So I'm playing Persona 4 Golden, having a great time- the battle system is cool, the characters are great, and the storyline is both mysterious and hysterical.

There are some hiccups- such as how you have to fulfill certain requests in order to Rank Up in your Social Link status from time to time, and the exhausting 'building up stats' just to start/continue a Social Link, but it's still enjoyable.

That is, except for this 'cliché' that Atlus just LOVES to put in. They did it in Persona 3, and here is no exception either. I am of course talking about the Hot Springs scene! (Saying it now, I'm a girl, and even this part pissed me off).

You may say, 'It's okay, they deserved it'. Okay, ONE: They already got their punishment during the Cross Dress Pageant (and pretty sure the girls made Teddie the prettiest on purpose!), after Yosuke signed the gals up for the beauty pageant. And TWO: What did Yu and Kanji even do?! Yosuke and Teddie were the ones being the most perverted!

Unlike Persona 3, where the guys had a chance to get off easy, the P4 boys had to suffer the whole night. And the girls get off scot-free, even though Yukiko realizes THEY were the ones who made a mistake! But no, they decide to keep it their own little secret- 'yeah let the guys feel like they were being punished for no reason'. What if it had been someone else? And why didn't any staff members check the Hot Springs and inform the girl's that it was the men's session?!

You may say 'it's just part of anime comedy'… but that's still not a good excuse. I'm sick of the whole 'Guy does nothing wrong/gets caught in a misunderstanding, and gets his ass kicked' schtick. It wasn't funny in other animes, and it's not funny here.

So, I decided to write up my own 'alternate ending' for this moment, where the guys get a reprieve and the girls have to face their repercussion ;)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All Rights Belong to Atlus. …Otherwise the guys would have it much easier if I were running things. Especially Kanji, damn I love that boy… er, wait, is the disclaimer still going?! Gah! F-Forget that last part and read on!

~P4~

"Ohhhhhhhhh….!"

Nanako sat up on her futon, hugging her pillow. "W-What was that?!" she stammered.

"It's so creepy…" Yukiko said, also chilled. The low moan was keeping the girls awake. It had been happening since they got settled in their room; they had hoped it would have ceased by the time they got back from the hot springs, but it only seemed to get louder.

"Um, girls?" Rise asked, her voice a whisper so Nanako wouldn't hear. "Didn't… Didn't that reporter d-die in this hotel?"

Chie gave a jolt. She remembered the room she, Yosuke and Yu first entered when they fell into the TV World. In a way it DID resemble a hotel room… "Oh man, why did you have to bring that up?!" she hissed.

"But wasn't that body found on a TV antenna?" Naoto questioned, having read up on the murder cases during her investigation. "She died in the TV World like the killer intended for all his victims, did she not?"

"That is true." Rise said with a sigh of relief. Her eyes widened. "U-Unless…. What if her ghost is haunting here?"

"B-But that wouldn't make sense! Would it…?" Chie stammered.

Yukiko cringed. "…my family DID put up some charms in the room she stayed in to ward off dark spirits… they figured having a guest who died recently would have left a negative vibe on the room. No one has stayed in that room until tonight,"

"Tonight…? Who's in there tonight?" Rise asked.

Yukiko cringed further. "T-There weren't that many rooms left… and having other guests stay in it would probably lead to bad publicity… so… I let the boys stay in it."

Chie gawked. "You set the guys up in a haunted room?! …Geez, even I wouldn't have sunk that low!"

Rise giggled. "Wow, you must have been really pissed about that pageant, Yukiko."

"H-Haunted room…?" Nanako whimpered, having caught that part of the conversation. "Big Bro is in the same room with a ghost?!"

"Ah, no! No no no no! It's okay, Nanako! There's no ghost here!" Chie hastily assured to keep the little girl calm.

"Oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh…!"

Naoto sneered. "…although it sure sounds like it." She muttered under her breath.

Nanako stood up. "I can't sleep. That moaning is so creepy… and I'm worried about my big brother!" she said, walking towards the door.

"W-Where are you going, Nanako-chan?" Yukiko asked.

"I'm going to find the boy's room. I'll feel better if Big Bro is around,"

"Well- hang on! We'll go with you!" Chie replied, as she and the rest of the girls followed the kindergartener into the hall.

Right as they got to the elevator, the doors opened… and out stepped the guys! "Whoa! Speak of the devil," Yosuke said in surprise.

"PLEASE don't conjure any more dark spirits!" Teddie whimpered. All the boys seemed to look pretty pale.

"What the…?! What are you guys doing here?" Chie asked.

"Will our unintended encounters become a common recurrence?" Naoto questioned, as this was twice the boys appeared by chance.

"Big Bro!" Nanako exclaimed, running up and hugging Yu. "Thank goodness you're okay… I thought the Ghost was going to get you!"

"Ghost…? So you girls heard it too!" Kanji said, relieved. "Thank God… I figured you'd all think we were crazy when we came in!"

"Wha…? You were coming into our room this late at night?!" Yukiko questioned.

"It was the ghost's fault!" Teddie spoke up.

"As well as YOUR fault, Amagi!" Yosuke added, quite crossed with Yukiko. "Setting us up in a cursed room… what the fuck?!"

"Yosuke, language!" Yu hissed, covering Nanako's ears.

"It wasn't like we were being perverts- we just didn't want some ghost creeping up on us in our sleep! …Besides, you owe us for pelting us with pails back at the hot spring!" Kanji snapped.

"Y-You guys ran in on us! What did you expect?!" Chie retorted.

"We EXPECTED an empty hot spring… AND I checked with the front desk and they INSISTED it was time for the men's session!" Yosuke sneered. He then gave a devilish grin. "…Need I report to your parents about the incident, Yukiko? I'm sure the managers would LOVE to hear about how you got the times mixed up AND brutally assaulted four guests!"

"You little…!" Yukiko growled, red with anger. "It was all a misunderstanding! You have no proof we did it on purpose!"

Nanako looked at the boys and girls. "But… wasn't that going to be your secret?"

"N-Nanako, no…!" Rise gasped.

