent pens to doodle with after the store closes and I'm sat around with nothing to watch or listen to for a couple hours.
Shit, I need to get going. If I set out too early I'll end up colliding with all the highschool kids on my walk to work, but if i set out too late then I'll have to deal with all the highschool kids hanging around in Junes when I get to work. There's a delicate balance to these things.
"♪Every Day's Great At Your Ju-Nes♪"
I hate that stupid little jingle, but it's so damn catchy that I have to hum it to myself every time I get into work! I swear, its a curse.
And honestly, every day is great at Junes. Every day is so great that no one does anything and my job as a 'security guard' is completely obselete.
I shouldn't complain, really. I'm pretty sure I'm being paid slightly more than the people who actually do work, and since I'm the only one who actually knows how to properly work the camera/security systems I'm (I think) marginally less easy to replace.
My timing was absolutely perfect today, though. I didn't see a single high school kid on the walk to Junes or on my way to the security office in Junes, and I think if I check the monitors now then-
Yep, that's the manager's kid walking in. He's in school uniform and he's got friends with him, so he's probably going to the food court.
I know the one in green is Chie Satonaka because there was a lot of strange movie merch and martial arts equipment I used to deliver all adressed to her, so the name stuck with me, but I don't think I've ever seen the other one before. I'd usually want to eavesdrop on the manager's kid anyway in case he mentions anything like a favourite food that I can give to him in a "random act of kindness" which'll hopefully make its way back to his dad, but with a -potentially- actually new person in the same area I'm even more incentivised to tune into the food court audio.
**click**
"THIS is the cheap place you were talking about...? They don't have grilled steak here!"
"Yeah, well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans."
I think Satonaka might be onto something, actually. If Junes served grilled steak in the food court it'd probably be pretty popular. Maybe I should put it in the suggestion box.
"Still, that's no reason to take us to your place."
"Dude, this isn't my place or anything."
With the way the grey-haired kid looks at him, I don't think he knows that the manager's kid is the manager's kid, so considering he's wearing the same school uniform, he's DEFINITELY new to Inaba. Fun.
"Oh, right. I haven't told you yet, huh? I moved here from another city about six months back. This location just opened up, and my dad was assigned to manage it. So our entire family came out here."
Manager's Kid leans forward from his chair and reaches over to the tray of food he brought to grab a drink. I bet he's going to toast to Grey-Hair's arrival with whatever cheap soda is in those cups.
"Here, this is to welcome you to town."
Called it.
"Satonaka, yours is on me too."
"Yeah, I know."
Grey-Hair and Satonaka both lean forward from their chairs to get their drinks, but since their chairs are really far back and Manager's Kid didn't think to push the tray a little closer to the centre of the table both of them have to practically lunge across the whole table to avoid the scraping of the metal chairs on the stone ground or the awkwardness of asking for the tray to be moved ruining their wholesome welcoming ceremony. It's witnessing this kind of wordless understanding between people that I live for; I just find it really neat.
Speaking of wordless, Grey-Hair sure doesn't talk much. I wonder if he's shy or if he's just like that.
"It's only been half a year since this place opened up, but I haven't been to the local shopping district much since. A lot of stores there started closing, and... Oh, uh..."
"...You Can't blame it all on Junes, can you?"
No, I think you very much can. Manager's kid sighs and leans back in his chair: he clearly knows it too.
"Hey... It's Saki-senpai! Sorry, be right back."
Oh, that's what her name is. I always remember her as the part-timer that always finds a corner to turn around when Manager's Kid is in the same room as her.
Manager's Kid walks over to her to, I presume, begin a normal and friendly conversation. Sometimes I think I should tell him that I see her leave whatever room he's also in half the time, but it could actually just be a coincidence and I don't want to stir up any trouble.
"Who's that?"
Grey-Hair finally spoke.
"That's Saki Konishi. Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district... I think she's working here part time, though."
Ouch, must sting having to work for the guys putting your family out of business. No wonder she avoids Manager's Kid like the plague: I think I would if I were her.
Satonaka and Grey-Hair stop talking so they can watch Manager's Kid attempt to chat up Konishi. I think I'll do the same, it could be funny.
"Hey, how's it going? You look beat."
"Heeey! I'm finally on break... What's up Hana-chan? Boosting the family business by bringing your friends here?"
