A/N: Chapter Two! And, as promised, it shall be far more eventful than the first. Well maybe not far more… I do like to ease into things…THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!! Sorry, I can't help myself. Anyway I hope you can forgive my random outbursts, look past my odd taste in music, and enjoy the story.
Your eyes do the speaking.
They talk with each glance.
My will-powers creaking.
I might take a chance.
And though you're the charmer,
who could bend my armor.
I like to lead when I dance.
-Frank Sinatra
I Like To Lead When I Dance
"Young men recklessly riding their motorcycles, disturbing the peace of a quiet rural town… our special report took a turn for the violent when one of the apparent leaders attacked the camera crew!"
"The hell are you punks doing here!? This ain't a show! Get bent!"
With a sigh of annoyance the adolescent Shirogane boy flicked a switch on the small black remote and the screen grew dark. Was there really such little news in this town that the media had to do a 'special report', or so they claimed, on a local teenage delinquent? And furthermore; what had happened to the humorous young man he had met on the train into Inaba? It was as if the bleach haired boy had become an entirely different person- the one his case file insisted existed. With a spiteful bat of the wrist the cobalt haired boy waved away Yakushiji who was slowly approaching the ebony table where the young master was seated. In the older man's hands lay a sterling silver tray with a glass of orange juice on it and some foreign dish that the cadet cap wearing boy was not looking forward to ever partaking in the consumption of. Nodding his head a bit the man left, but not before giving the boy a stern look that told him dinner would be waiting whenever he finished contemplating this new idea. However, said dinner would not be reheated so he better come to a conclusion within the next several minutes.
But it was not like he even could eat, not when his mind was reeling like this. Had he, the great detective prince, been so easily deceived by this punk's facade? No; he had seemed so sincere a few days ago, and it was highly improbable that the cadet cap wearing boy's initial assumption was wrong. So then, why was the leather wearing boy behaving in such a juvenile manner and lashing out like that? He was so much better than what the petite by had just witnessed on the large thin television screen. The vertically challenged boy's deep hues dilated as a grimmer and more sinister thought danced across his mind. Two completely different personalities fighting for dominancy within a single vessel could be an early sign of a serial killer. But no- not the Tatsumi boy. Sure he was rough around the edges but deep down there was no threat. When they had conversed before the alert boy had detected no signs of a danger being present. If anything the boy with a bullet around his neck seemed to have a soft side. The way he gently spoke of his mother and the look of pure sorrow he offered at the mention of illness confirmed the detective prince's belief that he was, as his mother had said time after time in many a witness testimony, a 'good boy'.
However, just because the rebellious boy was not the culprit Naoto was searching for did not mean that he was in the clear just yet. If anything this night's news story put the delinquent at a greater risk for becoming the next target. It had been shown that he was not only a nuisance to society but also violent menace. If this serial killer was going for some sort of 'god of justice' label than he/she would definitely now be weighing the benefits of eliminating the bleach haired boy. The petite detective nervously began to fidget in the tall seat that kept his feet, nested away within new brown loafers, from reaching the ground. If something were to happen to the boy he would feel just awful. Sure he might be a problem for the police but the cobalt haired teenager held no personal vendetta against him. In the Shriogane boy's eyes he was nothing more than a reckless, slightly temperamental, child with violent tendencies yet the best of intentions. It was settled then; the boy avoiding dinner decided with an affirmative nod of the head. In the morning, or late afternoon depending on how long it took him to finish reviewing the case data the Inaba police had provided him with, he would have to visit the boy's place of residence and confront him directly with his concerns.
xx
Dressed in the same navy petticoat, white ruffled shirt, plaid pants, and cadet cap that he had worn in their first meeting Naoto walked briskly down the shopping district's main road. Coming from the opposite direction were a few girls and, judging by their matching sweater and skirts, they had just come from school. At first he thought that they were cutting their last period class until more children in similar outfits appeared on the horizon. The town's high school must have just gotten out… what horrible timing he had. As the two girls passed by their steps slowed a bit and they exchanged glances and giggles. The brunette even attempted to wave to the detective prince, but it was not returned. With a hurt expression the long haired girl turned away and her taller companion glared daggers at the cobalt haired boy. He merely brushed the look of hate off and continued on his way. Thank god he would never be forced to actually attend classes with people like that. Honestly, he would rather slit his own throat than associate with the likes of them.
