Pre-Chapter Review Answer Corner GO!
Delta XIII - Full honesty, nobody has ever actually said that to me so thank you for giving me the gift of wonderful giggles at being called an absolute madman. It brought me an entire happy, and it's also very true. I am a mad lad, and inside my mind is a rad pad.
sykotiksonic - I'm sure it comes no surprise to know that Dojima joining the fight has been the plan since Rusei explained the TV world to him all the way back in Rise's Dungeon Arc. Bonus round, if you need a proper mental image of his version of Izanagi, take the version Narukami starts the game with and slap Raidou Kuzunoha's outfit on him. That's the mental image I've been working with.
foursail - If you think that's an all-out attack, wait till I post the next chapter. I went even further beyond. Plus Ultra, even!
And now, on with the chapter!
The days that followed Nanako's rescue felt like a sudden slash of cold water to the face for most of the Investigation Team. That life just... went on without note, beyond the news reporting about the delivery truck crashing. Dojima spent most of his time buried in his work, though not for finding it as some means of escape from the reality of the poor state his daughter was in. His intent was to see if perhaps there was a detail they had glossed over in prior stages of the investigation, though even he was astounded by the amount of compiled notes the Police Department had.
Thus did Rusei often find himself alone in the Dojima household most evenings. It was surreal to have things so quiet again after having adjusted to the presence of his uncle and cousin. He adjusted as well as he could, fully believing Nanako would return soon, but his friends could all tell her condition was weighing heavily on him. Rise was the first to see about raising his spirits.
"It's almost funny how quickly after you said 'Souzai Daiguku' that my stomach insisted I go along with this."
Rise giggled, a bounce in her step as the two of them walked down the street. "Never underestimate the power of comfort food, senpai." she hummed. "Wonder what I should get... Heck, maybe I should convince grandma to try something like this... Like, a 'ganmo kebab' or a 'tofu croquette'..."
"...Those actually sound quite delicious..."
The idol's next remark died in her throat as she caught sight of someone approaching. It wasn't the first time they'd crossed paths in Inaba, but she'd honestly hoped to stop seeing him pop up. It took him a moment to even notice her, a sad smile on his face as he looked up from the notepad in his hands.
"Oh, Rise-chan. Nice to see you."
"Inoue-san... What do you want today...?"
"I'm down here scouting film locations, so I thought I'd come see you." he replied simply, putting his notes away. "I wanted to hear your answer one more time, face to face." He took a breath to steady himself. "...Are you sure you're not coming back?"
There was a long pause before she finally spoke up. "I... I'm not going back..."
Inoue nodded slowly. "...I see. I understand. Maybe now I can focus on my new job..."
"Did you end up working for a movie company?"
The man laughed at Rusei's remark. "No, I... signed up as Kanami Mashita's manager. The movie I'm scouting for is one they wanted Risette to star in, but they've picked Kanami as her replacement."
"...I-I see."
"I have every confidence she'll reach the same heights as Risette, but..." he sighed. "...I doubt it'll be quite the same. You had that spark... you learned fast, adapted well to new situations, had a smile that could be as strong or weak as you needed..." A nostalgic chuckle escaped him. "And those acting skills of yours! You were like an old pro. I was so sure you could've reached heights most girls could never dream of..." he shook his head. "That's what I think, anyway. I just... had to hear it from your own mouth." Inoue smiled sadly before he started turning away. "Goodbye, Rise-chan. Stay healthy, okay?"
The manager walked off in silence, Rusei watching him leave.
"...You alright, Rise-san?"
A sniffle prefaced her response. "What the heck... That's not fair... After he made me answer... He never told me any of that when we were still working together..." Tears began streaming down her face. "Acting skills...? Of course I have 'em. What the heck...? Telling me all that stuff now... It's too late...!" she rubbed at her eyes. "Hey... Why... am I crying...? There's no reason to..."
Rusei started to say something, but thought against it. He couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through her head right now.
"Senpai... I... I don't know why I'm crying..."
"...No sense in trying to hold it in."
She chuckled softly. "I can't... my eyes will be all swollen tomorrow..." she kept brushing the tears from her face. "I... I lost... everything..." Rise began to tremble. "I don't know how... but... I lost everything... I'm scared... I'm sad... What's going on...?"
"Perhaps things weren't as simple as you believed they were." said Rusei. "But... I don't think you've lost everything, Rise-san."
The idol kept fighting the tears as best she could, slowly lifting her gaze towards him. "Senpai..."
"You have us... Kanji, Aigis-san, Yukiko-san, Teddie..." he continued, a gentle smile on his face. "There are still people who care about you, Rise-san."
Rise stared at him in awe for a moment, a sad chuckle bubbling out of her after a few seconds.
"Ha... I invited you out here to cheer you up, and yet it's playing out backwards..." she remarked, shaking her head. "...I think... I might have to call this off, Senpai... My head's a mess right now."
Rusei glanced in the direction of Souzai Daiguku. "...Sure you don't want at least a steak croquette? You did tell me to not underestimate the power of comfort food."
Another laugh. "That's cheating..."
"C'mon. I'll buy."
The next day saw Yosuke try to help Rusei stay positive, though somehow it ended up instead coming to the two of them having a fistfight at the Samegawa Floodplain for reasons Yosuke had mostly defined as 'making things even' between them after apologizing for his behavior over the course of the case. Dojima was less than thrilled to hear about that one. The day after, Naoto stepped up, hopeful their 'Phantom Thief' case would prove an adequate distraction for her senpai.
"A new challenge?" asked Rusei as he and Naoto left school.
"Yes. It was in my mailbox this morning, meaning the Thief does indeed know where I live and had other reasons for having you deliver the first card." She said. "Why you, though? We'd only known each other on a personal level for a few days..."
He hummed. "We had spoken several times before your kidnapping, so perhaps the Thief simply though I looked reliable?"
"I don't think that's the sort of metric the culprit would use, Senpai." she laughed, handing the card to him. "What do you think of the contents of this card?"
