Part 62: September 1 - September 3: Back to School

-The Path is Open-


The finalized design for Nanako Dojima. The key element for this design was a younger sister all the characters would love.



> Today is the first day of the second term. You should hurry to school...

-New Days-


Good morning.
*sigh* Summer vacation's over already.


The vacation was pretty long.
Not THAT long. Sheesh...


Y-You...!? You're that, uh...pint-size detective!
I beg your pardon!? My name is Naoto. Please, don't give people bizarre nicknames you make up on the spot.
Um...You know this is a high school, right?
My cooperation with the police has come to an end. However, there are aspects of the case with which I remain unconvinced. There are some family-related issues as well, so I've decided to stay here for the present.
From today forth, I'll be a first-year at your high school. And I felt that I should at least introduce myself to you all.


Senpai...? That detective boy's our underclassman?

-Specialist-


Mr. Kondo: You've gotta watch out for unjustified resentment, guys! I'm sure you know what I mean; you all watch gossip shows! You never know who has a grudge against you. My advice? Train your body regularly, so you can fight back! You need exercise and meat to train your body! Young people, eat meat! All right, now a sudden question about meat! Hey, Genjo! "Venison" is the meat of what animal?
All of the above.
Mr. Kondo: That's right! I'm surprised you knew! Venison is the name for any game meat. That includes wild boar, deer, moose, reindeer, and even some kinds of rabbit. It comes from the word "venor" meaning "to hunt," but nowadays people really only use it to refer to deer meat. Speaking of outdoor experiences, the school trip is next week! I hope you get the chance to get some yummy meat! But be careful not to eat anything that has to hide behind a codename, though! Hahaha!


With the case closed, the days feel so empty all of a sudden...
C'mon Yosuke, everything went back to normal. It's a good thing!
I didn't mean it that way. It's just...
Hey, we're stopping by Junes later, right? Why don't we ask Naoto-kun to join us?
Oh, I just thought...Since he doesn't know anyone yet, he must feel lonely...
Didn't he say he came here to help out with the murder case? With the case closed, he's just an ordinary guy now. And if you think about it, that makes him a transfer student...just like us.
Hello, Senpai!
Maybe he transferred here out of plain stubbornness. 'Cause he doesn't seem like he's only in it for fun.
Alright, let's see if he wants to hang out with us.
A celebrity coming to school is already a surprise, but a detective is even rarer. I'm a little curious to see what his family's like, too.
There's that, and the fact that he's a detective at his age.


Conniving girl: You dunno the area yet, right? C'mon, we'll show you around.
Girl's friend: There's probably tons of places to hang out that only we'd know about.
That won't be necessary. I'm not interested in "hanging out," and neither am I interested in you two.
Conniving girl: Huh? Hey, what did you say!?
Girl's friend: What's with that attitude!? We're just trying to be friendly!
Geez...Way to make an impression.


Conniving girl: Oh, um...


Girl's friend: Uh, well, we'll be going now...


Hey, Naoto-kun. If you're not doing anything after school, wanna come with us?
Come with...You mean me?...Perhaps another time. I have some things to mull over.
Things to mull over?
I must go straight home today. I promised my Grampa so.
"Grampa"...?
Oh well...That's that, then. Let's hang out some other time.

-Junes Theme-


Is he gonna be okay at Yasogami?
He is different, but he has this...mysterious air around him that draws your attention.
Whoa, Yukiko, I never knew...You like younger guys?
No, that's not what I meant...
Naoto-kun said he has "things to mull over," but he's gotta be talking about the murder case.
He's some ace detective, right? I bet he's not satisfied...even though the case is closed.
That's true...but...
This place isn't our "special headquarters" anymore...Eh, let's talk about something else.

