Cold Mirror

by Nadia Blackrose

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Persona and it's characters, just the plot of this particular story, written as below. No money is made from this, no copyright infringement is intended, either.

Summary : He reflected back her own behaviour...

Author notes : This fic takes place after the events of Persona 4 Arena, just a little before Yu's visit in the New Epilogue of Persona 4 Golden, and a little before Naoto leaves ( so that the events of Persona x Detective would occur).

Major spoilers concerning the New Epilogue of Persona 4 Golden, and references from Persona 4 : The Animation.

Rated M for mentioning/ implying mature stuff, consumption of alcohol and some possible mild lemons in the future ( no hardcore situations, neither usage of highly explicit words). Just to be safe.

Hope to get your feedback, as it guarantees faster updates and provides me with motivation.

First chapter is introductory and Naoto-centric, while the rest will be mainly divided on the thoughts of Naoto and Kanji.

Chapter 1

Introduction

A. The Prince and the Woman...

August 3, 2012, Black Limousine, on the way to Inaba...

Finally, another case was over...

After the cataclysmic events of Inaba involving the Midnight channel, and the sudden Grand Prix tournament, it was more than obvious a new puzzle awaited to be solved. Naoto Shirogane was getting closer to the truth behind the birth of shadows, the midnight hour and the malevolent schemes of the Kirijo group.

Needless to say, there was still a long way ahead, and most probably it would take a substantial amount of time before the mystery was unraveled...

Cases related to such supernatural phenomena were new to the ace detective, and posed a formidable challenge. They pushed herself to the limit, and tested her intellectual skills and abilities to the end. Hopefully, Naoto didn't mind. She was resilient, and would go at any length to preserve the peace of mankind.

She wasn't just the typical detective, anymore... nor she faced her work just like a game.

She was, in fact, a servant of the world, at least that's how she considered herself.

Still, she could take an ephemeral break, as there were no latest clues to proceed further with the investigation. Returning to Inaba was the perfect opportunity to put aside her ''Detective Prince'' identity, and lead a casual and ordinary life before the occasion called again. Naoto could finally abandon the formal costumes and the ties, and work up on her newly awakened self...

...the girl she was...

Naturally, Naoto assumed she had things to do before she was fully accepted in a ''male oriented'' occupation as a female. It was up to her, then, to show her quality and prove she could make a difference- and luckily enough, she had already done that.

So far, everything seemed fine; Naoto was beginning to resolve the problems of her past, concerning her gender issues.

And she owned that to her fellow Persona-users, her friends. Only they could see the girly side of Naoto at that time.

Cracking a smile from her seat, Naoto recalled the very first time she appeared to her friends in her feminine look, and the response she had gotten was more than acceptable. She was even taken aback by the fact Hanamura-kun examined her meticulously and much to her chagrin, he had focused his eyes on her rich bust. All the more, Tatsumi-kun had a nosebleed and faced away, for what it seemed like the millionth time.

Tatsumi-kun...

Looking back at him, Naoto figured out the blond man was often flustered and red-faced during their interactions. Nonetheless, she had rarely paid attention to that.

Maybe Kanji-kun had a soft spot for her. Naoto didn't, of course. And the last thing she desired was to make him feel rejected, in case he ever made a clean breast of it. That's why she always tried to keep a safe distance- for fear of giving him any false hope.

Sincerely, she could admit, she could vaguely see him from a different point of view, although he was far from the young delinquent she had met a year ago.

Tatsumi-kun was a nice fellow and a very precious ally in times of battle, as his physical strength was amazing and formidable. Let alone his Persona, the enormous and fearsome Take Mikazuchi. It made her own Sukuna Hikona look like an ant. The same applied in their actual bodies as well. They shared a notable difference of height, and somehow, it made them look... incompatible.

To cut a long story short, Tatsumi-kun's chances against her were from minimal to zero.

