Persona 4: Eyes of Truth [Please Read New Ver.]

Awaiting Kanji

3rd POV

Hitomi slowly opened her eyes, a familiar area coming to her vision. Hitomi sat across from a woman with platinum-blonde hair. She quickly recognized this place as the Velvet Room. But something was amiss. Igor, a man with an unusual long noise who would usually greet her, was nowhere to be seen.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room" the platinum-blonde haired woman next to him, known as Margaret, greeted. She looked over at Hitomi with her usual blank look.

"Now, I'm afraid the master is away today..." Margaret began. She smiled gently and continued, "But perhaps, you intentionally came by while he was out." Hitomi didn't know how to answer, since it was usually Igor who summons her in her dreams. If Igor was gone, then perhaps she did come of her own accord. But as to how remained a mystery to Hitomi.

"I see you have obtained several Arcana's. The Emperor and the Jester" Margaret said, catching Hitomi's attention. Two cards, one showing a silhouette of a European medieval jester while another was a silhouette of a large figured men dressed like a king, descended in front of Margaret; dissolving into the old tome on her lap. The tome grew a light blue, as if becoming one with the card, and Margaret opened it up. There, on one of the pages was a moving picture of Hitomi talking with Adachi wile on the other was the time when Hitomi had called Kanji's work cute. Margaret's eyes narrowed as she looked seriously over to Hitomi.

"I must warn you; the Jester arcana is not to be taken lightly" Margaret began. "While I would usually encourage you to pressure to strengthen your bonds, this one I ask for you to proceed with extreme caution." Hitomi blinked in surprise. Confused as to why Margret would warn her about Adachi. But through her confusion, Hitomi could feel Margaret's concern for her.

Suddenly, a new card with vines connecting to a visible silhouette, a small crown hovering on top of the vile descended into Margaret's tome; causing the pages to flip by themselves. Hitomi and Margaret blinked in surprise as the new pages on the tome showed a picture of Margaret and Hitomi talking. Hitomi looked up to Margaret, rather surprised that she had created a bond with her. Margaret blushed in embarrassment as she cleared her throat, closing her eyes.

"Well then, it is time for us to bid farewell" Margaret said, causing a warm feeling to wash over Hitomi. Soon, Hitomi's consciousness began to fade as the room slowly began to be engulfed by darkness.

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Thursday, May 19th

I yawned softly, covering my mouth as I did so, slowly walking to school. Yesterday was exhausting and with Dojima coming home early, I couldn't go to bed early. Today, I was especially tired.

"Hey, Narukami-chan!" I heard a familiar voice call out. I looked over my shoulder and saw Hanamura running over to me. Once Hanamura had caught up to me, walking in sync with me I nodded.

"Good morning, Hanamura" I greeted. Hanamura smiled and nodded.

"So hey, how're ya feeling? Did you get a lot of sleep?" Hanamura asked, his smile turning into a concerned frowned. I shook my head, looking forward.

"My uncle came home early last night because Tatsumi-san returned. We talked for a bit, so I didn't go straight to bed" I explained.

"That's not good" Hanamura sighed, causing me to look over to him. Hanamura smiled brightly and pointed at himself.

"Hey, if you want, I can write some notes for you while you nap in class!" Hanamura suggested. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, blinking twice at his suggestion as sweat rolled down my jaw.

"That's very sweet of you, Hanamura. But are you sure you'll be able to stay up through a class?" I asked, causing Hanamura to freeze as his face paled slightly. Hanamura then groaned as his head fell limp.

"You got a point there..." Hanamura sighed weakly. I patted his back, reassuringly. It was a sweet gesture like I said, but there was no way Hanamura could stay awake for each one of our classes. For some reason, as Hanamura's words echoed again in my ear with his bright smile flashing into my mind, I felt my heart skip a beat and my face heat up lightly. Was I getting sick?

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Lunchtime...

It was lunch time now, the students leaving with glee to eat. As usual, Nise- dragging Yukiko along- dashed out the door to eat. Hanamura, who would usually be right behind him, stayed behind and talked with me. We talked over small things, like what to eat for lunch, and how Tatsumi was doing. After a moment, a female student barged into the classroom and exclaimed, "Hey, everyone! They posted the test results!"

"Argh...The awful moment of truth..." Hanamura groaned, making a face.

"Wanna check it out?" I suggested.

"Might as well see the damage," Hanamura sighed. "Let's go." We stood up from our seats and headed down stairs.

When Hanamura and I arrived at the first floor, we saw that students were gathered around the bulletin board. I noticed that Kou and Chou were there too, talking happily as usual. Though, Kou's eyes seemed to be mainly focused on Nise, who was in the front of the crowd. Nise was looking excited, tears of joy falling down his face as some sort of bread stuck out of his mouth. Noticing us, Nise waved happily, making room for us to get where he and Yukiko was in the crowd.

"Narukami-chan, guess what?! I actually did better than I thought I would!" Nise cheered, removing the bread from his mouth. He seems very ecstatic. I felt a warm feeling wash over me at Nise's happiness and nodded.

"It's good to hear you did well, Nise-kun" I replied. Nise laughed, nodding his head violently.

"So how did you do?" Yukiko asked, catching my attention. I shrugged and turned my attention to the list of scores. I blinked in surprise, seeing that I had scored in the top ten. My name was even not that far below Yukiko's name.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Narukami-chan scored number six!" Nise exclaimed as he pointed at where my name was, causing Kou and Chou to exclaim as well, making their way towards us.

"Wow! Nice going, Narukami-chan!" Hanamura laughed, patting my head.

"You're so smart..." Hanamura trailed off, muttering other things that I couldn't hear. I blinked nervously as I found myself being congratulated by my friends. Kou said that it needed a celebration and invited me to eat lunch with her and Chou in the lunch room. I didn't know what to say, since I usually ate bread and would then head back to the classroom to fix my notes. But then Yukiko, Nise, Hanamura, and even Chou encouraged it. With so many people insisting me to eat with them in the cafeteria, I couldn't help but surrender in defeat. I noticed that as everyone walked together towards the cafeteria- me in the middle- other students were whispering among themselves.

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After School...

I packed my things a bit more slowly than I would have on a normal day, possibly because of how tired I was today. By the time I was ready to leave, only five classmates from my classroom was left. With a small sigh, I walked out, ready to go home and take a nap.

Once I left my classroom, I noticed three girls with sports bags crying next to the stairway, students passing them by with confused looks. Confused and a bit worried about the girls, I walked over to them.

"Excuse me, are you alright?" I asked, catching the trio's attention. I noticed that the three girls all had their hair up into buns, two of them with black hair while one had light brown hair. They all looked rather slim, like models.

"Oh... Aren't you the transfer student? Hitomi Narukami, from class 2-2, right?" the girl with the light brown hair asked. I nodded to confirmed.

"Is everything alright? Why are you crying?" I asked, as the two black haired girls wiped their tears away, the light brown haired girl sniffling.

"Well, you see..." the light brown haired girl began. "The three of us go to this fitness center in Okina City" one of the black haired girls continued. "Just the other day, we weighed ourselves and found out that we met our goals!" the other black haired girl finished.

"So we decided to celebrate and eat some snacks. But yesterday, we weighed ourselves again and saw that we had gained more weight than we had lost!" the light brown haired girl exclaimed, tears falling down her face once again.

"Now, we're too ashamed to go back to the fitness center!" the three girls wailed at once, all of them starting to cry once again.

"Shiroku store is our enemy...! No matter how many times we try channel our mental energy in order to control our urges to shun the snacks, it always fails! But this is the only time we've ever gained more than we had lost!" the black haired girl wept.

"You understand, don't you Narukami-san? After all, snacks are the essence of women" the light brown haired girl asked, her tears falling as she looked at me. I blinked nervously as I rubbed the back of my neck.

"'Essence of a woman'...? Well, uh... I don't usually tend to buy snacks since I have a limited amount of money" I explained weakly.

"B-But when someone offers them to me, I have a heard time saying no" I quickly added, not wanting the trio to feel even worse.

"Wow, you have a firm snack soul Narukami-san" one of the black haired girls sniffled. "Snack soul"? Are they really going to a fitness center or are they in some sort of occult? Either way, I couldn't stand watching them cry. I didn't know these girls, but I didn't like seeing them this upset.

"Well, is there any way I can help?" I asked, causing the girls to look at me with wide, tearful eyes.

"Huh? You want to help us?" the light brown haired girl asked. I nodded in reply. The trio exclaimed in surprise, smiles forming on their faces.

"Wow, you're so nice Narukami-san!" the trio said in sync, causing me to blink in surprise. These three must be really close.

"All we need is something to make us hate snacks" one of the black haired girls explained. I nodded slowly, trying to think of something. Is there anyone I know who really likes food? After a moment, I blinked in realization as someone popped into my mind. Nise.

"I have an idea! Please wait here for me until I come back" I instructed, looking up at the girls. They nodded, grateful but confused smiles on their faces. I turned around towards the stairs going up and quickly jogged up it. I remember hearing from Kou that Nise likes to go to the roof sometimes after school. I just hope that he's there...!

After climbing two flights of stairs, I opened the door to the room, the bright sun shining in my eyes as a gentle breeze blew; tickling my skin. I looked around and saw Nise laying down over at the corner where our group meets sometimes, his backpack being used as a pillow. I walked over to him as he sighed in satisfaction, raising one leg and crossing them on top of the other.

"Nise-kun!" I called out, causing Nise to sit up in surprise with a small scream. He looked over to me with one hand over his heart.

"Oh, Narukami-chan! You scared me!" Nise panted. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

"Sorry..." I apologized, feeling guilty. Nise let out a sigh, turning his body towards me.

"Nah, it's cool..." Nise sighed, his feet touching the ground. I tilted my head slightly in confusion.

"Say, what do you do up here Nise-kun?" I asked, a little bit curious. Nise looked up at me and smiled.

"Hm? Oh, well I usually come up here to nap when the weather's good! It don't matter what season, if the suns out; I can sleep up here in peace" Nise explained happily, as if proud of himself. I blinked in surprise, wondering it that is necessarily a good thing.

"Anyways, what's up?" Nise asked. I grabbed my bag with both of my hands in front of me.

"I was wondering if you knew any unusual tasting snack" I explained. Nise blinked in surprise, before waving his right hand in front of his face, telling me I had said something incorrect.

