It was nearing the end of January, the group were settling down to a rooftop feast, courtesy of Aiya's delivery service when a phone ringing broke the silence. All eyes turned to Yu.
"Who's phone is this?" He noticed the phone number definitely wasn't Japanese in origin.

"Thank god! I finally got a hold of you!" The voice was excitable over the other side. "This isn't a bad time, right?"
"Is that you Mina-chan?" He could barely contain the excitement in his voice.
"Mina…isn't that?"
"Oh my god that's his really cute cousin!" Yosuke bubbled. Chie punched his arm.
"Trust you to remember that Yosuke-kun." She grumbled.
"I'm not disturbing you am I? It sounds like there are people there with you." The older girl giggled. "I got a call from your dad today, so I finally got the phone number for your new cellphone today."
"You…spoke to my dad?" He asked, struggling with the words.
"I take it you haven't then. No he rang me, garbled a load of business speak at me, then asked about meeting me for a drink tomorrow." The girl explained.

"A drink? You're still in America right?"
"Um-hm, I'm in Los Angeles. I just got back from Hawaii." She explained. "Your dad's in the area on some business meet for a week or something, would be nice if it was a family meeting rather than the meeting of a rich stuffy uncle and his stupid brat niece." He could sense her pouting. "So…are you making friends out there?"
"How about you, you weren't exactly popular in America last I knew…"
"Oh they're over that, I may have been centre of the news for a couple of months years ago, but the news focus has changed. They treat me really well out here, I got worse treatment back in Tokyo." He couldn't help but glance over to Naoto. His cousin and his girlfriend may have had entirely different reasons for being rejected but he couldn't help but draw similarities.

"You never answered my question about your friends." She giggled. "I didn't call you in class or something, did I? I mean it's about midday for you, about sixteen hours ahead of the time for me here, so it's eight in the evening here."
"No it's my lunch break. As for my friends, give me a moment they can all speak to you."
"Okay…" Her voice suddenly boomed out across the rooftop, he had switched his phone to loudspeaker.
"Everyone say hi."
"Hi!" Everyone yelled in unison.
"H-hi, I'm Mina Nurakami, Yu's older cousin." The girl on the phone began. "Calling you from my home for almost the last year, the United States."
"H-hey can we introduce ourselves?"
"Perhaps a webcam chat would be better for that cousin, although your dad mentioned you didn't bring any of your musical instruments or your laptop to Inaba, why?"

"You play?"
"Yes, you know I can play the guitar."
"He's a pretty famous singer and violinist back in Tokyo." His cousin cut in.
"No, I just happened to be pretty good at it in school and at those stupid shows you sang at." He grumbled suddenly switching the phone back so only he could hear her, earning some confused and coy looks from the rest of his friendship group.
"Hey um…I can't keep you too long, but I was wondering if you knew of anyone who had one of those fancy satellite dishes that picked up American Television too? I'm going to be doing my first live sing in America…since…you know…" Her voice fell silent. "And, I'll drop you an email with all the details and stuff, give me a call on webcam if you can."
"When are you going to be on?"
"Saturday night, eleven thirty, that would make it about three thirty on a Sunday for you guys." She brightened up at his genuine interest. "I'd like to see your friends too, oh and the T.V. guys wanted me to give them a video of you singing, cause they want me to talk about you during our interview. So I was thinking that Phantom of the Opera one from last year, what do you say?"
"That sounds great, look I'll borrow a laptop off one of my friends, can we speak after I'm done with school and things, say five?"
"Five p.m. for you guys is one in the morning here…" She paused for a moment. "I guess I can rearrange with your dad so I can meet him in the afternoon." With that, the line went dead.

"A satellite dish that picks up American television, those exist?" Chie asked, turning to Yosuke.
"Yeah, we sell them at Junes, they're really expensive. Not very popular though, most people around here don't speak a lick of English, why would they need one? They all do these translation subtitles by default now though." Everyone, Teddie more so than the others, looked pleadingly at the others, with the exception of Naoto, who stared off into space at the edge of the group. "We do tend to sell them to rich families in the surrounding area, something about there being some posh private schools around here who all teach English as a second language."
"Do you have one of those fancy satellite dishes then Yosuke-senpai?" Rise asked curiously. "I really would like to see what senpai's cousin looks like, her voice sounded kinda familiar to me."

I forgot Rise might recognise her Yu shook the thought from his head.

