SUMMARY: I couldn't come up with a clever summary. It's Tanabata wishes for the Persona protagonists + Yusuke for my beloved anon.
A/N: Poetry is NOT my strong suit at all, but I tried my best for Yusuke!
MINATO ARISATO
(Name), be happy.
They make me feel so loved. They make my world a much brighter place. I never used to care enough to make a wish on Tanabata, but everyone said I should write one for them. All I can think of to ask for is their happiness. But, I feel like making this wish isn’t enough. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure they can live happily.
YU NARUKAMI
I wish for more time to spend in Inaba. My friends and family are there. (Name) is there, and I can’t stand having to leave them every time. I’m tired of tearful goodbyes and reunions that never last long enough. I want to be in the place that changed my life, with the people I love more than anything.
Also, I wish for all the cats in Inaba to be well-fed. Maybe all the cats in the world, if the Gods have time to grant a wish like that.
AKIRA KURUSU
This tanzaku is a formality. I’ll head into Mementos soon to encounter Orihime and Hikoboshi. They’ll probably appear with how much the public is thinking of them. I’ll make sure this wish gets granted.
My wish is for (Name) to stop doubting themself. I’ve never met a more talented and wonderful person. They’re too wonderful to keep having their insecurities consume them. Give them the confidence and security to live their life in utter bliss. No one deserves it as much as them.
YUSUKE KITAGAWA
My dear (Name),
a forest in frost
the fox circles the fire
the warmth shows him spring
I thought long and hard about what I want to wish for you, and I came to the conclusion I would rather try to figure out how to a grant a wish for you on my own. You have already taught me so much about living. This is the least I can do in return.
SUMMARY: Over the course of a year, and then a little longer, you discover that Yu Narukami is easy to talk to.
WARNINGS: Spoilers for the entirety of p4g. Very long (5.5k).
A/N: A longer one-shot with a lot of ideas. Reader is the older sibling of p5 protag, because you can pry the headcanon that he's from Inaba from my cold, dead hands. You'll also have to forgive me for name inconsistency; I like 'Yu' better than 'Souji' but i also like 'Akira' better than 'Ren.'
APRIL 23RD 【CENTRAL SHOPPING DISTRICT, NORTH】
“Sorry, am i in your way?”
“Not at all.”
There was a person in front of the bulletin board. They were another student at Yasogami, judging by their uniform, but it wasn’t the same student who had told him about the upcoming job openings a week prior.
Yu recognized this student as (Name), the person seated in the back corner of his class, closest to the window. Half asleep during class and out the door the instant the bell rang, Yu never had the opportunity to meet them. From Yosuke he learned that they were a fellow Junes employee, worked to the bone as much as he was, and from Yukiko he learned that they were practically the sole caretaker for their younger brother.
He was an only child, but Yu knew a thing or two about neglectful parents. Even if this was their first time speaking, there was a lot Yu could confirm from the way (Name) carried themself. When (Name) turned around to apologize, Yu noticed the bags under their eyes and the disheveled appearance of their school uniform. Then the hunched over posture of someone with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but wanted to take up as little space as possible.
There was no time before this to talk to (Name), and there would definitely be no time afterwards if they were going to pick up another job— and Yu was curious.
“Are you looking for a part-time job, too?” Yu stepped up to the bulletin board, but left enough room for (Name) to stand next to him. They took a step back, expecting Yu to block their way, but paused at the wordless gesture. (Name)’s hands fidgeted with the collar of their uniform, and with the passing of a few more seconds, stood next to Yu and nodded. “You already work at Junes, don’t you?”
They couldn’t possibly get any smaller in their posture, but they certainly tried. (Name)’s eyes were glued to the ground and their arms clutched tightly to their chest. “I do,” they mumbled. In his periphery, Yu watched as (name) shifted their weight back and forth. “Pay sucks. I need a second income.”
That was another thing Yosuke mentioned about working at Junes; they paid the most minimum of minimum wage. Yet it was still one of the more lucrative jobs in Inaba, where working in the shopping district may save you from the wrath of the town, but will leave your wallet rather empty after a full day of work. Yu squinted at one of the job listings— it wasn’t even paid.
