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10/30 in the evening, after the school cultural festival.
Yu and his cohort of bumbling idiots that he loves very dearly decided to make the most of their time at the Amagi Inn and go to the hot springs. After the call from the front desk, Yu (and then Yosuke for good measure) double-checked that it was, in fact, their time to go bathe. Nothing could go wrong. But Yu… he had a feeling. Call it a sixth sense, but he felt something was off as he led his friends down the inn’s hallway.
“Does anything feel off to you guys?” He asked without looking back.
“Uh, of course something feels off!” Kanji was the first to respond, “This whole side of the building feels weird as hell!”
That is true. Okay, maybe he doesn’t have a sixth sense. Regardless, he had to do something to free himself and his friends from this ominous atmosphere.
“I forgot something.” Yu blurted out.
Everyone behind him froze, except Teddie because he’s extra. He kept skipping along until Yu stopped him in his (bear) tracks with an outstretched arm.
Teddie yelped, “WOAH! Wha- Sensei!? Is there danger ahead? Don’t worry! I-”
Yu shook his head as he gently patted Teddie’s blonde head, “No, I just forgot my conditioner.”
Everyone was silent. Yu just ignored them and started heading back the way they came. Then Yosuke spoke up, questioning him.
“Your… conditioner? Is it that big a deal? You can just skip your hair this time.”
Yu stopped dead in his tracks. He didn’t even bother to turn around and face his so-called “partner”. He put it bluntly, “Yosuke, we’re at a hot spring. Why would I not go all out?”
He didn’t need to tell them everything, just the facts. He didn’t need to mention that his scalp gets dry or anything when it isn’t conditioned properly, nope. Just the facts.
Yosuke’s shoulders slumped as he sighed, “You’re really making us go back to that eerie room?”
Yu smiled in Yosuke’s direction as he replied, “Yosuke, I thought you would understand. After all, you take such good care of your hair; it’s practically shining.”
Yosuke’s shoulders jolt back up, and now he’s looking directly back at Yu. Their eyes lock for a moment before Yosuke returns to his senses and shakes his head in protest.
“I’m not falling for your fake flattery dude!”
Teddie claps his hands together and interjects, “I’d fall for your flattery any day Sensei!”
Yosuke, Yu, and Kanji watch with unmoving expressions as Teddie prances and skips around between them, practically frolicking around in his own world. It warmed his sensei’s heart, but that wouldn’t halt his sensei’s ruthlessness towards Yosuke; he enjoyed it too much.
“Besides, ” Yu said, turning away from the others, “you can go on ahead. I’m not forcing you to follow me back.”
Yu didn’t wait for a response. He continues his trek back to their room to get the very real bottle of conditioner for his very real dry scalp (one of these isn’t very real). He hears disgruntled mumbling behind him, and eventually footsteps keeping pace with him. Yu smiles to himself.
And so, Yu leads his cohort of bumbling idiots that he loves very dearly back to their room.
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“Just a little further Naoto-kun! Stop being difficult!”
She didn’t mean to be difficult, but how else is she supposed to act in this situation? Today was one of the most overwhelming days of her life…
Rise was trying to drag Naoto out of the shower room and into the hot spring where the other girls were waiting. The thought of going out there like this… It made Naoto’s stomach churn. Rise had made it abundantly clear that Naoto can’t hide away from this as she did during the beauty pageant. Everyone is waiting for her, and they only have so long to bathe. She had to get her act together, but it’s all too much, but there is no other-
“Naoto-kun, please! Is it… Is it really too much for you?”
Rise’s voice suddenly softens, which snaps Naoto out of her internal war with herself. Naoto had been turned away from Rise, tightly clutching her own towel to her chest and squeezing her eyes shut. But now, Naoto dared to open her eyes and look up at her classmate. And the first thought that entered her now blank mind, to her surprise, was how… simply beautiful Rise is. Her brunette hair was still done up in her iconic pigtails, and she didn’t look objectively different than her usual self even compared to the ads Naoto had seen of her in the city. But something about the sheer intimacy of seeing Rise, surrounded by the warm, misty air, and only wearing a towel sent Naoto’s face ablaze.