"...'When the banks close, the fruit tree grows. By the large seven at the third is the spot I chose'. Certainly more cryptic this time."
"I anticipated as much. The first thing that comes to mind with 'fruit tree' is the original card, but the second sentence..." Naoto sighed. "What do the numerical values mean?"
Rusei was quiet, studying the card intently. "...The numbers are important. Perhaps it's a cipher? Then it would simply be a matter of knowing what to substitute 'seven' and 'third' with."
"A cipher..." mused Naoto, her eyes lighting up a moment later before she tugged Rusei's arm down slightly so she could see the card again. "...I see it now! Look at the third and seventh words in the first sentence!"
"...'Banks' and 'tree'... which would mean..."
"That 'By the large tree at the banks is the spot I chose' is the answer!" she exclaimed, letting go of him. "Let's search for the biggest tree at the Samegawa riverbank!"
The two of them arrived at the floodplain as quickly as they could, investigating several trees before finally finding what they were searching for, buried near the largest tree.
"I knew it..." Naoto said triumphantly, a small, nostalgic laugh escaping her. "...This watch brings back memories."
"Something else from your childhood?"
She nodded. "Yes. It's pretty advanced. I modified it when I was young. I called it one of the Seven Tools of the Detective. It has an extremely strong backlight that can be used to blind an enemy."
Rusei let out a small chuckle. "That's fairly clever. Have you always enjoyed this sort of thing?"
"Ever since childhood, yes." replied the detective, gently running her fingers over the face of the digital watch. "I preferred robots and cars to dolls and teddy bears... I like high places, so I had a secret base in the trees."
The dark-haired male's small smile faded when he saw the look on Naoto's face dropping steadily.
"...Why? Why couldn't I have been born male...?" she asked, though it was clear her question wasn't directed at Rusei. "It would have been much easier for me... I could have done what I wanted to with gusto, without fear of ridicule..."
"I'm glad you're a girl."
Naoto's gaze snapped to Rusei in an instant, her face bright red. "H-Huh?!"
"...Let me rephrase that." He stated, a light blush on his face. "I'm glad you are the way you are. Even with the inherently male-dominated police force, you've still managed to do incredible things in spite of any prejudice that could be leveled at you because of your gender. There are too many people in this world who let what others think of them or say stop them from doing what they love doing, and it's inspiring to see someone say 'No. You will not stop me.' and carrying on with unyielding determination."
"I-I see..." she said, looking away from him. "...Th-Thank you, Rusei-san..." A small sigh escaped her. "It's really quite difficult to keep my composure when you're around. I feel like I'm being lectured, as if I'm still a child..." She shook her head lightly. "I-It seems like I've been doing most of the talking... Why don't you tell me about yourself? What were you like as a child?"
Rusei hummed, thinking about a good place to start. "Well, I suppose I could start with what inspired me to work towards becoming a detective myself..."
The two of them spent a surprising amount of time talking, eventually parting ways when they noticed it beginning to get late. The following few days saw attempts on the parts of Chie, Yukiko, Kanji, and Teddie... to varying degrees of success. Particularly in Teddie's case, as Rusei spent the entire time wondering how the bear managed to set up a 'Miracle Quiz' show, much less get Marie involved as the host. He greatly appreciated their efforts regardless, even if the now-typical silence of the Dojima household still wore away at him.
It felt strange to think about after the fact, but he found himself most at peace when he was speaking with Naoto. He didn't consider it something odd or even unusual, merely assuming that a chance to speak with a kindred spirit about a subject they mutually enjoyed was the important part. Rusei also admittedly enjoyed working alongside someone he admired, even if it was to solve a small, personal case... and questionable the methods of the 'Phantom Thief'. The newest riddle presented to Naoto at first sounded as if the man had a stroke while writing until they worked out the, as always, deceptively simple solution in his opinion.
Of course, the mood shifted quickly once Naoto admitted to having had an odd headache all day. This naturally lead them to head to the TV World to investigate, which confirmed the situation shortly before they entered. They quickly reached the depths of Naoto's Dungeon, finding a single scientist with his back to the group.
"What a magnificent facility..." he remarked, gazing around the room. "And here I'd had little hope of finding anything with prospect..."
"Hey!"
The man turned around, a curious look on his face as his golden eyes scanned the group. "...Who are you?" his gaze eventually fell upon Rusei. "...Hmm. You've gotten smaller than the last time I saw you, Hayate..."
Rusei simply shifted his stance. "I doubt my father would say the same."
"...Oh, so you're the little brat he kept going on about! Well well, that changes things." A wicked smile curled onto the scientist's face. "I'll be needing test subjects for my experiments-"
The man quickly found himself on the receiving end of Rokuten Maoh's fist, sending him flying towards a wall.
"You ain't doin' shit to anybody, pal!"
"Based on your disposition, you must be what's left of Serph Sheffield."
The man coughed, staggering to his feet and glaring at Aigis. "How do you know my name?"
"What's it to you?" Roy asked. "You're supposed to be dead."
"What!? No...!" Serph shook his head rapidly. "I'm not dead... I can't be...! I made a deal!"
Despite his distress, the scientist dove out of the way before an attack from Suzuka Gongen smashed into him.
"No... I will have it all...!" he exclaimed, dark purple circuitry lines spreading across his body. "Everything will be mine... Knowledge! Power! Everything!"
"Don't give him an opening!" shouted Rusei, summoning Tsukuyomi as Serph's body fully transformed into a dark gray demonic figure.
The power hungry scientist proved to have his hands full, to the point where he almost never had the time to say anything before a Persona or Persona User was attacking him. It was... startlingly easy, in fact, to dispatch him. His only means attack seemed to be a jet of black flame, and quickly enough the final blow was dealt by Sukuna-Hikona.
"No..." exclaimed Serph, falling to his knees. "NO...!"
As every shadow before, he exploded into black mist upon hitting the ground, not a trace of him left.