“That really sucks. Customer service is already bad enough, but here, your customers hate you for doing the work they’re asking you to do.”
A strained noise escaped (Name)’s lips. It was somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “Exactly. It’s lame. Maybe getting a job at the shopping district will get them off my case.”
Whatever tension that may have been present at the beginning of the conversation slowly melted away. Yu smiled, “they should have some respect for Inaba’s hardest worker.”
Maybe it was his voice, or the fact that he was the charming new city boy and talk of the town, but his words struck a chord deep in (Name)’s heart. It was warm and inviting and it almost felt like being thawed from the inside out. “If only.”
The conversation was over with that, but it was a natural end. (Name) pulled a tab from the job listing for a daycare attendant, and waved goodbye to Yu. Yu grabbed a tab from every single job listing— yet was most excited for the volunteer paper crane folding position.
JUNE 20TH 【JUNES DEPARTMENT STORE】
“Oh, Narukami-san!”
“You’re supposed to be resting.”
The last thing Yu expected to see on a routine trip to Junes was (Name), who was rescued from the TV world, faced and accepted their own shadow to receive a persona, and was explicitly told to rest, just two days ago. Yukiko and Kanji were plenty evidence that, the longer the shadow was present, the more exhausted the user would be after defeating it.
(Name) collapsed onto the ground the instant they accepted their persona. With this being the fifth time Yu had seen this happen, he was prepared; in one swift movement, Yu was able to catch (Name) before their head hit the ground. They reached up and clutched his wrist, squeezing gently as a quiet thank you.
“Yosuke-san said the same thing when I clocked in for work today.” The words were accompanied by an eyeroll. They continued to stock the shelves in spite of Yu’s judgmental but harmless stare. “I rested, I’m fine.”
At that same moment, (Name) knocked over a box of oranges. One poignant motherfucker escaped their lips, but any other curses they wanted to say were suppressed by their impressive customer service experience. They crouched down to start cleaning up the mess, with Yu following suit.
“Yeah, definitely rested,” he said. His tone was sarcastic but the slight upturn of his mouth let (Name) know it was nothing malicious. While picking up the oranges, Yu leaned in closer. “Dealing with your shadow and getting a persona is really draining. You should really rest as much as you can.”
Either the headache they had since being rescued from the TV world got much worse all of a sudden, or their close proximity was another issue for their brain entirely. (Name) had no prior experience with either, so both seemed like reasonable possibilities.
(Name) didn’t respond until all the oranges were back in the box. “Thank you,” they started. It was like their first meeting again— tense and awkward. There was a certain bite to (Name)’s tone that, while Yu didn’t think was directed at him specifically, made him hesitate. “I did rest as much as I could. I’m tight on cash. My mom hasn’t sent any money for the bills.”
It wasn’t that Yu forgot about (Name)’s situation— everyone in Inaba was acutely aware of everyone’s business, and (Name)’s poor circumstances served as nothing but gossip for the housewives in the shopping district. But he frowned because it slipped his mind long enough to say something touchy.
So he apologized, “sorry, I know you don’t have it easy.”
Yu narukami’s ineffable sincerity humbled most people in its wake. He was supposed to be the trendy and electric city boy— and maybe he would’ve been the spitting image of one if Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko weren’t the first people to befriend him. Or if he had been disgusted and bored by the sheer nothingness to do in Inaba. Or, and most likely, if he didn’t become the leader of the Investigation Team and have the pressure of protecting his friends and the town at large.
But even if all that did happen, Yu would still probably be the same guy at heart. The guy who fed the stray cats in the rain and risked his life in the TV world to keep strangers safe. He was an honest guy through and through.
It hurt more to be mad at him. “No, sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. It’s just… tough. I don’t know. I hate acting like this. At work, customers get pissed, and at home, my brother gets worried.”
“No worries.” Yu smiled, and it was like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day. “I understand how you feel.”
