9.
3.20.16
Yukari crossed her arms, gathering her resolve. It was stupid, she realized, that she'd only taken to consciously crossing her arms in times of stress after meeting Mitsuru. Mitsuru fell habitually into that posture, arms crossed, hip just slightly cocked, legs apart, carrying herself with elegance and command. Yukari, as much as she had initially disliked Mitsuru, had always admired her stage presence. On occasion, she'd adopted it as best she could, whenever she felt she had to look calm and in control.
So now, hesitating outside Mitsuru's suite in her Yakushima mansion, she found herself crossing her arms, talking herself up to the point where she could knock. This is ridiculous, she decided. I don't need to take it like this. And she uncrossed her arms, letting one fist knock boldly against the door.
"Come in."
Yukari did so, and she would have regardless of what Mitsuru had said. Mitsuru, sitting at her desk by a sun-flooded window, looked up, her eyebrows arching.
Yukari knew she looked tense; there was no point trying to hide it. "You said you wanted me to come with you for company," she said, her voice rising with its old challenging note. "And that's what I've tried to be. But we haven't talked, not once since we left Japan. Since Akihiko went into hiding."
Mitsuru flinched so quickly Yukari wouldn't have noticed without looking for it. "This isn't simply a vacation," Mitsuru clipped. "I've been making my rounds of the international branches to -"
"In case you didn't notice, Mitsuru, we're home. Vacation's over. I'm not going to sit back and smile for you anymore."
Mitsuru, whose hands had been folded on an open binder, straightened in her chair, posture perfect. "You're free to return to Port Island then."
"Don't dismiss me like I'm some damn employee! What's going on?" Blinking hard, she stepped around the desk and didn't stop until she'd reached Mitsuru's side.
"Do you expect me to tell you?" Mitsuru snapped, brown eyes - wet?
Yukari might have felt guilty for hurting her, but not right now. This was a fight, no less crucial than any in Tartarus, and Yukari rarely avoided an advantage. Not when a friend's well-being was at stake. "Just maybe. Or do you like dragging yourself all over the world, looking miserable? What's wrong with you?"
"Yukari -"
"Sometimes I feel like I don't know you anymore! Why did you run away from Japan? I can't believe you didn't even try to find Akihiko, after what he did. And why are you still wearing his ring?"
Mitsuru closed her left hand, the diamond glittering out of direct sunlight.
"Don't look away from me," Yukari went on. "That's all you've been doing, looking away and running. You haven't done a thing for the Kirijo Group this year, not what you'd been planning to do. Is that what your father taught you to do? Huh? No, I thought you'd gotten over that. And Akihiko, and the rest of your friends, you won't see any of them - I'm surprised you let me come at all!"
"Yukari!" Mitsuru was breathing roughly, eyes shut hard for a moment.
Yukari closed her mouth, straightening; at some point, she'd bent over Mitsuru. Sometimes she felt she would have rather seen anyone but Mitsuru cry. Mitsuru was the strong admirable one. Yet if Mitsuru hadn't cried all those years ago by a red riverbank, Yukari might never have become her friend.
Mitsuru didn't let herself cry now. Her arms were folded tight against her stomach; she stared across the room. Her eyes were glittering, her cheeks flushed, but her jaw was set.
Yukari took a deep breath and spoke, though part of her wanted to relent. "What's going on?"
Abruptly, Mitsuru drew several strands of hair out her face. "You can go home, Yukari."
Yukari stamped her foot. "That's not what I want! I don't want you shutting yourself off to everyone."
Mitsuru swallowed, jerkily turned her face to Yukari. Her eyelids were raw and red, and when she opened her mouth to speak, her lips shook for a moment. "Everything's fine."
3.20.16
Rise picked at the hem of the studio-issued miniskirt she'd been wearing for the past two days. She'd probably worked a half inch off that section, though she could only tell by feel. Ridiculous that Kanzeon could penetrate a fog-shrouded alternate dimension, but Rise couldn't find her way through a pitch black room. Ridiculous that Kanzeon had no power to break the manacle that held Rise's right wrist to the wall.
