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Thawing a Frozen Heart

Summary:

Souji Seta hated Yosuke Hanamura, who was everything he'd never been allowed to be.

AU where Yosuke - Golden Child of Inaba, beloved by all - is the leader of the Investigation team, and Souji Seta is just a bitter transfer student with a shadow of his own. Yosuke may be the one who saves him, but it was Nanako who made it possible.

[Ongoing; has moved past The True Ending and is projected to last until after uni.]

Notes:

So. This does have spoilers, even for an AU, so if you've never played through P4 and you care about spoilers, mind your way. I love goofball Yosuke and serene, calm Souji/Yu, but I also wanted to play with an AU in which Yosuke is the charismatic leader and Souji is... where Souji would have been if the IT hadn't been there to save him. Nanako is also the dearest piece of sunshine to ever walk the fictional earth and I defy anyone to say differently.

Here's my tumblr if you want to poke at me.

Chapter Text

Souji Seta hated Yosuke Hanamura.

He usually didn’t hate people - he just didn’t care about them. He’d moved from town to town so many times in his sixteen years that he’d long ago given up on trying to make friends; friends were just another liability he didn’t have time for, and they weren’t anything that would impress his parents whenever they came back. Another year, another city; this was the third (fourth? He couldn’t remember) time he’d been sent to stay with a relative - whenever his father took a diplomatic position outside the country, he’d stay in Japan with some family member or another. The last time had been with a maiden aunt in Sapporo and it was awful; she’d been kind enough, but had no idea how to live with a child (Souji had been ten).

Luckily for both of them, Souji had been cured of his childhood at a very early age, had it locked down and away along with the rest of his emotions, like awkward linens given to you by your maiden aunt that you never wanted to use but couldn’t get rid of for whatever reason, even if you knew she’d never visit and they’d never, ever see any use. When his parents lived in the country, he lived with them, but it might as well have been living alone - a silent apartment to come home to, meals prepared once a week by some hired help, and eventually himself (you learn to cook when you’re alone), a silent apartment to study in, sleep in, and leave from, each morning, for school. Even when his parents were home they were busy, and if they were busy, he was expected to stay in his room, studying, without bothering them, unless he needed a form signed or to present his grades. Souji was also a grade-A student. There was no question that he’d be going to Tokyo University, probably to study law; his father had even occasionally mused on the idea of Harvard, perhaps, or Cambridge.

His parents were away now, in some other country, and Souji was in Inaba. It wasn’t his parents’ first choice - there was no school around here that could even challenge him - but he wasn’t old enough to live alone, and there’d been a rash of new babies, broken bones, and illnesses in the family that left his mother’s youngest brother, Ryotaro Dojima, as the only one who could take Souji. At least Dojima was a detective - Souji might get something out of it that would help him on his way to a law degree.

And so he came to Inaba, another bump on the increasingly-traveled map of his life, and he settled down into it the same way as he had every other place. Quiet, study, get through it, get over it, get on with it. At least in a small town, he knew he’d be out of place, probably ostracized or pigeonholed and he really didn’t care, he just had to get through it. That’s all life was, really. And he was right. Certainly, a few folks tried to talk to him on his first day; he expected that, and he wasn’t rude to them. There was no need to be rude to them. He just wasn’t friendly, and by the end of the week, they left him alone - especially once they realized that he was at least eight months, if not a year, ahead of them in studies. It was to be expected, as a transfer student.

Except, Yosuke Hanamura didn’t have that problem. Yosuke was loud, he was bright and cheerful, everybody loved Yosuke, everybody loved Yosuke, or if they didn’t love him, they adored him, or he’d helped get them together by being a mediary, or he’d found them an anniversary gift or helped their grandmother find her keys or filled their grandpa’s coal hutch or who the hell knew. Yet, Yosuke was a transfer student, had moved to Inaba five or six months before Souji.

