"Naoto-kun is something wrong?"
"Hey Rise, maybe you shouldn't have said it all in one go"
"Oh my, Shirogane? Your face seems to be dropping color"
Naoto blinked she heard the bubbling voice of Rise rising, Chie's screams, and Yukiko's questions being rapidly spat at Chie, she could see perfectly fine her eyesight never betraying her, but despite that she had this itching urge to keep blinking. Nausea welled from her stomach, a frantic wave of mixed, jumbled, emotions was the cause.
Her mouth was dry, her hands were twitching index finger tapping her knee.
"Kujikawa-san, where and when, were you introduced to this cartoon? Post hoc why is such an idea forming in your mind?" Naoto inquired a pouting Rise, leaving a giddy Yukiko, and a perplex Chie obviously not following some thing or the other.
"OH! Naoto-kun it was a really fun marathon they were giving out! America sure has some good ideas; there was a funny dialogue between the characters!" A delighted squeal was heard shortly, but stopped abruptly as Naoto squinted her eyes.
"Oh Ummm ara, I can't recall the name since it infected my brain but it did start with an S oh, and Naoto-kun! This is the perfect opportunity for all of us!" Rise shouted, screech, and shriek her points, only succeeding in one thing.
And that was to acquire a very perplexed bluenette.
"Mistress your mother would like to know if your friends would be accompanying us for dinner" A maid had knocked, which knock went un-heard from Naoto's part she figured her senpais did notice, Rise looked just as surprised as the detective both of them being lost in their personal bubble, ironic that they were sharing the said "personal bubble".
"Chie will be spending the night over." Yukiko replied deciding for the other senpai, Chie of course wasn't bother. However being the gracious heir and host that the black hair girl was, her eyes focus on Rise and Naoto.
"Shirogane-kun, Rise, would you two like to spend the night over?" At this question the maid glanced with worried wide eyes at her mistress a boy wasn't supposed to stay in a room full of girls, not that there were any rumors, in fact the detective prince had an upholding reputation of being a complete gentleman, but still one can never be too careful.
Naoto quickly caught the maid's eyes, observing her facial expression, with arched eyebrows, slightly open mouth, ah of course. Naoto offered a small twitch of her mouth best consider as a smile. "I thank you very much for the invitation, and the consideration you are giving me senpai but I don't believe it's proper and of course I would stay in another room if I'm ever to impose." Before anyone could add their two pennies, or in Chie's case her two dollars, Naoto bowed her head. "Also I have some cases I need to view over so I'm afraid I cannot, please excuse me."
"Don't worry Shirogane-kun, perhaps some other time, oh and of course I'll be sure you get a proper room for yourself." A quiet sigh of relief was heard by the door.
"OOOOOOI YUKIKO! It's no fair Naoto here gets all the consideration thrown at him!" Chie yelled messing up her short brown hair for further effect.
"Ch-Chie?" Yukiko asked surprised at the sudden outburst.
Rise thought it was better not to comment in these situations, for now. As for Naoto even if she wanted, she wasn't sure what contribution from her part would help, many things were new to her since she befriend everyone at the investigation team , and silence proved helpful in resolving this situations at times.
"I'M SORRY CHIE" Yukiko bowed her head apologetically to the other female in green. "I didn't mean it like that, if you would like to sleep in your own room instead of sharing a room with me, then you can…"For a moment Naoto had the illusion of seeing a small flick of shinning crystal liquid sliding down Yukiko's face when she looked again however there wasn't any trace left.
"Oh lord." Chie's concerned outmatched Yukiko's own worries and self-inducing deductions that Chie didn't like sleeping in the same room as her.
"YUKIKO! I didn't meant it like that I swear, I was just playing around, oh god I can't believe you would even thought that, I am never getting tired of sleeping with you!" Naoto watched as Chie's words had a soothing effect on the worried heir, how they shared a brief hug, and she raised an eyebrow when Rise was trying to muffle a giggle? She honestly couldn't find anything funny.
"Kujikawa-san, would you mind telling me, what part of what we just witness you found amusing?" Naoto inquired, as if she was interrogating someone who just committed a crime, Rise let out some more giggles simply mouthing out. "The last part of course, and NAOTO, CALL ME RISE, R-I-S-E, IT'S NOT THAT HARD!" Attaching herself to Naoto's left arm, like a leech, a grunt was heard from the small detective, but no attempts of pushing the idol off were made.