Her stomach growled, and Rise mentally swore. If she was hungry, it probably meant it was time for the ghosts to bring her some food. And compel her to track the movements of her friends before she could eat. And then perhaps Fuuka would contact her again, urge her to capitulate so that the two of them could be rescued. Gritting her teeth, she brought her knees up and rested her forehead against them. Fuuka-san could be lying to me too. She could be on their side to begin with. I can't betray the others again. Once, afraid and ravenously hungry, she'd used Kanzeon to seek out Naoto, whom the ghosts seemed particularly interested in tracking. The ghosts had fed her, had left her, but what relief Rise felt was swallowed by a hideous guilt and fear. Lately, the ghosts had been demanding she find Souji. From what she could tell, they'd lost him and were eager he should be recovered.
"You can't have my senpai," she muttered. Bolstered by the sound of her own voice, she threw back her head. "I don't care if you're ghosts or Izanami or Hanako freakin' Ohtani! Senpai is not up for grabs!" She fell silent, as if expecting to hear a multitude of ghosts banging on the door, violent with indignation. After a moment, she closed her eyes, Kanzeon scanning the area. Nobody was nearby. Should she contact Fuuka?
What for? Fuuka wasn't interested in escaping.
Rise reached around to work at the manacle with her free hand. She already knew its every inch, and she already knew it lacked any seam, or spring, or weak link that she could perceive. Still, she continued to search.
C'mon, Rise. The damsel in distress bit is only romantic up to a certain point.
3.20.16
Yosuke didn't say it aloud, but pulling into Yasoinaba Station gave him his second wind. There was something heartening in returning to the place of their shared victories. Teddie had been lost then too, but they had found him. They could do it again.
If Teddie hadn't royally screwed things up.
Yosuke followed Souji out of the station to the bus stop, stretching his legs. There wasn't any reason to think Teddie had come here, but at least they'd reunite with the others, or some of them. Rise was in America, and who knew what Naoto was ever up to? But Yosuke had been through enough to know that once he, Souji, Chie, Yukiko, and Kanji put their heads together, they were bound to come up with a plan. Plan might be useless as King Moron's orthodontist, but it would be a plan.
A short bus ride later, they were standing side by side in Inaba's shopping district. "All right," Yosuke said, flipping his cell open with a dramatic flick of his wrist, "time to muster the troops." And he dialed Chie's number. "The hell, her phone's off? She never turns it off, not even for class." Staring down at the phone, as if trying to decide whether or not it was an impostor, he frowned and switched to Yukiko's number.
"Her cell's off too," Souji said, already calling Kanji.
Yosuke watched Souji's forehead tense with frustration, then asked, "What's wrong with them? Did they all take a vow of silence or something?" Not answering, Souji narrowed his eyes, thinking. "Now what, we break and enter their houses too? Kidnap them?"
"Let's try Uncle," Souji said. "If something's wrong, he might know."
"Dude, he never knows. When have we ever told him anything?" But Yosuke had no better plan, so he didn't even wait for Souji as he set off at a run for the Dojimas', Souji catching up.
3.20.16
"When will this day end?" Chie groaned, sliding back against her train seat. "I feel like it's been going on for weeks." Then she shook herself. "No, there's no point complaining. C'mon guys, any brainstorms?"
Yukiko, having joined this quaint mission the latest, still had the energy to think. She sat next to Chie, head inclined, her shoulder-length black hair threaded with light from the sunset beyond the train window. Naoto, also by the window, gazed at some point beyond Yukiko, most of her face shaded by her cap. Her mouth was grim. Once, Chie noticed her rest her hand against the outside of her right thigh, undoubtedly checking her gun. Kanji, facing Chie herself, stared into the aisle, either deep in thought or the next best thing to dozing. His arms were crossed, legs splayed, almost taking up all of Chie's space. She kicked his foot. "A little room, okay?"