Naoto averted her gaze from Rise. She felt oddly like a creep thinking all of that. For heaven’s sake, Nanako is waiting out there! Naoto couldn’t let her strange thoughts overwhelm her too.
Naoto decided to be honest and fess up to Rise, whispering, “I… I’ve never been… to a place like this with anyone else…”
She hadn’t, and she never imagined she would in a million years. Clutching her elbows, Naoto dared to look back at Rise who was not grinning.
“Oooooh, I see. I mean, it was obvious you were shy, but you’re also inexperienced.”
Rise leaned forward and gently took hold of Naoto’s hands, undoing the grasp Naoto had on her elbows. As soon as Rise touched Naoto’s hands, it almost felt like Naoto had lost sensation in them. The gesture shocked Naoto to her core, and she couldn’t muster an argument against it. Rise then began to swing their connected hands together up and down and took a deep breath.
“Do-do-do-do-da-do-do, ” Rise playfully sang, “never ever ah, never ever ah, swam naked with the girls, nah!”
“”RISE! STOP THIS!” Naoto practically screamed. This is becoming torture! Why is Rise torturing her like this? No one in their right mind would find this appropriate!
Rise giggled at Naoto’s plea, “Then come outside! It can’t get much worse than this!”
Rise released her hold on Naoto’s hands. Naoto gratefully held her own hands close to her chest. If Rise hadn’t started singing that terrible tune, the gesture may have felt nice. Rise’s hands were so soft and quite gentle…
“Naoto-kun.”
When her name left Rise’s mouth, it seemed to linger in the air between them. The tone was much different than Rise’s usual upbeat one. It was a matter of fact. It was full of honesty. And it caused Naoto to stiffen.
Rise continued, “You’re really beautiful and cute. And so smart. Seriously, you’re the whole package. Hell, in my book, you give Yu-senpai a run for his money.”
… Huh?
What did Rise just say? Does she… mean all that? (YES)
Naoto and Rise look back at each other, the moment feeling like an eternity.
“Erm.. but, um… don’t tell anyone I said that last part,” Rise said, breaking eye contact and looking to the left.
Naoto knew how much Rise admired Yu-Senpai. She loves him a lot (possibly to an unhealthy degree). The fact that Rise would even see Naoto that highly was astonishing. The two haven’t known each other for long, and they definitely got off on the wrong foot initially. So, how could Rise feel this way?
Naoto shook her head in confusion, “Kujikawa, you do not need to say all those things. If it’s just to make me feel better, then I’d prefer you wouldn’t.”
“What!? You think I’m lying!?” Rise gasped. She then pointed at her face, “Does this look like a liar to you?”
Naoto… wasn’t really sure. How was she supposed to respond to that? Well, obviously with a simple “no” to appease Rise. Unfortunately, Naoto didn’t do that.
“Maybe.” Naoto bluntly said.
Naoto’s justification was that Rise is an idol, so maybe she’s good at lying. Oh, how foolish Naoto was.
Rise immediately dropped her arms to her sides and pouted, “Really!? How could I be lying? You won the beauty pageant without walking on stage! People love you!”
“No, they don’t.” Naoto looked down, “They don’t know me. Not really.”
“Heh, I know that feeling, ” Rise tucked her arms behind and back and leaned towards Naoto, saying close to her ear, “but that’s what friends are for. To love the real you.”
Naoto slowly took in those words, and as she slowly returned Rise’s gaze, she was met with a matching blush on Rise’s smiling face.
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Something is extremely off here. It seems the girls are in the wrong place at the wrong time. He and Yosuke double-checked the time, and it was their turn in the hot spring now. He even made sure to delay their trip a little to give themselves a buffer in case something like this happened. And yet, he still managed to fail his friends.
Another wooden bucket was hurtling towards his head. He dodged it this time, regaining the grace he exhibited in the TV world. Yu couldn’t only focus on himself though. He looked around at his cohort. Yosuke was taking the assault pretty badly. His partner is usually swifter, but he has Jiraya’s help thanks to his Garu skills. However, here in the normal world, Yosuke isn’t as resourceful. It’s painful to watch.
