Part 30: 06/18/09 - 06/27/09: The Butterfly Effect

Alright, now we'll just pick right back up where we left off.



Which means we spend even more time with Junpei!

After School



Ask me anything.
Awesome! Seriously, I don't even know what I don't know anymore.



I've been avoiding math ever since I started going here.
All this "vector" and "trigonometric ratio" stuff sounds like magic to me...

> Junpei looks fed up...

Alright, I'm gonna do this today! I'm gonna overcome my fear of math!
You're on fire!



> Junpei dives into his homework with a great show of confidence...

So the circle inside triangle ABC where AB equals AC is...
.....

> Surprisingly, Junpei is actually taking his homework seriously.

> You helped Junpei as much as you could and waited for him to finish...

If that's the case, then... the answer is... 40!
...Huh? Am I done?
Whoohoo! I did it! I got through all of it!



Oh, s-sorry...
.....
Haha!
You actually did it.
I've finally unleashed my true potential! You're my witness!



I was... thinking about really trying hard for once.
I always thought that stuff like math would never help me in the future...
But, I noticed that it might be important, even if you never use it.



I don't think I can start lecturing you on how to live your life or anything...
I mean, there's nothing wrong with just doing what feels good in the moment...
But in the end, it doesn't satisfy me, and it bothers me even more.
Yeah... I guess I've just got anxiety or something.
.....
But I think I figured it out recently.
I haven't found anything yet, but I get the feeling that I will, someday.
...As long as I'm with you and everyone else.



I think I understand.
R-Really?
...I totally thought you were gonna start laughing at me. Heheh...



You're always doing your best, all the time. It made me want to act like that.
I mean, you study, you're in clubs... Aren't you in the student council, too?
...I think that's amazing.

> It's rare for Junpei to sincerely praise anyone like this...

> After hearing what he thinks about you, you feel closer to him...





...?



...Huh? He hid.

Troubled

> You turn around, but there's no one there...

He was looking your way. Looked like he was holding something...



> Junpei jumps to his feet!

I'm coming too!
Huh? It's okay, you stay here!
Oh...
He got away...
Uhh...



I'll settle it myself!
Uh, you shouldn't...
It might give him the wrong idea if you go to him yourself...

> Junpei seems worried about you...

Anyway, let's go home.
Sorry to keep you here so late...
...Try not to go home by yourself from now on, okay?

> You and Junpei returned to the dorm together.

I kind of understand why it's there, but man Junpei's link would be improved by removing the photograph thing. There's some real good content here in spite of it.



Anyway, we should spend more time with Akihiko next. There might only be the one Star persona at a level in which this is relevant but hey. Get them a nice boost when they really come online!

After School



> ...But no matter how you look at it, it's just the Beef Bowl Shop.



Honestly, the beef bowl is really great here.
The servings are big, and the sauce they use on the meat is just...

Girl's Voice: Akihiko-senpai! Eeeeee!

...?



> They're not in uniform, but you recognize them as students from your class.





...What's funny about that?

Heavily Made-Up Girl: It means that you're totally cool.

...?
Look, can you get out of the way, please? We can't get in.

Buns: Hey, hey, you don't have a girlfriend, right?

......
A girlfriend?

Buns: We're, like, totally looking for guys to be with right now.



...Just let us through, please.
If you want to talk with me, let's find some other time to do it.
Let's go, Kotone.



Let's go, Senpai!
Yeah, I'm starving.





> You push your way past them and enter the Beef Bowl Shop with Akihiko.





...What's the matter?
Yes, it was great.
I know, right?



Oh... I get it.
Do you think those girls wanted to have Beef Bowls, too?

I think they were a bit more thirsty than hungry.

Not in the way you think.
Huh? I wonder what they wanted...



> He seems to be completely incapable of recognizing female emotions...

> You're starting to feel sorry for those girls from before...

Don't you want a girlfriend?
Now you're going to start asking me about that, too...?

> Akihiko gives you a wry smile...



...I'm not strong enough to carry this entire burden...

> Akihiko mutters, as if to himself...

> You feel like you understand Akihiko a little better now...





The type I like is...
......
......
N-Never mind.
......



...But I can't bring myself to say it! Argh!
Damn that Junpei...

> You and Akihiko returned to the dorm together.

Man, I'm glad Akihiko couldn't bring himself to say that, because man. That is... really awful.



Speaking of awful, how about this one awful plot beat again? Isn't that exciting.

Joy



It you haven't, then would you like to make this with me?
Look on this page... "chocolate truffles"! Don't they look good?

> Since Fuuka has brought the ingredients for making them, you decide to try making chocolate truffles.

> The recipe seems like it would be fairly easy to follow.

> ...?



...Well, at least this is helping us understand HOW she's bad, rather than it being the same one note over and over and over again.

Dissolve 200 grams of milk chocolate in hot water... Am I supposed to put hot water in it, or it into the water?

> Fuuka is muttering things to herself...

Do you need any help?
Oh, no, it's okay. I should be able to do this... Thanks, though.

