She had trained all her life to analyze human interaction. She was a crime solving prodigy capable of piecing together the most complex of schemes in record time. She was an expert of her craft, and her craft was deciphering the motives behind psychopathic crime lords. So why was she so nervous for today?
Her name is Naoto Shirogane, and today was supposed to be simple. She and her friend Kanji Tatsumi were going to hang out together and talk. They had done this so many times that the thought of relaxing with Kanji was supposed to be as natural as breathing. However of late it became complicated. Suddenly they were holding their breath if they so much as brushed sleeves in the lunchroom. She was aware of every move he made while in her presence. She had never been more aware of a single person before, and it was her job to be aware of people. All the same she really was excited for today because she loved Kanji's company, but whenever he was around she was afraid. Her air caught in her lungs and she could barely breathe. She could recognize the symptoms, she wasn't dense, but as the age old cliché goes you never expect it to happen to you. It didn't help either that her friends were almost as excited for today as she was. When Yukiko, Chie, and Rise caught wind that she and Kanji were going to hang out specially and exclusively alone and together they were through the roof! The result of this was the get up Naoto now found herself criticizing in the mirror. She wore a loose, long sleeved, light blue top that cinched under the bust, and one of her only pairs of jeans. On her feet she wore a pair of kitten heeled sandals with bows on them. Rise had found the shoes and fallen in love, demanding Naoto get them. Rise even paid for them herself! Personally Naoto thought they were on the tacky side, but her friends had helped her choose them, so it would be rude not to wear them now.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Naoto's breath caught in her throat as she turned to the door. She glanced back at the mirror and took one last hesitant glance at herself before rushing to answer.
"Kanji hello!" she greeted quickly as she opened the door. Kanji turned in surprise, his mouth slightly agape.
"N-Naoto hey! Are you uh... You ready to go?" he asked hesitantly. Naoto nodded and grabbed her wallet and keys from the table by the door.
"Yes! I'm ready to go, we can go now!" she locked her apartment and shut the door, tested it to make sure it was locked, and then stood at what almost seemed military attention.
Silence...
"Er yeah so did you have a place you wanted to go...? I had something in mind if you hadn't already thought of something..." Kanji mumbled slightly. Naoto blinked for a moment. She hadn't even thought of what they would do today, just that they would be doing whatever it was together.
"No, I hadn't thought of an activity. Whatever you had in mind should be fine," she said, gripping her wallet nervously. She tried to ease her muscles. She had gone into another dimension and killed monsters, surely spending a day with Kanji wasn't supposed to be anywhere near as terrifying... Right?
Kanji gripped the basket tight in his hands. Inside was a carefully prepared luncheon with all of Naoto's favorites. She never really let on to what it was that she liked, so it took a lot of his own investigation to figure it out. It was really exciting actually because she was always the sharp investigator type, but it was his turn. From his findings he discovered that she liked a healthy diet. Balanced foods that could be prepared quickly seemed to be what she gravitated towards. However she did have a slight sweet tooth in the form of sweet fruits. She didn't like a lot of candy really, but dried fruits sprinkled with sugar? She would inhale those like a vacuum. Kanji was very proud of himself, and he had actually been practicing these specific dishes on Yosuke and Yu and they hadn't died yet so he assumed they were pretty good. He glanced down at Naoto as they walked together towards Kanji's chosen date-location. A picnic next to the river is cute and couple-y right? It made Yukiko giggle and Chie ruffled his hair so he must have chosen right. He had no idea what he was doing but everyone else thought it was a good idea.
"The river?" Naoto asked as they paused at the stairs that lead to the riverbank.
"Uh yeah! That's fine right? Is the river okay?" Kanji felt his face heat up in anticipation.
"The river is just fine," Naoto smiled assuringly, her eyes not quite meeting his.
"Cool!" Kanji, encouraged by her reaction began to charge down the stairs and to the riverbank.
"I've got a really nice spot by this tree that I like, there's a picnic table and it's got the best view of the river and everything," he explained as they approached the table. The table however was covered in birds, relaxing in the branches and on the table itself. Kanji felt his face grow warm again but with rage as he rushed at the birds.
"Get the FUCK OUT THIS ISN'T YOUR SPOT" he roared, waving his free arm that wasn't clutching their picnic. The birds scattered in a wild panic, leaving the table and Kanji's perfect date far behind.
"Yeah that's what I fuckin' thought you beady eyed bastards!" he yelled after them as he placed the basket on the table. Kanji was about to unload the basket of food when he glanced over at Naoto. Her back was turned and her shoulders were shaking.
Oh shit.
I fucked up.
Did I scare her?!
No I couldn't have scared her she's the toughest girl in the world.
Does she like birds?!
Is she upset for the birds?!
"N-Naoto…?" Kanji let go of the basket and wandered over to her side, and reached tentatively for her shoulder. Before he could touch her she almost erupted into laughter. Well as "erupted" as erupted can get in Naoto's case. Kanji felt a surge through him as he began to laugh slightly, her laughter bubbling inside his stomach. She wiped her eye, her giggles slowing and she began to breathe at a normal pace.