"There's no such thing as 'unusual tasting' snacks, Narukami-chan! Snacks are snack!" Nise said with a wink. I fumed, wondering then how I should word my question.

"Well, in that case... Do you have any snacks that not a lot of people like?" I asked slowly, wording my question carefully. Nise smiled sadly as he nodded.

"Yeah, actually I do. It kinda makes me sad that no one likes 'em" Nise said with a slightly disappointed tone, grabbing his backpack. He opened a small pocket and pulled out three pieces of something small and rectangular wrapped in white wrapping. I took the three pieces from him, blinking in curiosity.

"What is this?" I asked.

"They're called 'Meat Gum'! Everyone I try to offer it to say that it's gross. It just breaks my poor, snack loving heart..." Nise sighed. I gently gripped onto the meat gum and brought it close to my chest.

"I'm sure it's good in it's own way. Anyway, thank you Nise-kun!" I said, bowing a little. Nise chuckled softly, patting my head. With that, I left Nise behind and jogged back downstairs to where the trio stayed like I had instructed.

When I had returned, three girls were waiting nervously at the bottom of the stairs just like I had left them, their faces no longer wet with tears. As I approached them, they smiled happily at my return.

"You're back!" the light browned girl exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. I nodded and extended my hand with the meat gum in it. When I opened my mouth to tell them what it was, I noticed that the three girls were looking intently at the meat gum, a dark aura surrounding them as they sniffed the air. I froze in slight fear at the demonic looks on their faces.

"Is this... the rumored Meat Gum?!" the dark girls asked at the same time, their eyes never leaving the snacks in my hand. I blinked nervously in surprise and fear, sweat rolling down my jaw.

"Um, yes... H-How did you know?" I asked, trying hard to calm my nerves. The girls gulped loudly as they began to sweat.

"It smells juicy, raw, and yet sweet. Commercials say that it's like a bomb of flavor in your mouth" the light brown haired girl explained. After a moment, the girls took a piece, removing the wrapper with trembling hands. They all exchanged glances before nodding and shoving the pieces of brown rectangles in their mouths. They chew viciously, their face dripping with nervous sweat.

"Urp!" the trio said at the same time, their faces turning pale as they covered their mouths. I took a step back in worry that they would vomit. The girls, tears welling up in their eyes, chewed more slowly as if in pain before swallowing the meat gum. The girls gaged a bit before they wiped the tears from their eyes.

"Wh-What is this?! It's chewy meat!" the light brown haired girl muttered as more tears welled up in her eyes. I blinked in surprise as sweat rolled down my jaw. Of course Nise would have something like that with him.

"This is also considered a snack!? The world of snacks is indeed vast and infinite" the black haired girls said at the same time. I blinked in realization, taking a step forward.

"Well, when you think of 'snack' now, you'll probably think of that flavor right?" I asked, causing the girls to look at me in surprise. They then looked at each other for a moment before their faces light up in joy.

"You're right, Narukami-san! Now we won't have to linger in front of the Shiroku Store anymore!" the light brown haired girl cheered, the black haired girls laughing happily. I felt a warm feeling wash over me as I watched them all laugh. The girls said goodbye and jogged happily down the stairs to the first floor, hoping that they can still catch the train for Okina City. As they left, I could hear them happily say nice things about me. Once their voices disappeared, I sighed silently and began to walk down the stairs as well.

Once I reached the first floor, I noticed that there was a black haired boy in front of my locker, staring intently at it with a red face. Confused I walked up to him.

"Excuse me..." I muttered, causing the boy to jump at my voice at twirl around.

"W-What?" the boy began, before blinking in realization as his red face returned to normal. "Oh, you're the transfer student, Hitomi..." My eyes widened slightly in surprise, taken back by the boy's formality towards me. Hesitantly, I nodded in reply. The boy suddenly blinked in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

"Hitomi...?" the boy muttered. I couldn't help but blush a little bit in discomfort, not appreciating this boy calling me by my first name. The boy suddenly gasped, his face turning red as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Shit, I-I made a mistake! This is your shoe box!" the boy exclaimed. Before I could react, the boy turned around and left the school, running at incredible speeds. I stared at the direction he ran at in confusion, tilting my head. That was most certainly strange. I shook my head, turning my attention over to my locker. Once I opened it, I saw a note sitting on top of my shoes. Confused, I picked it up. I noticed that the writing was very gentle, but too muscular to be written by a girl.

Excuse me for writing this to you out of the blue. I held my emotions back all this time because I didn't want to disrupt studies, but I just had to tell you...
I love you!

I blinked rapidly in surprise by the moving love note, finding myself blushing. Someone who I didn't know signed it... I turned the note over and saw an unfamiliar name at the top right hand corner, "Hinami Yoko". My face cooled down at the name, realizing that it wasn't meant for me. I looked up towards where that boy ran. I wonder if the boy put this in the wrong shoe box? I felt sorry for the guy and switched the love note with my shoes. Until I can clear this up, I'll keep the letter in here. Once I put on my outdoor shoes and put my indoor shoes in side my locker, I began to walk home.

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Evening...

I got home rather early, even earlier than Nanako and decided to take a nap. I was asleep for about an hour until Nanako came home, waking me up. She apologized for doing so and told me to go back to sleep, giving me a blanket all the while. I thanked her and also apologies but she said it was fine. I slept for three hours, according to Nanako. Now, I had just finished my homework at the kitchen table. I stretched in satisfaction, noticing that Nanako paced back and forth relentlessly. After a bit, Nanako sighed heavily with a pout.

"Daddy's late again today..." Nanako muttered as she looked out the door. I felt my heart sting in sympathy. Suddenly, the phone rang. Nanako walked over and answered it.

"Hello, Dojima residence" Nanako began. Her face suddenly beamed as the conversation continued, "Dad! Huh... Really?! Okay... Okay, I understand." Nanako smiled widely as she hum up, turning her attention to me.

"Dad's coming home now! We need to get dinner ready!" Nanako explained with a giggle. I nodded, gathering my things to put them away temporarily. I walked over to the dining table and placed my things there as Nanako laughed happily, opening the fridge. When I turned around and walked over to Nanako, who was staring at the fridge. I noticed that something was wrong when Nanako slowly closed the fridge door.

"What is it, Mimi?" I asked.

"We're out of pickled radish..." Nanako whined softly as she looked at me. "Daddy'll be disappointed..." I blinked sadly at her, not liking to see Nanako so sad. I knelt down to match her height and gave her a gentle look.

"Well then, let's go buy some together" I suggested. Nanako gasped as she blushed, surprised at my suggestion.

"Really?!" Nanako exclaimed, a smile forming on her face. I nodded in reply.

"Thanks, Big Sis!" Nanako giggled. I patted her head as I stood up. Thankfully, I hadn't changed yet. I walked over to my bag and rustled through it's contents, looking for my wallet and spare house key. I was running low on money, but I should have enough to buy some pickled radishes. Once I found my wallet and key, I put my shoes on next to Nanako who was practically beaming in joy. Once both of our shoes were on, I locked the door behind us, and then Nanako grabbed my hand and lead me towards Junes.

"We're going shopping together!" Nanako cheered. the most sweetest, fuzziest feeling washed over me at this as I blushed. Mimi was simply adorable. I feel like I'm growing closer to Mimi...

When we reached Junes, we had no trouble finding a really inexpensive pickled radish for Dojima. Thankfully, we didn't run into Hanamura, who would have offered to pay for the vegetables if he heard what we were doing there. I was already feeling guilty for putting 200 yen in his tab, I don't need to feel even more guilty. When Nanako and I had returned, we saw Dojima's car parked underneath the cover. Seeing the car, Nanako laughed happily and rushed inside the house once I unlocked the door.

"Daddy! Welcome home!" Nanako cheered at the sight of Dojima. I walked up to Nanako, stopping behind her when I noticed a rather expressionless look on Dojima's face. Is he angry?

"Where did you go at this time of night?" Dojima asked in a rather stern tone. I blinked nervously at his tone. He really is angry...

"Oh, uh...Junes..." Nanako replied, weakly. She must have realized that Dojima seems upset.

"Didn't I tell you not to go outside this late?" Dojima sighed, raising his voice a little.

"B-But, you were coming home...so I..." Nanako tried her best to explain herself, but I could tell that Dojima wasn't listening.

"No matter what your reason was, rules are rules," Dojima said insistently. "You promised me, remember?" Nanako looked down at the ground. My heart stung in pity for poor Nanako. Even though I was a little nervous of Dojima and didn't want to upset him anymore than he already is, but I didn't want Nanako to be sad.

"It's not Nanako's fault," I said, patting Nanako's head. Thankfully, I was able to say it without wavering. I felt Nanako look up, causing me to look down at her.

"Big Sis..." Nanako muttered, look relieved but sad. "...It's not my fault? Then why is Dad angry...? Why won't he listen...?"I blinked in surprise, not knowing what to say to that. When Mimi was Nanako's age... She was never told no. Especially since it was after the incident. Me on the other hand... I was always said no. They would often say it was because I was the eldest. Nanako is an only child... So that reason doesn't work on this.

"Daddy's stupid...! Stupid, stupid!" Nanako exclaimed, clenching her fists before running to her room. Dojima stood up and hesitated to follow Nanako.

"Nanako!" Dojima called out. "How dare you call your father stupid!" I put my hands up to try and calm down Dojima down. I explained to him why we had went to Junes.

"Pickled radish... for me...?" Dojima asked, looking a bit awkward. I nodded in reply.

"Is that so..." Dojima sighed. He shook his head and continued, "But I still can't allow kids to be walking around this late at night. You, of all people, should know how dangerous it's been lately." I flinched at Dojima's tone, closing my eyes.

"You shouldn't be wandering around out there at night either..." Dojima's continued, his tone a bit softer. I opened my eyes and looked up at Dojima. His expression has softened as he looked at me. "Please be more careful..." Surprised, I looked down and nodded obediently. With that, Dojima ordered me to go to bed while he put the radishes away.

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Friday, May 20th | Early Morning...

I yawned softly as I walked down the stairs, fixing my hair with my fingers. I felt very refreshed today, thank to my nap yesterday. I felt as if I had been given burst of energy from those girls I helped out as a token of their gratitude. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw that Nanako was making some sort of egg sandwich. She probably didn't wake up early enough to make a real breakfast meal.

