PERSONA OF THE OWN NOT!

"Aw man!" Yosuke ruffled his hair frantically, leaning over his Geometry textbook. "This test is gonna suck! There's no way I can pass this, dude!"

Souji gave his panicked friend a side-glance. Yosuke had asked him to come over and help him study, but instead of actually studying he'd taken most of it bursting into bouts of self-degradation and complaints. Honestly it was beginning to get on his nerves, and he was the more patient out of anyone he knew.

"Study and you'll be fine. You're thinking about this too much," Souji said, his voice calm unlike his partner's.

"No way am I going to pass! I studied last time remember. You saw how shitty I did!" The frustrated boy groaned and slammed his head onto his textbook. He almost looked like he was trying to suffocate himself with it, or absorb the book's knowledge with his head rather than his eyes. He gave another pathetic groan and lift his head to rest it on crossed arms. "My parents are going to kill me if I don't pass this time. My dad's been giving me a speech everyday about how I'm never going to get anywhere with my grades, and my mom doesn't even have to say anything. Just that look…"

"Study for yourself, not for them. Studying to please someone else is a horrible form of motivation. Think about what you want for your future and decide how to take things from there."

"It's not that easy partner…" Yosuke sat up, and leaned back into his chair. He slumped down and laid an arm over his eyes. "There's too much pressure. I can't do this."

"The only thing you can do is try your best," Souji reassured, closing his book. "If it's not to their expectations then there's nothing more you can do."

His partner sighed and with a shaky breath stood, slamming his books shut. "Look, thanks for the advice partner I appreciate it, but I don't think you understand fully. I can't fail these exams. I just can't." He threw his books into his school bag and opened the door that lead to the Dojima's hallway. "I'll see you tomorrow."

To: Yosuke

You missed the exam. Are you ok?

Souji's fingers deftly typed the text in and hit send. He waited. After so much studying and preparation he couldn't believe it when he saw the empty seat of his best friend on the first day of exams. Even worse, he wouldn't respond to any texts Souji had sent during the day.

No new messages

Maybe Yosuke is sleeping. That could be one reason for his lack of response because usually his partner was the fastest at texting out of the entire Investigation team. One reason for that being he uses chat speak and Souji always takes the time to carefully type out each and every letter of every word he inputs into his phone. Chat speak is disgusting, but he endures it.

"Welcome home big bro!" Nanako greets. All attention is taken away from her television program to smile brightly up at him. "How was your exam?"

"A little difficult, but I think I did fine," he responds. He takes a seat next to her on the living room chair, sinking into its plush comfort. After studying all night and day for the exams for the past few weeks all he wanted to do was relax and sleep, but Nanako watches him expectedly and he'd feel bad to leave her to her own devices. "What about you? How was your day?"

Nanako jumps up excitedly as if she were just waiting for him to ask such a question. She bounces to her room, then returns to flop back onto the couch with him. He notices a pink folder in her hand and watches as she pulls out a piece of paper.

"I drew this for you!"

He took the picture with care and turned it onto its side so he could read the large block letters without straining his neck. Written in multiple colors with decorations surrounding it were the words 'Do your best, big bro!'

Souji smiled and looked to a beaming Nanako. "Do you like it?" she asked.

"I'll put it on my wall."

This satisfies the girl who happily goes back to her television program. He sits with her, holding the paper in his hand. He flips his phone open one more time.

No new messages

It isn't until he calls Yosuke later that night that he suspects something is wrong. The voice that picks up the phone sounds strange, as if it were a struggle for him just to answer the phone.

"Hello?" The tired voice asks. "Partner?"

"Are you feeling okay? You missed the first day of exams."

Souji sits at his desk, idly munching on potato chips as he flips through his history textbook. It was nothing he didn't already know, but the test for it would be tomorrow.

There's a sigh, and then a ruffle of what sounds like sheets in the background on Yosuke's side. "Yeah, I'll be there tomorrow. I just wasn't feeling too hot this morning."