-Like A Dream Come True-

Isn't the class trip coming up soon? Um...Where are we going?
Tatsumi Port Island. I heard it's an artificial island that faces the ocean. It's a pretty big city.
Huh? Port Island? I did tons of shoots there. It's just beyond the Moonlight Bridge, yeah? Should be lots of places to hang out there.
Uh, actually...we may not have time to goof off during this trip.
I heard the school board is changing the trip's schedule this year. The idea is, we're gonna visit a private school there. Like, to have local and urban students interact or something.
It'll be all about studying and serious business...Yuck.
Ugh...They're totally missing the point of a class trip.
What kinda place is this private school?
I heard it's really good. They have nice buildings and everything. But it's closed on the day we're going there, so they're going the extra mile to make this work. They want us to tour some factories on the second day, and then we're coming back on the third day.
That's no different from a social studies field trip! Urgh...I didn't want to know that...
Can't expect much from a school-sponsored trip, I guess. Well, we'll be around, so if it starts to drag, we can ditch.
I'll show you guys around!
But we're in different years...
Oh, didn't you know? The excursion will be like the campout. They're going to combine the first and second years. Since student enrollment is down and they're low on funds, they've cut the excursion back to once every two years.
Well, at least we won't be bored with you around, Senpai.
Gosh, I'm trying to remember the last time I went to Port Island and I wasn't working...*chuckle* This'll be great!
I wish I could be that positive about it...Doesn't this seem like a pain in the ass to anyone else?
Some people were against the proposition, but it's been decided. Oh, and guess whose idea it was? King Moron's.
It's just the kind of thing he'd come up with...
Nooo...King Moron...! Why must you torture us from beyond the grave...!?
Noooo...King Moron...!


Hey, tell me more about this trip. Where is Port Island? What's there?
Get back to work, will ya?
Well, even though the class trip is coming up, it's still a ways away. What should I do until then...?
Well, it's not like we got much to do here in the first place...
Man is just an animal trying to figure out how to kill time through his days...
Huh. You made that sound like you were being philosophical...Yet it made absolutely no sense.
S-Sorry...
Snrk.

-Sky Full of Stars-


Drunk subordinate: Myyyyy problem is...my annoying boss always wanting to take me out drinking!
Drunk boss: Gahahahaha! But that's a good thing! You can't work OR drink alone! Communication is key! Right?
Drunk subordinate: I hate that stuff! Leave me alone!


Autumn is the season with the most delicious food. Persimmons, chestnuts, even mushrooms...*sigh* Oh, I would love to snack on a big, tasty mushroom right now...I don't mean it that way. Stop looking at me like that.

-Signs of Love-


There's this new horror movie out called "One Missed Text"...
I don't think anyone wants to go with me...But I don't want to see it alone.
If you want to see it, call me! Please!

-Like A Dream Come True-


Let's make dinner together, big bro!
There's a lot to do today!

> Nanako is more cheerful than usual.

I bought a bunch of dishes, pickled radish, and veggies at Junes!
Big bro, can you make a salad?
I eat salad for breakfast!
But...It's dinnertime right now.

> Nanako looks at you, puzzled...

We have to start eating our vegetables from now on. A well-balanced diet is important!

> Nanako confidently repeats this as if she'd heard it from somewhere else.
Wait a minute, what the hell have they been doing with all the combat veggies Sanzo's been growing!? It's not his fault if they taste like chalk, or sometimes explode without warning!

-Smile-

...My teacher said that families help each other. After Mom died, Dad and me have both been lonely, but...
But I have Dad! And I need to do my best so Dad doesn't feel lonely either! You're my family, too, so...Let's work hard together!
Let's do it.
Yeah!

> Nanako looks really happy.

Oh, yeah...I'm giving this to you!

> You obtained Family Picture. It has Nanako and her parents in it...

Dad made extra copies. You're family too, so you should have a family picture. Let's get a picture of you and me and Dad all together one day!
*giggle* I love you, big bro!

> You feel a warm sense of love from Nanako...You can feel a tight bond between yourself and Nanako...



-The Path is Open-

A wrong has been righted.





-Smile-

We need to hurry or Dad'll be home before we're done!

> You prepared dinner with Nanako.

-Like A Dream Come True-

I'm home.


Y-Yeah.
I made dinner with big bro today! We made salad and, um, um, a bunch of other stuff!
I see...Good work, Nanako.
Go wash your hands! Hurry, sit down!
She's really cheerful...I'm sure it's thanks to you.
Dad, big bro, hurry, hurry!
I got it, I got it. Let's eat, then.

> The three of you sat around the table and enjoyed each other's company...



