Chapter Text
For someone who is able to enter a TV and wield powers over a 'Persona', trying to catch a killer on the loose who's shoving people into the TV world, school life was pretty uneventful, as always, in the quiet town of Inaba.
Don't get Chie Satonaka wrong; she loves Inaba, she grew up here! But sometimes she understands Yosuke about how boring this town can be.
… Just don't tell him that.
The last thing Chie wants is to relate to Yosuke Hanamura.
"Ah, crap, my dad's calling," Yosuke whines. For the past few days, his dad has been working him to the bone to make up for his below-average midterm performance. Chie is grateful that her parents are more lenient about her own disappointing performance.
"I'm guessing we aren't going into the TV today, either, huh?" Her best friend, Yukiko Amagi, asks as she watches Yosuke walk towards the corner of the classroom, phone in ear.
Chie sighs, "Yeah, looks like it." She looks around to exaggerate her next point, "Not like Yu is here anyway, off to one of his clubs again, I bet."
Yukiko hums, a finger on her chin as she tries to recall, "I believe it's Drama Club today, if I remember the schedule correctly."
Chie snorts at that. It's still funny to her that out of all the cultural clubs, Yu Narukami chose drama. He is like the most unexpressive and deadpan guy she has ever met! But maybe that's all just a grand act of his. If so, then drama suits him perfectly.
But instead of a giggle at Chie's exaggerated snort, like usual, Yukiko sighs. "It's just—" she starts before being loudly interrupted by Yosuke standing beside Yu's empty desk.
"Sorry guys, my dad wants me to head over to Junes and work on stocks today, so I probably won't be heading back 'til late." He scratches the back of his head, giving the girls an apologetic look. "I-I promise I'll try to get my dad to lay off on me so we can… y'know." He conspicuously looks around at the (mostly) empty classroom.
"Jeez, you sounded like a perv saying it like that." Chie scoffs. And as predictably, Yosuke stutters and tries to defend himself, stopping short when his phone buzzes, and he leaves in a hurry, fumbling on his way out.
Chie rolls her eyes and turns back to Yukiko, "Anyway, what were you about to say?"
"Oh, it's… nothing important, really," she answers, playing with the end of her yellow bow. Chie frowns but ultimately shrugs it off. Things have turned pretty wild for Yukiko recently, so Chie understands her friend's sullen mood at times. There was a lot of change in a short amount of time.
The girls are silent for a few minutes, Chie swinging her feet restlessly and Yukiko fidgeting with her school bag.
It was… odd.
There was an uncomfortable silence, as if they were acquaintances with little in common, rather than best friends since childhood. Things have been like this ever since Yukiko temporarily took over the inn for a bit, and since they saved her from her castle, Chie and her haven't talked one-on-one about what their shadows have commented on each other.
They both knew it would be a heavy conversation, and Chie felt that, with Kanji Tatsumi currently stuck in the weird, suffocating sauna, their own turmoil was not important.
"How's Muku doing?" Yukiko breaks the silence, smiling sweetly at Chie.
"He's doing great! Ran around town with him during the weekend. The poor guy missed it. I've just been so busy lately," she wistfully replies, smiling ear-to-ear, reliving the wind whipping her face and the sounds of Muku's excited barks.
"By the look of it, it seems like you missed it, too," Yukiko giggles.
"Mm, yeah, I did." Chie bashfully admits. She straightens up and asks, "You wanna see him? It's been a while."
"I would love to."
The hill overlooking the town was the same as always, but the view was breathtaking.
Muku sleeps between Chie and Yukiko, letting out a few snorts here and there, the girls giggling as he lets out another loud one that sounds like an old man.
Yukiko sighs as she settles down, and Chie can't help but admire her.
Her black, silky hair shines in the sun, a gentle breeze whipping her bangs and stray hairs not captured by her headband. Her black eyes squint from the sun rays beating down on her porcelain skin. Her lips are a soft, glittery pink; she must be wearing her favorite lip gloss, which is cherry-flavored.
She reaches down with her manicured hands to pet Muku, who sighs contentedly.