"Nerves?" Souji suggest.

"Dude, I'm not that much of a wimp!" Yosuke laughed. "Unlike Chie I don't get test anxiety. The way she freaks out before a test is hilarious."

"Says the one who was sweating bullets during his last English exam," Souji joked. He heard a sharp intake of breath and then a frustrated noise.

"D-Dude shut up about that. I was feeling bad then too."

"Sounds like test anxiety to me," the leader point out.

"Whatever. Look I'll be in school tomorrow. Just let me sleep, okay?"

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Yosuke paused. "Right. History, great…"

Except Yosuke never did show up the next day, and neither did he the day after that, or the rest of the week. Plus, whenever Souji called to check up on him all he got was a voicemail telling him the user of the phone could not be reached. Which was strange enough seeing as he swore Yosuke had his electronics surgically attached to his body. And he wouldn't turn his phone off would he?

"I hate to say this, but I'm getting seriously worried," Chie commented.

The entire group, minus their magician, had gathered at the usual location of the Junes food court to celebrate the end of the exam week of hell. The celebration was absent of any feelings of glee however and instead had more of a tense, distraught mood.

"Maybe senpai has the flu," Rise suggested.

"The flu at this time of year?" Naoto frowned, brows furrowing in thought. "Perhaps he ate something bad, but even so that would only last a few days not an entire week."

"Maybe he's just skippin'," Kanji piped, shoving a spoonful of curry into his mouth. "Kind of stupid to do that during exam week though."

"Possibly," Souji finally spoke. He looked over to the entrance of the Junes megastore in thought. "Whenever I've come here with Nanako this week he hasn't been working."

"That is weird." Chie frowned. "He almost lives here."

"He could have just taken off for the week so he can study," Naoto informed. Kanji nodded, agreeing.

"But if that were the case he would be in school so he could take the exams," Yukiko said.

The entire group let out a collective sigh.

"Where's Teddie? Maybe he can help us."

"Good idea, Rise!" Chie jumped up from their table, nearly falling over her chair in her enthusiasm to go search for the boy. "Teddie~" She sang, disappearing into the store.

"Wait for me!" Rise jumped up and ran after the girl. "Ted! Where are you~"

Minutes later Souji received a text.

From: Chie

Ted sez hes sick. Wont let him in room cuz hell catch it.

He frowned, and quickly text back.

To: Chie

All week? Is he ok?

His phone vibrated with another text.

From: Chie

idk yosuke hasnt bin out of room all week

The leader stood. "He's sick. I'm going to go check on him."

"Aww man that sucks. He must be pretty bad if he's been sick all week." Kanji fiddled with his chopsticks. "I'd come with you but I'm a little squeamish yanno. I hate puke and if he's well…"

Souji waved it off. "I'll go alone. None of you have to come."

"Thanks, man. Tell him to feel better."

"Our best regards," Naoto added.

Lights off and blinds drawn, made the perfect atmosphere for the boy huddle with his blanket draped over his head and body. His headphones covered his ears and he turned his music up louder, louder so that all he could concentrate on was the beat of the song and not that of the knocking on his bedroom door. His eyes glued themselves to his television set, and his fingers fiddled away at the game controller in his hands.

"Yosuke!" The beating at the door grew louder, as did his music with the flip of a switch. "Yosuke open this door! You have work in an hour, you better be there today! And I don't want to hear about you skipping school again. Are you trying to fail?"

Yosuke's fingers moved swiftly, dancing over the controls. The screen flashed. "New High Score!" His eyes drift to his cell phone, then to his computer. Which did he want to lose himself in next? It certainly would be not the textbooks thrown into the corner of his room, all of which had their pages ripped out, shredded by his own hands. His room felt like a large hamster cage, but he couldn't find it in himself to sweep the strewn pieces to the side like he had the book covers.

He reached a hand out to pick up his phone, and hesitantly turned it on. The usual jingle play and then his phone explode with vibrations as text by text finally reached its destination.

hey

r u ok?

sup dude?

