September 20th. On the pathway to school.

Chie, Souji, and Yukiko were walking to school together, discussing Naoto's condition.

"So she's just gonna need a lot of time then?" Chie asked.

"Yeah, she was still breathing heavily even after we left her. It looks like effects of the TV World are exhausting non-Persona-users more and more lately." Yukiko said with a pondering tone.

"Yeah, you know is it just me or is the Fog getting a bit thicker in there? Maybe I'm just over-thinking stuff again..." Chie questioned to both the couple and herself.

"Hey, Chie!" a familiar city boy voice called out.

"Oh that's right, I'm on duty today. I need to hustle onto class." Chie suddenly remembered. "I gotta go. Laters!" Chie darted off in a hurry as soon as she heard the voice call out to her.

"Damn it, not again." Yosuke panted as he caught up to Souji and Yukiko.

"Something happen between you two?" Souji asked.

"Yeah... Look you two free during lunch?" Yosuke asked in an almost pleading type of tone. The couple nodded and Yosuke breathed a sigh of relief. The three walked to class like normal and Souji walked into the classroom first to see how Chie was acting.

"Hey Chie-"

"Oh Souji-kun, can I speak to you after school. It's kinda important." Chie cut his greeting off with a troubled yet serious expression.

"Um... Yeah, sure." Souji agreed with his signature faint smile.

"Thanks, you're a life saver. Anyway, I'll be waiting for you on the roof like always okay? Don't say this to anyone! And especially Yosuke, ok?"

The morning classes went by normally. But it did feel awkward with those Chie would try to avoid turning around and getting caught in Yosuke's eyesight.

Lunchtime; the School rooftop.

"You did what?" Yukiko gasped.

"Wow partner, you seem to surprise me more and more every day; first you take her to the festival and now this? I'm very proud of you." Souji smirked as he clapped slowly.

"D-Dude, stop that crap right now, I don't need that considering the trouble I'm in." Yosuke stammered. "Anyway, yeah after all that, she just up and kissed me for some reason. To be honest, I still can't figure out why."

"Hmm, well she asked if I can speak with her after school. She's likely going to tell me this knowing her. I'll see what I can do for this." Souji said with a faint smile.

"Thanks bro, I owe you!" Yosuke thanked with a big smile of joy and relief. "Um Yukiko-san, think you can help me with something after school? It's about something you said you'd help me with a long time ago."

"Um, I don't remember what you're talking about but, I don't mind." Yukiko said with a smile.

"Thanks, I owe you too." Yosuke bowed in gratitude. "Crap, I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." Yosuke realized and he jetted off to the third floor bathrooms.

"Yukiko, I have a plan... think you're up for it?" Souji asked after Yosuke went downstairs.

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"You see I want you to try to push Yosuke into asking Chie out, maybe not call it a 'date' but I plan to do that with Chie, so if we can get them both into the mindset perhaps they can see each other and possibly pull through this."

"Hmm... It's worth a shot. Sure, I'll see what I can do." Yukiko happily agreed.

"Thank you Yukiko." Souji thanked as he took Yukiko in for a quick kiss. "Now then, lunch is almost over, shall I escort you to class?"

"You seem to love the whole prince thing don't you?" Yukiko said hesitantly.

"Yes I do. It's not like I'll say this in front of anyone though." Souji smirked playfully.

"You can be so silly sometimes; let's go." Yukiko giggled as she walked with Souji back to class. The Afternoon classes felt awkward like how they were in the morning. As soon as the bell rang for the last time, Chie immediately left to the roof without saying a word. Souji just sighed and joined her while Yosuke went with Yukiko to the Flood plain to be away from Chie with Souji ready to text them if he and Chie drew near.

The Flood Plain.

"Do you seriously not remember what I said a few months ago?" Yosuke asked like it was the end of the world.

"I'm sorry Yosuke-kun, but it's been a while..." Yukiko muttered apologetically.

"Well, you said you'd help me with Chie if you needed it. And now it looks like you and Souji are going to have to help me with this."

"Oh! Now I remember what you're talking about. Though I was joking a bit with that because you were teasing me about my interest in Souji-kun at the time, I'll still help. This will probably be bad if the rest of the team notices."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Yosuke shrugged. "I know we'll never hear the end of Rise talking about it. Well, what do you think I should do? I already told you the whole story."

"Hmm, you should ask to take her somewhere."

