Yu's POV:
After a couple days, the fog finally sets in.
Nothing appears on the show, though.
I mean, why would it? We saved that superficial idol, didn't we?
I just hope she hurries up and leaves Inaba.
I won't be able to look at her the same. Not after the way Yosuke sees her.
Dammit.
This whole 'not thinking about him' business is way harder than I thought it'd be.
It doesn't help at all how he keeps spamming my cell with a bunch of messages.
I try to avoid reading them, but that hardly ever works.
I care too much.
But I have to put myself first.
I can't keep suffering because of him.
He's tough; he'll get over it.
He'll go see that pretty little idol and forget all about me.
What does it matter, right?
I have Kanji.
I've always had Kanji. There's no point in looking for something with more meaning.
It'll only hurt.
~~~
Yosuke's POV:
He's not in today, either...
Truth is, Yu hasn't been in school since he broke things off with me.
...It was only a few days ago, but... Shit... It feels like I haven't seen him in forever.
He won't answer my calls or texts, either.
I don't get it.
Don't I at least deserve an explanation?
...He hasn't went back to the city, has he...? No... Nah, that can't be...
Unless he did.
Fuck.
"Starin' at his empty seat won't make him appear," Kanji grunts beside me.
"The hell did you come from?" I scoff.
"Thought I'd come up before classes start," he shrugs.
"...Yeah, well, Yu's not here, so... You can go now."
He frowns, pocketing his hands. "Has he spoken to you?"
"Y-yeah," I lie. I can't let him know the truth... I can't let him be so smug about it. "...What about you?"
He sighs. "Nothing."
He... hasn't been in touch with Kanji?
"I mean, he's read my texts, but..." He grumbles.
"...You know what's up with him?"
He looks at me funnily.
"...What?" I murmur. "...He told you, didn't he?"
"Yeah."
Of course. Why wouldn't Yu tell his new best friend that he cut me off?
"I don't get it," I groan. "I don't understand where I went wrong... I was just trying to help him, and he got all defensive all of a sudden." I sigh. "I don't think he meant what he said, though."
"He did," Kanji says.
"...Really?" I grimance.
He nods slowly.
"But... He can't just abandon the team, right...?"
"We're all meetin' up at the food court after school today anyway, right?"
That's right... Rise called us to meet up.
Damn, she's gonna be wondering where our leader is, huh?
"I'll try calling him again after classes," I say.
"...You want me to?" He asks slowly.
"Why can't I?"
"He just... has a better chance of picking up my call over yours."
I find my nostrils flaring. "Whatever."
~~~
Yu's POV:
Incoming call: Kanji Tatsumi.
Decline.
I groan, rolling back onto my futon.
I know I can't stay here forever. I know that.
But, dammit...
I can't face Yosuke again.
He makes me so angry and so sad and feel so fucking hopeless.
I just... I just can't deal with him if he's not mine.
~~~
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Dojima lifts his head from his notes as I enter the kitchen.
"D-Dojima-san," I splutter.
"Why the hell aren't you in school?"
"I- I wasn't feeling too good," I murmur.
"You look fine to me," he snaps.
"I'll probably go in tomorrow..."
"What do you mean, 'probably'?" He frowns.
"...I will," I mutter.
"You stayed home to snoop around again?" He sneers.
"...What?" I scoff.
"Well, you'll find that I've put a lock on that door now," he grunts. "So if I find any signs of a forced entry-"
"I don't want to go through your files," I say.
"Just 'cause you got caught, huh?"
"No, Uncle..." I sigh. "I never meant to betray your trust. I'm sorry."
"It's kids like you who really get on my nerves."
"What do you mean?"
"Brats thinkin' they can gaslight me into thinking they've done no wrong."
"It really was for a friend," I say.
"Thinkin' you can get away with anything just 'cause you're a kid."
"I expect a fair punishment," I mutter. "I don't see why you'd be any different to my parents."
"Because..." He groans. "Because I don't usually have to watch my back around my family."
"...Huh?"
"You're involved with the case, aren't you?"
"N-no, I-"
"Don't lie to me," he snaps.
"...I just know a few things."