Despite Konishi trying to avoid Manager's Kid at any oppertunity, she doesn't always succeed, so I see them talk semi-frequently. Their conversations are usually pretty friendly, actually, but these little passive-aggressive comments aren't uncommon. Manager's Kid has no idea, though.
"Madam, you wound me! Kidding aside... You look down. Did something happen?"
"...It's nothing. I'm just a little tired."
It's 100% not nothing. The question is, will Manager's Kid pick up on that, or is he even more oblivious than I thought he was?
"Hey, if you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen I..."
"I'm okay. Thanks, though."
Aww. That's sweet.
"Why'd I leave school early yesterday...? Hey... is he the kid who transferred here?"
Konishi makes a beeline directly to Grey-Hair before Manager's Kid can talk to her anymore, and stands directly infront of him. I don't know if she's intentionally positioned herself so that her back is facing Manager's Kid, but she sure has done that. Sometimes I almost feel a little bad for the guy.
"Are you the transfer student? Oh, did you hear about me already? It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much."
"N-Not necessarily..."
Now that I think about it, the only people I've ever seen him hang out with are Satonaka and sometimes another girl, Yukiko Amagi
(who I only remember the name of because she'd sometimes answer the door when I delivered to the Amagi Inn). I asssumed he did have other friends and that those two were just the only ones who hang around with him in Junes, but it's sounding like they might be the only ones he hangs around with in general. Damn.
"He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you too get along good. Hana-chan's a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes. You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you."
"That's not true."
"Ahaha, I'm just kidding."
Grey-Hair speaks for the second time! He seems like he's taken a liking to Manager's Kid. I'm glad for him.
"Hahah... You had me going there, Senpai."
"Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go... Laters!"
"Oh, uh, Senpai...!"
Konishi ignores Manager's Kid (or maybe she just didn't hear him) and keeps walking. Manager's kid stays stood up until a little after I can't see her on the particular food court camera I've been watching anymore, and then he sits back down.
"Haha, Saki-Senpai says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than me. She has a younger brother, and she treats me pretty much the same way..."
"Ohhh, you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh? Oh, I get it... So that's how it is... The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain... The flame of forbidden love!"
I think Satonaka's my favourite out of Manager's Kid's friends.
"Wha--!? Dude, it's not like that."
But it totally is though. Be real.
"Oh reaaaally... Well, I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart. You ever hear of the Midnight channel?"
Oh. I haven't heard of the midnight channel, actually. Sounds interesting. Please do go on, Satonaka.
"You're supposed to look into a TV that's switched off, alone, exactly at midnight on a rainy night. While you're staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen... And they say that person's your soulmate."
I'm glad I've brought my notepad, that's a lot of requirements for something so mundane. It reminds me of the many required steps to move the truck and catch Mew, and it'll probably be just as fruitless. Still gonna try it, though.
"What? For a second, I thought you were actually going to say something useful... How can you get all excited over such a childish urban legend like that?"
That's fair enough, actually, but I kinda feel attacked...
"Childish, huh? You don't believe it, do you!?"
"Of course I don't!"
"Well, it's raining tonight! Let's all try it out-- then you'll see!"
Awwww, I'm still working at midnight tonight. Hopefully Satonaka and her friends will meet up at Junes tomorrow so I can see how it went for them.
"Try it out...? Wait, you haven't even tried it yourself!? Wow, I'm trying to remember the last time I heard something this stupid... All that aside... you know that 'incident' yesterday? You guys think it was murder? Ooh, what if the culprit behind it was still lurking around...? Heehee..."
Holy shit Manager's Kid, that was one hell of a topic change! Somehow, I almost forgot about yesterday's incident. Maybe I shouldn't be working so late with the possibility of a murderer wandering around Inaba...
...Nah, I'll probably be fine. I know there are at least 3 houses along my walk home that have people with peculiar sleep patterns who'll be awake to call the cops if I get attacked or something, and plus, if I nearly get murdered I'll probably be able to angle for some paid time off while I cope with the trauma of it.
"Sheesh, you shouldn't joke about stuff like that. Now who's the childish one...? All I'm saying is, you guys better try it out tonight."
Nice way to switch the conversation away from murder and back to the Midnight Channel. Grey-Hair isn't saying anything, but he's definitely thinking about checking his TV tonight, and I'd be doing the same if I wasn't working.
