Reverse Tarot - nanako-dojima

NANA-CHAAAN ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ

1:22 AM

nanachan nanachan nanachan nanachan ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ

1:22 AM

NANA-CHAAAAAN ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ

What what what's up

˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ I NEED HEEEEELP

1:24 AM

ヾʕ;△;○ʔﾂ三ヾʕ○;△;ʔﾉ I haven’t had a date before what do you DO ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ

Alright, first step is try not to panic. People say weird stuff when they're nervous, which I don't think will be an issue with what I know about Nao, but either way just chilling out is best

1:29 AM

The next step is to just hang out with them really. A date is basically the same as going somewhere with a friend, it's just a friend you really like and hopefully who likes you back! So just go hang out with him, talk about whatever feels natural, and enjoy the trip

1:30 AM

But most important is to be yourself! Don't try to act all fancy or put on an act, it'll all work out better if you're just doing what you do normally with people

Im acting so normal I dont know what you mean ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ BUT WHAT IF IT GOES WRONG !! HES DATED BEFORE NANA-CHAN HES GONNA HAVE STANDARDS WAAAAAAHHHH

1:31 AM

AND THEN IM GONNA BE ALONE FOREVER AND TURN INTO AN OLD LADY WHOS ONLY HOBBY IS CHECKING THE MAILBOX TO SEE IF KARUCHAN SEND ME ANYTHING ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ AND THEN ITLL BE EMPTY

Relax! It's really not that big of a deal! I'm sure that you meet his standards if he offered in the first place lol. And if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. Not the end of the world, you just move on and try again with someone else!

˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ

1:33 AM

It took ten years to find one I can’t wait another ten!! WAHHH I need to prepare backup chocolate and sad movies and a change of identity

1:33 AM

I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TYPE OF OUTFIT HE LIKES ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ

Teddie-nee, if he asked you out, it means he likes you. Just calm down, and strut your stuff

1:35 AM

Besides, all of your outfits are cute, I don't think you could pick wrong

ʕっ◞‸◟cʔ Are you sure?..

1:36 AM

Ive been trying to make a list of all the things I need to go over but its HARD ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ

You don't need a list lol, just go out and have fun

ʕっ◞x◟cʔ I just don’t want it to go wrong.

I'm sure it's going to be fine, just try not to worry so much

1:38 AM

Guys are like, super easy to please lol

˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ

1:39 AM

Ill try…

1:39 AM

wwwwaaagh. All this time hoping and no actual time ever planning! I need to start managing my time better…

You're seriously overthinking this, I promise dating isn't that hard. Just go, have fun, see how the vibe is, and if it's good, go out again

Easy for you to say! ʕ´｀ʔ But Ill try, Ill try….

Hey, you got this. For real. I'm rooting for you

ʕっ◞‸◟cʔ… ʕ ´∀｀ʔ♡

1:44 AM

Thank you, Nana-chan…

1:44 AM

I got this…

You got this!

I WILL get a second date Im speaking it into existence!! ˓⁽͑ʺˀ́˙̻ˁ̀ʺ⁾̉ʾʾ WAH

1:45 AM

I cannot make last christmas the theme song that haunts my life forever I’d die

Hell yeah! You go out and you GET that man!

Nana-chaaan zzmilkhi

How up to date were you on everything shadow again

I know probably a fair bit more than I should tbh, why, what's up?

That’s an ominous way of putting it…

2:34 AM

Ive been meaning to talk to you about all of that, you know? zzmilkcry

Everything just keeps happening all the time to interrupt. It’s beary rude

Don't worry, I totally getcha there

Uhmm

I don’t even know if now works since you’re probably already busy with everything in your side too But like, do you know about back in Inaba? zv11milkshock

Or about the everything going on over here now?… zzmilkglum

I know all about Inaba yeah. I'm still out on some of the details in Tokyo but I can paint a pretty good picture

Oh! Good

No bad explaining needed from me then, ehehehe

2:44 AM

Uuuuuuuhm. Hmmmm

Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk about? I mean, I still don't know everything obviously

Well I was trying to figure out a smart way to phrase this but I don’t have any zzmilkhi

2:56 AM

But I’m a shadow ! And there’s not a whole lot more to that but I wanted you to know

2:56 AM

That was my announcement zzmilkrespect

2:57 AM

Huh

2:58 AM

Gotta say I wasn't quite expecting that

3:00 AM

Also gotta say I guess I'm not totally surprised. You've always been kind of an oddball, in the best way of course. Also explains the fur

Hehe~ Mhm! zrmmhug

Oh Karu-chan too. And please don’t tell anyone outside of our friends and Naoya. Thank youuu

3:02 AM

It’s nice getting to talk about that zumilkdance2

My lips are sealed!