Kanji looks to be a his limit. He’s been simply taking each hit, but now he’s on one knee. He may collapse soon if Yu doesn’t act in time. And Teddie… is being Teddie. He’s swimming around and dodging each bucket to the dismay of his attackers. And just as Yu notes that, a bucket from Chie hits Teddie’s head like a bullet. Ouch.
He should make the call to retreat. They could escape with some bruises, but still alive. He could and no one would blame him. But this is wrong. It’s all wrong. The staff said it was their turn in the hot spring. Yet, here Yukiko and the other girls were. It didn’t add up.
So, Yu did what any man would do. He locked in.
“Hold the line.” He ordered with as much strength as his body allowed him.
Yu was afraid his command fell on deaf ears, but Yosuke’s voice didn’t waver as he chimed in, “Yeah, what’s the deal!? It’s our turn damn it!”
“Sure you pervs!” Chie yelled, “It’s OUR turn, right Yukiko?”
“...”
“Yukiko?”
Everyone was now turning towards Yukiko. The silence was so sudden, and Yukiko’s face was unreadable.
“... That’s a good question Chie.”
That was Yukiko’s only response.
“Um…” Rise dropped the bucket she was about to throw at Yosuke, “What do you mean by that?”
Yukiko tilted her head and laughed nervously, “Ha ha! I’m just… pulling your legs! Let’s go back to killing them.”
“NO NO NO!” Yosuke exclaimed, raising his arms out in a “please don’t resume killing me, dear god” gesture, “Explain yourself!”
Yukiko placed her hand on her chin and looked towards Chie (for some reason) as she spoke.
“I may have gotten the times mixed up… Whoopsie.”
Okay reader, imagine Yukiko doing the Bleh Oopsie anime girl meme because that’s what I think she’d do here.
This should’ve been a victory for the guys. After all, it wasn’t their fault for walking in on the girls; Yukiko just admitted that. The thing is… no one wanted to keep this up. Yu raised his palm as a sign of peace and vowed to return later for their time in the hot spring. He and the rest of the guys left (Yosuke had to drag Teddie out). It was awkward, even for Yu. But he didn’t want to stay any longer to fight his case, especially with Nanako there.
The boys returned to their room, not feeling victorious, but not completely defeated. Just in a weird limbo in between. They said by the table, their heads low.
“So, ” Yosuke was the first to break the silence, “did anyone see anything?”
“Shut the fuck up Yosuke.” Kanji groaned.
Kanji was lying on the floor, probably having suffered the most from the assault. Yu felt bad, but the least Yu could do was let him rest.
“Yes, shut up Yosuke,” Yu added.
“I already heard Kanji say it…” Yosuke grumpily said, “I can’t believe Yukiko screwed us over like that. I guess, at least it wasn’t on purpose. But still!”
Teddie joined in on the whining, “No Mt. Fuji… no pretty girls… and no bathing with Sensei… What a sad life for a bear.”
Yu gripped the edge of the table in disappointment, “Didn’t you all hear me back there? We can go back in there later. The girls should be leaving soon.”
“The girls…” Yosuke repeated, but his tone turned sinister, “We should get back at ‘em. Let’s prank them.”
Yu didn’t hesitate to shut Yosuke’s idea down. “Yosuke, no.”
“It doesn’t have to be anything crazy.”
“Yosuke, no.”
“I was thinking we pretend to be evil spirits and sneak into their room at night.”
“Yosuke, no.”
“Oh, you’re probably worried about Nanako-chan. We could warn her so she isn’t in the room.”
“Yosuke-”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP YOSUKE!”
Kanji pounded a fist on the floor, shaking the whole room. Then he fell right to sleep. Guess he needed to get that out of his system.
Yosuke shrugged, “Fine. Have it your way pacifists.”
Yosuke stood up. Then he left the room.
Wait, why did Yosuke leave? Was he really that upset about his stupid idea being shut down? Yu would hope Yosuke wouldn’t do anything drastic. But maybe he was driven to the edge this time. Yu stood up and went after Yosuke.
