Several high schoolers were gathering around one person , they seemed to be having fun , with their laughter shaking the entire hallway . However , one person among them , the one they gathered around , didn't seem as entertained . She was a plain looking girl , and despite how uncomfortable she was she didn't talk back to them . One girl took a cellphone from her pocket and pointed it at the plain girl , as if she was about to take a picture of her .
" no ! Stop ! " the plain girl screamed
" I'm kidding ! " the girl with the phone laughed " don't be so uptight ! "
" cut it out , all of you ! " a boy sternly yelled at them out of nowhere , startling the crowd of girls in the process
" who ... who're you ?! "
" he's that transfer student , Minato Arisato ! "
" what're you doing here , anyway ? School is already over , go home ! " Minato said
" what we do after school is none of your business ! "
" it is my business when you barking in the hallway near the student council is interrupting our work ! Now you're gonna get lost or I'm reporting you to the council president , and you really don't want to see her mad ! "
" b—barking ?! "
" forget it , Natsuki ! If he tells Kirijo senpai , we will be in trouble " the girls left .
" um ... I'm sorry for troubling you " the plain looking girl said timidly
" what's your name , which class are you from ? "
" oh ... um ... I'm Fuuka Yamagishi , from class 2-E " the girl felt awkward " I didn't do anything wrong , did I ? "
" Fuuka , they're not here and they're not listening . Tell me , were they bullying you ? "
" bullying ? No , they weren't "
" don't shy away from telling on them . It's part of the student council duties to deal with these situations "
" I know , but you don't need to worry , we are friends "
" friends ? I think you need to look that word up in the dictionary " Minato sighed
" Minato ! " Minako peered through the door " Hidotoshi wants to talk to us all "
" coming ! " Minato turned from answering his sister to Fuuka " I have to go now , but I'll look more into it . Remember , if you have a problem , don't hesitate to tell us about it "
" of course " Fuuka nodded .
Yukari had just finished her club practice and was about to leave , when she was told the one who had to clean the club snuck out of the school before they could tell her , and Yukari found herself cleaning in their place since it would be her turn next . As if her day couldn't get any worse , she heard some girls talking and laughing in a sickeningly loud voice
" so I took out my phone and like pretended to take a picture , and she went all crazy and like ' no ! Stop ! ' ha ! Ha ! Ha ! "
" OH MY GAWD !!! "
" bullies ? " Yukari thought " and here I believed this school had no such degenerates ! "
" so who's gonna call her to the gym now that the day is over ? "
" not it ! " every girl said quickly , then the last one to say it groaned and strolled away " ugh ! Fine ! I'll call the bazooka to the gym hall ! "
Suddenly she stopped in her tracks , her body went pale and she was paralyzed in place . The girls started calling out to her and shaking her slightly . For a while , she didn't seem to respond , but finally she snapped back to reality and looked around her .
" hey , you okay , girl ? "
" y—yes ! " she nervously brushed it off " C'mon ! If we don't hurry , the bazooka is gonna go back home ! "
" about time they left " Yukari sighed .
——————————
The SEES members gathered around that night in the lounge to discuss a solution for their Tartarus operations . Ever since the last time they went to Tartarus , Mitsuru had been trying to scan the floors of the second block while using references from the intel Minako had provided . Even then , she couldn't make so much progress to guarantee that she could provide consistent support for her team .
" maybe you could ask the velvet dudes for help " Junpei said " you know , those guys that had been giving you those various Personas and stuff "
" oh ! " Yukari was surprised " you can actually come up with good ideas every once in a while ! "
" shut up ! I'm the thoughts generator of SEES ! "
" we tried telling them about our situation " Minato responded " they said we aren't compatible for these kinds of Personas "
" wait , so there are Personas even you can't use ? "
" it's not the Persona itself , it's more of the abilities they possess " Minako said " our personalities affect our Personas and the abilities they produce "
" I don't get it " Junpei said
" let's say for example that I'm more sociable than my edgy brother here ... "
" shut up ... " Minato murmured
" so that means I can provide some backup for my team " Minako continued on " but my support abilities would be extremely limited even more than senpai's "
" I guess it's because you're the daughter of the Kirijo group and you're next in line to inherit their management that your Persona developed such traits " Minato said
" so a new member for the SEES may have a Persona capable of providing backup " Mitsuru said
" so we're just gonna spread our secret until we find someone who can provide support ?! " Yukari objected
" we don't have to look very far " Akihiko said " I already have someone on my mind , and I even had an evoker made for her . Her name is Fuuka Yamagishi from class 2-E . I was planning to introduce her to the team a month ago but gave up , because her body was relatively weak and not fit for battle "
" what ?! " Junpei exclaimed " we're not gonna give up on her now , right ?! "
" I was planning to , but when you say that some people are more compatible for backup Personas , then maybe she could do that if she wasn't fit for battle "
" wait ! So we're gonna drag another person into this ?! " Yukari cried
" I don't think we have a choice right now " Mitsuru sighed
" sweet ! I can't wait for her to join! I have so many private lessons to teach her ! "
" private lessons ? " Minako said gullibly " yeah , I guess she would need someone to explain to her how everything works about the Dark Hour and stuff like that "
" yeah ... and other stuff " Junpei laughed discreetly
" you're the worst " Yukari scoffed
" actually , I met Fuuka Yamagishi today " Minato said " pale girl , green short hair , gasping a lot ... is that the one ? "
" yes , it's her " Akihiko nodded
" she denied it a lot , but I think she is getting bullied "
" bullied ?! " Mitsuru was jolted by that word
" like I said , she denied it a lot . My point is if we could help her out we might earn her trust to join us . I've seen the girls I thought were bullying here , and I heard them call one of them ' Natsuki ' . I think it was a first name "
" those are some vital informations , Minato . We'll investigate them tomorrow at the council meeting "
———————————————
The twins walked out of the school with a confused look on their faces . The council meeting was ... strange . Even though they called those students to the office , they refused to come and kept defensively saying that they did nothing wrong and that they know nothing at all . It was something a guilty person would do , but for some reason they seemed more scared of their sin than normal . It was like they did something more horrible than bullying . Even stranger , on their way back to the dorm at the end of the day , they could hear the students gossiping like crazy . They were talking about a girl from 2-E that they found unconscious in front of the school gate this morning , and she had still been unconscious even now .