"Good morning" Nanako greeted, noticing my presences.

"Good morning, Nanako" I greeted, walking towards the table. Nanako took out a butter knife and began to cut the egg sandwich in half, diagonally. Watching her do this confirmed me that she really didn't wake up early enough. When I walked towards the table, I noticed an envelope with my name on it waiting for me. Curious, I picked it up and opened it. Inside was about 20,000 yen and a small note inside.

This is your allowance from me to reward you for being in the top ten on your midterms. Feel free to use it as you want
-Dojima

I blinked in surprise at the note, glancing back and forth between the envelope full of yen and the note. I couldn't accept this! There was 20,000 yen inside! But... I am running low on yen... I bit my lip, internally debating whether or not to accept the yen.

"Here, Big Sis! Your share of breakfast" Nanako said, catching my attention. She smiled happily as she offered a rather messy egg sandwich, a paper towel on the bottom where she held it. I nodded a thank you and took it from her. Nanako began to eat her food, getting ready all the while since it was about time to go.

In the end, I decided to keep the yen, putting the envelope in my bag.

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Lunch...

"Hey, Narukami-san! You have a visitor!"

I blinked in surprise as I looked up form my notebook, noticing that my classmates who ate in the classroom like I did was looking at me. I closed my notebook and stood up, making my way towards the doors where two male students stood by, watching me walk towards them. I blinked again in surprise when I noticed that my "visitor" was the boy from yesterday, who looked nervous and angry.

"Hello" I greeted. He said nothing but motioned his head to follow him. I blinked twice in surprise before nodding. The boy turned around and walked towards the end of the hallway, where less students where. I followed behind him, the sound of confused whispers entering and leaving my ears. When we reached the end of the hallway, he turned around and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back to the wall behind him.

"...So, did you read my letter?" the boy asked, his tone serious.

"Yes, I thought it was very moving. You have nice penmanship" I said bluntly. The boy's face exploded red as he nearly fell down to the side, taken back by my honesty. The boy struggled to stand straight, his stance looking as if he was ready to harm me as he leaned his face rather close to mine.

"H-H-How could you do that, you jerk?! A-And don't compliment my handwriting, it's weird!" the boy shouted, flustered. I blinked twice in surprise, sweat rolling down my jaw.

"Ah... I'm sorry" I apologized. The boy stood up and ran his right hand through his hair.

"I didn't even have enough courage to sign it, and yet a totally random person now knows my secret?!" the boy huffed, scratching his head. His eyes started to well up as his hand fell limp to his side.

"...What's the point anymore? She would never accept how I feel, anyways..." the boy sighed. Tears silently began to fall, as his face reddened. I stared in pity at the poor boy. There must be some way I can help him...

"Well, you don't know that, do you?" I asked, catching the boy's attention. I gave him a confident look, nodding.

"Your note was very modest and kind. I'm sure that the girl would be happy if you just told her!" I encouraged, causing the boy to blink in surprise. I placed my hands on my hips.

"Wipe those tears out of your eyes and go tell her, before lunch is over!" I instructed firmly. The boy stared at me for a moment before nodding with confidence. He quickly wiped the tears out of his eyes and run up the stairs past the corner. Once he had disappeared from my sight, I sighed silently before walking back to my classroom. As I walked back, it seems that more people were staring at me, some whispering things to each other.

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After School...

When classes were over, I found myself being confronted by Yukiko as I packed my things.

"Hey, Hitomi-chan, what do you planning on doing?" Yukiko asked as I closed my bag.

"Um, I'm not sure. Perhaps I'll go home and study" I replied, standing up. Yukiko smiled a little as she pointed at herself.

"If you wouldn't mind, may I walk with you?" Yukiko asked. I blinked twice in surprise.

"Sure, if you want" I replied bluntly. Yukiko smiled and the two of us made our way to the back door to leave. Yukiko began to talk about multiple things, mostly small talk, as we walked downstairs to our lockers.

"Ah, hey! Hitomi!" I heard a familiar voice call out, catching my attention. I looked over and saw that the boy from yesterday was jogging towards me with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh, hello" I greeted as he stopped in front of me, panting a little. Suddenly, the boy bowed deeply, causing me to blink in surprise as people looked in our direction.

"Thank you so much!" the boy exclaimed as he quickly stood up straight. His face was red from either exhaustion or embarrassment as he grabbed my hands. I blinked rapidly in discomfort. This boy most certainly does not know his manners.

"It was because of you that I was able to say how I really felt! And guess what? It worked! I'm so glad you helped, seriously I can't thank you enough!" the boy laughed. I blinked a few times at him, his face seeming to glow with happiness.

"Um, your welcome..." I said nervously, taking note of all the people watching and whispering. I hope no one was spreading horrible lies. The boy thanked me again several times before he left to go meet up with new lover, practically skipping. Once he was outside, I let out a sigh and put on my out door shoes, grabbing the note in the process. I feel comfortable enough now to throw it away.

"Who was that?" Yukiko asked once I had my shoes on and closed my locker. I rubbed the back of my neck as we started walking.

"I actually never got his name... But he seems to be in our grade, and well... A lot of misunderstandings happened" I sighed, throwing the note away as Yukiko and I passed by a recycling bin before exiting the school. Yukiko seemed okay with my explanation and the two of us started talking about manners.

When Yukiko and I entered the main shopping district, she asked if we could stop by Yomenaido Bookstore. I didn't see a problem with it, and agreed. While we were there, I scanned through some manga as Yukiko looked for a particular book. I debated over it for a while, but decided to go and buy a book that was on sale for 20% off. It was called "Expert Study Methods". Yukiko couldn't help but giggle at my book choice, causing me to blush. I only bought it because it was 20% off and had some promising techniques to make studying, note taking, and finishing homework easier.

"Thank goodness. That was the last one" Yukiko sighed as she held the bought she bought close to her chest.

"What is it?" I asked as we exited the store. Yukiko looked at me, slightly embarrassed.

"Um, well, it's about job certifications..." Yukiko began, causing me to blink in surprise. "Sensei recommended this book to me because it has details on a bunch of job licenses..."

"Are you going to apply for one?" I asked as we stopped walking, not to far from the bookstore. Yukiko nodded in reply. Her embarrassed smile slowly turned into a frown as she looked downward.

"Inside the TV... The "other me" said she didn't want to inherit the inn... And I think... those were my true feelings." Yukiko explained softly. She looked up and gave me a weak, but determined look.

"So, I've decided to be a little more true to myself" Yukiko began. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. "I... I refuse to inherit the Amagi Inn! And when I graduate, I'm leaving this town!" I blinked in surprise at Yukiko's words. There was a small pause before Yukiko started laughing.

"I-I said it!" Yukiko laughed, a refreshing smile on her face. I nodded slowly, putting the pieces together.

"I see... So in order to live on your own, you're thinking about getting a job license" I guessed. Yukiko nodded in reply, her smile growing wider as a soft pink covered her cheeks.

"That's right. I was thinking something along the lines of an interior decorator... What do you think?" Yukiko asked. I nodded slowly, an image of Yukiko decorating someone's house looking plausible.

"It's cool, isn't it?" Yukiko giggled.

"I had to find a secret part-time job, so that mother wouldn't find out. Did you know that you can fold envelopes in your room for a good sum of yen?" Yukiko asked. I blinked in surprise and shook my head. Yukiko and I began to walk again, heading to my house first since it was closest, as she explained all about the envelopes.

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Sunday, May 23rd

The past two days have been peaceful, with little to no excitement going on. Although, it seems that a lot of people are talking about me throughout the school. Thankfully, all of it has been good and nothing bad.

When I arrived downstairs, I was greeted by Nanako, who was currently sitting at the kitchen table. There was a small potted seedling on the table that Nanako looked at with a troubled expression.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Perhaps she was hungry? It was rather early in the morning and I hadn't smelled any cooking while I got dressed. Nanako looked at me with troubled eyes.

"Um, we're growing veggies at school. The teacher gave us 'seedlings,' and told us to try growing them at home. I asked Dad and he said I could plant them wherever I want. I don't know where's good, though..." Nanako explained as she looked back at her seedling. I thought about it for a moment, thinking of where would be good. I then recalled that there was an open plot of land on the side of the house.

"Hey, Nanako" I began, catching her attention. "Is the place next to the house yours?" Nanako blinked and nodded, uncertain as to what I was saying.

"Mmm-hmm. We don't use it, but it's our yard... Is that where we're gonna plant the seedling?" Nanako asked, catching on. I nodded in reply and beckoned her to follow me.

"Okay!" Nanako cheered as she smiled widely, grabbing her seedling and hopping off the chair. Noticing that the pot was too heavy for Nanako, I carried the pot for her as we slipped on our shoes and exited the house; leaving the door unlocked.

I hadn't paid too much attention to the empty plot of land before, until now. There were tools lying around the ground, almost as if someone had been planning to fix up the yard beforehand. There was also a stack of cinder blocks, a few small planks of wood, and a huge pile of soil. If I used the materials and tools, I can make a simple garden within less than an hour. I placed the potted seedling down next to me and Nanako and I began to fix the potted land. It wasn't easy, especially since I was wearing a tight skirt. I was rather uneasy, nervous that a man would walk by. Thankfully, only housewives in the neighborhood went by- one of them who is interested in gardening herself even gave Nanako and I some tomato seeds for free as a gift. Nanako was so happy she jumped for joy and insisted on planting the tomato seeds and seedling once it was alright.

About 2 hours has passed since we've started. It took a bit longer than I had thought due to my clothing.

"Do you think the veggies will grow?" Nanako asked, a smile plastered on her face. I nodded in reply, grabbing a handful of air to show confidence.

"They will if we work hard!" I encouraged. Nanako copied my action and giggled.

"Mmm-hmm, let's do our best to take care of them!" Nanako happily exclaimed. "Hey, I want to make a sign! No one will know what we planted until the veggies grow. I gotta write down that there are veggies growing here." I nodded, thinking that the plan wasn't bad.

"All right, let's make one" I agreed. Nanako threw her hands up in the air in glee.

"Yay, thanks!" Nanako cheered, laughing. The cinder blocks had been used to fence in the pile of soil, which had been adjusted so it spread around evenly within its frame. What had been left over and had no actual use until now, were the planks of wood. Using that, Nanako and I made a sign, which we put next to the garden. The sign was small, but it made for a perfect finishing touch.

