Part 32: 6/24/11-6/25/11

6/24/11

We started out by talking to Teddie.

VIDEO- "The Star"

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I wasn't crying.
Everyone was having fun out there. You forgot all about me… I was abandoned.
No, we would never do that!
I'm sorry… Were you lonely?
I was bored. It made me all listless.
I'm a useless bear. I don't even know what I am.
I couldn't figure it out… No one would come visit me…
Then I thought I heard voices coming from your world. They were all having so much fun…
I was so lonely that I tried to cry. But I couldn't…
Well, you are hollow inside…
Shut up! Stop saying I'm hollow!
Don't snap at me! This is your world, isn't it!?
You're the one who said you just want to live here peacefully, and made us promise to find the culprit!
C'mon, I'm sure Teddie's just tired from thinking so much, right?

Teddie was pretty unhappy though.



I was so sad that my chest would burst and cotton would fly out…
Can I try scoring with you two someday?
Sure, go right ahead!
Can we please drop the whole "scoring" thing…?
Anyways, we wanted to ask you something! How's it been over here?
Did a girl called Rise Kujikawa show up? Can you sense anything?
Rise Kujikawa? Hm…?
You can't tell…? You nose is kinda losing its edge lately, huh?
I'm a pretty shabby bear…
Soon, I won't be useful at all. Then I'll get thrown away…

We really need him in the game, though.



I can… stay with you all?
Okay. Then we'll go look for something that'll help you search, like last time.
I can't tell for sure. But I can kinda sense someone in here…
I think I'll be able to find her. I just need some kind of hint.
> In order to make any progress, it seems you'll need more information about Rise.
> You should try asking around town.
There's a lot of things I don't understand…

I don't know why Teddie thinks he has to do this alone, but he doesn't.



Thank you beary much. You're really kind, Sensei…
I'll try even harder from now on.
> Teddie is doing his best to try and find his role in life…
> You feel a faint bond forming between you and Teddie…

Certainly didn't expect this to happen though.



I'll be waiting here…

I heard someone talking about a guy who was Rise's biggest fan at our school, so I looked for the most pathetic neckbeard I could and sure enough was in luck.



Risette Fan: Well, ask me anything you want to know! A real Risette fan like me should be able to give you the minutest details.
…Oh, you just want like, a status update?
Well, nothing's been bigger than the bomb she dropped about taking time off for a little R&R.
Her blog may have some hints about why, but… well, there are a lot of theories out there.
As a fan, I'm devastated. But I guess there's not much I can do about it…
If you want more up-to-the-minute info, shouldn't you be asking someone in the media or something?
Maybe I'll send a letter through her fan club… Hmph, I wonder if those'll even reach her now…

Seeing as how he was basically no help, I decided to just go ask Rise's grandmother.



Rise's Grandmother: Sometimes she leaves the house without telling me… I hope she's okay…
I've heard that some person with a camera has been wandering around recently.
I think that person was called a "papa rat" or something…
The people in this district try their best to get rid of that person, but he just keeps coming back…
I heard that he's often at the riverbank.

I headed down to the riverbank, but the paparazzi wasn't anywhere to be found. I decided to ask around.



Kind Man: They're obviously from out of town, so they caught my eye.
But now that you mention it, I haven't seen any today…
> It seems that they come here fairly often. Maybe you should return tomorrow…

With no progress possible, I headed to deal with some other things. First I went to the fox to get a new wish.



I figured someone with nothing to live for had to be a person in the shopping district, and sure enough I found them.



Haggard Man: My grandfather started this shop… And I closed it down.
Nowadays, kids don't make models… If they want toys, Junes has a much bigger selection. I can't compete.
…A long time ago, kids used to come in here and show off the models they'd built, comparing to see who was best.
The store was so lively. Ah, those were the days…
> The man sighed and stared off into the distance…
> Perhaps he's the one who wrote the ema request the fox showed you.
> He wants to find something to live for…
Despondent Man: I feel sorry for the toys that still remain in the store…
I want them to be completed, but it'd be even more pathetic if they had to be constructed by me.
The models would be happier if a young kid like you made them…
> Maybe assembling one of these models will restore this man's will to live.
Want me to make one?
Despondent Man: Huh? W-Would you do that?
DO you have model paint at your place? You need clippers? Do you use putty!? What about detail pens…?
> This man is clearly excited about the prospect of you building a model for him.
Despondent Man: Here, you can have this!
Pleas show it to me when you're done!