"...Y'know. For the guy who caused a whole lot of bullshit, he was a scrub at actually fighting." Roy remarked. "But then, well... we've all had a lot of practice at this point."
"...Roy-san. I don't suppose you saw what his Persona was?"
"Nah, I was more focused on breaking his face. Did you?"
Rusei shook his head. "No, for the same reason you didn't. I suppose it doesn't matter now, though..."
"I'm curious about this 'deal' he spoke of." remarked Naoto. "I'd have liked to have attempted to press him for more information, but given the current circumstances... It's likely for the best we dealt with him quickly."
"Not sure if he was the kind of crazy we want to hear talking about anything, really..." Yosuke commented as the team began to head for the exit.
Days continued to pass, rain finally passing through and putting their fears to rest with the Midnight Channel; There was no one on it. The morning after, however, was surprisingly foggy, but there was a silver lining; Dojima reported the doctors were allowing Nanako to have visitors starting that afternoon. The news brightened the spirits of the Investigation Team, the group eagerly going to visit the ailing little girl once school was out. She was somewhat weak, but seeing her father and 'big bro' made her smile before she fell back asleep. To the doctor's frustration however, there was nothing he was able to tell them about what was making Nanako ill. Namatame had also recovered enough, but in almost as poor condition so they police weren't able to interrogate him for long.
Rusei found it hard to not let his mind drift to his cousin during class the following days, even with exams looming close. Not wanting to bother the doctors by constantly hovering around Nanako's room, however, he instead opted towards spending parts of some afternoons with his friends. Of particular note was an excursion with Naoto on one such day.
"I take it the lead you have on your thief is promising?" Rusei asked as the two of them walked through the foggy shopping district.
Naoto smiled and nodded. "Quite. I learned that in recent days, a suspicious man has been spotted around the shopping district. He doesn't seem to be a local, and his appearance isn't like that of a tourist or shopper. When I spoke with the owner of the Shiroku store, she said she'd seen the man only a few hours ago and it was the same one who bought the cards."
"I see...Then do you think he's looking for the next place to hide one of the items he took?"
She nodded once more. "Most likely. We may be able to catch him in the act."
"...I feel somewhat sad." Rusei admitted. "To think we might have this case put to rest already..."
"You... too?" asked the detective, casting a surprised gaze towards her upperclassman. "I'm... astounded you feel that way, and yet..." she turned her head and smiled again. "The detective I dreamed of become as a child... I feel like that's what I am now."
A smile curled onto Rusei's lips as well. "Well then, where should we start looking? Do you have an idea what he'll be hiding next?"
"Out of the remaining things that I believe he has stolen, yes." replied Naoto. "Where in this area could he hide something unnoticed...?" her eyes lit up. "I have an idea."
She darted forward, Rusei hot on her heels as she headed for the Shrine. Upon arriving, the two of them quickly spotted the man who'd originally given Rusei the first card. He was crouched, inspecting part of the structure.
"You're..."
The man seemed started, and spun around to face the two teens, brandishing a knife in his right hand. Instinct took over as Rusei suddenly threw himself between the Thief and Naoto, as if he fully expected the suited man to lunge.
"Rusei-san?!" she exclaimed. "Th-There's no need for alarm! That knife is a toy!"
The man dropped the 'weapon' and quickly darted away. The two stood in silence before Naoto finally stepped over to pick up the knife, turning to face Rusei once she did.
"This knife... I knew it. It's another of the seven tools I made. It's a knife-shaped radio... as I said, it's just a toy." She began, starting to tremble. "But... even so, what you did... What if the knife had been real!?" She tore her hat from her head, growling in frustration. "Persona or not, you could've been injured or worse! And yet..." her voice began to get quieter. "You..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Why...?!"
"Because I love you."
The surprise on Naoto's face when she heard those words was only surpassed by the surprise on Rusei's as they both turned scarlet. The former was staring, while the latter seemed... vacant. Almost dead to the world as his mind processed what he'd just said and how accurate it was.
"Er, u-um... W-wait a moment..." stammered Naoto. "I thought you just said something serious..."
"I..." he tried to continue, but no words would form. His mind was spinning faster than he could comprehend. "...did...?"
"Now that you've said such a thing, I..." she rapidly shook her head. "I-I'm going home! Y-You needn't worry about the Phantom Thief anymore, so... err... G-Goodbye!"
It wasn't until Naoto began sprinting away that he finally shook himself out of his trance, but at that point it was too late. She was long gone, leaving him alone at the shrine. He silently leaned against the nearby stone fence, trying to collect his thoughts. They buzzed around in his heady like angry bees as he slowly slid to the ground, his gaze locked in a thousand yard stare.
"That was quite brave of you."
Rusei jolted back to attention at the sudden voice, quickly looking around before he saw the fox youkai of the shrine staring at him from the steps in front of the offering box.
"Even if it wasn't a true weapon..." Enko continued, a wistful sigh escaping her. "The dashing young man, valiantly coming to the defense of the charming young lady..."
"...She's hardly the type to need such things."
The kitsune shrugged, standing up and slowly walking over to the Wild Card. "Perhaps not, but you did it anyways." She sat down beside him. "She's one of your little group that Kihei-san likes to talk about?"
"...Yes. The most recent one to join, in fact, though we'd crossed paths several times before then. We haven't been properly acquainted for very long."
"I see..." she produced a tray with a teapot and two cups on it from seemingly nowhere. "You sounded quite certain of what you said for having only known her a short time."
Rusei glanced at the tray curiously, more of his attention focused on Enko. "Did I?"
"Yes! I've been around quite a long time, seen more than a few love struck kids, broken..." she paused, thinking for a moment. "...Maybe only one heart, I'm not sure about that one. He was odd." She shook her head to chase away the errant thought. "But I've heard many people speak from the heart just like that. While I can't say if it will bring you joy or sorrow, I don't think you should feel bad for saying it."
"Even if I don't fully comprehend why I said it?"