"The last part?" Naoto quietly repeated to herself, not grasping the idea, however Chie had keen ears and heard perfectly well turning a small shade of cherry blossom pink.
"RISE!" Chie shouted out letting go of the now calm and happy Yukiko. "Ah geez, don't corrupt the detective prince!" She looked at her junior wondering if show business turned everyone into wary people, or just plain perverts. Maybe she should have worded that differently.
Naoto was feeling confused not understanding the pouting/frowning Chie, the embarrass Yukiko (Who had actually a keen ear just like Chie) and the always giddy Rise.
"Mistress I ask forgiveness for interrupting your lively talk, but will your friend misses Kujikawa, spend the night over?" The maid spoke up startling Chie and Rise, who had long forgotten all about the maid.
"Well Rise-san, will you be joining me and Chie tonight?" Yukiko asked regaining some decent composure.
"AAAAAAAAAAAGH! I would love to but my grandmother wants me to help out tomorrow." Rise's voice dropped with frustration.
"Very well, with your permission mistress." The maid gave another bow, sliding the door to give the teenagers privacy again.
"Well, I better take my leave it's getting quite late and I still need to go over my cases." Naoto stood up leaning first on her right foot, for support. "Kujikawa-san, would you mind if I escort you back home?" Offering a hand to the still sitting Rise, who gladly took it, not before scolding Naoto about calling her Rise, not Kujikawa.
Yukiko and Chie had walked with them all the way to the entrance of the Amagi Inn, in the now peaceful Inaba, after saying their goodbyes with goodnights Rise and Naoto kept walking their first destination obviously was Rise's grandmother tofu shop.
"Kujikawa-san you still never answered my questions." Naoto hadn't forgot, and would not let it slip either it was something the detective prince had develop when it came to wanting answers, to press and keep pressing.
Rise's left eye started to twitch under the moonlight, along with the lights illuminating their walk, stopping it almost as soon as it had surface she was an idol, an a twitch could develop into a nasty habit.
"NAOTO-KUN! I will answer your questions if you just call me by my given name, RISE. RISE. RISE." The frenetic idol accused the poor blue hair female.
"Very well, Rise-san, can you please answer my question now? And let's keep walking I'm sure the sooner we get to your home, the more relieved your grandmother would be." Naoto mused on, waiting for Rise to answer.
"SEE, that wasn't so hard!" Rise mouth and mood lifted up considerably in a small nanosecond. "Oh as I was saying, wouldn't it be great? To solve mysteries with our friends, catching the bad guys just like in the old day's right?"
Naoto smiled kindly and fondly to the memory of their adventures, as horrid, horrendous as it was, it was something that brought all of them together. "But Rise, Tatsumi-san, and Hanamura-senpai are off in their training; also I'm positive not all cases are as amusing, fun, and enjoyable as the ones you saw in television shows."
Rise was smirking as wide as she could, at least Naoto believed so, any wit she had was unplugged from her brain.
"Oh Naoto, I've thought of that! And that's why we should only investigate `hunted places`" Quote marks were made by the idols fingers. "Also the show only had four people in them, oh and a talking dog which I absolutely adore!"
A talking dog, and four people, she tried recalling any detective American series she had watched but nothing ringed a bell, so instead she grabbed the tip of her detective cap adjusting it very slightly.
"Ah well, then how will it help us exactly?" Rise temporal house was coming closer into view, however the closer they got something stopped the detective from going any further, by grabbing her shoulder.
"Ku- Rise-san, is everything all right? If you are feeling ill your house is just in view I'm sure we can manage t-"She was hushed by a soft smile Rise was wearing, so soft it was charming, was that something the companies taught to the idols? It didn't matter Naoto couldn't speak and a lump formed in her throat.
"You see Naoto, I actually want to study go to college, but I do have my passion for singing so I'm a bit indecisive, you could say I'm in that point of life where you are trying to figure out, what are you going to do next." Rise's hand had dropped from Naoto's shoulder, instead hugging its owners arm.
"I thought it would be good to travel around, because well I liked the feeling back when we could help people, just silently knowing we were helping made me well, happy." A small chuckle was heard, before she continued. "Also Chie wants to work in the force right? It could be a great training for her, as for Yukiko senpai if she decided to stay in the Amagi Inn maybe we can let her see some other places before she has too many responsibilities on her shoulders." Naoto was completely astonished in deep admiration to say the least, Rise was so kind to everyone, she felt the lump in her throat go sizes flushing down to her stomach as well.
