Part 48: July 26 - July 27: The Face of a Killer

> You overhear students talking.


Bespectacled student: Too bad it's raining. The forecast said that it was going to last until evening...Well, it'll let up by tomorrow morning. I wonder if we'll have a nice, clear summer sky tomorrow.
Guy with a backpack: Oh, well...It's not like I had any plans or anything. I guess I could watch "Tanaka's Amazing Commodities" and see if there's anything I want. I don't know what it is about that show, but I always end up buying something. It's that one that goes: "Over the airwaves to yoooouuuu!" Have you seen it...?
Sheesh, that kid totally sings off-key. It's supposed to go, "Over the airwaves to youuuuu!"

-Specialist-


I won't say anything mean like SOMEONE I know, but please do what you're told. *giggle* I'm excited about summer vacation too! I already bought my swimsuit. Not that it's got that much material to call it a swimsuit...Hmhmhm. Well, enjoy your summer vacation, everyone. Oh, and don't forget to do your homework, okay?

-Youthful Lunch-


...Just thinking about the performance is making me nervous! Let's do our best! I'm really nervous...But I'll work hard for your sake! Maybe next time we can play together! Er...Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself!

> It seems Ayane is nervous...You decided to attend symphonic band rehearsal.

-Like A Dream Come True-

> Yasogami High music room...The band members seem jittery about today's performance...


Senpai, will you please watch the room for me? I'll give it my best shot out there. I want to come back with my head held high!
Band captain: Everyone here?
Yes!
Band captain: Alright, then let's do this!...But first, we have a surprise guest!


Flamboyant player: Takeru! How's your arm? Are you okay?

> Takeru...? That's the trombone player who's better than Ayane...

Takeru: Yeah, I'm fine. It's practically healed already. It was a close call, but I'll be able to play. We're gonna tune up on site, right?
Male player: Yeah, but...the trombone part is...
......
Uh, w-well...
Takeru: Huh? You guys look like someone died. What'd I miss?
Band captain: What are you gonna do, Ayane?
Huh? Well, I...
Takeru: Ohhh, I get it...No big deal. I'll sit out this time...
Senior player: ...I think Takeru should play. He's better, and he's more used to performing in public. You guys are with me, right? We can't afford to blow this.

> The other members are remaining silent...

(Stick up for Ayane)
"I WILL FUCKING MURDER YOU."

> You explained to the other members how hard Ayane has practiced...

Senior player: Awww, what a stirring speech. Wasn't that nice of him, Ayane?

U-Um...
Band captain: ...Well, I don't wanna force it either way. Ayane, I'll leave it up to you.
I-I...
Go ahead and do it, Takeru-senpai. It was your part in the first place, and I'm not as good as you, so...
Please, take it.
Takeru: Hmmm...Well, if you say so...
Band captain: Alright, then let's get going. Head over to the bus out front once you're ready.
G-Good luck, everyone!

> The band members packed up and left...


I...I must be stupid...

-Traumerei-

> Ayane started to cry...

Nothing ever...goes how I...imagine it...It's no one's fault, but...time after...*sob* time...

> Ayane is weeping...

(Comfort her)

Mm...Haha...You're so nice to me...
I-I'm sorry...I thought I could finally see my dream come true...To think, my music might have actually reached out to one of those people...I thought this was it...
That dream used to feel so far away, but for a minute there, it was close enough to touch...I know it sounds like a childish fantasy, but it's much deeper than that. It's more like...a purpose. So...so...
I can't help feeling bitter!
Ah...
Hahaha...It's so funny...I've never thought about it like this before. Whenever I've felt bitter, I've known it was for the good of the band, so...I was satisfied with that...
But that song ran through my head day and night, constantly, no matter whether I was awake or asleep...If I had even a few minutes, I'd practice. My arm started aching all the time...This is the first time I've really invested myself in it...Before, I always figured it was impossible...
That's why I'm bitter. But letting myself be bitter...makes me feel good. It's hard to explain...Senpai...
Thank you for standing up for me back there. That made me really happy.
But...I couldn't imagine pushing Takeru-senpai aside so that I could...I'm sorry.
I feel like...I've changed a little. And it's all because of you...