Where are you?

still sick?

lok im usig a fone yosuke! its beary fun.

Is everything all right, senpai? Have you been seen by a doctor?

Yosuke I'm coming to visit.

The last text stood out the most. It sent chills through him, and in an instant he shot up from his seat on his futon to pace what little space he had on his floor that wasn't crowded by trash and necessities. The phone shook in his hand. That message had been labeled for today…ten minutes ago to be exact. His face heat up. Souji would get here and find out he was lying about being sick. The whole town would know about how the Junes boy had thrown a fit and refused to leave his room despite his poor parents trying to "coax" him out.

It wasn't really coaxing. He couldn't call his dad's threats of how he'd fail school that, nor his words of how he needed to "man up" and face his problems instead of running away because 'I'm not raising a daughter'.

His mom though, she seemed the most sympathetic all week. What had grown as worry that her son was physically ill turned to genuine concern that something else much bigger was going on. She didn't question, but every night she left his dinner at the foot of his bedroom door and told him he could talk when he was ready. He didn't know if he would ever take that offer, but he appreciated it.

His phone vibrate in his hands, nearly causing him to drop it in surprise. Yosuke stared down at it.

From: Souji

I'm outside your bedroom. Open the door?

He shook his head, a sad frown forming on his face.

To: Souji

sry prtnr. go home.

From: Souji

Your mom told me what's going on. I'm not leaving until you open the door.

"You'll be waiting a long time partner…" Yosuke whispered to himself. "I'm not coming out, I can't."

The phone vibrate harshly and unlike a text message vibration this didn't stop. Yosuke cursed. Souji was trying to call now. He pulled his headphones from his ears, and after a decisive moment, answered the call.

"Yosuke?" The voice on the other end said slowly. He could hear Souji's voice from two different mediums. The phone and the hallway. "Is this about the exams?"

Yosuke was silent, only his breathing could be heard.

"Staying in your room isn't going to help your grades. It's making them worse."

"I don't care," Yosuke answered quietly. "I don't care anymore. I give up. Everything always turns out crappy for me anyway."

"This isn't just about the grades is it?"

"It's about everything, partner." He continued. "This town, these people, my life. I hate it all. I can never do anything right…I thought that if I came to a new town things would be different. I'd have a fresh start with new friends who won't use me, a chance to be popular. But this stupid store is a curse. As long as I'm connected to it my life is going to suck. Hell, it sucked even when Junes didn't exist."

"So you're going to stay in there forever?" Souji asked. Yosuke could see his shadow outside his door move as he sat beside it. "What's that going to solve?"

"I can be happy with only me. I don't have to hear people whisper about me, I won't be shoved into trashcans, and I can't screw anything up inside my room. It's perfect."

"Does that really sound like your idea of fun?"

"Just leave me alone, partner. Please…"

"I'll be back tomorrow." Yosuke sighed at this and Souji continued. "And I'm taking Teddie until things get sorted out. He can't keep sleeping on the living room couch."

"Whatever, take the stupid bear but don't come back! I'm not going anywhere!" Yosuke snapped his phone shut. He heard a sigh and a shuffling outside his door before seeing the shadow retreat.

He could hear a faint, "Sensei, is Yosuke okay?" and then his headphones were pulled back over his ears and he was lost once more.

**For those of you who don't know what a hikikomori is it is a person who shuts themself away due to bullying, cracking under social expectations, or because of academic/work stress. It's really common in Japan and these people stay in their rooms for years only coming out to buy video games or food. Most of the time they live with their parents still and they slid food near the door (Like Yosuke's mom did). They don't take them to get evaluated because it's a shame to have one of these people in your family.**

Err...so after that bit of info...this was also a prompt from a meme. Please review. I love hearing everyone's thoughts. For my ouran peeps. I will be going back and forth (just like I whip my hair). Those stories have not been forgotten.