A/N: Wow, I got a lot of new followers/favorites that last chapter - that makes me really happy! Hi, everyone, nice to meet you!

On an off note, gosh, the new Persona games are coming out soon/are out now... isn't it exciting? (But for the purpose of this fanfic, I've decided to go with my own canon, not the official one... I'm actually quite aware what things aren't in cannon, like Chie's career choice, or the TV world, but that really depends on if you got the true ending or not.) I heard Nanako's a Navigator in P4:Arena - now I wanna know if she's gotten her own Persona! Who knows, hehe.

Back on topic. Thanks to everyone who favorited, subscribed, and reviewed! In reply to some of your reviews in general, I've thought about doing some stuff in Kanji's point of view, but I feel like it might break the pattern I've been having with the flashbacks being of Naoto's past. (The actual chapters, they're a given that some will be in Kanji's POV. I love writing those chapters!) So I probably won't change that.

However, lately I've been debating putting in some Kanji flashbacks - but maybe at the beginning instead? What do you guys think, would it be too confusing/too much to think about in the chapters? (Also noting that if I do put in the occassional Kanji flashback, the actual content of the chapter would be shorter, unless I omit the Naoto flashback in the stead of the Kanji flashback...) I feel like it might clutter the writing and disturb the pace a bit... IDK, your thoughts everyone? (The alternative would be: I write the current GLC as "Part 1" and write something of a "Part 2" with Kanji as the focus instead of Naoto. Would you guys like that better? 'Cause, not to spoil anything, but I WAS planning something of a divide after Naoto finds the answer to her questions/deals with her Shadow.)

Anyway. You might have noticed there's a new cover image! I finished it just this morning. Yep, yours truly did that, hehe. Go to my deviantart or twitter (links in my profile) for the full resolution! As for the chapter... Besides that I made up all the stuff about Featherman (I really have no clue), I'm actually quite fond of this chapter (in general, flashbacks and all), so I hope you enjoy it. Please review!

SLIGHTLY UNRELATED ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm writing a new fanfiction, it's a Persona x Katekyo Hitman Reborn! crossover I'm collaborating with my sister on. It stars Naoto alongside KHR's protagonist, Tsuna, and I promise it'll be interesting! (And don't worry, it's not shipping those two. I'm KanjiXNaoto all the way!) It will also update every Friday, and you can find the description and link to it in my profile (since it's on my sister's account). Check it out!

.~.~.~.~.~.

Chapter 12: Five Years Old Till Now

.~.~.~.~.~.

"C'mon, Naoto-kun! I wanna see your old room." Kanji grinned, trying to go upstairs. Naoto was pulling on his arm, though, trying to stop him.

"Wh—no!" Naoto protested vehemently, "I-it's not that interesting, and it's a little messy, and—"

"Messy? You seem to be the neat and organized type, though." Kanji pointed out, taking another step up the flight of stairs, "What's in there that you're embarrassed about? I promise I won't laugh."

"I—no." She pouted, "Please, can we just—"

"It's only fair, Naoto-kun—you've seen my room." He said, "That's like, a museum of my entire life, y'know."

"But—"

Eventually Kanji managed to convince Naoto to let him see her old room. They climbed three flights of stairs until they got to the top floor.

"P-promise you won't laugh?" Naoto emphasized again, hesitantly leading the way.

"I promise," He chuckled a little, nodding. Naoto was being silly.

She stopped at the end of the hallway, sighing in defeat as she opened the door. She stepped aside, a signal that allowed Kanji to go in first.

He was as amazed as he was when he first saw her mansion. The room was… a huge contrast to the rest of the elegant, rich-looking estate. It looked like a little boy's room, complete with posters of kids' TV shows and action figures.

"Whoa." He breathed, and his girlfriend stared at him anxiously, a dark blush on her face. "This is… so cool!"

"Huh?" Naoto looked surprised. That wasn't what she expected at all.

"Dude, you have the original Featherman DVDs? And the figurines! This is awesome," Kanji went over to her shelf, looking at all the models there, "I didn't know you liked Featherman! I loved Featherman as a kid!"

"Oh, uh… well, I…" Naoto shifted uncomfortably, blushing in embarrassment again, "as a child, I didn't have much to do but watch television, since books were too hard for me to read back then. The love for the shows never faded…"

Kanji looked over to her, surprised. He glanced at the wall of posters. She had one for almost every season. "Featherman, Phoenix Ranger Featherman R, Neo Featherman…" He blinked, "Hey, that was the one that was showing about six years ago, right?"

"Y-yes." Naoto rubbed her arm, feeling conscious, "I know it's a children's show, but…"

"That's cute." Kanji smiled at her, "I was watching it with Hiro-kun once—even though I didn't really know what was going on, it felt nostalgic, y'know?"

"Perhaps the feeling of nostalgia is what drew me." Naoto nodded.

"Now that I think about it, the Secret Laboratory back then… it even had the Featherman emblem on it, right? The gold phoenix-eagle thing in the ring on the red banners and stuff." Kanji noted, "Haha, should've known you were into it from that, but I guess it never really occurred to us that you were that… childish."

