So... yeah. This is actually a chapter. I'm sure you're all thrilled that I'm finally updating after disappearing and falling into... a coma. Yeah. That's why I didn't update. I was in a coma. A very busy college, con-filled, and anime-related coma. With pickles-EVIL PICKLES.
But in all seriousness, this really is the next chapter, and my BETA has chapter ten in the works as well (again, if that one is super late, you should all go and troll him via private messages.) The writing is really old because the chapters have been done for a while and they just... didn't get BETA'd. The next two chapters are going to be pretty crappy, seeing as they are pretty much my work of almost a year ago, but after that things will get new and fresh and... yeah.
Enjoy and be sure to praise me. Or something. Honestly, I don't deserve much of anything after I made you all wait for so long, so please know I'm very sorry for the wait.
Chapter Nine: Golden Week
"Have you gathered everything you need, Naoto-sama?"
"Ah, yes. I've taken all my bags downstairs and set them in the hallway. My backpack come in the car with me; I'll be down as soon as I finish putting together a few last minute items I wish to keep on my person."
Yakushiji nodded as he turned to leave the room, pausing by Naoto's bedroom door as he glanced over his shoulder, "Have you completed your examination on the package you received, Naoto-sama? Or shall I retrieve it from your grandfather?"
"…No, there is no need to bring that along. If… if I haven't found anything by now, I doubt I'll suddenly come across in Inaba. Please have Grampa discard the box."
"Right away, Naoto-sama. I'll take everything to the car now. See you downstairs."
Waiting until the blond secretary shut the door behind him, Naoto quickly walked the length of her room to her bed where an open backpack sat with various objects—mostly small puzzles and books—placed inside. Opening the drawer of her bedside table, the sleuth produced the DVD box set which was put inside the bag without a second thought. The next item was pulled out much slower, delicately, almost as if made of glass.
"I wonder… Grampa said that it's possible I might find my secret admirer during my next collaboration. Could he have meant Inaba? I can't say for sure, but…" Raising the item to eye-level, Naoto carefully looked it over, searching for any obvious hints she might have missed before sighing in defeat. I shouldn't waste my time with this. There is a much more important case at hand. No matter what curiosity tugs at me, I cannot allow a personal dilemma to get in the way of the job I'm about to take on.
"…I've already allowed myself to go to Inaba early to start my own personal investigation. I don't have time for this." Naoto turned back to the table and moved to put the book back into its drawer, pausing as she started blankly at the cover. With a frustrated sigh, it was carefully zipped into the large front pocket of the bag and it was snapped shut and slung over her shoulder. I'm being foolish about this entire ordeal. I'm simply bringing the book for reading. Nothing more.
"Nanako!" Souji called as he walked into the living room, "I'm home."
"Oh… Welcome home." Nanako peered up at Souji from the table in the living room, tilting her head curiously at the bag he was carrying, "Huh…? What's that? Did you go shop—I-is that a Junes bag?"
"Oh, this?" The silverette held up the bag and nodded. "Yeah, I stopped by on the way home." Today's the second. In a few hours Dojima will call... The least I can do right now is cheer her up while I can. "Do you want to see what I got?"
"Yeah!" The brunette scrambled to her feet and quickly followed Souji into the kitchen, watching as the silverette began unpacking various foods and ingredients, putting them away in their various locations as he did.
"Is the bag empty now?" she asked as Souji sat at the larger table in the kitchen, frowning as she realized it was still heavy. "You forgot something…"
"Oh…?" The teen peered into the bag, smiling slightly as he shook his head. "No, it doesn't look like I did. I took out everything I bought to make boxed lunches for the week. Whatever is left must be yours."
"Wh-what? Really? Y-you got me something!"
"Of course," Souji smiled softly, ruffling Nanako's hair gently. "We're family, right? I wanted to get you something nice for Golden Week."
"Oh wow… Thank you, Souji!"
The faint sting the silverette felt when he heard his name rather than 'big bro' was short lived as Nanako threw her arms around his waist and hugged him as tightly her small body would allow. "I love Junes! Thank you!"
"N-no problem." Souji blushed, watching as Nanako ran into the living room to look inside the bag. No matter how many times I have to live through this year, she never loses her adorable charm… He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Nanako? I'm going to start dinner now, okay? I bought some ingredients for tonight, so you can watch TV."
"Really! Thank you!" Nanako cried happily, clutching the soft pumpkin-like plush doll she'd found in the bag to her chest. "What're you making?"