"We did it!" Nanako said, clearly ecstatic. "I'll be in charge of watering the seedlings! What do you want to do Big Sis?" Nanako looked at me with big sparkling eyes. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

"Well, how about I plant the seeds and seedlings?" I suggested. Nanako smiled and nodded.

"Okay!" Nanako beamed. "We made this garden together, so we should grow whatever is planted in it together! If a lot of veggies grow, will our house be like Junes?" I crossed my arms under my chest, raising an eyebrow at the garden.

"That would be really impressive...!" I admitted.

"I can't wait!" Nanako giggled. "Thanks for helping me, Big Sis!" I nodded in reply.

When Nanako and I returned back inside the house, putting all the metal tools inside a bucket so that they wouldn't rust, my iPhone rang. It was Hanamura calling, saying that he had nothing to do and wondered if he could come over. I asked Nanako if she would mind, to which she replied with "Yosuke-kun works at Junes right? He can come!" When I told Hanamura Nanako's response, he couldn't help but laugh. Thirty minutes passed after the phone call before Hanamura appeared. The first thing I spotted was the Junes bag he was holding.

"What is that?" I asked, giving Hanamura a bored look.

"I come by to visit and that's the first thing you say to me?" Hanamura teased, playfully. I furrowed my eyebrows as I puffed out my cheeks.

"Please tell me you did not buy whatever is in there before coming here..." I muttered. Hanamura smiled with a wink as he began to remove his shoes.

"That's exactly what I did~" Hanamura whistled, allowing himself in. I walked next to him with an upset look, crossing my arms beneath my chest.

"You didn't have to do that, Hanamura! I've been feeling absolutely guilty ever since I used your tab!" I sighed. Hanamura swatted in front of his face, giving me a reassuring look.

"Bruh, it was only 200 yen! I easily paid it off the next day!" Hanamura said with a warm tone.

"But, it's still-" I began, only to be caught off by Hanamura flicking me on the forehead. I blinked in surprise as I covered my forehead with my hands.

"Listen, I'm telling you- it's fine! I gave you permission to use my tab, so stop feeling guilty about it okay?" Hanamura said with a wink. I blinked nervously before sighing heavily in defeat.

"Oh, hello!" I heard Nanako greet. I turned around and saw Nanako coming out of her room, which she was cleaning since Hanamura was coming over, and stood next to me. She gasped softly as a soft blush creep onto her cheeks.

"Oh, it's a Junes bag! What's in it?" Nanako asked, looking up to Hanamura with big sparkly eyes.

"Well, I bought snacks for you, Nanako-chan!" Hanamura chuckled happily. Nanako smiled brightly as she thanked Hanamura and cheered.

"Oh hey, Nanako-chan, are you free today?" Hanamura asked as he placed the Junes bag on the table. Nanako shook her head.

"No, I'm going to Takeyoshi-kun's house with Miwa-chan and Yo-chan" Nanako replied, surprising me.

"A-A guy's house?!" Hanamura stuttered, sounding astonished. Nanako blinked, looking somewhat perplexed.

"Takeyoshi-kun sits next to me. I'm going to deliver the public notice to him. Miwa-chan says she's going with me because she likes Takeyoshi-kun" Nanako explained.

"Because she likes him...?" Hanamura muttered, looking over at me as his cheeks reddened. I blinked by his reaction, confused.

"M-Man, kids sure are mature these days... Well, my first love was in first grade, too! I've always been ahead of my time" Hanamura chuckled nervously, making me think that he wasn't being very honest.

"But, well... I don't really need that in my life now. It's just not the time" Hanamura sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I have something I need to do before that can happen..." Hanamura said with a serious tone.

"Homework?" Nanako asked as she looked questioningly at Hanamura.

"No..." Hanamura began, uncertain. "Well, maybe it is. You're so smart, Nanako-chan!"

"Thank you!" Nanako giggled, sounding delighted with Hanamura's comment.

"Anyways, I gotta go now or else Miwa-chan will get upset" Nanako said, bowing a little at Hanamura.

"Oh, before you leave, do you want me to make any specific for dinner?" I asked, placing a hand on her head. Nanako looked up at me and smiled shyly.

"Can we have omurice?" Nanako asked. I nodded, rubbing her head.

"Alright. Make sure to come home before it get's dark" I reminded. Nanako smiled and nodded before turning around and walking towards the door. Hanamura and I watched Nanako leave, waving goodbye. A few minutes after Nanako left, Hanamura helped me store the snacks he bought.

"So, you're sealing off your heart? You don't plan on being in any intimidate relationship?" I asked, feeling the need to start a conversation. Hanamura blinked in surprise as he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Isn't that a random question to ask?" Hanamura asked nervously, his voice cracking a bit. I blushed in embarrassment, scratching my right cheek.

"Ah, um, well... You said earlier to Nanako that you didn't really need it in your life and that it wasn't the time" I explained as I stored the last box of pokey.

"I... I'm a little worried about you because I think that... It has something to do with Konishi-senpai..." I said softly. Having lost many people before in my life, possibly way too many to count, I know how hard it can be to progress. Hanamura was absolutely devastated when Konishi died... I want to help him progress, like no one has done for me.

The was a long and awkward silence in the house. Hanamura had froze when I uttered Konishi's name and was now staring blankly at the cupboard full of snacks. Hanamura sighed out of his nose, looking down to continue storing the snacks.

"Yeah... It's a bit embarrassing, but..." Hanamura began, a sad smile on his face. "I want to think of Saki-senpai when I finally bring her killer to justice... In hope that my feelings could reach her- wherever she is..." I nodded slowly, my eyes locked on Hanamura's profile as he slowly put the snacks away.

"Nanako-chan called it 'homework'..." Hanamura began, a strained smile forming. "Catching the killer, ending the murders, bringing peace to the town... Only we can do it, huh?" I nodded as Hanamura stocked the last snack inside the cupboard, closing it's door. I reached out and gently grabbed his arm in front of me.

"I'll do everything I can to help you with that goal, Hanamura. I promise. Until then, I'll be counting on you" I said firmly, causing Hanamura to look at me with wide eyes. Konishi was a depressing topic for Hanamura... For him to have such a goal in mind, it moves me. Hanamura chuckled nervously, a soft tinged of pink on his cheeks.

"You definitely are a one of a kind, Narukami-chan" Hanamura chuckled as I let go of his arm. "To be perfectly honest, I thought that you were going to laugh or make fun of me for thinking that." I shook my head and looked down at my hands.

"I could never laugh at something like that" I said bluntly, slowly wiggling my fingers. "I've had the same idea... To do something while my head and heart was filled with someone I had lost..." I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath. Soft piano key's began to ring in my ears as my fingers began to tremble in pain. I had suffered for so long because she was gone... All I ever wanted was to have her back. I had spent 9 years over a few pieces of paper, my entire soul filled with her in hopes that I could one day see her again. Even for just one day... It would be enough for me to apologies and say goodbye...

I let out a squeak of surprise when I felt someone wrapping their arm around my neck. It was obviously Hanamura, who was smiling brightly as if we hadn't been talking about the heavy stuff.

"Come on, enough with deep stuff! Let's have some fun!" Hanamura laughed, swaying his body to the sides, my body following his motion due to his grip on me.

"Oh hey, I have an idea! Why don't we hang out in your room?" Hanamura suggested, causing me to gasp and blush in surprise. My room was filled with paper work at the moment, due to some serious note taking last night. I refused his offer with all my might, causing him to laugh. A strange feeling warmed my heart for the remaining time I had hung out with Hanamura.

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Thursday, May 26th

Waiting can be rather hard. The past three days have just been as uneventful as the other two days before the 23rd. Hanamura has been rather busy with work, the same with Yukiko and her family inn. Nise on the other hand has all the time in the world, sleeping the time away on the roof. The two of us haven't been hanging out since he leaves class almost immediately after the teacher to go sleep. To fill in my lonely void without my friends while waiting for Tatsumi to recover, I've been studying. It's no surprise to the others, who sometimes ask before leaving for work or to eat during lunch.

"Please turn to page 150 and refer to the map of Ancient Egypt. You'll also find a picture of the Great Pyramids, the pride of Egypt" Sofue instructed happily. I obediently turned to the page while also flipping to a new blank page in my notebook.

"It was said that these pyramids were built by slaves. However, upon excavation, attendance records of the workers were found, disproving that theory" Sofue explained. I listened intently to the lecture and took careful notes, which has been a lot easier for me thanks to that books I had bought. Now the problem is, I feel like my brain is going to explode. I'm going to admit that I need a break from studying.

"Hohoho, I'd believed in the nobility of the ancient Egyptians since even before they found those records..." Sofue laughed as she smiled widely at the class. "Ancient remains are the real stars of history! Don't you all feel the romance that comes of looking back on ancient times? My older brother is just a boring old samurai with no interests in ancient civilizations. He looks like an idiot in that kabuto! This nemes is much more elegant!"

"Mr. Hanamura!" Sofue suddenly exclaimed, causing those who weren't paying 100% attention to jolt in surprise. "Don't start zoning out just because I changed the subject! Tell me how the theory that the pyramids were built by slaves was disproven!"

"What?!" I heard Hanamura snort. "Uh, um... S-Something about laborers?" I cringed at Hanamura's guess.

"Attendance logs," I whispered, my eyes downwards at my notebook to make it seem to Sofue that I was checking my notes.

"Uh, I mean... Was it the attendance logs?" Hanamura corrected.

"Impressive, Mr. Hanamura. You've got it" Sofue praised as she nodded her head in approval. "Yes, the theory was disproven after the attendance logs of the laborers were found. There are even notes listed as reasons for absence, such as 'hangover'!"

"If the labor was being done by slaves, they wouldn't have been allowed to take days off for things like that, would they?" Sofue continued with her lecture. "It seems the long-prevailing theory was very different from the truth." I felt Hanamura tap my shoulder, causing me to glance slightly at him.

"Thanks for the help, Narukami-chan..." Hanamura whispered. I nodded in reply before turning my attention back to the lecture.

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After school...

"Man, I'm done with waiting!" Nise whined once school was over, recklessly packing his things into his backpack. I blinked in surprise by Nise's words as I packed my own bag.

"Waiting for what?" I asked. I already knew that he was most likely talking about Tatsumi, but I wanted to make sure. Nise looked at me with an exhausted look.