"But more than anything Naoto, you're always stuck with different cases but all of them are so difficult your life is always on the edge, and I thought maybe…you can help other people and enjoy a case once in a while. I know it sounds horribly selfish for me to decide without asking you, still I couldn't help it maybe if you can have a simple case, and help a person it would satisfy you…at least that's what I like to believe, ehehehe I'm pretty weird aren't I? I mean you are the great detective prince for a reason, so umm…I was hoping you could tag along with some cases I've already found but if not it's fine I totally understand." Rise gave a forced smile.
Naoto could tell, years of practice, reading people's and the various expressions they made it was almost too easy. Except for the gruesome guilt she felt, for a strange reason she hadn't done anything wrong but it made her feel like the loathsome creature for the look Rise was wearing.
"Ano, Naoto-kun, you can go back to your own place now, I can arrive safely since my home is in sight, so umm I'll be going now, have a goodnight Naoto."
Rise words enter one ear, and didn't left the other, they were stuck in her head, being in a good physical form she only gave a small run catching up to Rise just mere steps away from entering the shop.
"Rise san, it's not very polite to not acknowledge what the other party has to say on the matter." The idols eyes widen slowly, at the hope her heart was giving her but kept quiet.
"So, maybe we can go, our holiday is coming up and I suppose it wouldn't hurt, do Amagi and Satonaka senpai know about this? And if so have they agreed?" Naoto asked shyly all of a sudden, her face tinting very slightly.
"Of course they have Naoto-kun!" Rise couldn't hide her joy, giving a big hug to a very stunned Naoto, who slowly returned it, three seconds later letting go of each other.
"Well Rise-san" Walking with the idol the few remaining steps to the door, she gave a bow with her hat. "I hope you have a goodnight sleep and wonderful dreams." Just as Naoto was about to place her beloved blue cap back on her head, it was snatched away from a very playful Rise who stuck her tongue out in her direction.
"Oh geez Naoto that was such a corny farewell and to…dry for my taste." Rise played, placing the cap on hear head in a sloppy manner, giving a small hop coming closer to Naoto it helped she wasn't that short, compared to Naoto anyways. "This is how you give a goodnight~" Rise leaned in kissing the detective on the cheek.
Naoto felt the dry and yet wet lips of rise, the fabric of her cap on near her ear, how her breathe was caught, and how her pupils grew bigger, her senses became a lot sharper and yet it left her paralyzed.
"Soooooo, next time you should bid goodbye or night to me in that manners ok Naoto?" Rise giggled hopping back to her last spot, pulling out her key and opening the door slightly, clutching the cap with one hand.
"Wait…Rise-san I am certainly not doing that." Naoto gave a small smile, before a shock was written over her face. "Can I have my cap back now Rise-san?"
"Oh? NOPE!" Rise shouted a bit too happy, and a bit too loud.
"But, why not?" Naoto question slightly bother from feeling the wind on her blue hair.
"Because I'll give it to you tomorrow when we tell our senpais the wonderful news! And I'm not changing my mind Naoto, so tomorrow 4 o'clock sharp at Junes were off to start our missions, or cases…" Rise almost smacked herself, cases sounded way better in her mind and yet she said missions.
"Promise me not to do anything to my cap, alright?" Naoto felt like a kid begging for a toy, but as long as no one saw, she could live with it and swallow it.
"Yes, yes, I'll take care of it like it was my own. Now night Naoto-kun, and tomorrow we officially start as the New Investigation Team."
"Goodnight Rise-san."
A happy wave of goodbyes were exchange, the detective walking silently with a small smile, perhaps this was a good thing, being caught up in her own thoughts that were making her strangely happy, and she wasn't even molested by the strong gust of wind that swiped some of her hair into her face. A bizarre idea, even more than bizarre friends, mixed up with bizarre feelings, she suppressed a small chuckle, looking for her keys to enter her own living space, with this mood she was more determined to read her pile of `yet to solve cases` that were dropped off by the police, and the people that came seeking for her help.
The new investigation team, sounds very promising, and that was her final thought before immersing herself in her papers.
I hoped you liked it (: I've decided to continue, and I was re-reading, oh god, the errors...they were just asdfghjkl thank you for letting me take notice of them, I'll re-read before publishing, I thank thee reader for the helpful advice.
Please tell me in what I need to improve I'll try my best thank you.
Also it should be clear, but I do not own Persona 4.