Kanji scrunched himself up. "Sorry."
"I wonder if Souji-kun and the others have had trouble," Yukiko mused. "But then, wouldn't they have called?"
"Well, we do have our cells off," Chie said pointedly. "Because someone said we couldn't be interrupted while planning our next step. Which I don't see anyone doing."
"Lay off, she's the professional," Kanji said.
"Thank you, Kanji-kun," Naoto said, not turning. "And I am planning. But I'd rather none of us talk just now. I think we're being followed again, and you'll remember what I said about superhuman hearing."
Chie clenched her fists, hating the idea of nearby enemies that she couldn't...chastise. "You're being followed again? You have got to stay off trains."
The train ride was almost over, which would leave them at Iwatodai Station. They'd arrive too late to catch one of the ferries, so Naoto had already made reservations at a hotel - not, she assured the others, one that Ms. Kashiwagi would care to frequent. Perhaps they could lose their pursuit at the station. But none of them felt hopeful enough to suggest it.
"We're all irritable," Naoto said. "It's understandable. It's been a difficult day."
"And not much chance of it getting any easier?" Kanji asked, though he seemed to already know the answer. "No problem. Just let me know when the skulls need to be smashed in."
"Let's just...sit quietly for the time being," Yukiko said, glancing behind her. Out of the four, she was the only one who hadn't needed to fight for her life in the last twenty four hours. It seemed increasingly likely that that would change.
3.20.16
Ryotaro Dojima stumbled towards his sitting room that evening. Though he'd slept for ten hours straight, he still felt as though an elephant were sitting on top of his sinuses. He hadn't checked his cell phone, wouldn't look at the news. He didn't want to hear the name Amada for another hour, at least. Then he could get back to work. Now, right now, was it too much to hope for a nice meal?
"And you have no idea where she went?"
Pain, like a tiny hammer, plinked Dojima right between the eyes. That voice...Was that the Hanamura kid? What was he doing here?
"No. Chie just took off. I don't know what that visitor said to her." That was Nanako, at least that much was clear.
"Maybe there was some crime they wanted her to look into?" Was that Souji talking?
"Will you give me a break? She's not a policeman, she's a receptionist. Knowing her, she's gone headfirst into some kind of wild goose chase, taking Yukiko and Kanji with her."
"Well," said Nanako, whose voice was the only one Dojima wanted to be hearing, "maybe, but she'd been waiting here for Naoto. And she never showed up either."
"Wait, Naoto's in Inaba?" Hanamura asked. "Maybe something really is up."
"Yeah," Souji said, almost before Hanamura was done. "Chie I could see running off into trouble, but Yukiko's more careful than that. And if Naoto's behind it, they're probably all together."
"Amazing deduction," Hanamura drawled. "Now where are they?"
"Any ideas, Nanako-chan?"
"Well, Chie ran down the street, not up."
"Dunno anyone who lives down there," said Hanamura. "Dammit. What's that idiot up to?"
"Let's hunt around town," Souji said. "See what clues we can find."
Dojima's weary brain kicked into gear just as he heard the door slam. "Hey - boys! What are you doing here?" He rushed into the living room.
"Hi, Dad," Nanako said. She was the only one left. "I was just going to start dinner. What would you like?"
3.20.16
"Do you see them?" Chie whispered.
"Stay calm," Naoto said. "Don't look back. If our pursuit doesn't know we're aware of them, we still have an advantage."
The four made their way through the circles of brightness cast by the streetlamps at Iwatodai Station. Naoto knew the area well, even at night, and she did her best to lead them quickly to their destination. There were several hotels of varying quality near the train station, the streets cluttered with commuters, travelers, and locals greeting visitors. Naoto glanced back to see that her friends were keeping up - and to glance farther off, to see if those two women really were following them - but she couldn't see them - before turning into one of the small hotels.
The others caught up with her at the front desk, where the receptionist was checking her computer. Naoto heard Yukiko tsk softly, probably unimpressed with the lobby's décor.
