Yosuke's POV:
"Hey, Yosuke?" Chie whispers. "Is Yu really...?"
I slam my fork down on the table. "None of your business."
She pulls a face. "That's the same as confirming it, you know."
"Listen, Chie, it's—"
"Is he alright?" Yukiko asks.
"He's still asleep," I murmur. "Didn't wanna wake him."
"Maybe I should bring his breakfast up," Rise sighs. "I bet his memory of last night is pretty foggy, like the rest of ours."
"Like the rest of yours," Chie scoffs.
"Do whatever," I shrug.
"Hey, what are you talking about, Chie?" Yukiko asks. "Is Narukami... what?"
"Nothing; ignore her," I grunt.
"I'll bring Sensei food, too!" Teddie yips.
I roll my eyes.
JunezPrince2000: gm<3
JunezPrince2000: u stil
luv me?
~~~
Yu's POV:
My head is killing me, but... Shit... What does he even mean...?
Yuna18: I don't understand.
JunezPrince2000: lolololol
JunezPrince2000: u was drunk
JunezPrince2000: sent me sum
naughty pics;)
He's really not good at teasing...
I suppose I have no choice but to play dumb.
Yuna18: I did?
JunezPrince2000: yup
JunezPrince2000: black lingerie
n everythin;)
...He's so...
Yuna18: Is that what
you're into?
JunezPrince2000: is that
so wrong of me?
I can just imagine the innocent little look on his face. It... frustrates me.
JunezPrince2000: hey so
quick question
JunezPrince2000: do u kno
yu
JunezPrince2000: yu narukami
...Huh?
Yuna18: No.
Yuna18: Why would you
ask that?
JunezPrince2000: uhh idk
JunezPrince2000: jus a
question lmao
Is this because of what Kanji said the other day...?
JunezPrince2000: on a
completely UNREALTED note
JunezPrince2000: do u kno
sum girl called amai?
Now this is what startles me.
How could he even know about her? Better yet, why the hell is he asking Yuna about her!?
Did he piece it together...? Has he realized that the girl in the photo is Amai...?
Yuna18: Never heard of her.
JunezPrince2000: cmonnn
JunezPrince2000: theres gotta
b at least 1 amai u kno
Yuna18: Can't say I do,
I'm afraid.
Yuna18: I'm sorry I couldn't
have been more use.
JunezPrince2000: heyyy dw
bout it
"Who is she, then?"
"Geez, Kanji, don't sneak up on me like that," I frown, covering my screen. But he's already seen it.
"Well?"
"She's a friend," I mutter. "Or, she was."
"You mean, girlfriend?"
"Past tense," I sigh. "It's like you said: girls are annoying and clingy."
"So what brought her up last night?"
"Last night?" I stammer.
Oh, god...
"Called her a bitch. Yosuke-senpai thought you were talking about Yuna. You should have seen his face."
"I can only imagine it," I breathe.
"So, Amai is...?"
"Toxic," I frown. "Are we done here?"
"Toxic, how?"
"Kanji—"
"Tell me."
I bite my tongue. "She didn't want me to leave the city. She started crying, then she started begging..." I shake my head. "And when she found out it was all fruitless, she changed her mind."
"Huh?"
"If I didn't stay, she didn't want me back," I scoff. "She told my parents about these... parties."
"What kind of parties?"
"Drugs, alcohol, excreta," I mutter.
"You...?"
"Not me," I shake my head. "My friends. I sort of got dragged into it."
"So, what did your parents say?"
"They sent me away for longer," I sigh. "I was only supposed to be here for the first semester, but..."
"You're stuck the entire year?"
"Yeah," I mutter. "I guess they thought being around a detective would help me behave better. Or maybe Amai just gave them the excuse they were looking for; how to keep me away for longer."
"God, I could punch 'em right in the face," he grits his teeth.
I shake my head. "She ruined everything back home, sure, but... Everything here is different," I shrug. "You're all so important to me."
"...So what will happen when you go back?" He asks quietly.
I look to the ground.
"Why were you so desperate to go home, Yu?"
