Here we go! :D -Mako the fucking magician

Chapter 35

*Sasha's POV*

June 29th, 2017

        I can't seem to help myself in thinking everything is simply just a dream, that none of this is reality. And yet...here I am, walking through the Inaba Shopping District hand-in-hand with Yu Narukami. It's been three weeks since we've saved Nicole. I guess I don't regret saving her, even though she killed both of Yu's and my parents. I can't ever forgive her for it. But...I couldn't just sit around and let another soul dissipate from existence. She could help us figure out what the fuck is going on with the TV World, why it all of a sudden just reappeared. Why in all that is in the known universe the Midnight Channel just started coming back, but this time much worse, risking twice as many lives and creeping all of us out in the process.

        Yu breaks the silence, clearing his throat as he tosses our hands into the air. He's become increasingly more open to Western culture, almost throwing his directly out the window. He actually displays affection in public, unlike most Japanese people. Which...seems...odd. He's also extremely clingly--in a cute way, of course!

Yu: You thinking?

        I nod in response, and from the corner of my eye I see him grin.

Yu: About what?

Me: Mostly...Nikki...I mean...Nicole.

        He shakes his head, letting go of my disgustingly clammy hand.

Yu: You really need to stop thinking about her, get her the hell out of your head.

Me: Yu, it really isn't that simple...

Yu: A start would be to stop talking about her so much. Just let her fade from your mind. How's work going?

        I think back to my shift earlier today at the textile shop. We've developed six more designs over the past three weeks, all of which our clients are begging for more of. We've created several kimonos and a couple of skirts. Because of our amazing job working on these ideas, more orders have come in, flooding the shop with constant business and constant work to be done. Kanji takes to making clothes like a fish to water.

        Ms. Tatsumi even gave me a raise. But, still...I crave for something more exciting. Making clothes with Kanji is fun and all, and I know it would be hard for him without me there, but it's only a part-time job that really doesn't provide much income or opportunities to meet new people.

Me: It's fun, but honestly...I want to do something more fun than this...

        He nods slowly, his light grey hair bobbing in the afternoon sunlight.

Yu: I can understand. I was exactly the same with my last job. Maybe you just need another job?

Me: Maybe...but...I mean...I don't want to run myself ragged. And, I would feel bad if Kanji had to carry all the burden...But...I'll look for some openings.

Yu: It's a deal. Do you want lunch now? Are you hungry at all?

        I swivel my head around, taking in all the new buildings in the Shopping District. There are other new restaurants, other than just that manga cafe. At the door to the cafe, a perky sales clerk stands watch, waving a sign saying, "Come in and have a seat!" Her cheeks are tinted pink in the warmth of the sun, and she is so comfortably dressed even I'm jealous. Her hair is a perfect shade of maroon, set evenly on both shoulders. Rise waves us down, grinning widely.

Rise: Well, hey guys! You gonna come in?

        She looks so happy and bright, I can't help but grin back at her. I look up at Yu, who shrugs ever so slightly. I giggle and drag him inside.

        Inside the cafe, the welcome sight of shelves upon shelves of manga greet my eyes. The place is fairly full, couples and loners all drinking various assorted beverages and eating tiny sandwiches and other finger foods. I spot Naoto in the corner, her face buried in an edition of One Piece. Sometimes, in moments like these, I forget how she's totally opened herself up, nerdy-ing herself in public, dressing like her own gender, even flirting from time to time. In the hallways, I can always tell when she and Kanji are flirting because of the bright pink hue her cheeks turn.

        They're far too adorable to stay apart. I know he's afraid of being rejected, but in a way, she is too. I've wondered to myself for far too long about this, always wondering why it's only in meaningless fanfictions that they're brought together. But in the end, it's always just meaningless sex and no story. The two of them are such complex individuals, it's always too bland to mean anything. Half a page of story--then another 6 pages on badly-written and edited smut doesn't give them any credit as people.

        Yu nudges me with his shoulder, bringing me back into the world of reality. Naoto has looked up from her manga, staring back at me with her head cocked. Why are you staring at me, she thinks. I look away quickly, sitting down on a leather couch far away from the door. One of the yaoi-perfect waiters walks by, and hands us menus, then briskly walks away. He carries a hot kettle full of tea, pouring it into thirsty customers' cups.

Yu: You already finish the English homework?

        I look over at him for a brief moment, then look back at the menu. I decide on an iced tea and some tea finger sandwiches. As the waiter comes by and we place our orders, I tap my fingers impatiently on the couch. They said that they would call me. I hear something mumbled by Yu and look back over at him.

Me: What did you say?

Yu: I said, did you finish the English homework?

Me: Oh, yeah.

Yu: Can you tutor me a little bit?