> Fuuka seems to be having fun...

> You made your own batch of truffles.

> They came out pretty well!



It's a date item, sadly. It's just there for bonus S.Link points if you need it.

Yes, I'm done!
This is much more fun when there's two people here. Thanks, Kotone-chan!

> Fuuka is laughing as if she's truly having fun...

> You feel like you've gotten a little closer to Fuuka...





> There's an apple-sized dark substance on the plate Fuuka handed to you.

> ......

...What is this?
It's a chocolate truffle, of course.



I thought that a teaspoon of liqueur wasn't enough, so I used a cup of it.
Look, see?

> Fuuka is proudly holding up a bottle labeled "vinegar"...

> ...Because this recipe is so obviously inedible, you decide to point this out to Fuuka...



I didn't notice at all...
.....
...I'm hopeless, aren't I...
...I just want to help everyone, even outside of battle...
So I thought that they might like having some homemade food or sweets when they're tired...
...But I want to try harder so that I can get better at this.
Plus, now that you're helping me out, I want to succeed even more...
I'll try harder next time!

> You finished your cooking club meeting and headed back to the dorm.

Today is honestly a really good day to Tartarus, so we'll do just that. Plus, uh, I really need the money. That helps too!

We'll kinda just gloss over most of it, but on the 45th floor...

tartarus_0d02



Fuuka just tells us that the person we're looking for is somewhere here. Which is helpful enough, I guess.



We just wander around until we find her being harried by a small shadow. We promptly kick its ass because its a trash loser.



Then we can talk to her, she says nothing of value and we're done.



We can continue exploring Tartarus proper or head back to the entrance at this point.



Either way, once we're done they're saved and are in a secure location conveniently located Off-Screen.

A Way of Life



Then we just finish up whatever else we're doing in Tartarus that trip, and the next day make our way to see Kurosawa.

Hm? Oh it's something that missing schoolgirl brought in as a reward to the one who found her.
There was a lot about the case that stymied us on the force, so I figured you guys were involved... Am I wrong?



And that's that. Nice and easy, and since it rewards doing what you would (should) be doing anyway, there's no reason to not clear these out.



That was a fun diversion, but next up we've got Saori to hang out with some more.

Joy





> Saori is happily doing her job and helping the students...

...Huh? You lost it?
Um... If you don't have your ID, we can't check any books out for you.
Losing your ID's pretty serious... You should go to the faculty room before you do anything else.

> Saori seems to be involved with a complex situation...



> A female student comes in.

> If you recall correctly, this is the same student who borrowed Saori's notes the other day.

...Oh, Higashida-san. I'm sorry, I'm a little busy right now...

Buns: Oh, it's okay, it'll be quick! Um... About the notes I borrowed...

My notes...? Oh, right...



Huh?
...Oh, that's fine.

Buns: Well, s-see you!

> The student who borrowed Saori's notes takes off...

.....
Oh, I'm sorry.
Um, so, if you've lost your student ID, you need to get a copy of this form from the faculty office and...





Let's stay here a little longer.
Uh-huh, that's how I feel, too.



Oh, right, didn't we get homework today? I should make use of this time and get it done...
Oh, wait, my notes...
Wanna borrow mine?
Huh? Oh, no, it's okay!
I was just thinking that my homework would be a lot easier if I had the notes I gave her...
Well, there's no point complaining about what I don't have.
But she's being terrible to you!
Huh? You think so?
...Thanks, you're such a nice person.



> You feel like you have a better understanding of Saori now...





Which do you want to do? Clean the counter or make sure everybody's left the library?
Let's roshambo for it. Ready? Ro... Sham...

> You did your duties in the school library committee and left school with Saori...

...Oh, wait, hang on I just realised that I have something in my inventory still.



Hello again, Sigma Drive. For whatever reason, a lot of things sell for double their old values here. Not everything, though. I don't get it, but it means we get basically 90k for this trash accessory.



That bankrolls us for less time than you'd think (compendium costs...), but it's still very nice all the same. It feels better than it is, really.

Warm Feeling





...It's just a punch.
Did you get in a fight?
Um, w-well, who cares!
Don't bother asking, okay? It's really lame! I don't wanna say it!

> Junpei scratches his head...

Well, in any case...



Thank you!
Huh? Uh, umm... Haha.



I think... this is my first time.
Getting punched?
Haha, I've been punched way too many times before.

> Junpei shrugs.

I thought that if I laughed my way out of everything, I'd never be in trouble.
...That's why I try to avoid having to be serious whenever I can...
You know those times when everyone sits around and talks seriously?



I thought I could try breeze my way through things, and try to be fun.
It's so much easier than having to do stuff like understanding other people.



...Not everything about everyone's cool, right?
Everybody has parts of them that are cool or lame...
But they're all doing what's best for themselves.
After seeing you all like that... I think I got scared.



Staying quiet and trying to act cool won't tell anybody anything.
Seeing someone way smaller than me put everything they have into something...