"What secret, Nanako?" Yu asked; he gave his little sister a pressing look, the same Dojima would give to him whenever he figured the teen was up to something.

Nanako bit her lip. "Yukiko realized they got the times mixed up… the girls wanted to keep it secret, but I didn't want to lie."

"Ha! Busted!" Kanji exclaimed, giving the girls a sly look. "So, it wasn't enough you made us wear dresses- you had to rob us of our hot springs privileges too! You girls really are evil, ain't ya?"

"Speaking of evil…" Teddie spoke calmly, before blurting out, "Can we please get into a safe room before the ghost comes out?!"

"It's been quiet for the last five minutes," Naoto pointed out.

Everyone paused, listening. The only sound was a wind blowing outside amongst the trees, rustling leaves that flew through the air.

"It's quiet… but that doesn't exactly reassure me." Yosuke said, still a bit chilled.

"I-I've read something like this in a book at the libeary! The ghost makes a lot of noise before it goes quiet, just before it makes its move!" Teddie whimpered, then clung to Yu's arm. "…protect me, Sensei…"

"I don't like it either… I want Big Bro to sleep with us tonight," Nanako shivered, clinging to Yu as well.

"W-What…? Nanako, I thought you said you were fine sleeping over," Rise said, blushing.

"That was before I heard about the ghost." Nanako looked up at Yu. "You'll stay, won't you?"

Yu gave a firm nod. "Of course. I did promise Dojima I'd look out for you- and what kind of big brother would leave his little sister alone on such a creepy night?"

"She's not alone!" Chie sneered, then crossed her arms. "If that's the game you're playing, she can sleep with you guys!"

"Oh, sure, have a five-year-old sleep in a cursed room?! Talk about heartless, Chie-senpai." Kanji scolded.

"Yeah… And, actually, wouldn't it be better if we ALL stayed in the same room, Nanako-chan?" Yosuke inquired, that devilish smirk back on his face. "There's safety in numbers,"

"I agree!" Teddie exclaimed. "With all of us together, we'll have that ghost completely outnumbered! …Plus in the book, ghosts always targeted those separated from others. If we stick together, it wouldn't dare mess with us!"

"Okay! Everyone can stay with us, then!" Nanako exclaimed.

"Wait! Isn't that a little… inappropriate?" Naoto said, blushing to her ears.

"Not as inappropriate as a group of girls lounging in the springs during the men's session~" Yosuke threw in with a sly wink.

"Grrrrr… fine, but only because Nanako asked. And no funny business!" Yukiko snapped.

Everyone entered the room… only to see a problem. There were only 5 futons- one originally for each girl.

"Oh! Too bad, there's not enough beds. Sorry guys!" Chie said quickly.

"Why don't we all share?" Nanako asked.

"Yeah… Share." Yosuke said, his smirk growing wider.

Exclamation marks flew above the teenage girls' heads. "N-No way!" Naoto stammered, the blush of her face extending.

"S-Share…? Like… with one of the girls…?" Kanji guessed, equally as red.

"I second that emotion!" Teddie said with a smile. "After all, we all need to watch each other's backs… And it only makes sense that 1 guy gets to sleep with 1 girl."

Nanako looked at the group, counting 4 of each gender. "But… what about me?" she asked.

"Hmm… That's right. Well, you're still a girl, so I guess you can pick who to sleep with. …Guh!" Teddie froze, seeing an extreme death-glare from Yu. "I-I-I didn't mean it like that, Sensei!"

"Like what?"

"Nothing, Nanako. Why don't you share with your Big Bro? You did want to stay with him tonight," Kanji told her.

"Okay," Nanako grabbed Yu's hand. "But you're still going to pick a futon to sleep on, right? Which one? I'll sleep on the one beside it so it doesn't get too crowded,"

"(Too late for that,)" Chie muttered.

Yu stepped beside the one closest to the door. "How about if I sleep on this one at the end? That way I can guard the door,"

Yukiko blushed. "T-That one's mine…!" she gasped.

Nanako sat down on the second futon. "Great! Yukiko-san, you don't mind do you? Otherwise you can have it to yourself,"

"T-That's not fair, though…!" Rise complained.

"Yukiko and I will BOTH guard the door then," Yu said, looking at the future-manager. "It's a priority to make sure your guests are safe, right?"

Yukiko quietly fumed. "You try ANYTHING… and you won't be waking up tomorrow." She warned.

"Alright! So! Who shall WE bunk with?" Yosuke said, rubbing his palms together.

"The ghost," Chie sneered.

"Ouch, Chie-chan…" Teddie said, pouting.

Nanako looked at them. "Hmm… Teddie looks the most scared… and Chie is a really strong girl- so you two can share a futon!" she suggested.

"WHAT?!" Chie cried, face growing red.

"REALLY? OH, THANK YOU NANAKO-CHAN! YOU'RE THE BEST!" Teddie exclaimed, flowers floating above his head in delight.

Nanako giggled. "Thank you!"

"B-But… I-I don't think…!" Chie stammered… though looking at Nanako's insistent expression, she had to give in. "Ugh… fine… But no tricks! If you touch me anywhere, I'll kick your head off your shoulders!"

Teddie gulped, his eyes wide. "…Roger that, Chie-chan."

"Do you have any suggestions for me, Nanako-san?" Yosuke asked.

"Ugh. Don't let him have anyone, Nanako. He's a total pervert!" Rise sneered.

Nanako cocked her head. "A pervert…?"

"Yeah, you know- someone with no boundaries, and who just wants to get their hands on someone."

"Geez, Rise! That's too much info for a five-year-old!" Yosuke scolded.

"Hands on someone…? Oh! Like you and Naoto earlier?"

"W-WHAT?!" Rise, Naoto, Kanji, and Yosuke all exclaimed.

"Yeah, remember? Back in the hot springs you were all talking about how smooth her skin was, and Rise kept trying to feel it. …That's what a 'pervert' does, right? Then you and Yosuke can share a futon- that way you won't have to worry about touching anyone!"