"Well, it was the reflection of who I was, I suppose." Naoto blushed, pouting. She changed the subject, not wanting to talk about her TV reality. "My favorite was always Blue Swan. He was the smart one."

"I liked Black Condor." Kanji chuckled, "I was so pissed when he died! I remember I wrote to the station that showed Featherman R and demanded to know why he was killed off, and I begged them to bring him back somehow. Haha."

"But he didn't actually die—he came back and helped the rest of the team secretly, then made his reappearance… They don't actually kill anyone on shows like these." Naoto smiled fondly. She had never actually talked to anyone about the show she had loved as a child—it felt nice to have someone who shared her interest.

Kanji was looking around the rest of the room, amused at Naoto's childhood memories. She kept so many things, and it was true that she never threw anything away. Not even the superhero toys from fast food restaurants, which sat next to her collectible figurines. He had known that Naoto wanted to be a boy, but to have been this boyish even at a young age…

"When I was younger, I hoped my parents would be like Black Condor." Naoto said quietly, and he looked over at her sudden melancholy tone. She was looking down, avoiding his gaze—hiding the sadness that had laced her voice. "I hoped they weren't actually dead, and they were secretly helping me and grampa with cases, and that they would make a reappearance and we could be a family again. They never did."

"Naoto-kun…" He stared at her a moment longer, then went over to wrap his arms around her awkwardly, trying to comfort her.

"I knew when to separate reality from fantasy, but… I was a child. Children need their parents." Naoto sighed, hugging him back. "I even wished they would come back when I blew out the candles on my birthday. Or that I could find them if I looked hard enough. Eventually, I thought that wishes like that never worked, and I just stopped having birthdays. Who could blame me, huh."

After a moment, Kanji pulled back, stroking her hair a little. "No one blames you. You couldn't have controlled what happened." He told her gently, looking around her room again. He tried to think of something to cheer her up. "Hey, you still had your grampa and Yakushiji-san right?"

"Yes… I guess they got me all these things in the hopes that I would cheer up." Naoto nodded, following his gaze, "I mean… I never saw much point in buying toys or the like, but it did make me happy when I received them."

Kanji blinked. "Eh? Then all these things…"

"All gifts. Every single one of them." Naoto nodded.

"Did you actually even play with them?" Kanji asked curiously, taking a step back and motioning to her shelf full of action figures. However they got on this subject, Kanji wouldn't question it—it was distracting Naoto, and that's what he wanted.

"A bit. If only to figure out how they worked." The long-haired woman replied, "I was quite fascinated with the mechanics of what caused them to light up and talk, and how they opened their wings and such…"

"Oh, right. You were really into the tech stuff, huh?" Kanji remembered.

"I loved robots of all sorts, admittedly." Naoto nodded, "They were my childhood… oh, I think the correct word would be… obsession…" She grinned almost sheepishly.

"Hey, were these gifts too?" Kanji noted a row of boxy-looking robots sitting on Naoto's desk, along with other small gadgets and stacks of extremely worn notebooks.

"Actually, I made those." Naoto went over, picking one up, "Like I said, I was fascinated with robots, so of course I tried making them. It was when I first started tinkering with mechanics. The notebooks here were filled with 'blueprints' and notes and ideas of all sorts. Like the plan for a tracking device in a watch or detective badge, or how to improve the pen with a camera in it…"

"Cool… What's that one do, then? Light up?" Kanji asked, pointing to the robot in Naoto's hands.

"Actually, this one was more practical than it was for fun. It was a medic kit." Naoto chuckled, opening the hatch at the back of the robot, showing a hallow inside filled with bandages. "I got plenty of scrapes when I was climbing trees, so I made this one to help me out. The arms had antiseptic cream in them, but I haven't used it in over ten years."

"Wow, that's pretty awesome," Kanji smiled widely, "What about the others?"

Naoto put the medic robot back on her desk, looking at them. "That one lit up, and I used it as a nightlight occasionally. That one had a flashlight as one arm and a screwdriver as the other—it sort of worked… I could never get it to put in screws correctly." She chuckled, "That one talked and worked as a calculator. That one walked around, and it didn't do much else, but it was my first time making a robot that was kinetic. That dog-shaped one was a recording device, and it was sort of my sidekick for a while, since I used it as a voice log on silly little cases. His name was Watson."

She picked up the dog-shaped robot, pressing a few buttons on its collar. It lit up a little, signaling it still worked. A little voice projected from its muzzle, "June 16th, 2005. Grampa can't find the culprit, so I'm gonna try! I think the mom stole the goods! She has the motive and means. Watson and I will get some evidence on her—whether we prove her guilty or innocent of the crime, I'll show grampa I can solve a case without him!" It went on with some other recorded voices, probably the "mom" she had been talking about in the recording, before it cut off.

"Haha, cute." Kanji commented. She blushed, turning it off and putting it down. "Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't laugh, but your voice when you were little… it's adorable."

"Q-quiet." She said shyly, turning to him. Her face was the color of strawberries.