"For Kanji, of course! Haven't you noticed how slow the days go by now? I just want that big push-over thug to get better already so we can progress with the case!" Nise complained, sounding a bit like a child. I nodded in agreement.

"That would certainly be nice. I don't know how much more studying I can take before I become the next Albert Einstein" I said as I stood up, closing my bag.

"Just how much studyin' have you been doing exactly...?" Nise asked nervously. I sighed, rubbing the back of my head.

"So much so to the point where I bought a book on how to study..." I muttered. Nise gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his heart to make it seem more dramatic. My throat tickled as the corners of my mouth twitched.

"You know what then? We're going to hang out!" Nise said, as if declaring it. I nodded, finding the idea not bad at all. I can even say that I'm rather excited to hang out with Nise.

"Where are we going?" I asked as Nise and I began to walk out of the school. Nise gave me a thumbs up as he smiled brightly.

"We're going over to Samegawa River to train!" he said with a chuckle at the end. I nodded, thinking that it was better than doing nothing.

When Nise and I arrived to Samegawa River, I felt an interesting feeling wash over me as we did some basic stretches while talking about anything we could think of. Perhaps it was because I was wearing the school uniforms skirt and not into my sweats like I would usually wear. Or perhaps it was because I could hear several students talking as they walked home. Either way, my face was rather hot. Once stretching was over, Nise and I did a few laps around the river bank like we usually did. After that, we practiced kicking. Well, Nise did most of the kicking practice. I was a bit on the sensitive side due to my skirt, but I still did some kicks. They just weren't as high as I usually would kick. Midway through the training, Nise took of his green jacket due to the heat and practiced doing push ups; something he had just added to intensify the training. He offered his jacket as a some sort blanket for me so that my clothes wouldn't get dirty, but I refused to avoid grass stains on his clothing.

3rd POV

By the time Nise and Hitomi started to feel tired, they noticed that it had gotten pretty late. The early summer sun was resting on top of a few tree's in the distance, the clouds turning a subtle red and orange.

"Oh man, it's late... Let's call it a day" Nise panted as he looked over to Hitomi, who was also panting. Being her usual quite self (or perhaps just too tired to speak), she nodded in reply. Nise grabbed the collar of his white shirt and wiped the sweat off his forehead with it. He chuckled a bit while panting, smiling brightly over to Hitomi, offering a hand.

"Now this is what I'm talkin' about! Working out 'till sweat drops off ya face like a waterfall" Nise laughed, feeling refreshed. For the past few days after saving Kanji, time seemed to go by so slow for Nise. It was starting to get busy for Yukiko over at her inn, so he barely had the chance to hang out with her. Yosuke was in the similar position with his part time job over at Junes. At days like those, Nise wished that he to had a pat time job. But he would always remember how much of a hassle that would be, leaving Nise only Hitomi to hang out with. He didn't mind hanging out with Hitomi, but there would just be days when she was busy.

The only thing left to do for Nise was to sleep his days away, under the sun. Like Hitomi, he felt a special bond between himself and the others. Not being with them just makes things... Boring. Of course, there was always those special days when he wouldn't sleep around and do something, but it didn't feel the same because there was no one there. He felt as if he had grown a cocoon like a caterpillar, sleeping until the day finally came to wake up and spread his wings. So training with Hitomi today made him feel refreshed and re-energized.

"I think I have an unused water bottle in my bag... I'll get it for you" Hitomi said as she placed a hand over her cheek and heart. Nise blinked in surprise, not expecting Hitomi to offer him a drink of water when she too was just as exhausted. But before he could refuse, Hitomi had already jogged her way over to where they had placed their bags and his green jacket. Nise sighed as he blushed a little, watching Hitomi. She was one of a kind girl who is just packed with surprises. Nise finds himself always amused whenever he's with Hitomi.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Nise" a voice called out, causing Nise to freeze. He recognized that voice. He remembered it verywell. Nise gritted his teeth as he slowly turned around, his eyes meeting with a pair of chocolate brown eyes. There stood a boy about the same height as Nise with dark brown hair, chocolate eyes, and tan skin. The boy had a very well built, making Nise look like a weak girl compared to him. The boy's name was Takeshi Kouno- someone Nise only had bad memories of.

"Hello, Kouno-san" Nise greeted coldly, a fake grin on his face. Takeshi grinned back, glancing up and down Nise's chest. Nise couldn't help but get angry by this action, his eyes narrowing. Whenever Takeshi did that, Nise could always see a hit of mockery in his eyes.

"What'cha doing?" Takeshi asked, smirking. He knew full well what Nise was doing, but he couldn't make fun of him as efficiently if Nise didn't say it himself.

"...What's it look like? I'm training. Working out" Nise said coldly. Takeshi laughed mockingly at Nise, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"For real? When are you gonna graduate to being Queen of the Hill?" Takeshi asked. Nise blinked a few times in confusion.

"Queen of the Hill...?" Nise repeated.

"In kindergarten, it was the Crybaby Runt Gang" Takeshi began, a mocking smirk appearing on his face. "In elementary school, you were The Weeping Ally of Justice. And in middle school, it was the Pathetic Vanguards of the Lunch Revolution, wasn't it?" Nise blinked in realization as his face turned a little red in embarrassment. Nise had a bad habit of sticking up and protecting people whenever they were in trouble, crying all the while. It really showed just how much of a coward he's been for the 16 years he's been alive. Takeshi laughed softly at the sight of Nise's flushed face, finding this amusing.

"Heh, remember back in the good ol' days where you practically peed your pants at the sight of me? Kinda surprised that you haven't now" Takeshi snickered, causing Nise's face to burn an even brighter shade of red. He was starting to get really angry...

"That was one time..." Nise growled, softly.

"Right, right..." Takeshi sighed, clearly not finding Nise threatening. "Anyway, what are you this time? The Sobbing Protector of Earth's Peace?" Nise clenched his hands into fists as he tried super hard to control himself.

"I'm not anything... Just 'Nise Satonaka'..." Nise explained through clenched teeth.

"Oh, you mean 'Sissy-Nise'" Takeshi said with a nod. That was the only name that Takeshi could remember that had Nise's first name in it. That, and well, he made that name for Nise.

"So, how's Yuki doing? Does she have a boyfriend yet?" Takeshi asked, his face lighting up. Nise flinched at the name of Yukiko's name, his anger growing stronger.

"...Yukiko..." Nise began, correcting Takeshi, "...Is doing fine. And no, she doesn't have one..." Takeshi smirked as he eyed Nise, taking note of the anger that was growing within Nise.

"I see. Cool, cool~" Takeshi chirped. He had a crush on Yukiko throughout elementary and middle school, just like any other guy who had set eyes on her. But unlike a majority, Takeshi had the balls to go up to her and talk.

"She still good-looking? Maybe I should try for her again. Make sure to say hi to her for me, will ya?" Takeshi rambled. Nise's anger was at is breaking point by now, a pulsing vein popping out of his forehead. He hated how Takeshi treated Yukiko, the memories of middle school flooding back to him. First, the bullying and then the assault he did on Yukiko... Those two reasons alone was enough to make Nise hate Takeshi.

"Nise-kun, I have you're..." a voice began, only to trail off. Nise's heart stopped as the color drained from his face. He had forgotten all about Hitomi, who was searching for a water bottle. It turned out that she had already opened it and had to go buy Nise one. In one hand was Nise's new drink while in the other was the one she had opened. Hitomi was caught off guard at the sight of Takeshi, slowly approaching the boys as Nise quickly turned around.

"Um... Good afternoon..." Hitomi greeted shyly, blinking nervously at Takeshi. Takeshi, finally taking notice of the silver haired girl, whistled as he eyed her figure.

"Hey, how's it going pretty lady?" Takeshi cooed as he walked towards Hitomi, causing Nise to flinch.

"Kouno, leave her alone...!" Nise warned softly, sounding like a whisper. Takeshi swatted a hand backwards, causing Nise to flinch in fear. There was one thing he remembered clearly beside form Takeshi assault... And that was his undeniable strength that could destroy Nise in no time flat...

"P-Pretty lady...?" Hitomi repeated, as she blushed. No one has complimented her straight up to her face like that before.

"I haven't seen you around here before. You new?" Takeshi asked with a smile, stopping a rather uncomfortable distance in front of Hitomi. Hitomi took a step back, not liking the close distance they shared.

"Ah, um... Yes. I moved here around April..." Hitomi explained. Nise mentally cured at Hitomi, shouting in his mind that she shouldn't have answered him. Takeshi smiled gently, nodding as he eyed her body.

"Oh, that explains it" Takeshi replied, looking up into her eyes. "Say, mind showing me around? I haven't been here for a while and forgot where some places are." Hitomi blinked in surprise. She didn't think that this mysterious boy would ask her to show him around. Hitomi blinked nervously as she glanced over to Nise, who has been frozen with anger at Takeshi's question.

"Um, well actually... I'm a little busy..." Hitomi said weakly, glancing back at Takeshi.

"Hey come on, it won't take that long! Let's stop by this one place I do know really quick!" Takeshi insisted. Hitomi glanced back over to Nise, unsure of what to do. Hitomi usually had a hard time saying no, especially when she was really uncomfortable. Noticing Hitomi's discomfort, Nise cleared his throat in hope to catch Takeshi attention. But it failed miserably.

"Kouno, leave her alone..." Nise growled, a bit louder this time. But Takeshi paid no mind to Nise. He was greatly interested in Hitomi and had forgotten all about Nise.

"Um, sorry, but I can't..." Hitomi said softly, nervous sweat starting to form.

"Just one little stop! It's not even that far, we'll be back before you know it! Come on, for me?" Takeshi cooed, grabbing Hitomi's right wrist. Hitomi flinched in surprise, startled by Takeshi's actions that she dropped the water bottle in her right hand. This caused Nise to explode, memories of what had happened back in middle school flashing in his mind. Nise growled as he marched up to Takeshi and pulled him off Hitomi.

"Yo, back off Takeshi! She ain't interested!" Nise growled, his expression turning fierce as he stood in front of Hitomi in a protective stance. Takeshi, who stumbled a bit when he was pulled off Hitomi, raised an eyebrow at Nise. Takeshi wasn't afraid of Nise, but he was rather surprised that Nise was strong enough to even do that.