Enko gave him a curious glance. "Are you sure you don't?"
"I..." he trailed off, once again trying to compose his thoughts in a remotely coherent matter. As he did, he felt a tightness in his chest as he sifted through the moments he remembered of his interactions with the blue haired detective. A soft laugh escaped him as he replayed that moment not ten minutes before again in his head. "...apparently do."
"Mmhm, I thought so." she hummed, checking the teapot for a moment. "Would you be willing to share those thoughts? You'd be surprised at how much more clear they become when voiced."
"...If I do, will you share some of that tea?"
She nodded, a soft smile on her face. "Of course."
Rusei took a deep breath, then began to share his thoughts. It surprised him how easily they took shape as he spoke, even with as far back as he started in his recollection. The surprise at seeing someone who inspired him in person, matching wits on several occasions, working together on the larger case after her rescue, and the smaller, more personal case they'd been tackling in the lull between major breakthroughs.
"...And thus did it all culminate in the..." a faint blush crept onto his face. "...exchange you saw earlier."
Enko bobbed her head, tapping the lid of her teapot a few times. "Sounds like it's finally ready, too."
"...I was talking for that long?"
The kitsune shook her head, picking up the pot and filling the teacups. The tea was not a color Rusei had expected to see; it was a strange, silver-blue hued mixture. She set the pot down, then handed one of the cups to the teen.
"Cheers!" she sang, taking a small sip of the tea. A contented hum escaped her. "My, that's quite sweet..."
"...What kind of tea is this?" Rusei asked, almost hesitant to drink any despite the delicious, fruity aroma wafting from it.
Enko took another sip before she answered. "The story you so kindly shared."
"How...?" he trailed off with a shake of his head, gingerly taking a drink. It was exceptionally good, though for the life of him he couldn't discern the exact flavor.
"Do you like it?"
"...Yes..."
The kitsune smiled contently. "That's good~! Relax a little, let it soothe those nerves."
"...Hopefully this is stronger than it tastes, in that case..." Rusei remarked, a hint of dark humor in his voice. "There's more on my mind that needs soothing than just matters of romance..."
Dojima sighed as he walked into his home that evening, grateful he'd gotten a reasonably priced rental car while his was getting repaired. He glanced at Rusei, the teen having occupied the table with a great deal of notes.
"Hitting the books before exams?" he asked, striding over to the fridge.
"No... reviewing my side of the case. Needed to stop thinking about earlier today."
The detective looked over his shoulder, genuinely surprised. "Why? Make a boneheaded move?"
"...Something like that." replied the teen, shuffling around a few papers. "Hmm, no... this theory was disproved."
Dojima walked over to the table while his food was warming up, sitting down and picking up one of the pages. "...Is this a profile you assembled on our killer?"
"Close to it. It's gone through several revisions..." He scowled. "...Was there anything else of note in that diary of Namatame's that Naoto-san found? Something in relation to the first two victims, perhaps?"
"Nothing extensive on Yamano, but there was some about Saki Konishi. He kept trying to get in touch with her, but no details as to 'why'." replied the detective, scanning the paper in his hand. "Nothing about Mitsuo Kubo either..."
Rusei hummed. "No mention of having found the killer?"
"There was a few lines about the police having caught the killer, but the section dated around the time of Shirogane's kidnapping had him expressing doubts that was the case if someone else appeared on that channel."
Another hum escaped the wild card as he rummaged for one piece of paper in particular. "From the sounds of it, that better supports Roy-san's 'Killer and Kidnapper' theory, with Namatame being the kidnapper..."
"If we've only got a kidnapper, I might actually need blood pressure medication..." commented Dojima as he stood up to grab his food from the microwave. "But if we can't prove that, the brass aren't gonna listen."
"It would be easier to prove if we could have a chance to speak with Namatame, but I doubt the police will let a detective walk in with an entourage of teenagers..."
The detective chuckled as he returned to the table with his dinner and sat back down. "Definitely. If it was just two out of Shirogane, Fortune, Tokutate, and me, it'd hardly be an issue."
"It's only a pressing matter if no evidence comes to light pointing to Namatame being the sole perpetrator, of course..." Rusei noted with a sigh. "I've yet to find anything in my revised notes to solidly confirm as much from the angle I've had this entire case."
"Got more paper?"
"I have some pages, yes. Why?"
"Let me hear where you've been from the start. I still can't share everything about the case, but I can point you in the right direction with what you've got."
"Very well..." said Rusei as he shuffled through his notes. "The start would be..." he held up a small notepad. "...The first time I watched the Midnight Channel back in April..."
The two spent several hours working on a better case file for the TV World side of the case, though eventually they had to stop so they could sleep. While not the most impressive amount of progress, they'd still greatly improved their understandings of the investigation from both sides with as much as Dojima could share. The following day saw a moment of surprise for Rusei, with Naoto having approached him at lunch, requesting to speak with him after school in an impressively casual manner. He accepted in much the same way, feeling that it would be better to behave as if yesterday hadn't happened rather than press the issue and make the situation worse.
A sense of apprehension filled him as he followed her to the Floodplain once school had ended, though it gave way to curiosity and confusion as he saw the 'Phantom Thief' waiting at the gazebo.
"Senpai, I'd like you to meet Yakushiji-san. Secretary of the Shirogane estate." said Naoto, motioning to the man in black.
"I humbly apologize for the other day." he said, bowing deeply to Rusei. "It seems I overestimated the amount of time I had to hide the item."
"I must also apologize." Naoto added. "Though I may not have known, I involved you in this. It was an act put on by my Grampa."
Rusei arched an eyebrow. "An act?"
"My master has been terribly saddened by Naoto-sama's state of affairs lately. Lacking acquaintances to confide in, she devotes every fiber of her being to her work." Yakushiji explained. "My master wanted her to regain the joy she felt in days past. To regain the feelings when all that she wanted was to be a detective, regardless of her heritage or gender..."