This one's going to take a while I think. Anyway, I went back to work at the daycare center while the others chased down a few more leads.



Yuu-kun, are you getting along with Mister Souji?
Yuuta: …No!
You don't have to come pick me up!
Yuu-kun…
*sigh *
…Do you like children?

If all children were cool like Nanako I would but evidences show that's not at all the case.



Really? You looked like you were having a lot of fun…
So, you basically just view this as your job, then? That's great.
> Eri is impressed…
*sigh * It's so tiring…
I don't hate him, but…

He did seem to be a real handful.



…It's more complicated than that.
Haha, you're still a child, I see…
> Eri is smiling sadly…
I didn't like coming here because I'd run into the other mothers, but…
…Haha.
> Eri smiled weakly…
> You felt like you could understand Eri's feelings of loneliness a bit…

Interestingly the lonely housewife doesn't seem to be hitting on me, though, which is kind of refreshing really.



Other Mother: Are you… Yuuta-kun's mother? Do you think it's okay for Yuuta-kun to be alone?
It's been getting dangerous lately. As a mother, I wouldn't leave my child alone.
Even if the caretaker is young, right?
…Yes, of course. I'm sorry.
Then… if you'll excuse me…

I spent the night playing with Nanako to remind myself why she's a much cooler kid. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, that's just lovely. Will we be able to save Rise in time?

6/25/11

It was raining today, very appropriate really.



It looks like it's going to rain all day today.
They said that it's not going to last until tomorrow, so I don't think the fog's going to appear, but…
Are you worried too?
Y-Yeah…
The stuff that's on the Midnight Channel lately is pretty rough…
…But, we can't get impatient.
We need to make sure we're ready, and rescue her before things get completely out of hand!

The paparazzi was by the river, so at least there was some luck.



Photographer: You're looking for information about Rise, too?
……
…Well how about this? Why don't we exchange information? You tell me what you know, I'll tell you what I know.
The people in the shopping district are making it hard for me to do any information gathering.
> You decide to give him some information about Rise…

I figured he might not know how different she is in real life.



Photographer: Hmm, as I thought.
…To be honest, I used to do a little digging into Risette's private life.
I was surprised to discover she's totally different than on TV. You'd never recognize her in real life.
Honestly, though, when you think of an idol you should honestly just assume "manufactured personality," too.
> He seemed to know some other things about Rise. Maybe you should inquire further.
Photographer: Do you have any new information for me?

I also figured I'd confirm that she was really stressed out.



Photographer: She's stressed, huh…? I guess that's what it is, then…
…You see, I've been trying to find the reason behind the shocking hiatus.
And the most convincing thing I heard so far was that "Risette" got tired of her made-up personality.
Her identity as an idol, as opposed to how she normally is…
She couldn't stand living two lives anymore… That sounds about right.
Well, you didn't give me anything new, but thanks for the information. I can at least turn this into something…
> So from what the paparazzo told you…
> It seems Rise was acting as a "manufactured personality."
> And she was worrying about her "normal self" and her "idol self."
> She was surely worrying about her true self.
> You seemed to have gained some insight regarding Rise…
> You should report to Teddie.

It made a lot of sense, really. We headed back into the TV world.

VIDEO- "Striptease"

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Hmhm… Her real self…
I see… She's just like me. The delicate, sentimental type.
Then… Hrmmm…
Whaah!? There's something out there! Is this it? Did I find her!?
Follow me!

The place Teddie led us to was pitch black.



The lights didn't make things better.



Oh, like the kind you always find in resort towns!?
Ah, I think you're right.
……
Oh! B-But we don't have one… Our inn is not like that…!
Huh. So this is a strip joint, eh?
Strip!?
Aha! I know what that is! It's the thing zebras have, right!?
……
Strip… Like a zebra, right!? Right!?
It's so bring here… Even with the glasses on, my eyes hurt.
Doesn't anyone get the joke!? Okay, let's try one more time…
Strip… It's something zebras have…
Can anyone shut this thing up!?
Huh? Zebra…? Sorry, what're we talking about?
I-I won't say it again… Let's hurry on…

We pushed into the Marukyu Striptease.