"No, we might sell them, but even my family can't afford one of those." The group fell silent.
"Then perhaps I can help." Naoto suddenly spoke up.
"Y-you have one."
"Myself and Yakushiji speak English, my grandfather and my parents both worked in America, we have a home cinema system at the estate. Along with what is effectively a small movie theatre, I'm sure I have seen American shows being played in there. Yakushiji tends to watch old sitcoms when grampa lets him have time off." Naoto suddenly noticed all eyes on her, she felt nervous under their gaze. "I-I can ask my grandfather if we can get American shows."
"I don't think my cousin's music is quite to your taste."
"She does those dance tracks and remixes of American songs and some kind of weird opera rock thing right?" Rise asked, her eyes sparkling as she suddenly realised who his cousin was. "Wait, she's in America but wasn't she-"
"Don't Rise." Yu warned, his tone authorative. "Do not mention what I think you are, yes that is my cousin you're thinking of. She entered some American talent contest when she was twelve, that's how the world learned about her." The bell rung, and Naoto and Yu both breathed a sigh of relief.

"A famous violinist?" She smirked. "You could use work in my opinion."
"Thanks." He rolled his eyes. "I didn't bring my violin with me, so I was more than a little rusty by that point."
"I guess I should let you off, although if you can sing like she said, maybe I could hear that one day?"
"You will if we can get her on TV, they wanted to show a video of me singing, and ask her about me." He shrugged.

-x-x-

"Ah it's working!" His cousin yelled tiredly. Purple hair, straightened neatly, flowed down from her head and across her shoulders. Her face was young, no make-up adorned her features, but it was late at night for her and not unexpected. Around her neck was a silver scarf, tied into a knot to the right side of her neck, from the base a small necklace of silver half moon could be seen. Her shirt was a plain black high necked t-shirt.
"Hey Mina-chan, it's been a while."
"I know! Look at your face! You look so grown up!" She giggled in delight. "Hm? What was that?"
"Oh, a Junes theme song, we're sat in the food court at the one here in Inaba." Yu explained. "My friend leant me his laptop."
"Ah a Junes! Reminds me of home. Classier than Wal-mart, for sure." She chuckled to herself. "Hm? Is that Uncle Dojima's daughter?" Nanako was nervously peering at the laptop screen from his left, the others were all getting drinks and snacks, or finishing work in the case of Teddie.

"Say hi Nanako, this is your cousin, Mina." He didn't want to explain that technically Nanako and Mina were not blood cousins.
"H-hi"
"Hiya! I've never met you in person before, Dojima-san must be so proud of you!" That made Nanako smile. "Are your friends there?"
"They will be soon, they've just gone to get snacks and things." Yu explained as he and Nanako made small talk with his cousin.
"How old are you Mina-chan?" Nanako asked as Yu spied his friends in the distance, waving them over.
"Me? I'm eighteen, I'll turn nineteen in a few months."
"You're still a high school student?" Yosuke appeared almost out of nowhere, mouth agape at the beautiful young half-Japanese woman before him.
"Indeed. And you are?"
"Y-Yosuke Hanumara." He stammered out.
"He's my friend, and the manager's son, this is his laptop I've been using."
"Hey move out the way Yosuke-senpai, I want to see her I think I know her!" Rise shoved him out the way with a sharp movement.
"Risette? You're Risette right?" Mina was astounded. "I heard you quit showbiz."
"I did, well it's a Hiatus. Inaba is my home town."

"I hear there's quite a few famous people from that area." The older teen rubbed her eyes tiredly before reaching down for something beneath the desk, when she looked up, she was wearing glasses. "I take it you know who I am?"
"Yup, you're Mina Nurakami, you run a school for singers and musicians and dancers in Tokyo, right? And you're…" She fell quiet for a moment, as if daring to add on the final bit.
"That's me! I got famous here in America…then a court case happened." She gripped her arm tightly. "Please, leave it at that for now."
"Quit hogging let us have a go." Kanji declared.

