Chapter One: The Power within is a result of your relationships

There was a slight chill in the air as a tall young man neared the shopping district. The streets were mostly empty as he had expected, but as he looked around his gaze soon fixated on a short figure standing near the bookstore. Ah. Perfect. Just the person he needed to see.

Naoto Shirogane, a close friend, was situated in her usual spot at this time of night, gazing at the assorted books lined up in the shop's windows. Clad in a sharp blue winter coat and her signature hat, she seemed to have been taking a walk before heading home. Or, now that he noticed the bags in her hand, she must have just ordered takeout from Aiya. Come to think of it, winter would be here soon, so maybe he should start wearing warmer clothes as well…

Naoto glanced behind her at the sound of advancing footsteps and noticed a familiar head of silver hair. Ah, of course. Senpai was usually seen walking around at this time after dark. He was probably on his way to the shrine, since he'd been frequenting that place with a near obsessiveness for some unknown reason. She tipped her hat to him in greeting as he approached, and struck up conversation.

"Good evening, Yu-senpai. I had a feeling you would come around here. I was on an errand and decided to check for any new arrivals at the bookstore." She looked back at the shop's closed doors. "It seems I've arrived too late, however."

The young detective didn't seem to be doing much at the moment. This was an ideal opportunity to spend some time with her. Yu brought a hand up to his chin momentarily, and Naoto looked up at him as his gaze became contemplative. "What do you say, Senpai. Did you want to set aside some time for idle conversation?"

"After this could be Rank… eight," Yu quietly mumbled as he counted on his fingertips.

"Ahh… what was that, Senpai?" Naoto gave him a curious look.

"Nothing. Yes, let's talk for a bit."

After discussing various topics ranging from school studies to Teddie's possible genetic structure, they both decided to head home as it was getting late. Just as Naoto bid him good night, Yu remembered something and turned back around as they parted. "One more thing…" he fished around in his pocket before handing her some folded papers. "The notes that Kanji borrowed from you. He was afraid to approach you to return them, so he sent them through me."

"Oh," she said as she received the papers, "Thank you for returning them. But… why would he be too afraid to do this himself?"

A beat passed before Narukami replied. "What?"

"Kanji-kun. You said that he was wary of me. I see no reason for him to be." The puzzled girl frowned.

"Ah. I meant to say that he forgot to return them," Yu replied with an unreadable expression. They both stared at each other in silence before Naoto decided to just let it go.

"Alright then. In any case, I shall see you at school tomorrow. Are you headed straight home?"

Yu nodded. "Right after I drop by Rise-san's house to give her a copy of the notes you lent to Kanji." Naoto shook her head as her senpai turned away. Of course they would both be using my notes, she thought. But wait. Tonight—

"Ah, S-Senpai wait," she told him. "I recall Kujikawa-san saying that she would be out for the rest of the evening. You won't find her at her home tonight."

The silver-haired boy tilted his head to the side. "I see. So she's staying over at your estate again for the night? I can give the notes to you then instead."

The short girl's face immediately became ashen. "I… What? H-how did you…" She quickly composed herself and tugged her cap down farther over her face. "Ahh, yes. That is… thank you. I will be sure that she gets them." Yu gazed at Naoto blankly as she collected the papers, attempting to hide the deep blush coloring her cheeks. "Here. A token of my thanks for your efforts to return my belongings." She quickly handed him a bar of chocolate. After seeing this other side of Naoto, Yu felt that their friendship could become closer soon…

"Yesss…" he suddenly exclaimed as he stared at Naoto with the sternest expression possible.

"H-Huh? Yes what? What is it?" Naoto was becoming more uncomfortable by the second.

"Nothing. Our relationship is now closer, so I will be seeing you tomorrow." And with that he turned and walked away, leaving behind him an increasingly disturbed Detective Prince.

At the beginning of lunch period the next day, Yu made his way to the school's first floor, as he'd made plans to have lunch with Yosuke and had stored his homemade bento in his shoe locker. After retrieving his lunch, he noticed a package situated to the side, and retrieved that as well. Upon further inspection, he realized that it was unlike any of the other gifts he'd received in his locker before. It was a plain, white-wrapped box, small in size with no message or any type of writing on its exterior. Naoto approached Yu just as he began to shake the box in his hand.