"Ah… just something small today, it's already pretty late. Riceballs, small side salads, and yakisoba. If there's time, I'll try and make strawberry shortcake for dessert." If I can't make it today, I'll definitely make it tomorrow… I want to keep her happy right now.
By the time dinner was finished, the entire house had been filled with a pleasant aroma. Everywhere from the upstairs bathroom to the far corners of Dojima's room in back smelled like the fresh, sizzling yakisoba Souji was carefully moving onto plates to be served. The teen's bangs were damp from the thin layer of sweat that had formed from standing over the stove, and the relief that came with stepping away was not unwelcome.
"Nanako, could you please grab the riceballs and take them into the living room? I'll bring in the salad and drinks after I bring the soba in."
"I can get them," the brunette replied cheerfully, scooping the plate of rice up with ease and running it to the table before returning to open the fridge. "Do you want tea? I think dad keeps the leaves up in the cabinet, but…"
"Juice is just fine, Nanako." Souji smiled, "I'll have whatever you're having."
"Okay! I can take the salads in too." Slipping behind Souji, Nanako balanced the cans of juice in the crook of her elbow and grabbed the small bowls off the counter. "I already took the chopsticks in when I grabbed the riceballs, so it's all ready for you."
"Thank you, Nanako. Go sit down now… I'm bringing in the soba." The silver-haired teen smiled softly as he watched Nanako rush toward the table, nearly tripping over the pillow Dojima normally sat on in her excitement. Is my cooking that good? He wondered absently as he set a plate in front of an ecstatic Nanako. I guess I'm so used to eating my own meals that I wouldn't really know.
"Thank you for dinner." Nanako mumbled through a mouthful of noodles, her entire face shinning with happiness. "It's really good."
"Heh, I'm glad. I'll be making dinner all this week too, so I hope I can keep up to your expectations."
"Y-you are?" the brunette looked at Souji in awe.
"Haha, I am. Since I can't do very much for Golden Week for you and your dad, I'll try and do as many of the small things I can do."
"Yaaay! A whole week of Souji's cooking! I can't wait!"
Yeah, me neither. The silverette sighed softly, glancing toward the TV where one of Nanako's favorite nighttime cartoons flashed across the screen. He reached for the remote, pausing as his finger lingered over the channel buttons.
"Nanako? Would you mind if I checked the news really quick?"
"The news…? Go ahead, I don't mind."
"—Union ATM to the north of town today was destroyed today and all the cash inside was stolen. The vehicle found at the scene, abandoned, had been reported stolen earlier today by a local contractor. Since the culprit was able to act quickly before security guards could arrive on the scene, the police have..."
"…Souji? Why is dad late?" Nanako asked, looking at the small clock in the corner of the news screen. "Didn't he say he'd be home early today?"
"He…" Souji trailed off as the phone began ringing behind him. Jumping to his feet, the teen rushed over to the phone, narrowly avoiding a collision with Nanako who'd risen at the same time he had. "S-sorry, Nanako. I wasn't looking—Hello, Dojima residence."
"…Souji? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me. Nanako and I are just finishing up dinner." Just as I thought, he's calling to let us know he can't come. "Did you want to talk to Nanako?"
"Ah… no, that's alright. It's probably better you got to the phone first anyway. I, well, about the fourth and the fifth…"
Souji sighed softly, glancing toward Nanako who was watching him curiously. "…Something came up?"
"Y-yeah…" Dojima's voice was soft, an almost dead feeling to his tone. "One of the younger guys got sick and the case he was working on… Well, the higher-ups said we couldn't let it sit, so…"
"You won't be here?"
"…No. I'll be home late as well; I want to get as much of the case done as I can tonight so I'll be able to come home early next week."
"I see." Just like before. "I'll let Nanako know then…"
"…Yeah, thanks." Souji heard Dojima sigh heavily followed by the sound of papers being shuffled in the background. "Could you… comfort Nanako for me? I'll try and apologize myself the next time I see her, but I—dammit Adachi! Be careful! Set the coffee down before you spill all over the documents and we have to start over. …No I don't give a damn if you haven't gotten the cream yet! Set it down and then get the cream! I—nevermind. Just sit. I said SIT!"
"Um, Uncle Dojima…? I-I'm, uh… going to let you go now, okay? Don't worry, I'll talk to Nanako. There's some yakisoba and riceballs for you in the fridge when you get home. I wrapped up the leftovers from dinner."
