05/30
I guess I should check in with Adachi, seeing as how he's my new Probation Officer. I don't think he knows yet, I guess Naoto hasn't asked him.
"What are you doing? Shopping for dinner? I'm impressed. I live alone, so taking care of dinner can be pretty tedious." He said.
"You don't eat?" I asked.
"Sure I eat, cup ramen or whatever." He said.
He doesn't particularly seem to have a healthy nutritional lifestyle.
"You want me to make you dinner?" I asked.
"Like, you'd come over to my house? Haha, that would be interesting, but I'd prefer a girl to come over. Cute girls are the best, though I go for the real knockouts myself. The most important thing is that they should be good cooks. Everything else, I can take or leave." He said.
An old woman stepped out of the elevator behind Adachi.
"Tohru-chan! Is that you?" She asked.
"Shit, she found me." Adachi said.
"Are you off work? I hope you're not doing anything dangerous." She said.
"Oh, no. I'm still on the clock, I was just on my way back to the station." Adachi said.
"I'm so happy to see you working hard. I brag about you to my neighbours all the time! I'll bring you some nimono okay? You have to take care of yourself. By the way, I saw this detective show on TV the other day." She began. She started going on and on.
"Um, I need to get back." Adachi said.
"Oh is it that time already? I hope your day goes well then." She said.
The old lady left.
"Finally. I guess her son has the same name as me. Maybe that's why she's been hanging around me ever since she found out, I don't know. She always brings huge heaps of that nimono to the station, and she'll talk your ear off if you let her. It's so annoying." He said.
"That does sound a little annoying." I said.
"Doesn't it? She's like that practically every day. She's the exact opposite of my parents, so I can't relate to people like that. She's lonely I guess. I don't think she has any relatives. I can't just ignore her and either, it's part of my job. The police have been busy lately, so I'm the only one who can deal with her." He said.
Despite his griping, Adachi looks happy, this is a new side of him that I've seen.
Jester Social Link: Rank 2
"Though I wished I shared a name with her grandson instead! I'm still only 37 after all! Well I should head back, or Dojima-san will really chew me out. See you." He said.
Evening.
I decided to spend my evening with Nanako. We sat down at the table in front of the TV.
"I'm home." Dojima said.
"Oh, welcome back! Um, dad?" She asked.
"Later, Nanako." Dojima said.
"B-but, this paper." Nanako said.
She set the paper on the table.
"Scheduling of Parent-Teacher Interviews"? A survey huh?" He said while scratching his head.
"Fine, it's fine okay!? You don't have to write anything, you don't have to come! It's just another case to you, right? It's just more work isn't it? Bad people and everyone else are more important to you than me, huh!? You're not "real". You're not my "real" dad!" She said, before storming out the door.
"N-Nanako wait!" Dojima said. "What's gotten into her?"
"Let's go look for her." I said.
"Yeah, yeah you're right, how's not the time to stand around asking questions. I'll go check Junes, Y/n, you look around the shopping district! I'm counting on you!" Dojima said.
I headed to the central shopping district. No sign of her.
"Hey, Y/n!" Yosuke said. He, Chie, Yu and Yukiko came running up to me. "I ran into Dojima-san at Junes, and he told me what happened."
"You coulda just asked!" Chie said.
"We got a call from Yosuke-kun. I'm sure if we all look, we'll find her." Yukiko said.
"Hey, do you know what kinda places she might've gone?" Yosuke asked.
"Samegawa might be the most likely spot." I said.
"Samegawa, alright Y/n you head straight there. That's our best bet. The rest of us will split up and look around. If anyone finds anything, give the others a ring, okay?" Yosuke asked.
I hurried to Samegawa, and bumped into Dojima along the way.
"Y/n, did you find Nanako? Damn! Where is she?" He asked.
We looked around and finally spotted her.
"Nanako!" Dojima said. "Could you, talk to her? I'm not her "real father", huh? Y/n, you should go pick her up. She'll listen to you."
"Okay." I said.
"Sorry about this. As long as Nanako is okay, I'm fine. Please." He said.
I walked over to the picnic table.
"Big Bro." She said.