It's making my heart pound!

The shadows were putting up stiff resistance.



I think I'm getting a little drunk from all the pink…

A short way in Teddie felt something strange nearby.



……
I can smell it!
I smell something! My nose is sniffing out some kind of clue!

And sure enough Rise's Shadow was around.

VIDEO- "Creepy"

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But something's not right…
It must be her other self…
Hello, all you fans out there! Thanks for coming today!
Today, you're gonna see every last inch of me!
What's that? You don't believe me? Ahahah! Okay, okay!
Then why don't we-Oh, but you won't be able to see with all this smoke, huh?
Okie-dokie! Just follow me a little further in and I'll prove that I'm every bit as good as my word!

These just get worse and worse.



W-Were we like that…?
That's… going kinda far…
Sheesh, the roar of the crowd is insane this time… It's making me feel sick.
If people really are watching this… we gotta do something, and fast.
All right, Risetteers! Don't touch that dial!
When we come back, you'll get a good, long look at the real me! Maru-Q!
W-We'd better move it! This is a thousand times worse than just hearing a few nasty secrets!
The Shadows are really getting aggravated!
What we just saw is what that Rise girl is suppressing!
She'll be in trouble at this rate!
So, guess I'm on the rescue team now. Alright, let's hurry up and go!

Just like in the castle and sauna, we started hearing creepy disembodied voices.



Goooood evening, everyone! I'm Risette!
Thanks for being such faithful viewers!
I'm tired of diets! Enough with going to the gym! Good thing there's something that even I can handle!
I've had enough of this place too! Urgh, I'm getting all dizzy…
Sensei, are you all right?
Why don't we call it a day today? I'm getting really dizzy…
Oh!?
You've come so far… Does that mean you're a fan of mine?
Seriously!? That makes Risette sooo happy!
Since you tried so hard, I wonder if I should do something special for you…
…But not here!
First, you gotta prove your love just a liiiitle bit more!
I'll be waiting!
……!
S-Sensei! I'm gonna try even harder!

That bear… though after what happened later I guess I shouldn't be so hard on him.



I'm rooting for you!
Whaa…?
The girl Sensei's trying to rescue is cheering him on…
I dunno… It's kinda weird…

And when we got up to the next floor she turned off the fucking lights on us.



But still, I'm a little embarrassed…
So I'm gonna turn out the lights!
Whoa! It's so dark in there!
This is dangerous! Be careful going onward, Sensei!

One of the curtains was sealed tight.



You can't go in yet, mmm?
Over here, over here! Hurry!

So we continued our search for Rise, and found about what I would have expected at this point.

VIDEO- "Amorous Snake"

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Okay. I'm ready for anything…
*gulp *
…Are you ready, Sensei?

She was waiting in the dark on the other side with a giant Shadow.



Look! C'mon, look at me!

Boss Battle- Amorous Snake
The Amorous Snake's got a pretty standard sort of gimmick. He uses Stagnant Air to make the party more prone to status ailments then uses attacks that can cause status to ruin us. The fight is a joke, though, because he's weak against Fire. I want to say he's a huge threat but it's just not so, literally just burn him down.

As the ashes settled, we noticed Rise's Shadow had split. At least the damn lights were on again.



We did it, Sensei! What a relief… We can go now!

And as before the voices got stranger and stranger as we pushed forward.



Why don't I tell all you fans a little about myself?
What's this?
What's she up to?
Hmmm… What should I talk about first…?
Ummm… Never mind. Maybe some other time.



My work right now…
Yeah, I think it's really fulfilling.
I longed to be an idol ever since I was a kid. Every day's so much fun!
It's really fulfilling for me, too, since I'm with you guys, Sensei!



Hmmm…
I guess someone who's kind and clean?
Oh, looks don't matter that much.
I actually don't really like handsome-looking guys.
I mean, it's what's on the inside that really counts, right?
I see… So one's insides are important…
But I'm all empty…

And after a long and grueling trek through this pink techno nightmare we reached the summit of history's largest strip club.