He closes his notebook and takes a stand.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"Away from you," he sighs. "Before I do something I regret."
~~~
Yosuke's POV:
"He ain't answering," Kanji mutters.
"Maybe if I just-"
He puts a hand on my screen, pushing it downward. "No. Don't."
I frown. "He's supposed to be my best friend. Stop thinking you're more important to him than I am."
He scoffs, shaking his head.
"Come on, guys, we're gonna be late," Chie groans, pulling up beside us.
"Yukiko-san," I say. "Have... have you spoken to Yu?"
"Wh-what?" She splutters.
"They only kissed 'cause he forced her," Chie frowns. "Yukiko's not that close with him."
"That's bullshit." Kanji comes to his defense. "Why the hell would he force her?"
"I-it wasn't exactly force, Chie..." She murmurs.
"I just hope he stays away," Chie grunts.
"Don't talk about him like that," I frown. "Okay, yes: he shouldn't have kissed her. But he only did so to prove a point."
"Prove what point?" Kanji says.
"...To prove that he's over that girl."
"...There's another girl?" Yukiko asks, quite sadly.
"But he's not," I sigh. "He acts like he can get over her by running away from her."
"...Is that why he hasn't been in school?" Chie asks.
"Your guess is as good as mine," I mutter. "I haven't even spoken to him in days. For all I know, he could be dead in a ditch."
"...But he's not though, right...?" Yukiko asks quietly.
"No, no," I grimace.
"Maybe I should go check on him," Kanji suggests.
"Not without me," I say.
"... Senpai-"
"We're meeting up with Rise-chan, remember, Yosuke?" Chie says.
"Yeah? So?"
"She'll be wondering where we're at. Come on, leave Yu-kun to Kanji-kun. Maybe he'll get some logical answers outta him."
"Give him a break, Chie," I snap.
~~~
Yu's POV:
Seven missed calls from Kanji.
Eleven missed calls from Yosuke.
Fuck... Yosuke.
Stop acting like you give a damn about me.
I toss my phone to my futon before sitting myself down on my couch.
I'm so sick of all this.
I lost my best friend, my uncle doesn't trust me, I'm now falling behind in school... Hell, even Mom and Dad haven't called yet.
Nobody wants me.
Nobody needs me.
The doorbell rings once.
I ignore it.
It rings again.
I clutch my fist. I ignore it.
The doorbell rings for a third time. Then a forth, and a fifth, and a freaking sixth.
Goddammit.
~~~
"Kanji?" I scoff.
He pushes past me into the house.
"Wh-what's going on?" I splutter.
"Dude, what's up with you?" He frowns, turning back to me.
"Nothing, what do you mean?"
"Me n' Yosuke-senpai have been callin' you non-stop."
"...Yeah."
"And you haven't been at school in days."
"...I've just felt ill."
"I- I mean... You never even came 'round to mine, or anything," he sighs. "I... I missed you."
"Yeah," I scoff. "Cause that's all I'm good for, right?"
"That's not what I meant..."
"So long as I can make you happy. Make you satisfied."
"Yu—"
"I don't want to, Kanji," I scoff. "I... I can't."
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't... been in the mood, I guess," I mumble. "I've just been... so freaking low. And I know it's stupid, alright? I know I should just get over it, but..."
"He misses you, too."
"...Kanji—"
"Believe me, he's been dying to see you, Senpai."
I shake my head. "To talk about all the stuff he does with Rise, no doubt."
"He hasn't been to see her since you stayed off school."
"...Huh?"
"Chie-senpai said he'd been workin' a lot more, or something."
"...He's not overworking himself, is he...?"
"Why don't you go ask him that?" He chuckles.
"No," I sigh. "It'll always end the same, Kanji. I don't want to go down that rabbit hole again. I don't want to feel all tingly inside whenever I see his dammed face or hear his dammed voice. I don't want to feel his rejection. There's just no point."
"...Doesn't mean you can't be friends with him."
"I can't see him the way I used to," I grunt. "Cause in my eyes... He's perfect, Kanji. I can't just overlook that. I can't just treat him like some other guy."
"...You mean a lot to each other," he shrugs. "Just... not romantically."