Luckily, Yosuke wasn’t far. He was standing out in the hallway, looking irritated. He tried not to look at Yu as he approached him, but he gave in and met eyes with his partner.
“Yosuke-”
“Why are you such a suck-up to the girls?” Yosuke began, “I thought, you know, we used to be tight. Stuff was just between us. But now you tell everything to them. And you’re getting all close to Rise. It’s… It’s not cool dude.”
Yu needed to process this. Is this Yosuke truly feels?
“Yosuke, you got it wrong. There are certain things I’d only tell you, no one else.” Yu joined Yosuke, leaning against the wall, “And for the record, it’s for the team’s benefit that I know everyone well. I’m the leader after all.”
Yosuke sighed, putting his head against the wall, “Yeah… yeah, I know. I get it. I got ahead of myself back there.”
Yosuke let out a self-deprecating chuckle, “And if we did try to prank the girls, I’m sure it’d bite us in the ass first. That’s just our luck.”
Despite Yosuke’s sorry tone, Yu was glad Yosuke had come to his senses. He knew that no matter what, he and Yosuke would always find even ground and work things out. That’s the kind of friends they are. The kind of partners they are.
Yu glanced down the hallway leading to the hot spring and tapped Yosuke’s shoulder.
“Want to go?”
Yosuke looked at Yu, quizzically. Yu smiled, “Hot spring.”
“Um, what about Teddie and Kanji?”
“Kanji is out cold and Teddie is crying about the girls. And, to be honest, Teddie would be disturbing the peace.”
Yosuke appeared to get the message Yu was sending, but his voice quivered slightly as he said, “O-Oh, okay. That makes sense…”
And so, the two ventured off together to the hot spring.
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The hot spring was empty (thank god) when Yosuke and Yu finished rinsing off. It was a quick rinse since they already showered an hour ago. Yosuke, finally, let his guard down and breathed a heavy sigh of relief, stretching his arms into the air.
“Yes… Finally, we can relax.”
Yosuke turned gleefully back at his partner. The two were standing side by side, as they had when they first entered the hot spring on that unfateful hour.
He smirked, “Race you over there!”
Yosuke hopped into full gear and- oh. He slipped. Now he’s falling. What a complete clown he was. Now he’ll be out like a light, just like Kanji. Yosuke has accepted his terrible luck, and now he accepts his possible concussion.
Except, his partner saves him. Yu stopped Yosuke’s backward fall, catching him below his arms. In this position, Yosuke looks up at Yu in both shock and admiration. It was thanks to his partner’s fast reflexes that he got to see another day. And it’s thanks to his partner that he… he feels so…
“Yosuke, your towel.”
Yu’s statement snaps Yosuke out of his thoughts. Yosuke can only muster up a “huh?” because what is Yu talking about? Then Yosuke looks forward and… yep. The fall caused his towel to leave on an early vacation to the hot spring. Fucking slacker.
“Damn it…” Yosuke groaned.
“Hmmm, ” Yu hummed, “You don’t need it anyway. We’re hopping in.”
“Heh, yeah.” Yosuke nodded slowly, staring off at the water.
He didn’t want Yu to see his face. It was probably so red right now… He and Yu had come here before, but the fact that they are staying the night here too… It feels different. And a lot of time has passed since those first few visits.
Yosuke is awakened from his thoughts by Yu, who is already in the water. Yu gives Yosuke that soft, patient smile he’s known for and calls to Yosuke, “Take your time sunshine.”
Yosuke shakes his head and carefully makes his way into the water. He swam around a bit, chatted with Yu about stupid stuff, and practiced his float (and failed). Yu’s commentary during his practice didn’t help either. Stuff like “Pretend Junes has flooded and there are no more old ladies to help”. Okay buddy, how does that help me float?
Yosuke had loosened up at this point and suggested to Yu, “Let’s try to water wrestle.”
“Yosuke, stop making weird stuff up. It’s bad for your health.”
“No dude, this is real. I saw it on a game show.”
“Exactly. It isn’t real. I’d think your parents would have taught you fiction from reality.”