VIDEO- "The Bare Truth"

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Look, the real one's here too!
Aaahahahahaha!
They're all watching! All eyes are on me now!
Stop it!
Awwww! What's the matter? You wanna show your stuff, don'tcha?
How's this!?
Please… stop this…
*chuckle * Oooh, she wants me to stop. That's so funny!
As if that's even close to what you're really thinking, you little skank!
You're me! And obviously, I'm you!
No… That's not true…
Ahahahahah! C'mon, look! You can't tear your eyes away!
This is me! This is who I really am!
Not Risette, the fake celebrity! Look at the girl right in front of you!
I'm sick of being some airhead cliché who chokes down everything she's fed and takes it all with a smile!
"Risette"? Who the hell is she? There's no such person in this world!
I'm no one but myself! C'mon, look at me!
That's not-I…!
Well then, I guess it's time to prove it. I'm gonna show it all off!
Let my naked truth be burned into your brains!

Rise decided she'd had enough about there.



You're…
No! Don't say it!
You're… not me!
*chuckle * Heehee, ahaha! Aaahahahahaha!
Here it comes!
Now, I'm finally myself!
Tch… Here we go!

And we were thrust into battle with Rise's Shadow. I keep thinking I won't be surprised by these and I always am.

VIDEO- "Shadow Rise"

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And now, the moment you've been waiting for! It's time for me to show you every last inch of myself!
Heehee… And for our guests in the front row…
I'll give you extra-special, extra-intense service!
So I was like this too…? Oh man…
Ohhh? You're going to rush the stage? What an ill-mannered guest…
Maybe you're looking for an experience that's a little more intense!?

Boss Battle- Shadow Rise
Shadow Rise is a different sort of fight. She starts out with a fixed pattern. She'll cast Agi, then Maragi, then Agilao, then Maragion. Once she's finished that she'll start mixing some other stuff in before potentially starting it over if you take too long to take her to about 66%, at which point you'll trigger a vocal taunt and a slight pattern change.



I've got a ways to go until I show my true self… You ain't seen nothin' yet!

Rise will also throw some other magic in now, as well as Attacks. None of it is particularly threatening, though. Indeed, nothing in the fight is a real worry until you get to 33%. Then things get a little… interesting.



You might as well die, then!
No touching allowed. Ahaha!

Rise uses a spell called Supreme Insight and analyzes our party, which means we are no longer able to hit her with any attack. At this point we just need to live through three turns of her unimpressive and anemic offense.



Once she did that strange attack, nothing we did seemed to be able to connect.

VIDEO- "A Shadow of Doubt"

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Damn, it's like it's anticipating our every move…
I-I'm completely useless…
What the--!?
That power… I think it's scanning us! Ohh, this is not good!
When you say "not good," what exactly does that mean!?
Woohoo…! Analysis complete!
Okay, here comes my counterattack! See if you can dodge, hmm?
S-Stop it!

She leveled us with a single blow.



How're we supposed to win…!?
A-Are we… going to die…?
No! You guys can't die!
What can I do…? Sensei…
It's up to you.
There must be something… Something I can do…
Am I going to be all alone again…?
No… That's not what I want!
Shit! It's winding up again…!
I… I…
Okie dokie, here we go again!
Goodbye… forever!
Aw shit… It's coming!
M-My body's moving on its own! Wh-Why am I stepping forward!?
Wh-Whoaaaa!

Teddie had indeed interposed himself between Rise's Shadow and the rest of us.



Grrrrr! I-I'll do it!
Take a good look… at Teddie's last stand!
……!? This high-energy reading…
Is it coming from that weird thing…!?
Teddie! What the hell are you doing!?
Roaaaaaaaaawr!
Teddie!

In a flash Rise's Shadow was flattened. And so was Teddie…



You idiot… You coulda died…
Did I… Did I help…?
You didn't just help, you saved our lives!
Neat…! I'm so glad… I didn't want to be alone anymore…
Teddie…
Ngh… Urgh…
Wh-What in the world!?
Nooo… My fine, silky fur… I was so proud of it! Waaaah…
Looks like he's gonna be just fine… I guess.

Since Teddie seemed okayish we ran to check on Rise.



Mm…? Where… am I…?
I'm sorry… It's all my fault…

Somehow we had made it out of that fight alive though.