A few minutes later he found himself glancing from the slip of paper in his hand to the building that's address it indicated. It was quaint looking and, from the sign outside, it appeared to be the textile shop the bleach haired boy had informed him about on the train. It was almost humorous to think that someday the leather wearing delinquent would inherit such a place. Releasing the breath that he did not even realize he had been holding the small boy moved to open the sliding door. What he found inside could have been predicted: rows of colorful fabric, a few patterned kimonos hanging up, shelves full of different sized boxes, and a few silky looking scarves on display. "Hello? May I help you?" Inquired a soft spoken voice. At the sound of said voice the detective prince moved to remove his cap for fear of showing disrespect, but the woman who had stepped out of the backroom and was drawing closer merely smiled gently. "Oh no, your hat is fine my dear. Please, make yourself comfortable." It was all the boy, so determined to grow up, could do to fight back the tears that were beginning to mist his eyes. Dressed in a deep green kimono with slightly graying hair tied up in a bun this woman was just like what Naoto had always pictured a mother to be. It was no understatement to say that he was more than just slightly jealous.
"Oh-uh, thank you." The boy responded suddenly when it dawned on him that a great deal of time was beginning to pass. In fact the woman had already sat down near the store's indoor step and was now beginning to examine him. "Are you the owner of this store ma'am?" When she nodded and smiled brightly the cobalt haired detective's heart almost broke again. But he had to keep that stoic look that had taken years to perfect. Wipe away all memories of the day his carefree life ended. That time was nothing now; that child was not him. "That must make you Mrs. Tatsumi. My name is Naoto Shirogane and it an honor to make your acquaintance." With that statement he calmed himself immediately. Just saying that name was enough to smother the child within him that had been fighting for control mere moments before. The older woman shook his hand and, to his great pleasure, did not bother with questioning why she had never seen him around before. The town certainly was small and he had already had to explain who he was to just about everyone at the police station. Honestly, talk about not informing your men, the majority of people at the station had no idea who he was or why he was there; and the few that did were not at all pleased with his presence.
"Hello Naoto-kun, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well." The woman finally responded as they released hands. "Judging from your last name I would say that are related to the kind man who lives on the outskirts of town. Would he happen to be your grandfather?" At least her needing to ask proved that the man did not go around talking about him. That would be not only embarrassing but somewhat a nuisance. Not to mention that if he had told this woman she might have gone and released some of said information to her son. Speaking of the delinquent, how on earth did he ever decide that his actions were presentable? This sweet woman was absolutely nothing like him; not in the slightest. If the leather wearing punk was not able to control his own actions then he should at least consider how his choices affected his mother.
"I am, and he is." The cobalt haired boy replied with a dangerously too carefree smile that he quickly morphed back into a look void of all emotion. He had to remain professional; otherwise he would be no better than what the police thought he was. There was no reason for childish actions like smiling and crying, they accomplished nothing-and he had something to prove. Just wait, when he made a name for himself as the number one ace detective in the world all these men at the precinct would be begging for his forgiveness. Pleading with him to forget their ignorance towards his abilities and intolerance for his age. "As lovely as your store is ma'am I was wondering if your son was in? You see I have a few things I wanted to discuss with him." The woman's face fell a bit as she slowly shook her head. From the look she was possessing it was clear that she had not seen her son in quite a while. Perhaps the previous night's report had something to do with that. Before he could say anything further a bell rang and four teenagers, presumably students considering the boys were in uniform and the girls were in the uniform's skirts, entered the building.
"Hello" Called the black haired girl. Her scarlet sweater was not exactly what the young detective would call 'in agreement with uniform rules' but no one else seemed to have a problem with it. Though he had never actually been to the building the cadet cap wearing boy could be sure that Yasogami High was far less strict about rules than the learning institutions back home had been. Whether this was a positive or negative trait was still up for debate but he would always be on the negative side of such debate. The brunette to the right her was also wearing a top that was not specified as being included. The green jacket with three pins on it had to be a distraction in class, how could it not be? Did everyone ignore the rules? Or was it just a class full of black jackets and sweaters plus one red and green? That would not be odd, not in the slightest.