"Whoa, that was quick!" Yosuke said shockingly yet with no surprise. "Isn't that a little too soon to ask her out on a date? And especially when she's pissed off at me?"

"Don't tell her it's a date; just say you want to hang out with her. Take her somewhere she'll like to go. Like Aiya's and offer to pay for it." Yukiko giggled.

"My wallet is always meant to suffer from her isn't it?" Yosuke sobbed. "Well, I guess if this is what it's gonna take, I'll do it. Anyway, mind if you help me with some other stuff about her?"

The Magician continued to ask the Ever-wise Priestess on any useful knowledge about Chie, like knowing what and what not to say, even though Yosuke has already learned that through Chie's kicks; learning about her likes and dislikes were that Yosuke didn't already know, and even finding out about some little known personality quirks about her.

On the school rooftop.

"So that's what happened huh?" Souji confirmed while feigning ignorance that he never knew the situation.

"Yeah... but I still don't know why I kissed him exactly. It just kinda happened on the spot." Chie muttered. "Maybe it was because he saved me from Naoto's Shadow... or maybe..."

"You like him?" Souji suggested trying to finish her sentence.

"N-No!"

"...Chie..." Souji gave Chie a cold stare, knowing she was lying.

"...Fine you win. Yeah I do like him, j-just a little though!" Chie said as her face faintly glowed. "But I don't think he likes me. I'm always so hard on him." Chie said as her head drooped.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, I'm just mean to him when I shouldn't be. Like sometimes I'll bring up Saki and it just makes him feel bad. Or I just kick him when I know he doesn't mean to hurt me, but I still do it anyway. Ha, it makes me sound like a sadist when I put it that way." Chie smiled giving a faint giggle. "But I know I shouldn't be this way, especially when he flirts with Rise-chan, sure she'll shoot him down, but I still knock his hopes down and sometimes even smack him."

"Are you jealous of her?"

"I'd be lying if I said no. But yeah... ever since that battle was over, the part where the Shadow was attacking his Persona kept replaying itself in my head. I remember everything from the laugh the shadow kept making as it kept firing at him, Yosuke's screams of pain... everything." Chie cringed after saying those words. "I couldn't do anything against the Shadow; it just smacked me aside like I was a fly or something." Chie said as tears slightly built up. "And when Yosuke was getting hurt, I couldn't even protect him. Suzaka just got shot down and Yosuke continued getting hurt the way he did."

Chie started to let her tears go and she began crying. Souji could only stay silent. He knew his words would only make things worse on her now. He would save it for later.

"Didn't I say to you that it was my goal now to protect those around me!? I can't even protect the biggest idiot in our class! I felt so helpless! I don't feel strong at all!" Chie vented aloud as her sobs grew stronger and her emotions only continued to spiral downward.

Souji only put his hand over her shoulder, giving only a smile to comfort her. She waited for tears to die down before speaking again.

"I only did what I could after the fight was over since my Persona can't do healing spells. And ever since that fight, I felt that I'm not strong at all. I've only been worrying about Yosuke's well being when I usually never did before." Chie said as she wiped the tears off her eyes.

"You're just now noticing how much you care for him." Souji said with a smile. "He knows you care for him, he may not be aware of how much you do, but he wants to give you a chance to show it, you just need to take it."

"Yeah... maybe you're right. But what I should do?"

"Just see if he wants to hang out with you."

"What!? You mean like a date?" Chie said as her emotions pulled a complete 180.

"Don't think of it like that, less you want him to not shut up about it." Souji chuckled. "Just say you want to 'hang out' with him. That's all. You said you want to make it up to him, I think this would be a great start." Souji said with a nod.

"Hmmm, you have a point. Alright I'll ask him then."

"I'm glad. Now then, how about some Beef Bowls on me? I'll give Yosuke and Yukiko a call right now." Souji smiled as he took out his phone.

"W-What? Are we hanging out already?" Chie said as she tried to stop Souji, but the receiver had already picked up.

"Yo, Souji." Yosuke had answered the phone and Chie could not react, less she would be noticed by him.

"I want you and Yukiko to meet me at the Shopping District. I hope you two are hungry."

"Dude seriously? Thanks! Well I'll tell her and we'll head there right now. Later!" Yosuke grinned as he hung up the phone.

"Well, it's too late now." Souji grinned. "Let's go; Leader's orders." Souji took a rather uneasy Chie to the Shopping District, which at some points it almost felt like he had to drag her.