"Aw, come on, it's not that bad. Besides, that's pretty amazing—you made that robot when you were, what, nine years old?" Kanji was genuinely impressed, "You really are a genius."

"Uh. I made it when I was seven. But, um, thank you." His girlfriend shifted in embarrassment, rubbing her arm again.

"Your room is pretty cool though. I don't see why you were embarrassed." Kanji told her.

"Well… it's not exactly a typical girl's room," Naoto looked away, "I don't mean to say I'm ashamed I wanted to be a boy, but the expectations are there, and…"

"Naoto-kun, I've told you before, I have never expected you to be girly. It just wouldn't be you." Kanji smiled earnestly at her, "So what if you're a girl—if this is how you were back then, there's no changing it. And if it's what made you who you are, then I wouldn't change it for the world. If someone's got a problem with it, they'll have to deal with me!"

"Kanji-kun," Naoto stared at him, as if confused, and then she looked as resolute as he did. "You're right, there's no changing the past or who I used to be. I shouldn't be embarrassed about that. Actually, I'd like to say that I was proud to have been who I was."

Kanji reached over, patting her hair as he pulled her close to him again. "Never sacrifice who you are just because someone else has a problem with it." He said as she smiled up at him, "That's something Ma always told me."

"Wise words."

The couple looked up in surprise. Yakushiji was standing at the open doorway, gazing at them fondly. "Perhaps I could meet your mother some time. She seems like a pleasant woman."

"Uh, hi, Yakushiji-san." Kanji said awkwardly, unsure if he should let go of Naoto or not. For some reason he felt like he was in the presence of Naoto's father, and he should have shown some respect or modesty or some sort…. "Oh, uh, sure. If you ever stop by Inaba again, I guess."

"It's been a while since Naoto-sama has been here," Yakushiji looked around, "Did she tell you how Featherman inspired her to always do right, just like a hero?"

"Y-Yakushiji-san!" Naoto stammered, quickly stepping away from Kanji to push her secretary out the door, "C-can you please—"

"Right, right, of course, Naoto-sama." Yakushiji laughed as he stepped out. "I just wanted to let you know that Kurogami-san called."

Naoto stopped. "Wait, what?" She sounded incredulous, "I haven't heard from him in years, why would he—"

"All he said was that he's at Tatsumi Port Island, and he wanted to know if you were in Inaba. He must have heard from somewhere that you were there." Yakushiji informed her, "He said he might stop by there later, after he finishes his business at the island."

"Oh. I… see." Naoto frowned, "So it's nothing dire?"

"It didn't sound like it. Perhaps he missed you." Yakushiji smiled, "I didn't know if you wanted me to inform him of your plans, so I told him that you would call him later."

"I will. Thank you, Yakushiji-san." The young detective nodded, closing the door after Yakushiji left. When she turned around, Kanji was staring at her inquisitively.

"Kurogami. Your partner from Yagokoro City?" He asked curiously, one eyebrow quirked upward.

"Yes… we've spoken very little since we parted ways. I told him to call the estate if he ever needed to contact me, but I wonder why he's suddenly decided to call me." She sounded thoughtful, "I wonder if it just wasn't something he could say over the phone…"

"Um… you probably shouldn't worry about that right now," Kanji crossed his arms, "Aren't you going to America next week? You might completely miss him if he does come by, anyway."

"I suppose you're right." Naoto sighed, "I'll call him later and find out what he wants for sure, then." She went over to the window, opening it up, allowing fresh air into the old, untouched room. "I'm sorry, Kanji-kun, we came here on a vacation and I've been getting distracted by work…"

"It's fine," Kanji waved it off, "You love doing your job, I get it."

"I won't get distracted anymore." She promised, changing the subject, "Come on, I'll show you my secret hiding spots."

Her boyfriend blinked, glancing toward her. "Hiding s—wait, Naoto-kun what are you doing?!" His voice raised in alarm when he saw her climbing out the window.

"I said I liked high places, remember? The highest place isn't here." Naoto smiled at him over her shoulder, climbing out onto the tiled roof, "This way."

"Wh—wait—is this safe?!"

.~.~.~.~.~.

After Naoto showed him the flat part of the roof above the attic and a tree house hidden among one of the many large climbing trees on the grounds of her estate, Kanji was so worn out he couldn't move. He collapsed on the living room couch and lay there until he fell asleep—at least, he was sure he must have fallen asleep, because the next time he opened his eyes, Naoto was leaning over him, and his head was on her lap.

"Huh…?"

Naoto looked down at him. "Ah, you're awake." She smiled at him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, 'm fine." He muttered, smiling back. Her lap was actually very comfortable… how did he get there? Oh, it didn't matter. He would have gotten flustered about it, but he didn't have the energy to flail around. And he didn't want this good feeling to stop. "How long was I out?"

"Only a couple minutes," Naoto chuckled, "I suppose we shouldn't be doing anything excessive for the rest of the night, then." She looked up, seeming to notice something, and then returned her gaze to him. "Do you want to watch TV or something?"

