Part 75: 7/20/09

7/20/09

We left for Yakushima this morning!

Video- “Fun in the Sun”

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> It’s time for you to get ready…
> Inside the Yakushima-bound ferry…
> You will soon arrive at Yakushima.

The sea was beautiful, but it seemed like a black cloud hung over the ferry.



W-Wow, so many tropical plants…!
Take a look at that one…
……
……
> But the atmosphere is still heavy…
Um…
I-It’s totally amazing, huh! Man, this is so awesome… I’m not even kidding!
Junpei-kun…
* sigh *

I still can’t believe where we’re staying.



Wow…
It’s like we’re in an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Fabulous…
Maids: Welcome back, Milady.
We won’t be here long, but I’ll be relying on you during our stay.
You have maids…?
Maid: And you must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home.
Please follow me.
Um, is this the right place?
Dude, real-life maids…
I knew she was from an important family, but this definitely confirms it…

Also Mitsuru’s father is seriously the scariest looking guy in the entire world.



> A man walked in from the far door…
It’s good to see you.
Oh, he left…
Was that…?
…her father?
Dude, talk about scary!
He’s not gonna make us walk the plank, is he?
Don’t be stupid…
* chuckle * We won’t be here long, but make yourself at home.
Sweet! This is gonna rock!
Hey, wanna go to the beach? It’s right there.
Dude, this place rules! Come on, let’s go!
What, already?
I mean, sure, but let me get changed first!
Then, I’ll see ya there.
I’m not gonna waste a single minute!

Yukari and I walked down to the beach together, Junpei and Akihiko were already there when we arrived.



> After changing into your swimsuit and arriving at the beach, you see Junpei and Akihiko talking…
Ahh… Got my sandals on… Givin’ my feet a chance to breathe…
Yup! Summer’s here!
> You can tell even at this distance that Junpei is extremely excited…
Ugh, could he BE any louder…?
But yikes, what’s with Akihiko-senpai’s swimsuit…?
I can feel my face getting red just looking at it…

Calling it a swimsuit at all sort of feels wrong.



……?
Something wrong, Yukari?
That’s a pretty… small… swimsuit…
What, don’t you know?
Swimsuits like this reduce water resistance and—
Oh, that’s okay… It doesn’t need to be justified.
…Hey Junpei, what’s the matter? You look even dumber than usual.
Maaaaan… Talk about a feast for the eyes, haha.

Oh Junpei…



Could her boldness come from the confidence that her club training has toned her bod?
What!?
And check out our leader! She’s one cute mermaid herself!
Those curves she usually keeps covered up are lookin’ good! I can’t tear my eyes away!
Thanks!
Maaaan, the beach is so great. I love this place!

I’m surprised he didn’t manage to just chase Fuuka off.



Oooh, and here we have the lovely Miss Yamagishi!
…Wow, Fuuka, I had no idea you were so… I mean, you should wear a swimsuit more often!
Huh…? * gasp *
Oh come on, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about!
Heheh.
Stop that creepy laugh, you perv!
And here’s our final contestant…

It took him a while to get his jaw off the ground.



Wow… Mitsuru-senpai, you’re beautiful…
Yeah, your skin is flawless! Did you already put on sunscreen?
N-No, not yet…
Psst, Akihiko-senpai. Level with me… Which one’s your type?
……
> Akihiko and Junpei are whispering to each other…
Huh!? Really!?
K-Keep your voice down!
Maaan, really? No joke?
What’re you two smirking about?
Nothing?
…Okaaay.
Man, this is great! I’m in heaven!
How ‘bout a swim!?
Buh buh buh bump ba baaa! Charge!
Whoa! I’m not letting you win that easily!

It’s weird, I’m sure someone was watching me but there was nobody else on the beach.



> You feel uneasy…
> …as if someone is watching you.
Whoa, it’s cold! Hahahahahaha!
> The feeling subsided…

Anyway I hung out on the beach for a while.



I think we were all having fun for once.



I came here often when I was young, but I don’t remember it looking quite like this.

I mean Junpei especially.



He just about made me have to beat him up actually.



Heheheh! You like it? You like that, huh?
No one can resist splashing girls at the beach! Heheh, I’m gonna splash more water on youuuu!
You--! H-Hey, you’re gonna pay for that! Take this!

And I think he was wearing Yukari out a bit.



Still, it was a good time.



Our operations during the Dark Hour put a lot of stress on us. You should relax a little, and rest up.
Under that parasol is the optimal place.

Still, I was staring to get a bit hungry so I headed back early.



Yeah.
Aww, you suck…
Well, I’m gonna stay a little longer…
Later, man.

Mitsuru left early too, not sure what exactly happened but afterwards she got us all together.

Video- “The Truth”

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It’s been a while.
……
I’m glad that you’re in good health…
Our guests are residents of the dorm, I presume.
I’m sorry for bringing such a crowd…
…I heard you told them about the incident.
Why did you hide it so long?
…I wasn’t hiding it…
I’ve told you time and again; none of the blame is yours.
But…
“Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection.”
That has been our guiding principle since the Kirijo Family separated from the Nanjo Group.
……
You must learn how to trust in others, Mitsuru.
There are things in this world that cannot be accomplished alone, no matter how many sacrifices you make.
…Yes, Father.
You accessed our database, didn’t you?