3:03 AM

But yeah, I'm sure it's hard to keep that to yourself lol

It sucks

but uhm that was it from me. Thank you again!

So wait, if you're like, magic or something, and you went through an amazing transformation and fight bad guys, does that mean you're technically like a magical girl?

3:06 AM

Yes.

3:06 AM

Hehehe!!!! Ehh, I hope so!

3:06 AM

I’d like that.

Man, can't believe I'm besties with a real life magical girl. If only any of my friends would believe me lol

Its the sacrifice of being a magical girl Nana-chan! A secret identity no one must believe or know about! Its in every show ever, it’s the basics! zzmilkwow

I know! But it'd still be so cool to brag about

Not that much to brag about. That’s just the persona part, I think! That goes for all the others too

Well yeah, but having magic powers and being magic are totally different! It's super cool!

3:13 AM

Well, if you say so!

All in all, Nanako was in exceedingly high spirits today. It was the start of her last week of high school, and it was Yu's birthday on top of that. Lots to celebrate! For the occasion, she'd met up with him and Adachi for lunch, found a nice ramen place and everything. It was nice to be able to get together and just hang out really. The past several months were hard on everyone, and New Year's had come and gone so fast that it felt like a lifetime ago. This was a good change of pace, and a time to reconnect with her family a bit. Once they were finished with the food though, it was time for the birthday festivities. Nanako reached down to grab the gift box next to her, handing it over with a huge smile. "Here, before I forget, I got you a little something!" Said little something was a crisp, plum purple blazer. Of course she knew his fondness for the garment. Not only did she think this one had a great color though, but maybe the proximity to her grad party would make him want to wear that instead of whatever he was planning on originally. Win-win as they say, or at least better safe than sorry. "There are a few cat treats in the pockets too, since it's been so long since I got to visit the kids." @Phea: full-time twink bullier

Birthdays were… Weird, for Yu. It wasn’t like his parents ever celebrated it. Not like they acknowledged him at all, really. More than likely, they would have preferred that the event never existed in the first place. So, when it did become somewhat of a tradition with his family, he had never wanted anything particularly extravagant. Just a nice meal and an excuse to spend some time with them was all he really needed, nothing more. Dojima-san hadn’t been able to make it—Working full-time had always made meeting up rather 50/50, but at least Nanako-san could take a break from her busy final week to see him, and Adachi-san had been able to push off his work long enough onto someone else to even make the trip from Osaka, too. It had been a pretty typical routine, Yu and Adachi-san lightly snarking at one another while absolutely doting on Nanako. Well, at least the former was—Adachi-san had a little less restraint when Dojima-san wasn’t around, more than willing to trade blows back and forth with the kid whenever necessary while he picked at his bowl and Yu scarfed down a worrying amount of food, per the usual. Finally having put down what he claimed to be his final bowl of ramen, Yu’s eyes fell back onto Nanako, tilting his head slightly as she picked up the gift box, as if it somehow wasn’t obvious… When he had realized it was for him, though, his eyes widened slightly, before calming down into a happy grin, quick to open the box. There was an expression that seemed on the borderline of horror and disgust from Adachi-san once the blazer had come out of its box, rapidly glancing between Nanako, Yu, and the blazer.

6:04 PM

“You’re really encouragin’ his fashion choices…?” Exasperation shined through in Adachi-san’s voice, per the usual, albeit a little more accented than usual, leaning back with a slight eye roll. Not that the man probably wouldn’t have rolled his eyes at just about anything regarding his fashion sense—Yu had always been much more ‘extra’ in his style than Adachi-san, in the elder’s words. Anything with color didn’t exactly seem to mesh well with the man’s style, nor anything even resembling a suit after he got out of jail. That didn’t bring down Yu’s mood in the slightest, though, grasping onto the fabric with a light smile. The man usually hadn’t expected presents, having worked more than long enough with the Kirijo Group that he could buy himself just about anything he needed or wanted, but the simple gesture in itself was more than enough for him. Though, that had been slightly undermined by Nanako’s second comment… Oh, he had forgotten to tell Nanako about his situation with Yosuke, hadn’t he…? A twinge of guilt ran through him momentarily, before brushing it away. There was no reason for her to know about it… After all, there were a lot of people he hadn’t chosen to inform, Adachi-san included. “Thank you, Nanako.” His grin brightened slightly as he looked up towards his sister, ignoring all of the lingering angst over the situation. If he really had to, and if Teddie hadn’t already, he would tell Nanako later. For now, it really didn't matter. There was really no reason to get Nanako involved in his tragic love life. “I’ll make sure that Miku and Luna know it’s from you.”