"Thanks, Souji… I'll talk to you later."
"Bye." Hanging up with a soft groan if disappointment, Souji turned, blinking in surprise as he noticed Nanako standing just a few inches from his face, a downtrodden look on her face.
"…Dad can't get those days off, can he?"
Souji bit his lip, not wanting to say yes. He felt awful, like there was something he could have done to save Dojima from having to take the sick lower officers place… but in the end he knew he couldn't do anything. He didn't know which of the lower officers got sick, and even if he'd asked about the cases currently being investigated, he wouldn't have gotten an answer.
"…No." the teen finally muttered, stepping forward to rest a hand on Nanako's head gently. "Something came up at work, and they're making him replace someone who got sick. He's really upset about it. He sounded ready to cry on the phone." It was a lie, and a stupid one at that, but the silverette felt he needed to do something to redeem his uncle. He knew perfectly well that the man was trying his hardest to raise his daughter—he just needed a nice push over the line he was too scared to cross.
"…That's okay." Nanako muttered, bowing her head. "It's alright… Dad's just doing his job, right? He's stopping the bad people… so it's okay if he can't come."
Despite her words, Souji could hear the tears that threatened to overflow. Quickly kneeling down, he cupped Nanako's face in his hands, raising his gaze to his own. "Hey… don't be sad. I promised, the next weekend he's home with us, we can all go to Junes together, okay? We'll get all sorts of ingredients and we'll make whatever you want for dinner together, alright?"
"…R-really?" The brunette hiccupped softly, rubbing her watering eyes.
"Really." Souji nodded, smiling softly. "I promise, okay? I haven't ever let you down before." And I don't plan to start. If I'm going to relive this year, I'm going to make sure I do everything I can for everyone before I leave in the spring… no matter what. I'm not leaving with any regrets. "So don't be sad... Come on, show me a smile."
Through her tears, a small smile crossed Nanako's lips as she nodded, rubbing her eyes. "Okay…"
"Good girl…" the silver-eyed teen muttered, pulling the young brunette into a warm hug. "It's getting late, so you should head to bed for the night. I'll lock up, okay? We'll do something fun tomorrow."
"Okay, G'night…"
"Sweet dreams, Nanako." Souji murmured as he watched his cousin slip into the hallway. Tomorrow is the first day of Golden Week, and if things haven't changed too much… that means Chie will be here tomorrow morning. I should head to bed after myself after I lock up…
Souji awoke early the next morning in a cold sweat, panting heavily as he look frantically around his dark room. Gulping, the silver-haired teen quickly slipped from his covers and crawled to the small couch in his room, not trusting his legs to hold his weight. His arms shook as he pulled himself into a sitting position on the soft cushions and a violent shiver ran down his spine.
"Th-that dream…" he muttered, wrapping his arms around himself tightly in an attempt to calm down. "Almost every night since I've gotten my memories back… that dream haunts me." Souji gulped, closing his eyes as he searched his mind for something to distract him from the scream that continued to ring in his ears as clearly as it had in the dream. N-Naoto… I'm sorry. I'm… so sorry. I couldn't protect you… even after I promised that I…
He shuddered again and shook his head as he stood up slowly. N-no… I shouldn't think like that. This time… this time it will be different. I won't let her die. I'll do everything in my power to save as many lives as I can… I won't make the same mistakes. I can't.
Nodding to himself in silent resolve, Souji stepped shakily around the coffee table in his room and made his way toward the dresser. It took him longer than normal to dress and prepare himself for the day, his trembling hands making it difficult to pull on clothes and brush his teeth. When he finally finished the teen glanced at the clock to see it had taken him over an hour to do so. And it's still barely six in the morning… he sighed and walked toward his door. This can't be healthy… I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in over a week now. At this rate… I'll end up exhausting myself before I can change anything.
Souji slipped silently down the stairs and started toward the kitchen, glancing into the entrance way to see Dojima's shoes and coat were already gone. A sad look flickered across his features as he opened the fridge, looking for something to make for breakfast. Looks like that case was a lot more important than I thought… I didn't even hear him wake up or move around. Does that mean… he was gone even before I was up…?
"I wonder what Nanako would…" he trailed off, staring at something in the corner of the fridge.
A small circular container sat behind a carton of milk. The contents were white, although there was something about the colouring that unnerved the silverette as he picked it up, turning the container over to look through the transparent plastic. He blinked slowly and turned it back around, reading the label on the lid.
