Author's Note: My head will explode with all these scenes! I need to let them out somehow!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 4 or any of its characters. They all belong to Atlus.
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Chapter I
Nautical Dawn
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Loading loading loading, quickly reaching maximum capacity
Warning warning warning, gonna short-circuit my identity
Shihoko Hirata – Pursuing My True Self
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Her breath was heavy and incoherent as she ran as fast as she could along the dark and empty hallway. She could hear the footsteps of her pursuer right behind her—fast and agile. Her heart pounded like they wanted to burst, her feet screamed in pain when she pushed herself faster and faster. No, she couldn't stop now… She couldn't stop or else they'll get her. They mustn't have her… No… Not when she had someone's last wish on her shoulder.
Narrow hallway. A chance.
She jumped, stepping on a trash bin, kicking to the wall while she turned herself around, facing her attackers.
She gritted her teeth as a blue card appeared in front of her.
"Come…"
She could see the shock on her attackers' face as her feet flashed.
"SUZUKA GONGEN!"
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But we haven't reached that part yet…
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Yasoinaba, Summer…
Miiiing… Miiiiing…
The cicada's sound rang in the empty office room. Hot air circled around the room, filling the place with stuffy, suffocating hot humid air.
"Give me a breeeeeeaaaaakkk!!!"
Satonaka Chie leaned to her desk, groaning as her aching back killing her for the nth time of the day. Doujima needed to at least gave her a little consideration. She was in for field work, not paper work!!
"I'm not good with this kind of thing!" Chie let a bundle of archives fell in loud sound to her feet. She was pissed off and downright bored. It was bad. VERY. Bad. "Damn it, I need a break! AAAArrrrrggghhh!!!! I wanna see some Kung-Fu Movie!!! DOUJIMA-SAAAAAANN!!!"
He wouldn't hear her, that was for sure. She was alone in the office, surrounded with paper work while other polices were away. Everyone else was outside eating their meal while she was stuck here with all the work. Alright, it was her own fault for not finishing the report Doujima asked for because of the uber awesome Trial of The Dragon II. But hey, it was human to slack off once in a while, right?! Doujima should really open a dictionary for the meaning of 'break'.
Honestly, it was in the middle of summer now and it was a total hell working alone in an empty office with no air conditioner turned on—the repairman was late today and she would definitely give him a good kick on the face when he came. The humidity and heat turned unbearable and she was sweating herself off in her summer white shirt. Opening the window behind her seat didn't help at all. It only let the sound of the summer cicadas ruining her eardrums which pissed her off even more.
She was in a bad mood. Somebody should really put a warning sign around her.
She's literally dangerous now.
"Sorry for the long wait!!!"
Chie glanced up dangerously, looking at the uniform of someone who had just stepped into the room.
BINGO.
"Junes' repair Service! Which air conditioner do I need to rep—"
SMACK!!!!!!!!!!!
"UOHK!"
X
"Damn it, Chie! Did you even think when you did that?!"
Chie smiled apologetically and grinned.
"Well… even if I said I did, you wouldn't believe me, right?"
Groaning, Hanamura Yousuke put a big block of ice on top of a black bruise on his cheek. He was told by his father to take up the repairman's place because the young boy was sick, but really didn't expect a direct hit on the jaw when he came. All his father said to him was to look for the air conditioner that needed some repair then go back to Junes, not receiving a kick on the face.
Sighing, he looked around the office room. It was untidy, as expected… but he really couldn't leave the sight of the nearest desk, Chie's work desk. It was filled with archives and papers. An empty cup stood between all the stationery and files and a broken pencil lied hopelessly amongst the mess. Yousuke glanced at the woman, who fanned herself with a book while sitting on the side of her desk.
"You're alone here?" he asked nonchalantly. Chie shrugged.
"Just like how you see it now."
He stopped his next sentence. She was obviously unhappy with the situation; it showed so clearly that he wouldn't dare mess with her now…
And he really needed to get his eyes away from her. Her wet white shirt draped along her curve lines too… perfectly. He didn't need any additional kick because of… er… unfortunate condition.
