Part 5: April 14: Another World

> Chie forced herself under your umbrella...


And...I accidentally broke mine trying to mimic the movie.
By the way...Did you see it?!
I did.
Aha, do tell. But the person it showed...Never mind. I'll save it for when the others are around. We're gonna be late for school.
Oh...U-Uhh...I-It's kinda awkward to only bring this up now, but...we're pretty close here...
U-Um, I'm gonna just go ahead and run the rest of the way!
Don't worry about it.
Huh...? Are you sure?
If you say so then...I guess it's okay. Thanks.
Alright, let's go.

-Specialist-


Ms. Sofue: First, a little about me. I love to use my dowser to look for lost items, and there's nothing quite like a romance. In fact, world history is a magnificent romance. History is like a river, it was born in the past and flows ever forward. I hope we can all enjoy the profundity of history together. Hohoho. And since this is my first lecture, I'll start with an easy question. Our transferee, Mr. Genjo, please stand up. The western calendar is based on Anno Domini, the traditionally believed year of Jesus Christ's birth. What is the year before 1 AD called?
1 BC.
Ms. Sofue: Ah, you seem to understand this well. If you think that history is like math, 0 AD would be the natural assumption, but world history is much more complicated. The Gregorian calendar we use today is based on the Julian calendar, which was made while there was no concept of the zero as a number. That's why, when counting backwards, we go from 1 AD straight to 1 BC. Hopefully that was a nice introduction to world history...


Sitting girl: Is it supposed to be like, mimicking an execution? It's messed up...
Short girl: My senpai told me it was a third-year named Saki who found the body.


It's, uh, it's not really that important, but...Well, yesterday on TV, I...
Oh, uhh...Never mind. Look, I'll tell you later. Ahaha...


Saki-senpai's supposedly the one who discovered that body.
I wonder if that's why she looked so down...She doesn't seem to be at school today either.
Huh? Hey Yukiko, are you helping out at the inn today too?
Things are really out of hand right now...I'm sorry.


I guess they're running her ragged...
By the way, did you see...it...last night?
Huh...? Uh, well...What about you?
I did! I seriously saw a girl! But...my soulmate's a girl? What's that supposed to mean?
I couldn't quite tell who it was, but it was a girl for sure...Her hair was brown, about shoulder length. She was wearing our school uniform, and...
Hey...I think that's the same person I saw.
I couldn't make out that much detail, though. The image I saw was much blurrier...
Wait, so you saw it too!?
And we saw the same girl...? Does that mean...we have the same soulmate?
How should I know?
How 'bout you? Did you see it?

> You told them about what happened last night.

It sounds like we all saw the same person...
But weird voices aside, what was that about getting sucked into your TV...?
Were you that tired last night? You must've just fallen asleep in front of your TV.
That'd be one interesting dream, though. I like the part where you got stuck 'cause your TV was too small. That's pretty realistic.
If it had been bigger--
Ohhh, that reminds me. Our family's been talking about buying a bigger TV.
Oh yeah? Well, flatscreen TVs are definitely in these days.
Wanna go check 'em out on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month.
Oh, definitely! My parents don't know anything about electronics, and I've just gotta see my kung-fu movies on the big screen!


We've got some pretty big ones in stock. I bet they'd be big enough for you to fit into, hehe.

> They don't believe you at all...You decided to go to Junes with the others.

-Junes Theme-


I dunno...Rich folks? Honestly, not many people shop for TVs here. That's why we don't have clerks around.
Huh...Not worth trying then, I guess. Well, at least looking's free.


...Nope, can't get in. Figures.
Haha, this proves it. It was all just a dream.
Well obviously the TV wouldn't let any TOTAL JERKS in.
Besides, these flat-screen TVs are so thin, you'd just end up on the other side...
Argh, what am I saying!?
So, Chie. What kind of TV are you guys in the market for?
They said they wanted one that's cheap. You got any suggestions?


Wha--that's not cheap at all! There's way too many zeroes!
I should've asked what you meant by "cheap" right off the bat.
You've got connections, right? C'mon, hook me up!
You know I can't do that...Hey, how about this one over here? It's a display unit. It's a little old, but...



-Who's There?-


Huh? Something wrong, Yosuke?
I-Is his arm...in the TV...?
Whoa...Uhhh...Is that some kinda...new model? L-Like with a new function?
Hell no!


Oh man...This is for real...That's some magic trick, man!
So how's it work, huh!? What's the magician's secret!?

> Both of them are staring at you, astonished...You might be able to put in more than just your arm...


Oh my God!!

> There's empty space inside...You tell them that.

Wh-What do you mean, "inside"!?
Wh-What do you mean, "empty space"!?

> It seems very spacious in here...

Wh-What do you mean, "spacious"!?
I mean, what's going on!?

Yosuke expresses his surprise in the most eloquent way possible.


What the--? Are you gonna pee your pants!?
I've been holding it in all day! I-I haven't had a chance to go...Aaarrgh! Can't...hold it...anymore!
Shit! Customers! They're coming!
What!? But we've got a guy half stuck in the TV here! Wh-What're we gonna do!?

Chie and Yosuke start scrambling around in panic.







With inevitable results.








Ow, I landed right on my wallet...
Man...Where the heck are we?


What is this place? Somewhere inside Junes?
Hell no it isn't! I mean, we fell through a TV!...Actually, uh...what is going on here?


Are you guys okay?
I think my butt's cracked now...
Of course it is!
Whoa!
Wh-What now!? Did you wet your pants!?
No, stupid! Look around!