6:04 PM

Folding it up neatly, he slipped it into his messenger bag—One which he had just luckily been carrying around, having a small case that he had to take care of before heading to their meeting earlier that morning. It would definitely be added to his collection. Hopefully, it would be something that even Yosuke would like, instead of awkwardly going along with whatever Yu thought looked good. After all, Nanako was a lot better at fashion than he was. Of course, only one person giving a gift was a little awkward, and, inevitably, his gaze turned to Adachi-san. Not exactly expectantly, but that’s certainly how it came across. It was difficult to tell with the mess of hair that covered Adachi-san’s forehead, but Yu could practically sense the raised eyebrow. “Hey, what are ya lookin’ at me?” His dialect was even thicker than usual, too, but it wasn’t anything Yu hadn’t been used to, especially when he was just alone with him, Nanako, or Dojima-san. There weren’t exactly any appearances he had to hold up, that much obvious as he let out a chuckle, breaking his look of confusion with a goofy smirk. “I’m kiddin’. I’ll get ya something once I’m back in Tokyo.” It wasn’t like he really had to… But he also wouldn’t complain about getting Adachi-san to spend money on him, quietly nodding his head along. “Speakin’ of which,” Adachi-san’s focus turned back to Nanako, lazily grabbing at his glass as he spoke, “You’re moving soon for school, aren’t ya?” …In all of this, Yu really hadn’t been thinking much about Nanako’s future. Of course he knew she was graduating, already having his presents and (tragically) his attire planned out for the event while coordinating some details with Dojima-san when he had time, but… Actually thinking about where she was moving was something that he had done his best not to even approach. (edited)

6:04 PM

Even giving Adachi-san a quiet side-eye hadn’t done much. All the older man could do was give a quiet shrug and bring the glass to his lips, as if completely oblivious to the potential bombshell that was about to be dropped and Yu absolutely dreaded.

Adachi could complain about Yu's fashion all he wanted, but Nanako knew well enough that you could sooner divert a river from it's course than get Yu to wear something other than a blazer. At least this way, she could try to make sure he wore a nice one. Only God knew what man-made horrors were kept in that closet of his. In any case, the next topic brought up brought a smile to her face. She'd been eager to share the news for a while now, and what better time than now? She sat up a little straighter, preparing to make her announcement. "Actually yeah, now that you bring it up, I guess I should spill." She clasped her hands together excitedly. "Soooo, I actually got a scholarship! I'll be getting a free ride at the University of Tokyo!" It was the kind of news any family member would be ecstatic to hear. Even Nanako could hardly believe it when she read the acceptance letter.

The news was met almost immediately by something akin to a spit take from Adachi-san, the man desperately rushing to cover his mouth in order to keep water from flying all over as he worked to gulp it down through a sudden coughing for. Yu, on the other hand, just sat there, completely unresponsive for a few moments as the news process. A full-ride, to… “Tokyo...?” His tone was almost unidentifiable, and, admittedly, not even he knew the emotion he was trying to get across. His face was completely blank, rid of his typical acting, blinking as he tried to get his thoughts in order. “That’s… Good?” “Ya can just say ya ain't happy, y'know.” The voice beside him was a little hoarse, still recovering from nearly choking. Maybe it would have been easier if he had, instead of completely calling him out… “No, I don’t mean…” It was hard to meet Adachi-san’s ever-knowing gaze, having to turn his head away and let out a breathless sigh. His reservations towards the idea shouldn't have needed to be said, but it seemed that the elder wouldn’t let him escape without saying it outloud. For someone who had been so good at covering up his own thoughts and feelings, the man never seemed to let him escape trying to do the same… “...It’s great, it really is, but… You have to remember what we told you about Tokyo.” They had gone on and on about how dangerous Tokyo was, how much all of them had gotten hurt, how much was at risk, yet Nanako still wanted to come…? Why? What made her so desperate to ignore all of their warnings that she still was willing to throw herself in the middle of it all? “I know you want to be with all of us, and that University of Tokyo is a good school, and— All of that, but… Please, reconsider.”