Satonaka and her friends talk about nothing really interesting for a while before they all set off and leave Junes, and I'm just now realising that I haven't done my job at all today; usually when I'm eavesdropping in one area I'll at least glance over to the other areas, but today all I've done is look over the food court. What if today was the day where something actually happened? That'd be typical...
**click**
There's still some time before the store closes, so I scan over all the monitors again: The usual housewives in the produce section, some girls deliberating over socks in the clothing department, literally no one in the electronics department, woman selling seeds at the entrance... Yep, everything's completely normal. The only thing I could maybe say is a bit out of place would be the absence of that detective who likes to hang around the store entrance, but it makes sense that he wouldn't be here considering the murder that was literally yesterday. I imagine the police might have their hands full.
I'll just tune into the produce section audio until the store closes.
Junes has been closed for a good while, and I've almost perfected both my forgery of the manager's signature and my speed-drawing of cartoon dogs. I'm not going to actually use either of these for anything, but it's something to do until someone decides to break into Junes.
Sure enough, it's raining tonight, just like those kids said earlier. It's currently... 23:57. So in three minutes time they'll all be staring at their switched-off TVs like lemons. I can't really make fun, because I'd definitely be doing the same if I wasn't working right now; the 'Midnight Channel' definitely isn't a real thing, but what's the harm in trying, just in case?
I'm kind of actually looking forward to work tomorrow. I want to learn a bit more about Grey-Hair, and maybe hear how him and his friends' Midnight Channel watchings went. Thinking about it, there's been quite a few notable Inaba newcomers recently: There's that politician that cheated on his wife, Taro Namatame; there's that detective who I always see hanging around the Junes entrance who I'm blanking on the name of; and now there's Manager's Kid's friend Grey-Hair, who I've heard speak like twice so far, but there's probably something weird about him that made him want to be friends with Manager's Kid... That's three sort-of-memorable new people in the span of not even two months.
...No, I shouldn't be too mean to Manager's Kid. He's an alright guy; he's just kind of annoy- What the fuck?!
I swear I just saw a flash of light from somewhere, and there's a weird crackling sound with it. Has another one of the monitors busted? Fuck, I'm gonna get blamed for that. I decide to stop messing around and check the monitors and-
The broken monitor's working again. That's actually the exact opposite of what I thought had happened, but... Even if it had suddenly fixed itself it shouldn't show anything because we complely disconnected it from the rest of the monitor systems because it would sometimes cause interference. Maybe someone plugged it back in and I didn't notice...?
No- No, that screen definitely isn't showing security footage. I've got no idea what it is showing, but it sure as hell isn't supposed to be showing it. I lean in towards the screen to get a closer look; most of it is just scrolling lines of static, but there's some sort of video that's occasionally flickering into view. It's hard to make out, but I think it's showing a girl in some sort of... yellow? Place? And it looks like she's- I need to tune into the audio of this.
The audio actually does work on this monitor, I have a button to tune into it and everything, if I remember correctly it's only the screen that broke and that they had to disconnect. Unfortunately the screen is a pretty important part of a live camera feed, and I didn't really see the point in listening if I can't see anything, but right now I can see something, so I'm going to listen.
...Nothing's coming through my headset. I don't know why I expected it to. The only things I can hear are the crackling of the monitor and my own breathing.
I don't really need the audio, though, to notice that the girl on the screen seems like she's in some pain...
...It sounds really bad that I wanted to hear a scream to make sure... It's out of concern, not because I want to hear a girl scream.
The harder I stare at the screen the blurrier it seems to get, so I stop looking so hard and grab my notebook. I've never been that good an artist, but I think I should at least make an annotated scribble. I reach for the pen closest to me and start to draw out a crude stick-figure version of what I see on the screen and-
And it's gone. The monitor's back to its normal broken self. The weird static will probably be latent in my brain for a bit but I can't actually hear it outwardly, the only remaining sound in the room is the regular hum of electricity which I am now annoyingly aware of.
But holy shit? What the fuck was that? I want to say it was some weird prank but no one in Inaba, let alone anyone who works at Junes, would set up a prank like that. Not because the people in this town are too nice or whatever, I just can't imagine anyone even coming up with it. And it wouldn't be a very good prank, anyway, since I don't even know what the hell I was looking at. I would get it if it was some sort of screamer jumpscare, but it wasn't, it was... Whatever that was.
When's my shift over?