( dream one. )
The dream didn't start off so bad. He was at the Basketball Club on break, fooling around with his pals, Kou and Daisuke, he and Daisuke hoisting Kou off into the air ridiculously high, catching him with ease. It was a good meet today, he thought, and Daisuke seemed to be incredibly pumped for his upcoming soccer tournament.
On the way home, Souji had been stopped by Chie at the floodplain. "You up for some training?" she asked, looking happy and stretching out her legs in order to get them ready for some crazy sparring. He had anticipated that kind of question, for he knew the girl quite well, and gave her a sharp nod, lowering to the grass field where she stood. "How should we start?" Souji asked.
"Well, I thought we could try something different today, you know? I mean, hey, we can only spar the same way over and over for so long!" she smiled.
Souji nodded back in response. "Sure, I get it. What did you have in mind?"
"W-well, you see, it's..." She fished her hand around inside of her jacket, tongue darted in concentration. After a few moment's time, she pulled out the items she had been looking for, and held one up to Souji. They were small pieces of cloth, brightly colored. He just looked confused.
"They're, um, Luchadora masks," she admitted awkwardly.
"... Oh." Souji shrugged, because that was ... unexpected, and took them anyways. He just wouldn't question it, because he was polite that way. The afternoon training that followed was... awkward, but training with Chie was intense, as usual. Beat, he decided to head home for real this time.
But this time, near the front of his house, he was stopped by Yosuke, who promptly crashed into yet another pole by riding that shoddily-built bike of his. "You okay?" Souji asked, making his way towards him. But before he could even get to him, Yosuke ran towards him, clinging to him, and sobbing his eyes out.
"Uh..." This was pretty unlike Yosuke. He wasn't sure how to respond.
"Comfort me," Yosuke begged, and the crying wouldn't stop. "Please, partner."
Souji blinked. "Sure." He patted Yosuke on the head. Comforting a bro in need was something friends do, right? "Let's get you inside. I'll cook something up."
Upon opening the front door, he barely had a moment to breathe before he was promptly tackled by ... Dojima? By now, Souji just looked traumatized.
"Daddy! You're home!" the detective exclaimed happily, hugging him tight and crushing Souji painfully in the process.
"... Daddy?" Since when was he Dojima's parent? And what about Nanako? Had everyone lost their minds today?
"Oh god, Souji, you're hurt." Yosuke started sobbing again.
"Hey, Souji-kun!" Chie exclaimed, coming out of nowhere. "You left your mask back at the floodplain!" She then leaned over, forcing the mask on Souji's head without asking. "Much better."
Souji, in turn, wanted to die.
...
[ Well, that was awkward. ]
On the way home, Souji had been stopped by Chie at the floodplain. "You up for some training?" she asked, looking happy and stretching out her legs in order to get them ready for some crazy sparring. He had anticipated that kind of question, for he knew the girl quite well, and gave her a sharp nod, lowering to the grass field where she stood. "How should we start?" Souji asked.
"Well, I thought we could try something different today, you know? I mean, hey, we can only spar the same way over and over for so long!" she smiled.
Souji nodded back in response. "Sure, I get it. What did you have in mind?"
"W-well, you see, it's..." She fished her hand around inside of her jacket, tongue darted in concentration. After a few moment's time, she pulled out the items she had been looking for, and held one up to Souji. They were small pieces of cloth, brightly colored. He just looked confused.
"They're, um, Luchadora masks," she admitted awkwardly.
"... Oh." Souji shrugged, because that was ... unexpected, and took them anyways. He just wouldn't question it, because he was polite that way. The afternoon training that followed was... awkward, but training with Chie was intense, as usual. Beat, he decided to head home for real this time.
But this time, near the front of his house, he was stopped by Yosuke, who promptly crashed into yet another pole by riding that shoddily-built bike of his. "You okay?" Souji asked, making his way towards him. But before he could even get to him, Yosuke ran towards him, clinging to him, and sobbing his eyes out.
"Uh..." This was pretty unlike Yosuke. He wasn't sure how to respond.
"Comfort me," Yosuke begged, and the crying wouldn't stop. "Please, partner."
Souji blinked. "Sure." He patted Yosuke on the head. Comforting a bro in need was something friends do, right? "Let's get you inside. I'll cook something up."
Upon opening the front door, he barely had a moment to breathe before he was promptly tackled by ... Dojima? By now, Souji just looked traumatized.
"Daddy! You're home!" the detective exclaimed happily, hugging him tight and crushing Souji painfully in the process.
"... Daddy?" Since when was he Dojima's parent? And what about Nanako? Had everyone lost their minds today?
"Oh god, Souji, you're hurt." Yosuke started sobbing again.
"Hey, Souji-kun!" Chie exclaimed, coming out of nowhere. "You left your mask back at the floodplain!" She then leaned over, forcing the mask on Souji's head without asking. "Much better."
Souji, in turn, wanted to die.
...
[ Well, that was awkward. ]