Really…? Thank God…
Here, stand up.
I'm sorry… You must've been in a lot of pain up to now.
You're part of me, but I kept refusing to admit you existed…
I was trying to figure out who the real me was.
But I realize now that I was on the wrong track.
There is no "real" me. It just doesn't exist.
There's no... real me…?
You… me… even Risette… They were all born from me.
All of them are… me.
> The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest…

And so Rise found her Persona.



> Rise has faced her other self…

It seems its name is Himiko, a shaman queen from ancient history.



Rise-chan! Careful!
I'm all right… Hey, you're the one who came to the store, right…?
Oh, yeah. And these guys came with me.
> You briefly introduced yourselves.
I thought I recognized you guys… Thanks, everyone…
We'll explain everything later, but for right now-
What's wrong, Chie?

Teddie was just repeating the same thing over and over…



H-Hey, Teddie…
No, get back!
Something's coming out of him…!
Real? Me?
*chuckle * Such foolishness…

That was when we realized our ordeal was only just beginning.



D-Don't tell me… Is that the other Teddie? Teddie's hidden thoughts!?
I believe so, but it seems like there's more… I felt some powerful presence intervene…
Wh-What's going on!?
Wh-Whoaa!
The truth is unattainable…
It will always be shrouded in fog.
Though you reach through the murk and the gloom to grasp something, you have no means to know it is the truth…
In which case, why…? What sense is there in yearning for truth?
Close your eyes. Lie to yourself. Live in blissful ignorance… It is a much smarter way to exist.
Wh-What're you talking about!? I don't understand a word you're saying!
You're just making it sound difficult because I'm not that smart!
How rude! Maybe you can't tell, but I'm thinking as hard as I can!

The other Teddie continued his grim monologue.



At your core, you know this… You just cannot accept it. So you seek an alternate form… a denial of your nature.
You have no lost memories.
If you have forgotten anything, it is this truth.
Th-That's… a lie…
Shall I spell it out for you?
You are but a mere-
I said shaddup!
Teddie!
It is the same for you all… You undergo suffering because of your search for the truth…
This world is filled with thick, heavy fog…
How can you find something when you know not what you search for?

Even if we don't know what truth we're looking for, it has to be here somewhere.



Obtaining the truth is simple. All you have to do is believe that it is the truth…
Then I will grant you one truth…
You will all die here.
You sought the truth, only to find death…
Dammit… How are we supposed to fight something like this without Teddie…?
It's all right… Get ready, everyone.
Hey, don't tell me you're fighting with us! You can't take it!
I'm okay… I should be able to take that bear's place!
It's my turn to save you all!

It was a good thing Rise was there to help us, because we were thrown into our most brutal fight yet.

VIDEO- "Shadow Teddie"

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I shall give you the "truth" you claim to hold so dear…
The inescapable fact of your death here!
Was that creepy thing really inside our Teddie…?
Foolish beings! Accept your end with dignity and grace!

Boss Battle- Shadow Teddie
Now things get serious. First thing's first, Shadow Teddie laughs off Ice so don't even try it. For the first quarter or so of his health he's pretty simple. He'll use Marakunda to debuff your party's defense, Foolish Whisper to try and Mute your party, and Heat Wave, a physical attack that hits everyone. A Persona like Unicorn with Dekunda is pretty valuable here to negate the Marakunda. Things get a little more exciting when we drag him down a bit.







Teddie will use Ultra Charge at this point. This will skip his next turn charging. And on the turn after?



At which point you need to have everyone Guard, because Teddie is going to use Nihil Hand. I'm pretty sure this kills anyone who didn't guard. What's more, Teddie will start mixing things up at this point. He gains Mind Charge and Mabufula at this point. He'll always use Mind Charge first at this point, so you know when you need to have Yukiko guard if she's with you. Teddie adds another annoying little wrinkle at 50%.



He then uses an attack called Nullity Guidance on someone, which is an automatic crit that dizzies them. Then he'll use his One More to start Ultra Charge again. This gives us fewer free turns while he's Charging. There's no real tactical change on Teddie's part until 25% though.



Teddie throws out two Nullity Guidances before this Ultra Charge starts. Now he'll also start throwing out Mabufulas whenever he feels like. If he gets a One More from them he'll often use Ice Break on the MC. Just keep things going nice and steady though and this shouldn't be a real problem.