-Heartbeat, Heartbreak-

> You overhear students talking.


Lazy student: I can't believe that I was early for class every single morning until just about a month ago...
Gossipy girl: You're so lucky compared to me. I've been studying for my entrance exams all summer...By the way, I'm so relieved that they caught the guy behind those murders. I was surprised that it turned out to be a student.
Lazy student: I've seen so many shows interviewing the police by now...I'm soooo sick of it.

> Have the incidents finally been resolved? You can only hope the same tragedies won't be repeated...

I've got enough of the new bugs now for a little beach fishing.









> This seems to be useless...











...I did not know this was possible without having the associated quest.

-Signs of Love-



> You listened to Nanako for a while.

I love you, big bro!

> Nanako looks happy...You feel that the bond you have with Nanako is something that can never be replaced.





September replaces the cicada songs with some other type of bug, or possibly bird. I've never heard anything quite like it before. Are there any goons who have the game and know what animal it is?


The people here are so nice! Every time I come, they give me snacks! Like just now, they said, "I'll give you this if you just go away!"
Where am I supposed to go, though? Do you want to go somewhere with me?

> ...Teddie seems bored. Invite Teddie to go out somewhere?
I'm tempted to not reload from this one. A bored Teddie is a recipe for disaster.

Let's go to the beach.
The beach...! Sensei...you're determined to enjoy your youth!
Okay! I just loaded up on snacks, so I'll go anywhere with you! I memorized the smell of the ocean the last time we went, so follow my nose!

> You decided to go out with Teddie.

-Like A Dream Come True-



> Shichiri Beach...You came here with Teddie...


Let's just float together, Senpai. It's fun to just float around aimlessly.



> You feel the time is right for an in-depth conversation with Teddie...What will you talk about?

(Talk about the future)
Future? Few-churr...Is that like a special pitcher? Like a big fewchurr of lemonade?
No? Hm...The future...It sounds difficult...

Teddie's Bike Date skills--
Dekunda: Removes stat penalties from the team.
Life Drain: Small damage to an enemy and equal healing for Teddie.
Mustard Bomb: Area physical with a chance for Enervation.
White Wall: Grants ice resistance for 3 turns.
Evade Physical: Triples Teddie's chance to dodge physical attacks.


...Somehow, I always knew this day would come.

-Enter The Dragon-

Funky student: Well, well, well...Back once again, it's the incredible...The magnificent mentalist! I knew you'd be back. I crafted new riddles, just in case you were ready for a new challenge...It's not like I'm ducking the books or anything! I'm just looking out for my fellow riddle fiends!
Bring it!
Funky student: Aw yeah! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! No flippin' the script, it's another categorization puzzle. This one's not the baby school, though...3, 2, 1, get loose now! Skateboard's in group A. Go-kart's in group B. Egg timer's all up in group A. Alarm clock is strictly group B. So, who does "protractor" roll with, group A or B!?
Group A.
Funky student: So, what's the reason all these seemingly unrelated things are so tight with each other, huh?
Human motion.
Funky student: Booya! You could rock the nation with your dissertation on categorization! Obviously, any chucklehead could see that they're all items that commonly require mechanical energy from a human. No victory dance yet, 'cuz I'ma hit you with the B-side! Here comes the next one!
Wh-What!? Two riddles at once...!? Impossible! Only one man has ever mastered that technique!
Funky student: Gorilla represents for group A. Elephant is group B for life. Coffee maker goes to all the group A parties. Eggbeater's always at the hottest group B nightclubs. Whose phone calls does "avalanche" answer, while letting the other group go to voicemail? Say it loud!
Group B!
Funky student: You know what's up! So tell me what the dealio is! Lay out the likeness for me.
Their indefinite articles.
Funky student: Boom tho! You got them both! That's two riddles in a row, so you're also on fire! Dag, yo! That's impressive! Even though I should probably just expect a wunderkind like you to have no problem. So, you saw that gorilla has three syllables, but it was in group A, so it had to be that group B all used "an." For most definitely knowing your indefinite article usage, here's some phat loot, just for you!

> Received Snuff Soul.
Your skills have indeed grown remarkably...Perhaps one day, you might even be almost my equal. Heh.


