Chase The Truth

Chapter 34: Rise's Dilemma

Begin

~Normal POV

8/28 - Sunday

Today, Yu got a rather nervous phone call from Rise asking if they could talk. He accepted the offer, but he was also worried. She seemed to be in a bad mood. This must be something serious. Rise was usually more chipper...

The place that she took him to was one had been to before. It was a grassy hill. There were benches and picnic tables, and it was the perfect spot to see all of Inaba with how high up it was. Inaba had no tall buildings, except Junes. It looked even more peaceful from up here. But he was more focused on Rise's apparent bad mood. The two sat down next to each other at a picnic table. He patiently waited for her to explain what was wrong.

"When I first got into town, I used to sit here and do nothing..." Rise started, quietly. "I would just listen to the sound of the river, the sound of the birds, the sound of the rain... I felt like I could forget Risette and find myself that way... but..."

"It didn't work, huh?"

Rise merely shook her head. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again. "Senpai, have you ever thought that you're pushing yourself too far, or that you were just acting...?"

Yu wasn't sure what she was talking about but he replied. "Sometimes."

"I see... But I guess that makes sense... No one can be their normal self all the time, huh?"

Oh, that was what she meant. Well, his answer would still be the same then. Everyone has different sides to themselves. Yu gave her a sympathetic look. It was clear she was going through a lot under the surface. It must be so frustrating to be famous. To have the world see you only as an idol. Sure, he liked her music, and her films. He would honestly say he was a fan of hers. He didn't keep that a secret, really. It felt wrong to do so since she would have found out anyway. She asked once out of curiosity if he had ever listened to her songs, and he answered honestly. She appreciated the answer, even saying it didn't bother her. But that didn't stop him from wondering if it was right to mention it.

He liked Rise for her. That much was already true enough. He just... liked her. Her energy, her smile, her laugh, even her mischievous flirty side was enjoyable. Getting to know the real her was an experience he never thought he'd have, but he was enjoying it immensely. Now, how much he liked her was the real question. He felt like it was still too early to try asking her out on a proper date, but if she had meant their festival outing before as a date, then he wouldn't complain. She felt like the kind of girl who would say such a thing first, too.

"I feel like I've been able to relax after coming to Inaba," Rise said, quietly.

"Was that before or after getting thrown into the tv," Yu asked, smirking a little.

Rise snorted and lapsed into a fit of giggles. "Damn it, senpai!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Yu said, playfully. It was worth it to make her smile.

"No, it's ok! I needed that..." She sighed, still smiling. "Meeting all of you, laughing together... watching the store, reading comics, playing with the cat..." Her list dwindled and her smile went away again. "When I was at my parents' house, I was on my best behavior around them..."

Every time Rise mentioned her parents, she described them as strict. It was a major difference from how he'd seen her grandma act. Her grandma liked him and their friends. But he wasn't so sure about her parents liking them, if he ever got to meet them. That was worrying to say the least. Would they approve of her new friends?

"Oh, but grandma doesn't ask me anything." Rise added, "Ya know, like why I quit, or what I'm thinking of doing next... She just talks about tofu. She says... I'm like tofu."

"You're... like tofu?" He said, quizzically.

"Yeah, I had to ask her what that meant too. The way she explained it... Tofu looks really weak and fragile, but it's actually pretty resilient. Even though it stands out because it's not like any other food, it can be mixed in with any recipe or flavor... Tofu is incredible. I'm nothing like that..."

Before he could try to change her mind, she kept going. "I... I was actually bullied at school before I made my debut... I wasn't good at talking, and always looked at my feet... I was alone the entire time... But I didn't have a problem with that. No one expected anything of me. And then... the application my relative sent without telling me passed the first audition. I wasn't interested in being an idol, but... I wanted to change myself. And just by chance, I won."

"All by chance, huh?" Yu asked.

"Mhmm... Heh, when it happened, I panicked, thinking maybe I should turn their offer down. Then I thought... if I appeared on tv, I could make friends... That was literally the only reason I went through with it... After a while, I realized something..."

Yu could tell where this was going, but it didn't make it any harder to hear.

"The person everyone likes, the one they say hi to on the street? That's not the real me. Risette is the one everyone likes... The fictional character they sold to the public..." Rise turned to him with a worried look on her face. "It's the same with you, isn't it? You don't have to deny it... I won't be mad. You're with me right now because I'm Risette, yeah?"

"No." Yu answered firmly. "Rise, I'm here because you're my friend and my teammate. I went to save you in the tv world because I didn't want you to get hurt. I'm here because I enjoy spending time with you. Nothing else."

He watched as she tried to hold back a smile and failed quickly. She giggled a little. "I'm sorry. That wasn't a fair question... But I'm happy you said so."

She sighed and kept going with her story. "When I got back to school after my debut, no one bullied me..."

"Of course they didn't..." Yu remarked, dryly.

Rise nodded. "Yep... I was happy at first, with people I didn't even know talking to me... But they weren't suddenly interested in Rise Kujikawa... They wanted to hang out with Risette. The bullying stopped, but... I felt like none of them saw the real me. In my heart, I've always thought... 'This isn't the real me...' Funny, huh? I was the one who wanted to change, and..." She paused and smiled again. "But none of that matters now! I'm done being Risette! Now, I have people who know the real me. Plus, I have power that can help everyone... I love that! This time, I'm going to change into a Rise that everyone can like!"

Somehow, she was cheery again. He was happy to see it.

"Keep an eye out for her, senpai!"

Yu chuckled. "I will..."

~End of Chapter