Another chap comin' up!! Enjoy.
I hugged my arms around my body very tightly as I watched the door slide shut and shivered. What happened just a few minutes ago... seemed like a dream, both dreadful but wonderful at the same time. It was so sudden... my heart seemed like it skipped a beat. Before I knew it, it was over in a flash. But good riddance.
"We'll have to punish them later." Chie snarled as she crossed her arms.
"Wow, you got 'em good!" Nanako complimented.
"My aim's pretty deadly, huh?" Rise grinned.
"I wonder if they caught a glimpse... other than him..." I muttered, tightening my grip even more.
"Naoto-kun? Are you okay?" a soft hand fell on my shoulders lightly. It was Yukiko. "You were unbelievably emotional just now."
I turned and shook my head. "No... no, everything's fine. Although I don't really remember clearly of what just happened."
"You don't remember? It happened just a few moments ago! When Yosuke accidentally pushed--" Rise began. But I cut her off as quickly as she started.
"Thank you for the remainder, but no, I don't think I need to remember it again. Besides, it was just a mistake. Can we just, please, let go of this matter and continue on to another subject?" I suggested in vain.
"Well, alright," Chie shrugged in ignorance. "What do you want us to talk about?"
"Oh!" Yukiko gasped. "It's... actually the guys' turn to use the springs now." She giggled. "I got the times mixed up.... ahahahahahaha!!!" She slapped her hand on her thigh a few times while breaking into a fit.
"Are you serious...?" Chie said in disbelief. "Crap, I think we went too far with them..."
"Err... what should we do?" I questioned hesitantly.
"Oh, it'll be fine as long as we keep quiet about it! This'll just be between us girls!" Rise assured.
"Umm..." I tapped my head thoughtfully. It became my trademark everytime I think. "Come to think of it, what was with your strange attitude when you gave the guys the keys, Yukiko-senpai?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"She blinked several times.
"I mean what I just said," I repeated firmly. "You were acting strange, senpai. There must be something that you're hiding from them, and from us, as well. Can you tell us?"
She stared blankly at me for a minute, then laughed. "Just what I expected from a professional sleuth! I knew you were bound to ask that some time after it. Okay then, let me tell you guys the secret." She waved her arms quietly to the other girls, beckoning them to come closer. We huddled close together, even though there weren't anyone there besides us.
"Okay, what is it? What is it?" Rise asked impatiently.
"Shh!! Quiet down!" Yukiko hushed. "I'm sure you all remember Mayumi Yamano, the announcer, right?"
"I remember that before she was murdered, she stayed in this Inn." I recalled. "So... What has she got to do with the room the boys are staying in?"
"Hey, you don't mean...!?" Chie gasped in total shock.
What did she mean, exactly? Yes, Mayumi Yamano did stay in the Inn for one whole night before she was thrown into the TV and murdered. But specifically, which room did she stay in? Once Yukiko put it that way, I had a gut-wrenching feeling in my stomach.
"Y-Yukiko-senpai...?" I felt faintly dizzy. "No wonder you let them stay in a suite. Normally those kinds aren't usually available in this season, right? And I caught a glimpse of a couple of talismans dangling from the ceiling. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but... it looks like it's true."
"You're so wicked, senpai." Rise giggled, while showing her shiny white teeth. "I can't imagine--"
"Hey, be quiet for a sec. I think I just heard something." Chie held a finger up her lips. I strained to hear.
Sure enough, a boyish scream echoed through the building, followed by a couple of pounding footsteps going up a staircase. Their voices sounded terrified and scared. For a minute there, I was going to dash out of the Springs, put on my clothes, and find out what all the commotion was, when I felt a tug in my arm.
"Hold it. Those voices sound strangely familiar, don't you think?" Chie winked. "Especially the boyish scream just now... could it have been none other than our local Junes boy?"
"Oh yeah," I relaxed my tensed muscles. "I suppose they've figured it out already."
"And I have a feeling that Teddie's up to something," Rise wondered aloud. "All those footsteps just now? I think they were headed to our room."
"I hope not." Yukiko groaned.
I glanced at Nanako, who was quiet this entire time. She was staying still. Very still. Her eyes were a bit droopy and her face was flushed. She looked as if she were about to fall asleep in any minute.
"Hey, Nanako-chan? Isn't this past your bedtime already? You should hurry and get some sleep. The heat here is getting too much for you." I said worriedly.
"O-Okay..." She said as she rubbed her eyes drowsily. "I'm going to go sleep...G 'night..."
We wished her a good night as she stepped out of the Springs and changed into her pajamas before she walked away.
For the next few minutes we took the time to enjoy our surroundings and springs. I sighed contently and looked around the area. It looked like an ideal place to relax after a hard or long day. I swam a few laps around the pool, enjoying the feeling of the water overlapping me. Suddenly, another scream filled the air, but this time, words were spoken.