> You feel Ayane's strong fondness for you...


Oh...I just noticed that we're the only ones left. Haha...Maybe it's not such a bad thing that I didn't go after all.

> You spent the remaining time at school with Ayane, who tried to keep smiling...You decided to go home.



-Who's There?-



> It's an extremely vivid image! A boy is standing with his back against a wall...


You all think you can see me? You all think you know everything about me? Then try and catch me.
Wait a minute, HIM!? If that schmuck gets a Persona, I quit. Probably be a friggin' My Little Pony or something.


Who was that guy? I don't know him...Have you ever seen him on the news or some television special?
He seemed really gloomy...Like a zombie...
Yosuke! Yooosukeeee!
Alright already, I hear you! Sorry, I'm gonna give the phone to Ted.
Sensei! It's me, Teddie!
I finally got to see the Midnight Channel with my own eyes. Now I know exactly what's happening.
That guy's suppressed emotions are resonating with the other side, which are picked up by the TVs over here. It's clear now that it's not being filmed by anyone. Mystery solved!
But that kid...He must already be inside the other world!
What're we gonna do!?
We're going in.
Gotcha! I knew I could count on you, Sensei!

> You can sense Teddie's strong trust in you...

I think my heart skipped a beat...


That's enough, Ted! Gimme the phone!
Hey, how could he be already inside!? What happened to the blurry image that we usually see in advance?
And did you hear what he said? "Try and catch me"...
Now that I think about it, he looked like a high schooler...Hey, could he be...?
Nah, I better not jump to conclusions. Let's meet up at headquarters tomorrow. Alright, later!
Oh, I finally got through! Yosuke's line was busy, too...
I was just talking to Yukiko! Was that...?

> You recapped your conversation with Yosuke and Teddie for her.

Yeah, we gotta get to the bottom of this. Well, we better get some rest. Good night.

> ...You decided to go to bed early.





-Deduction-


Now, about what happened last night...You guys all saw it, right?
Yeah. Shit he said made my blood boil. That mumbling of his and those fish-like eyes pissed me off even more. Who the hell is he?
A victim.
Under normal circumstances, I'd agree...
But when I noticed how clear the image was on TV, I knew something was different. So I called Chie, and while we were talking, it hit me...Maybe that boy is the culprit.
It's just a hunch, but it makes sense.
We've been told the suspect is a high schooler...The police are after him for the murder of King Moron.
So to see that on TV last night, at a time like this...I mean, he even taunted the viewers, saying "Try and catch me"...
Uhhhh...So?
Alright, let's say there's this high school student. We'll call him Shin. For some random reason, who knows why, Shin is able to enter the other world. Then Shin, again for some random reason, starts throwing people into that world, intending to kill them. The police can't prove the other world exists, so it's the perfect crime. He can't possibly be caught. Now imagine you're Shin, but after a while, people stop dying when you throw them in the TV. You don't know why. You want to kill King Moron, but the TV is out, so you have to do it personally. Now the police are on to you. As a result, you--I mean Shin--is a wanted criminal, and there's no place for him to run.
So...you're saying he went into the other world to dodge the cops? Ohhhh...So that's why he said, "Catch me if you can..." Wow Senpai, you're smarter than you look!
Geez, you can piss me off sometimes.
We still don't know why he targeted people who were shown on TV...But if he had a personal grudge against Mr. Morooka, that explains one thing. With a strong enough motive, wouldn't he forsake the untraceable TV method and try to kill Mr. Morooka on his own? If you think about it that way, it sort of makes sense why Mr. Morooka died without appearing on TV.
But I wonder what that boy's going to do, now that he's in there...With Teddie on this side, there's no way for him to get out...
Y-You don't think...he's gonna get desperate and end it all...? He did look depressed, like it was the end of the world...
No, I don't think that's it. The killer has to know that the people he threw into the TV have come back to this side.
I can see missing Yukiko or Kanji. But Rise, a celebrity...There's no way the killer wouldn't know she's still alive. So that means he knows there's a way out of the TV world.
As for the rest...We'll just have to ask him face to face.
Hey, good timing! How'd it go?