How the hell does he do it? His father manages Junes, there’s no way this is his first move. He shook his head. Well, he’ll learn eventually. We all did.

Except, Yosuke Hanamura seemed like he never would. Everybody loved him - half his class, male and female, had crushes on him, and that wasn’t counting the class next door, the first years, or the third years. Yosuke seemed to like them all back, too, in that weird, how-are-you-keeping-everybody-happy way, dating left and right, and nobody minded, even if a few people complained (very mildly).

“Yo, Yosuke, last night was great. I gotta run to practice now, but want to grab a movie on Friday?” Kou Ichijo, captain of the basketball team, stuck his head in the doorway, and Yosuke, who was sitting with a handful of girls, waved.

“Sounds good, Kou, text me!”

The other boy waved, and jogged off, and Chie Satonaka - a bubbly brunette who was also one of the best martial artists in school - stuck her lower lip out. “Are you dating Kou now?”

Yosuke laughed. “Nah, it’s just a few dates, we’re not interested in going steady or anything. You jealous, Chie?”

Yukiko Amagi, daughter of the prestigious Amagi family, who owned the best traditional inn in Inaba - and actually within a good 100-mile-radius - giggled as she sat on Yosuke’s desk. “Of course she is. Kou’s the only guy Chie’s interested in more than you, Yosuke-kun.”

Chie, meanwhile, turned a bit pink. “You already knew the answer, ass.”

Souji Seta, who hated Yosuke Hanamura, had finally had enough. He’d been sitting at his desk for a half-hour, trying to study - fat lot of good studying in the classroom is, why would anyone think a school is for learning? - because it was easier than trying to force his way through the gaggle that always accumulated at Yosuke - golden child, loved by all - Hanamura’s desk. It was clear, however, that he was going to get nowhere, and fast.

He slipped his books and notebook into his bag, stood up, and walked over to the desks. Yosuke - who’d been sitting sideways in his chair, dyed hair perfectly styled, school jacket unbuttoned over a school shirt and pants that fit perfectly, arms crossed, trendy headphones around his collar - looked up, then blinked, and smiled. “Seta, dude, hi.”

Souji didn’t return the smile. He looked pointedly at Yukiko, whose legs were dangling in the aisle. “Please let me pass.”

Yukiko, who really wasn’t trying to get in anyone’s way, jumped up hurriedly and apologized; Souji just nodded and hurried out of the room. They watched him go, and Chie ‘tsk’d’.

“Jeeze, what’s up with him? He’s got the worst attitude…”

Yosuke shrugged. “Dunno. Social anxiety, maybe. Sucks, but what can you do?” He watched the silver-haired teen turn the corner and disappear down the stairs, then looked back. “Okay, ladies, how about some steak at Junes?”

Chie grinned, throwing her hands in the air. “Steak! Woo-hoo! Your treat!”

“I know.” He laughed. “Don’t I always pay when we go out?”


Souji Seta hated Yosuke Hanamura, hated running into him practically everywhere in town, such a small town, but his uncle was almost always out on the weird serial murder case that had started right before he arrived, and there was no way he’d make Nanako, his six-year-old cousin, do the shopping, but while he always expected to run into Yosuke at Junes, his “kingdom,” he’d never expected to see him working there.

Huh. I’d always thought he got all his spending money from Daddy, but maybe Daddy makes him work. That’s something. I guess.

Yosuke actually looked surprisingly mature, standing there in his assistant manager's uniform as he went over a thick stack of invoices with another manager; it wasn’t until he looked up and caught Souji’s eye that the other boy realized he’d been staring; his face darkened and he took a tighter grip on his grocery bags before hurrying out, ignoring Yosuke’s friendly nod and smile.

Staring after him for just a moment, Yosuke shook his head. I don’t get him. He’s smart, oddly attractive, has great style - the popped collars and brushed cotton jeans might not be his style, but they fit Souji’s frame perfectly - so what the fuck crawled up his butt and died?