"Not home, as such," I mumble. "They were looking into boarding schools for me."
He clenches his fist. "They treat you like some kinda... freakshow."
"Maybe I am," I whisper. "I'm sure Yosuke would love to think so."
"But he doesn't," he sighs. "As much as I hate it, he still adores you, Senpai."
I smile a little. "I just hope I don't mess everything up again."
"...Senpai." He looks down at my cell and I clutch it even tighter.
"This doesn't count."
"It counts as both a lie and a heartbreak."
I roll my eyes. "I don't want to have this conversation again, Kanji."
"Believe me, I don't, either," he scoffs.
"If anything happens," I say. "I will take full responsibility; don't worry about that."
"Hm." He looks at me for a moment before turning on his heels. "I'm gonna go to Naoto's room for a bit. Did you know he gets a room to himself? Special treatment for bein' a detective, I guess." He tries to crack a joke, and I try to laugh along. It doesn't sound very convincing.
~~~
Yosuke's POV:
So... Yu doesn't know Yuna?
But it's not the first time it's come up... First, Kanji said it, and then Yu admitted to it...
Are they just saying it to mess with me?
Tryna get my hopes all high, when they have no idea who she really is?
If she says she doesn't know Yu; I believe her. She just wouldn't lie to me.
But, this Amai chick...
Completely unrelated, I guess?
Yu was prolly just shouting out anything.
So she's gotta be his ex.
She's gotta be gorgeous, too. 'Cause, I mean... It's Yu. He's always gonna have cuties pining after him.
But, a bitch...?
Damn. She must have really upset him.
I guess he mixed her up with Yuna.
I get it; she's my girlfriend, and Amai was his...
I wonder if he sees himself in me and Amai in Yuna... Maybe she will hurt me...
Nah. He was the one encouraging me to go after her.
I probably shouldn't dwell on it too much anyhow.
The truth will come out soon enough.
"You guys wantin' to go somewhere?" Chie asks.
"Hm... Like where?" Yukiko says.
"Dunno, but anywhere is better than sitting around here all day..."
They're taking in the food dishes now, so we'll end up being kicked out fairly soon.
"I'll wait a bit longer in case Yu comes down," I shrug.
"...But Rise-chan and Teddie are with him," she frowns.
"Yeah, well, we all know how they can be," I scoff.
"Guess so," she chuckles. "I'm gonna head to the gym."
The gym? On the last day?
Might not be such a bad idea...
"Count me in," I smile.
"I thought you were waiting for Yu-kun," Yukiko mumrurs.
"He'll be fine," I shrug. "C'mon. Let's go."
~~~
Yu's POV:
"Soo..." Rise hums, sitting on her knees on the bed. "How does it taste?"
"It's a little cold," I admit, resting it on the table.
"I told you so," Teddie sings, jumping on the bed beside her.
"Ugh," she mutters.
"It filled a hole." I force a smile, heaving myself from the couch. "Thank you."
"Hey..." Rise sighs. "Do you remember anything from last night?"
"...Bits a pieces," I breathe. "Nothing too vivid."
"I told them no alcohol," she murmurs. "I really told them, Senpai!"
"It was probably just a mix-up with another table's order," I shrug. "Don't worry so much."
"Chie-senpai and Yosuke-senpai are being super quiet about it, too," she groans. "It's like we did something totally embarrassing."
Well, maybe one of us did...
"It's alright, Rise-chan!" Teddie says. "I'll squeeze it outta Yosuke later!"
"Speaking of," I mumble. "Where is he?"
"Downstairs," Rise shrugs. "What's the deal?"
We really have to talk about last night...
~~~
Yosuke's POV:
"Bend your legs more," Chie frowns.
"I'm trying," I grunt.
My cell buzzes on the bench, and it takes everything in me not to look over at it.
"Aaand... Break!" She announces, stopping the timer on her phone. "Phew..."
"Geez..." I groan, getting back to two feet.
"...Hey, Yosuke?" She mumbles as I hand her water bottle over.
"Yeah?" I say, bringing my own to my lips.