"Senpai," she began, "I've come across another lead regarding the mysterious letter case that—" she paused once she saw what he was doing. "Oh. What do you have there? A gift from another admirer?" She peered closely at it. "Hmm, it doesn't seem to be addressed by anyone. Quite strange."

"I think it could be a bomb," he replied, shaking the thing even harder to get a feel for its contents.

"A what?! Yu-senpai, you shouldn't joke about such things." Naoto grabbed ahold of his arm to stop him from disturbing the box's contents any further. Her eyes narrowed as she quickly glanced down both sides of the hallway. "I suppose I can have it submitted to the lab for examination, if you feel it is truly that serious." She turned back to Yu. "However, I highly doubt that—" She looked down at his hands to realize that he'd already completely unwrapped and opened the box. One of Naoto's eyes twitched slightly in irritation. She sighed as she released his arm.

"So it's just a Home Ec project…" the taller boy said as he read the note attached to the box's interior. The type of food that this person was intending to cook was indiscernible, however. It seemed to resemble a solid ball of overcooked meat.

"I see. The contents were harmless then. In any case, I would like to follow up on this investigation. I have received another letter from our unnamed 'informant'. Would you mind meeting with me after school?"

Yu nodded his head in response. "Sure."

"You have my gratitude." The Detective Prince glanced back at the box in Yu's hand as she departed. "Umm… are you sure that you don't want that submitted to some type of lab? That… object doesn't seem to be edible at all."

"But I haven't figured out what it is yet."

Naoto tsked slightly. "That is precisely why…" She adjusted her hat. "Never mind. I will see you later today, Senpai." Yu watched her go before he headed up to the roof, where Yosuke was undoubtedly waiting.

"Uhh, ok. Dude. Just what the hell is that?" Whatever it was that Narukami had brought with him to lunch was troubling Yosuke to no end.

The silver-haired boy continued to eat his lunch. "What do you mean?"

"You know what the hell I mean! This… thing! What is this?" Yosuke pointed to the unidentifiable object that Yu had decided to place directly between them. Before anything else, Narukami had removed the object from the box it was in, placed it right next to Yosuke, and then sat down to eat without saying a single word. There was no way Yosuke could concentrate on eating with something like that taking up space next to him. "Why'd you even put it there? I can't keep eating until I have an explanation!"

"How's the bento?"

"O-Oh," Yosuke looked at the food in his lap. "Well, it's really good actually, as expected. I mean bro, you sure know how to— WAIT!" Yosuke set the bento aside. "You're not answering any of my questions! Dude, what. Is. That."

"It was a gift," Yu replied calmly.

"A gift from who?"

"I don't know."

Yosuke paused a moment and rubbed his temple. "Okay well, what are you even carrying it around like that for?"

"I'm going to eat it."

"You're WHAT?" Yosuke bolted upwards and took a cautious stance. "But it's not even food, is it?" He peered at it from a safe distance. "I mean it looks like… animal waste, man. Doesn't smell too good, either." Yosuke crossed his arms. "Plus, you set it directly onto a surface that people sit on without thinking to at least put it in a napkin or something…"

"I didn't say I was going to eat all of it." Yu figured that since someone put in an effort to make this for him, he might as well taste it.

A bead of sweat rolled from Yosuke's face. "And that's supposed to reassure me…? Look, I just wouldn't. I mean geeze, it looks like something the girls would cook up." He shuddered at the mere mention of the accursed Mystery Food X.

Yu suddenly stood up and poked the object with his chopsticks.

"W-What the—?!" Yosuke promptly stepped backwards and pulled Narukami in front of him. "T-That thing just MOVED! Tell me I'm not going insane! I swear it just repositioned itself, man!"

Yu blinked. "It did…"

"How are you so calm about this?!" The brunette was at his wits end. "Bro… I can't even do this right now, dude. I gotta…" Yosuke quickly sidestepped the Thing, which had somehow made it to the ground already, and gathered his belongings. "I'm outta here. Just… you need to throw that thing the hell away, man!" And with that, Hanamura stormed down the steps, probably to empty his bladder before heading back to class.

Yu stared after his friend for a bit before stooping down to pick the object up and place it back in its box. He stuffed the box inside his uniform jacket and gathered his things. Lunch would soon be over, so he decided to return to class. Yu felt that these events had somehow brought him closer to Yosuke…