It wasn’t like he had time to think about it, though. Not with the mystery looming, even now as they tried to figure out what had happened to Kanji, and he still had to work, and Ai kept bugging him about another date, but he was just so busy


School kept on, the same monotonous day in, day out, with shitty weather and fog everywhere. Then, suddenly, Kanji Tatsumi, Inaba urban legend, gang-stomper extraordinaire, who never came to school, was showing up in his classroom after class to hang out with Yosuke & co. What the hell?

Souji decided to ignore it - nothing else he could do, right? At least the guy is coming to school, it's a waste of an education, otherwise.

He came down with a cold two days before the school camping trip; it didn’t bother him in the slightest that he wasn't able to go.


At least the summer brings better weather, Yosuke thought to himself, humming as he meandered along the riverbank. It was one of his very rare off days - even Yosuke sometimes wanted a break from all of the hubbub, from dates and hangouts and the shoulder-wearying work inside the TV, never mind that his personas did most of the fighting (and Jiraya helped keep them all manageable), it was still exhausting. He had no plans, and he liked it that way.

As he came around a bend, he heard giggling and the sounds of playing on the bank ahead; it sounded like a young man and a little girl. They were having fun, and Yosuke smiled. That’s a nice sound. It wasn’t particularly intriguing, but he kept walking, figuring it was a family on a picnic, and-

Hang on…

From just beyond the picnic shelter, he saw a little girl of about six or seven - brown pigtails, with a white-and-pink sundress - go running across the riverbank, hands full of flowers as she launched herself at a young man, who laughed as he caught her, spinning her around.

“I love you, big bro!” She giggled, hugging his neck, and the silver-haired boy who she’d called ‘big bro’ planted a big kiss on her cheek before spinning her around again.

“I love you, too, Nanako.” The voice was warm, and gentle, and holy shit how is that Souji Seta? Yosuke could see his face, and if it hadn’t been for his schoolfellow’s unique hair colour and now-familiar fashion choices, Yosuke would never have accused this boy - with bright eyes and curved lips - of being his sullen, withdrawn classmate.

Holy shit.

In what probably wasn’t his smartest moment, he turned, heading up the bank towards them. “Seta-san, hey! This your little sister?”


Nanako was Souji’s weakness. She was so bright and innocent that even his rusted feelings ached whenever she was sad, or when he said something thoughtless that hurt her, and under the excuse that she was, at least, family, and he’d be able to see her again, he slowly let her pry open the locked door to his heart. He kept it locked with everyone else, of course. He liked Dojima-san well enough - respected him - although he wasn’t exactly fond of him, but Nanako… Nanako brought sunshine back into his airless life.

Going out to the riverbank wasn’t his favourite way to spend an afternoon - he really should be studying, he’d started working on some law textbooks so that he could start early college classes next year - but… Nanako. She’d lost her mother years ago, and even if she had friends, there were only so many places a six-year-old could play by herself, safely, especially with the serial murderer on the loose. She wanted to to go the river and pick flowers, and why would Souji say no? He couldn’t.

He’d just gently sat Nanako back on her feet, his heart lighter than it had been in weeks, when he looked up to see the last person in the world he’d ever want to spend an afternoon with walking towards them. The light feeling immediately vanished.

“Seta-san, hey! That your little sister?”

His stomach immediately wrenched, even before he saw Nanako turn with a smile. Oh no…

“Hi!” Nanako, who was usually reserved with strangers, waved. “I know you! You work at Junes!”

Souji wanted to throw up. Oh no… Nanako… he knew how much Nanako loved Junes, and how happy she was, and nice to everyone, and now she was going to fall just as in love with Yosuke as everyone else in this fucking town, and…

Suddenly, he realized they were both looking at him, quizzically, and Nanako was looking worried, and he couldn’t - couldn’t - disappoint her, so he plastered a ‘no-really-of-course-I’m-not-pretending-I-don’t-hate-you” shell of the most polite smile he could muster on his face and nodded to Yosuke, who gave him a strange look, but then crouched down.