"A-AAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!! BEGONE!!!!" A distinctively shrill voice cried out. Was that... Teddie? What has he gotten himself into?
"HOLY CRAP!! D-D-Don't touch me!!!!" Another followed. Kanji was screaming to the tip of his lungs. God, what were they doing?
A few seonds later, two new voices joined in, and the four of them cried out in unison. A while later, their voices faded away.
"... Now what was that all about? Did they meet a ghost or something?" Chie knitted her brows together. "Hey, did you know Ms. Kashiwagi and Hanako-san were staying in the room next to ours? Those two seem to get along really well... I'm surprised." She suddenly said.
"They come and stay here now and again," Yukiko informed. "Usually they come to cry when something breaks their hearts..." She looked down to her feet.
Chie glanced at me. "Huh. I guess they were really devastated from losing to Naoto-kun." She looked surprised.
I rolled my eyes. "P-Please don't bring that up again..."
"Well, they do make a good team." Rise commented.
An idea struck me across the head. "Don't tell me they actually made the mistake of going into their room instead of ours...!" I exclaimed.
Silence. It was silent as everyone realized the ultimate possibility of the truth behind their yelling and screaming before we all broke into fits of laughter.
We spent a few more minutes cracking jokes and such before finally deciding to call it a night and stepping out of the springs. My body felt very sweaty. Of course, after spending at least two hours in the Springs, who wouldn't feel sweaty and hot? As I switched from my day outfit to my looser nightwear, I trudged out into the lobby of the Amagi Inn with a dazed expression. From the hot stuffy Springs to the cool air-conditioning of the lobby made me want to just sit down and lie there until morning. But I knew that was impossible, unless you wanted to be stared and laughed at.
I decided to sit back on one of the benches and close my eyes for a while, not intending to sleep, just to cool down. I didn't realize another person taking a seat beside me until I decided to open my eyes.
"Mind if I sit down here?"
I blinked my eyes lazily before turning to the one who spoke. I became slightly irritated. "Um, excuse me, can't you just leave me alone for a second?" I squinted at the speaker so that my eyes could adjust to the light. The figure looked like a man... with uniquely gray hair and gray eyes...
Once I knew who it was, I scooted over to the other side of the bench. My eyes flew wide open with anger and embarrassment. "What are you doing here!?" I hissed threateningly. "Still haven't got enough?"
Souji sighed. "Look Naoto, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean it. It was Yosuke who pushed me, and that was an accident, too. We were both innocent. I swear that I didn't do it on purpose. So can't you just forgive me?" He clasped his hands together in a pleading look. "I promise it won't happen again."
I gazed up at the ceiling next, wondering what else to say. From the sound of his voice, he sounded like he meant it, and I wanted to forgive him, too. But I was hesitant. I decided to ask him more about it. Just to confirm to myself that it wasn't a dream.
It was a few minutes later when I spoke again. When I did, however, my face turned into dark shade of red."Um... did...d-did you see anything...?" I muttered, loud enough for him to hear. My face became hot and I looked away. "When... When it happened, of course. D-Did you?"
He broke his pleading stare at me and leaned back casually on the bench. "Me...? Er... To tell you the truth, I uh, saw something. But I can't say what, exactly." He added hurriedly before I could react. "D-Don't worry. Whatever I saw, I'll keep quiet about it. Okay? I'll shut my mouth real tight." He pretended to zip his mouth, lock it with an imaginary key, and throw it away.
"What makes you think I'll believe you?" I replied warily. I crossed both my hands to my chest.
"Look, I've done a lot for you guys! Shouldn't you trust me, as your leader? Well... If the secret gets out, I'll...um...treat you for a whole month!"
"... Not enough."
"I'll treat you for half a year!"
"... Nope."
"A year!"
"... No good."
"Hey, it's just one little secret! Treating you for a year is already way over the top!" He complained.
"... What did you say?" I raised my voice a little and stared daggers at him. I edged a little closer to him with every syllable I said. "One... little... secret...? You call that one LITTLE secret...? Really? Well I don't think that's little, Souji Seta, in fact, it's a big, no rather, an over the top matter. If you dare, even to muster one little word about it to anyone, anyone at all, you'd be wishing that you were never born!" By now, my face was just a few centimeters away from him. With every word I spoke, my voice became more quiet and threatening. My face was so close that I could feel his breath on my cheeks. The fact that I used his full name instead of his first name with honorifics is what scared him.
I held the gaze until he finally spoke, trembling. "Alright, alright, fine. I'll do whatever you want me to do. But only if the secret gets out." He laughed nervously.
With that, I blinked several times in satisfaction, and backed away. I took my belongings and stood up. I tipped my hat to him with a polite nod and said, "Well then, I hope that you have a good night, Souji-kun."
He just stared dumbfoundedly in return. I took that as a yes, and started walking back up to my own room. Along the way, I smirked. 'It's been a while that I've been teasing someone. Reminds me back in the good old times. Oh, the fun of it.'