But at least we're positive that someone's in there...
I see...Wait, where's Teddie?
He's still looking.
Alright. So we need to find out who that guy is...And if he is, in fact, the one the police are after. Once we figure that out, we just do our thing.
That's right! If he really is the killer and he's escaped into the other world, the police don't have a chance of catching him.
So it's all on us!

> Everyone's heart was united by the desire to solve the case!


Well then, let's get digging!

> It seems you'll need more information on that boy to make any progress. You should ask around about him...

-Heartbeat, Heartbreak-


It's pretty tough...Seems like no one knows anything, huh?
But instead of bitchin' about it, why don't we go right to the source? Just ask Dojima-san. He's your uncle, right? He'd tell you something.

> Maybe Kanji's suggestion is right...But you wonder if Dojima will say anything...


You...! I told you not to stick your neck into things! There's no way I'd tell you! Geez...Damn, where did that Adachi go off to...?

> You can't seem to get anything out of him...


Kind man: Well, I've seen a plainclothes detective wandering around Junes a few times. He's usually there on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. He's like me. More free time than he can handle.

That's all the clues that can be found today. Sadly, there's no way to contact the police department. Nor is there any sort of public database of criminals sought by the police--and definitely not any kind of posters depicting persons wanted for questioning. That would be ridiculous.


Despondent man: You actually built it...Wow, it's good...Well-made...

> The man is tearing up...

Despondent man: Making plastic models takes a lot of time, huh? The time you spend makes the love for your creation deeper...*sniff* Haha, I must be getting old...I was recalling the days I spent toiling away at plastic models. It was fun...But it's all in the past now...Thank you. By giving me a final glimpse of this joy, you made me realize that this phase of my life has passed. Starting tomorrow night, I'm going to start sorting through the remaining models at my store. Oh, yes. I'll need to go give my thanks at the shrine, too. I feel as if I have a new reason to live now...

> The man smiles sadly...You accomplished the request written on the ema! You should report back to the fox...

Man with closure: Oh, yeah. You can have this, too. I have fond memories of this model...Once you've finished that one, won't you come show it to me? I'll be at the shop at night. If you don't mind putting them together, I'll even give you another one.

> You obtained Unfinished Model. You can use the table in your room to build this model...



-Signs of Love-


That's incredible! Umm...I made this. H-Here you go.

> Nanako gave you Paper Armband.

*giggle*



Your daily reminder that Nanako rocks.

> Inaba Municipal Hospital, empty hospital room...Sayoko found you and brought you here...



> Sayoko isn't saying anything...

Did something happen?
...Stop it. Do you think you're some kind of counselor now?
"...Lady, you have no idea."
I'm sorry...There's no point in taking it out on you...I just got a call from the hospital I last worked at. The patient I was assigned to...died. He was still just a little child...

-Traumerei-

He always said he wanted to go to school...But it looks like he'll never get that chance...You know, he proposed to me...I told him I'd think about it when he became an adult.
But I...I forgot about him! When I transferred here, I was so busy. I thought about him once in a while, but soon I just forgot...But he was fighting for his life that entire time!
What am I doing...?
Don't blame yourself.
I do...Of course I blame myself...
Why did I transfer...? When a patient gets better, I get left behind...But, now I'm the one who left a patient behind...There should've been something I could have done...

> Sayoko seems to be tormenting herself.

(Say something to her)
Oh, I'm sorry...I'm glad you came today.

> Sayoko looks at you needily...You feel that Sayoko trusts you.


...I'll do it. There has to be something...anything I can do...Goodbye.

> You left Sayoko and went home...