“I’m Yosuke, what’s your name?”

“I’m Nanako!” She smiled. “Do you know big bro?”

“Yeah, we’re-” He looked up and met Souji’s barely-holding-it-together smile and nodded. “We go to school together.”

She clapped. “Yay! big bro never talks about school.” She stepped back, hugging Souji’s leg, and Yosuke could see at least some of the tension drain out of the boy’s shoulders.

Interesting. Yosuke Hanamura was good at seeing an opportunity and taking it. “You seem to get along well with your bro.”

“Yeah! He’s great! He cooks for me and takes me shopping and helps with the laundry and we watch TV and he helps with my homework and brings me flowers and I looove big bro!”

Souji couldn’t help it. He flushed, and his smile melted into a real one - at least a small one - and he gently stroked Nanako’s hair. “I love you, too, Nanako.” Souji Seta hated Yosuke Hanamura, but for a moment he felt that hatred shift - just a little. Maybe it was just settling, like icebergs do, but either way, he continued to talk. “Her father is my uncle,” he said, quietly. It was the most he’d said at one time to Yosuke, ever.

Nanako - with a smile that was enough to light all of Inaba, not just the riverbank - turned back to Yosuke. “Do you wanna play with us?”

I… kinda want to. But Yosuke wasn’t stupid - Souji might have the best grades, but Yosuke wasn’t stupid, and he had the kind of sixth-sense that helped him so well in the TV world. He knew that as interesting as Souji Seta was turning out to be, the guy hated him, for whatever reason. And even if he was being polite now, well - Yosuke knew when to call a retreat.

“Sorry, can’t.” He brushed his bangs out of his eyes in a familiar gesture that drove every girl in the first and third rows of class insane, and stood up. “Gotta head home, but thanks - maybe later. If you see me at Junes again, come say hi!”

“Okay! I’ll bring big bro! Thanks!”

Souji frowned at this, startled. Why- oh, right. She can’t go out without me. But…

Yosuke caught the frown, but just smiled at Nanako. “Bye!”

Nanako waved until Yosuke was out of sight; Souji sat down, heavily, on the picnic bench. Slowly rubbing his fingers over the splintering brown paint, he watched Nanako, his chest heavy.

Finally, she turned back, the same brilliant smile on her face. “You look tired, big bro.” She climbed onto the seat next to him and started to tuck flowers into his hair - something he normally would have carefully avoided, but right now, he was tired.

“You liked Yosuke?” He didn’t speak for a while, and when he did, his voice was hesitant.

“Yeah! He was nice. I liked his shirt.”

His shirt. Souji actually had to smile a bit at this - it was a band shirt, and it fit the brunette perfectly, but he knew Nanako was just looking at the silly drawing on it. “Would you want to have someone who works at Junes as your big bro?”

Oh my god. Even as he said it, he couldn’t believe his mouth. What has gotten into me?

Nanako stopped, looking thoughtful - he knew she wouldn’t realize it was a loaded question, she would answer it honestly, like she did everything. “Are you gonna work at Junes, big bro?”

Huh? He looked at her, puzzled. “Why would I?”

“Well, you said would I like to have a big bro who worked at Junes…” She looked confused, and suddenly he felt his heart lighten, just a little.

“No, I meant Yosuke.” He was in a mood today, determined to pick at the splinters in his frozen heart even as he picked at the peeling paint on the bench.

“Huh?” She thought again, tucking a daisy behind Souji’s ear, before giggling at the sight. “I dunno. More big bros would be nice, but you’re my REAL big bro!”

She beamed and Souji, remembering the talk they’d had the other night about what “real” meant - that had haunted him until the wee hours - caught his breath even as his heart swelled.

“You’re my real little sister,” he said softly, stroking her hair. The only real person in my life.