"Sure, why not." Kanji sighed, closing his eyes as he heard her click the remote, and the sounds of the TV became background noise that neither of them were really paying attention to.

Naoto idly stroked his dark brown hair. He thought that maybe she was watching the TV—there was a news program on, something about a high-speed car chase. After a while, he opened his eyes again, and he found that she was still staring down at him.

He shifted a little under her gaze. "Um… sorry, is this uncomfortable for you? I mean…"

"Huh?" Naoto blinked, her hand stopping its movement, resting on his forehead. "Oh, I hadn't noticed. I was… lost in thought, I guess."

"You were thinking? About what?" He asked.

"Your eyes really are your best feature."

He blushed, his whole face becoming red. "Wh-what?"

"And also that you look good in black." Naoto said randomly, chuckling at his reaction.

"Wh-where did this come from?"

"I was thinking back to our high school days, and I remembered that during the 'Miss' Yasogami pageant, you said your best feature was your eyes." Naoto explained, "I've never really thought about it before, but they really are a beautiful shade of gray—not too light or too dark."

"A-ah…" Kanji sat up, turning to look at her. "Um—"

"…Was that weird?" She questioned, noticing how conscious he was.

"Uh, no, just—unexpected?" He blushed madly, rubbing his head sheepishly, "Um, thank you. I mean, Ma used to say that to me all the time, so I guess back then that's why I said that…"

"They don't look like your mother's eyes… are they your father's?" Naoto mused absently.

"Uh… yeah." Kanji looked away uneasily, "Dad's eyes were gray like mine."

"It looks like we have something in common, then." The blue-haired woman's smile became melancholy, "I have my father's eyes too."

"…" Kanji stared at her for a moment, and then his gaze wandered to the far wall behind her, where a photograph portrait of the Shirogane family hung. In the portrait, Shirogane Haruka had had dark, almost black eyes, and his wife had light cerulean ones. In front of them, Shirogane Akira was standing next to a blue-haired woman holding a baby Naoto. He had eyes the color of pale, pure ice, a shade between the colors of his parents' eyes. Kanji stared at those piercing eyes for a moment, and then his gaze trailed over to the long-haired woman whom he knew from Naoto's stories as Shirogane Miyako.

"Grampa said I had his mother's face, but I looked more like my own mother." Naoto said when she noticed where his gaze had gone. "Both were beautiful, weren't they."

"Your great-grandma?" Kanji looked confused. She pointed at the fireplace, and he saw a painting hung above it. The subject was an old man in traditional clothes and a woman in a dark blue dress. Both had grayish-black hair and sharp, masculine faces. That was probably Naoto's great-great-grandfather and his daughter. "…Yeah, they're beautiful…" He said after a moment, trailing his gaze back to his girlfriend, a dust of pink making its way over his cheeks as he quickly added, "And you too. You're beautiful too."

Naoto blushed, looking back at him. "Thank you." She nodded, not quite sure what to say or do next.

"And I think your smile is your best feature."

"H-huh?" Her blush became darker, "O-oh, you did say something like that before, didn't you…"

"It's true," Kanji grinned sheepishly, "Or do you think your eyes are your best feature too?"

"Uh, well… I suppose… I mean, I've never really thought about it before." She admitted.

The dark-haired man across from her gave her a reassuring smile, and then got up and stretched. He could hear his bones cracking, and when he lowered his arms to his sides, he stepped toward the fireplace, looking at the framed photos on the ledge. There was a photo of Akira and Yakushiji, and they looked to be in their college years. On one side of it was a small wedding photo of Naoto's parents, and on the other side, a school photo of Naoto when she was still the boyish Detective Prince. On the other side of the ledge, there was a photo of a late-teen-aged Naoto with Haruka and Yakushiji, and Naoto was smiling awkwardly at the camera while her grandfather laughed. Next to it was a photo of a very young Naoto, still in her pajamas and playing with a Featherman action figure while she sat on Haruka's lap—it looked to be Christmas time in that picture, and it seemed so warm.

"You have a lot of memories here, huh." Kanji commented, looking over his shoulder. Naoto was still seated at the couch. She had turned off the TV.

"Of course. This is… home." She said uneasily. "Don't you have a lot of memories in your own home, too?"

"In all of Inaba, really. The whole town is home." Kanji nodded, turning to her, "Maybe that's why I can't bear to leave it."

"Besides the practical reasons, of course?" Naoto seemed unsure.

"No, not because of that," Kanji said, "I mean… sure, I'm gonna take over the shop, but it's… not really that important to me. I mean, yeah, Ma and the shop are important, but Ma's always given me a choice to leave if I wanted to. The option's still out there. But even if I left the shop to her or Hiro-kun or anyone else, I still wouldn't leave Inaba."

Naoto stared at him for a moment, slowly standing.

"Is it the same with you, here? Or do the bad memories outweigh the good so much that you always wanna leave?" Kanji asked her, his voice oddly serious.

"Memories are memories—good or bad, this place has been my home, and my ancestors' home, for generations. I can't leave it behind." Naoto sighed, looking down, "This is the place I'd want my children and my grandchildren to grow up, because it's just… always been here. It's never going to go away, not like people… it's my house, it's my home. And I know that if anything ever happens, I can come back here and things will be okay."