First came his appearance: he looked like a punk, always dressed in black clothes, bleaching his hair, bearing a lot of piercings and having a tattoo on his left hand. Obviously, his style was out-of-taste and that rendered him unattractive, in her own opinion all the same. Most probably, heavy metal listeners, gothic lollitas and vampire fans might get excited. Sorry, she didn't fall on any of this category.

Regarding his personality, Naoto could give him some major credit for that, and admit he was a rough diamond. Tatsumi-kun was kind and sweet at her, even implied he hid a romantic poet beneath those well-built muscles. He was funny and entertaining in many aspects, and also had a great talent in creating things. Especially those crocheted animals, they were cute and fluffy, and she had one decorating her pillow.

Still, Tatsumi's adolescence prevented him from showing his full potential. He was far from being the type of deduction, and often came across as shallow and superficial. Actually, he lacked expression. Tatsumi-kun had to work hard on that field, so to give a clear picture of himself to the others.

He was honest but overreacting, and that usually caused embarrassment and trouble. He fell short of discipline and self-control, and most of the times he could get furious over the most trivial thing. Then, he would go bananas and speak his vulgar language, and that was kinda... well, it was a bit repelling.

Speaking of puberty, there was also a detail which Naoto could not ignore : she was older than him by 9 months, more or less... Luckily enough for him, that made amends for his immaturity. No matter how hard he tried to be a man, Tatsumi-kun was still a 16 year old boy hosted within an overdeveloped body.

All in all, Tatsumi-kun was an invaluable friend, and that was that.

Concerning attractive men, then, Naoto would only think of one man as ideal : Yu Senpai, her Senpai, as it would be mentioned later by her. He was mature enough for his age, good-looking, self-composed, graceful and kind-mannered. He was so convincing he could even sell ice cubes to Eskimos. He owned such deep understanding he could give you the best support all over the world. And finally, he had that great power of wielding so many Personas at the same time.

Yu Senpai was definitely one of a kind. Had he ever wanted, he could have all women within his delicate grasp, manipulate them and pull their strings like fine puppets. Yes, that would be perfectly correct. Senpai was indeed the man she wanted to become, if she was born as a male.

For a single minute, Naoto wondered whether she had some sort of crush for him. Actually, she had suspected that from the moment she had found herself getting all discomposed over him, hence was rendered incapable of using her deduction skills. There was even a time she got absent-minded, and took the wrong direction when she wanted to take her leave of him. Still, it was fortunate Senpai hadn't asked why it occurred to her, and forgot it right on the spot…

On the other hand, the real nature of her feelings was obscure. Yu Senpai had an amazing talent in attracting people close to him, and everyone would feel the same. Even the guys, whose sexual identity was confirmed ( deep down, she felt bad for having second thoughts about Tatsumi-kun). So no, there was a slight possibility she didn't really have a thing for her cherished Senpai.

Maybe Naoto was filled by an overabundant admiration towards Yu's face, just like the rest of the world. Furthermore, even if she was interested, indeed, Yu Senpai seemed to favor more Amagi-san or Kujikawa-san. All the more, Rise was absolutely certain and straight-forward about her feelings. That narrowed down Naoto's possibilities of getting in her way. She paid deep respect for Rise's sentiments, thus would never double-cross her.

Anyway, it was pretty hard to keep the former investigation team united at all costs. In fact, it was almost impossible. When boys and girls mix together, friendship usually hangs upon a fine thread, and it's relatively easy to cross the line. She could clearly see that when Hanamura-kun was trying to hit on Amagi-san, or when he was amazed by Satonaka-san's body. Kujikawa-san was... well, it went without saying she was flattered all the time. She was a shining pop star, after all. And then came her, who was mostly favored by Tatsumi-kun.

It was weird, but also funny that thinking can make perfect invisible circles… as her train of thoughts led her back to him for the third time.

Naoto looked out of the window and realized she had just arrived at Inaba, once again. It was high time she stopped speculating matters; her biggest priority at that moment was to recharge her batteries.