'Organic Red Miso'
Souji turned the container over again and stared at the white paste, his mouth hanging open slightly. His hand moved on its own accord and a bizarre aroma obscured his senses as the lid was suddenly removed and the container placed on the counter. In the back of his mind, a soft voice was muttering instructions to him that he wasn't convinced were particularly wise to listen to.
A spoon that he didn't remember picking up scooped a small portion of the "red" miso and was moving toward his mouth. Another voice suddenly filled his mind as it screamed for him to put the spoon down, but the other, more daring voice seemed to be winning and before Souji knew it the spoon had landed to the floor with a clattered and he was gulping greedily straight from the faucet.
…I really need to stop doing that. The teen thought as he dried his mouth and quickly disposed of the heavily expired miso. Why on earth did I think it was going to taste any different than last time?
Pushing the act of bravery—or was it stupidity?—to the side, he opened the fridge once more and began removing the items he'd need for a simple western style breakfast. I remember Nanako liked omelets... normally she makes eggs and toast for breakfast, so maybe she'll enjoy a full western breakfast.
When Nanako woke up just over an hour later, the young brunette entered the living room to find eggs, bacon, toast, jam, butter, sliced fruit, milk, and juice waiting for her along with Souji, who was watching a news cast with feigned interest.
"Good morning, Nanako." The teen smiled, gesturing for her to sit down. "I finished everything a few minutes ago, but I think I was able to keep it warm enough to still taste good. I hope you like western-style food."
Nanako stared at the table, eyes wide, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. Walking to the table slowly, she sat down and carefully looked over each dish in turn—it was obvious she wasn't convinced she was awake yet.
"Would you like butter, or jam?"
"H-huh…?"
"On your toast," Souji smiled. "Butter or jam? We only had strawberry and grape, but I'm sure we can grab some when we go to Junes."
"Wha…?" That appeared to wake the brunette up. "W-we're going to Junes!"
"Oh course." The teen nodded, reaching for the strawberry jam and hoping his memory served as well as he thought it did. "It's Golden Week after all, so let's have fun together. One of my friends should be here in a little bit to take us there… Ah, that is, if you wouldn't mind hanging out with us older kids." Nanako is a brilliant girl, but she's still a child. I'm sure I can tell her that without her being able to figure out the truth. I can… always say it was just a magic trick.
"I-I can come? Really!"
"Why not? I can't just leave you home alone on a day like today."
"Oh…" Leaping from her seat, Nanako ran around the table and wrapped her arms around the sitting Souji's neck, smiling happily. "Thank you! You're the greatest cousin ever!"
"N-not really…" Souji muttered, stunned. "Now hurry back to your seat and eat up. We don't want all this food to go to waste by getting cold, do we?"
"Uh-uh! I want to try everything!"
"Heh… Don't eat too much now, you'll make yourself sick." It's really easy to cheer a girl like Nanako up. I wouldn't say she's 'simple-minded', but she has that innocent aura and you can't help but want to spoil her… Dojima is going to kill me for all this later in life.
Breakfast passed cheerfully between the two. Souji's predictions on how much they'd eat were nearly perfect and very few leftovers remained. When they finished, they tossed what was left of the toast to birds in the yard and left the extra eggs for stray cats. The dishes had only taken a few minutes to wash, and just as Souji predicted, the doorbell rang shortly after they finished.
Right on time… Souji thought, walking to the door followed by an excited Nanako. Unlocking the sliding wooden door, he opened his mouth to greet the martial artist he knew to be beyond it.
"Hey. Good after—Yukiko?"
"Good afternoon, Souji-kun." The raven smiled, peering around him to look down at the bubbly brunette behind him. "Oh! Is this Nanako-chan? I've heard about her from Chie and Yosuke-kun… You never told us how adorable she was."
Nanako blushed and hid behind Souji's legs, peering out at Yukiko from beside Souji's elbow.
"…'lo."
The silverette had to bite back a laugh, amused with the similarities the situation had with his arrival in Inaba. Stepping to the side, he knelt beside Nanako and urged her forward; taking care to keep behind her to avoid the same fist Dojima had gotten to the back. "Nanako, this is Yukiko Amagi. She's in the same class as me, and her family runs the big inn."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nanako-chan." Yukiko smiled pleasantly, glancing between the two cousins. "Um… I came here to ask Souji-kun if he wanted to join us at Junes. Chie and Yosuke-kun are already there. They woke up early to get breakfast together at the shopping district since Yosuke-kun will be on the clock while we're there. Would you… like to come with us?" The raven glanced toward Souji, unsure if she had permission to invite the young girl out.