Female student: Wh-What, don't just walk up to me and talk to me all of a sudden! Don't you know that's rude!? Oh...Umm...S-Sorry for blowing up like that. It's fine. I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere or anything. So...

> The female student is mumbling and obviously flustered. Perhaps she's the one who wrote the ema request the fox showed you. She wants to improve her conversational abilities.

Awkward girl: What do you want? S-Stop staring at my face!

> Her words are harsh...But you dealt with the cold response well, due to your Understanding!

Awkward girl: Wh-What...? Normal people would have left by now, yelling something at me...You're weird. Wh-What are you standing there for? Say something to me, you got that!?

> The awkward girl ran away. Maybe you should talk to her again next time you see her...


Film buff girl: The hungry one always goes out to find food and then gets infected. Ummm...I know this is sudden, but...Do you like strange things? Really!? Then I have something to ask you. The other day, I saw a movie about OOPArts. I didn't know what they were, so I did some research, but I still didn't get it...If you know anyone who knows a lot about them, could you ask about it for me? Thank you! I can't wait to hear the answer. OOPArts, huh...Zombies don't count as that, do they? I wish I knew someone who knew a lot about history...


Ms. Sofue: The material you gave me was amazingly responsive...I wonder what I should look for now...Ahaha...

> You recall that a girl in front of the movie theater in Okina asked you to look into something...Maybe Ms. Sofue would know something...

Ms. Sofue: What's the matter? Is there something else you want to ask me?

> You ask Ms. Sofue about out-of-place artifacts.

Ms. Sofue: Oh, my, what an odd question to hear from a student. A few such stories come up from time to time when one researches history. Out-of-place artifacts are...

> Ms. Sofue delivers a detailed series of reports regarding out-of-place artifacts...
The Antikythera mechanism is the only confirmed legitimate OOPArt to date. Anything else you may hear about is contested or just plain pulled out of someone's ass.

Ms. Sofue: Sanzo, I want you to cherish that passion for history you have.

> You thank Ms. Sofue and leave. Maybe you should share what you've learned with that girl by the movie theater...You told her everything you heard about OOPArts...

Film buff girl: Wow, interesting. I guess there's a lot of different types. Oh, this is for you, as thanks! I think you'll find it useful.

> You obtained Mystical Scarab.
A full SP restore for one team member. Not bad for just riding a scooter back and forth between the theater and school.

Film buff girl: Thank you very much. I feel so much better! That particular movie, by the way, was about resurrecting ancient zombies with OOPArts...The incongruity of resurrecting zombies is all kinds of exciting!


Haha, you're really getting into it.

-Like A Dream Come True-



> Perhaps something urgent came up...

Basketball player: Man, I'm beat...Let's call it a day!

> Yasogami High shoe lockers...



> It seems he is still at school...You decided to go look for him.

-Traumerei-

> Yasogami High rooftop...You see Kou...


You've got some nerve...
Haha...C'mon, man, cut me some slack.

> Kou forces a laugh...

I don't know if I like basketball anymore. It's not my family, I got their blessing. They told me I can do whatever I want. It's funny...They were all so dead set against me playing ball...And now I can do anything. So I shot a few hoops this morning...But I wasn't feeling it. I wasn't feeling anything. It wasn't fun, it wasn't boring, it was just...nothing.

> Kou looks up at the sky...

I've been here since class got out. Then I heard all the sports teams starting to practice...And I wondered, why does everyone look like they're having so much fun? I felt so distant...
Ooh, a bird. Birds have the life, man...They can fly as high as they want. But me, I'm feeling like I've sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
Let's go do something fun.
Maybe we should go to one of those group blind dating things. Whaddaya think? Chicks totally dig guys who are all chilled out and intellectual, right?

> Kou smiles ironically...

Anyway, I'll be at the next practice, so don't worry. Did you come up here just to find me?...Thanks, man.

> Kou grins...


I think I'll stay up here a little longer. I got some relatives coming over tonight, but I'm still not ready to meet 'em. I'm pretty good at putting up a facade, but it gets old sometimes.
Sorry man, I just need a little space right now.

> You decided to leave Kou staring at the sky and go home.