With a nostalgic smile on her face, she got out of the luxurious black car and took a deep breath- as if the oxygen tasted different. Thereafter, she got inside her mansion, went to her room and rested her body on the soft mattress of her bed. She was exhausted, but glad she had returned all the same. And just about the time she had almost fallen asleep, the ringing of her cellphone drew her back from that place between sleep and awake.

''Moshi Moshi…'' she tried to sound formal and hide the fact she was interrupted.

''Hey Naoto, it's me, Rise! How are you?''

''Glad to hear you.'' her face calmed. ''I was about to get some sleep after I returned. Last case drained vital energy out me...'' she confessed in a more casual tone.

''So you're here! I'm so glad everything went well. Say, do you have plans for tomorrow?''

''No, I am free, at last.''

''Ok then. Let's meet at my grandma's tofu shop, I want to have some girly chit chat with you, and later we can meet the others at Junes.''

''Sounds like a fair plan.'' Naoto smiled, and hung up the phone.

August 4, 2012

Walking among the streets of this magnificent rural town was something she had truly missed, even though she was not absent for a long time…

At first, Naoto had thought of returning to the city when the serial murder case of Inaba was solved for good. But now, it was the last thing she desired. She had made precious friends who meant everything to her, and wanted to share all her leisure time with them- to the best of her abilities.

Naoto had been like a wandering ship that finally found a calm and peaceful port to anchor. And no matter how far away her job might take her one day, she had sworn to herself she would always go back there- to that wonderful nest called Inaba.

For the time being, all she could do was to enjoy herself, and blow off some steam. Already, she was making plans in her head for the summer vocation. She was eager to experience a little bit of everything, and wholeheartedly expected that.

...

Shopping District, South ( Marukyu Shop)

Upon arrival on the tofu shop in the shopping district, Naoto found a stressed and hard-working Rise, as the shop was teeming with customers.

''Um, sorry, I was asked to help a bit. Would you mind staying here for a while? Of course, we can do all the girly chit chat here!''

''It's fine with me.'' she showed no objection at all.

Without a single doubt, Naoto beheld deep feelings for Kujikawa-san. Precisely speaking, she was Naoto's closest female friend. And though they were polar opposites, they had things to learn one from another. Naoto would teach Rise to be more thoughtful, and look beneath the surface of things, while Naoto would be taught to be more carefree and enjoy her years of youth.

What is more, Kujikawa-san was the one who helped Naoto with her new feminine appearance, so she owed her a big favour. Last but not least, it was Rise again who informed Naoto about the latest trends: cosmetics, perfumes clothes and shoes.

Slowly and gradually, Naoto began liking such conversations. It reminded her she had a body as well, apart from the sharp and multi-functional brain she was born with. At such joyful moments, the Detective Prince could wait for a while...

Once Rise's shift was over and the shop calmed down, it was time for the two girls to leave.

B. Brainwashed

South Shopping District, tofu shop ( exterior)

It was no sooner than that, when Rise's gaze fell upon an unknown figure who had just walked past from the tofu shop. It was a tall black haired man with sunglasses, wearing casual jeans and a white shirt. He was also accompanied by another girl, walking hand to hand, obviously heading for the northern part of the shopping district. Much to Rise's displeasure, it was too late to see his face.

''Hey Naoto-chan, look there, a new fruit in town...!'' Rise acclaimed, while she was curious to learn. ''Do you think he came to work here?''

''It's difficult to tell when I can't see his face...'' Naoto sighed. ''I guess Inaba has been overflowing with outsiders recently, especially after the murders were over.''

'' I see... But he must be charming, huh? Now I'm curious. If only I could use my Persona, I would scan him. '' she displayed her interest on the stranger.

'' Handsome or not, I'm afraid he's got a girlfriend. Or a very good friend, anyway.'' Naoto disheartened Rise out of plain honesty.

It was hard for her to talk about boys, as she was wet behind the ears. However, she was misunderstood, on the grounds she kept her eyes fixated on him. In fact, she was trying to examine the man's body type, just in case she got a clue. Something rang a bell...