"About last night," she sighs. "You and Yu... You were... Well—"
"Forget it," I shrug, downing the bottle in one. "He was drunk."
"Is he gay?"
She says it like it's normal... Like it's expected of him.
"Is he, Yosuke?"
"So, what?" I snap.
She blinks, stepping back. "Oh."
"And don't you dare tell anyone, got it?"
"Why the hell would I?" She scoffs. "He's my friend. I care about him."
"Yeah..." I sigh, turning away.
"So that's why you were being so awkward last night? Y'know, when he chose your chopstick?"
I bite my cheek. "Not entirely."
"So, what was it...?"
I can't spill this. I can't! I mean...
"He's in love with me."
She pauses. Legit, pauses. Like someone switched her off, or something.
"Ch-Chie?" I splutter.
And then she bursts out laughing.
"What the hell?" I scoff.
"Now I know you're lying," she cackles. "Seriously! Who'd love you!?"
I grit my teeth. "Believe it or not, he does."
"Listen..." She wipes a tear from her eye. "No offense, Yosuke, but... Take a look at him, and then take a look at yourself."
I feel my whole body tense.
"I know I'm nothing compared to him," I snap. "I don't even know why he has this stupid crush! It's prolly just to make fun of me."
She wipes the sweat from her forehead, reaching down for her phone.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm telling Yukiko to wait for us outside."
"...Our session is over?" I frown.
"Yeah," she shrugs. "We gotta get back."
"R-Right," I grunt.
Once she puts her cell away, she turns back. "...He really does like you?" She asks.
"Yes."
"And you know that for sure?"
"Well he—" I clear my throat.
Nope. Said too much.
"He what?"
"...He kissed me."
Dammit.
Her eyes widen. "He... did?"
"Heat of the moment, and shit like that," I shrug.
"...Did you kiss him back?"
"For, like, a second," I scoff. "It wasn't intentional. I was just caught off guard."
"I'm honestly surprised you've kept him around."
"What does that mean?" I frown.
"When we found out about Kanji, you totally flipped, man... You woulda cut him out if you could have."
"Of course I would; he's Kanji."
"So... Does that make Yu an exception?" She asks.
I swallow hard. "I dunno. Maybe?"
"Yosuke—"
"He's Yu," I mumble. "He's the greatest friend a guy could ask for. I won't lose him over some stupid little crush."
"You said it was love."
"Does it matter?"
She furrows a brow. "Love is a lot harder to get past than a crush."
"Well, either way, we're working on it," I shrug.
"How?" She scoffs. "Doesn't he find it... strange?"
I sigh. "He doesn't know that I know."
"Eh?"
"It's better if I play dumb," I say. "I won't hurt his ego, or anything like that."
"I don't think he's that much like you."
"And it'll come with all the questions, and touchy-feely shit..." I mutter. "I don't want that. I want things to be normal."
"Okay," she says. "So let's say he gets over his feelings for you. What are you gonna do when he moves on?"
I... hadn't thought about that yet.
Yu... being with someone new. A guy, no less...
I can't see it. I mean, I just can't...
It's not like I could pretend to be happy about it, could I? It's not like I could pretend to have never known his feelings for me.
But, seriously... If he does get over me... Maybe I would miss it. Miss knowing that I'm liked. That I mean something.
Nah, what am I saying? It would be a good thing if he moves on. Better for everyone, that way. And I can focus on Yuna.
It's just the thought of someone loving me that gets to me. It being a guy should put me off, but... If it's Yu, it's not so bad, right?
He knows me like the back of his hand. We're partners; I'd trust him with my life.
If he were a girl, he'd be mine: no doubt about it.
I'd cherish him and make him feel like the most loved girl in the world.
Issue is, he's a guy. That's not gonna change.
"Hey, Yosuke?" Chie waves a hand in front of my face. "Yukiko's waiting outside."
~~~
Yu's POV:
I must have sent him a hundred messages.
Just sweet notes from Yuna, really.
Cliché, maybe, but I know he likes that sort of thing; even if he doesn't admit to it.
I wonder where he is.