"Ah Yuki-chan it's so nice to see you." The older woman replied with yet another bright smile. Just how could she have such a bright outlook and sunny disposition when her son was constantly getting in trouble with the law? Still, the motherless boy was not even going to try to fathom how deep a parent's love for their child must go. One thing was for certain though; if his parents were still alive they would only hold him back from reaching his true potential. He was better off on his own, or at least with a grandfather who knew not to press the subject matter further. Yes, that was the decision he had come to when he was still very small and it was what he would stick to. Anything else, like possibly having a mother and father who wanted to help him succeed and had smiles to rival this woman's, would just be too painful to accept.
"Well then, if you'll excuse me ma'am." He needed to get out of here; it was becoming far too uncomfortable. Not to mention that, with all the silences it produced, he was finding time to reflect upon his personal problems. All that ever led to were useless emotions that would completely throw him off his game for the rest of the day. And, with a serial killer threatening the safety of this small town's inhabitants, he could not afford not to be completely focused. He had to give it one hundred percent every moment of every day for someone's life could be the price of overlooking a minute detail. The more people that died the more out of control the case would become and, eventually, they would take him off it. No one wanted a 'kid' on the case to begin with. Every time he walked through the evidence room the boy could feel dozens of eyes on him just waiting to pounce. They were just looking for him to screw up, counting the days until he was out of their lives forever. But no, he would not give them that satisfaction. The petticoat wearing boy was above them and would prove it fair and square.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help more." The kind hearted woman said. The smallest hint of sadness could be detected in her voice but, considering the were in the presence of mere high school students, it was safe to assume that he was the only one who picked up on it. If the grey haired woman was his mother there was no way that the cobalt haired boy would ever upset her. Just the opposite actually; he would do everything within his power to keep her from ever feeling anything but joy. Right now the detective prince was torn between wanting to confront the Tatsumi boy about the case and wanting to give him a stern lecture on is behavior. Bowing a bit to the woman he took a step back to indicate that he was about to head out and that the small group of better make room for him to pass.
"That's alright; you've given me plenty to think about. Thank you." With that he brushed lightly past a few of the teenagers and out through the front door…only to come face to face with the bleach haired delinquent himself. In reality it was more like face to chest with the local punk but it was not the cadet cap wearing boy's fault that this newcomer was far more vertically gifted than he. The rebellious teen took a few steps back as he opened his mouth as if about to scold the petite prince. However something halted him; perhaps the bullet wearing boy remembered the cobalt haired train passenger? He had gone as far as to wear the same outfit after all in the hopes that it would keep the Tatsumi boy from accidentally assaulting him. "Mr.T-I mean, Kanji." He corrected himself, recalling that once the boy had told him not to be so formal. "How are you? It's been a while." With that statement the boy in front of him managed a look of both shock and confusion. Come to think of it people, most likely, did not ask the black clad how he was on a daily basis. Indeed, if it were not for the case the young detective himself would not even be conversing with him.
"Oh, Naoto, yea, I guess it has. I'm fine, but thanks for askin'." It was silly but the cadet cap wearing boy was quite pleased that his name had been remembered. But that was just because he wanted everyone to someday know his name, right? Of course; there was no reason to care who remembered it just as long as someone did. The juvenile delinquent raised a questioning eyebrow as he motioned towards his house. The vertically challenged boy did not exactly seem like the sowing type, and he was staying with his grandfather so he couldn't be picking something up for his mother, so what was he doing at Tatsumi Textiles? Could it be that the pipsqueak had stopped by looking for him? It seemed more than odd considering he never, not rarely but never, got visitors- unless of course they were cops. However he was new to town, so perhaps he did not know anyone else. Yes, that made far more sense than the boy actually wanting to hang out with him. Still, it might be nice if, for once, he could have a person who would walk with him to and from school or eat lunch with him on the roof every now and then like the other students did.
"Oh! Yes, well, I was actually looking for you." The petite detective piped up after realizing how shady it looked for him to be exiting the rebel's place of residence without ever having asked him for his address. He had to think fast, make up a story before the black clad boy could inquire about how he knew to look for him here. He had to lie…again. To be honest all these lies were beginning to hurt the cadet cap wearing boy's head. Naoto had always been a firm believer in the truth, but things were so complicated this time. And there was no way he could accomplish anything if this Kanji character knew the truth about his profession. "You had previously mentioned that there was a textile shop in town and it sounded like a safe place to ask for help from. I would hate to seem like a lost tourist." The boy added with a wide, one hundred percent fake, smile and light laugh. From somewhere within his petticoat pocket the cobalt haired boy felt his phone vibrate. Drat, it would appear that he had spent too much time conversing with Mrs. Tatsumi and was now being ushered back to the Shirogane estate. "But, alas, I fear I cannot stay to chat. Are you free tomorrow?" The boy inquired as he adjusted his cap a bit. "I presume you attend the local high school."
