Part 101: 12/23/11-12/25/11

12/23/11

The last few days have been a good kind of boring. Still, I've been going a bit stir crazy here all alone, so I was relieved when I got a text.

VIDEO- "Christmas Eve"

Click Here For Video!

> Christmas Eve is tomorrow…
> You received a text message…
Naoto's Message: SEE U TOMORROW? Y/N
PLZ REPLY ASAP
> You decided to spend time with Naoto tomorrow.

12/24/11

It's so nice for things to be back to normal again.



U-Um… It's pretty cold outside!
Ah, well, uhh…
I-I'm sorry… I guess I'm nervous… because, um, we're the only ones here…
> Naoto seems embarrassed…
That's a… wonderful cake. It makes me feel like a kid again.
Um, I have something for you. I was late because I had to go back home to get it before I came here.
> Obtained Handmade Watch.
I customized this watch. It has the normal functions of a digital watch, but…
It can also tell you where I am…
…It's just a toy, though, so it only has a radius of a few meters.
And… J-Just so you know, my watch has a similar function…
……
My watch can tell me… where you are.

Naoto's really good at making things, it's impressive.



Really? …I'm glad.
Although… from spring on, my watch will just say "out of range"…
Until then… I want to be with you as much as possible.
> You had a wonderful Christmas Even with Naoto…

Oh, uh, Naoto had brought something else along.



I…
Umm… I…
I want you to see me in a school uniform…
……
You said you liked it when I spoke with a higher voice…
So I figured I should look more like a girl…
B-Besides, my normal clothes go against the school dress code…
Let me go change…

It was kind of weird, gonna be honest.



I know this is what all the girls wear, but, um… Isn't the skirt too short…?

And she wasn't very comfortable with it.



P-Please stop!
Don't embarrass me…
……
I-I think I'll stick with my normal outfit…
I'd feel awkward all day if I wore it at school.
……
…But I'm happy that I showed it to you.
……
…Huh?
……
Y-You want me here tonight…?
……
I-I can probably come up with some kind of alibi for where I spent the night…
……
> The watch reads: "Distance: <1 m"…

12/25/11

We all got together at the food court earlier today.

VIDEO- "Christmas"

Click Here For Video!

I think we can safely leave the rest to the police.
Adachi has confessed to his crimes, so I'm sure Namatame's presumed guilt will be reexamined as well.
I see…
Then that really wraps it up.
What'll you do now, Teddie? You're not going back over there, are you?
You better not, you dumb bear! You don't know how much you worried us last time…
I-I won't suddenly disappear like that again!
Damn straight you won't. Man, just stay here, alright?

Just then I got a call.



Hey, it's me.
Good news. It looks like they're letting Nanako come home for a bit.
She's awake again, and she's got a good amount of strength back too.
All goes well, she might be able to leave the hospital for the time being.
And as for me, hey said I just needed to see a doctor regularly. So I'm planning to come home with Nanako today.
Sorry I had to stick you with all the housework. I'll make up for it somehow. Anyway, I'll see you later.

I told everyone the good news.



I-I'm so happy for her…!
Me too… I'm really glad…
The fog's all gone over here because everyone tried so hard… And now Nana-chan's gotten better!
Nanako-chan tried hard too…
Sh-She's such an amazing girl… *sob *
W-Waaaaaaah!
Seriously… Thank heavens she's okay.
*sniff * *sniff *
Where're you touching!?
Augh…
Well, one thing's certain…
It's party time!
Let's throw a big Christmas party for Nanako-chan!
A party, you say!? I'm sure Nana-chan will be delighted!
We'll need a cake then.
G-Guys… Please say you're not gonna…

And then they said it.



Of course we're gonna make one.
I've already researched the ingredients.
Hey-W-Wait! Wait a sec! Whoa there!
That's way too tall an order for you!
Let's go to the grocery department!
C'mon, Naoto-kun, you too!
B-But I've never baked a cake…
Don't worry. Neither have we!

We tried not to let it dim our excitement.



So this is the fabled kotatsu…
I was really looking forward to the new kotatsu!
Yeah, you talked about it all the time at the hospital.
Nanako's going back for a close checkup tomorrow, but at this rate, the doctors say she can leave the hospital soon.
If I'd gotten better sooner, we would've been able to buy the kotatsu together… Sorry.
Don't worry about it.
Okay…
Next time, let's go together!
Sorry for the wait!
Oh no… The Christmas edition of Mystery Food X is about to be served…
Bring it on, I'm ready. Got my insurance card and everything.

Needless to say we were floored.



Hey, this is bigger than I imagined…
Wait, Nanako-chan! I'll be the first one to-
NOOOOOO!!
It's delicious!
It tastes really good!
Th-That can't be…
No… Has she lost all sense of taste?
> She's right! It's like nothing you've tasted before!
Did you guys really make this?
Huh? O-Of course we did.
Does it actually taste like something…?
It's not hot, is it?
How is it Kanji? Hm?
I-It's amazing!
You know what they say about true talent not needing to show off? Turns out we had good taste in cooking after all.
Then again, this one was our third attempt…
Hey, Yosuke! Chie-chan and the others really are talented chefs! Three starts for sure!
I-Impossible… This… actually tastes good!
Wait, I didn't already pass out, did I? This isn't a dream, right?
Ummm… Nana-chan, guess what I have…

Teddie had been busy the past few days.



Oh! It looks just like you!
I wish I could've made it look better…
But I thought it'd keep you company at the hospital, Nana-chan.
Oh, and it's made from 100% pure Teddie fur. I'm a guy who's all about using all-natural materials!
I-Isn't that nice of him, Nanako?
Teddie fur…?
Uh-huh!
Thank you, Teddie.
I have to thank you all again…
Adachi confessed to the two murders. He insists it was him who hung the bodies, too.
There are still things that are unclear about his story, but he's most likely gonna pay for his crimes.
Anyway, this was one strange case…
If what you said about a world inside the TV was true, then everything might make sense…
…Though I still don't believe it.
Some things in this world just can't be explained.
Like Nanako… She made a miraculous recovery, and now she's as healthy as ever.
Back in the day… my own senpai on the force told me something.
"There's an underside to everything that you can never see."
This case has made me think about a lot of things…
You've helped us out so much… Heh, it was meant to be the other way around, really…

Dojima brought up something I've sort of been wishing wasn't the case.



That's right… You're only here until spring, huh…?
Senpai? You're going back…?
…It won't be the same without you.
Sensei… Are you going somewhere…?
I don't want to go back.
Don't forget, there are people waiting for you.
When you get home, show your parents how much you've grown this past year.
And then, if they're okay with it… you can come back here at any time.
C'mon, spring's a long ways off, right? Let's have all the fun we can until then!
H-Hey, don't get too carried away. My sis would kill me if you got yourself held back a year…
Oh, but then you wouldn't have to go back, huh?
Wow, if that happened, I'd be in the same grade as Senpai.
Call me Senpai anyway.

But spring's still a long ways off…

Next Time on Persona 4: Friends