AN: Well, as I said, here's the next intermission chapter, I guess. I have to admit, I wasn't really that pumped to write this- not because of the content, because I did enjoy exploring the relationship between Kazuha and her father more, something we don't really get to see in canon, but because of well... the last chapter getting no reviews at all, after nearly five weeks. That'll take the wind out of just about anyone's sails! It was more than a little disappointing, to say the least, especially as it stretched on and on... it's the sort of thing that makes you feel like nobody cares about what you're writing at all.
Well, anyways, that's that. Hopefully maybe I won't have to deal with that twice in a row, though the amount of reviews that I've been getting overall on fic seem to have dipped to an all time low lately, ahahaha. Regardless, the next canon case that will be covered is the Gray Planner case, so look forward to that, I guess?
Until next time.
In Reverse
Intermission Two: Father and Daughter
"Kazuha, can I speak with you for a moment?"
"It's not about what happened in Tokyo the other day, is it?" Glancing up from her notebook, Kazuha gave her father a small smile, setting aside her pen. "It's not like I meant ta set out an' find a case."
"No, it has nothing to do with that." Returning his daughter's smile, Toyama Ginshiro took that as his signal that he could enter her room. "Or perhaps it's a bit connected to that, actually, now that I think about it. Did something happen while you were gone with Heiji?"
"A murder case." Kazuha stated bluntly. "But I'm guessin' that's not what ya meant."
"No, that part I knew already." Ginshiro noted. "And I am proud of you, by the way. From what I understand, he was a friend of Shizuka's, the victim."
"Heiji, too, a bit." Kazuha noted, pushing her chair away from her desk, spinning it to face her father. "I think that's part of the reason why he's kinda in a mood lately. Apparently he used ta visit that place when he was still real little, with his mom."
"So you've noticed, then." Ginshiro noted, before he shook his head. "Well, I suppose that's only natural, given how close the two of you are."
There was a slightly teasing note in her father's voice that made Kazuha's lips curl, but she wasn't about to give him what he wanted there. Sometimes he could be awfully easy to read, that father of hers. She knew full well that he was rather fond of the idea of the two of them getting together, as something other than just friends, but for her part...
Well, for her part, she didn't know what she thought about that. Sure, she cared about Heiji a lot, and he was an important friend, annoying as he could be, but as for being in love with him... she didn't know about that.
She did appreciate his damn fine muscles, though, but she was pretty sure that wasn't the same thing as love. Kendo sure could do a world of favors for a guy, that much was for sure. And it wasn't as if the only reason why she always went to the bike shop that he worked at part time for repairs on hers was because she hoped to catch a glimpse of them there! They just had good customer service, that was all!
...okay, maybe there was a bit of something there after all. Still, she wasn't sure if it was what she could call romantic love or not, though.
"It's hard ta miss when he's in one of his moods." Kazuha noted. "When he's not bein' more snappy than usual, he gets all quiet, an' that's just creepy! Being contemplative isn't like him at all."
"Well, I'm sure he must have a lot of things on his mind." Ginshiro noted, letting out a slight laugh at the way his daughter's cheeks puffed out. "In any case, that was why I wanted to ask if anything more had happened. I know Heiji doesn't care for dealing with crime scenes..." and for a moment, he let his words hang, something unspoken in between the silence, "...but his mood seems worse than usual this time."
"I just think it's because it was someone he knew." Kazuha told him, a more serious expression crossing her face. "As a kid, at that."
"...I see." Sensing what she hadn't said out loud, Ginshiro closed his eyes, drawing in a long breath. Things had certainly changed since then, so if careless words had been spoken... it was no wonder he was acting the way he was right now. "In that case, I might have just the solution."
"Eh?" Blinking a little, Kazuha couldn't help but give her father something of a skeptical look. "The last time ya said that, I ended up havin' ta deal with a double homicide, ya know."
"I'm sure that won't happen again." Ginshiro told her, an edge of doubt to his voice that he couldn't entirely conceal. On her own, Kazuha didn't generally run into that sort of thing- most of the cases that she got involved with were ones that she was requested to help solve. But when she was together with Heiji... well, things were usually different then. He was starting to suspect that the boy had ticked off some kind of god in his past life.
"They're from your mother, at any rate." Ginshiro continued, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the pair of tickets. "She won them in a raffle at the shopping street. She told me to pass them on to you."
"From mom?" Taking them from her father, Kazuha checked him over. "Oh, amusement park tickets! But are ya sure, dad? The two of ya haven't had a date night in awhile, ya know~?"
If he was going to tease her, then teasing him back would be fair game! Or at least, that's what she would like to say, but of course, her words didn't faze him at all. Adults could be so unfair.
"You know amusement parks can be a bit difficult for your mother." Ginshiro told her. "While you and Heiji are enjoying yourselves there, I'll take her out to a nice dinner and a movie instead."
"Well, that's good, then..." Trailing off a little, Kazuha pursed her lips together. It would probably be for the best not to mention to Heiji that it had been her mother who had won the tickets. That would ruin the whole point of going there in the first place. "Then, in that case, I'll take them."
"That's the spirit. Well then, I'll leave you to your homework, Kazuha." Ginshiro told her, taking a step back. "Make sure to tell us when you plan on going, though. You should probably go ahead and tell Shizuka in Heiji's place, you know how he is about telling people his plans."
"...ya've got a point there." Kazuha admitted, giving her father a small smile. "Then, thanks, dad. Thank mom too fer me when ya pick her up later."
"I will." Ginshiro told her. "Well then, study hard!"
Letting out a breath as her father closed the door behind him, Kazuha felt her shoulders slump, as she turned back around in her chair. Gazing down at the tickets in her hand, she pulled her legs up onto the chair, another sigh escaping from her. Free tickets to the amusement park were good and all, but given the circumstances, she'd rather not have them at all.
"Well, there's no point in wastin' them now that I've got them." Kazuha noted, pulling her chair forward and dropping her feet back down again. Pulling out her cellphone, she leaned back in her chair as she listened to the sound of the phone ringing.
"Oh, Heiji? Ya got any plans this Sunday?"