Yosuke and Rise were both red as cherries. "…you were feeling Naoto… where?" Yosuke asked.

"One word and I'll kill you," Rise snarled.

Nanako looked over at the remaining two. "I guess you two can share a futon." She said.

"Us?!" Kanji and Naoto said together, both looking squeamish.

"U-Um… I'm fine with sleeping on my own. And Grandpa would be furious if I shared a futon with him!" Naoto said, looking for an excuse.

Nanako gave her a sad look. "Is it because everyone thinks Kanji-san is a meanie?"

"H-Huh?" Kanji responded.

The child kept talking to Naoto. "Because he's actually really nice- and he makes great dolls! I see them in the shop's window whenever I walk by, and they're really cute!"

"T-That's not what I meant…" Naoto replied. "See… guardians don't like it when their female charges sleep with other guys, in fear that they'll get hurt."

Kanji gave a sad look this time. "…I wouldn't hurt you…" he said quietly.

"You won't get hurt, especially with Kanji-san around. No one will get hurt- that's why I feel safe with all of you around," Nanako looked at the group. "You're all great friends, and I know none of you would hurt anyone, especially each other- well, except for when we hit the boys with pails, but I think that's as bad as it'll get. Otherwise we can trust each other… Right?"

Everyone looked at one another. True, they each had perverted thoughts, but never would they risk hurting someone they cared about- especially since their lives felt at-risk every day, with the killer still loose.

"Yeah… you're right, Nanako-san. No one will get hurt tonight." Yosuke said, this time with a genuine grin.

"Not tonight, and not ever." Teddie added.

Nanako beamed. "Great! So… should we all go to bed now, or can we stay up and watch movies? Oh! Can we get snacks?"

Sweatdrops appeared over everyone's heads.

~P4~

The most the group managed to get was popcorn and melon sodas, turning on the television to watch some movies. Yosuke had to smile in delight whenever the Junes jingle came on, hearing Nanako sing along to it. After a while, the five-year-old grew drowsy, and everyone decided it was a good time to hit the hay.

Everyone went to their suggested arrangements.

Rise lied down next to Yosuke; despite their perverted natures, the situation caused them to feel squeamish. "So… um… congrats on the competition today," Yosuke whispered quietly, hoping that talking would ease the stress. "I mean, I know you didn't win, but… you still did great."

"Thanks. You did good too," Rise said, stifling a giggle. "I'm sorry though- I really thought you could pull off the mini-skirt,"

Yosuke sneered. "To tell the truth, that's exactly what I wished I could do. …Ah well, got what I deserved, huh?"

"Yeah… though next time, think twice before you sign up Teddie for anything," Rise grimaced. "I can't believe he asked those embarrassing questions. I've dealt with tabloids that were more decent than that!"

"I know… With Teddie, there's always some line he likes to cross, whether it's by accident or on purpose. The way his mind works, it's always hard to tell,"

"What about you? What kind of questions would you have asked if you got to be a judge?"

"Me? …Ah, I don't know. Probably the cliché things like, 'If you had one wish, what would it be?'"

"One wish, huh? …that would be a tough question to ask," Rise looked up at the ceiling. "I guess I'd wish that… no one had to hide their real selves, to drop their facades and live the lives they wanted. Then… maybe the TV World wouldn't be so bad. No more Shadows, no more victims… Not only that, but I'm still trying to figure out who I want to be- I've been 'Risette' so long that it's the only identity I know, y'know?"

"Yeah… it is hard to accept yourself," Yosuke looked up at the ceiling too. "It's funny… You wanted to get out of showbiz and live a quiet life, then there's me- the city boy who had to move out to the sticks, helping manage a superstore. I wanted more out of life- more excitement, see new places, just get out, so when we discovered the TV World… well, I was pretty psyched to be part of something so bizarre." He winced. "…but… that wasn't until after I lost a friend…Though, I wonder if she even considered me one,"

"Hm? Who was she?"

"Saki Konishi… my senpai. She used to work at Junes until she was…" he paused, biting his lip. Even after so many months, it still hurt to accept her death."…thrown into the TV. When we went in to figure out why she died, I heard her voice saying I was a total pain in the ass. …in a way, I knew she didn't really like me- I was always talking to her at work, trying to cheer her up when she was down, and… trying to let her know I really liked her… but then I had to learn the truth…"

His voice caught in his throat. He took a deep breath, feeling like tears were going to gush out. He looked over at the other futons; everyone else was pretty still, whispering to one another as well. He didn't want to end up sobbing and drawing everyone's attention.

Rise studied him, seeing his pained expression. Being an actress, she could tell when someone was faking or being sincere- though in showbiz some actors were so convincing it was hard to figure out.

But with Yosuke, it was never hard. His sneaky nature was always obvious, and even when he did put on an act he always did or said something that would give it away… yet this was different. The way he was looking away, the way he was biting his lip, his eyes watering…

"You really miss her, huh?" Rise knew, reaching and grabbing his hand.

Yosuke flinched, but only nodded in response. "…kind of a waste, missing someone who hated me, huh?" he questioned quietly.

Rise shook her head. "You loved her. That's all that matters," she gave his hand a pat. "And you've got all of us now- sure you're still a pain, but we still like you."

He gave a halfhearted grin. "Thanks, Rise. Celebrity or not, you're pretty fun to hang out with,"

Rise smiled. "Thanks, senpai." She then closed her eyes, resting her other hand on her abdomen. "Let's get some sleep now. Tomorrow's another day,"

Yosuke nodded, closing his eyes as well. Rise was still holding his hand, but he didn't say anything… namely because the gesture was comforting.

Within moments, he drifted to sleep.

…

"Chie… are you awake?" Teddie whispered.

Chie had to hold in an irritated sigh. "It's only been five minutes. Of course I'm awake," she muttered quietly; she really wished Yukiko had ordered more futons for the room… but considering the circumstances, the Amagi parents would be greatly displeased if they learned the reason. "But I want to sleep now."

"Well, yeah… but… can you tell me… how does this work?"

"What are you talking about?"