Chie still wonders why Yukiko chooses to hang out with her instead of running off to some prince; someone as pretty and smart as her can get any guy she wants!
Then her face burns when she remembers Yukiko calling her her prince.
"Chie, are you alright? Are you sick? You're all red." Yukiko looks at her with concern, moving closer, making Chie flinch.
"N-nothing!" Chie clears her throat and fans her collar, "It's just really hot up here."
"Hm. Really? I think it's nice and cool. Maybe the sauna has gotten you sick?"
The sauna did make her sick, but for entirely different reasons.
"I'm fine, really! No need to be a worrywart."
They fall into silence again. Even Muku was not snoring as much.
After a few minutes of nothing but the sound of the breeze, Yukiko speaks up. "Do you think that… Narukami-san thinks I'm weak, and that's why we aren't going to the TV world?"
Chie sits up, gawking at Yukiko for such a ridiculous remark. "What are you talking about?! Yukiko, you've been our saving grace the last time we were in the TV world! Yosuke can heal, but it was not as good as your healing, and your fire powers are wicked strong! No one thinks you're weak."
Yukiko doesn't look at Chie. Instead, she finds the blades of grass more interesting.
"I think Yu is just tired of that place. It's… very different from the castle, much more suffocating and harder to see. I promise it has nothing to do with you." Chie scoots closer to Yukiko, placing a gentle hand on her best friend's lap.
She stops playing with the blade of grass, but makes no move to look at Chie.
"I'm sorry I said those… awful things about you in the castle. You might have forgiven me, but I still feel terrible about it."
"Look, our shadows said terrible things, but they were true in a twisted way. But what matters is… we both faced our shadows head-on, and it made us stronger! Maybe we should… do that here too, y'know, use this as a way to make our friendship stronger." Chie squeezes Yukiko's knee, also looking at the blade of glass between Yukiko's fingers.
Finally, Yukiko turns her head to face Chie, and she's faintly smiling, which makes Chie smile.
Chie could count the seconds they spent staring at one another, just smiling. Yukiko turns a light shade of pink and giggles, turning her gaze to the town. "This reminds me of when we were kids, when everything was… so much simpler," she says with gloomy nostalgia.
"Yeah…" Chie replies, staring at the town alongside her best friend. "But things have definitely been more lively lately. There's finally stuff happening."
More giggles. Chie loves the sound of her laugh. It was better than any music Yosuke bops his head to during battle and end-credit songs in her favorite kung fu movies.
"I wouldn't call these murders and kidnappings stuff."
"Oh, c'mon! That's not what I meant… mostly… Ah, I dont know how to explain it!"
"Like, ever since Narukami-san showed up, it's like the town woke up or something?" Typical Yukiko, knowing how to put Chie's thoughts into words; it's one of her favorite things about her childhood best friend.
"Yeah, exactly!"
Yukiko's leg shifts, making Chie realize that she had her hand on her knee the whole time, and, turning redder than a tomato, she quickly removes it.
Chie could have sworn that for a split second, Yukiko frowned, but as soon as it had appeared, it disappeared.
"Do you think that Kanji-kun is… well… ahem… gay?" Yukiko asks out of the blue. She turns red and quickly adds, "Not that it matters! Becauseifhewasthat'stotallyfine! Right?"
This… was very unexpected and sudden! Not that Chie had any problem with it (if she did, it would be very hypocritical).
"Uh, well, heh, no, it's totally fine. Nothing wrong with it." Chie replies, also turning red.
"It's just I heard the rumors, and… the way he acted around that boy with the hat… well…" Yukiko calms down, her expression much more serious now. "But it's still cruel how people treat him, like he's some… weirdo to be avoided."
Chie is aware that Kanji and Yukiko used to be friends when they were younger because Tatsumi Textiles worked closely with Amagi Inn, and they would often hang out while their parents did business. But, according to Yukiko, when Kanji started rebelling and gaining the town's punk reputation, he avoided her.
Yukiko smiles warmly, gaze looking over the town, "We actually had several things in common. It's a shame we drifted apart."
"Like what?" Chie cocks her head.