A small laugh escaped the charcoal-haired teen. "Well, I certainly can't hold a grudge over something done by someone to help their family."
"Thank you, Norimoto-san." sighed Yakushiji, sounding immensely relieved. "I involved you at my own discretion, believing you to be trustworthy." He gave another bow. "But, I must be going. I shall pass along your message to your Grandfather, Naoto-sama."
"Ah... thank you." she said as Yakushiji began to leave, turning back towards Rusei a moment later. "It seems there is one final challenge ahead of us." She produced one final card from her pocket and handed it to him. "Yakushiji-san gave me this earlier today."
The wild card glanced in the direction the Secretary was leaving before focusing on the card and the words on its surface. "..'I did what you can't stand to at a place you'd be fond of. But underneath, rather than inside'."
"A place I'd be fond of..."
"Somewhere high?"
A small smile curled onto Naoto's lips "...You remembered? The highest place around here is... the hill. Next, what I 'can't stand' to do. There are several possibilities, but..."
"...As I recall, you made a mention of disliking throwing things away when we found your pen at Junes." he noted.
"Yes, that's correct." She answered, a faint blush on her face. "I'd forgotten I'd mentioned it before..." She lightly shook her head. "But considering what's at the hill, the most likely answer is the trash can. I have an inkling of what might be there, so let's go, Senpai."
The duo headed to the hilltop in silence, an upon arrival Rusei lifted up the trash can for Naoto to get at what was stuck underneath it.
"...I forgot this thing even existed." she murmured, running her hand over the cover of the tiny pocketbook she held. "It's the last of the seven tools... the 'Detective's Pocketbook'. All the things I had forgotten about are packed in here... I think Grampa wanted to remind me of them." Naoto lightly shook her head. "This childish game... He's selfish indeed." She slipped it into her coat pocket. "Forcing me to recall all this now, when I was trying so hard to not be underestimated... to not be condescended to..."
"I'd say you've done a good job of that, all things considered." Rusei hummed.
She laughed softly. "Thank you, Senpai..." she strode over to the nearby bench and sat down. "...When I arrived in this town, I though if I solved the murder case, everyone would accept me. Acknowledge me as the fifth in the Shirogane Lineage of detectives." A heavy sigh escaped her as Rusei strode closer. "I just... wanted to be accepted. Needed. That's why I fretted and stood on my tiptoes, focused only on solving the case." A small, sad smile crossed her face. "But the original reason I wanted to become a detective was because mysteries intrigued me, and I could help people by solving them. That's all."
A chuckle escaped the wild card. "An admirable goal to have. I'm glad you remembered it."
"...Do you recall the time I faced myself in the TV world, Senpai? It was my task to accept the self who yelled, 'I want a reason for me to stay', but my 'reason' was not solely to solve the crime. You... everyone... gave me a reason." she wiped away a tear before it rolled down her cheek. "I have to be an adult. I have to be a man. With that way of thinking, I was running from myself. I don't need to look for something to change or to accomplish. I only need... to have faith in myself."
Rusei smiled. "I have faith in you too, Naoto-san."
"Thank you, Senpai." she said. "Even without that, though... I finally think I can accept myself. That I'm a woman... and that I haven't yet become the detective I wanted to be." She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "...I... am a woman, and a detective. One who is seeking the truth with you and the others."
"Hopefully said truth is near, it feels as though we're all nearing out wit's end..." he remarked, humor in his tone. "And I think we're all a bit too young for gray hairs..."
A soft chuckle escaped Naoto. "Quite so..." her gaze slowly drifted towards him. "...Rusei-san?"
"...Yes?"
"About yesterday..." she began. "What... prompted you to do what you did? ...To say what you did?"
A sense of dread filled his mind as he tried to keep his composure. "At the time it happened... I couldn't tell you. I just... acted. I could barely hold my thoughts in order afterwards..."
Naoto hummed softly, adjusting her cap slightly. "I see. I... apologize for running away. I was just... so shocked by what you said at the shrine, I acted on instinct..."
"It was exceptionally sudden..." he admitted apologetically.
"...I don't even remember much of my trek home after that." she said, a nervous laugh escaping her. "I just... recall leaning against the door, trying to sort out the thoughts running through my head. I never expected to hear someone say those words to me... and find myself unable to dismiss them. You weren't a star-struck student claiming to have fallen for me... You're someone who does know me. Someone I've confided in, had confide in me, seen me for... me." Naoto's gaze slowly rose to meet Rusei's, a faint blush slowly coming over her face. "And as I pondered on it, a realization dawned on me..." She took a deep breath, finally looking him in the eye. "That I... felt the same way about you. I... love you, too."
Rusei stared in silence at her when she said, his heart beating hard enough you'd swear he was in a footrace. The lack of a spoken reaction, however, caused Naoto to look away as her face turned even redder.
"A-Anyway, that... seems to be the truth of my emotions..." she sputtered, adjusting her hat again. "...I'm so embarrassed..."
He coughed, his voice finally cooperating enough for him to form words. "L-Likewise, I assure you..."
Silence fell between them for what seemed like an eternity.
"...Naoto?"
She jumped in her seat, turning her head to face him "Yes?"
"Did, ah... you perhaps need some assistance studying for exams next week?" He asked. "We have been rather... preoccupied of late."
"...Oh! Yes, actually..." she laughed, rising from the bench. "It would be remiss of us to fall behind in our schoolwork."
"Was there a particular subject you were having issue with?" asked Rusei, keeping pace with Naoto as they began to descend from the hill.
Somehow Rusei and Naoto made it through the rest of the afternoon without getting more flustered, a tentative 'first date' at least somewhat planned for the near future. The following day at first seemed to be of little note, at least till Rusei once again found himself at the hill overlooking Inaba, though with a different friend than the last time.
"Something on your mind, Rise-san?"
The idol seemed to hesitate before answering. "...I was thinking about the other day. When Inoue-san showed up."
"Having second thoughts?"
"...Yeah. I'm surprised, but..." a weak laugh. "I got so angry, just thinking about it. I guess... I miss it."
