On an early December evening, the Investigation Team finished up a hard day of training to prepare for their eventual fight with Adachi. As they exit Junes, Rise is stopped by Naoto whom wanted to speak in private with her. "Something wrong Naoto-kun?"
"Rise-san, allow me to escort you home." Naoto asks, sounding quite serious about her request.
"H-huh?" Rise blinked at Naoto's request, confusion evident in her face. It took her a moment to recover and answer the detective prince's request "Um...why?" not that she minded, it gives her an opportunity to talk to Naoto and get to know her better; but still.
"Well." Naoto cleared her throat and tipped her hat "The fog is thicker at night, it's late and I cannot leave a charming young girl as yourself walk around with no bodyguard."
Rise's cheeks reddened a bit at Naoto's rather gentlemanly request. "...Sure." she smiles, seeing no reason to deny the request, though she was more surprised when Naoto grabbed her hand with gentle care and walked alongside her. Rise wanted to faint, thankful that the fog outside clouds the vision of anyone who can see the duo walking down the street, almost like a couple.
As they walked together, hand in hand, Naoto spoke "Rise-san...I've been meaning to speak to you alone like this for some time. There's something I've been meaning to say."
Rise's heart nearly skips out of her throat, feeling nervous all over and shaking a bit "R-really now Naoto-kun...?" she stuttered a bit, smile as big as her face. Is Naoto going to confess?!
"I owe you an apology." Naoto said. Rise had to stop for a moment to take that in. An apology? what's Naoto apologizing for?
"I'm a little lost." Rise admits confusion evident in her face.
Naoto smirks and looks at Rise "I had a feeling you forgot. Allow me to refresh your memory. Remember back in July? With Mitsuo Kubo's case; you told me that I was seeing things as a game, treating people as pawns...and I realized you were right." Naoto said "I did saw it that way, in a rather twisted sense of the word." Naoto sounds and looks guilty, regret maybe? "You saw right through me, and at the time I didn't fully admit it. I suppose it was pride, or maybe I didn't fully understand it myself back then. It was only until I faced my shadow that I accepted this fact, and needed to make rights with you."
"...Naoto-kun..." Rise spoke softly, looking at the blue haired detective with glimmering eyes. Was Naoto so hurt by her comments back then...? "I was a bit harsh to you back then..."
"You were in every position to do so." Naoto said "I hold you no fault for your actions."
"Still...you didn't have to do this Naoto-kun." Rise said, but Naoto shook her head
"Nonsense. I offended you, and I needed to make it right."
"Naoto-kun..." Rise smiled and let out a soft sigh "Ok ok I accept your apology, buuuut you have to buy me food later on."
"With or without you?" Naoto inquires, a small smirk on her face. Rise swore she heard a hint of a cocky tone there, but ignored it.
Rise huffed "With."
"So basically you want me to ask you out on a date." Naoto deduces
"That's right." Rise nods, pouting "And if you say no I'll never forgive you."
"Hm..." Naoto chuckled "To suffer the endless Kujikawa pout. Truly I do not want to go through that ordeal." she nods "Very well, I shall see you next week then? Perhaps we'll have defeated Adachi-san by then and this fog will have cleared out."
"Oh man I hope so." Rise admits "But then again we wouldn't be able to go out like this now would we?"
"Hm...Perhaps." Naoto admits "I suppose it will have to be during the evening. We will discuss further details at a later date." she says as the two arrive at Marukyu.
Rise pouts and grumbles, a bit disappointed that the walk ended and Naoto let go of her hand. It felt nice...while it lasted. "Guess I'll be seeing you Naoto-ku-" Rise was stopped by Naoto herself, who took Rise by surprise and pressed her lips on Rise's cheek, for a soft kiss that lasted a few seconds, then pulls back. It took Rise a few good seconds to recover from that, blinking a few times, trying to process what happened and if it was real. Naoto's smile told her it was.
"I'll be seeing you then Rise-san. Sleep well." Naoto tips her hat and walks off; leaving a bewildered Rise to gather up her suddenly wrecked emotions.
'Oh I'll be having sweet dreams tonight.' Rise grins to herself, blushing, but happy. She got to spend time with Naoto, got a date with her and even got a little kiss from her.
For Rise Kujikawa, that IS the dream.