"In movies, every time girls and boys sleep together, they kiss and hug and… well I guess we couldn't do the other things since Nanako is here." He blushed. "N-Not that we have to do the other stuff! It's just… ah…"

"Ugh, Teddie, if you don't stop talking like that, I'm going to smother you with my pillow!"

"No, wait! I just… I just want to snuggle."

Chie blushed. "Are you nuts?!"

"I promise, I'm not making a move! Bear's honor!" Teddie pulled the blanket up to his chin. "The moment I heard all those moans and wails… I wanted to come in the room to sleep with you girls because I wanted to feel safe. And the first girl I thought of was you- you're so tough and strong."

"Don't push it,"

"Push what?"

Chie sighed. "Just can it with the sappy talk. It's been a long day- and I'm still pissed at you for that 'swimsuit' competition!"

Teddie blushed. "But I never saw you girls in swimsuits… I've seen women wear swimsuits in magazines and on television, and I figured you all would look great! If it makes you feel better, me and the guys could put on our swimsuits, then you girls could decide which of us looks best. …I already won the cross-dressing pageant, so you don't have to choose me."

"No… Teddie, listen. You have to see things from a girl's point of view. Not all of us like parading around on a stage, being gawked at by guys, having to wear swimsuits just to please a crowd… it's embarrassing. Now imagine being in a situation like that- having to do something embarrassing in front of a whole crowd of people, feeling like nothing other than something for them to stare at and judge."

The former bear thought. "…All that attention wouldn't be so bad…" he noticed Chie giving him a hard glare. "But, ah, I guess you DON'T want that kind of attention…"

"No one with dignity does. You also need to stop being so… creepy. Like those questions you asked- if Yukiko had a boyfriend? If Naoto were ticklish? You're lucky we didn't kick your ass after the pageant!"

"I-I was just having fun…"

"There's fun, then there's humiliation… Listen, Ted, if you want girls to like you, you have to show them more respect- don't act like a total charmer or creeper, just… be a nice guy."

"But I am nice! I-I never hurt anyone or say mean things to make them cry."

Chie sighed. "There's different ways you can hurt people." She thought back to her old friend… how he ratted out her name to bullies… how he broke her trust- and her heart. "You could make them feel humiliated, or break a promise-"

Teddie sat up quick. "I'd never break a promise!" he paused, looking around the room; everyone was still on the ground, no one was looking over. He lied back down. "…I promised Nanako I'd be around to play with her. Keeping promises are what give me reason to stay in this world with you guys." He clutched the blanket, looking up at the ceiling. "I don't know anything about where I came from… the most I know is I like living in this world."

Chie rested on her elbow, looking at him. He seemed to have a faraway glance, like he did whenever he was trying to figure things out. "…Maybe that's why you act the way you do. You're still learning the way this world works- not all people act the same about certain things. Some guys are perverted, some are gentlemen; some girls don't like being shown off in swim suits, while other girls flaunt their style thinking they're better than everyone else…!" she gritted her teeth, remembering the comments from their 'competition' earlier that day.

"I see… So, I need to be careful about how I treat others?"

"Well, yeah duh. And you can't be too forward- you can't just ask someone to smooch or cuddle with you on the spot. You have to get to know the person better- find out whether they're someone you'd actually want to do those things with, and if they're worth it… hell, if they're even worth being friends with," She clenched her fist, thinking about her old friend again… "You'd be surprised how many people make a mistake and ended up hurt,"

Teddie looked at her, seeing the sadness in her eyes. "Did… someone hurt you, Chie?" he bit his lip. "Did I hurt you…?"

Chie shook her head. "No… You pissed me off, but I'm okay." She sighed.

"Alright, if you say so…" he twisted the hem of the blanket, nervous. "Do you think I'm worth it? …b-being your friend at least."

She gave him a smile. "Of course you are. You still have a few things to learn when it comes to women, but I still trust you,"

He smiled back. "Does that mean we can snuggle?"

"Don't push it."

"Push what? What is this thing I'm pushing?!" he looked at his position. "Wait, my hands are right here, my feet are on my side… how am I pushing anything?"

Chie chuckled, lying on her back. "Goodnight, Teddie."

"But… *sigh* okay, goodnight Chie-chan." Teddie then curled up tight. He looked around at the others- everyone was laying still, a few whispers to be heard though they were so quiet he could barely hear them. The ghastly moans had stopped as well. He shut his eyes, sighing in relief. "Yes… I feel safe here."

Chie looked at him, watching as he drifted off. She looked around at the others, making sure no one was watching, then leaned forth and gave the blonde a hug. "I'll keep you safe." She said quietly, before laying back down, drifting off.

…

Nanako breathed softly, snuggled under her blankets, her fear of the ghost long forgotten. Yu looked over at her, pulling her blanket up over her shoulder- as cold as the nights were getting, he didn't want his young cousin, or 'little sister', catching a cold. It would be easy since she spent so much time in the hot springs with the other girls.

"Um… I'm sorry." Came a whisper from Yukiko. "I should have double checked the times better. You must be mad that we jumped to conclusions like that…"

Yu took in a deep breath. "It's not that. It's the fact that you realized your mistake, and did nothing to apologize." He replied.

"I'm sorry for that too…" Yukiko sighed. "I bet you guys are going to be guilting us for the rest of our lives,"

"Just be honest from now on, and admit your mistakes. Also…" Yu rubbed his face. "Ask questions before you throw pails."

Yukiko unleashed a heavy sigh. "Throwing pails, getting times wrong, putting my boyfriend and his friends in a cursed room… Some manager I'd be, huh?" she looked at the wall. "…you must think I'm a lousy girlfriend."

Yu turned to face her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Everyone makes mistakes. I forgive you."

She blushed. "Thank you… but, if we're being honest, what were you guys planning when you were coming to our room? If that moaning hadn't kept us awake and you snuck in…?"

Yu thought for a moment. The others would probably go through the girls' things, before crawling onto the futons. "The guys would probably do something creepy, without a doubt."

"And you?"