I shove my phone away as Naoto and Kanji approach.
"Good morning, Senpai," Naoto nods.
"Hey," I breathe.
"It's your decision, not mine," Kanji shrugs.
"What?" I scoff.
"About... The whole 'Yuna' thing." He jerks his head to my pocket.
"I don't understand."
"I don't agree with it," he shrugs. "But, it's your decision, ultimately. Your mistakes."
"I know," I mumble.
"Things like this never go to plan," he sighs. "But... For your sake, Senpai... I hope they do."
I smile a little. "Thank you."
"We cool?" He asks.
"Of course," I chuckle.
"Well, with that said—" Naoto gets cut off when my phone rings.
It's Adachi.
"Take it," he shrugs.
I sigh, answering the call.
"Hey, Narukami. How's it been?"
"Fine," I say. "Is something the matter?"
"No, no," he chuckles. "Uh... Y'know, Nanako-chan has been pretty down lately... Do you think you can get her something from Port Island to make her a little happier?"
"Did something happen to Dojima-san?" I splutter.
"Well, they're not allowing him any more visitors for the time being," he says. "He needs to be assessed some more."
"I see," I breathe.
"I was thinking maybe one of those cool lava lamps that are going around."
"I'll see what I can do," I say.
"Good kid," he laughs. "We can order takeout when you get back. Well, I'll be counting on you."
He ends the call before I can get another word in.
"A lava lamp?" Kanji's eyes widen.
"For Nanako."
"I see," Naoto hums. "In that case, I know just the place."
~~~
Yosuke's POV:
Chie and Yukiko walk on ahead.
Not like I wanted to be involved in girl talk, anyway...
It feels like a massive weight has been lifted off my chest. But... was telling her really the right idea?
She has got a big mouth... Plus, Yukiko has a thing for him...
Oh, shit...
No, she promised... She wouldn't...?
I'm gonna get killed multiple times by multiple different people.
"Hey, is that Yu-kun?" Yukiko asks, coming to a stop outside some souvenir shop.
"Huh... It is," Chie nods.
"Huh?" I jog over to them. He's there alright. With Naoto and Kanji.
"Let's go say hello," Yukiko smiles.
"Sure thing," I grunt.
~~~
"Yosuke?" He coughs.
"Hey, there," I smile.
"Wh-Where have you been?"
I run my hands through my hair. "Gym."
"You better go back and get a shower before we leave," Kanji sneers.
"That's where I was going," I snap.
"Until we saw you guys," Chie says. "Just wanted to say hey."
"Well... Hello," Naoto sighs.
"What are you guys doing?" Yukiko asks.
"Oh... Just getting a gift for Nanako," Yu shrugs.
Damn. A real sweetheart.
"Aww, that's cute," Chie smiles. "And so like you."
Like him...? Is it because he's gay?
Fuck... He's gonna catch on...
"Thank you," he smiles. "I was thinking some sort of... lava lamp?"
"Ooh, I'll help you look," Yukiko smiles. "What's her favorite color?"
"Pink."
"Got it," she nods, turning to the other shelves.
"Yu-senpai," Naoto mutters. "May I have a word?"
I catch Yu's eye and he shakes his head at Naoto.
"Maybe later."
"But—"
Yu steps towards me. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," I lie.
What if he finds someone else?
"I have some leftover cash," he shrugs. "If you'd like something to take home."
He's... gonna blow his cash on me?
Dammit.
"Nah, it's cool," I shrug.
"I don't mind," he smiles.
God, what the hell is he smiling for!? That stupid, pretty boy smile.
I gotta look away instead of staring.
"Just get me anything," I murmur. "I'm heading back to the hotel."
"All alone?"
"Yeah," I scoff. "What of it?"
He frowns slightly. "Why don't you wait until we finish?"
"No," I groan. "It's really warm in here, man, and you're not helping."
"I'm sorry?" He stammers. "What have I done wrong?"
Jesus, man...
Playing the big brother card always draws people to you...
What the hell's going on?
"Gotta run. See ya!" I yell, turning without looking back.
~~~
thanks for reading:)
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