9:17 PM

“Yeah, it really ain’t the brightest idea. Me and Yu-kun kinda cut the fucker tryin’ to assert his dominance over Tokyo into eight pieces, and he already has Ha—” Before he could even finish the syllable, Yu rushed to give Adachi-san a sharp elbow into his side, making the elder man hiss in overdramatic pain that he most likely hadn’t even felt, considering he was wearing a leather jacket. Initially met with an annoyed glare, Adachi-san’s gaze eventually softened with a pronounced huff. “...Just sayin’, he already went for someone we both know to fuck with us, and he’s more than willin’ to do it again. This ain’t us just fuckin’ around with you cuz we’re overprotective or whatever—It’s some serious shit.” …Maybe he could have worded it a little better, but at least Adachi-san had been a little better at expressing himself than Yu had been at the moment. Really, the younger of the two could barely even finish a sentence, too stuck in his own head and the sudden anxiety that had begun to stir in his chest as soon as Nanako had made her announcement. Trying to keep his breath steady was hard enough—Explaining why exactly he felt that way to his sister would have been near impossible. “It’s a big achievement to get recognized like that, I get it.” After all, he’d be a full-ride student too. Really, anything that Yu knew from college had been what he’d seen through Adachi-san’s memories… That might have been part of why he decided to skip it entirely, thinking about it... “But ya gotta understand that we wouldn’t be tellin’ you not to take it if your life wouldn’t likely be at risk. And don’t just say that there’s risk in everythin’, cus most things ain’t involvin’ a vengeful, malicious deity with a vendetta against me and Yu-kun.”

9:17 PM

“...This isn’t something we should talk about in public.” No one seemed to be listening in, but that didn’t mean it was extremely out of typical procedure to be speaking about all of this in a public area. Even Nanako shouldn’t have been told about this—Then again, considering that she had already been in her own dungeon, and was related to many Persona users, letting her know shouldn’t have been a danger. “Yeah, yeah.” Flippant as ever about policies… Not that he didn’t respect Adachi-san’s power and tactics, but sometimes he wondered how that man was his boss, besides age… “Just… Look, if ya got offers from any other school, I’d consider those too, alright? This don’t seem like it’ll end anytime soon, and Dojima-san ain’t ever gonna forgive me if our work gets ya killed. Nearly already did.” “Adachi-san.” A little of his energy had come back by then, a noticeable bite to his words that had his superior’s eyes falling back to him in a quick snap. Really, the bark had even surprised him a bit, but that hadn’t shown through his stone-faced demeanor. “What? You're seriously gonna keep that from her, too?” There wasn’t necessarily any anger—That was hard to get from the older man—but there was no doubt that his annoyance was beyond its usual level. “You know she's an adult, right?” “I…” His eyes fell down onto his empty bowl, nervously fiddling with the oshibori beside him. It wasn’t like Adachi-san was wrong. They had kept stuff away from her so long, and maybe that was part of the reason she hadn’t been listening now. The way that she hadn’t taken any of this seriously.

9:17 PM

“...Fine.” Maybe Adachi-san had realized that it wasn’t the best to keep upsetting him today of all days, focusing his attention on wiping down wherever water had accidentally gotten in the shock of the announcement. Not that his irritation had completely evaporated, but he had at least kept himself from uttering anything else, which, while he typically enjoyed listening to the other speak, Yu had to admit that he was thankful for. If they could just… Ignore all of that, and Nanako could agree to look into alternative options, then things could have just passed along that point nice, but when had anything ever turned out the way Yu wanted them to lately…?

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little taken aback by that reaction. An expression of surprise spread across her face when Adachi nearly choked to death right before her eyes. She knew it was a shock, but she didn't think it'd be that much of a shock. She was a straight-A student with a spotless record and involvement in clubs and extra-curriculars after all. Honestly not getting into a good school would've been even more of a surprise. Though she was a little dismayed when their response continued and she found out why. It was a little difficult to get a word in with how much they were going back and forth at each other, so she just let them say their peace before responding. "Look, I know Tokyo isn't the safest place in Japan right now, I really do get that. I also know you two don't want me living there, so I already thought up a compromise. Miwa-chan has a cousin that lives in the Tokyo suburbs, so we're going to stay with her until either we're old enough to get an apartment, or all that mess gets cleaned up. That way it'll only be around an hour commute, and we're only in Tokyo for class. She's even going to the same school, so we'll even be following the buddy system. We have it all figured out already." Hopefully that would be enough to assuage their worries, but she highly doubted it. "On top of that, the University of Tokyo is like, one of the best schools in the country, I can't just like, not take that offer. If I do well there, I could get a job anywhere I wanted! This is like a career defining moment for me!"