"T-Tommorrow's fine with me…" Kanji mumbled slightly, trying to conceal the fact that he was completely awe-struck. So short stuff had come looking for him, how flattering. A pity he could not stay longer, it would be nice to have someone else to talk to other than ma. But the new kid in town had indirectly complimented his mother and his house; it was a safe place, more people needed to understand that. Just because he had a bit of trouble controlling his anger did not mean that Tatsumi Textiles was a dangerous place. "Huh? S-School? 'Course I'm going to school…" So that was a lie, and he felt terrible about it, but there was no way that he was going to admit that he had been ditching class since as far back as he could remember. Good God; when was the last time he actually attended a full day of classes? Well it seemed that he would have to break his terrible attendance streak for at least a day. It was silly, he knew it was, but the bleach haired boy still possessed a need to show this boy that there was more to him then met the eye; that the textile shop heir could obey laws and actually be an upstanding member of society.
The authoritative teenager nodded his head slightly to acknowledge the statement. "Then I'll meet you at the gates after school tomorrow. I'm quite interested in you, Kanji-kun." With that he turned quickly on his heels and started off in the opposite direction. Just what was so important that it could not wait another half hour? Honestly, he was not a child anymore- and his belongings were all unpacked so it was not as if there was any work to be done. The cobalt haired boy had already made a stop at the precinct and filed away his paperwork, along with a few edited case files he had been asked to look into, so that could not be it. Grandfather better have a good reason for interrupting his investigation, otherwise there would be unnecessary hostile feelings during dinner later that evening. As he rounded the corner a small gathering of students attempting to hide behind a single, thin, metallic pole caught his attention. That was all the proof he needed; Inaba's school system WAS failing drastically.
The clack clad delinquent was left with his mind reeling at just what had really occurred. "D-Did he say he was interested…?" He stammered, a slight flushed tone engulfing his face. "He's a guy…and I'm a guy…but…he's interested in me…?" Surely he could not have meant it in that way. It was most likely just a misunderstanding. It had to be, right? He wasn't gay, that was for sure, but there was something alluring about the petite stranger. He seemed so frail and polite; if he had been a girl Kanji could be sure that he would be following him home in order to keep him safe. But he, once again he, was not female in the slightest and that important fact needed to be remembered. There was a loud crash from across the street and the bleach haired boy's gaze took hold on four panicking teenagers. His face instantly dropped as a horrid thought quickly consumed his mind. Just how much had they heard, and were they going to repeat any of it? "Huh? What the hell are you pricks lookin' at!?" The textile heir roared as they took off at speeds that were almost unfathomable. He had better not see them tomorrow at school or there were going to be some serious problems, of that you could be certain.
xx
The toughest student at Yasogami High School had opted out of his last period class and was, instead, spending his time attempting to fix his hair in the boy's first floor restroom. It seemed completely ridiculous, getting all dolled up just to meet with some person, basically a stranger, who had said some earth shattering things only the day before. How could he be so calm, just saying "I'm interested in you" and walking off like that? It could not have been a declaration of love, could it? Nah; it was most likely just the way they talked wherever the hell the kid was from. Yeah; that had to be it. There was nothing awkward about it, it was just a misunderstanding. No matter what those other kids thought he would denying it being anything more until the day he perished. Unless it wasn't. Just what was he supposed to do in that situation? Did that mean that this could possibly be a date? Oh god, that thought alone was enough to drain the color from his face. As the boy splashed some more cool water on his ghostly features he toyed with the idea about not showing up. But if it was a date Naoto would assume that he had stood him up and be hurt or possibly cry even, a thought that made the delinquent's heart ache. And if it was not a date then he would just look like some jerk and that might cause the cobalt haired boy to attempt to make new friends, leaving the Tatsumi boy alone once more. Either way it was a lose lose situation.