"Whoa, that was a little aggres-" Takeshi began, only to be cut off by a threatening growl from Nise. A dark aura was starting to surround him, his expression turning somewhat demonic.

"I said: She. Ain't. Interested" Nise snarled. "You better go if ya know what's good for ya..." Hitomi blinked a few times in surprise by Nise's actions, her heart starting to pound as she blushed a bit. She was starting to feel a lot better now that Nise was in front of her, rather than the stranger.

"Sheesh, whatever happened to 'Sissy-Nise'?" Takeshi asked with a scoff. Nise raised his head a bit so that he was looking down at Takeshi.

"He ain't here right now, please come back again when you're not a piece of shit" Nise replied bluntly, causing Takeshi to flinch. A rather evil voice was hidden in Nise's actual voice somewhere and it was starting to frighten Takeshi. Hitomi blinked a few times when she heard an unfamiliar voice in her mind.

"Don't worry, Hitomi-sama. I'm just aiding my master scare off this piece of trash" the voice explained. Hitomi was surprised when a name surfaced in her mind. Tomoya...? Tomoya was helping Nise? Hitomi was rather surprised by this, since most of the time in the real world, no one could summon their persona's. Hitomi was greatly impressed.

"Oh, and stop tellin' me to say 'hey' to Yukiko for you 'cause it ain't gonna happen. Not after what you tried to do to her" Nise said bluntly. Takeshi was terrified at this point at his once cry-baby friend. After a moment, Takeshi scoffed and turned around, quickly walking away. Once Takeshi was completely out of sight, the demonic aura surrounding Nise disappeared as he let out a sigh. He turned around and looked at Hitomi with worried eyes.

"Hey, you good? He didn't hurt your wrist, did he?" Nise asked, his voice now normal. Hitomi only stared at Nise in reply. Surprised by Hitomi's silence, Nise squatted down a little bit so that he was at eye level with her.

"...Hey, are you alright?" Nise asked more gently this time. Hitomi couldn't help but blush as her heart began to pound, causing Hitomi to look down and place her right hand to her chest.

"My heart's pounding..." Hitomi muttered, confused by it and her red face. Nise blinked in surprise before letting out a short laugh, cutting it off with the back of his left hand.

"Well that's probably 'cause you were scared!" Nise chuckled, finding Hitomi really cute right now. This was a side that he really enjoyed seeing in her. Red face and gentle voice... It really makes his mind create images of Hitomi expressing emotion. It still confused him though as to why she doesn't express herself. Nise stood up straight and patted Hitomi's head, causing her to look up as hear heart skipped a beat.

"Don't worry, I probably would have soiled my pants if he tried to get physical with me. Did you see those arms? It's like he lifts cows!" Nise exclaimed, shivering at the though of Takeshi's strength. Nise had tried to fight Takeshi once before, but it only led to Nise being sent to the Nurses office.

"Anyway, sorry you had to see that... That guy really pisses me off" Nise began, bending down to pick up the water bottle Hitomi had dropped. "His name is Takeshi Kouno. He was attending the same school as me and Yukiko up 'till middle school. He moved over to Okina City and attends their high school now. The bastard still stops every now and then to visit..." Hitomi blinked nervously as Nise opened the water bottle.

"You seem to not like Kouno-san very much..." Hitomi muttered as Nise took a gulp.

"Hell yeah I don't!" Nise replied once he swallowed the water. "You see, he has a really bad reputation for being with lots of women and bein' an abuser. Once, he grabbed Yukiko's hand- like he did to you- and tried to drag her off somewhere. Thankfully, Yukiko slapped him and ran straight to me about it." Nise looked intensely at Hitomi, eyeing her height and small body structure.

"You're not like Yukiko- you're the type of person who can't hurt a person even when necessary. You've proved that you're more of a protector lots of times in the other world" Nise said softly, the injuries Hitomi had received from saving Kanji flashing back into his mind. For the next few days after that, Nise had trouble sleeping because of how worried he as for Hitomi's health. Hitomi looked down with a guilty expression, pouting slightly.

"Sorry..." she muttered. On a normal occasion, this would have caused Nise to blush due to how cute Hitomi looked, but this was serious. Nise grabbed Hitomi's shoulders, causing her to look up at him in surprise.

"Stupid, there's no need to apologies! I should be thanking you since you've saved my butt so many times!" Nise scolded. He didn't want to hear Hitomi apologies for saving him and the others in the other world. If he were to accept Hitomi's apology, then what would have been the point in accepting his Shadow? Nise sighed as he let go of Hitomi's shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I'd sleep a bit better at night knowing that for once you didn't get hurt over in the other world... But that's just who you are" Nise sighed. Ever since he accepted his true feelings, he has been more open in accepting the fact that there are some girls who are better and stronger than he is- like Hitomi. And it is because it is Hitomi that he can feel better about the whole situation. He feels better about himself and doesn't feel like a damsel in distress. If a girl protects him, then he just needs to protect her in return.

"...Hey, let's make a deal" Nise began as an idea come to his mind. Hitomi blinked in surprise and tilted her head slightly.

"A deal?" Hitomi repeated.

"When we're over in the other world, you can save my butt- and the other's too- as many times as you want. As long as I get to protect you from people like that asshole in this world. Deal?" Nise said, a smile forming on his face. Hitomi's heart skipped a beat as she blinked twice. Flustered, she nodded slowly. Nise chuckled at Hitomi's shy reply, finding it adorable.

"Heh, good! And don't worry, I promise you, Narukami-chan..." Nise began, looking serious. "I'll protect you from anything that might try and harm you. It doesn't matter what the coast..." Hitomi's eyes widened slightly as her heart began to thump. Nise could feel his own heart beat differently as he blushed. After a moment of silence, Hitomi looked down at her water bottle, ready to take a sip.

"...You're blushing, Nise-kun" Hitomi said bluntly before taking a sip. Nise's face exploded in embarrassment as he covered his face with his hand.

"Aw man, you couldn't let me say a cool line like that huh? Shoot, now I'm all embarrassed!" Nise squeaked, his legs giving out causing him to squat down. Hitomi felt a tickle in her throat that seemed to want to escape. But for some reason, it couldn't. Once Nise had calmed down, the two decided to head home. As they were walking away from the Samegawa Flood Plains, Hitomi looked over to Nise.

"You know... Earlier, you reminded me Tatsumi-san" Hitomi admitted, bluntly. Nise flinched in surprise as he turned his attention to Hitomi with wide eyes and a raised eyebrow.

"Huh, for real?!" Nise exclaimed. Hitomi nodded in reply, causing Nise to groan in confusion.

"I don't know how to feel about that... Kanji seems like a man's man, the type that I admire, but I'm pretty scared of him" Nise began. "Besides, I was trying to copy this one scene I saw in a movie, not copy Kanji." Hitomi hummed, now knowing the explanation. With nothing else to talk about, Nise began to ramble on and on about the movie he had saw.

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Evening...

Hitomi's POV

I opened the door to the Dojima residence, placing my bag down onto the floor as I began to remove my shoes. My body was rather sore from training... But I'm sure that my friendship with Nise has grown stronger. I can feel his resolve to do better. Once my shoes were off, I walked inside the house, only to see that Dojima was home today, reading the newspaper. Noticing my presence, Dojima lowered his newspaper and smiled slightly at me.

"Hey, welcome back" Dojima greeted warmly. I nodded a hello as I glanced over to Nanako. It seems that a quiz show was on, and Nanako was staring intensely at it. With a silent sigh, I placed my bag down on the ground leaning onto the stairway. With a heavy body, I walked over to the kitchen table and sat down across from Dojima, catching his attention. I let out a soft sigh as I closed my eyes.

"Hey, Hitomi... How's it going?" I heard Dojima ask, causing me to open my eyes and look at him. He was looking at me with a nervous smile, a bit of concern in his eyes. Before I could say anything, Dojima bit his lip and glanced upward.

"Oh, er... Well, maybe that wasn't the right line..." Dojima muttered to himself. It seems that Dojima is struggling to find the right words. Dojima sighed and laughed nervously.

"I don't consider myself an old man yet, but when it comes to high schooler... I don't know what to talk about" Dojima admitted as he grimaced. He looks rather perplexed... I sat up straight in my chair, pushing some of my hair behind my ear.

"Why don't we talk, Dojima? It has been a while, hasn't it?" I suggested. Dojima blinked in surprise as he lowered his newspaper.

"You're that bored...? Well, alright then" Dojima sighed. Despite his sigh, he looks rather happy and is smiling. Dojima folded up his newspaper, placing it onto the table.

"So...what have you been doing after school?" Dojima decided to ask after a moment of silence. I thought about it for a moment, tilting my head from side to side.

"I mostly hang out with my friends..." I replied. That really is the only thing I tend to do after all. Kou hasn't been having any trouble with the basketball team, so I'm rarely needed to go there.

"...Are you really just 'hanging out' with your friends?" Dojima asked with a scowl, a rather suspicious tone in his voice. I blinked in surprise and tilted my head slightly.

"Um, what are you implying?" I asked softly. Dojima gasped softly as he turned away from me and rubbed the back of his head.

"Whoops. This is turning into an interrogation, isn't it?" Dojima sighed. "But it's not as if we have much in common... except for the murders." I stared at Dojima as he sighed, a rather shameful look on his face. I decided to change the subject.

"Um, well then... Tell me about yourself" I suggested, catching Dojima's attention.

"About me?" Dojima asked, looked questioningly at me. I nodded in reply.

"You're interested in the strangest things..." Dojima chuckled with a shrug.

"It's just what it seems. I'm a simple country detective living with my daughter. There's nothing about that to interest a high school kid" Dojima began. "...But you know, it really is good to have you around the house." I blinked a few times in surprise, my face heating up.

"Th-That's good to hear..." I stuttered as Dojima smiled.

"I didn't think Nanako would be so happy..." Dojima began, a bit softer than before as he looked over to where Nanako was sitting. "Hell, I'm already tired of hearing 'Big Sis' this and 'Big Sis' that." Dojima looked back over to me and stared at me for a bit.

"You're more like a very young sister to me than a daughter," Dojima remarked. I blinked a few times as I felt myself blush even harder, causing Dojima to chuckle. Thinking of a way to get Dojima just as embarrassed, I glanced around the room.

