Thank you, thank you everyone who has displayed an interest in this story thus far. Thank you for catching my mistakes in the last chapter –scuffs feet on the ground-. Such simple errors I made with grammar too. Anyways, it's always good to see what the readers are thinking about how things are developing, so I appreciate the feedback. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Step Three: Be Forward

Some men require their interested party to display a more forward approach in what they wish from them. While a male population is under a false sense of security that they take the lead in a relationship, it is often the female's cunning manipulation that gets the man to pursue her. This is what I've recently picked up in my 'research'. While at first I had felt this to be nonsense, currently I'm beginning to believe there's some merit in the statement. Thinking on my previous attempt with one Kanji Tatsumi, I had been discreet in my interest toward him. I had used tactics to pull him away from his work. While this had seemed like a good plan at the time, there had been errors in the preparation, which led to an awkward conversation between the two of us.

Rise Kujikawa had been an increasingly difficult obstacle to deal with for the last two days since the incident with Kanji. With thirty messages the first day (a majority unread) it took a threat to block her number to thwart further harassment via cellphone. Several successful escape attempts to ward off a Kujikawa invasion on my personal space have also been beneficial these last two days.

With the school day ending in ten minutes and finally settled with a new plan of attack, I begin setting the stage for the next round. Last time I had tried to go for a place that was both comfortable and familiar for the both of us. While my tactics had been discreet and, as difficult as it is to admit, childish, I've decided to follow the advice my research has turned up. Simply to be forward with my plan. If I wish for this plan to work, I would need to be blunt with him.

To: Kanji Tatsumi

From: Naoto Shirogane

What are you doing after school?

Naoto

To: Naoto Shirogane

From: Kanji Tatsumi

Uh… Gonna go home. Why?

Kanji

To: Kanji Tatsumi

From: Naoto Shirogane

I will be going to Aiya after school. It's on route to Tatsumi Textiles. Be there.

"Shirogane!"

"Sir!" I stood from my seat.

"….Do you know the answer."

No.

"Do you know the question, Shirogane? Or was I boring you."

"No, sir."

"To which question?"

"…Both, sir."

"Perhaps you will pay more attention now, yes?"

"Yes sir."

"Very good. Now continuing. Since we know the theory of relativity-"

To: Kanji Tatsumi

From: Naoto Shirogane

Be there at 3:20PM.

Naoto

I remembered to be specific this time. Being blunt about it was much more beneficial for myself as well. As a detective, my opinions and observations were generally the result of an unfiltered voice from my mouth. Being discreet about such things was not my style. Simply stating facts is more of what I do. I also took into account to use Aiya as a meeting place. This had not been a randomized choice. I knew Kanji frequented the restaurant as a favored choice of his. While I had been there but a few times, the food is well enough and the price is decent enough that it proves to be a logical choice for the two of us to meet for our 'date'.

To: Naoto Shirogane

From: Rise Kujikawa

Hey girl! We should totally hit up Okina after school today! :)

Risette

To: Rise Kujikawa

From: Naoto Shirogane

Negative. I have already made plans for the day.

Naoto

To: Naoto Shirogane

From: Rise Kujikawa

Oooo! Don't tell me it's with Kanji again. Hopefully u have a better excuse then last time. He yelled at my yesterday and I just had to apologize a few times.

Risette

To: Rise Kujikawa

From: Naoto Shirogane

My apologies.

Naoto

To: Naoto Shirogane

From: Rise Kujikawa

Busted! You totally didn't deny it! It IS with Kanji! Oooooo! Where you going?

Risette

Mental Note: Don't respond to Rise's messages from now on.

It was only a ten minute walk to Aiya from school. Strangely enough, it normally takes thirteen minutes to reach the location but I must not have accounted on the usual stops I skipped along the way. I'm certain that I usually stop for a newspaper on my travels that would normally slow the walk to the Shopping District. It took an additional three minutes to reserve a table for two and I immediately ordered Earl Grey white tea. Normally I would order the black tea; however, with black tea, one runs the chance of staining their teeth. At least, that is what I recently read from my research. When given the choice between white or black tea, use the white tea for a better looking smile.