In theory, Nanako’s proposal was sound. Spending as little time in Tokyo as possible (although, admittedly, they didn’t actually know just how far Hi-no-Kagutsuchi’s power stretched) to minimize risk should have been pretty simple, especially with someone else around to watch her back. That was a simple way to deal with many threats in life—Someone alone was under much more risk than a duo. In reality, though… “...‘Buddy system’?” A snort escaped Adachi-san as he leaned back in his chair, this time going far enough back for the front two legs of his chair to hover lightly off the ground. “Don’t know how much that’s gonna help ya against something like him. Don’t think that thing gives a shit about if you’re with someone or not. If anythin’, your friend would just end up gettin’ dragged in and hurt too.” All that thing cared about was causing as much suffering as possible… It didn’t matter who they were, or if they had done anything to him. Anyone from anywhere could get thrown into this, and, if they didn’t already have a Persona and weren’t of interest to him… More likely than not, they’d end up like the poor people who had deaths of unknown causes, sprawled out on electric poles, just like back then. It wasn’t like that was the only threat to Nanako, either. Knowing Hi-no-Kagutsuchi’s track record, and his particular interest in fucking over the lives of those who had tried to take his, death might have been merciful for that asshole’s standards.

10:58 PM

What plans the thing had been making were probably far too twisted for him to ever understand. While it may have been easy to force Nanako under some sort of threat like what seemingly happened with Yosuke, that had been far from the only option. What hell he could have put her through was unimaginable, but knowing what he did to Sho-kun, and even what he gave Sho the power to do to others, it seemed like he had limitless possibilities to make Nanako’s life hell with little holding him back. There was even a chance of making her his host, and, unlike Sho, she wouldn’t have anyone there to bring her back after that… If he had used her like that, then… “Ain’t that right, Yu-kun?” Adachi-san’s voice and light tap on his shoulder left him blinking for a few moments, silver eyes training on the elder as he brought himself back to reality. It had always been so easy to lose himself in his thoughts and disconnect from his surroundings, but, lately, it just became more and more common… He really needed to get better about that, or Adachi-san would never let him live it down. “Ugh, ya really gotta stop gettin’ stuck in your head.” Speaking of… That wasn’t a statement that was exactly out of the ordinary on its own, especially accompanied with the quiet sigh that escaped him between statements. “That’s what gets people killed on the field, y’know.” “I know…” It was a talk they had what felt like a thousand times before. Usually, it was under slightly more jovial circumstances, his senior rolling his eyes and letting out a mocking laugh and continuing on with that lightly gruesome warning. This time, though, it had been hard to ignore the hint of something more behind the man’s eyes, and his more somber expression and tone.

10:58 PM

After enough time, Yu found it impossible to meet his gaze, turning towards his sister instead. Even if Nanako knew him, it was a little easier to get some things past her than Adachi-san. With how much of their memories they shared from their Izanagis clashing practically whenever the two of them had been in proximity of each other, it felt like that man saw through almost everything. At least he had the respect not to push him too much on it, but it still didn't felt great… “...I agree, though. There’s no way you’re going to be safe in or around Tokyo.” It was a delayed response, but, still, it did the job. “I don’t like having to tell you no, but… You’re going to get hurt, maybe even killed, and I…” His voice faltered momentarily, eyes returning down to his empty bowl and hands balling up on his lap. This wasn’t something he liked thinking about. What brother would? But… It was necessary, nonetheless. “...It’s not worth risking your life over.” That was all he could get out, after taking another breath. If she could just understand that, then it would have made things a lot easier… “I guess, if ya really are that determined, we can try and save ya, but no promises that we’d be able to.” His chair cradled back and forth slightly as he spoke, shrugging lazily near the end. “Don’t say that.” The bark of his words that left his throat had been pretty much instinctual, escaping him before he even had a moment to think. When it came to the safety of his little sister, though, that was practically the norm.

10:58 PM

“I’m just bein’ honest.” How could he just speak on it all so casually…? Sure, Adachi-san hadn’t exactly been the most empathetic person, but… This was still Nanako they were talking about. Not just a victim to some shadow-related incident they had never met. It was Nanako. “No matter what, if you go near Tokyo, even just for school, you’re gonna be a target. If ya really think your education is worth dyin’ for, or at least being traumatized for life, then sure, whatever, go for it. I ain’t the boss of ya.” Initially opening his mouth to say something else, Yu eventually shut it, simply letting his feelings towards Adachi-san’s statement be known by snaking his leg over to one of the spindles and forcing the front legs down with a loud thump. While it earned a glare from his target, Adachi-san was quick to meet him with another sigh, the man’s attention much more focused on Nanako than him.