Rusei hummed, striding up to stand beside the brunette. "Even if you came to resent it, it was still a part of your life. A not insignificant one, either."
"Heh, yeah... It's just..." she sighed. "I dunno. It's one of those things where it... feels like you do really feel that way, but could also just be lying to yourself about it, y'know? I just... wanna have it all straight in my head before I make a mistake."
"Well, there's many facets to people, much like there are on something such as a precious stone. Perhaps your regrets stem from trying to discard or neglect the facet of yourself that the idol Risette represented?"
The idol stared out at Inaba, pondering her senpai's words. She thought about the last concert she had before her hiatus, how started Inoue was when she told him her intent before she rushed onto the stage to perform. The snap shift from her desire to get away from it all to the ever-cheerful Risette who put her all into her shows. He was right, she realized. It felt... wrong to just, get rid of it and never look back.
"...Y'know. That's a really good way to put it, senpai." she finally said aloud, nodding her head slowly. "It's not about what part of me is 'real' or 'fake' or whatever. It's about doing what you want, no matter how hard it is."
"...That's something of a leap from what I was saying, but okay..."
Rise giggled, turning towards Rusei with a smile. "It's fine! My mind works pretty fast." she cast her gaze back out towards Inaba. A part of her was annoyed with how it was still foggy, but she could still see a lot of the town. "If I do try to go back, I'll probably have to work hard to make up for a year off from showbiz."
"Well, if you can stand up after the mentally and physically exhausting ordeal that was facing your Shadow, I have doubts that keeping pace with a few upstart idols will be too much trouble." remarked the charcoal-haired teen with a chuckle.
"Exactly! I'm all kinds of tough!" she agreed, a confident smirk on her face. "Starting from square one? Psh, that's nothing. I've been helping solve a triple homicide for the past five months!" Her expression turned serious. "I won't make the same mistakes, and I won't run away. I want to find all these other sides of myself and embrace them, and keep moving forward!"
On that last word, a spark of blue light flickered around Rise, suddenly bringing the two of them to a starry void. A spire flame gave way to the form of Himiko, who seemed to flicker and shift, as if viewed through a glass prism. A gleam of 'light' obscured the Persona for a moment, a similar yet unique entity taking its place. The large radar dishes on the figure seemed to move of their own accord before the two Persona Users found themselves back on the hill, like nothing had happened.
"...Kanzeon...? Have... my powers changed?" she asked aloud, slowly looking towards Rusei.
"It would seem they've become stronger, in a manner not dissimilar to Kanji's." he remarked. "How do you feel?"
She looked herself over, as if expecting some massive, physical change to herself as well. "...Kinda weird, but..." she smiled, meeting Rusei's gaze again. "I like it."
"That's good."
"But man, being all introspective and stuff is hungry work!" Rise announced, grabbing Rusei by the arm and beginning to drag him somewhere. "C'mon senpai, let's get some food!"
"Whoa-! Take it easy, I need my arm in working order...!"
"Ah, you'll be fine!"
His arm was half asleep by the time they reached the shopping district.
The remainder of the week till the Sunday before exams was surprisingly pleasant, even with a more somber mood when the team went to visit Nanako. Sunday itself, however, Rusei found himself predominantly occupied with a certain blue-haired detective. While their date had something of a rough start, partly due to Marie, the pair managed to enjoy the day about Inaba. The hobby shop in the shopping district selling a model kit of a robot from a series they'd both enjoyed in the past certainly helped keep the conversation going all the way back to the Dojima household, and to Rusei's room in particular.
"You said you had a set of tools for this, yes?" Naoto inquired as she stepped into his room, eyes darting around to take in the surroundings.
"I should still, there was a model I built in my spare time..." he glanced at the shelves next to his door. "Ah, the brown box on the bottom there."
She pivoted in place, setting down the bag with the kit in it on the table before kneeling down. "This one?"
"Yes. The one in the middle of the shelf."
Naoto glanced up at the model robot on the top shelf as she retrieved the small crate, stepping around the table and sitting down with her back to the small sofa in the room.
"Ah, can you move over a little...?"
"Hmm? Oh, apologies..."
The detective scooted aside enough that Rusei could take a seat beside her, a small smile on his face as he reached for the box of tools.
"Your room is... a bit more spacious than I expected."
"I had a similar thought when I first saw it." he glanced over his shoulder. "I think it's the miniature sofa that gives it that feeling."
Naoto hummed in agreement, scanning the room again.
"It's also perfectly positioned to watch the Midnight Channel from..." she noted. "And I see furnishings here and there that don't quite match your tastes, though I suppose these are temporary lodgings..."
"Is it that interesting?"
She nodded almost instantly as she began to open the model kit. "Well, of course. This is your room..." she trailed off, a faint blush on her cheeks as properly registered what she'd said. "Or, er... well..."
Rusei chuckled lightly. "I suppose it's only natural to be curious about the living spaces of others, friends or otherwise..." he paused, a though having pushed itself to the forefront of his mind. "...Actually. I think the only other girl who's been in my room before you is Nanako..."
"Is that so?" asked Naoto, an oddly happy feeling in her chest. "I must be quite lucky, then..." As she shifted in place, she felt something poking her from in her pocket, her eyes lighting up as she recalled something else she'd had in mind. "Oh, ah... Rusei?"
"Yes, Naoto?"
"There's, um... something I wanted to give you." she said, producing the small object from her pocket. "Please accept it."
He cast a curious gaze at the gift, a small smile on his face as he plucked it from her hand. "I believe I've seen this before..."
"I haven't crafted anything like this in some time..." she admitted. "It's a Detective's Badge. If I'd gone back to the estate, I could have added a camera and transceiver... Oh, but it flashes! I made myself one to match."
Rusei chuckled, finding the switch to trigger the small LED light in the badge. "Something to make my status as your apprentice official?"