At approximately 3:23 a blond walked into Aiya. I'm already on my second cup of tea when the blond walked in. Standing roughly six foot while on heels. She's an unusually tall woman and dressed in a striking red dress. Obviously not Kanji and I can't help but wonder if he lacked a watch. No, he had a cellphone and that would imply he had a means to see the time. Perhaps he never set the clock on the phone. Then again, one would assume that if he's meeting someone twenty minutes after school at a place that's fifteen minutes away, there is no reason for him not to get there on time. Unless he had gotten held up. Perhaps a teacher requested his aid for one reason or another. It would be customary to inform the person he's meeting that he'd be late. It is a common courtesy. Maybe I'm being… what had Rise complained about recently? Being 'stood up'?

No. No. I am always punctual with my meetings. I often arrive early where I go. Kanji is punctual only in lateness. He arrives late to school almost everyday and had been notorious for being the last person in the Investigation Team to arrive at the meeting. Three minutes late is not a long time. I simply require being far more patient about this. He will arrive in just a few moments; I mustn't allow this to put any sour mood between us.

Mental Note: Educate Kanji Tatsumi on being punctual for meetings.

Follow Mental Note: Especially when said meetings are supposed to be dates with me.

I didn't mind three minutes. Five minutes is acceptable for Kanji. Ten minutes was a small bit of annoyance; however, at twenty minutes passed the expected meeting time, I can only be aggravated. I checked my phone to be sure I hadn't received any messages and sure enough, nothing from Kanji Tatsumi showed up in my messages or missed calls. I paid for my drinks (never got a meal) and left Aiya. I took an immediate route to Tatsumi Textiles. Clearly, if Kanji is not at Aiya, he would have made it to the shop by now.

Usually I paced around outside of the shop but being as aggravated as I'm feeling at the moment, I didn't pause a second to make my way into the shop. Kanji isn't in sight, but he never was in sight previously. He didn't seem to work with the customers; likely due to his severely lacking social skills and all out common rudeness he displays. His mother is there; however, I hadn't spoken to her since before I made the friends I have now.

"Mrs. Tatsumi." I greeted and gave a tip of my hat to her respectfully. She has no reason to face my aggravation, it's currently in reserve for her son.

"Oh…Oh! Mr. Naoto Shirogane-san. It's been so long since I've seen you."

I refrain from fixing the 'Mr.' that she adds to my name. It isn't a secretly anymore what my gender is; but I do not advertise the truth when someone seems to be out of the loop. In Inaba, it's a small loop. How Kanji's mother has failed to catch the information is beyond any logical reason I can think of.

"Yes. It has. Is Kanji Tatsumi in?"

"He sure is. Right upstairs. He said something about you showing up today. I'm so happy he has such a nice boy such as you as a friend. Please, head on up."

"He… is expecting me?"

"Oh yes. Although he said you'd be around sooner. He had been down here until five minutes ago. Go ahead up."

"Thank you."

Illogical. Why would Kanji be expecting me when I had been waiting for him at Aiya all this time? Did he know that I would come here if he didn't show up? Perhaps he purposely skipped Aiya to purposely upset me and wanted to be in the presence of his mother in hopes of seeing her in the same room would prevent me from stating anything too poorly in favor of keeping peace in front of her. Am I that predicable to him? I would like to believe that I have often kept people ignorant of how my mind works. I'm in a field where I'm required to know how another person's mind operates while keeping other's ignorant to my own.

It's not hard to decide which room Kanji is hiding in. There are a few choices but the sound of a sewing machine is a clear enough hint to figure it out. Being polite, as I often am despite circumstances, I knocked on the door to the room three times. My knuckles stung a little afterwards but if anything, I knocked harder to ensure he heard me over the machine and not due to the current desire to be knocking my first on something equally hard as the door but covered in blond hair.

The machine halted and after a couple of moments of shuffling from behind the door, it opened up a crack. As usual, I felt my lips press into a thin line as I gave a blank look at him. I've always been good at hiding my feelings from my expression. I needed to be if I wanted to remain a successful detective.

"Hey! Sup?"

That response; however, makes it increasingly difficult for me to maintain such a cool composer. I believe my mask might have worn off somewhere between 'Hey!' and 'Sup?' because the one worded question had started out with energy but teetered off pitch and tone at the last moment from the look I could feel I'm giving him.

"Perhaps you can explain to me why I have just sat in Aiya for thirty minutes."

"Uh… wow. That long? I see why y'look pissed then."

"…."