"Wow… He was right!" Nanako nodded, her small pigtails bobbing around with each dip of her head. "I want to come, I want to come!"
"Is that alright with you, Souji-kun?"
"Of course, just like I told you, right Nanako-chan?"
"Just like you… huh?" Yukiko blinked in surprise. "Did Chie already call you?"
"Ah…" The teen laughed nervously and shook his head, smiling awkwardly. "No… I, ah, told Nanako I'd take her to Junes with my friends today for Golden Week. It was a lucky guess on my part, really. Yosuke said he didn't have any plans on Friday and Chie said her family would be busy, so…"
"That makes sense," the raven nodded and stepped back, slipping her shoes back on. "Well, shall we be going then?"
"I can't believe you dragged Nanako-chan to a place like this on Golden Week…" Yosuke muttered as he collapsed into the chair next to Chie at the table everyone hard gathered around in the Junes food court. "Isn't this completely boring for a kid like her? You should have taken her someplace fun."
"Where else is there to go?" Chie asked, looking genuinely curious. "It isn't as if the shopping district is all that entertaining for kids, and there aren't any real playgrounds around here to play at. Junes is all we have besides the Amagi inn, and Yukiko is here… so going there would be pointless. Besides, if we went anywhere else…" the martial artist trailed off, blushing faintly as she mumbled something under her breath that Souji was sure sounded like 'I couldn't see you', and quickly changed the topic. "A-anyway… You don't mind, do you, Nanako-chan?"
"Uh-uh…" Nanako smiled happily, swinging her legs back and forth as she swayed to the loudspeaker music in her chair. "I love Junes!"
"N-Nanako-chan…!" Yosuke beamed at Nanako from across the table, looking flattered. "Y-you do? That's great! I'm really glad. Feel free to stop by anytime you want, okay?"
Nanako nodded, an eager look on her face. "Yeah! I love Junes! I wish I could come everyday!"
"Wow…" the older brunette muttered, looking at Nanako in awe. "You know, we've been looking for a local spokesperson. I bet Nanako would be great for the job. How could anyone get upset with a cute little girl like her?"
"…I think we'd better wait on that one, partner." Souji muttered, holding back an amused smile. "Nanako is young, and I doubt my Uncle would allow her to work anywhere at her age. I'm sure someone will come along for the job."
"Someone better than Nanako? What are you suggesting? We throw someone out here in a suit as like, a mascot, or something?"
"…It could happen." Give it a month or so and it will happen.
"Haha, yeah right. Who'd want to wander around this place in a suit? The summers in Inaba are killer and no one would be willing to stand around in a walking heatsack."
"I wouldn't be so sure. Some people enjoy doing that kind of thing…"
"Whatever you say, Souji."
"Anyway, Nanako-chan, are you having fun? I know we're a lot older than you, so…" Yosuke trailed off, looking uneasy. "We're not boring you, right?"
"No… I'm having fun." Nanako smiled briefly before her shoulders slumped. "I love Junes, but we were supposed to go on a real trip. We were gonna make boxed lunches to take with us too…"
"Boxed lunches?" Yukiko repeated, looking impressed. "You can make boxed lunches, Nanako-chan?"
"No, Dad and I can't cook. Normally, we eat side dishes from Junes for dinner." She looked toward Souji, who coughed, blushing faintly as everyone stared at him. I-is it really that surprising to see a guy who can cook?
"Wow… Family cook, huh?" Chie grinned, "I was wondering why you never bought lunch at school. Pretty impressive, 'big bro'."
"I wouldn't call it impressive, I've been cooking my own meals since I was a kid."
"Big… bro…?" Nanako repeated softly, looking at Souji.
"Whoa… you can cook? Damn, I knew you were good with your hands and all but—" Yosuke trailed off, his face scrunching up as he realized what he'd just said. "…N-nevermind. Forget I said anything."
"H-hey! I'm a pretty good cook too, you know!" Chie protested, "I mean, I could make us lunch boxes easy as pie… Good ones, too! With… rice."
"…Rice?" Yosuke repeated skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you the one who panicked when I asked if we could make dinner together sometime?"
"I-I…" Chie gulped, looking nervous. "I just… work better alone, is all. I'm not good at cooking with a group. Yeah, I'm a solo artist!"