"…Do you really mean that?"

Naoto looked up in surprise. Kanji was staring at her with those piercing gray eyes. He knew… he knew that this "home" was part of an identity that Naoto had lost, and it would play a role in the identity that she was trying to find. When she did find it, would this place still be part of who she was? Or was it just… a building, a house?

"…I don't know. But it's the last place I have… where I can see them." Her longing gaze was turned to the portraits, where her grandfather and her parents stared lovingly down at her. Even if she couldn't remember her parents' faces, they were still right there, and they weren't going anywhere, even if her memories stagnated. "And even so… being here doesn't feel right anymore, does it…"

There was a silence. After a moment, Kanji stepped up to her, embracing her like he had always done when he knew she needed something—anything, anyone—to hang onto. Something solid and grounded in her constantly uprooted life.

"I think," Kanji whispered into her hair, "no one is going to hate you… if you find someplace else to call 'home'. If 'here' isn't right anymore… then find where it's right, and everything else will follow."

Naoto hugged him back tightly, burying her face in his chest.

They didn't notice that, standing at the stairs, Yakushiji was listening—and his ever-present smile grew even more melancholy than before, unseen by his long-time charge.

Remember? Home is where the heart is, Naoto-sama. Can you not see where your heart has gone? He's right… no one will hate you. So please… stop hanging onto 'here' and go to where your heart is.

.~.~.~.~.~.

Naoto didn't sleep well that night. She lay in bed, clutching her blankets close to her curled up body, her thoughts reeling.

Yamato…? She heard her Persona in her mind, asking her what was wrong. It seemed concerned. This wasn't unusual—in the past, Yamato-Takeru always showed worry on her sleepless nights. However, lately it had been quiet and she had been suspicious of it, so she hadn't expected it to suddenly make its presence known.

It's nothing. No—yes, I know it's pointless to lie to you. It's just… for as long as I remember, this place has been 'home'. She told it, pausing for thought, I've… never really thought about it otherwise. I mean, I know I go away a lot, but I've never really 'left' home…

She sat up in bed, sighing heavily. She knew she needed to get her rest, she had a long drive ahead of her the next morning. But she just couldn't stop thinking about what Kanji said.

Restlessly, she got up, heading downstairs. She went into the study, thinking that maybe some reading or the ever-familiar shelves surrounding her would help her clear her mind.

Yamato… where is it that you call home? Is it me, or the TV world? Is it wherever I go, or Inaba? She wondered. Yamato-Takeru had been born in Inaba after all—and it seemed to like Inaba the most.

The study didn't seem to be comforting to her—this used to be her favorite place in the world. Now it was just… haunting.

Naoto thought for a moment, wondering what place she liked the most, if this wasn't it.

And then something Nanako said echoed in her thoughts.

Would I… stay in Inaba… for Kanji-kun?

.~.~.~.~.~.

"You have a limo."

"Yes, but we're not—"

"You have a limo."

"Kanji-kun, it's not that impressive. We barely use it." Naoto sighed, rolling her eyes. She and Kanji were in the garage, putting their things in the trunk of her dark blue car, but Kanji had gotten distracted when he noticed her other vehicles.

"That one is for when we feel like being discrete," Yakushiji chimed in randomly, pointing at a white car, and then at a black one, "That is my car, but I mainly used it to chaperone Naoto-sama when she was younger."

"Hey, is this the motorcycle you told me about?" Kanji asked, looking over the row of shiny almost-new bikes. The only one with significant signs of usage was the black one, which he was currently looking at.

"Yes—the red one was the first one I ever owned, a gift from a friend. Grampa got the black one for my eighteenth birthday." Naoto explained, "He let me choose the blue one for my twentieth. I've been using that one more often, of late."

"Yosuke-sempai would be so jealous." Kanji chuckled.

"He is, believe me." Naoto smiled, "Now come on, we should get going."

"Right," Kanji nodded, heading back to the blue car. He stopped when Naoto's secretary suddenly spoke.

"Naoto-sama, are you sure you can…?" Yakushiji asked, "Perhaps I could drive you back."

"It's alright, Yakushiji-san, we're fine. Besides, it's eight hours, and…"

"You have all your things to go to America already, and your flight will be from Okina City, which you can easily take the train to." Yakushiji pointed out, "I can drive you back to Inaba and then take the car back here. It would be pointless to leave it in Inaba for so long, after all."

Naoto looked contemplative. Kanji could see that Yakushiji looked concerned—he didn't blame him. They had found Naoto asleep in the study that morning after all. Both of them knew that she didn't get much sleep the previous night when they saw the little detective missing from her bed and curled up in her grandfather's armchair instead. Neither of them had brought it up to Naoto, knowing she was trying not to think about the previous evening.

"Alright," Naoto finally conceded, "Maybe then you can meet Tatsumi-san, too."