It was funny, because when they first met a few months ago, Yu couldn’t empathize with anything about (Name)’s situation, apart from the casual parental neglect. He didn’t have a younger sibling to take care of, he didn’t have a dire need for cash, and he didn’t have anyone’s expectations. But Nanako called him big bro’ and he suddenly became the lead investigator of a supernatural murder mystery. Igor told him he was on an important journey and he had to pretend like that didn’t keep him up at night.
Funnier that (Name) usually hated when people tried to say they understood how they felt. The housewives that didn’t hate them for working at Junes said that to them sometimes, as if their failing marriage or the affair they’re having with a handsome man from Okina was anywhere remotely relatable to being a family’s sole breadwinner at 16 years old. But, when Yu said it, there was an air of remorse and solidarity; he stood up straighter and didn’t say it like he knew better— he just knew.
“Your little bro’ is Akira-kun, right? I think he and Nanako are friends.” The change in subject reminded the both of them that the world was still spinning, and (Name) returned to stocking the shelves with the slightly bruised oranges that they hoped no one would give them shit for.
Yu only meant to lighten the mood and could not have predicted the way (Name)’s eyes lit up and entire demeanor changed at the mention of their younger brother. They nodded, “that’s him.” For the very first time, months after meeting them, Yu saw (Name) smile. It was small and only noticeable because Yu found himself studying (Name)’s face closely, but it was there, and it made him smile in return.
“You’re right. He was telling me about Nanako-chan the other day when he got back from school. Said they feed stray cats on their walk home.” They were a few years apart, but the elementary school and middle school were right next to each other, so it wasn’t surprising that the two knew each other. (Name) nudged Yu, the small smile turning somewhat mischievous. “You must be rubbing off on everybody. The cats in Inaba are gonna become spoiled.”
Yu laughed. Even with as little rest as they got, (Name) seemed brighter. It made him feel brighter, too.
“Good. Cats deserve nothing but the best.”
AUGUST 21ST 【TATSUHIME SHRINE】
Yu didn’t realize this would feel like a date until he realized he was struggling to have a conversation with (Name). It had become so easy in the last few months that it felt so foreign and wrong to be lost again.
“... I’m the only one you invited?”
The hustle and bustle of the summer festival felt so distant, even if it was only a few feet away from where they stood at the shrine’s entrance. He looked (Name) in the eyes once when they arrived, then lost the courage to do so again. His eyes darted everywhere from the ground to the night sky— everywhere but (Name).
Yu scratched the back of his head. “Yeah… I felt bad that you didn’t join us yesterday because you were too tired from work. I didn’t think you would go alone, so I wanted to invite you.”
The poignant silence afterwards made Yu want to crawl into a hole. He might’ve actually done so if he made eye contact with them in that moment, so he stuck to the concrete. A meiou cricket hopped over his foot.
“Well.” He had no idea how much time passed before (Name) finally spoke up again. It could have been any time between 5 seconds and 3 hours. “You’re right, I wouldn’t have gone alone… so, thanks. I’m glad you invited me.”
Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but the tension didn’t fully disappear. At the very least, He gained the confidence to look at (Name)— who seemed equally as awkward as him, if not worse. Their hands covered their face and they were practically squirming in their personal bubble, as if they were contemplating fight, flight, or freeze.
Maybe it was a little cruel, but knowing that he wasn’t the only one with their heart beating out of their chest made him feel a lot better. It didn’t make him feel less awkward, but it made him crack a smile. “Great, let’s go.”
Walking around made them feel better. The warm lights, happy voices, and smell of food reminded the pair just how lovely Inaba could be. The summer festivals in Tokyo were big, loud, and fun, but for a popular yet isolated guy like Yu, they were exceptionally lonely. A spectacular fireworks show didn’t have the same impact when he had to enjoy it alone.
But he was not alone this time, and it was as nerve-wracking as it was thrilling. They made conversation about school, their friends, their hobbies— anything, really. Yu never had a difficult time talking to them once they joined the Investigation Team. Sometimes (Name) was still timid, but from the depths of their psyche, buried by immaculate and demoralizing customer service, Yu slowly discovered a side of (Name) that was blunt and sarcastic.