"Kanji—"
"You gotta stop being so selfish," he says. "It's not his fault you fell in love with him."
"...I guess not."
"He doesn't deserve to be left out of the blue like that."
"But—"
"Put your own feelings aside for once," he advises. "Think about what you're putting him through."
~~~
Yosuke's POV:
"...Where is Yu-san?" Rise asks.
I inhale sharply.
"...Uh," Chie murmurs.
"Is he okay, Yosuke-san?" She turns back to me with a worried expression.
"Hm? Oh, yeah... Totally," I nod.
She frowns, clearly unconvinced. "I thought we were going to go over what happened to me."
"We can still do that," Yukiko smiles. "Without Narukami's help."
"...Isn't he your leader?"
"He's just busy, alright?" I groan.
She sighs, leaning her back against the tree of the shrine. "Okay. Fine."
"Sorry we're late!"
Everyone's head turns to the entrance of the shrine to Kanji's booming voice.
Of course... Yu is following suit.
It's always Kanji.
"He's here," Rise smiles.
"Y-yeah..." I can't help but feel relieved regardless.
I mean, if he's here, he can't hate me that much, can he?
"...Are you alright?" Yukiko asks.
He nods hesitantly, but his eyes don't leave the ground.
"I, um... I just wanted to say thank you," Rise says. "You guys saved my life!"
"Haha... I-it's no biggie..." Chie chuckles anxiously at her sudden outburst.
"...You guys are saving people in there, right?" She asks. "Persona, was it?"
"...Yeah," I nod. But my eyes are still fixated on Yu.
"...Since I have one, too... Wouldn't it make more sense if I joined you?"
"No." Yu's head jolts upward in protest.
"H-huh?" She stammers.
"Yu..." I breathe.
"We don't need you," he sighs. "We already have a navigator — Teddie."
"...His nose's been runnin' dry lately, though..." Kanji points out.
"Yeah... And what if something happens again, and he can't aid us?" Yukiko says.
"Still," he grunts. "We just— we don't need her."
"You can't be serious," I scoff.
"I'm your leader, and I make the decisions."
"Leader?" I mutter. "Anything could have happened these past few days regarding the case while you were gone."
"But it didn't," he responds through gritted teeth.
"But it could've."
"Why the hell do you want her to join so badly, huh?" He snaps. "Just to stare her down, eh? To make her feel vulnerable. To violate her."
"Wh-what the hell, man...?" I stammer.
"She should stay away from you."
"Yu, stop," Kanji says, grabbing his arm.
"Let me go," he demands.
"Apologize to him," he grunts.
"I won't apologize for warning the girl."
Yu shakes off Kanji's grasp, heading further and further from us.
I feel panic rising in the pit of my stomach. 'Cause I feel like if I just let him walk away, then that'll be it. But I can't bring myself to speak out. And it's like a string tugging at my heart — teasing it. It hurts.
"I-ignore him, Rise-chan..." Chie says shortly afterward. "He was just... Uh... I dunno... But, seriously, Yosuke isn't like that..."
Well, I guess if you lose one friend, your others have to try extra hard to be nice.
"I don't think he likes me," Rise mutters. She completely ignores Chie's words, looking off in the distance to where Yu disappeared.
"It's more than that," Kanji grumbles.
"Hm?" She frowns.
"...Nothin'."
"Great," I sigh. "I fucked it up again, didn't I?"
"You didn't do anything wrong, Yosuke-kun," Yukiko shakes her head.
"In his eyes I did," I shrug. "In his eyes, I always do."
"You know that ain't true," Kanji mutters.
"I just don't get it," I bite my lip.
"...Give him time," Chie says.
"He's made it quite clear," I scoff. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."
"Senpai..." Kanji grimaces.
"I just have to accept that."
~~~
I'm about to finish locking up the storage closet when I hear a low humming noise.
I frown, the keys in the lock coming to a complete stop as I scan the area.
Everyone went home hours ago...
Oh, fuck.
The hum of the noise just grows louder the harder I try to suppress it.
It sends a shiver down my spine.
Don't be such a wuss, Yosuke...
Think of Yu. Think of what he'd do in this situation.
No... Don't think of Yu.
Yu hates me. I... I don't owe him anything.