We managed to smash the Shadow.

VIDEO- "Bear-Sona"

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Even Teddie had a hidden side…
I… I don't know who I am…
……
I've thought a number of times… that maybe there is no answer…
But I'm here… I live here…

Like I told him before, he didn't have to do it all alone.



Then… I don't have to do this all on my own…?
Dude, we'll help you figure it out.
I'm sure we'll find out about you, as we continue investigating this world.
Y-You guys…!
I'm… I'm one lucky bear! Waaaah…
Is that…?
A Persona…?
> The courage of heart to support one's friends has been made manifest…

And sure enough Teddie's Shadow became a Persona!



> Teddie has faced his other self…

I think his Persona is called Kintoki-Douji, and it was a hero known for carrying a tomahawk.



Is this my Persona?
I can sense strong power from it… It's awesome, Teddie…
Whoa! Are you all right!?
Oh yeah, your Persona just awakened too! I'm so sorry… You must be worn out.
Yeah, let's hurry outside!

It was refreshing to get out of that theater.



I'm all right… I'm more worried about Teddie…
You okay there? We gotta go back for now…
I wanna be alone for a while.
H-Hey…
My beautiful fur is all rough and coarse…
And my nose hasn't been working too well either…
So while I wait for my fur to grow back, I'm gonna train hard!
Nobody can stop moi!
Here goes! Huh!
Wh-What's gotten into you…?
Don't, talk, to me, please!
One more set! Huh! Huh!
Another one! Huh! Huh!
Leave the dude be…
Comes a time when a man's gotta stand on his own two feet.
Uh, I'm not sure this is really one of those times…
Well then, Chie and I will take Rise-chan home.
Yeah, she'll need a lot of rest. We can talk after she regains her strength.
Well, um… Good luck, Teddie!
Just kick back and wait for my wonderful comeback! Peace out!

I had to respect his determination.



I said this before, but… I can sense something special about you, Sensei.
There must be something that only I can do… That's how I feel when I'm with Sensei.
That's why I'm gonna get stronger! To find my special thing! Raaaawr!
> Teddie is looking at you with fire in his eyes…



Here goes! Huh! Huh!

Dojima was back home later that night, though he wasn't exactly all there.

VIDEO- "Dojima"

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Whoa, there! Careful now, Dojima-san.
Ow!
Dammit…! Who put a shtep here!?
That'd be the carpenters, Sir. C'mon, don't take your anger out on the house. That won't solve anything.
Whooo… I'm hooome. Nanako! I'm baaack!
W-Welcome back…
Oh, hi Nanako-chan. Sorry, but could you go get his futon ready?
Phew! I think he had a little too much to drink, haha.
How else… *hic *… am I supposed to deal with this crap!?
Friggin' fancy-talkin' kid…
I've… I've been in this line'a work… since you were all learnin' yer times tables!
The prefectural police sent in special investigational support.
'Cause you know, we haven't really made any progress on the serial murders since they started in April… Haha.
So this "special support" is supposedly a hot-shot detective from a well-known private agency…

Turned out there was some young detective in town… Wait, does that sound familiar? Too tired.



Awww, he's a brat like any other. Ain't nothin' he can do to help. *hic *
He goes on and on about deductions and… deductions… Heh.
Ace or no ace, the prefeckshure oughtta be more careful about giving us brats to babysit…
Condes… Condescendin' bashtards… *hic *
The kid said, as long as he can be of assistance in solving a difficult case, he won't require a reward.
Well, you can imagine the shine the higher-ups took to him after that. So we can't exactly turn him down…
Adachi!
Gah, sorry! Me and my big mouth…
You run your jaw like this is all shome kinda joke…
It's your fault to begin with, for jumping the gun and hauling in that Peeping Tom!
Oh… Haha, um…
And you!
You'cn take your share of the blame, too… Always wandering around crime scenes whenever somethin' happens…
> You were scolded by Dojima…
His futon's ready.
Alright, Dojima-san, up and at 'em. Nanako-chan got your futon all ready for you!
Nnh… Mmmm…
……
Sure does stink like Sake in here…

It sure did. Anyway, I'm getting some sleep, long day today…