Her face hardened a bit as she listened to them speak. She didn't want to admit she was annoyed, since it was Yu's birthday and all, but she couldn't help it. She let a telling sigh slip, but tried to force herself back to a more neutral expression. "Well, it's kinda too late to change my mind now," she started. "We got all the details hashed out like, weeks ago. I'm already registered for my classes and my tuition's paid. Getting into somewhere else probably won't work with how short notice it'd be, and if I drop out and wait until this all blows over, that's as good as saying I'm not getting an education. And who even knows how long it's gonna take? Whether you guys like it or not, I'm locked in." She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and casting her gaze downward. Well, so much for the excitement. Nanako took another breath to keep herself even. Getting mad wouldn't help anyone here. Her head turned up to look at the other two again when she continued. "I know you guys think I'm not listening to you, or I'm blowing you off, or I'm being reckless, but I promise you, I am listening. I get that you guys are worried, but at the same time, you can't expect me to put my entire life on hold for this. You won't always be there to look over my shoulder. I need to grow up eventually." Maybe that was a little too much, but Nanako never saw the point in sugarcoating things. She spoke her mind, and that was that. She'd already made up her mind, and nothing was about to change it. That particular Dojima brand of stubbornness flowed freely through her veins.

This was all going downhill fast… The anxiety that had been creeping in on Yu for what felt like months upon months had been boiling up fast, his anxious fiddling with his napkin only beginning to grow more intense as he tried to divert some of that energy into something else. Now wasn’t the time to do something stupid… He had to at least pretend he was normal for a little bit. Pretend that his life wasn’t falling apart by the seams, and only getting worse and worse as time went on, as his sister continued to push him on something that she didn’t understand the severity of. “You won’t have a life if you rush into things like this.” He could practically feel Adachi-san’s tired, burning gaze at that statement, but he did his best to turn away, the nails of his free hand digging into his palm under the table as he continued to work on keeping his composure above all else. “...If there’s one thing Adachi-san and I understand, it’s this. I know you’re an adult, but this… People get killed, and you’re a prime target.” How could he get this across any better…? It felt near impossible, with the way she kept pushing… But, if there was one thing he had learned being a Dojima, you just had to push back harder than your opponent. Stubbornness won above all else—At least, that’s how it was with his uncle. “...Murders like back home were happening, a while back.” It wasn’t hard to catch the way that Adachi-san’s gaze had suddenly bolted away, posture stiffening slightly at the topic. It wasn’t something he wanted to bring up, either, but there wasn’t much that would get through to Nanako except bringing it closer to home. “Copycat killings, done by a spiteful being trying to get back at me, Adachi-san, and all of our friends from Inaba. Trying to send a message. They wanted to make our lives hell, and watch us squirm in misery at the sight.”

10:26 PM

Squirm in misery was a pretty apt way to put how Adachi-san was acting as he spoke more on the topic. While he didn’t exactly feel like he had to apologize on the topic, he at least made a mental note to ask if he was alright after they’d parted from Nanako. The last thing he needed right now was to have Adachi-san pissed off at him, too… “I’m just trying to save your life.” …Really, that’s all it was. If this were any other situation, he would have been celebrating his sister being given the opportunity she had so desperately wanted, but… This position was more of a nightmare than anything. “Please, can’t you understand that…?” “...Look, we could pull a couple strings to get you in and pay for your tuition somewhere else.” Though his voice was a little more strained than before, Adachi-san had been able to chime in after his brief silence, doing his best to force his head back towards facing him and Nanako. “Plus housing, expenses—Whatever. It ain’t a problem for us. Hokkaido’s right next to University of Tokyo in terms of its education. Ya really aren’t missin’ out on much. Or, if ya wanna be closer, Chiba’s got a pretty damn good school for forensics, too.” …it seemed like, despite whatever else was going through Adachi-san’s head, he at least had been attempting to keep things a little lighter, with his superficial kind tone that had been so common during their time in Inaba. If that had been enough, Yu wasn’t sure, but at least the man had been offering some better alternatives… That wasn’t exactly something he was in the mindset to even try to go into right now.