"Well, we both loved cute animals, we would spend time at the lake, feeding the strays. And he always had an eye for the prettiest colors and patterns. He's the one that told me I look good in red, you know."
She does look good in red; if green wasn't Chie's favorite color, it would have been red. In fact, red is her second favorite color.
"I didn't know that… he doesn't sound so bad," Chie says guiltily. All she has heard about Kanji is how he's the town delinquent and needs to be avoided, unless you want a beating. And him chasing her and Yosuke around didn't help his case at all. "Why'd you think he changed so much and stopped hanging out with you?"
Yukiko shakes her head and sighs, "I can't speak on Kanji-kun's behalf, because I'm not him… but, if I had to guess, maybe because of how all the boys in town would tease him for his more… ladylike hobbies and how all his friends were girls."
"I can relate," Chie mumbles. "All the girls in class used to call me too boyish, and you were my only female friend for years." Her eyes sting as she stares at her dog; she squeezes her eyes shut and laughs, "I don't know why you still hang out with me. You could be with anyone, and yet…"
"Because I like you, Chie!" Yukiko firmly replies, grabbing her hand hard.
Chie's face once again heats up, "Wha—!"
"You're funny and honest and determined and brave, and you always speak your mind, a-and you're pretty! I would be a fool not to be your friend anymore!" She shakes Chie's arm with each point, face almost as red as her headband.
"P-pretty?!" Chie gawks. She never ever considered herself pretty. She always thought she was too tomboyish to ever be as pretty as the girl in front of her… or any girl, for that matter.
"Y-yes, pretty."
"No, I'm not at all pretty… heh." Chie shakes her head vigorously.
Yukiko scoffs, squeezing her hand and softly says, "You are pretty. Your hair and eyes are the cutest and lightest brown. Your face is so soft, and you have the pinkest cheeks. You wear the cutest clothes and accessories. And…” She swallows, then continues, "... and your legs are really nice and defined."
"Yukiko…" Chie looks at her best friend, heart beating fast.
She loosens her grip on Chie's hand, but Chie tightens her grip, not letting her go.
"I'm sorry if that was…" Yukiko breathes out.
"Not at all," she reassures her.
The wind lifts, and they can hear the trees rustling in the distance. They sit in silence, not letting go of each other's hands.
After a long while, Yukiko's phone rings.
"Oh, sorry, it's my mom." Yukiko gives Chie's hand one last squeeze before she lets go.
Chie didn't need to hear the conversation to know what her mother is calling about.
And as predicted, it's her mother asking for her whereabouts and to come home for some tea.
When Yukiko reassures her mother and hangs up, she huffs, "It's been a few weeks since I've last been sick, yet she keeps coddling me."
"I'm sure she's just worried; you did get kidnapped."
Yukiko giggles at that and stands up, and Muko springs up and barks. She pets the dog and smiles brightly.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Chie."
"See ya!" She springs up, brushing her skirt as Muko circles her. That old mutt, she smiles.
Yukiko turns around, but pauses, looks back, and says, "Oh, and Chie… I love you," and runs off.
Chie feels like a bright red fool, but doesn't have a care for the world. She feels her persona shift in her along with her heart, like she unlocked something.
"C'mon Muko, let's go home," she coos at her dog.
"YUKIKO!" Chie yells as the shadow is on its last legs, slumping in low health.
"Okay, Chie!" she yells back, running towards Chie.
When they reach each other, they circle one another, summoning their personas at the struggling enemy. Twin dragons emerge and surround the shadow, and a large flower blooms as they descend on the enemy, leaving nothing but stray petals and the sweet smell of freshly cut flowers on the battlefield.
"What the hell was that?!" Yosuke yells, jaw dropped.
The girls look at each other, not really sure themselves; it just… happened.
Chie shrugs, and Yosuke gawks.
"That was impressive," Yu nods.
"That doesn't explain anything! Have you two been going into the TV world without us or something?!" Yosuke persists.
And as predictable as the everyday school life of the quiet town of Inaba, Yosuke and Chie get into a pointless quarrel as Yukiko giggles, Teddy tries to de-escalate them, and Yu shakes his head foundly.