Yosuke's POV:
How could he...? I mean, seriously...
How could he even think of hurting his own nephew...?
"Yosuke!" Chie's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "We've found the stairs. You coming?"
"Y-yeah... Coming," I nod.
"Up these stairs..." Rise begins. "Is Mitsuo Kubo. Are you guys ready?"
"...Yeah," Kanji grunts.
"Let's do this," Yu agrees.
"Hey, wait," I mumble.
"Hm?" He turns.
"Can... Can I talk to you?"
"...We should really get going," he shrugs.
"Please?" I sigh.
"...Yosuke-"
"You can talk to him later," Kanji scoffs.
"Nobody was speaking to you," I frown.
"That was unnecessary," Yukiko mumbles.
"So?" I ask, turning back to Yu.
"I..." His grip on his katana tightens.
I get it; he wants this over and done with. He wants this whole damn case over and done with as soon as possible. All so everything at home can go back to normal. I know that, but...
"...Fine," he whispers.
"But, Senpai..." Kanji says.
"...In the meantime, the rest of us should go look for some kind of orb," Rise suggests.
"Orb?" Teddie furrows his eyebrows.
"It seems the door upstairs is locked," she says. "I can feel it."
"Okay, so where can we find this orb?" Yukiko sighs.
"Let's try heading downstairs," Rise says. "Search anywhere you can."
"Will you two be okay up here alone?" Chie eyes me and Yu.
"Course," I scoff.
"...See you, Senpai," Kanji mumbles, being the first to leave.
"Be safe," Yu says, waving Rise and the other girls off.
"...You can't stay, Ted," I frown.
"...Why not?" He pouts.
"Uh... Private talk?" I scoff. "Bro talk?"
"Uh-huh," he nods.
"Something you're not part of," I grunt.
"...Fine," he scoffs, turning to follow after the others.
"...Are you okay?" Yu asks quietly.
"Me?" I say. "Dude, I should be asking you that."
"...Why?"
"After last night-"
"You didn't tell anybody. Did you?" His voice suddenly changes tone.
"What? Of course not," I frown.
He breathes out. "Thank god."
"Has... Dojima-san spoken about it?"
He shakes his head. "I don't even know if he can remember it. Either way, he's the last person I expect to apologize to me."
"...Fuck him," I shrug.
"He's my uncle."
"He treats you like shit. You deserve more than that."
He pauses for a moment.
"...Yu?"
"Sorry," he grunts. "But don't worry about me, okay? Seriously, it's not your problem."
I furrow a brow. "Are you kidding me, man? You're... my best friend. Of course I'm worried about you."
He bites his lip. "...After the complete fool I've made of myself lately—"
"It's forgotten," I cut him off. "It's in the past, and neither of us will ever bring it up again."
"Yosuke, I kissed you," he says quietly.
I shake my head, forcing a smile. "No. You didn't."
"You can't just... expect me to erase that from my head," he splutters.
"Why not? I have."
Okay, that's a lie, but... I gotta show him that it's over with, right?
"...Okay," he nods slowly looking away. "I'm... sorry."
"Dude. It's forgotten." I nudge him in the shoulder.
"We should... go find the others," he says.
"...Aren't you gonna tell me how things are between you and Rise?"
"...Huh?"
"...Come on, man," I chuckle. "You gotta spill it."
"It's... nothing, really."
"Dude, don't play me," I grin. "I see the way you are with her! You kissed her yet?"
"Jesus, Yosuke, no," he frowns. "I'm too busy trying to please my uncle. He hates the idea of me being around her."
"What? Why?"
"...Because he thinks I'm some asshole? He thinks I'll use her for her body, and—"
"Won't you?" I smirk. "She is pretty hot."
He frowns. "This isn't about her body. Or her appearance at all."
"...I was kidding."
Eh, not exactly.
Still... It kinda makes me suspicious.
...Is he seriously only with her because I said so? He... doesn't really like her?
...Come on. He's gotta like her... I'll help him.
"Has, uh... Your uncle said anything about me?" I shrug.
He purses his lips. "He thinks you're a nosy asshole."
Okay, asshole, I can understand.