Yu looked over his shoulder. "…I'd check on Nanako first. To be honest, with the killer still loose and sending me that letter, a ghost haunting the hotel wasn't my main concern."

Yukiko paused. She never thought of that. "You think those moans we heard were… the killer?" she asked, giving a tremble. "Is he trying to scare us?"

"No… that wouldn't make sense. Why would he risk coming to the hotel just to scare us? If anything he'd probably just leave threatening phone calls or letters. Unless it was raining or foggy out, he wouldn't come this close to exposing himself."

"That's true…" Yukiko shifted closer to him. "Still… I guess it's a good thing you guys are staying with us. Since the killer knows who we are, and may be watching our every move… he could have taken this opportunity to strike."

"Yeah," Yu smirked. "Unless the 'ghost' of one of his victims scared him off,"

Yukiko nudged him with her elbow. "Knock it off, that's not funny." The wind blew outside, making her shiver a bit.

Yu shifted closer to her. "You know what else I'd do if we snuck in?" he whispered. "Once I was sure Nanako was alright, I'd find your futon and lie down next to you," he then draped an arm around her. "I'd hold you close, making sure you were warm, keeping you safe… and feeling safe at the same time, knowing you'd be at my side."

She blushed. "And if I woke up…?"

Yu stroked her head. "I'd keep holding you,"

"What if I screamed?"

He grinned. "I'd kiss you before you could."

Yukiko scoffed. "Scandalous, aren't you?" she then kissed him on the lips, before pulling away. "Save it for when we're alone," with that and a wink, she lied down.

Yu chuckled, keeping an arm around her while turning on his back, looking over at Nanako; he rubbed his little sister's head, before drifting off himself.

…

While everyone was either drifting off or fast asleep, Kanji and Naoto were lying back-to-back, wide awake and overcome with nerves.

This is okay… isn't it? W-We ain't doing anything wrong… are we? Kanji thought, lying so still that he felt like a statue. He wasn't comfortable on his side like this, but he was afraid that if he moved Naoto would get pissed.

Why must I be so tense? This is completely juvenile- we're just going to sleep! Naoto thought, though she knew she couldn't help it. She had never been this close to a boy before, let alone in this kind of situation. She had read stories where masculine detectives would bed with mysterious women during their cases (which she never understood, considering said women were/could be suspects).

The futon didn't offer them much space to lie, which only made it more of a struggle to relax with only half an inch of space between them. Even though she was small in size, the rebel himself was bulky enough to take up most of the mat. If he rolled over, chances are she would be squished!

Kanji was having a similar idea. He was what some would call a 'restless sleeper'- he would fall asleep, covered with a blanket… then wake up and find himself at a different angle, the covers kicked off and crumpled, and his pillow on the other end of the mattress. If he tossed and turned like that now, he could smother the ace detective.

He looked around the room. There had been a few whispers in the last 10-15 minutes, but they faded out. He wished he could have heard the conversations- that would have distracted him from the awkwardness, but everyone managed to keep their voices low enough that it was hard to piece together a coherent sentence.

He wondered if Naoto managed to overhear them. Weren't detectives trained to keep their eyes and ears open to overhear conversations at a specific distance?

He wondered if she could hear his heart pounding in his chest. He could certainly hear it echoing in his ribcage, increasing speed to a point he was afraid it would burst…!

"Hey, Naoto-san… you awake?" Kanji whispered, ever so quietly.

"Y-Yes… Do you need something?" Naoto replied, equally as hushed.

"I was just thinking… um… d-do you want me to sleep somewhere else?" Granted there wasn't exactly anywhere else to go; the floor would be hard on his back, he'd probably get in trouble if he snuck into a spare room, and there was no way in hell he was going back to a cursed room in the middle of the night.

"You're fine," She could sense his nervousness, it matched her own. "Would you like me to sleep elsewhere? I wouldn't mind sleeping in your accommodations,"

Kanji flinched, turning to face her."S-Seriously?! You do know that's the room that reporter stayed in before she died, right?!"

"I'm aware of that… but I don't believe in such superstition. Supernatural occurrences like that only exist in stories."

"Tch. You were just inside the TV World filled with Shadows, and one of our friends is a bear with a removable head! Pretty sure there's a hundred 'n' ten-percent chance ghosts exist!"

"Hmm. Were there any other signs of paranormal activity?"

"What?"

"I once read the manga series Ghost Hunters. In each volume there were signs of ghostly phenomenon: the room would grow colder, objects would be lifted into thin air or moved by an unseen force, specters would possess people, blood would drip from the walls, and other unnatural occurrences. Did anything of the like happen in-" she paused, feeling a light vibration next to her. "Tatsumi-san? Are you… trembling?"

The rebel lay there- pale, shaking and gripping the blankets tight. "N-No..." he responded, his voice slightly high-pitched. He cleared his throat. "Nothing like that happened… w-we just heard a buncha moaning, that's all."

"Hm." Naoto paused for a moment. "The sound hasn't occurred for quite some time. Perhaps there's a more logical explanation for it." She sat up.

"W-What are you doing?"

"If we pin-point the exact location the moan was coming from, perhaps we could find the source." She looked around the room. "The others are asleep- it would be best not to wake them. Groggy minds do not do well when inspecting strange happenings,"

"Hold up! Are you saying… ya want to sneak around the hotel in the middle of the night, ghost-hunting?!" It was a bad idea- he had seen plenty of movies where a couple wanders away from the rest of the group and ends up dead.

"It's not ghost hunting- ugh, never mind. If you want to stay here, go ahead. I can look by myself," Naoto quietly got up and walked towards the door.

"W-Wait, hold on…!" Kanji stood up, following her.

The hotel's hall was lit, thankfully, giving them some light to walk. It gave the rebel some reprieve- he didn't want to stalk around the hotel in complete darkness. Why was the Ace Detective so persistent in finding answers to everything?! Couldn't some people just accept that a few spooks linger around in certain places?

Still, he followed her. It almost felt like the first time they hung out- only now he knew Naoto was a girl, and they weren't out on the town in broad daylight.