        He grins coyly, and I know he doesn't need help. Sometimes, he speaks better English than I do. I've heard him before, his voice half-sexy, half-God-knows-what-else. He taps his fingers on the leather loveseat in tune with mine absentmindedly, his cocky grin and warm eyes making my ears feel warm. Damn it Sasha, I chastise myself. Don't let this guy turn your brain to shit all the time.

        I grin back at him, crossing my arms as the waiter sets the tray of food and beverages by us on a wooden side table. I grin at him and he offers me a shy bow as he slips the receipt under an empty teacup. I turn back to Yu, who still has a look of contempt on his smug face.

Yu: Well?

Me: Yu Narukami, you know damn well that you don't need a lick of my help with English. Fuck, you speak better English than I do sometimes. So don't give me that look.

        He laughs loudly as he gestures for his teacup. He leans backward, pulling a random manga from the shelf. On the cover in bold reads the best ensemble of letters in the world:

Persona 4

        On the cover of said manga is a cute drawing of Yu in a magician outfit. Yu looks at it for a moment, then looks back and forth between me and it. He raises an eyebrow, and cautiously opens the cover page. According to the cover itself, the edition number is 4. The first thing the two of us see is a scantily-clad version of Kanji, no doubt when they first discovered his Shadow on the Midnight Channel. Yu groans, and a bubbly feeling rushes up from my stomach, making it's way to my face. At the moment Yu looks back at me, I break into a fit of laughter. From adjacent isles, I catch the confused stares of dozens of other customers. If only they knew what we were looking at. Naoto runs over from her seat, her feet clacking loudly on the wooden floor.

Naoto: What's--oh.

        Her eyes travel to the cover of the manga, and she badly attempts to conceal her laughter.

Naoto: Let me see that.

        She flips it open, her eyes darting across the pages. I can see her ears go a hint of bright red, and she too joins me in laughter. Yu feigns a look of offense as he gestures to his empty hands.
Naoto's bubbly laughter rings out across the room.

Naoto: That was Kanji?!

        She wipes a tear from her eye, her face now a deep purple. From one of the bookcases, I hear a thud. Out poke the heads of three boys. One with black hair, another with platinum hair, and another with chestnut brown hair. Yosuke waves sheepishly at us, and I wipe tears from my face, chuckles still bursting from my mouth.

        Kanji walks over to us, trying to pretend his dream girl is not standing next to me---and looking fairly attractive today, I might add. (Hey, don't get me wrong, girls can think other girls look good and NOT be totally lesbian!) He takes the manga from our hands and stares at it. He face palms, of course, and groans loudly. There is a little pink imprint of a hand on his pale white skin. For some reason, this makes me burst into even greater laughter. The guys stare at me with odd expressions, and from around the room all has dropped to a whisper.

Black-Haired Girl: Hey, isn't that the Investigation Team from Persona 4? That game...and that anime...and of course all that other shit, too?

Brunette: Yeah, you're right!

Black-Haired Girl: How did we not know they actually existed?

Brunette: OMG, they go to our school!

Black-Haired Girl: OMG! That is SO awesome!

Brunette: Hey, aren't they all in that new Performance Team thingy?

Black-Haired Girl: Oh yeah, I went to that.

Brunette: Ugh, we're so stupid for not realizing this sooner!

Black-Haired Girl: But who's that other girl? She's not part of the original team...and Marie is on TV still...How awkward, I wonder if this girl knows...

Brunette: Oh my God, I bet she doesn't. Ouch...What a playboy.

        The two nod in agreement. Damn it Sasha, why didn't you ever play Persona 4 Golden?! I smile fakely as I stand up and start to walk away.

Kanji: Where'r you going, all of a sudden?

        I don't turn around at any point, dropping the receipt and money quickly into the waiter's hand and race out the door. Outside, the wind blows calm, warm air against my scantily clad body. Today was extremely warm, so I chose this morning to wear a little blue dress that squeezed whatever I have into being attractive.

        All of a sudden, my phone begins to ring. I fumble through my designer purse, cursing as I come up emptihanded. I unzip one of the little compartments and tug my phone out, quickly accepting my call.

Person on Phone: Hello, may I please speak to Sasha Farside?

Me: This is she.

Person of Phone: Oh, good. Well, Miss Farside, I work with the International Modeling Company. We've reviewed the profiles you sent us and your resume and we wanted to inform you that as of today, you are officially one of ours.

Me: Wow, really? This is so great, thank you so much!

Person on Phone: Oh, by the way, I'm your manager. My name is John Litkins. Well, Miss Farside, have a nice day.

Me: You too!

        I grin as John hangs up. I got one of my dream jobs, I did it. Somehow, I did it...Well...Maybe things will begin to turn around from here. Hell, maybe we can even figure out this fucking case before we all die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Huehuehue I can't wait to write so much lemon. #fapmaterial! ^-^

-Mako-chan!