''Well, I don't care anyway, I have Senpai! The guy's yours. Want me to rid of the nasty girlfriend and put on a good word for you?'' Rise was becoming a little naughty, trying to intrigue her.

Naoto gulped and her eyes popped out, then shut her eyes and replied :

''I think that's... out of the question...'' she got red-faced.

''Why, Naoto? You're so beautiful and smart, and deserve to get a nice guy. And we can talk more about boys and love, you know.'' she smiled in a friendly way.

''Well...It's just that...'' she failed to finish her sentence, due to Rise's impulsive character.

''Yeah, I know. Kanji-kun might get hurt, right? And he would start banging things around, and there goes Maziodyne all over the place!''

Naoto was tongue-tied, though a bit amuzed by Rise's exaggerations.

''No...I don't think I'm interested in finding a boyfriend.'' Naoto stated in a cool manner, as the man was about to get lost from sight.

''Come on, don't lie, you're looking at the dark haired guy.'' Rise teased her.

''That...doesn't mean a thing. He's got someone. And I don't know him...I think...'' Naoto shut her eyes in discomfort.

''Naoto...well. How are you supposed to know someone if you don't make a move?'' Rise surprised her. ''Actually, I mean, you've gotten loveletters now and then. If you turn them all down, how will those guys get to know you better? Maybe you should be more... open to invitations.'' Rise said in a warm tone, like talking to a sister.

Apparently, she had a point. Naoto always stated no one could ever love her without knowing her at all. Yet, rejecting someone without giving the slightest chance to know her was groundless, too. Maybe she was prejudiced against the idea of a boyfriend, or tried to use that as an excuse to cover up her shyness.

''Do you think I'm really that cautious?'' she tried to get a second opinion.

''No, just a little shy. Don't worry, you'll get out of your shell. Next time we'll find a nice guy, we'll think of a way to approach him.'' she blinked an eye. ''Or to make things better, we're gonna get that guy. I bet you like him!'' she implied the stranger. ''And leave the girlfriend to me.''

''Is that some kind of...brainwash, to get me interested on that particular person?'' Naoto got suspicious, as she had already been washed over by a strange hunch. It seemed odd, but somehow, the man's physique wasn't all that infamiliar...

''Of course not. You were the one looking at him! I'm just trying to give you a little...push!'' Rise's response was genuine and trustworthy, however talented she was as an actress.

''I guess I have to explain myself...I was looking for a different reason...'' Naoto made a small pause. ''He was just... really tall, and seemed to have a broad back...'' Naoto's deduction was interrupted.

''So, you were staring, indeed! Come on, say it. My lil'magic worked on you!'' Rise's voice got louder and intriguing.

''No... I think I just got a weird feeling.''

''Like what? You mean the height and the body type? Well... come to think of it, he was tall indeed, and had a V-shaped torso...'' she got enlighted. '' I think I get it! You mean he looked like Kanji, huh?''

''There is some evidence to this. I could tell for sure, if he was closer.''

'' Well...actually I think...'' Rise lightly pinched Naoto's cheek: ''Did you miss the blond haired guy so much you're seeing different versions of him?''

''I just thought for a while Tatsumi-kun had undergone some dramatic change, and you kept that from me.'' Naoto confessed her true feelings.

''Oh. Like I could do such a thing.'' Rise admitted to her gossiping nature, and giggled. ''You'd be the first to know!''

Apparently, she had no clue, Naoto could safely conlude, based on Rise's facial expressions and body language. Actress or not, nothing could surpass the ace detective's perception, let alone the new bonus she had gained from accepting her woman self : her intuition.

''...unless you wished Kanji had become like that.'' she surprised Naoto, hence made her all flustered.

Naoto wished she had her trademark cap available, so to hide her eyes. Rise's teasing was rather embarrasing. Definitely, Naoto had missed the blond haired punk, and had strong feelings for him as well. But thinking of him as a boy... well... it was hard to say something, for many reasons mentioned before.