"You. You are too much Kanji," she responded, finally meeting his eyes with a smile. Kanji felt his face grow red all the way to his ears.
"Anyway, let's eat," she said motioning towards the basket. Kanji's head whipped towards the basket.
"Yeah! Eating! Food! That's what we're here to do!" Kanji practically flew to the picnic basket and began to unload it.
Naoto gazed in wonder as Kanji began to unload the basket. Inside this seemingly never ending basket was a huge assortment of Naoto's favorite foods. California rolls, grilled salmon, and… Was that… Those dried fruits she liked so well! And there was so much of it! How were they possibly supposed to eat all of it…? Granted Kanji could eat five times his weight if it suited him.
"Kanji… Did you prepare all of this yourself?" she asked as the delicious aroma filled her senses. He looked up at her as he reached (what she assumed was) the end of the basket.
"Yeah! Turns out Yu thinks he's a cook and he helped me out. It was great though because Nanako was correcting him and it was hilarious. And cute. That kid is seriously the best y'know?" he said conversationally as he sat down and moved the now empty picnic basket.
"Yes, you are right. Nanako is a wonderful girl. I'm so glad that she's safe now," she said, casting her gaze down towards the table. Kanji got quiet as well.
"Yeah… I can't imagine what I would have done if she had really…" he paused. Naoto looked up at him. She knew exactly what he would have done. He would have killed Namatame. But could she blame him? No. She really couldn't. Even she hadn't put the real story together herself at that point. She would have probably done the same thing. Nanako was just a small child, and what happened to her was beyond what anyone should ever go through in their life…
The air had become tense with the nagging what ifs and the unknown, and Naoto realized she had to diffuse it quick, as Kanji's knuckles grew white around his drink.
"But we mustn't worry about what could have happened. Nanako is safe now, and Yu is here to protect her at all times. As are we." Kanji looked up at her, a pink tint to his pale face. Naoto also became very aware of her use of "we" and the implications of her statement. It would be bad to retract it now, so she let it stand, through the reflex of covering her mouth slightly was difficult to fight. She coughed as an excuse for the quick, girlish reaction.
"But you were saying before that you were spending time at the Dojima residence?" Naoto restarted the conversation, which was a good move because Kanji began to retell about all of the fun things he did to prepare the food for their… Date? Date. Their date. They talked and ate for about an hour and a half, and the conversation was rich with laughter per the usual, but it was special because this laughter was theirs and theirs alone. The food was very good, and Kanji assured her that there was more dried fruit in the basket which made Naoto very happy. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky reflected orange onto the water.
"This might sound dumb, but I think this is the prettiest time to be at the river. It looks like the river's on fire when it's reflecting the sky like that," Kanji had by this point moved to Naoto's side of the table and they were mere inches from each other.
"I don't think that sounds dumb. I think it's poetic," Naoto said, staring at the rippling current. Kanji smiled in response and jumped from his seat, tearing off his jacket and kicking off his shoes.
"What on earth are you doing?" Naoto was more than slightly alarmed as he rolled up his pants legs.
"I'm gonna play with fire!" he said as he headed towards the river bank. Naoto blushed slightly at the cheesy statement, finding the sudden poeticism endearing.
"Kanji this is an illegal swimming zone," she stated as he stepped into the water.
"Don't freak out, I've done this loads of times!" He turned and offered his hand. She kept her hands at her side.
"As a Police Investigator but also your friend I choose to ignore your confession of illegal acts," she replied, half teasing, half serious.
"We're not even swimming, we're wading." Kanji attempted to exploit a loophole.
"It's all the same thing Kanji," Naoto responded.
"Just get in," Kanji retorted. Naoto heaved a sigh.
"Fine," she leaned down and unbuckled her shoes and rolled up her pant legs. She gave him her hand, and he tugged her into the water.
With a rush he tugged her into the water; it didn't take a whole lot because she had a fairly light frame. She let out a cry of surprise and she clung to Kanji's arms which sent an electric shock through his entire body.
"See? Isn't this great?!" Kanji asked as Naoto steadied herself on her feet. She nodded slowly as she adjusted.
"Yes actually this is very nice," she responded, letting go of Kanji's arms.
"Now what do we do?" she asked, gesturing to the water.
"Haven't you played in a river before? We can look for cool rocks, we can skip stones, or I could… Do this!" he splashed her ankles with his foot and she jumped in surprise. A wicked grin spread across her face, sending a thrill down Kanji's spine.
"Oh is this how this part goes?" she asked, sending water across Kanji's entire front. He threw his arms up in a weak defense but he still ended up soaked.
"Oh you're on!" Kanji cried, retaliating with grand splashes of his own. It wasn't long before they were both soaked to the bone and also tired, so they slowed down by seeking pretty rocks. They set up a system in which Naoto sat on the riverbank and organized the rocks as he collected them. They had an impressive collection of river polished rocks after a while. It became harder and harder to see their collection however because the sun had gone down, leaving them only with the light of the moon and the flickering fireflies.
"It's getting late, maybe I should get you back…?" Kanji suggested.