“What the hell.” (Name) leaned over Yu’s shoulder to count the number of goldfish in his bowl. “24!? Geez, how are you so good at everything?”
Yu laughed and emptied the bowl of goldfish back into the pool. His high score secured him a large Jack Frost plushie that he tucked under his arm (the existence of persona merch always freaked Yu out. Are his frost family personas based off his memory of seeing this merch, or does this company know about personas? The latter option ate away at him sometimes). “It’s probably because I spend so much time fishing.”
“Please explain to me how your fishing skills translate to goldfish scooping,” they scoffed. “You have to be strong to reel in a fish. You have to be delicate to keep your poi from breaking. I don’t see a connection.”
“Technique.”
“Technique,” (Name) repeated, but with a serious furrowed brow that made Yu chuckle again. Their head tilted to the side when Yu held out the plushie to them. “... For me?”
It could have been the ego boost from crushing at goldfish scooping, or the atmosphere of the festival making his heart feel lighter and less embarrassed— either way, Yu felt a surge of confidence that was painfully absent when he was fumbling around with (Name) at the gate.
He nodded and placed the plushie in (Name)’s arms before they had the chance to refuse. “You can tell Akira-kun that you won the best prize for goldfish scooping.”
(Name) opened their mouth to speak, but no sound was heard. Instead, they shook their head with a smile and clutched the plushie close to their chest. Yu Narukami really was too much sometimes. An impossibly straightforward and kind guy that was easy to fawn over.
Not that (Name) was fawning. They didn’t think they were, anyway; anyone would feel like that around Yu. ‘That’ being their heart skipping a beat and butterflies threatening to burst from the pit of their stomach. That was normal. Right?
The more (Name) considered it, the more embarrassing the answer became. And that was something they weren’t prepared to confront right now— not with a murder case, the Midnight Channel, and the fog looming over their heads. (Name) swallowed the thought down before it could consume them whole.
Yet they still let their shoulder brush against Yu’s as they walked. Yu didn’t know what to make of it. Neither did (Name). But it was startlingly natural, and they both liked it. A lot.
As the night winded down, the pair found themselves on the front steps of the shrine. Much of the crowd, especially the children, had already gone home for the night, leaving a more quiet atmosphere in their wake.
“It’s getting late,” (Name) pointed out. “Let’s pray for a blessing then leave, yeah?”
Yu nodded, but it wasn’t like either of them really wanted to leave. But they both had family to return back to— younger siblings who would be upset if they were out later than their bedtime. He turned towards the shrine and paused to think. He spent time at the shrine nearly every night to catch bugs and beg the offertory box for a good blessing, so it’s very familiar to him. At the same time, though, it felt different. Probably because (Name) was leaning against his side and his heart was beating like crazy, but who’s to say?
He pressed his palms together and closed his eyes. There was really only one thing to pray for. “I hope we get closer,” he whispered just loud enough for (Name) to hear. Yu chewed the inside of his cheek and tried to pretend like he wasn’t completely red in the face.
Yu didn’t have to look at (Name) to know their reaction. From the way their body tensed after he spoke and the silence that followed, he imagined they looked pretty similar as they did when they were standing outside of the shrine gate.
“Geez,” (Name) huffed. The ambient noise of the festival and Inaba at night was drowned out by their intense heartbeat. With their eyes closed and shoulders touching, it was like they were the only two people in the world at that moment. It took a moment for (Name) to collect themself, and when they did, they elbowed Yu’s side. “You’re too much.”
It wasn’t a rejection. Yu grinned from ear to ear. “Sorry,” he mused, but he wasn’t really. “What did you pray for?”
when he looked at (Name), they made eye contact, then (Name) turned away in an instant. They kicked the ground and fidgeted with their sleeve, while their free hand shakily grabbed Yu’s. He blinked, looked down at their hands and back up at (Name), and slowly intertwined their fingers.
“The same thing.”