All this fog...Or is it smoke? There's no place like this in Inaba, is there...?
Hell no...But man...this place is huge...


Let's go home.
G-Good plan! Look, we need to get home and--!
H-Huh...?
Wait a minute...Which way did we come in from? I don't see a way in...or out!
What? That can't be right! H-How could that be!?
I don't know! Don't ask me! I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!
Okay...so how!?
Let's calm down.
Y-You're right. Okay...okay.
Let's calm down and think about this.
All right, so we need to find a way out.
Is there really a way outta here...?
We got in...so we must be able to get out somehow.
That's true, but...
If there's no exit, we're trapped, so let's cross our fingers and look around.


It looks like we're in some kinda building, but...Damn, this fog's so thick, I can hardly see.
Are you sure we're not wandering farther away?
I can't be positive, but we've gotta trust our instinct a little.
I know, but...

> It seems that there's no choice for now but to continue onward...


No service. What a surprise...


Huh? What the...!?

-Who's There?-


It keeps getting creepier and creepier the further we go...
Aargh! I can't hold it any longer...My bladder's gonna explode...!


I gotta let it out before I piss my pants!
You're going here!? Oh, you have got to be kidding...
T-Turn around! I can't go if everyone's watching!
Aaaaargh...I can't do it! It's all your fault if my bladder bursts!
Like I care...Anyways...what's with this room? Check out these posters. Their faces are all cut out...Someone must really hate this person...


It's tied in a noose...Is this a scarf?
C'mon...Let's go back to where we came from and look somewhere else for an exit...


Who CARES!? Let's go! I am sick of this place!
And I'm not feeling so good...
Now that you mention it, me too...

> Your body does feel heavy...Could it be due to this place's oppressive atmosphere...?

Alright, let's go back. I'm seriously starting to feel sick...


Wait...What's that...?
Th-There's something over there!

Who now could speak plainly of what blasphemous processes usurp, on these howling plains under forgotten stars, the place of natural life? On the steps of this Cyclopean city where no human hand has wrought, what misbegotten things must shamble and crawl and gibber their praises to the blind idiot gods above?





okay never mind.

What in the world...?


*gasp* It talked!!
W-What are you!? Y-You wanna fight!?



> The bear is cowering in fear...Maybe it would be better to ask him nicely...

What is this place?
This place is what it is. It doesn't have a name. It's where I live.
You...live here?
If I was you guys, I'd hurry back to the other side. Someone's been throwing people in here. It's a big headache.
Huh? Throwing people in? What're you talking about?


Hey, what's your problem? What gives YOU the right to yell at us like that!? What ARE you!? Where are we!? What the heck's going on here!?


A-Anyways, you should hurry back.
What it comes down to is, you want us to get outta here, right? Well, so do we! We just don't know how, dammit!
Urrrrgh! That's why I'm saying I'll let you out!
Like I keep saying, we don't know where the frickin' exit--
Wait...What?


What the hell!?
Wh-Where did those TVs come from!?


What's going on now!? Whoa! Hey, what're you doing!?
S-Stop pushing!

-Junes Theme-


Did we...make it back?
This COULD be an uncannily accurate simulation or hallucination. Just saying.
Store announcer: Attention, shoppers. Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor. Why not try the delicious, fresh produce Junes picked for you this morning as your side dish for dinner tonight? All ages are invited to take advantage of this incredible bargain!
Crap, it's already that late!?
Looks like we were in there for quite a while...
That's right...Now I remember where I saw that poster before...Look over there! That's the poster we saw!
What's up now?


She's been all over the news lately. Something about...her husband having an affair with that announcer lady who died the other day.
Hey, so does that mean...? That weird room we saw...Could it be related to that Yamano lady's death...? Now that I think about it...there was that creepy noose hanging from the ceiling...
Yaaargh, stop! No more! We gotta stop talking about this.
I'm gonna wipe what happened today from my brain. I don't think my poor heart can take anymore.
I'm feeling a chill too...Let's go home...I wanna lie down and rest.



> You still feel sluggish...

Uh--Hmm...Well, I doubt you'd know...


She wasn't at school today.
Oh. I see...To be honest...we got a call from her family. She's disappeared. We've got people looking for her, but she hasn't been found yet...
*sigh* Work just keeps piling up...
Announcer: And now, more on the case still casting a shadow over the foggy town of Inaba.



Just another handy reminder for you.

Announcer: Up until now, her whereabouts prior to her death had been unknown. But the police investigation has found that she had been staying in the region's famous Amagi Inn.

> The Amagi Inn...It's the inn that Yukiko's family runs...

Announcer: She had apparently been staying there alone. Perhaps she was taking a vacation to recover from her ordeal...?
Commentator: Oh yes, the Amagi Inn! Their hot springs are first-rate. The manager's teenage daughter works there, and it's rumored that she'll take over the inn this spring. If that happens, she'll be one of the youngest managers on record! I should book another trip there!
Announcer: Uhh...I-I see...Moving along, it's time for the weather report. The rain has begun to subside. From now until morning, heavy fog warnings will be in effect in the Inaba region. Visibility will be severely reduced, so please be careful if you plan on driving in the area...

> The news continues. Just before the announcer was found dead, she was apparently staying at the Amagi Inn, run by Yukiko's family...And it seems the whereabouts of Saki Konishi, who discovered the body, are unknown...

Is the ramen ready now?
Give it some more time.

> You sneezed. You feel a slight chill...

Are you sick? You're probably still adjusting to the new environment. Nanako, could you get him some cold medicine? You should get to bed after you take it.




There's fog today, so you should go to sleep early, or you'll catch a cold.