Yakushiji chuckled. "Very well, Naoto-sama." She handed him the keys, getting in the back seat—a habit for the young detective whenever she was being chaperoned.

Kanji blinked, getting in the backseat as well. "So," He said as Yakushiji turned on the engine and backed out of the garage, "Uh… I guess our weekend away wasn't everything you expected, huh."

"No, I had fun. I couldn't have asked for anything more." Naoto smiled at him, making sure she was buckled in. Kanji noticed that she was a lot more relaxed in the car when she wasn't the one driving. Or maybe she just trusted Yakushiji a whole lot.

"You should get some rest… I mean, it is a long ride…" Kanji tried to convince her, seeing as she hadn't slept well the previous night.

"Mmm-hmm." Naoto sighed, glancing out the window as the mansion passed by them, and soon the estate disappeared behind the corner.

"Naoto-kun?" Kanji tilted his head, "Uh… are you thinking about something again?" He asked carefully.

"How handsome you are."

Kanji instinctively blushed, his eyes widening. Okay, she really is random.

She glanced over at him. "What? You said last night that you thought I was beautiful. I was just thinking something similar."

"Uh… thank you?"

The hour passed, awkwardly quiet, until Naoto dozed off with her head on Kanji's shoulder. He wrapped one arm around her gently, holding her and stroking her hair as she slept. He had noticed a long time ago that the gesture soothed her, even in her slumber.

The silence went unbroken, until, "I wouldn't hate either of you if she decided to stay in Inaba."

Kanji looked toward the driver's seat. "Yakushiji-san?"

"I told Naoto-sama when she was younger… I don't know if she remembers." Yakushiji glanced at the rearview mirror, "When the choices you've made feels right, everything else will fall into place."

.~.~.~.~.~.

Mechanical engineering wasn't the only thing Naoto studied in college. She had always had an interest in science and medicine, and of course, took numerous biology and nursing courses when she was enrolled.

Yakushiji had said that her mother had also studied to be a nurse. However, like Naoto, her real passions lay in the art of investigation, not medicine. This still interested Naoto, though—Naoto had known that her mother was a kind, caring person… but now she wondered how much she actually knew about Shirogane Miyako.

Miyako was not like Naoto. She was beautiful, elegant, refined, ladylike—she was someone who didn't seem like they would be examining corpses or looking at dry blood without getting sick. But she had done it anyway. The young detective knew that Miyako had found a path that was at peace with her femininity and her brilliance. She knew full well that her mother had lived in a time far less forgiving for women, but she did not let that stop her being who she was. She didn't allow society to tie her down with prejudices and expectations, like Naoto had—Naoto didn't know why she didn't have the same strength or resolve her mother had apparently discovered in a time long before she became a mother.

As she sat in engineering class, taking notes and ignoring the fact that she was one of three girls among the hundred or so students in the room, her thoughts wandered to her medicinal studies and her mother. She wondered if Miyako had liked being a nurse, or if she was forced into it by her parents. Actually, now that she thought about it, why had she never spoken to her grandparents on her mother's side?

This was one of few times she was glad that the class was over—most of the other students normally got out as fast as they could, making Naoto question their dedication to their studies. Ignoring them, she went to the parking structure and got on her motorcycle, driving home. She would do her assignments for that class later—for now, she had an investigation to conduct.

It was rare that she picked up an investigation for herself—she usually waited for others to give her a job, so when she wanted to investigate something personal, it usually took up all of her focus.

Haruka noticed her in the study when he got home, looking through the folders in the file cabinets and mumbling to herself, making notes in the little leather-bound book she always carried with her. She didn't acknowledge his presence, if she even realized he was there. He watched her for a moment, and then spoke.

"What are you looking for, Naoto?"

She jumped in surprise, turning to face him. "Oh, grampa." She relaxed, a behavior that made him suspicious. Was she doing something secret? "I was just… trying to find somebody."

"In old case files?"

"I thought they might have been murder victims or something of the sort." She shrugged, "I already looked through the family photo albums, but I couldn't find anything there…"

Haruka raised an eyebrow, going over to his granddaughter. "And… who could you have possibly been looking for?"

"Mother… or, who mother used to be." Naoto answered quietly, "I began to realize I didn't know much about her."

Haruka blinked. "Your mother… Miyako-chan?" He eased himself down in his armchair, his gaze steady on the young detective.

Naoto shifted under that gaze—his eyes were hard and unreadable, like he was interrogating a criminal. As much as she loved her grandfather, he could be an intimidating person sometimes. Perhaps this was one of those times because she had brought up a… slightly sore subject.

"What was mother's name before she married father?" Naoto asked, knowing that it was better to get to the point when it came to her grandfather. There was no talking in circles with him.

"Hamasaki." Haruka replied easily, "What exactly are you trying to figure out? You know you can just ask me."

"Well, it's just—there aren't that many pictures of her from before college, and I don't know what she looked like as a child." Naoto explained, "And… you don't talk about her parents much."

Haruka looked surprised. Naoto wanted to know about her other grandparents?