They'd all introduced themselves bar Naoto, who had patiently waited her turn at the back.
"This is Naoto Shirogane, she's a detective." Yu motioned for Naoto to sit beside him, the others all crowded behind.
"A…detective? You look a little young."
"You look a little young yourself." Naoto responded calmly from beneath the rim of her hat.
"What kind of detective are you?"
"A private detective, I work for my grampa."
"You come from a family of detectives, that's pretty cool." The girl was genuinely interested, and something told Naoto she was holding something back, desperate to ask it but being too nervous, she let the point hang in the air.
"Hey…Yu…speaking of detectives…did you ever find out anything else about my mysterious detective from when I was a kid?"
"You didn't really give me a lot to go on, you don't even know his name, and a ten hour drive from Tokyo could put you almost anywhere."
"Since I finally worked up the courage to come back here, I took a trip to the police department. One to see if they could tell me where the hell my parents are these days, and two to see if the American police chief I remembered was still here." She sighed. "…Not only is he no longer here, he passed away recently. I'm never going to find him…" She realised how dark the mood had suddenly gone. "Perhaps you could ask your detective friend there for help. I'll send an email with the stuff I'm ok with you telling her." She began typing it out on her phone beside her.

"I don't think I should burden Naoto-kun with those kinds of things."
"Naoto…funny…I remember the name Naoto from somewhere, it's pretty rare." The girl remarked, taking another look at the detective prince.
"Senpai, I'd be willing to investigate it if I can, but if there isn't a lot of information I don't know what I can do."
"Wait, didn't you say something earlier about your parents? You're not there with them?" Yosuke asked, genuinely concerned.
"No, my parents moved out here with me when I was eleven, they sent me back to Japan to live with my grandparents, alone, when I was twelve. I haven't seen them since." She seemed oddly happy despite her statement. "Oh, did you find out if anyone had one of those satellites?"
"Yes, my grandfather has one back at our estate." Naoto nodded. "He has invited my friends here to come and watch this show of yours." The others were all ecstatic.

After she had passed on all the details, the others all went their separate ways, Yosuke, Kanji, Teddie and Rise having to work with their families at their respective stores. Naoto took down some details from an email containing information Yu had given her about the mysterious Japanese detective his cousin was searching for – albeit a weak picking, no name and no mention of the crime he investigated, but she promised to search for what she could and offered to take Nanako to her father at the police station. Chie offered to aid Yukiko at the inn, leaving Yu alone with his cousin again.

"They don't know about your past, do they posh-boy?" She teased.
"No, I never told them about private school, or the instruments, or the singing."
"They're going to know on Sunday." Yu smiled, glancing down at his lap.
"I know." Yu sighed. "Look, don't talk about anything too embarrassing."
"I won't. I have a question though…have you…ya know…found a girlfriend yet?" She teased.
"Kinda." Yu smiled bashfully.
"Oh, which one?"
"Not telling." He retorted before his voice became serious. "You are safe out there, right?"
"The men who hurt me are behind bars. Rotting. I am safe. And the people here…life moves on so fast, none of them remember the case…they just recognise my voice and my unusual dress sense for an opera singer." She shook her head gently. "That detective…I wish I remembered his name…we'd have been able to find him years ago…I'd have been brave enough to be here years ago." Without realising it, he began to sing to her in English, earning some confused looks from patrons around him, it soothed her.
"See you Saturday night." She smiled, yawning slightly.
"Tell dad I miss him. See you Sunday." He closed the webcam. He barely saw her, there in the corner, her cap down.

"Your singing isn't that bad." She shook her head. "Better than I would manage."
"You barely speak in your female tone, let alone sing in it." He pointed out, curious to search for any disagreeable content on Yosuke's hard drive. "How much of my conversation did you hear?"
"Just the singing, when that little crowd gathered I got curious."
"I'll return this to Yosuke, fancy something warm to drink?"
"Where did you have in mind?" She asked curiously.
"There's a teahouse in the town your estate borders, right, I'm not working tonight, and uncle Dojima won't be home until late."
"You are going to go all the way to Shintane for a cup of tea?"
"Why not?" He shrugged.

The entire journey there on the bus, she was staring at her phone intently, he watched as she inputted the few vague details his cousin had asked him to tell her.
"There's nothing, Japanese detectives often collaborate on cases abroad where the victim is Japanese." Naoto rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry senpai, but I need more to go on."
"I can't tell you." He blurted out.
"Why not?"
"It's a promise I made Mina-chan, it was her thing to tell, therefore I would never speak a word of it to anyone unless she instigated it."
"I understand."

Their tea had been Naoto asking Yu to sing to her before going into her usually introverted self when he began singing love songs. She scowled, walking ahead of him the entire walk back to her estate from the bus stop.
"Hey I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you." She wrapped her hands around him, pressing her head into his chest as he felt a click at his hip. "N-Naoto, please put that gun away." He swallowed hard.
"Wait here, I can get Yakushiji to take you home."