"Suzuki-san, two rooms, one night..." The receptionist glowered, poring over a long list of reservations made under the name Suzuki. "Yes." Naoto passed over one of her undercover credit cards, and after a moment, the receptionist returned it along with two more cards. "Second floor, lefthand hall."
They followed Naoto in silence until they were halfway up the staircase. Then Kanji cleared his throat, sounding like a small duck deprived of air. "Two rooms?"
"Duh," Chie said. "A single and a triple. One for the girls and one for the boy."
"Oh." Kanji began to breathe again. "Okay."
"Boys," Naoto corrected. "The enemy still assumes I'm male, and I'd rather not disillusion them."
Kanji and Chie cried out simultaneously. At the head of the stairs, Naoto waited until she was sure she wasn't blushing, then made herself turn around and look at them. Kanji, red-cheeked, was staring at her, totally aghast. Yukiko's eyes were wide, and Chie looked as though she wanted to punt some decency into the Detective Prince.
"Can't this wait until we're inside?" Naoto asked. "I'm not certain we're in the clear yet. In fact, I'll be surprised if we are." Without waiting for the others, she stalked down the lefthand hallway, checking the room numbers on the cards. They were adjacent, as she'd specified. She stopped at the first, swiped the card under the lock, then handed it to Chie, who'd recovered first, then held the door open.
Chie pocketed the pass key and led the way inside. As he went in, Kanji didn't look in Naoto's direction, still flushed.
"Ideally," Naoto said, once they were all within and the door was shut, "I'd have only rented one room. But I'm afraid that might excite too much comment, even in the city. Our pursuit will assume we've stopped for the night, so they'll be checking the hotels. We need to stay alert and together."
Chie raised her eyebrows. "You're really...broad-minded about this."
Naoto blushed, but her voice was authoritative. "We're on a job, that is all."
Chie quirked a smile. "Anything goes as long as it helps solve the case? Okay, I'll file that away for my first investigative job. I'll say, 'Anything goes. The Great Detective Prince taught me that. So I want all you policemen to put on yellow track suits and follow me!'"
"If you're done," Naoto said, "I suggest we get some rest. Our ferry leaves at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Though, given what we're up against, I doubt any of us will sleep too soundly."
"Uh," Kanji managed, "Naoto, are you sure about -" But she was already leaving. Swallowing, he followed her out into the hallway.
Naoto immediately swiped their pass key and opened the door, but she neither entered nor looked up at him. "I'm going for a walk."
Kanji stared at the room, then her. "You're going investigating, you mean?" He squared his shoulders. "Might as well come with you."
"No." She still didn't look up. "It's better if I go alone. I won't be long." Without arguing further, she turned and walked swiftly down the hall, back to the stairs.
3.20.16
Kanji decided, all things considered, it would be best to already be asleep by the time Naoto returned. He took the bed closer to the door, turned out the light, wrapped himself up, and willed himself to sleep. The digital clock on the wall read 8:30, six hours before his customary bedtime. That was bad enough, but the thought of Naoto walking in at any moment, going to sleep in that other bed...only two feet away... Kanji squeezed his eyes shut and hoped he wouldn't nosebleed. Or snore. From the other room, he could hear Chie and Yukiko talking, though he couldn't distinguish the words.
Two hours had passed, and he'd settled into a light doze when he heard the door open and shut. Cracking one eye, he saw Naoto cross the dark room, then out of his line of sight. He closed his eye and prayed morning would come soon, otherwise something would happen, something would have to happen, he'd say or do something he'd forever regret.
He heard an electronic beep, then Naoto's voice, very soft. "Grampa?" A short silence. "Yes, still alive. I'm with my friends." Another pause. "Yes...Yes. I'll see if I can visit, though I'm a bit busy. Of course. Good night, then. I love you." Another beep, then rustling as Naoto shrugged off her coat and got into the other bed. How long would it take her to fall asleep? Kanji had no idea when it would be safe to start breathing again.