"Miyako-chan ran away from home and put herself through college. She was very independent, even at a young age." He stood up, taking a ring of keys from his desk and going over to one of his personal file cabinets, unlocking it and rummaging through the contents. "I don't actually know much about Miyako-chan other than what she's told me. She wanted to forget her past, so I've left it at that, but…" He pulled out an old manila folder from the back of the metal drawer. "I've investigated her missing persons file before—however, by that time she was already a legally independent adult and married to Akira, therefore anyone who tried to look for her wouldn't have an easy time finding her. She didn't want to be found in the end, so the case was never officially closed."

"Eh… a missing persons file?" Naoto blinked, carefully taking the folder when Haruka presented it to her.

"Miyako-chan left home because she wanted to make a difference in the world. Akira wanted to help her, and she let him—that's how they fell in love." Haruka smiled, "Did I ever tell you how they met?"

"Um… Father got shot and Mother was the nurse who treated him, right?" Naoto blinked.

Haruka nodded. "Akira was the reason Miyako-chan found her way into criminal investigation. It had been an interest before, but she could never fully explore her passion before he helped her out. After they married, even I helped out—Miyako-chan was like a daughter to me, and I loved her regardless of who she was before she met Akira."

Naoto looked down at the missing persons file, her pale blue eyes scanning the report for anything she hadn't known before. "But… what about her parents? I can see that they tried to look for her, but… did she hate them?"

"I don't know, to be honest." Haruka shook his head. "The only one who knows why Miyako-chan left in the first place is Miyako-chan herself. And maybe Akira too, but he's never said anything to me."

They couldn't ask Miyako or Akira anymore, they both knew that. So Naoto continued her investigation on her own. Haruka didn't stop her—he never intended to stop her from the start.

After scanning Miyako's missing person report, she went to the address of the person who filed it—Miyako's mother.

She didn't really know what she was thinking, driving all the way out to Shima to meet an old woman who probably wouldn't have cared to meet her. What had she done to drive her daughter away anyhow? Naoto had to know. Maybe that's what was going through her mind as she slowed her bike in front of an old, traditional-looking Japanese home, kicking the stand as she pulled the keys out of the ignition. She took off her helmet and fixed her hair, stuffing it in her hat. She didn't move for a minute, carefully adjusting the dark blue striped cap to sit comfortably on her crown. She was nervous.

She stood in front of the home for a while, staring at the nameplate that read "Hamasaki" in embedded calligraphic letters. Well, at least the old woman still lived there—she probably lived with her husband too, judging by the smaller names on the nameplate.

Hesitant, she stepped forward and rang the doorbell, anxiously awaiting whoever would come greet her. An old man answered the door.

"Hello…?" He eyed her warily. He had immediately noticed that something about the woman in front of him was familiar.

"Uh, hello," Naoto cleared her throat and tipped her hat politely, putting on a business-like tone. She had to convince herself this was just another investigation, after all—if she didn't, she would have been too nervous to even speak. "I am Shirogane Naoto… I'm looking for Hamasaki Kaede and Hamasaki Ran?"

"I am Kaede." The man nodded in a slow, aged way, "What can I do for you?"

Naoto swallowed. "I… I'm here to talk about Miyako."

The man looked surprised, a pang of hurt entering his eyes. "Excuse me?" He asked, trying to clarify if he heard her right. "Miyako… my daughter, Miyako?"

"Y… yes." Naoto nodded, "I'm a detective, you see, and…"

"Has she been found?" Kaede asked, his dark eyes widening hopefully.

The young detective hesitated again. "…If it's alright, I'd like to talk to both you and your wife, sir." She said.

"Ah—yes, of course," Kaede nodded, stepping aside, "Please, come in." He went in after Naoto did, closing the door and going ahead of her to call for his wife. "Ran! Ran, a detective is here… she wants to talk about Miyako!"

Naoto couldn't help but notice how excited he seemed. She felt guilty now, realizing that no one had told them what had happened to Miyako at all. As she walked down the hallway after Kaede, she noticed the photos on the wall—photos of a family that looked so happy and warm. She paused when she realized the little pig-tailed girl in the photos was the young version of her mother. And then she wondered why her mother wanted to leave a place like this, where everything seemed perfect.

An old woman in a kimono, presumably Ran, came to greet her, her eyes hollow and sad. She didn't seem like her husband, who looked excited for any news about their daughter—she seemed resigned, as if she had already accepted the truth that she would never see Miyako again, and Naoto knew that she was the messenger who would confirm that.

They sat down in the living room, and Naoto looked hesitant to join them, feeling as if she shouldn't have stayed long. After a moment, she sat down across from them, looking uncomfortable.

"Detective—Shirogane, was it?" Ran asked, not commenting on her guest's polite formality, "Have you come with news about our Miyako?"

"Well…" Naoto looked at them carefully, "I recently found her missing persons file, and I… I thought I needed to talk to you."

"They never did find her," Kaede said, "so we still had to believe she was out there."

The young detective nodded, "Before I tell you anything… I must ask. Why did she run away in the first place?" She treaded carefully—these old people looked fragile. She wondered how hard Miyako's death would hit them.