I've never tried my hardest in anything. I don't take anything seriously.
That's why I never gain anything... and why I'm never happy.
...I realize that I'm not living my life at all.
.....
Junpei...

This got REALLY introspective, huh? Gotta admit, I like Junpei way more now than I did before starting either of these playthroughs.

Haha, what's with that face? I can be serious sometimes, too, right?



When I got back those pictures of you... it crossed my mind.
In the end, I just wanted you to trust in me.



...But trying to get you to rely on me to solve this is just wrong.
You're... an important friend of mine, after all.

> Junpei laughs, embarrassed...

> You sense that Junpei trusts you...





Don't you sometimes just get the urge to swing once in a while?
...I used to ride swings a lot when I was a kid.
I'd get close to the sky and think that I could go somewhere else...



.....
That's what I'd think about when I was on a swing.
...Let's ride on one together some time.
You know how to get two people on one swing right? One stands, the other sits!

> You and Junpei spend some time talking about all kinds of things...

Like, okay, at face value Junpei is a simple, one-dimensional character. He's meant to be the dumb best friend who makes inappropriate jokes. Then, uh, it turns out he's actually kinda smart and reasonable and that's in the base game before you even get to the S.Link stuff. It really doesn't add anything new or that wasn't there in the first place; it just makes it more obvious and gives it focus that it otherwise wouldn't.

The Poem for Everyone's Souls



Rather swiftly, we have two more people that have disappeared into Tartarus, huh? Alright, we'll give the notice board outside the police station a look.





It's quite nice that this is clearly related to what's going on right now with how Shadows are focussing on couples. It's a bit subtle, but I appreciate that it's not just completely arbitrary.



We'll deal with that sometime soon, though. For now, we'll spend more time with Akihiko.

Warm Feeling



> Akihiko is completely silent...

Are you feeling sick?

Huh...?
...Oh, right. Sorry.



Look, if you don't want to tell me, then you don't have to.
.....
It's just...



He's just a friend.
I see...
.....
Oh, no, it was just a rumor I heard. Sorry.
Don't get the wrong idea, Sempai.
...?



> Akihiko seems apologetic...

It's bad enough that I listened to a rumor, but then I confronted you about it... It was incredibly rude of me.
If I hear anyone say that again, I'll tell them it's not true.
Please do.
Yeah, I don't like rumors either.



Umm... Should we go get something on our way home?
...Oh, we're already all the way back at the dorm.
Um... Do you want anything to eat?
Something spicy!
Yeah... That might be nice for a change.



> Could Akihiko have been worried about you...?

> You feel that your bond with Akihiko has gotten a little stronger...





> You and Akihiko went out to eat, then returned to the dorm.

While this would be a perfectly nice and functional ending to the month, we do have enough time for one more event...



Fuuka gets that honor. Maybe we'll get something better out of this time.

Joy



Tadaa...! "Sweet Fries"! Everyone loves them!
I bought a lot of sweet potatoes for them, so even if we mess up a little, it won't be a problem!
So you can relax a little too, Kotone-chan.
Let's do our best.
Yep!



> You follow the recipe from the book Fuuka brought.

> .....

> .....

> .....

> Cutting up all the potatoes took a bit of time, but otherwise it went smoothly.

> ...?

"1 tablespoon of melted butter"...
.....
I didn't melt the butter yet, though... What do I do? There's no time now...



Uhh... I really think we should get an option to intervene at some point.

> Fuuka is muttering something to herself...

Okay, the final step is to put this in the oven. I'll put yours in too, Kotone-chan.
Let's see... The temperature is 180 degrees... and the setting for residual heat is...

> ...!?

> Fuuka is operating the oven extremely quickly...



I like taking my time and reading through the instruction manuals for electronic devices, too...
D-Does that make me seem weird?
That's impressive!
Huh? I-It's nothing, really...
...But, I'm happy to hear that.
I thought it was embarrassing because it wasn't really girl-like...
*giggle* ...I think this is the first time I've said something like that.
.....
To tell the truth... I knew that you wouldn't judge me over that...

> You sense affection from Fuuka...

> You feel as if you've gotten even closer to Fuuka...







Hot hot... Ah, I forgot that we have oven mitts.
Look. They look so beauti...ful?



> Actually, they don't even look like food...

> You're especially confused by the texture of Fuuka's fries...

Oh... These ones look normal. They're the ones that you made.
...Th-Thank goodness! They look really delicious.
I'll give you all of them.



No, it's fine. I don't even like sweet potatoes.

> Fuuka seems a little depressed...

Thanks for the food...
...!
It's delicious...
Yours are really delicious.
.....
I guess... I'm no match for our leader...
There's always next time.
...Thanks.



Oh, it's almost time for us to go home. Let's clean up and go back.

> You decided to take the sweet fries that turned out good.



> You finished your activities at the cooking club and decide to go back to the dorm.

We're not just finished with cooking club. We're also finished with June completely. Next time we'll return to the main timeline and I see a full moon on the horizon, but it's not quite here yet...