''I think we're getting late.'' Naoto once more skipped the subject, and tried not to think of Tatsumi-kun. Even less of the ''mysterious'' black haired man. It was pointless of her to do so- and that was all because of Rise. Like her flippant brainwashing had some short-term effects or something.

Maybe the man's similarity to Kanji-kun was just a mere coincidence, and nothing more. After all, there were more men in the world who owned a well-built physique.

That was enough.

It was time the two girls headed for Junes without further delay, as the others would be waiting by that time now.

Junes ( Food court)

They called the elevator and gathered at their usual spot, the former special headquarters. Yosuke and Teddie were present, since they were working there, albeit the others were missing. Chie was devoting herself into practicing kung fu and studying hard so to become a police officer. Yukiko was helping with the family business, and most probably Kanji would have dedicated himself in his knitting classes.

That was odd...

Kanji's absence really made Naoto suspicious, as both figures got back in her mind. She then wondered why Kanji-kun was missing, even if he was indeed the man they had seen with Rise...

Naoto assumed it was better she saved her thoughts for later, as time would eventually reveal the whole truth. Now, all she had to do was enjoy herself, as Yosuke would bring about the latest events of the town.

''Did you learn the news? Leona's about to perform for the opening of a new club in Okina city. She's also rumored to be here in Inaba.'' Yosuke informed the girls as soon as he found some time to lay off.

''Leona? You mean the performer with the classical voice...It seems a bit unusual of her to appear in a club...'' Naoto's mind shifted elsewhere, and felt glad for that.

''Well no. She's trying new staff now and then...'' Rise pouted.

''I guess we will have to wait until the news is confirmed.'' Naoto stated in a steady tone, as usual.

''Oh yeah! It'll be official pretty soon! I've got my sources.'' Yosuke grinned. '' Yukiko told me she's staying at their Inn... and guess who's going to make her clothes.'' Yosuke left implications for Tatsumi-kun, though Rise seemed to ignore all of that information.

''Why?'' Rise was faintly displeased. ''Why it had to be her?''

''Chill out, what's the matter?'' Yosuke wondered.

''She had asked to cooperate with me. My agency refused, because she's got a rock band and our voices don't match... But hey! The new club is near MY hometown, and they should have preferred me! I can't let her take all the glory!''

''Perhaps you should contact her. It's not like she refused in the first place.'' Naoto tried to comfort her.

''I won't!'' Rise became stubborn. ''If she wants to call Risette so bad, let her do it first. End of story.''she crossed her hands on her chest.

Yosuke then tried to break the conversation and switch it to another topic.

''Sorry Rise... That probably hurt your ego... but I find it more important that right now Kanji can touch her up freely. Maybe I should take some sewing lessons, too..'' Yosuke sighed in distress.

''Oooohhh! So that's the true meaning of sewing? Pawing girls freely? I wanna learn, three! This will be beary beary exciting!'' Teddie almost paraded in enthusiasm.

Luckily enough, Rise was back on the game, prepared to defend Naoto's vested interests. At least, that's how it seemed to her.

'' Hey, Teddie, it's not funny. Think of Naoto.'' Rise whined. ''She might get jealous at the thought of Kanji-kun working on a girl.''

'' Nao-chan. What are you gonna do about this?'' Yosuke brought up the most devastating matter.

'' You mean Tatsumi-kun...'' she made a small pause. ''I fail to understand your point, and the exact relation it has to me.'' Naoto bit her lip.

'' It means you may end up losing your biggest fan...'' Rise's voice was intriguing...

Naoto tried to ignore the comments, as they made her feel uncomfortable, and a small blush painted her cheeks.

She had long proved that Tatsumi-kun was a lost case, when it came to the attraction he felt for her. Other times, she was trying to avoid the subject for fear of disturbing the company's balance.

If she stated that openly she wasn't erotically interested in him, something might break irrevocably, and the companionship would begin to falter. She feared the thought more than everything else. Afterwards, she would be hurt, too, if she lost such a dear friend.