By the time the Detective Prince had reached the school the bell had long since rung. Of course this was partially on purpose. He absolutely despised all those high school girls who wore their hair in long, glamorous, styles and had their skirts rolled up to dangerously short lengths. The male students were just as bad; always looking down on him, both figuratively and literally, as if it was his decision to be so short. But now the amount of students was greatly reduced and only a lone dark figure stood by the entrance way. Naoto noted that he looked incredibly uncomfortable, and that he kept gazing around nervously, as if he was looking for someone other than the cadet cap wearing lad. "I didn't keep you waiting, I hope?" The boy inquired softly as he approached the boy with a bullet around his neck. As much as he had wanted to be a tad late the worried expression on the boy before him was beginning to cause a feeling of guilt to well up in his chest. He looked so lost and panicked, perhaps he should have arrived earlier so that he would not have been left on his own.
"No, I-I just got here too…" Sure he had been ready for about a half an hour but that time had been spent pacing around in the bathroom trying to decide as to whether or not he was going to just go straight home. In the end he decided that the other students could just go screw themselves because he was going to hang out with Naoto no matter what. But, as soon as he stopped by the gates, the threat of being labeled as the weird homosexual kid became quite real. That was why he had been on a constant lookout for those stupid kids from the previous day. They had not approached him during school, and he had heard no new rumors about himself during the course of the day, so he figured they had not caught most of his and the not quite a stranger's discussion. Yet, if they happened to see the two together once more, he was almost positive that life would become a living hell. He had not worked so hard to achieve the reputation of being a badass only to throw it out for the sake of this young boy. Well not so young, he was older than the punk after all.
"Marvelous, then shall we continue our conversation elsewhere?" The shorter of the two asked anxiously as he tilted his head a bit in the direction that he wished to go. The less people around to witness their discussion the better considering he had not read the Tatsumi boy his rights yet had every intention of interrogating him. "So what do you do for fun around here? My apologies for being so ignorant to rural life, but I have been living in the city for as long as I can remember." He admitted sheepishly, tugging at the brim of his cap so that it shielded his oceanic hues from sight. It would be best for him to take on the clueless traveler persona for a bit longer before he bombarded the boy with a string of questions he had spent the night before tactically planning out. First he would use the activities question to bring up juvenile delinquency, then law enforcement, then the murder cases, and finally how the boy was connected to the cases. And he was connected, after hours of late night reading and note taking the petite prince was sure of that.
"Well, personally, I don't do much…" The boy with a crew cut mumbled as he planted his hands firmly in his pants' pockets. Just how was someone like him supposed to answer that question? Well, you see Naoto; I enjoy beating the stuffing out of anyone who dares look twice at me. Or, even better, I happen to adore sowing small animals out of left over fabric and stuffing them with pillow fluff. Oh, and did I mention that sometimes I give them little accessories- just to spruce them up a bit, ya know. Yeah; that was exactly the answer this normal boy wanted to hear. It certainly would not scare him off or, at least, murder their somewhat friendship where it stood. "I like to skip rocks though." He inserted after a moment of silence. They were passing alongside the Samesagwa Flood Plains and it seemed like an intelligent thought at the time. Of course the fact that, from where the two were positioned, the water below was not visible was somewhat a downer. "Do ya know how to skip rocks? They can't have many lakes in the city." The boy responded first with a shake of the head, and then with a nod. The conversation was becoming awkward at an alarmingly fast rate and it was all his fault. This was exactly the reason he did not have many, any, friends. "Well then, I'll teach ya, a'ight?" Grabbing the boy's hand he attempted to help the smaller teen down the steep descent. It was not until he heard a light gasp that it dawned on the black clad boy just what he had done. However, as his icy gaze turned towards Naoto the boy gave no indication of having made the sound. His eyes went a bit further behind the boy to two students; the same brunette boy and blonde haired girl as the day before. "…The hell are you two doin'?"
All the cobalt haired boy could do was laugh as the bleach haired delinquent blushed like mad and charged after the two students.
A/N-Was it any better? Please feel free to tell me what you think! At least the plot is finally beginning to get it into gear. As soon as another character is introduced things will speed right up… which is why I'm purposely keeping them out of the story for a while. Because, after saying that, you sooooooo can't guess who I'm talking about or anything..
Next chapter: Even angels fall! A sudden disappearance of the bleach haired rebel has Naoto on his toes. Just what can the cobalt haired detective prince do to save the one person he feels the most connected to? And who are these strange students that keep showing up wherever trouble arises?