"Uh-huh…" the brunette male smirked, shaking his head slowly. "You know, you're getting awfully defensive, Chie. I never said I was a top-grade chef. Still, I can't help but feel… like my cooking is better anyway."
"Hey!"
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was." Yukiko laughed, watching Chie with an amused look. "I remember the last time she was in our kitchen—"
"Yukiko! Shush!" Chie cried, looking horrified. "I already told you that was an accident!"
"Well, if you're so confident… Why don't we have a cook off?" Yosuke grinned. "Nanako-chan can be our judge."
"H-hey… Yosuke." Souji cut in, knowing what was coming next. "Wait a…"
"Why wait?" the brunette asked, looking confused. "Come on, man. Obviously you can't enter. You'd beat us all hands down. Besides, I bet your cooking is right up there with her mom's. You'd be impossible to win against."
"I don't have a mom," Nanako said quietly, looking down at the table. "She died in an accident…"
Souji winced. This was what he'd been trying to avoid. The silverette could clearly recall the memory of his mother picking up the phone one day after he'd come home from school, and burst into tears as soon as she'd hung up. She had left for a week after that, saying that she needed to go visit her brother in Inaba. His father had explain to him what happened, but said that he'd be going with his mother and he was to stay with the neighbors until they got back. To this day, the silver-haired teen couldn't figure out why his parents hadn't just taken him with them, but he'd never gotten the right chance to ask.
"O-oh…" Yosuke's face fell as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing toward Souji apologetically.
"Hey, Yosuke," Chie hissed, kicking the brunette under the table. "Say something…"
"I'm... I'm sorry, Nanako-chan. I… I didn't know."
"U-um…" Nanako shook her head quickly, eyes wide as she tried to understand why everyone had suddenly gotten so upset. "It's okay… I don't have a mom anymore, but I have dad with me, so I'm okay." The color in Nanako's cheeks rose as she looked toward Souji, smiling brightly. "And now… I have a big brother too!"
Despite knowing it was coming, the effect it had on Souji hadn't been lessened at all. A gentle smile spread across his face as the small voice in the back of his mind cooed in delight. As an only child, he'd grown used to being alone, but he was none-the-less thrilled to hear Nanako call him her "big brother" again. It's the simple things like this that you don't realize you'll miss until they're suddenly ripped away from you.
"Ahaha… Y-yeah." Yosuke nodded quickly, relieved by Nanako's forgiving nature. "This guy is pretty great, huh?"
"Uh-huh! He's the best! Be bought me a plushie yesterday for Golden Week! He said it was called a 'Pyro Jack' and he made dinner, too! His cooking is really good!"
"That's great…" Yukiko said softly. "I bet he plays with you a lot as well."
"Yeah, he does! He reads for me every night before I go to bed, and he watches TV with me too!"
"That's really nice of him." Chie said, looking at Souji in admiration. "We'll play with you anytime you want too, okay, Nanako-chan?"
"Yes…" the raven nodded in agreement. "We should hang out more often. It'll be fun."
"Would you really?" Nanako asked. "You'll all play with me…?"
"Yeah! Anytime." Yosuke stood up, grinning. "Come on, let's go grab a soda, eh?"
"Okay!" The young brunette jumped down from her seat and started around the table to join Yosuke, pausing as she looked back at Souji. "Oh… Can I?"
The silver-haired teen nodded. "Sure, go right ahead. Make sure he gets you something nice and expensive."
Yosuke laughed nervously as Nanako nodded before joining the headphone-clad teen on his way to the concession stand.
"She's so strong, isn't she?" Yukiko sighed softly, watching Nanako's retreating back. "To think that a girl her age has gone through so much and can still smile as if nothing has happened…"
"Yeah… Talk about mature. She makes us look like the kiddies around here." Chie agreed, standing up. "Hey, Yukiko. Let's go get something for Nanako-chan, too. She'll need something to eat with that soda."
"Mmhmm." Yukiko nodded and stood up, quickly following after Chie as the martial artist left to join Yosuke at the counter.
"Hey! Big bro! Do you want something too?" Nanako called as she ran back toward the table, looking at Souji expectantly. "Let's share some tokoyaki together!"
"Ahaha, alright." Souji stood up and smiled, allowing Nanako to drag him back towards the concessions. "Come on , big bro! Hurry, hurry! Chie-san and Yukiko-san said they'd pay for it!"