I’m… I’m sorry.
Bring them here. All of them.
I had no intention of concealing the truth from them. I’ve made preparations to disclose everything.
Everything…?
There’s a girl named Takeba in your group, correct?
For her to awaken to her power… It must be fate…
Father…?

It seemed her father had something to tell us.



> Everyone has gathered after a sudden invitation from Mitsuru’s father…
From what I understand, Mitsuru has already given you the short version.
Oh, yes…
Well, it’s true… We adults are to blame.
If I could have atoned for it with my life, I would have done so…
Now, I have no choice but to rely on you.
What my father wanted to create with those monsters’ power…
…was a time manipulation device.
That’s what he was trying to do?
Imagine if you could control the flow of time… eliminate unwanted events before they occur.
With such a device, you could shape the future to your liking.
Damn, that’s insane…
However, under my father’s direction, the research began to stray from its original goal.
…In his later years, my father seemed to have only nihilism in his heart.
Now that I think about it, his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free from that…
It’s only natural that you want to know the truth… and it’s my duty to tell you.

It turned out he had footage of the ‘accident’.



What’s this…?
This is the only existing footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene.
…A video recording?
> It looks like the scene of an accident…
> The video quality is poor, making the shown man’s face unrecognizable…
Scientist: I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…
That voice…!?
Scientist: My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea.
This experiment should have never even been conceived…
I’m afraid what I’ve done will result in an unprecedented disaster…
But if I hadn’t, the entire world may have paid the price…
The entire world?
Scientist: Please, listen carefully…
The Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the explosion.
To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them!
I am to blame for this.
I knew the risks, but I was blinded by the promise of success… And so, I didn’t raise any objections…

For just a moment his face was visible, and that’s when things got really crazy.



……!?
> The man was visible on the screen for a brief moment, but the video ended after a large explosion…
…Dad…
You mean… that was…?
……
Father…
His name was Eiichiro Takeba… He was the head researcher at the time, and a very talented man.
But, we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue the research.
The Kirijo Group is to blame for his death.
I… I can’t believe it…
So, that means… my dad caused it all…?
The Dark Hour, Tartarus… The people who died in that incident…
It was all his fault…?
Y-You okay?
So, that’s why you were hiding this…?
Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it!?
No, Takeba, I…
I don’t want your pity!!
> Yukari ran off…

I can’t blame her for being freaked out.



……
Um… Shouldn’t someone go after her?
……
Tolstoy…
Please go after her…
I understand.
…Thank you.
> You decided to head after Yukari…

She was down by the beach.



This is too much…
> You found Yukari standing at the beach…
Aelita…
Remember what I told you at the hospital…?
How my dad died when I was little…?
You understand now, right…? He died in that incident.
Nobody knew the truth, so there were all sorts of rumors…
…Because he was in charge of the research team, people were really mean to me and my mom…
We even had to move a few times.
That must’ve been tough.
…Yeah.
But all this time, I kept myself it wasn’t his fault.
I loved him a lot, and I believed he’d never do anything wrong.
I received a letter back in the spring. It was from him, written ten years ago…
It cracked me up cuz, even though it said “To my family,” it was pretty much all about me.
That only made me believe in him more…

It turned out this had been her whole reason for fighting.



I was scared, but I thought if I cooperated with the Kirijo Group, I might find out what really happened.
That’s why I agreed to fight using my Persona.
But, it turns out… all of that was for nothing…
That’s not true!
Haha, you’re just trying to make me feel better.
Why does reality have to be so harsh…?
I tried so hard to fight my fear, and this is what I get…
…Maybe I’m just jealous of Mitsuru-senpai.
I mean, why my father and not hers…?
Haha… I’m a horrible person, aren’t I?
That’s not true!
……
Stop acting like you have all the answers!
……
I’m sorry…
My head’s a mess…
I’m so afraid…
I don’t know what to do anymore… I’m totally lost…
Tell me… What should I do…?

Her dad might have been responsible for the current situation, but it sounded like something much worse was going to happen if he didn’t do what he did.



You mean, keep believing…?
…I’m sorry for acting like this. You’ve lost your parents, too.
But, I’m alright now… I’m used to dealing with stressful situations.
…Thanks.
> Yukari is laughing, her eyes red from the crying…

That was about when Junpei arrived.



* gasp * Sheesh… What’s taking you so long…? Everybody’s… waiting…
It’s almost… * gasp * the Dark Hour, so you should get back.
I-I almost forgot… It doesn’t matter where you are when the Dark Hour comes…
Sheesh, it’s just common sense! Even I remembered.
You know, I’ve been thinking lately…
Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour…
It’s like trading away your innocence…
In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don’t want to see.
……
So, I guess I’m stuck with you guys, huh?
Yup.
Now that that’s settled, let’s get back!

I was even more certain the second time that someone was watching me, but in the dark it was impossible to tell from where. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if it ends up mattering.



> You feel as if you are being watched…
> ……
> Regardless, you decided to return…

Fuuka says she’s got an idea for something we can do together tomorrow to relax, which sounds good right about now…