"...Ah!" I gasped softly, coming up with an idea. "Well, should I call you 'Big Bro'?" Dojima laughed at my words, a gentle tinged of pink covering his cheeks.

"Haha, stop that! You're sending chills down my spine" Dojima laughed cheerfully. I felt the warm feeling wash over me as I watched Dojima laugh, the corner of my mouth twitching. Dojima always seemed rather serious, so seeing this side of him is rather enjoyable.

"...I think it's been a while since I've laughed this much," Dojima admitted once he stopped laughing, the smile still left on his face. "Thank you." I nodded in reply, glad to have talked frankly with him. I can feel our relationship grow stronger...

"Alright, I have to finish processing some data from work." Dojima sighed as he stood up. "Don't hit the sack too late, you hear? 'Night." I nodded goodnight and went to my room.

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Friday, May 27th | After school...

After school, Yukiko talked with me over little things as we packed our bags.

"Oh, Hitomi-chan, do you think you can do me a favor?" Yukiko asked once our bags were packed. I blinked in surprised as I looked at her.

"Sure. What do you have in mind?" I asked.

"Will you go to Junes with me?" Yukiko asked with an embarrassed smile. I nodded in reply, causing her smile to widen. Without another word, the two of us were off to Junes. Hanamura had already left for work by the time Yukiko asked me to go with her, which made me feel a little sad. It would have been nice to walk with him as well.

When we arrived to Junes, Yukiko dragged me over to the grocery department filled with fresh produce. She looked at the fresh vegetables before her, a somewhat overwhelmed expression on her face.

"Why are there so many types of food...?" Yukiko sighed as she turned to me. "Even eggs come in so many varieties."

"Are you making dinner at the inn?" I asked. Yukiko shook her head.

"No! I'd never dream of it!" She said as she smiled. "I don't think my food's nearly as good enough to serve to the guests." Despite saying so, she looked rather happy.

"So then, what were you planning on doing?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"I was just thinking of practicing my cooking..." Yukiko answered simply, a bit embarrassed. "Since I've decided to leave town... Eating out all the time is bad for you, right?" I nodded in agreement. Eating out was nice, but it is really only meant for special occasions. Yukiko giggled, holding one arm with the other.

"That's why I'm going to get some practice while I can!" Yukiko giggled, a soft pink covering her cheeks. A warm feeling washed over me as I nodded.

"Good luck. It gets easier once you get the hang of it" I replied. It took me a while to learn how to cook meals properly. Although, I was a bit of a visual learner, so after watching my mother cook I soon got the hang of it. Cook books were rather helpful as well.

"Thank you!" Yukiko giggled as she nodded, happily. "Oh, yes. I was thinking that maybe you could taste-test my food sometime. I want someone to eat it and let me know how it is. I thought I'd improve quicker that way, And knowing you, I'd get an honest opinion."

"W-Will you...?" Yukiko asked, sounding embarrassed as she looked nervously at me. I nodded.

"I don't mind. I'm looking forward to it" I replied, my face softening.

"Really?!" Yukiko exclaimed, smiling happily. "Thank you!" I nodded, telling her that it wasn't a problem. Yukiko turned her attention back over to the produce and began to confidently scan through them. I began to look through the produce as well, just to browse through it.

"When I obtained the power of Persona, I thought, 'I can do it...'" Yukiko began, catching my attention. "I used to think I couldn't do anything on my own, but maybe I really can... I depended on others up until now, but from this point on, I want others to depend on me... I'll do my best!" I blinked in surprise as Yukiko turned her attention to me, a fire of determination in her eyes. I nodded, grabbing her shoulder as a sign that I was putting my trust in her. I could sense her new iron will to do her best. It felt as if my bond with Yukiko had grown stronger.

"Now then, um... Where do they sell lobsters?" Yukiko asked, looking around with sparkling eyes. I felt a drop of sweat roll down my jaw as I blinked nervously.

"How about you start with small, like an omelet." I suggested, causing Yukiko to look at me in surprise. There was a moment of silence when Yukiko pouted, sighing.

"All right..." she huffed. "You sure know about stuff like this." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously at that comment. It was only because of my family situation that I had to learn how to cook...

"So, what ingredients should I buy?" Yukiko asked. "I know that in order to make an omelet you need eggs, but is there anything else?"

"Just follow my lead..." I replied, a short sigh escaping. I'm starting to have mixed feelings about this...

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Saturday, May 28th | Lunch...

I hummed a simple tune as I walked towards the cafeteria, wondering what to get for lunch. Yesterday I had melon bread with strawberry milk... Maybe I should have curry bread with tea? Hm, then again... Eating bread everyday might not be that healthy...

"Narukami-chan!" I heard a familiar voice call out, cheerfully. I looked over my shoulder and saw Hanamura jogging over to me with a bright, nervous smile.

"My buddy, my pal, my partner! You've got free time today, don't you? Don't you?!" Hanamura asked, sweat rolling down his face. I blinked rapidly in surprise as a small bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face.

"Hanamura, you're scaring me..." I muttered nervously. Hanamura laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

"S-Sorry, but listen; I-I need your help!" Hanamura stuttered. I blinked in surprise at Hanamura's urgent tone.

"A-Alright, then... If I can help" I replied. Hanamura let out a long sigh of relief as he clapped his hands together in front of him as if he was praying.

"Thank you so much! You're such a good friend to me!" Hanamura cheered, tears of joy streaming down his face. "It's just for today! I'll see you later then!" With that, Hanamura ran off to get food. I sighed silently in confusion as I rubbed the back of my head. Just have I gotten into this time?

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After school...

I focused intensely as I restocked the many products from Junes. It turned out that Hanamura needed my help for a sale in the grocery department. There was no time to explain since the sale started shortly after school. So Hanamura and I dressed into the Junes uniforms, after we had arrived from school. I was wearing a white and orange shirt like Hanamura, while wearing the light green Junes apron.

"Welcome, one and all! Choice salmon, 59 yen a slice, just as advertised! And while you're at it, how about some cheese? Direct from Italy and just 298 yen for today only..." Hanamura said with a confident voice and a business smile. He was the center of attention as many housewives, men, students, and even children surrounded him to get a bargain. I felt rather sorry for Hanamura due to all the people surrounding him, but at the same time- I most likely wouldn't have survived if I was in his place.

"Hey, if you're down with that one, restock this shelf, too!" I heard Hanamura exclaimed. I looked over my shoulder as I placed the last produce on the lower shelf and saw the shelf that Hanamura was talking about. I quickly got up and made my way to the other shelf.

Once the sale was over and the grocery department had simmered down, Hanamura and I were restocking one final shelf before we could finally call it a day.

"Phew, I'm dead tired..." Hanamura sighed, catching my attention. "They decided on the sale at the last minute, and Dad was bugging me to find helpers. I told him I didn't have time for that, but he wasn't listening." I nodded slowly, my movement stocking the shelf not slowing down. Hanamura made a face as he rotates his shoulders.

"I wasn't supposed to work today, either!" Hanamura groaned. He then chuckled and looked over at me with a warm smile. "But hey, I'm glad you were there! Thanks." I nodded as the two of us stood up. I felt the warm feeling wash over me as it usually did from time to time. I placed a hand over my heart and looked down. There is something that I... It feels like I want to say something... Something from this warm feeling. But... Just what is this warm feeling? It's so familiar but at the same time... It makes me want to cry in shame. I hear a voice deep within me, telling me what I should say. Izanagi... So I can hear him in the real world too? I looked up at Hanamura, who has been restocking the shelf and has not noticed me stopping.

"I... I found it rather fun. I'm glad I could help" I replied as I brushed off my skirt and the apron. Izanagi told me to say that... He said that it was what I wanted to say.

"Really?" Hanamura exclaimed, blinking in surprise. "Felt like nothing but a big pain to me. You're amazing." I blinked as I heard Izanagi tell me something once again. I shook my head slowly and tied my hands in front of me.

"I... only had fun... because of you" I remarked slowly, repeating the words that Izanagi was telling me. "You were telling jokes left and right. It was... fun."

"N-No problem!" Hanamura stuttered, a small blush tinging his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his head. The warm feeling inside of me grew as I felt the corners of my mouth twitch. I asked Izanagi what to do, but all I could hear him say was that I wasn't ready. I don't know what he means by that, but being my persona, I'll put my trust in him.

"Good work today!" A rather deep and warm voice called out, catching Hanamura and my attention. Hanamura flinched and nearly fell down as a man who looked like an older version of Hanamura approached us, wearing similar clothes as Hanamura. I blinked in surprise at this older version of Hanamura, wondering if I had recently hit myself over the head.

"D-Dad, what are you doing here?!" Hanamura exclaimed as he looked rather flustered at the man. I blinked in surprise at the information Hanamura had carelessly slipped, looking back and forth between the two. Hanamura's father crossed his arms over his chest and gave him a rather blank look.

"Well, I heard from the other employees that a young woman from your school was helping you in this department" Hanamura's father explained bluntly, as if it was obvious. Hanamura's father turned his attention over to me, scanning me with his eyes. I blinked nervously as I blushed.

"Um, good afternoon..." I muttered shyly. Hanamura's father smiled warmly as he turned his body towards me.

"And you must be the young lady! How do you do, my name is Hanase Hanamura. I'm Yosuke's father" Hanamura's father greeted. I bowed politely as I cooled my face down. For some reason, I'm rather nervous to be meeting with Hanamura's father himself.

"My name is Narukami. Hitomi Narukami. It's a pleasure to meet you" I greeted, standing up straight. Hanase smiled warmly as pulled something out of his pocket.

"Nice to meet you, Hitomi-chan. As a thank you for helping us out today, please accept this" Hanase said as he gave me an envelope. I blinked in surprise as I hesitantly opened it. Inside was about 5,500 yen. I blinked in surprise, hearing Hanamura exclaim in surprise. I looked over and saw that Hanamura was looking over my shoulder, now turning his attention over to Hanase.

"You gave her 5,500 yen?! That's 500 yen extra than from my paycheck!" Hanamura complained. Hanase gave Hanamura a bored look as he swatted his hand in front of Hanamura's face.

"I'm giving everyone a bonus for working had. You'll get the same amount too" Hanase explained, causing Hanamura to relax a bit. I closed the paycheck and bowed politely.

"Thank you very much" I said as I stood up again. Hanamura was looking at me with a soft pink covering his cheeks while Hanase laughed.