Thinking about that day made his stomach tighten. She claimed she was 'interested' in him, which puzzled him at the time- eventually he began to question his own interests. Though, it was the reason why he accepted- he was known for being a roughneck troublemaker, and all of a sudden this short 'guy' comes up asking if he would mind hanging out with him. No fear, no smart remarks, just a calm and cool demeanor.

And… the kid looked kinda cute. It was a feeling he didn't focus on much at the time, trying to figure out why the hell some stranger would show up out of nowhere claiming they were interested in spending some time with him, but once they got to walking around it stayed on his mind.

That is, until she brought up him having a 'complex'… which, after seeing her shadow, he understood how she would figure that. But at the time he only felt flustered, lost his cool a bit and told 'him' to piss off; the detective only gave him a look, before walking away.

God forbid they repeat that tonight.

"This is the room you were staying in, correct?"

"Huh?" Kanji snapped back to reality, seeing that they were in front of the cursed bedroom. He then realized in their haste they left the door wide open. "Um… yeah. Y-You can tell because the hotel put up all those charms,"

"I see. Where were you all when the moaning occurred?"

Kanji merely pointed. "Over there, sitting at the table- hey!" Naoto walked passed him into the room.

The young detective looked around. She looked over her shoulder. "What were you all doing in here?"

"Just… sitting 'round."

"When did you first hear the moaning?"

"Before we went to the… hot springs…" he blushed a bit, recalling the incident (fuck, his face still hurt). "There was this low moan and everyone just froze. Then the phone rang- the guys made me answer it, and it was just the front desk telling us the springs were clear (or were supposed to be…)" he cleared his throat again, trying not to let the night's stress get to him. "When we came back, the moaning started up again. That's when we started heading to your room."

Naoto looked around the room once more. "Does anything seem out of place to you?" He looked around, but shook his head. "How close did it sound when you heard it?"

"Um… I dunno… Everyone was so freaked out that we figured it was inside the room." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his blush spread. Damn, he felt like a wuss…

"I see." She walked out of the room, closing the doors behind her. "When we first heard it, the sound seemed to reverberate off the walls, as if it were on our floor."

"Your floor…? Geez, must've had pretty sweet acoustics if we could hear it from our room."

"The Amagi Inn does have thin walls. It would be easy for sound to travel to different floors." Naoto walked onward, Kanji right at her side. "I deduce that's how news of the reporter's whereabouts became known so easily. With a gossiping staff in a small town, word tends to spread like wildfire,"

"Yeah. Rumors are pretty much what this town lives off of…" He rubbed his arm, remembering the harsh rumors made about him; how the police once accused him of being one of the local bullies that was terrorizing the neighborhood.

They were back on the girl's floor within a minute. Naoto once again paused to listen. "Still nothing. Hm."

"So… what'ya think was moaning and groaning tonight?"

"If it had been a ghost, it would have done something else by now. My hunch is someone at the hotel was making all the noise- perhaps a patron with an upset stomach. I would also suspect the killer would be making the noise to scare us,"

"T-The killer? …Why the hell would he come here just to scare us?! Does he want us to kick his ass that badly?!"

Naoto shook her head. "No… you're right. As clever as our culprit is, it would be a layman move to just come to the inn and try to scare us. That note he sent Senpai was enough. …We'll have to wait until he makes another move- but I doubt he would come to the first location that served as means for the investigation in the beginning."

"What if…" Kanji paused. He didn't want to sound like a coward.

She looked up at him. "Hm? What is it?"

He sighed. "Just… I know it would be a dumb move…but what if he were willing to risk it? What if he learned we all came to the inn and tried to bump us off all at once?" He looked back inside their room- everyone was asleep still, safe and sound. "Using some spooky sound to keep us distracted, then…"

"It would be too flawed. Making a noise would just alert the rest of the staff. And since it kept us up this late, the killer couldn't strike until we were all asleep. Then there is the matter of knowing what rooms we're staying in- unless he managed to get his hands on the guest book, he wouldn't have the knowledge. And sneaking around the hotel would seem to suspicious."

"Still... we don't know what kind of stunt that sicko will pull. I mean, for crying out loud, he tried to kill me- a guy who beat up a whole biker gang! Then he targets you, an ace detective- he doesn't care who he gets as long as they get got!"

Naoto considered this. "You do have a point. …But I believe for tonight we're safe. Nothing seems out of the ordinary now,"

They walked back into the room and sat down on the futon. Kanji couldn't bring himself to sleep- not with thoughts of the killer pretending to be a ghost just to scare off a bunch of meddling kids. …Which, for some reason, sounded familiar.

He looked around the room one more time. Everyone was asleep, nothing was out of place, there was no sign of anyone else… but he still felt tense. As God as his witness, if that bastard came in here and tried to hurt anyone, he'd slam his head on the table then drag his ass down the hall and drown him in the hot spring!

Naoto was about to lie down, though noticed her bunkmate's distressed look. "Kanji-san, are you alright?" she asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

He flinched at her touch. His face heated up again. "F-Fine… just… can't sleep." He murmured.

She nodded, recalling their arrangement. She looked around the rest of the room- everyone seemed content. Why were they the only ones nervous?

She thought about what she had heard about the rebel- from their friends, not the rumors others spread. She thought of her own upbringing as well. Both of them never had the chance to socialize much, so it made sense this sort of situation was most unnerving for them.

"I can't sleep either," she sighed in admittance. "I'm… not used to these sort of things. I've never been to a sleepover, or been this close to anyone." She rubbed her arm, thinking about how Rise and the other girls tried to feel her skin at the hot springs- how she panicked and swam away, their contact breaking her boundaries.

"Yeah, same here…" Kanji looked at her, seeing her blush. "…Like I said before, if you want me to sleep somewhere else, I can."

Naoto shook her head. "No… that would be unfair to everyone. It's just… I like to have respect for my personal space."

"I am respecting it!" he paused, cringing as he feared his voice was too loud; no one stirred. "…sorry… Trust me, I know how you feel- I don't like it when someone gets too close for comfort with me, either. …Speaking of which, what happened down in the hot springs? About Rise touching you…?"