Although a flash of the sight was really fortunate, in a way.
"So which air conditioner should I take a look?" Yousuke stood up, sighing again. He looked around. "Dad might've told me to take it, but now my job's just to look."
"Just see the one by the corner," Chie didn't even turn to see him as she talked. She groaned, tugging the damp collar of her shirt. "Dammit, it's hot in here!"
Don't see… Don't see…
Yousuke dragged a folding chair then placed it under the air conditioner that Chie had pointed. Sure enough, the air conditioner was off. It was more than running out of Hydrogen…
"Where are the others?" asked Yousuke as he took out his equipment. Chie sighed.
"Out. Eating their meal."
"Sheesh, and they leave you here alone?"
Chie shrugged, fanning herself with a wider book.
"Well, I'm the new recruit, aren't I? Anyway, I forgot to do yesterday's paper work so I need to work on today's as well as a punishment."
Yousuke chuckled.
"You're messed up, Chie."
"Aaaaargh, damn you, shut up!"
She looked away, closing the conversation. Yousuke smiled exasperatedly then turned around. Time passed by. While Chie fanned herself faster, Yousuke was busy with his job. It was completely silent; just the sound of the cicadas and Yousuke's equipment could be heard. After a few minutes of complete stillness, Chie's sigh broke the serenity.
"Hm…? What's wrong?" asked Yousuke without turning away from the air conditioner. Chie took one of the files and flipped it over and over, looking kind of somber.
"Stacking and arranging the files bored me to death…" She trailed off, grimacing when stopping at one of the pages. "But reading about all these criminal activities around your neighborhood is something else."
Yousuke stopped working. He turned around, spinning the spanner in his hand.
"Hmmm? Isn't Inaba a peaceful town?"
"Well yeah, seems like it," Chie raised her shoulder. She closed the files on her lap with a loud sound then threw it to the stack carelessly. "But looking at those criminal records, it's not that peaceful. Maybe thievery and robbery are something that comes up once in a while… but lately, there have been multiple reports of stalkers. The frequency of the reports is rising from time to time. Doujima-san is kind of worried."
Yousuke narrowed his eyes. Chie sighed, rubbing her neck.
"But we're able to neither apprehend the stalkers… nor find any clue of who they are," She groaned. "It's so frustrating."
Yousuke watched her as she stared off into space, swinging her legs in the air. Her short brown hair was damp on her neck, and her short black skirt was falling to her thigh as she swung her legs. Still the same sitting position. He didn't know why, but a small smile crept up his face as he examined her.
"But you become a police to protect this town, right?" said Yousuke softly. She glanced at him. "We've done it once before, even without any clues to lead us. Finding truth needs perseverance. And you have it more than anyone."
She didn't answer for a while, merely looking at him with her bright brown eyes. Finally a smile broke her lips.
"Yeah," She nodded, laughing. "Yeah. You're right."
She had not changed at all. She was still the same old Chie, with her kindness, care, and passion. With such fierce fighter as her protecting the town, anyone must think twice before ever planning to wreak havoc in the city. Her kick had always been one of their main sources of fire power in their battles year ago anyway… She was an opponent to fear.
Oh, speaking about kick…
"Just repair that damn old air conditioner already. It's freaking hot in here!"
He could get an additional one unless he got the thing right in a flash.
----X---
"Ara, Yuki-chan! Doing errands for today too?"
The familiar greetings stopped Amagi Yukiko from her short walking trip. She smiled warmly at the old woman that greeted her and answered, "Yes, Mother told me to pick the flowers for today too."
"Ara, ara… Yuki-chan is so diligent, isn't she? I wish my daughter is half as lovely as you are!"
Yukiko laughed, giving her a fresh smile.
"You're flattering me too much, Misao-san… I'm just like everyone else."
"Come now, Sweetheart, don't underestimate yourself. By the way where's your grey haired boyfriend? He has come back to the big city again?"