“Shut up, I’m for real. And this would be, like, sumo wrestling, but in the water.”
“Yosuke, this is how people drown and die.”
Yosuke rolled his eyes, “Pssh, you’re no fun. First, you don’t wanna prank the girls, now you don’t want to water wrestle.”
Suddenly, Yu narrows his gaze at Yosuke and refutes, “I’m Yu, but I can make my middle name “fun”.”
There’s a short silence between the two before they both erupt in laughter.
“D-Dude! Some- sometimes I just…. I can’t with you!” Yosuke says between fits of laughter.
So, Yosuke and Yu attempt to water wrestle. Or at least, what Yosuke could recall from the show he watched. He can’t even remember the name of the show, so that should tell you how well he knows water wrestling. Most rounds ended in one of the guys pushing the other underwater and the fight continuing there, but it was hard to see, so they’d end up pushing away from each other and realizing they were wrestling no one but the water. It was so very idiotic, even by Yosuke’s standards.
“Okay, I think we’ve had our fun. Geez, this was stupid.” Yosuke said as he wiped his wet hair out of his face.
Yu closed the distance between them and looked triumphantly at Yosuke, “So I won then?”
“Huh?”
“You’re giving up, so I win.”
“Erm, no, ”, Yosuke rebuttals, “we mutually agree to end the game.”
“Erm, no,”, Yu mocks, “if I don’t agree to forfeit, then I win.”
Yosuke’s body surges with motivation at this realization.
“Then I’ll make you wish you forfeited!”
Yosuke pounced on Yu, grabbing from behind and trying to kick at his legs from underwater. Yu reacts quickly and lets himself fall backward. Yosuke, now submerged, takes action and twists himself so he’s on top of Yu. He pushes his hands against Yu’s chest to keep him down, but Yu knees his partner’s back, causing Yosuke to be jostled forward and off of Yu.
The two return to the surface, taking deep breaths. Their heated eyes lock once again, and Yu makes the first move this time. He almost glides along the water, swimming on his side to work his way around Yosuke. But Yosuke launches himself at Yu’s legs before he can land a blow, and the two are once again underwater. The two lock each other into a bear hug (Teddie would be proud), trying to overpower the other. Yosuke pounds his fists against Yu’s shoulder blades, but this is futile because the water makes his swings comically slow. Yu roughly grabs the underside of Yosuke’s legs and tries to flip him over, but Yosuke keeps a grip on Yu’s shoulders, preventing him from being tossed away.
Yu is the first to realize he needs air and carries Yosuke up with him to the surface.
Yosuke coughs, “Is that… all you got!?”
Yu doesn’t respond. He’s just coughing and gasping for air. Yosuke’s demeanor softens to worry.
“Partner? Did we stay under too long?”
“Probably,” Yu responds curtly between breaths.
“Damn… I’m-”
Yosuke doesn’t finish his sentence. Because he finally sees the position he and his partner are in. Yu’s lifting him, holding him up by his… um, when did his hands get there? And Yosuke’s legs are intertwined behind Yu. Yosuke’s hanging onto Yu’s shoulders and the two are… very close.
Yosuke’s face flashes red. His brain is telling him he needs to pull away, just hop back into the water, and forget this happened. But… something else is in there. His heart? His gut? His kidneys? They want him to stay because it’s so warm and… it just feels nice. He’s being held by someone close to him. Wait, he’s being held? Yeah, he sure is. By another dude? By his best friend.
Yu finally catches his breath, and Yosuke can tell by Yu’s face that he is just now also taking in the situation. After what feels like hours, Yu brings Yosuke in a little closer. Yosuke… he decides to turn his brain off for now. The feelings are too overwhelming, it’d just overheat and die, becoming useless if he used it now. So, he lets it go. He knows he’s always wanted this, he just couldn’t admit it to himself.
And the gap closes between them. Yu and Yosuke close their eyes and exchange their first kiss. They’d have to talk over a lot of stuff after this. But for now, Yosuke only wanted to be held, and Yu only wanted to hold Yosuke—just a couple of simple guys doing simple partner things.