DECEMBER 3RD 【DOJIMA RESIDENCE】
“You didn’t have to walk me back home.”
“Oh, don’t even start with me, Yu-san.”
It was hard to see at this time of night. The fog obscured the moonlight and made it near impossible to see the empty, dark Dojima residence.
To say it was a long day would be the understatement of the century. Everything that happened was simultaneously a blur yet clearly and vividly in the forefront of Yu’s mind. He couldn’t believe the day started out normal.
Yu stood up straight with hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Because how could it? He had to smile because (Name) was standing next to him. He was the leader of the Investigation Team. He kept everyone calm, collected, and from committing manslaughter by throwing Namatame into the TV. Yu had to be stability, their voice of reason.
“I’m alright, really,” Yu insisted, even though (Name) didn’t say anything to prompt him. “Don’t worry about me.”
(Name) sighed, “Yu-san…”
He didn’t look at (Name) because he didn’t think he could take it. They were probably staring at him with a furrowed brow and a frown that would make Yu feel guiltier than he already felt— if that was even possible. It’s his fault any of this happened.
The key in his pocket was cold against his skin, and he clutched it so tight that it left a mark on his hand. There was nothing Yu wanted more in that moment than to crawl into bed and sleep, but his hands were shaking so bad that he couldn’t fit the key into the lock.
He only fumbled with the key twice before (Name) intervened. They grabbed his wrist and pulled him to face them. Yu’s eyes remained fixated on the door. “You don’t have to pretend like you’re fine. Today was— it was insane. You had to watch Nanako…”
(Name)’s voice cracked. Even just the memory was enough to make them choke up again, and, next to them, Yu struggled not to break down. His sweet little sister deserved nothing but happiness, but it was his fault that she got trapped in the TV world. His fault that she was in there long enough to get sick from the fog. If he had gotten through the dungeon faster, if he had grabbed her from Namatame right away instead of trying to reason with him, She would have been alright.
He couldn’t protect Nanako. How could he protect his team? The town? Yu couldn’t even figure out who the murderer was, and they were chasing them for months.
So if he can’t do anything right, the least he can do for everyone is remain calm.
“Nanako pulled through.” That was the truth. The doctor said she pulled through because she heard everyone’s voices calling to her, and while Yu wasn’t sure how scientifically accurate that sounded, it made him feel like he did something right.
(Name) pushed their way in between Yu and the door, forcing him to look at them. “I know she did. But she…” Again, their voice escaped them. The memory was too horrible, too wrong, and too close to home; Nanako was like the little sister to everyone on the Investigation Team, but (Name) also had a younger sibling of their own, and if anything were to happen to him, (Name) would never recover.
To be honest, (Name) was fine with throwing Namatame into the TV world. There was nothing in their heart in that moment other than pure contempt and hate for the man they believed killed Nanako. If Yu hadn’t reminded them things weren’t adding up, the Investigation Team would have had blood on their hands.
That’s why he was their fearless leader. A leader so fearless he couldn’t even cry when Nanako died and had enough mental fortitude to calm them down right afterwards. There was a lot to admire about someone so strong, but he was still human. And humans have limits.
“No one should have to go through what you went though,” (Name) started. They brought Yu’s hand close to their chest to try and comfort the both of them. “Listen, I get it. You feel like you have to be unbreakable because you’re our leader. But… we care about you. We dont want you to hide your pain just to make us feel better. That doesn’t make me feel better.”
A burning sensation behind his eyes made him freeze. Yu can’t. He can’t cry in front of the investigation team. They’ll figure out he was really a coward— the guy truly worthy of the fool arcana.
(Name)’s body was warm against his hand, and their heartbeat steadied his own back into a comfortable rhythm. They took one step closer, breaking into his personal space so he couldn’t keep ignoring them. “I get how you feel, but… we’re here for you. I’m here.”
Yu didn’t realize he started crying until the tears landed on his arm. A flood of tears that Yu had held back for who knows how long rushed out with an ugly sounding sob, but for that moment, Yu didn’t care. he let himself crumble in (Name)’s arms, burying his face in their neck as he grasped the back of their jacket. This time, (Name) was the strong and resolute pillar of support, tightly hugging him so he could feel grounded.