"Wake up, Naoto-kun!"
A pair of hands shook me awake. "W-What... is it...?" I yawned tiredly.
"God, you sleep like a log! Wake up and get dressed, everyone's gone down to eat breakfast! If you don't hurry, you'll get left behind!" Rise snapped impatiently.
"Then... why don't you... go ahead...?"
"I did! We waited for like, half an hour but you didn't come down! So I volunteered to wake you up!"
I groaned, pushed the covers away and stood up, arms stretching over my head. Something in my body clicked. My eyelids were so heavy, I could hardly keep it open. I shook my head from side to side, in an attempt to brush the bangs out of my face.
"Wow, your hair looks exotic!" Rise breathed. She was looking admiringly at my very messy hair. I was about to reach for a hairbrush when Rise snatched it away. "Don't, Naoto-kun! You look a lot cooler that way! I'm sure no one would recognize you!"
"Rise-san... Please..." I yawned again. "... Where's... my hat...?" I searched clumsily for my familiar blue cap.
Rise gasped as she looked at the time and tugged at me fiercely. "There's no time for that, Naoto-kun! Let's just go downstairs before they eat ahead of us!"
"But... my clothes..." Before I could finish my statement, Rise half-dragged me downstairs where I stumbled and tripped a little on the way.
"Don't worry, we're all still wearing our pajamas, too!" Rise winked.
A few moments later, we went into the Inn's resaurant. A few of the people stared at us--more precisely, me-- as we walked by. I heard a couple of them whisper to each other.
'Hey, that boy's kinda cute! Is he her boyfriend?'
'I wish I had one like him, too. Gosh, she's so lucky!'
'... Talk about Risette with a super-hot guy. They should put this in the papers!'
I rolled my eyes as we walked pass them without taking another glance. "Rise-san, where are the others? We've been walking for some while now. And I told you that I should've brushed my hair, or at least put on my hat and decent clothes! Now people are staring and misunderstanding the situation... And..." I squinted around cautiously, still catching some stares in my direction. The morning light was so blinding. "I don't want to eat in public. Seriously, they're all like stalkers!"
"I'll be surprised if they didn't stare at you." Rise answered simply.
We kept walking until we reached a double door. I nearly fell asleep on the way twice. "Here we are." Rise announced as she opened the door. "Hey guys, she's finally awake!"
After the door opened, even more light came flooding out full force to me. I winced and shielded my eyes, unable to take all the light in at once. "The light..." I muttered. I could hardly make out the figures in front of me.
Rise bounded forward without bothering to help me. She called over her shoulder as she took a seat, "Take a seat, Naoto-kun! Come on, your eyes'll adjust! And stop being so clumsy about it, kay?"
I felt my way to one of the empty seats with my free hand, the other still covering my eyes. I could make out one empty seat as I staggered my way over to it and plopped down without a word. Luckily, I was facing with my back towards the window, so it wasn't as bright as before.
"... Is that really Naoto-kun?" A voice piqued in disbelief. I turned towards the voice and realized it as Yukiko. She was sitting next to Chie, who was next to Kanji.
"Yeah! She hardly looks the same like usual, right?" Rise answered cheerfully. She was sitting across me.
"Whew, now you look more like a Detective Prince!" Yosuke whistled. He sat next to Teddie.
"You can hardly keep your eyes open, can you?" A voice chuckled as his hands shook my hair, making it even messier.
Almost everytime I wake up, I always feel a bit too emotional. I could easily get mad, happy, embarrassed, or get messed up in a jumble of feelings. Today was like one of those times.
"... Argh, quit it, Souji-kun," I replied, annoyed and swatted at the hand. He was sitting on my left, and Teddie on my right. His hand dodged mine swiftfully and everytime I missed, I growled in annoyance.
"Hahahaha, you're cute when you're like that." Souji laughed, letting down his guard by a little. By reflex I hit him with my clenched knuckles which connected to his jaw. Fortunately, it wasn't hard enough to bleed, but it was enough to make him double over in pain. My eyes flew wide open at that, and my sleepiness vanished without a trace.
As he sat there groaning, I rubbed my hands and picked up my chopsticks. I looked at the people around me. They were all staring at us, dumbfounded.
Silence.
"Um, the food is going to get cold if we don't eat it soon. Let's eat, shall we?" I laughed nervously. My feet tapped the floor impatiently.
"... Oh, r-right... Let's eat..." Chie responded, her stiff smile twitching.
"Itadakimasu!" Rise said before picking up her chopsticks and diving into her food.
The morning went by quickly in the Amagi Inn.
... Lesser than before, eh? I was afraid that it would become boring to read if I wrote too long for each chapter.
BTW, I decided to make Naoto a bit emotional in this chapter. I gave her personality a few tweaks, it was for the better. Hopefully she doesn't become weird. Please R&R?