"Think nothing of it, it's only fair" Hanase replied. His laughing ceased as he looked at me with questioning eyes.

"So, what is your relationship with Yosuke? He talks about you all the time at home, you know" Hanase explained. I blinked in surprise as my heart skipped a beat at this information. Hanamura's face exploded red as he punched Hanase on the arm.

"Dad, shut up- I don't do that!" Hanamura growled, his face growing redder. Hanase patted Hanamura's head, a worried expression on his face.

"But I'm worried for you, Yosuke. With how you can act sometimes, I'm afraid that you won't be able to get a girlfriend. Then who's going to make me grand kids?" Hanase asked. Now it was my turn for my face to explode red. Hanamura screamed in embarrassment as his whole body began to turn red. Hanase laughed at our reactions, causing Hanamura to grab my hand and drag me away.

"Come on, let's get dressed and eat or something!" Hanamura said with an embarrassed tone. Too flustered to say otherwise, I let Hanamura drag me.

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"I am sooooo sorry about my dad..." Hanamura apologized as he covered his face with his hands. After we changed back into our uniforms, we sat over at a table in the Junes food court. Hanamura's face was still red from embarrassment. Me on the other hand, I had returned to normal already.

"It's fine, Hanamura. It says a lot about your father's personality, though" I replied. Hanamura sighed as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Tell me about it..." Hanamura sighed as he looked at me. "You know, there was this one time when-"

"Oh, Hanamura!" a familiar voice called out, interrupting Hanamura's story. I looked over and saw the two upperclassmen, Manami and Kurumi, walk over to us. They did not look happy.

"What's with the crowd today?" Manami asked in a rather annoyed tone. "It's way busy. If I'd know, I woulda skipped out." I blinked at this information. So there must be other sales too? That would explain why the food court is rather empty.

"Please don't." Hanamura said as he stood up. "You got a bonus for today, right?"

"Yeah, a whole 500 yen!" Kurumi scowled. "I'm trying to save up! Gimme a raise." I felt myself become a little irritated by Kurumi's tone. That is not the proper way to ask for more money. I looked over at Hanamura as he sighed, diverting his eyes to the side.

"Well... I don't think I can help you there..." Hanamura replied.

"What's the point, then?" Kurumi said rudely as she placed her hands on her hips. I felt the urge to stand up and smack these two once again, but I restrained myself. Instead, I cleared my throat and gave the girl a rather cold glare. Something I tend to do naturally just by staring at people. But just like last time, the girls didn't notice me and walked off. Though, they didn't go to far and were still nearby. The two started talking to each other... rather loudly.

"At this rate, my graduation trip'll be somewhere in Japan," Manami complained. "Maybe I should ask my parents to pay for it."

"Why don't you find a guy to pay?" Kurumi suggested.

"Haha, like Saki did?" Manami mocked, emphasizing Konishi's name. I felt myself tense up as I glanced over to Hanamura. Hanamura visibly cringe upon hearing Konishi's name, biting his lip. I felt angry at this point and wanted to slap the girls. Twice.

"Was it during our second year?" Kurumi asked Manami. "When Saki eloped, I mean."

"Yep," Manami replied. "Apparently, she got with a college guy who came home, and went off with him. But she came right back, saying she'd save money and leave on her own."

"Huh? You mean she was dumped?" Kurumi sneered.

"Who knows..." Manami remarked. "She started working here to save money, didn't she? You know us high school girls can make easy money if we really want to." My blood was boiling at this point as the pair's gossiping continued. How could they talk about someone who died like that? I didn't know Konishi very well, but she might have been a good person! I looked over to Hanamura, who just sighed and shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he began. "It's just hot air. I'm not letting it get to me..." I looked over to the girls, glaring at them.

"It's sad to be talked about like that, though..." I muttered, looking back over to Hanamura. He nodded slowly, his expression becoming serious.

"...We're the only one's who can avenge Saki-senpai. We're special. We're the only ones. So... there's no need to bother with outsiders" Hanamura said with a stern tone. I blinked a few time in surprise.

"You've become rather mature, Hanamura" I pointed out. Hanamura blinked in surprise as he looked up at me.

"Well, I saw the kid in me inside the TV. I felt I needed to change..." Hanamura pointed out as he smiled sheepishly. There was a short pause when Hanamura's face began to soften.

"You know, I think it's good you came along" Hanamura admitted. I blinked and tilted my head towards the side slightly.

"Hmm...?" I hummed.

"Because of you, I was able to make it this far" Hanamura explained as he nodded firmly. There was a short pause again.

"What a pain..." Hanamura sighed heavily as he looked down. "Oh, uh, not you... I wonder what it is. I dunno..." I blinked at Hanamura's words, concern filling me.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Hanamura looked up at me sharply, blushing.

"Oh, i-it's nothing... Anyway, you wanna go to Aiya to eat?" Hanamura asked. I nodded as I pulled out the envelope Hanase gave me.

"Sure, I'll treat you Hanamura" I replied. Hanamura smiled and laughed, swatting his hand in front of his face.

"Hey come on, Narukami-chan! I should be treating you for helping out today!" Hanamura laughed. After a few minutes of debating, we decided to pay half for our total price and headed over to Aiya.

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Sunday, May 29th | Early Morning...

I blinked nervously at what I was seeing in front of me. It was rather early in the morning and I was making breakfast for Nanako and I when someone knocked rapidly on the door. I went to open it and saw that it was Kou, bowing at a 90 degree angle as she had her hands in front of her head.

"...Good morning, Kou-chan. Want something to eat?" I asked awkwardly. Kou stood up and smiled.

"No thanks, I already- WAIT THAT'S NOT IS IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW!" Kou suddenly shouted, causing me to nearly fall backwards in surprise. I placed my hands on my hips and gave Kou a rather stern look.

"Kou-chan, it is very early in the morning so please keep your voice down" I scolded. Kou placed her hands over her mouth and bowed in apology.

"Anyway, what can I help you with?" I asked with a sigh.

"Well, can I borrow you for the next few days? The girls have been rather lazy, which isn't good for the new recruits we got! I'm worried that they'll drop out, they're really good and are really athletic" Kou explained, looking frantic. I blinked in surprise, speechless by Kou's request.

"Didn't you say that you were doing well a few days ago when we bumped into each other?" I asked. Kou laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Well yeah, but that's when they started getting lazy... I really need your help! These three girls we got are good, I mean- they go to the fitness center in Okina City every other day!" Kou explained. I blinked in surprise when Kou mentioned the fitness center. The three girls I had helped out came to my mind. After a moment I sighed.

"Alright, I said I would. But only for a few days!" I said with a nod. Kou squealed happily and hugged me, jumping up and down in joy.

"Thank you so much, Hitomi-chan! You really are the best!" Kou squealed. Kou suddenly stopped jumping as she let go of me, her face blank. I blinked in confusion as I raised an eyebrow. Kou looked down at my chest with envy.

"I knew that they were huge, but I didn't think they were that huge..." Kou muttered. I blushed furiously and covered my chest, causing Kou to laugh.

"Big Sis...?" I heard Nanako call out. I turned around and saw Nanako staring at Kou and I with a surprised look. Nanako slowly walked over to me, hiding behind my legs.

"Oh, whose this? She's so cute!" Kou giggled, crouching down to Nanako's height. Nanako blushed and hid even further behind my leg.

"I-I'm not cute..." Nanako mumbled, embarrassed. I patted her head reassuringly, looking at Kou.

"This is my little cousin, Nanako Dojima. Nanako, this is a friend of mine, Kou Ichijo" I introduced. Kou smiled brightly.

"Nice to meet'cha, Nanako-chan!" Kou greeted. Nanako nodded hesitantly. With a giggle, Kou stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, once you're done eating, head to the Samegawa Flood Plain! Chou and I wanted to do some laps, and you might as well come so you can get yourself ready!" Kou chirped. I exclaimed wearily, my left eyebrow twitching.

"More training...?" I mumbled.

"Hm?" Kou asked, blinking innocently. I sighed and shook my head.

"No, nothing... I'll be there in about an hour or so" I said. Kou smiled and thanked me before saying goodbye to Nanako and I, leaving with lots of enthusiasm. I sighed once again, my legs already becoming heavy at the thought of running.

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Monday, May 30th | Early Morning...

"So, Kanji Tatsumi is still absent on account of 'illness.' Sounds like a load of bullshit to me!"

I blinked nervously at Morooka's words, finding them unnecessary and rather rude.

"Tch, asshole..." Nise muttered under his breath, causing me to glance over to him.

"I bet he's out there dicking around all day long!" Morooka continued. However, he stopped when he looked over to the direction of Nise, Yukiko, Hanamura, and myself.

"...What? What's with your faces? You trying to tell me I shouldn't assume things...? Don't tell me you're friends with that punk!" Morooka growled. No one said anything as I felt the other students looking over at our direction as well.

"All right, listen to these words!" Morooka huffed. "Aristotle said, 'A true friend is one in two bodies!' You better watch who you hang out with! You'll only bring your own worth down! Though, I doubt the trash of society would even have friends like you!" Surprised by the words, I pulled out my emergency notebook and wrote down his words.

As the class continued, I noticed Nise place a small piece of paper down on the corner of my desk in the corner of my eye. Blinking in surprise, I kept my eyes on Morooka and unfolded the note.

U, Yukiko, & Me Aiya's Dinner after school?

I blinked in surprise at the message, glancing over at Nise. Nise was glancing at me with a small smile, raising his eyebrows as if asking me in person. I glanced back at Morooka to make sure that they weren't looking at me and quickly wrote down a reply.

Srry, got basketball practice. Won't b free 4 a while.

I felt a little guilty for having to turn down Nise's offer, especially this would have been the chancre to hang out with both Nise and Yukiko. But I agreed to help Kou, so I can't go- even if I wanted to. I casually placed the note back on Nise's desk, my eyes on the teacher as if I wasn't doing anything. I glanced over at Nise and watched him read the note, his excited expression turning quickly into one of disappointment. He glanced over at me, noticing that I was staring and gave a sad. I mouthed "sorry", not liking Nise's sad look. He glanced quickly back at Morooka before shaking his head and glancing back at me. "It's fine, good luck with the basketball" Nise mouthed back. I nodded a thank you in reply and looked back over at Morooka. Basketball for "a couple of days"... I'm getting the feeling that this is going to really wear me out...