The front door of the Dojima household rattled softly as it was carefully pushed open. Souji slipped into the entranceway and kicked off his shoes, pausing as Yosuke stepped in beside him.
"Here, turn around, I'll get her shoes." The brunette muttered, kneeling down to take off the Nanako's shoes, taking care not to wake up the slumbering girl. "She's completely out, huh? Good thing we were able to get her on your back before she passed out."
"Yeah. Thanks for the help, Yosuke."
"No problem, partner. Always glad to lend you a hand. Need anything else?"
"No, I'll be alright." Souji shook his head, and nodded towards the hallway. "I'm going to put her to bed and then get ready to sleep myself. I'm wiped…"
"Yeah, me too." Yosuke muttered, biting back a yawn. "So, I guess I'll see you Thursday then? Chie and I are going to Okina station for the day—though Yukiko-san said she might invite you and Nanako-chan to relax in the hot springs together for a day. Man, you really are a lucky bastard, aren't you? You're already winning the heart of the girl almost every guy in school wants."
"Ahaha, not really. We're just friends, Yosuke. I've already given my heart to someone precious to me… I wouldn't betray her for anything."
"Whoa… Don't get all serious on me, dude. I was just kidding. I doubt Yukiko-san would fall for anyone that quickly, even a guy like you—no offense."
"None taken, Yosuke. Just be careful. It's saying that sort of stuff that put that wall between you and Chie in the first place. You two did well in knocking it down, so don't build it back up, okay?"
"…You're the serious romantic type, huh?"
Souji laughed and started for the hallway. "I don't know if I'm the 'serious romantic'. I'm just the kind of guy who doesn't want to see something like what you two have go to waste over something small."
"…Dude, you really are something, you know that? Anyway, Sleep well."
"You too. Be careful on your way home."
"I always am. Later!"
A sleek black Acura pulled into the empty driveway of a two-story house in Inaba's residential district. It was a generously sized traditional Japanese-style home with a warm and humble appearance to it. The headlights shone brightly upon the small concert of the arched driveway before being shut off. A faint 'click' was heard in the quiet night as the driver's door was opened and the blond Shirogane secretary stepped out, glancing around the area once more making his way to the passenger side and opening the door to lean inside.
"Naoto-sama…" Yakushiji called softly, shaking the young Shirogane's shoulder lightly. "Naoto-sama, We've arrived in Inaba. If you'll go inside, I will bring your bags up to your room for you. A futon and your requested furnishings have already been moved inside."
"Mnngh…?" Naoto opened a bleary eye, blinking slowly as she gazed up at Yakushiji, dazed. "O-oh. We're here. I apologize, I didn't… I didn't mean to fall asleep in the car as I did. It seems I didn't get as much sleep last night as I thought."
"It's late, Naoto-sama. I can hardly blame you for falling asleep. I placed the book you were reading back in your bag when I stopped for gas. Here is your copy of the key, please head inside and head for your room. There should be a set of sleeping clothes on the bed for you."
"Ah… Thank you." The sleuth muttered, rubbing her eyes as she slipped from the vehicle slowly, still in a daze from having been woken up. "Please don't stress yourself over the larger bags. Just a single suitcase of clothes will do for the night. You must be tired as well… We'll worry about them in the morning."
"As you wish, Naoto-sama."
Nodding sleepily, the young Shirogane made her way around the car slowly, fumbling with her keys as she reached the door, fighting back a yawn. She slide the door open and left it as it was, hoping that it would be easier for Yakushiji to bring in the bags.
"Bed…" she mumbled, drifting toward the stairs on autopilot and down the hall.
Finding her room with ease, she slipped inside and shut the door behind her, dropping her bag into a large plush chair near the bookcase full of books that she was too tired to examine. Without bothering to turn the light on, she grabbed the neatly folded clothes from the end of the futon, making a mental note to ask Yakushiji who had prepared the house in the morning. Her clothes were left on the floor in a small pile as she climbed under the covers and settled in, too tired to worry about anything else.
"Inaba… This is where I'll be residing for perhaps the next year or longer. I haven't been put on the case officially yet, but I'll need to…" she yawned, allowing her eyes to slip shut. "I'll need to gather as much information as I can on my own."
Barely more than a minute later, the young detective was out like a night, allowing herself to succumb to world of sleep, vaguely curious if she'd see the faceless boy with light hair and wearing a dark uniform that had plagued her dreams for almost a week now.