Naoto blushed further. "That is information I would rather not share…" she growled. "And I propose you keep it to yourself- unless you prefer I spread slander about Teddie kissing you back at Club Escapade."

"H-Hey! I didn't say I was going to spread it around! And keep your mouth shut about that!" Kanji folded his arms over his legs- he forgot Naoto was there when Teddie jumped him in a drunken daze. "…Yosuke-senpai says enough shit like that about me as it is…"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Kanji sighed. "I don't want to talk about it…" he lied down, covering his eyes with his arm.

Naoto lied down, but looked at him. Putting some pieces together, she deduced what he meant. Ha. No wonder he asked her to 'make him a man' when their senpai entered her in the beauty pageant. Clearly he wanted to regain some dignity he had lost.

"It's alright. I won't judge." She stated.

He sat up, looking at her. "What's that supposed to mean?!" he growled.

She shrugged. "Just… I won't judge you based on what happened." She noticed how red his face looked. "You clearly didn't like it."

He let out a sigh, lying back down- only more forceful, as if he were trying to body-slam the futon to blow off steam. "…lets just go to sleep- the sooner this shitty weekend ends, the better."

Naoto cringed, gripping the blankets. She had embarrassed the rebel a great deal, and left him feeling bitter. They say people should never go to bed angry, and considering she was sharing a futon with quite the short-tempered individual, she knew she didn't consider her wording very well. "…I'm sorry. My people skills are not that fluent outside the office,"

"Just forget it," he muttered, his voice still rimmed with anger.

She turned on her side, her back to him. She looked at the door- perhaps she should go to the boys' room. It was clearly not haunted…

Though, she was afraid too, as much as she wouldn't admit it. The room was too large for just one person, and ever since her [implausible] theory about the killer lurking around the hotel… well, she knew it wouldn't be wise to sleep alone.

The wind blew, rattling the tree leaves outside, a few hitting the windowpanes. She shivered; the autumn season was known for its chilling themes of horror and macabre, and she curled up tight, trying not to focus on anything of the sort.

*tap tap tap*

The two gasped, rolling close to each other. "W-What was that?!" Naoto stammered, clinging onto him.

"I-I dunno, it came from over there-" Kanji replied, trembling once more. A moment later he let out a sigh, feeling like a wuss again. "Ah, dammit… it's just a tree branch hitting the window."

"Oh." Naoto blushed- how could she get scared over such a logical, and yet cliché, reason?

The two paused, realizing they were holding each other. Both blushed deep. "S… Sorry!" Kanji gasped, letting go first.

"M-My apologies!" Naoto stammered, also letting go. However they were still close, lying face to face- or, well, face to abdomen as small as she was compared to his stature.

Both waited for the other to move, but neither budged. The wind outside continued to blow, the tree branch once in a while tapping on the window. As if this night hadn't been spooky enough- all that was needed was the rattling of chains and a maniacal cackle!

"Um… on second thought, Naoto-san… uh… if you wouldn't mind…" Kanji whispered quietly, reaching his hand out but hesitating. "Can… um… can I… h-hold you- your hand?" he caught himself on that last sentence. He didn't want to sound like a creep. "I'm… I'm kinda freaked out."

She looked at him. He was blushing again, and he had a look of shame on his face- feeling childish, she figured. …Not that she was one to judge, feeling a bit like a child herself. "Actually…" she replied, feeling a bit sheepish. She reached her own hand out, nervously grasping his, their trepidations becoming in-sync. "Just… hold me."

"Huh? …A-Are you sure?"

She paused. Her grandfather would be against this, of course. But… as Nanako had pointed out… she wasn't going to get hurt. The little girl actually had a point- she did feel a little safe when the rebel held her for that single moment. "Yes. I… I trust you,"

His face flushed and he gulped. "O-Okay… well… if you change your mind… I'll understand." He replied. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her- one hand around her shoulders, the other on top of her head- as she shifted closer to him. His trembling increased… was he holding her right? Was this okay? Was she comfortable like this?

Naoto had her head against his chest. She could hear his racing heartbeat. He was blushing she knew- she was the same. She took in a deep breath, letting it out coolly, forcing herself to keep her own heart-rate steady. Once the moment sunk in, she relaxed. Being in his arms felt really nice.

Sensing the detective relaxing, the rebel managed to calm down too. Just to make sure, he rubbed her upper back a little; in response she wrapped her arms around his abdomen, nuzzling against him. He watched as her eyes drifted closed, fatigue overcoming her in his soft embrace. He let out a sigh of relief, rubbing her head a bit. He wanted to kiss her forehead… but didn't want to push things too far.

She trusted him, after all. He didn't want to lose that.

Keeping her close, he dosed off next.

~P4~

~Early Morning~

The guys woke up to sunlight on their faces. "Nng… what a night…" Yosuke grunted, stretching. He then looked around the room. "H-Hey…! Did last night really happen? Did we really sleep in the girl's room?"

Yu sat up, looking at the bare spot on the futon. "Sure looks like it," he said.

"Woo-hoo! One more step to maturity!" Teddie exclaimed, pumping his fists in the air.

Kanji rubbed his abdomen, as if remembering how it felt having Naoto so close. "So it wasn't a dream…?" he whispered. He then looked around. "Wait, where ARE the girls?"

Yu saw a note on the table. "…They went back down to the hot-springs. They took their stuff with, and expect us to pack up our stuff once we get up."

"Ugh… beat us to the springs again…" Yosuke groused. "*sigh* Fine, we might as well head back to our room."

They walked down to their room. Along the way, they bumped into Mrs. Amagi. "Oh, boys, there you are!" she said. "…Yukiko said you were all disturbed by moaning last night and couldn't sleep."

"Y-Yeah… Do you know what- er, who was making it?" Yu asked.

The manager gave a nod. "It was a pair of our guests, Miss Kashiwagi and Hanako-san. They often stay here whenever they're depressed, and their sobs tend to get out of hand. I apologize if you lost any sleep, and I'll give you notice next time you stay over."