"Usually only takes'm like… ten minutes to get my meal out. Service sucked, huh?"

If not for the fact that he is standing in his room with his head poked out between the doorframe and the door, I may have gone with the sudden urge to smack him. The angle, currently, would prove difficult. If I wished to have enough velocity in the swing, it would need to be a wide swing and the door is in the way for the most part. Perhaps slamming the door shut against his head would suffice. No…

"That's… Where we you?"

"Uh… here." He's giving me a look that I'm not certain how to describe. Like he thinks I'm losing my mind perhaps. I think I may be.

"Here… Not Aiya."

"No. Why would I go to Aiya?"

"I told you to be there."

"What? No y'didn't"

"Yes, I sent you an invitation to join me at Aiya."

"No. You said y'were coming here."

What? Impossible. "Why would I come here?"

"Hell if I know! Why would I go to Aiya?"

"I just informed you, I sent you an invitation…"

"Bullshit. Said I was going to home. And y'said…" At this he pulled something from his back pocket and opened the door wider to display his cellphone, "Y'said, 'Be there at 3:20PM. How the hell would I know you meant Aiya? I though you were coming here."

"No, that's wrong." I produced my phone and pulled up my sent messages. The message he mentioned is there and the one I was referring to is… not. "Wait, something is wrong." Upon further investigation, I found the message I had thought I sent under 'Saved Drafts'. It would seem that I had never actually sent the message. That's right, I had been interrupted by the professor. I assumed I had sent it but I had closed my phone and when I got back to it, I sent Kanji a different message entirely because I remembered to be specific about a time.

Mental Note: Find discriminating evidence against the teacher in hopes of banning him from the high school.

Follow Mental Note: Disregard messaging Kanji in class for plans. Do it night before or in person.

Second Follow Mental Note: Upon leaving the shop, find a bridge, climb onto the rail, and jump off it.

"Uh… y'okay?"

It took me a moment to realize that I was probably glaring at my phone for entirely too long to be considered normal. I pocketed it and pulled my hat down to further hide my face. The floor seems a bit interesting at the moment, "I… apologize for the miscommunication. I had assumed I had sent that message, but it appears I have not."

"Oh… we cool then?"

"…Yes."

"What'd y'want to talk to me for anyhow?"

"It's… not important."

"I dunno, must be if y'came here."

While the plan has turned out to be a complete failure perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to be absolutely forward. Like the research indicated previously. I took a moment to collect myself before looking at him. "Something involving you has come to my attention."

"What? Whoa… I didn't do nothing this time."

"No… What? What did you do?"

"What? I jus' said I didn't do nothing."

My detective instincts immediately kicked in and homed in on that statement. "If you didn't do 'nothing' that implies you are guilty of something. While I have not been informed of anything as of yet, it would be in your best interests to inform the proper authorities of anything you have done."

"The hell? I didn't do nothing! How could I? I've been here everyday."

"Ah… anything."

"What?"

"I believe the word you're looking for is 'anything', instead of 'nothing'. Saying 'didn't do nothing' implies that you have done something. The double negative rule."

"…..Right. Didn't do nothing."

Mental Note: Make Kanji read more; specifically a book on proper grammar.

"Well… Make sure you give yourself enough time for your schoolwork, don't spend all your time working."

"Now you sound like ma."

"I will be on my way then. Goodnight."

"Uh… yeah. Bye." I didn't even wait for it. I was already heading down the stairs when he heard the door close. I gave my farewell to Kanji's mother and heard a comment about being such a 'nice boy'.

Mental Note: In the future, may need to inform Mrs. Tatsumi that you're a girl to prevent possible extremely awkward moments for Kanji and myself.

To: Rise Kujikawa

From: Naoto Shirogane

I am now available. If you wish to go to Okina.

Naoto

To: Naoto Shirogane

From: Rise Kujikawa

Totally! We can buy you something that will have Kanji unable to take his eyes off you! ^_^

Risette

To: Rise Kujikawa

From: Naoto Shirogane

Grandpa just called. He needs me back at the estate. Sorry.

Naoto

To: Naoto Shirogane

From: Rise Kujikawa

Aw, come on. Don't be such a spoilsport! Live a little!

Risette

To: Rise Kujikawa

From: Naoto Shirogane

Family emergency.

Naoto

Mental Note: Never go to Okina with Rise.