"...P-Perhaps." Naoto replied, that faint blush returning again. "Though, 'Partner' has a nicer ring to it..."
"...I could get used to that." he said, trying to ignore the blush now spreading across his own face as he carefully placed the badge on his desk. "Though I feel I'd still be needing some advice so as to keep up."
"And I'd be more than willing to give it." said Naoto with a small smile, looking at the ceiling instead of the half-opened box in her hand. "...The title of 'detective' felt as if it was a burden to me before, as though I had no other aspects to myself apart from it." she shook her head, lowering her gaze. "But... you and the others gave me a reason to be, as myself rather than what I'm not. So, I... I was able to face myself as myself, before anything else." A soft sigh escaped her. "By spending time with everyone, I change, day by day. It was frightening, but now... with everyone..." the lingering blush on her face began darkening once again. "With you, I can proudly proclaim that I am myself. Nothing more, but nothing less."
Rusei's response was interrupted by a now familiar blue spark, the two Persona Users seated amongst a sea of stars. Sukuna-Hikona flitted into view, a shell of white and black light obscuring it a moment later. When the light faded, a taller figured, dressed in regal white and with a belted sword at their waist. The moment passed, and the two of them were once more in Rusei's bedroom.
"...Yamato-Takeru." Naoto murmured, staring at the empty space in the air where her Persona had changed. "This potential... was still dormant within me..."
"That seems to be happening quite frequently these days, I'll be honest." remarked Rusei.
Naoto chuckled. "Perhaps you're a more positive influence than you think."
"...Were anyone else to say that to me, I'd dispute it." he looked at Naoto. "But since it's you... Well, we can save the debate for another day."
She smirked. "Afraid I'll put forward compelling evidence you can't refute?"
"...More 'certain' than 'afraid', but... yes..."
Naoto laughed at the rather blunt response, reaching into the box to retrieve the model's parts. "I appreciate the honesty, Rusei."
"Would you say it's part of my charm?"
She almost flung the pieces out of the container out of surprise at that comment. "...A-Among other things about you, yes." She took a breath, simply opting to overturn the box and let the pieces spill out. "Every time I feel like I've figured you out, you surprise me in new ways..."
"I could say the same thing about you, Naoto." he noted, absently scooting a little closer so he could grab the directions that spilled out of the model kit.
"...Y-You're quite close..."
Rusei froze in place, his face heating up again. "...Should I move?"
"...N-No. I like it."
Over the following days, between exams, the Investigation Team often overheard their fellow students in some way complaining about the fog. While not initially something most fussed over, at least... not until the final day exams as they all headed for Yasogami.
"Man, this fog just won't quit..."
"Lingering weather patterns are one thing. Fog that won't leave after two almost two weeks?" Rusei turned his head towards Yosuke. "That's... not normal."
The brunet nodded. "Yeah. I mean, the news said it might start snowing soon, but what's gonna happen if it's still foggy when it snows?"
"Whoa!"
The two Persona users turned around, finding Chie stepping back after nearly walking right into Yosuke, with an entourage of the remainder of the Investigation Team with her.
"Where'd you guys come from!?"
"Wow, that's quite the crowd you got there."
"We ran into each other back there, so we started walking together..." replied the martial artist. "The fog's so think sometimes you can't see your nose in front of your face, so everyone's forming groups now."
Rusei hummed. "And that's before the chilly weather gets taken into account..."
"Visibility's so bad, it's scary..." noted Rise. "It's almost like on the other side."
A moment of simple curiosity on Kanji's part saw him retrieve his TV World glasses and slip them on. His eyes went wide and he looked around in a panic.
"G-Guys, put on your glasses!"
Concerned, they did as suggested, all of them feeling a sense of dread as their vision became significantly clearer.
"Whoa..."
"Wh-What the hell is going on!?"
"Under normal circumstances, no glasses would improve one's visibility in a fog..." stated Naoto.
Chie scratched her head. "Then what, is the fog from over there leaking into our world...?"
"...As much as I'd rather say that's outlandish and silly..." began Rusei. "...You might actually be right, Chie. It's the only way to explain why our glasses are helping us see through it."
"Hey, I'm shooting Big Red a text about this." Kanji reported, phone in hand. "I know he's had a lot on his plate recently, but like... this is kind of a big deal."
"Let him know we're coming over after school." Yosuke chimed in. "I think this calls for an emergency meeting..."
Rusei nodded. "Agreed. We just have to deal with the last day of exams first..."
Despite the dark thoughts running through their head at the revelation Kanji stumbled upon, somehow they made it through their exams as best as they each could manage. The moment school ended, the Investigation Team practically bolted out of Yasogami and over to Roy's apartment. They barely got through the first knock before the door opened and found themselves ushered inside.
"Sorry for the rush, but once I saw you weren't kidding about the glasses with the fog... Well, a little paranoid now." stated the redhead as he locked the door once they all got inside.
"Is this fog really dangerous...?" asked Chie.
Aigis shrugged. "I don't know, but if it's the same fog from the Other World, caution would be best."
"I dunno if it is, though..." noted Teddie. "It seems a lot like it could be, but beyond that I'm clueless."
"Everyone's too scared of the fog to go outdoors much now, too..."
Roy picked up a newspaper and opened it. "Or like a few guys I saw earlier, will only leave their houses with gas masks on. Doesn't even seem like the local yokai are taking chances with this..." he set it on the table the team was seated around. "A different thing to talk about however, is this lovely article about Namatame."
"...A summary of his career, as well as details about the case." Naoto remarked as she quickly skimmed the article. "With a note that he's still confined to his hospital bed, so further interrogation has yet to continue."
"So it's final over..." hummed Yosuke. "A lot of stuff's happened, but all that's left is for the police to build a case for Namatame, right?"
Rusei shrugged. "Possibly, but it depends on how much they can prove. Ryotaro and I went back over most of my notes in regards to the case last week, and even with what he could share, we couldn't narrow things down further than we already had..."