The two met Junpei and Yukari on their way out and the the four walked back to the dorm together , and talked about the rumor on their way .
" I've seen that girl they found unconscious today " Yukari said " it was yesterday after my club practice and she seemed okay then "
" come to think of it , she was among those girls that I thought were bullying Fuuka " Minato added
" but what exactly happened to her ? " Minako asked anxiously " she is still unconscious even now! What could have caused that ? "
" yeah ... it sure is a tough case , even for Ace Detective Junpei ! "
" Ace Defective Stupei is more like it ! " Yukari mocked him
" hey ! Watch it ! " Junpei defensively exclaimed
" hahah ! Yeah ! That's fitting ! " Minato exploded with laughter
" c—c'mon , everyone ! " even Minako was trying to muffle her laughter as she tried to defend Junpei " don't ... pfft ! ..., don't make fun of him like that ! "
————————————
Three days had already passed , and investigating those girls still led to nothing . They refused to answer anything , and they were becoming more and more defensive with every passing day . The student council went even as far as to ask the homeroom teacher for Fuuka's class , and he just said she was sick and she would stay at home for as long as her health demanded , explaining that she had been relatively weaker and more frail than most students . Minato insisted that when he met her , she didn't seem that frail , but he couldn't prove it .
That night , the SEES members sat in the lounge . The twins and Mitsuru were reviewing what leads they had left , while Junpei , Yukari and Akihiko were watching the news about the sudden rise of the Apathy Syndrome .
" they had subsided after the monorail operation , but it seems they are rising again , huh ? " Akihiko sighed
" say , Yukatan " Junpei started with a grin on his face " did you hear that story about that girl from class 2-E they found that morning ? They say she was possessed by a demonic entity that is haunting the school which almost made her kill herself ! "
" that's perfect ! " Yukari scoffed at Junpei " girls are found unconscious , Fuuka is home with serious illness , the Apathy Syndrome is rising again and now an idiot spouting nonsense about a rumor that doesn't exist ! Can't you see we have enough problems to cause us headache , Stupei ?! "
" oh , but it is true ! The students are talking about it all over the school "
" n—no they're not ! Nobody believes that stuff .... right ? " Yukari denied , but sounded even less confident than her shaky words . She had heard students gossiping about it but chose to force herself to ignore them.
" the string of unexplained events doesn't end there " the news reporter interrupted their conversation " students are found unconscious by the gates of Geggokan high and no explanation is made . Parents are concerned that a serial killer is on the loss and contemplating transferring their sons and daughters to other schools . What causes even more confusion is the unconscious students don't seem to have sustained any serious injuries , yet continue to remain unconscious even as we speak , and doctors still can't explain the phenomenon . Combine that with the shady past of Geggokan high and we have a lot of unanswered questions . We tried to ... " Yukari immediately turned off the TV as it was making her increasingly uncomfortable
" man ... even the media had caught wind of this ! " Akihiko sighed " not good "
" betcha want to listen to my ' nonsense ' now , eh Yukatan? "
" shut up "
" what are these rumors , anyway ? " Minato asked
" wait ! Hold on ! You don't believe them , do you ? "
" remember the last time we read some creepy legends about our school , and it turned out to be related to the Dark Hour ? " Minako replied " I'm sure this will be the same "
" interesting argument " Mitsuru joined in " let's hear the rumors , Iori "
" what ... ? " Yukari was still not comfortable hearing those rumors , but as she looked around she seemed to be the only one not looking forward to it
" wait ! " Junpei said as he turned off the light " gotta set the mood "
" shit ... here we go again ... " Minato sighed
" oh ! Is this ' Junpei's believe it or don't ' show ?! " Minako exclaimed excitedly
" don't encourage him "
" you gotta admit it's fun and kinda exciting , bro bro "
" it is indeed time for another tale from ' Junpei's believe it or don't ' " Junpei took a flashlight and lit it below his chin , making the atmosphere even more unsettling " there are strange things in this world , things that cannot be explained ! According to one story , at 03:00 am a demonic spirit haunts the hallways and corridors of the school , it is believed to be the ghost of a high school girl who was locked up by her bullying classmates ten years ago , and now her restless spirit haunts the school . If you go into the school at 03:00 am , you would actually see the girl before you conscious fades . If you're lucky , you'd wake up in front of the school gate , but if you're not , the spirit will possess you and make you jump of the roof ! "
" r—rubbish ! " Yukari shivered
" oh ... it is true ... there's a witness , a friend of mine . Let's call him Joe , he told me his girlfriend called him and told him she had forgotten something really important in the school and that she must retrieve it before morning , but she was scared to go on her own and wanted him to come with her . Reluctantly he agreed , and went with her . For a while , everything seemed normal . Until his girlfriend began making weird groaning noise . When he asked her what was wrong with her , she turned to him with her eyes completely white , and started choking him ! All of a sudden she had gained an inhuman strength beyond anything he had experienced before , and he just barely escaped her grasp . He ran to the school gate , but then ... HE SAW THE GHOST GIRL SCREAMING AT HIM FROM THE FRONT GATE !!!! "
Junpei screamed that last part , pointing at beyond Yukari .