For once, Yu let himself share the weight of the world.
MARCH 20TH 【YOMOTSU HIRASAKA】
Hands of of pure darkness pulled Yu down into an endless void. It was pitch black night initially, until there a flash of light as his body hit the ground. Fog surrounded him, and his memory suddenly flashed back to his first night in Inaba, where his dream was filled with fog and he summoned Izanagi for the first time without understanding anything. When the true culprit was just a silhouette, an idea, and not the goddess Izanami herself.
Yu deserved to die like this, he thought. Drowning in the fog he tried so hard to overcome. It was a fitting and cruel end for the so-called leader who couldn’t even protect his own teammates.
Yu didn’t know exactly what happened. The shadow approached him, hands manifesting from the darkness and reaching out for him, Izanami laughing in the distance. Yu readied his sword, hoping he could at least parry some damage away, but he heard Yukiko’s voice call his name, and he was suddenly pushed aside. Yosuke and (Name) screamed, Rise shreiked something in his ear, but when he regained his bearings and looked back to where Yukiko pushed him, she was gone. Nothing but the shadow hands receding back into the darkness.
He waited for Yukiko to appear again. She couldn’t just be… gone. That wasn’t right. But they faced another brutal attack and Yukiko was still gone. The realization washed over him that she wouldn’t be coming back, but he couldn’t even let that sink in; if he had that realization, then Yosuke and (Name) did, too.
And they did exactly as he feared. First was Yosuke, who tackled him out of the way of the shadow before he could stop him. Yu couldn’t do anything but watch as the shadow consumed Yosuke, his best friend disappearing into the darkness. He thought he would have been prepared to stop (Name) from doing the same, but Izanami sent the shadow for him again he saw (Name) running for him out of the corner of his eye. Even as he grabbed onto their arms, begging them not to do it, (Name) was able to push him out of harm’s way just enough for the dark shadow to latch onto them instead of him.
The shadow ripped (Name) out of Yu’s grip, leaving him to scramble to try and grab them again, to stop them from disappearing like Yukiko and Yosuke, but he couldn’t reach. His fingers ghosted against (Name)’s hair as they sank into the darkness. Despite Yu’s failure, despite everything, (Name) managed a smile.
“Sorry.”
They were gone, Yosuke was gone, Yukiko was gone, and there was no one left to face Izanami but Yu. But who was he alone? nothing. Izanami sent the shadow after him again, and there was no one left to sacrifice themselves for his sake. This is how it should have been, Yu thought as the hands grabbed him. It should have been me.
He didn’t know if he was alive or dead, nor did he really care. There was no point after letting his friends die. Yu laid motionless in the middle of the fog, waiting to fade away and pay for his failures. Yet Yu remained— there was a reason he was still here.
A voice called out to him. It started out as a whisper in the back of mind, then surged to the forefront to be so clearly Margaret’s voice. Yu forced his eyes open to see the velvet room attendant standing before him.
“Get up,” she commanded. “You are not someone allowed to fall here.”
Yu didn’t get a chance to respond before she disappeared into the fog as quickly as she arrived. Loneliness and hopelessness began to creep in on him as soon as she left, but in her place, a visage of his uncle appeared to give him encouragement as well. Then Nanako, then his classmates, all the people he met while working— even Adachi appeared to give him a bittersweet backhanded compliment.
Then the Investigation Team. They begged him to get up again, for him to keep going, as if they weren’t the ones who laid down their lives before him. It would have been enough for Yu just to see them again, but their pleas pulled his heart from the fog to remind him why they wanted him to live in the first place.
His eyes widened and his whole body tensed when (Name) appeared before him. The mysterious light in the fog behind them made them look ethereal— even more so when they smiled at him again. “I know we ask so much of you,” they started, and Yu already wanted to cry. “But, please get up. We need you. we’ll be by your side when you do. We’ll do this together.”