"A-Ah! T-That is…"
"My, my… how nice it is to be young…"
"M-Misao-san!"
Yukiko couldn't hide the blush forming on her face. Somebody could flatter her all they want, but only his topic could make her instantly red. The old woman laughed heartily. She gave her a mischievous smile.
"But it is kind of good to be known having a boyfriend, Yuki-chan," The old woman sighed, placing her hand on her cheek. "Everyone in town knows you have one already. That is good for this time around, at least…"
Yukiko raised her eyebrows, face burned with embarrassment. So her relationship with Souji was a talk of the town?! How could that be good…?
"W-Why?"
"Since… you know, those rumors of stalker?" The old woman looked worried. Yukiko titled her head.
"Stalkers?"
"My own sister's grand daughter said that she saw it herself that she was being stalked," the woman sighed again. "She is a good girl and quite pretty, you see… and she is single, of all things! These stalkers maybe those naughty boys! If the stalkers didn't know you have boyfriend, Yuki-chan, maybe they will stalk you too!"
Yukiko narrowed her eyes. A stalker, here in Inaba? That was strange.
"The ones that were stalked…" she trailed off, thinking. "…Are all of them women?"
"Yes, how terrible!" The old woman shook her head. "I mean, those boys are getting really over the top nowadays, don't you agree, Yuki-chan? Things like sexual harassment and such are common things these days. You really must go back to the way I was when I was still young…"
She ranted for a few more minutes, before she finally showed some hope of stopping (honestly). By that time though, she gave another mischievous look.
"But maybe with your rumors of having such fine man as your boyfriend, those stalkers will leave you alone! Ahahahahaha! You two are such a lovely couple!"
"M-Misao-san!!"
Blush returned to the maiden's face. The old woman laughed again.
"Come on now, girl. Tell me, what have you two done?"
"W-Whaaaa??"
Stalkers talk was far away with him on her mind, alright.
X
"Come on!!! Stop groaning already and keep running!!!!"
Nagase Daisuke blew his whistle when many of his team members groaned in annoyance. Ebihara Ai watched from afar with a tray filled with the boys' drink on her hand. After a while she sat down on the riverbank's bench, placing the tray on the table.
"Keep it up, everyone!!!"
Series of energetic yell were heard from the boys. Daisuke laughed and shouted, "If you have enough energy to answer to the Manager, run already!!!"
The boys now grunted in dismay.
It was a perfect summer day, with the same activity as ever. Daisuke formed his own football team and Ai volunteered to be the manager, saying that she wasn't that much of help when she was his manager in high school. Nothing was wrong today, the boys were working hard, the sun was shining, and everything was…
"Eh?"
Ai turned around, feeling how someone was watching her. A black shadow disappeared behind a tree.
"Who's there?!"
No answer.
Groaning, Ai stood up, coming right to the tree. She had had enough of stalkers when she was still the annoying blonde girl in high school and now she really didn't feel like having one once more since…
No one was behind the tree.
Ai blinked, looking at the back of the tree in surprised. She walked around the tree then stopped, watching it in confusion. She was sure she saw someone—or rather, something—there and now it was gone…
"Ebihara! Is there anything wrong?"
Daisuke's voice woke her up. She blinked a few times then replied with a smile.
"N-No, it's nothing!"
Perhaps it really was just her imagination…
X
"Satonaka, where's the next report that I asked from you?"
Chie handed the report to Doujima's hand without saying anything. The detective flipped open the papers then after glancing at some of the information, he handed it back to her.
"Alright, now, let's go."
He grabbed his coat and flung it to his shoulder as he marched to the door. Chie beamed before bouncing right behind him, completely excited.
A day for some stalkers hunting.
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Shadows are suppressed egos
If one controls his or her own Shadow it turns into a Persona
Shadows and Personas
They are the two sides of the same coin
Have you not remember, Children of Powers?
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To Be Continued
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Author's Note: Messed up. I know, it's barely the beginning. Just… wait. I'm not in a logical state right now so I'm sorry it's not as coherent as my writing used to be.