"Next time…? We can have a next time?" Teddie gasped in delight.

"So those broods were the ones causing all the commotion?" Kanji sneered, then whispered under his breath, "('Looks like Naoto's guess was right)."

"Geez, they were here too?" Yosuke nudged Yu. "Sure glad we didn't have to run into them."

"Lucked out there," Yu agreed as they continued to their room.

They began packing their bags. Twice they had to tell Teddie he couldn't take home one of the decorative statues as a 'souvenir', much to the blonde's dismay. Just as they were finishing up, the door opened and Nanako entered. "Morning!" she exclaimed. "The girls and I are ready to eat breakfast and were wondering if you guys were hungry,"

"Hell yes!" Kanji exclaimed with a grin. Yu nudged him, giving him a glare. "Er… Sorry. Yes, we are."

"Lead the way, Nanako-chan!" Teddie said, rushing out first.

Everyone gathered in the dining area; with it so early, only a few guests were around. "So did my mom tell you what all the noise was about?" Yukiko asked quietly, though couldn't hide a grin.

"About Kashiwagi and Hanako being the 'ghosts'? Yeah." Yosuke said, then looked at Naoto. "I guess they just couldn't handle getting beat by our Ace Detective,"

"Ha ha, yeah Naoto- you should have seen their faces!" Chie chuckled. "We actually had to call in the custodian to mop up the stage!"

Naoto blushed, sipping her tea. "It was a humble victory," she said.

"Humble nothing! You blew the competition away!" Kanji replied, then paused. "Er… n-no offense to the rest of you. Kashiwagi and Hanako had no chance with all of you up on the stage!"

"Yeah. It's a good thing I entered you- none of the guys would want to be left looking at only those two," Yosuke said, giving a grin. "All the guys must think I'm a hero for sparing them from an eyesore,"

"Sparing them? You pretty much made everyone go blind in that mini-skirt!" Chie scoffed.

Yosuke fumed. "It's your fault! …You guys said you'd make us look pretty!"

"You only looked ugly compared to me. Everyone agrees I was the prettiest one in the spotlight!" Teddie beamed.

"You got a makeover by a professional crossdresser. You don't count," Yu quipped.

"Hmph. Just because Yukiko made you look like Wednesday Addams, Sensei…!"

"He looked better than Marilyn Monroe here," Rise joked, pointing at Kanji.

"…I don't see why WE couldn't pick the outfits…" Kanji grumbled.

"Trust me. If we had known what Teddie had in store for us in his victory, we would have made you all gorgeous." Naoto assured.

Nanako giggled. "I liked your outfits. They were funny!" she looked at Teddie. "And you looked like Alice from Wonderland, Teddie!"

"Thanks! I read the book and asked Naoto-chan to make me look just like her!" Teddie said.

"(Thank God he never read Magical Which Detective)," Yu whispered to Yosuke, almost making his best friend choke on his bacon.

The conversation continued lively, before everyone was finished with their breakfast and decided to head out.

Everyone walked down the street in pairs. "Um… by the way Rise… t-thanks for last night." Yosuke whispered to Rise. "You didn't have to hold my hand,"

Rise grabbed his hand, making their arms swing back and forth. "I'll hold your hand anytime you need me to, Senpai." She said with a grin, then reached up and tussled his hair. "But don't expect it too often~!" with that she skipped ahead.

"H-Hey! You little minx…!" Yosuke ran after her as the celebrity giggled.

"Whoa, what was that all about?" Teddie asked.

"I don't know… but I'll race you to find out!" Chie said, nudging Teddie and running ahead.

"Hey! No fair, Chie-chan!" He raced off, gaining on her.

"Nothing's fair in training, Ted!"

"Training?!"

"Yeah- the best way to keep you safe is to train you to protect yourself. We can start with a few laps!"

"I-I'd rather have you on my lap…"

"One more crack like that and I'll make you kiss the pavement!"

Teddie whined. "But kissing Kanji was bad enough…!"

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP ABOUT THAT!" Kanji bellowed.

Yukiko looked at Yu. "…Should we catch up?" she asked.

Yu nodded. "I know a shortcut…" he said, then ducked down. "Nanako, want a piggyback ride?"

"Yeah! Lets win this race!" Nanako exclaimed, hopping on his back.

Yukiko turned to the others as she followed her boyfriend. "C'mon, you two!" she called with a giggle.

Naoto sighed but had to grin. "Inaba isn't so boring with you bunch," she commented.

"No kidding," Kanji agreed, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Um… thanks by the way. F-For trusting me… not many people would let me get that close… And I promise I won't be telling anyone about it!"

Naoto blushed. "It's alright… thank you for being reverential." She gave his hand a squeeze, then pulled him along. "Well, shall we catch up or not?" and she took off.

Kanji followed. "Hold it! What does 'rever'- 'rev'- what did you call me, again?!"

The group all ran down the street…

Unbeknownst to them, someone watched from afar. 'Enjoy your fun and games while they last.' He whispered to himself, before walking off down an alley.

In a couple days, he would make his next move.

~P4~

A/N: And dun dun DUUUN… done. :D

*is shot for bad pun*

Ow…

Okay, so I decided to throw in some fluffy-fluff here. It was difficult with the pairings I chose (but I had a lot of fun with Kanji and Naoto's bit, as you could clearly tell XD) but I'm still happy with how it turned out.

Near the end, I just planned on ending it with everyone waking up, but decided to extend the ending a little and show the group having some fun, all grudges dropped… and a touch of suspense.

I also have another idea for a different ending- ever since the phone rang in the original game, I expected it to be a threatening call from the killer. I may work on another fic where the second time the phone rings it's a garbled warning, and the group decides to investigate the hotel in case the killer is nearby… we shall see. I think it would have been fun to see in the game- add a bit of suspense to get us back on-gear after such a long interlude.

Anyway! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it! And if you liked how the original scene went, that's fine- it's your opinion, I shall respect it.

Now leave those reviews! …Flamers will be forced to eat the leftover curry from the camping trip! (the horror… the unadulterated HORROR…! O_O)