But nosy? Dude, seriously? I just try to help out. That's hardly nosy...
"...Do you think that?" I ask quietly.
"...What?"
"...Do you think I'm a... nosy asshole?"
"Does it matter?"
"Well... Yeah," I frown.
"Yosuke—"
"I understand if you're upset with me, okay?" I sigh. "After everything... I'm just looking out for you."
"...By meddling with my private life?" His voice is surprisingly cold.
"...I was worried."
"...I know." He returns to his soft demeanour.
What is he hiding?
"I should have... Been better about it, you know?" I shrug. "I shouldn't have been a dick. Not towards you."
"...It's over now." He forces a smile.
"...Is something else bothering you?" I ask.
"Excuse me?"
"You look... Like you wanna say something."
"Yosuke, I—"
"I care about you more than anyone, man," I frown. "So... Tell me, okay?" I feel my eyes sting as I speak. "I don't wanna be left in the dark. I'm not like everyone else, Yu. I'm... more than anyone else."
He swallows hard. "It's nothing."
"Yu—"
"...It's fine," he croaks, looking away. "Seriously, Yosuke. Don't worry about it."
"Saying that only makes me worry more."
"I can't tell you, because I have no idea how to say it."
"...Say what?"
"I don't even fucking know," he scoffs. "How to... say something to help... Clear my mind."
"Are you... upset with Dojima-san?"
He bites his lip. "Mhm."
He's lying.
Why is he lying?
Why is he using this as a cover-up?
"Yu, please just—"
"I'm thinking of... Heading back to the city the moment this case is over."
"Wh-what?" I splutter.
"This isn't my home," he shrugs. "This isn't where I belong."
"...Of course it is," I scoff. "Ignore whatever the fuck Dojima said, 'cause you're—"
"...It's really not a big deal."
"You can't go," I frown. "I mean... Your parents are still overseas, aren't they?"
He sighs. "I have my own house keys, Yosuke."
"But—"
"You'll... forget about me soon enough."
"How the hell can you say that?" I snap. "I mean... Dude..."
This is... it?
As soon as we defeat Mitsuo's Shadow... Yu's leaving?
What the fuck...
"Please," I whisper. "Don't."
"...Why not?"
"...I'll miss you, idiot," I scoff.
"You have the others."
"What about Rise, then?" I say. "Your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Well... Whatever the hell she is," I frown. "She'll... She'll be crushed."
"...And you can be the one who lifts her spirits again."
"Me?" I splutter. "No, I mean—"
"You like her, Yosuke. I don't."
"I don't."
He sighs. "She's so much more than you think. If... Being with her makes you happy..."
"Do you seriously think I'd do that to you?" I scoff.
"...Yosuke—"
"I'm not that type of guy, man."
He bites his lip. "You're... perfect for her."
"If I had to choose between her and you, I'd choose you," I say.
He blinks a couple of times.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, man," I mutter. "I couldn't. Not like that. I couldn't steal your girl."
"She was never mine," he frowns.
"If you stay for longer—"
"Yosuke, I don't care about her."
"...But—"
"I don't care about any of this," he scoffs. "Because it's all... Fucked up. This damn world, and everything in it. Risking our lives everyday, for what? To be praised as heroes?"
"That's not why we're doing this."
"But it's what we're all thinking, right?" He says. "We want to be the saviors of this town. We want to be in control."
"I don't."
He shakes his head. "You want the recognition, Yosuke. For... all the girls."
"Dude, I don't understand you," I scoff. "One minute you're urging me to get with a girl, and the next you're criticizing me for it!"
He looks away.
"What do you want from me!?"
His eyes start to glimmer with tears as he turns away.
"Ignore me," he mumbles.
"I won't," I say, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't know... What to do."
"...I can help."
"Nobody can."
"Look at me."
"I can't."
"Look at me."
He turns around slowly, tears streaming down his face.
Damn.
I hug him tightly without even thinking.
"Y-Yosuke..."
He's surprised, but I know he's thankful.
I don't understand him.
But he's my best friend.
I... I won't abandon him.
I'll do anything to help him.
~~~
thanks for reading:)
world count: 1416