I swallow hard, switching the flashlight in my phone on, scanning the area in a clearer light.
But I can barely make out anything in the distance. Hell, the sound might not even be in this department...
Damn it, it sounds like it's coming from the electronic department upstairs.
Maybe someone forgot to switch something off?
I blink a couple of times, urging myself to investigate further.
~~~
The vibration is so loud now that I can practically feel it travel through my body.
"...Is anyone there?" My voice comes out a lot more timid than I would have liked.
The vibrations suddenly stop.
I feel my heart skip a beat.
"H-hello?" I splutter, raising the brightness of the flashlight, swinging the phone this way and that in case anyone tries to attack me.
I hear the floorboards below creak slightly, and I direct the light towards it.
"Teddie?" I scoff.
No freaking way...
The abnormally shaped figure turns slowly back to me. "Hiya, Yosuke."
"Y-you dumb bear!" I breathe, slapping him on the head. "Had me all worried for nothing."
"Ehehe... You were absolutely petrified, Yosuke!" He chuckles to himself.
"Yeah, yeah," I mutter.
"Is it always so dark on your side?" He furrows his eyebrows at me.
"No, you idiot. It's late at night. You're lucky I found you before I closed up. And hey, how the hell did you get here!?"
"Hm? Oh, I just left."
"...What the—!?"
"It just never occurred to me before," he chuckles. "Besides, you have all the pretty ladies on your side, now. I don't wanna be left out!"
I sigh. "Where the hell do you plan on staying?"
"Hm? With you, of course!"
"D-dude, you can't stay with me!" I splutter.
"Can I stay with Sensei, then?"
"I... no, Ted... Uh..." I grimace.
He cocks his head to the side slightly.
"Just... fine. Come back to my place for the night, okay? I'll figure out what to do with you in the morning."
His face practically lights up. "Thank you, Yosuke! Oh, and these are for Rise-chan." He holds out a pair of pink glasses to take.
"Uhm... Teddie," I mumble. "I don't think she'll be needing these." I shove them back in his hands.
"Huh?" He frowns. "Why not? Is... is she not joining us?"
I bite my lip. "Don't think so."
He whines. "B-but I saved her life!!"
"Ted, quit it, okay?" I grunt. "Yu doesn't want her there. End of story."
"Sensei doesn't like her?" He asks slowly.
"No," I shrug. "Enough of this, let's go."
He pauses for a moment.
"Teddie," I snap.
"Can we go visit him?"
"...Y-Yu?" I say. "No, Ted... He's asleep..."
"...Can I call him on your cell?"
I scoff. "He won't pick up."
"Please, Yosuke?"
I sigh, handing him the phone. "I've nothing to lose, man."
~~~
Yu's POV:
I bite my tongue, trying to ignore the constant vibrations of my cell next to me.
Of course it's Yosuke.
I mean, seriously? Didn't I hurt him enough earlier today?
I grunt, turning my phone on its front.
The vibrations don't stop.
I pause. I start to think that something could be seriously wrong.
I mean, why the hell else would he call so urgently!?
My heart begins to pick up in pace. Is he alright..?
I quickly turn to my cell, swiping the green button.
"Hello?" I splutter.
"Sensei?"
It takes me a good moment to calm down and register that Yosuke isn't even the one calling me.
"T-Teddie?"
"Yosuke said you wouldn't answer."
"I... I thought you were Yosuke. Teddie, what the hell is going on!?"
"I came into your world, Sensei! Now we can share all the pretty ladies!"
"No, Teddie," I groan. "Where is Yosuke? Is he alright?"
"Sure, he's just making up my bed," he says it so nonchalantly, like he's actually slept in a bed before.
"...Are you at his place?"
"Uh-huh," he chuckles.
I breathe out. "I- I see..."
"Let's meet up tomorrow and talk about the case. Alright, Sensei?"
"...I can't," I mutter. "I—"
"No excuses." He cuts me off abruptly. "We're meeting at the food court at ten o'clock sharp. See ya, Sensei!"
The next thing I know, the cell is beeping until it stops, leaving me back in the silence.
Damn it.
~~~
thanks for reading:)
word count: 2971