" KYAAA !!! " Yukari screamed and hugged Minato whose face instantly became red
" w—welcome to m—my p—personal s—space " Minato was petrified from embarrassment he could barely speak .
" s—sorry ! " Yukari nervously backed away
" what else happened , Junpei ?! " Minako exclaimed , she was totally hooked " how did Joe escape that encounter ?! "
" he couldn't , the ghost had attacked him and he lost consciousness ! He was only lucky enough and found himself at the front gate of the school when he woke up. As for his girlfriend , she is still unconscious even as we speak ! "
" you mean she is one of the unconscious girls ? " Mitsuru thought
" this is our world : a dimension of imagination , a world that lulls you with the false sense of security of logic and reason , but it is a world of unpredictable nature , a world filled with mysteries that cannot be explained .... believe it ... or don't ... " Junpei said before turning on the lights
" Junpei , that was awesome ! You surpassed yourself ! " Minako exclaimed while clapping" you should narrate documentaries or write stories or something ! "
" yeah , I'm something of a genius myself when I want to ! "
" congrats , sis " Minato sighed " you just inflated his ego ! "
" yeah ... I'll do that while you are snuggling with your girlfriend "
" wh—shut up ! "
" what do you think , Mitsuru ? " Akihiko said
" it was nonsense ! " Yukari exclaimed " another stupid one of Stupei's stupid shows of stupidity ! "
" oh , but it was true ! That Joe guy I talked about does exist , I can even take you to him if you want "
" shut up , I wasn't talking to you ! "
" I think it's interesting " Mitsuru smiled
" see ? Even Mitsuru senpai thinks it's true . Maybe you should just admit you're scared , Yukatan ! "
" I'm ... I'm not ! And to prove that , I'm gonna be the one to lead the investigation ! "
"Good " Mitsuru senpai grinned " we'll be counting on you , then "
" what ?! "
" I was a little worried about investigating this case by myself , but if you're gonna be the leader then I guess I won't have to bother myself " Akihiko nodded " just be sure to sleep with one eye open ! "
" yeah , me too " Minato stood up " I can't stand rumor hunts , good thing I won't have to bother myself with it "
" don't worry , Yukari " Minako placed her hand on her shoulder for reassurance " I'll help you out in this investigation , and Junpei will help us , too . Right , Junpei ? "
" eh ? Me ? "
" don't you dare deny it , Junpei ! " Yukari furiously hissed at him " we're in this mess because of you ! "
" well , in a way , she's right " Minako nodded " you know about the rumors more than any of us . It'll be a lot easier for us if you tag along "
" if you can't do it without me then I guess I can't refuse . Ace Detective Junpei is on the case ! "
" yay ! Thanks , Mr. Ace detective ! " Minako looked from Junpei to Yukari
" ... okay " Yukari sighed " we'll be counting on you , Mr. detective "
************************
" ace detective ... are you stupid or something ? ... more like Stupei ace defective ! "
I couldn't for the life of me recreate this joke ! And do you know what's worse ? Even the Japanese version doesn't sound as thrilling . I'm talking about the delivery more so than the meaning . In the Japanese version she just casually says ... whatever she actually said , but in the English version she says it as if a bunch of hip dudes around her are about to go " OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH !!!! "
So as hard as I tried , this is the best I could do . No wonder Atlus only used this joke once . It's the kind of joke that is only funny the first time you hear it . Anyway , I'm satisfied with everything else about this part so that's good ... I guess .
But who cares about what I think ?! It's your opinions that matter , so feel free to let me know how you felt about this part , and if you enjoyed it please consider voting , and I will see you in the next part . Stay safe .