The weight of the world was on his shoulders, and he had been acutely aware of that for almost the entire year. It was a burden to him, a source of his anxiety and nightmares. But if it was the burden he had to take for all the precious people in his life, he would do it a thousand times over. With their help.
Yu Narukami had the strength to stand again.
JUNE 15TH 【SAMEGAWA FLOODPLAIN】
“You look exactly the same.”
“No I don’t!”
“What changed?”
“I’m taller.”
He wasn’t incorrect— he had grown about 5 centimeters since he left Inaba last year, but (Name) rolled their eyes and nudged Yu with their elbow. They laughed in spite of their feigned annoyance, harmonized with the sound of the flowing river and cicadas.
“Okay, you’re taller,” (Name) conceded. “That’s still the only change. At least change up your haircut like the rest of us.”
It was fitting, though, that Yu had barely changed since he left. He spent everyday wishing he could be back in Inaba with the rest of his friends, who still had each other for support and could move forwards in their life. So they got new clothes and new haircuts and tried to make physical progress that Yu could see when he came back to visit. Yu, on the other hand, ate beef bowls to reminisce about Inaba at a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place that didn’t hold a candle to Aiya.
He was terrified that things would be awkward when he came back. That he would have been gone so long that they would have all moved on without him. It was a silly fear in hindsight; they loved Yu more than anything else in the world and welcomed him back with all the excitement, extravagance, and chaos one would expect from Inaba’s one and only Investigation Team. It was like Yu never even left.
There was a still a change. His fingers intertwined with (Name)’s without apprehension. (Name) leaned into his side and rested their head on his shoulder without hesitation. The year apart replaced their timidity with an unrelenting desire to be close to each other at all times. Rise called it sweet, Teddie told him it was unfair.
When the Investigation Team finally gave him some free time, Yu dragged (Name) to the floodplain so they could sit at the edge of the river together. His thumb traced circles on the back of their hand, trying to engrave the feeling in his memory. He would be back in Tokyo at the end of the summer, after all.
(Name) thought about the same thing. “You just got here, yet I’m already worried about when you’re gonna leave again. I don’t think I could take it again.”
They curled in closer to Yu, burying their face against his neck. To be honest, Yu didn’t know if he could take leaving again, too. It was hard enough the first time.
So Yu thought of other options. “I start university in the Spring. I’m gonna be moving out from my parents’ place, so I’ve been looking at apartments.”
A dry laugh from (Name) tickled his skin. “What a coincidence, I was also looking at apartments near Tokyo University. It’ll be hard to pay for a two-bedroom apartment on my own, even with how much I saved up. I need… a roommate.”
Yu pulled (Name)’s hand to his lips and kissed their knuckles. “A roommate? Is that the only thing you’re looking for?” (Name) turned their head to look up at Yu, who smiled. “How about a partner?”
“Yosuke is your partner.” It was hidden against his shoulder, but Yu felt the way (Name)’s mouth curled up into a smirk against his shirt.
His hands moved, his left on (Name)’s cheek to tilt their head up and his right gently touching the back of their neck. “Semantics,” Yu replied with a smirk of his own. “He’s my partner. I’m your boyfriend.”
It was said with a confidence Yu never could have managed just a year again, even though it was the first time he said it aloud to (Name). Because he was their boyfriend, and he was the leader of the Investigation Team, and he helped save Inaba and his precious friends. Yu decided that maybe he had finally done enough to be proud of himself, and he could revel in it just a tiny bit.
With that confidence, Yu leaned forward before (Name) had a chance to respond. It was a little clumsy, with neither of them knowing what to expect— It was a first kiss for both of them, after all. He felt (Name)’s hands fumble against his chest before grasping his shoulders to steady themself.
The kiss was the aftermath of a year of longing. A year of lingering gazes and timid touches, a desire to be close outweighed by a heavier responsibility to save the entire world. Now that responsibility was behind them, leaving no obstacles in between them.
They only broke from the kiss when they needed air. Yu didn’t move far; he leaned back in and bumped foreheads with (Name), gazing into their eyes with all the affection he could muster.