She had a mental affinity with Tatsumi-kun, for they both shared the same fears about themselves. Once, he was unsure of his manhood, and she loathed her womanhood. They were both inept at making friends, also wished to become adults. And though Tatsumi-kun had never stated such a thing about growing, becoming a man required that, too. Consequently, that made them having the same desires, regardless of the fact they had put it in different ways.

Undoubtedly, the blond-haired punk owned a prominent place in her heart, as a friend, though...

Therefore, it went without saying that when the matter came to him, she felt like walking on a tight rope...

'' I think I have cleared my position… Tatsumi-kun is a great friend and means a lot to me. I want that to remain unchanged. Please, don't take me wrong. I just can't think of... finding a boyfriend, in general...'' she felt extremely shy for talking about such a personal matter to the boys. Nonetheless, she hoped she would be understood, without expressing she fully rejected Tatsumi-kun's emotions. To no avail.

''So, it's one-sided...'' Yosuke sighed, then came Teddie to lighten the mood.

''Of course it is! Girls want me cos I'm the greatest heartbreaker ever existed! And if I set my eyes on Naoto, I know I can throw her to bed for sure!'' Teddie interfered out of the blue, making his usual daring states.''Will you go to bed with me?''

Naoto gulped. Apparently, she was discomfited by Teddie's proposal.

No matter how determined and bold she was when it came to investigations and battles, Naoto's timid side always emerged when she had to deal with embarrassing situations, like exposing her body in swimsuit, wearing skirts, or anything that had to involve physical contact.

''I'm afraid I have to object.'' Naoto countered in a smiling yet polite manner, while she was all red. It was still new to her to be flirted, yet she somehow liked the treatment she received, as a woman. Of course, she wouldn't allow that to go over her head.

''Speaking of Tatsumi-kun, I wonder if you have seen him lately...'' Naoto wanted to fish Yosuke or Teddie for information.

''Barely. But you said you weren't interested, right?''

''Oh, nothing. It was just an idea in her head.'' Rise tried to defend her. ''We saw a handsome dark haired guy back at the shopping district, and Naoto thought it was Kanji's alter ego.''

''Guess that's because you didn't see his shadow.'' Yosuke was quite terrified at the reminiscence. ''If it wasn't for the girl's aid, we'd be... well, we'd lose chastity, man!''

''Why, Yosuke? I think he looked sexy in that towel.'' Teddie was as energetic as ever. ''Such a masculine physique... Just imagine your bodies under his...or...!''

''Stop!'' Yosuke shut Teddie's mouth in panic.

The girls were shocked as well, as it was obvious Teddie was about to go on more hair-raising details.

Naoto, in fact, had gone all red, and cursed herself for allowing Teddie's picture get into her mind. Most probably, it was because she had- sort of- experienced that. Actually, it was in that ski trip last January, when she had accidentally fallen onto him. How clumsy she'd been, back then.

Putting her hand over her eyes, Naoto struggled to send away that memory. Certainly, it must have been the most awkward moment in her life, as Tatsumi-kun was the first male she ever had come so close to...

Thinking of him like that was beyond her endurance. In the end, all she did was to push the thought to the back of her mind, and never talked about it to anyone. It was pointless, after all, as it meant nothing. Simply nothing at all.

And yet she wondered why that incident had such an impact on her. A mere nothing- as she claimed- results in nothing, while the case begged to differ now...

Maybe it was all because of Rise's suggestions and advice... Perhaps, she was kinda ''brainwashed'' towards the black haired man who reminded her of Kanji...

How silly of her to be curious about a man she never knew, or connect him to someone who was just a friend...

That was definitely a figment of her imagination, who had gone wild due to the awakening of her timid part. Too many emotions to be controlled, and manipulated. Too much analysis performed by her complicated mind.

Life had to be simplier than that. Just like that :

Naoto would fall in love one day, when the right time and person arrived in her life...

And the first step was to find, and get to know someone who looked...mysterious, and interesting...

Someone like the black haired man she had seen today... if he was available... and she secretly wished he was.

Rise won. Naoto felt she was brainwashed.