-x-x-

Time had passed slowly, Yu growing more anxious about his cousin. Still, the Sunday came, and in the morning, all the group had been assembled in the shopping district, as Naoto had requested.
"I can't believe he's making us do this." She sighed, her face in her hands as she heard a familiar sound across the tarmac and tiles of the nearby streets. "I know what my grandfather has done, can you hear that?"

Pulled by five horses, the four white horses in lines of two, behind a familiar dapple gray horse in the unusual outfit that allowed it calm, it was her family's carriage.

"Naoto-sama." The younger stablehand was controlling the horses with two sets of reigns, one fastened to the two white horses on the front row, the second to the wily horse at the front. "Your grandfather is in that mood again." He climbed from his place at the seat on the front. "He is insisting on us all extending our finest efforts to you, please expect excellent food and comfortable lodgings for the night." He tipped the hat he had been wearing to his master's grand-daughter, smiling and bashfully waving to the small crowd that had gathered.
"I regret mentioning to him that Rise really wanted to ride in this thing. He's doing it on purpose." Rise immediately lit up, swinging the door open of the carriage and climbing in.
"This is so awesome!" She called from inside.

"There is a slight problem." The stablehand turned to Naoto before smiling and allowing her to continue. "The carriage fits six people in, and I can ride on the front next to…oh…Willow is saddled." She had only just noticed that he had wondered off to the horse at the front, removing the harness over the horse's body over its head, adjusting a few pieces on the reigns before adjusting some pieces on the other horses, and discarding the excess pieces to the roof of the carriage before parading the stallion before Yu.
"Your chariot sir." He bowed, a cheeky grin gracing his features.
"Whoa, you're going to ride the horse." Chie was impressed.
"Are you friends with me today?" Yu asked, holding his hand out to the horse, who reared slightly before recognising the boy as who he was.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Naoto called down as the stablehand helped her into her place beside him on the outside, before climbing down and aiding her friends into the side of the carriage, ensuring all their belongings went in afterwards.
"I'm fine." The horse was growing impatient with waiting, Yu realised.
"You know the way to the estate right?" She watched as he skilfully commanded the horse to walk up to her. "You'll probably want to go ahead, the horses will occupy all the side streets to the estate."
"About that, your grandfather said we should take the long route, admire the view." The stablehand pointed out, appearing suddenly beside Yu causing the horse to become restless. Yu pulled gently at the reigns to regain control before reaching for the item held in the older man's hand. "I can direct you through this, enjoy the view." With a gentle nudge the horse moved ahead of the carriage, trotting a few lengths ahead.

They had been travelling for nearly an hour, but all the people in the group, Naoto, her staff and friends alike were amazed at the view, Yu had pulled the horse back alongside the carriage to check with the others how they had been getting on, and to chat with Naoto whilst the path was temporarily wide enough for him to do so.
"Hey give him a good push the rest of the way, we'll be behind you soon enough, just follow the dirt path, that horse is wild as hell though, so be careful." The stablehand's voice called through the headset, Yu removed it from his ear, thrusting it into his pocket before signalling to Naoto and the stablehand he'd be safe. It didn't take much encouragement for the horse to pick up the pace.
"Good day to you Narukami-san." Yakushiji bowed to him as he slowed the horse to a walk to turn up the tarmac pathway leading to the estate.
"Good afternoon Yakushiji." He climbed down from the horse, petting it gently on the nose as the secretary reached in his pocket, offering a whole, shiny apple to the horse. It eagerly snatched it from his hand.

"Forgive my master, he has been most unusual as of late. Perhaps he is finally happy his granddaughter is inviting friends to the estate." Yakushiji patted the horse with a gloved hand. "As you can tell, he asked all the staff, including Kaito - our stablehand, and Hideo, his father and the stablemaster." Yu noticed the sunglasses never left the man's face, much like Naoto's cap. "He also mentioned that Naoto-sama told him to keep quiet about your and her relations, thus, we have set up an extra futon in the room where your male friends will be sleeping."
"Thank you."
"Please be warned, my master has really put his staff in line, he worked us to the bone all morning, organising food for your friends and preparing the home cinema and bedrooms. He even gave me the afternoon off, in return for working around the house all morning. And for untangling Naoto from the power cables in the home cinema this morning when she thought she was helping." The man chuckled light-heartedly to himself. "I digress, I hope your evening will be satisfactory."

"He said satisfactory right?" Kanji asked, stuffing yet more food into his already full mouth.
"This. Is. Awesome!" Chie declared, stuffing her third plate of steak down her throat.