"…Perhaps we were overprotective," Ran said sadly, "We tried to give her everything she could want, despite that we were not that rich… but I think we all knew that her destiny was never to stay here."

"Her… destiny?" Naoto's eyebrows furrowed.

"Do you believe in things like that, Detective? I'd like to think something like that exists, but sometimes it takes away what is dear to us—so it's a wonderful, dreadful thing. Our Miyako always had a greater calling, and… we didn't want her to answer it. She was meant to make great changes in the world, but we always discouraged it… and that was our mistake." Ran said quietly, "Maybe there was another reason… but I've tried searching for it for the past twenty-five years… and I still don't know why."

"Why"… that was a question Naoto lived to answer. Maybe this was the one time she couldn't do that.

"We did try to stop her from leaving," Kaede explained, "and we missed her a lot—we still do. We've spent these twenty-five years waiting for her to call us, or write us a letter—that's why we haven't moved, even with the threat of earthquakes and tsunamis. Did she go somewhere away from those dangers? Did she get caught in them, is that why she didn't contact us?" He paused, realizing that he was rambling. "I don't think she left because she hated us… but I wonder if it's because we didn't love her enough? I'd like to think she at least knew we loved her, and she loved us back…."

"We have never stopped loving Miyako." Ran sighed, looking distant.

Her husband asked in a hopeful tone, "So won't you tell us? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She…" Naoto looked down, not wanting to meet their gazes. "She died in a car accident, fifteen years ago."

The old couple looked shocked. Kaede's eyes were wet—Ran had steeled her face.

"I'm… sorry."

"Are you sure it was her?" Kaede asked, his voice choked up, "Are you absolutely sure?"

"I am. I was… I was there." Naoto nodded hesitantly, nervously tugging down her cap to cover her eyes.

"…You look awfully young to be a detective," Ran said almost curiously, despite that her face was unreadable, "And to have been at an accident fifteen years ago… why is it that you have Miyako's missing person file?"

This was definitely a person who had known that her daughter had died a long time ago. Maybe it was a mother's intuition—maybe she had known the exact moment Miyako had died… maybe she felt it. Naoto couldn't imagine what it felt like, to have a connection so deep severed without so much as a goodbye.

She was supposed to know that feeling, because she had lost the same important person… but as much as she didn't want to admit it, she didn't know that feeling, because in all of these fifteen years, she hadn't even been able to bring herself to cry over her parents' death.

Naoto didn't answer Ran, and she desperately wanted to leave—to bolt out of there as fast as she could. It took all of her self-restraint not to. She stood up, taking off her hat and bowing to them deeply. "I'm truly sorry for your loss. I wish someone had come to tell you sooner…"

They stared at her. As her dark blue hair fell behind her, their eyes widened. When she stood straight again, Ran suddenly realized that Naoto didn't need to speak to answer her question.

Except for her eyes, Naoto looked just like Miyako.

"You… you are…"

Naoto shook her head, closing her eyes—and for a moment, Kaede and Ran thought they were looking at their daughter, as if she hadn't aged a day since she had left.

It seemed that they were still absorbing the idea that their daughter was dead—after all these years of searching, their search had come to an abrupt end… Naoto didn't know how they felt. She would probably never know. But she hoped she could do her best to fill in the years Miyako was lost to them. She didn't know if that would make them feel better or worse, but she could try.

"Hamasaki Miyako went to a university in Nara. She became a nurse—I believe you were a doctor, weren't you, Hamasaki-san?" She looked at Kaede, who now looked confused through his tears, though he nodded, "Perhaps she drew her inspiration from you. I don't know. But after she became a nurse, she met a man named Shirogane Akira. He was my father."

"You are… Miyako's daughter?" Ran gasped. She needed to hear it. She needed the confirmation that there was still a piece of Miyako left with them.

"Both of my parents died when I was five, in the same car accident. I was there, but I survived." Naoto continued, her face soft, "I'm sorry I never came before, but it had never crossed my mind that you were still alive. From the time I was five years old until now, I had only thought of my grampa as family… but you're here. You exist, and I never knew. My grampa recently told me that Mother had run away from home when she was younger… and I wanted to know the place she had run away from."

"…Are we everything you expected?" Ran asked sadly. Naoto heard her unspoken question: Are you going to run away from us too?

"No." Naoto answered honestly, "I don't know why Mother ran away from you… but I won't do the same. I… I want to get to know you. That's why I came here today… I wanted to get to know you, and the Miyako you knew."

She wanted to know these strangers—she wanted to believe they were part of who she was. She wanted some connection to her parents that Haruka couldn't provide, because Haruka had put the events of the past out of his mind—but these were the people who she could be sad with, and she knew it would be okay.

"And we—we want to get to know you as well, Detective Shirogane." Kaede said hoarsely, wiping his eyes.

"We've lost our precious daughter, but in return, something wonderful has come to us." Ran smiled longingly, as if she felt that she was in a dream and she didn't want to wake up, "We want to know our precious granddaughter… is it okay to call you that, Shirogane-san?"

"You can call me Naoto."