"And the stuff he was saying was so obviously nuts." added Rise. "Couldn't they consider him mentally unstable if he says anything about the TV World?"
"From what I've picked up while I've been helping the police, that could absolutely happen." Roy stated grimly. "Plus if they can't find evidence, it's pretty hard to build a case..."
Naoto let out a tired sigh. "There are many such cases and culprits as well. It's the eternal conundrum for crime investigators..."
"...So what, even if they're caught... the law can't do shit?"
"...It's a possibility."
Kanji scowled and crossed his arms. "Hell's up with that!? We all know he did it... You can't just let a maniac who thinks he's saving people by killing them run wild on the streets!"
"Assuming he's not the key to proving the 'Killer and Kidnapper' theory."
All eyes turned towards Rusei.
"Ryotaro obviously couldn't tell me everything, but there was apparently no mention of Mitsuo Kubo in Namatame's diary save for an entry remarking on the police having apparently apprehended the 'killer'. If Namatame was the one to push Kubo into a TV, I find it hard to believe he wouldn't make note of having done so." stated the Wild Card as he leaned forward in his seat. "That said, we also don't know if Kubo's complete rejection of his other self removed his own ability to enter the other world, as both Namatame and myself could access it without an awakened Persona. If that is the case, then the only remaining matter is finding a hole in Namatame's alibi for Mayumi Yamano's murder, which is well within the possibility for the Police... especially if they became aware that the time of death for the victims is likely well after they were put in the position to be killed."
Rise snapped her fingers. "Right, because it takes until the fog clears before Shadows go nuts and attack!"
"Precisely."
Yosuke sighed. "I hope you're right about that. I don't want the police to dismiss something this serious because of some mental issues. Saki-senpai..." he shook his head. "No, not just her, or that announcer... Even Morooka's on him. If he hadn't killed two people, nobody would've tried a copycat killing. It's his fault Nanako-chan's in the hospital right now, too..."
Despite the somber atmosphere, the mention of Nanako made one thought force its way to the front of Rusei's mind. The sudden shift in expression didn't go unnoticed.
"Is something the matter, Rusei?" Naoto asked.
"Hmm? Oh, no..." he chuckled. "I just remembered that... right before she was kidnapped, Nanako wanted to buy a new kotatsu at Junes. It was going to be a little family shopping trip..."
"Oh, then why don't we head there and check them out right now?" Chie offered. "I bet she'd be psyched to come home to a new kotatsu!"
"Heh, did you bring it up because I was complaining about the guys who were setting them up in housewares?"
Rusei laughed. "Yes, actually."
"Well it's better than spinning our wheels right now... I could use a break from case stuff anyways." said Roy. "Need groceries, too..."
The far more cheerful prospect livened the spirits of the Investigation Team, the group making their way over to Junes. Their conversation amongst the shopping was lively, though the joyful mood wasn't entirely shared by everyone. Teddie in particular seemed exceptionally quite as the team walked around housewares, until he finally spoke up.
"...Can I still stay here...?" he asked aloud. "You kept your promise to me, so I should be going back... But I don't want to go until Nana-chan gets better."
"Of course you can stay!" Yosuke exclaimed. "How many times do we have to say it before it gets through to you?"
"Nanako-chan would be sad if you weren't here when she wakes up."
The blond shook his head. "B-But... I couldn't save Nana-chan..."
"Don't be silly. We saved her together."
Kanji nodded towards Rise. "Yeah, we caught the guy who grabbed her. Sure we got the run-around in the scrap with him, but you still saved our asses more than once."
"Teddie, you shouldn't talk that way when Nanako-chan is still fighting."
"You guys..."
Roy smirked. "Besides, I seem to recall watching you make a promise to Nanako-chan right after we passed Kubo off to the cops. You ain't about to be a bear who goes back on his word, are you?"
"She'd be quite angry with you if you did..." added Rusei.
"Hey, why don't we pick out a Christmas present for Nanako-chan while we're at it?" Chie suggested.
"Not a bad idea..." agreed Kanji, scratching his head a moment later. "...Uh... what to get her, though?"
Naoto turned towards Rusei. "What do you think she would appreciate most?"
"I would say 'anything', but given how excited she was at the prospect of making snowmen..." A smile curled onto his face. "I'd say one of those large Jack Frost dolls."
"Oh hell yeah, that white, round shape's the best." Kanji agreed. "A plush doll's the way to go!"
Yosuke hummed. "Hey Rusei, think your uncle would object to us having a 'welcome home' party for Nanako-chan once she's out of the hospital?"
"I don't see why he would."
"Yes! And we'll bake the cake!" Chie chimed in.
"Of course!"
"Let's make it a cake to remember!"
"I have told you all before, if you think you're going to be cooking at my uncle's house without me, you have another thing coming." Rusei stated firmly, his attention then drawn to the ringing of his cell phone. "Oh, one moment..." He pulled it out and answered. "Hello?"
["Hello? This is Adachi. Um, I want you to stay calm and listen to me, okay?"]
"...Okay..." replied the wild card, an uneasy feeling in his chest.
There was a deep breath from the other end of the line before Adachi resumed speaking. ["Nanako-chan's condition suddenly got worse. The doctor wants you to-"]
"I-I'll be right there!" he said quickly, hanging up and practically shoving the phone in his pocket. When he saw his friend's worried faces, he tried to keep his focus. "Nanako... something's wrong a the hospital...!"
"Oh no... C'mon, let's go!"
Author Notes - And thus my Christmas Present to all you wonderful readers is impending dread because HO MAN. It's about to get real heavy, so naturally I braced myself for it by finally getting the ball rolling on Rusei and Naoto's actual relationship. Been the plan from the start, and writing a couple of awkward ducks has been fun. Then all of me died inside as I wrote the next chapter. But until then, happy holidays to all you wonderful people!
Oh, and a shout-out to a good friend of mine, oolongnoon, from whom the shrine kitsune Enko was borrowed from with permission. I hope you're also having a nice crimmis, you silly tea fox!