"Yes perhaps…" Naoto didn't seem keen on the idea. Neither of them wanted the day to end. Kanji climbed out of the riverbank and helped Naoto up as well. The breeze had picked up, and they were still soaked from the river, so the soft wind cut through them like a knife. Naoto held her arms close to her as she searched for her shoes.
"Kanji…?" she called. He turned as he picked up his dry jacket from the picnic table.
"Yeah? What's wrong?" he replied, walking briskly to her side.
"Have you seen where I put my sandals?" she asked, scanning the area. His heart hit his stomach. Her sandals. Her adorable sandals that showed her adorable tiny feet. They were gone. He knew for a fact she didn't pick those out herself. Yukiko maybe picked them out…? Who knows. All he knew is that they were nice shoes and they were great on her feet and they were missing. The likelihood of her wearing such shoes ever again was so very slim. Those shoes needed to be found.
"Here, it's cold," he said as he wrapped his jacket about her shoulders.
"Kanji I can't take your jacket I'll be-" he stared at her for a long moment, his gaze interrupting her protest. In response she pulled it tighter about her shoulders.
"Thank you Kanji," she again avoided his gaze, and it could have been a trick of the lighting but he could have sworn that she was blushing…? Pleased with his gentlemanly manner he jumped back into the water and searched the bank for her missing shoes. He searched high and low as Naoto watched from the picnic table, clinging to the jacket. The search went on for twenty minutes before Naoto called him back over.
"Kanji just leave the shoes. It's fine," she was smiling softly, offering a hand to help him out of the water. He scrambled out of the bank to her side.
"I'm sorry about your shoes Naoto," he said sadly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's aright. Don't tell Rise, but I didn't really like them all that much anyway. They hurt my feet," she said, rubbing her foot. Both of them were almost numb with cold, and Naoto nearly lost her balance from the attempt to rub her foot while standing on one leg.
"Naoto be careful," Kanji said quickly, steadying her.
"I'm alright, we just should get home is all, it's really cold," she said as she clung to the jacket. Kanji slipped his shoes on and then glanced at Naoto. He then spun around and offered his back.
"Naoto, climb on. I'll carry you back," he was glad he was turned away, his face was hot and he knew he had to be as red as a beet.
"Are you certain?" Naoto asked.
"Would I be standing like an idiot like this if I wasn't?" he retorted.
"True," she responded, climbing onto his back. Again, Naoto was quite light. He held onto her with ease, but he couldn't carry her and the basket. He walked to the table and leaned over towards the basket.
"Naoto, could you grab that?" he asked gently. Without a word she obliged. She was getting tired, he could tell. She was quiet enough already but she was on her way out. He had to get her back before she fell completely asleep. Together they left the river, and up the stairs, and through the town he carried her. Suddenly the basket slipped from her grip and judging by her steady breaths on his back she was completely asleep. Kanji stood in the middle of town, soaked to the bone, carrying an asleep Naoto, also soaked to the bone, and he stared at the basket which he knew he couldn't carry. He glanced over at a food stall and attempted to kick it behind the stall, saving it in a safe place where he could retrieve it in the morning. After he succeeded in getting the basket in hiding he then paused as he thought of the asleep Naoto. It was cold and they were both soaked. What seemed like a good idea at the time was bound to result in her getting a cold, he couldn't leave her by herself to get sick. He also couldn't stay with her because that was strange especially after a first date. The solution? Take her to Yukiko's! Which he did. He arrived at her door, and rang the doorbell with his forehead. There was laughter inside. The girls were all there…? They must have gotten together for some sort of girl meeting to talk about girl stuff. They always had some sort of secrets right? In any case Chie answered the door.
"Kanji! Naoto! Come in oh my God what happened?!" Chie cried as the soaked pair entered.
"Shshshshshsh!" Kanji hushed her quickly.
"She's asleep," he said gesturing to her sleeping form.
"Yeah and she's soaked!" Chie responded, also gesturing towards Naoto.
"We played in the river today…" Kanji looked away, his face growing red to his ears. Chie sighed and chuckled slightly.
"Well done. I'm glad you brought her here though, we'll get her dried up and in warm clothes," Chie lead Kanji to the living room where the other girls, Yukiko and Rise were.
"Naoto, Kanji!" they both cried. They were also hastily hushed by Kanji and Chie.
"They had quite the date and it was great and we'll likely hear all about it tomorrow, but let's get Naoto dry and in bed before she catches a cold, okay?" Chie explained. Yukiko nodded and rushed off to get towels.
"I'll put hot water on for tea!" Rise rushed to the kitchen.
"Where should I put Naoto?" Kanji asked, as Naoto slowly got heavier the longer he held her.
"Lay her on the couch, don't worry, we'll take care of her." Chie grinned. Kanji laid Naoto on the couch and took one last look at the heavily sleeping girl before turning and nodding to Chie.
"I'm exhausted I'm going to bed," Kanji nodded and said his goodbyes, comforted in knowing that she was in good hands. The girls waved goodbye from inside as he began to head home. The wind blew and blew but Kanji didn't notice for a second that his jacket was still with Naoto, the day was enough to keep him warm forever.