"Let's go home." I said.
"Yeah." She said. She looks like she's about to cry.
"Your dad was the one who found you." I said.
"He was looking for me? Did dad say anything about the river? Did he forget about mom? He never talks about her. I wanna see mom." She said. The poor kid is struggling not to cry. But she's a tough kid, she's got some pretty fierce resolve.
Justice Social Link: Rank 7
"Dad must've forgotten Mom. There aren't any pictures of her at home, he probably threw them all away. Is he going to throw me away too?" She asked.
"He won't abandon you." I said.
She nodded.
"I'm going home." She said. "Let's go home together."
I called the others to let them know Nanako was safe.
05/31
I decided to hang out with Yukiko.
We went to the Junes Grocery Department.
"Why are there so many different types of food? Even eggs come in so many varieties." She said.
"Making dinner at the Inn?" I asked.
"No! I'd never dream of it! I don't think my food's nearly good enough to serve to the guests. I was just thinking of practicing my cooking, since I've decided to leave town. Eating out all the time is bad for you, right? So I'm going to practice while I can!" She said.
"Good luck." I said
"Thank you! Oh yes, I was thinking maybe you could taste-test my food sometime. I want someone to eat it and let me know how it is. I thought I'd improve quicker that way, and knowing you, I'd get an honest opinion. W-Will you?" She asked.
"Count me in, in fact if you want, I can bring another person too. I'm pretty sure that Cal wouldn't mind." I said.
"Really!? Thank you! When I obtained the power of Persona, I thought, "I can do it". I used to think I couldn't do anything on my own, but maybe I really can. I depended on others up until now, but from this point on, I want others to depend on me. I'll do my best!" She said.
Our bond has grown a little stronger.
Priestess Social Link: Rank 3
Can now imbue attacks with Fire Energy.
"Now then, um, where do they sell lobsters?" She asked.
I helped Yukiko with her shopping, then went home.
Evening.
I decided to spend some time with Dojima.
"I'm going to sleep." Nanako said as she got up from the TV side table and walked up to us.
"Hm? Oh, it's this late already? 'Night. What?" He asked when Nanako gave him a look.
"You said you would read me a book before bed." Nanako said.
"Oh, oh that's right. I got it, I got it, just a few pages." He said.
"Yay!!" Nanako said
As Dojima stood up, his cell phone rang. You've gotta be kidding me!
"Hold on. Dojima here, Ichihara-san! Yes, yes then that means, well if it's okay with you I can be there in just a few, I understand, goodbye." Dojima said before hanging up.
"Dad? Are you leaving?" Nanako asked
"It's, my job." He said.
"But, you said you'd read me a book." Nanako said.
"I can do that anytime." He said.
"This is more important, huh?" I interjected.
"Of course not." Dojima said.
"Are you two fighting? Y-You can go, dad." Nanako said.
"No, that's not it. I'm sorry Nanako. What book do you want?" Dojima asked
"It's okay?" Nanako asked.
"I promised." Dojima asked. "C'mon, let's go, Nanako."
"Yeah!" Nanako said excitedly.
Nanako went to her room with Dojima. He came out about half an hour later.
"Man, she made me read the whole thing. Let's talk. The phone call was from Ichihara-san, my former Senpai. I'm having him run tests for Chisato's hit-and-run investigation. He was calling me to tell me that the test results are in. Judging from his tone, he didn't find anything the police haven't already come up with. I know going over there won't change the test results, but, it was a white Sedan, most likely large and American, as expected, no such large car is registered in Inaba. No records of one being repaired or scrapped either, worst case scenario, the car's out of the country by now. It scares me. That I couldn't catch the perp. That I'll never have an outlet for this sick feeling, that I'll just have to swallow it! Every time I look at Nanako, every time I notice ways she looks like her mother, I feel like, my face is being pushed down into reality, and it scares me. Hah. I never thought I'd be talking to you about this." He said
Dojima confided in me, and I feel like I understand him a bit better now.
Hierophant Social Link: Rank 7
"I know I can't stay this way forever. While you're still here, I need to face myself." Dojima said
We sat in silence for a while, before I said good night and went to bed.
